The DuBois Collection

an adventure starring Cecil, Skirmish, and Jade. 
Tweet length description: Are you an artist? Am I? Join Jade, Skirmish, and Cecil on an adventure to find some missing artists, explore the meaning of art, and learn the somatic components of critique.
Setting: Errol, a small town north of Niqamui by a day's travel that is not on or near train lines. 
Non Player Characters: 
* Arlo Tesfaye
* Trish "Texas Instruments" Ramey
* Attacus Al Balushi
* Coleus Sunda
* Joyful Babette
* Savory Vittal
* Quixotic Emmanuel
* Corin DuBois
* Constantine DuBois
* 
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Plot Summary: Cecil, Skirmish, and Jade find themselves at the Firebreathing Kittens Guild Hall on a Thursday morning. After noticing that Jade looks down from missing the mail cut-off time and failed to send her child a care package, Cecil sits with her to comfort her. While imbibing his third ale of the day, Skirmish sees the job notice on the board, gets it and, having overheard Cecil and Jade earlier, asks if they would like to go on a job together. They agree and read the note. The note indicates that a local Patron of Arts is concerned about not receiving a delivery from three artists she commissioned recently. They also had not taken any payment so she suspects they are missing. Their contact information indicated they are part of an Art Collective that was last seen in the small town of Errol, about a day's ride north of Niqamui. The party decides to skip speaking to the patron as they feel that additional delays could endanger the artists. Cecil asks his footman, Stanley, to bring the convertible carriage around and the group heads to Errol.
Upon their arrival, they note how colorless and drab everything seems to be in Errol giving it somewhat of a spooky feel. From main street, the party could see a tavern, mortician, and butcher. They also noted, far on the hill overlooking the town, a one story villa. Knowing that taverns are usually full of information, they party decides to go there first. They speak to a bartender named Arlo and buy a round of drinks for the whole bar. While Cecil and Skirmish go out to deliver drinks and seek information from the locals, Jade speaks to Arlo to find out information from him. Jade learns of a family known as the DuBois family. They had arrived a while back and became very influential in Errol. They currently subsidize ale in the town to 1 copper each yet are looked at by the town with suspicion. Jade gleans that the DuBois family are not criminals through her experience as a former town guard.
Skirmish and Cecil are able to convince some farmers to share some information. However, when the question of art or artists comes up. the farmers indicate that they do not talk about such topics. Picking up on this, the decide to use the term 'stew' in place of art and ask if any 'stew makers' came through recently. The farmer, Attacus Al Balushi, indicates that yes, they had come through but would feel better talking about it at sundown at his turnip farm just down the way. Cecil and Skirmish agree and reunite with Jade. They exchange information and then head to the mortician for more clues.
On the way to the mortician, Skirmish and Cecil talk about the possibility of starting a business which sells ale from Errol to Niqamui and sells paint from Niqamui to Errol. They do table the discussion once they meet the mortician, Trish Ramey. Unlike other aspects of the town which seem devoid of art or creativity, Trish appears to have green mascara and styled hair. She mentions she saw the style on an artist passing through to the mansion on the hill. She mentions that the local library has one solitary book (A History of Axes) that she reads every so often since the DuBois family has reallocated the books to their collection. All art is also taken from the town and relocated to the DuBois residence. Jade attempts to flirt with her in order to find our if the recently deceased man she is working on is an artist but is misunderstood and Trish thinks the paladin is trying to buy body parts for spell components. After the confusion, the party moves to the freezer (shared with the butcher) to speak more privately. Trish reveals that artists are invited up to the manor once they are shown to have artistic ability and are never seen nor heard from again. Additionally, when asked specifically about the three artists mentioned by the patron, Trish acknowledges that the two male and one female rabbit humanoids also went up to the manor a couple weeks ago and have not been seen since. The party thanks her and they leave the mortician's place. The party discusses having Cecil do performance art by dancing on hanging silks in order to curry an invitation to the DuBois residence.
With sunset approaching, the party takes some of their supplies as gifts to the Attacus's turnip farm. The have wine and bento boxes together. When asked about the DuBois family, Attacus confirms what Trish said and adds that no artist has yet to say no to an invitation. He does not know what happens to them after the fact. He also say that the DuBois are two brothers who have always enjoyed art but for some reason have been giving out many more invitations. The party knows their next move is to go to the manor so they ask Attacus if they can use his farm to hold a performance art exhibition by Cecil. He agrees. Jade helps set up and ensures safety protocols while Skirmish goes out and invites the whole town. The town is deeply moved after watching a rousing and beautiful performance by Cecil and leave overwhelmed given that they have no usual access to art. As the crown disperses, a short man with a plant for a head and wielding a glass dagger extends an invitation to the manor to Cecil. When he accepts, the glass dagger bursts into a cloud of glowing butterflies which lead them in the direction of the manor. They receive the message, "Art is a journey and a journey is not art." The party gets in the carriage and follows them up the hill.
Upon arriving to the manor, the party hears music, laughter, and joyful expressions from the beautifully kept garden grounds. They enter into a beautiful glass atrium and see a man floating in a bubble while smoking as well as woman whose upper half sits in one seat speaking sign language to her lower half seated across from her. They ask about the grounds and note the west wing is the studio with a theater to its north and a music room to its south. The east wing consists of a large physical gallery with private quarters of the two brothers. The brothers' quarters are specifically off limits. The party goes to the physical gallery and are surrounded by sculptures and paintings, all of which seem to showcase one of the two DuBois brothers, Corin or Constantine. Using hi deep background in art history and appreciation, Cecil teaches Skirmish how to appreciate art. As they examine the paintings, they see wandering through multiple paintings a female bunny rabbit. Cecil decides to enter the painting to talk to her while Skirmish holds his feet. Cecil finds her name to be Joyful Babette and she has what appear to be hammers painted under her eyes representing tears falling on the anvils painted on her cheeks. After discussing things like her affinity for frogs, she mentions that she is perfectly happy and wants to stay at the manor forever. Cecil reveals the information to Skirmish and Jade and he decides to draw a frog to impress Joyful Babette. Next, Skirmish and Cecil both go into the painting tied to ropes that Jade guards. They convince Joyful Babette to leave the painting and talk to Jade. as the exit the painting as well, they are covered in paint and Jade tells them the rabbit mentioned dinner was ready and left toward the atrium.
After a quick wash in the fountain, they join the three rabbits (Joyful Babette, Savory Vittle, Quixotic Emmanuel) and two DuBois brothers at the table for dinner o discuss Cecil joining the DuBois brothers' group of artists. Corrin and Constantine constantly fight and work to destroy the art of the other so they will not be remembered. The offer Cecil the chance to live forever and hint at the power of the Ekenblim. All three rabbits seem somewhat aloof but still pleased to be creating the art for the brothers. When the party discusses how hoarding all the art actually prevents people from enjoying it and hearing about the DuBois brothers or the artist, the rabbits get the first inclination that there might be something unsatisfying about the arrangement. The party makes three compelling arguments:
# Art should be shared outside to as many as can see it. Locking it in the manor does not make the DuBois brothers known nor the artist.
# Art should be preserved. Each DuBois brother keeps destroying art of the other. This will lead to their efforts being in vain.
# Art is not good because they have everything and do not struggle. It is in the struggle that art moves to a higher level.
When the rabbits hear these arguments, they are convinced to leave. They pack up and head out with Jade. Skirmish and Cecil eventually join them when the DuBois brothers demand that they leave. The party saves the captive rabbits and help the Patron get the art she commissioned.
Memorable Quotes: 
"Art is a journey and a journey is not art." - Message from the DuBois brothers to the party
"I'm married!" - Jade reacting to having been a bit too flirtatious with the mortician.
Category:Episodes