Session 31

Session begins

* Venphira is led through the castle to the war room. The queen does not acknowledge her until she speaks up. There are papers and maps all over the desks, and Queen Bergljot is engrossed in them. Bergjlot’s armor seems to be made of a sort of carapace.
* Venphira clears her throat and begins discussing her outburst about The Lumleys. The Queen seems very nonplussed by her accusation as she repeats it.
	+ Queen Bergljot says that she;
		- A) has no evidence
		- B) is kinda chill with the cutthroat nature of politics, other members of the council have fought their way to the top in a similar way.
		- C) The Lumleys are implied to be more useful to her than their predecessors.
		- D) the Queen does not fear The Lumleys usurping her power. **She says she needs The Lumleys more than she cares about Venphira getting justice.**
	+ Venphira says that she could make herself useful to the Queen, but the queen says she still won’t help. Evidently she’s too busy with the castle that just got clapped.
	+ Venphira leans over the table to get very close to her face. She says that she can be “very persuasive.” The queen sneezes on her.
	+ The queen apologizes and says she’s come down with something due to lack of sleep.
	+ Venphira leaves as she’s not making a dent with the queen.
* Venphira is escorted out and sees Jinx and Vjenga playing catch with rocks. Jinx is a natural MLB star so talented, athletic, agile, so cool so awesome.
	+ Vjenga is catching a lot of the rocks with her face.
	+ Vjenga asks about the conversation with the queen. Venphira gives everyone the DL. Venphira gets a checkup.
	+ Venphira recommends that Vjenga try to talk to her. She doesn’t wanna.
* Solla, Ymna and Langar are met up at the barracks. Ymna is still being laughed at by Grandpa Byrtr.
	+ Solla asks Ymna why he gives a shit about Nidhogg’s farts. They also, WAY MORE IMPORTANTLY, say that he forgot to tell the party that Ettr is joining them for the wedding at the Golden Horn.
	+ Solla also asks Ymna whether they saw Ettr’s drake. He did not.
	+ Solla struggles to describe a drake. Bird? Dragon? Tiny? Bird? Dog? Jinx? And Vjenga?
		- He wants Ymna to try turning into a drake. Ymna can turn into a bird but not a drake. Ymna knows that they might be too powerful to transform into anyway.
	+ Ymna asks Solla to arm wrestle.
	+ Solla asks Langar to arm wrestle.
		- Langar is already there. Summoned by the potential to arm wrestle. Langar says Ymna is a lot stronger than he thinks. Ymna wagers a brown button, Langar wagers a sum of gold.
		- Ryan’s mom asks if he is learning witchery.
		- As the two of them lock arms, Langar leans into Ymna and asks if he wants to win. The only person who does hear is Byrtr and he doesn’t give a fuck.
		- Ymna wants to win. He says later he and Langar can try for real but in front of others he wants to win. Just before they start, the ladies who were on a trip to the castle return.
		- Ymna wins the first round, surprising Langar with his strength.
		- Byrtr counts them down again and they go best out of three. Langar uses blue blood rush and so does Ymna. Langar wins the second round. It’s intense as fuck.
		- Byrtr asks if Langar wants to bet anything else before he beats his grandson again, for the final round.
			* Ymna tries to take Byrtr’s cane from him. Apparently this is something Fytostyr would do when he was Ymna’s age.
		- Langar puts 50 gold on the table, Ymna puts the squirming root on the table.
		- Vjenga says she’s *rooting* for him. Great Grandpa laughs yaaaaay
		- Ymna initially takes the lead, Langar uses his inspiration to get the edge out and bring them back to the center. He pushes harder to get Ymna down another two stages.
		- In the final push, Langar tells Ymna he believes in him. Langar then mercifully places his arm down on the table. Langar wins! He gives the squirming root back because he has “all the wood he needs”.
		- People are cheering. They cheer very loudly.
		- The people in the barracks eventually disperse as the arm wrestle for the ages is over.
* As Solla reconvenes with the sneeze squad, they tell them that Ettr will be joining the party for the wedding.
	+ It would take a few days to get to the wedding, it’ll be a few weeks before they need to show up for the wedding
	+ Venphira says she partly feels responsible for the attack on the castle. She mentions that she knows someone but they’re “being a little bitch” about sharing information.
	+ Curiosity is piqued.
	+ Solla asks if her patron knows a lot about dragons, she says yes.
	+ Vjenga asks Venphira to clarify whether this is an religious or arcane or fiscal patron or WHATEVER.
	+ Venphira doesn’t get the impression that she can’t talk about her contract with her patron. Fateful.
	+ **Venphira reveals that her patron is the Nidhogg.**
		- Vjenga says that’s a fucked-up joke to make and asks who it is really.
			* Kijin asks whether he should be worried, YES ? BRO.
		- Vjenga is having A Reaction. She asks what the nature of Venphira’s pact is.
		- Venphira explains that she doesn’t remember how she got the pact. Venphira says she sees him in her dreams and they want her to release them.
			* Vjenga asks whether she intends to follow through with her end of the deal.
			* Venphira:
			* She does seem, from her silence, intent on releasing her.
		- Vjenga has another Intense Reaction.
			* She says this is the worst of Venphira’s many bad choices. Langar tells her to back off. Why? Now is the time to have a temper tantrum.
				+ She asks whether Venphira has explored any way of getting out of her contract (the contract with Nidhogg) (aka the contract with the *malice striker*) (the contract with the massive ass dragon that eats corpses (but not in a cool way)(in an evil way))
				+ Venphira has not. Nor does she remember how she came into the contract. She assumes she was blind with rage.
		- Venphira becomes even more ashamed. She says Kare is also there. FUCK.
		- I thought this next line was funny.
			* “How many People have you murdered because the Nidhogg told you to?”
			* “So far…”
		- She’s been in contract with the Nidhogg for about four years, a few months after the Lumleyification incident. She describes the nature of the dreams.
		- Langar asks if she owns her soul, she says probably not.
		- When Solla asks if she is in control of her body, she says yes. THE Nidhogg CAN DETECT HER SENSES IN HER SLEEP. The cuddle puddle people have been cuddling with Nidhogg?
			* Venphira gets EJECTED from the cuddle puddle.
		- Venphira asks what she should do if she finds that Nidhogg would harm her if she tries to escape the contract. Andrew uses a good word.
			* Vjenga tells her angrily that she’s gotta try, and says that they should be able to talk to her Uncle about ways to escape.
		- Solla suggests Vjenga asks Freyja what to do. Freyja has been indisposed so Vjenga hammers home talking to her uncle instead.
		- Venphira tries to get up and walk away. The Deliberator classic.
			* Langar grabs her arm as she goes and Vjenga blocks her way.
			* Langar asks whether it’s worth it to Venphira. She says to her, it is.
			* When Langar lets her go, Vjenga does too. She gives her the full body fog machine glare as she leaves. Jinx tails her.
	+ Ymna says that he and Vjenga should try to get Byrtr to talk (whack?) some sense into her. Byrtr has been listening to the conversation the whole time.
		- Vjenga asks what they should do. Byrtr does not seem to have any idea but offers to help if asked.
		- When Solla asks if the gods would help Venphira, Byrtr has Vjenga clarify that the gods are not going to help. Byrtr says that he only has faith in the gods in the sense that they exist. Venphira will have to get herself out if she’s willing. (OR OTHERWISE >:O )
		- Langar asks Vjenga whether she understands the nature of vengeance. She says she doesn’t see how it’s related. He explains the way Venphira must feel, that she cannot forgive and forget it.
		- Langar understands, and so does Solla, but Solla doesn’t seem as sympathetic as Langar is. Solla seems to wonder whether Venphira’s will is even her own.
		- Langar thinks her revenge “has to be done”, Vjenga is adamant that the pact cannot be allowed to be fulfilled. She is angry that Venphira was hiding this (and also that it sucks). Langar asks if she would be so honest. She can’t pretend to know Venphira’s position. Langar tells her not to pretend, then.
			* That was pretty metal very good rp hachi machi
* Venphira has found a hilltop outside the city and a tree to sit under. While she’s wistfully looking off, she notices Jinx approaching through the snow.
	+ She asks if Jinx is okay. She is, her fur keeps her pretty warm through the snow but deep snow is a lot to move through.
	+ Jinx says she thinks the rest of the people are not mad so much as they’re scared. She doesn’t understand why Venphira doesn’t just double-cross the living shit out of the Nidhogg.
	+ Venphira says it’s pretty hard to ignore the Nidhogg. Jinx proposes drugs.
	+ Venphira says she thinks she’ll need the Nidhogg’s power to take down The Lumleys. She doesn’t know the terms of her contact.
	+ When asked by Jinx, she says she would consider destroying the world to see The Lumleys dead.  After meeting the party, she has been slightly less sure.
	+ Jinx says she remembers Ulfred’s frightful transformation.
	+ Knowing this, Jinx says she thinks that nobody in the party will help Venphira anymore.
		- Venphira says she’s willing to leave the party to carry out her goal.
	+ **Jinx does an excellent job of guilting her**. I’m so proud. She cites Sylvi and Vjenga dying in a Nidhogg cataclysm and then slides down the hill. As she moves, she sees a bunch of her spawned mushrooms with a bone colored stem and a pinkish cap. It exudes a yellowy fluid. She has no idea what it does other than it looks like a dick and it cums. It’s aroma is heady and musky.
* Langar passes Jinx as she slides down the hill, he’s headed up to talk to Venphira.
	+ Venphira asks if he’s come to scold her too.
	+ He walks up to her, and sits so that they are facing the same direction. He hands her the same steel token as seen in beanz. It is engraved in giant with the name of his father “Saegr”.
	+ Langar says he understands making deals with unsavory things to exact vengeance. He gets his coin back.
	+ She says she’s not sure whether to pursue her revenge.
	+ He asks her again whether it’s worth it. She says she wants to say yes but she also wants to say no.
	+ Langar doesn’t say anything, but sits next to Venphira until it’s time for her to leave.
* Sylvi also stops by Venphira’s hilltop moping session.
	+ She is joined by Eikthyr (dog).
	+ Sylvi sits down next to her and says she understands, she thinks. That’s all that they say.
	+ Venphira offers a hand and Sylvi takes it. **Amewia I am dying to know what u thought of all this.**
* Venphira, Langar and Sylvi try to find a damaged area to repair because Venphira is TOO SCARED of Vjenga’s scolding.
	+ They find the same tavern where Langar and Johannes “celebrated their friendship” as historians would put it. The tavernkeep says it’ll be fine and that they’re just waiting for a friend.
	+ They leave and find the Impolite Bear instead, and help there.
* Meanwhile, Jinx reunites with Vjenga back at the barracks.
	+ She’s trailing penis shrooms all the way through as she hops up and sits at the table with her. She says she’s talked to Venphira and that she’s dangerous.
	+ Vjenga agrees. Both of them agree that it’s a huge, bad mistake and that they won’t help her kill The Lumleys.
	+ Jinx asks if can perform an exorcism, but she doesn’t think that Venphira’s pact is the same. She gets heated in saying that the only way Venphira has a chance of getting out of the pact is by wanting to. Otherwise she’s gotsta be stopped.
	+ Jinx puts her lil paw in Vjenga’s big hand.
	+ Vjenga says she’s trying to understand, but thinks that this level of destruction won’t help. Jinx says that Venphira will come to resent Vjenga, but she’s fine with that.
	+ Jinx thought differently of her too, she thought she had a sense of justice.
	+ Kijin charms in that it’s funny the party was suspicious of *him*.
	+ The party has a history of dropping serious baggage after new members show up.
	+ Solla doesn’t want to help Venphira either, he asks how far Vjenga’s Uncle is from where the party is currently. She tells him that he’s in Nionaem, in Farbjoor. She says that she needs to speak to him for another reason and also supposes that Sihinion may be able to get them there. She doesn’t know what her Uncle will be able to do if Venphira won’t take the push.
	+ Jinx suggests torture. (/j i’m sure)
	+ All of them discuss Venphira-stopping-options. Grease is mentioned. After the wedding Solla says they’ll do all they can to help. They suggest talking to Sihinion.
		- Solla says they should think about preparing a wedding gift or scouting the area out. Vjenga suggests talking to Ettr. Solla seems to think they can trust them for now.
		- Ettr did not give Solla a way to get in contact with them.
		- Sihinion may know where Ettr is.
		- Vjenga SAYS SHE SENT Sihinion A ***LETTER.*** His reply indicated that he is somewhat mistrustful of the council(?) and perhaps The Lumleys.
		- When Solla talked to Sihinion, he seemed like he disliked The Lumleys.
		- Vjenga says that she is made uneasy by how supportive Langar has been of Venphira’s reasoning. She only knows that releasing Nidhogg would be a calamitous disaster.
	+ The Nidhogg consists of the worst people, murders, cowards and abusers. They were locked away to protect people. They have a feud with the eagle at the top of Yggdrasil.
* Jinx, Kijin, Solla, Ymna and Vjenga all set off to find Sihinion.
	+ Jinx’s great investigation skill helps everyone find him. He’s at the general store whose proprietor Vjenga healed before. Sihinion is telekinetically lifting rocks and stacking them outside the door.
		- **NOTEWORTHY - Qo was present for the ENTIRE conversation about Venphira and The Lumleys and the Nidhogg, though he is not there when the party goes to find Sihinion.**
	+ Vjenga gets Sihinion’s attention. When he is asked, he says he is not on good terms with The Lumleys.
		- He says that he suspects them largely because they never hear back from the messengers that the council has sent to Grey Town.
		- He says that perhaps they should find a non-street place to be discussing this. The shopkeep leads them to a storage room in the back, and Sihinion takes a small ivory door with a doorknob of polished marble and a tiny silver spoon. He claps the little door and spoon against the tavern door, and then opens it and leads the party inside. Inside, the party can see the interior of a mansion full of foliage.
		- He leads the party to sit, though there is not enough room for everyone to sit at one table.
		- Solla says they are very impressed. They want to discuss The Lumleys and their motives. They suggest that Kijin begin.
		- Kijin asks when the last time the council had heard back from. Sihinion says that it has been 4 years, since the beginning of the Lumley’s rule.
		- Ettr does not have any additional information or at least is unwilling to divulge it. They *do* tend to share important with the information.
		- Sihinion seems to think that The Lumleys are at least capable of using arcane means to gain political party. He has suspected that they’ve been using some kind of enchantment, but he isn’t as familiar with magic based in Arkadia.
		- After Kijin asks, he says that a total of **four** couriers have gone missing. The queen vetoed this. Morgana was present and welcomed an investigation into the disappearance. It would have been suspicious otherwise.
		- Vjenga asks how Sihinion thinks The Lumleys came to powers, he thinks they did murder the Vidals. He calls it a regular practice to usurp power in this way. Another two of the council members have done this, but he doesn’t say who.
			* NOT GRAMPS PLEASE GOD
		- Sihinion acknowledges that the queen has been acting differently in the past few years (the past foooouur years??)
		- After Solla confirms the time of the wedding, Kijin asks for the names and descriptions of the missing couriers.
			* **Sihinion says he’ll get those for the party and they can launch an investigation themselves. He proposes that the Sun Soul Monastery may also be interested in helping reveal the truth of their disappearances.**
		- This group of the party agrees that they do not want to tussle with The Lumleys while they are there. They do not want to get Venphira any closer to a complete contract with Nidhogg.
		- Sihinion seems curious about this. When asked, Vjenga reveals the nature of Venphira’s contract. She asks what he knows about escaping such contracts.
			* He says there is nothing that Nidhogg can do as long as Venphira severs the contract before she kills The Lumleys. She would be bereft of her pact power but otherwise probably OK. (from his understanding)
		- Sihinion says that he understands the party has their secrets, but he wants to know anything regarding Grey Town. (he also says he cares about us 🥺(sort of))
		- Vjenga tells Sihinion about the existence of the resistance in Grey Town and about the figures that were seen walking through the streets after dark.
		- Sihinion says that their primary objective should be to gather evidence, but the queen may not be willing to help. They would eventually have to take circumstances into their own hands. He makes a neck chopping gesture.
		- Sihinion wants to come with them to Grey Town, but he can’t do it without giving cause for suspicion. Vjenga will write to him.
		- Kijin asks how much of a standing he has with the queen. Sihinion may be able to convince her, but not if she’s charmed.
		- There is no antimagic in the castle of The Green Lights, but it exists. Other members of the council may know more.
			* Additionally, other members of the council have risen to power in the same way that The Lumleys have. Sihinion cites two members in particular but says he can’t say more, partially because of a pact in which he’s engaged and partially because he is magically restricted from doing so. He has about a year left on his geas.
		- Kijin says they should leave and get back to Grey Town as soon as possible. They should be secretive as not to cause The Lumleys to be suspicious.
		- Vjenga is concerned that Venphira will act impulsively and blow their cover.
		- Kijin asks Sihinion how many members of the council are aligned with Morgana.
			* He says that there was one, and that they disappeared. Immediately after he says this, he takes 5d10 psychic damage and holds his head, sweating.
			* Kijin has seen Geas used before to keep untrustworthy couriers quiet. **Elyes says something about Kijin’s boss before cutting off and telling him that he’ll share that information later.**
			* Sihinion says that the geas is a part of an agreement for a group of which he is a member. He says that this group has fewer restrictions than the council, and that they are motivated by mutual interest and secret. It’s for the interests of the people(?). He seems calm and proud of this agreement.
			* **The member of the Council who went missing was Master of Relations, Kori.**
			* Lydr and Byrtr have gotten their council position by accruing brownie points with the queen. With this sentence girl scouts are confirmed in the svilland universe.
			* He describes the group of which he is a part as a group of powerful magic users (arcane, religious, spoOoOoOoky alike. All kinds) Who pursue and investigate unnatural arcane threats. He says that knowledge of the Nidhogg’s attempt to return means he should investigate the members of this group for similar pacts.
				+ Vjenga asks if they do need to intervene to stop Venphira from fulfilling her pact if Sihinion would be able to help without injuring Venphira.
				+ He promises his best attempt.
			* Vjenga says it’s time that they reunited with the rest of the party, they leave with Sihinion and find the other party members at the Impolite Bear.
* When they find them, they have mostly finished cleaning up rubble, and are resting outside.
	+ Vjenga passive-aggressively praises their cleanup work. She tells them that they have spoken to Sihinion and catch them up on the party’s planned mission to investigate missing couriers in Grey Town.
		- Before they leave, they need to
			* A) Acquire transport
			* B) Get the names and descriptions of the four missing people from Sihinion.
			* C) ? Find Ettr, learn about missing couriers
			* D) ? Find Skoth, contact Sun Soul
			* E) SHOPPING ✨

* Langar says that he could sort out the horses. He leaves with Solla.
	+ Before he leaves, he approaches Venphira and tells her to talk to Vjenga. He also approaches Vjenga and tells her to talk to Venphira. Pro mediator.
		- He thinks the choice she’ll make will take a long time to reach.

* Venphira accompanies Jinx and Vjenga to the armory.
	+ They find a halfing armorer, Kora(?). When they enter, she is talking to and caressing one of the swords they’ve made. They have a suit of plate armor they could modify for Vjenga’s stature but it’ll take a hot minnie. **(1pm the next day, THIS IS A REMINDER TO MYSELF TO PICK THAT SHIT UP)**
	+ The armor is ornately engraved and costs a pretty penny at 2400 GP (deducted from the Vjengabank spreadsheet in PP)
	+ Kora runs off to get a makeshift stepladder, even at the top of that she comes up to about Vjenga’s chest. Vjenga pays for the armor.
	+ Kora asks Venphira and Jinx if they’d like anything. Jinx says she thinks that daggers fall out of the sky.
	+ They bid the shopkeep goodbye. The name of the shop is “Kora and Malfrida’s Armor and Shields”.

Session ends. PREPARE YOURSELF Venphira.

**Tldr:**

**Venphira talked to the queen, and tried unsuccessfully to convince her to take action against The Lumleys. When the girlz returned to the rest of the party, they were arm wrestling.**

**After they finished, they had a conversation that eventually meandered into talks of Venphira’s patron, who was revealed to be the Nidhogg. This was upsetting and polarizing to several members of the party, and after a very poor reception, Venphira stormed off.**

**She was pursued by Jinx, who talked to her and seemed convinced that fulfilling her pact would be a mistake the party would no-longer support. As Jinx left, Langar came to speak to her. He understood her desire for revenge but asked her to reconsider. They sat in silence before Sylvi approached Venphira for another brief conversation. The three of them began passing the time cleaning up Thorath.**

**In the meanwhile, the remaining party members minus Qo met with Sihinion. He told them about a group of couriers that had gone mysteriously missing in Grey Town, and the party agreed to investigate. They reconvened with the others and set about to do separate tasks (including acquiring transport and armor) before preparing to leave for Grey Town.**

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