Perfect Match

Inside the Old Hall of the Fifth Emperor

A few days after the festival, the Dragon Emperor sends for Laurie and her friends in Axis.

## Story

### The Thread that Pulls

Each of the players is visited by an Imperial herald with a note requesting their attendance at an audience with the Emperor. Indulging themselves in 'room service' while they wait in an antechamber, each player meets the Emperor in turn, who is accompanied by his court wizard, Firedaughter. That is, except for Laurie and Talebot, who together meet with their father the Emperor, and their mother, the Empress.

The news is broken to Laurie and Talebot that a 'Presentation' is to be imminently held to arrange their respective marriages, in part to put to rest salacious rumours of lustful adventures (Alina's very public kiss of Laurie, and Talebot's night visits from Demeter). Neither child is happy at this news.

Valnos accepts the offer to be the traditional representative for the Queen's Court in return for the return of an ancient blacksmithing hammer that belonged to him.

Harper accepts the request to be Laurie's servitor (her ceremonial bodyguard), and Thamra accepts the request to be Laurie and Talebot's ceremonial taster, both for the duration of the Presentation.

Alina accepts the offer to be an honorary palace guard captain in exchange for a promise that if Laurie is ever in serious trouble, she will send word to the Emperor. She challenges Firedaughter to a competition in magic and is soundly trounced and is impressed by the 'mere' wizard.

It is unknown what Demeter is offered, if anything, but she is barred from the Palace, forbidden to visit her secret fiance, Talebot. She leaves distraught, seeking solace in the Emperor's Wood, a small woodland on the outskirts of Axis. Valnos sends Demeter a message via a sliver worm (remorhaz) familiar, whereas Alina tracks Demeter down. Both end up speaking to her and console her, advising her to speak with Talebot.

The following day, the players receive invitations for private clothes fittings by the Imperial tailor, Gourmier; all the players receive elaborate clothes, with Alina receiving a fancy honorary palace guard captain's uniform. Thamra and Harper briefly meet the Empress to discuss any queries they have about their ceremonial roles, and Alina finds the officer's mess, having a brief but convivial discussion with Sir Bren Crestfire, Knight-Commander of the Palace Guard.

Laurie insists on a meeting with her father, and they clash over his treatment of Talebot and Demeter.

That evening, a plan is devised to secret Talebot out of the palace to meet Demeter, with Alina magically adopting his appearance - but not his voice - to make it seem like he has stayed in his room. The Empress visits, and Alina manages to keep her awkwardly at bay with but body language, gestures, and the occasional grunt. She leaves, sorry for the situation Talebot is facing.

The next morning, Thamra receives a note, ambiguously signed 'FDL':

> *Dear Thamra,*
>
>

> *I've finally arrived in Axis! We've spent too long apart, and I have much to tell you of what I have experienced on my long journey since last we met.  I asked after you, and they say you are living in the Palace!  They turned me away when I tried to visit you - said I'd be kneedeep in trouble if I pushed my luck. However, a kind guard said he would deliver this message.  Meet me at the Gnome's Turnpike?  I'll wait in the front bar until I see you.*
>
>

> *FDL*
>
>

> *PS. You should see my new outfit!  I think it will make me extra lucky.*
>
>

FDL is not Thamra's brother Fingo, but Fedoro Dimra Lokko, his somewhat obnoxious second cousin, and grandson of the current headman of Twisp.

The players visit the Gnome's Turnpike (a shabby inn), with Alina and Harper making suspicious small-talk with Fedoro at front bar, and Laurie scoping the situation from elsewhere in the bar. In the meantime, Valnos and Thamra discuss cooking out front, awaiting the return of their friends' reconnaissance.

Once FDL's identity and relationship to Thamra is revealed, the group leaves for the palace, only for Thamra and Fedoro to be kidnapped by Nightsbane and Nyalastha, who speed off in an autocar, intent on recovering the orb that Thamra has stolen from the baelnorn. A chase ensues, leading to, variously: Nightsbane stumbling out the side of the autocar while it is speeding along; Alina shattering the windsceen with lightning and then being thrown from the autocar's roof; and Fedoro being locked in the boot after revealing that he knew that he was being used as bait.

Within the autocar, Valnos, Laurie and Harper defeat the pair, and Nyalastha chooses to walk onto Valnos' sword rather than be taken prisoner, being reborn a day later back in his domain. Laurie chases down Nightsbane and a fight briefly ensues. A devout member of the Imperial Cult, Nightsbane reluctantly believes Laurie's story that she is the Imperial princess and breaks off the attack, but refuses to take her orders in preference of (alleged) direct instructions from the Emperor in their prayers.

With Talebot's facilitation, Harper's erstwhile familiar, the pseudo-dragon Aura, visits Harper in the palace. Together they decide to form a new order, drawing inspiration from the now-defunct Golden Order. Aura merges with Harper, providing her with onboard mental advice. Harper visits and inn where former Golden Order members are staying, and they agree to rejoin a new Golden Order, arranging to meet in a fortnight at Santa Cora with any others they can spread the word to.

### It's All About the Presentation

The elite of Axis and farther abroad gather in the Old Hall of the Fifth Emperor for the Presentation. The Emperor, Empress, Talebot, his servitor Imrel, Laurie and Harper take the dais and the ceremony gets underway. The Emperor calls for nominations, with the following suitors succesfully being tested for nobility by Firedaughter using an arcane traditional ritual:

Laurelei:

* Valnos
* Lord Talnir (son of dwarven Lord Grimnir, Lord of Anvil)
* Fedoro Dimra Lokko
* Baron Tendarrion
* Salvador Tendarrion (son of Baron Tendarrion)
* Lord Maximillian Frommler, the Crusader

Talebot:

* Layla Crestfire (daughter of Sir Bren Crestfire)
* Sibéal Kmeria (daughter of a merchant-lord of Glitterhaegen)
* Tianna Silvercrest (a drow of House Silvercrest)
* Sofia Cormyr (from a prominent noble family of Axis)
* Alina

Talebot went to rise to his feet during the nominations, but his father ordered him to remain seated. Seeing Demeter was still building up the nerve to step forward, Alina nominated herself to buy Demeter more time. Talebot went to stand again, this time exclaiming that "I ab... I ab..."; a strange rictus spread across his face, and he continued: "I absolutely look forward to spending time with you good ladies." The players suspect that Taelbot was enchanted before he had the chance to follow through on abdication, as ostensibly the only way to remain together with Demeter.

Demeter steps forward for nomination but fails the test; the Emperor orders the guards to drag her from the Hall, but they are stopped by Valnos who threatens them, explaining that she is able to walk herself out.

After leaving the Hall at the conclusion of proceedings, Laurie overhears her parents arguing loudly, before interrupting to speak tersely with her father, accusing him of having some hand in Talebot's entrancement. The Emperor denies the accusation, being more distracted by Lord Frommler's unexpected appearance and the complications that it will create.

Laurie instructs the palace guards to keep Talebot in his room until the source of his entrancement can be determined, even as they appear to be wearing off. Harper is also detained when she refuses to reveal the identity of her visitor, Aura. Talebot backs down over a full confrontation with his sister, but frets about Demeter.

### Shenanigans Ensue

The various scheduled events of the Presentation get underway over the coming days. First is a knockout-style jousting contest, including a surprise appearance of Nightsbane in full armour. In the final rounds, Frommler is disqualified for dismounting after knocking Layla out of their saddle, and seeking to pummel them into submission whilst they are on the ground. Laurelei is disqualified for stepping in to prevent . Alina, who was knocked unconscious in a final round but somehow managed to remain in her saddle, is declared the winner.

That night, Elizabeth comes to the palace and brings the characters down a nearby alleyway to Demeter, who is comatose, bearing multiple darkened stab wounds, and close to death. The dagger that was used to capture Theralar's soul is broken, but his soul remains within the hilted end still in the seized-up grip of Demeter's hand. Demeter is brought to the Drakevakt headquarters in Axis and put under medical surveillance and the characters head to the Emperor's wood near the Axis walls to the place where Elizabeth says she was attacked. Using a combination of rituals, they reconstruct the attack and determine that the hooded figure who exited The Echo and ambushed Demeter reminds them distinctly of Saint Troya.

The next day, the characters inform Talebot of the attack on Demeter - who is understandably distraught - and Laurelei and Harper liaise with Firedaughter about locating the snapped end of the Theralar blade. Firedaughter agrees to help, on the proviso that she inform the Emperor of the task; as a result, Laurelei decides not to accept her assistance.

Dalsa arrives in Axis and meets with several of the player characters, and on Laurelei's request, inspects Demeter. She determines that the wounds are somehow suffused or augmented by something from The Echo. When using her ability 'reveal what is hidden to me', Dalsa also discovers that a cloaked weapon - a large, two-handed sword with red glowing runes - is attached to Demeter's belt. Dalsa removes it, and she and Laurelei devise a method to destroy it. They attempt to destroy the weapon using a complex ritual, but the weapon simply disappears, likely banished to another plane.

That evening, the next event of the Presentation is held, namely, a poetry (slam) contest. The player characters compete, but neither Laurelei or Talebot seem in the right frame of mind for the evening, and Talebot leaves brusquely at the conclusion of the event.

The following morning, most of the player characters meet with Empress Olivia, either for suitor interviews, or, in the case of Laurelei, for a private discussion.

...TBC...

### And Then it All Came Tumbling Down

Laurelei and Harper are immediately arrested, soon followed by the other player characters.

...TBC...

## Characters

### Player Characters

* Laurie Basorium -- played by Hinchy58
* Alina Heartsoul -- played by Theliotrope
* Thamra Lotho -- played by Kiripha
* Valnos Shadestar -- played by Hurage
* Harper Swyn -- played by Cascaded
* Dalsa Quaradeth -- played (briefly) by Hurage

### Non-player Characters

* Demeter
* Talebot Basorium
* Arvan Basorium
* Olivia Basorium
* Firedaughter
* Bren Crestfire
* Fedoro Dimra Lokko
* Nightbane
* Nyalastha
* Aura
* Lord Talnir
* Baron Tendarrion
* Salvador Tendarrion
* Maximillian Frommler
* Layla Crestfire
* Tianna Silvercrest
* Sofia Cormyr
* Sibéal Kmeria
* Laura
* Onan McHammer
* Elizabeth
* Theralar Silvercrest
* Tarian