Sx21 — Lucky Rabbit's Throat

***Lucky Rabbit's Throat*** is the 21st session of the campaign*.* It is preceded by Sx20 — Wait! Fuck, He's Hot!, and followed by Sx22 — Rock Bottom

This session takes place over a single day, Tetarti, the 18th of Akamentes, and was the twenty-first session. Notable moments of this session are the first council meeting, Leoven and Khantos breaking into Braxion's room, the discovery of the necromantic runes in the castle, Leoven and Khantos plan break into Quintus' tower, and Theobald's death.

### Neleous, Oto and Adrasteia Attend a Council Meeting

Neleous, Adrasteia and Oto all head to the council meeting in which they plan to oversee the council and deduce what they can. They enter through the main entrance, though were meant to come through the servant's door. Before entering, Adrasteia asks to sniff people to see who smells of Lotus. Oto sends Oni to do this as a small cat would be less noticeable than Adrasteia sniffing government officials.

As Trechon enters, he smiles and winks at Oto which leaves him flustered for a second.

Everyone else's eyes are drawn to a dark skinned, golden eyed woman, who is "weirdly perfect." She also has keen intelligence behind her eyes. This is Briphina Palteas. When she speaks she prompts a DC 11 Wisdom Saving throw. If you fail, you are unnaturally inclined to agree with her. (*Charmspeak*, an ability inherited by demi-god children of Aphrodite).

Eltin Burrowheart enters. She is a pale skinned, dark haired dwarven woman. She clearly has worked hands and a strong physique. She wears funeral robes with silver accenting and a number of Gems on her person.

Braxion Malleas enters. He also has worked hands but a more slight physique. he has dark skin and amber brown hair. He has a very nervous energy about him and fiddles with a small automaton which he takes apart and rebuilds repeatedly. Adrasteia notes that he seems to take a dark joy in tearing it apart repeatedly. He is so focussed on his work that he doesn't notice Oto in the room, which Oto spends extra time making sure he is covered. His eyes are magnified by his glasses and he is covered in grease and burn marks, and doesn't participate in the council meeting at all. (Even Trechon is participating more.)

During the meeting Bane Sarreas doesn't speak much but when he does he is able to take control of the room quickly; he clearly has high status in this room. Eltin clearly doesn't like him. The council are talking about the situation up north, near the pillars of Heracles. Oni notices a cat purring in the corner. It is a ginger tabby cat but no one is paying it any attention. Chione and Stellina Orama are sat opposite; there is a sun and moon inscribed on each of their chairs respectively. Trechon's chair is made of sea-stone. There is an empty chair left for King Eugamon.

Oni is noticed by Briphina but she simply gives him a scratch. Oni notices that both Briphina and Stellina are carrying daggers on their person currently. Briphina's looks like a practical dagger that could kill someone, while Stellina's looks more ceremonial. Trechon is carrying his Xiphos. Oni also notices that Briphina is the one who smells of Lotus, and there is another Lotus smell not in the room, but out of the main door.

There is a small argument during the meeting in which it is commented that Trechon's position is only honorary and that Stergio Dalleas is "out of his depths." It is also noted that Queen Ione is not proficient in political speech and it is Briphina and Bane leading the discussions. Lirit Bassilin is attempting to increase Myth Ender numbers. Chione is loosing most arguments about the issues in the water. Vasia Ballou smiles and mentions the absence of the king (He seems to know more than he is letting on) and Eltin has an odd reaction to the mentioning of King Eugamon.

It is at this point, everyone hears a loud bang coming from Braxion's room and everyone is quickly evacuated from the room. Queen Ione is taken to a safe room. While leaving the room Oto sees another woman he doesn't recognise heading towards the King and Queen's chambers, she is the other person who smells of Lotus. Oto follows her.

### Khantos and Leoven Break into Braxion's Room

Khantos earlier had felt necromantic energy coming from Braxion's room and enlists Leoven to help him investigate while Braxion is in the Council Meeting. They try knocking on the door first in case he was still inside but received no answer. From outside theroom, they can smell oil and grease. Khantos picks the lock and breaks into the room. Inside, there are many parts from other automatons: the head of a robot dog (rottweiler) and crystalline eyes similar to Oto's.

The bedroom is the only clean room and appears to be completely untouched. Looking around the rooms, it appears Braxion attempts to fall asleep at his desk while working rather than going to sleep in his bed. Leoven also notices scratch marks next to the wardrobe in the bedroom. Behind is is a giant necromantic rune on the wall — the same ones seen reanimating the zombies *(Sx01)*.

Meanwhile, Khantos finds blueprints for automatons. The blueprints start animalistic, but slowly get more humanoid. There are also blueprints for celestial bronze wings. Khantos notes that everything is made for weaponry. Khantos also finds notes that Braxion is attempting to leave the castle tomorrow. This evidence proves that he is likely not the culprit of the King's insanity as the dream spell must be cast every night to maintain the effect and, due to the protective wards, that is not possible from outside the Palace walls. There are orders to Braxion from Quintus Pterygas to *"get it done and get out"*, though what it is is unclear.

Khantos attempts to steal some blueprints and small trinkets from Braxion's room but as he attempts to pass through the doorway a mechanism goes off sending lighting at him (6d12 lightning damage) and paralyses him.

Leoven sends Ayleth to go and get the others, but Ayleth only follows Khantos' orders.

> **Leoven:** "Be a very good girl and go and get the others, but don't run. Own it." / "Go get'em girl."
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Leoven uses her lay on hands on Khantos to help him out of the paralysis and then runs down the corridor to hide. Khantos becomes invisible with Ayleth and leaves.

### Oto Follows a Woman

Oto follows this still unnamed woman and corners her away from people in the corridor to the King's room. When questioned she reveals she is the consort of King Eugammon, but is secretly having an affair with Briphina Palteas — which they do in Quintus's room. She reveals that she respects the power of Eugammon, but she doesn't respect the man himself. She has no useful information, but "super doesn't like" Eltin. Oto then leaves to go speak with the Queen.

### Neleous Completes His Deal and Talks to Adrasteia

In the commotion Neleous goes to find Vasia to complete their deal. Neleous informs Vasia about what he learnt from Stergio and as payment receives a letter. The letter reads: '*In Invurnes, Find Devisee'*. Vasia also recommends investigating Auto and Eltin, but does not give details as to why.

Meanwhile. Adrasteia went to investigate the explosion and nearby hears the sound of metal paws hitting stone and begins to follow it believing that is how she will find Khantos, Leoven and Ayleth. Before that she sees a glimpse of the relationship between Lirit and Braxion, they are not on good terms and seem to be complete opposites. Neleous also catches up with Adrasteia which causes her to loose the sounds of Ayleth.

Adrasteia and Neleous have a conversation, in which Neleous apologises for snapping at her in Quintus' room. During this conversation Adrasteia rolls and insight and passes Neleous' deception. Adrasteia recognises that Neleous does not work in match-making like he said he did, but does know he's apart of some kind of business. He clearly has an agenda.

The pair go to find the rest of the group in the mess hall.

### Oto Talks to the Queen

After Queen Ione has been taken to her room, Oto goes to find her. At the door, he meets two guards and says he has urgent news for the Queen. He is able to pass them. Oto talks with Ione, first bringing up the fact that he used detect thoughts to invade the mind of King Eugammon, in which he saw glimmers of someone having an audience with them. Ione states that this was Odysseus, who was giving them advice on a number of things. This included recommending the Primal Seven as an adventuring party they should hire, as well as that he believed they were being too lax on The Owl and Spear, the Myth Enders and the Funeral Commission. He suggested that they cut back on funding for those groups.

Oto also asks whether or not she would be involved in the plot to kill the King. She swears on the River Styx that she is not — which completely rules her out as a suspect. Oto asks about Bane and she says that he has held his seat for 70 years, and while the other seats have changed every year he has remained the same. This is particularly exceptional because the Funeral Commission have a system in which they regularly pit its members against each other.

Oto also asks about any peculiar behaviour from the King before he died and the Queen notes that there was the report of an investigation in Hecate's Crag to which the King reacted badly but he never elaborated on it. Oto then shows the letters from *'B'* - but during this has the revelation that the B could actually be a 13. Ione does not recognise the handwriting but does comment that Vasia was once apart of the 13th Legion.

Oto also asks about The Owl and Spear and she says that Braxion is a talented inventor, but a useless council member. She also notes that Quintus likes him and Lirit is a very talented surgeon (though she does not comment that Quintus likes Lirit). She also comments that Braxion is currently working on impressive automatons, including Auto who he made for the Funeral Commission as a gift. Originally Auto was not a sentient creature however has since gained sentience through calculations and I guess maths.

Oto continues to ask about Stellina. Ione states that Stellina is privy to information beyond the Queen.

Oto then asks about the Vallotis, she states that she knows the Vallotis attacked first and they were the first to respond. Before the inciting incident of the conflict between the Faen and the Vallotis was based on "a disagreement about magic," it was about people who were connected to magic from birth and people who worked for it, and whether or not the different sources could be trusted. There is some belief in the upper-echelons of political society that there was a third group conspiring against both of them pitching the two groups against each other.

Finally Oto asks about the Prostatis family and Quintus' relation to them. She states that the Prostatis family were "asked" to give up their position in Wingate to maintain peace between Artemis Cove and the Empire. This was around 40 years ago.

### Goodbye Theobald

The group recollects in the canteen and catch up on everything they have found out and Oto informs the rest of the group that it was lesbians who were consorting in Quintus' room. Leoven does not tell the group about the prophecy. It's at this point that Lenile approaches the group and informs us that they have found the corpse of Theobald in the tunnels. The group finishes their conversation, their drinks, and their food and then a few of them head down to check it out.

Adrasteia, Oto and Neleous go down to the tunnels with two guards. They are taken down into a gated off area in the tunnels - this area has been excavated from a pre-existing. This is where Theobald's body remains.

His shield is against his shoulder and has the symbols of Erebus and Aether on it. It is now glinted red with blood. The way he was killed was a single slit through his throat. He was not in a fight, but instead had his throat slit from behind and was clearly surprised. On the wall, written in his own blood is the phrase *"The Walls-"* which is cut off. This is in reference to the fact the necromantic runes were on the wall. It is also clear that Theobald was there for a purpose.

The group promptly loot his body, taking his money and belongings. Oto particularly took his shield, his goggles of darkvision and his two remaining beans from the bag of beans. It's at this point a shadow turns around a corner. The group follows the shadow and comes to a dead-end. Oto uses detect thoughts to look for hidden people. He quickly looks into Adrasteia and Neleous' mind. Adrasteia is afraid but Neleous is thinking *"Got to stick by Adrasteia. Can't let Adrasteia get hurt."*

The party find a darkened alcove with large wooden panels painted to appear the same as the wall. Another necromantic rune is behind the wood. The group also noted that these are catacombs under the Palace. It's a three-stack of graves to make more efficient use of space. Someone is clearly attempting to hide these now empty graves. The group continues to chase after the shadow.

### Khantos and Leoven Plan a(nother) Break In

While the other three are gone Khantos and Leoven take the opportunity to plan their break in of Quintus' Tower. They comment on the time limit and the number of guards armed with magical bows around the castle. Leoven also seems to be extremely paranoid due to her madness and is convinced that everyone is watching them. They note that his rooms are at the top of the tower and will likely need keys to access it. However, there is a balcony on the tower that overlooks the city, which could be a possible place of entry.

Leoven finally reveals that when she met with Quintus in the tower she signed a contract agreeing to the terms without reading it first. She was too focussed on making sure that everyone was okay. She also comments he reached into his desk for a pen and there was a curtain behind him hiding something.

> **Khantos:** "I'm just thinking that for a soldier you act a bit too much from emotion. We should just level this place."
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> **Leoven:** "And all the innocents in it?"
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> **Khantos:** "Sometimes to cut off the head of a snake..."
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Khantos leaves the planning to Leoven entirely and then leaves her alone.