32: The Crownguard

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## Summary

### VIP Treatment

Heyfa brings the party necklaces imbued with Tongues so that they can communicate freely in the Empire. At the feast, Jinna beckons the travelers as well as Damhir to sit with the Empress and her Crownguard. Queena reveals that Damhir will be competing in the Oathtakers’ Tournament, not as the party’s escort, but as the final general of the royal court. The party becomes acquainted with the Empress’s eight generals:

Queena (a paladin) is the Empress’s right hand. She graduated top of her class at the military academy, where she met Mhiral, and later served as a captain for several years during the former emperor reign. Years ago, she and her company slayed a dragon that was terrorizing the northern colonies. She is a natural leader, a bit of a sports nut, and can drink the rest of the crownguard under the table.

Samhpa (a druid) is an expert in horticulture, cuisine, and the occult. She has been a palace official for decades, under both emperors Gimsaan and Kkadir, and oversees the capital’s water supply. She is most senior among the generals in terms of length of service to the Empire, and treated with the utmost dignity.

Yazan (a barbarian) was one of the first to be appointed to the Crownguard, along with Queena. Having grown up in the same district, he has known Damhir and the Empress (as well as her brother Eno) since childhood. He is boisterous and proud, and prizes physical strength and fighting spirit over all else. Among the generals, he gets along best with Queena, and is begrudgingly tolerated by the twins.

Minh is the first bard on the Crownguard, and one of few Tabaxi in history. Jovial and a bit sensitive, he is the heart of the royal court, and also a bit of a lush when it comes to the pipe. He is close with Samhpa and Jinna, and hopes that the song of Empress Mhiral’s reign is a peaceful one.

Jinna (a cleric) is an academy graduate and was an upperclassman of Damhir’s, though they were of different battle disciplines. She is a bit of an academic, and though she is kind and empathetic, she is capable of making difficult decisions for the greater good. She serves her faith in the hopes that she can protect her loved ones’ ways of life.

Nuur and Beranh are twin sorcerers who were expelled from the Military Academy for setting the school’s wyverns free and exposing their mistreatment by several professors. They were later reinstated by Empress Mhiral, who also chose them for her Crownguard. They lead and train with a battalion of mounted spellcasters. Reluctant to listen to authority, they are a thorn in the Empress’s side, but they never lead her astray.

Damhir is the eighth and final general chosen by the Empress, and the first half-elf to serve on a royal court since the Second Ark War. He was promoted to captain several years ago after leading the group that defended Pikko Town from a bulette attack. Among the generals, he is closest with Jinna and Yazan, who treats him like a younger brother.

During the feast, Queena tells the party that it is an old tradition for the Empire to invite foreign representatives to take part in the Oathtaker’s Tournament to foster international friendship and goodwill.

### Why Does She Keep Making Us Chase Small Animals

Shortly after, Prince Eno’s hairless cats run out into the feast hall and he requests the party’s assistance. Meanwhile, Queena and Yazan haze Damhir, and Mahi teaches Minh some Farlander sea shanties.

### Gimsaan's Helm

Later on, when the festivities have died down a bit, the party goes to the back gardens per the notes they found in their chambers. There, they meet Mhiral, who has returned dressed-down and in disguise. At the reflection pool, she tells them that she believes they have good intentions, but that they must also prove themselves to her subjects. Thankfully, her generals—Damhir included—have agreed to train with them to prepare them for the tournament. Finally, she requests that the party help her locate a stolen artifact that belonged to her grandfather: a helm set with a beautiful ruby. The helm was taken when Kkadir and his men sacked the royal palace.

### Blessing

The next morning, Cat and Mujie visit Jinna in her private quarters at the palace. There, they meet her husband and daughter, and she and Cat have a frank chat about Ark and how it connects them all to the realm. With his eyes closed and his hands in hers, Jinna breaks his curse and restores Cat to his true form.

## Quotes

#### *A COURT OF MANY COLORS:*

> "Farlander guests! Forgive me, I can't speak a lick of common. Welcome, though. What's your favorite bit, so far? It’s the spirits, right? Or is it the food? The music?"
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>

*—Queena*

> “Welcome to the desert. A fellow disciple of the earth, you are. You were born under a curious star... No, not cursed. Different.”
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*—Samhpa, to Luca*

> "It’s not about the strength of your body, but of your heart. An undying will, that's the mark of a Meranhi."
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*—Yazan*

> "The song in your hearts is… of friendship, even in hard times. Forgiveness. A strange, beautiful melody."
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*—Minh*

> “It’s hard to be lonely in a place like this. But it’s easy to feel overlooked. If you run into any trouble, come find me at the infirmary, next to the public temple.”
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>

*—Jinna*

#### *YOU'RE NOT EVEN FROM LHOAM:*

> “There’s a town on the sea,
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> and she calls out to me
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> in the sweet melody of my home.
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> Her voice drifts on the breeze,
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> she’s the girl of my dreams
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> My fair lady awaits me in Lhoam.”
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> I’ve lost track of the weeks
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> and the cots, they all creak
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> and the food onboard tastes of seafoam.
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> Now my outlook is bleak
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> and my shipmates, they reek
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> I just want to go the %!&# home.”
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*—Mahi's sea shanty*

#### *VOTE OF CONFIDENCE, PROBABLY:*

"We don't have much time, but I wished to tell you this: I believe you've told me the truth, and that your intentions are good. My people will be harder to convince. Damhir tells me you're all talented. You'll have to show it before they warm to you."

*—Her Majesty, Empress Mhiral*

#### *THE RETURN OF OPPOSABLE THUMBS:*

“It’s difficult to explain. Ark magic—the kind we practice as clerics, at least here in the Empire—it defies words. It’s a feeling, a connection you have to the realm and to the Gods themselves. It is less about the depth of your knowledge, and more about the strength of your convictions. I don’t mean to be rude, when I say this, but… if your heart is unsettled, you will have a hard time tapping your Ark.”

*—Jinna*