The Bear, the Empress, and the Ferry

## Overview

The second story arc completed by The Unbearables.

* Primary quest giver: Rhydel
* Objective: Bring The Ferrymen to justice and find Callion
* Primary Antagonist: Apollo and The Ferrymen

## Summary

### Beach Day

Rumors of the Ferrymen primarily centered around one place: Harmony Harbor. Determined to find them, the party flies on over. On the way, Andromeda insists that they go to the beach.

Shortly after legally docking in town, the party is found by Viktor, who hands Artemesia a mission from the Church of Lumin. He explains that his current job is taking longer than expected, so he needs her help with that one. The job turned out to be a big one: secretly escorting the empress into the city and performing last rites on a dying friend of hers. But first, beach day.

After setting up on the beach, the first bit of excitement comes in the form of a giant crab. The lifeguards ring the crab bell, evacuating the beach, but the party stays behind to deal with it. After dealing with it, 3 members of a monster hunting guild show up, but the party wasn't interesting in talking with them so they left. They spent the rest of the evening getting drunk around a fire and playing "Tales of Urist Dicehammer," a dwarven drinking game where you tell a story from your life from the perspective of average dwarf Urist Dicehammer. During the story, you embellish as much as you can, and if you are called out on embellishing, you drink.

## Escorting the Empress

After preparing their equipment to leave, Malum, who is staying on the boat because the party wanted him to, warns them to avoid fighting the Ferrymen. The party possibly heeds his warning before heading out to the agreed upon meeting spot with the empress.

As they walked through the woods, they were stopped by a mounted guard. The party explained who they are and the guard introduced himself as Captain Rhydel, who was in charge of the empress's security for this trip. He walked with the party back to the empress's carriage, and couldn't have been more courteous. On the way, they talked about the recent controversial decisions made by the empress.

### Encounter

Upon reaching the carriage, they met not only Empress Aladria Silverbrush, but also her young teen 60 year-old son Callion. They explained that the person they were visiting used to be Callion's caretaker, but he recently fell severely ill. The party then heard a thunk, and turned around to see Rhydel fall to the ground, crossbow bolt sticking out of his left eye.

Assassins ran out from the woods. Other than one in red, they were dressed in dyed black leather and all had some sort of face covering. They ignite the empress's carriage and cross swords with the party. As the battle continues, the party in successful in holding back the assassins. That changes once Apollo shows up. Also dressed in red, his face is uncovered. Apollo begins channeling powerful magic, causing runestones around the battlefield to start glowing. Soon after, reality shatters. The air cracks like glass, the sky and ground separate while also becoming one. It's a whole mess (see M.C Escher). With the breaking of reality comes the breaking of the minds within it. The damage is too much, as party members begin falling one by one, until the last thing Artemesia sees is Apollo driving his blade through the empress's heart.

### Aftermath

They wake up, snapped back to reality. Rhydel has crudely patched up their wounds. His left eye was bandaged, but had already bled through. He was pissed, blaming himself for the empress's death. Looking around, they noticed Callion was missing.

The party spends a few days recovering, until eyepatched Rhydel shows up. He goes over his observations from the battle. The Ferrymen won by using tricks and magic traps they had planted previously. When it came to straight combat, the Unbearables had them outmatched.

## Finding the Ferrymen

### Rhydel's Plan

The plan essential came down to two steps: find them and kill them. First, they needed information. From a previously attended fancy party, Artemesia and Malum knew that the Garnet King, a local noble who is very full of himself, was rumored to have hired the Ferrymen. In addition, they had a connection to the criminal underground through Shadow Clyde, who was currently missing. The babysitter that the empress was supposed to visit also may have known something. Next, they had to learn about the magic Apollo used and find a way to counter it. At some point, they have to find and rescue Callion. And lastly, they have to kill the Ferrymen.

### Interrogating the Garnet King

Dressing up as butlers, the more subtle and non-bear party members infiltrated the Garnet King's estate. (It is worth remembering that he is not a real king, the nobles in this area just like their little titles). Immeral went out to talk with the workers in the gardens and gather information. Most of the others searched the manor for clues. Timeo went to the Garnet King's private quarters, where they drank some wine. With no one's consent, Timeo slipped a vial of Agatha's special poison in the Garnet King's glass.

Overall, they gathered that the Garnet King was running illegal drug trading throughout the city, and he had allegedly hired the Ferrymen to kill a detective that was investigating him.

### Investigate Apollo's magic

Rhydel sent one of the runestones from the battlefield back to Eshna Lumin for research. He got back a note suggesting that they talk to The Psycho Soldiers, a mercenary group in Harmony Harbor that specializes in brain magic. The party went to visit the Psycho Soldiers' guild house, where they were surprised to see it decorated very soft and cutely. They were greeted at the door by an energetic and endlessly happy young lady who introduced herself as "First Hierarchical Apprentice to the Grand Arch Vizier Psycho Soldier Mia." She invited them in where they also met Chief Curator of the Grand Athenaeum and Third Hierarchical Seer Pyscho Soldier Silas. Silas took the runestone to research it, while Mia became fast friends with the party.

A while later, Silas explained that the magic used was a long lost ancient one. However, if the party had Mia with them, she would be able to protect their minds from it during battle.

### Talk to Reuben

Continuing his streak of unhinged criminal activity, Timeo met with a priest named Father Stordo. Timeo then proceeded to disguise himself as father Stordo for the visit to Callion's former babysitter, Reuben. At Reuben's humble home, they met his nurse, a blond man with red eyes who introduced himself as Mr. Nurse. They talked to Reuben for a bit, learning nothing useful, and Timeo performed a fake prayer for him.

During this time, Smokey used some of his alchemy knowledge to examine the medicine that the nurse had been giving Reuben. He discovered that it was not medicine, but rather poison, which is probably the opposite of medicine. Smokey turned into a giant eagle and carried the nurse back to the Banana Blimp, dropping him from high up and breaking his legs.

With Rhydel's help, they interrogated the nurse. He admitted to poisoning Reuben in order to tempt the Empress to visit, so that he may kill her. In his rage, Rhydel beheaded the nurse and threw his body in the ocean.