Session 64

* The Citadel

* Lady Jane Pryor, heir to the Barony of Pelgate and daughter of Baroness Pryor.
* Tomnuck Elegro, the Realm's foremost Bard.
* Captain Rhett Marlowe, Citadel Guardsman and member of the Task Force investigating a threat to the Conclave.

**Previously...**

## And Now...

Having managed to inveigle their way into the heart of the Citadel, all our heroes have left to do is address the Baron's Conclave, convince them of the existence of a conspiracy, convict Vaelcom, clear Lady Bellia, foil Waiqir's dastardly plan and prevent a potential Fourth Darkness. It's time to see if all that lack of preparation pays off...

### The Corridors of Power.

While being guided to the Baronial chambers, the group passes a checkpoint where Citadel Guards check weapons. Harper demurs, and doesn't want to surrender his dagger. Leshrac is able to get them past with a little clever legalese, the presence of several Kellosian Justicars and by dropping the Steward's name. He, Harper and Nyarduke elect to keep their weapons. Dandy questions their guide about the Citadel layout in case such information becomes necessary. During this, the guide mentions a corridor with a warding spell on it, Gar takes advantage of it to resume his Orc form and tries to trick Hereshna into following, but is unsuccessful.

### Last-Minute Preparation.

After arriving in Baroness Harriett's chambers, our heroes engage in some last minute preparation. Both Gar and Dandy are showing signs of exhaustion after a long time without sleep and their battle with Tovric. At first, they think to eat something, but stop just in time. Doing so would break the spell of the Plate. Instead, Goldie brews up a revivifying tea which seems to do the trick. Leshrac shares his vision of Justicar Stahlbrücke in peril and warns Bea, hoping that she might be able to use her defensive magic to avert it. Meanwhile, Goldie takes advantage of their current cat form to prowl about and eavesdrop on the Barons. They start with with Baron Fredric, who's desperately trying to get Vaelcom to keep his head. They also discover that Baroness Pryor of Pelgate is not in attendance and is being represented by her daughter, Jane. Goldie notes that Jane has an odd tattoo of a pair of stylized daggers across her shoulder blades.

The Conclave begins with Baron Fredric moving to confirm Vaelcom as Baron of Allerfeldt and his mother's successor. Baroness Harriet interjects and the Conclave members support her motion.

### The Moment of Truth.

Gar and Dandy take this opportunity to use the powers granted by the Plate to enhance one another's persuasive abilities before taking their place.

Dandy's role is to provide a narrative framework of sorts for the evidence being presented by the others so, with this in mind, she immediately launches into an epic retelling of the bizarre sequence of events which led to this moment. She spins a captivating tale of prophecy, history, heroes, villains, gods and monsters. The performance has a powerful persuasive effect on the assembled Conclave Members and lays a compelling foundation for the evidence to be presented.

Vaelcom attempts a weak defense, accusing Dandy of just stringing together a bunch of fanciful bard's tales, but enough events are provable. The presence of the Realm's pre-eminent bard, Tomnuck Elegro, also undermines the accusation. Gar provides clarification where needed, using his customary bluntness and scholarly authority to present clear, factual commentary in support of Dandy's more fanciful and dramatic delivery.

The presentation continues as Leshrac is called upon to deliver evidence, speaking as a scholar of Forbidden Lore. His delivery is portentious and impresses upon the Conclave the depth of the peril being faced, and the gravity of their decision. There is an interruption which risks derailing the presentation and Nyarduke interjects, launching a passionate, if cryptic, counterargument. The content of his response is undermined by a sudden attack of aphasia but its message is carried largely by his energy and he is able to shut it down.

With the interruption dealt with, Goldie presents the evidence gathered by the League of Daqan (without revealing their existence). While this is largely a dry recitation of facts and presentation of documentary evidence, it definitely serves to provide an important foundation in fact for the more dramatic presentations of the other speakers, and the documents are made available for the perusal of Conclave members. Midway through Goldie's delivery, Giana, Preceptor Tusid and members of the Citadel's investigatory task force arrive.

Preceptor Tusid and Captain Rhett Marlowe of the Citadel Guard outline their investigation and present the findings of the Task Force before introducing Giana, who delivers an overview of her research into the Prophecy from a perspective of theological scholarship before relating her findings to actual events. She's also able to offer up a unique perspective, having examined the Prophecy both in terms of rigourous theological and academic verification, and in terms of personal experience of its truth. It's one thing to study the text in meticulous detail, but another altogether to find yourself wearing the Oathborn Armour worn by the document's original writer.

### The Final Testament.

As the tone of the chamber begins to subtly shift in favour of the heroes, Vaelcom becomes increasingly stressed and erratic. Early oppositions are snide and contemptuous, but gradually his speech and mannerisms begin to betray a sense of fear and desperation. Sensing this, Harper uses his illusory abilities to assume the form of Tovric and addresses Vaelcom directly. Vaelcom panics and loses control momentarily. Fredric is able to rein him in, but everyone has seen his mask slip and even his greatest advocate is beginning to lose confidence in him.

At this point, the final piece of evidence is called for, as Lady Bellia takes the Seashell Recording from Leshrac and plays the message within. The voice of the late Baroness Katrin Sephone presents her final testimony, accusing her own son of her murder. As the final syllables of her final message fade, a silence falls over the room. Baron Fredric commands his golem guardians to restrain Fredric, and he is turned over to Citadel Guards. In the wake of these momentous events, the Conclave members agree on a brief recess. The heroes are thanked for their work and dismissed from the chamber, but told they may continue to observe from the witnesses' gallery.

### In Victory, Uncertainty.

The heroes meander en route to the Observation Gallery, pausing at a large ornamental garden to confer. Despite their recent successes, nobody is convinced the threat is over. There's still Goldie's vision of the dagger aimed at Baroness Harriett, and Leshrac's vision of the Justicar in peril. Exhausted after her bravura performance, Dandy elects to take a nap, while Leshrac and Goldie try and see if they can scry something to give our heroes some idea of where the next threat will come from. While they're doing this, Gar suggests he and Nyarduke scout about briefly. Gar attempts to tell Nyarduke something, but loses his confidence and elects to return to the garden instead.

Goldie's vision is the same, indicating that the peril is just as present as it was earlier, and the heroes' activities haven't averted it. Leshrac, meanwhile, has seen a vision of a crow wielding a pair of silver daggers, slick with fresh blood. Gar informs the others that the Crow is a Heraldic Symbol of the Pryor Family. Goldie recalls the tattoo of a pair of daggers they saw on Lady Pryor's back. They're almost certainly some form of magic, able to transform into real weapons as a way of smuggling weaponry past the checkpoint.

### A Covert Missive. A Desperate Plan.

The crew have to act fast. Is Lady Jane one of Waiqir's followers? Is she being controlled somehow, or manipulated, or is she a willing cultist? With very little information to go on, and very little time to make a decision, it's a time for bold choices and swift action. Goldie explains that, if they can get close enough, they may be able to read Lady Pryor's surface thoughts.

A plan is hatched. Goldie, wearing the robes of a Kellosian acolyte, will enter bearing a message for Lady Pryor. The message will have to be the sort to bring details of her plan of action to the forefront of her mind, where Goldie will be capable of discerning them, but what message? Dandy composes an initial, accusatory message, framing Lady Pryor as a willing assassin, but discards it. A second message takes on a more sympathetic tone. Maybe Lady Pryor, like the Steward is an unwilling cat's paw, and if we can discover the leverage the conspiracy is using, we may be able to act. The message is sealed with an official looking seal (from Chance's Signet Ring), and Goldie sets off to deliver the message.

They are able to get past the guards, and make their way to Lady Pryor's chamber. The message is delivered, and Goldie is attempts the scan, but in the attempt makes two-way contact. Sensing that they are an imposter, Lady Pyror leaps to her feet and alerts the guards, shouting, "Arrest That Cat!"