Session 26 - The Pirate Queen and the Justiciar

While half-orc fighter Phryne, half-elf bard Haeven and half-air spirit monk Aubrey were completing their business with the Pentacle Temple and meeting with Magistrate Taelun, half-elf paladin Arindrake and half-elf druid Percival were looking into the presence of an elven Justiciar in Port-of-Utopia.

The Lady, proprietor of the Palace of 1000 Pleasures, let Arindrake and Percival know that an elven woman in resplendent armour had been questioning her staff about a half-elf matching Arindrake's description. Percival questioned Arindrake about why an elven Justiciar was after them, and Arindrake said that he believed High Secretariat Maiquis of House Aleaundlin was the cause. Percival became very interested in finding out more, despite being horrified by Arindrake's dalliances in forbidden magical arts.

At the point, Percival noticed a half-elf who was eying them duck out of the Palace of 1000 Pleasures. The two tailed her to the Elven District, a series of manors and estates around the central lake. They found that the manors that were still inhabited were under heavy mercenary guard.

They followed the half-elf to an elven manor, where she was permitted. Percival transformed into a squirrel and climbed over the wall where he beheld a party in full swing where the elven guests seemed to be honouring an elven woman in resplendent armour, the Justiciar, while also appearing terrified of her. He took a crap on the windowsill before returning to Arindrake and reporting the news. The two decided the best course of action would be to capture her, since she had clearly been following them, and interrogate the Justiciar.

They met up with their companions the next afternoon, and the group proceeded to the docks where they were directed to a schooner, the *Alabaster Star*. After parting with some gold, they were brought on board to meet with the Pirate Queen, a Coastlander woman, and her first mate, one of the mysterious Desert Folk, swathed in cloth and an enormous headdress.

The group asked if she could sail them, the corpse of Archmaster Erenae, and the freed Magistrate to Elysium. She pointed out, on the seaward horizon, the line of elven galleys, a blockade. After consulting with her first mate she admitted it could be done, but it would be very risky, and she would only settle delivering them for one thing, if they agreed to free a gnome, Kein Oppenmeier, and deliver him to the Pirate Queen. They agreed, and she said her crew were enjoying shore leave for the week, but could be roused to leave on an hour's notice. She warned them that, should they fail, they would regret angering the Pirate Queen.

As they were returning to the Palace of 1000 Pleasures Arindrake filled the rest in on how the elven Justiciar was after them, and how it was in their interest to subdue her. The heroes reluctantly agreed, and with some druidic magic they placed themselves outside of the brothel. After almost an hour the Justiciar arrived, flanked by four elven mercenaries from the Silver Daggers company.

She entered the brothel and began to rough up some of the staff in her search, after which she walked out into the street and cast a spell to dispel magic from the area, crying out, "By the authority of the Directorate and the Elven High Council I place you, Aryndrake Brilthor, under arrest."

Phryne, Aubrey and Arindrake were revealed and charged into battle, while Haeven summoned up magic to command one of the bow-wielding mercenaries to protect his new friends, the heroes. Percival began to lob druidic magic into the fray, while the Justiciar summoned a mighty flame strike from the heavens, continuing:

"You are to return to Elysium with me for immediate judgement. Penalty to comply is an instant and cleansing death in the name of elvenkind."

The heroes downed some of the mercenaries, eventually whittling down the Justiciar until she began to flee towards the waterfront before collapsing. They tied her and took her into a storage room of the brothel, leaving the surviving mercenaries locked in their rooms, deciding to ransom them back to the Silver Daggers.

Below in the storage room, with Aubrey on lookout, the group tried to interrogate the elven woman, although she would give them little, except that she had received her order through writ of Lady Aevara of Victor, and that dealing "with half-born scum such as you is beneath my station, but your crimes against the Directorate are so extensive that my involvement was required." She listed Arindrake's crimes as being the murder of elven agents, colluding with non-elven radicals, conspiring against the Directorate and stealing Directorate property.

Although peeved at Arindrake's deception, since the Justiciar was only after him all along, the group decided to finish the job and eventually burn the New Church of Apexion's sigil into her forehead and display her as a means to stoke the upset between the New Church and elves.

ACTIVE QUESTS

-Attend the coronation of King Leon

-Phryne is allowed to request a boon from the worshippers of Excelsion

-Possibly help Magistrate Taelun escape Port-of-Utopia

-Possibly return Archmaster Erenae's remains to Elysium

-Travel to Elysium aboard the Alabaster Star and secure the release of Kein Oppenmeier

-Haeven has informally promised to bring Master Gazek's information to Elysium, offered his half-elf network, been offered employment with the Combine

-Gain an audience with the Elven Senate of Elysium to present what they know of the goblin activity (perhaps using Lady Aevara of Victor's amulet)

-Investigate the encroaching dark forces from the East for the forest spirit (party thinks that the magical and destructive properties of tealstone, these goblin factories and Gazek from Gobelton have something to do with it)

-Escort Edlee to Elysium