Haunting of the Cicada House

**Main Quest - Completed**

Long days make deep nights, or so the saying goes. The seven of you walked into the Cicada House to seek answers from Kalen, the friend and contact of Luna. And you did not find him—instead, in his place, was something that wore his clothes and his skin and his face, but was somethign else entirely. This entity challenged you to a game, promising answers in the event of your victory, while all the while watching and delighting in your struggles. The objective was this: to speak the entity's name to it after unlocking it piece by piece, even while it hid among you.

You accepted its challenge, and in so doing were given seven tasks to complete. Volka bravely challenged the spirits of the hunt alone, entering the Lounge with nothing but his wits and exiting with the name **Ortan, the First Runesmith.** Minhra, Vara, and Akaraad attempted to sneak past the lady of the house asleep in the Master Bedroom, even as Akaraad was possessed by the impostor, only barely making it out with the name **Urzara, the Dragon of Tantervale.** Iselan, Luna, and Nadia, on the other hand, quite easily foiled the traps in the Study, unlocking the last drawer and retrieving the name **Reynaud, the Poison Prince.**

After the dangers that Volka and the mages faced, you all agreed to stick together for the dangers downstairs. In the Library, you found the journal of Lord de Moubray, and a scroll sealed with the sign of the seagull that contained a reference to **Aveline, Knight of Orlais.** With the fourth name acquired you challenged the audience of ghosts in the Salon, even as Minhra was temporarily swayed by the influence of your opponent. Nadia and Vara did their best to recreate a long-past game of chess, but Akaraad was provoked into anger, and you had to fight your way through the host of spirits. Doing so awarded you the name of **Maferath, the Betrayer.**

The last challenges you took separately. Iselan, Volka, and Luna went to the chicken to brave a trial by the cauldron, consuming a dark brew that they managed to mostly neutralize. Doing so weakened Iselan somewhat, but yielded the name **Garahel, Hero of the Blight.** Finally, Vara, Minhra, Akaraad, and the now-swayed Nadia interrogated the current proprietor of the Cicada House, Piotr de Moubray. Vara's willingness to see the challenge done enabled you to rip away the creature's influence long enough for De Moubray to speak the name **Loghain, Freedom Fighter.**

With these seven names, Luna completed the challenge by speaking the name GLAMOUR. Once named, the spirit revealed its true form: an immense diaphanous moth, with wings of lace and limbs of silk, with buttons for eyes and needles for teeth. Delighted by your efforts, the spirit of Glamour willingly answered your questions. It identified the attempted assassination of Trevyan Ghantour as a reaction to the arrival of the Dalish, with the goal of destabilizing the balance of power in the nobility. It revealed that Kalen had been taken away to the Circle on the Rushriver Bridge, and that in some way it acted on the interests of the Chantry of Light. After answering these questions, Glamour spread its wings and seemed to disappear in a shower of fabric and lace.

Exhausted from the events of the day, the seven of you very tiredly made your way back to the Star Flower Manor, where you slept the deep sleep of the victorious.

*This quest was completed at the end of session three, on 2020.10.31.*