08/06/2021 - Seduction, Secrets and Shopping, Empirical Execution and Polar Bear Parties

## LYSANDRE GOES TO SEE BENOIT FROM CRÈME DE LA CRÈME

* Benoit is actually his old partner in law, not a famous pastry chef
* Lysandre tells him about going to the swamps and how he had a terrible time. Everyone assumes he's coming back to practice
* Benoit begins to explain what's going on - no one has seen the evidence against Krennick
* Benoit and buddies have been stonewalled trying to find the evidence, the High Priests and even some of the High Council have not seen the whole evidence - very odd as the Empress came to power on manifesto of anti-corruption and openness. It's claimed the secrecy is to keep the Empire's secrets safe but it is dubious at best
* Lysandre is like hmmm \*thinking emoji\*
* Goldcotts are still around, businesses have been seized and friends have abandoned them but they're still wealthy and around

## IT’S THE NEXT DAY

* What is the plan? Go to the magic shop so Tamsin can get paper, then Kunai wants to go to the Tavern on the other side of town
* Elyan wonders why we're getting involved in the execution in the first place. Lysandre is interested as he's from here, and thinks he might be able to get a few people in to the Dread Bastion to question Krennick
* We sell the wire we found in the temple for money, 1200 for all of it
* Tamsin gives Scribbulus 200gp to buy paper for her, and Lysandre asks them to ask about a blood well vial
* Lysandre, Leo and Tamsin then go to the prison

## GO DIRECTLY TO JAIL, DO NOT PASS GO, DO NOT COLLECT 200GP

* Lysandre spots Tendar Je, a tiefling, a guard who he knows
* Lysandre would like to ~~seduce~~ charm the guard into letting us see Krennick but he can't :( his boss won't let us either, nor speak to anyone who's on the case
* Tamsin offers to Charm them but Lysandre is on it and Suggests they tell him who Lysandre can speak to about the case
	+ Chief Law Master Yoelle Autumnleaf (big dog)
	+ High Law Master Tuulikki Saxon
	+ High Priest of Triad, Larcor Tetroba

## SHOPPING EPISODE

* The magic shop has cool stained glass windows and guards (high elf lady)
* Scribbulus suggests Elyan takes charge, which he agrees but says he'll run on first sign of being arrested
* Elyan rolls to ~~seduce~~ get past the guard lady by Walking With Confidence™ and it works!
* Lots of people, Crimson Leagues, and a satyr dealing with customer. Its v colourful
* The Price of Items is debated and Elyan reminisces on his last visit to a Magic Items shop, which netted him the Wand of Smiles, which he, true to form, uses on Kunai. Kunai smiles viciously
* Scribbulus looks at healing potions, which are being sold for 75gp each. Scribbulus can make them for 25gp!! He then looks for a blood well vial, as requested by Lysandre. He finds it but it doesn't have a price on it
* Kunai finds paper for Tamsin but can't really find the Headband of Intellect he's looking for
* Elyan heads over to the satyr with Scribbulus, Master Selwyn Silvertongue, and asks about instruments. Unfortunately they are v expensive
* Scribbulus asks about the vial, 2.5k to 3kgp. There is a cheaper lute that Elyan wants to buy that does magic stuff
* We have to get a purchasing permit :( Go to headquarters of Crimson League and do stuff and pay fee and then we can get a permit eventually
* Scribbulus tries to heal the mage but the mage is like "no >:(". Getting a permit takes a week or more
* Hooray! Tamsin can buy paper without a permit! Kunai buys the paper and peaces out
* Elyan reserves the lute; Scribbulus wants to buy something to carry Wilbur around and make him smaller. Master Silvertongue is excited by this idea but a custom item would take time and we'd need permission obviously. Scribbulus also wants a Decanter of Endless Oil, for "reduced friction" (he wants flammable oil to disrupt the whaling industry)
* Scribbulus tries to cast Goodberry to give to the mage but he's Counterspelled immediately by the grumpy guy, so they go
* As he leaves, Kunai is beckoned by a Blagden-esque voice in his head, and sees a goblin in a top hat who apparently sells magic items

## ARTFUL GOBLIN

* Kunai puts the paper in the Bag of Holding and follows the goblin guy, who is called Wes
* Wes says he can get them magic items, but he is all alone and has no trench coat
* He is a representative of an establishment on the Wretched Hive and he is basically a tout and looking for bribes to get people into the shop
* Kunai and Scribbs do an Insight check because he is dodge af
* Wes says for 50gp that he can get whatever items they want; the shop The Pieces of Eight
* Elyan decides to go for it and requests a lute - a Doss Lute specifically, which Wes writes in a notebook
* Wes can definitely make a Decanter of Endless Whale Oil. Scribbulus asks about the other stuff as well, which Wes is like "yeah can do"
* Kunai asks about a Headband of Intellect and barely gets his question out when Wes interrupts like "yup"
* Elyan and Kunai pay money for stuff

## OFF TO SEE THE CHIEF LAW MASTER

* Lysandre + co get in the Judiciary building with ease and head towards the Chief's office
* There are many guards protecting her (not unusual as she is on the Council), but Lysandre introduces himself and tries to talk his way in, and manages to get in the building!
* There is a receptionist and we do not have an appointment; Lysandre nevertheless again tries to blag his way in to see the Law Master. The receptionist is susceptible to Lysandre's charms and allows us three minutes
* We are taken through to a room with the Chief Law Master and 2 mages. Please tell us what is happening ~~senpai~~ Lady Autumnleaf
* Lady Autumnleaf cannot tell us anything because the Council has decided it'll be a closed case. She is a bit uncomfortable with this, she has always been morally upstanding in the past and doing things secretly behind closed doors is not her style
* Lysandre Mind Links with Lady Autumnleaf to discuss more in private - she would have preferred things to be conducted more publicly but TPTB set the agenda
* She's convinced he's guilty, but the secrecy is to prevent others going down with him - he's being scapegoated
* Lady Autumnleaf has to go and Tamsin and Leo just stand there awkwardly while they had their internal conversation
* Lysandre shares what he learnt with Tamsin and Leo and they go to meet up with the others. What we have learnt is little, but we have confirmation that there are others who are super dodge still out there

## DING DONG THE HIGH LAW MASTER IS ABOUT TO DIE

* Bayul meets up with everyone at the Crucible to scope out the executioner (who will be in the fight tomorrow); Elyan goes to the pub instead
	+ Platinum board: Kunai, Bayul, Lysandre, Sir Wylmot Arent, Lagatha Bonecruncher
	+ Gold board: Tamsin, Belgaer, Leo, Elyan, Lord Falston, Brother Lucious Jossinger, Millicent Munroe, Ilyrio Keg
* Lots of people here to see the guy have his head cut off. Imperial box and execution thing set up.
* High Priest of Tyr is in the centre with Lady Autumnleaf, surrounded by hundreds of soldiers
* Empress doesn't show up to the execution which is weird
* The prisoner is brought out, with a goliath 14-15ft tall, long red haired, a huge 8ft sword and dragging a smaller figure with her wearing a witch's bridle and everyone boos
* The guy doesn't get any last words and High Empress Seraphina gets them, but she's not there :(
* But Wait! A big portal appears and the Empress and two mages step through. The Empress is young (in her 20s) and blonde; the mages are older and one is wearing a fancy headdress indicating he's the Big Boss of Magic
* The commoners think this is Great Fun but the nobles are Pissed and Hate Her
* The Empress came to power amid a big scandal with her very corrupt mother and is outspoken against the nobility so they are Not Fans
* The Empress makes a speech and then tell the executioner to do the thing, she is very strong
* She just chops his head off in one, wasted
* Commoners go wild and the nobles immediately leave
* Someone goes to talk to the Empress and then she leaves, and so does everyone else
* Bayul is a fan of the Empress. It physically pains Tamsin to say anything nice about an Iysgarthian in power. Kunai strongly dislikes the bureaucracy and thinks even if she is good, the power structure she supports is not good.
* Bayul does his Thing and learns that Lagatha's a higher level than us but has a lower AC than 21

## CELEBRATION AT THE AXE CLEAVE

* Elyan is already there and ready to party; he has been jamming with the music. Dwarves are everywhere, some other races as well
* Gottlo greets Leo and gives everyone firewhiskey, which they down with various levels of dignity
* Elyan has a song off with a gnome with a saxophone and wins!
* There's a tug of war, which Leo, Belgaer, Scribbles (as a polar bear) and Elyan (as a giant ape) take part in, and win again! They win some money. Elyan the Ape and Scribbles the Polar Bear get down
* At a certain point, Scribbles suggests speaking to Gottlo about the vedalken and the collector, which Leo agrees to. Tamsin intervenes when it looks like they're struggling.
* Gottlo doesn't know any vedalken, but he knows a collector (his friend, Grendell, who collects rocks, shiny things, jewellery). He says he'll introduce us.
* Grendell can think of two wealthy collectors within Iysgarth: ex-High Admiral Gideon d'Vursk, tangentially related to the Imperial family, who collects military artefacts, general antiquities etc. Lady Kaiora, high elf, collects fine art essentially.
* He saw a vedalken at the execution earlier, up in the noble benches. Admiral was definitely there, likely that Lady Kaiora was as well. High Admiral was speaking to the Empress afterwards.
* Tamsin heads back to the Mothers Luck and tries her luck with Simone (its good)
* Kunai and Lysandre retire early to make battle plans
* Scribbles, Leo, Elyan and Belgaer stick around the Axe Cleave and have fun