Breaking the Law

*Check Please!*

"**Breaking the Law**" is the 12th episode of the first season of *Check Please!* Campaign One. It was first released on October 12th, 2019.

*"Last time, the Party found out they had been trapped in the Deadlands for an entire year, though it only seemed like a few days for them. They received an old letter from Siva offering work, so they traveled to the Capital to see what opportunities awaited."*

## Summary

In the city of Hartenshen, Siva, now firmly in command of the Syndicate, offers the Party a potential job that just so happens to coincide with the group's interests and travel plans – but only if the adventurers can prove themselves worthy by first undertaking a daring art heist.

## Synopsis

### Part I: Hartenshen

#### Heartstrings

In the Heartstring Taproom, Siva is surprised but joyful to see Sol still alive. She notes that the job for which she initially contacted Sol has long since been completed; Sol inquires as to whether Siva has any jobs that involve the Bastion Mountains, since Lovette remains desperate to continue her search there. Siva states that she does have business interests in that area, but that after a year, she is not certain of the Party's abilities or trustworthiness. She proposes giving the group an assignment in Hartenshen which, if completed successfully, would convince her of their ability to complete further jobs.

Siva proceeds to explain that a piece of art – a nondescript landscape painting – was recently acquired by a rich noble in Hartenshen whom she does not like. She declines to go into further detail, simply requesting that the Party remove the artwork from the noble's house and return it to Siva, without anyone else knowing. In exchange, she offers a cash reward and the promise of future job opportunities, including one that happens to be located in the Bastions. Siva directs the Party to the noble's estate in the wealthiest district of the city, located close to the Emperor's palace.

#### Sneaky Business

While Lovette complains about Siva to Vera, Sol borrows some of Siva's fine clothes in order to pass undetected amongst the city's richest citizens. The other Party members prepare to pose as Sol's bodyguards. While Vera readies her Druidic powers, Sol recounts the story of the Party's adventures in the Deadlands to Siva, who is impressed. They also complain about Biff. The Party members bid Siva farewell and head south to the noble's house. As they enter the wealthy district, Vera, Lovette, and Sol disagree over the morality of robbing a wealthy individual, an argument left unresolved. Arriving at the target house, Vera dispatches Hummel to investigate entry points. Finding no obvious openings, they simply knock on the door. An old, doddery-looking servant answers, asking if the Party wishes to see the house's owner, one Erwin von Webber[*validation needed*]; Lovette states that they are, and the Party is admitted inside. The servant departs to slowly call forth his master.

Although the Party members are distracted by the grandeur of the home's decor, Hummel quickly alerts them to the presence of the painting they've been sent to retrieve. The Party members (in and out of character) discuss the best course of action; eventually, Sol simply goes to grab the painting off the wall, but is stopped by Lovette. At Markus's suggestion that it may be a forgery, Sol and Lovette assess the painting, which appears as Siva described: a simple landscape, though painted by someone without much skill and not worth 50gp. Lovette suggests the possibility that it was painted by Siva, and Sol suggests simply burning it. Lovette counters the suggestion with one of their own: simply purchasing the painting outright.

Eventually, the servant returns, bringing with him von Webber. Lovette introduces herself (as does Sol, by alias), spinning the story that she is establishing business contacts in town; she demonstrates her trade with a clockwork pony, who has only twelve seconds to enjoy its cursed life before falling to pieces. Poor pony. Nevertheless, von Webber is impressed. Having warmed the old man up, Lovette and Sol both mention how much they enjoy the painting; von Webber agrees, noting that it evokes a "simple, pastoral view of the area", but that he's willing to let it go for 100gp. Lovette immediately agrees to the price, and the Party leaves with the painting.

The Party returns to the Taproom, where Sol happily presents the painting to Siva; Siva takes it with disgust and sets it aflame, strongly implying that she was the artist (though she avoids the question when Sol directly asks). Siva pays the Party for their services and states she is now ready to trust them with more important and lucrative work.

#### A New Quest

Siva explains that the Syndicate has a significant financial stake in the manipulation of trade in Vil, and that at present, any resource shortages – such as those caused by the recent shutdown of the iron mines of Wittengen – threaten the group's interests. Having already sent one group to investigate and received no response, she dispatches the Party to discover the cause of the supply issues, promising 250gp if they can determine that reason, and 5000gp if they can resolve the problem entirely.

Recalling the Party's mission from Ann-Lysse Tellic, Sol asks Siva if she knows of anyone with the Tellic name in Hartenshen; Siva replies that she does not, but suggests that the Party try one of the local libraries. Vera asks if Siva would be interested in receiving iron while the inflated prices are in effect; Siva states she'd be open to that additional service, but that the Party would likely be better off selling that iron themselves. The Party agrees to run errands in Hartenshen for the rest of the day, stay the night in the city, and set out for Wittengen in the morning. Siva offers their limited two-person guest room accommodation to the Party, an offer which Sol politely declines on the grounds that the Party should stay together. They bid Siva farewell, who wishes them good luck.

#### The Palace

The Party members head to the Palace, reasoning that they could potentially "double-dip" by seeking a second separate reward for restoring the flow of iron. They are stopped at the gates by the guards, who deny any iron shortage, stating there's only a price increase. Quickly recognizing that this official government position precludes any potential reward for them, the Party members change tracks, asking the guards if they recognize the Tellic crest. Although the guards state that the crest looks legitimate, they have no knowledge of the family name. The guards point the Party members to the library.

#### Projects and Shopping

Arriving at the library, Sol enters research mode, quickly determining that the sole survivor of the Tellic family after the Cataclysm was Caroline, who lived out the rest of her days in the south as the guest of a different noble family; eventually, she married into that family. Her descendants bore that name (which subsequently changed multiple times over the intervening centuries until it was lost), with any remaining relatives now living in The Holy City (a settlement en route to Wittengen). Meanwhile, Vera attempts to find more information on any ruins around the area in Wittengen, but isn't able to discover anything particularly relevant. Following up on clues in the documents she discovered earlier, Lovette tries to find any information on meteor activity, but like Vera, draws a blank.

Over the course of the rest of the day and evening, Lovette sketches out ideas to improve the reload time of her crossbow and add a scope, along with a clockwork machine that could assemble other clockwork machinery. She asks local blacksmiths for pricing details, giving them her promise that she'll be able to provide more iron in the coming weeks. Elsewhere, Sol scores more party drugs and some fun scarves, while Vera acquires glowing ink. Vera arranges to acquire alchemical equipment, since her deity is for some reason no longer aiding her in the creation of poisons as she used to do; Lovette offers to have Archie transport it, in exchange for Lovette's aid in some unspecified research. Lovette purchases a saddle and saddlebags for Archie while the automaton is still in centaur form. Finally, the Party heads out.

### Part II: The South

#### Neinan

A few days have passed on the road, and the Party reaches a crossroads. They elect to continue east to the Holy City, passing first through the small town of Neinan and pausing only long enough for Vera to purchase a couple of Cure Light Wounds potions. Two days later, the Party arrives in the Holy City.

#### The Holy City

Before attending to the Tellic Crest matter, several of the Party members pay homage to their respective deities: Lovette drops a con and says a prayer for good luck at the Temple of Shamish; Sol, at the Shrine of Symphonia (a sizable outdoor amphitheater), rocks out; and Markus goes to worship at the largest building, the Temple of Eden. After catching the end of Sol's performance, Lovette gathers materials for another project: a music box. The Party also purchase a carriage and a single horse (reasoning that Archie, in his current centaur form, can be the second pulling animal). Sol is utterly delighted, naming the horse Rain.

#### The Last Tellic

The Party members head to the local library, where Sol is almost immediately able to trace Caroline Tellic's bloodline down to the modern era and a man named Samuel Varden. They ask the friendly, quiet librarian if he knows anyone by that name, only to discover that the librarian is in fact Samuel Varden himself! Gasp! Sol explains the nature of Ann-Lysse's request and Samuel's bloodline connection to Caroline, and hands over the Tellic Crest from Markus (who is hesitant to part with it). Samuel is shocked, and, vowing to research this further, tries to pay the Party what little he has; Sol gently refuses the money, simply asking for friendship and the certainty of future assistance from him if ever needed. Samuel readily agrees, promising to use any newfound resources for the common good and to help the Party. Sol introduces Samuel to the rest of the Party, as Lovette attempts to lay the groundwork for a future business relationship.

While at the library, Vera and Lovette also repeat their earlier queries, with Vera looking for any signs of the ruins from her dream, and Lovette investigating the meteor and mountain chain. Heavily engaged in their research, the Party members end up passing the night amongst the tomes, with Samuel's blessing. The next morning, belatedly realizing that Archie will be unable to pull the carriage alongside Rain, the Party acquires a second horse, whom Vera (using her druid abilities) learns is named Kaya. With their new carriage and horses, the Party is able to make excellent time to Wittengen, completing the journey in two days rather than three.

#### Wittengen

En route to Wittengen, Vera receives another divinely-inspired dream, in which Melifera charges her thus:

> In the dark woods, misguided children drink from my power. They have forgotten their purpose, and now are lost to me. End them, and take up your rightful place as a beacon of my power in the world. Drink from my power and reap my boon, but always stay focused on my mission in this world.
>
>

The druid is struck with a vision of a ruined temple overrun with vines that sits in a secluded area of woodland with mountains nearby. Vera senses that it is close.

The Party arrives outside Wittengen, where they are stopped by town guards, who insist that there is no iron crisis. Ascertaining that the Party members are "adventuring types", the guards lead them through town past two taverns to the house of the Lord Mayor, who has decreed that any such travelers must meet with him when they arrive. Sol, agitated, takes another tab of muse to calm their nerves.

Lord Mayor Graf von Bergen appears and introduces himself to the Party. Welcoming them to Wittengen, he explains what the Party largely already knows: that the town is expected to produce a certain flow of iron, and that for the last three weeks, that supply flow has been interrupted. After losing both a cadre of guards and a hired mercenary group (the Gray Eagles) in attempts to investigate, von Bergen realized the situation had spiralled completely out of control, and began reaching out to adventurers for aid.

Von Bergen requests the Party travel into the mountains to determine the problem with the mines, promising (as Siva already had) to reward them handsomely. Lovette attempts to haggle up a greater reward than the 1000gp offered to fix the issue, but is overruled by Vera and Sol before the meeting can deteriorate. The Party agrees to help, and von Bergen gives more details: he knows only that three weeks ago there was some kind of attack on the Deepcut Mine, an attack which left only four survivors. Each of those four miners returned to the town massively afraid and telling a different and conflicting version of events. As a result, all the miners from the other active workings have returned to the town to wait out the crisis, unwilling to further risk their lives and preferring to drink.

The Party members consider whether or not to interview the shaken survivors of the mine attack. Vera, already thinking ahead to the investigation, purchases a birdcage and magically summons a canary. Ready with directions from von Bergen, the Party elects to first question the miners.

## Key Points

### Plot & Lore

* The Party's lost year in the Deadlands continues to have ramifications for how NPCs who knew the Party members prior to that adventure react to their unexpected reappearance.
* Siva has "made a few improvements" to their tavern (and, by extension, to the Syndicate) in their year as its new head. They are shown to be fully and indisputably in control of the organization after taking the reins from the dead hands of Gilbert.
* Vil's iron shortage, mentioned in passing in "Crime Pays" (C1 S1 E11), returns as an important plot point.
* Siva mentions hearing of a mercenary company having recently been hired and sent towards the Wittengen area.
* The Holy City, with its strict policy of religious tolerance and the open worship of many different deities, is mentioned and later appears for the first time; the city is unique, given that some religions are usually not allowed everywhere. Religious discrimination is several punished.
* Technologically, the people of Hartenshen are primitive compared to the level of engineering skill possessed by Lovette and her fellow gnomes.
* Crucially, it is established (by way of dice rolls) that Part II begins on Monday, September 17th, 762 3E.
* Neinan, a small town in Vil, is also mentioned and visited for the first time.
* A number of the Major and Minor Deities are named in this episode, and the pronunciation of one, Attivi, is altered by Beardy.
* This Wiki is mentioned for the first time, in the context of needing pronunciation notes for Attivi, which were added at the same time this writeup was nearing completion.
* It is stated that it takes considerable and extended use for Muse to become addictive.
* The Party purchase a carriage and a horse. The carriage is brown, with rudimentary wooden benches inside.
* The Kin-Tau Empire, its dual protective walls, and its highly isolationist foreign policies are all mentioned for the first time.
* The presence of a large population of Fey creatures in the Bastion Mountains is established, as is the fact that they're peaceful and on good terms with Wittengen and its citizenry.
* Graf von Bergen appears for the first time.

### Character

#### Sol

* Sol is beyond delighted to see Siva again. Siva is initially shocked to see Sol, but is soon equally pleased.
* Sol and Vera continue to snipe, but it is beginning to seem more good-natured.
* Sol is rather pleased to see the inside of Siva's bedroom, albeit under innocent circumstances for now.
* Sol knows how to style themself and their clothes to blend in with wealthy elites; in their words, they "used to dress like this a lot", but "aren't a big fan of it". They also loathe makeup.
* Sol admits to Siva that they wish to remain unnoticed by their still-unidentified pursuers while in town.
* Sol receives a disguise kit from Siva, which will reappear in later episodes.
* Sol aludes derisively to those who "trick an entire area into thinking that you're super-needed when you're probably not, and get paid for it" – foreshadowing future revelations about their family's role in the world.
* Sol once again introduces themself by the alias "Leana". They also later mention that stories can change depending on the name given by the person telling it.
* Sol once again shows no interest in obtaining money, though they profess to liking it.
* Sol shows distaste for reading.
* Sol drops 150gp on a dancing scarf, and twenty more tabs of muse.
* Sol performs at the Temple of Symphonia in the Holy City for the first time.
* Sol gets a horse. They're just a tad enthusiastic about this.

#### Vera

* As noted above, Vera's sniping with Sol has become less mean-spirited.
* Unlike Lovette, Vera's misgivings about Siva stem Vera's innate distrust of those who steal from others; however, she is also pragmatic about potentially benefiting from the arrangement.
* Vera is seeking information on ruins located in Vil, for reasons as-yet unclear.
* Sol asks Vera if Melifera is represented in the Holy City; Vera is unsure.
* Vera shows genuine and growing concern over Sol's uneasiness in the Holy City.

#### Markus

* Is still in his bathrobe.
* Markus continues to defy expectations of how a Cleric should behave, with an interest in the 5000gp quest reward that seems overly enthusiastic for a holy man.
* As happened in Hartenshen, Markus's mood and sense of being alive improve dramatically when in a large population center, for unknown reasons.
* Markus doesn't get any direct answers from his prayers to Eden, but does receive a sense of renewed faith in the deity's plan for him.
* Markus builds a book fort.

#### Lovette

* Lovette appears taken aback by Sol and Siva's closeness, and more than a little jealous of it. She is also suspicious of Siva's motives. Since Lovette was not involved in the Party's first encounter with Siva in Edge, this is to an extent quite understandable.
* Lovette is still desperate to pursue her quest in the mountains.
* Lovette still considers Sol to be her employee, under the terms of the contract by which Sol was rescued from Markus and Vera; Sol considers their deal to have been fulfilled.
* Lovette defends capitalism, which Sol dislikes, on the grounds of it being the only way to compete with nobles and their generational hoarding of wealth and power.
* Lovette mentions her family and its clockwork machinery business having "made rivals" in the past, foreshadowing their feud with the O'Morrises.
* The Party is finally heading towards the Bastion Mountains, which aligns with Lovette's interrupted search for her grandfather.
* Lovette's obsession log is mentioned.
* Lovette shows hesitancy towards completing the task assigned by Ann-Lysse Tellic, reasoning that it could result in encounters with more ghosts.
* Lovette is not experiencing any withdrawal symptoms from the Muse.

## Running Gags & Callbacks

* Vera tactfully avoids interacting with Siva while Sol is reuniting with her – sensible, given the stabby-burny nature of their last encounter.
* As noted, Markus is still in his bathrobe.
* Markus's claim to be from another world is once again roundly mocked.
* Pun alert: "*Sol*icit".
* Keni makes a "mining/minding their own difference" pun, but receives no damage.
* Pun on "Attivi" / "A TV".
* Keni is worried about Biff appearing. The rest of the Players tease them mercilessly.
* Sol's open love for their horse can be contrasted with Ris's more unusual love/hate relationship with their own.
* Bees are insects.

## Memorable Quotes

* "It's so good to see you alive." "Thanks. It's so good to see you too." – Siva and Sol, adorkable in being reunited.
* "It's good to see you again, Vera." "You too." – Siva and Vera, convincing absolutely no one of any mutual affection.
* "I kind of vaguely explain how we were stuck in another dimension dealing with ghosts." – Keni, expertly summarizing previous episodes for Sol's explanations to Siva.
* "I could tell just from the first time I met him that he was just like the worst possible person. Plus he's gross-looking." – Sol, describing Biff and (thankfully) having never had the opportunity to meet Carstein.
* "Are children small, or just really far away?" – Keni.
* "Do you want your work burned?" "Sometimes." – Lovette, trying to save the painting, and Sol, being Sol.
* "Vera's not there, but arson is worse than robbery, I feel like." – Xeno, the voice of morality.
* "I'm so glad that our Cleric, the most pious of all of us, cares so much about money." – Keni/Sol, accurately noting the incongruities in Markus's personality.
* "You're always taking a shit on Markus." "His choices concern me." – Xeno, accurately noting the group's treatment of Markus, and Keni's equally fair reply.
* "Woohoo, we figured out time!" "You figured out time." – Keni and Beardy, after determining the calendar date.
* "I think the only one who was not afraid of the ghost was Archivald, and he is not really the brightest." "Well, yeah, I mean, he has no soul." "Hey! Don't say that about Archie!" – Lovette, daring to say something mean about Archie, with Markus (who is one to talk) chiming in with the soul comment, and Sol rising to Archie's defense.
* "Sometimes I think he has more of a soul than you do, Markus." – Sol, more spot-on than they could know.
* "I'm not a tsundere! It doesn't matter if my Twitter audience says I am!" – Keni, in denial.
* "I think Markus is secretly a leech of energy, though." – Keni, who might be on to something there.
* "You just feel like Eden has a plan for you, and you should have faith." "Gross." – Beardy, to Screwy/Markus, with Keni's reaction.
* "You guys really inspire me. Thank you." – Sol, in high spirits after their performance.
* "What kind of horses does the horse place have?!" "Horse-type horses." – Keni and Beardy, detail-oriented as always.
* "I just want a horse, and I'm going to name it Rain. I'm also gonna put a feather in its hair." – Keni, revealing their inner horse lover.
* "The price of the horse is 75 gold." "I'm gonna just chuck the money at him and then go hug it... yay! I'm gonna hug it! I love you so much!" – Keni, really happy about their horse. D'awwwww.
* "The horse snorts and smiles." – Beardy, joyfully bringing Rain to life.
* "Markus is always praying." "Usually on his knees? I mean, that's not really necessary if you're a halfling." "... Wow." – Screwy, getting burned by Grem.
* "'Of course I know him. He's me.'" "Of course I know him! He's me!" – Grem, accurately predicting/providing the reference Beardy would use moments later, as Samuel Varden discovers a new aspect of his identity.
* "The way you know the canary is working is if it dies. So, the same is true for Archie." "Oh my God." "I can make a new one." "NO!" – Grem and Keni, discussing Archie's fate.

## The Dice

*These are estimates, since not all rolls are called or broken down out loud.*

## Trivia & References

* Screwy sings a few bars of Ja'Net DuBois's "Movin' On Up", the theme tune to the classic sitcom *The Jeffersons* about an upwardly-mobile family. Keni and Beardy seem less than impressed.
* Xeno modifies Thin Lizzy's "The Boys Are Back In Town" to pertain to Lovette.
* Screwy, with wordplay and a reference combined: "Just call me Iron Man!"
* Screwy drops a Ghostbusters "I ain't afraid of no ghost" lyric.
* Keni references the horse character Rain from the film "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron".
* Keni, who affectionately refers to Samuel as "The Tellic Boy", considers the Nat 20 roll that uncovered Samuel's lineage to be their "Beautiful Mind" moment.
* Both Grem and Beardy quote an iconic moment from "Star Wars" when Sol asks the librarian if he knows a certain Samuel Varden.
* Screwy, as Markus, references the Crest brand of toothpaste in response to a question from Sol.
* Several Players reference "Black Beauty" in response to naming the second horse.
* Screwy again drops a "Drugs are bad, mmmkay" reference to "South Park" in response to Sol's use of muse.

## Notes

* Hartenshen is referred to as the "capital" of Vil, which is true in the loose sense of its military and political importance; however, the Holy City is the nation-state's official capital.
* Sol uses the "love-ay" pronunciation for Lovette's name.
* Siva mentions a member of the Party who is "missing entirely", referencing a Party member present in the original versions of episodes 1-8 but not featured in the re-recorded compilation episodes. Sol explains to her that this individual left on their own journey.
* Beardy states that, in contrast to the earlier Party's superior handling of the Tellic House scenario compared to other campaigns, the group had far more difficulty with the art theft quest than any other groups have in the past. Most groups apparently simply take the painting and leave.
* Sol's 21 (+5) Knowledge (Religion) check permits Sol to discover the legacy of Caroline Tellic.
* No clear explanation is given for the Party leaving Hartenshen immediately rather than the following morning as discussed with Siva.
* Temples for Abaddon, Bahamut, and Tiamat are mentioned; these deities would later be renamed in canon to Abudai, Gygarion, and Gallusia respectively.
* The Bastion Mountains are referred to as the "Eastern Shield Mountains". Beardy establishes that the range once contained a large orc tribe that was defeated and purged several hundred years prior.[*validation needed*]
* "Common" is referred to, though Vilish serves as the lingua franca of Aedron.
* It is stated that Wittengen has 4-500 people, while earlier wiki text has the population at 2500.