Operation Black Lotus

## The War of Expansion

1058 CE, the War of Expansion has encapsulated the entirety of Solus and the nation of Sovngarde under King H'rothgar threaten to take control of the continent. It is up a group of brave individuals to carry out a secret mission into the heart of enemy territory to capture an trump card for the Drow Empire. This is their tale...

### October 14, 1058:

Team Ifrit meet for the first time. This includes:

* The Peregrine Ranger: Ryoshi Ulfren
* Northern Warrior: Durezat the Shame
* Bladesinger: Raziel Nosgoth
* Cleric of Unknown Divinity: Alies Lightborn

They meet their new team captains: Merrick, Da'at, and Edo. After familiarizing themselves with each other, they set out to complete their mission. However, due to their ranks, only the captains are privy to the sensitive information surrounding this black ops mission. As far as they know, they are to simply escort and help distract efforts away from the captains work. This is just the beginning of their adventure, which would change all of them in ways they couldn't possibly imagine.

### October 16, 1058:

After a skirmish at the border, now behind enemy lines, the unit sets up a caravan with the rest of their troupe. It is here that they meet the rest of the task force accompanying them. Also during this time, Alias is also called away to the front to provide his healing services to those who need them most. It is a heartfelt goodbye.

#### Team Ixion:

* Gramps: Older male black dragonborn, grizzled, tons of scales marked by scratches and scars. Has one green eye and covers the other with an eyepatch. Wears a heavy cloak and leathers but has chain-mail resting over-top it. Quite cranky but cares for those that serve under him.
* Sequoia: Adult female yuan-ti, bright green scales, shimmer like emeralds, they match her eyes. She is dressed in a long flowing black robe; she has a large decorated spellbook that she reads from. Very introverted, can be cold cold. Specializes in offensive magics.
* Silver: Female drow, younger. Fair features, hazel eyes, and shoulder length gray hair. Wears standard dark leather but has a silvery cloak around her head and shoulders. Hood is always up. She can typically be found in the nook above where gramps is sitting, silently observing. Standoffish, a bit rebellious, but also childlike in many ways.

#### Team Shiva:

* Mori: Female drow, adult. Captain. Long silvery white hair, piercing gray eyes, and a large scar across her cheek. She’s dressed in heavy armor and has a greatsword sheathed behind her back. She has a commanding presence, as a rank 4. She used to lead, the 86th Yari Unit before being signed onto this special mission.
* Yoshida: Male drow, ties coal black hair into a ponytail. Green eyes, lone wolf style demeanor. Wears a katana at his side, lightly armored and with more flowing attire. Navy blue in color, with bits of metal peeking through.
* Ando: Female drow, wears a gray robe with silver detailing that depicts snowflakes. Shoulder length white hair, blue eyes. Cleric of Shiva. Friendly and open to helping others, very warm. Carries a wand made of petrified cherry blossom.

As the group packs up to leave, they clear an obstacle off the road and break into unique dances which embarrass their captains. Following that, they travel closer to the city of Celestine and are halted by a group of guards in rough looking armor. The group finds them to be a bandits masquerading as guards. After a short combat, the party approaches the city of Celestine.

### October 17, 1058:

Snow-capped houses, a looming fort in the distance, and fire flickering in windowsills. The smell of holly and spice is in the air. A very hospitable place, were it not for the troops moving in and around the street. The air is filled with the sounds of boots against stone. A once cozy town turned into a war front. The once peaceful city of Celestine.

The party make their way to the Ruddy Dove which is run by a Half-Orc named: Olec. After getting rooms for the night, they split off. Durezat and Raziel find themselves with the eccentric Morticia of Morticia's Magical Concoctions, while Ryoshi went to the nearest blacksmith. A man named Hathan working at the Iron Burden. During this time, Raziel and Durezat integrate themselves into the local gym named: Guts. From there, Raziel splits away and meets with Ryoshi at the library. While Raziel is there for knowledge, Ryoshi had learned some troubling information about locals going missing. They meet the owlkin Himmel, the librarian of the Furrowed Brow. Being an informant of the Peregrines, Ryoshi learns more information about the disappearances before leaving with Raziel. After which, all three converge on Paws and Claws. A pet shop run by an Eladrin woman named Elain. Durezat charms her and agrees to a date. However, their night turned eerie when a low howl rang through the night. They chose not to investigate and instead found themselves in Fran's Fortunes, a fine clothing shop owned by Fran, a gnomish woman. After some shopping, Durezat commences his date with Elain. They hit it off rather quickly and he even learns the source of her exotic selection of pets, including the Cerberus named: Fluffy. A man named Nicolai Ronningen, an exotic breeder of sorts.

While the date is occurring, Ryoshi and Raziel hear a bloodcurdling scream and Raziel runs to investigate. As they reach the commotion, they find someone being dragged through a whole in the wall around the city. They rush after and find a strange sight, a large furred monstrosity covered in yellow pustules and other bulbous protrusions trying to kidnap a child. After a close battle, Ryoshi puts down the werewolf-like monster and they return the child to the guards in an indirect way. They then return to the Ruddy Dove where Durezat is nowhere to be found. Having shared the night with Elain, he awaits them in the morning with a glowing attitude. Much in opposition to the hellish night the other two had experienced.

### October 18, 1058:

In the morning, the team meets up with the Big Three before splitting off to their own devices. Durezat helping Da'at with errands, Raziel investigating and finding the hole covered and wolf body missing, and Ryoshi searching for more information about werewolves.

Ryoshi learns the following: There are two kinds of werewolves that exist in Solus. "General" and Pureblooded, the difference being as described as such:

* Pureblood – Pureblooded werewolves are those born with lycanthropy. They have much more control over their shifts and do not shift during a full moon. They can and do live normal lives as normal people. Much of the research on lycanthropy comes from these individuals.
* General – Generalized werewolves have lycanthropy transmitted through blood. Such as a bite, scratch, or wound. They have little to no control over their shifts, and always shift during a full moon.

However, no information is found on the disease that the werewolf seemed to be exhibiting. Hinting that it may not be a naturally occurring illness. After these events, they turn in for the night.

### October 19, 1058:

The party gains a new ally in Ms. Antia Kurugi who works under the mysterious Lady Binah, an Arbiter. Due to her status and history with Merrick, he is all but forced to hand over control of Team Ifrit to her for an secret operation. Antia is investigating Duncan MacDuncan, the Captain of the Guard for the city of Celestine. Due to his position, Lady Binah believes that he could be covering up the recent epidemic of strange werewolf amalgamations. With the threat level of them going from Urban Legend to Urban Plague, Antia's work could help prevent a disaster from forming. After many hijinks, they break into MacDuncan manor and learn of the existence of an ancient fiend known as a Hagsfiend. Upon distracting Duncan's son, they leave the manor with several pieces of evidence and are stopped by the captain himself. In a near deadly battle, several of the "werewolves" are killed and Antia uses her magical bracelets to bind and capture Duncan MacDuncan, transporting them both to Lady Binah's abode. From there, the rest of the party rush their way back to the tavern.

It is here that they find the Big Three and specifically Merrick who is having some anxiety. They find out from Da'at that an old foe of his, the White Wolf, is in the south. Upon hearing this, Merrick wants to leave the city immediately in the morning and continue their trek to the north. It is also that night that Raziel experiences a vision of the past, or a memory perhaps. He is asked to complete an ordeal by his Master, who summons shadowy samurai warriors to fight him. Upon taking some heavy damage, a new figure joins the battle. However, they're heavily distorted, with almost no features familiar to Raziel. After defeating these foes, he has a sound sleep.

### October 20, 1058:

Durezat takes part in fighting competition at Guts. It is after making his way to the finale that he faces Gramps, who he is able to defeat. He is then awarded a magical belt before the party departs for the north. They travel towards the city of H'rothgar, and pass many beautiful sights along the way. However, it is during one of their last days of travel that disaster strikes. They are ambushed by the forces of Sovngarde and the Ice Fang Division. After some quick thinking, they manage to get away from their captors before coming across a terrible scene. Gramps wounded, Da'at carrying him away. As they watch, the Angel of Kisara and the Ivory Queen of the Ice Fang appear and take Da'at into custody, but not before the sadistic ice mage freezes Gramps solid; killing him. It takes all Merrick has to keep the party from engaging, knowing that they would be captured or more than likely slain. After the two Ice Fang depart, they bear witness to the murder of Silver by the Swift End. With everyone in a low mood, they are barely able to find a place to rest for the night out of prying eyes. The party very unhappy with Merrick's actions.

### October 22, 1058:

The party is informed by Merrick of what they're up against. A man that goes by the title of the White Wolf. He is a color, and commander of an elite division known as the Ice Fang. It is from Merrick that they learn the names and general information about the members, these being:

1. The White Wolf of Sovngarde - Brilliant Tactician and Commander
2. The Black Wolf of Sovngarde - Deceased, slain by Merrick.
3. The Angel of Kisara, otherwise known as Fianna - A noble Paladin, and an aasimar
4. The Ivory Queen, otherwise known as Winter - A wizard that specializes in ice magic, takes sadistic glee in killing
5. The Broken Blade, otherwise known as Fade - A Paladin who broke his oath, a winged teifling
6. The Swift End, otherwise known as Anthos - Snowy Owlkin, an assassin
7. The Warden - Not much is known about this individual as they joined the team after Merrick's time

They would come to learn that Merrick used to be a captain in the Stormguard. He worked closely with the White Wolf before he turned traitor, ambushing his forces as they traveled together. After sustaining heavy casualties, Merrick slew the Black Wolf and left with what remnants remained of his forces. Ryoshi bears witness to this himself in the form of a dream vision from the Goddess Shiva. He had been strengthening his ties to the goddess overtime, but this was the most interaction from her that he'd ever bore witness to. During the day, they are joined by a Ms. Marsha Knightwind after she and Merrick ambush a small unit of Stormguard. The party finds that she served under Merrick during his time in the Stormguard and formed a close bond with her captain. She helps lead the party the rest of the way to H'rothgar before they are nearly spotted by the Warden. Riding a giant, winged, black drake.

It is during this time that they learn from Merrick that H'rothgar used to be a city in the kingdom named Ione, named Ashaya. Merrick and Marsha actually took part in capturing the city for Sovngarde during their campaign into the Central Kingdoms, led by the White Wolf.

Upon arriving, they make their way to the Scaled Sorcerer after sneaking into the city through a hole in the wall. It is here that they meet her contact, a man named Draven who used to be old friends with Merrick. He owned a fighting arena called: "The League" before it was shut down after occupation. Now he wanders as a sellsword looking for his next big gig, which he so happens to have lined up when they find him. He needs a good recommendation from trustworthy individuals and the party is just what he needs. They complete a bounty for him fighting trolls, which then he would in turn take credit for. At the same time, Merrick calls in a favor and asks Draven to secure them a safehouse which he obliges. The party go about slaying the trolls and then return to find Draven and Merrick missing, the Yuan-Ti barkeep then telling them to stay put till they returned. Then... this transpires:

*The party had entered the tavern and found that Merrick and Draven were out and about, going to return. At the bar, they were informed that they were to take a seat and wait for their compatriots and (hopefully) spend money. Marsha as Tasha ordered drinks for everyone, with Durezat downing beer, Ryoshi hoping in vain for nice Elven Wine, Marsha buying some moonshine, and Raziel asking if he could fetch some tea for him. The brown scaled Yuan-ti said that he’d look in the back and exited. Then entered a drow man, shivering. He asked if it was okay to take a seat near Ryoshi, and if he were an adventurer. Ryoshi replied and asked about his questioning, to which the figure answered that he was simply curious since Ryoshi looked like he knew how to handle himself. Ryoshi elaborated, saying that he was a hunter, and readjusted the bow on his back. He then spoke to Marsha, who passed him a whiskey. After finding out her name, he returned the favor and lowered his hood. There sat a younger drow man with fair skin, two ruby red eyes, short white hair, nearly buzz cut, cleanshaven, nary a scar on his face. He seemed to be in his late twenties, leaning early thirties. Fit, tone, but slender. “My name is Angeal van Baelsar. Commander of the 514th Division and leader of the Ice Fang. You may also know me as the White Wolf.” CLANG! Metal rings out as Durezat brings his blade down on the man. With a flash of blue steel, the room goes cold and dark as their blades clash. Moving faster than the eye could follow, the White Wolf drew his blade and deflected the blow in a single motion. Now standing, his traveler’s cloak falls away and reveals a pure white officer’s coat.*

*The uniform itself is a double-breasted white tunic made of enchanted fabric, with a round collar and matching trousers. He wears black steel-toed knee boots with turndown topside cuffs. On his breast is embroidered the symbol of Sovngarde, a black wolf’s head with blood red fabric behind it and filling in the spaces. Although difficult to see, he has two simple black epaulets on either shoulder. He also wears two scabbards made of black leather, one on his hip where his rapier rests, and a second on his back where a longsword sits.*

*After the blades clash, the White Wolf retaliates with merciless precision. Striking Durezat twice in the chest and once in the gut. By the time he could even react, Durezat can feel ice forming on his wounds as he falls. The White Wolf stands over him, enchanted blade in hand, the lights snuffed from the room as if he had killed the atmosphere itself. He instructs the group to heal him if they are able, and Ryoshi and Raziel quickly move to stabilize him. Afterwards, he tells the party that he will summon his constitutes and will detain this enemy of the state so that he can do no more harm. Before leaving, Ryoshi gives him the fake name Ryo and the Commander responds by giving him a rare caramel candy as a parting gift. With their ally in the jaws of the White Wolf, they leave the tavern. Unsure of where their path will lead next. Or if those red eyes are gazing at them through the wall.*

*The White Wolf’s blade is renowned, despite few having seen it. Created using a substance called True Ice, it is infused with the power of winter itself. It is a rapier that he wields with one hand, the other usually behind his back for dueling. He attacks with grace and ferocity, extreme precision, the eye, and the storm. Being made of True Ice, it’s very presence causes any flames in the vicinity to be snuffed out. If one were fortunate or unfortunate enough to lay eyes upon it, they would see a thin, sleek blade, glowing blue runes etched upon it. Written in a language long since forgotten, so much so that the very name of it is not known. Only the most skilled crafters can even attempt to forge such a blade, lest they find themselves cracking or destroying the True Ice in the process. For his victories in battle, and role in dismantling the central kingdoms, he was gifted this fine blade. If one were to study it closely…*

*The rapier is mostly made up of sleek blue and silver steel along the pommel and knuckle guard. Leading to a crescent moon shaped guard etched with filigree. The long, thin blade like a needlepoint hums with power. So much so that it cannot be contained when it is drawn, and the runes themselves come alive with ancient magic. When in extended combat, the blade can even form ice crystals due to how freezing cold the temperatures reach. Those struck with the blade find their wounds immediately frozen over, frost bitten. The mere touch of the blade is enough to burn nerve endings and cause a cold burning. Pray that you never face it in battle, as it will be your last.*

*As for the longsword on his back, there are only rumors. Some say that that it is an antique, or a family heirloom. Others say that it is a powerful magic blade, too powerful to even draw. Few even say that it’s cursed, and drawing it means that the user must sate it’s bloodlust and kill. No one is quite sure what the origin of it is outside of Angeal himself and perhaps some of the Ice Fang. Nevertheless, it might be best that it stays in its scabbard. May the gods help those who push the Wolf to such extremes.*

After Durezat falls, the party vacates the tavern and tries to figure out what to do next. It is on the road that they meet Merrick and Draven. Upon Ryoshi informing him of the events Merrick wants to intervene but is stopped by him as well. They instead make their way to Draven's safehouse as the Warden and his Drake appears and pick up both Durezat's unconscious body and Angeal, the White Wolf. The party settles down for the night, all of the events of the day weighting on the.

### October 24, 1058:

In the morning, the party learns a great deal of information about both Angela and Merrick. Firstly, Merrick is not actually named Merrick. His real name is Gaius van Baelsar, brother to Angeal van Baelsar. They were raised together, brought up to be officers, and led successful careers. Then later down the line, Gaius had a change of heart and betrayed his brother in opposition to the king. However, they cannot bring themselves to harm or kill each other so their battle ended in a draw. After all of this, Draven appears and is the party's way to get in contact with the local spy network. At the head of this spy network is a color named the Blood Red Knight. Someone that Gaius has history with, and he is anxious to meet them again.

They enter the local sewers and come to what looks to be a maintenance door and Draven delivers the pass phrase: "As red as the rose blossoms."

They are greeted by Gill, a green dragonborn who is JACKED. Like REALLY JACKED. Like you could grind meat on those abs jacked. Anyway, they find the room filled with roguish figures and they hear a discussion in one of the back rooms. It is here that they find that one of their companions: Sequoia, survived the ambush. She is currently in discussion with the famed Knight.

Dressed in a flowing red cloak, with a white blouse and a leather corset around their waist. This leads to a pair of black trousers, and knee-high black boots. As for their physical appearance, they’re a red scaled kobold, a little over 4’0, with a small cropping of horns on top of their head. With bright gold eyes and an intelligent glean behind them.

She is the one who is to deliver their mission objective, which they've been traveling all this way for. There's an inventor named Han in her captivity from The Triumvirate. He created a weapon, a weapon the likes of which the world had never seen before. A weapon that can end the war. However, there are a few issues with retrieving said weapon.

1. He doesn't know where the vault, where it is held, is. After completing the weapon he wiped his memory of its location.
2. Only the magical key that he created can lead someone to the vault.
3. The vault is heavily guarded, and requires an elite team to breach.

With their objective learnt, they are given the key and the command word for it: "Seek." From there, they start to plot and find a way to free Durezat, but not before learning a bit more about Gaius' relationship with "Red." She happened to be his first girlfriend, and they had broken up a long while ago. However, there does still seem to be some fondness between them as she comments on Gaius missing his past equipment, and being worried for him. After this, they leave the sewer; but not before Red gifts them with a sending stone capable of not only communicating with her but also would serve as a marker when they retrieve the weapon.

It is during this time that Durezat is in prison, interrogated by the White Wolf, and then shut in a cell across from Edo. It is from his extremely bright cell that he learns that Edo is one of the few drow that carry a chronic illness which makes them sensitive to sunlight. He finds out that many of the captains have been imprisoned her, and are otherwise safe. Over lunch and labor, Durezat is informed about a plan Edo is forming to break out of jail with the other captains and enlists his help. Outside of this, Durezat is not able to accomplish much without his gear and being constrained within the prison. All he's able to do is hope that his friends or this plan of Edo's will work.

### October 25, 1058:

The group comes up with an idea to assist in breaking their friends out of the prison. They'll create a diversion with Ryoshi acting as Gaius with the use of a disguise spell. Gaius would draw the White Wolf out of his den and the group would distract him while Gaius and Red raid the prison and work on breaking the captains out. However, with such a large plan and with so many facets, it would take time to put everything together. So, due to this, the group gets a day off before putting the plan into motion. It's difficult to get Ryoshi to agree to this but with the help of Marsha they are able to convince him to let down his walls slightly.

To kick this off, their new best friend Draven appears once again and tells them that he needs their help scoring a job offer (as he mentioned before). It was time for the interview and to ensure his success he wanted to bring them along and have them speak highly of him. They mostly laugh at the idea until he offers them some cold hard cash, which warms them up to the idea. Upon leaving the safe house, they find themselves in an isolated area of woods near the far edge of the city. A carriage is awaiting them that looks finely kempt and decorated, nobility for sure. They are approached by the dwarf Wilbur who represents his client. He is average height for a dwarf, wears a long silk white robe, white gloves, and a nicely trimmed black beard and mustache. He has smooth features and complexion, with a shiny bald head to match.

Draven is hoping for a hot princess as he takes each of the party members away to ask them many questions about Draven and his character. Questions such as:

1. Is he a reputable man?
2. Does he bathe?
3. Does Draven have a good work ethic?
4. Does he know how to act like a gentleman in the presence of royalty?
5. Does he speak other languages?
6. If he were a food, what food would he be?
7. Does he prefer cats or dogs?
8. If he wrote an autobiography, what would its title be?
9. Where does he see himself in five years?

After giving their answers, and definitely not lying, Wilbur approaches Draven again and agrees to ratify their contract. He then goes to retrieve his client as Draven celebrates. This happens to be Prince Gwyn, son of H'rothgar. Fifth in line for Sovngarde's throne.

He is a young man, early twenties, with lighter, almost pale skin. He has a head of blond hair which falls near his eyes, and starry blue eyes. Similarly to Wilbur, he is dressed in fine blue and silver clothing with threads of white throughout. He is very soft-spoken, polite, and kind.

Marsha immediately tries to attack Draven and tries to beg him to give the prince to her, which he rebuffs quickly. The very horny tiefling then is forced to sit in seethe as she isn't able to get to the pretty boy. Draven thanks them all for the help and pays them before packing his things to leave with the prince.

In the same day, they head into the upper rings of the city to go shopping. H'rothgar is split into three rings based on elevation, the higher you go the more high end the areas become. They head to the higher sections and head into a blacksmith shopped named: *A Man's Burden*, run by a half-orc named Fennec, acquiring some new upgrades in the process. At this time, Marsha and Raziel are drawn into an alleyway by a strange man in a dark cloak. He's dressed in all black, wears a purple bandana around his mouth, and has pale skin with intense eyes. He asks them: "Whaddaya buyin?" And offers them an array of magical items and scrolls.

With a fancy new magic necklace in hand, Marsha directs the group to a club on the highest ring: *The Unseen Servant*. A party spot for young and frisky wizards that are tired of the days of textbooks and magic practice. Outside they are vetted by the bouncer: Bob. He wears a button up white shirt that's two sizes to small, black dress pants, with shoes to match. Standing over 6'5" he towers over the group, he sneers at them with his silver nose ring in their face as they give him their information. Letting them into the club, they're amazed by what they see. People of all shapes and sizes, races, and origins partying in the magic lights. Raziel immediately finds interest in runes along the walls and room that project sound and light, like the nerd he is. Ryoshi on the other hand goes to the bar and learns the rules of the club from the handsome red-skinned teifling bartender, along with the drinks on offer.

Rules of the Club: No casting magic, no outside food or drink, and you can be subjected to a detect magic and physical search if you misbehave.

Specialty Cocktails

* Fireball = Cinnamon Whisky. 1.5S
* Vicious Mockery = Spiced Rum, orange, and bitters. 2S
* Smite = Apple Cider, rosemary, maple syrup, and whisky. 3S
* Hunter’s Craft = Bourbon, lemon juice, cane sugar, and lemon. 2S
* Firaga = Fireball whisky, dry vermouth, bitters, orange, and a cinnamon stick. 3S
* White Dragon’s Breath = Vodka, white chocolate liqueur, white cream, and a slab of chocolate poking out. 4S

After grabbing a drink, Ryoshi and the others find a table up on one of the upper levels of the club. Ryoshi sits and watches Marsha drag Raziel off to the dancefloor, incredibly entertained by the whole prospect. During this time, he also bumps into someone he definitely didn't expect to see, Gaius.

Gaius is his usual self, Deep Green Eyes, tanned skin, toned musculature, a dark brown beard that connects to a head of short brown hair. With the roguishly handsome features to match, he is unmistakable. He’s dressed in new attire, a tight-fitting black shirt and pants, a brown leather belt, and a pair of fingerless gloves.

Ryoshi makes some jokes at his expense before noticing that he has two White Dragon's Breath drinks in hand. Gaius directs him down to the dance floor where he spots Vixie sitting at a bar style table. The ranger wishes his captain luck as the other daring duo take to the dance floor. Marsha tears up the floor with Raziel doing his best to keep up, both of them earning plenty of Sending Stone Numbers from the other partygoers.

Sending Stone Numbers: Every individual can ascribe a specific set of runes to their particular sending stone. After this is done, no one else can use the same except for the purpose of contacting said person. Sometimes it can be a string of numbers, a phrase, or even simply a name. If you've got the runes, you can input that into your own sending stone, which records them in the form of a catalog. Incredibly useful for long range communication, and booty calls.

After getting her fill, Marsha drags the boys next door to the *Velvet Room*, a wizard strip club. The bouncer for this establishment is a great gray owlkin that towers above the party as well. Henriette (the bouncer) asks their name, race, and age before allowing them inside. They see plenty of suspended cages and other platforms where strippers are dancing, the whole room draped in fine blues and blacks. As per their theme, the women are dressed in wizard robes and hats. Heading again to the bar, Ryoshi finds out the club has their own drink menu from the lady dwarf bartending. Much the same as the previous club, but with an additional deal called the "DS" special. If you so wish, you can pay 5 gold an hour to have a stripper Disguise Self and dance for you. The only parameter being that they cannot be given a picture or ask to become someone famous and/or well known. They can get close, but not exact.

Specialty Cocktails:

* Bad Dragon – Guinness, bourbon, lime, grenadine, blackberries, lime. 3s
* Lusty Dragonborn Maid – Gin, vodka, tequila, midori, triple sec, lemon lime, lime spiral. 3s
* Twin Cast Haste – Sapphire gin, dry vermouth, blue curacao, lemon twist. 2s
* Enhance Ability – Blood orange juice, vodka, sweet and sour, grenadine, bitters, blood orange. 2s

When Marsha jokes about Yuki, a woman in Ryoshi's past, he gets angry and snaps at her for suggesting such a thing. After some chatting back and forth, and learning her intentions with the jab wasn't malicious, they reconciled. However, Ryoshi decides to have a bit of fun, and attempt to score Marsha a "new friend." Ryoshi then uses his expert Peregrine trained skills to find a girl Marsha's type across the way. A meek, nerdy looking tiefling named Mila (that is suspiciously close to *another* nerdy looking red-skinned teifling whose name may or may not also start with an M). Marsha chats her up and the two have a mini date before agreeing to a date at a later date, scoring her sending stone number with the command word: Bubbles. (HOT HOT HOT HOT all around)

At the same time, Raziel heads upstairs after getting a tip off from the bartender. He finds a dancer named Lilith and challenges her to a chess match. Although he wins quite handily, they end the encounter as friends. Catching up with the others, they end the night in a happy mood and find that Gaius isn't actually there at the safehouse. Marsha then remembers her sending stone and contacts Red, who is out of breath when she calls. She promises that Gaius is "in safe hands" and that he'd be back in the morning. With that, they head to bed.

### October 26, 1058:

The plan commences. Gaius meets back up with the group in the morning to some teasing before showing them the way to his home, where he'd ask Angeal to meet him. It is here where Gaius tells Ryoshi about his life and upbringing:

They (Gaius and Angeal) were both raised in Ashaya in the capital of Ione (now H’rothgar), and adopted by an Officer in the Stormguard named Elidibus when they passed through on negotiations. Then being raised in Hearth Keep. They did everything together and trained together throughout their lives. Eventually, they were both enrolled at the premiere Strix Academy, an officer’s school. He didn’t pass, while his brother did. He still rose the ranks and eventually became the captain of the 512th division while his brother went on to be one of the youngest Commanders in the history of the nation. Together they toppled the central kingdoms, first unseating them from within and opening the gates for a forceful annexation. Eventually, Gaius came to disagree with that style of life, it wasn’t for him anymore, and he wanted to stop this madness before it spread across the globe. He knew that H’rothgar wouldn’t stop with just Solus, he would extend his reach far and wide.

In his younger years, he also admits that he was a rebel and met Vixie (Red's real name) when he was a part of their gang of rapscallion's. They were together for a time and became girlfriend/boyfriend before Gaius broke things off due to an incident that resulted in her getting badly injured on his behalf.

After this wrap up, they make it to the house where they begin preparation. Gaius heads inside and is only accompanied by Ryoshi when he slides a loose floor panel out of the way, revealing a small chest. Opening it, there is a pair of pure black gloves that fit perfectly over his hands. Clenching his fist resulted in a pure black blade of energy appearing in his hand, as if crafted from the night itself. It is then that he reveals himself, confirming Ryoshi's suspicions that Gaius was indeed the Black Wolf of Sovngarde. Here it is also revealed that every color has a unique power that sets them apart from the rest, Gaius' being that his blades can take the form of any weapon of his choosing.

Gaius then departs and the group awaits the arrival of the White Wolf. These next two events take part simultaneously.

Durezat is freed from his cell by Da'at who is in a frazzled state, there's an alarm going off and it seems like the prison is being attacked or raided in some shape or form. She takes Durezat to the equipment room where he knocks out a handful of guards on the way. Upon entering, he regains his items, including those belonging to "Merrick." His cloak and a necklace from Da'at. She the pushes him through the halls, coming into contact briefly with the Blood Red Knight, who seemingly causes a man's body to seize up and throw himself into a wall. Still pushing, they make it to a small exit as Da'at departs and tells Durezat to leave and find Merrick. He is then stopped by Fade, the Broken Blade, one of the members of the ice fang. They have a close duel that results in both of them being taken to the edge before the door bursts open, revealing Earl Skothan, Durezat's father. Durezat knocks out fade and leaves him there as he reunites with his father. They exit out onto the streets and make their way to the sewers, finding out that Skothan made his way here because of a message from Red. He wields Blackheart, a magical greatsword that becomes wreathed in black flame upon speaking the command word "Skilaro."

The White Wolf attends the meeting alone, as promised. He then draws his true ice blade and asks Ryoshi (now disguised as Gaius) a series of questions about his life. Including his first kiss, which Ryoshi answers is Vixie, which Angeal finds hilarious because even he didn't know that. They engage in a long discussion about the state of the war, motivation, and the desire to be brothers again. Angeal is clearly hurt, but gives Gaius every chance to come back to his side. Upon realizing that time is almost up, Ryoshi breaks off the conversation and departs with the aid of Raziel with a clutch invisibility spell. It is during that time that Angeal summons a spectral wolf named Reva. A white wolf with pure blue eyes, that starts to chase him down until he makes it to the tree line. The group then depart, as does Angeal, and make their way deep into the slums. It is here that they come into *Bits and Baubles*, a shop that Marsha is familiar with. It's a odds and oddities shop filled with tables and shelves of silverware, botched taxidermy, bones, dusty books, old instruments, vases, furniture, a real hoarder's dream. In the shop that meet its caretaker, an elderly orc woman. She's very short, with a hunched back, long gray hair, pale olive skin, a wart on her nose, and a set of bifocals on her nose with a string of beads attached behind her back. They find that her name is Angie.

Marsha and Raziel pretend to be a couple as they're the first to arrive and to conceal their identities. Ryoshi then arrives later and Marsha acts that she's an angry uncle/father figure who doesn't approve of her relationship.