One For Sorrow

### Session Twenty-Five [2021.05.15]

In the midst of the reconstruction of the Alfreya Mansion, Kalen received a request to hire the services of the assassin Luna Ezunia. The request aimed to set a meeting in the Tourney Grounds at night between Luna and her prospective client to share more details.

Seeking to avoid a repeat of the same mistake that kicked off the events of the GLAMOUR conspiracy, Kalen had the courier tailed, and found that the request had come from one Marcel Rousselot, younger brother to the late Analise Rousselot. Analise was once beloved by Noelle before her untimely death, shortly after the equally mysterious deaths of her parents.

Because of this, Kalen contacted Noelle, and informed her of the request. The meeting is set for the night of the 5th of Justinian. Assassins, contracts, and clandestine meetings...it does truly seem that the Grand Game has come to Tantervale.

### Session Twenty-Six [2021.05.22]

The party attended the meeting with Lord Rousselot in the company of Kalen, introducing themselves as the Tantervale Underground. Lord Rousselot revealed that he believed that his sister Analise (and their parents) had been killed by the Marquis de Mantillon, but that he needed proof. He offered 2000 guilders in payment if Luna was able to find such proof, and in the event of its discovery, to kill the Marquis.

Noelle revealed herself to him, and discovered that Marcel thought she had been involved in Analise's death. In the end, they agreed to work together, with Marcel pointing the Underground in the direction of his brother Lucas, who he believes is in Tantervale to negotiate a political marriage with the Dumars of Kirkwall.

### Session Twenty-Seven [2021.05.29]

The party found where Lucas Rousselot was staying and eavesdropped upon him, leading Vara to overhear a conversation concerning an intended alliance with the Dumar family that Lucas is afraid will fall through. He then sent a courier to his benefactor, which the party followed to the carriage of the infamous Marquis de Mantillon.

### Session Twenty-Eight [2021.06.04]

After finding Mantillon's carriage, Volka and Noelle attempted to spy on him, discovering that he had brought his lady wife, Marielle, along with him. They were spotted, however, and the Marquis wound up confronting Volka and warning him to tread with care.

### Session Thirty [2021.06.19]

When attending the Pre-Tourney in order to scout out potential competition, Volka and Luna were spotted by the Marquis. Unexpectedly, however, the Marquis claimed to be acting on behalf of Lucas Rousselot, who has apparently challenged Luna to a contest of honor over her part in the death of his aunt, Solene Rousselot.

The challenge was framed as blades at dawn, tomorrow, on the 8th of Justinian, 9:21 Dragon. This would be the morning of the Grand Tourney. While contests of honor are generally to the first blood (rather than to the death) it's still unknown what the Mantillon may be planning...

### Session Thirty-Two [2021.07.03]

After talking it over with Kalen and her friends, Luna is torn between formally declining the duel and accepting the challenge. Kalen fears it is a trap, but Mordayne pointed out that the challenged may ask satisfaction from the challenger should they win—potentially teasing out some of Mantillon's secrets out of Lucas Rousselot.

### Session Thirty-Three [2021.08.21]

Eventually, Luna resolved to simply confront Lucas directly, accepting the challenge and hoping to provide sufficient distraction for Noelle and Vara to investigate Mantillon's carriage. With Minhra as her second, she confronted Lucas in an open duel, clashing with blades at dawn. As she did so, Noelle and Vara sneaked out to their target.

After breaking into the carriage, Noelle attempted to find some useful evidence, but was unable to do so, even with Vara's help. They performed their search while the Marquis' wife, Marielle de Mantillon, slept soundly in the carriage bed. While attempting to steal her signet ring off her sleeping form, Noelle inadvertently awoke her, prompting Vara to polymorph her into a rat before she could squel. Before the spell took affec,t however, Marielle was able to say Noelle's name, seemingly recognizing her.

Noelle then elected to take the rat-formed marchioness with her, escaping handingly with her bardic talents. Vara, a little slower to move, was pursued by Mantillon's guards, who had heard the spell be cast. The guards were unable to stop her, however, before they themselves were killed by an unexpected interloper: a Tevinter woman in naval attire and a vicious sabre. Vara was then confronted by an elf attempting to capture her, one she recognized as being a slave of her former master, Umbria.

Upon failing to capture her, this slave doubled over in pain as his lyrium tattoos began to burn him, triggered by some command spell originating from a mystical chain around his wrist. Unwilling to leave him behind, Vara used her magic to summon two spiritual horses--one to distract the Tevinter woman and the other to bear her and the slave safely away.

Noelle, for her part, made a beeline for the tourney grounds, just in time to see Luna defeat Lucas by drawing first blood from his arm. Luna then attempted to wring information out of Rousselot and Mantillon, but the former seemed ignorant and the latter simply lied directly to her face. After securing a half-hearted promise to assist with the search for Volka, Luna let them go.

Noelle, Luna, and Minhra then interrogated the Marchioness Marielle, freed from her rat form. Marielle revealed that she believed that the Marquis was not the direct culprit of Analise' murder, but that it was her own brother, Lucas. Noelle shared that she was seeking justice for Analise, and Luna shared that she was likewise seeking the murderer on behalf of Marcel.

### Session Thirty-Six [2021.09.11]

With multiple incidents of cheating, sabotage, and general skulduggery, the Mantillons and Rousselots have begun to push their luck. Noelle was able to find evidence of another bard working for the Marquis, seemingly targeting the Ghantours, Asters, and anyone else allied with the party. After one Orlesian noble, Edouard de Chevans, was falsey accused of the death of the heir to the de Chalons family, Grand Cleric Leonelle had officially had enough of the Mantillons, and sent the party to gather any possible evidence that she could use to have the Marquis arrested.

Making us of the Grand Cleric's spy network, Noelle was able to locate the Marchioness Marielle in Spindledowne Manor, an estate-for-rent outside the city walls. Venturing out with Iselan, Minhra, and their new companion Edouard, they infiltrated the mansion while Vara, Luna, and Nero monitored the situation in the city.

At Spindledowne, they were unfortunately caught by the same Fortune-Teller that had kidnapped Volka. In the ensuing battle, Noelle managed to identify the Mantillon's bard as Clementine, a former colleague of hers in the same bardic circles of Val Royeaux. After learning that Clementine was being coerced into helping him, Noelle persuaded her to turn on the Fortune-Teller in exchange for helping rescue another bard, alias Tamarind.

Unfortunately, Clementine did not survive the battle, nor was the party able to capture the Fortune-Teller or acquire any actionable documents. Worse yet, Minhra seemingly succumbed to her darker impulses, giving way to a demon that possessed her. Edouard, Iselan, and Noelle were barely able to escape with their lives--with their one victory being the fact that Clementine was able to give Noelle the strange golden mask she was wearing before she was killed in the battle.

*This is as far as this quest has progressed.*