Session 46: The Cloak conundrum

## Skulking on eggshells

Time goes by in the musty interrogation room as the party slowly begin to realize that no Ordinator will come for them.

Plans are formulated to escape the situation or at least found out what happened to their items as they realize that if more people die to the book the blame will most likely fall on them.

The party look into their leftover items to scrounge for components whilst plans are suggested left and right:

Eppa suggests becoming a rock and instigating violence with the guard stationed in front of the door but also notices a peculiar bird watching them from the window. It disappears soon after.

Dummin decides to do some preliminary scouting with his familiar, learning the location of Mithral's room and the Armory.

Ixxy suggests a tactic she has probably used to get out of sticky situations many a time: seduction and transformation.

Kristoffer decides to invest his strongest magic in order to make use of the information Dummin gained. He teleports himself and Ixxy, now transformed into a guard, in front of the Ordinator's room. She covers for him as he stumbles from the sudden displacement.

Knowing he does not have a lot of time he takes the book and a small box containing an earring from the desk, also noticing a booklet written in code and the barebones of a letter. Lastly, he dons the Ordinator's outfit and feeling confident about his new perceived status, he walks back to the room.

The uniform open's all doors, inspiring a healthy amount of fear and respect in all the guards he stumbles on and he arrives at their holding room unmolested. Yet still, the party do not know where their magical items are stashed and they are now a member short as Ixxy has vacated the premises in case the guard she was impersonating shows up. Attempting to move as a group they send for her to come back, but the one who arrives in the room is Cloak.

The silent woman seems surprised at seeing her Higher-up but that surprise gives way to a mix of irritation and bemused when Kristoffer starts trying to order her around. A note is passed, revealing that Mithral would never communicate without telepathy with her as she relied on a magical earing, now in the party's possession, to make up for her missing tongue.

His ploy revealed and in an attempt to not start a battle, Kristoffer Suggests that she sits down to talk with them and so she does.

## Working for upper management

She gives Mithral a part of the blame for overindulging in analyzing the book but also seems to hold the party accountable when they seem to know it's nature. She makes it clear that she would not risk her neck by letting the party go and so she needs for them to either commit some meaningful information about the incidents in First Landing and the area surrounding it or for the party to find another way of showing they are not enemies of the High Clans.

Most of the things the party talks about fill in gaps but do not meaningfully satisfy her need for answers, she offers to take the book so that dedicated researchers might figure out its secrets, but the party seem adamant in keeping it, propping up Dummin as the de facto expert in its nature.

So she asks for the party to prove their "friendship" with a favor, promised to be as bloodless as possible but still in the service of the High Clans. What will be asked of them is unspecified, but the party provide their agreement and a small guarantee- some drops of blood each. Seemingly satisfied they arrange their exit from the facility, recovering their weapons on the way out.

They find Ixxy and an Aasimar man waiting for them outside. The man departs on horseback the moment he takes notice of them and the party return to the Yarn of Yore to rest for the night.

## Last morning in Goldenview

From the morning, to their shopping spree, the party notices crows that spontaneously disappear the moment they lay eyes on them. Despite that they go about their day normally.

Preparations are made for their departure:

- A Sending is sent to Cathair, who confirms Lark still stalks the area around Perch, even more ferociously than before.

- A pony, a draft horse and a cart are purchased

- Looted books and Necrotic potions are exchanged for currency, along with the ball of silver alloy Eppa carried for so long

Ready to go, they ride to Perch, still hounded by the crows, who only seem to grow in number, they seem convinced to approach the party's cart and preen at the attention, but horses riding towards them breaks the reverie.

On the horizon, 5 figures approach the party: two Aasimars, first encountered in Maximilians tavern, two Rosenthal guards lasts seen plastering Kristoffer's face all over Goldenview and a deathly pale man, who the party seem for the first time.