The Mystery of Valentine Hall

The Mystery of Valentine Hall was the first session of the campaign involving the characters: Cedric Gallows, Kevin Valentine, Bartholomaus Steiner, Ayla Vanderstone and Gaius Lestrade.

## Introductions

Cedric Gallows, a lordling from Telmont, was told by his father, Lord M'dad Gallows, to head to Varewyn if he wanted to start exploring the world. M'dad Gallows hired Gaius Lestrade and Bartholomaus Steiner to accompany his son and protect him from any dangers they may face under the contract that they would receive payment upon return. Cedric managed to get into the city using his lordly status and they immediately found the most expensive place to stay. Cedric managed to convince the receptionist that he was close friends with Jonathan Aselane of Varewyn and that he should get the room for free. Once in the room, they saw in the distance a burned mansion and decided to head over to it, their curiosity piqued.

Meanwhile, Ayla Vanderstone had come to the city to get an artifact she discovered appraised. After sneaking through the canal and injuring herself in the process, she made her way to the mages district where she thought she might discover a learned sorcerer to tell her about the odd dark idol she had found. The first merchant she asked stole it from her, causing her to steal it back and have a chase with the guards, where she managed to outrun them by veering off into a poorer district of the city

Meanwhile, Kevin Valentine woke up in his burned house. After discovering a handkerchief with "Victor" on it he decided his name must be Victor. He soon awoke to the presence of two individuals inspecting the house. Despite his insistence that the house was his, the two rebuffed him and directed him to Lord Hartley Rochester if he wanted to raise the issue with someone official, as it was he who had sent the man and woman to investigate the manor to protect his interests.

Shortly after this, Cedric and his two employees arrived at the scene where guards had arrived. These guards denied them entry and the trio was sent away. The young lord was determined to look inside so they sought out a café in which to stay until they had the cover of night in relative comfort.

Ayla returned to the district having lost the guards and sought someone perhaps more reputable. Arriving at a particular school, she was directed towards the Archmage Redcliffe who had an interest in old Tyrranean artifacts. Upon investigation, he paid her a large sum of money which she later put in the bank to develop. He also hired her to take on a job for him, the acquisition of a particular artifiact that he heard was kept inside the vault in Valentine Hall. She accepted and at night, she resolved to make for the vault.

Kevin met with Hartley Rochester but it became apparent that he was not willing to let the significant inheritance of the Valentine family be given to Kevin, its last surviving member under the reasoning that they were all believed to be dead and the legal proceedings had already been carried through. With the guards present, Kevin knew that there was no conceivable way in which he could get inside his ruined house with the guards there in daylight, so he decided to wait until night.

Ayla slipped in first. When she arrived, she found a group of mysterious cultists standing around what looked to be the entrance to the vault. Knowing that it would be useless to attempt to fight them there, she entered the cellar to find an alternate route. While not finding one, she did locate a crowbar. At this point, Cedric, Doctor Steiner and Gaius arrived on the scene. A fight broke out between the trio and the cultists who were swiftly cut down by the group. Finally, Kevin arrived. An argument ensued, but was quickly put on hold by the cellar being opened.