Session 15 Prep

## Broad Aims

* Within these next two sessions, we should have finished the tournament arc completely.
* Fergus' intentions should be known to the players within this session, as well the consequences of him succeeding.
* By the midway point of the next session, the players should have dealt with, or failed to deal with Fergus.

## Aubrey's Quest

Aubrey has been woken in the night and given a note, written by Bruce, asking her to meet him outside. If she does, Bruce will be there. He will be looking to the other end of the street, where one of his men is standing with Meive, who is looking haggard and beaten, with a black eye and several cuts. She is wearing her maidservant's clothes and wrapped in the man's cloak. Bruce will mention that he one of his had found her a few hours ago when trying to contact her again, as Aubrey's last report had him interested in her. After rescuing her from pursuers, and asking her who she was, and asking her what was wrong, she told him that she had just escaped from the castle. Bruce thought to bring her to Aubrey, as he knows she has been investigating the castle. He figured that Meive might be of some use to Aubrey, or vice versa. There is no money in this one, but he'll promise to think on it as an investment on his part to help the girl.

* If Aubrey talks to Meive, she will ask her who she is. If she is satisfied that Aubrey would help, she will explain her situation: 3-4 days ago, she was taken by the castle guards as the suspect of aiding a spy (Johan, who has confessed her involvement) in the castle. She had been locked in the same cell as Johan, who had been brutalized to death before she got there. After a couple days of basic questioning he guard walked into her cell, and began questioning her more roughly than previously, on who else knew what she and Johan had found.
* She will say she told him everything, and is worried about the man Brian, who she mentioned had asked about Johan. The guard then threw his keys from the room, took out a knife, and stabbed himself right through the throat. His face was one of satisfaction, then turning to panic a few seconds after he stabbed himself. He then, with his own blood, wrote the name "Fergus" on the wall before slumping to the floor, dead. This all happened yesterday evening.
* In a panic that she might be thought to have killed the guard herself, Meive made a desperate escape (using the guard's spear to get the key). She ran from the castle as soon as it was safe to run, just barely evading pursuit, and made it back home. She was in the midst of preparing to leave the city when [the man] appeared, offering her help.

Fergus will have sent Odo to look for her at her house. He might be spotted spying on them.

If Aubrey chooses to go to the castle at this time, all the castle residents will be abed, however the guard patrol will be unchanged from normal. It should be noted that they are aware of Meive's escape, as is Fergus.

* The dungeon will have 2 guards stationed at the door to the larger dungeon room, but no guards inside.
* Fergus will be asleep in his chamber.
	+ If alerted to suspicious activity he will hide in the secret chamber and use the bodies of one of his victims to investigate.
	+ If confronted, he will use the black liquid, a ritual knife and the death of one of his victims to allow creatures from the mists to arrive (a nerfed Behir, a Gibbering Mouther, and a Grell [or simply 3 nerfed behirs]), who will fight the players. In order to do this he needs access to his secret room. This is effectively a short-term small scale black mist. If Fergus believes that he will be stopped from completing his plan, he will trigger the Black Mist now.
	+ Fergus' solar is such:
		- A combined study, bedroom and cabinet. The room is stone, with fine rushes on the floor, tapestries on the walls depicting amusing scenes such as a rabbit riding a dog shooting a bow, or a man fighting a giant snail, or other tapestries with scenes of hunting or battle. The candles are unlit, and sunlight streams in through the large windows.
			* The desk contains letters from other nobles, relatively uninteresting accounts regarding marriages and deaths, as scandals of certain peoples, no one that Aubrey recognises.
			* The bed has a harness underneath, which is capable of restraining a man as well as gagging him. The harness is spattered with dried blood, particularly on the wrist straps.
			* There is a opening onto the balcony facing the courtyard. Everything of the inner baily at the back of the castle can be seen from here.
		- A successful Perception will reveal dust on the bottom of the heavy tapestry on one wall (indicative that it has been brushed against the floor many times). If she investigates, she will find a secret door behind it, revealing a room with a small desk and writing implements, with letters from Lord Phillip (last seen at Maynooth).
			* There is a recipe detailing that sufficient blood of those touched by the mist, will open the way to the world of the Outsiders, and the power that lies therein. There is a long row of pillories facing a table with a large silver bowl and an ornate knife.
			* Phillip's letters detail the experiments on the people of Maynooth, and what he believes will be possible if the way to the outsider's world is opened, such as advances in technology and wealth beyond anyone's imagining. The power that men touch by the mists wield could become a tool of the common man, or indeed his liege.
* Odo will have been following Meive's trail, and unless the party actively lose him, will still be on them. He can continue Fergus' work if Fergus dies. He will rush to Fergus' defence if he is aware of the need for it. Odo is copying the power of one of Fergus' victims (bound and gagged with the others) who has the power to put people to sleep for extended periods of time. Fergus' victims are currently under this power.
	+ Odo will arrive if Fergus is going to die, and will put himself on Fergus, who will swap bodies with him as his body dies.

## Brian's Story

Brian will be participating in the tournament today, though he only has two fights. This is the second last day before the end of the tournament - Brian need only win today and tomorrow (which will be skipped over) to get to the final day. He will have to fight Angus O'Ferrall and The Lime. Simon is also called to fight today, which he feels a bit guilty for as he had to leave Roland. He will be fighting Murchad.

Murchad and Angus will both approach Brian attempting to recruit him, Angus because he believes Brian would be an exceptional addition to his forces, and Murchad because he realises the sway the Brian has over Simon.

* Angus will explain his perspective, as well as the fact that the two have dealt minimal damage in their conflict, the plan being to hold cattle as ransom, allowing the return of cattle in exchange for fealty. In his mind, this is better than the dice that Fergus has cast, which will likely result in uprooting and turmoil as various claims are bandied about alongside a potentially incompetent or malicious ruler. In truth, most homes had yeilded immediately, with only a few token resistances. The only true conflict has come about due to Fergus' counter-forces. There have been only a few deaths as a result of this conflict, far fewer he feels, compared to what might ensue otherwise.
* Murchad will fill in any blanks Angus might have missed (he has learned of this conversation). He will also explain to Brian that he has heard of the failed uprising in Dublin, and knows that the consequences of that, as well as the concentration of power this tournament creates, will bring about a war, a true war for independence, and a war of unification, a true civil war. He believes his father may well have doomed O'Ferrall by introducing the chaos that he has, and there remains only the option to control that chaos, either through winning this damnable tournament or by winning back his father's seat some other way. In either case, O'Ferrall must be ready for what is ahead.
	+ Murchad will reveal to Brian that he has ice powers, to establish commonality between them. He will further explain that he wishes to form a company of men such as themselves, using the opportunity Fergus has provided with this tournament, as no doubt Fergus made this tournament for exactly this reason. Such a party would be able to hold the position of O'Ferrall when the war breaks out. If civil war is to come, the victor should be decided quickly, before too much has been lost, and the powerful faction would enable greater diplomacy as well. He will ask Brian if such a thing might be of interest to him.

In the background, Simon is being offered another proposition by Lady Emily. If Brian moves to do anything about this, he will be stopped by Sir Harold.

Simon will have to fight Murchad. Simon will lose this fight, though Murchad will forced to reveal his powers in order to win. The fight will likely reveal the weakness in Simon's power as well, though only to astute observers.

After this, in the background, Fergus will have a conversation with Murchad, seemingly trying to reconcile with him. Ultimately he will encourage Murchad to win the tournament.

The tournament will be over for the day after a few more background fights.

## Potential Outcomes

If Fergus dies outright or is forced to swap with Odo, there will be increased contention on the legitimacy of the tournament and an uptick in the rebellion efforts, but also parties vying for it to continue on the grounds that this was clearly Fergus' wish and O'Ferrall's next leader should be decisively chosen. This would end in support shifting back to Angus as the new clan chief, as tournament would not have very strong support at this point. If Fergus is in Odo's body, he will be forced to adapt to this, and will come out and reveal his power to change bodies, and his current state. He will attempt successfully to gain control of the supers he has hired, and will move to enforce his claims, as some will not believe him.

If Fergus survives and his body survives, and the black mist is untriggered, the plan goes on as usual.

If Fergus and his body survive and the black mist has been triggered, he will fast forward the plan, having himself "killed" in order to swap bodies with his heir.

Broadly, the result may be a world altered by the black mists, but otherwise a war for unification of Ireland is almost certain.