Public Service Aine-nouncement (TF004)

**“Public Service Aine-nouncement”** is the fourth session of the Team 3.5 game.  This is it.  The Day of Carving has finally arrived.  Will Team 3.5 be able to overcome the odds, and whatever Team 7 has planned?

# Synopsis

Dungeon Master’s notes: this is being written several months after the session.  As a result, the synopsis will be straighter to the point than you might be used to.

## Koto 18

The Day of Carving had officially arrived.  As Aine did a bit of sleuthing by Team 7’s tent, Lemmy returned to Metal Matters (“The only metals that matter”) to get a new breastplate, and struck a deal with the owner, Enkelt Lurt: if Lemmy could get the breastplate for a fraction of the price, Lemmy would spread the word of Metal Matters far and wide.  Enkelt agreed.

Arriving at the stadium early, Team 3.5 milled around for a bit, eating fantasy Dipping Dots, before they ran into the belligerent Borean teens from yesterday.  Aine, filled with righteous camp counselor energy, delivered an anti-bullying PSA, that didn’t find purchase with most of them… except for one, Auglig, who did actually apologize to Varad.

The four gathered in the bowels of the arena, preparing to do battle with Team 7.  Hadarai spoke some words of encouragement, as well as took a small name adjustment for Lemmy to Selise.  As Team 3.5 was brought out, Lemmy was now introduced as sponsored by Metal Matters (“Metal Matters: the only metals that matter”).  The battle fully got underway.

Team 3.5 superior numbers slowly pushed Team 7 into a tight spot.  Upon Aine taking some damage, Varad went to flank her, patting her on the shoulder as he passed… and actually healed her a little bit.  As Team 7 was slowly pushed into a corner, their true colors were revealed: Nedda stood up, pointed her sword at the podium where Frenosta sat, and said the following words: “DEATH.  TO.  TYRANTS!”  The entire stadium exploded into mayhem; many members of the audience put on carved white masks with a broken crown branded into the brow and began assaulting other audience members, Divergent Legion soldiers, and acolytes of Exaire.

The battle on the pitch grew far deadlier, as two of these masked individuals entered the battle as well.  Lemmy quickly managed to charm the two into turning against Team 7.  Lath continued laying down clutch support spells, helping Aine fell Sharp-ear.  Varad was run through by Nedda, but was quickly brought back by Aine.  In response, Varad actually killed Nedda.  Aine then slew Oloma as she tried to flee.  Team 3.5 plus the two brainwashed guys ran through the Amphitheatre to the podium, passing several smaller battles.

As they reached the podium, Covus and Selise were holding a dwarf cleric of Exaire at weapon point.  Selise asked him why he did this, and his only response was “for freedom”.  Covus sliced his hand off, and Selise knocked him out with her pommel.  Selise then directed Team 3.5 to go “back up Courage”.  Aine tried to talk with Frenosta to… mixed results.

Team 3.5 sprinted through Dimshade, now fully falling to chaos as masked individuals were trying to escape the city.  They eventually made it to the Shot of Courage… and figured out why Selise said to “back her up” and not “save her”.  Courage had already killed two intruders, one through a broken neck, and the other from a dagger to the back.  She had her legs wrapped around the neck of a third, who was desperately wheeling around, trying to throw her off.  After finishing him off, Courage simply turned and said “What?  Did you think I was born a bartender?”

The chaos slowly settled over the next several hours.

## Koto 19

Team 3.5, Frenota, Covus, Selise, and Courage all reconvened at the podium the next day, with some grim news.  The group that had infiltrated the Day of Carving are known as the Dirt Roads: an anti-royalist and anarchist organization.  Sharp-ear, the cleric of Team 7, was also using a holy symbol and was definitely drawing on divine magic… but for no known god in the pantheon.  Frenosta stated that she and Covus were going to teleport back to the capital of Estary that day, but not before officially congratulating Team 3.5 on their accomplishments.  Paying them handsomely from the empire’s coffers, Frenosta mentioned that another prominent city, Crusene, was dealing with some manner of “infestation” issue, and recommended they look into it if they were looking for further work.  Aine attempted to talk to the empress but it didn’t… go… smoothly.

Varad, however, had very good news to share.  In a combination of Varad’s bravery both during the Day of Carving as well as his efforts to quell the insurrection, as well as his inadvertent healing of Aine, Selise inducted him into the Starlight Amphitheater as an acolyte.

## Koto 20-Abralis 2

Over the course of the next several days, the various members of Team 3.5 helped get Dimshade into something resembling order, helping to rebuild damaged buildings and what not.  A variety of personal things happened as well:

Temerity responded to Aine’s summons, and agreed that a Solari presence should be maintained in Dimshade.  Temerity decided she was going to transition from working in Asphodel to Dimshade.

Lemmy found a bard, Orla, who worked in a nearby tavern, showing her the “calling card” he was left.  Orla immediately grew ashen, and explained who that calling card was from: the Mortiferous Ensemble, a criminal guild who utilize art and music magic to reach their ends.  She counseled Lemmy to keep it hidden, as well as to travel north to Hazelheim, where a man named Oric could help him.

Lath did research in the bowels of the Starlight Amphitheatre about other planes.  He found out that there, historically, has been a gate to the plane of Delirium that is located somewhere in the Avonstead.  He also found out that the Acolytes of Starlight are slowly compiling religious texts, scriptures, and parables from Exaire and Exaire’s worshippers into a single tome.

# Characters

*Italicized means played by the Dungeon Master*

**Bold means played by one of the players**

* **Aine Solana: nephilim monk of the Solari Monastery**
* *Auglig: borean teenager.  Former dirtbag.*
* *Covus: merrow bodyguard to the Imperial Princess*
* *Enkelt Lurt: borean owner of Metal Matters*
* *Frensota Artus: half-elf sorcerer princess of the Artus Empire*
* **Glath ahn Latha: drakeblood cleric of Vanth**
* *Hadarai: scarred half-elf servant of Exaire, and right hand man to Selise*
* **Lemmy: automata cleric on a journey**
* *Nedda Porridgepot: gnome leader of Team 7*
* *Oloma: half-orc mage of Team 7*
* *Orla: halfling bard, who works in the Careless Bells*
* *Selise Marivaldi: archon Warden of Starlight*
* *Sharp-ear: elf cleric of Team 7*
* *Temerity Solana: cambion monk of the Solari Monastery, and Satellite located in Asphodel*