A Bone to Pick

Drink of the Night

The Drunken Pumpkin (pumpkin pie vodka, apple cider, spices "Like a pumpkin spice latte turned up to 11")

## Sponsor(s)

Mats by Mars (TRIANGLETABLE 10% discount)

## Announcements

* The goals are "Secrets Revealed" and "The Emperor's Favor"
* Next week is the Halloween episode, non-canon

## The Story

* Dawnash is thinking of his mother, her body, as she lies in a pool of her own blood, just before her death, her words of grace, hearing the screams and fires. He thinks of that one poem, over and over, hoping to still his mind. The dungeon door opens, eh tenses up, remembering the torture, but the footfalls are different, and more. He looks up and feels before him, The Fatebound. Four things he will always remember
* He is here because of his skin color, yet again. He has already told them that he was not the one. Hyllenae explains that she saw the man, and this is not him. The empress' face comes to a stark realization that they have made a grave mistake.
* The door opens again, and Dawnash knows who it is, it is a small bald man with some scars, carrying tools of torture. He bows and begins to address the emperor, saying he didn't think there would be so much company.
* The party is not happy that the torturer has already set to work on Dawnash.
* The empress raises her hand and says that no more bloodshed will be needed and tells Marius to fetch the keys
* Marius doesn't seem to want to go into the cell, the guards seem to push him into the cell a bit, he goes to try to unlock the manacles. Jingles prepares to Subtle spell cast Hold Person as soon as the manacles are off.
* Dawnash whispers to him that he promises to reunite him with the kin that bore him in hell. Marius is glad he got to him. Marius is held, Dawnash tears off some of Marius's shirt. Then angrily asks where his blindfold is.
* Jingles states that the laws here seem barbaric to those form more civilized lands. The empress and Dawnash both apologize for their behavior. Dawnash was found breaking into their library
* They all put their weapons away and they walk out, Dawnash closes to cell
* Jingles catches up with Dawnash as they walk, he has missed them, and he will give them all they want, but he needs time. Amalthea will still be mad at him for a while. She points out that they met his dad, Jingles fell in love with his blue eyes, then they found out it was her dad. Jingles says it was awkward, they wonder if he was a FILF/DILF
* They get to a room they has all of Dawnash's stuff, including the papers he took from the library. He grabs the blindfold first. The neck of the lute is broken. The only thing he doesn't see is his pouch where he kept his sweetsin, it is empty
* It feels like a mother's arms as he puts his blindfold back on. He could use a drink.
* The empress tells Dawnash that there is nothing she can say that will be compensation for what they have done. She gives them 20 gold and a small vial of yellow liquid which is a Potion of Super Haste, double speed and attacks.
* Dawnash tells the empress that she can keep her gold, but wants her to know what beast she has lurking her dungeon. Marius was her father's consort, but an illness warped his mind. Dawnash says the man deserves medicine, not tools. Jingles says a rabid dog is best put down. Hyllenae says that there are better ways than the methods Marius uses. In fact, she knows them from her paladin oaths.
* Dawnash pours the gold out at the empress's feet and says he doesn't need her blood money. She leaves. Trixie picks up the dumped out gold.
* Dawnash still has one thing he may need Trixie's help with. Dawnash looks at his lute, with the broken neck. Jingles casts Mending and fixes it, but it is still out of tune. Dawnash casts Message telling Trixie to grab the papers and they are gone
* A guard gives them Altanian (Alternative: Aul'Tænyan) pendants to show the Empress's apology
* Dorian says that he should go back to Shalya. They walk to get to a tavern with a bit of a more "interesting" crowd. They pass by several taverns, before getting to The Horn Pub.
* A gnome behind the counter asks for their weapons. Jingles tries to use his amulet, but it doesn't work here, "Here isn't everywhere"
* Dawnash yells that drinks are on the empress, then everyone laughs, it's a joke
* Emily is the bartender tonight. Dawnash is trying to set Amalthea up again. Dawnash needs a drink. He introduces the party in grand fashion. Dorian introduces himself. She notices his big hand
* Emily wonders if she could clear the stage for him, the drunk "i love you man" fight on the stage has been going on for an hour.
* He takes them to a table with a drunk man laying on it, he tries to wake him up, but just pushes him off. Dawnash and Hyllenae chug their drink. Emily is a "goddess of the uncouth and of the punctual"
* Dawnash has questions for them too. The party party asks how his disappearance happened. He responds with "Ada", Amalthea and Camille growl
* He recalls the story of Ada playing music with him in his mind, speaking the name of the city they were going to, then he woke up here. The entire ship for Ada was rutter-less and she wanted adventure, she saw his worry and thought she needed a vacation, bringing him here. He made sure she knew the consequences of taking him away from the party, it was to help out, not self interest. He saw her in the emperor's library, she opened a Dimension Door for them to escape, but he let her escape as he dealt with the guards
* Jingles does not wish to presumptuous, but the power of the artifacts, Ada being a help and hindrance, he wonders if she wants them for herself, with her power, it would be a dangerous combination.
* Dawnash says that she is not a lich seeking ill intent. Jingles points out that they don't always seek ill intent. Dawnash still believes in her
* Dawnash tells them about what Ada knows of the artifact, all that happened in the keep, she was reminded of the Greed War, angles demons and men fighting a grand war involving all of Tremahia. Dawnash is not fond of Hyllenae saying her mind was cleared, due to what happened to Razel. If they seek to bring the artifacts together. he was hoping to find a way to destroy the artifacts in the archives. Ada recognized some of the names in the story of Razel. They made a plan to diguise themselves as a traveling duo called The Blind and the Beuaty. He learned a song that has stuck with him. They learned everything they could from the folk tales and bedtimes stories. They needed to get into the Emperor's Archives. A halfling named Bones who knew of a secret entrance to the archives of a special person that they may have been speaking of. Bones gave them a location, then they went and were ambushed. He was working with the Fulcrum. A deal with them went bad, and he owed them blood, he was going to offer them up as bait, or they would kill them members and by him time. They got two pages. There is a map, Trixie notices the symbol for the fulcrum hidden near the city. There seems to be a massive hand out in the middle of the desert. They fell out of a book talking about a foundry called the cradle. There is an obvious trail on the map
* Ada knows to locations of the other four artifacts
* Dawnash wants to know what has happened to them before he goes onto the stage. He asks how each of the party is. Hyllenae is fine, she doesn't say, but she has not forgotten all the feelings she had from the orb. Amalthea tells him about meeting her dad and fighting the zombies, and meeting Mona.
* Dawnash takes out his lute and goes up to the stage
* (break)
* Dawnash takes the stage to sing the ballad that was playing in his mind for a while now. He plucks his lute, than casts it to the ground, breaking it again (whoops). He sings a song about Razel and the evil cast upon the land and the angel that fought him
* There are people around the tavern that are looking at the party since they are new and stick out a bit
* He tells the party that there is a lot of dissect in that song, and they need to work on it. They talk about getting the artifacts, locking them in a lead create and locking it with the Lock of Trickery, that Amalthea has. The song mentioned the cradle, Razel, and the name of the angel, which rings a bell for the lair of a lich.
* Dawnash also says that they may have passed some of the artifact
* Hyllenae regrets bringing up the name of the baron for the death of the ambassador, as it may have brought him to them
* The party reflects on their meeting. Jingles says that once the information that they have becomes relevant, they will bring it up, the baron is worse than all of what they have fought
* Hyllenae wants to send a message to her father with Dorian before he leaves
* Dawnash tells Dorian that the broach is at Kyleum. A small man comes over when the party speaks of the cradle, he says he can help them, for a price
* Bones enters the bar
* Initiative
	+ Bones runs out the door
	+ Camille tracks his scent and is looking up a ladder
	+ Dorian runs after them, seeing Camille and readies an action
	+ Jingles runs outside but doesn't see anything
	+ Hyllenae fishes out Axe Crack from the Bag of Holding
	+ Dawnash takes out a gold piece, throws it at her, she catches it, he dashes out and sprints up the ladder, he hears a grunt, he knows that grunt and runs south, but it takes him a bit longer to navigate
	+ Trixie looks around and has Princess see where the walkways lead. Bones knows these walkways. Princess transforms into a raven and stays above him for the party to follow
	+ Bones continues to run away
	+ Amalthea casts Hunter's Mark on Bones
	+ Dorian stays on the ground
	+ Jingles climbs up on the building and sees Bones then Catapults his brass balls and triggers a surge causing a sapphire worth 200 gold pieces to appear in the air in front of him
	+ Hyllenae can still see Princess and is following, trying to see where Bones is going to go
	+ Dawnash has lost Bones, Jingles and Amalthea are nearby, then yells that he needs to stop or he will die, causing Bones to trip up
	+ Princess begins to harry Bones
	+ Hyllenae is right next to where Bones drops down, hitting him with Axe Crack, knocking out to the ground and telling to not move another inch
	+ Dawnash holds him up by the collar
	+ Jingles uses Mage Hand to flick him in the balls then cup them
	+ Dawnash pushes him against a wall and asks if he tipped off the guards, he throws him down, but the Mage Hand is still holding them and causes some damage
* Dawnash asks what his purpose was to put them into the archive, why he sent them in for their deaths. Then notes that he respects him and heals his nuts back up to full
* Jingles says the Bones owes them, via Dawnash, a few favors. He asks where they could find a lead container, he knows an enchanter. He asks about the cradle, Dawnash says he wouldn't know anything more than to save his skin. Bones asks him to procure the paper he found. Dawnash reminds him of the promise he made. Bones takes the papers, puts them together and puts them up to the light, causing a star formation to appear near a town called Balashura. Dawnash asks for his contacts, Bones rummages through his sack and a locket and rope drop out. Jingles says that they should get them. Bones says the locket is dear to him. Dawnash says he will compensate him for it. He opens up the locket and there is an image of a man and woman and turn into symbols. It is a friendship locket, allowing one to cast Friends. He packs the rest into his bag, including a spyglass, a whistle, and a little bottle of Devil's Tears. Jingles grabs the Spyglass. Dawnash gives him 5 silver for it.
* Jingles asks where he could find a funny hat like one he saw before, it is apparently of the emperor's personal guard
* Dawnash tells Bones that he caused his wounds from throwing him in jail. He needs a direct line to him
* Jingles presses his finger in between Bones' eyes and make magic stuff with Prestidigitation and tells him that he has been marked, they can find him. Dawnash tells him that he has a new master now, then whispers that he has no idea how much he respects him and gives him three more gold pieces
* They go back to the Horn Pub to get their weapons, getting back to their cart
* There is a noticeable caravan in the distance. Dawnash tells Jingles that he is going to pay for his room and board for the next two towns to make it up to him. Hyllenae uses Jingles new spyglass to look at the caravan and the color dictate with their reds and blues and greens and yellows and white that a carnival is coming
* The caravan slows down and make a circle just outside of town. Two of them continue to the city
* Jingles wants to go to the carnival. They go to the crafter/Alchemist. Jingles looks at the rope and ends up tying himself up, finding the command word "Bind'em"
* There is some fog rolling in

## Locations

* The Horn Pub - Horn in gold on black, pub black on gold

## Characters

* Marius - the torturer
* Percius - The gnome working The Horn Pub
* Emily - gorgeous blonde woman, bartender at The Horn Pub, with blue skin with some tattoos on her right arm
* Bones - halfling who owed the fulcrum money/blood

## Items

* Potion of haste - as well as speeding up time, 30 seconds, super haste, double speed and double attacks
* The Friendship Locket - can casts Friends once a day
* Rope of Binding

## Quotations

"This beverage can be enjoyed by anyone, including basic white woman." Adam @ 10:23

"Four things I will always remember, a voice of reason, a sense of mischief, an incessant jingling, and the earthy musk of a dear friend." Dawnash @ 16:30

"I lay my hand on whatever is at hand level for me, I guess something respectful." Guillermo @ 58:50

"Who hurt you?" Dawnash "Society" Jingles @ 1:28:30

"In wine and poetry, there is a commonality and that is truth" Dawnash @ 1:42:04

"I really respect this f\*cking a\*\*hole." Guillermo @ 3:17:53

"I heal him for 9 in his nuts." Guillermo @ 3:18:20