"And I Will Lead Them on a Merry Chase" (Session Summary)

**"And I Will Lead Them on a Merry Chase"** details the events of the April 11, 2021 session where the party attempts to find where Titania is holding Cecily and Hendry captive.

## Session Notes

* Theo insists that Titania leave, but she declines and claims that she’s only here to help her children: Anastasios doesn’t want Talos around Cecily, so she was hidden away, and now Anastasios has an ‘excuse’ to kill Talos in the morning.
* Anastasios says he is not going to kill Talos, now that he knows he didn’t take advantage of his sister.
* Aedryan asks Titania if she wouldn’t mind telling the group where Hendry and Cecily happen to be, but Titania says that simply telling the group would ruin the fun game she’s planned: Hendry and Cecily are hidden in the city, and the group has until the end of the festivals to find them.
* Titania says she’s willing to give up the game if the group has something worthwhile to offer her, but when pressed on what she wants, she reveals that she has no idea and isn’t truly interested in anything beyond Anastasios and Cecily. She vows on *Avalon* to not hurt them until the festivals conclude.
* Aedryan says that she is suspicious of Titania’s word on *Avalon*, given her partnering up with David. Titania asks what would be acceptable, and the group asks for something truly important to her — Titania summons the Triplets.
* Talos and Nalina finally enter the ballroom. Talos is confused about Titania’s presence and the whole notion of the game being played, while Nalina seems to recognize Titania.
* Nalina escorts the group to a private room. Anastasios asks when Titania switched places with Cecily — Although Titania considered taking Cecily while in the gardens with Hendry, she waited until Talos and Cecily were asleep.
* Titania explains the rules of the game:
	+ Cecily and Hendry are hidden somewhere in the city together.
	+ They are awake, conscious, and able to speak and move where they are being held captive, but cannot leave it until someone in the group physically touches them.
	+ The group has until the end of the festival to find them.
	+ If the group wants more hints, they will need to barter with the Triplets for them.
* After agreeing to play, Titania asks Sorni when she and Anastasios will be having grandchildren. Sorni and Anastasios both recoil and threaten to kill the Fae woman if she were to ever come near their future children. Titania threatens to visit Sorni’s mother to discuss the matter further, asking what Sorni will give Titania to leave her mother alone.
* Simon orders Nalina to bring the Triplets to a room where they can be kept under guard at all times, and Talos shows Titania out.
* As Nalina escorts the Triplets away, Aedryan attempts to console Sorni, shaken by Titania’s threats against her family.
* Chae, having used her ability, announces that Oberon is Nalina’s father.
* Simon and Anastasios leave to go have a drink while the group comes up with a plan for retrieving Hendry and Cecily. As they discuss it, they realize that they need the layout of the city, plus a list of events for the festival, to try to determine where the missing duo is sequestered.
* Theo suggests that Aedryan and Simon need to attend the festival and pretend as though nothing is wrong, as tensions with the kingdom’s Fated are already rising as a result of the alliance with the Fae. He says that Simon suggested a quick wedding as a way to show strength in the monarchy, but Theo suggested a longer wedding with lots of parties. Aedryan disagrees and quickly attempts to change the subject.
* Theo also reveals how Anastasios got the scar on his face: a man once implied having slept with Cecily in front of Anastasios, and Anastasios challenged the man to a duel that ultimately killed him.
* Nalina returns with Simon and Anastasios, who are inexplicably looking worse for wear — but questions regarding their wellness go unanswered.
* Chae asks for a list of festival activities, as well as a map of the city. Nalina offers to have a secretary put together the list, and to answer questions in the meantime.
* The group learns about Hendry’s symposium, the botanical gardens, and some brothels that are open to couples, but doesn’t otherwise glean terribly much from Nalina.
* The group decides that Anastasios and Sorni will visit the red light district, Simon and Aedryan will handle the crowds with Talos, and Theo and Chae will go to the arena.
* Nalina announces that Lysander and Peaseblossom will be on hand to assist in the search, sparking discomfort for Chae and Aedryan.
	+ Chae tells Theo about the kiss with Lysander and his squashed desires for more, and Theo offers to hit the man.
	+ Aedryan tries to insist that Peaseblossom help where originally assigned, but Nalina says she won’t argue against his participation.
	+ Simon asserts that Peaseblossom won’t be near Aedryan, leading to a discussion on the timing of their wedding. Aedryan says she’s open to a quick wedding, but the group agrees that a wedding shouldn’t occur until everyone has been found and recovered.
* Talos is tasked with searching Cecily’s room for clues while the group takes the evening to rest and reflect before embarking upon their search.

## Additional Information

The title comes from the movie *Inception*, where Eames tells Arthur, "Security is going to run you down hard," and he replies, "And I will lead them on a merry chase."