Episode 11: A Garden Gala Gets Gory (4/5/23)
Episode 11: A Garden Gala Gets Gory
The episode opened with our heroes basking in their victory in Seabreeze Village. After having a few drinks with Mayor Rubus Gladewater and the rest of the townsfolk at Roger's Place, the local pub, they learn more about The Harvest from which they've saved the town.
The party spent a few days in Seabreeze Village after paying the folk to install sails to camouflage the arcane, possibly sinister, nature of their newfound ship.
After arriving at the West Bank of Solas and leaving their ship under the care of Harbor Master George Maether, the party headed to the Mage's Guild for more information about the nature of their ship. There, they met Bumble Treehill, the resident arcanist for the Mages' Guild, who further elucidated their newfound transport.
Afterward, the party visited Thomas Briarwood. Surprised at their success but nonetheless happy to see them, he told them that the best way to meet the Solarum would be to attend a gala at Lady Katherine's estate in a few days. Their notoriety from their victory at Seabreeze Village would be enough to garner an invitation.
A few days later, the party attended the social event of the seasons-- the Gala of Lady Katherine. Chip was thrilled to be allowed to attend, and even more t-h-r-i-l-l-e-d to be allowed to drink at the party by Bjorn.
Lucky advises Katherine to fortify the vulnerable Skyhorn Lighthouse. Gallogk meets a peculiar satyr named Fearne who not only reveals that she too has only recently fallen into the Sliver accidentally but gives him two strange cookies as a parting gift. One cookies makes him "harder to see" and the only opens a line of communication with her. She vanished soon thereafter.
The political gossip was cut short as the party was interrupted by assassins! After the party defeated the assassins, they held captive not only one of the assailants, but the eyes and ears of Solas' elite, Othorion, Katherine, and Nayana included.
As this episode ended, they were asked their opinion on who would be best to lead Solas in the dark days to come...
Othorion Caphax
The oldest and most established member of the Solarum. Othorion hails from the beginning days of Solas before the land and sea divorced.
"I envision a future for Solas that is an Age of Arcanum. Solas needs to return to its high-elven, arcane roots and divorce itself from the shackles of the divine. Science, and alchemy, and the arcane are what will propel Solas into the future."
Katherine Steelborne
Katherine took the helm of the Merchant Conclave five years ago after the sudden death of her father, Patrick Steelborne. Since, she has restructured the Merchant Conclave to be an example of capitalist free-trade with living wages and access to healthcare.
"If Solas is to truly achieve greatness, then marital might is where our salvation lies. Forget the mages and their towers. Disregard the priests and their temples. Gods and devils and fey are fickle, but the spear and the coin stand strong."
Nayana Kelvahn
Nayana is the divinely chosen leader of the Aquatic Undercity of Solas-- a theocratic society that attempted to isolate themselves themselves from "the surface" many years ago. For the past thirty-three years, she has ruled with one guiding principle, that her people "strive for harmony with the surface but above all else that the deep endures."
"The connection to the divine is what defines our world. The gods should be given the quill that writes our story. The arcane poisons and the sword brings strife, but what is divine cannot be corrupted."