CH. 03 - Princenappers!
Oct 15, 2023 12:18:07 GMT -8
Post by Daos on Oct 15, 2023 12:18:07 GMT -8
It's been over two months since the party stood before the council. It is now autumn, Vacuumvoid, and yet strangely it does not feel like summer has ended yet. There is much talk among the citizens about this unprecedented heat wave. Is Elonna mad at her people somehow? Or is something more sinister afoot? Or is this just a particularly hot autumn? Some whisper it is some kind of omen, a sign of terrible things to come. As news begins to filter in from travelers and ships passing through, one wonders if that last one might hold more weight.
First, early in Mineralshine, Queen Emerald of Tall Pines announced she was looking for a husband. As a cascade of potential suitors lined up outside her palace, Pike was beside himself at the news. It meant there was now a hard time limit on assassinating her. After all, if she married and produced an heir, then upon her death her lands and titles would go to said heir, not Supervisor Crane. This made carrying out his plan even more urgent, although the other council members did not see the rush. After all, even if she married immediately, it would take a good nine months for an heir to be born at best. Plenty of time. The good news is that the two names on Jonas' list were reached out to, bribed, and joined the assassination plot. However, the bad news is that neither is particularly influential or powerful, so they don't bring a whole lot to the table. But it's better than nothing.
In mid Mineralshrine, Queen Elemently of Azure Coasts declared war on Rain Mountain in an attempt to dethrone the discharged Queen Meera, allowing the church to choose a new leader. To say Olivia was pissed at this turn of events is an understatement. She tried to calm herself by remembering they could still go after Smoke Mountain...until five days later, Queen Kascade of Rose Valley declared war on Smoke Mountain for the same reason. As far as Olivia was concerned, Elemently and Kascade were stealing her idea, as well as robbing her of glory and the church's favor. The druid became sullen for awhile, before returning to her scheming, no doubt cooking up something else to aid her dream of a holy war.
A few days later, it was learned that the Ravenites were at war, as well. King Tsaa Hamjuuwee had declared war on a land they had never heard of, called Stream Valley. Apparently a number of Kanatans had fled under Ravenite rule up into the mountains and formed their own secret Elonnori nation there. Somehow the Ravenites got wind of it, and now are diverting all of their troops there to wipe them out. The council is surprised, having no idea an Elonnori nation was that far north. And while displeased they were being targeted now, they were pleased that this meant there would be far fewer troops in Maplewood now. Saltyx pointed out that this meant retrieving the prince would be far easier.
A few days after that, word reached the garden that a druid had been captured by Clearwater, the first real casualty of the war with Riverdom. Although word is she lives, she is being held prisoner. So far, both sides have just been shoring up their forces, so the war seemed something distant and less real. But now it seems very real, and people worry what will happen if the Clearwater forces push too far west.
After that, things fell quite for awhile. But the party kept busy with their own things.
Kalinda mostly worked at her usual job, the Quil Place Chowder restaurant. Sadly, there isn't much demand for chowder on hot days, and so Kalinda earned very little money during that time. In fact, one week was so bad that Selene wasn't able to pay her at all. Using what little shards she did earn, she and her two roommates, Mist and Rain, went on a bender one week, bar and cafe hopping. During this time, Kalinda met Dewey, a male forest gnome chef who hopes to one day work in his own restaurant. The two got to talking about their culinary dreams, and became friends. Kalinda also spent a week studying under Gustus, a male lightfoot halfling refugee from Maplewood, who knew quite a bit about the Ravenites. He was already teaching Poppy to speak Raven Call, the Ravenites' language, so Kalinda studied a bit on the city the prince lives in, and the defenses of his palace. What little free time she had left was devoted to her training, which led to some interesting results as she began to gain mastery over the elements, especially Air.
April spent the entirety of that time performing religious services at the local grove. She earned several favors and became something of a minor celebrity over that time, with all of her volunteering. In fact, the grove elders imparted upon her a holy quest when they learned she was preparing to leave for Maplewood soon. There is a grove there, from when the Elonnori still controlled the island, but is now abandoned. It's been corrupted by the Ravenites' evil. While she is there, they want her to seek it out, cleanse it, and restore it to its natural glory. The grove is said to be not far from a town called Suú. What little free time she had remaining she spent working on her music, fueled by her newfound rivalry with Gurt. This newfound confidence in herself manifested in some new powers and abilities.
Poppy spent the entire time studying under Gustus, a Kanatan halfling refugee from Maplewood. The supervisor had set things up with him, so she could learn the Ravenite language, Raven Call, from him. It was a grueling ten weeks of work that left her practically crawling up the walls, but in the end, she successfully mastered the language. She did manage to steal away long enough to get a drink with Watta and to visit the Hermit down in Faerie Way, but beyond that, any free time she had was spent training, mostly on her footwork and speed.
Terani, like Kalinda, spent most of the time working. He got a job at a local cafe, washing dishes. And earned a nice chunk of change in the process. He also spent a week studying under Gustus, learning more about Ravenite culture and fashion. He spent a couple of weeks doing religious services at the local grove, and while he earned some favor, he also accidentally blasphemed at one point, which may bite him in the behind later on. Sometimes it's hard being a man in the church.
The four now stand once again before the council and the supervisor at their round table. "I am glad to see you all again," Crane begins. "You look rested and ready. Good. Because your next mission will be, by far, your most dangerous to date." He looks to his niece. "Saltyx, if you would?"
Saltyx stands, practically beaming. "First, I wanted to announce, Mara is doing well. She's started crawling, in fact. I wish you could see, it's so cute--"
Crane clears his throat. "Saltyx. The mission?"
"Right, right," Saltyx says. "So we have good news and bad news. The good news is that with Maplewood at war, your team will have an easier time infiltrating their lands. The Ravenites arrogantly do not see us as a threat, and have left their southern shores largely unguarded, outside of a handful of patrol ships. There is, uh, one little wrinkle this war is causing our plan. You see, your target, Prince Hluuwee, has also joined the war effort. Pike's spies have confirmed he has already left his home and is marching with a small contingent of men, around 100, eastward--presumably to join up with a larger force to invade Stream Valley. Which means your mission now has an element of urgency to it. You must find and retrieve the prince before he joins up with the main force, as by that point the odds of you even getting him alone will be astronomically low. Our reports says he is currently heading to a small town called Suú, likely to replenish supplies, before moving on. He should be arriving there in about two weeks. Your mission is to get there first."
She continues, "Now we've contracted a ship to take you across the Saltish Sea. You'll find it waiting for you in the docks. The captain was the only one willing to take the risk for the shards offered. You are to leave immediately. The ship is called the Tideway. It is set to depart as soon as you board. Once you make landfall in Maplewood, head north through the hills. Suú should be about two days away, roughly. Now remember, how you pull this is off is up to you. Our intelligence is limited, so you'll need to use your own best judgment after arriving. Whether you rely on stealth, try to bluff, or fight your way in, just remember once you have the prince, willingly or not, you'll need to bring him back to the ship and escape. Oh, and some of our esteemed council has a few secondary objectives for you, should you find the time and resources." She gestures to Pike and Olivia.
Pike stands first. "Maplewood has some unique fauna and flora on it. There is a plant called witchblood that can only be found on the island. It's a bright purple bell-shaped flower. Highly toxic. If you are able to find some, and safely secure it, it may prove invaluable to my assassination plot. It is said to grow somewhere in the hills near Suú, so keep an eye out."
Olivia stands next. "While you are in Maplewood, do everything you can to learn about the Ravenites' defenses, troop numbers and movements, and so forth to prepare for our holy war. Any intelligence you can gather will likely be of use." As she speaks, she stands and approaches the party, shaking both April's and Terani's hands. "I know you'll do what's best for Elonna and her children." She then moves back to her seat.
While shaking their hands, Olivia discreetly slips a small piece of paper into them.
Pike and Olivia sit back down, and Saltyx continues. "We recognize the great danger and risk in this mission, but if you pull it off, it could be a first step toward lasting peace between our peoples. However, you must be cautious not to allow the Ravenites to learn who sent you and why. They would no doubt retaliate against us. And further, don't throw your lives away unnecessarily. If the mission proves impossible for whatever reason, you should retreat and return. Now then, any final questions before you depart?"
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It is now Vacuumvoid 7th, 666, at 10 AM. It is party cloudy.
Casters may prepare new spells. Everyone is fully healed.
