Session 40: Arc Finale, Part 1 - The Royal Party
Session starts with Rutana rolling an Athletics check. She gets 25.Clarence hears a large clatter, then silence. Then, something breaks. He hears the bars on the windows rattling, then he hears a heavy thump against the door and a body sliding to the ground. She's just in there scrabbling around. Clarence sits with his back against the door, feeling incredibly bad about this.
Rutana tears around the room for 12 hours. She eats the meat the party left for her and generally makes a mess of the place, but is unable to escape.
5 am rolls around. -16F, white out snow. Great day for a party.
Clarence stays awake the whole night, and checks on her come morning. Rutana's laying on her side, her clothes in tatters. The room is a mess and the food is all eaten. It was a lot of meat, leaving her bloated.
Clarence moves Rutana onto the torn-up couch and tidies up a bit. Ser Dori excuses himself now that the danger is passed, while Naialah checks over Rutana's vitals. She uses a level 2 Heal spell to fix up Rutana's sore tummy!
The Sprite meanwhile prepares Dream Message to send Ikrit as much information as he can about Ira. He later repairs Rutana's couch with Mending.
Since Clarence stayed up all night, Sartorii takes on the morning chores of feeding all the animals and ensuring everyone has breakfast.
Clarence sleeps in until about noon, then gets ready by prettying himself and Kimber up. She'll be coming to the party too!
Ser Dori is also coming! He's Seneschal of House Sylva!
Fast forward to 2pm and the party shows up at the Ruby Fortress, ready for the party.
When the party approaches the door, the guards ask for their invitations.
"Ah, the Heroes of Greenwall, welcome. Do you want us to stable your beast? They are quite warm, and we keep the occupants well-fed. I assume she eats meat...?"
Clarence defers to Kimber, who has perked up at mention of meat. "She better be warm, and she better have plenty of meat."
The guard nods and assures he will relay that to the servants. Kimber is escorted to the stables.
Ser Dori is also stopped at the gate for not having an invite.
"If it makes you feel any better, think of me as an accoutrement!"
When the guards realize he's with the party, they let him in.
There are jesters, one juggling, one balancing on a large ball and balancing things people throw to him.
The hall is filled with nobles milling about, some faces the party recognizes and many they don't.
There are four bars; savory top-left, sweets top-right, and two drink bars below. Salads could be requested from the servants.
The large vaulted ceilings hold three crystal chandeliers marching toward the thrones, where Noleski and his sister Natala sit. The walls are adorned with paintings and memorabilia, including a complicated picture of all the coats of arms of Brevoy. The corner is being adjusted.
Stairs at either side of the thrones lead up to a balcony where a group of minstrels plays live music.
Clarence visits the savories bar. Toothpicks with cuts of various meats, bacon-wrapped cheese bites, bits of bread. He grabs a plate and loads it up with just about everything.
Rutana desires salad, after her raw meat binge overnight. She visits the sweets bar, which is laden with cookies, cakes, mousses, and the like. There she sees Lord Orlovsky.
The Sprite heads into the hall to greet Lebeda, who's speaking to someone the party has not met before.
Sartorii gracefully slips through the crowd and grabs one of everything from the savories table with a Thievery roll of 18. She makes it back to Ser Dori's side by the time Clarence gets his plate half full.
Rutana acknowledges Orlovsky with a brief greeting, then returns to Ser Dori and Sartorii. (She's gonna find her friends up against the wall cause she knows three people in this place, and her friends are watching the jesters.)
"Oh, it's our new owly friend, our Hero of Greenwall!" the Jester says to Sartorii. "Welcome, welcome!"
He walks over to Sartorii and hands her a heart(?).
"...Now she's a real hoo's-hoo!"
He goes on to perform little chiding limericks for various nobles. When he gets to Rutana: "I think a generic one for you. I'll give a proper one for you when you've caused more a stir."
Lebeda is currently having a conversation with that one guy, discussing studies of the blade.
"Ah, you have a guest, Lord Lebeda."
Khavortorov is Lebeda's mentor in the ways of the sword.
The Sprite finishes his conversation with a Sims ++ symbol, then excuses himself to the savories table for some snacks. He then gets some nice mead from one of the drink tables, served with medicine droppers into an appropriately small tankard.
Clarence moves on to the drinks table and asks the barkeeper's recommendation. It takes her a moment (and the party a minute of googling whether or not cats can have mint, absolutely not). She eventually settles on a good ol' old-fashioned, which Clarence tips a silver for. He then walks around and mingles with various party guests.
Most people hear the king walk up to Labeda and clear his throat.
"Ah. My liege."
"Lord Lebeda. Will your sister be joining us tonight?"
"Should she? I am to understand she will be turning in in just a few hours, so I imagine not."
"Ah. I will not take up any more of your time. Thank you, my lord."
Family drama: Lebeda's sister was going to marry the king. The king's possessive sister ruined his fiance's reputation. Noleski asking if she will be attending.
Sartorii hears Ser Dori laugh. He's off in the corner talking to a bunch of old dudes about dueling. Khavortorov, Howlan, Orlovsky.
"Howlan, is that new heir of yours going to grace us with his presence?"
"No, I'm afraid he's deep underground right now, running one last expedition to search for his old family."
"Well, wouldn't that just be glorious, if he comes back with all the dwarves and all the—"
"Shh. Don't poke the bear, old friend. Swords!"
One of the jesters nails Clarence with a limerick about his walk of pride after banging Astrafel. Clarence scurries off. He approaches one of the side rooms. It's very smoky and contains a few imported hookahs, the scent of sweet spice, tobacco, and flayfleaf wafting on the air. A servant is taking High Judge Arabella's order as she sit with friends.
Sartorii saunters up to one of the drink tables and asks for something pretty and flavorful. Peach and mint crushed ice drink! She spots Clarence and Rutana heading over to the side room, Rutana having followed the smell of smoke. Sartorii informs the Sprite of where the others had gotten off to, so Sartorii and the Sprite join them. The Sprite greets the king on the way, having passed him in the crowd.
Luckily, the jester was not loud enough for Astrafel to hear.
Arabella and friends don't notice the party standing in the doorway. Clarence starts to turn around to escape, but bumps into the party. He just looks at them with big ol' eyes, silently pleading for help.
Sartorii notices Izith, the king's bodyguard, is sitting alone in here. He's smoking tobacco.
The Sprite tugs on Clarence's pants leg and guides him over to the tower of snacks and combustibles in the center of the room.
Rutana approaches Izith to ask what he's smoking, asks if they can join, and brings Sartorii along to try it out. There's a pause as Izith looks up.
"Yes, of course. Such things are meant to be shared."
Sartorii remarks this is a brand new experience for her. She never had a chance, it didn't seem like the best idea when she was younger. Izith raises an eyebrow and starts setting it up. Rutana mentions her grandma had a family hookah, which has been passed down for generations. They notice Izith has a mild lisp because his tongue is forked.
"Such things are very rare beyond Tian Xia, but your family must be more aware of that than most. These hookahs have come in to vogue because of a rather unsavory figure. If my understanding is correct, that's not a problem anymore, all thanks to you. Did that little gnomish worm squirm?"
"Sorta dissolved, sorry. I mean, collapsed into cowardice immediately."
"Collapsed into cowardice AND acid!"
"Well. I know his type. I've met them before."
"Sorry."
"They're everywhere in this world. If you are to travel you must get used to his ilk."
"We could get used to them the same way we got used to him."
"I believe that would make the world a greater place, but you may not always find justice on your side."
They enjoy their smoke; it's just tobacco, relaxes them.
The Sprite mage hands a bunch of cakes to Clarence and shoos him to join Rutana and them. He hears a jester approach. It announces the Sprite's presence with a limerick about all the women of the town wanting him and making their husbands jealous, drawing the attention of all in the room. He'd much rather have their husbands.
The Sprite delivers a plate of cake each to Arabella, Zeryx, Astrafel, and Glory. Glory eats it in one bite, belligerently high. She blinks one eye at a time.
Arabella thanks him and blows a smoke ring. The Sprite hops onto the couch next Glory.
Izith passes the hookah to Clarence, but he dislikes the smell so he declines. Just sits there.
Izith tries to make small talk, but he's pretty awkward. Clarence does join in with the small talk, offering easy topics. He's mostly busy trying not to look across the room.
In the distance, Rutana hears the jesters spreading the limericks about the party. She ignores it and asks Izith about when he moved here.
"When I was a boy and lived in goodra(?), practiced swords with my father, my mother was a fisherwoman. We lived in the capital. Times were hard. Unfortunately, we are maligned in my homeland, and many places, I have found. If there is any gift the ignorance of Brevoy has given me, it is the opportunity to be my own man without measuring the reactions of everyone around me. I moved here to find my fortune. I thought my skills would make me desirable. Lucky me, I happened upon the coach of a king during a bandit attack. He employs many talented guards, but he saw something in me and hired me on the spot. I've been here ever since. I have been in his employ for two years."
"That is one of the nice things I've noticed about New Stetven, people can get new starts here."
"Everyone is too worried about their pasts to worry about our futures."
"Well we're trying to make a difference there."
"I've noticed the king laugh quite a bit these last few days. Not boisterous, mind you, but at all."
"What made him laugh?"
"Most recently? A limerick. But no, it was the news you wanted to turn Besh's old mansion into a brewery and homeless shelter. Something Besh would despise with every inch of his being, as few inches as there were."
"Yeah we want him rolling in his grave."
They gossip about the stained glass window and how horrible Besh was, and then wave it off. Clarence decides that maybe now he wants to partake in the hookah. Rutana gives him the instructions and advice. Clarence sets it down as soon as he starts coughing anyway.
"Everyone's first take ends the same way."
Sartorii rolls to see how well she did with the hookah, and she does really well.
The grandfather clock in this room tolls 4pm.
As much as Clarence tries not to, he still looks over to Astrafel's table.
Zeryx is laughing at Glory being absolutely destroyed. "Come on, what kind of champion of nature can't handle a bit of the gods' greatest grass?"
Ten seconds pass. "Huh?"
Astrafel takes her hookah and hands her his cake. "We appreciate you sitting with us."
The king had sent out a runner for Glory after the party gave the full story about Greenwall. Arabella, Astrafel, and Zeryx talked about it and decided to invite her to their little coterie.
Astrafel mentions he had heard about the limerick about Clarence. The Sprite talks Clarence up.
The whole party at Izith's table hears the exchange. Clarence swaps tables and sits next to Astrafel.
"It's the man of the hour!!!" Zeryx pipes up.
"That's the best description I've ever heard of myself."
Arabella welcomes him over, waves him to sit, and warns him what they're smoking is a little stronger. It's crushed up flayleaf. Arabella's not supposed to, vows and all that, but...
That's way more agreeable to the kitty cat. Astrafel takes a long draw then passes it to Clarence.
Zeryx asks, "Is it barbed? I can't take it anymore!"
Clarence is confused. After a moment, "It's normal!!"
There's a jingle as a jester runs off to write something.
Astrafel cannot stop laughing, and leans against Clarence to hold himself up.
Rutana, to Sartorii: "Do you need another drink? I need another drink. I'm gonna get more drinks."
She goes to get more drinks for Sartorii, Izith, and herself.
Arabella swats Zeryx. "Stooop! Leave the boy alone."
Clarence is super red and fluffed up.
Astrafel and Glory both lean into him, oh my gooood you're so soft.
While Rutana's gone, Izith asks Sartorii, "You strike me as a... Forgive me, my taldem is not complete. You strike me as a creature of grace, far more than your compatriots."
"No, you're completely fine, you're as correct as you can be."
"You do..." He snaps his fingers. "Fence?"
"I am a creature of many, many talents. Only a few I've mastered. Fencing I've not mastered, but I can indulge."
Rutana returns with drinks.
Izith takes a long draught, then sets it down. "You may, of course, but I am unfortunately on duty. Not that I assume anyone can break into the palace with all these guards here, but I would rather my mind be sharp."
Rutana then goes to the table to select something that's not too strong. Rutana and Sartorii share it, Izith vibes and enjoys their company.
The clock strikes 5pm.
Rutana and Sartorii roll fortitude checks for the flayleaf. Neither succeed. They get a +1 bonus to saving throws to mental effects for the next hour.
The Sprite asks Glory how Greenwall has fared.
Glory sobers up a tad, claps her face a few times. "Um. Actually, far better than you'd imagine! While we did lose a lot of good people, we are doing our best to move on. No one was too keen to work with the apothecaries, so they moved on."
Talk about Glory's Hole, you gotta have fun with things, sometimes that fun is in a hole. Clarence loses it.
Everyone vibes for another hour. Clarence continues flirting with Astrafel during this time, having gained confidence when Astrafel didn't rebuff him.
The clock strikes 6pm.
Two servants move across the room and flank the door.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the king requests your presence in the grand hall."
Clarence stands and makes grabby hands for Astrafel to come with him. He goes along, leaning on Clarence. Yaaay!
Rutana, now high, makes grabby hands for someone to help her up. Izith helps her up, showing off his manicured green nails.
The room steadily empties as its occupants peel themselves off the various armchairs, couches, and chaise lounges.
Once everyone is assembled, the jesters walk to the front of the hall.
"To honor our heroes, the brave saviors of Greenwall—"
"The king wishes to grant before this prestigious audience a boon—"
"For noble blood can be born in common places—"
"And heroes deserve recognition!"
The jesters then step to the side.
Surtova walks down from the throne.
"In honor of their efforts at Greenwall and the recent rooting out of the diabolists from our fair city, Sartorii, Rutana, Clarence of the Front Yard, and the nameless Sprite are hereby titled as House Sylva."
Raucous applause.
"Come, step forward to my throne."
Clarence steps forward first. Surtova presents him a silver shield brooch with the family's seal. Clarence kneels and presents his thanks, promises he will not disappoint.
"You have had ample opportunity to disappoint, and you never have."
Clarence steps back. Surtova gestures to Rutana, and presents her with her seal.
"In trying times such as these, it is the learned who prevail. Your knowledge will serve Brevoy well."
Rutana pins it to her chest.
Sprite's turn. One of the jesters runs up and presents his hands for the Sprite to stand on, so he doesn't have to fly. The Sprite's brooch is smaller, but the green is emeralds to make up for what's saved in silver.
"Arcane mind is not easily won, least of all that which you must strive for on your own merit. I hope you will lend us this might in the coming days."
The jester hands the Sprite's paper to Clarence.
Sartorii's turn. The king strokes his beard for a second. "I never thought I'd see the day that a thief would become nobility. But there are times when guile wins the day. In this, I am glad to have someone who knows how to bend the rules that don't belong to the service of the greater good. The right to do this is a heavy responsibility, but it is one I know you will bear with the nobility you have been granted."
"I'll bear the nobility and your pride in me with pride and honor." Sartorii is a bit flustered, her feathers ruffled.
Surtova leans forward and whispers, "Relax, you could fleece anyone in this room." He hands over her title and brooch.
Sartorii notices Surtova has a big smile on her face as she walks away, though his sister does not, but who cares.
"And in honor of our nobles, a show of martial might!" He gestures, and the crowd parts. "In these two years, I have been served faithfully by my bodyguard Izith." A bit of murmuring, some clapping. "His skill with a blade is unmatched!" Ser Dori huffs. "To prove such, I have invited...them." He gestures at the door It pops open to reveal three people dressed as duelists. Two have the Khavortorov sign on their shoulder, the other is an Aldori swordsman. "Today, Izith will take on all challengers as our dinner is prepared, for this next hour and a half!"