Hepisod Date IRL 03/02/2025

Dates Spanned On Ilia Khah: M04W3D5-7, Year Restriction 446

Events Summary

We regather Louis and head to Solara on a joint boat repair and treasure hunt mission. The couple Tina knows there are not normal, but their hospitality is about as good as it gets if you can stomach their eccentricities. Hanea scores her third date with Tina and a very tall inn helps Louis discover a fear of heights in a way he never thought possible. Through Louis, the party discovers some amazing things to do with the crab meat that ambushed them, wholly unprepared for the fight. Additionally, the burden of large quantities of crab took them to a nearby publishing house with connections to V.R. The person working the desk let slip that the very next morning, a close associate to V.R. would stop by, and so the party made her their next mission. She is called Jenne, apparently with a past that connects to Haneastacia's some years ago. They stalk her from the publishing house to an alley behind the market district in Cheradeville, where she and her wife who came to protect her defeat our party in battle.

The Hepisod Anatomy, in Detail, by 'Stage'

Stage No. 1 ~ Body Count

• Early morning of M04W3D5, and we are getting ready to depart for Solara Isle on a treasure hunt advised by Fisk thanks to Tina's friend Tugg, set to do maintenance on Ruthless at his station there.
• Louis Baptiste tells the party what he found in his research, low on success each day until the prior day, D4, with the discovery of V.R.'s Symbols of the Deep, of which he carries an excerpt pertaining to the Blue Lathander curiosity.
• VSL reviews the material, decides it is a lot of speculation and very little in the way of historical argument, and wishes she could press for more. She also notes she does not know the publisher: Fair Lady's Prize Sheep.
• Party departs, and spends about fourteen hours at sea to arrive on the eastern shores of Solara at Tugg's boat stop. The journey is smooth and the ship behaves beautifully on the open sea.
• Party disembarks Ruthless and meets Tugg's spouse, Whipjack, who plays them her new song "Body Count" about an unhinged murderer's obsession with you. Louis does not find the song appealing, so goes and investigates the muddy shore, when Tugg returns home and greets him and the party.
• Eager to get started on his dream project, Tugg shows himself around the boat while the party enjoys a dinner of seared white fish, apparently one of Whipjack's favorites to cook. At some point, Tugg joins the dinner party, and recounts the tale of how he met Tina.
• With bellies full and a brand new island of adventure to look forward to, the party goes to bed.
• Next morning, the party rises as Tugg seems to be working around them. Tina offers to show them to an inn she is quite fond of, and even gives them all the money they will need to stay there. She also asks Hanea on an impromptu date somewhere off the beaten path.
• As everyone is checking into the oppressively tall Citrus Flights (including getting Louis his accommodations on the lowest floor possible) with its proprietor, Tendo Clause, Hanea takes the opportunity to set down her things and make it to the art store Tina said to meet her at.
• At the art store, Tina is outside, clearly finished with her shopping. Wasting no time, she leads Hanea to a pond she likes. They eat a delicious charcuterie lunch while Tina talks about her past fighting pirates and how she knows about the Citrus Flights.
• Then, Tina performs a skill taking art, archery, and showing off her memory of Hanea's face, using her bow to paint Hanea's image into a nearby rock face. Tina takes the time to admit that, though she handles her bow well, she owes its maintenance to someone she hires. Then, acknowledging the simple facts of geography and everything VSL has planned, they are intimate for what brief instant they have alone.
• As they clean up, Tina leads Hanea back to the road, where they happen to encounter the rest of the party on their way to an open air market. Nervous about the affair and uncertain about the future, she says an awkward and extremely forward goodbye while making up an excuse to disappear into the woods off the road.
• Hanea joins up with the party in time to interrupt an argument about their market run and be ambushed by three razorback crabs, what in six seconds became dinner for at least half a week. Proclaiming victory, Louis offers to prepare the meat they salvage properly so long as they stop by the market for butter, cayenne pepper, and at least a dozen lemons.

Stage No. 2 ~ Ewes Company

• As they are working out logistics for transporting their meaty prize, Hanea suggests stopping by a nearby building to see if they have a wheeled cart for easy transport. This makes VSL pause, and she requests Louis grab the V.R. excerpt to confirm that the building belongs to this mystery publisher Fair Lady's Prize Sheep.
• Headed by Louis, the party squeezes into the building who can fit, but not everyone does. Sensing this, Fisk chooses to spy through an open window. The person at the desk, Finka, is screaming her head off at an aspiring author across from her, apparently named Mister Kestovah. She throws his manuscript out the door, and him with it, leaving dejectedly while Finka calms herself to greet the party.
• Louis explains they wish for information on V.R.'s Symbols of the Deep, and Finka gives him the basics, such as the publishing year of Year Restriction 275 and the fact it's supposed to be V.R.'s first book, but asks him to clarify what he actually wanted to know.
• Louis explains that he would love to see V.R.'s sources, and Finka laughs it off that V.R. would never source claims well and isn't that kind of scholar. As Louis presses, hoping to get some kind of contact, Finka explains she only talks to the once-yearly hooded person that collects V.R.'s publishing royalties.
• Louis tries to get the information of the once-yearly hooded person, and in a complete accident Finka lets on that she visits on the anniversary of the book's publishing, that being tomorrow, D7.
• Haneastacia asks about the crab cart, and Finka explains business is too slow to need something like that. They occasionally rent printers for anything like that because they get so little business. V.R. saved them almost two centuries ago, and while the book took off, Fair Lady's Prize Sheep did not. This small shack is still their only office.
• The party enjoys a crab dinner, as delicious as it gets. Fisk scarfs his evening portion down to follow some feelings and hunches of his own, quickly satisfied he knows where they lead. After so much chaos, the party is happy to have a relatively early bedtime for once.
• Early to bed and early to rise, keeps a cat curious, graceful, and spry! Or so VSL likes to say. She is sure everyone is gathered in the Citrus Flights common area in time to hike to a rocky hill across the road from the Fair Lady's Prize Sheep office. The hooded collector of monies is there before them, and they debate whether to cross the road until Finka arrives and opens up.
• Two and a half minutes later, the hooded figure enters the office, shutting the door behind her. She emerges one party controversy about what to do later, securing her hood again for her walk into the city.
• Louis simply approaches her, the party reluctantly in tow, and asks for a word. Cheerfully, she drops the hood and greets him with a smile, until he name drops V.R. This make her put up the hood and book it for the city.
• Her voice catches Hanea's attention, an old hookup from half a decade or so ago. Her name is Jenne from Applebrandy, and Hanea believes she is married. As the continue to follow her, Kelzyr will ask Hanea how she knows Jenne and get the short version that they met on a trip Hanea took to Applebrandy some years back, and that they did not get much into each others personal lives. Especially not that Jenne works for V.R. in some capacity.
• As the party enters the market, Firnas scans the bustling late-morning crowd for any sign Jenne is there, and spots her perusing some pies. Fisk, as is his way, takes the opportunity to be racist about the pie vendor's appearance and his stall's vibe. VSL walks up to buy a pie and prove him wrong.
• As VSL walks up, Jenne takes her leave and walks for an alley, not looking back. Fisk tails her. Kelzyr tails Fisk. Firnas is next in what becomes a full on surveillance and/or babysitting conga line.
• As Jenne makes it deep enough into the alley, she subtly triggers an empowered surge of synaptic static followed by a rain of magic missiles, all while trying to create a momentary illusion of innocence among the confusion as she assesses the strengths of her first attacks. Not strong enough, and so she locks in for the fight.
• As soon as she is hurt, a lilac purple portal opens in the alley, and a booming voice declares, "Cowards, ganging up on my wife in a Solaran alley. Fools, to think you could threaten her without being met with my wrath. Well, there's no escaping us now! Witness our glorious love and might and revel in the fate you chose to deserve! Scum. Scoundrels! Victims."
• The voice reveals herself to be your old mysterious 'Bard' friend, emerging with cloudy eyes that cast in sickening detail her focus on protecting her wife at any cost. There is no reasoning with her or with Jenne, only succumbing to their magic as they whittle down your strength and vitality. As they defeat you, about two hours before noon on M04W3D07, Year Restriction Prior 446, they smile the blessed mandate of all they know is right.