Session Date: 3/26/2023
We wake up in the morning. Tomorrow is the soiree, and the wine is 4 days out.
The Bloodsoaked Banner offers up some old attempts at a uniform with red accenting. We can choose to represent them by wearing these if we would like, but we do not have to.
Taraaq offers to help at the soiree if necessary — feats of drinking, for example. He reassures Rohan that there is no intention to ever take over his body and possess him.
The kobolds are not yet calling in their favor.
Rohan sneaks off to the bank to check in on his inquiry — the teller is not there, and the bank is not sure where she is. They ask Rohan if he knows if she is okay, but the teller that he is talking to cannot just give out Xenara’s address. He comes up with an excuse: he needs to check on a package for an address, and the teller lets him read Xenara’s address from a rolodex on the desk.
Xenara lives in what is essentially the shanty town of this area. Her building is crumbling. There is a goblin funeral going on in the street, with many goblins crying and waiting. Not long after a half-ogre arrives to help carry the small body.
Rohan sneaks into the building past all of the goblins. He finds Xenara’s apartment and the door is open, so he enters. He sees no sign of a struggle: whatever killed her doesn’t seem to have been violent. Rohan sneaks back out and makes his way back to the group.
Meanwhile, the rest of the group is shopping for the soiree with Dia throwing clothes at everyone to try on and put things together.
Rohan returns and tries to say we lost him as he was trying on a vest. Literally nobody believes him but Iskra can smell the goblins on him. Iskra pieces things together and at least knows that Rohan was around the bank, but he doesn’t say anything about this to the rest of the group.
We make it back to the Bloodsoaked Banner and Rohan explains that he took the bank note from the courier and cashed it. Arythas and Dia are pissed and they (mosty Dia) chew him out for his actions. It ultimately ends in an appreciation for his effort, but he needs to think more about the consequences of his actions. Attention turns back to the fact that Rohan gave his name out and that Rohan went to a crime scene, and then back here. Xenara or or death or both could have been related to this undeath plot and that this could all be very bad.
Rohan, again, speaks to Taraaq, and the group overhears. We ask who he is talking to and Rohan tries to brush it off. Arythas and Dia press the question and tries to get him to admit to what is going on. He eventually admits that he has a friend in his head, and Dia asks for more elaboration. A red smoke exits Rohan’s mouth and forms into the shape of an ifrit with a turban. Taraaq introduces himself and acts very mighty and powerful as he speaks.
At a glance, Taraaq looks like he might be a djinn with the way he appears. Inky can tell that this guy may be a fiend, but the rest of us just think he might be a red djinn.
Taraaq tries to cover for Rohan, saying that he told Rohan not to tell us and he’s the reason Rohan did everything he did. Inky asks if Taraaq is evil, or has evil goals, and Taraaq says no. Dia and Iskra can tell that he is being genuine.
Dia explains that she is angry and she feels it is justified for the level of lying that has been going on. She explains that Taraaq is Rohan’s patron an is responsible for ROhaan and Taraaq ultimately crumbles, offering to help us check with Xenara and see if that is related to the undead or not. Dia confirms that Rohan knows what he did is wrong and that he needs to be more forthcoming in the future. She turns and leaves, and things wind down a bit.
Taraaq is scared of angry mom Dia. >:3c
Inky goes to the The Library Between to study and found someone else there, though Inky doesn’t see them. Inky waits around for the other person to come forth, pretending to read. He eventually comes across a feathered Yuan-Ti. Inky is aware that the feathered type are more related to coatls and they are separate from the evil snake-based Yuan-Ti empire. They don’t notice as Inky walks past.
Inky says hello and surprises them. They didn’t expect anyone else to be here and they introduce themself as Szotszi (shot-shee), a blue feathered Yuan-Ti that uses she/they pronouns. Inky is curious if Szotszi sees the caretaker as another form, but they do not and wonder if the caretaker can only take on draonic forms.
Szotzi is so glad to be able to use the library and attain knowledge from other races, especially the elves. She and Inky talk for quite a while, the conversation being very pleasant. Szotzi explains where they are from and what they are studying — divine magic — and Inky dances around the fact that he is studying necromancy, though he eventually works his way up to asking if she knows anything about it. Szotzi assumes he means shadow magic (nethermancy) and offers to ask question to a contact she has that is studying shadow magic currently. Once he clarifies that he means bringing the dead back to life, she grows afraid and Inky explains that he is against this as well and that he is just trying to understand so that he can work against it. They aren’t very sure, but they are going to the soiree the following day, though, and explains they can talk more in depth there. She can network and try to dance her way around the nobles to see if anyone knows anything there.
Inky and Szotzi continue talking and she is here to study and broaden her general horizons. After a while, they say goodbye and part so that they can both get ready for the soiree.
Dia and Arythas have a conversation about how tough they were on Rohan and Arythas explains that it is better to do this now and nip the problem in the bud before it grows into something larger. They awkwardly continue and Arythas outlines the issues of Rohan not being careful and not acting as a team. He’s considered them a team since the events at the abbey, and he explains that there is no room for secrets with what is going on.
Inky comes in and says that he met someone and told them about necromancy. Dia and Arythas explains that we can’t just talk about this openly, and Inky reassures that he gave no important details and was just inquiring.
Satisfied, Dia goes to talk to Rohan and apologizes for being so tough on him. She explains that we need to be honest with each other. Rohan explains that he can’t always be honest and he can’t trust people at this time. He feels others can’t trust him, either. She asks that he be as honest as he can be with us, and when he can’t to just tell Dia that he can’t answer honestly rather than lie.
Iskra eventually heads out over the night and starts checking around for signs of Tristan being here. He cannot find any evidence of Tristan here at all, though it is possible he may simply be operating in another district if he is here at all.
Iskra heads to the kobold’s and finds Clinky on break drinking tea. He asks if they have heard of anyone matching Tristan’s description and Clinky just stares at Iskra, wanting more information. He ultimately recommends asking Bugsy so they head to the back.
Bugsy comes out and they are a mantis-person. Iskra asks for more information on a werewofl named Tristan. He hasn’t heard anything, but he reassures Iskra that he will ask around. Iskra says that he wants to keep his friends safe, and recommends keeping tabs on someone named Tristan because he is very dangerous.
Clinky pulls Iskra aside and says it will be another job as payment for this, to which Iskra agrees. Iskra does request that this job he does on his own, if possible: he has no desire burdening the rest of the party. He returns to the party and bed after.