Fifth Task II

The New Warriors receive the invitation on February 22 (game time) and instructions from Sycron. Apparently a malefic party is out to disrupt the soiree and cause loss of face to the Viscount. We must stop this. The New Warriors begin investigating Viscount Arabane.

Viscount Talion Arabane – 36 year old human, 7th lord Arabane. Family has been in Highmoon for 200 years, He is considered tall, muscular, and handsome. Fair fencer and powerful mage. Dresses opulently. Eyes are supposed to change color. Carries an elven staff. History of magery in the family. He is unmarried and being pressured to marry but seems uninterested. No siblings, parents dead. His family has a long and tragic history, and many Arabanes have inherited young.

He and Abic collaborated during the Twilight Times. He’s considered to be a political moderate and has introduced legislation to control use of magic in Highmoon. He is an expert on monsters and monstrous religion. Theology of different monster races; that sort of thing.

Arabane had a ward, Cordelia Terrrisan, until recently. She was cold and unapproachable. Rumors say he was ‘strict’ with her, and a story uncovered by the party suggests he may have been abusive. On the same night the cult (Circle of the White Stone, taught that life and death could be unified, strictly human) was discovered that had framed the archduke, Cordelia disappeared. Arabane has a standing 2000 gp reward for info leading to her safe return.

Arabanae has three sets of relatives:

1. Back in Debarnia, 1st cousin (one of father’s brothers). 45 year old knight name Farion; served with distinction during war. Occasionally sends relics to Viscount, 3 sons and a daughter. One son set to inherit, the next is clergy, 3rd may be an adventurer. Daughter is married. Invites were sent to this branch of the family.
2. Cousins in city of Northgrey, 3 weeks ride from Highmoon. Second cousins. Current family over there led by Lord Winslowe Arabane. No military service but rich with many holdings. 2 sons, 2 daughters. One of each has been “attained” (stripped of titles). Eldest son, Winslowe Jr., attained for acts of blasphemy 4 years ago. Daughter Elexia attained one and a half years ago for theft from family. Other son is “Jacob”. Invites sent to this family.
3. In region of Glacia (former capital) are two Arabanes. Aunt (Augusta Arabane, a cold woman) and her son in the Gregoran navy.

Harrington Bluefang (half-orc), is the family’s financial controller is the city. He tells us that Jacob is in town and up to many financial dealings.

Corrigan decides to infiltrate the Northgey family’s townhouse. There he figures that “Jacob” is really Winslowe Jr, Jacob’s twin brother. However, he is interrupted by Winslowe’s return. Unable to hide quickly enough, Winslowe discerns there is an intruder and dispels Corrigan’s gaseous form spell. However, Corrigan manages to summon a hippogriff and escape.

Determined to strike before Winslowe can move his base, the New Warriors gather themselves and fly back the next night on a celestial hippogriff. They engage in a pitched battle with Winslow, his sister Elexia, and their troops. Winslowe is captured and his men struck down or dispersed, but Elexia escapes using a ring of invisibility and the confusion of the spellbattle. The team quickly loots Winslowe’s records and carries him away on hippogriff-back before the Diamond District guards can arrive.

The New Warriors carry Winslowe towards Arabane manor, despite it being forbidden by Sycron’s rules. They feel that only the Viscount can resolve matters without risk of Winslowe getting away. Along the way, a quick perusal of his records tell a compelling story. W once wishes to be a paladin, but found himself too physically weak. Studying arcane magic, he learned enough to call upon the power of Bel, one of the diabolic lords of the Nine. The sword granted him the strength to be a mighty melee fighter.

After some negotiation with the gate guard, they are granted an audience with the Viscount. He is a huge man of impressive physicality and potentially it was a desire to emulate him that drove Winslowe’s actions. He easily pierces Winslowe’s disguise and the two have a frank conversation. Winslowe tries to play it off as not targeting the Viscount directly, but the Viscount is not fooled. He stiffly and unhappily admits that he owes the New Warriors a debt and dismisses them.

The New Warriors head home for a well-deserved rest. With them they carry Winslowe’s diabolic sword. In the days that follow, Corrigan does an Identify spell on the sword. He is disturbed to find a strange intelligence behind it. It offers to belong to him and transform him into an image of physical perfection as it did to Winslowe.

As the days pass, word comes that the processional of the king approaches. The New Warriors prepare for the sale of Corrigan’s Loyalty Torches while also preparing for the Viscount’s soiree. Perizada buys a fez for Corrigan. When the king arrives, the New Warriors decide to see him twice. They decide to watch once as he enters the Craft District and then run to see him again as he enters the Citadel. The first viewing goes off smoothly, and the king even nods at the NW’s sign. The second not so well.

An elf accosts the King outside the citadel and demands to know if he will end the war. The king is not receptive, and the King’s Shadow (making a rare open appearance) cuts off the elf’s head to be sent back as a message. Corrigan quickly scribbles down the entire conversation, planning to send copies to both the Library of Highmoon and slip one on a caravan to the front of the war in Tulmish, that they might know what really happened.

As for the Loyalty Torches, Corrigan manages to sell 90%. After paying off the vendors, he has a total of 1782 gp. He owes the bank 40 gp interest plus the principle of 1000 gp. He pays off the interest, but the bank offers to extend his loan if there is more business to be done. And indeed, some of Corrigan’s employees tell him that there may be a continuing demand.

During this time, the New Warriors get a letter from Club Doom saying what really happened to the Remainders. It’s not the story that Sycron told, about them voluntarily dropping out. They meet with Elysia and promise to share information in an effort to puzzle out the secrets of Sycron’s challenge.

Meanwhile, Corrigan begins using the Grell Alchemy book to experiment with blending alchemy and magic. Specifically, he is trying to prepare a spectacular magically enhanced fireworks display for the soiree. In doing so, it occurs to him that such things might have a military application.

“The New Warriors shall become war profiteers!” announces Corrigan to Mishram and Perizada. He convinces Mishram that the war gives an opportunity for goblin craftsmen to sell sundry military supplies for cheap and Perizada to assist him in selling fireworks as signaling devices for the army. They can make contacts at Arabane’s soirée. Before they can get to work on that, though, there is the matter of the devil-haunted sword.

Corrigan decides that if he was going to look for a diabolic patron (not that he’s thought about such a thing), it would not be a brute force guy like Bel. He informs Mishram and Perizada about the true nature of Arabane’s evil sword. There is some discussion about whether the group should try to profit from the sword, but Corrigan is unhappy with simply selling it, and Mishram thinks Corrigan’s plans to come off as heroes are too complicated. They compromise on taking it to one of the city’s two cathedrals to Ceridwah.

Mishram and Perizada take the sword, Corrigan being busy with his researches. Informing an acolyte of their mission, they get in to see Bishop Aregar. He’s a canny older man who asks searching questions about where Perizada got the sword, if there were any other artifacts, and if either of them has been affected by it. Perizada stands firm to her story that she killed the owner of the sword somewhere far away from Highmoon, has not used it herself, and does not want to use it. Bishop Aregar teases the two by pretending he will leave the sword in the attic as a test for acolytes, but his request for a basin of holy water as they leave implies he’s not as reckless as that. He thanks them for doing the right thing.

Afterwards, Mishram goes to see an armorsmith in the Goblin District. The smith agrees to produce a human-size suit of armor as a demonstration piece, but warns Mishram that production sufficient to supply an army will require many goblin smiths to be organized and working together.

Corrigan goes to the fireworks factory next door to their rented house, noting again its concrete walls and paper roof. He asks to see the chief designer and (after five minutes of argument amongst the fireworks crafters) sits down in an office with a gnome named Tera Pestagar. Pestagar is pleased with the idea of increasing his market and agrees to write up a potential supply and cost schedule. They agree Corrigan will take 20 to 25% of net as middleman (depending on sales) and 60% of net on any fireworks he magically enhances. They have a written contract created and signed.

Over the next few days, Corrigan attempts to find a way to blend arcane power with the fireworks. He cracks the basic secret of gunpowder, though he still does not know the secrets of packing that allow the creation of fireworks. However, he is able to use this knowledge to create an arcane preservative ritual that will cause the fireworks to hang in the air for up to a full minute after exploding.

However, sales will be difficult. The structure of Gregora’s military is feudal, with each lord being required to raise and equip his own troops. Consequently, selling military supplies will be tricky. Perizada take her copy of the party guests and begins researching whom it would be useful to approach. After some digging, she comes up with four names. She sets out to research each of them, using her charms (and some bribery) to pry information from their men. They are:

• Baron Reginald Tallcastle – Lord of House Tallcastle, the Baron takes deep pride in his military service. His family has a long record of glory in battle, and he personally has fought in several wars. He spares few expenses when equipping his men and is a bit of a peacock, valuing appearance. He is fond of port.
• Baronet Axel Sedgewick - The Baronet is a rich man, having made his fortune purchasing basic utility goods (rope, oil, etc.) needed by the military in bulk and taking them to the front lines of combat to sell to the commanders. As the war with Tulmish heats up, he is building stock for the spring campaign and his money is all tied up. He is in competition with other houses and has a wandering eye.
• Baron Locklin Kinsley - An older nobleman who earned his title on the battlefield during the Black War. He is now too infirm to go into the field. His son was badly injured by an elven assassin, but has now recovered and is assembling troops for the war in Tulmish. The attempt on his son's life has left Kinsley with a deep genocidal hatred of elves.
• Colonel Randell Longaxe - Longaxe is the King's appointed military liaison with the commanders out in the field during the war with Tulmish. He has an extra vote on the high council. He is a veteran of several wars and a stickler for order. Described as efficient, brutal, stubborn, and possessing no sense of humor. He is something of a racist, not placing much value on non-humans.

The group determines how they will approach each of these men.