[Petals & Thrones] Session 15: Frontier of Morality

Session XV

Thanks to their earlier attempt at recruiting, the players know where the leadership of the Zodiac Society are meeting. That night, their ambush makes very short work of the realm of depravity, followed by Morluck chopping up the bodies into artful poses with clues a 4th grader can solve leading to the Lunatic Court being the "culprits" for the Zodiac Society's membership to find. Aquilan puts his calligraphy skills to excellent use here. The next day, they ensure that the Zodiacs join the Lunatics, then get some intel on what the Lunatics know about the Free Mithrallavien movement and the Sormont rebels.

They meet with Wesker during lunch, arranging for him to meet with them later in the week in Karis to seize the dangerous Scepter from a rogue necromancer. Afterward, they make toward Sormont, running into the Red Maw Clan partway through. Morluck did well to extract their requirements for joining the coalition, but simply wished them a good hunt as they left, personally contemplating going after them like they did the Zodiacs.

The evening hunt with the regent of the Order of the Stag left them with a similar feeling in their mouth. Aquilan openly wondered if there were any good people in the Eastern Frontier.

Balthazar's requests are simple, but not necessarily comforting to Aquilan, as their intel of the Sormont's rebels indicates their grievances aren't founded on falsehoods. Regardless, that day they head out into the wilderness, using the wizard's familiar to scout ahead. They encounter the hags, attempting to start parley, but an Insight allows them a chance to stop their attempting flank; the counterspelling & resistances make them exceedingly worried, as well as the knowledge that manticores, chimerae, & winter wolves are nearby. Once they discover night hags can turn ethereal, they run.

Their encounter with Sormont rebels & Veyna go much more smoothly, initiating combat before Caspar can even see them fully, though he still recognizes her face. Stabilizing the naga, they bring her unconscious before Balthazar, allowing for questions about Caspar's familiarity to be made. Balthazar dismisses such concerns in a way that is eminently plausible with his personality rather than any kind of malice/deceit, also off-handedly killing her with a cantrip while commenting on how her kind are functionally immortal.

Caspar makes the personal request. The players make their shopping list with the Order of the Third Eye's quartermaster, then prepare for use of their portals to make the Hillsreach trip faster.

[Petals & Thrones] Session 14: Siege of Fort Briar

 Session XIV

The Battle for Fort Briar starts off strong, as the players go special forces on the reserve garrison inside its walls. Aquilan in particular does excellent work tanking the archers' shots. Once they take the fortress, they sneak in five patrols of the Lunatic Court, interrogate Vincent for likely strategies, and subsequently cause a rout from the counter attack. Their other 7 patrols waited for the retreating Lion forces in the entrance to the Great Forest, at which point, they caused another rout. All told, the players took out six patrols of the enemy, lost two of their own, and gained Fort Briar.

After situating their units in Fort Briar, they went to Rivermet to finish off the next part of Goldblum's quest, check out the the minor factions, and finding Wesker. After a short conversation with Brac & Orlac to get them part of Goldblum's network, they arrange for a meeting with Forktongue at the Lapis Tea House. His request for control of a place to raise his peoples' eggs makes them a bit uncomfortable, but they at least act cordial and somewhat consider it.

The meeting with the Martyrs goes less smoothly, apparently revealing that the players draw the line at bioterrorism. Afterwards, jokes are made that as a DM, I have more trouble doing the RP of a serial killer than a bioterrorist; but I give them a summation of the Zodiac Society. They consider recruiting them later once they realize the best way is to kill the leadership, allowing them to get rid of the flunkies through Operation: Human Shield.

The conversation with the leader of the Steel Company leaves a sour taste in their mouths, and their pocketbooks are a bit too lean to consider hiring them anyway; though they privately discuss the idea that if they were hired, they would need a chaperone just to keep collateral damage minimal.

At this point, they make plans for a big meeting with the leadership of the Zodiac Society, and we call it a night.