Session 74 - You Shall Go To The Ball!
Wed 6th Sep 2023
In-game timeline: UNKNOWN (6th day in the Shadowfell)
Our "Heroes" return to the centre of Evernight and back to the HQ of the Portal Guild. The numbers of people in the warehouse have been reduced, as skirmishes have already started in places around town. After some discussion about the information that they received regarding countess Allani and the names on the note they had regarding the Vessels, the party eat a welcome meal and head to bed. Except for Sanada, who seemed to receive something from Lord Graysing that helps her level up.
The following morning, with an even more exhausted Sanada, the group receive some useful information about Allani's Masquerade Ball, as well as two more invitations that the Guild has managed to get hold of. Faith disappears with Quinlen, Alwaith's father, apparently for some training, and Alwaith takes the opportunity to rest in preparation for the upcoming events. Solveig spends some time creating an impressive costume for the party that will incorporate his leather armour, enabling him to wear his armour to the ball.
After resting, training, spell selection, gaining reagents for spells etc, the group have planned for their sortie to Moonshadow Mansion for Allani's ball. They leave behind much of their stuff, and Bones drives a carriage for the few hours to Allani's residence. Sanada is still at level 2 exhaustion and has also gained another Despair trait - she really is not liking her time in the Shadowfell!
The mansion is set in the middle of a desolate place called the Ivory Desert. As they disembark from their carriage, Sanada is disguised as Lady Graysing, Alwaith as Lord Graysing - both only requiring minimal make-up for a disguise, relying on the fact that they have been told most, if not all, of the attendees are unaware of what the real Lord and Lady Graysing look like. The other two are made up to look like the recipients of the other invitation that the Portal Guild managed to get hold of - for Lord and Lady Corstwall. Faith is able to be made up with conventional disguise kits, but Solveig needs to cast Disguise Self to reduce his size and change his features to look more like Lady Corstwall. He needs to remember to renew this spell every hour during the evening.
The group enter the mansion, not needing to give up anything to the 'cloakroom' other than a conventional rapier from Alwaith, who carries the Staff of Ages as a noble sceptre and seems to be getting away with that. Solveig's armour doesn't even get a second glance as he enters looking like Lady Corstwall.
They head straight for the bar, pausing at a noticeboard that announced some games to take place later in the evening - Solveig/Lady Corstwall immediately signs up to something called "Beast Racing" whilst the others prefer to wait a while and maybe find out more about what they involve. With a prize for each including a tour of "The Menagerie", it sounds like a good means of perhaps finding out if Agratheron really is here.
And so we leave our "Heroes", somewhat uncomfortable in a noble ball, trying to impersonate different people/genders/races to not give themselves away, whilst considering how to find out if a Silver Dragon is being held captive here, and if so, what they can do about it…