# 90_20210904 Preparing for the rally %%[Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJrA2t3wDLc)%% ## Session Summary We go back to Castle Never to plan. I brew many potions to help the party escape during the rally, and we form a plan for Maestro to steal the sword from Sabine. Keren and Reona come back and tell us that Orvis has hidden a lot of Ka'ira and Maestro's stuff from their cart, even though the mercenaries actually took the cart itself. We head to the Hall of Justice and convince Chand to give us acolyte clothing and also let us stay in acolyte's rooms. The next morning, I treat Ka'ira and Maestro's festering wounds and we pretend to be acolytes while mercenaries check the Hall of Justice. We pass muster. The rally begins. We watch as Neverember, Mordai, Sabine, and their entourage take position. ^summary ## Recap of last session ![[89_20210828 Karias Drach#^summary]] --- ## Log The only [[The Neverwintan Necromancer|necromancer]] I've seen is dead, female, and singing. It's 08:00. [[Madame Rosene]] says she won't be at the rally (she can't stand so long), but she'll send some Graycloaks to loiter in that area. We go back to Castle Never, and we see [[Kamael]] there. I do a Travelers' Feast for him. Making two Lesser Elixirs of Invisibility - I rolled a 19+11 = 30, with DC 17. 13% less. 87 gp. - 9+11=20, DC 17. So 3% less. 97 gp. - 17+11=28, DC 17. So 11% less. [[Keren]] and [[Reona]] return. [[Orvis]] was very happy to find out that Ka'ira and Maestro are still alive. The mercenaries did take the cart, but Orvis hid their stuff in a dirty stall. 2 more potions of spectral form - 18, DC 15. 3% cheaper. 49.5 gp - 27, DC 15, 12% cheaper. 44 gp. 2 potions of clarity - 14, DC 15. 1% cheaper. 49.5 - 23, DC 15. 8% cheaper. 46 gp. Plan: - We hide in the [[Hall of Justice]] and spend the night here - Maestro will hide and get [[Sabine]]'s sword when he feels it's appropriate. - The rest of us will watch him and be ready to support him if necessary. - Maestro will run away, with Eraithe and Ka'ira backing him up if a fight breaks out. - Keren and Xio will hide in the crowd and stay within range to intervene if things get bad. - People have potions to get away. We get inside the Hall of Justice. There are acolytes and Neverwintans praying. Maestro asks to talk to [[Chand Stamaraster]]. Chand pronounces every syllable distinctly and carefully. Chand doesn't seem to be strongly for or against [[Neverember]]. Chand calls [[Sabine]] "Neverember's red-haired lieutenant". Ka'ira asks Chand where we can hide, because Chand says that the mercenaries have gone into the rooms of the [[Hall of Justice]] for past rallies. Chand offers to give us acolytes' robes. I ask Chand how much he needs to rebuild or repair the Hall of Justice, and he tells us he will go to the castle to tell us once he has done his calculations. Some of us hide weapons and armor in a foot locker. Maestro turns his rock into a 2-foot statue of Tyr by his bed. Long rest. I'll treat their festering wounds. - 26 for Maestro. He's at 8/10 successes as of Day 18. - 27 for Ka'ira. She's fully healed as of Day 18. I rolled for Religion: 16. I just want to be able to talk convincingly about my service to Tyr. At 04:00 Day 18, mercenaries enter. (6 of them). 3 of the 6 have the new weapons (sticks/batons that they got from the new artificer). Chand is very nervous about getting in trouble for us, but Maestro and I roll really high and we're fine. I ask Maestro to give 5 platinum (50 gp) as a donation to Chand. Chand didn't want to take it as payment, but he does accept it as a donation to the temple. If we get separated, we'll meet either in the [[House of a Thousand Faces]] or in the [[Neverwinter Sewers]]. I cast Invisibility on Keren so he can sneak out with his harp. He and I go out into the crowd and watch the rally from outside. Maestro, Ka'ira, and Eraithe stay inside the Hall of Justice. There are about a dozen mercenaries. Sabine is in metal armor and her hair is like flame. She is a genasi. (Len-jes is also a genasi.) [[Genasi]] are like second citizens in [[Calimshan]] so I know about them. Sabine has her sword with her. She has her Force Chimera (3 of them): - 1: male with animal furs on him. Most of his weapons and gear seem to be made of spines and bones and skeleton. He has two wicked-looking axes on his belt, made of stone. [[Luthas]] - 2: female genasi. She's lean. She has a net-like contraption with bolas on her. On her waist, she carries a blowdart gun. She doesn't seem threatening and doesn't wear armor. She has silver skin with light blue energy lines. She has glowing blue and gray eyes with sparkling blue lights on her head. [[Force Chimera genasi]] - 3: Lean, long female. Not sure about her race. She has pale white skin (not undeath, but she's just pale). She has a lot of tattoos. She also seems to have piercings on her arms, elbows, ears, neck, everywhere. She walks quietly, gracefully, like Maestro. She is not a deva. She has a spear. [[Force Chimera shadar-kai]] I think the third person used to be an elf or eladrin. But while some elves left for Evermeet, and put Evermeet into another plane to be closer to their god Correllon, other elves retreated to a different plane. They went to the Shadowfell (it's unsure as to whether or not this was their choice). In the [[Shadowfell]], there is no sun. Shadowfell is a parallel plane to [[ttrpgs/Temporary White Circle/The Feywild]] and a darker reflection of the [[Prime Material Plane]]. The Third person seems to have gotten less in touch with their emotions. The plane gives them a feeling of soullessness. They have tattoos and piercings to remind them of pain and remind them that they're still alive. Collectively, these people are called *[[Shadar-kai]]*. There are also portals, some temporary and some permanent, that also lead to the Shadowfell. Sabine gives commands to her [[Force Chimera]], and they disperse into the surrounding buildings. There are nobles that have formed the outer edges of the crowd. There are at least two per house, and some of them have servants or guards with them. Neverwintans haven't seen many of them in a while, because many of them had been run out of the city. One noble in white/beige attire goes to the steps. it's [[Mordai Vell]]. He stands beside Sabine. [[Neverember]]: The crowd falls quiet as a noble dragonborn makes his way across the crowd with two mercenaries in front, two in the back, and a train of several more behind him, following him protectively. He is a gold dragonborn, but even Keren and I can't help but feel awestruck as we see Neverember up close. He's confident, smiling at the crowd, and greeting them (though he doesn't personally know them). Behind him, there's a blond-haired human in plate armor with markings of [[Tyr]]. I haven't seen him before. [[Varian]]. [[Red-veiled woman ally of Neverember]]. Then a woman in a red veil, red robes. The woman is probably a tiefling (I can see the outline of her horns) and has a veil that reaches to the floor. Then Sarthos is behind her. Mordai takes his place with his back to the Hall of Justice. There are 6 mercenaries, 3 on each side of the entrance. "Blessings of Tyr on all of you", says Neverember.