Livetweets of 2-62 Domestic Respite

DUNGEONSANDDRAGONSSSSSSSSSSSS 

Thanks to @DnDBeyond! New bundles in store! 

Sam has not had time to perform his voice-over auditions. He's going to knock them out right now, since he has 2-4 minutes. 

Sam covers his first spot: extra tasty D&D Beyond.
Sam gets Travis to help him cover his second ad read, for where ever he can drive his sweet D&D Beyond ride.
This last spot is more... serious. Maybe don't actually consult your doctor.

Last Time

Last time: TM9 returned to Rosohna after freeing a stone giant abode from demonic incursion, also freeing the mines of the stone giants for the Xhorhasian war effort. Upon return, TM9 were gifted a HOME. 

The Xhorhaus

Stepping into the cold, dark, dusty interior, the party decides what they want to do.
Jester and Beau immediately rush to claim a room. Clay calmly walks up the stairs. 

Taliesin to Matt: "Laura's in my room! Laura's in my room! Laura's in my room!"
Matt: "Both of you roll wisdom saving throws." 

The Nein will save the downstairs room for guests.

Clay wonders if they're putting roots here. Are they leaving things here?
Nott states this is their new base of operations; they don't have to stay here forever. 

Jester says she never had a house before that wasn't also a club.
Yasha has never lived under a roof like this before. She's only lived in temporary housing. She would like a place near the balcony.

Nott and Yeza will have the room next to Yasha.
They'll turn one room into a common room (the Happy Room), and the room behind it into a bedroom. 

Caleb will take a room downstairs, and turn the room next to it into a library.
Fjord and Beau can be next to each other, and can practice Morse code to each other. Jester suggests adding a hole in the wall. 

A bedroom is turned into a training room.
The cast realizes how riveting this is for the audience. (A picture will be posted later.) 

The party investigates the basement, since the map has a bloodmark.
20 investigation: there are rat droppings and chewed wood in the corner. The stain comes from a ruptured wine cask. 

Jester asks Beau if she minds Nugget staying in their room. Beau begrudgingly accepts. 

Beau checks the house for bugs or devices that allow listening in. Nat1.
Jester also checks. 11. Couple hours pass.
Caleb casts Detect Magic, as well. 
Clay checks the house for vibes. Wis check: 18. It's fairly neutral. It's a house. No evil. 

Caleb and Clay both pass the house with Detect Magic. Nothing comes up. 

The kitchen is not stocked. The library is full of empty shelving. There is some basic furniture like chairs and beds, but furnishing and stocking will need to happen. 

Yasha suggests that they block off the Happy Room with a bookshelf that opens when a secret book is pulled. Caleb's room would be hidden, but they'll talk about it. 

The Rooftop Garden

Fjord watches Caduceus, who tries to make a rooftop garden. With Caleb's Earthen Paw made of soil, Clay amasses enough dirt to support some plant growth. Over the next couple days, he and Jester Stone Shape the tower to hold the dirt, which holds... the tree. 

Clay drops the tree token in the dirt on top of the tower.
A few seconds pass... before roots dig through the dirt and shift the stone of the tower. A trunk rapidly grows.
A 60 ft tall tree of 5 ft diameter.
The only green leaf tree in Rosohna. 

A few civilians gather in the street to point at this tree that has grown out of the tower. A crowd gathers outside the abode, curious and concerned.
Fjord and Beau wonder if they should have checked the lease first. 

It's not terribly windy in this district, but the branches of the tree are taking a bit of breeze. Clay also considers the best way to support a plant that requires sunlight. Most of his spells will probably have to be grown inside with Sunlight. 

The crowd is not dispersing; Clay goes down to say hello. They seem curious by both the tree and firbolg, but nothing much beyond that. Hands are shaken, though they do keep looking over their shoulder at the wooden monolith. 

Interior Decor

Back inside the house, the party discuss the new war room and happy room. The Happy Room is for taking off the stress after talking in the War Room. 

For the sake of brevity, 10 gold to furnish all basic features of the house (towels, sheets, chamber pots, etc.) 

Caleb looks into stocking the library/alchemical room. He covers the 50 gp for alchemical supplies.
Jester buys a LOT of painter supplies. She intends to paint three rooms: 30 gp. 

Caduceus tries to recreate his room at home. He also restocks his gardening supplies. He also seeks to make alcoves within the tree for shrines to each of the deities of the Nein. 

Fjord inspects the windows, looking to place plantation shutters on his own window. He also asks the ladies if they need it. They do not; there's no sunlight. Just Fjord then. 1 gp. 

Jester paints wildflowers on Yasha's wall. Performance with adv: 13.
They return before she finishes. Jester tells Yasha to close her eyes, but Yasha peaks anyway. It is so beautiful. 

Jester offers to paint anything else for Yasha if she wants. She also put a hidden dick in there.
Yasha lies next to it. It's like laying in a field; it's the best. 

Caleb permanently affixes thread to his bedroom, the library, and the laboratory. Each room has its own chime in his head. 

Beau, Jester, and Yasha wonder if Caleb can just cover the entire house in Alarm. That's... a lot of time.
Clay sets up a wind chime for when anyone enters the front door. 

Clay considers casting Legend Lore on his sword. It will cost quite a bit of incense and ivory to cast (and the incense will be consumed), so he'll have to plan for it. 

For 400 gold and a week, Clay and Jester cast Daylight into little vials of liquid to provide little lights to their rooftop garden and tree. A string of lights, 100 ft long, is split between the tree and the garden.  

The neighbors initially were distrustful of the glow light project. Upon seeing the end product, the distrust turns to jealousy. Clay promises that he will have produce to share. 

Caleb practices the Circle of Teleportation spell. In the time the Nein have Christmas lights, he has learned the spell. 

Meeting the Neighbors

Fjord walks the neighborhood. Not many businesses; mostly residential and religious structures. There is the clothing store and home improvement store, but most businesses are in the Gallimafrey. 

People are watching the new neighbors. They are not drow and have humans in their ranks. And they raised a 60 ft tree on the roof with Christmas lights. The Nein are absolutely a curiosity. 

Fjord meets the neighbors. Lord Bilan, a local historian and prominent individual, is interested in learning what the Nein are doing here. Fjord introduces himself as a third party to look after things. 

Lord Bilan wonders if the tree will be like that all the time.
"...I think that's how trees work." 

Checking on Luc

Nott asks Jester to send Edith messages about Luc.
Jester asks them if they are still alive, how is Alfield, Mom and Dad are together, they are so happy! 

Luc says that it's boring here. There's a lot of coast folk passing through town.
Edith states that folks are tense by all this war business. 

Jester asks Fjord about the Gold Something mercenary faction guys.
Fjord asks why she's covered in paint.

Gold Chain Mercenaries. Fjord rolls Nat20 to recall them. 
The Gold Chain mercenaries, formerly disgruntled Zhelezo, sold out their contracts to perform as bodyguards for richer patrons, especially in pirate-infested waters. The name comes from the chain they wear. 

If a Gold Chain is by themself, they're for hire. If they're with someone, stay the hell away. They're expensive and ruthless. 

Fjord isn't sure who is currently in charge of the Gold Chain. The last leader he knew of disappeared into Darktow 10 years ago. There is autonomy and secrecy, and presumably a hidden leader right now. 

Fjord states that he doesn't need any color in his room. Jester considered painting an ocean here for him, but the party seems uncomfortable with water for now. 

Jester presumes this is the first time Fjord has had a house. Fjord finds it weird to have his own room. He's taking it a little bit at a time.
Jester offers to draw a hole in the wall so he can talk to her. 

Canon: Beau snores like a son of a b****. 

Caleb's Concerns

Caleb corners Nott and brings her into the laboratory. This is for her.
Yeza has been here the whole time. It's a nice setup.

Nott needs more supplies. She asks Yeza to make her crossbow bolts like a flair. He has a shopping list. 
Nott asks for something along the lines of a tanglefoot bag. Yeza thinks he can come up with something like that. Oh, and a smoke bomb! 

Caleb turns Nott's attention back to the letter she says that she wrote when she was "being helpful" to connect him to his past.
Caleb wonders if Nott got the impression that Caleb had fond memories of his past. To Astrid, yes. Caleb asks if there were ANY ties to them that the letter might have included. 

Nott calls in Jester. Caleb is concerned that Jester knows about Astrid. Jester reminds him that he mentioned her when they were dancing; he seemed like he missed her. The return address goes to the Pillow Trove. 

Jester sends a message to the owner of the Pillow Trove: are there any packages for me? She receives a message that she has, from a Calianna. There was also a letter. 

Jester tells the owner to open up the letter. They would need her permission in person to do so, but it's from the Soltryce Academy.
Nott states that they are NEVER GOING BACK TO ZADASH. 

The contents of the letter Nott and Jester sent: "You can write me in care of The Pillow Trove Hotel, Zadash. Attention: Mrs. Lavorre, Equire, Nott and Brave Law Firm. My legal practice thanks you in advance. Thank you.” 

Jester wonders if Caleb liked Astrid. He did, yes. For a while, she was the one, but that was a long time ago. Nott suggests that perhaps she just wants to hang out. 

Another conversation later in the week: Caleb asks when Beau is intending to get a hold of Dairon. No more freeballing. We need a plan.
Beau starts to close the door on his face.

Caleb convinces Beau to let him in. They need a plan. Even if the Cerberus Assembly is destroyed, there will be a vacuum. Can the Cobalt Soul fill that? Beau doesn't know if Dairon would hug or kill her right now. 

Beau states that everything she reports would have to be strategic.
Neither Beau nor Caleb consider themselves traitors to the Empire. Not yet. 

Caleb states they are one inch closer to healing a wound. Beau wants to root out corruption; his entire childhood was mired with it. 

Beau doesn't have to answer Caleb now, but she has decide: bring Dairon in, or keep Dairon out.
Beau wonders if Caleb is in love with Nott. Um, no.
"You sure?" "Very sure." "Okay. 'Cause man, that tension." 

As Beau closes the door on Caleb, she whispers that she knew that would get him out of her room. 

Arts and Crafts

On the bottom floor, Jester and Clay are making a hot tub with Stone Shape, with an area underneath for Caleb to firebolt. 
The spa and painting takes almost no time at all compared to the lights.

Nott and Yeza manufacture three flare bolts: 10 gp per bolt.
24, 22, and 19 makes three flare bolts, a fuse the burns along the bolt. 

Nott and Yeza make a tanglefoot bag with a 10 ft range and DC 12 for 50 gold, made against a 20 DC.
For 5 gp, they make a smoke bomb that obscures a 5 ft radius. 

The dynamic between Yeza and Nott has turned from chemist and assistant to that of partners. 

Lastly, Nott works on a miniature Fluffernutter. For 50 gp, "it's worth it."
Matt checks something while Nott checks out Jester's hair oil. 

The materials for mini-Fluffernutter pouch is updated to 25 gp: Nott now has a stick of dynamite. 

Enchanting Yasha's Bracers

Yasha picks up her bracers from Wursh, and looks for an enchanter: 10.
This is not a common enchantment in the city. Even Pumat Sol was rare in the Empire. Someone will have to be commissioned at the conservatory. 

Yasha asks if someone wants to join her at the Marble Tomes. Jester and Clay are busy with the spa, but Beau, Fjord, and Caleb join her. 

Enchanting Services are usually reserved for the war effort, but because the party has the blessing of the Bright Queen, they can at least open up a conversation. A fresh faced, excited young drow woman is called out. 

Enchanter Yun introduces herself to the curious group. She has heard rumors of the visitors. She states that they have become quite a conversation piece: primarily good things. (Nobody really speaks to Waccoh, but rumors spread.)

Yasha presents the bracers. They are finely made and ready for an enchantment. Yasha asks for protective magic. That can be done, something similar to Beau's bracers or the Ring of Evasion. But it can be expensive.

The enchantment of evasion could cost 3000 gp and take 10 weeks, but could be reduced to 5 weeks with an additional 60%.

Yasha suggests placing 455 gp up front, and setting up a payment plan. 
The enchanter asks for 1000 gp right now, and the remainder in 10 weeks. 1500 gp for 5 weeks. If the remainder is not paid, the bracers go to the Dynasty. 

Fjord asks if the enchanter has any work for them. She's more of a researcher, she does not have any jobs. Fjord offers to pay the remaining to 1000 gp down payment. The party offers to pay more when they have it. 

Beau asks around about the library. It is full of very sensitive arcane information: very powerful and important. It does NOT have a public section. 

Caleb handwrites an invitation to Professor Waccoh to visit the First Kryn Treehouse. 

Essek Thelyss

Essek is outside the manor while Jester and Clay are precariously hanging lights.
"This is, uh... You've certainly made it comfortable quickly." The Nein have certainly made a splash. 
The party invites Essek for dinner. Fjord tries to coach Beau on how to be inviting.

Essek educates the party on how the dens work: it's their surname. 
Essek states that he is not very familiar with the inhabitants of this neighborhood. Yasha asks what his neighborhood. Most of his den lives in the Lucid Bastion, but he spends most of his time in the Conservatory. 

Caleb states that he is very interested in learning Dunamancy.
Essek asks Caleb to show the limits of his power.
Caleb summons the translucent Cat's Claw.

There are definitely people watching. 
Essek is intrigued. What is Caleb seeking, what does he wish to do?
Caleb states that he is very interested in the arcane in this country. Essek assures him many are.
Caleb states that he is trying to prevent his kind from perverting it.

Essek asks Caleb if he's busy right now. He asks if he can come in.
Beau states that he was already asked twice, but please.
Essek wasn't asking her. Caleb opens the door with the claw. 

Nott and Yeza come out of the hot tub while Beau tries to offer cocktails.
Essek accepts while Beau lauds herself on her hospitality. 

Essek apparates a tome from the air. "Do you have means of copying? Let me teach you a few things." He will teach Caleb up to three levels of dunamantic magic. 

Essek asks where Caleb's interest lies: messing with gravity and density, changing fate, or sapping your enemies' potential.
Caleb wants the second one. He receives two spells. There are plenty more spells in the book. 

As Essek closes his tome, it disappears into ash.
He is interested in what Caleb can do. Caleb thanks him for the gift.
Essek: "Remember it. I may need to call you back."  

Essek enjoys the drink, but isn't really a fan of Beau's name for it. After an awkward silence, he leaves. 

Fjord's Past

Fjord goes to his room, seeing Caleb inside. Caleb offers to help him put a lock on his door.
But first: why have you been using a fake accent with us? Caleb has heard Fjord using a different voice. 
As one accomplished liar to another, Caleb is confident he is not mistaken.

Fjord asks what Caleb wants him to say. Caleb is willing to share some of his hidden garbage, because he does not trust that he knows who Fjord is. 

The Nein have bound themselves together. Caleb knows Yasha better than Fjord, and she doesn't say anything. Does Fjord think they will chase him off? It cannot be worse than what is in Caleb's head. 

Fjord says that it's not in him to talk about himself. He found himself reinvented when he woke up on the shore. The rest of his life no longer mattered; he didn't care for that life, it didn't care for him. 
Fjord isn't hiding his past. He doesn't want to bring his old life into this life.

Caleb states that it's always just the one accent, when Fjord thinks no one is listening. Is that his past?
Yes, it is. 

Caleb has dealt heavily with his past, and it is nipping at his heals. Will Fjord's come back to haunt him, or is it just painful? Caleb told the others about something he is very ashamed of because he is worried what it might bring to the Nein. 

Fjord states that Caleb has been very forthcoming. He admires that.
Fjord states that nothing nips at his heels that is a danger to this group. He appreciates that Caleb wants to know more, and almost resents Caleb for sharing his own pain. 

Fjord: "I'll try. Give me some time. I do not want to share this with the group." Sometimes you hold onto things that make you who you are.

Caleb shares that he has had those same thoughts for a long time. We can remake ourselves into something better. 

Fjord thought he was making himself something better. But he does promise that his past brings no danger. This him, he loves it. If he had his way, the Nein would know nothing about his past. 

Fjord will find a way to tell Caleb.
Caleb sighs. All right. That's fair. 

Fjord doesn't think Caleb is crazy. He sees one of the more put-together people he knows. Thank you for... caring.
They shake. Caleb states that he is not a good person, but they are friends.

"We are friends." "To be continued." 
Fjord rolls a perception check: 8.

We're going to go to break! 

Mid-Break: The Broken Blade

Four days later, Caleb remembers that Frumpkin never climbed back down from the tree. 

Clay places the broken hilt next to the broken blade. Yasha looks at it; it is a long sword. The break appears internal, opposed to an external force. There are runes on each side. It seems very lightweight for its kind. The sword appears to have acid marks, textures that appear intentional in the design, the way the light plays off it. Beautifully designed, Damascus-esque in places.

It's been about 9 days. There are still a few days remaining before the events at Overcrow. 

Yeza inspects the hair oil with his alchemical station. An hour later, he is not sure what it is. It appears to come from a creature, an organic fat. There's nothing about it that seems unsafe. Jester uses it for a unique sheen. 

Nott gives Yeza a kiss. They've almost figured it out. 

On the second day of hair oil use, it's really starting to smell. And Jester's hair is becoming very greasy.
Caleb: "Oh, how the tables have turned." Nugget is not a fan of the smell. Sprinkle rolls in her hair, however. 

Sprinkle looks a little rough. He is a very skittish weasel, and a bit more weathered. Jester makes him a nest in the tree, making what she thinks a weasel nest would look like. Nature check of 3. 

Animal handling check of Nat1 to get Sprinkle to accept the new nest.
The party can hear a series of squeaks. They come up to see her forcing him in. He hisses as she asks if he likes it. 

Jester tries to catch some rats for Sprinkle.
She throws some rats into the nest. And then some bugs.
Things are going great for this weasel. 

Sprinkle stays within his uncomfortable home out of necessity. Jester tries to coax him out, but he seems very mad at her.
Clay tells Sprinkle to stay in there as long as he needs to. 

The War Room

The party goes to the WAR ROOM.
There is a table and chairs. There are no decorations yet. Nott suggests they focus on the room, not the war. 

Nott states that her priority is to reunite her husband with her son. Fjord suggests hiring a Gold Chain mercenary. Nott is not a fan of this, and she doesn't like the idea of sending Yeza to Nicodranas by himself. 

The party considers asking Bryce for their advice.
Jester asks them about the kid and the old lady. How much would it cost to send them to Nicodranas? 
Bryce states that they are watching Edith and Luc, but they have responsibilities; things are tense here. But they could send them to Nicodranas? 

Nott points out it was VERY HARD for just the Nein to get to Nicodranas. Beau points out that they did bring 3 pets, and 2 of them are still with them! F*** that bird. 

Caleb suggests that the party teleport to Nicodranas, look for someone they can personally hire for Yeza, and then teleport back after he leaves with a sellsword or some merchants. Yeza is unsure; he doesn't travel much. 

Nott suggests that she could go with Yeza.
"But then you'd be gone for a bit."
The party does not want to lose Nott. Of course she wants to go home, but she can't go home right now. A lot is happening there. 

Clay suggests they arrange a way to get Luc south, so the party does not have to cross the border twice. Yeza points out it's easier to leave the Empire than enter it. 

Caleb wonders if Essek could help get them to Alfield, send them to an unspecified, unlocked location. Jester points out that the Kryn likely would not have dug a tunnel if they could have done that. 

Clay doesn't see any problem with sending Luc to Nicodranas.
Nott has a big problem sending a young boy across the continent with no one they know.
Yeza is okay with staying here a bit longer. He can straighten up the place a bit. 

Caleb offers to speak to the powers that be to Alfield. If he can get to the boy, he can bring Luc back to Rosohna, and they can decide where the family will settle after they are together.
Nott recalls Shakäste is based near Alfield. 

The discussion turns to the Overcrow.
First, a distraction. The shopkeeper was into Fjord, maybe he can distract her while they investigate the place. She lives upstairs, they can sneak in the shop at night. 

Nott is ready to do this! What time is it? Doesn't matter, it's night time every day! 
It's the 11th day: Da'leysen, the 6th of Misuthar. Two more days to Grissen, the 8th of Misuthar. 

The party turns their attention to the blonde human. Jester will scry on him tonight before they head over, two days in advance. 

Jester expends the scry spell, leaving her senses in the hands of the Traveler.
The spell is unable to pierce through, he made his saving throw.

Clay wants to give it a try. Jester gives him a very thorough description. 
Clay closes his eyes, giving his senses to the Wildmother.
He learns that the target is immune for the next 24 hours because he already resisted. 

Infiltrating the Overcrow Apothecary

It is about dusk. Jester tells Fjord to seduce the shopkeeper, giving details. Fjord does not appear to be minding her advice. 

The party arrives at the Overcrow Apothecary. The door is closed, but the top and bottom gives a slight glow. The window up top is closed.
Caleb goes to an alleyway to apparate Frumpkin, casting invisibility on the cat. 

Beau puts up her hood to obscure her face. She heads to the back to watch for anyone who is watching. Stealth 22, Perception 11. 

Jester offers to go first since she already wants to get more hair stuff.

Caleb will stay outside with Clay and Yasha, sending Frumpkin in to invisibly investigate when the keeper is distracted. Nott joins Beau and also turns invisible. Stealth 28.

Jester knocks. "We're closing!" Maruo lets her in when she says she has a question about a product she bought. 

Maruo tells Jester that whether she washes out the oil is a cultural choice. Jester tells Maruo that Fjord cannot stop talking about that scent. Well, he certainly found the source!
Frumpkin uses the opportunity to run past. 

In the back, Nott tries to unlock the window.
Nat1. Her tool falls inside.

Inside, Maruo hears that and is ready to investigate. Fjord rips his shirt open.
Maruo is adequately distracted. 

While Fjord begins serenading, Beau offers her tools to Nott. With an 18, the window will not open.
Maruo is working on making a love salve for Fjord at his request. It needs to be applied DIRECTLY. 

Maruo grabs a stool and applies her salve to Fjord's abs.
Jester looks around the shop; it's fairly contained.

Frumpkin searches for the layout of the building. 22. 
Frumpkin tries to look under the door, but with a 7, cannot see.

Nott summons Mage Hand to open the window from inside, with disadvantage. 21 opens the window. 
Nott casts Invisibility again as Beau helps her inside. The scent in this storage room is VERY pungent. There are a number of locked boxes.

Fjord is singing out on the other side of the door. "And you place it on the sternum..." 

There are a lot of chained boxes in this room. There is a wide variety in types and sizes of boxes. Nott calls for Clay to come to the back of the houses. 

Clay takes the form of a hippy-looking drow as he walks around to the open window. Nott and Beau can tell it's him by his staff.

Clay casts Detect Magic: nothing in the storage room; just the shop itself. 
Caleb messaged Nott to open the door for the cat.

Nott and Beau grab random boxes to open. Fjord's singing hides the sounds as Beau find spices.
Nott finds a diamond-like powder that she doesn't know what it is. She loots it. 
As Nott and Beau leave, Nott intentionally slams the window shut.

Just as Maruo is about to reach into Fjord's lower armor, she yells at them to get out. She reaches for something below the counter as Fjord and Jester leave. 

Frumpkin watches Maruo make a nod to someone to open the door. The door invisibly opens as she pulls up her crossbow.

She tells someone that she doesn't trust it. Call in the next shift.
A cloaked, gaunt bugbears appears. The bugbear stays downstairs, invisibility dropped, as Maruo goes upstairs. They were staying in the shop, not in the storage room.

Caleb conveys this information to the party. Nott shows off the stuff she stole. Caleb and Clay inspect it. 

The powder Nott has is processed. Clay has no idea what it is; it's not natural, per se.
Beau recognizes it with her chemical background. It's suude, a drug. 
"I am the bugbear who knocks." The party is pretty sure this shop is a front.

Caleb inspects the other powder, the residuum. It's whitestone, a component that can be used for enchanting. 

The party reconvenes at the Xhorhaus.
They also consider naming it the MT Home.
Not the Jester House of Sexy Times.
They will settle on the name another day. 

The party considers getting a map of Rosohna. There are no cartographers, but Jester finds a general store run by a lizardman. Not of the city, but of Xhorhas for 15 gold.

It's a bit used... Matt throws a map on the table. The map has a bit of blood on it.
As the cast lays it out on the table, Sam dons a helmet and tells us that the cam is brought to us by @dwarvenforge. Matt points out to where Yasha is from.
The party realizes just how far in they are. There appears to be a coast on the side opposite to the Empire. 

Nott asks Jester to message Shakäste. (Matt apologizes to Khary for the upcoming accent.) He's not in Alfield, but is traveling around the Empire. Jester tells him there's a little boy in Alfield who needs help getting to Nicodranas. For money, if you want. 

Shakäste doesn't need the money, but can do it for his friends. It'll take him a week to get there. Jester gives him the details. "Well, guess I'd better start packing." He tells them that things have been... busy. 

The Empire War Council

The next day, Jester tries to scry again.
Natural 1 to save against it this time. 

The Traveler grabs Jester's hands. She opens her eyes as he offers to show her. She grins right before he disappears. Her vision opens into a long hall, with the blonde figure next to patterned wallpaper and a wall-mounted candelabra. 

The figure appears to be taken notes in a book. The wall is behind him as he faces outwards. Jester hears a conversation in the hall; it's intense, but she only catches some of it. Something about scouts watching the Ashkeepers.

The figure appears to be in Rexxentrum. The conversation is the middle of war council with the King.
As people begin to gather to leave the room, Jester finds herself ejected from her scry, as if someone intentionally blocked her vision. 

Jester conveys the information that she heard. The Empire is putting out more calls to arms for coin. 

Beau thinks the Scourgers the council mentioned as a distraction when the soldiers strike may be tied to the demonic anchors. 

Beau rolls a Nat20 on her history check. Scourgers... A colloquial nickname for the Crown's royal assassins. The term is used like a ghost story. They do their job well enough that they are a ghost story to average people. They have no ties to the Cobalt Soul. 

Beau passes on her knowledge about the Scourgers.
Caleb has only heard the term once before. He's more familiar with another term... but perhaps that's what they were training him for. The Volstruckers.

The party debates telling the Bright Queen what Jester learned. If they convey this information, they are for sure taking a side. 

Fjord suggests they tell the Bright Queen what they've learned, and get a group to nab the blonde man when he strikes.

Nott wonders what "leige" could mean. Fjord assures her that "leige" is always said to a king. 
Beau realizes that this is a very coordinated attack. Jester is frustrated by what little she managed to learn.
Caleb suggests they grab this man, then interrogate him for timing. Use it to counter the Empire's attack. 

Fjord points out that the only way they can learn more about the Kryn is to open a dialogue. Caleb points out while they don't share all the same goals, this moment can certainly provide a means to open that. 

Jester and Clay are nervous about Caleb's desire to get on top of this. Clay points out some things are bigger than they can handle. Maybe instead of controlling the situation, they can do the good that is in front of them. 

Caleb states that this part is not a lie: he intends to shine light on the Cerberus Assembly. That's what Leylas Kryn wants, that's what he wants.

Nott asks if the person who is spying on them agrees. No answer. 
Caleb suggests they be used as the traitors the Kryn think they are.

The party will pass on the information they learned now; not give the Empire a chance to think or react to their scry. 
The party walks toward the Lucid Bastion, hearts in their throat.

Beau pulls Fjord aside. She has a conflict in her brain; she doesn't know what to do about Dairon. 
Beau could have Jester send a message. Fjord asks Beau to list the pros and cons.
Pro: reunite with a potential ally who cares about her wellbeing.
Con: Dairon is too connected to the Empire. Either of them could result in demise from this. 

Fjord asks: Does Beau care about the Empire?
She didn't think she did. It's not the Empire she cares about. Seeing the faces of people from city to city, everyone is the same, even though they look different.
Everyone is miserable and trying to raise a family.

Dairon has been fair to Beau, but Beau has spent more time with the Nein.
Fjord states that if she's been fair, she deserves a fair shake, in turn. 
Beau agrees that she should tell Dairon. She might slit her sloat, but Fjord guarantees she will if Beau doesn't tell her. Okay. 

As the party makes their way to the Lucid Bastion, we end the night there. 

"Information is useful. Information can also be dangerous."
Boy, don't we know it. 

Taliesin is excited to share the description of the garden, when we get there. 

In one hour, prepare your birthday tweets. In the meantime, have a wonderful week, and #IsItThursdayYet?