Twilight's Children

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Wednesday, November 29th, BC 735
Scaena

Leif, Kerri, Ludovic, Duffy and Samuel stand alone on the empty wooden stage. They each have reason for anger, having been tricked, abducted, toyed with, and then discovering that the last month of their lives has been a charade, for someone else's amusement.

And that their hopes of averting the tragedies of their pasts had never been more than an illusion. They begin to search the theatre, seeking revenge on their tormentor. Beside the stage, Leif finds an office of sorts, with a writing desk, and pages of scripts. Among the papers, he finds the letter he wrote to his mother, and putting it in his pocket before the others can see, he flips the desk over in a rage. Pages fly everywhere, and Kukri, sensing his master's anger, claws and stamps on the papers as well. Leif sees that the bone bracers he took from Radaga are merely props, as is Duffy's bone splint mail, Ludovic's staff, Kerri's sword, and many of the other items they collected in Harmonia.

Kerri wipes the makeup off her face, revealing unscarred skin where the skeletons burned her. Leif is also unscarred; to his disappointment, the goblyn's bite was also false, and his "tough guy" image will no longer be enhanced by its mark. Searching behind the curtain Samuel and Duffy(?) find that the seats are empty.

Whoever or whatever was watching the play has left. But on the floor, they find several discarded programs.

The Feast of Goblyns,
performed at the Scaena theatre,
November 29th, 735BC,
Starring LeMot Sediam Juste.
With Leif Shadowlands, Kerri Storer, Merdufani
Carpatello, Ludovic, and Samuel as themselves.
Written, directed, and produced by LeMot Sediam Juste.
Also with Lord Doren as Dr. Daclaud Heinfroth/Heinrich Dominiani
and Lady Ilsa Doren as Radaga and Clara.

Juste appears from backstage, applauding and excited.

He begins to give them "notes" on their performance, telling Duffy not to break the fourth wall, and asking Samuel to emote more when he's hurt. Leif and Samuel will hear none of it and immediately attack him.

Shockingly, he melts into the wood of the stage and is gone.

The group continues to search the theatre. In the lobby, they find posters for such shows as Ship of Horror, The Tragedy of the Dark Lord, and of course, Feast of Goblyns.

Breaking into the ticket box, they find 336 gold pieces, and in a closet, they find a broom, prompting Kerri to observe, "I have no items with me. A broom would be an improvement." Attempting to leave the theatre, they walk down the empty street and find themselves back on the stage on merely the set of a street, with Juste up on the catwalk.

He says he hopes they enjoyed their little outburst, and commands them to rehearse the Death's Head Tree scene again. He points to a box on the stage, which contains all the items they lost in the cave and elsewhere.

Leif again fires an arrow at him, and he disappears, melting into the wooden wall with a melodramatic scream.

Weary, the group finds a small lounge near the lobby to rest in, but as soon as they sit down, they find that the luxurious couches are actually on the stage. Juste's voice booms out, asking them, "Why do you persist in trying to leave? What is out there you desire?" With that, several figures emerge from backstage: Gustav Malvoni, Madame Natasha, Andres Duvall, Sharon and Conrad Shadowlands, and a man who looks like Samuel, but with a rosy, cheery complexion.

Duffy tries to ask Gustav questions about Vir (?) but Gustav tries to persuade him to stay here with Juste, and compliments him on the guns he's crafted. A boy of ten years runs out from between Sharon and Conrad and runs up to Leif, hugging him and asking him to play.

Leif fights back tears of pain and rage and doesn't hug back. (??I don't remember how everyone else reacted to their family members??)

Juste goes on to try to convince them that their whole lives have been a lie, that they are simply characters of his creation. He reminds them of their past adventures and the darkest secrets of their pasts, and tells them "Your reality is a lie. I am the liar."

Refusing to believe him, the group attacks. He finally seems to get angry at their persistent denial of him, and after melting into the stage again, his voice booms from all around them, "Fine, I think we've rehearsed the Feast of the Goblyns enough. And now that the first sign is complete, on to the next chapter of the Hyskosa's Hexad cycle. To the burning sands of Har'Akir!" With a swirl of light, they find themselves in the middle of an endless desert.

While some of the group looks around to get their bearings(?), Leif (and Samuel?) sit on the ground, refusing to participate. Leif hopes that if they refuse to be entertaining, Juste will lose interest and let them go.

Just then, a withered zombie climbs up out of the sand and beckons them toward it. But Kerri's keen eyes pierce the illusion

and see someone even more unexpected underneath it: Cynthia DeGreives.

Examining the place where the zombie climbed up, Kerri appears to fall through the sand, but actually crawls off the edge of the stage, and finds herself next to Cynthia. Cynthia and Kerri climb back up on the stage, but Samuel, Leif, Ludovic, and Duffy see only two zombies. Trying to shatter the illusion, Kerri does something so incongruous, no one could believe a zombie was doing it: she tap-dances. Cynthia follows her lead and tap-dances as well. The others get the hint and run over to where Kerri fell down, and manage to get off the stage and, they hope, into the real audience area of the theatre.

It is only then that they see Lord Doren and Lady Ilsa on the stage, battered, bloodied, and dead. Ilsa has a rapier wound through her chest, and one of Samuel's hammers embedded in her head. Lord Doren has a wooden torch staked through his heart.

With no time to explain what she's doing there, Cynthia and the group make a run for the door. Juste emerges from the back of the theatre in Radaga's walking skeleton throne.

A fight breaks out among the seats, as the infuriated heroes get their first crack at the real Juste. Smashing the skeleton prop, they fight Juste, who fires magic missiles from his quill. Once again he screams and melts into the wooden floor, but this time, the scream seems genuine, and the theatre begins to burst into flames.

The group runs for the front door, and opening it, they see only dense white mist outside. Cynthia panics and has to be nearly bodily dragged out of the theatre; she blames Ludovic for bringing the accursed mist back to plague her. Together, they walk through the misty netherworld, trying to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the burning theatre.

Meanwhile, Elsewhere...
Castle Loupet, Invidia

The king sits on his throne, brooding. He drums his fingers on the throne, impatiently... taptaptaptaptaptap.

There has been no sign of his witch of a mother for weeks. What could she be up to? Probably hiding like the gypsy coward he knew her to be. He picks disinterestedly at the sumptuous roast boar that has been set on a tray for him.

One of his retainers approaches. "Lord Malocchio, we have tracked down the band of vistani that eluded the raiding party in Curriculo last week." At last, a bit of good news! Malochio stands and reaches for his sword belt. "Excellent, commander. I am looking forward to dealing with these criminals personally. Where are they hiding?"

"Just across the border in Borca, sir. In the forest, south of Levkarest." Malocchio steams with anger.

He drops his sword on the throne, and turns away from his underling. "Take a squad of your best men on your fastest horses. Kill all of them but one. Bring that one to me... in pain."

"But sir, I thought you wanted..."

"DID YOU NOT HEAR MY ORDERS?!?"

The commander salutes stiffly and runs out to gather his men. Luckily, he is nimble enough to avoid the flying tray of boar meat. It is not the first time the king has flown into an inexplicable rage, nor would it be the last.

Wednesday, November 29th, BC 735
The Mists

After getting Cynthia to calm down a bit, they manage to get some information out of her. The reason she helped them is because her husband asked her to. The two of them had gone to the theatre in their home city of Port-a-Lucine. (This obviously strikes the group as odd, since they entered the theatre in Vallaki.)

For some reason, she was unable to see all the spectacular illusions her husband described, and saw only the five of them, Lord and Lady Doren, and Juste on the stage, among plain wooden and canvas sets.

She recognized them and her husband recognized Leif. He worried that they were in danger and begged her to help them. Not wanting to endanger them by causing a scene, she waited until the end of the show and sent her husband home lest he be ensnared by the illusions, and remained behind in the theatre to save them.

When they ask her husband's name, they are shocked by her reply. He is Conrad... Conrad Shadowlands.

As they travel through the eerie, misty expanse, they learn more of Cynthia's travels since they last met. Leaving Zeidenberg, she first went to Krezk, looking for the famous Red Vardo Traders, but their leader inexplicably attacked her, and she fled to Vallaki.

There she stayed at the Blue Water Inn, and the innkeeper asked if she'd "found her friends." He said that some travelers were looking for her and hadn't returned to their rooms in a week. She snuck into their rooms and searched for clues to who was looking for her. She recognized Kerri's performer's outfit, and found Van Richten's invitation to Lord Doren's party. She was angry, thinking they lied to her about knowing Dr. Van Richten, so she tried to track them down. She paid for their rooms for a few weeks, but they didn't return, so she took their belongings to a seer in Vallaki, a strange pale bald man who kept talking about "the unseen masters behind the veil." He touched a bag of rations and said he felt the owner's home nearby in Krezk. It took nearly all her courage to return there, but she avoided the Red Vardo Traders and went to the address the seer gave, and there she met Conrad.

She fell instantly in love, and her search for them and Van Richten suddenly seemed less important. She and Conrad courted for a year, and have been married for four. Recently, they moved to Dementlieu, where she is a scribe, and he is trying to start a new career as a sculptor.

After walking through the mist for what seemed like forever,

they find a clearing in the fog, but Samuel pokes his head into the clearing and sees a high tower, surrounded by screaming spirits, flying in swirling circles around it. Deciding not to press the matter further, they retreat into the mists and continue past the mysterious tower.

They start to hear whispering voices, imploring them to stay, to rest here forever, and they quicken the pace, trying to avoid the voices. Suddenly, they find themselves face to face with Vir Stannum! He doesn't say a word, only springs into battle, punching furiously. Samuel swats at him with his newly reacquired staff, and "Vir" dissolves into a cloud of mist, mixing indistinguishably with the surrounding mist.

Unnerved but unsure of what else to do, they forge onward, looking for the edge of this place.

Eventually, they stumble out of the mist, onto a cobblestone street. Behind them, the fogbank they stepped out of dissolves and dissipates. Cynthia recognizes it as the Rue de Champanet, around the corner from the theatre, in Port-a-Lucine.

It is the middle of the night, and she rushes home to Conrad. Samuel, Kerri, Ludovic, and Duffy accompany her, while Leif and Kukri go on ahead to get rooms for them at the Inn. He is having trouble dealing with this turn of events, since he went directly from thinking he'd saved his mother's life, to learning it was never a possibility, to learning his father married another woman, let alone a woman that had tried to have Kerri killed and hated Ludovic and Dr. Van Richten. He had prepared himself for seeing his family reunited, but instead feels that his father betrayed Sharon's memory. And after seeing betrayal after betrayal, he has resolved to never trust anyone again.

At Cynthia's house, she bids the group good night and thanks them for leading her safely through the mist. She apologizes for jumping to conclusions, and hopes they can start anew as friends. They see Conrad briefly(?) and agree to come back in the morning for their belongings, which Cynthia has been keeping safe. (She sold all their horses except for Kerri's Buttercup, who she kept for herself.) On the way to the Inn, they swing by the theatre and see that it appears all boarded up, as if it's been closed for decades. Meeting up with Leif at the Lord-Governor's Ring Inn, they go to sleep.

Samuel wordlessly buys Leif a drink and sets it down by him.

Thursday, November 30th, BC 735
Port-a-Lucine, Dementlieu
In the morning, Leif buys a wide-brimmed hat.

The group hits the streets, looking for any information about Juste and his theatre. Kerri and Leif go to the Artists' Quarter, and speak with several of the theater folk. They learn that Councilor Jean-Pierre Theroux is the Councilor of Arts. Nothing happens in the theatre world without his knowledge. Unfortunately, he is a very difficult man for a commoner to contact. But he does attend the monthly meetings of the Council of Brilliance on the 15th of every month at the Ruling Palace.

The hiring director of a theatre tells them he heard about a new play by Juste that opened last night, and that it was fantastic. But it's very strange for a theatre to open in the Merchants' Quarter, rather than the Artists' Quarter.

Ludovic, Duffy, and Samuel check out the library at the University of Port-a-Lucine. Duffy finds a book entitled The History of the Feast of Goblyns, a personal account of a group that went through an eerily similar chain of events as they just experienced in "Kartakass." Several events had different outcomes, and the group in the book fared much more poorly than they had, but the core of the story was the same, right down to the names and dates. Duffy surreptitiously takes the book to study later.

Samuel meanwhile, finds a book entitled Van Richten's Guide to Vampires, and comes back later, sneaking into the library to steal it.

Ludovic is enthralled by the knowledge gathered in the library and wishes he could study here longer.

Leif and Kerri make their way down to the docks to look for Captain Garvyn and see if they can talk him into a trip to Nidala. They find that Garvyn is at sea for a few weeks, but Captain Larissa Snowmane, of the River Dancer, is sometimes willing to brave the Misty Border.

At Pier 50 they find her, but she will not go any lower than 5000gp per person.

They see several of the captains entering a seedy looking tavern and decide to go undercover as "salty sea dogs" to see if they can get any information. Disguising themselves, they enter the tavern and sit down, talking openly and loudly about a trip to Nidala.

They attract the attention of a Captain Jacque Dohane, who says he's been there.

There are a group of Knights who travel there every autumn. Ten of them hired him one year to make the journey. They wear an insignia pin showing an eclipsed sun.

Ludovic, Samuel, and Duffy go to Cynthia's house to interrogate her further. She seems entirely cordial, and Conrad truly seems to love her.

They learn that Van Richten killed Cynthia's fiancé, Baron Metus, prompting her to seek revenge, but she is happy with Conrad now, and wants to put that part of her past behind her. Everyone she has loved since then has been killed by the mysterious Mist, but it has not come for Conrad, so she thinks she finally has a chance at happiness. Samuel instantly recognizes the name of Baron Metus, the first vampire Van Richten ever killed.

He checks the Hawthorne Staff to sense if she is one of the undead, but it has been acting up since he got it back from Juste, sometimes refusing to operate, so its lack of response is not reassuring.

Ludovic attempts to sense her spirit and senses that she is neither alive nor dead.

Cynthia refuses to believe that Metus was a vampire. In an attempt to make peace with them, she invites everyone to a party she is attending tonight at Councilor Chantreaux's manor house. It will be an art exhibition where Conrad will be competing for a grant from the University. Councilor Theroux will be one of the judges.

Ludovic, Duffy, and Samuel accept the invitation. Before they leave, Conrad asks if Leif is all right, and tells them to watch out for him.

Samuel goes to break into the Library while Duffy and Ludovic go to investigate the nearby Rue des Pistolets, a street full of gunsmiths and ammunition shops.

While there, Duffy competes in a good-natured competition at the firing range. They see a lady in attire way too fine for this neighborhood discussing something with a shady looking caliban in his shop.

Immediately afterward, he closes the shop, refusing gruffly to let Duffy in, as well as another man, dressed in a long black and yellow cloak. The man in the cloak sees the Malvoni mark on Duffy's pistol and asks him if he knows where to find more. He introduces himself as Gondegal, and tells them he is a resistance fighter in Falkovnia who once used Gustav as a supplier of firearms for his movement.

He came to the Rue des Pistolets looking to replace a cache of muskets seized by the Falkovnian government but the new laws prohibit anyone from doing business with him. Duffy says he might be able to help, and Gondegal agrees to meet the whole party at the inn that evening. Duffy also meets a gnomish gunsmith named Abernathy Gearling who once knew Gustav as well. Gearling shows Duffy some of his more unusual creations and sells him some bullets enchanted by a friend of Abernathy's from the University.

Regrouping at the inn, everyone shares the information they've found, and agree to go with Cynthia to the party this evening, in hopes of meeting Councilor Theroux and getting some information on Juste. Leif and Samuel are both reluctant, due to Leif's pain in dealing with his father and Samuel's discomfort among the aristocratic fops that will surely be there. Gondegal arrives and has a long conversation with the group. After Duffy tells him that he is Gustav's apprentice, Gondegal speaks freely, saying he feels a kinship with them, and trusts them despite barely knowing them.

He explains that his is a member of an order of knights known as The Circle, the Knights of the Shadows, dedicated to the protection of the innocent and the weak. Each member dedicates himself or herself to protect a certain group; his charge is the downtrodden of Falkovnia. He is not Falkovnian himself, but from a land far beyond the mists known as Cormyr. Leif and Kerri recognize the eclipsed sun insignia that they heard about at the docks and ask him about Nidala. He tells them his order meets once a year in Nidala, where their order was founded. Long ago an order of holy knights called The Circle fell there, led by Kateri Shadowborn. Her son, Alexi Shadowborn raised a new Circle in her honor which lives on as Gondegal's Order. Leif remembers the journal of Alanna Shadowborn found in Southmoore and Hardok Cann, the paladin in Homloch who said his leader was Kateri Shadowborn, but he wore a symbol of Belenus, not the eclipsed sun.

Leif asks what became of the Shadowborns and Gondegal says they were all killed long ago, at the hands of evildoers, who remain in the Shadowlands.

Gondegal's more pressing concern is the Falkovnian resistance he leads. Gustav was a steady supply of weapons until his untimely death. They used Isolde's Carnival, who Leif, Duffy, and Ludovic met back in Borca, to help transport the weapons across the border.

Gondegal is saddened to hear of Gustav's death, but not surprised, since he assumed it had happened when the shipments stopped coming. Unfortunately, the last shipment fell into the hands of the Falkovnian government, and the rebels have been sorely undersupplied. Three years ago, Borca, Mordent, Richmulot, and Dementlieu signed the Treaty of the Four Towers, agreeing to come to each other's defense if threatened by the Falkovnians.

A stipulation of the treaty prohibited any weapon exports to Falkovnia, and Gondegal has not yet found anyone willing to break that prohibition. Hearing firsthand the plight of the Falkovnians, Duffy agrees to see what he can do. Gondegal is staying at the Bullseye Tavern on the Rue des Pistolets.

When Gondegal leaves, the group prepares for the party, changing into their best finery. Leif has Kerri disguise him as best as possible as an old man, and pulls his hat down low to avoid being noticed by Conrad. They reach Cynthia and Conrad's house shortly before nightfall, and find them dressed finely. Cynthia looks perfectly comfortable in her black gown and wide brimmed hat, but Conrad looks uncomfortable and rumpled in his suit. As the hour is getting late, they rush into a black coach hired by Cynthia and head off to Councilor Chantreaux's home.

Leif stays hidden and hops on the back of the coach with Kukri. On the way, Kerri, worried that Cynthia might be a vampire, as Baron Metus was, attempts to fix her makeup in a pocket mirror and sneak a glance at Cynthia, but Cynthia grabs the mirror to look at herself, smudging her thumb across its face accidentally. The oily smudge prevents Kerri from seeing Cynthia clearly in the mirror, showing only a blur.

Along the way, Samuel has had enough, and wants to know once and for all if Cynthia is telling the truth. He thumps on the coach roof, telling the driver to stop, and yells at Cynthia, attempting to intimidate her into talking. But she only shrieks and nearly faints. Conrad comes to her defense, and Duffy and Ludovic calm him down, apologizing.

They continue on to the party.

Once they reach the opulent manor of Councilor Chantreaux, the guards take their visible weapons and escort them inside.

Leif waits a bit before following, managing to keep his "walking stick" as Samuel breaks off from the main group and claims to be his son.(?)

The guards attempt to take Kukri to Lady Chantreaux's kennel, but Leif gets them to believe he, as an old man, relies on "his dog" for assistance.(?)

On the way in, Cynthia asks everyone to talk up Conrad's entry in the contest and try to make a good impression on the judges.

They walk past several of the contest entries, covered by cloths. Cynthia checks on Conrad's and then Duffy, Ludovic and Kerri accompany Cynthia and Conrad into the Ballroom while Samuel and Leif head to the garden in the back of the manor.

In the ballroom, Kerri(?) speaks briefly with the Councilor of Justice, Dominic D'Honaire, attending to Lord-Governor Marcel Guignol, an elderly and feeble looking gentleman.

They are too busy to talk much. From speaking to other guests, they learn that the Lord-Governor rules all of Dementlieu with advice from the Council of Brilliance.

Duffy and Ludovic are surprised to see someone they recognize, Marie Delacorte, who they and Leif saved from her necromancer father five years ago.

She is very excited to see them and introduce them to her fiancé, Francois de Penible.

Since they last met, she has inherited her father's mill and attempted to return it to respectability. Her family is well connected with the Lord-Governor. The little ghost, Nikolai, still appears to her from time to time, but has not caused any major trouble. The band starts to play a waltz and Ludovic asks Cynthia to dance. He attempts to lead, pushing her gently to see if she is heavier or lighter than normal, if she is perhaps a magical construct, but she seems normal. Kerri dances with Francois while Duffy dances with Marie. Kerri learns that Francois was born into luxury, but grew disillusioned and bitter towards the nobility. He believes society must change, that it is built on the pain of the masses and that will be its undoing. He thinks that the only way for this to be averted is for the nobility to learn the meaning of true pain. He has written many books on the topic, including "The Pain of Plenty" which he will present tonight in the competition.

Meanwhile, outside, Samuel finds two ladies playing at fencing in a scribed circle on the patio.

One is very drunk, and laughing as she constantly falls down. Samuel asks if the other is up to a challenge, and she accepts, introducing herself as Lady Cassilda de Casteelle. She is in her early thirties and fights well with a rapier. Leif feigns a need to rest and sits beside the younger drunk girl, who is Antoinette Reynard.

Samuel easily scores the first touch, and Leif catches Lady Cassilda make a gesture behind her back that looks suspiciously like a spell.

He asks what it is, and she says its a good luck custom. Very lucky indeed, it appears, as she deftly evades Samuel's next attack and taps him on the nose with her rapier. Content to call it a tie(?), they bid each other goodbye. Leif notices a strange ring on Lady Cassilda's finger in the shape of two snakes grasping a black stone.

Back in the Ballroom, a large jovial man is offering drinks to everyone, and it is clear he's had his own share. They learn that he is Captain Reynard, head of the town guard.

Duffy, Kerri and Ludovic are shocked again to see a man bearing the Falkovnian hawk brand on his head, conversing with a squat, fierce-looking woman. And what's more, they've seen him before, five years ago at the dog fights in Karina. Starting to worry that they've been invited to a gathering of vampires, demon-worshippers, or worse, they split up to investigate. Duffy heads to the game room, Kerri to the conservatory, and Ludovic waits for the Falkovnian to storm off and speaks with the woman. The Falkovnian does not endear himself by shoving Ludovic and saying "Out of my way, half-breed!" Sitting in the boor's place he introduces himself to the lady, who is Councilor Josephine Chantreaux, the Councilor of Defense. She confides in him that the Falkovnian, Commander Anton Regress, is part of a delegation trying to negotiate the formation of a Falkovnian trade enclave like the one in Karina.

But he won't succeed if she has anything to say about it. She hates the Falkovnians and is largely responsible for the Treaty of the Four Towers.

In the game room, Duffy sees another familiar face, the caliban gunsmith from the Rue des Pistolets. He is playing billiards with a slow-moving elegant man in a top hat. The man introduces himself as Alexandre du Cire, and his opponent as Hugues Maigny.

They are both sculptors, but Maigny works in metal and du Cire in wax. A lady dressed in black looks on, and is introduced as Lady Veronica Blackstone.

Kerri sees a beautiful elven lady storm out of the conservatory in a huff,

and soon meets the reason why. In the conservatory is Borcan painter, Raphael Vetighetto. He is the son of Borigia Vetighetto, the famous landscape painter.

He is very happy to talk about himself, in the most flattering terms. He shifts his attention from the elfmaid to Kerri and begins to put the moves on her. But something in his demeanor makes her very uncomfortable and she takes her leave. As she leaves, he takes the opportunity to ask her to speak well of his entry in the competition.

Back in the ballroom, Ludovic's new friend Councilor Chantreaux introduces him to Lord Balfour de Casteelle, head of the prestigious University of Port-a-Lucine.

He is roughly eighty years old, but spry and alert. When he mentions the University's Arcane Studies department, Ludovic becomes very interested and Lord Balfour offers him a tour of the school. Out in the garden, Leif and Samuel witness a brief discussion between another Falkovnian and, unbeknownst to them, the same lady Duffy and Ludovic saw in Hugues Maigny's gun shop earlier. They speak with them and find out she is Helene DeSuis, Councilor of Public Works, and he is Marcos Vedarrak, the lead ambassador of the Falkovnian delegation. In contrast to the brutish Regress, Vedarrak is smooth and charming. DeSuis seems distant and quickly excuses herself.

In all this time, Duffy, Ludovic, Kerri, Samuel and Leif have all been looking for the reason they came, Councilor Theroux, but no one they've spoken to has seen him yet. They are assured that he will attend, as he is the head judge of the competition, but like many artists, he follows his own rules, and it's not unusual for him to be late. As the group gathers in the garden to share the information they've found, they hear the front door slam open as Councilor Theroux sweeps in with a loud "I have arrived!"

Now the party can truly begin...

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