Post by andycd on Dec 2, 2020 12:12:56 GMT
There is a gasp as the queen’s neck begins to glow red, then orange, then yellow, then white. Sarastra stumbles, dropping her glass which shatters on the stone floor. The glow spreads from her throat and soon she glows like a dying star, cracks beginning to show in her flawless skin, darkness spreading across her form as she burns like paper in a furnace. A high keening rings like fingers on a crystal glass, which hangs in the air long after her body has been consumed by the fire within her, drifting away like so much ash in the wind. There is a moment of stillness, then, pandemonium.
Lights flared and power crackled in the air as the various mages and priests in the room activated their own defensive wards - a translucent bubble immediately encased the stage around Aurelia and Saria where Sarastra’s ashes continued to fall like a giant snow globe. Screams, yells, accusations, all flew around the room from dozens of sources at once. Plenty of people in the back were just confused as to the sudden disappearance of the person talking and wondering if it was all on purpose.
The next hours passed in a chaotic, confused blur. Commander Jadefist began clearing the room, an army of silent floating red tunics immediately providing lined paths to follow. Some adventurers either naturally or at Cordelia’s order began to help manage the crowds as people were asked to leave.
Those who had been assigned to the protection of delegations - like those protecting the Kundarian representatives - were immediately tasked with escorting their charges back to Daring Heights to return home. This essentially meant a large pack of attendees headed off in both directions, not quite together as trust was a little fragile at this point, but near enough. Others took it upon themselves to get key people out of harm’s way more expeditiously, various rune circles being inscribed in the courtyard and trees being sourced for magical transportation.
As the Great Hall cleared, there remained three key tasks - secure and clean the crime scene, investigate the assassination and placate the understandably upset retainers to Queen Sarastra from her court. This last task fell to newest council member Mavis Thovian, who handled the devastated fey with all the grace of a shopkeep who has spent a lifetime dealing with upset customers. Once the room had cleared, Aurelia had dropped the shield she had been maintaining, and the remaining adventurers, High Diviner Rholor and Captain Thundercog of the Daring City Watch set about finding out what happened.
Queen Sarastra’s body was dust in the wind, scarcely enough to sweep into an inglorious pile. Lady Underwood gingerly, awkwardly, brushed the remains of the Ruler of the Feywild off of the Accords, ink still wet from the signatures, and gently carried the document from the room. Investigation of the area found some traces still remaining of what could only have been the cause of death: Cold Iron. Apparently cold iron had been added to the queen’s cup, perhaps as a powder, a particularly cruel but clearly effective means of deposing even an Archfey - though something else must have been done to it to ensure it did more than make her ill.
Every inch of Fort Ettin was searched - from the lounge to the library and from gatehouse to bedrooms. While a dozen indications of other misdemeanours, minor diplomatic incidents and a metre-high sculpture made of cutlery apparently constructed by pixies were found, there was only one indicator of the culprit to be uncovered. One of the serving staff - bolstered for this evening with a few extra bodies even on top of the floating Tunics - was missing. Keline Torrora had been by Coll and the kitchen staffs’ accounts a quiet and polite elven woman who had been hired the previous evening for the big event. She had kept to herself generally, and now was nowhere to be found at all. A quick Scry from Rholor failed - suggesting that she was either dead or no longer on the Material Plane.
And so the opening of Fort Ettin was marred by tragedy - a murder under the noses of some of the most powerful people around - an archmage, an archdruid and a high priest were all within meters of the assassination, not to mention scores of other adventurers. The fallout from this event would be felt for a long time, and it was already clear that solving this murder would be crucial to the reputation of the Dawnlands and the adventurers. Meanwhile, the Feywild would need to brace itself for upheaval like no other, for the fey had three questions to resolve.
Who murdered Queen Sarastra Aestruum?
Who would succeed her on the Twilight Throne?
Sarastra’s court had been the dominant Feywild court for centuries. Now that she had been brought low, which of the other courts would gain ascendancy?
And perhaps the fourth question that ought to concern the Dawnlanders: How far are the other courts willing to go to seize this opportunity?
Welcome to Season 8
Lights flared and power crackled in the air as the various mages and priests in the room activated their own defensive wards - a translucent bubble immediately encased the stage around Aurelia and Saria where Sarastra’s ashes continued to fall like a giant snow globe. Screams, yells, accusations, all flew around the room from dozens of sources at once. Plenty of people in the back were just confused as to the sudden disappearance of the person talking and wondering if it was all on purpose.
The next hours passed in a chaotic, confused blur. Commander Jadefist began clearing the room, an army of silent floating red tunics immediately providing lined paths to follow. Some adventurers either naturally or at Cordelia’s order began to help manage the crowds as people were asked to leave.
Those who had been assigned to the protection of delegations - like those protecting the Kundarian representatives - were immediately tasked with escorting their charges back to Daring Heights to return home. This essentially meant a large pack of attendees headed off in both directions, not quite together as trust was a little fragile at this point, but near enough. Others took it upon themselves to get key people out of harm’s way more expeditiously, various rune circles being inscribed in the courtyard and trees being sourced for magical transportation.
As the Great Hall cleared, there remained three key tasks - secure and clean the crime scene, investigate the assassination and placate the understandably upset retainers to Queen Sarastra from her court. This last task fell to newest council member Mavis Thovian, who handled the devastated fey with all the grace of a shopkeep who has spent a lifetime dealing with upset customers. Once the room had cleared, Aurelia had dropped the shield she had been maintaining, and the remaining adventurers, High Diviner Rholor and Captain Thundercog of the Daring City Watch set about finding out what happened.
Queen Sarastra’s body was dust in the wind, scarcely enough to sweep into an inglorious pile. Lady Underwood gingerly, awkwardly, brushed the remains of the Ruler of the Feywild off of the Accords, ink still wet from the signatures, and gently carried the document from the room. Investigation of the area found some traces still remaining of what could only have been the cause of death: Cold Iron. Apparently cold iron had been added to the queen’s cup, perhaps as a powder, a particularly cruel but clearly effective means of deposing even an Archfey - though something else must have been done to it to ensure it did more than make her ill.
Every inch of Fort Ettin was searched - from the lounge to the library and from gatehouse to bedrooms. While a dozen indications of other misdemeanours, minor diplomatic incidents and a metre-high sculpture made of cutlery apparently constructed by pixies were found, there was only one indicator of the culprit to be uncovered. One of the serving staff - bolstered for this evening with a few extra bodies even on top of the floating Tunics - was missing. Keline Torrora had been by Coll and the kitchen staffs’ accounts a quiet and polite elven woman who had been hired the previous evening for the big event. She had kept to herself generally, and now was nowhere to be found at all. A quick Scry from Rholor failed - suggesting that she was either dead or no longer on the Material Plane.
And so the opening of Fort Ettin was marred by tragedy - a murder under the noses of some of the most powerful people around - an archmage, an archdruid and a high priest were all within meters of the assassination, not to mention scores of other adventurers. The fallout from this event would be felt for a long time, and it was already clear that solving this murder would be crucial to the reputation of the Dawnlands and the adventurers. Meanwhile, the Feywild would need to brace itself for upheaval like no other, for the fey had three questions to resolve.
Who murdered Queen Sarastra Aestruum?
Who would succeed her on the Twilight Throne?
Sarastra’s court had been the dominant Feywild court for centuries. Now that she had been brought low, which of the other courts would gain ascendancy?
And perhaps the fourth question that ought to concern the Dawnlanders: How far are the other courts willing to go to seize this opportunity?
Welcome to Season 8
