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resources:adventure:post_facto

Post Facto

Initial Brief

Those in the know in the actual Postal Corps may be aware that the Postmaster has recently been conducting a very private and very quiet audit. Those trusted by Samuel Skye or the Marian wing of the Leader Church may be aware that the process of purging the Postal Corps of the Traitor’s corruption has begun.

In the shadows cast by the hurried ferrying of deliveries, the “Postal Corps” is making its own plans. Unaware of any threat to its existence, the Church of the Traitor has been given a very important task to perform - a purge of its own, if you will - before the city is transported to the new world.

The Postal Corps is holding a ball to celebrate the work of the city before its fate will be decided one way or another in the coming weeks. High profile guests are expected to attend, including both the Lord Protector Graves and the Duchess Darrish. Assistance in securing the event from the growing existential threats to reality is sought from qualified individuals.

PCs

Summary

Clem and Thorn find their way to the Traitor Church and make plain their plan to assassinate Corlo Graves, asking for assistance. The Traitor agrees to this plan and support is provided. Meanwhile, Samuel Skye and Marian are purging the Traitor's influence from the Postal Corps when they discover a plan to assassinate Corlo at the upcoming Postal Ball. It's too late to stop the ball but upon discovering that the assassins will be in the guards they go to investigate the guards.

A guarding unit of a disguised Clem, Thorn, Samuel and Tabitha, and a more obvious Marian and Dan set about guarding the Ball. An attack by Cole and a Lich puts things on alert, and Tabitha absorbs the power of the Lich Staff that finds its way to the ball. Samuel Skye arranges to disguise himself as Corlo to prevent the assassination, but Clem and Thorn find out about this and realise they can't kill Corlo.

While everyone is working out what to do, Simon the Repentant, disguised as a servant, strikes Ghita Darrish. He cackles and tries to flee but is struck down by guards and the party alike. In the aftermath of the attack, Corlo's guards demand to know what's going on and kick the party out of the ball. Marian is enraged and accuses Corlo of tyranny and strikes against the Lord Protector's people with the help of the party. The voice of the Leader booms across Acryn and Corlo himself answers Marian's accusations. In the fight, Clem (in disguise) uses the Traitor's dagger to slay Corlo, plunging the city into chaos. In the ensuing panic, Samuel Skye (still disguised as Corlo) meets the rest of the party but shortly leaves to visit an arrested Marian who is under numerous layers of Graves-loyal security.

With one task down, Clem, Thorn, Dan and Tabitha recruit Hardy from the King's Head to go and help kill the Traitor while her forces are distracted. They follow a magically charged compass toward the remaining flesh of Armand Cargan and find their way into the Traitor headquarters guarded by Paradai. They fight past and enter the secret lair, where they find the Dragonstone. Mudra, still guarding the orb, asks the party to help defend it and Hardy eats it. Carlaeon's voice fills his mind and a draconic incursion attacks the party but they're able to fight it off and Hardy steady himself. They head down into the lair and into the Fluxy shadows that have enveloped it. They fight through and eventually find the body of Penelope Cargan. Clem and Thorn perform a large wounding and fracturing ritual to destroy the body and with a wrenching howl the place falls silent.

Debrief

Tabitha attempts to call upon the Traitor's power, but nothing happens. She determines that it's unlikely that the mantle of the Traitor has been so easily destroyed, but suspects Abraxis herself may well be. Later, she calls down the Traitor's gaze to see if anyone is still watching and finds her miracles restored. Someone is watching. While under the gaze she calls out “You have an awfully controversial role to fulfil. Consider - now, truly do consider - whether or not the new world really needs someone like you. And whether someone like you ought to possess the sway of a god.” but there is no indication from the Traitor as to whether this has been acknowledged. Certainly Tabitha isn't Damned or Excommunicated, which is a good sign. She returns to her fishing boat, and while members of the Watch are briefly searching for a wanted fishing vessel, they have no luck as the ship is disguised with the Traitor's power.

Hardy splits up from the party and travels into Deep Flux where he removes the Dragonstone from inside him. Mudra manifests to urge Hardy to keep the orb safe - reminding him never to respond or listen to draconic voices that tell him what to do when holding the stone. Hardy stows it on his person safely, confident that if someone wants it they'll have to go through the Underdog to get it! Mudra, still concerned that the stone could be abused, decides to apply a curse to the Stone to prevent its abuse, and also feasts briefly with Hardy's cooking.

Clem and Thorn take advantage of the chaos of the city to sneak into the Graves estate and free the weird mutilated creatures that reside beneath. They are indebted, and make haste to make themselves scarce about the city, though some find their way to tracking down Coll as a member of their family.

Dan approaches the chaos in a different manner and does what they can to help organise things and keep things in order. They note the city is without its previous leadership and so as a champion of the Terrec guard pull rank and keep some semblance of order. Terrec guards are seen coordinating logistics, bringing in food, breaking up riots, and generally keeping law and order in support of the Watch.

Marian continues to remain under lock and key, and letters reach all surviving Councillors that Samuel Skye has summoned a Council Meeting, handing over the Acryn Free School to the Council's control (with clauses to maintain its freedom) and devoting his resources to preparing to rebuild in New Foundations.

The King's Head, recognised by remaining Corlo loyalists as a clear hive of scum and villainy is raided by the Watch, headed by Antonia Strike, but the strikeforce is dumbfounded to find a sheer and solid wall of metal blocks their path. A large vault door prevents their entry, and after hours of attempting to cut through eventually give up, deciding they have better things to be doing.

Consequences

Acryn

  • In greater chaos than ever before.
  • Ghita Darrish is dead.
  • Corlo Graves is dead.
  • The Leader has been arrested.
  • No authority is in charge of the city any more.
  • Fears grow for the possibility of leaving to the Dragons.
  • A Council Meeting has been summoned.

The Traitor Church

  • Is trying to discern who the new Traitor may be
  • Has kill orders out for the people who infiltrated the cult and killed Abraxis

Hardy

  • +1 Dragonstone. This may be used to communicate with a specified Dragon. 3 questions per adventure may be asked to a specific and will receive an answer. Mudra has cursed the Stone such that if a further question is asked, it will receive an answer, but at the cost that the questioner will be forced to consume themselves alive for asking.
  • Wanted by the Traitor Church
  • Less wanted by everyone else

Tabitha Terrec

  • Wanted by the Traitor Church

Marian

  • Arrested

Thorn

  • Is taught Walter Cargan's Draconic Dweomer (Mat to give details)
resources/adventure/post_facto.txt · Last modified: 2018/02/22 13:25 by toml