✎ resources:adventure:spires_of_glass [animus]

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====== spires of glass ======
===== Initial Brief =====

===== PCs =====

=====Summary=====
The party head towards the nearest city in the unbroken chain, on the way they encounter tunnel grubs, several areas of natural hazard and a herd of Mega Rhinos who Sofia manages to tame.

When they arrive a Adrovan they are escorted to the glass spire at the centre of the city where they are met by the cities ruler Kelliman, his son Lestat, daughter Lillia and niece Malis. Negotiations are going quite well when some form of perfection based assassination attempt kills Kelliman and flings scatters the rest of the gathering through the city.

The party themselves are assailed by the magical forces but mostly manage to fight them off. Whilst they recover the rulers son Lestat re-enters the room having previously left and accuses the party of killing his father using his grief as a cover to steal the Tome of Adrovan the magical symbol of rulership before ordering his guards  to kill the party and leaving the room.

After fighting off the guards who were actually false empire agents the party decide to track down Lestat’s sister in the hopes that she might help them against her brother. They eventually find her with Lillia fighting off more false empire agents. Together a plan is connconcted to assualt Lestat in the spire although the party is split on whether to then support Malia or Lillia.

As they approach the spire the party run into a set of wards which seem to have been activated. They eventually get through but not before Benten stuck in a liminal space within the wards alone for some time dies.

Within the party find Lestat with the Tome lounging upon loungeing upon a thrown along with an imperial immaculate and a devotee of the path of the mind. Party cohesion breaks down somewhat here and whilst Sofia attempts to negotiate with Lestat; Ashes is forced to unmake themselves to prevent themselves from being frozen forever in perfection by the immaculate; Benten goes of into a side room with the imperial commander and makes some treacherous deals and Jemil resorts to hiding in a corner.

Eventually Sofia grows bored of the negotiations, although not before Ashes has dies fighting most of the enemies alone, and uses a throne embrace to attempt to make a deal with the entity within the Tome. The entity agrees to help if Sofia will unleash it as the deal is struck Lestat is disintegrated by the released power as a ever expanding whirlwind of destruction begins to whirl around Sofia. Eventually even this proves insufficient however and Sofia attempts to farlink back to Isabella in gateway as a means of escape. Using the plane of connection to transport an unleashed conflict entity over which they have little control however and when they arrive they have only just enough time to protect Isabella before they are consumed by the titanic forces taking most of the Rom section of gateway with them.

Back in Adrovan Benten makes a deal with the false empire to bring them closer to Jamil. They lure Jamil out of hiding by pretending to be in trouble before their new allies beat him unconscious and perform rituals to create a permanent mind link between the two. 
=====Debrief=====

After they both awake in jail Bentsen heals up Jemil and sticky pad their way out. Much to Jamil’s surprise although not Benten’s they seem to be able to telepathically communicate. The make their way back to gateway picking up the mega rhinos on the way. The walls of gateway are damaged by a conflict-connection incursion taking up the whole of the Rom section.

Meanwhile, Never has also respawned in the Torch sanctum. She's in the inner sanctum, walking out of the giant bowl of fire. Never goes to see Grandmaster Anastasia Dandachi of the Torch and tells her that the Strategos is a traitor for negotiating with the false empire of rastaban while the three others were left to die. "It's easy but it's not right," Never says.  She intimated that the shroud and bureaucracy might be interested and says how concerned she is about Sofias willingness to let her die. Never talks about theology, suggesting the Torch needs to burn bright and be seen and take a stand against corruption. Grandmaster says the Torch is considering action but the throne and the shroud have an alliance. Before they can act there are some core problems. Never warns Isabella may be in great danger and heads to Gateway.
When Sofia drops in, Dandachi is standing there being thoughtful. She is surprised to see Strategos. Sofia admits to being responsible for the explosion in gateway and when asked about the negotiation explains her actions acceptably. 
Never finds Gateway in turmoil. She eventually finds Isabella stuck inside the sestroyed section of Rom entangled with the conflict weaver contained within the Tome. To try and resolve the situation Never attempts to close the book which Sofia had opened, when she picks up the book however a voice starts to speak in her head as the Tome explains it is actually a conflict weaver called Adrovan and the founder of the city. A brief conversation ensues in which Adrovan explains the basics of plane binding and Isabella is convinced to let Never return the book to Malia as this will gaon her the allies and knowledge she wanted out of the exchange. Isabella instructs Never to offer Malia membership of House Rom, potential marriage to her useless son and secure the alliance/puppet state. Isabella goes to ask Elias for a new bit of Gateway. Isabella asks Never to make a promise that she will take the book to Malia. Connection weavery is done so that if Never breaks this promise, Never's blessedness will transfer to Isabella. 
Sofia arrives at Gateway and is directed to where Isabella is meeting with Elias. Sofia agrees to send a military escort to accompany Never. Elias points out the giant hole in the wall being kept open by the planar things going on. Strategos says she already had a plan which allowed letting them in to Gateway. Fortunately only one section has been lost. Sofia writes an instant letter to Malia saying Nevers on her way using Evade the Bureaucrat and sends along some troops to help.
Benten and Jemil arrive back at Gateway. Benten leaves Jemil and goes to Imperial Commision suggesting an alliance. He goes direct to the Mystikos. Brings word of possible alliance with the false empire. Reveals that the Strategos isn't planning on going ahead with plans of commission. 
Mystikos likes the idea of plane binding and an alliance with Lilia. Does not approve of false empire alliance. Gives box to Benten to take to Lilia, asking them to plant the contents in the ground and kill at least 20 people to bleed on top of it. If she does this, the power of ichor would be hers. Gives eternal gratitude to Benten. Benten asks Mystikos for protection from the commission against the Strategos.
Jemil slinks off to Order of the Shroud in a dingy pub of shadowy individuals. Jemil goes to the creepy fortune teller. Tells them about the adventure  . Says secrets were revealed about the nature of ichor, including a demonstration. The intention was not to do so but these secrets were revealed nonetheless. No shroud secrets were revealed. No agreement reached but two family members still open to diplomacy. Tells about book. There was definitely too much ichor talk. Jemil is asked to keep an eye on Benten. Jemil asks for fortune to be told. The fortune teller was, in fact lying about telling fortune. Shrouded man, Mageos are drawn.

Sofia arrives to tell on Benten. She and Jemil meet and catch up. Sofia recounts that Benten went off with the imperial throne paladin and probably talked about ichor. Sofia says Benten must be punished but she does not want to execute him. Jemil wants to block him from contacting the false empire. Sofia suggests forbidding him from leaving the city. 

Sofia communicates this stuff to the order of the shroud. Sofia attempts to organise forbidding Benten leaving with the order’s assistance, though impeding commissioners is hard. Sofia asks what does the throne think and gets a vague vision of Benten upending a table containing a black puddle causing it to spread.

Sofia goes to the bureaucracy and tells them about Benten revealing black ichor secrets. Taken to see a woman whose name is not known, a member of the Honourable Companions. Dobs Benten in. Woman goes to talk to commission superiors. She is delayed by the Mystikos’ people. 

Benten tries to go meet false empire at Gateway. She manages to meet Jorvid. Benten is summoned back by commission after unnamed woman goes asking questions. Jorvid tells information to Legate who is shroudy and gets arrested.

=====Consequences=====

====Never====
  * Gains 4 favor from Isabella
  * Learns the basics of planebinding
  * Died once

====Sofia====
  * Gains 4 favor from Isabella
  * Died once
  * Has the Alpha mega Rhino as a faithful companion. In an encounter where she could feasibly have brought it along she may once call a STAGGER 5 at range as the rhino charges someone. As a conflict denizen of dominion it will grow in power if fed victories.

====Jemil====
  * Gains 4 favor from Isabella
  * Pernamently mindlinked to Benten

====Benten====
  * Gains 5 favor from mystikos
  * Is currently confined to the commission as the mystikos blocks the attempts of the beuocracy to question him.
  * Permanently mind linked to Jemil

{{tag>"spires of glass" adventure}}
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