✎ resources:adventure:the_river_and_the_sea [animus]

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====== The River and the Sea ======

> Life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one.

- Kahlil Gibran

===== Initial Brief =====

Limula Egmont (of law firm Egmont, Egmont and Eg) is looking to enlist investigators to assist a client of hers, Spiridon Argyris, a nobleman of Esteban. Argyris is dying of a mystery affliction - in spite of all the efforts of an <del>expensive</del> experienced team of doctors, he does not seem to be recovering. Argyris and his family suspect foul play and will extend their gratitude to whomsoever reveals the culprit... provided that they can do so before the old man dies.

===== PCs =====

  * [[user:nicl:pc:sowe_nayoung|Sowe Nayoung]]
  * Quinn Marshton
  * [[user:iain:pc:zosime_dracona|Zosime Dracona]]
  * [[user:am:pc:iri_voronaya|Iri Voronaya]]
  * Florian Dorian Delorian of Rom
  * [[user:4denthusiast:pc:doublethink_stingelhelm|Doublethink Stingelhelm]]
  * [[user:florencew:pc:quinn_alders|Quinn Alders]]

===== Summary =====

A group of putative investigators - Commissioner Zosime Draconis, Aspirant Iri Voronaya of the Order of the Rod, Aspirant Doublethink Stingelhelm of the Order of the Shroud, the conflict weaver Florian Dorian Delorian of Rom, and a couple of forest touched by the names of Sowe Nayoung and Quinn Marshton - assemble at the law offices of Egmont, Egmont and Eg. There, the Argyris family lawyer, Limula Egmont, explains the situation to them: Spiridon Argyris became afflicted with a severe mystery illness a week ago; his doctors are doing all they can to keep him alive, but his prognosis is not good, especially in light of the fact that the cause of his affliction remains unknown. Owing to the sudden onset of Spiridon's affliction, the family suspects foul play. Egmont emphasises that the investigators have been called in for the sole purpose of identifying the culprit and the means of poisoning; they are under no circumstances to interfere with the patient's care. Their first point of call should be Spiridon's home, where most of the family are assembled.

On their way, our heroes run into a group of drunkards who are entertaining a variety of paranoid and rather Erroneous conspiracy theories. Speculating that they’ll all be murdered in their beds by foreign agents, the drunkards acquire an air of nihilistic bravura, proposing vigilante justice against anyone who looks suspicious... such as the adventuring party, for example. A scuffle ensues, but our heroes quickly emerge triumphant, releasing their defeated foes into the care of the city guard before heading to Spiridon's home.

As they wait in an antechamber, the investigators have their first real chance to talk among themselves. Observing that Sowe has recently [[resources:adventure:death_in_the_embrace|experienced the loss of an arm]], Zosime uses Guided Mutation to ameliorate this problem, growing a crab claw in its place. This intervention is not a complete success by any measure, as the Forest begins to try to tear apart the mutation to gain control over it, rendering Sowe in near-constant pain.

A butler appears to admit the party to Spiridon Argyris's chambers. The old man lies abed, surrounded by his family and trusted family doctors Blom and Fulmar. He explains to the investigators that his illness began as a sudden intense pain in the middle of the planning meeting for a building project - it started in his chest, causing him to fall to his knees, and almost immediately spread to his whole body. A rich humanitarian, Spiridon has spent much of his fortune on public works. He seems resigned to his fate, hoping that his architectural works will serve as his legacy - although he //is// sad he never got to see the sea, and is eager to find out who is responsible for his deteriorating condition.

His immediate family offer a few leads. His sister Coralia - who seems on edge and has clearly had a recent row with her spouse, Charis - offers up the name of Aemilius Vitreus, another lordling who, like Spiridon, is interested in creating architecture, and who recently lost out to Spiridon on a big development project. Silas, Spiridon's brother, seems coldly dispassionate about Spiridon's imminent demise and clearly has his mind on the inheritance, but suggests that our heroes investigate Walpurga Pfiff, a hotheaded noblewoman who recently accused Spiridon of having insulted her (Spiridon had stepped on her foot), and threatened to kill him.

The party heads to the Vitreus mansion first. Aemilius Vitreus reclines on a divan in a marble courtyard. He is surrounded by attendants, including a small team of Perfection Weavers who ensure any blemishes he develops are quickly taken care of. Vitreus readily admits that, yes, he is bitter about losing out on that big development project, and yes, he has been planning revenge. Ah, but they are too late to stop him! With a flourish, he directs a servant to remove the dust-sheet from his magnum opus: a statue of Spiridon Argyris, horribly caricatured.

Not everyone is present to witness this: Doublethink, disguised as one of Vitreus's attendants, has let Zosime, Sowe and Quinn out of a back door to allow them to explore the mansion further. The Commissioner and the two Forest Touched find their way into Vitreus's study, where they find - alongside a few valuable sculptures which they conscientiously refrain from stealing - a plethora of unflattering cartoons, all depicting Spiridon. Vitreus has clearly allowed his professional rivalry to become a fixation, but it is equally apparent that he is too interested in smearing his opponent to have even contemplated //murdering// Spiridon. Satisfied that Aemilius Vitreus is not the culprit, the three of them prepare to leave, when there is an unearthly shriek from the courtyard-

-where Iri, Florian and Doublethink have been left to endure Vitreus's vanity for the past ten minutes. Having noticed a spot on his chin, Vitreus has directed his Perfection Weavers to erase it using a minor - no, a //major// ritual! Unfortunately, the ritual has gone horribly wrong, transforming Vitreus into a shrieking monster that looks like a horrific fusion of several broken mirrors. His attendants flee, as do Iri, Florian and Doublethink... but when Quinn, Sowe and Zosime arrive on the scene at the back of the courtyard, the Vitreus Beast is blocking their way. They are forced to fight their way out, a task that appears hopeless at first - Quinn is knocked out by a shower of mirror shards that become lodged in the Forest Touched's eyes. Luckily, Florian, Doublethink and Iri return just in time to help their comrades bring down the monster and revive Quinn.

Vitreus's attendants return to tend to their master; Doublethink - still disguised as a member of the household - is at first enlisted in helping to prepare a sick bed, but finds an excuse to escape and rejoin the retreating adventuring party. Quinn happens to glance into a mirror as they leave the mansion... and sees a reflected Quinn grinning evilly back.

Florian uses his Rom contacts to locate the residence of Walpurga Pfiff, the other obvious suspect. The party finds Pfiff's house in a state of considerable disarray: the door is hanging off its hinges; cupboards and shelves have been shattered, their contents strewn over the floor; the bed is in two halves across the room from one another; a human ear is lying in the middle of the floor (Zosime takes a bite out of it); and the word "RARR!" is written in blood on one of the walls. Pfiff is nowhere to be found, but another of Florian's contacts is able to inform our heroes that she was last seem outside the embrace, heading for the edge of the Forest.

They track her down to the very eaves of the Forest of Loss, where she is just finishing despatching a Crooked Man. Seeing their approach, she turns to wave… at which point, the bushes erupt with monstrosities of various kinds, taking Pfiff by surprise. Everyone pitches in to beat back the denizens of the Forest; vanquishing them at last, they take the opportunity to question Pfiff. She shrugs when they mention the apparent break-in at her house - that //was// a good night, she says, grinning... and our heroes observe that she seems to be missing an ear. She laughs at the suggestion that she might have caused Spiridon’s ailment - if she wanted him dead, she’d have challenged him to single combat by now… but in all honesty, she’d completely forgotten about the slight. She accuses people of having insulted her all the time, after all.

Pfiff does, however, suggest that they investigate Spiridon’s family - Silas is an ambitious, money grabbing little so-and-so, just the sort to arrange an assassination… and poor meek Coralia is liable to go along with whatever nefarious scheme he’s proposed. Our heroes have already been considering a return visit to check on the Argyris siblings, so they now devise a plan to uncover the truth....


===== Debrief =====

===== Consequences =====

====Sowe Nayoung====

  * Gains 1 Favour
  * Gains the emnity of Lakhesis
  * Gains a Mystery Deep Erosion Affliction (inform a GM of this upon character death - Sally and Seb know what is going on with this!)
  * Chronic Affliction (missing arm) is CURED
  * Gains Severe Affliction (forest arm possession) - 1 p/a the Forest takes full control of this arm at GM discretion
  * Gains the 'Crab Claw' mutation. This claw can exert considerable pressure on a small area, snipping through chains or fingers

====Quinn Marshton====

  * Gains 3 Favour
  * Gains the emnity of Lakhesis
  * Gains a Mystery Mirror Affliction (effects tbc)

====Zosime Dracona====

  * Gains 3 Favour
  * Gains the emnity of Lakhesis
  * Gains a Mystery Deep Erosion Affliction (inform a GM of this upon character death - Sally and Seb know what is going on with this!)

====Iri Voronaya====

  * Gains 2 Favour
  * Gains the emnity of Lakhesis
  * Gains a Mystery Deep Erosion Affliction (inform a GM of this upon character death - Sally and Seb know what is going on with this!)

====Florian Dorian Delorian of Rom====

  * Gains 2 Favour
  * Gains the emnity of Lakhesis
  * Gains a Mystery Deep Erosion Affliction (inform a GM of this upon character death - Sally and Seb know what is going on with this!)

====Doublethink Stingelhelm====

  * Gains 1 Favour
  * Is dating Blimkins the Butler

====Quinn Alders====

  * Gains 2 Favour
  * Gains the emnity of Lakhesis
  * Has a rapport with "Lakhesis's sister"
  * Has assisted with a Plane Binding (Erosion) ritual, and has an opportunity to contact Magister Audata for further information about Plane Binding in future.

=====The Song=====

>A queen there was who loved her king; 
>The two were seldom far apart
>Until one day, by serpent’s sting
>He lost his life and broke her heart.
>
>If branches bare may fruit afresh
>And embers kindle flames unseen,
>May life return to wasted flesh
>Upon the dictate of a queen?
>
>Through forests dark and caverns grim
>She sought the kingdom of the dead -
>If only she could speak with him
>She’d bid him follow where she led.
>
>At last, she found the secret way
>That drops into abyssal deeps.
>There, in the vastness, cold and grey,
>Gargantuan Lakhesis sleeps.
>
>Lakhesis, having heard her plea,
>Proposed a deal without ado:
>“Consign your kingdom to the sea
>And I’ll return your love to you.”
>
>She shook her head. “I cannot give
>What will persist eternally.”
>She turned away, resolved to live,
>Returned to land unclaimed by sea.
>
>Atop the highest peak she made
>A light to guide him back to shore.
>A city that will never fade;
>It bears his name forever more.

{{tag>"the river and the sea" adventure}}
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