> [!infobox|wikipedia] > # Recording > [](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afkXZlQGJDU) > # Basic Information > Attribute | Details | > ---|---| > Session # | 27 | > Play Date | 2024-12-22 | > Players | Deathmouse<br>JC<br>Kiwi<br>Lacer<br>Vael | > Party Level | 6 | > # Session Details > Attribute | Details | > ---|---| > Date | [[Campaigns/The Bloody Nails/Calendar/Year - 2507/02 - Water, 2nd.png\|10th Water, 2nd - 2507]] | > Location | [[Val Miriel]] > Characters | [[Porta Hale]]<br>[[Ayana Wynne]] | ## Summary The morning breaks over [[Val Miriel]] with tension thick in the air. At [[The Green Gryphons]], [[Vaeleran]], [[Ryo]], and [[Eryndor]] are awakened by a pulsing message from [[Governor Tarlis Evandron|Govenor Tarlis]], inquiring about a failed assassination attempt on [[General Varan Brado]] at [[The Bastion]] - a crime the party denies committing. The atmosphere shifts from intrigue to danger as Gorath, a [[Hand of the Empire]], raids the guildhall in search of a druid and a "half-folk" magic user. Thanks to the stoic deflection of [[Porta Hale]], the party evades capture, though the Guildmaster warns that their presence is becoming a liability, urging them to leave the city until the heat dies down. Meanwhile, at [[The High Sept]], [[Kai]] and [[Dondar]] awake to the aftermath of their chaotic night. Kai suffers a searing pain in his arm, accompanied by a mysterious whisper promising reward for his actions, as the starry markings on his skin fade. Aided by the cleric Lara, they attempt a desperate and somewhat comical escape through the lockdown; Dondar utilises invisibility and later a precarious disguise involving a stool and ice-platform shoes created by Kai’s magic. They eventually reunite with the rest of the party, though their "old man" disguise fails to fool their companions, leading to Dondar being unceremoniously hidden beneath sacks in their damaged cart. Seeking a way out, the party liquidates their monster harvest at [[The Fur and Fang]], securing a massive payout for the Chimera parts. Eryndor seeks counsel from [[Thaddeus Karr]] at the [[The Raven's Nest of Val Miriel]], learning a shocking truth: the young girl, [[Lia]], did not just hide during the Bastion heist, but attempted to assassinate General Brado, violating [[The Order of Ravens]]' orders. With the city gates heavily guarded and the walls patrolled by [[The Valtorran Empire|The Crimson Empire]], the party weighs their escape options. Ultimately, they decide against the risk of the open walls and choose to brave "[[The Underrun]]"—the dark, monster-infested sewers beneath the city. ## Details ### Morning Raids and Revelations * **A Message from Leadership:** [[Vaeleran]] receives a magical transmission from [[Governor Tarlis Evandron|Governor Tarlis]] via the sending stones. Tarlis suspects the party of breaking into the Bastion and attempting to assassinate [[General Varan Brado]]. Vaeleran denies the assassination attempt but confirms they are allied with the chaos. * **The Empire Knocks:** Gorath, a [[Hand of the Empire]], kicks in the doors of [[The Green Gryphons]]. He demands a druid and a "half-folk magic user." * **The Cover-up:** [[Porta Hale]] feigns ignorance, and Vera Goldfinger is magically scanned but cleared. The soldiers search the premises but find nothing. * **Eviction:** Once the soldiers leave, Porta advises the party to leave [[Val Miriel]] immediately, as the Gryphons can no longer guarantee their safety without bringing down the Empire's wrath on the guild. ### The Temple Escape * **Divine Aftermath:** [[Kai]] wakes up in [[The High Sept]] with burning pain in his arm. A voice whispers, "Such actions do not go unrewarded," as the starry constellations on his skin recede. * **Resonance:** While checking the Moonstone near the statue of [[Elaris Moonsong]], Kai feels a magnetic pull between his stone and the other, when held against the display glass. * **Disguise & Departure:** A cleric, Lara provides peasant robes. [[Dondar]] uses a Potion of Invisibility to exit the temple. Once the potion fades, they attempt a combined disguise: Dondar stands on a stool, Kai uses *Shape Water* to create thick ice soles for height, and they wrap themselves in blankets to pass as a tall, hunched figure. ### Reunion and Commerce * **The Rendezvous:** [[Vaeleran]] spots the terrible disguise immediately on the main street and pulls [[Kai]] and [[Dondar]] into an alley. Dondar is hidden in the back of the cart under canvas sacks to avoid Imperial patrols. * **Liquidating Assets:** [[Ryo]] and [[Eryndor]] visit [[The Fur and Fang]]. [[Gaara]] and [[Kira]] have finished analysing the Chimera. * **The Payout:** They offer a total of roughly 2,900 gold pieces for the Chimera parts and 40 gold for tiger pelts. They receive an upfront payment of approximately 2,000 gold pieces (with some held back for processing). Ryo quietly pockets the 40 gold from the tiger pelts for himself. * **Shopping Trip:** The party moves to [[The Artisan Way]]. Dondar buys fine paper for his spellbook, and Kai buys ruby dust from [[Felix]] at [[The Bridge of Stars]], apologising for his previous attempt to charm the shopkeeper. ### The Ravens and the Exit Strategy * **The Safehouse:** [[Eryndor]] uses the passphrase ("I'll have one of your sharpest drinks") to enter [[The Order of Ravens]] [[Raven's Nest|Nest]] beneath the [[The Gilded Crow]]. * **Leah's Betrayal:** [[Thaddeus Karr]] reveals that [[Lia]] went rogue during the heist. Instead of escaping, she tried to cut [[General Varan Brado]]'s throat. She is now detained by the Ravens as a security risk, and Thaddeus is debating whether she can be allowed to live. * **Escape Options:** Thaddeus outlines three ways out of the locked-down city: * **The Fisherman:** A smuggler named Holdar at the docks (expensive). * **The Wall:** Climbing over the 30ft perimeter (risky, heavy patrols). * **The Underrun:** The sewer system beneath the city (dangerous creatures). * **The Decision:** The party scouts the northern wall near [[The Theatre of Dreams]] but deems the patrols and open terrain too risky. They vote to take [[The Underrun]] and head underground to escape the city unnoticed.