Session 55: The Busty Baroness

When last we left our heroes... It was quite a bit of work, but Reiana, Vanera, and Anaris finally managed to get in to see Mother Superior Zishunei of the Convent of the Ram of Dawn. The conversation with the Mother Superior was... less than illuminating, but she did eventually tell Anaris what she needed to know to complete her pilgrimage, and she agreed to put the Companions in touch with members of the local Resistance. They were to meet them outside the city gate the following evening. 

In the meantime, Tanurendal and Tengelbur were busy pursuing their own line of inquiry: having left the Perfumer's tent, they headed back almost immediately after deciding that they needed some kind of "knockout gas" to use on the Governor's guards. Although the Perfumer didn't have anything matching that description, they eventually paid a hefty price in silver for hallucinogenic honey from the Northern Moors. Taking the honey to the nearest local tavern with a catering service -- the aptly named "busty baroness" -- they catered a party at the Governor's mansion for that evening. 

Meeting back up with the unlikely duo inside the Busty Baroness, Reiana and Vanera were a little aghast at the plans that had been made without their input (to say nothing of consent). Thoranrai eventually suggested that the women in the party dress up as serving staff from the Busty Baroness, while the men pass themselves off as drivers and cooks. In the meantime, though, they seem to have been followed to the Busty Baroness by hooded figures--either the agents of the Governor, or possibly more of the so-called "Sons of Orusen..."

Session 54: The Prince of Midnight

 When last we left our heroes...

Unceremoniously deposited back in the port city of Dlakfi Klorpeim, the companions decided to split up to cover more ground: Tengelbur and Tanurendal would take Thoranrai to the local bazar, in the hopes of finding any of Thoranrai's old Resistance contacts, or perhaps some of the Scarlet Sisterhood, while the rest of the Company went to the Convent of the Ram of Dawn, hoping to speak directly with Mother Superior Zishunei in the hopes that she would be able to do something to help free Talarja (without the Companions having to resort to murder).

A reluctant Thoranrai led Tengelbur and Tanurendal to the tent of a Perfumer named Yalafir, where they breathed deeply of burning bowls carved of the Setelnor tree, and spoke--in a vision, or a dream, or perhaps a trance--with the enigmatic leader of the Resistance, one who calls himself "The Son of Midnight." It seems that, with the recent push of the Royalists to retake the Leopard Isles, the Son of Midnight and his followers have gone into hiding for the time being. The encounter, while not entirely helpful, did give them some clues as to Resistance activities in the Isle and a possible connection between the Son of Midnight and Thoranrai. The Son of Midnight offered to rescue Talarja if the companions could find for him the Anvil of Lanenomen, the "Starstone" as he called it, and bring it to him. 

Meanwhile, the rest of the companions made their way through the narrow streets towards the Convent of the Ram of Dawn. Along the way, they were first distracted, and then ATTACKED! by a sausage-merchant, who turned out to be one of the so-called Sons of Orusen, intent on preventing a prophecy supposedly made by Orusen from coming to pass. This prophecy apparently included the names of the companions, as well as the fact that they would undertake a journey to these isles. After defeating their attackers and interrogating one of them, the companions continued to make their way to the Convent...