Book II- Chapter 1: Arrival in Flamekeep

[redcoat]

Book II: Flamekeep
Chapter 1: Arrival in Flamekeep

    From afar, Flamekeep resembles a gigantic fortress enclosed by high walls, its buildings perched atop a rocky plinth surrounded on all sides by a water-filled crevasse. Deep within this crevasse sits the city’s bustling harbor and more crowded districts. The magnificent Cathedral of the Silver Flame, its white alabaster walls agleam, surmounts the rocky plinth—a glorious beacon visible for miles in every direction. West of the Cathedral rise the slender spires of Thalingard, the ancestral home of Thrane’s kings. Unlike the Cathedral, the royal palace is sculpted from gray rock and looks somewhat glum by comparison.

    As you arrive, Vaunn was pulled away by several members of House Cannith- their mission parameters changing, and being summoned on the next train back. It seems House Cannith feels that Pheuse and Porter have things well in hand.  

    Arriving at the trainstation, the group has several options. You can secure lodging (Inns are plentiful enough, and there is a House Cannith Adventure Away house that is open to the members of House Cannith and guests), or you can see to your individual missions. 

    We open at the train station, where you all have paused to make your decisions.


Initiative: Porter:24, Scion:16 , Pheuse: 8, Neuks: 4

[vandalaria]

Porter walks with the group as they enter into train station, simultaneously somehow both following Pheuse and preemptively clearing the path -- the clack of their feet on the stone floor sounding perhaps just official enough to encourage people to give a bit of space. As they walk, they seem to be humming very softly to themself. It sounds like a strings part judging by the long sustains, and despite not having shown previous musical inclinations Porter seems competent.

As everyone pauses, Porter quiets. They glances around again to see if Ket -- or more unlikely, Brynna -- could be seen amongst the crowd (Perception 17) before turning back to everyone. "Master Pheuse, did you wish to report in directly, or would to prefer to avail yourself of Flamekeep first? And what of you, Mistress Ellie? Mistress Neuks?" they ask, turning their head to face each in turn.

[Ancelas]

Ellie emerged onto the train platform and took a moment to orient herself. There were so many people... an easy crowd to get lost in, if necessary. And the Cathedral! Surely they'd have time for some sight seeing while they were here?

Business first.

Ellie briefly stuck out her tongue. You're no fun. She frowned faintly as Vaunn hastily said her farewells and rubbed the back of her neck. "Well... I need to find someplace to stay, first. An inn, maybe... then I need to get down to locating Brynna."

The thought of her reminded Ellie of Ket and she glanced around to see if she could spot the other woman.

((Perception: 22))

[redcoat]

Porter- No sign of Ket

Ellie- No sign of Ket as you saw her last. You spot a blond haired Khoravar with a green tattoo on her face that looks nature-y- but it's only a glimpse as she slips into the crowd and gets lost.

[§~Samwise~§]

Pheuse scrunched his nose as his feet hit the platform. And then he frowned as Vaunn was quickly ushered away. "Good luck!" was all he could think to shout out as they vanished.

He was back to walking and back to not being able to see through a sea of fucking Giants ... from his perspective. Less than desirable, but appearances were important to maintain still.

He was distracted and trying to look around through arms and bodies to see if he could see Ket, the young child they helped in the dream, or perhaps one last glance of Vaunn. (Perception disadvantage rolled 18 and 4 - total of 8)

He replied to Porter as he fruitlessly looked around. "Well, many of us are interested in finding Brynna, and our own business is not overly long." He cast his eyes up to look between Porter, Neuks, and Ellie.

"Everyone could join us in a House Cannith establishment while we are here. And we could all seek out Brynna together. Hell, we may even bump into Ket again."

[redcoat]

Pheuse- you see a lot of knees.

[resonance]

"Oh, Vaunn! Oh..." Neuks frowned sadly as Vaunn was whisked away, "I hope she'll be okay..." But the conversation quickly turned to finding Brynna, which drew her attention back from watching as Vaunn disappeared in the crowd. She looked between Porter and Pheuse, "you want me to stay with you?" That cheered her up, and she nodded, "I'd love to!" She turned to Chev and patted him on his head between his antlers, "see, I told you we'd make friends. People weren't avoiding us like you thought!" Silly Chev.

[vandalaria]

With a nod towards Pheuse, Porter says "An excellent suggestion; the House accommodations would certainly be convenient, and I would certainly be eager to see Brynna again under better circumstances as well -- and perhaps it would even clear up some of these coincidences." Turning to Ellie, they quickly add, "Provided, of course, that it isn't an imposition. You were to escort her to Sharn as well, you said?"

Neuks's enthusiasm must be a bit contagious as Porter, standing as formally as always as they ask this, raises a hand to briefly pat the fellow automaton around its exposed scapula. Then their arm returns to their side again, as though it had never left.

[Ancelas]

Was that...? No, probably not.

Ellie hesitated at the idea of everyone hanging out together and looking for Brynna. But... the company was pleasant enough, and they did just go through a nightmare together...

Ellie... we're not here to make friends.

We share similar goals and they can make it easier for us to achieve our mission, with little interruption - wouldn't that make them allies?

...I'd like to stay together a little while longer.

Ellie flashed a smile at her companions. "If I can get access to some House accommodations, then I'm certainly not going to turn that down. As for seeing Brynna..." She winced. "The reunion might not be quite so pleasant. Part of bringing her back to Sharn means... first paying her bail..."

[resonance]

((Reaction)) Neuks's eyes widened as she looked at Ellie, and she whispered, "Brynna is a criminal?"

[§~Samwise~§]

Pheuse nodded along with Porter's assessment. He didn't fully understand the intentions of Ellie nor Neuks. But at this point they knew secrets about him and it seemed best to foster the friendship. Or at worst keep tabs on them to limit possible damage.

At the mention that Brynna was a criminal currently he became a little concerned about the Ket connection. She didn't know they were a criminal, or at least not that she was imprisoned. He reached into his pocket and draw out the crystal that the others saw him use in the dream. "Better to catch Ket and save them some time."

The sound of slow footfalls through leaves on a late fall day seemed to come from Pheuse's mouth as he cast a spell. He then just scanned through the bodies for a sense of direction. (He has cast locate object with the target being Ket's ring.)

[resonance]

Neuks repeated herself, more thoughtfully, "Brynna is a criminal. That must be quite a story! I wonder what she could have done? She sounds like such a good person otherwise." Out pops her carving tool, seemingly out of nowhere, and she taps her nose in thought. "It's a mystery..."

[redcoat]

The ring appears to be moving East, as is most of the crowd leaving the train.

[vandalaria]

"Indeed?" Porter ponders Ellie's words for a moment; considered that Neuks may not be wrong about mitigating circumstances. "Certainly there can be a difference between what is good and what is lawful, and Ket had mentioned Brynna's unit being betrayed, I believe? Perhaps..."

As they were speaking, Pheuse's casting a spell causes them pause and they allow that train of thought to trail off -- at least once it arrives to a reasonably understandable destination. But even as they do they're subtly bringing themself to a more attentive stance. Porter was learning that he acted quickly upon his ideas (they would never go so far as to say impetuously). And the suggestion to catch up as good as an order. "Very good, Master Pheuse. Shall we presume you know where she is?"

[Ancelas]

Save Ket time?" Ellie asked, bewildered. "We don't even know what she wants with Brynna - I'm just here to pay her fines and take her home."

To Neuks, she added, "We're in Thrane, Neuks. The people here are stuck up and puritanical. Step on the grass of the wrong temple, and you're liable to get a fine. Brynna's in for a little heresy, that's all." She hoped that was all...

"So, where's this hostel? We should get settled instead of stirring things up, right?"