Session 1-Off to a Good Start
Summary
Handwaving a bit of how we got together, Wei and Melanthes have been traveling together for at least a little bit after Wei offered to help Melanthes traverse the Heart. During that period, Melanthes felt a little useless and took a chance to make a pact with the bees to gain some protection and skills useful to travel (the bees are not particularly happy about traveling with someone who is Heart-bound, but after some discussion are willing to travel with the Witch). They had managed to track down Junxie to The Tower where we ended up finding a door that seemed like it might lead to some answers.
No direct leads but Ventrix directed us to look to the Secret Library or the Red Market for objects for Melanthes and Junxie might also be able to find some of the information he seeks. Junxie also managed to make off with a prototype of the device Ventrix is using to keep people 'happy' within the Tower. Our journey to the Red Market had a few hiccups but we managed to work through them and get to the Market itself, but so far our search there has not been fruitful. Perhaps next time we can find something useful talking with the ex-priestess instead of the Incarnadine scholar.
Notes
- We are starting out in the Tower-- a large 35-floor structure, entirely contained within a cave
- Junxie has been smelling a 'rancid wine' smell permeating the area around the Tower
- There is a bar inside the doorway that people have been going in and not leaving. The bar is pretty packed compared to the strange emptiness.
- Tower itself seems to be magical rather than a particular item. Or at least that seems to be the scent Junxie is smelling
- bartender says Ventrix, the boss lady upstairs (no need for an appointment)
- both Junxie (+ Mind stress) and Wei kinda squint at the bartender but he seems genuine... if maybe too nice for the area
- upstairs we see Ventrix's secretary who checks with her that we're okay to come in
- Junxie swipes a semi-nice pen from the secretary's desk that he presents on Ventrix's desk as a gift
- Ventrix does recognize the pen
- She suggests I look in the Secret Library for items that relate to The Many, and may have to venture deeper into the Red Market for the items that were specifically stolen
- the machine on the workbench may be the source of the emanation of the smell
- definitely appears to be the source of what is 'keeping people happy'
- none of us can quite figure out how the device works but seems like Ventrix is genuine in wanting to help people
- Junxie asks about a smaller version and she shows us a palm-sized one ... that he compels her to give to him (Mind Control Node D8 Occult+Harmful)
- which she then is very upset about, but only for a second before the machine seems to smooth out her emotions and she seems resigned
- we depart and Junxie tries to ask around for directions to the Red Market (+3 Fortune stress)
- on the way we find a bridge in some disrepair, so Melanthes manages to fix it using some bee skills
- after we cross the bridge, we encounter some arguing Incarnadines nearly ready to kill each other and Junxie attempts to use the mind control device but Wei swipes it from him and projects calmness to the Incarnadines so they don't kill each other and we manage to convince them to lead us to the Red Market together
- Junxie tries to ask around the market about how to start a healthcare system based on the Heart, is pointed at Seranthis
- uses Greed of the Red King to see what the Incarnadine wants most and it appears to be knowledge that will release him from his debt to Incarne
- tries to barter with the mind control node for knowledge (up in the air if Wei actually takes the node again)
- Junxie cannot remember what he read but whatever it was in the book he's handed he takes a significant amount of Echo damage and causes a fallout Dark Cravings behaves as "Strange Appetite"
- Melanthes asks to find out where he might find things like the trinkets he is looking for and is pointed toward Vermellious Destera
- Wei wants to find someone with more information on the Heart and is also pointed as Seranthis
- decides after seeing what happened to Junxie that she doesn't want to ask Seranthis for anything-- probably doesn't have what she wants anyway
Metadata
- Mind Control Node -- originally swiped by Junxie but Wei took it from him
Threads
Completed
path includes {{query.file.root}}
filter by function task.file.path.includes('/Sessions')
filter by function task.done.format('YYYY-MM-DD') === '2024-09-22'
done
Open
path includes {{query.file.root}}
filter by function task.file.path.includes('/Sessions')
not done