Into the Gray

Session Summary

Star and Wash hash out differences and loyalties over drinks. Wash has worked with Kai, a warlock, for a while but seems to stay cautious. He deeply distrusts Hedvika. Wash explains he is interested in the portal, which should connect to something else much more interesting. Star lays out a plan to get further into the house, and reveals that he knows about Wash having blueprints. They discuss finding and taking the portal. The next morning, Star updates us all. Elzira is reluctant to steal from a high elf. Elzara tells us that all these artifacts being discussed are dangerous relics from the War of Magic. Someone from the North having artifacts from the South is somewhat suspicious. Wash tells us that the war was 50 years ago across the whole continent, devastating ecological systems so that people can now only live within the safety of cities and using the magical tree-ways to travel. Owlbears are an invented monstrosity from around this time. Kelderheim was adept with the use of magic, where Conqel specialized in creating magical items. Wash tells us he is a Horizon Walker. Pharèl buys himself a chef's uniform before leaving breakfast. Elzira picks up a history book about Gendry at the General Store.

Log

Star meets Wash at the bar. “I think you know why we’re here,” Star says, “How much do you trust your friend?”

“As far as I can throw him,” Wash says of Hedvika. 

“I meant Kai.”

“We’ve worked together for a while, but warlocks aren’t god's favorite children,” Wash shrugs. 

Star laughs at Wash’s honesty. “And why don’t you trust Hedvika?”

“I’ve had my experience with the rich and powerful, and some of his behaviors are sketchy.” 

“It’s clear you’re looking for something in Hedvika's Mansion, what is it?” Star asked.

Wash plainly says the portal, but that the portal should be directly tied to an artifact which is what’s interesting to him. 

“What if I could get you a little further into the mansion than you got today?”

A little more banter happens as they debate how attached Star is to Hedvika, and Star’s desire to save the town of Valdethirsk. Star explains that he laid the groundwork for Twinkletoes to perform at Hedvika’s house. He thinks this should create a good opportunity to get in and see more of the house. 

Star wants to know what Wash will do once he has the artifact. “Leave town, probably. I thought Kai and I made that pretty clear.” 

More back and forth occurs. Star suggests that we’ll need blueprints and Wash will want to check his blueprints. “And what do you know about my having blueprints?”

Star refers back to Wash’s comment about trusting people as far as he can throw them. “I’m not the kind of person who can throw people very far.” 

Star keeps trying to pry out exactly what they want to do with the artifact.

Wash ends the conversation by saying he doesn’t easily trust someone who stalks him instead of talking to him. Star tries to pay for his drink and heads to the inn.

Wash does a stellar Naruto run out of the inn, to applause.

It’s now Thursday morning.

Elzira showers at 3am. #bathtime

Star and I begin training at 4am. My shift at the restaurant is 5:30am. Everyone will be awake by 7am and heads to the Flank n Shank for breakfast. I’ll be working the full morning shift and checking on my staff, possibly shopping again in the evening.

Wash is not present.

Star collects us to talk at breakfast. “I talked with Wash last night. His plan is to steal an artifact from Hedvika. I think he and Kai want to do that and then leave town. I’m not sure this is the best idea since Hedvika is basically offering us well paid jobs.” 

Elzira says he’s not particularly interested in stealing from a perfectly respectable high elf. This makes Arachne scowl and laugh.

After some small chatter about Kai being a warlock, then silence. “Do we know that Hedvika actually belongs to this guy?”

I casually suggest we get paid to do work for Hedvika and then help Kai and Wash get their artifact before we head out to go adventuring.

Star stares at me dumbfounded.

Arachne says “I don’t want to work for him.”

“Why not, I don’t trust him either but his money still pays for stuff.” Arachne nods.

We all continue debating whether Hedvika really has the best interest of Valdethirsk in mind, why didn’t he have guards out there already? #clues

Star says he’s not currently motivated to steal the artifact. I ask whether he’ll stop anyone else from stealing it. He can’t decide. He tells us Wash has offered to answer all our questions bluntly.

Wash is currently making his way downtown and making a visit to town hall.

Elzara reminds everyone that we’re talking about dangerous war artifacts. 

“Why didn’t you tell us before??” Star demands.

“War artifacts?” Arachne says.

“Dangerous ones?” I follow up.

“Maybe? If we’re talking about portals?” Elzara says. “I thought you guys knew.”

Star says he grew up under a rock. I explain I’m not from here, I know general concepts about the war but I don’t really know the history. Elzara explains a little bit about the war between North (Kelderheim) and South (Conqel).

I suggest that if Wash is into artifacts, he probably has a lot of answers about this. Elzara notes that Hedvika is from the North. If he has artifacts from the South, that’s suspicious. As the party leaves, Elzara tells me to ask around with my coworkers to see what they know about Kai and Hedvika.  #clues ^08acc0

Elzara and Star carry on with a private conversation as they leave the restaurant. 

I strike up a conversation with my coworkers about these characters. 

As I ask around, the answers tend to be, “I haven’t heard about this Kai guy, I am not super familiar with artifacts myself. Hedvika, he sounds familiar? He came in the past year, we can’t tell you much about him. He keeps to himself. He goes to the theater, I think? I could be wrong.” 

I ask about who people do know around here. They talk about the regulars, people who go to the same places all the time. People in theater work are usually well known. A lot of people know the front-working staff, like the food shops and such. Most everyone knows the General Store. That’s more out of everyone who goes there. 

I inquire about what interesting happens in Gendry. They said it’s usually pretty quiet. They say everyone knows Tasha, I say she seems pretty nice but stressed.

I also ask about where I can find a cooks outfit. They’ve equipped me with one to wear for work, I have to talk to a boss. They’ve told me I can buy the uniform (7sp).  #items #cooking

Meta: Israel and Melina join a private call. 

Elzira is itching to go to the General Store and buy a book.

“I’m afraid that will leave the rest of the party feeling alienated,” Star is saying as Wash walks up. 

“Well, I don’t want you to feel alienated,” Wash crosses his arms. 

“Why didn’t you tell us these were old weapons from the war?” 

“They’re not necessarily weapons…” 

This leads to Wash wondering who even knows about the war at all. Only Elzara and Twinkletoes have any knowledge. Elzira knows it happened. Star and Arachne knew nothing. I’m not there.

“Oh, wow. I guess I underestimated how much knowledge was around here,” Wash sighs. “This is my fault I guess for not clarifying.” 

Wash laughs about me needing to be there, as he knows I will neither care much or remember. They all crowd back in to the inn so that Wash can spend some time explaining how everything works. They pile into Elzara’s room. 

Wash tells history. About 50 years ago there was a massive war on the continent. The war devastated the ecological systems and have mostly made it so people live directly inside larger cities and traveling along the tree-ways. Kelderheim was adept concerning magic, where Conqel made magical items. He reminds them of the vats we found near Valdethirsk, and that this is some magical concoction to make owlbears, which are not naturally occurring. He lets them know he is a Horizon Walker. 

Arachne asks whether the artifact in Hedvika’s house belongs to him. Or maybe dangerous in his hands, asks Star.

That’s the thing, they’re holes in the universe. It could lead to another town, into hell, or for smuggling. They could be anything, Wash says.

With the suspicious situation where he’s not willing to show or tell anyone about it. Arachne is forming a conspiracy theory about the portal in that it runs to Valdethirsk and experiments.  ^2939ee

Wash says he and Kai do research about these kinds of artifacts and collect them to learn more about what they do. 

Star wants to know what Hedvika is mining in Valdethirsk. Wash doesn’t know but says it is incredibly suspicious. Wash says we can take the diplomatic route since we’ve established contact, until it doesn’t work, then go back to Plan B aka breaking and entering 101.  ^07c1e9

Wash assumes the trepidation is due to the concept of breaking and entering, though that seems surprising. He says if there’s no real reason to take it, he’s happy to leave it. But they want to find out why and for what Hedvika is using it.

Star suggests they first figure out where it is and how he’s using it. 

Wash reminds him that if he’s up to something bad and we steal the artifact, it’s not going to take long for Hedvika to figure out who did it. 

Wash reminds them that we have to be careful if we want to care about the Valdethirsk citizens. 

Elzara asks “What about Kai?”

Wash says, “Why would he know about Kai?”

“But, hypothetically…” Star says as Wash sighs.

“That’s the sound I was hoping not to hear. I guess I’ll be warning Kai he’s on the shortlist.” 

“I made it clear I don’t trust that guy,” says Star.

There is more banter about trust, or lack thereof.

“Well, I am down for whatever plan takes the least amount of time.” Arachne turns on her heel and heads out. 

“I’ve got explosive powder and a Warlock who knows how to light it up,” Wash says, Arachne throws a thumbs up on the way out.

A bit more banter and the group disbands.

Elzira is finally able to go pick up the history book for 25gp from the General Store. #shopping #items #costs

Session Summary

• Wednesday night: Star and Wash talk about Kai and Wash’s plans regarding Hedvika

  • Neither trust anyone basically, including each other
  • Wash only trusts people as far as he can throw, but can throw pretty far
  • Wash can Naruto run really well
  • Wash’s plan is to nab the artifact and get out of town

• Thursday morning: Training 1 hour

• 5:30am Restaurant shift

• 7:00am Group conversation to discuss plans sans Wash, who is at the Town Hall

  • Star informs us of Wash’s plan

  • Star tells us that Kai is a warlock

  • We doubt Hedvika’s motivations

  • Star doesn’t know whether he would stop us from stealing it

  • We know Wash is happy to answer all questions

  • Elzara tells the table artifacts are weapons from the war

    • Star didn’t know at all
    • Arachne and I knew there was a war but not anything meaningful
    • Twinkletoes and Elzira knew about the war and what it was about
    • Elzara knew in detail about the war and more about the artifacts

• After breakfast: Running into Wash, conversation at the inn sans me

  • Elzara and Star have a private conversation
  • Wash learns no one knew about the war and invites them to learn
  • He says not all artifacts are weapons or dangerous
  • 50 years ago, all-out war on the continent
  • Devastated ecological systems, people have to live inside cities only
  • The vats are the doing of Kelderheim down in Conqel to concoct owlbears
  • He is a Horizon Walker
  • Hedvika’s portal could be benign or extremely harmful
  • Arachne is forming a conspiracy theory about it
  • No one knows what Hedvika is mining in Valdethirsk
  • Star wants to know what Hedvika is using the portal for first before theft
  • Wash only wants to steal it if it’s being used for evil intent
  • Wash gets wind that Kai is on Hedvika’s watch list now

• Elzira finally gets the history book at the General Store

• I ask around to see what people know at my work

  • No one knows about Kai

  • People only know that Hedvika likes the theater and is reclusive

  • Everyone pretty much knows:

    • Store regulars
    • Workers at the main stores
    • Theater performers
    • Tasha

  • The city is usually quiet

• I buy a chef’s uniform from the store, I leave it with management until we’re leaving town

Meta Information

Immediate character goals: 

• Plan festival with Hedvika and the Gendry Theater ✅ 2022-08-17
• Ask Dilip Corry about my staff ✅ 2022-08-17