Into the Gray

Session Summary

At the party, Sam (the Disco Thief) offers us food and dance. Arachne uses Detect Magic to identify magic users and finds a unique ink in someone's pen, getting wrapped into awkward conversation and nearly trades her necklace for an orb of scrying, but decides not to trade for or steal it. She can see that Sam is dripping in magic. Star overhears dark elves discussing government funds but does not find anything of value. We join Sam in dancing, but Elzira struggles and receives judgemental stares and quits early, while myself, Elzara, and Twinkletoes perform well enough. We all survive several constitution checks to finish the nightlong dance and learn about the freedom of expression and incorporating dance into daily life. We receive dance-based abilities relative to our performances through the night. `

Log

Sam welcomes us to refreshments and dancing.

Star looks around for dark elves and sees two. He goes to listen in to their conversation.

Arachne tries to figure out what’s the situation. It seems this is as an invite only party. She starts casting Detect Magic but catches someone’s attention.

“Oh cool! You do magic!” says the guy. “It must be kind of suffocating to be here.”

Arachne gets the feeling he is straightforward and she also hates the conversation right off. He asks how it feels to use magic.

“Well I’m not an expert in things but there are different types of magic and mine is somewhat intrinsic and I came upon it recently.”

After more probing she starts declining to answer.

She finds out that this dude helped with storage for someone at the party at some point. He says he loves learning about all these kinds of things. He asks how she got invited. “Sometimes you meet people and make an acquaintance.”

She notices many folks have small illusioned cylinders, in the opposite pocket as a letter she assumes is his invite. She asks about it, and he seems confused.

He’s confused until he pulls out a pen which apparently has special ink that only appears under certain conditions.

“Cool, cool. Well… see ya,“ she walks away.

“Oh, well it was good to meet you!” he is clearly disappointed but lets her go.

Sam goes up to a door. “Are you ready to dance all night!” The crowd cheers. “Alright, let me show you how it’s done!”

Sam starts doing some dancing and throws up a disco ball in the air and it spins around in the air.

Elzira does not do well at the dance, and receives a couple of judgemental stares and doesn’t want to continue. Elzara, Twinkletoes, and myself do alright.

Several hours pass. Sam talks ongoingly about how dance provides freedom and expression. All we can think is “How is Sam not out of breath doing this?!”

Arachne can tell that Sam is just… covered in magic. Their clothes, inside their clothes, etc. it’s all just magic.

Going through this next part of the dance we feel like we’re learning to dance through adversity. When you’re in the worst spots, dancing cannot be taken away from you, even if you can’t move. (We all have survived a CON save to carry on to this point.)

There is emphasis on freedom and personal ownership of dance nobody can take from you.

On the final check, I start flagging but Twinkletoes gives me inspiration and I do a bit better, and I pull through my Socerery Points to reroll failed performance. However, Elzara and I still take a level of exhaustion.

During the third section, Sam is focusing on dancing not being able to control you. It seems really odd. The idea that Sam is trying to drive home is that the capacity to do whatever you want doesn’t mean you should do it for the sake of doing it.

Sam does a lot of different moves, incorporating a lot of house work and cleaning into the moves, demonstrating dancing as part of your life but not taking over it. Towards the second half incorporates dance into combat-like moves.

I come away from this and I can dance while performing mundane tasks.

Elzara can also do this concept of dance as a lifestyle, but also if she needs to make a DEX Saving throw and dancing could help her dance her way out of it, she can do so with advantage.

Twinkletoes gets all of that, and cannot be forced to dance by any means. Additionally, this is a +3 to performance checks while playing an instrument.

Arachne has noticed during her time that many people have magic items she’s never seen before, mostly illusion magic. At least one enchanted and one divination item a bit bigger than a fist.

She spends much time debating with herself whether she should try to steal it. Eventually she goes to speak with the Elf carrying it directly instead. She learns it is an orb of scrying. It is worth easily over 1k gp, but probably much more.

Arachne tries to ask where she got it, but the elf is reluctant. The elf does offer to sell it but doubts Arachne can afford it.

Arachne attempts to barter with her magic beads. The elf says she needs help evaluating the beads. Another elf comes over and has a look. He says those plus 200gp would be close in value to the scrying orb.

After some debate, she decides against it.

Star, still listening in… the dark elves are discussing where to “redirect” government funds. He does not see much of interest beyond possible coin purses.

He walks over to the remaining dark elf alone in a corner eating snacks. He says a phrase common from his old town. In response, he says “Do you greet everyone like that? I haven’t heard that one before.” Star just gets up and walks away. “Alright then…”

The phrase was: “There are a lot of diamonds in the sky tonight.” It has to do with the dark elf goddess lady. “And the queen brings the night.” or “And may they shine upon you.”

Next morning! We will meet with Kai to decide what we’re doing next.

I am able to resell my empty barrel for 1gp. I offer Elzara silver pieces to help me carry it back so I can sell it but she says she’ll do it for free.