# Mad King's Banquet with a twist



## Zinovia (Feb 14, 2011)

The Sterling Company of Adventurers (also known as the Shiny Company, the Stalwart Company or the Stubborn Company) always did what they thought was right, in their own unique way.  Perhaps some of their choices might seem a bit shady to those who did not grasp their true motives, but even if there was a bit of tarnish here and there, they were true heroes.  They had extinguished the Fire Forest, recovered the artifact that provided shelter to the refugees of Seaquen, and saved the town from the onslaught of a powerful hurricane.

Escorting the diplomat Lord Balan to the court of King Sigweard (name and race change) in the dwarven kingdom of Dassen should have been a straightforward mission.  What could possibly go wrong?  Before they arrived in the city, they rescued a halfling caravan and the mage they were smuggling out of the city from a group of overzealous guards.  There they learned of the assassination of the King's family.  The eladrin warlord claimed to be a commander from a different province, criticized the guards on their slovenly appearance, and officiously ordered the unit of guards to return to their patrol.  They bought it.

After bribing their way into the city, the SCA began learning their way around the city of Bresk.  Naturally the flamboyant genasi swordmage had to first check out the Three Flowers brothel, which he had heard was the base of operations for an information broker.  The twin halflings scouted out the palace, and delivered a letter from his son to Lord Guinness (renamed by the party from Lord Jinis).  After insulting a guard and winning the subsequent duel of honor, the warlord bluffed his way into the guard barracks in the city, this time claiming to be a general from Sindaire.  His goal was to obtain information from the officers there.  The elven seeker checked in with the Keepers of Ioun, an organization dedicated to keeping dangerous knowledge out of hands that would use it for evil.  They discovered that things in Bresk had become unstable, with citizens arrested and interrogated on the flimsiest of charges.  Balan went to look at the Book of Eight Lands at the behest of the party, where they learned that the king was suffering from Mindhaunt Affliction, and that only the Brightstaff could cure it.

As they escorted Lord Balan into the court, enduring the sneers and rude jibes of the courtiers, Balan suddenly collapsed just as he was about to make his speech entreating aid for Seaquen.  The halfling sorceress stepped forward and pled the king for aid, and though she spoke eloquently, she was refused.  Everyone was creeped out by Baroness Nina, the king's advisor, as she interrogated Lord Guinness.  A member of the Ragesian delegation, who was actually a Ragesian deserter and spy for Jarl Gaeler, helped Lord Balan after he fell (introducing a new PC to the party).

After foiling an assassination attempt on Lord Balan later that night, the group fled the city, commandeering a carriage from a befuddled palace servant.  They defeated a remorrhaz as it was preying on a group of frightened refugees, and eventually wound up in the northern province at the fortress of Jarl Gaeler (name and race change).  They trekked through the snowy mountains to investigate the guard outposts along the Alydi Gap, and disposed of the Ragesians they found there, adding to their collection of Inquisitor masks.  

To be continued when I have a bit more time...


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