Episode 28: Revelations in Three Acts Report
General Summary
Metamorphosis Interruptus
The crew begins the Ceremony of Consumption to absorb the Telperion Moon Raider into the Changeling Skyship Blackjack. They provide materials recovered from the chaos of Pandemonium. Nels Silversång volunteers his changeling blood for the ritual as long as El is the one spilling it.
The Exalted of Dreams spills Nels' blood safely, but she feels the headthirsty Moon Blade of Heskiloth jerk in her hands, seeking to more than just blood. Pseudopods extend from the Blackjack to devour the Moon Raider and the ship asks for the Patron's blessing.
Without a blessing from the warlock captain's patron the ritual fails. Nia asks Moon Breeze about it but the ki-rin has no experience with such a ritual. Nia's patron is willing to try if we bring the Blackjack to her for more research.
With business in different parts of Lozar the Crew splits up, allowing Coyote Rose to pilot the Moon Raider. Lance and El have been invited to Lance's home in Razakstad for an important dinner. Spark and Nia take the Blackjack to pick up Spark's family in Magus Valley then head to the Zone.
Once there, they split up again as Nia and Thunderfox join Moon Breeze at the Benediction of the Heavenly Council. Spark leads an assault on the Hag Gangs of Goblin Town.
Neophyte Firefight
With the death of Freedom, the Hag Gangs have had free reign in Goblin Town. The poor goblins have suffered a reign of terror and brutality under the hags. The Zone Authority is forbidden to help as long as the trouble stays within the borders of the Magister's Slice. The Magisters ignore the suffering so long as their streets are clean and their food gets cooked. I do hope that Freedom's grandson shows up to do something about this someday.
The troubles in Goblin Town have been weighing on Spark's mind during his adventures roving around the world and beyond. With a few days to himself, he recruits the genasi sorceress Paz Ionite and the dwarven thunder smith Cumvel Coyilen to sweep through his grandfather's old Blue Stone neighborhood. They want to evict the gangs in the name of his grandfather, Of the Goblins the Freedom.
They target the Night Hag, Bitter Pam, and her Sticky Boys, leaving Of the Hope the Way with his fellow blue goblins: Of the Vengeance the Rebellion, Frailarm and Mealworm. He ensconces them in the safety of Freedom's old house while the adults hunt down hags and gang members.
As soon as Spark leaves, they hear a voice in their minds, "My most delicious meal has returned to me.... times four! Get them!" Blathering Blanche, the green hag, had avoided the net and found them.
An assault with a ogre howdah began, but the kids pushed back with psi knives, astral arms and a few shots of the Xenobuster. With the kids in the open, Blanche showed herself and tried to take control of Way's mind. She didn't have the strength, and the kids assaulted her. She starts cursing as they almost take her down and she turns invisible to escape.
The kids track her with their telepathic powers. In a rage, she drops her invisibility to hit them with a lightning bolt that only slays one of her own now charmed gangsters. With a combo of psychic bloodhounding and telekinetic leapfrog. They take her down. Spark shows up, puts the hags head on a stick and hands out blue stone earrings as prizes. Way also gets a glass dragonfly.
Dinnertime Decisions
In Razakstad, Lance sits down to dinner with his parents Lord Maximillian von Razak and Lady Fransiska von Razak, his uncle Count Hellenbrecht Tun-Razak, the Duke Verneri Molndal, Carl Malmström, Patriarch of the Sun, the butterfly winged aasimar Islar, Heirophant of the Moon and El the Exalted of Dreams.
As they sit down to dinner, Coyote Rose is treated like a servant and Nels, scion of a minor house, is treated like a vassal. Nels massages El as Coyote flirts with Lance's dad. She joins the staff in the kitchen and finds some weird sulfur brandy and blood wine.
Dinner commences and they discuss giving the Cone of the Sun to Lance. They also bring in Titivilus, the Ambassador of Hell and Lady Aleonera Molndal. Islar doesn't like a devil making choices for the Church of Sun & Moon, but the Duke defends their ally while Max goes on a racist/anti-racist tangent.
Coyote then performs some mix-o-mancy and serves the drinks. Aleonara takes the blood wine then coughs because the blood was tampered with. Coyote panics that she has poisoned her idol. She remixes the bloodwine with her own blood to serve to Aleonara and after returning it faints in a mixture of anxiety and fangasm.
The dinner party then asks El to explain why Lance should receive the cone. El pulls out the Blade of Heskiloth and summons forth her new oracular powers. She asks how giving the Cone of the Sun to Lance will affect the future of House Molndal, the divination answers "Weal".
Nels takes a moment to step into the next room and detect thoughts to surreptitiously sense the surface thoughts of the dinner party. Nels gets instantly drawn in to Lady Aleonera's thoughts. A devilish lover, a cambion child, a legion of tieflings sharing her bloodline, ruling a new world, spending centuries taking new names to hide that she is not Aleonara, but Lady Alera Molndal the ancient duchess of Molndal turned vampire!
Detecting the invader in her mind, she dominates Nels and orders him meet her in a side room. Nels obeys and she bites him, turning him into a dhampir. The devil then notes that all the memories will be wiped from this, Lance has the Cone of the Sun, but the whole purpose of the dinner was to make Moon Breeze vulverable to an attack!
El's successful divination turns the tide on the vote. Everyone at the table is overcome by the importance of El's mission as the Exalted of Dreams. The Ambassador of Hell is especially moved.
"The souls of the elves have suffered in the void between worlds for long enough! I will do everything I can to help the righteous Exalted of Dreams bring them to their rightful place!"
The Lord von Razak makes a moving and heartfelt case for his son.
My boy... No! He's no longer a boy, he's a man! And what a man he has become! My son is ready to take on this mission! He will claim one of the Six Moons for the glory of House Razak and House Molndal!
I believe that the Exalted of Dreams' divination has revealed this divine truth unto us! Lanzo will succeed if we give him this amazing hat! Look at how good he looks! My boy!!
Lord Molndal nods his head in agreement and everyone applauds as the Patriarch of the Sun places the Cone of the Sun on Lance's head, giving him the most glorious hat of all! Everyone is really impressed!! Everyone toasts to Lance's achievment and expresses their concern for the souls of the First Armada.
As the successful dinner party winds down, Aleonera Molndal quietly says, "I think there's one more obstacle in Lance and El's path. I might be mistaken, but somehow the brave crew of the Blackjack still needs a dhampir or vampire to be present at Thaya's Grave? How could we help them?"
The Ambassador of Hell replied, "As you know, we Baatezu do not discriminate against any sentient folk. As a matter of fact, I have a vampire capable of creating a dhampir here with me. But it would take a person of great courage to..."
"I volunteer as tribute!" Everyone gasps to see Nels Silversång step forth for the honor of his family and House Molndal.
The kind eyes of Lady Aleonera turn to the young man. "Are you sure Lord Silversång? This will change your life forever. You will lose some of who you were, but you would gain great honor for your family, and perhaps life everlasting."
Tearfully, Nels nods his head. The Ambassador motions to the room next door. Nels proudly walks into the room next door and emerges a few minutes later. He is pale and a little shaky. His neck bears the fang marks of the Ambassador's loyal servant. "It is done." says Aleonera, "You are such a brave young man Nels! Your mission now has a chance of success! May the odds be ever in your favor!!"
Lady Aleonera Molndal Token
Killin' the Ki-rin
At the Benediction of the Heavenly Council, Moon Breeze is in a parade with Nia. It is the day of Heaven, but the clouds hang threateningly as the Minokawa, an eagle kaiju moon eater rises from the Kirinal Pit.
Then, a dhampir, half-orc, worg, cultist, gibbering mouther, cerberus and something else invade the parade. there is some chaos. The dhampir and half-orc are Kansa and Rendar, Fang and Clang. They drop a silence and start attacking Moon Breeze.
Krok the Worg tries to help, but Detective Lim and his partner Detective Kkash are nearby to help slow them down.
Moon Breeze rushes to escape and protects herself with a sanctuary spell, Thunderfox stabs a double headed doggo. The sanctuary protects Moon Breeze from a complete unloading of Kansa's double barrel down her throat. She then escapes and the scene devolves into further chaos.
