Quick Fate Check: Does Cypress hear about the destruction of Slumbering Bay before departing Kingshold? Result: 20, Cypress receives a report from Lugal Apogee that explains the destruction of his homeland in great detail.
The Capybarian shuts himself up in his room at the Ash Tree Inn. Hulde and Demis keep vigil in the tavern, letting their ally have a day to shut himself off from the world. Even Apogee gives Cypress space, sending a messenger to hand orders over to Hulde.
The next morning, Cypress emerges, and his colleagues don’t ask any questions but merely hand over the orders.
Sigil Check: Path
The orders tell Cypress to ride out of Kingshold due west. They are to travel to join up with an army led by Field Marshall Fulma Korrin, a Draconic who is Apogee’s most trusted military leader. She is leading her troops on a mission to intercept Qazid Icebreath before he reaches the Whispering Mountains. These officially sealed orders tell Korrin to divert her forces to the mountains and provide cover for Cypress’s plan.
N – Korrin’s Army
A – On unsuccessful Skill checks or negative Fate Checks
C – After the third advance
H – The Army clashes with Qazid, leading to a significant reduction in numbers
O – The Army is delayed due to weather caused by Qazid, which gives Cypress time to catch up
S – All of Cypress’s Skill and Fate checks in pursuit of catching up are done with Advantage
Korrin’s Army – 0/5
Horses are provided to Cypress and his companions from Apogee’s personal stables. But before Cypress could leave Kingshold, he had promised to find rumapples for the guard at the north gate. He sets out into the marketplace, searching for a vendor with something decent.
N – Rumapples
A – On successful Skill checks
C – After the first advance
H – The guard is satisfied, and Cypress suffers no consequence
O – Cypress will find no aid from the gnomes going forward, except for Hulde
S – None
Rumapples – 0/5
Skill check: 15. Good
Cypress comes across the Gnomish confectionary Bardus, which everyone in the market says makes the best rumapples.
Rumapples – 1/5
Spark check: 3, still open
Cypress and friends ride out to the northern gate with a bundle of rum apples for the grumpy guard. Cypress approaches, saying he’s a capybara of his word, and hands them over. Then, he waits to see the guard’s reaction. Does the guard approve?
Quick fate check: 4, no
The guard spits the rumapple on the ground. “What the hell is this crap?” he bellows. “This is a whiskeyapple, not a rumapple!”
Cypress apologizes profusely and shows the guard his orders from Lugal Apogee, hoping he’s intimidated enough to let him pass. Cypress sits straighter on his horse, trying to convey an aura of authority.
Korrin’s Army – 1/5
Skill check: 18, Good
The guard reads over the note closely, glancing up at Cypress at specific points, his brow furrowed. “I believe our ruler charged you with this mission, sir. However, you made a promise to me at a potentially great cost: my job and my livelihood. You cannot be trusted if you do not honor this agreement.”
Rumapples – 2/5
Cypress confers with Hulde, who confirms the gnomes take promises, even small ones, seriously. Cypress doesn’t want this to follow him, so he returns to the city, tracking down Bardus to see if he can quickly make a batch of rumapples.
Quick fate check: 19, Bardus is a very amenable gnome who hears the story and decides he will help.
Rumapples -3/5
Spark check: 5, still open.
Cypress finds the apples aren’t quite what he wanted, but he must satisfy his promise. This has the trio exiting the city again, with actual rumapples, to see if the guard likes them. Cypress sells the artisanal nature of these rumapples, handcrafted specifically for the guard at Cypress’s behest. He does his best to sell these as the best of the best.
Skill check: 1, total failure, significant consequence
Sigil check: Influence
Korrin’s Army – 2/5
When Cypress returns, the guard behaves strangely. He pays it no mind. The guard bites in, but his face remains sullen. “I am sorry,” he says. Cypress notices a rat scuttle across the floor of the guardhouse; its eyes glow purple.
A voice emerges from the shadows: “You will hand over the Nightveil Stone, Cypress. This will not be negotiated.” The figure emerges.
The Mysterious Figure: Ancestry: Umbren (shadowkin) | Disposition: Hardhearted | Goal: Restore a relationship
An icy shadowy hand, partially translucent but still material, grasps Cypress’s collar and yanks him off the ground. Hulde swings her thunder gun around, lighting the fuse. Demis points his sun spear while taking an attack stance. Cypress tells them to hold their weapons; he’s negotiating.
“Why do you want the Nightveil Stone, exactly?” Cypress inquires.
Sigil check: Loss
“To right a wrong done by this world,” the shadow spits.
“I am happy to right wrongs,” Cypress responds. “I have been wronged as well. My home has been destroyed by a terrible beast. We ride to use the Nightveil Stone to stop it. To whom am I speaking?”
“Call me ‘Lyric,’” the Umbren responds. “I don’t care about your loss. All that matters is my pain! You will give me the Stone, or you will suffer.”
“This artifact is immensely powerful. I believed it could accomplish both our desires. I would be happy to help you in your quest, too, Lyric.” the Capybarian reasons.
(I believe Cypress is rolling with Drawback for this Skill Check because Lyric is openly hostile towards him. I think this means the result will have a Decreased Effect)
Skill check: 15, Good > decreased effect > 10, complication
Complication roll: Break Ally
An unsettling smile appears in the shadows. “The guard told me what your letter said. You are intending to meet an army out in the wilds. You will not do this. Instead, you will come with me across the sea, where I will use the Nightveil Stone to mend a wound.”
Cypress cannot conceive of doing this, thinking about what Qazid has done to his hometown. He reaches into his satchel and feels the Nightveil Stone pulsing with power. He quickly removes it, holds it up to Lyric, and focuses his will on sending this creature far across the world.
Skill check: 19, good
In a flash of shadow, Lyric is gone. Smoke rises off a small spot on the floor where the Umbren had floated. Everyone is silent for a moment. Cypress feels…wrong inside. There’s something about this Stone that frightens him. He tosses it back in his satchel and tersely tells Hulde and Demis they ride out.
Rumapples -4/5
Spark check: 5, not closed.
“Um, sir,” the guard speaks up. Cypress turns around with a sigh. “The rumapples? The ones you brought me honestly weren’t good.”
The Capybarian stares him down. “Get on Hulde’s horse. Ride with us to confront this beast, and I’ll give you every damn rumapple in the known world.”
The gnome, who gives his name (Dothu), thinks momentarily and rides out with our heroes, racing to stop Korrin’s army from going up against Qazid.
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