A Faerie Affair - IC III: In the Court of the Faerie King

[WindStruck]

After having copied down the encrypted letter and given the others a brief chance to look at the original, Astra mends up the letter, puts it back in the envelope neatly, then mends that shut.

I guess we can look at letter two! And she opens the next envelope also in the same way: from the side, or along the top with the knife, avoiding the seal entirely.

[Ninja_Prawn]

After having copied down the encrypted letter and given the others a brief chance to look at the original, Astra mends up the letter, puts it back in the envelope neatly, then mends that shut.

I guess we can look at letter two! And she opens the next envelope also in the same way: from the side, or along the top with the knife, avoiding the seal entirely.

The second letter, addressed to Fluffpudding, is also encrypted, but your instincts tell you that this one might be easier to crack.

Spoiler: Fluffpudding Letter

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ITQZ U PA OAGZF FTQ OXAOW OAOA FTQ TUXX SUMZF UE XMLK MZP QHQDKAZQ TME EQQZ FTQ SAXP DAAY EFAB OGF AGF EFADY MZP OXAGPKEWK EFAB QZOXAEQP UE FTQ WUZPXUZS XUXU BXQMEQ NGK YK EUEFQD EAYQ RXAIQDE QZQZ TQ FMWQE FTQQ TQZOQ

Inside the envelope is a small lump of greenish stone that looks like this and a dull, unadorned bronze key sized for a medium-sized creature.

[Stan]

Opal examines the stone, to see if she knows what mineral it is.

"If you like I can try the second letter, though I'm getting tired so I don't mind if others want to give it a try. Anyone have any ideas on the key? Seen any locks this size?"

[WindStruck]

Astra squints at the 2nd letter, noticing the word FTQ... assuming that stood for THE... TQ would be HE and FTQQ would be THEE.

Yes, that must be right.

"e*e* he t**e* thee he**e..."


"What...? I guess I'm doing this wrong. There's no word like that at all."

Spoiler

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Well I tried.

[Ninja_Prawn]

Astra realises that, even if this letter can be deciphered, it will still take a while to straighten it all out. It'll probably look much easier in the morning.

The last letter, the one that isn't sealed, also turns out not to be encrypted. It says:

Spoiler: Sumira Letter

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Dearest Sumi,

Happy birthday! Now you are officially old! How does it feel? I've asked Scarface to get you something, so don't let him try to pretend it was his idea, okay?

I hope things are going well for you. It's been smooth sailing so far over here, but it does get lonely sometimes. I can't wait to finish this mission and come back home.

Anyway, have a lovely day, and don't forget about me!

Love, R

[Majin]

"Well, Rhona sure was a suspicious person. Though I guess she was right to be..." Kor says, looking at the scrambled text.

"That key is suspiciously big. Won't fit many locks in here. If we find any suspicious huge doors or chests, I think we should try it. Could we somehow make a copy of the key as well?"

Kor takes a look at the last letter. "Hmm, so she has friend called Scarface. I don't think nice people usually have names like that. So we might want to be wary", Kor says and quickly adds: "Not that I'd be afraid of any thugs, of course"

[WindStruck]

"Well, the name 'Scarface' could just be one of those madeup names.. maybe he wants to sound intimidating? Oh, and about that key. I just had to go and help find a key about that size for Jasper. He's the merchant captain guy we met in court that wouldn't rhyme. So it turned out the key to the copper mines they have was lost.. hm... Curious how the door and key were all human-sized anyway..."

As Astra pondered that situation, she took another look at the 2nd letter. She felt she could decode it.. maybe looking at it from a different angle..!

Spoiler: roll

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int: (1d20+2)[12]

[tgva8889]

Orianna doesn't bother to look at the ciphered letter much, more closely examining the key on the table. When they open the second letter, she reads it over a few times before returning it to be resealed. "I think this Sumira person and 'Rhona' might be quite close. Perhaps if we can get into her good graces she might help us understand a bit more about what's going on here." Thinking for a moment, she gives a sigh. "Either that or it's the key to deciphering one of the letters.

[Ninja_Prawn]

You've been pondering the contents of the bag for a while now, and time is marching on. Astra's efforts to crack the second letter prove inconclusive, though you are starting to think that perhaps there are some nonsense words mixed in there as padding. As Orianna is offering her latest musing, a gong sounds from the restaurant's kitchen. It seems that closing time is approaching.

[Stan]

"We should get going. Remember, we need to meet up early tomorrow to get ready to talk to the king. I don't know how soon we'll head out to the other court. If you want, I can take the simpler letter to decrypt and work on it when I'm fresh in the morning."

As they leave, Opal seeks out the waitress to give her some extra coins and thanks for the heads up.

[WindStruck]

"That sounds good, Opal," Astra says, growing a bit weary. "And if you all don't mind, I will try and have a closer look at the other more complex one that I copied down..."

Admittedly Astra had just about zero experience doing this sort of thing, except perhaps as a little game when she was younger. It was far, far, simpler apparently. Perhaps she'd have to try and think of ways to devise an encryption system of her own before even attempting to tackle this would be feasible.

[Majin]

Kor yawns and stretches as they start to leave. He didn't have much input to give about these letters. Codes weren't really his specialty, so he'd just stared intensively at the random letters and dozed off at some point.

"Sounds like it's a plan. Just tell us when you solve it, okay? Oh, and-" Kor looks around to check no one's eavesdropping, and says in a quieter voice. It wouldn't do to give away any more secrets. "We should also check out the secret passages tomorrow"

[Ninja_Prawn]

You exit the Bittersweet Buffet and take in the cool evening air. The sky of the enclave is mostly blocked out by the branches and leaves of a tree canopy, but what you can see of it isn't really *dark*, per se, and there are still faerie lanterns all around that fill the whole place with rich, diffuse light. There isn't really a night here, not in the sense you're used to from the Material Plane.

Still, it's time to go your separate ways. And while you are all too tired to focus on anything taxing now, you can probably grab an hour or so of relaxation time before you go to bed. Is there anything in particular you'd like to do?

[Ninja_Prawn]

Today is the 3^rd of Mirtul, 1492. It is morning.
You all gain the benefits of a long rest.

Opal wakes up early and has another look at the letters. She realises that the second letter, the one to Scarface, is a shift cipher, where every letter is replaced by one a certain number of steps away in the alphabet. Unless you want to be late for your meeting with the King, though, you will have to put off the exercise of actually writing it out until afterwards.

You all meet Cloverfield in a private room at the Palace. Goldfeather is there too, in his formal robes. The King arrives and gestures to the Lord High Wizard, who begins casting a complicated arcane ritual that takes a full 10 minutes to complete (intelligence (Arcana) DC 14 to identify the spell). Soren's eyes stay fixed on Goldfeather for the entire time.

"Good morning, my envoys," he begins, after the wizard assures him that the casting is done. "I trust you slept well. You will need to be well-rested for what is to come: one false step could ruin everything. Miss Orlaith, I assume you have informed your companions of the plan?" He pauses to make sure. "Then it is time to discuss the details. Firstly, I would like you to depart today - will that be possible?"

[Stan]

Opal nods assent to both questions. "Yes, your majesty."

[Ninja_Prawn]

"Excellent. Now, you must understand that I cannot trust Reena without some meaningful concessions on her part. The return of my humans would be sufficient, or perhaps she could tell me what she changed the passwords on my golems to. I haven't been able to activate them for years... in any case, a meaningful concession and I will be willing to sit down and negotiate more freely. Is that clear?"

[Majin]

Before he departs to meet the king, Kor finally remembers to check if the bauble that had belonged to the other faerie dragon had any magic in it. If it does, Kor takes it with him, for Astra to research further.

--

Kor nods to the king's query. He slept well most of the time, though he might have preferred to sleep a bit longer.

"Oh, we'll do our best. But before we depart, would it be okay to take quick look in your treasury? Um, your majesty. Didn't have time yesterday. And maybe take a souvenir for the road"

[Ninja_Prawn]

Before he departs to meet the king, Kor finally remembers to check if the bauble that had belonged to the other faerie dragon had any magic in it. If it does, Kor takes it with him, for Astra to research further.

After a bit of fiddling, you determine that the orb is an arcane focus. Useless to you, as a druid, but Kyu, Astra or any other arcane spellcaster should be able to channel their magics through it. Clearly Ferb's fallen comrade was a mage of some kind.

"Oh, we'll do our best. But before we depart, would it be okay to take quick look in your treasury? Um, your majesty. Didn't have time yesterday. And maybe take a souvenir for the road"

"Bien sûr, Master Korialstrasz!" He thunders. "That is the other reason why I gathered you all here this morning: I must repay you for the gifts you have brought me. A 'souvenir' for each of you should put me back into credit, don't you think?"

You get the feeling that it is probably best to get any talking you need to do out of the way first, before you head to the Vault.

[WindStruck]

"Wait... are you saying you'll refuse to partake in this contest thing unless Reena makes a small concession first?" Astra asked.

She didn't think this was good. What if Reena was exactly the same way, and wanted her concession first?

[Ninja_Prawn]

"That is the general idea, yes. How can I trust her, otherwise?" The King replies, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

[WindStruck]

"Uh. Right! Right, of course..." Astra said, trying to agree as seemingly wholeheartedly as she could to the king.

She shot the others a nervous glance when his focus left her, and she gestured a nervous handwavy shrug sort of like beckoning them before making it just seem like she was running her fingers through her hair briefly. She definitely wanted to talk to the others at the very next opportunity.

[Stan]

Opal tries to catch Astra's eye. When she succeeds, she raises her eyebrows and quickly moves her head in several short nods to communicate Duh!

She tries to look dignified when speaking to the king. "Yes, of course your majesty. I briefed them on the human children yesterday in preparation for the trip. Though I believe the golems are new information which also might be useful. We will do our best"

[tgva8889]

Orianna is quick to add to Opal, "Any more particulars you have in mind might help us with our negotiations. People often misjudge the value of things to others."

Not expecting any sort of boon, Orianna looks among the others at the King's comment. "It is quite generous of you to offer such things, your majesty."

[Majin]

"Bien sûr, Master Korialstrasz!" He thunders. "That is the other reason why I gathered you all here this morning: I must repay you for the gifts you have brought me. A 'souvenir' for each of you should put me back into credit, don't you think?"

"Oh, that sounds good. Very good idea", Kor says and nods at the king.

"Mm, a concession sounds reasonable enough". Kor didn't of course know Reena, but she didn't seem like a bad person exactly. Sounds like she's just played some pranks, mostly. She had taken some humans, but they weren't probably too badly harmed. It felt like Soren and his court were taking things way too seriously, though it was probably best not to say it aloud.

[Ninja_Prawn]

Orianna is quick to add to Opal, "Any more particulars you have in mind might help us with our negotiations. People often misjudge the value of things to others."

The King thinks for a moment. "There was something I discussed with your Opal yesterday, about the origin of the vendetta between my court and Reena's. I cannot remember how it all started now, but perhaps she can. Maybe, if things go well with our plan, we can go back and resolve whatever it was that caused all this..."

[tgva8889]

Orianna nods in agreement. "I will see if I can raise the issue. I feel perhaps even if her memory is lacking, there maybe something to be done to mend the break."

[Ninja_Prawn]

"Aside from that," Soren suggests, "I would also appreciate it if you would... mislead Reena a little as to my strength here. She thinks she has me on the back foot, so don't let on that we are re-arming. Perhaps she will get over-confident and make some mistakes."

[Stan]

Opal ponders. "Hmm. I think we can do that, your majesty. We'll paint a picture of disarray to make her comfortable in her power. Anyway, I hate to take up so much of your royal time. If it pleases your highness, shall we proceed to the vaults?"

[Ninja_Prawn]

"Yes, let us proceed. Cloverfield?"

She bows her head and then beckons you to follow. Down beautiful corridors and winding staircases you are led, occasionally stopping to unlock a door or find a detour for Opal and Ori (not all of the passageways are medium-sized), until eventually you arrive before a heavy, iron bulkhead. At this, Goldfeather steps forward, dispels some wards and casts a few other spells, opening the way without touching the grey metal.

Inside the Vault, you are given a quick tour. Treasures of all kinds are packed into several rooms, filling cabinets and chests, stowed in drawers and locked up in glass display cases. In the dim lighting (and with your lines of sight interrupted by clusters of storage units), it's hard to appreciate just how much stuff there is in here, or quite how long the rulers of this enclave must have been working to gather it all.

You aren't given much time to poke around, though, as the King soon gathers you together in the Vault's entryway (the only part of it where there is space to gather). "So then. I would like to thank you for making the long journey up from the South, for the gifts and information you have brought, and for the work you are about to do. Please accept these gifts - I hope you shall remember me on your travels." It's a fair guess that he means 'remember to buy gifts for me on your travels so that you can return the favour.'

Cloverfield then removes a dustcloth from a selection of objects on a small table. "For Miss Glitterwing, a collection of spell scrolls. For Master Korialstrasz, a Chime of Opening. For Miss Sweetbreeze, a Stone of Good Luck. For Miss Orlaith, an enchanted shield, and for Madame Blossomheart, a Javelin of Lightning."

Spoiler: Summary

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Astra gets five scrolls: Blade Ward, Minor Illusion, Shape Water, Mage Armour and Tasha's Hideous Laughter. Note that cantrips cannot be copied into your spellbook.
Opal's shield is a Shield +1.

[WindStruck]

"Ah, thank you King Soren, Miss Cloverfield! These gifts are so generous of you!" She already began to eye the scrolls, wondering what spells they might be and then as an afterthought, wondering just when she might be able to find the time between the alchemy recipes she copied down and the ciphers.