Citadel's Shadow II, Session 20

Citadel's Shadow II, Session 20 was a session of the Citadel's Shadow II campaign, played on 7 April 2019 (UTC) (6 April 2019 for some participants).

Game Master

• GM: played by Alden Loveshade

Player Characters

• Fern the Siegemaster: inventive fox-person student played by Rail Runner
• Jinxi: androgynous jester with poppet Jack played by Michael Lee Viviano

Non-Player Characters

• Donghai Ping: goblin grandmaster alchemist
• Juan de Fulmando: sword-wielding human alchemist
• Rollo Morliss: manager for Madame Maude Lynn's Theater of Thrills
• Ursula Nidonge: female human mercenary

Special

• Damiran Fiddler: human male singer and violinist played in this session by Rolemorphing

Events

1742

Ulthrane 24 (Sweatingday): Fern the Siegemaster had supper with Princess Alarra Gormann, Sister Henna Brenafar, Rajzela Carnelian, and her new assistant Turgan Tin-Finger. They learned their "sandwiches" for that meal weren't on bread, but were on crackers. While most accepted the change, Alarra loudly complained and threw hers, one of which hit Henna. Henna diplomatically changed the subject to saying that she had just caught a quick glimpse of the dwarven student Dase Bareface, whose face "looked a little green."

Meanwhile, at Maisson Boulavier, Ethel Boulavier and her niece Eliza Boulavier served supper for Juan de Fulmando, Hulgruth the Machinist, Sloane of Lathyrus, Jinxi, and the Queumo family (Stedib, Iziurk, Iwibi called "Twibi," and Krosod called "Krosy." Twibi got told to eat her carrots, and Juan told Jinxi that Master Donghai Ping wanted to meet them and Fern the next day for a paying assignment.

Fern, Juan, Jinxi, and Ursula Nidonge went to Madame Maude Lynn's Theater of Thrills, also in the Cauldron Borough in Paytern Hill Ward in Trynser City. As before, Juan performed a variation of the Demon Dust incantation (very similar to Earth Shakespeare's three witches scene in Macbeth), but this time when he took his bow, smoke started rising behind him; many audience members were concerned. Then Jinxi appeared to clear the smoke with their poppet Jack, and performed verbal and physical jokes, juggled, and frightened the audience with a giant stuffed rat.

Theatre manager Rollo Morliss offered Juan and Jinxi employment as an opening act. Jinxi accepted, but Juan turned it down as he already had a full-time job. They were paid for the evening, Jinxi's payment going towards past room and board that had been paid by Juan. The group of four decided not to stay to watch The Black Cabriolet Rides Through Temples as they had watched it the previous week.

Juan and Ursula spent time together, Fern worked in her workshop, and Jinxi went carousing, entertaining people with es juggling. (Citadel's Shadow II adventure 2019 04 06)

Ulthrane 25 (Reckoning): Grandmaster Alchemist Donghai Ping met in an office at St. Bassard's School and Home for Disadvantaged Youth with Fern the Siegemaster, Jinxi, and Juan de Fulmando. He said the current shipping methods had been suffering from :a little impuissance," for which Juan apologized (although Ping said it wasn't his fault). Juan left to meet with Professor Leonardo Noche.

Ping told Fern and Jinxi he wanted them to guard a shipment clandestinely. They were chosen because they had been successful in dealing with the rat king and because they would not appear to be guards. He did not tell them what they would be guarding, only that it would be in a box. They would wait at St. Bassard's the next day, wait for a two-horse carriage to arrive at 15:33 (3:33 p.m.), and each give the driver a gold doubloon, a coin of the Lamadien region. The driver would know they were the people who should board by receiving the foreign coin at the school, and they would know it was the right driver as he would accept the coin as the proper fare. They were to diplomatically not let anyone else ride in the carriage, although he said there would be "three people riding through town." Fern was advised not to bring her rifle as it wasn't something she would typically have with her.

He gave them each a céntimo, also a foreign coin of the Lamadien region. After they made delivery, they would go to an establishment they would be told about later where they could eat, drink, and be entertained. They would each pay at the end with the céntimo, and then ask for change. Again, this would identify them, as no one would be likely to try to pay for an expensive meal with a foreign coin worth $.01. Their "change" would be their reward.

Fern worked in her workshop, and Jinxi practiced. That evening, Jinxi asked Juan if he knew more details about the shipment, and Juan said he was "on the outs right now" and did not. (Citadel's Shadow II adventure 2019 04 06)

Ulthrane 26 (Lordsday): Fern the Siegemaster and Jinxi waited at St. Bassard's School and Home for Disadvantaged Youth for the carriage with a shipment they would clandestinely guard. Unfortunately, Princess Alarra Gormann came out and was also wanting to take a carriage.

When a two-horse carriage arrived, Fern handed the driver the identifying foreign coin, a gold doubloon, which the driver accepted as the correct fare. Fern entered, and found another person was in the carriage, a young man later identified as Damiran Fiddler, a singer and violinist who had graduated from St. Bassard's the previous school year. When Alarra wanted to ride, Fern suggested the driver to tell her another carriage was coming soon and they were late; the driver did so, but added that the other carriage was more suitable for a princess. Jinxi further discouraged Alarra from boarding by "farting" loudly right outside the carriage. Princess Alarra decided to wait. After Damiran used the restroom, he, Fern, Jinxi, the driver and the two horses were on their way. They kept the curtains closed as instructed, although Fern did peek through them at times.

Fern and Jinxi learned Damiran had come from the Empire of Adania, a faraway empire neither of them knew about. He sometimes performed at Twelve Rose Inn which had opened at the very end of the previous year. They saw a wooden box on the floor of the inside of the carriage It was about two ft (30 cm) long, 1 ft (15 cm) wide and 1 ft (15 cm) tall, and was locked with two locks.

Fern, peeking through the curtains, noticed that the area looked familiar at first, but they moved into a rather run-down looking neighborhood. Suddenly, the driver said, "Whoa!" three times to stop the horses, the carriage stopped abruptly and suddenly dipped to the right. Fern and Jinxi managed to stay on their bench, but Damiran was tossed forward, fortunately caught safely by the two others. The box had slid to the right, and a small amount of powder was by it on the floor. The passengers were concerned about it burning or exploding, but Fern was certain it did not smell like demon dust, but more like flour used for making bread.

The driver was still on his bench, but two masked men were in front of the carriage. The taller and thinner of the two men said, "I am sorry for the inconvenience. But it appears your wagon is overloaded for your two strained horses. Fortunately, I have the solution. If you will relieve yourselves of your coins and jewelery, then you can continue on your way without fear of your horses being over-strained." (Citadel's Shadow II adventure 2019 04 06)