Mission: My Brother’s Keeper (C1S7)

Keepers: @Ben (Ina) @Alan (T’ggar) @Christian (Asher d’Deneith) @Matt P (Hollywood) [He/Him] @Abby (Sasha Novikov d’Phiarlan) @Michelle 

DM: @Rj (Tanarion d’Tharashk) 

Objectives: Follow Council’s Aashta leader, Zaehir, in hopes of flushing out the cultists hiding amongst the Aashta…and hopefully the curls whereabouts.

Outcome: We were able to begin our tail of Zaehir as soon as he disembarked from his ship on the lower docks.  Him and three bodyguards checked in with the Accord Keepers upon arrive prior to heading towards Margrave University and the EOA.  Although Zaehir and all three guards were on alert for tails, between Hollywood’s ‘pass without trace’, Sasha’s invisibility, and Ina’s physic whispers, we were able to stay undetected while communicating/coordinating with each other.

Upon arriving at the EOA headquarters, Zaehir headed to the office of Master Archivist Taelious Vaun (aka the Gate Keeper of Secrets).  With inspired stealth and dexterity, the invisible Sasah was able to sneak into the closed door meeting to gather information.  Both seem to be on familiar terms with each other.  Taelious asked Zaehir if he ‘is ready for the gathering’, handed him a small parchment, warned of “curious parties” and to be cautious so as to not impact the ‘plans’ that are to take place in two weeks.  After the meeting concluded, Sasha is able to slip out of the room with Zaehir, and is able to pickpocket the parchment, which turned out to be a speech about ‘breaking seals’ and is proof of both Taelious asked Zaehir’s involvement with the Closed Circle.  This speech also implies that there is a betrayer amongst the Gate Keepers, who has switched sides and is working to break the seals.

While the meeting was occurring, Ina, Hollywood, and Asher inconspicuously play a game of Microsoft and Managers while T’ggar does too good of a job blending in and is mistaken by someone looking to score some ‘party enhancers’ and has to usher the gentleman into the alley in order to avoid a scene.

Once Zaehir rejoins his bodyguard accompaniment, our group is able to continue our tail down to the lower cogs and into the lava tunnels.  We are able to make our way into the Closed Circle gathering and notice that amongst the congregation, there are members of the Morgrave University faculty.

Due to Sasah having stolen Zaehir’s speech, we are able to sow decent amongst the crowd as soon as the meeting starts.  Between a combination of well placed heckles amongst the crowd, Asher’s skill full use of silence over Zaehir allowing us to ventriloquist him to appear to be saying less than faltering things about the gather members, and a questionably advised fire on the robe/gift shop, we are able to turn the crowd against Zaehir resulting in their dispersion.

As the crowd is filtering out, T’ggar was confronted by two of the bodyguards for heckling.  When his hood is pulled back though, it is revealed that he used his changeling abilities to take on the visage of Zaehir.  Between T’ggar’s possession of the speech and Zaehir’s inability to speak due to Asher’s silence, T’ggar convinces Zaehir’s bodyguards that they had left the EOA with an imposter and to restrain Zaehir.  Once restrained and gaged, T’ggar convinced the guards to leave the room while Sasha is able to use detect thoughts to plunge into Zaehir’s mind in order to uncover his co-conspirators. From this we are able to discover Gate Keeper traitor (Drawl Dourer) and that there are three co-conspirators (Master Archivist Taelious Vaun, a human named Erik Decanith, and a 3rd who Zaehir was able to shroud).  Additionally, we uncover a coordinated attack on three different seal locations that is planned to take place in ~10days!

Our group and the three bodyguards bring the bound ‘imposter’ Zaehir back to the other Heads of House Tharashk to be kept in custody and potentially further interrogated for additional proof that can be used against the Closed Circle members and to help prepare us to foil the plans to break the seals.