subplotkudzu | Emirikol Part III scene 4

The group worked their way through the crowds at the Dock and Boards to some of the second floor boxes, gladly paying the small additional fee to be away from the huggermugger of the tired, tipsy mass of humanity. Steady-footed halflings moved through the crowds selling ale, and the whole building was redolent with stale spirits. "I'm sure you can land somewhere better than this" Cybele assured her dramatic friend. "Oh, in intend to" Hiram replied. Then he took a moment to explain the finances of playhouses (the play is a loss leader, the money is in the beer and food) and how that works into the enduring nature of Pedro and Pierre tales (broadly humorous crowd pleasers performed by four man troupes, with the non leads providing music, sound effects and taking turns being on stage wearing paper-mache heads to take the roles of chaos beasts).

With that knowledge in hand the group saw the structure of the play, but that did not in any way diminish their enjoyment of it - or their wonder at its accuracy. Pedro and Pierre entered by rope down to the center of the stage, just as whoever dug the shaft must have entered that center room. While exploring they faced humorous traps (Bec: Darts!), a clockwork automaton (disabled by hurling sand into its gears) and a giant spider - bulbous and eight limbed, which snuck up on the hapless delvers as they were peering at an inscription, tapping Pierre on the shoulder several times before getting his attention and unleashing shrieks from the actors and the audience. The chase and combat with that ended act one, and some beers and sauerbraten were purchased from a halfling vendor. Donato expressed his surprise at the eight limbed spider and Hiram explained that it was the other two actors operating in tandem inside the costume - and then effortlessly displayed how such a thing is done with some quick acrobatics. (Dave 20! This is getting strange. Tom: you're gonna regret these with the fighting starts).

In act two Pedro and Pierre found, just as our heroes had, a bear headed corpse on an altar, festooned with purses and a necklace. Given ominous cast to the lighting and the wailing of the violin off stage the audience was primed for the beast to jump up as Pierre poked the corpse once, twice, three times. To the shock of the audience instead of arising the body burst open at the chest, disgorging a handful of scorpions which began dancing madly around the room - leading to an improvised caper from Pedro and Pierre as they both dodged the things and cut loose the purses and necklace before fleeing. After the shock was over Hiram was able to identify the weak paper mache cover holding wound clockwork scorpions tightly together inside the chest cavity - the pokes would weaken the seal and allow the toys to burst loose and skitter about. Still, the three Hightower veterans were wondering if that was the real cause of the gaping chest wound on the actual bear man's body.

The remainder of the play veered from known territory, indicating a sister passage flanking the spider's den. In this Pedro and Pierre recovered more treasures. Unfortunately, whatever the reality of their venture the structure of the Pedro and Pierre pieces must be obeyed - the hapless duo fail to spot a large trap trigger (despite the audience's warning) and bring down an enormous stone block on their heads. They barely leap to safety, but their treasures are all flatted! With a shrug Pedro asks "Back up the rope?" and Pierre nods sadly and the lead actors vanish into the scaffolding over the stage, only to reappear from the wings to take their bows and accept what coinage is thrown onto the stage for them by the tired, drunken audience.

The nobles waited a few moments for the crush to die down then began their trek home, discussing the finer points of accuracy in the narrative. The play stuck closely to the known facts until that non-existent passage. Still, Hiram's 'sense of the stage' in whilst in the dungeon had indicated what might have been a blocked passage outside of the realm of the dramaturgy as it was not a room he could not enter. (A gratuitous retcon from the GM as I forgot about it. Oops.) "Which means" Dietrich surmised, 'That who ever reached the Tor before us decided to make some quick coin by this play." Donato and Florian revealed that rumors about the looting of Hightower Tor, and this play opened in early winter as a response. Before they could reach Serin they heard a scream for help. In an alley ahead of them they spotted two commoners and their child being beaten by a handful of ruffian sailors. Behind them was the priest from the bar, expounding that death is alas their miserable fate. Donato appeared utterly perplexed and yells "Sebastian?" at which the priest looked up in shock and alarm, being perfectly framed in the streetlight before diving into the shadows.

As his companions leaped into action Hiram, suspecting a trap based on his previous observations, tried to urge caution. (GM: "Roll for initiative" Dave: "2. Crap." Tom: "Warned ya.") Little is warranted however, as the agile Dietrich dispatches one of the sailors in a single pass and then effortlessly defends himself against two others until Florain and Donato arrive and drive the fight from them. The fourth sailor tries to flee, only to be brought low by a bolt of arcane energy from the ever capable lady Floriane. Hiram generates a dramaturgical radiance to drive off the shadows, but of the lead assailant - identified by the cousins as Sebastian d'Ferrantino, Cardinal of the East in the church of the Endless Ocean, son of Portia d'Lerrantino, Loremistress of the Ferrantino Library, amongst the highest men in Emirikol - there is no sign.

Donato tended to the commoners wounds while the others extracted the story from the two living ruffians: Sebastian had recruited them to help him locate a chaos crypt in under Scornbul, and these peasants were carrying a book detailing the instructions on how to enter. Sebastian had ordered them to lie in wait, then identified these people in the street and had them dragged into the alley. The commoners were carrying no such book, and professed with honest faces that they had no knowledge of any chaos crypts. Donato offered to walk them home as Florian led their prisoners to the jail to file a complaint against them. Both bid their new friends a fond farewell with a promise to keep them apprised of these odd developments. Before leaving her, Florian did brush his lips, however briefly, against Cybele's aforementioned fair wrist, feeling the quickened beat of her heart.

To be continued