Standing in the cobblestone streets after being abruptly ushered out of a local jewelry shop, the party found themselves in possession of a highly dangerous asset: a massive black sapphire, roughly the size of a standard twenty-sided die. Frank Turgolas had acquired the gem during a previous job in Ashya Edhil, but the terrified jeweler had just warned them that the stone belonged to the royal family. Worse yet, such royal gems were magically attuned and tracked from the moment they left the mines. To be caught with it meant certain death.
Rather than risk the wrath of the Empire, the party decided to seek out the city’s black market under the cover of dusk.
- Following the Cant: William B Blue scanned the alleyways, his sharp eyes picking out faint graffiti scrawled on the stone walls. Pohk deciphered the markings, recognizing them as Undercommon. The hidden signs directed them west, then north, leading them deep into the labyrinthine backstreets of the city.
- The Cellar Door: Eventually, Conall Mhathghamhuin and William located the final symbol pointing downward toward a set of unlocked, moss-covered cellar doors. While Flack bound by his clerical devotion, opted to remain outside to keep watch, the rest of the party slipped into the damp, torchless dark.
- Gnome Depot: At the bottom of the stairs, they knocked on a heavy, latched door. A sliding viewport opened, revealing the squinting, suspicious eyes of a dark-skinned gnome. Seeing Pohk, the massive seven-foot ape-folk looming in the shadows, the guard quickly unlatched the door and ushered them inside. The cellar was a bustling hub of a dozen gray-skinned gnomes—a black-market operation the party jokingly dubbed “Gnome Depot.”
- The Transaction: Frank presented the sapphire to the lead gnome. Though the fence warned them of the immense danger of carrying a tracked royal gem, Frank successfully negotiated a sale. The gnome purchased the sapphire for 450 gold pieces (paid in four platinum and fifty gold coins), eager to take the heat off the party’s hands for his own mysterious ends.
- Serukai’s Inquiry: Stepping briefly into the cellar, Serukai noticed banners bearing the mark of the “Black Merchant.” He pressed the gnome for information regarding a red dragonborn named Thaltith Cagil. After some tense negotiation—and a helpful, intimidating glare from Pohk—the gnome revealed that Thaltith had recently been there trying to sell a mysterious vial of green liquid. She had paid a hefty sum to learn the location of the Black Merchant and was currently heading toward Tres Vos. Serukai parted with 225 gold pieces for the intelligence before the party made their exit back into the cool night air.
Spark and Powder
On their way back to the southern district, the party detoured through the main festival square to see if anything had changed. The festive atmosphere of the daytime had died down, but a massive new structure caught their eye.
- The Stage: A towering wooden stage, standing an unusual fifteen feet high, had been erected in the center of the square. It was clearly designed for the Emperor’s upcoming address, but its height and construction seemed highly impractical for a simple festival.
- The Discovery: Investigating the dark space beneath the floorboards, William discovered several large crates. A fine, dark powder was seeping from the seams. Recognizing the scent and texture from his own firearms, William realized the crates were packed to the brim with black powder.
- The Moral Crossroads: Returning to the group, William shared his discovery. The party immediately suspected the Iron Ring. While they had agreed to help the resistance against the tyrannical Empire, Flack Flint drew a hard line at the senseless slaughter of innocent civilians and children who would be attending the festival. Serukai suggested they confront the Iron Ring’s leadership in the morning, proposing the use of Zone of Truth to extract their real intentions and, if necessary, sabotage the explosives.
A Quiet Farewell
Before turning in for the night, Conall and William split from the group to visit the military barracks near the messenger corps. Conall sought to locate Tyg, a young half-dwarf, half-elf soldier whom Conall had personally transferred to the messenger corps to protect him before his own discharge.
- The Reunion: Watching from a secluded balcony, William spotted Tyg walking out of the gates with a group of soldiers. Conall slipped down to meet him.
- A Commander’s Grace: Tyg was overjoyed and relieved to see his former commander alive. Conall assured the young soldier that his transfer was meant to keep him safe from the coming storm, and urged him to look after his family. Tyg thanked Conall, admitting the messenger corps had been a blessing.
- The Salute: As they parted, Tyg offered Conall a sloppy, running Varanyian salute—two fingers to the temple. Conall returned the gesture with quiet dignity before he and William slipped back to the inn for a long-overdue rest.
Into the Iron Ring
During the night, Flack utilized her divine Artisan’s Blessing to forge a sturdy, basic shield for Conall out of a spare mace and a dagger. She also bestowed a blessing upon Frank’s leather armor, reinforcing its defenses.
The next morning, the party set out for Serutil, the autonomous district within the city, to seek out Dora Urzul, the leader of the Iron Ring.
- The Hideout: Using the crude map provided by the captured guard, René, they located a boarded-up, three-story house across from a local church. Finding the front door locked, they circled around to a secure back door in a narrow alley.
- The Entry: William knocked and called out for Dura. After a tense moment, an elf guard slid open a viewport, verified their connection to Oppius, and ushered them into the pitch-black interior of the house.
- Pohk’s Tight Squeeze: The guard led them to a rug, pulling it back to reveal a narrow wooden hatch leading into the earth. While the others descended easily, Pohk’s massive, rotund frame got hilariously wedged in the opening. With Conall pulling from below and a bit of desperate squirming, the great ape-folk popped through the hatch, landing with a heavy, echoing thud.
- The Rebel Den: They walked down a stone corridor into a massive, bustling underground tavern. Nearly four dozen rebels of all races—orcs, drolls, elves, lizardfolk, and dragonborn—drank and socialized. The guard led them past the crowd and into a private war room.
- The Council of Five: Inside, Dura Urzul sat at a long table flanked by four council members (three humans, an elf, and a dragonborn).
- The Negotiation: Flack took the lead in the conversation, presenting the Marshal’s badge they had acquired. Dura was deeply skeptical, pointing out that the party had killed several of her operatives on their first day in the city. Flack explained it was a misunderstanding of self-defense and argued that they were at a crossroads, choosing to fight the Empire’s tyranny rather than serve it.
- The Plot Revealed: Dura and her dragonborn lieutenant scoffed at the party’s moral hesitation. They revealed that Oppius’s capture was entirely planned; he was currently on death row inside the Citadel, acting as an inside man to help smuggle in enough black powder to destroy the entire fortress. Furthermore, the black powder beneath the festival stage was set to detonate during the Emperor’s address.
- A Clash of Ideals: Flack passionately argued against the collateral damage, pleading for the lives of the innocent civilians and children who would die in the blast. Dura remained cold, stating that in war, everyone must choose a side, and those who stand with the Empire are not innocent. In a chilling revelation, Dura made her ultimate goal clear: once the Emperor was dead, she intended to take the throne as the new Empress.
- An Uneasy Alliance: Despite the clear ideological rift, Dura welcomed the party into the Iron Ring, recognizing their combat prowess. When Frank eagerly asked if they received cool matching rings, Dura dryly told him they didn’t use identifying marks for obvious reasons, suggesting he keep the Marshal’s badge instead.
As the meeting concluded, Dura revealed that the Emperor would arrive in the square tomorrow, and she would be accompanying him. The fuses were laid, the powder was set, and the stage was literally prepared for a revolution.