Pregame The party takes a couple days to get things together and do some research/ask around. They find out the Dree who attacked them had been in Dravensport for several days, and there were potentially others around. Talking to multiple bartenders/inn-owners allowed them to identify several people of similar descriptions using Dree and Bonehammer currency who were not orcs or tribesfolk. Ailekk went out to let Bigmug know they were also coming, they agreed to meet up with them in Ogremire. Bigmug and his companions were going to try the “Overt” method and come in as normal traders. In Dwarfsett they planned on bartering for various dwarf goods they could load their steeds with to seem like normal merchants and travelers. Oron was a little butt-hurt after Brescka calling him out on his illusions and lies publicly, and was skulking about a bit. After hearing the party’s plan, Behyla is all about not waging war on the Dree. Breschka is not happy about sending the heros of Dravens, but there’s no one she trusts the mission to more. At the same time, she is sending Ma and her students to nearby realms, including Indra, to try and garner more allies. The dragonborn acolytes are likewise returning to their home realms as emissaries to try and get allies. This leaves the city with few magical resources, but Gravycakes and some of the other prominent members of Guilds’ Town are willing to send some of their guild members to help out. Feng also departs to go recruit unknown allies for Dravens. Oron and Breschka send a messenger to Dree to let them know a diplomatic envoy is coming. Breschka gives the party a send off. Breschka approaches the party and explains that Kaleem isn’t necessarily the bad guy. Corrive wants Dravens at war with Dree, because they think Dravens can win. She doesn’t understand how or why, but apparently they have faith in her and Oron. That itself means she must stay the course. She must follow her gut and instruct those loyal to her to recruit allies. If you want to go to Dree to stop a war, she will happily endorse you. She reiterates, “I don’t take back my words. The Dree are evil, and they must be stopped. But. At this time a diplomatic approach is preferable to open warfare if it can be avoided. My official orders are for you to go to Dree, meet with Queen Lightcrown if possible or emissaries of hers, make it clear we wish nothing but peace, and then return. These orders will be in your official papers.” She hands your papers to each of you. “Unofficially, if you can free any potential allies, or find out any of their weaknesses you should take every chance possible.” She assigns them a diplomat named Bucktaroy “Bucky” Chatismere and 6 guards. She also gives them each 100 platinum with the seal of Dravens, as well as a scroll identifying Urd and Ailekk as “ambassadors” of Dravens. Cassius has a scroll identifying him as “military council”, Ron has a scroll identifying him as “magical council”, and Rurrick has one identifying him as “‘Other’ council.” In addition, she gives them the following magical equipment. Cassius: Mace of Disruption, this is just a loaner, she wants this back when the party returns. Urd: 1d6+1 uses of wyvern poison, she says that formally he is not allowed to use such crude methods inside Dravens borders. Ron: Chime of opening, in case it comes in handy during his “investigations.” Rurrick: Amulet of Proof against Detection and Location, just in case fleeing becomes the most noble option. Ailekk: 1d6+1 bolts of mage slaying, she suggests Ailekk doesn’t let the Dree catch him with these. She looks at Rurrick “Rurrick. You have been a loyal retainer, but uncouth and a bit noisy. I suggest you learn to be a bit more unnoticed.” She walks up to Urd and clasps his hand, “I trust you Urd. Without a doubt not because of your brother, but because you act with your heart and not your allegiances. I suggest you learn to trust it more fully.” She turns to Ailekk and embraces him in a strong, strong hug. “Ailekk, I cannot fathom how out of place you must feel. We must seem so alien to you. And yet, as Anna says, you are capable of so much. It is strange for me to think that when Oron and I both ended our own journeys of self discovery and began to talk about coming back here to Dravens, you were still an egg. You are amazing creature. I trust your judgement, as long as you do it for the right reasons.” She stares at Cassius for a minute, maybe a century. “Cassius. We cannot afford a war. But we also cannot afford to let evil go unpunished. I don’t know what to do in this situation. I trust your judgement, as do my armies.” As she walks out she slaps Ron on the shoulder and simply says “Welcome to the team.” Oron approaches Cassius. Knowing he hates the Dree, he says he has a special task for him. In Dree, the Church of Tiamatt are a major institution, and he knows of several “holding areas” in Dree where they keep prisoners for interrogation, specifically followers of Tamara and Bahamut. If Cassius wants allies, but also to gain inside knowledge, he should find the followers of Tamara who exist in a minority in Dree.They can help the party. Also, if he wants to help free followers of Tamara and Bahamut, that would greatly put the Dree off. He can choose to share this information with his friends or not. Behyla consults with Urd. He makes it clear that they are not, and should not, start a war with Dree. He was able to dig up information on the bounties against them. Urd, Rurrick, Cassius, Ailekk, Swell, and Reis are all wanted for actions against the Church of Tiamatt. Apparently this is not a true-government bounty, but the lines between the Church of Tiamatt’s hierarchy and that of their government are thin. The only crimes against them are currently “Hate crimes against an organized religious establishment of Dree acting in foreign borders”, which is a pretty thin crime if you live in a country with just laws. As such, Behyla recommends the party either make peace with the Church of Tiamatt asap when in Dree, stay inconspicuous, bribe everyone they meet, and/or try to use the diplomat’s card to their fullest. He hesitantly gives Urd a diplomat’s license for Bonehammer, and tells him not to start a war. Anna visits with Ailekk. She apologizes for not being at the forum. She has been heavily courted by the Archduke, who now believes he can win support of the people by a marriage with her. He wishes to have such political power as to keep Oron and Breschka from being able to topple him and the other nobility. Anna has been threatening to fly away but she doesn’t think the Archduke takes her seriously. He has also threatened harm upon her family and the peasantry if she does so. She tells Ailekk to go (as his instinct might be to confront this Archduke), saving Dravens from war is much more important than her personal trials, she is also extremely happy that he met with his brother and didn’t die. Feng approaches Rurrick. He apologizes for the loss of plot. He also curses upon the dragons and Dree who caused it. He says that where he’s going, he’s going to try and get allies for Dravens. He won’t say much about where he’s going, other than it is far to the west. He says he has family there who might help; family who have powerful allies. He also warns Rurrick that were he’s going is a land of nightmarish things, where evil people do nightmarish stuff. He bids him to take care of himself, but also his friends. Sometimes being a loner isn’t a great idea. “Ma” Thornberry send a letter to Ron Ron receives a letter via Ma Thornberry asking for an update on his progress from Indra. Assuming he sends one back updating Indra of his progress, they also respond with “Breschka is a friend. She knows of us and our people, you can trust her. However, beware interactions with Oron, we happen to know he is in cahoots with several inter-planars creatures including those who ally with Cassius’ father.” Ma also asks Ron to stay on the lookout for slaves taken from Indra or any young mages who might wish to escape those evil lands. She gives him three scrolls of sending.
