A Bride for Merlin
Campaign Log
Session I, 23 July 1999

Present:

Seonaid is currently the most popular rock star in Chaos. Seonaid's second hit record is out, selling well. She and her band are 'hot'. From a "cadet" branch of house Minobee. Plays popular music. Clothes depends greatly on circumstance, very flashy onstage and sometimes off. Favorite color is black.

Shandor is asian looking, 6'1", fair complexion, dark brown eyes, long black hair in a pony tail. Member of House Sawall. Always wears two-piece suits, black, white shirt, red tie. Usually walks with his right hand in his pocket. Does Sawall-ish things. Works with magic, studies... hasn't been seen fighting much. Demon form... radiant... bioluminescent... very white... white wings... you could almost call him angelic.

Fendrith is a demon in a peudo-human form. Pale green, like the paper of a dollar bill. Long blue hair. Purple cats-eyes. Demon form has non-functional wings, the blue hair becomes a blue bony crest or ridge, same eyes, iridescent emerald green scaly skin. Adds a tail, claws, sharp pointy teeth, sort of lizard-like. Not very well known. Favorite color is red.

Flark, of House Jesby, eldest son of Tmer. Tmer was one of the people in line for the throne who died under nefarious circumstances. Not yet the rim-duke of Jesby, having not yet reached his majority. Smallish, slight black hair blue eyes, pale skin colored skin.

Wears black. Puffy rennaisance types of things in silk or something.

Two demon forms.

A sword fighter form with longer arms, different posture, tougher skin, more mobile head/neck. Close enough to human not to tear stretchy or loose clothing.

Other is hideous demonic form, looks like something a sea creature coughed up, with tentacles and slimy bits, two legs, more than two arms if you count the larger tentacles. Sorta like Mr. Calamari. Not the social form.

Seonaid receives something in her dressing room after a concert. It is a long box, with a formal document next to it. Sealed with gold wax and a crimson ribbon with gold thread. It is the royal seal. She breaks it and it requests her performance at Merlin's 49th anniversary, It offers a brief private audience with the king in addition to being paid for the performance. She summons a roadie, and has him send in her manager. The flower box is wrapped in purple and grey ribbon, different from the document. She casts a security spell on the box, and finds no traps, so she opens it. Inside is a single purplish rose with silver edges to the petals that appears natural.

Fendrith is working for Seonaid as a roadie.

About 5 minutes later, Seonaid's manager arrives, explains we now have a three year tour contract. Some Duke Despil wants exclusive contract for next 3 years to tour the entire black zone. Seonaid gives him the royal invite, saying he must schedule around it. The manager is not pleased with this monkey wrench, as Duke Despil's contract has already been signed. Seonaid pushes her manager from the dressing room as he continually says, "but... but... but...", quite dismayed by the conflict.

Flark considers the situation with his step mom. In public they are polite to each other, but he knows she is stalling his inheritance. The majority of nobles in his house want Flark confirmed. He can trust W'Zaal, his younger brother, to guard his back against his two stepbrothers Lorek and Feng and his stepmother Charyss. He wonders if it is better to be nice to the stepmom, that she will be less grumpy, or to realize that she's never going to like him and cut his losses. Lorek, the elder of the two stepbrothers is a bit of a bruiser who enjoys beating the snot out of Flark during combat practice. Flark is good with swords, until his brother starts wrestling. Feng, the younger stepbrother, has never been caught at anything, but whenever something bad happens, he just happens to be nearby, looking at you. For example, giving Flark a nearly fatal mismedication, or a collapsing stairway. Things like that. W'Zaal wishes to survive; if anything happens to Flark, his life will be measured in nanoseconds. The bruiser isn’t too bright, and the youngest would end up controlling him; the youngest and his mother would rule, even though the bruiser would be on the ‘throne’ of the Dukedom. All Flark’s closest friends say he will have to kill them before they kill Flark.

Flark and Shandor know each other as nobles. Shandor is very familiar with Flark’s situation, and has spent a great deal of time together. Flark would have Shandor working on the Duke of Sawall, Despil. Shandor is the extended cousin of Despil, and is on cordial terms. Despil’s elder brother, Mandor, is the counseler of Merlin. Mandor opted out of the ducal position, which cleared the way for Merlin to both Duke and King. This cleared the way for Despil, who did not step aside for Jurt, pissing Jurt off. Jurt is still pissed off. Jurt is married to Julia Barnes, a shadow girl. The have recently reconciled, again, after many years of break-ups and reunions.

Flark desides he does want the audience with Merlin.

Shandor has chatted with Mandor, several times, never one-on-one, but he could have.

Dara is still there, and advises Despil. Despil also receives quite a lot of advice both from Dara and from Mandor. Jurt is approachable until the subject turns towards Merlin, Despil, or Julia. Then he gets tight-jawed and starts being more of a jerk than usual.

W'Zaal, Flark’s younger brother, knows his lot is with Flark, his life insurance, as long as the two stepbrothers and his stepmother are alive. Flark will talk with him. Flark considers granting a regency to his younger brother. The council of house elders could ram it through around his mother, if he wanted them to. This council can overturn his regent, his mother’s decisions. When Flark is truly of age, if his mother doesn’t, the council can submit his name to the king for confirmation. They all openly support Flark, at least as much as he can determine.

Seonaid’s hotel, Fendrith went out for a midnight munchie, comes back and sees a prowler, up on the wall of the hotel, near the penthouse. As Fendrith considers contacting security, whoever it is up there is opening the window. Fendrith considers using sorcery to contact the head of the security detail, as the being climbs in the window. He changes his mind and contacts Seonaid instead.

Seonaid wakes up to Fendrith saying that someone has entered her room. She immediately casts a light spell. A dagger hits into her headboard a hands breath from her head. She sees a masked ninja-type getting another dagger. Seonaid disregards her bedsheets and dives in an attack on the ninja. While diving for his neck, she takes the second dagger in her shoulder. As its poison burns in her, she snaps his neck without hesitation. She immediately casts a contact spell to the head of security. "We have a medical emergency in my quarters," she says to him, and he says that he is on his way. She examines the knife and pulls it out as things turn black for her.

Fendrith teleports to the "elevator lobby". The security chief meets him there on his way to Seonaid’s room. They reach Seonaid’s room finding her face down on the floor, her sheets still twisted around her legs, bleeding. The chief takes care of her with his medical pack. Another goon calls down for medical assistance. The chief tells Fendrith to relay that Seonaid has been poisoned, and tells him not to touch the dagger. The security wards are dropped, and the medical team teleports in and administers the antidote, saving Seonaid’s shoulder from amputation.

The ninja is a demon with black, light-absorbant skin. He had a bandolier with several more throwing knives and seems to have scaled the building with his claws. He begins to emit an odd, offensive, acrid odor. Fendrith watches as the ninja begins to smoke. Fendrith bodily throws the ninja through the window, watching as the corpse bursts into flames on its way down. He informs the security chief that the "evidence just destroyed itself," to which the chief curses. The corpse burns beyond ash before it can hit the pavement. Fendrith considers it must have weighed 250 pounds or so.

Seonaid wakes, her shoulder hurting badly. She’s a little inebriated from the antidote, and gradually comes back to consciousness. The medics give her something to drink that tastes like crap. Fendrith comes over to check on her. She gives him a rather ditzy half-wave as he talks to the security guy.

"We never expected death threats," he protests.

"We need to talk about security measures," Fendrith notes politely.

"Damn straight," Mr. Security responds, "no more assuming that everybody is nice."

"This guy was climing up the wall and came in through an unwarded, unalarmed--" Fendrith begins.

"The hell this was," Mr. Security interjects. "This was perfectly warded and sealed."

"Then how did he get through it?" Fendrith asked.

"I have no idea" Mr. Security replied.

"Hmm." Fendrith muses. He casts his detect-o-matic spell and finds that somebody ‘fixed’ the window. They magically bypassed the warding. He has no idea how long ago this took place. He can barely detect that this happened at all as the magic rapidly fades. He sends a roadie for the staff magician who warded the windows.

The roadie-troll returns claiming no answer at the magician’s door.

Seonaid starts to come out of her drug-induced stupor.

Fendrith casts a communication spell to the wizard, but gets no response, and tells the security chief that the wizard is AWOL. Mr. Security sends a goon to open the wizard’s room. The goon shortly returns and reports of a smoldering fire in the wizard’s bed, and presumes the wizard dead.

An analysis of the residue on the dagger reveals a very exotic, very expensive poison used only by the most wealthy of people.

Seonaid contacts her manager with a spell. He is still in negotiations. She asks how upset they have been. He says they are sensitive to thoughts, but notes they have been difficult. Seonaid informs him of the ‘incident’, the ‘attempted assination’. He says he will leave immediately, but she says security is handling it. She asks if they are totally pissed and wonders if they may have tried this. He is quite supprised at the thought, and Seonaid explains she is grasping at straws without a suspect at the moment. She fills in some details, including the charred bed of the staff wizard. Mr. Manager uses this as excuse to get some much needed sleep and will contact her in the morning.

Seonaid orders security to be on alert all night. Mr. Security already ensured that however. She asks Fendrith to work with Mr. Security. She asks for a media blackout, excepting the already departed EMT. Manager will provide press release.

The hotel’s head of secruity rewards the place herself. She is damn good, Seonaid finds out as the work is checked. Ms. Hotel Security appologizes profusely. There is a window in the new room, just nobody can quite get to it... she was damn good. Fendrith stations himself and several goons on the roof. Seonaid is given sedatives and goes to bed.

Meanwhile, Andreas Channicut, a distant cousin of Flark and Shadnor, is having a bachelor party. Twelve or so young randy lords getting drunk. They both decide to go. None of those invited are, or are close associates of, Flark’s three brothers.

Flark has a servant send a note to W'Zaal’s bodyguard telling him to watch out, he is going out for a while. Shandor records the evening for posterety. Flark brings a green alcoholic frothy liquid as a gift. This is shared around at the party. Flark personally yanked this from shadow with the Logrus. Shandor, usually not one to imbibe, does have a small glass. Flark checks it before pouring, it is unaldulterated. He prepares his metabolism to instantly sober himself up, but will still need to activate it. He intends to just be sociable, even as everyone else gets quite rowdy. Flark decides to act a little rowdy.

She can dance on stage, on your table, on your lap, on Flark’s tendril. For a price, she can dance in a private room for you. For a little more, you can get more than one.

After several hours, the morning is still quite young. Flark and Shandor are gambling. One gentleman, not of their party, has been loosing to Flark’s winning streak (at Poker). He may even be a noble. His name is Raga Tvariens. Shandor tapes the most interesting parts of the party that he can. Flark continues to win, and Raga appears to get quite irritated and/or insulted. Flark wins, politely, but notices something else. Raga carrys himself like a highly professional swordsman. He is not even slightly intoxicated. Flark starts to play a little worse, enough that Raga should be able to beat him. However, Raga continues to loose, seemingly intentionaly. Raga begins to get quite irate about loosing to Flark. Flark starts to play very very poorly. Eventually the manager comes over to ask if there is a problem, glancing at Raga. The manager tries to encourage Flark away from the table, and Flark agrees, saying that he has had enough for tonight.

"Wait one minute, we are not finished," Raga says.

Shandor has been concentrating his cameras on this exchange.

"I think you’ve lost quite enough for one night," Flark quips.

"You curr!" Raga shouts, slapping Flark. The casino manager breaks Flark's fall, Flark staying upright as the manager flys a few feet back. Flark shapeshifts a bone fracture away. "I, Raga of house Hendrake, challenge you to a duel."

"Dude, you pissed off a Hendrake?" Shador comments, helpfully.

"Excelent, then we shall duel with the Logrus," Flark proposes.

Raga is completely phased. After a while he says, "I shall have my second call upon yours." He wonders where it went wrong as he walks away.

The next day, Flark is asking his buddies about Raga. He is not held in the highest regard within Hendrake, a black sheep. A professional duelist. He is not a logrus initiate. He will have a right to insist on a different weapon. It is not known if Raga is a sorcerer. It is likely that Raga takes duels as a legal way of killing people for hire.

Flark asks Shandor to be his second.

Meanwhile, Seonaid holds a staff meeting. Checking her ability to hold to her performance schedule, yes she will be fine if she takes the medication the EMT left. Concert tonight. Security reports the night passed uneventfully. Fendrith asks about the former mage. He was a local yokel from Melnibone, a black-zone shadow that is part of the Duchy of Helgram. Didn’t find much in his quarters. It is being shipped back to his shadow. Fendrith will give it a look-e-loo spell later. Fendrith finds out some evidence was destroyed in much the same way the ninja and the mage were. The daggers also disintegrated similarly. The hotel arrangements are redone, one floor, a few floors down from the top. Fendrith in a room adjoining Seonaid’s. Starting background checks on all new hires. Need a repalcement mage. Planning is done to make use of her concert spell lackeys, and other resouces, to fill the mage’s gap for now. A bunch of extra security people have been hired by the chief to guard tonight’s concert.

Meanwhile, Shandor is called upon by Lord Raga’s second. "I have been asked by my principal to act as his second in a matter of honor. May I please be seated? Thank you." After he gets through the pleasantries he says that Raga is not a master of the logrus, and therefore cannot compete with the logrus. He offers a choice of dueling in demon form or dueling in swords. Shandor offers swords with no enchantments, no magic at all. Raga’s second thinks he can get Raga to agree to this. They debate for a bit regarding the terms of victory, with Raga’s saying it will be ‘to the yield or worse’. He offers Shandor time to consult with Flark, which Shandor accepts, and the meeting adjourns.

Flark accepts human form with swords, no magic, to the yield.