Mixed Signals
- Archives -- Handouts
- Rest -- Swapping out spells, no changes in their belongings
- Grand Hall -- Rovu's plan + Reactions
- Korboz 2.0
Heads still reeling from the implications of their meeting with Korboz and the revelations in Auri's journal, the party agreed to accompany Jirna to the Palace Archives. An ever more-haggard looking Darina issued spectacles of comprehending to the party members who could not read gnomish and reminded them they only had 8 hours before the extra-dimensional space kicked them out.
The party split up, searching the information-dense space for clues. Thorrfig and Hada uncovered recent evidence of another workshop dealing with transmutation headed by Inventor Vrizz.
Rovu searched for Korboz's financial records to look for any recent changes that might denote any changes in Vrizz's existence as Korboz's wife. He noticed that the household expenditure have trended downards slightly in the last month but the mess of records was confusing at best.
Stuu looked for recent town requests near the area where the Opal Bizarre is and found a surge of maintenace requests from citizens in the last month or so.
After four hours, the party decided they'd best call it quits and get some sleep before tomorrow. They trapsed back through the now-empty halls of the palace offices to the guest house and fell asleep in Suite 13, this time keeping a watch on their belongings throughout the night.
In the morning, Thorrfig attempted to Dispel Magic on Stuu and he had a brief moment of an odd feeling that he remembered Auri traveling with them before returning to normal. Rovu made a point to abstain from the Mushroom based diet that Jirna brought for them. Thorrfig also took this opportunity to cast Sending targeted at Gundren Rockseer.
Gundren, We have just discovered that we have been traveling with a Gnome Auri. We have no recollection of her. Need physical description.
Is this a test? You've been traveling with Auri for months. Purple hair, pale skin, shorter than Nundro, wears a set of Lionshield Studded Leather.
With this information rattling around in their heads, the party hatched a plan for their upcoming meeting with all of the masters. Jirna led the way.
The grand hall was a magnificent structure human-proportioned obviously intended for visitors and business. The auditorium had staggered seating in a semi-circle behind a central podium in front of a large stage. The far wall of the stage had four panels, three of which were dominated by massive portals. The fourth panel was covered in a magnificent tapestry depicting the Gnomengarde crest.
The masters showed up promptly on time, each bringing a tribute to their skills through the portals. When all were present, Korboz turned the podium over to the party, who urged Rovu forward. Rovu composed a tale of a hunt for a wild magic source hindered by a rival party. Rather than meet the inelegant brute force strategy that this rival employs with more force, Rovu asked the workshops if a more subtle, more complete solution was available. "We desire to make them disappear completely, even going as far as making those who knew about them forget."
The room was silent for a long minute after Rovu's speech. Korboz turned the floor over to Arcanus Warmorn.
What. That's... That's Enchantment magic. You're asking us to manipulate the minds of other thinking individuals. That's enchantment! This is forbidden! It's against the gnomish way. No. Ask us for something else, anything else!
At this point, the rest of the artificers erupted in agreeing cries of anger and disgust. The party made note of their responses:
Nixim #
Seemed more calm and contained than his peers, Apprentice Alaston was so outraged another apprentice had to keep them back
Warmorn #
Both her and her two apprentices expressed blatant outrage.
Carwyn #
Seemed outraged to the point where he couldn't express himself for the stutter, Head Apprentice Rybar kept her cool and again seemed more annoyed at her master's stuttering.
Rovu backpedaled in a masterful display of humility and restored some order to the meeting. Saying that the party would attempt to come up with a different plan that would suit the workshops' strengths, he bought them time. Once the assembled disperssed, the group asked to meet Korboz in private.
In his office again, the party opted to write back and forth rather than speak. Korboz was suspicious but played along. They brought up what they found in the archives, the letters, the journal, and the mounting evidence that pointed to something messing with the memories of everyone in Gnomnegarde.
Jirna half-backed the party up by agreeing that this all seems related to the investigation into the Palace Records, and that she intends to enlist the party's help in further investigation. Korboz was resistant. He claimed he didn't know what to trust, his own memories or any of the potentially tampered-with written records that the party found.
I don't know what to trust. We both know that diplomat's pouches aren't secure ways of communication. The palace is currently undergoing a massive investigation regarding the widespread evidence of tampered records. I have records here, in my desk, that I don't know who refer to. Think about it from my perspective, this all looks like a massive prank. I never married! I don't have a wife!
We left our party here in Korboz's office, wondering what else they could say to bring the man around.