This is, you might assume upon reading, a hugely abridged version of events. The key events are all here but there was a lot of discussion and fantastic in character role-play which unfortunately I simply couldn't capture in it's entirety. For that I apologise but, as ever, you really ought to have been there....
Also this game sees another change of Player Character as Mal wanders off (as we previously established he was sometimes want to do) and we introduce the Muster ex-soldier and occasional bounty hunter, Elric.
It is the morning after Hemlock's assassination of Sir Al Salih Al Malik and at their camp Sir Mal breaks the news that he is leaving. He figures that De Havilland asked him to look out for Hemlock but frankly, from what he saw last night, Hemlock doesn't need his looking after. He leaves on good terms, saying he has other business to attend to but leaves a copy of an invoice for his services to be passed on to De Havilland.
Speaking of whom, the Marquis De Havilland Hawkwood is having breakfast with baron Tochiro Justinian and Al Salih's Ur-Obun companion when Alfredo comes and delivers a message to the Baron. They speak in hushed tones and the householder leaves. He returns a short time later and asks the Ur-Obun to accompany him. De Havilland excuses himself from the table and follows, unobserved. The pair head upstairs to the Al Malik's room, enter and close the door then the Marquis hears what appears to be a silenced slug gun fire. He waits outside to see who emerges.
Following on from the events of the end of the pervious session Baron Christopher is getting ready to host Baroness Abalone Justinian and her entourage. He pulls Sir Hasimir to one side and tells him he needs his help to impress. He has been given a rare and special Li Halan tea, he want's Sir Hasimir to really impress with an authentic tea ceremony. Before the assembled throng Hasimir really shows his skills and performs an amazing and accurate ceremony (spoilt only by the Baron showing he barely knows which end of the cup to drink from. As host and lord, the cup is presented to him, he drinks and almost immediately starts to froth at the mouth and convulse; he has been poisoned.
Master Alfredo emerges from the Al Malik's room alone to find De Havilland waiting for him. He avoids the Marquis' questions as much as possible but they are interrupted by Hemlock calling on the De Havilland's squwarker. The two nobles arrange to meet in person and the Marquis makes a hasty, and final, exit from the mansion.
En route to meeting Hemlock, De Havilland calls into an inn where he had previously arranged to meet an employee of his (and new PC for the cadre), a Muster soldier and bounty hunter named Elric. Elric has been intelligence gathering for De Havilland and has news for him; he has intercepted a message apparently intended for Lady Chastity, concerning the fate of Lawrence. It appears that he is dead.
Meanwhile there is chaos in The Midden Mansion, a physick is called for as Baroness Abalone passes out with shock and Lady Stephanie Justinian rushes to the Baron's side. Hasimir demands that the mansion be locked down and trades words with Father Konrad, stating that this should be independently investigated, a role the priest agrees to take on. Meanwhile Stephanie demands that she and her intended are wed, as she cannot bare to let him pass into death without being her husband. Father Konrad conducts a hasty and abridged ceremony, encouraged by Sir Hasimir, and they are married. Protos Cobblestone arrives, having been summoned by the household staff (as he was collecting alms in the area to help fund the church building work) and he attends to the Baron. Hasimir attends to the Baroness and has her moved to somewhere more comfortable. Stephanie starts to accuse Hasimir of betraying and attempting to kill the Baron but their conversation is cut short by Hemlock calling on the sqwarker. Hasimir says that Hemlock and De Havilland ought to come to The Midden barony.
De Havilland arrives with Elric at Hemlock's camp and they trade news. It appears that Elric knows "Keats" from back on Guild star ships when they were kids. He is rather incredulous that his friend from those days should be "pretending" to be a noble. They share the news about Lawrence and when Elric realises Chastity is there he draws a rifle. Hemlock and De Havilland calm matters but the Marquis does question Chastity and seems increasingly suspicious of her.
In the Midden Mansion Hasimir has been conducting investigations of his own; interviewing the staff who prepared the tea tray and trying to identify where the tea itself came from. He learns that the tea was given as a gift to the Baron and that the cups, pot etc. were the ones that had been used for breakfast and had been washed prior to the ceremony. It would appear likely that the tea itself was the poison.
The rest of the cadre arrive in the Midden Barony and after negotiating with border guards and door wardens they manage to be reunited with Hasimir and Virssu. They speak at length about recent events (although Hasimir insists that Elric wait outside) and discuss possible culprits and what to do next. It seems possible that the "hit list" is active once more and if Lawrence is dead and the Baron doesn't pull through then that means Hasimir is the only name left. De Havilland wants to know if the list was written by Count Innocence (which Chastity suggested and the evidence presented by Elric seems to support) what have they done to offend him so?
Their conversation is interrupted by the hasty return of Virssu (who had taken Elric to find some food). He has heard that the Baron has just passed away and they are about to ring the chapel bells to toll for his passing, and also that Father Konrad is on his way with a mob of zealous peasants to seize Hasimir. The cadre suggest he flees but he will have none of it, stating that it will make him look guilty. He passes the pass and launch codes for The Endless Turn to De Havilland and writes a letter of recommendation for Virssu so that it things go badly he is not held accountable.
Father Konrad arrives and has Hasimir shackled, there will be a (church led) trial the following day.
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