R&PL Play Report 3

OK I need to type up a short play report on these two sessions so I can reasonably assign a player to do #5.  It's been a few weeks so it's going to be somewhat cursory.

The party (Kvothe, Jarreth and the Pudding) attended the masque of the Queen of Hearts, seeing a variety of notable court personages, including the Pseudoturtle, The Dutchess (young and beautiful distant relation of the Queen), The UltraDuke (Suicide King themed courtly love romantic interest for the Queen), the Mad Hatter (agent of the Pale King), The Jack, and Ildonna, a Red Bride.  Plus various hangers-on, bureaucrats, croquet masters and similar.

The Queen of Hearts was delighted that the party had found not only her missing shoe but also her stolen documents (recipe for tarts that when read through a cipher revealed Heart battle plans). However, when the party attempted to pin the blame on agents of the Pale King, the Hatter stepped forward, drunk, and showed an alternative code that could also be used to interpret the recipe.  This 'revealed' another interpretation that pinned the blame on the party.  After arguing back and forth and the sharing of multiple recriminations, the Queen stated that she was bored and hungry, and demanded the deliciously cooked pudding.  The party asked CB (Chocolate Brown with Hazelnut, the Pudding's name) if they were cool with being eaten.  CB stated that they didn't wish to be eaten, but that maybe they could engage the Queen in lively conversation and she would be so enthralled she wouldn't eat them. That did not work out.

Croquet Grounds 

After the Queen finished devouring CB with four quick bites, the proof was in the pudding.  Documents detailing the crimes of the Pale House were contained in scroll tubes deep within CB. The court rejoiced, and the Queen announced that the party had done well to bring her such a well cooked and timely pudding.  She announced with glee that there would be a croquet match for her court to celebrate and for the party to negotiate with the Queen of Hearts about shutting off her realm to the Pale King and his Giant allies.

The party had to be dressed appropriately and sought the help of the royal tailor.  However, they couldn't afford his exorbitant prices.  Kvothe swore allegiance to the UltraDuke, who covered his costs for the outfit, Jarreth had the tapestry maker the group saved the last session stitch his tapestries into a Technicolor Dreamcoat.  The group then traveled to the croquet grounds, once again surrounded by the full finery and excess of the traveling court.  They were tasked with defeating three Giants in a friendly game of croquet, and the party looked out over a sea of thousands of wickets of different colors, sizes, and materials in apparently random locations. Jarreth asked for a token of the Dutchess to wear during his game and took a beautiful necklace.  Kvothe skulked around the edges and tried to assess the political situation.   Eventually, the party "fought" the giants in croquet, the giants seeming to be more concerned with crushing the party under the weight of their boulder-sized balls than actually scoring points.  The party impressed the court with their panashe, riding horses into the game, pulling trick shots, etc.  They were declared the winner when the goblin timer went off (a Heart Court timekeeping convention where goblins are assigned a task and time is up when they complete it or get themselves killed) 

RPL Play Report #2

Play Notes 8/12

Thanks Josh for writing the play report!  We are only 2 sessions behind now.

After solving a tapestry based puzzle, Jarreth and Kvothe were once again pulled into through the looking glass and back to the main quest.

After returning to the bridge where they had recovered the Queen’s shoe they discussed what to do next. It was quickly decided to follow the Pseudo Turtle’s advice and find the papers, which naturally would seem to be with the companion of the vampire they had just slain. After further discussion they decided to continue on the path based on information provided by the Pudding (the Pudding or “Chocolate Brown with Hazelnut” is a sentient and gossipy creature that long time readers will recognize from the previous play report).

Our Hero

The party encountered a well marked as R^3. Inside were three children willing to trade for food. After ridding themselves of a few days rations (despite the children’s pleas for the pudding) the children provided information that they had indeed seen the mysterious stranger, a figure dressed like a mime but disguised as a statute. Fearing that the figure might actually be a statue, Jarreth traded the children for a rod with which Kvothe could use as a weapon while fashioning himself a maul. During this period a seven of clubs appeared in search of the shoe and seemed to want to get information from the children in the well by killing them. Jarreth tricked the vampire into drinking some holy water and the party defeated the vampire after a short combat.

The party then moved to the North and encountered the statue garden where the figure they chased was likely headed. The statue garden was guarded by three horse-sized shrikes (shrikes Jarreth knew to be carnivorous birds based on his recollection of the exotic bird book). Kvothe picked up the target’s trail and while Jarreth distracted the Shrikes from a safe distance, Kvothe snuck in. Kvothe found the statue/mime, assaulted him, and then hid himself in a safe place. The mime was less quiet expected and was consequently eaten by birds. Kvothe recovered the statue’s messenger bag using mage hand and the party left back to the passage that had lead to this outer area.

The passage randomly teleported them into the Queen of Heart’s castle. The party appeared in a dark crypt that turned out to be the resting place of the kings and queens of spades, diamonds and clubs. The kings and queens were apparently missing their heads but that did not stop them from promising all manner of things if only the party would return their heads. Kvothe was unmoved by their promises and started working on a method to get out through the trap door above them. Jarreth made a fairly noncommittal promise to the King of Spades and took a mighty two handed weapon that had been used by a Jack of Spades. Using his Eldritch Knight powers he bonded to it while Kvothe explored above.

Kvothe discovered a Footman in Livery and proceeded to murder it. Jarreth rejoined and the party discovered themselves to be in a secret passage that leads to the hallway adjacent to the playrooms.

Entering the playroom they discovered their old friend the tapestry maker in a major panic. Four 9s of hearts had stolen his works, placed them on the walls and lit fire to them. Without hesitation, Jarreth threw the pudding against the blazing tapestries, filling the room with a rich aroma and putting out the flames. Jarreth then, using the Queen’s shoe, bullied out of the hearts that it was the Pale King responsible for the attack. Jarreth then had the tapestry maker examine the giants’ tapestry he had stolen and he learned of its value as propaganda. The party decided to bring the tapestry maker along as they headed to the Queen’s court and proceeded to rotate their gravity appropriately.