- The party woke up in the tavern and started talking to Finn, Tilly, and Velara
- They agreed to find out what was going on, what the Queen was going to be charged on, etc.
- They went to the Queen’s estate and talked to the her
- She told them the ring must stay a secret & she plans to deny its existence. She wants the party to destroy the evidence the Archdruid submitted to the Balandel Courthouse.
- The party agrees, though between themselves they decide they are going to wait to see the evidence before deciding what to do with it.
- They sent Velara to scope out the courthouse ahead of time while they went back to the inn.
- Upon arriving at the inn, they ran into the Archdruid Thalwen Myr walking out. She asked to talk to them and immediately asked how they visited all three groves (hundreds of miles apart) in the same night. The party said they were hesitant to trust her and asked what she thought the reason was. She said she thought this “Verdant Reliquary” was real and that the queen is using it with the ring to drain the groves. The party resisted commenting and she told them “We’ll speak tomorrow. You need to decide what side you’re on. Honesty or Treachery.”
- After she left, they went inside. Dravencoles had some beers with an already inebriated Bixby Wizzlethorpe, while Momeline went to catch up with the tavern gossips. The gossips told her that nobody had seen Talan Windfern in over a week (she had previously asked them to keep an eye out for him). Garrin Dace came over to serve drinks at some point, and Lirielle followed him away to ask him some questions. He revealed the Archdruid had questioned him about the party and that he kept things vague and lauded their heroic achievements. He did tell the Archdruid that Talan was arrested by the Queensguard, though.
- Later that night, the party broke into the Balandel Courthouse. Behind the house they alerted a barking dog, who Ferinthria first tried to calm down by giving food (didn’t work) and then by casting Speak with Animals. She convinced the dog to calm down and to keep an eye out for them.
- Inside the courthouse (they broke in very easily using Momeline’s temporary ethereal ability to pass through walls), they found the three notes in the Evidence room and took the scrambled one and the one from Serelion Thorneweave to Malrec. They left the note from Myrhan to Malrec in the evidence bin. Momeline successfully decoded Lyrian’s message that they were fleeing Lusteris for Ember Halls.
- Momeline went into the next room, the Judges quarters, solved the balance puzzle and unlocked the chest. She found the note, read it, but left it there.
- Dravencoles then lifted Momeline through the ceiling onto the next floor, where there was a sleeping Druid of the Flame next to some handwritten notes by the Archdruid detailing her plans. Momeline took the note and returned to the party.
- Then the party went back to the Queen (middle of the night now, using the twin orb of passage) and updated her. They are suspicious that the Archdruid is somehow involved with the cultists. The Queen tells them her Queensguard let her know the Archdruid is looking for Talan Windfern (who is in a secret questioning chamber in the palace). If she finds him, it could be bad.
- The Queen also tells them Irielle Duskwhisper was assigned to work at Saint Andral’s Church, a few miles outside of the city, beyond the borders of Vel Enweir in the free villages (a few hours ride). The party decides to send a message to her telling her to take a Queensguard escort to Fadrín with Finn and Tilly. They try to convince Velara to go with them, but she wants to stay with the party. They decide to try to save Laerwen Sylvenblade and her father from the assassination attempt noted in the note tonight.
- Finally, the queen asks them to assassinate Malrec who she found out is being held captive at the fire druid camp outside of the city.
- When the get to the Silver Bark Armory, Momeline goes inside. Three druids of the flame stop Dravencoles, Ferinthria, and Lirielle, though, asking why they are there. The druids say they were sent to keep an eye out for assassins. The party sneaks the Sylvenblades out the back, gets them to the Tavern and off to Fadrín with the Queensguard, Tilly, and Finn. Laerwen Sylvenblade tells Momeline “They think it’s me, but it’s your friend”, hinting that Lirielle is destined to wear the crown.
- Before going to bed, Lirielle decides to put on the crown. Unlike Momeline she actually feels like she has agency in the flashback, but right as she feels like she can make her own decision, she snaps out of the dream, as if she can’t quite grasp it to take control of it.
- Lastly, they went to the Fire druid camp outside the city to assassinate Malrec. Despite Momeline stepping on a fire rune and detonating it, her and Lirielle are able to assassinate Malrec before he is even able to respond and flee before the druids even realize what’s happening.