Once they're ready, they are brought inside the royal palace. As they head inside they see a very regal looking carriage, and they recognize it as the same one that was at the execution the day they all met. They are then lead to a massive meeting area. There are eight large pillars, each rising higher than the next. Behind each pillar sat a human. The human sitting behind the tallest one introduces himself as King Darsaadi, the First of Eight, and head of the council. He asks the group to explain to him everything Versteeg's letter alluded to.
They fill him in on all the information. A couple of the eight chuckle when the subject of Worgs comes up, but their scepticism is silenced when Radamyr shows them the Worg teeth, and after they finish telling them about the evils they faced, Liaathvain feels it timely to show them the orb. As she goes to show them, however, the orb vanishes from her hand, and mysteriously appears within Radamyr's robes.
The group is shocked as this has never happened before, and everyone is left bewildered. They've never seen anything like it. Radamyr is amused, and decides to test out this newfound magic. He hands the orb to Bogor, who attempts to hide it in his robes, only to have it once again, reappear in Radamyr's. Rather than find some answers, the group is left with more questions about it than when they went in.
The Council thanks them for the information, and that they have much to think about. They let them know that there is a royal gala being held currently for many foreign politicians that are visiting from far away, and that they are welcome to attend. There is a lot of political tension rising in the south of Dahldrum, and many believe a civil war may be on the horizon. The southern parts of the large province wish to separate, feeling their needs have been neglected by much of the ruling class. They tell them to enjoy themselves, and not to worry about the larger events in motion. They thank them for their time, and bid them goodnight.
The group heads into the party, with the exception of Liaathvain, who wants to go and visit Sir Ravenhold. She is rather taken by him, and would like to take this opportunity to see if he needs any help studying the evil devices. She hasn't met many paladins in her travels, and wants to learn more from him.
The remaining three scope out the party, and Radamyr and Bogor want to have some fun with the orb. They search the room for the dumbest looking person, however neither of them do a very good job. However, Arradel decides to scan the room for someone important they might recognize, but instead finds a man trying to scoop wine out of a dish with his hand. She points him out to Radamyr and Bogor, and they head over to have some fun. They perform some minor tricks with the wooden sphere, and the man has a great laugh at being fooled. When out of nowhere, the two hear a melodious laughter emanate from the crowd, and a strikingly beautiful woman steps out towards them.
Arradel immediately hates her.
She introduces herself as Princess Wandaella Dasaardi, daughter of King Dasaardi, and she rather enjoyed the tricks the two were playing. When they try and fool her, however, she playfully snatches the ball out of the air with very fast reflexes. The ball immediately reappears in Radamyr's robes.
They talk for a brief time about their adventures, and she informs them of her opinion of the problems with the south. She would like to see the south separate if it meant avoiding civil war. After their short conversation, the group decides it would be a good time to head to their lodgings, and the princess offers to walk them out as she is leaving too. This is when they realize that she was the one in the carriage at the execution. She informs them that she was there to be a royal witness to a traitor to the kingdom's punishment. She bids them goodnight, and they all part ways. The group retrieves their gear, and heads to a pub, thinking the royal party a bit to stiff for them. They get a bit drunk and sing "The Clumsy Cleric", but this time the bar is a bit too packed for most people to hear them.
When Liaathvain approaches Ravenhold's study and knocks, she is surprised to see him in the state he is in. He appears very tired, and when she glances inside his lodgings she sees it to be rather messy. He thanks her for stopping by, and explains that he has been studying the two objects without rest since they were given to him. He wants to better understand why they were so important, but when Liaathvain offers to help, he politely tells her not to trouble herself, and that bringing them to him was more than enough help. He wishes her goodnight, and Liaathvain returns to the rest of the group at their humble bed in the divine district.
To Be Continued...
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