29/07/5-10

Outside of Penance and Co, Valeyo spotted the increased activity and asked Otto and Milivoj if they wanted to check it out. The three of them entered the building, being let in by the guards and were surprised to find that they were inside of a bar. Some people were already at the bar and above the bar was a large painting, depicting a large group of people. Valeyo immediately recognized the core members of the Order, the painting there being very famous. This copy, however, had an extra member Valeyo didn't recognize, a regular looking man in his 30s. There are 2 staff members working, a half-orc and a human woman and around 10 patrons. They approached the bar, where the half-orc served them three meads. Valeyo asked some questions about how the auction works and was given details. The items are sold in order, consumable to wonderous, cheapest to most expensive. If the highest bidder can't pay, the second highest gets to buy it. He also asked about the painting and was told that the owner had himself painted into it with permission from the Order. When asked about his name, they were told his name was Daniel Penance, and he had some encounters with the Order in the past.

Entering the auction room, they spotted a blue dragonborn wielding a great sword in the back and closer a dwarf in full plate with two war picks guarding. Valeyo recognized the "dragonborn" as in fact a blue half-dragon - Mazirt Vewpashnir. They inspected the items and soon after left and regrouped in the Storm' Scion. They talked about how to proceed regarding Simona and decided to try and talk to her alone in the Broken Chain. Shiek asked about the situation inside the auction house and was told about the security and the auction process. He asked Valeyo if there was any chance that the Order would be coming to get the ring back. Valeyo shrugged and told Shiek there wouldn't be anythink they could do to stop them. He also mentioned the prescence of Mazirt, a bigshot from the Order, in command of their rank and file forces. He wasn't sure why such a high-profile member would be there personally, but they would just have to live with it.

The group descended to the Nivo Pravya and into the Broken Chain. They couldn't see Simona or the Baron around. Shiek did recognize the raven sitting at a Stag's Mounted head. He approached the barkeep and asked about the raven. The man looked up and shouted "Isobella, they are here for you.". The raven flew over to the mezzanine and Shiek was directed to join her there. The group were all let through to the VIP area, where the raven had turned into a darkly dressed half-elf woman with black unkempt hair, with a wild aura to her. The group told her that they are looking for Simona to have a quiet word. She said it could be possible, but she needs more information. She said that Simona is a renegade and a dead woman. Valeyo told her they were allies of Simona's and their business was to do with the construction of the docks. Isobella said that would do and asked if they had blue borders on their passes. Everyone but Shiek said no and she told them it would allow them to enter a restricted area of the city. Shiek said he would take full responsibility for their actions and the agreed, telling them to follow. She lead them though a illusionary tapestry on the ground flow which lead to a tunnel. It eventually branched to a hallway where multiple tunnel split off. Some were labeled 1-20 another bar, a third "Meeting Room" and finally a set of stairs labeled "Nivo Accessway". She let them the meeting room and flew off. Once inside, Valeyo commented on the effort it would have taken to carve all this, as well as a shaft for the stairway across all the levels. Shiek noted that rich people might have a use for this, as well. While waiting for Isobella to return, the group searched the room for any traps, ways to spy and listen it. The wall seemed to be solid stone, but there was a spot in the corner where a Scrying Sensor could appear.

A short while later, the door opened and Simona could be seen on the other side. She winced at seeing them and was pecked at the ankles by the bird to enter, after which the door was closed. Valeyo got straight to the point and asked her again why she was there. She kept insisting it was to simply see the legendary item in the auction. He pleaded with her not to make them do this in the same was as in Konskirav, when they had interrogated her with magic. He believed they had become allies since working together in Stendolin and told her that if she did anything to the Emisar, it would break the I.C.M's pact with the Crown and undo everything they accomplished there. She kept insisting there was nothing to talk about. Valeyo reluctantly cast his spell on her, but she managed to resist and drew her weapon. Lucki8ly, the second casting of the spell succeeded. They began talking and it became clear that she is there as part of her deal with Glasya. When asked how to stop her, she said that her death or that of her sister would break the contract. Otto asked if killing and bringing back her sister would break it, but Simona said that her soul could be lost. While talking, Shiek managed to steal the letter in infernal which he had seen her read when he first encountered her in the Broken Chain. It read:

"Time to get to work. The Emisar in Skalenvru needs to be eliminated. I have it on reasonable authority that the auction will be a thunderous place."

They talked about the letter and Valeyo pointed out wording at the end "thunderous place", saying there could be an attack of some sort. Valeyo, tried pleading with Simona, asking if there wasn't any other way to stop her from attacking the Emisar, from throwing all the progress the I.C.M had made. She looked down in thought and Otto felt a vibration in his bag. His helmet was glowing Ruby red. Valeyo exclaimed, reminding him of the Ruby-Skystone gem that Vincent made, but he was unable to find it. Otto grabbed the glowing helmet and felt it malleable in his hand. Simona was looking over, confused and Otto got the impression that, although nothing has been said, she had made a choice. The helmet was responding to it and was changing. Shaping it with his mind and hands, it took the appearance of a more draconic looking Ruby helmet. He said that Simona had made her choice and she answered saying that she was in trouble. Valeyo asked what she was talking about and made her answer. She sighed and said that she would leave town, choosing to fail her mission and they would come for her. Suddenly Valeyo's face went stony and he asked what she meant, by "choosing to fail". He began shouting about how he thought the magic was making her do the mission, but in fact, she was simply choosing to do it to keep her head. He began berating her, calling her a hypocrite for betraying the I.C.M and Blazh, who she had called family. He said that she had been betrayed the same way by the king and was willing to throw the mission away, just to hurt him. She simply said that she couldn't speak on the details of her contract, but tears began streaming down her cheeks. He then told her to leave and that he would speak to the Baron to ensure she doesn't return, before storming out in anger.

Shiek and Otto tried to find out more about her deal, but were unable to. They asked about her sister and she said that while she is still free, she will likely be a target after the contract is broken. They offered to send her a message and warn her and Simona thanked them, asking to let her know help was coming. Otto send the message telling her that there is danger approaching, but help was on the way. She said that she couldn't leave and Shiek messaged Valeyo to drop the spell, which he did. Before leaving, she help her hand out to Milivoj asking for her weapon "Verdict" back. She then walked out, walking past Valeyo who ignored her and back into the tavern. The rest of the party was soon out and the group was back together. As they were leaving the level, they went by the Alchemists guild and traded the beholder stalks.

After having dinner, the group went to bed. In the night Milivoj awoke. He was himself, but much younger.  By his side was his mother, the two of them having just led the court at Novograd. She walked with him to a cart and told him the present for his brother is inside and she needs his help to carry it. She pointed him to a box and told him to carry it inside. They entered the fort together and she opened the doors on the way for him, leading him past the kitchens. There she asked him to open the box. Inside was a beautiful, phenomenally crafted pistol. Milivoj thought it a good gift for his brother, who was less skilled with the blade. She offered him a look and he picked up the weapon inspecting it. The craftsmanship was truly sublime and she asked Milivoj if he thought his brother will like it. He told her he is certain to. She called over a member of staff and told her to get it wrapped up and prepared. Milivoj realized that the dream felt very real, almost like a memory, but slightly wrong. His mother wouldn't have come down to the kitchen and while his brother did receive a gun, it was when Milivoj was older. Milivoj suddenly looked at the man walking away with the gun and didn't recognize him, one of the cooks was stirring a pot, as if in a loop. They faces were weird, like a vague idea of a face, near featureless. Knowing this didn't take place in the kitchen, he tried to go where it actually happened and everything around him flickered, including his mother and for a split second her eyes changed to become almost draconic in nature, thin vertical slits. Servants around him flickered out of exitance, except the one walking away with the gun, whose image changed. Milivoj realized that he needed to destabilize the dream to see what is really happening. He tried to remember what happened. It was him and his sister who had this conversation, they had pooled their allowances to buy his brother this gun and it happened in a reading room, not the kitchen. This made the dream shake and revealed more of the creature he was looking at. This time he saw more of the creature, its slit eyes and serpentine body. The individual walking away with the gun wearing dark clothes, unlike those of the work staff. This made Milivoj to realize, he never gave it to anyone in reality. He focused and manifested a flail in his hand before saying "Whatever you are, wearing the guise of my family. You are not welcome here.". The creature morphing between his mother and sister, went to speak, but he swung on it with the flail. This revealed the shape of a winged serpent creature, who momentarily lost its focus when it was hit. He asked it what it was. It was a blue pearlescent serpent with yellow eyes and gold and white wings. It simply said sorry before turning into a nightmarish visage and the dream ending. Milivoj found himself at a table in the Storm's Scion, in front of him an empty box, which used to have a telescope in it.