Tales of the Old World 29

<Tales_GM> The year is 2512 on the Imperial Calendar...
<Tales_GM> The Steinhäger Offices are in an imposing single-storey building. The family's badge, a barrel with the letter "S" branded into it, hangs outside. Merchants and other people come and go throughout the morning. A porter guards the offices, occasionally letting someone in once they state their business.
<Tales_GM> Staking out the building continues in a largely uneventful way. Until, that is, Roderick and Shivva are given a surprise...
<Seig> Meanwhile in the sewers... "Guys found away out, glad we looked that wasn't far at all."
<Tales_GM> The metallic thump of a manhole in an alleyway is followed by the emergence of Afrock, Farforian, and Sieg.
* Roderick starts and turns, drawing his sidearm at the sound.
<Far_Foririan> "Ah hello there."
* Afrock grunts.
<Roderick> "What in the hells are you doing there?" Roderick lowers the hammer on his pistol and re-holsters it, recognizing the others.
<Seig> "So that office your staking out? You can guess whats under it."
<Roderick> "The summoning room I imagine."
* Far_Foririan pulls out his poorly drawn map to look it over and show it to Seig, but he is not able to make out what Seig figures out.
<Seig> "Yup, and its been bolted up from the inside and cleaned up nice."
<Far_Foririan> "The floor had been obliterated from what we could see."
* Roderick pounds his fist into his glove and growls triumphantly. "I knew there was another way out of that room! And no surprise about them cleaning it out."
* Seig removes his mask and takes in what the closest approximation of fresh air turns out to be in Bogenhafen.
<Tales_GM> Thorek's return proves to be the most eventful, as he presents a note, taken from the street as it fell from the merchant's pocket.
* Roderick accepts the note from Thorek and reads it over.
<Roderick> "It looks like the council have all been invited to a dinner at the Teugen estate. I say we go give it a look before we decide anything else."
<Seig> "This place is a bit busy for us to do much right now anyways."
<Roderick> "Agreed, we'll most likely draw attention to ourselves if we go in now."
<Tales_GM> The Teugen House is set back from the road into its own grounds. The walls around the grounds are 15ft high, made of thick stone. The gates are of the same height, and display the gilded Teugen cross, inlaid with ruby red; the symbol by which the Teugens are known.
<Tales_GM> To your surprise, the gates are open, and it seems visitors are allowed to come calling at the house.
<Roderick> "Let's disperse. Resupply, recuperate and regroup. Then we come back tonight and checks things out. We don't want to tip them off that we know anything before we have to.
* Shivva, Afrock and Far have decided to do some shopping. Shiva has gotten a new weapon and is having his doctors robes repaired. Far bought some new robes. Afrock was mostly window shopping.
Tales_GM> As the evening comes, one by one the adventurers come into the Journey's End. By the looks on their faces, concerning details have emerged.
<Seig> Seig had learned quite a lot about Johannes Teugen and their family and tells the party such, explaining its recent history, the influence Johanne carries and highlights a few specifics of his appearance and habits.
* Far_Foririan looks around as he process what Seig has told them.
* Afrock grunts and looks surprised.
<Roderick> After hearing this Roderick provides the group with his and Kruger's discoveries about Ludo Edel, the High Priest here in Bogenhafen, and his political ties to the Teugen family. The group cannot rely on his authority against the rest of the council. He also warns of the potential concern of Ludo alerting Teugen of the inquiries and conversations that took place in the Temple.
<Afrock> "Hrm."
<Tales_GM> The evening sun once again makes the twin spires of the Temple bathe the town with warm golden light.
<Tales_GM> With the sun setting, the Journey's End begins to see an influx of patrons ready to continue their merriment after their festival activities of the day.