Upon returning to the
Clockwork Citadel after their successful mission to the Candle Keep, the
Feinting GOATs found the priests in an unexpected state of agitation.
The normally orderly halls were filled with hurried whispers and
concerned glances, with particular attention focused on a heavily
guarded room that the party was explicitly forbidden from entering.
Never ones to accept such limitations, the team devised a plan to
investigate. Using their considerable stealth skills, they managed to
slip past the guards and into the mysterious chamber. Inside, they
discovered a fragment of parchment - the corner of a diabolic sigil
manuscript - suspended beneath a shimmering magical force field.
Recognizing the significance of this discovery, they used the enchanted
mirror acquired during their adventure in the minotaur maze to capture a
perfect reflection of the fragment before departing undetected.
Only later would they learn the true significance of
what they had found, when Marahaba Asante summoned them to discuss their
next mission: infiltrating an auction at Cloudspire Manor to recover the
remainder of the very manuscript whose corner they had secretly
observed. The implications were clear: the Pantheon had withheld
information about already possessing a piece of this mysterious
document, raising questions about how much they could trust their
employers.
The Feinting GOATs received their most politically
sensitive assignment yet: infiltrate a high-stakes black market auction
at Cloudspire Manor, a floating estate positioned over open ocean and
leased from Djinn Lord Azhar al-Zahir. Their mission, handed down from
Marahaba Asante of the Pantheon, was to recover a mysterious manuscript
containing diabolic sigils and potentially capture escaped prisoner
Soren Vale, the auction's organizer.
The party's infiltration began with the commandeering
of a ship belonging to "The Tarnished Crown," a criminal organization
whose identities they would assume. Upon boarding and defeating the
crew, they discovered a coded message on a drow member of the crew.
Donning elaborate disguises and assuming noble titles, they set sail for
Cloudspire Manor, where they secured modest accommodations – a small
bedroom befitting their cover as minor players in the criminal
underworld.
The first auction proceeded without incident, but
during the second auction featuring the "Scrolls of the Last Emperor,"
chaos erupted when the Jade Serpents, a Mupalan yakuza group, attempted
to steal the item after losing the bidding war to the Shadow Market. The
yakuza activated their recently purchased Resonance Engine to disable
the manor's hydromech guards. The Feinting GOATs intervened swiftly,
defeating the yakuza forces and saving both the auction and the scrolls.
For her heroism, Cut-Cut requested and was granted 24 hours to study the
ancient scrolls.
The manor's djinn lord appeared shortly thereafter,
visibly disturbed by the disturbance, and personally destroyed the
Resonance Engine. While searching the fallen yakuza leader, the party
discovered a decoder ring, which Akemi used to decipher the message from
the ship. The decoded text mentioned a secretive midnight auction in the
Moonlight Chamber – precisely where the diabolic manuscript would be
sold.
As a reward for their intervention, the auction house
granted the party access to the yakuza's former quarters. Within, they
discovered a safe secured by an intricate puzzle lock. After solving the
mechanism, they found a substantial cache of gold and the blueprints for
Mecha Armor from the auction manifest.
As the next regular auction approached, the party was
approached by Brother Cadmus, the bald representative of the Alchemist's
Covenant, who cryptically requested to speak privately with "whichever
one of you is bald." After some confusion, the party realized he was
referring to a hidden tattoo marking bearers of special sigils that
granted access to the midnight auction.
Cut-Cut and Lenti initially attempted to meet with
Cadmus, but he insisted on seeing their "bald spot." Understanding the
need for the sigil tattoo, Korloth employed traditional tribal
techniques to create a tattoo for Akemi. Brother Cadmus then provided
Akemi with a bottle of hair loss tonic, instructing her to read the
label carefully. Removing the label revealed another coded message,
which they deciphered using the yakuza's decoder ring, revealing the
strict protocols for the midnight auction.
The party devised an ingenious plan: position
themselves in the unoccupied engine section beneath the Moonlight
Chamber, while Akemi would attend the auction with Elyndra (transformed
into a cat) hidden in her bag. The strategy proceeded smoothly until the
auctioning of the Mask of True Sight, which the auctioneer casually
used, immediately revealing Akemi's disguise.
In that moment of exposure, the party burst through
the floor in a dramatic assault. A fierce battle ensued, but the
Feinting GOATs emerged victorious, securing the diabolic manuscript.
Though they failed to capture Soren Vale, they had achieved their
primary objective. The team then leapt from the manor, using their
provided snapleaf items for a controlled descent.
Before they could reach the water below, the djinn
lord teleported them to his throne room. Rather than punishment for
damaging his property, he offered them an opportunity: rescue a fellow
djinn, trapped in a genie prison held by the merfolk in the underwater
city of Corallys. The djinn cast powerful magic upon the party, enabling
them to breathe underwater while remaining dry.
At the outskirts of Corallys, they encountered
hostile merfolk guards, but the confrontation was interrupted when a
massive dragon turtle suddenly devoured one of the guards. In the
ensuing battle, Lenti fell to the creature's devastating attacks, but
the party ultimately prevailed. The surviving merfolk, grateful for the
party's assistance, granted them access to the city.
The team returned to their ship to seek aid from
priests, who successfully raised Lenti from the dead, though she
remained in a weakened state. Returning to Corallys, they located a shop
specializing in "dry-lander" magic items, where they discovered and
traded for the genie's lamp.
Outside the city, they carefully rubbed the lamp,
releasing a female genie who offered them three wishes. With their first
wish, they selflessly requested the genie's freedom, allowing her to
reunite with her lover, the djinn lord of Cloudspire Manor. Moved by
their compassion, she restored Lenti to full health and strength before
departing, marking the successful conclusion of their mission.
Note: The following writings are from the character's perspective and are often private to the character. They are not considered "in-game" knowledge to the other characters, and any in-character reference to this information would be considered meta-gaming.
Dear Master,
The Feinting GOATs have just completed a particularly exciting mission! Unfortunately, I cannot provide many details in this letter, but I have learned some very interesting things that I am eager to share with you. I can tell you now that part of our mission took us beneath the ocean, to the aquatic city of Coralys, which was certainly unexpected. While there, I was able to barter for some enchanted brass knuckles, which will enhance my fighting ability. Do not worry, however, that I may become too reliant upon magic items. I am still working to improve every day, and when we meet again, I hope you will find my progress satisfactory. Of course I have not done this alone; the Feinting GOATs are becoming quite an effective team. I look forward to introducing them to you.
Best,
Cut-Cut