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-====== (played 12-9-2018) ======
+====== Report 5.5 : In which the Bishop asks for Savrin's hand for marriage ======
 {{tag>The_Bishops_Report}}
+NOTE: All of this is from the Bishop's personal journal, and has not been filed with the Hall of Records. This follows immediately after the trip to meet Red Shroud, the night before Bishop's Report 6. Immediately after returning to Sigil, I go find Savrin and tell her about the lack of iron mines in the waste.
-\\
+* * *
-ACTION REPORT
-\\
-Attn: [[bishop_von_figaro|#RadagastVonFigaro]] #Skae’phae #FactolOmbedias #Jecht #Jeckt #RedShroud #Godsmen #Abyss #Ricardo #Zelita #Doomguard #RazorForge #Ferrug #Tenari #Armanite #TheBishopsMen #Dash-A #Balbeeto #Pazunia #airship
-\\
+When you relay the situation to Savrin, you can almost see the gears turning in her mind as she absorbs the situation. "...you look presentable enough." She licks her finger to flatten a stray tuft of hair. "We'll go see mother right away. Just try not to be yourself, and let me do most of the talking."
-The party met in a tavern in Sigil, recounting what we have learned from our respective adventures. My followers, whom I’ve started calling the Bishop’s Men, returned with Skippy after challenging the rock in Ysgard. Dash-A has apparently started a slag glass company; the Bishop has taken on him and his followers to construct an appropriate centerpiece window for the Dirty Habit tavern. And Bishop, Reinhalt, Toby and Balbeeto returned from Broken Reach. [see previous action report]
+* * *
-\\
+You're no stranger to the Bedell family home, but the place has a certain intimidating atmosphere about it. The wealth implied by the decor is far from exhorbitant, but still several pay grades above your own, and it makes every effort to remind you of the fact.
-To summarize the latter group’s discoveries:
-- Reinhalt discovered that the Abyssal town of Ferrug had been badly damaged, possibly even destroyed, when a massive ship and its crew stopped there. The ship was designed with a skull on its prow.
+The drawing room that Savrin's mother chooses for your conversation is polished maplewood, with a carved mahogany table upon which coffee is served in silver-rimmed china cups. The bookcases behind Savrin's mother are thick with dust, and the ticking of the grandfather clock is the only sound that breaks the awkward silence.
-- The forests in Pazunia are not safe; one in every ten tree is a viper tree. Also, it’s best to stay on the established paths and wave Gra’zzt’s banner, in order to not be pressed into the Blood War armies.
+The Lady Bedell, Senior, studiously avoids eye contact. Her floor-length dress is a button-down affair with a high collar and a corset, her hair tied up in a prim bun. She regards her coffee cup as Savrin fills her in on the details of your information, and your proposal.
-- The Bishop learned that the ships are currently docked at Razor Forge, another Abyss citadel. Being the source of a great amount of iron, they will soon face a dearth of metal.
+After a lengthy pause, the Lady Bedell speaks. "An opportunity, to be sure. One with great potential for exploitation." She sips her coffee. "It's my understanding that your father has investments in an iron mine on Acheron, Savrin. Near the Wells of Vorkehan if I recall."
+"Yes, mother. A fifty percent stake. The other two stakeholders are..."
-\\
+"Master Vlin and the Lady Dougal. Do you recall me asking you to research them in the Hall of Records all those years ago?"
-A plan was somewhat hashed out. Helga decided we need explosives-- either in the black powder, or alchemical fire varieties. Helga checked with her contacts, while the Bishop sent his followers to Ylem, the Modron Wizard in the Hive; the Tiger Claw gang, in the same district; the proprietor of the Treasure Box shop in the lady’s ward; and Gwydion, a long-time friend to the gang. The gang split up and enjoyed some down-time: Dash-A at his shop, Bal feeding the poor and attacking the rude, Reinhalt consulting with other planeswalkers, Helga trying to buy explosives and failing, and Cal with his ladyfriend. The Bishop was able to meet Factor Ombidias, thanks to Dash-A, and proposition an offer: the Foundry might supply Pazunia with ore, while the Bishop received 5,000 gold pieces as a finder’s fee.
-\\
+"I do, mother. I believe I told you about their...vices."
-The next morning, the Bishop’s Men returned: Ylem was too focused on his studies, both Gwydion and the Tiger Claw knew a someone who could sell and offer a 10% discount, and the owner of the Treasure Box knew a place that sold Blast Disks. Helga went and purchased them soon after. Meanwhile, Reinhalt discovered that the Doomguard had inquired about the mysterious two-way portal that no one ever returns from, and that they had left just that same noon-time. The plan to leave Sigil the following day is immediately scrapped in favor of leaving that night. When the party reconvenes that evening, at a barbershop owned by a human woman, Zelita, Cal and Balbeeto tip her generously, and she promises to keep the door open-- and thus the portal active-- for as long as possible. Also, the Bishop is accompanied by the brash and braggart Ricardo.
-\\
+"Vlin would be devastated if his dear old mother learned that he preferred Dagon as a patron over the family church. As for Lady Dougal..." she smiles. "I'm sure that her youthful indescretion at Fierna's Kiss is something she'd prefer stayed in the past. They can be convinced to part with their stakes in the mine for a very reasonable price I'm sure."
-Ricardo was hired hastily among the Fated’s planeswalkers. Although the airship is a bit of an unknown quantity, the Bishop decided to trust Ricardo’s skills as a pilot and navigator to hopefully steal the ship away. He’s being paid at 5x the normal rate (2.5 gold daily), paid 2/5ths upfront, and the rest later. Not knowing how long the journey’d take, Ricardo is hired on for a month.
-\\
+"Yes mother."
-Skippy performs a special, inspiring song to protect the party (“The Ballad of Corwig the Pustulent”) and inaugurate their new mission into the Abyss. It is evening when the party passes through the portal, but it is eternal noon on the other side. Immediately, the group is greeted by tortuous screams suddenly cut off. Creeping forward to investigate, they see a massive creature with two heads-- a demonic beast’s head, and a long snake’s body attached like an appendage to the devil’s back-- casually slurping blood from a freshly pulled-off leg. The snake head tries to goad the main torso to attack us, or press us into the Blood War, but he’s fully sated from his bloody meal. The group gives the creature a wide-berth, not really pitying the gaunt whisper gnome that’s shackled to a long chain attached to the demon. We figure that’s what’s preventing planeswalkers from returning through that portal.
-\\
+"Master von Figaro, you are to be commended for your judgement. I will dispatch a team to Broken Reach immediately to negotiate our contract. Red Shround will easily be willing to pay three to four times the market price , so we shall undercut the competition and offer her two and a half. We can't possibly supply all her needs with the one mine, but we'll loosen her dependence on the bigger suppliers and get our foot in the door.
-We leave the portal area and discover a seemingly abandoned village of sorts, and, pressing on, we discover the area is also ringed by a dense forest. Skippy, Bishop and Reinhalt take the lead, navigating through the woods and avoiding the occasional viper-tree.
-\\
+"Savrin, you can handle the affairs regarding the mine I presume. Once the ownership is fully in the family name, you are to order the mine's full production to be delivered to our warehouses in the Guildhall Ward. We'll ship to Broken Reach from there."
-Emerging through the forest, we discover the Abyss is preternaturally and scorchingly sunny, ochre-red, dusty, and flat. In the distance we can see the edge of a glowing lake of iron, and a massive fortress halfway obscured by all the dust plumes. It’s far away, but we can make out winged creatures, Tenari, we learn later, dismantling the fortress in droves. It’s a no-brainer; we avoid the area altogether and make a wide arc around both the lake and the fortress.
-\\
+"Yes mother."
-We camp a good distance away from the fighting between the large rocks that are scattered everywhere. During our rest, Cal and Dash-A catch sight of four large creatures-- Armanites, like giant centaurs with metal plates fused into their skin-- coming our way. The Bishop creates an illusion of people running away, which causes the intruders to break into twos, buying the party time.
-\\
+"Master von Figaro. Your information was instrumental in this opportunity, yet you lack the resources or connections to exploit it. My family has the latter. From this, I offer you these very reasonable terms. You will provide fully 100 platinum coins to cover your stake in the enterprise. I will cover the rest. In exchange, you will be provided a full third of all profits from this venture. You will, naturally, agree to these terms...the alternative is that I take your information and act on it alone." She smiles thinly as she finishes her coffee.
-Cal becomes a dire polar bear and grapples one Armanite, while Helga, Bal and Toby fight another. Helga makes short work of one, and then two others fall. To the side, the Bishop charms one Armanite, who becomes our friend. His name is Jecht, or possibly Jekt. His humor’s a little rough, and he and Bal find great enjoyment in constantly needling each other.
-\\
+* * *
-Jecht guides us through the Abyss, leading us towards Razor Forge. The journey takes two days, and we rest inside shelters created by Reinhalt’s stoneshape spells-- on the first night we find another Armanite full-on galloping away from Razor Forge, but we’re too far from the road to intercept him. The second night, we’re nearly discovered by monstrosities, called Chasme, flying overhead-- even Jecht is terrified of them, saying the Chasme will press anyone they come across into fighting in the Blood War.
-\\
+With the meeting concluded, Lady Bedell bids Savrin leave first and asks you to stay. The servants refill both your cups and clear away the third, leaving the two of you alone together for the first time in...ever, to your memory.
-On the third day, we finally get our first sight of Razor Forge, just in time to see the airship lifting off and coming our way.
-\\
+Before you can speak, Lady Bedell takes her cup and walks over to the window. "I have great hopes for my daughter, Master von Figaro." She takes another sip. "Of my seven children, she is my only daughter. All of her brothers have succeeded in life, and I hope to see her match them in that success. If not exceed it."
-“That’s the airship I want you to pilot for us,” I tell Ricardo. It’s an awful and awe-inspiring sight, 100 feet long and 90 feet wide, with a massive, broken-toothed skull for a pro. Ricardo tries to flee from the contract, and Helga reminds us all we’re supposed to destroy it. I make a verbal agreement with Ricardo-- with Bal and Reinhalt as officiating witnesses-- if we are able to procure this ship and make it ours, then I will pay him 1,000 gold upon arrival in Sigil. Reinvigorated with gusto, Richard says he can do it.
+She turns to face you, making eye contact. Her stare is intense and unforgiving. "Which is why when I found her eye had caught some grifting vagabond without even a permanent address, I was far from impressed. A fling I can understand. A woman of her position can afford a few disposable one night stands, but the moment I suspected she was remotely serious I was gravely concerned."
+She sets her cup back on the table and resumes her seat. "And yet...in spite of my initial judgement, you have surprised me. Your bawdy house in Sylvania is hardly the sort of enterprise I would be happy associated with the family name, and yet I cannot deny its success...nor the pedigree of its financial backing. Zadara is famous for her discerning judgement after all.
-[[bishopreport6|<—-Previous]] | [[bishopdiary|All Entries]] | [[bishopreport8|Next-—>]]
+"In the intervening time, I've seen your fortunes swell. Your school is successful. Your name is spoken of in circles more dignified that the seedy pubs of itinerant planeswalkers. So I am willing...to revisit my opinion of you.
+"If this lead of yours pans out, Master von Figaro, and this business venture sees success...then I will consent to give my daughter's hand in marriage."
+She takes a final sip, emptying her cup. "But if you make me regret this decision, or if any harm comes to Savrin...of ANY sort...I will bend every resource at my family's disposal to see you die penniless and in disgrace."
+Her last words spoken, she rises and walks towards the door. She doesn't bother to turn her head as she leaves. "You remember the door you came in from, I assume. Please see yourself out."
+You suspect this is the warmest reception a suitor for Savrin's hand can possibly expect.
+[[bishopreport5|<—-Previous]] | [[bishopdiary|All Entries]] | [[bishopreport6|Next-—>]]

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