User blog:Tokenas/The Day of the Election

Having spoken with Acting Archon of the Eye Anabran Cane,  Ava (believing Anabran's installment as Archon to be the best chance at the  Empire taking the dangers of the Scions of Tiamat seriously, decided to guard Anabran through the election the next day. She retrieved her compatriots and settled in to a nearby office to keep watch over the office, eventually escorting Anabran to his rooms through layers of Dragonspire security. Striding in first to investigate the room for hidden dangers, Ava noted a variety of oddities: a heavy feeling to the air, some strange objects scattered around (including a bowl of wood chips and string, a sheet of lead, and a small bag with a few things inside), a conjuration of some sort that barked at her when she entered, and three documents on the reading table: a copy of the book The War of the Draconic Divinities by Viorel Vorias, another book, Reflections on the Shadowfell, and a sheaf of sealed reports, the top of which was labeled "A Geological Survey of the Crystalflow Coast." She also noted a hidden compartment in his wardrobe, and otherwise found the rooms to be almost spartan - no window, no real potential hiding places (other than the wardrobe), and no real personal touches. Anabran told the Seventh Eye to be ready to move out in the morning, following the election, in case he lost, so that the mission could be begun before the orders could be countermanded.

Ava and the team woke early to prepare. On her way to the office, she noted something strange; a woman in a badly-fitting uniform walking back and forth along a stretch of the tower, trying to appear unobtrusive, near Cane's office. Unsure what threat she might represent, Ava accosted her, demanding her name and rank. Claiming to be Intelligence liasion Elwyn Miada, she appeared to be trying to get Ava into a nearby office. Through an odd conversation, it became clear that Elwyn was putting on an act, possibly to deceive any eavesdroppers. While vocally berating Ava and Soren for their insubordination, she wrote out: ''My name is Branwyn Fassit, I'm undercover inside the Maw of the Dragon on the orders of my brother  Therin. There's a conspiracy, I think connected with the cult you uncovered, but I don't know how high it goes. I've been starting to work my way in, and was supposed to report to Therin the day he died. I think I can trust you, and I think I can trust Cane because I think they're planning something if he wins the election. I don't know what exactly. ''

Branwyn was unable to direct Ava to any particular members of the conspiracy, but stated her belief that an old storeroom near the Council chamber was involved with the conspirators' plans. She then ran off, ostensibly to return to her post with the Maw before they missed her, though she was frightened that they may already have. Ava and her team met Anabran at his office and briefed him on the mornings developments. He promised to do what he could to protect Branwyn, but opined it might not be much. The group headed to the Council chamber, with Anabran pointing out the storeroom, up a stairway flanking the chamber.

Opening the door carefully, Ava found two Scale infantry inside, playing cards over a barrel - likely part of the honor guard for Archon of the Scale Kayla Prinn. They seemed ill at ease, and Ava entered with her team. Soren pulled up a stool to play with the men (somewhat to their consternation), while Ava and Aron fairly blatantly searched the room. Tiring of the charade, the Scales drew steel and engaged. In the melee that followed, Soren cast a silence spell to prevent any interlopers, and as voting began in the next room, the Seventh raced to finish the battle in time to figure out what was happening. During the fight, a hidden room opened on the back wall of the storeroom, revealing another Scale guard with another figure in the robes of a Scale spellcaster holding a scroll. Through quick thinking and skill at arms, the Scales were all killed, mostly by collateral damage from the spellcaster's attacks - apart from the spellcaster, who was successfully captured, and the scroll recovered.

Meanwhile, the election next door resulted in a narrow victory for Anabran, with the Maw and Scale voting for Mairin Néill and the Talon of the Dragon and High Archon voting for Anabran. Ava, investigating the hidden room, found a peephole and surveyed the Council chamber, noting the High Archon (who seemed somewhat dazed in his seat at the center of the table), Anabran, Kayla Prinn, Archon of the Talon Ryld Argith, Mairin Néill, and a sixth figure in white ecclesiastical robes sitting nearest the peephole - facing away, of course.

Having received notice from Ava, Anabran brought Kayla Prinn to the storeroom for a debriefing. Through a tense conversation, Kayla seemed to trust the Seventh's account - for the time being, at least - and took the spellcaster (apparently named Joslyn) and scroll into custody. She and Anabran quickly decided how to keep the prisoner, and the scroll, secure for interrogation and identification, hopefully in a manner that would avoid tampering. The Seventh was released, with a promise from Prinn that mercy would not be shown if the account had been prevaricated.

Anabran briefed the Seventh on two potential missions for the group. The first concerned a disturbance in the Fioré, with reports of undead activity from the Third Eye. The second, an ancient structure of some sort, possibly a temple, dating from the War of the Draconic Divinities. Ava opined that while the first might be more urgent, the second was more important - finding out more information about the Cult's origins and goals may be more crucial to stopping them than simply shutting down whatever activity is found.

The decision made, the group separated to prepare for the mission.