Legendary Campaign - The King's Cousin comes to Katarina

Wednesday May 24, 1066 SE

Over the last week, Branna finished the costume she designed for Mon, and it looks perfect. Meanwhile, Mon has not seen the green bear, though he has looked for it every day in its assigned corner.

As Mon, Marigold and Branna eat breakfast in the Palace cafeteria, a group of pages run in, and distribute notes to department heads. Several of them immediately stand up and leave the room. Pavel also receives a note, and after reading it he stands up, and hits his glass to get everyone's attention. "Folks," he tells them, "the entire staff of the Legendary has been called for at 8 am this morning. That's in 45 minutes. Finish your breakfast quickly, then meet in the theater lobby."

Mon finishes his breakfast. Marigold does the same, then packs up a second breakfast just in case. She then returns to her room and grabs her most valuable tools and objects before heading out to the Legendary, worried that someone may take the opportunity to raid the hotel.

The entire staff is present in the lobby. The laborers and the office staff are on their regular schedule, but the actors and actresses are much earlier than usual, and as a result most of them are not well put together. At precisely 8, Sir Gregory Tsaplin, accompanied by his manservant Ony and Yurchik the theater director come down the stairs from the second floor and his offices. Sir Gregory Tsaplin announces to the assembled troop that they have just received notification that Sir Sergeii, renowned baritone and first cousin to the King of Sezja, is coming to Katarina to showcase his talent and offer three memorable performances at the Legendary. His performances will be Friday and Saturday night, and a matinee on Sunday before he departs the island to return to the mainland on Monday. Sir Gregory Tsaplin asks that all laborers, carpenters, and skills crew members spruce the theater up, while actors and non-essential staff pitch in to fill up the theater with sold-out performances. The crowd disperses in grumbles, as this postpones their own activities another week.

Meanwhile, tasked with selling tickets, Mon borrows a staff and a box he can stand on from props. Marigold gives him both, but tells him he's responsible for bringing them back. Mon is teamed up with Luba by Yurchik. Luba expresses distastes at being relegated to a salesgirl role, something she thought she had left behind years ago. Luba is also concerned that the Cardinal and his men are still watching her following her recent arrest and release. Mon tells her not to worry. His plan is to travel to the three most important intersections with Luba where he will use his best voice to advertise, creating an illusion of Sir Sergeii's profile above his head. Mon tells Luba to find her prettiest dress and go out there and sell tickets. Mon then asks Branna if the costume department has a town crier's outfit. Branna locates the costume, but realizes the pants are missing. She finds a new pair of pants that will match, and gives him a bell with an amplified spell to make it sound louder.

Branna then meets with Oskana about costumes. Oskana tells her they're flying blind. She saw Sir Sergeii a few years back in Sezja, and though his costumes are bright, they are not ostentatious. She recommends several outfits that could potentially work well for the choir, and asks her assistant to gather them all and have them ready when Sir Sergeii's people come to the Legendary.

Marigold takes apart the props she has been building for the play and hides the pieces to avoid theft or damage. The singer will not need any props, so the department has been tasked to help the laborers with repainting the theater, replacing carpets, and ensuring that every piece of brass shines and every window is cleaned. The Legendary must sparkle!

The ship carrying Sir Sergeii, the Astral Star, arrives in Katarina early in the afternoon. Sir Sergeii's staff make arrangements for his costumes to be delivered to the Legendary, and he requests that his people connect with the Legendary's people to coordinate their efforts to ensure his performances are perfect.  Mon goes to the waterfront and he observes Sir Sergeii, getting off the ship. The man is elegant and distinctive, without looking too arrogant. Sir Sergeii, waves at the adoring crowd, and boards a carriage for his ride uptown. Mon thinks he has enough to create a decent illusion of the baritone. Several servants unload many wooden chests, all clearly marked with Sir Sergeii's crest. These are loaded up in two wagons, which are then carted up to the Legendary.

Sir Sergeii

Sir Sergeii examines the city of Katarina as his carriage takes him uptown. The singer is staying at the Classic, the best hotel in town, and he checks in to the Royal Suite on the fourth floor, the highest floor in the building. Centrally located on the north side of the Svetozar Plaza, the four stories neo-classical building offers an oppulent environment and an incomparable view of the harbor and the fjord leading to the sea. The Classic possesses the island's only Royal Suite, booked by the rich and notables who are concerned about comfort and security. After deeming his surroundings acceptable, Sir Sergeii meets with his staff to plan his stay in Katarina. His meeting is interrupted by the delivery of a large bouquet of flowers from Blossom Boutique. The Marquess of Sidorov has sent Sir Sergeii a large bouquet of flowers and requests a lunch date with him. Sir Sergeii determines to keep his eye on her private loge to see if this is something he wants to do.

Lena and the rest of the marketing department create and distribute flyers and posters to all of the actors by the end of the afternoon, so the actors collect their share and head out. As Mon gathers his flyers, Marigold suggests that they start a rumor that the socialites are purchasing large blocks of tickets. Mon adds that they could start the rumor that members of the Royal family are also here to secretly view the performance. Mon and Luba perform the skit Mon wrote at the three most frequented intersections in uptown Katarina. While performing on the corner of the Classic, Mon accidentally falls from his box, much to the delight of the crowd. Sir Sergeii, who had heard the commotion, watched the performance and appreciated the spell that recreated his likeness, but was shocked to see how scantily clad Luba was, and found himself scandalized by her wooden and unprofessional performance.

Based on reports on the entertainment life in Katarina from his spymaster, Sir Sergeii books the best loge at the Starlight, and he sends his agents to the other theaters so they can report on the Thursday night performances.

Thursday, May 25, 1066 SE

As the folks at the Legendary continue to prepare for Sir Sergeii's performance, the city is abuzz with the presence of the King's cousin, and rumors that other members of the Royal family will secretly be in attendance swirl throughout town. That afternoon, Sir Sergeii, wearing a light disguise, exits the Classic through a secret door, and meanders through Katarina, taking mental notes of what he sees. He eventually heads to the Cathedral, where he is immediately ushered in the Cardinal's office. Sir Sergeii notes that the Cardinal's office is massive and is bigger than the King's throne room. 

The two of them discuss the political situation on the Island of Katarina and the loose morals of its population. The Cardinal is particularly insistent on the presence of a separatist group on the island called the Oaks. This group, he explains to Sir Sergeii, wishes the island to become independent. The church leader points out that the island generates more wealth for the Kingdom of Sezja than all of the other provinces, and that some folks on Katarina do not appreciate the support and protection they receive from the Crown. He reports on some minor sabotage that the agents of Oaks have perpretated, and he mentions that Sir Sergeii might be a target, due to his connection with the Sezjan crown. He further tells Sir Sergeii that the situation is currently under control, and that he plans to execute a raid on the Oaks sympathizers in the next few weeks. The Cardinal would, however, appreciate a sizeable increase in the number of troops under his commands, as he doubts that the soldiers on Katarina would fight on his behalf without specific orders from the Archduke, orders that would never be given in any case due to the Archduke's animosity to the Cardinal's mission of morality and order.

Sir Sergeii comments on the performance he watched outside the hotel, and his description of the actress accurately identifies Mon and Luba. The Cardinal agrees that this lascivious performance violates the moral code, and that both of them should be arrested and brought in for questioning. The Cardinal issues arrest warrants against Luba and Mon, to be executed on Monday after Sir Sergeii departs.

Sir Sergeii  returns to his hotel room, removes his disguise, then heads out through the front door. Welcomed by adoring fans, he signs several autographs, then makes his way to Khoroshim, where he eats a delicious diner. After his meal, he takes a carriage to the Starlight, where he attends the performance. He leaves vaguely confused about the message, but was mildly entertained. He receives reports from the other performances from his spymaster and his other agents, and all of them agree that the plays do not feature high morals, and many of the actors are scantily clad.

Friday, May 26, 1066 SE

Everyone at the Legendary hears the rumor that Sir Sergeii will be having lunch on Saturday with the Marquess of Sidorov. The rumor reaches the singer himself, who, seeing his hand forced, agrees to meet the Marquess for lunch at Khoroshim. Mon, Marigold and Branna receive a notice that following tonight's performance, their presence is requested at the Katarina's Palace, the Archduke's official residence, for a late dinner and a truncated private performance of the third act of Masha and the Bear. Sir Sergeii has also been invited as the guest of honor. The three of them are thrilled and nervous. A private performance in front of the Archduke and his family!

The atmosphere at the Legendary is electric as the last preparations are made for the evening's performance. Sir Sergeii holds a practice performance with the choir and provides extensive notes on what needs to be fixed before tonight's show. The theater's doors open up promptly at six to a sold-out show, and by the time the performance begins, all seats are taken. The Archduke and his family are in attendance in their private loge, while the Cardinal sits across from them in his own space.  

Marigold elects to watch the performance with lighting, keeping an eye on the exit in case of troubles. Mon hides in the secret compartment he discovered underneath the Cardinal's loge. During the performance, Mon overhears the Cardinal discussing his own upcoming arrest, along with Luba, and the measures that the Cardinal plans on implementing to avoid any trouble with the Archduke's soldiers and the local population.

Sir Sergeii's performance is brilliant, and his list of recriminations concerning the choir and the lighting departments are minimal. Even the seasoned singer is mildly impressed by the quality of the local talent.The applause are thunderous, but even over the loudness of the crowd, everyone can clearly hear the Marquess of Sidorov's cheers, leading to much chuckling in the crowd. Even the Cardinal stands and applauds the performance, something rarely seen in the Legendary.

Following the performance, Mon, Marigold, Branna, Luba and several other actors head to the Katarina's Palace. The dinner is tense, with the Archduke mildly rebuking Sir Sergeii for not warning the island of his arrival. Had the Archduke known, Sir Sergeii's welcome would have been grand, and he himself would have met the singer at the docks. Sir Sergeii apologizes, and notes that perhaps the message was lost or delayed in transit. The Archduke's youngest daughter, Yula, fawns over the famous singer and asks for his autograph, but his eldest daughter, Verushka, appears visibly upset at the singer's presence at their table.

After a delicious dinner showcasing foods from Katarina and consisting of roasted mutton with golden potatoes and a mixture of baked garlic and red onions with a glaze, the players set up Masha and the Bear. Mon's performance is excellent, and even Luba shines. Sir Sergeii is taken aback that the pathetic performance he observed the day before came from the same person he sees tonight. However, she is still scantily clad, much to his annoyance.

Saturday, May 27, 1066 SE

After rising up late in the morning, Sir Sergeii prepares himself for lunch with the Marquess of Sidorov at the Khoroshim. He organizes a pre-arranged signal with his spymaster, so that the latter can interrupt any time Sir Sergeii fells like departing. The meal is delicious, but the Marquess's incessant blabber soon forces Sir Sergeii to execute his exit strategy. Heading to the Legendary, he meets with Yurchick, and reviews the notes from the previous night's performance.

Sir Sergeii then meets with Mon and they discuss his marketing strategy. Sir Sergeii mentions Luba being unprepared, and Mon defends the actress, explaining that she doesn't do very well with improvisation, and that she had experienced a fairly bad week in her personal life. Following his meeting with the singer, Mon leaves a note for Sir Gregory about him and Luba being arrested on Monday afternoon.

 Sir Sergeii's performance Saturday night is even better than the previous night, the sold-out crowd delivers a solid stand up ovation. The Cardinal once again attended the performance, and so did the Archduke, but this time only Yula was there with him.

Sunday, May 28, 1066 SE

Sir Sergeii closes out his third and final performance at the sold out Legendary with the Szejan national anthem, which is raucously echoed by the crowd. That evening, he compiles a secret report to be delivered to the King of Sezja about the political and moral situation on Katarina, which he entrusts to his spymaster.

Monday, May 29, 1066 SE

A crowd assembles at the dock to see Sir Sergeii depart Katarina. With his spymaster reporting rumors of a possible attempt on his life by Katarina separatists, Sir Sergeii boards his ship, and, as it pulls away from the dock, makes an announcement that shocks the crowd. The King of Sezja himself and his royal retinue will be visiting the island in a month's time. The crowd is part shocked, part thrilled at this turn of even. As the Astral Star sails away, the Cardinal's men close in on Mon, who uses a smoke bomb Marigold had developed for this occasion, and jumps in the waters off the dock. He walks underwater until he emerges a few hours later wet but no worse for wear. After a short stint at the Anchor's Luck to dry himself, he returns to the Palace and meet with his friends.

Marigold suggest that to avoid the Cardinal's ire, livery for marketing be done that adheres to the Church's strict dress code. All female staff should be told what they need to wear when traveling from their residence to the theater and back, to avoid running into the Cardinal's men.

Wednesday, June 1, 1066 SE

Mon receives an unmarked letter, apologizing for the inconvenience of his presence being an unfortunate casualty of suspicion in regards to the culture and the morality of the island, means no ill will and his performance was exemplary, and should he find his way on the mainland he would be a welcome guest ...

Legendary Campaign - The Girl Who Haunts the Legendary

Wednesday, May 17, 1066 SE

With Marigold and Branna staying the night at Luba's house to help feel better following her arrest and release, Mon discovered that someone has traveled through a little-used secret passage underneath the Legendary's main stage. Following the passage, Mon travels up several flights of stairs. On the third floor, he discovers that a secret door leads to the hallway that connects all of the loges to the lobby, and, conveniently, the loge directly in front of the secret door is that of the Archduke's royal lodge. Keeping this in mind, Mon continues up the rickety stairs to the fourth floor, which leads to a hallway that parallels the attic of the main roof over the stage and back towards the workshops. The passage then climbs one more set of stairs, to reach a crawl space in the roof on the fifth floor of the building. Clearly this is a "recent" addition to the building.

At the end of the hallway, there is an old wooden door that has been condemned. A warning sign in block letters reads condemned, danger on it. The area is filled with dust, but as Mon takes a closer look he notices that it is unnaturally spread out, indicating that someone has recently spread dust around. As he gets closer to the door, he trips a wire that has been strung across the hallway, and a bucket of yellow paint comes down from the ceiling. Mon catches it before it spills its content. He cuts the wire, and carefully puts the bucket by the door. Opening the door, he carefully steps into the room, catching the second bucket that had been positioned above the door. He also places that one on the ground next to the door.

This windowless crawl space in the roof has been converted into a small living quarter. With the ceiling no higher than six feet at its apex, the room feels cramped but organized. A worn mattress lays on the floor, covered by a blanket that seems to emit starlight. Mannequins stand around the room, wearing outlandish outfits made up of clothes and items that have gone missing from the theater over the years. A table with two chairs is pushed against a corner. Children's drawings are pinned to most walls, and Mon recognizes many of them as representations of the leading actresses wearing their costumes for various productions. Another small door in the opposite wall leads out of this room, and Mon does not find any trap on that one. The room is currently empty.

Mon spots one of the mannequins that vaguely ressembles him, so he undresses it, then hides it. He then puts on the mistmatch outfit, before assuming the same pose. Since he does not need to breathe, Mon stands still, and awaits the return of the room's occupant.

Just before dawn, a child of about 12 carrying a small lantern enters the room through a second door built in what was previously a chimney. Wearing street clothes and a hat, the child takes off a backpack and a hat, revealing hair pinned to a head. Mon realizes that the child is a girl. She opens her backpack and removes a loaf of bread, a small wheel of cheese, fruits, and several newspapers. She also remove a sketchbook and pencils, and places everything on the table. She sets a trap on the chimney door, before taking some food and eats a quick meal. She then lifts her mattress, and takes a book. She writes a few notes in it, before placing it once again under the bed. She changes into night clothes, lays down, and is soon asleep.

Employing mage hand, Mon carefully removes the book from the mattress. He comes close to waking up the girl, but after waiting for her to fall into a deep sleep again he successfully takes the book. 

Quietly flipping through the girl's journal, Mon learns that the girl's name is Dukha, and she has lives up in this secret attic apartment for seven years. She originally moved here with her older sister Anya. Her sister left 18 months ago to meet someone, and she never returned, leaving Dukha alone. She has been fending for herself ever since. Over the years, the girls have learned all of the secret passages within the Legendary, and they have collected lots of gossip over the years. 

The journal shows a strong difference between Anya and Dukha's writings. The older sister was more interested in political intrigues, and she noted much information about the rich and powerful who attended plays, while the younger sister reported on clothes, the different performances, and gossip between the actors. Based on the journal, Anya was systematically spying on the Cardinal, and noted everything that he said at every performance he attended for the four years before her disappearance. Many of the notes indicate that the Cardinal mentioned an oak leaf to the men that were present in his private loge during one of the performances. Dukha, for her part, does not mention any specific rumor about Luba since her arrival last year, but it is clear that she has been watching her for the last year. Lots of the drawings in the journal shows the various actresses, but more than half of them are of Luba.

The journals also contain many maps of the Legendary and its secret passages. A secret exit emerges right across to the entrance of the Archduke's royal lodge. A passageway that connects to one of the secret hallways allow someone of smaller stature to crawl in between the 2nd ceiling and the 3rd floor underneath the Archduke's royal loge. Such a passage is also present under the Cardinal's private loge.

Mon takes the opportunity to copy those maps, before carefully putting the journal back under the bed. Before leading, Mon crafts a note for Dukha, indicating that he is his fairy godparent, and she ever needs help she can leave her green teddy bear on part of the stage where it might not be noticeable, with a note explaining what assistance she needs. He then carefully resets the trap Dukha placed, before heading down the chimney and emerging through an chimney cleaning access point in an abandoned basement filled with old set pieces.

Taking several secret passages, Mon eventually climbs a set of stairs and emerges by the set design workshop, where he runs into Pavel. The jovial man takes one look at him and explodes in laughter. Mon did not change out of the mannequin's outfit when he left, and he looks absolutely ridiculous. Mon explains why he's wearing this particular outfit, and, leaving the head carpenter, he heads to the costume department.  

Meanwhile, following yesterday's dangerous encounter with the Cardinal, Luba had been escorted home, and Marigold and Branna had agreed to spend the night with her. After waking up late in the morning, Luba makes them breakfast, then they all return to the Legendary. 

Branna and Marigold run into Mon, who is coming out of the costumes. He tells them about Dukha, and asks Branna to create him a stylized fairy functioning costume that looks like what he was wearing as the mannequin. He will use the outfit Dukha put together for when he returns with the green bear, if she ever leaves it for him. Mon considers that this incident has the potential of becoming a play. In his spare time he will write a script.

Armed with information about the oak leaf, Mon considers letting the Cardinal know that Herald is connected to the oak somehow. Perhaps he could leave a semi-hidden note in the Cardinal's private loge revealing that Herald plays a major role in the organization and should be thoroughly interrogated. He returns to the Palace, changes into his own clothes, and hides the costume.

Returning to the theatre, Mon receives a message from a page. The note is from Luba, and she invites him to the Warm Whistle at five for dinner, to debrief the events of the previous day and to properly thank him. Mon sends a reply back agreeing to the meeting, and as the page leaves, he realizes that the outfit he wears was very similar to the one Dukha had on when she returned to her apartment...

Oksana observes Branna building the costume Mon requested, and on the third time she mentions that it's a pretty hideous outfit she's working on. Branna tells her this is a commission, and Oksana gives her several suggestions to improve the outfit. Mon pays Marinka a visit. As head writer for the Legendary, Marinka is responsible for more than two third of the best performing plays shown at the theater in the last six years. He tells her of his idea, and she provides him with helpful feedback on how to improve it, including that a villain is needed to solidify the plot. She agrees to work with Mon, and mentions that once they have a rough draft in writing they could present it to Sir Gregory Tsaplin and see if he would be willing to commission the play.

In the late afternoon, Mon changes and dresses for his date with Luba. He spends some time cleaning Herald's side of the room, and he finds many love letters, from Lady Astral all the way to lowly serving wenches at some of the seediest establishments on the waterfront. He sorts them by category, and he plans on returning them without monetary compensation unless the woman is married, in which case he will hang on to them for now. Traveling to Blossom Boutique, Mon purchases a bouquet of yellow roses and irises from Roksolana, the owner. He then heads to the Warm Whistle, where he is warmly greeted by Nastasia. Luba soon joins him.

Luba gives him the silver bracelet with comedy and tragedy masks she had purchased at Gemstone Harbor. Mon remembers reading in Dukha's journal that though Ulan and Kisa are always looking like they get along swimmingly in public, they hate each other with a passion privately. He shares this information with Luba, who appreciates it, and they have a good laugh. He then escorts her home. Luba stands in the window with her cat Bahzen and waves at him before closing the window curtains.

Meanwhile, Marigold tinker some locks for the inventory so that items no longer missing. She protects the lockers that contain the props for the current and upcoming productions. She also fashions better locks for her and Branna and Mon's rooms at the Palace.

Branna visits the Anchor's Luck. She meets Captain Popov, and they get bread. The Captain's health is good, but luck has deserted him, and he owes a few pieces of silver to Ivan, the owner of the tavern. When Branna steps to the bar to purchase a few more rounds, she asks Ivan, who mentions the Captain's bill of three silvers is due. He also suggests that one of the Captain's friends may be cheating at cards, explaining the Captain's recent series of losses. They talk about what happened at the warehouse, and she mentions the disappearance of Anya. Captain Popov tells her he will start asking questions, but without more information he doesn't have much to go on. She pays the Captain's bill before leaving.

Before the next show, Mon wants to visit the Cardinal's box. He will sit in the Cardinal's seat, and see where he can hide a note for him to find, to cast aspersion on Herald.

Thursday, May 18, 1066 SE

After breakfast at the Palace, Mon looks for the green bear in the corner he indicated, but he does not see it. He works towards memorizing his lines for the upcoming performance of General Toptigin Cheats Death. He describes Dukha to Branna and Marigold. Branna for her part tells Mon about what she learned from Captain Popov. 

In the evening, Branna returns to the Anchor's Luck. Once again the Captain and his friends are by their favorite table, playing cards and drinking ale. A newcomer has also joined the group. Popov introduces Branna to Captain Alexy. Both of them served together in the Royal Sezjan Navy years ago, and they have kept in touch ever since. Branna tells Popov about Dukha and her circumstances. Captain Popov tells her that his feelers have heard the name, but that he needs more details to get more information.

On the way home, Branna hears two of the Cardinal's men talking about the Luba incident. They discuss how a powerful lawyer got her out on a technicality, but that  Sir Gregory's got a surprise coming soon and his lawyer won't be able to help him this time ...