Legendary - STAGE and the Second Crew

Sunday, June 26, 1066 SE, continued 

With the horse races at Thunderhoof Downs now done and Second Crew heading out on the high tide late Tuesday morning, Mon, Marigold, and Branna reunite in the Palace’s cafeteria to finalize their plans. Mon will accompany Dhuka to Low Town after midnight, rejoining Captain Popov and Anya aboard the Tall Tale. The Captain will cast anchor, and the ship will clear the Katarina Fjord before the first light. The four of them will spend some time fishing, allowing Dhuka to reconnect with her long-lost sister.

Notices posted in the Palace’s lobby indicate that boarding the passenger ship, the Cardinal’s Blessing, will begin at 8 am on Tuesday. Laborers from the Legendary have already started loading the cargo ship Zhytomyr’s Siren with props, costumes, and everything the Second Crew will need to produce Masha and the Bear at Konstantina’s Grand Royal Opera.

As they discuss their plans. Marigold suddenly wonders how Mon plans on making the check-in list to board the ship if he’s on board the Tall Tale. Will Nadie be looking for him, holding the vessel from departure? They could miss the high tide, throwing their schedules off and missing their rendezvous with Popov and the girls. Marigold suggests Mon should talk with Nadie and let her know he will catch up with the Cardinal’s Blessing, as he has errands that cannot wait. She also proposes that they spread the word around the crew that, due to the Cardinal’s threats, Mon will not appear on the ship until the anchor has been raised and it is heading to sea. Branna proposes that perhaps he can shadowstep onboard the ship just as it is leaving the dock, avoiding the scrutiny the Cardinal and his men are sure to impose on all of the passengers and crew members of the Cardinal’s Blessing. 

Mon sends a message to Sir Gregory, telling him he needs to make arrangements for his race winnings earlier today, and as a result, he will likely miss the boat. He promises the Legendary owner that he will catch up. Sir Gregory replies that Nadie has been informed and that the actor has his blessings for missing the departure of the Cardinal’s Blessing. Still, the Second Crew is counting on him to join the production in Konstantina.

Mon descends the staircase to Low Town, avoiding any of the Cardinal’s men, and arrives on dock 12, where the Cardinal’s Blessing is berthed. No officials are guarding the ship or preventing him from boarding. At the top of the gangplank, he finds Nadie, holding a clipboard and several pieces of paper as workers load up wooden trunks filled with costumes and other gear for the upcoming production of Masha and the Bear. He informs the Legendary’s chief of security he’s checking in a few days early due to the scrutiny that will come when it’s time to depart. Nadie informs him that Sir Gregoryhas already sent a message letting her know Mon may miss the ship. She checks him in. Mon scouts the ship and finds a hiding place for his backpack. He then shadowsteps off the ship to the dock and returns to the Palace. 

Mon climbs the stairs to Branna’s room, where Dhuka is packed and ready. Mon asks the child to ride piggyback. He turns himself invisible, but Dhuka remains visible. Mon dispel his invisibility. He will walk with her instead. Dhuka asks him where they are going, and Mon replies that she’s about to be reunited with Anya. As they walk through the darkened city, he tells her what he knows about Anya's sojourn in the Cathedral’s dungeon and the poor treatment she suffered at the hands of the Cardinal.

They arrive without incident at the docks, where they locate Captain Popov’s ship, the Tall Tale. After boarding, Dhuka rushes inside the cabin to hug the sister she has not seen for almost two years. Mon assists Popov in getting the ship ready for departure. With all the preparations ready, the Tall Tale takes to sea and heads down the Katarina Fjord to the ocean beyond.

After a while, Dhuka comes out to Mon. She tells him that Anya can’t talk. Mon looks questioningly at Popov, who confirms he has not heard Anya make any sound. Curious, Mon enters the cabin and finds Anya sleeping lightly in her berth. He gently shakes her awake, and she is startled, but no sound comes out. Checking her mouth, Mon finds she still has her tongue. After asking her questions through a message, he learns that the Cardinal has taken her voice, and no magic Mon possesses can restore it. Mon suddenly recalls one of his earliest memories, how Dr. Sadistik gave him a voice. 

Communicating with Anya, Mon learns that she had infiltrated the Cathedral multiple times, looking for evidence linking the Cardinal to her mother's disappearance. She had found a diary in the Cardinal’s chambers and stolen several pages that suggested the Cardinal was behind the death of the King’s youngest daughter, Elara. While exploring the Cathedral’s dungeon, she was caught searching for evidence that her mother had been there.

Emerging from the cabin, he finds Dhuka is now seasick. That he can cure, and he casts a lesser restoration on the child, who instantly feels better. He explains to her what he learned from Anya and promises to do his best to discover what happened to Anya and retrieve her voice from the Cardinal’s clutches. Mon disguises himself and pretends to be a fisherman. Dhuka eventually enters the cabin, and later in the night, Mon finds her sleeping with Anya. He covers them with an extra blanket, and the ship reaches its waiting spot.

Monday, June 27, 1066 SE

Mon sends a message to Branna and Marigold a few hours after sunrise, reporting what he learned from last night's events.

As they come down the steps of the Palace to the cafeteria, Branna and Marigold are accosted by Joseph, who inquires if they would like contribute to a fund set up by Legendary artisans to collect money that can then be used to contribute to paying off some of Sir Gregory’s debts as new investors in the theatre. Mon contributes the winnings from the horse races yesterday, along with a cheque from his bank allowing the payment of an additional 100 gold. Marigold and Branna also contribute some of their earnings to the fund.

Later on, Pavel intercepts Marigold in her workshop. He tells her he’s been looking for Mon all morning but cannot find him. Marigold informs him that Mon had to step out for the day, but that he will be on the ship when it leaves tomorrow. Pavel finds himself in a pickle because he needs to present Sir Gregory with the funds the artisans collected, and is unsure how to accomplish this task. She questions him over how much money was collected, and Pavel informs her they got all the 11,000 gold that Sir Gregory needs to pay. He provides her with a promissory note from the Katarina Financial Trust stating the money is available to purchase a share in the Legendary. She agrees to present the offer from the Legendary artisans. 

She locates Sir Gregory in his office. Only his manservant, Ony, and his solicitor, Sir Matviy are also present. The conversation is heated, as Sir Gregory is grasping at straws, exploring ways to avoid default if payment is not made at 4:00 pm. Marigold shyly interrupts the theater owner’s rant and explains to her that the artisans from the theater contributed money and raised 11,000 gold to help Sir Gregory make his payment. The man breaks down and starts crying. He tells Marigold that Sir Sergeii invested 5,000 gold yesterday but was still short of the needed sum. With the 11,000 gold, the theater will repay its loan and have enough money to cover its expenses for the next four months. With several musicals expected to be successful in the next few months, the theater should be in good shape to make its next payment in October.

Marigold, Sir Gregory, Ony, and Sir Matviy rush to Katarina Financial Trust, and after several hours of paperwork and negotiations, the payment is made to the Legendary’s consortia of creditors, and the Sezja Tradesmen Artisand Guild Emporium (STAGE) secures a 10% share in the Legendary.

By dinner, the news spread that the Legendary had been saved and its finances are solid. 

When Mon contacts Marigold and Branna later, he hears the news. He realizes that Pavel was most likely behind the theft that occurred at Thunderhoof Downs yesterday, and that they probably only stole what was needed to cover the cost of the loan. Perhaps some of Pavel’s accomplices were Captain Popov’s friends from the Anchor’s Luck, and they might have spread some more wealth around Katarina.

Tuesday, June 28, 1066 SE

After a hearty breakfast, Marigold and Branna make their way to the docks. The day is grey and overcast, and it will soon rain. Arriving on the dock by the Cardinal’s Blessing, they find the gangway blocked by the Cardinal and some of his men, including Tarashenko wearing strange glasses. Royal guards accompany them.

The Cardinal sneers at the halfling and her elvish companion and tells them it’s a good riddance that they are leaving. He invites them to stay on the mainland and not return to Katarina, and he tells them their friend Mon will suffer his wrath if he chooses to return. As the confrontation heats up, the Cardinal’s attention is suddenly diverted as Herald enters the line, and the cad is ordered to be strip-searched. Marigold and Branna take the opportunity to board the Cardinal’s Blessing.

As the tide rises, the Cardinal orders both ships searched once more. Tarashenko and some of the Cardinal’s men board the Cardinal’s Blessing and search it from top to bottom, but they find nothing odd. 

With both ships cleared for departure and the high tide upon them, Captain Roustern, commander of the Cardinal’s Blessing, casts off, and the ships head out of the Katarina Fjord to rendezvous with Captain Popov, Mon, Dhuka, Anya, and the Tall Tale.