Legendary - Sidorov Manor Devastated!

Saturday, June 25, 1066, later in the morning

With the roles distributed for the upcoming production of Ivan's Quest, Mon will perform as Eagle, one of the three beings who help Ivan in his quest. Branna collects food from the Palace's cafeteria and brings Dhuka a late breakfast. She asks the child to stay in her room all day, which is probably the safest place. 

As Mon goes about his business, he is cornered by Pavel, who informs him that he heard some information from the grapevine and that Mon should spend a lot of time in a public place tonight so that many people can see him. Mon informs him he will attend the Marquess of Sidorov's party tonight. Pavel expresses concerns that Mon might make himself a target, considering that the Cardinal is sure to be there with several of his men. Mon demonstrates several masks he could wear that would not hide enough of his features to be unrecognizable. After seeing multiple options, Pavel agrees that Mon will probably be fine, but he suggests Mon needs to be vigilant tonight.

Meanwhile, a page boy delivers Marigold a note. From Captain Popov, the note is written in a shaky hand and requests she joins him as soon as possible. The halfling packs her pockets with food from the cafeteria lunch serving and heads to the Anchor's Luck. Captain Popov is thrilled to see her, and he tells her he can only afford to send one message, so he thought he would reach out to the most responsible individual he knows. He informs her he's heard whispers that someone is planning a deadly attack at the Marquess' Masked Ball tonight and that she, Branna, and Mon would do well to avoid being there. Marigold tells the good captain they will be very careful, but as Branna is the Marquess' guest since she was responsible for her dress, it would be poor etiquette for her not to be there.

Returning to the Legendary, Marigold finds Mon and Branna and reports her conversation with Captain Popov. Mon is immediately concerned, and he decides to notify the guard. With Dima currently under questioning for one of the attacks last night at the Legendary, Mon dispatches an anonymous note to Dima's deputy, warning him of a deadly plot against the Marquess. 

The afternoon passes in a hive of preparations as Branna readies herself. Mon, who had invited Marigold as his plus-one, puts together an outfit. Marigold is slightly panicked at the thought of having to dress up but eventually puts together an outfit that will do, with plenty of pockets for her tools and to bring back some of the Marquess' famous fudge.

As time nears and they wait in front of the Legendary to be picked up, Branna suddenly realizes the Marquess is not sending a carriage. She and Branna did not discuss the logistics of Branna traveling to Sidorov Manor, and now they must hustle if they want to arrive on time. Marigold, Mon, and Branna end up walking to Sidorov Manor. As they near the gate of Sidorov Manor, they put on their masks. Branna wears the mask of a parrot. Mon wears a transparent mask with a handlebar mustache and goatee painted on it. Marigold wears a delicate mask covering part of her face. They can hear the faint sounds of music getting louder as they near the estate.

City guards stand at the gate to the manor grounds and check the invitations of all arriving guests. Most guests ride in their carriage, but some are arriving on foot as well. Branna, Mon, and Marigold are closely scrutinized by the guards, and Mon is pleased to see heavy security. Passing through the gate, they see several dozen carriages parked on the lawn on the east side of the manor. A large white and yellow tent has been set up in the field on the west side of the manor. White tables and chairs have been placed underneath the canopy, and serving stations are in each of the tent's corners. A steady stream of servants emerges from the manor's kitchen carrying food and drinks. The tent already feels crowded, and the mood music floats from the band present in the southwest corner. As they walk towards the tent, Mon notices several additional city guards deployed out in the fields and by the manor entrances. Additionally, twenty royal guards stand on the edge of the tent, with three of them within a few steps of the King.

Branna goes off to find the Marquess. She soon discovers that the Marquess has not yet appeared. She is awaiting everyone's arrival before making her grand entrance. Mon and Marigold mingle with the guests, who are all wearing elaborate masks. The Cardinal is wearing a slim mask that barely hides his eyes, but his red robes give him away. The Archduke and the King also wear clever masks but are otherwise recognizable. Some of the other guests are harder to identify, however. Marigold suggests to Mon that they should look at the guests' footwear to find people who don't belong there. Anyone could rent a costume and a mask, but they would not generally think about changing their shoes. Taking a closer look, they soon identify that the Cardinal has two men with him in disguise. They stay close to him.

Finding Olehiv, Branna advises him she's received several reports that there might be violence at the Manor tonight. Olehiv tells Branna that the Marquess looks resplendent in the beautiful green dress the half-elf designed and created for her. She's currently with Lady Sirenko, putting the finishing touches to her hair, and she will be down in a few minutes to join the party.

While Mon watches for people acting out of place, Marigold examines the food for tampering. No one notices her. Everything she tests does not appear to have been tampered with. Taking a closer look at the guests, Mon realizes that Dr. Sadistik is not in attendance. He also identifies six other people who were wearing boots instead of shoes. 

Seeing the actor maneuvering through the crowd, Sir Sergeii approaches Mon and, after commenting on the evening and the setting, informs the actor that a concern was brought to Sir Gregory by the crew about the expense of being away for three weeks. Sir Gregory informed Sir Sergeii of this concern. As a result, the King's cousin has arranged to distribute bonuses to the second crew to cover their living expenses while in Sezja. Mon seizes the opportunity to mention to Sir Sergeii the possibility of investing in the Legendary. Sir Sergeii replies that he is very interested, considering the Legendary an institution with a disproportional impact on the culture of the kingdom. During his conversation, Mon sees the Legendary's owner and his manservant Ony walk in through the gate. Sir Gregory, who lives on the other side of town, evidently walked all the way here. Mon attracts his attention and mentions that Sir Sergeii is very interested in discussing possible investment opportunities. Sir Gregory's face immediately lights up, and he and Sir Sergeii are soon involved in a deep conversation.

Mon takes this opportunity to approach Ony. Mon reports Sir Sergeii's offer of providing bonuses to the second crew to cover living expenses while in Sezja and then inquires about the theater's financial situation. Ony mentions that the theater must pay its creditors by the end of the business day on Monday, and currently, Sir Gregory does not have the funds necessary to make this large payment. Mon suggests that tomorrow's horse races could provide a significant sum, and he reveals his plan of observing the Marquess' bets and, given her track record of winning consistently, placing similar gambles to quickly generate large sums of money. Ony expresses his concern that this is money they can ill afford to lose if one or several of the bets go south. 

The Marquess of Sidorov makes a remarkable entrance with all the guests under the tent. Her beautiful green dress, which caused so much trouble for Dhuka when she stole it, and her jewelry, crafted by Marigold, shimmer in the light as she enters the tent, to the applause of all assembled. The Marquess looks resplendent in her fineries, and she blushes slightly as she basks in the admiration. She then moves to her table, followed by the remaining guests. As a guest of the Marquess, Branna is sitting to her left. The King, the Archduke and his wife, and Lady Sirenko join them at their table. Brianna sees that Lord Nazar is sitting at the next table, and he often looks at his pocket watch. She scans the crowd for Oheliv to report this information, but she cannot find him. 

Mon, sitting with Marigold at another table on the other side of the tent, notices the same thing. He calls a server over, and he is surprised to see Josef. Recovering, he tells him that Lord Nazar has been looking at his watch constantly. Josef agrees to let the city guard know. Marigold heads to Branna's table to let her know what Mon observed. The Marquess uses this opportunity to introduce the halfling to the King, praising the jewels Marigold made for her. The King questions Marigold about her craftsmanship, and he commissions a ring for his wife with a swan set with an aquamarine gem, asking Marigold to propose him a few designs when he returns to Sezja.

As the meal wraps up, the Marquess' famous fudge is taken out and served as one of the desserts, much to the guests' delight. Following dessert, the tables in the middle of the tent are removed, and a dance floor is installed on the ground. As the young people begin to dance, Mon, who has been spending most of his time closely observing Lord Nazar notices that his left hand has a slight discoloration. He mentions it to Marigold, who heads in Lord Nazar's direction. Pretending to fumble and fall, she manages to examine his hand and determines that one of the fingers, the same that Captain Lafoy is missing, is, in fact, some magical device.

Branna soon realizes that the King is fawning over the Marquess and giggling like a pageboy with the dance floor now filled with dancers. She also notes that Lady Sirenko, who is still at their table, is not impressed and sports a look of disapproval on her face. Standing, Lady Sirenko heads to the Manor to use the facilities. Finding Marigold, Branna questions her on what might have happened to the King. Marigold recalls how the Marquess wishes for a necklace that could carry a small vial, and she assumes that some love potion or aphrodisiac has been used on the King. To the shock of all attendees, the Marquess and the King dance during a second piece of music, and murmurs about the Marquess monopolizing the King's attention can be heard. Mon thinks about cutting in, but Marigold tells him they should switch to a folk or country dance to break up the Marquess and the King dancing. Mon heads towards the orchestra.

Suddenly, the masked guests are thrown on the floor by the shockwave of a large deflagration coming from the Manor, while the sound of the explosion reaches them a moment later. Watching in horror, Mon is powerless to stop the fire that quickly spread through the Manor's third floor, where the Marquess' private apartments are located. As debris rains down on the estate grounds, Branna runs to the Marquess, who stands still, stupefied at the turn of events. Mon races to the King, but his royal guards get there first and whisk him away. Seeing that the Marquess is physically fine, if still in shock, Branna leaves her to Mon's care, and she rushes to the Manor, looking for Lady Sirenko. 

Panicked, the crowd quickly disperses as most of the guests head to the gate. The city guard is blocking the exit, preventing anyone from leaving what is an active crime scene. As Branna enters the now fully engulfed Manor, Marigold spots a suspicious servant she recognizes as the pastry chef who had attempted to poison desserts at the Archduke's ball on Thursday. She locates three city guards who promptly arrest the man.

Mon moves the Marquess back to her table and sits her down. He then turns to Lord Nazar, who is struggling to get back up from under an overturned table, and helps him up. Grabbing his hand, Mon calls him Lafoy, and feels the cool metal of his fake finger. Lord Nazar looks at him and blinks twice but does not react to the mention of Lafoy. Mon then sends a message to Pavel to bring a fire brigade. 

Entering the burning Manor, Branna is immediately affected by the smoke, which reduces visibility and causes her to cough. She finds Lady Sirenko unconscious on the tiles of the first floor bathroom, with plaster having fallen on her head. Grabbing her and dragging her out of the burning building, Lady Sirenko is shocked and coughs loudly as she regains consciousness. Branna leaves her with Mon, before finding Marigold near the kitchen on the ground floor. Many servants and kitchen staff are caught inside the burning building. They break the door and rescue everyone by working together despite the smoke and flames spreading everywhere. Olehiv is the last one out, ensuring all the staff was out of the building before leaving.

As they walk away coughing, Marigold suggests to Olehiv that the Marquess could relocate to Lady Sirenko's house for the night before making more permanent arrangements. Olehiv agrees that this is the best plan, given the circumstances. 

As Branna and Marigold rescue Olehiv, and with the royal guards gone and the city guard leaderless with Dima currently under investigation, Mon observes the Cardinal and his men take control of the scene, and they begin interrogating the guests. 

Concerned about his safety, Mon shadowsteps back to town and travels to the Anchor's Luck. Captain Popov is alone sitting in his usual corner when Mon enters the smoky tavern. Captain Popov enthusiastically greets Mon, and shortly thereafter, Ivan brings out boiled veal and vegetables. Mon inquires as to where Yevheniy, Vasyl, and Bohdan, Popov's old friends, might be on this beautiful night. Popov responds that they had an errand to run but should be returning shortly. Popov asks Mon if he knows the name of the ships that will take second crew to Sezja. Mon confesses that he does not. Popov tells him that he will appreciate the irony of sailing on the passenger ship the Cardinal's Grace and the cargo ship the Zhytomyr's Siren. 

Sure enough, Yevheniy and Bohdan return to the Anchor's Luck less than half an hour later. Popov questions them on the success of their errand, and they reply that it was successfully resolved.

While Mon was traveling to the Anchor's Luck, Branna has the misfortune of being interrogated by one of the Cardinal's men. He asks a few perfunctory questions about the explosion, but then questions her about the Marquess' relationship with Lady Sirenko. Branna evades the questions and then refuses to answer any more as they are not germane to the explosion. Eventually, both her and Marigold are released. Walking back with some of the other guests, Marigold wonders when the switch to the tent happened, as the party should have been held inside Sidorov Manor. One of the kitchen staff informs her that it was only yesterday morning that the Marquess switched to a tent party outside once she confirmed the weather would be perfect for an outdoor event.

Once alone in the all-but-silent cafeteria at the Palace, Branna and Marigold speculate about what happened. They had previously discussed Dhuka heading to Sidorov Manor to take shelter with the Marquess. If she had been there, she would have been on the third floor during the masqued ball. Perhaps she was the target. Or perhaps the Cardinal avenged himself for the Marquess' outspokenness and her desire to adopt Dhuka by destroying her home. It is also possible that Sidorov Manor was destroyed for an altogether different reason. Eventually, Mon joins them after he returns from the Anchor's Luck, and he tells them that Popov's friends acted suspiciously. Marigold remarks that the Cardinal and Captain Popov do not circulate in the same circles, so there's probably no connection between what happened at the Anchor's Luck and the destruction of Sidorov Manor. As far as they are concerned, there are three forces currently playing against each other on Katarina: the Cardinal and his men, the Oak Leaf, a shadowy organization that supports the Archduke, and Captain Lafoy and his gang of pirates who are manufacturing high-quality weapons and armor for some unknown purpose. Who had the most to gain from destroying Sidorov Manor?

Returning to her room, Branna brings Dhuka food and fills her in on the events and Sidorov Manor's destruction. Dhuka is saddened that the Marquess' home has been burned to the ground, but she is glad that everyone escaped and that there were no deaths in the fast-moving fire.

Sunday, June 26, 1066 SE

At breakfast, Pavel shares a copy of the Katarina Chronicle with Mon. The headlines grab his attention: "A Night of Festivities Turns to Ash," and "Massive Breakout at the Cathedral: Prisoners Escape." Mon and Pavel discuss the breakout, and Mon mentions that he might be able to get Pavel a job working on the Marquess rebuilding Sidorov Manor. Pavel agrees that this would be a sweet job, and he asks Mon a favor. While on the mainland, could the actor scour some of the antique shops in the capital city and look for antique saws? Pavel collects them, and he could always add another one to his wall of saws. Mon agrees.