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 ...

Legendary Campaign - Luba is Missing!

 Tuesday, May 16, 1066 SE

Following the successful curtain call of Masha and the Bear, the cast of the Second Unit enjoyed a well deserved cast party, and a couple days off, while the First Unit completes its preparations for Opening Night on Thursday the 18th. This morning, a message was posted at the Palace and at the Legendary that the Second Unit would meet in the theatre's lobby at 11 am to discuss the upcoming production.

Mon is surprised that Herald has not returned to his room since the cast party Saturday night. The rogue left with a female friend, and has not been seen since. Mon silently prays that he will miss the call and perhaps finally be let go from the theatre. As he thinks about Herald, however, a suppressed memory sparks up in his mind. He remembers a warm summer day in his youth where he was playing with a friend of his outside, and the friend fell down a small cliff and broke his left arm and wrist. The friend's father had forbade Mon from ever being with his friend again, and though the two of them would meet in secret afterwards, the relationship was never the same. This also reminds Mon that though he used to enjoy keeping secrets, now he doesn't like it, limiting himself to only keeping necessary secrets.

Mon spikes Herald's wine to contribute to the rogue's misery and possibility that he will miss the call. Meeting his two friends in the Palace's cafeteria, Mon notifies Marigold and Branna of Herald's absense. They express concern that he is still involved with Lady Astral. Asking around, Branna finds that the closest estimate is similar to that of Mon, except that her reports indicate Herald was fairly inebriated at the time of his departure.

Marigold, Branna and Mon return to the Legendary, and since they have an hour or two before the cast call, they meander through the theatre, looking for signs of sabotage or for people who do not belong. With the First Cast busy getting the last touches done, there are a lot of people in the theatre they do not recognize, but all of them are accompanied by theatre personnel. They also do not discover any sign of sabotage or people or objects missing.

Visiting the secret passages that traverse the Legendary, Mon finds that someone has walked in the passage directly underneath the stage. This passage must have been used at some point to lift someone in and out of the stage, as there is a trapdoor directly behind the curtain. The equipment has not been maintained, and the gears that would facilitate the platform raising from the passage to the scene have not been greased in many years. The mixture of flour and dye that Mon used shows evidence that either a child or a halfling has walked through here multiple times in the last two weeks.

Mon reports his findings, and notes that his powder wears off after twenty or thirty feet. Marigold fixes this problem by concocting a mixture of her own. She mixes grease and a fine metallic powder and smears it on the door knobs of two of the doors in the less-traveled tunnels. Now anyone using these doors in the secret passages will leave a mark wherever they go, since her mixture does not come off very easily.

With the Second Unit crew and cast assembling in the Legendary's opulent lobby, Marigold and Mon split up, so they can watch the crowd as the cast list is announced. Branna stands with the rest of the crew. Sir Gregory Tsaplin welcomes everyone, and thanks them for a great run of Masha and the Bear. Due to the critical and financial success of the production, he is awarding everyone a bonus of 3 silvers. He then turns the floor over to Yurchik, who presents the next production.

Yurchik explains that the Second Crew will be presenting General Toptigin Cheats Death. This musical is divided in three acts:

• Act 1, a young wagon driver named Yamshik and his fiancee named Fedya are traveling back to their hometown after delivering bolts of cloth. They comes upon a battlefield where two armies recently fought. The battlefield is littered with the dead, with only a few wounded soldiers still alive. Among them is the great General Toptigin, hero of the homeland. Having cheated Death many times before during battles, the great general is grievously wounded, nevertheless Yamshik offers him a ride so that the great man is not left to the crows . So thankful, the General pledges any favor in his power to give. The three of them share stories as they arrive at an inn that night.
• Act 2: During the night the inn is visited by Death, who is here to claim the General, as he should have died on the battlefield. The innkeeper, with Yamshik and Fedya’s help, manage to disguise the General, and though hurt the General engages in a battle of wits with Death.
• Act 3: As Death comes closer to discover the General’s true identity, Yamshik realizes that he must sacrifice himself to fool Death. The General will not hear of it, however, and reveals himself to Death. In the climactic battle scene, the General is about to defeat Death, but not before Yamshik and Fedya are mortally wounded. The General tells Death that he will give himself up if Death will spare Yamshik and Fedya. Death agrees, but as it bends down to collect Toptigin's soul, Yamshik, in tears, tells the General he can’t go, because he owes him a favor and his favor is that the General remains in the world of the living. Confounded by this pledge and its consequences, Death departs alone, and the General cheats Death yet again.

Yurchik then pulls the cast list. All actors, including Herald, are awarded roles according to their rankings within the theatre. However, Yurchik poses before announcing that, in consultation with Marinka, the first author, Mon is appointed to the role of Death. His performance during Masha and the Bear was outstanding, and he is being rewarded with a bigger role. Vadim quips that it makes sense, as Mon already looks like a corpse.

While expressing reservations, Yurchik appoints Luba to Fedya's role, and he is more enthousiastic about appointing Vadim to the role of Yamshik.

With the roles distributed, Sir Gregory Tsaplin walks through the crowd and talks to everyone. He congratulates Mon on his upcoming role as Death. He asks Marigold if she could make some modifications to her bubble machine as he would like to use it at a future party at his estate. He also tasks Branna to make the costume for Death. After about an hour, the Legendary's owner departs with his manservant Ony.

After Sir Gregory Tsaplin leaves, the various Departments meet to strategize how best to approach this show. The work of setting up the play will begin tomorrow. Mon receives a copy of the script he will need to rehearse. As Death, he doesn't say much, but he is present in most of the scenes in Acts 2 and 3.

In discussions with the props department, Marigold says she hopes to recreate the sounds of cannons, along with the smoke, to make the battle scene for Act 1 look even more realistic. Branna will pull the costume of Death that was used three productions ago and will greatly modify it, so that it seems like a brand new costume for this production.

As Mon reviews his lines, he overheads Vadim and Ulan talk about Luba. Both of them whisper to each other, but with his great hearing Mon realizes that they are discussing the fact that Luba was not at the casting call. Neither was Herald, but nobody noticed or cared. Worried, Mon decides to pay the actress a visit. He knows where Luba lives, because he has followed her before, to ensure that she made it home safely. She lives in the west side, about 15 minutes away. Mon rushes to her house to let her know the casting news. He purchases flowers at the florist, with a sign that congratulates her on earning the role.

After knocking on the door and hearing no response, Mon explores Luba's small backyard, and he finds that the fire pit was recently used to burn letters. Examining the remnants, he discovers that they were most likey letters with what appears to be male handwriting. Luba's laundry is drying on the line, and no one seems to be watching. Mon picks the lock of Luba's backyard door, and enters the residence. Luba's cat greets him loudly, but after a perusal of the home Mon finds nothing amiss, and there was no sign of struggle. He leaves the cat behind, and locks the door before departing.

Mon travels to the Warm Whistle, where he is informed by Nastasia, the owner, that Luba was indeed here the previous day. She met with her agent, then left. She did say she was running a few errands, then would return home and spend the night with a good book and a bottle of wine. The owner says that Luba likes to reward herself after a production by purchasing a small jewelry at the Gemstone Harbor, so that's where she might have gone next.

Once at the Gemstone Harbor, Mon talks with Veronika, the owner. She is surprised that Luba would mist a casting call, and she worries that something might have happened to her. The actress did indeed stop by yesterday, and she purchased a small silver bracelet designed for a male. Veronika thought this was strange, because usually Luba lets her propose several different pieces, but yesterday she really had her eyes set on that particular bracelet. Luba paid for the bracelet and left with it in a small box. Veronika then proposes a silver necklace to Mon, which is very fine and of Elvish craftmanship. In the right light, it looks like mithral. Mon agrees to purchase the necklace. Veronika then mentions that Luba was going next door to the winery.

Mon thanks her, then heads next door. At the Kaleidoscope Winery, Mon learns from Viveka that Luba was indeed here yesterday. She purchased two bottles of wine, one red, one white, and she left them here. She had an errand to run in Low Town, then was coming back to pick up her bottles. She never returned.

Exploring Low Town, Mon comes across her broken parasol in the gutter of an alley a block and a half away from the Anchor's Luck. Hoping to find Captain Popov, Mon is informed that the Captain hasn't arrived yet, but several of the old timers saw the incident. The report that the actress was walking down the street yesterday when she was ambushed by the Cardinal's men. She put up a fight, but was eventually thrown in the back of a jail wagon, and she was taken uptown, presumably to the Cathedral. 

Mon rushes back to Legendary, where he finds Pavel. He informs the head carpenter of the events that transpired yesterday. Pavel tells Mon to locate Sir Gregory Tsaplin's solicitor, Sir Matviy, and ask him to intervene. Pavel gives the bard directions. For his part, Pavel will activate his network of relations in Low Town and see if he can gather more information. He will also send a message to Sir Gregory Tsaplin and report on what has been happening. Pavel instructs Mon to reconvene back at the Legendary at 4 pm.

Meanwhile, while Mon is running about town trying to find the actress, Branna looks for the Death costume. She discovers that the hood is missing, even though on the inventory it clearly shows that it was there when turned in to the clothes' archives. She locks what remains of the costume in her cabinet, and leaves a note for Oskana.

Marigold is working hard on props when she is interrupted by Ony, who talks with her about Sir Gregory Tsaplin's upcoming party and the role that the bubble machine will play. He would like bubbles that are different shades of blue, with a hint of green, and also once in a while yellow bubbles that look like lillies. Marigold inquires what the flower should look like. Ony does not know, but he will find out and confirm with her. Marigold thinks she could adjust the motor and creates more permanent bubbles.

Mon locates Marigold and Branna, and informs them of what has happened. Marigold gets some ball bearings and grease, in case they run into the Cardinal's men. The three of them then head out to the solicitor's office. Marigol notifies Nadie, the head of security at the Legendary of what happened to Luba, and Nadie agrees to spread the word that no one on the staff should be outside by themselves. They soon locate the office of Sir Matviy, Gregory Tsaplin's solicitor. They are greeted by Maria, Sir Matviy's secretary. Once in the solicitor's office. Mon explains everything. The solicitor orders his coach, and plans to head to the Cathedral. Mon stays behind at the law office, but Marigold and Branna will accompany him there.

Sir Matviy, Branna and Marigold are denied access to the Cathedral's offices at first, but after insisting they are taken directly to the Cardinal's office, a very ornate room larger than the Legendary's lobby. There the Cardinal readily admits that Luba had been arrested, but he pleads it was an innocent mistake. When asked why he had not released her, the Cardinal points out that she was hysterical, and he didn't want to release a distraught person to the street, where she could be harmed. Luba is soon produced, and she is released to Sir Matviy.

Back at the solicitor's office, Luba recounts her tale. She was walking in Low Town to meet a friend when she was viciously attacked by the Cardinal's men. She was taken to jail, where she was asked to strip and change into uncomfortable clothes. They also confiscated the bracelet she had bought for Mon. She was interrogated all night about an oak leaf, and about the dark oak leaf. She didn't know what any of this meant, but her torturers were vicious. Luba has bruises on her body to back up her claims. 

Luba also notes that she thinks she heard Herald while in the jail. Instead of being thrilled at playing the role of Fedya,  the actress is despondent and thinks about quitting and returning to Sezja. Mon bolsters her spirits, and she agrees to return to her home. Marigold and Branna will spend the night there with her, to make sure she's comfortable and protected. Mon mentions to Sir Matviy that Herald probably is in the Cathedral's jail, but unlike Luba, they don't have proof. The solicitor agrees to return to the Cathedral and investigate the matter further.

Returning to the Legendary, Mon discovers metallic handprints on the secret door leading towards the attic ....

Legendary Campaign - The Ruined Costume

Thursday, April 28, 1066 SE

Masha and the Bear has been running for three weeks, and while it has not reached the level of an acclaimed critical success, performances have continued to be well attended, and the play has already generated a tidy profit for the owner Legendary, Sir Gregory Tsaplin. While the second acting and stage crews continue the nightly performances of Masha and the Bear, the first acting and stage crews are already hard at work on the next performance.

The Marquess of Sidorov admired the costume that Branna created for Masha's life in the Bear's house, and she orders an exact replica with the talented seamstress. Branna spends some of her extra time creating a replica for the Marquess, earning a total of 100 silvers. She also designed other costumes for friends of friends, earning more money.

Mon spends some of his time investigating who was arrested during the raid the Cardinal and his men conducted on the warehouse in the docks district. After asking pointed questions and greasing some wheels, Mon discovers that of the twelve remaining men still in jail from that night, nine men were eventually freed, all of them laborers or hired muscle. Some of the individuals were charged with disturbing the peace, while others have been accused of violating religious edicts. Three other people were also arrested, but none of them been seen since the incident. As no one has been reported missing, the locals assume that these three detainees were not from Katarina. The boxes that were seized were never unloaded in the Cathedral.

When items disappeared, both Marygold and Branna thought they would investigate the matter. After questioning some of the Legendary's old timers, they come to the conclusion that a ghost may be haunting the theatre, acquiring objects that have significance for it. About 40% of the items being stolen disappear during the winter, a pattern the elf and the hafling mark as odd. The items that go missing seem on the whole to be of a practical nature, though a few were completely outlandish. When they present their finding to their friend Mon, he speculates that the ghost might lurk throughout the island, and spends more time traveling throughout the other communities during the other seasons. Exploring the theatre, Mon discovers many hidden and "secret" passages that pepper the walls. Due to extensive construction and renovation over the history of the Legendary, spaces have been so remodeled that pathways, crawlspaces, and entire rooms have sprung up and do not appear on any official map of the building.

Inspecting one of these tunnels that provides an incomparable view of the lead actresses' dressing rooms, Mon looks for well-worn paths in the dust, and for places where only one or two people travel. Several of the pathways he examines show no sign of use, while others are well-traveled, revealing that many crew members know of their existence. The bard heads to the make up room to borrow a few instruments, and then to the kitchen where he uses flour and make up powder that he then sprinkles in specific passageways. His plan is to return and examine these if another object goes missing. Mon did notice that the secret passage behind the lead actors' dressing room, which is shared by Vadim, the second lead, and Ulan, the first lead, also has some limited traffic. Mon will keep more of an eye on this, to determine if it's the same amount of traffic for the other actors. 

In his exploration, Mon discovers an abandoned wine cellar containing hundreds of bottles, all covered by a thick layer of dust. Looking to raise some quick cash, Mon returns to the wine cellar later that night, takes two bottles of wine from the rack, and gets them appraised at Kaleidoscope Winery. The bottles contain a red wine from Chateau Durso, a winery on the mainland. Viveka, the owner of Kaleidoscope Winery, identifies these bottles as being part of the Sunset collection, and each bottle is 62 years old, a great year for Sunset vintage. Viveka appraises each bottle at somewhere between 75 and 90 silver, describing the wine as one that "contains an overtone of smokiness which accompanies the strong dark cherry and blackberry flavors to coat one's palate, followed by hints of tea and spice," adding that "the tannin structure and exquisite acid balance of this wine gives it fantastic aging." She purchases both bottles from Mon for 81 silver pieces each. Returning to the abandoned wine cellar, Mon takes an inventory of the wine that is in the cave. He plans on selling a bottle or two every couple of weeks, and possibly also keep a few for himself.

Marigold spent time time building small wooden jewelry puzzle boxes in a variety of difficulties, assembling a small inventory she can eventually sell. She set up a deal with Veronika, owner of the Gemstone Harbor to sell her wares, along with some of the jewelry she has crafted. She uses river stones and polished class to make jewelry that is inexpensive and affordable for people who are less fortunate. She earned 60 silvers.

Saturday, April 30, 1066 SE

As Branna puts the finishing touches on a costume for the next play, Oskana barges into the sewing workshop with Masha's ruined dress, the one that is worn at the beginning of Masha and the Bear. Someone has accidentally dropped pomegranate juice on it, and even magic cannot seem to remove the stains that are clearly visible even from the cheapest seats. With the matinee performance only an hour away, she tasks Branna to find the Marquess of Sidorov, who had a similar dress made two weeks ago for a masquerade ball she was holding at her mansion last week.

Branna dispatches a messenger to the Marquess' manor, and she wonders whether it will be sufficient to find her and get the dress. What are the odds that the Marquess would be at home this lovely Saturday afternoon? Branna finds Marigold and Mon and requests them to help. Marigold takes one of her jewelry box, and finds the perfume that Luba wears as Masha. This may come in handy as a bargaining chip to trade for usage of the dress. Mon runs down to the wine cellar and quickly locates another bottle of Chateau Durso's Sunset, and takes it with him. This could also be used as a bargaining chip.

On the way to the Sidorov Manor, the party encounters the boy messenger Branna had dispatched. The boy reports that the Marquess is not at her residence. Marigold suggests they go visit Paula at the Needle and Thread in case she has knowledge of the Marquess' current location, but Paula has not seen the Marquess in days.

Branna, Marigold and Mon run to Sidorov Manor. Orest, the Marquess' butler, informs them that the Marquess is not here at the moment. After much discussion and the generous donation of a Chateau Durso's Sunset bottle, Orest agrees to show them his mistress's wardrobe. There they find the same dress Masha wears, but of course the butler will not let them borrow it without authorization from his mistress. The butler mentions that the Marquess left with her best friend Lady Fayina Sirenko to attend some event in town, but he does not know which one.

Marigold proposes they consult the Daily Night and the Evening Post to see what social events are happening around town. After buying a copy of each newspaper, they find there are three events that would most likely attract the Marquess' attention. First, the Katarina Library is holding a noisy auction to fund additions to the collection. Second, the Stetsyuk Art Gallery is featuring a new opening for Valadera, a female half-orc whose take on the nature of civilization and barbarism are widely acclaimed. Finally, there is a lecture taking place at the Serenity Center on the virtues of using cucumbers on your eyes.

After a brief discussion, the party decides to check out the Serenity Center. At the Serenity Center, they quickly discover that both ladies left a quarter of an hour ago to go to Khoroshim, a three star restaurant. Rushing from the Serenity Center to the restaurant, they run straight into a street protest, an event that is rare in Katarina. Mon inquires about the purpose of the protest, and learns that two young girls were arrested by the Cardinal's men in the Svetozar Plaza and have been accused of indecent behavior. Knowing both girls to be from reputable families, the crowd is enraged that the girls were arrested and they demand they be let go from the wagon in which they currently sit. The protest is large enough to block the entire street, and though they can backtrack through town, Branna, Marigold and Mon will lose significant time doing so. Marigold comes up with a clever solution. She enchants a rock to smell horribly, and she then uses it to clear a path through the protesters.

At Khoroshim, the trio is stopped at the entrance by the majordomo, who simply refuses to let rabble such as they inside his fine establishment. Branna drops the name Sidorov and intimates the Marquess would be sorely upset to have missed an opportunity to help her favorite theatre during this crisis, after which the majordomo relents and takes them inside to find the Marquess of Sidorov and her best friend Lady Sirenko sitting at a table and enjoying a mouth-watering meal, with a bottle of Chateau Durso's Sunset from decades ago on the table.

Branna explains the problem to the Marquess, who promptly writes a note allowing the seamstress to hand to her butler to take the dress with her. At this moment, however, the Cardinal enters the restaurant with his men, evidently searching for someone. He briefly stops by the Marquess's table, and remarks on the poor quality of her connections as he sneers down at Branna, Marigold, and Mon. Lady Sirenko pours a torrent of abuse on the Cardinal, who calmly accepts it, before staring intently at her and delivering the veiled threat that he was looking forward to a day soon where he could have an in-depth conversation with the lady in his Cathedral offices. Obviously not having located who they had come for, the Cardinal and his men left Khoroshim. 

Branna rushed to Sidorov Manor, while Marigold ran to the Legendary to inform Oskana that the dress was on its way. Soon, the play started, and no one was the wiser that on this day, it was a replicate of Masha's dress, and not the real thing, that performed on stage.

 Later that night, when Mon returned to the room he shares with Herald, he noticed two empty bottles of Chateau Durso on the ground by the scoundrel's bed. Hurrying back to the abandoned wine cellar, he finds Herald standing in there holding a bottle in each hand. Pleased to see the bard here, Herald thanks him for leading him to such a fine establishment, and inquires as to which of the two bottles he is holding Mon thinks his lady friend would like best. Mon casts charm person on Herald, and convinces him to take only one bottle. Once his roommate is gone, he moves the 72 most expensive bottles to the 6th floor in the ancient wood reserve he previously had located during his exploration of some of the Legendary's secret passages, and uses some of the wood to build a screen to hide the room and his growing bottle collection. He also takes some of the aged hardwood to Marigold so she can make additional puzzle boxes.

Legendary Campaign - Masha and the Bear

Friday, April 8, 1066 SE

The day for the premiere of Masha and the Bear is finally upon the Legendary, and the entire crew is abuzz with energy. The events of the past night are still fresh in their minds, and rumors and conspiracy theories abound at the breakfast serving. People are talking about the intruder in the Palace, others about the break-in that happened at the theater. Speculations include that the Cardinal was behind the attack, that an art lover sought an item for their collection, or that the ghost of the theater struck again.

Following his morning routine, Pavel enters the dining hall to cheers and claps, and he takes the time to stop by most tables and chat with the residents. When he stops by Mon, Marigold and Branna, he mentions that the Legendary has not yet sold out its opening performance, so Yurchik is likely to have some of the production crew go around Katarina to sell tickets. 

Sure enough, at the production meeting, Yurchik notes that some tickets remain, and he asks each department to send out volunteers to sell tickets. After the meeting, Mon heads to marketing and inquires as to how many seats remain. Lena tells the actor that about 120 seats remain unsold at this time.   

Meeting at lunch, the three of them brainstorm ideas on what they could do to sell the remaining tickets. Marigold suggests a whisper campaign that people won't believe what will happen during the play. Branna adds that there could be sabotage or other rumors that would suggest a train wreck, as people are more likely to show up if the entertainment is edgy but with a chance it could fail spectacularly. Mon comes up with a plan. He borrows a costume from Branna, and using the ointment of disguise, he dresses up as a resident of Katarina and obtains 8 tickets from Lena, who does not recognize him. On his way out the door, he bumps into Luba, who also does not recognize him. Mon reveals his identity, and the actress is pleased to be a witness to his initiative. Marigold and Branna talk about the possibility of costumes being used to infiltrate the chorus line, and Branna decides she will do a general check of the inventory to see if an extra suit is missing. 

Entering the Palace, Yurchik stops by many of the tables. Arriving at their table, he gives them a good look, before giving them 20 tickets to sell. Branna decides to try her luck at the Anchor's Luck, and after several conversations she successfully sells 5 tickets. Captain Popov is not present, as it is too early for the old fisherman. Marigold heads to the barracks and talks to the soldiers. She eventually gives them 10 complimentary tickets, figuring that it would not hurt to have soldiers in the audience.

Branna continues to hawk tickets on the docks, but she witnesses a rat fight in an alley, which is promptly interrupted by the Cardinal's men. Unlike the rest of the crowd, Branna did not react quickly enough, and she is questioned at length by the morality police. Instead of fining her, they confiscate two tickets.

Going through the streets, Mon looks for four individuals and four couples, and, with much convincing, he manage to sell them his tickets.

Marigold is still worried that someone is attempting to sabotage the production, but an exhaustive search does not reveal any more broken sets or missing props. However, Branna does notice that her personal sewing kit is missing. An heirloom from home, she is rather upset that someone stole it. She tells Oskana, and both of them search the sewing workshop but come up empty handed. To keep production going, Oskana lends the elf her own sewing kit, but asks her to take good care of it. Upon hearing a loud voice coming from Stage 2, Oskana promptly disappears, leaving a befuddled Branna alone as the Marquess of Sidorov walks into the room. She greets the seamstress, and inquires on whether Branna has decided on a price for designing a dress similar to that of Masha, as previously discussed. The two of them arrive at a price of 25 silver. Thrilled with her purchase and looking forward to wearing the dress, the Marquess invites Branna to her private booth on the 2nd floor of the Legendary for the premiere of Masha and the Bear, and makes an appointment for her measurements on Sunday at 10.

With a few hours left before the performance, Branna looks over all of the costumes again, but nothing is missing or sabotaged. However, a pair of boots for the next production has disappeared. She notifies Berdy, the stage manager, who says he doesn't know anything about it, but he will take a look and let security know.

With nothing to wear and the curtain rising in less than 15 minutes, Branna puts together a mismatch outfit from the costume rack before joining the Marquess in her private booth. Marigold will spend the performance backstage, and Mon will be performing. Everyone will be keeping an eye for sabotage or assassination attempt.

The Marquess is delighted to see Branna, and admires her outfit. The Marquess introduces her dear friend, Lady Fayina. Old and short, Lady Fayina nonetheless possesses a vitality and a sharpness that Branna finds unsettling. A movement through the crowd indicates the arrival of the Archduke and his family. The Archduke usually attends the premiere of every performance at the Legendary, but it has been quite some time since his young daughters and his wife have also attended. They all waive at the crowd from their private balcony across from the Marquess's own. 

A low hiss soon follows, and from the stage both Mon and Marigold witness the arrival of the Cardinal, who also joins his own private balcony next to that of the Marquess. From the stage, Mon notices the Cardinal's shadow, and he casts a spell to shape it like that of a demon that makes rude hand gestures. People in the audience point and laugh, but the Cardinal seems oblivious.

Cardinal Feodore

Mon notices that Luba is softly crying in one of the corners backstage. She confides in him that Yurchik has told her in no uncertain terms that her role as Masha would be her last starring role unless she offered an amazing performance. Mon bolsters her with words of encouragement.

Finally, Sir Gregory Tsaplin takes the stage. Welcoming the audience, he thanks them for attending what is sure to become a classic. After a few words celebrating the craft of the theater, and a nod to the illustrious guests in the audience, Sir Gregory declares that the show may begin, and he steps off the stage as the curtain rises, revealing a pastoral scene where Masha and her friends are hunting for mushrooms. Soon she is separated from the group, and ends up lost in the forest where she is captured by a bear.

During the first act, Branna caught the Archduke whispering to his manservant. Soon, three guards joined his private balcony and stood in the shadows. His daughters, however, seem completely engrossed by the performance on the stage. Meanwhile, during his performance, Mon notices that the way the candles flicker in the Cardinal's private balcony indicate there are others there, even though the Cardinal is the only one who is visible. Mon uses minor illusion to start a rumor among the audience that the Cardinal is in league with demons. Still during his performance, Mon looked for Captain Popov but is not able to see if the old man is indeed there, for the Legendary is successfully sold out for its premiere.

During Act 2, Masha learn how to live with the bear and plots her escape from the bear's lair. Beautiful songs and an amazing performance by Luba as Masha and Vadim as the bear provide several rounds of loud cheering. Mon's artifices and Marigold's bubble machine perform admirably. 

Following a short intermission, Act 3 opens with Masha convincing the bear to take pies she has baked to her elderly parents. Masha hides herself in the basket instead, and though the bear attempts to eat the pies several times Masha tricks him, pretending to be able to see him from his lair. Eventually the bear reaches the village, but as he get to Masha's house, a pack of hunting dogs begin to chase him, and he quickly abandons the basket as he flees. Masha emerges, and is reunited with her family and friends.

The audience goes wild, and the actors receive a standing ovation. Marigold sees that the Cardinal is not pleased at the audience's reception of the play, however, and he departs in a huff.  Archduke Maksimillian III and his beautiful wife come backstage following the performance, bringing their two daughters, Verushka and Yula, with them.  The Archduke has a kind word for each of the staff members he interacts with, and he compliments Branna on her costumes, Marigold on the quality of her props, and Mon for his wonderful singing. Yula, Maksimillian's younger daughter, even asks Mon to sign her autograph book before going over to Luba and Vadim.

Once the public has left the theater, the crew celebrates its opening night performance with drinks, food, and music. Mon returns to the dressing lounge to change, and has he returns to the stage he sees an actress named Kisa push Luba down the stairs. Mon manages to catch the star of Masha and the Bear before she crashes to the ground and breaks a bone. When he asks Luba why Kisa would push her, Luba replies that Kisa starred in Baba Yaga and the Crimson Flower, and she thinks that the first actress feels threatened due to Luba's amazing performance this very night. 

Mon starts a rumor that Kisa's performance has reached the King's ear, and that he has expressed interest in attending her next performance. He is hopeful that this attention will distract Kisa from making another attempt to hurt Luba. 

In the early hours of the morning, news circulate that the Cardinal and his men conducted a raid following the performance on a warehouse in the dock district. They seized two crates and arrested 17 people who were taken to the Cathedral. Of these, only 5 people were later released.

With the first performance complete and a commercial success, Mon and Marigold are promoted. Mon earns a non-speaking part in the next production, while Marigold moves into the props helper role. Branna bides her time for her own promotion ...

Legendary Campaign - Trouble before Masha and the Bear

Wednesday, April 6, 1066 SE

Following a hearty breakfast, the crew returns to the Legendary to prepare for the final dress rehearsal the next day. The thrill of excitement is palpable as everyone assembles on Stage 2. Yurchik presents all of the notes to each department head, highlighting the issues that require fixing before opening night on Friday. He also takes the opportunity to reveal the final series of posters for Masha and the Bear, and to Luba's relief, she and Vadim are both front and center in the last round of publicity for the play. Yurchik mentions that tomorrow's performance is the last chance to finalize the production, and that Sir Gregory Tsaplin will be in attendance. Yurchik also reveals that the next production for the First Crew will be Liza the Fox and Catafay the Cat, and they begin building the sets tomorrow.

With the final notes distributed, everyone returns to their workshops to complete their tasks. Dusana asks Marigold to design a bubble machine that will release bubbles when the basket in which Masha is hidden is opened. Marigold mentions that the bubble machine will make the floor slippery, so the crew  will need rubber shoes and stage hands will need to wipe down the floors after the first set changes.  

Dusana, prop master

Oskana asks Branna to make seven matching hats for the extras. The missing hats have been overlooked, and now they need to be created in a hurry. Branna picks up a nice green fleece, and designs simple yet elegant hats. When they are completed, Branna has all of the extras try them on. The elf makes the final modifications, then labels each hat with their wearer's name so they can be easily identified. 

During this time, the Marquess of Sidorov visit the theater. A rich widow known for her extravagant entertaining parties and her propensity for monopolizing the conversation, the Marquess is always on the lookout for new and exciting elements she can add to her repertoire. Every department head is eager to escape her presence, so when she catches Oskana unawares, the costume designer is only too happy to introduce Branna to her before disappearing. The Marquess gushes over the costumes Branna designed, and she asks the elf whether she would be willing to create a similar dress for an upcoming party. Branna agrees.

Mon overheard the conversation between Marigold and Dusana about the bubble machine, and he decides to practice casting silent image to recreate the bubble fall during the first act. Mon requests a bit of fleece from Branna as he will need a small square per performance.

Mon deGreen

In a conversation with Lena, the halfling from the marketing department reveals to Marigold that Yurchik was behind removing Luba and Vadim. The theater director evidently seemed interested in exploring whether it was time for new stars, but something made him back down. 

 Meanwhile, Branna vists The Needle and Thread. Paula, a human middle-aged woman, runs the sewing shop, and she's thrilled to have one of the Legendary seamstresses visiting. After some small talk, Branna explains the type of costume she wants to make for the Marquess. Following some haggling, Paula agrees to a cost of 4 silvers, and the transaction is made. 

After dinner at the Palace, Branna, Mon and Marigold return to the Legendary. Branna notices that one of the hats she created earlier that day is missing. She makes two hats and keeps one aside. After doing so, she rejoins her friends. Mon inquires which hat was missing. Not sure, Branna returns to her workshop and takes a look. The missing hat was Mon's. 

To celebrate their last evening free before the opening of Masha and the Bear, they decide to meander through Katarina. Marigold soon notices that the Cardinal's men are not on the street.

Sergeant Dima, whom they previously encountered, leads a patrol of two soldiers. Mon stops to chat with the soldier, and he remarks that the streets are eerily quiet. Dima replies that a rumor is circulating that the Cardinal is upset over Masha and the Bear, and finds the fact that a young girl would be living with a bear to be sinful and disgraceful. Mon wonders whether the Cardinal is plotting with his men to disrupt tomorrow's opening night. Dima does not know, but would not be surprised, as the Cardinal has been looking for a blow to deliver against what he considers loose morals on the island. 

Taking a look around the Cathedral, the three friends notice that no guards are standing outside, but that many lights are on inside the church, suggesting a large gathering. They wisely decide to move away.

The friends soon find their way to the Anchor's Luck, where they find Captain Popov spending quality time gambling away with his friends in his usual spot by the roaring fireplace. Popov is thrilled to see them, and is beyond himself when Mon offers him a ticket for the opening night of Masha and the Bear. Based on the old man's reaction, Mon surmises that the Captain would not be able to afford his own ticket. Popov thanks them profusely, but refuses to take the ticket. He can't see very well, and it would be a waste. He can just as well listen to the performance from outside the theater. Mon will not hear of it, and he casts lesser restoration to improve Popov's eyesight. The Captain is brought to tears, and he hugs Mon.

 During their evening conversations, Popov mentions that an excellent source has informed him that the Cardinal's armor was polished. This, mixed with the absence of his men on the streets, leads  Popov to suspect that the Cardinal himself will be leading some sort of public action very soon. As they ready to leave, Popov whispers to them that friends of the oak should make themselves scarce tomorrow night. 

Now worried, they return to the Legendary, and Branna soon notices there has been a break-in in the prop room. Someone took out the guards, and items, including the bubble machine Marigold created, have been sabotaged. Marigold decides she will sleep here tonight, and she casts the alarm cantrip on the window. Branna examines the costume room, but find that nothing is amiss. Mon notifies the stage manager on duty, who sends messages out to the heads of departments and to Yurchik. Mon himself tracks Dima and the patrol down. Soon the theater is filled with staffers and the entire building is searched. Nothing else seems amiss, so after adding some guards, folks return home. Mon, Branna, and Marigold remain uneasy at the situation, however.

 

Thursday, April 7, 1066 SE

With Marigold already sleeping at the Legendary in the props room, Mon decides he will guard Stage 2. Branna returns home to the Legendary, but as she comes up the stairs she sees a person dressed in black emerging from Mon's room. Branna casts ray of frost , r hitting the person, but they manage to escape down the hall and around a corner. In the struggle, however, a jar of ointment was dropped. Branna rings the alarm bell located on every floor in case of fire, and wakes up everyone in the Palace. The building is soon searched, but no trace of the person is found. Unfortunately, Branna does not have a good description of the person, so it could be anyone under the disguise.

Alerted, Mon and Marigold return to the Palace, where Branna tells them what transpired. Mon identifies the ointment dropped from the intruder as a cream of disguise, with a few applications remaining. The friends suddenly fear the worse. Could someone be ready to disguise themselves as Mon and lead an assassination attempt during opening night? After all, both the Archduke and the Cardinal are likely to attend ...