Rainbow's manor is a large, stone building, prominently featuring expensive marble decorations. Akane takes a single look and asks their guide: "That's enough money to anchor six or seven different spells. Are you telling me it's just for show?"

The gnome shakes his head: "Family house. Rainbow wasn't raised by House Red Herring, and most of their secrets have been lost. Rainbow has been looking for trustworthy wizards to figure them out, but she tends to get stuck at the 'trustworthy' part."

Akane looks briefly at Leonia, and replies: "I happen to know one of those... Comes with the recommendation of the newly minted Baron von Carp."

The gnome laughs: "Sell that to Rainbow, and see if she buys it."
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:26, Tue 09 Oct 2018.

The gnome guard acting as their guide has a brief conversation with an elderly gnome that one may assume, from general demeanor, to be Rainbow's butler, then waves the party goodbye.

The stern-looking butler accompanies the guests to a small waiting room, just big enough to fit the party in relative comfort, and politely offers refreshments (water, fermented milk, apple wine).

A few minutes later, he comes back with a platter of simple hard-bread tarts; some with cheese, some with paté, and a small number with what looks like red berries jam, which turns out to be tasty without being overly sweet.

He announces that the lady Rainbow will be receiving the party shortly, and, after inquiring if there is anything the party needs, leaves.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:17, Tue 09 Oct 2018.

Leonia uses her Sleeves of Many Garments to take the appearance of a costly but elegant robe and courtly dress. Respect must be maintained.

A short while later, the butler comes back, and informs the party that the lady is ready to receive them.

Apparently, Rainbow has spent this time making herself look impressive... And succeeding rather spectacularly.

The first thing the party notices is that she was presumably colled "Rainbow" much for the same reason "Goldie" was called "Goldshine": her hair is a kaleidoscope of color, changing depending on the angle of the light, with the net effect being that she looks very much like a rainbow.

The effect is quite striking, and it takes the party a moment to really take in the full sight of this tiny woman.

Rainbow is amazingly short, even for a gnome, and her proportions make her look more like a scaled-down human than anything else.

It's hard to tell much else about her body shape, due to the impressive armor she is wearing: a silvery full plate that screams "I am worth more than your house".

On top of that, she is wearing a full complement of understated magic items, from the simple headband on her forehead to the practical belt on her waist, to the plain cloak on her shoulders, and carries at her side a tiny, unassuming stripe of pointed metal with a very functional hilt. All of which fool absolutely nobody and are clearly obscenely expensive.

It is unclear whether she is dressed to impress or to crush armies, but it is quite evident that she is about ready to do either as the situation requires.

Her demeanour is quite friendly, however, and her voice, rather than being an ultrasonic squeak, is a very pleasant mezzo-soprano that sounds like she could give Akane a run for her money in musical performance.

"Welcome, welcome! You have made an impression of a number of people since your arrival. I have heard a number of interesting rumors about you, and my sources can't seem to make up their minds on who exactly you are, and what exactly you want. I am Rainbow, of House Red Herring. In case this hasn't made it abundantly clear already." She gestures vaguely at her hair.

---

OOC: I believe I should point out now how obscenely rich Zhorr and Lia (and Rainbow and Great Mountain) are, compared to what one would expect in a normal medieval setting.

Zhorr's manor is larger than just about any medieval king's castle. Rainbow's family palace is not quite as big, but, aside from her family's wealth, she is wearing a king's ransom in equipment. Several kings' ransoms, in fact.

This is a side effect of dnd's exponential wealth by level: a level 1 character has maybe 300 gp to their name, including the clothes on their back and the spellbook in their bag, while a level 20 character has an expected wealth about thirty *thousand* times that amount.

Zhorr and Lia are both very high level (as they are expected to fund out-of-pocket an entire party of adventurers who are supposed to grow to double-digit levels), and Rainbow and Great Mountain aren't too far behind for their own reasons.

The odd man out is the Count, who is a normal NPC noble, and therefore has far less wealth to his name.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:59, Wed 10 Oct 2018.

Akane clear her throat: "I might be able to shed some light on that... We have actually come here for multiple different reasons, so it makes sense that people might be confused about that."

She points at Leonia first: "My wizard friend Leonia is coming for the benefit of her Art, first and foremost. Which I guess is not very surprising. She heard that gnomes have made some interesting discoveries in alchemy and engineering, and wants to see if she can integrate them with High Magic."

Next she points at her Kamea> "My little sister Kamea is here because she loves her big sister, of course, as little sisters should, thus she wants to help me however she can. That, or she wants to make a pile of money and have fun. Or both."

With a gesture at Aran, she continues: "Aran, our resident sorcerer, is here because he likes to meet new and interesting people, especially those who come in unusual packages, if you get what I mean. These people tend to have all sorts of interesting ideas." Unspoken, there is a second "if you know what I mean" at the end of that sentence.

She follows up with Dakash: "And speaking of interesting people in unusual packages, this is Dakash, a holy man and a great warrior, whose helpful nature tends to lead him in all sorts of unexpected new situations... Like helping a bard who has been recruited by Grand Marshall Aneri zo Naranjer complete an improbable task. That would be me."

With a sigh, she adds: "Poor Artrus here got roped into 'keeping an eye on me', since Naranjer doesn't trust a beast to do the job of a man. I should probably be offended, but if I let casual racism and bigotry get to me my head would probably explode from the pressure."

Rainbow nods: "I see... And would the 'improbable task' involve chasing down my son and bringing him to justice?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:33, Wed 17 Oct 2018.

Heavy footsteps resound through the walls, and a few moments later a door opens, revealing somebody dressed in what looks like a much larger version of Rainbow's own armor.

His face is hidden by a hideous fetish mask, but it seems safe to assume that it is Rainbow's husband, Great Mountain.

A rather appropriate name, given that he's the largest orc the party has ever seen, and that's including Dakash's previous lives. His head is almost touching the room's vaulted ceiling, and his arms are large enough that Rainbow could probably hide behind one of them.

"Scaring the guests, my love?" He asks in a deep but surprisingly gentle voice.

Rainbow looks at him, blinks once, twice, then shakes her head in mild exasperation.

"I am Harksradu, The Great Mountain." There is the distinct feeling of a smile in his voice, or possibly a smirk, though it's impossible to tell behind the mask.

Akane introduces herself and her companions once again, and Great Mountain nods.

"Now then, what is this I hear about chasing down my son?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:38, Tue 16 Oct 2018.

Leonia cannot help but blurt out "y-your son?? Who might that be?"

Great Mountain snorts: "Depending on whom you ask, Terk, son of Great Mountain..."

"...or Terk of the Red Herrings." Finishes Rainbow. "Which, conveniently, or perhaps inconveniently, sounds almost the same in Orcish."

"If they didn't sound almost the same, we would have never met." Great Mountain points out. "That would be most inconvenient."

Akane's mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water: "Terk 's Haksred is your son?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:34, Wed 17 Oct 2018.

Great Mountian lets go a gusty sigh: "So, Naranjer sent you after Terk without telling anything about him except 'he's an outlaw, go and bring him to justice'. Is that about correct?"

"He... Also mentioned that he's an iyrn wielder." Akane replies.

Rainbow rolls her eyes: "I see. Well, with this staggering amount of information, you cannot possibly fail in your mission. Especially considering it's entirely correct and not at all faulty."

Great Mountain shakes his head: "Look, I'll be honest: as it is, you are walking into a death trap. Van Lyre would probably have survived, but you are not him."

Akane frowns: "Not if this was meant to kill Zhorr. Oh, and it's von Carp, now."

Great Mountain shrugs: "I don't know that it was supposed to kill him, Terk isn't that good... But the first piece of information you are missing is that he is not alone. He has at least a wizard and an alchemist working with him, and there may be others. If you want to capture him, you are going to need to be clever. Ideally, ambush them one or two at a time. And I would like to see your tactics and maybe give you some suggestions first, if you are willing to spar with me and Rainbow."
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:33, Sat 20 Oct 2018.

"So..."

Aran spoke for the first time, after a long period of contemplating the situation the group has found themselves in.

"You don't mind if we're going after your son?"

Leonia asks "can you at least tell us what he has done to have himself declared as an outlaw? Akane here was sketchy with the details."

Akane mutters under her breath: "Blame Naranjer."

Rainbow and Great Mountain share a look: "Don't misunderstand, I love my son as much as any Orc would love their flesh and blood, but Terk... Has chosen his way. He has been ambushing royal envoys, from messengers to tax collectors to caravans. We are trying to work with the Count to improve the conditions of those the Lord's Truth would have enslaved. Meanwhile, our son stages attacks to overthrow the government. As you can imagine, that isn't helping us."

Rainbow moves to Great Mountain's side and hugs... His leg, since his waist is above her head. "I wish he would come to his senses and hide somewhere far away, forget about his foolish quest... But he believes himself a hero fighting for a greater cause."

Great Mountain shakes his head: "My son has chosen a sad destiny for himself. And the worst part is that he played straight in the Lord's hands. I don't see any way to save him from Hell, and his story will be that of Terk 's Haksred the outlaw, dreaded villain, defeated by Aneri zo Naranjer, heroic follower of Lord Asmodean."
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:35, Sat 20 Oct 2018.

Leonia looks concerned."What can you tell us of his capabilities, and those of his companions? The more we know, the more options present themselves. And does he have a girlfriend? One who might know what has influenced him to this dangerous course?"

"Terk is only 24, which, if he were a gnome, wouldn't even make him an adolescent."

"Even though an orc of that age would be well on his way to middle age."

"Gnomes develop physically before they grow up emotionally, and Terk seems to have taken the worst of both worlds: a body that grows up and ages like an orc, with the emotional maturity of a gnome child."

"Striking back at those who would enslave you is a simple response, one that doesn't need any larger understanding of the context you live in. He doesn't need any other reason to do what he does."

"And I'm not sure Terk has any interest in females. He might not have any until he's 40."

"However, I think all the known member of his gang are females. If you are looking for a girlfriend, that is a good place to start."

"There is.... One more thing."

Great Mountain looks at his wife, and sighs: "Right. You may have heard that my son is an yirn wielder... That is only partially correct."

"Normally, he uses a simple yirn, a front-loaded, single shot hand gun. If he doesn't consider you a threat, that's probably what he will go for."

"If he does consider you a threat, however... He has another option."

"To make it simple... It's a non-magic weapon that can project invisible fire beams."

"It works very much like a common hand gun, except it's easier to hit with and can fire much faster."

"It was a family heirloom. Not something we made, but something one of my ancestors found. Its power source was depleted, but it seems Terk has found a way to recharge it."
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:44, Mon 22 Oct 2018.

Aran's eyes briefly light up at the idea of invisible fighter beams, but otherwise he keeps a hand to his chin as he contemplates the conversation.

"You said you are trying to improve the conditions of those that the Lords truth would have ensalved...   how are you doing that? With diplomacy, I take it?"

Great Mountain's eyes shine with a terrible light: "Politics! The least appreciated of all blood sports."

Rainbow snorts: "And with good reason. The Count is sympathetic to the cause of non-humans, and he has considerable personal power. You may have noticed that the city is heavily fortified."

"So, as long as he keeps sending the Duke his dues, and paying lip service to Church and State alike, he is pretty much free to do whatever he wants."

"Such as turning all his slaves into contracted servants, or raising a known non-human sympathizer like Zhorr van Lyre to the rank of Baron of Carp on the Wall."

"Unfortunately, Terk's... Escapades... Put the entire thing at risk: if the tax convoys don't arrive to the Capital, the Count could be accused of neglecting his duties, or worse."

"And if they can frame him for treason, then it won't be the Duke that comes calling, it will be the King."

"As well-fortified as the city is, it cannot hold against the entire royal army."

"Which makes it especially important that the appearance of normality be maintained... Good thing Naranjer has no idea what's actually going on, or I doubt he would have sent von Carp to catch Terk."

Leonia's attention bounces between the two as she tries to keep up with the conversation. At the last line, however, she throws up her hands and says "wait, just wait! What do you mean, if he knew what was going on? It's obvious that Naranjer knows that Terk is causing unrest, is an iryn user, and has a group to help him. So what is it that Naranjer doesn't know? And why wouldn't he have assigned Zhorr had Naranjer known?"

"As long as Terk is out there assaulting royal caravans, the Count appears weak at best, traitorous at worst. At some point, the king will take notice. And by 'take notice' I mean 'send an army'."

"Had von Carp gone himself, and captured Terk, this would have solved the Count's problem. Even if he had died, this would still have won the Count some leeway, perhaps made the threat look significant enough for the king to send his own men - all through no fault of the Count."

"Count Brastlewerk is the one nobleman in Cheliash with both a vested interest in improving the living conditions of non-humans, and the power to do something about it."

"Had Naranjer realized that he has a chance to remove the Count from power, he would not have sent a former adventurer after our son. He's a very... Traditionalist man."

Aran frowns.

"I can't say that I'm too mad about what your son is doing. But if it's going to make it harder for non-humans if we don't stop him I think we should do that."

"It should go without saying but... If at all possible, we really would prefer if he could be captured alive."

"Chelian law usually has a way out for those with enough money, so if you can capture him and deliver him to us, we should be able to smooth things out."

"And of course we will give you something that will help."

"Some equipment, of course... But also some training."

"I suspect you may be a little out of your depth. We might be able to help."

"What do you say we have lunch... And then some friendly sparring?"

The dining room is quite large, housing two big tables that can comfortably accommodate ten people each. The floor is smooth marble, and the stone walls are covered in tapestries, depicting scenes involving rare and strange creatures and beasts.

The tables and chairs are made of wood, nicely carved, and probably very old.

The meal consists largely of meat, on three different serving platters (rare, medium, well done), with a couple of different sauces to go with it; there is a good amount of fresh fruit, and, rather uncommonly, white bread. Not a lot of vegetarian alternatives, however.

Drinks include wine, mead, and a light tea.

The hosts seem to be showing off a little.

"Enjoy your meal. I hope you like it."

Great Mountain's table manners prove to be far more civilized than one might expect from his rather savage appearance. Also, once he removes his totem mask he turns out to have surprisingle gentle features... For an orc, anyway.

He quickly gets hold of the rarest portion of the rare meat platter, and proceed to demolish it methodically. A couple of minutes after everybody's seated, the same servant that had originally welcomed the party brings in some more food - baked potatoes and cheese.

"Sometimes I forget not everybody makes fresh meat their entire diet. Good thing I have people to remind me."

"You don't make meat your entire diet either, dear, not if I have anything to say about it."

"Hm." He replies neutrally, but with a hint of a smile.

The meal proceeds quickly, and Rainbow seems to have quite the appetite for somebody so tiny. By the end, there is very little left on the table.

Great Mountain smiles contentedly, showing the barest hint of sharp fangs, and leans back in his chair. "Now that the urgent matter of our immediate survival is settled, time to talk about serious matters. We have... A vested interest in your success, and we will try to give as much help as we can.""

"However, we are... Concerned that you might be a little too inexperienced to take on Terk."

"Not to put too fine a point on it, if you try to take his team in a fair fight, he will use your bones for toothpicks."

"Yes, that is a rather annoying habit of his. Why he couldn't just use wooden ones like civilized people is beyond me."

"We would like to test your skills. A friendly match, about me and my sweet, gentle, absolutely non-terrifying wife."

Leonia remarks in a teasing voice "I can see your efforts to civilize her were mostly in vain but at least she is making an effort." to Great Mountain. At the last remark she notes "the prettiest flowers can hide the deadliest poisons."

"Civilize me? Never, my dear. I will remain a wild child until the day I die. Why would I change, when it's served so me well?" She adds with a fond glance at her husband.

"My prettiest and deadliest flower... You badly misunderstood a sentence in a language you barely spoke, figured an Orc chief had stolen your family name, and challenged him to a dominance duel."

"And when I won I got to take my prize home with me. See? It served me well."

"The power vacuum you left behind probably caused a dozen challenges to the death before a new chief came out on top and stayed on top."

"It served me well. I said nothing about anybody else."

"Yes, dear."
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:02, Thu 15 Nov 2018.

Leonia smiles "I love tests. Allows me to be...creative." She waits for the others to agree to the trials. Meanwhile, she uses some Prestidigitation to separate flakes of metallic sodium and magnesium from the surroundings to fill two vials she holds prepared.