Session 58 - The Emperor’s Bastard

Imperial Search at the Mansion

On the 5th of Unndilar at around 8 PM, the Imperial Guards continued pounding on the mansion door in Jurin.
Korin stepped outside first and confidently posed as the house guard.
Jaruul joined him as the invented noble Lord Thomas Mhuhrdhehr, while Theros disguised himself as an elderly Spanish woman.
Once the guards entered, Dristuul played host by pouring whisky and keeping them talking while they explained their purpose.
The guards split into pairs and began searching the house floor by floor.

In the kitchen, Dristuul casually opened the hidden hatch and led a pair of guards downstairs.
Upstairs, one guard became suspiciously interested in a bookshelf near the hidden entrance to the pool room.
Theros kept up a barrage of loud, confusing Spanish insults and rambling to distract them.
Jaruul used Minor Illusion to create a noise in another room, pulling the suspicious guard away.
Theros subtly disguised the hidden button that opened the way to the pool room.
One guard noticed humidity on the wall near the hidden chamber, but the suspicion never developed into a discovery.
In the end, the Imperial Guards found nothing and left the mansion.

With the immediate danger gone, the party turned on Kailas and decided to force the truth out of him.
Theros disguised himself as a guard and opened the pool-room door, ordering Kailas to come out.
Kailas reacted with explosive rage, and eerie ethereal music began to play as the tension rose.
He lunged wildly and tried to strike the nearest target in the groin with his hammer, but Theros escaped with Misty Step.
Korin cast Zone of Truth, and Theros followed with Detect Thoughts, though he still heard nothing useful.
Under pressure, Kailas began blurting out embarrassing truths, petty confessions, and personal opinions - including that he likes Sly the most.

The real revelation came when Kailas admitted that his mother was hated because she had an affair with Emperor Corvin Thorian.
The party learned that the current emperor is Lucian Thorian, Corvin’s son.
That means Kailas is not merely a bastard of the old emperor - he may be the rightful heir to the throne.
The group concluded that Lucian knows this and is trying to eliminate him before that claim can matter.

The party debated how the Empire might be tracking Kailas.
Moelwyn mentioned having a contact in Drar who might be able to provide information.
Brennan considered visiting the academy for answers of his own.
In the end, the group decided to rest for the night and leave at dawn.
Nyxara felt deeply uneasy and could not properly settle, convinced that something was wrong.

By morning, the group gathered in the kitchen while Korin prepared the wagon outside.
Theros then shocked everyone by announcing that he was leaving the party to try to live a normal life with Neerah.
The group shared a toast and said their goodbyes.
Theros and Neerah were given a magical necklace to help them stay hidden.
The party set out south without them.
Less than five minutes later, Theros realized he still had the Bag of Holding and sprinted after the wagon to return it.

As the party traveled south, they passed a family of half-orcs whose children began crying at the sight of Korin.
Dristuul angrily called Korin out for racism.
Soon after, a cart carrying two firbolgs approached.
They offered polite nods, but something about the encounter immediately felt wrong.