Architects.... of Fun!

After Angling for Hooks, the God Squad met up at the House of Emesh to share their findings and discuss their next steps. They had accumulated many leads: a ghost ship supposedly abducting someone, strange currents underwater, odd clay constructs in the water at night near Mohomwa Cove, a magical massacre of servants in the Assembly District, a strange Emesh-pledged wizard, a fearmongering pamphlet campaign, and strange nightmares.
The group's companions - Kebri, Ezia Mahabatu, Imora, Yago, and Dailio - seemed to have found that the nightmares for new selkies faded over time. Kebri and Imora seemed to be getting along, though making each other a little worse and definitely distracting from their work.
The group decided to focus their efforts on the immortal demigod of the island: Kailio, the Great Otter. With Kailio's help, the numerous challenges of these islands could be conquered. But first, the party would need to throw a party of sufficient size - and convince the arriving otter to listen to them.

Party Planning

The easiest avenues for hosting a grand party all involve lots of money, so the group decided to ask Hewedi Manuhel for support in petitioning Clan Manuhel for funding. She agreed, but said that the group would need to spend the next week organizing the event rather than hunting for Nightmare Cults or gathering information. The party agreed and each Incarnated Architect took on a different party organizing role:

• Arzet would handle theming, decor, and marketing
• Potha would handle entertainment
• Makar would handle food and elite invitations
• Kipilu would handle music

They brainstormed the basics with Hewedi quickly, before they went to work. The plan was to host the party in Halamahi rather than Kilamehal (the traditional site of Kailio-oriented festivities) to make the party more accessible and visible to the general public. The party would then be segmented into two parts: a large public venue and a more exclusive elite venue requiring invitations. The first invitation was offered to a Sunekan selkie ship captain in the bar that Hewedi had been harassing - a seasoned voyager named Toyaxo. Hewedi's kin would undoubtedly invite many of their friends and clients belonging to the Libertaine Party as well. Makar and Arzet would find more elites to balance the political distribution a bit. Makar also decided to invite the Oldpelt leaders to the exclusive party.
The group agreed on a multicultural "world fair" theme, celebrating diversity within The Khilaia and selkie connections to peoples around the world. The intended atmosphere would be whimsical, eclectic, optimistic, and fun, blending bits of carnival, cultural traditions, and games. The exclusive party would carry that atmosphere as well, but in a classier way with a few more overt signs of selkie traditional culture.
Potha began work on the main entertainment event: the greatest talent show in all of the selkie world. This would create a space for novelty and allow selkies of all different arts and skillsets to compete for wealth and glory. It would connect the elite and public parties... but to truly attract attention, it would need a grand prize.
As Arzet got to work preparing the space and getting the overall plan ironed out, Makar prepared the general approach to food. The public party would harness some Zeruan-style market competition to uplift local vendors. All kinds of cooks, street vendors, and local restaurants all were given space and encouraged to compete for attention - and for glory. The food would be an event itself, as vendors would compete in an "iron chef" competition to prove their skill before the Great Otter. This would provide Kailio with some novelty while also giving those small vendors a chance to attract public attention. This ambitious plan would require some additional work, for which Kipilu volunteered.
Kipilu decided to roll with the world fair idea by encouraging truly eclectic musical styles - hiring small-time musicians from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds to create pockets of music from every continent.

Going 100%

Each party member would, over the next week, have three actions they could use outside of their party planning. They could use these for personal actions, investigation, or party enhancement.
Potha used her actions to:

• Magically Beastbind Kaidoko as an animal companion
• Secure more general entertainment in the form of Jesters from the Empire of Calazen who were willing to prepare carnival games of all kinds
• Petition Clan Manuhel for a grand prize for the talent show: a Bag of Holding (a magical bag able to hold great quantities of stuff) from the Kingdom of Asalay. She was able to secure this.

Kipilu used his actions to:

• Organize the iron chef competition among the food vendors, securing a prize and judge panel
• Hire some mages and Squiddles to have music magically projected into the ocean, for the benefit of both Kailio and the Cephapeople nearby
• Get hype men and storytellers to both enhance the party atmosphere and help foster genuine learning about other cultures

Arzet used his actions to

• Secure a giant globe, magical lights, and greeting staff to serve as the centerpiece for the main party
• Create the exclusive party space, ensuring that it was properly chill and luxurious for elites to want to stay
• Go on a semi-investigatory marketing journey with Makar

Makar used their actions to

• Curate the elite invitation list and get those sent out. Makar prioritized voices for peace and cooperation, but made sure to invite people from all of the major clans and political parties.
• Prepare elite catering for the exclusive party, working with a catering company in the Assembly District
• Go on a semi-investigatory marketing journey with Arzet

Altogether, this party was shaping up to be quite the experience.

West Wind Marketing

The plan for Arzet and Makar was to knock out two birds with one stone: use the West Wind Marketing Company to advertise the talent show and party, while investigating them for their involvement in the fearmongering pamphleteering campaign. This was the company stirring fear around the Apocalypse with fliers depicting the Rot Plague, Unwilling, and other monstrosities.
The West Wind Company was booming, having clearly expanded significantly in recent months. Arzet and Makar introduced themselves and got their marketing contract started with one of the filing clerks, who walked them through the ways that the Company was innovating: pamphlet campaigns, public bills, paying people to spread word of mouth in taverns, intentional marketing pushes with specific demographics. Arzet and Makar were even able to get the clerk to show them ads for one of their other clients - Jomarkin Refuge in the Larinum Isles. Jomarkin is a mechanized resort-bunker for the hyper-wealthy, initially constructed for the Darzan University by Maradian engineers but opened to the public. The Jomarkin Garden really seemed to be investing hard in the ads they saw, with some similar themes and imagery as the doomsday agitation fliers. The clerk began drafting a package for the party to get the word out, but the two Gods were able to play up their importance to get a meeting with the Company president and founder Hesha Kamahai.
Hesha Kamahai proudly advertised her company's whisper campaigns and potential for public influence. Makar and Arzet encouraged her to offer them more and more elaborate packages, until she finally got to the "Confidential Influence Campaign." Apparently this was some technique that allowed the Company to seed ideas across the isles without any trace of having influenced anyone. One tar company, Marlai's tar, had apparently used this to great effect; Hesha also implied that this was being used politically as well, possibly by anti-Zeshem militarists. Makar used Detect Thoughts to look for details, but found that Hesha didn't actually know how it worked - and she resisted further prying. It did seem to work overnight, though, suggesting this was a commercial use of dream magic linked with Verkon the False Chimera.

Making History

Definitely sketchy things going on there. Before the party left, they were able to learn that a Grand Elder named Elder Wanalo Kaipalaho was on the main island of Motosui - visiting the Vault of All Gods in Hakakal. If Elder Kaipalaho was able to be secured as a guest, that would mean great things for the party.
Makar did some digging and found that the Elder was a big antiquarian with a fondness for historical artifacts from around the world. It occured to them that they had a historical treasure trove at their fingertips: the many items preserved with Theia the Liberator in her magical stasis, which they recently awoke her from. Arzet used Sending spells to reach out to Elder Kaipalaho, offering him many of these items as a gift if he attended. The Elder excitedly agreed after some questions. And where the Elder goes, lesser politicians follow.

We Like to Party

The party finally arrived and sailed out to the tiny island of Kailopali to plead the Great Otter for his blessing and attendance. Kailio was interested enough to attend and helped manipulate the sea to speedily return the vessel to Halamahi so the festivities could begin. Things started off well, though the Gods were too busy making sure things went according to plan to really participate. Elder Wanalo Kaipalaho's attendance provided some challenges, as he drew Minister Lirili Mikiraka (a leading figure in the legislature) to the party as well (to chase after him to talk politics).
Kailio and the Gods chatted. Makar was offput by the Otter's exploitation of mortal wealth and adoration, but Arzet was sympathetic. Kailio seemed generally a bit exhausted and offput by mortal politics and seemed more indifferent than malevolent. Arzet felt a certain potential magical tie to Kailio that could activate in some way through willpower and physical contact - but whatever hidden power was there, he decided not to rush into using it. The Gods arranged for the Otter to have a great cauldron of coffee brewed and moved to the Iron Chef competition, which Kailio helped judge.

Khilaia's Got Talent

With a Bag of Holding on the line, the God Squad knew they had to compete in the talent show. All the Gods pitched in with their magical talents for an amazing theatrical dance-storytelling experience. For the first round, the Gods used magically enhanced dance and song to tell the story of a rat love story between Prison Rat and Ratticus, with dancing cats, vanishing animals, and Unseen Servants all playing a part. The Semifinals were more intense, with the Gods facing off against a bardic boy band, an acrobatic Dhampire dancer-juggler, a sorcerous adventurer from Asalay, and a troupe of heavily-mutated Starspawn-selkies. The Gods countered with a second act that was even more elaborate: a magical duel between Potha and Arzet, with Makar and Kipilu throwing in all kinds of flashy spells and effects. This got them into the finals, where they faced off with the Starspawn troupe one final time. The third act was a story of reunion, where the Gods went all out in creating flowing imagery of animals and elementals coming together in a great vertical wheel dance. This won the day and won the party their Bag of Holding. 
The group was asked for their team name and they chose "The Architects of Fun: A Faith Based Organization". Each Incarnated Architect was given their own chance to give a brief statement, likely to give their thanks and take a bow for the audience. Makar started off strong by ominously warning the crowd that the world was ending and that they needed to prepare and unite against the Apocalypse. The crowd was a bit confused and unnerved, but cheered when Kipilu followed that up by saying that he just loved having such a good time. Potha then went up and declared that Loanua deserved to be free from the Selkie Mandate of Loanua, which led to instantaneously political fighting and discord. And as everyone was booing or cheering or squabbling, Arzet used his moment to leap (a large distance thanks to the power granted by Kiji the Bridgebuilder) onto Kailio and activate their bond. 

Claiming Divinity

While the crowd was initially furious at Arzet's leap onto the Great Otter, the burst of divine power changed everything. Kailio and Arzet bonded and Arzet glimpsed into centuries of Kailio's memories: years of joy, consideration, growing apathy and detachment, heartache and nostalgia, and moments of horror when Kailio had to destroy invading fleets and Leviathans. Kailio missed being personable and connecting with individuals, back before he became a symbol and state asset bound by law and ceremony. He yearned for a sense of stability and purpose - back in ancient times his power over the sea and weather allowed him to solve most problems, while everything now seemed so complex and systemic. While Arzet learned about Kailio, Kailio recognized Arzet as The Chimera (his creator). And through this connection, the ghost of Daya Otterchosen (the first selkie) manifested and was bound to Arzet as a Vestige. Kailio and Daya protected Arzet from harm and announced the Kobold's divinity, as the water and wind swirled around in an obvious magical display. Arzet embraced this title and stood for the first time as The Chimera reborn.
The crowd was awestruck and confused. How could a Kobold carry the soul of the progenitor of Selkie-kind? How could such an obscure outsider win the favor of the Immortal Otter? Why would all this happen at a talent show?
While the onlookers processed the situation and began to react, the rest of the God Squad hopped aboard Kailio's back and ventured out to sea with him, leaving the consequences back on shore. Kailio swam out to Mohomwa Cove to remember their original creation and talk with the Gods more privately. The group chatted and Kailio wallowed in nostalgia for what he felt were simpler and more wholesome times. The Gods felt some pity that the Otter was so obviously lonely, and Arzet felt the pull of further magical possibilities. He and Makar dove down to perform the Test of the Depths. Makar gained a personalized Selkie Pelt that reflects their true nature (eerie and supernatural). Arzet found something else in that nexus of selkie magic: the Tidewalker Bracelet, a traditional otter-fur-and-coral bracelet that could allow Kailio to transform into a humanoid selkie form. This way, the great Otter could walk among the humanoids, free from the physical constraints and social responsibilities of a kaiji-sized otter immortal. 
As the Grand Elders watched the group in amazement from nearby Mohomwa Citadel, the party looked back to Motosui. The island was a flurry of traffic and activity, even more hectic than usual. While the Gods had taken their time relaxing and talking and thinking, the world was reacting to Arzet's revelation. Would they believe him? What would the Enemies in the city do? What now? These were questions for later. For now the party relaxed on the beach with Kailio, who could sit among his oldest friends as just another person for the first time in his life.

Components

Goals

QUEST:

• Scout out the powers and weaknesses of the Nemeses
• Make connections and allies
• Marshal resources
• Scout out the Khilaia for Nightmare cults
• Connect with the allied Zeshem
• Liberate Loanua

Backdrops

Past Events

This is the 21st Session of Act 1 of God Campaign.

Parent Plot

Angling for Hooks

Subplots

• The Otter Side

Related Characters

• Daya Otterchosen
• Elder Wanalo Kaipalaho
• Hesha Kamahai
• Hewedi Manuhel
• Kailio
• Minister Lirili Mikiraka

Related Organizations

• God Squad
• The Khilaia
• West Wind Marketing Company

Related Locations

• Halamahi
• Kailopali
• Mohomwa Cove