Journal 11

18 Jan 2026, 3/21/753 ATC

The next day, we receive a correspondence by origami messenger saying "Please come to Rumus Bagdonas this evening and bring your friends. Do not take a hired boat, under no circumstances tell Bethany of this meeting. Signed, Natasha B. Proset"

Evening comes and we make our way to the Rumus Bagdonas across the canal. We arrive and knock on the door. Devin, Sasha's gnome butler, opens the door and shows us in. Sasha, Myra, and Anna leave Pip Quicktwit (gnome bard) in our care.

Duncan talks to us about the Iron Veil, a group against all foreigners, that Forest should be for Torestans.

Adadan, the other strong candidate for Duke of Toresta, Sasha being the other strong candidate. Pip asks us to investigate Adadan to see if he was responsible for the assassination attempt. He provided us with some earnest money, 200 gp, to start. We have no leads other than the dropped pin of the Iron Veil.

Adrian Krol, one of the Quandrix artificer plegdgemages, came to us with additional information about the crystal robberies. He says there was a ship leaving that area that did not have the appropriate markings and a location of where it was tied up.

We grab a long boat and head to the location near the docks and warehouses. For what it's worth, we start asking around the town square if anyone remembers seeing an unmarked ship a few days ago.

While asking around, an argument starts getting out hand between a harrinigan and several ruffians who move in with scimitars drawn. Koda, alert to the trouble rushes in before anyone else using Shillelagh and Booming Blade for 16 non-lethal damage knocking him out. The harrinigan moves and misses with his attack. Luna, determined to save the harrinigan, who's a student at the academy, casts Firebolt hitting and dealing 6 damage to another ruffian. Mickey casts Web, snaring 6 enemies, Koda, and the harrinigan. Koda notices these ruffians are wearing Iron Veil pins. OLEY attacks the ruffian Luna had burned, crumping him with 9 damage nonlethally knocking him out. Icarus himself uses catapult to throw stones hitting a third ruffian for 13 damage knocking him out.

The tiefling saw Luna cast a spell and cast Hold Person on Luna, Luna shrugs it off easily.

Koda casts Cloud of Daggers on the tiefling then uses an ability to also cast Command, ordering her to grovel. Two ruffians attempt to flee. Luna casts Hold Person preventing one from escaping.

Mickey casts Hold Person successfully holding the other from also escaping.

With combat over and all ruffians and the tiefling captured we start questioning the tiefling by dunking her in the town square. An envelope falls out of her jacket. Several guards finally come to apprehend them. This seems to be a common occurrence for the Iron Veil attacking non-Torestans. The harrinigan is Rodger Fast a Silverquill student at the academy. We decide to leave before reporters show up.

The envelope is inscrutable to us, protected by magic. We sent a message to Veyran who told us this kind of magic on the envelope is known and warned us that if we cast Dispel Magic on the envelope it would work but also remove the message.

So, we decide to talk with Pip who wanted to talk at a 'coffee' shop. Pip tucks the envelope away saying they have experts for this. He then further explains about Toresta and the discontent caused by non-native Torestans. We talk with Pip about the Clockwork Cabal to see what he knows. They use constructs and highly synchronized heists.

Besides the crystals they've taken a supply of electrum from Baithis, It seems they're trying to build something.

With all this Iron Veil activity there's few resources to commit to finding the Clockwork Cabal.