Also, up to this point, the scenarios had been mostly site-based exploration so I changed things up by making this one more of an open-ended puzzle that could be solved through a variety of means. Although there was an objective they wanted to attain (steal invitations to a gala) there were a number of ways they could have gotten their hands on them. To be honest, I had no solution in mind as to how they could accomplish that goal; instead, I seeded the area with tools they could put together into whatever combination they thought would work and then we'd see what happened.
Characters
Aria, a paladin struggling with her true nature
Heck, an affable revenant looking for answers
Panthalassa, a necromancer with a missing arm
Daytona, a dhampir gunslinger fresh from Hell
Willard Corn and Beebo, a farmer and a monkey
Events
The characters traveled north aboard the Dawnrazor, where they would be set ashore so they could head toward Veil. Since Nightsong had paid to have Serafina's location scried by a seer, she was sure that Serafina and Viktoria were currently at the Myrastopol Gala--the "party that never ends." One problem remained in the matter of tracking them down: to attend the gala they would need invitations.
One way of getting invitations would be to win them at the high-stakes poker tournament currently underway at Lakona, a restaurant and casino located in Veil's Nightside. The Nightside could only be reached by indulging in the drug known as midnight bell. In an age now past, Veil had been a glorious Vlaak city, but it had since fallen into squalor and decay.
However, once the characters entered the safest-looking drug den they could find and "tolled the midnight bell," they fell into unconsciousness and awoke in the city's "Nightside"--a phantasmagorical version of Veil in which all the poverty and filth was replaced with glamour and opulence. Indeed, once in the Nightside the characters found that even their clothes had been transfigured into finery.
Getting to Lakona involved boarding a gondola and being poled down into a cave where employees wearing grass skirts, wooden masks, and jade amulets helped them disembark. After receiving a customary lei of pink and red flowers, the party found themselves confronted by the entrance to Lakona, which was a big wooden face that looked like a tribal deity or pagan spirit. As they approached the door, the guards flanking the face crossed their spears and bid the group listen to the voice of KAUA-PE. The wooden face began to speak, outlining Lakona's rules and wishing them luck at the gambling tables.
After crossing through the mouth, they observed that the interior of Lakona had an odd but consistent aesthetic. The space was lit by torches affixed to bamboo staves; old fishing nets and garlands of shrunken heads hung from the stalactites; the stone floor was carpeted by mats of dried grass and palm trees sprouted from the stone to stretch toward the ceiling; the sound of primitive drumming filled the air; a number of conspicuous wooden statues that resembled KAUA-PE sat in corners throughout the cavern.
The cavern spacious depth featured a number of dice tables, a bandstand, rows of strange copper machines that people were feeding rubles into, a bar area, and a number of doors leading to other amenities. Some doors were marked with a perimeter of skulls; these doors were off limits to anyone save for Lakona's staff.
Playing to win the invitations seemed out of the question, as none of them had any skill for gambling--which was evident after they to drag Daytona away from the slot machines. Instead, the group settled into a table in the bar area and ordered a king's ransom worth of fruity, rum-based cocktails from a menu of exotica. Aria and Nightsong were especially thrilled to have the chance to flirt with intoxication. Nevertheless, Nightsong was summoned away from her companions by a member of Lakona's staff because a patron had requested she play in the exclusive poker tournament. However, before she left the party, Nightsong cast a spell that would allow them all to stay in contact via telepathy.
It was resolved that Willard, Daytona, and Heck would check out a door on the right side of the complex, while Panthalassa and Aria would enter a room on the left side to see what was going on inside.
Willard, Daytona, and Heck found themselves in Lakona's spa area, where they were offered massages, time in the steam room, a dip in the hot springs, or a romp in the "pleasure dome." Heck and Willard balked at the experiences on offer, but Daytona stayed for a massage from a burly man who had been oiled to within an inch of his life. Once the massage was over, Daytona slipped into a staff-only room and discovered Lakona's laundry room. He was able to steal an outfit and mask that would enable him to blend in with the employees.
On the other side of Lakona, Aria and Panthalassa found themselves in a theater where members of the Skarnesti Circus were performing. They took seats just in time to see Zoskia Skarnesti introduce Melusine, the circus's exotic snake dancer, to the stage. Once the performance was over and the punters had left, Panthalassa re-made the acquaintance of the circus performers, including Dogface, who she had bested at a feats-of-strength competition. Dogface was particularly moved by Panthalassa's missing arm; he offered to rough up whichever villain had disabled her.
Because Panthalassa and Daytona had done a good turn for the circus in the past, they were easy to convince to aid the party now in Lakona. Besides, Zoskia explained, carnies would take any opportunity to get one over on the rubes. The circus folk proved to be very well-informed. They explained where Lakona's vault was and that the room directly before it was the security office where guards watched over the site via the KAUA-PE statues positioned throughout the caverns.
At this point, Nightsong checked in to describe the facsimiles of the prized invitations she had spied within a totem pole-shaped display case. Via telepathy, the group agreed to converge in front of the security office to make their play. The plan was for Panthalassa to use her magic to meld into the earth with Heck so they could burrow their way to the vault unobserved. Instead of finding themselves in the vault, however, they emerged in a long hallway that led to the vault. The vault's door was a wooden monstrosity carved to look like KAUA-PE.
When they got within ten feet of the doors, KAUA-PE opened his jaws and blasted a stream of fire down the hallway. Heck was able to duck and cover, but Panthalassa was severely burned by the flames. That plan was quickly abandoned. A new plan was hatched in its place: the group would attack the guard post from two sides to gain the jade amulets that would protect them from the fire trap on the vault's doors. The group, minus Panthalassa who was avoiding further injury but with the addition of Nightsong, burst in and subdued the guards.
Now armed with jade amulets, the group crossed the hallway to the vault easily. Panthalassa picked the lock and they all ventured inside, where rows of chests and a wardrobe held Lakona's loot. Unfortunately, the vault also held a large iron statue of a mariner--complete with diver's helmet and trident--which animated to protect Lakona's funds from thievery. The resulting battle for control of the vault was hard-fought: the mariner statue was difficult to damage, but it didn't seem to have any trouble damaging the adventurers. Ultimately, a combination of Aria's sword work (and the ice-curse of her elven blade), Nightsong's bolstering war chant (and her steadfast desire to punch things into submission with her gauntlet), and Daytona's sharpshooting (especially when backed by a little hellfire) won them the battle.
The group looted the vault of as many coins as they could carry, a magical rapier, a necklace, a deformed green statuette, and the coveted invitations.
Back out within Lakona, things were in chaos with guards descending to impose lockdown as the patrons panicked. Luckily, the Skarnesti Circus troupe was waiting to usher them out an unguarded back entrance. As they said their goodbyes and fled into the night, the midnight bell began to wear off and they found themselves safely back at the drug den with their loot.
However, someone was watching them from the shadows.
Who is it and what do they want? We'll find out next time.
