Session Narrative
The Split Crown is named for its sign — a golden crown, painted on the board outside, that someone has bisected neatly with a blade sometime in the last century and never repaired, possibly on purpose. Inside, it is warm, close, and full of the kind of people who have interesting reasons for avoiding the main thoroughfares.
The party settles in to wait for Gimble’s return with news from Corster. Waiting, in a tavern full of mercenaries, traders, off-duty city guards, and people who became interesting in ways that don’t survive official attention, turns out to offer its own complications. There are conversations to have, rumours to collect, and at least one ill-advised drinking contest.
The city’s gossip circuit — accelerated by the Split Crown’s position at the intersection of several information streams — provides fragments: the Queen’s court is in unusual motion, multiple factions are manoeuvring around the question of succession, and there is rumour of an arrangement between the crown and something old and water-linked that nobody wants to name directly.
Grumpy visits in the evening to check on them with the particular combination of ‘pretending not to care’ and ‘clearly caring’ that defines his entire interpersonal approach. He fills in more of the political landscape and confirms what Mistcurl told them: Snow White’s arrangement with Dagon is real, and Sable is, in the most literal possible sense, the price being prepared.
Gimble returns near midnight: Corster Fre will meet them at the Verdant Athenaeum, Germonia’s great library, tomorrow morning.
Key NPCs
- Various Split Crown Regulars — Mercenaries, information brokers, off-duty guards. Use for atmosphere and rumour delivery.
Loot & Rewards
| Item | Notes / Value |
| Political Intelligence | Snow White’s Dagon arrangement is confirmed. Two court factions are competing. One faction wants Sable protected; the other wants her delivered. |
DM Notes
This is a quieter session — atmosphere, information, and character interaction. Use it to let the party process what they know and plan what to do with it. The information about court factions opens options: they might find allies inside Queensport. The drinking contest is optional chaos.