The Fireball Gazette

Tensions in Fort Murray’s Triumvirate
Once the formalities were over, the adventurers went straight to the buffet - wary of any assassins looking to violate their peace but finding none. Instead, they met Josephine Edmund, a noblewoman playing a high-stakes game for power. She had her eyes set on the Wythynghall family’s seat, as Arthur Wythynghall was old, frail, and lacked an heir to carry on his legacy. Josephine, a visionary looking to expand our maritime borders, quickly befriended Mad Matt, who shared her passion for seafaring liberty. As they bonded, Josephine hinted that if Matt could help her settle the “Wythynghall problem,” she would reward him handsomely with one of the finest ships in the fleet. Meanwhile, Mabel eavesdropped on Madame de Courcillon, who was dancing with a halfling diplomat from Fairview. It became clear that de Courcillon was quietly opposed to the war and sought to broker a peace deal. If successful, she could seize control, pushing the Wythynghalls and von Trümmbachs out and establishing herself as the sole boss of Fort Murray’s political scene.

Family Drama and Fiery Tempers
As the evening progressed, Mabel and Selah took the opportunity to speak with the frail Arthur Wythynghall. He shared his sorrow over the death of his son, Simon III, and the estrangement of his daughter, Tiyana. His wife, Olivia, expressed bitterness, convinced their daughter was never coming back to reclaim her heritage. Just as Arthur’s despair deepened, Tiyana returned, but her arrival wasn’t a warm reunion - it was a declaration of independence. She proposed a plan: return in a few years to claim her rightful place as heiress, provided that the Wythynghall family could hold their ground long enough. Lysander von Trümmbach, a war profiteer looking to expand his influence, would support this plan, as it kept the current power structure intact. But just as the conversation unfolded, Mad Matt triumphantly joined in and announced a darker, more radical plan - to eliminate Arthur Wythynghall to secure a ship from Josephine. Tiyana, furious at the suggestion of murdering her father, stormed off, downed a full glass of redberry vodka, and returned to set Mad Matt ablaze. A butler quickly extinguished the flames, but the tension remained high.

Plots and a Shocking Murder
With the party split on how to handle the chaos, Mabel sought more information from Lysander, who offered her a position in the army - a suggestion that Mabel, a former war medic for the opposing side, found completely distasteful. Yet it was clear that Lysander wanted to prolong the war, seeing it as the key to his personal prosperity and influence. At the same time, Madame de Courcillon, ever the opportunist, revealed that she would back Josephine if it meant bringing peace to the city. As the night drew to a close, Mad Matt put a deadly plan into action. He lured Josephine to the balcony under the guise of discussing strategy, invited a stylish young man for a smoke, and unleashed his dark powers. Tentacles erupted from the moat, crushing Josephine’s spine and tossing her lifeless body into the water. Matt then screamed that the young man had pushed her. When the guards arrived, the party corroborated his story, and the innocent man was swiftly thrown into the slammer.

A New Alliance and a New Ship
With Josephine gone, the Edmunds were no longer a threat, and Arthur Wythynghall’s seat was secure for a few more years. Lysander and Arthur agreed to wait for Tiyana’s eventual return while recalling the dockworkers from the front lines. Days later, the party sailed away on their newly upgraded carbon fiber ship, leaving behind a city rife with political plots and lingering tension.

An Exclusive Look at an Excerpt from Mad Matt’s Notebook