Char Li's Angels: The Skull of Saint Diana - Part I

The troup's patron, Count Rem Char Li Halan, has summoned the group to his rural estate on Midian as he needs their particular skills for a new mission. He shares with them the news that a religious relic that was previously entrusted to the care of House Li Halan by the Orthodox church, then lost during the Decados invasion of Malignatius, had been rediscovered in a Justinian Baron's art collection on Ravenna. A letter had been sent to the Count by the Baron offering to return the relic to it's rightful guardians. The Count doesn't trust the Baron's motives but he passed on news of the letter to the planetary duke and the prospect of the return of the artefact has drawn a lot of excitement. Considering his suspicion and reservations the Count has arranged for the troup to accompany the Duke's mission to recover the relic from Ravenna.
 
Before leaving the Count's lands, Kibri va Teban (an Ur-Ukar Li Halan Householder) is approached by a fellow householder, an old servant names Lao Tou, who warns him that his previous master, a Li Halan knight named Xiahuozi, set off in search of the artefact about 15 years ago and was never heard of again. He begs the Ukar to bring him peace by finding out what happened to his master.
The troupe travel across the continent to the capital city of Saiwuhn to join up with the rest of the mission mustering at the spaceport there.
 
The evening before the flotilla launches on it's quest the planetary ruler, Duke Augustus Zhu Li Halan, hosts a celebratory dinner to mark the occasion. The troupe are introduced to a number of notable luminaries and influential personages.
 
On the following day the characters are taken to the spaceport to board The Blessed Saint Horace an Expiator class escort, captained by the Vorox noble, Lady Ahgera. It is one of six vessels in the quest flotilla and has been selected to host the reliquary on the return journey from Ravenna and will be the troupe's home for the duration of their mission.