Session 035 - Counterfeiters, Spies and Forbidden Magic
General Summary
Date 18th Ilvin (10) 720TR (Autumn)
The story so far
The party has traveled to Quimen Keep, the headquarters of the Sisterhood of the Crimson Dancer, with a collection of the holy artifacts, the Khamar Copper Plates, and scared books, recovered from a long lost temple.
Location 1 - Quimen Keep
The Blood Witch
Quazzy spends a few day discussing magic with Zoen Garavania. Both women are renegade spellcasters and Zoen, who is also highly skilled with Psionics, offers to examine Quazzy's Psionic potential. Athena and Yureb also have an interest in being tested as well.
- Quazzy is found to have latent talents with Healing and Disembodiment.
- Athena is tested and found to have no psionic talents at all.
- Yureb, who had to make a donation of blood to get tested is found to have a latent talent for Sensitivity (able to detect the presence of Magic or Psionics).
The hidden Ceremony
Athena spends some time personally training with the talented recruits Helle and Vibeke, developing a good relationship.
Then she is summoned to Quimen Keep by the Grand Mistress of the Sisterhood of the Crimson Dancer. In a highly secret ceremony overseen, by the Clerical Order of Kukshin, and working with the weapon crafter Ulara Henjaal, the Khamar Copper Plates are tested.
The ceremony goes very well, the Khamer chants increased the heat of the Forge and generally improves weaponcrafting. The chants which sharpen weapons are tested, and Athena's Sword Retribution is sharped to a razor sharp edge. With the ceremonies being so successful and the benefits to the order significant, Athena is promoted to the rank of Knight Commander.
The Toy
Alford the Merchant, who saved Yureb from the law when he was caught cheating at Dice last week, offers asks him for a favor. Could he deliver a children's toy, a horse carved from walrus ivory, to the toymaker Marak Shoan in the City of Golotha. In return, he will get some of his money back, and Yureb agrees after finding nothing suspicious.
Location 2 - The City of Golotha
The Crimson Dancers have hired a vessel to transport 35 warriors to Tormau in the Kingdom of Rethem. The party joins the voyage and continue on to the City of Golotha.The spy
At Golotha, Yureb finds the toymaker's shop, Masks and Marionettes, and passes over the ivory horse toy as agreed, then receives the payment. However, Quazzy leaves her invisible familiar in the room, observing events. Marak the toymaker opens a secret compartment in the toy finds a note and proceeds to takes this to Caer Chaftar, the cities royal castle.
Yureb follows behind Marak in a magical disguise and deftly pickpockets the note, and his money pouch. The note is in code, but Quazzy quickly deciphers it. It details the deployment of the Crimson Dancers forces to the earldom of Tormau. It appears the dollmaker may be part of an intelligence network.
Location 3 - Thardic Republic
The party travel to the Town of Telen, then on to the City of Shiran and finally return the City of Coranan.Athena's Loose Ends
Athena visits The Black Forge smithy in Town of Telen to pick up her Plate Armor, made from ancient Dwarven pieces found in a crypt a few months ago. She then visited the Crimson Dancer Hostel in the City of Shiran to inform the order of the spy in their settlement.
The Counterfeit Operation
Yureb catches up with Rowe his criminal contact. Rowe informs him that the counterfeit operation, set up a few weeks ago, is going well and he has hired the Dwarven Engraver Doulgak to repair the copies of the counterfeiting stamps. However, he has lost contact with the operation, which is located in an abandoned Tin Mine a half a day's travel away.
The party makes their way to the mine and find several guards outside. They don't know the passwords and have a foreign accent. When they realized their deception had failed, they attack but were quickly killed.
Entering the mine, they kill several more guards and Yureb spots a several traps which are easily avoided. One is actually triggered on another larger company of guards investigating suspicious sounds. This group has contains 2 Dwarven warriors. Yureb identified them as members of the Sons of Abbathor, a Dwarven criminal organization.
The heroes find a shaft leading down equiped with an elevator (a cage with a hand-powered crank and winch system). Rather than use this, Yureb drops down the shaft using a rope and wall. Halfway down a side chamber in which is hiding 2 Dwarven warriors. Both attack and Yureb slips and falls down the remainder of the shaft. Quazzy and Athena come to his aid and eventually, these 2 guards are killed.
To be continued.
Rewards Granted
Athena is promoted to the rank of Telmen (Knight Commander).
The party capture 2 Dwarven heavy Crossbows.
Missions/Quests Completed
Yureb delivers the Toy to the Toymaker in Golotha.
Party returns to Coranan.
Character(s) interacted with
Marene Tusyne - High Priestess of Agrik's Quimen Temple and Grandmistess of the Order of Kukshin.
Helle Setle and Vibeke - Crimson Dancer recruits.
Zoen Garavania - Mother of the Crimson Dancer Knight Dame Lyesa Garavania, named renegade for experiments on peasants. She studies blood magic and Psionics.
Ulara Henjaal - A talented weapon crafter and lay member of the Order of the Kukshin.
Alfod - the merchant and possible spy.
Marak Shoan - Toymaker and possible spy.
Rowe - Yurebs criminal contact.
Challenges overcome
8 Human and 4 Dwarf guards.
3 Traps.
Created Content
Zoen Garavania - The renegade Blood Wizard.
Order of Kukshin - Female only Agrikian Clerial Order.
The Masks and Marionettes - A toy shop.
Caer Chaftar - A castle held by the King of Rethem.
Sons of Abbathor - Dwarven criminal gang.
Psionics - Draft.
Related Reports
Sisterhood of the Crimson Dancer - Updated.
List of Renegade Spellcasters - Updated.
Notes
Players Character Status
Athena the Banshee - Level 10 Paladin of Vengeance.
Yureb - Level 10 Arcane Trickster.
Quazzy - Level 5 Necromancer and Level 5 Warlock Disciple of Desridaen.
