Session 009 - Skeletons

General Summary

Date 17 to 25 Peonu (2) 720TR (Spring)

Background

150 years ago Clan Chusselrin became fabulously wealthy due to its highly profitable vineyards and winery. The party has been employed by a descendant of the Chusselrin's to find out how they did it, and does it have any connection to the mysterious Earthmaster artifact, the Heart of Tondran?

Recent Events

The heroes have discovered that the Chusselrins were using a wine press to increase their productivity. This was not magical but is more technologically advanced than such devices of the time.

The heroes plan to complete their business in the Town of Telen then return home to City of Coranan.

Yureb - Meeting with the Thieves Guild

Yureb, observes Athena being pick-pocketed by which turns out to be Nakia, a friend from his old criminal gang in Coranan from 5 years ago. After a short reunion, Nakia introduces him to the local thieves guild, lead by Ariis "Blackhand" Graghil, operating out of a nondescript Boarding House.

He plays dice with the guild-members and wins. He is offered several smuggling jobs, moving goods into Coranan on his way back. He turns down the higher paying job of transporting herbs for poison manufacture but agreed to smuggle more conventional good to Solina at the The Soothing Vial Apothecary. Payment for this is several herbal potions of Hru's Might and Watcher’s Ale.

Athena - Meeting with the Order of Hepra

Athena is approached by knights of the Order of the Red Shadows of Hepra guarding a Priest of the Order of Hepra the Mace who asks Athena to visit their Temple (known as the Heprariccan) and meet with the high-priest.

High-priest Garth Blooden, informs her that they have a spy in the Temple of the Eight Demons in Coranan and offers an alliance. The Order of Hepra the Mace is plotting to retake the Coranan temple and would like Athena's assistance at some point in the future. In return, the order may be able to supply warnings if the Eight Demons were planning to act against her and additionally would not oppose any long-term Sisterhood of the Crimson Dancer presence in the city.

The High-priest as an act of goodwill gifts Athena with some Holy Ash and performs a foretelling. He undertakes a ritual before the temples flaming pit, gazes into the fire and sees a disturbing image; Athena standing over the body of a Priest of his Order who she had just killed.

Quazzy - Talking to Old Friends

Quazzy creates an alter-ego Ziggy using alteration magic and makes plans to have the Chusselrin Estates watched. She pays a hunter/trapper named Burni to pass by the ruins in his travels every few weeks and if he sees anything suspicious report it.

That evening Quazzy's familiar becomes agitated. He sees a Raven observing Quazzy, and it flies off to the northwest. Shortly after she receives two mental images, some form of magical or telepathic sending.

First Sending - from a Man in a Golden Mask who says “Dear Quazzy so good to see you again we’ve missed you so much. Where is it?”.

Second Sending - from a Women in a Black Mask who invokes a deep panic in Quazzy. In a sharp screeching and possibly panicked voice she says “Traitorous little rat, I’ll feast on your soul, your scream for eternity…please come back all will be forgiven.”

On the road

The party travel towards Coranan and on the second day they encounter a Huge Swarm of Ravens. These mob Quazzy and cause considerable damage with cuts and stabs from their claws and beaks, however, they are all eventually dispatched.

Arrival at Coranan

When the heroes arrive at Coranan Yureb separates from the group and at night sneaks over the walls with the contraband. He make contact with Solina at the The Soothing Vial and is given some Eye of the Dwarf herbal potion as an additional reward.

Athena visited the Temple of the Eight Demons and informed a priestess that she has been in contact with the Order of Hepra the Mace. She tells them that they have made an offer of an alliance, but she has turned them down, a believable lie. Athena puts on a particularly strong performance intimidating the interviewing priestess which had interesting repercussions.

Skeletons on the Roof

A few nights later while the party was resting at the The Stake Inn a patron runs in declaring that he saw Skeletons Fighting on the Roof. The party investigate, climb onto the roof and find a bloody trail leading to a body, a man in black robes with a long dagger and a Skull Mask. Both Athena and Quazzy immediately recognise he as a Priest of Naveh the god of assassins.

Following the bloody trail further, they find another Priest of Naveh, this time alive standing over another dead body. The party attack and before the priest can effectively act he is overwhelmed and knocked out. He is dragged back up on the roof and interrogated, but dies before giving anything away apart from a curse. Interestingly, he speaks in a strange tongue, one which Quazzy can speak and understand although there are some differences in dialect.

On his body was a small bag when opened four strange dice fall out. These are a metallic, shaped like a skull and as they fall and roll onto the ground, the characters feel a wave of dread.

Athena reports the presence of the bodies to the nearest guard-house and after sweet talking one guard is informed that this is not the first such death, there has been other murders and bodies found. The guard Gavvin says his superiors believe there is some type of temple war within the hidden Church of Naveh underway. Maybe a hostile takeover, leadership challenge or a purge.

Suspecting a malevolent influence from the dice Yureb and Quazzy visit the Temple of Larani. Their priests examine the strange dice which they declare to be evil. However, the characters are stunned when told that they are possessed!