Session 12: The Man Behind Evil Report

Party gathers together at Gallows Rock after a short day of rest. Xavroar and Edwyn had spent over 100 gold pieces on a large binge of food and drink following their successful crossing of and return from the Zjol'kel. Unfortunately, things went ary and the drunken guests trashed the tavern and left the place in ruin come sunrise. Edwyn himself remained drunken on the ground, and the bar keep hoisted him up onto his feet and tossed him out the door. He did, however, manage to learn about the existence of the Meretorr wall that blocks the route between Dagmar's Finger and the rest of Othos.

Marcarius encountered Edwyn as he walked up the mountain of Gallows Rock after speaking to his contact man. They spoke briefly, but Edwyn was too far gone into his hangover to communicate. While that occurred, a newcomer walked his way up the slopes, a man named Weiss Schwarz, a duelist from Nevan of some renown. He arrived in search of a dueling rival, and that had brought him across the world to the broken land of Othos.

They leave and head north once again and arrive at the Zjol'kel after two days of travel. Reaching the cracked and brittle land, the easily deal with the twisted vines that pushed forth from the soil. Less of a problem this time than previously. Stepping down the rocky path to the bottom of the Zjol'kel, the party was surprised to find things greatly changed. There was not a field of ashen ground before them, but a sea of grey water that stretched beyond sight. Along the shore of this misty sea was a large skeleton, like that of a horse, and beside it were the skeletal remains of what seemed to be Blade Soren. Odd, he had only been dead for a few days. They stood upon the shore and considered what to do, and then Torvald called out into the mist for help...

Lady of Zjol'kel comes forth and meets them upon a boat. She asks for tokens as a price. Torvald gives a cloak, Marcarius gives a hound's tooth, Yohn gives a boorch forged by his hand from molten steel, Weiss gives a ring of his family, and Edwyn goes for free. They cross, and while they cross Edwyn uses his arcane magic from his playing to dispel all illusions from the mind of Yohn. It succeeded, and he saw the truth behind the lady of the Zjol'kel. In reality the party was not upon a boat or near water at all. They were in a line in the middle of the ashen ground and mist, walking with heads down and eyes closed alongside a woman. She looked similar to the lady of the mist, but her features were battered and tired, and her clothes consisted of a torn and worn dress of dull material.

Get to other side and make camp.

Party awakes the next day and continues north. They reach the ruins of the Grove of Dorith, who was a hero during the Ascension era who slew Vishtal Erval and was cursed to die by turning to dust over six days. They also found a wooden icon of Corgastor on the ruins, along with a message.

"Cograstor protect he who trends the same path as I. This land is cursed and corrupted, I can feel it in my soul. I must purify it, cleanse it of its darkness, slay that which ensnares the land in evil. I leave this, a small token of good among all that is forsaken. The Hand of Mercy protects, and others will have greater need of it than I. I am a sinner and murderer, and only the path of penance remains."

Torvald, being the only one to have ever met Octavius, made the connection and chuckled at the news. They gathered all of their items after a short wait there and continued further northward. After traveling the rest of the day, the party made camp beneath the rocky border of the Dorithin rise. Unfortunately, Yohn and Torvald, who were put on watch, failed to do the job properly. When morning came, the party found that some items were missing from camp, among them were a health potion, thief's tools, rations, and Edwyn's journal. It was, it seemed, going to be a long day.

Party clambers up the hill, Torvald and Marcarius ascending first. They arrive upon a lightly sloped hill. The right direction carries down into gentle fields, but comes to lakes and hills farther away. To the left is a rise, with a low wall of rough hewn stone standing in defense behind an empty depression similar to the Great Dike. Beyond that, father up the hill, was another wall defending what seemed to be the city proper. The entire complex was on the end of a great plateau, terminating into steep cliffs. Below the cliffs the Great Dike meanders up to the rocks before passing beneath.

Marcarius decided to be the first to scout the position. Holding close to the glass he moved up toward the low wall in the shadow of the main city. Before the wall was a stone cut gully that once acted as a primitive moat. It was over 15 feet wide, a greater distance across than the wall adjacent to it was tall. The mechanisms that once brought up water were long destroyed, leaving the gully dry with only tangled weeds to identify the previous purpose. Stepping across the gully and crouching under the cover of the low wall, Marcarius braced himself for any sudden engagement. The knives were on his belt, his dirk was stuck into the ground at his feet, and his armor seemed to be aligned properly. It is best to always be prepared before a fight.

Marcarius hears movements, sees four people. He retreats.

Party comes up to the low wall and sees the four people interacting with some armored individuals within the upper city walls. They approach and attempt to make conversation. Suspicious of the new comers, the leader of the armored men thrust one of the four strangers down the hill toward. She was a young woman, no more than 20, but with dirt and anger written over her fair features. She stepped down the slope and questioned Edwyn, Yohn, and Weiss, who had come forth to speak.

Party demands to go inside, she tells them it's a bad idea. They continue to approach. Leader of soldiers, named Berchar, sends three men down to stop them. They parlary. Edwyn falls back, but Yohn remains. They argue. Leader sends soldiers down to remove Yohn, then rest of party begins to advance forward. In meantime Youhn attempts to cast some fire, but only conjures a small wall of it. The soldier fall back in face of larger numbers. Leader pulls soldiers back into walls of city. Weiss attempts to challenge him to a duel, but the man refuses and spits in his direction. They entered the gates and shut the doors behind them, leaving the four strangers and the party sitting outside.

Party advances to the door. Weiss sets his blade alight and slashes at the door, beginning to set it on fire. The soldiers, obviously alarmed, begin to shoot arrows down into the group beneath the gate. Torvald picks up the girl, who resists and beats at him the entire time, while the rest of the party scattered for cover. A man of the four person group is hit hard with arrows, but Edwyn manages to save his life. Yohn is able to use his control of fire to increase the intensity of the door fire, bathing it in flame. He charges forth and leaps through the weakened wood, bursting through it and piling onto two soldiers that were on the other side.

Battle ends, Marcarius and Yohn stay behind to deal with the bodies, searching them and the like. Weiss, Torvald, and Edwyn chase after the four thieves that they saw speaking to the soldiers.

Mining camp, Weiss is attacked by one, knocks him into roof. Building collapses and kills him.

Edwyn speaks with Tacia, who bargains with his book in an attempt to gain her freedom. He accepts. She runs away and out of the area.