The Keys of Telku / The Final Key pt. 14 / Kith the 28th through the 30th, 3593 CE / 5-30-22

General Summary

The Adventurers have found themselves embroiled in political intrigue of the highest order. In seeking aid from the Overlord of Pandona in their efforts to stop Tarrus the One-Eyed from assembling the Keys of Telku and opening the Chaos Gate, the party must aid the Overlord in protecting his own noble house, House Dracus, from the Vendetta of the opposing House Eichon. After the death of House Eichon's head, Lord Namara, House Dracus thought that for sure they had the upper hand and the Vendetta was over. But now in a meeting of the Temporal Council, Moss and Lord Kalkin, surrogate Head of House Dracus as his father, the ailing old Overlord Kitaya, convalesces, are stunned by the news that Lord Namara had a daughter, Narya, who has assumed leadership of House Eichon and has also married Overlord Kitaya's younger son, Mako, in an effort to unite the two houses under their combined leadership. As the Temporal Council dismisses, Moss consults with Kalkin about next steps. They decide to attempt to postpone Narya and Mako's union by demanding a public ceremony in sight of the rest of the Temporal Council. Upon returning to Castle Dracus, Moss relays the news to the rest of the party. Consulting with Master Sun, the head of House Dracus's elite Amita K'un ninja force, they describe their suspicions that House Eichon may be using necromancy on Mako after Adrienne struck him what appeared to be a fatal blow. These suspicions are compounded by Stele's pilgrimage to Pandona's Chapel of Accuris, where he discovered that one of House Eichon's servants had been transformed into a vampire. Rados volunteers to use his eyes and ears of the city spell to search for House Dracus's enemies. Master Sun suggests Lord Ardak of House Vharday, who has not yet tipped his hand to being in league with the other conspirators. Rados locates Lord Ardak, and must give Master Sun that bad news that he is plotting with House Oberion, who were seen in a previous vision conspiring with Tarrus the One-Eyed. Next Rados attempts to search out Lady Bloodmist, House Eichon's founder and ancestor whom they recently observed risen from the dead but can only locate some members of House Eichon's Bloodguard discussing whether or not to accept her "gift." Moss advises Master Sun that they should seek guidance from the Church of Vespera on how to combat vampires, as well as asking their priests to hallow the Temporal Council Hall ahead of Mako and Narya's ceremony. Master Sun agrees to pass this message to Lord Kalkin and asks to confer with the party again that night before bedtime. Rados also takes Master Sun aside to propose a contract for creating and selling magical implements to House Dracus, but Master Sun defers trade decisions to Lord Kalkin, promising to put in a good word for the Niopusian after the conflict with House Eichon is resolved. After spending the day resting, shopping and preparing. the party meets with Master Sun who tells them Kalkin has requested the ceremony be held on the 1st of Kahn, in three days time. Master Sun also tells the party that House Dracus plans to make sure the ceremony never occurs by staging a full assault on House Eichon on the night of Kith the 30th, the Night of Masques, in order to, as Master Sun puts it, "cut off the head of the snake." The next day the party returns with Stele to the Chapel of Accuris to consult further with the elven priest, Cerisian of Celadon. In addition to sharing his knowledge of vampire weaknesses, the elven priest reveals that his path of neutrality has been unbalanced by the fact that his brother, Valhingen, has been transformed into a vampire. When the party requests aid in combating potential vampires in Pandona, Cerisian agrees to send an acolyte of Accuris in exchange for the party agreeing to someday destroy his brother, an act which Cerisian himself cannot bring himself to do. On their way back to Castle Dracus, the Adventurers acquire some ceremonial masks which are being sold in anticipation of the city-wide Night of Masques celebration that evening. Some in the party note that the occasion coincides with the Dragon Festival in Untala, hinting at the Pellish influence on Pandona. Back at Castle Dracus, the party meets Cerisian's envoy, a half-orc inquisitor of Accuris named Tamara. Stele is quite taken with the imposing warrior, and she promises to teach him some of her techniques for hunting undead. When it is time for the mission briefing for that night's assault. the party is joined in the war room by Kalkin and the assembled Amita K'un. Master Sun lays out the plan: disguising themselves as masked revelers, a main assault force of Amita K'un will make their way to the gates of Castle Eichon, where they will quickly overcome the guards and begin a full front assault. Meanwhile, using old plans of the city sewers, the Adventurers and Night will lead a smaller force to infiltrate the castle from beneath in order to search out and destroy House Eichon's leaders: Lord Mako, Lady Narya, and Lady Bloodmist. At the appointed time, the Adventurers, along with Tamara, Night, and a squad of Amita K'un, make their way through the crowded streets to a secluded manhole cover, where they begin their descent into the sewers and what they hope will be the final confrontation with House Eichon.

Character(s) interacted with

Adrienne Kirk, Baijo Chen, Rados, Moss Cherry-Blossom Quickroot, John, Stele, Lord Kalkin, Lord Nashar, Lord Ardak, Lord Severus, Master Sun, Night, First, Lesym, Joanna Vaugn Lord Keshnin, Cerisian of Celadon, Tamara, Bloodguard, House Dracus guards, Amita K'un

Report Date

13 Jun 2022