The Dark Festival
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On the 2nd day of Leranth 2500 AGF, Bernard Ursel was sent to investigate suspected occult activities going on in Aramore, the festival of creation was coming up and the civil leadership didn't want the event to be stained by such blasphemous acts. The scene was grim, markings on the floor, a unsettling impromptu alter, and a body, everything pointed to a ritual sacrifice. the building had lots of evidence, but it was useless because they had no idea who they were dealing with, So Bernard followed the only lead he had..... A body. After sifting through several missing person reports Bernard found out who the victim was, Tasha Smallburrow, a halfling assistant to Karval Westwell; A provincial council member. Bernard met with Karval and found out that Tasha would stay out late from time to time (she wasn't too old by halfling standards), but beyond that he didn't glean much more info then he had before. This incident had spooked the city so the Arbitors chamber wanted Bernard to wrap up the case quickly, so he used his knights to comb through the area. After about a week of searching Bernard caught a break and his knights found a man who had paraphernalia resembling that of what was found at the scene. After Bernard informed the Arbitors of the breakthrough he was ordered to not allow anyone to interact with the prisoner (very unusual), a short time later a representative of the Arbitors Chamber arrived along with a priest from the Order of the Dragon (also unusual). These two individuals handled the interrogation and once they were done they ordered nobody to have contact with the prisoner, under the threat of being charged with sedition. His tribunal was expedited. During the tribunal proceedings Bernard received an anonymous letter from someone claiming to have known Tasha, they claimed that she was deliberately singled out to be murdered. Bernard went to the Arbitors with this info, but it was dismissed as the letter did not have the weight to overturn their decision, this man would be executed during the festival as a gift to Kyzet, The Overseer; Bernard was warned not to pursue this matter. Not willing to just give up Bernard decided to retrace Tasha's footsteps which lead him to a shady looking tavern. Over the next few days Bernard would wait at the tavern, not sure what he was looking for, but then his perseverance paid off when he recognized Karval enter the tavern. Karval went to a small corner of the inn and waited, he was met by a figure clothed in black a little while later, while he couldn't hear their exchange it certainly looked tense. After they finished and left Bernard followed the individual clothed in black, he managed to get a look and identified the person as a tiefling, Bernard was jumped and knocked out shortly thereafter. He awoke and found himself in a room, An elf sat across from him, she introduced herself as Shenarah and rebuked him on his stupidity and nearly getting himself caught like Tasha did. She explained that Tasha and her were friends and that Tasha overheard that Karval was getting support from some shady people and tried to uncover what was going on, which what got her killed. Bernard pressed for more info but Shenarah didn't have much more, only that Karval was planning something and it was going to happen soon.
Bernard couldn't get any information on Karval without drawing attention, so he grasped at the only lead he had left. With the festival so close he worked the guard roster so he took some shifts, under the guise of giving his men time off to prepare for the celebration. With nobody else with him during his guard shift he talked to the cultist, Bernard goaded him and managed to finally get information out of him. The cultist didn't kill Tasha, but his cult did, and that they would reveal to the whole city and especially the Order of the Dragon the information that they've suppressed. He also boasted that their influence reached beyond Karval, and the whole world would tremble at the power of his god. Bernard pondered the information he had received and started to increase security precautions around the festival. The week long celebration finally arrived and the first few days went off without a hitch, then the night of the execution came. The Provincial council was present to witness the sacrifice to Kyzet, except Karval, even though it was his assistant who was the one murdered. The ceremony began and robed figures came out and started chanting around the execution platform, then Bernard recognized one of the figures, the tiefling that was arguing with Karval in the tavern. Bernard attempted to reach the platform but was too late, the figures had completed the incantation and the murderer had been transformed into a Black half-dragon and proceeded to kill the council members present at the festival. Bernard gave orders to his guard contingent to apprehend the robed figures who had performed the ritual, he went to do battle with the Half-dragon, as the last council member was about to be slain Bernard imposed himself between the two. Fighting was fierce and and Bernard was getting worn down, between the dodging of the sword and the dragons acid breath, realizing he couldn't keep this up he switched tactics. He hoped that a shred of the former man still remained in the dragon and started to goad the dragon back onto the platform, fighting intensified around the guillotine and Bernard managed get the dragon to make a strike under the guillotine blade and pinned his arm. He released the blade which cleanly separated the arm from his opponent, tipping the balance in Bernards favor. Forcing the dragon to the ground, Bernard finished the job, driving his sword through the dragons throat. He looked out from the platform and saw the destruction that was caused, and reflected on what the cultist had told him, their influence reached beyond this.
The guards managed to capture some of the cultists, including the tiefling, finding a correspondence linking them to Karval. Bernard took a contingent of guards and made his way to arrest the Councilman, but it was too late. Karval was found dead, ritually sacrificed in the same manner as Tasha, wanting answers Bernard went to the captured cultists. He arrived at their cells and found them dead and the tiefling missing, he had no leads and no answers to his questions. In the days that followed he met with the surviving councilman, a human named Gerhard Talrance, who expressed his gratitude.
This incident become known as "The Dark Festival", with the majority of the council killed the administration of Eastbrook had slowed to a halt, which caused a perfect setup for The Bloody year.
On the 2nd day of Leranth 2500 AGF, Bernard Ursel was sent to investigate suspected occult activities going on in Aramore, the festival of creation was coming up and the civil leadership didn't want the event to be stained by such blasphemous acts. The scene was grim, markings on the floor, a unsettling impromptu alter, and a body, everything pointed to a ritual sacrifice. the building had lots of evidence, but it was useless because they had no idea who they were dealing with, So Bernard followed the only lead he had..... A body. After sifting through several missing person reports Bernard found out who the victim was, Tasha Smallburrow, a halfling assistant to Karval Westwell; A provincial council member. Bernard met with Karval and found out that Tasha would stay out late from time to time (she wasn't too old by halfling standards), but beyond that he didn't glean much more info then he had before. This incident had spooked the city so the Arbitors chamber wanted Bernard to wrap up the case quickly, so he used his knights to comb through the area. After about a week of searching Bernard caught a break and his knights found a man who had paraphernalia resembling that of what was found at the scene. After Bernard informed the Arbitors of the breakthrough he was ordered to not allow anyone to interact with the prisoner (very unusual), a short time later a representative of the Arbitors Chamber arrived along with a priest from the Order of the Dragon (also unusual). These two individuals handled the interrogation and once they were done they ordered nobody to have contact with the prisoner, under the threat of being charged with sedition. His tribunal was expedited. During the tribunal proceedings Bernard received an anonymous letter from someone claiming to have known Tasha, they claimed that she was deliberately singled out to be murdered. Bernard went to the Arbitors with this info, but it was dismissed as the letter did not have the weight to overturn their decision, this man would be executed during the festival as a gift to Kyzet, The Overseer; Bernard was warned not to pursue this matter. Not willing to just give up Bernard decided to retrace Tasha's footsteps which lead him to a shady looking tavern. Over the next few days Bernard would wait at the tavern, not sure what he was looking for, but then his perseverance paid off when he recognized Karval enter the tavern. Karval went to a small corner of the inn and waited, he was met by a figure clothed in black a little while later, while he couldn't hear their exchange it certainly looked tense. After they finished and left Bernard followed the individual clothed in black, he managed to get a look and identified the person as a tiefling, Bernard was jumped and knocked out shortly thereafter. He awoke and found himself in a room, An elf sat across from him, she introduced herself as Shenarah and rebuked him on his stupidity and nearly getting himself caught like Tasha did. She explained that Tasha and her were friends and that Tasha overheard that Karval was getting support from some shady people and tried to uncover what was going on, which what got her killed. Bernard pressed for more info but Shenarah didn't have much more, only that Karval was planning something and it was going to happen soon.
Bernard couldn't get any information on Karval without drawing attention, so he grasped at the only lead he had left. With the festival so close he worked the guard roster so he took some shifts, under the guise of giving his men time off to prepare for the celebration. With nobody else with him during his guard shift he talked to the cultist, Bernard goaded him and managed to finally get information out of him. The cultist didn't kill Tasha, but his cult did, and that they would reveal to the whole city and especially the Order of the Dragon the information that they've suppressed. He also boasted that their influence reached beyond Karval, and the whole world would tremble at the power of his god. Bernard pondered the information he had received and started to increase security precautions around the festival. The week long celebration finally arrived and the first few days went off without a hitch, then the night of the execution came. The Provincial council was present to witness the sacrifice to Kyzet, except Karval, even though it was his assistant who was the one murdered. The ceremony began and robed figures came out and started chanting around the execution platform, then Bernard recognized one of the figures, the tiefling that was arguing with Karval in the tavern. Bernard attempted to reach the platform but was too late, the figures had completed the incantation and the murderer had been transformed into a Black half-dragon and proceeded to kill the council members present at the festival. Bernard gave orders to his guard contingent to apprehend the robed figures who had performed the ritual, he went to do battle with the Half-dragon, as the last council member was about to be slain Bernard imposed himself between the two. Fighting was fierce and and Bernard was getting worn down, between the dodging of the sword and the dragons acid breath, realizing he couldn't keep this up he switched tactics. He hoped that a shred of the former man still remained in the dragon and started to goad the dragon back onto the platform, fighting intensified around the guillotine and Bernard managed get the dragon to make a strike under the guillotine blade and pinned his arm. He released the blade which cleanly separated the arm from his opponent, tipping the balance in Bernards favor. Forcing the dragon to the ground, Bernard finished the job, driving his sword through the dragons throat. He looked out from the platform and saw the destruction that was caused, and reflected on what the cultist had told him, their influence reached beyond this.
The guards managed to capture some of the cultists, including the tiefling, finding a correspondence linking them to Karval. Bernard took a contingent of guards and made his way to arrest the Councilman, but it was too late. Karval was found dead, ritually sacrificed in the same manner as Tasha, wanting answers Bernard went to the captured cultists. He arrived at their cells and found them dead and the tiefling missing, he had no leads and no answers to his questions. In the days that followed he met with the surviving councilman, a human named Gerhard Talrance, who expressed his gratitude.
This incident become known as "The Dark Festival", with the majority of the council killed the administration of Eastbrook had slowed to a halt, which caused a perfect setup for The Bloody year.
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