Session 021 - Loose Ends
General Summary
Date 14th to 22th Agrazhar (6) 720TR (Summer)
The story so far
Athena's family was slaughtered as part of a conspiracy carried out by Clan Hamlen. She has learned that the Hamlen's have been having troubles of their own with their much-valued fishing harbor suffering from a blight. What is going on and can it assist in her plans for revenge? Athena intends to travel to home to the Kingdom of Rethem to Investigate.
Meanwhile Yureb, has just robbed a fortune from Clan Vanthes and Quazzy has attempted to infiltrate the Church of Naveh the god of Assassins.
Loose End 1 - Quazzy the Enforcer
Quazzy received a note from the Church of Naveh instructing her to meet them in the sewers at midnight. In the meeting chamber, the Primate arrives with two fellow skull masked priest/assassins. The Primate is angry that Quazzy made such a spectacle at the Gala last week, but has a task for her.
Master Poisoner Parmen Merros of the Pipe and the Potion has been supplying dilute or weak poisons. Quazzy remembers that she was the one that replaced the real poisons with fakes (Session 16 - Those that Master Poison) a few months ago. She is to "motivate'' him so that he will never again supply substandard product.
Quazzy decides to impress the Primate so immediately sends her familiar to seek out Parmen Merros finding him at work in his secret Poisoners workshop. Acting and speaking through her familiar, which is in the form of an Imp, Quazzy terrorizes Parmen and leaving him a blubbering mess, promising to only ever make poisons of the finest quality. If the Primate is impressed with Quazzys magical abilities, he does not show it.
Loose End 2 - Yureb's ill-gotten goods
Yureb meets with his Criminal Contact Rowe and is warned that the robbery of the Vanthese townhouse is the talk of the town and attracted the attention of Koral the Bloody, the Guildmaster of Coranan's thieves. Koral the Bloody is not a man to be trifled with, and Yureb decides to pay him a cut.
He visited Koral in disguise at his Guildhall and pays a percentage of his earnings. This pacifies Koral but he warns that some of the senators pay protection money and Yureb must check with him first.
Loose End 3 - Athena's Shadow
On the night of the 15th Athena notices much to her surprise that she has no shadow. After some investigation and with Quazzys help she determines that it is a quirk of her magical Ring of Castigation. On nights of the full moon, she does not cast a shadow.
A few days later on the streets, an urchin bumps into her, she whispers that she needs be in the alleyway behind the Church of St Mikkel at midnight. In the alley Athena is met by Dominik, Knight of the Cohorts of Gashang who agreed to spy on the Order of the Eight Demons for the party. He warns Athena that the High Priestess has decided to investigate her background and has sent a message to Clan Hamlen in Rethem informing them of her presence in Coranan. The party immediately leave for Rethem and if possible attempt to intercept the messenger.
On the Road to Rethem
The heroes are joined by Athena's Squire Lucia Kalormar and the Thief for Hire Kalin.
The heroes come across a strange event, a small band of farmers arguing and looking warily towards a newly fallen tree. The large tree is creaking, groaning and it seems to twist in pain. Suddenly it explodes in a shower of splinters and out of it are expelled air elementals, four small and one huge. These attack all nearby. Two of the farmers were ripped apart, and the heroes weapons seemed to do little damage. The largest elemental transformed into a whirlwind nearly throwing the characters in all directions, but they were eventually destroyed with the aid of magic and disappeared into a gentle gust of wind.
Questioning the farmers they find out that one of them had brought a Magic Acorn from the traveling Gypsies also known as the mysterious Night People. The gullible and somewhat mentally challenged farmers said the Gypsy told him that it would create golden apples, if placed among the roots of a great tree, but it appears cursed instead.
Ceremony at Themeson Castle
The Heroes cross over the border into the Kingdom of Rethem at the Castle of Themeson. This is held by Athena rivals the Order of the Cohorts of Gashang who are under the thumb of the Order of the Eight Demons. Athena plans to call forth a Warhorse and has chosen the Gibbet Woods as the ideal location because it was the location of many battles and holy sacrifices to her god Agrik, especially the legendary Sacrifice of Meyasania.
As the party enter the settlement and finding their way to an Inn, Athena is watched closely by a strange old man. Questioning him, he turns out to be Elbrus, an artist and he offers to paint the attractive Athena, assuming incorrectly that she is an Eight Demons Priestess. Elbrus has a sketchbook full of drawings of many of the Priestess as they are often a vain lot. Athena politely refuses thinking she may be able to use this in the future.
At midnight she sneaks out to the Gibbet woods, starts a fire and a ceremony honoring the Priestess Meyasania and the Eight Order of the Red Shadows of Hepra warriors who died refusing to renounce their faith. Initially, the ceremony seems to produce little effect then abruptly the flames increase in intensity and a woman shrouded in flames steps forth. She looks at Athena then out of the fire a warhorse Zeva emerges, a pure white mare, angelic in looks, loyal, vicious and bloodthirsty at heart. The flaming women, Meyasania, fades as the fire dies and Athena notices that eight wraiths of the Red Shadows of Hepra martyrs are silently observing her.
Traveling the Northern Border
As the party follows the wild, lightly patrolled roads, along Rethem's Northern Border, the come across a recently pillaged wagon. Dead bodies of guards and merchants lie nearby, and the site looks well looted. This is an ambush which the alert members of the party spot. Eight Kubora barbarians warriors with their faces and bodies covered in blue tattoos and brands attack from the forest. They are repelled and eventually all killed.
Rewards Granted
Zeva - Athena Warhorse.
Missions/Quests Completed
Intimidation of the Poisonmaker.
Summoning of the Warhorse.
Character(s) interacted with
The Primate, High Priest of Naveh - Head of the Church of Naveh in Hârn.
Parmen Meros, Master Apothecary and poison maker at the Pipe and the Potion.
Rowe - Yureb's Criminal Contact.
Koral the Bloody - Head of the Thieves Guild
Dominik, Knight of the Cohorts of Gashang - Spy for the party.
Elbrus the Artist - Painter of the Order of the Eight Demons.
The Ghosts of Metasania and the eight Order of the Red Shadows of Hepra Knights.
Zeva - Athena Warhorse.
Created Content
Castle of Themeson - Home of the Gibbit Woods.
The Sacrifice of Meyasania - The legend of a Priestess of Agrik who exploded into Balefire.
Gibbet Woods - Haunted Woods in Themeson.
Kubora Barbarians - A powerful tribal nation of warriors who live to fight and die.
Kubora - Language of the Kubora.
Related Reports
Notes
Players Character Status
Athena - Level 7 Paladin of Vengeance.
Yureb - Level 7 Arcane Trickster.
Quazzy - Level 4 Necromancer and Level 3 Warlock Disciple of Desridaen.
Quazzy
Athena
Yureb
NPC Player Companions
Kalin, Thief Henchman
Lucia Kalormar, Athena's Squire
Zeva Athena's Warhorse
NPCs meet
The Primate, High Priest of Naveh
Rowe, Criminal Contact
Koral the Bloody, Criminal Boss
Dominik, Holy Knight and Spy
Comments