Session 169 - Digging up the Roots
General Summary
7th and 8th of Nuzyael (First Month of Spring) 723TR
The story so far
Jolanta and her trusty bodyguard Blaine are agents of the mysterious Order of the White Hand, hunting down unscrupulous mages and covering up magical mishaps.
This is the continuation of Session 166 - A Hanging.
Location - City of Tashal in the Kingdom of Kaldor.
Part 1 - Mission 10 - A Dead Digger
After a long cold winter studying Jolanta meets with Lady Bresyn Risai her white hand contact. The Sheriff, Sir Conwan Elendsa, has told her that a workman on a dig site has died of a broken neck. The sheriff thinks he probably fell in a hole drunk. As the worksite is associated with the Guild of Arcane Lore, Jolanta is asked to investigate.
The dig site is a special project of one of the Guildhall of Arcane Lore's Alchemist Eradas Dowens, has discovered a petrified root of one of the magnificent beech trees which surrounded the city 500 years ago. He wants to recover the root, study its properties, and then make it an ornament at the Wizards guildhall. Eradas is working on a project to make an oil that will harden wood and thinks understanding this petrified would also help his studies.
Jolanta decides she would consult an expert; maybe one of the city's physicians would help. Not knowing any, she knocks on the door of the first surgery she finds. Physician Rasak Osath is not particularly busy, claiming to be an expert in toxins and treating festering wounds. As he has no current business, he agrees to help Jolanta. The pair make it to the dig site just outside the city's east wall.
Part 2 - The Dig Site
The dig site, watched over by a member of the City Guard, has a small campsite and a 15 by 10ft pit, around 10 feet deep. In the pit is the dead body of the workman and what looks like a petrified tree root. Rasak examines the body and determines that the cause of death was a severe twist, from something exceptionally hard and strong. A close examination of the tree root has traces of blood. Also nearby are orc bones, very old, apparently dug out with the root. Jolanta also spots a cavity in the pit. Digging around she finds a dwarf skull, then four more, each with holes drilled in their side and numbers cut into the forehead. Most curious.
Rasak and Jolanta begin a conversation about Dwarves. Suddenly the root begins to move, twisting and grasping. Eventually, Jolanta blast it with her disintegration magic, reducing it to half size, while Rasak runs away and disappears. Why did this happen? Jolanta looks around and finds no explanation for why or how the root was animated.
Jolanta decided on divination; she gives Blaine all of the skulls she dug up and sent into the next village, the casts a Locate Object. She searches for another Dwarf Skull and finds one. It is back in the city. In the Physician Rasak's surgery!
Part 3 - An Unpleasant Surprise
The angry Jolanta returns to the surgery finding the door locked. Discreetly disintegrating the lock she storms in and is startled to find Rasak standing with a blank look on his face, and something much more dangerous balefully looking back at her. A skeleton, with glowing green eyes, dressed in dirt-covered rags, with a dwarf skull on a cord attached to its belt. The skeleton commands Rasak to attack, although Jolanta easily evades his failing attacks. The skeleton points at Jolanta and a strange green symbol appears followed by arcane bolts, which again Jolanta avoids. She knocks out Rasak and blasts the undead creature. Again the skeleton gestures, the same symbol appears, and then it disappears (Dimension Door).
Rasak recovers with a lump on his head and apologizes for attacking Jolanta. He could not resist the command of this undead warlock. All it wanted to know is "Where are the dwarves?"
Jolanta asks Lady Bresyn Risai for advice. It looks like the city dwarves are in danger. After discussion with the Guild Hall of Arcane Lore, all of the dwarves in the city, less than a dozen, are contacted and offered temporary sanctuary.
Jolanta
NPC Companions
Blaine
Jolanta's loyal and often drunk bodyguard.
Otho
Priest of the Order of the Spear of Shattered Sorrow.
Symbol of Haagenti
The Demon Lord of Alchemy and Change.
Part 4 - Visit to the Church
Serolan (High Priest) Deni Trochi is an awkward character, but he is persuaded to help. He recalls an old book listing the 12 Infamous Warlords of Kelapyn-Anuz and gives Jolanta permission to examine it. The ancient book gives details of the evil overlords of the city around 500 years ago, written not long after they were overthrown in 113TR. One of the Warlords, Rantucci, is associated with the same symbol Jolanta observed. He disappeared that year and was a disciple of some entity called Haagenti, the demonic patron of alchemists and artificers. Rantucci was a fanatical supporter of Lothrim the Foulspawner and is believed to hold a grudge after the dwarves "killed" his master.
The high priest is disturbed that this malicious undead entity may be free on the city and "volunteers" one of his priests, Otho Natteres, to assist. Otho and Jolanta have adventured together previously, refer Session 164 - Lost Treasures.
Part 5 - Battle at the Bakery
Jolanta again casts Locate Object and once more locates a dwarven skull. This directs Jolanta, Blaine, and Otho to a bakery, a business partly owned by a dwarven grain merchant Thorsig Lhuzkal. Luckily Thorsig is safe at the guildhall.
The heroes clear the bakery of innocents and make their way upstairs. As Blaine opens a door and Fireball rushed out and envelopes the characters, nearly killing Otho and Jolanta. Rantucci is behind the door and the skull, no longer on his person, is placed on a nearby table. "Where are the dwarves" he rasps, then creates the now-familiar magic symbol, and Blaine's eyes go blank. He is Dominated and attacks Jolanta. Otho heals Jolanta of much of her burns, and she sends magical attacks onto Blaine, eventually injuring him and snapping him free of the enchantment. Jolanta puts up her psionic ability of Negation, creating a protective barrier that frustrates the skeleton, as many of his offensive magic cannot penetrate it. Jolanta is then free to pound the undead with her own magic aided by Otho and Blaine. Desperate the undead unleashes his most powerful spell, a Flame Strike, and Jolanta judges that her magical barrier will not be strong enough to protect her. She unwinds the undead warlock magic with a Counter Spell then hits it again with her disintegration magic. Crumbling, Rantucci is very nearly destroyed and attempts to flee via Dimension Door. Again Jolanta tries to unwind its spell, but this time fails, and the undead narrowly escapes.
The undead creature flees the city, and the dwarves are safe, for the moment at least. What remains of the petrified tree root is hung inside the guild of arcane lore. Mission complete.
To be continued.NPC Interactions
Lady Bresyn Risai - Order of the White Hand Agent.
Rasak Osath - Physician.
Serolan Deni Trochi - High Priest of the Church of Larani.
Challenges Overcome
Defeated a Huge Animated Object (the root)
Defeated Rantucci, a customized Mastermind Deathlock.
Saved the city dwarves from becoming belt ornaments.
Related Reports
City of Tashal - Updated.
Guildhall of Arcane Lore - Chambers of the Lost Meyvinel - Updated.
Temple of Larani - Basilica of King Aidrik IV.
Player Character Status
Jolanta - Human - Level 8 Evoker.
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