Session 33 (SE)
Chasing Ghosts
General Summary
As Garroth and Korva busied themselves traveling around the country, hunting for information on their supposed villains and on the Pyres themselves, Jack and Maul set about the capital city Caladarum to find a person that Maul was able to locate within the city: his dastardly villain, Claudio, who had kept him as a slave for so long prior. They dedicated their time to wandering the large city, meeting various contacts, and eventually picking up on a small trail that led in the same direction of Claudio. It was learned fairly early that Claudio had been in Caladarum for some time, and maintained a bad reputation with many business-owners, particularly those in charge of various taverns around the city. He had innumerable amounts of tabs and debt, and held a lot of ill-will.
Their venture found them deep into the alleyways of a nondescript portion of Caldarum near the river, where lo and behold, they found their target. Lying amidst a dingy alley of barrels, boxes, and filth, surrounded by empty bottles and shady individuals in their own stages of stupor, Claudio sat drinking, plump and unbecoming, a haggard view of his former self. Jack accosted Claudio, and Claudio recounted how because of Jack and Maul, the circus went under, the troupe broke apart, and all the circuses needs went up in smoke. He had dedicated time to looking for Maul, but fell on hard times, and eventually settled in Caldarum to waste the rest of his life away. He had little left to live for.
Maul decided Claudio's fate. He and Jack insisted that Claudio sign up for a gladitorial sparring match, and if he were to win, they would pay all his debts. With little left to lose, Claudio agreed. Jack and Maul were then told by the colleseum organizers that as long as they could field an audience of at least 50 people, they would be allowed to let Maul participate directly in Claudio's engagement. They fielded many of Claudio's former business partners and grumpy tavern-keepers to attend, and the dice had been cast.
The next day, Claudio entered the ring only to find Maul there. Claudio was sober, if unsteady, and ready for whatever fate would bring him. It was very clear, however, that any sort of battle-readiness that Claudio may have held in the time that had passed, he had entirely lost, as Maul had only grown stronger. Maul toyed with Claudio, he used his best efforts to attack, to little avail. Maul made a show of the affair, humiliating Claudio as they traipsed around the ring. Although he took many lashings from Claudio, it bothered him not. He swiftly disarmed Claudio, and pushed his head into a pillar, rendering him a corpse to the first violent glee, then sad acknowledgement of a fool's death in the ring having come to pass.
The group gathered after to inform Maul and Jack of the news: The Dirge was very real, very prominent, and they had direct information about it and what it meant for the fate of the space around them. They first traveled back to the small town in Kimberly that had been used by Garroth's former self. He sought to dig the body that he felt some sort of strong connection with in the graveyard, with the intention of burying the information on The Dirge that they had found. He found a heartfelt note from his former self, which left Garroth despondent, but they finished with the task.
The group having been informed about the whole task at hand, their next measure was to attempt to meet with Emperor Caldus, in a desperate attempt to speak with him through learning of his daughter's killer. By happenstance, upon mentioning that they may have some affiliation at all with the killing, they were immediately given an audience with the intimidating Dragon Emperor. He questioned their presence, and insisted upon what they might know, and why they would be so eager to seek him out. Eventually, Korva convinced him to allow them presence with the interned body of Emilia Caldus XLV. They brought her corpse forth, and Korva spoke with her former soul, asking what had happened. She admitted she was killed by one from the Ruby Kingdoms. The Emperor asked a sensitive topic regarding her brother, Prince Vahne Caldus, but he remained vague on the subject.
The emperor discussed with them slightly more about the affairs of the Empire, and he made an insistence: that he had a goal to undergo, and was seeking out a massive magical ritual in favour the god Tiamat. The group assumed that this meant that Emperor Caldus was for lighting the Pyres. After discussions had ended, they beat a hasty retreat from the Holy Palace.
Missions/Quests Completed
Find and kill Claudio.
Character(s) interacted with
Report Date
13 Feb 2019
Primary Location
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