Session 25: An Opportunity for Violence
General Summary
The Ratcatchers spend the next few days recovering from their time fighting Zyxog the Mindflayer. Each Ratcatcher finds themselves enjoying their downtime. After a few days though Elegos sends a messenger to the Crooked House asking for our Ratcatchers to join him for dinner so they can discuss his findings. The Ratcatchers make their way over to Elegos Estate on their way the find a flyer that advertises the Champion's Games and they are being held at the arena in 5 days time. Arriving at Elegos' estate they are quickly greeted to a scrumptious feast. The Ratcatchers and Elegos then discuss what he had learned.
All the clues that the Ratcatchers provided point to a minor deity of creation and master of undead called Kyuss. The worm-infested undead are the most notorious (and least dangerous) of Kyuss' spawn. Their presence and discovery of various worms indicates the Cult of Kyuss is certainly becoming more active in the area. The Cult of Kyuss has traditionally been small, often consisting of single priests who live double lives as upstanding citizens. Recent evidence suggests the Ebon Triad may be involved with the Cult of Kyuss. This possibly relates to the coming Age of Worms.
The Age of Worms is a tale as old as anything. It is known by other names The End Times, The Dark Age, and Eternal Ruin among others. The Age of Worms consists of ancient prophecies that speak of a transformation of the world, of a time when life gives way to something else. These prophecies are recorded in certain rare texts like the Book of Vile Darkness, Libris Mortis, the Necronomicon, and the Apostolic Scrolls, and are inscribed on the walls of ancient ruins across the world. After the Ratcatcher's mention that Loris Rakniam had purchased the Apostolic Scrolls, Elego mentions the scrolls are said to be penned by Kyuss himself and detail the creation of the Ulgurstasta. These massive undead creatures are capable of consuming the living and regurgitating them as undead. The scrolls also said to contain rituals that allow an Ulgurstasta to create even more powerful undead at a tremendous rate.
Our Ratcatchers also mention to Elegos about the doppelgangers and their infiltration of the city. He asks for evidence and upon receipt Elegos offers to take it to the President of United Provinces of Odis as he has a meeting with him tomorrow. Our Ratcatchers ask if they can come along instead and Elegos agrees.
As their meeting draws to a close Elegos mentions that he might be able to get our Ratcatchers close to Loris Raknian during the current Championship Games. He has a friend who is looking for gladiators to take part in the games. With plans to meet tomorrow the Ratcatchers return to the Crooked House and get a good night's rest in.
The next morning they return to Elegos and here they meet Celeste and Ekaym Smallcask. After introductions are made Ekaym informs our Ratcatchers that he has certain motives for sponsoring a group to attend the Championship Games. He unfortunately plays his cards to his chest and only tells our Ratcatchers that he will have a favor to ask them once the games have begun. With very little options before them our Ratcatchers agree to these demands. Once goodbyes have been said the group travels to the Dumminster Isle Government district where they are escorted into the old palace. After passing through multiple security checkpoints they are eventually met by a secretary typing on a strange device she calls a typewriter. The group is then escorted into the office by a pair of guards. Here they meet with President Jacob Edmund. Elegos and Jacob begin an hour long meeting about budgets for the University of the Seven. However as that comes to a close Elegos presents our Ratcatchers to share the information they had uncovered about the doppelgangers. President Jacob is taken back but after reviewing the evidence immediately calls for the head of the military to pay him a visit so they can route out the corruption. He thanks our Ratcatchers and pays them the standard fee. 500 gp each.
After they are escorted out of the palace our Ratcatchers and Elegos return to his estate where they say their goodbyes. The ratcatchers then spend the next 5 days preparing for the Championship Games purchasing any supplies they believe they might need. As the 10th of Aestius rolls around the Ratcatchers travel to the arena for the Free Dinner. Here they end up choosing the team name of Vandals of Fate. Ekaym goes to register our Ratcatchers while our Ratcatchers mingle with the other gladiators. Once Loris Raknian and his entourage enter to applause and ovation he takes a seat at the head table where the champions of last years games Auric's Warband also join him. At this point the wizard Talabir takes the stage and specifies the rules of the tournament. After the rules are explained Loris Raknian takes the stage and declares all the gladiators Champions of Cloudbreach for the duration of the games to more applause, he then signals the Free Dinner to begin while several large plates of food are brought out.
About 30 minutes after the dinner had begun our Ratcatchers are eventually hounded by a small mob of merchants and gentry asking questions about our Ratcatchers. It quickly becomes apparent they are fishing for information to make bets on our Ratcatchers. Kal tries to downplay our Ratcatchers a bit but through the excitement our Ratcatchers still hold a 2:1 odds of winning the tournament. Fedi, Kal, and Elora all get large bets placed on themselves in hopes of a large payday overtop of the large winnings of the tournament itself.
As the Free Dinner draws to a close Loris Raknian announces The Champion's Games have begun and with that our Ratcatchers are led to a large elevator that takes them below the arena to where they will be lodging for the duration of the tournament.
Report Date
25 Jul 2024
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