Ashe C2 Episode 21 - Talks with the Masks
Previously On
Recuperating in a warehouse on the eastern side of the city of Westinox, you watched as the snow fell harder outside the windows. You all drank mulled wine thanks to Finnix's alchemical jug and spoke with the thieves guild known as the Maldrith Moth and their leader Omrani Spire. Trading stories of battle and lore you learned of Finn's quest to obtain the strange warforged man, Cog, and return with him to Eberron for a bounty.
Omrani Spire affirmed your new friendly relationship and you all finished your short rest and went out into the night. The Snow fell heavily around you and several inches now lay on the ground. Mausim reminded you of your meeting with the strange man known as Roland Belfry at the Marble Eye Tavern. Heading there you ordered food and drinks as you waited for the man to show. When he did Mausim went over to his booth to get information on why he was following you all.
After explaining that he was hired by the Eyes of the Basilisk under financial duress to spy on all of you, he was struck by a strange dart. Belfry died immediately and Mausim returned to the table. Wes ran outside to follow the assassin but was met with a wall of lake effect snow. A small piece of parchment drifted into his hand asking for a meeting at Rinvallon Castle that very night.
After a debate on entering the seat of political power after dark you were quickly dismissed by the guards at the covered bridge assuming you were drunks with a fanciful story. Instead you commandeered a small boat and sailed around the rocky island that holds the castle. Discovering a rhyme on the back of the parchment you followed the clue to a small cavern at the base of the castle.
Docking the boats you were attacked by wererats sent by Ionn Castaliogne. Despite the ease of defeating the bumbling rat creatures much blood was spilt by Mausim and Crashe. Following the cavern further brought you into a large underground chamber that smelled oddly of Ginger, nutmeg, and sugar. Masked figures stood on a balcony above you and promised information and an alliance if you could pass the test.
After some parlay a dragon made of gingerbread slithered into the chamber and attacked. Wes slammed his stolen potion and shrunk in size. Swallowing his surprise he reacted With a high pitched war cry and he leapt onto the dragon's back! After a couple of rounds of sticky combat two candylads joined in the fray. The battle got tense when Mausim and Wes succumbed to the aroma of the dragon and refused to fight for a few rounds.
The Dragon attacked with cinnamon and icing and it's delightful smell. The team absorbed many injuries and were taken to the very limit. Finnix almost bled out from a arterial wound and crashe used all of his health potions but the team found themselves victorious. The battle was a comedy of errors mixed with critical wounds but now you find yourselves passing the test and facing the strange masked figures.
That leaves you with several questions, Who is Kirana Castaliogne? What does Ionn Castaliogne want with the arcane focus? What are the strange stone seals that Mausim saw in his dream? Who are the Fallen and why have they sided with the dark one? Will anyone ever eat gingerbread again??!!
Plot points/Scenes
You all stand in a large underground chamber, it looks to be an ancient ball room or meeting hall. Large enough to accomodate hundreds of people. Now though it is strewn with the remnants of gingerbread, icing and blood. It is warmly lit with plenty of lanterns and torches and smells of sugar and spices still. Your undergarments are wet and clammy with sweat and blood of the last half hour. Your muscles still ache and some of you still feel light headed from loss of blood.
Despite being uncomfortable you stand victorious, your challenge met and surpasses. On a balcony carved from dark polished wood almost 20 feet above you stands several masked figures. Their clothing is expensive and their tailored suits and dresses are impeccable. The masks are ivory white with gold filagree. The central figure addresses you.
"Well done warriors, now you have proved your physical bona fides as well as your mental ones. Your investigative skills as well as your diplomatic skills gained our attention but your resiliency in hand to hand combat leads our organization to consider your worthy contributors to our cause."
"Perhaps you have questions about the threat we all face? Would you like to finally know the history and identity of the man known as Ionn Castaliogne?"
"You next seek Kirana Castaliogne, the last surviving member of that ancient house. She is currently staying at the Lodestone Inn."
The Dark One's Prison
He pulls out a pentagonal stone carved with hundreds of sigils. It glistens a bit in the torchlight as if it's a mix of crystal and stone. "This is one of the seals on the dark one's prison. There are 13 in total. When the heroes of the second age failed to realize the threat in time they gathered powerful mages and created a banishment spell never seen before. They used these seals to trap the creature into a new dimension designed to keep him contained. As he pulls his hands apart the stone separates into two pieces. One of the masked figures audibly gasps and wobbles.
"This one was found recently on an archaeological dig in Ulirre. It has failed and indicates that the Fallen are working to release the Dark one from his prison."
"You may use these facilities to recuperate after your test. These chambers have been sealed off from the castle above for centuries. There is a passageway underground that will take you to the Lodestone's back room. This secret is only known to the Eyes of the Basilisk. "
As the masked figures turn to leave you see wooden doors behind them leading to stone hallways buttressed by wooden beams. A rope ladder is thrown down to you and a masked butler stays behind, he holds a tray of food and gestures to another door leading off of the balcony. Inside you see a comfortable den, a large warm fireplace contructed of black stone, a table of salted meats, fruit, and bread. A dozen comfortable chairs of different shape, fabrics and sizes. Metal pitchers hold cool water, a tangy ale, and a red wine. "The masters bid you to relax and be comfortable, please take a moment to heal your wounds." the butler stands at the ready.
The history of Lord Vedemire Darkhorse
A half elven man from the Second age who studied Necromancy. In the first half of his life he earned a fortune in building prisons and profiting off of law enforcement. It is said that he became obsessed with the Dark One and pledged himself in the later years of his life. The dark one cured his fatal cancer and gave him immortality. Since then Lord Darkhorse has been looking for ways to free the Dark One from his prison to be granted more power and rule by the Dark One's Side.
In Porsk - The town is under the rule of House Quail and has been for almost 400 years. At this point the rule is almost ceremonial like many of the cities and towns of the Eigerlands.
The current head of the house in Porsk is the Baroness Gillian Offerdahl Quail. She is an older human woman but fiercely intelligent. Her current goal is to fend off the takeover of the main government by a group of dwarven ministers from Stoneport. She also has taken a strange man as her Paramour by the name Ionn Castaliogne...
Other plot points
Mausim - Having strange dreams of being in a war several thousand years ago. A former sailor and merchant from Copenhaus who was training to ride griffons with the Aerial Corps. His Griffon went rogue and flew him across the continent, finally bucking Mausim off over the Ashen Forest. He was rescued by Crashe and Wes several weeks ago.
Wes - A Ranger of the Ashen forest raised by Jaron Dartmoor in the small town of Ashe. Lately he has drawn the eyes of several dangerous creatures residing in the ashen forest. Most of which seem to be his association with a winged unicorn who had escaped from the Fae Realm. The Kormirra Sisters and a strange elven man seem to think that Wes has a connection to this realm and the events.
Crashe - An elven warrior who has left his home in the Fletching to follow the way of Ista Imli. His elven parents abandoned him in a forest and he was taken in by a gnome couple. Recently he has been having strange dreams of an ancient elven city and a dark entity. Now a voice in his head has begun rambling and speaking to him with an old accented version of elvish.
Finnix - A Vedalkan bounty hunter from the world of Eberron. He is here to hunt down the warforged known as Cog. He is working with a Goblin man as his contact here in Tanaheim to find out where Cog is. Recently he has been confronted by a rival bounty hunter named Exatron Saul, sent by the same guild to create a sense of competition.
Despite being uncomfortable you stand victorious, your challenge met and surpasses. On a balcony carved from dark polished wood almost 20 feet above you stands several masked figures. Their clothing is expensive and their tailored suits and dresses are impeccable. The masks are ivory white with gold filagree. The central figure addresses you.
"Well done warriors, now you have proved your physical bona fides as well as your mental ones. Your investigative skills as well as your diplomatic skills gained our attention but your resiliency in hand to hand combat leads our organization to consider your worthy contributors to our cause."
"Perhaps you have questions about the threat we all face? Would you like to finally know the history and identity of the man known as Ionn Castaliogne?"
"You next seek Kirana Castaliogne, the last surviving member of that ancient house. She is currently staying at the Lodestone Inn."
The Dark One's Prison
He pulls out a pentagonal stone carved with hundreds of sigils. It glistens a bit in the torchlight as if it's a mix of crystal and stone. "This is one of the seals on the dark one's prison. There are 13 in total. When the heroes of the second age failed to realize the threat in time they gathered powerful mages and created a banishment spell never seen before. They used these seals to trap the creature into a new dimension designed to keep him contained. As he pulls his hands apart the stone separates into two pieces. One of the masked figures audibly gasps and wobbles.
"This one was found recently on an archaeological dig in Ulirre. It has failed and indicates that the Fallen are working to release the Dark one from his prison."
"You may use these facilities to recuperate after your test. These chambers have been sealed off from the castle above for centuries. There is a passageway underground that will take you to the Lodestone's back room. This secret is only known to the Eyes of the Basilisk. "
As the masked figures turn to leave you see wooden doors behind them leading to stone hallways buttressed by wooden beams. A rope ladder is thrown down to you and a masked butler stays behind, he holds a tray of food and gestures to another door leading off of the balcony. Inside you see a comfortable den, a large warm fireplace contructed of black stone, a table of salted meats, fruit, and bread. A dozen comfortable chairs of different shape, fabrics and sizes. Metal pitchers hold cool water, a tangy ale, and a red wine. "The masters bid you to relax and be comfortable, please take a moment to heal your wounds." the butler stands at the ready.
The history of Lord Vedemire Darkhorse
A half elven man from the Second age who studied Necromancy. In the first half of his life he earned a fortune in building prisons and profiting off of law enforcement. It is said that he became obsessed with the Dark One and pledged himself in the later years of his life. The dark one cured his fatal cancer and gave him immortality. Since then Lord Darkhorse has been looking for ways to free the Dark One from his prison to be granted more power and rule by the Dark One's Side.
In Porsk - The town is under the rule of House Quail and has been for almost 400 years. At this point the rule is almost ceremonial like many of the cities and towns of the Eigerlands.
The current head of the house in Porsk is the Baroness Gillian Offerdahl Quail. She is an older human woman but fiercely intelligent. Her current goal is to fend off the takeover of the main government by a group of dwarven ministers from Stoneport. She also has taken a strange man as her Paramour by the name Ionn Castaliogne...
Other plot points
Mausim - Having strange dreams of being in a war several thousand years ago. A former sailor and merchant from Copenhaus who was training to ride griffons with the Aerial Corps. His Griffon went rogue and flew him across the continent, finally bucking Mausim off over the Ashen Forest. He was rescued by Crashe and Wes several weeks ago.
Wes - A Ranger of the Ashen forest raised by Jaron Dartmoor in the small town of Ashe. Lately he has drawn the eyes of several dangerous creatures residing in the ashen forest. Most of which seem to be his association with a winged unicorn who had escaped from the Fae Realm. The Kormirra Sisters and a strange elven man seem to think that Wes has a connection to this realm and the events.
Crashe - An elven warrior who has left his home in the Fletching to follow the way of Ista Imli. His elven parents abandoned him in a forest and he was taken in by a gnome couple. Recently he has been having strange dreams of an ancient elven city and a dark entity. Now a voice in his head has begun rambling and speaking to him with an old accented version of elvish.
Finnix - A Vedalkan bounty hunter from the world of Eberron. He is here to hunt down the warforged known as Cog. He is working with a Goblin man as his contact here in Tanaheim to find out where Cog is. Recently he has been confronted by a rival bounty hunter named Exatron Saul, sent by the same guild to create a sense of competition.
Themes
Meeting Kirana
You walk the length of the tunnel and as you move forward the warmth of the ancient chamber recedes and a chill sets in. The tunnel slowly inclines as you move forward, proving how far beneath the city you just were. The walls are rough hewn stone with almost petrified wooden beams built into the tunnel every 20 feet to keep the old tunnel from collapsing. It may have been an old sewer line at one point. Eventually you get to a heavy wooden ladder which leads up to a trap door. As you push it open you find yourself in a large warehouse like room. It is full of stacks of wooden crates and shelves of preserves and pickled vegetables. A set of double doors sits on the southern wall. As you open them you see a wide hallway with a flowery wallpaper and a polished wooden wainscotting. Magical lanterns give off a pleasant orange glow.
Mausim you recognize the decor from your previous visit to the lodestone. You hear the telltale sounds of a busy tavern on the other side of the hallway. As you enter the tavern proper you see a couple dozen patrons drinking and singing holiday songs. Outside the windows the snow still falls and you see a good two feet on the ground, though walkways have been shoveled here in the more affluent part of town.
Kirana Vargiese Castaliogne - Reminder that Bella Caix La'Couer is portraying Kirana! Killed by Ionn/Darkhorse two years ago, Kirana was the last surviving member of the direct family line of Castaliogne. She grew up in Penthos taking advantage of the noble education system there, while her mother battle a deadly disease. Her father died when she was three during a carriage accident on the daggerun road.
When her mother finally succumbed to her illness that left Kirana as the sole Viceroy of Castaliogne Manor. She returned to Westinox and spent the night in the manor. She hadn't even hired a staff yet, she walked the halls and took an inventory of food and equipment available to her. She wrote a long list of what she needed and had decided to begin hiring the very next day. As she laid down that night in the master bedroom, exhausted but excited to begin this journey... A man was suddenly standing next to her...
A message from Thurlis Stem
Wes you feel vibration from the sending stone in your pocket. In your mind you hear the voice of Thurlis Stem. "Someone is approaching Tinovar's. Well dressed man, and next to him is something --" His voice cuts off and all you hear is silence.
You walk the length of the tunnel and as you move forward the warmth of the ancient chamber recedes and a chill sets in. The tunnel slowly inclines as you move forward, proving how far beneath the city you just were. The walls are rough hewn stone with almost petrified wooden beams built into the tunnel every 20 feet to keep the old tunnel from collapsing. It may have been an old sewer line at one point. Eventually you get to a heavy wooden ladder which leads up to a trap door. As you push it open you find yourself in a large warehouse like room. It is full of stacks of wooden crates and shelves of preserves and pickled vegetables. A set of double doors sits on the southern wall. As you open them you see a wide hallway with a flowery wallpaper and a polished wooden wainscotting. Magical lanterns give off a pleasant orange glow.
Mausim you recognize the decor from your previous visit to the lodestone. You hear the telltale sounds of a busy tavern on the other side of the hallway. As you enter the tavern proper you see a couple dozen patrons drinking and singing holiday songs. Outside the windows the snow still falls and you see a good two feet on the ground, though walkways have been shoveled here in the more affluent part of town.
Kirana Vargiese Castaliogne - Reminder that Bella Caix La'Couer is portraying Kirana! Killed by Ionn/Darkhorse two years ago, Kirana was the last surviving member of the direct family line of Castaliogne. She grew up in Penthos taking advantage of the noble education system there, while her mother battle a deadly disease. Her father died when she was three during a carriage accident on the daggerun road.
When her mother finally succumbed to her illness that left Kirana as the sole Viceroy of Castaliogne Manor. She returned to Westinox and spent the night in the manor. She hadn't even hired a staff yet, she walked the halls and took an inventory of food and equipment available to her. She wrote a long list of what she needed and had decided to begin hiring the very next day. As she laid down that night in the master bedroom, exhausted but excited to begin this journey... A man was suddenly standing next to her...
A message from Thurlis Stem
Wes you feel vibration from the sending stone in your pocket. In your mind you hear the voice of Thurlis Stem. "Someone is approaching Tinovar's. Well dressed man, and next to him is something --" His voice cuts off and all you hear is silence.
Structure
Exposition
Let's Mangle Tinovar...
[DM Note: When the team resolves their issues with the Vestal Moth, they will learn that Kirana Castaliogne is the one who hired them to steal the box. How she knew where it was is another mystery that they should inquire about. They will return to Tinovar to see how he is doing dismantling the focus...
Reminder that Thurlis Stem is watching over the building and has a sending stone. He needs to send a message to the team that gets cut off!]
As you enter the arcanists shoppe you notice the door swings a little looser on it's hinges. A red glow emanates from within as you move past the dozens of glowing magical lights that make up many of the man's signature wares. As you move forward the red light progresses and you see that many of the yellow and orange glowing filaments still remain the same color. It is the glass that is stained red. Flecks and splatter of blood coat the outside of many of the once cheery bulbs.
As you pull back the heavy curtain leading into the back room you smell a dense coppery odor mingled with rust. You feel a wetness beneath your boots. You kick dozens of small tools and broken pieces of metal as you see the workshop has been trashed. As you look up on the far wall of the cranky gnome's once meticulous but overpacked workshop you see his body.
Pinned to the wall with a dozen swords and daggers deeply stabbed through him and punched into the wood behind with some force. Something powerful did this, the blades are not removed easily even with decent strength check. Tinovar's face is barely visible through the blood and rended flesh. Most of his bones are not just broken but pulverized.
Incongrously pinned to the gnome's chest is an expensive piece of white parchment lettered with exquisite calligraphy. A couple of bloody fingerprints can be found on the edges.
It reads "I told you all not to take my things..."
Thurlis is nowhere to be found, but you remember that he was watching the building from the roof. A snow covered tent sits on the roof of the building along with a small cookfire in a metal pan. A small stool sits next to it under a lean to built off of the tent.
Tossed in the corner up against the edge of the flat roof lies the body of Thurlis Stem. His green fur covered body is matted with blood but he manages to open his left eye. The other is swollen shut. Several of his bones are broken and his right leg is bent into an irregular angle. His bow and quiver are broken and in bits on the roof.
"It was him, and he had a large creature with him. Looked like those other mutants we fought but bigger." When he finishes the sentence his eye rolls back and he falls unconcious.
Conflict
Rega Ragnash Investigates
Finnix you feel a buzz from a small sending stone in your pouch. You use your suit to reroute the magical signal into your earpiece. You hear the gravelly voice of the goblin man who is your contact on this planet. "I think I found our warforged, he has been sighted in the city of Warshaw. I'm on my way there now."
Finnix you feel a buzz from a small sending stone in your pouch. You use your suit to reroute the magical signal into your earpiece. You hear the gravelly voice of the goblin man who is your contact on this planet. "I think I found our warforged, he has been sighted in the city of Warshaw. I'm on my way there now."
Lord Darkhorse - Ionn has taken over the Castaliogne Manor just inside the inner walls of the city. The Vestal Moth Thieves Guild - The players are interested in finding the entrance to this guild and to find out why they tried to steal the box.
Bella'Caix L'Couer - A formerly human woman who has pledged herself to the Dark One in exchange for immortality and the destruction of the Elven Race. She has hated elves for over four thousand years and her hatred has caused her to consider actual genocide. Her immortality and acquired power are the tools she will use to complete this mission. She is currently posing as
Kirana Vargiese Castaliogne,
an attractive half elven woman with black hair. She poses as an aristocratic woman whose family was destroyed by Lord Vedemire Darkhorse. She is looking into what he is doing to use it as a way to destroy him. All she needs is group of powerful but dimwitted adventurers who can help her. Exatron Saul is in the city waiting for Finnix. He has heard the same rumors as Finnix and is investigating the strange automaton that has been sighted.
The Eyes of the Basilisk - An ancient organization now reawakened, the Eyes are looking for ways to stop the Dark One from returning. The members wear masks to conceal their identities and most of them are wealthy or high ranking members of society.
They are interested in Ionn Castaliogne and have pieced together that he is not an actual Castaliogne family member. Their records show no such family member existing. They will seek an audience with our PC's once they find out that they are in the city and have had dealings with Ionn. They may demand a test of competence, a bloody test of survival in the lower rooms of Rinvallon Castle. If the PC's survive the gates will open once more and a piece of expensive parchment will be pinned to a wall "We will speak of this again..."
Let's use two stone golems with a twist. Though these task may seem difficult indeed add in two metal stars that can be found on the arched ceiling above. Inserting those stars into the sockets on the back of the golems necks will deactivate them!
Bella'Caix L'Couer - A formerly human woman who has pledged herself to the Dark One in exchange for immortality and the destruction of the Elven Race. She has hated elves for over four thousand years and her hatred has caused her to consider actual genocide. Her immortality and acquired power are the tools she will use to complete this mission. She is currently posing as
Kirana Vargiese Castaliogne,
an attractive half elven woman with black hair. She poses as an aristocratic woman whose family was destroyed by Lord Vedemire Darkhorse. She is looking into what he is doing to use it as a way to destroy him. All she needs is group of powerful but dimwitted adventurers who can help her. Exatron Saul is in the city waiting for Finnix. He has heard the same rumors as Finnix and is investigating the strange automaton that has been sighted.
The Eyes of the Basilisk - An ancient organization now reawakened, the Eyes are looking for ways to stop the Dark One from returning. The members wear masks to conceal their identities and most of them are wealthy or high ranking members of society.
They are interested in Ionn Castaliogne and have pieced together that he is not an actual Castaliogne family member. Their records show no such family member existing. They will seek an audience with our PC's once they find out that they are in the city and have had dealings with Ionn. They may demand a test of competence, a bloody test of survival in the lower rooms of Rinvallon Castle. If the PC's survive the gates will open once more and a piece of expensive parchment will be pinned to a wall "We will speak of this again..."
Let's use two stone golems with a twist. Though these task may seem difficult indeed add in two metal stars that can be found on the arched ceiling above. Inserting those stars into the sockets on the back of the golems necks will deactivate them!
Plot type
Main Story
Related Characters
Related Organizations
Related Locations
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