T-D Session 3 Report

General Summary

14 of Flamerule 1492 DR   Our session opens in the bedroom of Thavius Kreeg. The party cools from the heat of battle and the dramatic revelations. Erric, Haelee and Princess begin to search Kreeg's room for evidence. Meanwhile Scott questions Nysene about why she's here, what her motivations were and why she left him in the woods. Nysene apologised for the way she left Scott, she explained how things were going too fast for her, that she wasn't ready for the level of commitment that he wanted. She wasn't sure what to do, so thought a clear break was best, and left him in the night. She stumbled into a camp of Baneite cultists in the woods. They realised that she was a Patriar, a noble-born from Baldur's Gate, and was likely worth something in the long run. In the short term, they thought she would be fun to have around, so sent her from the camp to the main base in the High Observer's Hall. She's only been in the Hall for a couple of days. All she's gleamed is that they're trying to keep Kreeg locked up, and that something big is coming tonight on the celebration of The Companion. She again thanks him for saving her. Scott, feels somewhat placated by the answers she's given, but is still perturbed. Meanwhile the other three search the room, but find little more than furniture to be expected - a bed, chests of drawers, armoires, a fall length mirror, etc. Haelee notices her appearance in the mirror, splatters of blood over her from the recent battle, is suddenly hit by the realisation of all the people they've just killed in the past two days. She rushes into the bathroom in tears, and frantically starts trying to clean the blood off herself. Princess follows her into the bathroom to try and comfort her, but her direct approach does not go down as well as she'd hoped. Princess explains that these are evil people, that they're trying to corrupt and harm the innocent people of this city, that they must be stopped. Haelee is not particularly moved by this, and says she just wished she could have spared their lives. Erric, still searching the room, notices that the bedside tables have been used as makeshift desks. On them are rolls of parchment, which seem to be drafts of a speech.   With Haelee somewhat calmed, and the party having taken a few moments to clean the blood off themselves as best they can, depart the bedroom and move back into the lounge. They search the bodies of the dead, finding a modicum of gold, but little in the way of clues. They rouse their unconscious prisoner and Princess begins to threaten him. Haelee, intercedes, and in that moment, the much smaller and weaker elf, manages to shove the towering half-orc backwards. Perhaps Princess had been softened by her conversation with Haelee and her heart wasn't in it, perhaps Haelee's stress empowered her. In either case, the prisoner was spared Princess' wrath, and was subsequently questioned. He didn't reveal much they didn't already know, that they had been established in Elturel for several tendays, that Kreeg had been replaced by a doppelganger and of late they've been keeping him locked in his room. That they were trying to stall and delay Ravengard both meeting with Kreeg, but also leaving the city before tonight's celebrations. He agreed to turn himself into the authorities rather than be summarily executed by Princess, although he suspects that he'll get a death sentence regardless. As the interrogation goes on, Haelee steps out of the room not wanting to watch, and into the bunk room to investigate. There she finds the journal of Barkus, the leader of the Baneites in Elturel. It details how over the past couple of months they departed their main enclave from Baldur's Gate and established their camp in the woods. From there the Cult of Zariel approached them and made arrangements for Kreeg to exfiltrate the city. The arrival of the doppelganger, shortly followed by Kreeg. The doppelganger taking Kreeg's face and some of his memories. Of Kreeg's men wearing the armour of the Knights of the Companion, and transferring those uniforms to the Baneites. Finally, of Barkus imploring his boss back in Baldur's Gate, Yignath, of the broader details of the plan for Ravengard, of why they're keeping him in the city, and why they're wasting the opportunity to kill him.   With this information shared amongst the party, and prisoner in tow, they debate how they're going to get out of the High Observer's Hall. They settle on the relatively simple plan of walking downstairs, finding a senior office and handing the prisoner over. Hoping that merely explaining that they found a cultist of Bane attempting to sneak into the Hall whilst wearing the uniform of the Order of the Companion would be sufficient in getting the cultist off their hands. From there they could hastily depart the Hall before anyone comes nosing around upstairs. This action was delayed when the party noticed a room they hadn't explored. Erric cautiously scouted the door, checking it over to see if there was anyone behind the door, or whether it was locked or trapped in some way. Reassured that there were no sounds from within, nor traps, nor even locked, he opened the door. The party entered into what is clearly Thavius Kreeg's office. A large banner hung above a cold fireplace, the symbol of a mailed gauntlet with its palm open, the holy sign of Torm the god of duty. On the adjacent walls are portraits of both Kreeg, slightly younger than the 80 year old doppelganger that the party had seen, standing in a somewhat commanding, though fatherly pose. Opposite him a second portrait, this of a middle-aged woman, adorned in shining plate armour, behind her a view of the city of Elturel, and in her outstretched palm glows the Companion. This, Princess explains, is Naja Bellandi, the first High Observer, who prayed to an unnamed god and summoned the Companion, and with its radiant light, destroyed the vampires that were ravaging the city. The walls are covered by bookshelves, bar the large window that overlooks the Westerly District below. The centrepiece of the room is a large dark oak desk. Searching for clues, the party scours the office. Through a combination of luck and attention to detail, scraps lost, forgotten and thought destroyed were found. The most obvious clue was in the change of handwriting in the documents. Clearly in the past couple of months, the author of creeds and resolutions had changed, obvious now that this was the doppelganger's take over. However, a sheet of parchment was lost behind the draws of the desk, this document describes how a figure called Gargauth is providing Kreeg advice on how to encourage idolatry in the citizens of Elturel, aiming to turn their devotion from their gods, and to the Companion itself. The next clue was found in the ashes of the cold fireplace - the recent hot months made the usage of a fire surprising, and in fact was used to burn incriminating evidence. What little could be salvaged described how the cult of the Dead Three owed 'The Shield of the Hidden Lord', and together this was somehow tied to the Patriar noble family the Vanthampurs back in Baldur's Gate. The last clue was finding an early edition of the Tome of the Creed Resolute. The Creed Resolute being the holy book of the city of Elturel, of which the original is magical, and that the Hellriders and Knights of the Order of the Companion prick their blood, and have their names eternally scribed onto its pages. This early copy of the Creed Resolute has comments in the margins, attempting to draft and rephrase the text to subtly refocus the faithful's prayers from their gods onto the city and the Companion.   Feeling as though they've found all they could, our heroes head back to the stairwell, and down to the ground floor. They move with directness and surety, coming to the door of the commanding office, Under Marshall Theron Voss. A knock at his door is met with a curt "one moment" before the door opens, revealing a tall human man, dark hair that's greying, and a scarred face. He asks who they are and what they want. Princess explains that they caught a cultist attempting to sneak into the High Observer's Hall, and asked him where they should take him. A little taken aback by this, Voss rapidly recovers his composure, "clearly to the Dungeon of the Inquisitor" he answers, but asks for Princess' name and rank. Princess obliges, and Voss commends her on finding and stopping this infiltration. The Dungeon of the Inquisitor is located in the basement of The High Observer's Hall, and forms part of what is known as The Maze, a honeycomb-like structure that the bluff the High District is built upon. They descend dozens of feet down into the underground complex, and meet the jailer. The handover is reasonably straightforward, the jailer had Princess sign the details in the book, and the will prisoner was taken away to the cells.   Departing The High Hall, the large gardens of the High District stretched on before the party. They entered the gardens and took some time to decompress. Haelee and Erric took a private moment to discuss the events of the last few days, obfuscated by speaking in Sylvan, the language of the Fey. Scott and Nysene made small talk under a tree, and Princess went to get everyone food. For an hour or so the five took time to talk, tend their wounds, and decide what to do next. During this downtime, Princess asked Scott for a private conversation. Secluded in the gardens, Princess proposed to Scott a ritual. She was concerned about what is coming, and a sense of impending doom. This ritual would bind the two of them together, and in that binding, they would be stronger, for a time at least. Scott asked if she was proposing marriage, to which Princess shyly responded that it was technically a wedding ceremony, but only one of convenience, that her heart lies with Reya, and this is purely something to help them fight whatever is to come. Scott agrees to go through with it, and Princess and Scott become married! During this period of separation and distraction, Nysene takes the opportunity to slip away. Scott grew angry and upset, feeling that what he just did with Princess pushed Nysene away.   With the afternoon hours burning away, they decide to check in with Brother Gideon Lightward, to inform him on what they've found, and perhaps gain some insights into what he thinks they should do next. The party trek across the High District, and down the switchback that leads to the Westerly District below. There they move through the middle class neighbourhoods, bumping into citizen out enjoying their day off. Soon they come to the Grand Cemetery and walk through the lush and sacred grounds, and head up the white stone pathway to the Chapel of Light. Moving past the mahogany doors, they find the Chapel empty. They part the curtains that lead into the Vestment Chambers, where they'd heard Gideon often talking to his "Lady of Light", but still no sign of him. A set of stairs indicate a level below, and descending down this ornate passageway, they find themselves in an Ossuary. This initial Ossuary to the honoured dead had multiple passages leading to other rooms, constructed for a similar purpose, but no sign of Gideon. Without exploring every room, they backed up to the ground floor, and departed out of the Chapel of Light. They followed a path that curved around the building, and behind it found a small single-storey building. Looking through the windows, it appeared to be Gideon's quarters. The door showing no signs of forced entry, nor locked, they let themselves in. A relatively simple single room dwelling, decorated with tapestries to many good aligned gods, Tyr, Torm, Helm and Lathander. A single bed, with a large chest at the foot, a large pile of clothing in the corner of the room, a desk with a large open book on it, and various other furnishings that would be expected. Out of respect, the party only takes a quick glance around the room, the book seeming to be a work in progress by Gideon that discusses the plight of demons and that not enough is being done to stop them. Haelee, perhaps more curious, or less shamed by local sensibilities, has a slightly more prying nose around. She opens the chest at the foot of the bed, and there she finds Gideon, bound, gagged and unconscious.   The party quickly pull the obviously wounded priest out, lay him on the bed, unbind him and ply him with magical healing. Gideon comes around, thanks them greatly for helping him, and details as best as he can remember what happened. He was attacked in the Chapel by four individuals, they came at him from behind, and he was beaten unconscious before he really had a chance to react. He said after the conversation with Princess, Reya and Erric yesterday, this morning he headed to speak with Under Marshall Voss about the revelations they'd found. Voss reassured Gideon that the Hellriders would look into this, and he would speak to the leader of the Hellriders, Marshall Blackfire about it. As the party filled Gideon in what they'd uncovered in High Observer's Hall, despair overcame him. He said he wasn't sure what to do, that clearly Voss had arranged the ambush on him. That it may extend to Blackfire as well. So if all the leaders of Elturel are corrupted, who can they turn to. His rising anxiety is somewhat relieved by the fact that if all the Hellriders were compromised, surely some great cataclysm would have happened sooner, that Princess would be compromised and wouldn't be helping. Princess reassures him further, and asks him to see if he can contact his "Lady of Light" and see if she can provide help, guidance, or manifest herself onto the Material Plane to assist them. Gideon agrees to this plan. They agree to try and meet up again after sunset, just as the festivities are beginning, to try and face what comes.   The session ends with the party discussing what their next move is. With sunset only a couple of hours away, they know they have to meet Feylan at The Pair of Black Antlers shortly. They also consider what supplies they could purchase in face of what is coming.