Azimuth 2 - Session 29 - A Lord's Investigation
General Summary
New Keeleon
Breakwater Keep
At Nalt Oknar Rulla’s order, Captain Ruslan was released from the holding cell. Rulla intended to find out what was going on by speaking with Watchguard Stuzrog. Rulla and her queensguard left in short order, leaving the group with Godsguard Shumedzar. With Ruslan freed, Arwin said he was now a part of this and asked if he was comfortable joining them around the city. Ruslan said he was and wanted to find out what was going on with the watchguard. Shumedzar excused himself and spoke with Cole, the rebellion prisoner. He asked him what Dragon’s rites he’d prefer be performed, and Cole answered Chedae’s rites. The group quickly followed after Romsca towards the Far Bar Inn. While in transit, Gertrude cast a Sending spell to Mortimr, saying, “Mortimr, Ruslan was arrested presumably by the watchguard. Rulla has freed him. Agents know ring’s location. Beware, inn not secure. We are on our way.”Far Bar Inn
At the Far Bar Inn, Chaka reached the room where Romulus and Mortimr were waiting. Chaka checked that they were alright, and Romulus told him what happened with Ruslan and the city guards. Chaka gave Lortuk’s message to Romulus, and he read the druidic script. Chaka asked what he knew about Lortuk. Romulus replied they both had the same teacher in the Hermit, and though he didn’t know Lortuk directly, he’d heard some not-so-great stories. Though, he said if Lortuk was invoking the Hermit’s name, it was serious, and Romulus would meet with him. When Chaka said Lortuk seemed to know the group was staying at the inn, Mortimr urged them to quickly leave. As he did so, Gertrude’s magical message arrived. Rapidly, he cast Darkness and Invisibility, and he told Romulus to grab the Eight-Pronged Residuum Ring box and leave. Before anyone could get far, Romsca arrived after running from the Breakwater Keep. Exhausted, she checked that everyone was safe and the box was secure. After catching her breath, she put the lead box on her back. They quickly caught each other up about the message from Lortuk and Ruslan’s arrest. They didn’t know where the others were, so Romsca sent a Sending spell to Demitri and said to regroup at Victory Market. As the first drops of rain started to fall in the late afternoon, the full group, along with Ruslan, gathered at the entrance to the markets.Victory Market
Romulus shared the directions included in Lortuk’s note. They entered the covered alleys and paths of the markets to search for a broken door. While searching, Chaka’s comprehension spell was still active. He overheard a few words of a hushed conversation, including “blue bricks”, “kenku”, and “coin”. He also overheard Romulus speaking to Cinis in druidic about Lortuk and the Hermit. Ilmendwyth found a brick archway with a broken door laying on the street and called everyone to him. Romulus set the pieces of the door together and Romsca magically repaired the door. They set it against the brick archway. Romulus knocked three times and the door opened inward, revealing a plush and extravagant lounge of some kind. Much of the group entered, with Mortimr still invisible, and the door shut behind them. Meanwhile, Chaka, Romsca, and Ruslan remained outside. Chaka cast a magical hut in the alley and they watched the door from nearby. Chaka said, “This may be the perfect time for your first art lesson.” To pass the time while waiting, Chaka began to teach some painting skills to Romsca.Inside the Chamber
As the group regarded the magical interior, Lord Lortuk entered the lounge from an offshoot doorway. Romulus and Lortuk immediately started exchanging catty, barbed banter about Romulus’ work in the Demons' Blood Marshes and Lortuk’s work on the Gold Council. However, while they traded quips and boasting, Romulus received a subtly cast Message spell from Lortuk. Lortuk asked if Romulus trusted his companions. Romulus spoke positively of the Lightbringers and said though one did have connections to the Tarterian Traders, they had no loyalties to them. Seemingly satisfied, Lortuk dropped the pretenses, and Romulus asked why he had contacted him. Lortuk shared he had read Oknar Jod’s report about them and wanted to ask about their actions in Porgorag. Lortuk said there were very few people in New Keeleon that he currently trusted. Arwin asked why they should trust Lortuk. He replied, saying he and Romulus were both taught by the Hermit, who he said did “instill some morals.” He also said that his performance in front of the Nalt Oknar must have been effective. Lortuk said, “If I’m acting out as I am, drawing the attention of Nalt Oknar Rulla and Watchguard Stuzrog, and they’re busy looking at me…” Another voice finished, saying, “Then they’re not looking at me.” Ranger General Labb entered the room from one of the archways and joined them in the chamber.Lortuk in New Keeleon
Romulus asked again why they were there. Ranger General Labb said it was because his troops were fully occupied with the ankhegs in the Desecrated Hills and couldn’t assist Lortuk with his goals. Lortuk told the group he’d been sent by Queen Voltha. Events at Red Lake eight months ago had caused elemental energies to get out of control. Four “interestingly colored” people had been seen entering the lake. Lortuk suspected whatever happened there was linked to events happening since, including why the Tarterian Traders were “all in a tizzy” and acting rashly, why corruption was affecting the Demons’ Blood Marshes and the Desecrated Hills, and why merchants were being squeezed for all their coin across the queendom. It was hard for Lortuk to make moves as a well-known public official. The crown didn’t want to move against the Tarterian Traders openly yet with the threat of two wars approaching. Lortuk said the group had proved their effectiveness at dealing with corruption, and he wanted to reach out to them for help.Trusting Lortuk
Labb gave Lortuk one of the ichor vials recovered from the corrupted ankhegs. Romulus asked if Lortuk could study that vial, and when Lortuk confirmed he could, Romulus gave him a vial from the oozes beneath Porgorag, as well. Meanwhile, Demitri used the Earring of Message to ask Romulus how they could trust Lortuk. Romulus said, “We squabble, but we have the same ultimate goal of getting rid of this corruption.” Though there were dark rumors about how Lortuk came into his title, he’d also heard Lortuk was involved with efforts by the Ritivan Cartographers Guild to map the spread of corruption in Tarteria. Demitri questioned Lortuk’s motivations. Lortuk said his interests were for the benefit of the country. He wanted to determine how far any conspiracy went, how closely tied the genasi and Tarterian Traders were, and what happened at Red Lake to prevent future incidents. As Mortimr’s invisibility spell ended, he put on his demonic mask and cast Phantasmal Force on Lortuk. He resisted the effects and seemed unsurprised by Mortimr’s appearance. Mortimr didn’t trust Lortuk and didn’t want to share information about the green ring. Demitri said he had his own reservations, but Lortuk had more information than anyone they’d yet met and shared the goal of stopping the Traders. Mortimr relented, saying Lortuk would likely find out everything anyway.Timeline of Coincidences
Lortuk had found evidence of genasi activity with the Traders going back a long time. Everywhere he looked, these four genasi kept showing up. Before Red Lake, Lortuk said the genasi had travelled northwards “mundanely” to the Leviathan Sea. Witnesses spoke of strong elemental spells in the Leviathan Sea before the waters went silent and calm. Arwin, Gertrude, and Demitri had heard rumors of the Great Leviathan disappearing, and they wondered if it was related. Eight months ago, witnesses at Red Lake saw four genasi enter the waters, but only three of them returned. Lortuk said energies had been running amok there since, and he could not get close enough to determine what the genasi had done. They had covered their tracks well, however since then they’d been more open, active, and seemingly desperate. Lortuk also heard recent stories of a group of adventurers and a fiery sky at Red Rocks in northern Endor, though he wasn’t sure how this other group was involved. Gertrude said the timeframe at Red Lake was the same as when Chedae’s light started fading. Demitri asked if Red Lake had ties to the Elemental Planes, and Lortuk confirmed it was an elemental fount. Demitri asked what the increased demon activity they’d seen had to do with the Elemental Planes. Lortuk said that was his question as well. Most recently, Lortuk had questions about “Maalik’s package” referenced in Jod’s report. Arwin shared the Eight-Pronged Residuum Ring was a replica, and Romulus said the original item was somewhere else. It was made of residuum, and Lortuk said residuum was incredibly rare and expensive. He suggested that might be why the genasi were pressuring the merchants for coin. He said it was odd for a group so affluent to need to sneak something like this onto a caravan. Romulus said the green ring messed with elemental magics, so the genasi may have had issues transporting it themselves.The Four Genasi
Lortuk said, “In my experience, groups only make this many mistakes if they’re pressed for time, or if indeed they don’t care anymore. And that is when a group is most dangerous. If they’re willing to expend all their resources, whatever they’re playing at, they’re trying to achieve it quickly.” Lortuk said the genasi called themselves the Prophets of Regression. He gave their names as Maalik, Nabat, and Azariel. The fourth was the hardest for him to track down. He gave his name as Beburos. Mortimr said he was looking for a man with a hand tattoo and asked if the green genasi had one. When Lortuk said that all four of the genasi had hand tattoos, Mortimr confirmed that Talmid was directly linked to the green genasi his brother had seen. The earliest evidence Lortuk found of the Prophets involvement with the Tarterian Traders was in Alena’s Landing in 5A 110. He also found older mentions of a cult reaction to the Great War back in the early Fourth Age. However, due to how long ago both of those events were, he couldn’t believe these were the same genasi. Lortuk said, “Thankfully, you all seem to have whatever they desire, and while that paints a target on your back, that means they don’t have what they need to do whatever it is they’re trying to do, and that gives us some time. As long you keep your hands on whatever and wherever it is.”Who to Trust
They discussed who else in the city they could trust and who Lortuk may be working with. Gertrude said, “If you’re worried about corruption, I think you should think about the watchguard and the Commandment of Sky in the city, specifically Sir Talmid.” She also said that the missing coinguard may have been asking too many questions about the Traders. Lortuk said Watchguard Stuzrog was too direct, and if he were informed about their suspicions, he’d likely “march a contingent of guards and announce his intent at their door.” Mortimr asked what he’d feel if Stuzrog already knew everything. He replied it would complicate things. Gertrude informed him that the watchguard had apparently tried to apprehend Ruslan, and there was paperwork with the watchguard’s signature. At mention of this document, Lortuk brought up the previous document presented by Talmid, which had the guild marshal’s signature. Lortuk suspected their validity and wondered if a document forger was involved. Ilmendwyth asked why Godsguard Shumedzar was uncomfortable around him. Lortuk replied that Shumedzar couldn’t hold a secret to save his life. Demitri asked why he was involved with politics then. Lortuk said he was skilled as a godsguard and had connections to the crown through his grandmother, Matriarch Inkathu. Lorturk trusted Inkathu, and as such, he trusted Shumedzar.Tentative Agreement
Lortuk said, “If you want to catch a rat, you set a trap, obviously. But it you want to find the burrow, you let the rat lead you there.” He wanted the group’s help to get information on Talmid. Arwin said in exchange for their information, Lortuk use his connections to secure the meeting with the Commandment of Sky Guildhall Arwin tried to set up earlier. He also asked Lortuk to do what he could to expedite his special order at Gralphank’s as well, as they may need the weapon soon. Romulus suggested Lortuk arrange for extra food supplies be provided to Porgorag to ease the suffering they’d seen there. Lortuk said the harvest at Bridon Tillage had been bountiful, and he’d arrange the supplies. After learning Ruslan had been arrested, Lortuk said ensuring Ruslan was fully exonerated would be the least he could do. Gertrude agreed it would be the least. He also said ensuring whatever laws the Lightbringers broke during their investigation were covered as well. Romulus also wanted to bring further ichor samples to Lortuk. Romulus didn’t have the time to investigate them himself and wanted Lortuk to commit his resources for them both. He brought up concerns about demons and oozes working together, and he wanted to ensure that avenue was investigated, too. Demitri suggested Shumedzar increase protections around the Equus Orphanage. Lortuk agreed it would be a good idea if the suspected connections to Esturk were valid.The Ask and the Exit
Lortuk felt it was better if their group was caught moving against them rather than Lortuk and the crown, since the Lightbringers were already involved. Lortuk also said that if helping him in the city was not what they wanted to do, they could still assist by instead helping out Labb and his rangers. Freeing up Labb’s forces would mean Labb could more directly assist Lortuk himself, but it would take longer to do so. He said the Prophets picked Tarteria for a reason, whether it was the location or the resources of the Traders. Romulus asked about Esturk. Demitri said the ring’s siphoning of divine magic could be related, as Esturk was said to be sleeping beneath Tarteria. He warned that there were places in the Traders guildhall beyond his magical sight. He warned them about magical protections and to not trust that invisibility would be enough to hide them while inside. Lortuk asked Romulus if he knew where the Hermit was. Neither Romulus nor Lortuk had seen the Hermit for some time, even though Lortuk had searched for him recently while seeking answers about the genasi. He said the Hermit knew a lot more about ancient things than Lortuk did. At the end, Lortuk said they’d worn out their welcome and he had things to now do. Anything he would try to set up would take some time, and he advised them to not make too much of a ruckus in the meantime. The group then left through the doorway back out into the alleys of Victory Market.
Report Date
07 Feb 2024
Primary Location
Related Characters
13 Adroth 5A 352