Deals with Demons - Cursed Compass

General Summary

As the lich's body seems to melt into the ground in front of the group they are met with a pounding feeling in their heads as the world begins to dim.
The group finds themselves in another memory, this time Tsama appears before Skull Hill Keep. Bloodied, battered, and bruised as we look at his feet we see one sandal, tattered, the straps are nearly withered away. Dirt covers Tsama’s clothes for someone who was a prince two days ago, he now looks a prince of the paupers. Looking at Tsama’s hair, which was previously manicured and maintained, dirt covers him and there are various twigs, grass, and the occasional leaf sticking out of his close cropped hair.
As Tasma reaches the gates he is immediately rebuffed by a guard, “Who goes there?”
Myra and Raijun, notice someone in the window of the keep leering down at the interaction. He’s tall, slender, immaculate red robes, gaunt face, handsome man age about his face he’s confidently looking down at the new arrival. Myra's caught up in the look of the man as the rest of the group refocuses on the scene noticing the guard who called out nod his head and then look towards Tsama.
“Tsama.”
“What meaning do you have in the city?”
“I came looking for work”
“Then you must be checked”
The guard pats Tsama down, quickly finding the dagger is on Tsama's hip. “What’s that? Hand it here,” the guards eyes flicker looking at the dagger.
Tsama doesn't seem to realize the worth of the dagger, with 6 diamonds embedded in the scabbard, 3 on each side aligned about 3 inches away from each other in a vertical line. He pulls the blade from the scabbard, it's razor sharp, a single light ray reflecting off the edge of the blade. It’s edge is thinner than the hair on an ant’s back. This dagger is not only physically striking, from the groups experience with magical object it seems to radiate magic.
“It’s merely a knife," Tsama remarks, "surely having protection on ones self is acceptable. That gentlemen is carrying two swords," pointing to a nearby dwarf guard. “That dwarf has a crossbow, dagger, and great-axe,” the comments pointing at another one.
The guard raises his voice, “You’re not entering this city unless you give me that dagger.” Other guards seem to take notice and start to look over, some begin walking towards the gate.
The group notices two of the nearby guards put their hands on their swords, as Amelie and Sarya see more guards on the rampart ready their crossbows aiming towards Tsama.
Tsama looks around and, noticing he's out numbered, hands over dagger. As he does the words of his father echo through the memory, “always keep this in your boot.”
“How do I re-attain my dagger?” Tsama asks.
"Pry it from my hands, if you want it," the guard yells.
Tsama turns and walks inside the gate, as he is just outside the guards range of hearing he comments to himself, “agreed.”
The scene shifts and its later in the evening, it's unclear if it's the same say or several days later. The guard exists a bar and begins down an alley. Most of the group notice that Tsama's dagger is on his waist.
Tsama enters from the end of the alley, “May I have my dagger back?”
The guard turns around laughing, “Huh, the little punk wants his dagger back. Then take it!”
“It’s very important to me, its worth everything to me, it is the last thing my father gave me”
"It’s worth more than your life. If you want it take it,” The guard yells as he reaches for his sword and charges Tsama.
People have started to come out of the bar into the alley to watch the altercation, slowly forming a crowd.
Tsama side steps the guard's attack and strikes twice with a club he’s been holding. The guard swings and hits, slashing across Tsama’s arm. Tsama swings the club connecting twice, causing the guard to bleed. As the guard slashes across Tsama’s chest, “You better quit now, I know who you are Tsama. I’ll tell the rest of the military and we all will come for you.”
Tsama swings, his first strike missing. He looks puzzled, as if he hadn’t considered the potential ramifications. His second hit connects just above the guard's mouth, right where his mustache would be. The club smashes in his nose, gushing blood. The guard collapses to the ground.
Tsama walks over takes dagger off guards belt. Tsama pulls out a small vial out of his pouch, pours it in the guards mouth, and begins walking away.
“I know who you are," the guard spits, "you can’t hide. Anyone who hears the name Tsama, will know that he is a coward, a criminal. That Tsama should be drawn and quartered or that he should be taken to the gallows.
Someone from the crowd that's appeared shouts, “He’s right, you just assaulted a guard!”
Tsama responds, “He stole my family's dagger”
“I heard, but that doesn’t matter. You assaulted a guard. They will look for you. Particularly they will look for your name. You’re new around here so no one really knows what you look like, but people have heard about the new guy named Tsama” The man flips his cloak and there’s an emblem on his collar. There are 3 lines horizontally stacked on top of each other.
Tsama takes off down the alley and the scene blurs changing again. This time we are removed from the city center. Before the group stands a field, fifteen soldiers are training. Most of the group hones in on the boy walking up behind the group wearing a crown, but Myra fixates on the person fifty feet behind the boy. The same man from the window, the same man from the memories of Thomas.
The boy gets within ninety feet of the group of soldiers, then casts a spell. Everyone on the field except Tsama person fall unconscious. As he looks around he notices the boy standing at the edge of the group. He yells at the boy and starts running towards him. The boy runs ducking into the streets of the town, it taking Tsama two blocks to run him into a dead end.
"What did you do to the rest of the soldiers?” Tsama demands.
The boy, breathing heavily, "Ohhh boy, I am going to get in trouble for this. I cast sleep on them. I thought it would get all of you. I cast it with a lot of magic. It doesn’t really do anything other than cause them to fall asleep, they’re fine."
"How do I know you’re telling the truth? You could have been like a multiple-lightning bolt! You could have just electrocuted all their brains."
“Like chain lightning? I have read about the spell but haven’t learned how to do it yet, also I didn’t want to hurt any of you. I just wanted to try out a new spell I learned.”
“Then why did you run?” Tsama demands.
“You chased me!”
“Show me that they are ok!”
“I can tell you how, I am already going to get in trouble for this. I shouldn’t have snuck away.”
“What are you talking about?”
The boy points up at crown and Tsama seems to notice it for the first time. He considers it, “I was a prince.”
The boy laughs, “Not everyone is a prince, only a few like me. You must be mistaken. You can only be a prince if your father is the King. Everyone knows the prince, and they come to say hi, and give you things. They will even come for you. ”
The prince seems to be referring to a retainer, coming to pick you up and remind you of your duties but Tsama face clouds as he remembers his father's words, “They will come for you.”
“Yes, I was mistaken," Tsama corrects, "my Nana used to call me prince.”
“I am -" the noise seems to muffle as the prince introduces himself, "Prince of skull hill keep.”
“I am Abio the soldier," Most of the group sees that Abio is frustrated with the title, like a lifetime has taught him that’s not who he is.
Sarya, Amelie, and Raijun see the prince looking at Abio quizzically, the gears turning question why Abio did not fall asleep with the others. Myra is distracted by the man walking in from the end of the alley, the same man from the previous instances, his red extravagant robes billowing around him. The princes robes look almost plain in comparison. The man’s collar has gold embroidery. Up and down his sleeves there is gold embroidery, with another gold embroidered symbol on the chest of silk shirt.
“Your highness," the man sneers, "what are you doing talking to this person? They are a lowly soldier, they are but an ant to you.”
“Abio, isn’t an ant, he’s my new friend,” the prince insists.
“Why be friends with an ant, what use does it have but for a boot to squash it?”
“I am no ant to be squashed by anything or anyone,” Abio interjects.
“Is the ant talking?" The man in the red rob asks the air. He waves hand, silencing Abio with a spell.
Abio attempts to speak but finds he's unable to do so becoming more and more aggravated.
“Remove it," the prince demands of the man, "I have already told you, do not have me repeat myself again, he is my friend.”
The red robes waves a hand lifting the spell as we hear Abio making noise again. The red robes continues, “In any case your highness, we must go. You next lesson begins soon.”
“Very well," he turns to Abio giving him a medallion, "Abio come see me in the castle sometime. Give the guards this they will instantly let you in.”
“Did you give that solider your royal symbol?" the red robes demands. "Your highness we talked about this. You cannot hand out your symbol haphazardly.”
Stubbornly, “As I said Wei, my new friend, carry along I will be along shortly.” He turns again to Abio, “I enjoyed playing with you I never get to play hide and seek, or race or have any friends. I had fun. See you later Abio.”
“Bye ----” the name of the prince is lost to static as the group is thrust out of the vision.

Difficult Choices

Back in the chamber where they defeated the lich and lost the goblin to a pile of ash all that remains of the lich's body is a puddle of water. As they were pulled into the vision Sarya had seen a spider scuttle away down the hall but it seems to be long gone by now. The party pulls themselves together, quickly patching their wounds before heading back down the tunnels the way they entered from.
The make it back to the main chamber of the floor and sigh looking at the other tapestry needed to open the door, once more heading down the left hand tunnel. They pass the door that held the dragons Timmy and Tommy but quickly reach the end of the tunnel with no other doors. Raijun can feel that there is something off about the wall and a quick investigation between him and Myra reveals that the wall is once again illusory and find a stone that opens the wall up.
The group passes into another darkened room with two snake like creatures. The naga question the groups motives, especially now that this is the first time they've conversed with any of the guardians without the bracelets. Myra argues that they need more information on the spell imprisoning them as if the poisoner was able to capture their souls it may be only a matter of time before he gets someone looking to help him. The guardians brush off the group saying that they should just return to the cells not convinced by their arguments. Upon reaching an impasse they attack the group who is once again faced with a kill or die scenario.
After dispatching the two naga another tapestry appears and the group takes it back to the main chamber. The tapestry is put on the other alter and the central door opens to a new smaller chamber. The group takes a minute to heal their wounds, having faced off against three different foes without any rest they are beginning to look haggard. As they take a minute Myra asks Amelie if she has any idea how long she's been in the prison.
Amelie replies that it's difficult to keep track without any windows but given some counting she's done of sleep cycles she thinks it has been about six months, mentioning that it has certainly been long enough for her to be missed. Myra asks if she was on the ship that wrecked, referring to the ship they found with Thomas (see Cursed Compass 'Wreck' Section). Amelie says she wasn't on a boat that wrecked as far as she was aware, mentioning that her and a team were on a recovery mission that went poorly. Myra asks specifically about Thomas and Amelie says she didn't know of anyone by that name.
Raijun asks where the recovery effort was and Amelie is hesitant to tell them thinking that they won't believe her answer. Raijun says to try them and Amelie tells them of a report of cities that had such incredible magic that the propelled themselves through the sky. Her group had received reports that a part of such a city was deep under the ocean and had taken an interest. Amelie pauses to see the groups reaction, prompting Myra to shrug commenting that they've been to Vlypeum. Amelie looks taken aback asking who they were again prompting a Wardens dance from Raijun.
Myra inquires what happened there that led to Amelie ending up in the prison. Amelie comments that they found some remaining inhabitants of Vlypeum and ran into another unexpected group. An incident occurred leading both groups to be pursued by the guardians of the island. Upon trying to escape some kind of arcane field activated, some sort of fail safe.
Myra asks if the Manten Lich group, they had found remains of in Vlypeum, had been the ones perusing Amelie. Amelie comments that she had been traveling with them but they had joined forces and she was not opposed to them.
Myra asks how she would work with them and Amelie answers that her group believes that magic is given for a reason and is neutral in it's execution. She comments that she was 'investigating the intentions' of those she traveled with and the general sentiments of where her daughters grew up. She said that some of the things that she had witnessed both here and before had confirmed some of her nightmares. She mentioned that she was familiar with the men in the memories noting that the embroidery on the sleeves of the man in the red robes was similar to that of the lich who attacked.
Myra asks how she could serve either of them given the things she's heard and seen. Amelie replies that it was never about the men, that it was only ever about the crown.
Amelie ends the conversation stepping into the smaller room reading the runes on the door. Before the group stand three doors with words seeming to rank their inhabitants. The doors read 'Medium', followed by 'Difficult', followed by 'Deadly'. On the side of the doors there is an explanation that the doors will dictate what kind of reward is presented before going forward. The group evaluates their current state and decides that it is worth the risk to go through difficult to acquire what boons it might grant them. As they reach for the door they are once again teleported into a smaller chamber than usual a balor standing before them.
The Balor begins speaking in abyssal, which Raijiun thankfully speaks fluently. The balor explains that there's actually two of them in this room and he's as stuck here as they are. As he's not one to help their captors he agrees to consider a deal with the group if they can first take out his brother, another balor hovering just out of view. Raijun agrees, and the group starts an opening salvo against the balors brother. During the opening round it becomes obvious that the first brother isn't going to fight so Hagren pivots and pantomimes a deal with the brother to help them gang up on the original balor in exchange for his life. Raijun hears the brother sigh and say he really just wanted to watch the spider but agrees that he doesn't want to die and will help them.
The fight is quick but brutal with many of the group taking some serious damage from the balor's fiery aura. Hagren gets the final shot through one of the balors eyes but as the bullet pierces the skull the entire form seems to shimmer with light as the body explodes. Raijun, Hagren, and Myra go down leaving Sarya and Amelie to revive them. Luckily, the brother is true to his word and goes back to hunting for the spider as Amelie gets everyone up.
As the group returns to consciousness they feel the pounding headache of another memory as their vision fades to black.

Report Date

31 Mar 2022