The Hall of Harsh Reflections

General Summary

The PCs journey to Suzail at the urging of an old contact of Silk's, Kylara, with concern that the forthcoming trade agreement will be sabotaged. The investigation attracts the attention of a mind flayer sorcerer named Zyrxog living in the undercity with a cadre of unusual underlings. The illithid dispatches a band of doppelgangers, who abduct and replace Hope, spying on them from within while The PCs trace the attack back to Sodden Hold, an underground estate populated by more doppelgangers. As the PCs battle their way through the lair, the doppelgangers assume their forms, making the place a kind of demented hall of mirrors. The mind flayer is behind the doppelganger gang, having dominated each and every one of them more than three years ago. Although the creatures believe themselves to be autonomous, they are in fact thralls of the illithid, who uses the doppelgangers as vast information-gathering network. Many simply wander the streets in one form or another, but several have positions of prominence among the government, major temples, and constabulary. Thanks to his domination effect, the mind flayer has eyes all over the North. Those bound in his service call Silk the "Orphan" and indicate the Orphan's role in a prophecy about the fall of the Doppelganger race. Zyrxog does not react well to the destruction of his minions, and soon appears with a retinue of drow guardians to settle the score with the PCs. He flees at the first sign of serious trouble, however, not before suggesting that Silk's mother may, in fact, be alive. The party discovers within the Sodden Hold a ledger logging sales of disturbing artifacts to collectors around the city. Two entries seem of particular note—a recent entry logging the payment for the PCs’ assassination by the doppelgangers and an earlier transaction with the same customer concerning something called the Apostolic Scrolls. The name of that customer is Loris Raknian, director of the Blood Arena in the far flung southern city of Manshaka. However, a more pressing entry details a plan to detonate explosives all over Suzail, permanently destroying any hopes for the young Queen Raedra to forge lasting peace across the Inner Sea via trade and diplomacy. Even worse, several worm-infested agents have been embedded within the public signing event, with orders to assassinate the Queen. The final prong of the mind-flayer's plan is a ritual, deep in the catacombs of the palace, which will open a gate to the Shadowfell and allow the Herald of Kyuss, the dark dragon, Dragotha to escape into the world. The party races to the capitol building and averts the assassination. But nothing can stop the explosions. While the city is rent asunder, Triple T joins the Friendly Five in the catacombs to stop the summoning of Dragotha. They are aided from within by Quagim, who barely makes it through the portal before Triple T closes it permanently.
Events

The party attends a tea party and learns that Lady Fennerhausen is an agent of the Ebon Triad.

Mad Aya’s location discovered in Suzail.

Silk, in the guise of Lord Reed and Jaffren, signs the Inner Sea Trade Coster on behalf of the nation of Damara. Bak attends as well in the guise of Lord Jaffren.

Hope discovers and destroys a large blue crystal containing the result of Zyrxog’s experiment on her.

Kraegor Hullblade and the ship are lost in the explosions at the docks.

Party discovers a pattern-shifting carpet in Zyrxog’s lair.

Kylara goes missing during the investigation.

Report Date

29 Dec 2021

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  The Hall of Harsh Reflections