Session 110 - Secrets Revealed

General Summary

1^st to 14^th Navek (Second Month of Winter) 722TR
The story so far

The Heroes have escaped the Warriors of Mameka with evidence that they have recently suffered a catastrophic defeat, and Castle Bedenes is now vulnerable to attack. The political ramifications of this are significant. The five Azeryani Crusaders, witnesses to this military disaster, want their story told.

The continuation of Session 109 - The Barbarian Incursions.

Location - Castle of Tormau in the Kingdom of Rethem.

Part 1 - Secrets Emerge

Sir Ingaard, art by Artbreeder

The Heroes arrive at the Castle of Tormau with the Azeryani Crusaders. A week later, after messages are sent out, the Crusaders tell their story to the Earl of Tormau and prominent members of the Heralds Guild, representing many of the Rethem's most powerful families.

Also in attendance is Sir Ingaard, of the Embassy of Living Flame. The Heroes met him last while they were posing as merchants at Arketh Keep. Sir Ingaard is amused to see that Athena has "Once again been spying behind enemy lines." Sir Ingaard is on Hârn investigating the fate of the Azeryani Crusaders for the Agrikian Pontiff. Just before the current Civil War broke out, a delegation was sent to meet with Warriors of Mameka at Castle Bedenes. They have not reported back, he suspects foul play.

Sir Brunus Risalsin, Art by Artbreeder

He is not the only familiar guest.

Lord Master Herald, Sir Brunus Risalsin, representing King Chafin III, is also attending. Yureb had dealings with him when in disguise posing as Grenix, the Biographer. At first, Sir Brunus does not recognize Yureb, but then he spots Yureb's sword, the one he stole from King Chafin. A moment later, he comes to the realization who Yureb is. He tells him with a smile, "I received your letter. You have the King's attention," referring to Yureb's letter sent to King Chafin III (see the sidebar).

Lucanarus Tacins, the surviving Azeryani Crusaders leader, recounts his experiences at Castle Bedenes and with the Warriors of Mameka.

Lucanarus, art by Artbreeder
In the Spring of 718TR, he was part of a troop of Crusaders, of noble birth, from the Azeryani Empire. They were supporting the Order of the Warriors of Mameka in their holy quest to recover sacred artifacts, including one of the revered 888 Sacred Cairns, from the long lost fort of Kustan. The Warband consisted of the forty crusaders, fifty Warriors of Mameka knights, and a hundred common soldiers.

After attacking and burning a few Kuboran villages, they approached Kustan, and walked into a well-planned trap. The Kubora massively outnumbered the crusaders, and with the battle lines strung out, the knights were unable to coordinate defenses in the thick forest. Likewise, the soldiers were not able to throw their alchemical grenades. It was a massacre. Only the Grandmaster of the Mamekans and half a dozen Knights survived with ten common soldiers and Lucanarus and his four companions.

The Warriors of Mameka are a spent force with at most forty remaining knights and maybe fifty soldiers. Not enough to adequately defend both their manors and castle against a large determined attack.

Additionally, he once overheard several of the Warriors of Mameka guards joking about some spies being fed to the Tigers. Lucanarus speculates these spies could have been the Pontiffs Investigators as the dates match.

Finally, Lucanarus suspects the Mamekan's and their sponsoring clerical order, The Order of Mamaka, the Master of Steel, are heretics. Some of their religious practices appear very unorthodox and extreme.

Part 2 - Rewards for Services

The Earl of Tormau is impressed with the intelligence the Heroes supplied. This has important military and political ramifications. Castle Bedenes is vulnerable to attack in spring, and King Chafin's close Agrikian supporters have been undermined. He is considering plans to exploit this tactical and political advantage.

The Heroes service is rewarded. Athena is granted Deya Keep, the estates formally belonging to her hated foes the Hamlens. The Earl offers Yureb some lands and possibly a Manor, but he is hesitant to accept it, but he is considering a more devious possibility. The Earl is unsure how to reward Quazzy but will consider granting a reasonable request.

Part 3 - An Old Friend in Need

While at Tormau, the Heroes encounter an old friend, Kimar Brynn, the Bounty Hunter.

Kimar is hunting a particularly loathsome individual, the artist Ogerius Nethra. Ogerius is famous in Morgathic circles for making all manner of macabre artwork. He tattoos slaves and harvests their skin for paintings. He creates sculptures out of bone and organs preserved in resin. Kimar believes he has a workshop hidden in the Wilderness. However, as the murder of slaves is technically legal in Rethem and Kimar wants to deal with this vile man "off the record". The Heroes are happy to help their old friend. Quazzy, observing the shrine to Siem in his cottage, believes that Kimar is a member of the secretive Uthriem Roliri.

Ogerius often sells his artwork to the decadent Baron of Quiso, Tuboth Yonan, and donates pieces to various temples of Morgath, including the nearby Shrine of Aekluhaya. He has many highly placed friends and allies.

Kimar has procured a sample of Ogerius hair (he does not describe how he acquired it) and can use it to determine the man's location. Athena attempts to Scry on him, but he easily detects her attempt and disrupts it. Kimar warns this man appears to be neither alive or undead, something he cannot explain; however, he is a powerful arcane spell user, having studied in the Lyahvi (Illusionary) arts. His ever-present bodyguard is a huge intimidating man who never speaks.

Location - Peran Wilderness a days travel from Quiso Keep in the Kingdom of Rethem.

Part 4 - The Dark Gorge

Kimar burns a little of the Artist's hair, creates a smoke trial that he can easily follow. The Heroes journey through the Peran Wilderness for most of the day, entering a small thicket with a well-concealed Gorge. Three horse size abominations with six meaty legs and an oversize face and mouth are on guard. These Parzz’vals spit acidic, sticky webbing, and one swallowed Athena whole, but they were quickly dispatched before they can do much damage.

Concealed in the gorge was a stone doorway leading into an ancient underground vault, probably dating back to the Corani Empire or Theocracy of Tekhos eras. The Heroes easily avoid a crude falling rocks and log trap and enter.

Part 5 - Passages into Darkness

Inside they find a passage filled with many crude leering statues leading to a door. Yureb quickly spots a secret door, but five incorporeal ghosts of skinned people attack from the walls before he can investigate. These Flayed Wraiths let out an agonizing howl, making the Heroes feel their dying torturous pain, but they were quickly overcome.

Yureb examining the secret door, cannot find a mechanism to open it, so as an experiment, he moves the nearby small statue. It easily turns, and the secret door slides open, revealing a narrow passage, and a large brutish man is concealed behind it. The Brute attacks.

The artist, art by Artbreeder

He strikes Yureb hard, but Quazzy telekinetically drags him toward the characters who surround him. The Artist Ogerius makes a brief appearance from behind the passage, temporarily dominating Athena and causing some general confusion. As the Brute is hacked to pieces, the Artist closes the secret door and retreats into his studio, but not before Quazzy's invisible familiar sneaks past him.

To be continued...