Session 138 - Burnt Offerings

General Summary

7^th and 8^th Agrazhar (Third Month of Summer) 721TR

The story so far

Jolanta and her trusty bodyguard Blaine are agents of the mysterious Order of the White Hand, hunting down unscrupulous mages and covering up magical mishaps.

Continuation of the Session 134 - The Ring of Wonder.

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Location - City of Cherafir in the Kingdom of Melderyn.

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Part 1 - Mission 5 - The Necromancer

Ceredig Yerwold, art by Artbreeder

Viran Ceredig Yerwold assigns Jolanta another mission.

The Lord of the nearby Brin Manor claimed to have captured a Necromancer. Jolanta is to investigate this man before an inquisition squad arrives in a couple of days. If he is an arcane spell-caster, she is to confiscate any spellbooks or magical items and leave him to the Inquisition as necromancy is banned in Melderyn. However, she is trusted to use her judgment if there are mitigating circumstances. If he is an adherent of an evil god-like Morgath, she should leave the man to his fate.

Jolanta and Blaine head off to Brin Manor.

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Location - Brin Manor in the Kingdom of Melderyn.

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Part 2 - His Lordship

Jolanta visits the Black Reed Inn. It is alive with gossip. A few days ago, a man dress in black arrived and offered to plays music and tell tales. His stories were decidedly dark and he told the parable Klyss the Necromancer and the Merchant. This is the Priests of Morgath often use this allegory to explain how it is impossible to escape your fate, and it has many darker meanings. On learning of this, Lord Golick Rusqur had the man arrested.

Sir Golik, art by Artbreeder

Pretending to be an advanced party for the Inquisition, Jolanta finds Sir Golick is a pompous fool. He trained to become a Knight of the Order of the Lady of Paladins but was rejected for a reason he does not want to talk about. Examining the mysterious man's belongings Sir Golick found various religious paraphernalia from the evil gods. A brass disk with the black sphere of the darkness of Morgath, the flame symbol of Agrik, and Navehan Assassins Knife with a skull pommel. Unfortunately, this man escaped this morning.

Investigating the room he was held in, Jolanta believes he must have escaped using magic, likely illusion or invisibility. Recalling her studies, she believes the most likely clerical sect to use such a deception would be the Order of Rydequelyn. She learns from Lord Golick that the man was asking after people in the village who live alone. One of these people, Hugunert, has an isolated farmhouse. Jolanta decides to check on him.

Part 3 - The Hugunert's Farmhouse

Rodolk, art by Artbreeder

Hugunert's farmhouse is deserted, although several broken objects suggest a struggle. Jolanta starts searching for clues and finds some faint black footprints, but before she examines further, a man matching the fugitive's description looks in from one of the windows. He mutters an incantation, and thin bands of colorful geometric patterns rotate around the Heroes, paralyzing Blaine. Jolanta uses her arcane knowledge to deflect the fugitive man's hold. Undeterred by Jolanta's efforts, the fugitive man attempts more arcane trickery and tries to charm Jolanta. Again, Jolanta's magical training allows her to resist being ensorcelled and she responds with her own charm spell. The fugitive man, with a smirk of amusement, blocks her attempt to enchant him by unwinding her spells form before its essence can be summoned, countering her magic.

Preferring to talk, both combatants agree on a truce. Rodolk Czurger, agent of the Order of the Rydequelyn, is a man on a mission. He has heard rumors that there is an evil cult in operation in the village, and he is investigating. In his guise as a storyteller, he tells Jolanta, that he uses horrific morality tales to draw a response out worshipers of the dark gods. He suspects that the farmer Hugunert is at dire risk of becoming a sacrifice, likely to an Agrikian Cult. Today is the holiest day of the year for worshipers of Agrik, the infamous Feast of Balefire.

Roldolk has deduced that Jolanta is an agent of the White Hand and enlists her support. When she shows him the black footprints, he believes they are most likely from charcoal burners. He quips that charcoal burners are always fire worshipers. The Heroes join him as he investigates further.

Part 4 - The Charcoal Burners

The man, Rodolk, and our heroes Jolanta and Blaine come to the charcoal burner's kilns; where they find a gang of seven brutes carousing around a small fire they are stoking it into what will soon become a raging bonfire. The elderly farmer, Hugunert, is tied to a nearby cart full of charcoal, awaiting his baleful fate at the hands of these servants of a dark god.

Rodolk steps forward, confidently uttering Agrikian verses in Surikal, the temple tongue of the Church of Agrik. He then demonstrates some surprising skill at the dark god's unholy invocations; seeming to know more about the sacred scriptures and rites of Agrik than do the worshippers. The unsuspecting adherents are soothed by Rodolk's approach, believing him to be a mendicant priest of Agrik. As the men drop their guard, Rodolk signals Jolanta and Blaine to attack. The heroes strike the surprised Agrikians quickly before the others can mount solid a defense. The remaining acolytes fight desperately, even causing the small fire to explode and severely burning Blaine and Jolanta; eventually, though, the cultists are all dispatched.

The appreciative Rodolk thanks Jolanta and Blaine for their assistance, and requests that Jolanta report his death and that of the other cultist to Sir Golick. Fulfilling their promise, Jolanta and Blaine make their report and slip away before the Laranian Inquisition squad arrives late the next day.

NPC Interactions

Viran Ceredig Yerwold.

Sir Golick Rusqur - Lord of Brin Manor.

Rodolk Czurger - Order of the Rydequelyn.

Hugunert - The old Farmer.

Challenges Overcome

Discovered and dealt with a secret cult of 7 Agrik Worshipers.

Rewards

Friendship of Rodolk Czurger.

Related Reports

Morgath.

Klyss the Necromancer.

Order of Rydequelyn.

Agrik.

Feast of Balefire.

Player Character Status

Jolanta - Human - Level 5 Evoker - gained Level.

Campaign

Agents of the White Hand - Campaign Complete

Protagonists

Jolanta

Report Date

01 Apr 2021

NPC Companion

Blaine

Jolanta's loyal and often drunk bodyguard.

Blaine, art by Artur Sadlos

Order of the Rydequelyn

Bards, jesters, fools, spies, social critics, thieves of forbidden lore and agents of the Church of Save-K'nor.

No-one truly knows these highly intelligent and mysterious artists.

Rydequelyn, art by Columbia Games