Session 353 - A Soul Is Liberated
General Summary
The Story So Far
Ash - An expert in the occult and a skilled monster hunter. Ash uses his talents and budding alchemical expertise to battle the things people fear most for a price.
Ryobi - A monk of the embattled Order of the Warriors of Mameka. Ryobi is given an important mission; retrieve the holy blades containing the souls of his brother knights, which were lost in the recent Rethemi civil war.
They are joined by Vinzent, a bard with a morbid demeanor and a haunted past.
The heroes travel to Techen to find Marden of Taylire, the miscreant journeyman weapon crafter who, according to his cousin, has the Mamekan Blades of the warrior monk Calatrava. Marden wants to learn how the legendary swords were forged. Calatrava’s soul is bound to the blade, and Ryobi’s order wants the blade back to release the spirit to the afterlife.
This is the continuation of Session 351 - The Sword of Calatrava.
Location - Techen Castle in the Kingdom of Rethem.
17th Nolus (Summer) 727TR
Part 1 – The Angry Weaponsmith
On the way to Techen, the party encounters a small pack of desperate, starving wolves. The flea-bitten canines are easily repelled.
At Techen, the trio visits the settlement's only weapon crafter. Master weaponsmith Galen of Fosk specialized in maces and shields and expressed a very low opinion of Marden of Taylire when questioned. Maden did nothing but complain when he rented time on Galen's forge, "The forge needs to be hotter, he says." "He insulted my business and experience, and I kicked him out the door." Ryobi and Ash are well versed in metalcraft, and when assessing Galen's work, they judge him as a competent smith, but his maces look good quality.
Part 2 – Gossip at the Inn
Asking around the village, it looks like Marden stayed at one of the local inns, the Sword and Shields, so while Ryobi questions the locals, Ash, with Master Galen's permission, rents the forge and creates some spare star knives of his own custom design.
The Sword and Shields is a rough establishment filled with the Earl of Techen's guards, a few prosperous merchants, and serious-looking knights. Ryobi easily joins the banter and learns that Marden departed a week ago. He brought some high-quality charcoal and oil from a merchant. One of the locals recalls he was asking for directions to a nearby cave and who owned it. The heroes seek out this cave.
Part 3 - A Sorcerer of Some Power
The cave is hard to find, but a rising cloud of black smoke eventually gives away its location.
Their attempt to sneak into the cave is disastrous; Vinzent knocks over a wood pile, alerting its occupants, a tall man, and three guard dogs. The dogs race after the heroes but are quickly knocked out.
The cave is separated into two, divided by a trench with a wooden plank acting as a makeshift bridge. The man matches the description of Marden, and he stands on the other side of the cavern. The heroes spot a (magically) burning brazier and the sword of Calatrava. Their foe notes Ryobi's sword, recognizing him as a warrior-monk of the Order of the Warriors of Mameka, and knows what the party has come for. He must win this fight or die.
As the heroes cross the bridge, Marden proves to be a skilled sorcerer, creating a Gust of Wind nearly knocking the heroes off into a rocky pit. Ryobi leaps to the side and attacks him from the flank while Marden's Burning Hands scorches the warrior monk. Ash joins the fight but gets pounded by Magic Missiles and is knocked out. As Ryobi is badly injured, the normally cautious Vinzent joins the melee, distracting the evil sorcerer and giving an opportunity for Ryobi to drive his sword through his heart. It was the most satisfying kill.
Part 4 – Sacrilege
The Blade of Calatrava has been damaged; a portion of it has been hacked off, but Ryobi is relieved to see that the gem set on the pommel is intact. This gem holds the soul of Ryobi's fellow knight.
The party grabs the sword, but the vile sorcerer has one nasty surprise left. In the flaming brazier, a fire elemental is hiding. As it emerges, the trio runs and barely escapes the cave without being incinerated. The creature of flame does not follow.
Part 5 – A Soul is Free
The heroes return to the City of Golotha, and the priests of the Order of Mamaka, Master of Steel, perform a solemn ceremony and release the soul of Brother Calatrava to the afterlife. The high priest, Sir Klyrdes Bisidril, rewards the heroes well for their efforts. One of the twelve missing swords from the Battle of Rylosin Forest has been recovered.
To be continued.NPC Interactions
Sir Klyrdes Bisidril - the Harnic Apalankh.
Galen of Fosk - Weaponsmith.
Related Articles
Order of the Warriors of Mameka and Order of Mamaka, Master of Steel.
Mamekan Blades, Alchemical Weapons and Martial Arts.
Player Characters
Ryobi - Human - L1 Monk
Background - Temple Guard.
Archetypes - TBA.
Ash - Human - L1 Thaumaturge
Background - Weaponcrafter.
Archetypes - TBA.
NPC Companion
Vinzent - Human - L1 Bard
Background - Cursed.
Archetypes - TBA.
Next Session
Ryobi
Ash
NPC Companion
Vinzent
He is a skilled minstrel who is infamous for his depressing performances.
Order of the Warriors of Mameka
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