Session 377 - A Tangled Web of Deception
General Summary
The Story So Far
The heroes have saved the Kingdom of Kaldor from the foulspawn hordes of the New Empire of Lothrim. They have gained much wealth and power, but one loose end needs to be tidied up. The so-called Twilight Calamity, a powerful Shadow Dragon, has made Valeria’s life miserable. He needs to be dealt with.
This is the continuation of Session 375 - Empire's End.
Location - The Kingdom of Melderyn.
5th to 10th Agrazhar 728TR
Valeria gained her abilities to manipulate shadow magic after a strange magical incident about ten years ago at the Dancing Shadow Inn, in the port town of Nurisel. What happened is unclear as her memories are decidedly hazy, but she did find a mysterious book. Over the years, she has been able to translate it, and it contains a wealth of lore on the Shadow Realm, its denizens, and magical rituals for manipulating shadow and opening gateways to that world.
As her magical powers developed, creatures from the Shadow World tried to kill her. From these entities, she learned that they were sent by the great Shadow Dragon Zykayda, also called the Twilight Calamity. Zykayda believes her magical powers were stolen from him, and he wants them back.
Having assisted in the downfall of the New Empire of Lothrim, Valeria now decides to confront the dragon who has tormented her for years. She believes the gateway to the Shadow realm is at the Dancing Shadow Inn in Nurisel, in the Kingdom of Melderyn, where she gained her powers.
Part 1 – Short Cuts Are Often Dangerous
The heroes decide to take a shortcut to Melderyn via a Barasi Point. Dryueh has the Troll Bone Flute, a powerful relic that opens these mystical doorways used by the elves in ancient times.
He opens the gateway to a location he has been to before, the Rekene near Castle Glenoth. The party arrives on the familiar stone platform inscribed with a maze pattern, but not all is as it seems. There are no sounds of nature, and the leaves of the nearby trees are slightly swaying, but there is no wind. Rycon is convinced everything is fake, an Illusion. Dryueh notices movement in the air. Something huge and invisible is approaching.
Huge, unseen tentacles lash the heroes, and they hit hard. The frustrated Valeria casts See The Unseen and is shocked at the horror assaulting the heroes. A writhing mass of tentacles covered with fangs and eyes. The heroes are losing the fight; however, Valentia manages to startle the horror with a Phantasmal Killer, and it momentarily backs off.
Rycon, still convinced the world he sees is an illusion, spots two pinpoints of light, one in the direction the party came from and another about 50 feet away. Pointing this out, the party rushes to the far light; it is a magical gateway but closed. Fortunately, Dryueh manipulates the spell weave using the Troll Bone Flute, and the light expands, opening the portal. The heroes leap through just as the unseen monstrosity closes on them again.
Part 2 - The Baron of Glenoth
Part 3 – The Earl of Nurisel
Valeria, believing that his man knows much more than he should, asks him for help. She outlines the mysterious events of her youth and the strange magical explosion ten years ago, which granted her sorcerous powers. After some consideration, the thoughtful noble agrees to help.
About 22 years ago, a mysterious traveler arrived in Nurisel. Talsalar Harroweave, as it turned out, was a shape-changing wizard from Yashain, the realm of the gods, taking human form. Talsalar claimed he was being hunted by the Demon Edthiel. The Order of the White Hand and created for him a new human identity, and he built the Dancing Shadow Inn. He worked with the Guild of Arcane Lore to repair a dwarven mechanism he had discovered called the Shadowbox that burns alchemical powders to create bright light, which was projected onto a screen in the tavern. Using complex brass stencils, shadows can be created on a canvas screen. He created entertaining short plays, which were very popular with locals and visitors.
This went well for many years until “There was a mishap. Talsalar was up to no good and fled the town shortly after, never to be seen again," the Earl says, "The White Hand had to clean up the mess and modify the memory of dozens of patrons." Valeria thinks she may be one of them. Earl Sunoril suggests the party speak with the wizard Herl. She can explain the magical side of the events in more detail.
The Dancing Shadow Inn was reopened a few years later under new management, and the Earl and other organizations closely watch it. It seems to attract dangerous people.
Part 4 – An Intriguing Offer
Earl Sunoril also wants to speak with Rycon privately. The Earl explains he is a member of the Council of Eleven and sounds Rycon out if he would be interested in joining as an advisory member. He comes well recommended (by the Chunel Toron of Melderyn, Lady Erila Kaphin, Yebisi Netoshi, and Noron the Giant).
Rycon's role would be to advise the council on the significant events in the Kingdom of Kaldor, with the primary goal of preventing another disaster, such as the recent orcish invasions and the rise of the short-lived New Empire of Lothrim. He would not be expected to divulge any state secrets, break any confidences, or act as a spy, and he would only offer to advise the Council on events of Harnic-wide significance or threats or anything else of interest.
Rycon is interested and will meet with the council later this year.
Part 5 – Herl the Plane Walker
Talsalar Harroweave's true form resembled a humanoid goat's. “He had most impressive horns,” she muses. However, he was deceptive and had the White Hand fooled for many years. While performing his shadow plays, he clandestinely weakened the fabric between this world and the Shadow Realm. When some monstrous entity, “A dragon, I believe,” on the other side, ventured too close, he did something that was not completely understood. He then fled probably back to his home world.
Valeria casts the Pin Point spell in an attempt to locate Harroweave, having murky memories of seeing him in his human form before the incident. Her spell works, and she learns Talsalar Harroweave is in Yashain, the Tarankor Plains, in the corpse of the dead god Edthiel.
Valeria wants to speak with Harroweave and Herl offers her assistance. She knows of that region of Yashain, it is located near the Langseevain Marsh, which she has visited. She shows the party one of her maps but warns them, "On Yashain geography, and time can move around on occasions, so this map may not be entirely accurate.” She gives them a sample of earth from a nearby gateway on Yashain and suggests the heroes travel to Vara, near the other end of the Isle of Melderyn. This ancient stone circle contains a Barasi point, and Dryueh should, using the sample of earth for navigation, travel to the plane of the gods to a location near the Langseevain Marsh. After traveling 5 to 10 days through this dismal swamp, they should be able to find the Tarankor Plains.
Part 6 – Vara Hendge
A few days later, the party makes its way through the hills of northern Melderyn, a windy, wild region. Air Elementals, more mini-storm clouds, and birds made of mist and lightning harass the party, but they are easily dealt with. The three stone circles at Vara are impressive, ancient moments of a long-lost ancient civilization. Valeria senses that one of the stone circles has a passive Barasi Point (gateway). Dryueh opens it using the Troll Bone Flute, and the party steps inside and travels to the world of the gods.
To be continued.NPC Interactions
Sir Soren Halwyn - Baron of Glenoth.
Sir Sunoril Thabel - Earl of Nurisel.
Herl of Nurisel - Plane Traveling Wizard.
Created Content
Dancing Shadow Inn.Related Reports
Barasi Points - Holy Groves - Updated.
The Council of Eleven - Updated.
Player Characters
Valeria - Human - L20 Shadow Sorcerer
Background - Magical Experiment.
Archetype - Beastmaster/Wizard.
Rycon - Human - L20 Fighter
Background - Rebel Knight.
Archetypes - Liberator Champion/Dual Weapon Warrior/Swashbuckler.
Dryueh - 1/2 Elf - L20 Thief Rogue
Background - Scout.
Archetypes - Vigilante/Medic/Shadowdancer/Wizard/Acrobat.
NPC Companion
Blaine - Human - L20 Fighter
Background - Bodyguard.
Archetypes - None gets in the way of drinking.
Next Session
Rycon
Dryueh
Valeria
NPC Companion
Blaine
A capable fighter, bodyguard, and occasional tavern owner. He likes to kill orcs and drink alcohol.
Troll Bone Flute
Also called the Nolah’s Flute this magical artifact stolen from the Church of Ilvir, allows whoever plays it to open and travel through Barasi Points or Holy Groves.
The Rekene
The Rekene is located on Glenoth Island. It is a maze carved on a large flat stone, around 30 feet square. Legend has it that walking the maze activates a Barasi Points.
Bone flute, I am sure there is an NSFW joke there. :D Love how you are managing a high level campaign. Well done!
Thanks. It gives them a chance to play their 20th-level characters without destroying the verisimilitude of the world for a couple of sessions.