Session 385 - A Face From the Past

General Summary

17^th to 20^th of Kelen Spring 728TR

The story so far

A group of heroes battle the evils haunting the beleaguered Kingdom of Kanday.

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Sir Odin, a former Erkan of the Checked Shield, has been raised to knighthood.

Remy, a former master thief and active gambler, has won and lost fortunes.

Abaddon has traveled the wilderness, perfecting his impressive martial skills.

Edelina, a scholarly priestess of the god of Knowledge Save K’Nor, joins them on their adventures.

This is the continuation of Session 383 - Shrine of the Accursed Serpent.

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Location - Shrine of the Acursed Serpent, in the Kingdom of Kanday.

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The heroes are investigating the disappearance of Alvor of L'sean, a Jarinese traveling Priest of Ilvir. His distinctive serpent dagger was spotted in the position of a pair of Ivinian warriors who were openly looking for an Ilvirian cleric. The heroes tracked these warriors to the Shrine of the Accused Serpent and entered its underground chambers, fighting various Ivashu monsters along the way. The priest who attends the shrine, Pyl the Hermit, is missing, although his assistant is dead, killed by eye-eating Vlasters.

The heroes continue investigating these dangerous underground caverns.

Part 1 – Giant Centipedes and Crabs

The party enters a side chamber filled with old crates and boxes. The contents are mostly spoilt cloth and food, but they see a small chest in a crevice. The agile Remy squeezes in and grabs the chest, stepping on hidden magical runes. It's a trap. Out of cracks in the walls, giant centipedes swarm the heroes, and two enormous, semi-ethereal troll hands appear and attempt to grab and crush Remy and Odin. The agile warriors wiggle free, Remy's blast of lightning destroys the floating hand, and the party soon deals with the disgusting centipedes, carefully avoiding being bitten and infected with their toxic venom.

The chest contains some useful trinkets and potions.

The heroes find some tracks, those of men with heavy boots. These must be of the Ivinian warriors, and they lead past a small antechamber filled with what looks like large fish eggs. The eggs burst, and two huge crablike creatures emerge but are quickly dealt with. Remy blasts the remaining eggs, killing dozens of the helpless tiny crustaceans.

Part 2 – The Hunters and Hermit

The next chamber is over a chasm that opens into some form of study containing a table, a bookshelf, and cabinets filled with dozens of small idols of various Ivashu and Ilvirian paraphernalia. A burning brazier is positioned in the center of the chamber. A ladder, used as a bridge to cross the fissure, is drawn up on the other side, so the heroes are forced to use magic or leap the gap.

Modi, art by Playground

The adventures hear movement in a side chamber.

Thrad, art by Playground

Three badly wounded men emerge; two Ivinian warriors (one with Alvor of L'sean’s serpent dagger in his belt) and another man, a priest of Ilvir, barely alive. The priest shows signs of severe poisoning, and Edelina rushes to offer medical assistance. The older Ivinian says he took the full blast of the Aklash's breath weapon.

The men introduce themselves as Modi and Thrand Thorberg; the priest is Pyl the Hermit, who maintains this shrine. The heroes are surprised, they were expecting a fight from the warriors.

Pyl, art by Playground

The Thorberg cousins and a feeble Pyl the Hermit explain what happened while Edelina administers healing. The Thorbergs were hunting a murderer who had been butchering their kinsmen, named Xantosa, a deranged Priest of Ilvir who can summon monsters seemingly at will. They have been questioning worshipers of Ilvir in the region and, by coincidence, arrived at the Shrine of The Accursed Serpent when the murderer showed his evil face. Xantosa, aided by this troll companion, summoned Vlasters and an Aklash, who nearly killed the trio. They retreated to this chamber, dragging the near-dead Ply with them, but not before they saw the troll remove a huge piece of petrified bone from a hidden compartment.

The heroes have previously encountered Xantosa and his troll, Shageiros. Xantosa is seeking the body parts of the legendary demigod Obsidipor and believes he plans to restore it to life for some nefarious reason.

After healing, the trio are well enough to leave the caverns. Tactfully, the heroes ask after the fate of Alvor of L'sean and why they have his dagger. Modi explains they found it on Alvor of L'sean's corpse. He had been murdered, tied to a tree, and had his throat slit. They took the dagger and buried him as they believed (correctly) it was the common practice among the adherents of Ilvir. The murder scene was not far off a nearby crossroad, and Modi gives the dagger to Odin, asking that it be returned to his kin.

Part 3 - Murder Most Foul

The heroes agree to work with the Thorburgs in the future, hunting down Xantosa. But for the moment, they decide to investigate Alvor's murder, making their way to where the Thorburgs found his body. On the way, they are assaulted by more Ivashu but make quick work of a trio of angry, deformed, gargoyle-like Kafhexis, also known as the Bringers of Fever, likely summoned by the malicious Xantosa to cover his escape.

They soon find the crime scene, a shallow grave, and a large dying tree that has residual blood splatters. Examining the ground, Odin finds dying grass in the shape of hoof prints and very deep footprints consistent with a large man in heavy armor. The corpse is exhumed, and Edelina confirms he died from a slit throat. Everything appears ritualist; Odin and Edelina believe this is consistent with vile Morgathic practices. Morgathic Priests and some worshipers often sacrifice human life to the lord of chaos, madness, and evil.

As the heroes ponder what they have learned, they feel a chill, and the shadows darken, take on horrific forms, and encircle them. These dark shades attach to the heroes' shadows and rapidly sap their life forces. Edelina conjures a mystical lantern-shaped beacon to light, revealing the shades and allowing them to be quickly destroyed.

Part 4 – Alvor's Final Rest

Turryl, art by Playground

The heroes wrap up the remains of Alvor in a canvas tent and return them to Posiar Manor and inform their employer, the elderly Turryl of L'sean, of the fate of his cherished nephew. The despondent manor chamberlain quickly arranges a burial in the nearby Peoni cemetery with a joint Peonian and Ilvirian ceremony. He thanks the heroes for their effort and allows them to keep his nephew's dagger. However, this is not enough for Odin; the noble knight vows to hunt down this foul murderer.

To be continued.

NPC Interactions

Modi and Thrand Thorberg - Bounty Hunters.

Pyl the Hermit - Priest of Ilvir and Caretaker of the Shrine of the Accursed Serpent.

Turryl of L’sean - Chamberlain of Posiar Manor.

Created Content

Nothing this week.

Related Reports

Kafhexis - the Bringers of Fever - Updated.

Player Characters

Odin - Human - L6 Ranger

Background - Martial Disciple.

Archetype - Investigator.

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Abaddon - Elf - L6 Monk

Background - Martial Disciple.

Archetypes - Druid.

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Remy - Human - L6 Kineticist (Air and Metal)

Background - Acrobat.

Archetypes - Acrobat.

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NPC Companion

Edelina - Human - L6 Holy Sage Sorcerer

Background - Astrologer.

Archetypes - Psychic.

Next Session

Session 387 - On the Trail of a Murderer.

Shrine, Murder Scene and Posiar Manor

Session 385, art by Attacus

Campaign

Games of the Gods

Protagonists

Remy

Abaddon

Odin

Report Date

27 Oct 2024

Secondary Location

Manor of Posiar

NPC Companion

Edelina of Sprunstone

Edelina, a scholarly priestess of the Church of Save K'Nor, wanders the world looking for subjects to research. She has studied psionics and astrology.

Edelina, art by playground

Shrine of the Accursed Serpent

A memorial on the peak of Edernis Hill to a half-forgotten legend, Guevani, the Accursed Serpent, a shape-changing trickster hero. Pyl of L'Glesig, a hermit and priest of Ilvir, cares for the shrine.

Guevani, it is said, possessed the mysterious ability to take the form of a giant golden snake or that of any human or Ivashu he wished.

When the Gozyda Barbarian invaders crossed over the Eryn River into conflict with the local Aleta tribes, Guevani, through a series of deceptions, trickery, diplomacy, and sorcery, turned the tide, convincing the Gozyda peacefully to return home. They never returned.

Xantosa

A fanatical priest of Ilvir with an insane plan to bring a demigod back to life.

Xantosa, art by Artbreeder