The Dungeon of Graves: Session 36

General Summary

The Damned

Standing outside in the downpour of rain at their coastal camp, the Shrike’s agents prepared and burned Orilo’s body as per his request. Unfortunately the ceremony lasted longer than usual as the tropical storm was making it hard for the flames to claim the body. Amo had been keeping his distance from the group during the funeral but as the smoke drifted up instead of flowing over the ocean, all of them could feel that Vrokíva’s presence was all around them. Emil signs to Lothar asking why the Brume Wolf hadn’t taken this area yet and Lothar explains that the powers of the others in this area are limiting her encroachment. They camped in the coastal cave, protected from the rain before continuing down to New Czira.
Over the next few days each of the bodies are protected from rot and other nefarious issues. At the end of the first day Lothar cleanses the wererat curse from the dead Lord Thevius and himself. The next day the cleric received a troubled telepathic message and when asked about his frustration he explains that his brother is no longer an unwilling servant of the Shrike but a fully vested agent. The Shrike’s power must be too powerful to resist. Sinatra offers that they have found who is the stoutest between the brothers. It was not obvious if the druid was trying to make Lothar feel better.
On one of the rests, Emil started the task of partitioning out some of the items from Halxion. Lothar passes on the shield as the one he had was able to blind enemies. Each day Sinestra created Goodberries and passed them out to all of them but Amo did not eat any of them. About a day outside of New Czira Lothar ponders how the Master’s skeletons are stronger than the ones he creates. It is explained that they must have been created by a powerful necromancer. As the conversation turns to creating the undead, Amo asks why does it matter that the dead are willing. Sinestra simply states that he is interrupting the infinite cycle where the souls of the dead should pass on and not be brought back. Furthermore Lothar explained that it would slavery if they were unwilling. Kaertas just wants to be respectful of the other members of the party.
The rain is still pouring as they arrive at the small settlement off the eastern coast of Gylidd. As they are allowed in they spot an aethrin with bright green eyes with a red hat. At his waist they could see a drum and rapier and on his back a backpack and another more ornate rapier. It was obvious that Ace was waiting for them. The group greets them with the usual judgement and heads back to their residences. As they settle the bodies of Lord Thevius and Vai’len in the main room, Emil follows Amo out of the building. Amo heads to Baggo and inquires about a golden skull. The quartermaster inquires if they had a preference as those who are truly dedicated to the Shrike usually have a particular preference for their spell components. Amo asks for a large raven skull and as Baggo returns with the skull Emil has entered the market. Emil didn't approach until Amo had left and Baggo had called him forward. They speak telepathically and Emil inquires about purchasing four platinum rings. After searching through a small trove of rings, some with the fingers still attached, four rings are purchased. As Emil leaves he signs “Always nice talking with you” before returning to the residences.
Kaertas left the main building shortly after the other two; however, he headed directly to Inako’s cabin. Knocking on the door, he waits for a minute before the door is opened just a crack. The necromancer looked a bit ragged. Kaertas doesn’t wait for pleasantries and asks for her help raising a couple of his companions. She asks what condition he would like them raised and is directed to Baggo when he says not as the undead. He awkwardly stands there and says “we need to talk later” before leaving abruptly. Kaertas heads to the market and requests Baggo’s help and after a small donation to Lord Wyrren the quartermaster agrees to perform the ritual. Kaertas arrived first but soon there was a light knock on the door before the quartermaster entered. He approached the two dead and asked which one should be raised first. Moving to Vai’len, Baggo brings out his holy symbol. It looked like a hand with ink-stained fingers clutching expensive spell components. As the ritual continued, his skeletal hands wave over the body, his fingers turning black at the tips. Across Vai’len’s skin the ink from his fingertips spread over her body, as if looking for what kept her dead and fixing it. From an outside perspective it looked rather simple but it was anything but.
Vai’len felt like they were stuck in limbo, they knew they were dead but were unable to make progress to the people she wanted to head to. It was almost painful but the ink starts to bleed off with her sweat and she returns to the living. In a similar manner, Lord Thevius is raised both feeling like death, tired and sore. Vai’len attempts to help the Lord to his feet but Kaertas steps in and helps the tiefling to his bed. The group makes some small talk while the awakened companions are settled, Vai’len opted to stay in the main group to make sure she was able to be part of whatever decisions were made. Emil approached Lothar and handed him one of the rings he had collected. He explained that they would be needed for a spell. Emil then turned to Vai’len and offered her the other ring. The rogue simply teased that she didn’t know him long enough but accepted the ring. Knowing that Vai’len would be the forward scout, Amo approached the rogue and tore out his fingernail and offered it to her. It was one of the oddest things the rogue had ever seen but she accepted it when Amo explained that with that he would be able to communicate with her.
The conversation once again drifts back to the cycle of life and Amo asks where Sinestra hailed from. The druid hails from a druid conclave in the Southern Badlands of Rilumir. They worship Achar and believe that when a creature dies their energy flows into others and in a certain way that creature achieves true immortality and that raising a creature from death disrupts the cycle. It was easy for Ace to read the room and that although they have only been with the group for a few minutes they could tell that they are not friends. Inako walks into the room, magically shoving the water off her and out of the door. She looks for an update and they fill her in. Kaertas follows Inako outside and it was plain to see that Inako wasn’t in a mood for Kaertas’ normal requests. But she was rather surprised when Kaertas asks her how she deals with watching her friends dying in front of her. She explains that she tries not to get drawn into the depths. Kaertas further explains that he believes that he could only show his vulnerability in front of her and not his companions. Unfortunately Inako had no advice for the distraught wizard. Kaertas hands Inako the bottle of fancy wine he had purchased at the Last One Inn and states that he had wanted to share this with her last time. She takes the bottle and as she turns to leave, “Kaertas nothing we make in this life lasts forever, not the friendships, not family, not nations, not the undead, certainly not magical items, not even knowledge lasts. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t worthy because you never know when it could be taken from you.” She tells him to come by later if he wants to talk about the magical item. Before she left Kaertas, she states that it was hard for her to watch that battle they had lost so many in but there is nothing else she can do.
They made plans to deliver Halxion’s body to Rhoxl after taking some time to work on some magical items. This is the first time the group had taken time to make themselves stronger and it wasn’t a collective decision. But after some words of wisdom by Lord Thevius they spent the next six weeks crafting and resting. Some of them traveled to an area just outside the settlement and as they left the direct area around New Czira, the wilderness opened up and thrived. At some point the rain had stopped. It seemed that something truly dangerous was happening in the lower regions of Myzelis. However, it seemed that Vrokíva had calmed, for now.
Once they were equipped with their new magical items, they left New Czira and headed to Zelkor’s Ferry. They arrived on the 1st of Souma and were instantly greeted by the Captain, Akrad. As they crossed the river they noted the strong current but the river wasn’t threatening to flood as the last time they had traveled here. Without much fanfare, Vai’len explained why they were there and received directions to Castle Calaelen, the Wrenjer’s stronghold in the area. Before they left the small village, Kaertas checked on the Darks and Akrad retrieved Zhanna’s Bounty List for the party. Kanndra Dark informed the wizard that Ulman was resting but doing well and before she closed the door she gave a wink which confused Kaertas and made him wonder if the beautiful and young looking wife of his potential mentor was into him.
Making their way west they travel to the castle with Halxion’s body draped across Emil’s horse. Near one of the tributary rivers they found the remnants of a statue. All that was left was the pedestal that it sat on and the ruined green stone around it. Shifting through the rubble, Vai’len spotted a demonic face and observed that the stone was very similar to the stone they came across in the dungeon. They press on however and as they approach the restored castle, they can hear the whistles from the Wrenjers. There were several archers on the parapets and in the arrow slits all around the castle. By the time they arrived near the entrance the portcullis was down and a half-satyr, half-fire genasi was already standing there. It was known to even the Shrike’s group that there would be one Wrenjer in charge of the area and with the look of the Wrenjer in front of them this must be Arddan Goswren, Crown Wrenjer. Once again Vai’len takes the lead and informs the Wrenjer why they are there, unfortunately she isn’t as smooth as most of her other companions.
The drawbridge was lowered and Arddan summoned Rhoxl with a message; it seemed that they had gained enough ground to at least present Halxion. When Rhoxl heard who was there, they came running and when they noticed the bundle of cloth they threw themselves on the ground next to the body. She pulled the body closer to her, resting the head on her breast while saying “Sssleeep now, sssleep now.” Rhoxl asked how he had died and they explained that he died heroically and stood his ground against many foes of the Master. After taking a moment, Rhoxl rises and picks up the body, ready to bring him to the crypts. Before turning she asked the group how many of them cared for him and all but the newer agents raised their hands. Arddan relented to the cleric and those that had wished to witness the funeral rites were asked to remove all of their weapons and follow Rhoxl.
Three of the group remained outside while the rest followed the lizardfolk into the castle, down a set of stairs and through an up open cavern underneath the castle. It was colder down there and they could see that in the walls there some bodies already interred while many of the places were still unoccupied. Candles flickered on the walls making the area seem like stars, very fitting for Halxion as he was a cleric of twilight. On the far side of the cavern, they could see a moss covered stone archway that seemed to be a portal to somewhere and two other figures in the area. After a few moments Rhoxl had prepared Halxion’s body, cleansing and carefully rewrapping the body before she turned to the group if anyone wanted to say a few words. Awkwardly they all spoke kind words of the cleric and lit a candle. Rhoxl glanced down at Halxion’s body and spoke. She did not know how they would fix what the cleric had been trying to accomplish with the Shrike. Continuing she explains that he has inspired his friends to do better and that everything Halxion had done was for their Inaethri. Rhoxl knows that he will travel to his side to wander and protect the souls. Setting the candle she had been holding down, the body is interred feet first into the earth.
They are at an impasse. The Wrenjers know that they are servants of the Shrike but their actions here indicate that they might be unwilling servants. Rhoxl will advise the others in trying to understand that the agents are being forced. They do ask that they try to minimize the damage that the Shrike makes them do but to also protect what was taken from them. Furthermore if they need help they just need to ask. It was obvious that the group was becoming restless and concerned about what they could say knowing that they have been watched before. The Wrenjers informed them that nothing could penetrate this area and they could speak freely. Kaertas turned to Vai’len while the rogue was trying to sense what the group wanted. In the end they hint at what they are searching for and one of the other Wrenjers approaches the group. They orc adamantly stated that whatever they do they should never give the Shrike the Architect as they made Tsar and that it would piss off Vrokíva to no end. The orc does offer each of them to modify their memories that way if they were pressed on what happened they wouldn’t have to lie and their secret talk could remain a secret. All of them volunteer except for Lord Thevius and Lothar stating that one of them should remember. Swiftly the Orc, Belum, magically implants and takes away the memory of what was spoken but left them with the impression that if they needed help that the Wrenjers would be willing to assist.
Lothar had wanted to keep the memory but after a quick test of his lying, Belum gently suggested that they alter the cleric’s memory as well. With the secrets spilled and covered with magic they are escorted back upstairs and out of the castle. As Vai’len strolled past Arddan, she just mentions that Zetwuzadi should be told about Mogg’s death as they seemed friendly in Zelkor’s Ferry. It looked like the rogue had sucker punched the commander with the suggestion. Before they left, Arddan asked what they called themselves and they simply stated that they call themselves the Damned.
After a couple more hours of travel back towards Zelkor’s Ferry where the ferry transported them across the river, the Damned found themselves standing near a boggy area of the forest. The trees had dwindled and the land had gentle sloping hills and where there wasn’t a hill there was a thick oily bog. In front of them there was a lonely hut off into the distance, the only building on the northern side of the river for several miles. It was surrounded by skulls sitting on top of sticks. Eight evenly spaced out. Each skull had a silver semicircle mark of a half moon. The hut was made of wood with bark shingles. One single door faced them. There was a large boiling cauldron with a stocks nearby. Sitting atop the stocks was a large raven and near the door were two large red rusty colored hounds with blackened teeth, feet and tongue. Atop the hut was a large bird nest that they had spotted before as they had thrown the dead troll into the river after questioning them. In the nest was an aethrin looking woman with the body of a vulture and head of woman. All of the creatures were watching them. Directly near them they found a bell with a sign that read: Welcome to the abode of Zhanna, the Hand of Jothvidarl. Ring the bell to request the audience whether seeking bounty or fortune. Lord Thevius was cautious of the bell but Amo rings it anyway. The bell rings out so loud and once it is done, a woman emerges from the hut in bear-leather robes overtop black robes and on top of all of that there was a mantle of raven feathers and on her head an avian looking cap with more feathers. “Whether seeking the bounty or a fortune, choose one to accept the symbol of Jothvidarl, and then let the one proceed forward and stand before me without fear. One and only one may enter my circle.” No one immediately stepped forward until reluctantly Thevius approached. The woman, presumably Zhanna, waved her hands in the air and Thevius was marked with a symbol on the back of his hand. It looked like a headless spider.
The woman waved her finger to the Lord then he started walking. The skulls rotated in place to watch him approach. But as he stepped in nothing bad happened. Zhanna asked if they sought bounty or wealth and after a moment the woman realized that they were here for more information. Zhanna started marking places on the map that Kaertas presented to Lord Thevius when he had returned for it, for where the items could potentially be found.

Report Date

13 Jun 2021