Kyllikki Särkeäkivi, Prince of Swords
Kyllikki Särkeäkivi
Kyllikki was born to a stone carver in Racine before the empire fell. She followed her father like a shadow, and delighted in making rough carvings of her own. Although tensions were high during the coup, Clan Shattersone stayed put, assuming that this change would blow over quickly and business would return to normal.
Empress Nikoleta's suicide a year later was a little too much change. As civil war exploded in Racine, Yrjänä Särkeäkivi sent his wife from the city with their daughter to live with her clan in Korkeuksissa instead. He would join them when he could, or send word when it was safe for them to return. Marjukka and Kyllikki waited, but he never came. Instead, they receive the news of Racine's destruction. Yrjänä and the rest of Clan Shatterstone were presumed dead.
Clan Oathsinger welcome Kyllikki with open arms, but she refused to be welcomed. She isolated herself among her mother's people, and ignored all attempts to help her move on from the loss of her father and clan, appearing to descend into madness. Her speech and mannerisms became closed off, she worked no craft, and her emotions frequently erupted into a cold, destructive rage.
Kyllikki spent fifty years trying to master her own mind, ultimately finding peace in movement. Swinging her war hammer became a distraction from the obsessions and compulsions that plagued her. With some measure of control over her raging frustrations, Kyllikki left her mother's clan behind to search for answers about her father.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Kyllikki is all compact muscle, with her arms and shoulders being especially defined after years of swinging a heavy war hammer. She's built for strength, rather than grace or stealth.
Body Features
Her skin is a sandstone tan common to her mother's clan, with the reddish undertones of clan Shatterstone. She wears her brown hair long and braided back from her face.
Facial Features
Kyllikki has her father's deep-set amber eyes, and a face that is more sharp angles than curves.
Identifying Characteristics
Her left wrist bears the mark of the Prince of Swords, surrounded by scars and fresher wounds from constant scratching.
Physical quirks
Kyllikki is left-handed.
Apparel & Accessories
Kyllikki dresses for comfort, rather than fashion. She does not wear garments with sleeves, finding them restrictive and uncomfortable. She wears a heavy hide wrap over her leggings that serves no function except to provide a comforting weight. Her garments are all varying shades of brown, with the fabric edges frayed where she has picked away at loose threads.
Mental characteristics
Gender Identity
Female
Sexuality
"I like rocks more than you"
Education
Yrjänä taught Kyllikki everything she needed to know for life as a stone carver. He taught her to identify most stones and name their properties, as well as the use of mason's tools to make fine carvings. Her mother taught her reading, writing, and math, but Kylli was more interested in stone, to the point of obsession, and did not delve any deeper into academic subjects.
Mental Trauma
Kyllikki is obsessive-compulsive, taking the natural dwarven predisposition for perfectionism to another level. The bulk of her obsessions revolve around the idea of "right" and "wrong", though her definitions for those words don't always line up with reality. She doesn't handle mistakes well, and will sometimes get stuck doing the same thing over and over until it feels "correct". Usually this is harmless, but it has the potential to cause problems for others around her.
Social
Family Ties
Shatterstone and Oathsinger
Kyllikki was raised in her father's clan, as a Shatterstone (Särkeäkivi). While she is entitled to call herself an Oathsinger (Valanlaulaja) as well, she considers herself a Shatterstone through and through. Kylli was never as close to her mother as she was her father, and Marjukka has struggled to understand Kyllikki's obsessions. She harbors no ill-will toward her stepfather, Uolevi, but is painfully aware that he isn't Yrjänä, and has been unable to form any close bond with him as a result. She is not particularly close with either of her half-siblings, having closed herself off as a hermit for most of their lives.| Name | Relation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Yrjänä Särkeäkivi | Father | Last seen before Racine's fall, presumed dead. |
| Marjukka Valanlaulaja | Mother | Remarried 25 years after fall of Racine |
| Uolevi Valanlaulaja | Step-Father | |
| Kirsikka Valanlaulaja | Half-Sister | |
| Väinö Valanlaulauja | Half-Brother |
Social Aptitude
Kyllikki's intelligence is sometimes masked by her social ineptitude. She lacks most social graces, and comes off as cold or violent to those who do not know her well. She struggles to speak smoothly, hampered by her years of self-isolation and obsessions over word choice.
Hobbies & Pets
As a child, Kylli had a collection of rocks that her father helped her to build, from which she learned to identify stone and name each rock's properties. In her travels, she has taken to picking up pebbles and chips of stone in an attempt to recreate that collection on a smaller scale. There are always pebbles in her pockets.
Kyllikki escaped the city of Racine just before the fall of the Rachina Empire and now travels with the Court of Eight, as the Prince of Swords, hoping to repair the broken world.
View Character Profile
Species
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Prince of Swords
Date of Birth
23 June 2206
Birthplace
Children
Current Residence
Korkeuksissa
Gender
Female
Eyes
Amber
Hair
Brown, worn long and braided
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Sandstone
Height
4'6"
Weight
150 lbs
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Shifting Alliances
Monday, 10 January - Tuesday, 27 January 2282
The party emerged from a canyon to a series of caves that made up the Mao stronghold about a week after capturing the bandits. One bandit, Mao Fei, let out a shrill whistle to signal that they should be allowed entry. An escort brought the party to the gate, where Eren had to pull rank on the guards in order to proceed any further.
The camp was built up like a small town or an outpost, built into a maze-like canyon. A former Racinite soldier by the name of Gavriil led the party to speak with Bian, an intimidating Tlaslo Tonrar woman with heterochromia and a shaved head. After some discussion, about the layout of the fortress at Ym Phae and the number of men at Huye's disposal, Bian agreed to get the party into the way station. Eli snuck away from the group to summon Nyx, asking if there was an Atu in Ym Phae. It seemed to be something less powerful, perhaps one of the suites. She also learned that Nikoleta became an Atu after becoming Empress - Nyx groomed her for the role. There was a third Atu in their alliance, the Magus, but even Nyx cannot reach them.
Eli and Eren fought, taking the already high tensions within the party to a new height. When the party spoke with Bian two days later, the tension remained. Eren had not spoken to anyone in the party for days, and Eli was still upset. Bian provided the party with a map of the city and the best guess of the fortress's layout. They would be provided with an escort into the city and a sizeable distraction, but beyond that the party would be on their own.
That night, Eren disappeared without a trace. Pella tried to tell Eli a story to cheer her up, recalling a time when Nia had tried to break into Nikoleta's house. Pella fell, breaking her nose, but Nia made it out. They didn't speak to each other for a week, but made up in the in, and Pella still loved Nia more than anyone else in the world. Eli wasn't comforted by the tale.
The party woke to a huge commotion the next morning, and were quickly bound and blindfolded, with the mages gagged as well. Carried and dragged from their quarters, the party were chained down within earshot of each other. Eren was not among them. Kyllikki was tied to a wooden table, preventing her from tremorsensing, and forcing her to relive her experiences at the hospital in Roi. The commotion in the halls died down after half a day. The party were given water and scraps of bread once a day, but their situations did not improve otherwise. Mollye wildshaped into a snake to escape her chains, but found that the room was sealed and couldn't get back into her bonds. The guards interrogated her and she was put into a box.
Six days after their capture, Bian ordered the party unblindfolded. Kyllikki was gagged after swearing profusely at the woman responsible for their captivity. Bian called the party traitors and Trung spies, explaining that Eren stole some valuable information before he disappeared. She offered the party a choice between serving as bait for the Trung or death.
One by one, the members of the party were released the next morning and given a chance to bathe and eat. Their packs and weapons were returned to them, and they were taken along for the seven day journey to Ym Phae. Eli was held separate from the group as a hostage to ensure their compliance. En route, the party learned that Eren stole maps and battle plans before leaving the Mao camp. The Mao retaliated and rooted out every suspected spy, killing nearly 30 people. The new plan was to drop the party at the city gates to make their own way to the fortress, while the Mao made their attack on the watchtower. However, Mollye would remain with the Mao as collateral.
Across the Wastes
Monday, 6 December 2281 - Sunday, 9 January 2282
With the Hermit defeated, the party headed for the wastes beyond the woods. It took nearly a week's travel to reach the tree line, where they were met with a sheer cliff looking out over a dry, barren landscape dominated by canyons. It would take at least a month to reach the way station of Ym Phae. The road was in disrepair, but the way forward was clear nonetheless.
Three days into the journey, Eren and Pella heard a rattling noise while on watch just before the party were attacked by an enormous snake. Kyllikki was able to free Pella from the crushing grip of the creature's coils, only able to come down from her rage once certain that her friend was safe. The party departed again immediately to avoid further dangers.
On the winter solstice, the party spotted a large group of travelers with carts approaching them from the road ahead. Eren and Chiron rode ahead to meet them. The caravan consisted of Duyen bandits, from a sect called the Trung. Somehow, Eren convinced their leader to hand over a coin that signaled membership in the sect, before letting them continue on their way. The party passed other groups of Trung along the road, but were given little trouble. No one was sure what was hidden in the covered wagons and carts that the Trung guarded so closely.
Just before the turn of the year, the party made camp near a plateau top and heard the sound of hooves galloping from behind them. A crest sewn into the leather armor of the six horsemen revealed them to be members of the Mao sect. They advised the party to turn around. Eren cut their saddle bands and the party captured five of the bandits. A quick search through their pockets revealed many polished rocks, scrolls, and a map of the sect territories. Chiron gave Kyllikki a piece of obsidian, while the rest of the stones were put away to be sold later.
The party found a safer place to camp between two cliffs. Pella, Samorn, and Kyllikki interrogated one of the younger bandits, Chati, and learned that probably wouldn't be safe to travel to Ym Phae. He claimed that they were a group of smugglers, but revealed that the Trung traded in people. The Trung leader's name was Huye, and he kept two ogres, among other demons as pets. The bandit begged for the chance to escape with his brother Gamon, a simple man easily taken advantage of by the other Mao. The women agreed to let them take a horse and go, but Eren caught Samorn and Pella as they tried to get the horse. He searched the brothers more thoroughly for weapons and killed Gamon's pet mouse before tying them up.
Kyllikki carved a sandstone mouse for Gamon while Sah-Ghan explained to the party about the box from the woods. It was one of eight keys to a locked door somewhere in the North, likely where Empress Nikoleta sealed the Carkwhal. When Kyllikki went to give the sandstone mouse to Gamon, she found both brothers dead. Reminded of the loss of her own clan, she took the loss hard and buried the pair, leaving the sandstone mouse as a marker. Eren and Mollye revealed new marks on the arms, indicating that one of the brothers was a member of the suite of Cups.
The party resumed their trek through the wastes with their remaining captives in tow, heading for the Mao stronghold.
The Hermit
Sunday, 5 December 2281
The evening of the new moon, Desseccee fed the party a hearty root stew for supper. Just as the sun began to set, they saw bones creep out of the branches of the willow tree. An illusion dropped away, revealing that the willow tree was not the safe, comfortable haven they had thought it to be. The clearing was just as desecrated as the other places they had seen. Eren and Eli became sick from what they had eaten, and the bones reached out from the tree's trunk to grab hold of them. Desseecee transformed into a monster, revealing herself to be the Hermit that they had hunted all along.
The party struggled to defeat the Hermit in the close quarters of the tree's platforms, wary of falling or becoming trapped by the bones reaching out from the trunk. Kyllikki was able to embed one of her throwing hammers into the Hermit's chest and use her magic to heat the metal, harming the creature when it was otherwise risky to swing her war hammer.
When the creature fell at last, the last of the illusion faded and the party was left to reconsider their situation. The woods were silent except for a faint heartbeat that some of the party could make out. Eren pulled a forest-made heart from the Hermit's chest, and Mollye spoke to it in a strange language like the rustling of leaves to learn where it belonged. They restored the heart of the forest to a place in the willow tree, hidden behind a tapestry. Exhausted, the party camped at the base of the tree with a watchful eye turned toward the rest of the wood.
Desecrated Ground
Thursday, 18 November - Friday 3 December 2281
Iort led the party through the woods over the course of a week until they reached a line carved in the ground. He warned that they should not cross it without permission, before leaving to begin his journey home. Eli tried to summon the elf woman with a message, but there was no response. Instead, Eren climbed to the top of the nearest tree and waited for it to speak to him. It took several days before there was any sign of life.
Desseccee was a woman of few words, who welcomed the party into the warded clearing around a very large willow tree. The party joined her on the interconnected platforms in the branches that made up her home, and asked her about the Hermit. She explained that while the other elves abandoned their ancestral home in the woods, she and her mate, Imriel, decided to stay. Unfortunately, Imriel was killed by the Atu, leaving Desseccee alone. The elf offered to let the party stay the night so they could search for signs of the Atu the following day.
The next morning, the party followed Desseccee to the site of a previous Atu attack, perhaps an hour south of the willow clearing. Here the party sees a patch of desecrated ground, six or seven feet in diameter. This was the place where Imriel was killed fifty years prior, but the ground is still barren. Imriel's body had been picked clean to the bone, and was only recognizable by her jewelry. The trees in the area had regrown, but they all looked warped and blasted. Desseccee explained that it was a new moon when the attack happened, and that the Atu attacked only about once a year due to the lack of life remaining in the woods. The most recent attack was a week prior, where an entire warren of rabbits outside the protective web of fox paws was killed.
The party retreated to the willow tree while Desseccee tried to determine where a fox paw had been pulled from her protective web. She returned at nightfall and pointed to the location on the map. It would take a full day to reach the location along the main road. The party agreed to leave at first light.
Desseccee led the party to the place she had shown them on the map, growing more apprehensive as she approached the road. The ground was desecrated here as it had been in the place where Imriel was killed. The trees were growing away as if repulsed and the horses refused to go near. The remains of an old campsite revealed that an entire caravan had been killed here. This particular fox paw ward had been put up by Empress Nikoleta herself.
After some investigation, Eren discovered a perfect orb made of green schist, about the size of his palm. Beneath it was hidden a tiny box that shocked anyone who tried to open it. Kyllikki knew that green schist came from the northern mountains, but neither she nor Sah-Ghan had any idea why it would be so unnaturally smooth, or what purpose the orb would serve. When the party made camp that evening, Kyllikki attempted to carve an orb as smooth as the schist, but couldn't even begin to come close.
The next morning, Eren revealed to the party that the trees were coded to say that the heart of the wood was dead. No one was quite sure what to make of the message, nor could anyone make any progress in opening the box. With no other leads, the party returned to the willow tree to avoid the brewing storm. Eren snuck up to a higher platform, where he learned that the Atu would attack during the new moon in two days' time, and could be harmed by magical fire. The Atu consumed the heart of the wood fifty years ago. Worried, but undeterred, the party made their preparations.
A Pact
Wednesday, 17 November 2281
After leaving the halfling settlement behind, the party continued to travel from one stone circle of protection to the next. On the eighth day, they came upon a little cottage. At first, there didn't seem to be anyone there, but a hidden creature startled the party. Kyllikki took a swipe at the creature with her hammer, but missed. The creature introduced himself as Iorte Prorok Gniet IV, and asked many questions of the party, curious about the mention of magic. Eli told the creature stories, and he was immediately enraptured by them. He explained that he was originally from the woods, and had been living in the cottage for about four years. An Atu called the Hermit came after the elves left the woods, killing everything.
Iorte agreed to lead the party to the fox-paw path left in the woods by an elf who stayed behind. After a spit-shake pact to seal the terms of the bargain, Pella and Kylli felt new marks appear on their arms: iv, Truce. Before they departed the next morning, Kyllikki traded Iorte a river pebble for a chip of marble, as a sign of her own trust in the creature.
Restless Nights
Tuesday, 2 November - Monday, 8 November 2281
On the road away from Racine, the party paused briefly to investigate when Pella's compass pointed to the west of the path. Here Kyllikki, Pella, and Eli found a Halfling settlement in a misty gully. Kylli detected some movement with her tremorsense, some of which was directly beneath them, and they decided to leave without investigating any further.
At dusk that evening, Mollye was attacked by a tentacle from the grass while trying to light the carriage lanterns. Sah-Ghan lit the entire carriage up with magic, revealing a giant worm intent on fighting the party. The horses panicked, toppling the carriage and breaking Mollye's foot. After defeating the worm, the party abandoned the carriage and loaded the horses. For the next eighteen hours the party moved at a forced march, until Kyllikki could no longer sense anything following them. Exhausted and cranky, they set up a hasty camp and went to sleep.
In the early hours of the next morning, Samorn and Eren were woken by what sounded like Eli's voice. Instead, the party was forced to fight a turtle creature that crawled out of a nearby pond. They just barely survived the fight, and had to pack up and move again without a proper night's rest. Chiron led the party away from the main road to a less-traveled path, which proved to be safer.
The next night, the party was woken by the sound of Sah-Ghan screaming in the throes of a nightmare. Kyllikki, exhausted from so many days without proper rest, woke paranoid and immediately took up her hammer. She did not regret this choice, for she learned that Sah-Ghan was a necromancer, and Eli had asked him to try to revive Nikoleta. Too agitated to go back to sleep, Kyllikki took the next watch. She sensed movement beneath the ground, and she and Eren woke the party again. Before they could pack up to flee, they realized that they were camped in a circle of stones - a halfling circle of protection that the monsters would not enter. Despite this stroke of good luck, they placed a careful watch for the rest of the night.
The party traveled carefully between stone circles for the next several days until they arrived at a halfling settlement. Here they booked a night at the inn and got their first restful night of sleep in a week.
The Living Past
Saturday, 30 October 2281
The party tracked west to Empress Nikoleta's estate in the morning. Along the way, Kyllikki found smooth river pebbles like those she had gathered as a child. It was strange and disorienting to find her mother's favorite stone in a place she associated so closely with her father. The road leading to Pella's home was consumed by the abyss, and Kylli understood well the pain and anguish her friend felt at not knowing the fate of her family.
The stoop to Nikoleta's estate was covered with flowers, but the pretty tribute was overshadowed by grafitti carved into the stone that read THETIS LIES HERE. Despite this, Eren led the party onward. The air seemed almost electric with magical energy, and the gardens were untended and overgrown. In the receiving hall, Nikoleta's body was laid out in a glass casket. Eren asked the party to give him and Eli a moment of privacy, so they stepped back into the garden. The further they went from Eren, the heavier the air became.
When the party reentered the building a few minutes later, and proceeded to the next room, Eli's pendant rose off her chest and showed spectral images of a party with Eren and Nikoleta among the guests. The image replayed several times, but when Eli wandered toward the woman at the piano, the specters disappeared. She ran off to the parlor, and the party followed close behind. Here they were shown an image of a military man standing at attention as Nikoleta entered, looking thin. She asked him about a funeral, but he moved to draw his sword. Nikoleta threw him into a china cabinet that still stood broken in the room. That done, she exiled the man and his family beyond the empire. The scene faded as the man tried to crawl from the room. The party realized that this must be the man who killed Eren.
In the bedroom at the top of the stairs, the pendant showed a scene of Eli's mother sobbing and holding a woodcarving of a bird, carved by Eren. Nikoleta seemed to walk through the party to go and comfort her. Upset by this, Eli stormed from the room, and all followed her to Nikoleta's study. The scene here was unsettling. Nikoleta rose from her desk to fetch a book and clutched at her abdomen, bleeding and falling to the floor. At the sound of her scream, Eli ran off again. Eren remained to examine the room, and discovered several letters written in Dwarvish. He asked Kyllikki to translate them, and she was shocked to find that they were written by her father. The letters were written in codes that he had taught to Kylli as a child, telling of plans to trap a relic in a statue Nikoleta had commissioned. Kyllikki relayed this information to Eren, explaining that the Shatterstones were an ancient clan, oathbound to seal magic in stone. She broke into sobs, as this was the first sign of her father or clan that she had seen in fifty years. Eren embraced her, but at a hint from Pella, he pressed his forehead to hers.
Mollye and Eli returned to the study, the latter perturbed after witnessing another scene in the sun room. She took Kyllikki back to replay the scene, and Kyllikki wept as she watched her father talking to Nikoleta about the statue. It broke her heart to hear the sadness in his voice as he mentioned sending Kyllikki and her mother away. Eli stayed with her when the image finally faded, and played her the Dwarvish song Kylli had taught her.
After a few more mundane images with little substance, the party returned to the gardens. When they headed to the maid's house, the pendant revealed a scene of Eren embracing Nikoleta beneath a blooming tree. As it replayed, another figure appeared. The maid, Havva, was not a specter. Eren recognized her, but was suspicious and asked her the year. The date she gave was 2230, fifty-one years ago. The party learned that Nikoleta had been with child, but miscarried. The maid transformed into a monster, and the party had to fight her as well as the spirits of Eren and Nikoleta's lost twins. Kylli had her memory temporarily drained by the creature, but the party was able to defeat her before any real harm could be done.
Having exhausted all of their leads at the estate, the party resumed their earlier search for Sah-Ghan's contacts, the Nur. He discovered a marked door to a cellar that led under several buildings. Instead of the Nur, they found Chiron, apparently unharmed. He had few answers for how he had ended up in Racine, but he seemed to be himself and the party didn't question him further.
Eren discovered a rock puzzle in the wall, and Kyllikki quickly pushed him aside to tap the correct stones to open an archway. The hidden hallway beyond led to a series of larger rooms. Kyllikki took her time entering the space, admiring the granite work in the walls. Mollye showed her one of the many tiny figures scattered about the space - a marble figure of a dwarf woman with a hammer and a hawk. Her response was to describe the properties of marble, but Mollye asked her to hang on to the figure.
Most of the party delved deeper into the space, but Kyllikki remained. The feel of a granite wall beneath her hand was soothing after an emotionally trying morning. Sah-Ghan had also stayed behind, however, and they shared their first real conversation without shouting. He said that his family had died. The Nur taught him what he knows, but he was sorry now because he hadn't realized it was bad. Kyllikki couldn't really make heads or tails of what he was talking about, but could sense that he was upset by his memories. She set out her small collection of rocks for him, explaining that she collected them to help her remember. Sah-Ghan tapped the stones and made them chime like bells to play a song. She offered him the marble figure Mollye had entrusted to her, saying that he should keep it if he thought it might help. She did not name him as a friend, but felt more tolerant of his presence in the party.
When the party regrouped, they argued about their next destination. Eli summoned Nyx for advice. She grumpily directed them to the woods and asked for the figures scattered around the room. Eren asked Kyllikki to smash one with her hammer, but she refused after her talk with Sah-Ghan, concerned about the meaning of the figures.
Leaving Racine at last, the party paused at the gate. Here, Pella shouted promises into the abyss and left an offering of the flowers she had gathered on the road, which were sucked into the void.
Old Stories
Friday, 29 October 2281
The party traveled to Racine on foot from Naphio. The road was unmaintained, and the days grew shorter and chillier. They passed other travelers leaving Racine behind, but met no one else headed toward the city.
As the party approached Racine, they saw that the abyss had expanded and was spewing dark miasma, pushing Northward. The part of the city where Yrjänä's workshop used to be had been completely consumed by the pit, leaving Kyllikki feeling even more shattered than before. She had not spoken a single word in Common since Nyx's warning. The party made camp on the outskirts of the city, and Eli told the party a story she had learned from her mother, about a group of legendary Guardians.
The eight princes and princesses protected the world with their powers, conquering even death itself. She learned the end of the story from a book found in the library in Roi. The guardians were called the Court of Eight, and fought back twenty-two devils, saving the world from impending doom. One of the eight, the Queen of Disks, betrayed the others. She killed them, and shrouded the land in a dark fog that pulled the life out of everything it touched. When an Elven sage eventually cleared the dark mist, it left behind a crater that would become the Saria Sea.
Pella then revealed that she had done some reading in the library as well, where she learned of an item called the Carkwhal, which had been used to imprison the Universe. Eren confirmed its existence, saying that Nikoleta had found it in Racine and sent it to the the Sorcerer's Institute. However, it was found in Varvaren's chambers the night he was deposed.
Sah-Ghan proposed trying to make contact with a group called the Nur, but didn't have much information about how to find them. Eren proposed that the Carkwhal might still be at Nikoleta's place, saying that he could get past the magic preventing anyone from entering, since it was once his home. The party agreed to go to Nikoleta's, but to try to find the Nur along the way.
A Warning
Friday, 22 October 2281
Over breakfast, Eren informed the party that he had visited Nyx. He learned that she was an Atu, and she was the one to bring him back to life. She was Empress Nikoleta's mentor. Despite his warning that the party was being used, they chose to go see her anyway.
Floros' Flickerings was dark and the door opened on its own. In the back room, they found Hecate possessed by Nyx, with a map spread across the table. Nyx threatened the group, warning them to take things seriously before revealing more locations of Atu and members of the minor suites. Again, she stated that the Court of Eight was not ready to face what awaited them in Racine.
Sah-Ghan tried to cast a spell at Nyx, but his hand and arm began to die until he pulled them away. Nyx warned that anyone caught in Racine's abyss would be gone. Not necessarily dead, but gone. Kyllikki had a full-blown panic attack at this statement, terrified of the implications for her father and clan.
With the warning still ringing in their ears, the party departed for Racine anyway, determined to see for themselves what had happened.
Recovery
Friday, 3 September - Thursday, 21 October 2281
After defeating the Hanged Man, the party took several weeks to rest and recover from the ordeal.
Kyllikki witnessed Mollye rifling through Chiron's pack, and observed, curious. She claimed to be searching for a book, the first half of a romance series that she owned the second part to. There was little of sentimental value in the pack, but Mollye found the book and took nothing else, promising to return it when she was done.
Samorn, Pella, Mollye, and Kylli spent time searching the dunes and sandy meadows beyond Roi's walls searching for Samorn's panther, Jotei. It took time, but eventually she was reunited with her companion, to everyone's great joy. Kyllikki was a little concerned by the presence of the big cat, but he seemed friendly enough.
Dr. Sang requested that Pella undergo a physical exam for scientific purposes, given the rarity of Tieflings. One of his nurses treated another tiefling about 20 years prior. Pella agreed, and asked Kyllikki to accompany her. The exam did not present any problems or danger, but Pella was stressed by the experience. She revealed to Kylli that she had been taken from her family as an infant, and showed her a compass that was supposed to point home. Unsettled by the sight of her friend so upset, Kyllikki offered comfort as her father always had: with a kiss on the brow, before pressing their foreheads together. She promised to help Pella find her home and her family, explaining that Pella had become like clan to her.
Within two weeks of the Hanged Man's defeat, Roi's plague victims began to recover and the city became a more lively, optimistic place. Dr. Sang was beyond grateful. The party waited as long as they could for Chiron to reappear, but there was no sign of him. Just before they departed for Naphio, Kyllikki got into a shouting match with Sah-Ghan over dinner. He insisted on trying to speak to her in Dwarvish, despite knowing that Kyllikki spoke Common. Neither head cooled before the end of the evening.
On docking in Naphio two weeks later, several party members went ashore. Eren, Pella, and Kylli remained aboard ship while their companions searched for lodging. Eren confessed to the pair that he was an alcoholic, and feared that he had failed Eli. Kyllikki reminded him that every stone has imperfections, and it takes time to carve them out. The pair promised to keep Eren honest where alcohol was concerned, and he embraced them gratefully. Kyllikki was a little shaken by the unfamiliar gesture, but recognized the depth of trust and friendship involved.
The Hanged Man
Friday, 3 September 2281
Having recovered from their encounter with Dr. Myrin, the party went in search of the Hanged Man. Eren had explored one of the other buildings that made up the former magic academy that the Hospital was not using, and found a mirror inside. This, they decided, would be the best place to fight the Atu. Dodging dozens of leech-like creatures, the party ran for the mirror. Eli's pendant floated up to sit in the lock at the top of the mirror, as Dr. Sang's stone had for the one in his office. They stepped through the mirror, finding an older, dustier version of the library they had just left behind.
The Hanged Man very nearly killed the party, with several people dropping in and out of consciousness. The lonely Atu moved quickly across the library, tearing through each person's strength. Having defeated several of the minor suites, the party was unaccustomed to fighting anything this powerful. The Court of Eight defeated the Atu by the skin of their teeth, earning a "XII" mark on their right arms. Mollye and Samorn had to be carried, unconscious, from the mirror world back to the Hospital.
Shattered Stone
Wednesday, 1 September 2281
The party set out first thing in the morning to reach the Hospital on Roi's highest hill, using red-sigil passes Eren acquired overnight. To help some of her companions get through the Hospital's gate, Kyllikki scratched at the mark on her wrist with a fervor, remembering the bartender's reaction the night before. With Chiron and Pella, she was directed to the Hospital's clinic, where she quickly began to regret her decision.
Kyllikki panicked when grabbed by one of the nurses and instinctively lashed out. She was forced into a straight jacket and drawn deeper into the Hospital, her anxiety growing exponentially along the way. Chiron tried to fight off the guards, but was subdued with a syringe to the neck and dragged away. Desperate, Kyllikki tried to run and bit the nurse once recaptured. Dr. Myrin scheduled a lobotomy, claiming that this would "fix" Kylli, but the idea only served to upset her further.
Pella and Kyllikki were taken to a ward room with another patient and locked in. The Duyen woman seemed crazy when the nurses could see her, but quickly dropped the act when the three were alone, introducing herself as Samorn. She said she had been at the Hospital for a long time, and was trying to find the panther that had been taken from her. After a stressful few hours, a guard came to escort all three to another part of the Hospital, where they were reunited with most of the party. Chiron remained missing.
In searching the doctors' offices and comparing notes, the party learned that Dr. Sang may have been tricked by an Atu called The Hanged Man, while Dr. Myrin was potentially corrupted. Someone put a stone from Dr. Sang's desk into a slot at the top of a mirror, in hopes of summoning the Atu. In that moment, Samorn revealed the mark on her arm that proved her to be the Princess of Wands, the last member of the Court of Eight. The Hanged Man escaped the mirror, but appeared in every reflected surface in the room. Kyllikki couldn't tremorsense him. Ultimately, Sah-Ghan shattered the mirror with an ice knife, returning the Hanged Man to the stone.
Unnerved by the Atu, Eli summoned Vale to ask for advice. Nyx appeared as a specter, but not as the party knew her. She claimed to have imprisoned the Atu within the mirror, and emphasized that the party could not defeat it. They were sent to this place to find someone in the suit of Swords. There were 21 Atu, 12 of which Nyx had her hands on at some point. To defeat it, the party would need to release it from its gem and fight it somewhere well lit.
Dr. Sang and Dr. Myrin returned to the office, and Kyllikki threw an ink pot at the latter, furious at what he had tried to do to her. Splattered with ink, Myrin transformed into a monster and attacked. When Kyllikki entered a rage, she found herself surrounded by the spectral forms of her ancestors, warriors to defend her companions. On delivering the killing blow, she declared "I am not broken", understanding at last what Pella had tried to tell her. A new mark burned into her left arm, a "vi" to represent the defeat of Myrin. Mollye offered words of comfort on seeing Kyllikki break down into tears, saying that her ancestors and clan were surely proud of her. In return, Kyllikki offered her friendship.
To repent for his actions and the actions of his staff, Dr. Sang offered the party supplies and a place to take a much-needed rest.
Sickness and Suspicion
Tuesday, 31 August 2281
The party journeyed from Izmit across the Saria Sea and through the canals to reach the city of Roi. The causeway leading from the canal to the city gate was extremely crowded, and many people did not look well. Checkpoints were set up all along the bridge, and it seemed that few were allowed in or out of the city. The party were given a piece of paper with a sigil upon passing the first checkpoint, granting permission to travel only in the city's outer ring. In response to the illness running rampant in Roi, the city had ordered a mandatory sunset curfew, and required everyone to cover their mouth and nose with a mask. When asked for their names, most of the party gave false answers, but Kyllikki spoke the truth, too distressed by the discomfort of her mask to attempt a lie.
The party settled at an inn in a nicer part of the city. Eren, Eli, and Mollye left to go shopping. Distressed by too much-sensory input and the separation of the party, Kyllikki found herself caught in a loop of compulsions, and scratched mercilessly at the mark on her wrist in the inn's dining room. The bartender made an off-hand comment to Chiron about Kyllikki being mad or diseased, further upsetting her. Pella ushered her away before they could arouse any more suspicion, and tried to console her. She assured Kylli that the bartender was simply paranoid because of the sickness in the city, and that there was nothing wrong with her. Kylli argued that while the mark on her wrist was relatively new, she had been broken for a long time. Pella reminded her that a stone must be broken as it is being carved, and this, at last, calmed her. Kyllikki gifted her with a piece of granite streaked with fool's gold, while Pella bandaged the re-opened wounds on Kylli's wrist. On Mollye's return, she risked riling Kylli up again, but Pella was able to calm her with a spell. For the first time in many years, Kyllikki found that her mind was quiet, and wasn't sure what to make of the experience.
Unwelcome Surprises
Sunday, 22 August 2281
Awaiting the completion of Pella's "sale" to Count Yusuf, the party settled at a guest house in Alatopetra, while Mollye and Eli went to ask for the Count's patronage. Kyllikki and Pella spoke about the duck that Eren had gifted her, and what it meant. Kylli considered the possibility of attempting to carve again.
At dusk, a fight broke out in the Count's garden. Nukilik transformed into a monster mid-fight, much as Lord Dacey had. The party managed to subdue him, but the guard pulled the young Tiefling man from the carriage and held him hostage. Chiron teleported through a window to rescue him.
Count Yusuf was tied up and left to a life of servitude, while Pella spoke with the other tiefling before he made his escape. The party left Yusuf's property with a carriage and several of his horses. They were attacked on the road by several small creatures. Chiron attempted to grab Kyllikki and throw her, but she shrugged him off and took an aborted swing at him, startled. She was further unnerved to see Mollye transform into a wolf.
The party rode hard through the night to avoid further encounters along the road, and reached Izmit by mid-morning. After a chance to bathe and rest, Mollye approached Kyllikki to ask for her assistance in looking for opalescent feldspar. She wasn't quite reassured by this attempt at pleasantries, but agreed to keep an eye out for the stone.
Painful Subjects
Friday, 20 August 2281
After a three day journey across the Saria Sea, the party reached the port city of Izmit. They were drawn to the marketplace by news of an auction starting. At the center of the market was a slaver auctioning off Tlaslo Tonrar women. They were bought quickly and at high cost. Dwarves and Halflings were sold as well. What caught the party's attention, however was a young Tiefling man, heavily chained and offered for an extremely high price. Kyllikki guarded Pella and Eli while Eren disappeared into the crowd. The Tiefling was sold and taken away to a waiting carriage. Eli bolted away, but Kyllikki, too stressed by the crowds to focus clearly, couldn't catch her and stayed by Pella's side.
The party found lodging at a squalid inn called The Broken Word. Kyllikki confronted Eren when he proposed using Pella as a fake slave to convince the slavers to give us information. He asked her about her father, with Eli, Chiron, and Pella listening nearby. Struck by a sudden memory, Kyllikki explained that she remembered seeing Eren when she was younger. Her father had been commissioned to carve a statue for the Empress, and she had been presented with him to the court. She had to wear uncomfortable clothing, and hadn't understood all the manners and etiquette involved. She explained that she did not know what had happened to her father and her clan when the city fell, as she and her mother had been sent away to Korkeuksissa. The combination of the unexpected memory and her grief for her father pushed Kyllikki over the edge, and she closed herself off, inconsolable.
Later, Eren presented Kyllikki with a carved wooden duck, a perfect replica of the best stone carving she had done as a child. In return, she gave him one of the rocks she had collected, and declared him a friend. Once again, the word held different meaning for Kyllikki, for the bond was nothing like the ones she had forged with Eli or Pella.
When the time came to meet with the slaver Nukilik, Kyllikki joined Pella, Chiron, and Eren, to act as hired muscle and defend Pella if necessary. Eren arranged a deal to sell Pella to the same man who purchased the other tiefling, Count Yusuf, but it would be three days before the sale could be finalized. The party departed for Yusuf's estate in nearby Alatopetra.
Memories of Racine
Monday, 16 August 2281
Exhausted by their overnight adventure, the party slept until mid-afternoon. Kyllikki woke to find Hecate asleep, worn out from channeling her mother. She overheard a conversation between Eren and Eli, and found herself pushed to the breaking point at the mention of going home and finding someone dead. Overwhelmed by her emotions, she burst into the yard to avoid breaking anything in the shop as she raged. Eli followed and attempted to calm her by asking about her clan.
While the party was fighting Dacey, Nyx mapped out the locations of other potential suites. Kyllikki couldn't make heads or tails of the map, having little experience of the world beyond Racine or Korkeuksissa. The location in the woods appeared to be the most powerful of the four.
Eli and several other members of the party left to go shopping, while Kyllikki remained behind with Sah-Ghan and Pella. Eli offered to buy a set of mason's tools for Kyllikki, and she accepted, though she had not carved anything in fifty years. Kyllikki and Pella got to know each other better, and spoke of their memories of Racine and their missing families. This time, when Kyllikki claimed Pella as a friend, she had a better sense of what the word meant.
Later, when the party had regrouped, they learned that Eren had been Empress Nikoleta's consort, and had served as the royal assassin. He was not in Racine when the city fell. Someone tried to kill him and he lost a year of his life. When he awoke, Nikoleta was dead and Racine had burned to the ground.
After much discussion, the group decided to cross the Saria Sea to reach the crossroads Nyx had marked on the map.
A Friend and a Fiend
Sunday, 15 August 2281
Waking around noon the day after their harrowing escape from Lord Dacey's estate, the party discussed what they learned. Mollye stole a letter from the Marquess' chambers, where they had found the body of the Marquess Fahim. Dacey was involved in a cult, and the Marquess was concerned for his safety. He tried to remove his son from the will.
Kyllikki learned that Pella is also from Racine, but did not have a chance to ask anything further. She also learned that Erendial had known of her father, Yrjänä. He was commissioned to carve a statue just before the fall of the Empire, but Kyllikki did not remember.
Hecate summoned Nyx again for more information about Dacey. She told the group that Dacey was one of the minor arcana, the vii of Cups. With this knowledge in hand, the party decided to prepare for their return to the Marquess' estate.
Just before Pella, Eren, and Mollye could leave for the harbor in search of assistance, someone came running through the streets with news that the abyss had swallowed Racine. Kyllikki was extremely distressed by this news, fearing for the fate of her father and clan. Eli was the first to extend kindness to her, speaking to her in Dwarvish in an attempt to console her. Kyllikki agreed to sit and talk with her, drawing back from the edge of an explosive rage. She spoke of how her mother's clan had called her yksinäinen barbari, or "lonely barbarian", and how being part of the Court of Eight is almost, but not quite, like having her clan around her again. She taught Eli a song from her childhood while Chiron listened nearby. Kyllikki decided that Eli was a friend, though she doesn't quite understand all the meanings and implications involved.
Pella, Eren, and Mollye returned from the harbor in the evening with the harbormaster, Melker and two burly dwarves, who removed the body of the Marquess from the basement. Leaving their belongings with Nyx for safekeeping, the party headed to the clifftops of Naphio to enter the estate from above. After rappelling down to a balcony, Eren picked the lock on the door and attempted to kill the woman in the bed. Instead, the party was forced to fight the succubus, who charmed and briefly knocked Kyllikki unconscious.
Having arrived back at the kitchens, Kyllikki led the party up the back stairs while Mollye sweet-talked the kitchen staff. An encounter with more guards at the top of the stairs knocked Kyllikki out a second time, and her frustration bubbled over into rage and frustration. Using a necklace gifted to her by Nyx, Eli summoned Hecate's rabbit, Vale, who healed the party.
Back in the workshop from the previous day, the party found Togrim's dissected body on the operating table with Lord Dacey nearby. He transformed into a monster, but the party was able to defeat him. As he died, new marks appear on Mollye and Eren's arms: the number vii. Their work done, the party stole a carriage and returned to Floros' Flickerings just before dawn.
Strange Marks, Stranger Company
Saturday, 14 August 2281
A week ago, just after leaving her mother's clan behind to search for answers about her father, a strange mark appeared on Kyllikki's wrist. No matter how she scratched at it, the mark remained. She vaguely remembered seeing the mark before on a sign her father had carved for a woman in Naphio. Determined to be rid of the mark and get some answers, she set a course for the cliffside city.
On arrival at Floros' Flickerings, Kyllikki found herself in the company of six others bearing similar marks: a secretive elf named Erendial and his young half-sister Elitheris, a hooded Tlaslo Tonrar man named Sah-Ghan, an anxious woman from Racine named Pella, a grumpy older Racinite man named Chiron, and a blue-skinned half-elf named Mollye'aleera.
Hecate, the daughter of the woman who had requested the stone sign, summoned her mother Nyx via crystal ball to explain. Each mark signified a role in the Court of Eight. Kyllikki's mark was that of the Prince of Swords. Those who are marked with these symbols are expected to restore order to the world, which has fallen out of balance. To get rid of the mark, the minor arcana of the matching suite must be overcome. The power can either be released back into the world, or kept for one's own use. The final member of the Court of Eight is still out there in the world.
Tired, frustrated, and overwhelmed by the revelation of their new roles, the party left Floros' Flickerings to find lodging by the harbor. Before anyone could get to know each other, Eli was pulled away from her lute performance and kidnapped. The party split in their attempt to catch up with her captors. Kyllikki followed Chiron and Sah-Gahn, while Eren, Mollye, and Pella chose another route. The former group quickly found themselves face-to-face with several mounted city guards. In the ensuing scuffle, Kyllikki killed a guard and his horse, too focused on her goal to really process what she had done.
Ultimately, the group made their way to the residence of Lord Dacey. Chiron was able to gain access to the kitchens, but not before the three were stripped of their weapons. Within the mansion, Kylli and Chiron were reunited with Pella and Eren, while Sah-Gahn when in search of Mollye. The group were led by a servant to the room where the harem of girls was being kept. Kyllikki was moved by the fear of a young dwarven girl, and promised her that she would see her clan again. She took it upon herself to lead the younger girls back to the kitchens, as the pull of a dwarf separated from her clan was stronger than her fears for Eli's safety.
Shortly after finding Eli, the party encountered a gnome called Togrim. He seemed to know Eren, but no further information was given. Togrim led the group to Lord Dacey's workshop through a secret passage. While his collection of strange creatures was simple to defeat, Dacey himself was too powerful without the full-strength of the party, and they were forced to retreat and rejoin Togrim.
With the estate on high alert, Togrim led the party to the front gardens to help them escape. Kyllikki awoke to a strange new power and made the word "Run" appear in the stone wall to distract the guards. Rattled by this newfound ability, Kylli retrieved her hammer and followed the party into the sewers to make their escape. Despite an encounter with some fish men, everyone emerged safely by the harbor. The party was chased from the inn upon retrieving their belongings, and all retreated to Floros' Flickerings to reunite with Mollye and Sah-Gahn.
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