The Spice Merchants Of Sel-kai: Part Thirteen

General Summary

With the demon banished, the party are free to explore the rest of the mansion's top-most floor. Two large laboratories dominate the floor and both contain notebooks and grimoires that reveal the nature of Tobias Orgillion's research and that of his grandfather, Titus Orgillion. A series of poor investments by Titus' father and grandfather all but finished the families mercantile interests in Sel-kai and what little was left of a once considerable fortune was supplemented with the sale of the family's holdings in Sel-kai and Eidolon. Titus Orgillion was obsessed with the idea of restoring the Orgillion name in Sel-kai society and of creating sentient constructs that could be used as physically superior farm labor on Teaque Island and as unquestioning soldiers for hire. A master craftsman, Titus was able to craft a superbly articulated construct but struggled to give it the "mind" that he desired. Frustrated, with the lack of lore on this subject, he decided to contact supernatural powers but here too his efforts were balked. Then, by chance, he came across the papers and diaries that Larkrise and Sunset Damssen had left behind when they were "guests" of the estate (5729-5730). The twins were later moved to the Hadeshill Asylum from which they later escaped during the fire of 5738. With the aid of the twin's writings, Titus summons a "denizen of Azydaer" called T'Chaga but the creature refuses to help and Titus apparently abandons his research and asks the Cloot family for financial aid; both were stalwart members of the now disbanded Honorable Guild Of Spice Merchants and were among the twelve "great" founders of Sel-kai. Tobias, on the discovery of his grandfather's research, summons T'Chaga again by creating a portal but obviously, the demonic entity is now no longer held as securely as Titus had managed. One of Tobias' last entries in his diaries is that he is "going to spend some time with the 'old ogre' and "find those wretched books". Tobias was last seen heading into the marshes, south of the house late one afternoon. He never returned. After defeating three armored skeletons, the party find a prototype construct that has been surrounded by an arcane ward of silver that seems designed to prevent magics or spell-casters approaching the thing. In the top of the constructs' head, there is an odd green gem, fist sized, that pulses rhythmically. Surrounded by delicate mithral threads, the party decide to leave the construct for the time being. Two large crates of Spice Guild annals complete the "treasure" haul and Ugnan delightedly thumbs quickly through these before the party decide to head to where they believe the Orgillion family crypt lies and where they suspect Tobias was heading. The Spice Guild, it seems, was always intended to be something of a Guild for Loremasters but in whose charge was to remain somewhat secret. In its early days, the Seers, Mystics and Astrologers who were drawn into membership (and sworn to secrecy) were charged by the Guild's unnamed creator with research into "the Great Dragons". After many generations, the Guild had identified that:

"While all dragons are intelligent, sentient and powerful creatures, the Great Drakes are all of surpassing cleverness and unimaginable might. Each is master of Arcane Power and could stand against a Lord of Essænce as equal. Among these great beings is a group who call themselves the Dragonlords, and of these there are now only a handful in number. All are thousands of years old, having survived the Wars of Dominion. Some rule lands, while others hold only their citadel and operate in more subtle ways to gain power and ever greater wealth. All of the Dragonlords have the power of Shapechanging, allowing them to assume human form (among others). This has advantages in that they are able to move about freely in a world dominated by humanoids. The disadvantage is, of course, that they are more vulnerable in human form; theirs is a true shape change. The origins of the Dragonlords are shrouded in the temporal mists that divided the First and Second Eras. It is believed that an order of the most powerful Lords was formed sometime in the Second Era, its purpose to promote the dominion of the Dragons. It should be remembered, however, that though these lords may appear as humans (and in fact spend much of their time in human form), they are alien creatures. Great Drakes do not think the same way that humans (mortal or immortal) do; they are indeed Dragons." Dated 3274

Research into the "Dragonlords" became intense with a particular interest of the Cloot seers being "The Heart of Agoth". The Cloots, Orgillions and Damssens differed on the nature of the Dragonlords and divisions began to grow within the Guild. The Orgillions believed the Dragonlords were a force for "good" and should be reached out to openly. The Damssens disagreed and urged caution for they believed these powerful immortals were "evil" and would subvert and conquer. The Cloots remained undecided and also urged caution and avoidance, besides, they were more concerned with their own research into The Heart. One of their seers recorded, after a dream-quest, the cryptic warning:

"Whoever possess the Heart will have taken the soul of Mab and will be thricely cursed" Dated 3277

The crypt is a few hours to the south, using a large key retrieved from the house, the party enter a dank and ancient granite and marble hallway that descends steeply. A large circular chamber contains four pedestals each supporting a fist-sized obsidian rock. One is a cube, one a prism, one a sphere and the last appears to be unfinished and wholly irregular in shape. The chamber has been decorated with leering gargoyles and dozens of deep shelves have been carved out of the rock to house the bodies of long-deceased Orgillions. A second key that matches the one Cherry used to open the entrance lies forgotten on the floor – perhaps this was what Tobias used to enter? As the party pause to study the strange rocks and hideous gargoyles, there is a deep and ominous grating noise from behind. Looking up the stairs the companions discover that the mausoleum doors have closed and sealed them in! Steep stairs lead deeper underground and with no other way out, the party descend. Taking a narrow passage to the right, Cran leads the way into a small crypt that is home to one of the very first of the Orgillion family, Adolphus. Little remains after so many thousand years despite the cold dank conditions. Armored "retainers" sit either side of the funeral bier but their rusted forms do not move and remain silent as the party carefully explore the chamber for Tobias' remains and Titus' notebooks. Further on, the party enter a second circular chamber with stone pedestals. These are empty but are clearly designed to support and cradle the obsidian rocks the group found in the first chamber. There is no clue as to the order or arrangement but the party are aware that extreme caution is required. The body, presumably of Tobias, lies face down in the center of the circle, blasted and shattered by some terrible arcane trap…..