The Lantern Tower
The Foundation stood at the edge of the pool surrounding the Lantern Tower. Rosa did a lap around the tower, but found nothing on the perimeter. Mila apologized about her reaction to leaving Glumtown behind, but told the party that she understood and wanted to come up with a plan before heading into the tower. After discussing more details about the Karrn undead, the party decided they would make their way inside the seemingly abandoned tower, rest, then head into the vault, get the
control rod from Dr. Elke Roth to stop the zombie platoon, and restrain her to be brought back to Warlord Xaco.
The party then made their way across the pool to the tower, staking it out stealthily and finding that no traps were waiting for them. Rosa left a rope from the tower to the shore in case they needed a speedy escape. Finally, the Foundation headed inside the Lantern Tower. Inside they found a large, round tower room with three barricaded doors to the other towers and a large, metallic plate embedded in the floor. Bal cleaned the dust off the plate and discovered that a manticore was engraved on the surface, the symbol of House Kundarak.
Finding the room safe, they party hunkered down for a much-needed long rest. On Mila’s watch, she woke Vax and Vax told her about the deal he had made with Zaz to protect her family. The two spoke briefly about how important family is, and was, to them and that they would help each other out. After the conversation, as Vax was about to fall back asleep, Zaz appeared to him and clarified that he doesn’t own Vax’s soul. Zaz and him didn’t make a deal, they made a pact, which is more like a partnership. With that, the party rested and woke the next morning in the tower. Rosa woke to tell the party that a
large, grey creature seemed to be patrolling around the tower, so it was a good thing they had decided to stay inside. However, no one could identify the creature that was both large and intimidating, and also strangely playful.
Bal then took the vault key from the shard of holding and, just by holding the key, felt the metal plate on the floor begin to vibrate. The party quickly stepped off the plate and watched as the metal turned to liquid and dripped down into the form of a spiral staircase into the now large opening in the floor before solidifying again. Yves briefly explained how these vaults are generally laid out: a large swirling walkway down through three floors. The first dedicated to small boxes and small viewing rooms, the second floor to large vault spaces, and the third reserved for any manner of things that anyone might want to keep very safe.
However, they quickly found that this vault was not set up much like all the rest. The first floor was mainly empty and the hallway on this floor seemed to hold cells, not viewing rooms. Before the party could pass down to the last floor to confront Elke, a feminine voice called out to them saying, “It’s been two days, Elke. I need food.” Intrigued, they walked into the hallway and to a figure imprisoned in one of the cells. The woman was 5’7”, had straight brown hair, brown skin, and hazel eyes. Unmistakably, she was wearing a haggard Operative uniform.
Operative VII
The woman explained that she was imprisoned by Elke and the Shadow and that she was a former Operative. When she found out that the party was trying to stop Elke and the Shadow, she quickly made an offer. Take a piece of information and do something with it, but at least take the information. The party agreed and the woman said, “The Shadow is trying to recreate the Mourning.” After that, the party listened.
The woman, named
Trilla, was a nightmare kalashtar and had been Operative VII up until she turned against the Shadow. She had joined because the Shadow promised they could bring her sister back, another nightmare kalashtar, who had seemingly died. She also described that Operatives are recruited by what they called “orchestrating fate”, meaning that they would cause various traumas throughout promising recruits' lives, traumas that would one day lead those recruits right to the Shadow.
When an Operative was selected, the Shadow would give them a Mark which imbued them with the powers of another person, with that person’s life force, and with an entity she called “the Shadow”. Trilla described that while an Operative is in league with the Shadow, they get to be themselves. However, if they ever try to disobey orders or turn against the organization, the Shadow entity will take over the Operatives’ mind. For Trilla, a special situation arose. She is a kalashtar and already has an entity attached to her. This made the Shadow’s control on her weak and she was able to plan against the Shadow. However, this failed and instead of kill her, they imprisoned her in this secret Shadow vault.
Lastly, she described what made her turn. She led the first expedition into the Mournlands after the Mourning. The Shadow wanted her to make it to Metrol and retrieve something there. However, her team only made it as far as
Kalazart, less than halfway. Creatures in the Mournlands ripped her team apart and only she got back. When the Shadow wouldn’t tell her what the mission really was or let her team’s families know what happened to them, she decided they would never bring her sister back and they weren’t who they said they were.
Most importantly, she elaborated on the Shadow’s plot. While Trilla’s team didn’t make it to Metrol, she did sus out that they wanted something inside of the Mournlands tied to the Mourning. Judging by what she knew, she put together that the Shadow must be trying to recreate the Mourning. When asked why, Trilla said that they could use it to hold the world hostage, or any number of similar plots, but each of them were to maintain order. According to her, the Shadow wants peace at any means necessary. She thinks that the Shadow does want the right thing, but they just want it for all of the wrong reasons.
When questioned, she also gave more info on Elke. Trilla had been in prison for over three years with Elke and knows that she has a laboratory on the last floor of the vault and that a gray render (the large, gray creature) had attached itself to Elke to protect her. Elke also does have the control rod and keeps it on her person at all times.
A few other pieces of info came out during the conversation including the following:
- The Shadow knows of Dr. Turk, but up until Trilla was imprisoned, hasn’t considered him enough of a threat to worry about.
- The Shadow has not recruited Operative I that she knows of and they do not replace Operatives.
- Operative VI may be Zilargon and may work for the Korranberg Chronicle, or at least be affiliated.
- Operative II is a ghost. No one knows anything about them.
- Trilla confirms that Mila’s dragonmark looks like something the Mourning might have caused.
- Rasp mimicked the recording that had been left for Marris and Trilla admitted she had never heard their leader’s voice before and only knew him as someone called Amon.
- Elke had not left the tower by the main entrance in quite some time (if ever), so either she has stayed inside the tower for over 3 years as well, or there is another way in and out of the tower.
After the Foundation’s questions had been answered, they prepared to confront Elke. Rosa had drifted to the cell and asked Trilla if a half-orc was in her party. There was a long pause before Trilla responded, saying, “Roan was a good man.” Across the room, Bal noticed that Rosa’s hand was on her sword, which she drew with blinding speed. Bal sprinted across the room and managed to get his hands on Rosa’s, but not before the blade pierced Trilla in the stomach. Bal and Vax tried very hard to get Rosa to leave the sword in so they could heal her, but Rosa managed to yank the sword out. Quickly, Rasp cast cure wounds on Trilla, who seemed almost disappointed that she had been spared. It became clear very quickly that Trilla had already forfeit her life.
But the Foundation wasn’t letting her go that quickly. Rosa left the room and tried to leave the mission entirely, but Vax managed to get her to stay by promising her the key to Trilla’s cell so she could decide what to do once Elke was dealt with. Rosa agreed and posted up at the hallway watching Trilla’s cell. Before heading further down, Bal formed a mind link with Trilla and asked her how being a kalasthar had helped her with the Shadow. She explained that because her bond with her quori spirit was strong, the Shadow had a tough time possessing her. But she also said being kalashtar was dangerous, especially when dealing with other kalashtar.
Deeper into the Vault
On the floor below, the party found two vaults that were still in use. With the key, one of the vault doors opened, revealing a small stock of items inside that the party took and placed in the shard of holding: a strange dragonshard cluster called the
Primarch’s Eye (which they had been told about), a small whistle
chime of holding, and an
arrow-catching shield. Vax pocketed a slender, pencil sized shard of obsidian, the
Incog of Gideon (which they had also been told about) but Bal convinced him to put the item in the shard of holding instead.
Before leaving the area, Yves remembered that they had another vault key they had found in Ghalt and they should try the other door. The key worked and the vault door receded revealing a single pedestal with a box on top and
two bags of dragonshards (Khyber and Siberys) each worth 500cr. Inside the box was a
black metal ring that Vax put on before leaving the vault with the dragonshards as well.
With the artifacts recovered, the jailed Operative under guard, and the way clear, the Foundation continued down to the lowest level where two doors waited for them. Bal noticed that the two doors went to a single room where Elke must be. At the doors, the party made a plan of attack. Vax would go invisible, misty step through the keyhole into the room and cast hold person on Elke. The rest would count to 2, then burst in ready to fight.
With everyone at the ready, Vax disappeared and misty stepped into Elke’s lab. Inside, he stood on a balcony overlooking a lowered room with towers of sparking electricity and lab equipment scattered about. Vax spotted Elke below and cast hold person, but she fought it off. The rest of the party burst into the room on the opposite balcony and Elke looked them over confused. She was a small, pale woman with black, greying hair and a large scar over one eye. Those eyes fell on Rasp and Elke clasped her hands together saying, “My child. I’m so happy you’re here!”
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