Council of Thieves, Part 5: Mother of Flies - Session 35: Dusk Market Ambush

Dramatis Personae

Alfaren “Alfred” Eredel – Elf transmuter

Alizander Carmelizzia - Human (Varisian) sorcerer

Boecca – Half-orc inquisitor of Erastil

Carlos Santiago - Half-orc (Alkenstarian) evoker

Lam – Human barbarian (not counted for xp purposes)

Slavé/Jancen – Tiefling (in guise as a human) rogue/assassin

Sunday, 19 Calistril, to Moonday, 18 Pharast, 4709 A.R.

The Returners get back to some semblance of normal life for a time following the defeat of Liebdaga the Twin. Carlos and Alfred get busy working on various crafting and magical research projects. Carlos in particular begins the laborious task of crafting a clay golem, using his recently acquired clay golem manual to good effect.

Slavé continues his work with the Order of the Scourge Hellknights, and suggests to Pontia the possibility of an alliance with the Returners, whose motives thus far have coincided rather nicely with the goals of the Scourge. Pontia agrees, and the two groups set up a meeting, where they discuss mutual interests in Westcrown. Pontia presses her need to ally with a powerful group that can increase the profile of the Order of the Scourge with the Wiscrani, and impress upon the populace the difference between their order and that of the Rack. The Returners, meanwhile, agree with the notion of having an ally in the Hellknights, a powerful organization throughout Cheliax, and see the benefit of the seemingly more moderate Order of the Scourge over the Order of the Rack.

Alizander slowly comes to terms with the horrors he experienced while in his coma, during which time he felt as if he was imprisoned in Hell for well over a year, and forced to commit all manner of terrible things against the tortured souls of fellow Varisians. He finds some solace in caring for his young daughter.

Tavo celebrates his annual church’s holiday, the Day of Bones, on the 5^th of Pharast.

Boecca undertakes a quest to atone for his sins with Joraviah in the Nessian Spiral. With the aid of the vulpinal Jezeletrix, he seeks out a priest of Erastil in the hills north of the Hagwood, a wizened old hermit called Odren Hurst. Hurst welcomes the half-orc and his unlikely companion (disguised as a human woman) into his humble home, and agrees to assist Boecca in his atonement. Hurst anoints the half-orc with various pungent herbs and chants a long, droning atonement prayer. When the ritual has been completed, Hurst explains to Boecca and Jezeletrix that something has disrupted the balance within the Hagwood – that a large force of hill giants, ogres, and men from the city has intruded upon the domain of the Mother of Flies, the ancient hag and last remaining of three sisters, turning the tide within the old woods towards chaos and destruction. As part of his atonement, Hurst asks Boecca to assist in removing the incursion in the Hagwood and restoring the Mother of Flies as its rightful master.

A new arrival to Westcrown, a man from Egorian who calls himself Lam, asks Nagiphax the cyclops-kin about the Returners at the Beer Golem tavern. Nagiphax introduces Lam to Alizander, and the Varisian sorcerer invites the burly Lam to meet the other Returners.

Toilday, 19 Pharast, 4709 A.R.

The party receives a note from Arvanxi’s former majordomo, Crosael Rasdovain, asking them to meet her at the Dusk Market in the Parego Dospera in the late afternoon. The group meets with Crosael, who explains that she believes an old contact, a pesh merchant named Goren One-Ear, has critical information about the Drovenge siblings’ plan for Westcrown. She leads the group towards Goren’s shop in an alley behind the Dusk Market. The Returners are ambushed there by a group of Council thieves led by an assassin and ogrekin barbarian. Luckily, the Returners manage to thwart the attack and defeat the ambushers. They are too late for the pesh merchant Goren One-Ear, however. The Returners find him pinned to the back wall of his shop, his lower jaw removed and on morbid display on the sales-counter.

Treasure

· Reward from the Mhartis Family

o +2 Mithral trident

Experience Awards

· Thieves – 4800 xp

· Kruthe the Hammer (ogrekin) – 3200 xp

· Maglin, Council hushman – 6400 xp

· Total – 14,400 xp

· Per PC (5) – 2,880 xp

Current XP Total per PC

· Carlos, Slavé – 80,235 xp

· Alfred – 77,680 xp

· Boecca – 77,460 xp

· Tavo – 73,590 xp

· Alizander – 72,250 xp

· Total Current Fame Points – 20

The Infernal Syndrome - Session 27: A Schism in the Council

Dramatis Personae

Alizander Carmelizzia - Human (Varisian) sorcerer
Boecca – Half-orc inquisitor of Erastil

Carlos Santiago - Half-orc (Alkenstarian) wizard

Slavé/Jancen – Tiefling (in guise as a human) rogue/assassin

Tavo Dechirent - Human cleric of Pharasma
Vaeden Corleone - Human rogue (and Damien Hellbent, cohort)

Wealday, 15 Calistril, 4709 A.R.

With Aberten and the Council thieves defeated, the Returners take a few minutes to speak with the former majordomo of Aberian’s Folly, Crosael Rasdovain. Crosael takes a defensive posture, unsure of how the group will ultimately deal with her and unwilling to place too much trust in Jancen, despite her knowledge of his tiefling heritage. She examines the forged contract provided by Jancen and Alizander and believes it to be real, but suggests it is little good to her now, as the escaped thieves will surely inform the Council of Thieves of her treachery. She expresses little desire in accompanying the party, but does provide the following information:

· As the Returners have already gathered, the Council of Thieves is alive and well – rumours that it long ago disbanded are false.

· There’s a schism building in the Council between the traditionalists and a new group that wants to have more direct control over the fortunes and citizens of Westcrown.

· The schism is led by the grandson and granddaughter of one of the Council’s oldest and most respected leaders, Vassindio Drovenge, patriarch of arguably the most powerful house in Westcrown.

· Vassindio’s granddaughter, Chammady, is a beautiful but dangerous assassin and accomplished swordfighter.

· Vassindio’s grandson, Eccardian, is the more dangerous sibling, a charismatic and brilliant charmer who is also, much to the Drovenge shame, at the very least a tiefling – some whisper that he is actually a half-fiend, and others that he is the son of the archdevil Mammon himself.

· The Drovenges and their followers have entered the endgame – they’re making various power plays now throughout Westcrown to seize control of the Council and, soon thereafter, will attempt the same of Westcrown’s government. It is rumoured that the Council usurpers have allied with a vampire named Ilnerik.

· There exists a handful of powerful enemies whom the Drovenge siblings particularly want to see murdered – these include most of the loyalist leaders of the Council of Thieves, the semi-legendary swamp hag known as the Mother of Flies said to know the secret (and weakness) of Eccardian’s bloodline, and the Returners themselves.

· The Drovenge siblings hope to make peaceful contact with Liebdaga the Twin and, in exchange for freeing him, hope to recruit his aid in taking control of Westcrown. Even if the thieves currently in the Nessian Spiral – led by Avahzi Serafian, an elf diabolist and worshipper of Mammon – are defeated, as long as Liebdaga remains alive or in Westcrown, the danger of such an alliance being forged remains.

· Before the Drovenges’ agents can contact Liebdaga, they are struggling to master the deadly dungeon that imprisons him in order to reach him. This is the Nessian Spiral below the ruins of Aberian’s Folly. Research has indicated that successful navigation of the Nessian Spiral would be made vastly easier for the one who manages to gather three important items – 1) a copy of the contract used to imprison the pit fiend Liebdaga; 2) a Stygian Keyrod used to manipulate and control the machinery that maintains the devil’s prison; and 3) Liebdaga’s devil talisman. The Stygian Keyrod and Liebdaga’s talisman have so far eluded discovery, but reports from Avahzi indicate that her divinations suggest that they are hidden somewhere in the Nessian Spiral.

Crosael leaves the ruins, indicating to Jancen that she must lay low for a time and that she may contact him again in the future. Armed with Crosael’s knowledge, the Returners venture into the Nessian Spiral. Tavo leads the assault with the two shadows under his control. Within the first few chambers in the dungeon they encounter Avahzi and her squad of Council thieves. A long battle ensues between the Returners and the cold-eyed elven cleric of Mammon. Alizander and Carlos bombard the thieves with spells, while Vaeden, his cohort Hellbent, and Boecca wade through the melee. Tavo directs his controlled shadows to attack the Council thieves in addition to providing much-needed healing to injured allies, while Jancen ventures to explore another section of the dungeon, disturbing a pair of hideous, skinless three-headed dog-beasts. While pursuing Avahzi, Vaeden becomes separated from the rest of the group via a well-placed wall of stone spell cast by the elven diabolist. Facing two Council thieves and Avahzi herself, separated from his friends and comrades, Vaeden weighs his options for survival.

Treasure

· From Aberian’s Folly Ruins

o Silverware, crystal, art objects, etc. (worth 6000 gp)

o +1 axiomatic mithral longsword (worth 10,000 gp)

Experience Awards

· Council thieves (3) – 2400 xp

· Cerberi (2) – 4800 xp

· Total – 7200 xp

· Per PC (6) – 1200 xp

· Cohort (Hellbent) – 857 xp

Current XP Total per PC

· Alizander, Carlos, Slavé, Vaeden – 42,735 xp each

· Boecca – 39,980 xp

· Tavo – 38,990 xp

· Nagiphax – 31,657 xp

· Damien Hellbent (cohort) – 20,360

· Total Current Fame Points – 15

The Infernal Syndrome - Session 26: Infiltrating Aberian's Folly

Dramatis Personae

Alizander Carmelizzia - Human (Varisian) sorcerer
Boecca – Half-orc inquisitor of Erastil

Carlos Santiago - Half-orc (Alkenstarian) wizard

Slavé/Jancen – Tiefling (in guise as a human) rogue/assassin

Tavo Dechirent - Human cleric of Pharasma
Vaeden Corleone - Human rogue

Toilday, 14 Calistril, 4709 A.R.

Vaeden, Boecca, Tavo, and Carlos track down Nyxervex to his lair within the Rasdovain gatehouse and destroy the bone devil before it manages to heal itself sufficiently to rejoin the battle. They also discover ten citizens of Westcrown stacked like cordwood in two storage rooms in the gatehouse – unfortunate abductees of the osyluth devil. Tavo examines the Wiscrani and determines that they are not dead, but in a severe weakened, comatose state. The group begins transporting the unresponsive bodies out of the gatehouse and into an emergency first aid station set up by Tavo outside of ground zero.

Meanwhile, Alizander and Jancen begin to parlay with the halfling Aberten. Jancen attempts to convince Aberten and the other thieves to allow him to speak to Crosael Rasdovain, implying that he is a close associate of the Lord-Mayor’s former majordomo. Aberten cares little for Jancen’s attempts at diplomacy, however, and orders the thieves to attack. Alizander falls under the thieves’ rapiers, but the attack is aborted when several of the dottari guarding the south approach decide to intervene. Aberten escapes back into the manor, while Jancen manages to capture one of the thief henchmen.

Jancen revives Alizander and the two rejoin the rest of the Returners with the captured thief. The group decides to retire for the rest of the night. Tavo remains at the first aid station near ground zero to tend to the survivors found in the Rasdovain gatehouse. Jancen, Alizander and Boecca interrogate the captured thief, Dourik, and learn that he works for the so-called Council of Thieves under the halfling Aberten “the Dealer” Vittershins, who recently assumed command after the death of Lozendi, who was killed by the erinyes devil soon after the explosion at the site. They also learn that a second group of thieves is exploring the Nessian Spiral under the manor under the command of a cold, calculating elf woman named Avahzi. Given the choice, it becomes clear that the thief is glad he does not serve under Avahzi, even considering his present situation.

The group learns that the Council thieves infiltrated Aberian’s Folly several days before the explosion, with the assistance of Crosael, whom Dourik describes as a tiefling woman with features more cat-like than fiendish – a far cry from the human woman the Returners met at the Six Trials of Larazod after-party almost three months ago. Dourik explains that Crosael is an agent of the Council of Thieves, who, as far as he knows, has been working a deep-cover operation as the Lord-Mayor’s majordomo since he took office twenty years ago. Apart from this, Dourik knows little more information, and in fact admits that he is not quite sure what about the motives of Crosael, Aberten, and Avahzi, and believes they may be operating at odds to the Council leaders. Dourik insists he doesn’t specific Council leaders, but that many of Westcrown’s noble elite – the Drovenges, the Oberigos, and others – are surely counted among them. Satisfied that they have gotten all they can from the thief, Boecca, Alizander and Jancen decide to let him go.

In the early morning hours, Jancen sneaks back into the site at ground zero and makes his way (invisibly, with the aid of a potion) to the far side of the existing wing of Aberian’s manor, where he manages to access Crosael’s room. The tiefling (who was sitting at a chair, examining a text of some sort, even at this early hour) notices the intrusion immediately. Jancen manages to avoid a fight, however, and trades words with Crosael for several minutes, appealing to her tiefling heritage and revealing that he knows of the location of the Lord-Mayor’s contract with Liebdaga the Twin. Jancen finds himself drawn to the alluring tiefling woman – the timbre of her voice and its songlike quality; the curve of her hip; the shift of her cloak as she glides through the room – and readily agrees to retrieve the contract and bring it to her the following day. As he leaves, he begins hatching plots for turning Crosael to his own cause.

Wealday, 15 Calistril, 4709 A.R.

The following day, the Returners head back to the site of Aberian’s Folly. They approach the north side of the remaining structure, where they are attacked by four shadows. The shadows are hesitant to venture into the daylight, and appear to be guarding the northern door into the structure. Tavo manages to wrest control of two of the shadows from their former master, whoever that may be, and the party defeats the other two shadows and enters the structure, bring the battle to Aberten and the rest of the Council thieves inside. Crosael takes a defensive posture, refusing to enter fight against the Returners, who clearly have the upper hand in the situation. Aberten falls under the relentless onslaught, and the rest of the Council thieves are either killed or driven away.

Treasure

· From Isavenda (erinyes devil) – session 25

o Longsword +1 (worth 1158 gp)

o Flaming composite longbow +1 (+5 Strength) (worth 4450 gp)

· From the Rasdovain Armoury – session 25

o Merciful arrows +1 (16) (worth 1328 gp total; 83 gp each)

· From the Rasdovain gatehouse – Nyxervex’s lair

o 450 gp

o Rings (4) (worth 400 gp; 100 gp each)

o Bracelet (worth 100 gp)

o Necklace (worth 100 gp)

o Anklet (worth 100 gp)

o Potions of cure moderate wounds (2) (worth 300 gp; 150 gp each)

· From the Council thieves

o Potions of cure moderate wounds (4) (worth 600 gp; 150 gp each)

o Leather armour +1 (4) (worth 2320 gp; 580 gp each)

o Masterwork rapiers (4) (worth 640 gp; 160 gp each)

o Masterwork hand crossbows (4) (worth 800 gp; 200 gp each)

o Crossbow bolts (40)

o Coins and jewelry (worth 1200 gp)

· From Aberten “the Dealer” Vittershins

o Punching dagger +1 (worth 1176 gp)

o Magic wands (2) (properties unknown)

o Leather armour +1 (worth 580 gp)

o Masterwork daggers (3) (worth 453 gp; 151 gp each)

o Magic ring (properties unknown)

o Illuminated Harrow deck (worth 250 gp)

o Pouch of gold dust (worth 100 gp)

Experience Awards

· Trap – glyph of warding (from session 25) – 1200 (divided among 7 PCs)

· Nyxervex, bone devil – 6400 xp

· Shadows (4) – 3200 xp

· Council thieves (8) – 6400 xp

· Aberten “the Dealer” Vittershins – 6400 xp

· Story Award (defeating Liebdaga’s faithful – Nyxervex and Isavenda) – 4800 xp

· Story Award (rescuing Nyxervex’s victims) – 4800 xp

· Story Awards (turning Crosael) – 4800 xp

· Total – 36,800 xp (divided by 6 PCs); 1200 xp (divided by 7 PCs)

· Per PC (6) – 6304 xp

· Nagiphax – 171 xp

Current XP Total per PC

· Alizander, Carlos, Slavé, Vaeden – 41,535 xp each

· Boecca – 38,780 xp

· Tavo – 37,790 xp

· Nagiphax – 31,657 xp

· Total Current Fame Points – 15

The Sixfold Trial - Session 10: The Cornucopia

Dramatis Personae

Alizander Carmelizzia - Human (Varisian) sorcerer
Carlos Santiago - Half-orc (Alkenstarian) wizard
Nagiphax - Cyclops-kin rogue/barbarian
Slavé – Tiefling (disguised as a human named Jencen) rogue

Tavo Dechirent - Human cleric of Pharasma
Vaeden Corleone - Human rogue

Wealday, 28 Neth, 4708 A.R.

Janiven and Arael provide the group with several healing and restorative potions, unsure of what they might face if they are successful in gaining entry into the Asmodean Knot while at the Lord-Mayor’s party.

Alizander, Carlos, Nagiphax, Slavé (as Jencen), Tavo, Vaeden, and the rest of the main players in The Six Trials of Larazod arrive at the Lord-Mayor’s party in full costume, and are ushered into the monstrous villa’s main hall, where they are introduced to the Wiscrani elite. The party – called The Cornucopia – unfolds in a series of six decadent courses, featuring ever-more exotic dishes and increasingly intoxicating wines and spirits. The group trades gossip with several of Westcrown’s most decorated citizens, including members of the nobility (the shrewd Eirtein Oberigo, the lush Sascar Tilernos, and the beautiful but dangerous-looking Chammady Drovenge), General Vourne (the Commander of the Gemcrown Fleet, based out of Egorian), Crosael Rasdovain (the Lord-Mayor’s most knowledgeable majordomo) and the Lord-Mayor Aberian Arvanxi himself. From these individuals the party learns several important pieces of information, including:

· that the rumours of the Lord-Mayor’s villa being powered by an imprisoned pit fiend in the dungeons below the manor (the so-called Nessian Spiral) are purportedly true, and that the pit fiend was a gift from House Thrune to the first Lord-Mayor (of the Thrune-era) 70 years ago;

· that the Lord-Mayor is concerned by the minor glitches and troubles he has been experiencing with the powered lights, running hot water, and fireplaces in his villa of late;

· that the wine and narcotics being served at the party are especially potent and that if they wish to remain sensible by the party’s end they should pace themselves and eat with caution;

· that Crosael is concerned about one of the newer hires – a servant by the name of Sian who’s been missing for two days now along with a valuable bust of Asmodeus;

· that the Asmodean Knot is said to be a pocket dimension that is accessible from a special mirror hidden somewhere in the house, and that it is likely guarded by devils and shadowy undead; and

· that Sascar believes the stories that Aberian Arvanxi has a sick, deformed son locked in the attic.

As the 40 or so patrons of the Cornucopia partake of the final course and reach a state of orgiastic, inebriated oblivion, the Returners head surreptitiously upstairs and begin looking for the entrance to the Asmodean Knot (Vaeden ensures that Calseinica, his costar in The Six Trials of Larazod, is safely asleep in her room before heading out). It doesn’t take them long to find the special mirror located in a secret room in the attic. Merely touching the metallic surface of the mirrors whisks the party-members into a long, corridor paneled in an unusual, polished grey wood – the entrance to the Asmodean Knot. At their feet in the hallway is the corpse of what appears to be an elven man wearing old, tattered wizarding robes. Alizander picks up the dead elf's backpack and begins rooting through it for clues and information.

Treasure

· Potions of Cure Serious Wounds (6) – from Janiven and Arael

· Potions of Lesser Restoration (6) – from Janiven and Arael

· Backpack (unidentified, moderate conjuration) – from dead elf

· Pearl (unidentified, strong transmutation) – from dead elf

· Scrolls (5 – unidentified, all radiate necromancy) – from dead elf

· Wand (unidentified, moderate conjuration) – from dead elf

· Tattered parchment (non-magical, not yet examined) – from dead elf

Experience Awards

· Learning Gossip (Lord-Mayor Aberian Arvanxi) – 800 xp

· Learning Gossip (Crosael Simiin Radovain) – 800 xp

· Learning Gossip (General Vourne) – 800 xp

· Learning Gossip (Eirtein Oberigo) – 800 xp

· Learning Gossip (Sascar Tilernos) – 800 xp

· Finding entrance to the Asmodean Knot – 3400 xp

· Total – 7400 xp

· Per PC (6) – 1200 xp

Current XP Totals Per PC (after session 9)

· Alizander, Carlos, Slavé, Vaeden – 9655 xp each

· Nagiphax – 9135 xp

· Tavo – 9000 xp

· Croso, Orem – 2875 xp

· Total Current Fame Points - 8