Council of Thieves, Part 6: The Twice-Damned Prince - Session 44: Courting the Hellknights

Dramatis Personae

Alfaren “Alfred” Eredel – Elf transmuter

Alizander Carmelizzia - Human (Varisian) sorcerer

Boecca – Half-orc inquisitor of Erastil

Carlos Santiago - Half-orc (Alkenstarian) evoker

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

Tavo Dechirent - Human cleric of Pharasma

Starday, 30 Pharast, 4709 A.R.

After a thorough investigation of Walcourt, Slavé and Alfred decide that razing the Council stronghold is the only prudent action, and proceed to burn the guildhouse to the ground. Outside it is approaching early evening, and as the Returners get their bearings they realize that Walcourt is not the only structure on fire in Westcrown. Across the Adivian River they see several plumes of smoke rising into the darkening sky from the city’s mainland. Alfred flies above the city to get a better look, but the view is mostly obscured by cloud and approaching darkness.

Alfred, Carlos, Boecca, Tavo, and Alizander use magic to travel swiftly to the Shrine of Aroden, the Returners’ safehouse. Slavé, meanwhile, uses his newly-acquired boots of teleportation to teleport to the Hellknight Order of the Scourge barracks in the Rego Cader.

At the Returners’ safehouse the group meets Janiven and Arael. Janiven tells the group that the situation in Westcrown deteriorated considerably in the hours that they were investigating Walcourt, with several gangs of Council thugs attacking citizens in the streets and setting fire to buildings. Despite the mounting chaos, Janiven and Arael believe the attacks may be indicative of the Drovenges’ desperation in the face of the Returners’ ongoing foils – forced to put their final endgame into action prematurely. In addition, rumours suggest that the Queen Abrogail II in Egorian has taken notice of the turmoil in Westcrown, and has ordered General Vourne to travel to Westcrown and establish order, by whatever means necessary. The Returners have the attention of many Wiscrani already; solidifying the citizenry’s support now is of utmost importance. Janiven suggests contacting the Mhartis family, whom the Returners’ have already aided in the past. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that many of the art objects the group retrieved from Walcourt’s treasury belong to the Mhartis family. She indicates that the surviving Mhartis’s are currently residing in a wing of the Ciucci family vira, not far from the ruined estate of Aberian Arvanxi.

Slavé arrives to find the Order of the Scourge headquarters in ruins. He finds a number of dead Hellknights in the ruins, along with several remains of undead attackers. Pontia Runario, leader of the Scourge Hellknights in Westcrown, is found barely alive in the catacombs beneath the old Church of Erastil. Slavé revives Pontia with a draught of healing potion. She describes an attack by a force of undead; the Scourge Hellknights were taken by surprise and cut down. Pontia escaped into the underground lair. She describes the leader of the attack as a skeleton-like undead with a strange fetal creature residing in its empty ribcage, called by name as Irimeian by several of the morhg attackers.

Pontia admits defeat and suggests the Order of the Scourge is finished, for the time being, in Westcrown. She admits that regaining control of the city now will be difficult without assistance from the other powers in the city – the Order of the Rack and the dottari. She suggests speaking to the Paralictor at Taranik House and trying to somehow enlist the aid of the Order of the Rack. Of the dottari she admits to knowing very little, except to suggest speaking to the chief dottari, Iltus Mhartis.

Slavé decides to head to Taranik House immediately, with Pontia by his side. Arriving at the bunker-like Order of the Rack headquarters late in the evening, Pontia convinces the hesitant guards to let them inside, where the two meet with Paralictor Gonville Chard, a hard looking man in imposing armour who looks like he hasn’t removed it in days. Slavé extols the virtues of the Returners as a force for order in Westcrown; amazingly, the Paralictor is inclined to agree, éand bids Slavé come back in the morning with the rest of the Returners.

Tavo, meanwhile, uses the recently-acquired carpet of flying to head towards the shrine to Pharasma established in the Massacre House in the Rego Crua. There he finds Jano, a member of his flock, who describes an attack similar to that experienced by the Order of the Scourge – groups of undead, morhgs, zombies, and so on – who assaulted the shrine and overwhelmed the few clergy in the building. Most of the flock managed to escape, but Tavo does find the body of one in the structure. A quick examination indicates that the cleric was drained of blood upon his death, corroborating Jano’s description of the attackers being led by a blond, red-cloaked vampire.

Tavo returns to the Returners’ safehouse with the terrible news, arriving soon after Slavé. As Slavé and Tavo relate their stories, the Returners decide there is little time to waste in countering the Council’s attacks and discovering if there is a connection between the Council and the undead attacks in the Rego Crua. When Slavé mentions contacting the dottari leader, Janiven relates that Iltus Mhartis was recently found dead, presumably assassinated. She believes his body is currently being held by the Mhartis family. The group decides to head to Taranik House in the morning, followed by a visit to the Mhartis and Ciucci families in an effort to secure the aid of the noble families.

Sunday, 1 Gozran, 4709 A.R.

At Taranik House, the Returners are introduced to Paralictor Gonville Chard. Although ethically opposed to the Returners methods, Chard expresses a grudging respect for the groups’ tenacity and uncanny ability to unearth and oppose the criminal element within Westcrown. Paralictor Chard seems positive to the prospect of an alliance between the Hellknights of the Order of the Rack and the Returners, but first insists on taking the group aside and speaking to them privately, implying that if the Hellknights throw their support behind the Returners, it is only reasonable that they help him with his own problem. Chard says that the Order of the Rack has recently experienced a schism within its ranks, a rift he suspects was engineered by the Council of Thieves.

The recent assassination of the dottari leader Iltus Mhartis has the appearance of being Hellknight work. Chard does not believe this was the case, but is unable to prove it yet. When the accusations rose, Citadel Rivad (the main Rack citadel located outside of Westcrown), shut its gates by order of Lictor Richemar Alamansor, who immediately began an inquisition of those Hellknights sealed within the citadel to ensure that all within remained loyal and trustworthy. Paralictor Chard knows it is only a matter of time before Alamansor orders Hellknights in the field back to Citadel Rivad for their own reckonings. This is what precipitated the recent schism within Taranik House. Cut off from support and supplies from Citadel Rivad, Taranik House quickly succumbed to infighting and bickering, all inspired by one Ara Verennie, a powerful signifier (a Hellknight spellcaster). According to Chard, Signifier Verennie proposed an alliance with the Council of Thieves, believing they would be successful in their powerplay to take over the city. Paralictor Chard saw this proposed alliance as treachery to Citadel Rivad and the Hellknight code, and declared Signifier Verennie a traitor. A brief but violent fight broke out in the grand hall of Taranik House as a result, and while Verennie and a dozen of her loyal followers (including Aritil Sevarn, Taranik’s respected armoury commander) escaped, the event left Chard and his loyalists understaffed and shaken. Chard says that the schism is not common knowledge in the city yet, and it would be best to remain so. He wants to capture the traitorous Signifier Verennie and bring her and her followers to justice before word spreads, and asks the Returners to help him in this task in return for his Order’s support.

The Returners agree to be on the lookout for Signifier Verennie. Paralictor Chard takes the group on a tour of the facility in the meantime, introducing them to a curious goblin woman named Jinkoo in Taranik House’s cellar level. Jinkoo guards the sewer entrance to Taranik House and fancies herself a Hellknight, a novelty most of the Order’s members are willing to tolerate. As the group tours the cellars and prison, Slavé is shocked to see the tiefling Crosael held within one of the cells. Chard explains that she is being held on charges of treason against the city for her presumed role in the destruction of Aberian Arvanxi’s estate and attempt to set free the pit fiend trapped beneath it. Slavé and the other Returners manage to convince Chard that she did not have a role in releasing the archdevil Liebdaga. In a rare act of ignoring proper legal proceedings, Chard agrees to expediate Crosael’s processing and set the tiefling free once her history and details have been recorded. Slavé manages to speak with Crosael for a moment. The tiefling seems relieved to see Slavé, and tells him that she has discovered very little about Chammady’s or Ecarrdian’s whereabouts in the last couple of weeks. She does indicate that she may have information on several of the Council’s old hideouts, and tells Slavé that she will be in touch if she is released from Taranik House.

The group leaves Taranik House at this point, making their way through several blocks towards Ciucci Vira, current residence of the Ciucci and Mhartis families. After speaking with Paralictor Chard, several of the Returners believe it may be worth attempting to resurrect Iltus Mhartis as a way of securing the aid of the dottari and the noble family at the same time. Upon arriving at the vira, the group knocks on the entrance of the north wing (the wing currently housing the Mhartis family). The knock is answered by a Mhartis guard, who suggests the family is too busy grieving for Iltus and desires no visitors. The Returners insist, and are eventually shown inside. They are ushered into an office to the left of the entrance hall. The attitude of the guards inside the entrance hall seems tense, and puts the Returners on guard. Alfred notices an odd hole in the ceiling of the office, and at the same time Slavé hears the telltale sound of a key being inserted into the office door. Before they can be locked in the room, Slavé charges the door, slamming it open and knocking the guard behind it to the floor. The other guards within the entrance hall draw their weapons and shout an alarm down the hallway.

Experience

· Story Award (securing the aid of the Hellknights): 9600 xp

· Total: 9600 xp

· Per PC (4): 2400 xp

· Fame points (returning 75,000 gp worth of treasure from Walcourt): 5 (total Fame Score: 32)

Fame/Popularity

· Fame Check bonus: +32

· Fame Points Spent (to broadcast Hellknight alliance): 5

· Fame Points Remaining: 27

· Popularity Points (securing the aid of the Hellknights): 3

· Total Popularity Points: 3

Current XP Total per PC

· Slavé: 138,169 xp

· Carlos: 135,769 xp

· Alfred: 135,614 xp

· Boecca: 135,594 xp

· Tavo: 131,524 xp

· Alizander: 127,784 xp

What Lies in Dust - Session 17: Massacre House

Dramatis Personae

Alizander Carmelizzia - Human (Varisian) sorcerer
Carlos Santiago - Half-orc (Alkenstarian) wizard
Slavé/Jancen – Tiefling (in guise as a human) rogue

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

Fireday, 21 Kuthona (winter solstice), 4708 A.R.

The party decides to investigate the goings on within the base of the Sisters of Eiseth, the so-called ‘Massacre House’, and retrieve the ashes of Coriana Heavenscape. The night of the winter solstice coaxes out the day and illuminates Westcrown under a waning gibbous moon. The city is uncharacteristically cool and crisp; it puts Alizander in mind of his own Varisia, far to the north yet always near in memory.

The Returners draw their cloaks more tightly over their bodies to keep out the cold. They creep along the ruins and black alleys of the Parego Dospera. In the distance, out of eyesight, a pack of feral dogs fight over some choice morsel. The orange embers of an abandoned fire pulsate in a sheltered alley, sputtering out their last breaths of smoke. There is little life on the streets of the Dospera after dark. Here, separated from the lit streets of the Parego Spera and the dottari patrols, the shadow menace of Westcrown is most keenly felt. Slavé, in guise as Jancen, leads the Returners near the old Church of Erastil, formerly the demesne of the Bastards of Erebus, now the Hellknight Order of the Scourge. The nearness of the Scourge headquarters offers some respite from the oppressive dark of the Dospera at night, well-lit and guarded as it is by Hellknight recruits in scarred breastplates and horned helms. The Returners head past the old church, keeping their eyes focused on the shadows. Every strange sound, every pair of cat’s eyes and glint of moonlight on wet cobbles draws the Returners’ attention.

Finally, the Massacre House looms into view, a six-sided building of black granite, whose slate-shingled roof comes to a sharp triangular peak. The gibbous moon sits atop the peak as if skewered. The Returners draw closer to the northwest entrance. A faint halo of light reveals itself around the heavy rosewood door set within the deep vaulted entryway. Vaeden slowly removes two glass vials from a fold in his coat. He drinks the first and disappears from view as if imploding upon himself. He drinks the second and becomes as the mist. Invisible and gaseous, Vaeden seeps under the doorframe and into Massacre House and enters a preparation chamber of some sort – a room featuring a pair of large tubs flanking a low metal table. Several doorways lead out of the room. Looking through the doors, Vaeden can determine that the central room, at least, is occupied. Two women in crimson and gold robes – one kneeling and praying at a low table, the other sitting in a spartan chair with a leather-bound book in her hands – occupy the room.

Vaeden moves back to the entrance from whence he came and becomes substantial once again. Still invisible, he slowly releases the latch keeping the massive door locked. The latch gives mighty click (at least in Vaeden’s mind) as it releases. He waits for a moment and, not hearing any noise from the room with the Sisters, opens the door. The door creaks on its frame.

“Did you hear that?” asks a voice from the central room.

“Hear what, sister?”

Jancen, Carlos, Alizander, and Tavo move into the room with Vaeden. Jancen stealthily glides into position near a second entrance to the central room. Vaeden moves, still invisible, near the primary entrance to the central room. Alizander steps lightly over the wide planks of the pine floor. Carlos comes in next, carefully testing each footfall so as to avoid any creaking planks, and promptly slams his shoulder into the door frame, causing the heavy rosewood door to swing open and hit the wall with a mighty thwack!

“That, I heard, sister.”

The Returners spring into action, ensuring they are in optimal position when the Sisters of Eiseth come out of the central room. A few moments go by with little happening; Vaeden and Jancen hear movement within the central room, and the sound of another door opening. Finally, Massacre House erupts with action. A crimson-robed Sister comes through the double doors near Vaeden to find herself staring down the double-barrel of Carlos’ wheel-lock pistol. Momentarily confused by the strange weapon, she is unable to avoid the magic missile that erupts from the weapon and takes a hit in her right shoulder. A second Sister follows her, and Vaeden strikes, pivoting around the open door in between the two Sisters. He lunges and stabs out with his short sword at the first Sister, plunging the blade through her spine. The Sister drops in a heap. In the same fluid motion, Vaeden backsteps and rotates the sword’s haft in his hands, jabbing the point behind him and into the hamstring of the second Sister.

A third Sister exits the door near Jancen, who, like Vaeden, responds instantly with a thrust of his short sword. The third Sister proves the faster, however. She rolls to the right out of the blade’s range, twirls in mid-air and loosens a long, bladed scarf from her gold and crimson robes. Still in mid-air, she snaps the scarf at Jancen and wraps its barbed length around his left leg. The Sister lands in a crouch and jerks the scarf towards her, pulling Jancen off his feet and onto the pine floor.

The battle continues for several rounds, with the Returners and the Sisters of Eiseth each seeking the upper hand. Three more Sisters join the battle, but they are no match for the well-prepared Returners. Finally, the Sisters of Eiseth fall under the blades and spells of the Returners.

Gathering their breath and wits, the Returners go about a thorough search of Massacre House. Another large chamber in the upper level of the house reveals the massive furnace used to dispose of the Sisters’ charges – the bodies of those they were hired to kill. The furnace’s denizen – a bound fire elemental – proves to be a practical-minded being. Although at first hostile towards the intruders, Alizander manages to calm the somewhat dimwitted creature by promising to provide more fuel for the furnace than the Sisters recently have, starting with the Sisters themselves. The fire elemental, mollified by its decades of bondage within the furnace, acquiesces readily and begins immolating the bodies of the Sisters as they are fed into the furnace.

Meanwhile, downstairs in Massacre House’s ossuary, Jancen, Carlos, and Vaeden search through hundreds of urns of ashes – the remains of the numerous victims of the Sisters of Eiseth over the centuries. The urns are catalogued by date, and it becomes clear that the Sisters were a force to be feared in the first couple centuries of its existence. The number of urns in the century since Aroden’s fall, however, drops off significantly. Finally, Jancen discovers an urn with the name the Returners are looking for: Coriana Heavenscape, date of death - Gozran, 4608 A.R.

Treasure:

· From the Sisters of Eiseth:

o Potions of cure moderate wounds (2)

o Potions of lesser restoration (2)

o Masterwork bladed scarves (6) (worth 936 gp total)

o Masterwork light crossbows (6) (worth 1005 gp total)

o Poisoned (black adder venom) bolts (18) (worth 1089 gp total)

o Black adder venom (6 doses) (worth 360 gp total)

o 250 gp

o Ashes of Coriana Heavenscape

· From Ailyn Ghontasavos

o 1000 gp (reward for retrieving Coriana’s ashes from Massacre House)

Experience Awards

· Sisters of Eiseth (6) – 4800 xp

· Story Award (retrieving Coriana’s remains and claiming Massacre House in the name of the Returners) – 3000 xp

· Total – 7300 xp

· Per PC (5) – 1560 xp each

Current XP Total per PC

· Alizander, Carlos, Slavé, Vaeden – 19,095 xp each

· Tavo – 18,400 xp

· Nagiphax – 9135 xp

· Croso, Orem – 8200 xp

· Total Current Fame Points – 12