Info Log / Putting the Pieces Together

[vigean]

I am starting this thread to allow everyone to keep up to date with whatever knowledge checks the party makes.

I'm basically treating my knowledge checks as auto transmit.

hopefully this helps with anyone's RP, allows us to make better decisions, and to give more depth to the setting.

feel free to post your own replies containing any other information that you have collected and feel it might benefit the party.

please highlight the topic/scenario
(bold, underlined, size 3 font)
and include the type of check made

please try to adhere to one of these 2 formats to reduce mess between posters.
type 1: Q & A
-Bold the answers that were given.
type 2: DM dump
-copy pasta

please do NOT discuss information on this thread.
start a new one for the specific topic instead

[vigean]

Soul Gem checks
(lady in the gem with her pet golem)
Arcana, Dungeoneering, History Checks

Arranis (Shaun) :
How old the gem is?
How old the magic it is imbued with is?
Any particular binding magics?
Is the lady "trapped"/held inside? or simply channeling through the gem?
The sort of magic affecting the party members when they were sucked into the dream realm, based on an interview with the soul-drained membersas to what happened to them, what they observed, any anomaly they noticed.

Arcana 16 + 6 roll = 22
From :
- what you gather of their descriptions of the Lady inside the Gem-Realm
- from your earlier Arcana readings frm the Gem
- from communicating to the Gem-Lady while in the Meeting Room.
- given that the Gem-Lady lets you take the Gem along with you
You think that the Gem-Lady is not in fact inside the Gem, and if you somehow destroy the Gem by getting past its Wards, it probably does her very little actual damage.

From what your party members tell you about the "Gem-Realm" :
You guess / deduce there's Two possibilities, or a mix of Both
- it is an image of a World created by the lady, likely as an "ideal" environment for her
- it is a place for holding souls in transit, before they are used, and most living things in the "Gem-Realm" have actually been destroyed and their "soul imprints" reside within.

How old is the Magic Imbuing the Gem?
You can't tell.

Best of Dungeoneering / Perception, +2 if both are Trained

Both are 10 : 10 + 2 + 18 roll = 30
You estimate the Gem's actual physical age is somewhere between 110 to 150 years old

=================

Arranis (Shaun) :
History check to see if there are any mentions of such a Gem within the house history, or any particular kind of magic they were familiar with?
or any particular members ( probably mages) in the house had dealings with such magic techniques?

History Roll : 14 + 17 Roll (during Encounter) = 31
The markings in the Vault / Meeting Room are that the highest ranking 2 positions sit on either side of the throne, with the markings on the Throne itself indicating the one seated in the Throne is actually lower ranking than these two. The others are more and more junior the further from the Throne they get.

The Kystada family was first active about 130 years ago, though en-nobled about 110 years ago, slightly more than the 100 "rough" estimate during the adventure. They are a family of half-elves, and are generally led by females rather than males. They came to Power by negotiating a truce between the Elves of Amareld and the Shian Empire, and also betrothing / wedding one of their daughters to the then-Emperor of Shian. Thereafter, one of the first notable positions achieved by the family was for the head of the Family back then, where the half-elf Lady Enethra Kystada became the Mayor of Zeychand. She did not occupy the position long, relocating to Berklin about 90-100 years ago and thereafter not taking up any notable positions. Since then they've generally only served up to Magistrate positions.

Most of the females serve in Justice organisation positions, most of the males serve in Military organisation positions, but are not generally high ranking. The Males are generally short lived. Most senior members of the family are able to summon up constructs - the females usually have ready with them humanoid / bodyguard like constructs ; the males usually use creature-like constructs, typically hounds etc.

You don't recall anything about a Gem in the House History.

Arranis (Shaun) :
Can I find a library to get more information?

Answer :
You think your memory is reasonably good enough that you have covered most of the major points of the family history known by common knowledge.
You think that the information you want is likely only found in the family's own records, rather than in publicly available places like the library.

=================

Arranis (Shaun) :
can i ask the souldrained members if they can describe the lady?
see if she resembles any notable members of the house.
or if we saw her picture in the gallery..

Answer :
You can try, but you can't really remember the pictures
Mainly because you spent very little actual time bothering with them, but you do vaguely recall that most of the portraits are male.

[vigean]

Alfelios Family History
(the people in possession of the other "Shadow Orb")
History check

(DM):

The Alfelios Family traces its roots to back when Berklin was just a quiet fishing village, just over 200 years ago. Their ancestors were fishermen, but as the Empire expanded southward and Berklin became a port and a rivermouth protection outpost, the Alfelios family supplied food to the soldiers stationed there, ranging from fish which was their usual ware, and providing also meat and vegetables from the various hamlets around by doing some barter trading.

As the village grew into a small town, and eventually into a fortified trading city, the Alfelios prospered along with it. They were pragmatic people who paved roads for their goods to pass through, supplied basic necessity and weapons, and eventually luxuries, an affable but shrewd business clan. They also started the first Guild of Merchants in the then-Town of Berklin, and some time later the Guild of Magic, and brought in simple folk from outlying towns to the growing city, to serve as labour under their supervision. Though the northern Shian City had appointed its own Magistrates and Regent over the place, it soon became clear that the Alfelios were the ones mediating disputes and working together to get things going. The family themselves did not seek recognition much, but the Regent who was a member of the Aventis family saw fit to elevate the Alfelios family head to Magistrate.

About 80 years ago, the Fifth Son of Heaven officially granted title of Nobility to the family, and they officially lay claim to their "estate", which in any case, already belonged to them as a large residence housing many servants and commoner families serving them. From there, Deyron Alfelios recommended the partition of Berklin into 4 quarters, to provide 2 quarters - West, South - for the housing of traders, foreigners and more common folk, while controlling the flow of "foreigners" into the North and East, which were to be inhabited by proper citizens of the Empire, and to execute his plan the Family shared part of the cost with the Military/Crown. Midway through the work Deyron was granted the Mayor position, who continued to maintain good relationship with the Aventis family, and when the building of internal partition walls was completed about 50 years ago, the Alfelios were elevated above the other Noble families, with the title of Baron bestowed upon Deyron. Later on, he split the duties of Magistrate into 2 - one to govern the North and East quarters, and the other for the West and South.

Today, Deyron's son Baron Ron Alfelios is the Mayor of Berklin, head of arguably the most prosperous non-royal family in the Empire, and with family influences extending into the two most notable guilds in Berklin, although they generally distant and impartial from disputes of the religious kind.

There are almost no records of the Alfelios family having been involved in armed conflict or violent power struggles of any sort, primarily serving in the Justice organisation of Berklin, occasionally picking smatterings of Military Arcane or Divine here and there, but overall they are a very persuasive and charismatic lineage.

[vigean]

Blackhart History
(the house of Emilio Blackhart, one of the heads of the Red Scorn)
History Check

(DM):

The Blackhart family was once nobles within the Tiefling kingdom of Kal Terath, serving under the Telrath ruling family. The Blackharts were known for their hunting and farming advances, and among the nobles of the Tiefling kingdom, they were the most in touch with the folk on the ground. The Blackhart family minded the civilian and development aspects of the empire, attending to the needs of the people who were not all Tieflings, although most of the Tieflings were Nobles or at least middle-class.

Like most other Tiefling Noble families, they probably have their own dabbling with the powers of other planes, and are at least reputed as capable magic users that are also adept in the use of burning shadows or some such. You get the impression in addition to the ruling family, there are 2 other notable noble families within Kal Terath, but you cannot recall their names, only that one family minded more of the militaristic aspects, and another was more political and religious in nature.

===========

The Tiefling kingdom of Kal Terath used to stretch from what is now the West Garrison to the river mouth of the Azure River, and Kal Terath is the kingdom that the Red Scorn now rallies under. The kingdom was conquered during the reign of the Third Son of Heaven, and it was under support for the battle then which Berklin started to prosper as a defensible supply base on the other side of the Azure River. When Kal Terath was eventually conquered, and the ruling and noble families fled into refuge, the expanding Shian Empire was issued an instruction to kill all Tieflings on sight, similar to orcs, goblins, drow, etc. The leaders of the Telrath lineage came out of hiding to have "talks" with the Empire about this, and while having extended negotiations they also summoned the rest of the family out of hiding to themselves, women and children included. In return for their trust, the Telraths were suddenly slaughtered to the last, men, women and children, utterly exterminated by the soldiers serving under the Third Son of Heaven.

[sylvannas]

Speak to the dead ritual (See 0.3)

The dead goblin hexer revealed that the traitor was no other than Egen, but he was described as purple robed and wearing chainmail. No prized for guessing who comparing Caldwick (black cloud guy) and Egen (ranger).

We'll be taking Caldwick next I suppose. We can probably then pose as Caldwick next and take over the estate and documents then find evidence and turn in for a reward to Meranthis (pardon if mispelled).

[vigean]

Queen Valytha
history check:21

From what you recall, it seems that at some point during the 3rd Emperor's reign, he took favor with a slave tiefling girl called Valytha, who he made a Concubine. Because he was getting on in years by then, her beauty and willingness to please him caused her to gain favor highly. During this period of time, he passed a law acknowledging Tieflings to be valid citizens of Empire, unless they were criminals in nature. As his age grew on, he favored this wench more and more. When the queen passed away, he made this Tiefling his next Queen in her favor, greatly displeasing the 4th Emperor and most of the court. In time to come, the 3rd Emperor went on a pilgrimage and left his Queen on his throne, instead of properly abdicating in favor of his heir.

Shortly after, it came to be known that she had managed to steal the Hereditary Seal of the First from the 3rd Emperor, and had intention to bestow it upon her infant child, to make him a contender to the crown. This did not seem a threat, until a plot by her to assassinate the 4th Emperor was made known, and she fled the palace with her child and Tiefling servitors. They managed to escape to sea, until the Officials led the Navy to catch up with her.

On her refusal to surrender the Seal, and the threat of losing them in the Bay of Mists and having the Seal fall into rebel hands, the valiant military were left with no choice but to sink the ship, and all hands were lost, including the Seal.

A year after, the 3rd Emperor returned from his pilgrimage and praised his son the 4th Emperor, before following as per the traditions and officially abdicating in favor of his son, then spending the remainder of his life in the Temple of the Son of Heaven.

For her role in the loss of the Seal, the Historians of the Shian Empire do not officially recognise her as Queen. There have been some mention of the term "Queen Valytha" in the South part of Shian, where there are known to be larger populations of Tieflings.

[Zyraen]

Put up at Player Request for ease of Comparison

Tomb of Queen Valytha - Information from Lord Amilio Blackhart in 8.4

Queen Valytha was the last of the Telrath family that had reigned in the Tiefling kingdom of Kal Terath. After the fall of Kal Terath and the massacre of the Telrath family, she gained the favor of the 3rd Emperor and became his Queen, eventually being granted the Hereditary Seal of the Shian Empire by the 3rd Emperor. The Hereditary Seal was an ancient seal that according to the rites of rulership, would allow a person of the royal blood to lay claim to the Throne of the Shian Empire, and also grant the person amnesty from one truly heinous crime, or less. It might even have been his wish that her child be the new Successor to the Throne instead of the original Crown Prince.

However, after the 3rd Emperor had moved on, in his absence his wishes were disregarded, forcing Queen Valytha to flee to sea with her child. Still, the murderous officials had her ship sunk with all hands on board, causing the Hereditary Seal of the Shian Empire to be lost, presumably within what is referred to as the Tomb of Queen Valytha.

Lord Blackhart has known of its location for some time, even having entered the Tomb in the past in a failed attempt to recover the Seal when one of the other Tiefling Lords supposedly had found a claimant to the Shian throne. His attempt failed and most of the party were lost in the Tomb, then he later found out this claim was a lie. Now he refuses to divulge its location even to his fellow Tiefling Lords in the Red Scorn, believing they would seek it for their own selfish purposes.

His concern seemed to be that if the Seal were to resurface and fall into the hands of a claimant, a succession struggle could erupt or even a civil war that would split the Empire. With the Empire largely stable, orderly and efficient, he has no more designs to bring down the Empire, and only seeks to govern his island a peaceful manner where humans and tieflings can live together in harmony.

For practical reasons he has carried on his alliance with the other Tiefling families in being part of the Red Scorn.

[Zyraen]

Lord Marlon Merenthis' Background - History Check in 10.0

History 18 + roll 19 = 37

Lord Marlon Merenthis is the Councillor of Foreign Trade and Relations in the Shian Empire, a member of the prominent Merenthis family and cousin to Duke Galion Merenthis, Commander-General of the Shian Empire.

In his youth, he lived in the Shian City and served as a War Wizard in military campaigns, and like most of his family is probably proficient with polearms.

About his mid/late 20s , he appeared to have suddenly resigned from his Military position and left the capital, setting up his own home and estate in Berklin, where he joined the Justice Organisation, and there is speculation he had fallen out with the rest of the Merenthis family.

He climbed the ranks on good terms with Mayor Deyron Alfelios, and became Magistrate over Berklin, back when there was only one Magistrate. However, before Mayor Deyron passed away, Sir Marlon Merenthis was suddenly elevated to Councillor of Foreign Trade and Relations, gaining his title of Lord. In his place, the Mayor split the Magistrate position to 2 positions : one Magistrate governing the "civil/internal" North & East quarters and another governing the "merchant/foreign" West & South quarters and better access to those of foreign nations.
Until today, Berklin remains the only city / town / settlement in the whole of the Empire to have more than 1 Magistrate. Even the Shian City itself has only 1 Magistrate.

Currently the "internal" Magistrate is Lady Mirian Kystada, head of the Kystada family, and the "foreign" Magistrate is Lord Jierdan Aventis, 2nd son of Duke Xanthus Aventis, Premier of the Shian Empire.

You also note that Councillors have no official authority and are often considered advisers to the Emperor. However due to his duties, Lord Marlon Merenthis is rarely in the capital and regularly on the move from Berklin to the Elven and Dwarven territories. This basically causes him to be separated from his "power source", both from access to the Emperor and contact with the main Merenthis family.

Lord Marlon Merenthis has been influential in his advisory role to the Guild of Merchants in Berklin since his days as Magistrate, and remains influential, second only to the Mayor Baron Ron Alfelios and above that of the "new" Magistrate, Lord Jierdan Aventis.

Based on above information, you think he might not be on good terms with Baron Ron Afelios, and possibly Lord Jierdan Aventis.

Other Information from the Game
- his only son Sir Joien Merenthis serves as Chief Constable of the West Quarter, and his direct superior is Lord Jierdan Aventis. The Party has battled Sir Joien before and found him a fearsome combatant.
- Lord Marlon Merenthis mentioned that Lady Mirian Kystada gave him some information, which might imply they are allied.
- Lord Marlon implied that whoever channeled the divine energy to subdue the Wraiths on the night of the Wraiths Infestation was a more powerful magic user than him.

Edit : typo on the name of the Commander-General, should be Galion Merenthis

[Zyraen]

Almost all the following information was mentioned at the game table. Here it is for reference by those not present and also for better Clarity.

However, note that SOME of the Information below was NOT mentioned in game at the Table. I have italicised and placed a * to highlight my omissions.

==============

Information gleaned from Visit to Dalanar's Tower in 10.2

1) INFO FROM THE LADY IN THE GEM

The Lady in the Gem wants the Heroes to either ally with her and assist Dalanar the Vampire in his objectives, or to give up their bodies and join her in the world of Athas to further achieve her goals.
According to her, it is less of her being allied to Dalanar, but rather Dalanar is serving her plans.

Based on her actions, the Healer guesses that it was planned that the Heroes could escape from the window of the Tower.

Since the original Purple Soul Gem is mounted on Dalanar's Staff, the Healer guesses that if she so chose, the Lady in the Gem could use all of the powers that she used in this Meeting through the Purple Soul Gem as well. Powers included Death Ray (ie Drain Soul), Death Wave (a less fatal but mass version of Drain Soul), Hypnotism, Mass Hypnosis and Domination.

2) RITUAL BOOKS & VIALS OF BLOOD

The Healer collected 2 vials of blood that appeared to be infused / had dissolved within them ritual components of some kind.

The blood appeared to be extracted from some kind of non-living being, likely a Vampire, and had been kept liquid in the vials for an extended period. Based on an extraordinarily high Heal check, this period is likely more than 1 month and certainly before the Characters first arrived in Berklin (see 2.0)

Perusing the Necromantic Ritual Books did not uncover sufficient clues nor were there any rituals detailed within that required the use of a Vampire's blood in specific. However, the Healer guessed that the Ritual probably has something to do with Vampires specifically, rather than something that is purely to deal with Necromancy.

3) RESEARCH ON SUCCESSION AND SHIANIS LINEAGE

The first section held a book case with history books and research on the Royal Customs of the Shian Empire. The notes and books collected by Dalanar were swept up by the intruders who later deciphered them with a Arranis' History roll of 33. ( The roll was made by Jeth as Shaun was not present but allowed use of his char. Basically you guys get all the info that might be gleaned )

- Dalanar seeks a way towards legitimate claim on the Throne of the Shian Emperor
- Apart from the information on the Hereditary Seal of the First Emperor, the following information was also uncovered perusing notes, likely made by Dalanar.

- Each Emperor is allowed to have a maximum of 3 sons.
- The first is groomed to be Emperor, and usually has Martial training, supplemented by Arcane. His experience is usually Military oriented.
- The second is groomed to be an Adviser, and usually has Arcane training, supplemented by Divine. His experience is usually Magical & Research oriented.
- The third (if any), is groomed to be a fair-minded Arbiter / Judge in case of disputes, and usually has Divine training, supplemented by either Arcane or Martial. His experience is usually in religious matters, followed possibly by a stint in Justice or Martial.

- Like the children of other nobles, the princes of the Shianis family are usually sent out to learn from the various Military, Justice etc organisations in the Shian Empire.
- Until the time for the Crown Prince to become Emperor, the names of the Emperor's sons are protected. This protects them from Assassinations as well as giving them a better experience on the field.
- After the ascension of a New Emperor, the youngest / third Brother of the New Emperor (if any) would be assigned to the Temple of the Son of the Heaven, where he carries on in the ways of the divine powers, and is called upon at times to judge sensitive disputes in the Empire, particularly in sensitive matters between powerful families, and most notably matters of Succession.*

- The current Emperor is Beldon Shianis. He has two younger brothers, Celdon Shianis a known arcanist of some repute, and Feldon Shianis a known Paladin in the Temple of the Son of Heaven.

- When an Emperor passes away, the right of rulership passes to his heir the Crown Prince, or otherwise to the oldest surviving son. However, this right is revoked if the Heir is under 24 years old.
- Whether due to a young heir or due to an absence of surviving sons, the right of rulership would then pass to the brothers of the Emperor.
- In the case of a dispute, the third Youngest Brother of Emperor, usually the third one, tends to be called upon to arbitrate / judge. Hence their upbringing.*

- The Hereditary Seal supercedes all these and allows ascension by anyone of Royal Blood.
- However, the caveats of age requirement 24 years old and a proper character / upbringing to rule effectively is still required, as deemed fit by the arbitrator / judge.*

======================

Common Sense in 10.2

Xyphrenos indicated that Queen Valytha left a Heir to the 3rd Emperor, but did not mention if the Heir survived the sinking of the ship.

Common Sense dictates that if such an Heir were to have perished, there would be not One but TWO sarcophagi in the Tomb of Queen Valytha. Notably, the Heir's Sarcophagus would have an higher honor than the Queen, since the Heir would be of Royal Blood in the Shianis, whereas Queen Valytha was just a Tiefling of Telrath family that used to rule the then-conquered Tiefling kingdom of Kal Terath.

Common Sense also indicates that such an Heir would be a Tiefling, since Tieflings breed true, ie if a Human and Tiefling were to have offspring, they would be Tieflings.

Common Sense also indicates that if such a Tiefling Heir descended from the Telrath family were to be known to the three Tiefling families running the Red Scorn, they would cease their infighting and submit to the will of this Successor. By deduction, they would not be aware that such an Heir even exists, or they would seek him out.*

Edit : changed the typo. Originally was VE in place of the Red Scorn (which has been bolded)

======================

Information from Xyphrenos the Dragonborn via Sending in 10.2

The intruders were initially swarms of dominated Sahuagin, followed by swarms of undead. Finally the Vampire arrived, freezing the icy water exit to the Tomb to prevent Xyphrenos from escaping.

Xyphrenos managed to escape thanks to being able to break down the Vampire's Dimensional Anchor and having his own teleportation anchor ready. He also had time to open the Sarcophagus and retrieve the fake Hereditary Seal that the Heroes had suggested by placed there (the real one was seen to have been placed by Xyphrenos into his Leomund's Secret Chest).

Xyphrenos notes the Vampire seemed surprised to see the Seal, and perhaps he was not coming for the Seal at all.* Nonetheless it is clear that from this action, the Vampire would be completely certain that the Seal the Heroes carry is a fake.

Though he does not indicate so from his Sending Rituals, from the tone you think he is heavily injured and will need time to recover.

Edit : Bolded portion included on the current Shianis family. this information was mentioned to Players at the Game Table, but accidentally omitted from this post.

[Zyraen]

Starting from Session 12.0, the Heroes found out their "benefactor" Lord Marlon Merenthis had been placed under detention / custody of the Constables in the North Quarter of Berklin.

A potent Forbiddance ritual prevents Sending rituals from being received by Lord Marlon. Fortunately, through some unexpected help, the Heroes managed to get a special pair of Sending Stones, one of which was delivered to Lord Marlon Merenthis.

The Questions that the Players asked are in bold.

Session 12.0 Questions for Lord Marlon Merenthis

What are the specifics of the charges made against you?

It seems they investigated the Tower in the Alfelios estate and found notes of a plot against the Crown and tracing the lineage of the Emperor. There has been a Top Priority Warrant issued to all Military, Justice, and Guilds issued for the master of the tower, Dakanar Malferon, wanted dead or alive.

However, Lord Marlon Merenthis' name was also written repeatedly under notes regarding identifying the successor to be acted against.

The Charges are of being involved in a plot against the Crown. Notably, divulging information that endangered the Crown. It seems that recently there was an Assassination attempt against the Crown.
On a separate note, it seems the Emperor Beldon Shianis has recently taken ill.

===============

On whose authority, who was the Accuser?

The findings were reported by Mayor Alfelios and corroborated by Priests after an investigation of the tower. News of the Assassination attempt also came from the West Garrison (you would be able to verify that Lord Marlon was detained in the evening hours on the night of the Orc attack, ie hours BEFORE the actual Assassination attempt was made against Ardon).

The Premier Duke Xanthus Aventis himself is opening an investigation against the Merenthis family in Shian City. Meantime, in Berklin, the two Magistrates (Lord Jierdan Aventis and Lady Mirian Kystada) act as his proxies to jointly investigate the case.

Meantime, Baron Ron Alfelios has also recommended that he himself be placed in custody. As written to the Emperor himself, the Baron noted that as the employer of the treasonous Dakanar Malferon, the possibility of his own involvement cannot be overlooked.

==================

Side Note

It seems both Lord Marlon and Baron Ron are treated fairly well while in detention. Lord Marlon himself had a chance to converse with the Baron ( who is known to be not fond of him), who noted that Lord Marlon once served his father well as Magistrate of Berklin, and it would be unbecoming to ill-treat him even in the face of such charges.

==================

Who else can we trust in his absence?
Any new orders?

Well, the notable question might who NOT to trust...

Stick to the plan and protect Captain Ardon. For most matters in doubt, Capt Ardon can make the call, and can generally be trusted, though inexperience might cloud his judgment. Be wary when approaching the Shian City, and try and watch out for the Aventis family.

Lord Marlon thinks that if someone involved in the plot had tried to recover the Hereditary Seal, then there must be a member or ex-member of the Royal family itself involved.
This makes almost everyone suspect, even those that are truly loyal but in service of someone of authority involved in the plot. The natural persons not to trust would be the Emperor's brothers, but possibly also the second and third prince.. whoever they are, and however old they are. If need be, among the Royals, trust no one except the Emperor himself.

Lord Marlon notes that if Baron Alfelios is truly involved in the plot, he would be putting himself in danger of being exposed by effectively turning himself in. Unless of course, he expects to be found totally guiltless. Nonetheless, the Baron's influence in Shian City is likely quite limited... except for his known good relationship with the Aventis family.

Lord Marlon is uncertain whether the party can trust his own cousin, Duke Galion Merenthis, because apart from Lord Marlon himself, he thinks only the Duke is aware of Captain Ardon's importance. That an assassination attempt has occurred might have something to do with him.

===============

What does he think is the real reason behind his arrest?

There is definitely a plot against the Crown under way, and the following factors make the outlook gloomy :
- the main suspect Dakanar Malferon has not been apprehended. It doesn't help that Lord Marlon knows he is actually dead, and the actual "suspect" is a powerful Vampire Arcanist.
- an assassination attempt has been made against Capt Ardon, with no leads yet
- the assassination attempt coincides with the Orc attacks, making it too close to be coincidence
- just as coincidentally, the Emperor has taken ill
- the crux of the investigation appears to lie in Berklin, which might be a diversion against something going on in the Shian City itself
- Lord Marlon is hardly able to communicate with the rest of the world, and the other person that he trusts, his son Joien, is not able to leave Berklin with the city on high alert

Lord Marlon is unsure how much about the Vampire he should tell the investigators, since it does not help anyone be able to stop nor detect him, but if it was known it would actually make the Vampire more aware that his true identity is known.

If the Heroes make it to the Shian City, try to ensure the Emperor recovers and protect him.

===============

Question from Lord Marlon

Who the hell was it who delivered this Sending Stone ?
He looked like a constable but it seems he gave Lord Marlon the creeps.

[Zyraen]

Religion 25 (I think)
Arcana 32

Monster Knowledge Check in 12.2

(Religion)

You recognise the creatures as Boneclaws, which are animated undead, usually infused with necromantic energies to serve as guardians. They are rotting forms with distended long bone claws that they can use to rend and tear at enemies beyond the normal reach of a creature their size. They are also known for their long and deadly reach that they can use to make quick, multiple opportunity attacks against any they can reach.

In this particular case though, you notice some differences - the Boneclaws' flesh appears to be seething as if with bugs underneath and plagued boils, and you can see shadowy energies joining them back to the portal. The dark damaging aura from the portal that impedes healing also seems to be originating to a lesser extent from them (for now), and the form of the Boneclaws seem to be floating just above the the mounds of frozen swarms.

You think that apart from being animates, the Boneclaws are used as vessels for the source of the Plague, an intelligence that controls the swarms. It is likely some sort of Demonic being, and the capabilities passed on to the Boneclaws makes them is adept enough to use Arcane energies, manipulate a Portal, hover as the air buzzes with psychic whispers promising torment, and the Plague itself seems to be emanate out from the clawed fingertips.

(Arcana)

From your high Arcana check, you think one reason why the Boneclaws are present is that they are constructed vessels that help to focus the essence and will of the Plague-being and act as its extensions. You vaguely recall such constructs that incubate and spread such Plague are called Doomcallers, and they possess a fell intelligence of their own, almost directly linked to their creator's will. They are capable of using bursts of deadly Plague Spores, impaling distant enemies with Plague Spikes, and emanate a dark aura of psychic negative energy (negative energy = necrotic), among other forms of Plague manipulation.

It is entirely possible that a magic-user first created the Boneclaws separately, and then surrendering them to the will of the demonic undead plague being, turning them into Doomcallers. You also note that the portal to the Shadowfell is not exactly a portal to the Abyss, which is the plane that Demons originate from. Then again, the Shadowfell is home to numerous types of Undead, but it seems unlikely that a primarily undead being would establish a psychic sort of Plague.

(Insight, Passive)

The point of the portal in all this does not seem to be clear, since nothing else is coming through the portal just yet. Logically speaking if the Doomcallers had an interest in conquering this part of Shian Empire, they would probably have entered once the portal was open, before you all arrived. Even as a population centre to "breed" Swarms, this Hendro is not exactly that ideal, and you think that if it had really wanted to, the swarms could have wiped out the whole village. At the very least, the plague should have killed off a lot more of the population a lot faster, and the swarms generated from there already be attacking, possibly wiping out the Military blockade.

[Zyraen]

As some of you may be new to the campaign, and most do not have access to some details known by other characters.

As we may be moving forward to the Epic arc of the main story, we've decided to spell some things out for everyone's better understanding. This might help players connect the Heroic / Paragon arc better to the Paragon / Epic arc.

The numbers below refer Sessions recorded in the Campaign Log : unboundgames.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1&page=5

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3.2 Shadowed Demesne
The Heroes defeated an aspect of a Shadow Dragon protecting a portal to the Shadowfell, and obtained an Orb that was used to open the portal. The Shadow Dragon was called Urishtar, apparently some powerful Dragon overlord in the Shadowfell.

3.3 True Colors
A Green Hag in the guise of the Elven Commander, Lady Aribeth, tries to trick the Heroes into handing the Orb over her. By sheer fortune she is dispatched before being able to escape, revealing her true nature.

This Orb was later revealed to be an artifact called Kradgar's Orb. In visions, Kradgar appeared to be a powerful Wizard who was performing a ritual in the Shadowfell atop a spire, and this involved a captive Shadow Dragon restrained at the base of the spire, in a ritual circle with four (4) Orbs around it. The ritual seemed aimed at bringing light into the darkness of the Shadowfell, but was disrupted when another Shadow Dragon attacked him while he was performing the ritual and shattered the spire platform. This caused Kradgar to plummet down, body smashed in a pulp and within the reach of his captive, that tore him to pieces, but his consciousness escaped into the Orbs.
The Orb seems to want to be united with other Three Orbs of the same origin.

4.0 Just Rewards
The real Lady Aribeth asks to safeguard the Orb but the party refuses to hand it over.

5.2 Soulful Audience
In the aftermath of claiming the Purple Soul Gem and before giving it to the Violet Eye (and eventually Dalanar), one of the Heroes had a conversation with Enethrin Kistarra, the Lady in the Gem. Among other things, the following part of the conversation was conducted, where E stands for Enethrin, S stands for Sylvannas
E: Tsk, you are but a tool to your God and to those around you. A helpful healing tool but they will abandon you when you are useless.
E: I care for myself, my power and my kingdom. I will rule forever or until he returns. That is all.
E: You think yourself precious to your Master? Probably just a pretty, scantily clad body to satisfy him, if only in his mind.
S: Who would he be, oh great Mistress?
E: If and when he return he might kill me. I must grow in strength so even if I cannot defeat him, he will at least find my power useful.
S: Who is he milady, perhaps if we cannot help you significantly because we are beneath your power, we may aid you in every little way we can.
E: Maybe, if you can enter my world. Maybe... Or his.. *soft laughter, more wild than usual*
S: Who is he milady?
E: I see you have a way to him. Use it and kill him.
E: Find the Sorcerer King Kradgar and kill him.
E: Ah but of course. IF you find him likely you will all perish. Only I alone can prepare for his return. One can only trust one's own power.
S: What did Kradgar do to you milady?
E: He taught me about true power, and true control. He bequeathed me his kingdom while he went away, into the Shadowfell. But I'm not naive. If I am not strong enough when he returns, he will dispose of me.

7.3 A Hot and Sticky Situation
The Heroes break into the tower of two Eladrin Arcanist brothers, Dakanar and Dalanar. To save his brother, Dalanar the Eladrin (later revealed to be a Vampire) surrendered the Orb that he had to the party, and asked them to leave by the window.

This Orb became combined with the original Orb, increasing the potency of the Artifact and the clarity of the Vision of Kradgar's demise.

13.1 Cheating Death
The Heroes rush in to try to save Ardon Shianis from attacks by Wraiths. The second brother of the emperor, Celdon Shianis, also fights fiercely and sacrifices himself to take hits to protect the oldest son of the Emperor.
From visions bestowed by the Orb when first entering Shian City, the Healer who holds the Orb recognises Celdon Shianis as the owner of a third Orb.

15.0 New Reign and New Challenges (including Aftermath)
Celdon Shianis commissioned a temple to be built in honor of his God, a deity called Kadrigar that is ostensibly the God of Hope, Life and the Sun. He is also said to be the original God who created humans.

Celdon Shianis also awarded his Orb to the Healer as promised, for apprehending Dalanar, the person behind the murder of Duke Galion Merenthis, and likely responsible for the Wraith Knight that resulted in the death of the Emperor. He mentions he came to know his deity Kadrigar through the Orb, and hoped Kadrigar would guide Sylvannas' way forward into the light.

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Later on, the Healer combines the 3rd Orb with the rest, increasing the item's potency further, and gained a deeper understanding of his background before he became a Sorcerer King. The vision received of Kradgar's fall is startling and detailed, and with clarity the Shadow Dragon that had attacked Kradgar seems to vaguely resemble Urishtar, and even after Kradgar was killed, the captive Shadow Dragon still perished as its body melted away to bone. After both Kradgar and the captive Shadow Dragon had died, the dead Shadow Dragon shortly rose as a Dracolich, and flew off. Kradgar's consciousness was not split into 4 parts, into the 4 orbs, but rather into 5 parts, and where the last part of his consciousness went to is unclear.

Meantime, Amor`Eneth, an elven archmage and master of the healer arrives, and helps her to make sense of the vision while the Heroes left on their urgent task against the Drow. He explains that the Shadowfell is divided into realms, called the Domains of Dread, each ruled by their own Darklord, that would become trapped within that realm, and even when killed would come back to life.

He concludes that the ritual Kradgar was performing was not aimed to bring light into the darkness of the Shadowfell, but to bring the entire Domain of Dread into the Feywild, to have it exist in both the Feywild and Shadowfell at the same time. The Dracolich transformation was likely completed before the actual ritual, such that it only triggered under specific conditions, which were met, and to act so quickly on such a huge Shadow Dragon meant the ritual must have been extremely potent. Amor`Eneth questions why someone who knows a Dracolich ritual is not himself undead, a lich, or otherwise some sort of immortal.

He guesses from the nature of Urishtar's attack on Kradgar that the Shadow Dragon fears him, preferring to use a fly-by breath attack rather than to rend with claws, yet the arrangement of the events also seemed to occur such that Urishtar would become the new Darklord of the Domain of Dread.

Amor`Eneth ends off by concluding that the Orb - now almost complete - is not a Divine artifact, but an Arcane one, and that has its own sentience. He wonders what they are that the enemies of Kradgar would not simply destroy it, and why his allies would not simply put them together in the Shadowfell. He ends by warning the Orb might be something dangerous, and offers to caretake it, but his offer is turned down.

[Zyraen]

Nightshadow Information in 16.1

DESCRIPTION

The gate of the city is 40' high sable wood, that seems to be in a constant state of flux and movement, as if it were growing, much like the stone of the wall is pulsing slightly. It seems to open and close based on its growth governing its movement. Within the 50' high City walls, although there is no dome of any sort around the city, it looks as if the sky of the Shadowfell is significantly brighter than when you were outside, though still dimmer than usual day in other realms.

Most of the citizenry seem to be rather gloomy-faced, or despondent, it might be the environment, but nonetheless they are polite, courteous and seemingly disinterested in crime. It seems that most of them found their way here by some unhappy incident in their home plane, though since then some have settled down to raise families here.

Nightshadow has twisting streets with relatively squat squat buildings, mostly made of dark wood, and some by stone. The people are a mix of many peoples, such as humans, elves, dwarves, half-elves, along with a relatively healthy mix of Shadar-Kai. Occasionally you catch sight of what looks like a small wooden humanoid figure with glowing radiant lights attending to the structure of some building. After they are done, they tend to be lost to sight in the streets.

The so-called "Trade" area is actually a beach area with dusty, greyish sand. Here stalls, similar to pushcarts, sell all kinds of goods, and though there is a decent variety of goods that may interest the Heroes, these goods are low in quantity. Supposedly the goods are brought by ghost-ships that float over the black sea, with spectral crew that the townsfolk "pay" in advance for goods to be brought to them.

Near the beach area to one side are large swathes of agricultural area, with irrigation systems linking to the sea, but with devices along major channels, possibly to make the water more acceptable to plantlife. If the Heroes were to try and taste the food, they will find it generally more tasteless and dusty than they remember it, but the inhabitants seem to enjoy the food normally, likely having tastebuds that have got used to what little flavor they have.

Most of the City Guard appear to be Shadar-Kai, though there are other races as well, and they wear a livery of black lined with gold, and there are no city colors nor emblems. The City Guard report to the Council, but they are mostly significantly lower level than the Heroes.

In contrast, hovering about 30' in the air, with unmoving wings, are large angelic-looking constructs that the Heroes can identify as Astral Warwings. They move in small squads and seem to keep watch over the place, though from the way they fly they seem to be in orbits around the centre of the city rather than actually on patrol paths.

At the centre of the city is a dark spire that reaches to the not-so-gloomy sky, or rather, half of it, though it still towers over most of the city buildings. It seems to have been lopped off about the middle, and that level reformed into a platform that seems to open like a flower, with eight petals each with a seat, one for each member of the Council. This platform would be where the Heroes encounter the individual known as the "Curator", a mage-like Shadar-Kai that says that the Council meets here every other day, though few if any of them come in person, and only for brief discussions.

The Curator is later found out to be an image of sorts, rather than a real person, and seems to have its energy source towards the Mausoleum/Museum-like structure where is laid the body of Kradgar, and whose ghost appears to haunt. It implies that the ghost of Kradgar powers most of the city, though the running of the city is left to the Council, whose identities are kept secret.

HISTORY

According to the Curator and the writings in the Museum / Mausoleum, Nightshadow was the key settlement in this Domain of Dread, known as Elshezan. It was a village kept close to the Darklord of the domain, who inhabited this very spire, a Shadow Dragon known as Nyxramas. Urishtar was Nyxramas' key servant and companion. Shadar-Kai did not use to be part of the settlement, and were mostly wild and nomadic, belligerent warrior-nomads.

Shortly after the ruins of Kalidnay were found in the realm, and fleeing survivors from the ruins escaped to Nightshadow, there arrived a powerful mage called Kradgar, who led an uprising, with the Shadar-Kai joining in and all the people of the village united together. While Urishtar was distracted elsewhere and most of Nyxramas' other servants were busy dealing with the uprising, Kradgar managed to defeat Nyxramas, and captured the Darklord to use in a ritual that was intended to bring Nightshadow into the lighted realm, the Feywild.

However, while he was performing his ritual atop the Spire that was Nyxramas' old abode, Urishtar appeared seemingly empowered, and surprised him in the midst of the ritual, sending his body hurtling down towards the enslaved Nyxramas at the base of the spire. With the ritual's interruption, the light faded away to its current level, but Nyxramas succumbed to the ritual as his flesh melted away, and Urishtar became the current Darklord. After this, the bones of Nyxramas stirred and took flight as a Dracolich, departing the Domain, and Urishtar flew off after the Dracolich. She would not return but instead took up her abode elsewhere, in what the inhabitants now refer to as Nightwyrm Fortress where she tends to a vortex of souls that seems to grant her power.

In honor of Kradgar, the inhabitants scraped off what remained of his body, cleaned it and interred him in a glass sarcophagus in the crypt under the mausoleum / museum that was built in his honor. After they had done so, it is said that Kradgar's ghost returned the favor by raising walls around Nightshadow, and constructs to protect them. Eventually also arose the Council, wise and powerful individuals who had various knowledge to guide the people and make life easier. It is known that there is at least one Shadar-Kai, one Efreet, one powerful magic-user within the council, but details like their names and faces are not known.

Though they are still trapped in Elshezan, the people believe that they are probably the most well-off city in the entirety of the Shadowfell.

Edit: mainly typographical errors, bleagh.

[Zyraen]

16.1 The Ghost of Nightshadow
The ghost of the wizard whose "will" powers the city of Nightshadow is called Kradgar. From the history of the place and the ghost, the ghost appears to be that of the wizard who indeed was slain by the Shadow Dragon all those years ago.
The body inside the glass sarcophagus seems real enough, except it appears to have only passed away yesterday, and though it has the blood cleaned off, it still appears to be a mess possibly due to having been scraped off the floor. On an Arcana check, the body appears to be in a stasis of sorts, inherent to the body itself, hence has not mouldered away. The energies that power the city seem to come from the room and not the body.

[Zyraen]

Information from Tyrian Templars in 17.0

All the following is information provided by the Tyrian Templars. You get the distinct impression that they are very much of the view that their City-State, and their Sorcerer-King, is the greatest. You also think that all other Templars likely think the same of their own City-State and Sorcerer-King.

WORLD INFORMATION

There are 7 major city-states, each ruled by a Sorcerer-King, and controlling the lands around it. In order from greatest to weakest Sorcerer-King, they are:

Kradgar the Lightbringer, Sorcerer-King of Tyr, the Enlightened City.
Hamanu the Lion of the Desert, Sorcerer-King of Urik, City of Lions
Nibenay the Shadow King, Sorcerer-King of Nibenay, City of Spires
Andropinis the Dictator, Sorcerer-King of Balic, City of Sails
Lalali-Puy the Forest Goddess, Sorcerer-Queen of Gulg, the Forest City
Abalach-Re the Grand Vizier, Sorcerer-Queen of Raam, City of Unrest

Kradgar also rules Draj, City of Moons, previously ruled by Tectuktitlay.

RECENT EVENTS INVOLVING TYR

About five years ago, Tyr invaded Draj, and Kradgar fought Tectuktitlay and defeated him. Instead of destroying Draj like he could, he managed to assimilate most of the people and doing away with the bloody traditions and undoing the brainwashing done by Tectuktitlay. He let them carry on their way of life, though they saw through the lies of Tectuktitlay and took to worshipping Kradgar instead.

While the campaign was ongoing, Raam invaded Tyr from the other side. High Templar Kistarra managed to hold off the superior number of enemy slave-soldiers, but eventually Abalach-Re herself confronted Kistarra and killed her, destroying her body. Nonetheless, the encounter weakened Abalach-Re sufficiently to have her retreat to Raam to recuperate, and for this great service Kradgar resurrected his High Templar when he returned.

Since her resurrection, Kistarra has been administering to the Draj in the aftermath, with Kradgar himself taking charge of Tyr, that was closer to Raam. Both city-states have strengthened their military, with Tyr having about 1,000+ constructs like the obsidian bone golem, and 6,000+ disciplined elite soldiers, while Draj has 4,000+ warriors that have converted to the worship of Kradgar.

The Templars boast that even if Raam has more slave-soldiers than them, the Tyrian army is of a better calibre, and they were looking for an opportune time to repay the favour to Raam. They also say that if only they did not have to defend Draj, they now have a larger army than the 10,000 strong army of Hamanu the ruler of Urik, viewed as the greatest army in Athas.

TYRIAN TEMPLARS AND THE MILITARY

Almost all of the Tyrian Templars are female humans. Both male and female children were selected from childhood as gifted with strong psionic and magical talent, and brought up by the Templar order. At adolescence, males are separated from the females and rarely heard of again, though they are believed to be sent as agents in other parts of Athas. The females carry on to become Templars, and most of those that administer to Tyr and also Draj are fair-minded, and having grown up with all their needs provided for they prove difficult to corrupt. They view themselves as a sisterhood and most of them know each other by name. Many of them have a personal detachment of fanatically loyal soldiers that they lead in warfare, looking up to them in almost every way, although they are also reminded to attend to their family if they have one. Most of the Tyrian Templars seem rather simple, though some are Judges, who are specially trained to handle disputes and sort through intricacies of lies and guile.

The Sorcerer-King Kradgar is said to be pure and not one of the original Champions of Raajat, the greatest of defilers that tutored the Sorcerer-Kings that conquered and laid waste the world. Kradgar is also said to be unlike the depraved perverted Shadow King Nibenay, who consorts with all of his hundreds of Templars, Kradgar only meets with the very few most highest and powerful of his Templars aside from Kistarra, and is said to have a closer bonding than mere physical consorting, instead sharing his vision, mind, thoughts and powers with them. Most of the Templars have never met him personally, though some have seen a shining, bright robed male figure doing battle in the fall of Draj. Many of them seem to strive to have a chance to meet their Sorcerer-King in person. The Templars also lead the people in keeping up a tradition of worship to Kradgar, but unlike the lavish temples that other Sorcerer-Kings have, many of it are just small offerings the people put up based on what they can afford, overseen by Templars.

The High Templar Kistarra keeps her face veiled for most part, though some have seen her face that is said to shine with an almost otherworldly beauty. Accounts of her face seem to differ, although all say she has elvish features, and has a great love for greenery. It is rumored by some Templars that Kistarra is immortal like Kradgar, but has to inhabit different bodies to extend her life. Most of them view her as their benefactor and would give their life to be her next vessel.

They do also mention the small clumps of greenery dotting the Tyr region are secured by magic that is dangerous to all living creatures except those that are loyal to Kradgar. They are effective sentinels in their own right, triggering when living creatures approach, and while there is easily enough space for caravans and trade to go on normally, it breaks up the movement of large masses of soldiers so that it is difficult to move in any coordinated unit within a certain distance of Tyr, and wild beasts are likely to be attracted to and hence be affected by its debilitating effects. Only the stronger Tyrian Templars who have the knowledge can undo the magic of those clusters, and they are of the view that if only comparable Templars of the other Sorcerer-Kings can temporarily disable the deadly warding energies.

Kradgar does not lightly use defiling, and likewise all his Templars are taught not to defile unless the situation is critical, and most of them do not lightly use it. In any case, if need be they are encouraged to defile near the clumps of greenery to drain plant life that was put in place rather than the fabric of the land itself. Most of the Templars' personal guard would also gladly give of their vitality to fuel the Templars' spells. The Tyrian Templars boast that the Veiled Alliance (a secretive rebellious anti-defiler organization) give Tyr the least trouble compared to any other City-State.

It is also believed that there are other mobile Tyrian settlements out in the wilds, basically pockets of military presence supplied, and also structures that could be for defensive arcane purposes. Kradgar has set up a hospital in Tyr and it is said that there are similar mobile structures used in war. The hospital tends to the ill and dying, and no price is required for admission. For those who cannot afford the care, it provides a peaceful place for passing away and taking of last words, and the patient can then be moved to the King's Garden, where there is said the most beautiful and verdant garden for them to appreciate the wonders of what the world once was, before passing away. The family is also allowed to visit that place and take the body away. The military hospitals are similar, although if care cannot be provided, they are usually put to a painless swift death, and the Templars will then raise their body for further military uses. Those bodies that survive such warfare return to the city for the families to bid farewell to the fallen person, though the undead brought back in such a way will not be able to remember their lives. The family can choose to consign the undead to military purposes or if they so wish, have it serve as menial labor within the cities, with the (very meager) proceeds going back to the families.

THE SORCERER-KING OF KALIDNAY
( this information was asked by Rubern )

It is said that almost four hundred years ago, Tyr was just a minor settlement with the true power in the region being the prospering city-state of Kalidnay. The Sorcerer-King Kalid-Ma is recorded in the most unflattering terms, and it seems that the Wrathbringers, led by Kradgar, was a party of adventurers that arrived to stamp out his evil. This confrontation occurred when he was performing a great ritual that would transform him into a Dragon, the greatest transformation any Sorcerer-King could undertake.

The Wrathbringers managed to defeat Kalid-Ma and kill him, but the ritual completed nonetheless, in the process destroying Kalidnay and its people, and those who did not crumble to dust became undead. It was also said to have opened a tear in the fabric of reality through which dark things came through from another plane. The body of Kalid-Ma then reanimated into a dark and terrible dragon-like shadow that ravaged the Tyr regions for a time, until a few of the nearby Sorcerer-Kings intervened and caused it to retreat back to Kalidnay. There Kradgar managed to subdue it once and for all with the help of the Wrathbringers.

When you bring up the question if it was actually destroyed, they say it was not actually said to be slain, but they assume such a horrific beast would have showed up already if it was not destroyed.

Edit: Minor edit regards the gender so that it is clearer.