Our War-Torn Souls Suffer Still (PF E6 Eberron Campaign) (Inactive)

Game Master Dreaming Warforged

The group walks into the inn (Vrykkas, let me know if you joined after all.) and are welcomed by its thick warmth and lingering smoke veils, drifting lazily across the room. The three dwarves are there again and you wonder how they got out so fast and drank that much already. Drinn has resumed its place at the counter. There are a few people leaving, but there is also more than a few coming in after the long service. An empty table waves at you, though there are spots at the bar...

Vrykkas will join, albeit late. He'll spend some long moments outside, staring into the sky and watching the darkness.

Lethe makes a beeline for the table ordering a round for everyone. (Tika being the obvious exception.)

Viyko follows Lethe to the table, while keeping a calmer yet still-watchful eye on Drinn.

"Thanks, Lethe."

Vrykkas will join, albeit late. He'll spend some long moments outside, staring into the sky and watching the darkness.

It's around 2:00 PM... I'll assume you mean figuratively ;-p

"...if you buy," Viyko smiles.

Ayla opens her belt pouch and a moth flies out.

"Haha... Ayla spend all that she had to get here on time... Looks like she will be toasting with water..." Ayla says with an embarrassed half-smile.

Lethe makes a beeline for the table ordering a round for everyone. (Tika being the obvious exception.)

"Thank you Lethe, Ayla owes you one!"

You all settle down and the rounds come quickly. The place gets slowly filled by mourners and the voices are kept to a respectful murmur that becomes likes a buzzing sound in the background. You notice people from all walks of life have come to pay their respect, but theyr are all Karrn or allies.

Perhaps such a peaceful death for such a Karrn symbol of the Last War is a good omen after all that Karrnath can and will move on. Although the state of poorness that you detect beneath the veneer of Sunday clothing makes it clear that its challenges are numerous.

I'll leave you some time to interact with Drinn, the dwarves, the crowd or each other. When I feel a drop, I'll move you to the reading. Feel free to say if you want to move to the reading right away.

My elf eyes can see a LOOOOONG way, you know... ;)

Vrykkas moves into the pub after spending some long moments staring into the sky, almost exactly as he used to between battles, studying the clouds, waiting for the inevitable break in the brief peace. It seems that same way now, the long break was simply a long pause between the inevitable period of war.

When he enters the pub, he sees the same party he met this morning and moves over to their table, nodding pleasantly. "So, shall we share our memories and let the dead live again in them?" If the party assents, Vrykkas will speak first.

"Toward the end of the War, I came into the employ of Lord ir'Tolvek. I was a corpse-preparer then, a simple acolyte given to the task of repairing the dead soldiers. One evening, after a particularly vile battle, I was repairing a skeleton when Dalvan came walking through the camp. It was well past dark, the camp was quiet and he seemed troubled. He spoke, I believe, to the dead, not noticing my prescence among them. 'What good is it to win a war if we lose our souls in the process? What will come of all this death?' I waited for a moment, and when he did not speak further, I responded. 'My lord, said I, 'Death is but a transition between one life and the next. Much as the caterpillar must change in order to become the butterfly, death is the change we must endure in order to become that which we are capable of.' I remember he jumped and went immediately for his dagger. He was a soldier through to the core. We spoke then, of small things. But it seemed to give him peace. After that evening he would often walk to the corpse-pits after dark and we would speak of things, both consequential and not. Mostly he spoke and I listened. It brought him a sort of peace. It is a lonely life to command the dead and the living alike, yet forever be apart from them both. He was a great man and I shall not again see his like."

With this, Vrykkas goes quiet and sips his tea.

Nice! If everyone could use the opportunity to tell a tale of Dalvan, that would help flesh out both the character and Dalvan. Take liberties if you want.

Rabbit has a faraway look in her eyes as she starts talking. I thought the world was coming to an end when I first met Dalvan. The army was on the move, and the scouting team I was with ran into a huge enemy force. She shakes her head. How they got so many troops so close undetected, I still don’t know. The scouting unit I was with was overrun and we had to split up. I wasn’t even a soldier, just a kid they found in a burned out village and had pity on. The soldier I was running with was killed, but I managed to go on, to report what we saw after days on the move. Dalvan interviewed me himself, but that wasn’t the end of it.

He watched over me while I recovered. He talked to me about my future. At a time when it looked like the war would never end, he actually had words of hope for me. He took the time to listen to everything that happened to me leading up to that point, even as he was managing a retreat of the army. He kept my secrets, even when he could have used them to his advantage.

Most of the scouts didn’t survive that engagement. Only me and two others. You know, I never actually enlisted in the army, I was just kind of a hanger-on with the scouts that found me. But Dalvan treated me like on, had me put on the rolls so I'd actually see pay and assigned a new unit. Without that at the time, I don’t know where I would have gone, or what I would have done. I certainly doubt I’d be the person I am now.

With a smile, and small laugh Estelle begins to recant a memory of her own. "I remember a different side of Dalvan as well". "Once he told me he had set up a meeting with an envoy from Garund, that was very important to some mercenary troops we were trying to hire". "He wished for me to appear as a Garundi officer of our squad, to show that we accepted people of all backgrounds into our army". "He gave me a complete description of the Garund...Black kinky hair, Black eyes, even down to the facial structure, and features". "Imagine my horror when the ambassador showed up, and he had 'black' skin". "How could he leave that little detail out when giving me the description, I thought".

"Turns out the Garundi was actually an officer in our army, and Dalvan had set all this up to get me back for pretending to be a lady in distress, and having his personal guard carry me for most of one sweltering afternoon". "Didn't know he had a sense of humor till then". Estelle's final words begin to tremble a bit, and she turns from the rest of the gang for a moment, obviously clearing some dust from her eye.

"...and one night, after 'Battle of Cairn Hill', He sought Ayla out! He said he saw her fighting on the back of Hammertail, and he was intrigued by what he saw. He stood there, asking Ayla all about her companion, but Ayla could see the misheif in his eyes. He had not come to learn... He wanted to ride... Hahaha... Ayla never laughed so hard, seeing Dalvan try to stay on Hammertail. Hahaha... He never wanted to ride Hammertail after that..."

I'll give a bit more time for Viyko and Lethe to post, but will update during the weekend.

Lethe begins to recount things although with some clear reluctance "Well not much to say really I served under him towards the end of the war you know cracking heads things like that he always treated me well enough. and I suppose it is because of him that I was able to meet my little sister here" she says whilst indicating Tika "O'h and he did help sort out some of the uh..... legal problems when we got back."

Tika sits drinking a glass of milk occasionally nodding to some of Lethe's comments

Viyko sighs. "As you all know, I really didn't like Dalvan all that much. I respected him more than anyone else I've ever met, but we butted heads over everything. That's why I liked him. The conflict. He and I were each others' antithesis when it came to many world views and ethical quandaries.

"You know, when we met, I didn't know who he was. Well, of course I knew who he was, I just never knew what he looked like. He had his jacket off, just in breeches and undershirt, covered in grime and gore helping the infantry drag corpses in.

"Someone started talking about agriculture, and one thing led to another, and I couldn't resist chiming in on the matter. Dalvan and I nearly came to blows that day."

Viyko sips his tea and looks around the room. "Later that day he called me to his tent. Khyber if I wasn't surprised to see the grunt from the field in general's attire. Dalvan ir'Tolvek.

"That was the first of many evenings we would talk all night about various things. We both hated that the other was, in our own mind, absolutely wrong on many points, but we had this shared passion, love of our homeland, and obsession with conflict that compelled us to a strange form of animosity-ridden friendship."

Viyko looks at the group. "Bastard was brilliant and stubborn. Great general, but I'm glad the War wasn't over ethics. He and I'd have drawn lines long ago." Viyko smiles halfheartedly, anticipating reprisal from one of the group members.

I think Viyko may be borderline CN, but not in the bad way. We'll see.

Great testimonies!

The access to the Town Hall is controlled by a few soldiers. These however are not Karrn, but from House Deneith. The houses operate independently of governments and provide a certain form of neutrality. Of course, they also sometimes pursue their own agenda...

The three-storey building is made of dirty-yellow brick, with great red flags bearing the town’s and Karrnath’s emblems. Behind the bronze double doors, a great staircase leads upstairs, but you are instead directed toward a small door on the right of the stairs. This is clearly a waiting room. In it are a few new people: a House Deneith officer, bearing an obvious mark on his bare right forearm, a Zil gnome bearing the insignia of a House Sivis high clerk, and a well dressed dwarf bearing the official hammer of House Kundarak. The room is also filled with different guests, some of which arrive shortly after you: Rakad ir’Omik, Borix Londurak, Jeod ‘Two Lemons’, Naham Drinn, Thalomeus ir’Kraal and one of the three dwarves from the inn. Each of the guests seems a little nervous and reluctant to talk.

After several minutes of uneasy silence, the Zil walks to the center of the room and speaks: "Ladies and gentlemen, I am of Rodrigus Sivis, executor of the late Dalvan ir'Tolvek. I am here to inform you of the deceased’s Last Wishes and perform other tasks requested by the deceased."

"My client has expressed the desire that you be separated and only hear the wishes that concern you. Therefore, you will follow me in smaller groups into another room that my esteemed colleague from House Kundarak will seal for the time of our discussion. I begin with Thalomeus ir'Kraal."

Thalomeus rises, all color washed from his face and leaves the room following Rodrigus, followed by the Kundarak dwarf.

Half an hour later, the Zil comes back and calls the six of you. You follow him through another door and down a long staircase that leads you to a vault located several meters below the surface. The walls are covered with a dull metal and the sound of your steps is somewhat muted. Chairs are located in the center of the room and a wooden table is at the other end. Packaged items and a box made of wood with iron fittings lie on the table.

Rodrigus invites you to sit down and moves behind the table. The dwarf unfurls a long scroll and begins to recite incantations of abjuration, protecting the area from eavesdropping and magical influence. "Ladies and gentlemen, these words that I will now speak are the last wishes of Dalvan ir'Tolvek, addressed to you." The dwarf then produces a small key, opens the box and retires from the room.

-=The Last Wishes of Dalvan ir’Tolvek=-
"Lethe, Viyko, Estelle, Vrykkas, Ayla and Rabbit, if I’ve chosen you, when you might seem to have so little in common, it is for three reasons: your talents are complementary, you are honorable people in whom I know I can trust and, finally, it is because I need you. "

"A number of years ago, I participated, under the command of General Horacht, in the taking of Shadukar and in repelling Thrane’s counter-attack. Thrane forces were numerous and well equipped. We had no real chance of keeping the city. It was felt that we could not leave without conceding terrible losses. General Horacht proposed that we use the city as a diversion by unleaching fire and hordes of undead through its streets. I was appaled and, in private, told the general I disagreed with him. He right away threatened me and suggested I obey his orders. ‘The Emerald Order is counting on us’, he said, and that my family would pay the price of my insubordination."

"Reluctantly, I obeyed his orders..."

"A few years later, when I served under him again, our army took part in a raid on the city of Olath, on the banks of Scion Sounds, south of Shadukar in Thrane. The night landing was made in the confusion and our troops drifted too far south. To join the rest of the troops and move on Olath, we had to pass by Angwar Fort, an imposing fortress."

"However, Thrane’s army was then fighting a bloody conflict with Aundair. General Horacht saw an opportunity and urged us to attack and destroy Fort Angwar. We marched on and, when we arrived, found the village surrounding the fort deserted. The majority of men had been called west and had left behind women, children and the elderly, in addition to the fort’s small garrison and its ruler, the vicar Aguemon."

"When we arrived at the fort, the vicar asked to speak to Horacht. I was among the officers selected to accompany and protect him. Aguemon was desperate to save his fort, offering Horacht a huge booty. Horacht was lost in thought for a very long time. I still remember his triumphant smile as he proposed instead to exchange the fort for the lives of its villagers. ‘Our priests will find a use for their brittle bones.’"

"Aguemon was shaking like a leaf, but seemed to recover at the offer, as if relieved. He accepted, also with a smile! Horacht ordered us out of the room and conversed with Aguemon for a few hours."

"For five nights, two thousand innocent women, children and elderly were put to the sword under the walls of the fort, as our priests, under the auspices of Vol, did their dark office. We then walked north to Olath, with two thousand more undead soldiers..."

"I've never forgiven myself for failing to stand up to Horacht, for failing to uphold a measure of sanity in this damned war, and for failing to save all those innocents..."

"I need you to fix these wrongs. You are to get to Thronehold and meet with Boj d’Deneith. I left him with Kundarak letters of change for the sum of 10,000 crowns. You must go and carry on my behalf, those letters to Angwar, find a trustworthy person, and help give meaning to that sum in a work that will restore some life to this community. They must also learn the truth about what happened that night."

"Finally, I want you to learn what Aguemon’s hiding in his fortress, and the pact which binds him with Horacht. Because, I am sure Horacht joined the Ordo Vitae Ex Mortae. He’s more dangerous dead than alive. I believed he had drowned, but learned, a few months ago, that he was seen in Atur. If you see Aguemon, make sure he pays for his crime."

"The rest of my soul and my family name is in your hands."

Rodrigus marks a pause after the reading, the adds: "Dalvan also wished those items be given to you, to help you in your tasks."

I'm working on items for each of you... Feel free to discuss in the meantime.

Would Lethe have been allowed to bring Tika into the will hearing or would she have had to leave her little sister outside?

Rabbit breaths a deep sigh. That's quite a lot to absorb. I can't imagine how much these... deeds... must have weighed on him. I for one am willing to pursue his request.

She shakes her head. You hear about these things happening in war, but it is usually about the other side.

"Blunt it, Dalvan ir'Tolvek. I hope the shades torment you in Dolurrh if we fail..."

Viyko's countenance darkens. "Of course we undertake this post-mortem redemption quest. We blunted have to now that we know about it. ...But we need some answers...

Viyko paces a bit, and fiddles with his dreadlocks, his analytical mind and scout's training taking over his thoughts. "Why couldn't the Dalvan ir'Tolvek correct this horror he allowed when he became Brigadier? What were the complications or opposition he faced? How do we know we're not just pawns for another purpose Dalvan hasn't revealed? The man was a master strategist, and he knew us well enough to play to our triggers. ...Damn it, Dalvan, we kept some ethics, didn't we?"

Viyko turns to Vrykkas, "What do you know of this Horacht? Does he have any connection with Thalomeus?" Viyko then asks the rest, "Some of you covered a lot of territory in Thrane. Do any of you know anything about this Aguemon, or Angwar?"

Viyko's eyes simmer. "Ten thousand crowns? Less than 5 crowns a life he watched murdered and turned into abominations. Not troops out of necessity. Why not more? Why not collect interest with Kundarark over the years. Ten thousand? Perhaps we should use some of those funds to pay that Thalomeus to dig Dalvan up so we can ask him a few questions directly." Viyko turns to Vrykkas, "High priests can do that, right?" Viyko seems less sure about this last bit, and allows his thoughts to taper off so he doesn't go off on a wild tangent fueled by his emotions.

After a pause, as an aside, Viyko adds, "While we're in Thronehold we can ask around about Tessa and Drinn. When we're done in Thrane we can go back there if you like." Viyko glances at Rabbit. "After sleeping on it, I'd rather look into things before I cripple Drinn." Viyko picks up his parcel and sits down, rubbing his stubbly face with his hand, deep in thought.

Would Lethe have been allowed to bring Tika into the will hearing or would she have had to leave her little sister outside?

Not really. Tikka could have stayed upstairs with the Deneith guard though.

Forgot to mention: 10,000 is a HUGE sum of money in E6.

Estelle sits back in her chair, her complexion paling at the news (Although she might have done that on purpose). After a minute she takes hold of the package with her name on it, and turns it in her hands thinking out loud as she considers it.

Information. We need more information...and that...that I'm good at uncovering. But these others. I know of them a bit, and obviously Dalvan trusted them, but what is unique about us. What made him choose us from beyond the veil"?

Ayla watches silently as Viyko finishes his rant.

"...Good spirits, he even pulls strings from other side of the veil... Five crown does seem... trivial, but that is what we are left with. Ayla believes these men will greatly appreciate truth more than gold. We need to help put these innocent souls to rest; we need make their loved ones aware of the truth and to take vengeance on their behalf."

"Ayla does not believe we should disturb Dalvan in his death. He told us what he wished. To force his soul back to question him would be a great sign of disrespect and likely anger his spirit. Ayla wish to be on good terms with him when she meet him in afterlife..."

Lethe seems somewhat irritated at having had to leave her sister outside whilst hearing the will reading. It seems to fade completely as she hears what is being read out.

After the reading in stark contrast to Viyko Lethe seems downright eager to take part. "Getting worked up over details we know nothing about ain't going to solve anything the commander gave us a job to do and I say we do it."

Ayla watches silently as Viyko finishes his rant.

"Ayla believes these men will greatly appreciate truth more than gold."

"I'm not so sure about that, Ayla. Most conflicts are over truths."

"Getting worked up over details we know nothing about ain't going to solve anything the commander gave us a job to do and I say we do it."

Viyko smiles. Infantry, he thinks to himself. "Well, what else have we got to do, right? I suppose we can work out the murkier points as we go along."

Estelle, was your italicized text dialogue that we heard or internal musings?

Vrykkas frowns during the reading. "This is... troubling. The honor of joining the servants of Vol is not a vile thing to be forced on the living. It is an honor, a transcendance. I must think upon this."

Ayla wrote:

Ayla watches silently as Viyko finishes his rant.

"Ayla believes these men will greatly appreciate truth more than gold."

"I'm not so sure about that, Ayla. Most conflicts are over truths."

Lethe wrote:

"Getting worked up over details we know nothing about ain't going to solve anything the commander gave us a job to do and I say we do it."

Viyko smiles. Infantry, he thinks to himself. "Well, what else have we got to do, right? I suppose we can work out the murkier points as we go along."

Estelle, was your italicized text dialogue that we heard or internal musings?

She was thinking out loud, so probably annunciating under her breath. If one really listened or was close by they would hear her

Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

Knowledge (Religion): 1d20+7

Each of you is also handed a potion of Cure Moderate Wounds and 100 crowns.

Vrykkas takes his gift, and places it upon his head, feeling slightly silly. It is not a comfortable feeling.

Rabbit takes a small note, reads it with a wistful smile, then tucks it away in her pouch. She pulls up a pendant with a small golden crystal. She pulls her holy symbol out from her blouse, strings the pendant on the same cord as the symbol, then puts in back on. She careful tucks it back into her blouse, then looks around at the others, saying nothing. While holding it, she whispers an arcane phrase. Casting Detect Magic on the pendant.

The potion and coins quickly follow the note into her pouch.

Leteh reads over the note she recieved "So uh anyone here know where I can find a good Karrn Polisher?" She asks as she puts the note and other items away.

Viyko chuckles as if sharing a dark joke with himself. Placing the scrolls in his own scroll case and the gold and potion in his pack, he asks, "Hey, comrades, know where I can get top crown for a few sheets of magic paper?"

As soon as inter-party dialogue finishes: Viyko crumples up the letter and casts spark on it in his open hand, then walks out of the room. Viyko heads to a local shop to sell the scroll case for 5 sp (assuming it is not masterwork), then to the tavern to brood.

Vrykkas takes his gift, and places it upon his head, feeling slightly silly. It is not a comfortable feeling.

Rabbit takes a small note, reads it with a wistful smile, then tucks it away in her pouch. She pulls up a pendant with a small golden crystal. She pulls her holy symbol out from her blouse, strings the pendant on the same cord as the symbol, then puts in back on. She careful tucks it back into her blouse, then looks around at the others, saying nothing. While holding it, she whispers an arcane phrase. Casting Detect Magic on the pendant.

The potion and coins quickly follow the note into her pouch.

Vrykkas extends his will and imagines the hat as a bone skullcap, of the sort that he's seen on certain necromancers and always fancied...

Vrykkas extends his will and imagines the hat as a bone skullcap, of the sort that he's seen on certain necromancers and always fancied...

"Magic hat? Dalvan has a morbid sense of humor." Viyko smiles dryly.

Vrykkas the Pale wrote:

Vrykkas extends his will and imagines the hat as a bone skullcap, of the sort that he's seen on certain necromancers and always fancied...

"Magic hat? Dalvan has a morbid sense of humor." Viyko smiles dryly.

Vrykkas stares for a long moment at Viyko. All of the sudden his form wavers and shifts and becomes that of Viyko. Vrykkas' hollow voice rings true: "More than you know." He then shifts back to himself, wearing a skullcap.

Viyko glowers.

"That man must've hated me..."

Ayla silently reads her letter and then neatly folds it up and places it in her belt pouch. She then unwraps her parcel and pulls out a sling made with tribal feather's and beads, and a small bulging sack of what one would assume be ammunition.

"Dalvan, even in death you are thoughtful to your friends. Let it be known that Ayla will make good use of this in making this Agueman and Horacht pay." Ayla says silently but audible to anyone trying to hear.

Ayla cast's detect magic and checks out her gear. She also looks at Viyko's scrollcase when he talks about selling 'magic paper.'