Eventually, even Traeve tires of the dancing and returns to the table to slake his thirst.
Rubbing a sore calf muscle, he says, ”You are an interesting group, and certainly nothing like what I would expect a collection of such faiths would be like. I know you still don’t trust me: my Lord has a well-deserved reputation in using hidden and obscure clauses in contracts and agreements to the detriment of one party, so you probably figure I’m doing the same. There’s probably nothing I can say or do to convince you otherwise. Still, I will ask again: will you please tell me what your purpose was inside the Arch? And how did you elude my magical detection for so long? Few individuals outside of the Chelish military (and Corentyn’s underworld) even know that the Arch is hollow, and you do not strike me as common treasure-hunters. I have a decent knowledge of Chelish history and lore, including from the time the Arch was built and in use. Perhaps I can help.”
Morgana says, "These are not my secrets to tell -- not mine alone, in any case, and I won't make that choice for the others." She pauses in thought, then, says, speaking aloud, "That said, given your obvious faith to your Lord, maybe there is a way we could share our information with you.... As you said, finding loopholes is the Asmodean way -- but that's all a matter of following the letter and not the spirit of an agreement.... And so, maybe we can take a moment to draft an agreement that would prevent any... untoward actions... on your part regarding any information we might share."
Edward cuts his eyes from Traeve to Morgana and back to Traeve again before finally speaking. "An agreement I would not be against. But first we all must agree as one," he emphasizes, looking to the others before turning his attention back to Traeve, "to share this information with you. To be forthright, we were instructed NOT to share said information with anyone. So that is the reason for our reluctance, Sir Traeve."
Morgana nods, "Of course. I suspect we'd all need to sign it, as well. And, for that matter, be quite careful to ensure the letter of the agreement lines up with the spirit as much as possible."
Ty cuts his eyes back and forth between Edward and Morgana at their idea, but doesn't say anything. If pressed, he'll agree to the contract.
Would you like to determine this contract language yourselves, or make some sort of check? Combining Linguistics checks with Diplomacy checks should be fine, since I don't think any of you have Profession - Lawyer.
You hammer out the details of your contract with Traeve. You don’t get the impression that he’s actively looking to subvert it, but he is clearly trying to make sure he has wriggle room if what you’re about to tell him will force him to betray Asmodeus (or actively inciting rebellion against the crown). However, your combined efforts do manage to negotiate him into a rather firm pickle. Richard senses that Traeve is quite uncomfortable with much of the language but he also senses that he’s impressed to a certain extent.
In the end, you have a contract which you believe will effectively neuter the Asmodean’s ability to betray you. When it comes time to sign the document, Traeve takes out a small pen case containing a pen and small dish. He pricks a finger and squeezes out several drops of blood into the dish to use as ink, then wipes out the dish with a small rag. You are not required to sign the contract in blood, of course.
He then waits patiently for you to fulfill your end of the bargain.
"As far as I'm concerned, the honor is all yours, Richard," he tells him, smiling and giving an approving nod.
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Richard spends a moment to recall all the details he will share.
"The things I am about to repeat to you are considered binding according to the contract we just signed. Do you agree to this? Swear to it!"
Assuming Traeve agrees, Richard continues
"Very good. Where do we start?
We witnessed the completion of Masoumi's test of the Starstone. A former priest of Aroden called out after the completion that he could feel his connection to Aroden and was able to cast a spell of light. It faded shortly after his casting, but it was the first time anyone you prayed to Aroden was able to produce any sort of divine magic in over 150 years. The cleric's name was Albar Tolion and he grabbed his chest crying out in anguish. His dying words told of a vision, one where all humanity was bound in slavery until the end of time. He told us that it must be stopped and that we must redeem the inheritor's cloak. He gave us his holy symbol - the Eye of Aroden and with his last breath said that the we should redeem the cloak from the evil that holds it. I think he wanted to tell us more, but the last statement was made with his last breath.
Masoumi then cuped his hands together and cried out A gift to you all. Fire filled his cupped hands and he tossed the flames into the air. The fire expanded to the size of the Ascendant Court and people began to scream until they realized the fire was without heat and did not burn.
Shortly after the rising, the humans of Absalom and only the humans began to realize that they could cup their hands in such a way as to produce a small flame within them. Their attitude towards the non-human races began to change - and not for the better.
We went to the Seventh Church and shared what we had witnessed - both from Albar Tolion and Masoumi. Genedair the Faithful told us of the history of the Cloak of the Inheritor and requested that we retrieve the cloak. He suggested that a possible location for the cloak was the Chelish Citadel. It was a difficult task where we fought many creatures, encountered and disabled traps and haunts. The cloak was being worn by a creature named Braxton Kreel. We had to vanquish it in order to acquire the cloak. Upon its death we heard a voice - one who we can only assume was that of the Inheritor herself!
We returned the Cloak to the Seventh Church and were accosted by a group of humans at the Absalom marketplace. The fantaticism of Masoumi escalating there with the ever increasing concern of Genedair. After a banquet in our honor for the return of the cloak, we were again quested to take the cloak with us in search of a Bloodstone of Arazni. The Arch of Aroden was a possible location and where we chose to begin our search.
The church sent with us a human cleric of Iomedae named Valla. Our intelligence discovered that there was a hidden passageway inside the Arch that is not well known. We found a Knight of Ozem named Sir Geoffrey Layamon, long dead but still dressed in his regalia and clasping a stone jar. We restored him to life using the cloak and he smiled and said All has come to pass as was foretold. He told us of the history of the Bloodstones and how it was foretold that he would be revived by four warriors. He was not aware that over 100 years had passed and that Aroden did not return. He requested to go to Westcrown and see the Arodennama and Pegasi Bridges before his real death.
However, we were betrayed by Valla who took the cloak from Sir Geoffrey. She was a Masoumi follower who claimed that Asmodeus's order was a price too high for Cheliax and that his infernal influence must be stopped. With the cloak removed and Sir Geoffrey's life lost as well, the Arch began to crumble. We fought with Valla and managed to escape with both the cloak and the Bloodstone.
You were able to ascertain our location within Corentyn and chased us to where we are now. So, now you know all that we can tell you. There may be smaller details that we might recall with time, but for now that should provide you with the information you seek.
Is this indeed what you were expecting?"
With the final question Richard looks at Traeve and attempts to determine his state of mind.
For a long time, Traeve just sits, digesting Richard’s story. He doesn’t seem fazed by any of it.
”So you really do have a bloodstone of Arazni in your pocket. Those artifacts are believed to have been cloaked from divination by Aroden himself when the Knights stole them from Geb to prevent Arazni from finding and destroying them. Something about the only hope of saving her from her lichdom being tied to those artifacts. For centuries before Aroden died, Iomedaean adventurers used to search Cheliax and Taldor zealously for the bloodstones, never knowing whether they came north across (or apparently, through) the Arch, or through Taldor in the east. Of course, questing for them is now illegal in Cheliax, but I suppose we can let that slide.”
”Kreel. Braxton Kreel. I’ve heard that name. Pretty sure he was the commander of one of the many times Cheliax tried to conquer Absalom. That was a long time ago. Yes, right: he was an Asmodean, paired with a cleric of Aroden, and some sort of wizard. I don’t remember his name, but I think he survived the assault. The wizard, I mean. I assume the cloak of the Inheritor is the cloak Iomedae turned into a bridge to cross the chasm in Absalom in order to take the Starstone Test. I remember something about that cloak possessing the ability to do so again, though I don’t remember anything about it’s power to raise the dead. I assume that’s the very fine cloak gracing Edward’s shoulders right now?”
”I knew you four were no ordinary miscreants. You have one bloodstone: I assume you’re now on the trail of the other three?”
Morgana adds gently, "And it is, indeed, the Bloodstone itself that shields us from scrying -- so long as we are close to it. When you nearly found us earlier, it was because some of us ventured out and away from its protection -- which is when we realized that particular... useful property."
”May I…may I see it and use some magic to examine it?”
She looks at the others, then shrugs, "I don't see why not... However, as I said, it's not in my pocket."
Assuming everyone agrees, Ty pulls out the bloodstone from the bags of holding, hopefully without Traeve seeing where he pulled it out from and hands it over.
Traeve doesn’t seem to notice, as his attention was on Morgana. With the presentation of the jar, however, his attention is focused. He casts detect magic and grits his teeth through the pain of magically scanning not one but two major artifacts. He studies it for a moment before ending the spell.
”Arazni’s spleen. Amazing. I’ve always been fascinated by the study of old artifacts. There are so many in Cheliax, though none of them contain the actual internal organ of a goddess.”
”I don’t know what became of the other three, of course. There is, possibly, a place nearby which might have some answers for you, but trying to get inside would be suicide, even for me.”
Morgana cocks her head, then chuckles, "Since the Ascension, doing incredibly dangerous -- nigh suicidal -- things has largely become our primary passtime. What are you suggesting?"
Grinning slightly, "I'm afraid Morgana has the right of it. We've made it this far... no sense in altering how we do things now, hm?" he asks rhetorically, giving a wry smile. "What and/or where is this 'place' you speak of?"
Traeve speaks slowly, clearly reluctant to suggest this."I really do mean suicide, not just 'kinda hard'. I also want to go on record that I am not suggesting this possibility as some underhanded means of betraying you to a grisly death, since I would be grisly along with you."
Taking a deep breath, he continues, adopting a professorial lecturing tone. "It is possible that there is a written record of these Knights of Ozem's travel through Cheliax. If it does exist, it would have been deemed forbidden knowledge, even during Aroden's time, and gathered up in a massive collection of heretical scrolls and banned lore. Such a collection was gathered nearby in 4580...in Citadel Rivad. Of course, then that collection was destroyed in the fire of 4589."
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"While I agree that we should pursue an investigation into this Citadel Rivad, it might be more prudent to delay our search of that locale - at least until we are better prepared for such an endeavor.
I suggest we continue onto Westcrown and look into the Arodennama and Pegasi Bridges there. I am curious as to why Sir Geoffrey was interested in viewing them before his death. While in Westcrown we can look into Masoumi's influence there - which I am certain Traeve would prefer anyway."
Invading Citadel Rivad? Now *that* would be a tale...
I'm sure it would, but only if we survive to tell it...
A fair point. But surely you're smarter than any Hellknight?
Likely so, but I'd need to be smarter than *all* the Hellknights... including their signifiers, who have magic... and not individually, but the sum of them. And that's before we even think about whatever people they cowed into helping set up their defenses.... or devils they bribed to do so.
Again, a fair point. I guess I'm getting ahead of myself.
Well, you *are* only a few weeks old....
No, I'm centuri--
I'm not counting the time you weren't awake. Besides, Traeve, here, is an excellent example of why we can't just dismiss every Hellknight as rabid unthinking zealot.... sadly, even the Order of the Rack
So, no, then?
Well, I didn't say *that*. Let's say... not yet.
Morgana nods, "I agree. We have other paths that we can follow first... and, what's more, there's no way that we can accomplish this little raid without a weeks of investigation, planning and preparation." She pauses, then looks at Traeve, "I don't suppose you have a complete map of the Citadel and its defenses you could share?"
Traeve shakes his head. ”Sorry, but I’ve never been there, at least not inside. The Order of the Rack…don’t take well to outsiders, even other Hellknights.”
"So, you say this town has an underworld problem. What's it like in Westcrown?"
”Westcrown is a city in decay. Everything bad I said about Taldor is present in Westcrown. Westcrown is like the bride jilted at the altar who lives the rest of her life still wearing her dress, the city that was supposed to become the capital of the new world that became the pallid reminder of what couldn’t be. Then to add insult to injury, House Thrune moved the capital to Egorian.”
”Westcrown has a lot of history and so any fool with a nostalgic thirst for the past can find an audience and support. The citizens do not go out at night, as strange other-worldly beasts roam the alley ways after dark, and though those creatures won’t take on a well-armed warrior, average citizens caught outside at night are in serious trouble. There’s a 30-year-old curfew law still on the books designed to protect the people, as nobody can figure out where they come from.”
”The constant unrest from fools who think freedom is some glorious prize they can win with a few speeches and some sabotage, and fear of their own shadows, means that Westcrown continues to decay and can never really rebuild. Thrune could send in a force to wipe out the dissidents and establish order, but they don’t. I believe it’s because they enjoy seeing Westcrown in ruins, like a testament to the folly of the past while Egorian is a bastion of the future. Personally, as a lover of the study of history, I have a soft spot for Westcrown, though I understand that history is something to learn from, not something to return to.”
"There might be someone there who has more information on Citadel Rivad," Ty opines.
"There might indeed."
With the evening quickly waning into night, the musicians wrap up their set and depart, and your beds call to you. Sleeping on a comfortable mattress is a pleasant change after so many nights under hedges, and you awaken rested and refreshed the next morning, ready to take on the town of Hinji.
The second leg of your long journey comes to an end as the ramshackle walls of Hinji rise before you. Looking much as you remember from your first trip through here, you see several interesting differences. The symbols of Asmodeus you were expecting to flank the main gates are gone, replaced with banners of cupped hands holding flames and the single set of lazy guards you were expecting are now two sets of guards, clearly watching each other even more assiduously than the small trickle of passing travelers. Still, their mutual distractedness serves you as well as the expected apathy as you and your horses are waved through with only the minimum of scrutiny.
Inside the city walls, there’s a tension to the air. Common folk move about their daily tasks with alacrity, eager to be off the streets as soon as possible. Guards wearing the pentagram of Asmodeus step wide of larger groups of farmers and craftsmen carrying crude weapons and wearing headbands with the cupped flame symbol. Of the scores of homeless drug addicts you remember from before, you see no sign at all.
Morgana whistles, Well, now, this is.... frightening...
I'm amazed the Hellknights aren't here, bringing them back to heel immediately...
I would be, too, but look at the guards -- they'd be outnumbered and afraid they might lose. Last thing they need is to kick off a revolution.
She sighs, then says to her companions, "The speed at which this is spreading... is frightening -- and, really, unnatural."
”Now do you understand why I’m so willing to betray Cheliax in this fashion? It’s the only way to save it and the rest of the world.”
A bit of fear has crept into his voice too.
”It was not like this three weeks ago.”
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"I wonder if it is safe to talk with some of these craftsmen. I can use the guise of a merchant looking to purchase some of their goods. We might find out some useful information. Anyone care to join me?"
After breakfast Richard will take a stroll around the merchant section of the town - again looking for strange/rare items that may be in demand in Absalom with the possibility of purchasing said items for a much smaller price here in Hinji. While perusing, he will strike up conversations about the cupped flame symbol - ensuring that all signs of his association with Sarenrae is well hidden - feigning ignorance of its significance; hoping to gather as much information as possible on its origin and timeline in here Hinji.
Ty looks for any signs of the city's underworld.
If you’re all planning to gather information, give me some Diplomacy checks and I’ll let you know what you learn.
Hinji is rife with underworld, though in many cases, the underworld is so brazen, it’s an over world. Drug lords rule different sections of Hinji, at least, they did the last time you were through. Ty can see evidence of their operations, but their activities seem to be at a standstill for the moment.
Ty sticks with Richard when he goes out. He uses sleeves of many garments to make it look like he's wearing regular traveling clothes, not his armor.
"I shall accompany you, Sir Richard. I am equally as interested to find out what brought such a change in such a short amount of time."
Looking about Hinji, you find three inns in town. Two, each bearing a name of infernal origin, have been trashed and burned, while a third named “The Human Fire” (though you can just make out the old name “The Hellfire” on the sign) is still in operation and has rooms for you.
Between the lot of you, you track down several rumours and bits of gossip, putting together a timeline.
DC 10: Followers of the Way of Masoumi arrived 18 days ago and began making speeches and baptizing people in the name of Masoumi using their Flames, passing on the ability to their new adherents.
DC 15: The Lord-Mayor Tareth Ivici has refused to declare the Masoumites an illegal group, nor have any of their leaders been arrested. Rumours say that the Lord Mayor has secretly been baptized into the Way of Masoumi.
DC 18: The drug lords of Hinji have remained neutral so far, waiting for the Town Watch and Masoumites to escalate to full-on conflict. Once both sides are weakened, their street soldiers will move in and take direct control of the town (at least, that’s their plan as folks on the street understand it).
DC 20: The Masoumites have been welcomed into the town estate of Lady Elin Carus. Rumours say that the remains of the Town Watch, under Guard Captain Ixar Vollificus, still loyal to Asmodeus and Cheliax are planning a strike against her Ladyship’s manor any day now.
DC 25: The Lord-Mayor’s devil advisor has been imprisoned or defeated somehow by the Masoumites. The Chelish forces are planning something called the Five-Fold Ritual to aid them.
DC 30: The Town Watch was recently seen escorting five halfling children into Fort Gorthoklek under cover of night.
Stroking his chin in thought as they find a quiet place to speak, "Do any of you know of what a 'Five-Fold ritual' entails? And for the record, I have a terrible feeling about the events surrounding the halfling children. I feel as if we should find a way to liberate them from Fort Gorthoklek. It is practically impossible of convincing me that the parents of those children would willingly just give them up to the Town Watch."
I guess Knowledge Planes would also qualify for that religion check.
Morgana says, "It's a Devil summoning. 5 souls, one devil -- what kind depends on the souls. Halfling children like that would be a Brutalis devil... They're no slouches in a fight, but the real use is that they can whip up mobs. Basically, turn the whole town against a single target -- and I'd bet that'll be the Massoumites."
"Oh.
"Um... wow."
"So these children are going to be sacrificed to summon a devil. Fantastic," he remarks, rubbing his eyes in frustration which easily matches the tone in his voice. "I do not suppose we are too late to put a stop to this?"