I was very much looking forward to responding to Bohrs. Something about a cleric of the lucky drunk asking if they can join someone for a drink is amusing. Guess I'll pick that up on the 22nd. o/
Got the CS started. Still needs work but if anyone is interested....
My plans for history changed. I am originally from Nidal. I escaped and moved to Tamran after learning to fight. I now call Tamran my home. I hate Multhuni and anyone that threatens my new home.
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Since we have a new player coming in, along with a new character once Calaithes leaves, I wanted to make sure that we have an idea of what different characters know. Here are the known details on the Tamran mission so far:
"It is not by my will nor my hand that I once again walk in this accursed place," Asar responds to Calaithes. "But I'll be damned again before I allow anymore theft."
"They stole my amulet. They stole the key."
Following Calaithes' surprise swing, Nicolette expertly bashes Asar's skull, sending it flying from his shoulders, and clattering across the floor until it abuts against the nearest sarcophagus. There is almost a look of shock apparent within the blue eyes of cold flame as the bones spiral away and the rest of the bones begin to fall within the suit of chainmail. "Ira--" the skull chatters, before going suddenly and finally silent.
"I have not been able to leave this chamber in about three months, so I don't know anything from beyond these walls."
"I do not know why the theft of the amulets caused Asar and I to stir, but I have an idea of what the thieves may be seeking. Our amulets were parts of a key to the last great treasure vault that we found so long ago. My companions and I agreed to split the key into four parts and to carry them with us until the end of our days. We also swore to tell no one of their true purpose. The grave robbers must have found out about the Vault and the Key. If all four pieces are brought together, they will point the way to the Vault. I had one piece and Asar had another, and the last two were given to Iramine and Ithanual."
"Iramine and Ithanual were both elves, so for all I know they could still be alive. We traveled all around the Lake Encarthan region together. Asar was the only one not originally from the region. He was from Qadria, as I recall. Iramine was from Kyonin, and Ithanual from Ustalav. They might have gone back home or settled elsewhere. And we took an oath to keep it secret, but oaths are easy to break. I only tell you now because it seems that the past returns to haunt us now, and it does more harm to maintain the oath."
The man that you found dead by the river was wearing clothes that were in season in a place like Tamran. The man was a commoner, but he was a well-dressed one. There is no clear sign of the man's faith on his person, but he had coins in his coin pouch. The coins appeared to be relatively newly minted from the capital city of Nirmathas: Tamran. They bore the likeness of Forest Marshal Weslen Gavirk, the recently-elected leader of Nirmathas.
On another body in the Crypt, Calaithes found a map detailing the area, similar to the one that you all had received from the Mayor, with the entrance to the Crypt circled. There was also a small handbill of a type typically found posted in taverns. The handbill is faded, but clearly reads as a notice of employment, telling all those interested to meet at "The Ranger's Lament." Bohrs recalled that the Ranger's Lament is a popular tavern in Tamran, the capital city of Nirmathas, about 130 miles to the southeast.
The central sarcophagus of the main crypt has been disturbed, its lid lying broken on the ground in front of it, and the sarcophagus itself empty. The name "Asar Vergas" has been carved into the broken stone. A corpse dressed in gray robes lies beside the sarcophagus, the stench of rot hanging heavy around him. Flipping the corpse over, Bohrs sees that he is wearing an iron mask that fully covers his face. There are also bruises and striations about his neck, a sure sign of death by strangulation. Bohrs thinks that he died about 3 months ago.
A cursory glance of the man's person reveals a few more items of interest. First, there is a map of the region, similar to the one that you received from the mayor, with the roads leading to the Crypt marked. On the back of the map is a message scrawled in ink: "The amulets are entombed with Ekat Kassen and Asar Vergas." There is also a wand tucked into his belt, a pair of stylized copper wrist guards, a small horn (for playing, not drinking), a coin pouch with 354 newly minted gold coins, and a spellbook with many pages filled.
Looking over the dead man to the west, Calaithes recognizes from the mask affixed to his face that he is--or was--a follower of Razmir: The Living God. Cults of Razmir have been gaining traction all around the Lake Encarthan Region, spreading out from the country named after the Living God. Forty-eight years ago, in 4661 AR, Razmir became the most recent mortal to attain godhood by passing the Test of the Starstone: a feat last accomplished by Iomedae almost 900 years ago.
Altogether, you found seven people associated with the suspected tomb robbing: one by Gray Lake, one in the room with the frogs, the man in the iron mask, and four zombies. None of them were carrying any amulets, so one might suspect that someone got away.
Given the Nirmathi coins and the flyer from the Ranger's Lament, it seems possible at least that perhaps trying to tie this tragedy up will only mean looking into one cult cell--the one in Tamran--rather than the whole of the nation of Razmiran. Hopefully.
Tulia informs you that she has encountered other unsightly signs throughout the Fangwood of late, with increasing regularity. Last night, she too encountered an undead creature--this one a wolf.
"Until now it's just been a few more sickly animals than usual, so I've been caring for them. Just my usual duties to Desna, so I didn't think much of it. This was the first of the Turned that I've seen in this region in many years. It's worrisome. It's like the Fangwood is being blighted. I wonder if the stolen amulets have anything to do with it."
Of the remaining party members, only Bohrs has direct knowledge of the above.
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Russiet knows that that necromancy can be perpetrated by both arcane and divine spellcasters, but undead can also arise spontaneously without the need for a spellcaster. Necromancy is, at its core, the manipulation of the essential life force which infuses all living things: both positive and negative energy. But undead are usually suffused with some amount of negative energy. If there was a leak from the Negative Energy Plane, or even an item that had once belonged to a powerful necromancer, or any other number of effects, it could lead to the spontaneous creation of undead.
"Our soldiers do what we can, but there's not much money to be had for training and equipment. I'm no Abadaran, but just minting more coins doesn't seem like it fixes the problem of lacking other basic resources. We're a scrappy people in Nirmathas, but..."
"The Church of Razmir set up a Temple in Tamran right around the time that I was mustering out of the military. It was just a few people at first, but they started drawing converts faster than any other Cult I had seen. I'm a born-and-raised Erastilian, but I admired them. They did good charity, feeding the poor, healing the sick, protecting businesses from criminals, that sort of thing--and unlike the stuffy Abadaran bank they weren't trying to charge money for it. The local government liked them: they were bringing in foreign coin and solving problems that the city was too poor to manage itself. They would make good donations to the military as well, enough to feed and arm our soldiers and even hire some mercenaries to help fight Molthune. They were gaining influence with the city guard and the government. But some things about them made me nervous."
"First, they really denigrated other faiths. They'd openly mock Erastil if I walked by one of their street sermons wearing my holy symbol, calling him a distant god. Second, they seemed even more focused on accruing money than the Church of Abadar. It was like an obsession: they promised wealth and power to anyone who followed Razmir and learned his truths. And finally, they require anyone who joins to wear these masks at all times. I had a friend who joined before I left Tamran and...well, I never saw him again. I mean, I might have seen him in the streets, but I wouldn't have known it because they never show their faces."
"Everyone I knew who joined the Church of Razmir was about your age. Our age. With all due respect, Ranger Lastrid, they'd be the perfect people to figure out what the Church of Razmir has to do with all this. Not as soldiers, but as members."
"I'll be honest with you: I don't know much about their beliefs and practices outside of what I told you. The only people allowed into their Temple are members of the faith. But they certainly seemed to be fervent monolatrists."
"Tamran has a loose ruling council with three members: the Speakers. The Speaker of the Heart, Aromina Yasgon, would be a good person to connect with. She's a veteran, like the other two Speakers, and she's probably the most amenable to overtures from outsiders."
"Well I think that settles it then. If the four of you will accept it, I would ask you to travel to Tamran and find those responsible for unleashing a curse on our town. They may not have known that that's what they would do when they robbed from our founder, but we deserve answers. I would prefer to avoid a diplomatic incident, of course. Remember: you are representatives of Kassen and Nirmathi citizens."
Both Bohrs and Russiet were present at the above meeting and so have direct knowledge of the above information.
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I am working with AGM Lemming to determine what Senrin Sher knows, and Dien to determine what their TBD character knows. But hopefully this well center us back on the mission.
Are we still in our regular clothing? sackcloth? loin cloths? or are we in our birthday suits?
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Regular clothing, just no armor.