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Introduction:
Shortly after D&D 3.0 was released, one of our friends decided to run a campaign in a homebrew setting, a vast and ancient metropolis known to its residents only as 'The City,' inspired by Byzantium so that it had a somewhat Arabian Nights flavor rather than medieval European. Almost all of the action took place within a quarter of the city known as The Warrens, where all the PCs lived. Two of the PCs, characters run by my husband and myself, were the adopted sons of a local mob boss. All of the characters were human, as non-humans were very rarely seen in The City. The GM also prohibited the use of the cleric or paladin classes by player-characters.
At that time we had a group of six players. The campaign ran for about three years, until an illness caused it to go on hiatus for nearly a year, after which the GM had become involved in other activities and no longer had time to run it.
Jump ahead to 2014, when D&D5 was released. The GM decided to 'reboot' his campaign as a test of the new rules set for our group. The group was reduced in size due to player unavailability, and is now only four players. We reworked our characters into the new rules, and the GM even allowed me to make my character a tiefling, although he ruled that in his setting tieflings don't have obvious physical characteristics differentiating them from humans.
We've been playing about twice a month since December of 2014.
Player-characters:
Geadus Spondulix (male human rogue, adoptive brother of Simolean)
Simolean Spondulix (male tiefling warlock, adoptive brother of Geadus. Simolean is a tiefling, though his only unusual physical characteristics are his exceptionally pale skin and multicolored eyes.)
Chovezani (female human wizard, of the Romani-like Campani people.)
Tarfu (male human fighter, who comes from the Thousand Towns beyond The City. Tarfu has an enormous extended family.)
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Episode 1: “The Room”
While at her workshop in the Warrens, the Campani wizard Chovezani received a message asking her to visit the wizard Al’Saam Khayam at his workshop. When she saw him, Al’Saam told her that later she would be visiting a tavern, the Last Flagon, although she previously had no plans to visit there and had never been there before. Al’Saam asked her to tell him whatever she learned there. After Chovezani returned to her home, she received a message from Lucre, one of the most powerful men in the Warrens, requesting that she go to the Last Flagon.
Tarfu of the Honorable Company was on guard duty at the House of Infinite Dreams when the proprietor of that establishment, Mistress Jilata, told him to go to the Last Flagon after his duty period finished. Tarfu was surprised, since the Last Flagon as a very run-down tavern with a reputation for serving beer that tasted like horse urine. But before he could finish his duty and head off for the tavern, he first had to deal with a drunken patron demanding to see Mistress Jilata.
Simolean was indulging in his favorite pastime, roaming the rooftops of the City, when he suddenly spotted his adoptive father Lucre on the street below. Lucre told him to find his brother Geadus and take him to the dive bar called the Last Flagon, but he didn’t explain why, saying only that they would find out when they arrived at the Last Flagon. Simolean dutifully headed off to find his brother.
Geadus was dicing at the Dusky Brew, his favorite watering hole, when Simolean arrived to tell him of Lucre’s orders. He reluctantly left the dice table to accompany his brother. On the way to the Last Flagon, Geadus was accosted by a charming young lady who attempted to entice him away. He nearly got into a fight with a passing laborer who tried to take advantage of her when Geadus declined her offer.
At the Last Flagon, the four people met and greeted each other, all of them having met previously while doing other work for Lucre. They were welcomed by the proprietor of the Last Flagon, Alven. His tavern had undergone a dramatic change of fortune. It was now a popular and well-appointed establishment, serving excellent beverages and repast. Alven explained that he had borrowed money from Lucre to save the failing tavern, after finding something amazing while trying to dig a new well underneath the building. In the ruins below the tavern, the workmen had discovered several huge amphorae full of wonderful beer. Chovezani speculated that these might be magical jars known as alchemy jugs.
Alven explained that in addition to finding the jugs, he also found a mysterious metal door. He wanted the four to investigate what lay beyond it. In exchange he offered to pay them each an advance of 25 gold pieces, with another 75 gold pieces to follow when their exploration was complete. Tarfu persuaded him to also agree to give the group a 20% share of whatever they found beyond the door.
Fearing that someone might be watching, Alven had his trusted employee Lem show the four adventurers the way down by going through the kitchen. Chovezani confirmed that the huge jugs were indeed magical, as was the strange door of unknown metal, which as marked with runes that no one could read. The door emitted a curious high-pitched hum.
Just as Geadus was about to try the door, he and his friends were attacked by several unusually large and aggressive rats. Geadus, Tarfu and Simolean battled the rats with their weapons and held them off until Chovezani could cast a spell to send all the rats into a deep slumber. Once the rats were sleeping, the young men slew them all.
On examination, Geadus found that the door lock was trapped with a poisoned needle, which he deftly removed. The door opened into a small room made of the same type of metal as the door. On the opposite side of the room was another door marked with runes identical to those on the first door. Fearing that the door might slam shut and trap them in the strange room, Tarfu used a beer keg to block open the first door while they went inside. Within the room the four young people found a large jar of wine, and a small box, which Simolean picked up. Geadus then opened the second door.
The room beyond the second door was quite large and filled with furnishings. Its walls glowed slightly. In addition to the furniture, the four visitors also observed planters full of exotic greenery, and they wondered how the plants could remain alive there underground without sunlight or water. Flies and bees buzzed about the big room. Geadus, who had recently been reading about building construction, realized that this room was larger than the footprint of the buildings that stood above it. This led Chovezani to wonder if the chamber might not actually exist somewhere other than under the Last Flagon. Perhaps the entrance to this room was more than a mere door.
Suddenly the keg Tarfu had used to block the door was knocked aside, followed by a muffled curse. Three burly men with crossbows entered the large room, demanding that the four surrender. Chovezani and Simolean attacked with spells, while Geadus and Tarfu raised their weapons. Geadus and Simolean were both badly wounded, but not before two of the intruders were injured themselves. The last man fled. Tarfu found that one of the men had died because he had been shot through the eye with a crossbow bolt, although the only people using crossbows had been the three assailants. There was no sign of who might have shot the man.
While Geadus and Simolean recovered from their injuries, Chovezani found a chest full of electrum coins, a form of currency no longer commonly used in the City. On a shelf she also discovered two scrolls, one of arcane eye and the other of arcane gate. Both were more powerful magic than she was currently capable of casting.
After the adventurers departed from the magical chamber, Alven’s cousin Du told them that he thought Lem had betrayed them to whoever hired the three thugs, possibly a competitor of Lucre.
The characters are now 2nd level.
Loot acquired:
Scroll of arcane eye
Scroll of arcane gate
Chest containing 3000 electrum coins
Small box containing 100 electrum coins
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Episode 2: “Unfamiliar”, part 1
A few days after the four adventurers opened the mysterious chamber beneath the Last Flagon, Alven contracted the Honorable Company to provide guards for his establishment. He specifically requested that Tarfu be among the men sent to guard, but Tarfu tried to bribe his way out of the task by making a donation to the Company mess fund, not wanting to give up his comfortable post at the House of Infinite Dreams.
After recovering from injuries suffered during their first visit, the group returned to the chamber beneath the Last Flagon to investigate further. Chovezani and Simolean were certain the room was extradimensional, though they had difficulty explaining that concept to Tarfu. Geadus searched the room for secret doors or compartments but failed to uncover any. At one point he thought he saw something moving and spent a long while intently watching for the source of the perceived motion, but he saw nothing. The others all told him it must have been a bee. Simolean found another small box containing one hundred electrum coins.
Once they had conducted their examination, the four young people went upstairs to the Last Flagon to have dinner. Alven offered them a stipend of five gold pieces a month to stay in the room and keep it safe. Geadus and Simolean considered moving their lodgings to the room, and Chovezani and Tarfu could stay there if the brothers had business that would keep them away.
When the others departed, Geadus remained at the Last Flagon, where Alven introduced him to an attractive young lady named Samarra who claimed to be a researcher. She and Geadus discussed their interest in learning about the history of the city – Geadus had recently been reading about architecture and engineering.
Chovezani left the Last Flagon to see the wizard Al’Saam and tell him about the magic chamber. On the way to his shop she was accosted by a robed man who wanted to tell her about Kainos, a god she had never heard of before. Chovezani politely declined to talk with the man and went on her way. A short time later Tarfu encountered the same man, who had two companions with him. One of the man’s acolytes accused Tarfu of blasphemy when he mentioned that his cousin was a priestess at the temple of Dhaumi. The man tried to attack Tarfu using a board, and got a sore head for his rashness.
Shortly after Tarfu’s scuffle with the three men, Simolean arrived in the same vicinity. When the purported priest of Kainos told him about Kainos and claimed there was an ancient shrine to the god nearby, Simolean’s curiosity was aroused. He accompanied the three men to the basement of a ruined building, where they had created a makeshift shrine. The priest also proclaimed that Kainos’s shrine could be found at the House of Infinite Dreams, and described Kainos as a deity of two aspects, male and female, pain and pleasure. Then the acolytes insisted that to meet Kainos, Simolean must undergo a beating with a cat-o-nine-tails. Simolean decided this wasn’t the way he wanted to be introduced to the god. He casts a thaumaturgy cantrip and shouted at them with overwhelming volume, berating them for their behavior. While the men were stunned by this, he fled.
Geadus meanwhile had spent the entire night at the Last Flagon talking with Samarra. On his way home the next morning he was also accosted by the priest of Kainos and his acolytes. When they became threatening he took the cat-o-nine-tails away from them.
When he arrived back at Lucre’s home far later than expected, he was met by a new man named Mustafa, who told him that Lucre had decreed as punishment for his tardiness he must spend the next two weeks on his own, without any support from Lucre or his business network.
Meanwhile, both Chovezani and Simolean experienced an odd sensation that they were being watched, though neither of them could identify a source.
Loot acquired:
Small box containing 100 electrum coins
Cat-o-nine-tails
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Episode 3: “Unfamiliar”, part 2
Back on the job at the House of Infinite Dreams the next day, Tarfu found himself chasing the drunkard Ali away again, despite Ali already having been banned from the establishment. He also has to get rid of a thug named Mustafa. After he impressed a dancer named Roxanne, she joined him when he went off shift.
Chovezani received an unexpected personal visit from Lucre. He told her that she was being watched, possibly by two different groups of people. He also advised her to keep the hidden room beneath the Last Flagon a secret.
Geadus decided to have a key made for the hidden room. He made a mold of the lock and took it to a locksmith located outside the Warrens to have the key prepared. After agreeing on a price for an initial key, he told the locksmith he would order more keys if he was satisfied with the result.
Simolean had discovered that he had a new ability: he could assume the appearance of another person at will. He practiced his new talent by taking on the likeness of a beggar he saw at the bazaar, then roamed the rooftops of the Warrens in his new guise. While above the streets he caught a brief glimpse of something metallic in the air, but it disappeared before he could get a good look at it. But he noticed that a street tough who was hanging around near Chovezani's residence had seen it too. Just after that he missed a jump across the gap between two buildings and fell into some grave dirt. Lucre then unexpectedly made an appearance, telling Simolean to help Chovezani, and warning of something long forgotten arising again, which might relate to the re-emergence of the cult of Kainos. Lucre then gave Simolean a sealed note to take to Geadus. Simolean headed for the Last Flagon, where he met Tarfu and his new lady friend Roxanne, as well as Chovezani. Roxanne flirted with him, which Simolean found acutely embarrassing.
As Geadus returned from the locksmith's shop, he realized he was being followed by an unknown man. When he confronted the man, the fellow proclaimed that Geadus was in Momo's territory, and that he himself was Momo. In the ensuing struggle Geadus managed to slice open Momo's femoral artery and Momo quickly bled to death.
After Geadus met the others at the Last Flagon, where he had been staying in the downstairs room, the four friends left for Chovezani's place. They realized they were being followed by two men who were armed with crossbows. Simolean and Chovezani both cast spells to armor themselves. Tarfu skewered one of the thugs. Chovezani blasted the other with a witch bolt, and Simolean followed with an eldritch blast. Simolean was hit by a crossbow bolt. Tarfu stabbed the second attacker. Geadus stabbed the man who had shot Simolean. In a short time the two men were both slain. Chovezani was so angry that even after they were dead she blasted one of them with a second witch bolt. When the mens' bodies were examined, they proved to be covered with scars, a sign that they were cultists of Kainos. Afterward the friends went to stay overnight in the hidden room to recover from their injuries.
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Episode 4: “Unfamiliar”, part 3
The following morning the four companions breakfasted at the Last Flagon, where Alven told Geadus that Lucre had forbidden him to serve Geadus meat pies. Geadus doubted that the message really came from his father and accused Simolean of passing along the command as a prank, but Simolean denied this.
After breakfast Geadus, Simolean and Tarfu escorted Chovezani back to her flat to watch over her while she conducted the ritual to summon a familiar. On the way there the group bumped into three bravos in the street, but they passed without incident.
Simolean heard a message from his mysterious patron, telling him to leave the group and watch from the rooftops. He slipped away unseen and assumed the guise of a supplicant of the wind god so that he could spy unnoticed on his companions.
Geadus, Tarfu and Chovezani decided not to pause to search for the missing Simolean and continued on their way. They then encountered a hired thug known as Achmed the Belly, who had been sent to attack Tarfu. Achmed, wanting to keep a friendly relationship with Tarfu and the Honorable Company, only carried out the letter of his contract by giving Tarfu a gentle tap with his club. He also revealed that he had been hired by the drunkard Ali the Weasel, who Tarfu had repeatedly thrown out of both the House of Infinite Dreams and the Last Flagon.
Once they parted from Achmed, Geadus and Tarfu suddenly caught a glimpse of a metallic flying creature that resembled a mythical dragon. Chovezani and Simolean were distracted and failed to see the creature. Simolean spotted three bravos similar to the men he and his companions encountered earlier. These men were engaged in a struggle with some of the hooded cultists of Kainos. One of the bravos had a curious net on a pole. The cultists were quickly overcome and disposed of by the three bravos.
Geadus was distracted by the proximity of a vendor selling meat pies. When Simolean saw Geadus purchase three pies from the vendor, he cast a thaumaturgy cantrip to create a minor earth tremor that causes Geadus to drop the pies.
On arriving at Chovezani’s flat, the three friends went to the roof, where Chovezani set up the supplies for the summoning ritual. Simolean took up a vantage on the roof of a nearby building that was at about the same height as the roof of Chovezani’s residence. While Chovezani was preparing, Tarfu spotted Achmed in the street below, and Achmed tossed a note up to him. Meanwhile Geadus had noticed a wind supplicant on the roof of a neighboring building, then saw a hooded figure crouching behind him. He signaled to the supplicant to warn him just as the hooded man tried to fire a crossbow bolt but his weapon malfunctioned.
Chovezani began the summoning ritual. As it continued, Tarfu saw the metallic dragon-like creature approaching the roof. The disguised Simolean turned around to find a Kainos cultist with a crossbow behind him and cast poison spray at the man, but the poisonous gas he exuded appeared to have no effect on the target. Geadus scrambled down from Chovezani’s building and rushed across the street to the building where the cultist with the crossbow was hiding. He encountered two more hooded cultists with crossbows in an alley. One of them shot him. Some of the street bravos Simolean had seen fighting with cultists earlier appeared and engaged with the cultists in the alley.
Chovezani was not distracted by this commotion, and Tarfu remained on the roof keeping watch over her. As she extended her arms to receive whatever creature she had summoned, the dragonling alit on her shoulder and cuddled up to her.
The cultist on the roof had managed to repair his crossbow and loaded it to fire at Simolean, so Simolean casts arms of Hadar. The necrotic damage from the spell’s black tendrils slew the cultist outright. The bravos in the street below told Geadus they had come to help, and one explained that they worked for another community leader of the Warrens, Soli ben Soli ben Soli ben Soli ben Soli, also known as Farosh.
Chovezani’s new friend attacked the leader of the cultists, who had summoned a magical hovering whip to attack Tarfu. Simolean directed an eldritch blast at the leader. The leader’s whip snapped at Tarfu but failed to connect.
One of the cultists in the alley fell, and two of Farosh’s bravos climbed up to the rooftop to help Tarfu. The cult leader attempted to attack the tiny dragon but this attack missed. Simolean blasted the leader a second time. The leader responded by casting a command spell that forced Simolean to bow as if in obeisance to Kainos. Chovezani then cast a sleep spell on the leader, which caused him to lose his balance and plummet off the roof. He did not survive the fall.
After the leader’s death, Geadus slew the final surviving cultist. He then checked the leader’s corpse, finding two golden bracers, 2 scrolls in black cases, and a scimitar with red sigils engraved on its blade.
Loot acquired:
Golden bracers
Two scrolls
Scimitar
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Episode 5: “Six Wondrous Eyes”, part 1
After fighting off the Kainos cultists, the four companions recovered their composure in Chovezani’s abode. Chovezani had named her remarkable new familiar “Arani”. Curiously, it seemed that Arani was not a spirit disguised as an ordinary creature like most wizard’s familiars, but might actually be a kind of miniature dragon.
Geadus proposed that someone remain on guard at Chovezani’s residence, since the threat of the cultists might not have been neutralized. Tarfu took the first watch overnight. During the night he was awakened by a noise from outside, and discovered that two people were climbing a rope down the side of the building to access Chovezani’s window. One of the intruders fell from the rope. Arani flew out to attack the other intruder, as Tarfu also went out to deal with the unwanted guests. The second man was taken prisoner by Tarfu. Both men appeared to be scarred Kainos cultists. Tarfu sent for help from Lucre’s organization to take care of the prisoner. He also found that one of the men was carrying what appeared to be a prayer scroll, which described how Kainos would return and fill the world with pain.
Geadus and Simolean spent the night in the enchanted room below the Last Flagon. Geadus found it a relaxing and comforting place, but Simolean felt trapped there and slept poorly. He had the sensation that someone was trying to communicate with him but he couldn’t quite hear the words. When he woke the next morning he had a sick headache, which left him with no appetite – a highly unusual situation for Simolean. Geadus tried but failed to coax him to eat some of Auntie Fatima’s oatmeal at the Last Flagon. Simolean found the atmosphere indoors oppressive and insisted on going outside for some fresh air.
While Geadus was inside the Last Flagon returning the breakfast dishes, Simolean suddenly heard a communication from his mysterious patron, who told him he must go to the rooftops at once. On the roof he received a cryptic message about how he and his friends would need to be vigilant against something long lost that was returning to the world. He then experienced a vision of a strange otherworldly landscape, which entranced him. Unable to locate his brother when he emerged from the Last Flagon, Geadus gave up and sets off on his errand to get the keys he had ordered for the subterranean room.
Chovezani received a visit from the extravagantly-mustached Farosh, who revealed that he knew about the underground room, and about the keys that Geadus was having made. Farosh also lamented that he wasn’t able to acquire Arani for himself. He told Chovezani that he wanted to hire the group to acquire a valuable magical artifact for him. He planned to return in the later afternoon to meet with them when the entire group was present.
After acquiring the first ‘test’ key, Geadus headed for Chovezani’s flat. His journey was delayed by the presence of several religious processions in the streets. During his walk he realized he was being followed. He ambushed the man who was shadowing him in an alley, and learned that the fellow was one of Farosh’s bravos, who had been tasked with keeping an eye on Geadus. Arriving at Chovezani’s abode, Geadus met Lucre’s subordinate Mustafa, who obliquely chastised him for being away from Chovezani so long when it had been Geadus’ idea to keep watch over her.
Simolean awakened from his trance to find that hours had passed and it was now midday. He hurried to Choveazni’s, where he and Geadus were to take over standing watch. On the way he realized he was famished and acquired some meat pies to assuage his hunger. When he arrived both Tarfu and Chovezani spotted him, but Geadus failed to see him. Simolean remained hidden and his two friends played along, revealing nothing to Geadus. Finally Simolean used a thaumaturgy cantrip to slam the window shutters and startle Geadus before revealing himself. He pretended that he had been watching over the building from nearby rooftops all along. After receiving a bruise from an annoyed Geadus, Simolean was introduced to Arani, who appeared to find him just as intriguing as he found her.
Farosh arrived later accompanied by Achmed the Belly, an entourage of guards, and servants bearing refreshments. He told the companions of an artifact known as the “Six Wondrous Eyes”, probably a pair of magical spectacles, which resembled the magic spectacles used by the sleuths of the High Quarters. According to Farosh, the “Six Wondrous Eyes” had been stolen, then sold, and were now missing. Geadus and Simolean suspected this was part of a classic con game. Farosh wanted to acquire the “Six Wondrous Eyes”, and offered each person a reward of 500 gold pieces, plus the possibility of an additional bonus. He believed the artifact to be currently in the possession of a roaming gang led by a former courtesan called Sapphire.
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Episode 6: “Six Wondrous Eyes”, part 2
The four companions remained at Chovezani’s abode for a short time after Farosh’s departure, discussing how to pursue the task he had given them. Tarfu and Chovezani decided to seek the assistance of Tarfu’s Uncle Noortin, while Geadus and Simolean planned to question several purveyors of illicit merchandise.
Uncle Noortin told Tarfu and Chovezani a tale of an event that occurred prior to Tarfu’s arrival in the City, the theft of a magic sword from “The Spiral”. He also recommended that they speak with three people: Big Ali, Honrik, and Mehmed.
Meanwhile Geadus and Simolean sought out a fence named Stanlin, whose shop stood near the Dusky Brew. Once he knew what they sought, Stanlin grew reluctant and tried to persuade them to leave. Geadus was finally able to elicit from him that the sellers of the ‘Six Wondrous Eyes’ would likely have taken up residence somewhere to wait while the sale of their merchandise was arranged. He also reminded them that if the sellers came from the High Quarter, they might be looking for lodging somewhere of higher quality. Stanlin attempted to pay off the brothers to leave. Geadus then used the silver he offered to buy a set of lockpicks from him, to provide a legitimate business reason for their visit in case anyone questioned it.
Next the Spondulix brothers made their way to a posh establishment called the Silken Veils. There they encountered Samarra, the attractive and scholarly young lady whose acquaintance had led to Geadus’ temporary falling-out with his father. While Geadus was distracted by Samarra’s charms, Simolean decided to employ his newly-acquired ability to assume any disguise at will and do some reconnaissance. He transformed himself into a prosperous-looking merchant and settled at a nearby table. When he observed Geadus ignoring the prohibition against eating meat pies, he cast a thaumaturgy cantrip to cause the pies to fall off the table, but was foiled when Samarra simply purchased more pies.
While Geadus was occupied with eating and visiting with his lovely lady friend, Simolean was approached by a courtesan, who told him that her mistress wished to speak with him privately. Simolean followed the courtesan to a private chamber upstairs, where he met a veiled lady in the presence of two men who were dressed as servants but were clearly bodyguards. As the lady questioned him, Simolean suddenly realized that she was casting spells at him, though he was able to resist the magic. The woman also seemed somehow able to tell that his appearance wasn’t genuine. She then ordered him out of the room, but before he departed he caught a glimpse of vividly blue eyes above her veil.
When Simolean returned downstairs, Geadus caught sight of him and realized that this must be his brother. The two of them went outside, where Simolean then assumed the appearance of a laborer lounging in the street. A moment later the veiled lady’s guards came out looking for him. The guards went down the street in search of the merchant, and Simolean quickly told Geadus what had happened with the blue-eyed courtesan, although he forgot to mention her eyes.
While the brothers were at the Silken Veils, Chovezani and Tarfu suddenly found themselves surrounded by a gang of thugs. The thugs set upon them, and Chovezani released Arani to allow the miniature dragon to attack them. Chovezani blasted one fellow with a witch bolt. The rest of the thugs were dealt with in short order by Tarfu, though he was wounded in the fray. He also recognized that one of the gang was a familiar fellow called Ali the Weasel. Chovezani dropped Ali with a sleep spell, and Tarfu then deposited him in a convenient nearby cart filled with night soil.
The companions reassembled at the room beneath the Last Flagon. There, as they discussed their adventures, Simolean realized he would have to reveal his new abilities to Tarfu and Chovezani. He demonstrated for them both his talent for disguise and his ability to transmit his thoughts to their minds within a limited distance.
The following day Chovezani and Tarfu went to see Farosh to tell him what the group had discovered. Farosh recommended planning the purchase of the item for that evening. He would give them the funds several hours prior to the transfer of goods. While they were meeting with Farosh, Geadus returned to Stanlin’s shop to purchase a pair of golden bracelets as a gift for Samarra, whom he had deserted rather abruptly on the previous evening. He then set off for the Silken Veils to present them to her, but as he approached he observed that the inn was engulfed in flames!
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Episode 7: “Six Wondrous Eyes”, part 3
While Geadus made his way to the Silken Veils to meet Samarra, Chovezani, Simolean, and Tarfu were traveling along the Winding Way, on route to meet with Farosh and receive the funds from him. They were accosted by several peddlers attempting to sell them various wares, including an old woman who tried to convince Chovezani she needed some new earrings, and another woman who wanted to persuade an embarrassed Simolean to buy something to help him get a girlfriend. Then a disheveled young man approached, covered in soot, warning Simolean and Tarfu that they should avoid falling in love. Simolean didn’t recognize the young man, and Tarfu finally pushed him down an alley to get him out of their way.
As they continued their journey, the trio heard the fire alarm gongs ringing out over the Warrens, and looked to the sky to see not one but two columns of smoke rising, from different parts of the quarter. Tarfu wanted to investigate the nearer smoke, so they made their way toward the source. They found a tenement building in flames, surrounded by crowds of onlookers and wailing former residents. The fire brigade had already arrived, and Tarfu set to work assisting with the bucket brigade to prevent the neighboring buildings from catching alight.
While chatting with an acquaintance during this activity, Tarfu heard mention of a lovesick young man stumbling out of the burning building. Simolean overheard this, and suspecting that the young man they’d run into on the Winding Way might be the man in question since he’d been sooty, he raced off to locate the fellow. He found the man hunkering in an alley, clearly in a sorry state. Simolean questioned him, eliciting that the fellow’s new lady love had rejected him, but not before she had asked him to spy on several people on her behalf. Simolean grew concerned when he learned that the people the young man had reported on included Honrik, Mehmed, Big Ali – and Farosh. He became even more worried when the man told him that afterward, the woman he loved had come to his flat and her men set it on fire, while the young man was unable to move. It came as no surprise to Simolean when the young fellow told him this woman wore a veil and had vivid blue eyes. Simolean raced back to the burning building to tell Chovezani that Sapphire had been spying on Farosh.
Meanwhile, at the Silken Veils, Geadus found Lucre among the onlookers, along with a wizard who was engaged in conjuring water to put out the flames. Geadus asked his father what he should do. Lucre directed him to search for the missing staff of the establishment. Geadus was soon able to account for all of them, except for Samarra. His heart sank when he questioned some of the other personnel and learned that prior to the fire she had been seen leaving accompanied by two big men and a veiled figure.
After hearing Simolean’s news, Chovezani, Simolean and Tarfu hurried to Farosh’s headquarters. They found Achmed the Belly there, but he told them he hadn’t seen his boss. He went upstairs to see if Farosh had returned by a back entrance. Upon returning he was surprised that Farosh hadn’t arrived yet, as he knew that Farosh had an appointment with the four companions. In the meantime Chovezani had sent Arani to find out about the second fire, and the tiny dragon had reported back that the Silken Veils was burning. This caused great consternation among the three friends. Achmed told them that Farosh had likely gone to look at the Silken Veils, being the sort of man who could never entirely trust anyone to do the work for him. Achmed suspected he would have taken his boat on the narrow canal known as the Split. Chovezani, Simolean and Tarfu decided to hurry to the Split to see if they could find him ahead of Sapphire and her thugs.
Geadus had left the site of the Silken Veils fire to meet with his friends and Farosh. While walking down a narrow allow with blank walls, he suddenly heard whistles both from ahead and behind. The alley presented no place for him to hide and no handholds to climb up to the rooftops, so he put his back against the wall as two burly men appeared ahead of him. A cloaked man with a staff emerged from behind Geadus, speaking to him in a soothing voice and encouraging him to relax. Geadus was unable to withstand the suggestion. He felt oddly friendly toward the mage, even though his heart told him he should not. The wizard asked Geadus what he knew of Farosh and how many guards he had. But during the course of this questioning, the wizard also introduced himself as Orthani, and told Geadus that he was compelled by love to do what he did. He invited Geadus to accompany him and the two brutes to Farosh’s boat.
On arriving at the canal, Chovezani, Simolean and Tarfu found Farosh’s red-painted boat shuttered and the gangplank drawn up. They also spotted five or six big, hooded men who appeared to be waiting in ambush behind bales of cotton and amphorae along the quay and on nearby boats. Tarfu suggested that they interrupt the ambush with an ambush of their own. He gave one of the amphorae a powerful shove, trying to topple it over onto one of the men crouching behind it. It proved to be full of liquid, which made it more difficult to push than he had expected, but after a moment it rolled over and crashed to the ground, shattering and spilling olive oil all over the deck of the boat. The man next to the amphora managed to leap out of the way to avoid being hit by it, but was drenched in spilled oil.
Chovezani and Simolean cloaked themselves in mystic protection and the three companions moved to attack the ambushers. Chovezani targeted a spell of sleep between two of the men who were in close proximity to one another, sending one of them into a deep slumber, but the second man resisted the magical compulsion. Tarfu swung a two-handed blow at the man who had been splashed with oil. Simolean had spotted someone crouching on a nearby rooftop overlooking the quay, and gave Tarfu a telepathic warning that there might be another enemy above. He then sent a blast of eldritch energy at a crossbow-wielding man on the far side of the boat. The crossbowman had jumped up suddenly on hearing the amphora break and presented a better target.
Chovezani sent Arani up to keep an overhead view of the vicinity, which led her to discover that the man on the rooftop was Farosh himself, armed with a crossbow. She had no time to pass this information on to her companions, as Tarfu was engaged in close combat with one man, and Simolean was concentrating his attacks on the crossbowman on the opposite side of the boat. Chovezani hurled a witch bolt at the man who had been unaffected by her sleep spell. Tarfu’s foe slipped on the oil-soaked deck. One of the other men fled. Chovezani set the oil alight with arcane flame, also igniting the oil-coated man, who immediately hurled himself overboard into the water. Simolean sent two more blasts of eldritch force at the crossbowman, who shot at him once but failed to penetrate the armor of shadows surrounding the young warlock. After being injured a third time by Simolean’s blasts, the man fell into the canal. Then Chovezani was hit by a bolt from one of the remaining men, seriously wounding her in the shoulder.
As all of this was taking place, Geadus and Orthani walked at an ordinary pace toward the Split, until suddenly Orthani remarked that something was happening and they should increase their speed. It was twilight by this time and Geadus could only make out some small flapping creature that might be a bat or an owl next to the mage’s ear. As they neared the Split, Orthani instructed Geadus to wait. Geadus’ will was able to overcome the wizard’s command and he attempted to stab Orthani, but the man suddenly vanished like a mist. Geadus sprinted toward the canal. As he ran he was struck by a crossbow bolt. Despite his wound and the light, he observed that Orthani had reappeared on a rooftop, though not the same roof where Farosh had taken refuge.
Geadus shouted a warning about the wizard to his brother and friends, and Chovezani and Simolean directed their attacks at Orthani. Simolean was apparently able to strike him with another eldritch blast, but the wizard then flew away. Chovezani sent Arani after the small creature that appeared to be Orthani’s familiar, and Arani’s poisoned sting destroyed it. Tarfu dispatched the last of the ambushing thugs.
Tarfu and Geadus then jumped across to Farosh’s boat to find out who was aboard. Farosh descended from the roof and approached, handing Chovezani what was presumably a vial of healing salve and remarking that the companions had been too quick. This comment was misinterpreted by Tarfu, who suddenly cried out, “It’s a trap!” and dove into the canal. Simolean also misunderstood and sent Chovezani a telepathic warning that the person with them was not Farosh, backing away from him cautiously. Chovezani was unconvinced. Geadus, led by his brother’s reaction, jumped back onto the quay.
At that moment, Simolean heard a splash. Tarfu saw something in the water and quickly scrambled out, explaining that he’d seen something snake-like slither over the side of Farosh’s boat into the canal. Chovezani cast a location spell to try to find the Six Wondrous Eyes, and determined that apparently the creature in the water was carrying them away. For the moment the artifacts were beyond their grasp.
Tarfu and Geadus returned to the boat and found a bound and unconscious Samarra aboard. She was unharmed, and when awakened explained that Sapphire was not human but some sort of snake-like being. Farosh rewarded the four companions with half of what he had promised them for acquiring the Six Wondrous Eyes. They each received 250 gold pieces from him. This reward did not prevent Chovezani from admonishing Farosh for failing to trust those he’d hired and thereby putting himself in harm’s way.
After Geadus was reunited with Samarra and had explained to her that the Silken Veils had burned, he asked Simolean to accompany the injured Chovezani home and look after her, for the troublesome cultists of Kainos were still about. Simolean willingly agreed.
Loot acquired: 250 gp each
At the end of the session the characters reached 4th level.
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Episode 8: “Meeting Moksha” part 1
In the week following the fire at the Silken Veils, the four companions spent their time primarily pursuing separate activities. Geadus spent much of his time with Samarra, or at Black’s Library. Tarfu searched for work. Chovezani continued her research and investigation of the mysterious room below the Last Flagon. Simolean sought information about what kind of creature Sapphire might be.
One evening while Simolean was engaging in his customary practice of spying from the rooftops, he felt the presence of his unseen patron. His patron’s directions took him to a high rooftop overlooking a tall building he had never seen before. As he looked on, he suddenly realized that inside the abandoned structure were Geadus and Samarra, clearly engaged in a romantic interlude. After a few moments they stepped into the shadows and he could see them no more.
Geadus had taken Samarra to see an empty building, as they shared an interest in the architecture of the City. Samarra seemed to be seeking a more permanent relationship. Later the two of them visited the marketplace, and Samarra asked him to close his eyes for a moment. Geadus waited perhaps a quarter of an hour, but Samarra did not return. When he asked some of the market vendors if they had seen her, Harouk the haberdasher gave him a gift of a white fez, and another vendor gifted him a jasmine-scented candle. He was directed to the canal, where he found a gondolier who had seen one of his rivals take her on his gondola. Geadus’ informant gave him a lift down the canal in search of the gondolier who had transported Samarra.
In the meantime, Tarfu persuaded Chovezani to take a break from her work to join him for a meal at the Last Flagon. While there, they were introduced to a new gambling game with peculiar rules, but they declined to participate. A bit later a woman who seemed somewhat familiar to both of them arrived and approached them. She reminded Tarfu of his grannies in the Thousand Towns, and similarly reminded Chovezani of the wise women of her clan. This woman did not introduce herself, but asked both of them questions about what they wished to do with themselves in the future. After a short and unusual conversation, she left.
Geadus was able to find the second gondolier, who told him that he’d taken Samarra to the Lock. He also mentioned that she had said something about destiny.
Meanwhile on the rooftop, Simolean’s patron informed him that he would be shown a manifestation of the patron. A hooded figure appeared on the roof with him and told him that he would be permitted to ask a single question. Simolean struggled to find the question he most wanted to ask.
At the Last Flagon, Tarfu almost got into a fight with one of the gamblers who took offense at something the young man had said, but he was able to intimidate the fellow into backing down. Then Samarra suddenly arrived and approached Tarfu, speaking to him of his future. She also remarks that Geadus was “looking for his destiny” at the Lock.
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Episode 9: “Meeting Moksha” part 2
Simolean continued to sit on the rooftop, contemplating his response to the opportunity his patron had offered him. Geadus remained at the Lock, searching for Samarra. He decided to go to the Last Lock tavern and ask if anyone had seen her.
In the meantime, things were heating up at the Last Flagon. Players of the new gambling game shazbat were becoming aggressive. Tarfu stepped in to defuse the situation, and Chovezani assisted by magically putting several of the players to sleep. This offended one man who was unaffected by the spell. He drew a knife. Tarfu didn’t want to endanger the sleeping men so he kept his sword sheathed and fought the knife-wielder with only his fists. This led to him suffering a knife wound. Fortunately Tarfu’s fellow Honorable Company member Brick arrived and shot the man with a crossbow bolt, which when combined with the damage Tarfu had inflicted on him and intimidation by Chovezani’s magic, led the fellow to surrender. Another would-be troublemaker was frightened by Chovezani’s dancing lights spell and fled the Flagon.
Back on the rooftop, Simolean’s reverie came to an end. The manifestation of his patron had vanished and he was famished. He decided to return to the Last Flagon for some meat pies to satisfy his ravenous hunger. As he approached that establishment he saw the man who had been injured staggering off down the street with his turban disheveled. He then encountered an older woman, Campani by her dress, who seemed to know a great deal about him, though he had never seen her before. She warned him that knowledge has a price, and advised him that he was at a crossroad in his life. Bewildered, Simolean bowed respectfully and proceeded into the tavern, where he found the furniture in disarray and Tarfu slightly wounded. He took a table with his friends and ordered four ‘spork’ pies, which he consumed with gusto while Arani eyed him hopefully.
A short distance from the House of Infinite Dreams Geadus was suddenly accosted by Ali the Weasel, who still stank of dung after he had been dumped in a night soil cart during their last encounter. Ali wanted to pay Geadus a gold coin to answer a question. Geadus indicated that if he chose to answer he would accept the proffered coin. Ali then stepped closer. Geadus found his stench unbearable and pushed him away, at which point Ali spoke in a very different voice, asking, “So this side of reality you can’t stand?” He then asked Geadus, “Why do you love your father?” Geadus answered without taking the gold, so Ali asked next why he loved his father. After responding to that unusual query, Geadus at first took Ali’s coin, then returned it, telling the drunk to use the money to get a meal and a bath.
Geadus was just leaving after his meeting with Ali when he encountered Mistress Jilata, proprietor of the House of Infinite Dreams. She told him that Samarra had come to work for her there, doing accounting. Troubled by Samarra’s abandonment of him, Geadus decided not to disturb her at her work and headed for the Last Flagon.
At the Flagon, Geadus was prepared to have a meat pie when he discovered that his brother had eaten the last one and it was too late in the evening to ask the kitchen to prepare more. Alven had arrived, and offered Geadus some of his new dish, “spork dodgers,” which were sausages dipped in a batter of ground corn. Geadus, Simolean, Tarfu, and even Arani all enjoyed them. While they ate, Alven told them that he no longer wanted to hold shazbat games at the Flagon, and didn’t really know why he’d agreed to do so. A veiled stranger he knew only as “Red Turban” had approached him to have the games there, and had even convinced him to give up half the proceeds earned from the games. Chovezani and the others became suspicious, as Alven was himself, that he had somehow been enchanted. Chovezani examined the shazbat cards and counters and found that they were indeed surrounded by an aura of magic. As this was illegal, she planned to report it to the mages’ council immediately. Red Turban would be arriving in the morning to pick up his money, so the group planned to be present to meet him and find out if he was in fact a rogue wizard.
After further discussion the four companions discovered that all of them had been accosted by the mysterious Campani “granny”, with the exception of Geadus, who instead had the odd encounter with Ali the Weasel. They decided that Lucre needed to know about both the Campani woman and the enchanted shazbat game. After escorting Chovezani back to her flat, Geadus, Simolean and Tarfu went to Lucre’s office to speak with him.
On the way to Lucre’s headquarters the group were accosted by Ali the Weasel. To Geadus’s surprise, the drunkard claimed not to recall their earlier meeting. When Chovezani questioned him he reported that he too had met with the mysterious Campani woman. Geadus took pity on him and gave him a copper for the bathhouse, while Tarfu gave him a spork dodger to eat. Chovezani then continued on to her residence while the other three companions proceeded to Lucre’s establishment.
Geadus’s exile from his father’s organization had come to an end that evening, and he was welcomed into Lucre’s office. There he and Simolean told their father about their conversation earlier with Alven and the enchanted shazbat game, the old Campani woman who seemed to know so much about all of them, and Ali the Weasel’s strange behavior. Lucre called for Tarfu to come upstairs and questioned him as well about all of these affairs. He then asked the three young men to go to the Dusky Brew and keep an eye on Chovezani’s apartment from there.
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Episode 10: “Meeting Moksha” part 3
Geadus, Simolean, and Tarfu spend the night at the nearby Dusky Brew to keep an eye on Chovezani’s residence. On finding the Dusky Brew’s meat pies less appetizing than those served at the Last Flagon, Tarfu suggested that the Brew’s proprietor Fil try eel pies. Fil then conveyed a rumor that wizards were buying up all of the canal eels. This rumor had apparently been passed to him by the wizard Al’Saam, so the information was judged suspect by the Spondulix brothers.
Simolean took the first watch while Geadus and Tarfu napped in an upstairs room. He soon felt a watchful presence urging him to go to the roof. From his vantage on the rooftop he caught a glimpse of a shadowy figure lurking near the building in which Chovezani dwelled. His attention was so intently focused on that figure that he paid little mind to the sound of flapping wings behind him, assuming it to be a pigeon. Then he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder and realized he had been bitten by a bat.
Downstairs, Tarfu abruptly awakened to see a cowled figure with a knife. He grappled and shoved the figure, shouting to rouse Geadus. The attacker blasted Tarfu with lightning, and then the cowl fell away, revealing the face of Ali the Weasel! Suddenly Tarfu was overcome with a compulsion to sleep. Geadus woke him again with a pitcher of water to the face.
On the roof, Simolean responded to the bat’s attack by blasting it with the frigid energy of a chill touch spell. The bat appeared to die, but a moment later a second bat appeared and bit him on the neck. Simolean responded by using a second chill touch to destroy that one as well. When he remembered to look back at Chovezani’s building again, the shadowy figure he had seen was gone.
Tarfu attacked “Ali” a second time, and was startled when the drunk transformed into the likeness of one of the grannies that so intimidated him. Geadus struck the grandmotherly apparition with a club. Tarfu then sliced her in two and she vanished. Tarfu immediately rushed across the street to check that Chovezani was unharmed, while Geadus raced up to the roof of the Dusky Brew to find Simolean.
As Tarfu hurried into the building, Chovezani awakened from an unusually vivid dream. Tarfu found the apartment building’s common room unlocked and the night porter asleep in a closet, but the man protested that he had never gone into the closet and hadn’t fallen asleep.
Before Geadus reached the roof of the building that housed the Dusky Brew, Simolean felt a call to go to the Last Flagon and departed. When Geadus joined Tarfu and Chovezani, he worried for his brother’s safety and Chovezani decided to send Arani in search of Simolean. When the tiny dragon found him, he gave her a telepathic message to pass on to his brother, explaining that he was on his way to the Last Flagon. Unfortunately, when Arani returned to her mistress, she didn’t convey Simolean’s message immediately. Instead she took a nap, leaving Geadus fuming.
The following morning Chovezani and Arani set off to meet the local representative of the Octagon wizard’s guild, whom she had arranged to see about the enchanted shazbat game that Alven had been given. When she arrived at his residence a magic mouth on the door told her that the wizard had another commitment and was not available. Frustrated by this, Chovezani sent Arani to peek through the windows. Through the dragonling’s eyes she saw that indeed no one was home, but she also spotted the pieces of a shazbat game in what appeared to be the wizard’s laboratory, along with an amulet. She began to suspect that the wizard she had come to see might actually be the mysterious Red Turban himself.
Geadus had gone off in search of his brother during this time, and caught a glimpse of him near the Last Flagon. Simolean beckoned his brother to follow him without asking questions, but Geadus had become suspicious after his experiences with the false Ali on the previous night. He insisted that Simolean provide private information that only Simolean would know to prove his identity, which Simolean was able to do.
Tarfu and Chovezani arrived at the Last Flagon to await the appearance of Red Turban and possibly prove Chovezani’s suspicion correct. Simolean joined them, ordering a bowl of Alven’s porridge for breakfast. But Geadus had not yet arrived, and Simolean explained to his friends that he hadn’t seen his brother.
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Episode 11: “Meeting Moksha” part 4
Chovezani, Simolean, and Tarfu were having breakfast at the Last Flagon while awaiting the arrival of the veiled stranger known only as Red Turban, who Chovezani suspected might be Ben Mehmet, the local representative of the Octagon. Meanwhile Geadus was following his brother through the streets of the Warrens toward an unspecified destination.
Simolean led Geadus toward the canals, refusing to answer any questions about where they were going and insisting that Geadus trust him. He was moving unusually quickly, leaving Geadus to hurry to catch him up. Suddenly a veiled figure with vivid blue eyes emerged from an alley and accosted Geadus. Simolean stopped to wait but didn’t approach the figure. This individual, who appeared to be the mysterious Sapphire, advised Geadus that he should “Trust your heart. Consider your cleverness,” and then vanished. After Sapphire’s disappearance, Simolean still encouraged Geadus to trust him. Geadus instead turned and raced full speed back to the Last Flagon.
As Geadus rushed toward the Flagon, Sapphire reappeared and told him that he should proceed cautiously and not run headlong into trouble. Geadus disregarded this advice and kept running.
At the Last Flagon, a big, muscular fellow wearing a blue fez appeared at the table shared by the three companions, asking them to come outside to meet with his mistress. After asking one of the kitchen staff to come and let them know if Red Turban arrived, and assuring that they weren’t going to be led away from the Flagon, the trio went outside to meet the bodyguard’s mistress at the entrance of an alley that faced the Flagon.
The man’s mistress proved to be Sapphire. She apologized for their previous difficulties, telling them that she feared some danger threatened the Warrens and that “Red Turban” was their mutual enemy. When questioned she explained that Red Turban and Othani were not the same individual, though Othani had been known to wear a red turban on occasion. Othani was simply lovesick and not an enemy. But the wizard known as Red Turban sought to acquire enough power for himself to rule over all other wizards.
Sapphire also explained that she and Arani shared a common ancestry, demonstrating their affinity by getting the tiny dragon to alight on her outstretched fingers. Simolean asked her what she knew about the fires that had destroyed the Silken Veils, for which Sapphire denied responsibility. Sapphire revealed that she had known who Simolean was when they met at the Silken Veils prior to the fire, despite the disguise he had worn at the time.
Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a pot boy from the Flagon, telling Tarfu that his compatriot Brick had arrived and was demanding to see him. Since Brick was supposed to be on guard duty at the House of Infinite Dreams, his arrival at the Last Flagon instantly aroused everyone’s suspicion. Simolean suggested that he could assume Tarfu’s semblance and Tarfu could then ambush the person they assumed to be an impostor posing as Brick. It was agreed that Simolean would disguise himself as Tarfu and enter through the front door with Chovezani, while the real Tarfu would sneak through the kitchen.
While they were discussing this they caught a glimpse of a figure sprinting past the end of the alley. Tarfu recognized Geadus and called out to him. Geadus was disturbed to find Sapphire and Simolean there, but he quickly agreed to the plan. He prepared to climb up the front of the building, enter through a window, and take up a hidden position on the stairs overlooking the common room. Sapphire’s bodyguard remained outside with her but told Tarfu to call out “White fez” if his help was needed.
Once Geadus and Tarfu had gone inside, Chovezani and the disguised Simolean entered and approached the table where Brick sat. Chovezani sent Arani to hide among the rafters, fearing that their enemy might have a grudge against the dragon due to the familiars she had lately destroyed. Brick seemed angry and had been causing a disturbance, smashing some crockery, which was out of character for him. Simolean noticed that he appeared stressed and was perspiring heavily, which he communicated telepathically to Chovezani. While Chovezani tried to converse patiently with Brick he grew more and more agitated and seemed to be having trouble finding words.
As Geadus took up his position on the staircase, a figure resembling Sapphire suddenly appeared to him and warned him to be cautious, then disappeared. In the kitchen, Alven remarked to Tarfu that the person who appeared to be Brick was very convincing, even wearing Brick’s customary choice of scent. Brick in the meantime was getting angrier. Realizing that someone disguised as Brick probably wouldn’t smell like Brick, Tarfu suddenly burst out of the kitchen and demanded that Brick recite the rules of the Honorable Company. Brick struggled to speak. Discerning that this was the real Brick and he was under some magical compulsion, Chovezani put him to sleep. Then two men holding crossbows emerged from hiding near the platform where entertainers usually performed.
Chovezani blasted one of the crossbowmen with a witch bolt and he collapsed. Tarfu charged the second crossbowman and dealt him a heavy blow with his sword. Simolean cloaked himself in the dark aura of his armor of shadows, but forgot to dismiss his resemblance to Tarfu. On the staircase, a third assailant attempted to ambush Geadus but Geadus detected him and attempted to muffle him so that the man couldn’t cry out to warn his comrades of Geadus’s presence. He was unable to grapple the man and the two of them began to struggle.
In the common room, a man dressed as a merchant sitting at one of the tables drew a knife and threw it at Tarfu, managing to bypass Tarfu’s shield and strike him. Tarfu responded by hurling his throwing axe at the man. Simolean had been about to blast the knife-thrower with magic when he noticed a man at one of the corner tables making gestures that looked to him like spellcasting. He directed his eldritch blast at the man in the corner instead. Geadus’s fight on the stairs grew noisy as he wounded his foe. Chovezani observed what Simolean had done and followed up by hexing the man in the corner. Tarfu dealt a grievous wound to the man who had thrown the knife at him.
Simolean aimed a second blast at the spellcaster but missed and broke some crockery instead. Geadus’s opponent drew his last breath. Geadus moved to the balcony, where he discovered another man with a crossbow. The fellow was so surprised by Geadus’s sudden appearance that he misfired. Then a wall of flailing black tentacles arose from the floor between the man in the corner and everyone else, blocking the wizard from view and making it difficult to approach him.
While Geadus fought the man on the balcony and Tarfu’s attacker managed to wound him a second time, Simolean cast spider climb on himself and walked up the wall. A man bearing a crossbow emerged from the kitchen, but Chovezani dropped him with her magic before he could act. Simolean walked over to the balcony and stood horizontally on the railing to see over the tentacles. He fired another eldritch blast at the wizard but once more he missed his aim. Geadus shoved his foe over the railing and sent the man plummeting among the tentacles below, which pummeled him to a pulp.
The tentacles vanished a moment later, revealing that the man in the corner had disappeared as well. Chovezani cast see invisibility and scanned the room and the street outside, hoping to catch him, but she saw no sign of him. She surmised that perhaps he had used a spell such as dimension door to escape. Tarfu permitted his last opponent to leave with his life, though the man was briefly detained by Sapphire’s bodyguard on the way out.
The friends decided they should immediately report what had happened to the various authorities. Tarfu revived Brick and took him back to the Honorable Company headquarters to inform their superiors what had happened and why Brick had left his post. Chovezani wanted to notify the wizards’ council, but Geadus felt that to be sure the communication was received she should deliver it in person, so he hired a palanquin to transport them both. Simolean headed off to tell Lucre what had occurred.
As Simolean made his way across the rooftops to his father’s office, he unexpectedly encountered an attractive young woman he had never seen before. She revealed herself to be a messenger of the divine, Moksha by name, who wished to help the City but was forbidden to act directly. She told Simolean that he had been judged and found good, and that dark gods were rising and it was her desire to stand against them. As they spoke it became clear to him that the mysterious “grannies” and other more familiar faces who had appeared to advise the four friends during the past few days must have been Moksha. Then she disappeared, leaving Simolean feeling embarrassed and confused.
Characters are now 5th level.
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Episode 12: “Fear of Grannies”
In the aftermath of their unsuccessful attempt to capture the wizard who had coerced Alven into using the enchanted shazbat game, the four companions pursued separate interests for a few days. Tarfu went to the headquarters of the Honorable Company to practice his swordsmanship. Chovezani researched and practiced using a new spell while waiting for a communication from the wizards’ guild. Geadus went to talk to Lucre about the shapechangers that had suddenly become prevalent in the Warrens. Simolean discovered he had acquired a new talent for seeing magical objects.
Later Tarfu paid a visit to his Uncle Noortin, where he learned news that was both pleasant and disturbing. First he heard that his uncle’s wife was expecting a baby, but his mood quickly turned to one of panic when his uncle told him that his ‘grannies’ from the Thousand Towns were coming to the City. He became so distraught at this information that his uncle had to take him to the Last Flagon for a few drinks, and then put him in the Room to sleep off the effects of the liquor.
Simolean decided to seek Chovezani’s wisdom about his new talent, first to confirm that what he saw was actually an indicator of magical properties. While the two were comparing notes on the details of perceiving magical auras, Simolean decided to tell Chovezani about his encounter with the purported goddess called Moksha, something he had not yet discussed with anyone. Chovezani told him that there had indeed been a goddess called Moksha, though she had long been absent. She was known as a deity of inspiration, giving aid in times of need. Simolean planned to seek out one of the oldest temples in the Warrens and inquire about the goddess after he parted from Chovezani.
During his visit with his father, Geadus discovered that Lucre’s newest right-hand man Mustafa was actually a cousin though Geadus had never known him before. Lucre also told Geadus to trust his feelings, to stop treating Simolean like a small child, and not to let his fear of the shapeshifters make him distrust everyone he met. Afterward Geadus went to Chovezani’s lodging, where he was met at the door by two Chovezanis when Simolean decided to play a prank on him. Though the joke annoyed him, Geadus invited his brother and Chovezani to join him for dinner at the Last Flagon that evening. Simolean then told his brother about meeting Moksha.
When the brothers separated, Geadus went to the House of Infinite Dreams to invite Samarra to dinner. He then set off in search of Tarfu. Along the way he stopped by a meat pie vendor and purchased an eel pie, which he consumed in full view of one of his father’s local informants, who had clearly been told about Lucre’s “no meat pies for Geadus” edict. Geadus met Uncle Noortin, who told him to find Tarfu sleeping it off in the Room. On awakening Tarfu was still in quite a state over the impending arrival of the Grannies, but he was not too distraught to notice that the eel pie had made Geadus’s breath smell less than sweet. Geadus asked Alven’s cook Auntie Fatima to help him freshen his breath. Auntie Fatima gave him a strange and foul concoction, followed by a brew that tasted like soap, in the end revealing that she was aware of Lucre’s edict as well and that her “breath freshening” treatment was actually a punishment for disobeying his father.
Tarfu meanwhile decided to visit the baths. Once he had completed his ablutions he went to the Company headquarters, where he was delighted to learn that his rival Brick had accepted a caravan guard job and there was now an opening for a guard at the House of Infinite Dreams. Tarfu quickly seized the opportunity to get his coveted position back. Afterward he went to the temple of Dhaumi to see his cousin who was a priestess there, seeking her support for his next encounter with the Grannies, but to his disappointment she declined to accompany him.
After parting from Geadus and Chovezani, Simolean visited the most ancient-looking temple he could find. There he met an elder priest who seemed to know a great deal about Moksha, though he did not possess as much information about the Dark Ones that Moksha had warned Simolean of. The temple turned out, appropriately, to be the Temple of Forgotten Gods.
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Episode 13: “Everybody Dies”
Tarfu was still fretting over the impending visit from his grannies. He managed to convince himself that their interest in him must have come from reports of the events at the Last Flagon, when Simolean, disguised as Tarfu, had used his magic to walk up a wall.
The companions met for dinner at the Last Flagon that evening, where they were joined by Samarra. They were meant to be joined by Mustafa as well, but he didn’t arrive. Simolean, who had come to know him better than Geadus did, guessed that some important business must have detained him. The companions proceeded with their meal without him, enjoying good food and drink and some entertainment from a singer and her piper accompanist.
While the singer was performing, Chovezani noticed sounds of a disturbance coming from outside. Simolean and Tarfu also heard the noise, and Tarfu detected the clash of steel. Geadus was at first too engrossed in Samarra to notice. But he then detected some concerning noises coming from a storeroom near the Last Flagon’s kitchen. As Chovezani, Simolean, and Tarfu went out into the street to see what was going on, Geadus, who had had a bit too much wine, reluctantly parted from Samarra to investigate the storeroom.
Chovezani sent Arani up to look down on the area the sounds of disturbance were emanating from. The dragonling spotted several armed men in the street. Tarfu saw one of the men stagger and fall, and recognized by his livery that he was one of Lucre’s guards. Tarfu hurried to the man’s side, but the guard died before he could speak. Seeing through Arani’s eyes, Chovezani observed a second injured man approaching.
Tarfu noticed two men armed with scimitars running in Chovezani’s direction and moved to intercept them. While he engaged the two men, Chovezani ran to the aid of the second wounded man, who had dropped his sword and fallen to the ground. On reaching him she discovered this man was the absent Mustafa. Chovezani applied her medical knowledge to stanch Mustafa’s bleeding wounds.
Simolean meanwhile had observed an area of unnatural darkness in the street beyond where Tarfu and the two men were fighting. It was evening, but the darkness there was more than could be accounted for by the lack of natural light. He also recognized that the wounded man Chovezani was treating was his father’s lieutenant, Mustafa. The two men clashing with Tarfu were dressed in the garb of the Al’Koroush, a rival gang from the Candles district who were at present on friendly terms with Lucre’s people. Simolean aimed an eldritch blast at one of Tarfu’s opponents but missed and instead took a chunk of plaster off a nearby wall.
Geadus entered the storeroom in the Last Flagon to find Auntie Fatima, who had earlier given him some mint to chew to make up for the foul concoction she had subjected him to before dinner. She lay upon the floor, apparently lifeless. A broken lamp had spilled oil and it was aflame. Geadus poured the contents of a box of stones onto the oil to suppress the flames, promising Fatima that he would avenge her death. Suddenly he caught a glimpse of a shadowy shape rising up near her corpse. The shadow lunged at him, but its attack missed. The shadow continued its attacks on him, connecting several times. Each attack left Geadus with a sense of growing despair, as though some of his joy in living was being drained from him. He also felt his strength failing with every wound.
Having stabilized Mustafa, Chovezani turned to hurl a bolt of fire at the Al’Koroush men who were fighting with Tarfu. Simolean sent another blast of eldritch energy, not at the men, but at the strange area of darkness in the street. Within it he could see a man-shaped shadow. The dark figured rushed him but failed to strike him, and he blasted it again. Afterward the shadow struck him and he felt weakened and drained. Infuriated, he summoned up tentacles of black energy, setting the tendrils flailing the area around him even though Tarfu was also within their reach. Tarfu managed to avoid serious injury by the black tendrils, but one of the Al’Koroush men was wounded enough that he fell. The shadow appeared tattered after this attack. It turned its attentions to Tarfu but missed him, and after he returned its attack it dissipated.
Geadus had been engaged in a desperate struggle with the shadow in the storeroom, but at last managed to do enough damage to it that it vanished. He was exhausted, weakened, and in a state of despair. But when he went out into the Last Flagon common room he found that no one had even been aware of what was going on in the storeroom. Samarra and the other guests were still enjoying the entertainment. Bidding Samarra a temporary farewell, Geadus went to find out what had happened to his friends.
During the brief respite in the street, Chovezani recalled her training and warned the others that the shadow creatures drained the happiness from people of good heart. If a good person was slain by such a shadow, a new shadow might spawn from the corpse after a time. She was shocked when a new shadow appeared from the corpse of the dead man nearby, who had been dead far less time than she knew to be typical for spawning such shadows. She reacted by summoning a blaze of lightning that lit up the area with an actinic burst of light, leaving Tarfu and Simolean in awe of her power. At first it seemed the shadow was unharmed by this impressive display. But when Simolean followed with another helping of his eldritch energy, it suddenly dispersed.
Mustafa took this opportunity to tell Chovezani, Simolean, and Tarfu that a woman and some shadows had attacked Lucre’s headquarters and Lucre was in danger. Asking bystanders to help Mustafa, Tarfu ran to find Geadus and warn him, while Chovezani and Simolean raced toward Lucre’s office.
Tarfu and Geadus were faced by more shadows, which they destroyed. Then two Al’Koroush men with crossbows appeared, and one of them shot Tarfu. They accused Lucre’s people of attacking them and summoning the shadows. Geadus surrendered his club and persuaded them to stand down, explaining that someone else was trying to provoke strife between the two gangs. As they were talking shadows attacked again. Geadus was so badly injured that he fell unconscious. Tarfu was also wounded. As Tarfu slew two more shadows, he watched in horror as Geadus drew his last breath. One of the Al’Koroush men cried out that they must get Geadus to a temple immediately to prevent his body from spawning another shadow. Tarfu scooped Geadus up on his shield and ran for the temple of Dhaumi.
As Chovezani and Simolean raced at top speed toward Lucre’s establishment, they were halted by the appearance of several Al’Koroush men accompanied by a sorcerer. Simolean abruptly collapsed, unconscious. He was thus unable to hear the sorcerer telling Chovezani that Lucre’s house had been destroyed, and insisting that Chovezani and Simolean should be taken to some other destination.
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Episode 14: “The Ways of Life and Death”
Tarfu and the two Al’Koroush men rushed Geadus’ lifeless body toward the temple of Dhaumi. During their hurried journey they were subjected to an attack by the cultists. One of the Al’Koroush men killed a cultist just outside the temple. Tarfu ran for the temple, while the cultists took down the man who had slain one of their number, and a shadow rose from the fallen Al’Koroushi’s corpse.
At the same time, another Al’Koroush member was carrying Simolean. Chovezani revived the unconscious Simolean by pinching him under the arm. They followed the men to a safe house in the Candles district. On the way more shadows appeared, and one of the men fell to their attack. A shadow struck Simolean, dispelling the magical protection he had surrounded himself with earlier and draining strength from him until he was so weak he could hardly walk. Chovezani summoned a lightning bolt that destroyed one of the shadows, but one of the Al’Koroush bravos was dead. The sorcerer and the other men had gone out of sight. Just as the sorcerer returned, a shadow rose from the dead man. Chovezani burned it with fire, while Simolean sent a blast of eldritch energy against it, and the sorcerer attacked it with a tiny projectile of magical force. The shadow was destroyed, but not before it could drain yet more of Simolean’s strength, leaving him staggering at the effort of supporting his own weight.
Once Tarfu reached the temple, he found that it had already been under attack from the shadows, and the high priestess had been drained by them. The temple gates were then closed. Despite her weakness, the high priestess began the ritual that would summon Geadus’s spirit back to life. As the ritual progressed, Tarfu could hear people outside the gates pounding and pleading to be admitted. There were shadows and cultists outside, and the door warden was slain.
Geadus began to wake, and at the same moment the high priestess collapsed. Geadus immediately wanted to know where his brother was, but Tarfu did not know. Tarfu’s cousin who served at the temple told Tarfu and the restored Geadus that the priestess must be taken to the Grotto beneath the temple. A smith presented Geadus with a sword. Tarfu’s cousin brought out a jewelry case containing a necklace of vine and emerald, which she gave to Geadus. After he donned it he felt his stamina replenished. She also gave to Geadus a pair of leather gloves, and to Tarfu a circlet set with a pearl. Geadus then lifted up the fallen high priestess, as Tarfu’s cousin warned that if the temple of Dhaumi fell, so would the Warrens.
Chovezani and Simolean and their escort arrived in the Candles, where one of the Al’Koroush men carried the feeble Simolean as they entered the basement beneath a tower. They were met by an older woman, a priestess, who told them that Dhaumi represented light against the shadows. She also said that the shadows were coming from the catacombs beneath the Warrens. The priestess presented Simolean with a vial of milky liquid to drink, which healed all his hurts. To Chovezani she gave a second vial that appeared to be empty, which she explained contained a rare potion to restore all of the magic Chovezani had already used. When Chovezani and Simolean had recovered, they and the sorcerer and several of the other men began to descend a long, winding stair into darkness.
The sorcerer summoned a magical light to guide them. When they heard a rustling sound in the darkness, the sorcerer called whatever made it to come forth, and they saw a toad-like creature the size of a man, which Chovezani recognized as a troglodyte. The troglodyte appeared to be injured. When Chovezani spoke respectfully to it, the troglodyte beckoned the group to follow it and they decided to trust it.
Suddenly the troglodyte stopped, whimpering. A mummy shambled toward them! One of the Al’Koroush bravos turned to dust when the mummy touched him. A second man was terrified by it. Chovezani and Simolean both blasted it with magic, while the sorcerer warned the other bravos to stay back. Chovezani then remembered that such mummies were vulnerable to fire. As the mummy moved toward the sorcerer, Chovezani set it ablaze. Then a second mummy appeared. Simolean sent more of his eldritch energy toward it, and Chovezani shouted at the sorcerer to use fire. One of the mummies felled another bravo, and Chovezani set it aflame, destroying it.
Once the threat of the mummies was gone, Simolean noticed tracks on the floor, and a bridge over water. As their reduced group continued their journey, they saw a light ahead.
Tarfu and Geadus headed into the catacombs beneath the temple, Geadus carrying both the priestess and a lamp. Another shadow wraith appeared, sorely wounding Geadus, but it was destroyed. After a time they saw a waterfall ahead, and a white light.
At the same time, Chovezani heard Tarfu’s voice.
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Episode 15: “Shadows Grasp”
Geadus and Tarfu were startled to see Chovezani and Simolean with a creature the like of which they had never seen before, but Simolean reassured them that the troglodyte was a friend. The enlarged group continued toward the source of the light they had seen, emerging into a large cavern containing a waterfall, a pool, and a dais. As they entered the cave another mummy suddenly lunged at Geadus. He reacted by smashing his lamp on it, catching its ancient wrappings on fire. Simolean attempted to blast it but reacted too quickly and his blast went wide. Chovezani then engulfed the mummy in flames. The troglodyte attacked the burning undead creature, and within moments it collapsed in a heap of ash and burning fabric.
The group rushed into the cave, where they observed that the light within came from crystals held in four marble stands, as well as from luminous moss growing on the stones. Geadus quickly took the high priestess to the dais and laid her upon it. As he did so he felt himself healed of the injury the shadow had dealt him a short while earlier and he felt reinvigorated. But the same could not be said for the priestess, who showed no sign of recovery. Geadus removed the necklace and gloves Tarfu’s cousin had given him and placed them on the priestess, which seemed to give her some aid. He prayed earnestly to Dhaumi to save her servant. Then he glimpsed a figure lying on the ground beside the waterfall pool. It was Lucre.
Chovezani hurried to see to Lucre, while Tarfu suggested that perhaps Geadus should put the priestess in the pool. He told the remaining Al’Koroush men to keep guard on the grotto entrance, and tried to ask the troglodyte to do the same, but it did not appear to understand him.
Chovezani bent over Lucre to examine him, but was worried to find that he seemed to have no pulse. She called Tarfu over to help her, and they removed his boots, intending to immerse him in the sacred pool. Geadus also followed Tarfu’s suggestion and took the priestess to the water.
Simolean meanwhile received a sudden communication from his nameless patron. He stood frozen in the throes of a vision while his companions tried to save his father and the high priestess. Instead of the Grotto and its gently glowing illumination, he witnessed an otherworldly vista of strange angles where innumerable shadow wraiths moved toward a portal. His face took on an expression of horror, but he could not break free of the vision.
The troglodyte surprised everyone by suddenly taking Lucre and leaping into the pool. At first Tarfu thought the creature was trying to drown him. Geadus immersed the priestess. He was initially afraid to submerge her, but after a moment he followed the troglodyte’s example and allowed her to be completely under the water. He found the water warm and invigorating. After a short time the troglodyte emerged with Lucre, and Tarfu took Lucre to lay him on the dais, which he knew to be the most sacred place in the Grotto. Geadus followed his example and placed the priestess on the dais beside his father. He was relieved to find that Lucre now had a pulse, albeit weak. Geadus again prayed to Dhaumi to save them.
His prayers were interrupted by a shout from one of the men guarding the entrance, warning that the shadows had returned. Four shadows invaded the Grotto. Even under threat of the deadly shadows, Simolean remained immobilized. Geadus was so frustrated by his brother’s lack of reaction that as he ran past to meet the wraiths he punched Simolean in the arm, shouting, “Father needs you!” Simolean did not respond. He remained in place, staring at something the others could not see, while Geadus, Tarfu, and Chovezani battled the shadows, destroying the first four.
But more shadows emerged from a crevice in the wall. One of them touched Geadus and drained him of strength. Then the circlet Tarfu wore began to glow, and the shadows retreated from its light. Recognizing this, Tarfu advanced, driving them back. The pearl in the circlet began to shine so brightly that all were forced to close their eyes. When the light dimmed, the shadows were gone.
Chovezani went to Simolean, who seemed as unaware of this event as anything else, and attempted to rouse him without success. Tarfu then picked up his stiff but unresisting form and tossed him into the pool. He also put a wounded Al’Koroush bravo into the water. Geadus had climbed into the water with his brother and was accidentally pushed under by the arrival of the bravo. The troglodyte helped Geadus and Simolean up to the surface of the water, and Geadus cradled his brother, who still remained oblivious and immobile, staring at something terrible that only he could see.
Within the vision, Simolean concentrated harder on the horrors he witnessed. Shadows were swarming everywhere, in a place that some instinct told him should hold no shadows. But the portal he saw seemed familiar, resembling the stones of the Grotto where his paralyzed body stood.
Geadus felt his brother’s body growing colder. Frost began to form on Simolean’s skin. Geadus realized that yet more strength was being drawn from him. The troglodyte pulled Geadus out of the water, and Tarfu took Simolean to the dais. The circlet suddenly produced a blinding light again. When the light faded the second time, Simolean revived to find himself lying beside his father, who was weak but now conscious. Lucre told them that the Grotto was the center of light and life in the Warrens and if it fell to the shadows all would be lost. Simolean then revealed what he had seen in his vision. He believed that the portal the shadows were emerging from was located in the catacombs, and that he might be able to find it.
Simolean rose from the dais, and the four companions went to the crevice the shadows had come through to examine it. Geadus started to take the gloves and necklace from the priestess, but when he saw that she seemed slightly better while wearing them he left them with her. Chovezani sent globes of light into the crack. It appeared to be an ordinary crack in the stone, too narrow for a person to enter. Geadus and Tarfu both attempted to go through but gained only bruises for their efforts. Thus the companions were amazed when Simolean stepped inside it! The crevice sloped sharply downward, but Simolean cast a spell on himself to allow him to easily climb back up to the opening and talk to his friends. They wondered if the circlet Tarfu wore would somehow aid in closing the portal to the shadow realm. They also pondered how anyone could enter the crevice. While they were discussing this, Simolean took Tarfu’s hand and pulled him inside. The two of them vanished from the light of Chovezani’s magic.
As Simolean and Tarfu disappeared into the crevice, Lucre and the high priestess revived, and more shadows writhed at the entrance of the Grotto.