Game Recap After the incident with Arata, Kaaska, and Schachik-Guarg, Behyla and Shonn are busy calling in additional troops and staff. Keep Sahiva took a huge hit, with the attack and death circle killing many of their servants and guards. Additionally, there were other goblin attacks outside of the keep that were seemingly meant to keep the guards distracted and on the defense. You all meet with Behyla and Shonn, it looks like, that Schachik-Guarg sent the demon to take out Kaaska. Kaaska and Arata, working for the hags, are apparently now at odds with Schachik. The question remains, what’s in the tomes? Ron took the gnomish tome, Ailekk took the primordial tome, and Bakra took the goblin tome. Meanwhile, Rurrick and Shonn went to read on enchantments and keep watch of Arata while Urd read up on tunnels below Bonehammer and the home of Schachik-Guarg as Cassius kept him company in the library. Urd’s Research (4 hours) Researching in the library Urd finds: Green Beauty’s slumber is the resting place of a legendary leader for the orcs of Bonehammer, the Green Beauty herself. Kept as more of a relic/landmark than anything else, orcs mostly stopped pilgrimages to her tomb centuries ago. However, the tomb still in the tower, on the tallest floor. Underneath the tower is a series of ancient tunnels and hallways, twisting far below the tower that was/has been used as a catacombs for members of the Sagafang clan for centuries. It is very seldom used today. Shonn & Rurrick’s Research (4 hours) Researching along with Shonn, Rurrick finds: there are different types of charm/enchantments that can be used against a creature including suggestion, geas, charm and domination. Rurrick did further research and possible ways to resist include the bless spell, potion of heroism, protection from good and evil, and heroes feast gives advantage to wisdom saves. They could tell Arata was still charmed/enchanted. The Books (it takes 4 hours per book to analyze) Read by Ailekk, Ron, and Bakra, the tomes layout rituals for binding the talismans to each user. They go through an extraordinary amount of detail about how much must be done for each individual talisman to be “linked” to the master, and each other. Apparently the talismans themselves were originally designed so that a spellcaster could focus their spells through the devices, without being physically present. However, the enhanced rituals link the talismans together, allowing a master to cast a single spell through every talisman linked. While the tomes do not go into much detail about what the talismans actually do specifically, or the side effects of using them, they do talk some about the history and quality of them. They were created in ancient times to help the royal wizards cast protective and restorative magics across the realm of Dravens. The material used to make them comes deep from underneath the lands east of Sehe, then called Olroko Pilane. Ailekk’s Tome of Duardriag Ailekk finds that it requires that each talisman be enchanted and placed in the earth in an area of near melting heat. After heating, they must be placed around the neck of a mortal enemy at the same time, in this case Aarakocra. The talismans must then be allowed to burn their way into the chests of the sacrifices until all of their hearts stop beating around the same time (within minutes). It took decades of time to perfect it, hundreds, if not thousands of Aarakocra sacrificed in both the perfection of the ritual itself but also the implementation of the final talismans. Ron’s Tome of Namfoodle Ron finds that for each talisman linked, a fey creature and a mortal in love with each other must be forced to wear the talismans to be linked. They are then butchered together at night. It is possible to force several talismans upon each, linking all of those together. According to the notes, this was done several times. According to the notes, it was Namfoodles knowledge of life and death that allowed the ritual to be successful, but his work and study was based on past experiments done over centuries of experimentation. His benefactors had even prepared several fey/mortal lovers throughout the realm for him to easily capture and use for the purposes of perfecting the ritual. Bakra’s Tome of Schachik-Guarg Bakra finds out quite a bit. Schachik-Ritual was different from the others, requiring no bloodshed. He simply had to convince his most hated enemy to betray their people and country for the promise of immortality. Obviously such a ritual couldn’t have much experimentation, his first experiment was Oron Goleborn. Being raised as a perfect orc, the half-elf proved a challenge when lured to Schachik’s lair. However, the young half-elf discovered powers there that Schachik himself didn’t even know still existed. He resisted Schachik’s spells, and managed to escape. However, it was not before Ruara put a powerful necromantic curse on him, his mind was wiped of all memories of the encounter. Any attempts to revive them would see him dead. He knew too much about them to be able to continue, however, maybe his living could be of use. They could use him to find the next quarry, and also use him to their advantage. After spending a couple of years revising his ritual, and watching the frustration of the Sahiva clan at Goleborn’s new hero, Schachik picked a new target, Behyla Sahiva the underdog but up and coming “hero” of Bonehammer. Schachik, over months, sent rumors of treasures and secrets untold in Dravens’ Grave. While it was more costly than he’d hoped, he managed to lay a trap there with Ruara as the treasure. He also followed Behyla’s every desire, every move through scrying and rumor. He watched the boy as often as possible. When Behyla uncovered an artifact of Ruara, he had no choice but to fetch a deal. He did so quickly, and willingly. Since then Behyla has always been a loyal servant of Ruara, helping them move along their game. The actual dedication of the Talismans was easy, once the ritual was complete. It just took Behyla’s signature on a contract to complete that one. There, in the book is a small written piece of paper signing with Behyla signing over his life, free-will, and allegiance to Ruara. After Midnight The party were all given bedrooms, Urd already had one to sleep in. Rurrick drank himself to sleep in the throneroom with Bakra just now beginning his book. In the middle of the night, Bakra woke Rurrick up by cursing and Rurrick got up, moved over to the throne, and tried to talk to Bakra who just ignored him. Rurrick puffed on his pipe for a bit, then passed out. He woke back up in the morning to Bakra cursing and pacing in the throne room, having recently thrown some tables over. He told Rurrick to go get Urd and Shonn. Rurrick fetched them, and the rest of the party followed without Kalrithni. They gathered in the hall where Bakra looked at Urd menacingly. Bakra looked at Ron and Ailekk, asking them what they read in their tomes. They described the horrors the Duardriag and Namfoodle did to link their talismans. Bakra then described how in his tome, while breathing heavily, it described Schaurchik Guarg’s temptation of Behyla, that was successful. Bakra looked at Urd and Shonn. He said, “Behyla’s betrayed us.” Urd made some comments about wanting to talk to Bakra. Bakra looked at him and said, “So you knew?” Urd tried to explain but Bakra tried to attack him. Urd parried him away as his party moved in to use magic, give him advantage, and prepare for support. Shonn used magics on Urd and Bakra was unable to harm him, with a flickering light protecting him. Then Shonn moved in between them, Bakra tried to grapple her but was repelled by light, along with Ailekk stepping him to help. She said, “Bakra, enough.” Bakra said, “You don’t know what’s been done. I’ve been following Behyla’s lead. I’ve been sabotaging the war effort. Bribing warlords, blackmailing key figures in both the orc and Eurik armies. I’ve been politically putting all my cards on the table to prevent this war, that I now believe is going to happen anyways. All I’ve been doing, this entire time, is weakening our house and kingdom.” Rurrick and Urd both piped in, offering suggestions and wisdom. Bakra said, “Schachik must pay, and Behyla must answer for his crimes. And then I must pay for my sins.” He pointed at Volandra, “You, Volandra. You are stealthy?” She nodded. Bakra said, “I need a team that can go quietly with me. I need you and Kaaska’s partner Arata. We are going to bring Behyla to justice.” Rurrick pointed out that Oron and Breschka might not be so happy about Bakra killing Behyla. Bakra responded with, “Behyla is not their citizen, he’s mine. He is helping them under my approval. As a member of my clan and citizen of Bonehammer, he is mine to discipline as I please.” The party agreed and Ron, Urd, Rurrick, and Bakra went to go talk to Arata while Shonn, Ailekk, Cassius and Volandra went to go being the ritual to revive Kaaska. Rurrick went into Arata’s cell, with a sack and a knife. She was still under the influence of the amulet, which tried to do something to them. Rurrick moved the chain of the amulet with his knife while Urd cleaved it with his blade and it fell into the sack. After that, she came to and seemed to be okay. She said the talisman spoke to her. Just then Cassius heard a voice in the back of head say, “Voices? Voice speak to her? What voices?” The group went downstairs and joined up with Kaaska’s revival ritual. There, everyone was in Shonn’s surgical ward with Kaaska on the table. She had incense lit and was holding an expensive diamond. Ailekk approached, let his own blood then fell back. Arata approached and and laid 50 gold coins in one of his hands and said, “Come back, partner”. Rurrick poured some drink on the ground in his honor but it was the wrong flask and was the bear-piss. It stunk up the whole chamber. At the end, Shonn glowed in white light, as did Kaaska and he started breathing. He told them of the hags entrancing him and Arata when they went to get Namfoodle, and how they killed the monk that came for them. Kaaska detailed how he went to the Battle of Kiernard and found Namfoodle there in one of the monasteries being tended to by monks. While there, they met a monk wearing a talisman, through the talisman the hags charmed both himself and Arata. They had them kill the monk, and Arata take the talisman and don it. Arata headed towards Bonehammer, where it was believed the party might go next, to search for the tomes. Meanwhile, Kaaska returned Namfoodle to Behyla, who then suggested he take the prisoner to Sahiva keep and wait for the party to arrive. Kaaska was tired, and after some questions was ready to sleep. The party went upstairs to question Namfoodle. Bakra explained that he had the authority of the land to kill Namfoodle if he saw fit, he was the law. Rurrick asked Namfoodle why should he live? Namfoodle offered to help against Dree in the upcoming war, to control undead, to tell everything he knows. Rurrick said it wasn’t good enough. Urd said Namfoodle should live because others wanted him dead, he might be useful. Bakra looked at Ron and said, “Wizard of Indra, what do you think?” Namfoodle begged for his life, explaining that he was a gnome taken as a slave from Indra. But Ron couldn’t overcome what he’d read. “I cannot forgive the deeds he’s done.” With that, Bakra said, “Namfoodle, I’ll kill you quickly and if we ask you questions from the grave I hope you are willing.” Namfoodle said, “A quick death. I accept.” Bakra slit his throat. The party then started preparing to leave. Shonn gave them 2 scrolls of Daylight and 2 potions of heroism. [Question, what are you doing with the tomes?]
