The Orb of Fire

Abadius 22, 4713, continued

Dhukhean awakens in a cave, bruised and battered but very much alive following his near death drop from the sky during the manticore hunt. The dwarf can hear several voices speaking in elvish. As he gather his thoughts, he notices that he is neither restrained nor unarmed, as his weapons and gear sit neatly next to him. He listens to the elves, who discuss the fall of the dwarf from the sky and what role he plays in the fact that several cults in the area have been kidnapping dwarves.

Pretending to awaken, Dhukhean grunts and shifts in his bed. When he opens his eyes, he sees four elves wearing dark green cloaks and adventuring gear looking at him with concern. After making introductions, the elves identify themselves as Sephyr, Arral, Nyin and Malsal, members of the Lord's Alliance, a group dedicated to promoting security and prosperity throughout Golarion. This group has been monitoring the Sumber Hills for the last six months, ever since the area began to attract an ever increasing number of ruffians. With law and order already on shaky foundations even before these arrivals in the area, the Alliance has taken it on itself to investigate the cause of this attraction and plans military actions to deal with it.

Dhukhean mentions his missing caravan, and he recounts the details that led him to fall from the sky. The dwarf is concerned that cultists have hoodwinked well-bred members of Feathergale Spire and have taken control of it for their own nefarious ends. The elves inform Dhukhean that they have discovered the presence of four cults in the area, and they identify them as the Black Earth Cult, the Howling Hatred Cult, the Eternal Flame Cult, and the Crushing Wave Cult, and they draw the symbol of each in the dirt.

Black Earth Cult

Crushing Wave Cult

Eternal Flame Cult

Howling Hatred Cult

These cults are not only terrifying the local population, they have also taken to fighting among themselves. Dhukhean wonders if the rise of these cults is somehow tied to the lost city of Tyar-Basil, which he himself has been researching. The elves speculate that perhaps the cults are looking for dwarves to open an ancient gate to this city.

The elves then propose to escort Dhukhean to a safe location. Worried for the Cooper sisters he has left behind, he asks them to bring him back to Feathergale Spire instead, and asks them if there is a way for him to communicate with them if he finds more information or has a pressing need. They reply that they spend most of their time in the wilderness, but that their contact in Red Larch can get them information fairly easily as they stealthily stop at the village once every ten days or so. Their contact there is Maegla Tarnlar, the wife of the clothier. Malsal shows Dhukhean the Lord Alliance's hand signal to make during a conversation to establish a relationship with the woman.

Following the hunt, Darelle returns to Feathergale Spire to report the treachery that took place in the skies to her comrades, closely followed by Savra and Ruddy, who carry the head of the slain monster. Darelle tells Savra about how Dhukhean went missing. Savra apologizes as she had not noticed the dwarf's disappearance. Savra, Ruddy and Darelle depart the Spire again on their flying mounts and look for Dhukhean, but the unseasonal fog at the bottom of the canyons hide any visibility of the ground below, and they are unsuccessful in locating him. Darelle decides to use a tree token to tell him she is back at Feathergale Spire and awaits him there. Looking for her sister, Darelle eventually ends up in their shared room, avoiding the party going on in the knights' hall.

After her sister and friends departed on their flying mounts,  Daryle found herself exploring the basement of the Feathergale Spire, where she discovered prisoners. Needing help to free them, she climbs the ladder and checks on the time. It is early afternoon. Daryle sneaks out and avoids the angry animal in the pen. She returns to their shared room, figuring that her sister Darelle will eventually come back and check on her here.

When Darelle finally arrives, Daryle discusses the prisoners kept in the basement of the Spire and whether they should free them. The sisters agree that they should, and they both wonder whether Dhukhean survived the fall. Darelle hears the wind howling outside, and she takes a look through the window. A small figure crouches next to the pillar by the edge of the cliff where the drawbridge would be lowered. She recognizes the dwarven paladin. Opening the window, Darelle drives her cloud down from her bedroom window, and takes the dwarf back to the Spire. Dhukhean tells the sisters about the Lord's Alliance and how they are investigating four separate cults. The sisters fill the dwarf in on the happenings at the Spire and in its basement. They decide it is time to free the prisoners.

Returning down to the stables, they notice that there are neither guards nor stablehands. Dhukhean attempts to convince the griffon sitting on top of the trapdoor leading to the dungeon to treat him well, but the griffon is unconvinced and attempts to shred him to pieces. Darelle decides to charm him, but this also fails due to his strong will. Finally, the ranger speaks with animals, and understands that the griffon is both mean due to his disposition, but also because he's being tortured by the stablehands so that he can act as a guardian in case prisoners made it to the hatch in the floor.

Using all of her charm and diplomacy, Darelle convinces the griffon to stand out of the way and let them through. The Coopers climb down into the dungeon. Dhukhean detects evil and identify all but the elf and the dwarf prisoners as evil. Dhukhean approaches the elf and asks her a few questions, making the Lord Alliance's hand signal, but he doesn't get a reaction out of her. She had been caught while traveling on the long road and had been brought here to be questioned by a masked man.

Dhukhean then talks with Broga, the female dwarf, who reports she was on a pilgrimage to the Sacred Stone Monastery, hoping to discover the fabled city of Tyar-Besil. Though she was welcomed with open arms by the monks currently dwelling in the monastery, she quickly realized that not all was well with the monastic order. It had been infiltrated by a cult called the Black Earth. Broga barely escaped with her life, but was later captured by members of the Howling Hatred and brought here. She has been in this dungeon ever since. Broga mentions the relative location of the Sacred Stone Monastery, and also that of the Rivergard Keep, the rumored headquarters of the Crushing Wave.

Both prisoners are weak and in no condition to trek the wilderness on their own. Daryle climbs the ladder, and frees the griffon. Since no one notices, the Coopers release the other mounts. Some of them fly away, but others remain in their stalls, content with their current conditions. Flying with the cloud, they head to Red Larch.


Abadius 23, 4713,

Arriving early in the morning in Red Larch, they land outside of town and then trek in the village. They head to the clothier, where Dhukhean is able to identify himself to Maegla Tarnlar as a supporter of the Lord's Alliance. She dismisses her husband, and the four of them talk about what happened and how two local landmarks have been infiltrated by cults. Dhukhean introduces them to Broga and the elf. How two local landmarks have been infiltrated by the cults. Finding these news filled with evil portent, Maegla asks Dhukhean to travel to Yartar with haste and notify Nestra Ruthiol, Waterbaroness of Yartar and head of the Lord's Alliance in the Sumber Hills, of what he discovered. In exchange, Maegla will shelter the two escapees and provide them with safe passage out of the Dessarin Valley on the next well-protected caravan. The paladin agrees to these terms and the Coopers head out on the cloud.


Abadius 25, 4713,

After two days of travel on the cloud, they arrive in Yartar. Entering the city, they head for the Waterbaron's Hall, in the center of the marketplace, where they solicit a meeting with the Waterbaroness. Informed of his Lord's Alliance credentials, Nestra Ruthiol welcomes the party and listens to Dhukhean retells of the events that happened. Nestra thanks them profusely for reporting this information, and advises them the Lord's Alliance will increase its patrols and investigative activities in the area.

Nestra then asks them for a favor. The Hand of Yartar, a local criminal gang composed exclusively of women, is auctioning off an item called the orb of fire. Its magical abilities are unknown, but it is believed to be a very powerful item. The auction is being conducted at the Wink and Kiss tavern by a cutthroat named Nareem Dhest, with bidding starting at 1,500 crowns. As Waterbaroness Nestra must balance several factions within the city, and she cannot be seen as seizing this item. She would like the Coopers to acquire the item and remove it from Yartar, and she is willing to compensate them with 1,000 crowns each. Dhukhean and the sisters agree to help her.

The Wink and Kiss is filled with patrons, drinking and enjoying the dancing girls on stage. Dhukhean goes to the bar and orders dwarven ale. After a quick exchange of coins, the barman tells Dhukhean where he can find Nareem Dhest, but warns him that she will not be pleased if they do not have gold to make a bid.

Entering a backroom near the stage, the Coopers find Nareem surrounding by two burly female bodyguards. After a few pleasantries, she tells them that she's accepting written bids for the orb of fire on behalf of the Hand of Yartar, and she will reveal the highest bid tomorrow at noon. She's not asking for the full amount to be paid now, but does need to see enough coins to convince her it is a serious bid. Dhukhean bids 3,952 crowns, and reveals enough wealth to assuage Nareem that it is a more than serious offer.

As they conclude their transaction, the window behind Nareem shatters as a bolt pierces her shoulder. Smelling treachery, her bodyguards jump into action and attack the Coopers. During the combat Darelle summons an earth elemental, while Dhukhean turns into an angel. The bodyguards are killed, and a wounded Nareem has no choice but to accept the Coopers as her protectors.

Throughout the rest of the day, other individuals and representatives of organizations come in and place bids, but none of them are as high as Dhukhean's. In conversation with Nareem, they realize that she's hoping this money will allow her to leave this area and this life behind. Near midnight, a cloaked man enters the room and lays five gold ingots worth a thousand crowns each. Daryle immediately recognizes the coats of arms of Duke Mosley. The bidder is a Hellknight sent on behalf of the Duke to purchase the orb of fire. Daryle reveals she's an officer in the Hellknights, and instructs the man to keep his gold and notify the Duke that she's taking care of the item. The Hellknight reluctantly agrees, pockets the gold, and leaves. Nareem is besides herself and claims the Coopers are trying to rig the bidding. They point out that she's a thief selling an item that's not really hers, and that the sum they propose is more than enough to help her out.

At noon the next day Nareem revels to a packed house that Dhukhean has made the highest bid for the orb of fire. Hoping to gain a quick exit from the Wink and Kiss, Dhukhean pays for a round of drinks for everyone, and the small party exits the tavern and heads to the cemetery on the edge of Yartar. Darelle and Daryle both notice that they are being trailed by three ruffians, but Nareem does not seem worried. She is unsettled, however, when a woman dressed like a pirate steps out of the shadows of a mausoleum, accompanied by four others. Identifying herself as Abdel, she tells the Coopers she will trade the money and Nareem for the item. The real leader of the Hand of Yartar, Abdel was attacked and left for dead by Nareem and her cronies, and now she plans on exacting vengeance on her former subordinate.

In the battle that ensues, the Coopers kill most of the guards, but both Nareem and Abdel manage to escape, the former disappearing in the cemetery, while the other is tracked through the sewers back to the center of Yartar before her trail disappears. Daryle secures a wooden and led container about two feet on all sides that weights about 30 pounds, and the Coopers return to meet with Nestra, who pays them 1,000 crowns each and ask them to take the orb away from Yartar.  

Dhukhean announces that they should find a proper church or temple, where they can check on the item and see how it should be disposed of. Finding a suitable place on the edge of the river by a bridge, Dhukhean channels positive energy before smashing the lock. In it is an orb that measures 12 inches in diameter. It weighs 10 pounds, and has a solid outer shell with swirling flames clearly visible inside of it. Daryle takes it out of the wooden and led case, and places the orb in her bag of holding to keep it safe. When smoke begins to drift out of her bag, she takes the orb out and notices it is glowing and getting warmer. The ranger rushes to the river, and drops the orb of fire into it.

Instantly, the water in the river is turned to steam and evaporates. The resulting heat wave blows over the sisters, who are immune, but affect Dhukhean and many of the people standing on the docks. Wooden buildings catch on fire due to the heat, while a rush of water fills the void in the river. The Coopers wisely decide to leave Yartar during this pandemonium, and they head back to Red Larch. Eventually, news will travel back to them that over 800 people died from the catastrophe, and a large swat of the city was incinerated, reminding them of a previous incident...

We're off to see the wizards

Erastus 2, 4712

After stopping on the 15th level to allow Kazmauk to transform himself back into a very human Roscoe, the Coopers and their large Hellknight escort emerge from the Emerald Spire to witness a different world. The Spire itself seems to have dimmed and barely glows, though it retains some greenish light. All around the Spire the goblin and giant camps lay in ruins. Hellknights are gathering the bodies of slain goblins and giants and building funeral pyres. In the distance thick columns of black smoke rise in the general area of Fort Inevitable. Hundreds of troops are securing the area and have already begun working on fortifying the approaches to the Spire. Two large army trains are secured and guarded, and a new camp is rising out of the ashes, flying the major Hellknight order pennants, with that of the Order of the Nail in prime position to honor Duke Mosley. The Commander escorting the Coopers invites them on behalf of the Duke to a banquet held in his triumphant honor tonight. The Coopers agree to attend.

As the Coopers debate about their next course of action, Omok simply departs the group, heading eastwards, and without a single glance towards them. The rest of the Coopers return to Fort Inevitable, trekking through Echo Wood before emerging in the farmlands that surround the town. Emerging from the forest, they find another nightmarish vision. Thousands of goblin, emerald automatons and human bodies are spread over several battlefields, and the remains of many farms are still smoldering. The giants and goblins cut through a large swat of land on their way to attack the town. Though outnumbered, Drovust and her Hellknights attacked with gusto and managed to eliminate the entire enemy force at tremendous cost to her own troops. What remains of the Hellknights are huddled on the edge of the field, healing their wounded and dispatching any goblins still living. A makeshift flag flies above the Citadel displaying the symbol of the Seven Foxes, and all of Fort Inevitable's gates remain closed.

Climbing a tree, Daryle takes aim and fires a few arrows at the Hellknights. Three of them are hit and fall to the ground. The remaining force withdraws from the battlefield. Darelle begins examining the ruins, and she discovers eleven Geralds have perished during the fight. Some wore Hellknight uniforms, while others had civilian clothes and even a few looked like they had served on the goblins' side. One Gerald had somehow polymorphed into a giant. Being the considerate sister, she gathers the corpses and builds a funeral pyre for them, incinerating the fallen Geralds.

Roscoe also scours the battlefield and locates several magical items, including a monkey belt, a staff of authority, a ring of protection +3, and a weapon he recognizes as the Everwar Holy Fury. Daryle joins in and find a monkey belt and goggles of the treasure hunter. She looks for evidence that Greenhide perished on the battlefield, but finds none. Talking to survivors and questioning goblins before dispatching them, she finds that the goblin chief was in fact leading his army. All witnesses report seeing him leading a charge against Drovust, but a fireball exploded and it is as if he had been vaporized. His corpse had simply vanishes. 

While moving Geralds, Darelle discovers a magnetist's glove and a necklace of adaptation. She also finds roughly 50,000 crowns' worth of equipment and gems among all of the Gerald bodies. She hides the money in Mother Holworth's farm, which thankfully survived the battle.

After helping the wounded and assisting citizens of Fort Inevitable, the Coopers return to the Spire to attend Duke Mosley's banquet. They are feted as heroes, and the Duke rewards them with estates in Cheliax, to be collected when he wins the fight for the throne. Near the end of the banquet, the Duke takes the Coopers apart and warns them that their help to his cause will not go unnoticed in Cheliax and that they might find it prudent to spend time away from the River Kindgoms for a few months, at least until the dust settles. The Coopers agree to consider his advice. He also tells them that they will always be most welcomed in his halls, except for Gerald of course as his head now has a price attached to it.


Erastus 3, 4712

Leaving the Spire at dawn following Mosley's banquet, the Coopers minus Gerald, who became a victim of the Duke's desire for revenge, return to Shadowborn Manor, mourning Gerald's death, but not really. They are greeted by a woman wearing an immaculate uniform in the livery of House Ornelos, of Korvosa, in the country of Varisia. She delivers them all invitations to participate in this year's Breaching Festival, which takes place every year at the Acadamae of Korvosa. In this festival, participants enter the main building and must compete in a series of challenges and traps designed to test both their survival skills as well as the skills of the crafting wizards who are graduating from the school. The Acadamae of Korvosa is known as the premiere wizard school in Golarion, and wizards attend school for a term of ten years, upon which they must create a challenge for the Breaching Festival. Those wizards who successfully design a challenge that manages to kill an adventurer graduate with honors. Those who manage to maim an adventurer graduate, and those who fail to harm an adventurer must complete a remedial year. The rector of the Acadamae, Toff Ornelos, heard of the Coopers' exploits and especially enjoyed the smash hit It Was Inevitable. He would consider their participation an honor.

Daryle questions the envoy on the nature of the competition. She replies that the contest involves entering the Acadamae at sunrise. The first person out before sunset is the winner of the Breaching Festival, and this year will earn approximately 153,000 crowns. The Festival was last won back in 4551 by Dyson Fordyce, who entered at sunrise and came out of the Hall a few minutes later. Having won on a technicality, the rules were changed and now participants are required to make it to the Hall of Wards. No one has exited the Hall before sundown since. The mortality rate is about 70% among adventurers.

Remembering Duke Mosley's advice to make themselves scarce, the Coopers agree to attend the Festival, to be held on the 1st of Lamashan, which gives them three months to make their way to Varisia. After all, what could possibly go wrong now that Gerald is no longer with them?


Rova 30, 4712

After three months tramping through Golarion, the Coopers get their first glimpse of Korvosa, the fabled magical city and the largest city in Varisia. Stretching for miles, they are awed by its majestic beauty and its grandiose venues, with the Acadamae of Magic clearly visible on top of the city's highest hill. Several large walls protect the city from attacks, and its cosmopolitan citizens are bustling to and fro.

After entering the city, the Coopers are directed to the Acadamae of Magic, located in the middle of the city. They are met there by none other than Toff Ornelos himself. During their months-long trip, the Coopers have discovered that Toff Ornelos is considered one of the top arcane user of this age, having accomplished documented exploits beyond the abilities of most mortals. In the prime of his life, Ornelos has been headmaster for over thirty years and has overseen the instruction of countless wizards throughout Golarion.

Ornelos welcomes them to Korvosa and escorts them to a large auditorium in the Hall of Summoning, where they are introduced to the rest of the competing teams and individuals who will participate in the Breaching Festival. Mangarad is an Ulfen wizard dressed in fur robes and he is accompanied by three henchmen. Knur is a tough-looking dwarf of the Gilded Claw who is accompanied by two of his kinsmen. The halfling male Lawrence is dressed in black and is accompanied by two more halflings. His attire provides no clue as to his profession or skills. The Naga is garbed in a cloak that hides his facial features. Lacking a left arm, he instead sports a knife on his stump. Grunt Farnsworth is a mean-looking dwarf barbarian who is accompanied by four henchmen. The Coopers are surprised to see a Gerald here as well, entering the competition. This Gerald left Fort Inevitable five months ago. He sports a turtle drawing on his horn. Whilenor is a human druid with some ranger skills. The last competitor is introduced as Lord Garrett of Ged, a maleficent lich. He glowers at everyone.

Toff Ornelos then describes the rules of the competition. After signing waivers, participants will enter the Halls of the Acadamae. They will find different challenges and traps in each room. Surviving a challenge will provide a key light, then the room will reset itself within five minutes for the next set of participants. Each participant in a group will need a different colored key light to enter the last part of the competition. Individuals thus have an advantage in that they only need one light, however the challenges can be quite difficult to solve for one person. Over the history of the Breaching Festival, there has been no statistically significant advantage of being either part of a group or playing as an individual.

There are three rules the participants must follow. First, the winner is the first person who exits the doors leading out of the Hall of Calling before sundown. If there are two or more people exiting at exactly the same time, they will divide the prize equally among all winners. Second, groups and individuals can collaborate together to overcome some of the challenges, but they cannot directly harm, interfere, or attack other participants. The challenges are hard enough as is, and there needs to be enough participants to ensure that the graduating wizards' designs are tested. Finally, as mentioned earlier, there is a high risk of death, so each participant will need to sign a waiver explaining they understand the rules and the risks of bodily harm and possible death. The Breaching Festival itself is attended by many folks, including Queen Ileosa of Korvosa.

Ornelos asks if there are any questions. The participants remain quiet, so the headmaster then divides the participants into three groups, so they can tour the different halls of the Acadamae where the challenges will take place. The Coopers end up in the same group as the Naga and Whilenor, and their guide is Jandar Listwin, a junior wizard who plans on graduating next year.

• The Hall of Summoning is the largest building on campus and shows evidence of having been rebuilt in the last few decades. The Hall's main feature is its large auditorium where 333 students can sit comfortably. Final exams for wizards take place here.
• The Hall of Seeing features a set of double doors that display giant harrow cards, which change to reflect the past or the future of the last person to touch the door. There are scrying devices everywhere.
• Resembling a cube, the Hall of Induction is built of thick iron on three sides, and a series of iron plates on the fourth. It contains nothing aside from a spiral staircase and five empty floors. All walls in here are made of force, and keep all evocation spells contained inside the building.
• Forever shifting, the Hall of Lies is the home of the Acadamae's illusionists, and as such not everything is at it seems.
  
• Every part of the Hall of Shaping has been transmuted over the decades, providing the building an eclectic, if worrisome, look.
• The Hall of Whispers is the final home for many of the students (and participants) who were unable to complete their tasks. Home to powerful necromancy, this building is the site of many gruesome experiments.
• Home to the school's enchanters, the Hall of Charms is imbued with power.
• The Hall of Wards is the best guarded and magically protected building in Korvosa, and probably all of Golarion. To complete the last challenge, participants must enter the hall and emerge from it after defeating the challenge inside. The first person to step out wins the Breaching Festival.

As the group returns to Ornelos Hall, site of administrative building, a wizard is thrown out of a window, shattering glass everywhere. A large retriever steps through and pounces on the prone wizard. The Coopers leap to action, and after a few tense moments are able to slay the creature and rescue the wizard. She identifies herself as Seska Imintar, and she tells the Coopers she had been working on a challenge for tomorrow when the beast escaped. Ornelos rushes to the scene, and after listening to Seska for a minute chastises her for failing to constrain her monster. He promises the Coopers that her challenge will be better tomorrow, else she will fail her graduating year. Thanking them for saving her, he bids them goodnight, and looks forward to seeing them an hour before dawn tomorrow. The Coopers withdraw to their lodgings, reading for their big adventure, and, hopefully, their even bigger payoff!

The root of the Emerald Spire

Sarenith 30, 4712

Thorne drops a few barrels of red dye in the town water supply early in the morning. Within a few hours, the tension has ratcheted up even further, and there is palpable panic in Fort Inevitable. During the day, Daryle and Darelle go to the Temple of the Golden Key and purchase several potions of cure heavy wounds, cure medium wounds, and cure light wounds. Both sisters anticipate that the battle with the Vault Keeper will be a tough one. They also purchase potions of invisibility from Falandra, who has just brewed a new batch. Darelle then goes to Abernard's house. The sorcerer is there, reading a book on his porch. Darelle shoots the breeze with him for a while, then asks him if he could identify an item for her. He agrees, and examines the hand Darelle discovered in the Emerald Spire. After a few moments, Abernard tells her she's the owner of a hand of glory. Darelle thanks him.

Following his failed attempt at leading his cultists to the Emerald Spire, Rowen grabs his scrolls of magic missile from his ruined estate and returns to Fort Inevitable. Kazmauk remains outside the town's walls at the Hunters' Lodge and awaits the return of his sisters with trepidation. He's ready to return to the Emerald Spire. Omok continues to read the Book of the Damned, hoping to unlock all of its knowledge.

The Cooper sisters finally return, but it is too late to leave the Hunters' Lodge. The group decide to head out early in the morning.


Erastus 1, 4712

Awake before dawn, the Coopers realize that Olifrit is gone. Instead of the gnome, they find a Gerald in the building. This Gerald wears priestly robes and seems saner than some of the other versions they have encountered in the past. The Coopers wonder how he eluded security and entered the lodge, but after a short discussion, the rest of the group agrees to take Gerald with them They begin the trek to the Emerald Spire. Each of them experience a sense of foreboding. This could be the day they triumph over the evil that dwells at the root of the Emerald Spire, or this could be the day when their adventure comes to a permanent end. It takes them out of the morning, and the Coopers give the Spire a wide berth, hoping to avoid the large giants and goblins encampment at the base of the Spire. Their circuitous route allows them to not be seen from the Spire, but they also can't see it. They enter through the secret tunnel leading to the Splinterden level. From there, they use spire tokens to travel to the Vault, the sixteenth and last level of the Emerald Spire.

Arriving at the base of the Spire, the Coopers first stop by the strange creature that looks like a pillar of stone. Ooviroon is happy to see the Coopers return so soon, and he asks them for news of the outside world. Darelle reports on what has happened in Fort Inevitable, and questions the outsider on the happenings down here. Ooviroon has no news. He's now happily digesting the remnants of the grugs the Coopers killed and fed him a few days back. Darelle questions him on the origins of the Spire. Oorivoon explains that eons ago Vault Builders, which hailed from the Plane of Earth, arrived on Golarion shortly after its creation. Using seeds of crystallized magic, they seeded the planet with vaults, spaces where they could study the nature of life. The Vault Builders were responsible for creating numerous spaces throughout Orv, Golarion's third and lowest level. When the Vault Builders departed following their war agains the Aboleth, a Vault Keeper was left behind to guard the Emerald Spire. Named Iluchtewhar, this Vault Keeper has slowly gone insane over the eons, according to Ooviroon. Oorivoon further talks about what motivates Iluchtewhar, and mentions that as an outsider from the elemental plane of earth he is vulnerable to bludgeoning.

After this discussion, Darelle bids goodbye to Ooviroon, and the party heads northwards. Kazmauk stops and examines the strange stone sphere. Daryle notices that the sphere is completely smooth and has no seams. Omok uses divination and determines that the stone sphere was built by someone to protect itself against an enemy coming from the root of the Emerald Sphere. Gerald uses spell craft and realize that the structure was built overtime with a large number of shape stone spells. Rowen makes some quick calculations and believes that one could move about 25 feet in using some sort of teleportation spell and be safe.

Tired of these arguments about the best way to penetrate the sphere, Darelle uses a hammer and chips away at the stone wall. Surprisingly, the wall crumbles easily. Kazmauk grabs tools and also begins to bash away, and soon most of the Coopers are at it. After half an hour, they emerge on the other side into a small cavern. Inside they discover a small fey floating on air. She introduces herself as Eriniell, and she invites them inside. She also informs them they must not touch the floor as Iluchtewhar can sense their thoughts when they are in contact with the earth. She tells them she used to be one of Iluchtewhar's servant but eventually realized that he had been corrupted by the Spire. She has been hiding behind this barrier, protecting herself from the Vault Keeper, hoping to strike at him when the time was right. The Coopers, sensing a possible alliance, tell Eriniell that the time is now, and manage to convince her that today is that day. She agrees, and mentions that Iluchtewhar is dwelling beyond this room. The Coopers ask how they are supposed to go there. Eriniell tells them they could travel through the roots that spread around this level, but she has the ability to dimension door to his lair. After some negotiations, she agrees that she and her children will transport the Coopers to Iluchtewhar's personal chamber by means of this spell. Darelle then notices that there are several invisible stalkers in the room with them, all hovering behind the fey. The Coopers are ill at ease but decide this seems the best plan.

As they speak with the fey, whispering of wind causes Rowen to change personality and he becomes very self assured. Eriniell casts dimension door and the Coopers and their allies arrive in Iluchtewhar's room. Eriniell immediately engages in combat, and the Coopers join in. Kazmauk hits with sword but realizes that his attack is ineffectual. Only magic and blugeoning will hurt Iluchtewhar. Darelle and Thorne unleash a torrent of magic missiles, while Kazmauk engages with his lesser weapon. Omok joins in, and Rowen casts a few spells as well. Iluchtewhar replicates against the party by unleashing a blast of razor-sharp crystals that strike everyone but Thorne. He also summons earth elementals to fight on his behalf. Daryle engages one of the elementals, while the other strikes at Omok. The party is quickly depleted of healing spells, and finds itself on the tethering edge of doom. Iluchtewhar has suffered massive hit, yet he is still standing. It is clear, however, that he is slowly maneuvering himself towards a side door to escape the room.

While fighting, Rowen hears sounds coming from the hallway leading to this room. Is it reinforcements? Daryle moves away from her earth elemental long enough to spike the doors close. As combat rages, one of the Coopers nears death, followed by another one. The Coopers have met their match and will surely perish.

Suddenly the door explodes outward, crushing Rowen beneath a ton of splintered wood and rubble. Duke Mosley enters the room, resplendent in a dust-free and shiny uniform. Mosley does not look sick in the slightest. Followed by a horde of Hellknights, he greets the Coopers and unleashes a wave of healing, restoring everyone's strength. Kazmauk turns around and deals the death blow on Iluchtewhar, who explodes in a shower of sparks and green crystal dust, hurting everyone with debris. The Coopers are surprised to see him Duke Mosley. The Duke tells them that he has been faking his near-death to fool his enemies into thinking him weak. His plan was to capture the Spire all along, and now thanks to the Coopers' valiant efforts he controls the structure. He tells them that war is coming to Cheliax, and he will use the enormous power of the Spire to attempt to dethrone his mother the thrice damned queen, Queen Abrogail Thrune II. He is grateful to the Coopers for their assistance, and he invites them all to a banquet tonight to celebrate his brilliant victory. All, except Gerald. He tells the sorcerer that he will give him and his myriad copies a day's head start, then it will be hunting season.

In a private conversation with Daryle and Darelle, Duke Mosley informs the sisters that while his forces have been assaulting and clearing the Spire, the former Lady Commander Audara Drovust has been leading the quarterly relief force of Hellknights against Fort Inevitable, hoping to catch Mosley dying in bed with a small guard protecting him. This force left their planned itinerary at Daggermark and seized Mosswater before trekking to Fort Inevitable. Unfortunately she encountered a force of goblins and giants equipped with emerald automatons, and both forces are fighting within view of the Fort. Furthermore, he lets them know that a rebel force has seized control of Fort Inevitable and removed the few Hellknights who did not switch allegiance. As it is, both Greenhide and Drovust will exhaust themselves against each other, and the victor will be unable to seize the town back. Mosley tells them his own army has suffered some losses, but are now encamping in the Spire and will not be challenged by Drovust, Greenhide, or the rebels in Fort Inevitable. He apologizes to the sisters to have made them pawns of his plans, but as a thank you he recognizes that the Hellknights' possession of Fort Inevitable has now run its course and he agrees to leave the town alone. After all, he will need all of his strength and manpower to secure the Spire and study it.

Upon this news, Darelle sends a message with her tree token to Dr. Mordel reporting what has transpired at the Spire. with message of new management. Rowen, who explores the next room, finds a strange device. Duke Mosley, who enters the room, chats amicably with Rowen and they discuss the purpose of the device. A large map shows the entirety of Golarion with blinking spots scattered throughout. When Rowen begins touching parts of the Orvgate, a potent artifact that allows travel to other Vaults throughout Golarion, Mosley backs away. The necromancer pulls the first lever, which lines on a specific Vault that appears to be in the expansive jungle of  Mwangi. As soon as Rowen touches the second lever he is transported far and away to that Vault. Mosley shrugs and walks away. 

Thorne, sensing his opportunity, swiftly melts in the shadows and leaves the scene. Making it back to Fort Inevitable, he retrieves a few items and flees the area, motivated either by Duke Mosley's revenge or the ire of his sisters ...

Darelle notices that the green dust that used to be Iluchtewhar begins slowly drifting on the floor. She uses windwall and blows it all away. The Coopers have successfully conquered the Emerald Spire, but so much unanswered questions remain!

When all the threads tie together

Sarenith 28, 4712

Returning from their latest trip to the Emerald Spire, the Coopers arrive in Fort Inevitable to find the town in uproar. The entire Hellknight guard has been deployed at the gates and on the walls as if an assault was expected. People entering the town as well as people leaving are being thoroughly searched, and traffic is backed up on both sides of the gates. Noticing this, and realizing that there is now a dwarf and a gnome among their party, the Coopers decide to avoid the questions and fees their appearance would receive at the gates and instead enter through the sewer tunnels. Instead of following her siblings, Daryle heads back into the woods. She will hunt for a few hours, then return through the Juliver Gate and see what information she can obtain from the guards.

The gnome Olifrit is the first one to enter the town, followed by the rest of the party through the sewers. They head directly to the secret door that leads into Dr. Mordel's basement. A few creatures are laying in clean beds, while in the corner the silver demon paces his cage relentlessly. They come up the stairs and meet Erynna, who greets them warmly. When questioned by Darelle as to what is happening, she informs them that two nights ago, Duke Mosley returned in a covered wagon. Deathly ill, he has taken residence on the top floor of the Citadel in Roscoe's old quarters. The few that have seen him report that he is bleeding heavily from a large gash on his shoulders. Magical healing has been unable to staunch the flow, and remove curses have all been ineffective. He is ghastly pale and shivers uncontrollably. Even though it is the height of summer, fires burn in all fireplaces of the Citadel. She further tells the Coopers that though Dr. Mordel's healing and alchemy skills are well known, his services have not been called for.

They then join Dr. Mordel himself in his small laboratory on the second floor. He also greets them warmly, and tells them that he suspects Duke Mosley is both dying and highly infectious, if the rumors and gossip reported by his network of informants are to be believed. Most people who can flee the town have already done so, but the Hellknights are ensuring that valuables are left behind. Hence the heavier security details at the gates. Darelle asks him what Mosley might be suffering from. Dr. Mordel replies that to the best of his knowledge the Duke was stabbed by a demon during a campaign in the World Wound, and Mosley has never recovered. He's not sure what it could be, but with magical healing not working, it has to be some seriously powerful demonic magic. Dr. Mordel might be able to analyze the sickness and prepare an antidote, but he would have to get a sample first. Concerned about herself, Olifrit interrupts the discussion and asks Dr. Mordel to restore her hands and her left foot to their proper nature. She confesses that she used to be Gerald. Dr. Mordel agrees to do so but it will require some time, extensive and very painful testing, and most of Dr. Mordel's patience, but it should be possible to at least address some of the issues currently plaguing Olifrit.

Pulling Darelle aside, Dr. Mordel also tells Darelle that her that Fort Inevitable's enemies are marshaling their forces against the town. Events are coming to a head and the fate of the town's citizens hang in the balance, he warns her. Armed with this newfound knowledge, Darelle and the remaining members of the party, minus Olifrit, head back out of town to avoid the contagion.

Thorne enters the town a little later through the same sewers wearing a disguise. He returns to his old shop, and finds it shuttered by Roscoe's orders, but it has not yet been repurposed. The rogue gathers gear, and he bids farewell to his place of commerce. He heads to Dr. Mordel's house, but Erynna turns him away and does not let him in the house. Dejected and sad that no one recognizes his role as a hero and savior of the town, he enters the sewers and heads out. Thorne manages to avoid two Hellknight patrols, but he runs into his siblings right outside Dr. Mordel's basement. As they leave, Darelle fills him on what has happened in town, but tells him flat out that she does not trust him. They emerge from the sewer outside the walls, but unfortunately Thorne is noticed by two guards and the alarm is raised. Thorne runs away, pursued by a Hellknight patrol but eventually manages to lose them.

Daryle comes in a little later with the produce of a hunt through the Juliver Gate. She encounters Bolgur, the Hellknight half-orc who leads the guard detachment. He seems very unhappy to see him, but he's generally unhappy so she's not too worried. She tells him she's been gone for four days, and she inquires as to what is happening in town. Bolgur reports that the Duke has returned with a small escort of four guards, and is now living atop the Citadel. He's real sick, and it is said he's taking it out on the staff. Bolgur then tells Daryle that Maralictor Wirt has left her a letter. He retrieves it and hands it to her. Daryle reads Wirt's message, which tells her not to enter the town but to send word she's back with a place to meet. Daryle tells Bolgur she forgot something at the farm she must get. Could he send Wirt a message? The half-orc replies that he can, but it will cost her. Daryle agrees to leave him the result of her hunt.

Half an hour later, Wirt meets Daryle outside in the shade of a grove by Mother Holworth's farm. The Hellknight reports on the event of the last three days. On top of the information already gathered by the other Coopers, Daryle learns that the Hellknight contingent that transits through Fort Inevitable every three months has disappeared. More than 600 troops have simply vanished. On top of everything else, quarterly taxes are due in three days, the merchants are stuck in Daggermark awaiting their Hellknight troops as escort, and the population is restless and panicky due to persistent rumors of infection. Wirt advises Daryle to avoid entering the town right now due to the possibility of contagion. She also tells the ranger that the Seven Foxes have all left the town. Daryle requests that a meeting be set up at the Hunters' Lodge with everyone to discuss the current situation. Wirt replies that she should be able to get them there in time for supper.

The necromancer Rowen, who has finally recovered from the betrayal of his cult, has spent the greater part of the last months rebuilding his evil forces. Having returned to Fort Inevitable, he decides to investigate Duke Mosley's claims to see if there's any way Mosley might be entreated to join him in his last days. Rowen contacts a highly placed servant in the Citadel, and that servant describes that the mental status of the Duke has deteriorated and he's been abusing his staff. The servant also reports that Duke Mosley is compiling a list of individuals he plans on executing before his death to settle old grudges. No one seems to know who's on the list, but speculations are rife among the Hellknights. Rowen wonders how he can capitalize on this situation. He decides to spread rumors through town and wipe up the hysteria that surrounds the fears of an epidemic. Throughout the day, more and more people gather to listen to speakers at the fountain boasting of the benefits of joining the Death Cult. Rowen rubs his hands in glee.

Daryle and Darelle connect at the Hunters' Lodge. There they are met by Shim Longbranch, who is very much out of breath. He has run all the way from Dimsdale to report that an army of emerald automatons has laid siege to the village. They are left by four different Geralds. Shim reports he barely managed to escape the siege. Gerald has threatened to burn the village down to the ground if a powerful object is not turned over to him before nightfall. Shim tells the Coopers that the inhabitants have fled across the bridge into the forest, but all fighters have remained behind to resist the invasion. The Dimsdalers have some experience with a siege, having suffered one only a few months back. The sisters agree to help Shim. Darelle summons her jar of cloud and they fly south, reaching Dimsdale a half hour later. Shim also mentions that his patrols have discovered that the giants have finally arrived and that they have setup a camp at the base of the Emerald Spire and could attack at any moment.

They spot from the sky four distinct forces arrayed against the village, all led by a different Gerald. They all appear to be collaborating together. Darelle and Daryle land beyond the village, connect with the refugees, and then enter the village. They meet Dunleaf Appletop, Dimsdale's mayor, who informs them of Gerald's demands. He doesn't know what Gerald wants, but he'll fight to protect his village. Daryle heads out and, under a flag of truce, meets with Gerald. He reveals that he has had a vision that the Hellknights have hidden a powerful weapon in Dimsdale. In his vision he has seen Duke Mosley use the weapon to destroy Fort Inevitable, and he wants to prevent that from happening. He's not sure what he is searching for, but he is convinced it is here in the village. If it is not turned over by nightfall, he will order an assault and burn everything to the ground. During this conversation, Gerald is joined by the other Geralds, who all agree that this is the proper course of action. All of them have had similar visions, and they all sincerely believe that they are saving the town from certain doom. Daryle informs the Geralds of the events that have transpired in Fort Inevitable over the last few days. Gerald is encouraged that his vision is coming true, and he threatens his sister with bodily harm if she remains in the village.

Daryle returns to the village and reports what she has discovered from Gerald. Darelle, meanwhile, searches the former Hellknight barrack and discovers a secret space behind a wall. In this small space she finds a lead chest. Even without any particular ability regarding the detection of evil, Darelle feels a faint trace of it emanating from the chest. The sisters remove the chest from Dimsdale and depart on their cloud. The Geralds sense that the object has been removed. One Gerald returns to Fort Inevitable to retrieve his wife and mother and save them from the destruction that's about to take place. One Gerald takes control of some automatons and heads back to the Emerald Spire. Another Gerald decides to search for the missing Hellknights, while the last Gerald launches an assault on Dimsdale with greatly diminished forces and is quickly wiped out. Darelle and Daryle head back to the Hunters' Lodge.

There they meet six members of the Seven Foxes. Dunleaf remained in Dimsdale. The Foxes advise they have about 80 fighters ready to seize key infrastructure areas of Fort Inevitable if an attack by giants and Greenhide leads the Hellknights to attempt a sortie. They are concerned, however, about the remaining civilian population still in the Fort. Darelle and Daryle agree that in case of an assault on the town, the Foxes' forces will need to remain hidden until needed to either turn the tide of battle or to remove weakened Hellknight forces. Abernard Royst identifies the object the Coopers retrieved from Dimsdale as the Octillio Crystal Sphere, a deadly weapon that could destroy a large section of the town.


In the late afternoon, feeling that the Death Cult has been sufficiently frenzied, Rowen leads a group of about 100 individuals out of Fort Inevitable. The Hellknights do not oppose this departure, correctly assuming that these discontented folks were better off beyond the wall, and possibly dead, in their quest to get rid of the powers that dwell in the Emerald Spire. Having taken refuge in a barn, Thorne spots the procession and follows it. The crowd walks down the road and passes in front of the Hunters' Lodge. Rowen senses the evil of the object newly acquired by the Cooper sisters, and he attempts to break into the Lodge. His attempts are repulsed none too gently by Daryle, and Rowen accepts for the time being to move his group away from the Lodge, bidding his time.

Omok, who also joined the Coopers at the Lodge, feels the pull of the object as well. Rowen attempts to convince Omok to join him and take the object by force, but reason prevails and Omok chooses not to align himself with Rowen at this time. Thorne, who has observed this whole exchange, also attempts to enter the Hunters' Lodge, but is turned away by Daryle. She vociferates a series of threats and advises him that he needs to step up. To prove his loyalty to the family, he must organize an evacuation of Fort Inevitable. If an assault does come, he must get as many inhabitants out as possible.

Thorne returns to town and, working with his remaining contacts, creates a plan that will safely see most of the remaining residents depart Fort Inevitable in the first minutes of the conflict. Darelle contacts Zoarth and delivers a message telling him about the alliance between hill and cloud giants and Greenhide, and request any possible assistance the cloud giant could provide. Worried about their new object, the sisters decide to hide it in the dimensional gate below the Hunters' Lodge. It's possible, but improbable, that a creature from that level of the Abyss would stumble upon it, and it would also remove its influence from the Material Plane. The sisters thus take into the basement, through the mine tunnels, and into the Abyss, before using the hand of banishment to block access again from the Abyss.

As night falls, the Coopers feel as ready as they ever will for what is surely to come on the following day.

Of Hellknights and Gold

Sarenith 13, 471, continued

Roscoe cracks the accounting books of Fort Inevitable, both the real ones and those kept on the side and abandoned by Thorne since his disappearance. In the latter he discovers a letter. It is clearly coded.

He spends a few hours trying to break the code before he realizes that this letter is written in a similar code he used to employ with Thorne when they were both younger, back at the farm in Novensia.

Roscoe is pretty sure that Rose is Thorne, and Demon is Duke Mosley. But who is Lotus? Roscoe wonders aloud about why Mosley's death would create civil war among the Hellknights.

Roscoe continues to peruse the books, and he also discovers the following amounts that are not accounted for, even though there are "receipts" that prove the expenditures:

• 34,000 crowns have been paid for bonuses for the out of town workers that helped rebuild Fort Inevitable.
• 47,000 crowns have been paid for various repairs to the town wall and other Hellknight structures around Fort Inevitable, but upon investigation only minor work was performed, and certainly nowhere near the price the Hellknights paid.
• Finally, there are 120,000 crowns that have been paid in miscellaneous expenses, including 13,000 listed as incentive pay for Roscoe. Roscoe never received any of this money.

When Roscoe relates these findings to Omok, the hobgoblin decides to question the orb of command to discover who benefited the most from the gold that was misappropriated. The orb of command answers that the largest beneficiary of this gold was Duke Mosley. Thorne has not been seen by any of the Coopers since the sisters tracked him to Braddon's General Store on Desmus 4. Roscoe puts out an order among Hellknights to report on his movements if seen. 


As if this was not enough, Doliver Reedbank arrives at the Citadel and he hands Roscoe a list of Thorne associates, as promised during their last meeting:

• Roger Silverfish, employee of Drurn's Tannery, who helped Thorne hoard and move food during the famine.
• Nolan Crueleye, Nethan Scarletlance, and Ivan Browndog, mercenaries from the Salamander Company provides muscle.
• Daman Blackelk, who ran the racketeering racket in the tent city during the winter.
• Selif Redlyon, who works at the Poldmar stables and who is responsible for smuggling merchandise in and out of Fort Inevitable through horse equipment.
• Ossian, who sold water from his private well at inflated prices.
• Dwayne Saucyeye, who works at the Ironworks, melted precious metals into mundane items so it could be smuggled out.
• Regan Redeve, who works for the stonemason Zoldor Maril, has built various structures throughout the area, and indicates 3 specific locations. 

Roscoe orders Thorne's associates surveilled, and their comings and goings logged. If they meet Thorne, he wants them all arrested.

Meanwhile, Shim Longbranch arrives at the Hunters' Lodge along with several other youths of the area, sent by the Seven Foxes to train. Darelle gives the ranger the keys, and he swiftly gets the youths organized into training groups. Daryle is impressed by Shim's exacting efficiency. Roscoe arrives over in the late afternoon, and brings his sisters up to date on what he has discovered in the accounting books. Daryle mentions that he should talk to Wirt to get some background information on the Duke.

That night, Roscoe, Omok and the sisters are in the Commander's office. Roscoe sends a messenger to the Juliver Gate and requests that Maralictor Wirt report to his office. When she arrives, he asks her about the Duke. She informs him that Mosley is the bastard child of Queen Abrogail II of the Thrice-Damned House of Thrune, ruler of Cheliax, and he has spent his youth at Court. It is rumored that he headed out with a large army to the Worldwound to burnish his military credentials. When asked about the reference to the Hellknights fighting each other, Wirt reports that the situation in Cheliax is tense. Not everyone agrees with the diabolical pacts that have bound Abrogail II's authority over the state. Despite marshaling forces and effort, the Queen has been unable to eliminate all opposition. As the possibility of a civil war increase, Mosley has built a base of supporters throughout all Hellknight orders and clearly plans to take control of the organization and use it. Roscoe questions Wirt which side Mosley would support, and she answers that she's not sure, but he owes allegiance to his mother. The fact that there is doubt, however, means that his support is clearly not unwavering. Daryle asks Wirt where Audara Drovust, the former Lady Commander, fits in this picture.

Wirt replies that Audara also grew up at court, the third daughter of a minor noble at the same time as Mosley. It is believed that Mosley forced himself on her, and she has developed a hatred for the man. Upon her return to Cheliax, she purchased a barony and remained there over the last four months, developing her estate. The discussion then moves to the Hellknights and their Orders and organization. How could Mosley, who is from the Order of the Nail, be able to infiltrate and control the other Orders? Wirt speculates that he has been implementing sleeper agents for at least a decade in the other Orders, ready and awaiting his signals to throw them in complete chaos or even directly eliminate their leadership.

After Wirt departs, the Coopers decide that the financial crisis threatening the Fort must be resolve. They decide to head back to Mosswater and retrieve more money from the treasury in the ghost city.

On her way home, Darelle stops by Dr. Mordel's house. When he comes downstairs to meet her, she asks him if he could investigate her blue powder so that it could be replicated. He tells her he will do his best.


Sarenith 14, 4712

The Coopers head out in the middle of the night on their horse. They arrive mid-morning. Their first order of business is to ensure that the Food to Dye For remains a viable shelter. Their thorough inspection reveals that it indeed is. Roscoe is impressed at the quantity of bones that litter the roads. The Coopers then proceed carefully to the lighthouse. After searching the lighthouse, they find no disturbances that would indicate that someone has been in the building. Climbing to the top, they verify that the light has not been tampered with since the last time they were here. Daryle and Darelle carefully remove a section of the lense, and glance inside. Gold still glitters.

Thus, over the course of the day, Roscoe, Omok and the Coopers manage to retrieve approximately 100,000 crowns. They place the money in old chests found in various houses around the city, then park the wagon in the warehouse behind the restaurant. While working, Roscoe wonders aloud if there was an astrologist or an oracle who might have predicted this disaster. The others do not know. Whatever happened here, Roscoe rhetorically asks.

As the sun begins to drop, Darelle and Daryle return to Food to Dye For with the money. They carefully barricade themselves in the old restaurant. Omok and Roscoe remain in the lighthouse, curious to see what types of creatures come out at night. At sunset, Omok blasts the horn of Ovtik to summon whatever creatures dwell in the water to come to him. The creatures come out of the water, and soon the lighthouse is surrounded by some kind of undead ogres, pushing ahead of them undead orcs. They all try to climb the tower but can't. More fearsome are six-legged beasts that look like undead rhinos. They begin to meander the town, leaving the ogres and orcs behind. Roscoe and Omok debate the wisdom of attacking the undead, and eventually agree that they make great guards for their treasure, and that eliminating or greatly reducing their numbers would be to Coopers' detriment. They decide to wait.

Unfortunately, the monsters' constant wail is grating. Omok, being deaf thanks to the horn of Ovtik, can't hear, but Roscoe begins to suffer under the noise. During the night Omok helps himself to the treasure inside the light.


Sarenith 15, 4712

Just before dawn monsters leave. Roscoe is completely wiped since he couldn't sleep at all during the night. The Coopers reunite in the lighthouse over breakfast. With so many chests, they decide that it would be safer to travel by cloud. Darelle summons her jar of cloud and the Coopers head back to Fort Inevitable. Roscoe deposit the money in the treasury. That should be more than enough to pay upcoming expenses and retire any debt Fort Inevitable accumulated under Thorne's trouble leadership in the treasury.

Darelle brings back a barrel of Mosswater Dye and leaves it at the Hunters' Lodge, planning to study it and extract the recipe to replicate it in the future. Shim informs the Coopers about the progress of the trainees over the last day. He thinks that they should be ready to lead in about a month, though more time training would provide them with better odds of surviving an attack.

Returning to the Fort, Darelle talks to Mordel about what might have triggered so many demons. He doesn't know for sure, but he suspects that an expedition by the Hellknigths about two years ago might have hastened their arrival. He also provides her with a recipe to recreate the blue pegasus. Now all she will need is to gather the ingredients. Thankfully there is a laboratory she can use at the Hunters' Lodge.

Roscoe asks Wirt about the status of Thorne's associates. She replies that there have not been any unusual activities. With the quarterly muster and trials coming up soon, Roscoe decide it's time to round them up. They may be more talkative under arrest, and if nothing else they will provide a good spectacle for the crowd as they are executed. Warrants are issued, and Hellknights are dispatched to seize them.


Sarenith 16, 4712

Roscoe decides it's time to mint new Hellknights. Accompanied by Omok, they head out to the Hunters' Lodge. There, Roscoe leads Omok and three of the trainees down in the mine, where they confront the demon behind the crystal. Omok breaks the barrier after some effort, and in the fight everyone is bloodied but the demon is dispatched, and the hobgoblin and his three companions are immediately officially appointed as Hellknights by the Lord Commander himself.

Taking a look through the gaps in the broken crystal,  Darelle sees shadow dimension beyond. How can they prevent other creatures from stepping through? Daryle suggests that they consult Abernard. The sisters trek back to Fort Inevitable and meet with the old man at his house. Abernard welcomes them, and he tells them they just missed their brother Gerald. Darelle inquires as to whether Abernard noticed anything weird or different about Gerald, and reports her beliefs that an impostor is running around. Abernard states that in fact Gerald has not been his whinny self lately, and no calamity has befallen the town.

After hearing the sisters' plea for help in sealing the gap in the crystal, Abernard travels to the Hunters' Lodge and takes care of the problem.

Finally, a relaxing level!

Pharast 17, 4712

Abernard returns home to find his house destroyed. He immediately rebuilds the house, and for most passerbys it is as if the house had never exploded. The Coopers know better, however. Gerald brings the jar that contains a live remnant of the critter that Rowen took out of him, and he fills him in about the destruction that happened to Fort Inevitable during his absence and the discovery of the massive Azlantian star gazer machine. Abernard takes furious notes. Cassandra comes to the house and invites Gerald for dinner. Gerald skillfully dodges the invitation.

Roscoe receives the bad news from the Hellknights' Exchequer that the treasury is empty. There is just enough money to either meet quarterly payroll or the Hellknight tithing share to be sent with the quarterly convoy, but not both. Roscoe summons Thorne, and the thief justifies his actions to support the town's food acquisition since the fire, but says they can borrow easily, he just need to get a few signatures. Perhaps they should also not collect taxes this month. Roscoe approves both measures. Roscoe also receives reports that food shortages are afflicting the town, and there is increasing resentment that the Hellknights are not sharing food.

Meanwhile, representatives of the Volunteer Society, a Daggermark outfit closely linked with the Assassins' Guild, approach Thorne to offer "protection" against perceived enemies in the Poisoners' Guild. After a heated conversation, Thorne agrees to pay them 1,000 crowns a month for protection.

There has been several infections afflicting the town, including influenza and typhus. The worse, though is a devil's chill, which is spreading quickly through town. Dr. Mordel is very concerned that the overcrowding in the shelters and the arrival of foreign construction crews is fueling this disease. Darelle wants to institute quarantine measures. She brings this issue to Roscoe, who in turns instructs Gerald to cast detect magic. The necromantic disease has been brought in magically but has now transformed into a regular illness and is spreading rapidly. There are 7 to 12 individuals being infected a day. Roscoe agrees to the quarantine. Darelle seeks High Mother Sarise Dremagne of the Temple of the Golden Key and she agrees to help.

Daryle visits with Karlyle the Butcher, and he reports that none of his hunters have seen or captured goblins in the last month. Karlyle the Butcher is concerned that they are plotting something. He also reports that a far ranging hunter has spotted a pair of hill giants on the edge of the Emerald Wood. Daryle reports this conversation to Roscoe. After much back and forth he decides to send a few scouts out, but does not plan on immediately dealing with this situation.

A small group of necromancers approach Rowen, and inform him they would like to worship him. They have heard of his exploit with Gerald, and they want the opportunity to learn from him. Rowen agrees to let them live in his farm.
 
Omok has been arm wrestling 37 times at the Juliver Arms. He has a match coming up with Bolgur in a few days. Thorne and him plan on rigging the match by using a ring of reflection. While there, Omok hears a rumor from one of travelers from the north who is rooming at the inn for the night: Duke Mosley was badly hurt in an battle against a demon army.

After dealing with their various issues, the Coopers gather at Gerald's house and head out to the Emerald Spire. They are ready to begin the exploration of the 12th level. After a morning trek they enter the underground tunnel and transport to the Yarrix level. They then descend the stairs. After a hundred feet they reach a large hole with a ladder going down. Thorne begins the climb down, followed by the others. The thief reaches a point where the ladder has rusted away, but it seems to pick up again about nine feet below. As everyone hangs on the ladder, a long discussion ensues among the Coopers to decide how to proceed. Gerald passes a torch down, and eventually it gets to Thorne, who drops it down on the ground. It fizzles and extinguishes. Darelle throws a coin down, and it does not hit the ground.

Thorne ties himself, then is lowered down by Roscoe. The thief stops at the ceiling of the room, and waits there. Omok throws himself off the ladder and lands in the room. He immediately notices a gelatinous cube hanging from the ceiling. The cube oozes down, and combat ensues, as more Coopers drop from the hole. Eventually they manage to destroy it. Within the remains of the cube Darelle discovers a wax statue that strangely resembles herself. Omok, for his part, finds a small golden imp. Gerald casts detect magic and discovers that neither of these objects are magical.

While the Coopers argue about their next move, Thorne takes the initiative and moves down the corridor. He finds a room that features a small but now empty pool. He moves around the room, and the bronze double doors in the southern wall open up automatically. The room beyond is cozy and warm. Thorne is greeted by the head butler, an automaton's head that sits on a table. The head welcomes him to the tea room. The thief makes himself at home, and soon a servant automaton brings him a tea cup and come cookies.

The Coopers settle their disagreement and meander down the hall. They too arrive at the tea room, and soon the entire party is enjoying warm food and tasty drinks. Rowen switches personalities and is now lawful good. Roscoe asks the head butler if he can get a map, and the servant automaton returns with a map of four rooms. The servants don't venture outside these four rooms. They were assigned by the Patron to remain here and assist any who call, but the visitors have been few and far between over the last 10,000 years.

The Coopers tour the oasis. The rooms are dedicated to relaxation, and soon all of the Coopers are enjoying the services the automatons offer. Omok and Rowen get antsy, however, and they decide to explore some more. They enter the old alchemy kitchen, and they begin poking around. It appears something exploded in here a long time ago. They do not notice the crystal creatures hiding in one of the corners, and they are ambushed. The battle is joined and soon both Omok and Rowen are in real trouble. Roscoe, hyper vigilant as always, notices that they are missing, so he steps in the room weapons drawn. Soon all Coopers are participating in the fighting, but it takes effort on everyone's part to finally defeat them.

Noticing a crack in the kitchen's wall, Darelle discover a greater fire elemental in the other room. The elemental has been enslaved to fire the forge. Various molten metal parts are being crafted here. The Coopers bargain with the elemental that if they free him, he will help them. The elemental agrees, and as soon as it is free it returns to its plane. It considers leaving the forge helping the Coopers. With that potential enemy gone, the Coopers are ready to pursue their exploration.

Duke Mosley Makes a Play

Nehn 31, 4711

Remembering what happened at the Summer's Ball and how constrained she felt at having to fight in a dress, Darelle decides she will wear pants under her dress in case another battle ensues.

Roscoe returns to the Citadel and meets with the Lady Commander Drovust one more time. She tells him of the plan, such as it is. She plans on "dying" then being immediately taken back to her room. Only six other Hellknights will know she has not passed. She will then await Duke Mosley's move. Roscoe can enter in contact with her through Alfred the pageboy. She also tells him that if things go horribly wrong, he is to return to Cheliax and report to Citadel Gheradesca where he is to deliver a report she hid in the cornerstone of the fountain.

Daryle decides she will be violently ill a few minutes after shaking the Lady Commander's hand and will use this excuse to leave the Citadel and flee to Gerald's house. She will also shake many people's hand, including Gerald's, so that she's not accused of being responsible for Drovust's sickness and apparent death.

Still in his prison cell, Thorne talks to Dr. Mordel to see if the vampire will escape with him and the rest of the prisoners when the time comes. Mordel tells him no, he will remain here. Thorne briefly entertains the idea of capturing and sacrificing one of the prisoners to Mordel, but then abandons it as impractical.

At ten o'clock, the carillon begins to ring, and the New Year's Eve party starts. Over the course of twenty minutes, over 150 civilian guests join the 90 Hellknights already present. Drovust has positioned armed guards every few feet along the wall to keep an eye on the hall, and all the guests are searched when they enter. A valet announces every guest, and as they enter they are welcomed by Drovust. The first Cooper to arrive is Darelle. Gerald is next. Duke Mosley makes an entrance after the sorcerer. At 5'1 and wearing a full military uniform, he looks ridiculous yet it is undeniable he exerts a certain magnetism. Accompanied by 17 unarmed guards and companions, he occupies a large space. Finally, Daryle arrives at the Citadel. She goes down the receiving line, and she shakes every person's hand, including the Lady Commander's. The assassination plot is now in motion.

As they gather together by the refreshment table for some small talk, Roscoe mentions to his siblings that nine of Mosley's men are expert swordsmen, and the others may be veteran spellcasters. Clearly the Duke is up to no good. Speaking of the short man, he leaves his guards behind and he approaches the Coopers. "Hello, Riverbottoms triplets," he says in a high-pitched voice. The Coopers look at each other. Does the Duke know about their past? Daryle corrects him, telling him that their surname is Cooper and not Riverbottom. The Duke winks at them, and replies that, of course, he was mistaken. He questions Roscoe on the apparent lack of leadership within the Fort Inevitable Hellknights, especially given the destruction of the northern wall and the too close for comfort failed invasion led by Greenhide and ilk. Roscoe plays it cool and admits that it could have gone better, but under the circumstances as the commander he did the best he could. Gerald then brings up the green storms and the monsters that afflict the area at seemingly random intervals. Mosley seems very interested in that phenomenon. The Duke then turns to the Emerald Spire and the adventures the Coopers have had there over the last year. Once again, Gerald is careless with his words and begins to tell a few stories until Daryle pokes him in the ribs to shut him up. The Duke thanks the Coopers and moves on to other guests.

A few minutes later, Drovust collapses on the ground. The crowd immediately goes silent. Several Hellknights rush in and carry her away back to her room. Maralictor Wirt requests a doctor or a healer, and Darelle volunteers. They rush upstairs. Darelle mentions to Wirt that Mordel, the town's best physician, is in a jail cell, so the Hellknight orders he be brought up to the Lady Commander's room, and asks Darelle to fill him in on the details as they climb the stairs.

The assembled crowd in the hall is now quiet and contemplative, and it is clear many of them are now calculating new odds of various plots succeeding. Sensing the tension ratcheting up, Roscoe steps forward and assumes temporary command, telling the crowd that the Lady Commander will be fine, and that they need to enjoy themselves in the meantime.

These words are unfortunately pronounced at the same time as a flash of blinding light in the center of the room reveals a large demon wearing chains and a sharp-looking silver scythe. Pandemonium breaks out. The demon swings his weapon and decapitates one of the civilian guests. Hellknights pull out weapons and join the fray against the demon. Civilians scream and run wild, trying to escape. While a ring of guards form around Duke Mosley, Roscoe notices that half of his entourage has disappeared up the stairs towards the Lady Commander's private apartments. The Duke himself seems neither surprised by the demon's appearance, and he simply stands there, surveying the chaos. Daryle jumps into action and helps civilians escape the Citadel's receiving hall. Roscoe and Gerald attack the demon.


While the demon causes panic in the hall, Dr. Mordel and Darelle rapidly climb on the 4th floor and see five Hellknights wearing Duke Mosley's colors in the hallway near the door. The Hellknights inform Darelle to return downstairs. The ranger refuses, and a violent confrontation ensues. With Darelle's life in danger, Dr. Mordel casts darkness. In the few moments that everything is black, Darelle hears the faint noises of battle, as if she was wrapped in heavy covers, and when the light returns Dr. Mordel stands sagely next to her, while Mosley's men lay dead on the floor, each with a broken neck. Darelle and Dr. Mordel are admitted to Drovust's room. Dr. Mordel and Drovust stand together, looking outside the window and whispering to each other.

Down in the prison, the chaos draws away all of the guards. Using his amazing thieving skills, Thorne escapes from his cell, to the delight and derision of the other prisoners, who beg him to free them. Thorne walks into the guard post, and searching through the pile of paper he finds his arrest warrant. He pockets it and heads out. Carefully climbing the stairs, he hears the sounds of battle. When the opportunity presents itself, the rogue jumps out of his hiding spot and joins the fleeing crowd.

After several blows and many dead bodies, Roscoe strikes the demon and manages to slay it. Having escorted the last of the civilians out of the Citadel, Daryle locks the gates and remains inside to support her brother. Finding himself free again, Thorne elaborates a plan. He goes to the store, packs his gear, and heads out of town through the sewers hoping that the heat will drop and that his disappearance will be unnoticed for a while.

Back in the Citadel, Roscoe receives the disturbing news that the Hellknights camping outside the wall around Fort Inevitable have mustered and are massing around the gates. When confronted with this information, Duke Mosley tells Roscoe that his men must be worried for the Duke's safety since they probably heard the battle taking place inside the Citadel and the screams of a terrified populace. Roscoe escorts Duke Mosley and some of his men to the Juliver Gate. Duke Mosley observes his army moving towards the Fort for a few minutes, but then dispatches Roscoe with a message to stand down, the situation in the Fort has been rectified.

Gerald notices that some of Duke Mosley's men remained in the hall and are now issuing orders. When questioned, they tell Gerald that with the Lady Commander gravely ill and possibly dead, Duke Mosley thought it best to assume temporary command of the Fort until a local commander could be appointed. Daryle, meanwhile, spots Bolgur and tells him the Lady Commander is in danger and that five of Mosley's people are missing...