The Shadowborn Legacy

Calistril 14, 4712, continued

Having discovered that the Shadowborns hailed from the town of Xer and owned the Ivymore estate, Darelle and Daryle continue their search through the pile of paperwork they grabbed on the third floor of the official archives of Razmiran. They come across several scraps of information found in the archives of Throneskeep about Karolina Shadowborn's mission.

Daryle discovers this short piece of paper placed between a ledger book on the revenues of grazing sheep on common lands in Xer, written by Karolina Dundurst. The handwriting is the same, and the sheet of paper appears to have come from a personal journal.

24 Pharast 3514

Dlagro'azdra's was true and did afflict me and my line with a curse. In my hour of glory he managed to hide a sliver of spirit in my own soul! Now I feel it in my bones, in my blood. I must be careful and guarded lest he takes control. 

After further digging, Daryle also finds this scrap of information in a tax record ledger of the year 3519 for the area of Xer. 

13 Neth, 3522

My second born has been corrupted by the curse. This morning I was given the irrefutable proof in a most horrifying way. She is so young and so unaware, she can't control herself. It pains me to the point of hopelessness, but in good faith the gods will forever forgive me if I release her from this terrible existence. Tonight I shall poison her bedtime drink. I am miserable and doomed, now of the Shadowborn! I cannot escape this new fate.

More research in a portfolio containing maps of the Xer area from the 3600s leads Daryle to the following journal scrap:

21 Pharast 3514

Success! I can't believe this sacred ritual succeeded beyond my wildest dreams. The spirit of the arch demon has been caught and divided into six parts, each in its own evil book. I have attempted to destroy these books, but even the breath of the most powerful dragon has been unable to even damage the pages. I will now make it my mission to disperse these books throughout Golarion so they can never be reunited. To ensure secrecy, I will carry out this mission myself and not leave any record of the dark places where I will leave these books.

While Darelle stumbles upon a treatise that discusses the myriad ways the quail was hunted in the Xer area, Daryle comes across the following in an old family history of the Steadfast clan:

3 Arodus 3531 

Alas, I have discovered a flaw in my ritual. Over time the bonds will fail, and the parts of the spirit Dlagro'azdra will escape. I am old now, and can't remember where I placed these books. Our best hope lie in the books remaining undiscovered, for the longer the demon remains imprisoned, the weaker he becomes. But if the slivers of his spirit escape, they will seek and find each other. I retained The Rules of Chaos in my personal library, and I have instructed my children to remain vigilant and to tell their children both about the curse that afflicts us and about the lesser demons that may come looking for this book. Our hope then will be to reunite the books, release the demon and, as he will be at his weakest, slay him for good. I regret that my line will have to deal with my mistakes... 

Karolina Shadowborn's death date took place a few days after this last entry. Meanwhile, Darelle comes across this last piece of information within the quail book near the end:

14 Gozran, 3512

I am convinced I can imprison Dlagro'azdra through this ritual. The end results remain hazy, however, and I am not sure what physical form his prison will take. I will practice it on several lesser demons first to study the effects and refine the methodology.

The process takes long, and outside it is almost dusk. Needing to be back at their inn before curfew, the Coopers decide to leave. Getting out from under the table, they startle the old archivist who drops a stack of loose sheets on the floor. He asks them if they were successful in their searches, and both Coopers equivocate. The archivist asks Darelle if she would be willing to help him by placing his stack of paper on top of one of the cabinets. Reluctantly, she agrees. The archivist falls in step with Daryle and tells her a boring story about the latest documents he discovered. She does not pay attention to him and therefore misses him casting a spell. Suddenly, she feels more inclined towards the kind old man and when he asks her again what they discovered, she begins telling him what they learned. Darelle overhears the conversation and signals to her sister to stop talking. The archivist attempts to convince Darelle to share their information with them, and that he can provide them with a pass allowing them to travel on the streets after curfew in exchange. Darelle refuses and succeeds in pulling her sister away.

The twins head down the corridor and come down the staircase between the East and West wings. A large window provides an excellent view to the Great Cathedral and the gigantic portrait of the Living God. As they head down to the second floor, a creature appears in front of them. The creature is tall, lean, and a light shade of purple. Horns stick out everywhere. The demon, for clearly that is what the creature is, offers the Coopers their lives in exchange for the information they gained. He enthralls Darelle, and now both Coopers are at his mercy. They decide to fight back, but in the short battle Darelle falls down the stairs. Feeling overpowered, the two agree to the demon's conditions. In exchange for what they discovered, he will let them leave and they will have to take their chances with the patrols, since the bells have now tolled for curfew. The Coopers reveal what little information they found, and the demon, true to his word, lets them go. They are rather surprised, but, after several harrowing minutes manage to regain their lodgings. They decide that in the morning they will depart for Xer and see if they can get more information at Ivymore.


Calistril 15, 4712

Following morning prayers and breakfast, the Coopers set out of Throneskeep and head to Xer, a two days trip. They expect to be challenged, but they are allowed to regain their equipment and leave the city.


Calistril 17, 4712

Mid morning, Darelle and Daryle arrive on the outskirts of Xer, in the small village of Blair upon Verdant. They come upon an auction in the center of the village, and realize, to their horror, that the manor has just been purchased by ... the Millers. Sneaking in the manor house, they find the library and discover the first book, The Rules of Chaos. Daryle takes it and places it in her backpack, and they head out.

Over the course of the trip, bad things keep happening. They are ambushed by bandits. Daryle's backpack breaks at the seams and the book falls in the mud. Darelle realizes that her purse has a hole in it and all of her coins are gone. The cold snaps Daryle's bow string and somehow she cannot find any more. One of the horse breaks a leg. The other horse is killed when a branch falls on its head. On the third day, they stop by a small shrine of Iomedae manned by a local priest. They ask the priest to bless the book. He takes one look at it, and tells them this is a foul book, and that there is no power he can grant that would protect the wielder of the book. He does provide them with holy water, and Daryle liberally sprays the book, to no obvious reaction. Misfortune continues to plague them along the way.


Calistril 23, 4712

Daryle and Darelle arrive back in Fort Inevitable. They speculate that Abernard may be in possession of one of the six books already. The old man is out of town, and Daryle would rather not meet with Cassandra and Nissa, so they agree to meet with Dr. Mordel. After discussing the item and the information they discovered, Dr. Mordel advises them that this book has a different power and he cannot counteract it. But during this discussion the Coopers come to the conclusion that they will need to secure all six books so that the arch demon can be called forth and killed. After considering several places where to dispose of the book, including in the magma underneath the Emerad Spire, they decide to place it on the tomb of Karolina. And magically, the bad luck stops ... for now.

Shadowborn Manor

Lamashan 13, 4711

After spending a few days recuperating from the events surrounding the Harvest Festival at Dimsdale, Darelle decides to furnish her new house and heads to Goldfoot's Mercantile. Mormuk Goldfoot greets her to his humble establishment, and after much haggling she purchases enough furniture and stores to comfortably set up her new little house. He tells her that her new goods will be delivered to her within the week.

Now that both Gerald and Darelle own their own residence, Daryle decides to do the same. She begins her search for a small farm or other space she can use to open a tannery. Given that there already is a tannery in town, she decides to make a few discreet inquiries around town. Eventually, she discovers that about an hour southwest of town stands an ancient manor now abandoned on the outskirts of town. The owner, Vitar Shadowborn, is a destitute man who lives in a hovel on the outskirts of Fort Inevitable and would probably be willing to part with it for a few coins to alleviate his suffering and buy him a few pints at the Juliver Arms. The Cooper girls decide to go and tour this mysterious property.

They trek out at a leisurely path and reach the manor in about an hour. From a distance the manor looks idyllic. The land is fertile, the buildings appear well maintained, and the seclusion makes it an ideal area to set up a tannery. As they come closer, however, they notice that the building is worn and old, with chipped paint and cracked window panes. On the outside doors is a bronze plaque identifying it as the Shadowborn Manor.

As Daryle touches the door, an apparition emerges from the door. A ghostly elderly yet graceful women appears, and begins to whisper that they must save her, when her face changes and becomes grotesquely deformed, while her eyes glow red. The ghost threatens them with a painful death before vanishing. Daryle and Darelle look at each other, shrug, and enter the house.

The interior of the house is as rundown as the exterior. There is clear evidence that no one has lived here for ages, and the smashed furniture and damage inflicted to walls and floors indicate that a mighty battle took place here. Fortunately, the structural integrity of the building is not in question, as all windows remain and there is no evidence of water damage.

Daryle discovers a few copper coins in a torn couch in what would have surely been the reception room. These coins dates from about 400 years ago and comes from the Duchy of Melcat, which was conquered by Razmir fifty years ago. Once part of the River Kindgoms, the Duchy of Melcat is now the center of the new Razmiran, the land from which the Coopers escaped.

As they continue to explore, Daryle discovers an old crystal bottle still sporting a stopper and containing a mysterious liquid. The bottle itself is a rare antique, so she carefully wraps it and places it in her pack.

The Coopers are eventually attacked by cobweb creatures, and after defeating them they fix a small altar that would have been used in private rituals. The room then begins pouring blood from the walls, and the altar breaks again. The Coopers quickly flee the room, only to enter a glass gallery that borders the inside garden. Many portraits are hung on the wall, and as they begin looking at them the Cooper girls notice a vague resemblance to Roscoe. Could they be related to Lady Eleanore Shadowborn?

This passage leads them to Lady Shadowborn's temple, which, unlike the rest of the house, has suffered neither battle damage nor the ravage of time. There they are instructed by the ghost of the Lady Shadowborn to collect some of the holy water, which Daryle does.

They next visit the manor's library. Unlike most of the other rooms this one appears to have aged well. There are hundreds of books on the shelves about history, politics, geography, religion, and military tactics. On a large table is an opened tome, a crystal bottle and a crystal glass. Darelle looks at the book, but it disintegrates into fine dust, and this dust drifts towards the suits of armor, animating them. Suddenly, the Coopers find themselves faced by six machine soldiers, but quickly manage to dispatch them.

Entering the dining room, the Coopers spot a large oak table set for two with appetizing meats and drinks ready to be partaken. Unfortunately, at the same time they notice there is no smell and they choose to disbelieve, the window shatters, showering the sisters with glass. At the same time, a large ball of lightning enters the room and attacks them. The combat is brutal and punishing, but in the end Daryle and Darelle defeat the electricity elemental.

Exiting the dining room, they visit the kitchen and pantry where they are confronted by yet more horrors, but they emerge victorious. They decide to visit the mausoleum they can barely see in the yard. There they discover another key to defeat the evil being that haunts the manor, the breath of the dead. In the yard they come across the gift of the land, and armed with three out of four elements they light up all of the fireplaces, providing fire and the fourth key.

The confrontation with Ebonbane, the evil intelligent sword which had killed Lady Shadowborn centuries ago is a brutal one, and more than once the Coopers come close to perishing. Fortunately, they manage to defeat and banish Ebonbane's spirit, and at the same time release the holy spirit of Lady Shadowborn.

Returning to town, Daryle contacts Vitar Shadowborn, and after much haggling he sells her the property for 600 crowns. With the taxes it comes to 675. Property taxes yearly are 40 crowns, which Daryle pays immediately. Now all three Coopers own a residence in Fort Inevitable.