Taqwill and Sandovhal read an account of that night within the library records of the church of Aerna. It was written by the last survivor of that night. They were sent to the church at Braddon Bog in order to heal, away from all things, with the soothing Lily Incense. The notes scribbled in such a way reveal that he probably never healed, and likely died insane and afraid of his own dreams. However, his account was taken in summary by the nuns and written in the end by his own hand.
The words spoken at last was “urkdu ‘zh z’durm, urk ‘du Ma zhass”
The words were spoken and were weaker with each successive word, but that is what he heard. It is some dialect of Orrish.
A New Direction:
Behind the scenes, the characters have passed the time and allowed their known and unseen enemies to discover each other and band against them. Despite their common foe, none trust each other and contact has been violent and through agents. It’s taken years for the League of Fell Companions to put itself together. They have given themselves a name in parody of The Brave Companions.
The leaders of the league have a vague idea of the true identity of their compatriots, and are constantly working to get the upper hand and use the others to further their own games.
The league will spare no cost in capturing the party. It has been decided (overruling Clavel) that they must be stopped. Previous to this, no coordinated overt effort has been made to kill the PC’s through resources of the combined league. Now, anger rules the league and rather than an epic betrayal and political coup, the league has decreed the PC’s must simply be stopped. An assassination team has been put together. The ultimate goal of this group is to capture the PC’s. The league feels that they have to understand better the plots of the enemy (established power in Dusntrand rulers). They think the party is privy.
The Plot Direction >
Capture the party
a group of assassins is sent to capture the party. Their goal is to take them alive. All attacks will be subdual attacks (-1 RS) and they will use a strong poison. The initial group will be simple, inexpensive thugs that will attempt to subdue. The party should not have too difficult a time of it, though they could always get lucky. After this fails, the league will decide to hire professionals. Clavel will use his connections to put the agents of the league in touch with “a party of interest” – the Disciples of the Black Sun. These will use heavy poison. After the attack is made and the group captured, the Disciples will be overheard (by a party member) to discuss whether or not to kill one of them in retribution. In the end, they decide to maim one party member through sawing off their limb. One party member will be taken away and have their hand removed – and told that their master sends his greetings and wishes them to have an experience to remember them by.
Torture/Interrogate
The group is taken to a remote place in Cerrans Grant. There they are interrogated about the plots of the people they serve. They are tortured and wounded repeatedly (SAN check or -1 SAN perm). Little will be discovered, other than the fact that the PC’s do not seem to be as involved as once thought. One interrogator will announce that they are nothing more than pawns, with no will of their own. There will be laughs and lackey jokes.made at everyone’s expense. Realize the party are dupes too, and in their taunting, ____ Culahey will reveal too much by accident, including his identity (“last of the true Culahey line”). In the end, there will be a decision not to kill directly – the agents of the river counties do not want direct blood on their hands. They desire to cast them in the depths of Ketricks Lair. “Let the denizens and trials of the lair kill them – “there must be no blood and full deniability of our lords”. ___ Culahey shouts his displeasure, but is forced to give in. Clavel sends word afterward that they will likely find a way to survive, and to meet them as they exit if he wants revenge.
Fight out of the lair
The tunnels and warrens of the lair present a tough time for the party. They should be able to fight their way out. There will be several wounds debilitating the party. As they emerge from the crystalline cave (cutting themselves in the process), they will be confronted by ____. He will send his hounds at the party, and their bayings will bring a couple more of the Disciples of the Black Sun. During the battle, ___ will be killed, but not until he kills Sandovhal with poison. Sandovhal makes Farold promise that he will return to Dwindor Swamp and rescue his daughter – take her away from the witch and any who wish to use her. Farold and Hap swear to it and Sandovhal dies. Hap says that he wanted to be buried at the library and they must take him there. They head west, trying to dodge a pair of horsemen searching for them. They encounter Dormia, priestess of Aerna. She will tell them of overhearing the hiring of the Disciples of the Black Sun – she had been watching them as an agent of Aerna’s church after becoming a refugee of the war with Gwinn and rehabilitated by the White Sisters. She takes them via a wagon and races ahead of the Disciples.
Along a ridge ledge she stops and tells the party to jump out. She continues on the switchback and will be caught, a hundred feet below the look out of the party. She will be raped and tortured with the PC’s not able to do anything. Afterward the Disciples will search for the PC’s and get ambushed by them. The 2 disciples will be killed. She is dying but alive – she says that Aerna’s light shines upon them all and it calls to her. She reveals that her blood and theirs will meet again.
[her offspring will be one of the new party members]
The witch:
The war in the swamp: