RPG

Previously, the heroes spent time at the campus of the Circle of Magi to further develop a magic circle intended to trap and anchor Epidemius. They were aided by Esmeralda, headmistress of the Circle of Abjuration. Each of the heroes discovered what their source of power was, and which school of magic resonated with it. Ultimately, they acted on Quentin’s hunch that the Gravekeeper, a mysterious figure that was stalking the streets of Kingsport to collect the dead, may be a way in which they could anchor Epidemius in their trap.

Ninth Day, Second Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262

(Silvermoon is waning, Bloodmoon is waxing, Darkmoon is waning)

The heroes made their way through a nighttime Kingsport blanketed in snow. Their destination were the botanical gardens in the Ravensbourne district, a large park that was as close to wilderness as the city could muster, complete with dense growth, a selection of game, as well as several easy to stroll pathways for the citizenry to enjoy. At its centre stood a house of worship surrounded by a graveyard, where the heroes had heard rumour the Gravekeeper brought its collections.

Upon arrival at the graveyard it was clear that there were several necrophages that were roaming among the headstones. Quentin, undeterred, entered the graveyard and saw that the house of worship was empty and desolate. A strong odour of decay came from a small area in the eastern part of the graveyard enclosed by a decorative wall, and the necrophages seemed to emerge from there. In the south-east of the graveyard stood a large mausoleum whose entrance had been broken open.

Soon, all the heroes had made their way inside in search for the Gravekeeper, and it did not take long for the necrophages to start prowling closer, trying to encircle them. As the necrophages postured, preparing to attack, the Gravekeeper emerged from the mausoleum, shovel in hand, and wordlessly advanced on the heroes. What followed was a spectacular, nail-biting fight in which the heroes dealt with a relentlessly advancing Gravekeeper, completely indifferent to the suffering of the heroes, or its own, while the necrophages took advantage of the situation.

In the end, the heroes managed to defeat the Gravekeeper again, and watched it quickly whither away, though not without cost. Chakuq discovered that the enclosed area in the east part of the graveyard was filled with unburried dead, including what looked like several custodians and a crownsguard.

The heroes found that the mausoleum that the Gravekeeper exited from was open and accessible, a name was enscribed upon the keystone above the door; Garamond, the family name of Lyria’s first king. Ser William of Garamond was crowned king at the founding of Lyria in the 620th Year of the Crusade, some three millenia ago, during the Age of Fear.

Inside, the mausoleum had two sarcophagi on either side of a staircase that lead down to an underground crypt. The first level held alcoves in the walls where people were laid to rest. At either end of the corridor there were stairs that lead down to another another corridor, similarly adorned with alcoves where people were laid to rest, and to a single staircase which lead further down. Upon entering, Emrys had wondered whether it was a Garamond family crypt, but it soon became apparent that many people from all walks of life were interred there. Luca used Blackstar to illuminate the darkness, but rather than emit a light, the strange crystal atop the staff absorbed the darkness, allowing the heroes to better see their surroundings.

Maury Briscoe, baker; “And when the soil finally claims your limbs, then you will truly dance.”

Chakuq, who had taken the lead, overheard people ascending the staircase and called for the heroes to halt their advance. After a moment he bade them to halt and identify themselves. A trio emerged, identifying themselves as Valerie of Eastminster, Jon of Belstone Corner, and Dirk Cooper, each a member of the crownsguard who were there on orders of the queen to rid the graveyard of necrophages. There was something off about the three, and it was clear to all but the least observant. Neamhan, who had come into the mausoleum in the form of an enormous raven, decided to shift back to her trueshape in order to accuse the three of deception, as she had a funny feeling. In the meantime, some of the others had noticed that the crownsguard uniform was outdated, had missing insignia, and looked off.

Neamhan grilled the three, who had been terrified at her transfiguration, asking them why an “undead queen” would order the three to clear the necrophages from the graveyard. This seemed to steel the trio, and Valerie could barely contain her rage at her queen being so offended. After a heated back and forth the truth came out; the three served Queen Marianne, the current queen’s grandmother who was long dead. Neamhan asked what year Valerie thought it was, but she could not remember. Valerie said that the trio found that the mausoleum had been broken into and they went in to investigate. They found something down below, but she could not remember exactly what. She said she was very tired.

Neamhan wondered whether necrophages came from the likes of the three crownsguard, but was told by Emrys that they were born from people succumbing to eating the flesh of other people. Quentin also felt that the crownsguard were restless spirits being stuck and unable to move on to the afterlife. And Luca was reminded of the time the heroes stumbled upon Ser Florianus Ironwood on their way to Pinefall; that the present and the past were being mixed together somehow. The heroes decided to leave the three as they were unsure what to do with them.

The heroes descended further down and came to the a large crypt whose stone door had recently been broken from the inside out. There was an inscription on the side of the door, written in archaic Lyrian:

Beneath the bloodmoon’s crimson glare,
The keeper stands with sightless stare;
Black wings circle above his head,
The queen looks down where graves are spread.

When plague bells tolled through choking skies,
Her curse was sworn as thousands died;
She bound his soul beyond his breath,
To serve her will past living death.

Through rotting streets he walks alone,
He works by sign, by skin, by bone;
He lifts the lost from door and floor,
And grants them earth to ache no more.

No fever dares to claim his skin,
Her magic seals the work he’s in;
Unlife sustains his digging hands,
As years erode his mortal sands.

When last black wings have left the sky,
He is released as chains untie;
‘Til then he toils at silent graves,
So others live while he still slaves.

Beyond the door lay a large crypt which was partially flooded by what was likely water from the ancient waterways. Quentin, Chakuq, and Luca moved forward, while Astrid, Emrys, and Neamhan stayed further back. Chakuq took a moment to expand his instincts and gain an understanding of the water, and the crypt ahead of him. He felt the unmistakable presence of the undead, and took off his boots and rolled up his trousers before wading forth into the water. The water hid several smaller sacrophagi, while at the back there was a large sarcophagus that stuck out of the water, in a place of prominence.

Neamhan kept an eye on the stairs leading up and noticed that Virulencia had made an appearance. She immediately went to confront her while Emrys followed her. Emrys, curiously, initially could only hear, but not see Virulencia, but she revealed herself when it became clear Emrys knew she was there. Virulencia complimented him on his powers of abjuration. Neamhan demanded to know what Virulencia was doing there, and the Lady of Plagues said she was there for “her children.” This infuriated Neamhan who had felt tortured by the thought of children from the moment Virulencia suggested she might be a mother. Neamhan wanted to know who Virulencia’s children were, and she said it were the plaguemaidens. Then she demanded to know whether she was, or had ever been a mother. Virulencia, taking a perverse pleasure out of Neamhan’s anger said that if she were to return home, maybe, just maybe, she would be. When Neamhan lashed out that it was not the answer to her question Virulencia said that “when you deal with a devil, you learn to be precise.”

Quentin, Chakuq, Luca, Emrys, and Astrid had advanced to the large sacrophagus. Emrys had used his sorcery to allow some of the heroes to fly so they would not have to get their feet wet. The heroes had noticed the statues of celestial warriors nearby, and were shocked to find that the face of the central one was the spitting image of Réonan.  At the base of the statue was an inscription just below the water which they found, with some sorcery, to read:

Here rest those watched over by Zerachiel, Angel of Dawn,
Guide of souls to final judgement.
Bearer of light, keeper of balance.
His watch is ended, his radiance remains.

This prompted the heroes to investigate the sarcophagus and they quickly found there were inscriptions on all four sides along the base. They read:

He kept the dead
So the living could endure.

Bound by ravens, sworn by choice,
He gave the dead their final voice.

Gravekeeper.
Cursed, yet willing.

He bore the plague,
And laid it gently to rest.

The heroes mused that the Gravekeeper might be benign and whether it would be best to not disturb him. Luca suggested that the Gravekeeper was neutral, but that which cursed him may have been benign. A choice was made to open the sarcophagus. Quentin asked the Raven Queen for forgiveness as the lid was pushed open, revealing a large skeleton wrapped in dark, black chains with sharp edges. A voice could be heard echoing through the crypt;

Though the earth and waters fade,
I will keep the watch I made.

When the soil and oceans fail,
Still my watch will not grow frail.

Though the world itself may bend,
I will stand until the end.

Though all ground and seas grow still,
I will keep my silent will.

He chose the curse when death ran free,
To stand where none would stay or go;
A keeper sworn to eternity,
Who buried fear so life could grow.

While the heroes listened to the ominous voice the water bubbled and roiled violently. Chakuq investigated the chains around the skeleton and tried to discern its nature, only to find that the chains were dark, though not evil, and were the focus of the curse. The curse itself felt dissonant to Chakuq; again, not evil, but not resonating with the symphony of life, of creation, of his people.

Previously, the heroes spent their time in the laboratory that they got assigned at the Circle of Magi coming up with a ritual that would help them trap and anchor Epidemius to the mortal plane so that they could defeat him once and for all. Headmistress of the Circle of Abjuration, Esmeralda d’Ortega came to help them draw up the ward they would need.

Eighth Day, Second Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262

(Silvermoon is waning, Bloodmoon is waxing, Darkmoon is in high sanction)

Neamhan was one of the last ones that needed to be added to the ward, and for that the heroes needed to find out what magic she resonated with. She claimed to find it difficult to perform her magic in the depths of a dungeon and needed to be under an open sky. Despite it being past eighth bell, and well past curfew, the heroes decided to head out into the city to find a suitable place for Neamhan to find her resonance.

As the heroes ascended the winding staircase Quentin remained behind a moment, lost in thought, mumbling to himself that he could not believe that “it” had worked, whatever “it” was. Astrid, who had stayed behind, caught his attention and said “If you ever want to discuss this”, indicating to the hand he had cut in the ritual to find his resonance, “I am here for you.” In return, Quentin said “If you ever want to discuss this”, and indicated to his belly, referring to her motherhood, “I am here for you.” Astrid was silent for a moment and said; “A royal bloodline ended with me, but perhaps one might start with you,” and the two went up the stairs together.

Once outside, the heroes found that the storm had died down. It had grown even colder, but the sky was clear and there was a still crispness in the air. Luca suggested that the herb garden in front of the Circle might do, and Quentin suggested the park at Blackheath. In the end, a gently wooded spot along the river, in the shadow of the Bastion of Clarity was chosen, and Esmeralda conjured up a portal that instantly took them there. Neamhan took her time in a clearing and made connections with all manner of nature around her; conjuring a bright light, illuminating the surroundings, allowing plants to grow and flourish, only to summon a storm that brought lightning down on the clearling. When the violence of the storm was over the ground below their feet was scorched by lightning, showing the same symbol that had appeared for Quentin, only upside down; instead of three blades in the shapeof an upright triangle, the triangle was pointing downward. The drum was registering many different symbols, but it appeared that the green lyrium crystal, corresponding with the school of transmutation, was the one that resonated with Neamhans’ magic.

Having drawn the attention of the crownsguard patrolling the ramparts, with shouts coming from atop the Bastion of Clarity, Esmeralda conjured up another portal which took the heroes back to the lobby of the Circle of Magi, and they returned back to the laboratory. Emrys played the lute, Astrid laid down on one of the beds, while Luca and Esmeralda continued to work on the design of the ward. No matter what Luca tried, he was not able to get any of the lyrium crystals they had in their possession to resonate with the magic he cast. For Quentin it was equally difficult to get a crystal to respond to him.

Esmeralda identified which part of the circle represented the subject, which represented the anchor, and which represented the death of the subject. She had identified several other elements which were important to what the heroes wanted to achieve, but she had more work to do. At the mention of death being part of the ward, Neamhan retrieved the piece of inscribed bark she had retrieved from the Newport library and showed it to Esmeralda, thinking it might be important. She had learned that the magic which radiated from the bark had been necromantic, and thus it peaked her interest. Esmeralda decided to identify the nature of the bark and found that it held a the secret of transfering life between the caster and a connected subject. Neamhan would have to spend some time learning how to establish that connection before she could make use of it.

The heroes wondered whether “death” or the “anchor” might be related to the monstrosity they had spotted coming out of Blackheath. Cardinal Roark suggested that the Raven Queen’s bane was an anchoring of sorts, preventing the subject of the bane from moving to its afterlife. Quentin had a feeling this might be the case with the undead monstrosity, and so the heroes suggested to investigate Blackheath.

First, they made a trip to the Careless Wanderer, arriving there after tenth bell, so that they could get a quick bite to eat before heading out. Each excursion after the curfew was enforced was a drain on their resources, but at least they had ways to get around unseen by crownsguard or custodians.

The park at Blackheath was dark and desolate. Tall trees that had stood for generations were a pleasant break from urban life. In the centre of Blackheath the heroes found a cemetary in front of a small place of worship. A mausoleum leading into an underground crypt was also part of the cemetary. Necrophages could be heard skittering and stalking around the headstones in the cemetary, but Quentin was steadfast and strode ahead, unafraid. The necrophages kept at a distance until the undead monstrosity appeared from the mausoleum doorway, shovel in hand and ready to engage.

Previously, the heroes repeatedly fought an undead monstrosity which came to collect bodies, and Chakuq helped Dagran to craft a tuning fork singing the song of his people while fueled by mind-altering mushrooms. The resulting tuning fork resonated with Chakuq’s song, but also with a violet lyrium crystal that Dagran had acquired. Luca was introduced to the laboratory at the Circle of Magi that he was promised, and Emrys managed to convince Lord Andew to send Aubrey to live out the winter at his ancestral home, away from the maliciousness of the Beauclair delegation.

Eighth Day, Second Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262

(Silvermoon is waning, Bloodmoon is waxing, Darkmoon is in high sanction)

All of the heroes had gathered in the laboratory at what felt like the bottom of the Circle of Magi’s campus. Emrys had forgotten to pick up a drum from the College of Bards, so the heroes were discussing on how to progress their research into the ritual. Luca was convinced it would require a bespoke warding circle, so he started drawing one. Shortly after he started the heroes heard the door at the top of the winding stairs open and saw the silhouette of a figure walking down, passing by the open archways along the interior wall.

Esmeralda d’Ortega, archmage and headmistress of the Circle of Abjuration, had heard about the heroes being assigned the laboratory and wanted to come and see what they were up to. The heroes had met her on their way from Egremont to Blackbridge, and she had replaced Dr. Arkenward at the head of the Circle of Abjuration when he was appointed the Royal Abjurer. Since then she had followed the exploits of the Heroes of the White Eye closely. When Luca explains their intention, she offered her help and expertise. Any good warding circle consisted of source of magic, how magic is drawn into the ward, and the protective elements that the magic fueled. As Luca spoke, she corrected and expanded the circle using charcoal from the furnace. Soon, she had discarded all formalities, and was on her knees, with charcoal-stained hands and streaks of soot on her face, engrossed in the work.

Luca added to the drawing, and Esmeralda asked more and more questions; Who would be involved? What were their strengths? What was the source of their power? This lead Chakuq to share about the resonance of his people’s song, the tuning fork, and the violet lyrium crystal in Dagran’s possession. Information was collected on each of the heroes;

Esmeralda turned to Emrys, and being familiar with him, quickly concluded what his source of power was; his sorcery, the chaotic magic at the heart of it, and his bloodline connection to the Mohiam.

When she asked Chakuq he carefully explained the song of his people was the source of his strength, that was in touch with nature, and that he relished the hunt. He believed that his resonance with the violet crystal was important, and that some answers may be found in the book he retrieved from the Newport library.

Neamhan claimed that her powers did not come from the gods, something Esmeralda accepted without question. Neamhan, too, was in touch with nature, with the skies, and with storms.

Quentin hesitated, and took a moment to answer. He stayed quiet through suggestions that it was his connection to the Raven Queen, and eventually resolutely said that it was his ancestry, his bloodline. When Neamhan asked Esmeralda whether she was familiar with the Blood of Alban, she said she was not, and she was too engrossed in the ward to ask after it.

Luca finally admitted that his power came from his obedience to his patron.

When the question came to Astrid she did not know how to answer. Neamhan angered her by repeatedly suggesting it was her motherhood that gave her power, but she rejected that and said it was vengeance. Exploring that a little, it was concluded that her strength was fury, channeled through her raptor totem.

Each of them got additions to the drawing on the floor, ley lines that channeled magic into the ward.

There was an ongoing conversation about Chakuq’s newfound resonance with the violet crystal, and whether the others might also resonate with a type of lyrium crystal. There were eight crystals, which corresponded with the different schools of magic, and there were two others; radiant and shadow. An attempt was made to discover the resonance of others, using a drum that was supplied by Ólafur, some fine, dry sand, and the tuning fork.

The the tuning fork caused the sand to dance around the skin of the drum. Eventually it settled in a particular pattern, rounded on one side with wave-like lines on the other, that Esmeralda seemed to divine some meaning from. This symbol was added to the ward. Luca used one of his spells on the drum, and again the sand jumbled to reveal a symbol, a bifurcated triangle. This too was added to the ward. Emrys did the same to reveal something which looked somewhat like a trident. Astrid let out a deafening screech, like that of an eagle, which echoed through the tower and left a sunburst pattern on the drum. Quentin, unsure of how to evoke the same response from the sand, cut his palm, dropped blood on the sand and touched his other hand to the talisman and raven feather around his neck. The sand formed in the shape of three overlapping, blade-like leaves.

Neamhan would go last, as she needed to leave the tower in order to find her power.

A few notable things were added to the ward; a place to represent the subject, Epidemius, a space to represent shadow, and a space to represent radiance. It was likely that many things would still be added, altered, and removed from the ward before it was fit for purpose.

Previously, the heroes repeatedly fought an undead monstrosity which came to collect dead bodies, and Chakuq went to find someone that could craft a tuning fork for him, while Quentin spoke to cardinal Roark to get advice.

Eighth Day, Second Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262

(Silvermoon is waning, Bloodmoon is waxing, Darkmoon is in high sanction)

The weather in Kingsport was foul, and the heroes were spread among several of the locations in the city. Quentin and Neamhan had just returned from their conversation with cardinal Roark, and had left the grave tranquility of the House of the Raven Queen only to discover the fight which had taken place on Steward’s Square after they saw the wounded guards of House Lys pass them by. Once on the square, they join Emrys and Luca and spoke briefly with Jan, who still seemed burdened by the wounds of lost arm, and the Epidemius’ curse that lay over the city. Jan rejected Quentin’s offer to help him heal his wounds; receiving such a blessing from the Raven Queen would not go over well in the eyes of the rest of the custodians. He placed his faith in Paladine’s divine light to see him through.

After Emrys spoke to father Devon he informed the rest of the heroes about “the gravekeeper”, the undead abomination that had been defeated three times in a short span of time, only to reemerge shortly after. It had appeared at the clinic attached to the Temple of Light, the house devoted to the worship of Pholtus, several times in order to retrieve one of the bodies of the deceased. It only threatened or attacked those who tried to stand in its way. Father Devon had suggested that the gravekeeper always came from the direction of Blackheath. Quentin said that it was possible that the gravekeeper had received one of the Raven Queen’s banes, something he did not quite understand the intracies of just yet, but something that could prevent one of the dead or defeated to pass on to their afterlife.

When the group at the square decided to all meet up at the Circle of Magi, Neamhan decided she was going to find Chakuq. After having some difficulty communicating that to the rest of the group due to her still being in raven form, it turned out that the faerie dragon that followed Luca around was able to communicate with her, and in turn could translate her intent to Luca and the rest of the group. She flew off to the Southside ward where Eustace the Jeweler had his workshop but unfortunately could not find Chakuq there. After some circling she found him as he observed Dagran and Kargath at work in the smithy. In the meantime, the rest had made their way to the Circle, once there, Emrys split from the group to go and visit Lord Andrew at the college.

Chakuq had explained his wish to Dagran of wanting a tuning fork that could strike the tone of his people’s song. In order for Dagran to know which note the tuning fork needed to strike Chakuq decided to sing the song of his people. He ate a handful of dried mushrooms and took a piece of coal from the forge to draw patterns on his skin as he did so. The three, Dagran, Kargath, and Chakuq all fell into a trance as the former two worked, and the latter sang. Eventually, Kargath, taken by the song, added his own voice to that of Chakuq, instinctively harmonising with him. A fourth, Neamhan, was observing quietly, making sure not to break the spell. Eventually, Dagran was done with the tuning fork, which hummed in perfect resonance to Chakuq and Kargath’s song. Dagran had showed a small, violet lyrium crystal which also seemed to hum, much like the tuning fork. Despite the work done on the tuning fork Dagran decided not to accept payment from Chakuq out of sheer astonishment of what he had laid witness to.

At the Circle of Magi the heroes are welcomed by Ólafur while Emrys continues to the College of Bards. They are shown to the lab that was made available to them, but was not quite what Luca had expected; it was a floor in the interior of a windowless tower. A spiral staircase led along the inside of the tower until it terminated on a landing in front of creaky wooden door. The staircase would have continued down had it not collapsed from disrepair. Inside there were two beds, a forge that doubled as a hearth, a workbench containing endless alchemy equipment covered in a thick layer of dust, and an impressive bookcase that had long since been plundered by students and staff of any valuable texts. It was not immediately apparent how the heroes were to find aid in their search for a way to bind Epidemius to the moral plane.

After Quentin created a fire in the furnace, he helped Luca to create some order in the laboratory, and they were joined by Chakuq and Neamhan, who was still in her raven form. Chakuq immediately asked Luca whether he was in the possession of a violet lyrium crystal, which he was. Luca gave him one of the colourful, uncut lyrium crystals, and Chakuq kept it with him, explaining its significance. The heroes tested the tuning fork and confirmed that it resonated with the violet crystal, and did not resonate with the others.

Once he arrived at the College of Bards, Emrys quickly found his way to Lord Andrew’s chambers. There he found that Andrew was still recovering from the previous night, and that Aubrey had taken a place on one of the padde window sills. Aubrey explained to Emrys how foolish and naive she had felt, and how she felt lost. After paying her tuition, she only had a few coins left to her name which were intended to keep her fed while she found ways to earn. She was afraid that the only thing left for her to do was wait or the knives in the dark to find her. Emrys felt for Aubrey and got Andrew to pay attention. A deal was struck that Andrew would get Aubrey to his home in the Riverlands so that she could serve Lady Rowyn, Andrew’s lady-mother, for the remainder of the winter. She could then earn enough coin for her tuition and start again come spring.