Rather, it is stillborn when Lugh is placed to speak, but then is denied any measure of currency with which to barter or negotiate with the Red Sun representative, a haughty Earth Elementalist named Thringold.
Slip's name is revealed as Cassion Torin (Yes, he related to Cassion Octaviann, albeit distantly), and he has defaulted on a Contract with the Red Sun Trading Company. The cost of buying out Slip's contract is somewhat in excess of 10000 Guilder. A princely sum for anyone to be expected to exchange.
Rin uses his powers (and already obfuscated position) to disappear from sight and wriggle free of the confines of the entrapping stones, while Soreiss readies a series of spells, not the least of which is to send a Messenger Arrow to Slip's friends in the Shadesmen.
Indeed, the Shadesmen come, even as Rin has set himself up to ambush Thringold.
Those who come:
- Antilles, son of the Guardian and the living shadow who protects the city of Tal'Megarin.
- Judu Mitra, "The Lion", Martial Artist, and Master of the Waterdragon school in Sashmir.
- Tol'Uddi Dunn, Archmage, former ranking Professor in the College of Countermagic at the Northern Academy.
- Forvi, Tol'Uddi Dunn's apprentice, a young woman skilled in Wizardry.
With the arrival of four of the Shadesmen, all hell breaks loose. Rin slits Thringold's throat, even as Mitu and Lugh's Wolf bring the man crumpling to the ground. Antilles lashes out and slams one of Thringold's Lieutenants against the steep hillside. Tol'Uddi Dunn and Slip both fortify their position against any archers atop the ridge, while Forvi levitates Thringold's dead, half-decapitated corpse up for his soldiers to see. As if to punctuation, Rin, Mitu, and the Wolf all howl as one.
Another guest -- Vernir Guide, the often condescending Nom Waywinder -- arrives to help as well, blocking the attempts of the Spellcasters on the ridge to teleport away to safety (and reinforcements). It seems that Vernir has been watching the teleportation pathways of the Shadesmen even since Lugh tried to win over the support of the Waywinders in fighting the Dark Road. Indeed, Vernir admits that he had no stomach for the still on-going debates within his order about rendering aid or remaining neutral and told them he'd do whatever he damn well liked.
And as quickly as everything began, it was over. Only Thringold was dead. One of his Lieutenants -- an Air Emala and Air Elementalist (it would turn out) -- issued the order to surrender, while the other one remained unconscious. Forvi and Mitu both set about robbing the merchant guards (Forvi more successfully, since Mitu paused to help Rin and Lugh interrogate the remaining Lieutenant), while information was gathered from the surrendering Lieutenant.
It seems they were encamped waiting for others of the Red Sun Trading Company to return both from the hills and from the Necropolis of Darun. They are searching for the near mythical Illmorthus plant, whose flower pollen is supremely toxic, while its root (shaped like a dead man) is supposedly able to cure any disease and purge any toxin. He knows little more, except to correct the false assumption that the Red Sun is run out of Tal'Megarin when in fact, it is headquartered on Paxis, and holds an Imperial Charter. They also find the Lieutenant is somewhat sympathetic to Slip's concern, himself being only 7 years into a 20 year contract.
The PCs spare him the fate of the others, translocating him to the city of Archos, while Tol'Uddi befuddles the remainder with a memory charm and Soreiss incinerates the corpse of Thringold. For these men of the Red Sun, al they will know is that one Lieutenant and Thringold himself have disappeared. They will have no more recollection of the events.
While chatting with Vernir Guide, the PCs learn the location of the other Collosus of Calendrabarus -- somewhere in the Northern Reaches of Akur's lands. They set about trying to contact Muros, and instead find Athis Hel making contact with them. They talk a moment, and Athis offers to meet the Archon and tell him the news.
The Shadesmen and Vernir long gone, the party finishes their long walk up the Violet Path in a few days more. In the distance, high overhead, three giant eagles fly -- the sort of eagles associated with the Order of Oryon. When Darun's Necropolis looms high atop the the hill -- A fence of wrought iron bars containing a series of stone buildings surrounding a massive, black iron tower with a painted skull inset -- they note that the eagles are perching there, and all of them bear saddle harnesses on their backs.
The Order of Oryon is at the Necropolis...
[End Chapter 13: (Cities of the Dead, Part I: The Violet Path)]
No comments:
Post a Comment