Chapter 16: Zal-Ruthara's Sanctum

[Chapter 16: Zal-Ruthara's Sanctum]

The party realizes they have trapped themselves in what is, quite literally, a death trap of mountainous proportions. For over three months, they struggle to survive as they push deeper and deeper into the various strata of chambers created by the legendary Archmage Zal-Ruthara.

Numerous traps, puzzles, and even boiler golems, seemingly intelligent machines programmed to various tasks within the confines of the sanctum, are scattered around the place seemingly haphazardly. That is, until they find a pattern. Zal-Ruthara was the teacher of the infamous Samath, a Sorcerer and Archmage in his own right who became known for terrorizing what is now modern day Sashmir and for his final defeat at the hands of the first Talmoril. Any place seemingly belonging to Samath is absolutely chaotic and random. Other places seem organized, deadly yes, but efficient and often strangely functional. Every image of Zal-Ruthara, they note, is obscured. There is never a face or a sense of absolute proportion -- just what appear to be heavy dragon skin robes and a massive glaive-staff.

As they push through, they begin to suspect that Zal-Ruthara may still be alive within the halls. There is little history remaining about the Archmage, just that he was widely considered the greatest fire wizard of all time, and that he was the chief instructor of Samath. They find indications that he was pretty masterful with all elements, and that he was indeed shaping eldritch energy to simulate elementalism. They also realize that this place is using elder Drakkhanus to power some things in the sanctum... they are "wired in" to the place, at least three of them, and seem to be insane and nearly dead. All the while, Lugh expects to sense corruption or at least very tainted balance... but beyond the elemental shifts, there is very little that is unnatural here.

Ultimately, the PCs discover what remains of Zal-Ruthara's journals -- it seems they were burned by Samath, who tore much of the Sanctum apart looking for something, or perhaps while just throwing a hissy fit. Zal-Ruthara hated dragons and seemed to be using them to "correct some mistake". He also was a bit enamored with the Darkweaver, trying many times to find him, but failing (he did meet minulex, who later delivered a gift to him from the Darkweaver, but Zal-Ruthara didn't seem to realize that at the time). Zal-Ruthara was attempting to create a new Mage Haven, a school and community of wizards, sorcerers, and elementalists independent of Mehbt or any regional politics. He was almost complete, too, where it not for some unforseen issues. He had grown suspicious of Samath, and had begun to keep the man at a distance while he finished his preparations. "Righting the wrong" created by the dragons was his first priority... whatever that meant.

When they found the man himself a short time later, they understood. Zal-Ruthara was a Koba. The soul of a human cursed to dwell within the ratdoggish form of a Koba for his whole existence, the Archmage chaffed at the thought. He used his power and genius to find a way to reverse the curse placed upon his forebears by the Elder Drakkhanus. Using the very same Dragons, the power of several Node Stones, and his own prodigious talents, Zal-Ruthara was going to strip away the Koba curse and become, as he should be, a Man.

Enclosed within a bubble of his own magical wards, Zal-Ruthara was very much alive. The party makes a deal with him and helps to accelerate the process of whatever it is he was doing. Otherwise, Zal-Ruthara will remain in his ward and the PCs stay stuck in the sanctum. The aid of the party allows him to conclude his ritual, and indeed, he has succeeded in removing the Koba curse... Zal-Ruthara is transformed from a Koba to a Human (who looks too much like Borat). Only later do they learn that the ritual has made it so no more Koba will ever be born -- all female Koba have fallen dead, and the males, still all ratdoggish, will die out in a generation. It seems Samath had returned just as Zal-Ruthara was finalising his ritual. Angry he set about destroying what he could and making it so the Dragons had to suffer for millennia instead of dying quickly. He damaged enough that Zal-Ruthara had to seal himself away, and what should have taken only days, now took a thousand times longer. But it was over now, Zal-Ruthara remains alive, and Samath is long dead.

The Big-Z, as Zal-Ruthara likes to call himself, is actually a rather friendly fellow. He is kind of a dork and is an uber-nerd through and through, but he is a brilliant spellcrafter and artificer and seems committed to the idea of a free society of mages. Most strangely, the Big-Z is a fanboy of the Darkweaver, and when he learns the party are Bearers, he pledges his help...

...Not like he can stay home, since ending the ritual so quickly destabilized the dormant volcano that was the mountain.

[End of Chapter 16: Zal-Ruthara's Sanctum]