Sagiro
Rodent of Uncertain Parentage
Sagiro’s Story Hour, Part 290
Information
The discussion as they leave the Enchanters’ Hall largely concerns the Guild of Chains. There is general agreement that something is rotten about whole arrangement, and that they could probably dig up some dirt if they went back to Gurund and got hold of specific criminal records. Ernie opines sadly that if there is something amiss, it’s likely an open secret among the parties involved; after all there’s money to be made, and slave ownership is popular among the upper classes.
Regardless, the party spends the next three months engaged in a number of different activities, often splitting up and separated by the gulf of the ocean. Here is a summary of their activities through early June:
1. Aravis receives another communiqué from his aspect in the Crosser’s Maze:
Your dream is a vision, clear and cold. You have discovered a vast and lifeless city, and there are tombs here, underground crypts not meant for mortal remains. Through the Maze you have arrived, but you are not meant to be here. Gods fought, and Gods died, and here are Gods interred.
“They called it Naslund, the Great Necropolis,” says the voice of King Vhadish XXIII, who stands nearby. “But who will tend it, with its Caretakers gone?”
He relates this to the others, and they ponder the introduced mysteries.
“Brush up on your turning,” suggests Grey Wolf to the party clerics.
“Wait... Gods died?” asks Morningstar. “I mean... I never envisioned that they could have bodies that would need burial.”
“If Gods can fight, Gods can die,” says Dranko.
“Many of your human gods fled from the Great Enemy,” Ernie points out. “Why would they have fled, if they couldn’t be killed?”
“I’m not disturbed by the thought that Gods can die,” says Aravis – which is an ironic comment for a couple of reasons.
“Think of it, though,” says Ernie. “If you can take a dragon’s toenail and use it for powerful spell components, what could you do with a God’s body?”
“And imagine the loot that might be buried in a God’s tomb!” adds Flicker.
“Er... maybe it was just an actual bad dream?” suggests Kibi, not at all comfortable with the topic.
Aravis sighs. “I wish it were, but this was clearly a vision from the Maze.”
“I wonder,” says Morningstar, looking thoughtful. “If the Caretakers were the ones who just left – the ones we gave the Maze to...”
2. Dranko checks briefly on his grandfather (who is still in good health), but spends most of his free time administering the Undermen in as visible a way as possible. He consults with Lucas Blackwell about their nascent trading company, reviews some new recruits, talks with Greta Smith about the state of the Guild treasury, and learns to his delight that the Undermen sponsor their very own adventuring party – a group of mid-level heroes who style themselves “The Overmen.”
He also finds the time to visit Harmon, his old mentor at the Tal Hae church. Dranko tells his friend the entire tale of his adventures, including the particularly disturbing news from their encounter with Belshikun.
“One of the Gods in Kivia is fleeing,” he says as a closing remark.
“From... the Adversary?” Harmon can’t mask his skepticism.
“We don’t know,” admits Dranko. “But we think so.”
“I really doubt that,” says Harmon. “That the Adversary would have only found us now, after all this time? And if he has, we’d all be dead.”
“You know how when you go into a cave, you carry a canary,” says Dranko, “and if the canary dies, you know you’re going to die too?”
Harmon grunts and shakes his head. It’s too much for him, really, but he presses on.
“So what God fled?” he asks.
“The God of Death,” says Dranko.
“The Kivian God of Death has left his people behind, and the world, you say. But the Gods live in the Heavens. Are you saying that the Kivian Gods are abandoning Heaven?”
Dranko exhales, “I don’t know. We don’t know.”
“These things are far beyond my knowledge and experience,” says Harmon.
“Well, there’s also the demon who wants to destroy my soul.”
Harmon sighs. “Dranko, didn’t’ I tell you that if you didn’t watch your tongue, someday you’d lose it?”
“Hey! I did the right thing!”
“Yes. You are extremely brave, forthright, and luckier than any man has a right to be. And if he does decide to come after you? What are you going to do?”
“My plan,” says Dranko, “is to become as saintly as possible, so the church will send in its most powerful heroes to save me.”
Harmon chuckles. “First, my understanding is, you are ‘the most powerful heroes.’ Second, when are you going to start acting saintly?”
A little guiltily, Dranko says, “Er.... well, I have a bunch of people who are ready to spread rumors about how pious and good I am. Does that count?”
Harmon says nothing for a moment, his expression growing more serious. “Dranko, can I talk to you about something?”
He stands, crosses the room, and closes the door.
“Dranko, I’ve been hearing things. Disturbing things. That... you’ve been associating with the... Undermen. Is that true?”
“Why would I be doing that?” asks Dranko.
Harmon is not fooled. “I know that you’re a good man at heart. Be careful when you deal with such an unseemly lot.”
“If I were associating with them, it would be with the ultimate goal of trying to redeem and improve them,” says Dranko. “We all serve Delioch in our own way.”
“Do not become ensnared in their unsavory dealings!” warns Harmon.
“As of right now, I feel that I am in control of the situation,” says Dranko.
Harmon cracks a smile again. Is this really the same half-orcish scamp who terrorized the clergy all those years? “Dranko, you know that I will always trust you to do the right thing.”
“And that’s why I look up to you more than just about anyone else in the world,” says Dranko with a grin. “You have been a beacon of goodness to me. Do you think I should tell Tomnic about any of this stuff?”
Harmon is surprised by the question. “Of course you should!”
“Will he believe me?”
“He’ll know if you speak the truth, Dranko. He is the leader of our church.”
3. Morningstar visits several churches throughout Charagan, feeling out the delicate political fabric that her journey and subsequent elevation made inevitable. In specific she is concerned about how the ranks of newly-minted Daywalkers are being integrated into the church proper. Technically it’s over and done with, declared as Law by High Priestess Rhiavonne. But while most of the rank of file sisters are relieved that the tension of Schism has been relieved, there is still grumbling from some quarters and more political maneuvering than Morningstar is comfortable with.
Amber, the clear choice, has been put in charge of the Daywalkers in Tal Hae, and Morningstar sits down with her one sunny afternoon. The snores of the sisterhood come faintly from the dormitories. Amber herself sits behind a jet-black desk piled high with scrolls and notebooks.
“It’s what I’ve gotten myself into,” she says to Morningstar with a helpless gesture. “Administrative nonsense. I liked the fire and brimstone better, but it’s Ell’s will. And how are you?”
“Well, thank you,” says Morningstar. It’s such an odd conversation to be having. With a start she realizes that it’s the first day of April – four years ago to the day was her summons by Abernathy. (And relatively it seems even longer, what with her time spent in the past.)
“Should I add your name to the local rolls?” asks Amber casually.
Morningstar considers. “I suspect I’ll always be out and about.”
“But your name ought to be recorded somewhere,” presses Amber. “You are the de facto leader of the Daywalkers, and most would say of the Dreamwalkers as well.”
“I am the ‘Child of Darkness and Light’,” says Morningstar with an exaggerated sigh.
“Many of us are, these days,” says Amber, laughing. “We are hoping for a half-dozen Daywalkers at every major temple and shrine, but you are not personally affiliated with any place. It would be an honor to connect you with Tal Hae.”
Seeing that Amber won’t take ‘no’ for an answer, she relents, and Amber wastes no time added Morningstar’s name to the official record.
“So, what’s next?” Amber asks. “I’m glad that things have worked out so well, but I almost feel deflated. Like we’re preparing for an unknown future, with no fixed goals.”
“Octesian is still out there,” Morningstar reminds her.
“Do you have any leads?”
“No,” admits Morningstar. “But finding him would be a fine goal in itself. And training up as a cohesive fighting force is always advised. Remember, you can train with other priestesses; you are still allowed to associate with those who are not Daywalkers.”
Amber steeples her fingers and touches her lips. “There is... some pressure against that, unfortunately. We are seen as a specific, separate unit, if you take my meaning. It is the price of a begrudging tolerance. But... small steps. Small steps. We are certainly making progress.”
“It’s not very exciting,” says Morningstar, “but our highest priority should be to gain the trust and acceptance of the main body of the Church.”
“And the best way to do that is to do good works, and serve Ell without reservation,” says Amber. “And by doing, not seem so separate. For better or worse, we were considered militant at best, and heretical at worst in some quarters.”
She looks thoughtfully at Morningstar before changing the subject. “I understand you’re going to be writing some scrolls... some new chapters of our holy texts. That’s very exciting! Just think, a thousand years from now, the Scrolls of Morningstar will be read alongside the papers and prophecies of Therena, the Lady Vesper, and all the other prophets and seers of the ages. Have you given any thought to what you’ll write?”
“Some,” says Morningstar, as non-committaly as possible.
“If you want help, just to bounce ideas off of, I am at your disposal,” says Amber, a gleam in her eye.
“I haven’t started the process yet, but thank you,” says Morningstar gratefully. And to change the subject herself, she asks: “Have you had a chance to visit Kivia, now that anyone can do that?”
Amber looks ruefully at the stacks of papers on her desk. “Maybe I’ll take a vacation. Get out from under all of this, and take a trip, see the world. There are ships making the crossing now, several weeks long I understand. There’s a lot to see under the sun, and it’s my job now to see it.”
4. When Morningstar relates her conversation with Amber to the others, Dranko chuckles at Amber’s lack of subtlety. “Everyone wants to be famous,” he says, speaking from the heart.
“And we are famous!” says Flicker. “We’re the Heroes of the Kalkas Peaks!”
That makes Dranko nostalgic for their keep in the Norlin Hills – technically “Longtooth Keep,” though he refers to it, as always, as “Castle Blackhope.” He, Flicker and Kibi take a quick teleport to visit the place, and find that it’s looking extremely spiffy and refurbished. There is still a team of fifteen dwarven craftsmen there, reinforcing the bailey, building new stone stairways to replace the old crumbling ones, and making numerous small repairs and improvements. The old squatter, Fergus, is still there doing odd jobs and yard work, and calling himself the official caretaker.
5. In the name of due diligence, the Company makes sure that the Null Shadow Cauldron is still secure in Kallor, and that the Evil Black Book remains protected in the Greenhouse. Both are as they were last left.
6. Two weeks after his vision about the Necropolis, Aravis has a new dream from the Maze:
You are back in the tavern again, its time and place unknown. You sit across from yourself, though it is not yourself, but rather that elusive someone whom you both have and have not met. He has been speaking to you.
“...history. I find it rather tragic.”
Your double grasps your hand, and again you are plunged into a vision within the vision. A tall man dressed in kingly garb stands in a dead and lonely field. He glances to the sides, as if fearing he was followed here. The full moon illuminates his handsome face.
The field is not simply dead. It is corrupted, its grass black and reeking, and this man of royal countenance wrinkles his nose even as he takes slow steps inward. He stops when he reaches the center of the field, his feet at the edge of a still black pool hardly bigger than a puddle. He looks down at the pool intently, as if it is whispering and he strains to hear what it’s saying.
The man’s lips quirk. ‘What do you want?” he asks in a trembling voice. “Why have you called me here?” He listens again to the silent field, and then reaches down to touch the surface of the pool...
The vision ends abruptly, and you are jarred awake. It is the middle of the night.
“The Maze should send you something happier,” says Flicker, when Aravis tells them about it over the morning’s heroes’ feast.
“That black pool is probably the ‘black goo,’” guesses Grey Wolf. “The stuff from Het Branoi.”
7. Six weeks into their hiatus, on a night when all the Company is enjoying the plush comforts of the Golden Goblet, there comes a great cacophony from the streets. It is dogs – dozens, hundreds of dogs, baying and barking and howling in loud and mournful tones. The sound comes from all directions, so it’s not localized to any one area. As far as the groggy party can tell, every dog in Djaw is raising a ruckus. It continues for over ten minutes, punctuated by numerous human shouts of annoyance, before it starts to die down.
The next morning everyone in the city is talking about it, though no one seems to know why it happened. Aravis and Dranko immediately teleport back to Charagan and look up Octavius Hightower in the capital city. Octavius is the leader of the Starshine Players, a troupe of bards in the employ of the Undermen. And the bardic spell list includes speak with animals.
“How urgent is this matter?” inquires Octavius, upon hearing Dranko’s unusual request.
“Very,” says Dranko. “Dogs forget things very quickly.”
Octavius soon introduces them to a tall, skinny bard with a thick drooping mustache and a parrot perched piratically on his shoulder. Georg is his name, and he bows when he learns he’s speaking directly to the Oracle himself.
“It’s truly an honor to meet you, sir,” he says.
“Rawk!” Says the parrot. “Suck up! Suck up! Rawk!”
They intend to ferry Georg back to Djaw, but find to their surprise that the dog-barking episode also occurred in Charagan! So the party quickly rounds up a dog from the street, and Dranko puts his headband of intellect around its head. He asks his questions while Georg translates.
“Why do you look so sad?” asks Dranko. And it’s true – the dog’s tail is dragging, its movements sluggish.
“There has been a great tragedy,” says the dog. “An important dog has died.”
“The God of Dogs?” asks Dranko, thinking of Aravis.
“It was one of the Great Pack,” says the dog.
“How do you know he died?” asks Dranko.
“All the dogs felt it,” says the dog. “Didn’t you?”
“Where did it happen?” presses Dranko. “Who killed him?”
The dog looks puzzled. “I’m not sure where it was. But one of the Great Pack was killed, by a shadow.”
“How many dogs are in the Great Pack?”
“I don’t know. I can’t count.”
“Are the more left?” asks Dranko.
“There must be,” says the dog plaintively.
Dranko takes back his headband, exchanging it for a soup bone. The dog wags its tail and licks his face.
Aravis looks troubled. “Maybe they’ll be after me next.”
8. Two weeks after the barking dog incident, Aravis receives yet another piece of mental correspondence from the Crosser’s Maze:
The tavern is starting to become familiar, and your ally sits across from you. Still he wears your face.
“Once again I have something to share,” he says. “It’s disturbing. And this is relatively current.”
He touches your hand, and in another vision you see two figures in silhouette, one short and wide, the other tall and lithe, both fully armored. The short one hands the tall one a tiny vessel, like a thimble, filled with...
“Drink it,” the short one hisses. “And be grateful you are found worthy of such an honor.”
The tall person drinks, convulses, gasps. The short person chuckles.
“There. Now you’ll survive the trip.”
9. Kibi is able to find a learned sage named Ten Twisted Words, who specializes in Djawish legal matters. The dwarf retains his professional services, seeking information on the following related matters:
- What are the specific legalities (or lack thereof) of enslaving someone? What determines the circumstances of enslavement, and the duration of the sentence? Is there anything unusual about the enslavement of dwarves from Gurund?
- What is the extent of connection between the Guild of Chains and the ruling body of Djaw? What is the general attitude of the government toward the Guild and its activities?
A week and 100 miracs later, Twisted Words delivers Kibi a summary:
To Mr. Kibilhathur Bimson:
Pursuant to your request for services, I have prepared this document in order to address your questions regarding the Guild of Chains.
The Guild of Chains (hereafter, 'the Guild') is a long-established and well-respected organization that provides a valuable service to the city of Djaw, the other Jewels of the Plains, and several surrounding states. They are granted an official charter, renewed annually by the office of the Emperor, may he live forever, to acquire slaves in accordance with Djawish and local laws, and make those slaves available for auction. They are charged additionally with holding the slaves between purchase and auction, carrying out the auctions, and making delivery of product.
Specifically, the Guild is authorized to purchase and enslave persons who fall into one of two categories:
1) A person who has acquired debts and lacks the ability to make repayment within the contracted time. By presenting the contract in question before a lawfully appointed magistrate of Djaw, the creditor may legally sell the debtor to the Guild for a sum of miracs equal to the amount of the debt owed. The Guild may then sell the slave at auction. The period of enslavement is based upon a strict schedule correlated with the amount of the debt. For instance, an unpaid debt of 500 miracs will result in 5 years of enslavement.
Slaves who fall into this category must live within the generally accepted geographical boundaries of the White Sun Kingdom.
2) A person who has been found guilty and convicted of a crime, and is being held by a local government, may be purchased by the Guild from that government and sold as a slave at auction. In this case, the government in question need not be one within the White Sun Kingdom; the Guild has purchased criminals from Gurund and Dir-Tolia. (There are conflicting reports of criminals purchased from Seresef.) There is a minimum local population requirement of 50 persons in order for the Guild to agree to a slave transaction. Any criminal held in a village of fewer than 50 persons may only be sold by an authority of an encompassing district, town, county, city-state or country that in total contains over 50 persons.
Price is negotiated directly between the Guild and the governing authority in question. The relevant crime need only be considered such by local law, and not necessarily by Djawish law. The Guild is authorized to consider each case individually, and purchase any slave who they agree has committed a crime in his or her local jurisdiction. A written report of the crime and its circumstances are said to be filed and kept at the Guild of Chains administrative center in Djaw, though it is not available to the public. The Guild theoretically determines the length of enslavement based generally on the severity of the crime, but they have complete authority to decide individual cases as they see fit, and a majority of criminals-turned-slaves
are given lifetime sentences of enslavement.
As stated, the Guild is officially sanctioned by the Royal Court of Djaw, and their charter is signed personally by the Emperor, may he live forever. Among the nobles at court, many have political and financial ties to the Guild, and most own one or more slaves, though there is typically a minority court faction that would prefer the Guild to be dissolved and slavery made illegal.
Regarding Gurund, and dwarvish slaves: the Guild typically purchases around 100 criminals annually from Gurundian authorities and sells them at auction in Djaw. Dwarves are highly sought-after and command higher than average prices, as their quiet and taciturn natures, along with their physical strength and knowledge of various trade skills, make them ideally suited for ownership. Dwarvish slave contracts always run for a full life term, a Guild discretionary decision likely based on maximizing their selling prices.
Should you wish to extend your inquiry, I am at your disposal.
Yours in knowledge,
Ten Twisted Words
10. Seeking more information on the topic, Ernie pays a visit to Yale, advisor to King Crunard IV of Charagan. His wait for the appointment is less than an hour; such is the privilege of a Knight of the Spire Guard.
In a small meeting room in the King’s Palace, high atop a hill in Har Charagan, Ernie explains to Yale that he’d like to find out more about the slave trade.
“And while I and my friends have many talents, we lack diplomatic subtlety. But you must already have representatives over there; can you tell me anything about the Guild of Chains, and the enslavement of dwarves in particular?”
Yale looks down at her hands. “I have seen the preliminary reports,” she says. “The slave trade of Djaw and the surrounding lands, while distasteful, seems completely legal according to all local laws.”
“May I be allowed to speak to your diplomats?” asks Ernie. “I mean, about what they learn of the ins and outs of the slave trade?”
Yale fixes Ernie with a even gaze. “We are disinclined to start pressing that sort of issue with a foreign government, in such early stages of establishing ambassadorial ties. Our diplomats already have extremely complex agendas. But, yes, we will certainly share with you anything we learn on the topic of slavery among the Jewels of the Plains.”
“That will sure be better than having Dranko talk to everyone,” says Ernie.
Yale laughs. “Now there’s a mission we might ask you to undertake for your Kingdom.”
“To stop Dranko from talking?”
“To mitigate the effects therefrom,” says Yale.
“I’ll try,” says Ernie. “But Dranko has certain financial interests in expanding trade in that regard, so I.... er...”
The halfling turns bright red as he stammers to a halt. Yale leans forward.
“Financial interests? Really?”
“I can’t say anymore!” squeaks Ernie.
“I could order you to say,” says Yale quietly.
“Yes,” Ernie acknowledges. “But then I’d be very sad and conflicted.”
Yale chuckles. “We have suspicions, but perhaps they don’t bear looking into at this time. You understand that the Spire Guard, including Dranko, have our full confidence.”
11. Toward the end of the three months, having learned so much and still with many, many questions, Morningstar and Ernie each cast separate communes – Ernie at the Yondallan church in his home of Dingman’s Ferry, and Morningstar at her home temple of Kynder Hold.
Ernie is unable to cast his divination with any privacy. He is a hero of incredible proportion in his tiny home village, and a crowd of novices (along with an assortment of laity) crowd around the temple kitchen to see what it looks like when someone communes with Yondalla.
He casts his spell, and the Goddess is with him.
Is Aravis a divine figure to cats?
YES
In Kivia and Charagan, dogs mourned the death of one from something called the Great Pack. They think he was killed by a shadow. Is the shadow related to the Black Circle?
YES, RELATED
Does the death of the member of the Great Pack mean that Aravis is also in danger from that shadow?
PROBABLY
Does Tor now serve the Delfirians?
YES
Was Tor’s mind altered, or was he otherwise coerced into serving the Delfirians?
YES, ALTERED
Does the spirit of Davarian Firemount now inhabit the body of Thewana?
YES
Do we have the ability to rescue Tor now?
ONLY HIS BODY
Do we have the ability, or know anyone who has the ability, to undo what was done to Tor’s mind?
NOT AT PRESENT
If we attempt to rescue Tor’s body, and hold him in some way, will the Delfirians try to recover him?
ALMOST CERTAINLY
Do we have the ability to deal with Darkeye’s stronghold now?
WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY
Are Darkeye’s actions or plans related to the departure of Drosh, or the death of one of the Great Pack?
NO
Are there Black Circle members still active among the priestesses of Ell?
I DON’T THINK SO
Is Sagiro still alive?
THAT QUESTION CANNOT BE ANSWERED
Does Darkeye know where Sagiro is?
NO
We’re trying to determine what to do next. Of the possible activities: Find Darkeye’s stronghold, investigate Aravis’s visions from the Maze, investigate the death of the Great Pack member, or investigate the Guild of Chains and try to free the Kivian dwarves, is there an action that we should not yet attempt?
THE QUESTION IS TOO VAGUE
Would our rescue of the dwarves enslaved in Djaw be a disastrous distraction from the danger that caused Drosh to flee?
NO
Thank you.
YOU ARE WELCOME. CONTINUE TO DO GOOD WORKS.
His spell complete, Ernie lets in the onlookers They all want to cook as much they can while the spirit of Yondalla lingers.
Morningstar casts her commune later that day, kneeling before the altar in the Ellish fane at Kynder Hold.
Is there a place where a God is buried, on either Kivia or Charagan?
NO
Are Drosh or his followers responsible for guarding the burial area of the Gods?
YES
Are we needed to find the next Guardians of this burial area?
UNKNOWN
Is the dark area on the Kivian map related to where the Gods are buried?
NO
Is the Entity that the Black Circle was calling to in Het Branoi, related to the reason why Drosh is leaving?
YES
Is this the Adversary?
UNKNOWN
Is the dark liquid seen in Aravis’s dream, related to the black liquid we saw where the Slices were being created in Het Branoi?
I CANNOT SEE ARAVIS’S VISIONS
Is the black liquid we encountered in Het Branoi related to the burial area of the Gods?
IT COULD BE USEFUL THERE
Useful to us?
YES
Is Aravis Divine?
YES, IN A SMALL WAY
Is Aravis Divine in the same way as the recently-murdered member of the Great Pack was Divine?
YES
Was the member of the Great Pack who was recently killed a human?
NO
Is the death of the member of the Great Pack related to Drosh leaving?
EXTREMELY TANGENTIALLY
Is Octesian in Charagan?
NO
Is he in Kivia?
YES
Through inattention, we allowed Darkeye’s plot to change time to succeed. Is there a similar plot that we should be attending to now?
UNKNOWN
Is Aravis human?
YES
12. And while all of this is going on, the majority of the Company’s time and effort is spent on making magic items in the Greenhouse basement laboratory. (Dranko also takes the time to find buyers for a number of items the party has outgrown or has no use for.) Between the recently-acquired haul from Dafron’s assassins, and a number of newly-crafted items, the Company comes out significantly upgraded in terms of their enchanted armamentarium.
But it’s inevitable that, when a group of adventurer’s like Abernathy’s Company spends too long avoiding trouble, trouble comes searching them out. With a few days still remaining on their crafting itinerary, Morningstar receives an ominous sending:
This is from Cobb. Bad news. Burglars broke into estates, stole something from basement forbidden room which is now empty. Orders for Cobb?
Morningstar replies: Tell Cobb to leave the area as untouched as possible. We’ll be right over.
She tells the others of this message, as they eat lunch at the Golden Goblet. They all look at one another, and come to the same grim conclusion.
The Null Shadow Cauldron has been taken.
...to be continued...
Information
The discussion as they leave the Enchanters’ Hall largely concerns the Guild of Chains. There is general agreement that something is rotten about whole arrangement, and that they could probably dig up some dirt if they went back to Gurund and got hold of specific criminal records. Ernie opines sadly that if there is something amiss, it’s likely an open secret among the parties involved; after all there’s money to be made, and slave ownership is popular among the upper classes.
Regardless, the party spends the next three months engaged in a number of different activities, often splitting up and separated by the gulf of the ocean. Here is a summary of their activities through early June:
1. Aravis receives another communiqué from his aspect in the Crosser’s Maze:
Your dream is a vision, clear and cold. You have discovered a vast and lifeless city, and there are tombs here, underground crypts not meant for mortal remains. Through the Maze you have arrived, but you are not meant to be here. Gods fought, and Gods died, and here are Gods interred.
“They called it Naslund, the Great Necropolis,” says the voice of King Vhadish XXIII, who stands nearby. “But who will tend it, with its Caretakers gone?”
He relates this to the others, and they ponder the introduced mysteries.
“Brush up on your turning,” suggests Grey Wolf to the party clerics.
“Wait... Gods died?” asks Morningstar. “I mean... I never envisioned that they could have bodies that would need burial.”
“If Gods can fight, Gods can die,” says Dranko.
“Many of your human gods fled from the Great Enemy,” Ernie points out. “Why would they have fled, if they couldn’t be killed?”
“I’m not disturbed by the thought that Gods can die,” says Aravis – which is an ironic comment for a couple of reasons.
“Think of it, though,” says Ernie. “If you can take a dragon’s toenail and use it for powerful spell components, what could you do with a God’s body?”
“And imagine the loot that might be buried in a God’s tomb!” adds Flicker.
“Er... maybe it was just an actual bad dream?” suggests Kibi, not at all comfortable with the topic.
Aravis sighs. “I wish it were, but this was clearly a vision from the Maze.”
“I wonder,” says Morningstar, looking thoughtful. “If the Caretakers were the ones who just left – the ones we gave the Maze to...”
2. Dranko checks briefly on his grandfather (who is still in good health), but spends most of his free time administering the Undermen in as visible a way as possible. He consults with Lucas Blackwell about their nascent trading company, reviews some new recruits, talks with Greta Smith about the state of the Guild treasury, and learns to his delight that the Undermen sponsor their very own adventuring party – a group of mid-level heroes who style themselves “The Overmen.”
He also finds the time to visit Harmon, his old mentor at the Tal Hae church. Dranko tells his friend the entire tale of his adventures, including the particularly disturbing news from their encounter with Belshikun.
“One of the Gods in Kivia is fleeing,” he says as a closing remark.
“From... the Adversary?” Harmon can’t mask his skepticism.
“We don’t know,” admits Dranko. “But we think so.”
“I really doubt that,” says Harmon. “That the Adversary would have only found us now, after all this time? And if he has, we’d all be dead.”
“You know how when you go into a cave, you carry a canary,” says Dranko, “and if the canary dies, you know you’re going to die too?”
Harmon grunts and shakes his head. It’s too much for him, really, but he presses on.
“So what God fled?” he asks.
“The God of Death,” says Dranko.
“The Kivian God of Death has left his people behind, and the world, you say. But the Gods live in the Heavens. Are you saying that the Kivian Gods are abandoning Heaven?”
Dranko exhales, “I don’t know. We don’t know.”
“These things are far beyond my knowledge and experience,” says Harmon.
“Well, there’s also the demon who wants to destroy my soul.”
Harmon sighs. “Dranko, didn’t’ I tell you that if you didn’t watch your tongue, someday you’d lose it?”
“Hey! I did the right thing!”
“Yes. You are extremely brave, forthright, and luckier than any man has a right to be. And if he does decide to come after you? What are you going to do?”
“My plan,” says Dranko, “is to become as saintly as possible, so the church will send in its most powerful heroes to save me.”
Harmon chuckles. “First, my understanding is, you are ‘the most powerful heroes.’ Second, when are you going to start acting saintly?”
A little guiltily, Dranko says, “Er.... well, I have a bunch of people who are ready to spread rumors about how pious and good I am. Does that count?”
Harmon says nothing for a moment, his expression growing more serious. “Dranko, can I talk to you about something?”
He stands, crosses the room, and closes the door.
“Dranko, I’ve been hearing things. Disturbing things. That... you’ve been associating with the... Undermen. Is that true?”
“Why would I be doing that?” asks Dranko.
Harmon is not fooled. “I know that you’re a good man at heart. Be careful when you deal with such an unseemly lot.”
“If I were associating with them, it would be with the ultimate goal of trying to redeem and improve them,” says Dranko. “We all serve Delioch in our own way.”
“Do not become ensnared in their unsavory dealings!” warns Harmon.
“As of right now, I feel that I am in control of the situation,” says Dranko.
Harmon cracks a smile again. Is this really the same half-orcish scamp who terrorized the clergy all those years? “Dranko, you know that I will always trust you to do the right thing.”
“And that’s why I look up to you more than just about anyone else in the world,” says Dranko with a grin. “You have been a beacon of goodness to me. Do you think I should tell Tomnic about any of this stuff?”
Harmon is surprised by the question. “Of course you should!”
“Will he believe me?”
“He’ll know if you speak the truth, Dranko. He is the leader of our church.”
3. Morningstar visits several churches throughout Charagan, feeling out the delicate political fabric that her journey and subsequent elevation made inevitable. In specific she is concerned about how the ranks of newly-minted Daywalkers are being integrated into the church proper. Technically it’s over and done with, declared as Law by High Priestess Rhiavonne. But while most of the rank of file sisters are relieved that the tension of Schism has been relieved, there is still grumbling from some quarters and more political maneuvering than Morningstar is comfortable with.
Amber, the clear choice, has been put in charge of the Daywalkers in Tal Hae, and Morningstar sits down with her one sunny afternoon. The snores of the sisterhood come faintly from the dormitories. Amber herself sits behind a jet-black desk piled high with scrolls and notebooks.
“It’s what I’ve gotten myself into,” she says to Morningstar with a helpless gesture. “Administrative nonsense. I liked the fire and brimstone better, but it’s Ell’s will. And how are you?”
“Well, thank you,” says Morningstar. It’s such an odd conversation to be having. With a start she realizes that it’s the first day of April – four years ago to the day was her summons by Abernathy. (And relatively it seems even longer, what with her time spent in the past.)
“Should I add your name to the local rolls?” asks Amber casually.
Morningstar considers. “I suspect I’ll always be out and about.”
“But your name ought to be recorded somewhere,” presses Amber. “You are the de facto leader of the Daywalkers, and most would say of the Dreamwalkers as well.”
“I am the ‘Child of Darkness and Light’,” says Morningstar with an exaggerated sigh.
“Many of us are, these days,” says Amber, laughing. “We are hoping for a half-dozen Daywalkers at every major temple and shrine, but you are not personally affiliated with any place. It would be an honor to connect you with Tal Hae.”
Seeing that Amber won’t take ‘no’ for an answer, she relents, and Amber wastes no time added Morningstar’s name to the official record.
“So, what’s next?” Amber asks. “I’m glad that things have worked out so well, but I almost feel deflated. Like we’re preparing for an unknown future, with no fixed goals.”
“Octesian is still out there,” Morningstar reminds her.
“Do you have any leads?”
“No,” admits Morningstar. “But finding him would be a fine goal in itself. And training up as a cohesive fighting force is always advised. Remember, you can train with other priestesses; you are still allowed to associate with those who are not Daywalkers.”
Amber steeples her fingers and touches her lips. “There is... some pressure against that, unfortunately. We are seen as a specific, separate unit, if you take my meaning. It is the price of a begrudging tolerance. But... small steps. Small steps. We are certainly making progress.”
“It’s not very exciting,” says Morningstar, “but our highest priority should be to gain the trust and acceptance of the main body of the Church.”
“And the best way to do that is to do good works, and serve Ell without reservation,” says Amber. “And by doing, not seem so separate. For better or worse, we were considered militant at best, and heretical at worst in some quarters.”
She looks thoughtfully at Morningstar before changing the subject. “I understand you’re going to be writing some scrolls... some new chapters of our holy texts. That’s very exciting! Just think, a thousand years from now, the Scrolls of Morningstar will be read alongside the papers and prophecies of Therena, the Lady Vesper, and all the other prophets and seers of the ages. Have you given any thought to what you’ll write?”
“Some,” says Morningstar, as non-committaly as possible.
“If you want help, just to bounce ideas off of, I am at your disposal,” says Amber, a gleam in her eye.
“I haven’t started the process yet, but thank you,” says Morningstar gratefully. And to change the subject herself, she asks: “Have you had a chance to visit Kivia, now that anyone can do that?”
Amber looks ruefully at the stacks of papers on her desk. “Maybe I’ll take a vacation. Get out from under all of this, and take a trip, see the world. There are ships making the crossing now, several weeks long I understand. There’s a lot to see under the sun, and it’s my job now to see it.”
4. When Morningstar relates her conversation with Amber to the others, Dranko chuckles at Amber’s lack of subtlety. “Everyone wants to be famous,” he says, speaking from the heart.
“And we are famous!” says Flicker. “We’re the Heroes of the Kalkas Peaks!”
That makes Dranko nostalgic for their keep in the Norlin Hills – technically “Longtooth Keep,” though he refers to it, as always, as “Castle Blackhope.” He, Flicker and Kibi take a quick teleport to visit the place, and find that it’s looking extremely spiffy and refurbished. There is still a team of fifteen dwarven craftsmen there, reinforcing the bailey, building new stone stairways to replace the old crumbling ones, and making numerous small repairs and improvements. The old squatter, Fergus, is still there doing odd jobs and yard work, and calling himself the official caretaker.
5. In the name of due diligence, the Company makes sure that the Null Shadow Cauldron is still secure in Kallor, and that the Evil Black Book remains protected in the Greenhouse. Both are as they were last left.
6. Two weeks after his vision about the Necropolis, Aravis has a new dream from the Maze:
You are back in the tavern again, its time and place unknown. You sit across from yourself, though it is not yourself, but rather that elusive someone whom you both have and have not met. He has been speaking to you.
“...history. I find it rather tragic.”
Your double grasps your hand, and again you are plunged into a vision within the vision. A tall man dressed in kingly garb stands in a dead and lonely field. He glances to the sides, as if fearing he was followed here. The full moon illuminates his handsome face.
The field is not simply dead. It is corrupted, its grass black and reeking, and this man of royal countenance wrinkles his nose even as he takes slow steps inward. He stops when he reaches the center of the field, his feet at the edge of a still black pool hardly bigger than a puddle. He looks down at the pool intently, as if it is whispering and he strains to hear what it’s saying.
The man’s lips quirk. ‘What do you want?” he asks in a trembling voice. “Why have you called me here?” He listens again to the silent field, and then reaches down to touch the surface of the pool...
The vision ends abruptly, and you are jarred awake. It is the middle of the night.
“The Maze should send you something happier,” says Flicker, when Aravis tells them about it over the morning’s heroes’ feast.
“That black pool is probably the ‘black goo,’” guesses Grey Wolf. “The stuff from Het Branoi.”
7. Six weeks into their hiatus, on a night when all the Company is enjoying the plush comforts of the Golden Goblet, there comes a great cacophony from the streets. It is dogs – dozens, hundreds of dogs, baying and barking and howling in loud and mournful tones. The sound comes from all directions, so it’s not localized to any one area. As far as the groggy party can tell, every dog in Djaw is raising a ruckus. It continues for over ten minutes, punctuated by numerous human shouts of annoyance, before it starts to die down.
The next morning everyone in the city is talking about it, though no one seems to know why it happened. Aravis and Dranko immediately teleport back to Charagan and look up Octavius Hightower in the capital city. Octavius is the leader of the Starshine Players, a troupe of bards in the employ of the Undermen. And the bardic spell list includes speak with animals.
“How urgent is this matter?” inquires Octavius, upon hearing Dranko’s unusual request.
“Very,” says Dranko. “Dogs forget things very quickly.”
Octavius soon introduces them to a tall, skinny bard with a thick drooping mustache and a parrot perched piratically on his shoulder. Georg is his name, and he bows when he learns he’s speaking directly to the Oracle himself.
“It’s truly an honor to meet you, sir,” he says.
“Rawk!” Says the parrot. “Suck up! Suck up! Rawk!”
They intend to ferry Georg back to Djaw, but find to their surprise that the dog-barking episode also occurred in Charagan! So the party quickly rounds up a dog from the street, and Dranko puts his headband of intellect around its head. He asks his questions while Georg translates.
“Why do you look so sad?” asks Dranko. And it’s true – the dog’s tail is dragging, its movements sluggish.
“There has been a great tragedy,” says the dog. “An important dog has died.”
“The God of Dogs?” asks Dranko, thinking of Aravis.
“It was one of the Great Pack,” says the dog.
“How do you know he died?” asks Dranko.
“All the dogs felt it,” says the dog. “Didn’t you?”
“Where did it happen?” presses Dranko. “Who killed him?”
The dog looks puzzled. “I’m not sure where it was. But one of the Great Pack was killed, by a shadow.”
“How many dogs are in the Great Pack?”
“I don’t know. I can’t count.”
“Are the more left?” asks Dranko.
“There must be,” says the dog plaintively.
Dranko takes back his headband, exchanging it for a soup bone. The dog wags its tail and licks his face.
Aravis looks troubled. “Maybe they’ll be after me next.”
8. Two weeks after the barking dog incident, Aravis receives yet another piece of mental correspondence from the Crosser’s Maze:
The tavern is starting to become familiar, and your ally sits across from you. Still he wears your face.
“Once again I have something to share,” he says. “It’s disturbing. And this is relatively current.”
He touches your hand, and in another vision you see two figures in silhouette, one short and wide, the other tall and lithe, both fully armored. The short one hands the tall one a tiny vessel, like a thimble, filled with...
“Drink it,” the short one hisses. “And be grateful you are found worthy of such an honor.”
The tall person drinks, convulses, gasps. The short person chuckles.
“There. Now you’ll survive the trip.”
9. Kibi is able to find a learned sage named Ten Twisted Words, who specializes in Djawish legal matters. The dwarf retains his professional services, seeking information on the following related matters:
- What are the specific legalities (or lack thereof) of enslaving someone? What determines the circumstances of enslavement, and the duration of the sentence? Is there anything unusual about the enslavement of dwarves from Gurund?
- What is the extent of connection between the Guild of Chains and the ruling body of Djaw? What is the general attitude of the government toward the Guild and its activities?
A week and 100 miracs later, Twisted Words delivers Kibi a summary:
To Mr. Kibilhathur Bimson:
Pursuant to your request for services, I have prepared this document in order to address your questions regarding the Guild of Chains.
The Guild of Chains (hereafter, 'the Guild') is a long-established and well-respected organization that provides a valuable service to the city of Djaw, the other Jewels of the Plains, and several surrounding states. They are granted an official charter, renewed annually by the office of the Emperor, may he live forever, to acquire slaves in accordance with Djawish and local laws, and make those slaves available for auction. They are charged additionally with holding the slaves between purchase and auction, carrying out the auctions, and making delivery of product.
Specifically, the Guild is authorized to purchase and enslave persons who fall into one of two categories:
1) A person who has acquired debts and lacks the ability to make repayment within the contracted time. By presenting the contract in question before a lawfully appointed magistrate of Djaw, the creditor may legally sell the debtor to the Guild for a sum of miracs equal to the amount of the debt owed. The Guild may then sell the slave at auction. The period of enslavement is based upon a strict schedule correlated with the amount of the debt. For instance, an unpaid debt of 500 miracs will result in 5 years of enslavement.
Slaves who fall into this category must live within the generally accepted geographical boundaries of the White Sun Kingdom.
2) A person who has been found guilty and convicted of a crime, and is being held by a local government, may be purchased by the Guild from that government and sold as a slave at auction. In this case, the government in question need not be one within the White Sun Kingdom; the Guild has purchased criminals from Gurund and Dir-Tolia. (There are conflicting reports of criminals purchased from Seresef.) There is a minimum local population requirement of 50 persons in order for the Guild to agree to a slave transaction. Any criminal held in a village of fewer than 50 persons may only be sold by an authority of an encompassing district, town, county, city-state or country that in total contains over 50 persons.
Price is negotiated directly between the Guild and the governing authority in question. The relevant crime need only be considered such by local law, and not necessarily by Djawish law. The Guild is authorized to consider each case individually, and purchase any slave who they agree has committed a crime in his or her local jurisdiction. A written report of the crime and its circumstances are said to be filed and kept at the Guild of Chains administrative center in Djaw, though it is not available to the public. The Guild theoretically determines the length of enslavement based generally on the severity of the crime, but they have complete authority to decide individual cases as they see fit, and a majority of criminals-turned-slaves
are given lifetime sentences of enslavement.
As stated, the Guild is officially sanctioned by the Royal Court of Djaw, and their charter is signed personally by the Emperor, may he live forever. Among the nobles at court, many have political and financial ties to the Guild, and most own one or more slaves, though there is typically a minority court faction that would prefer the Guild to be dissolved and slavery made illegal.
Regarding Gurund, and dwarvish slaves: the Guild typically purchases around 100 criminals annually from Gurundian authorities and sells them at auction in Djaw. Dwarves are highly sought-after and command higher than average prices, as their quiet and taciturn natures, along with their physical strength and knowledge of various trade skills, make them ideally suited for ownership. Dwarvish slave contracts always run for a full life term, a Guild discretionary decision likely based on maximizing their selling prices.
Should you wish to extend your inquiry, I am at your disposal.
Yours in knowledge,
Ten Twisted Words
10. Seeking more information on the topic, Ernie pays a visit to Yale, advisor to King Crunard IV of Charagan. His wait for the appointment is less than an hour; such is the privilege of a Knight of the Spire Guard.
In a small meeting room in the King’s Palace, high atop a hill in Har Charagan, Ernie explains to Yale that he’d like to find out more about the slave trade.
“And while I and my friends have many talents, we lack diplomatic subtlety. But you must already have representatives over there; can you tell me anything about the Guild of Chains, and the enslavement of dwarves in particular?”
Yale looks down at her hands. “I have seen the preliminary reports,” she says. “The slave trade of Djaw and the surrounding lands, while distasteful, seems completely legal according to all local laws.”
“May I be allowed to speak to your diplomats?” asks Ernie. “I mean, about what they learn of the ins and outs of the slave trade?”
Yale fixes Ernie with a even gaze. “We are disinclined to start pressing that sort of issue with a foreign government, in such early stages of establishing ambassadorial ties. Our diplomats already have extremely complex agendas. But, yes, we will certainly share with you anything we learn on the topic of slavery among the Jewels of the Plains.”
“That will sure be better than having Dranko talk to everyone,” says Ernie.
Yale laughs. “Now there’s a mission we might ask you to undertake for your Kingdom.”
“To stop Dranko from talking?”
“To mitigate the effects therefrom,” says Yale.
“I’ll try,” says Ernie. “But Dranko has certain financial interests in expanding trade in that regard, so I.... er...”
The halfling turns bright red as he stammers to a halt. Yale leans forward.
“Financial interests? Really?”
“I can’t say anymore!” squeaks Ernie.
“I could order you to say,” says Yale quietly.
“Yes,” Ernie acknowledges. “But then I’d be very sad and conflicted.”
Yale chuckles. “We have suspicions, but perhaps they don’t bear looking into at this time. You understand that the Spire Guard, including Dranko, have our full confidence.”
11. Toward the end of the three months, having learned so much and still with many, many questions, Morningstar and Ernie each cast separate communes – Ernie at the Yondallan church in his home of Dingman’s Ferry, and Morningstar at her home temple of Kynder Hold.
Ernie is unable to cast his divination with any privacy. He is a hero of incredible proportion in his tiny home village, and a crowd of novices (along with an assortment of laity) crowd around the temple kitchen to see what it looks like when someone communes with Yondalla.
He casts his spell, and the Goddess is with him.
Is Aravis a divine figure to cats?
YES
In Kivia and Charagan, dogs mourned the death of one from something called the Great Pack. They think he was killed by a shadow. Is the shadow related to the Black Circle?
YES, RELATED
Does the death of the member of the Great Pack mean that Aravis is also in danger from that shadow?
PROBABLY
Does Tor now serve the Delfirians?
YES
Was Tor’s mind altered, or was he otherwise coerced into serving the Delfirians?
YES, ALTERED
Does the spirit of Davarian Firemount now inhabit the body of Thewana?
YES
Do we have the ability to rescue Tor now?
ONLY HIS BODY
Do we have the ability, or know anyone who has the ability, to undo what was done to Tor’s mind?
NOT AT PRESENT
If we attempt to rescue Tor’s body, and hold him in some way, will the Delfirians try to recover him?
ALMOST CERTAINLY
Do we have the ability to deal with Darkeye’s stronghold now?
WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY
Are Darkeye’s actions or plans related to the departure of Drosh, or the death of one of the Great Pack?
NO
Are there Black Circle members still active among the priestesses of Ell?
I DON’T THINK SO
Is Sagiro still alive?
THAT QUESTION CANNOT BE ANSWERED
Does Darkeye know where Sagiro is?
NO
We’re trying to determine what to do next. Of the possible activities: Find Darkeye’s stronghold, investigate Aravis’s visions from the Maze, investigate the death of the Great Pack member, or investigate the Guild of Chains and try to free the Kivian dwarves, is there an action that we should not yet attempt?
THE QUESTION IS TOO VAGUE
Would our rescue of the dwarves enslaved in Djaw be a disastrous distraction from the danger that caused Drosh to flee?
NO
Thank you.
YOU ARE WELCOME. CONTINUE TO DO GOOD WORKS.
His spell complete, Ernie lets in the onlookers They all want to cook as much they can while the spirit of Yondalla lingers.
Morningstar casts her commune later that day, kneeling before the altar in the Ellish fane at Kynder Hold.
Is there a place where a God is buried, on either Kivia or Charagan?
NO
Are Drosh or his followers responsible for guarding the burial area of the Gods?
YES
Are we needed to find the next Guardians of this burial area?
UNKNOWN
Is the dark area on the Kivian map related to where the Gods are buried?
NO
Is the Entity that the Black Circle was calling to in Het Branoi, related to the reason why Drosh is leaving?
YES
Is this the Adversary?
UNKNOWN
Is the dark liquid seen in Aravis’s dream, related to the black liquid we saw where the Slices were being created in Het Branoi?
I CANNOT SEE ARAVIS’S VISIONS
Is the black liquid we encountered in Het Branoi related to the burial area of the Gods?
IT COULD BE USEFUL THERE
Useful to us?
YES
Is Aravis Divine?
YES, IN A SMALL WAY
Is Aravis Divine in the same way as the recently-murdered member of the Great Pack was Divine?
YES
Was the member of the Great Pack who was recently killed a human?
NO
Is the death of the member of the Great Pack related to Drosh leaving?
EXTREMELY TANGENTIALLY
Is Octesian in Charagan?
NO
Is he in Kivia?
YES
Through inattention, we allowed Darkeye’s plot to change time to succeed. Is there a similar plot that we should be attending to now?
UNKNOWN
Is Aravis human?
YES
12. And while all of this is going on, the majority of the Company’s time and effort is spent on making magic items in the Greenhouse basement laboratory. (Dranko also takes the time to find buyers for a number of items the party has outgrown or has no use for.) Between the recently-acquired haul from Dafron’s assassins, and a number of newly-crafted items, the Company comes out significantly upgraded in terms of their enchanted armamentarium.
But it’s inevitable that, when a group of adventurer’s like Abernathy’s Company spends too long avoiding trouble, trouble comes searching them out. With a few days still remaining on their crafting itinerary, Morningstar receives an ominous sending:
This is from Cobb. Bad news. Burglars broke into estates, stole something from basement forbidden room which is now empty. Orders for Cobb?
Morningstar replies: Tell Cobb to leave the area as untouched as possible. We’ll be right over.
She tells the others of this message, as they eat lunch at the Golden Goblet. They all look at one another, and come to the same grim conclusion.
The Null Shadow Cauldron has been taken.
...to be continued...
