We Interrupt This Adventure to bring you the following scholarly excerpt by the noted sage Littleby Cakebeard
[Note: this chapter was written by Crater, who plays Littleby Cakebeard]
Side note - Making Sense of it All
Making Sense of it All
The Dansters were once members of the outlawed faction called the Expansionists, they came to Tal'Chuan as fugitives and have been there for several generations.
Lord Danster went to rally his planar allies to combat the Illithid invaders, but he went missing.
The Harmonium were searching for the Dansters, in order to bring the fugitives to 'justice'. They then became involved in the war with the Illlithids.
Miranda Allman, Serena's step-mother made a contract with an Arcanoloth called Orroloth to gain power and status.
What was the relationship between Miranda Allman and the Danster family?
While following the trail the group is soon attacked by a band of Githyankis, led by one who we now know to be called Jezreen Quickeye, a high-up in the Council of Anarchy, who I think are based in Automata, gate-town to Mechanus.
Quickeye actually assists the party in fighting the Illithids, both there at the mountain spire city Tal'Chuan, and then much later in Automata in the arena, so we know she doesn't like Illithid, so why did she come to Tal'Chuan? Simply to fight Illithid? Probably not. Was Quickeye working against the Harmonium in Tal'Chuan, Anarchy vs Law? Would it be possible to find a timeline of the events around the invasion and Miranda Allman's rise to power?
The companions are frequently attacked by assassins, who each bear a black band around one finger. One of the assassins carries a magical dagger, an artifact related to Orcus, a dead fiendish god. One of the companions eventually gets overwhelmed by the personality of the dagger and now serves the assassins. When the companions fight the Assassins again in Sigil it turns out that they are Anarchists, and that they were sent by Miranda Allman, Serena's step-mother. So are all the assassins Anarchists, or is Miranda Allman just working with them to get Serena? The assassins imprisoned the companions on Acheron at one stage. If Miranda Allman wants Serena dead so badly why didn't they kill them there and then? Instead they left a mark of the Orcus. Am I wrong in presuming a connection between Miranda and the cult of the dead Orcus? Was that the nature of her contract with Orroloth?
In Commissioner Redstirke's office in the City Barracks, the illithid investigator told me that he had delved in to the mind of the last group of assassins.
He discovered their employer's name: Mirdanda Allman. He also discovered two other names. One relating to someone aiding the assassins and another relating to someone opposing them. The name of the ally is: Orroloth. The name of the enemy is: Jezrene.
A timeline of the events around the invasion and Miranda Allman's rise to power (GM Notes)
- in centuries past there was a great empire which grew out of the conquest of many countries
- eventually the empire began to wane and religious wars wracked the land
- the influences of the churches fell shortly afterwards and cabals of wizards rose to power
- the empire survived under the new leaders until one fateful day
- about a generation ago a new moon appeared in the sky over the world of Lammed
- with the new moon came invaders who enslaved and broke the empire is a short campaign that lasted less than six months
- those who were able to fled to the southern continent where the majority of people survive in the Mountain Spire cities
- others chose to live in small kingdoms between the cities, but the land is not very hospitable
- humans and other still live in the Northern continent where there is no war, famine or plague
- the Enemy allows them to continue with their lives and 'farms' them as and when necessary
- mostly they take for food, but sometimes for experimentation
- in the Southern continent the wizard cabals still rule, but the increase in psionics and planar influences threatens their power
So how does Miranda Allman fit in to all of this....
- Serena Allman was born to a high ranking officer in the army of Tal'Nattan and his beautiful wife
- At an early age it was discovered that Serena had mindwalking abilities
- She was raised in part by those who accepted people with these 'gifts'
- Her mother passed away and awhile later her father married a woman called Miranda
- This new wife was an ambitious women who came from an impoverished family, but she was very attractive and soon won over the retired officer
- Serena's education was in part sponsored by the Danster family who employed and trained her (although never in a formal capacity)
- the Dansters were one of the few noble families to admit to having 'mind gifts'
- It was during one of her longer journeys away from home that General Allman disappeared
- No one was sure what happened to him, but it was presumed that he had been carried off by the Enemy
- Sometimes afterwards Serena was asked by Lady Danster to look for her missing husband and Serena eventually journeyed to the planes in search of him
- Having acquired the Allman fortunes, Miranda proceeded to spread her influence by uniting many of the lesser Noble families in to a larger whole
- With the fall of the ruling cabal in Tal'Chuan and arrival of the Harmonium, many flocked to Miranda's banner for support
- It is rumoured that Miranda Allman possess unique gifts which are different to mindwalkers or the ruling wizards
- The Temple of Tomeri is opposed to Miranda's schemes, but does not have much military power to intervene
- There are rumours that the ruling Cabal is preparing to retire from the city of Tal'Nattan
- Miranda Allman has made it clear that the Enemy army which threatens Tal'Chuan will not reach Tal'Nattan
- People have begun disappearing in the lower levels of the city of Tal'Nattan and there are rumours of dark creatures prowling the lower levels
Recordings in a Mimir
[Note: this chapter was written by Crater, who plays Littleby Cakebeard]
One dark, sewer-scented anti-peak in the Lower Ward, Honorary Harmonium Officer Littleby Cakebeard, Dwarven wizard and negation specialist, joined Caleb Dour, the Earth Genasi priest of Grumbar and Elemental Paragon, for a mug of Moradin’s Swagger in the Earth quadrant of The Tavern of Elemental Evil.
Littleby related the tale of the companions since Serena, Malkir and Deus were charged with finding the missing Expansionist Lord Danster. Dour proved to be a patient listener. When 5 minutes after completing the summary Dour still hadn't responded, moved or even blinked, Littleby was startled by the Earth Genasi shifting suddenly in his stone chair and fixing eye contact.
“THAT'S INTERESTING.” The understatement was slow and deliberate. The Earth Genasi rarely seemed surprised, which considering the amount of information he tended to miss due to time-lag, was commendable.
“I have a theory.” began Littleby. Littleby had many theories. He theorised that the dark powers and arch-fiends of the Lower Planes were in fact nothing more than Imps, Mephits and rogue familiars playing the grandest and most elaborate hijinks, which mortals know as the Blood War, from their positions of almost absolute secrecy. He theorised that the Multiverse operated according to The Rule of Fours, which was like The Rule of Threes but superbly balanced and therefore more probable.
He continued: “It is known that the Anarchists are fractious, often working in isolated cells, sometimes with contrary objectives. We know that Jezreen Quickeye, a high ranking Anarchist, counts among her enemies Miranda Allman, who works with a separate cell. One thing that unites all Anarchists however is the long-term goal of bringing down the faction structure of Sigil.
“Now, I suspect that Toranna the Grey is herself not a Dustman. She works for the Luminous Ones whose objective is to infiltrate all the factions. To what end, revolution perhaps? When they were exposed where did they run to? To Carceri, land of vengelings and traitorlings, spiritual home and very physical headquarters of the Anarchists, so i’m told. I believe that the Luminous Ones are some kind of uber-cell within the Anarchists, and Toranna the Grey serves this purpose knowingly or unknowingly.”
Dour was once again silent for some time, then stirred as he began to speak:
“THERE SEEMS TO BE FAR TOO MUCH ANARCHY AT WORK FOR MY TASTES. ARE YOU CERTAIN THAT THIS MIRANDA ALLMAN IS IN LEAGUE WITH THE CULT OF ORCUS, THE GOD OF THE DEAD? NOT THAT I STUDY OTHER RELIGIONS IN MUCH DETAIL.”
“We can be sure that the Assassins she sends after us bear the black band of Orcus, a ring of unlife that perhaps signifies disconnection from the worlds of the living. My guess is that since signing the fiendish contract with the Yugoloth she has gained much influence within the cult.”
“PERHAPS THE YUGOLOTH SERVES A HIGHER MASTER. PERHAPS HE MERELY BROKERED THE CONTRACT.”
“Possibly, but he claims to be able to nullify the contract, or at least add clauses. This much I have seen him do. But listen, heres a fishy tale: Miranda Allman desperately wants Serena and her companions dead. Why? Could it be because of her mission to find Lord Danster, who went to rally opposition to the Illithid invaders? This would put her in league with the Illithid.”
“A FOUL UNION INDEED. MAANZACORIAN AND ORCUS. MAANZACORIAN IS THE CULT OF THE GOD OF DARK MAGIC, WHAT INTEREST WOULD THEY HAVE IN THE CHURCH OF A LONG DEAD FIEND?”
“...and why together would they invade an entire world, Orcus from within, Maanzacorian from without?”
There was a heavy silence. Silence was always heavy in company of the Earth Genasi. It was just that time itself seemed to slow down somewhat, the air around him took on the consistency of butter.
“COULD IT BE THAT THE TWO UNHOLY CHURCHES COMBINED INTEND TO RAISE THE DEAD FIEND ORCUS?”
The butter visibly churned. Littleby stood up, his face pale, and walked slowly towards the bar.
“SUCH A FEAT MAY REQUIRE PERHAPS THE SACRIFICE OF COUNTLESS THOUSANDS OF SOULS.” said Dour, lost in thought, not realising his companion had left the table.
At length, Littleby, two more mugs of Swagger, and a large urn of dumpling Schlock arrived at the table.
“Where do undead Illithid go to drink in Sigil?” asked Littleby, having regained his composure somewhat. The furrows in Caleb's heavy brow were furrowing thrice-fold. “The Tavern of Smelly Mental Evil.” said the Dwarf coldly. “Do you want the dumplings?” he enquired, ladelling Schlock into a pair of tin bowls.
“PERHAPS WE WOULD GET SOME ANSWERS THERE THEN.”
“Very possibly my friend,” slurped the Dwarf, “...very possibly.”
I wonder where that was found? If we can find out where it is being kept we can find out where Miranda Alman will show up next!
![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
Hmm, I wonder where the adventurers could be going next?
Also, if you want to trade it for something else that is imbued with divine power, then perhaps you could petition Tomeri, Nyon or Grumbar?
