World of Embrel: Knights of Magic - Episode 11

== Summary ==
After playing a decisive role in the defense of Wilderest from invading giants, the party became Knights of the Vanguard, knighted by the king of Oldirin himself. The Vanguard then tasked the party with a new adventure: to find a ship that will carry them south of the Summer Sea. There, they would find an isle with a shrine to the Goddess of Magic, where they might learn why magic in Embrel was dying—and how to prevent that death.
In this episode, Kartuk came face to face with the Immortal Man, who murdered the Duke of Sunward. The party also stopped the former head of Sunward’s guard from enacting a coup. After departing Sunward on the Coral Breaker, each Knight had a personal talk with Lovich Chrem and received a special gift. Finally, the party found the isle they had been searching for, though they did not yet know how they would reach it.
== A Coup in the Castle ==
In the palace of Sunward, Kartuk snooped around, intent on checking out Duke Julio Anthnal’s office. However, she was surprised to find a Silence spell cast over the office. Upon looking inside, she discovered Otto von Daxon, the Immortal Man who had been behind the assassination attempts on the party, standing over the dead body of Duke Anthnal.
Finding her abilities hampered by the Silence spell, Tuk tossed the wine bottle she carried out of the room, hoping to alert guards with the sound of the shattering bottle. Though she didn’t hear it, the bottle did shatter and guards began to make their way to the office.
Tuk wasn’t willing to wait for backup and attacked the Immortal Man, throwing a dagger. It missed, clanging noiselessly against the wall. The Immortal Man grinned and walked towards her without fear. He grabbed her throat and transformed, skin rearranging and bones breaking, reforming into a clone of Kartuk. He choked her, draining her endurance. Tuk tried to kick him away, and though her move failed to break his grip, she knocked a stone out of his belt. Suddenly she could hear again. Black spots darkened her vision as she lost consciousness, but the clinking of armored guards hustling up the hall gave her hope.
To her surprise, she soon regained consciousness to find the Immortal Man—still as a clone of Kartuk—standing over her, casting Cure Wounds. “I’m not done with you,” he said.
The guards arrived, surprised to see two Kartuks in the room. Without hesitation, Tuk pulled out her Vanguard badge and said, “That’s an imposter, the Immortal Man. He killed the Duke.” But the Immortal Man pulled out his own Vanguard badge and accused Tuk of being the imposter.
The guards had no idea what to do. Tuk cast Ensnaring Strike and cut into the Immortal Man’s leg with a dagger. Though the wound immediately healed, he chose to revert back to the form of Otto von Daxon. He broke free from the snare and moved to the window, saying, “This is not the end.” Then he changed into a hawk, the snapping bones a nightmarish sound. He flew out the window and into the night.
Down the hall, Tuk heard guards hollering. She grabbed the silence stone and pocketed it, then yelled, “I’m on my way,” grabbing two of her daggers and running to meet whatever danger was out there.
Meanwhile, Dagney Kwon and Linus went to the palace library after their party in the Ice Breaker workshop. Lugo had gone to bed, tired from the long day. Linus spent his time in the library looking up as much as he could about Witches. He learned that witch clay and blue honey were signs that a Witch was nearby. Both reagents were evidence that a Witch had used her magic somewhere nearby, changing the molecular structure of the environment. The reagents were incredibly rare and powerful.
Eventually, Linus heard a commotion, guards saying, “He’s escaped” as they passed the library. Apparently, twenty-four hours before the Knights landed in Sunward, Duke Anthnal and Oyliv the Court Mage had caught Valanthar, the head of the guard, embezzling funds and had him arrested. Now, Valanthar had escaped from the dungeon.  Linus followed the crowd of guards.
At that time, Ferrah and Uno were leaving Hazzel’s room and heading back to their own. Ferrah was glad to see Hazzel cheerful, though Uno wasn’t happy about Hazzel being eager to die. As they walked, they heard guards having a crisis. Ferrah asked what was the problem, which the guards explained. The Duke’s vault had been broken into and a relic called the Mage Slayer had been stolen.
Soon, Ferrah and Uno met up with Kartuk. “What’s going on?” the two asked. Kartuk explained the assassination. “What’s going on?” Tuk asked in return. Ferrah and Uno explained the stolen Mage Slayer. Linus then arrived, asking “What’s going on?” as well. After the others explained, he reported the escape of Valanthar. Finally, having heard the commotion, Hope had gathered Kartuk's weapons and brought them with her as she looked for the party. Meeting up with the group—and after asking “What’s going on?” and being told what was going on—she warned Linus to be careful because the Mage Slayer could kill him instantly.
The party followed the guards and the Mage Oyliv, descending into the dungeon where a battle was taking place below them. Oyliv explained that Valanthar had been paying some guards extra coin, and they had switched sides to join Valanthar. The guards with the Knights looked unsettled, realizing that they were going to have to kill people they knew. Kartuk and the Knights took the lead. Tuk said if the guards were staying behind, she'd better not catch a knife in her back.
Reaching the final level, they saw a guard trying to barricade a room. But the door burst open and twelve guards in full regalia filed out. Black paint was splattered on their shields, showing that they no longer recognized the authority of Sunward.
Valanthar entered the room, a scrawny, three-foot-tall person with wild red hair and swimming in his armor. He ordered the Vanguard to get out of his way.
Ferrah stepped forward and put her hand on the guard who had tried to barricade the door. She said, "We’ve got this." She faced her opponents stoically. Then she breathed acid while Uno flapped his wings to make a wind that spread the acid, covering five people. Valanthar seemed barely affected, but one opponent’s face melted off as he screamed in pain. Three raised their shields, which sizzled in the acid and clanked to the floor.
The soldiers began to charge, but Linus was faster. He maneuvered to keep from hitting Ferrah, then cast Rime's Binding Ice, blowing a blizzard that covered five of the soldiers. The frost went into their mouths and throats. They gagged, coughing up chunks of their flesh as they died. Then Linus ran back, hiding behind one of Uno's wings.
Five of the remaining soldiers attacked Ferrah, coordinating their spear strikes. Two hit, though she dodged the others.
Tuk cast Hail of Thorns and shot an arrow at Valanthar. It was a critical strike. The hail of thorns rained over the two guards beside Valanthar, ravaging them and killing them instantly. Valanthar himself was gravely wounded from the assault. He fell to one knee.
"Any last words?" Tuk asked.
Valanthar looked up and softly said, "I yield."
Uno told Valanthar not to resist and cast Hold Person, paralyzing him. The other soldiers dropped their weapons. Uno ordered them back to the prison and tied up Valanthar.
== Departing by Dawn ==
With the coup disrupted and the party needing to embark on the Coral Breaker with the coming dawn, the group planned their next move. Linus suggested getting Lovich and Hazzel while Ferrah suggested informing Di’Thranshalla Anthnal that her father had been murdered.
Meanwhile, Di stood outside Lugo’s door, trying to pick his lock without success. Little did she know that Lugo had barred his door with a chair and slept soundly.
Oyliv commended the Knights, saying that they had ended a coup in less than a minute. Tuk then informed him that the Duke was dead. Oyliv was stunned and walked off to make preparations. The palace was put on lockdown.
Uno said they needed to make sure the Coral Breaker was secure, which Linus volunteered to do with Hazzel. Uno planned to ride a nasus to check the perimeter of the palace for clues of the Immortal Man, but Ferrah suggested that as the most charismatic, Uno should consult with Di to confirm that they would be allowed to take the Coral Breaker. Hope also explained that the dukes were not hereditary and the King of Oldirin would appoint a new duke for Sunward in the future.
A man named Tomas Evergreen approached and thanked the Vanguard for the promotion, as he had become head of the guard since Valanthar was defeated. Tomas wanted all the Knights to give a witness report, but Tuk said that the other Knights had duties to perform and she would give the report herself. After a few antagonistic minutes talking about the attack of the Immortal Man where Tomas gave her a hard time, Tuk gave up and said she had better things to do. She left to find the two guards who had witnessed the dead Duke and the Immortal Man’s transformation.
One guard wasn't doing too well and was resting, but the other arrived. He was an older, portly man who had been unnerved by watching magic at work. He said he wasn’t paid enough to care about this magic business. Tuk tried to give him a piece of silver so that he would care, but he took it as a bribe, which angered Tuk. She bonked him between the eyes and asked him to be as descriptive as possible about what actually happened, demanding he simply tell the truth rather than what she wanted to hear. She took out another silver and kicked down the door to where the captain was, bringing the guard to him.
Tomas was getting measured by a tailor for his new captain of the guard outfit. Tuk told her witness to repeat what had happened to Tomas. The story was convoluted, but the gist of it was there: A ne’er-do-well malcontent magic man could take the form of Kartuk and that of a bird, had killed the Duke, and bruised Tuk’s throat. Tuk on the floor continually stabbed the malcontent but only hit once, and the damage immediately healed. The magic man turned into a bird and flew out the window, but Tuk was a hero and very brave, saving the guards from the ne’er-do-well.
Tuk rolled her eyes and slipped two silver pieces into the guard’s pocket. Everyone present saw it, including Hope and possibly Ferrah. But Tomas didn’t seem to care.
Ferrah then patrolled around the palace looking for discrepancies, but she found no trail of the Immortal Man. She did see that the stone around one window was chipped and had a rope hanging out of it, as if someone had scaled into the building and then left.
Uno searched for Di, immediately assuming she would be at Lugo’s room. He found her using a statue bust as a makeshift ram, trying to break into Lugo’s room. When Uno bluntly told her that her father was dead, she went into denial, then broke down. Uno comforted her with a hug, though he said she wasn’t allowed to fall in love with him. He confirmed that her mother was dead as well and said that sucked. Given that the political climate would be unstable, he suggested she go with them on the Coral Breaker.
Because Uno was being blunt and callous, Di shoved him away and left, but Uno flew to her and apologized. He explained that she needed to go with them so that Lugo could keep her safe. Di asked if Lugo really loved her, and Uno said that as far as he knew, Lugo did. As there was nothing more for her at the palace, Di would go to be with the one she loved. She ordered Uno to help her pack.
At the Coral Breaker, Hazzel and Linus saw nothing wrong with the ship, though Hazzel said that a field of chaos seemed to follow the Knights wherever they went. While they were alone, Hazzel told Linus he needed to find something that made him happy. Linus couldn’t control the universe, but he could control that thing that made him happy, and that would keep him sane. Hazzel lit an idlewild joint and smoked it, looking quite cool.
Linus pulled Toad out of his hat and told Toad that he was Linus' thing. They pat slapped each other, Toad using his tongue to approximate a hand.
While getting back to the palace, they heard someone ask, “Where's Dagney?” Dagney Kwon was missing, as were all of his blueprints. Something had happened in his workshop.
But Linus ignored it. He gathered his team, ignoring questions about the fresh commotion outside. Lovich entered their midst and greeted them, saying that today was not such a good day, but tomorrow would hopefully look better.
As they went to leave, Lovich noticed Di with the party. She stated that she was going with them. Uno said it was Lugo's idea, and that Lugo wanted to marry her. Lugo decided he wasn't going to deal with it and left for the ship.
Lovich told Di that it was a very dangerous voyage and Di needed to stay behind. Di began to cry, but Lovich gave her a hug and said that the people with the largest impact on the world were usually those who had lost the most. She needed to be a light to the people. She nodded and thanked him, though she continued to blubber.
Finally Lovich led Di back into the palace. Afterwards, he scolded Uno, saying that they were on a death mission. Uno tried to hold in his laughter, and Lovich said he would not forget Uno’s little prank.
The party gathered on the ship: Kartuk, Uno, Ferrah, Linus, Lugo, Lovich, Hazzel, Hope, and Face. Uno wanted Di to be on the ship to protect her from political intrigue. Hope explained to him why Di would be fine, since she wouldn’t automatically become Duke. Uno let it go and asked when was lunch. Hope got mad at him for assuming she would know and left.
The ship took off without issue. After it had departed, Linus told the others that Dagney Kwon had gone missing. There was nothing they could do about it, and they didn't have time to be distracted. Ferrah and Tuk were miffed about not being told earlier.
== Island in the Sky ==
Lovich called Linus over to talk in private. Tuk and Uno hid and listened in. Lovich said that many bad omens had been travelling with the Knights, but life was like that sometimes. Linus said he was getting used to it.
Lovich gave Linus a pocketbook which could unfold, expanding from an extradimensional space. It became a circular bookshelf with three shelves of books. It spun, rotating seemingly endlessly, housing countless books. It was Lovich's library, which he thought Linus should have. Linus was gobsmacked and said it was the greatest thing ever. He gave Lovich a big hug.
Lovich told Linus to keep the bookcase a secret as it was an extremely rare item. He knew of only one other like it in existence. That one was owned by Adenza the Fox, a crafty Mage who resided in Hahler.
After putting away the bookcase, Lovich asked Linus what he wanted to do after his four years as a Vanguard. Linus said he thought being a Vanguard would be for life, like Lovich. Lovich explained that he had only come back to the Vanguard to form a faction that would save magic. Linus said he wanted to continue helping people through the Vanguard for all his days. Lovich said that Linus had a lot of heart and was glad to have him as an apprentice.
After their chat, Lovich wanted to speak to Ferrah. She had been having tea with Hope, catching up on events. Ferrah poured Linus a cup of tea and left for the meeting. Linus shared the tea with Toad, though Toad soon heard and began to chase Cat.
Lovich gave Ferrah black leather shoes. They were much bigger than Ferrah's feet, but when she put them on, they shrank to match her proportions. With the shoes, Ferrah was able to float. The boots allowed her to walk on anything, including air. Ferrah had a tear in her eye, unused to getting such beautiful things. She thanked Lovich, and Lovich asked the same question of her: What would she do after the Vanguard?
Ferrah said that she planned to go back to Merkai Lash and her family, doing charity work with the temple of Revina. Lovich said that he had Hope make provisions: Ferrah’s family would be comfortable and no longer have to work for a crime organization. Lovich didn't want it to seem like he was fixing the problem, but he wanted Ferrah to know that her family would be alright, no matter what happened during the quest. He showed her a letter that stated he had sent Ferrah's family fifty ounces of gold.
Ferrah hugged him and said she hoped to repay the kindness. Lovich told her that she had already done so much by helping the people around her.
Next Lugo and Xochiquetzal met with Lovich. Then it was Tuk's turn. Tuk wore a scarf to hide the bruising on her neck. Lovich told her that the Immortal Man was a friend of his who had decided to work with the Gilded River Syndicate after his time with the Vanguard. At least, Lovich thought the Immortal Man was the same person. The friend had told Lovich about how the reliance on the Vanguard made people weak. He never liked magic, which Lovich found interesting now that he used so much as the Immortal Man. Anders was his name.
Lovich gave Tuk a dual charm bracelet. It would bind her to another person, allowing them to share skills. Hopefully she would never be in a dire enough situation to have to use it. There were three charms, meaning that she could share skills three times at minimum. (On use, roll a d20. On a 20, the charm doesn’t break and can be used again.)
Tuk planned to go into sports after her time with the Vanguard. She feared that she would get tied up in corrupt governments if she tried to seek employment that utilized her skills. Lovich said that it was good someone like her would be involved in such governments, as she would do the right thing.
Uno arrived for his turn. Lovich was inspecting Uno’s mace and stated that it was a Hollow. If Uno focused himself, he could do amazing things with it.
“Oh well!” Lovich tossed the mace overboard. Uno dove off the deck and grabbed the mace, flying back onto the ship soaking wet. But he quickly found out he was only holding a stick. Lovich laughed and revealed the real mace behind his back. It was a prank.
Hazzel pulled out a beautiful shield emblazoned with two wings. It was a particular shield, finicky, but it worked sometimes. The wings were made of a rare pearl. Lovich shot at the shield with magic, which ricocheted off the wings. The shield could react to try protecting Uno from magic, shooting it back at whoever had targeted him. It was only a 5% chance, but it could work. It wouldn’t work against area of effect spells, though it did improve his ability to dodge physical area of effects like a fireball. (+1 to Saving Throws.)
Lovich said it looked good on him. Then he said that he didn't get even, he got better, and threw the actual mace overboard. Uno groaned and dove after it. Ferrah made him some tea to drink when he made it back onto the ship, though Uno was enraged and tossed the tea into the ocean. Tuk said that wasn't very gentlemanly, but Ferrah said Uno needed that. Uno then shook water off of himself like a dog.
Fifteen days passed at sea without incident. During that time, Uno gave Hope a card. It had a drawing of Uno serving Hope lunch and said, "I'm sorry." But Uno had forgotten to make lunch for everyone, spending the time making the card instead.
On the sixteenth day, the party expected to come upon the shrine. The sky was overcast for the first time on the journey. Lugo told the group that they should have been able to see the island on the horizon, but they couldn’t, which was worrisome. Then they heard a loud creak as coral scraped against the hull. Tuk tied a string around the silence stone and tossed it over the front of the ship to silence the coral, though as the coral grew higher above the water, the less the stone worked. Eventually the party dropped anchor, surrounded by tall coral. The island was nowhere in sight.
Then Linus noticed dirt on his shoulder. He looked up.
Through the clouds, he saw an island floating in the sky.
== Unknowns ==
=== Current ===
* Why was Lucia Bonebeard imprisoned?
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Knights of Magic - 11