The King of Death

## **Basic Information**

*Deep within the treacherous Deathlands exists a cave that holds the essence of the God of death. I, James Blackwater, wish to partake of the essence and use its power to further my wishes in the mortal realm. There are many dangers throughout the Deathlands and it is likely that once you are are beyond the Black Gates, you will never return. However, if we are successful you will have a Lord of Death as your ally.*

Furthermore, there is rumored to be many forbidden treasures within the cave. Take what you will once we are there for I only care about the essence.

### **Adventure Goals:**

* **Raylan The Butcher**: Gaze into a tear myself
* **Quinton**: Bring back proof that you've gone to the Deathlands
* **James Blackwater**: Take back the reigns of my fate by stealing the power of the Death Gods
* **Sparrow**: Help James accomplish his goals

### **NPCs:**

**Hirelings:**
* Acto Silvergleam
* Angelkiss Goodiebeard
* Aryo Silvergleam
* Dick Bangcock
* Eddy Fener
* Gutdrum
* Hank Jophim
* Jackson Lazier
* Lucky Nilson
* Soot
* Ten
* Tiny Chocolate Soul
* Tip-Tum
* Warbble

**Important People:**

* The King of Death (Dax)
* Jacqueline Dayer
* The Lord of Nightmares

## **Adventure Summaries:**

#### **Raylan:**

I don't think I'm crazy, well, I might think I am, but what do I know anyway! No, I'm not crazy, my life is just...confusing.

I remember living with my dad and I remember killing my dad, but at the same time I never knew my dad. I remember my mom and how she got sick and how I was taken to live in the church when she died, but...I never knew my mom. I remember selling my soul to a demon and getting my heart broken and letting 'Nock kill me, but than...none of that happened. It took me a while to figure out and I still have a lot of questions, but I've figured out that there are two of me. This me was sleeping, or dead while the other me did all the church stuff. This me would have probably stayed dead if it wasn't for my friend Dax. He also died, I guess, but instead of being remade, he became a king, the King of Death. I like Dax, yeah, both of me like Dax, which makes what I'm doing feel bad, but I know Dax would be proud of me if he knew. Normally I wouldn't steal from a friend, but getting this power would really help deal with my demon problem. A new demon problem, it's different than the other demon, again it's confusing.

I think I made a mistake, but it's a mistake the other me would have made, too, and I don't feel too bad about it, so I guess it's okay. James brought some kids with him to the Deathlands which is pretty fucked up, but half of me doesn't care too much about that. Anyway, the Deathlands suck and it was really hurting the kids. Ten started freaking out, so I took a guess and used my gross powers to get rid of his corruption. I think the demon fought me a bit, he really likes Ten, so I had to try extra hard to remove his corruption and I wound up eating it. I feel weird now, weirder than I do having two of me. which is weirder than being corrupted in the first place. I'm pretty sure that I'm really close to this corruption getting stronger again. If it does I don't know what'll happen to either of me. Ten's feeling better though, I like Ten...so I guess it's okay.

Hopefully James doesn't get too mad at me when I kill Sparrow. I think he likes her, so maybe he'll try to stop me, but I think he likes me too, so maybe he won't...I think I like me, too. I'm nice and friendly and I help people and they like me for it. I think I even have a girlfriend...that me isn't like this me, but maybe I could be like me. I don't know, I'll figure it out later if I have time. First I need to get some sleep and find the others. Then I need to kill the King of Nightmares and find one of the death god's tears, hopefully two. Then I need to get out of here and kill a demon to clean myself up. Once I do all of that, then maybe I can try to figure myself out.

### **Quinton:**

A young halfling much too short, even for his race, stands by a great chimney. A red leather journal, adorned with golden details, firmly grasped and a smile plastered on their face. It's the child's favourite time of the day, the one hour he looks to every day. The hour they allow him to read their grandfather's journal.

"Today, as I stand alive in the realm of death, I remember. It came to me as I fought a shadow of myself in a grassland, much out of place for this kingdom; the labyrinth, the slaughter and the horror. All the things I've done, both good and bad, rushed to greet me as I woke from my slumber. I am immortal. Poison is to me but bad wine, swords and arrows now seem like children's toys and time but a poor joke. Food and drink rot in my mouth, their taste now gone as I realize the futility of eating. A thousand lives and a thousand deaths, in the same bed night after night a different Quinton died and a new one was born each dawn. Whose life am I even remembering, mine or theirs? It doesn't matter anymore.

I write this now, for future reference, as I march with the legions of the dead to help a friend. James Blackwater, is he really a friend? For how long? Nevertheless, how I happened upon the land of eternal sleep is what I'll attempt to hastily record. Perhaps someone besides me shall read this one day...

The first memory I can muster is the dinner. The liches of Potter's Field knew James and so they invited us into their estate, to dine and converse the motive of our journey. (Those fuckers knew, they must've known). The horror I witnessed under their roof I cannot do justice by words alone, be glad dear reader. Whatever help James was after, he didn't get. Not only that, our group was marked for death for betrayal to their King. The King of Death.

The second memory begins with a fight. I'd drawn Phoenix in anger and their flames flared in my hands, multiple set of eyes were upon me for I was giving a speech. The words were void, now I know, the halflings I'd picked were doomed the moment they met me. But, what are a couple halfling lives compared to the bigger picture? Nothing...less than nothing. They all died under the Death Knights' swords, those that killed the soul and sent one's self to the void (or so I imagine). Yet, we were victorious in a way. Truth is, we ran away from the Knights for they proved too much for us

The third memory. Death. We brought along a young girl "named" Sparrow, and while I didn't know at the time, she's a demon's thrall. We fled up the temple's steps, but the gate to our final (heh) destination was down. Sparrow slit her wrist and bled all over the floor, thus opening the gate (?) and the hell that preyed beyond. Perhaps I've gone insane, this adventure has taken it's toll on my mind...perhaps the amnesia was a gift. I don't know what I (he?) expected, but dying to open a door sure wasn't it.

I've gifted away Phoenix to a dead man, may the fool find happiness within it. Whatever that means for him.

### **Sparrow:**

#### **Entry 1: Unleash the Hounds**

I am free. For the first time since I was a young girl, I. Am. FREE. 20 years I struggled against my collar while someone else held the leash, ever since the day I killed the man who had assaulted my sister. Strange that I can so clearly see his face after all this time, and the way his blood splattered across the seal of nobility that had been carved into the marble in the foyer of his mansion, and yet I cannot recall his name, or the name of his house. I guess, after all these years, the name does not matter. Only the actions, a chain of events that led to my submission to the Guild and later to the Black Annis, events that gave birth to the woman known as Sparrow. But no more. Sparrow, at long last, has broken free of her cage. I am my own master, and I will not submit myself fully to another ever again.

I am barely a day released of my shackles, and the freedom has surprised me. Up until now, I was fueled solely by desperation, willing to do whatever it took to gain that which I sought. Now that I have my treasure, I have no need for desperation, or the reckless abandon that came with it. In its wake I have found… other emotions. Feelings I had barely remembered experiencing, in the ancient days of my childhood. Regret for my actions. Concern for others. They are mild emotions, tickling at the back of my mind. Feelings that cause me to pause and to frown as I consider the grander scheme of things outside my tiny cage.

That is the benefit of being a minion, I suppose – you are not expected to care about the concerns of the masters. They are for the masters to worry about. Now that I am my own master, I find those concerns, those greater issues, to be troubling. No longer do I act as another orders me to, and so I must struggle with the dilemmas of how I should act and the morals I wish to uphold. Will I see the world for what it can do for Sparrow? Or will I instead seek to learn what Sparrow can do for the world? That is what I must discover.

These thoughts will probably turn out to be pointless. I do not foresee myself getting out of the Deathlands alive. Partly, that is my fault. My freedom was purchased with the sacrifice of a thousand souls to the Black Annis. The regret that I feel is small – I did what I had to do – but I will accept the consequences of my actions. That is part of freedom as well. When you can act of your own will, you and you alone must take responsibility for those actions. I will accept what consequences come because in doing so, I am proudly proclaiming that I am free to face the storm that my actions may bring.

Do not misunderstand – I am not ready to give up. I do not *want* to die. I still have much to discover about who I am. The real me. Not the Ghost. Not Sparrow. Not even Lady Nyara. I will discover the person beneath all that – the woman who has been buried away since my hands first took a life.

The Lady Adrielle Suoja-Nuit.

#### **Entry 2: The Art of the Deal**

So it begins. No sooner have I claimed my freedom than another powerful being tries to leash me once more. This King of Death, this Dax Korveen – he is really no different than the Guild. Men of power, they think that the rest of the world should just obey their demands for the sole reason that they have power. They are selfish, small men, who think their power can replace common sense, human decency, and basic respect. I have encountered many in my life and Dax Korveen is just like all the rest.

He has demanded that I deliver James to him, so that he may deal with the threat to his life that Blackwater poses. Demanded – he called it a deal, called it a request, but it was nothing less than a demand that he expected me to obey without question. He pointed out that he helped James save my life once, and suggested a favor was due in return, as if I would mistake his suggestion of a “deal” as anything less than what it is – a demand and a threat. The pompous, arrogant asshole thought he could browbeat me into submission just like every other man who has tried to control me. For a while, they did. But not anymore.

I refused at first. He could kill me for all I cared, but he could not force me to submit. I would have continued to refuse, even with the pleading looks that Raylan was giving me. But then I thought to ask myself – what did I want?

It’s a dangerous, powerful question. Dangerous because once you know what you want, you risk not getting it. And powerful because if you know what you want and have the will to reach for it, you are, finally, in control. So… what did I want?

Once I realized what I wanted, I knew that in order to get it, I would have to deal with the King of Death. So, I swallowed my pride, and I agreed. Well, sort of. I agreed to ensure that Dax had his meeting with James Blackwater. No more, no less. And when the King of Death demanded my purse as “collateral”, I hesitated for only a moment. I have no intention of leaving the Deathlands before I deliver on my promise. James will meet with Dax. And when it is over I will have back what is mine – one way or another.