Visit to Canthur

## Choices in Banor

Banor is much smaller than Dobrize or Fathe Nun, but it is still rife with news, intrigue and options. The news in Banor included the uncertainty about the whereabouts of King Daznah-Nadreen and the possibility that the March nobility had something to do with it. There was also some concern about the presence of the Order throughout the town and region, even though nothing specifically wrong could be attributed to them. To the west, bugbear attacks have seem to have increased, raising caution about traveling to Vertalen, and especially beyond to where the Order has one of their camps. It was also the time when the Sadav Grand Trade Caravan to the East was about to arrive. In a few days the caravan would arrive and head with a large group to trade with the Mote, the Free Cities, Aden Shahn and Teldor. Lastly, it was news that no news from the Beasts of the March was issued about their investigation of the missing villager, Danfield Rogmorth, nor any of his companions up in Canthur.

As for specific issues, Baron Danthor, liege lord of Banor, solicited adventurers to investigate the Order. There was also a tavern dweller named Thangus Tribulan who claimed to have a path to some ancient, hidden keep buried out in the Athro Wood. And then there was also the issue that Doleth Born had mentioned in Dobrize where the party should speak to the Beasts' chief representative in Banor, Byryl, at the Temple of Sapayo.

Byryl explained that they had been investigating the disappearance of Danfield Rogmorth from Canthur. A friend of the Beasts, Danfield had started a small community called Canthur some 30 miles north of Hrustin, up in the Athro Hills. For years they had lived on the frontier and became common traders with other communities in the vale north of Banor. When Danfield suddenly disappeared a few weeks ago, it was extremely unlike him. One of the Beasts, Rolmir, who knew Danfield well, went to go investigate Canthur, but he, too, would not be heard from after 10 days. Due to the push in the Marches for clamping down on the bandits, the Beasts sought adventurers to investigate Canthur and attempt to find Danfield and Rolmir.

As for Thangus Tribulan, he was willing to show the party a path to the manor he had uncovered but not explored for a price...200 gold....or maybe 175 gold....or really 150 gold....50 up front and 100 upon discovery. The party took it into consideration, but would hold off for now.

Lastly, the party spoke to Marshal Ilyryan,

the council of martial affairs to Baron Danthor. He, too, was working with Byryl, but this time on investigating the Order. They had not done anything in Banor to warrant arrest or expulsion, but the Baron wanted to know what was going on. They had a plan to use Vance, a willing squire of Lord Maazin of Braheem, as a plant to join the Order. The party would track Vance and see what was going on in the Order's camp west of Vertalen.

The party was interested in all three endeavors, but Byryl made a plea to help her with the trouble in Canthur because of the relative time-critical nature of the situation. Who knows how long Danfield or Rolmir has left?

The plea made sense to the party. They would gain favor with the Beasts, uncover another secret and could pick and choose what they wanted later, so they headed off to Canthur.

## The Silence of Canthur

    The party headed north on the main road to Taitronen, turning off towards Hrustin, and eventually heading off along a poorly marked trail into the Athro Hills towards Canthur.  When they arrived, the little hamlet was still and appeared to be uninhabited.

Slowly and methodically, the party investigated the various buildings of the small little frontier hamlet. Nothing seemed to be out of place and yet there was no sign of people nor struggle anywhere. Except, that is, for the strange black ground in the center of the hamlet, in the center of which stood a bone pedestal with a black & red glassy orb.

Upon approach to the pedestal some of the party felt they were exposed to something to be feared, some otherwordly force, that truly had a deep, unsettling effect. But beyond the disruptive influence, there was also a pull on those affected, drawing them to a small house in the south and the larger house to the west. Nothing seemed to be out of place in the southern house, but yet it, too, had the same unsettling effect that was present near the bone pedestal. In the western house, however, it was a different story. The house was almost normal, except for a large magic circle, drawn in blood in the center of the floor of the main room.

    The party was about to just leave this strange desolate town behind, yet one of group stepped into the circle and disappeared. Others moved through the circle withe nothing happening, but then another moved into the circle, similarly vanishing. The others began to contemplate what the difference could be. Finally it dawned on them that if they touched the orb in the center of the town and then entered the circle, the door would open for them as well.

## Strangers in a Familiar Land

The place on the other side of the door, appeared to be the same inside the house, except that the atmosphere was filled with gray particulate. Also seeing any distance was impossible, with sight ranges quickly being attenuated after 20 to 30 feet. Out in the middle of the hamlet, however, were 5 strange humanoids, looking completely human except that where a head and neck would be, there was a huge circular mouth with a couple rows of teeth. The creatures were holding hands around the pedestal of bone in the center of the hamlet. Except for the fading landscape and the presence of these headless creatures, the outside seemed similar to how it was in the original Canthur.

The party prepared themselves for an encounter with these creatures, attempting to approach them from different points around the center of the hamlet. When they engaged, however, they found that there were more of these creatures hidden in the other buildings around the hamlet.

Brocktharian held off several in the center while the others engaged any of the foes emerging. Finally, when Freya started whacking the black red orb in the center, another more fiendish creature emerged from the southern house. This creature was also quite humanoid, except that they seemed to drip and ooze blackness, indeterminate features on an obsidian glossy face.

The party concentrated their attacks on this being, while Brocktharian held off the headless beasts. This new black creature, called a Visage, was quite formidable, throwing Zak unconscious and nearly dropping Freya. Fortunately, the party had enough in them to eventually put away the Visage, and then cleanup the rest of the headless foes.

When the party entered the southern hut, they found another black red orb and pedestal. Once both orbs were destroyed, the pocket dimension they were in merged back with Eirethune and all was mostly well. For a little while after striking the orbs, a couple party members found themselves with different boons and handicaps; perhaps a side effect of the power released by crushing the orbs

## Aftermath

The party headed back south, telling villages along the way about the sad demise of the hamlet of Canthur and all within it. It appeared that the creatures they were forced to fight were indeed the citizens of the hamlet, transmogrified into something abhorrent. In Banor, Byryl was saddened by the news, but she would certainly have the party's back if they needed it.

## Links

Previous, Guards for the Order

Next, Treasure or Folly