Cyrano Trading Company

## Members

Though nonconcurrent, the following are the members of the singular group that came to be known as Cyrano Trading Company:

### Current

* Din Ferngo
* Dusk in a Shady Vale
* Escanor
* Garyn
* Inllies Nunamir
* Sunny
* Terraric Denair
* Thorn-Og
* Volney Phoenixlash

### Previous

* Arya
* Kaulder Duń
* Leon Phelps
* Mark Calloway
* Thea
* Theodor
* Vitis “Vita” Nailo
* Bonn

## Story

### Learning the Theology of Brego the Supplanter

Leon Phelps, an off-duty officer of the state, would corral the mysterious Volney Phoenixlash, Theodor, Thea, and Vitas Nailo in Kelenor after an outbreak of a bombing by a fear dearg and the subsequent backlash. They would quickly encounter a waif girl who would rob them and lead them to a mountain cave in Dorman, where a vision before a bleeding, rune inscribed wall would entangle them in a swirl of world changing adventures.

### The Events of Eastern Hilden

In Hilden they would discover a number of adventures, traipsing around northern Hilden they would meet the bard Chisar Clementes, his young charge Feldmun, and the mysterious story of Lorene. This would lead them to the village of Hedgewarder Neem and the cult of Brego Supplanter of the Grave. While largely foiled in their efforts to help there they would return to Kelenor.

At Kelenor they would search the sewers and stir the menace of the Fear Dearg. Their efforts would lead to the Goldgrass Incident, where the wily Speaker Rivek would entangle them in the politics of the Senate.

### Dungeon: Incursion and the Republic of Tógg

A visit to a seeress named Gretchen would lead them to a cave to enter Goldgrass, but would reveal a gate portal, that would take them to a strange, liminal dungeon space. This dungeon, filled with dwarven skeletons would open a way to the distant land of Tógg. While they would lose the partnership of Theodor, and Leon would die tragically freeing slaves, they would gain the strange and powerful Mark Calloway and would garner the aid of Arya the huntress.

### Adventures in Meindra

Not long after this the intrepid Gal'undria would join them and take up their newly dubbed ship the Rocinante. They would sail to Meindra and face the terror of the horror being, a Neetghyng named Deneer the Hungerer, as well as a nearly defeated entity that identified itself as Valefor, or Valefrain, the sacred Saint. Mark would face destruction as he defiantly and fearlessly stood against the faceless abomination.

After some dickering, the newly joined paladin Escanor would commune with the divine spirit of the being Atarak, sealed within the golden wall at Gren's Canyon, and would defeat the horror Valefor, bound in mortal form before Atarak's gate, freeing him. Meindra would descend into chaotic horror as beastly things and denizens of chaos broke the jungle lands.

### Beyond the Meindrin Events

Free of Meindra's chaos the company would travel to Belgrieg, establishing itself somewhat formally as a trading company. Meeting with Levi, a purported leader of Gurncullen, they would take Inllies Nunamir into their ranks.

### In the Velnors

Taking up work delivering crystals to Arru Velnor and tackle to the nation-state of Telan. Their work in Velnor would quickly bring them into relations with the peculiar Cid.

### A Return to Tógg

As the course of these company adventures took place, they would find themselves in Tógg again. There at Dūnonbrīg, an ancient capital of the land, they would find themselves ensconced in the politics of Telan as they came up against nobles that had enmeshed themselves at the Temple of the Dawn's Light, due east of Dūnonbrīg. Saving their captain, while encountering sights of devilish beings they would be shaken, returning to their shipping.

### The Belgrieg Run

An attempt to return to Meindra would see them waylaid by another ship, then attacked by elemental horrors, giving way to an abominable sea serpent grabbing their ship and taking them to a tiny, lost isle, where they would find a tiny gate leading to new adventure.

### The Surface of Gloam - The Mother's Womb

Arriving in a strange, grey, dusty world, Cyrano would discover another world floating above the horizon. Searching they would discover an ancient building on the surface of this strange land and within would find Shoah, the creator goddess of humanity. She would entice the party to keep balance and would give them a quest to go and find her Progenitor, Tzedeki, who was in their world, the Underworld, and was in the western nations of Meindra.

Setting out from their tiny isle, Cyrano would stab westward, discovering the Dungeon: Flummox. Their trove of treasures would not be perfect, however, as a mystical cauldron would ultimately claim the life of their newest member, Bonn. Thus, has Cyrano learned that not everything hidden in the old Dungeon troves is worth bringing into the light.

### Return to Meindra - Shov Dai and Beyond

Arriving in Halkiel, Shov Dai the party would take a new member, the gladiator Thorn-Og, and would push north, eager to arrive at a new goal, Gundu, Taethir. Pushing through the nation of Whyl they would encounter slavers, and other curious beings,

They would arrive at a midway point, Aparun, and find the city besieged by the gnolls, and defended by the enigmatic Creatures of Nim.

### Taethir - Land of Sailors, Salt and Swords

Crossing the border in to Taethir, Cyrano would arrive at Gundu. Looking down, from the hill upon the sprawling city, with a strange spiraling tower, overlooking a long stretch of norther bight giving way to a bay. Within they would find a unique dungeon gate leading to a place created by Shoah. Therein they would find Shara'ha - The Kris of Zeadra, a progenitor weapon, as well as an alternate exit from the dungeon, limed with golden light. They were unable to enter this path as a massive lahwita exited it, and led a flight of winged men and monstrous winged constructions against the party, forcing them to flee.

From there they would find Tzedeki - The Sword of Shoah, another progenitor, in a nameless village along the shore. They would nearly lose Volney as they sought to leave Taethir in the next few days. However, the dead Volney would be raised to new life as an enigmatic figure arrived, pacted with the druid, and released a winged man from a flask, who would revive him, "As agreed."

During Volney's raising, Dusk, aided by Shara'ha's gifts, would witness a horrid ferryman who had attempted to reap the soul of his dead friend. This would be the first such of many more ferrymen of the dead that the tabaxi would witness.

### A Wizard's Quest in Hilden

The party would travel southward via their ship to return to Hilden, with the aim of putting the wizard Cytonius bel Soirinar before one of the so-called Bleeding Stones. Along the way Dusk would see dozens, even hundreds of the ferrymen, wreathed in green lambency, in a heading toward the mysterious Island of Mist.

Upon return to Hilden the party would immediately push north. They would sneak southeast of Kelenor and skirt their way up Mount Dorman.  There they saw the Bleeding Wall and again confront Taeynev. Sunny and Volney would meet with the god and inquire after who they must face. He would tell them that his is the gate of Prince Seere.

Volney is told of the three Dreamers, Daetum, Elbaed, and Zeadra and their supremacy over magic.  He is further told in their context that, "The Ancients and eld Antha knew magic to draw the Fell Children to themselves," that, with the right spells, even the Lahwita could be called to a certain place.

Escanor would read aloud the True Name written upon the gate:

"I am called by a hundred names.  I have a thousand titles.  I have been ten thousand, I shall be a hundred thousand more. I am Samhein, Scion of Lucai, I am Unrighteously Broken and Thrice Denied.  I am Four Times Empowered and thus am Reconciled. I have stood in the Cradle, and seen Origin.  I have Seen the Tear in the Void and witnessed Hesh'bagh Heresh.  I stood with Egil at the Branheighe as the Baash'hol waged her wrath, and saw the foolishness of the Failed Scions and was undone.  I am Friend of The High Prince.  I am Companion of Stol.  I am Duke Sheres.  I am Prince of Cehk.  I am Servant of the Wardens, so I am Exhaultant Pleasure.  I was touched by Egil, I am become Ecstasy.  I am Veem, I have been Foosh, and the Slayer of Juubah'Groock B'Hrrah.  I am Bearer of Muwresh.  I saw the fall of Hashmadahe'el, and thus I am Joy itself.  I am Hendreich, I am Sword Wind, I am the Teacher of Pish.  When Hesh'bagh Heresh fell to the land I Was There.  I am Lahwita, My Name is thus spoken." - The words written on the Gates of the Ænlic Bindh at Dorman.

Learning all this the party would race down the mountainside to face the lahwita lord below.   They would find her soldiery at the gate, led by the huge feminine figure, wreathed in light.

Escanor would race to duel her, calling her Sheres, which would draw mockery from the saint, who would deride Escanor, and eventually it would be revealed that before him was a newly incarnated form of Duke Valefor.

Struggling against the effects of the battle maddened Shamshi-Adad, the Rosegold Empress, a tower sized dragon of rose and gold coloration, the party would duke it out with the Duke.  Meanwhile the Empress' Creatures of Nim minions, as well as human warriors, robed clerics and even fear dearg rat folk would rage against the Heródian knights, who themselves were being crushed by the dragoness' attacks and varied breath weapons.  Most, including Cyrano, and even her own minions, would be in full flight from a bowel-shaking terror of the Empress.

Upon striking down Valefor again, they party would recover the orb from the ichor of what had once been the head of Melinda Draken, hired assassin of the Evergrabes, who had been possessed by the lahwita spirit.  Draken's body, along with the armor and weapons Valefor had carried, dissolved away as the sainted fiend died.

Escanor would question the progenitor, Tzedeki about how to truly rid the world of the lahwita who could so rise again.  Tzedeki would tell him that only by destroying the baatorian green steel orb, marked with the True Name of Valefor, or any such lahwita, in their realm, in the Ænlic Bindh, could they be finally defeated, lest they revive over and over.
Beneath the ruins of Kelenor's gate, Escanor would discuss this with Cyrano, uncertain of how to get to this land of the dead, and home of fiends.  His companion, Dusk would receive revelation from his own progenitor, Shara'ha.  She would inform him that, "Many a time, and even now he was looking upon ways to enter the realm of the Ænlic Bindh, by paying the ferrymen, who go there often."  Dusk would look up to see ferryman upon ferryman gathering the souls of those who had just died in the terrible battle.

### The Ferry of Souls to the Ænlic Bindh

Dusk seeks out a ferryman and coaxes him to grant a trip to the Ænlic Bindh.  He asks for payment in information.  The party gives him the following details in return for travel.  The traveling party, save Thorn-Og travel with the ferryman, where Thorn-Og takes the cart and travels back to Lugen to meet up with Gal'undria.

1. Valefor has fallen, and fallen twice.
2. Shoah has worked against the Lahwita.
3. Atarak lives, and is free.
4. Two progenitors have been found.
5. Shamshi, The Rosegold Empress walks the world and kills many.
6. Mušḫuššu are lose in the Underworld.
7. Shara'ha is released.
8. Tzedeki has been released.
9. They (that is the Cyrano Trading Company) can open the gates to Dungeons.

The Ferryman informs them they are incorrect on their information on the immortal Breo - he does not wander.

The party passed north, crossing land, sea, and obstruction, having passed through a veil to a world interposed over and behind the world they knew. They could see the physical world they knew, behind and beside the new place they were in. They would see their own world, zip by as the ferryman took them northwest to the Island of Mist. Behind the mists, within a shrouded and secluded bay they would discover a city called Oizyz at the head of a river delta. From Oizyz, swarming with otherworldly creatures collecting the souls of the dead, they would travel south on the river Acheron.

The would travel the Acheron on a boat, pulled up the river by a toad-like daemon to the docks of a city, at the northern base of three mountains. The central mount was their sought goal, Oyai, the Mountain of Woe. After speaking to a jackal-faced daemon, they would take a cart to wend their way up the mountainside to its peak, where they would be led by an imp to another ferryman. This ferryman would set them on a boat, and would cast off into the mists of the sky, flying out into the wider Underworld, riding wildly close to its sun.

They would remain far in the sky, watching as the cloak of night appeared, a massive floating island that covered the sun's light, watching the world pass by beneath until coming down to a cold, frigid place trapped in windy, wintery storm. Passing through, into a cavernous space, they would rise out of another storm, passing into the depths of a stary void, and would turn to see the globe of their world, and its moons and and far distant sun passing far behind them.

#### Voyushchiy Kar'yer

They would pass so, leaving their world and catching such rest as they could, all the while fending off attacks from fiendish things that would leap aboard. After a few days worth of travel, the ship would draw close to a massive celestial form, like a giant, stoney fist floating in space. They would be accosted by a massive, winged fiend, who would name the place they visited the Voyushchiy Kar'yer. This beast would summon, a serpent tailed, fiendish woman, and would demand Cyrano defeat an fiend called Marquis Shax and that in return he would not trouble their trip.

#### Kurai Koriwa

When their Ferry of Souls finally came to rest against one of thousands of dwarf moons spinning above a dreadful black and brown swirled planetary surface below, the party would disembark. They would again see countless yugoloth daemons walking about in a market that seemed to cover the entire global surface of their moon. They would follow Dusk's lead, who have tricked an imp into guiding them on behalf of Valefor. Inside a gate room, following lost souls, they would be told by the imps that this gate would take them from Kurai Koriwa, where they are, to the Ænlic Bindh. The imp that had led them there would commend them to tell Duke Valefor that Marquis Amon and his servant Hythic had aided them.

### Within the Ænlic Bindh

Stepping through they would find themselves looking upon the world from their visions before the Bleeding Gates. Stretched before them would be terrible, fallen city-scape of Gate. Gathering directions, they would begin moving through the city, until accosted by two Succubi, would would enrapture the minds of first Sunny, then Escanor.

The enchanted Escanor would follow the lead of his succubus companion into a fortress, past two curious bearded fiends to the inner halls. Pretending to sneak about the succubi would attempt to trap the party, only to be found out by Dusk, and then subsequently ambushed by Inllies who'd been alerted by her companion.

Their fight would rouse a terrible fiend within the following room, a large, grotesque insect-like humanoid who would move into the hall and begin transfixing the companions with a terrible, wintery spear. They would find, at the conclusion of their conflict, that the gelugon monster they fought was the very Marquis Shax that they were given to seek out.

Within his frigid quarters they would destroy a magic bauble that froze the room over, and would begin their search of the space.

## Further Reading

The link below shows pages that reference Cyrano Trading Company:
Pages that link to Cyrano Trading Company