Betrayal Within Our Home

*Note:*

This is most of the conversation that followed from the initial letter from Terrence below. I copied the text of all letters that were sent, but I also provided links after each letter to the original letters, each of which had unique formatting.

These events occurred on January 23-24 in our world.

## Incident Record

***DM:*** Early in the evening, the wizard Terrence’s assistant Jeeves delivered the following letter to the Ivory Owl and posted it on the board there for all to see:

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*Dear friends:*

 *Time is short. I have seen horrors unknown too sane men. My mind is bent, although strong enough to muster these words.*

 *Balthazar sent me a letter shortly before our meeting. In it, he threatened my life, for I was dangerous to him. He gave me an ultimatum – a poison to drink. Tonight, I have consumed it. And yet that was not the most terrifying of the things I have done this eve.*

 *Datsik, the erstwhile lord of our city, is the Great Old One Nyarlothotep. He and I had a long and productive conversation before I drove him screaming from my library. I drove him from the city with the Elder Sign and phrase I will give you below. He will seek to return soon. I have left the Elder Sign all over my library, and traced outside the north gate. I do not know how effective that shall be. Be prepared.*

 *Balthazar seeks to change reality, by whispering new words to the Dreaming Idiot; the one whose name I have always cautioned against uttering. If Balthazar speaks too loudly, the Dreaming Idiot will awaken, and all the world will perish. We must stop Balthazar, and I shall do my part.*

 *The wizard, Morgan, whose true name I now recall as Ellendel, has been in league with Balthazar this whole time. I go now to his house, where I suspect lingers the means by which Balthazar entered and left this city so readliy. This is the last time you shall hear from me, I suspect. Let me be honest: the glasses and the stutter were for show, but my respect for you was not false.*

 *It has been an honor. I will confess that I have been tempted by the powers that Balthazar owns. But in the deathly silence of my world now, with the quiet poison coursing through my veins, I know that I must do my part.*

 *Your friend,*

 *Terrence*

*P.S. This sign is quite effective against the Great Old Ones, as long as you repeat the phrase beneath it:*

*no gods can stop me*

*no gods can stop me no gods can stop me no gods can stop me no gods can stop me no gods can stop me no gods can stop me no gods can stop me no gods can stop me no gods can stop me no gods can stop me no gods can stop me no gods can stop me no gods can stop me no gods can stop me no gods can stop me no gods can stop me*

**PDF link:** Terrence's Letter

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***The following is the conversation that followed in the general chat:***

***Sorethgar:***
Um, ok

***Azrael:***
Well that’s some news for sure. I’m going to have that symbol marked around our keep as early as possible, and after that, I await the advice of persons more informed in these matters. I have no idea what most of that meant, to be honest.

***Sorethgar:***
I’m going to check the library first, then head over the street where Morgan lives and position myself somewhere I can see his house without being noticed.

***DM:***
The library is empty and the rune is written on EVERYTHING

***Sorethgar:***
Are the books still there?

***DM:***
yup

***Sorethgar:***
I would like to pick up a few that look likely to have useful information about this type of thing (great old ones, ancient magic, or anything weird from unknown or powerful sources), then continue to a place with a good view of Morgan’s house

***Sorethgar:***
I’ll glance over the books while staying alert for activity inside the buildings

***DM:***
There is an open journal written by one “Nym Illistyn” and two open letters to Terrence.

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***Letter #1 to Terrence:***

*Dear Terrence:*

*You are rather sharp. Perhaps too sharp for your own good. You know things...Things we would like you not to know. You must understand that with knowledge comes power, and you know the most of anyone in the new world. Thank you, by the way, for the usage of your library. We learned a great deal in our stay and for that we owe you. Our payment? A swift and less agonizing death. We can’t have you gallivanting around with your knowledge, especially your knowledge of the elder ones. Your knowledge is JUST enough to get us all in trouble. We cannot have that sort of loose end in our plans, as we are sure you understand. So you must also understand why you must die. You have a choice in this matter, however. You get to choose your own method of death.*

*We have left you the easy way out. In between your reference sections R12-R16 we have stashed a small bottle of Glacyne. If you drink of this Glacyne, you will die a peaceful death. You will fall asleep and never wake. But as we are confident that you know, Glacyne does not act terribly quickly, and you will have about 12 or so days to live. Even with your weak constitution. If you drink of this poison and notify one of our wraiths, we will share with you the secrets we have learned! Great secrets; dark secrets. They will all be yours for a few days. The wraith will follow you, and if you do not drink before a week is up, or if you speak a word of the secrets you learn, we will take away everything you knew. You will die the way you were born: weak, helpless, and stupid.*

*And that would be the greatest shame of all. The most studied man in the new world, left to rot as an idiot.*

*We hope that you have as much sense as you do knowledge.*

*- Balthazar*

*P.S. Trust no one. Especially that treacherous warlock. She does not understand truly who she serves.*

**PDF link:** Letter #1 to Terrence

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***Letter #2 to Terrence:***

*Terrence,*

*As you say, perhaps I did make my decision rashly. You do still know too much, but perhaps that is precisely what I need.*

*- Balthazar*

**PDF link:** Letter #2 to Terrence

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***- back to conversation -***

***Sorethgar:***
I would like to mark the rune on a small object that I can hold – not on myself, because I’m not sure I trust it, but something nearby that I can get to easily

***DM:***
There is a paperweiight and some sealing wax on the table

***Sorethgar:***
I will use those. After checking to make sure they don’t look
cursed or anything

***DM:***
They look fine.

***DM:***
The DM will now log off for the night.

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***- The next morning -***

***Eisa:***
Where and to whom was Terrence’s letter delivered? Was it
posted or delivered to each of us?

***Cyren:***
Azrael, be sure to pass along to your rangers a description
of Morgan/Ellendel, and of the ex-lord Datsik, if you haven’t
already. Same with Rodrigo and his guards. They shouldn’t confront
either of them directly, but if they can track them or catch them by
surprise…

***Cyren:***
I will send word to our elven, underground, barbarian, and half-orc
allies to ready themselves. I believe Balthazar will make his final
move soon, and we need to act first. Along with the messenger to our
underground allies, I believe a team should be sent to offer some
final assistance, as I know their situation is still quite tenuous.

***DM:***
@Eisa, early evening. Before sunset. It was delivered to the tavern
and stuck to the board.

***Eisa:***
Ok, then upon seeing the letter that evening when I stop by to eat, I
head home to prep a few things and head over to “Morgan’s”
house. @DM, I’ll message you specifics

***Erian:***
I take the letter down and take it back to my shop to limit
how many people see it. Not until I hear the rumor that it caused
though, since I don’t go to the ivory owl often.

***DM:***
\*\*thumbs up\*\*

***Azrael:***
Cyren, already done. And I’ve already sent word to the half orcs,
along with some details of what we’ve seen from them in the past.

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***Further conversation happened from there, mostly undisclosed to the public I would assume.***