Session 81

**Previously...**

## Quick Flashback

Azrah asked The Lich (‘Ansheanuc’) three Questions before the party had arrived to rescue her. Those were:

What is the structure of Waqir’s forces like?

He has his forces divided into multiple factions, each with their own leadership. In-fighting is encouraged to keep them from turning on him. Currently the Vampire faction is undergoing a civil war as they try to replace their former leader. Under the thumb humans are also included, commanded by an unknown immortal.

What kind of demons plague my homelands?

[Given that Az could/did not give a detailed description of who/where her people are the lich only answered generally] Demons would have little interest in the ‘crystals’ of your hometown, unless directly summoned. More likely threats would be Dragons or servants of Waiqar.

What mágics can be used to trace bloodlines?

Blood magic is well suited to it, despite being forbidden it’s quite benign. There should be some lore for it in Greyhaven and Nerikhall, but I can teach you - if you’d like?. [Azrah Declined]

### In a Dreamscape

Azrah finds herself ‘waking’ in a dreamscape. Everything looks like the tower, but in it’s ‘glory days’ when it was new and pristine. The lich seems to be there, but it’s a living version of him as a beautiful elf. The lich explains that they have fought and each suffered for it. Now Azrah is unconscious and wearing the lich’s crown and the entity (which is either the crown, or a piece of ‘Ansheanuc’, or maybe both?) want’s to make a deal rather then fight. ‘Let’s join forces. I’ll live in you, and I’ll give you power for your quest’.

As Azrah thinks it over the entity gives her a vision of the near future.

“The armies of several Barons go to war. Most or all die on the field. A lone elf figure carrying a black Scythe raises them as undead minions with a single spell and and then bows to a smokey looming vision of Waiqar.”

### Crumbling Tower

While Azrah was unconscious the party tried to get the crown off Azrah’s head (which seems to have fused to the skin) )and drain it of it’s magic. Leshrac activates his ability to drain magic, which starts to work on the crown but also starts to disrupt the lich’s barrier and the tower itself. He manages to refocus his magic drain more specifically at the crown, but a chain reaction had already started and the tower continued collapsing.

They fled the tower, some of them taking damage from falling debris. Azrah was carried out by Drakonic Garr. Leshrack managed to unfuse the crown and feed it to Gobmore but as he was weakeing the crown the Entity within was taking advantage of Azrah’s unconsciousness and an apparent stretched time to continue pressuring her. Before the crown was destroyed she accepted the deal and allowed the entity to fuse with her (Because there was a token of resistance on Azrah’s part there was a resistance roll, but as a result the entity lives within her, has altered one of the character’s Motives and provided some other ‘benefits’).

There was some discussion about how to protect the lich’s barrier and prevent it from coming through in the future- many of these idears revolved around church involvment and possibly even the new ‘Eternal Flame’ sect.

When Azrah awoke she was adamant about finding the crown, which made the party suspicious about her being possessed. Garr tried to talk with her, but only ended up freaking her out due to being in dragonkin form. A voice within her reassures her the crown is no longer necessary as the entity within it lives within her now.

Gar notices that Goremaw has manifested an eye, which is staring uncomfortably at Gar, who's in his Draconic form. Leshrac and he wander off for a brief chat and Leshrac sees the eyes as well.

Azrah recount’s her vision about Barons fighting and becoming undead. (She specifies 6 Barons at War - 3 on each side). The description of the dark Scythe seems to catch Leshrac's attention, and he begins to suspect it is the artefact ‘The Scythe of Nordros’.

### A two-way Vision

Leshrac uses his powers of foresight to try and clarify the vision. He has a vision of his own.

A tall creepy tower (the tower of the unchained). A bunch of overdressed, overly theatrical vampires is engaged in a vicious argument over leadership of their order. The argument appears to be drawing to a close, with one particularly pompous elder drawing himself up to deliver his final grandiose speech when he is interrupted by the sudden, violent arrival of the elven woman.

She's frail and drawn, with loose, black robes, stray blonde hairs and withered hands clutching a black staff.

"This discussion," she declares, "is over. None of you deserve to represent us. Quit your bickering, return to the Mistlands, bend the knee and face the consequences." One laughs before she spins to face him and with a swing of the staff (which for a moment flickers as a Scythe) transforms him into a fine, red mist with a withering glare.

She about to leave, her message delivered, when she sees Leshrac scrying on her.

"You and your lot think you're so clever. You've managed to defeat the first plan, but the second is so much worse. You could have seen a peaceful transition of power, but now hundreds and thousands will die in pain and terror and all that bloodshed will be upon you."

*[NOTE: Retcon - The vision foretold had clear signs of occurring AFTER a particular celestial event - in 3 months time. This means the teleporting to Strange Haven will take place AFTER the downtime, and NOT before]*

## Downtime

(The following events take place over the following in-game 3 months. These events are in no particular order)

### Characters Actions

**Gar** Returns to Greyhaven to build the temple and hang out on/maintain the farm

* Development of the temple is slow, held up by bureaucratic nonsense, but it has attracted many new workers/potential devotees. [Bonus Blue to next roll to build/improve temple

**Dandy** returns to Greyhaven to check on boat business, hang out on/maintain the farm and scours Greyhaven University searching for first hand accounts of people venturing into the Mistlands.

* Boat business is doing well. Monique DeCorbonneau is taking to her role well and has acquired a second barge - 2 Blue on next roll as long boat is available.
* Dandy is also able to track down a surviving author of one of the accounts. She makes a copy of her ancient map and records annotations based on her research. Between this and talking to the author (\*unknown to the party as of yet, the author has since mysteriously disappeared), she is able to compile the most up-to-date map possible. [The map negates upto 2 BLACK die on navigation rolls inside the Mistlands]

**Goldie** does research into Waiquir. Rolls Forbidden Lore and Lore.

* Forbidden Lore lets them know that there are some texts in Nerekhull that will be useful [add a blue die to research Waiquir inside Nerekhall], but not what they are.
* Lore roll offers additional benefit, as yet undecided  [2 advantages, not yet assigned]

**Leshrac** taps into a Black Market network in Greyhaven.

* 1500 silver from black market. See later for Strangehaven

**Azrah** - As of yet undefined [need to resolve this at the start of next session]

### Events in Terrinoth

* Strangehaven inn - Dukes religion is growing slowly but steadily.
* Baronies becoming unstable. There are several political assassinations. One Baron is murdered, and one narrowly escapes an attempt - with rumours of them behaving strangely afterwards [unspecified which Barons at this stage]. There are widespread instabilities, trade disputes, and a great deal of squabbling and conflict between the Baronies.
* Taxation has gone up considerably. While the Free Cities are immune from direct changes to tax laws by the barons, they still feel the pinch as transport costs for items coming into and out of the Free Cities increases dramatically.
* Positive gods (particularly Kelos) have had an increase in worship and faith
* Early reports of a plague coming from the Mistlands, not clear what it’s effects are. (happens in the last weeks of this downtime)

* The instability across the realm has made the League of Daqan busier than ever, and they've expanded their network of agents and influence. Unfortunately, with Bea's death, there's been a lack of a single guiding voice the remaining members are as universally admired and respected by the others as she was. For not the organization is functioning without a clear single authority.
* The Spiritual Balance of forces in Archaut has been upset, with reports of Hauntings as well as increased turmoil from the Ghost River and the Ghost Dragon. This has become significant enough to disrupt  day to day operations of the city and scare many residents away.
* Neno the Bard (who the Agents of Daqan encountered in Session 68) has become extremely popular. His humble and quiet, yet intelligent and insistent brand of protest folk music has struck a chord with the common folk in this time of political instability.
* Baroness Harriet has decreed Frest will become a Free-barony upon her passing. She is drafting a new constitution to take effect when she passes. The other barons are vocally against this, accept for The Steward of Alderfeild, Lady Sephone - who has been a vocal ally. The people of Frest have held public celebrations in their support and excitement.
* The Steward of Alderfeild, Lady Sephone, is having trouble managing the Nobility of her Barony as she is seen as an outsider and a poser. Her recent confirmation as Steward at Conclave under extraordinary circumstances being seen as something of a fait accompli - and there are whispers that the next conclave won’t ratify her as official Baroness - if there even is a conclave next year.
* Orcs and raiders are taking advantage of the unrest in Pelgate to make incursions at that boarder and into neighboring zones (Frest, Kell even southern Dernas and eastern Otrin). They have avoided organized opposition, but sacked numerous unprotected settlements.
* The Flametail River has an outbreak of a noxious red algae, causing fish to die, and difficulties with trade and transport along its length. The Algae has turned much of the waterways an ominous red.
* The Great Travelling Show has made something of a triumphant comeback under mysterious new management.
* As of yet unknown to anyone, Lady Jayne lives. Although in what form, and where - is yet to be revealed.
* There is an influx of new Adventurers throughout Terrinoth, inspired by stories and filling the opportunities created by the current strifes. .

## Travelling to Strangehaven

*[Clarification. While this was originally RPP’d as taking place right after the Lich Tower event, we have RETCONed it to be 3 months later- allowing for all the events of the recap to take place.]*

The party Teleports to the magical Nexus at the south Hills near Strangehaven (about a half day’s ride, used last in ‘Recap 46’). They arrive late in the day and would likely arrive in Strangehaven well into the night if they set off immediately. Instead Goldie recalls a ranger’s retreat not too far away and suggests resting there for the night and leaving in the morning.

They arrive to find a large 2 story wooden retreat - large enough to comfortably host up to 20 people. The stables indicate someone is here, but all is quiet and only a single small light can be seen flickering from inside.

The party goes in together and those with sensitive noses detect death and disease (I don’t think i used the word disease, but something alluding to that) - they press on and find 2 people (rangers?) dead in the bathroom. They lay in pools of blood and bile and seem to have exploded internally. Their mouths and eyes are surrounded by pustulant Boils.

At this point they have had low-level contact with the disease and all players rolled to resist. Goldie and Dandy failed to resist it and have contracted the plague, although it is currently inert and they are displaying no outward signs of contracting it.