Curses!

**Curses!** is the 13th session of the 2nd Season in Where Shades Rule. This episode features the Six in their confrontation with frightening new information regarding the Curse that afflicts the Undead Spies and unfortunate events that make learning or gaining more impossible.

## Recap

As the party investigate Fort Jerosant they find that the occupants of the Fort are truly lost. They have succumbed either to internal violence or eventual starvation and carbon dioxide poisoning. They encounter these dead remains suddenly coming back to life and one innocuous chest revealing itself to be a Mimic that had been surviving by eating some of the remains. They had gone further into the depths of the Fortress finding more information, new magical items and drawing ever closer to their goal...

## Summary

Heading further in and attuning to their new items, they come across a flooding portion of the Fortress and party members are able to discern that the Water is likely from whatever floods the tunnels and feeds the water supply of the Fort. However, they discover that this breach will only get worse unless it is fixed and any subsequent damage may result in it completely bursting.

Feeling that time is running out, they turn to the Book that Dagmar holds on the architecture of the Fortress and determines the left path after the flooding junction leads to the control room which is interestingly located alongside an irrigation farm and fish farm. Within the control room itself is a large Arcane Orb of unknown substance as it seems to shape and move while retaining a spherical shape. Next to it, was a table with four tablets each with a symbol corresponding to the four they've seen. King, Consul, Knight, Dwarf. Then there was also an oddly shaped tablet where upon it was a sort of solid horn shape. Dagmar's book identifies that the Sphere is what controls the chambers of the Fortress. Entering a tablet into it will enact the controls outside and the special tablet is the locking/unlocking mechanism that preventing the Six from further interacting with the controls.

It was at this time Tully's ears heard something down the hall toward the flooding junction to which sounded like something moving through water. The party began to investigate with Tore taking a lead. However, a perception check by Vandor managed to see the creature's eyes leering at them and when they tried to make a move towards it, it bolted. Tore gave chase shortly followed by the others and as it lead them to another section of the fortress they lost it. They did not give up, they keenly investigated the path and Dagmar picked up a subtle trail of water that leads into the Knight-Captain's quarters.

The Six enter the room where in the middle they find a Knight-Lieutenant's body laid upon the floor with vicious and violent wounds. He's clearly been dead for a while. They see nothing inside however. It may have eluded them again but Sir Davion calls out to see if it will answer. To which, after a persuasive attempt it does. The creature stands upside down on the roof of the chamber above them. It's tall and lanky, boney form hovering over them it appears somewhat curious and terribly grief-stricken by the events of the Fort.

Persistent questioning reveals that the Creature is in fact Knight-Captain Adrien Fuller who was in fact the Undead Spy hiding in the midst of the Fortress. He recalled that he always heard singing and that his purpose was to "keep the Fort out of the way". He tried to bring others to share in the song but he weeps over the Knight-Lieutenant's unwillingness to co-operate as it lead to the series of events that destroyed the Fort. Fuller reveals that since the Garrison sealed the Fort he no longer hears the song for which he is glad but the curse keeps him unnaturally alive, thus his current terrifying form. Now that the way is open, he says that he can 'smell' the song upon them and reveals taht the curse that got him and that he was trying to 'share' with the Knight-Lieutenant was in fact an essence of the Curse of Malite preserved in a crystal that he bore.

Fuller was glad now though, now he had company and for everyone's sake they must stay to keep the Fort sealed. This naturally puts our heroes in a awkward spot. Vandor initiates an attack on Fuller and the party willingly and unwillingly follows suit. A dangerous melee follows after which Fuller is obliterated by the Sacred Mace that Vandor now wields. Dagmar regrets that they could not learn more from Fuller now and other members of the Six realise they missed an opportunity to save Fuller's brain for the Three Magickos Bomb.

Once they proceed to leave, the water in the breach begins flowing more violently as it opens further and the party quickly move to unseal the entrance and make their escape. As they do, many of the Dead of the Fortress are raised into Undeath to stop them but the water seems to kill them with unexpected effectiveness. They exit the great door and reach safety. Enough to recover resources and items from the Strongrooms and prepare to mount their return trip.

But time is running out, the the Dead may soon be upon Valour Haven and the Six only have so much time left to prepare for the coming storm...

## Featured Characters

### The Six

* Sir Davion Phylund
* Deagon Sunseeker
* Tore Wolfram
* Tully Tanglefoot
* Vandor Tah