Session 91

* Juliden's Keep

**Previously...**

## And Now...

### Splitting the Party.

Having heard Juliden's offer, our heroes return to their rooms to think over their options. After a brief re-examination of their situation, they decide to split up into two groups and explore the castle in search of more information. Gar is getting a distinct feeling that Fluffy knows more than he's letting on, so he heads off in search of that, accompanied by Kakeru, Leshrac and Thorn.

The remaining members, Dandy, Azrah, Thanden and the Two Dragonfolk guides shrug and head off in the opposite direction, guided by nothing more than the possibility of finding someone friendly who can tell us something interesting, or possibly finding something unexpectedly useful.

### The Art of Conversation (and Vice Versa).

The second group initially appear to be doing quite well, with most of the staff members of the castle more than willing to talk. Unfortunately, before long, it becomes apparent that this line of investigation is a dead end. While willing to talk, none of the staff is terribly friendly and any probing deeper than routine conversation or requests results in a stone wall.

Disheartened by this, the group finds itself in a nest of corridors adjoining a storeroom. Inside the storeroom, they find some food supplies. Taking the opportunity while they have it, they grab snacks and take a brief rest while considering their next move. As they're doing this, Dandy hears a voice telling her not to bother talking to the staff.

Searching for the source of the voice, she finds a massive painting, mostly covered by a dust-cloth. Hauling it away reveals the image of an elegant and well-dressed gentleman which proceeds to speak. The figure seems capable of limited movement within its frame. As it does so, the paint smudges as though being smeared, only to regather itself and instantly dry again. The effect appears similar, though not entirely, to the process used to create the painting the group found in the Alchemist's hidden lair.

The man in the painting introduces himself as Sir Edmunton III. He mentions Dandy's father and asks if she's any relation. She asks how Sir Edmunton knows her father, and he responds by describing himself as Chance's "friend and nemesis". A fellow adventurer and intriguer, the two had several run-ins over the years, occasionally as allies but more often as rivals... "I confess, I have not always been led by the better parts of my nature," Sir Edmunton says. He tells Dandy the story of his arrival here and of the deal he made with Juliden. He believed he knew of a loophole which could extricate him from the deal, but he was outmaneouvred and current state as a cursed painting is a result of that.

Between them, Dandy and Sir Edmunton calculate that he's been in this condition for approximately 50 years. He says that, not many weeks before he found himself in his current state, he had the pleasure of dining with Dandy's parents and had met her oldest brother, Jolly who had been five or six years old at the time. Dandy fills him in on why she and her friends are here and asks if there's anything they can do to help. Alas, he has no idea.

### Sudden Falls and Hidden Halls.

While Dandy is distracted, Azrah decides to poke about. She finds a small, but pleasantly-appointed reading nook. After a cursory examination, her eyes are drawn to a richly decorated scroll. Examining it triggers a trap door which drops her a short way down, to the top of a hidden spiral staircase winding deeper downward.

Looking around, she spots a peculiar, half-completed rune carved into the wall. Alas, half finished as it is, she's unable to decipher it and makes a note of it. With that done and with no other option apparent, she proceeds down the stairs into the darkness.

### The Scent of Mystery.

Far across the castle in another corridor, the first group are being led along by Fluffy. In order to avoid suspicion, they pretend (with varying degrees of success) to be studying the architectural details. Before long, however, the trail concludes, with Fluffy indicating that what he's seeking lies somewhere deep below. When pressed, he refuses to elaborate, just continuing to insist, Down! Down!

Leshrac produces Gorbmaw and feeds him a couple of silver rings before asking if he can assist. In response, Gorbmaw leads the group to a corridor they hadn't explored previously. As they entered, they heard a noise and hid. Drawing closer, they surreptitiously spot an unfamiliar, bald-headed, austere-looking man emerging from a room they'd previously overlooked.

### The Man of the House.

Proceeding down and down for almost an hour, Azrah finds herself in a stone-flagged room. The far end of the room is divided by a row of sturdy-looking metal bars. Beyond the bars, Azrah can make out an indistinct, lumpen figure. Drawing cautiously closer, she cane make it out as a ragged makeshift bedroll and an equally bedraggled sleeping humanoid figure.

Using magic to disguise her as one of the Castle's Servants, she approaches the bars and awakens the figure. He rolls over and fixes her with a suspicious gaze. In the dim shadows of the cell, the man's eyes flash briefly and Azrah's disguise faded away like morning mist. He raises himself to a seated position and leaned forward.

Azrah asked the man who he was, and, with a rueful grin, he introduced himself as Juliden's Consort. Taking in his surroundings, he explains that he finds himself consigned here to reflect on his particular role in that relationship.

### S'too complicated. Lemme sum up.

Far above, Dandy and Sir Edmunton continue their discussion. He explains that Juliden is hungry for any kind of magic which can extend her life, restore her dragon and maintain the tower and its illusions (in that order). All of the servants, he explains, are people who are paying off some sort of debt to her and are incapable of acting against her. The one thing he does know is that her main source of power is an extremely potent artefact called 'The Heart'.

He elaborates on his history with Chance, and Dandy reciprocates by letting him know why she and her friends are here, catching him up on at least some of the gossip he's missed. She suggests the possibility of stealing him away. She's pretty sure none of her allies can restore him to his previous form, but she knows some people at the University of Greyhaven who may be able to help. Sir Edmunton seems a little cautious about this and hints that there may have been some kerfuffle concerning a previous Archmage of Greyhaven and his wife (!).

### Regrouping.

Having become frustrated with their search, Gar, Leshrac and the others have rejoined the rest of the group and have begun to compare notes. Dandy rejoins them, having removed Sir Edmunton from his frame and covered the empty frame with the discarded dust cloth. She introduces everyone and everyone shares notes. At this point, the only one missing is Azrah, so Leshrac tries to link with her, but there seems to be some sort of interference, as though someone else is listening in.

After a brief conversation, the group agrees to come meet up with Azrah, and they head towards the reading nook.

### A Deal and a Discussion.

At the bottom of the staircase, Azrah introduces everyone to the prisoner. He offers us a deal... the same one that Juliden is offering, but he asks for nothing in return except his freedom. The group decides to step outside to discuss things. Sir Edmunton stays inside the room so that the two can have a chat, while the two dragonkin keep an eye on them in case they feel like getting up to something.

The group are thinking that victory is probably going to depend on finding The Heart but while they can settle on a goal, the method to achieve it remains elusive. Can it be accessed via The Library? Or via an Underground River? Perhaps the Prisoner knows of another way.

### A Fateful Future.

Frustrated that each step forward just seems to offer up more uncertainty, Leshrac and Azrah try and conjure up a vision of the future, a year from now.

As their vision comes into focus, they see Juliden's Keep lying in ruins, crumbled, broken and half-buried in the surrounding swamp. Amongst the rubble, they can see the half-submerged and splintered remains of an ancient, long-dead dragon. At this, a mist closes in over the vision and it refocuses somewhere else... as a figure stands at a window in the Castle of Nordross, overlooking the vast labyrinth.

As the figure watches, the labyrinth seems to have been re-opened and figures can be seen moving freely and smoothly through it once more. Satisfied with this, the figure turns away from the window. As he does, the Scythe of Nordross can be seen restored to its proper place, held tightly in the frozen grip of the God of Death... Leshrac.