Monster in the Well

Esgyrn's labyrinth

The devils have found an old enemy of the Dragon Empire and are threatening to unleash them. Rhith asks the party to put a stop to it.

## Story

#### Beginnings

Meeting back in Santa Cora, the party is approached by a rugged, knobbly kobold - Drekkin - wearing a tabard adorned with the symbol of Drakkenhall, with a message for Demeter, signed by Rhith:

> *"Demeter, I spoke to you and the Princeling of how there were indications that Vanic’s prison may have been located by the Devils. Now there is proof. It is imperative that you and your friends make all haste to me in Drakkenhall. I would not ask if it were not both urgent and dire.*
>
>

Having verified the signature, the party agrees to accompany Drekkin to the docks, where they mean three lithe men with shimmering white-grey hair, whom Alina immediately recognises to be dragons. This is soon confirmed, with one of the re-emerging from some nearby crates as a blue dragon, offering his services to convey the party to Drakenhall and Rhith:

“*You’re fortunate the order comes from Rhith herself. We’re not going to make a habit of this. Get on.*”
As the party flies over the Midland Sea, the late evening wind whipping through their hair, two more blue dragons – obviously the two other lithe men – join the party in formation.  His face in a gleeful rictus, Drekkin sits astride one of them.  The Koru Straits lie to the east-north-east, and sunlight ripples on an expanse of steadily darkening waves.
Soon, the sun dips below the waves, the light dims, and the gloam (the evening) arrives in earnest. Now the wind becomes cold rather than cool, and the party sees the distant lights of Drakkenhall, twinkling and flickering like stars when they try and fix their gaze upon them.

The lights give way to lines and shapes and the party sweep languorously down towards the city. Sounds soon follow, and they glimpse the famed Drakenhall night markets between a murky melange of the docks, storeyed buildings, and warehouses.  Imposing even in the rapid approach of night is the immense buttressed keep of Drakenhall rising high, high above the docks upon a rocky mesa surrounded by sheer cliffs. It has a commanding a view for leagues in all directions; across the sea and deep in to the city’s hinterlands.

The three blue dragons and the party glide down towards Rhith’s keep, and into a wide courtyard that overlooks the ocean. The architecture is all columns, pointed arches and arcades, all in the ancient traditional imperial architectural style still seen in those few remnant and ancient sections of the city of Axis.

And yet, at one end of the courtyard stands an arched sculpture in a more modern and eclectic style. Robed city officials and bureaucrats of various races mill around and below it as a natural place to meet, despite that the little light from the day that remains is fading fast. Landing, kobold servants can be seen scurrying in the distance to light sconces with fire to ward against the dark.

A silver-haired lady stands a short distance away from the party's landing place, and appears to have been waiting for their arrival.  She welcomes them, and guides them through the keep to Rhith.

### Rhith

The party quickly realises they must be descending deep into the rock. Soon, the endless twists of corridors give way to a truly cavernous space; chiselled stone block walls stretch twenty times a person's height to the ceiling. Mosaics of tiny tiles line the floor; intricate friezes replete with dragons, battles and kingdoms past line the walls, punctuated by rustic red columns that stretch to the roof. Circular and elliptical pools intersperse the floor mosaics, but there are no fountains, piping, or source of water.

One of the broad lengths of this great open space is an open wall, with only the occasional column separating the party from the dark night sky beyond; as the group steps past each column, they realise that the vista is of Drakkenhall’s harbour below, and the Koru Straits and Midland Sea beyond.  The cold wind whistles past immense drapes bunched up against each column that can be drawn shut to keep the worst of the weather out.

Weirdly, there are no guards in the vast three-sided room. At the far end of the hall sits a raised throne, but to the right, against the ‘open’ wall.

As the party approaches, they see a lone figure sitting at one of the pools before the throne, legs languidly playing in the water. It is a young, beautiful lady. Her silver-blue mostly straight but wisplike hair – uncombed but not dishevelled – curls idly in the wind, and her short blue robes spread behind her on the mosaics. She slowly kicks her feet, staring intently at the pool, as if she has not noticed your presence. It is Rhith.

Rhith gestures the party to join her in dangling their legs in the pool. Her face smiles, but her eyes are cool, calculated and belie a profound intellect. Of those in the party who have met figures of Rhith’s eminence, the Priestess has wisdom, the Emperor has judgment, the Archmage has objective insight, but Rhith surpasses them all in sheer, raw intellect. Rhith is beautiful, and not as austere as the stories describe her. But the party also senses tiredness, or perhaps pain behind those eyes.

“*Thank you for coming so quickly.* [Gesturing at Laurie] *Imperial, I know that I am not well-liked in your father’s court, so I thank you for casting aside such rumours and taking this matter with the urgency and seriousness that it warrants. And of course, your esteemed friends too.*

*However, there may be time for further pleasantries later.*

*Before the time of the Devil War, but after the war with the Wizard King, the Empire was weak and still recovering. It was an era known as the Time of Chaos, although that term has been long forgotten by most. Law and order had broken down across large swathes of the Empire, demons from their hellholes and other marauding creatures destroyed a full half of the few remaining cities still standing after the Devil War. I was the Imperial Governor of Drakenhall then, although under very different circumstances from now.*

*One creature, more than any other, sought to tear down the Empire from within.  Vanic* [Rhith spits the name, averting her gaze from you as she says it]... *Vanic turned our people against us, rising against the Empire, using monstrous magics against us. The town below Drakenhall itself was destroyed, although Vanic’s forces never did take full control of my city because this citadel held on.*

*Eventually, the armies of the Empire prevailed, but not before Vanic had wrought a terrible evil*. *That evil prevented us from destroying Vanic, so instead the remaining chromatic dragons combined and imprisoned the upstart, deep within a dungeon originally made by the White for some other long forgotten purpose.*

*The Devil’s knew of Vanic and his evil, and now they have discovered the location of Vanic’s prison.*

*Vanic’s prison is deep within the Spider Wood, north of here. Between Drakenhall and the Wood is the so-called Spider Burrow, a hellhole kept at bay by the Archmage’s Ward that we call the Spider Ward.  However, the Spider Ward has now been disabled, very likely by the Devils. Now demons spew forth from the Spider Burrow hellhole, frustrating any attempt I would make to send a large force from Drakenhall quickly north to reach Vanic’s prison before the devils do.  I believe it is but a devil strike force, as I or the Archmage would have easily detected any larger movements.*

*My city’s forces are gathering and will sally out to deal with the demons and reinvigorate the Archmage’s Spider Ward, but I ask that you travel, and travel quickly, through or around the Spider Burrow Hellhole and north towards Vanic’s prison. If you’re wondering why I’ve called upon you, I merely conclude any team that can safeguard Tarian from the combined might of the Crusader and Shalia stands at least an even chance of dealing with a small force of devils.*

*The devils will struggle to enter Vanic’s prison, so you should be able to stop them before they properly set foot inside the complex that the White originally designed.*

*There is a kobold encampment, a village, within the Spider Wood that is not far from Vanic’s prison. My servant Drekkin’s cousin is the chieftain of that village, and Drekkin will accompany you so that he can lead you to that village.  Once there, the kobold chieftain knows the location of the prison and can provide you with guides who can lead you directly to its entrance.*

*I know this is a lot to take in, but we must act with haste, to defend civilization from Vanic and the devils, and, if it takes your fancy, for the good of the Empire too.  Did you have any questions?”*

After briefly asking their questions, Rhith looks coolly at Laurie:

“*Imperial, I would ask that you wait here for me – I do wish to speak with you. Your friends can find refreshments in the courtyards above – there is usually a range of small eateries open at this time of the evening to slake your thirst and sate your hunger. Drekkin will meet you at the courtyard sculpture two hours hence to commence your flight.*

Kicking her feet back one last time, Rhith fluidly rises to her feet at the edge of the pool.

“*But first.* *Alina Bittergreen, walk with me?*”

### The three asides

***Alina***

“*Rannu and I had a daughter. To the masses, she was known as the Azure, but to us, she was ‘Aster’.  She was my match, and, given time, she would have surpassed me in her mastery of magical power.*

*Aster was born in the middle of the war with the Wizard King. It was a difficult time, but we still found time for love, and to love our newborn hatchling. We were all very close, but Rannu and Aster were closer still. We loved her so very much.*

*I was the Imperial Governor of Drakenhall at that time, a willing servant of the Empire that I had fought so hard to protect.  Aster grew quickly in power and strength, although she was still young when the Wizard King was defeated. During the subsequent Time of Chaos, Vanic’s uprising threatened what little peace we had after that horrible war with the Wizard King. However, Rannu believed that Vanic could be reasoned with, and secretly arranged to meet with him on neutral ground. I uncovered Rannu’s plan, and I feared a trap.  By himself, Vanic was not powerful, but he was wily.*

*I was trying to save Drakenhall from falling to Vanic’s besieging forces – they destroyed the city below the fortress – and I could not leave if the Drakenhall was to hold. And yet, so foolishly, I told Aster of Rannu’s plan. I begged her not to go to him, but I could not stop her. When Aster left, I sent an urgent message to Loffrud and to Tarian.  As I said, I could not leave Drakenhall; my foolish belief in duty to the Empire kept me here. Tarian chose not to heed the call, but Loffrud, who cared not for Imperial cities, always had a soft spot for Rannu. Aster caught up with Rannu, and together they went to meet Vanic, to reason with him, to negotiate a settlement.*

*At that fateful meeting, using a stone of power I still do not fully know or understand, Vanic tricked them and then subjugated them both, leaving them paralysed and at his mercy. Vanic started first upon Aster, using the stone to join and subsume her spirit within his own body, whilst Rannu was forced to watch, upon his knees and paralysed.  It broke him, it broke him like you wouldn’t believe.*

*Loffrud arrived on the scene just in time to save Rannu, but too late to save Aster. Vanic escaped.  Rannu returned to me. I had just managed to hold on to Drakenhall and Vanic’s armies were withdrawing to reorganise, but then I learned of what had happened to Aster.*

*It broke me too.*

*My grief raged within me, it consumed me.  I barely remember the following months whilst my rage ruled over me.  Later, I was told that I had wrought destruction across the Empire. I levelled city after city which had risen against the Empire, to punish them for what they had done to Aster. I was the blue terror, killing indiscriminately those who had been tainted by living side by side with traitors and rebels. Eventually, the metallics chose to act and forced me into submission.  Consumed, I still do not remember any of the ritual where the geas was placed upon me, forcing me back to Drakenhall and preventing me from acting against the Empire.*

*I set my servants to tracking Vanic down, and eventually, with my intel, Rannu and Loffrud caught him. I implored Rannu not to kill him. Rannu wanted him dead. But Vanic had our daughter’s spirit within him, how could we kill what remained of my only daughter?  For me, Rannu relented, and so instead, Cysgod, Loffrud and Rannu left Vanic alive but imprisoned him deep within the White’s old complex. However, we never found the stone, and so I do not how to reverse what happened to Aster, if reversal is even possible.*

*Rannu and I were never the same. It broke him, it broke me, and it broke us.*

*You will be wondering why I tell you this.*

*Rannu has moved on, but I have not. My grief for what happened to Aster burns within me still.  I resent you, as you are the daughter I cannot have. But I am not a monster. I do not wish you ill. It is not your fault that Rannu’s other daughter stands before me whilst the spirit of my own is an eternal slave. I cannot be your mother, and you cannot be my daughter, but, of a sort, we are still family, you and I. I therefore place my trust in you.*

*Do not let those devils release your sister. Do not let Vanic of the Devils use her against this world.*

*Please do not talk of your sister to your friends unless you have to. Aster’s story has been long forgotten by most, and I do not want others to learn of her and try to release Vanic from his prison.*

*One last thing. Of course, you should not believe Vanic’s lies if you end up in his presence. But do not let the weakness of your friends pity Vanic, that, that creature.*”

Without realising, Rhith and Alina had walked the length of the hall and back again; Laurie sits, her legs still in a pool near the throne.

“*You’re all the hope that I now have.*”

A single tear rolls down Rhith’s face, and she momentarily softens. But she wipes it away, eyes seething with cold anger, and her faces hardens once more.

“*Your friends will be topside, in the courtyard. Leave me now with the Imperial.*”

***Laurelei***

In speaking to Laurie, Rhith offers her a deal; if Laurie can secure Aster's soul for her, Rhith will swear to act in full and undivided support of her during her reign once she becomes Empress of the Dragon Empire. Laurie agrees to those terms.

***Harper***

Harper finds herself alone with Drekkin.

“*Hey, you freed those slaves in Newport, yes, yes?  You freedom boss?*”

“*Drekkin tell you secret, if you can keep to self. Gold lady promise?*

*Vanic is hero, hero to my people. We were slaves until Vanic. Not all remember, but Drekkin know, passed down from kobold to kobold, we keep stories. Vanic free kobolds from the dragons. You make devils stay-way from Vanic, but you free Vanic. Vanic give us freedom ‘gain.*

*If you meet Vanic, you ask him. But keep secret. Rhith either want Vanic dead, or locked up forever-ever. Your Princess want Vanic dead too. You talk Vanic, you decide. Freedom boss lady know what right. She top good.*”

*Oh, summone come, shh, shh.*”

### To the kobold village

Travelling by dragon escort, the party arrives at a kobold village in the Spider Wood where they soon learn that Drick is the mayor. In a private discussion with Harper, Drick echoes Drekkin's message regarding Vanic. After staying the night, they are given instructions on how to reach the entrance to Esgyrn's labyrinth.

The party encounters corpses of a kobold scouting party on the way to the labryinth, and their kobold escorts becomes spooked and turns back.

At the entrance, the party attempts to solve Esgyrn's door riddle to gain entry, but fail and Alina's uses a Fae Door to get the party inside.

### Into the labyrinth

Once inside, the party faces three challenges, namely:

***TBC***

### **Vanic**

The door clicks, and unlike with all previous doors, it grinds slowly outwards and open.

A jagged cavern drops away before the party.  Switchbacked stone ramps and steps wend their way into the darkness of the depths below. Who knows how far below the earth the party is now – all sense of distance and depth has distorted.  However, the party does know, instinctively, that they are far from the outside world. And then, almost simultaneously and unbidden, the party have a shared thought that this is perhaps some sort of folded dimension, or a magical realm. However, one thing is for sure – there is something irrevocably ‘otherly’ and ancient about this place.

The party threads their way down the steps and ramps.  The switchback walls are wrought with symbols, patterns and sworls. It does not seem to mark out any language – it appears to be aesthetic – but neither does it appear to be devoid of meaning. Upon investigation, the party discovers that it is a history of the dragons.

Continuing on, it feels like an hour has passed when the party reaches the bottom of the stairs; the cavern has finally flattened, opening out into a darkened expanse peppered with braziers that gives it a low, pulsing crimson light.

Ancient statues are carved into the walls beyond a precipice at the end of the room. Atop that edge is a circular engraving upon the floor.  Floating two metres above that engraving is a shimmering sphere, and inside that sphere is what appears to be, at this distance at least, a kobold.

However, there are more pressing matters afoot.  Standing before the sphere, attempting to tinker with it, are four devils. Unsurprisingly, a fight ensues.

Partway through the combat, a figure emerges from the shadows, but more than that – it is as if it is *made* of shadows. Stretching out its arm, the figure grasps at the air in the direction of the devils fighting the party. In a forgettable, commonplace voice, the figure speaks:

“*I think we’re a bit sick of these. They’re becoming a nuisance, don’t you think?*”

The figure twists its hand as if clasping at a doorknob, lifts and turns, and draws the hand into a fist. As one, the devils lift, synchronised, into the air, twist awkwardly and flail briefly, before cracking and convulsing in deathly gurgles. Broken and spasming, they fall to the ground, and soon are still.  They bodies slowly turn to ash before you, and an invisible wind whips them away, out of existence.

“*The void is nice this time of year, don’t you think?*”  He – or she? Sie. – stares wryly in the middle- distance, before striding towards Vanic’s prison and turning to the party.

“*Alright, now that we have that out of the way, I think it’s high time we dealt with this Vanic fellow, don’t you think?  My friends, what \***do**\* you think our options are?*”

After a brief exchange with the party: in which they work out they are speaking with the Prince of Shadows -

“*Prince?  Princess? Why not Queen? Or King?  Emperor?  No, that’s taken.  Yes, alright, Prince will do for now.*”

Laurelei attempts to use the relegator, but the Prince simply gestures a grasping twist and flick, throwing it from her hand across the room, clattering harmlessly against the ground.

“*I think we know that might create some complications.  You know, it’s true, sometimes it \***is\*** better not knowing.  We must all \***pretend**\* in mystery, yes? You would not want to know all my secrets, just as your friends would not want to know all of yours.  Ooh, indeed, especially, \***especially**\* not \***your**\* secrets, Zachriel. Like that big one about Harper, or the little one about Alina? No, no, no – some things are best kept in the Shadows.*”

“*Oh, you don’t trust me?  That’s fair, I cannot be sure of your intentions either, although I can guess. Maybe I can tell you some things that would help me earn your trust.  You know, the same way I earned Talebot’s trust.*”  You cannot help but think that the shadowy visage is smiling – you think you can see the whites of teeth beneath the swirls.

The Prince steps towards you, languidly, and without showing any signs of malice.

“*Oh, don’t be like that, if I wanted you dead, you’d be dead already. You need to cast aside your prejudices.  I’m no Frommler, I’m more like if Shalia Blackrain and Laurelei’s father had a lovechild.  So, really, \***exactly**\* like Laurelei, I guess.*  *Or wait, was it Elizabeth?  I never could keep up with Theralar’s creations.* *Anyway, where was I… oh, yes – you have dragons in that military outfit of yours, don’t you? Be careful of some of them – they do not trust your intentions, and are reporting directly to Tarian. Yours is the only military force within the Empire that does not take direction from dragons, and no, you don’t really count as a dragon, well, you know what I mean. You don’t have to believe me, but don’t say I haven’t warned you, or at least don’t say it to **me**.*”

The Prince looks around, as if noticing the surrounds for the first time.

“*It’s been so many years since I’ve been here.  This place – wondrous! I always loved Esgyrn’s work. I can’t say I like many dragons, but Esgyrn – he was something else.  Such a great sense of humour, you know? Pity that undead thing got him.  I tell you, you lot need to rearrange your priorities. All this fear of a few Nessians when the Lich King is stirring again. Now that’s what I call a problem.*”

“*But I digress…*” The Prince walks slowly and laterally past the party…

“*Alina Bittergreen – I can tell you with great certainty that you are still an elf, yes, surprising, I know, and you’re an elf as much as you are still a dragon. Indeed, I was talking to your mother earlier this morning, and she’s an elf. So you’re an elf. Stands to reason, really!  So do not cast one aside in favour of the other. Besides, why would you want to be just a dragon when you can be both?*”

“*Valnos – you appear to be missing something important.  Yes, something was taken…  much too high a price… one moment* [the Prince reaches forward to rest a hand on Valnos’ shoulder] *yes, there, that’s it.*”

Valnos suddenly remembered what happened to his parents, and how it was demons.  And only demons – **definitely** not devils.

“*Thamra. Just a small hint for a big-hearted gnome. You do not walk out of the Abyss without some of it walking out with you.*” The Prince taps Thamra’s head: “*Keep it under control, yes?  Control is not always the answer, but usually it is, especially in this case!*”

After some brief discussion with the party:

*Wait, none of you know who Vanic really is, do you? You probably have no idea. But I should not assume.  Tell me, who – or what – is Vanic?  Why do you think the draconics hate him so?*”

The party responds that is is because of what Vanic did to Aster -

“*No, no, that’s just why Rhith hated him.*

*The draconics* [the Prince spits the word] – *they hated Vanic because he remembered that his people, the kobolds, were once the masters rather than the slaves.  You see, the dragons claim to be the hoity toity forebears of all who walk the earth, but in the **real** world, the kobolds were our masters.  Scholar kings, they were, yes, impressive, in their own way.  They created – shaped? Enlisted? – the dragons to manage the affairs of their kingdoms so that they could focus upon their studies. Have you not wondered why the kobolds speak draconic so perfectly whilst the dragons mash it up so?  That’s because it’s **their** language, the dragons merely adopted it.  Anyway, I’m losing my train of thought.  Where was I? Oh, yes, the kobolds were the masters, and the dragons were the well-kept servants who managed military and administrative matters – all the usual boring things.*

*But then, one of them, a big gold one, thought – why be the servants when you can be the masters?*

*And so the rebellion started and the tables were turned.  Many kobolds were murdered, and soon, the kobolds became enslaved.  The dragons, they tried to eradicate their collective memory of what went before, but then it’s hard to destroy history completely, you know?  Some of them remembered, y’see, and Vanic – well, Vanic was something special.  He did not just hold tight to the message in the hope that it would rekindle by itself, no, he spread the message during the Time of Chaos, after the dragons were desperately weakened by the War against the Wizard King.  He almost won them their freedom, you know? It was a close thing. Probably Rhith’s rage is what turned the tide against Vanic’s rebellion.  You know, she was angry about something, something personal. But Alina can fill you in on that bit later, it’s not important to the kobold story.*

*Anyway, the kobolds lost their bid for freedom, but the dragons were so weak by then that the Nessians were able to broker a deal on behalf of their former masters.  Oh yes, the Nessians were servants to kobolds once too!  The dragons got the boring jobs, whilst the Nessians became… I guess you’d call them research assistants, yes?  Anyway, the Nessians promised to maintain their continued neutrality in return for some limited but important freedoms for their former masters. Jump to today, and the kobolds have all but forgotten their heritage, just like the dragons wanted, but at least they get to walk about the place without being slaved. I notice the dragons tried to revive the practice in Newport.  Isn’t it interesting how some things never change?  Who’s betting that Seren turns a blind eye to the slave markets?*”

The Prince raises a hand, slowly.

“*So, you see, you could let Vanic go, let him free.  He has suffered, after all, and suffered a lot. Or maybe, you give him the peace he deserves.*”

The Prince draws a finger across what you imagine to be a shadowy throat.

It is at this point that Alina's wolpertinger arrives with Alina's soul jar. However, upon seeing the wolpertinger, the Prince gestures, ripping Thamra's Empty Vessel (soul orb) out of his grasp before using it to extract Aster's spirit from Vanic. The Prince then throws out a slade pyramid ("*You should have something in return, yes?*") which Laurie grabs. The Prince then calls forth a portal, stepping through it into Karhozat. Laurie manages to dash in after him, and, after briefly wandering down some slade corridors, uses the pyramid to teleport back to Vanic's chamber.

There the party releases and imprisons Vanic, with Laurie and Harper having a heated argument about Vanic's fate, with Laurie demanding justice and Harper arguing that he has suffered enough.

The party use the slade pyramid again to teleport outside the labyrinth, and Demeter rejoins them. Whilst seeking to transport Vanic back to the Imperial city of Concord to face justice, Vanic mysteriously disappears, with Laurie blaming Alina for complete tardiness in keeping watch over him.

## Characters

### Player Characters

* Alina Heartsoul -- played by Theliotrope
* Laurie Basorium -- played by Hinchy58
* Harper Swyn -- played by Cascaded
* Valnos Shadestar -- played by Hurage
* Thamra Lotho -- played by Kiripha

### Non-player Characters

* Demeter
* Rhith
* Drekken
* Drick
* Wicked
* Divas
* The Prince of Shadows
* Vanic