Beyond the Veil: Episode 01

### YouTube VOD

***Beyond the Veil* Episode 1** was streamed on Arcadum's Twitch channel on June 28, 2018, and premiered on Arcadum's YouTube channel on February 16, 2019.

## Summary

In the lands of Dolten, in the slums of Barghest, a gnome walked in talking to himself weirdly, down the Promenade street towards the Rotten Maw inn, where it was rumored that the secrets of the Taladoni can be found. He was followed by a towering green orc with a weird colored itch, that comes looking for a peculiar healer in Barghest, and the best place to look for information is at the Rotten Maw inn.

An elf that looks like a gambler walked to the slums, he received a contact from a particular individual that has the mark of a fence, who resides in the Rotten Maw inn, that is paying a hefty sum of money for a package to be delivered.

Lastly, a tall female Dragonborn wearing a chainmail and the symbol of the god Babylon, appears on the slums. In a recent vision, her deity informs her to visit the Rotten Maw inn, to follow a package of unknown import, but dark purpose. They all reached the Rotten Maw inn.

The gnome managed to unintentionally offend a ratfolk who are studying something arcane by calling him a "*mouseman*". He then stumble into a dashing man who he managed to have a small talk with. The towering green orc talked to the bartender about finding a healer for the itch he has, and the bartender offered some kind of solution that would delay the spread of the itch, but recommend the orc to go to Bleak for a more comprehensive healing.

The elf stumbles around to a storage in order to steal something, but got caught by the bartender, who recognizes his "type" and began talking in Thieves' Cant to him. The elf managed to deflect problem by asking if the bartender have a job for him, and the bartender pointed out that a man is waiting upstairs, and perhaps the elf is the one he's waiting for.

The elf then proceed to go upstairs, and entered a room. He was met with a very fancy looking nobleman, a sight that is rare to see in this town, who offered him a job to deliver a package to Bleak for 50 gold. He also caution the elf about the road he takes, for Dolten is a dangerous area and he should be careful. The elf managed to persuade the noble to give him an additional 200 gold, since it was a dangerous job and he might need to ask around for help in the travelling.

The elf asked what's in the package, but the noblemen answered that he came here with the assumption that the business will be done with discretion. He left understandingly, and went back downstairs. The female dragonborn notices the elf carrying a package, and approaches him, warning him that it is dangerous to carry a dangerous package alone, and offers help to guard the package for free.

They were interrupted by the old gnome, offering to show magic. He overheard what's being discussed, and the elf offered the gnome, but the gnome wants pay. The elf leaves to find other people, and found a big green orc on the bar.

The elf then began approaching the green orc, to ask him if he is willing to be hired as an escort to Bleak since the orc looks tough. The green orc, having the same destination, agrees and the elf asked him to talk to Omega. The bartender overheard the elf saying Bleak and recommends him to talk to a man, a laid back Inquisitor, about some advice and help traversing the road on the way to Bleak. The elf thanked him, and go towards the Inquisitor.

The orc approached the dragonborn, and after affirming that they have accepted the job, introduces themselves to each other. The Dragonborn's name is Omega, and Grombus is the orc's name. The gnome also introduces himself as Guh-nome.

The elf approached the Inquisitor, Thomas T. Tale, and asked for advice. He recommends the elf to pack his bags tightly, and to have holy water ready just in case the undead attacks. He also informed the elf of a rumor that there's a Necromancer rising in Daborak, and give advice to stay off the world road and take the southern road instead, and to stick close to any waystation.

He also gave the elf three vials of holy waters. The elf challenged Thomas to a gamble with his coins, but Thomas instead challenge him to gamble with dices for 100 gold pieces. The elf won the gold, and decline further gambling. Thomas, happy with the bold move that the elf did, buys drinks for all of the newly formed party and the gnome, and the elf confirmed with Thieves' Cant to the Bartender that they were served "good stuff". Thomas then departs after that.

Grombus then asks for gold to the elf, but he said that they'll receive it after the package is delivered. Then Guh-nome talked to the elf, and the elf managed to persuade him to join the party.

The group left Barghest, traversing to the southern roads and encountered a swamp. Guh-nome remembers that he's been through some of the parts of this roads, and lead them to a path that leads to safety from the swamp. After a while, they can't reach a waystation in time, so they find a place to sleep outside. Knowing that sleeping in Dolten is very dangerous, the party prepare their items and planned their watch. Since Belgore is an elf and can trance, he can take watch through all the shift, but he still need another person to watch with him.

Grombus takes first watch with Belgore, and nothing of note happens. But while he woke up the next watchmen, Guh-nome who were dreaming of his parents and claiming to not kill them, they heard a creature's cry and a person shouting "NO!". The lands of Dolten has claimed another one, it seems. Grombus checks their surrounding, but found nothing but silence. The danger seems to have passed.

Omega takes watch, and she saw a figure in the dark, who makes eye contact with her and showing her a flower with thorns. She excuses herself from Belgore and approach the figure, an elven invididual whose body's left side is horribly scarred and etched with meaningful arcane meanings. The elf bowed and salute Omega, and informed her that she, along with her travelling companion, will soon meet his caravan. He also informed her that his caravan has met cultists of the Mad God himself, and they were able to gather some information about something called the Omnitex from them. It was said that this Omnitex is a cypher that can translate the madness of their deity.

The elf then began explaining where his tent is, and asked Omega to not raise suspicion since he has a lot that she needs to see. Omega thanked her, and the figure bowed and salute. Omega comes back to the camp, and caught Belgore in a suspicious place, as if he were rummaging through Guh-nome's belongings, but manage to deflect problem once more by claiming to check up on their companion.

Belgore then takes the rest of the watch, and also checking out Omega's inventory, and found a holy symbol of a god that he didn't have any knowledge on. The morning comes, and the group moves on. They walked by, on and on, until they passed by the caravan.

They meet a man whose covered in hornets, that introduces himself as the caravan master. He asked them to join his group for lunch, and Belgore stays back cause he needed to piss. But actually, he was looking out to steal something from the caravan. He found some alchemical items in one caravan but decided not to touch it since its distinct smell. He checked another caravan, and found three chests.

There's some silks and clothes in a chest, and he stole them. He opened another chest, and found 4 pouches and a silver ingot in it. After flipping a coin to decide, he took only a single pouch and the ingot. He opened the last chest, and found four vials that he recognizes as some sort of potions. He decided to take 2 random vials with him.

Grombus and Guh-nome ate with the Caravan Master, and the Caravan Master inquire them about their journey and where they're going. Grombus reveals that they're going to Bleak, and Grombus told him of his special colored scar. The Caravan Master, a healer himself, indeed also recommends him to go to Bleak to treat this scar.

Omega meets with the scarred elven figure, who bowed to her. She intimidate him by putting her feet to his head in a dominant move, and starts informing her more about the cultists. One of them are employed by the Don Half-father of Bleak. There is also a shrine of Oloken'hai in the sewers of Bleak, where cultist converge and move around, and where the first piece of the Omnitex can be found.

The elven figure questioned her travelling companions, and she reassures him that they were nobodies and she's just helping out. The elf gives Omega two healing potions and a flower, and also introduces himself as Sonitex. She thanks him and leave.

In the meantime, Grombus wanders over to an elf maiden whose back is exposed, and covered with arcane symbols and pulses with energy. Grombus talks with her, and she seems to know his name without him even introducing himself. She reveals that she knows that he is not confident with his travelling partners and that they have been robbed.

Grombus questioned about why there are no guards around the caravan, and the maiden reveals that it is protected by hexes of some kind. He inquire mores about the caravan, and the maiden told them about the name, The Hornet Friend, and that they are a nomad elves who travelled the world. Grombus is alarmed, and walked away toward Belgore, remarking to him that they're "hippies", and warned Belgore about the hexes.

Belgore then starts talking to the maiden with the arcane symbols, and she reveals her knowledge about his robbery, and that anyone who took anything they had and walked away from their caravan, will be cursed by something terrible. Belgore, alarmed, trying to finagle his way through her, but she says that the curse won't go away unless he put the stolen items back to the place he stole it from.

Belgore walked away from her to ask his companions about a way to let go of the curse, and another elf perks up and answer him. She told him that it can be rid of by dancing around the campfire for a bit. Belgore then began dancing, and in the middle of it he realized that the elf is messing around with him.

The elf then began actually trying to help him by hearing Belgore out, and Belgore made up another reason that he has the thieves' curse, but the elf instead brings him back to the maiden, Galadriel. Galadriel then looked at Belgore, and the elf, Dusk, finally realized that Belgore stole from them. Dusk was angry and began walking to the Caravan Master to report him, but Galadriel stopped her, giving Belgore a chance to return what he has stolen.

Belgore plead to her that she at least didn't tell his companions about it, but Galadriel instead walked up to the party, and salute to Omega. She talked with her and told her of Belgore's crime and wishes to make a pact with her, which was that she'll give her 200 gold, if and only if Belgore return the stolen items. If he didn't, she has to kill him. Being a follower of Babylon, she knows the weight of a pact.

Omega easily convince Belgore to return the items, muttering to himself that they should split the money received. Galadriel thanks Omega, and reveals the items that Belgore might've stolen is for children. The group leaves afterward, but not before Grombus getting 100 gold to help him with his ailments.

The group then traveled, and passed by a graveyard. They noticed the grates that helps keep the graveyard safe is a bit broken, and it seems like the source of the damage came from inside going out. Grombus pry out the bars easily, and the group enters the graveyard. Belgore then told the party about the information he got, that there's an undead happening nearby, and be careful. He then began moving towards a mausoleum, but then something happens.

Three creatures appears in nearby graves, zombies. Grombus immediately moves towards a nearby one and missed an attack. Belgore critically hit the zombie and killed the one Grombus missed. Omega attacked another zombie nearby, and Guh-nome tried to cast Sleep on another one which has no effect.

A zombie tried to attack Omega, but fails. More zombie appears, and one moved near Belgore. Grombus and Omega keep attacking, and Guh-nome finally used an offensive Firebolt towards the approaching zombie, who refused to sleep as he says. The zombie remains strong however, and get up next to him.

Belgore got ganged up by the zombie, one wounded him. Grombus finishes off the one he is combating with and assist Belgore, and Belgore decided to back away and let Grombus take the hit, knowing he is strong. Omega moved to assist Guh-nome and fails another attack, and Guh-nome failed his Firebolt since the zombie is right next to him.

A zombie finally hit Omega, wounding her, and two zombies failed to hit a raging Grombus. He returns the weak attack by cleaving one zombie's head off his body, and Belgore sniped the zombie near Omega and Guh-nome, killing it. Omega healed herself and moved to help Grombus, and Guh-nome failed to hit with his Firebolt.

The last zombie hits Grombus, but it was nothing to the raging body of Grombus. Grombus tried to retaliate but miss. Belgore sniped the last zombie, damaging him, but Omega impaled the last zombie with her spear.

The group take a beat, Belgore was given a potion by Omega, and they found a statue of Lorn. Omega realized what statue it was, and knows that it is a custom to give tribute to Lorn whenever they visited a grave, and the tribute can be anything. Omega places the flower she received from Sonitex to the offering bowl, and it withers immediately and turns to dust. However, the statue suddenly moved and points toward a mausoleum that is also unlocked.

Inside the mausoleum, they can see a sarcophagus with a binding metal clasp that has been opened. The sarcophagus is adorned with the twin visage of Lorn, clasping the symbol of Gwaina in one hand, and Talven in the other.

Belgore peeks in and noticed things, but especially a brass apple that is enchanted. Grombus, of all people, recognizes that this is something called the Apple of Second Chances. When the apple is placed on a recently deceased body, it is restored to life and the apple is destroyed. The group decides to take it and give it to Omega.

The group walked towards another mausoleum, and found it locked. Before Belgore can attempt to pick it, Grombus smash it easily. They found another sarcophagus and found inside a corpse buried with 200 gold. They walked towards the final mausoleum, finding the lock seems to be even tougher than before, but Grombus still managed to easily smash it. They found assorted gems inside, and leave the graveyard.

After some time travelling, they finally reached the gates of Bleak, and heads towards the dock along the Coin Road, where they can find Don Half-Father.

## Featured Characters

### Main Characters

* Belgore Darkspire
* Grombus
* Guh-nome
* Omega

### New

* Roden Taft
* Reducio Addaire
* Mr. Dow
* Franklin Goldfen
* Thomas T. Tale
* "Mad" Magdelyn
* Sonitex The Spellscarred
* Leselo Hornet-Friend
* Exieli Evenhand
* Galadriel Star-Siren
* "Dusk"