The Merchants' Summit

## Overview

The Merchant's Summit is a one-shot scenario in which the players are the escorts to the dark elven Merchant Princes of Elkan. This scenario acts as an introduction to that part of the world's history.

## Plot

### Summary

The twelve Merchant Princes of Elkan come together for their annual meeting. They exchange political gossip and their plans. A number of the Merchant Princes come forward with a plan to invade the orcs' lands. Doran McGrath, Merchant Prince of House McGrath, attempts to persuade the others to give up their war plans. When they don't listen to him, he sets of a chain of events that leave most of them dead and their forces scattered.

#### Attendees

House Batari: Eko Batari is the figurehead for war with the orcs. With him is Silvan Batari, a human recently given a great deal of power in their house. Eko gives a rousing speech of the righteousness of marching on the orcs. When Doran poisons the wine, Eko Batari drinks and is killed. Silvan Batari escapes by leaping over the heads of confused Warriors of Light.

House Dzene: Aristides Dzene is an irreverent wizard who came mostly to toy with the other leaders. He brought 'Rat-Fingers' with him. Aristides notices Kemala Rahar eating plants in the garden, which turns out to be an antitoxin. Aristides takes some. During a conversation with the very drunk Intan Manyan Aristides gives him the antitoxin. Rat-Fingers dies exploring the upper level when Doran's perytons attack. When Doran poisons the wine, Aristides takes the antitoxin and escapes by taking the form of a pterodactyl.

House Inn'lor: Baroleh Inn'lor is a bloodthirsty tyrant. He takes his bodyguard Unelma. Baroleh threatens several of the others, saying that if they attack Chalchuitzel, he expects them to hand over a few islands near his territory. He's killed when Doran poisons the wine, and Unelma is killed by Doran's shadows.

House Ka'uhane: Gemi Ka'uhane comes to plead for help in defeating rebels in her territory. She says that once her rebels are defeated, she can join the others in fighting the orcs. She brings her bodyguard Kai. She dies when Doran poisons the wine, and Kai manages to escape.

House Laima: Hasin Laima is working closely with Eko Batari to plan the invasion of the orcs. He pledges his great army to the cause. He takes with him Sybil Laima. He dies when Doran poisons the wine, but Sybil manages to rally the surviving Warriors of Light and lead them to safety. Unfortunately, when she gets home she finds House Laima completely annihilated. She helps set up House Laka as the successors of House Laima.

House Larosa: Lykaios Larosa, reigning Merchant Prince of House Larosa, does not arrive at the meeting. He sends Kamille, her druidess advisor, in her place. Kamille warns the others that Lykaios was told the meeting would be deadly, and tries to have the proceedings delayed. She fails, but manages to escape with her life, having been on edge the whole evening. Marin, sworn knight of House Larosa, is her escort, and he manages to save the lives of many Ka'uhane and Rahar troops during the fighting that follows.

House Lawry: Muriel Lawry is a decadent ruler and conqueror. She agrees to war with the orcs after her own local conquests are done. She survives poisoning by Doran, thanks to the intervention of her bodyguard, Isabel. However, she is slain shortly afterwards when Doran rips her shadow from her body, withering her to dust. Isabel helps the survivors escape, rallies the Lawry soldiers outside, holds off an attack by Vintaasimar's minions, and then marches them home.

House Malumo: Aldino Malumo is a cautious ruler who plans to join forces with the Solar Hegemony and with the planned crusade against the orcs. He brings Captain Turathany to speak for him on military matters. Aldino dies when Doran poisons the wine. Turathany escapes, but discovers that the crew of the Rust Halo, their escort, is allied with the assassins. After a second brush with death he makes it home.

House Manyan: Intan Manyan is a strange drunk, who advocates for peacetime and exploting the people. He survives the poisoning thanks to serendipitous intervention by Aristides Dzene, who gives him an antidote for drunkenness. He, his bodyguard, Tyas, and his Pigeons are all in on the assassination plot, but are betrayed. Intan is killed the same when his heart is ripped out by one of Doran's perytons. Doran tells Tyas that she should join him and cast off tyrants, but she refuses, runs, and rallies the Pigeons to go home.

House McGrath: Doran McGrath is some sort of shadowy entity, disguised as the meek host of the Merchant's Council. Doran tries to sway the other leaders away from war with the orcs, but when his words fall on deaf ears, he poisons everyone. Then he reveals his true form, and unleashes shadows and perytons upon everyone gathered there. He turns on his own people, who according to him will support the war against the orcs due to their corrupt ideologies. Some of his people escape, led by Sybil Laima and Mairwen McGrath, the leader of the resident Warriors of Light. After the poisonings and the arrival of Doran's allies (including Vintaasimar's forces), Glanis himself arrives on the battlefield to drive Doran off.

House Rahar: Kemala Rahar is a drug-addled woman who is friends with Doran. She eats an antidote that she digs up from the garden before the poisonings. She then delivers a speech about joining together in a defensive pact against the Solar Hegemony and the orcs. Doran expresses his disapproval of her, but doesn't try to stop her when she flees with her bugbear bodyguard.

House Sidari: Raissa Sidari brings slaves to the Merchant's Council, giving them to each leader except Hasin Laima, who finds slavery to be personally reprehensible. She brings Vagauntar, an orc slave and entertainer. He is not well received. Raissa dies when Doran poisons the wine. Vagauntar escapes with the slaves, apparently spared by Doran's servants.