Session 32 - The Dark Blade

High elf wizard Tristan of House Lorshe continued to press young half-elf informant Timo for information about Haeven's actions in the great elven city, although the child could provide little more than what Tristan knew and seemed eager to leave. Tristan and half-elf paladin Aryndrake decided in there was little they could do, and in the morning they would visit the High Justiciar and see what they could learn about the Fallen Justiciar.

Half-elf druid Percival regained consciousness up in a cramped space beneath a large stone, trapped in complete darkness. No amount of transformation could free him. Half-orc fighter Phryne awoke tied against a stone pillar in a large warehouse space, with a dozen children, mostly half-elves, starring at her. She asked for some water, which one of the children provided magically, then she asked where she was. A teenage half-elf explained that she was in their home, where the Justiciar worked to provide for them. Phryne impressed the children with stories of her gladiatorial prowess, until the children went to bed. At that moment Mildred, Phryne's dark sword, zoomed across the room on her own. Phryne commanded Mildred to cut her free, which the sword attempted to do, noisily, before Teyryn arrived to see what was happening. The half-elf woman made the sword go inert, and then stashed it into a large iron cauldron beneath a large earth elemental, under which Percival was trapped. Percival did his best to commune with Mildred, but the sword deemed him an unworthy warrior, and instead raged against the elemental on top of them.

Teyryn asked Phryne how likely it was that her friends would rescue her and Percival, and Phryne implied that it wasn't very likely before being left tied up.

The next morning Tristan and Aryndrake proceeded to the monastery of the Justiciar Order, where dozens of initiates trained, meditated, and practiced their vows. They were permitted an audience with the High Justiciar, though when Tristan pressed her for information about the Fallen Justiciar, she explained that her position in the order had been struck from the records when she had broken her vows, and she was no longer worthy to even be called an elf. Tristan demanded the Order intervene, as the Fallen Justiciar had interfered in his business, seizing his "tools" (Phryne and Aubrey), but the High Justiciar explained that the Fallen Justiciar had not done anything to harm an elf, the two being a half-orc and a half-elf, and so they would do nothing.

Incensed at his treatment, Tristan and Aryndrake began to investigate the kidnapping of their companions, first seeking out able-bodied warriors. They found only drunken dwarves at the Poundin' Fist, a dwarf-owned tavern in the outer town, so they proceeded to the Golden Lantern, owned by two human women who explained they really didn't deal with those sorts, and that they could try the Poundin' Fist. Exasperated, the two returned to the dwarf tavern and roused a drunken dwarven women (unbeknownst to them, they had found Burdrutrud Orcmaster, a great dwarven warrior, by her own esteem, killer of many orcs), and she seemed drunk enough to violently fight, but sober enough to accept some gold to follow them.

They proceeded into the Shadows, the parts of the outer town that are so close to the mountainside that they rarely see direct sunlight. Much of the older housing there was built for dwarves, and then simply taken over and added onto in the centuries since. Although many dwarven descendants still lived close to the mountainside, some working the mines alongside other labourers, many of inhabitants of the Shadows were destitute humans and half-elves.

Tristan realized a half-elf child had spotted them, and followed him from a birds-eye view with his familiar, a little bird named Joey. He followed the child to a large warehouse, outside of which sat a very bored looking Bryl, who didn't seemed concerned at the child's report. Tristan studied the warehouse, finding Phryne tied up, but only seeing a dozen children living inside.

With the dwarf in tow, Tristan and Aryndrake approached the warehouse, Tristan asking to speak with Bryl's "master." Bryl made a rude gesture, which inspired a stream of insults from the dwarf. A beautiful woman stepped out of the warehouse and warned the two companions to leave or surrender, before trying to magically put them to sleep. A fierce battle began when Tristan cast an orb of fire that set the entrance to the warehouse on fire, which quickly spread. A dark aura from Aryndrake caused Bryl to flee through the warehouse in fear, though the hag remained and attacked the dwarf. As the battle began to rage from without, Teyryn set her Earth Elemental upon the attackers, freeing Mildred and an almost naked Percival, before running to Phryne, untying her, and asking that she either kill "the elf and the half-elf or else flee, as this isn't your fight." Phryne charged into battle, Mildred's new power coming handy as the beautiful woman turned hag was thrown into the building by a decimating thunderous smite charged with dark divine power from Aryndrake from without. Before attempting to flee, and becoming seized by a spell cast by Percival, Teyryn raised a second Elemental out of the fire.

The Fire Elemental attempted to consume Aryndrake, who disappeared into a magical sphere of darkness to put himself out, while Tristan continued to batter the Earth Elemental with his flaming orb and pick at the Elemental with spells. The Earth Elemental turned on the Fire Elemental, which in turn turned on Tristan as Aryndrake proceeded around the outside of the building to see where the rest had gotten to. Tristan managed to disappear magically into the nearby buildings, out of harms way, as the out of control Elementals began to rage and battle through the Shadows.

Teyryn continued to try to escape Percival's magical hold, to no avail. He told her that if she attempted to flee he would end her, and to blink once if Haeven had sent the Fallen Justiciar and her cohort after the party. She blinked once, which Percival was all too ready to share with his companions.

ACTIVE QUESTS

-Investigate the Fallen Justiciar's mission and learn to what purpose she took Percival and Phryne, perhaps by interrogating Teyryn

-Where'd Satorus go?!

-Phryne is allowed to request a boon from the worshippers of Excelsion

-Tristan will lead an investigation into the goblin activity on the Mainland

-Secure the release of Kein Oppenmeier along with his folio, communicate with the Pirate Queen about how to meet up with her

-Investigate the encroaching dark forces from the East for the forest spirit (party thinks that the magical and destructive properties of tealstone, these goblin factories and Gazek from Gobelton have something to do with it)