Session 18: A Rook Sacrifice Report

General Summary

The party now having had a quick rest push through the secret door they had discovered. They find themselves in what appears to be a wine cellar. Seeing crates on the ground they quickly realize they have found themselves in Verlaine's Residence. Seeing this they quickly decide if they want to push back through the sewers to make it back to Freeport's Temple of Odis to speak to High Priest Thuron, or should they try to slip out of the mansion.   Ganbold does some light scouting ahead to see what is in the manor exactly. As he enters the main floor he hears a cry of agony from the staircase going up. He then hears something hitting the floor, something big and hard. He quietly sneaks up the stairs to try and see what had happened. He is met with 3 doors, coming from the second door is a pooling puddle of blood leaking from underneath the door. Ganbold slips back to the party and with some insistence from Egil sneak up the stairs to investigate what happened. When they arrive and open the door they are met with a gruesome sight. The room although would be warm, comfortable hideaway in normal circumstances is the scene of a gruesome murder. Councilor Verlaine lays dead within his bed. His body almost looks skinned and savagely attacked. Four of his guards lay on the ground and a fifth guard, the head of his guard all lay dead in the room. The group slips into the room to see if they can find out who did this dead. Hanz hears a very quiet and well trained individual from the wardrobe. It is clear he is trying not to be heard by the group. They slip closer to the wardrobe but as they approach it slams open to reveal a disfigured man dressed in black leathers and wielding a shortsword! His attacks are swift and deadly and the poison on his blade is potent. The group attempts to defend themselves from this man. Only moments later a second man arrives in the doorway. He is much larger, and wears an assortment of full plate. Clearly the muscle and he shows high skill with the blade as he parries blows when he can. The party defeats both of these individuals.   As they search the bodies they find a handful of interesting items. They are carrying a hand drawn map of Freeport's Temple to Odis, as well as a document addressed to the party by Verlaine himself. This document gives the party deputy status to investigate the brotherhood within the city. It was signed two days ago. However the party had only met Verlaine once and it was the day before when he attempted to kick them out of the city. He was clearly not a friendly sort to adventurers. Strange.   Egil mentions to the party he still thinks his temple is in danger and the party agrees. Rothgar who still has a spell scroll of sending on his person hands it over to Egil, as Rothgar has no personal connections to anyone within the temple. Egil sends a message and receives a reply shortly after. Concern comes to his face as he informs the party that members of the Freeport's Clergy of Odis have been attacked. Hearing this the party quickly slips out of the house that no longer has guards and send a letter to Alashna Ravonich requesting aid and to send any paladins that they can spare in help of the defense of the temple. As they arrive they quickly find Thuron who is attending to the wounded. After Egil and him exchange a few words, Thuron approaches the party. He asks to see the letter they had found. After reading it his demeanor changes and he begins to order Egil, the rest of the clergy, and acolytes to prepare the defenses, the brotherhood means to destroy them this night. He then asks the party to help. As prayer is strong but steel is also effective. The party agrees easily.   It is not long after when the party begins to take the different fronts of the temple to defend it, they begin to hear pounding on the doors outside "To let us in we have injured!" Rothgar notices that whoever is calling this out is lying. Hanz does not notices this as well as Jorin who took the other front lines. The cultist realizing they will not be able to deceive their way in though quickly turn violent and begin their assault! The party is quickly rushed by multiple cultists all dressed in the same robes as the Freeport's Clergy of Freeport. The battle is difficult and chaotic. And one of the cultists a female proves to be a very incredibly deadly foe and magic user herself. A single blow from her kills an entire group of clergy and almost kills Rothgar himself! However with some good use of the Silent spell Elitessa manages to shutdown the cultist's spellcasting. Rothgar is quickly healed back up by the Clergy of Odis and he holds the line while Hanz, and Jorin mop up the cultists that stormed the east and west entrances.   The battle tides turn quickly though and the cultist realizes she will not be able to kill the party before going after Thuron. So she manages to slip past Rothgar and makes a run at the High Priest himself. The High Priest despite his age shows he is a decent fighter even in melee and he calls down the divine power as he smacks her with his staff. However the cultist is fanatical. She strikes out and heavily injures Thuron. Thuron realizing he would dies retreats and the rest of the party pushes in and comes to his defense.   The cultist fights to the death, which comes shortly afterwards when Elitessa throws a dagger and plants it directly between her eyes. The cultist falls to the ground as her body begins to shapeshift into the body of a serpent person. The party then realizes a ring appears on her finger as she passes. The party grabs that and helps to begin cleaning up the dead and helping the wounded.   Thuron approaches the group not long after this and has them and Egil join him in his office. After taking the letter he asks the party and Egil to follow him down into the tombs. Thuron leads them to a certain crypt. He confesses to the group that he had lied to everyone. He promises he had no part on what they are about to see. As he opens the crypt they come face to face with Thuron! Dead! The man now introduces himself as K'Stallo. He is the last priest of Yuan.   He goes further and explains that the brotherhood were not the only serpent people to survive the destruction of Valossa. Yuan had preserved some of his most faithful in the farthest corners of the world. He goes on though many of his brethren eventually joined the brotherhood or reverted to simple animals. He continues to explain Lucius had found them during his wanderings. He decided to follow Lucius back home to Freeport in hopes in finding communion with Yuan. After arriving he slipped into the temple in human disguise but soon found Thuron dead at his desk. His heart had given out during the night. He then made the choice, although admittedly probably a stupid one to take the form of Thuron and replace him as head of the temple. With this he would have full access to all of the scriptures and information the library possessed. He also admitted to sneaking into Lucius's home one night and accidently startling Egil in the process. For that he apologizes.   He goes on further how he should have noticed Milos at once, but with his single minded pursuit to knowledge he missed it, even after the party uncovered his misdeeds. He should have acted but he was just to greedy for knowledge. He then offers the only service he can at this time. One unfortunately to late. He remarks that obviously it is all lies.   K'Stallow begins...   This evening, Councilor Verlaine and the clergy of the Temple of Odis have been slain. Their murderers are the adventurers who of late discovered the caverns beneath our town: Rothgar, Ganbold Dailkath, Hanz Frostdown, Jorin, Elitessa, and Diala Tealeaf. After an investigation by the Council and the City Watch, we have pieced together the truth. Chief Councilor Verlaine, that great servant to the city of Freeport, heard rumors about town of unwholesome activities at the temple to Odis. He hired the wandering mercenaries to investigate. They made a tremendous discovery: The temple and its priesthood were a cover for the Brotherhood of the Yellow Sign, a grotesque cult of serpent people. The mercenaries joined the temple to gain its secrets, but they proved treacherous to both masters. They revealed the caves beneath the city and threatened to expose even more secrets unless the Brotherhood paid them a fortune in gold. The Brotherhood agreed to their demands, on condition that the mercenaries accept one final task for their serpent masters—assassinating their erstwhile employer, Councilor Verlaine. The double-crossers carried out the grim job, but they quickly found themselves double-crossed. The Brotherhood refused to pay them their blood money. The mercenaries went mad with rage and slaughtered the cultists, but were killed themselves in the battle. We mourn the loss of Councilor Verlaine, but his efforts brought this menace to light—and rooted it out of town, once and for all.   K'Stallo then remarks what troubles him the most is the final part of the document. It is addressed to Sea Lord Milton Drac. His name is marked with the title of Archbishop of the Brotherhood of the Yellow Sign.