Kadesh: City of Jewels - Season 1 Ep. 8 Session 8

Arsenius and Eirkoris were helpless as they watched Vok-Nix turn Aeolus to ash. They stared, not knowing what to do, while Vok-Nix laughed. He told them that this was payback for disobeying him and that should they get in his way again, they would meet the same fate. And just like that, Vok-Nix, Ezelda, and the rest of the guards left.
  Eirkoris and Arsenius, both traumatized after what happened, needed help. They decided that the best course of action would be to return to the Slutty Ducky, sleep, and recollect themselves.
  While Eirkoris and Arsenius were quickly making their way back to the Slutty Ducky, a new face was arriving at the Black Hand's Tower. An assassin trainee, Soyokaze, an Air Genasi rogue like Aeolus. Lavelus would accept him as an apprentice, and together, they would also make their way to the Slutty Ducky, but for a much different reason.
  When Eirkoris and Arsenius arrived at the Slutty Ducky, it was night and for the first time since they had been in Kadesh, the Slutty Ducky was closed. They knocked on the door, confused, and after about 30 seconds, Mirt opened the door. The look on his face was a lot more serious then they had seen him ever before. He asked them why they were here and where Aeolus was. They told him what happened and he went silent. He told the two adventurers that, while he was very sorry for their loss, maybe Aeolus' death didn't have to be in vain. He explained that the Bandit Syndicate leaders were about to meet to discuss some sensitive subjects, mainly, what to do about Vok-Nix. Vok-Nix killing Aeolus would be a great way to sway the rest of the Syndicate in putting in the effort to stop Vok-Nix. They agreed and Mirt led them inside.
  Inside the Ducky, Eirkoris and Arsenius met Gini-Yat, a female Goblin who ran Tinker's Town, Milak and Nartica Graaz, two Half-Orcs who were married and who ran Berserker's Boneyard, and Annavelia Stra-Stor, a young - the youngest leader there - Shadar-Kai, like Lavelus, female who ran Theive's Thalwag. They also met Hector, a smug Centaur who ran Hector's Highlands, Orgore, a huge Ettin who ran Orgore's Oasis, and Krux, a large human who talked with a massive stutter and who ran Krux's Kastle. These people, along with Lavelus who had not arrived yet, were the leaders of the Bandit Syndicate. Mirt had taken over the sector that was now Mirt's Market in a gambling match with the previous owner, and basically conned his way into the Syndicate. The last member was Carolina, who had formed a relationship with the Bandit Syndicate, mainly through Annavelia, Gini-Yat, and Lavelus, and brought Carnation's Cove into the Bandit Syndicate, becoming an leader along with Mirt. Kevalan was the Judge, a neutral party that presented the cases and mediated the discussions, however, he was rarely neutral, though he did not get a vote.
  After mingling for a bit, waiting for Lavelus, they were confronted and questioned by Hector, Orgore, and Krux, who seemed to be their own little trio. They questioned what they were doing with Mirt, but before they could get into anything major, Lavelus arrived with the mysterious Soyokaze. Once he arrvied, the meeting was set to start. Before it did, Lavleus introduced Soyokaze to the group and, when told about about Aeolus, gave his condolences but did not show any emotions. He offered Soyokaze as a new member for their group, saying that he was hoping to introduce Soyokaze to Aeolus as they were similar in some ways. The meeting eventually began.
  During the meeting, the main issue was regarding Vok-Nix and how Hector and other members were doing business with Vok-Nix and the Empire. The new trio, that being Arsenius, Eirkoris, and Soyokaze, realized how well Hector was at negotiating and using some ones own words against them. It eventually got time for Arsenius and Eirkoris to present their case and tell the leaders what Vok-Nix did to Aeolus. Arsenius gave a beautiful speech, but was not as prepared as he thought for Hector's retort. Hector believed that Vok-Nix was not a problem and that business with the Empire was necessary. Eventually, after a split vote, Milak and Nartica were swayed by Arsenius' words and voted in favor of annexing Vok-Nix from Bandit Syndicate supplies, and starting up conversations about taking Vok-Nix out permanently in the future. There was also the matter of the weapon he used to kill Aeolus, which had been the one he wanted the trio to steal from Gini-Yat. Gini-Yat was furious that he had taken it and with this vote, the Bandit Syndicate was prepared to retaliate against Vok-Nix and getting the weapon back. Carolina also stated that the Kadesh Blockade needed to be dealt with, and through this vote, she was given the blessing to go through with whatever plan she had in mind.
  After all was said and done, Arsenius, Eirkoris, and now Soyokaze were told by Caro that if they had time, she would appreciate their help with the Blockade. Gini-Yat also approached them and said they if they see Vok-Nix again, take her hand cannon away from him. Eventually, the Leaders left, and all that was left was the trio, Mirt, and Kevalan. They talked to Kevalan about the book and told him what happened at the College. He apologized for sending them there. They told him they would be going to the chapel but needed a day to rest and mourn Aeolus. However, before they could retire to their rooms, a knock was heard at the door. Mirt answered it, exchanged a few words while everyone else watched, and closed the door. In his hand was a letter addressed to Arsenius. Upon opening it said:
  I am sorry for your loss.
  But, I would like to extend my congratulation.
  Your speech was very moving.
  -Mr. D
  They went to bed.
  They took the next day to rest, explored a bit of the city, and got to know Soyokaze a bit, though he elected to not share much of his past. The day following their day of rest, the trio set out for the Chapel of the Atheist in Atheist's Arch.
  Nothing spectacular happened on their way there, expect that while walking through Hector's Highland, they came across a old lady shop owner, who was being harassed by thugs. The trio tried to intervened, but were told by the thugs that they were sent by hector to collect on tax. The women pleaded that she had already given them so much and that she couldn't afford to pay anymore. Just before things turn physical between the thugs and the trio, two crimson streaks flew through the sky and imbedded itself into both thugs foreheads, one after the other. Soyokaze quickly examined the arrows, and managed to retrieve one before the trio elected to help the lady dispose of the body. After not being able to find out where the arrows came from, and the lady refusing to say, they continued on their way to the chapel.
  Finally arriving at the chapel, the party met with Reverend Thund, the reverend of the chapel. They talked and he agreed to let the party view his library, but they would have to help him. Apparently, their had been some strange necromantic activity coming from the chapel crypts lately, and Thund wanted it dealt with so that the dead could be laid to rest. The trio agreed and made their way into the catacombs.
  While wandering the catacombs, the trio came across what they though was another zombie, however, it turned out to be another mage. After taking off her magical disguise which made her look dead, she introduced herself as Francesca Rosario, a young necromancer who had heard about a powerful scroll hidden in these catacombs. The trio pressed her for answer as to what was going on down here and if she was the cause. She told them that she wasn't. She was just as surprised as they were when she came down here and that she just came down and heard them coming and got scared it was the reverend. He had apparently caught her in here before while she was looking for the scroll and kicked her out.
  The three adventurers didn't think she was lying and with her, explored the rest of the catacombs, eventually stumbling on the self-proclaimed Dark Lord Zantar, a obviously oblivious necromancer who knew little of his powers. After tough fight with a zombified beholder the Dark Lord rose from the ground, they emerged victorious. Francesca proceeded to search around the room, eventually finding nothing and declaring that it must have been a myth. They left the Dark Lord's corpse to rot and returned to reverend Thund, who thanked them and told Francesca that the catacombs aren't a playground. She apologized and Thund told the trio that they could come back in the morning to look through the library and he would look tonight to see if he could find the book.
  As they were leaving the chapel, Francesca told them that they could come stay at her place. The trio agreed and made their way to Francesca's house. Francesca told them that she used to live with some people, but right now she lives by herself. She offered Arsenius to come sleep with her, which he accepted, and either Soyokaze or Eirkoris her spare bedroom. Soyokaze told Eirkoris he could sleep on the bed upstairs while he slept on the floor downstairs. Eirkoris agreed and went upstairs to sleep. In the middle of the night, around 3 am, Eirkoris awoke and felt off. He looked around the room, and that's when he saw it, in the corner of the room, which was filled with children's toys, was a figure with two glowing red eyes, and the faintest silhouette of horns on its head. Eirkoris yelled and jumped up and as he did, the figure ran out of the room and down the stairs to the front entrance. Soyokaze, who had been awoken by Eirkoris, saw the figure leaving the room and gave chase. Soyokaze chased the figure up onto the rooftops, levitating upwards after the figure who was scaling the walls. On the roof, the figure shot a burning bolt from a hand crossbow at Soyokaze and jumped off the roof. Soyokaze, although hurt, ran to the edge, only to find that the figure had disappeared.
  Back at her house Arsenius and Eirkoris were trying to calm Francesca down, who was inconsolable at the moment. Soyokaze returned, hurt and defeated. Francesca eventually stopped crying and they all returned to bed. The next morning, they woke up and got ready. Francesca said she was fine just shaken after the encounter last night and would be fine on her own. She did, however, make Arsenius promise he'd come back and visit.
  The three adventurers made their way to the chapel. There, they found reverend Thund, upstairs in the library, passed out on a table, with copious amounts of books around him. They gingerly woke him up and he awkwardly apologized, saying that he must have passed out last night reading. He informed the party that he hadn't yet found the book they were looking for. They spent the entire day looking for the book, and, by nightfall, Soyokaze pulled out a book of the self. Except, it wasn't a book, it was a journal. A journal from a man going by the name Maximillier de Lavaland. Soyokaze brought this to Thund while the other two gathered around and Thund told them that he had no idea that book was even in this library. He told them that Maximillier was a man he had met a long time ago and that had stayed with him at the chapel for about a week or so. Thund had not seen him in roughly 17 years though. One more thing was particular about this journal, it was written in a language none of them could read. In fact, they didn't even have an idea as to what language it could be. The only thing legible, was a note that fell out from the journal as Soyokaze flipped through it. It read:
  My secrets lie where all people learn to understand.
  A riddle. One that stumped them.