Sword of Anscestors
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Sharn Inquisitive: Sul 1 Olarune - Front Page
Noble Family Goes Missing - The family of Sergeay d'Mworr has been missing since last Mol. d'Mworr was a gifted artist, and deeply involved with Sharn's arts scene. His murals grace several of the buildings in
Sharn Inquisitive: Sul 1 Olarune - Local Pg 2
Xen'drik Artifact Prices Soar - Prices for artifacts brought back from Xen'drik soared last month, almost doubling in price. Collectors’ shops say they are just passing on the increase in the costs of retrieving the items. They blame the recent rise in piracy between Sharn and the lost continent for the shortage of available items. If the piracy situation calms down, they expect the prices to return to normal after a month or so. Until then, they don't seem to be making any apologies about the high prices.
Chronicle
Garen peered cautiously into the streaming sunlight of the early morning. He and the crew were indistinguishable from any of the other pirates here, but he realized that stealth and disguise were not his strong suit, so he decided to proceed with caution. Slowly, he led them across the rope bridge, which hung between the cliff faces, taking them above the water below to an opposing balcony.
A mere fifteen minutes ago Garen had been in manacles in a stone prison. Iron manacles, however, are not the ideal way to hold an artificer. A quick infusion later, his manacles were nothing but a crust of corroded rust.
The pirates had only left one guard, trusting the tide to prevent escape. Garen quickly dispatched the guard - slamming him against the wall with his metal body. Soon the crew with the warforged were freed. This consisted of the officers and high ranking sailors.
They quickly crossed the low spot in the cavern where the tide came it. The water was now up to their waists, but they were able to push through. Creeping slowly, they quickly discovered the storeroom where their belongings had been tossed. Once everyone was re-equipped, and healed from Thaspar's stash of potions, they moved on. Garen knew Thaspar was somewhere in this pirate city, and she surmised that Cora and Sadie, and the rest of the crew were probably here somewhere as well.
The city itself was composed of two opposing cliff faces, dotted with caves, balconies and walkways, and joined by a myriad of bridges and vines. Garen set off across the bridge he had seen Thaspar being transported up only a short time before.
The cliffs were a warren of twisting passageways, and numerous staircases. Garen continued on an upward path. He figured that whoever was in charge was probably at the top of the cliffs. He and the crew ascended several staircases, and finally crossed back on another bridge to the far face.
Here they found themselves in a long corridor full of doorways. Before them, however, across from the balcony where they had entered was a circular room, containing nothing but a wrought iron staircase, leading up to a trap door. Garen decided to investigate.
****
Cora and Sadie crept down the stone steps of the torchlit staircase. They had pretended to carry in some of their own booty in order to gain access to the pirate stronghold. After dumping their loads in the storeroom, they discretely slunk towards the opposite exit and down the stairs. No one had seemed to notice.
On their way they had come across a massive steel door, covered in locking mechanisms and guarded by two men. It took all of Sadie's breath to convince Cora to leave it alone, at least for the time being. Cora’s obsession had netted them one gain. They had gleaned some good information from Cora’s discussion with the vault guards: they were very close to The Deathbringer's private chambers.
They had continued down the stairs, which had lead into a hallway which veered right, then right again. According to the guards, they surmised that they were probably right under The Deathbringer's area of the stronghold.
As they slipped down the hallway they noticed a large congregation of people in a small circular room. In astonishment they realized - it was their crew!
The reunion was happy, but quiet. Almost the entire crew was accounted for 48 of the 60 were here. Tales were swapped, and Cora told Garen that the staircase likely led to Deathbringer's chambers.
****
Blackness slowly faded to dim rock. Things were clearing up around him - he was regaining consciousness. He struggled to move, but found his arms tied to two poles – a standard device for giving lashes. Finally the mists of unconsciousness ebbed away, and Thaspar was able to take in his surroundings.
The figure wearing the red skull mask was standing over him - the mask grinning malevolently. “Thaspar,” came a smooth voice, which was both unpleasantly familiar, and wholly unsuited to the skull he could see before him, “I have waited a long time for my revenge.”
The speaker raised his mask to reveal a familiar face. It bore many new scars, but it was definitely him. It is Osten.
“I never forgot how you betrayed me Thaspar. I never forgot how you sold me out.”
“You always had the power. Noble family, wealthy family. But now I have the power.”
Osten drew his sword. He drew – the sword – Thaspar's family's ancient sword. The sword Thaspar's father bore. The sword Thaspar's grandfather carried. The sword of Thaspar's ancestors. Its black blade shimmered with a faint red light.
“I have the power to hurt you, Thaspar,” grinning wickedly Osten pressed the sword against Thaspar's chest, “the power to get my revenge!”
Suddenly the ragged edge of the blade ripped across Thaspar's flesh. He felt as though his very being was being sapped. Blood flowed freely from the painful gash.
Thaspar noticed that the sword pulsed slightly brighter with a deeper red glow, and he saw "Thaspar" appear next to the last slit in the sword blade, scrawled in red elven runes.
Wordlessly, Osten strode back to a large throne, and picked up a scourge.
****
Sadie slowly lowered the trap door. The sounds of lashing and tearing flesh were muffled. Briefly she returned to tell her friends what she had seen. Peeking through the trap door, she had witnessed The Deathbringer’s entire speech to Thaspar - and she had seen the sword.
A plan was quickly formulated. Using the element of surprise, Sadie would jump out and grab the sword before Osten could react. Meanwhile Garen and Cora would move in to attack. The crew would wait below for instruction.
****
Thaspar steeled his mind and body against the lashes which were raining down on him, one after another. He could feel his own hot blood trickling down from the blaze of fiery pain that was his back. He could hear Osten chuckling under his breath. He sounded insane.
Suddenly with a loud shout the lashing stopped. Thaspar could hear some sort of scuffle going on. He tried to turn and see. He could just make out Osten struggling with someone over the Besathlae sword. It looked like Sadie.
Osten roared in dismay as Sadie wrenched the sword from his grip. Refitting his skull mask Osten crashed into Sadie, and soon they were grappling fiercely.
Thaspar could hear the sound of more people approaching. Then, with two loud thwacks his arms and legs were free.
The elf was on his feet in an instant, the remnants of his constraining cords still hanging from his wrists. It was Garen who had freed him with his axe.
Thaspar was thankful, but first he had a score to settle.
Unfortunately, before he could act Osten and Sadie disappeared. The Deathbringer had hurled himself against the shifter and both went tumbling through the trap door onto the iron staircase.
Garen, Thaspar and Cora rained blows on him, but that did not stop him from wresting the sword from Sadie’s clutches, and in one fluid movement propelling himself off the staircase, over the crew below, and into the entranceway of the circular room below.
The Deathbringer paused briefly, blood trickling down his red mask. It looked like he wasn't sure if he should run or fight. The rest of the crew were nervous to approach the imposing and nightmarish figure.
Alarms were going off everywhere, and Sadie could hear a large number of approaching footsteps. She glanced around for any walls or ceiling that might give her purchase. Finding none, she duplicated the actions of the masked figure and dove out over the crew, launching herself into battle against him. She was soon joined by her companions.
Back in the possession of his sword The Deathbringer proved to be a worthy combatant after all. Sadie felt the slitted edge of the black katana tear across her, draining her life force. Yet, under an onslaught from four resolute heroes, he soon had to fall back. With one last flourishing blow he fled, melting into the army of pirates who were swarming up from the hallways.
Thaspar and Garen wanted to continue the pursuit, but it was hopeless. Dozens, if not hundreds of pirates were converging on the room from below. Sadie, who knew where the airships lay, quickly made it clear that their only escape lay above. She led the way up the stairs. She hoped that it would be as she surmised - that the eastern door of The Deathbringer’s chambers would lead to the vault that she and Cora had earlier.... Where was Cora? The halfling was nowhere to be seen.
Sadie hoped that the halfling was just lost somewhere among the crew. They didn't have to time to delay. Only three guards blocked their way out on the upper side of things, and these were quickly cut down in a crash of swords and stampede momentum.
The first door did not lead out to the vault, but the second did. There was still no sign of Cora as they charged up the stairs into the storeroom and then up the stone steps, cut into the rock face that led to the airships. They met almost no opposition.
****
Cora silently raced up the gangplank into the airship. She and The Deathbringer were magically hasted, which allowed her to keep up with his unnatural pace. The pirate lord first ran up onto his own ship, but finding it occupied by the enemy, he quickly launched himself over onto the Flaming Rat. This airship was populated only by the work crews who were unloading it, but he immediately began shouting orders to lift off.
The ship was already rising into the air, tearing free from its mooring. Cora had to race and dive onto the deck to make it as the gangplank below her splintered beneath her feet.
The halfling found herself amidst a deck full or pirates, working double hard to make sail.
None of them saw her, however, because she was invisible.
Cora moved quickly toward Deathbringer who was standing on the deck, shouting threatening orders. Positioning herself near the railing for a quick escape, she hurled a dart. Catching pirate lord completely off guard, it pierced deep, doing serious damage.
This meant two things. Cora was now visible, and The Deathbringer was very angry.
Cora fired more darts as the skulled figure walked purposefully toward her. She moved up on to the railing, but continued to fight.
Wordlessly The Deathbringer raised the mighty black katana. The sword glowed red as it plunged into Cora's flesh. Cora felt her life force being sapped. She doubled over as the blade came crashing down again. The world was spinning around her. All she could see was a blood red glow, and a grinning skull - gloating over her demise.
The world faded to red.
****
Garen, Sadie, and Thaspar crested the stone steps and came out onto the clearing where the airships were moored. Their ship was already taking off, while the pirate's ship, peopled by their own crew, was still hovering nearby.
Suddenly, Sadie gave a cry. It was Cora. The halfling had just fallen from the deck of the Flaming Rat. All three of them charged for the spot where she would land. With a mighty leap Sadie plunged into the air and caught the halfling, rolling to a stop several feet away.
Cora was fading fast. She had two massive wounds which were soaking her in blood. Garen quickly provided a healing potion, reviving the wounded halfling.
As Cora came to, she quickly explained that The Deathbringer was on board their airship. Everyone made haste to get into the opposing craft and pursue.
The last time that their crew had faced Deathbringer in ship to ship combat, it had been a crushing defeat. This time, however, Deathbringer's ship was crewed with cabin boys and laborers, and there were no other officers aboard. Deathbringer was wounded, and he didn't have the element of surprise. Sadie surmised that things might just turn out in their favor this time.
As quickly as was possible the pirate's ship was in the air. Captain Reef was clearly the better navigator. Soon the gap between the ships was closing. The crew fired loads of shot from the mangonels, while the four adventurers manned the four ballistae mounted on the deck.
Death rained down on both craft, and while the crew suffered casualties, the pirate forces were decimated.
Suddenly, the pirates dropped speed and came up against the party's ship. Almost instantly the few remaining pirates were boarding in one last desperate effort. It was fabled that The Deathbringer and his sword had slain entire crews single-handedly. Perhaps had Garen, Thaspar, Sadie, and Cora not been there, it might have been the case.
This time, however, Thaspar had something to say about that.
Osten landed with both feet on the deck with a mighty whump. His skull mask grinned with a dark malevolence, and his cape fluttered in the wind. At his heels was a beautiful and seductive drow woman, which no-one had seen before. She was clad entirely in black. The red paint on her face made it appear that she was crying tears of blood. She and The Deathbringer paused to kiss passionately. Then, licking her lips she advanced, slightly behind the pirate lord.
For a few brief seconds everything was the clash of steel, the flashing of blades, shouts, curses, and blood. The two crews crashed into each other: this time for a battle to the death.
Through the mass of fighting men two sets of eyes met each other across the deck. Thaspar stared with grim determination at Osten, who glared back through small holes in his grinning mask.
Time stood still as The Deathbringer drew out the ancestral sword, brandishing it defiantly. For a moment there was nothing but Thaspar and Osten - the wind buffeting their clothing in ripples as they faced each other... the instants stretching on for eternity…
Suddenly they were together. Thaspar's fists flew as never before - pummeling Osten with blow after blow. The black katana glowed with red light as it ripped the flesh of its rightful owner. The two foes battled wordlessly and with intense ferocity. Only one would see the end of this day.
In the mean time, the battle was on a knife’s edge for the rest of the crew. Cora was assisting Thaspar against The Deathbringer from a distance, while Sadie was hung up battling pirates. The fight could go either way. Their crew had the advantage of numbers, but the drow sorceress, was evening the odds.
With dark curses and foul magic the dark elf was raising their fallen comrades as undead warriors. As a mechanical construct, this did not cause the same inherent disturbance for Garen as it might have in a being of flesh and blood, however, he could clearly see that this woman was the biggest threat. The battle hadn't reached the warforged yet. He turned his heavy ballista.
Death's Kiss, the drow priestess licked her red lips hungrily, and drew her ceremonial dagger. She thrust it viciously into a nearby sailor, grinning seductively as his eyes stared blankly forward, and his blood poured over her fingers. Then the world exploded into crimson.
For a moment the drow's eyes wore a mixture of despair and fear. She tried to move her mouth, but then she was still. She lay against the deck, pinned to the floor by a massive ballista bolt. Garen nodded with satisfaction.
It was then he noticed one of the pirates heading to the fore of the ship. The man ran right to the very front, and began fiddling with something. Garen decided to investigate. Hefting his axe, he made his way toward the figure.
The two elves who had once lived side by side as friends, so long ago in Arenal, were locked is deadly combat. Quarter was give by neither side. Hands, elbows, feet, shoulders. These were Thaspar's weapons. Osten fought both with the ancestral sword and a fierce dagger. A blade would plunge into Thaspar's flesh. Thaspar would counter with a powerful kick. The sword tore flesh. Thaspar broke bones.
Both elves were on the verge of death. Thaspar was covered in slashes. Blood flowed freely from behind The Deathbringer's mask. Osten raised the sword for a final blow, but in that moment Thaspar put all of his strength behind a massive strike. His fist smashed into The Deathbringer's face - his mask breaking in two. On piece went whirling off into the blue abyss below.
Half of Osten face was visible behind the broken red mask. Battered and bloodied, he stared at Thaspar with a look of pure malice. In that moment, Thaspar bitterly regretted that it had come to this. He wished that things had not changed since those idyllic days in Arenal. But all the more, he knew that he must bring this to an end.
"I hate you," Osten growled.
Thaspar's fist crashed into him. For a moment the battle aboard the ship paused. All eyes were on the pirate lord and his one-time friend.
To Thaspar everything was in slow motion. Osten's hate filled face, still half covered by the grinning red skull propelled away from him. The sword and dagger slipped from his hands. His body hit the deck railing, and flipped over. Thaspar hung motionless, as Osten spun through the air, and then fell - disappearing from sight - falling down and down - to his watery grave…
Despite his freely bleeding wounds, the elf did not move for a long time.
The loss of their lord was too much for the pirates. Most had been defeated, and the rest fell within seconds of Deathbringer's demise. But nothing comes without a price.
Garen did not reach the man at the front of the ship in time. There was a dull explosion, and lines of red power went shooting out from the fore of the ship, snaking along the deck. Everything was silent for a moment, and then the ring of fire exploded. The pirate had triggered a self-destruct device.
The two ships were still hard against each other for part of their length, and soon the crew was being evacuated to the Flaming Rat. Seals and magical components were bursting everywhere, and all around was the angry roar of fire. The pirate who had triggered the device, attempted to escape as well, but he found the end of his life at Garen's axe blade.
It was a harried minute as the crew rushed aboard the other ship. Left to its own devices the ship was slowly sinking toward the sea far below.
Sadie was the last one left on the ship. She hoisted the last crewman up, before making the climb herself. The ships were pulling apart, and it looked like she would have to jump. As she prepared herself she heard a mighty roar behind her. A being of raging fire was standing in the middle of the deck, setting everything ablaze. It charged for her.
With a crazy leap the shifter propelled herself toward the other airship. As she careened through the air, the elemental engulfed her in a ball of raging fire. Sadie hit the opposing railing with a crunch and tumbled across the deck - her fur still smoking.
After Sadie had been revived with a potion, they all watched as the pirate vessel, now engulfed in flames, made its way down to the water below. Amidst the inferno was a raging being of fire, roaring up at them, unable to escape its fate in the deep blue sea.
****
When everyone was accounted for only seven of the crew had been lost in the battle. The remaining missing crewmen were found in the hold of the Flaming Rat. On the whole, their ship had taken only minor damages.
Before heading back to Sharn, the ship paused to examine the water below. There was no sign of Osten's body or his ship. But there was a piece of his mask, floating in the salty water. Garen collected this, and Thaspar laid it beside his family’s sword.
Thaspar felt an odd sense of loss. Osten had once been his friend. Yet, things could not have turned out any differently, he said to himself. He finally felt closure. And perhaps, his family might just accept him back once again.
All in all, things seemed to have turned out for the best.
****
Cora lay in her bunk as the airship glided back to Sharn. She was thinking hard. Before she had ended up chasing after The Deathbringer, she had been trying to break into his vault. The pirate lord ran by after she had received two powerful shocks from the locking mechanism. Anything that shocks you twice has got to contain something worthwhile, she surmised. Her face broke into a grin, as she schemed. She was going to get into that vault.
Timeline
- Zol 3 Olarune - Escaped from the
People
Death's Kiss
A drow sorceress, and companion of The Deathbringer. She seemed to be responsible for the undead which accompanied Deathbringer's pirate hordes.
Heroic Quotes
- "When someone is falling off the ship you should hold onto them so you can cut off his head and give it to the governor’s grandfather." - Cora (after Thaspar failed to do so to Deathbringer)
Adventure Names
- Robert - By the power of Besathlae, I HAVE THE POWER!!
- Robyn - Any Treasure that Zaps Ye Twice is Worth Comin' Back Fer
Legends & Lore
The Kalashtar and the Inspired have the strange ability to focus their thoughts and dreams to draw out strange energies from the Astral Plane. This henceforth unknown type of magic has been dubbed psionics, because of its reliance on the power of the mind.
Scholars studying the phenomenon have found that while it shares many things in common with magic, it also bears some startling differences. It relies neither on the gods, nor the arcane energies of the universe. It seems to be based on the strength of the psion's mind, and it draws its power from other planes of existence.
Psionics can emulate some standard magical spells, but often with strange twists. There are many magical effects which psions cannot seem to replicate, however, but there are also many things which psions can do, which modern mages simply cannot.
The Kalashtar and Inspired seem born with this strange link to the Astral Plane, but through work and study it seems that others can attain their power.
Psionics is beginning to come to the fore in many of the major magical universities. This new and different magical force may play a large role in the modern conveniences in the lives of the people of Khorvaire in the coming years, just as standard magic has allowed many of the wonders they enjoy today.
Statistics
Date Played: September 4, 2006
Session Length: 8 hours
Experience Gained: ~6000/character
Foes Vanquished: Many Pirates, Death's Kiss, Deathbringer (aka Osten)
People Who Noticed That This Session Was Exactly On The One Year Anniversary of Our First Session of the Campaign: 0
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