Nola 4th (10 campaign days)
After camping, discussing possible cannibalistic curses, picking at a roast heron, and somehow managing to sleep in the wake of the burrow, the party boarded Aleksi's Dancing Hut with designs of returning to Godswon.
In that time, Vivianna and Avencia Dare ruined whatever chance at coexistence their factions might have had. Unfortunate how often personalities get in the way of peace. However, the folk hero couldn't completely condemn Vivianna (the inquisitor did help rescue her, after all), thus the uneasiness between Godswon and The Dawn Knights will likely continue...
Maia also took her leave, having emerged from the dungeons with a collection of innocent gnoll pups and their den mothers. The train headed south on the floodplain, the Blade intent on reaching an old friend with valuable experience in these matters. Her intent was to meet back up with the party in Godswon in the next day or two.
On the ride back, the interrogation of the captured elf was of the utmost importance. First known as Elmer and ultimately Falarune Uldaru, he was arrogant and chiding due to a blanket of powerful protective enchantments. Vivianna, with the aid, of all things, of Theros' reciting poetry, located the weak points in his wards and eventually dismantled them.
The magic hinged, cleverly enough, on being tortured. One wound would send the elf phasing back to his compatriots. All the elf had to do was keep quiet and be patient, but he was an opiniated one, quick to correct and argue the inferiority of Othyrians. This led Falarune into revealing more than he'd ever intended. When he'd had enough, Falarune attempted to bite his tongue and trigger the arcane fail-safe. Instead, the force of his bite actually severed his tongue! The shocked elf proceeded to scream, bleed, and flail about.
Once healed, Falarune was much more cooperative, though not quite as overly forthcoming. He looked about as if a bolt of lighting or elven arrow would find him at any moment. But it did not, much to the party's benefit, and the designs which troubled Avencia since that morning in the senate building were revealed...
Notable NPCs
Falarune Uldaru: Elven agent of Phoenix captured by the party and interrogated for a vast amount of information. His arrogance was quickly dismantled when Vivianna pierced his protective enchantments. Before he could be freed or killed, Donatella magically cast him back to his people with a festering plague-in-a-jar. Vivianna is in possession of his robes and staff.
Overseer Nulfur Carrandin (mentioned): Commanding Phoenix agent in charge with collapsing Avencia. Up until recently, his plan was going perfectly. Edmark is occupied. A combination of Norsland and Belarion have been marked the culprits. Congress is divided, while The War of the Crown continues to expand. Due to his overwhelming need for precision, however, Nulfur is personally moving across the country activating the sleepers and agents enacting The Ten Troubles. It may be the party's only chance at halting the alarming fall of the young republic. To their credit, the party has already foiled the first Trouble, though no telling what affect that might have on the entirety of Nulfur's design (it certainly doesn't help).
Empress Bel Norson (mentioned): Opposed to the Highking's designs for Othyr, she feigned the formation of Belarion to get the attention of continental leaders and warn them of the impending attacks. Before Bel and her trusted guardian Relic could inform Othyr's Icons, her own daughter, the teenage Jubilee, betrayed her in favor of the grandfather she had come to idolize. With Bel and Relic captured, the rest of their loyal cadre was forced to cooperate for the empress's continued well being, Gloriandel decided to follow through with the formation of Belarion, if for nothing else than a feint and scapegoat. As for where Bel and Relic might be held, Falarune suggested only the overseer or someone very high up on the Phoenix totem pole would know for sure.
Heurra: A gnoll shaman who turned away from the dark spirits and fled her tribe, aided five years ago by a then-initiate of the Blades, Maia. She is a wise, old gnoll who's made a life for herself in the woods south of the floodplain. While ill, she's agreed to take on the gnoll refugees of the burrow. She was also able to interpret Maia's dreams of Satayel, and agreed to offer one of her sons as Maia's gnollish tutor, but which should she choose...
Oran, The Spirittalker:
Kerr, The Hunter:
Seddar, The Cunning:
Notable Organizations
The Corellion Empire: Four decades ago, the star-elves descended onto Loranna to help win the war against the Yth. In doing so, they unfurled their massive world-ship onto the eastern ocean and created a new continent: Corellon. The resurrected Highking Gloriandel called all elvendom across the planes and planets of existence to it, founding a shining beacon of the eldar race. A new empire was formed, with five provinces according to the migrated peoples: Seldarine (star elves), Drow, Gloriandeline (former slaves and vagabonds formerly a part of Othyr's ancient elven empire), Sylvan (elves of the Wyld), and Feladrin (last of the ice elves). Through the use of Gloriandel's god-like magic and the Seldarine's curious blending of magic and technology known as Incarnum, a world power unlike any before it has risen. And how unfortunate it's aim now seems to be the conquering of Othyr, though with Highking Gloriandel as absolute sovereign was it really so surprising...
Phoenix: Corellon's intelligence and espionage initiative meant to undermine Othyrian nations through the use of ten-step missions called The Ten Troubles. Similar initiatives, according to Falarune, have already conquered Liscar, Tolerna, Clannash, and most surprisingly the mighty city-states of desert Azerbad, While active in Avencia, it's uncertain if the free nations (Saspien, Norsland, Citadel, Izolda, The Lands of the Bastard Kings, and Thrakkis) are combating their own Ten Troubles or unwittingly falling under elven dominance.
As it stands, the party has foiled the first Trouble for Avencia in rescuing Dare, eliminating the gnoll threat to the eastern river-lands, and freeing Godswon to act more immediately in Edmark's best interests.
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