Cast of Characters
Leofric Holcott is a Koronellian man who once made “problems” disappear for the Koronellian monarchy, as a spy and member of a secret military unit. However, since the theocracy took hold of his homeland, he found his line of work conflicted with the new “morals” of the church. He came to Korratus to teach accounting and mercantilism at the University while he tries to find new allies that appreciate his clandestine skills.
Sigvid Svartkollrsson is a Noradrie man who was raised in Koronell. He practices an ancient sword-fighting technique he calls the Way of the Dragon. He has had many students over the years and hopes to share his knowledge throughout the land. He has been teaching sword-fighting and fencing at the University for many years.
Vickle Trig is an enigmatic woman who seems to be one of the Havashi (halflings). In truth, she is a Fadra, one of the fey, that has left the world of Anwynn to explore Enelis. She studies strange esoteric magic and seeks hidden knowledge. She has spent many years in Korratus learning much about the city’s secrets as she served as an empathic mediator between hot-headed gangs. She has also served as the Secretary of the University for many years.
Singh Sai is a Koronellian man who has spent much time in the capital of Korenhold, working for the monarchy. He practices an obscure martial art form, turning his body into the ultimate shield of protection. His ties with the monarchy of Koronell sent him to Korratus a few years ago, where he now serves as a groundskeeper and athleticism coach at the University.
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Session 1: There’s Been a Murder!
[Jun 27th, 2024] – Hearthrest 11th, 697 G.R.
In the Holy City of Korratus, late in the evening on Hearthrest the 11th, 697 GR, four faculty members of the University hear an ear-piercing scream upstairs. They investigate to find the housekeeper, Cecilia Heron in a panic. She saw a shadowy figure leave the area and then saw the dead body in the dean’s office. Dean Lefwin Cosworth has been murdered.
The heroes find an Arathian khanjar embedded in the dean’s neck, which Sigvid identifies as being made by the famous Taskiran Weaponsmithy in Upper Inbet. Leofric finds underneath the dead Dean, a ledger for a new account, a loan from the Motarucci money-lenders. The Motarucci’s being one of the crime families that control the harbor district.
The heroes speak with Asst. Dean Phillipa Spelman who has been hounding the Dean for not sharing the specifics of the University’s financial status. She also is looking for the Dean’s silver key to the vault, but they can’t find it. She and Vickle ensure that the University’s vault is indeed intact. The heroes decide to get some sleep.
The next morning, they speak with Gaban Gramduzk, the Khani archivist. He shares the University ledgers. They find the University is in debt from the new loan and has been in a major deficit for quite some time. They also learn that Dean Cosworth has been siphoning new money from the loan to the donations to the Grand Cathedral of the Trinity via Pastor Hervey Warner.
The heroes decide to head over to the Motarucci moneylenders and speak with the manager, Lotto Bellini. He says that he did send two men to scare the Dean a bit, but they didn’t kill him. He also informs the heroes that the word on the street is the Guretti’s are upset, as the Dean switched the protection account to the Lorenzi clan.
On the way back to the University, the heroes run into a few thugs sent by the Guretti’s. They are indeed upset by the change in the protection contract. They try to threaten the heroes and attempt to rough them up, but Sigvid’s training kicks in and he stabs one man in the heart. Vickle uses her fey magic and kills another with a small bolt of lightning. Two of the thugs then run away as Sigvid knocks out the last one with one punch to the face.
As the heroes catch their breath in the aftermath of the fight, they hear people coming to investigate the commotion.
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Session 2: Investigation Station
[Jul 11th, 2024] – Hearthrest 12th, 697 G.R.
Sigvid acts quickly and forces his blood-stained dagger into the hands of one of the downed thugs, hoping it seems like a gang fight. The heroes then take off and scatter into the streets of Korratus before anyone sees them. They reconvene at the University and speak with the Asst. Dean Spelman to discuss the change in protection contract. Phillipa says she will confirm with Gaban about the contract change as the heroes continue their investigation.
They first head to the Grand Cathedral of the Trinity and speak with pastor Hervey Warner. He is a kindly older gentleman who seems to embody the teachings of the church. Leofric tries to trick the Pastor with a confessional, but the wise man sees through it and takes the heroes to his office to discuss. The heroes tell him of the dean’s demise to which he seems genuaily shocked. Pastor Warner shows his ledger and shows that they have not received higher donations, in fact the donations decreased at the same time that the University’s books show an increase, the money must be going somewhere else.
As the heroes are leaving, the Pastor shares that he knows the dean was troubled and that they should seek a woman named Asena on Seamstress Row in Kanopa district. The heroes then head to the Taskiran Smithy and learn that the particular khanjar used to kill the dean is only given to new recruits of the Blades of Law. The smith suspects the blade was given to them about five years ago.
The heroes head to Seamstress Row in Kanopa and eventually find a beautiful woman named Asena. They quickly find she is the woman from the dean’s letters. They eventually share of the dean’s death and Asena seems greatly troubled by the news. She says that she intended to end the affair after seeing a woman following them on their last date over a week ago. She suspects it was the dean’s wife. She confirms the affair by sharing her love letters from the dean.
The heroes then head to the Thuna district to speak with Sybil Cosworth. Vickle empathises with Sybil but she seems reluctant to speak of her husbands affair. Leofric then explodes with intimidating anger and Sybil admits she knew about the affair for many months. She says she hired a private investigator, a Nardo Fiocarda of the Guretti family, when she suspected her husband of cheating. However, the investigator claimed he saw no wrong-doing. She never believed him. Over a week ago, she followed her husband herself and discovered him with young Arathian woman.
Meanwhile, the heroes ask about their personal finances and Sybil freely shares their family’s ledger. Leofric looks it over and finds no improper financial transactions. However, a letter slips out. It seems to be a threatening letter. It ends with “…continue paying up less you want to get hurt. Don’t you dare try to tell your wife. -N.”
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Session 3: Loose Threads
[Jul 25th, 2024] – Hearthrest 12th-13th, 697 G.R.
The heroes leave Sybil’s home and quickly discuss the note Leofric found in the ledger. Leofric and Sigvid have to leave to attend to personal matters, such that Vickle and Singh walk back to the University together. Along the way, in the Promenade park, a stranger bumps into Singh and Vickle overhears him whisper, “The dove flies up the coast“. Singh pretends that it means nothing, but brushes it off as personal when Vickle inquires.
The two return to the University where they find many professors gathered at Vickle’s desk, they are eager for answers. Professor Arana Catesby (Rhetoric) speaks for them, saying they want to know more about the financial problems and whether they should seek jobs elsewhere. Vickle only tells them that nothing is known at this time. They also learn that Professor Erasmus Cavell (Physics) was threaten by some Guretti thugs, and he mildly injured himself as he fled.
Singh and Vickle realize that Dean Cosworth was being blackmailed by Nardo Fiocarda, the private investigator. It explains the missing money and lines up with the timing. The heroes update Dean Spelman on the current investigation. She informs them that she confirmed the contract with Letta Ziani, their new Lorenzi contact for the protection contact. It seems Ballio Guretti, who had arranged the previous protection contract, is upset and has promised to harm the professors. Spelman offers everyone the use of an extra dorm room to stay on the University where they will be safe.
Late the evening, Singh slips away, although Vickle follows him covertly. Singh arrives at the harbor and meets up with his rebel contact for the monarchists, Edith Davy. She seems disappointed by Singh progress so far, but informs Singh that the princess and the knights fight the goblins at the western borders. There is a new enemy, however, the Azanghys Khanate, horselords from over the mountains have arrived and threaten both Koronell and the Arathian Empire. Before she leaves, Edith also informs Singh that she has word a man named Leofric is a former ‘contact ‘fixer’ for the crown and may be agreeable to their cause. On his way back to the University, Singh is jumped by three Guretti thugs, but manages to slip away in the darkness quickly.
That night, the two meet the Arathian Professor, Aziz Oztoprak (Astronomy), who has returned recently from a sabbatical in Mekphatis where he was searching the scrolls of the Great Library. He thinks he uncovered the location of the Tomb of the Mad Priest, Tali-Nehi, a prominent astronomer of the 3rd Dynasty that was rumored to have gone mad. If correct, the tomb would be located somewhere in the Sanctus Mountains. He suggests the treasures there might help the University with its financial troubles. Particularly if the Mad Priest’s famed treasure is found there, the Black Scarab.
The next morning, Vickle sends a student to ask the Gurettis for a meeting at the University, and she sends another student to bring all the Professors together for a meeting in the afternoon. Vickle and Singh then head out to the Blades of Law Enclave to ask about the dagger. They seem to have offended the man they spoke to, who is insistent that none of his “honorable warriors” would dare commit such an act. He seems eager to take over their investigation, but Singh and Vickle hold back. In the end, they are escorted out until they can provide more proof that indicates one of his men.
On the way back to the University, the two are assaulted by more Guretti thugs. Singh bops one unconscious with his staff as Vickle uses her magical artistic displays to render the other two blind. The two then escape, leaving the thugs reaching for them helplessly. When they return to the University, they learn the Gurettis refused their meeting. They speak with the Professors, one-by-one, but learn no new information. However, Professor Catesby expresses to Vickle that she is worried for one of the students. They have taken ill with pustules growing on her face. She is unsure what protocol to follow.
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Session 4: A Plague is Brewing
[Aug 8th, 2024] – Hearthrest 13th-14th, 697 G.R.
First thing the next morning, Singh secretly meets with Leofric and let’s him know her allegiance to Princess Nirea. Leofric admits their goals are aligned and that he may help. They decide to try to find financial backers in Korratus to aid the Princess’s bid for the crown. Afterwards, the four heroes meet up and share all they’ve learned in their investigation. They decide to update the Dean as well.
The decide to head over to the offices of Nardo Fiocarda, the private investigator that was blackmailing Dean Cosworth. Through intimidation and threats, they get Nardo to admit that he did those things. He also admits that he was forced to share some of the coin with the Guretti’s when they found out his scheme. But he also mentions that Asena might have been seeing another man, a younger handsome Arathian man whom he had followed once to the High Temple of Methusuphis. The heroes demand that Nardo find out who this man is on their behalf.
The heroes then head over to the Temple of Sol to learn more about this sickness that the student at the University has acquired. The priestesses of the temple seem overwhelmed by the sick and poor from western Lowertown where the sickness seems to be spreading. The heroes head to the University to talk with the sick student, Annes Darby. She says she was delivering food and supplies to a community center there where she then shared a meal with people. Sigvid identifies the pustules as signs of the bubonic plague.
The heroes spend the rest of the night in the University library searching tomes for the site of the Mad Priest’s tomb. Vickle finds an old reference to ancient crypts from a mountain survey many centuries ago. The reference suggests a possible location for the missing tomb. The heroes stay the night at the University for safety.
The next morning, they decide to head over to Nardo and see what he learns, but on the way they are confronted by Ballio Guretti and his thugs. A fight breaks out and Sigvid murders one of the thugs as the others knock out three of them. Ballio himself escapes. The heroes now stand there over the unconscious thugs and the dead man as at least thirty onlookers gape with awe and fear.
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Session 5: Mystery Unraveled
[Sep 5th, 2024] – Hearthrest 14th, 697 G.R.
With the Guretti thugs defeated, the heroes throw one of the thugs against the wall and rouse him. They learn that Ballio Guretti himself has a vendetta against the heroes and the University, since he personally had negotiated the contract originally. It was a great source of revenue for him. It seems he will continue to be a nuisance to the heroes to get his revenge.
Leofric and Singh head off to take care of personal business as Vickle and Sigvid continue their investigations. The first head to Nardo’s office, but find it dark, with the PI absent. They try to break in, but they are caught by onlookers and escape into a back alley. They decide to return to Asena to learn more about this mysterious Arathian man that Nardo saw.
Asena confirms that she had a childhood friend, Vural Yalcin, come and visit her more recently. He seemed to have wanted to start a romantic relationship with her. At first, Asena was interested, until she learned that Vural might be involved with some violent group within the Blades of Law. Vickle believes she may be referring to the secret sect of the Blades, called the Nine Swords of Methusuphis. Vural’s beliefs clashed with her own religious views of Sol, favoring kindness and compassion. However, she fears that Vural might have seen her with Dean Cosworth weeks later and gotten violent. She worries that he is the murderer.
The heroes head over to the High Temple of Methusuphis and speak with Himitam Aysun Acar, a priest of Korrat that spoke often with Vural. They learn that Vural was conflicted by his spurned love and upset with the world. Himitam Acar was trying to bring him away from anger and violence by request of his dear friend, Blade Emin Yumlu, Vural’s mentor within the Blades of Law. However, Himitam Acar has not spoken with Vural in quite some time. The last time he did, Vural was filled with anger about a outsider “sinner” who was having an affair with his love, perhaps Dean Cosworth. Vural wanted to enact the Divine Laws upon this sinner. Himitam Acar suggests that Sigvid and Vickle speak with his friend at the Blades of Law, Emin Yumlu.
The heroes head over to speak with the Blades, showing more respect and restraint this time. They eventually speak with Blade Emin Yumlu who confirms the dagger they possess did indeed belong to Vural. He is likely the murderer and also likely has the missing vault key. However, Emin has not spoken with Vural in many weeks since they had a falling out. Vural started mentoring under Blade Arbas Aygun, a more militant and authoritarian member of the Blades. Now, both Blade Aygun and Vural are missing, among other members of the Blades. Emin fears they are now members of the Nine Swords and are currently plotting terrorist activity in the city. He suggests they ask Himitam Acar about Vural’s possible whereabouts, as he spoke with him more recently. He also grants a Korassa to them, an armband that signifies they are “honor-bound” by the Blades of Law to fulfill a duty.
Vickle and Sigvid decide to explore the city and look for places that these terrorists might be plotting something. They stop at Sigvid’s home to pick up his sword, since the Korassa will allow him to carry it publicly without the Blades of Law interfering. They decide to head to the top of Montsiris, but on the way, they are accosted by some Arathian muggers. The two of them make quick work of the thugs, with Sigvid chopping a few of them in half with his mighty sword.
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Session 6: The Veiled Threat
[Oct 3rd, 2024] – Hearthrest 15th, 697 G.R.
Vickle and Sigvid escape the streets and meet up with Singh before heading to Monstiris. They find a group of the Black Sabres blocking the street, as some fugitives escaped Thebethoth Fortress and were spotted in the area. Vickle finds a way around the blockage and they come to the gates below Montsiris. They spend over an hour watching the passersby and confront two Blades of Law soldiers, but don’t spot Vural.
They decide to head to the Cathedral of the Trinity and speak with Pastor Warner, hoping to warn the High Templars about an eminent threat from the Nine Swords. Pastor Warner introduces them to Knight-Lieutenant Nicolas Feliot who thanks them for the warning, but they already suspect activity from rogue Blades members.
The heroes head back to Himitam Acar and ask if he knows where Vural might be. He realizes that Vural told him he had been spending much time hiking in the mountains, perhaps the Nine Swords are operating out of one of the numerous caves in the Sanctus Mountains west of the City. The heroes speak with Blade Emin Yumlu who says that they suspect the caves as well, but cannot use their own men to investigate, as they don’t want to tip off any hidden members of the Nine Swords.
The heroes decide to ask around on their own. They head to the Shrine of Siris on the edge of Kanopa district where Vickle gets a bone-reading from the priest, he mentions she should be observant to her future as some great personal boon or bane approaches her. Sigvid then notices the numerous goat-herders coming down from the hills to house their herds in the village for the night.
The heroes follow the goat-herders back to a public house and join them for a supper. Sigvid manages to talk them up and they learn that they have seen small groups of 2-3 strangers in cloaks lately heading to and from the hills past where they bring the goats. Vickle comes up with a plan.
The heroes tell Blade Emin of their plan to search the hills as they head home to rest for the night. The next morning, they grab Leofric and disguise themselves as goat-herders, joining the others heading out to the grassy hills at dawn. The heroes then head out on their own towards where the goat-herders saw the strangers head. Unfortunately, none of the heroes have any wilderness skills and they soon become lost as Singh attempts to lead them.
It is then then the heroes are spotted by a scaly large lizard-like creature that stalks its prey…
Session 7: The Hidden Enclave
[Oct 17th, 2024] – Hearthrest 16th, 697 G.R.
The heroes stand in awe as a large dragon-like creature leaps towards them. It shoots forth a blast of caustic goo that covers Singh and Vickle. Singh falls to the ground as the acid burns his skin. Sigvid and Leofric rush to fight the dragon and Vickle uses her mysterious magic to bring Singh back to his feet. The heroes surround the dragon with Leofric and Sigvid getting deadly blows. It then tries to flee into the sky, but Sigvid cuts it down.
The heroes spend over an hour resting and treating their wounds. Leofric tries to find the way back to the city, but nearly gets lost by himself. The heroes decide to follow the water flow back to the city. After many hours, they come to the aqueduct station and loop their way back to the city, arriving near dusk, having spent the entire day in the hot sun. They rest for the night, with Sigvid finding a map of the region in the library to help them.
The next morning, at dawn, they set out again to follow the goat-herders. This time, they hire one of them to lead them to where the mysterious people were headed. He leads them to a valley where Vickle then spots a cloaked figure near a cleft in the mountain cliffs. They leave the goat-herder to wait for them as they sneak over to the cleft unseen.
When they arrive, they find the ancient remains of a building worked into stone with many arrow-slits watching the entranceway. They decide to sneak into a nearby cave, with Leofric leading the way with a torch. They find a few ancient Arathian sarcophagus, but are then attacked by two unholy demon snakes. They take them out quickly and explore the area, finding the room devoid of anything of interest.
The heroes then make their way up into a supply room, filled with food and water, perhaps for the Nine Swords. The then begin to sneak their way further into the enclave.
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Session 8: The Nine Swords Strike
[Nov 14th, 2024] – Hearthrest 16th, 697 G.R.
Leofric sneaks ahead of the others, climbing the stairs up to a door. He listens in and hears nothing, so he cracks the door open. He sees a large ceremonial chamber with two armored Blades guarding the room. He sneaks inside and then sneaks into a nearby bedroom where he finds a fine black velvet cloak in a chest. Leofric then tries to sneak farther, but a Nine Swords disciple walks into the chamber. It is then that his friends make a noise near the door.
Sigvid, Singh, and Vickle try to sneak away, but they are overheard. The guards draw their blades and fight breaks out in the stairwell. Leofric decides to stay and help his friends, but drawing them to the small bedroom. Singh leaps into action and faces off against another martial artist as Sigvid and Vickle push into the large ceremonial chamber. The team work together to cut down their foes as more and more members of the Nine Swords come rushing into the chamber.
Sigvid goes down, but Vickle is able to revive him. He slices a man in half at the shins as he rises up. But then the heroes find themselves attacked by Arbas Aygun, the leader of this Nine Swords sect. Sigvid goes down again, but Singh revives him with an elixir. Vural then reveals himself and joins the fight to aid Arbas. One of the Blades cuts down Leofric as Arbas moves in and cuts down Singh. Arbas then offers the heroes their lives if Sigvid surrenders. Sigvid agrees just as Vural cuts down Vickle.
The heroes are stabilized and brought into a nearby jail cell where they are accompanied by two lowly High Templar recruits who were captured on patrol. Hours later, as Leofric and the others awaken, they overhear Arbas telling Vural that they will push their plans forward and make the attack tonight. They will then kill the “intruders” when they return. After a flurry of activity in the complex, it then grows quiet.
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Session 9: The Urgent Escape
[Dec 12th, 2024] – Hearthrest 17th, 697 G.R.
The heroes find themselves in the makeshift prison cell with two High Templar recruits and a young graduate student of Aziz Oztoprak, named Leonell. The student explains that he was out searching for the Tomb of Teli-Nehi in the nearby mountains when he was accosted by the Nine Swords a few days ago. Likewise the two recruits were on patrol in the mountains when the stumbled upon the Nine Swords’ enclave.
Leofric finds his broken arm inhibits him, but hands over his secret lockpick set to Sigvid, who is able to unlock the cell door. The prisoners all find their gear was stored nearby. They then proceed cautiously through the enclave complex. In the main chamber, they overhear the warriors in prayer and decide to avoid them. They find their way to a prayer library, where they find a few scrolls, and then they find a small armory, but all the weapons have been taken.
The heroes then break into a locked door into what appears to be Arbas Aygun’s room. They steal some magical trinkets from his chest and find written plans for their attack tonight in Korratus. It seems they plan to attack the aqueduct in the Sacred Row neighborhood as a distraction for the Blades of Law and High Templar. During the distraction, they plan to attempt to burn down the shrine of St. Aedin upon Montsiris. An act that would surely ignite a holy war between the Trinitians of Korenell and the Methusiphuans of Korratus.
The heroes try to sneak towards the exit of the enclave, but find a few guards remain. They are forced to face them in combat, and find themselves pincered between two groups of guards. Leofric and the recruits hold the rear, with Vickle’s help, as Sigvid and Singh take on the forward guards with Leonell’s help. They learn that Leonell is blessed with angelic sorcery and is able to heal their wounds with ease.
With the resounding words of Vickle leading them onward, the heroes are quite successful against the forward guards. However, the two recruits in the rear are slain, and then Leofric is knocked down by slicing blades. The cruel Nine Swords warrior then finishes Leofric off with a deadly cut to his throat. The heroes fell the warriors, but one manages to flee into the desert, likely warning Arbas of their escape.
The heroes use the light of the city to quickly return to Korratus, with Sigvid and Singh honorably carrying Leofric’s body with them. They arrive at the Blades of Law Enclave and speak with Emin, urgently explaining the situation. Since Emin still doesn’t know who he can trust, he comes alone with the heroes. They decide to rush to the shrine on Montsiris to face Arbas and Vural themselves.
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Session 10: Nine Swords Thwarted
[Jan 9th, 2025] – Hearthrest 17th, 697 G.R.
The heroes burst into the shrine of St. Aedin perched atop Montsiris, the guards of the shrine have been disposed and Vural and Arbas work to spread incendiaries throughout the shrine. THe heroes charge through and confront them where a battle breaks out. Emin and Sigvid hold the line as the others support them from behind.
Out of the shadows, a mysterious cloaked figure steps out to aid the heroes, a blackened sun emblazoned on his darkened leathers under a swirling black cloak. The fight is quick and fierce, with the heroes eventually taking out the thugs and defeating Arbas and Vural, knocking them both out. They confront the terrorists but find little repentance in either of them. Vurals hands over the university’s vault key, claiming he took it only as a token. The masked stranger brings the terrorists to the local authorities to be dealt with. The stranger is Amir al-Din, a secret Shadow of Sol working as a spy in the university for the Sisters of Sol of Arathkelsara.
The heroes return quickly to Malfi University to see what awaits them within the university’s vault. They find it empty, containing only the I.O.U.’s from the Guretti Clan for the sizable loan Dean Cosworth had procured. A few days go by as the heroes inform the new Dean and decide their next course of action.
Singh makes contact with her fellow monarchists and receives a list of potential nobles to influence and gain favor. Vickle tries to do some research on the Mad Priest’s tomb, but comes up short. Leonell does some research as well, and believes he has pinpointed the location, but realizes it might be in a mountainous are referred to as the “Drakelands” for the beasts that dwell there. Amir meets with his contact, the Sister informs him that he should work his way into the expedition as they fear the Mad Priests’s artifacts may be dangerous.
The heroes arrange an expedition to find the Tomb of Tali-Nehi. Prof. Oztoprak sends his graduate student, Leonell, and another grad student, Amir, who volunteered to help. The expedition then sets out into the desert where they are waylaid by bandits just outside of Korratus. The bandits fire bows from on high as Sigvid and Singh try to climb up to assault them. Singh is shot by an arrow and goes down as the others scramble for cover.
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