Never disturb the Kraken!

Lamashan 19, 4712

Having spent the night at Zellara's house,  Daryle and Darelle are met by Dhukhean at their new residence in Korvosa. The dwarf reports that riots are still roiling in the streets, and that several combats between different factions are affecting whole neighborhoods. Over the city they can see several plumes of black smoke rising from the numerous fires that have been set. They return inside the house, and finding enough fresh food in Zellara's pantry, Darelle cooks up a delicious breakfast.

Once the house is tidied up, the three of them head out back to the sisters' previous lodging, the Upslope House, to retrieve their remaining gear. The matron informs them that a missive came for them yesterday afternoon. Still sealed in a heavy envelope, Daryle opens it swiftly and finds a message written in an elegant hand:

"Dear Coopers, I have heard of your exploits, and I have peculiar information concerning your brother Thorne and his whereabouts you may find worth your while. I hope to meet you upon supper time tomorrow, Lamashan 19. You can find my residence at 15, Route of the Shore. Sincerely yours, Vencarlo Orisini."

Asking around reveals that this residence is located in the poor sector of the lower heights a few stone throws away from Castle Korvosa and yet so removed from its riches. The Coopers have heard of the name Orisini.Vencarlo Orisini is a master sword fighter and founder of his very own fighting school. This school, Orisini Academy, has trained some of the best fighters this side of Varisia over the last twenty years or so. Orisini is both rich and admired by the local population.

Suspicious yet tempted by the offer of information on Thorne since his disappearance at the base of the Emerald Spire over six months ago, the sisters decide to attend this meeting and invite Dhurkhean with them in case trouble arises, as the paladin has proven himself on numerous occasions. They conduct reconnaissance at the house, and find it is a simple row house squeezed between two slightly better maintained residences that has fallen in disrepair and could use a new coat of paint.

They spend the rest of the afternoon avoiding riots and large gathering of people. Returning to the house at supper time, Darelle knocks on the door and it is opened by a large matron. She motions them inside, then silently leads them to the back of the house, which abuts the hill. She touches a secret button on an armoire, revealing a secret passage. She tells the Coopers that this tunnel will lead them to another house up on the hill. Traveling a quarter mile, they find themselves in a basement. A staircase leads to the ground floor of an opulent house, where they are met by a butler in full livery. Without a sound, the butler guides the three of them to the house's third floor. They enter a large room well appointed with a four post bed, a wardrobe, and a large mirror mounted on the wall. All of the drapes covering the windows have been drawn, and the only illumination is provided by six candles. Two figures stand next to the mirror. A small long black-haired girl, about twelve years old and wearing a delicate yet expansive dress, and a man wearing a dark traveling cloak. He acknowledges the Coopers, and Daryle recognizes Thorne's voice. The rogue removes his cloak and questions the dwarf. Satisfied by Dhukhean's answer, he motions to the mirror and tells the sisters that someone would very much like to talk to them.

A shimmer swirls in the mirror, and slowly clears to reveal Duke Mosley, clad in a pristine Hellknight uniform. He welcomes the Cooper sisters, and asks a few pointed questions of Dhukhean, before returning his attention to Darelle and Daryle. He informs the sisters that he has pressing needs of his services. The girl standing before them is Olivia Wilhert, the 11 year-old daughter of Helmut Wilhert, the only heir to the Wilhert noble house of Cheliax, one of the richest. She also happens to be Mosley's niece, and she is in mortal danger. Thorne reveals that she wears a silver tattoo that stretches from her neck to her left hip. This tattoo is the physical mark of someone whose's soul has been promised to a devil. Mosley tells the Coopers that Olivia's soul was promised, but she never agreed to this binding. Through a series of circumstances unclear even to the Duke she escaped her family estate and was found by his agents. Devils have been looking for her these last three weeks. Mosley wishes her to gain the safety of lands he controls, and he wants the Coopers to assist in this mission, for the sake of the girl.

Duke Mosley then reveals an elaborate ruse. The girl standing in front of them is in fact not Olivia, but rather Emma, a street urchin from Ridwan, in the land of Nidal, a vassal state of Cheliax. Mosley spotted her years ago for her uncanny resemblance to Olivia. She has been educated and trained these last few years to one day substitute for Olivia, and now the opportunity has presented itself at the most vital of times. Mosley wants this Olivia to travel with the Coopers aboard a Chelaxian galleon named the Hellhound bound from Korvosa to Magnimar, in eastern Varisia, while the real Olivia is safely moved. In essence, Mosley asks the Coopers to act as bait for the devils that hunt his niece.

Daryle is disinclined to assist the Duke, but she and her sister eventually settle for 50,000 crowns each, while Thorne requests an enchantment for his weapon and Dhukhean settles on a fund of 25,000 for his dwarven clan to establish an embassy in Korvosa. Agreeing to their demands, Duke Mosley now bids the Coopers that they plan on sailing with the afternoon tide tomorrow. They need to attract attention without appearing to deliberately do so, so that enemy agents learn of Olivia's presence and departure from Korvosa.

The Coopers spend the rest of the night examining several scenarios to transport Olivia from the house to the wharf, board the Hellhound, and depart Korvosa. Vencarlo Orisini returns following a night at the opera, and joins in the planning. In the end, they decide to hide Olivia in one of Orsini's wagon, then head through the riots and reach the wharf just at high tide.


Lamashan 20, 4712

After a hearty breakfast the Coopers set the plan in motion. Thorne leaves Orisini's house, and takes position near Orisini Academy, where he will steal the wagon with Olivia inside. Dhukhean leaves with the rogue and makes his way to the ship, ready to assist them in boarding the ship if they are pursued. A short time later, Daryle, Darelle, and Olivia board Orisini's personal wagon. A few minutes later, Vencarlo and his driver enter the carriage house, and the wagon soon departs the estate through a city still plagued by violence, taking a circuitous route through Korvosa. Reaching the Academy, Vencarlo exits the wagon, and tells his driver to remain near the wagon as he plans to leave shortly. He advises the guards to keep the gates open.

Thorne sneaks into the Academy grounds and fires a white arrow with white fletching at the driver, missing him by an inch. He jumps on the wagon, and drives it out, much to the guards' dismay. Guiding it through the city, he avoids most of the gathered crowds and reaches the Hellhound right on time. Disbarking from the wagon, a providential gust of wind blows the cap off Olivia's cloak, revealing her delicate features. Darelle spots several individuals who take immediate notice of Olivia as she walks up the plank. The Hellhound departs without any trouble, however, and soon reaches the open sea.


Lamashan 23, 4712

The first two days at sea are uneventful. On the third day, Dhukhean's keen eyes spot a sail in the distance, moving fast and against the wind. The Hellknight crew aboard the Hellhound make ready for battle over the next four hours. As the distance closes, cannons are fired. Daryle spots a devil in command on board the enemy ship. Soon the Hellhound is rammed, and the enemy crew boards. The battle rages on between the Hellknighs and the devil's soldiers, while the Coopers engage with the outsider.

The weather, which had been decent since the beginning of the trip, has suddenly deteriorated since the assault began, and now the black clouds that have been rolling in obliterate the sun, and gale-force winds batter both ships.

Through artifice, the devil retains the upper hand as he summons several lesser devils, but its strategy is soon revealed when Darelle notices a second devil breaking through the windows of the captain's quarter from the water. Thorne dispatches two devils, Dhukhean also slays a few. Daryle effectively eliminates one of the devil commanders. Darelle manages to pull Olivia out of harm's way, but the devil is right on her tail. As the devil breaks through the door and emerges on the bridge, the Coopers are severely wounded, but they prepare for one final round of battle.

 Three large tentacles emerge from swirling waters. One grabs the devil and drags it under water, while two more seize the devils' ship and sinks it. A massive kraken emerges. Darelle uses her ranger talents and is able to talk to it. The kraken identifies himself as Tourbillion, lord of Conqueror's Bay and an enemy of all outsiders. A powerful druid looking after its water flock, Tourbillion dosn't really care for humanoids but he despises unnatural creatures even more. He agrees that the Coopers and their ship are not the enemy, and he lets them proceed on their way. The Coopers have potentially made a powerful ally. Upon departing, Tourbillion dispels the weather, and soon the Hellhound is on its way to Magnimar.


Lamashan 25, 4712

The Hellhound arrives in Magnimar, and the fake Olivia disembark from the ship under heavy Hellknight escort. The Coopers breathe a sigh of relief. They successfully kept their charge alive and provided Duke Mosley with the time needed to move the real Olivia. The Coopers head back to Korvosa on Darelle's jar of cloud, hoping for a more peaceful return trip.

The King of Korvosa is Dead! Long Live the Queen!

Lamashan 18, 4712, continued

With the Coopers sisters and their ally Dhukhean reunited aboard the ship, they stealthily move down the creaking steps. In the hold of the ship is a tall and muscular individual lifting weights, facing a mirror and admiring himself while exercising. Daryle hears the sea waters lapping at the side of the ship, indicating that they are below the water line. The muscle man, clearly intended as a line of defense against intruders, does not notice the invisible ranger. Darelle who also consumed a potion of invisibility, stands next to where she thinks her sister is. Dhukhean, who does not have the means to magically disappaer, also attempts to remain stealthy though his heavy armor is rather unwieldy for such an activity. However, the thug is so engrossed in himself that he fails to notice the intruders.

Daryle moves parallel to the ship's wall, and soon notices a small secret door leading away from the cargo hold. Keeping an eye on the thug to ensure that he does not move, she carefully opens the door, bracing for water to rush in. Neither happens. Instead, she discovers an underwater tunnel that leads back to the pier. She enters. Darelle chances the passage next, and she successfully reach the tunnel. Only Dhukhean is left by the stairs to the ship's deck. The thug is still lifting weights, sweating profusely and admiring himself in the mirror. The dwarf decides to also attempt the move across the hold. Luck is with him, and he too crosses without being noticed. With all three of them in the tunnel, Daryle softly closes the secret door and spikes it so the thug will be hard pressed to open it.

The tunnel emerges back under the Old Fishery, in a room that appears to have been hastily constructed using the pilings to support a platform and crude walls. In the middle of the room is an opening leading into the sea, and the rangers immediately spot two large sharks lazily swimming around. On one of the pilings they see a set of manacles hanging from a rope and a system of pulleys that can be pulled from the safety of the deck. The amount of clutter in this large room is overwhelming. A small wooden door leads to another room. Daryle checks the door, and notices that it is locked. Darelle steps up and uses her tools to unlock it.

Two small candles are the only illumination in this room, which is as overcrowded as the other room. A mix of sweat, rot, and old age overpowers the nose, and Daryle shakes with disdain. Sitting at a small desk counting piles of silver coin is an old man, in his early eighties. He does not notice that the door was opened. The sisters are sure they are now in the presence of the infamous Gadrien. The invisible sisters position themselves in the room, and Dhukhean enters the room and smashes Gadrien's left arm before grabbing his face and demanding to know who is patron is. Gadrien is startled and soils himself before regaining his composure. He refused to answer the dwarf's question, and instead asks how he might have wronged any dwarf. Dhukhean leans in, and casts cure light wounds to heal Gadrien's arm. He then breaks it again, before questioning the rogue one more time. Gadrien inquires if they were sent by the Grey Mantis or by the Sable Company. Dhukhean replies that he was sent by the Fellowship of the Longbeard, and he threatens to hurt Gadrien again if he doesn't talk. Gadrien agrees to talk if Dhukhean will then depart the premises. The dwarf agrees. Gadrien identifies Verik Vancaskerkin as his patron. He tells Dhukhean that Verik works for the Korvosan Guard. Dhukhean writes Verik's name with Gadrien's blood on a piece of paper, and tells him that he did promise to leave, but not to let the rogue live. Gadrien smiles a crooked and evil smirk, and tells the dwarf that his death would bury many secrets, secrets that are worth their much gold. Dhukhean replies that he has ways of making bodies talk. Gadrien's smirks widens.

Daryle notices that during this time Gadrien's left foot has been slowly moving. She yells a warning, but she is powerless to prevent Gadrien from activating a trap. The entire floor by the desk drops in the choppy waters below, attracting the sharks. Gadrien and his desk remain bolted to the wall. Dhukhean manages to jump through the door, while Darelle lands on Gadrien's lap. She uses her wand of magic missiles, while Daryle fires a few arrows. The wounds are enough to kill Gadrien.

Dhukhean searches the piles of objects littered throughout the main room. He finds a gold ingot worth about 100 crowns. This ingot bears the Cheliax coat of arms. He then discovers a miniature gold crown worth 350 crowns, a fist-sized scrimshaw carving of a kraken with garnets for eyes worth 200 crowns, and a silver ring worth 150 crowns. The ring bears the inscription “For Emmah—the light in my nights." The dwarf then comes across a highly realistic and highly scandalous ivory figurine of two entwined succubi worth 450 crowns, a masterwork shuriken, an adamantine arrowhead worth about 500 crowns, an abalone-shell holy symbol of Shelyn worth 300 crowns, a tiny glass tube containing a dose of oil of keen edge, an obsidian wand of magic missile (23 charges), a crystalline vial, itself worth 50 crowns, which contains a dose of silversheen, and a bejeweled brooch with a broken clasp. The circular gold brooch depicts a pseudodragon and an imp coiled around each other in an almost yin-yang pattern. The pseudodragon’s eye is an amethyst, while the imp’s eye is an emerald. The brooch is worth more than everything else put together, and it looks familiar to the dwarf, but Dhukhean can't immediately place where he has seen it. Upon further reflection, he remembers Queen Ileosa wore such a brooch not a month ago during the Breaching Festival.

Darelle uses her jar of cloud to create a floor to replace the pieces now at the bottom of the river twenty feet below, and she rifles through Gadrien's desk, finding his ledger books and whom he has collected money from over the last year, as well as more than a dozen shady deals the rogue has been conducting in Korvosa. Daryle searches Gadrien's wardrobe and comes upon Zellara's head in a hat box located above the wardrobe. She has been dead at least a month. Whom did they meet at her house?

Walking on the cloud, Daryle searches Gadrien's body, and discovers a signet ring of the Korvosan Guard inscribed with the name Verik on the inside. Done with her search, she shoves the body in the water below, where it is quickly eaten by the two sharks.

Ready to leave, the Coopers decide that they don't want to pass through the ship. There are no obvious means of escape except for the waters below, however, so Dhukhean decides to collapse one of the pillars holding the floor above, both to damage the building and collapse the floor, creating an exit for them. The floor collapses, providing a ramp to climb back in the slurry room. The foremen are dumbfounded, and immediately run away, quickly followed by screaming orphans.

Daryle announces that they should set the building ablaze, to destroy this nest of villainy and to prevent any other group from setting up shop. Darelle feels that the thug training in the hold of the ship deserves a chance to escape, so she runs through the tunnel to warn him. Simple-minded, the thug introduces himself as Kevin, and proudly tells Darelle that his job is to open and close the door and only let Gadrien through, but since she came from the other side she must be all right. She tells him he can leave, Gadrien is dead. Kevin appears not to understand this concept, so she tells him to follow her. Kevin agrees. He grabs his weights, then drops them to grab his bag, but returns to the weights and drops his bag for them. He is utterly bewildered, so Darelle grabs his bag and leads him to the road. Daryle and Dhukhean set the Old Fishery and the ship on fire. Darelle runs back in the building to retrieve Zellara's head, and places it in her bag of holding.

Outside, they realize that no patrol responds to the fire. They notice that many areas of town are featuring large pillars of thick black smoke. They stop a passerby, who informs them that King Eodred II has died in the night, the victim of an assassination. He then curses Queen Ileosa, and wishes her a speedy death before leaving the wharf to join a mob heading southwest. The Coopers board the jar of cloud and take a bird's eye view of Korvosa. There are several riots going on in various neighborhoods, and large mobs are converging on Castle Korvosa. The Korvosan Guard has congregated around the Castle and is violently putting down the mobs. North Point is heavily defended by Hellknights, who are protecting Chelish interests. The Sable Company hovers in the air, assisting detachments of Korvosan Guards, but appear overwhelmed. The city is in utter chaos.

Dhukhean has a theory that the master of puppet has given Gadrien tokens from each of the factions currently fighting in Korvosa. Daryle decides that they must help the city, so Darelle lands her cloud in North Point. Dhukhean recognizes the Hellknight in charge. It is none other than Lictor Severs DiViri, head of the Order of the Nail and usually headquartered at nearby Citadel Vraid but now here in Korvosa supervising the Hellknights' effort at quelling the riots. Daryle decide not to meet with the Lictor at the moment, even though she is aware that the man's daughter, Chaid DiViri, a Hellknight officer, perished in the Emerald Spire a few years back. Sir Maurice is there, however, and Daryle attracts his attention. Sir Maurice meets with them and listens to what Daryle has to say, and advises that now is not the time to distract the Lictor. If she really wants to help, she can patrol the city and stop crime. When asked why the Hellknights do not deploy more widely, Sir Maurice informs her that the Lictor's orders are to only protect Chelish interests in Korvosa, and the fate of the local Varisians and Shoanti are not their concern.

The Coopers decide to split up and meet at dusk at Zellara's house. Daryle thus decides to go hunting. She comes across a large mob attacking a lone Korvosan Guard. She successfully defuses the situation and sends the mob on its way to Castle Korvosa. The guardsman, Grau Soldado, is drunk, and Daryle manages to convince him that he stands for the defense and protection of the city and its people, not of the Queen, something Soldado has trouble accepting, but eventually Daryle manages to convince him as well, and he drunkenly heads back towards the Guards' headquarters.

Darelle and Dhukhean meanwhile go to visit Pastries and Things, the bakery she helped a few weeks ago. She tells him they took care of Gadrien and she compensate them for the money they paid to the villain. The baker, Ernest Mildenhall, tells Darelle of the history of Korvosa and particularly of its conflicts and domination by Chelish nobles despite its supposed independence and claims by Varisia. Darelle also reflects that some of this chaos could be caused by Duke Mosley, a member of the Order of the Nail, who might appreciate a closer base of operations than the Emerald Spire. Ernest informs Darelle that the most likely successor to the Queen were she to also die or abdicate would be a member of House Arkona, the wealthiest noble family in Korvosa. Darelle departs the bakery with a basket full of goodies.

At dusk they arrive at Zellara's house. There they confront the imposter, who claims to be the real Zellara. When Darelle produces the head, Zellara shimmers and glows, revealing that she is a ghost. She tells the Coopers she needed their help to defeat Gadrien. A month ago, she had indeed suffered the assault she had described, but in the process she had not managed to escape but instead had been murdered. She thanks the Coopers and Dhukhean profusely for their help, and she gives them her deck of Harrow cards. She tells them that on the table they will find a deed signed and notarized, giving them ownership of her house. She can't always follow the Coopers, but they can consult her anytime through her Harrow deck. The sisters and the dwarf decide to spend the night at Zellara's house, so as to avoid looting and mobs still roaming the streets of Korvosa.

Tale of the Harrow Deck

Lamashan 4, 4712


Having returned to Korvosa from Liveoak's tree the day before and spent a quiet night in their lodging, Darelle and Daryle leave the Upslope House after a hearty breakfast. They head to the waterfront, where they meet with their dwarven friend Dhukhean. He is supervising the preparation of the clan's ship that will take the dwarven members of the negotiation team back to the Linnorm Kingdoms with a planned departure for the following day. With his duties in Korvosa coming to an end, Dhukhean has arranged to remain behind and spend some time with the sisters.

As they meander the busy dockside, they first hear, then spot a Hellknight patrol rushing through and heading towards the Korvosan neighborhood called North Point. Darelle also notices members of the Sable Company flying on their griffins towards the same area. The sisters and Dhukhean closely follow the rushing Hellknights and arrive on the scene of a devastating fire affecting an entire block near Sunpoint boulevard. Two fire companies of Korvosan Guards are already hard at work, and while the Sable patrol continues to fly in the air, the Hellknights take a defensive position and begin pushing the crowds back, but make no attempt to help the Guards put out the fire, as this is a purely Korvosan matter and does not involve Chelaxian interests. Incensed, Daryle steps to the Hellknight commander, Sir Maurice, and orders him to assist the guard. Sir Maurice looks her up and down and instructs her to move along otherwise he'll have her arrested. Daryle threatens to report him to Duke Mosley. Sir Maurice blanches, and asks her for her credentials. Daryle produces her Hellknight badge and advises Sir Maurice that she knows Duke Mosley personally and was sent to Korvosa on a mission for him. Sir Maurice turns around and order his troops to assist the Guards.

Meanwhile, Darelle runs into the fire, being well-protected against fire thanks to the ring of protection offered to her by the Mistress of Thorns more than a year ago and able to breathe under any circumstances. She is looking for survivors, and also hopes to investigate if the fire is an accident or a magical attack of sorts. Inside one of the houses, she discovers that the fire started in the kitchen when a burning pot of oil was accidentally splashed against a wall and ignited. Huddled in another room she finds a man sheltering two little children. Finding no way to carry the children out without a severe risk of harm, she breaks through a wall and exits in an engulfed alley, followed by the father. She runs to tne end of the street and reunites the family together. Dhukhean detects evil, but the fire appears to not have had any evil intents. He softly chuckles to himself with the stupidity of humans using wood to build entire structures and neighborhood.

Daryle supervises the Hellknights when she notices an urchin attempting to steal her purse. She detains the child and calls over Sir Maurice to have him taken away. Sir Maurice identifies the child as belonging to the notorious Dock's Dozens, a group of street children associated with a known crime syndicate.

Eventually the fire is put out. Since it is near lunchtime, the Coopers depart the area and head towards Old Korvosa, hoping to find a decent place to find food. After some searching they find a small tearoom in a back alley. Called the Pewter Pot, it is a small place with seating for eight on two tables that can be placed together if necessary. The place is empty, so they take the table next to the wall, and place their order. The drinks and food are delicious, and the bill is more than reasonable. Daryle finds a harrow card in her drink. She pulls it out of her tankard of mead, still half filled with liquid, but the card itself is dry. A representation of the Publican, the card is old and worn but remains very sturdy. On the back a note is scribbled, and reads: "A man named Gadrien has wronged me, and plagues the city with his evil ways. I know you to be defenders of justice, and I hope you will take my cause. Please come to my house, 3, Lancet Street at dusk. I really need your assistance!" The note is signed by someone called Zellara. 

The Coopers get directions to Lancet Street and head to the southern end of the docks, where Zellara's house is located. They find 3, Lancet Street wedged between two similar small houses. The house directly abuts the street, and has a lovely but faded lavender door and two small windows. The two stories structure is centuries old. They observe the house but notice no movements. They meander in the neighborhood for another hour, and they return at sunset. On the door Darelle finds another note in the same handwriting. The note reads: "I stepped out for a few minutes, come on in and help yourself to food if you are hungry." Daryle warily opens the door. The inside is cozy and warm. A small table has been set with victuals and two bottles of wine. Candles gleam in lanterns throughout the house. On the table is an old Harrows deck. Daryle looks at the cards, and notices that the Publican is missing, and that the back of her card looks like the rest of this deck. She puts the card back in the deck.

As they make themselves comfortable, they hear footsteps in the street that stopped by Zellara's door. A woman in her mid fifties enter the residence, and is startled to see the Coopers sitting at her table. She quickly recovers and thanks them for agreeing to visiting with her despite her vague message. Zellara explains her reasons for inviting the Coopers over. She is a Harrow cards reader, and she tells them that about two years ago she began to receive unwanted visits by Gadrien, a scoundrel who runs a local crime syndicate. In no uncertain terms he informed her she needed to make weekly payments of several gold crowns to receive his "protection." When she refused, thugs roughed her up, breaking a few ribs and three teeth. Ever since, she has lived in fear. She had to close her lucrative business, and could only afford a small storefront in a quiet neighborhood. This cost her much of her clientele. Recently, however, she has noticed shady men following her around, and she once again was roughed up by his thugs. She now fears that Gadrien is once again attempting to obtain protection money from her. She would like the Coopers to help her in getting Gadrien to back off. She was at the Breaching Festival and witnessed their triumph, and thought that they could help her. When asked why she didn't go to the local authorities, Zellara informs the Coopers that the Sable Company and the Hellknights do not care about the Varissi, the native population of Korvosa alongside the Shoantis. The Korvosan Guard, meanwhile, is suspected of being on Gadrien's take. She really needs their help. Darelle agrees that they will help her deal with Gadrien. To thank them, Zellara conducts a classical Harrows reading using her worn deck. 

Positive past: The Forge represents strength through diversity, or strength from many sources united against a single trial. Your past actions have marked you as heroes to many, and enemies to some. Your bravery against the obstacles that marked your trial have shown that despite your misgivings you are willing to help and assist those who are downtrodden. This is why Fate has selected you to be here in Korvosa, to assist the city in its time of need. Because of its location it is a partial match, which means many sources of strength were needed for you to be triumphant. Do not ignore these strengths, for they can once again be useful.

Unclear past: The Fiend represents a devil that devours the masses of the innocent, indicating the deaths of many in a disaster. Unfortunately in your past you had to made decisions that needlessly cost a great amount of lives. These decisions made in the past influence the present still and will have repercussion in the future. Beware the hounds of hell, for they seek to ensnare you in their traps.

Negative past: The Survivor represents a creature that has managed to survive a terrible ordeal, when everyone thought him lost. An enemy you have made like the proverbial phoenix is arising out of the ashes of his doom and even now plots his revenge against you. Because of its location, it is a misaligned card which represents a profound and terrible loss that still haunts you and exerts influence on your actions.

Positive present: The Midwife represents the enabler or conduit of new creation, information, or arrivals. Confederates gather around you even as we speak, seeking to help you in your present quest. Some are already agitating in the wings, ready to provide assistance, while others are at present unaware of your existence but will gladly grant you help and succor in your time of need. A powerful ally, the Blackjack, should be sought out. Because of its location, it is a true match which represents creation, though the Midwife herself does not create. Acknowledge the import of a new arrival, for it will prove most useful.

Unclear present: The Betrayal represents selfishness and envy. There are divisions in your group even now, and some seek to acquire power without thoughts to the consequences of their actions. Your guiding hand can put them back on the right path, but do not stray far from it yourself. Because of its location, it is a partial match, which represents a self-sacrifice that resolves one of the divisions.

Negative present: The Tangled Briar represents a historical thing or creature that will have some influence on the problems facing Korvosa. A relic of old, descending from one of the most powerful of Golarion’s denizens, dwells deep within the city, slowly spreading its nefarious control to key part of the city. Deadly danger has already begun to circle around you. Because of its location, it is a partial match, which represents the hope that another ancient deed can help you.

Positive future: The Keep represents quiet, unshakeable strength that withstands any hardship. Your devotion to a righteous cause will stand as a testament to your goodness and will continue to sing praises to your name, provided you remain steadfast in your commitment to solve the challenge posed by the Tangled Briar. Because of its location, it is a partial match, which represents that you will not be shaken by any force, and that your foes are unlikely to shake of your single-minded dedication.

Unclear future: The Juggler represents destiny, deities, and those who play with the fates of others. A dangerous individual is the master of puppets, pulling strings and strives to destroy Korvosa. Already the wheels are turning and plans have been set in motion. However, the juggler is not constant. As a chaotic card, he can and often drops one of the things he juggles. The master of puppets can be thwarted, and you’re the one who will do so. Because of its location, it is a partial match, which represents that his rhythm will be off, and one or more will fall and fail, but only if you keep the Juggler off kilter.

Negative future: The Avalanche represents disaster: an unthinking panic and destruction that overruns all. Unfortunately, in your battle with the Juggler, your actions will not prevent Korvosa from destroying itself. Beware the black ships, for they will bring the city to its knees! Because of its location, it is a partial match, which means calamity can still be avoided, but at great consequences to yourself. Will you save Korvosa at great personal risk?

	Lawful	Neutral	Chaotic
Good	Positive past The Forge	Positive present The Midwife	Positive future The Keep
Neutral	Unclear past The Fiend	Unclear present The Betrayal	Unclear future The Juggler
Evil	Negative past The Survivor	Negative present The Tangled Briar	Negative future The Avalanche

After performing the reading, the Coopers decide to go bar hopping, to figure out the schedule for Gadrien's enforcers. This way they are less likely to run into them as they investigate. They head to the North Point and stop at the Pier's Lantern, a run-down tavern sitting across from the Old Fishery. On the door of the Old Fishery is a weathered notice indicating that the city government has condemned this building and plans on seizing it. The notice itself is dated from more than three years ago. 


Lamashan 5, 4712

From the Pier's Lantern the Coopers keep a close eye on the building, and throughout the night they first notice three wagons pull up and deliver heavy barrels. Then, closer to dawn, two empty wagons pull up and pick up more barrels before heading out. Darelle uses a potion of invisibility and follows the second wagon. It delivers barrels to several eateries in North Point and Old Korvosa. The ranger examines one of the barrels and finds it is filled with a foul-smelling slurry fit for fish bait or fertilizer, but clearly intended to be served as food. No wonder the prices are so low in these eateries! 

Darelle returns to the tavern and reports her findings. At the same time, six burly men arrive together at the front door of the fishery. They are let in, and leave fifteen minutes later, splitting up at the first intersection. The Coopers decide to follow one of the men. Throughout the morning, he stops in several businesses, and emerges a few minutes later with a bill of sale and a heavier purse tied to his belt. Armed with a short sword, the goon continues his round, stopping at Pastries and Things, a local bakery in North Point. The Coopers decide to put a stop to it. They corner the man in an alley, and capture him. Dhukhean ties him to a chair. Daryle and Darelle obscure their faces, but Dhukhean takes no such precaution. The dwarf steps in front of the man and questions him for a long while. At first, the man explains that he's simply selling slurry to the stores he has visited, and he has the bills of sale to prove it, but Dhukhean is intimidating enough that the thug admits he's collecting "rent" money for Gadrien. The Coopers force the thug to drink himself into a stupor, they relieve him of his purse and leave him laying in a pool of his own urine.

Returning to the baker, they attempt to give him his money back. The baker, fearful, tell them that he'd rather not take it back, and he would like Gadrien to receive it since he worries for his business and his family that works here and lives with him above the store. If money is not delivered, another thug will come and visit the following day and payment will be more. The Coopers tell him they will take care of it. Over the next four days, the Coopers systematically deal with Gadrien's thugs, and soon no men walk around to collect "rent."

The Coopers continue observing the Old Fishery for five more days. The slurry business continues, with arrival of the wagons containing fish caught 3 days dead in the nets, freakish specimens unfit for sale, or old sun-tainted fish reeking with the first hints of decay in the early parts of the night, and the slurry departing just before dawn, but no more rent collectors report for work. Instead, Gadrien has hired another group of thugs who protect the building. He seems to be gearing up for a gang war.


Lamashan 14, 4712 

Armed with this information, Dhukhean pays Zellara a visit at her shop, but it's clear the Harrows reader has not been here in quite some time. He goes to her house, but she's not there either. Dhukhean writes her a note that he came looking for her, found her not at home but perhaps will meet later on at the shop or at home. Please be well. He leaves the note unsigned. 


Lamashan 17, 4712 

Worried, Darelle keeps an eye on the shop for Zellara, but she does not come. Dhukhean finally makes contact with the Harrows reader at her home. Zellara tells the dwarf she has been under the weather recently, and left the city for a few days. She is thrilled to hear that the Coopers have demolished Gadrien's money collecting operation, but she hopes that they will deal with the ruffian personally. Dhukhean tells her not to worry, they will take care of him.


Lamashan 18, 4712 

Daryle decides it is time to pay Gadrien a visit. Dhukhean and Darelle wait for her at the Pier's Lantern. She sneaks inside the Fishery, and discovers that Gadrien employs an army of small children to mix the slurry. Three guards appear to be protecting the place at night. Out back she finds an old ship that has beached itself. There she discovers that the ship is in fact a decoy, hiding access to a series of rooms underneath the Fishery. She returns to the ship's deck, and lights an arrow and fires it up in the sky. Darelle and Dhukhean notice, and quickly rejoin her. It's time to pay Gadrien a visit ...

We're off to see the wizards

Erastus 2, 4712

After stopping on the 15th level to allow Kazmauk to transform himself back into a very human Roscoe, the Coopers and their large Hellknight escort emerge from the Emerald Spire to witness a different world. The Spire itself seems to have dimmed and barely glows, though it retains some greenish light. All around the Spire the goblin and giant camps lay in ruins. Hellknights are gathering the bodies of slain goblins and giants and building funeral pyres. In the distance thick columns of black smoke rise in the general area of Fort Inevitable. Hundreds of troops are securing the area and have already begun working on fortifying the approaches to the Spire. Two large army trains are secured and guarded, and a new camp is rising out of the ashes, flying the major Hellknight order pennants, with that of the Order of the Nail in prime position to honor Duke Mosley. The Commander escorting the Coopers invites them on behalf of the Duke to a banquet held in his triumphant honor tonight. The Coopers agree to attend.

As the Coopers debate about their next course of action, Omok simply departs the group, heading eastwards, and without a single glance towards them. The rest of the Coopers return to Fort Inevitable, trekking through Echo Wood before emerging in the farmlands that surround the town. Emerging from the forest, they find another nightmarish vision. Thousands of goblin, emerald automatons and human bodies are spread over several battlefields, and the remains of many farms are still smoldering. The giants and goblins cut through a large swat of land on their way to attack the town. Though outnumbered, Drovust and her Hellknights attacked with gusto and managed to eliminate the entire enemy force at tremendous cost to her own troops. What remains of the Hellknights are huddled on the edge of the field, healing their wounded and dispatching any goblins still living. A makeshift flag flies above the Citadel displaying the symbol of the Seven Foxes, and all of Fort Inevitable's gates remain closed.

Climbing a tree, Daryle takes aim and fires a few arrows at the Hellknights. Three of them are hit and fall to the ground. The remaining force withdraws from the battlefield. Darelle begins examining the ruins, and she discovers eleven Geralds have perished during the fight. Some wore Hellknight uniforms, while others had civilian clothes and even a few looked like they had served on the goblins' side. One Gerald had somehow polymorphed into a giant. Being the considerate sister, she gathers the corpses and builds a funeral pyre for them, incinerating the fallen Geralds.

Roscoe also scours the battlefield and locates several magical items, including a monkey belt, a staff of authority, a ring of protection +3, and a weapon he recognizes as the Everwar Holy Fury. Daryle joins in and find a monkey belt and goggles of the treasure hunter. She looks for evidence that Greenhide perished on the battlefield, but finds none. Talking to survivors and questioning goblins before dispatching them, she finds that the goblin chief was in fact leading his army. All witnesses report seeing him leading a charge against Drovust, but a fireball exploded and it is as if he had been vaporized. His corpse had simply vanishes. 

While moving Geralds, Darelle discovers a magnetist's glove and a necklace of adaptation. She also finds roughly 50,000 crowns' worth of equipment and gems among all of the Gerald bodies. She hides the money in Mother Holworth's farm, which thankfully survived the battle.

After helping the wounded and assisting citizens of Fort Inevitable, the Coopers return to the Spire to attend Duke Mosley's banquet. They are feted as heroes, and the Duke rewards them with estates in Cheliax, to be collected when he wins the fight for the throne. Near the end of the banquet, the Duke takes the Coopers apart and warns them that their help to his cause will not go unnoticed in Cheliax and that they might find it prudent to spend time away from the River Kindgoms for a few months, at least until the dust settles. The Coopers agree to consider his advice. He also tells them that they will always be most welcomed in his halls, except for Gerald of course as his head now has a price attached to it.


Erastus 3, 4712

Leaving the Spire at dawn following Mosley's banquet, the Coopers minus Gerald, who became a victim of the Duke's desire for revenge, return to Shadowborn Manor, mourning Gerald's death, but not really. They are greeted by a woman wearing an immaculate uniform in the livery of House Ornelos, of Korvosa, in the country of Varisia. She delivers them all invitations to participate in this year's Breaching Festival, which takes place every year at the Acadamae of Korvosa. In this festival, participants enter the main building and must compete in a series of challenges and traps designed to test both their survival skills as well as the skills of the crafting wizards who are graduating from the school. The Acadamae of Korvosa is known as the premiere wizard school in Golarion, and wizards attend school for a term of ten years, upon which they must create a challenge for the Breaching Festival. Those wizards who successfully design a challenge that manages to kill an adventurer graduate with honors. Those who manage to maim an adventurer graduate, and those who fail to harm an adventurer must complete a remedial year. The rector of the Acadamae, Toff Ornelos, heard of the Coopers' exploits and especially enjoyed the smash hit It Was Inevitable. He would consider their participation an honor.

Daryle questions the envoy on the nature of the competition. She replies that the contest involves entering the Acadamae at sunrise. The first person out before sunset is the winner of the Breaching Festival, and this year will earn approximately 153,000 crowns. The Festival was last won back in 4551 by Dyson Fordyce, who entered at sunrise and came out of the Hall a few minutes later. Having won on a technicality, the rules were changed and now participants are required to make it to the Hall of Wards. No one has exited the Hall before sundown since. The mortality rate is about 70% among adventurers.

Remembering Duke Mosley's advice to make themselves scarce, the Coopers agree to attend the Festival, to be held on the 1st of Lamashan, which gives them three months to make their way to Varisia. After all, what could possibly go wrong now that Gerald is no longer with them?


Rova 30, 4712

After three months tramping through Golarion, the Coopers get their first glimpse of Korvosa, the fabled magical city and the largest city in Varisia. Stretching for miles, they are awed by its majestic beauty and its grandiose venues, with the Acadamae of Magic clearly visible on top of the city's highest hill. Several large walls protect the city from attacks, and its cosmopolitan citizens are bustling to and fro.

After entering the city, the Coopers are directed to the Acadamae of Magic, located in the middle of the city. They are met there by none other than Toff Ornelos himself. During their months-long trip, the Coopers have discovered that Toff Ornelos is considered one of the top arcane user of this age, having accomplished documented exploits beyond the abilities of most mortals. In the prime of his life, Ornelos has been headmaster for over thirty years and has overseen the instruction of countless wizards throughout Golarion.

Ornelos welcomes them to Korvosa and escorts them to a large auditorium in the Hall of Summoning, where they are introduced to the rest of the competing teams and individuals who will participate in the Breaching Festival. Mangarad is an Ulfen wizard dressed in fur robes and he is accompanied by three henchmen. Knur is a tough-looking dwarf of the Gilded Claw who is accompanied by two of his kinsmen. The halfling male Lawrence is dressed in black and is accompanied by two more halflings. His attire provides no clue as to his profession or skills. The Naga is garbed in a cloak that hides his facial features. Lacking a left arm, he instead sports a knife on his stump. Grunt Farnsworth is a mean-looking dwarf barbarian who is accompanied by four henchmen. The Coopers are surprised to see a Gerald here as well, entering the competition. This Gerald left Fort Inevitable five months ago. He sports a turtle drawing on his horn. Whilenor is a human druid with some ranger skills. The last competitor is introduced as Lord Garrett of Ged, a maleficent lich. He glowers at everyone.

Toff Ornelos then describes the rules of the competition. After signing waivers, participants will enter the Halls of the Acadamae. They will find different challenges and traps in each room. Surviving a challenge will provide a key light, then the room will reset itself within five minutes for the next set of participants. Each participant in a group will need a different colored key light to enter the last part of the competition. Individuals thus have an advantage in that they only need one light, however the challenges can be quite difficult to solve for one person. Over the history of the Breaching Festival, there has been no statistically significant advantage of being either part of a group or playing as an individual.

There are three rules the participants must follow. First, the winner is the first person who exits the doors leading out of the Hall of Calling before sundown. If there are two or more people exiting at exactly the same time, they will divide the prize equally among all winners. Second, groups and individuals can collaborate together to overcome some of the challenges, but they cannot directly harm, interfere, or attack other participants. The challenges are hard enough as is, and there needs to be enough participants to ensure that the graduating wizards' designs are tested. Finally, as mentioned earlier, there is a high risk of death, so each participant will need to sign a waiver explaining they understand the rules and the risks of bodily harm and possible death. The Breaching Festival itself is attended by many folks, including Queen Ileosa of Korvosa.

Ornelos asks if there are any questions. The participants remain quiet, so the headmaster then divides the participants into three groups, so they can tour the different halls of the Acadamae where the challenges will take place. The Coopers end up in the same group as the Naga and Whilenor, and their guide is Jandar Listwin, a junior wizard who plans on graduating next year.

• The Hall of Summoning is the largest building on campus and shows evidence of having been rebuilt in the last few decades. The Hall's main feature is its large auditorium where 333 students can sit comfortably. Final exams for wizards take place here.
• The Hall of Seeing features a set of double doors that display giant harrow cards, which change to reflect the past or the future of the last person to touch the door. There are scrying devices everywhere.
• Resembling a cube, the Hall of Induction is built of thick iron on three sides, and a series of iron plates on the fourth. It contains nothing aside from a spiral staircase and five empty floors. All walls in here are made of force, and keep all evocation spells contained inside the building.
• Forever shifting, the Hall of Lies is the home of the Acadamae's illusionists, and as such not everything is at it seems.
  
• Every part of the Hall of Shaping has been transmuted over the decades, providing the building an eclectic, if worrisome, look.
• The Hall of Whispers is the final home for many of the students (and participants) who were unable to complete their tasks. Home to powerful necromancy, this building is the site of many gruesome experiments.
• Home to the school's enchanters, the Hall of Charms is imbued with power.
• The Hall of Wards is the best guarded and magically protected building in Korvosa, and probably all of Golarion. To complete the last challenge, participants must enter the hall and emerge from it after defeating the challenge inside. The first person to step out wins the Breaching Festival.

As the group returns to Ornelos Hall, site of administrative building, a wizard is thrown out of a window, shattering glass everywhere. A large retriever steps through and pounces on the prone wizard. The Coopers leap to action, and after a few tense moments are able to slay the creature and rescue the wizard. She identifies herself as Seska Imintar, and she tells the Coopers she had been working on a challenge for tomorrow when the beast escaped. Ornelos rushes to the scene, and after listening to Seska for a minute chastises her for failing to constrain her monster. He promises the Coopers that her challenge will be better tomorrow, else she will fail her graduating year. Thanking them for saving her, he bids them goodnight, and looks forward to seeing them an hour before dawn tomorrow. The Coopers withdraw to their lodgings, reading for their big adventure, and, hopefully, their even bigger payoff!

The root of the Emerald Spire

Sarenith 30, 4712

Thorne drops a few barrels of red dye in the town water supply early in the morning. Within a few hours, the tension has ratcheted up even further, and there is palpable panic in Fort Inevitable. During the day, Daryle and Darelle go to the Temple of the Golden Key and purchase several potions of cure heavy wounds, cure medium wounds, and cure light wounds. Both sisters anticipate that the battle with the Vault Keeper will be a tough one. They also purchase potions of invisibility from Falandra, who has just brewed a new batch. Darelle then goes to Abernard's house. The sorcerer is there, reading a book on his porch. Darelle shoots the breeze with him for a while, then asks him if he could identify an item for her. He agrees, and examines the hand Darelle discovered in the Emerald Spire. After a few moments, Abernard tells her she's the owner of a hand of glory. Darelle thanks him.

Following his failed attempt at leading his cultists to the Emerald Spire, Rowen grabs his scrolls of magic missile from his ruined estate and returns to Fort Inevitable. Kazmauk remains outside the town's walls at the Hunters' Lodge and awaits the return of his sisters with trepidation. He's ready to return to the Emerald Spire. Omok continues to read the Book of the Damned, hoping to unlock all of its knowledge.

The Cooper sisters finally return, but it is too late to leave the Hunters' Lodge. The group decide to head out early in the morning.


Erastus 1, 4712

Awake before dawn, the Coopers realize that Olifrit is gone. Instead of the gnome, they find a Gerald in the building. This Gerald wears priestly robes and seems saner than some of the other versions they have encountered in the past. The Coopers wonder how he eluded security and entered the lodge, but after a short discussion, the rest of the group agrees to take Gerald with them They begin the trek to the Emerald Spire. Each of them experience a sense of foreboding. This could be the day they triumph over the evil that dwells at the root of the Emerald Spire, or this could be the day when their adventure comes to a permanent end. It takes them out of the morning, and the Coopers give the Spire a wide berth, hoping to avoid the large giants and goblins encampment at the base of the Spire. Their circuitous route allows them to not be seen from the Spire, but they also can't see it. They enter through the secret tunnel leading to the Splinterden level. From there, they use spire tokens to travel to the Vault, the sixteenth and last level of the Emerald Spire.

Arriving at the base of the Spire, the Coopers first stop by the strange creature that looks like a pillar of stone. Ooviroon is happy to see the Coopers return so soon, and he asks them for news of the outside world. Darelle reports on what has happened in Fort Inevitable, and questions the outsider on the happenings down here. Ooviroon has no news. He's now happily digesting the remnants of the grugs the Coopers killed and fed him a few days back. Darelle questions him on the origins of the Spire. Oorivoon explains that eons ago Vault Builders, which hailed from the Plane of Earth, arrived on Golarion shortly after its creation. Using seeds of crystallized magic, they seeded the planet with vaults, spaces where they could study the nature of life. The Vault Builders were responsible for creating numerous spaces throughout Orv, Golarion's third and lowest level. When the Vault Builders departed following their war agains the Aboleth, a Vault Keeper was left behind to guard the Emerald Spire. Named Iluchtewhar, this Vault Keeper has slowly gone insane over the eons, according to Ooviroon. Oorivoon further talks about what motivates Iluchtewhar, and mentions that as an outsider from the elemental plane of earth he is vulnerable to bludgeoning.

After this discussion, Darelle bids goodbye to Ooviroon, and the party heads northwards. Kazmauk stops and examines the strange stone sphere. Daryle notices that the sphere is completely smooth and has no seams. Omok uses divination and determines that the stone sphere was built by someone to protect itself against an enemy coming from the root of the Emerald Sphere. Gerald uses spell craft and realize that the structure was built overtime with a large number of shape stone spells. Rowen makes some quick calculations and believes that one could move about 25 feet in using some sort of teleportation spell and be safe.

Tired of these arguments about the best way to penetrate the sphere, Darelle uses a hammer and chips away at the stone wall. Surprisingly, the wall crumbles easily. Kazmauk grabs tools and also begins to bash away, and soon most of the Coopers are at it. After half an hour, they emerge on the other side into a small cavern. Inside they discover a small fey floating on air. She introduces herself as Eriniell, and she invites them inside. She also informs them they must not touch the floor as Iluchtewhar can sense their thoughts when they are in contact with the earth. She tells them she used to be one of Iluchtewhar's servant but eventually realized that he had been corrupted by the Spire. She has been hiding behind this barrier, protecting herself from the Vault Keeper, hoping to strike at him when the time was right. The Coopers, sensing a possible alliance, tell Eriniell that the time is now, and manage to convince her that today is that day. She agrees, and mentions that Iluchtewhar is dwelling beyond this room. The Coopers ask how they are supposed to go there. Eriniell tells them they could travel through the roots that spread around this level, but she has the ability to dimension door to his lair. After some negotiations, she agrees that she and her children will transport the Coopers to Iluchtewhar's personal chamber by means of this spell. Darelle then notices that there are several invisible stalkers in the room with them, all hovering behind the fey. The Coopers are ill at ease but decide this seems the best plan.

As they speak with the fey, whispering of wind causes Rowen to change personality and he becomes very self assured. Eriniell casts dimension door and the Coopers and their allies arrive in Iluchtewhar's room. Eriniell immediately engages in combat, and the Coopers join in. Kazmauk hits with sword but realizes that his attack is ineffectual. Only magic and blugeoning will hurt Iluchtewhar. Darelle and Thorne unleash a torrent of magic missiles, while Kazmauk engages with his lesser weapon. Omok joins in, and Rowen casts a few spells as well. Iluchtewhar replicates against the party by unleashing a blast of razor-sharp crystals that strike everyone but Thorne. He also summons earth elementals to fight on his behalf. Daryle engages one of the elementals, while the other strikes at Omok. The party is quickly depleted of healing spells, and finds itself on the tethering edge of doom. Iluchtewhar has suffered massive hit, yet he is still standing. It is clear, however, that he is slowly maneuvering himself towards a side door to escape the room.

While fighting, Rowen hears sounds coming from the hallway leading to this room. Is it reinforcements? Daryle moves away from her earth elemental long enough to spike the doors close. As combat rages, one of the Coopers nears death, followed by another one. The Coopers have met their match and will surely perish.

Suddenly the door explodes outward, crushing Rowen beneath a ton of splintered wood and rubble. Duke Mosley enters the room, resplendent in a dust-free and shiny uniform. Mosley does not look sick in the slightest. Followed by a horde of Hellknights, he greets the Coopers and unleashes a wave of healing, restoring everyone's strength. Kazmauk turns around and deals the death blow on Iluchtewhar, who explodes in a shower of sparks and green crystal dust, hurting everyone with debris. The Coopers are surprised to see him Mosley. The Duke tells them that he has been faking his near-death to fool his enemies into thinking him weak. His plan was to capture the Spire all along, and now thanks to the Coopers' valiant efforts he controls the structure. He tells them that war is coming to Cheliax, and he will use the enormous power of the Spire to attempt to dethrone his mother the thrice damned queen, Queen Abrogail Thrune II. He is grateful to the Coopers for their assistance, and he invites them all to a banquet tonight to celebrate his brilliant victory. All, except Gerald. He tells the sorcerer that he will give him and his myriad copies a day's head start, then it will be hunting season.

In a private conversation with Daryle and Darelle, Duke Mosley informs the sisters that while his forces have been assaulting and clearing the Spire, the former Lady Commander Audara Drovust has been leading the quarterly relief force of Hellknights against Fort Inevitable, hoping to catch Mosley dying in bed with a small guard protecting him. This force left their planned itinerary at Daggermark and seized Mosswater before trekking to Fort Inevitable. Unfortunately she encountered a force of goblins and giants equipped with emerald automatons, and both forces are fighting within view of the Fort. Furthermore, he lets them know that a rebel force has seized control of Fort Inevitable and removed the few Hellknights who did not switch allegiance. As it is, both Greenhide and Drovust will exhaust themselves against each other, and the victor will be unable to seize the town back. Mosley tells them his own army has suffered some losses, but are now encamping in the Spire and will not be challenged by Drovust, Greenhide, or the rebels in Fort Inevitable. He apologizes to the sisters to have made them pawns of his plans, but as a thank you he recognizes that the Hellknights' possession of Fort Inevitable has now run its course and he agrees to leave the town alone. After all, he will need all of his strength and manpower to secure the Spire and study it.

Upon this news, Darelle sends a message with her tree token to Dr. Mordel reporting what has transpired at the Spire. with message of new management. Rowen, who explores the next room, finds a strange device. Duke Mosley, who enters the room, chats amicably with Rowen and they discuss the purpose of the device. A large map shows the entirety of Golarion with blinking spots scattered throughout. When Rowen begins touching parts of the Orvgate, a potent artifact that allows travel to other Vaults throughout Golarion, Mosley backs away. The necromancer pulls the first lever, which lines on a specific Vault that appears to be in the expansive jungle of  Mwangi. As soon as Rowen touches the second lever he is transported far and away to that Vault. Mosley shrugs and walks away. 

Thorne, sensing his opportunity, swiftly melts in the shadows and leaves the scene. Making it back to Fort Inevitable, he retrieves a few items and flees the area, motivated either by Duke Mosley's revenge or the ire of his sisters ...

Darelle notices that the green dust that used to be Iluchtewhar begins slowly drifting on the floor. She uses windwall and blows it all away. The Coopers have successfully conquered the Emerald Spire, but so much unanswered questions remain!

When all the threads tie together

Sarenith 28, 4712

Returning from their latest trip to the Emerald Spire, the Coopers arrive in Fort Inevitable to find the town in uproar. The entire Hellknight guard has been deployed at the gates and on the walls as if an assault was expected. People entering the town as well as people leaving are being thoroughly searched, and traffic is backed up on both sides of the gates. Noticing this, and realizing that there is now a dwarf and a gnome among their party, the Coopers decide to avoid the questions and fees their appearance would receive at the gates and instead enter through the sewer tunnels. Instead of following her siblings, Daryle heads back into the woods. She will hunt for a few hours, then return through the Juliver Gate and see what information she can obtain from the guards.

The gnome Olifrit is the first one to enter the town, followed by the rest of the party through the sewers. They head directly to the secret door that leads into Dr. Mordel's basement. A few creatures are laying in clean beds, while in the corner the silver demon paces his cage relentlessly. They come up the stairs and meet Erynna, who greets them warmly. When questioned by Darelle as to what is happening, she informs them that two nights ago, Duke Mosley returned in a covered wagon. Deathly ill, he has taken residence on the top floor of the Citadel in Roscoe's old quarters. The few that have seen him report that he is bleeding heavily from a large gash on his shoulders. Magical healing has been unable to staunch the flow, and remove curses have all been ineffective. He is ghastly pale and shivers uncontrollably. Even though it is the height of summer, fires burn in all fireplaces of the Citadel. She further tells the Coopers that though Dr. Mordel's healing and alchemy skills are well known, his services have not been called for.

They then join Dr. Mordel himself in his small laboratory on the second floor. He also greets them warmly, and tells them that he suspects Duke Mosley is both dying and highly infectious, if the rumors and gossip reported by his network of informants are to be believed. Most people who can flee the town have already done so, but the Hellknights are ensuring that valuables are left behind. Hence the heavier security details at the gates. Darelle asks him what Mosley might be suffering from. Dr. Mordel replies that to the best of his knowledge the Duke was stabbed by a demon during a campaign in the World Wound, and Mosley has never recovered. He's not sure what it could be, but with magical healing not working, it has to be some seriously powerful demonic magic. Dr. Mordel might be able to analyze the sickness and prepare an antidote, but he would have to get a sample first. Concerned about herself, Olifrit interrupts the discussion and asks Dr. Mordel to restore her hands and her left foot to their proper nature. She confesses that she used to be Gerald. Dr. Mordel agrees to do so but it will require some time, extensive and very painful testing, and most of Dr. Mordel's patience, but it should be possible to at least address some of the issues currently plaguing Olifrit.

Pulling Darelle aside, Dr. Mordel also tells Darelle that her that Fort Inevitable's enemies are marshaling their forces against the town. Events are coming to a head and the fate of the town's citizens hang in the balance, he warns her. Armed with this newfound knowledge, Darelle and the remaining members of the party, minus Olifrit, head back out of town to avoid the contagion.

Thorne enters the town a little later through the same sewers wearing a disguise. He returns to his old shop, and finds it shuttered by Roscoe's orders, but it has not yet been repurposed. The rogue gathers gear, and he bids farewell to his place of commerce. He heads to Dr. Mordel's house, but Erynna turns him away and does not let him in the house. Dejected and sad that no one recognizes his role as a hero and savior of the town, he enters the sewers and heads out. Thorne manages to avoid two Hellknight patrols, but he runs into his siblings right outside Dr. Mordel's basement. As they leave, Darelle fills him on what has happened in town, but tells him flat out that she does not trust him. They emerge from the sewer outside the walls, but unfortunately Thorne is noticed by two guards and the alarm is raised. Thorne runs away, pursued by a Hellknight patrol but eventually manages to lose them.

Daryle comes in a little later with the produce of a hunt through the Juliver Gate. She encounters Bolgur, the Hellknight half-orc who leads the guard detachment. He seems very unhappy to see him, but he's generally unhappy so she's not too worried. She tells him she's been gone for four days, and she inquires as to what is happening in town. Bolgur reports that the Duke has returned with a small escort of four guards, and is now living atop the Citadel. He's real sick, and it is said he's taking it out on the staff. Bolgur then tells Daryle that Maralictor Wirt has left her a letter. He retrieves it and hands it to her. Daryle reads Wirt's message, which tells her not to enter the town but to send word she's back with a place to meet. Daryle tells Bolgur she forgot something at the farm she must get. Could he send Wirt a message? The half-orc replies that he can, but it will cost her. Daryle agrees to leave him the result of her hunt.

Half an hour later, Wirt meets Daryle outside in the shade of a grove by Mother Holworth's farm. The Hellknight reports on the event of the last three days. On top of the information already gathered by the other Coopers, Daryle learns that the Hellknight contingent that transits through Fort Inevitable every three months has disappeared. More than 600 troops have simply vanished. On top of everything else, quarterly taxes are due in three days, the merchants are stuck in Daggermark awaiting their Hellknight troops as escort, and the population is restless and panicky due to persistent rumors of infection. Wirt advises Daryle to avoid entering the town right now due to the possibility of contagion. She also tells the ranger that the Seven Foxes have all left the town. Daryle requests that a meeting be set up at the Hunters' Lodge with everyone to discuss the current situation. Wirt replies that she should be able to get them there in time for supper.

The necromancer Rowen, who has finally recovered from the betrayal of his cult, has spent the greater part of the last months rebuilding his evil forces. Having returned to Fort Inevitable, he decides to investigate Duke Mosley's claims to see if there's any way Mosley might be entreated to join him in his last days. Rowen contacts a highly placed servant in the Citadel, and that servant describes that the mental status of the Duke has deteriorated and he's been abusing his staff. The servant also reports that Duke Mosley is compiling a list of individuals he plans on executing before his death to settle old grudges. No one seems to know who's on the list, but speculations are rife among the Hellknights. Rowen wonders how he can capitalize on this situation. He decides to spread rumors through town and wipe up the hysteria that surrounds the fears of an epidemic. Throughout the day, more and more people gather to listen to speakers at the fountain boasting of the benefits of joining the Death Cult. Rowen rubs his hands in glee.

Daryle and Darelle connect at the Hunters' Lodge. There they are met by Shim Longbranch, who is very much out of breath. He has run all the way from Dimsdale to report that an army of emerald automatons has laid siege to the village. They are left by four different Geralds. Shim reports he barely managed to escape the siege. Gerald has threatened to burn the village down to the ground if a powerful object is not turned over to him before nightfall. Shim tells the Coopers that the inhabitants have fled across the bridge into the forest, but all fighters have remained behind to resist the invasion. The Dimsdalers have some experience with a siege, having suffered one only a few months back. The sisters agree to help Shim. Darelle summons her jar of cloud and they fly south, reaching Dimsdale a half hour later. Shim also mentions that his patrols have discovered that the giants have finally arrived and that they have setup a camp at the base of the Emerald Spire and could attack at any moment.

They spot from the sky four distinct forces arrayed against the village, all led by a different Gerald. They all appear to be collaborating together. Darelle and Daryle land beyond the village, connect with the refugees, and then enter the village. They meet Dunleaf Appletop, Dimsdale's mayor, who informs them of Gerald's demands. He doesn't know what Gerald wants, but he'll fight to protect his village. Daryle heads out and, under a flag of truce, meets with Gerald. He reveals that he has had a vision that the Hellknights have hidden a powerful weapon in Dimsdale. In his vision he has seen Duke Mosley use the weapon to destroy Fort Inevitable, and he wants to prevent that from happening. He's not sure what he is searching for, but he is convinced it is here in the village. If it is not turned over by nightfall, he will order an assault and burn everything to the ground. During this conversation, Gerald is joined by the other Geralds, who all agree that this is the proper course of action. All of them have had similar visions, and they all sincerely believe that they are saving the town from certain doom. Daryle informs the Geralds of the events that have transpired in Fort Inevitable over the last few days. Gerald is encouraged that his vision is coming true, and he threatens his sister with bodily harm if she remains in the village.

Daryle returns to the village and reports what she has discovered from Gerald. Darelle, meanwhile, searches the former Hellknight barrack and discovers a secret space behind a wall. In this small space she finds a lead chest. Even without any particular ability regarding the detection of evil, Darelle feels a faint trace of it emanating from the chest. The sisters remove the chest from Dimsdale and depart on their cloud. The Geralds sense that the object has been removed. One Gerald returns to Fort Inevitable to retrieve his wife and mother and save them from the destruction that's about to take place. One Gerald takes control of some automatons and heads back to the Emerald Spire. Another Gerald decides to search for the missing Hellknights, while the last Gerald launches an assault on Dimsdale with greatly diminished forces and is quickly wiped out. Darelle and Daryle head back to the Hunters' Lodge.

There they meet six members of the Seven Foxes. Dunleaf remained in Dimsdale. The Foxes advise they have about 80 fighters ready to seize key infrastructure areas of Fort Inevitable if an attack by giants and Greenhide leads the Hellknights to attempt a sortie. They are concerned, however, about the remaining civilian population still in the Fort. Darelle and Daryle agree that in case of an assault on the town, the Foxes' forces will need to remain hidden until needed to either turn the tide of battle or to remove weakened Hellknight forces. Abernard Royst identifies the object the Coopers retrieved from Dimsdale as the Octillio Crystal Sphere, a deadly weapon that could destroy a large section of the town.


In the late afternoon, feeling that the Death Cult has been sufficiently frenzied, Rowen leads a group of about 100 individuals out of Fort Inevitable. The Hellknights do not oppose this departure, correctly assuming that these discontented folks were better off beyond the wall, and possibly dead, in their quest to get rid of the powers that dwell in the Emerald Spire. Having taken refuge in a barn, Thorne spots the procession and follows it. The crowd walks down the road and passes in front of the Hunters' Lodge. Rowen senses the evil of the object newly acquired by the Cooper sisters, and he attempts to break into the Lodge. His attempts are repulsed none too gently by Daryle, and Rowen accepts for the time being to move his group away from the Lodge, bidding his time.

Omok, who also joined the Coopers at the Lodge, feels the pull of the object as well. Rowen attempts to convince Omok to join him and take the object by force, but reason prevails and Omok chooses not to align himself with Rowen at this time. Thorne, who has observed this whole exchange, also attempts to enter the Hunters' Lodge, but is turned away by Daryle. She vociferates a series of threats and advises him that he needs to step up. To prove his loyalty to the family, he must organize an evacuation of Fort Inevitable. If an assault does come, he must get as many inhabitants out as possible.

Thorne returns to town and, working with his remaining contacts, creates a plan that will safely see most of the remaining residents depart Fort Inevitable in the first minutes of the conflict. Darelle contacts Zoarth and delivers a message telling him about the alliance between hill and cloud giants and Greenhide, and request any possible assistance the cloud giant could provide. Worried about their new object, the sisters decide to hide it in the dimensional gate below the Hunters' Lodge. It's possible, but improbable, that a creature from that level of the Abyss would stumble upon it, and it would also remove its influence from the Material Plane. The sisters thus take into the basement, through the mine tunnels, and into the Abyss, before using the hand of banishment to block access again from the Abyss.

As night falls, the Coopers feel as ready as they ever will for what is surely to come on the following day.