Revenge - Chronicle Part 5

Dar'Vaer, July 1022TA - Reunions and the First Sister.

After much discussion, the party agree to Sharn's deal. As a gesture of good faith, Sharn agrees to secure the release of three of the women. The next day a squad of guards arrive at the ship with three slave women - including Aaron's and Rowley's mothers. The party are overjoyed with their success and the rescue of the remaining eight women in sight.

A short time later, they receive word that the middle sister, Shaya, will be visiting a local town festival in four days time. The party to plan to ambush her carriage as she travels to the town. They scout the area and choose a river crossing as the ambush site. They set themselves up and wait for the royal coach. As the evening approaches, Ladron sees the coach approaching and alerts the others. When the coach crosses the bridge Esla disintegrates the stones across the centre and the coach tumbles into the river. Aaron, Ash and Ladron intercept the guards, while Rowley and Bruce enter the water to make sure Shaya drowns. Before they reach the stricken coach, she teleports to the bank. Bruce rushes after her, cutting her down with a single blow. They finish of the guards, ransack the bodies and flee the scene.

Dar'Vaer, July & August 1022TA - The Second Sister, The Flame of Aldahar.

Following the death of Shaya, two more slaves are delivered to the player's ship and Ash is reunited with his aunt, Morag. Shortly after joining the other women, Morag approaches Luther. She tells him that the New Horizon was formed to recover a powerful Phaedran artifact, the Flame of Aldahar, that was stolen over thirty years ago by Tulwar agents from Al Jabar. The women wish to continue on their quest, but they are unsure whether to trust certain members of the party - Ash, Esla, Aaron and Rowley. He also lets slip that Amos Cressmar, head of the Merchant's Guild and their 'nemesis', is in reality Luther's father.

While they await word of the two remaining sisters, Ash become's aware that the rescued women spend allot of their time deep in conversation away from the party members. He is also aware that Morag seems uncomfortable in his presence. He confronts Morag, demanding to know what is going on. Morag tells Ash the story of the New Horizon and their quest to recover the Flame. Before Ash can confront Luther and tell the rest of the party what really happened, they receive word from Sharn.

Another letter is delivered to the ship. Yessa Sountar, the youngest of the three, is a soldier in Quarthen's army and her regiment has just been transferred to the Griffany border to the north east of Dar'Vaer. The letter contains maps of the area detailing their proposed route. Esla, Bruce and Ladron head off for the border to survey the area while the others plan their next attack.

After a day, Bruce and the others return, identifying several possible ambush locations. The party decide to wait for the regiment to camp for the night and then infiltrate and assassinate the sister. Rowley summons a magical mist to cloak the area around the army camp, Luther nullifies the sound around Yessa's tent and Esla teleports Bruce and herself into the tent. Bruce quietly kills the sister and they teleport away with the body. After ensuring she is dead, they steal any magical items she has and return to their ship in Dar'Vaer.

Dar'Vaer, August 1022TA - The Third Sister, Flight From Dar'Vaer.

When they return to the ship, Ash confronts Luther with the women's plans to continue their quest. An argument ensues involving all of the party members as they debate their future actions. Before the argument is concluded, a further missive is received from Sharn Sountar. The remaining sister, Shade, is about to be initiated into the deeper mysteries of the goddess Hesburr. She will begin a period of deep meditation later that day and will be sequestered in the cathedral for the next few weeks. She also supplies them with rough maps of the cathedral and some magical amulets that will get them through the Royal City's wards.

They set of for the cathedral early next morning. Luther casts a spell to locate his mother and finds her underneath the cathedral, in an area not on their maps. Esla creates a portal through the earth to a location near Luther's mom. The party enter a large chamber, dominated by the statue of a beautiful, but cruel, looking woman. In the room are eight glass caskets, each one holding the body of a woman. The room reeks of magic and tendrils of energy can be seen arcing from the caskets to the statue. As Luther breaks the casket and lowers his mother to the ground, they hear a noise behind them.

Shade Sountar appears behind them with several armoured guards. She also has a battered and unconscious Sharn with her. A battle ensues leaving the party badly injured and the enemies dead. The party release all eight women from their caskets and Esla teleports them away. Before leaving, Rowley grabs Sharn's body and they all return to the Rainbow. Back on their ship, the Captain sets sail for Midwinter.

With the questers reunited, talk turns to the future. Rayne, luther's mother, tells them that they wish to continue with their quest to recover the Flame. The party all agree but insist that they return to Port Newland to meet with Hawkwind first. On the journey back, SHarn recovers from her wounds. She believes that her life would be in danger if she returned to Quarthen because her sister Shade had revealed her part in the other two sister's deaths. While Rowley want's her to stay on the ship, the others are unwilling to trust her. She agrees to leave the ship in Midwinter, where she can attempt to contact her spies in Quarthen and think about her future. Two weeks later they are intercepted by Hawkwind's ships and they dock in Langer's Port. There they meet with Donal Hawkwind, who allows them to continue on their quest to Al Jabar.

Midwinter & Al Jabar, August and September 1022TA - The Quest Continues.

Their journey sees them at sea for a month. In mid-september they arrive in Al Jabar. Aaron and Ladron scour the markets and bazaars for word on the Tulwar, Ash looks for the two local members of the Grey Wind and the rest deal with their trade goods and get themselves lodgings. Aaron discovers that the Tulwar are easy to find that their motto is 'everything has it's price'. Luther visits one of Hawkwind's contacts in the city. The contact agrees to set up a meeting for later that day. The party meet the Tulwar that evening. For 1000gp they agree to pass over what knowledge they have of the Flame.

As they leave the meeting place, Luther is approached by a swarthy man in red robes. He bears a holy symbol of Phaedra and has a tattoo of a burning sword on the inside of his right arm. He tells him that 'The Flame has found its home' and that they should not attempt to disturb it. As Luther attempts to touch him, he mutters a spell and disappears. The next day they seek inormation on the strange man. They piece together the stoty of a hidden oasis in the Thessali desert where a group of people calling themselves the Monks of the Burning Sword live. These monks are known to rescue travellers lost in the desert, taking them to the safety of the hidden oasis. Anticipating a desert journey, they spend the rest of the day buying equipment and supplies.

That night, they meet again with the Tulwar. They are told that a man named Kharir paid Azaar Salaq, a Tulwar guildmaster, 500,000gp to steal the Flame from Midwinter. Tulwar agents succeeded in getting the Flame and returning to Al Jabar. Before Kharir could take possession of the Flame, Salaq disappeared taking the Flame with him. Kharir has an open contract with the Tulwar, offering a 100,000gp reward for information of Salaq's whereabouts. The Tulwar are unable to divine Salaq's location, but are certain he still lives.

The party leave the meeting sure that they need to travel into the desert in search of Salaq. Again, as they leave, they are stopped. This time by three men in black plate, bearing a triple lightning bolt symbol. The leader of the three steps forward and warns the party against interfering in the affairs of his master, Kharir. Bruce insists that they are not interest in Kharir. 'As long as that remains the truth,' the knight says, 'We will have no quarrel.' As he goes to leave he points down the street, saying 'Someone else wishes to see you.' The party look behind them and see five dwarves, well armed and armoured. The leader glares at them and snarls 'You've poked your f**king nose into our f**king businness for the last f**king time. Prepare to die.'

On to Part 6 of the Chronicle.

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