Shades

Shades are dead souls brought back to the world either by very powerful necromancers or by Jousus himself, and are bound to whoever summoned them. They look as they did in life, though darker, as if black pigment was mixed into their skin and clothes. The most telling cue is their eyes, which are black where they should be white.

They return to the world of the living with all the skills and knowledge they had in life, as well as with newfound sorcery.

They are not truly ethereal, but can remove their physical presence to the ethereal realm at will, and while still visible, are invulnerable to physical attacks, which simply pass through them. A young shade may not be able to fully go incorporeal, and may be somewhat affected these attacks.

Shades can be forced to remain fully in the physical realm if they are dusted with salt.

Session 18

Having gotten the Eye of Issald, the party decided to go to Velg, and to pass through Cloudholle to save time, rather than going around the mountain range. Audrock being the first city in the mountain pass, they headed there.

On the first day of travel, they found an abandoned church being reclaimed by nature. After a quick search, Amisha found a rotting and rusted chest with bound steel plates. From what was legible of it, it turned out to be a cross of scripture and the ancient priest's journal. The journal revealed that it had been a church of the God of Life, and the last plates were filled with despair about the disappearance of his god.

The day after that, they met a young hermit and his pig. He was excited to see them, and invited them to come in and eat his honey barley portage. he introduced himself as Phillip, and his pig as Gretsa. After a some conversation, he decided to come with them to experience a party and a city.

Audrock is being overrun with elven refugees, mainly farmers, hunters, and miners.

Audrock is a military base, where Cloudhollen scouts and spies are especially prevalent, due to the city's access to other nations.

 Avions have an empirical attitude, with a large, disciplined military, and a classist attitude, evident in their clothing. Avions wear a tightly wound strip cloth, which wraps around the torso and individual legs. The higher classes wear longer, thinner cloths that are embroidered and decorated with beads, multiple colors, or other embellishments, while the lowest class wears simple wide and undyed cloths. These cloths are called teipen, and to not wear one in public is seen as indecent and an indication of being below the lowest of society.

Refugees were lined up to get into town when the party arrived. They sent Enicha into town to investigate, and she quickly returned with teipen for everyone. She informed them that refugees were being put to work mining out the ground on all sides of the town, and a goblin blacksmith had been hired to make a massive chain.

Akari told a bunch of refugees all about everything. Most of them were from Theretsa and Thelsinosa, and those who were close enough to see Enicha with her stolen crown believed it. That night, an elven man attempted to steal the crown, which Enicha had given to Gretsa to guard. The party (and refugees) were awakened by the combined screams of Gretsa and the elfin man, whose arm the pig was chomping down on. 

With some persuasion from Amisha and some healing from Ahnrik (along with a bribe,) everything got cleared up.

A few minutes later, an Avion patrol come to investigate, and as the party was wearing their stolen teipen, they were invited to skip the refugee line and come in the city. They directed to an inn, and the evening adventures were ended.

The following morning, Thalia got Enicha to take all the teipen back in exchange for a really expensive one, and she did. 

Loneil did some talking to learn about the mysterious goddess Traia, and came up with nothing, except that Nogrum has been established as her hearkener, and his generals and military men established as priests. 

Campaign Map

 

The Cult of Kathelia

In 857 Kathelia, a disciple of Luzak, developed a significant following in Melran, claiming to be able to teach people to cast massively powerful spells in a matter of hours. She was also known for her unique ability to predict the future, telling of specific details and the precise moments they would occur.

Kathelia was dark haired and plump even by halfling standards, yet her following grew rapidly and was a matter of great controversy. Kathelia only shared her knowledge and her power with those who swore loyalty to her and secrecy to the order, but her claims were backed by tangible evidence: impoverished laborers became knowledgeable sorcerers overnight, the Manticore of Laraslithu arose from the Dead Lake at twelve minutes past dawn, the same moment that King Juaven publicly tripped and dropped his infant son off the palace balcony. Many of her prophecies were of such unfortunate events, which only strengthened the resolve of her enemies.

To this day it is uncertain how Kathelia predicted the future, as even the prophecies of hearkeners and even their gods are known to fail as the competing efforts of gods and heroes changes fate. Some of her prophecies (such as the simultaneous arrival of the Manticore and death of the Litryn prince) were made years in advance, which caused some to say she arranged things to happen herself, much as the gods do. However, this seems unlikely, as no other known sorcerer including her own followers have ever been able to conjure a beast that could survive the lethal waters of Jousus's own birthplace.

Kathelia was also the first to use dandelion milk to stabilize alchemical spells, earning her the modern title of "mother of alchemy", and in a rare moment of her keeping in with traditional Luzakian principles, she shared that knowledge in the first witches coven. Unfortunately for her, that same knowledge was used to destroy her and her innermost followers, as a priest of Zaerel took it upon himself to rid the world of what he and many others called an evil society.

Session 17--King Orosa and the God of Flight

Having found the Eye of Issald, the party began investigating the hidden library. Remembering 1512 (with a minor hint from the game master), Annira found a tome of the Cult of Kathelia, specifically regarding the end of the Holne Era. Upon her initial investigations of the time, she discovered several references to the party and their adventures, a warning to find the good among the Liad, and mentions that "it would be best for the Eye of Issald to be used by Ahnrik, Annira, or the God of Flight". It is unclear whether this is in reference to the good of the general population or to the purposes of the Cult.

Kurik pulled Ahnrik aside during library reading to tell him that she's been in a bit of a funk, and really doesn't know what's going on, or how it relates to their personal quest to free Velg, or at least their own family. Ahnrik agreed, and persuaded the rest of the party that they should turn their attention to Velg. Loniel said he was willing to also investigate Velg, as he was concerned that events there would affect his personal goals.

Quest goals established, the party left the private library, and found dozens of men holding boards, bricks, hammers, and other tools and materials, but they weren't actually accomplishing anything. The foreman addressed the party, angrily demanding why they weren't helping with the top priority construction of the new wing. Annira immediately grabbed a brick to fit in, and Thalia immediately bolted for the door. After a fight that included people grabbing bricks, workers ganging up on Thalia, and everyone killing construction workers (who puffed into mist), the party followed the sound of the best music they had ever heard into a small chamber.

The music was being played by the triplet gods of music. After having Akari play some music for them, they agreed to take her on as a student, although they couldn't decide how they were going to go about that. They gave her an ocarina and said they'd be in touch. 

Finally, the party escaped the castle. Upon exiting, they came face to face with the ghost of King Orosa, who demanded a subject to possess, which would allow him to leave the castle boundaries. Everyone denied, so he decided to take an unwilling host. He threw rocks at everyone simultaneously, dealing all but (Eli? Levi?) two wounds. Loniel intervened and banished the ghost to a piece of rubble doorknob. He then came clean with the party, saying that if they were already willingly putting themselves in so much danger then there was no real reason to keep his identity secret. He then healed everyone's wounds, including growing back Levi's leg.

Annira took the Eye of Issald, the cursed doorknob, and Tome 1512 with her Thalia took Tome 1.

Session 16: The Eye of Issald

 Continuing their search, the party encountered a gelatinous cube, found a secret passage to the throne room, and ignored an amazing smelling meal in the kitchen.

A drake was coiled up and ending its hibernation in the Throne Room. Annira found a slot in the throne for the three glass balls she took, and promptly placed them inside. Three magical auras were released, two shooting out into the castle, and one going into Anira, showing her a path. Following the path led the party to a secret library which contained a handful of books of Luzak and 1600 numbered tomes. A quick search of the room led the party to find the Eye of Issald.

The Hearkener's Spear tried to force Anira to replace her own eye with the Eye of Issald, but she successfully resisted it.

Session 15--Stagwell & Castle Orosa

Ahnrik's Vision

In a half dream half trance during the river ride to Stagwell, Luzak appears to Ahnrik in a way that feels half real. She appears in her natural form, and addresses him by name and runs her hand up the side of his face, pausing to carress the base of his horns. He did not like that.

The Statue of Kathelia

As Annira examined it, the statue whipped its head around, hair flailing, looked her dead in the eye and said "remember fifteen hundred and twelve." Then it winked, and went back to normal. In its left hand the statue held a bone flute, sharpened at the end, which Thalia took.

After some investigation of the room, the ghost of King Orosa appeared. He wasn't happy to see them, but after some conversation, he was persuaded to go back to his investigations--of whatever he does in his spare time.

Leaving the Study

On the way back out, Ahnrik found three enchanted glass balls, which Anira took.