Contempt
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| Current Campaign: The Knights of Eaton | |
| Episode 07: "Contempt" | |
| Year: 1754 Fall | |
| Location: Stout Weald, Balthas, Azedoma | |
PCs:
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| NPCs: | |
| Previous Episode: "On Velaxian Way" | |
| Next Episode: "Restitution By Steel" | |
| Previous Campaign: The Thuzuulan Heresy | |
The breakdown of civility and a foolhardy venture lead to severe consequences.
Story
Act One: Effrontery at Balthas
As Drake's team make their way to Balthas tensions arise between Drake and Tasselhof. Simon tries to smooth out their differences but his efforts prove fruitless and he returns his focus to the overall mission. Once they arrive within a day's walk to the city their ranger, Sandos, excuses himself from Drake's employ and requests his pay. Drake refuses, stating that the ranger has not fulfilled his end of the bargain and he should be thankful that he is not imprisoned or flogged for his effrontery. Sandos returns to the forest and they do not meet him again; he does, however, spread word that Drake is a charlatan seeking to swindle the local lords.
Upon arriving in Balthas Drake seeks an audience with Lord Malingasi, however the lord refuses to see him and sends instead his seneschal, Sir Devon Westerling. Westerling grants Drake an audience with the Malingasi's council and they gather to hear him out. Simon requests that he should deliver the news since he was an eyewitness and could provide a better summary of events, and because his bard training might impose upon them the seriousness of the circumstances. Drake doesn't agree to this and instead he delivers an brash oratory chiding the assembled noblemen and their lord for their impudence. Some among the councilmen scoff and hurl outraged insults at Drake and Eatonshire. Tasselhof speaks up to defend the honor of Eatonshire and he is interrupted when Drake slaps his face for speaking out of turn. Enraged, Tasselhof strikes Drake and the two scuffle as the lords of Balthas look on in shock. The council calls its guards to break up the fight and they drag Tasselhof away—Drake requests that he be tortured. Simon objects to this, but the situation has spiraled beyond his influence.
Westerling demands that Drake leave the domain of Balthas and seek neither succor nor protection from its lords. As they leave the city, two calvary soldiers ride before them and one kicks the inert body of Tasselhof from off his horse and he tumbles into the ditch beside the embankment and they gallop off. It is obvious that Tas has been mercilessly flogged, but his health appears stable. Drake commands Simon to kill the unconscious ranger. Simon agonizes over it and is pressed by Drake, his superior, and he choses deception: he legs down into the ditch, draws his dagger and—out of range of Drake's vision—cuts Tasselhof across the chest. The slice severs his bonds and slashes into him but is only a superficial wound. Simon next drops his own pack of provisions next to Tasselhof and then lifts his bloody knife so that Drake may see it. Satisfied, Drake orders Simon to climb out of the ditch and to lead them back into the Weald to find Margaret.
Act Two: Fortune and Fate at Azedoma
On their third day of their journey back into Stout Weald they become lost and wander for two days before chancing upon a group of hardy adventurers seeking fortune. They are greeted by Kaeel, an expert ranger from Barleystoke who is leading an expedition to plunder the legendary riches of the dead city of Azedoma. He introduces his team: Dane, a mercenary from Loth; Elric Kîrweth, a young cousin of Simon; Jasten, an expat Belosian warrior; and a notorious young thief from Balthas named Jimmy the Hand. Drake and Simon chose to travel with the plunderers in hopes of meeting up Margaret's party, and Drake secretly anticipates acquiring wealth for himself too.
Although it is a recent copy, Kaeel's map proves off by several kilometers and the group spends the next two days wandering before Elric sights the first signs of the ruins of the dead city of Azedoma. They discover a single camp beside an ancient column and see the Taldoran Mafyn Maelost cooking venison. Simon recognizes Mayfn, Croyd's scout captain, and they exchange greetings and debrief the other on what has passed since the siege at Kandorr. Mayfn reveals to Simon that Croyd sent him as part of a team on a mission to seek out orbulari. The mission led them along many treacherous paths and only he survives out of five team members.
The South Road
The group comes together with a plan to push deep into Azedoma and ransack the ancient temple at its center. Drake balks at the idea of entering the dead city and insists he will remain at Mayfn's primary camp at the ruins of Erelaan and await the adventurers' return—no cajoling from the others changes his mind. They wait until early dawn the next morning to enter the city, but even with the ambient morning light the dense forest canopy shades the ruins enough that they require torches and lanterns. They press forward down ancient streets, hacking through heavy vines and thickets and stopping frequently to mark their orientation. Unfamiliar noises sound off from all around the dense thicket and they hear faint movement but can see no sign of life other than birds and monkeys in the dark, impenetrable canopy high above the city.
Drake is making himself coffee when he looks up to see Mayfn, naked, walking back into to camp from the direction of Azedoma. Momentarily confused by his sudden return and his appearance, Drake approaches the Taldoran and asks him about the others. Mayfn smiles, “I forgot to bring my kit.” He gestures behind Drake, who turns his head to see. When Drake looks back to Mayfn, the Taldoran is gone and standing in his place Drake sees himself, smiling wickedly. Stunned, he drops his coffee and stumbles backwards, tripping over a log and falling on his back. The doppelganger leaps down upon Drake's chest, straddling him, and strangles him to death. The doppelganger strips Drake's corpse of its clothing and weapons, puts them on, and stalks back towards Azedoma.
The South Plaza
The group pushes their way to a circular plaza, pitted with large holes arranged symmetrically and bordered by ornate, vine-encrusted columns. Above the plaza, suspended on the columns, is a massive domed ceiling. Simon approaches the detailed pillar at the plaza center and gazes at the foreign script etched on its base—it is indecipherable to him. Kaeel inspects the area for traps or irregularities; he kicks at the thick layer of organic debris in one of the holes and uncovers humanoid remains. The holes are burials which have been uncovered and looted and most of the remains are lacking their skulls. The group collects various precious gems from the corpses while Simon copies the script on the pillar in his sketchbook. They combine their items in Kaeel's pack and then press on towards the center of the city.
The Temple
The group hacks its way to the massive temple complex at the city center, stopping to defend themselves from a panther who wounds Jasten and leaps back into the darkness. The temple common is framed by a low wall and at the four cardinal points are archways flanked by stone sculptures of ancient warriors. Mayfn warns the group against entering prematurely and he rifles through his kit and produces a scroll. Next, he pulls at a leather string on his neck to reveal a flat rectangular pendant that he rests upon his chest. Simon notes that the pendant appears carved from white stone and he recognizes the script as the same at the plaza. Mayfn holds the scroll up to the sculpture and its eye sockets glow a dim amber and then green. The sculpture lifts its arm and turns his hand palm upwards and Mayfn places the pendant on it. “We may continue,” he whispers back at the others.
They spend the next hour hacking away at the fat vines stuck upon the massive doors before they can pry them open enough to squeeze through one-by-one. They slowly walk single file to the nave, their spirits oppressed by the noiseless darkness, and Kaeel points out corpses on the floor. Dane lifts his lantern to the nearest one and reads the crest on its moldy tunic: it belongs to the Croydan line, a house extinguished long ago during the Wars of the Malign Ascension. He removes the exquisite sword hitched to the corpse's belt and straps it to his own pack. They walk onward to the chancel and Jasten counts at least seven ancient corpses mouldering in the dark.
The chancel is imposing in its size; its walls climb until they are lost in shadow, a central pit drops into darkness. Columns along the wall are adorned with elaborate friezes depicting unfamiliar scenes. A staircase along the wall spirals upward and provides the only floor to the central basilica. Kaeel hears movement behind them and sees Drake, who greets the team and explains his discomfort with remaining behind at the camp alone. Mayfn calls on Kaeel, Elric and Drake to follow him up into the basilica. Simon, Dane, Jasten and Jimmy remain below and refill their lanterns and prepare fresh torches for their journey out of Azedoma.
Mayfn's team ascends the staircase until they arrive on the fourth floor, an area comprised of four narrow walkways radiating from a central platform. Upon the platform is a column sculpture that holds a dust-covered orb, which Mayfn removes and gently places in his kit bag.
Below, Dane shouts that he hears something and Jimmy throws one of his torches down the hall to illuminate corpses climbing the stairs towards them.
Mayfn is in mid-sentence when Drake sucker-punches him. He falls halfway off the platform and Kaeel slides to him and clutches him by his belt. Elric strikes Drake, who recovers and and hurls a dagger at Elric. Elric is struck just below the collarbone and reels off the walkway.
Kaeel, with one arm free, draws a dagger and plunges it up into Drake's stomach. As Drake stumbles backwards in agony, Kaeel pulls the unconscious Mayfn back onto the platform before returning his attention to his foe. He runs at the doppelganger and kicks at him hard, spinning him off-balance. The doppelganger clutches at Kaeel's wrist and grips him tightly as he tries to gain his footing but he slips off the platform and pulls the ranger down with him.
Simon looks on helplessly as his cousin Elric plummets screaming from the shadows above—hurtling past him and into the darkness below—followed by Drake and Kaeel, locked in a deadly fight. The spectacle ends with the resounding echo of three sickening thuds far below. The groaning corpses reach them just as Mayfn comes running down the staircase. He shouts a command to charge through them and back to the doorway. The group fights their way through the mass of moaning dead and reach the door and into the courtyard beyond. They shove their torches back into the hall and Dane hurls a lantern at the doorway. It shatters and the hall is engulfed in flames. As they flee from the city a pillar of fire arises from the temple and consumes it.
They return to the camp and find Drake's corpse there and Mayfn urges them to collect only what they can carry for a quick march. They stop briefly to rest and secure their items and Simon notices that the stars are arranged differently than the night prior; by his calculation four weeks have passed. Dane confirms his calculation and they marvel at this phenomenon. Mayfn calls them to follow him as he jogs into the woods and away from Azedoma.
Meta
Game notes
- played Fall semester, 1991
Plot Points
- blank
The Dead
Points Awarded
- 4 points for all
Season Pool
- 30 points