The Throne of Bloodstone

Seeking in Earnest

Part 2: Secret Seeker Seekers

In Game

Out of Character

Artesano’s Plight

Artesano wakes up strapped to a chair in a small cell. The iron door has asmall barred window in it, and through that window a tiefling's face stares. His glowing red eyes sit under a horned forehead. The door opens and the
tiefling steps in, closing the door behind him. He wears robes of dark red and carries an eager bastard sword at his side.

"I am Iuz, master of Doraaka. I will rule this universe in the next cycle, and you will help me." He rests the tip of his sword on the artificer’s chest, drawing a drop of blood. "As much as I enjoy torture, I know it won't work on you, so we'll dispense with those pleasantries." His sword slides across Artesano’s wrist, slicing hair but not flesh. "But I do hope you lie to me."

“So, where did you get that lovely glow of Life, and what did you face to bathe in it?"

"It seams you know where I got the glow, for to ask what I faced to bathe in it. As for what I faced -- I faced the death of my friends and teammates. I lived at their expense. Now, as for as helping you, why is it that I should help you rather than Orcus?"

Iuz’s return gaze is cold. "I know you are no friend to Orcus, and would not help him any more than you would help us; but then again, he doesn't have a blade to your wrist ready to remove a hand. I ask again, and no more games: where is the pool of life and what bars the path."

"Games? You claim I will help you, and then state I won't. I told you truth and lied not, yet you attempt to intimidate me to give you answers that you have claimed to already know."

"As strange as it may sound, it is darkness that defends the light that is the pool of life. Three, or was it five, large globes that explode when defeated. That is, once you endure the pure radiance that the pool emits."

"A wizard would help, as would fighters, if you wish to bathe. The first to get you close, the other to distract and fight the darkness. Once all have been eliminated.." Artesano gaze drifts off, "...well, then the pool is open."

"As to the location of the pool, it is exactly where one would expect it to be, at the center of the plane where all life first began. What I am not so certain about is how the pool came to be protected by the antithesis energons from the negative plane."

Artesano looks back at Iuz with a direct glare, studying him for traces of pool bathing in his aura. "So, what pools can you direct me toward? Certainly you don't expect me to confirm your knowledge of such simple matters as the Pool of Life for something as little as my hand?"

Iuz glances towards the door, "You are but a few long strides from that pool's opposite, but I doubt you will live to see it. Now then, this other aura about you, the one that protects you from pain, where is it from and what guards it?"

At the same time, he hears the warlock Chaungar’s voice in his mind via a Sending ritual. "Contact via stone if safe. Name something that shares first letter of your name and something else that shares the second letter. Will contact later."

The artificer’s response to both the demi-god and the sending is "A reasonable assertion regarding a Pool of Death here in the Negative Energy Plane, Iuz."

"As to the Pool of Pain, I would have thought you, from what I recall of you, that is, would have known much, if not even been bonded together. Well, from what I understand Orcus himself is said to heading there, so by now, it is very possible that the mercenaries guarding it are in his employee. But I as to where it is located, tell me, why should I tell you now that you have again threatened me? I respect your honor in telling me about the nearby pool, yet I wonder what benefet I get for telling you where the other pool is?"

The blade slams down and the eladrin’s hand rolls across the floor. "You answer because I ask." the pain is great, but nothing like what was experienced in the Pool of Pain, so it is easily pushed aside. The remaining part of his forearm is still strapped down, but it might be wriggled free with some effort. His chest is also strapped in though, so it might not do any good.

At the sound of the slamming blade a foul-smelling troglodyte comes into the room bearing a torch. He cauterizes the stump and backs out. Iuz moves around to the other side of the chair. "The Pool?"

"You know, Iuz, the problem with what you just did," Artesano looks down at his hand on the floor, "is that it doesn't make me want to talk with you." Artesano turns back to face the tiefling. "Quite the opposite, in fact."

Artesano looks out through the bars of the cell door, and visualizes a path just beyond.

"You're of no use to me if you won't talk, except perhaps as an object lesson to your friends. Last chance." He swings the blade in lazy arcs, each one an inch closer to your chair.

"I talk and I die, I don't talk and I die. This is *your* last chance, if you really want information. If not, take your swing now."

Artesano braces himself with a quick prayer to Ioun that his quest for knowledge not be ended as he continues to look through the fey world for a path outside the cell.

The blade rises slowly, ready to strike, but is stopped by the harsh voice of a drow woman whose face appears through the window. "Idiot! Not yet. Leverage... Remember?"

Iuz looks pissed, but he does as she says. Instead of taking off the eladrin’s head he catches it with the side of his blade, knocking him unconscious. As the room grows fuzzy Artesano sees the drow smile and then she's gone.

He wakes up some time later to a familiar voice in his head. His eyes crack open and the Talisman of Orcus is laying up against a cold stone wall. "That was pretty tough. Not sure it was smart, but definitely ballsy. So when're we getting’ outta here? There's a big snakey bastard out there, but we can probably handle him once the others are done being knuckled under to by your friends without a fight."

The room they’re in is about 15' x 15'. The walls are dull grey stone and the door is another of the large iron ones with a barred window in the upper center. A stone cot is carved out of the wall at the rear of the room. Other than him and the talisman the room is empty.

This all happened over email during the week. Hopefully we’ll be able to get to the point where everyting noncombat is done by the time the session starts.

Artesano knows that Iuz is the half-demon son of the demon lord Graz'zt and Iggwilv, the Witch of Perrenland, famous for her demonomicons. He has seen his face in history books, and this is him. The artificer has no reagents or rune-scribed items, but could make some if given a little time to himself, something mildly sharp, and something to carve them into. They either don't know that he can teleport or don't care, because they haven't
blindfolded him, meaning he could easily Fey Step out of the chair.

The OOC response to this was “Swell, Iuz is somebody's bitch.”

The talisman is a +4 implement, usable by anyone. Like a holy symbol it only has to be worn. It acts as a Periapt of Recovery +5, granting +2 to saving throws vs. death. It's crits are +4d6, and it has a daily power:

Soul Blast - Power (Daily): Standard Action. Ranged 5. Highest Attribute + 4 vs. Fortitude. Hit: target takes 3d10 + attribute necrotic damage and you can heal yourself, recovering hit points as if you spent a healing surge.

If worn into a pool it can benefit from the transformational qualities of the pools, letting the wearer change the Periapt of Recovery +5 part to any other neck slot item up to your level + 1. It’s technically the amulet changing itself, but the player gets to make that choice.

Naxis Talks

Naxis wakes up in a pitch black room, stark naked except for a coarse woolen loincloth. He is strapped firmly into what is usually called a mage's chair, but what wizards call Hell. The fingers of each hand are splayed wide, and each is locked into a separate tiny manacle, making any movement almost impossible. Though his head is not held into place by anything, Naxis doesn't dare move it. Several sharp needles (or perhaps nails) poke into his neck, all but one almost piercing the skin. The last must have gone through as he slept, for he feels a slight trickle of blood running down his chest. Any speaking over a slow and steady whisper is likely to drive those points into his neck with possibly deadly results.

A door opens and someone walks in. The footsteps stop and a familiar drow woman's voice says "Do you know who I am? Who we are?" Without waiting for the wizard to speak she continues, "I am Malice Do'Urden, Matron of House Do'Urden and ruler of Menzoberranzan." Naxis recognizes the names. Menzoberranzan is the drow capital in the Underdark, and House Do'Urden currently rules. "My friends are equally well connected. Iuz I'm sure you know, and perhaps Iggwilv is familiar to you as well." Iggwilv is the famous writer of the Demonomicons of Iggwilv, treatises on summoning, controlling, and dealing with demons. She is a powerful mage who is truly old, but most often appears as a beautiful young woman.

"They and others will be the next pantheon. And you will help us." Her hand traces lightly over his heart, then draws a lazy circle on his neck. "You have been many places, and seen many wondrous sights. You will tell me of the Pools. We know you feel no pain, and so can dispense with the torturous unpleasantries. Unfortunately that leaves us only one recourse should you be so bold as to try to lie. But amputation is such a messy thing. Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

"So, where to start? How about you tell me the story of where you found the pool that stops your pain, and what you had to do to bathe in it?"

Naxis replies very matter of factly. “How inefficient. I share knowledge freely, it would have saved you a lot of time and effort just to ask. The pool of pain is at in the Mines of Bloodstone, in the Bloodstone Valley. The pool doesn't manifest any guardians that I remember, but the suffering it inflicts has been known to kill. I'm sure living in your society requires a high level of suffering and high tolerance to it. The pool will try to surpass that, which may be deadly.”

His chuckles draws a little more blood from the chair. “Your studies haven't told you that the pools choose the next pantheon, destroying any they do not deem worthy? Curious, maybe my studies of the pools aren't as complete as yours. From what I can tell, the pools strive to maintain balance, so I'm sure Iuz and Iggwilv, and the others should be able to make it. Your mistress Lloth is almost as old as time, I don't foresee her losing a place in the next cycle, so be careful if you plan on trying to take it.”

The Matron Mother replies "I doubt there are any Seekers not on the path to divinity in the next cycle, and no deities shall be spared. I may keep my mistress as a servant, but the universe will not allow her to keep her place." She licks the droplets of blood from his neck. "And what about this lovely glow around your heart? Which pool did it come from, and what stands in my way?"

“Very nice, I've heard of a pool that lets you see auras from other pools. It is the pool of love, and all you have to do is be able to answer the question: Why do you deserve love? I've heard of people describing love of power, love of objects, love of adventure. pretty much showing you're capable of loving something shows you deserve love.”

“Interesting choice of putting me in this chair. All it took was a few thugs and 2 swings of your weapon to take me out, yet you still show fear of me? I could understand if you enjoyed inflicting pain, but that makes little sense here. Perhaps you don't like loud noises and prefer me to whisper everything. The Underdark must develop a keen sense of hearing. Very interesting indeed.”

As he speaks, Naxis hears Chaugnar's voice in his mind via a Sending ritual. "Contact via stone if safe. Name something that shares first letter of your name and something else that shares the second letter. Will contact later."

His mental response to the sending is “I was captured by Malice Do'Urden, Matron of House Do'Urden, ruler of Menzoberranzan. In small room. In mage's chair, she seeks pool locations, then will..” It gets cut off by the ritual’s restrictions on the length of the reply.

"You would not be here if you were not powerful,” the drow argues. “There is no shame in caution. Think of it as an honor that House Do'Urden bestows upon you." She turns towards the door and then pauses. "You have been very forthcoming. I'm not yet sure if that is wisdom, fear, or foolishness. But it is intriguing." She turns to face him again and looks him up and down in the darkness.

"You could make a fine Rary, if your moral compass isn't jammed. Were our roles reversed, what would you do to me, and how would you feel about the tactics used?"

Naxis’s insight tells him she is trying to probe for a possible alliance, perhaps to join their organization. She seems extremely confident that he won't be able to lie to her, so probably has some magic in place to discern lies.

“I'll divide this out in logical order. First is tactics used. I'll assume you learned of me in my search for the pool of secrets, which you have already bathed in. You saw this as an opportunity to learn of more pools the easy way. Instead of learning enough about me to know that you could just ask, you decided to play it safe and kidnap me. I'll toss that into sloppy on the tactics side, as someone of the Bahamat type persuasion would probably die before telling you anything. Generally one should save kidnap and/or torture for those that value themselves and their lives above all. Of course you probably didn't know torture wouldn't work on me. I digress, but I will commend the quality of your thugs. If our roles were reversed, I would learn about you, and probably make the determination that you seek goddesshood with as little competition as possible.

“As such, I would probably determine that getting the information from you wouldn't be worth the trouble, in terms of costs of time and effort. If I was dumb enough to seek it anyway, I'd have to have a good retinue of guards and would have to devise a way to steal a leader away from a city, far above my power and the deals I would have to make to get someone more powerful to do it would be costly. Since self gain is your driving goal in life from what I can tell, torture could be used, or other means of assuring you would have a lot to lose if you didn't comply. Maybe bumping your house down a few ranks on the ladder. Since my studies have shown me the pools have a will of their own and guide the cycles as such, knowledge of where the pools are isn't the key factor in determining who will ascend into godhood in the next cycle. I've just taken the logical conclusion at the first step, which would be the last step you would take if the roles were reversed.

“As for being a Rary, he betrayed the council and sought to destroy it. I don't seek to destroy anything, just to help destiny take the course it has chosen, or is choosing as it were. The circle sought balance, but didn't take the steps necessary to ensure it. The pools won't make that mistake.”

“I do disagree with you, I wouldn't be here if I was powerful.” Even though he can't see her, he smiles and winks, assuming correctly that she can see him perfectly well.

Matron Mother Malice shakes her head. "Ah well. Never mind then. We'll keep you long enough to make sure we won't need you to use against your friends, then feed you to the guardians. Pity. Though if you do survive, you might want to do a little more research. You're very confident, but the foundations of your hypothesis are wrong."

He hears another door somewhere outside opening, and heavy footsteps coming their way. A trickle of light comes into the room and as Malice turns to walk out the door the breeze from the change in air pressure lifts her hair up slightly. Underneath he sees grey skin and a line of smudged black makeup. Outside you hear a deep man's voice say "Arik claims he'll tell us of Time if we loosen his bonds. Should I? And I heard the thud of a blade from Iuz's room. Sounds like he isn't doing well. That hot tempered fool will probably kill the elf if one of us doesn't stop him. Who do you want?"

"You keep our friend Naxis company. But be nice. He's been very helpful. He's already told us of where he's been. See if he'll tell you what others he knows of. We need more power if we're to survive Elements."

Malice's footsteps walk away and a large man carrying a flail comes in. As he shuts the door the trickle of light disappears again and he curses. "Damned bitch and her eyes. Very useful when questioning those who can kill with a glance, but really fucking annoying too. Whatta ya say I light a lamp? You don't get feisty and I won't have to hurt you?"

Still logical, the wizard replies “I couldn't really see her eyes while staring at the floor here... and I think if I get feisty this chair will kill me, so you don't have anything to worry about. That I have no intent of resisting a foe that was able to drop me in a few seconds of combat where I didn't have a chance to react. That would be stupid. So, how's your day going?”

He carefully unlatches Naxis’s fingers and neck to allow for some stretching. "Pretty good, actually. It'll be going even better if you can tell me about more Pools. Iggwilv says the stars are in motion, and things are coming to a head soon. I'm not going to tumble into oblivion with the rest of this world. I'm going to ride the crest into the next."

Naxis recounts the theories he shared with Malice, the information he told her, and finally tells the man of the Pool of Life and their journey to and through the positive material plane. He finishes, “Also the guardians are pathetically weak, obviously the pool just wants to make sure stray creatures don't stumble into it.

“So, do you have a name?”

The man stayed silent through the lecture, nodding a lot when told of the Pool of Life. When Naxis mentions how weak the guardians are he seems a little surprised, but doesn't say anything.

"I am Warduke, Hierarch of the Horned Society, and future God of War." His puffed out chest deflates, and he continues. "I'll get you back to your room. With any luck this will be done shortly." He tightens his grip on the flail and motions the wizard towards the door.

Naxis follows the directions and checks his wounds. He is taken to a small dark room with a stone cot in the back.

Castign while strapped into a mage chair is possible, but dangerous. The chair will make an automatic coup de grace attempt on the victim.

Rary is also known as Rary the Traitor. He was a member of the Circle of Eight and turned on them at the end of the Greyhawk Wars, killing Otiluke and Tenser. He currently rules the Bright Desert. There's a little more info on him in the campaign update's section about the search for the pool of secrets.

This bit about the pools’ sentience, choices, and motivations is pure conjecture based on some producing their own guardians, or resurrecting the ones they like. Plus some test each person differently. Lastly, a lot of the current deities aren't equally powerful, so if the people that ascended were really just the ruthless ones that would do anything to get power, evil gods would outnumber good and unaligned.

His wounds are minor, only putting him at 5 hit points below the bloodied level. Easily fixed after five minutes of rest in his cell.

Arik Fights

Arik wakes up dangling from a ceiling by huge chains. The ceiling and floor are both five feet away, affording very little leverage. The walls are out of reach even if he swings, though he might be able to swing hard enough to touch the ceiling. A massively muscled man lazily swings a flail just out of reach. "I am Warduke, and I earned my name in countless battles across countless nations. I will be the next God of War, and you will help me. I know that pain does not bother you, but even if it doesn't hurt, a shattered kneecap can be quite a handicap. So how about you don't try to lie to me, and I won't be forced to ruin your career?"

"I don't know where those arms and legs of yours disappeared to on Mechanus, but I want some. I know they're from the future, and I can see in your eyes that they can see in time. Where did you find that Pool, and what did you face to gain its power?" The flail twirls absentmindedly at his side as he awaits the fighter’s response.

"I have experienced unimaginable pain and had my limbs completely removed on more than one occasion. Do you honestly think the threat of mangling my kneecaps is something I would fear?" Shaking his head in obvious disappointment Arik continues. "It isn't my place to test your worth for the pools. Merely asking would have been more than enough incentive for me to give you the location." Arik pauses and attempts the break the chains holding him, but fails. "Unfortunately due to present circumstance I am forced to require more for the information you seek. Remove my bonds and do not interfere with my ascent to immortality and I will stand aside and share with you the secrets of the Pool of Time. The one truth I learned in torrid streets of Seattle is that truly magnificent feats of technology and indeed the ascent of civilization stems from conflict and war. I have no hope of bringing about that future without your help."

Warduke thinks about it for a moment, and doesn’t seem capable of deciding on his own. "I'll go talk with Malice." He turns to walk out.

Arik hears Chaugnar's voice in his mind via a Sending ritual. "Contact via stone if safe. Name something that shares first letter of your name and something else that shares the second letter. Will contact later."

His reply to the sending is, "Angry Rabbits, I am hostage but safe they only seek to test themselves against the pools."

A minute later a drow woman walks into the room. A troglodyte comes in behind her and lays down a suit of armor and a scourge. As she puts it on she says "I apologize for this, but I'm sure you understand my need for safety. You don't rise to Matron Mother without being careful." She chuckles a bit at that last part, and continues to put on the armor. When she's done she presses a hidden stud on the wall and the chains lower Arik to the ground. She then ushers the troglodyte forward with a key. He smells like the far side of Hell as he unlocks the warrior.

Stretching his arms and showing relief at the chains being removed, Arik inspects himself for any visible wounds taking stock of his utter lack of equipment as he does so. "I take it the three of you have fallen onto much the same path as me and my friends. An exchange of information would be in the best interest for both of our parties. Perhaps we should all sit down over a bite to eat and sort out the details." A look of realization coming over his face Arik pauses then looks directly into the eyes of drow woman before him. "How many of us have you captured?”

Answering the comment about a meal, but apparently ignoring the question about his friends, the Matron Mothers says, "That might be arranged. But first, I believe you were saying something about Time?" She claps her hands and the troglodyte comes back in. She says "temruog dna auqa" (food and water in Dark Speech) and he backs respectfully out of the room.

"Ah yes..." - He goes into flashback mode telling the story of his journey into the pool of time, leaving nothing out nor hiding anything. "I warn you the guardian killed my entire party, only myself survived, do not take it lightly... " Finishing up the food and drink he winds down with a repeat of his question. "Now if you would be so kind I would like my things, and as I asked before am I the only one of my friends you have captured?"

"We also have Artesano. He has been . . . less than cooperative. Naxis is here as well, and is being very forthcoming. I'm afraid I can't bring you your things just yet, but I can show you to your room. It's right this way." She gestures with her scourge towards the door, and steps aside to give him room to pass.

"Perhaps I can speak with Artesano for you. As I said before, we are not the guardians of the pools, merely seekers as yourself. If you want to attempt to bathe in them, it matters to me not." Obviously growing a bit more angry Arik continues. "We will not however be held captive and kept from seeking them for ourselves. If you want any more cooperation you will give us our things and send us on our way. I ask that we only to be treated as fellow travelers on the same path. Anything less and I'm afraid I will have to become less forthcoming."

"Do not mistake hospitality for friendship. If you change your mind about talking, call out in supplication to Lolth, and an underling will be sent to retrieve you." She waves her scourge toward the door, indicating where she wants him to go.

"Your loss." Arik drops into a defensive stance ready to face the oncoming onslaught, he does not intend to go down without a fight.

She backs slowly to the door and laughs. "Enjoy your freedom." As the door opens, she slides backwards out of it. On the far side Arik hears a mass of hissing snakes.

Arik can try to break the chains or escape from them, but the lack of leverage will apply a -4 penalty to either roll. He is currently bloodied.

Warduke is a powerful and famous warrior who sometimes works as a mercenary or assassin. He is a hierarch of the Horned Society, rulers of the Horned Lands who are allied with Iuz. Some say he is a fallen paladin. One thing is common knowledge: he is ruthless, heartless, and cruel.

Sending has so far told Chaugnar who was captured (giving the IC to his OOC knowledge), and told him that the captives are on the negative material plane near the Pool of Death. They were caught by Seekers who also want knowledge of the pools. There also appears to be some sort of disconnect between the captors, as one prisoner said he was fine, and the other said he was going to be killed.

At this point I mistook his dropping into a stance with meaning he was attacking, and assumed he was upset enough about the situation that he was going to suicide his character. A little more OOC talk showed that he wasn’t out to get killed, but wasn’t going to knuckle under without a fight to a captor who refuses to treat him with the same respect he gives them.

It was quite a relief, as it turned out after looking at the numbers that I’d managed to pick the “drake swarm” of high level mental monsters when designing his ambush scenario. Yuan-yi Discpiles of Zehir have attack bonuses and recharge rates well above the curve for other 17^th level monsters. Coupled with the rogue’s Harrying Assault, they couldn’t miss without a 1. Had they been typically statted for 17^th level monsters, they’d have still needed a 5 or higher, and wouldn’t have been almost guaranteed a recharge on their domination power.

There was some discussion about why they didn’t just use Speak with Dead, but that’s their fallback option since it costs money and can’t give you answers to questions you don’t think to ask. A live interrogation subject gives away information while answering (or refusing to answer) questions that can tell you things you didn’t know, whereas a dead subject tells you exactly what you asked for. That and “they kill you” isn’t very fun to play out.

Adran Goes for Help

The deserts of Calimshan are harsh, and the Raven Queen is strong there. Knowing that the church would make an excellent temporary refuge, Adran heads there first. As kidnapping and assault are crimes, he decides he will also seek the backing of the government. Calimshan is a merchant city, and has dealings with almost every nation on Oerth and many cities on other planes. Not too long ago the Pasha was fooled into marrying a witch, but she was killed in an arena battle with some men whose youth she had once stolen. Since then he has been forced to maintain a strong semblance of legality and properness. It would take a lot to pull him from his throne, but the scandal of that incident was almost enough and he is busy strengthening his bonds with the various guilds his wife offended.

The priest hears Chaugnar's voice in his mind via a Sending ritual. "Contact via stone if safe. Name something that shares first letter of your name and something else that shares the second letter. Will contact later."

The response is “"I am safe, All is well. Disharmony among the attacks after I ran."

Adran opts to try to seek retribution through the legal system, as well as seeking an audience with the prince. Adran was functioning as a priest of the church while he was attacked, having been on duty to protect the dead from reanimation, so not only did these people attack a law biding visitor they also attacked the church of the Raven Queen.

The largest temple to the Raven Queen in Calimshan is the Temple of the Long Night, named after one of the more famous stories about St. Solliers, the Twice-Martyred. Solliers, prior to his first martyrdom and resurrection as an angel, was a human Paladin of Bahamut. A portal to the Far Realms had opened inside the temple to the Raven Queen and things had come pouring out. They slaughtered the priests and worshippers, then poured out into the city. Solliers and his friends came to the rescue and slew many of the creatures before Solliers dove into the portal with his holy avenger at his side, vowing to find its source and put a stop to it.

Two days later the portal closed, and Solliers was trapped inside. Two weeks later St. Solliers descended from the heavens, granted leave to avoid death for a while by the Raven Queen, and transformed into an angel by Bahamut. He spoke of a world where the sky was always night and the stars were eyes. It was a hungry world, lingering just beside ours, and waiting for its chance to devour all and put an end to everything. He had lost his blade somewhere in that world, but no longer needed it. Angels fight with blades forged from their souls and tempered by their will.

The high priest is happy to see Adran, and upset to hear what happened. The Seeker is welcome to stay there as long as he needs, but the priest is not sure what he can do to help. He will personally consult with mystic sages, and offers the use of the church’s ritual book, which contains a copy of Loremaster's Bargain, but it would cost 65,000gp to scribe it and another 13,000gp to cast it.

The city starts looking for the kidnappers as soon as you tell them about it. He can give a good description of the man who attacked, and lets them know he called himself Warduke. Now that he has more time to think, he recalls that Warduke is a powerful and famous warrior who sometimes works as a mercenary or assassin. He is a hierarch of the Horned Society, rulers of the Horned Lands who are allied with Iuz. Some say he is a fallen paladin. One thing is common knowledge: he is ruthless, heartless, and cruel.

When he mentions the name to the wali (sheriff), the man excuses himself, saying that he must speak with his superiors. He returns twenty minutes later and apologizes. Calimshan cannot risk conflict with Doraakka and Iuz by arresting one of the demon king's allies. But his men will keep watch, and if they see Warduke, Adran will be alerted. Adran assures them he is seeking one-to-one combat with the mercenary. At the least he wants the man’s ability to leave the city hampered until the priest can face him in battle.

The priest comes up to Adran just before dinner. "I got very confusing answers from the sages, perhaps you could figure them out? When I asked where Warduke went they answered that he was never here. When I asked where he is, I was told that he is in his home in the Horned Lands. I asked them where your friend Artesano is and the response was 'which piece?'" It would appear that he is still alive ‘in the void,’ but is 'only a few long strides from death', whatever that means."

"I hope that helps, and gives you more information for when you consult your own oracles."

The arena battle mentioned happened in the prior campaign. In Ravager of Time a witch steals the youth of the party and uses it to keep herself young and create souped up young copies of the PCs. Their battle with her finally ended in an arena duel to the death in Calimshan.

Chaugnar Seeks His Allies

The warlock takes to the streets and uses disguise and streetwise to find a safe place to hole up in. He purchases a hefty supply of entrails and reagents for arcana rituals and sends messages to all of his allies to see who else made it free.

He performs another sending, this one aimed at Adran to let the man know they should meet, and asking where.