Session Date: 07/14/2024
The party had split up. The chaos squad went ahead of the group to the prison and found the caskets with weird corpses inside along with a long metal piece with brain, and a secret library where Rohan stole the diary of the mad mage. The lawful team stayed behind and went on the caravan to the prison, with them having an unpleasant meeting with the stitched man that told them to cease and desist. Major was also looking for Iskra but we convinced him that he had to stay behind to get more supplies.
We ended at the chaos squad leaving with the journal and tucking it away, rejoining the caravan from behind.
Rohan and Iskra join with Dia and Arythas on the caravan. It’s very, very obvious that Iskra has a book on him that he didn’t have before, and Dia asks what he has, and he plays dumb. Arythas asks if Iskra has a book from Inky, and Iskra leans into it saying that yes, the book was very important to Inky and he thinks it might be an heirloom of some sort. Dia offers to put it in her bag, and Iskra hands the book to her, clumsily wrapped. He grips Dia’s hand and nonverbally attempts to communicate that this book is very important and nobody can tell what it is.
Iskra can hear someone breathing a few steps behind them - not heavy breathing, but there’s just a palpable presence there. Iskra asks what he can do to help them, and it’s the Major, who raises a hand, and then turns and starts to walk away quickly. Iskra calls out saying that this is a favor on his part, and the Major turns and raises a hand to come and pet him. He nonverbally asks if he can pet, and Iskra gives his blessing, so the Major pets him with one very cold hand.
They - but especially Iskra - can tell that he isn’t mindless or a child, but there is some component here that is missing. The way the Major is looking for softness is a new behavior for him, something he hasn’t done before. Everyone is otherwise afraid of him and it’s hard to tell if he covers up because he wants to, or because he’s required to. Dia can tell that there’s something very automatic in his movement, and there are other life experiences that seem to be brand new to him that probably shouldn’t be.
The gates start to open and it’s clearly a heavily secure and complicated process. There are a lot of spells cast to avoid alarms, and many pulleys to open the gate. We make our way in and Dia gets up on Arythas’ shoulders to look for Bertram and as we enter we see the area with all of the prisoners and she immediately spots him, seeing him talking to Barrakas - the Crimson Legion gentleman with no jaw. Dia can feel a playfully cold laughter of Frosty Princess Glaciebella and she tugs playfully on Dia’s ear, asking if she should tell Bertram that Dia’s here.
Glaciebella does tell him and Bertram starts to look around, making direct eye contact with the Tiefling-disguised Dia, and then the gate slams closed behind us. We see barracks built of wood for the guard. The warden, General Chase, sees us as we disembark and comes up to greet us. Dia greets him and says she is glad that he has been so gracious to let us perform, and Dia begins her whole spiel about asking where we will perform. Chase mentions he was thinking of getting some of the prisoners involved. Rohan chimes in and says that this is an excellent idea and can improve morale, and that we have an idea of who may be a good helper. The Warden says that it is a bit strange that we are seeing another dragonborn, and he explains that the dragonborn is sort of a piece of work: he was murdering bandits pretty violently. (Players: this is the golden dragonborn that was a Knight of Lendys.)
General Chase is open to the idea of having volunteers from the audience, but Major is going to be with us to provide support as we cannot be left alone with the prisoners. We are fine by this, and Iskra also mentions that some of our tricks might be a little more dangerous and we just want to give some forewarning about that. Dia mentions she would love a tour, and the warden says he will be glad to give us a tour of some of the facilities after dinner. He just requests that we do not kill anyone, or commit murder. Everyone begins talking a little too much and the warden starts to stare a little too much, and he finally ends with “I can see what the Major sees in you.” Iskra can tell that the warden said this just to make him uncomfortable, and that he doesn’t think Major has any feelings at all.
We are escorted to the barracks and it is clear that we are expected to stay here until dinner. There’s nobody here - guards are patrolling, yes, but nobody is specifically listening to us. Dia asks what’s going on with the book and Rohan and Iskra explains that this is the journal of the mad mage, and Dia’s anxiety cranks up to eleven while Arythas ages at least a decade in a moment as he starts to think about the consequences of these actions. Rohan eventually explains what’s going on in the casks as well, and Iskra shows the spike and flask of light acid.
Dia and Arythas review the spike and the acid flask, and Dia gleans some information (ooc: to be revealed later so that Alan doesn’t give us too much information immediately). We spend the rest of the time before dinner “planning our show” by which we mean drawing generalized maps so that Iskra and Rohan can share what they found.
After a little while, Dia explains she hadn’t realized there were real criminals here. She isn’t sure how to get around letting real criminals out, and deal with that on her shoulders, or if we should try to pick and choose who to let out, or what. Arythas explains that we either have to get only Bertram out, or we have to let everyone out: we do not have time to be judge and jury, and Iskra agrees with this. We don’t have the time to judge everyone, and Dia is having a crisis about all of this.
We hear a knock and Bertram’s voice outside of the door, explaining that (we assume) Major scares people, and he just wants to introduce himself first. Bertram enters and everyone sees the spitting image of Rafferty, but with burnet hair. The moment the door latches shut behind him, Dia immediately tackles him in a hug. He carries her further into the room and casts a spell so they have privacy, with Dia starting to sob quietly.
Dia is surprised that he has magic, and he asks to see her and she’s frozen, stunned. Arythas plucks the hat of disguise off of her head so that the illusion shatters and he can see her. Bertram awkwardly says hello and says he’s her brother, and Dia finally introduces Bertram. He says that he’s Emlyn’s brother, and she has to explain she’s going by Dia now. He asks if that is going to be permanent or just an adventuring alias, and she says she doesn’t care what Bertram calls her.
Two ghosts appear behind Bertram’s shoulder, with Glaciebella and a young woman that is strikingly similar in appearance to Dia. Emily waves then realizes she looks an awful lot like Dia, says this is awkward, and leaves.
Dia asks about the magic he has and he explains a pact was created by his distress to everyone around him dying and his own personal anguish about it.
He then asks if we’re going to stage a prison break, and Dia is unsure. Iskra explains that Dia didn’t know that there were actual bad people here, and she thought that it was all political prisoners rather than actual criminals. Bertram explains that even the bad people in here don’t actually deserve this sort of treatment, and that someone (probably him) will deal with the actual criminals that get out. This seems to help Dia feel better about it, and we begin coordinate maps and talk details.
We all cast exposition on each other to get each other caught up. Denma made a deal with Dia - reassurances that this favor will be in line of what we’re already doing, it’ll just look good for her performance report - and Rohan finds an earring so that Bertram can communicate with us in here at range. Here Bertram finds out that Dia’s consorting with demons and Dia updates him on the status of Rafferty. There is more discussion and catching up.
Performance is in three days.
Bertram explains that he doesn’t care to try to save the warden, but his goal is to get everyone out of here and free of Cruelwind Prison. Dia explains that when we head back to Akria we can get in touch with the Crimson Legion and the Bloodsoaked Banner if needed. Dia mid-sentence recalls that she has the magicked root from the hobgoblin general. Bertram questions it and Dia says it’s been a long, strange trip, and the Major knocks heavily on the door. Bertram leaves and heads out, and the Major stands there waiting. Dia asks if it’s time for dinner and the Major nods once and we follow for dinner.
We head out and on the way we see a portrait of the mad mage as we are led further into a small hall with a table and the warden is already seated. Dia tries to sit across from the warden at the opposite head, but the Major doesn’t let him, so Dia sits on his left. Rohan sits on the Major’s right, with Iskra sitting next to Rohan, and Arythas ends up next to Dia. The food comes out and it’s simple, but it was hunted in the mountains and was prepared special.
Dinner begins and he asks if we have any interest in the mad mage, and Dia says that she loves any excuse to celebrate and have an event. Iskra chimes in and says that it’s a good marketing technique, and Rohan speaks up saying he’d love to hear more stories about the mage. The warden says that she was something else, he guesses - he’s not sure how to describe her. He says that she was extremely powerful, and did very great (but ethically horrible) things and she had to be stopped, so that’s what he did. Dia thanks him for the service, and Dia and Arythas both detect the quiver in his voice that indicates he absolutely hates her.
Dia mentions that he seems to know her well, and asks if he knew her before. He says it was hard to know what was before, and she emerged during the war. Arythas asks what he means, and he explains that she was unknown before the war and that it was an opportunity for her. Dia asks how she got her title of “mad mage” and he explains that she was originally found making chimeras in the western region, and we all nod in understanding. Rohan asks how the warden was able to defeat such a fearsome opponent such as her, and he explains it was a really battle, and he even fought her himself. He explains that she was a powerful opponent and fighting her did take some doing - a few hours of relentless combat - with her casting spell after spell after spell, each more devious than the prior. At the end she grew tired before him, and he had a sword. Dia asks if there is something that commemorates him, and he says no, he doesn’t feel that she should be remembered that way.
We ask how she should be remembered, and he says he’s been considering it since the start of the war. He says that perhaps she shouldn’t be remembered at all, and we ask why the large portrait, and he explains it’s so that he remembers, and it helps to make people nervous when they arrive. Dia asks how he became warden, and he explains that he had to do something after the war, and he’s useful here. He also has no family or friends so he is unbothered with his work here. Dia asks what his work is - if it’s just running the prison - and he explains that he’s writing a few memoirs to be published after he expires, and Dia hopes that it will not be for quite some time, but she should like to read them. He admits that there are some secrets to be revealed, and Dia presses and asks if she can get a sneak peek. The warden leans closer and says maybe he slept with someone interesting, but he cannot share with who as there are families involved.
General Chase admits that he just wants peace and quiet after the war, so this is a nice gig for him. He explains that the Major helps him a lot and that he’s useful for some specific things. Major wasn’t a Major in the war, and Dia asks what the Major’s story is, and Chase says we should ask him. Dia comments that he’s been so close-lipped and Chase says yes, that’s not a surprise.
Iskra asks if Chase regrets anything in terms of the mad mage, and he says that how things happened is the only way it could have happened. He doesn’t really have regrets, but he takes things and makes improvements if there are improvements to be had. When Iskra pressed, he does admit he is a little torn: he wonders often what the point of it all was. Dia asks what she was doing, exactly, and Chase explains that she was a specific type of an “artist” per se. As he understands it, the monsters she created were her idea of masterpieces. Iskra asks if he feels Chase could have stopped this, or that if he did something different she wouldn’t’ve turned out this way? Chase explains he just wishes he could understand why she was doing what she was doing, instead of just killing her. Iskra says that sometimes there is no satisfying answer and the answer may actually be worse.
He eats quickly and apologizes, wanting to return to his memoirs and work, and Dia reminds him of the tour. As we are going, Iskra and Rohan are able to orient themselves to what they’ve seen prior, and we are also shown the official library that is public. We are aware that Rohan is also stalling as we go. We see a dining hall, his office, the library, a chapel to Pelor, etc. Dia steps into the chapel for a moment and nothing seems to be out of sorts or harrowed.
The regular library is large enough that Arythas could make it to The Library Between if needed, though someone would need to distract the Major as he will be accompanying us with everything.
We pass by some cells and see the golden dragonborn in a cell, yelling about some holy duty. He claims to be a knight over and over, and we know that the Knights of Lendys are not nice people. He is chained to the wall, visibly straining to try to get out. He sees Marroshak’s Tail. He calls out wanting Arythas to help him free of his binds, as they can do plenty of damage together, and the warden asks if they know each other. Arythas can tell that the dragonborn is playing up this mad man act to lull everyone into a false sense of security, and after the group moves on Arythas mentions to General Chase that the man is faking it, explaining that mad men have a wildness to their eyes that he simply did not have. The General finds something amusing in that but doesn’t comment.
Major comes out of the shadows and begins to escort us to our barracks, with Dia being taken to the chapel after so that she can pray because it’s “been a while”. She determines that the chapel isn’t at all harrowed.
For some reason Iskra is being a dick to the Major by taunting him into petting him.
We are all escorted back to the barracks and Rohan is surprised that the Major is already returning to the basement to work on his projects. Rohan genuinely thinks the book itself that causes corruption, and Arythas explains that the book itself likely isn’t what is the corrupting influence, but rather what is contained within, and Dia agrees. Dia suggests that Rohan and Iskra watch the door while she and Arythas take a crack at the door, and Rohan comments on the General’s obsession with the mad mage, which we all agree is weird.
Dia and Arythas begin to look through the journal and we don’t manage to get all of the secrets of the journal, but we do manage to get a little bit. Arythas, with religion, recognizes that a ritual later on in the journal is definitely not any holy rite: it’s not blasphemous and does not seem to be directly connected to Nerull, there’s no holy (or unholy) rites - this is more of a scientific approach than a religious one. There is definitely a ritual there, but he doesn’t understand what it is for. Arythas is aware that this journal is absolutely not cursed.
Dia, on the other hand, understands what information would be conveyed from this ritual: how to breathe, how to eat, how to fight, who’s your master, etc. It is natural to extrapolate that this would teach the casket born how to exist.
Rohan takes a look and starts to get into what the casket born are, or what they could be. He finds a note after a gap in the journal that is about the battle of Amoth Bridge. The short note explains that they were fighting undead - likely the first mention of that word - and she explains they were corpse eaters, and she didn’t summon them, nor did she know where they came from. She was fascinated by them and collected as much as was possible. She was trying to study and replicate at least some of those characteristics.
Iskra’s knowledge of nature helps as he realizes what sorts of creatures went into the creation of the casket born. All of us together would perhaps call the undead that went into this ghouls, and there were also definitely ice trolls that were used. The idea was to create a soldier-type creature.
Whatever was created mixed with the troll features allowed her to put these creatures in the casket specifically with the acid so that they would be in a sort of suspended animation. She put an iron spike through each of their heads, and her plan originally was to bring all of them back: open the caskets, remove the spike, introduce basic memories, and have a loyal soldier.
This is what Major is.
Knights of Lendys
Lawful Stupid. They are a very old group that are old fashioned justice. If you steal, your hand gets cut off.