Session 10: Beginning of the End Part 1

Scene 1: Flight of the Windrunner

Welcome back to the City of Kings. Matters in the Dragonborn camp move apace. A new Warlord is chosen, Balasar the Huntsman and the army prepares to withdraw.

Now, however, we turn our attention back to the fate of Artemis, Pashtun Ranger. Having left the meeting with the Rebellion he has lost himself in the flesh pits and gambling dens of the City. As all must do eventually his finds himself washed up in the Palace of the Grub where every sin of flesh or soul is available at the right price. Losing himself for several days he is rudely awakened by an insistent knocking at his door.

Bleary eyed he welcomes his visitor, Alias Windstorm, member of the Order of Transcendental Inquiry and renegade Wizard. He is highly agitated and being out in the day, especially here, puts his life at great risk. He comes to the point quickly, “It’s time to get out Artemis, everything’s going to shit here. The Dragonborn have broken with the Emperor and he’s sending Dragon Riders to raze the City. I came to warn you before I leave and to give you these.” He throws a small leather pouch on the bed. “This is a sending stone, if you do survive use it to contact me. I know you are likely to do something stupid so here is a key to the Cabals armoury and a map of the layout. There’s a map of their forces in there too. If you do manage to take them down let me know, I am sure I can make you a good offer.” With that he is gone, as quickly as he arrived.

Scene 2: The Binding of the Betrayer

Again we cast our minds back, but only a little way this time, to last night, in the Temple of Mael, where Assamber pores over the spellbooks of the sorceress Althea. As he reads them things become clearer, the words to a ritual form themselves in his mind. He snatches up the skull they took from Althea and a name springs to life, Yusmida, the Betrayer!

Gathering his things he heads out into the night. The components for the ritual must be bought, ground human bones and the blood of an innocent man wrongfully accused. The night market is a den of vileness, hags and witches rub shoulders with necromancers and demonologists. Slavers and drug pushers work with kidnappers and bounty hunters. The market is tolerated by the Cabal because it is watched over by Hu’Maa, the Vampire Lord. His children keep order in the market and even the Cabal do not dare to test their power against that of the Vampire.

Making his purchases Assamber hurries homeward. Glancing back he notices the necromancer he bought his goods from frantically gesturing to one of the children of the night. A keening wail goes up as several of them begin to close on his position and he flees. Desperate to escape he takes to the tunnels but they clearly know them better than he does and his illusions do not fool them. He is quickly caught and taken before their master.

Hu’Maa is cloaked in shadows and is most interested in just what Assamber intends to do with the Skull of Yusmida the Betrayer. Yusmida was castellan to the last Centurion King and betrayed him to the Cabal. For his crimes he was cursed and now wanders the Halls of the Shattered Throne as a ghost. The Skull can be used to summon him but Assamber does not possess the power to compel him. Seemingly amused by his temerity Hu’Maa provides him with a scroll, The Binding of Yusmida, a ritual designed to compel the ghost if he will not work with them willingly.

Returning to the Temple Assamber gathers his friends and prepares the ritual. Human bone marks out a sorcerous circle, black candles sputter fitfully in the darkness and the blood slowly drips onto the skull. Thick smoke rises and the form of the short pudgy eunuch emerges out of the fog. “You are no Cabal wizard, why have you summoned me?” Steeling himself against the apparition Assamber rises to his full height. “I seek you help to overthrow the Cabal, will you help me” The ghost regards him with hate filled eyes, “Release me from the power of the skull and I will do as you ask. Smash it into pieces and I will bring death to Darius and all of his kind.” He shakes his head, “How can I trust you Betrayer, your reputation precedes you.” He begins to read from the scroll. “By the power of the Primordials I bind you”, as he chants glowing chains of magic wrap themselves around the ghost. Assamber inscribes the runes of the five Primordials on his smoky form, he rages and screams, skeletal claws thrust across the barrier to be seared by necromantic flames. A battle of wills surges throughout the cellar but, at the last, Assamber is victorious. Yusmida departs, subdued, leaving behind nothing but the stench of the grave.

Scene 3: Mael Awakens

We return at last to the present and the plans to deal with the Imperial Legions bearing down on the City in the Lokarnos City Ship Behemoth. Assamber has concluded a deal with The Grub. Together they will raise the power of Mael to drive away the ship. What the Grub doesn’t know is that Assamber plans to kill him once the ritual is done. Of course the Grub has a surprise of his own in store.

The Grub arrives dead on time carried on his Divan by his Flesh Golem bearers. He also brings Cassius, his personal guard and a number of men at arms. Finally comes Kyia, beautiful Tiefling Princess in little more than a gold bikini and attached to him by a slender golden chain.

They gather in the Fane of the Temple, open to the sea. The Ritual begins and together Assamber and Mael call up the powers of the ocean depths and the storms. Assamber can sense the heart of the Temple of Ul-oo-thee, God of the Lokarnos, Lord of Stability and Stagnation. Alarms have sounded, temple priests rush to perform the Rituals of Becalming and deep in the heart of the Temple something dark and malignant awakes. Everything is going to plan, the tides have turned, storm clouds have gathered and Assamber prepares to divert the very currents of the Ocean against them when Azhanti interferes. He draws on the power of the storm and his own God Vulcan to strafe the City with lightning but does so clumsily. They are detected and the malignant force at the heart of the Temple becomes aware of them. It brings its power to bear and they are all buffeted by psychic winds. Crying out in pain Assamber finishes the Ritual and sends a pulse of magical power at both the ship and the Grub.