Session 53

The shroud, coming off their glorious triumph, both political and military, in unifying the Isles heard a disturbing rumor.  Apparently thousands of children were flocking to the Vale of Valtaerna.  Led by some Sheppard boy named Stefan.

So close to the Vale, the King had to halt the Tour near the gates of Ghastenhall & investigate himself.

Arriving covertly what the Shroud found surprised them.  It was indeed thousands of children all praying to Mitra to "save them" from the rule of King Emmerick and his Asmodeans.  The King noted they could just slaughter them.  But the rest of the Shroud advised Emmerick against such a brash action.

Instead they infiltrated the crowds during the day, leaving behind their vampire death priestess to wait for them.  What they saw amazed them.  Somehow all these children were somehow surviving out in the wilds of the Vale.  The near-by town that the Knot left was providing some food but seemed reluctant to too eagerly embrace the rabble.  So mostly the children were trying to survive in the wild on their own.  The Knot made note that as expected some disease and malnutrition had taken hold but didn't bother to check beyond a cursory glance.  For they had a bigger prize, the Sheppard boy Stefan.

The boy was of pure heart.  But he was just that.  A boy.  No special powers, no divine will.  No angel in disguise.  Just a boy.

Still the danger was real.  Mitra was known to reward simple acts of faith.  And the praying going on here had a eerily familiar tone to the ritualized praying at the Horn.  Not only that, Mitra had a patron angel of children.  Cassiel.  Would this angel manifest and aid the people of Talengarde?

The Shroud decided yes.  He would.  In the form of Mardus, transformed into a celestial aspect of course.

And if that failed, well, maybe they'd just have to go to the divine plane & kill Cassiel themselves to prevent an intervention.

But the need for an inter-planer assassination mission wasn't needed.  As Mardus showed off why he landed in Prison in the first place.  His adept skill at defrauding the faithful.  Manifesting from the prayer fires, he gave a glorious speech as he radiated divine will.  And he spoke to the people, telling them to go home.  That Emmerick, for better or worse was their lawful king.  And they should return to their lives & pray to Mitra in peace.

The stunned crowd of Children slowly dispersed.

Some lingered, but the Shroud spend some time & made sure they all eventually left.

Emmerick insisted the boy must be killed.  He was still a threat to his reign.  But the other Shroud members refused to go along.  There was no need.  It would be cruel and risk enraging the populous.

Still, Emmerick wanted the boy watched.  So the Shroud came up with a plan to offer the boy's parents some money and ask he be allowed to squire at the capital.

And once again, Mardus' honeyed tongue came through.  The dirt poor parents, eager for help, gladly offered to let their son squire at the capital.  Provided they had assurances of his safety.

And so, with that last obstacle behind them, the Shroud moved on to their destination.  The city of Ghastenhall and it's Duke.  The original reason for their grand Tour, started half a year before, was finally coming to fruition.

They arrived to a grand welcome.  Mercenaries in Talengardian armor yet oddly foreign looks, guarded the roads and peasants stood behind, cheering for the King.  The longtime native of Ghastenhall, Quell, noted that many of the peasants were the poor folk often times bribed by local nobility when a crowd was needed.  Still, there were a lot.  Clearly the Duke opened his purse strings to give King Emmerick a welcome he'd remember.

Before long the Shroud found themselves in the great chamber of the Duke.  Where a few years ago they played a ruse of returning the bones of a long dead princess for a handsome reward.  But now they wanted a greater reward.  The unwavering loyalty of the city & ruler of Ghastenhall.

The Duke, polite & formal, was ever a gracious host, willing to heap great praise on the military prowess of the new King.  The Shroud, unsure of how hard to push used the pretext of a long travel and the need to rest.  This would give them time to think.

Taking the rest of the day, the Shroud did anything but rest.

They spend time conversing, exploring and gathering information.

The Shroud found out the mercenaries are from the far away land of the River Kingdoms of Avastan and his advisers are worshipers, and likely priests, of Abadar.

Quell Yvainne & Mardus all left the grounds.  Quell destined for his old friend Khyber at the Thieves guild.  Mardus hoping to meet some "new" friends in the infamous Red Quarter.  And Yvianne on a trip to see her sire.

Yvainne arrived at the crypts below the city grave yard at the court of her master, the Vampire Lord who created her.  The Shrouds hope was the Undead power could be used to aid them in their plans.  But while there she learned that her sire was not only quite protective of the city of Ghastenhall but also the Duke's line.  Fearing she might tip her hand, she quietly ended her questions on the topic.

Meanwhile, back at the Castle, Emmerick brooded in his Royal Suite impatient for action.  Eventually the King unsheathed Helbrand and shedding his blood on the blade communed with the dark lords of Hell.  During that time he confirmed the Duke as an heir.  A nephew of 16 years and according to Hell there is no love lost between the two, to the point that trying to use the nephew as a hostage wouldn't work.  But he found out something much more interesting.  The Vampire Lord who created Yvainne is somehow related to the Duke.  And he would be displeased if the Duke was killed and the nephew was the new ruler of Ghastenhall.

As this went on Mardus explored the Red Quarter & found out the Duke and his advisers do not take part in the local "entertainment"instead the Duke has a stable of mistresses & man-servants at his disposal in the castle itself.  Though the soldiers do & they seem to be well paid, as they always have coin to spend.  After a while, the Fire Oracle returned to the castle.  Interested in finding these cloistered "friends" of the Duke.  He was unable to get access to them, but along the way he did find out that the private residence of the Duke, the Advisers and his nephew are all under the effect of a Forbiddance spell.  And likely other security measures.

Quell didn't return to the castle for most of the night.  Instead he spent his time in an eye opening conversation with his friend, Khyber.  While treating with his old friend at a local watering hole, he found out a great many things.  For one thing the Thieve's Guild would love to get into the Capital City.  They would like to legitimize brothers there.  And Legitimize the fighting pits of Ghastenhall & add a Coliseum in the Capital.  And some even considered partitioning slavery.  All proceeds of course would be taxable by the Crown.

But the information on the Duke was what Quell was interested in and the reason for his visit.  And so that is the conversation he spend the most time discussing.  It seems for years the Thieve's Guild has been trying to win favor with the Duke and failed.  They tried blackmail.  Nothing.  They tried murder.  All their assassins have disappeared.  The best Khyber could offer.  Bribery.  But it would have to be something big.  Something to invest him in Emmerick's rule.  Something to bind him.  Make him Emmerick's Heir.

What would the Shroud and their King do.