The barony had just begun to settle back into a routine, when Darius received a priority message from Jamandi Aldori. It seems all communication with Varnhold – the nearby barony ruled by fellow adventurer Maegar Varn – had ceased within the past few weeks. And not just official communication from Maegar. Absolutely nobody had received a recent message from anyone in Varnhold. It was as if the entire Barony had vanished… Tristian insisted upon coming with them on this expedition, claiming that his goddess Sarenrae demanded his participation.
Darius immediately began organizing an expedition to determine what had happened. But as he lay down to sleep that night, he found himself transported to a familiar realm… The Guardian of the Bloom was speaking to him again. The mask of concern and compassion was long gone. She seemed.. bitter and mocking now. He told her that he had seen some of her past in the mists of the First World, and could perhaps aid her in finding a way free. But she responded that he would “help” her whether he wanted or not. She claimed to have nothing to do with what had happened to Varnhold, but knew who had. But she would not tell him more. She preferred to “watch him bravely run towards death”. He asked why she had visited him, but she seemed angry at the question. “You have no idea what powers you have awaken, and now you rush into their jaws. If you slay them I shall not be disappointed. If you perish – I will have forgotten you by dawn”. And with that, the dream ended.
Approaching Varnhold through the mountain roads, the entire town appeared eerily deserted. There was no sign of life whatsoever. It had been a small but thriving community the last time Darius had visited at Maegar’s invitation.
A strange raven followed them everywhere they went, and spoke to Darius several times, asking who he was. But Darius was growing wise to ways of the fey by now, and was not about to give up his name that easily.
Inside Varnhold’s fort they were set upon by spriggans, who immediately grew to giant size and attacked! Could they be responsible for the disappearance?
They fought their way to the fort great hall, and defeated the spriggan chief Agai. But Agai claimed they had only moved in because the town had already been abandoned – having been driven from their own home by armed human not long ago. Darius swore to investigate further, but Agai did not put much stock in the oath.
Searching for clues, they found a pair of letters in Maegar’s effects. One from an anonymous “friend” warning him not to involved himself with Darius. The other a half-finished letter to Darius from Maegar – asking for information about an ancient cyclopean bracelet which had been discovered recently by none other than Willas Gundersen – the dysfunctional researcher from Lake Candlemere. But half-way through the letter the handwriting changed, and began simply repeating the word “Vordekai”…
When leaving the fortress they were again confronted by the Raven, again asking Darius’ name and accusing him – and the people of Varnhold – of being “thieves and bandits”. Onec again, Darius did not answer the question.
Heading towards the location of the Spriggan’s cave, they encountered a large party of Kellid Barbarians searching for “something”. Continuing on to the Spriggan cave, they found another party of Kellids had set up camp – engaged in the same search. It was not difficult to convince them to leave, as they had already determined that what they sought was not in that area. They also learned that the main barbarian camp was to the east,- led by a man named Dugath.
They found Dugath arguing with a strange, masked woman. Apparently the the barbarians had been sent to these lands because the “Defaced Sisters” were searching for an ancient Cyclopean artifact of some kind for Armagh – the Chief of the Tiger Lords. Three of the Sisters had disappeared in the search, but Dugath did not trust the Deface Sisters at all, and had no interest in helping them without direct orders from Armagh. He suggested she appeal to Darius for aid.
Armagh invited them to feast with the clan for the evening, and Amiri helped them navigate the barbarian’s societal customs. Afterwards, Darius agreed to help with the search. It was a tenuous link, but the convergence of the Varnhold disappearance, the cyclopean bracelet, and the appearance of Kellid barbarians searching for a cyclopean artifact felt too interwoven. The Defaced Sister told them of three cyclopean ruins her sisters had been sent to search.
At the first location – the Sepulcher of Forgotten Heroes – they found the dying remnants of the previous Keelid expedition. The Sepulcher was a series of mazelike ancient Cyclopean catacombs. Shortly after entering they had been attacked by undead Cyclops – and then overwhelmed in a psychic assault that left them completely unable to fight back.
Darius and his companions fought their way through a nightmarish maze full of pressure-plate-triggered doors and ancient cyclopean evils until they found the Defaced Sister. Injured, alone, and cradling a strange hooked brazier. She handed it to them, telling them that there were three and all of them must be found – and then leaving to return to the Kellid Camp now that they had cleared the way out.
But when they attempted to leave with the Brazier, they were attacked by a horde of Cyclops zombies and zombie priests. It took all of their efforts to get out alive.
The other areas were similar. One were the Kellid Barbarians were under constant assault by Cyclops Zombies protecting a ruined ancient temple.
And another where the Kellids had already fallen – including the Defaced Sister. And the body of the sister was no longer masked – revealing that she literally had no face, just featureless bark. Whatever the Defaced Sisters were, and whoever they truly served, they clearly were not human.
Upon returning to the Kellid Camp – having all three braziers and having rescued two of the three sisters – they were in for an unpleasant shock. The original Defaced Sister was claiming they had killed the other Sisters and stolen the artifacts! In her rant she addressed Darius by name, and the Raven which had been following them all this time called out and took flight.
Some of the Barbarians attacked them at her urging, but Dugath and many others rallied to Darius’ side. They had never trusted the Defaced Sisters, and did not believe them now either. A large brawl broke out between Darius, the Defaced Sister, and the two factions of barbarians. Darius and Dugath ultimately won.
Dugath told Darius that he still did not know what the Sisters had truly been searching for – or why his Chief was listening to them. But the braziers were the keys to passing a door guarding entry to the Valley of the Dead – once the site of an ancient Cyclopean City.
When they approached the Valley of the Dead, they were once again met by the Raven. He claimed to serve one called Vordekai – master of this land, Chosen of the Four Horsemen, and Keeper of the Oculus of Abbydon. Vordekai commanded Darius to appear before him and surrender for his “crimes”. Varnhold’s inhabitants had been taken because one had stolen something that Vordekai claimed. Darius agreed to come to Vordekai, but there would be no surrender.
The gates were ancient and huge, and the Raven watched as they hung the braziers to open them.
They travelled through the dead remains of the ancient cyclopean empire until they came to Vordekai’s Tomb. Inside they found a variety of horrors.
An imprisoned Astradaemon guarding Kellid prisoners being held for unknown purposes.
Hordes of Zombie Warriors threatening to completely overwhelm them.
The Ghost of Willas Gundersen, surrounded by Spectres and driven to attack. Once he had been defeated, his returned to his senses – and asked for forgiveness before fading away. Darius told him anyone could be redeemed, and his error had been naivete and not malice. He was not responsible for Vordekai’s reaction.
And terrifying Soul Eaters – appearing in darkness and attempting to drain their very spirits from their bodies.
Eventually they came upon Vordekai himself, an ancient Cyclopean Lich cradling a glowing sphere. Together with his Raven familiar. He claimed the sphere contained the soul of Maegar Varn, and he was still deciding what to use it for. They attacked in earnest.
Just as Vordekai began to take the upper hand, Tristian grabbed a strange, dark orb from a pedestal and called out. He cursed Vordekai, and Vordekai’s eye went dark. Vordekai screamed in rage, furious at the theft of his “gift from the Gods”. Trisitian looked sorrowfully at Darius. “I’m sorry Baron, but I am bound by a greater will and must deliver the Orb”. And with that, he vanished into a portal.
The enraged Vordekai renewed his assault, but blinded and without his Orb his strength was far less. Before long he fell.
And as he dropped to the ground, the sphere he had held dropped and shattered – and a dazed and shuddering Maegar Varn reappeared.
Maegar was in no condition to respond to questions, so they searched the area further. They found a shrine hidden behind an altar containing hundred of similar spheres with dark altars. Having seen Maegar’s release, they immediately set to shattering all of them – releasing the former residents of Varnhold.
When he recovered, Maegar swore loyalty to Darius – offering to appoint a regent and act as an advisor for Darius himself. This was sorely needed, as apparently Darius now needed a new Councillor.
Darius did not know how the various threads of Vordekai, the Guardian, the Faceless Sisters, the Kellid Barbarians, and Tristian were intertwined. He did not believe the Guardian and Vordekai had ever been allied, but clearly there were multiple factions at play here. He needed information. He needed time. But he did not quite know how to buy either. So they headed home for the Capital – keen to discuss with his advisors what all of this had meant.
Author’s Notes:
Things really branch out and accelerate in this chapter. Just when you think you’ve got things figured out with one “big bad”, suddenly twists and turns leave you unsure how many factions there actually are. Really keeps you guessing.
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