Part 12: Surprise Party

Soundtrack - Lenele Marketplace II



We arrive back in Lenele. It's night time, so I suppose we can excuse the lack of a parade and welcoming ceremony.



Yeah, what happened? Where's our welcome party? We got the rings and are ready to take it to Murod.

*Pedrog gestures at the battlements of the city walls. The banner of Prince Sornehan flies overhead, along with the standard of the Imperial Orenian Army.*

Pedrog: The prince betrayed his brother the king! The rennies besieged the city, and Sornehan opened the gates. Lenele is now under occupation!

Sornehan betrayed the king?

A truly stunning turn of events.

Pedrog: Aye. Word is he made a pact with the rennies. If Murod helped him get rid of Bellias, Sornehan would swear fealty and pay the Emperor a tribute.

Where's the Duke of Tarhimun? Where are the King and Queen?

Pedrog: The Duke is three days hence with the King's army. I dare not answer that where enemies of the crown might be listening. You must go to Tancred's house at once. Lord Yago waits for you there.

Lord Yago?

Pedrog: Aye, he sent me here to wait for you, but the prince imposed a curfew. Anyone found on the streets after dark will be killed on sight. The main gate's under careful watch. You best travel by the sewers. Follow me.

Sigh.

Medeva:
Ciran - Destroyed
Masad - Destroyed
Eglin - Destroyed
Burnaan - Burnin
Nahm - Destroyed
Lenele - Active/Bankrupt Hostile Occupation
Iona - Active
Saanavarh - Active





Thank goodness these fine merchants made it out just in time with their high quality wares at low, low prices! Ready to deal at any hour!




Why are you still here!



I think we found Durgan's captain!



There is just a small handful of people that made it out of the city before it was too late.



Here we are, back in the sewers. This time with cranked up monsters, all immune to trip.



Sewer trip #2.



Wading through a sea of bacites. They are resistant to backstabs.



Soundtrack - Tancred Haven

The old city no longer exists and the sewers deposit us right into Tancred's now. Looks like the Queen is safe at least.



How did it happen?

Queen Galienne: The prince conspired with General Pijian, leader of the Orenians. Sornehan's spies knew the movements of our army and gave that information to Pijian.

How did Pijian take Lenele?

Queen Galienne: Pijian divided his forces. While one army kept our knights occupied in the north, the other marched on Lenele, attacking from the west and taking the city by surprise. The Orenians surrounded and besieged Lenele. When night fell, they captured the city.

Captured the city?

Queen Galienne: Sornehan's knights opened the gates, and the Orenians flooded in. Those who remained loyal to the king were butchered in the streets. Sornehan sent his men to murder us.

How did you escape?

Queen Galienne: When Yago discovered Sornehan's plot, he came to warn us. Bellias and I fled through the sewers, but Sornehan's men were waiting. As Bellias fought them off, I escaped.

What happened to Bellias?

Queen Galienne: Bloody and terrible, he fought more bravely than he did at his victory at Tormannen. Bellias urged me to flee, and so I ran. I have not seen him since.

Requiescat In Pace



The gloom is piling up here.



Is Tancred dead?

Mahri the crooked: No, but the worms eat him as we speak. The messenger of Laharah waits by the window, he says. He's as good as dead now.

Can we talk to him?

Mahri the crooked: Aye, he keeps asking for you, Flece.



What is it?

Tancred: Flece, I am near death. Laharah's messenger waits by the window. No light casts a shadow as dark as hers. But there is one last thing you must know.

One last thing?

Tancred: What do you remember about your mother?

Sometimes I imagine a place very far away. I imagine water and mountains. And I hear strange music in the wind, and the wind smells like the sea. And there is a woman there, and she is kind to me.

*Flece's voice turns strange and cold.* My mother was a prostitute. Knifed to death in the alley of dogs. You are the one who raised me. You were a father to me.

Tancred: Lies! All of it lies. Even to you, Flece, have I lied!

Lies? What do you mean?

Could it be? Was her mother not a prostitute? Is Flece something more?

Tancred: I am your mother's killer. I am the one who murdered her.

You murdered her?

Tancred: Forgive me, Flece. *With a rattle in his throat, Tancred closes his eyes for the last time.*

Guess not, haha.



Tell us what to do.

Free us from responsibility.

Yago: Bellias may be dead, so we must get the Queen out of Lenele. Rosalind and Jekhar, you will bring her majesty to Iona, where she will be safe from Sornehan's minions.

What about me and Flece?

Yago: The two of you must go at once to the temple of Urath and wait for me there. Now that you have the four Rings, there is one last thing you must do before you confront the Emperor. I will explain at the temple, but first, I have an urgent matter to attend to.

Where are you going?

Yago: As far as the prince is concerned, I am still a loyal counselor. Sornehan intends to swear an oath of fealty to Murod, and I must see if he can be dissuaded from this course of action.

I know you just killed your king and brother, but maybe swearing fealty to the Emperor of Orenia isn't such a great idea. Just throwing that out there. Your faithful servant, Lord Yago.




We are now back down to 2 party members.



It was a pain going through these sewers with 4 people. Everything has also respawned.



Sewer trip #3.



Soundtrack - Lenele Marketplace II

A shitload of bacites later... The nearest we can get to the temple is the sewer exit in the marketplace. And there is a single dead Orenian here. Don't look at me, I didn't do it.



Looks like we found his friends though. The minotaur is truly a badasss summon.



We also meet a new unit in the Orenian army, the dual wielding officer. They typically patrol with 2 lower ranked guys following behind, this guy lost his friend. A very cool little detail about these guys and their cohorts is, the officer will attack first, and the flunkies will draw their weapons and watch, they will only attack once the officer has fallen. The E-bushido is strong with them.



We find a lone noble breaking curfew hiding among the crates.



Lord of Logaros: But what good are ancestors and reveries of past valor? I am nothing but a beggar now, a worm that crawls on its belly and eats the dust. The Lord of Logaros is dead. Only flesh and bone remain. In the defense of his King, the Lord of Logaros disgraced himself.

Defense of his King?

Lord of Logaros: Alas, I fear the King is dead! Sornehan betrayed us to the rennies and seized the palace! He sold us for a crown!

Seized the palace?

Lord of Logaros: Aye, with the Duke's army far from Lenele, who dared oppose him? A feeble old man of broken spirit? The sword was too heavy for these withered arms, and yet I challenged an armored knight!

Knight?

Lord of Logaros: Sir Horum of Roak, a cursed name! We of Logaros are loyal to the King, but our neighbors of Roak are oath-breakers and renegades. When Sornehan and his men entered the great hall, I drew Tur Hassen, the sword of my ancestors. From my own hand, Sir Horum took the blade. I was too weak, and it slipped from my fingers.

Took the blade?

Lord of Logaros: I did not beg for mercy. I have lived a life of valor, and I shall die with honor. I waited for death as a true knight of Logaros. Yet the final blow never came. sir Horum laughed. He dragged me by my hair and cast me from the palace, throwing my own sword after me. I tumbled down the steps, and the Prince's men taunted me. Alas, my sons ride with the Duke, and I have no one to avenge my shame.

Avenge?

Lord of Logaros: Will you give me vengeance? Will you slay this knight and restore honor to the names of my fathers?

Yes.

Lord of Logaros: Your words give hope to a broken man! But I must give you fair warning. Sir Horum will prove a fierce opponent. If you should find the courage within you, I shall reward your valor. Sir Horum guards the Devil's bridge across the royal canal.

Murder we can handle, and this has a good cause!



We find the scoundrel guarding the bridge as the old man had said. A quick trip is all it takes.



Logaros sends his regards.



Lord of Logaros: You have avenged my shame and honored my family. The Lord of Logaros pays his debts. I give to you Tur Hassen, my ancestral sword, for it belongs in your hands more than in mine.



Quite a nice blade. Joseph will wield this blade of vengeance as we clean the streets of the Orenian occupation. We kill everyone by the way.



And this fellow helps! You can see the E-bushido in play here as well.



This occupation has just happened, where did this guy find the time to become a vigilante avenger?



I mean look at the bone detailing on that armor!

Kothudin: There's no creature more vile than one who betrays liege and kin. If this sword be the sword of justice, may it find its mark!

Kin?

Kothudin: I pray to unhearing gods the King and Queen are safe. Sornehan holds the palace, but does he hold the crown? I'll cleanse this city from palace to hovel, from temple to sewer.

King?

Kothudin: Has Sornehan bled him like a pig or locked him in the keep? Has he made a vagabond of the victor of Tomannen? If only the Duke would return! While Tarhimun lead the King's army, Sornehan parleyed with General Pijian and opened the gates of Lenele. I will fight them alone if I must. They patrol the streets and hold the bridges. A thousand more lie drunk and sleeping.

Alone?

Kothudin: Alone but not alone. Remember Prince Kharig, the Master of Lions! remember Torenkhan and Bersorek the Small! The troubadours will sing my name or I shall die forgotten in Medeva's darkest hour. So long as I have blood to spill for Medeva and her King, we will not fall to Orenia! Until the standard of the rightful king flies again over Lenele, I shall not sheath my blade!

We can assist with that. And we do, by cutting down every patrol between here and the crown district.



Picture this several dozen times.



Priest of Urath: Savages! All the innocent blood you've spilled! You put a hundred holy men to the sword! I warn you! The death of our order means the death of creation! Who else will speak the rite? You fiends are the vanguard of a new age!

New age?

Priest of Urath: The Second Chaos, as foretold in the book of Harikhan! When the rite is silenced, all will be ashes. Laharah eat my soul! I'll die a martyr. The last voice in the wilderness. Kill me now, freeswords!

We wont hurt you.

Priest of Urath: *The priest lowers his dagger.* Forgive me, I thought you were soldiers of the Prince! I must be going mad. They've massacred the order! In the Second Chaos, Medeva will fall! The Galadians will sink into the sea. The Nhuvasarim will rule over this realm of death. They anointed the temple with blood.

Second Chaos?

Priest of Urath: What solace for those who survive? Flee the city! Run from this cursed place! Neither King nor Prince reigns here, but death itself! Sornehan's knights stormed the temple. They killed the priests who spoke the Rite. Our icons are sanctified with the blood of holy men! How dare they profane that sacred place! I fled, and I know not how I survived.

Fled?

Priest of Urath: There were others among us. Traitors. Disciples of darkness. I must go now. I am in danger. Please. Leave this place!

Huh, well do you think that dude with completed the encyclopedia of heresies for was a disciple of darkness? Nah.



Canis the mercenary: *The mercenary yawns.* We're to attack on sight. But why should I bother? I'm outnumbered, and they don't pay me well enough to die.

Pay you well enough?

Canis the mercenary: I haven't made a career of fighting ruffians single-handed. I make sure the odds are well in my favor before I draw my blade.

Ruffians?

Canis the mercenary: No offense. I meant nothing by it, but the Prince says I'm to kill anyone on the streets after dark. Not very nice, now is he? And what do I get? A night of revels in the tavern and a month of eating dirt and stones.

Tavern?

Canis the mercenary: With this curfew, all the taverns are closed. I'm dying of thirst. And this armor is too uncomfortable! Laharah curse the Prince and his rennie friends. The four riders never say a word. Strangest pids you ever saw.

Armor?

Canis the mercenary: Aye, this armor! Not like those fancy enameled suits the knights wear. Oh no. Feels like I'm wearing a big pot. And the smell! I stink like a swineherd! But I'll tell you what. Robes look comfortable. I should've been a priest. The priests lived well enough before the massacre. Even the almsgivers did all right, but I have no mind for that babbling and chanting.

Massacre?

Canis the mercenary: Ah let bygones be bygones! How about some alms for the poor? In a week I'll be dead, so a few coins would tide me over until they stick me like a pig.

I give him 10 gold and then stab the shit out of his back.



New high score!



Who are you?

Adeslani: My name is Adeslani. On my way home to the village of Bas Orma, I met travelers from Lenele who told me what had happened. I hurried back because I am worried about my brother. His name is Hargolus, and he's a merchant captain. His ship lies anchored in the harbor, flying under the Prince's standard.

Prince's standard?

Adeslani: Hargolus is a loyal subject of Bellias. He would never surrender to Sornehan's men, unless something terrible happened. If he's still alive, I know where to find him. He has friends here in the crown district. If he were in trouble, he'd come here to hide. The house lies on the other side of the quarter, but I'll need help to get past the soldiers.

Can we help?

Adeslani: Are you loyal subjects of the King? Will you help me find my brother? Thank you, friends. Follow me, and I will show you the way/ I warn you, these streets are dangerous. Watch for rennies and the Prince's men.



It's a simple escort mission, though rather uneventful as we had already obliterated any Orenians in the district.



There was one patrol that we missed though, and a new high score!




A message?

Adeslani: The Duke of Tarhimun's army is three day's march from Lenele. We will need all who are skilled at arms to join the fight against Sornehan and the Orenians. We have many preparations to make. Keep what you have learned here a secret, and when you hear the blast of Tarhimuns horn, you will know the time has come to fight.

Already vigilantes and a resistance being organized in Lenele, they don't waste any time. With those quests out of the way, we make our way to the Temple of Urath.

Sornehan the Usurper




Prince Sornehan: Bellias is dead.



Prince Sornehan: And now I claim the crown as rightfully mine.



Prince Sornehan: I have kept my end of the bargain, Ferenc of Moano.



Prince Sornehan: I now insist that you keep yours.



Heirophant: You defile these sacred stones with innocent blood.



Heirophant: Where is Galienne? If the Queen has escaped--

Prince Sornehan: The Queen is of no concern to you.

Heirophant: What of the Duke of Tarhimun? Though you hold Lenele, that does not make you king. In three days your fortunes may have turned!



Prince Sornehan: General Pijian and I will handle the Duke of Tarhimun.



Prince Sornehan: Now do as you are told, or I will find another frock to play the heirophant for me.



Heirophant: Kneel before me, your... highness.



Heirophant: May the gods bless this crown and thus sanctify their servant, Sornehan.



Heirophant: Upon whose head we place this sign of royal majesty.



Heirophant: In their name, I proclaim you King of Medeva, Prince of the Rhunari, Victor of the Conquest, the one true heir of Urath the father, and protector of the realm.



General Pijian: I hate to interrupt your pomp and reveling King Sornehan, but may I remind you that Murod is your master now. The Emperor has no need for ceremonies, he wants the boy.



King Sornehan: And I assure you, General Pijian, the boy will come to you.



King Sornehan: Have your men wait here in the temple and you will see. My spies inform me he is already in the city. But, we have more pressing matters to discuss, General. Tarhimun will not wait for us to make our plans.



General Pijian: Very well, but I warn you. Murod is a cruel master to those who betray his trust.



Looks like we were too late to save the King, Bad Enough Dude status revoked.



We arrive at an empty temple. There is an interesting use for our meek little friend the Mist Elemental. Let's see what it is.

Soundtrack - Boss Luminar





The fourth and final rider awaits us, the tiger rider.



He uses paralyzing ranged attacks and powerful melee strikes.



He also rides around like a goddamn maniac.



However, our little friend, the Mist Elemental, shocks the shit out of him.



It was so quick I don't know if it was some kind of reactive armor or ranged attacks or what.



The Mist Elemental causes him to dismount in short order.



You think this would be stab time, but no.



The Mist Elemental butchered him so quickly and efficiently I never even got the chance to position for a backstab.



Mist Elemental MVP cat killer.



Cats hate farts I guess.



A lot.

The Forge of Urath



Yago: Follow me, Joseph.



Yago: There is one last thing we must do.



Yago: *Some magic phrase or somethin*







Yago: This, Joseph, is the Forge of Urath.



Yago: From these fires, the god made our ancestors, the winged Sudani.



You can see statues of the three gods in the corners of this room, this one is Amasido.



Yago, I have the four Rings. What more do I need to do?



Yago: Individually, the Rings are powerful. But, not powerful enough. The Summoner who places the Rings together in the Forge of Urath can unite the four as one. One all powerful ring, you are the first in thousands of years to fulfill the Summoner's destiny.





But, how do I put the Rings in the flame?



Yago: By placing them on your hand, and submerging them in the Forge.



Put my hand in the fire?! Are you mad?



Yago: A mere mortal would be destroyed. But you are the Summoner, the Sahugani. You were born with this power, and chosen for this destiny.



Yago: Do not be afraid, the flames will not harm you. You will be invincible...







Yago: Hahaha! Yes! By destroying these Rings, Sahugani, you have freed the demons from their prison.





Congratulations!



Yago: Only a Summoner could have accomplished such a feat. You have been most obliging.



Help!



Yago: And Flece, you too have been quite useful. We will pay the fee we agreed upon.



Yago: May your gold give you pleasure until the end of your days.



Flece, you betrayed me!



No! Yago said he wanted the Rings, he promised he wouldn't hurt you.



Now that you have what you want, Yago, let him go.

She seems very calm and composed after seeing her friends hand melted off and 3 legendary demons of myth standing around the room.



Yago: Oh no! Joseph is bound for Orenia! He shall be a gift to our friend, the Emperor Murod.



Why are you doing this?!



Yago: We have no more use for the man you knew as Yago. It is time we revealed our true nature!



??: I know you remember me, Joseph. For you summoned me in the village of Ciran. It was I who destroyed your people and cursed your memory for all eternity!







NOOOO!!! (DO NOT WANT)

Surprise! It's a Second Chaos party!

The Road to Orenia



The demons now unleashed, General Pijian returned to Orenia with his prisoner. A gift for the Emperor Murod.



Though the Summoner had lost his powers, Murod could not dispose of him. If Joseph were to die a new Summoner would be born to take his place.



So, the Emperor entombed his nemesis in a chamber below the Tower of Eleh. There he would live out his days.



Having betrayed her friend, Flece returned to Iona. With Rosalind and Jekhar, she hoped to journey to Orenia and free Joseph from the tower.



But, Jekhar had sworn to defend the Queen. And she would remain on Iona as the demons ravaged the kingdom.



Thus, Rosalind and Flece set sail for Orenia. Seeking the Tower of Eleh, and the Summoner's living tomb.

Looks like we're in a bit of a pickle!