Part 9: Return to Lenele

Return to Lenele



The King's army, under the command of the Duke of Tarnimun, marched north to engage the Orenian foe.



Terrified villagers fled to the capital seeking refuge behind the stone walls of Lenele.



These northerners told harrowing tales the four riders. Of entire villages put to the sword. Of omens of ill fortune and a cruel winter ahead.



We have returned to Lenele to report our success to Yago. This is a shot of the palace by the way, a cool looking design.



We found it in Iona's tomb.

Yago: Then you have only to find the Ring of Stone and the Ring of Fire. We were beginning to fear the riders had captured you.

What do you mean by 'we'?

*Yago gestures toward the massive oak doors.*

Yago: Your presence is required in the great hall. You have an audience with the royal family.

What did you tell them?

Yago: Sornehan has many spies, secrets do not hide for long in the palace. What's done is done.

Do you trust them?

Yago: No, of course not. *Yago replies sharply* And you would be wise to tread carefully. But we are all united against a common enemy. The king will be able to help us.

*Yago turns to Flece and Rosalind.*

Yago: Welcome back to Lenele, Flece, but who is your companion? A novice of the Order, I see.

*Rosalind smirks.*

Here it comes.

I am amazed that you don't remember me, Brother Yago.

Yago: You are kind to address me thus, but I surrendered the privileges of that title long ago. I imagine I had left the monastery before you were even born. How do you know me?

We have never met, but you knew my mother.

Yago: *Yago frowns.* Indeed? What was her name?

Ursanne of Toraden.

*The blood drains from Yago's face.*

Yago: For me, that is a name of sorrow and longing. The Abbot sent you here to torment me.

You dare speak of torment? *Rosalind seethes with sudden anger.* As if you suffered more than she did? You abandoned her! If the gods are not dead, they are vicious and cruel. If there was anyone more unworthy of the summoner's power-

Yago: Worse people than Joseph have been born with the mark, that I assure you!

*Yago retorts coldly, raising his voice to silence her. The old man closes his eyes, as if crushed under the burden of memory.*

Yago: I cannot blame you for hating me, but Ursanne understood my sacrifice. Perhaps in time you will understand as well.

*Rosalind shakes her head in disgust.*

I have promised the Abbot to offer my help, but do not presume to ask for my understanding.

Yago: I'm afraid we must defer this matter for the time being, when the emperor is defeated. Accuse me of any crime you wish. But we mustn't keep the king waiting. Follow me.

Sick burns all around, now we know where she gets it from. Only Flece was unharmed, must have been sneaking.



Yes, your majesty.

King Bellias: I understand you now have the Rings of Darkness and Light in your possession. Is this true?

Yes, your majesty.

King Bellias: If we were not at war, we would commit a hundred knights to your cause. As our counselors have so sagely advised, however, we mustn't call attention to your quest. We have therefore chose a warrior in our service to help you. His name is Jekhar, and you will find him quite capable.

Jekhar



King Bellias: Jekhar, you may enter.




Awkward...



King Bellias: Jekhar, this is Joseph of Masad. Born with the mark of the summoner.



King Bellias: You have been chosen to help him fulfill his destiny and defeat the Emperor Murod.



Your majesty, from me you demand the impossible. I'm needed to fight the Orenians. I came to Lenele by your command, but I must now return to battle.



King Bellias: How dare you speak to your king with such impudence! If I say you shall die a thousand deaths for this man, then you shall die a thousand deaths!



King Bellias: Are you so full of pride that you believe the fate of the Medevan army rests on your sword?



Forgive me, your majesty. But I know this boy is Joseph of Ciran. His gift destroyed my village and massacred my family nine years ago.



King Bellias: What are you saying?



All know the story of the Demon of Ciran. And here is the boy that called that demon forth. Nothing remains of our village, not a stone left standing. Joseph could not control his power, and the people of Ciran perished.



King Bellias: If this is true, Yago, why were we not informed?



Yago: Your majesty, Jekhar's account is true. As a child, Joseph lacked the strength to control the beings he summoned. And thus, Ciran was destroyed. But, Joseph is older now and prepared to master his power.



Queen Galienne: Nevertheless, it is not a soldier's place to question the wishes of his king. Though your desire for revenge may be honorable, you must forego vengeance for the greater good of our kingdom. If you are a true subject of the King of Medeva, you have no choice in the matter.



Hmph, where have I heard that before?



Forgive my impudence, your majesty. Your will shall be done.



King Bellias: Yes, it shall. Though we find this news most disturbing. I pray you are right, Yago. For the sake of us all.



Yago: Joseph will not fail you, your majesty.



Power to stop him?

Queen Galienne: In the legends of Ikaemos, the Priest-King Armun used a Ring of Stone to wage war against the river god. He is the first of the summoners, but none have ever found his ring.

What is Ikaemos?

Queen Galienne: A fallen empire whose golden age marked the end of the Chaos of Ten Thousand Years. They worshipped the river god Ikaemos, who sank their empire into a swamp.

Sank the empire?

Queen Galienne: The river god demanded a living sacrifice: the children of the empire. Armun and his people rebelled against him, and so they were destroyed.

How do we find Ikaemos?

Queen Galienne: The swamps are treacherous, and you will never find Armun's palace without a map. I regret we cannot help you, but I know of someone in Lenele who can. If anyone would know where to find a map of Ikaemos, it would be Tancred, the Prince of Beggars.

Time to pay Uncle Tancred another visit. Also, looks like Sornehan has a sword of spirits like we do. He also looks very upstanding and innocent.



Murod's dark magic?

Prince Sornehan: Murod mastered the lost arts of the 'Nhuvasarim' the evil sorcerers of Laharah, who found in death and despair the source of their power. Only the rings you seek can stop him now. Have you learned where the rings might be found?

We will ask the Khosani.

Prince Sornehan: Ah, the people of Vadagar! The Khosani are ruled by the Ulsadana, a name that means 'Queen', 'Mother', and 'Priestess'. They are a proud race, and you would be prudent not to anger them.

How do you know this?

Prince Sornehan: I too studied at Iona, though I never completed my training. I was born to help my brother rule, not to lose my head in books. You may need my help if you wish to enter Saanavarh. The Khosani are suspicious of outsiders, and they will not allow strangers within the walls of their stronghold.

Why not?

Prince Sornehan: When the knights of Iona quested for the divine words of the gods, they robbed Saanavarh of its sacred scrolls. Now the Khosani greet visitors with the utmost suspicion.

How will we get in?

Prince Sornehan: Go to the high temple of Urath, and find the Heirophant. Ask him for the Blade of Tarun. He will be expecting you. The dagger was a gift from the Ulsadana to our great-great-grandfather. The Khosani will know the King of Medeva sends the one who wields this blade.




At last, we get our final party member, Jekhar. He hits things good. That's about it.
He and Joseph will be our caveman brute squad. Almost always on AI autopilot clubbing things to death while I Flece around and obliterate everything else.



I'm going to run around as Jekhar for the rest of this update, because this will be the main time he ever gets selected. Have to throw him a bone, right?

Soundtrack - Temple of Urath 1



We seek the Blade of Tarun.

Heirophant: Ah, so you are the child of prophecy? I give to you the Blade of Tarun. For generations, the heirophants of Urath have guarded this dagger, a symbol of the Medevan kings and their friendship with the people of Saanavarh.



It looks badass, too bad Flece can't use it.



Osaan?

Lord Ammund: is a holding of the high temple, and I am a vassal of the order. Though other knights and lords swear fealty to the king, I am bound by oath to the heirophant of the temple.

Oath?

Lord Ammund: We have sworn to defend the temple against its enemies. We guard the strongholds of the order, and we march to war under the banner of Urath.

War?

Lord Ammund: With its vassals and freeswords, the temple commands an army that rivals the host of any lord. The true power of the order isn't the Eternal Rite but its swords and lances.



Here is a better view of the Temple of Urath.



Prelate?

Prelate: I am the temple's envoy to the court of King Bellias. In the name of the heirophant, I offer counsel to the king.

Counsel?

Prelate: The High Temple has more land than any lord and five thousand lances to defend it. Without the Urathi, the king would not be king. The heirophant of the Order of Urath crowns the King of Medeva, and he rules by our mandate.

Crown?

Prelate: The princes of the Rhunari are descendents and heirs of the god Urath. This the heirophant proclaimed six centuries ago, and so the Medevan Conquest began. A three-hundred-year war among the thirteen clans. Though the Rhunari won the crown long ago, the war continues in the hearts of Medeva's lords.

Rhunari?

Prelate: The Rhunari are the people who settled on the banks of the Darhu river, where Lenele stands today. King Bellias is a descendant of their princes.



Do you have a sister named Miala?

Amas the theologian: My sister Miala is dead. How is it you know her name?

She is a monk of Iona.

Amas the theologian: Iona? She drowned in the Khadim over twenty years ago. Have you been sent by those heretics to mock my grief?

Tell the story she told you.

*Amas listens intently as you recount Miala's tale of fleeing the palace of Aaduk and sailing to Sirune, of the ship's capture by pirates and how they hurled her overboard as an offering to their gods.

Amas the theologian: This story is true. These things happened as you describe them, but I cannot go to Iona.

Cannot go to Iona?

Amas the theologian: I am a priest of the High Temple of Urath. I can no sooner go to Iona than she can leave her island. The priests of Urath may never set foot on those shores.

Why not?

Amas the theologian: The monks of Iona fear our priesthood. The Order will not allow us to visit the island, even as friends or brothers. They are afraid we will try to silence them as we have silenced other heresies. If you return to the monastery, however, there is something you could do for me.

What can we do?

Amas the theologian: Give Miala this necklace. It had once belonged to our mother who was a counselor of Prince Aaduk. She will remember it. Tell her I am sorry I cannot see her.

I am simply too entrenched in this koolaid to visit my only sister.

Soundtrack - Lenele Marketplace



I have volume 67.

Zefnat the scholar: Splendid! Not since the Eigth Synod of Tolana has there been a complete set of this work! Now here's your reward. Leave me to my studies, please.

Then again, maybe all this heresies stuff isn't so unfounded.



I'm listening.

Torvel: My name is Torvel, leader of the accursed troupe of actors you see around you.

Why are you accursed?

Yeah, why is that? Joseph hasn't met you yet.

Torvel: I thought all of Lenele knew of our troubles with the King's master of revels!

Sorry, I'm from out of town.

Torvel: During our last performance in the palace, some accidental damage ensued.

What sort of damage?

Torvel: Well, the lanterns were overturned, tapestries burnt, and the master's eyebrows were singed.

And he held that against you?

Torvel: Indeed he has, beyond all reason. We cannot perform in the palace ever again he says.

How can I help you?

Torvel: Plead our case with him. He won't speak with us, but perhaps you can reach him.



I'd like to discuss Torvel's players.

Master of revels: That pack of vandals? The king still hasn't forgiven me for their last debacle!

How can they make it up to you?

Master of revels: There is no way those ruffians ever could, unless... Hmm, perhaps there is a way. If they're willing to make the effort.

What do they have to do?

Master of revels: The Saavikas, Feast of the Winter Solstice, will be held at Verindal. We could use six stonefire lanterns, but only Krys the lantern maker knows their secret.



I hear you make stonefire lanterns.

Krys the lantern maker: Aye, I do. But there's a problem. Each lantern requires a dram of gargoyle blood, and I', all out.

Gargoyle blood?

Krys the lantern maker: Gargoyles lurk in the ruins of Ikaemos, but you'll never find the palace without a map. Don't know where you'll find a map, but if you fetch me the blood, I'll make those lanterns for you.

Those sound like really badass lanterns.

Things have changed a bit around Lenele since last time. The soldiers have cleared out leaving a trail of bankrupt bar owners in their wake.
There are some new people around town as well, so let's go check things out.




Time to update our list.

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





Yup, spirits are soaring in Lenele.



*The Ghimaadi takes the shards from you. She holds each piece of glass up to the light, nodding with approval.*

Varyssa: You've done well. These are indeed shards from the cities of glass. And this, traveler, is my gift to you.

*She presents to you a sword. Sunlight refracts through the translucent blade, casting brilliant hues on her motley-colored dress.*

Varyssa: This is a shard sword. Our people discovered the secret of making them. The Ghimaadi are a blessed people, you see. So strong is this glass, the sword will never break, except by the most powerful magic.



A sweet blade, Joseph is the only one capable of wielding it right now, so he will. As it will quickly become outclassed.
Let's take it out for a spin, as there are new encounters out on the world map at this point.



We now see encounters with Medevan knights battling against Orenian forces.



You can follow them around and even kill them with some tricks, the lower ranked guys will always drop bastard swords.
We find some items that are located on the ground in this map as well. They are one time pickups.





The first two items are quite good for Rosalind. Because she will only be allowed to touch bows.
The lute? Guess we have to find some asshole named Torva.



Here is some asshole named Torva.

A tale of woe?

Again, Joseph hasn't crossed your path yet. The real woe is yet to come.

Torva: One to break your heart as it has broken mine, kind sir. A tragedy has befallen me. My lute has been stolen. It is not only my livelihood, but my one route to true happiness.

True happiness?

Torva: The Lady Isele, beauty beyond words, has fallen out of love with me for lack of my lute. I have wooed her for years but stand to lose all unless you can recover my lost lute.

Lost lute?

Torva: My lute is magical. In the hands of a bard, it can win any maiden's heart. I was north of the city, picking flowers for my lady, when a band of monsters attacked me.

Monsters?

Torva: I know not what kind. It was dark, and they were many. I escaped but dropped my lute in my haste. If you could find it and return it to me, I would reward you greatly.

Pfft. Reward us greatly. How many times have we heard that to get 150g?
Well, we found his lute under a pile of skeletons. Let's see how much his Lady Isele is worth to him.

Torva: Have you found my lute and delivered me from despair?

Yes.

Torva: Praise the gods and your skills, friend! All the gold I have is yours for this rescue!

*Party received 125,000 gold*





With new funding in hand, we go to Tancred's and acquire Flece's best weapon for quite some time.





We also find out the super secret location of Ikaemos palace.
The apothecary dude knows it.

Apothecary: Off to plunder the Priest-Kings' treasure, are you? In the swamps of southeastern Medeva you'll find their palace, but you'll have to fight bactites and gorgonnes. Still, if you want a map, I'll sell you one.

We'll buy the map.

Apothecary: That's 10 gold.

is all it took in the end.



Prince Sornehan?

The guy with the goatee, dressed in all black armor, trained in the dark arts? That the one?

Carcela: The King's brother! Drego had a scheme to blackmail Sornehan, and now I fear it's gone terribly wrong.

A scheme to blackmail Sornehan?

Carcela: Drego found a boy who is the mirror image of the dead Prince Yon. The fourth son of Bellias and Galienne. He died six years ago. Fell from the tower of Verindal.

Verindal?

Carcela: One of the royal castles. The boy liked to climb on walls and things. Like a monkey he was until he fell. Drego's boy looked so much like the dead prince, Drego cooked up a scheme to blackmail Sornehan.

Blackmail Sornehan?

Carcela: Everyone thinks Sornehan is the one who killed the four princes. To keep the line of succession open, they say. So Drego was going to tell Sornehan, 'I have a boy who looks just like Prince Yon. If you don't pay me gold, I'll have him tell everyone that you pushed him off the tower.'

Pushed the prince?

Carcela: Aye, many people saw the prince fall, but the lad didn't die right away. He suffered for three days until Laharah came for him. That's what everyone believes. But if Sornehan didn't pay, Drego was going to tell the people of Medeva a different story.

A different story?

Carcela: That the boy was spirited away by friends who feared for his life, and the casket they buried was an empty one. Drego would say the lad he found was the real Prince Yon. And this Prince Yon could name the man who tried to kill him, unless Sornehan were to pay Drego a pile of gold. All Drego needed was some proof.

Proof?

Carcela: Something that would convince people that Drego's boy is really the prince, like the amulet Prince Yon used to wear. If Drego had the amulet, then they'd think the boy was really the prince.

Yon's amulet?

Carcela: Drego hired one of Tancred's cutpurses to steal it from the palace. Then Drego said he was going to talk to Sornehan. No one's seen him since! He's at the bottom of the Darhu for all I know.

Hey, I'm standing right here!

Note to self, blackmailing an evil sorcerer royal willing to kill his relatives is not a 'clever plan'.



Muthavi?

Muthavi Captain: The crown of the Galadian archipelago! The Muthavi have sailed to the furthest edge of the world and back!

Tell him about Sister Qelah.

Muthavi Captain: I'll set course for Iona at once. If I filled my ship with gold, it'd not be worth the reward I'd get for returning Tirasa's daughter to the Muthavi! Here's your share my friends.

Note: Our share is 250xp.

We make our way back to Iona to report the good news.



*You give Miala the necklace that had belonged to her mother. She listens as you relate what Amas said in the temple: He cannot travel to Iona, just as she cannot leave the island.

Sister Miala the Iomani: I find solace knowing that Amas is still alive, but my brother is right. We have chosen paths that may never cross. For my mother's necklace, you shall be rewarded.



Sister Llio: Qelah asked me to give you this gift.

We get a ring of proficiency that gives +10ap. This is 2 more back stabs for Flece so it goes to her.

We now depart for Ikaemos swamp. Next time.