Episode 03
From Reydala
Contents |
Characters
Player Characters
Non-Player Characters
- Elsa
- Metaphon
- Ophelia
- Arciel
- Volund
- Lorelai
- Vasilii
- Antone
- Neifai
- Khader
- Bjaral
- Sidral
- San'Shal
- The Matron
- Lord Solomon
- Lord Denlor
- Captain Remel
- Knight Ravi
Story
After some time of peace, relaxing in the quaint town of Sanoan, peril began to rear it's head once more, this time in the form of an attack upon one of the southern farms by strange creatures. When the party arrived at the scene of the attack, they found the homestead imperiled by ravenous land sharks, creatures usually native to Ohnben. After handily dealing with the beastial threat, they were thanked by the old farmer Vasilii and his son, Antone. Seeing their strengh insured them of the parties ability, and the aged farmer asked them if they could find his wife, Lorelai, who had been missing for some time.
After asking around in the Sleeping Sage, it became clear that Lorelai was not the most faithful of wives. It seemed that she was last sighted with a boastful man from Ohnben called Neifai. It seemed that the two had returned to Ohnben together. However, to simply follow them into the shifting sands might well prove to be a deathtrap, they needed a guide. Thankfully, San'Shal was just about to set off back home to Deloria and offered to guide the party, though she said it would not be an easy voyage.
The party set out into the desert, and after a difficult journey frought with the dangers of the sands, they arrived in Deloria, a large city illuminated from the surrounding desert night. Even more peculiar was the fact that it retained its warmth even on the coldest desert night, and even under the withering sun of the desert afternoons, the temperature would remain the same. That night, the city seemed to be in a state of perpetual celebration. This was of course quite normal for Deloria.
San'Shal asked for them to make themselves at home within the blue raven clan hall, while she left to discuss important matters with the Matron, who was said to be the leader of the Ohnben. The party spent the night mingling among the natives in the many taverns that dotted the Delorian thoroughfares. It seemed that though the city seemed constantly bustling, few people stayed in Deloria for long. The city was merely a resting place for the many nomadic tribes of Ohnben on their seasonal trips through the desert sands. They inquired about the indentity of this Neifai, and found him to be a clansman of some ill repute, known for his wastefulness and arrogance. The next morning, the party decided to pay him a visit.
When he was confronted, Neifai refused to acknolwedge any complaints against him, they were ordered to leave his home under grounds of trespassing. Those who had no belonging to a clan were not allowed to bring forth legal consequences without a representative, so the party found themselves on shaky grounds to confine his movements. That is, until San'Shal also arrived at the mansion, on her first official mission under her new clan, the matron guard. It seemed that Neifai was in possession of an amulet that had been stolen from the ohnben People, it had given him his control over the local animals and even given him the ability of summoning, but the amulet held a darker purpose. Faced with losing the trinket, Neifai immediately called upon it's power, summoning beasts to silence his would-be oppressors.
As the battle raged, Neifai grew more desperate, calling upon the amulet again. However, instead of bringing forth new allies, it opened a vortex inside his stately mansion. A Horrible beast seemingly created of black crystal clawed it's way through the portal. It began to glow, and immediately stole Neifai's soul into itself as it broke outside the Mansion and out into the desert sands, heading toward the mountains. San'Shal immediately suggest they report to the matron about these new events.
After meeting with the Matron, they learned some facts about the beast who had just been unleashed, a terrible construction with the capability to steal mortal souls into itself, and in doing so become more powerful. They learned the soulripper, as it was known, was sealed into the amulet many years ago by the power of the wizard Varaan. The Matron theorized that the soulripper may be seeking to destroy the one who held it captive, Metaphon was in danger!
Heading back to Metaphon's tower in the Navoral mountains ahead of the soulripper, the party was intercepted by a group of Haldians, seemingly lying in wait. They seemed to have some grudge against the Wizard's prescence in the navorals, and would not allow the party to interfere with the Soulrippers current objective. The two parties clashed, and they managed to rout the Haldians and arrive at Metaphon's tower.
Metahpon seemed to already know of the terror that was rapidly appraoching, and was making preparations to fight the creature. However, he lacked the abilities of his master, and questioned his ability to destroy the creature alone. If the creature were only partially wounded, consequences would be dire for the souls held within the body of the beast. The creature needed to be destroyed in one blow.
