Session 140
Characters: Grim, Anthony, Terus, Nomin, Julian, Samael, Cael.
NPCs: 2 Marble Colossus of Myth Tarna, Avazgourlchaeril the Guardian of Elhold, Artificial Twin Conciousness, Alaphondar the Sage of Cormyr, 4 Purple Dragon Knights, 3 Royal Library Acolytes.
L 16 Mirtul 1374 - E 17 Mirtul 1374
3650 XP
The party stood bathed in stone dust awaiting some glance at the great voice that had called to them from deep within the half-ruined temple. The two remaining colossal marble guardians shifted back to their places at the far corners of the temple. Sounds of a great beast stepping through the fallen stones echoed through the marble hall. The stone dust resonated with the shifting magical energy of the temple runes, and then began to glow with the yellows and oranges of a sunrise ahead of them. A Great Wyrm Gold Dragon stepped forward and announced himself as Avazgourlchaeril. At the sight of this great creature the party took to their knees almost instinctively. Anthony Manton stated his remorse for what they had unknowingly done to cross the gold dragon and asked for forgiveness. Avazgourl nodded his massive head indicating the forgiveness was granted, reflecting rays of golden starlight throughout the temple from his shining scales.Avazgourl asked that they tell him who they were and why they had come. Each in the party introduced themselves to the holy dragon, some with more hesitation than others. At first they offered few details concerning their quest to protect King Azoun V, which drew a more pointed line of questioning from Avazgourl. At hearing this slight change in his demeanor, Anthony, Grim, and Randal knew that they had few chances to earn the good favors of this dragon and as such divulged the full information concerning their quest to find the Palaghard I Council Texts, and protect them from the Cult of the Dragon so that the sacred re-anointment ritual the Knights Draconis were to perform would be undisturbed. Some in the party whom were particularly observant noticed the many strange magical runes which adorned Avazgourl’s metallic hide. Of these carvings, some were abjurative, others told tales of ancient times, but one in particular caught their interest. Just behind the right shoulder, usually hidden by a retracted wing, was a rune of a mercurial dragon eating its own tail glowing purple in the moonlight. They realized that Avazgourl was indeed a Knight Draconis and though he did not seem to be hiding the fact as diligently as the others they had encountered, Avazgourl was no longer a neutral party in this matter.
After a long discussion, Avazgourl admitted to the party that he was a Knight Draconis. However, it was the nature of his organization, and the duty he had as a Keeper of the Secrets and Guardian of Elfhold that he could in no way allow them access to Elfhold. Further, he explained that Elfhold was still one of the most well guarded locations in all of Ferun. Attackers would have to be great trackers to find it through the wandering fey crossroads passing through the Vast Swamp, they would need great power to destroy the Knightswood Nine, Avazgourl, and the remaining 2 Colossal Marble Guardians. If somehow the attackers could do all this, then the secrets of Elfhold were locked under a great series of Epic spells traps. Avazgroul continued by saying that the location of the Crystal Grot and other key information contained within the Palaghard I Council Texts was further protected by the shear volume of information within the Knight Draconis Library of Elfhold. The Anointment was to be in just a few days, and that even a team of great historians would take years to find the necessary information within the Knight Draconis Library within Elfhold.
The party then asked Avazgourl about his knowledge concerning Alaphondar’s whereabouts and activities in the past few weeks. In addition, they also questioned him concerning lore on the Lost King and his potential identities. Avazgourl did not lie when he said that he had not seen or heard from Alaphondar. The great gold dragon was appointed to his Guardianship duties many centuries ago and has not wandered from the site once in his time. Avazgourl could not speculate on whether Alaphondar was an agent for the Cult of the Dragon, a Knight Draconis, a Parliamentarian, Royalist, or the Lost King Himself! If Alapondar was the Lost King, his longevity would explain how he could have amassed such great knowledge on Cormyrian lore and magic.
Avazgourl suggested the party use their great magical power to find Alaphondar. A statement to which almost made even Grim sneer in the Great Wyrm’s presence, for he had already tried his greatest spells of detection at Alaphondar’s initial disappearance. But Grim’s feeling of frustration quickly subsided when he set his eyes further down the Temple’s Hall to its center which opened up to the night sky above.
In the center of the temple grounds was a large dirt circle, seemingly out of place at first glance. However, as Grim walked down the hall toward it he realized that the marble temple stones had been built around the earthy site. The bare ground was as dry as desert sand even in the middle of the Vast Swamp itself. The soil was a pale brown, suitable for many types of plant growth, yet not even the slightest leaf or root could be seen. Grim recognized it as a dead magic site almost immediately as his arcane hand which had been born again from Mystra’s Essence crackled and disappeared before he could touch the still soil. Grim’s vision shifted to the temple roof above whose roof also had an identical perfect circle above the dead magic site, allowing the starlight to settle upon the dirt before him. Another great sculpture of the Twin Sisters of Cormynthor seemed to caress the great round skylight above him. Grim them realized, this mythal was still alive, but had been wronged by the destruction of the Twin Sisters themselves at this site. If he could repair the damage to the weave at this site, perhaps the Mythal was assist him in finding the location of Alaphondar? It was worth a shot.Grim stood aside the great dirt circle and focused on the Weave around him in the Temple. It was dense, and chaotic, and resonated with an alien rhythm that soon became familiar as Grim let go of his consciousness. He slipped into a vision of the Amatharr Elves long ago. Many noble elves dressed in ceremonial garbs have visited the temple many others in common folk clothing are assembled as well. They are tense and soon panic from something outside the city’s forests grounds, something that must not get in. Great flashes of light nearly strike Grim from his vision as he focused harder on the temple’s aura. Grim barely maintained his focus, but by then the vision was almost over. He sees the Twin Sisters now, dead. Their bodies dry and thin, a pale light hangs over them. Grim’s head hurts with a painful cold stabbing pain, the pale light burning his eyes. He saw one thing recognizable in this vision, the pale brown dirt they lie on.
After his vision, Grim mustered all his wizardly energy within his ghostly hand. It glowed with determination and arcane power more so than it ever had before. He then Wished that this dead magic zone be returned to the Weave and under Mystra’s holy protection, and pledged that the wrongs committed here will be avenged. He grabbed the very Weave itself with his arcane hand and pulled it back into the dead magic zone; annihilating it forever and returning magic to the site once more. With the Weave restored Grim collapsed temporarily upon the marble floor and rose shortly after. A great hummmmm could be heard throughout the temple grounds as the chaotic magical power within the Temple was united all at once. Grim looked upon the Weave once more to see it in perfect harmony, the threads of magic were as dense as before but now logical and in a nearly undecipherable order. The Temple had awakened.
Two voices called out to Grim in unison from the Temple walls as if they had been born from the same consciousness. Avazgourl recognized them as the voices of an artificial consciousness born from the Twin Sister’s minds at the time of the creation of this site. The Twin Consciousness thanked Grim for his efforts in restoring the Temple, but that in order to avenge the Twin Sisters he would have to do more. Before Grim could ask they said to him, “Destroy the Palestaff”. The chilling words bore into all of the party’s souls, for somehow they knew these were words not to be spoken, but also words not of their present quest to save Azoun V and Cormyr. Grim called out to the Temple for help in finding Alaphondar Emmarsk so that they may finally determine who is guilty of the crimes of assassination and treason against the Royal Crown.
The Temple obliged Grim’s request and as the wise Mage looked up into the stars through the great skylight he saw them shift and form different images, in the way a crystal ball randomly creates images from the ambient light and colors of a room. Grim Scryed through the skylight and into the stars asking them to find Alaphondar. He suddenly came to the same magical barrier which had stopped him many times before, but this time, the power of Elfhold flowed through him and he shattered Alaphondar’s great spellbarrier. All at once there he was, Alaphondar was sitting in a large study in a pocket dimension of his own creation. Books, maps and loose documents covered the large wooden table he was focusing intensely on. Grim could tell through Alaphondar’s weary eyes that the Sage of Suzail was quite tired and agitated. The party meanwhile whom had been previously conversing pleasantly with Avazgourl outside on the temple grounds, looked into the temple curious of Grim’s activities.Grim crashed out of the spell and headed straight for the outer temple grounds, stopping only for a moment to graciously thank the Mythal for its help; he would return. Grim informed the party of the Alaphondar’s whereabouts which nearly shook Nomin out of his heavy Cormyrian riding boots. “Finally, I have the traitor, we’ll see if he is in fact the Lost King” he thought. The party thanked Avazgourl for his honesty and understanding, and promised that they would return to help protect the temple if he ever called. Then Grim Teleported the party directly to the now familiar location of Alaphondar’s pocket dimension.
In their haste to arrive at Alaphondar’s secret hideaway, the party had not discussed their plans as to how to approach the mysterious figure. Would they act neutral? Treat him as a traitor until proven innocent? Would they reveal their suspicions that Alaphondar was the Lost King? The first to act was Nomin Ohtar, whom charged fully mounted on his epic battle steed toward the greatly surprised wizard. Nomin’s True Sight allowed him to see past Alaphondar’s wizard tricks used to Blurr and Displace his image. His lance struck true into Alaphondar’s shoulder, tilting the wizard off his chair and sending wooden fragments across the room. The instant however, that the Cormyrian lance struck Alaphondar and shattered Nomin was Dimensionally shifted into a terrible alien landscape. Nomin in furious anger realized that the old sage indeed had a few more tricks up his sleeves. He now wished that he had aimed his lance for a lethal blow instead, for this evil spell would certainly be something he would expect the Lost King to perform.Without yet realizing his master was gone, Nomin’s steed reeled up and kicked Alaphondar into the bookshelves on the far side of the study, shattering more wood and sending books and pages flying in all directions. The wizard’s limp unconscious body rested underneath a vast pile of literature. Counting the furniture Nomin crushed upon his approach, Grim estimated that letting off a Fireball from the beginning may have caused less damage. Anthony rushed to the aid of Alaphondar whom was barely breathing. He would be of no good to them dead. Julian and the rest of the party made sure to bind the Sage up before allowing Anthony to Heal his wounds. Within a few minutes they had Alaphondar conscious, stable, bound, and sitting in the only remaining piece of furniture left in the study hall.
Meanwhile, Nomin was battling against hurricane-force black winds which swirled around him in all directions. The screaming winds were nearly deafening, and ripped into Nomin’s ears calling him to madness. Nomin tried to look up but he could barely lift his head against the winds, it seemed as if they had infiltrated his mind and would blow with unstoppable might in the opposite direction he intended to go, paralyzing him as he used every muscle in his body to resist. From the very top of his field of vision Nomin saw an endless landscape of black windswept plains, and what he thought for a brief second was a great dark mountain before the winds shut his eyelids so hard he could no longer open them. Now locked in the darkness of his own closed eyes, Nomin merely struggled to not be ripped apart by the insane nature of the shifting black wind.
Maniacal laughter called to him within the winds, and told him to kneel before the Supreme Throne, and serve the Prince of Lies. Nomin realized upon hearing this where he now was, the homeplane of the evil deity Cyric.
The party gathered around Alaphondar quickly, Grim in particular had seen the spell effect clearly which had sent Nomin into Cyrci’s Supreme Throne. The plane was chosen at random by the spell out of all the possible heaven’s and hells, Nomin had been sent into Cyric’s hands. Even though it seemed to have been randomly chosen, Grim could not shake the feeling that somehow Alaphondar could have menacingly chosen it at the moment he was struck. While it made for quite the impressive melee defense, (something Grim took note of for the future), he knew time was not on their side. Mere minutes in the Supreme Throne could send even the greatest of holy warriors into madness forever. Alaphondar realized who the party was and remembered them at the Gesture of Fealty well; he now sat with a smile upon his face patiently waiting their questioning. Every moment longer meant a potential eternity of madness for Nomin.
The party all began asking questions at a feverish pace, accusing him of being the Lost King, coordinating the Cult of the Dragon’s assassinations of the Knight Draconis, and many other things. But the Sage sat still taking his time to answer until they would let him free or state what their true quest was. Finally, the party realized they would not have time to barter with the Sage, and so they confessed to Alaphondar that they were tracking the Knights Draconis, to protect them from the Cult of the Dragon. They had just recently been to Elfhold, and restored a dead magic zone within the Mythal. Alaphondar then shifted his demeanor completely, from one of an incarcerated enemy to one of an ally whose comrades were in grave danger. The party spoke the truth of their quest and had not come to kill him or seek information to disrupt the Anointment Ceremony. Even still the party could not be sure Alaphondar was not the Lost King, but they had to trust him. At least for the time being.
Time was not on Nomin’s side. Every muscle ached and burned, he could feel his mind wandering. But every moment he would return with his concentration upon his standing position, “I will stand!” he thought because the wind had taken away his speech. Laughter and death screams clouded his mind; his legs were quivering now with intense fatigue unlike anything he had ever felt. The winds were louder now, though Nomin was certain he was deaf; perhaps they were coming from his mind? Minutes had gone by and now Nomin was positioned ready to kneel, his knee and shin were inches away from the hard black soil. The winds bashed down against his leg, pushing it slowly further towards the ground. Nomin could feel the air beneath his knee growing thinner and thinner. “Kneel before the Supreme Throne, and serve the Dark Sun.” he heard screaming again.Alaphondar reversed the spell effect. Just that instant Nomin reappeared in mid air where he had been taken just minutes before and crashed to the ground. His armor was tattered and stained black, the cloth of his garb was shredded, and his hair stood on end as if he had been electrocuted. Black dried blood clogged his ears and shut his eyes closed. He was unconscious now. Alaphondar immediately went over to Nomin and checked the armor over his knees. “The soil of the Mad God does not taint his armor, he is quite a determined warrior indeed.” Anthony Manton set to work with prayers to Tyr for thanks and Healed Nomin of his conditions.
With the party together again, they restarted the talks with Alaphondar whom by this point had realized that they were fighting for the same cause. Alaphondar confessed to the party that he was in fact the writer of the Anointment Anagram, and explained that this whole time he had been working in secrecy with the other High Knights Draconis to coordinate this Anointment which the Inner Sanctum felt was necessary not only for Cormyr, but for the Purple Dragon as well. At the point of their initial meeting Alaphondar could not be sure whom to trust other than his other Knights Draconis. But now he realized outside help would be required. The party wanted to believe him, in part because of his genuine responses. But Alaphondar’s word was simply not enough in the party’s minds to excuse him of being the Lost King.
Anthony then had an idea. The Lost King signed his name in blood into the Royal Book of Cormyr after usurping the Crown. If Grim and Cael could magically analyze the signature of the Lost King and compare it to Alaphondar’s own blood it would clear him. Further, they could use the signature to test for any other blood connection to the Lost King. Alaphondar at first was hesitant to the idea, for he realized how sacred and important the Royal Book was, but it was the only true way of proving his innocent. Further, since he was the Sage of Cormyr, he was the only person other than the King himself whom had access to the Royal Book. So the party and Alaphondar agreed to Teleport into the Royal Gardens of Suzail and examine the Royal Book of Cormyr to prove Alaphondar’s innocence.
Terus Teleported the party into the Gardens of Suzail whose bright flowers and luscious vines were glistening in the light of dawn. Alaphondar made his presence known to a unit of Purple Dragons whom quickly escorted the party to Obarskyr Castle where they were allowed entrance to the viewing room just outside the Obarskyr Treasury. Julian set his eyes upon the great golden door and suffered great anxiety knowing what incredible works could be just beyond it, ones he would never see despite the fact that he could easily slip past the few security measures still ahead. Minutes later Alaphondar appeared with a number of acolytes whom wheeled out a display table containing a great book bound in dragon hide and gilded with apricot sized sapphires. Grim saw that the magical aura upon this book was one of epic abjuration and dared not analyze its properties any further.In preparation for the analysis Grim and Cael consulted one another. With his newfound crown Redemio Niveus resonating with his two other regalia of the icemage, Cael felt ready to begin. With Grim’s help, Cael designed an epic spell to magically match the bloody signature of the Lost King with that of any other blood, and to reveal the true identities of any person whose blood was tested. Cael began his incantations and the spell went off without fail. Alaphondar, whom had been carefully searching through the pages of the Book of Cormyr allowed Cael and the party to step forward. Upon its many pages they saw the signatures, land documents, and royal documents of thousands of Cormyrian nobles throughout its long history. When they reached the page concerning the Lost King, Cael stopped and focused the spell upon the blood within the signature, it began to glow with a fiery red, as the pages of the book called out to them “Gorut” the true identity of the Lost King Gondegal.
Alaphondar was amazed and could barely turn the pages toward his own entry, for Alaphondar Emmarsk was the current Lord of the Emmarsk royal family in Cormyr, staunch Royalists and academics throughout their long history. When they reached the pages concerning Alaphondar, Cael once again focused and the blood signature of Alaphondar Emmarsk glowed purple as the book called out “Alaphondar Emmarsk”. The party let out a brief sigh of relief but just then as Alaphondar turned the page to someone the more recent noble lords they all noticed something quite surprising. Some of the modern lord’s signatures were glowing with purple lights, other lords signatures however glowed with a red light, calling out the true named of their descendents to the party.
Cael whom had let the spell’s effect broaden from lack of concentration focused it upon one of the brighter red signatures, Cormaeril. At first this was not so unusual as James Cormaeril was one of the most outspoken leaders of the Parliamentarian movement, a political group which had been using red banners to distinguish them from the royalist lords. On second thought however, the spell was simply relating the relationship of James Cormaeril’s blood to that of the Lost King’s. His was bright, but not as bright as the Lost King’s, and there were other red signatures, whom were also Parliamentarian lords whose signatures lit up with dimmer red light. Grim and Cael concluded that the color reflected a bloodline and the brightness reflected a relative purity or closeness of the relative to the bloodline. Alaphondar spoke stating that it seemed they had discovered the existence of a secret bloodline within Cormyr’s Court that had originated with the Lost King. The Lost King, whose true identity was Gorut.
With this new revalation Grim realized why his initial attempts to scry and learn about Gondegal had failed, it was because Gondegal was not the true identity. The false name had protected Gorut this whole time from being discovered. Now Grim stepped back and casted a powerful Divination asking the Weave, “who is Gorut?” The weave responded “Great Wyrm Red Dragon”. Grim whispered his newfound knowledge to the party. The birth of this false bloodline had been a second dragon. Alaphondar was in shock at the thought that there was a second dragon, an evil dragon, in Cormyr’s skies with a bloodline of his own loyal followers much the same to the Purple Dragon the Knights Draconis serve.
After hours more of study turning back the pages of time within the Royal Book, the party realized that Gorut the Red Dragon’s influence upon Cormyrian bloodlines started long before Gondegal. In fact, alaylysis of the first red signature found was one identical to Gorut’s, Sir Ignace Greatgaunt, also a dragonslayer and honorary Knight of Cormyr. The party the determined…
The Greatgaunt Era: Through is honorable actions and dragonslaying Ignace was rewarded with a Barony in the Thunderpeaks. His descendents lived a solitary, quiet lifestyle in the wealth he had accumulated. The Greatgaunts began to protect the landholdings of the Fanchon nobles (a purple bloodline line) whom had fallen upon a great series of misfortunes (Four male heirs all died as infants, mother committed suicide, Lord Fanchon died in battle soon after.) Without strong leadership the land became threatened by goblin tribes. The holdings were protected by Greatgaunt soldiers and signed into Greatgaunt land. The revitalized Greatgaunts continued to feud with the rival Auantivers for two generations (apparently originally started by the Auantivers). Following the murder of one of their family business managers, the Greatgaunts mercilessly destroyed the Auantiver’s Battlerise Castle and merged the remaining noble titles.The Second Gernation: Through merging two other large noble titles and much land in eastern Cormyr the Greatgaunts were quickly becoming a very powerful name in Cormyr’s Court. However, they quickly fell out of favor in the King’s Court due to the bullish nature of their royals. The Greatgaunt noble family is dismantled as a result and its noble lineage is purchased by the Garravet merchant family. Prior to its dismantling however, the Greatgaunts split off two noble titles the Garravets, and the Cormaerils. After the Greatgaunt title is eliminated by the Court, another famed adventurer named Faustin Thundersword bought into the remaining title. Faustin Thundersword was in fact a second identity of Gorut according to Cael’s epic spell, whom bought back into his old title and began a new lineage from the Thundersword name.
King Dhalmass Obarskyr executes the last of the Goldfeather nobles for treason in 1216 DR, the Year of the Green Wings. The Garravet family was primarily responsible for turning the Goldfeather family in. Thus the Garravet family was given additional noble inheritances. These accusations of treason are at best partial truths, which the Garravets ruthlessly took advantage of. The Garravets eventually split their titles received from both the Greatgaunts and Goldfeathers and give birth to more modern red bloodline families Fallone and Wyvernspur.
The Thundersword Era: Sometime after assuming the identity of Faustin Thundersword Gorut bought titles from the Greatgaunt family (Red Lineage) and the failing Aurubaen family (Royal lineage). These titles are taken under the name Thundersword. After purchasing the title, the Thunderswords moved the former Auruban family keep to Marsember. There the Thunderswords would purchase the title of the Janthrin family (Royal lineage) after they apparently died of Marsh Fever (Gorut’s arrangement). Currently, the Thundersword family is the second most powerful noble family in Marsember
Using the newfound knowledge concerning Gorut the Great Wyrm Red Dragon, his secret noble lineages, and the previous knowledge concerning Gorut’s dealings with the Cult of the Dragon to assassinate key Royalist leaders and Knights Draconis; it became clear to the party that Gorut now stands ready to complete his ultimate goal. If he manages to find the location of the Crystal Grot he may slay Caelina the Purple Dragon, and deal a death blow to the Royalist bloodlines once and for all. Further, he will strengthen his own and unite Cormyr under a new red banner of fire. The true question is however, who is the current identity of Gorut? Previous identities, of Ignace Greatgaunt, Faustin Thundersword, Gondegal the Lost King, have all been dragonslayers. Nomin thinks back to his previous time in Cormyr and remembers a number of recent figures of note Del Geery of Thunderstone –famed Hydra & Dragonslayer. Also, Sir Clarke Bromley of Skull Crag has been quite noteworthy in the past few months as he has downed several dragons in the Storm Horns, and finally, the five individuals comprising Tiamet’s Talons. Alaphondar doubts that Del Geery and Sir Clarke could have the connections, intelligence, and power to be identities of Gorut. However, one of the Tiamet’s Talons would be an excellent possibility. The party had seen them once in a vision of Grim’s, selling Aurgloroasa the Sibilant Shade draconic corpses metallic and chromatic alike for gold and magic.
Alaphondar reminded the party of one thing. If they were to confront Gorut, and present a respectable challenge, he would turn into his great draconic form. While this would easily confirm his identity and guilt, a dragon of his caliber was something Alaphondar assured the party they would want to have no quarrel with. Judging by the ancient dates of Gorut’s significant capabilities for magic and shapeshifting in the Royal Book his age would have to be well over 1800 years old. For creatures such as dragons these years add more wisdom and power, enough so that if the party would ever hope to defeat Gorut they would need to know every weakness and flaw. Fortunately, few dragons live that long without being recorded in the books of history. Alaphondar promised the party he and his Royal Acoylytes would go to work immediately searching through all the literature they have on Cormyrian Red Dragons. Meanwhile, he asked that the party adventure back to Elfhold; for the Elves of the House Amartharr were renown fighters of dragons and record keepers of their kind. Since Gorut was more than 1800 years old it would have been highly unlikely for the Amartharr House elves to have not recorded anything about him. While they would be surely unable to sort through the massive library of Elfhold in the short time they had, with the help of Avazgourl they may be able to find what they need quickly. With that the party set forth again, Terus Teleported them back to Elfhold; this time, with a new question and a different ancient library to reference.
