This was a playtest of three people: two players (A&B) and a GM. It was set in the Caelum Repubic, a vast area mainly made up of orcs. Player A ran a Hasri Sertori named Balu. Player B ran an Orc Sertori named Cael Turatani. At the start of the adventure the characters were both members of the Caelcori, an organization who operate at the direction of the Senate to prevent Sertori from gaining politically powerful positions. The Caelcori were created in the wake of the tyranny of Poro Sertorius (the first known Sertori). All Sertori in the Republic are not expected to join this order but they must abide by its rules.
Overview
Cael and Balu were
summoned by Juventar, the head of the Caelcori and told to investigate possible
trouble in the province of Aetorus (a bit of a resort region for powerful
senators and aristocrats, but also an important center of learning and
invention). According to Juventar, he had received a message sent by General
Hilarus Fulvar, governor of Aetorus. Apparently the messenger was found dead
and there was some question concerning the authenticity of the letter (it
stated that the general was unhappy with the two Caelcori officials currently
assisting him, and he would like them replaced). Juventar instructed Cael and
Balu to go to Aetorus and investigate the two Sertori: Pora Lurani and
Daethronus Malavine.
Juventar offered to
cast Thekla’s Secret Pathway, a risky method of transporting people over great
distances. He failed to cast it properly and brought back a spirit from the ethereal
realm, which possessed him. Juventar attacked Cael with a Bolt of Fury, doing 4
wounds (almost enough to kill). Balu calmed Juventar with Captivation and found
some Tribunes to help restore Juventar. In the wake of the incident, the two
decided to travel to Aetorus by ship.
Upon arrival in the
province, the characters were given quarters in the Governor's palace and told
he would be available for an audience in the morning. Cael ordered musicians,
food and wine before going to sleep. In the morning Cael noticed (on a
successful Detect roll) that his hair had been snipped. Balu experienced
illness, which a medicine roll determined was most likely a result of mandrake
poisoning. Cael was unaffected by the poison, so summoned a physician to
provide an antidote to Balu.
The characters spoke
with Governor Fulvar and learned that he never sent any message, and that he
was satisfied with the Caelcori serving his province. They did learn that one
of his servants had been killed, and this was likely the messenger that
Juventar found. They set out to learn more about the man, when they learned
that a wife of one of the general’s officers had been murdered in the streets
of the city.
Investigating, the
characters found the body of an orc woman, with an arrow in her neck. A witness
(a drunk) reported she had been killed by a Hasri, and that an orc had rushed
to her aid to fend off the Hasri, before disappearing in a golden mist. As the
investigation unfolded, they interviewed all the Hasri in the city. There were only
three, and use of magic determined that none were involved. This seemed
suspicious and Cael remembered his lock of hair. He inspected Balu to see if he
was missing anything from his body and they found some scales had been taken.
The player running Cael had the skill Magic: Misos, a knowledge skill. He asked
the GM if he knew of any spells that required hair or bits of skin from people
in order to make replicas. The GM decided that because the player had two ranks
in the skill, he knew that there was a spell called Malevolent Mockery that did
exactly that.
The characters then
interviewed all the servants who had been in their room the night before. They
forced on of them to confess involvement in the poisoning and obtaining the
hair and scales. She told them that the Sertori, Pora, had offered to make her
ten years younger in exchange for these acts. Cael and Balu decided to forgive
the servant and recruit her as a spy against Pora. They then went to the
governor Fulvar and asked for permission to arrest Pora and Daethronus. Fulvar
was hesitant, and said he needed more evidence. On a successful Detect roll
Balu and Cael noticed that Fulvar seemed younger than before. Cael immediately
attacked the Governor with a spell called flying steel, which empowered his
sword. However Pora had been magically concealed the whole time and cast Arch
of Protection, which produces a massive gold dome to defend against attacks.
Cael’s strike was thwarted. The governor fled and seemed content to let the
Sertori work it out amongst themselves. Balu used Captivation to enchant Pora
and encourage her to enter into parlay. The group left the palace for further
discussion but were confronted by the Malevolent Mockery of Balu. Cael used
Earth Mastery to create a pit below the replica, and it fell inside. But the
mockery of Balu retaliated with Captivation and enchanted Cael.
The real Balu diffused
the situation by casting Unity, which linked everyone mentally and emotionally,
enabling both sides to see through the other’s efforts at deception. The
Capitivations were dropped and a discussion had between Cael and Pora. Cael
acknowledged that he and Balu were not in a position to arrest her or
Daethronus because she clearly had the upper hand. He inquired about her
intentions. She said she had no desire to kill them, but wished to go against
the Caelcori and form a council of Sertori to replace the Senate. In the course
of the conversation, Balu and Cael learned that she had many supporters, both
provincial governors and members of her order. Cael offered to go to the
Caelcori with her demands and help arrive at a compromise to avoid civil war.
Pora agreed.
Juventar was at first
reluctant to entertain Pora’s demands, but Cael and Balu convinced him that
Civil War was unavoidable if she wasn’t taken seriously. Juventar decided to
ask the senate to vote on the matter in the second capital, Poro Deus (which
was more neutral than Cael). Pora agreed to appear and make her case before the
senate, while Balu would make the case for maintaining the old ways. Cael spoke
with Pora prior to the vote and got her assurances that she would work slowly
within the system if the Senate didn’t go her way, rather than initiate civil
war.
The senate voted to
keep the old ways.
Findings
It was noted that the
Angry Spirit entry wasn’t in the monster section yet, despite being mentioned
as a possible encounter for a failed casting of Thekla’s Secret Pathway. This
was fixed.