Episode 67 - A New Beginning
| The Assassins |
Azareth - Wizard 5th Level LE (PC) Craven - Fighter / Rogue 3rd / 3rd LE (PC) Creighton - Fighter 5th Level LE (PC) Keldirk - Rogue 6th level NE (PC) |
| Locale | The Whistler - Del Mord. Fresh and sunny outside. |
| Date | 5th Goodmonth 582 CY |
| Time | Mid-morning. |
Creighton awoke to the smell of burning parchment.
It took the big man several moments to realise exactly where he was. He rubbed his eyes and yawned expansively, his massive biceps flexing with the strain. The bizarre yet vivid dream was fresh in his mind as he swung his legs out and rose from his bed.
| Creighton | (to himself) I need to stop mixing wine and spirits. |
Shaking his head to try and clear the last of the sleep from his mind, Creighton looked around the room for the source of the strange odour that woke him. The embers in the fireplace glowed dimly and he saw tendrils of grey-black smoke rising from several strange shapes, all but buried in the coals.
| Creighton | (to himself) What do we have here? |
Curious, Creighton climbed out of bed and stood gingerly, nursing his wounded ankle, unsure whether the strange events in his dream were real or imagined. Testing his body he was pleased to discover he felt surprisingly well rested; the wounds from his dream were gone and he was full of energy without a trace of the hangover he expected. With a self-satisfied smile he moved to the hearth.
As Creighton reached the fireplace his roommates began to stir in their beds. The big warrior, naked as the day he was born, bent down to examine the strange objects in the coals. At first the smouldering items were unrecognisable, but upon closer inspection he was able to make out the shapes. Laying there amid the ash were four partially burned, ornately carved, black scroll cases. Colour drained from Creighton's face as he contemplated their meaning.
When it is determined that an assassin has been found guilty of serious crimes against The Family, they are given just such a scroll case to signify both the verdict and punishment of the finding. Every assassin knows that to receive a black scroll means death. They know that their life can be measured in days, if not hours. There is no escape, no hope for pardon and many assassins in such a position choose to take their own life.
| Keldirk | (sits up in his bed, spies Creighton near the fire) Hey! Put some damned clothes on! I'd rather not be greeted by your hairy arse first thing in the morning. (yawns) Especially after the whacky dream I just had. |
Creighton was too shocked to move, his gaze locked on the smouldering embers.
| Keldirk | Hey! Ugly? (more concerned now) What's up? |
Keldirk, now fully alert, pushed aside the covers of his bed and reached for the ever- present blade beneath his pillow.
| Keldirk | Creighton, what's the matter? |
| Creighton | Look for yourself. |
Keldirk climbed out of bed as he scanned the room, his sharp eyes searching for anything unusual or out of place. He noticed that his equipment, as well as that of his companions, had been neatly arranged in ordered piles at the foot of their respective beds. Even Azareth's spellbook, usually well hidden beneath the mage's bed, had been neatly stacked by someone during the night. That all this rearranging had occurred without his knowledge was alarming.
| Keldirk | (loudly) Wake up guys! |
Keldirk swiftly checked the door - locked. A glance over to the window indicated that the locking-bar was still in place.
| Keldirk | (to himself) How did they get in? (nudges Creighton) Put some damned clothes on. |
| Creighton | (points at the fireplace, still stunned) |
Craven was awake by now, his weapon belt strapped around his waist. Azareth, too, had risen and was taking inventory of his component pouch.
| Craven | What's going on? |
| Keldirk | Someone was in our room last night. |
| Craven | Hmm. What's wrong with him? (indicates Creighton) |
| Keldirk | No idea, he's been like that ever since I woke up. |
| Azareth | (taking inventory) My equipment is accounted for. Nothing is missing, thank the gods. |
| Craven | (taps Creighton on the shoulder) What's wrong? |
| Creighton | (points at the fireplace) |
| Craven | (looks, then steps back alarmed) Is that what I think it is? |
| Creighton | (nods) |
| Craven | Wow. |
Keldirk's curiosity got the better of him and he pushed by to get a look at the fireplace.
| Keldirk | What is that, a scroll case? |
| Craven | (pushes the coals aside with a poker revealing three more partially burned cases) Black scroll cases to be exact. Four of them. |
| Keldirk | I don't get it. |
| Craven | It means we're dead. The scroll cases are from the Family and obviously meant for us. |
| Keldirk | (pushes closer, getting a better look) Damn, you're right. |
| Creighton | I'm too young to die. |
| Craven | What did we do wrong? |
| Creighton | Way too young. |
| Craven | (thinking what they had done - or not done - to earn black scrolls. Starts to think about their Vesper's untimely death) |
| Azareth | (peers over Keldirk's shoulder) They're black scrolls, all right. But why are they in the fireplace? |
| Keldirk | I don't know, but I'm sure as hell not going to hang around to find out. (returns to his bed and begins to dress) |
| Craven | Perhaps the Family blame us for Vesper's death. I mean, losing a Vesper must be considered a bad thing back home. |
| Azareth | Bad enough for a black scroll? |
| Craven | I don't know. Maybe. |
| Azareth | Vesper's death was not our fault. Not entirely, anyway. I would've thought we'd at least have a chance to plead our case. |
| Keldirk | Well, if they think that I'm going to wait around here just so some slippery bastard can kill me, well, they've got another thing coming. I'm outta here. (slings his backpack over his shoulder) See ya! |
| Craven | (angrily) Just wait a goddamned minute! Let's think this thing though. |
| Keldirk | What's to think about? There are four black scrolls in our room - we all know what that means. |
| Craven | Keldirk, please. Just wait a minute. |
| Keldirk | (pauses then drops his backpack to the floor) One minute, then. (sits on the bed) |
| Creighton | We're doomed. |
| Azareth | Hey, look, there! |
Atop Craven's backpack was a red envelope, sealed with an unremarkable blob of black wax.
With a deep breath to steel his resolve, Craven cracked the seal and withdrew a piece of fine parchment.
| Craven | A letter. |
| Creighton | Well read it. |
| Keldirk | Out loud. |
| Craven | It's addressed to us. (clears his throat) 'Misters Craven, Keldirk, Creighton and Azareth. Once you have broken your fast, change into your best clothes and come to number twenty-four, Apian Way, High Quarter. There you will meet your new Vesper. All will be explained. Kindest regards, Father Bollard.' That's it, that's all it says. |
| Azareth | A new Vesper! |
| Keldirk | Still doesn't explain the scroll cases. |
| Creighton | Who's Father Bollard? I've never heard of him. |
| Craven | Well, let's get dressed and go. |
| Azareth | (rummaging in his backpack for his best robe) Royal Blue, I think. |
| Keldirk | Why the bloody High Quarter? It's a pain in the arse trying to sneak weapons in there. Damn. |
| Craven | (looks in the closet and pulls out a scarlet velvet vest with gold trim) Excellent. |
| Creighton | (slips into his normal adventuring clothes, making some effort to smooth out the wrinkles) We still get to eat breakfast right? |
The group dressed and made their way towards the High Quarter, before passing through the gates they stopped to get some food at an uptown eatery. As they consumed their breakfast, the assassins talked quietly among themselves.
| Craven | I had the weirdest dream last night, it was like some oddball fairytale world. |
| Azareth | As did I. |
| Creighton | (his mouth full, nods vigorously) Me too. |
| Keldirk | Let me guess, giants, wolves, witches and dwarves? |
| Craven | (nods) And a duelling half-man, half-mouse? |
| Keldirk | How is that possible? Mage? |
| Azareth | I am unsure. I could hypothesize, of course, but I fear that my lack of definitive answers would merely serve to further frustrate you. Let us wait until our meeting this very morning. I believe our new Vesper will be able to better illuminate the strange events of yester-eve. |
| Keldirk | Fair enough. |
| Azareth | That said, I do have a disjointed, somewhat fuzzy recollection from late last night. It lasted but a moment and, until the revelation of our shared nocturnal visions, I thought nothing of it believing it to be just a part of the dream. But, knowing now what I did not know previously, I can say with ever increasing surety that my recollections are real, not imagined. That what I believed I experienced late last night were actual experiences, not an imagining of an over tired but active mind. |
| Keldirk | Mage, it's past babbling hour. Could you get to the point? |
| Azareth | In my dream I freed some children that were trapped inside a large, dome- shaped birdcage. Similar in shape, if not size, to those we see at the Del Mord bazaar that house yellow canaries and captivate children so. But upon opening this cage, in my dream you understand, I suddenly woke from the dream to find a female Druag'hi at my bedside. |
| Keldirk | A female what? |
| Azareth | She told me that we all were safe and that I should go back to sleep. |
| Craven | You said you were opening a bird cage. |
| Azareth | That is correct. It was a very strange dream. |
| Craven | In a giant's tower on a cloud at the top of a giant beanstalk? |
| Azareth | Yes. It is apparent to me that we all shared the same dream. And it is clear to me, also, that the answers to our questions will be revealed after our repast. |
After breakfast, dressed in their finery, the assassins made their way to the address on the letter.
As always they were required to check their weapons at the High Quarter gate. Craven had done this a number of times and was accustomed to the routine but he could tell that Keldirk was resentful of having to give up his multitude of weapons. Keldirk was in a foul mood by the time the four of them were allowed inside.
| Keldirk | This is ridiculous, why would he decide to live up here? We will always have to arrive there unarmed. |
| Craven | Perhaps that is the point. |
| Keldirk | It's stupid is what it is, and I'm going to tell him so. |
| Azareth | Perhaps if our previous Vesper had decided to take up residence in this part of town he would still be alive today. |
| Keldirk | Or if a certain member of our team hadn't taken a liking to raw meat the old Vesper might also be alive today. (looks accusingly at Craven) |
| Craven | Just let it go. We'll find out soon enough what fate awaits us - all of us, there's no sense in pointing fingers. |
Craven found the apartment easily having spent quite a bit of time in the High Quarter and before long they were standing at an ornate yet sturdy looking door. Craven knocked sharply on the door three times, then stood back and waited. Perhaps a minute went by before the door opened.
| doorman | Good afternoon sir, my name is Solomon, the major-domo of this household. How may I help you? |
| Craven | Good afternoon my good man. My name is Craven and these are my companions, Keldirk, Azareth and Creighton. We have an appointment with the master of the house. |
| Solomon | Very good, sir, the master is expecting you. Would you all please follow me. |
With that the tall, muscular man turned and led the group into the house. He ushered them into a large and well appointed sitting room. Keldirk immediately noticed the liquor cabinet and began to help himself to a glass of, what he knew to be, an astonishingly expensive brandy.
| Solomon | If you would care to wait here, I will inform the master of your arrival. And please, master Keldirk, I do not recall suggesting that you make yourself at home. |
| Keldirk | (finishes pouring the glass his back to the door) Toddle off and get your master and do try and stay out of the affairs of your betters. |
| Solomon | (steps into the room) You presume too much, I have no desire to cause an incident, master Keldirk. But I must insist that you respect the hospitality of the house. |
| Keldirk | (places the glass down slowly and turns around threateningly) I don't take orders from the help. |
| Azareth | Keldirk sit down! This is not the ideal way to make a first impression, now sit down before you make a complete fool of yourself. (turns to the doorman) Please accept my apology for Keldirk's boorish behaviour. |
| Keldirk | Don't apologise for me you arrogant prick! |
| Craven | Keldirk! What has gotten into you? Remember where you are and why we are here. Solomon, please, may I suggest you allow Keldirk his petty victory and inform the master of our arrival, and please rest assured that there will be no repeat of this behaviour. |
| Solomon | (stares balefully at Keldirk for a moment) Very good sir, a wise suggestion. I shall do as you request. |
After Solomon had left the room Keldirk picked up his glass and smiled as he took a sip, swirling the brandy in his mouth to savour the taste before swallowing it.
| Azareth | Keldirk, why must you always start fights? You excel at making an idiot of yourself not to mention the embarrassment you cause each of us. |
| Craven | Azareth, leave him be. He's in another one of his bad moods and you will just make it worse by acknowledging him. Simply ignore him and hopefully he'll go away. |
| Keldirk | (snorts) You've been reading that good parenting book again haven't you? |
Shakhathiol Kussreah'eth was a gifted youth. He was the fastest, the smartest and the most ambitious of the children in the religious commune. He was not the strongest, most impressive or most charismatic, however, and this lead to near constant harassment and bullying at the hands of the other youths.
Shakha, as he was known, had it tough despite his attributes. His half-elven, half-human heritage was a constant source of contention for the other children and the incessant racism lead to years of forced isolation and loneliness. It was this somewhat sad, if not tragic, upbringing that set Shakha down a dark path. A path which lead him, ultimately, to The Family.
Rising quickly through the ranks of the Assassins, Shakha Kuss found himself again isolated. In a cruel twist of fate, his string of lightning successes and impeccable reputation among the Senior Members of the Family harvested jealousy in Shakha's peers. Again, Shakha was alone. But he was stronger now, more confident and he revelled in his solitude. He often requested postings to far flung countries, deep insertion into enemy courts and assassinations of personages with considerable personal power and protection.
Over the years, Shakha became the consummate assassin. Before long those who had shunned him, came to respect him, some even went so far as to revere him. Tales of Shakha's exploits formed the basis of lectures: "The assassination of Magus Veel", "The infiltration of the Nyrondese courts", "The murder of Lord Hammerson the Invincible of Blackspire Keep" and so on. On those rare occasions when Shakha returned to the Olman islands he was paraded before the recruits, an example for all.
But Shakha Kuss hated the limelight.
He had lived in the shadows for so long, darkness and solitude were his beloved companions. He wanted nothing from anybody, no plaudits or adulation. He hated charity and lived only for the quick, silent kill. Shakha's stays in the Olmans were short, long enough only to secure another commission and perhaps refine his skills.
In his eightieth year, the prime of his half-elven life, Shakha accepted his most dangerous assignment; Infiltrate the Hierarchs of Morag, Capital City of the accursed Horned Society, kill the human hierarch whose birth name is Karlos Selvain. It was a mission that would cost him greatly. Three months in he made one mistake, an accidental omission of a minor detail, which was all it took for Shakha's cover to be blown.
The Hierarchs' reputation was not without substance. A creature from the Hells was summoned and reprisal was swift. Shakha Kuss managed to escape, but not before suffering horrendous wounds. Wounds that proved impossible to heal, confounding the Druag'hi priests, lore masters and healers, alike.
The fiend was a towering brute, a monster as vile and toxic as it was wicked. The devil's poisonous claws tore deep rents the length of Shakha's body, leaving the left side of his body paralysed. The creature's barbed tail pierced his spine, snapping the assassin's vertebrae at the waist. Against all odds Shakha escaped courtesy of a conditional teleportation magic that he was able to trigger mid-attack.
Now the once mighty and most deadly of assassins spends his days sitting meekly in a wheelchair, posted to a city not to his liking and performing a duty, considered by many, to be beneath his standing. But Shakha Kuss was glad to be here, in fact he asked to be here, in Del Mord, the Eastern-most city in the Prelacy of Almor and gateway to The Great Kingdom. The previous Vepser had fallen and, if reports could be believed, his four charges were dysfunctional and inept.
Shakha's considerable reputation was at risk and he had no intention of failing. He would whip these four young assassins into shape, or they would die trying. Being a Vesper was widely regarded as a job for assassins with no real ability. But Shakha Kuss had once possessed the ability, risen to the heights of his game, had fallen from those very heights but vowed he would rise once more.
| Solomon | There are four gentlemen here to see you, My Lord. |
| Shakanthiol | Excellent. |
Before long the door to the sitting room opened and a half-elf entered, pushed in a wheelchair by an overweight, middle-aged woman. The entire left side of the half-elf's face had dropped, seemingly frozen by a paralysing malady. A brightly coloured rug covered his legs; his feet covered in lamb's wool slippers. The woman wheeled the half-elf to the fireplace and turned him around to face his guests.
The half-elf scanned the faces of the four assassins intently, his bright blue eyes incongruously alert in his partially paralysed face. After he had studied each of them, he pulled the woman close and whispered into her ear. With a smile and polite nod to the assassins she left the room, closing the door behind her.
The assassins were stunned, unsure what to make of the scene and no-one spoke as the silence became uneasy.
| Shakanthiol | Welcome, nephews. My name is Shakanthiol Kussria-eth, and I have the dubious privilege of being your new Vesper. |
| Azareth | I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Uncle. I am Azareth and these are my companions, Creighton, Craven and Keldirk. |
| Shakanthiol | Well met, master Azareth. |
| Azareth | Allow me to indicate my companions- |
| Shakanthiol | (raises a hand) No need, no need. You see, I have your advantage, gentlemen. I am intimately aware of you all - your histories, your skills, your successes and your failures. I have read the extensive reports prepared by your previous Vesper and, from what I can gather, you have been chronic underachievers. |
| Azarth | I see. |
| Creighton | Hang on a minute- |
| Keldirk | Chronic underachievers? |
| Craven | I don't- |
| Shakanthiol | (raises a hand to silence the protests) While some of your work has been good, excellent even, your involvement in the death of my predecessor cannot be overlooked. Couple this with the near constant in-fighting and lack of success in key objectives leads me to believe you are just as I said - chronic underachievers. (clears his throat) Azareth, if you would be so kind to pour me a drink. |
| Azareth | (pours Vesper a drink and hands it to him) |
| Shakanthiol | Now, let me be clear. I was not sent here to replace your former Vesper, I volunteered to come. Since my accident I have been used primarily to train the cadets, teaching them the theories behind assassination, infiltration and the like. I have an enviable reputation back home and coming here was a shock to many people, including the Marque de'Ahb. But I needed to come, to once again test my mettle in the field, as it were. And what better opportunity than to step into the breach and raise the profile of this sad and sorry lot and help you reach your vast potential. So now that my once considerable reputation is linked inexorably to your own. When you fail, I fail and when you succeed then I, too, will succeed. It is my intention to turn you in the best, most skilled and highly trained assassins the Family has ever seen. |
| Creighton | Right on! |
| Azareth | (goose pimples) |
| Shakanthiol | To do this it is necessary for me to make some changes. First, there will be no more bickering, in-fighting, threats or undermining. Second, I want to be kept abreast of all significant matters and know that you will follow not only my instructions but also the chain of command. Am I clear so far? |
| assassins | (nodding) |
| Shakanthiol | Thirdly, I am sending you on a mission to better equip yourselves. You were torn up by a lycanthrope some time ago and, by all accounts, still lack the firepower to handle the more dangerous of foes. |
| Creighton | Magical weapons! I like the way you think. |
| Keldirk | Aye. |
| Shakanthiol | I will fill you in on this mission once all the information I require comes to hand. Now, let me tell you about the events of last night... |
Vesper then went on to describe the strange dreams the assassins shared, and the four black scrolls they found in the fireplace.
Vesper's first job upon reaching Del Mord was the test the assassins, to determine whether they could operate as a team and pull together in adversity. Vesper had the mandate to issue four black scrolls should they fail the test. Through powerful magics cast by a cadre of Druag'hi and a Family mage, the assassins were tested in a dream-realm, their challenges orchestrated by the priests.
The first part of the test was to test their ingenuity and teamwork. Stripped of their equipment and finding themselves in a foreign environment, they had to stay together, equip themselves and escape the dangerous caverns.
Then four individual challenges followed, each designed to test the skills of the four assassins:
- Keldirk had to use all his skills to creep in and assassinate the werewolf,
- Creighton had to defeat an armoured knight in single combat,
- Craven had to best a duellist and
- Azareth had to make excellent use of the limited spell set he was given.
Luckily for the assassins, they passed the test.
| Shakanthiol | Return to me in a few days time and I will provide you information on your first mission. Until then, if you have any questions, please feel free to see me. Good day to you all. |
The assassins said their goodbyes and returned to The Whistler.
| Normal Text | Character's words or descriptive text if part of a paragraph |
| Italic Text | Character's thoughts or actions if surrounded by parenthesis |
| Bold Text | Character is shouting. |