Chapter 7: I7 - Baltron's Beacon

[gurusql]

Delsenora

Delsenora follows behind Egon to the door.

[Edeldhur]

Telurion

Telurion stands closeby.

[shaidar]

Weston approaches the door was well.

[Cwreando]

Trist and Jivet

Trist hangs back looking on as the others approach the door, "Jivet let's keep an eye on things around the house here. Do a trip around the area please. If all clear and you need a snack enjoy a wild game bite if you want. Then come back to me quickly."

[tristenc]

Reywald follows inside

[BaltoBruiser]

Kravoud

Stays back with Trist observing the porch, the chair, and the door while the rest of the party knocks.

[GreyWolfVT]

Before anyone opens the door it opens suddenly and the ancient sage steps out onto the covered porch. "Welcome! Welcome, brave adventurers. By the look of you, I see you have traveled a great distance to seek employment. Ah! I see you have one of my advertisements. Who would have thought those ravens could travel so far? I did want my notices spread about, you see, and as Crackle and his flock were willing to work for chicken feed." he trails off for a moment or two the snaps back to focus "Enough. I know you haven't come all this way to listen to the ramblings of old Demetrios. It was the gold—eh?—the gold that caught your fancy. I mentioned it in my flyer—Ho, ho, flyer,..ravens with notices...heh, heh! That's funny, yes? Well, ahem, I see your patience is strained just now, and as you have come so far, and as no one else has shown up, well, we should get right to the heart of it, eh? Eh?"

[Rex]

Egon

"Yup, we have traveled far so getting to the heart of it would be good."

[Cwreando]

Trist and Jivet

Trist comments as well with Jivet visible on her shoulder, "Well met Demetrios. It has been a journey fraught with perils. We have managed though to make it to see you concerning your note."

Trist moves in when room allows and makes herself comfortable.

[gurusql]

Delsenora

"Nice to meet you kind Demetrios, the details would be great - thank you!"

[shaidar]

Weston

"Greetings master Demetrios. I am Weston Turville, priest of Azuth. As my friends have said we would be very interested to hear what service you require from us."

[Edeldhur]

Tellurion

The man nods - "Well met" - but his eyes are on their surroundings, just in case...

[Darklin2]

Grimnar

Good ta meet some one who could be as old as me. What is your knowledge specialty/ Demetrios ? All of my people are Sages. Especially the Old Long Beards. Most of them have been around for 4 or 5 hundred years.

His eyes light up when the "G" word is spoken (Gold).

Ahhh yes, Gold the beautiful yellow metal soft and malleable able to be formed and worked into beautiful art and decoration. Good for Ale too.

[tristenc]

Reywald nods, Well met. He listens, interested to hear the Sage's specialization

[GreyWolfVT]

Screenshot 2024-05-31 184214.png (182.26 KiB) Viewed 99 times

Demetrios comes out, locks his door, and teeters over to his rocking chair, which accommodates him peacefully. The wizened old sage smiles and before answering any questions directed towards him he says "Is one of you perhaps a student of metaphysics or theology? Oh, too bad. I do so love a rousing discussion. I have spent my life studying minor deities, their followers, and why some men are attracted to one, some to another. Interesting study, to be sure, to an old gray beard like me, but not terribly practical to such folk as yourselves, I'm sure, eh? Eh? Or is it? No? Well, then." he stops for a minute and starts rocking in the chair.

He then starts again "About a half-year ago, news came to me from the south. Horribly disturbing news. Ah, but you are strangers here and don't know our history. Just have patience a bit longer. All this is really quite important. Perhaps a hundred years ago, the evil Cult of...I hesitate even now to speak the name aloud...it was in Arthemene's day when they arrived, led by their high priest, Ohjos. Ah, but you must have it all if you are to know what you face. Ohjos sought leave for his followers to build a tower on a small hill amidst the vast, trackless swamp that lies to the east. No one knew, then, why they desired to settle in such a desolate place. Nor did we know then what evil rites they practiced there undisturbed." pausing to let the group digest the information he begins again "But several of our youths, who were drawn to the cult out of curiosity or boredom, escaped to tell of the terrible black name. This flame, when touched to a living creature, burns cold and drains the victim's life force. Worse still, once the flames begin to burn upon a victim, no normal means can extinguishing them." he stops and watches the reactions of the group and continues his long tale.

"Boazor, our lord's youngest son, was one of the youths drawn to the Cult of the Black Flame. He was not so fortunate as the other disillusioned ones. The boys who escaped told a horrible tale of how he was consumed by the black flame that does not burn, rolling and writhing upon the ground until only an empty husk was left, with not a mark on him. Ohjos laughed, the boys said, and bade them heed the example of what happens to those who break faith." stopping again to yawn for a second and stretch his arms he stars back in. "But Ohjos had gone too far. Two of the bravest boys managed to slip away while all the congregation were gathered for some despicable ritual. When our lord heard their tale, he gathered his fighting men and called for all his vassals to send troops. Soon, a great army gathered on the plain below the lord's stronghold. The common people came too, bearing pitchforks, scythes, whatever they owned that would serve as weapons. For they had also lost sons. They all marched off through the swamp—a force so large that even Yiss the Old, whose domain it is, feared to confront them. But Ohjos must have received warning, for when they arrived, the tower and its surroundings were abandoned. They must have used some arcane knowledge to make good their escape so thoroughly. The rooms were stripped bare, and nothing of value was found there. Nothing except three boys of the village, drained and lifeless. A warning, some said, not to pursue Ohjos and his minions." he stops looking like this next bit is personal to him he gets a sad look and then says "One of those boys was Enrix, my own son. My only son. My dear, poor Enrix." taking a long pause here due to the sadness of this information he silently rocks in the chair and after about 2 minutes begins telling the rest of the information.

"Well, onward. Since that day I have studied all I can learn about the Cult of the Black Flame. But they seemed to disappear without a trace. No word of them was heard until just a month ago. In my long life I have traveled only a few miles from this little village, but news comes to me. The sage Orimaxes, who lives far to the south, knew of my interest in
the Cult of the Black Flame and sent word that it has surfaced again in his country. The new high priest is not content to use the black flames to control his own followers only. He
has found a way to use them as a weapon and has begun to gain power in the land, leaving only the empty shells of those who dare oppose him."

"For many long years I have feared they would come again. Now Orimaxes, the friend of my youth, has begged my help, and for that 1 need you."

"I have developed a formula for a potion that can extinguish the black flames! But the potion is useless without one ingredient: ferlow seeds roasted in the source of the black
flames. Here is a small bag of them. The potion does not require many. I think that one source of the black flames lies within the Temple of the Flame, in that long-deserted tower
in the swamp. Our army never found the temple, and none from the village have gone back there since. It is an accursed place."

"Someone has been living there, though, and recently. A powerful magic-user named Baltron took up residence about a year ago. His purpose was to conduct some arcane
research in an out-of-the-way place with a damp, boggy environment. He passed through our village, discovered he could not hire porters or servants to live in that place for any amount of gold, and left immediately. He has not been seen or heard from since."

"Several months later, an eerie green light appeared in the marsh, shining upward from the old tower and disappearing into the sky. Ah, I see by your sidelong looks that you have seen it as you approached our village, eh? Eh? You could hardly have missed it. It is visible for miles, particularly at night. No one knows what happened to Baltron, but I sometimes speak with those living nearer the marsh, and they say that the lizard men of the swamp worship the green light."

"Rumors abound among the common folk, of course, but I shan't bore you with baseless gossip. Only take the seeds to the tower, roast them in the black flames, and return them to me. There is sure to be gold for you if you can find the cult's secret temple; they cannot have carted it all off in their haste. And Baltron, it is said, could have paid any amount for servants had he found some willing to follow him. His treasure is doubtless still in the tower."

"Your road lies to the east through the great swamp. You cannot fail to find your way; the beacon will guide you by night. Go now, and swiftly return. My prayers will be with you, brave adventurers."

sorry I know this is a lot of dialog on my end but this all information the sage informs you about.

[Rex]

Egon

"Thank you for the information. It seems that evil is growing once more and we are tasked again with dealing with it. It seems our fate in life."

[Edeldhur]

Tellurion

"My condolences for the loss of your son Master Demetrios" - Tellurion nodded, then turned to Egon - "It does seem to be the case - I assume you intend to go into this swamp? I would like to accompany you" - he added.

"Can you tell us more about who is this Yiss the Old you speak of? - he asked of the Sage - "The swamp is his domain, you said?"

[shaidar]

Weston

"That is certainly a worthy task for us. Once we return I would ask to know more about this black flame so I can report back to the church of Azuth. It sounds like magical knowledge that requires to be brought under control for the good of all."

[Rex]

Egon

"Yes, I intend to go into the swamp. With anyone who will go."

[GreyWolfVT]

Demetrios answer about Yiss "It is said that Yiss the Old, is allied with a powerful pan lung a oriental dragon. Yiss the lizard king is another title he is known by. Yiss is a lizardman. He has dwelt in the swamp for a long time, thus why we call it his domain. It is the kingdom he has made."