Interlude - Callevus d'Cannith

12th of Sypheros, 998 YK

It has been nearly two months since our heroes vanquished Ziki "the Flenser" and brought peace to the sleepy Northedge neighborhood of Oakbridge. They have begun to realize, even while separated and left to pursue their own agendas, that they are a good team together. The bonds of friendship grow, and they keep more frequent contact in this intervening time period.

On the 12th of Sypheros, the Wildnight Festival has only just begun. The next few days will see some of the wildest, most dangerous parties in all of Khorvaire, especially in the City of Towers. On the 17th of Sypheros, the Festival will culminate in Wildnight, a crazed celebration in honor of the Fury, god of passion and madness. Most sensible people will remain indoors, but on Wildnight, the sensible are a small minority.

Late that morning, Morgan Ironwright woke up to discover a letter waiting for him at the door of his flat. It was short, yet alarming:

Morgan Ironwright,

I have some information that may be of interest to you regarding your exploits in Karrnath earlier this year. I would like to meet you to discuss it today, if at all possible. Bring your associates if you can, for I would like to meet all of you. I'll be waiting for you at the Roost in Dragon Towers this evening.

Signed, Callevus d'Cannith

Morgan wasted no time in contacting his two new friends. They met up at noon and decided to go to the Roost early, to scope the place out and await a person whom they believed would blackmail them.

Dragon Towers is the economic hub of Sharn, home to dozens of powerful guilds and organizations, including offices of all thirteen dragonmarked houses. Deals are brokered here every day that affect the entire continent, and one can almost smell the concentrated arrogance of a thousand merchant princes plotting the course of Khorvaire's future based on their own personal whims. 'Hustle bustle' does not begin to describe it, and our heroes had some trouble finding the Roost through the packed crowds.

Eventually, they arrived in a large plaza set within a hollow tower. Street musicians vied for the attention of onlookers as Morgan led his friends into the Roost. It was noisy with lunch patrons, yet the place looked well-maintained and clean. After making sure that Callevus had not yet arrived, they settled down to wait for him. Esan decided to wait outside.

Hours passed, yet Esan remained vigilant even when a fiddler attempted to win him over with several rousing numbers that were (all-in-all) some of the better performances he had seen that day. Eventually, he caught sight of a man in a nondescript traveler's cloak walking past to enter the Roost. Esan's sharp ears caught several clicking and whirring sounds as the stranger walked through the door; when the man brought a finger of flame up to the hood of his cloak to light a cigarette poking out of the darkness within, it briefly lit up a horribly scarred, human face whose eyes were covered by a pair of opaque goggles.

The mechanical man entered the Roost and immediately saw Morgan and Gerard. He walked over there, introduced himself as Callevus d'Cannith, and asked if they would like to speak in private (there were rooms for that purpose in the Roost, which he explained was his reason for picking this place).

Callevus was quick in getting to the point of the visit, demanding that they drop any pretenses of not being involved in Talovar ir'Mandar's assassination. Their handiwork had apparently made an impression in the espionage community, and he knew for a fact that they had been there. He was not interested in blackmail, however. He revealed to them that he was a member of the secret society known as the Knights of Galifar.

Knights of Galifar: Outspoken liberals on politics and economy, these self-proclaimed patriots seek to maintain the old codes of justice that were first written by Galifar I, and enforced across most of Khorvaire for the better part of a millenium. Some are legitimate (if a bit eccentric and outspoken) business owners and statespersons, but most are considered dangerous vigilantes by official sources. The organization, while not outlawed in most countries, is frowned upon for its 'radical' ideals. Because they are frequently targeted by assassins of organizations that either harbor war criminals or seek to uphold the new status quo (or both), members hide their association with the organization, and it is considered to be a secret society.

Callevus explained to them the real purpose of his summons - he wanted them to track down Ermana Kessler, the wily Emerald Claw commander who had eluded their grasp in Karrnath last Olarune. He had been using discreet contacts to track her approximate course over the past few months, and he had learned exactly what she planned to do. She was seeking an artifact rumored lost tens of thousands of years ago, when the giants of Xen'Drik were obliterated in the last cataclysm of their age. Known as the Onyx of Mabar, this sinister stone was rumored to be the source of great necromantic power. It was once the posession of a dread lich giant, who ruled the lost Emerald City deep within the heart of the northern jungles. When the famous archaelogist of Morgrave University known as Paetric Kendig rediscovered this fabled ruin, it did not take long for Ermana Kessler's superiors to dig up their scattered notes on the Onyx and begin putting together an expedition.

Speaking of Ermana's superiors, Callevus took a moment to reveal a terrible secret about the Order of the Emerald Claw, and its sinister origins. He took the companions far back in time, to the history of the Aerenal elves. Most people in Khorvaire of any educational pedigree understand that the elves possess the Mark of Shadow, which is kept in secure bloodlines by House Phiarlan. What few know, however, is that there was once a second dragonmark in the elven heritage - the Mark of Death, possessed by House Vol.

Apparently, the last matriarch of House Vol had a forbidden relationship with a green dragon of Argonnessen many years ago. The dragons threatened terrible repercussions on the elves if they didn't handle this internal affair themselves, and it was all the excuse they needed. The Aerenal were always mistrustful of House Vol, for they saw their undead experiments as blasphemous in nature. The elves descended on House Vol and tore it to shreds, killing every last dragonmarked heir in the family and many unmarked scions to boot. The matriarch, knowing she had doomed her house, sought to save her daughter Erandis from the senseless slaughter by any means necessary. In an unholy ritual now lost to the sands of time, she turned her half-dragon daughter into a lich.

Most elves believe that Erandis d'Vol was killed during the last days of fighting regardless of this, but Callevus tells them what he believes is the truth; Erandis was smuggled out of Aerenal to Khorvaire. Over the following centuries, she built up a secret society called the Blood of Vol, which she used to seek out elves who might still possess the dread Mark of Death. The organization eventually cultivated a legitimate religion now popular in Karrnath, but it also brought forth the Order of the Emerald Claw, which serves Erandis d'Vol almost directly. Many within the organization are not aware of their true master, or even their relationship with the Blood of Vol.

Ermana Kessler is, and Callevus believes her mission comes straight from the top. If Erandis d'Vol wants this Onyx of Mabar, it is up to those who are able to prevent her from recovering it. Callevus offers to pay well for the artifact's recovery, which he may be able to destroy himself with the proper rituals later on. His offer is generous, but he won't write up a formal contract until his eyes and ears tell him that Ermana Kessler has left the Lhazaar Principalities for Xen'Drik. Callevus believes she is currently gathering resources for the expedition, though he isn't sure exactly what the nature of these resources is, or why it is taking so long.

After a short negotiation, they agreed to his request. He will contact them again and set them up with their own resources (including a guide familiar with Xen'Drik) when he learns more of Ermana's whereabouts.

News Clippings II: Barrakas Summit and Ziki's Trial

Korranberg Chronicle Excerpts

15th of Barrakas (special edition)

THRONEHOLD: Despite the diplomatic difficulties that have plagued this year's international summit, the sovereign home of Galifar was filled with state officials and dignitaries on Far. Many saw this as a sign that the new rulers of Khorvaire would set aside their differences and take care of some of the pressing issues that face our great land. They were mistaken. What followed the pomp and fanfare of the initiation ceremony were three days of pointless bickering over trade disputes, border technicalities, and the nations of New Cyre and Droaam. Lowlights of the event were Queen Aurala proposing that New Cyre be disbanded completely, turning out thousands of refugees from the Day of Mourning, and Cardinal Krozen openly calling King Kaius a war criminal before storming out of the committee and returning to Flamekeep.

There were a few bright spots in the summit's deliberations, however. Despite the open hostility between Thrane and Karrnath, plans were finalized (largely by the delegates from the United Trade Coalition, House Cannith and House Orien) to rebuild the Golden Arch Bridge between the two nations. This is an economic development, and if either Karrnath and Thrane could afford not to open up trade with each other, they would certainly have declined. All of Khorvaire will benefit from the East and West Rail Lines being reconnected; the project is expected to be completed in early 1001.

Against the vocal protests of Karrnath and House Deneith, Thrane's fledgling law organization, the Shadowbane Inquisition, was given special new priviledges in international territories, including Aundair, the Talenta Plains, the Eldeen Reaches and Q'barra, which had previously denied the group's authority completely. This turnaround was largely due to some recent and well-publicized successes by agents of the Inquisition internationally, which proved the organization's usefulness in secular matters.

Several projects were organized to provide relief to victims of the massive flooding in northern Khorvaire last spring. Druids of the Eldeen Reaches managed to divert the worst of it, though thousands remain homeless in Aundair, Thrane and Karrnath. The ambassadors of Reidra generously offered yet more assistance in this matter, continuing a trend of unrestricted philanthropy which has put them in high favor all across Khorvaire.

A potentially deadly dispute between Darguun and Valenar over sea pirates was resolved peacefully, much to everyone's surprise. The two war-like nations hardly ever see eye to eye, yet their delegates were seen speaking privately and amiably throughout the conference, and many now think they were the most level-headed diplomats in Thronehold that weekend.

Finally, the United Trade Coalition surprised everyone with some very important trade expansion plans that they had been keeping sealed up tight until the Summit. Their proposed changes to international tarriff laws and border tolls are expected to streamline the flow of coin in the Five Nations area, and make exporting and importing a much less daunting process for merchants across Khorvaire. Their measures were passed unanimously, and could begin the long process of rebuilding Khorvaire's broken economic backbone as early as 999 YK.

7th of Rhaan

SHARN: The trial of Ziki "Flenser", the now-infamous serial killer of Oakbridge, Northedge, went about as expected. Despite protests from local changelings who called her trial 'unfair' and 'racially biased', she was convicted on four counts of first degree murder and sentenced to death. She is also suspected to be behind over four dozen additional killings across greater Breland over the past two years, all targeting ex-members of the Peace Circus, a traveling carnival that brought hope and laughter to war-weary souls for decades. The two surviving members of the Circus, who both reside in Ziki's latest killing ground of Oakbridge, were unavailable for comment. The residents of Oakbridge who could be reached indicated that they were pleased with the trial's results; several also offered glowing praise for Inquisitor Gerard Angevin and his deputies, who cracked the case in record time and even garnered rare commendation from Victor Saint-Demain, who is usually quite critical of rival inquisitives.

Episode II: Murder in Oakbridge - Act III

From the Korranberg Chronicle, 19th of Lharvion 998 YK (morning edition) :

Mayhem in Oakbridge!

by Karlos Ablefirst

SHARN: As many residents of Sharn have recently become aware, there has been a brutal series of murders over the past week in the sleepy neighborhood of Oakbridge, Middle Northedge. When the first victim of these slayings was discovered, his case was immediately dismissed by the local Watchmen as suicide. My good friend Victor Saint-Demain tells me now that things would have ended there (for a while, at least), had it not been for the investigative efforts of a Thranish man named Gerard Angevin and his two partners, Shinto of Overlook and Morgan Ironwright (both of whom reside in Sharn). These three worked together immediately after Svans ir'Kilmansor's demise to begin flushing out the murderer, who would go on to kill three more Oakbridge residents over the next two days.

Naturally, I decided to visit Victor for a casual interview once I learned that he had also been assigned to the case, this time at the head of a contingent of Sharn's Best. We agreed to meet on the evening of the 18th at the Bluebird Inn, also in Oakbridge. When I arrived, I was surprised to see Victor at ease; normally, when he's on a high profile case you can't make the man sit down! But he informed me as we settled down to dinner that our two supper companions were in fact the killer's next victims. He was content to keep an eye on them while Angevin and company flushed out the murderer using the evidence they had already acquired when Victor first arrived on the scene. We didn't know it at the time, but this would happen before dessert.

It was around dusk when a tall man in shining plate armor stepped into the room, wearing the badge of a Shadowbane Inquistor on his chest and a sword on his back. He made his way over to our table, made small talk with Victor, and then suddenly turned around and arrested our barmaid! 'Preposterous', I thought - she was barely old enough to be a barmaid. Even as the thought entered my mind, she began weaving her hands together and muttering an incantation.

I don't remember what happened exactly after that, to be honest with you. The world passed into a haze of madness and agony, and I fell upon my fellow patrons, and they on I and each other, in a fury of fists, knives and feet that would have killed us all before the spell was broken. When I came to my senses perhaps a minute later, it was all over. Most people in the common room were unconscious and bleeding, and I myself had a terrible cut in my side. Angevin used the power of his Silver Flame to heal it closed, along with the mortal wounds of several others who had fallen to the murderess' enchantments.

I learned later during interviews with Angevin, Shinto and Ironwright what had happened during that terrible minute of frenzied destruction in the Bluebird Inn common room. As I suspected, the killer had placed a dire spell upon us all, which muddled our thoughts and increased our paranoia against one another. She had planned to use this distraction to get away, for she knew that Angevin's pure heart would not allow him to abandon us to each other's maddened whims. But she had not thought it all through carefully enough; while Angevin and Saint-Demain remained in the common room, braving the sudden insanity of the place to prevent us from slaughtering one another, Shinto and Ironwright pursued the killer relentlessly, quickly subduing her with their potent magicks. During the interviews, I learned that she is a changeling named Ziki, though the Sharn Watch remains tight-lipped about her motives as she awaits trial.

In the meantime, it seems as if the Shadowbane Inquisition has begun proving its worth as a law enforcement agency abroad. If this quick and decisive investigation is any measure of the skill required of their agents, I fully expect them to get the added authority that the Council of Cardinals seeks at the Summit next month. Regardless of those developments, criminals in Sharn will now surely be stepping more lightly while Inquisitive Angevin and company are in town.

[at the bottom of the article is a fairly decent artist's depiction of Gerard, flanked by Morgan and Esan, who stand in the shadows behind him]