THE RETURN TO ELAN
The Rosegate Company makes their way back to Elan. Having been forced to teleport out of the exploding Arena with nothing but their combat gear and the money in their pockets, they are eager to get into clean clothes and eat some good food. They also need to resurrect Early, whose dismembered corpse was left behind in the Shadow Plane. But that’s okay -- they have his gear, and with the proper magic they can resurrect him from his finger nail.
Posing as out-of-towners, the Rosegate crew gets back in the city and finds the Republicans are clamping down even more with martial law. The Arena explosion has been portrayed by those in power as a terrorist attack. The terrorists were the Rosegate Company. All Rosegate assets in the city have been confiscated. Khellek was declared the winner of the final battle and he turned his winnings back over to the city to help pay for rebuilding. No mention of Kyuss rituals in the “mainstream portrayal” of events.
The Rosegate Manor has been burned down. Their bank account balances have been transferred to the city treasury. Early’s dog ran away but is apparently alive somewhere. The wyvern was stabbed to death by city guardsmen.
The Rosegate Company is officially broke and homeless and a fugitive adventuring company. They consider leaving the city altogether, or maybe attacking the Republicans directly (which would be dangerous but satisfying). But they figure they might want to get some money first, either way.
TEMPLE OF CALETHON ATTACKED
Vatex visits Shilukar who speaks of an attack on the Temple of Calethon two nights ago. Their vault has been raided by House Vrama dark elves and important artifacts were taken. Shilukar tells Vatex he will hire the Rosegate Company to mount a recovery expedition if they are not hired by Doraedian Mythlord, the elven community leader, instead. He tells them to speak with that guy first.
Temple of Calethon had many people killed in the attack, including Darnesha, the high priestess, her paladin-guardian Coralaen, the human cleric Jeffers, and the half-elf leader of the lay community Marta Gerrit.
Four people are missing and believed kidnapped. Theron Thelonia, Raelan Teranith, Kirstae Neverwind, and Cam Jaystone.
Three items of considerable religious significance -- the Silver Circlet, the Challice of Reeds, and the Arrows of Righteousness -- were taken. In addition to this, they learn from Shilukar that the special piece of chaositech he was keeping his eye on, was taken. This item is known by some as “the Godspike”. Shilukar strongly believes seems certain that the dark elves were after this, which is substantiated by the previous encounter with House Vrama’s champions in the Banewarrens a year earlier. The Godspike had been on their list of “treasures to get.”
They speak with Doraedian Mythlord. He does not believe they were responsible for the terrorist attack at the Arena. He actually wishes to hire Vatex and the Rosegate Company. He wants them to lead a counterattack against the dark elves that attacked the Temple of Calethon, an attack that has shaken the elven community badly.
His intelligence has revealed that the dark elves came from Ul-Drakkan, a city far below Elan. It is believed they took the artifacts and the prisoners there.
Doraedian has as a ward a young elf woman who escaped from Ul-Drakkan several months ago. She was a slave and has provided some intelligence about the city, and a map of the tunnels leading there. It’s going to be a 9-10 day march to Ul-Drakkan with troops.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF NIGHTFANG SPIRE
The group settles in at Saharasahla's old library, now abandoned since the old shadowcaster betrayed Emeris and settled in at Kadmiel. Emeris takes some time to review some books, trying to find information about "Nightfang Spire", where the Death God Samhain had told him to go. Doing so, apparently, would shed some light on the metaphysical disruption to which both Samhain and Dagda had referred.
Nightfang Spire is apparently an old tomb in the southern region of the Holy Empire Vigoor's province. It was the headquarters of a cult that worshiped the mighty shadow dragon Ashardalon. It is said that when the druid Gilanaeus and his allies defeated Ashardalon, the cult disbanded. The cult's leader, Garloth Gulthias, disappeared around the same time, and is presumed dead.
Maybe when this expedition to Ul-Drakkan is over, they can make an expedition to Nightfang Spire.
RECRUITING AN ARMY
The Rosegate Company’s mission has three components:
> Rescue the prisoners
> Recover the artifacts
> Strike a terrible blow against the dark elves that will never be forgotten
Doraedian provides them with upfront cash to cover expenses, and 18 elven troops from his personal security force.
For the next week, the Rosegate Company puts together its small army that they will lead into the tunnels of the Underdark. They manage to recruit another 9 elf warriors, 30 human warriors, and an elf jester named Hazarkan to provide some entertainment for the troops. They also recruit a couple of leaders for their forces: Zaetra Stallinash, the elven bard, will provide leadership to the elf forces; Jeren Thor, a human fighter, serves as the commander of the non-elves.
SHILUKAR... ALWAYS SCHEMING
Vatex and Dziga visit Shilukar and tell him that Doraedian hired them, but they can still recover the Godspike for Shilukar if he pays them. Surprisingly, he refuses. He says he is hiring his own force to recover the Godspike, parallel to the Rosegate Company's efforts. He says he might even hire the Company of the Blue Lantern.
Also, Shilukar discovers that Dziga possess an Impossibility Cube and offers up to 375,000 gold for it. Dziga refuses to sell it at any price, however.
RECRUITMENT ROSTER
Zaetra - bard, elf leader
Jeren - fighter, human leader
Hazarkan - elf jester
ELF REGIMENT
- Aegnir
- Amdir
- Kalabran
- Galdor
- Maedras
- Panlian
- Saeros
- Salthant
- Rumiah
- Quennar
- Mythrellen
- Landir
- Elrohir
- Averion
- Fiver
- Marsulla
- Dulgussir
- Mallastyr
- Lurutar
- Bloodheart (wood elf)
- Helseth
- Darkworth
- Thyr
- Kavar
- Mynesera
- Keysandis
- Athelor
HUMAN REGIMENT
- Abran
- Allan
- Beowulf
- Hands
- Porkins
- Wolf
- Emmet
- Jyjiro!
- McVries
- Chinpot
- Cedric
- Graham
- Alex
- Saladin
- Martin
- Black Dog
- Rubino
- Boris
- Franklin
- Stuart
- T-Bone
- Fat Bill
- Cletus
- Biffy
- Gaylord
- Killer Sanchez
- Jackson
- Alberto
- Schaffer
- Baldwin
NEXT TIME: The Rosegate Expeditionary Force enters the Underdark with a small army! Will they stick to House Vrama?
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