The Treachery of Su-quan

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About the Saga

The Battle of Blue has been won, but a new army of humanoids now threatens Obsidian Bay from the west. The city's leaders recruit the Blackrazors for one more dangerous mission -- the awakening of the sleeping hero god Krovis. ===Timeframe===

Cast of Characters

Notable Quotes

  • "Beware this path, for at its end lies the imprisoned." -- a fateful warning ignored by the Blackrazors.

What Has Come Before

The Expeditionary Force of Obsidian Bay met and stopped an army of humanoids that were threatening the city of Blue. Most of the leadership of the Blackrazor Guild died in the endeavor and Obsidian Bay lost half the men it had sent to fight the battle.

The Saga

Good-month 1, CY 587

Intrigue in the Free City

The Blackrazors who survived the Battle of Blue – Falgar and Ragnar – raced back to Obsidian Bay hoping to raise their friends from the dead. Just as they arrived at the outskirts of the city, they were intercepted by two friends – Jander Drachen and Justiceseeker, the former the leader of the city’s intelligence corps, the latter the ranking priest of Trithereon in the city. The two men pulled the Blackrazors off the road and asked them to follow them into the city via a secret passageway in the city’s labyrinth like sewer system.

At first, Falgar bulked, but Drachen pleaded with him. "We can’t expain here, but know that no one in the city, or even your own guild, knows that you are alive. We need to use that to our advantage, and for that we need to sneak you into the city." He then held out blindfolds. Reluctantly, the Blackrazors accepted them.

A sleeping savior

The Blackrazors followed a twisting path through unknown areas of the sewers before finally arriving in a warehouse in the Wharf district. Servants of Justiceseeker and Jander laid out the bodies of the other Blackrazors on the floor of the warehouse. Standing over them were several priests of St. Cuthbert, who – as a favor to Calvin and his colleagues for years of service – raised them from death.

Cal woke screaming – his fellow priests suggested that the recent battle had triggered memories of an even fouler conflict Cal had served in during the Greyhawk Wars in the Great Kingdom two years prior. They quickly wisked him away to Cuthbert’s church, where the memories of that conflict could be driven from his mind by a few well placed cudgel blows. Only two of the Blackrazors did not return from beyond the veil of death: Killian. The ranger had used a black arrow to slay his nemesis, the mage Weri. The curse attached to that arrow kept Killian in the darkness of death as it had the last wielder of one of the arrows -- the elven archer Alton. The second Blackrazor who did not return was Luc, who had left a message with Aaron stating that he did not wish to be raised from the dead -- only ressurected. As luck had it, Aaron's turn came before the dwarf's and he was able to stop the priests.

After the others had been brought to their feet, and had a chance to adjust to their surroundings, they found that they had been joined by Su-quan, the su-doppleganger who had mimiced their missing friend Kalib's form and role for several weeks.

Jander spoke: "My friends, dark times are at hand. Turrosh Mak’s forces in Stoneheim are marching on our city, and there is a fair chance that he will succeed in taking her. Worse yet, we believe there are spies and traitors in the city – and in very high places in the city. In its offices, guard barracks and even guilds. Even, perhaps, your guild… The agents of Turrosh Mak are everywhere, as are those of his allies – the foul Scarlet Brotherhood."

"We can trust only a handful of people in the city, and most of them are in this room right now. There is a way – we think – to save the city. It’s dangerous and Mak and his allies have surely guessed at our intent. And this is it: we wish to free the Sleeper."

"In ages long past, the Sleeper has awoken to lead armies against impossible odds, and every almost every time he has triumphed. The legends say that he had a citadel high in the Drachensgrab Mountains where he rested. That may be true, but that is not where he rests now. In fact, he does not rest at all – after his last awakening his enemies defeated him and trapped him in a dark, almost forgotten place. It is a place of stone pillars and ancient worship and it is there you must go. Su-quan, our ally and your hidden companion knows the ritual required to release the Sleeper. Once the Sleeper has been freed, it is our hope that he will be able to save the city and – with luck and the help of Trithereon – reveal to us the location of Kalib."

"Now make haste. The army will be upon the city in three weeks time; you have that long to get to the lost sanctuary, release him, and return."

Good-month 10, CY 587

The Journey

The trip to the Drachensgrabs took only a week and a half. The Blackrazors encountered only minor obstacles – a band of ettins and an ill-prepared tribe of kobolds. When they arrived at the base of the Drachensgrabs, Su-quan located a marker he had been looking for. The marker, made from granite, stood six feet tall. Engraved upon it were sayings in ancient Flan which Greggor was able to decipher for the party. They said: "Beware this path, for at its end lies the imprisoned."

The Blackrazors continued up the mountain pass until they neared the top. There a band of warriors – led by a mage – sprung up from behind a ridge and launched an attack on the party. The combat lasted for a handful of minutes as the Blackrazors overwhelmed the enemy. A quick inspection of their enemies’ bodies revealed a tattoo of the Scarlet Sigil – the mark of the nefarious Scarlet Brotherhood. Just beyond the line formed by the Scarlet warriors the Blackrazors found a second marker and beheld their destination.

The Twisted Forest

Before them, in a depression maybe 200 yards long and 100 feet yards, was a shrine the likes of which they’d never seen before. Pillars of petrified wood were scattered throughout the site. Some were tall, standing nearly 9 feet high. Others short and stodgy, rising no more than 5 feet above the sterile, dry surface of the shrine. Some of the pillars had one or two branches shooting of from them, but most did not.

At the entrance to the shrine they saw two markers, identical to the ones they passed at the base of the mountain and at the top of the pass. Su-quan paused at the markers, as though gathering his strength, and then walked through them. A minor jolt seemed to work its way through his body as he passed into the shrine, but then he continued onward.

He stopped and looks over his shoulder at his followers. "This place reeks of the evil that imprisoned the Sleeper. It startled me … I hadn’t expected it to be so strong… Still we must continue on. It’s our only hope," he said. He continued through the strange pillars.

The rest of the party entered the strange forest and felt a foulness wash over them. They refused to succumb to it though, and followed Su-quan.

Su-quan finally stopped at the far end of the shrine where the party could see a circle of seven petrified pillars. "This is the summoning circle," Su-quan said. "It’s from here that we’ll be able to waken the Sleeper … if the directions given to me by Justiceseeker are correct."

"Each of you must stand next to a pillar and I must stand in the center of the circle. When I signal, we must all chant the phrase "Trithereon, god of vengence, god of summoning, god of retribution, awaken your sleeping servant so that he might once again work your will on this endangered land." Then you must touch the pillars, which will activate the summoning magic."

"Are we ready?" he asked.

The Blackrazors nodded. Falgar, Aaron, Kannett, Greggor and the others moved into position as Su-Quan began his ritual chant and ordered them to touch the pillars. They did so and felt a powerful, black, numbing magic drop over their minds. They could hear Su-quan cackling sinisterly and as their awareness of the real world faded, they were each certain of one thing: they had been betrayed.

Experience & Loot

  • No experience and/or loot is available for this saga.
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