Financial Investigations Options

[BBB]

I understand that the initial hands-on investigation into the issues relating to the manipulation of the Empire's finances was undertaken.

Unfortunately for reasons beyond my control I was unable to have one of my representatives in attendance.

I am keen to get this matter dealt with and would be grateful for a full report on what happened, what was learnt and what future action is required should the matter have not yet been resolved.

I would like to re-iterate my desire for a thoughtful and where possible diplomatic approach to a resolution, although the efficacy of such an approach my have been more or less a probability depending on what was achieved or learned.

I am therefore offering an additional day's pay, G3,000 bonus to someone for a written report.

Anath Hallfblack

[dhurrell]

I have already started writing one. It is on its way, yes..
Would you like it posted publicly here, or privately?

Okkram Sedeth
Arcane Advisor to the Swarm
Stadtus of Thimon

[Dave]

I will write up a report and then post about the diary of the man behind this.

There are items we need to acquire before we head out again, I have made a start.

I will post the list in the next couple of days.

Barry
101st Empress’ Own

[dhurrell]

Even better, I'll let the help do it.
Good good.

Okkram

[Dave]

Anath, Emilio and all others.

A number of us travelled on the 20th, we met in Halgar and teleported to a village called Eldon's Barrow.

Here we met all manner of creatures. Golems that could ward pact any artefact and it would kill you if struck.

An angel of Grull. This was fairly talkative and had dark spiritual power. To slay it a the end of beating it down, was destroying something of value in front of him. This angel explained that the god of grull has taken over this city, cast out other faiths and will look to expand through the Empire and seek to remove the Divine Empress from her throne of glass and create a thrown of gull.

At this point, I decided it sounded like an invasion, so i killed it.

This has all come from a man called Arthur Herring a man from the village who, by his own hand, is a talented mage and priest. He has seen the great wealth mercenaries now posses and has decided this needs to change and has made pacts to empower the grull to Godhood. He does not want ill will towards and we met him towards the end of the day. He wants mercenaries to go back to doing mercenary things and give back some of the wealth to the people of the land. He has met, Jez Blackheart, Sirac, Saladin and Karsh and has fought them on numerous occasions, but he now believes he has enough power to at least combat Jez.
This man is now the High Priest of Echoes of Remembrance, I wonder if others have met this faith?
I have his diary, which has mentions i will add below

He has 3 pacts bound to him self. I believe we have a plaque with one of these pacts on, which Clive / Rudolph has and can translate.

A page mentions Raziel, who has grear communication powers and has found his weakness. Someone can reach out to him?

Arthur can now call upon his faith, to effect a person not just a spell / miracle / thing they can do. Potent.

There is mention of six places of power. These were traded with Jez, Karsh, Saladin, Sirac... Possibly need to find out where these are?

His future plans;

The make a reality gate, this will allow the grull god to manifest, shatter the throne and recreate a throne in Deci, possibly causing harm to Deci as well.

These six places of power, reempower each other. The recent impact of places of power has not weakend this.
All six will need to be depowered at the same time.

The alters in his church make this so.

The places of power fuel his pacts, the pacts protect him, the alters protect the places of power.

This has caused the reality change to the busniess we own.

The 3 altars in his tenple.

The first is The Altar of Empowerment,

To break these, a suitable ritual will be perfmored, the better and more stylish the safer it is.

We will need

3x holy water
3x unholy water
1x cause diease
1x magical darkness
1x Virtulant posion that is focssued to kill altars made by a very good posion make (I have already found this and have 3 doses)

The second Altar is the Altar of Transcendence.

This has a warding around of Touch of Death that will forsee your destiny 3 times.

To destory the warding, a restore life will need to be cast, using the name, Ritual warding.
A total heal to counter the cause mortal
A darkness to stop the sprite darts
Blast it with fire, to prevent the tempest depths spell
There is also a hidden password, i believe in room what you must speak or will all reset.

To break the ritual, a teleport / shift that crosses planes has to be cast
A stoneskin (o) spell cast ((I have 2 scrolls of this already)
folled by 3x Lighting bolts
5 does of Acid (ritual powered)
a sweet dreams potion (I have 3 of these)

The third alter we did not investigate as did not find it.

The six places of power are hidden, out of phase and are untouchable (according to the book). A fail safe has been made to find them

This ritual will require,

a shard of clairvoyance
a vision salve
a farsee spell on a scroll.

Maybe we need a few of these made as unclear how often we will need to do this riutal.

This will have to be done on the tribal burial grounds where it all began in IM1019. If someone is good with their history, have a look into this?

There is mention of a ritual of unbinding that will syphon away the places of powers power, but won't work whilst the altars are working and no further information on the ritual.

i suggest we take a few weeks to gather the above items needed, to save power on the day as it was a hard and taxing day with many deaths.

I have leave from the legion on the 25th Febuar, I suggest this is a good time to meet.

I can open the pathway to the church to deal with the first two rituals.

Any questions, let me know.

Barry
101st Empress' Own

[dhurrell]

Excellent. A good, forward focused report, Barry.

The supernatural threat is considerable here. To learn from what we encountered that day, I advise that any participating in future missions to resolve this have a way to deal with the following:

- repeated use of unholy words, which incite those hearing it to lash out at whom they perceive the poorest person near them. The common theme to those affected seemed to be those who had not spent additional effort training themselves to be resistant to beyond the standard 5 stackable runes of power

- when in the presence of the rites, those who had not specialised in their Draconic or Divine guidance found it harder to access their power

- those who did not hold a promotional flyer for the Grull faith were more targeted with things, or unable to access locations without consequence

- adventurers should also have as much money or valuable items on them as possible. As well as needing to sacrifice them to destroy certain creatures, it also seemed to affect how hard certain things like statues would hit you

It seems time is of the essence, so 25 Februar sounds a sensible date to aim for, yes. Alas, my council duties have me tied up until March but I will assist if I can if there's a third outing.

Okkram

[RichFromant]

Hello Everybody!

I went and visited Mr Barry while he was in Halgar this week and got the diary book thing. I gone through the list above and can cast the spells needed.
I have also asked everyone if they heard of Arthur and what they remember of him.

The book does mention the 6 places of power we may have to go to at some point, they are:

Ebony Dragon provided the first
Decay and Suffering, autumn at its worst, is to Gia. Bought this one from Karsh
Spirits of light, in particular and Angle Sophia of war and retribution
Arts of the Mind
Brown Mana Dragon, taken from the Broken Lands
Ishmaic Ancestors, used to summon spirits of harm

So lots of danger ahead!

626

[Helsvell]

I believe I have some relevant information here. I first met Arthur in IM1019 when I travelled with the tribes of the Totemic Guardians, we entered in the burial grounds of the Blacktooth Orcs. This is a sacred place to the tribals and there is usually a cohort of shaman and followers tending to their eternal rest. The tunnels and burial grounds were quite extensive but there was a strong place of potency where the ley lines came together deep within the tomb - a perfect place to perform a ritual.

Regards,

Raziel
Knowledge

[Dave]

Raziel,

Im sure there is something in the book about a tribal burial ground and ‘where it all started’ mentioned. This is hopefully the place.

Now I just have to get there without incident…

Barry
101st Empress’ Own

[Netheril]

We greet.

We provided the following information to the Inquisition some months ago. We are unsure if anything useful herein but worth sharing.

We are Hive

….

We Greet.

To keep this brief and to the point, the most important purpose of this missive is that it is our strongly held recommendation the group known as the Echoes of Remembrance, and their leader Arthur Herring, be immediately proscribed, and all mercenaries be informed that to aid this group will have severe repercussions.

Now for the longer version:

We had a rather disturbing day yesterday. We found ourselves cast seven years into the...into a future. We know not how, it was certainly not a willing meddling in temporal matters by us. Our Hive does not see time as linear, but this was an overwhelming reality we were left with no option but to engage with.

It was a most disturbing vision of the future. The Empress was slain, Halgar destroyed, and Arthur Herring ruled as the new Emperor. Almost all faiths were either destroyed or rendered insignificant. Almost all worshipped Grull, a divine being embodying wealth, commerce, prosperity, etc.

The throne of glass was shattered, and replaced by the throne of grulls. It was a truly bleak future, that must not be allowed to come to pass.

We would be inclined to write the entire experience off as having partaken of a particularly bad batch of ale. Apart from the fact our Hive makes nothing but the very best of Ales, and a full company of potent mercenaries shared this experience.

Perhaps more concerningly, the history we uncovered tallied with things that seemingly have been occuring in our lands.

Since IM 1019 this group known as the echoes of remembrance have been acquiring sites of power. Firstly in the Broken Lands and othersuch out of the way places, but they have by now likely acquired many such sites, usually with mercenary compliance. I believe their leader, Arthur Herring, has even caused Lord Jesiah Blackheart to think twice about engaging, as he is extremely potent and difficult to kill. So making a deal with him has perhaps seemed the best choice for many mercenaries.

They are also behind the recent problems mercenaries have felt, with their side businesses often encountering unexpected financial difficulties.

But perhaps unsurprisingly, allowing a group such as this to continue acquiring sites of power, and continue pursuing their own goals, would seem entirely inadvisable, no matter whether this vision of the future is to be trusted. We also have knowledge of various dates and moments of importance that we can share, with regard to what may happen in the next 7 years. But we do not wish to get bogged down in discussions of the vagaries of temporal matters, and what will / could / should happen in the future. Our concern is simply that in this present, there is a group that we have reason to believe represent a danger, and should be dealt with accordingly until they can prove otherwise.

Below is a transcript of a scroll found hidden away, listing one of the key moments yet to come, that led to the fall of Halgar. We would mention this scroll is now in the possession of one (redacted), who seemed perhaps a little too interested in how Halgar might fall.

We are Hive

*transcript follows*

The Halgar Inner City defenses were not as impenetrable as they thought.
Using a gateway to literally redefine reality, we were able to summon our Lord Grull inside the defenses and thus circumnavigate them entirely.
The Reality Gate, as we have called it, took years to develop and construct. Using places of power, enormous wealth and power, it stood as our finest achievement.
Now the gateway has done its work, it has been dismantled. The pieces still hold considerable power so some have been used in other rites, while others have been sold off with the monies given in tribute to Grull.
Where it was originally used in the far north, is now a point of signifcant primal instability, just at the point of collapse. We have warded the location from scrying and left it alone for now. Perhaps one day we will decide to invest effort in strengthening it once more, perhaps not.

[BenG]

Fellow mercenaries.

I have had the chance to look at the tablet found on our last outing.

It is a pact between Arthur Herring and the Ivory Dragon.

It reads verbatim:

"Arthur Herring enacts this pact with the ivory dragon

Let the circl of three be formed."

Yes, I'm aware that circl seems to be missing an "e" but that's what it says.

The other name that we found and that was used to negate one of the creatures we faced was Adakus I believe, I have the scroll at home and will confirm

Rudolph.

[BenG]

I have secured 6 doses of unholy water and 4 scrolls of cause disease for this endeavour.

I can also cast a darkness if needed but limited to twice a day.

If anyone can source scrolls, that would be good as I am not available now until we venture out next.

Rudolph

[BenG]

Comrades

I have received word from contacts around the cult we are pursuing.

The note I received stated:

"You would be well served by Dispelling magics, through whatever device and that Jade spell that helps against your body being made weak is a firm favourite in the Top Secret mess halls."

Can anyone help in these regards?

Rudolph

[RichFromant]

Hello Mr Rudolph

I can do dispelling magics! Only the normal ones but happy to cast them to help out. No Jade magics from me, can't do anything from the baby dragons.

626

[Dave]

Rudolph,

Good to know.

I don't believe we have any one coming who can cast Jade magics.

Six should be able to cover the dispels.....

I have acquired a few 'trash' scrolls and lembas.

I advise in the morning we get a little 10,000 grull pack ready incase meet one of those creatures

I also have some lembas to stomp on for those angels.

Here is a list of what I am currently brining for rituals / killing things

Killing things:

1 x Cure Serious - 600grulls
2x Prot - 1800grulls
2x Temp Bless - 1200grulls
2x Dismiss Zombie - 600 grulls
1x Unseen Servant - 800 grulls
2x Rope Trick - 1200 grulls
1xChameleon (S) - 600 grulls

Rituals:

3x Holy water
3x Farsee Scrolls
3 doses of altar killing posion made by an expert posioner
2x Stoneskin scroll
3 x lighting bolt scrolls
12 doses of acid

We will need others like darkness and fire magics, but these are less taxing!

Barry
101st Empress' Own

[BBB]

Barry,

Thank you for the comprehensive report and your other efforts, as well as all those who travelled. In the likely absence of myself or one of my representatives I will have a courier deliver a 5,000G bonus for the information.

What other magical scrolls do you require, I may have some in stock that I can supply.

Anath Halfblack

[Dave]

Hello Anath,

It seems we may require dispelling magics, so any of them would be helpful. We currently
Don’t have anyone capable of casting Jade magics.


Also there are numerous creatures where need things of value destroyed infront of them and one creature who required 10,000 grulls before it could be slain.

If you happen to have, scrolls that no seems to want lying around, we could make use.

Barry
101st Empress’ Own

Barry,

Thank you for the comprehensive report and your other efforts, as well as all those who travelled. In the likely absence of myself or one of my representatives I will have a courier deliver a 5,000G bonus for the information.

What other magical scrolls do you require, I may have some in stock that I can supply.

Anath Halfblack

[Onasuma]

If any of you are struggling for money to carry, I am willing to loan you cash for 5% interest if returned on the same day (thats 500 grulls, for every 10,000 you borrow).

Emrie

[AndrewBucknell]

I appear to have managed to resolve my diary issues and will be available to travel with you to sort out this preposterous assault on our fair empire.

Count Loxley

(For BB help, if you accept my mark which confers no disbenefits at all nor reversing effects, (:-)) I will cast the following rituals affecting all my allies-
walk through fire and cold, walk through water, immune to disease, rot, decay and destruction.
I always know where you are (unless immune to all comms) and can cast discerns on you wherever you are (same disclaimer)

I can also cast if we need it protection from environmental effects and from ritual strikes. (first moveable second fixed area) This also ONLY affects my allies.

I also cast a ritual that makes you believe that I am the least threatening thing present so please attack someone else first if someone else is visible. (immune to befriend AND emotion attacks from T3 required to be immune)

[BBB]

It has been brought to my attention that the artefact markets of Deci, and indeed the North, all seem to be struggling to get decent artefacts. It seems as soon as anything comes on the market it is getting purchased by people.

Divinations are somewhat unclear on the cause, not exactly a surprise in such matters but my agents indicate that it seems highly likely some source of non-primal wealth is responsible as none of the obvious people or parties seem to be involved.

I am uncertain if this is connected to the problems caused by Arthur Herring, the non-primal flow of funds would suggest otherwise, but I would ask those investigating this matter to keep an ear to the ground and be aware that there is something brewing.

I am, of course, willing to offer fiscal renumeration for any solid leads as to the unusual cause of the markets being snapped up so.

Sire Halfblack