Back at the Wise Piper: After the Blood Vow

Master Wong sits around a table with the rest of the party inside the Wise Piper, having returned from their adventure in the Blood Vow caves.

"Mal, this land of Galt, I have heard it is a place of much unrest. What was your life like there, and how did you come to leave?  Chad, what of your life in the woods?  You seem to love them. Why have you left them?  What about the rest of you? How did you come to be here?"

Wong goes on to tell you some about his own background.

“I was born in the Empire of Dawn, Minkai, in Tien Xia.I was raised in the capital, Kasai.  My mother was a favored geisha in the Kiniro Kyomai Teahouse.  My childhood was . . . colorful.  I was able to escape my lessons as often as not, and regularly ran the streets with children of less fortunate birth.  Running the rooftops of Kasai and bluffing my way out of trouble when caught came naturally to me.  Quite frankly, I found them more interesting than the noble whelps alongside whom my formal education put me.  Given my mother’s elevated social status, she was able to make certain arrangements regarding my education.  In hindsight I was a trying student.  Geography, noble lines, worldly religions, these things were of little interest to me.  Arcane arts and devices . . . magic . . . that was something else altogether.  As were the stories surrounding magical creatures.”
 

Wong frowns. “The son of Lord Phuk found it entertaining to dub me the “Son of a Thousand Lords”, given my mother’s profession.  Arrangements were made, and Phuk Yu found that provoking me was more trouble than it was worth.  At that point, my presence alongside the nobility was deemed more trouble than it was worth.”  Wong shrugs.  “My education was taken over by Master Chou, a scholar and arcane master in the household of Amara Li.  While Master Chou is a bit limited in his vision, he is a brilliant technical practitioner of the Arts.  Under his tutelage, my discipline saw some increase, as did my knowledge of a number of languages and magical theory.”

Wong looks thoughtfully across the table. "We travelled to your lands with the Ho Jin Tapestry, which was won by the Pathfinder Society in a grand tournament. We stayed for about a year.   Just as I found that my education was becoming interesting, my people prepared to return home.  Master Chou made arrangements for me to remain in Absalom, and study under a Master Dreng. Dreng, in turn, tasked me with getting information about the book we have all discussed previously.   And now I find myself here." Wong grins. "Life is interesting. I could not ask for more, at this point. What about yourselves? What do all of you seek?"

Don't know nothin' bout history....

As you may recall, you visited the old gnome, Bassy.  She indicated that before her grandaughter left town she had been working on a brief history of Belhaim for school.  You saw the document.  I have provided it here for your reference. 

The Dragon Plague years were quite eventful for 

northern Taldor. During the years between 3660

and 3672 AR, the region endured an explosion of

violent and bloody depredations by no fewer than three

dozen different dragons. Among those affected by the

attacks was a young woman named Tula Belhaim, who

lost her family when a black dragon named Aeteperax

destroyed her hometown of Nazilli on the southern edge

of the Verduran Forest. She would go on to become a

great hero, and the mercenary company she founded­

the Slayers of Nazilli-defeated more dragons than any

other group in those days. Her final triumph was slaying

Aeteperax in the heart of a swampland deep in the part of

the Verduran Forest known today as Dragonfen. 

For her service, the Taldan emperor awarded Tula the

title of Baroness and the stewardship of the Verduran Fork

region, including all of Dragonfen. Her legions of admirers

soon founded a town bearing her name, its buildings built

of limestone quarried nearby. In 3676 AR, as Belhaim was

still finding its place in the world, a band of lroran priests

presented themselves before the Baroness of Belhaim and

asked her permission to build a monastery east of the town,

overlooking Dragonfen. Lady Tula graciously granted their

wish, and soon thereafter, the monks built a fine monastery

on the far side of the swamp.

The Iroran sect grew and prospered in this setting along

with Belhaim, and over the years developed strong ties to

the town. Lady Tula eventually married one of her fellow

Slayers, Arturic Canteclure, and built a castle atop one of the

town's hills. The couple had four children, but each one died

of accident or misadventure before the age of 9, leaving the

new barony with no heirs. Tula and Arturic's relationship

grew strained as the baroness grew morbid and obsessed

with building a grand tomb for herself and her family. As

she and her husband grew apart, Tula amended her will to

have Arturic buried in a separate part of the tomb, rather

than alongside her.

When they died, rule of Belhaim fell to distant relations of Arturic's, the Canteclures. In 4500 AR, Baron Sarvo Canteclure, a vicious lord who imprisoned subjects for the slightest infraction,

joined an ill-advised rebellion against the Grand Prince,

and his family and the castle were destroyed in retaliation.

Upheaval was not limited to the town of Belhaim that

year, though. A month prior to the razing of Castle Tula,

afterward referred to superstitiously as the Witch Tower,

the monks of the Monastery of Saint Kyerixus vanished

mysteriously and their home fell into ruin.

Back in Belhaim, a man named Sir Arkold Devy was

awarded the Barony of Belhaim for his role in helping to put

down the seditious Canteclures. His descendants have ruled

for the past 2 centuries. During this time, a few memorable

events touched the region-most notably the earthquake

that left the town relatively unharmed, but caused the town's

quarry to flood. With access to the quarry's fine limestone

lost, Belhairn's fortunes slowly receded. 

Residents of Belhaim have repeatedly put forth plans

to have Dragonfen drained in order to salvage the land

for agricultural use and to reveal potential new quarry

sites. Yet again and again, these notions were discarded as being

far too daunting and expensive. Belhaim seems

destined to be nothing more than a sleepy backwater of

the dying Taldan Empire.

Blood (Vow) Money

"Well, here is what we recovered from the Blood Vow tribe adventure.  It includes the reward that was promised by the Baroness for dealing with the kobolds, assuming she accepts a peaceful resolution with Nighttail. Also the 200 gold for the return of the milkmaid."






Baroness- 12 gems worth 100 gp each
Milkmaid- 200 gp
Trinkets created by the slaves/prisoners
Phylactery of Faithfulness
Holy Symbol of the Kobold Priest
Masterwork Quarterstaff
Cloak of Resistance +1
Chainmail
Kobold eggs! (we will leave those in place, unless Nighttail wants to do something else with them)
A chest (with key) containing . . . 
  1,895 gp
  Six large dragon scales (five green, one black)
  Wand of Web (5 charges)
  Cloak of Fangs
  Dagger

"The phylactery allows one to commune with their God, to see if ones actions are in keeping with their God's wishes.  It is fairly expensive, but useful.  I have not yet identified the faith represented by the holy symbol taken off of the kobold priest.  The first cloak aids in fighting off a number of dark conditions, including evil magics and poisons.  The second cloak is mooost interesting, allowing ones mouth to enlarge with ferocious teeth, to bite ones foes in battle.  The eggs, obviously, seem to be of great interest to Nighttail as the future of his people."

"So far no one has officially claimed any of the loot to keep permanently.  The wand is of some use, and  I would like to take it for further study and use.  I assume otherwise anything not desired should be sold for gold to be split among all of us for spending as each sees fit."

"Some traditional expenses include more adventuring gear, whores, and ale, though I am not sure of the availability of the latter in the local village."  Master Wong beams.  "Ah, if I could show you the sights of the Empire of Dawn! The Kiniro Kyomai Teahouse in Minkai would provide earthly joys beyond your imaginings.  Alas, we shall have to make due until such a time as fortune smiles upon us."

Who is this mysterious druid?

How did Heshen come to choose us for this mission? What do we know about him?

Speaking for myself, I came with a group of soldiers from Galt into the woods on a mission that was not fully explained to me. When we found the remains of a caravan and some survivors, my commanding officer interrogated someone, then ordered me to murder some people in cold blood.

When I refused, I was betrayed and attacked, and would have been killed but for Heshen's aid.

He saved my life, and then taught me a great deal about myself over the next few months.

He has asked me to find this book, and I do so out of gratitude and loyalty to him.

Good King Nighttail

The party stands amidst the ruins of the reign of the previous leader of the Blood Vow tribe.  The smell of burned flesh and smoke still lingers in the hot, muggy cave.  The chest of loot lies on the floor, the lid flipped back to enable examination of the contents.  Nighttail sits atop faithful Hak, looking about the cave.

Master Wong says, "So, Nighttail.  Mmm, there does not seem to be much of a tribe left to rule, true?  Are their other members of the Bloodvow tribe that might be hidden away somewhere, that we need to worry about? How are you sure they will accept your rule?  We will not always be here to ensure they are not causing you trouble." 

At this point Wong turns and looks directly into the eyes of Nighttail, who, mounted, is at eye level with most of the party for a change.  "Also, they must not trouble the humans of this area.  There have been attacks on them, on the tower near their village.  This must not happen again.  Or we cannot guarantee the survival of what remains of the Blood Vow tribe."  Wong give a slight bow to Nighttail.  "You have told us that you can ensure that this will not be a problem, as their new leader.  Can you perhaps also let us speak with some of them, to find out why they toppled the tower? Who forced or paid them to do such a thing?"