User:Eosin/The Lost

Adventure » Eosin/The Lost
A little something I thought of in the wee hours of the morning. I would appreciate your comments.
The Lost:
Velanna, an ancient servant of Azrai, was freed by the Vos cult that has come to Osoerde. She had languished within the Spiritsend swamp for centuries, imprisoned there by Vorynn.
Kriesha has begun to fear that soon Prince Raesene will begin his apotheosis and she seeks to thwart his rise as she did centuries ago at Deismaar. The Winter Queen cannot fathom Prince Raesene?s plans, but she knows that they involve the lands of Anuire where her power is the weakest. For over a decade she has maneuvered men and women into position to stymie the Gorgon but now her plans have begun to take a life of their own.
Her plan began with Hurthang the Cold, a Vos priest of Belinik. A servant of the lord of terror, Hurthang challenged an incompetent warrior for leadership of their tribe. He was defeated in combat by the chieftain who was under Kriesha's grace. Hurthang proved himself canny enough to escape and took a relic of the Ice Lady?s priesthood, called the Fang of Kriesha. The priestesses were scorned by those who knew of their failure. The temple was torn apart and the priestesses given no better than they deserved for their failure.
The torture destroyed all of the priestesses except for one, Nadia Vasily. Nadia endured the trials and became stronger for them. Her only chance to survive in a land governed by the Vos was to retrieve the Fang. Limping and with child she fled her temple in the coldest of the winter months to prove her strength to her sisters and to her goddess.
When Nadia arrived in Anuire, Hurthang had already been defeated and the dagger was in possession of the Duke of Osoerde. Knowing that she could not face such a powerful noble on his home ground without some preparation she began to establish a base of power to strike from. She searched for allies and pawns. To her mind, fortune?s cool wind was with her, within Osoerde a small cult to Belinik had begun to flourish and with their help she was able to engineer the elderly Dukes untimely demise.
Nadia had retrieved the Fang of Krieshia and thought to leave the soft lands of Anuire behind her. However, the leader of the Vos Cult in Osoerde still had need of the young priestess. Using the power of the Fang, the two of them were able to free what they believed to be one of Beliniks powerful servants. The servant was brought back to Moriel, but even the two priests were unable to hold it long. Velanna had escaped. The priest and priestess never really understood what Velanna was.
Awake after centuries of imprisonment, Velanna sought time to regain her power and to discover the whereabouts of Garos, one of the Lost and her love. She watched the college of sorcery and those who studied magic within this realm of Anuire, eventually discovering a Secret College of Necromancy. Soon she was inducted to the organization and found her way into an apprenticeship with the man who would become known as the Eyeless One. Within months he was hers, body and soul, bound by a magic he could not fathom.
With the Eyeless One secure, she assumed the guise of the Swordmage and managed to get introduced within the court of Ghoere. Gavin Tael quickly recognized the aptitude in the young wizardess and took her as a court mage, believing that one day soon she would be a powerful, but she was yet pliable with youth. For Velanna, a better patron could not be found. The Baron of Ghoere was confident in his prowess and experience, unable to fathom that beneath the costume of the Swordmage was a being that could strike fear into the hearts of all men.
Velanna believes that Garos could not have been killed but most likely was imprisoned as she was. Over the last few years she has searched for clues to his location, once she unites with her mentor and lover, the two of them will forge an empire to last an eternity.
PLANS:
Much more would go into this before play and of course it would need to be altered as the players interacted with the plot.
Month 1
The Eyeless One now believes that the key to finding Garos may lie within the OIT?s vaults.
Month 3
Someone is looking to hire a powerful thief in Endier or in the Imperial City. Some leakage of info but not likely to mean anything.
Month 5
The OIT vaults are invaded. Several books missing ?

A few spellbooks from before Diesmaar (Velanna & Garos?s) ? DC KS: Arcana 25

A book on the Lost

The transcript of the trial of Fitzlan (red herring)

And a book that discusses papal succession (red herring)

Powerful magic?s were used to disable the protections of the church but Hermedhie feels none of it (Scry DC 28, reveals that there is nothing to find.)

Month 6
Caine is killed by the combined might of the Swordmage and the Eyeless one. Rhuobhe Manslayer holds back after meeting with Velanna, who he knew pre-Deismaar. She has promised him most of the source from Touren and Alamie (hopefully, Caine is not a PC) (If Hermedhie investigates Scry DC 15 reveals same non-magic of OIT).
Thieves are found in the Maesil.
Rhuobe not fooled by Velanna. If he is cordial with Ailies he will warn him of ?a long dead enemy of the land has returned after being lost in the depths of time.? Similar warning to may go to Isaelie if they are cordial.
Month 7
Velanna believes that Garos is imprisoned within Lake Winoene in Mhoried and that to free him she must drain it of water.
Month 8
Mikal the White starts to collect the sources of Touren.
Month 9
Nadia brought back into picture as the head of a Cult. They establish a 0 level holding in Winoene.
Famous Siege Company hired to do work in the north.
Month 10
Mikal the White asks Regien for help, promises to share sources. Mikal really member of the Secret College of Necromancy and working for Valanna/Eyeless One. This is a trap to defeat Regien and remove him from the equation.
Month 12
The Five Peaks mass armies and hold. They protect Winoene province.
Ghoere (now dominated) comes into Mhoried. To draw his troops away from Lake Winoene.
The draining of the lake commences.
Month 13
The Gorgon tries to invade Mhoried, driving for Winoene but his troops cannot realistically make it in time. His force is not that big ? he only discovered the danger recently. His army will defeat the Five Peaks if they have not been dealt with already. Both armies suffer great losses.
Month 16
Lake drained (Velanna made a mistake, if the lake is drained it will destroy Garos forever. See Watery Prision from Monte Cook's Book of Hallowed Might).
Written by Eosin for BR.net.