From the memoirs of Elisen of clan Adorjan, Haressa-tis and Lore Keeper
As I wandered back into Throal, I saw a very large troll wearing what looked like half a living crystal mine (Norg son of Morg, self titled Brother of Earth and Sky and self appointed Throalic privateer, Gauntlet) call for other adventurers that had encountered the Scourge in the middle of the Grand Bazaar. Unsurprisingly this was causing a rather large commotion and not just because of how loud they were being. They could recite an impressively long list of Scourge plots they had foiled, although from their telling "stomped on like an angry dyre" may be an apter description.
Together with them was a windling magician adding their own tales of the Scourge, who I eventually recognized as Zivilyn of clan Skyreader, master of most magician disciplines and master to the late Nib. I let them know of my own experience near Synevir (described in my
Songs of Passion), collected their own tales, including the rather alarming fact of a flying fortress controlled by the cult, and set to spread the warning as far an wide as I could.
It was thus a few weeks later before I found myself in Throal again, having lunch with friends (and hoping this would not be interrupted by a murder like it always happens in Sosanopa... what is wrong with that town?) when a dwarf decked up in fancy clothes and jewellery walked in an started buying rounds for everyone. A good way to get shanked in a back alley really.
For the future the others joining my table were:
- A'horangi Ha'hana Syrtis, t'skrang Monk, Bodyguard and investigator
- Azurea, troll Shadow and self accredited M.D. and S.O.A.P.
- Bloodbeat II Syrtys, t'skrang Necromancer and Weaponsmith
- Lazulin, troll Raider and Sun Herald
A non descript dwarf some of the others recognized approached us, claimed to be from the Eye of Throal, gave us an obviously fake name and aksed us to look into the sudden wealth of the generous dwarf now sitting at the bar. I made my way there and started chatting, they introduced themselves as Ralf and were rather unwilling to explain their source of wealth but mentioned they ran a shop near Skyreader Island, in a location that did not sound particularly promising for trade.
Azurea joined in asking if they wanted some bodyguards given how obvious they were being with their wealth, but Ralf pointed to a table informing us he was already covered. At the table sat two elves, a dwarf, and orc, and a human. They all had the look of journeyman adepts to them, the elves and the dwarf had bows nearby, the orc looked ready for a scrap, and the human had that supercilious air that magicians tend to get.
Given we weren't making any inroads talking, we figured checking out the shop was our next best bet and we set off. A few days later, when we were close to Kampung Gaja, we encountered a group of peasants that looked surprisingly like the bodyguards. We hailed them, they demanded a greeting ritual they themselves failed, and we joined them on the way to Skyreader.
Another couple of days of travel took us to Skyreader Island and we camped on the north shore of the Coil. During the night the "peasants" left the camp and we followed them at a distance, crossed the Coil and tracked them to a shack with a shop sign, which we assumed to be Ralf's shop.
Bloodbeat used one of her spells to let us spy inside, where the "peasants" were hanging around. Behind the shack was a walled yard which contained only some feeble grass and an outhouse secured with lock and chain. After some debating we decided to burst into the shop with A'horangi, Azurea, and I coming in from the yard, while Lazulin and Bloodbeat took the front.
Just as we were trying to keep them off balance to glean more information, Ralf walked in and ordered them to get rid of us. What followed was a short but brutal fight, Bloodbeat almost got taken out by one of the dwarf's arrows, the human Nethermancer scared me out of my wits and the others did some serious damage too before we turned the tables.
Ralf did not seem to really know what was going on, but A'horangi believed the one surviving elf was a Scourge cultist. Between them and a letter we found on the human's corpse we pieced together that the Scourge is "growing" severn pillars around the area to aid in a summoning ritual. Three were described as being hidden in a shop, inn, and brothel. At this point we were rather wary of what we could find in the outhouse, but it turned out to be a crtyal pillar that would produce coins every day and regrow from nothing every day. Eventually we realised that it fed on greed and got it to wither away by giving it coins instead of taking them.
The next stop was the brothel. I must confess I had never been in one before and I don't really understand what was going on. Insider there were several people grappling or cuddling, making noises that sounded like pain or whatever Juniper gets up to in the backrooms at his parties sometimes.
We were greeted by the owner of the place and a windling that acted about as aggressively eager for companionship as Aethryllia (Aethryllia Redwing, windling Beastmaster). When we informed the owner of what we were looking for they took us to the back, where a large pink crystal pillar sat. Once we explained in more detail all the workers were eager to get out and the patrons had no choice to leave too, at which point it looked like the pillar started withering.
We finally went to the inn where we found many grossly obese patrons gorging themselves on foodstuffs. Once again we talked to the owner, explained the situation, went over how sometimes deals really are just too good to be true, looked around for the pillar (which started withering once the patrons left) and went off to search for the supplier of suspiciously cheap meats the inn was using.
Luck was on our side as a courier was approaching the inn just as we left. Turns out the courier was also a cultist and had friends hiding in the bushes. It also turns out that we took them out with little trouble.
We returned to Throal to inform the Eye and Azurea reached to her purifier contacts to check on the three pillars and to search for the other four. I made sure to update Norg on yet another Scourge plot.