Session 27 - Black Swords

 The party approach the castle after Snowy Owls recon. As the guards call down to them, asking that they identify themselves Layton speaks up "I am Layton Tallfellow and we bring dire news for the speaker and he alone"

Very well the guards let them enter the building where they are confronted by a Tiefling in a long cloak, around their neck is a shard of black crystal and a short sword hangs lazily at his hip. He asks what is the news, and as they refuse to tell him he says very well I will get the speaker. 

He disappears into the building and as he returns to state that Layton should join him alone to speak to the speaker, as they enter the speakers office, a very large Tiefling is sitting behind a huge desk. He introduces himself as Kadroth and Layton explains he only has part of the message and needs his whole party much to the frustration of, who says very well and raises his large frame and joins everyone outside.  

As the enter the courtyard Kadroth is joined by another two more guards dressed identically to the first who stand behind him as he says well out with it....Layton stumbles over some words about a growing threat to the area, backed up by Nogok who says there is a dragon in the ice, and shows the map to Kadroth. Eventual Nogok gives up the ruse and says "Look, we have been told there is something bad going on here, and we came to investigate and report back to the other speakers who are mounting an offensive action against you" Kadroth considers this for a minute and then is interrupted by another of his companions who asks for a moment with him, he leaves and returns shortly.

When he returns he is far more friendly and says to the group, I have received word from our higher order that we are to seek an alliance with you, please come inside and let us talk this over. Before going inside Nogok and Throt ask to speak with Hurwar one of his order who recently joined.  As they wait snowball has snowy owl attack one of the order, and uses invisible mage hand to take the crystal pendant off his neck while he fights off the random owl attack, dragging the pendant under Throts foot.

Kadroth summons Hurwar and they are allowed to speak with him. The ask why he is there, what he is doing and he explains that he joined the order after almost dying in the wild, in his last moments he saw an image of Levistus the arch devil ruler of the 6th level of hell trapped in is frozen jail, who said to him that if he was to devote his life to servitude he would be spared death. He decided to do this and the image disappeared, in its spot was a glow under the snow which was the crystal pendant he now wears.  He says his mother must accept that her chick has flown the nest and move on with her life, he is now devoted to the order of the Black Swords and has found his place and his people. 

As they enter the common dining area, Kadroth expands more on how their soothsayer had a message from Levistus stating that he knew of their defeat of Duagar who also were seeking the Chardyn in Icewind Dale and  how Levistus believes that they serve Asmodeus the lord of the 9 hells and the jailer of Levistus. 

The party dont take well to the suggestion that they align with a demon, and Kadroth points at Nox and says it looks like some of you already are doing this, he then says they should speak with Heathyl the soothsayer, and has them taken to her quarters. 

They enter the room to see a very old lady with a peg leg sitting in a chair, who says as they enter "I have been dreading this moment for many years, but lets get this over with"

She tells them that the leader of the Duargar Xaradoc Sunblight is taking actions in his strong hold that will lead to him destroying all of Ten Towns unless they can stop him. She says that he has a forge powered by the still beating heard of a red dragon in there and using it to make Chardyn weapons. She looks them up and down and says she has foreseen her death at the end of this conversation, and that they should gain some more experience and test their mettle some more before trying to confront Xaradoc.  She suggests seeking out the crash site as a way to continue their journey to the day they will face Xaradoc. 

As she finishes she says "I will leave you now..my soul is going to hell I will likely see you there" and she closes her eyes and stops breathing old age taking her from her mortal coil. 

Some of the party head downstairs and some search the rooms around Heathyls room. Throt finds Kadroths chamber and sees a giant mirror taking up one wall, in a room filled with ornate fine furniture, a small cat sits on the floor and Throt picks it up and pets it, as servant comes into the room and asks them to leave. Throt holds the cat by its neck as he searches the room to an increasingly agitated servants displeasure before departing taking the cat with him. 

The next room contains a guard by the door, and a man in a nightgown squatting over a golden chamber pot who looks up red-faced (from embarrassment or maybe the effort of evacuation) and says "great timing" They determine this is the speaker and he is being kept under guard, and that Kadroth simply never stated he wasn't the speaker. The guard and Throt face off and the party leave the speaker to continue his work.

The party head downstairs and work out that Kadroth is not asking them to join the cult but instead would seek an alliance with them, aiding them where possible with additional soldiers etc. They agree and ask what he knows of the crash site, they show him the map again which is a dot with a line, the dot labelled as Bremen and he turns it the right way and adds in the other towns as reference points and directions to the crash site from Dougan's Hole.