REPORT
ON THE DEATH OF TSSEL AGTHYR, MAGE OF THE HOUSE OF GRANITE
Compiled
by Jazaar Vheln, 10/6/51.
Firstly, many apologies for the
lateness of this report. Untangling what happened in that cursed ruin
has been harder than you might have thought, especially given the
momentous events that were to follow, and the effects on our city.
However, as requested, I have managed to piece together a good idea
of the events that lead to the honoured mage, Tssel Agthyr, not only
losing her mortal life, but being converted into a corrupted shade. I
have also been able to determine that, despite public opinion to the
contrary, the “Heroes” of Lorehaven were not to blame, and that
her loss was the result of a horrific encounter with a corrupted and
potent enemy.
Events
Leading To The Fatal Encounter
The street battle of the 15th
day of Jhena, is now common knowledge throughout the city, and has
become something of a local legend. The fact that the Lorehavian
adventurer's were able to survive, let alone defeat the Vault Guard
of House Kythus has elevated them to the status of demigods in many
Kadashite eyes. However, this also forced House Kythus to organise a
meeting with the group – a meeting to which His most Blessed and
Wise Ladyship, Lord Ashana Na'Desha arrived, accompanied by her
silent guard and her personal protector, the Half-Giant G'Taal. With
the majordomo of the First House present, the northerners were
questioned, and it seems that their logic for their violent conduct
was only partly justified.
This only became more apparent when it
came to light that the group had based their opinion of House Kythus
(an opinion they had allowed to shape their actions) on an apparent
lie told by the majordomo of House Zaul – a known rival of Kythus.
This lead, it seems to an argument, in which the northerners failed
to show the appropriate deference to his Ladyship, and as such, left, telling the heads of the houses that they could sort their own
Dracane problem out.
This, I understand, lead to majorodomo
Ashana approaching the group some time later with the rune sequence
for an ancient (Pre Chaos) teleport circle, carved by an order of
lost Tammatulian magi, but still active. This happened on the night
of the 15th, and it is my understanding that the group
used the sequence early the next day.
Tssel's
Fall
Divinations would indicate that the
opening ritual proceeded without issue. However, the mage stronghold
to which the portal lead was suffused with the toxic radiations of an
apparently conterminous shadow dimension, which had, for reasons that
remain unclear, also began to resonate at the same planar harmonics
as the physical prime. This saw the group, including the late Tssel,
immediately put at risk of spiritual and physical corruption from
exposure to these raw, tenebrous energies.
It appears that there was some kind of
security system in place around the arrival chamber, which involved the activation of certain
arcane switches, and the manipulation of fields of force energy to
bypass. However, the party were stopped from trying to operate this
system by the arrival of a number of powerful, shadow creatures –
apparently the spiritual residue of the ancient mages that once dwelt
in the compound, and some of their victims. One particularly potent
creature – possibly a gestalt of fallen individuals – is also
divined to have manifested, its mere presence deleterious to
non-shadow lifeforms.
The group were forced to engage these
elusive foes in what seems to have been one of the most testing battles of
their long and brutal careers, and it seems that it was during this
manic battle that Tssel fell, her soul tainted by the unnatural
energies of shadow. It was this pollution of her soul that ultimately
lead to her rising shortly after as an undead shade.
As for the group, we know they left the
compound immediately after the battle to heal and plan. It seems they
were more than a little taken aback by the sheer deadliness of their
encounter, and that they wished to better arm themselves for any
subsequent encounters with the shadowed undead.
It was at this time that we were
informed of our sister's fall.
Conclusion
As I pen these words, we are unsure as
to what happened once the northerners returned. We do know that
terrible upheavals have shaken the ancient city, and that potent
magics have been unleashed there. We too have felt the echoes of this power, and wonder what we have done to deserve such horror.
We have no word at present as to
their whereabouts, or whether or not they have been successful in
slaying the Blue Lord. Divinations suggest that something more
terrible than even that venerable Dracane have awoken within the
shattered heart of ancient Tammatuli.
May Yana, Mistress of the Wastes
protect us. May Shaava guide us. May Orandiel grant us good fortune.
May Skren bless us with wealth.
