Episode 9

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A Funeral - The Drunken Tower - The Viridian Sanctum - The Griffon and the Bear - The Ghosts Return

Episode 9 - A Funeral for a Friend

  • Carver's funeral procession departs the temple and proceeds on a circuit of the town.
  • Citizens line the streets to bid him farewell.
  • For obvious reasons, it is a closed casket funeral.
  • The procession leaves the city to a stretch of ground outside where River is waiting.
  • Weaving his essence about him, River throws up an impressive mausoleum in a matter of minutes.
  • Its interior is covered in friezes detailing Carver's feats from the two weeks in which River knew him.
  • The mourners then proceed to the Immaculate Conception's tent where a performance of Carver's deeds will be enacted.
  • The performance celebrates the triumph and tragedy of the exalts.
  • Carver is made out to be way more awesome than he was.


  • Dragonlord Tepet gives a training manual to the leaders of the militia.
  • It's extremely useful and will do them well in the future.
  • After the funeral she leaves for the encampment.


  • Aldbur would like to know about the place of power that River investigated.
  • The Eastern Green Dragon was actually a big ol' spirit dragon.
  • The dragon was also pretty chill apparently.
  • There was a huge cavern under the tower which the dragon guarded full of leylines.
  • There were also a number of totems and their attendant spirits.
  • The totems controlled subsidiary functions of a massive manse in the Glen of the Viridian Rivers.
  • This manse is known as the Viridian Sanctum.
  • Aldbur may know something about this...


  • Aldbur leads the group down to the basement of the temple.
  • He hasn't been down here in eleven years.
  • In an inconspicuous storeroom is a hidden door.
  • Beyond is a corridor descending into the earth under the town square.
  • Lit torches line the way.
  • They are 100% magical as there is no way they've been burning like this for at least eleven years.
  • This place is older than anyone has ever seen.
  • There are a set of doors at the bottom.
  • Everyone knows River made this.
  • But he's never been down here...


  • In the inner chamber is a raised dais of yellow jade with other magical materials describing glyphs on the floor.
  • Each glyph corresponds to a caste for Solars, Lunars, or Dragonbloods.
  • There are five groupings - a full circle required to proceed.
  • Aldbur's circle was broken before they got to this spot so they could go no further.
  • We are also missing a member (as the Dragonlord is at her encampment and Aldbur doubles up with Oboreta).
    • River: "The Dragonlord will provide the missing link."
    • Aldbur: "But she is not exalted."
    • River: (pointing at the eclipse glyph) "She's that one."
  • Aldbur is not sure she is friendly toward exalts.
  • River sends an infallible messenger to tell her we're on our way to see here (it is nearly midnight).
  • The group leaves for the mercenary encampment.


  • As the exalts approach the river gate, there is an explosion of golden light from the plain beyond.
  • A massive golden griffon roars into the night, then snaps out of existence.
  • As the group rushes forward, they see several of the disease spirits winking out of existence, the body of Dragonlord Tepet, and a mysterious stranger.
  • Did she ded?
  • She is kill.
  • Luckily the replacement is standing right there.


  • As the Dragonlord was riding toward the city a hundred or so disease spirits materialised to ambush her.
  • The mysterious stranger ran from the gate to help her out but it was too late.
  • The Dragonlord was clawed to death by the mob which then dematerialised and escaped back to the city.


  • The stranger is Bear, an older barbarian from the north.
  • He's a traveler and explorer and he came to the Glen for shelter during calibration.
  • That's not the whole truth though.
  • While he looks like the stereotypical boorish barbarian, he is far more calculating and conniving than he appears.
  • Suspicions abound.
  • Casimir and several of the Pale Horse ride up.
    • Casimir: "What in the blue arse shit fuck just happened?"
  • I guess he's the leader now.
  • Casimir proceeds to get a bit drunk on power.


  • Aldbur is a bit put out by the fact that he will now never find out what's inside the Viridian Sanctum.
  • Nevertheless he gets on with the business of protecting his people.
  • He presumes that the ghosts will attack some time during the feast when people are vulnerable (ie. the exalts aren't around).
  • Thus he asks us all to stay near the town hall so that we can be there at a moment's notice.


  • In the morning, Wren goes to talk to Sacred Dolphin about the threat posed by the Hooded Man.
  • Everyone in the Guild house is currently running around because Sacred Dolphin was found dead.
  • He was shot by an arrow that looks suspiciously like the ones Wind Follower uses.
  • The killer came in through the shutters which were left ajar.
  • Wren questions those present and concludes that it wasn't any of them.
  • He enacts Dolphin's succession plan and goes to investigate the murder.


  • Wren: "Wind Follower, Did you kill Sacred Dolphin?"
  • Wind Follower: "No."
  • Wren: "Thought not."


  • As Wren and Wind Follower go to retrace the route the killer took, there are screams from the town hall.
  • Everyone rushes over to find that the spirits have appeared again.
  • They're killing the guards who are valiantly fighting back (but losing).
  • Bear screams into action hewing about himself with axes.
  • He begins to glow with golden light.
  • Perhaps we'll be able to open the Sanctum after all.
  • Oboreta dives in over Bear's head and wipes out another chunk of spirits.
  • Wind Follower's accurate arrows annihilate the apparitions.
  • Wren, spear in hand, methodically cuts down spirit after spirit.
  • Bear finishes off the last of the diseased wretches.
  • River makes it to the doors just in time for it to be all over.
  • I guess that's the spirit problem sorted.
  • But it was way too easy.
  • There's something more at play here.


  • The spirits attacked from a sewer entrance.
  • The assassin also came from a (different) sewer entrance.
  • Probably a coincidence.


  • The city battens down the hatches in preparation for calibration.
  • We'll have another crack at the sanctum first.
  • But that is a story for another time.