Session #23 - What the party has learned

The party gathered up the treasure, returned via portal ritual to Fort Aralan, met with Sihirbaz and Nadarr. They learned what follows (what I read aloud at the end of the game session):

When Merdosh was possessed by the spirit of Trakas, their minds became one. From that Merdosh learned much about the life of his long-dead look-alike. And while the party was on its journey to recover the Crown of Trakas, Nadarr scoured through The Capturing Orb, looking for details about Trakas. From those two sources, the following things are known.

Early Life:Trakas was a dragonborn, born to peasant Red-Scale, in the south-east, along the sea (in our terms, on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico). His appearance was unusual, mostly black scales, but with areas of red on his head, shoulders, and hands. He might have been an outcast, but for his obvious strength, charm, and natural leadership abilities. He joined the Vutha Army, and excelled as a soldier.

Trakas was admitted to an elite order of knights, called the Daron.

Servant of the Dark Queen:Soon after his admission to The Daron, the Vutha kingdom entered an alliance with a tribe of kobolds from the other side of the gulf (Mexico). The kobolds were followers of Tiamat, rather than Buhamat. This was distasteful to many, but religion was unimportant to most Dragonborn. The wars were going badly, and the kobolds brought powerful magic with them.

Soon Trakas embraced the kobold religion. “The Dark Queen” rewarded those who took action. Coddling weaklings benefitted no one. The strong should be unshackled and allowed to rule! Those who fell behind had no one to blame but themselves. Dragonborn are meant to rule over the other reptilian races. Most of all, there can be no peace with “monkey men”.

Over a period of just a few years, the religion of Buhamat fell out of favor. Vutha society became strong and orderly. Trakas achieved high rank in the Vutha military. His valor became legendary. His leadership brought many great victories in battle. The kobold priesthood viewed his multi-tone scales as a sign that he had been granted special gifts by Tiamat herself.

King of the Achuak:The smallest and weakest of the Bahumati kingdoms was the Achuak (“Green”) – a small kingdom, bordered by Dwarves to the east, and surrounded by humans and elves on all sides. (This is the “Great Lakes” region.)

The kings of Vutha and Auchak were cousins. The northern king, Tinash, asked his cousin to send him military aid. In response, the prize warrior Trakas, and a small army were dispatched northward.

Under Trakas leadership, the Auchak gained the upper hand in their border wars. Tinash was pleased. He wanted to press his advantage to force his demi-human neighbors into a treaty favorable to his country. Trakas refused to negotiate. Dragonborn must dominate, not negotiate! Tinash died a mysterious death, some say murdered by Trakas. There was no heir to the crown, so the warlord Trakas assumed the throne. No one could challenge him, with his kobold and Daron allies ready to repress any dissent.

The Empire at its height:As the Auchak kingdom rose to dominate its region, and so did the other 4 realms within the Bahumati empire. All had become dominated by Tiamat worshippers, the kobold priesthood, and the Order of the Daron.

The Charir (Red) kingdom was centered in great tall mountains, far to the west. This was the oldest, largest, and most powerful. The Charir capital was the seat of the empire. The other kingdoms usually bent to the will of the Charir.

South of these mountains was desert region, the home of the Ulhar (Blue) kingdom.

In the south-east (the area nearest to Fort Aralan), the Dragonborn kingdom was the Vutha (black).

North of the Charir kingdom, in a region much colder, was the Aussir (White).

The Great Plague:One factor in Trakas’s military success in Auchak was a mysterious illness that sweot through the demi-humans. As thousands fell to the plaque, they could no longer mount an effective defense against the Dragonborn advances.

But this advantage soon turned into a problem. The affliction began to affect Dragonborn as well. It spread rapidly, and soon Trakas’s kingdom was on its knees.

Death, Undeath, and a plan to return:In response to the plague, the Daron and the kobold priesthood devised a plan. The priesthood would use necromancy to curse landmarks and strategic sites with undead. This would prevent their fall into demi-human hands.

Key leaders across the empire would be placed under spells that would preserve their spirits in a state of undeath. At some future date, a suitable host would appear. The spirit would possess this host, and thereby return to life.