Chapter 4: The Marble Throne

This is a continuation of the King Thadar's Catacombs Campaign (Chapter 3: Lady of the Stars).

Summary: At this point in the campaign you've likely succeeded in preventing Lady Ilka's assassination or failed spectacularly. If you've succeeded then the Eloszor army will march on Városa and catch the Green's between hammer and anvil. And more, if your map of Kerthaz makes it to the Blues, the loss at Városa and Kerthaz will deal the Greens such a blow that they are unlikely to recover.

However, if you've failed then Városa remains besieged and the Eloszor refuse to march into the valley, but there's still a chance. If Kerthaz can be breached quickly, then the Városa army is free to return to the city and break the siege.

For now, we will assume you succeeded because even if you failed, Chapter 4 still provides an interesting alternative...

The Lady's Errand: Lady Ilka is grateful for your role in thwarting the assassin. What comes next, she tells you, is the final demise of the Greens and opposition in the valley. Soon it will be time to set sights northwards. She allows you leave and join the Eloszor either on the march to Városa or to the armies besieging Kerthaz, and assures you, she will honor Lord Gabriel's offer, but she also offers an alternative. Pass beyond Kerthaz to Fenyovar, the furthest northern fief in Vale.

She confides in you that Vàrosa, long a neutral state, risked war for one reason, the powerful Vadas family has nearly consolidated the whole of northern Kelet and the balance of power is shifting. Lady Ilka is a strong ally and friend of the Queen, the matriarch of the Veres family and brother to the lord of Városa. To remain in power the Veres family must be a counter balance to Vadas or risk invasion. Kelet has long been a kingdom only in name. Its five regions are fractured. The Veres family has kept Kelet from slipping into a theocracy under the church but only barely. Vadas is a tyrant but also an extremely religious man. He is also old. If he conquers Kelet and usurps the throne, chaos is likely to follow his death.

The lord of Fenyovar has remained aloof from the conflicts in Vale. His fief is either the first line of defense against an invasion from Vadas's armies or an excellent staging point. Go north and curry favor with this mysterious Lord Miklos.

Lady Ilka presents you a writ offering a defense agreement and acquisition of materials. As an emissary of Ilka, determine Miklos' intentions and send word of any agreement you come to with him.

Setting: Fenyovar is a quiet town nestled in low forested foothills. The streets and buildings are well kept and over them looms a large castle manor. It appears that most the townsfolk are well off or at least even the poorest eat well. This is unusual for Kelet. Perhaps because of this, the denizens of this town are friendly and speak highly of Lord Miklos. It seems Miklos is a benevolent overseer. When you speak with the townsfolk you learn Lord Miklos regulates guilds and the Triad strictly, which serves to combat corruption. Speaking with the townsfolk leads to many fantastic stories about Lord Miklos. Some say he is half-aelfin while others say his family has the ancient blood of the Thegn, a mythical race of men. The stories surrounding him all have a degree of enigma and fantasy. The fact that he rarely leaves the castle and that he has been lord of Fenyovar for as long as anyone can remember lends to the mystery.

Resources: I used this map as a stand in for Fenyovar:
Oravsky Podzámok (here is the artist's page: http://www.francescabaerald.com/maps/)

Magda Zwierzchowska

Miklos: Miklos is an intelligent character with complex motivations, made all the more complicated by his nature. Miklos is a dhampir. He has been lord of Fenyovar for as long as anyone can remember. He rarely shows himself in public, but his realm is prosperous. And though he has the savvy of Machiavelli and occasionally gives in to his primal urges, his ultimate desire is peace and stability. With Bálint Vadas conquering the only remaining lordship in the north his sights will turn southwards to Ártér and the capital. With the rumors of war in southern Vale and the adventurers' arrival, Miklos sees an opportunity, but he must play his hand carefully. Miklos has planted an agent in Bálint Vadas' council. This agent has become Bálint's closest advisor and lover. The Eszes clan is the last northern family to stand against Vadas and also the family of Bálint's wife (she still lives, locked away in Vadavar). All that remains of their holdings now is a small mountain fortress and the daughter of the late Áron Eszes. Miklos had considered offering friendship to the Vadas family (and indeed has already made some small gestures of friendship), but Bálint is too close to the Church of the Triad. Miklos has watched the church tear Kelet apart and hates it.

No. Miklos will usurp Bálint at the peak of his power and use the last member of the Eszes family to cement his claim on the north, but he must act quickly to ensure the conflict in Vale continues and offers no resistance. Ilka's writ complicates things.

Csilla: Csilla is Miklos' edge. When the time comes she will dispose of Vadas and turn control of his army to Miklos. Csilla has spent half a decade with Vadas and gained his utmost confidence and even his affection. They will not turn on him while he is alive, but should he die their loyalty passes to her.
Csilla has proved herself invaluable. In fact, her success has raised Miklos' suspicions. After assuaging his concerns, Csilla prepares to return to Vadas. Csilla is inscrutable. It is one of her many talents. But she will do what is required of her. She recognizes the need for stability in Kelet. She also recognizes that any stability Vadas brings will be short lived. She is also, however, not convinced that Miklos will serve better. She does not know his true nature but knows he is different and suspects it will prevent him from establishing a stable empire. Csilla is shrewd and will do as Miklos wants until an opportunity presents itself. The adventurers may be that opportunity.

Magda Zwierzchowska

Scene 1: The adventurers arrive in Fenyovar. As emissaries of Ilka, the adventurers can ride right up to Fenyovar Castle and request an audience with Miklos. Show them the writ and David, the tall head servant of the castle, will grant them entry. The adventurers will be admitted into a comfortable waiting room with a fireplace, chairs, books, and numerous tapestries depicting the geography of Fenyovar. There is also a large portrait of a pale man with sharp features, jet black hair, and eyes the color of ochre. In a short time, they will be admitted to the main hall. A long blue rug runs its length. There are two guards at the entrance and a pale man with black hair sitting on a strange marble seat. Standing next to him is another man in black and silver livery and a servant holding a long sword much too large for her, but unsheathed. She is very carefully holding the sword so that it does not touch the floor. As the adventurers approach they may notice one other servant scrubbing the stone floor, she appears to be cleaning up blood.

Miklos will probably speak first as he will want to control the conversation. He may draw attention to the servant and mention that a spy of Vadas was captured and he had just finished interrogating him (which is half true; the blood is from a captured Eszes soldier). He will want to establish his stance against Vadas immediately. While the adventurers speak with Miklos and present him with the writ they may notice something strange. Everything Miklos says sounds incredibly believable. The adventurers will have an unnatural impulse to trust him and anything he says rings true (attempting to discern a lie or exaggeration unerringly fails). This is due to the throne that Miklos sits on (it is not a spell so it cannot be countered but characters with Sense Magic will feel something happening and sense his motives normally). Miklos will want time to speak with his advisors and see how he can help. The players are granted room and board in the guest houses in town but not the castle, which is unusual and draws attention to the fact that the castle staff is meager for its size. On further exploration, the players may learn most the guardsmen also have quarters in town, rather than a castle barracks. Upon exiting the castle the adventurers may notice a tall well-built woman in the hall. She very obviously takes notice of the adventurers but does not approach. Observant characters may notice a light distortion near her (she is a hussar with a phantom companion).

Scene 2: In town, rumors swirl around the visiting characters. There's much to learn here and the townsfolk won't be shy about speaking with the adventurers. Rumors of the Vadas army, the war in the south, and the death of Áron Eszes will be common. There are also interesting stories surrounding Miklos and his origins. Exploring further the adventurers may learn that the most prominent organizations are the craft guild and only one priest of the Triad. It's odd there isn't even a representative for each of the three goddesses. Apparently, there are strict rules to prevent corruption and violaters in the past have either left town in a hurry or disappeared.

When summoned to Castle Fenyovar, Miklos again meets the adventurers in the great hall. In addition to the guardsmen, servants, and advisors, the tall woman with the shimmering thing is present. Miklos explains that he would like to discuss how best to aid Ilka and the Blues, stating that he would like to see a united Vale, indeed a united Kelet. He also explains that Vadas presents a problem. If he were to ally with Ilka and the Blues, Vadas is likely to invade Vale and Fenyovar would be the front line. He is unwilling to let that happen and presents a counteroffer: livestock and grain will be sent south, but there will be no open military alliance. However, he also offers this: if Ilka would give them leave, he suggests the adventurers slip through Vadas territory to Felvidék. Felvidék is the last unconquered hold out of the Eszes family and where Aliz Eszes, last of the Eszes family has gathered her supporters. There is also a possible ally near Felvidék that may be willing to fight the Vadas family, the half-men known as catfolk. He assures you catfolk are indeed real and that they were once steadfast allies of the Vadas family, until they were betrayed. He asks that the adventurers sit on this and return with an answer.

Scene 3: Miklos invites the adventurers to a formal dinner. Csilla is also there. The adventurers give their answer. If the answer is no, then the adventurers are free to leave, but they are watched and later ambushed on the road. Miklos will not want them to return alive if there is a possibility that the Blues will arrive in force and foil his plans. If the answer is yes, Csilla lays out the plans, explains that there are scattered Eszes forces and that they are slowly making their way to Felvidék as word of Aliz's survival spreads. She will give them a week of travel (if she can) before the Vadas army moves again. She suggests that the adventurers pass as near to Lake Mél as possible. She will explain the danger of the half-men that live in that place but also suggest seeking out their aid. The catfolk have a long history with the Vadas family and are old enemies.

Inbetween Scenes: While the adventurers are in Fenyovar they will have significant time away from Miklos. There is much to explore here. There is Otto, the priest without a following. And Pel, the collector of Naerodian artifacts. And Hanna, the rare book seller with tomes of genealogy and heraldry.

There are also the ruins around town. As with the rest of Vale, there are Naerodian ruins here. One particular outcrop just peaks through the forest. Hidden in the underbrush is an entrance to a network of tunnels. The tunnels here are a vacant labyrinth. Exploring this area extensively reveals a secret entrance to the dungeon under Fenyovar Castle. Exploring further is a dangerous gambit.

Csilla may search out the adventurers in secret. The ruins around town may be a good place to meet them. Csilla can break the spell on the adventurers if they become charmed by Miklos words, thereby casting doubt on his intentions. She will not go into detail about her allegiances but she may imply there are better leaders in the north than Vadas or Miklos.

Last, if the adventurers wish to explore Miklos' background, they can find that Miklos has been lord of Fenyovar for decades. There is at least one art piece in the castle depicting a man with a striking resemblance to Miklos. The staff claims it is of Miklos' father Mátyás. In truth, Miklos has been lord of Fenyovar for well over a century. Sometime during the Aelf War he became Margrave of Fenyovar. His father was a man named Mátyás and his mother, Olivia was a dhampir, but they were never lords.

Chapter 3: Lady of the Stars

This is a continuation of the King Thadar's Catacombs Campaign (Chapter 2: War).

Summary: Our adventurers' travels have taken them from Városa to Kerthaz and then back down that familiar road to the valley of Kékhegi. The party finds its way to the town of Kékhegi, where Lady Ilka is waiting. Ubykh's writ or Berzeg's silver coin will win the Lady's audience. Upon offering the map or information concerning Kerthaz she will be most grateful and offer a room in the castle. The adventurers' arrival, however, will trigger a series of disconcerting events that begins with a dead servant and seven possible suspects. The adventurers must race to discover the culprit or Lady Ilka may die and the region of Vale become entrenched in a prolonged war.

The Setting: Kékhegi is a fully intact dunaelf castle. The castle is built on a high ridge overlooking the town. Its towers reach hundreds of feet into the air. A well-groomed forest girdles the town, which is exceptionally well defended, but small. Trade between coastal towns and Kékhegi is necessary to maintain even a few hundred residents. In the past decade the lady of Kékhegi has built a strong relationship with the coastal villages and the town of Erd in particular. The Countess is named Ilka. She is a Blue noble with strong connection to the Veres family. Her late husband was cousin of Queen Etelka. Ilka relies on a small elite force of hussars and rangers to protect her territory. She has no slave soldiers and  any that come into her domain become free folk by law.

Upon entering the town, two lit torches should catch the adventurers' eyes. Their fires emanate a sapphire blue. If any of the adventurers are hussars or they cast an illusion spell (or an illusion spell is active), the torches suddenly erupt into a violent blaze and do one of two things. If they activate due to an illusion, the illusion is burned away in a blaze of blue embers. If they activate due to a hussar, the fires erupt into a heatless wall of flame. You may cross, but the hussar and his phantom may not. Only when the sergeant of the guard gifts the adventurer a medallion and it is donned, can the hussar pass the fire.

Timeline

Day 1: Servant dies.
Day 2: Ilka falls ill after the first dose of poison.
Day 3: Ilka is dead. The Eloszor army arrives but will not pass into Vale without Ilka.

Clues
 
Clue: A plain nondescript knife is left in the servant's belly and there are bruises on her face where her mouth was held tightly shut. Whoever did it was strong.
Clue: Lady Ilka's wine and food is poisoned by ground sweetwood (three doses within a week's time will cause organ failure in an adult). Sweetwood in small doses will give the appearance of an illness and death by natural causes.
Clue: Lady Ilka has a strong relationship with Queen Etelka Veres. Her brother is Duke Gaspar, lord of Városa. When our adventurers left Városa they may have heard rumors about murders in the city.
Clue: Two tanned men in golden scale armor (Kolos and Vilmos) speak with Lady Ilka in thick strange accents. Apparently, they are also staying at the castle, but they come and go frequently.
Clue: Erik prays each night. While not strange in and of itself, the Veres family is not particularly pious and unlikely to employ or confide in such a person.
Clue: The poison is on Erik's person. He is otherwise very careful. He keeps nothing in writing or objects that would incriminate him. After the unfortunate need to kill the servant girl, Erik will attempt to cast suspicions on other members in the castle. If the fact that Ilka is being poisoned is discovered, he will prepare a much stronger dose of poison. Doing so may be revealing as grinding sweetwood into power requires one be careful not to inhale. It causes sneezing fits and smells like molasses.
Clue: Erik's note to Ilka from the Queen. The first half of the note is in code. It means that the army is marching to Kerthaz. The end is peculiar. The Queen states that Erik has some special talents, including the ability to manipulate shadows. Nothing that you have noticed, however, indicates that he has this power.

The Assassin's Goal: The assassin is tasked with killing Lady Ilka, much the same as he was tasked with killing the Queen's allies in Városa. War has been brewing for some time and Count Filip of Erod is prepared. He has placed assassins in the towns of likely enemies across Vale. His goal is to isolate Városa and prevent it from seizing the entire valley entrance of Vale.

If in 3 consecutive days she dies, the symptoms appear as a disease. If the poison is ever discovered, then the tactic changes, a different poison will kill her with one dose.

Ilka's Goal: The ultimate goal of Ilka and the other Blue nobles is to crush Erod and consolidate power in Városa. There is a sense of urgency for the Blues as the need to counter the rise of Vadas in the north is becoming more apparent. Ilka is very close to the Queen. She is tasked with raising an army in Eloszor and surprising the Green's forces likely to siege Városa, since the bulk of its own forces are camped outside Kerthaz. Caught between hammer and anvil, the city guard in Városa and Ilka's army will crush them and then march north, pinning the Erod forces between two huge armies. Once conquered they will take Kerthaz and turn to Erod where Berzeg is attempting to undermine Lord Filip. If the two places are taken, half of Vale will be Városa's.

If Ilka is killed, the trust built between her and their leaders will be for nothing and Vale will be drawn into a prolonged war.

The front gate and Kékhegi Castle

The town of Kékhegi (with the castle on its north side and the gates on its south side). The town is circled by a dense hedge, a dry moat, and walls.

Characters in the Castle

Lady Ilka: Lady Ilka is a strong middle-aged woman (she is, however, very well kept and fit). She is also secretly a wizard. It is immediately apparent that Ilka is a leader. Widowed only a year into her marriage to Queen Etelka's cousin, Kovacs Kékhegi, Ilka never remarried. The Queen once tried to arrange a strategic marriage between her and her brother, Gaspar but she refused. Despite this, the Queen and Ilka are good friends. Ilka is headstrong and smart. Once she sets her mind to something, nothing can stop her. She is instrumental to the Queen and her brother's plans to unite Vale so to be ready if the Vadas family attempts a power grab, in fact, Ilka planned much of it herself. She has long campaigned against slavery and for that, she has gained a good reputation in the coastal towns of Eloszor, where slavery was once a problem not relegated to just the thrymm and half-blooded. In just a few years she has gained their trust and raised an army unbeknownst to the Green nobles of Vale. If her plan succeeds, eight thousand soldiers will march out of the valley and catch the Greens at complete unawares.

Kirantukh Ilka's faithful thrymm captain: Kirantukh is nearly three times Ilka's age, but answers to her with complete deference. A scar runs from his collar bone to his cheek. He is a huge thrymm, larger even than Berzeg and Ubykh. This is not a person to be crossed. He speaks very little in company, but in private he is much more in open. He fought in the Aelf War and was later taken as a slave soldier. He escaped after decades of service and finally made his way to Kekhegi. He has served as captain of the guard for nearly twenty years and has been Ilka's secret love for most of that time.

Lázár, Ilka's wizened teacher: Lázár is an old man. He spends most his time puttering around the castle library. He is Ilka's old teacher. He is also a wizard. In his heyday he was a talented magician. His particular expertise is in enchantments. He is also well-read. His interests are in the history of Vale and the old dunaelf kingdoms.
 
Kolos and Vilmos, visitors from Eloszor: These visitors are from Erd, a town on the coastal region of Eloszor. They speak Keleti in thick accents and it's extremely difficult to understand them. Their garb is also strange. They are often clad in golden scale mail. The two come and go from the castle often. In one week's time, the Eloszor army will arrive at Kekhegi's gates. There are dozens of Eloszor people within the town. Both men are capable warriors, but if the adventurers are unable to communicate with them they may appear very suspicious.

Anikó, Ilka's cousin: Ilka's cousin has lived with her for a little over a year. He is much younger and plumper than Ilka and prone to bouts of debauchery. He enjoys spending time with Lázár, but his idle chatter and tendency to expound on philosophy (to an annoying degree) makes him easy to overlook. Occasionally, he displays a sharp wit, sarcasm, and a surprising self-awareness. He's not nearly as big a doofus as he appears. If the adventurers don't find the assassin in a day's time, Anikó will likely become a target as he will be quick to investigate.

Erzsi, Ilka's lady in waiting: Erzsi is a composed, pretty woman. Ilka confides in her and she, in turn, feels free to express her thoughts. Erzsi is also a well-trained warrior. She keeps a long knife strapped horizontally across her back. She is very slow to trust anyone and therefore will confide only in Ilka and Kirantukh. Erzsi will also be quick to investigate and she will keep a careful eye on Ilka.

Erik, the Queen's man: Erik was sent by Etelka with a special note, signed and sealed. Erik has special talents that may be of use to her. But Erik is dead, killed by Zander. Zander has been posing as Erik for nearly two weeks now. He is a magpie. He keeps his weapons and poisons in his hidden pockets. He rarely walks around armed. He is quick, intelligent, and very careful. He tries to not stand out but is careful to add a supporting voice when Ilka wants input from the room. He is a native Keleti but was raised in Crocáno. If any of the party members are from Crocáno they may pick up on this. Zander will keep a close eye on any newcomers. He will do everything in his power to push suspicions on others, but will not hesitate to either dispatch anyone who confronts him.

This ends Chapter 3. See what's next for you in Chapter 4: The Marble Throne.