Intro
It's the 12th of Olarune, 991 YK, and you are all members of the Order of the Emerald Claw. You've been Karrnath's special forces organisation since the start of the war, your order founded in 894 YK. Each of you represents a leader within the organisation, with the exception of Leonus who is here with Alma.
Alma ir'Thul leads the orders Bone Knights, and oversaw Leonus's training at Atur Academy. Leonus is a promising bone knight, and Alma has brought him along today because he and the new king have history.
Tilmann is a leader of the orders necromancers, and one of their most accomplished. It is Tilmann that popularised the signature strategy of the Emerald Claw, carrying bags of holding full of undead for rapid deployment.
Richtus Smiles, which is almost certainly not his original name, leads the assassins of the order, and is arguably the individual with the most influence over the order as a whole. He's one of the original members, and is personally credited with the assassinations of Queen Mishann of Cyre, and her son King Brusst only five years later. There are rumours among the men that he was even the one who murdered Queen Chaseeva, but he has never confirmed this.
In the last few months, Kaius ir'Wynarn III has taken the throne. With the exception of Leonus, none of you have actually met the young king, you've previously dealt entirely with his aunt Regent Moranna, or her predecessors in the case of Richtus.
You are all disembarking a river boat in Korth, having been recalled from a mission on the Shadukar peninsula in Thrane. It's unusual for your to be recalled from a mission in progress, and you have orders to report to Crownhome on arrival in the city.
You arrive at the base of the hill that Crownhome, the fortress palace of Korth, is built on. Supposedly, it was built during the reign of Karrn the Conquerer, a good thousand years before Galifar I was born. The palace is built like a massive wall between two towering rock spires, and you know that it is as much an active military base as it is the home and residence of royalty.
Your met at the entrance to the fortress and are greeted by guards wearing white lion iconography on their armour: the White Lions of Korth, the military police of the capital. They lead you into the fortress. Most of you have been in the audience chamber of Crownhome before, but you don't spend enough time in the fortress to remember the intentionally confusing route. The guards lead you through wide corridors, flanked on either side by red banners depicting the red wolf of Karrnath on black shields, which then give way to narrower corridors with less decoration, and you know there are murder holes above you and in the walls around you.
You arrive at a staircase, and going up it you emerge into a gothic audience chamber decorated with red carpet runners. You're a little off balance, as you can't see the throne or your king as you enter the room, but have to turn around to see him on the other side of the staircase.
Sat on a throne made of solid iron is the young King Kaius III, wearing a suit of dark platemail with the sword of Karrn the Conquerer leaning against the throne. At his right arm a small table has been placed next to the throne, with a Conquerer board on it that seems to be mid-game. Stood to the left of the board is Regent Moranna, Kaius' aunt and the woman who kept Karrnath together for the last 18 years whilst raising Kaius, Gaius and Haydith as if they were her own kids. She's wearing her military uniform, and her face betrays nothing about the reason for this meeting.
Off to the left, in the shadows, are seated Kaius' siblings: Gaius and a 13-year old Haydith. Gaius is watching events intently, but Haydith looks bored and is gently playing her lute, providing a slightly discordant backing to the room. Opposite the royals, another chair has been set out in the shade for Lady Varezi, the Blood of Vol envoy to the crown, and a known vampire.
Kaius hasn't looked at you yet, his attention on the game of conquerer that he appears to be playing with Moranna. He makes a move, moving a piece along the board, and then turns his head to look at the five of you.
"Do you know why you're here?"
12th Olarune, 991 YK
- They arrive at Crownhome, and are led to the audience chamber. Kaius is playing a game of conquerer with his aunt, Moranna ir'Wynarn.
- Kaius ir'Wynarn III gives the statement below, and then orders the White Lions of Korth to seize the Emerald Claw leaders.
- The Order of the Emerald Claw refuse to submit and attack Kaius!
- Leonus turns on the Emerald Claw, declaring that he stands with the crown. He says he'll surrender once the threat is dealt with.
- In the first round of combat, Richtus Ashkir rolls two critical hits and basically annihilates a White Lion.
- Krieg also proceeds to roll 2 critical hits and messes up another White Lion. Tilmann Fink then finishes the White Lion off.
- Haydith ir'Wynarn uses Dissonant Whispers to try and get Richtus to back off, but he shrugs it off. She then hides and turns invisible.
- Gaius ir'Wynarn puts himself between Richtus and Haydith, bolstering his defenses magically.
- Alma ir'Thul charges Kaius, but is intercepted by Leonus. She casts Crown of Madness on Kaius, but his sword flares briefly and the crown shatters.
- Varezi Haeven joins the fray and attacks Tilmann Fink. Tilmann responds by doing a backwards roll and emptying his bag of holding. It's full of skeletons! Their names are Krieg Jr., Streit, Schmerzen, Tod and Schlachtmeister.
- Varezi gets Caesar'd by the skeletons, but she doesn't seem to care.
- Moranna ir'Wynarn joins the fight, attacking Alma.
- Leonus Lassinus attempts to seize control of the skeletons, but only Streit falls under his sway. Fink is upset by this, nobody takes control of his sons.
- Alma is killed by Varezi Haeven, who is verbally scolded by Kaius. They are to be taken alive and given fair trial!
- Fink reanimates Alma as a zombie!
- Between them, Moranna and Leonus re-kill Alma. Leonus uses a Divine Smite to down her, as her undead fortitude made her hard to kill.
- Kaius finally joins the fight himself.
- Fink is knocked out by Kaius.
- Krieg is killed by Kaius.
- Schlachtmeister achieves free will as Fink loses consciousness and runs.
- Leonus heals himself.
- Richtus attacks Kaius and realises it's futile, and tries to run. Varezi pursues and hits him with a Death Lightning, but he takes it like a champ.
- RIchtus called Leonus a simp.
- "It's not a simp if it's for your king!"
- Richtus casts Fear and gets Varezi off of him.
- Richtus disguises himself as a White Lion, and disappears. Krieg Jr. witnesses this and tries to mimic it, but fails to realise there are no undead guards in Crownhome.
- Leonus is offered amnesty for the crimes of the order if he swears fealty to Kaius, entering into his service. He also vows to bring Richtus to justice.
- Richtus disappears, and smuggles himself out of Korth. He joins up with other members of the Order of the Emerald Claw and begins to plot his revenge.
- Fink is tried as a war criminal, and is sentenced to imprisonment in Dreadhold.
Kaius's Statement
"I've been reviewing the reports about your missions, that is, missions performed by the Order of the Emerald Claw, from your inception in 894 to now. You are undoubtedly effective, and I am sure that Karrnath owes much of its success in this war to your actions."
"However. I am extremely concerned with what I have seen. You have a reputation for brutality and unnecessary cruelty, but this doesn't really do you justice, does it? Beyond your reputation, reports of your actions include intentionally targeting noncombatants, taking hostages and using civilians as shields, torture, terrorism, mistreatment and killing of prisoners of war, granting no quarter despite already receiving surrender, misusing a flag of truce, raising enemy combatants and forcing them to fight their comrades, and the creation and release of self-replicating undead in civilian population centers."
He pauses, giving you a moment to respond to these statements. Alma ir'Thul declares that she was doing what was right.
"This is not how we will win this war. Your actions have irreperably damaged the perception of Karrnath on this continent. You utter fools. This is a war of succession, we want our enemies to yield and recognise our right to rule the Kingdom of Galifar. What message does it send, then, when my soldiers murder those who have surrendered, and then reanimate them and send against their own people? When my soldiers deliberately target civilians and their homes? Civilians that we hope to one day rule, future citizens of Karrnath."
"What kind of rule would you have me exert over the continent, if these are the actions of my representatives? It is no wonder that they hate us in our entirety, and the Blood of Vol have been tarred with that same brush. Your actions have won us much, but I fear the cost was far too great."
"The Order of the Emerald Claw is disbanded, effective immediately. As we speak, your soldiers are being informed of this, and given instructions to await reassignment. Your leaders, including those present, will be arrested and given fair trial, which is more than you've given countless others."
"White Lions, seize them."