GLRP:EMs:Royal Spies:2009:The Cult of Styx

The Cult of Styx

Mission 34, November 17, 2009 -
Minister Grey recieved a letter from Tess Midnight in Tokuno warning him about the theft of a powerful magical artifact, the third such recent theft. (The first item being the gargoyle tome stolen from the library in the Royal city, and an undisclosed artifact taken from Britannian hands.) Tess asked for Magnus to send the spies deep into the Fan Dancer Dojo to make their way to a hidden monastary investigate the theft.

Within the monastary, the spies discover that the artifact is called 'Iznami's Spite,' a skull that can predict the future of those who gaze into its eyes. A scrap of paper leads the spies to Donald Stiches on the docks in Vesper, and the spies learn that Runnin' Robert stole the skull and ran into the Abyss.

Izanami's Spite, by ...

Bill, by Donald Stitches

Note, by ...

When confronted, Robert was evasive about the skull but finally admitted to having it - unfortunately, he gazed into the skull's eyes are brought a piece of one possible future to the present: a Nightmare Echo. Once it was defeated, several clues were discovered that hinted at a rather unpleasent course of events.

Journal Page, by Tess Midnight

Letter, by Magnus Grey

Mission 35, November 24, 2009 - Harvest Festival
Queen Dawn had decided to treat the spies to a Harvest Festival feast at the Jollier Fairgrounds in Skara Brae in thanks for their hard work. However, before the festivities, Lord Grey wished to relay information from James regarding the 'future infomation' gathered during the last mission. A young spy named Dexter had perished infiltrating a dangerous cult, posibly the very cult destined to unleash a plague on Britannia. Magnus said he would supply the spies with Dexter's coded reports before the next mission.

When the spies arrived at the fairgrounds Queen Dawn asked the spies to help an old friend of hers called 'Granny' travel from Yew to the feast. Apon arriving in Yew, it was quickly discovered that Granny had been abducted by lizardmen while gathering the ingreedients for her stuffing recipe. Eventually she was located and rescued from the lizardman fort in southern Ilshenar. Apparently, Granny was one of several abductees destined to be sold to a Cult as sacrifices...

Recipe, by Granny

IOUs, by Ronald

Note, by Wanda

Ordersss, by Sstout

Tradesss, by Sstout

ADD DEXTER'S CODE & Decryption by Ra'Dian

Mission 36, December 1, 2009 -

Orders, by ...

Spell, by ...

Message from Magnus - Dexter's Code, by Magnus Grey

Dexter's Code Decrypted, by Ra'Dian Fl'Gith

Mission 37, December 8, 2009- Building a better...

"Vas Kal Ex Wis Corp"

The Spell, by Styx

Spell Notes, by Poxcrafter

Notes, by Bartholomew

...., by ....

On Elementals, by Jeram the Wise

Journal, by ...

Note, by Ra'Dian Fl'Gith

Millshire, by John Lincoln

Mission 38, December 15, 2009 - Spies: 1, Cult: 0

Orders, by Poxcrafter

Final Gate, by

Orders, by Poxcrafter

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Mission 39, December 22, 2009- Christmas Quest
Mission 40, December 29, 2009- Geography Training
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Mission 41, January 5, 2010 -

Orders, by Captain F. Smith

Burned Letter, by Kahler

Orders, by Captain F. Smith

Orders, by Captain J. Smith

Notes, by Kahler

Mission 42, January 12, 2010 -

Void Plague, by Wisp Lore Broker

The Stars of Doom, by Cultist Endteller

Mission 43, January 19, 2010 - The Skull

Kahler's Divining Sextant

Sacrifice, by Kahler
Sextant: "Head to the orc fort near Cove with your greed."

Covetous, by Kahler's Shadow
Sextant: "The Lycaeum will grant you honest truths."

Shame, by Kahler's Shadow
Sextant: "Regain your honor by dealing with the brigands west of Britain."

Honor, by Kahler
Sextant: "The lying skeleton mages of Deceit will give you few truths."

Honesty, by Kahler
Sextant: "Go deep into Hythloth where the Balron Conclave meets and betrays."

Deceit, by Kahler's Shadow
Sextant: "The just warrior will escape Yew as a prison convict does."

Justice, by Kahler
Sextant: "The Shrine of Compassion will guide even the unloved."

Compassion, by Kahler
Sextant: "Ter Mur's Temple of Singularity will bring order to the mind."

Spirituality, by Kahler's Shadow
Sextant: "Dragons know the history of the Skull, visit them in Destard."

Destard, by Kahler's Shadow
Sextant: "There is a dungeon carved from Ice with a hidden library inside."

Wrong, by Kahler's Shadow
Sextant: "In the heart of the Abyss, in the tombstones at 84o23'N 56o19'W, is a fragment."

Pride, by Kahler
Sextant: "Go to the Temple near Hythloth and speak the word on the sword."

Humility, by Kahler's Shadow
Sextant: "Go to the home of the Royal Guard and defend or defile it."

Valor, by Kahler
Sextant: "Enter Ilshenar and head to the Dungeon of Blood to shed some."

Hythloth, by Kahler

Mission 44, January 26, 2010 - Leylines
This mission started with a report from James on several odd occurences about the realm. Then Lord Grey directed the spies' attention to a message from Bartholomew the daemon regarding the Cult of Styx and a dangerous artifact that they had posession of.

The Cult were trying to gather corrupted mana from leylines which has been tainted or changed during the War of Shadows.

Security Report, by James

Message, by Bartholomew

The spies followed Commander Keel to Trinsic where they fought the first of the 'Cauldron Born'... Undead daemons of unusual strength. They aquired a book and a map which led them to another location.. and another.. and another.. Each time they slew the Cauldron Born.

Trinsic The Spell, by Cultist Bonewaker

Northern Jhelom Isle The Spell, by Cultist Bonewaker

Lycaeum The Spell, by Cultist Bonewaker

Notes, by Kahler

Yew Abbey The Spell, by Cult of Styx

Nujel'm Burned Notes, by Michael of Moonglow

Mission 45, February 2, 2010 -
Following up on the previous mission's end - to speak with the Shrin of Spirituality - the spies larned that they faced a choice: They could gain aid from Bartholomew's Conclave, but it would cost them in the future; or they could face the future head on without any aid. The spies chose to forge their own path.

The spies were then tasked with investigating several curious locales in Ilshenar which might be attributable to the Cult's influence.

Ilshenar Report, by James

They first headed to Montor where an unusually cooporative daemon directed them to head west to the gypsy town. There, they met Grorge who eventually took them to a small cyclops fort. A cyclops in the fort feared the undead which had been making raids on the nearby area, and warned the spies away from the Pass of Karnaugh.

After fighting through several caudlron born daemons they found a teleporter which led to the Cultist Bonewalker and the Cauldron of Rebirth. The cultist fell after a lengthy battle and the cauldron was secured in Virtuous hands.

Lies, by Cultist Bonewaker

My End, by Cultist Bonewaker

Mission 46, February 9, 2010- Singularity

Xenve An-mo-lem, by Skrí-lem the Scribe

Mission 47, February 16, 2010 -

Orders, by Cult of Styx

Life Link Spell, by Vasortlem

Principia Daemonis, by ...

Principia Daemonis, by Vasortlem

Repairs, by Vasagralem

Poetry, by Vasbeninlem

Notes, by Vasortlem