Keeping a buried magus alive

keep us posted on this :slight_smile: Sounds interesting!

Xavi

I'm finally getting to this plot point in my saga, and am looking for details to fill out the setting, as well as some obstacles to put in front of the characters.

(For those who helped out with my "tribunal" thread in the last few days, thanks. I have decided to delay the tribunal session in order for the players to investigate this plotline, and bring the details to the tribunal session.)

Background:

One of the oldest and most respected covenents in the tribunal, in it's autumn years, has just had a terrible explosion. The mages were all involved with a huge, experimental mercurian ritual, led by a Bonisagus trying to break one of the Limits. The mages were all involved in plenty of high-level politics, the root of which are the Duresca Scrolls. The ritual goes really, really badly, and terrible magics are unleashed, killing most of the magi, and destroying the tower. As detailed above, one of the maii survives, buried under rubble. He trades his soul for a kind of vampirism, sucking the life force from the surrounding mundane covenfolk.

When the Praeco's spy does not report back, he sends the PC's in to investigate. The PC's (one magus and one swordsman companion) will travel to the covenant (remote, built atop an ancient roman mine in the foothills.) The area is mundanely controlled by a muslim overlord, with an agreement that the covenant will run the mine. The covenant has many slaves, most of whom will now be sickly, due to the life-drain that is currently occurring. The village next to the mine is now being haunted by the mage "vampire." The spy lived in the village. When the explosion happened, he went to investigate, and was one of the first to fall victim to the life drain.

I envision the characters arriving, investigating, asking around, maybe even poking around the rubble of the covenant. Perhaps an encounter with the buried mage's new demon (dark faerie?) companions. The PC's then should report back to the Praeco, who will bring it up at the Tribunal. At this point all the tribunal members will go nuts, because everyone wants to have a piece of the old covenant. Those involved with the Duresca scrolls (at other covenants) will be particualry upset, needing to cover their tracks. I'm hoping the players play their cards right, and want to set themselves up as new members of this covenant. Then the fun begins as the players become puppets of the grand Duresca plot. The bonisagus PC finds the lab notes of the dead bonisagus, picks up where he left off... and whammo, the saga arc is in motion.

ANYWAY, for this initial investigation session of the exploded covenant, I'm happy to hear any details you guys think of to inject some life into this session.

The characters will start by visiting the former home of the spy. He was a stable boy at the village tavern, who "hasn't been heard from since the night of the disaster."