Week 6: Itzal, Folks

The group began by telling Ammon what they'd found last week. Ammon let them know that there is an ever-burning candle at the Abbey to Whiro, where they might find more information. Kyamu led the mahksi south, to unite with the mahksi of Moru Kel.

The remainder of the party went to the Abbey, and talked with Lady Dailyn (the Union-Protector of the Union of Whiro). She gave them a host of information on the Irix Candelabrum and the candles that came from it:

Whiro was a great warrior who fought to save Moru Kel from the Gamaal, sacrificing his life to save the city. Legend has it that he fought on after his death, and will return to fight again when the city needs him most. His body, seemingly incorruptible, lies in a sepulchre below the Abbey clad in the blue-grey armor of his friend Ranga (which Whiro wore on the day of his final battle).

In the sepulchre also burns a single blood-red candle, never burning low. Legend says this is the ruby candle from the Irix Candelabrum: when the Profane ravaged the earth after the moon fell, the great Zakari used the Candelabrum to banish them and save Odo Kas. The candelabrum is said to have consisted of candles in every color of the spectrum, each named after a precious gemstone, but the various accounts vary in the details: Scholars generally agree on five of the candles: Ruby, Jade, Turquoise, Amethyst, and Emerald.

Each candle was blessed by the gods and imbued with great powers of protection. The candles were joined together in the Irix Candelabrum, increasing their power, either by the thunder god Purnoz himself, or perhaps by Zakari, or perhaps a dwarf named Yar who’s referenced using an ancient word that is variously translated as “Maker” or sometimes “Smith”.

Zakari then used the Candelabrum to force the Profane from this world and seal them from it forever.

From there the item disappears from history for a time, reappearing c. 170 P.S. (about 700 years ago) at the coronation of Emperor Pincoochi. Laba Lami, the Seta Scholar, wrote of it as a gift from a Seta leader named Ranga — possibly the same Ranga who fought with Whiro, possibly a namesake. But Pterichor’s verse about the same coronation includes the line:

Armour the colour of a cloudy night, he wore
A sacred relic of prismic light, he bore

From there there are a few references to the candelabrum over the following century, but by the time the Maelstrom formed the ruby candle had been installed at the Abbey and presumably the remainder of the Candelabrum was split up around the same time. It’s believed that the mahksi and Seta villages each received a candle at this time, as well, but it’s unknown where the rest went (or, indeed, how many there were in total).

Tobias recognized that the Seta religious cermonies use a green candle (he'd never thought of it as ever-burning, but thinking back he'd never seen it extinguished) Lady Dailyn took down all the information they'd imparted, and planned to contact them via Sister Harricka of the Circle of Spores. Aiden wrote a letter off to Esmi with this information, seeking any more facts his mother might know about the Candelabrum.

Following this, they ran into the Viggen girls (Caralon and Dalayna) who'd been with Haymus and Eddur on the night of the attempted assassination; they gave them Zuri's info to get in contact in the future, as the Viggens were planning a party and wanted to invite the heros who saved the Marghoz's sons. Dalayna was off to see her dreamy archery teacher, but not without giving Aiden a flirtatious wink.

The group met with Pella at Olli's: she'd been tracking the cases of the missing children while Wattilchot was working on the shadow hounds, and the two cases intersected a few days ago when the hounds were spotted at the site of an attempted abduction (of one of the Adrift, in the Scars). Wattilchot had tracked the bandits who use the hounds to their leader Itzal and a camp north of the city. Kintiro showed up, telling them that there are rumors that the Marghoz is going a bit doddy and the Marghoza is trying to cover it up. They also admired his necklace (of Tristan the monkey and his sidekick bird Oren) made of real shona wood, and smelled its perfumy cinnamon-and-orange aroma: the elves guard shona wood jealously, and only occasionaly give small objects crafted of it to those they truly admire.

Effi, Dyta, Darvis, and Kowara headed to Effi’s house to lay low.

Aiden checked in at the Lakeside Occult Society, and found that he's on the performance slate in the coming week: his show is his chance to make it big in show-business. They also learned the Rosalia is looking for Tobias — she'd sent word through Zuri.

After Vel sprung for a fancy suit of custom-emblazoned black studded leather armor at Chimwaldi’s Fine Armour and Sundries, the group headed north. They approached the camp, and engaged in heated combat with 3 bandits while a mysterious chanting began inside a tent. Tobias rushed the tent as Aiden was knocked unconscious. Tobias discovered Itzal, in shadowy purple robes, standing before a mirror: two shadowy hounds were running from inside the mirror as though to pass through it into our world. Tobias shattered the mirror (destroying the portal that summons the hounds), and Itzal raised his cloak and vanished from view.

The group captured “Birdseed” (so named because of an unfortunate event where he'd been attacked by a shipbird after slathering himself in fish oil) and Vionette. They were interrogated, revealing that Itzal (or Etienne) is a Bowok krrf addict and separationist who usually made money smuggling drugs for Pyko. He also occasionally picked up work abducting children for Joliana and even killing people at her behest, and the latter had picked up dramatically over the past week. Most of the crew had abandoned him when this started again, and Vionette was trying to get enough money together to leave as well.

They dragged the pair back to the city and turned them over to the Bronze: Captain Mendelay called in Inquisitor Luda, who revealed that the Inquisitors had been working with Wattilchot, took a report, and offered a generous reward.

The group headed out to Effie's place, which it turns out is still very much under construction: Arko Adi spent a lot of his money on the stuffed perkunas the group had seen at the Symposium (it's stashed in the barn), hoping to make money exhibiting it. But it turned out that it's a baby perkunas, and not impressive to many people. They're now drinking hot tea in the half-roofed manse, awaiting a meeting with Pella tomorrow.