Quest for the Lost Knights of Mirinha

(Note: this adventure was specifically written to play into one character’s backhistory. His character was a knight of St. Michael of Marathina, who had been caught in an enchanted sleep for some 700 years. – she is the goddess of luck at this time, but at that time was the goddess of Balance, of even-handed Justice, especially in the form of her knights of St.Michael called the Leveler. His order never knew his fate, and he never knew what happened to his long-vanished order. This is the beginning of his quest to discover what their fate was.)

First search location will be an ancient Temple of Mirinha, headquarters of the Knightly order of St. Michael the Leveler.

The Temple’s ruins lie within the city of Telubar. It was sacked and burned during the Time of Troubles. Now it is barely recognizable as a city, with only a few walls and segments of buildings remaining. Telubar lies just over the Hikaar mountains North of Greenvale in the Upperlands. On horseback, the journey will take about 5-7 days from Laston. Normal encounters on the way.

Somewhere on the journey, while crossing te Hikaar mountains, have the PC’s stumble on an ancient road, leading them to the edge of a deep ravine. Here insert the Side-Trek adventure “Boulder Dash” from Dungeon 70, p 30-32.

Continue the journey normally.

The Knightly center consisted of many buildings, of which traces remain only of the granaries, the baths, the hall of records, and the great pillared hall of worship. The ruins of these are described below.

The remainder of the city is made up of mounds of rubble, traces of foundations, and various pitfalls and minor dangers.

Wandering encounters

1. Special - resident monster

2. Worg or wolf

3. Hornet, giant

4. Bandits or looters (adventurers!)

5. Dog, wild

6. Spider, any

7. Beetle, stag or owlbear

8. Orcs, hunting party

9. Snake, poisonous

10. Pitfall or collapse

Pitfalls:

1. Stumbling fall: Save vs 1/2 dex to avoid a 1hp fall and a badly twisted ankle or knee. (Mvt 1/2 and fight at -1, lose 1/2 of all AC dex bonus for 24 hours or until CLW).

2. Collapsing rubble (minor): rubble slides and subsides underfoot, causing a Save vs Dex to avoid a 1-3 hp fall and an overall bruising.

3. Collapsing rubble (moderate): rubble collapses into an unseen cavity or hollow. Save vs Dex to avoid a d6 fall. If save, still take 1-3 pts, and if fail save vs St to avoid being pinned beneath a 30-100 lb slab.

4. Collapsing rubble (severe): rubble is very dangerous, falls into old well shaft or cellar, causing 2d6 dmg, or save vs Dex for 1/2. Also make Str check to avoid going into the pit and being trapped until released by others (may take from 1-10 hours!)

Resident Encounters:

Granary: This building has one substantially standing feature: a hallway across the back which while open to the sky is still over 5’ high. The West wall of the store-room is also fairly intact to about 5’, and a partial stairway at the SW corner. This stair once led up, but only about 3 steps remain.

Dwelling in the Hall are a pack of Hellhounds

There is nothing else of value in the granary area.

Baths: This building is the most intact of all the ruins which remain. The ceilings are still remaining over the small northern chambers, but over the main bath and southern hall they are long gone. Most walls are 4-6’ high, except at the southeast corner, where they are only about 2’-4’. Stubby pillars remain in the southern end.

The bathing pool is filled with debris, dirt, years of decayed leaves and nesting materials. Dwelling here in constant feud with the hellhounds is a Gorgon

Within the Gorgon’s horde of treasure, concealed deep in the rubbish, is a silver ring bearing the seal of St. Michael. Brillig knows that this ring was a type worn by senior members of the Order.

Hall of Records: The hall consisted once of a central building surrounded by a portico surrounded by many small chambers. The central chamber was the records storeroom, while the small chambers were used by those studying and researching. Now those small rooms are only tumbled outlines of rock, but the central hall still has much of its walls intact. No records remain in the open area, but a statue of St. Michael holding a book of records inscribed “The Fate of the Fallen” still stands near the west wall. In the base of the statue a recessed circle exactly the size of the seal-ring is impressed. Placing the seal into the circle will release a concealed latch, causing the statue to pivot slightly. If the PCs do not have the seal-ring, the compartment may be forced open with a DC 30 Str check or by doing 35 HP to the statue. Under the statue is the original manuscript of the book held by the statue. In it is recorded a great deal of the history of the order of St. Michael. However, the book is incomplete. The compartment in which it has been kept is not perfectly sealed, and water has crept in. Many pages are water-damaged, or mildewed past reading. But some remain readable.

After the year 1927 (the year in which Brillig is listed as “missing, presumed dead” along with his other companions), entries become shorter, less detailed and more troubling. Many Knights are recorded as falling in battle with priests of Mikar, and in attempts to rescue followers from the unrest which gripped the country.

Gradually the entries dwindle to an occasional scrawled note. Then, in the year 1956 a long and detailed entry has been added. It was originally written on another sheet, then fastened into the book. Unfortunately it has not escaped being damaged itself.

It reads as follows:

“The grim times which have fallen upon our order may finally be lifted, bless Mirinha for this Justice. For a vision has come to us. First it came to Sir Ceridon in the night. He is old, and few of us listened to his words when he spoke of it, for who among us wished to set off on a new quest at this time, when so many other burdens lie upon us? But in the five nights that followed, the visions came again, this time to Sir Marfa, Sir Gallen, and Sir Palomarian, and to myself. The power of this vision is undeniable.

It is nearly impossible for me to find words to describe what I saw, but in simplest fashion, here is what came to me, and to each of us: First, we were all together in the Hall of Pillars, even those whom I had not seen in years. I believe I even saw young Brillig, who has been lost to us for nearly thirty years. Many others wore the faces of those feared dead or long missing. I saw old Sir Johan, who has been missing both legs for seven years now, standing with the others, firm on his feet.

Then, a great glowing light appeared. It drifted down from the heavens above us, touching Mirinha’s altar. And she stood before us. Our goddess in all her glory walked among us, touching foreheads of those nearest to her, telling us how proud she was that we served her. Her hand touched me, and I felt strong and vibrant, young as I have not been these forty years and more. Beside her strode St. Michael himself, bold and young and strong.

Her words were like music, and it is hard to remember exactly what she said, but she told us it was time to begin to heal the wounds of the world. She was setting us on a task, one which might take long to complete but would be the greatest act of justice we could ever hope to give our world. And, she said, it was not our time to bring justice to the Miraborian Empire. That must come in its own way.

She told us to gather all our members together. Every knight must ride, or it would do no good for any to go. We ride out in seven days. We go to seek out Mount Asheseth. In that place there is great need for heroic action. When we reach the appointed place and time, St. Michael will come to us, and guide us to our final actions. May Mirinha’s blessing be with us forever! May we forever balance out evil with good, that our lady may always be our Guide.”

There is only one other entry in the book, which reads:

“On the first day of Planting in the year 1956 this history has been placed in its final place of keeping. As the rules of our order demand, a copy has been sent to the High Temple of Mirinha’s Blessed in the Great City. May our deeds be judged fairly there, and Good Fortune follow us.”

At this point the PC’s have two choices. They may try to find a Second Empire scholar who knows what Mount Asheseth is (they will not find out, but may be told that it is a First Empire name). This will lead them to finding a First Empire Scholar. The only person suggested to them will be Ahram Silverbeard of Haluun Isle.

They will find out about Ahram from scholars in Greenvale or Haroth, wherever they chose to go to ask questions. Ahram is not easy to visit - the PC’s may ask for days before a ship’s captain admits that he knows how to get there, or they may be approached by several false lures before finding a legitimate vessel. Note that almost everyone can tell them that only a few captains know how to get there, and it involves magical guidance.

Or they may try to find the High Temple of Mirinha. Brillig knows that the High Temple thus referred to was located on what is now known as the Highgrass Plains, about 10 miles from the walls of Mirabor, the 2nd Empire capital.

Reaching the Temple: there are three routes : by sea (hire a ship in Greenvale, sail around coast to Plainsland, hike inland and try to find ruins. (3 weeks sail, 4-5 day hike). Or go overland via Miran on the roads (2 mo. Journey), then cross-country from Miran into the Plainsland (2-3 weeks more). Or go overland across Karuun mts and come in from the Sunken Lands. Or try to cross the Knifetongue mountains.

The Plainsfolk are not particularly welcoming to strangers, but will not attack unless provoked. They may follow the PCs without ever contacting them, or may send a small group to meet them and then guide/guard them to the temple. None of the Plainsfolk have much to do with the temple, only passing by a few times a year, trading their cattle to the monks in return for brewed beer and other specialty foods. They call it “Tallah-bekh” or the place of stone men. They do acknowledge that Mirinha is a goddess and that it is her place, but they call her Eymi and only occasionally call on her. She is the goddess who brings game to those who are lost and weak.

The High Temple of Mirinha in Mirabor is actually NOT abandoned, tho that is known to only a few in the order, and Brillig will not find out unless he specifically tells his church that he is going there.

The temple there was once a huge almost palatial complex of twenty or more buildings with more than a thousand resident priests, laybrothers and sisters, families, servants, guests and even a school.

Now the gardens and most of the buildings lie in crumbling ruin, undisturbed for centuries. Only a lesser chapel, one small section of living quarters and a few outbuildings, all enclosed in a new protective wall, are inhabited by fewer than 30 priests and their followers. These priests do their best to maintain a presence in Mirinha’s honor here, and preserve as much as they can of their religious history and knowledge.

High Temple of Mirinha outside Mirabor:

NPCs:

High Priest Choven Dawnlight (L21). This old man is pleasant and courteous, even to the most rude and abrupt. He speaks slowly but with obvious care. He speaks almost as if he has a personal relationship with Mirinha. He is 1/2 elven, nearing the end of his long life (about 300). He is not quite old enough to remember Brillig, or the fall of the Miraborian Empire, but his parents both lived through it, and he has a good understanding of what happened. When Brillig arrives, he will listen carefully and with great pleasure to all that the hobbit tells him, and will be heartily ashamed of any unpleasantness Brillig reports from member churches in Greenvale.

Choven knows that the Knights left to fulfill a quest for Mirinha and St. Michael, but knows nothing of where they went. He would be fascinated to learn their fate. He opens the records to Brillig’s party freely.

Priest of the Right Hand Peter Summerwood (L15): younger than his superior, he is also less knowledgeable. He will treat the players with respect, but isn’t interested in what brought them. He may even hint that Brillig would be better off staying here to support his order rather than going off to die on some mad adventure. But he will neither be rude nor obstructive.

Gatekeeper: Eurus the silent (L8). He is responsible for the comings and goings of the priests who venture out of the compound, of posting guards and keeping order. He also settles most of the minor disputes among the servants and guardsmen. It is to him that the arriving adventurers will be brought, in the gatehouse. He will treat them politely, and if they came with a known group of Plainsfolk for escort, will let them in without further ado, showing them guest rooms and arranging a meeting with Choven and Peter that evening. He is an older human, in excellent condition, and plainly no fool. He keeps a close eye on any PC who rouses his dislike, but is careful to remain friendly and calm. If PCs arrive unescorted and make demands that bother him, he may require them to remain outside the gates while he summons Peter to help him decide what to do with them.

Other NPCs the players may meet or converse with are:

Jesslyn, a priestess/guard who will escort the PC’s to the records hall.

Aric, a boy who will act as a messenger/valet to the party, fetching wash-water, cleaning rooms, and other small chores

Darron, the stable-master who will tend to their mounts if they have any.

Bedella, a priestess who does much of the cooking and serving of food for the temple. She acts much as the “mother” for everyone here.

The order’s hall of records has been well preserved. It is outside the bounds of the current living area, but remains unburned and in decent condition, mostly due to the ancient preservative magics which still linger in the stones and air of the building. The PCs will have little trouble in locating, within a day or two, the records they want. Nothing is indexed, but all records are filed by the dates on which they were written. They will find a copy of the Order of St. Michael’s book of history, with the same pages they found (and more complete descriptions of what led up to it in earlier years). They also find an account, written by the Priest of the Right Hand of that day, telling of the Knightly order’s arrival, the confusion about what quest Mirinha wanted them to pursue, a description of their outfitting with mountain climbing gear, special leather armor for use on shipboard, other supplies that all indicate a short sea-journey and a rough but short overmountain trip from there. Finally, the hall of records has maps of Miraboria which are quite accurate, showing both the First Miraborian Empire coastline, and the “modern” second Empire one. There are distinct changes on the west coast of Miraboria, especially off the “Great Westfang Plateau”. What caused the changes is unclear, but these mountains once extended much further out to sea (several miles in some cases) than they do now. And at the northern edge, they extended out into a long peninsula which attached what now appears to be a volcanic island to the coast. Research into the earliest records of the order, as the first Miraborian empire was dying, show no direct evidence of what happened, but there are references to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occuring in several places around Mistland in those ancient days. The peninsula’s tip, which appears to be a single mountain, was marked with a now faded name which appears to read “Axxesexx Cxlxn” On the more modern map the island is named “Lost Asheseth”

Within the temple’s records, the only piece of information about what Asheseth could be is a notation from the earliest records after the first Empire’s fall, that “Asheseth has been sealed. Not even sky-ships dare try to reach it now. Those who remained behind are caught forever.” It is likely that this will be (correctly) interpreted to mean Asheseth is an island.

The PCs must get into the Palace Library and see the historical records to find more information about the mysterious Asheseth and learn why the Knights were drawn there by their Goddess.

Two ways to reach Asheseth Island now - by air and by ship. Air is left up to the players to determine, if possible (not likely). Ship means returning to Grenvale, hiring ship and sailing to the part of the world which we call Iceland.