Brakazu's Warband Expedition

Date: 701 GY
Location: From Mzizimoto in Razir to a ruined city in Gograzhi territory
Outcome: Heavy casualties to the warband, some memory loss, many treasures recovered
The Call

[Any number of characters can be part of this expedition.]

A Raziri Champion Channeler named Brakazu sent out word in the years 699 and 700 that he planned to lead an expedition deep into Gograzhi territory, to take the fight to the enemy and learn the secrets hidden there. Heroes, treasure-seekers, and merchants flooded into Mzizimoto to join, or to profit. Brakazu spent his time both organizing and connecting with those present, and before the expedition left the city, he was on first-name terms with every one of them. Brakazu didn’t seek the support of the Orders, a decision that would contribute to the warband’s future troubles.

From the ranks of these volunteers, he named [one] as his second-in-command, [another, an Oracle] as his chief advisor, and [a third] as his lead scout and cartographer. In this he showed no particular favor toward Raziri over the people of other nations, which surprised some.

They faced fierce opposition as they crossed the frost-fields into eastern Gograzh: teeming hordes of scutters and countless walking husks. For many of the warband, this was their first clash with Gograzhi, but [one of the heroes] rallied them in their dismay at these overwhelming numbers, coordinating withering volleys of crossbow bolts and sparkfire.

They crossed the river in the east, relying on the careful guidance of Nālani and [other Ishui swimmer(s)] to navigate its currents and perils, and engaged once again in close battle as they landed.

Now deep inside Gograzh, they discovered ruins that they believed to be the ancient capital of the Orani. They built huts and other shelters amid those ruins and commenced exploration. They were hard-pressed by many dangers, from scutters and grahluks to animate plants and vicious undead. Over the next twelve months, they fought valiantly,

The Nightmare Delve

Remiel b’Finwe and [five other members of the warband] and the Kyrie warrior Lin Tsetsa began to experience strange dreams of wandering in lightless halls, facing bloodthirsty monsters, cunning traps, and mind-bending puzzles. They woke from these dreams exhausted, but sometimes with a fistful of silver coins or a new magical trinket in hand. Yet as their waking and slumbering explorations continued, the dangers they faced grew more extreme. An entity of great power, a wizard of some sort, hunted them from room to room in their dreams.

In one of these dreams, Lin Tsetsa was struck down, swarmed by nightmare creatures. When the rest of them awoke, Lin’s body was gone from her gore-soaked bedroll, and never found thereafter. New members of the warband were drawn into the dream thereafter, and they too lost their lives, such that there was nothing of them to bury.

With great difficulty and the advice of Kalos and [additional scribes], they trapped the hunting wizard-entity behind the Dreamer’s Seal, which the warband developed for this purpose over many months. The formula for the Dreamer’s Seal has since been lost.

Additional Adventures

(The warband experiences other adventures not detailed here. In adding your own remembered stories, you can’t have died or entered the Citadel except through the medium of dreams. There were other battles in the ruins, near the encampment, and in caves. Many additional NPCs died in the course of this event, some of them under mysterious circumstances.)

We the Lost

The warband discovered a blade named Lost, which possessed wonderful powers for fighting the undead and grahluks. It had, however, the curious and unfortunate property of leaching away the wielder’s memories, so the warband tried not to leave it with one wielder too long. Still, some of their battles came at drastic costs; Raka Stonefist and Orno in particular sacrificed most of their memory of the whole journey, in one of the final battles. In the end, Lost was indeed lost once more.

(If you’re part of this event, let us know how much memory-gap you have. It’s okay to have none, if memory loss is uncomfortable to you.)

Retreat

As resistance from Gograzhi increased, the resources available to the warband diminished. When their supply lines were severed, they faced a dire choice, and Brakazu ordered the warband to pack up their belongings and evacuate under cover of night. They were nonetheless attacked during their escape, and much of the baggage was lost in the confusion. It is a testament to the heroism and determination of the warband that so many of them escaped with their lives.

The survivors returned to their homes and families. Their experiences made them subjects of great interest for two decades of Academy scholars. Now, in 725 GY, some of them find that the prospect of a return makes it worth pulling on their boots again.

PC Roles

  • Kalos: Geraden H.

  • Nālani: Caitlin B.

  • Orno: Dustin V.

  • Raka: Mike F.

  • Remiel b’Finwe: Chris J.