From: The Captain of the Ralnoth City Guard
Subject: A problem in the slums

Over the past few weeks, we've been after villains that has been killing cattle, sheep, and livestock in nearby farms and villages. We've been seeing about two dead animals per night, sometimes more followed by a night or two with no deaths. These all have had one feature in common: we believe all of the animals were killed the necromantic spell 'Tarrant's spectral hand'.

Of the two witnesses who claim to have seen anything, both describe two individuals: one a bit shorter than average, and the other quite a bit taller. Both were clothed in black, but the taller of the two was described as being surrounded by a cloud of darkness. Both witnesses reported feeling an unnatural chill and uncontrollable fear. We strongly suspect that the animals were used to create soulstones, though why anyone would use such inferior soulstones instead of purchasing them on the open market is a mystery.

Last week, the animal deaths abruptly stopped, and we quickly ran short of leads. However, a new problem has arisen: instead of animals, we are now finding dead people on our patrols of the slums northwest of town. There has been at least one verified murder via the spectral hand spell per night since the animal deaths stopped. The deaths appear to always happen at night, though in some instances we cannot be certain.

All citizens are encouraged to keep a wary eye if out after dark, and to report an unusual activity they might see, particularly in the slums. The more information we can get, the more quickly these villains can be brought to justice.

The chief officer tells you, 'So you've heard about our little necromancer problem have you? I'll bet the big boys over in Ralnoth are all kinds of upset about it, worried that they might have to get off their cans for once and do some actual work. I wish we had their budget.

Anyway, if you're looking for some unofficial work on the side, we haven't been able to get any of the gangs or other miscreants to talk to us, and they've got to be involved somehow. As an outside party, someone like you could 'ask them politely' for information, if you know what I mean.

Let me know if you find anything, if it helps us take care of the problem there may be a reward in it.'

The pickpocket says, 'I keep telling them but nobody believes me! I seen the shadows move in the alley, came after me they did! They only move at night! I ain't going back there!'

At first you thought it was your imagination, but after a moment you see the shadow in the distance split and move! A palpable sense of fear grips you and you see two dull red eyes turn to stare at you. The shadows seem to converse, then fall to the floor and vanish. You should probably report this back to the chief officer.

The chief officer tells you, 'That pickpocket has been going about the shadows in the alley for years now, pay him no mind. There's nothing there.

So no word from the gangs, they still won't talk? That's unfortunate. Everyone would be better off if they'd just help us out. Well, perhaps someone else will have better luck convincing them to talk. Have a good day'

From: Alderius, the map maker
Subject: Reward - theft from cartographers guild

Last night, there was a theft from the research offices of our Cartographer's guild. As the stolen notes and material were difficult to obtain, we are offering a reward for their return.

Please contact me in the Ralnoth guild office if you are interested in assisting us.

Alderius says, 'So you're interested in the reward? If you're able to help us, we would gladly pay.

The stolen things were research notes, mapping position data, and topographic, mineral, and magical maps of the area east of town. Of most concern to us are the preliminary maps of the so-called 'Celestial Circle'. The dangerous nature of this area has made mapping a time consuming and expensive venture, and we have much invested in what has been collected so far.

None of this information has been released yet, as per our policy of only releasing audited maps. We suspect the thief intends to use this unreleased data for financial gain, likely to take advantage of the as-yet unknown resources. If you're lucky, you may find them exploring the region or hunting there for artifacts to sell.

It is possible that the thief is associated with a woman who was asking about the circle yesterday. She seemed excited that we had information, but angry that we would not release it to her as per our policy. She stank of, to be polite, the things that you would expect of an active necromancer.

Should you find our notes, any of them, please return them to us. Nearly all of the papers and data should be stamped with our guild logo, and should be easily identifiable.

Thank you for your help!'

In the center of the mounds
There is a flat space in the middle of the central circle of the mound
complex. Here, a ring of stones surrounds a charred patch of earth fifty
feet across. There is a peculiar warmth lingering in the air.
The sun shines brightly overhead.

A seven foot tall cloud of darkness looks upon you with two coal red eyes.
A pale woman with haunted eyes looks nervously at you.
A pillar of granite stands in the center of the charred patch.
A large leather bag full of papers stands upright on the ground here.
[Exits: north east south west ]

Verreshe growls in amusement, 'And here are the heroes, dead set on stopping our nefarious plan. A little late perhaps, but better than never?'
Verreshe says, 'But allow me to introduce myself. I am Verreshe, and this is my ... friend'
Verreshe says, 'We have what we came for, though I am terribly amused at what we have found here'
Verreshe says, 'Would you like to know as well? Alas, it won't be that easy. We had to work for it, and so shall you'
Verreshe says, 'Come Teve, we have other work to do'
Verreshe and the woman sink into shadow and are quickly gone.

You get a large leather bag full of papers.

This definitely looks like the map data that was stolen from the guild, and even better, it all appears to be together in one large leather bag and well taken care of. It's almost as though the thief wanted it to be retrieved for some reason, wanted to make sure it became public.

You should return it to Alderius at the guild and see if he'll give you a reward.

You give a large leather bag full of papers to Alderius the map maker.

Alderius says, 'Amazing, almost everything seems to be here, and it looks as though it were carefully handled indeed! I would not have expected this from normal thieves - it would not be unreasonable for it all to be burned or destroyed simply to spite us or cover their trail.

Here is the reward, thank you again for your assistance in this!'

From: The Captain of the Ralnoth City Guard
Subject: Breakin at the Ralnoth Museum

Quick on the heels of the recent theft from the Cartographer's Guild, there was a breakin and theft from the Ralnoth Museum. Interested parties are encouraged to talk with Radcliffe regarding rewards for the stolen items.

Radcliffe says, 'You heard about our little breakin here? Well, they broke in to our researcher's section in the back, made a mess and scattered everything about, and wrote on the walls in blood the message "the sky will rain fire". It took us several hours to realize that only the original of the map was missing. Everything else was left behind.

Rumor has it that this Verreshe creature is probably responsible. Come to think of it, maybe you should ask our intern, she seems to know a little bit about everything. Maybe she's seen a reference to the name in a book somewhere. She's probably in the library right now.

While you're here, you might want to buy one of our high-quality copies of the map that was stolen. The thieves had to have a good reason to steal the original instead of our incredibly cheap yet high quality copies, but having your own copy might help you track them down. And of course the museum could use the donation.'

A student researcher says, 'I've seen that name in a book somewhere, but I don't remember where. Maybe a demon compendium? Good luck in your search, I really have to finish my current project now but I might be able to help you later'

With that, she turns back to her work.

"Verreshe is an agent of chaos, typically manifesting as a pillar of darkness in which is a barely recognizable humanoid form. She is extremely dangerous and known for taking advantage of any and every possible loophole in negotiated contracts, and will never respond to any attempted summoning using a standard bulletproof contract. When interacting with the human world, she often takes the course to cause maximum chaos. If she is cooperating with you, it is almost certainly to this end."

Andora says, ' I'm looking for my sister Ulianca. A few days ago, my sister Ulianca went missing and, I eventually found a short note from her saying that she was going to Ralnoth. I know that there's something wrong, and I had to follow to try to help her.

We both grew up in Elborat, and she was in love with the stories of ancient magic and often went to visit the ruins in the desert to the southwest of elborat. She trained hard to be a necromancer, but rather than taking a mage secondary, she decided to go with druid. She always talked about how druid runecarving was an older branch of magic than spellcasting, and how she wanted to help rediscover lost spells and magic.

Over the last year, she became increasingly withdrawn, and began obsessing over runes having to do with the sky and stars. She scoured the city and spent all her money to find and import books on the topic, and even began consulting demons to get more information.

There's something she isn't telling me. If you run across her in your travels or find out what happened to her, please let me know!'

From: The Captain of the Ralnoth City Guard
Subject: Assistance needed in the slums

Our branch to the northwest is overworked with the recent spate of murders, and we're looking for mercenaries and townsfolk to help out with a few general tasks. Please contact me if you wish to assist.

The captain of the cityguard says, 'The chief of our branch in the slums has asked for additional help to deal with the current situation, but we're also short on active guards right now. He does have a few of the less important jobs that can be given to mercenaries or other townsfolk. If you'd like to help out, contact him in his office in the slums.'

The chief officer says, 'Oh good, I'm glad someone was available to help. With all the murders and other problems, we just don't have the people to keep up with it all.

Let's see, the next thing on the list that I can hand off would be a guard for an eviction. As you might guess, those get rather nasty out here. You shouldn't need any special training, just don't kill anyone if you can help it.

The landlord will meet you in the building just east of here, on the other side of the block. The entrance is just south of the alley on Coquette way. He should be there shortly, and we said we'd send over someone now.'

The chief officer turns back to his work.

The landlord says, 'Thank you for coming, normally the guard helps me out with problem tenants but I hear they're busy right now and I really do hope the catch the killer it's bad for business, yes it is, yes it is.

If you'll just follow me I'll unlock the apartment and we can go see how bad things are, I hope it's not as bad as the last time but we shouldn't dwell on that no we shouldn't, no.

Follow me please.'

The landlord says, 'oh my, this is awful and it's only been rented for two weeks what in the name of Schlyne has been going on here?'
The landlord says, 'I'm glad nobody is here, that should make this easier'
The landlord says, 'wait a minute'
The landlord says, 'this apartment was supposed to have a basement, why are there no stairs?'
The air on the east side of the room flickers and wavers, before distorting and revealing a cluttered staircase into the basement. The minute you stop looking at it and thinking about it, the staircase disappears again.
Shortly afterward, a voice drifts up from below, laughing evilly.
The landlord says, 'oh dear oh dear, another magic user, oh dear. It's time for you to earn your keep, you go down the staircase and clear the basement while I examine the damage up here'

Verreshe says with mock concern, 'Whatever shall we do, dear Teve? Surely our noble plans to rediscover ancient magics will now be foiled!'
Verreshe turns to look at the woman.
Verreshe says, 'what's that dear? They're looking at you funny?'
Verreshe turns her coal red eyes back to you.
Verreshe says, 'you'll have to excuse my friend here. She's somewhat indisposed at the moment. The poor dear made a mistake you see, and is now paying for it'
Verreshe says, 'it seems she wanted to learn ancient spells, but alas, she doesn't know the exact names, and without the exact names well, my kind just isn't allowed to tell you those'
Verreshe says, 'fortunately for me, she was willing to write her own contract for my assistance! I so enjoy it when they do that!'
Verreshe says, 'but I digress, you see we have much to do, many things to set in motion yet, don't we Teve?'
Verreshe says, 'our work here in Ralnoth is done, but I am certain we shall meet again, shant we? I am so glad we waited, this promises to become a true mess!'
Verreshe says, 'audiu, future deathbringer'
Verreshe drops a small blue diary.
A pool of darkness forms behind Verreshe and her thrall, and they quickly disappear into it and are gone.

The chief officer says, 'Well, with any luck that's the last we'll see of this so called demon and his henchmen. Thanks for taking care of it. You may also want to report back to the captain of the guard in Ralnoth. Thanks for your help'

The captain of the Ralnoth Guard says, 'It's great that the demon is gone, though I'd rather it was in a box than voluntarily. Thanks for your help in this trying time.'

It's a small blue diary, and it must have been the object that was thrown into the room just before Verreshe left. Leafing through it, the writing at the beginning is clean and neat, but becomes more chaotic and rough over time. Later sections of the diary have crude drawings of summoning circles and notes in the margins, and a lot of pining and whining about not being able to learn the ancient starlight spells because demons are jerks.

The name on the inside cover seems familiar - Ulianca Teve.

Andora says, 'This... it's her diary isn't it? It's her diary. Oh gods'

You quickly explain what you know, about the demon and Ulianca's possession, and that there's no leads on where they will end up next.

Andora says, 'At least there's a chance, there's still a chance. I'll have to wait here I suppose, wait until they are seen again, wait until I know where she has gone. Thank you so much for this, if you learn more please tell me and I'll do what I can'

The captain of the Ralnoth cityguard says, 'As a followup to the recent events involving Verreshe and Ulianca, it appears that we have a lead on finding them. Early this morning, a book was stolen from the private collection of the Guildmaster Luth, with a message left behind: "come get it if you want it back". The book was a rare copy of the ancient history of Jo'Kerin, and we believe that city is where Verreshe will appear next.

We have already contacted the city government to inform them of what we know, but since you were instrumental in the events here I felt it best that you should know as well. If you intend to go there, I wouldn't even bother with their idea of 'local authorities' - they won't tell you anything, if you can even find anyone who is in charge that deigns not to kill you. Personally, I'd talk to the innkeepers and bartenders along the bazaar, as they're likely to hear and share gossip.

Good luck should you choose to continue the hunt.'

Rugath, proprietor of the inn says, 'So you're looking for this demon Verreshe and his thrall, and think they've come here? Honestly, that's bad news, even for this place. Verreshe isn't a creature that should be walking the earth ever, from what I understand.

I'll keep my eyes and ears open about it, and let you know if I find out anything, but you should be more discrete about the topic. If our local lord hasn't decided to tell us anything, odds are good he's keeping it quiet for some reason, and it wouldn't do to have plague knights breathing down your neck.

As for what I do know, travellers through the Ash mountain pass have reported surprisingly few yeti for this time of year. Yesterday a dead dragon-ogre was found on the outskirts of town killed by necromancy spells and fully harvested of teeth and organs. And perhaps related, a shadowy figure has been seen with the Pawmarow as well as in the hills to the north. It seems likely that you've come to the right place at the right time.'

Verreshe yells, 'We see you up there! Here we are, trapped at the bottom of the catacombs with nowhere to go but up to certain defeat at your hands!' Verreshe yells, 'Or, we could just wait for you down here. After all, if someone doesn't stop us, well who knows what might happen'

The words form two concentric circles, centered on a not-dusty square region that seems to recently have been where and item once was. The circles read:

"try harder little one, you are losing"

"ash naglg lingat shrlndu ia jaxzul ia cerul jedoc beryl"

The outer circle of words makes no sense, but come to think of it, neither does the inner one.

Looking at the words, it's clear that you are far too late to do more. All that remains now is to hope that Verreshe and Ulianca turn up again - as you're sure that they will.

Andora says, 'Ulianca and Verreshe have turned up in the fabled Undead City? How could this get any worse? If I go there, I'll surely be killed. That's assuming I can even get together the money for safe passage. I leave it in your hands for now, please free her or, do something. I'll be here, trying to arrange my own transport and get funds, just in case. Thank you so much for your help!'

Rugath, proprietor of the inn says, 'Last night around midnight, there was a tremendous boom and a flash of light from the top of the old abandoned High Tower of Sorcery on the eastern outskirts of the city. Soon afterward, a shaft of white light came out of the heavens to hit the top of the tower, and it lasted a short while before vanishing.

As is typical, the plague knights ignored it completely, as it's outside their mandate, but some of my contacts report that the outer wall and wards of the tower have been breached. This is far too much of a coincidence to not be related to Verreshe. The tower has stood there unmolested for over a century without incident, and now shortly after this demon arrives the wards are broken?

It'll almost certainly be a few days before representatives from the guild can be bothered to get here and patch it up, so if you hurry you should be able to get in and look for clues. Be careful though - the demon may have set traps, but the tower was never really safe to begin with and may have been trapped against thieves before it was abandoned. The Mage's Guild always claimed that it was simply 'unused', not abandoned, so they clearly intended to come back for it at some point.'

Words in several languages circle the machine on the ground: "The star aligns at midnight"

The machine itself seems to be a stellar charting machine, or some kind of automated observatory. There's a place to put paper, presumably to allow marks to be made where an image falls. Some pieces of the machine have recently been lubricated (apparently with blood), and it has been set and locked into a very specific position. Several of the focusing lenses are held at strange angles as though converging on a specific point where the paper should go.

You place a copy of an ancient starchart in a the ancient machine, noticing that what you thought was a missing corner is actually an alignment marker for the map tray. Nearly all of the starlight is Focused on a single, specific point on the map.

Your best guess at the final position is about halfway along the northern rocky edge of the Ash Desert. That region has long been rumored to house tombs and other ancient buildings, though no new ones have been found in centuries.

Given Verreshe's previous encounters with you, you know that the map clue was a setup, intentionally meant to lead you into the desert to further her plan. It's -probably- not a deathtrap, as she could have easily killed you by now, and what you've read about her implies an agent of chaos, not destruction.

Whatever purpose she has in dragging you to the desert can't be good, but you don't feel that there's much choice: allowing her to run free will almost certainly be worse in the long run. The toughest enemy to beat is one that ensures there is no path to victory.

A robed-swathed giantess squats before the wardstone, her hands resting on it.
Lady Chantico turns to glare at you.
Lady Chantico says, 'I knew once that, thing, brought down the outer wards that we'd have unwanted company'
Lady Chantico says, 'BEGONE! I will not let you or anyone else know the secret behind Skyfall'
Lady Chantico stomps her foot and the earth rumbles in response.
Lady Chantico says, 'so be it'
Lady Chantico waves her hand, and a half dozen minions decloak around you!

After defeating the giantess and her minions, she curses your foolishness:

Lady Chantico stumbles to the ground, mortally wounded.
She coughs and spits, then looks at you, declaring gravely:
'You fools. I was trying to stop it. Now everyone is going to die.'
With a final shudder, Lady Chantico lays still.

Ulianca stares forward with empty eyes.
A seven foot tall cloud of darkness looks upon you with two coal red eyes.
The eastern wall is covered in a very complex rune pattern and many, many warnings.
The northern wall is covered in a complex rune pattern and writing.
The western wall is covered with a large circular rune pattern.

Verreshe says, 'we reach the conclusion of this act in our play!'
Verreshe says, 'is that not right, poor Teve?'
Verreshe turns back to you.
Verreshe says, 'and she is so close too. If only she could read these walls, she could cancel our contract without repercussion. You too have been my willing tool'
Verreshe says, 'you see, some things would be better left unknown for your race. Skyfall was the work of man, using only two of these three spells. And now you have all three!'
Verreshe says, 'the old magic already here will be more than sufficient to ensure that the walls are not destroyed'
Ulianca slowly turns to look at the walls.
Verreshe says, 'and my workings at the entrance will further ensure that others of your kind can and will find this place'
Verreshe says, 'and now we must... what?'
Ulianca Teven says, 'I... release...'
Verreshe screams.
Ulianca Teven says, 'protection... gone. Kill, kill her'
Ulianca crumples to the floor.
Ulianca whispers, 'hurry'
Ulianca prays to her gods for transportation!
Ulianca disappears.

'Not as much chaos as I had hoped, but enough for now. I shall long outlive your foolish race'

With that, the demon is gone, released to her home plane.

With Verreshe dead at your feet, you find yourself at last able to study the walls of the ancient codex. These are old magic spells, unknown anywhere else and presumably lost to time. Surely they are not as dangerous as Chantico thought.

Andora says, 'So it seems that Ulianca is free, but hiding somewhere and possibly injured or dying? I wonder, perhaps she went to that place, the one she told me about.

Thank you for everything. I think I know where to find her. May you have a long, happy life'

With that, Andora strides off, already planning and getting his mind in order to find and meet up with Ulianca. Your job here is done.