Blood Son

Overview

Blood Son is a storyline run by GM Kenstrom, started on June 29, 2020.

Spotlight NPCs

• Malluch Burdos - The Blood Son, restored by Grishom Stone after being driven mad, and now out to bring his word of healing and enlightenment.
• Thadston Andrews - Militia marshal who refused the Blood Son's message in town, then enacted covert militia operations against Malluch's guards.

Supporting NPCs

• Alendrial DeArchon - Half-elven Landing councilwoman, seemingly wary of the Blood Son due to experiences with a past false prophet, Chaston Griffin.
• Cordarius Hodges - Councilman and Hall of Mages Magister appointed by Earl Jovery, acting as Regional Envoy.
• Dakris - The furrier, whose hunters found a dead bloodguard.
• Larsya - A mischievous little girl who loves pirates and has a knack for surviving danger.
• Mother - Leader of the Brotherhood of Rooks, who has no intention of allowing the Blood Son's revival to continue uninterrupted.
• Murdos Burdos - Gem dealer who arranged to have Malluch healed by Grishom Stone, but later regretted it.
• Renpaw - The lifetime-appointed sole judge in the Landing, who would eventually face Mayor Leafiara's request to remove Thadston from power.
• Rone - A mysterious figure wielding a set of the Alchemist's magical gauntlets to repel if not apprehend the Blood Son.

Deceased NPCs

N/A... so far.

Synopses

[Note: These are highly abbreviated summaries of events largely intended as refreshers or teasers. For more details and (in most cases) full logs, please click each one.]

06/29/20 - [[::Blood_Son_-_5120-06-29_-_Getting_Summer_Information|Getting Summer Information]]

A sick woman affected by the smoke from the krolvin pillars comes to the [[::Wehnimer's Landing|Landing]] in hopes of meeting the Blood Son, a figure rumored to be a great healer first encountered outside the Bleaklands. He's scheduled to arrive by week's end.

07/01/20 - [[::Blood_Son_-_5120-07-01_-_Sonny Side Up|Sonny Side Up]]

As rumors of the Blood Son continue to attract a following among Landing citizens, Councilwoman Alendrial meets with town defenders to prepare for the planned arrival--and Revival-of the Blood Son and his entourage on the Eve of the Huntress. Along with suggestions from the crowd, Mayor Leafiara and Captain Shinann agree to prepare for either a benevolent or malevolent visit, with town forces at the ready.

07/07/20 - [[::Blood_Son_-_5120-07-07_-_Showing of Good Faith|Showing of Good Faith]]

The Blood Son arrives to begin bringing truth, healing, and enlightenment, including meetings over the next several days and a revival on Feastday. This masked man is the harbinger of the Blood God Grishom Stone, having had his body and mind restored by him--for he is Malluch Burdos! As an initial proof of power, he heals Alvyara and Balley of the lost vitality Vlashandra took from them.

07/11/20 - [[::Blood_Son_-_5120-07-11_-_Gamble on a Preamble Ramble|Gamble on a Preamble Ramble]]

Malluch begins the revival by reading from Grishom Stone's "Beyond the Arkati" memoir outside of the museum. Though he's met with a mixed reaction, he assures that Grishom will come in about two weeks' time for those willing to answer his call to be free.

07/15/20 - [[::Blood_Son_-_5120-07-15_-_Murdos and the Disoriented Regrets|Murdos and the Disoriented Regrets]]

Murdos Burdos admits to striking a deal with Grishom Stone to heal Malluch, but now regrets it and asks adventurers to bring his son back to him--whatever it takes.

07/17/20 - [[::Blood_Son_-_5120-07-17_-_On Borrowing Time|On Borrowing Time]]

Mother offers aid with isolating Malluch from the bloodguards for questioning. The catch? A caravan of desperate people is en route to town, seeking the Blood Son's healing, and the Rooks intend to turn them away lest they eventually serve Grishom Stone. In case the caravan refuses and the situation escalates to violence, Mother would like Mayor Leafiara to get the town guards and militia to stand down from intervening...

07/18/20 - [[::Landing_Meetings_-_5120-07-18|Hot Summer Nights, Part 1]]

In advance of the caravan's arrival, Mayor Leafiara holds an afternoon meeting regarding what town defenders would like to do and what they must do.

07/18/20 - [[::Blood_Son_-_5120-07-18_-_Hot_Summer_Nights|Hot Summer Nights, Part 2]]

Malluch seeks aid with the late-arriving caravan, suspecting trouble. Landing adventurers are besieged by bandits and exploding prisms while searching for it, arriving only in time to find burned wagons and corpses. Malluch blames the Rooks as butchers and storms off, but later that night, Mother denies their involvement and says they remained in town at Mayor Leafiara's request. Both sides agree to investigate.

07/22/20 - [[::Blood_Son_-_5120-07-22_-_Five-Star Slaying|Five-Star Slaying]]

Malluch's acolytes seek to preach again, but Thadston among others tell them they're unwelcome. Some are willing to hear them out, but a succession of warnings given, advances made, shots fired, more warnings, more advances, and more shots leads to pandemonium as the acolytes, Rooks, militia, adventurers, and even Rone launch into a five-way free-for-all!

07/31/20 - [[::Blood_Son_-_5120-07-31_-_Thadstonian Measures|Thadstonian Measures]]

Marshal Thadston hears out town defenders on what to do regarding the Blood Son and heated words fly regarding premature actions, jurisdiction, freedom, safety, law, and more. Thadston ultimately settles on demanding Malluch's surrender on the basis of being a fugitive who hadn't served out his sentence and says he'll submit a bounty for review by the town council and mayor, in the event that Malluch doesn't comply.

08/01/20 - [[::Blood_Son_-_5120-08-01_-_Pardon, a Moment of Your Time|Pardon, a Moment of Your Time]]

Malluch, having no intention of surrendering, considers an offer from Kothos to grant the civilians in his camp refuge in the Ivasian temple if he can secure protection during transport and their stay there. Magister Raelee offers to ask Lord Breshon if Malluch can persuade her, but he doesn't; Umbazi says he'll bring the situation up with the Silver Gryphons, without making promises. Mayor Leafiara declines to involve the town guards, but when she claims that Malluch probably should have been pardoned after information about Praxopius came to light, he says it's not too late and asks everyone to consider the issue until the eve of Tilamaires, when decisions on the pardon and the protection have to converge.

08/02/20 - [[::Blood_Son_-_5120-08-02_-_Corpse Correction|Corpse Correction]]

Town hunters find the corpse of a bloodguard accidentally slain by a log trap and adventurers investigate to find that it has the appearance of Grishom Stone and slimy residue similar to his golems. Magister Raelee seeks to study it and Mayor Leafiara agrees to have the body delivered to the outpost laboratory. The group goes to inquire with one of the living bloodguards, but they only say they'll inform the Blood Son; however, as they return to town, another bloodguard in a different area moves and speaks identically to the other one...

08/04/20 - [[::Blood_Son_-_5120-08-04_-_Riffin' on Gryphons, Mayors, and Players|Riffin' on Gryphons, Mayors, and Players]]

The Order of the Silver Gryphon agrees to escort Malluch's followers on the condition that Malluch himself stay at a reasonable distance either behind or in front of them in an effort to prevent attacks from anyone seeking to apprehend only Malluch himself. After a night of bickering as he calls their logic silly, Malluch eventually says he'll try to convince his followers of the need for the conditions. Meanwhile, Mayor Leafiara concludes that in a volatile situation, the timing isn't right for a pardon and is likely to rile up the Rooks and Rone; Malluch criticizes her approach as a naive failing, but she says the pardon can be reassessed another time and for now she'll try to deter Thadston for him regardless.

08/06/20 - [[::Blood_Son_-_5120-08-06_-_Bubble Boggle|Bubble Boggle]]

Just as word comes in that Malluch's agreed to the Gryphons' escort, Marshal Thadston has other thoughts and cautions against getting in the way of his taking in Malluch. However, mid-discussion he briefly grabs at Captain Stormyrain's arm and won't explain himself; after he leaves, she and Mayor Leafiara agree to pursue a review from Judge Renpaw over removing him from power. Meanwhile, Larsya alerts everyone to danger in the outpost: the bloodguard being studied by Magister Raelee's team has killed several soldiers, and town defenders spring into action to learn more about its capabilities the hard way.

08/09/20 - [[::Blood_Son_-_5120-08-09_-_Implications,_Operations,_and_Consternations|Implications, Operations, and Consternations]]

Sir Geijon, Sir Cryheart, and the rest of the Gryphons successfully escort Malluch's masked followers to Ivas' temple, along with support from two advance groups led by Mayor Leafiara and Akenna, despite all-too-familiar attacks from bandits and exploding prisms... in addition to Rone sightings which seem not to lead to anything. Kothos invites in the safely-arrived citizens and travelers, but once Thadston gets word that they've arrived, he orders the execution of Operation Stonewall and sends the militia to attack the bloodguards' camps. Mass slaughter ensues as the bloodguards easily overwhelm the militia and town defenders who return to aid, and eventually Thadston withdraws. Malluch taunts Thadston and gets roughed up in return before he voluntarily turns himself in to Captain Stormyrain with a grin, but challenges mount over whether Thadston's fit to lead or has lost his mind--especially after he admits that the captains didn't know of the operation, nor an additional internal operation underway, for which he needed a tighter inner circle. Leafi moves to have him arrested for questioning, but he and the militia resist and the situation devolves into a brawl. With nothing productive coming of seeking an arrest at the moment, Stormy and Leafi get everyone to stand down and Thadston accepts an offer from Lylia that he may stay with the Faendryl Enclave as his review for potential removal by Judge Renpaw remains pending.

08/11/20 - [[::Blood_Son_-_5120-08-11_-_Discordant Discussion|Discordant Discussion]]

Magister Cordarius writes to Breshon and the Hall taking responsibility for the incident with the bloodguard in the outpost, but Magister Raelee objects that he was not there nor is she under his oversight. After a tense non-resolution, Cordarius also shares news: Malluch's followers have demanded his release, a public hearing over Thadston's ability to be the marshal will take place in a few weeks and he's requested the Faendryl Enclave as his defense, and he's secured aid from Larsya providing soldiers for whatever Grishom Stone will be doing in two nights.

08/13/20 - [[::Blood_Son_-_5120-08-13_-_Blood Mine, Conga Line|Blood Mine, Conga Line]]

Faced with an impending riot as bloodguards gather in the woods while various Landing townspeople, guards, and militia light torches to seek Malluch's release, Mayor Leafiara makes the call to pardon him, quelling the situation. As promised, Grishom soon makes an appearance outside the Deadfall and heals several of Malluch's followers, saying they must give life to get life, and opens wounds on their bodies and invites them into the forest. The Rooks semi-successfully interrupt the proceedings, picking off eight followers with arrows, but most run in to the forest to an unknown fate. Malluch wants to deploy the bloodguard and Grishom says to do as he wishes, as Malluch's not going to the Deadfall but must continue his work and gather a second, bigger harvest. Before leaving for the night, Grishom and Malluch warn against getting in the bloodguards' way as they'll go to claim one Rook for each life taken. Most Landing defenders, Rooks, Hendorans, and Bourthians have ideas other than allowing the bloodguards inside the gates and a battle ensues. Enough bloodguards manage to get into town to carry off Rook bodies one by one, as some town guards and militia decline to attack them in the process. The final person they come for is Leafiara?! But she's left unharmed, as the blood guards suddenly and inexplicably withdraw after dragging her out to the forest...