Lean and athirst
Dmitri was a little edgy, as he always was since the horror of Zurrah, his eyes constantly roving the busy common room. Fyodor made small talk as he ate, discussing the road ahead and who else among their loose community of sell-swords and mercenaries would likely be meeting them at Lomaa. It was clear his brother wasn't entirely listening, and after a few minutes Dmitri interrupted in a low undertone that Fyodor could barely hear over the rumbling tide of conversation around them.
"Have you noticed how many draughir there are here?" He asked. He hadn't touched his bowl of stew.
Fyodor looked around. There were quite a few draughir here - the proprietor for one, and most of his staff. Probably family members. Several of the locals were also touched by Winter, but by no means all of them. Inasmuch as he had given it any thought, the elder of the two brothers had just assumed that at some point in the village's history something dreadful - some blizzardful winter or siege by the Thule - had forced the ancestors of these people into a terrible choice. Like many Varushkans, he didn't think it polite to dwell on such things. Dmitri however was becoming increasingly suspicious, ever since he had spent that long evening with that Highborn priest of Vigilance.
"It's nothing, stop worrying." Said Fyodor, hoping to reassure his brother.
Hand trembling slightly, Dmitri reached into his traveling pack down between his legs. While keeping his eyes on Fyodor, he pulled out a pouch of cracked old leather. With the other hand he slid one of the table lanterns toward him, opening the little catch. Adding several pinches of crumbly red clay-like substance to the clean metal spoon, as surreptitiously as he could, he held it over the candle flickering in the lamp. Fortunately these were old-fashioned lamps, not the new lightstone ones coming out of Essk. After a few moments he casually pulled the spoon out, and mimed using it on his soup while he actually inhaled a great lungful of the steam rising from the now blackened substance.
Then, just as casually, he glanced around the room. Fyodor knew his brother well, marked his shoulders stiffening, the colour draining from his face. His eyes became wild, and under the table his leg started to bounce.
"What... Dmitri, calm down! What is it?" Fyodor hissed.
"Monsters," said Dmitri, almost whispering. His gaze met Fyodor's, his eyes filmed with a pale red sheen that, in his now-pallid face, made him look almost like draughir himself.
"How many?" Fyodor might worry about his brother but he trusted him absolutely. if he said there were monsters... His hand slid under the table to the haft of his handaxe, as he glanced around the room, taking in the cheerful chatter of the people at the nearby tables, the laughter of one of the draughir servers delivering a platter of stew to a trio of farmers. The leather-armoured village protectors who had been seated near the door when they came in were still there, and obviously armed. He'd no doubt that once the monster was revealed, once they realised what was happening, they would leap into action.
Dmitri swallowed.
"All of them," he said, his voice fracturing with terror, barely audible. "It's all of them, Fyodor," and Fyodor's blood turned to ice.
Overview
- A large number of Varushkan captains worked with the Thule Claws of the Dragon to root out the face-peeler horrors in Karsk and Ossium
- Some Varushkan citizens encountered problems during the last season especially draughir and those considered dubious
- There is also some caution around some of the loot acquired from the trudniki
The matter of the "face-peelers" has been of concern for some parts of Varushka for a while now. Sławomir Rabovich Bolotstrazh in particular has championed a firm stance against the creatures, going so far as to prevail on the Ambassador to Otkodov Kindra Surefoot to raise the issue with the Thule, reasoning that their interests in Ossium and Karsk where the creatures seem to be most populous might incline them to cooperate with Varushka to deal with the beasts.
The "face peelers" are also known as the "trudnik" or "trudniki". They seem to be humanoid monsters that are somehow able to wear the flayed faces of their victims and use them to masquerade as innocent citizens. They use this disguise to hunt unsuspecting travellers, or to prey on isolated communities that mistake them for genuine guests. A year ago evidence began to surface that the disappearance of Zurrah may have been connected to them. The whole village was murdered and devoured, their remains left piled in the centre of the settlement. Magicians spoke with the spirit of a deceased resident, and the story goes that they confirmed face-peelers were behind it.
While the trudniki do not prey on orcs, last season the Dragons of Otkodov instructed the Claws of the Dragon to work with the Varushkan people to root out the nests of the creatures on both sides of the border. Given that the largest known den of these monsters is in Thule-dominated Webwood, anything less would have presented only a partially solution. These past three months, however, have seen a comprehensive search through the whole of eastern Varushka, in both Imperial and Thule lands, to root out the face peelers once and for all.
Stolen Faces
| Rooted out the Face-peelers |
| Konrad Chirurg Zmei |
| Ilka Radosveta Vinogradov |
| Vasilmir Radovanovna Esskivic |
| Valdamire Illiach |
| Zbigniew Mrakovna |
| Sławomir Rabovich Bolotstrazh |
| Kvet Drahgov |
| Velko Perunovich Razoradze |
| Jaromir Ostrovyn Kostka |
| Vojsuli Cherenkov |
| Serafina Semenov |
| Mollibog Delgorkov |
| Radomir Illyot Shallotovich |
| Kazvera Yakovna Molchaniye |
| Iarovit Zorczek Przewałski |
| Kolnýr |
| Mishka Varkov |
| Miloš Stanislavsky Koval |
| Nikolai Desovich Patazca |
| Czarek Madej |
| Victor Ostrostan |
| Skandavitz Iskander Kastrioti |
| Zorazeli |
| Sashko Olekhsandrovich Karamazov |
| Moraža |
| Imia |
| Zayac |
| Dragomihr Oskykov |
| Piotr Strascovich |
| Katchiana Razoradze |
| Arkady Morazovich |
| Jasenko |
| Grymnir “Gallows” |
| Dusan the Wolfeater |
| Ausra Dorova Ostrov |
| Zedrath Blak |
| Jakub Dragovich Kuth |
| Baranov Stamly |
| Oksana Leszekovna Nadovich |
| Bronimir Ranedzkah |
| Artyom Badowski |
| Askien Alanovich Vesimerov |
| Andrej Rasenov |
| Pjesmina Zbirka |
| Bozidar Venkovich Cvetnaski |
| Kazimiera Radovna Suvretzska |
| Mallick 'Nock' Urokov |
| Mayra Zoronova Prochnost |
| Oleg |
| Belakov Zakharovich Prochnost |
| Malechko Palechko |
| Luka Olgavich Slota |
| Valentina Minova Lenka |
| Aksel Reznov Razoradze |
| Regislav Emilov |
| Rumen Nowak |
| Solvita Gwenovitch Temnavoda |
| Dobrivit Nadayn Leszek |
| Vesna Borkovna Prochnost |
| Gorkins |
| Nikolai Yaropolk Borislav |
| Sketchemi Justicast Mentyevik |
| Davinov Egorushkin Karevelov |
| Vedmid Yaroslav Kommisarov |
| Vlodikaz Ivarovich Vardovich (known as Vlod) |
| Alderei the Fair |
| Maksym Sashkova Breziets |
| Dindrane Matushkova |
| Matesh Proctotkova |
| Borys Vardovich Straskovich |
- The venture has been an overwhelming success
The Claws of the Dragon, tasked by Caridis the Binder of Runes and Oaths, have made themselves available to Sławomir Rabovich Bolotstrazh to assist in rooting out the dreadful face-peelers. The Claws are accomplished warlocks skilled in divination, but they also show an aptitude for interrogation and information gathering by more mundane means. They are supported in their investigations by a cadre of Thule hunters - and an overwhelming number of Varushkan wagon raiders, schlacta and wardens. The Claws take the lead when operating in Krevsaty, the Bonewood and the Webwood while supporting Imperial efforts in the rest of Karsk and Ossium. The operation to root out and destroy the so-called "face peelers" is systematic and thorough. As well as locating and targeting the isolated dens where the creatures live more openly, there is a simultaneous effort to visit isolated vales and identify the small groups of trudnik hiding among innocent Varushkans or unaware Thule. Face peelers are executed wherever they are found.
As predicted, however, this bold action comes at a cost. The trudnik glamour that allows them to masquerade as humans often presents as if they had draughir lineage. This is more of a problem in the Imperial parts of Karsk and Ossium, but there are still a few vales in the regions ceded to Otkodov where humans dwell, mostly left to their own devices by their new orc landlords (as long as they deliver appropriate tithes to the local warlocks). It is relatively straightforward to differentiate a trudnik from a draughir with some straightforward investigation - the insight ceremony proves absolutely invaluable here - but it still inevitably leads to seeds of suspicion and doubt that unsettle the affairs of draughir in Karsk and Ossium.
Participation: The Hunt
- Military unit commanders have received the loot from the raid on the trudnik in their packs
- Further information on the downtime action will also be provided in packs in the shape of an out-of-character report
- Details of the report will be added to the wiki after the Spring Equinox
Characters whose military unit took part in the venture to root out the trudniki have been engaged in a campaign all season. Some may have focused on investigating isolated settlements, others in working with the Thule, and still others exploring the wilder places of Karsk and Ossium for signs of trudniki lairs. All have received an amount of loot, but details of what else they have learned or found are not public knowledge yet.
Each player will find an OOC briefing in their pack that details some of the events of the hunt against the trudnik when they pick up their player pack. The gist of this report will be added to the main wiki after the Spring Equinox, in much the same was as a historical research report would be.
Unpalatable Consequences
- Varushkan draughir have been treated with suspicion and doubt in Ossium and Karsk
- "Spooky" or suspicious characters of any background or lineage may have encountered some difficulties
- Characters who took part in the venture to root out the face-peelers will receive additional information in their packs
Any Varushkan draughir living in Karsk or Ossium will likely have been investigated during the effort to Root out the Face Peelers. This isn't likely to have been violent - those taking part in the venture have stuck to the law and treated Imperial citizens with respect. However, it is likely you will have been challenged, and perhaps even asked to take part in an insight ceremony to "prove" that you are human and not a face-stealing anthropophage disguised as one.
While draughir bear the brunt of the suspicion, any character whose mien is "spooky" or "suspicious" may have encountered some similar difficulty. Suspicion is maintained for those who live in isolation, or especially those with a track record of making irreverent comments about cannibalism, torture, drinking blood or similar. Again such encounters are not likely to be violent, but anyone with a track record for dubious behaviour might find a band of wagon raiders on their doorstop, with a Thule warlock in support, wanting to ask them a few questions and have a polite poke around in their cellars and attics.
Participation : Suspicious Kinds
- Draughir and people who might be viewed as suspicious will have encountered problems since the Winter solstice
- The folk undertaking the hunt for the trudniki do not go out of their way to harass people once they have been proved not to be face peelers
The fact that a trudnik is often hard to distinguish from a draughir without a close interrogation or the use of liao, means that everyone with that lineage in the two affected territories has experienced problems with strangers (and sometimes their neighbours) over the last few months, represented by a -1 penalty to the production of their personal resource. The exception is that draughir whose military unit actively participating in the root out the face-peelers venture have not suffered the same degree of conflict since the Winter Solstice.
It's worth noting that this suspicion - which also targets people who are not draughir but might be deemed as a bit suspiciously isolated or closed off from the wider community - has not turned violent. Every step is being made to ensure that it is the trudnik who are being dealt with, not innocent Varushkans. Very few people like harassing their neighbours but when it comes to lurking, infiltrating monsters that prey on their community, Varushka knows it is better to be safe and to apologise after, than to worry about propriety and see everyone in the vale pay the price.
Ketsov Bequest
- The Ketsov of Ossium have been keen to ensure that the hunt for the face-peelers goes well
- Varushkan military units undertaking the Protect the Vales of Varushka venture have a one rank bonus following the Spring Equinox
Surprisingly it is the Ketsov who are most outspoken about the need to differentiate between draughir and trudnik. Their concerns are part of the reason the current venture is taking place, but they are adamant that the problem is not draughir it is people who offend against the rules of hospitality. The fact trudnik often appear as draughir is a secondary consideration - the real sign someone might be a trudnik is that they are prone to talking about cannibalism and similar offences, often in an apparently humorous or dismissive way. If others respond positively to such "jokes" it slowly corrodes the protection offered by Varushkan community and the hearth magic of hospitality. Unfortunately, the Ketsov are not very popular among their neighbours, and their nuanced take does not find much uptake.
The Ketsov are not popular. They did not suffer the yoke of the Druj to the same degree other folk in Ossium did, and it is going to be some time before anyone forgets that. They maintain that they simply did what they needed to stay alive - parleying their knowledge of artisanry to secure safety for their family. What is a Varushkan if not someone who knows when it is necessary to make a deal with the darkness? They have been warning about the trudnik for years at this stage, but while the best time to deal with the threat was when they first brought it up, the second best time is now. As such, they are prepared to put their hands in their pockets and hopefully lay to rest concerns that they are not really Varushkans.
Following the Spring Equinox, any Varushkan military unit receives a one rank bonus to production when undertaking the Protect the Vales of Varushka venture. This represents payment of money, ingots, and measures from the Ketsov in Ossium and the Ketsov Mir Mozga in Karsk. The family may have had their problems with their fellow Varushkans, but they are still bound to the egregore and part of their nation. They haven't asked for anything in concern, but it is an open secret that they would be grateful to see the Varushkan national assembly speak on their behalf. They don't expect to be welcomed with open arms by their fellows, but they would appreciate their Vigilance and their Loyalty to the nation being recognised in some fashion.
Corrupted Blood
This is a potion that follows all the normal rules. It is found in small doses in bottles, jars, or phials and anything of that sort would make a suitable physrep to attach the laminated rip-on-use card to.
- Characters who took part in the venture receive forest materials and corrupt blood
- Some Varushkan wise ones and wardens have expressed concern about this concoction
Those who took part in the fight against the face peelers have recovered an amount of forest materials - a mixture of loot taken from the trudnik and gifts from thankful Varushkans. They've also encountered a concotion that has been dubbed corrupt blood. This viscous preparation seems to be common in many trudnik nests, and reportedly infuses drinkers with preternatural strength and endurance. For most it is just another peculiar material, no stranger than the substances secured by the Tolvoli Butcher or the Keeper of the Bonehives.
Note everyone feels the same way however, and the provenance of this substance raises a few concerns among herbally inclined wise ones and wardens in Karsk and Ossium. These people have expressed their worries to the Apothecaries Guild, the Imperial sodality who believe in shared discovery, and who exist to Coordinate and support the research... and dissemination of ingredients, potions, poisons, antidotes, and drugs to Imperial citizens (among other things).
The request is straightforward; the Guild is asked to investigate corrupt blood and determine how safe it is, and if possible where it comes from and perhaps even what it is made of. After they've done that, they ask that the speaker of the sodality share their findings using the power to disseminate herbal information to the Empire by making an announcement in the Senate during the Spring Equinox. While this is a very broad interpretation of the powers of the sodality, the civil service have indicated that this use is legitimate as long as it is clearly related to matters within the remit of the sodality.
If the speaker for the sodality does use this ability, their words will be a matter of public record in the same manner as any announcement to the Senate (they will be required to provide a written copy of their announcement as normal). If they choose to include a recommendation, it will have no legal power - the Senate alone has the power to make define laws for concoctions such as this - but members of the Apothecaries Guild outside Anvil will take note, and ensure that their peers among the herbalists and physicks, not only of Varushka but of the rest of the Empire, are aware of it.
| Corrupt Blood (Reassurance) | |
| 8 crowns | 3 doses of corrupt blood |
| 18 crowns | 6 doses of corrupt blood |
| 30 crowns | 9 doses of corrupt blood |
| 43 crowns | 12 doses of corrupt blood |
| Corrupt Blood (Caution) | |
| 10 crowns | 3 doses of corrupt blood |
| 22 crowns | 6 doses of corrupt blood |
| 36 crowns | 9 doses of corrupt blood |
If the speaker offers reassurances that the substance is safe to use, it will create an opportunity for the Merchant-Boyar of the Stinking Market to acquire small amounts of corrupt blood from Varushkan wagon raiders following the announcement. It will also create an opportunity for the Speaker to the Leshun to acquire similar amounts from the Thule, who reportedly have no use for the stuff. These opportunities won't last permanently - the supply of corrupt blood will eventually dwindle, and without trudnik to create more it's unlikely fresh doses can be concocted - but for at least the next year the two titles will be able to buy corrupt blood from their ministry. In addition, for the next year, the production of the Protect the Vales of Varushka venture will change slightly. A standard military unit will gain 30 rings, five random measures or ingots, and a dose of corrupt blood either taken from scattered and desperate trudnik or traded with wagon raiders who fought the face-peelers this season.
If the Apothecaries Guild declines to make an announcement, or chooses not to either offer reassurance of recommend caution, then the opportunity for the two titles to purchase corrupt blood will still exist, but the price will be significantly higher, and the supply lower so the opportunity to buy the corrupt blood will be lost by the start of the Autumn Equinox.
Finally, if the speaker instead recommends caution in dealing with corrupt blood, neither title gains access to corrupt blood and there is no change to the production of the venture. Individuals are still free to trade the concoction as they wish, but the Imperial sodality members in the wider Empire will echo the speaker and discourage use of corrupt blood. Any opportunity to acquire more of the substance will only exist "beneath the table" as it were.
In the event the Senate chooses to make corrupt blood illegal for whatever reason, the current opportunities to acquire corrupt blood via ministry or venture are lost, regardless of what the Apothecaries Guild proposes.
What is a Potion?
- The Constitutional Court has issued guidance about the Imperial Apothecaries Guild ability to share their findings
- This follows guidance related to the use of interdiction by the Conclave where potions, drugs, and ingredients are concerned
The Imperial Apothecaries' Guild, via their Speaker, has the ability to share recipes stored in a herbal with the Empire. The seemingly innocent request from the Varushkan wise ones has triggered something of an argument in the civil service as to whether that power covers the ability to share other lore related to the purview of the Guild. The constitutional court has ruled that, given not all herb lore is contained in a herbal, the responsibility to "coordinate and support the research, development, and dissemination" means that the Guild must implicitly have the ability to spread information related to "ingredients, potions, poisons, antidotes, and drugs to Imperial citizens." This includes propagating information about herbs, potions and the like that is not contained in a herbal. As such, they have adjusted the civil service guidelines around the use of the dissemination power to reflect this. They will continue to monitor the situation.
Roads
- The damage being done to the warding power of Varushka's roads has been reversed
- It is not clear what caused the corrosion of this protection, nor what has restored it
Everyone in Varushka knows the protection offered by a properly built road. Roads are a powerful manifestation of the hearth magic of warding, a symbol of civilisation in wild places and safety against the creatures of the dark. This is especially true in Varushka where the roads are laid out with symbols of sanctuary specifically designed to keep the monsters at bay. Over the past couple of years, though, this power has been slowly waning. There have been incidents were more powerful monsters have been able to step onto the roads, creating tragic circumstances where travellers who believed themselves safe have fallen prey to the perils of the Varushkan wilderness. First noted during the height of the Schlata of Rot's rampage, the situation has slowly worsened. Only the continued efforts of the schlacta of Varushka and the questing-knights of Dawn have kept the danger at bay, but they have also served to conceal just how bad the problem was becoming. Sensitive types reported a feeling of unease or uncertainty when travelling the roads, an awareness that they might not offer their full protection that left some frightened and forced to turn back before venturing too far from their vale.
Following the attacks against the trudniki, these nagging sensations seem to have vanished. Folk travel the roads with a sense of surety and certainty, knowing in some unconscious way that as long as they remember to follow the rules, to stay on the path whatever tries to lure them away, they will be safe. It seems unlikely that this bold action against the trudnik is wholly to thank for this sudden shift. Unfortunately, given the folk of Varushka do not entirely agree on what was causing the disruption in the first place, it's hard to say for certain what might have lead to such a dramatic reversal of fortune.
Meat and Bone (Conjunctions)
- Several conjunctions of the Sentinel Gate have been detected that allow opportunities to follow up on the raids against the trudniki
While the face peelers have been comprehensively routed, there is still some lingering fall out. The civil service have identified conjunctions of the Sentinel Gate that will allow Imperial heroes to intercede in several locations in the east of Varushka and beyond.
Lost Wagon Raiders (Ossium)
- A group of wagon raiders stranded in the depths of Drownbark Forest have become bewitched by some unknown spiritual force
- This skirmish is a combat possible encounter
- The Merchant-Boyar of the Stinking Market is responsible for investigating and resolving the situation
- There may be innocent people present on this conjunction; magistrates advise caution must be taken to avoid innocent casualties
Wagon raiders operating out of Orieb have struck out into the sucking mire of Drownbark Forest - exchanging ox and wagon for flat-hulled punts to ply marshes that are rapidly flooding with the coming of Spring. Seeking the plunder said to reside in the hidden vales of the face-peelers, they appear to have run afoul of some unknown threat in the deep forest. Scouts have found raiders adrift on the shifting islands of sedge, delirious from exposure, babbling of their comrades acting oddly - as if not themselves or, as one raider puts it, "suffering a sickness of the soul". Others flee when approached, vanishing into the reeds without a trace, screaming in terror.
A conjunction leading to a dilapidated camp thought to contain most of the raiders has been identified - but contact has not been possible due to the shifting waters of the marsh. It falls to the Merchant Boyar of the Stinking Market, Modesto Bogaty, to arrange an investigation into this matter. If the raiders are left to perish in the swamp, then whatever intelligence they might have collected during their expedition would be lost.
Embers and Ash (Karsk)
- A band of wagon raiders have fallen sick after taking part in the attack against the face-peelers
- This skirmish is a combat possible encounter
- The Guild Leader of the Apothecaries Guild is responsible for treating the Gregadze
- There may be innocent people present on this conjunction; magistrates advise caution must be taken to avoid innocent casualties
Some of those who joined the efforts to root out the face-peelers have fallen sick. One group, the Gregadze, have retreated to their camp. The local outpost has refused to help, assuming this is all just a trick and that they are actually trudniki. The outpost has sent word to the Apothecaries Guild asking them to come and see what can be done to treat them - just in case they aren't monstrous.
The incumbent Guild Leader of the Apothecaries Guild, Esmé i Estrico i Erigo, is responsible for treating the Gregadze if they are able. If if turns out they are people and they are treated, then the outpost has promised fifty drams of herbs to be delivered in time for the Summer Solstice to whoever is elected as the Guild Leader.