Taurba - After Action Report - Supplemental 3

The journey home was thankfully uneventful. The growing sense of dread which had built up as we traveled immediately lessened when we found the kaer whole and unbreeched.

After performing the greeting ritual, we reported in and delivered our detailed reports to the Heresiarch, Melancha and Mir. We told them of our mission and specifically discussed in detail the message from the horror, directed at the Heresiarch. We asked who they thought “the boy” was and provided our suspicions that “the boy” was in fact Anneal FarTraveller. No consensus was reached.

[Redacted]

We did not feel that we received satisfactory answers during our report and collectively grew suspicious. The threat of the horror was serious business and we felt that it was our duty to get to the bottom of things; especially if it might help protect the kaer.

After the meeting, we given some down time which we put it to use investigating mysteries. We started by tracking down Anneal. We found him drinking orkish rotgut. The boy has fortitude but I fear he is not quite right in the head. He truly believes he is an ork and does his best to be the best one that ever lived. He also believes that his late father, William FarTraveller, was a great man and that he was murdered. Other than his belief in foul play and a conspiracy, Anneal was unable to provide any real details.

To continue the investigation, we decided to splint up. I decided to ask around the barracks and talk with my mentor, Tamesna, about the death of William FarTraveller. All I learned was that he had been killed in a training exercise and that any further detailed records would be housed at the library.

Quinn and Cetharel went to talk to P'shel Blirgroth, Anneal’s “mother”. Once we started to question things, it was obvious that the ork woman could not possibly be Anneal’s birth mother. Since we never got a straight answer from Anneal, we figured that the best way to get information was to talk As I understand it, the direct approach did not go well and Cetharel is lucky to still have arms.

Ermin and Oren went to the library to see what else we could learn of Anneal’s parentage. Mir did gave some more insight into the situation surrounding Anneal’s situation. He confirmed that Anneal was adopted after his mother, Bethany FarTraveller died, in child birth and his father remarried P'shel Blirgroth.

Collectively, we finally had a conversation with Melancha. With the promise that we would let the issue alone, she helped to fill in more details regarding the death of William FarTraveller. It appears that Anneal was not completely wrong. There is some sort of cover-up regarding the incident. It was made clear to us that there was some sort of personal drama between William FarTraveller and the Telemses Longspear. It  concerned an accusation that William had an affair with Telemeses’ wife, Mamour. It seems that there was a confrontation between the two which lead to a fall from the defense works and FarTraveller’s death. There may or may not have been some indiscretion but it did not sound like murder. The incident was labeled a training accident to preserve the reputations of all involved.

We will keep our word and remain silent but I think the situation bears monitoring as it seems to play into the machinations of the horror. I suspect that the Heresiarch knows more than he is willing to say and I fear that Anneal may do something foolish that could put the kaer in danger.

[/Redacted]

After being unable to find anything useful at the library, Ermin took the magic daggers found in the graveyard to Cotonou the Weaponsmith. The troll was able to use item history to discern secrets regarding the items and identified them as Dalis’ Daggers: Izzy and Derech. Each is a magic weapon in its own right but apparently together the daggers grant the wielder a synergy of powers. Ermin has decided to bond to these weapons. It is good to see that he is flexible and can embrace other fighting styles other than the “Dragon Tornado Style” that he is constantly extolling.

As before, we gave our report of our last mission to the gather populace. It was not a happy tale but it gave hope in the fact that we had experienced hardship and continued to persevere. After our tale was done, in a solemn ceremony, before the statue of Ouro Preto, the Heresiarch announced the addition of the names of Urmann Bey and Vivake Mandal to the Wall of Honor.

We were given another few days for down time and preparations. After being unable to find any leads regarding possible nearby kaers or other places the hoor might be hiding, iIt was decided that our group would seek out Gvint in the village of Trosk. Our hope was that the Purifier would be able to help us locate and put an end to whatever afflicts the badlands. At the very least, the Obsidiman might be able to help us locate the horror that has recently plagued us and provide a chance to rescue or put to rest our missing companions.

Before setting out, the Heresiarch made another surprising and exciting announcement. Based upon the explorations of the world by groups 1 through 4 so far, it was decided that the kaer would be officially opened. Works would begin immediately to build fortifications and plant crops upon the surface. Soon Uqbar would be ready in mass to meet the world. Our mission expanded to become ambassadors for the kaer in addition to seeking to vanquish dangers in the surrounding area.

Before we said our farewells, the Heresiarch revealed one last, humbling surprise. He presented me with the first Ouro Preto Combat Medal of Valor. I was shocked and honored beyond words. I am not sure that I am deserving of such honors and praise but I will do all in my power to try to live to the standard that this trust represents.