Izereth the Beholderkin

Paramour

IZERETH

Stole The Harvester, an evil changing weapon
Stole Ma'crag's Ax, an evil-ending weapon
Broke the Lady's Seal in Tethgard
Actively helping Beholders
Roams the land under invisibility
Frequently sets up traps on the road between Eveningstar and Arabel

That's just a fraction of the problem. But it is a problem.

And it seems like it's a problem without a good solution. So here's the file, I'm opening this to ideas.

She seems to want to try to lure us into committing some sort of evil act in order to retrieve these weapons. We must not do this but should instead find some way to draw her out and catch her - at least that's my opinion.

Let's brainstorm this because this weapon-theft is getting ridiculous.

Additionally, I'm going to repeat it here: Ma'crag. Under no circumstances are you to touch a ranking member of the Precepts, unless you witness them committing a vile and evil act right in front of you. Please control your anger towards them. While they aren't our friends or even our allies, they are nevertheless trying to reform themselves into something that resembles responsible.

~Maire

Master_Sarevok

The Woman Silvara is under suspicion of being aligned with Izereth. Fyrverra and Junnen the ranger both shared this suspicion with me and it is how I learned of it.

Upon seeking out the woman to bring her to the church for protection and salvation she resisted with words and tears. Her unwillingness to come peacefully is only proof she has something to hide!

A note: I will do what I feel must be done to prevent evil from ever harming Eveningstar or the kingdom again. We must prevent the seeds of evil from blossoming or we will never have peace.

But I will restrain myself as needed.

((Junnen did date to defend the suspected Silvara and drew arms against me. I defeated him and left him a potion to heal. If he dares interfere in my business to destroy the Witch Izereth I will consider him an ally of the beholders.))

Paramour

We are champions of righteousness, not thugs who wander the world attacking men and women we call allies on thin suspicions.

You are playing precisely into Izereth's hands and driving a wedge into the foundation of the very alliance that has forced her into a corner. It is an ax, Ma'crag. A powerful ax, perhaps even a holy artifact, is not worth covering whatever replacement you've found in the blood of men and women who just yesterday stood shoulder to shoulder beside us.

While it may very well be that this Silvara girl has a connection to Izereth, I am almost speechless that you put Junnen, a man whom I have never known to be anything less than forthright and honest with us, to the sword over her.

The end does not justify the means, Ma'crag.

~Maire

Paramour

[A series of letters is included in this file]

[Letter from Silvie]
https://nodebb.cityofarabel.com/topic/58440/to-the-order-of-the-aster

[Letter from the Crownguard]
https://nodebb.cityofarabel.com/topic/58526/letter-tass-and-maire

[A Letter from Izereth]
https://nodebb.cityofarabel.com/topic/58450/the-dawnsquire-maire-anglemorn-paladin-of-lathander

[The following is also attached to them by note]

I intend to answer Izereth and hope that by doing so she might return your ax.

~Maire

Fizzgig

Dawnsquire Sunborn,

Report to Sir Myrkyr Thaddoth at once.

Dawnherald Tassulue

Fizzgig

(A letter from Junnen Borla is added to the files)
https://nodebb.cityofarabel.com/topic/58522/a-note-for-tass-twins

Fizzgig

@master_sarevok said in Suffer not the Witch to live:

This day marks the most vile people of Arabel. The Precept is tainted, as such an organization that sees the vile breedlings of outsiders and unnatural forces would be such. Do not heed their lies for it is but a sweet meat laced attempt to deceive you from their dark and scabberdous visage.

This day members of the Precept did engage in acts most vile. Izereth Caul the Red Witch, whom has engaged not only in treason but the summoning of the Warp of Limbo! Breaking an ancient seal to let loose the Slaadi upon Arabel and hinder the druids work against her clearly Beholder Masters. This vile thing we shall not dare to even call human or woman anymore, once stood as one of the Precept! That organization whom claims to seek to teach how those of sorcerers blood to control their powers!

Is this what the Precept Arcanum calls control? It seems that their desires are only to ensure their members can control their power to be not a threat to themselves but to others!!! How long has this vile witch hid and lied to the people of Arabel, lulling you like a siren lips her prey? Who else in the Precept, your own children!, has she tainted to her will?

And Treth, whom is openly now an infernalist! Whom uses the power of the hells to further his own gains and whom hides behind falsely gained protections!!! He still lingers in the Precepts halls and their protection!

Stand against the Wytches of the Precept peope of Arabel! Stand and fight to guard your children whom they come to take and deliver into the hands of their infernalist “teachers”!! Will the people of Arabel allow their own sons and daughters to be stolen by cultists and devil worship!!? Is not stealing them from their homes and parents not enough!?! Now the Precept wishes to steal the souls of Arabels youth!!!???!!!!

We say NO! And we call all goodly and godly people of Arabel to stand against the witches of the Precept!

We say: Suffer not the Witch to live!!!!!

@master_sarevok said in Suffer not the Witch to live:

The Precept is a danger to the realm!

Men and women of Arabel. How long has it been since the true danger of Treth and Izereth has been revealed?

And since that time what has the Precept done?

A pitiful apology, an admittance of guilt by negligence and an acceptance of penance? Perhaps this is good in some eyes, but the danger still remains for the Precept does not submit itself to a higher power!!! Even if the Infernalist treth now lies dead, they do not do more to hunt the witch Izereth. Perhaps they still loath to hunt their own, and instead focus on patching up their image in the public eye.

Help hunt an infernalist dark dwarf, one that they knew of and yet protected and cast aside only when it was politically advantageous? The Precept does not realize that it’s very nature is a threat to the realm!

I ask you people of Arabel, what good can come from an organization that preaches for its young children, our children, to delve into the blood that gives them their power?

Is it safe for a child to learn the ways of demons? For our daughters to study the blood and power of succubi? For our sons to learn the blood rage of demons or the malign blood of beholders?

Is this indeed safe!? The Precept believes so for even if Izereth is brought low, there will be more of her kind!

This is not an isolated incident, the Precept is a seeder of evil!!! For every child then take from you, they prepare another seed that may one day take root and spread its vile roots! And who stand above them to keep this from ever happening again!?!

Only you can! Only you of righteous hearts and souls, and the power of faith can act as the counter balance against the malign evil of the Precept!

Stand strong and prepare yourselves for one day you may have to fight to protect your own children from being taken and turned into a seed of evil!

Denounce the Precept!!! Suffer not a witch to live!!!!

Whilst I know the sins of Izereth and Treth, I find these posters which barely stop and calling for the lynching of the Precept most troubling. Please keep an eye open and protect those we can, under Lathander's light we will guide these people towards salvation.

Dawnherald Tassulue

Paramour

Before he was dismissed, Qo'i indicated to us that he'd stolen a key to a stronghold that had been used by Izereth, beneath the city of Arabel. He had apparently stolen the key.

He tried to sell it to us for the 5,000 he was asked to donate to the Church, but we declined at the time for various reasons.

Can we find this place, perhaps, and lay an ambush for her or force our way in to investigate? I believe it to be in the ruins Juli and I investigated earlier.

~Maire

Fizzgig

Dawnsquire Amaire,

Ada came to report some events which she believes involves you being targeted by the beholder cultists and servants of Izereth, however I was not certain of her explanation of events as they were not well put together. So I hope you could shed some light on what happened yesterday?

Dawnherald Tassulue

lunatichigh

Dawnherald Tassulue,

Truth be told, I'm not quite certain I can lay any accusations upon one person or group. Anything Adelaide has said is purely speculation as well. We did not see the aggressor.

Last evening, Adelaide and myself were preparing to leave Eveningstar to hunt undead within a nearby tower. Before we exited the town's limits, I was enveloped in darkness- I immediately ran out of it, for fear of an invisible attacker. Nearby guards noticed someone scurry away. Adelaide and I prepared as many blessings and enhancements as possible and promptly investigated the attack, patrolling South Horn as I thought that might have been the direction the aggressor fled in. We dispatched some of the local undead that had risen, but otherwise did not find any noteworthy person or creature.

It was harmless, however it goes to show just how bold these evil doers have become. They seem to be using scare tactics.

Or, perhaps, they intend on getting to Maire through me; I shall endeavor to use caution and travel with groups, if necessary to prevent myself from being weaponized.

Fairest dawn,

Dawnsquire Amaire

@fizzgig

Paramour

After a series of back and forth sendings I decided to go out and kill one of Izereth's 'heralds', which seem to be small beholder kin eyeballs.

Izereth, not personally present, has been saying that someone aside from her is attempting to kidnap my sister. She seemed to know about the attack.

Personally I can't imagine who else would have any motive to harm any of us so I remain skeptical.

Sister, carry mind wards, ultravision, and go carefully.

~Maire

Paramour

If we don't do something to address this lingering evil, it's going to keep adding its strength to the strength of other evils, as it's done recently in the Eastern Marches. I haven't confirmed this yet with any other source, but apparently, she used the Harvester to rend another crack in the Goldfeather Ward.

I freely admit that I do not know how to fight Izereth. I've been puzzling this over almost since we arrived but haven't arrived at a real solution.

This isn't me giving up hope on the contest. But I think we might have to perform something even more astounding than what we accomplished yesterday.

One way of getting the druids to give up their monstrous allies might simply be to do their jobs for them. Izereth is one of the major players in the Beholder Hive, and if we manage to take her out, we'll deal that place a mighty blow. But perhaps we ought to consider attacking the hive ourselves. I think it will be striking her home if anything draws her out.

What resources do we have to bring to the table here? It's high time we invaded the Hive.

~Maire

[P.S. - I have also sent a letter to the Crown Guard, the Ravens, the People's Palace, and the Precept Arcanum indicating that we would like to hold a conference regarding the matter. https://nodebb.cityofarabel.com/topic/58674/the-precepts-the-crown-guard-people-s-palace-the-ravens ]

I agreed it's time we bring down the full force of the heavens upon her. Though on another note we could seek a way to sever her from her powers and weaken her. Not sure where we could start with this or if it is even something that can be done. But it is worth looking into don't you think?

Dawnsquire Julianna

Zolm

Dominic Swift, upon his shield is the inscription to summon forth a holy avenger, initially given to fight the black half dragon necromancers in the swamp. I think the ending of the world would make him reconsider its use rather heavily.

It is time to completely reconsider our priorities - the witch has moved up the list from nuisance to outright danger to all of Arabel. The druids clearly are not dealing with her, they've had months, so I fear it will once again be upon us to deal with it ourselves. If the druids stand in our way and are swept aside so much the better.

I agree. Call the crusade and we march on the Beholderhive.
-Al

Master_Sarevok

Agreed. We have tried to be “compromising” and it has only led to further evil.

We must stand as the beacon of light for the realm and use our strength to its fullest to smite the evil that dares to play with powers it cannot comprehend.

Izereth must be stopped, but I worry we are rushing into a trap. She is a clever harlot, and tends to use reaction as her weapon as she has with me.

Is her actions meant to force us to attack? Is it a lure? We must tread carefully in our steps.

I propose above all, finding a way to establish Aster forces about the entrance to the Marches. We need not establish it in a way to warrant aggression from the celestial forces but setting up a garrison outside the mine entrance, might help. If we can post individuals who can see invisibility at all hours it might provide a sort of shield from further activity from Izereth. Surely she would not risk a confrontation to enter the Marches with 10 Aster knights guarding the way.

Ma’Crag

Paramour

I actually believe we can do both.

While we are working on this, we can also work with the crown guard to determine and plan our next attack on the fiendish army. So far, that has not required professional soldiers, so we can work on it and still accompany the rest of our forces on an assault against Izereth.

Hitherto the crownguard, Dominic in particular, has been the driving force in the Marches. If he continues to be so, we can both work in this direction and continue to support him. I must, as I am carrying the sword, be on hand for this.

It is my hope that by calling the Precepts and the Crownguard that we will bolster the force Sir Myrkyr can summon, and also gain Kira and Lady Florent as active participants. The Precept have a vested interest in punishing one of their own and the Crownguard as representatives of the King will nearly double our fighting force. While I invited Tilverton to this meeting as well, I doubt they will actually attend it. It would have been disingenuous not to, though, as while two of their members are under heavy suspicion I do not think they represent the Duke or the whole company. If nothing else we can sort their crimes at the conference.

I would prefer it if the Dawnherald led this proposed conference, though I understand I've been a little zealous in calling it I would like to make the offer anyway. I know the Council has been disbanded but this is very similar to it.

We have enough Dawnsquires right now to keep track of multiple fronts. We just need to be bright eyed.

Anyone want to volunteer for things?

~Maire

Zolm

Dawnsquire Amaire has been kidnapped, Dawnsquire Ma'crag's fate is unknown. Apparently the elven fellowship had been meeting with izereth shortly before the kidnapping and was seen headed for Eveningstar.
-Aparin