Sword of the Gods: Spinner of Lies

by Bruce R Cordell

  Defense: The Airspur defenses are divided between three corps: the Sky Guard, the Ground Defense League, and the Wave Riders. These professional soldiers form the core of its armies and the city watch during peacetime. The rest of Akanûl’s military is conscripted from the population, although only a small number of nongenasi are included in the conscript catalogs.

  Inns: Shadow of the Rock, Cliffwatch, Spireview Inn, Rang’s Hostelry.

  Taverns: Seven Stone Steps, The Hook and Eye, The Wind Clipper, The Drunken Gull.

  Supplies: Thwaite’s Tack and Gear, Gwind’s Sundries, Seaside Provisioners.

  Temples: None. The genasi of Airspur are uncertain about religion. The difference between gods and primordials or other powerful beings is not firmly established in their minds. Even so, religions of all kinds exist in the city. Priests of real gods and cults of false powers come to Airspur to gain converts, and some achieve results. As yet however, the steward of the Sea has blocked the construction of large temples that would take up land otherwise useful to the people or the state, and the Steward of Fire has the city watch occasionally check in on individuals of religious bent who might choose to follow a god’s edicts instead of the city’s laws.

  QUEEN ARATHANE

  The common people of Akanûl consider Queen Arathane strong and fair. She is roundly praised for continuing her mother’s policies of state support of descendants of the refugees of Shyr. Even the poorest among the genasi can expect shelter and food.

  The nobility have a more complex relationship with their queen. Frequently opposed by the stewards early in her rule, she sometimes chafes under the Covenant of Stewardship and frequently seeks ways to achieve her ends without resorting to the Court of Majesty. The Firestorm Cabal represents one of these tactics.

  These privateers are sworn to protect Akanûl, but the group is known to hold Arathane and the stewards in contempt. Arathane tacitly condones their presence and their occasional antics because of their usefulness as a supplement to the nation’s defenses and as nongovernmental foil against other nations such as Tymanther. Arathane and a dashing deputy commander of the Firestorm Cabal even secretly pursue an on-again-off-again affair that would endanger both if it became known to the stewards or the leaders of the Cabal.

  In addition to friction with the stewards, Queeen Arathane finds herself besieged by suitors and potential matchmakers. The queen is approaching her fourth decade of life, and the question of succession causes a great deal of gossip. Yet the iron-willed Arathane doesn’t consider it to be a pressing issue since both her mother, Queen Cyndra, and her grandmother bore a child late in life.

  Adventure Hook: Castan Thellis, a firesoul noble and member of the Firestorm Cabal, has started a rumor that Arathane cannot conceive an heir, and that a suitable replacement should be named immediately for the “good of the people.” The player characters are drawn into this conspiracy when they witness a public rally (secretly orchestrated by Castan) calling for the queen to step down, which turns into an outright riot. After helping to quell the disturbance, the PCs are approached by an emissary of the queen, who asks their help in finding out who is behind the rumors. Success at the investigation might even lead the queen to ask the PCs to aid her in arranging a suitable match—a father to the future heir of Akanûl.

  TRADREM KETHTROD, STEWARD OF THE EARTH

  The current Steward of the Earth is an earthsoul genasi, breaking the string of watersouls elected to the position. Until Tradrem, no earthsoul had aspired to a higher position than leadership in Akanûl’s armies. Coming from a minor noble family, Tradrem feels he has much to prove, and the thoughts behind his earnest face constantly turn to the politics of any given situation.

  Tradrem holds Stewardship of Earth, a position in charge of understanding the landscape—both literal and political—in which the genasi find themselves. He heads a group of informants and spies both within and outside Akanûl, and he commands the efforts of surveyors and explorers. Only the monarchs of Akanûl and former Stewards of the Earth have a true understanding of the size, means, and goals of the organizations that the Steward of the Earth controls. The power this provides is nominally checked by the fact that the Steward of the Sky can prosecute any illegal activities, but the queen can overrule any prosecution. Stopping that edict requires the Steward of the Earth and the other stewards to vote to prevent it. In the few decades since the inception of the Covenant of Stewardship, this system has yet to be tested due to loyalty among the noble houses, but as Tradrem seeks to use his powers to their full extent, he might find that he and the queen have reason to exchange favors.

  Adventure Hook: Tradrem is ambitious, even if he does put the security of Akanûl first in his thoughts and actions, and he recently sent a pair of spies into neighboring Tymanther. They were captured, unfortunately, but they hold intelligence that Tradrem considers vital to Akanûl’s security. In addition, the two windsoul spies carried a new magic item said to allow its bearer to listen to distant conversations and translate them into Common. Tradrem wants his spies and their eavesdropping devices back, and he is willing to reward the PCs well for their service.

  MAGNOL, STEWARD OF FIRE

  Magnol, a powerfully built male firesoul, acts as Steward of Fire. This makes Magnol the second-in-command of all military efforts, with the queen being their ultimate leader. Yet peacetime causes his role to look something more like police chief because the armies of Akanûl serve as Airspur’s city watch.

  Akanûl’s army has only a small core of professional soldiers. Most serve as city watch during times of peace, but some make trips to outlying settlements and watchtowers. In times of strife, Queen Arathane calls upon her people to serve as its military. Conscripts have traditionally been drawn only from all able-bodied genasi, but in recent years, Queen Arathane has encouraged the formation of small corps of citizens of other races.

  The city watch is divided between three corps: the Sky Guard, the Ground Defense League, and the Wave Riders. The Sky Guard flies throughout the city on the backs of war drakes. For obvious reasons of safety, most of the Sky Guard are windsoul genasi. The Ground Defense League guards entryways into the city, the Catacombs, the Cliff Prison, the palaces of nobles, and on the streets. Genasi of all types serve in the Ground Defense League, but watersouls and earthsouls are the most populous. The Wave Riders, made up mostly of watersoul genasi, act as the harbor guard during peacetime.

  Magnol must work in close concert with the other stewards in his capacity as leader of the armies and city watch. He relies upon the Steward of Earth for intelligence and detective work, the Steward of the Sky for legal authority and prosecution, and the Steward of the Sea for his budget and for dealing with violations of trade and taxation without resorting to arrests and jail time.

  The division of power and need for cooperation keeps the stewards in conflict. As they jockey for influence in their overlapping spheres, they go to the queen for arbitration. This gives her power because she can decide matters not just upon the legality or justice but upon political favors the stewards owe her.

  This kind of politicking sets Magnol to seething. He considers the preservation and growth of Akanûl the highest duty of all its citizens, and it frustrates him that control of the means to assure that is divided among the stewards and the queen. Magnol would prefer if he or someone he trusts could command it all, but he can’t see a way to achieve that end that wouldn’t weaken Akanûl or throw it into chaos.

  Adventure Hook: City militia seized a ship trying to enter Airspur’s harbor without proper authority or paperwork. According to rumor, shortly after examining the cargo hold, a militia captain commandeered a war drake to fly directly to Magnol’s office. The steward then came to inspect the vessel, just as agents of Myxofin seized it from the militia for improperly filed tax documents. The Steward of the Sea held the ship for no more than an hour, however, before the Steward of the Sky’s people claimed the right to seize the ship, asserting that it held a wanted fugiti
ve from justice. Not to be outdone, the earth steward’s office also made a claim on the ship, claiming national security was at stake. Now the ship sits in the middle of the harbor, guarded from shore by members of all four stewards, who squabble continuously over its disposition. Shortly thereafter, the queen seized the vessel and stationed her own people aboard. Enter the PCs, who are approached by Magnol to sneak aboard the vessel and acquire a particular cask located under heavy lock and key in the hold. Shortly before they depart, agents of other stewards approach the characters for the same purpose—to seize the mysterious chest. Of course, since they’ll be dealing with members of the city militia, Magnol wants none of the guards on the ship hurt.

  LEHAYA, STEWARD OF THE SKY

  As Steward of the Sky, this windsoul genasi acts as Lawgiver of Airspur and all Akanûl. Her appointed judges try the cases, and the lawyers that argue them owe their employment to Lehaya. Although this grants Lehaya great power, she has no direct control over who is brought to trial. That’s the domain of Magnol and the city watch. Additionally, Queen Arathane’s judgment is the highest law, and she can overrule the courts’ rulings (although she too can be overridden by a unified vote by the stewards).

  In practice, Lehaya exercises only light influence. She avoids using the courts to punish enemies and instead offers leniency to those who can give her advantage. Since these individuals are nearly always nobles, she balances her image among the people of Akanûl by frequently pardoning commoners brought before the court for minor offenses. Her famous mercy has earned her the nickname “Mother Law.”

  Lehaya avoids making waves in politics and society to help cover her extracurricular interest: the Virushead. The Virushead, a creature that unleashes a dozen deadly diseases with each breath, is hidden away in an earthmote and held in magical stasis to prevent the release of contagion. The genasi captured it in the wilds of Akanûl at great cost, bringing it in stasis and in secret to Airspur under the rule of Queen Cyndra. At that time, it was agreed that the Virushead might be used as a weapon but that it was too dangerous to free from stasis until needed—an opinion with which the current Steward of Fire firmly agrees.

  Lehaya sees the Virushead as a powerful weapon against the Abolithic Sovereignty—assuming her mages learn how to control and focus its power. She seeks to develop a disease that affects aboleths and other creatures but leaves genasi unscathed. Yet due in large part to Magnol’s security objections, Queen Arathane outlawed experimentation with the Virushead. The other stewards would not vote to overrule her, so Lehaya has resorted to secret projects. Her trusted agents even clandestinely offer rewards for captured creatures they then use in Virushead research.

  Adventure Hook: The Virushead has disappeared from its prison, and Lehaya, through an intermediary, approaches the PCs to discover its whereabouts before the plague carrier is turned against the city. To make matters more complex, Lehaya wants the creature returned alive and intact, and failure to do so could earn the PCs the steward’s wrath.

  MYXOFIN, STEWARD OF THE SEA

  Long roads out of Akanûl are few, and none promise safe passage due to bandits and monsters. Almost all business in Akanûl comes through Airspur’s port. Farmers in the surrounding countryside send olive oil, wine, fruit, grains, animals, and other goods to the city, and everything else comes to Airspur from the Sea of Fallen Stars.

  Myxofin, a male watersoul genasi, oversees the business of the realm as the Steward of the Sea. His agents deal with issues of taxation, gaining building rights for businesses, shipping permits, docking and caravan fees, price fixing, and so on. If it has to do with money, the steward of the Sea is likely involved. This makes the position of Steward of the Sea coveted, and it takes significant investment of capital and promises to secure enough votes to gain the post. Fortunately, the roles of the other stewards as investigators, police, and prosecutors limits the corruption of that election to a level acceptable to the nobles and largely invisible to the common people.

  Myxofin is as corrupt as the last three Stewards of the Sea combined, yet he’s also smarter. He reaps profits through dummy business, the black market, and Airspur’s guilds (both legal and illegal) while at the same time distancing himself as much as possible from their operations. Myxofin skims from the skimmers, and money rarely directly enters his hands.

  Myxofin’s plans have been so lucrative, in fact, that his success is starting to show. That’s a liability that Myxofin can’t afford. Also, Myxofin’s term will soon end, and he eagerly anticipates enjoying his wealth—something that would be too conspicuous in Airspur. So of course, Myxofin has a plan. His agents have secretly engaged in negotiations with the ambassadors of the nations that currently have embassies within Airspur: Aglarond, Chessenta, High Imaskar, and Netheril. So far, the Shadovar have been the most receptive to his probes, and Myxofin is looking into acquiring a manse in Sakkors—under a pseudonym of course.

  Adventure Hook: In his pursuit of property abroad, Myxofin has inadvertently given enemies of Akanûl access to the city. Now, Shadovar agents have struck twice at ships in Airspur’s harbor, withdrawing before they can be caught. The attacks have shown an uncanny knowledge of the workings of harbor militia patrols, as well as the Steward of the Sea’s own people. The PCs are tasked by the steward’s office to find out who is behind the attacks and how they are always at the right place at the right time. Meanwhile, Myxofin, who knows perfectly well who is behind the attacks, sends rival adventurers to thwart the PCs while he tries to clean up the Shadovar corruption.

  FIRESTORM CABAL

  The Firestorm Cabal is an organization of privateers pledged by their leaders to protecting Akanûl. These scouts, mercenaries, and freebooters sporadically guard the nation from all manner of threats on sea, land, and in air. Commoners think of them as champions of the people, but some leaders in the city consider them troublesome rogues, particularly the Stewards of Sky and Fire. In truth, members of the Firestorm Cabal act as both, with many acting more like villains than heroes.

  Despite their obvious disrespect for her authority, Queen Arathane ostensibly permits their operations in Akanûl due to their popularity with her people and their ability to supplement the nation’s defenses. In truth she secretly employs them in all manner of missions that further her political goals or the good of the nation. For example, the Firestorm Cabal engages in border protection, an activity that takes the form of cross-border raids and robbery of caravans from foreign lands. Queen Arathane sees to it that the stewards look the other way when such attacks benefit her, particularly those that affect Calimshan and Tymanther. The Cabal knows not to impinge on trade too much or to allow a conflict to provoke war. It can count on some protection while within the borders of Akanûl, but beyond it most nations consider the Cabal’s members as being outlaws.

  The Firestorm Cabal has many safehouses and bases around Akanûl. Airspur, as the most populous area in the country, hosts its Motherhouse. The Motherhouse is the logistical center of the Cabal. Its leaders meet there when not in the field, and the Motherhouse serves as an initial training ground for new recruits.

  The Motherhouse hides an increasingly important resource for the Firestorm Cabal. In a secret location behind the cliffs of Airspur, Firestorm Cabal sorcerers study wild magic. Yet their practices don’t merely pull from the Elemental Chaos as is the case for normal sorcery. Instead these mages take power from the wild magic caused by the Spellplague. Indeed, the Firestorm Cabal makes many excursions with the clandestine intent of seeking out areas and creatures affected by the Spellplague and studying them. This is an outlawed activity punished by a death penalty, and so the Firestorm Cabal takes great pains to hide their successes (and their failures even more so).

  Adventure Hook: In their quest for new sources of magical power, the Firestorm Cabal inadvertently opened a rift to the Abyss. Worse still, a powerful demon on the other side stepped through and prevented the sorcerers who opened the portal from closing it. Now, packs of ravaging demons
have begun attacking settlements near Airspur, as well as militia patrols near the city. As more and more powerful demons have come through the portal, the threat grows, and the PCs must enter the well-guarded Motherhouse, make their way past still-hostile Firestorm Cabal members, defeat the demons in the depths of the house, and seal the portal.

  AIRSTEPPERS GUILD

  The vertical nature of Airspur makes moving about the city something of a chore, but windsoul genasi can fly short distances and even float down from great heights without danger. The rapidity with which they can travel led to the formation of a league of couriers called the Airsteppers Guild. While each Airstepper is essentially a freelance messenger, they adhere to the codes of the Guild and wear its signature blue-and-white robes while working. Couriers use their windsoul powers to occasionally fly up levels, across gaps, or over obstacles, and they use them to descend distances safely. The competition to reach destinations swiftly, and the time it takes to renew their power of flight, created a culture of parkouring among the Airsteppers, which in turn has been adopted by the youth in the city. Now genasi of all types and even members of other races scale walls, leap between rooftops, or bound down the levels of the cliffs.

  The stewards and the queen employ trusted Airsteppers, frequently hiring multiple Airsteppers to work together as guards or decoys to important messages. The Steward of Earth and the Steward of the Sea both have a great deal of interest in the information traffic of the city, but each has only a few corrupt Airsteppers in his employ. Most Airsteppers follow the Guild’s rules assiduously—rules that include not examining the package or message carried.

  ELEMENTAL SPIRES