Story Seeds

    "I believe he will come to see you. If the motion is set before him properly." The immense Wraith looked ridiculous being so obsequious to the Wraith sprawled on the steps of the fountain in front of the great Library. But the Wraith so casually draped across the stone steps was the Beggar Lord. Deathlord of the Legion of Paupers.
    "That's good, I have a great desire to meet this man. In the Corpora so to speak." His laughter sounded a bit nervous and startled the two relic pigeons that had made their way to this open space in the vastness of Stygia.
    "Then I shall attend to it with all haste, my lord." The armored monstrosity said as he bowed himself away from the presence of the Beggar Lord. The Deathlord had already lost interest, his eyes like that of so many other Stygian Wraiths drawn to the area in the center of the city where the Onyx Tower once stood. The other Wraith hardly even noticed. He had other appointments to keep.
    Several hours later the armored Wraith made his way off the Byway stretching through the Tempest. The foul winds tore at him but he ignored them searching for one island in the middle of all the fury. A stretch of sand opened up before him and he fell out of the Tempest onto the solid terrain.
    "I was beginning to wonder whether you would show up or not." A robed Wraith stepped out of thin air onto the sand in front of the armored Wraith as he spoke.
    "I'm not late, am I?" The armored Wraith said as he straightened to his full height. Despite his tone he didn't seem hostile.
    "No. I simply assumed that you would arrive early and scout the terrain to avoid an ambush." The robed Wraith said with a smile. Something about the two suggested a similarity between them.
    "Ah, you're thinking about Thessaly." The armored Wraith relaxed his pose somewhat. It was hard to say for certain but the other Wraith seemed to relax as well.
    "You may be right. The past does blur together." The other Wraith quipped back. The light mood didn't last long however.
    "I trust you were successful?" The robed Wraith inquired.
    "That remains to be seen." Replied the armored Wraith. "I opened a dialogue. Now I must see that he comes to engage them."
    "You do not worry that one of the Deathlords will seek to use him?" The robed Wraith seemed somewhat uneasy. He looked off at the storm raging just beyond the sands.
    "No. Even now he is more powerful than Charon ever was." At this the robed Wraith brought his head up with stark disbelief apparent even on his shrouded face. "He may lack in experience, but if he doesn't remain in Stygia long enough for the Deathlords to exploit that weakness, he can overawe them with his presence alone." The armored Wraith continued.
    "Then you really mean to recreate the Empire?" The robed Wraith seemed even more agitated. Almost frantic.
    "Not the Empire you and I helped create. He is very much a child of these times. Already he has outlawed Thralldom in his corner of the Shadowlands and he has forged alliances with both Heretics and Renegades." Difficult as it is to imagine the armored Wraith seemed to be both proud and disgusted with what he was relating. A certain wistfullness tinged his words at the last.
    "That's good to know." The robed Wraith said without any real force. He seemed distracted by something. "But will he able to escape the Deathlords before they close their grip on him?"
    "That's where you come in my friend." Both Wraiths seemed to tense at the exact same moment. Whatever invisible signal passed between them, they were poised on the brink of a direct and violent confrontation.
    "You're insane! How would I even be able to gain access, much less spirit him away from the Deathlords?" The robed Wraith kept his hands hidden from view. His tone was deadly earnest.
    "If anyone can do it, the Ferrymen are the ones who would best be able to pull it off. Or do you truly think that I have been blind to your comings and goings in the very heart of Stygia these past centuries?" The armored Wraith seemed to be smiling as he said so. But still he did not relax from the edge of violence that permeated the air.
    "I had hoped... But even so, wouldn't you be best suited to spiriting him out of that den of vipers? Even with our secret boltholes we do not have the access that even a minor functionary has these days." The robed figure relaxed slightly, but not much.
    "If the Deathlords concert to keep him firmly in their grasp then my existence is forfiet." The armored Wraith did not appear to be perturbed by the possibility of his own dissolution. He even relaxed a bit, more than the robed Wraith in any case.
    "I see. So this is the moment."
    "This is the moment."
    "Very well then. I will have to see how many of the others I can convince. It won't be the grand charge of Equitas that would have come in centuries past, but I hope that the handfull of those that remain will be enough." The robed Wraith reached out his hand and suddenly a horse the color of midnight appeared from the ether. The Wraith mounted the horse in one smooth motion and without looking back dove into the Tempest.
    The armored Wraith looked out across the sands before he too mounted a dark steed and left. The pyramids were gone. Like much in the Underworld even the most enduring empires soon crumbled and were forgotten. With any luck the actions he took this day would see a new empire arise from the ashes. One that would be able to adapt more quickly and avoid the inevitable fate of all empires. If not, then Oblivion would surely win the day.

In this story Hellmont has finally convinced The King to travel to Stygia. His hope is that the palpable sense of power emanating from The King will convince the Deathlords that The King is the only logical choice to rule the new Empire. Of course there are a few complications. The King himself is the root of these complications. First off he is a child of the 20th century and practices such as Slavery and Soulforging of Wastrel Wraiths will set him against the most dearly held institutions of the Deathlords. Also he is a patriot and would be more amenable to ruling a Republic than an Empire. While this is a wholly semantic argument from the persepective of the Heirarchy Wraiths, The King is actually very serious about this proposal and will present it before the general assembly at the Agora. The King wants the new political entity to be composed of electoral committies. This will cause an uproar among the Deathlords who have been in power for millenia. The thought that they could lose their positions of power to a general election will send them into a tizzy.

Introduction

Once Hellmont convinces The King to make the difficult and arduos journey to Stygia the undertaking proceeds like any major tour for the Wraiths involved. Transportation must be procured. Luggage and supplies have to be packed. Schedules have to be made and revised. In short a flurry of activity accompanies the preparations which also means that everyone in the Necropolis and beyond will be aware of the undertaking. This presents many opportunities for sabotage. But Hellmont and the Unlidded Eye are present to see that most of that activity doesn't interfere with the journey. The players can also contribute at this stage by removing obstacles themselves or helping with the preparations.
There are many reasons the characters can be invited to join the party that is making the journey to Stygia in the company of The King. They could be members of his entourage. One of them carrying relic doughnuts while another takes care of relic jumpsuits. They could be accompanying Savannah if they have served as her bodyguards before on her courier missions through the Necropolis. They could be luggage carriers or simple sychophants hanging around simply to agree with anything The King says. If they are more experienced and martial Wraiths they could be added security. If they belong to a Legion other than the Paupers, they could be representatives of their respective Anacreon. Any excuse whether real or trivial can be used to get the characters to come along.

Journey into Hell

    The King and his entourage will be flying to Stygia through the Tempest aboard a Relic 747. The big plane crashed in 1984 carrying 124 souls to their death. The pilot remains and he makes regular trips through the Tempest across the Sea of Shadows. The entire plane can be considered an Artifact since it has been reinforced with Bulwark. Spectres though are a constant threat and if given enough time they can chew through the skin of the plane to get at the Wraiths inside. For this reason any Wraith with Argos 2 or higher can be called upon to defend the airplane from outside attack.
    Given the difficulty in attacking a moving airplane only Spectres who have the Speeding Merit (Spectres: Dark Reflections) can attack. This means that those that do attack will be much more deadly than your average Shade. To simulate this you can have one Spectre attacking for every two Wraith Players who participate in the defense of the airplane. Wraiths who go out to do battle with the attacking Spectres are advised not to lose contact with the plane. If they do they could be lost in the Tempest. Even once they've gotten their bearings and have staved off the Spectres attacking them they won't be able to make it back to the airplane. In this case they either have to make their way back to Memphis or to Stygia if they've been there before on their own.
    The King himself will be held back from the fray by Hellmont and his personal guard of Legionnaires. But if the characters survive they will recieve a reward of 10-20 Kingsilvers and a double handfull of Rhinefire Crystals that hold anywhere from 20 to 60 Pathos. They can divide their rewards however they see fit.
    Arriving in Stygia is an event in itself. First the 747 has to land on one of the outlying islands. As they make their approach they can see the city stretched out below them on the Sunless Sea. From a distance it looks like a giant web of grey and black all leading to a gaping maw in the center.

Shades
    Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4, Charisma 1, Manipulation 3, Appearance 0, Perception 1, Intelligence 1, Wits 4
    Abilities: Brawl 4, Dodge 3, Intimidation 3
    Dark Arcanoi: Contaminate 2, Hive Mind 1, Tempest Weaving 2
    Powers: Shark's Teeth (Str+3 damage), Talons (Str+1 damage)
    Advantages: Angst 7, Being 6, Corpus 9
These Shades are also possessed of the Merit Speeding and the Flaw Blurred. This gives them one extra Action per turn which occurs before that of any other character. Their second Action occurs as normal for their Initiative roll. They also have trouble communicating between themselves. If they have to communicate between themselves it takes an entire turn during which they can take no other actions.

The Big City

    Once the characters arrive in Stygia, whether it is in the company of The King or on their own they are immediately assaulted by the immesnity of the Great City of the Dead. It's as if Rome, Paris, London, the Taj Mahal and St. Petersburg had been dumped into one location. The architecture is imposing to say the least. However there seems to be an open area in the center of the city that breaks the skyline in a very abrupt manner.
    Even with this obvious flaw Stygia is the greatest city in the Underworld. Soaring architecture aside, there are many sights and attractions for the tourist to see and experience. The first day in Stygia is spent acclimating to the new environment and running around trying to take it all in. Libraries, Museums, The Grand Salon, Parks, Plazas and Fountains are all there in ever greater oppulence and splendor. Relics and Artifacts are another attraction of the great city. If there is anything the characters want to buy, then this is the place to buy it. With their wealth in Rhinefire Crystals and Kingsilvers the charcters might well want to go on a spending spree. Allow them to buy anything available, and in Stygia there's a lot that's available. Just remember to jack up the prices to at least twice normal to represent the tourist trap mentality that pervades the city. For rare and useful Relics and Artifacts don't be afraid to raise the prices to six or eight times normal so that when characters haggle them down to half that they feel like they got a good deal.
    After they have gotten over the culture shock hit them even harder with descriptions of the seats of power of the various Deathlords. By mutual agreement the Deathlords have decided to meet with The King at the Salon presided over by the Seat of Shadows. This is a calculated maneuver. Of all the baroque and opulent architecture in Stygia, the seat of the Ashen Lady is home to the most baroque and opulent splendor in all of Stygia. The King will be like any other tourist, open-mouthed and wide-eyed. If the characters are present in The King's entourage, this is probably the only chance they will have to see the eight Deathlords reunited in one place. They should be duly impressed. If not, hit them over the head with a pillow and clarify for them that this is as close to the top as they'll ever get in their miserable little unlifetimes. They are never going to meet the Antediluvians, they are never going to be close personal friends with Caine, they are never going to pal around with the Incarna's, Gaia isn't going to return their calls, they are never going to rub elbows with the Oracles... This is it. This is as far as they are ever going to get. So build up that suspense, wet your pants with excitement and chew off those fingernails because it doesn't get any bigger from here on in.

The Agora

    After the characters have had a chance to play tourist and have rested from the journey they are then taken with all pomp and circumstance to the site of the Agora where The King is set to meet with the Deathlords. The Agora is to be held in the largest of the many ballrooms of the Salon. The hall is divided into a great open floor of green marble embedded with gold leaf and emeralds. The floor is surrounded by a circular gallery with seats between the columns that hold up a vast dome of gold leaf and marble. Arching stained glass windows show the fourteen stations of the cross. The pews are made of white oak engraved with animals and flowers and embedded with silver. The King will be entering opposite from where the Deathlords are seated. This is as much to allow the Deathlords to get a good look at The King as to have The King present himself to the Deathlords. Mr Boneyhands is there, as is The Smiling Lord, The Laughing Lady, The Beggar Lord, The Ashen Lady, The Emerald Lord, The Quiet Lord and presiding over it all The Lady of Fate. The Lady of Fate hardly ever rouses herself from Eurydice and never makes personal appearances. But today she is just another Deathlord waiting on The King's pronouncements. Perhaps with just a bit more knowledge of what is about to transpire than the other Deathlords, but part of the gallery nonetheless.
    The Skeletal Lord is standing on the floor of the vast ballroom in front of the gallery where the other Deathlords are seated. He has his scribe in attendance and he's making gestures in the air and spreading a cloud of dust wherever he walks. The Smiling Lord, with his half boiled mask, is flanked by a guard that would be more impressive if the Deathlord he is guarding didn't exude such a palpable aura of confidence and power. But then maybe that's the point. The Laughing Lady is somewhat intimidating with her mask that looks like a maw about to strike. She speaks quietly to the air and wisps of half-seen dreams seem to float around her like motes of dust in a flickering light. The Beggar Lord is unassuming in a corner of the gallery speaking quietly with a Wraith that looks like a homeless person. The Ashen Lady is very regal and imposing in her royal dress sitting on a chair that could easily be mistaken for a throne. She is attended by a multitude of servants and psychophants. The Emerald Lord sits with several attendants one of whom types furiously into a Relic laptop. The Quiet Lord hangs in the back wearing a blank mask that is featurless except for the eyeholes. He speaks to the wall for a moment which suddenly warps into the form of a Wraith and dissappears with a bow into thin air. In the center of the gallery sits the Lady of Fate surrounded by six Ladies of Fate who defer to her in such a way to mark her out even to the uninitiated as a being of immense power.
    As soon as The King walks in they realize their mistake. This meeting was intended to impress upon Presley the importance and power of the Deathlords. However this is the first time they've laid eyes on him. Except for the Lady of Fate, and even she has only seen him in visions. The King walks into the grand hall with a strut that says he owns the place. And the Deathlords would be hard pressed to prove otherwise. The King glows. The characters may have gotten used to this fact, but to the Deathlords even descriptions from trusted servants are nothing compared to the sight of the real thing. The sheer power he exudes is enough to stun the combined Deathlords to silence. Even the Lady of Fate is taken aback by the amount of Pathos coursing through his Corpus. Every two or three minutes another Rhinefire Crystal appears on The King's jumpsuit. The Memoriam he converts into Soulfire as a matter of course. This wanton display of power in such a casual manner makes all their power seem to be hollow posturing. They quickly realize that their plan has backfired. By allowing The King to see them at the height of their power he is able to compare it to himself and realize that they are lacking.
    The Lady of Fate hugs her arms to her sides. The other Ladies of Fate are vissibly nervous. The Ashen Lady grasps her skirts and seems to shrink into her chair, her attendants forgotten. The Smiling Lord isn't smiling, he looks at his guard and grimaces. The Quiet Lord slowly walks through the gallery towards the open floor as if in a trance. The Emerald Lord stops giving dictation. His scribes don't realize it, their attention is focused on The King. The Laughing Lady stops talking and the motes of dreams floating around her quiver with barely contained excitement. She seems to be holding in an uncontrollable laughter. The Beggar Lord remains quiet, his jaw hangs open and his eyes seem to glisten a dark obsidian. And then the Skeletal Lord drops his hands, turns towards The King and breaks the silence.
    "Alexander?" His eyeless sockets seem lost as they run over The King. And then the Laughing Lady lives up to her name with thunderous peals of mad laughter that force her to collapse in a heap.
    The King smiles and says. "Actually, the name is Presley. Elvis to my friends." He doesn't know what is going on but suspects there's a joke in it somewhere and is eager to be let in on it.
    Several servants come to take the stricken Deathlord away but amid gasps and wheezings the Laughing Lady waves them away. Still expecting to have the joke explained to him The King doesn't lose his smile. The Lady of Fate rises, with a glance she stops the Quiet Lord before he can reach the floor. Slowly she makes her way to the Skeletal Lord, with gentle hands she draws him away from The King and says. "No, he is not Alexander. Alexander is lost to us." Now The King begins to realize that maybe the joke isn't so funny. The Lady of Fate takes the Skeletal Lord towards the gallery with the other Deathlords. Mr. Boneyhands seems lost in thought as his personal scribe trails after him. The scribe doesn't even glance at The King. After an uncomfortable silence The King clears his throat.
    The Lady of Fate takes her seat with the Skeletal Lord taking over a seat from one of her Ladies. The other Deathlords make their way to their seats. The assemblage is impressive to behold and even The King seems awed despite their falterings.
    "Forgive the interruption. Now that we are all in attendance we can begin." The Lady of Fate tries to salvage what she can of the whole debacle but it is obvious to the Deathlords who has the upper hand. Obvious to all except The King that is. Not having any personal experience with the Deathlords he is unaware that anything is amiss.
    The relative calm doesn't remain for long though. When The King reveals his plan to shift the Heirarchy from an Empire to a Republic everyone tries to speak at once. The resulting cacophany is overwhelming and nothing gets decided in the scant eight hours that the Deathlords spend yelling at The King.

Storyteller's Notes:
    The above is a guidline of how the initial meeting with the Deathlords might go. Of course the characters are going to be present as part of The King's entourage and players are notorious for ruining even the simplest of scenes. If you try to read the above passage to the players verbatim, no doubt one of them will interject some inappropriate comment at the worst possible moment. Hellmont is present in The King's entourage so he can be used to reign in any overzealous characters.
    The Deathlords themselves should be a major deterrent to violence. The Skeletal Lord can infect a Wraith with diseases that affect him as if he were alive. The Quiet Lord can drain all the Pathos out of a Wraith. The Ashen Lady can cause the Corpus of a Wraith to wither reducing all physical attributes to zero. The Laughing Lady can paralyze a Wraith with any overriding emotion she wants to. The Emerald Lord has so much luck that no one can touch him, his attacks on the other hand seem to connect with supernatural accuracy. The Beggar Lord has a strength that can best be described as coiled steel. The Smiling Lord is immune to harm, even Darksteel weapons glance off him. It's up to the storyteller to decide whether the Smiling Lord is the original or if he is a recently elevated wraith. (In my game I had him escape from Nudhri in the confusion of the assault by Coldheart on the Onyx Tower.) And the Lady of Fate? Well, she doesn't have to lift a finger. The characters have to get through the other Deathlords and their attendants to strike at her.
    Don't roll any dice for these abilites, just have the players roll "resistance" rolls, look at the result and say: 'Not even close..." As a matter of fact, just let them see this paragraph before they start any trouble. They'll be so disgusted with the whole affair that they'll probably want to take a break for pizza and decide to attack the situation from a different angle later on. On the other hand if you have played the Ends of Empire campaign with your players you can substitute one or more of the Deathlords with the Characters that your players had then. Explain their new abilites as coming from the Artifacts that make up their signs of office, such as the mask and chains inherited from the previous Deathlord.
    The characters at the Agora will have to do something to draw the discussion to a close. The King is adamant about bringing the Heirarchy into the modern era. He will even propose a referendum for the general population of the Empire. The Deathlords are used to their word being law and try to explain to The King that the current state of affairs has endured for several thousand years. Both sides are operating under their own assumptions however. The King believes that he is here to present his plan and that the Deathlords will then act upon it in response to the pressure of liberal Wraiths within the Heirarchy. He is trying to get the Deathlords to take the plan under consideration. He has no idea the power he wields with the Deathlords. The Deathlords are convinced that he is here to take over the reigns of power and that they have to convince him to leave things as they are. Both sides are convinced that if the other doesn't back down completely they will lose everything they have come to argue for. Compromise is a long ways off if no one realizes that each side has missread the other side.
    Of the assembled Deathlords only the Quiet Lord is even amenable to the suggestion of a Republic. The Lady of Fate holds her counsel until the others have had their say. Which is to say she doesn't intercede in the discussion on behalf of either party. The Laughing Lady gives in to representatives being voted for by the Wraiths of the Necropoli. But maintains that Anacreons and other appointees are her right and will not give up the privellege of being able to remove or place any Wraith in positions of power. The Smiling Lord is either adamantly opposed to the idea (If he's the original) or he nervously agrees with whatever the other Deathlords say (If he's a new wraith behind the mask). The other Deathlords are simply opposed to the whole idea on general principal.
    Once the characters manage to extract themselves and The King from the discussion let them rest a while. Next up is more fighting.

Leaving Las Vegas

    The next day a messenger from the Beggar Lord arrives. He wants to give The King a personalized tour of the city. This is obviously a setup. Hellmont will be coming along and with him will be twenty Legionnaires of the Unlidded Eye. The Beggar Lord wont be pleased to see The King arrive with such a large entourage but The King is accustomed to having lots of attendants. The King and the Beggar Lord will be travelling in an open topped horsedrawn carriage. The characters and the rest of the entourage will have to hoof it.
    Perceptive characters will notice that they are being trailed. (Diff. +3 on Perception test or Ability) Several Paupers appear and disappear into the crowd around the entourage. Hellmont notices this immediately and as the procession makes it's way to the heart of Stygia he speaks to the nearest character.
    "If we are attacked take The King to the Iron Docks." The Iron Docks are where the characters arrived by boat two days ago if they arrived with The King. If asked to elaborate he merely tells the characters to be ready for trouble.
    As they make their way to where the hole that used to be the Onyx Tower can be seen the Beggar Lord proclaims in a loud voice. "I wish to show you the womb of our madness. You could even say it is your reason for being." Of course The King has no idea what the Beggar Lord is talking about but Hellmont goes into action.
    He grabs The King by the arm and tries to pull him from the carriage. At the same time the Paupers that have been trailing the procession attack. The Beggar Lord grabs The King by the other arm and drags him towards the gateway to Oblivion. The horses take off spilling all three of them onto the slanted cobblestones being pulled into the vortex. The Beggar Lord reacts first pushing The King into the gaping maw of Oblivion. Due to the maleable nature of the Labyrinth the Well of Oblivion is at street level instead of at the bottom of the Veinous Stair. Hellmont grabs his ankle but is set upon by the Beggar Lord and soon has all he can handle just trying to fend off the Deathlord. The King tries to escape the pull of Oblivion but it tears at his Corpus and threatens to pull him in.
    This is the character's big chance. Several Arts can be used here to help The King out of this hole. Argos 2 Phantom Wings can be used to pull him out of the dark maw. Five successes on an extended Argos + Strength roll difficulty 8 are needed. Assume that The King is using this method to try and extract himself but he can't do it alone. He can't Flicker out either because the darkness already has him in it's grasp and he needs to disengage from it before he can escape. Bulwark can be used to help The King by allowing him to disengage from the darkness. This requires three successes on a straight Castigate + Stamina roll, difficulty 10. Moliate 4, Rend can be used to cut off the lower extremities of The King which are in contact with the darkness. This is a Moliate + Strength roll difficulty 9. Outrage 2, Wraithgrasp can be used to lift The King out of the darkness. This is a Strength + Outrage roll difficulty 6, which requires three successes. Other attempts can be made without the use of Arcanoi. A relic rope can be used in which case several Wraiths can lend their strength. This is a Strength + Athletics roll against a difficulty 8 but it only requires five successes to drag The King out. Each turn The King stays within the maw he gains one point of Temporary Angst and loses one point of Temporary Willpower. If he reaches 0 Willpower his Shadow will automatically take over and force any nearby Wraiths to help him out by using The Craving (Intimation ••••) on them.
    The Paupers will be attacking any character engaged in trying to save The King. Just to heighten the sense of how dangerous the dark maw of Oblivion is, have a few overeager Paupers fall in. Unlike The King who is holding on despite the tearing of his Corpus they are torn apart and absorbed immediately by the well of Oblivion. They don't even have time to scream. The characters have just enough time to save The King. Unless you're feeling particularly vicous and want them to fail. If the characters are too busy fighting the Paupers to save The King, have one of the Unlidded Eye Legionnaires disengage to go help The King. This will cause a few of Paupers engaged with the characters to turn and attack the Legionnaire.
    Once the characters save The King from the gaping maw they have to decide where to take him. They might decide to try to attack the Beggar Lord and help Hellmont. Allow them one or two uncontested attacks. After that have the Beggar Lord split his attention to deal on of the characters a Str 9 attack that automatically hits and deals three Corpus levels of automatic damage in addition to the 9 dice of damage. This damage is Aggravated but if The King is present he can provide enough Pathos to heal almost any wound. If the Beggar Lord is distracted then Hellmont can mount a retreat calling on his Legionnaires to provide a rear guard.
    The characters may decide to take The King to the Iron Docks following Hellmont's advice. Both of the Relic Horses are still in the area. Unlike normal horses they don't feel fear and don't go far after the passengers leave the carriage. The carriage is broken however and the characters must decide whether to tough it out on foot or take off on horse with up to two passengers on each. If Hellmont isn't engaged with the Beggar Lord he will put The King on one of the Relic Horses and send him off with one guide to take him to the Iron Docks as he protects the retreat.
    Along the way The King and the characters may be confronted by additional Paupers. It is during the first such encounter that The King will remember that he carries a Relic pistol revolver. The heavy .45 can tear a Wraith in two and The King is a reasonable shot. The trip to the docks shouldn't be too much trouble unless the Beggar Lord manages to slip by Hellmont. But even then he'll come upon The King and seeking to end it quickly will attack him with a Scythe from the air. The Scythe will cut through The King's Corpus like a hot knife through butter. But as soon as the weapon leaves his Corpus the wound closes up as if it were never there. The only evidence is the tear in The King's Rhinefire jumpsuit. After this the characters will find their journey out of Stygia uncontested.
    Whether Hellmont survives this encounter depends on whether you feel he is still needed around for the story to progress. He could be sent to Oblivion by the Beggar Lord quite easily since the giant Scythe the Deathlord uses as a weapon has a blade of Stygian Darksteel. The Beggar Lord on the other hand should be wounded but not come too close to destruction. If the characters distracted the Beggar Lord allowing Hellmont to mount a retreat then it is quite possible that he survives. Many of his Legionnaires of the Unlidded Eye will not survive however. How this affects future stories is up to you. He might even recruit particularly brave and competent characters to make up for his losses.
    If the characters reach the Iron Docks and Hellmont is not with them then they will be met by several robed Wraiths that are each as powerful as Hellmont. They will guide the characters to the quay where they will mount their rafts with the characters and The King. They then proceed to take to the Unlit Sea. After a few hours they reach a river. This river leads up to the Mississippi in the Shadowlands. Intelligent characters can purchase Byway Knowledge to map this particular spur of the river Styx. This could lead to more direct trade between Memphis and Stygia. As long as Stygia remains standing that is.
    If the characters arrive alone they will not be contacted. In this case they must make their way to the Shadowlands on their own. If they let The King be consumed by Oblivion no one will have any interest in them anymore except maybe as potential lawn ornaments.

Paupers
    Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3 (2), Stamina 3, Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2, Perception 3, Intelligence 2, Wits 3
    Skills: Alertness 2, Brawl 3, Dodge 4, Streetwise 3, Subterfuge 2
    Talents: Melee 2, Stealth 4
    Arcanoi: Keening 1, Moliate 3
    Advantages: Pathos 7, Willpower 6, Corpus 10
    Gear: Darksteel Armor (2 dice soak, -1 Dexterity), Darksteel Swords (Str+2 damage)

Behind the Scenes

    The Beggar Lord was acting on his own. After the Agora the Deathlords stayed on to discuss The King and what he meant for the Empire. They each came to the conclusion that he couldn't simply be destroyed. That would create as many problems as it would solve. With the disappearance of Charon and the slow sinking of Stygia the appearance of The King couldn't be a coincidence. The gaping maw of Oblivion in the center of the city could only spell disaster for the Empire. And with the Empire fading they would lose power and the Legions might fracture and be scattered. The King though offers a chance at stemming the tide of Oblivion if even for just a moment more.
    The possibility of destroying him before he takes up the reigns of power is brought up. But the Lady of Fate shoots that down. "Can there be any doubt that we need leadership in times such as these? And who can lead us beside him? None of us here is strong enough to take the reigns of power for ourselves." The assembled Deathlords grow uneasy at the reminder that this upstart is more powerful than any of them. Surprisingly the Skeletal Lord supports the Lady of Fate in opposing any attempt to harm The King. The Quiet Lord and the Laughing Lady quickly add their support. The rest of the Deathlords reluctantly and quietly assent. Even the Smiling Lord relents, certain now that he cannot take power for himself. He also wouldn't want the other Deathlords to suspect that he managed to survive and take back his mask.
    No one notices that the Beggar Lord has already left. In truth they take his agreement for granted. The Beggar Lord though, has seen his treasure trove turn into the instrument of his own undoing. Much of the Rhinefire and Kingsilver that has made its way to Stygia has been tithed to the Beggar Lord. Presley is his Anacreon in Memphis. And now he stands to destroy any chance the Beggar Lord has of parlaying that wealth into influence and dominance of the Empire. And the miserable little Wraith has the gall to call the Empire obsolete!

Awarding Experience

    Here are some experience awards that can be added to the individual awards at the end of the adventure.
    Character Survives = 1 point
    Character Fought Spectres = 1 point per Spectre killed plus 1 point for bravery.
    Managing to extract The King from the Agora before six hours pass = 1 point
    Successfully negotiating an agreement with the Deathlords = 2 points
    Fighting the Paupers = 1 point
    Rescuing The King from the pull of Oblivion = 2 points
    Rescuing Hellmont from the Beggar Lord = 1 point
    Taking The King to the Iron Docks and handing him over to the Ferrymen = 1 point
    Escaping to Memphis without the help of the Ferrymen = 1 point

The Aftermath

    Of course this adventure presents many opportunities for a much larger campaign to follow. The Beggar Lord has revealed his madness and will certainly have to work hard to avoid being pulled down by his own Legion and the other Deathlords. He may be deposed or he may have to flee Stygia for one of the other Dark Kingdoms. The Dark Kingdom of Jade would be a natural destination for him to take. Yu Huang still has designs on the Empire and would love to learn anything he can of the inner workings of Stygia. He could go to ground in Stygia, hiding in the warren of tunnels and catacombs that honeycomb the city. Or he could just barely hold on to power forever being held in check by the other Deathlords, reduced to a Beggar in truth as well as name.
    A new Deathlord for the Paupers could be named. This could even be The King. Though the Lady of Fate would be against this. She and the other Deathlords are almost fatalistically resigned to having The King raised above them. A Wraith of the Legion of the Onyx Tear is the most likely candidate to become the new Beggar lord. If one like Julie Firewalker can be found who is popular enough to take the Seat but who wasn't a part of the Beggar Lord's inner circle then the transition could be made easily. On the other hand, one or another of the Deathlords could seek to place a puppet over that Legion.
    The King is wary of any further trips to Stygia. At least until the Deathlords start feeling the pressure from the Wraiths in the street. Many Wraiths have heard at least second or third hand versions of The King's proposal for a new Republic to replace the Empire. And many of them are talking revolution in the streets. The Deathlords may be forced to capitulate rather than see the remains of their Empire tear itself apart around them. Another consideration is just exactly how long it takes for the city to sink into the Well of Oblivion. By the time the characters arrive at Stygia there should be no more evidence of the Labyrinth and the veinous stair. But exactly how much of the city remains above water is open to debate. Stygia is huge, possibly larger than New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Hong Kong put together. It could be decades before the final vestiges of the island sink below the waves. Then again it could be a few short years. In either case a new seat has to be found for the Republic. And it has to be somewhere in the Sea of Shadows, preferably a location bordered by the River of Death.
    Whatever form the Republic takes is going to be determined by the needs of your campaign. Whether it's just a fresh coat of painting on the Heirarchy with The King as a political figurehead. Or it turns out to be a true democracy with The King as an interim leader to help the transition. Things can be as stable or unstable as you want. Either way there will be ample opportunity for political maneuvering.
    Another less likely result of the three day romp through the City of Eternal Death is the sardonic nickname given to The King. The Shining Lord, presiding over the Seat of Crystal Tears, overseeing the Victims of Transcendence. This is obviously a sarcastic joke among the Wraiths who have heard of The King's visit but didn't witness it personally. But the Shining Lord nickname might stick.

Story Seeds

You may have noticed that the preceeding story contradicts a lot of the material in Ends of Empire. I did this on purpose because I don't think that the campaign setting of Wraith the Oblivion has been completely exhausted. How you handle the transition from Ends of Empire to a Memphis based campaign is up to the individual Storyteller but remember that there are literally millions of Wraiths who due to age and neglect cannot return to the Shadowlands and who need to be taken in somewhere. They need a place in the Tempest that is safe from Spectral intrusion and Maelstroms. Explorers will be needed to find a new place to start building. An unlikely but obvious place to start would be the Labyrinth. If an area of the Labyrinth can be held from Spectral incursion long enough it will mold itself to the Wraith's needs. As long as the Wraiths can hold on to the area the Labyrinth will accomodate them. Oblivion doesn't play favorites and Stygian Wraiths are as steeped in evil as any Shadow eaten Dopplegganger. The downside to this is that the Wraiths would be subject to Harrowing in the Labyrinth while there, leaving them at any point in the Labyrinth when they come out of it.
The Midnight Express has to be found and rescued from the Tempest. This operation is headed by the Ferrymen, but many mercenary Wraiths have turned their attention to this enterprise in hopes of claiming a reward or using it themselves.

" 'Til we meet you again, may God bless you. Adios."
-- Elvis Presley, Said in 1977 at the end of a concert during his last tour.

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Warning: This comic may include adult situations and suggestive dialogue not suited for minors.