15.5 The Architect's Lie (Milestone - 16th Level!)

SESSION DATE: January 17, 2026
PRESENT: Rory, Kemurial, Freya, Zhanis

Deep Dive

![[Rory - 15_5 The Architect's Lie.mp4]]
15.5 The Architect's Lie.png
PDF too large to embed
![[Rory - 15_5 The Architect's Lie.m4a]]

Adventure Photos

Zhanis Appears in Kemurial's Magic Mansion.png
Kemurial's Hand Drawn Map of Kislev.png
Old World Map.png
Westmarches & Old World Seem Off.png
High Inquisitor Eldrick Runeweaver Simulacrum.png

Adventure Song & Lyrics

![[The Architect's Lie.mp3]]

[Verse 1]
A rainbow storm within the hall, a gate of light and sound,
The Gilded Iron sends the call, where another friend is found.
Zhanis stands in dark and gold, with hair of winter white,
While secrets of the world unfold, beneath the mansion's light.
We rested in the magic space, while Kemurial sought the truth,
To find the keys and find the place, that vanished with our youth.

[Chorus]
The map is wrong, the stars have turned, the compass spins in vain,
For every truth that we have learned, is etched in grief and pain.
We’re walking through a shifting world, beneath a hollow sky,
Caught within the gears of fate, and The Architect’s Lie.

[Verse 2]
The books all speak of salt and sea, of ports where trade was made,
But Kislev stands in masonry, where no tides have ever played.
Perhaps the ships have taken flight, above the mountain peaks,
Or time was swallowed by the night, through ten long, silent weeks.
The Wastes have stolen days away, a gap within our soul,
While Tzeentch prepares the grand display, to take his final toll.

[Verse 3]
The Duke spoke of a desperate play, to bait the Demonclaw,
To lead the ego-blind astray, and find the tyrant's flaw.
But then the chamber doors were thrown, and indigo appeared,
A High Inquisitor on her throne, the kind that’s always feared.
Eldrick’s gaze was cold and hard, a staff of jagged stone,
She weighed our souls and found them scarred, and claimed us as her own.

[Bridge]
The gods are playing checkers now, while we look at the board,
To their convoluted schemes we bow, and sharpen up the sword.
The City of Praag begins to breathe, the statues start to wake,
While ancient terrors start to seethe, for everything’s at stake.
No fair trial in the temple’s heart, no mercy in her eye,
Just the pulling of the world apart, to feed a god’s reply.

[Verse 4]
We walk the line with careful feet, beneath the Orthodoxy's gaze,
Where military mandates meet, the Inquisition's maze.
A single slip into the dark, a word that's out of place,
Will leave the heretic’s burning mark, and end the desperate race.
But still we chase the crystal keys, across the shifting sand,
Until the Great Conspirator flees, from this forgotten land.

[Coda]
The Raven spreads his feathered wings,
The shadow of the Tzarina sings.
The board is set for greater things.

World Anvil Journal

sooo… we wewe in kimiweelth majik manthin an a rainbow twornado opind up. a taww dawk ewf wady popped out an thaid hew name ith zanuth. thhe ith a cwewic an thhe ith wady to hewp uth now becuth cawanthia turned into kithina. zanuth ith part of the giwded iwon too. we thwept in the manthin an it wath NICE.

aftew we woke up kimiweel and me wint thhoppin. i bought a wing to thtop necrotic damaje an a wing to thtop pythic damaje. it cothted TWELVE THOUTAND gold! i bought fouw mowe thpeed pothinth too. i am goin to be thow fafth.

kimiweel did thum wethewch in hith wibwawy an he found thumting vewy thwanje. the bookth thaid pwaag ith cuwthed an that thtatowth come awive an kiww peopow. but the maptth wewe aww wong. kimiweel thaid the maptth of the owd wowwd wooked diffewent befowe. it wath wike he fowgot whewe kithwev ith thupothe to be. zanuth thaid the godth awe pwayin chethth but we awe wookin at a chetkew boawd. we think tzeentch the wavon god ith meththin with evwyting. maybe the wowwd ith thhiftin ow we wotht ten dayth in the chaoth wathteth. it ith vewy thwanje an thkawy to think we might not be whewe we think we awe.

we wint to thte the duke an zanuth uthed twue thteein majik to thtee if anything wath an iwwuthion. we tawked about baitin awek daemoncwaw into a twap. i thaid we thouwd uthe kimiweelth majik hand-withenthe to make a fake wettew fwom viwwem the moww an thhoot it with an awwow into the chaoth tentth. the duke thought that wath a good pwan.

then a vewy thkawy wady walked in. hith name ith high inquithitow ewdwik wunewwavew but it wath jutht a thimowacwum made of majik. thhe had iwon gway haiw an a jagged thtaff that wath hummin. thhe wooked at uth wike thhe wath weighin uth to thtee how dangewouth we awe. thhe athked how many timeth we thtood neaw demonth an i tawked about cawanthia. an acowyte wath takin noteth on a notepad behind hew. thhe thaid we have to thtay in the thity an thhe ith goin to watch uth.

the duke wath vewy thtwetht out. he thaid the inquithithion doethnt do faiw twiawth an they jutht do puppet thhowth an then execute peopow. he wooked towawd hew with hith eyeth down. he thaid we have to be vewy cawefuw ow it wiww tuwn into a witch twiaw. we have to keep doin miwitawy thtuff thow they dont catch uth. i need a WONG WEHTHT.

pweethe dwaugnir keep uth thaf fwom the thkawy inquithitow wady an hewp uth find the keyth. pweethe hewp me find my mommy an my dady.

Private Notes

While we're in Kemurial's magic mansion, a gate opens in the shape of a tornado, illuminating the room in a rainbow of colors. Out pops a tall female figure, about six feet tall, dark elf, slender, very muscular. She has long white hair, wears dark armor with gold trim. Says her name is Zhanis. Long story short, Zhanis is with us now after introducing herself to us. Essentially, the Gilded Iron has operatives all over the place, and she was the one sent to replace Calanthia. Zhanis is a cleric.
We take our long rest in Kemurial's Magic Mansion. TNGBU.
After waking up, Kemurial casts Mind Blank on Rory and himself. Only two casts of it today.
We discuss what our next moves are going to be. We remember how the Ice Queen said that the "prophecy is confirmed" and that "keys guide purpose". We think we're going to pursue the keys then.
We need to figure out where the Ice Queen is if she hasn't arrived yet.
Kemurial and Rory go on a bit of a quick shopping trip. Rory wishes to purchase a Ring of Necrotic Resistance and a Ring of Psychic Resistance, which he does for 12,000g total. He also stocks up on four more Potions of Speed, 400g each for a total of 1600g. Kemurial comes back with a new sword, a ring, and some potions.
Before closing up the magic mansion for now, Kemurial heads into its library to do some research, looking for mentions of relics within Praag and any other pertinent information to our mission. He uncovers two pieces of information. One is some basic research of Kislev itself, determining that Kislev City has the Ice Palace of the Tzarina, who is coming with her key. Praag is still considered cursed, and that, on occasion when the energy of Chaos is high, the people of the city feel like the architecture of the city is emanating evil, like spirits or creatures attack when these Chaos powers are elevated. The statues themselves seem to come alive, attacking and killing people. There is a third major city in Kislev, called Erengrad. His research references it as a port city, and speaks of trade with the empire and the rest of the old word. That doesn't seem to be jiving, considering Kislev is landlocked. Rory theorizes (which is something he certainly doesn't do often!) that the research refers instead to air trade and air traffic, like an airport, perhaps. Kemurial says he thinks, based on his research, that the Chaos forces are looking for these artifacts in the wrong spot because the city may have shifted, if indeed they're referring to a sea port rather than an air port.
Zhanis says it sounds like the gods are playing Chess and we're looking at a Checker board.
Being familiar with the old world, Kemurial is suddenly hit with confusion. Kemurial remembers the map of the Old World much differently than what his research would suggest. It's as if he has forgotten that the region of Kislev is meant to be in the Old World. This is very weird. He tells us his revelation, and we all start realizing the same thing. We might not be where we think we are.
After much theorizing about various possibilities, Kemurial casts Legend Lore to help him find more information about what could be going on. We all get a chance to recall some information using Religion, Insight, Investigation, or History. We roll well enough to recall the following:
- Tzeentch, the Changer of Ways, is the Chaos God of change, ambition, evolution, destiny, trickery, lies, and sorcery. He is known by an endless multitude of names, but the chief titles he bears are the "Changer of the Ways," the "Master of Fortune," the "Great Conspirator", the "Architect of Fate," the "Raven God," and "the Eagle." He is closely associated with magic, as well as dynamic mutation, and grand, convoluted scheming. He also embodies mortals' ambition, hunger for knowledge, particularly of the forbidden kind, and hope for change.
Kemurial uses his skills as a researcher/calligrapher to prepare a report of his and our findings about the geographical discrepancies he's discovered.
Zhanis says she can cast True Seeing to see if the research materials Kemurial has been using are actually what's there in case Tzeentch has any influence on what Kemurial has been seeing and reading. Zhanis casts it. No changes are noticed. We have a truly conflicting sense of things right now.
Kemurial has a bit of a lightbulb moment. He posits whether while we were in the Chaos Wastes, maybe we experienced more time dilation than we previously thought. It feels like it has been about two weeks ago that we left Emberhold. Kemurial reaches out to Soren back at the Gilded Iron and asks him about how long ago we left. We feel like we left roughly two weeks ago, and he talks about geographical/spatial anomalies according to his research. He uses the Sending Stone. Based on his feedback, our internal clock versus plus expect time dilation is accurate. Because we only spent as much time in the citadel in the Chaos Wastes as necessary, we're only missing a slight chunk of time, about 10 days worth. It was definitely worth checking!
Rory thinks that now we should probably head out of the magic mansion before Zhanis's True Seeing wears off while we head to see the Duke.
We exit the magic mansion and Kemurial locks the doors to dismiss his mansion.
While making our way there, we all describe things we see to Zhanis, but all looks as it should to her. There are a couple places that are illusionary, like guard posts, where guards may have set up listening stations around the town, the kind of thing that's expected.
We make it to the Duke and are granted an audience with him. He welcomes us and says he's heard good reports and a some troubling reports. Their generals are deciding what to do with the information. He asks us what we think of their attempts to suppress all magics in their attempt to get to the gate. Kemurial thinks they're likely to try again since they seem to have an abundance of resources. The Duke says they'll talk with Max about defending against that. He mentions baiting Arek Daemonclaw into a trap. He says the most extreme kind of trap he's thinking of is feigning defeat at a gate or wall, goading Daemonclaw himself into attacking, then pouncing if he takes the bait. Zhanis says if we did that, she could cast a Blade Barrier at the gate once he's inside the walls to keep out his assistants. The Duke says in this case, the gate itself could be an offer of betrayal. How do we make sure Daemonclaw himself is who comes through the gate rather than continuously sending his henchmen through the gate instead? Perhaps we could use the keys as bait. The Duke says it'd be too obvious it's a trap. He thinks we should try to use Daemonclaw's ego, to try to compel him to come fight a champion or something, to prove himself. We discuss other ways to bait him out. Kemurial mentions purposefully leaking plans to transport a crystal key. Rory likes this idea, and suggests we use Kemurial's calligraphy skills to forge a document or letter from Villem (the mole) stating that a crystal key will be covertly transported outside the city to hide it away with details of the plan, and tie the note to an arrow and, under cover of night and from within the city's walls, fire it off into the tent for the Chaos forces to discover, hopefully taking the bait.
While talking, there's a knock on the chamber's doors. A voice rings out "High Inquisitor Eldrick, sir!" The Duke motions for them to enter.
In walks a woman. She's old, not frail, not diminished, but weathered like stone that's endured too many winters to crack now. Her hair is iron gray, close kept and short, face carved with lines earned through vigilance. Eyes behind lenses that do not wander. When her eyes settle on us, it feels less like being seen and more like being weighed. She wears robes of indigo and black, and gold thread signifying authority. She wears a medallion. In her right hand is a staff unlike anything we've seen, jagged and imperfect. The crystal hums faintly, not with magical flourish, but with pressure, as if something is held tightly in check. One finger bears a ring etched with sigils and warning. She speaks calmly and measuredly, almost gentle. She shows no signs of rage, or doubt. People like her do not hesitate. As her gaze passes over us, we're left with the unsettling sense that she's not asking who we are, but how much danger we represent. She says "By the authority vested in me by the Orthodoxy, this meeting is not a negotiation." The duke is stressed. He's looking toward her, with his eyes down as if wishing this wasn't happening. She doesn't bow to him. She slightly inclines her head.
She says "I am here for my investigation, Duke." He responds, "By the law, you have the right to your investigation, but hasn't your zealotry slowed us down enough? Must you interfere with everything?" She looks to us and asks "How many times have you stood near demon manifestations?" Kemurial says "More than a few." The Duke says, "As you hear announced, this is the High Inquisitor Eldrick Runeweaver. He says "Actually this is the simulacrum of Eldrick Runeweaver. Eldrick is a man, who I imagine is situated quite comfortably in the Inquisition Temple." The simulacrum nods in agreeance. "If you aren't familiar with our religion, there are a few factions. Those of the Orthodoxy are recognized and hold gray sway. They can demand investigations in demon-related situations such as this. Did any of you emerge uninjured in these encounters where others did not?" Rory talks about Calanthia, referring to her transformation into Kishina. A young acolyte behind her is scrawling on a notepad taking notes. She asks who first recognized Villem as a mole. We respond saying Lim Dul had information. She says he'll be found. She asks if what gifts or visions we've received since. Kemurial says he hasn't noticed any unusual new abilities, at least none he hadn't been working on himself. "You stand not before judgment not because you're being accused, but because of your presence. Explain your survival." Kemurial says we're working with an organization wanting to stabilize the area. She asks for the name, to which Kemurial responds with The Gilded Iron. We can't tell whether she's heard of the name before. Her eyes narrow. She commands we remain in the city, and that Kislev rewards cooperation.
Kemurial looks to the Duke and the simulacrum as if to ask whether we're being dismissed, to check the social cues. The Duke says "Eldrick, we do not have time for this. Do not interfere." She says "You have no authority to stop my investigation. You may rule this city, but the my law is separate. Now, may I join you for the rest of your meeting?" Without waiting for a response, she takes a seat. "What you call zealotry, I call being thorough. No signs of Chaos are ignorable. Your own brother was an agent of Chaos right under your nose, and you didn't even notice it." Kemurial makes an insight check. She's not learning. She's confirming. He senses an implication that exposure and coincidence and happenstance between Chaos, demons, and our presence is more than suspect. Her questions are very reasonable, but carry with them a certain weight.
Kemurial pulls out his copy of the map of the region that contains the discrepancies found during his research and asks what they think of it. The Duke laughs it off, complimenting the creativity of its creator. The inquisitor scoffs at our "fantasy" while they're fighting off hoards of demons. Kemurial fully explains his research, and that a discrepancy exists, citing his sources to explain why this is so concerning. While talking about it, the duke sends off for some maps. They return with maps just as we see it ourselves in Foundry (virtual tabletop software). While discussing the discrepancies, Eldrick stands and once again commands that we remain in Praag. They'll be watching us.
The duke says this is one of the worst things that could've happened at this time. He implores us to remain active. They're stretched thin, and we're essential in helping him. He says the last thing he needs is Eldrick and his damn inquisition getting in the way. We need to toe the line carefully. He says it could get violent if the High Inquisitor calls us to the temple. There is no time for fair trials that aren't just puppet shows. Executions are the norm when betrayal is suspected.
Kemurial says we can still do military operations as the High Inquisitor said, so if we just ensure our operations are considered military in nature, perhaps we should be good to go. The duke says we're free to continue doing what we need to do, but one small misstep can turn things into a full-blown witch trial. It's exactly what we DON'T need, and it's getting worse.

That's it for this session!

Adventure Loot

Loose Gold Found

Platinum	Gold	Silver	Copper

Total:
Converted:
Split:

Gold has been split