Unravelling mysteries

I wanted to make note of all the various facts we've discovered during our excursions into the Continent so that perhaps we can start to make sense of things. Feel free to add your own things that I've missed or forgotten.

- There is a Death Knight called Alva in the Blue Forest. She is a former paladin who betrayed her oath. She might be guarding something that the Necromancer Cult are interested in.

- There is a Necromancer Cult. They wear red amulets and black cloaks (I have one of each of these for a disguise in the future). We've met them when they tried to stop Prince Yhusuf getting back to his home and we interrogated Alan the Messenger. They work for someone called the Red Emperor. They may or may not have something to do with the weird island to the southeast. Nastie seems to think that members of the cult would recognise her. Because of our interference, the Necromancers have sent Inquisitors after us.

- There is a glowing blue monolith in the mountain pass that requires great wisdom to approach. We fed it a flower and an ogre skull and it still asks for dragon blood. It's not of my god.

- There is a ghostly lady in a forest grove along the north coast who was trapped in a web made by giant spiders. Her spirit may or may not have been freed.

- Shaar is often struck by meteorites leaving behind a precious ore called mithril that is valuable to prospectors.

- There is a mountainous region far to the south in Shaar at least 6 days travel from Sanctuary. This region is always winter and covered in snow. This is because a god (a false god!) walks the land: a winter wolf. It is vicious, murderous, and to kill it would be a great prize.

- Peter Prosecco is still missing but nobody cares.

Peter Prosecco spilled my mead once. Half a tankard all over my boots. Did he apologise? No. Just shrugged and sauntered off.

He can rot in hell.

Not sure I remember Peter?! Who's that/

He lived in Sanctuary, but was little more than a drunk. He heard a rumour about an enchanted Battleaxe, that would burst aflame when swung, and went hunting for it. Last anyone ever saw of him.

He was a mead spillin', debt owin', cat kickin' loser.

Don't forget that I have been exploring the Haunted Forest - I've never encountered a forest that has so little life!

In the heart of this forest is a huge, aged tree, brittle and grey, but dripping with red, blood-like sap, surrounded by rotten fruit, maggots and flies. It is growing through a broken stone altar and there are ruins of an ancient building around it - along with some empty coffins. Any plant or tree that is nearby is also dead, crumbling and dripping with bloody sap. 

I have investigated and have found a golden tankard, a string of pearls and a silver medallion inscribed to Bhaal, the God of Murder. 

This all bears further investigation, but does not bode well.

Artemesia, I could use your botanical knowledge here - and some help to draw up a map...

More facts and more mysteries:

- There is a gang (not a cult, a gang) called the Monarchs. They're all human, they wear purple robes with gold trim, and they like to make money. They also hate the Necromancers for some reason.

- The Inquisitor who has been sent to pursue us is called Inquisitor Chalk. She/he wears a black cloak.

- The healing spring is legit and it's great. It has soft fluffy towels.

More facts!:

Monarchs:

- The Monarchs have been around for 85 years. Their ship wrecked upon the island during a naval battle, they have been making a life here ever since.

- Their leader is Ma Dola, who was a slave when the ship crashed but she took charge, killed the captain and any naysayers and freed the slaves. They have a matriarchal society. Ma Dola is very old now, but very much still the boss.

- The Monarch's boat has been rebuilt on land and is the centre of their self-built hometown.

- They are all humans and typically shun other races.

Dragon(s) on the island:

- Every month the Monarchs make a human sacrifice to Eos, The Destroyer, the black dragon. This month Edric was to be the sacrifice. But it seems Eos settled for the remains of Astrid instead. The Monarch's angered Eos during their first year and have been making monthly sacrifices as atonement ever since.

- Jonah, of the cult of Dvorak (we killed him in our first mission), was a Monarch but he stole an egg from Eos nest and began his own short-lived cult.

- A non-library book was surreptitiously inserted on to the shelves of the library in Sanctuary. It was written by Jonah, the priest of the Cult of Dvorak. It espouses the wisdom of dragon worship and recounts, in obscenely self congratulatory prose, how his people stole a dragon egg from the nest of a black dragon, likely the egg that hatched into the dragon wyrmling Dvorak, which was killed in the battle at the ruined temple. It goes on to invite new converts to visit the temple and join the cult.


The Necromancers:

- There is a secret subterranean black market that the necromancers attend. The Monarchs go there sometimes to trade.

- The necromancers have been on the island for about 5 years.

- The necromancers have recruited some Monarchs. This has created tension.

- The necromancers have an outpost surrounded by zombie "security" staked to posts. There are many more outposts but the Monarch's only know about the one.

- The necromancers call their home compound "Gorehowl". The exact location of Gorehowl is unknown.

- Archived Sanctuary town meeting minutes from three years ago discuss "a troublesome group of probable necromancers which tried in earnest to buy cadavers from Alfredo Black, the town apothecary. Alfredo refused, they tried to stab him but he broke their blades in his bare hands and chased the puny wretches out of the town limits"