The continuing efforts by the Cult of the Fallen Trickster to fulfill the prophecy of their god's return from the dead.
Background
Some time ago, when the party had only recently begun their relationship with the Cult of the Fallen Trickster, General Bodrashov told the player characters that Astrid, high priestess of Hel?, received a prophecy concerning the return/resurrection of Loki?. According to Bodrashov, Astrid did not reveal the prophecy's entirety to the rest of the Cult's inner circle (saying that only those initiated into the mysteries of Niflheim? can know the will of the goddess). Astrid did say, however, that the Journal of Zmei Gromovoi (which the PCs had, by then, acquired for the Cult) contained something that is critical to the Cult's cause: a sort of "key" (actually a complex active magical construct).
Astrid's exact words are said to have been: "the key that will open the door through which the traveler will return from his journey". The Cult's scholars were convinced that this "traveler" is Loki.
According to General Bodrashov, the prophecy that Astrid received also mentioned an "instrument", to be used in bringing about Loki?'s return. Bodrashov suspected that the Book of Bones had something to do with this. (At the time, the Book of Bones had been presumed lost since the time of Damek the Black.)
Instructions for creating and activating the magical construct which the Cult called the "Key?" were found in the Journal of Zmei Gromovoi. After deciphering the instructions, and expending considerable effort, the Cult, with the help of the PCs, created and activated the Key?. (Doing this required the sacrifice of a large number of spellcasters, whose bodies and souls were consumed to fuel the Key?'s activation.)
When the Key? was activated, it opened up the paths into Deep Shadow, the distant and mysterious depths of the Shadow Realm? that had been inaccessible since Ragnarok. The Cult's scholars are mostly in agreement that this is indeed the role that the "key" mentioned in the prophecy was expected to play, in bringing back Loki?.
In the meantime, Vasily had had his mind dissected and probed by Ileana? and Vladislav Chernovsky?. From Vasily's memories, the two mages learned of the party's dealings with Siran — and that Siran had had the Book of Bones in her possession. By this time, the party had killed Siran, but had not plundered her sanctums or treasures, nor found the Book of Bones.
At Vasily's first meeting of the Cult's inner circle, Astrid spoke once more of the prophecy, confirming that it spoke of a "key" and an "instrument". Ileana?, echoing General Bodrashov earlier speculation, voiced a belief that the Book of Bones was this "instrument" — the unique necromantic knowledge found within, Ileana? said, should be exactly the sort of thing that could bring back someone (like a god!) who could not be resurrected by the usual means. Ileana? instructed Vasily to search for the Book, and to bring it to the inner circle.
With some effort, the PCs managed to locate and recover the Book of Bones from Siran's sanctum in the goblin city of Brocken Pit?.
The Key
Knowledge (arcana)
(source: this forum thread)
Having been giving this whole key situation a good deal of thought, Nikolai recalls a comment that Vladislav Chernovsky? made some time ago:
"We have additionally concluded that when the key is activated, this event will be... felt. It is difficult to predict the exact repercussions, but we find it reasonable to believe that this location may become the focus of some attention from various interested parties."
While holed up in Gydrun?'s fortress in Gehenna? during your stay in the future, Nikolai did a good bit of studying of the Shadow Realm?, and his calculations led him to the following conclusion:
When they key is activated, the effects will be felt everywhere. At the very least, every corner of Midgard?, if not every plane the Shadow Realm? touches, will feel some sort of effect. Any mage, anyone knowledgeable about the structure of the planes, no matter whether they are, will realize that something has just happened.
Vasily is searching for signs that Loki may still be alive. Though such signs have not presented themselves easily, Vasily plans to put them to good use in pulling one of the greatest cons of all time.
Progress
- A former colleague of Vasily's (and street urchin extroardinaire) discovered a relic left with a fragment of Thor's power in it.
- Upon their return to Novgorod, Vasily sought out his superior in the Cult of Loki. Apparently they had been discussing how to find Zmei Gromovoi's Journal. Being on a similar quest himself, Vasily shared his knowledge with his superior, and in return got permission to call on whatever of the cult's resources were necessary to complete his task.
- The journal recovered, Vasily brought it before his superiors and managed to convince them that it was in the cult's best interest to keep the party on as advisors. Unfortunately the cult's attempts at deciphering the journal have been stalled by the lack of a suitable base of operations. The party began aiding the cult in procuring such a base.
- The cult has established a concealed base in a small mountainside.
- Though the cult has strong reason to believe that the journal is the key to Loki's return, the key can not be deciphered without the presence of a full-blooded dragon. The party has begun to search for one such.
- Loki can not be returned to his place among the gods; however, his plan does not require him to. (Session 2008-12-21?)
- The party found and used a pair of dragons to recover a chunk of gibberish describing how the book may be used. (Session 2008-12-28?)
- The gibberish was decoded; It is a "key" allowing access to concealed portions of the shadow realm, even portions that do not technically exist.
- A prophecy describing the use of a "key" to allow a "traveler" to return is the second step in Loki's grand scheme. The first step involves a tool and a hand to wield it; Still no clue as to what the tool is.
- In fulfilling Loki's plan, Vasily will bring darkness and chaos to the land (Session 2009-03-01?)