Starting in the town of Targoth, the party is met with an uncomfortable situation of goblins and cultists disturbing the peace around the city as well as nearby villages and other major cities. In efforts to mitigate this and hopefully stop it, the High Lord Tarrik Torgaddon intends to unite the region in a coalition to stop it before anything escalates. While not hostile, the other major cities have different patron gods, each prideful and robust. With the region unstable, the party could go anywhere.
The session starts with the party discussing why each has found themselves in the city. After discussing brief origins, the city is described as tense, with an increased guard presence on the outskirts due to the vast amounts of posters warning of cultists and goblin attacks. Other newer posters are put up seeking a party to escort the son of the High Lord Tarrik Torgaddon to the neighboring city of Ekkidon so that it can be discussed how to deal with these issues. Early on, it is discovered in a tavern that the son, William, is not well-liked in the city. After meeting with the Lord and son, the party sets off with payment promised upon their return.
During the journey, the party speaks and learns about each other and finds William to be a primarily insufferable misogynist with a passion for weapon forging. The journey goes without incident, and the party arrives at Ekkidon, where William rudely demands an immediate meeting with the Lord of the City, flaunting his title and position while simultaneously dismissing all female party members taking only Ink with him. The Lord Commander escorts the two to the castle of house Siderae to meet with the high Lady Vinestra. The talks are immediately tense as William attempts to demand to meet with the Lord and authentic leader, offending the Lady. The talks get worse and worse the longer William is in the room, and after Ink confirms vocally to Vinestra that they were sent to establish bad relations, they are ordered to be escorted out of the city. Meanwhile, Aisu and the others go on separate adventures, with Aisu seeking out the enchanter Slatyr Tarth on a job to try dangerous new potions which are revealed to cause the skin to turn blue, hair to fall out, "nubs" to form on the back and instant death. After dying, the rest of the party uses the gold to buy several power amplify scrolls and a healing scroll. These items, paired with excellent luck, allowed the revival of Aisu. The party then set out to leave the city.
The party didn't make it far from the city before discovering a goblin attack upon Ekkidon's guards and a mounted Knight. The players help them quickly dispatch the goblins, but then their path is blocked by the Knight, Sir Bernile, who demands one of them die for Williams's actions. Many among the party attempt to reason with the knight to no avail. As these deliberations are being made Ink sneaks up to William slices his ankle, then slits his throat killing him in a matter of seconds. This satisfies the knight, and the group fabricates the story that he was killed in a goblin attack that he was crucial to repelling. They additionally take possession of WIlliams hammer deciding to return it to his father if necessary.
A few short days after the delegation of William leaves, the minor houses of Targoth conclude that William might not be suited for such a task given his reputation. In a hurry, they post the job to escort Lady Lucy Aethelwulf to the city on horseback, hoping they will beat William there. The job was answered by around 8 adventurers answered the call. While the group waited to decide who would go, most of the guards checked in on the group to ensure that Lucy would be adequately protected due to her being the Heiress to the family and an extraordinarily beloved and unmarried Noble. One of the city's most renowned knights comes to decide who will escort the lady, who then slims the selection down to four and offers to either have a competition to choose what two will go or the four can split the payment and all go. The group chooses the latter option. The two individuals that go with the party are Kir and Igor, a half-kobold and an older human.
On the journey to the city of Ekkidon, the group is stopped by a group of cultists, one of whom is holding an ornate chalice. The cultists plead to deliver a message to Lucy, which the party begrudgingly accepts. The cultists claim that they have committed no wrongdoings and are being framed. They claim they were forced from their homes in Moonflect by the followers of Zornskern. They also claim that Lord Francis Jovial Kiv Allobaster is attempting to take over the region and make himself a king. The party then completes the journey and is greeted by the site of Williams's group bringing the parties together.
Upon the congregation of the two delegations, it is quickly determined what actually transpired. However, every party decides it is best to use the fabricated story of Williams's glory-filled death. The party speaks with the knights, who agree to bring them before Vinestra again and rehash negotiations. With Lucy at the head, things go much better, and a plan is formed for the Goblins, and a forum is decided upon later in the day to discuss the cultists with the town. Later at the forum, it is discovered there is no evidence, and Vinestra decides to take an entourage to Moonflect to discuss the truth of the matter with its Lord. She additionally decides to send a representative of Ekkidon back with the party to speak with Tarrik on her behalf.
The party then departs with Lord Neven and the Lady Lucy to return to Targoth and finalize the goblin plan and the cultist negotiations. Lord Neven displays respect for Lady Lucy but seems an overall snobby individual getting along best with Tiekel. Not far from the gate, they are ambushed by a large group of goblins and fight them to the last until their leader runs away. Kir peruses and, by the mercy of the gods, defeats the leader in single combat, taking its Valyrian steel dagger for his own and returning to the party. The party removes all the goblin ears but is immediately paid for them by Lord Neven who does not wish to travel with the stench of them. The party then completes their journey to Targoth.
The party reaches Targoth without further incident and is greeted by the head of the guard and an unfamiliar dwarf, Velkara; the party exchanges greetings and pleasantries until Tiekel speaks up that they are holding up a procession of Lords. Following this, he travels with Lucy and Lord Neven to meet with the city's lords while the rest of the party is left to kill some time. Aisu and Ink decide to use this as an opportunity to fix the ailments incurred by the potions from Ekkidon. They travel to the position shop of Lilliana, where Aisu makes a deal for a cure to blue skin for all their gold and the promise to have a bar of ore forged into a knife by Kir. They then visit Guidos Magic Emporium, looking at some items, including a ring of hair growth that Ink buys and gifts to Aisu. While this is happening, Velkara follows Kir around the city, hoping to meet some local shopkeepers. First, Kir visits the lower-end blacksmith, Askalad, and sells 14 stone daggers and has his Valyrian steel blade appraised. Secondly, he goes to the higher-end blacksmith, Klien, and sells 3 nicer stone daggers. Thirdly he visits Guido and wordlessly trades an unknown object for a second unknown object. The others then join and follow him to the docks, where he goes to a secret market located under them, takes Ink through a guarded checkpoint, goes to a shop run by a scar-covered gopher, and goes inside and gets more unknown supplies. Finally, he goes to the bank and hands over a pouch of unknown supplies. At the meeting, Lord Torgaddon learns of his son's death and becomes quite distraught but merely resolves to gather forces and personally annihilate the remainder of the goblins. He also decides to send the party north to talk to the cultists and hopefully bring a delegation back to the city to learn the truth.
The party agrees to travel north to the Cultist City and leave the following day. They are given horses and are accompanied by the Knight from Ekkidon and make exceptionally good time. As they travel, they note that many of the remaining goblins of the region are fleeing south. Once they come somewhat within sight of the city, they notice smoke rising in the distance and pick up the pace. Soon after, they pass by families running away. It is quickly discovered that the city is under attack by the soldiers of Moonflect, who carry the banner of Zornskern. The party runs into a large group of Guards, and once they determine that they originated as Targoth diplomats, they are attacked by all those nearby. The party quickly dispatches the men and is approached by a woman from one of the ruined buildings. She is quite injured and identifies herself as Jasmine; while her wounds seem fatal, originally, the party heals her and offers to help. She refers to the great keep atop the nearby mountain as the Odenshold. At this point, it is clear that these are no ruins but are actually ancient fortresses. She leads the group to a secret passage they can use to get behind friendly lines, and then the party meets the former lord Commander of Moonflect, Rhampart. Together they work to repel the attacking force, but one by one, the gates fall to the soldiers of Zornskern until they arrive at the final gate before the keep itself. At this moment, flaming arrows are fired from the direction of the first gate, where men were left to hold out and delay the attackers; not terribly long after, the same thing happens at the second gate; this goes all the way to the last gate that fell before finally a second force can be seen coming up the path. The Zornskern men look confused as the second, much smaller and less equipped, force levels spears at them, forming a defensive line as small fur-covered creatures can be seen scurrying around their legs. A few short moments following this, a volley of wooden bolts fired forth from the line, crashing against the Zornskern force. The men of Hillsfort had arrived to aid the Odenshold; with this newfound sight ahead of them, Rhampart had the gate opened, and he charged out to do battle with the attackers.
Beginning with the charge of Rhampart and his remaining dozen elite warriors, at first, the Cultist involvement seems to make no difference in the battle at large, with the possibility of loss still somewhat possible. This is until the High Priest slowly shuffles out the gate behind Rhampart, his robed apostles following in a double column. As the High Priest moves, all the people in the keep follow, from the elderly to children. As he reaches the gate, a red mist comes off every person in the area, floating into the Chalice as it is held up, taking the form of a vast double-bladed Halberd; he orders Rhampart to move. With a quick flick of his wrist, a dozen Zornskern men are cut down, the halberd growing larger. The High Priest continues to use the weapon to consume all hate and malice, growing the weapon and killing more and more at a speed and strength impossible for a man, much less one of his age. Eventually, once every Zornskern man is left on the ground, he holds the now over ten-meter-long weapon into the air discharging a red column into the heavens for all to see. He then shuffles back into the keep without a word. Following this, the gopher leader declares that not a survivor be left. He then momentarily pulls back to put on his more formal adornments. As Rhampart approaches the line of Hillsfort men, he takes to a knee and shakes the gopher's paw in thanks inviting him to a meeting of lords.
The Party attends a meeting with the Gopher leader, his knight, the High Priest, and Rhampart. As thanks for their efforts in saving the keep, the high Priest offers to anoint one of them as a knight of Floki, Ink accepts. The Party witnesses a treaty between the Lord Cipher Vinyard of Hillsfort and the High Priest Fastvir of The Odenshold to defend each other and the land from Moonflect. Copies are made and signed for Targoth, Ekkidon, and a spare for the Party to deliver. The Party then uneventfully returns to Targoth to find more banners flying on the city walls, with each branch of the three noble houses being recalled to the city to prepare for potential war due to the warning from The Odenshold days ago. The lords, minus Neven, who has returned to Ekkidon to send word, are in a meeting with Admiral Torgaddon, and it is decided that Tarik himself should sign the treaties for Targoth. The Party runs basic errands, and Ink is summoned by a different High Priest deep under Targoth. The Party, minus Tykell and Shaddoth, go straight to Ekkidon and then leave the next day to find Lord Torgaddon and warn him of the whole situation, but he reveals that no messengers have reached him since his departure. He also speaks of a meeting on the beach with his brother the day prior, who shared none of this information. He signs the treaty and the copies and prepares to return home following his meeting on the beach with his brother in 2 nights as the Party continues to Ekkidon, not even a full day's ride away.
As the Party approached Ekkidon, they saw many more banners of House Sedirae than the last time they came, all at half-mast as well as a shocking lack of any House Neven banners. They approach the unusually well-guarded gate, are forced to surrender weapons, and are escorted to Castle Sedirae, where Kir disappears. They meet with the lady, and Sir Bernile is immediately put in chains and arrested. Then they learn that the Sea Wolf, flagship of Ekkidon, captained by her husband, was sunk by the Greataxe, flagship of Targoth, Captained by Tarrik's brother, the Admiral. She pays Ink and congratulates the assassination of William Torgaddon. Aisu unwittingly gives away the position of Tarrik and the involvement of the gophers before discovering that Lady Vinestra has decided to support the Allobaster's claim to royalty. They are then told to go and warn Targoth that she is coming. They break out suddenly following the appearance of Kir and leave with a ship acquired by an escaped Sir Bernile. They flee to the northern coast and meet with the son of Neven, who informs them that his father has recalled their family to the mines and fortress of old. Ink then spots the Greataxe peacefully sitting among the Ekkidon ships, and the Party decides to steal the smallest ship in sight to warn Tarrik of the new twists in events. They successfully get away aboard the hijacked Wind of Sedirae.
As the rest of the party travels to Tarrik, Tykell, and Shaddoth go straight to Ekkidon. They are plagued by the same strangeness that the roads are empty of travelers, guards, or anything else. Less than a day's ride from Ekkidon, they pass by a sole hooded traveler who reveals himself as an assassin and attacks the two with poisoned weapons. He is quickly dispatched, and they find a letter ordering all travelers to be killed. They continue to Ekkidon but are again stopped by a bannerman of House Neven. He takes the two to Unicorn Castle. While they journey, they pass through incredibly rocky terrain and forest until they break from the forest into rolling stone hills, some of which carve themselves at least a hundred meters or more into the sky, making for incredibly defendable terrain. Castle Unicorn itself is seen to be encircled by large stone hills carved into sheer walls with gaps between them filled with solid obsidian. Lord Neven meets with the two and formulates a plan to save Tarrik he refers to as the golden plan, then sends his son to rescue the rest of the party from Ekkidon. He sends the majority of his men into the mines to gather gold for two days before setting out personally with the two adventurers, a stone column ornately carved lashed to his horse. They put on Ekkidonian soldier armor and sneak into the ranks of the Ekkidonian forces to reconvene with the party but stay undetected.
As the party approaches the beach, they know Tarrik will be at Bernile experiences increasing levels of pain to the point he cannot stand. It is discovered that a cursed ring was forced onto his dominant pinky finger that causes increasing pain the farther he gets from Ekkidon. Thinking fast, Ink suddenly cuts his finger off, ending the curse and pocketing the item. Benzipine suggests that they swap the Ekkidonian flag for one of House Neven as they approach the beach. Aisu then also asks for a small sigil of House Neven to attach to their armor, and Benzipine provides one. The party arrives just as night is setting and meets immediately with Lord Tarrik telling him of Lady Sedirae and his brothers' betrayal. He asks for proof stating that such claims are hefty, and he trusts that while there may be some truth to Ekkidon's fall, he does not believe his brother played any hand and decides to await his brother on the beach as planned. He gives a rousing speech to his remaining under one hundred men ending the speech by stating that if the Lady of Ekkidon wants his Hammer, he would love to see her come and take it.
The Ekkidonian army surrounds Tarrik's camp and forms three two-hundred-man forces that catch him in a pincer. Tarrik's scouts realize this, and he digs in, claiming that the rock formation off the beach will be more than defendable enough to last until his brother arrives. As the tree forces encircle the beach and close in, all remaining goblins must run into Tarrik to escape, further exhausting the already tired forces. The groups clash with Tarrik splitting his forces in half to guard the two approaches to the rock formation and beach, using his superior troops and close fighting to prolong the defense. When the bulk of enemy forces meet with him at the northern front, he personally activates the Hammer. He fights, defending the point as the other side begins to fail. Shaddoth rides through the enemies until nearing the front, stripping his false armor off and attacking a knight of Ekkidon. Tykell stays with a tenured man and several young cowards to "Keep Tarrik from escaping," but Kir assassinates many of them from the treetops before things can be resolved. Tykell and Kir then use a rope he dropped to get up and over the rock formation and join Tarrik. From the point of elevation, they are the first to see the approaching boats of the Ekkidonian fleet and The Greataxe. The southern line buckles as everyone is forced back, the knight being too much for the party then. Bernile moves in to take on the assailant. Tarrik continues fighting to send Aisu to meet his brother as he lands. The Hammer runs out of energy, and immediately after, Lady Sederae steps forward, challenging Tarrik lord to lord. Against the pleas of his men, he steps forward, exhausted and spent, to fight the Lady, who promptly brandishes a sword of gold. Hardly able to raise himself, he can clearly not block the near unperceivable blow delivered by Lady Sederae. A brilliant explosion of light blinds all those within at least a quarter mile of the impact, causing many to be briefly stunned. As the light fades and vision returns, those present see the figure of Lord Neven in front of Tarrik, having blocked the blow holding a golden sword of his own. He exclaims, "Lady Sederae, that is quite enough" His sword consumes and absorbs the very gold from Lady Sederae's sword. He moves forward with eyes of solid gold and tears into the opposing forces. He continues as the Lady runs from him until he catches her cutting downward sword biting into a bar of gold she suddenly thrusts forward; after consuming the bar, Neven's eyes and sword return to normal, and he is forced to retreat. Nemiel reaches Tarrik and begins to help his brother escape proving his steadfast loyalty. The navy of Ekkidon retreats with them, showing they are not sided with their city. The navy then makes all due hast to Targoth to warn of what is coming.
The combined forces of Neven and Tarrik return to Targoth to call forth a meeting of lords in the city. The party is sent ahead of the main fleet to inform those relevant of the oncoming fleet. Once arriving at the city, they are questioned by naval men of Ekkidon as to how they acquired the Wind of Sederae and where its crew are. The party lies that it was found abandoned on the coast and they have claimed it by right of abandonment. When asked Kir declares himself Captain of "The Shortblade" renaming the newly acquired ship. While the meeting of lords is handled Ink sneaks away and settles a mission to put a cursed plate inside the manor of House Whitehead it is implied that the plate is some cursed object of the church of Maloghurst.
The Lords discuss the effects and ongoing issues of the betrayal at Ekkidon as well as the "royal" decree of Moonflect. Allobaster has claimed Targoth Ekkidon Moonflect and all towns and villages within as his own territory with the lines drawn encompassing territories of other nearby major cities as well but careful to not claim dominion of the other cities themselves. Reports have come in from across the land of Moonflect tax men extorting helpless villages located in the middle of the three affected cities. Neven bribes and pressures the party into helping to free the villages while the city prepares for war. Tiekel plays a major part in convincing the party to do as such volunteering them to go out and accomplish the task at hand.
At the end of the meeting, a messenger rushes in to announce the approach of several large heavy war carriages. It is revealed soon that they are the emissaries of the Golden Legion who come to offer aid to House Neven in response to his call to arms. Neven decides to return to Unicorn Castle with them at speed to prepare to strike at Ekkidon by rallying his people as well as his own faction within Ekkidon. He leaves with the intent to meet again with the party to retake Ekkidon after beefing up the defenses of his castle and the newly founded Benzipine Mine. He informs Tiekel that he places such a high priority on the mine's protection because the gold secures much more than land but the potential of the future. It is clear however that he is likely hiding some Allterior motive.
The party reconvenes at the ship to discover Kir has had it moved into a dry dock in order to have it appraised and he convinces them it is worth more as an asset to keep than it would be to sell, he does additionally argue that if they were to sell it then it would be of far more value if it were sold as parts not as a ship. It is here with the party fully assembled they vote on and take the name Chaos Squad. The party then rides out to the nearest village and meet with the elders of the village, many of which seem to be accomplished smiths, to discuss the situation. Kir also does some small business with them selling knives and buying lots of raw materials. The party then follows the path of the tax collectors who seem to have already hit the village. Two hours before midnight they catch up and discover the Inquisitor's camp and attack it sparing no survivors. There is a slight disagreement over whether or not to return the money to the villages, but it is decided that they will. They then divide the inquisitor's personal money and possessions Ink specifically taking the Dire Wolf puppy of their leader as a pet. The final man standing of the enemy set off a warning message summoning the Blood Bracers to come to kill the party claiming they were assaulted while preforming their rightful duty to the King. The party is chased all the way back to the village where they are saved by the Golden Legion who reveal a contract providing the village safety from the Blood Bracers who honor their contracts above all. The party is warned as the Legion departs that there is now a contract to kill them within the Abyssal Bane organization as well as the fact that they are now in the sights of the Blood Bracers.
The party returns to Targoth getting the Golden Legion to return the gold to the wronged villages. Word reaches them as soon as they return that there is a growing resistance to the rule of Ekkidon that if capitalized on could be a turning point for the city. The resistance has been founded in the shadows of the city and is seeking to depose and destroy its ruling house Sederae. The party hearing this starts by going on a shopping spree buying items across the city to prepare for their own infiltration of the city. Neven informs the Party that the army of Moonflect is leaving to march south and does not yet have a clear target and that all potential targets should be considered. Kir makes several suggestions on how to proceed but before any decisions are made Velkara and Aisu decide to seek the wisdom and advice of Lord Tarrik. He tells them that it would be illegal and against the Lords Code for him to support the deposal of a legal ruling house but that his own house is falling on harder times. He tells them that he is in such hard times that he cannot afford to guard his whole manor and a downstairs study with very expensive equipment and objects might be left unattended for some time. They secure the items from that study for use in the fight to come after speaking with Tarrik. Ink goes to visit with the church of Maloghurst in the meantime and is given apostles to bring with him to the city to help destabilize it as well as to begin work on creating a church there as well. The church additionally orders the death of Xer the sister of Kir. The church of Floki also sends cultists with Ink in order to do much the same claiming unity with those of Maloghurst. The party finally departs discovering Kir has had the ship upgraded while they were away making it even lighter and stealthier. Kir detours the party to The Beach of Golden Emergence where it is revealed that it was given to the party as a gift for their efforts and Kir has already had some Clan Vinyard gophers move here to set up a side business of moonshine creation. He picks up 11 Keg golems to bring with them to Ekkidon and they leave 2 cultists of Floki to stay with the gophers.
Upon arrival to Ekkidon they notice the fleet has the city blockaded and they use the "narco sub" to sneak into the hidden cove under the city so that no one within the city would know of their infiltration. Once in the cavern they go to where the hundreds strong resistance has taken up residence with the Loyalist guards who have repainted their armor black. The party meets with Xer and they discuss a plan to retake their city. They are told there are hundreds of guards and even more citizens locked in the dungeons beneath the castle and the party hatches a plan to release them distracting the guards by burning the new church of Zornskern. While that happens, they plan for the other half of the party to sneak a bag of holding to the people in the dungeon using the inquisitor badges so that they can fight to depose Sederae alongside those already at arms. Xer then has a rumor spread that Allobasters court mage is running rampant in the city. The apposals of Maloghurst then burn the church of Zornskern but also steal Zornskern priest robes and then dressed as such burn down all the churches of Jesus. Velkara attempting to stop them is discovered by the Blood Bracers that are acting as a supplement to the Noble Guards of House Sederae in defense of her rule. Aisu and Ink manage to infiltrate the dungeon and free those imprisoned. Kir managed in the meantime to sneak into castle Sederae and blow a whole tower off it falling to crush the last church of Jesus accidentally as he further "distracts the guards". Velkara manages against all odds to Murder the Blood Bracers squad taking the sword of the leader. The city believes all the rumors assuming Allobaster is fighting to have them all killed with the support of Lady Sederae and then the whole of the city sets to the fight to free itself including a majority of the guards who upon seeing the former city commander fighting against them join with the rebellious cause. The city begins to chant for Jesus and Maloghurst their minds corrupted by some unknown factor and then Ink gets the city commander to agree to the unconditional help of the Church of Maloghurst. Ink summons the high priest who opens a portal for hundreds of Apposals of Maloghurst to come through. The gods Maloghurst, Floki and Zornskern intervene in the battle leaving the center of the city destroyed and Castle Sederae decimated but relocated before the final destruction. The last priest of Jesus stays alive just long enough to inform Velkara that they have all been killed and she much keep their legacy. Ink is then promoted to priest for his works and rewarded greatly for now the city surely belongs to Maloghurst. It is discovered that it is likely that the church of Maloghurst was behind the deaths of the priests of Jesus.
As the majority of the party headed to Ekkidon Tikiel visited the Brewing stronghold of Hillsfort. He learns from their leader, Lord Cipher, much of the events going on around in the region. Allobaster has founded a court mage and wizard tower, a Litch is plaguing the cities to the east, there is a resistance rising in Ekkidon, the followers of Floki are flocking in mass to the Odenshold, there is a rogue dragon to the east, and gophers have relocated to the Beach of Golden Emergence. After learning the situations of the region, he continues to Unicorn Castle to meet with Lord Neven where he learns much the same things confirming the information to be true. Additionally, he finds that Unicorn Castle has been prepared for war and siege its defenses now unquestionably in full swing.
Tikiel and Neven race to the city following the battle to free it and arrive too late. Tikiel explores the devastated city as Neven sets his men to offering aid to the citizens. Neven and the city watch commander come to the conclusion that the city is going to suffer more than benefit by the "aid" from the church of Maloghurst leading to some hesitation in his recalling to many forces from Unicorn Castle. Tikiel is taken to see the high priest where he gains an audience of sorts with Maloghurst who confirms that his life is protected for now by Floki. He is further informed that the Raven Queen will offer reward to whoever destroys the Litch King. The party is also warned by him to be weary of the God of Heros who none of them have yet heard of. Velkara is advised and allowed to create a church to Kharl where the dungeons of Ekkidon once stood as a symbol of the cities healing. Kir is named a Lord for his role in the actions of the region and secretly has construction began on a castle. Neven helps with the expedited creation of Velkaras church and even visits it personally upon occasion as a sign of respect for those working. The party then settles their affairs including a visit to Castle Unicorn and decide they would be best serving the region and themselves by first targeting the Litch King and his treasures and begin their travel East. A key reason for their decision being the rumors that the Litch King would have an extensive vault of magical items within its stores that would not only bring them riches but also the power to bring down Allobaster. It is decided that firstly they will go to Caliban the city to the south of the Great Lake to gather information and direction on how best to begin their new task. Neven tells them as they leave that he will likely be soon reinforcing Hillsfort in case of an assault from Moonflect striking them and not the Odenshold again.
The party begins the long and tedious 11-day journey east. When at Ekkidon Kir purchases some premium foreign blue corn to send back to the gopher operation he has set up with the ship under the watch of the keg golems. The party discovers on the way east that the Blood Bracers have placed a 500-gold bounty on Velkara dead or alive. They are assaulted along the way by assassins who are quickly and easily dealt with and following an investigation of their belongings find evidence that they are also under bounty by the Abyssal Bane. They are followed for a time by Sederae loyalists but manage to evade them by camping just off the trail. On the journey they do also pass a group of scholars and soon two days from the city come upon an inquisitor checkpoint for the King Allobaster taxing all that travel the road. Rather than pay any taxes the group sets upon the Inquisitor and his men killing them all and looting them for their things. They then continue onward to Caliban.
As the party finally approaches Caliban, they meet with a merchant caravan and decide to keep the company of the merchants for the duration of the journey. Once they reach the gates the guards of the city question them, not aggressively morso for the clarification of the city's knowledge. They ask mostly about the rumors of the party. Firstly, if they really did murder William, the son of the High Lord of Targoth. They ask if the party really did single-handedly beat back the forces of Moonflect at the Odenshold. Lastly, they inquire as to the knives created by the small red one known as Kir. The party makes a friendly conversation and is peacefully allowed in after the guards purchase a knife from Kir. As the party enters, they are told that the shopkeeper Vermouth would be ever grateful for the opportunity to purchase any silver the party may have and not want.
After walking around for some bit taking in the city and noting what all it has to offer as well as noting a healthy rivalry between its gender-ambiguous god Asher and Kharl the party finds the fortress Monastery of Lupis where they are greeted at the door by Sir Hadriel. As the party enters it is noted that Kir has gone missing and is in fact loose within the fortress. They inquire to meet with the Knightly orders leader and are shown to Ramiel and it is there they claim they will be the ones to fall the Litch King and take his hoard of magical items as prizes for the heroic task. To their disappointment, they are informed that the fortress of the Litch King is at the bottom of the great lake, a location not easily gotten to. By contrast, there is an ancient cemetery to the east where knights are gathering to free from the clutches of a powerful necromancer in the service of the Lich King.
Before leaving the city to meet with the Knights they stop to see the shopkeeper Vermouth and Velkara inquires about the cost of a great silver shield with fanciful overlays. It is priced at 1500 Gold and Velkara decides to return for it later. They then go to see the armorer where Ink buys some leather armor and then to the shock of the party the shopkeeper there speaks with the Direwolf. As a result, Ink ends up buying him elven iron claw covers to be used in battle. As they are preparing to leave the city a message of sending comes from Lord Neven informing the party that Hillsfort is besieged and there is battle ongoing.
Once they are done shopping they meet with the Knights of Lupis outside the city. They are soon met by another contingent of Knights from the city north of the Lake known as the Knights of the Beast. Sir Zadkiel seems to be the most imposing of the beastmasters riding forth on a creature described as a Mega-Tiger-Bear. They are led by Captain Thelonius who raises war birds. The force begins to travel east splitting into seven squads of six the party being joined by Sir Morten a War Rhino Rider. The squads are engaged by Litch King forces as they approach the cemetery but sustain no losses hardly even slowed by the assaults. Following the series of mini skirmishes there is a signal flare, and the knight tells the party that the protocol is to meet one mile east of its position. The group then makes for the meeting spot.
After arriving at the appropriate area, they are noticed by sentries that were posted by each squad and are directed to the prepared meeting area. The hastily set up base camp is populated by an assault force of 42 warriors and an arrangement of beasts. With the beasts waiting outside the warriors go with a perfect cube cave magically created by one of the knights for the purpose of having a forward base. One of the other squads brings forward a map of the cemetery with some details as to those buried there. With this, they begin to make their plan of assault. Velkara impressed Captain Thelonius by suggesting waiting to scout the target before making an assault. The scouting force very easily discovers that the enemy is far more active at night with some of them actively being slower and seemingly weaker during the day if moving at all. It is further discovered that each passing night the necromancer and his forces animate more of the buried dead further strengthening their position. The plan is made to have the majority of the beast tamers assault the open cemetery full of basic zombies to the south as a distraction to draw out the masses of the enemies while dedicated squads move in from the East and West.
Around mid-day, the Knights of the Beast begin the main assault from the south war beasts letting loose cries of battle as they approach in full view of the cemetery defenders. Among them are some of the less experienced Knights of Lupis to round out the full assault force. The undead defenders shamble out to meet them waves crashing against the imposing figures of the war beasts. The party waits until the battle is in full swing and begins a swift attack up the main western road. It is on this road they pass the ancestorial crypts of six houses one of which is identified as that of the Heroic House Dayne. Unlike the other crypts, it is smashed open with one man standing alone guarding the approach of the road. The man is in a suit of golden armor wielding two swords' eyes glowing the Green of the necromancer. Then, the ancient undead warrior drops a sword tip to the ground gently dragging it across the ground where the stone instantly fades to dust at its tip. The party spends some time thinking about how to best attack him each time they come closer he readies to fight them but does not cross his line. Ink tries to fire an arrow at him, but he seems completely unaffected by its presence as it hits him. They soon discover that he was resurrected but his willpower was far too great to be fully dominated and he was tasked with guarding the main approach all other of his actions under his own control. The party goes around him and he does not move to stop them, as they get back on the road behind him, he turns to give them a thankful nod resolute in the hope that they will free him to return to his slumbers. The party comes across more undead knights as they advance to the main crypt, but they are weaker than the Undead Hero of House Dayne and they are felled quickly. Another squad joins the party as they approach the main crypt.
The party enters the final Crypt to see an individual dressed in the fine uniform of a Lord High Admiral. One of his eyes glows the faint green of the necromancer but the other glows a bright burning blue, unlike the other undead he has fully regained the ability to speak. He tells them to go kill the necromancer. He tells them that they have but two minutes to defeat him and the warband rushes up the stairs to fight the Necromancer. By the strength of the party, the transformed werewolves of the Knights of Lupis, and the tenacity of Kir they almost defeated the Necromancer when suddenly the door to the final room is hit with such force it flies across the room breaking against the far wall. Killing the necromancer had taken two minutes and three seconds and The Admiral Fox Yularen had come to see it done. He tells them all to leave and take nothing with them that came from the cemetery. Rather than relent the bounty of the crypt they fight him. Many knights are lost in the fight and even as more arrive they are almost no match for the Admiral, but he is eventually brought down with not a sole present being unscathed. A voice emanates from the Admiral as he gets up both eyes now the bright brilliant blue and in the heads of all present a voice is heard telling him to leave the Admirals Sword or face divine punishment the Admiral's body walks to his tomb and lies down to return to his final rest. Unknown to the party the sword of Neutrality weapon of Kord was placed and buried with the Admiral for safekeeping. The party takes all the gold of the cemetery and its treasures, Ink even taking the signet and wedding rings off the Admiral...But they abide the voice, leaving behind the weapon and the Admiral to be resealed.
With the victory at the crypt and the death of the necromancer many of the remaining undead fall to the ground lifeless, those that do not are quickly dispatched without the support or direction of their master. The war party fully congregates and of the remaining 42 warriors only around half remain with seven surviving Knights of the Beast and seven surviving Knights of Lupis. The party agrees with the Knights to pay a partial share of the bounty to the families of each of the fallen knights. Even with the partial shares given out the remaining Knights and party members all make significant profits from the split gold with what gathered being over 600,000 gold. The party deliberates with the knights, and it is decided the war party will travel in its entirety to Aldurakh. Once the remaining beasts are made ready for travel, they all take the forest path to the city staying clear of the lake and the potential to be beset upon by Litch King retaliation. This does however put them in danger of crossing paths with the rogue dragon stalking the region that also seems to avoid the lake.
As the party travels, they discover that gold is missing from some of their bags. Ink is the first to discover this and decides to be extremely vigilant and try to reason out on his own who is taking the gold. Once it is discovered it is happening to others, they party investigates and finds that there are cursed gold eating coins within each of their portions of loot this explains why the vault of gold within the Crypt was so large with the gold only having taken up a small portion of its mostly empty depths implying the coins may have consumed millions of golds over the time since the Admirals death. Aisu keeps several of the coins placing them inside a jar where they feed on each other and there is a bit of a bloodbath resulting in a golden ichor filling the jar around the remaining 6. Ink keeps one as well experimenting with it feeding it Platinum until by some means it upgrades itself into platinum. It additionally demonstrates some level of sentience acting as if domesticated and loyal never traveling far from Ink without somehow reappearing in his pocket. Aisu noticing the potential of experimentation throws the jar with the 6 coins in it at the ground and as the ichor within touches air it becomes dozens of copper coins. The gold coins within then begin to fight until all but one is destroyed. It glows red and then goes at a knight devouring his coin purse and then starts on his armor before Ink traps it within his pendant of beast holding by using his coin as bait. Seeing the vast value of the coin Kir trades an especially powerful dagger for it. The party then continue onward with their journey to the city being spotted from above by a being of unknown power and darkness.
The presence that noticed the party is revealed to be the Duke of Scales an undead Dragon of unknown age and origin enthralled to Dracula and his Vampiric legions. The ancient evil passes overhead with the war party opting to attempt to hide. Their efforts are fruitless and the horror of him manifests before them as he lands. It is decided that to face him would end only in death and they listen to his words. He tells them of how even his master Dracula wishes for the destruction of the Litch king and offers the party some level of Aid in the task of killing him. Finding little choice in the matter the party accepts and Velkara takes from the Duke a great tooth to be forged into a weapon. The Duke then leaves them stating that the next time their paths might cross he will kill them all, but for now they remain alive to dispose of the Litch.
The party is soon after jumped by a kill squad sent out to avenge the last Death Paladin. It consisted of two death paladins and five weaker assassins, but the party and the knights make extremely short work of them having long outpaced the strength they were known to have in previous reports and also being reinforced by the two squads of knights. After the botched assassination fails the party loots the bodies of those killed and then make it to the city without further events.
Upon arrival to the city, they separate from the knights and before they can enter the city, they are detained for questioning by the Order of Knowledge who arrest Kir for crimes before beginning their questioning. A caster of presumed incredible power sits before the party and questions them on matters involving the region and their actions within it. They ask why the followers of Floki are all coming to this region? Was there truly divine intervention at the battle of Ekkidon? Are the gophers of hillfort invoking a meeting of elders? What information can be given on the "Fallen Dragon"? Is there an active presence of vampires around? What information can be given on the Litch King? Was Yularen totally sealed back within his crypt? Are any among the party casters? After providing honest answers to all the questions the questioner acknowledges Aisu as the leader of the party and tasks them with having one year to kill the Litch King and then report to the Fourth Island, unknown to the party that is because this individual is the Archmagi of the Fourth. The party then show him "The Coin" to which he runs a series of tests requiring all metal to be removed from the room, which ends up forcing Ink to be sent away conveniently to the mages workshop. The workshop is full of scholars and lesser mages who engage in a series of trades for some of Inks magic items in exchange for others.
Finally, the party ask what will be required to get Kir returned to the party. The mage with a sigh offers to help fix the affairs of Kir since they will be hunting the Litch King and having Kir will greatly help with that task. For a series of 14 unknown crimes in various lands various debts, fines and agreements are made. Kir is made to apologies to six unknown individuals then be bound by magical oath to never again set foot in those six lands. A composite 12,000 gold is paid to many lands for his crimes by both him and some by the party. At some point in the next decade, he must provide an offspring for House Thull as well as Kill a Tarrask on the great mountain or arrange for capable forces to do so for two very specific crimes. In exchange for forgiveness of the destruction of some heirloom he hands over some pouch of unknown contents. Lastly, he is wanted for execution without quarter by some unknown king that the mage kills in exchange for "The Coin" after a very short deliberation of cost benefit analysis.
The mages give the party several magical masks of water breathing in order to aid in their journey to destroy the Litch King. Velkara decides after being released by the mages that it is time to settle the issues with the blood bracers. As she begins to traverse the city it is made clear that the blood bracers and others are watching her with hardly controlled rage. She is told simply that she is under protection by guild laws as long as she goes straight to the guildhall to resolve her own issues. Should she talk one step outside that path she would be doomed. Via Kir and others helping her out she makes it to the city square with people refusing to give her directions or help. It is while in the city square that a Beast Master by the name Vinchenso points her in the right direction not wishing for bloodshed in the city. She goes inside and meets with the Guild Master who absolves her of the bounty and rectifies all incorrect reports. He does warn her that word of the bounty's dispersal will take time and that the Abyssal Bane is still after her.
With the blood bracers no longer an issue Ink takes the party to the beast shop and buys a saddle for his dire wolf complete with a large bag of holding as well as mithril tooth covers. They then purchase several magical items from another shop with Kir getting a Robe of Stars by outbidding all others. Ink then goes to the Monastery of the Knights of the Beast. It is here that he is spotted funding by other people with a deal to Kir promising one favor without question to him. Ink then pays the necessary dues to join with the order as a knight with his dire wolf, Bob, as his beast. On the way out of the Monastery the party convinces Vinchenso to travel with them to help in dealing with the lieutenant. As they travel out of the city, they are joined by a white stallion with a strange contraption on its back. With each step closer to the city gates more and more rats adorned in roman armor enter the contraption until it is clear to all that it is likely much larger on the inside.
The party travels west for two days before they are ambushed by a small force sent by the Litch king. The large force is devastated quickly by the sheer might of Aisu's use of a magical staff great plumes of fire and gauntlets of electricity tearing through their ranks. As the forces of the Litch King clash against the party Kir goes missing and as the party devastates the ranks of the Litches army Kir screams for help. It is revealed that the party was being ambushed by three death paladins and Kir was going to attempt to fight them alone. He was unable to do so and called for aid and then the party splits soon defeating both the Litch Kings forces and the Abyssal Bane. They then take a long rest and Ink wakes before all else planting a magic bean to draw forth the Pyramid of the Mummy Lord Malashalvee.
They party is woken up to the ground shaking as a Pyramid from some foreign land juts up from the ground picking up the slain remains from the ambush of the night before. The party is in undeniably in unison that they are going to deal with the Pyramid immediately but Vinchenso, Shadoth, and Bernile wait outside stating that anyone around the lake could be drawn in by the sudden appearance and that some of them should stay outside to guard the approach. The party heads inside with Ink going invisible to scout as the rest of them go straight for the main chamber. Ink is trapped for a short time in an offshoot tunnel to the side by two particularly strong mummies. The rest of the party is seen to very quickly be nearly overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies swarming to the central chamber. Eventually Ink fights his way out rejoining the others and the mummies are defeated with a sudden shudder of the Pyramid much of it is opened up further. A dull glow comes from the roof where a great sarcophagus is seen glowing but unopened. The party decides to take a short rest to recover for a bit while ink scouts out and clears the right half of the bottom floor of the pyramid. Velkara having prayed and received answer from Kharl knows of one artifact within that must be claimed in addition she must find and free the imprisoned priests.
As the party sets out to explore further, they search the caves off to the left half finding the lost priests lead by Darreem that were sealed and held captive within the Pyramid. Kir goes off to the right in order to verify it has been cleared. Ink goes deeper finding that in the back of the pyramid there is a recently upkept area and while stealthing around discovers a throne with a warrior upon it. It is discovered as he is sighted by an assassin that they are a contingent of Abyssal bane from the eastern continent. Ink skirmishes with one of them then the party is fully brought back together and decide that Kir should attempt to speak with them and resolve all current issues. The Bird Priests thank the party for the rescue in the meantime and ask for weapons so they might fully offer aid. The party negotiates with those of the bane and decide that Velkara must be sacrificed for peace to be reached. After that the Death Prince, Al-Fakwaad, leader of the Abyssal Bane will help the party kill the Mummy Lord and let them keep all the treasures keeping for himself the Pyramid and will then rule the guild of the Abyssal Bane for the region due to his high ranking. Al-Fakwaad decapitates Velkara not knowing she had taken a magical potion to negate just that ahead of time. The rest of the Pyramid is cleared out quickly and the party, the priests, and the assassins meet in the central chamber for the final assault. As they do so Kir uses some unknown magic destroying one of Velkaras eyes it teleports to her hand for temporary use so she can sneak into the Abyssal Bane portion of the building to secure the object shown by Kharl.
With the last of the enemies known to be within the Pyramid defeated the Mummy coffin glows brighter than ever and then opens with the Large and imposing Mummy Lord Malashalvee falling to the ground to enter combat. Early in the combat, he pulls other Mummies from hidden and sealed parts of the Pyramid to the central chamber to fight to protect his home. The party and their new allies begin to do battle against the Lord and its clear early on while the mummies have an initial numerical advantage it will only be a matter of time before they are brought down. The mummy hearing the war cry of the Bird Priests engages them first distracted from the party. Not long into the fight Kir disappears to go steal the mummy's heart from where it is hidden, not trusting him the Death Prince follows. Kir reaches the Heart of the Mummy first and takes it. Ink sends a final arrow into the mummies before running to aid Kir with a potential fight with the prince. The party continues to fight against the mummies as many of the bird priests are brought down and some killed. Ink spots a group of rats carrying out a pot as he soon runs into Kir fighting for his life against the prince. With Ink joining the fight they bring him down signaling the party to kill his men along with the mummy. The party wipes them all out and in his final moments, the prince stops fighting them and sends his family sword back to his loved ones signaling his death and defeat by the blade of Ink. The Abyssal Bane and its leader the Emperor of Death, God of War, Bane, hear the signal and vow to destroy the party as they begin to send assets to join with Allobaster. The party breakdown the assets of the Pyramid and decides to keep it as a base with further discussion being had later. The remaining five priests are invited by Velkara to travel to the Beach of Golden Emergence and build a church to their god.
As the party heads inside Bernile, Vinchenso, and Shadoth all discuss where best to defend. Bernile argues to wait at the bottom more hidden and secured by the imposing mass of the Pyramid while Vinchenso points out they should climb half up the Pyramid and use it as a vantage point. Shadoth agrees and they begin to climb, as they do so Vinchenso sends the rats not scouting the Pyramid out into the forest to do much the same. Not long after they reach a proper vantage point Vinchenso relays that there is a group of students approaching from the main road and they seem to be escorted by solders. As the students approach the Pyramid, they break up into groups one main guy standing before the pyramid, noticing them he casts forth a fireball. Assuming he is the leader and noticing the soldiers are from Moonflect Bernile charges to dispatch the man. As Bernile does so the real leader a mage assassin strikes at Shadoth. The battle is drawn out far longer than necessary with the Assassin hitting and running keeping just out of striking reach for some time. As he does so Bernile batters his new buckler of challenge drawing enemies to his position. As Bernile fights Vinchenso does what little he can to aid in the combat firing some oddly constructed crossbow like weapon attached to his arm. The rats fire arrows of weakening and slowing at the enemy slowly tearing them down throughout the fight. Some rats spend the entire time constructing ratlistas. As the assassin finally gets close to death, he makes to escape but is cut down by the rats firing their now constructed weapons. Shadoth proclaims that the other two should take first pick of the available loot and they do so. This solidifies Vinchenso's relationship with the party and his opinion that he wishes to soon join with them.
After checking the Pyramid for any and all things of value they go outside to split up what was discovered. Once outside they find the pile of jars and looted objects that the rats collected during the fight. Once all the actual items are collected it is decided that the gold should be split in a way to include the rats. After some negotiation, it is decided that the rats get 1/5 a share of gold each. This money will be put toward arming and armoring them for the future battles to come. The party decided that they are going to claim ownership of the Pyramid and use it as a secondary home. Kir speaks with Velkara momentarily as they travel and then sends messages arranging for a shop's worth of enchantment gear to be sent to and set up at The Beach of Golden Emergence.
The party then continues their journey around the lake and at some point, Velkara performs a great favor for the rats gaining their trust and a favor for the future. The party travels uneventfully until reaching a spot where the path goes off into the lake. The lake around the path is perfectly clear 160 feet in both directions and the party then has to decide how to proceed in once it is discovered they do not have enough items of water breathing. Aisu casts a spell allowing for it for 24 hours. Vinchenso brings out what seems to be a tiny portable magical waterfall...which he then pours a potion of water breathing into and the rats form a line each one stepping up cupping its paws and taking a drink from it. They then continue into the lake swimming along the path in search of the second lieutenant. After a day and a half of travel, they come upon a cliff where they all tether to Velkara and use the weight of her and her armor to fall quickly down the perfect cliff face to where the path continues. They fall for what would have taken 36 hours to have traveled but it takes them under a day.
They then continue the path until they come upon a mansion that is surrounded by a crystal-clear water and lit by pale blue lights. The party soon discovers that the manor is under a protection system and knock on the door being escorted by the Butler Archibald to a waiting room where they speak to Rennie Regalia Rain Rondald until she brings in her eternal 8-year-old son, Deleche Rondald, the hybrid. A lore check of the house and its masters reveals that they are ancient elf's that for some reason are living separately to their people.... wherever they may have gone this would also mean that the Wife and Husband are far older than the refined processes of Vampire and Daylighter creation and were likely turned into what they are by some other means. The party decides to leave peacefully with some payment of gold and items with Ink having stolen some books he found while sneaking around alone. Kir however teleported in by his own means and it is unknown what he did while skulking around the place alone.
Vinchenso asks to join the party and offers in return to oversee the paperwork to acquire and run the Pyramid. The party accepts and while he goes back to the cities in order to claim the land and property and return the sword Velkara took from the Blood Bracer Captain and some gold to his brother in the city, after removing its blood rock core. Vinchenso also leaves a couple hundred rats under the gaze of the Rat Champion Agustus to watch over the location only traveling back to the city with just over a hundred. Those that stay begin to work on creating traps and defenses soon setting up a rat guard and a multitude of Ralitsa's around the exterior and surrounding forest.
It is decided that the Birds will be accompanied by Bernile back to the Beach of Golden Emergence as the remainder of the party Travels west. Ink allows the rats sent by Vinchenso to ride the direwolf while he jumps on Stienn. After discussing the various routes that could be taken to Hillsfort Velkara decides to lead the party straight there cutting through terrain and obstacles in hopes of making the best possible time. The party following Velkara lacks any stealth at all as a whole. Kir is stealthing so very much he isn't seen for days. Two days of uneventful travel go by before the party emerges from the forest into calm rolling hills with occasional rocky outcroppings. Three days of uneventful travel through this new terrain later the hills become steeper the rocks larger and more frequent with some upon occasion being laced with obsidian. On the sixth day of travel Velkara leads the party right up to a shirtless man with golden shoulder guards and a helm with red tattoos across his chest.
The knight blocking the road identifies the party and introduces himself as a Victory Knight in the service of house Sederae and that the party will meet its end here. The nature of his threat is revealed as foes come out from behind rock outcroppings all around the party. Velkara attempts diplomacy while Ink sneaks around killing from the shadows until the Knight notices. The Victory Knight's tattoos begin to glow red while his helm glows a bright gold, then finally a pair of flaming wings erupt from his back three embers orbiting him. The party begins a fight for their lives with Velkara and Stienn battling the Victory Knight while Aisu rains fire upon the rest killing in droves and Ink fires arrows from atop a rocky outcropping. Stienn is forced down with Velkara and the Knight both seeming on the edge of doing the same when Velkara prays for aid. In support of his trinity alliance with Kharl Maloghurst answers the prayer Ink disappears in a pillar of green light temporarily brought to the throne room of secrets before appearing behind the Knight driving his sword into the man as it consumes the powerful soul of the warrior and destroys the holy artifact of Zornskern that was his helm. The man's soul attempted some resistance which caused his head to be enveloped in shadow then finally imploded in on itself. Ink then fires an arrow of human slaying at the mage assassin ending the bout. It is noted that not once during the fight is Kir seen. The party splits what was taken from the fallen war party setting aside the two swords of the cross and the greater sword of the cross recovered to later give to Bernile. The next two days of travel go quickly and without events.
On the ninth day of travel the party, being a bit more cautious now notices a similar ambush up ahead with men almost identically clad to those of the first ambush This time Kir appears as if having been with the party the whole time. Yet again Velkara first attempts diplomacy, this time however goes far differently with the Knight on the road falling to a kneeling position and announcing to his men the Chaos Squad has arrived. The party informs the Knight that Bernile, the dual wielder, is alive and well causing the war band of house Neven to cheer. They also inform him they have taken on the title of the Inferno Squad. After some discussion, it is decided they will take the swords to Bernile and establish a new regional Monastery for the Knights of Jesus at the Beach of Golden Emergence. The party then decides to split with Ink and Kir going to scout out the Sederae camp and its three defensive towers with a triangle of trenches protecting the camp with a large new looking 6 story wizards tower in the middle, which is equal in size to that of the followers of Floki camped directly above Tarrik having similar defenses but instead of the tower they have a large three-story chalice with unnatural red flames burning within it. Shadoth and Aisu go to speak with Tarrik who has by far the largest camp with five defensive towers and a large blue-hued stone pair of three-story buildings in the center. Stienn and Velkara go to speak with Neven whose camp is second only to Tarrik's with four defensive towers, walls of jutting obsidian where all others have trenches and in the center is a two-story thick obsidian building.
As the rest of the party leaves the Mannor Shadoth stays behind to have a private conversation with the Lord and Lady of the house in hopes of learning more about the runes placed all over his body. He learns the runes are something less ancient than the Lord and Lady and that each of them does something different. He is also informed that there are likely far more and more powerful ones inscribed upon his insides. The Lord offers to tear him apart and tell him what he finds and what it means but warns that it will likely cause his death and them triggering that will likely cause him to awake elsewhere with no memories. He agrees to try it and that is where his memories end as he awakens within the Pyramid twelve hours later with Agustus the Rat Champion sitting on his chest awaiting his conscious return.
Shadoth speaks for a time with the Rat learning there are two other rat champions. He also learns that Vinchenso can only facilitate the creation of up to five, but it is incredibly time-consuming and there are unknown complications the rat refuses to reveal. Shadoth does discover that one could be created if an already advanced rat was given his headband of Intelligence. Agustus discusses that he is not married and doesn't know if he has children and additionally doesn't care. He cares only for his duty to Vinchenso, his people at large, and his stewardship of the Pyramid.
After speaking with the rat and getting frustrated Shadoth prays openly. It is unknown to the party or anyone but him, but something happened, and he is a half-giant no longer, covered in runes no longer, and now has the appearance of an unusually tall elf corrupted by some evil and unpure magic.
Ink and Kir begin to make for the camp of Sederae and as they approach Kir loans Ink a strange knife that binds to two of them in some way he does not explain. They go into the camp and Kir soon informs him that due to the power of the wizard, they will not be able to sneak into the tower but the fine tents of the acolytes around it would be ripe for both items to steal but wizards of the enemy to assassinate. They split up each taking items and life's until they decide they want to do more damage. Kir sends Ink to set fire to the towers of defense while he uses a decanter of holding to coat as much of the encampment as he can with oil. As Ink runs away something logic-defying happens to the camp, a dragon, a young red dragon spits flames onto it killing hundreds and setting the entirety of it ablaze, soon after both the dragon and Ink disappear as the Wizard comes forth to combat the inferno caused. Ink is relocated to the Camp of Tarrik and then makes for the Chalice in the camp of Floki taking Shadoth with him. This leaves Aisu alone to meet with Tarrik.
Ink and Shadoth are welcomed into the encampment of Floki with passersby calling out words like priest and knight after Ink. Two of the apostles that helped Ink in Ekkidon offer their services yet again but Ink having no work tells them to await Rampart's orders, Ink's knife expresses displeasure at the followers of Floki and goes to sleep. They soon arrive at the Chalice at the center of the camp and are met by Knights of Anger who seem to have come from a boat that has come to the region. They are finally seen to Rhampart who inquires as to the events to the East and learns the Litch King lives. He is further told that the camp of Sederae is ablaze and decides that a council to decide how to best attack immediately is needed. Ink volunteers to sneak into Hillsfort to tell the remaining gophers to join the fight and Rhampart agrees showing Shadoth the best place to throw Ink over the wall then going with Shadoth to see Tarrik.
Ink uses stealth and invisibility to get past the wall and the secondary wall all the way to the distillery. Once there Ink uses a glass cutting ring in order to breach a window without sound and infiltrate the distillery proper. Once inside he realizes it extends much farther underground the couple million square foot building having an open floor going deep into the ground. Sneaking far below he finds team after team of Moonflect soldiers mining away at the rock around small almost gold-looking doors. Ink uses a ring of sending to Kir to explain the doors who responds he has no idea how to get through them and to hide and wait a bit. Minutes later Neven contacts Ink via the same means explaining they are dwarven metal and that if Ink can clear away the soldiers, he could likely convince the door to open. Ink also speaks and plans with his knife who comments they have yet to make a contract of service. The knife offers aid in all current matters but demands the shards of the broken helm of victory be given to it from Velkara later. The knife also comments that the door will likely be more of an ass than it is. Ink uses his pipes of haunting and helm of darkness to scare most the soldiers away and the knife kills the ones that remain. The door allows Ink through where he discovers the other half of the distillation process extending much farther deeper with even nicer distillation machines. Lord Cipher meets with Ink immediately where a better map and understanding of Hillsfort is seen. At the bottom are even larger and stronger doors leading to where the exquisite and noble distillation supplies and processes are held and beyond that still behind a pure dwarven metal gate is the fortress of Clan Vinyard and its masterwork objects and practices. Cipher reveals he is holding the children of the Hillsfort humans for their safety deep below, but the adults were taken prisoner. After Ink informs him of the outside events he begins to prepare to fight.
Velkara and Stienn arrive to their meeting first asking the escorting guards about the situation and learning of the size and defenses of each camp around Hillsfort. They attempt to learn the origin of the obsidian defenses around Nevens camp but to no avail. They reach to solid and imposing obsidian building at the center of the Ekkidonian encampment finding the large and ornate golden entry door open with Neven and his knight's debating strategy. He then with more depth than the escort did, explains the situation at hand before a guard soon rushes in delivering a message that the camp of Sederae is ablaze by the work of a red dragon. Neven takes them to the roof to assess the seriousness of the fire and immediately makes the decision that now would be the best time to strike yet and has Velkara and Stienn accompany him to tell Tarrik right away. Before leaving he asks if the party is behind the blaze and takes a moment of reflection and sorrow for the men under Sederae, explaining briefly that he thought many of them were good men that could have been brought back to the right path.
A short journey East Aisu goes to see Tarrik now with a suddenly appeared Kir after Shaddoth broke off to travel into the camp of Floki with Ink. Tarrik greets Aisu and Kir warmly with a hug and words of praise. He offers them finance and supplies to aid in the future endeavor of combatting the Litch King and then gets to the business at hand. Kir informs Tarrik of the Fire and then Tarrik decides the best course of action would be to await the likely enroute Neven and Rhampart. It is on Nevens way there that Tarrik exchanges the words of explanation with Ink. Upon the arrival of the two lords the Inferno Squad is fully present minus Ink, Vinchenso, and Bernile. The party discover that Neven is the current leader of the Knights of Jesus but does not enjoy splitting his duties and thinks Bernile should take over. It is further learned that there are 5 Greater Holy Cross swords all of which were lost to Sederae and must be recovered.
As the forces meet Tarrik and Neven agree that the burning of the camp was a deplorable thing, and that the red dragon will have to be delt with later. The gathered individuals discuss which gates are strongest and where to attack and settle on having Neven take all the knights and the inferno squad and attack the weak eastern gate as flashily as possible. Tarrik will take all other forces and smash a hole in the wall between the southern and western gate. Tarrik uses a powerful broadcast spell to raise the men to task and Neven and company ride out to meet with the other knights at his camp to perform the charge on the gate. Neven creates a portal summoning forth Bernile who after raising his new sword gains a glowing halo, Stienn enlarges himself and is then further enlarged along the way with the plan to crash right through the gate. As they all approach it is easy to tell that the court mage is busy dealing with the ruination befalling the Sederae camp, but a Devil of ominous power comes over the closest hill with great wings, a flaming sword in one hand, and a hellfire sword in the other. Neven Knights Velkara as a knight of Jesus and declares her in charge of the assault. He then draws forth a small pillar of pure gold from his carriage and feeds the Golden Saber. He soon grows 4 pairs of shadowy demon wings and flies off to engage in single combat with the Devil screaming a battle cry at the devil for all to hear "For the Forever Damned!!!". The party reaches the gate and suddenly Steinn passes through without issue. The archers and defenders never even begin to fire, it seems the entirety of the eastern gate was an illusion and after passing through they find the eastern side of hillsfort was destroyed by fire and acid. They advance onward to the interior gate where Aisu destroys the defenders atop by hurling flaming embers down, Velkara heats the metal of the gate, and Stienn rips it apart. It is here that the First General appears putting a key into the sky stating, "I challenge the warriors of note to a fight of equal measure!" The party is then transported to a pocket dimension soon to be discovered to be the mini dungeon of the first general.
The party find themselves in a small room with four doors each door asking a toll to pass through it. After some time, the party open many doors with easily paid costs of material and magic. They avoid a suspicious door asking for an arm and blood and make it to a door asking for fire. Shadoth nearly exhausts his gifted weapon from Maloghurst in striking the door learning its maximum charge limit of 7. The party eventually get through it and finally make it to the most difficult room of all with three ways forward, to pay a life, to pay in bone, or to pay with strength. Through combined efforts of two of Shadoth"s teeth and two of Kirs daggers one of which seemed quite important to him they make it through. Shadoth approaches the next door, the politest yet and it asks for water. Shadoth gives it something else offending the door which bars the path forever, this forces the party to backtrack paying the price of strength forever weaking Aisu. Finally, the party arrives in the final room where the general and men equal to the party in number await to do battle. The party wastes no time dropping a wall of flames on them rushing in ready to leave the accursed dungeon. The party fight fast and bloody may go down and some temporarily killed in the fight but are all recovered by Velkara before a regal man with a golden crown appears asking who has slain the first general. The party quickly discovers it is King Francis Jovial Kiv Allobaster. They harass him without reserve to which he gets angry and tells them they will all burn for he is the Mighty Hero Ithamar the God Slayer. At this moment Velkara feels a disconnect with Kharl almost as if Allobaster had done something to him but soon after the connection to many gods is completely severed including but not limited to Maloghurst, Zornskern, Floki, Jesus, Kharl, and Bane. He then tells them that they live only now as a favor to Kir's father. As Allobaster disappears from view Kir asks, "who is my father?" Kir then disappears telepathically telling Aisu that Zornskern has made allies and attacked the Triumvirate. Lastly, he states that Floki is gone.
As the forces outside close in on the inner gates and fight to free Hillsfort its Lord, Lord Cipher, hatches a plan with Ink to quickly free the distillery. They charge from the dwarven metal doors behind walls of keg golems spraying forth their contents. Ink flies around on a flying chariot gifted to him by the gophers blasting fire bolts to ignite flames on the Moonflect warriors. The gophers hurl thorn bolts and are quick to overwhelm the unwelcome forces now that they are split between defending from both within and without. To the horror of the now general-less warriors, there are far more gophers than ever estimated and now they are ready for war. Lord Cipher orders to give no quarter and to kill them all as Ink drops fireballs into the thickest concentration of remaining warriors. Tarrik is struck several times by lightning but continues to draw in soon fighting alongside the gophers to fully purge the enemy.
Ink then flies out to Neven letting him know to expect the help. Neven informs him that the devil is a transformed human, not a devil. Ink then fires an arrow of human slaying for critical damage giving Neven the upper hand in a previously even fight. Ink then draws his knife and fights off some of the nearby lesser devils to further aid Neven and soon the Devil runs away screaming out "You will never beat Ithamar" after being dropped to what should have been its death instantly somewhat recovering. Soon after Neven's cross shatters and tears of blood fall from his face. Neven informs Ink he has lost any feeling of Jesus, and the Knife tells him the same of Maloghurst, Neven further questions Ink's ownership of the Champion of Secrets Blade. To get answers Neven takes them to Targoth where they speak with the high priest Fulrik. Maloghurst freezes time inhabiting Fulrik's body and has a short conversation with Ink before he is sealed away with others. He does give the final warning not to trust Glenembra. Ink and Neven make a pact of trust based on the secret conversation with Maloghurst and Neven begins to seek out an item for Ink. He further gifts Ink 2 scrolls of teleport that can only be used by a full caster before returning them to Hillsfort and the party.
The party investigates the room and corpses within it for an extended period of time with Stienn picking up a necklace from the General and then four of the five other men's smaller matching necklaces. Once they are identified it is noticed that they are soul binding Lifes emergency necklaces that are destroyed if someone with a stronger one touches them. Shadoth takes the Generals greater sword of victory which Velkara identifies to be made of Mythral. The General's white oak crossbow is taken by Bernile who attaches his religious marker making it a cross-bow. Velkara takes the lord's copper from the General's helm and then gives the helm to Shadoth. Lastly, the party takes all the weapons and gear off the slain and exits the final door to find themselves standing atop the wall they originally saw the general on. They take the stairs down retrieve their horses and trot further into Hillsfort in search of how things are going.
As the party travels through the torched and acid-burned roads getting closer to the distillery they see a green portal open off in the distance. Dozens of knights of the beast led by a woman with two Trex's screaming "For the gophers" begin to attack the seemingly already scattered Moonflect soldiers. The party decides to seek Tarrik as they see lightning occasionally striking where his forces are presumed to be. Bernile does not accompany them and instead brandishes both his swords righting straight for the largest group of enemy grunts he sees. They speak to a gopher on the way who tells them an order was given to give no quarter. They spot another gopher stabbing a man trying to crawl away and surrender to death with a small cleaver. They witness across the battle groups of Gophers behind the walls of Keg Golumns decimating what remains of the enemy. They eventually come upon the main enemy force which is attempting to escape west but Tarrik is holding them at bay with the hammer occasionally using its magic to deflect direct lightning strikes from hitting him. They decided their help would be more useful in making sure Neven had defeated the Devil. Aisu flies ahead and catches the end of the fight and Neven disappearing. They then decide to meet up with the lords following the victory and after mopping up the remnants meet with them.
It the meeting, they start by questioning if anyone knows where the missing gods have gone. Tarrik replies after making sure a door is replicable then smites the door commenting that his god must be completely fine. Lady Koriel Zeth of Aldurukh questions where the red hero has gone. She then reveals that the two gods of the lake are totally unaffected by recent events as well. After stunning the party by referring to Kir as a hero, she states that he holds the same rank in the Omens of Glory that she does. It is reasoned out that the Wizards are responsible for sealing meddling gods away and that they likely took Kir to force him to clear some of his debts. Lady Zeth asks several times who will lead in the fight Against Allobaster further stating that her sister city to the south is like to side with him on his promise to kill the Litch King. Velkara puts forth Lord Neven who nods, Tarrik seems disappointed but does not interject. It is brought up that Targoth is a larger city than Ekkidon but then Neven points out that the area under Ekkidon is far more populated as its villages are much larger on average and there are more. Additionally, he brings up the other major settlements under Ekkidon, Unicorn Castle, The Fortress of the Pheonix and Blackscar keep on the coast. Lady Zeth then agrees to support the claim if Neven's son marries her daughter Elizabeth. Tarrik agrees to do so as well if his brother is named lord of Blackscar provided he clears it of Sederae loyalists. Lastly, Lord Cipher agrees that Hillsfort does not have to pay taxes for four generations. Neven agrees to all terms with the condition that the gophers must provide 200 keg golems for the army per generation. The party is loaned the Jewel Sword of Hillsfort until the Litch is slain and Neven names them his champions.
The party decides to travel to the Beach of Golden Emergence and then return quickly for the Litch King. As they travel south, they hear a voice come from all directions claiming that Shadoth has betrayed his former lord, and his crimes will be paid for with life. Various pasta-based creatures set upon the party the voice continuing to add to the threats stating that maranara will be their undoing. During the fight, Velkara discovers her magic powered by Kharl is totally ineffective now but a voice in her head identifying as "The Platinum" offers her some aid. Stienn at one point picks up a hippopastamus throwing it at another of its kind. Shaddoth makes use of the cursed Greater Sword of Victory once during the fight. Ink rather than fighting the monsters seeks out its actual assassin only to discover that they are inside the most horrible creature. Ink then finally makes a contract with Azeriphale who requires 2,000 gold and a sacrifice of another god knight or priest every month as well as a rival's religious artifact every other month. Azeraphiel takes the boss as this month's tribute. As the fight is won Kir falls from a portal into a pile of pasta. Kir informs them that he was taken by the Wizards to fulfill his debt of procreation. He additionally confirms that the gods were sealed away by the wizards of which he killed eight in his own struggle.
As the party continues to travel south Velkara takes a moment of reflection to pray seeking out the entity that aided her in the fight for answers. To her surprise, the being not only answered but conversed with her at length. The being questions her creation and trust of the duke of scales tooth and tells her to right her path. Soon after the being pauses time for all but them and while it is not known what happens in this short span of time very suddenly when it resumes the tooth weapon....is gone. In its place is a newfound conviction for good and a trust in what could be the most powerful divine being yet seen.
The party rides south arriving at the Beach of Golden Emergence without further incident. The Beach is found to house the strength of ten cultists of Floki, ten knights of Jesus accompanied by twenty apostle soldiers, thirty converted moonshine gophers of Floki, thirty ale gophers of Kord, the five bird priests of Horus, and the keg golems. Velkara goes to the Birds discovering they had arrived two days prior and wish to roost upon the highest spire of the area to make their church. Ink is immediately approached by the cultists who inform him of the conversion of the gophers and creation of a shrine on the highest spire as well as a sacrificial chamber built somewhere secret. Ink convinces them to side with and convert to the church of Maloghurst to the great appreciation of the Knife which offers to go seek out its true master in order to properly convert them as well as the gophers. Stien goes to see the new ale making gophers and finds them to be in one of two fortresses at the base of the cliffs opposite the sea. They are gathering processed and stained wood in order to set up their brewing processes. They inform him that they will soon begin to process and create gopher slosh in addition to ale but that will be after a proper distillery is created. Stienn instructs them to create the distillery near the cave of the other gophers in order to better position the land. The gophers state that if a shrine to Kord could be made at the absolute apex that upon its creation they would send a delegation to the Great Mountain and that some Lightening gophers would likely relocate. Shaddoth, Aisu, and Bernile speak with a group of gophers to discover where everyone on the beach is at and also note they are processing lumber for use. The trio go to the other temporary fortress to speak to the Knights of Jesus. They find the fort neat and sparse the Knights ready to leave at a moment's notice unlike the gophers. They discuss that they wish to create their fortress monistarty near the top but not on the highest spire. They do insist that a tower of defense be created there instead. While the party goes to speak with the differing groups Kir goes to the ship in order to ready for a meeting at sea with one of his sisters. Aisu soon goes to check on Kir and finds a small shivering crab on the sand offering it warmth, a kindness not soon forgotten. After a short conversation Aisu learns Kir's sister merchant is coming and gets Kir to broadcast to the party so they might come. The party wrap up their respective conversations and begin to congregate at the ship by Kirs ten-minute deadline. They all gather and Shaddoth brings the leader of the Ale gophers carrying him so that he might make it, as they approach the beach, he spots the leader of the moonshine gophers and picks him up as well.
The party depart on the ship and are soon met by a larger merchant ship that welcomes them. The quartermaster of the ship expresses some surprise at there being more than just Kir abord but gladly does business with the party. To his surprise they buy up nearly his entire hold including but not limited to 6 tons of food, hundreds of ingots of metals, hundreds of large masonry stone, many magical items, some other supplies, and most notably the gophers purchase a five-foot tall three-foot-wide trunk of white oak. The gophers argue and point at each other as to who will keep the oak and it is decided that they will share the product to be used in the creation of weapons. Shaddoth puts forth the food, blankets, and produce for the good of the Beach of Golden Emergence. Some of them then sell goods to the merchants who intend to now stop at Targoth to refill their holds. Velkara speaks to a dwarf revealed to have been hired to apprise any metals that might be purchased on the journey. After discussing their origin point being from where the dwarves are more populace it is discovered he is from a place quite close to Velkaras own home. He agrees to pass a message requesting aid back to some of the dwarven lords. Velkara requests aid to fight in the name of Kord and to help with the furtherment of the church from her former mentor, the dwarf offers to speak to the lord of his hold as well much to Velkaras thanks. Ink then gifts a collection of weaponry to the gophers in order to arm them. Ink then gifts dire bats to the groups of the Beach in order to better facilitate communication. The leaders of each group then come to the apex tower to decide the allocation of property.
The party are met by Dorian the leader of the Ale gopher faction, Enzo the leader of the moonshine faction, the Priest Ardal now of Maloghurst, and Bernile's Second Vincent. It is decided that the gophers will work together and after the construction of the distillery will create proper housing. They set up a bar of Hillsfort in the meantime. The group relents the high point to be used for a fortress tower of Kord. The fortress monastery will be built on the path leading to the tower at the second highest point. The bird priests will build their church into the base of the high spire with roosting space hollowed out halfway up it. Lastly the cultists relent to dismantle their shrine. Shaddoth then sends a gift with a rat atop a dire bat to deliver to the rat champion Agustus. Ink decides to take three of the cultists to become knights of the beast squires. Lastly, he drops the devil bodies off as well as the scroll of demon summoning with the cultists. As the party disperses, they begin to spend two days in order to help the various factions begin their tasks. Two enchanters sent by Kir to instruct Velkara arrive and decide to set up a space for her to later use. On the last night the Gophers decide to host a celebration, but Stienn informs them of his intent to travel up to the newly started tower to pray. The thirty gophers of Kord decide to accompany him treating it as a miniature pilgrimage. As an act of good faith, the moonshine gophers offer their keg golems for the journey. As they congregation travels up to the highest spire they are joined by more individuals and a storm moves in. As they get to the site that will one day be the monastery the storm reaches hurricane levels. Velkara gives to Stienn the talisman of Kord, and he finally reaches the apex to pray. As he prays, he is struck by lightning, this drives him to the ground unconscious the artifact turning red, he is then struck yet again the talisman melting covering his arms. He is picked up by the now chanting gophers who now recognize him as a warrior priest. They then celebrate the turn of events until many falls asleep at the very site. The next day the party leaves, teleporting back to the Pyramid leaving Bernile as Regent of the territory.
As they return to the Pyramid, they are greeted by a small camp of 28 Knights of Lupis. The group displays their arms in a discarded pile and their leader soon comes to the front to speak. He informs them that the knights have left their city in defiance of Allobaster and his rule. They wish to house themselves with the party and join them in the true fight against the Litch King. Vinchenso comes out to join them wearing newly created artificer armor. They decide to host the knights and travel to Calliban soon. The knights then reveal to them the location of the next Litch King lieutenant.
Once at the city Steinn goes to the small church of Kord greeting and speaking with those inside before praying very successfully for its prosperity. The priest details ways that churches of Kord are traditionally built allowing for the one at the Beach of Golden Emergence to be far greater in purpose. The advanced method will require iron to be worked into the walls and a basin of sorts to harness the might of Kords storms. Stienn then goes to the armorer to seek out something better to defend himself with. The armorer is Saroosh a Forgemaster of house Maximal. Due to his status with the party, who were recently announced to be champions of the realm by the High Lady of the city, the master sets all else aside and takes Stienn who offers to help to a sealed pocket realm. It is there in seemingly a single hour they craft his new armor. For those within however much more time passed.
Ink and Shaddoth travel to the guild hall of the Knights of the Beast and purchase additional goods in the form of many beasts and animals. Ink has them sent to the pyramid with his new squires to train under Vinchenso. Shadoth then goes to a normal animal merchant in order to further supply the Beach. It is here that he purchases a great deal of livestock and then goes through the process of having them relocated in an expedited manor. Shadoth gets the Knights of the Beast to move the animals to a wizard who agrees to help. The wizard then opens a teleportation circle to Ekkidon where they are herded to the docks by city the church of Maloghurst. At the docks they are all loaded onto the Sea Wolf which was loaned to Shaddoth by Neven as he assumed it was for a great need. The ship is gone from the city for five days, but the animals will arrive at the Beach in an unprecedented amount of time. Shaddoth then purchased a ring for each official member of the Party at the Jewler and has their creation rushed. Lastly, he visits the weaponsmith having copper swords made for the gophers and two Valareen steel swords made for the leaders.
Following behind the rest of the party Velkara visits with and speaks to the Forgemaster Saroosh as well obtaining a dwarven metal shield affixed with the crest of House Maximal for a discounted price. She is additionally told to one day return to the shop for better and finer wears, if coin should be found.
Aisu sends letters to her family in attempts to draw trade to the Beach of Golden Emergence listing the groups accomplishments and sending the inquisitors seal along with the letter. She further outlines the business of the gophers and need to sell the wares in hopes this will be enough to draw her father's eye. Ink speaks with Vinchenso who will be returning to the pyramid. It is inquired as to how much it would cost to procure another rat champion and Vinchenso laughs saying he would do it for half a million gold. Agustus scoffs at the number stating his loyalty could be bought from Vinchenso for half that price...or an equal placement within the inferno squad. Stienn states he would have Agustus prove his strength and worth first. Agustus offers to put Stienn on his back and he agrees that would be a notable feat. In an instant the tendons in his leg are sliced and Agustus stands atop him. A vote is called, and Agustus is made a member of the party by a small margin.
Additionally, before leaving the city Ink goes to see Lady Korial Zeth bringing with him Aisu and Stienn. Ink attempts to gain information on how she got her famed beasts and discovers that she purchased them from an exotic beast dealer traveling on a giant's ship. She offers forces to bolster the force they have rallied, and the group accept one of the three available squads. Then they break from the city and make the necessary two-day travel east to where the Knights of Lupis indicate they need to enter the lake. Aisu uses water breathing three times allowing for the maximum number of them to come into the lake. All but six knights of the beast who stay to guard the beachhead begin the underwater journey. Aisu additionally enlarges Stienn so that he can carry Velkara who would otherwise have had trouble with the thick mud on the lakes bottom. Thus the 180 rats lead by Agustus, 29 knights and an accompanying crocodile, and the party begin the journey.
They all travel uneventfully to the first and second drop-off each time all tying to Velkara who uses her armor and new shield as an anchor to rapidly pull them all down. After the first drop they are met by the remains of a small battle, a dozen soldiers of Moonflect lay about dead and killed by blunt force all items of use already scavenged. The scene after the second drop is far more gruesome with nearly a hundred men lying dead by exceptional force. The party search them finding gold and even taking the wedding bands of the fallen men. The party travel on until close to the third drop and make a final camp preparing for the battle that would come the next day. In the knight camp is broken when Ink calls out seeing a monster, The Kraken, killed some time ago and brought back an undead thrall to the Litch King. Agustus and the rats begin to construct the underwater variant of the Ratlistas and Stienn throws a driftglobe lighting the battlefield. The Kraken draws closer as the Knights form battle lines to combat the threat. Ink fires a dwarven metal arrow pinning one of the beasts' tentacles in place. The first line of knights uses limited magic on the beast discovering Ray of Neurenberg to be most effective. The damage delt is negligent in comparison to Aisu casting the same but much more powerfully. The fight drags on with everyone assaulting the beast, Ink fights into its mouth slicing into its skull and brain to find the brainstem of the undead so that it cannot be resurrected yet again. Once finally discovering it Ink severs it with the Soul Harvester Sword destroying it and consuming its soul forever.
Once all is finished the death toll is then of the Knights with Velkara only being able to return two of them to life all others to dismembered to be brought back. From the corpse of the Kraken, they pull then magic items, fifteen lanterns and forty thousand gold. The knights let the party keep half the items and all gold is decided will be split once back in the safety of dry land. Kir takes the Krakens heart in a jar having Ink carry it in the bag of holding. Ink and Velkara then take twenty large Kraken teeth and a very large mast size bone storing it in the bag as well. Once all is decided the war party drop the third time finding an ancient elven stone path making camp to recover an hour from their objective. Agustus explains the only Lieutenant they know of being left is a lesser Litch and that will likely be the master of this keep. After a long rest they arrive at the keep discovering many undead guarding the main approach. Agustus, the other rats, and Ink search for other ways of infiltration. Ink finds a side entrance around the back guarded by half the number of undead but seemingly more formattable. Lastly Ink finds a cave system a short distance behind the keep leading to a secret entrance guarded by two Bone claws. They stand before a large stone door bearing the crest of the house of Dayne. The reports also indicate that the keep is made of ancient elven stone but has recently been added to and modified in a much less elegant fashion likely to fortify it post being put underwater for the first time in thousands of years. It is additionally lit by a dull blue glow all around it coming from some unidentified source.
Shaddoth lagging behind the party wraps up his shopping getting all the animals moved to the Beach of Golden Emergence hurries to catch up with the party. He uses sending to get directions and soon makes it to the beach where the Knights of the Beast were left to guard. He speaks with them for a short while and answers their questions. He tells their squad leader Romulus that they should wait on the beach for two weeks unless told otherwise before returning to the city. He then gives them 200 gold to get themselves supplies if needed and makes his way into the lake. When reaching the first drop-off he ties of to some heavy rocks sinking down and soon after finding the small battle remnants and the path taken by the party. Once reaching the second drop-off he is unable to find as many rocks or as large of rocks and takes much longer to fall down the path noticing a cave opening. He swings his anchors into the cave to explore it knowing he has almost caught up with the others and can likely spare the time.
Inside the cave he discovers a robed goblin named Vorheek who offers him the deal to go down either tunnel of the cave. Vorheek claims one goes to a mirror that manages itself and the other leads to the master. Shadoth converses with Vorheek for some time before taking a deal to only go down the path of the mirror if told which path. Vorheek says this is good because all seventeen of those that have gone the path of the master have been killed. Down the right path Shaddoth discovers the Mirror Prison of Maelsafar the Greater Demon. Shaddoth makes a deal with him very excited for the potential for power in exchange for freeing the demon. Shaddoth frees him in exchange for the great secret of Maelsafar and a promise that He will never die by the demons doing. It is only then that Shaddoth realizes his mistake and warns via sending, King Neven. Shaddoth then goes back to Vorheek and chases him into the realm of the Master finding a juvenile Kraken. He attempts to reason with the Kraken, and it is unknown how he escapes. Soon after he completes his journey rejoining with the party to brace for the attack on the keep.
Having returned to the party Ink and Agustus deliver reports on their conjoined scouting efforts. There are discovered to be three entrances, the main entrance guarded by dozens of weaker skeletons and three abnormal ones, a side entrance on the other side of the fort guarded by skeletons wielding some magic, and a secret cave entrance guarded by the boneclaws. They all devise a strategy for the knights of Lupis to assault the front after the completion of some ritual they will cast taking twenty minutes then move on to the top floor, the rats lead by Agustus will assault the side but are unsure how much progress they will make on the middle floor with only rats, and the party will take Kagan and the crocodile to attack the boneclaws and infiltrate the bottom floor. The Knights of Lupis lead by Leon Sartana Lupis preform a mini moon creating ritual allowing them all to transform before beginning their assault. In the meantime, the rats are rushed into position by Agustus and set up their aquatic ratlistas with Agustus himself commanding the assault from a champion ratlista. Before entering the cave Kir tells them all he is too exhausted to go into battle and must remain outside, the party is skeptical of him doing so and attempt to discern if he is telling the truth and it seems as if he is. Once in place a simple turn in the cave from the hidden entrance Ink sends a message to the Knights to begin the assault while Shaddoth sends the same message for the rats to begin. The rats fire their first volley and the werewolf's charge as the party engages the threat within the cave having made more than enough noise for the boneclaws to be aware of their approach allowing one of them the opportunity to hide. The boneclaws do not last long against the party with Aisu and Velkara dealing devastating damage by the use of Ray of Neurenberg. As the fight progresses Ink stops Kagan from running into the threads spread throughout the half of the room closest to the door. As the boneclaws are defeated they wither away leaving nothing behind. Ink then crosses the room discovering the threads do nothing and fixes the incorrect sigil of House Dayne on the door causing it to fall into a grove in the ground opening before the party. With the doors within the submerged manor to small for his entry the group decides to leave the crocodile and Kagan to guard the door. To provide them some support Aisu enlarges the reptile making it quite the imposing creature within the confines of the cave.
The party then find themselves in what they think might be the lost fortress of Starfall. They begin to make their way in the fortress manor finding a room full of the magically inclined skeletons at first placing the immovable rod to trap them but then Shaddoth decides not to do so as it may have better use later. As they prepare to breach the room with force, they attacked by more of the skeletons from a door behind them. It matters little and the party rips into the now split skeletons making quite short work of them before moving on to a nice viewing hall. Within this hall they find grand statues of ancient elven stone, marble, granite, and other materials. These statues are figured out to be past heroes and lords of the heroic house of Dayne further convincing some of them that this might be the real Starfall. This first room gets much of the party's attention as they plot to take the eight statues with them but soon reason out that there would be no way at this time to move the on average ten foot tall several ton statues. As more of the building is cleared, they face more skeletal warriors in smaller less impressive numbers finding a seating room its contents lost to time save what only could have been the arms of chairs made from still unaged white oak. They find in one hallway a larger grander statue with real equipment on it that they then remove and take. Finding the ornate carved doors to the lord's study they remove them from the wall placing them into a bag of holding before searching inside finding all contents deuterated save for a perfectly crisp paper floating where a shelf once stood. Shaddoth takes the paper discovering it is the title to a fortress called Starfall, he pockets the title. As they continue to another section of the basement, they take the equipment from more hero's statues including one adopted dwarven hero of the house. Discovering the main basement chamber, they see over a dozen more statues with four much larger than the rest, guarding this main room are three much larger skeleton warriors. After clearing the enemies from the room, they take the elven iron weapons from the skeletons moving on the rats signal they are soon to begin a second assault on their door and the werewolves inform they have breached the main door and are working to clear the top floor but have been repelled from some main room. The party move on to finish clearing the basement before going up to aid the other groups. They discover another grand viewing room with many suits of armor, more statues, and one statue much larger and grander than any before, the statue of the founder of Starfall, Alaric Kaiser Dayne. As they all enter the room the armor comes to life around them attacking the party. The attack leaves the party only slightly worse off than they were before but the constant battles begin to show their effects on the group. They then take the equipment laid before the statue of Alaric before moving into another side room. Here they find little at all save metals and gems that didn't decay and a large dwarven metal trapdoor. The door refuses to open for any except a member or adopted member of House Dayne. The party begrudgingly decide to return at a later point. They next find a most grandiose set of double doors crafted, smelted, and worked from silver, elven iron, and mithril. The door is sealed via ancient power seal, and they are unable to open it. Velkara reasons if it is something the house would lock away it is likely best left so. Finally, they journey up to the middle floor.
At the top of the stairs, they find another very large elven stone statue with a real to size twenty-foot-long elven iron sword. Stienn takes it down placing it within a bag of holding. On this floor many more of the statues hold the arms and equipment most prized by those the statues depict. The party takes all they are able from these while destroying all remaining undead, they discover as well. They take many riches, metals, jewels and more including a Valarian steel mace, a platinum risk relic, six very large electrum javelins, the Lost Crown of Besitmer, a blood rock triple flail, a pendant of the Raven Queen, and a vase of molten bronze armor. They attempt to take a dwarven metal halberd as well, but it falls to the ground with Stienn able to lift it only for a moment. After gently asking to replace it on the statue and getting no response Velkara is able to replace the halberd. It is only then that they finally meet up with Agustus who had cleared the rest of the floor save the main chamber with the rats. The Knights then come down the main staircase only fourteen remaining with many injured. Velkara does what she can and Aisu volunteers to stay behind with the knights as the rest of the force go to the last main room. In this room is a large absurdly wide staircase leading to a grassy hill unmolested by either the water, time, lack of light, or any other factor. As they rise the staircase, they find a man with a skeleton's skull sitting on each shoulder before the man is a gently smoking crater and from the smoke is a small meteor that looks as if recently fallen giving off magical prismatic light. The man is hefting a sword giving off oppressive damning waves and wearing mithril armor adorned with the livery of house Dayne. He is recognized as Rickon Dayne the hero resurrected by the necromancer at the easter crypt at the beginning of the parties fight against the Litch King. They attempt to speak with the once knight and hero, but his find is far past dominated and enthralled to the Litch King. The red eyed skull on his left shoulder laughs at them as the green eyed one on the right taunts them. Ink approaches the asteroid and the Dayne attempting to reason out the encounter like a puzzle but soon learns this will not be like the last time the Dayne was faced by the party as his eyes turn fully to the dark magic of the Litch King. He lashes out near fatally at Ink who then has to fall back allowing for others like Shaddoth, Stienn and Velkara to dominate the frontline. The party concentrates on the skulls as the Dayne makes battle with the remaining knights of Lupis. The Daynes sword obliterates four of the knights consuming their souls forever before the sword itself is destroyed all necrotic energy fading. Ink destroys the red eyed skull with his own soul eating sword as one of the knights takes the green eyed one out. Dayne is not short to follow them as Velkara nearly bisects his torso with the Jeweled sword of hillsfort using nearly its maximum charges all in one strike of pure radiance. He is purified and regains self-control in his final moments asking them to replace his body within his family crypt, Velkara uses gentle repose to protect his body and vows to do so.
As a final task they return to the trapdoor to make sure all is well. They are further denied entry, but the door reveals to its knowledge that there is one individual descended from the house within the immediate region, but the individual is unaware of this status. With the fortress cleared only eight of the Knights of Lupis remain as well as Kagan of the Knights of the Beast. Twenty knights of Lupis were killed in the journey, and all agree to follow the knightly code and one third of monetary profits are reserved for their families. The remaining eight forfeit their shares only taking the necessary amount to settle their affairs in their city. Agustus takes out a small abacus and begins to figure the profits stating the rats did one fifth the work and should be compensated accordingly. Agustus agrees the rats can sit out of all items and money if they can keep all gemstones recovered from the journey, this equates in the long run to at most ten percent of all loot, so all agree to the terms. Agustus further waves his personal share on the condition Velkara craft for him a number of weapons for his rats. Ink makes a deal with Agustus to let Velkara use a Kraken tooth to forge the weapon and then gives him the molten armor for the rats in exchange for his conversion of the rats in his faction to convert to the church of Maloghurst. The group then prepares to leave the lake. Aisu makes the crocodile large again, Shaddoth produces his new chest and most the war party goes within it and the crocodile brings them to the surface of the lake where Shaddoth can then use his folding boat to move them all to the shore. Upon meeting up with the Knights of the Beast on the shore they also forfeit the majority of their shares since they did not go on the epic journey as the rest did taking only half shares and two Kraken teeth. They do reveal that while on the beach they fought several minor battles and purchased eighteen chickens for Shaddoth. Kagan specifically takes a full share of the payout saying, "I fought a gods damned Kraken I get a share!" Leon then speaks to Ink and Velkara about if his knights could continue to work with the party and it is decided that the remaining eight will be relocated to the Beach of Golden Emergence where they can stay with their closely aligned Knightly order of Jesus.
One the return to the pyramid they stop at Aldarokh allowing the Knights of the Beast to return home. In the meantime, Shaddoth goes to check on his orders to discover they are all done and collects them. Velkara goes to report to lady Koreal Zeth and detail the excursions success. She learns there is likely a Dayne in the city Montpellier or somewhere on the Great Mountain. Velkara gives her the pendant of the Raven Queen citing it as a gift from the church of Kharl to the Church of the Raven to ensure neutrality. She further learns there is a guildhall for the crafting association in Montpellier and the one in Ekkidon is nearly rebuilt. The knife of the Champion returns to Ink to report success in its mission. Ink then discusses the rats with the knife which seems to be greatly pleased by the development and intends to spend some time around the rats in the coming weeks. Then Ink disappears for some time his goals and actions unknown as of yet. Shaddoth additionally travels about the city selling off much of his portion of the loot from the battle.
The party finally return to the Pyramid and soon after speaking with Vinchenso on any information he has gathered in their absence. He informs them that the final lieutenant of the Litch King is rumored to have left the lake. He then pulls forth a notebook of cobbled scratched papers reading further information from them gathered by the rats. He tells them the Lesser Litch was spotted leaving the lake to the east of Caliban at a village which is known to have just been slaughtered and then resurrected. The next rumor is that a child sighted zombies going into the ocean west of the bulk trade village south of Caliban. It is further mentioned that someone that survived one of the raids heard talk of a preemptive strike. They further ask him for any other reports from the region, so he tells them of other cities. In Glenumbra the raiders continue to harass the city but there is an elderly knight fighting to rally the people of the city that has gained some renown. The knight is theorized to be old Igor. He tells them that Montpelier is expecting a new Everbright Gopher to Lead them at any day now. They then bid him farewell and depart from the pyramid back to Aldarukh with Shaddoth now riding the Rizzard. It is here that they seek the services of Rodric in order to have him bring them back to Ekkidon. He is found creating gallons of magical ink used for painting powerful glyphs.
They give him 5000 gold splitting the cost and he takes them back to the city where it is seen that the recovery is going along still with four churches now standing, the church of Kharl where the dungeons once stood, a church of Maloghurst in the low district, a church of Maloghurst in the middle district, and a church of Maloghurst in the port district. Shaddoth excuses himself from the group going to the head of the guard locations in order to seek out city leadership. It is there he intends to find someone to purchase unused city property from in order to find a location for his dreams of a farming conglomerate. He discovers six available properties three with buildings and three devoid of structure. He withholds for the moment from purchasing any of them seeking to first speak with Neven. In the meantime, Velkara goes to check on the Church of Kharl where she finds many people working on projects such as schematics, designs, artworks, and blueprints. She asks around looking for the main priest learning he is at the docks leading a service of sorts for the fallen Lord Sederae. She goes to seek him out finding most the docks to be in attendance as well as many of the captains of ships able to let them step away. The service is being held by a marble obelisk dedicated to the former lord. The priest is discovered to be a shrill voiced Kenku named Aven that has traveled from the southeast of the continent. He speaks with Velkara on his arrival and his two brothers Ansel and Elias that came with him. Velkara questions if any of them could be spared for the beach and it is decided the brother Elias will travel to the beach once the party can send the ship to transport him. The whole group then meets with Neven on the docks as he was observing the service from a respectable distance as not to disrupt it with the presence with his appearance. The potential acquisition of land is discussed as well as the prospect of the Beach of Golden Emergence becoming an official settlement. Aisu mentions an interest in the Golden Legion and Neven nods telling her to speak no more of it. Once their business is concluded in Ekkidon they discover Roderik is still following them around and he then takes them back to the Beach of Golden Emergence before returning himself home.
Now at the Beach of Golden Emergence yet again the party goes around checking on their various groups and tasks. Shaddoth goes to the moonshine gophers then the ale gophers discussing the swords he had made for them all as well as prodding to see if relations had improved at all. He then decides once all of them are fully settled he will try the wares of to see what the argument is about. Velkara first goes to Bernile discussing knightly orders and the ongoing fight against the Litch King. Shaddoth and Velkara then go to check on the animals after hearing a rumor that the gophers are harboring a devil and that the devil has taken a chicken. It is discovered that a chicken is missing and under threat of violence the gophers bring the devil out. Shaddoth speaks with the devil, and it is decided Vash will keep the sole chicken. Aisu then goes to the beach to greet the approaching ship expecting her brother, as she sees him use a fireball to signal approach, she hears clacking and upon looking down notices the crab she once saved now in an obsidian armor set. Her brother, Kaito arrives on the ship the Boxtail with a crew of twenty including humans, dragonborn, and wood elf's. He brought one enchantment appraiser and three alcoholic quality assurance men as well as a hold with rubies, wheat, corn, and the iron pieces to make a great many barrels. He informs her that the region her family has most prospered in is no longer profitable and they are mostly relocating to the city of Barcelona. Their father has named Aisu the head of the family for this region and sent Kaito to aid in any way she requires.
On her way to check out the ship Velkara notices red eyes watching her in the dark. She comes face to face with the Death Tzar champion of Bane. A twig snaps behind her as Calix makes his presence known just as Bernile arrives as well. Calix tells the two of them to run to the and raise forces to repel an assault and then draws blades of black metal to combat with the other Champion. Shaddoth sees them and broadcasts to the beach that all capable of fighting need to rush to the sands. Bernile then states that the Death Tzar shouldn't be here that he was banished from the region by the Chaos Posse. Shaddoth warns Neven who, because of lack of information, tells them to run. The forces of the Beach of Golden Emergence then begin to quickly arrive. First the Knights and Soldiers of Jesus arrive creating a line of obsidian defenses with magical items. Second to arrive are the Arakokra priests flying down weapons in hand. Vash then arrives with the gophers and golems forming up to repel whatever threat may come from the ocean. Undead begin to assault them in waves from the water and soon after Vash is forced to take the birdmen back to the gopher area to defend against another smaller assault. The lesser Litch exits the water a slight distance up the coast and the knights are left to lead the defense as the party goes to engage him, sending Kir to assist Calix and Ink against the Tzar. During the fight Bernile is plane shifted to hell and the lesser Litch is finally laid low. Death Paladins begin to exit the Ocean and the party is forced back to the line as a Death Prince and a Death King exit the water as well. A ship can be seen speeding forth with steam power to reach the beach in the near distance. The line begins to give as the fight in the wood's rages on the Tzar holding his own against the total onslaught. The devil sends a message to Ink offering a deal from its master. For the soul of the Champion, two will be released from hell. Ink accepts the deal, and a man crawls forth from a hole in reality wearing tattered leathers. The man takes but a second to look around before jumping into the fight firing Ray of Neurenberg into the face of the Tzar. Meanwhile at the beach Bernile is thrown from hell in the same manor joining the fray as well. The approaching ship is seen to be flying the flag of Kharl and is loaded with Dwarves. Unfortunately, the Death King notices them and runs across the water to jump onto the ship fighting them. The Death Prince begins to attack Shaddoth and the fight begins to look less and less like a winning scenario. Shaddoth then gets a message of sending from Tarrik asking if they were still at the beach and if so where is the largest threat that he can see, Shaddoth responds that it is the man killing the Dwarves on the boat. Near the same moment a message of sending reaches the party from Neven that he has arrived. Down the beach coming from the direction of Ekkidon Neven is seen riding a unicorn wearing golden plate. He unsheathes the Golden Saber and strips the Gold from his mount activating its power. He then in one blow flashes past the prince killing him in one blow. Tarrik near the same moment falls from the sky smashing the Death King with his hammer using every single charge all at once breaking the Kings body to atoms. They both come to the same immediate realization, that neither of their targets were the Tzar. They rush to find out where he is then Neven Gallops off and Tarrik jumps from the boat to the Shore in one leap. In the forest as the Tzar begins to weaken for just a moment an arrow appears near Ink, and he fires it the Tzars soul ran through and drug to hell leaving the body nothing but an empty husk. Kir then immediately leaves for unknown reasons before Neven or Tarrik arrive at the scene to both stand dumbstruck at the man just arisen from hell. The many simply comments, "So your both still around" before they take him away in a manor clearly celebratory.
With the fighting done all begins to settle down. Ink goes around the camp distributing loot and treasures from many recent endeavors to certain inhabitants of the Beach and then in a dramatic display for Calix feeds the Tzars sword to Aziraphale. Shaddoth goes to check on his animals yet again finding that all is well. Aisu helps her brother unload and unpack taking a better stock of the contents of his ship before bracing it in place. Velkara goes to speak with the Dwarves as the ship that brought them begins to leave. It is revealed that the ship is not the Dwarves and that they were brought here by an old enemy. They reveal the are the last of the thought to be defunct Goldenspine Line and have been sent to assist Velkara and settle here. Agustus takes the items obtained recently and begins preparations to create the Bronze Krakens. Lastly it is noticed by many that by some miracle the beach seems to have suffered not a single loss in the entire battle with any serious injuries sustained seemingly gone as well.
After the battle the party rests and come morning, it is discovered that all the bodies are gone. Velkara speaks with Bernile for a while asking about his new sword on his back and he says it was acquired in a recent event. Velkara then goes to Ink and is taken deep into the distillery noticing the familiar door that now sits at its entrance. Before seeing Ink, she is stopped by the Gopher Enzo and is asked to explain her business. Enzo soon relents and calls Ink to come out and speak with her. Ink takes her to the secret chambers beneath the distillery and she sees where all the bodies have gone. She also sees the cultists and Vash experimenting on them in various stages of their projects. She does note there are some bodies that are distinctly not human in the corner of the room but at that point is well past wishing to ask questions of Ink, the Devil, or the shocking number of rats in the room. Ink then brings them to a dwarven metal door that answers to the name Fox and states that it will only open for Ink, the moonshine Gophers, Vash, Calix, Kir, Agustus, and Bernile. Velkara decides that she will wait until later when more of the party is present to go further into the depths of Inks operation. Once back together the group decides that they will travel to Montpellier in order to satisfy a multitude of differing goals.
The group gather a general description of the city from the Gopher Dorian who offers to go with them to represent a delegation from his Clan. Aisu then uses the helm of teleportation to travel to the city. At first it fails, and they are taken to a completely different mountain with a similar geography and two churches on the opposing ridgelines. The churches are identified as Trenzalore and Sklarkh but there is no city between them. The second attempt at teleportation leaves the group on the side of an active volcano and they rush to leave immediately. The third attempt they end up on the banks of the great river in the Orc nation where they see an Orc skinning a cow who waves at them before they try yet again to go to the city. This last time they manage to perfectly teleport into the main square of the city. Asiu arrives just in time to catch a lesser noble who was mid trip who expresses gratitude at the action. Bernile leaves the party traveling to the church of Zaratros in order to settle some personal affairs. Roderik then returns Stienn to the rest of the party expressing that he needed to hurry back to his personal duties. The party then splits apart to explore their own personal goals. Ink spends nearly the whole time as far as anyone else knows with the local branch of the Church of Maloghurst. Velkara goes to the Bronze Cog and views the wares of Vardok the Clanless. She then goes to the guildshop and talks to Marogt Stone purchasing some lords copper and selling the Mithril Glaive. She then speaks with the Guildmaster Nicholas Stone, and he expresses worry over the appearance of the Inferno Squad. After she purchases some implosion devices, she moves on going to the main Church of Bahamut located a healthy journey to the edge of the city. Aisu goes to afterlife's Emporium where she gets several potions to bring back to the gophers as well as something for fur softening. Aisu then goes to The Ancient Elf speaking with Ol Sir and obtaining a Masterwork Elven Iron Katana. At the end of the day Stienn goes to the Black Flagon topping off some alcohol fund upon entry. The patrons then divvy out a cask worth of Ice Wine gaining its benefits and partying well into the night. Velkara arrives at the church as it is slowing down for the night and meets the high priest known as "The Canary." She is an ancient golden dragon with a suspicious interest in Kir. Velkara decides to stay the night and continue her discussion with the high Priestess the next day. Stienn guides the drinking crowd of the Flagon into starting a second fund for White Oak Whiskey Sap. It quickly begins to be funded and upon the arrival of Aisu she pays the remainder all that then engage in the party drinking from the purchased barrel obtain immunity to Vampirism for one year. Aisu in the heat of the party never makes it to her room and instead ends up in the room of the barkeep Jade Hawking the black dragonborn. Velkara is told to return midday when all the priests are present for her hammer to be blessed by the church. Stienn upon waking up goes to the fighting pits with Aisu close behind.
As Velkara nears the end of her journey down from the temple she sees fires begin to spread across the city at various churches. Then most noticeable of all the Main Church of Pelor explodes half of it falling in on itself. The large wall of the church of Tiamat that faces the city falls sliding down the ridgeline crushing several buildings. Mysteriously the buildings most devastated were owned by Red Dragonkin. Velkara rushes down to the city to aid where she can attempt to put out fires and help those hurt in the attacks. Aisu reaches out to Ink and Shaddoth who both claim to be guarding and helping the church of Maloghurst. Dorian informs the party he is with Valintine Everbright the leader of the cities gophers and asks for any available information and the party shares what they can of the city's current problems. The guards of the city are immediately seen to be evacuating the citizens into the ice gardens. They do noticeably lack in their forces the usual portion of red dragonkin with rumors circulating their leader Zephrine Verdge has been killed along with her closest knights. Dragons can be seen circling overhead as tension builds in the city. A green dragon swoops down and uses a breath weapon to stop a flame from spreading. A bronze dragon misinterprets the action and attacks the other dragon. This is the first of many similar incidents between metalic and chromatic dragons in the city. Velkara then makes it to the church of Pelor using her smaller frame and nearby gophers to search the rubble for survivors. She then finds the high priest a silver dragonborn, the priest seems to have been killed by many cuts before the building fell. She is then called to help some gophers who have discovered a burning church of Zaratros nearby with people stuck inside. When she arrives, she smashes her hammer into the doors of the church wasting no time. The doors splinter beneath the blow and Velkara gets the church cleared before checking inside to verify. Inside the church she finds the head priest of this church was killed by knife wounds not by the fire that would soon claim the building. The party then receives a message from Kir that he is hurt and needs help. Velkara sends a message to the Canary that kir is hurt and she erupts from the church of Bahamut and moves down to the city at great speed. She is however soon intercepted by the residing Priest of Tiamat a powerful red Dragon known as Verdge. After a brief conversation they break apart and she comes down to find Kir. A message of proclamation falls upon the city as the High Shadow declares an age of gophers and to kill all dragons, very few gophers take up this call. Velkara then gets to Kir and heals him best she can, but all the party denotes to still bleeding bite marks on his neck before he is whisked away by who is revealed to be his mother. Kir does inform them that he fought an armored Vampire that retreated into the church of Vecna. Dorian asks how the party will react to the proclamation and when informed that they are going to deal with the High Shadow. Dorian then gathers a force of his own clan to meet the party at the Shadotomb estate. Before going to the estate Ink warns the Lord Florent of the Vampire by getting his attention with a fireball. Ink then calls for aid from the clan assassinorum and when they arrive Bernile is rushing there from another street accompanied by a small force of clan Storme gophers.
They then plan for Ink and the Assassinorium to attack the upstairs while the rest break through the front door. Ink and the rest go in through a third-floor window finding the nephew of the Lord of the house locked in the library. Shaddoth then using a broadcast ring demanding all those within that do not wish to die will immediately lay down hands on their head and wait to be taken into custody. Ink and his group breach and take the top floor killing all but the nephew and those in the barricaded Lords Chamber. Downstairs Shaddoth kicks the door in, and their forces rush into the building. Shaddoth punts a gopher so hard it dies on impact with the wall. Velkara rushes into the building crushing many with her hammer pulling out the Jeweled Sword of Hillsfort sending the Vinyard Gophers into a vengeful rage. Bernile pulls both his swords slicing through anything that comes near him. The remaining gophers begin to attempt to surrender. Velkara points at some of them taking too long and they are killed immediately by the Vinyards. Velkara then leads all but Shaddoth upstairs to breach the lord's chamber. Even with the barricades on the door it takes but one swing of her hammer to pulverize the door. The battle is short and bloody with only the lord being taken alive. He is carried out by Shaddoth in the dimensional shackles. As they exit the estate the Assassinorum gophers execute all the ones that surrendered and whisk away the nephew with Ink as the other clans arrive to the estate. Their Grace Valintine Everbright arrives with hundreds of members of the other gopher clans in order to take the estate. Upon finding the situation resolved Valintine gives their first royal decree of which there were several parts. Firstly, the estate will be transferred over to the Clan Vinyard as appreciation for their efforts. Secondly Clan Storme gets all that resides within the houses treasure vault. Thirdly Clan Shadowtomb will be stripped of rank and will bear the brunt of to be determined punishments, and Lastly Clan Assassinorum will be named the new Lesser Noble house to replace the Shadowtomb. Then before all present Their Grace Valintine Everbright has Shaddoth, Velkara, and Bernile arrested on suspicion of civil unrest.
The party is chained and for a moment there is a tension as Dorian asks what will happen. Velkara decides to go peacefully and submit to questioning. Bernile draws blades demanding a trial by combat from the dragons but is denied as he is arrested under gopher law. Soon a rather large green dragonborn by the named Felix Verdge arrives to take them alongside several knights. Due to the significance of Velkaras hammer the process is stalled as a proper set of hands are necessary to confiscate the weapon. An individual of both the guard and the church. Soon a silver dragonborn of the city guard arrives to take temporary stewardship of the weapon and relocate it to the church. A green dragon then arrives to fly the three of them to a prison of the dragons several miles from the city. In the meantime, Ink speaks with new High Priest of Maloghurst and Lord of the city Vaast Assassinorum. Vaast offers aid to the Beach of Golden Emergence and Ink accepts. Vaast also offers to remove several of Shaddoth's memories of his time in the city to which Ink also accepts. The questioning comes up inconclusive and while they believe the party is guilty of crimes to Ekkidon that is not the business of the city, and they are found innocent of crimes to this city. They are freed and returned to the city. Upon the return to the city Velkara buys the construct from the Bronze Cog. Shaddoth goes to the estate of Their Grace Valintine Everbright to seek reward for the events that transpired. The resulting conversation is unsatisfactory for all involved and all that is accomplished is that Valintine now intends to make a donation to the church of Kharl.
As the party spends some time at the beach Shaddoth meets with Kir making a plan to venture to Montpellier. Kir decides the hold of the Shortknife is overdue visiting a market and they travel to Targoth so Kir can do some business. Kir sells what little moonshine is available at the moment, a great multitude of weapons he has been creating and stockpiling, several gallons of Kraken Blood and more personally acquired items. In the meantime, Shaddoth goes to the magic shop of Guido and sells much of his unneeded supplies. Then he returns catching Kirs last deal as he hands the blood off to the city Apothecary. Kir then takes them to one of the city bars giving the keeper a small bag of gemstones before being let into the back of the bar. While there Kir takes three mysterious bottles then opens a secret door taking them under the city. Kir and Shaddoth go through a long and complicated system under the city going unnaturally deep before reaching the chambers belonging to the Church of Maloghurst. It is here that he calls in a favor with the high priest to have his cultists preform a ritual to relocate him to the sister church in Montpellier. The priest agrees and once Kir and Shaddoth stand within a glyphic circle the ritual begins and in ten minutes they find themselves in an empty much smaller ritual chamber somewhere else.
Once in the chamber the duo of Shaddoth and Kir see a small sloping upward path lit by green flames. Kir gives Shaddoth a potion to shrink his size and then they begin the climb up taking just over seven hours. Once at the top they find a ritual chamber bustling with gophers of the church who stop almost becoming hostile before Kir gives them a platinum dagger as a tribute to their lord. Kir then goes about his own business as Shaddoth explores the city and what its churches have to offer. He spends a great deal of time with the church of Trenzalor and Maloghurst before setting out to find the city's animal merchant where he buys five chickens, seventeen otters, and two heard dogs. This fills his chest and without a way to transport more ends his shopping for the time.
The party then returns to the beach teleported by Aisu to a location just to the east on the coast, a short refreshing walk for them all. Upon return Velkara goes to speak with Durileack Goldenspine about what the dwarves are going to do moving forward. She learns that back when the dwarves were populace on the continent of greater magic, they were commonly found to follow Trenzalor. They further comment that their line has never been taken much by religious leanings. They do however express interest in Kharl and being the warriors that they are a further interest in the potential for becoming knights in the future. Velkara then knights Durileach and supplies him with a Warhammer of Adamantium, Gold, and Silver as well as a silver shield decorated with marble. As she spends time with the dwarves Shaddoth goes to his animal pens releasing the new chickens and dogs acquired from the recent trip too Montpellier. He then goes to a point on the Targoth side of the beach and sets up an enclosure for his newly acquired otters so that they might enjoy their return to the water and have a home on land. While at the beach Stienn spends the majority of his time working on the creation of the temple to Kord doing his best to speed the process. In his rest periods he checks on the gophers and their wares. Aisu goes around the beach speaking first to Dorian and the Ale gophers offering gifts of the potions of hair growth and suppleness. She then makes plans to expediate their construction efforts as well as transport and sell their wares for them. Following that conversation, she speaks to Enzo having much the same conversation but in place of helping with construction working on the already established stockpile they had built up. She then goes to see her brother explaining the situation with the gophers and a dream to one day open a bar at the Beach of Golden Emergence on top of establishing all the trade. He suggests creating a road altering the route between Targoth and Ekkidon to swing by the beach. She even jokes at hiring a druid to sabotage the current road. She then has him send the Boxtail out to procure a hold full of raw supplies and sell what moonshine is currently available and able to be shipped on the Boxtail. She has her brother wait at the beach for the arrival of a new ship she plans to but with instructions on what to do when it gets there. Agustus then summons Shaddoth for a conversation in private. He gives Shaddoth a hefty sum of platinum in order to precure for him anything that might help further his cause. He insinuated that he wishes for any meeting with the other rat champions to be unfortunate for whatever other rat champions might be seen. He then mentions that he has plans that will soon be put into motion and sends Shaddoth off to go back to his own business. Agustus then has Ink brought to him to ask for a status on the funds given to him and request support for the things he will soon do. Agustus then leaves to begin work on unknown things. Velkara then has the party meet at the door to the Moonshine distillery. As they travel there Aisu and Velkara discuss the potential to sell the wares created by the craftsmen.
Once at the door it is answered by Enzo after a few minutes of waiting. Enzo then stalls those at the door for a few minutes warning Ink of their approach. He asks them for names and titles writing them down until eventually leading them to the false panel. Aisu then shrinks Stienn and Shaddoth to fit through the passages and then to the rooms beneath. The sacrificial chamber is significantly bloodier than when last witnessed. The cultists in the chamber inform the party that Ink can be found within the final chamber behind the Dwarven Metal door. Within the chamber Ink speaks with those freed from a mirror prison learning their names and how they were trapped. Zarkin Ugrismson who was captured by a shadow in the mirror, Synderion Bader who looked into a mirror at a bar becoming trapped, and Tuts who was taken by the assassin. They come to the dwarven metal door knocking as Ink has these conversations GriGri answers the door. He convinces them to wait for a short moment then tells Ink of their arrival. When GriGri returns to tell them to wait five more minutes, they press past him and barge in. For the first time since the fight, they see Starfall having been moved to a pocket plane rooted in the basement of the Beach of Golden Emergence. Around the mansion is a yard of unnatural purple grass. When Velkara enters she is so ferocious that pixies flee the room screaming about the return of the slave master. There are some brief introductions between the newly seen individuals. Zarkin decides to take the offer of becoming a craftsman of the beach leaving with Stienn before much of the conversations are had. Many discussions are had and before all are dispersed Ink reveals a green Dragon Egg magically sealed. After the party departs Ink has the egg hatched. He then discusses with Velkara his contract with the new Kraken of the lake. Vash begins the process of feeding bits of dragon heart to the hatchling. Shadoth and Synderion then go to the animals preparing to make a trip to Ekkidon. Velkara then goes to the dwarves and helps them settle in getting each of them at least a pickaxe. Steinn returns to moving rock and working on the church. Ink spends some time getting caught up with his sister. Soon after Aisu gets Shaddoth, His new squire, Ink, Agustus, and by the use of Shaddoth's box several hundred rats and goes to Ekkidon.
The first stop is to visit the now returned shop of Slaytr Tarth. He places an enchantment on a bow for Ink before talking about what potions he has worked on and has available. Aisu then finds out from Neven where the dockmaster can be found and goes to purchase a ship. After a short discussion she pays him for not only a ship but also a crew to man it with instructions to sail to the Beach of Golden Emergence. The ship is a trade Galley dubbed the Urushinae that should be crewed and at the beach within the fortnight. Shaddoth sells his Soulstone to Slaytr Tarth for quite a hefty sum. In the meantime, the Sharpknife returns to the Beach of Golden Emergence with Elias the new priest of Kharl. Velkara has the ship loaded with the moonshine from the gophers and sent in the direction of Glenumbra with stealthy intent. She hopes to have the party teleport to the ship sometime soon in order to meet back up with Igor. She gives additional instructions to use her cut of any profit to acquire any materials more valuable than gold but not elven iron.
After gathering supplies and making a slight plan Aisu heads back to Montpellier with Ink and Velkara for a short trip and some business. Ink goes immediately to the black market to make some high value transactions unknown to the party at large. While he is gone to the market Aisu returns to the Black Flagon seeking out Jade Hawking. Aisu quickly discovers that the bar has been closed and sold to the Gopher Aurelius Vinyard who will be reopening the bar under the name The Cozy Vine in a few short weeks. After getting a sudden spurt of memories Aisu goes across town to seek out the Gopher Lardonis Hothearth the Disgraced who is shunned by his clan for his having left the mountain in his youth to follow his dream of living on the seas. Upon arriving at his home Aisu discovers a small ship nested on the roof of the building and the front door open. Where most homes would have a living room it seems Lardonis has an almost bar like area with many tables arranged for gophers as well as many others for normal sized beings. Aisu is greeted by the Gopher himself who sports both an eyepatch and a pegleg. The walls of the room are decorated in blueprints of ships from all across the world. Aisu asks questions about the Chiss and the Merfolk. She learns that the Chiss are a rigid military people and no joy to be around, but the Merfolk are open to trade and can be quite fantastic if properly greeted and introduced to. Lardonis agrees to guide a ship to them for Aisu in the future for free so that he can have one last journey. Lardonis then tells Aisu that he only lives in the city because he wants to be with his people. Aisu tells him about the beach and that there are a great many gophers that have settled there. He then comments that the only gopher settlements that he knew of outside the mountain are Hillsfort and the lost settlement of the Acid Clan. He seems quite excited to hear about a settlement of gophers so close to the sea and when she tells him the plan to create a dock, he offers to relocate there to oversee things in an unofficial capacity should she find a way to move his ship. Velkara returns to the crafting association again getting details on the available work crews. While on the way to meet up with her Ink stops and buys for Agustus five dire rats and a guinni pig. Upon arrival they group pools the finance to hire the largest work crew known as a mixed bag. They consist of Two elf's, 13 humans, 50 goblins, 50 kobolds, 3 ogres, and a Bugbear Foreman. They are paid and will be relocated to the beach to work for a term of one year in approximately two weeks. Ink then privately hires the high-end crew of 27 dragonborn for a personal project. Ink then speaks with the church and instructs those approaching the beach on business for him to bring raw materials in as much bulk as possible. Velkara then goes to Mountain Magics and sells some magic items and Ink sells off his slaying arrows. While selling items Velkara is given a premium in exchange for splitting a stone for the shopkeeper with her hammer and signing the largest piece. She then uses magic to etch her crafting mark and name into the stone shaping the other half into a small statue of herself. The shopkeeper who considers her a hero is ecstatic and states he will treasure the object for the rest of his life. Aisu then returns the three of them to the beach with their business to the city concluded for the day.
Upon the return of the party Ink is summoned to Agustus to discuss the dire rats. Ink is guided to the same place he last meet with Agustus to find the opening to several dozen rat sized tunnels and a rat throne with Agustus atop it made of small bones. Ink presents the dire rats getting much appreciation from Agustus before then presenting the gunnie pig. Agustus reacts to it very differently expressing extreme disdain for the "lesser rodent". Ink then presents to him a powerful set of poisons in order for the Bronze Krakens to coat their weapons and become even more deadly. The last thing they discuss is that Agustus will soon return the Bronze Krakens to the city he is from in order to start his greater plans. Ink then goes to see Vash and give him what was purchased in Montpellier, but he refuses to use it until he can perform tests and do research on it. Ink then gifts the gunnie pig to the Pixies to be used as a pack animal he also meets the newly elected Pixy leader Talasar. He then instructs GriGri to begin working on something in anticipation for the arrival of his work crew. They then all meet, and Tuts describes the capital of the gnomes in order for Aisu to be able to teleport them there. Aisu plans to take Ink, Velkara, Stienn, Agustus, Tuts, and Shaddoth.
They attempt to teleport with Aisu focusing on the description of the city. It seems to succeed for a moment before some unknown force forces them away from the city making them appear just on the border to the west. They find themselves in the Ogre nation and quickly try to teleport to the gnomes again. They get even closer the second time even seeing gnomes for a brief moment before the force pushes them away again causing them to appear to the East in the territory of bugbears. Ink scouts to investigate a sound they hear a short while after the teleportation, and he discovers a group of religious fanatics with an owlbear. They fight them to the last man killing them all save the owlbear. They discover the owlbears armor was nailed to it and Tuts and Velkara work together to remove it and stabilize it and when it awakens healed and free from its torment it sees Tuts and imprints on her. The group then search the fallen finding much loot and Stienn immediately kills a waterskin of goblin ale. Ink then inquires via sending to Calix where Kir is and when Calix asks Kir himself, he gets the same response. He then guesses that Kir is referring to the magical island known as 7. They then make camp for the night and upon awakening have a short discussion and decide to teleport to the Bridge connecting the Duergar and Gnome nations. They arrive at the bridge and there are guards of each nation at either end of it. Both sides show disdain for Velkara with the Duergar showing open hostility in the drawing of blades. The gnome guards make Velkara give all her weapons to Stienn and have him swear under zone of truth to not give them to her until she has left the city. They then go into the city with Velkara getting dirty looks the entire time. Stienn asks for an enchanter and is told to seek out Ol Man Thunderwaddle. Stienn and Aisu go to the Deep Cup for drinks while the others begin to shop. Velkara Ink and Tuts first go to Wisper's. Ink gets hot tea and a pipe stuffed with herbs to clear the mind. The tender then gives Velkara tea and a heavy cigar to relax the muscles. Not seeking any information Velkara is given a quiet table at the edge of the room. Ink then bribes her to learn the location of the black market and buys herbs and a pack of orange sticks. Ink then goes to Spirits of Your and purchases ten thousand gold worth of wares all recently imported from Hillsfort. Ink then buys several things at the Black Market. Velkara goes to the Parchment Palace and speaks with Ol Man Thunderwaddle who mentions that he will never retire. He also expresses that spell scrolls can be forced into certain materials. He then tells a story of a red kobold that used to visit but usually left tales of screwing half the nobility in his wake. After haggling for him to enchant her hammer Velkara learns that the red kobold was Mael and Kirs father who often traveled with the Golden Light. He also mentions that the "Neurenberg" was a fair fellow when he came around with Mael and the story of his downfall via was quite nasty business. He also comments that he has not left the shop in over 300 years. Ink and Velkara then go to the Garden Center and speak with the slightly unhinged Daylighter Human Viv. The shop is lined with carved White Oak walls and floors of white oak planks. At the back of the store is a spiral staircase of black metal going up to his living quarters. Velkara mentions that she would be interested in having a supply of White Oak brought to the Beach of Golden Emergence at regular intervals and will return with Aisu to discuss just that. Viv comments that if she is to return, she should return with something interesting. Velkara then goes to see Grooble Pebbledrop to have her gemstone appraised. He then offers her insight on the superiority of the Golden Legion lead by the Raddelzaddel family over the Profiteers lead by the Dapplepocket family. He then goes into great detail about the uses and qualities of Dunsfeel and expresses an interest in using the guild to trade obsidian for Dunsfeel in great quantities. They then make a wager on whose region is more dramatic. Velkara wins the wager after learning many things about the gnome region and is paid a premium with the shopkeeper expressing the extra gold is a donation to the troubled region. She learns that the champion of the gnomes is soon to fight to the death with the champion of the Duergar. She also learns that King Ganlion is working to free the captured gods and that it was the Order of Knowledge that trapped them. While Velkara goes to do these things, Ink goes to Tricky Trinkets and sells several things. Shaddoth goes to Whispers and learns that the church of Aethelflaed is militarizing and attempting to bring their god into the material realm. Shaddoth buys a box of giant cigars and some teas to wake up and put down the drinker. Ink buys another Platinum Risk for Kir and lets him know. Ink and Shaddoth then go to see Ol Man Thunderwaddle and spend some time with him. Kir vows to Ink that he will be back at the beach within a week. Ink, Shaddoth, and Tuts then go to see Viv and spend some time conversing with him before going to I Don't Know to have a pleasant meal.
Stienn goes to pick up the scrolls purchased by Velkara and to also meet with Ol Man Thunderwaddle. He also convinces Thunderwaddle to enchant his gemstone while they are in the city. He is also told that the nobles are searching for him and he should go up to the city to see Kelgim Glitterfall first unless he wants to risk his life going down deeper into the city first. He then goes to meet up with Velkara and Aisu to speak with Viv and discuss some things with him. He tells Aisu to seek out a man in Barcelone by the name of Felver who will sell them White Oak for a rate of 700 per unit if he is told the proper code phrase. The entire party then met up so that they could go to see the Fortune Teller all together.
When the party arrives at the shop they find that the door is a curtain of emperors silk and once inside they see a table covered in the same material with a very large perfect sphere made of clear starstone. The shopkeep commands all of them to place a hand on the orb so she can tell three great futures guaranteed by the gods. Stienn refuses and goes to wait outside not trusting in proficies. Demi then asks for someone to fill in his seat and Tuts comes in to sit down. The First Major prophecy is that someone is destined to die irreversibly in the fight against the Litch King. The second prophecy is that one of the party will betray the rest in many futures. The last prophecy is that one of the party will betray themselves before the fall of a great king. During each of the prophecies, each member of the party sees a vision in the Orb. As Demi continued Stienn reentered the shop witnessing the last two.
The party then leaves the shop and in the hall outside Ink is met by the royal guard of the gnomes and summoned to meet with the king of all gnomes. Ink is taken up the city at a rapid speed via closed tunnels reserved for the nobility of the Gnomes. The rest of the party make their way up slower over the course of a couple of days. They make note of passing the Museum of Minerals and the Mines of Raddlezaddle. Ink goes beyond the religion and guild district and sees the mage academy of Ganlion. He finally reaches the Hall of the Mountain Kings which is a mile-long stretch of tunnel full of statues of each and every gnome king made of differing materials each with significance to the King depicted. The gnome king then meets with Ink sitting upon a throne of Adamantium with a crown of the same material both enlayed with precious gems and stones glistening with enchantments. The king then tells Ink his family was killed due to religious persecution under the former king's rule. The King then has the room cleared of all but Ink. He tells him the church of Athleflaed is going to bring avatars of their god to at least 15 cities and it will distract the wizards. He tells Ink that if he can handle the avatar that will be brought to the gnome city then he and his men will free the Gods from the trap of the order of knowledge. He also offers to release Ink's family after the fact as an act of good faith to the church of Maloghurst. The party then arrives at the religious district.
Stienn goes to a guard to get directions being confused by the presence of over a dozen different forms of guards. Stienn is then taken to an artificer shop at the crafting association. Stienn meets with Kelgim who is an ally to the Church of Zaratros and warns Stienn that there are lines being drawn by the gods with some leaving their councils in opposition to the god accords of old. Kelgim then offers Stienn total protection while in the capital. He is then told that whatever decision he comes to at the church of Trenzalore he will be backed by Kelgim and the Church of Zaratros. Velkara goes to the church of Zaratros and learns that the amount of guards for the church of Athleflaed has quintupled in the last six hours. Aisu is then escorted to the Golden Legion and told her family has been granted membership on a trial basis with three backing members. She will be granted full services and privileges entailed by the membership as well as a lifetime ban on working with the Profiteers in any way. She is also told that following her natural lifespan her family will be expected to contribute to the guild in a meaningful way to continue their membership. Stienn then arrives to speak with Dipple at the church of Trenzalor learning many things while there. Mainly Kord intends to back the new god council behind Zaratros and his now-pregnant wife. The church of Trenzalore then expresses the likelihood of a religious crusade.
As Ink is traveling to meet back up with the party he learns that there are illegal goblin fighting pits under the alley of visitors at the bottom of the mountain. Fardon is a gnome in the Alley that can provide people entrance to the pits. Ink sneaks into the church of Athleflaed to scout as the others of the party meet with the remaining churches in seek of aid. Ink finds out the profiteers are with the church and that both groups have relocated secretly to the estate of Dapplepocket to perform the ritual. Many churches pledge to aid the party with the Church of Pelor even bringing a religious artifact known as the Timestone Spear. The church of Gabriel also expresses intense interest in aiding them. Not all churches seem to be on board with aiding them, however.
By the time the allied congregation all arrive at the edge of the district of guilds and churches, they have 120 gnomes ready to stand in defense of the city. Thirty of that number being the entire Golden Legion force of the capital. Lucky has gathered all her knights and priests by wielding the Sword of Time. Before finally setting out Stienn gives a rousing speech setting the gnomes off on the war footing. His words further push the agenda of certain churches unknown to those outside close ranks. The congregation arrives at the edge of the central cavern space that by tunnels and path leads to many noble estates to find a crowd protesting the way to the Dapplepocket estate because of the stench of death and decay wafting from it. The party lead on past them unperturbed with Ink scouting ahead and Stienn leading the force proper. Ink makes it to the main door sneaking up the near one-mile path past all guards then discovering it will take Stienn's strength to breach the door. He then begins to sneak back down killing all in his path and sneakily as possible. The party proper come up with path doing much the same without the stealth. Many of the priests and knights of Athelflaed give of clouds of decay and disease. These clouds are mostly destroyed by Aisu and Ink using fireballs to cleanse the very air. This goes on for some time before they finally meet with Ink the path ahead clear and they make it to the main gate with the Church of Eggon setting up a place for those to weakened and those to be hurt in the battle to heal at. Stienn then with little effort splinters the door to the Dapplepocket estate revealing extremely potent clouds of disease before they are quickly delt with by the priests of Ellia and the warband charges in. Once inside Lucky uses the sword of time to allow her knights the time necessary to find the location of the avatar. Before she is able to engage, she is sidelined by the plague champion of the city and the party is left to engage the avatar as all other forces engage those of the house. The golden legion forces heft heavy repeating crossbows to engage the profiteers. The party is accompanied by Willen of the Church of Ellia Martel. As they get to the bottom of the stairs, they find the avatar communing with itself coordinating its plan across the continent. Aziraphale goes silent once they enter the room returning to its sheath. Kir sends a broadcast to the whole of the Inferno Squad warning that an avatar is also in Montpellier and many other places.
They party finally attack the Avatar soon discovering its immense protections and, on a hunch, Velkara soon discovers that there is something beneath the floor powering the Avatar adding to its shielding. Agustus uses his ring to pause time allowing Velkara the opportunity to break through the floor with her hammer to get to the space containing the thing empowering the avatar. She discovers thousands of plague golems posed and ready to attack the gnome nation in efforts to take it over by force. As Agustus goes into the hole, she made with her he pulls out a portable hole and scampers into it changing rings to a planar shift ring. He advises they leave but stays to see it through when Velkara doesn't take up the offer. Velkara uses divine intervention seeking the aid of Bahamut to help defeat the great evil. A golden dragonborn appears wearing a thick helm and remaining silent as the divine intervention works. As time begins again the toxins of the air temporarily curse Velkara with Canabal Compulsion. As the fight progresses the golden figure uses a breath weapon to cleanse the secret room of its still unactive inhabitants. As the fight progresses the avatars form shifts violently with the only noticeable thing being its increase in size. It seems to be getting stronger as the fight progresses. Ink is then handed an arrow from Aisu that he fires at the avatar. The avatar smugly puts his hand out to catch the arrow, but it goes through striking it center mass. This severs its connection to its divine self as well as trapping that portion of its power in its form. This takes away the form it was building to but also gives all the other forms of itself the warning of the existence of the arrows of God slaying. In the subbasement Velkara summons a minor celestial to kill the remaining slumbering puppets as the party make short work of the now powered down and weakened avatar. Once the party goes up stairs, they see the leader of the Church of Gabriel, Bink, hand the Golden Legion a sack of platinum coins. They then change the ammunition of their crossbows to enchanted rounds and at that moment the churches of Zaratros, Gabriel, Ellia, and the Golden Legion slaughter their allies of the other churches. Nibbles then comes from the room where he and Lucky were fighting the plague champion holding the sword of time covered in blood. He pauses time and somehow several of the Golden Legions follow him and Velkara witnesses them bolt down the entire church of Eggon. They then hear him give the order to his men to return to the religious district and to leave none alive the god war has begun in full. Ink also soon goes downstairs and places the body in his bag of holding. As the party return, they find that the churches of Nerobasta and Trenzalore are fighting and most of the churches are on fine save those allied to Zaratros and his cause that are magically warded. Word soon reaches them that Bahamut has all but obliterated the church of Talon starting by assaulting him in Celestia itself. During the fight the church of Gabriel takes Shaddoth and brings him back to their church where he later awakens. Ink then secretly meets with King Ganlion where they discuss several private matters.
Shaddoth starts still in conversation with the high priest. He speaks of a few things but gaining no new information he soon storms out making the decision not to ever deal with them again. Ink sends a message to Calix asking him to see to his family when they arrive, and Calix accepts after making a quip about not being an errand boy. Shaddoth notices that when he leaves the church the religious district is in shambles with fires raging and some of the churches shrouded in magical barriers seem completely untouched. The churches of Trenzalore, Pelor, Eggon, and Aethelflaed all are in complete ruin with Nerobasta still standing completely on fire. By contrast Zaratros, Gabriel, Kharl, and Ellia's churches are all shrouded in barriers of protection with their priests shielded within and their warriors destroying what remains of any resistance. The guilds seem mostly to be staying out of the matters save the Golden Legion who seem to be on the side of Zaratros and the Profiteers who have been completely wiped out. Velkara goes to the church of Kharl seeking answers finding only that they were ordered to congregate and wait out the storm. Kharl answers her prayers directly once she seeks his aid from the alter. Kharl declares for the new fourth council with no specific ill will for his fellow aligned gods but tells her that Maloghurst stands with him out of spite for the other evil gods. Shaddoth then goes to the seemingly unbothered Bards College and is swindled into purchasing a plethora of merch. Shaddoth then goes in attempting to join with the bard's college but is turned away and told to seek a mercenary guild that would be more well suited to his talents. He then storms out seeking to go to the deep cup in order to learn of any mercenary guild. Ink then enters the guild speaking with the guild master of the city. Ink learns of a location in Aldurakh under a man named Philandril that has a group for the guild. After learning the cost to join the guild Ink quickly leaves again losing interest. Steinn is the only one of the party to actually jump into the fight helping the fight against the remnants of Nerobasta. Ink then sends to Stienn telling him of a fighting pit under the bottom of the city and Stienn then gets ready to go once the fight is winding down with the blessing of Nibbles. The party then travels down as a unified group getting back to the mercantile group with significant ease.
Once the group arrives it is soon discovered that much of the shopping district is closed due to the now full swing god war. Shaddoth finds the deep cup open and full of patrons discussing the events at hand. Shaddoth asks about the mercenary guild and is told to go talk to the Blood Bracers. Shaddoth leaves the bar in mild frustration. Steinn then goes to check in with Thunderwaddle who is open and now wearing a belt of spell scrolls, 4 ioun stones, and an obscenely large ring. Thunderwaddle goes into a rant about past holy wars and a fight he once had in his shop when Viv first moved to the gnome capital. He does reveal that King Ganlion has made a move that resulted in many things but half his king's guard. He also tells Stienn that he saw Maels son in the city. The group then begin to travel down again to get to visitor's alley.
Once in Visitor's alley Ink goes straight to see Torff seeking entry to the fighting pits. Torff once paid off gets up and physically moves his large stone desk aside to reveal a set of descending stairs leading much deeper into the mountain. Ink finds and purchases incredibly poisonous spiders while on the way to the fighting pits. The group makes their way through a slummy merchant district soon arriving in the Fighting Pits of Krenko. They finally make it to the pits after a few hours of traveling. Ink signs up the knife to fight his coin while Stienn and Shaddoth. Ink also signs to have the winner of his fight go on for a second. The announcers of each fight are a group a quadruplets from the bard's college. The fight between the knife and coin is far more entertaining than it was thought to be and after quite some time with the knife knocking the coin into and killing a bystander at one point then the knife shatters and absorbs the coin. The announcer then hypes the crowd up for the Duergar Hamster who forfeits his fight out of fear of the knife. Stienn's fight goes much faster as he is pitted against an Ice Troll. Stienn punches the troll three times before it is able to respond breaking its jaw, leg, then punching into its chest and ripping its heart our eating a bite of it before the crowd that does absolutely ballistic. Krenko begins to watch the fights appearing near Velkara and soon Shaddoth is pitted against a small Dragon. It takes some time, but Shaddoth is able to pummel the dragon to death. Krenko has the dragon revived and allows Stienn another fight pitting him against a dire troll and the fight is much longer each of them beating the hell out of each other in a messy brawl of flesh and blood with Stienn the victor. Krenko then speaks to the party telling them it has been some time since competitors of such caliber visited the city and that they are done fighting for now, however he will bolster his roster and expect their return for some real fun times. The party then go back to Visitors Alley so they can take the official route into Deepstone seeking out the vaults.
Ink finds his family vault and empties its contents then has it reinstated as a vault for the party with all the entailed protections. Velkara opens a 60,000-gold low risk account with 40% insurance and 20% profit to the bank with the agent Lorgar Bronzesong. Stienn opens a 20,000-gold low risk account with 40% insurance and 20% profit to the bank with the agent Tenebris Figgenbottem. Ink opens a 10,000-gold mid risk account with 30% insurance and 15% profit to the bank with the agent Orson Villstock. Shaddoth opens a 10,000-gold high risk account with 20% insurance and 10% profit to the bank with the agent Otis Dapplepocket. They learn there are also very high-risk accounts and red accounts as well. Agustus opens a 90,000-gold red account handled by the lord himself.
The party go back to Visitors Alley finding two storm giants each drinking from a hot barrel of premium coffee. They then go out the main entrance to Visitors Alley discovering the frigid northeast face of the mountain and the path the Giants take when visiting the gnomes. Once outside they are able to teleport back to the Beach of Golden Emergence with complete ease. The party finds out upon arrival that there are currently three ships at the Beach of Golden Emergence; the Boxtail belonging to Aisu's brother is beached and being used as a building, The fist of Kord is pulled up on the beach in a similar manner, and the Warship the Hammer of Targoth is anchored at the edge of the deep water with assassin gophers overseeing the unloading of stone from it. The assassin gophers then seek out Ink giving him a note that details that the high priest has financed a great deal of stone to be delivered. The gophers from the Fist of Kord number 60 and come to Stienn and inform him they await the battle ahead and will be working on the church in the meantime. Jade seems to have traveled with them and grabs Aisu in an embrace. Ink then details the jobs to be done by the work crews. Ink gives them the specialty supplies for the church and tells the mixed-bag crew to assist the other group of gophers. Velkara talks to Priest Ansel and gives him the gold required to put holy runes onto the Forge Golum to make its fire holy. Agustus then speaks to Velkara convincing her to use the materials he gives her to help finish a ratlista designed by Vinchenso to fire a God Slaying Arrow. Agustus then flies away on a newly and suddenly grown pair of dragon wings.
With Inks family all at the beach, he looks for them all finding them on the edge of the sand in a debate on whose house will be built first. The argument seems petty at first but when Ink gets mad it is revealed that Small Fry does have genuine reason as he is debilitatingly allergic to alcohol. Tuts reveals that she procured a ring of fire resistance and has named the Owlbear Timtom. Ink decides that he will hire the crew brought in by Kir to build his family houses starting with Small Fry. Small Fry also tells Ink after learning about the beach that he will live with Bernile in the meantime as it seems like his best option. Ink then goes to have a conversation with Calix stating that finding and revealing the champion of stealth would be a breach of the agreement between the champions. He does say it in such a way that implies he isn't unwilling to do it. Calix additionally informs Ink that while in Glenumbra he needs to seek house Talatherion. He then tells Ink that he needs to leave for two weeks and take Azherophale. Ink decides that now is a good time and only asks that he be told where Calix is going. Calix says that he is going to the city of Hollowstone to call in a favor from Viv. Satisfied with the answer Ink then goes to check on the progress made by Vash. Vash has attached the right arm to himself and is greatly satisfied with the power it offers. When Ink shows him the left leg of the construct Vash is pleased further greatly accepting the offer and even making an agreement with Ink to amend their deal. Ink then goes to see Agustus who still has dragon wings. Ink grills Agustus for the reason he has a god-slaying arrow to find out that he is having something made for the ultimate protection of the beach. He seems ambitious for the potential of taking a champion seat and then proposes a deal to Ink. He proposes Ink kill the Champion of Stealth taking all his stuff, He kills Calix and takes his stuff minus Azherophale, and just to protect each other they kill the Champion of Lies together splitting the stuff with Agustus getting the weapon. Ink also makes notes at a place for animals in the future. Agustus then also tells Ink how to make potions and poisons but notes that it is often better to just buy it from a reliable source. Ink trades him the information that Calix and his knife can communicate over large distances. Agustus then has Ink summon Shaddoth to him. Agustus tells him that it would be appreciated if he would set his chest down and open it and then after a few minutes pick it back up and leave it closed until he arrives in Glenumbra then leave it open somewhere dark and secluded for a few minutes before retrieving it again. In exchange, Agustus will cut him into the plans he is making with Ink. Ink then meets with Kir getting his payment for the things that he procured for him. The party then sleeps at the beach before teleporting to the Shortknife.
When they arrive at the ship, they find that the crew has been depleted to captain Muxus and fourteen other goblins most of which are injured. They come to find out that the ship has been harassed by goblins for days and they were worried this would be their last. To get a handle on the situation at hand Aisu picks Ink up and flies off to get a look at the pirate fleet in their wake. The pirates are led by a massive grey man known as the Rhino. The Rhino has three small ships, one medium ship stolen from chiss designs, and one larger ship stolen from the dwarves to the west. They get a good look at the five ships and would have made some progress at attacking them but once they are fired at by the Rhino and his giant bow Aisu is forced to teleport back to the Shortknife. Aisu is healed at the ship by Velkara as the group begins to make a plan to deal with the approaching threat. Kir then wonders why they can't outpace the other ships given the Shortknife should be much faster. It is then discovered that while the manifest has the ship as empty it is actually fully laden with goods procured for Velkara without a manifest or having paid any taxes. After some consideration and slight investigation, they discover that it is valued at nearly 200,000 gold. Stienns plan is to increase his size and then board one of the other vessels. Ink dives into the water secretly getting under one of the enemy ships carving the wax and sealing its hull from flooding. For several minutes he carves the wax away until the ship begins to sink and rather than letting it do so its captain drops from the fight and goes to repair his ship. The rest of the ships begin to fire Hydra Ballista rounds at the Shortknife. Velkara reinforces the boat with instant fortifications to buy time. Additionally, she gives the five goblin archers hydra arrows and Kir greater hydra arrows. Kir fires volleys at the enemy ship killing much of their basic grunts. As the distance is closed and the Shortknife takes damage Aisu teleports behind the enemies hitting them with fireballs in order to destroy their ballistas. The five goblin archers are killed in the fight and the remainder of the bucket water out of the ship to keep it from sinking. Stienn goes from small ship to small ship sinking them all. Kir releases one of his knives that begins to kill all those on the Chiss-designed ship before boarding it himself and taking it. Ink then makes it onto the main ship drawing out the Soul Reaper and cutting down the remainder of the pirates before finally confronting the Rhino who is on death's door from Aisu's assault. As The Rhino dies, he says they will never beat the King of the Seas Krong as well as self-destructing the ship. Velkara trades a platinum risk to Kir for the new ship dubbing it the Andrak and then decides to set all the things in its hold aside to hire a loyal crew. As the two ships complete the journey to Glenumbra Velkara does what she can to repair the damage done in the fight.
Ink sends a message to Calix offering information and being the man that he is Calix activates an unknown ability to open a full channel of communication between the two. Ink then tells him all about the deal Agustus offered him and to his surprise Calix is unsurprised and offers a counter to the deal involving both Ink and Agustus. Calix also tells Ink more about where he is and what he is doing. He has traveled somewhere called the Vesta Ferris in search of a Vampire known as Tulkien to kill him and take several things from his fortress. Calix offers to break his agreement with the other champions so that Ink and Agustus can replace the two of them and will even secure an alliance between the three of them through a binding ritual that will keep the peace between them. Calix further speaks to Ink saying that he has learned of another threat in the Lake that he offers to deal with in exchange for a book in the litch king's fortress that is full of secrets from the past and is magically sealed, Ink agrees. After having the conversation Ink shares the important details with Shaddoth who is disappointed, and angry, but understanding. Shaddoth expresses distrust in Agustus weary of his ambitions. After two more days of travel on the sea, the group finally made it to the city of Glenumbra. They take the narco sub from under the ship and sneak closer for a better look at the city. They discover the city is split into three parts. The part to the West is still under the control of those the city belongs to, the East is under the influence of Athleflaed, and the center acts currently as a no man's land and or battleground. Once they discover who is controlling what part of the city Ink sends a message to Igor who happily meets the party on the docks relieved for their arrival in this time of need.
Igor tells the party about the five houses that run Glenumbra and how each has stewardship over a region of the west at the moment. Ink and Shaddoth go to the region controlled by House Talothiron distinguished by the slightly offput high elven archetecture. Igor also tells the group that the city has caught a break from both its main threats in a most unexpected way, Krong the King of Pirates has challenged the Avatar to an honor duel...and it was for some reason accepted. He then tells them of the four generals the Blight King, Norb, Curse, and Sir Scourge. Stienn works for the day to help train any of the new city guard recruits that he can while Velkara works to help the three novice forge workers, Kieth, Rob, and Stone. In efforts to help the city Velkara even has half the metal meant for building offloaded from the shortknife and gives it to the city. For his service to the party, Shaddoth gives Igor some gold and Ink gives him a Lithoshadow sword. Velkara then takes a look at his current equipment and is shocked to see Heavy plate armor made of mithril inlaid with Valaryian and a sword of Adamantine inlaid with platinum. She then breaks both swords down and forges them into one for Igor as well as loaning him the Jeweled Sword of Hillsfort for the time they are together. While Shaddoth and Ink travel he stops to put the chest down fulfilling his obligation to Agustus. They then speak to a guard and are shown to Minos the young lord of the coastal elves. Ink calls in a favor the coastal elves owe to Calix and it is decided that a dozen of them led by Silvia will move to the beach and create a tower that they will live in and one day make fine clothes from. Lastly before leaving Ink gives them the cloak of eyes and Shaddoth the cape of billowing to make into finer garments. The party then meets up again and decides to split up each seeking to kill one of the generals. They spend some time learning details on locations and information on the generals before setting off for their targets.
Velkara Igor and forces reach the Blight King first doing battle with his minions as he watches before it gets bloody. The Blight King kills all but Velkara and the Knight Zandoth who finally finishes the fight by picking up the jeweled sword of Hillsfort and using all its charges. Velkara revives Igor before going through the Kings objects giving Igor the crown. Next Shaddoth, Kir, and forces reach Norb. Unlike the King, he takes a front-line role in the fight instantly slaying the forces that came with and soon managing to kill Shaddoth and turn Kir to a rage. Kir makes short work of him after that using several Platinum Risks to avenge Shaddoth. Next Inks hunt for Curse pays off as he finds the creature feasting on a squad of slain knights. Ink opens the fight with a sneak attack with his bow as well as making use of an unknown and powerful weapon. It is a drawn-out and nasty fight with each of them healing and trading blows but Curse eventually succumbs. Ink then takes his body and places it in a bag of holding for later. Lastly, Stienn goes to the city center and finds Sir Scourge in a pit. The enemy is surrounded by the dead and Stienn is informed that some magic is preventing more than one individual from fighting him at a time in the pit, the men of the city have been working to weaken him and bring him down for four days straight. Stienn enters the crater and in the span of twelve seconds deals nine crippling attacks devastating the knight and killing him before he even has the chance to activate a second form.
Shaddoth split from Kir and teleported from his death awakens in a cave after all the fights are concluded surrounded by small creatures that call themselves the Grat. They identify as being created by Agustus and Vash and then offer to lead Shaddoth back to the party. Shaddoth thanks them for watching over his body and then follows them out of the cave.
With all taken care of Velkara and Aisu go to the center of the city to see Larissa Nephivi. They find the hellstone fortress of the Tiefling house with an unnatural red fire burning at each corner as well as in a moat around the building. The house is presented as being followers of Asmodeus. Belkara calls out to those within the fortress tells of the four generals' defeat and asks for an audience with the lady of the house. They are allowed in and once inside she shows the guard the scroll of alliance for the region. Once finding out they are with the Inferno Squad he comments that they shouldn't burn the city. He lastly tells them they must enter the house unarmed and unarmored. With a gesture to a wheelbarrow Velkara is allowed to change in his quarters by the entry gate leaving her articles at the gate, Aisu is simply adorned with magical handcuffs. They are led through the surprisingly small and office-like building to a back room with a portal of blue rocks and permanent ice that leads to a pocket dimension of incredibly low temperatures. In the dimension is the true domain of house Nepivi and over a hundred of the blue-grey-hued tieflings. Within the manor of blue hellstone they are led to the office of Larissa where a fire is burning for them to meet around. Larissa herself is in chainmail of Hellapis and Adamantium with a dragon bone sword hilted in a scabbard of scales. While speaking they learn her house lead the charge against the Anarch Posse all those years ago. She questions if their group is like the Posse and if they instigate change and instability in cities as they go. She then offers to exchange information with Velkara writing up a private contract. What is known is that she joins in signing the treaty of the region and that Ink will marry her son Cassobier. Before they depart she tells Velkara to have Agustus come speak to her.
Shaddoth and Stienn go to seek out the house Mier and discover it is led by a hero known as Adam. There is a note pinned to the door of the ruined guildhall calling all heroes to report to the Eastern half of the city to fight. They find Darnrack the lightning sword first and discuss a few stories and current events before heading in the direction of Adam. Upon finding Adam they join him in fighting the Bloated for a time before resting a moment and speaking with him. Adam tells them to take the heroes Darnrack and Titus the Moonstalker with them to fight the litch king. He lastly begins the process of having Shaddoth listed as a hero of the guild and offers him the Broach of Heros. Stienn finds Darnrack who agrees to help the party and with his horse begins the journey to meet them at the beach.
Ink travels alone to the docks speaking with dockworkers for a while about the deeds and rumors the party has generated. He is then taken to the merchant lord Eroth Saltspear. Ink has him change a mark on his map from Ellicit Dragon to the Beach of Golden Emergence learning the lord has had past dealings with Kir. Ink has it named under High Lady Aisu on the paperwork. Ink then has a trade route established for the beach. The dockmaster additionally agrees to help get their dock staffed when its construction is completed. He then goes north to find the healing potion house of Antonov where he meets Viktor. He buys several potions from the secret back room before selling the body of Curse and leaving the shop spotting a Grat. He manages to capture the Grat but is followed by a large group of others and eventually sends a message to Agustus and releases the Grat.
With things winding down as the day ends a golden warship blots the sky as Gabriel arrives to mess with Shaddoth turning him into a Grat which is soon reversed by Maloghurst. Velkara makes a quick trip to Viktor to get some potions. Lastly, Shaddoth and Ink pick up their orders from the coastal elfs before the party and both ships set out to return to the beach.
The party decides to return to the beach by following the coast stopping on the way at Targoth. Once a day from Glenumbra they notice they are being tailed by the Waverape the elete ship of Krongs enforcers. Kir informs the party they cannot hope to win and should dump everything and run but the party decides to talk it out. Cassian the captain agrees to a parlay and conversation offering a contract of souls to bind their security. Each of the party breaks off having short conversations with the crew of the Waverape. Ink speaks to Snick and Shadow about taking a Drow as high priest of Maloghurst at the beach and is warned of an oncoming ambush from Tendiznerfell. Biscut sets up a zone of survival so the minatuar Don and Stienn can fight to the death without issue for fun. The Minotaur hardly wins but snaps off a horn to gift to Stienn as a worthy fight. Velkara and Pembledrook speak going below decks to talk about his forge and he even tells her about Chiss steel. He then explains how his forge works and shows her how she could duplicate it. Aisu speaks with Biscut under the watch of Demintine about the Order of Knowledge and how he supports all free casters. He gives her some low-grade explosives and tells her how to duplicate his workspace in real space easily with it. He then also reveals that the wizards will stop coming after you if you kill enough of them. Krong it seems has even fought and killed one of the Island Masters, The master of 7. During this Kir speaks with Cassian on unknown matters.
Krong then arrives when all are reconvened on the Waverape. He offers begrudgingly to leave Glenumbra alone in exchange for another city. Velkara sends a message to Neven who says he can HAVE Caliban and be recognized as high lord if he takes it. Krong agrees and when asked to join the cause against Allobaster replies to instead continue holding the return of Dracula and the vampires of the Fleet of Infinite Darkness at bay. Neven and Krong decide to have a meeting aboard the Dawnslight, the new flagship of King Neven very soon. Velkara then shows Krong the Treaty of the Region and he signs it with huge and bad handwriting as King Krong. Before he can be stopped or noticed Cassian signs it as well as a high lord. The two groups then part with the party making good time to Targoth. A few hours from the city a Grat appears to warn them of the ambush waiting and Agustus's aid but it is silenced by Ink who correctally feels they are under observation. As they arrive at the docks of Targoth their ship is forced to a dock with Calix waiting on it. Ink passes by the Calix
Ink gets to the church of Maloghurst without incident passing into the inner chamber joined by Agustus who hides within his shadow. Once in the inner chamber, he finds three individuals, the dead body of Corax the assassin of Targoth, Fulrick the high priest, and Tendiznerfell. They then proceed to fight each other with something flying into Ink's shadow leading to a strange and protruded battle with Agustus. Initially, it seems Ink will succumb to the champion but after drinking the potion of draconic Majesty he regains the momentum driving Tendiznerfell to near death and causing him to attempt to teleport away, which is counter-spelled by Fulrick so that Ink can finish him. Ink then prays to Maloghurs soon becoming the new Champion of Stealth vowing to kill other gods and expand Maloghursts interests toward the goal of becoming a lesser god of his pantheon. Agustus is named the Champion of Lies and the weapon Karth is pulled into being crafted as a crossbow of sorts. Ink then rushes to return to the dock.
As Ink is doing this Velkara and Kir disembark the ship to approach Calix but are immediately informed that it is an imposter. Velkara bickers and taunts the imposter discovering it to be the champion of Lies and letting him know she knows his name and alternative title. He moves to immediately kill her with Absolute Murder the Ancient tier spell, she saves herself with three of Lugh's lucky coins. Lies then uses blackout to knock everyone of note for miles out except Velkara and Tarrik who arrived to aid Velkara. He tries again to kill her with an exterminate ray but due to the use of two of Lugh's lucky coins she is saved again. In a rage, he successfully hits Kir with time ravange and leaves through a portal to go back to his real domain in the abyss as a demon prince. The demons were present as well as the Kraken that had apparently moved the ship to the dock. Tarrik makes to battle the Kraken as Velkara calls Neven for help and battles demons herself. Soon they are reinforced by Grats and the fight is brought to a close with Tarrik killing the Kraken.
Lugh the God of Luck then rises from the sands on the shore time freezing for all but Velkara. He offers her a deal and retribution for the party's crimes as well as that of some of their gods. For help in killing Kharl, he offers a guarantee that Alobaster will die by the end of the day. After a hard deliberation, she denies him. Lugh enters a tirade of words calling the party irrelevant and saying that no god even loves them or any present enough to save the city from the destruction he is about to bring. A voice called from the sky as a golden ship came into being. Gabriel laughs at the other god as he appears saying he may be right but here is a god that hates Lugh enough to stop him. Gabriel then uses a spell created by Asmodeus that it was thought only he could use to kill Lugh and then...absorb his domain becoming the God of Luck, Mischief, and Illusions. Gabriel then proceeds to do what he does best and stirs as much mischief as possible before leaving. He also gives significant information on top of that leading to the discovery that Bane has joined the fourth council, Floki has been killed, The Litch King is actually the last of the ancient elven gods, and he has swapped the classes of Neven and Tarrik. He then departs. Before leaving the city Ink steals the lucky blade from Kir curing him. Ink and Velkara then share the situation with Tarrik and Neven and Velkara begins to plan for fixing the solution as well as a few other significant things.
Ink teleports back to the beach ahead of the rest of the party to have a few more secluded conversations without worry of interruption. He immediately finds Vash surgically implanting one of the cultists with the tentacle whip. He then has Vash implant the demon slaying eye in himself then prepare to implant the other in Velkara. He even takes the extra effort to disconnect the two. Ink then speaks at length with Vinchenso about the upcoming fight and that he desires a direct role in it followed by a differentiation in living arrangements. Agustus and Ink then discuss private matters behind closed doors before he speaks through Vorheek with the Kraken Vorback making a slight altercation to their original agreement. The rest of the party then arrive at the beach.
Ink has a party set up and waiting to mark the achievements of the Inferno Squad and destress before the final preparations for the fight against the Litch begin. The Kord gophers unload several barrels of Cognac to augment what Ink provides. The party notes that upon their arrival the Urushinae, Boxtail, and Fist of Kord are around the beach with another ship waiting on the edge of the deepwater. The other ship is the Halfsunk a pirate ship sends by Krong to help with any matters the beach requires. Ink speaks with captain Kagan and then invites them all to join in the party. Before joining the party Velkara goes into the basement and under the knife gaining her eye and receiving a tonic from Vash. She then has a closed conversation about unknown matters with Ink. The party then all gather for the party with Ink handing out drinks of incredible value and then Velkara gives a rousing speech. Shaddoth comes incredibly close to pouring his drink out but when he was threatened by the gophers and spoken to by other party members about the quality of the drink he drains the cup. Shaddoth then goes through a transformation becoming Shadrat. Velkara and Ink immediately leave the party before he can fully figure things out. Ink is stopped by the eldest of the Kord gophers demanding more booze. Shaddoth then locks himself in his box discovering a trio of Grats and learning of their mission. He is pulled out and Velkara and Stinn take him to the forge. As they do so Ink steals the treaty of the region, signs it, and replaces it. Once at the forging hall they all find GriGri playing poker with the forge golem with a deck of metal cards. Velkara then gives Shaddoth something for the pain of "resizing his armor" to his new frame but it is immediately revealed to be a potion of blue. She then coats him in tar and throws feathers at him. Soon after Velkara is surrounded by Grats including some recently created bronze kraken grats. Ink and Agustus are then pulled from the party and summoned to a meeting in private with Calix. It is unknown what happens. Velkara then reaches out to one of the bird priests and arranges for a team of purifiers to come to the beach with haste.
The party agrees to take three weeks to get ready for the Litch King fight. Ink takes the most active role in preparations going first to speak with Lady Koriel Zeth and gaining the aid of Knights of the Beast with the discovery that Kagan has created a race of crocobears with the help of Agustus. Ink then tells her much of the situation with the Kraken and the Pirates of Krong. Ink then has a drawn-out discussion with his weapons. Azerophale will be paid more and Vorth wants a custom sheath. Ink then runs some business for Agustus in Montpellier and spends several nights with the Cognac Gophers who agree to move 32 to the beach and set up an operation. He then speaks to the apothecary Alphonseine who will create a potion for him that will cost 160,000 gold. He does several other items of business before going to Glenumbra meeting Cassobier and planning his upcoming wedding. He spends the rest of his time in Unicorn Castle with Neven. Shaddgrat spends the time at the beach getting better acquainted with the grats and his new form, soon he is able to function much as he did before with the aid of a belt of giant strength. Velkara and Stienn spend much of the time improving the beach and in the forge with the rest being spent preparing their allies for the fight ahead.
Aisu takes the most structured approach to her planning spending her mornings poring over maps and trade routes with her brother. They meticulously plan the logistics for upcoming shipments, ensuring the construction materials for the Beach’s new projects are sourced from reliable suppliers. Aisu uses her recent knowledge and pact with the pirates as well as arcane knowledge to predict the weather, aiding in the selection efficient shipping schedules for their lone vessel. She was previously inspired to create her own private study and seeks the help of Velkara and some various spells she knows to aid in the creation of a small space for herself that only she can access which is linked to a cozy crevice within the mountain which she starts storing some of her things. Once it is sufficiently ready she retreats to her study to prepare new spells that could aid in her business and adventures. She focuses on spells like Teleportation Circle and Arcane Eye, which could provide strategic advantages in overseeing her business from afar and ensuring the safety of her shipments. Aisu dedicates time to engage with the local community, offering her magical services to aid in the construction efforts. She uses spells like Mold Earth to shape the the Beach and surrounding rock for new buildings hopefully getting to aid Velkara and Stein in their efforts to speed along construction. She offers her teleportation services to her adventuring party, allowing them to travel swiftly across great distances. She can only do this 3 times per day, but given the amount of time allotted this should be plenty, and this gives her practice and experience getting around using this method. Aisu focuses on crafting magical items as well that could be sold or used to enhance her business operations. She creates items like Sending Stones for long-distance communication as well as preparations for her other spells using materials she procures from around the Beach.
With all preparations made the party and forces all gather at the Pyramid to plan for their final assault. They deal with the logistics of transportation and water breathing first getting Aisu some longrest potions and getting three Hellknights from house Nepivi. Agustus then broaches the topic of splitting shares and devises a method for both gold and items. The party sends final messages before diving into the lake. Ink speaks to Calix finding out he is at the bottom of the Lake looking for the temple of the Cult of the Litch. Once he is done, he will join the party. Velkara will send word to Neven that they are going in and will wish them the best of luck citing that should they fail, he will resurrect one of them but when pressed will change his answer to two. Maloghurst says that any divine power discovered should be gifted to the Raven Queen to buy her neutrality. Velkara prays to Kharl who says that nothing good has any chance of reaching the bottom of the lake. Shaddgrat prays as well getting much the same answer. The party then split their forces into six squads. The Elite squad of the party members, the gophers lead by Lightning, the grats lead by Agustus, the Goldenspine, Kagan leading half the knights, and Darnrack leading the other half. The party then drop the anchors of the ships taking them to the rally point on the surface and sink to the fortress.
Once at the bottom the rats are all sent out to scout and four distinct regions are located. The over fortress overseen by the risen Ancient Elven King Leoric, mines and deep dark chambers to the east, a chasm to the west, and the main fortress in the center. The Dwarves and Gophers go to take the over fortress and with heavy losses kill the King as well as a copy of the Litch with twelve gophers and the same number of dwarves surviving. Darnrack and Kagan take the nights into the mines and find and battle undead dragons and creatures clearing them of all the ilk that plagued them with three Arakokra surviving, eight knights of the Beast, three Knights of Lupis, and eight Knights of Jesus. Ink and Shaddgrat travel with Agustus to scout out the deep chasm. The rest of the party go into the main fortress. at the first intersection they split into two groups one of Kir, Bernile and Vinchenso and the other of Velkara, Stienn, and Aisu. The two groups fight around the fortress clashing with lesser undead and Shocking numbers of Boneclaws. As they go around the fortress Velkara smashes a significant number of ritual fires and eventually come face to face with the Litch Kings Simulacrum who leaves after some short banter. With the party going around the fortress Ink, Shaddgrat, and Agustus come to face undead assassins and then a undead giant Bahir's. Ink realizes that they are nearing the region under the continent and has them turn back. When they do so they are brought face to face with the simulacrum of the Litch King and Agustus tells them to go ahead after they are hit will Blackout knocking out most of their forces. Agustus stays behind to fight. Velkara leads her group deeper accidentally opening a sealed airtight door leading to one of the undead generals with that short fight ending in her petrification and having to be carried by Stienn.
The party proper fully reconvene at the door to the Litch Kings inner sanctum with Kir beating the door with all seven of his platinum risk axes, he eventually cracks the door which in fear of its destruction opens. The entry hall behind the door is seen to have sixteen boneclaws waiting in it but they are quickly killed and decimated by Kir and Aisu. All remaining forces arrive at that moment, and they disperse to fight the remains of the Litch Kings forces with the three Hellknights each taking on a general as the party go into his personal chamber. Kir opens the fight summing forth the Mummy Lord to help in the fight. They then clash with the Litch King it is soon discovered he is immune to radiant damage and Bernile cuts the ring giving him the ability off. The Litch King slings out powerful spells with some ancient and beyond the confines of normal tiers of magic bringing Bernile low and resurrect him as a thrall before stealing the Jeweled Sword from Vinchenso's grip. He uses the Sword to bring Kir to the brink of death activating his life's emergency but is still too weak to survive power word kill. He attempts to bring many of the party down with Time Ravinge but its effects are less successful than he planned. He then places the mark of the Damned on Shaddgrat. It is attempted to be stopped by the use of Stienns necklace and Aisus power but the spell hits its mark. The Litch King even attempts to banish Ink to hell but after a 12 second conversation with a devil known as Mephiston he uses his get free from hell coin. Stienn avoids the eternal seal spell using his necklace further. Through all this the party fight on lashing out and hitting the Litch King with everything they have holding nothing in reserve. Soon it is clear he is on the last dregs of his health and Stienn stops a strike that would have killed the foe to allow Ink the kill with Vorth. Stienn then uses his wish to fix Bernile and Vinchenso brings Kir back with a scroll that he pulls off his body. Ink uses his wish as well turning himself irriversably into an Ancient Elf. The party will take some moments to recover before evenly splitting the things gathered in the fortress by the methods agreed upon. Calix then joins with the party as Ink leads them to the chasm.
The party finally meet up with Calix and begin to travel from the domain of the Litch King with Ink formally renaming himself to Nym. Once the party meet with Calix they see that he is in heavy green flame covered lithoshado. Nym gives Calix the book that he had requested from the Litch Kings fortress and when he studies it magical green chains appear wrapped around it. He pulls at the chains breaking them slowly until all are removed and he opens the book. Once the book is opened there is an explosion of green light that fills the surrounding area, once he notices that others can see the light he closes the book. Nym leads the party deeper into the chasm next to the fortress passing by the Behir corpse that is identified by Stienn. Calix spends the decent time complaining of his return to his people but seems to be ok with the situation. As they descend, they feel the conflicted nature of the air around them as well as the forces of religion and divinity being forced back by something deep and beyond. They feel as if they are in a passage between realms traveling to another dimension. They then come face to face with the laughing image of the King Allobaster. He pokes fun at the party who poke back as usual before he makes a simple complaint of the odds being stacked against him. He then pulls a scroll free of his robes and uses an ancient tier spell to bring back his old friend Lucien Neurenberg the Golden Light, however he resurrects him as he was in death...as a vampire. He makes a vow to the party then to drop a mountain on Tarrik, have a demon kill Neven, and send Marcellus back to hell. Allobaster then leaves as if in a hurry after threatening that he will now destroy Targoth. Nym then sends a message to Neven warning of the threats. Neven then quickly sends Marcellus to protect Tarrik given the inverse nature of their current abilities. The party then before they are able to continue are approached by the Trinity of the gate. They are intoduced as Ralleigh who wears master crafted armor of Mithral and wields a sword of Seraph Steel, Aegiateus who wears master crafted armor of Adamantine and wields an unidentifiable Halberd, and Zopyrion who wears master crafted armor of Kings Metal and wields a Lords Copper Maul and Rapier set both infused with Kyber crystal. They refer to Calix as Lacedaemonius Demosthenes Calixeatheros the Keeper of all things. They offer safe passage to their city to their party as well as helping to get each of them something they want as a gift for slaying Quinzstar the Litch. They question who Nym is, and Calix identifies him as his son. Nym is recognized as one of their people. They are then transported safely to the Ostrium Deos where most the party is left completely blind past a certain distance due to the lack of actual light as perceived by non-ancients. They party is given one free gift by the Triumvirate in the form of a magical scroll given to Aisu. Ink asks for two rings, one of nonexistence, and one of greater invisibility. He drops a hefty sum of gold but is able to get both. Kir trades a heavy bag to Ralleigh who leaves for a time coming back and giving him a box bound in leather. Bernile simply gets a belt of planar binding as preparation for anything that is to come. Vinchenso goes deeper into the city going under the knife of an Ancient Elven surgeon obtaining implanted crows wings. Stienn requests and is given a belt of storm giant strength in exchange for the forgiveness of a favor the elves owe to Kord. Shaddoth asks for knowledge on or the removal of the mark of the damned and is given the option of one or the other. He chooses to have it removed and the Triumvirate performs a ritual to move it onto Zoprion. Agustus trades genetic information learning the secrets of the forgotten gopher clan. Velkara is offered a two-inch sliver of Kyber crystal in exchange for her hammer and after lengthy deliberations she decides to accept. Velkara and Aisu then pool all the gold they have and go around trading it for the larger currency of the Elfs, Seraph Steel coins. The party then return to the lair of the Litch King their rewards gained and trip concluded. Once back on the material Nym receives a message from Vorheek to meet soon. Aisu then opens a teleportation circle to return the entire force to Aldurakh. Once outside the lake however the entire party is pulled into the realm of the Raven Queen. She offers the party a treasure trove of gifts and thanks them for killing her one time enemy. Velkara then goes to make a repoty to Koreal Zeth on the success of the mission and the things that are to come. Nym then speaks to her and sets up a meeting for her to go with him and Vast to meet with Vorback. Rodrik then takes Nym Aisu and Velkara to the island of 5 where they go to the central castle and take the elevator that is powered by a student, down into the private personal workshop of the master. Aisu then is offered payment for beating the Litch in the form of a quarter million gold or any spell the master can cast. She chooses the latter and has him wish to make her into a daylighter which shifts her alignment to good. Aisu then takes everyone to the island of seven where they all trade some magical items around with its inhabitants. Both Aisu and Velkara are also able to learn new spells, Nym however uses the time to hide a tiny hourglass somewhere on the island. They then return to the party ongoing at Aldurakh. Nym spends some time in communion with Maloghurst while Velkara does the same with Bahamut obtaining what Gabriel wanted and reversing his tricks, she also has her ancle ripped off by a tiny platinum dragon. Nym finally returns to Nevens castle to make final preparations for his wedding.
The party return to the beach and takes inventory of those that survived the fight taking much needed time to rest and prepare for the upcoming wedding. Stienn intends to spend much of his time creating an ale for the wedding using the blood of a powerful creature. He originally intends to use the blood of a troll but is approached by the baby Kraken at the beach and uses its blood instead with the arrangement to make some for the Kraken as well. Shaddgrat goes to Montpellier and first visits the Estate Livestock Farm. He buys himself a pit viper named Jake, 38 Guinea pigs, and a solid white warhorse. Shaddgrat then goes to the Bronze Cog and speaks with Vardok lying and telling him over exaggerated tales of using the dragon's breath cart Velkara got from him. He then buys a warhorse saddle with a fold out ballista, a clockwork dragon the size of a baseball, and a monocle. He then goes to an item shop and gets another monocle and two spell storing bolts. Stienn takes the sword gained from the fight against the plague generals and has it purified by the lightening gophers in the church before installing it in the lightening rod of the church to be infused with the power of the storms and reclaimed as a religious artifact of Kord. Velkara spends the time making the wedding rings out of adamantium and learns the enchanters are working with Agustus to Rune all the equipment of the bronze kraken. They party then make for Glenumbra and arrive the day before the wedding in time for the rehearsal wedding.
Shaddgrat brings a number of the bronze kraken in order to act as flower bearers. Bernile attends in the off duty white robes of a knight with a squire to attend him. Vinchenso arrives with a suit of steampunk and many trinkets. Kir surprisingly wears a tunic of red feathers with rubies built into it. Velkara crafts a special outfit for the ceremony making a corset of gold and silver with merchant grade silk forming the rest of the dress around it. Nym spends the morning of the wedding with Larissa and is given a family heirloom broach that allows safe travel to the fifth level of hell once per year directly to the stronghold of house Nepivi. Calix then reports to Velkara, Aisu, and Stienn that he cannot find the groom Cassobier. Velkara decides to use divination and ends up using it three times with the last one failing. The first is to Asmodeus which responds, "He was taken by great wings to a place a god will not go" the second to Bahamut which responds, "No metalic would interlope, cold and ice are responsible" and the third to Tiamat who responds, "An island has fallen, the cult of the divine arises. Seven has met the sea." Calix then takes Velkara to the chambers of the missing groom so she can get what is necessary to scry on him. She then sees a clearing atop the Great mountain where he is surrounded by three dragons, Frost, Sir Verdge, and the second oldest of the Canaries. Velkara and Calix then meet with Nym and see his outfit for the wedding it is a tailcoat made of silver and platinum threads adorned with sapphires, diamonds, and blue hellapis. The Anarch posse members aligned with the party then arrive each with full gear of war on taking the names of old and declaring themselves the guardians of the ceremony. Rodric further defends the ceremony by casting a dome of anti-magic. Krong adds his imposing presence to the ceremony simply taking a seat. The wedding party come down the center aisle, Ink is walked down by Calix, and Rodric in his perception casts silence somehow on tuts seeing that she is drunk. Right outside the building a portal of frost open and the Dragon Frost comes through the portal in the form of an elderly woman and walks Cassobier down the aisle being followed by another dragon in human form carrying a white dragon egg. Frost asks Nym if he will take the burdens and accept the protections to which he says yes. The second dragon drops the egg between the grooms then they leave back out thier portal. The silver dragon assaults Velkara again leaving her unable to heal in the current situation. The cerimony then goes off with no objections and Nym decides to take the Nepivi last name and they are wed. Larissa says an incantation in infernal making the dragon hatch and binding it to the protection of their union. Cassobier names the dragon Everson. The pleasantries then begin with a speech from the best man Shaddgrat who is lifted high up by Stienn. Stienn and Krong then begin to heavily drink while Velkara is offered sound advice from Tarik. Nym then has a private conversation with Rodric before grabbing Bernile, his squire, and Cassobier and leaving to go to the Legion Post having Bernile collect the True Holy Cross Sword. He then takes his Groom home where Cassobier uses some of the wedding gifts to make the Green Dragon that now appears white have the wisdom and intelligence of an adult. They then sort their gifts.
The party all reconvene at the Beach of Golden Emergence with Nym showing the shattered sword gifted by Neven to Velkara handing it to her hilt first. She is immediately transported to the small pocket realm within the negative plane where the long thought dead demon prince Lacrozon lord of the 419th has been imprisoned for thousands of years. Velkara then noting he is a demon without hesitation launches into a fight against him. Lacrozon is proven to be of much greater strength than she can handle, he toys with her placing curse marks across her body before taking her necklace, and finally wiping her memory of the entire exchange and sending her back to the material plane. Once she is returned, she is in a state of extreme exhaustion and demands a drink from the first gopher that she sees. This gopher turns out to be Lightning who knocks her down and leaves unwilling to put up with the disrespect. She is then given alcohol from Agustus that knocks her out. It is also noted that the sword has grown an almost unperceivable amount and that it can only be used three times a day. Stienn then takes hold of the sword going in and finds Lacrozon making eggs and takes better note of the building and its composition. He finds that he is in a living room that contains not only a nice study and crystal works, but also games of skill and talent. Stienn then gains the favor of Lacrozon learning about him and having a generally great time. He is then given an offer that if he can actually land a blow on Lacrozon he can take any piece of equipment from the gladitorial room they are in as a prize. Stien manages to do so and is even given a potion of recovery before being sent back. Stienn then tells Vash about the demon and learns more of his story. Vash tells the story of a holy war ten thousand years ago where the angel Vinshar is thought to have killed Lacrozon. Vash then looks at the sword which all that have used notes is the exact same as the one used by Lacrozon. Vash dispels an ancient illusion on the sword revealing it is actually the broken blade of the Sword of Vinshar. This information and evidence reveal that it is likely Lacrozon won the fight with Vinshar giving their life to seal Lacrozon away. Ink then goes in and speaks to Lacrozon as well telling the entire story of current events and all that has happened that he knows of. Lacrozon then asks a few questions about daylighters and reveals he is a friend of Gabriel and hopes that could be his ticket out. Nym then gets Lacrozon to agree to a deal to continue working with those at the beach even if he gets free. He only agrees to this if he meets with everyone of note at the beach. Each of the most important people at the beach then slowly go in meeting with Lacrozon taking a few days. Next in is Aisu per the request of Lacrozon. He gives her a bracelet of planar binding so she doesn't leave when she dies so that he can experiment on her and learn the secrets of daylighters. Taking a great deal of time, he learns all that he can and even replaces her lungs with a mana stone before her tells her a bit about how gods are made and killed. She notices his bookshelves are loaded with books on the subjects before soon being shown to one of the largest libraries she has ever seen with books on all subjects one could possibly care for. She also denotes that time travels differently there and Lacrozon has likely been there for tens of thousands of years or longer. Cassobier goes in next returning with armor and a Lithoshadow rapier and magical rings. Cassobier seems to be very pleased with the demon and expressed a wish to go back. Bernile goes in next staying for roughly half an hour coming back without fatigue simply saying that he will tolerate the demon. Kir by comparison goes in being gone for only three minutes selling things to the demon then returning. Agustus then goes in being gone for the near full duration of the day and shares nothing of his experience. Next Vinchenso goes being gone for an hour expressing mostly neutrality on the situation. Vash then goes in for near a full day before returning and expressing tolerance as Lacrozon was an ally to the true master. Lastly Nym goes back in, and the deal is finalized, he asks for the indestructible bones to be transplanted into him, but Lacrozon says that they will have to be reforged first in a hellfire forge in hell itself. Lacrozon will do the transfusion for free if Gabriel is first brought to him. Nym, Velkara, and Stienn then travel to and begin the scouting of Blackscar Keep to the east of Ekkidon. They find that the scouts expand a whole eight miles from the keep and that there are hundreds or more men defending and manning the keep. Nym sneaks closer finding a group of soldiers and waits for one to step away before killing him and impersonating him to begin infiltration of the keep. He soon learns that Kir has been smuggling and selling alcohol to the keep. Nym makes it all the way into the keep proper looking over tactical maps as well as finding the location of all the living Blackscars and the structure of their elite seven knights. Nym then begins to relay information from the planning room killing a few well-placed guards and getting information to Neven and waits for more forces to arrive. He lastly gets information out so the party can get well within a mile unsighted, and Neven can march will minimal impediments.
Stienn has the party wait for Nevens forces to approach for them to move in. Nym sends out more messages having the Sharpknife blockade the keep. Kir is able to get two of Nevens small patrol craft and one of Krongs medium warships to join with the force. The party discover that the eldest son Haakon wishes for peace as do a great number of the keeps established captains. They also denote many of the defenders are sell-swords and men from Sederaes elite. Nym also learns that there are acolytes of the court mage all around the keep with most of them staying very close to the wife of the Lord, Lady Emris Blackscar. She is guarded by Amythest the knight. Nym then sneaks his way to the tower the younger son Sorin gives orders from. While invisible he pushes Sorin off the edge hundreds of feet to his demise. He then sticks around learning one of the guard captains wishes for peace. He waits until he can get that captain alone then comes clean about his presence and purpose and manages to get all those unwilling to see the mission through to sit the fight out in the towers overlooking the cliffs. Five captains and nearly three hundred men pull from the fight. Nym then manages to sneak his way to the command post of the eldest son Haakon who is guarded by Obsidian. Nevens forces draw incredibly close by this time having broken through the scouts and other barricades. Haakon agrees to hold the gate open and Obsidian, one loyal knight, two mages, and seven soldiers stay to help him hold the gatehouse. Nym then finally sneaks to the wife discovering her and the knights present are against the acolytes but are not able to escape. Nym manages to use Vorth to teleport her and those loyal onto the Sharpknife before returning to disable explosives in the basement that she warned him about. Neven comes through the main gate and as he does the ultimate weapon of Blackscar comes to life, the hundred-foot-tall colossus of stone begins to walk. The party then sneak around in the commotion to the side gate to the east coming face to face with the knight Quarts. Velkara attempts to seduce the man but fails and they engage the man in combat the group of them making relatively quick work of him with Bernile delivering the last blow. They then discover he was nothing more than a construct bound to defending the gate and keep. The group continues on not facing much challenge in the common grunts only being halted by the Saphire Knight. Shadgrat then uses the rod of rulership successfully and tells him to get in his bag of holding suffocating him completely. Nym joins Neven in fighting the Colossus as the forces clash below, they work in unison with Neven cutting deeply into the stone so that Nym can place the explosives taken from beneath the castle. The party continue on as this is happening breaching the inner walls without conflict as they are opened by the captains advocating for peace by the eastern tower. As they approach, they see the Lord with the final knights on the roof of the keep itself. Bernile uses his buckler of challenge to taunt the knight Emerald into single combat. Emerald descends from the roof flying down and accepting the challenge as the rest of the party continues on into the keep. The others break the door open and make short work of the men on the first floor with powerful magics and overwhelming force. Bernile engages in the closest duel of his life hardly managing to win before finally doing so and taking the remainder of events to rest falling to exhaustion.
After the taking of Blackscar Keep Nym spends some time learning from Calix, contact is soon made with Vash who has found passage to his old domain and is working to access a working hellforge. Vash then requests help with killing someone and Nym agrees to help. Velkara learns from the enchanters as Nym makes plans to help Vash. Elsewhere on the beach, Stienn enters a weeklong period of fasting and standing fast his gauntlets placed on the altar of Kord. Shaddoth spends the week talking to the sword of the nameless king. Aisu further solidifies her trade routes and secures regular merchant visits to the beach. Two messengers then arrive for Nym. A gnome delivers the message that by the order of King Ganlion, the Gnomes will enter a two-hundred-year period of Isolation starting in four weeks. A small red river devil approaches from the ocean saying that the blood war has been affected by current events and that he can take the party to hell a few times if they wish to help. He tells them he can be reached via the devil shark. Rumors also reach the beach that the Order of Knowledge and the Order of Scales have both been sent out and dispersed across the lands. The Cult of the Divine has also secured the islands and rules them now. One of the Golden Canaries has gone missing as well.
Velkara spends some time in communion and prayer seeking answers to the mystery of the baby platinum dragon as well.
"A slight was made. A slight repaid."
"No dragon involved. No slight resolved."
"A god is bound. Time is rewound. Deucalion."
"Vast magics frozen. Soon to be erosion."
Rodric even visits the beach in order to offer the party the task of killing Allobasters court mage in the name of Kyle offering any award that he has the power to give. Shadgratt asks for a memory-stealing spell. Nym wants a wish. Aisu wants to learn Crazy Prominence. Stienn asks for the greater constitution. Velkara asks for a time stone. The party then gathers and travels to hell with the river devil. Velkara then helps Vash use his hellforge to reshape the indestructible bones for Nym. Stienn and Nym in the meantime fill two full bags of holding with hellstone. Then the party prepares to assault and retake the fortress once owned by Vash now under the thumb of a devil known as Mordak. The party goes to the fortress Ink instantly uses his eye to subjugate those guarding the gate and then they fight their way in. Very quickly making it to the great hall where a meal is being enjoyed. Borlarr and some within wish for Vash to return as leader and begin fights against Mordak and those loyal to him. Many distinguishable devils join in the fight but with those wanting to reinstall Vash helping out the party is able to defeat Mordak. Nym delivers the final blow with Vorth devouring his soul. Once Mordak is defeated all others give up and the dragon present asks to be returned to Tiamat. Velkara heals the dragon and it is allowed to return. Vash then finally returns to his ancient seat happy and satisfied. He then reforges a sword for Shadgratt. They also give Vash the horns of Mordak upgrading his station as a devil. Ink finally has the indestructible bones installed in his body gaining constitution. Ink prays and summons Gabriel who appears with his ship pausing time all at the mention of Lacrozone. Gabriel instantly frees him by sending in 10,000 ants to "loose" in combat to him. It is also learned in this time that Lacrozone hates Malsefar. Gabriel takes the pocket plane as payment offering Nym a job when he asks for a flying ship. He wants three things in exchange, a Tarasque Heart, a Blue Scale of Tiamat, and Ressurect William.
The river devil returns the party to the beach and accidentally misses by a slight bit causing them to come out in the shallows of the ocean nearby. Waiting for them on the beach is a Gopher who introduces herself as the princess of Hothearth and demands accompaniment to fulfill the oaths sworn by Kir the Defiler. Nym sneaks off away from the party to seek out Agustus. Nym arranges for Agustus to get him a True Resurrection Spell and then Agustus agrees to seek our Krong to get one in exchange for information on defeating the necromantic family. Nym also gives Agustus a bolder of hellstone. Five of the Hothearth Grats of the Bronze Kraken decide to accompany Shadgratt should he help the princess. Nym checks on his dragons as well learning that the larger one has acquired telekinesis and the smaller one has finally reached an adult reading level. The smaller dragon is also getting murder hungry and both of them have decided that they like the Pixies and the Enchanters. At request, Vash agrees to get the dragon's books on the blood war as well as bring a torture expert to the beach. Velkara sends aid requests as well as inquiries for copper and bronze. She discovers while looking into this that there is an abandoned mining operation for bronze to the southeast of Glenumbra and it can likely be repaired. Velkara then sends more requests for help home to her people who respond that they will approve colonization efforts in exchange for a small list of things.
As all this peaceful nature is going on Lacrozone comes to see Stienn terrifying all the gophers present in the building. Stienn then tries to fight Lacrozone but is empowered by his lightning which soon becomes magic akin to liquid mirrors. Stienn is then championed by Malsifar. Stienn soon begins to fight Lacrozon in earnest and Nym and Kir join in the fight trying to mitigate collateral damage. Bernile is likewise taken over and becomes an Avatar of his god flying down from his monastery with rage on his face. Calix races to the beach tearing a hole in reality from where he was at coming out in Aisu's workshop. Nym uses a forbidden blade to steal a divine boon and between that and Shadgratt using bags of holding they devastate Malsefar and cast him far away to the south tearing him from the body of Stienn. Aisu in her workshop does what she can to freeze over the rift in space. After the fight, Velkara decides to celebrate with booze and a party. She also is tricked by Lacrozone and has five gopher slosh golumns prepared to travel with her. Agustus also has an assassinorum Grat tail Nym as well as gifting him stones of implosion. The party is then taken to a portal by the Princess of the Hothearth and step through the elemental plane to the Gopher village of Midhearth.
Many other things happened in the background with the god war getting ever closer to the tipping point of total combat.
Private Information currently Redacted.
Private Information currently Redacted.
Shadgratt Spends the downtime originally concerned and going up to the Bridge overlooking the beach where Calix stands staring at the ocean. After learning of many great and vast naval battles taking place all at once he heeds the advice of Calix going to see Bernile to watch the battle with him and the acolytes through a crystal ball of viewing. Once he gets his fill of viewing the battle he goes around the beach trying to check on everyone before it is brought to his attention that there is an Avian flu spreading amongst the chickens. He speaks with Vash at great and incredible length before it is decided he will journey out to find a cure for the spreading ailment. Shadgratt himself goes to investigate the chickens directly. He discovers specifically that there are now seven of the advanced Devil chickens. After some rooting around and speaking to the chickens he is shocked to learn that those now infernal chickens are capable of not only understanding speech but responding in kind. Shadgratt rides the largest of the Devil chickens to where the feed is kept investigating its storage and finds that the latch was broken. As he goes inside, he finds a great many of the bags have been tampered with. He goes to his squire in a rage and learns the storehouse was broken into several weeks ago. Shadgratt then tells the seven to stand sentry over the rest of the chickens and report anything out of the ordinary. Shadgratt speaks with Vast as he returns deciding that his squire is defiantly loyal and that something else must be targeting him. Vash additionally reports with a heavy heart that there is no known cure for the current crisis.
As things are going trying to find a cure and mitigate the damage a visitor arrives to the beach. As the visitor enters the beach traveling around and as he does so everyone begins to pass out. Shadgratt is found by Agustus who has all the Bronze Kraken able to resist the sleep magic in the trees near the visitor ready for war. He has Shadgratt help him personally arm the most intracity and magically endowed gratlista on the beach. They watch as the man identifies himself as Jester, a friend to Stienn. He then chats with Stienn and Nym for a moment. They catch little to nothing of the conversation that is had.
Shadgratt gets a sample of the powder to Vash who will attempt to reverse engineer the toxin to cure the chickens saying that it will likely take at least two days. They then all go to bed but come morning the greatest tragedy the beach has ever seen comes to pass. Where once there were well over a hundred healthy chickens now there only exists a field of confetti with no chickens or bodies to be seen at all. Shadgratt does what he can to research and look for them only finding evidence and hearing that the souls of the seven have been trapped deep in the abyss. Agustus having enjoyed the company of the devil chickens offers aid as well in the form of transportation and twenty of the bronze kraken who claim the friendship of the chickens as well. Cassobier offers to go as well citing a lover for killing those of demon kind. As they arrive in hell at the point at which the chickens are held, they are surprised to learn that they stand before the war fortress of one of the Princes of the Abyss, Xarganeth, Lord of the 438th. Shadgratt notes it is the largest castle he has ever seen. Cassobier then calls in a favor of his family and brings in ten hellknights, Vash similarly uses some runic magic to call in Levistine aid from hell. With the help of all those present and some incredible luck the group manages to awaken and summon Levistus who comes through with a group of twenty warriors of Vash's kind. Cassobier and all his hellknights take a knee and pledge the loyalty of house Nepivi to him anew. Levistus coats Cassobier's blade in his blood and places an infernal curse upon the weapon forever giving it a boon of power. Levistus resolves to fight the prince and destroy or take the castle for himself. Back at the beach Aisu is found by Agustus and sent to hell to join the fight. The forces then all gather and begin the operation to take the castle. The hellknights go over the east wall and those of Vash's people go over the west. Levistus himself takes Vash Aisu and Shadgratt through the front door. With Levistus leading them they make it through the castle at great speed soon arriving at the throne room door where Xarganeth attempts to Engauge them in banter, assuming they are led by a simple archdevil. Levistus looks at a massive ceremonial door made of lithoshadow and tears it off its hinges with Vash taking it into a bag of holding. Shadgrat scampers into the room discovering in pens behind the throne are the seven. Aisu then uses a pendant to summon Cassobier. Levistus then throws incredible magics at the demon prince and the demon is then by the will of Levistus and the skill of Aisu trapped within her sword. The Blade of Xarganeth is then created as the result. After the fight is resolved Levistus shifts the castle to his domain with some immensely powerful magic. Aisu uses her incredible arcana to sense the surrounding area finding evidence of castles frozen all around this layer of hell. Great structures including massive dwarven keeps, ancient elven fortresses, the castles of other devils, demons, and even once of celestial origin, draconic roosts, and more. The last thing witnessed by the group before they are transported is Aisu feeling two beings within that layer, one of power equal or slightly higher than Levistus arriving within the castle he had just fallen asleep in, and one much much more powerful sleeping much much deeper.
As Shadgratt and others Engauge in their activities Velkara by her own means spends her week nearly completely separate from them. She watches the naval engagement as most the others do for a time. She learns early on in the week from Bernile that a rogue cult has captured and corrupted one of the domains of Jesus. She then while researching learns that divine domains can be sealed away. She learns additionally that they can be crafted into weapons by a process long ago created by the ancient Elfs, then also used by their dwarven counterparts. She learns a story from one of her dwarves that they learned a way to better refine the process. Divine energy can be supressed by priests and artifacts of opposite alignment. She then spends some time going around the beach securing allies and gets Nym to go to the undermarket for her to buy some goods. While in the undermarket Nym buys Vash some advanced medical tools and Bernile a runic covered white oak broadsword known as The Heartsbane. Nym is also freely given an arrow of human slaying when he mentions he intends to kill Allobaster. Nym spends some great sum of money to purchase Velkara the Tunde Blade as well. He then returns to the beach to help Bernile and Velkara rally the selected forces to make way to kill their target. The Enemy is a cult lead by one known as the Blood Priest. They go into the church as well prepared as they can and most everyone engages the cult and avatar as Nym targets the priest. Nym is able to bring the priest down and loot a great deal of items from him before activating the ring of nonexistence. The fight goes on and as it does Velkara is damned to hell but by using the helm of understanding Nym is able to throw to her a coin of get out of hell. She is nearly drawn into hell mind and soul, but her demonic curse saves her making her think that she is too perfect for hell, and she uses the coin to leave. As the fight is drawn to a close Nym is grabbed the Avatar and thrown into atmosphere via an ancient tier spell. As the avatar is wounded Bernile tackles it telling Velkara to seal it immediately. Velkara is able to seal Honor within her kyber crystal forever locking away the domain. With the sheer volume of gods witnessing this very open conflict there is a mad dash of sorts between seven of them to get to Nym as he leaves the protection of the world somewhat passing into a different area and set of rules. Gabriel, The Mockery, Maloghurst, Jesus, Celestion, Zornskern and the one to actually get to him first, Kord, all make attempts to do various things to him. As Kord wins out he transports Nym to his domain questioning him on Velkara and her intentions for the domain that she has trapped. He is relatively open and Kord decides that it is a cause worthy enough to allow. He then talks to Nym of champions and reveals that his major champion is the Champion of war a man by the name Phylothandriel. He further discusses his lack of a Champion of Lightening and his intent to bestow the title unto Stienn. Following the conversation Nym is returned to the material plane, and it is determined Bernile has lost near all his memories and will have to be healed in the monastery. The loot is then distributed with Nym helping to implant the eye in Bernile and giving the Stole to Agustus. Agustus and Nym have a private discussion. While purging curses from the group Velkara uses magic and without even knowing she has done it she frees herself from her demonic bindings.
The party begins the session stepping from the portal of transportation. They speak with the princess who asks for who their leader is. Aisu is chosen to represent everyone and is taken to speak with the elder. The Princess asks if Kir will be present referencing him as the defiler, destroyer of innocence, and the red beast. They tell the princess that he will not be present. Aisu speaks with the elder who tells her of the Elemental Fire Tarasque and gives her the advice to seek out Cadwicks. While this goes on the rest of the party split up to go to other places. Nym goes to see Vice Everbright who lives in an eight-story tower on a hill on the edge of town. It is learned from him the beginning of a legend of an Ancient Elven warrior with naturally aged white hair. The warrior was described to have had issues with the original red dragon and promptly killed a great many of them. Nym continues to dig into the matter learning that the man used an obsidian blade of fire. Nym then learned of the Flames of Chaos and how they were one of the greatest groups of warriors in existence. They were believed to have been wiped out in a battle long ago when the other Ancient Elves betrayed them to the Ancient Dwarves who brought an army of ten thousand to kill off the forty-eight members. The battle left most the Dwarves and presumably all the Blades of Chaos dead. Vice says that the elf from the battle is a terrifying thing as he is the only known reference of an ancient elf with grey hair. Vice then discusses with him that he had two pupils completely ready to move on and it is decided that Oberion will be relocated to the beach to serve as the Cleric of the beach with the other going to Hillsfort. Vice then tells Ink that he is friends with the boat loving gopher Lardonis Hothearth and that with a powerful enough stone of implosion he could capture and move his boat. Nym is also told that the capital of the clan, Highhearth would have the stones of necessary power.
Stienn and Aisu meet Axar as they reach the bar Travelers Tavern. Stienn pays the keeper of the bar, Kieth, 100 gold sending the gopher into a craze to provide whatever he can. Stienn asks only for gossip and drink learning that the party should go get fish for the road. He wife Stephany then comes out and tells her husband to offer to take them all to Highhearth. Kieth then makes the offer. Velkara then offers him 300 gold plus the finances to send all nine of their children to the College there if they agree to relocate and work a bar that will be built and given to them at the beach. Shadgratt enters the bar and presents himself and declares Agustus king of the Grats. Velkara then speaks to Kieth asking about other professions and if others in the village would be willing to relocate. She learns in short order that the barber Lionel Hothearth would move without question if paid enough as would a great deal of those the age of labor in the village. Between her and Shadgratt they pay the following to move to the beach at exorbitant prices with the promise of housing; thirty burrowers, thirty farmers, four jewelry makers, the High Priest Manny, fifteen aspirants, two minor priests, Casey the restaurant owner with a staff of twenty, and finally the massive blonde gopher Lionel. With all this approximately half the village is now planning to leave. Axar and Nym then go in the basement of the church where the followers of Trenzalore preside. They kill them all with Nym stealing from the altar and Axar taking a pile that seems to be the entire supply of silver in the village. Everyone then spends the night in various fashions.
The entire party except Stienn who remains in the bar then goes to the fire garden and meets the primal elemental Hrathnaghaul who offers a boon to each of them for their loyalty and patronage to the fire. Nym asks for the sprites of the garden and it is agreed that all 98 will relocate to the beach as long as they are fed. Axar then asks for immunity to fire damage. Shadgratt gets prestidigitation. Aisu gets another 7th-level spell slot. Velkara in her usual indecision says to come back to her and ends up getting nothing, the boon wasted. They all including Stienn then go to the mysterious store Cadwith's Fabrics and Fish realizing that there should be no possible way for there to be fresh fish here. The moment they open the door they are greeted by the impossible scent of the ocean and the man behind the counter, a normal-looking human, begins to prepare for each of them a meal of fish to eat on their journey to the target. As the meal is prepared Nym steps out telling Gabriel that the god of fish is hiding on the mountain, The response is to tell the fishmonger that he is hungry and needs a first mate. The whole of the party receives the fish and an associated boon before leaving the shop as a storm brews, Black Clouds of the Raven Queen, Kords own Lightening, Pelor's Slowing of Time, and lastly one section where the sky is perfectly clear, and all the stars far more bright than they could possibly be. A small yellow bird lands near the party, then another, then another, and soon there are seven. The party looks up the street to see the true old man form of Bahamut, wielding the sword of the Raven Queen. At this point, the god of fish is whisked away by Gabriel and all the gods disperse, save he of stars who continues to watch, mostly unnoticed.
The players and the Gophers then begin to celebrate the night away as many pack up their belongings and get ready to leave. Velkara gets incredibly drunk handing out small extra amounts of gold to the gophers and thanking them for their efforts. Axor and many others of the party are provided drinks by Nym and Stienn. Unlike the others, Aisu teleports back to the beach sleeping in her quarters. She appraises those at the beach of the plan and speaks to Agustus who asks for a second portal to be opened after the gophers are moved to the beach. As the night goes on merriment comes to a close for many and soon those that do sleep awaken. Velkara finds herself in the central living chamber of a gopher's home with cooking sounds coming from nearby where a gopher seems to be making breakfast. She then finds the gopher Lionel making eggs who is unclean and dodgy about the night's events. He makes her breakfast before departing from his own house bag over his shoulder. All the gophers that plan to leave are gathered in the central courtyard by sunrise ready to move. Aisu opens a teleportation circle to the beach and soon all the gophers manage to pass through. She then goes to a side alley a few moments later opening another portal that several hundred rats pass through. One Bronze Kraken passes through as well. The only gophers that intend to move that remain are Lionel, Kieth, and Oberon. the party then heads out to make the projected three-day journey. This journey is only so short because Stienn picks up the slower-moving Velkara and Shadgratt. After two days of travel the party arrives at the ruins of what Velkara notes is an incredibly archaic dwarven fortress. In the front door, a coin is embedded. Upon closer inspection the door is seen to be made of dwarven metal, which seems to somehow be dead. Once someone touches the door it falls apart into useless metal scraps. Velkara, Axar, and Nym each take from the twenty thousand gold of personal artifacts from the remains of the dead dwarves. As more is explored it is made clear that the fortress was besieged and destroyed by an incredibly violent group of ancient Elves. The party decides it is a cursed place and makes camp elsewhere leaving the ruins behind.
The party then continued to travel soon arriving at the snow-topped peak and lair of their quarry. Nym rushes in with the group behind him and the fight begins with him letting loose a shot from his bow calling a blizzard forth and then releasing Azherophale. The Tarasque of Elemental Fire is quick to respond using tectonic catastrophe and sealing the entrance to the cave absolutely. In the opening movements, the Tarasque then turns two of the Hothearth grats brought by Shadgratt to furry singed paste on the wall with a swipe of his tail. The party continues to battle the beast with Nym soon leading the way for a new plan shrinking and teleporting into its mouth beginning to cut his way to the heart. The Tarasque then uses an exterminate ray triggering the life's emergency on Velkara and killing two more of the Grats leaving only one. Velkara then uses the last of her strength to help the last Grat build the Gratlista, he misses and is soon killed as well. By this time now Nym, Aisu, and Shadgratt are cutting through the insides of the tarasque. The Tarasque then steps on Velkara killing her instantly, denting her armor, and moving on to others. The party continue to fight with all they have as the Tarasque then uses meteor swarm and bringing down Stienn as well as melting and slagging some of Velkara's equipment. The Tarasque tries to find a way to expel those inside it but is unable, so it continues to attempt to kill Stienn who after being damaged and brought down always seems to get back up, healing. Axar decides the best path is to play dead. The Tarasque having no other option brings the cave down trying to at least trap them all before its death. Nym soon finds and removes its heart. Stienn is pinned under unknown weights of rock, and Axar manages to get to a very small cave that doesnt fall formed under the beast. Nym then receives communication from the Assanorum Grat, Melchoir, that had been following him that he has revived one of the Hothearth Grats, Captain Lazarus who it turns out is the leader of them all. He warns that they are stuck, and the heat will likely kill him, but the Hothearth can be saved. Melchoir succumbs to the heat but will be returned later. Stienn is able to not only get to them but able to retrieve what is left of Velkara's gear. Nym then takes his leave to embark on personal tasks. All of the party then begin to loot the corpse; Axar takes a piece of carapace, Shadgratt fills his bag with parts of the meat that could be consumed and an eye, Stienn fills his keg of holding with the blood of the beast, takes some of the carapace, and the tip of one of its horns, Aisu takes one of its eyes and some spinal fluid using Stiens's vials, everyone takes some carapace by the end, and Axar lets the Hothearth use his bag of holding to store enough carapace and claws to make swords and shields for all the newly renamed Bronze Tarakens. Elsewhere after finding out about the battle Agustus pays Rodric a quarter million gold to revive all the four slain Grats.
As the battle goes on Velkara's soul is wrongfully sent to hell. A lower devil is confused by her presence and sends her to speak to a higher one for clarification. Velkara continues down the hall to the office of a Balrog who informs her that her sins outweigh her purity, and she will experience soul torture for all time. She asks for her crimes and hundreds of names are given as well as the reason for them. Mostly those she has killed. Velkara resides in hell for what seems to be at least a tear before it is realized that there has been some error caused by Lucien Neurenberg. In the meantime, she is transferred to the frozen plan while things are worked out. Levistus has her placed in the farthest reaches given her dislike of her. She is however after a time able to reach the domain of Vash. Vash is then summoned, who tells Nym, who tells Neven, who tells Tarrik who he incorrectly assumes is free enough and cares enough to intervene, he calls Zir who will not help because he is watching over Kir, who finally calls Marcellus. Marcellus picks up Tarrik's hammer, and Nevens sword and then makes the journey ready to fight Levistus, as by that time information was somewhat no longer the truth. Marcellus kills his way to Velkara dispatching a quarter of all of Vash's forces in the process. Velkara reveals that she is just a soul and in confusion Marcellus asks what he's supposed to do about that as he thought she had been taken. He then clears things up with Vash and offeres recompense for his accidental killings. He reveals that he had cleared the entire neighboring castle by mistake and offers it, as well as three hundred devils that served him while he was damned to hell. This now brings Vash's domain from one castle and two hundred devils to two castles and four hundred and fifty devils. Marcellus then reveals the legend and the truth of the Elemental Tarasque's. He says that each of them is actually the cursed founders of each of the elemental gopher lines. It soon be pieced together that since Vorth killed the beast and ate its soul that Hothearth can never be freed. He then checks on Neven for clarification, and it is seen that Neven is in a terrible losing battle and that vampires have boarded his flying ship. Marcellus says that he is fighting one known as Silas. Velkara demands that he help Neven and then in the presence of all the devils and while in hell Vows to get Marellus his ring back from Berniles Monastery in exchange for fighting Silas. The last thing she sees is him passing through the portal, handing Neven his sword, and activating Tarrik's hammer.
Private Information currently Redacted.
Rumors do come out that a Storme Village a slight bit larger than Midhearth has been the victim of a landslide with no survivors.
The Session begins with Aisu teleporting Stienn back to the beach before transporting the party's remaining members, Axar, Nym, and Shadgratt, back to Mid Hearth. The party finds that nearly all the village members have gathered and are awaiting to travel to High Hearth to abandon the village. Lionel asks the party where Hothearth is telling the party the elders of Highhearth will also likely demand an answer. He learns of Velkara instead and sends the party onward with Kevin while he goes to see Vito with the intent to have Velkara resurrected. The rats that have relocated to the Village begin to report to Vito who begins his plan to defend the city. The grat Ralathor bids farewell to Velkara and Lionel as they leave. A great battle takes place after they leave and as soon as it starts it is over with Vito and Ralathor defending the village from the assault of Cappadocious.
The party all finally arrives at the village of Highhearth. Nym splits off to find an experimentalist who he buys two private items from. He then accompanies Aisu to the college. They are greeted by the headmaster who sends Nym to get Axar and Shadgratt and go to the great flame. He has Aisu by contrast follow him into his personal study. The headmaster speaks with Aisu and asks about the OOK and the independent mages. Aisu identifies as an independent and gets his blessing. He sends her into a room for a trial. An item on her person completely negates the trial and she is able to skip through it passing through a door right back into the office nearly immediately. The headmaster sees this as a mark of extreme talent and gifts her the knowledge of a spell previously unknown to her. Elsewhere as they arrive Lionel offers to take Velkara to the local forge center to which she relents. As they approach she is attacked yet again by the platinum dragon. As they finally arrive Lionel calls out with familiarity to the craftsman saying that his lady is without the armor she is usually accustomed to. The smiths offer to let her aid and observe after all materials are prepared asking her to give the time to get ready before doing so. Axar and Shadgratt meet Nym at the Great Flame and are summoned before Hrathgrevahl the Guardian Elemental. Shadgrat asks an elemental for help with his memories who then transports him away. Oberion the gopher who was with Nym gains fire immunity. Ny asks for a guardian and the elemental Xenara becomes a snake of flames to travel with him to the beach to guard the sprites. Axar looks to the sky and the constellations and disavows the gods forever. He is allowed to face Hrathgrevahl and sees the last existing gate to the fire plane in the whole world. Axar is presented with the options of a more frequent form or for his form to have a fire aspect. He chooses the aspect of Flame. He is further told to return for further reward should the inferno squad kill a god. Shadgrat is taken to a cave where an Order Of Knowledge Wizard is chained up. Shadgrat decides to kill him rather than get any help. Shadgrat exits the cave and returns to the city. Elsewhere Lionel and Velkara arrive at Embers Diner. They get Thors Hammer bear meat on chips of fried mountain potatoes with glasses of forgotten elixir brought over from the vineyards of firewine. The drinks are all served by Lorenzo Vinyard who does not have the normal speech of the gophers. The drinks are served in glasses of diamond and crystal. Lionel flirts and makes advances while returning them to the forges where Velkara soon receives Hothearth Mytheral Plate Armor. Shadgratt goes to the newt store and gets some new animals. The party then finally returns to the beach.
As soon as the party arrives Lionel speaks with Velkara on sleeping arrangements and uses a Luxurious Burrow Bomb to get them a very cozy setup. Nym's priest and torturer have also arrived and are with the assassonrim gophers. Nym speaks with the baby Kraken and grants it a bit more personal freedom. Nym then visits Vinchenso to have some objects made for him as well as Kir for a similar purpose. Axar and Shadgratt both go together to see Agustus. Agustus greets them both warmly and offers Axar anything of reason in his power as payment for what he has done, Axar in his confusion asks for a log cabin. Shadgratt gives over some Tarasque loot as well and makes a deal to sell the knowledge of the immortality potion to Agustus for half a million gold. Lional gets his shop set up in the crafting hall. Velkara also learns from Neven that Lional is a perpetual of unknown age. Nym then leaves the beach for unknown reasons for a fortnight.
The party continue to spend some time at the beach to get loose ends together. Velkara begins by meeting with Bernile about the recreation of his armor. He makes a comment during the conversation that he will soon "settle matters" with Lionel. She is assaulted by the silver dragon yet again, this time she catches the dragon learning things from him: she wounded his brother, his brother is not a dragon, his brother is duller, her forging is foolish, he is old. He then threatens that she must release him and begins a countdown, she believes him but then learns he was buffing. Velkara then goes to her priest and learns that there is a pool dedicated to her love life and who she will marry. She has to chastise a knight of bernile, Sir Othello and a gopher, Oziel Hothearth for an argument over that while having a meeting on what to have people work on. A large topic is making things more accessible to gophers. The odds are Bernile 30 Lionel 30 Tarrik 20 Stienn 10 Neven 5 and other also at 5. After one week of downtime, there was a loud knocking at the secure door of Aisu's workshop. After some defensive preparations, it is opened to reveal an Elder Tiefling named Cynfael. Elsewhere Shadgrat makes a pact with the Raven Queen and vows to build her a church at the beach. Shadgrat hires another construction crew of 16 Giff and even pays them to move to the beach and live there on retainer after, they will be living in an instant bar from Hillsfort. He is also offered a reaper chicken if the party is able to kill the court mage. Velkara spends most of the remaining time building her new hammer. Axar goes to see Agustus now more knowledgeable and asks to revisit his payment, Agustus relents and it is worked out that once Agustus has the finances he will build Axar a castle. He then goes to see Lady Koreal Zeth and receives a flying war beast. Finally, the day before Nym is to return Agustus sends word to all that he has located the courtmage. Nym then arrives at the beach in a flying warship of the mind flayer variation. On the prow of the ship is a heavily scarred and elderly gopher. Somehow he has managed to relocate Lardonis to the beach. After a quick conversation with Velkara Lardonis places his ship in his new home. Four heroes then arrive at the beach approaching Nym, a Barbarian, a Ranger, a Swordsman, and a Caster. Only the caster reveals his name, Zorba the Chaos Mage. These retired heroes of Gemini drop off a bow to Nym and a Sword to Axar. As a test they ask about "the other weapon" and the Barbarian trades blows with Velkara, telling her to take her time and master her new weapon. Once the heroes file out Agustus sends the party directly to the tower of the court mage.
Rather than in his private sanctum as was the plan they all appear in a group at the bottom of his tower. A mass of winding stairs extend too far up above them. By taking advantage of all that can fly the group is easily able to avoid the stairs and fly up the center of the tower. At the top several hallways branch off in four directions. One is easily discovered to be a fake. The party soon finds out that following any other will lead to the first person entering being cursed. They eventually actually all follow a path to the end finding a man at a chess board. Each of them attempts to beat the chess master and each of them fails until the very last of them, Cassiobier, is able to win. Behind the master is a room with a massive crystal that Aisu is able to figure out links to the health of the court mage. They determine that if they break it then he will be weakened. They then backtrack and choose another hallway to go down, this one full of animated chess pieces. After a long and mostly tedious series of fights, they reach another room with another crystal. They then backtrack and go for the final hallway knowing that the final challenge will lie at the end. They find him in the final room with another crystal which Kir directs should be broken before targeting him. The fight continues with some tricks and setbacks at one point he even swaps places with Kir covering the fact with an illusion causing Kir to be attacked a few times by some of the party. Namely Shadgrat and the new ally Cynfael. They then begin to target the real court mage and the crystal again. As they break the final crystal he begins to flee from the party falling back to the entry to the tower as they continue to damage him. He exits the tower and is able to use a final spell, it becomes a chain of counterspells and the party is able to stop him. If this spell were not countered fully it would have been the end and true death for Krong. Velkara deals the final blow laying the mage low. It is learned to all that the mage was never evil and this whole time was a revenant of his former self enslaved to the wicked king Allobaster.
The party wrap up the ends of their conversation with the ghost of Evangelo. Aisu asks him how to leave the tower and is told to use the front doon not used before. It is soon surmised that the tower will be bound to where it manifests and Aisu binds it to the interior of her workshop. The ghost however does not dissipate. Upon coming out of the tower Aisu shrinks Axar's beast so it can fit out of her workshop. Nym then brings Cassobier with him to speak with Calix and learn what the chess set is. Upon looking at it Calix asks if Evangelo was freed of permanently killed, he learns that it is the former. Nym also asks how to sneak into gnome city and Calix tells him that he can get them all teleported into a Vault of Deepstone and bribe a bank teller to open it. Nym tells him to get ready and Calix warns that there will be no air in the vault and to prepare for it. Nym then goes to see Vash and gives him the second leg of the construct. Vash in turn introduces Danathar the master of torture. Danathar speaks with Nym and claims that he will just stalk the forest hunting poachers to torture until someone that deserves it is provided to him. Nym next goes to check on the church of Maloghurst meeting the new high priest Torza Vovnith. Torza tells Nym that he has devoted himself to scholarly studies and theology and that Maloghurst is the greatest of them all. Elsewhere Velkara learns to make upgrades and abilities to her hammer by speaking to her ancient dwarves. Shadgrat spends some of his time dropping down an instant fortress and making it his new home. He also sells all of his excess goods to his pocket shop goblin. Aisu sits within her shop and has Axar legally added to the inferno squad. As the day drags on Appolo Thul arrives with 14 mounted knights of his house meeting Axar and Bernile asking for hospitality as well as a place for a "Mini" castle for him to study religions from. Axar takes Appolo to Jades bar for drinks and they speak, he has apparently come to the beach to learn of the many churches for the information of his house. Bernile directs them to the secondary peak for now as it remains in disuse. Bernile escorts the knights to the location as he sends a message to Velkara in the meantime that Appolo has arrived and that to his knowledge the House of Thul is the original house of high elves.
On the distant horizon Wiesk awakens on a ship aflame somehow unaffected by the flames. Using personal abilities, he is able to learn that he was the one to set the ship on fire, in order to repel attacking Vampires. He then for only a moment wonders why the fire is not hurting before remembering the vampires and looks around to discover that they are still there, and they are still attacking. Bubbles is the first of the beaches defenders that notices the flaming ship and those that are harassing them. Bubbles calls Nym and warns of the situation, Nym then tells Bernile to make an announcement. At the same time the full moon rises and Dusk the reaper chicken arrives. He pecks at Shadgrats door until it is opened and then informs that he will be roosting in this new fortress and making a mate of one of the devil chickens. Shadgrat then gets the announcement and begins to fly off approaching the beach with the lantern of revealing. Now at Jade's bar Appolo and Axar share drinks with those present before suddenly Axar falls to the ground in agony. His bones begin to break one at a time as his muscles expand and tear. Soon he catches fire and begins to sprout fur of flames and before anyone can stop what is happening, he fails a wisdom save and becomes a mindless flaming bear intent to kill all near him. Nym, Cassobier, and Shadgrat all arrive at the bar to figure out the situation with Axar with Nym telling Bubbles to save the fleeing ship from the Vampires if able. Aisu, Bernile, and Velkara go to assist with the fight against the Vampires. In the fight against Axar, Nym gives permission to Appolo to engage and fight against the bear with them. As the group against the vampires are decided Bernile carries Velkara to the ship, from the tree line Lionel can be seen despair in his eyes at the action. Velkara does immediately recognize the Vampire leader, Duke Silas. Aisu opens the fight with a testing ray of Neurenberg against the lead vampire ship and it is immediately discovered that the ship has a field of anti-magic around it. Duke Silas teleports before Wiesk unaffected by the flames and asks if he is with the Inferno Squad taking his confusion as an answer and returning to his ship. Wiesk attempts to jump onto the main vampire ship and falls into the sea before having to climb back up the side of the ship onto the deck. The fight draws on and Silas makes use of Conjurors Joke swapping swords with Bernile taking Heartsbane in exchange for a cursed Obsidian Flame Blade. Back at the bar several strikes are landed on Axar and soon Cassobier freezes him solid. They leave him there taking Appolo and joining in the fight against the vampires. Many vampires begin to fall but Silas does not seem to be bothered by the fight, the only thing able to hit him is Nym with his new bow. Appolo jumps onto the flaming ship using water magic to put all the flames out. Cassobier and Aisu use Cruel Suns to destroy and sink the three lesser vampire ships. All the vampires that fall into the sea are torn apart and eaten by the dire sharks, the devil shark, and the kraken. The dire sharks are both effected by vampirism one is killed and one turns. Cassobier later has the one that died revived by Oberion. Velkara drops sunlight on some of the vampires leading them to die in agony. Silas then throws Heartsbane into a portal then steals one of the staffs of Aisu. Other than these strange interventions Silas remains uninterested in the fight, with the exception of damaging Aisu who he hits with an ancient tier Nearstar. It destroys one of the weaker staffs, but Aisu survives. Silas then uses some magic to knock nearly everyone off his ship and tells Nym to tackle the remaining vampire into the ocean so he may leave. After some thought Nym does so and Silas leaves.
With the battle finally over Lionel, it seems was taking place in the fight and was hurt, Velkara soon heals him although it seems that his injuries were somewhat dramatic. Back at the bar Shadgrat thaws out Axar and Agustus de-transforms him, offering two premium rugs to describe the transformative experience to him. He makes a second offer when denied, furnishing the entire castle he owes Axar with basic furnishings a white oak desk and three premium rugs. Axar agrees to that and explains all that he knows. He also agrees to give Agustus a vial of his blood in exchange for SOME of the information gained via research. Nym "sacrifices" the domain of horses to Lacrozone who gives him a boon then passes it to Gabriel for a steep price. Gabriel also gives Nym the means to move Thunderwaddle. Wiesk once on the beach speaks with a few people and decides to crash with Tuts for a time to drink and be merry. It is by some odd way discovered that Lionel cannot go north of the Great River. Calix then finally teleports the group into the bank vault that he told Nym about for them all to wait on being let through.
While in the bank vault the party is under a spell from Aisu allowing them the privilege of not needing air. Kir grows impatient and begins to argue with the dwarven metal door that will not open to let them out. He then starts to take out platinum risks and before he begins to attack it, it opens for a teller on the other side. To mask her race from the gnomes as they travel Velkara decides to borrow Nym's ring of Greater Invisibility but also must remove her armor. Wiesk gives her a minimal scrap of cloth to cover herself with, but it is revealed that honorable Bernile has true sight. He gives her his cloak to cover her indecency. The walk then takes them all three full days. As they travel many of the party "help" Bernile. The first night that they make camp they try to con Bernile and Velkara into sharing a bedroll. Velkara gets into a large bedroll and passes out, while Bernile refuses, Cassobier crawls in and then uses magic to swap their places Bernile is not able to wiggle out. Eventually their travels get the party to Thunderwaddle where they suddenly realize that Kir is missing. Nym learns he is going for the platinum risk sealed in the royal vaults of the gnome King. They all reminisce with Thunderwaddle and then it is decided that Bernile and Velkara will spend the six days trapped in the snow globes magic with him. It takes four days to reach Krenko where Stienn pays the toll fighting in a series of gladiatorial matches against beasts, then a fallen angel then an ancient devil, the devil is the only one to bring Stienn down but thinking him defeated it turns his back, Stienn heals as he does and regains his feet slaying the foe. It takes two days to travel to the end of Krenko's tunnel. The party then returns to the beach having been gone for a total nine days. Upon their return Cassobier gives the memory of Velkara and Bernile in the bedroll to Lionel. Lionel puts on dueling gloves and sets out.
For a period of several days Velkara finds herself trapped in the shop of Thunderwaddle with both Thunderwaddle and Bernile. They spend most of the first day idle in small talk with Velkara taking note that Thunderwaddle thinks she used to smell worse? Thunderwaddle spends a lot of the time telling stories about himself as well. It is learned that long ago before he became linked to his shop he was known by a different name and a far different title. He was once known as King Ganlion of the Gnome race. Not only was he king but he says that he was King during parts of the ancient wars between the Ancient Races. He claims after the war ended, he created his shop and retired. He also shares that he recalls that Lional was part of that war and that he won some great battle that Thunderwaddle was not part of. He shares that it is known as the legend of the Pheonix of Hothearth. It is also learned that both Thunderwaddle and Lional have had previous marriages. Velkara does also agree that when she does get married, she will hold the ceremony at the shop of Thunderwaddle. Thunderwaddle also says that you should marry for yourself not for duty. Bernile speak much and share a bed throughout the week, but Velkara retains an "iron curtain" of pillows for the full week. In their discussions Velkara agrees to accept a gift from Bernile upon their return to the beach. They also discover while chatting that Thunderwaddle does not tolerate the Dwarven line of Kegblade. Finally, they all arrive at the beach with Nym placing the shop by his church and Velkara going first to check on her forge.
The party break up when they first return to the beach going about different tasks. Axar goes to look for where Appolo has set up, Wiesk follows Bernile in the direction of his monastery, Shadgratt goes to see the reaper chicken, and Nym spent some time getting Thunderwaddle settled in. When Shadgratt gets to the reaper chicken he is informed that the chicken is hungry. The Reaper Chicken tells that it eats either gold-seasoned chicken feed, or souls and that it is hungry now and will not wait. Shadgratt tries to trap it in the fort but the reaper chicken cuts its way free and begins to beebop down the beach toward the crafting hall. They cross paths with Lional who is on his way up clutching a bag with red light leaking out from it. The reaper chicken comments that Lional has the most desired but unreachable soul on the beach. The reaper chicken then continues to the next most sought-after soul on the beach and finds the dwarves of Velkara. She looks up and questions the Reaper who pretends to be a normal chicken before pointing at one of the Dwarves who ages to dust soon after, The reaper then returns to the fort it calls home. Wiesk pesters Bernile while at the same time Shadgrat broadcasts the actions of Lional to the party. Agustus and Axar confront Lional next but he continues onward. Bernile soon and suddenly becomes cursed and falls victim to a sword in his possession, the sword of Silas. Nym attempts to stop Bernile by having his snake bit him and he does manage to injure him some but does not kill him. Nym also ends up teleporting away soon after. Wiesk attempts to take the cursed sword from Bernile but is unsuccessful as well and thrown back. Bernile then spots Lional and uses his Buckler of Challange. Lional then appeals to the warrior spirit of Bernile to make it an official duel of honor. It gives him the time needed to contact the great elder and have him activate the ancient gopher magic killing himself and giving Lional the powers of old. The transformation of the gopher brings him to the form of the most powerful warrior his kind knows, that of a titan. Nym in the background travels to begin work to resurrect the now-dead elder. Bernile summons a transformation of his own with a golden halo appearing above him and angelic wings behind him. The corruption of the sword sets in and the halo breaks and corrupts as the wings begin to bleed black ichor-like blood. The fight goes on for some time with the massive titan clashing against what appears as an angel of corruption. As it goes on and on it seems like a battle of attrition that Bernile is certain to lose. Bernile then activates many of his artifacts and equipment leading to his body's growth and encasement in ice...ice that is corrupted by the blood of the wings. Kir in a bid to end the conflict and snap Bernile out of his corruption tries to convince Velkara to marry him but she remains too indecisive to answer. The fight draws to its conclusion and Lional the Eternal is struck down by the Cursed Sword of Silas allowing the Raven Queen to steal his soul as well as forcibly destroy the crown of Hothearth forever. The mood remains somber and while Bernile is distracted and the ability of the Buckler is unused, Cassiober swaps the place of his iron sword with that of the Blade of Silas. Velkara tries to use divine intervention but even Kharl tells her he is powerless to get the soul of Lional free of the Raven Queens Throneroom. The beach is soon after swarmed by members of the Hothearth clan who take the body of Lional all humming a tune of mourning and preparing for a great funeral. The party is soon after informed of the additional gravity of his death. Manny tells them that Lional was the champion of all gopher kind and the last known individual to be capable of the mythical Tital Gopher Form. The legend is that the next champion capable will be known as the Everharth. A great gopher council will also be convened in response to the events. Valentine Everbright then arrives to take the body directly to the peak of the mountain and the order of scales. Bernile goes back to the monastery of Jesus to mourn and reflect on his own actions.
Nym goes off for a visit to Ekkidon. Aisu continues to prepare and use her study. Velkara finishes fixing her gear and directs her priests to create an artifact to improve her spellcasting. Shadgrat goes to Agustus and Axar to Thunderwaddle. In Ekkidon Nym learns that Neven is taking his elites to battle and that he is worried that there may be spies among those at Targoth. They then go to Targoth and find Tarrik frying salmon on the beach. He is saddened that the visit is not a social one and commands a guard to clean up the equipment. At the behest of Ink and with great effort Tarrik has every guard in the city make a rotation of coming to a preset point where they are put under the zone of truth and questioned to try to weed out spies. Seventy-seven of the guards end up resisting the zone of truth for one reason or another. The rest either submit willingly or fail to resist. Tarrik then has his new court mages come in to help the process. Nym and Cassiobier stay in the dignitary sweet of Tarriks home and continue the next day eventually finding three spies Cassiobiers magic gets them to Vash and into the custody of Danathar who vows to extract every ounce of usable information. Agustus in his meeting with Shadgrat secures the elixir of immortality in exchange for a hefty sum of gold and five grats to be used as warriors. Agustus will be mostly unable to go anywhere for a couple of weeks. While visiting Thunderwaddle Axar learns lots of old gossip. A Dwarf arrives at the beach by the name Rallathar Kegbalde and offers a scroll that will send a Vampire to the dwarven country and bring the colonists to the mine proposed by Velkara when it is time. Velkara then sends the ship out to patrol local waters. William Torgaddon then arrives at the beach and receives a poor welcome. It is discovered that William is now the Scion of Titivilus and has some pull in hell. William and Aisu are brought into the monastery and meet with Bernile. Lastly Shadgrat pays Kir and Takashi to go retrieve shipments of animals for him.
In the time it takes most the group to rally for the upcoming departure Stienn is able to refine and brew his elemental Tarasque blood into 20 Firkins of brew. A gopher of unknown allegiance makes an offer to buy 15 of them for a hefty sum that will be delivered under heavy guard in the coming weeks. Velkara has all the mementoes of the fallen dwarves moved to the former barber shop of Lional and declares it a temporary crypt. An honor guard is then established. Everyone of note is then summoned to the waterfront by Danathar to discuss what he has learned from the captive spies. They learn that there is now a fortress wall spread all across the southern approach to Moonflect they keystone of which is Sederae Castle. It is expanded upon that there are dozens of forts along the wall each commanded by knights of the Sederae elites. The spies also told them that the forts are self-healing and repairing unless the power source is destroyed. The source being connected to Sederae personally within her own Castle. A dwarf then rushes over to the gathering to tell them some orb is glowing within the shrine of the dwarves. Shadgrat, Velkara, and Axar go to check it out. Stienn by contrast goes with Danathar to get more information from the captives. Shadgrat is the first to arrive but is stopped upon reaching the crafting hall by Thunderwaddle who is in the door of his shop and is highly inquisitive as to what is going on. In a panic Shadgrat swears on his blood to come back for dinner and to explain everything that is going on. Thunderwaddle calls him on this and Shadgrat ends up spilling blood which instantly evaporates sealing a soul contract for him to do so. Grigri warns him as he arrives further in that all of the dwarves are guarding the door to the barber shop and that there is an individual within. Shadgrat then goes in to greet the mystery man. Velkara is not far behind Shadgrat and makes a similar vow to Thunderwaddle. It does not take long for the two of them to deduce that it is an ancient elf. It is determined soon after by a disembodied voice in the room that there is more than just the elf present. The disembodied voice says that there are five individuals in the room including someone known as the 'Keeper'. After some time it is determined that this voice is a Fae, one of Gabriel's champions. Soon after determining that this ancient elf has been trapped for quite some time and is unaware of the current situation he demands to see King Ganlion as he finds out Thunderwaddle is nearby. This leads the group of individuals to go see Thunderwaddle, revealing that he was the King during that ancient elf's lifetime. Axar arrives at Thunderwaddles as well, and requests from him a book and receives 'Noctaphthalmus'. Everyone spends some time reminiscing with Thunderwaddle about times past, and the elf is identified as Acharn. The group then relocates back to the waterfront. Elsewhere Danathar and Steinn arrive to get the further information from the spies via violent torture they learn the walls of the fortress belt are 12 feet tall and made of stone, mortar and magic. They then return to the waterfront as well once finished.
Once everyone arrives at the waterfront, Acharn is greeted by Calx. When he is greeted, he is referred to as 'Death' by Calx. He by contrast address Calx as Lacedemonious. The exchange a brief conversation so that Acharn can learn of the results of several of the past events. First it is revealed that this region was once known as Kingdom of Vallathar, and then they discuss that the Ancient Elves beat the Ancient Dwarves in the old war, the first divine war, the last conflict of the ancient elves, and the shadow wars. Being overwhelmed by such information Acharn was given permission to lodge in the luxurious burrow of the now late Lionel. The membership of the Inferno Squad is then discussed with current members being: Aisu, Steinn, Velkara, Shadgrat, Axar, Augustus, Bernile, Vinchenzo, Weisk, Kir, Cassobier, Nim, Vash, Acharn. Following that clarification and the induction of new members, voting matters are presented. The first matter is establishing that leaving the party requires three quarters vote or willingness and also signing a non-aggression pact and NDA. Next at the behest of Cassobier, Nim is booted from the party. Next, also proposed by Cassobier, Velkara is voted as the official high priestess of the beach. Voting is concluded.
In a more private setting Shadgrat begins talks with Cassobier to get immortality from Levistus. In exchange, he will allow a gateway to hell to be opened in Starfall. Velkara is then requested to immediately accompany Cassobier to her church. Upon arrival he convinces her to officiate an annulment of his marriage and to her confusion sneaks in a clause forcing her to wear the lover's fate talisman linked to his own. Burnile secures aid and reinforcement to his monastery from Ekkidon. The party then as a whole decides to gather forces and meet up with the Flokian army.
Aisu in the background decides the party requires extra preparation and forgoes extra training with the one the gopher headmasters for a time in order to gather more forces. Aisu wastes no time at all instead of going back to the beach she goes directly to the front game of Blackscar keep. She properly introduces herself and is taken inside to see the Lord Haakon Blackscar. She also denotes a strong upswing of men and repair of the fort and presentation of household livery. Aisu then finds herself in the war room of the keep where there are 7 gemstone knights again. with the positions of the five that fell in the assault being filled by the five loyalist captains who were all elevated to the rank of gemstone. Upon inquiry it is discovered that they were able to recover and bounce back with immense support from the local populace for the new Lord Haakon. It is mostly out of a sense of obligation to make up for the failings of recent history. The new size of the guard is 820 men lead by 10 new captains. Another helping factor is the return of many local Neven loyalists and all of those individuals being set free from the dungeons after the attack. Haakon seeing the time to act takes only volunteers to go with Aisu and so 650 men lead by the Gemstones and Haakon pledge to march with Aisu.
Aisu then goes to talk to the mages that are working with Haakon lead by a man named Snarr. Talking with Snarr Aisu is able to spend 100,000 gold to hire 20 mages for the specific task of moving her armies and some minor fireball coverage for initial attacks. She then goes to the beach to raise new funds. At the beach Aisu is able to raise a bit over 300,000 gold to take with her to go hire additional men. She and the party are also convinced by Cassiobier to give him the Heart of Sederae after the fighting is done, but not her sword. He then teleports to the monastery for "dinner plans". When asked for his help with funding Kir pays one gold more than Cassiobier, then claims he will go raise a force of Kobolds, on the agreement that Aisu will house them by providing work on her ships until proper housing can be provided.
Aisu then goes to her contacts in the golden legion to acquire the additional army. For the full sum of the funds gathered she is able to draft a deal with a force known as the Axe of Gore from a fortress of the Blood Bracers to the far East in the lands of the Eastern River Alliance. It is a force of 300 cavalry, 1400-foot soldiers, and 400 crossbowmen. Their leader Thrax of Bone is a large White Dragonborn that seems to be incredibly up front. Aisu then goes to meet up with the Army of Anger learning that it consists of 3000 mounted men, 8000 foot soldiers, and 1000 archers. They are lead by the former high priest Fastvir and the Grand General of Hate Rhampart.
To start off planning before even leaving the beach Shadgrat uses one a ring of conversation to talk to King Neven to discuss their plans. Neven relays that he does not have much knowledge to share that would help but trusts the party to take care of things. He also informs that both himself and Tarrik are occupied with fighting back the fleet of infinite darkness, Lady Larrisa is mustering the best army she can, Lady Zeth and Krong are still battling the Knights of Lupis, and what's left of Krong's navy is also dealing with the fleet of infinite darkness. As he wraps up his discussion a rusted red portal opens and Thrax and Haakon step onto the beach in order to discuss tactics for the upcoming fight. Before it closes Axar ducks into the portal to investigate the new troops. Axar is immediately greeted by the sight of the great war hall of the Axe of Gore and their members participating in a great feast. He sneaks around and attempts to steal several times. Axar also discovers that there are several other chapters of the blood bracers within the fortress. He does especially note that the chapter that the party hired functions much like a group of adventurers two thousand strong. He also notices that there is an extremely coveted coin going around the tables of gambling and drinking that seems to pass hands frequently, he sets his eyes on this and after some time is able to snag it. He is almost immediately caught and is forced to give up his own gold as recompense. He is then returned via the portal. Upon discussing the line of fortresses allies of the party discuss that it is a line of forts and castles settled on hills and ridges along the southern approach to Moonflect all connected magically by a spell that creates walls. The forest is also cut back making sneaking up to the forts near impossible. Cassiobier and Vinchenso offer to go scout out the castle Sederae with rats and war bats with the hellknights going with them as extra force in case of discovery. Acharn makes them some rocks to carry that consume visual data to report back as well as giving them speed potion leading to 23 of them surviving and making a quite good map. They then go to further call war council with Fastvir and Rhampart.
Upon arrival at the council they discover that the Army of hate has been split into five distinct forces. Each army is arrayed from 2000 to 2700 with the largest being led by the main commanders. The forces are The Chalace lead by Fastvir, The Redeemers led by General Rhampart, Spearpoint led by Captain Ardberg, Shrillreek lead by Captain Obaday, and The Rage lead by Priest Oskien. There is also news that very soon the war council will be joined by Lord Cipher and an additional small force. Fastvir reveals that he has now fought Sederae twice directly using the Chalice of hate, but it is now useless. The party then catch the commanders of the Army of Hate up on the other events currently ongoing. While detailing information it is learned that the knight that is with Sederae is likely the most Ancient being in the region to their knowledge. Maps are then brought out and poured over so that a plan can be made. Thrax proposes to attack six fortresses in a staggered manor to stretch the forces of Sederae thin as well as tire her out some. The first assault was planned to be headed by the Chalace and Fastvir reinforced by Cassiobier and Danathar as well as their hellknights and Devils to enguage Sederae personally. The second assault to be at the fortress directly next to that by The Rage. The third assault far from the first two will be by The Redeemers and Rhampart backed up by Haakon, the Gemstones, Kir, and his family. Cipher and his forces will remain in reserve to reinforce where needed. The fourth and fifth attack by the Spearpoint and Shrillreek will be by the to the forts left and right of Sederae, Acharn gives both of these groups potionsi of the storm to help with their assaults. The conclave is then ended so that the fight can begin.
Right before first light two individuals take issue with the plan at hand. The first to take issue is Cassiobier who is quite convinced he is being sent to die. After confirming that he will receive the heart and the reminder that his health is connected to Velkara he agrees. The second individual to take issue is Vinchenso who wants to go with the party and actually do something. He also makes the point that is has a crossbow loaded with a bolt of devil slaying made of Seraph Steel.
The assault finally begins at Fort Marville early in the morning. With the plan in place and commanders present the army of The Chalace advances with fanatical zeal. The wizards open up with their volley of fireballs and then the Elite forces move in making short work of all they come across. Then Sederae arrives. Danathar is killed in the opening blow and then Cassiobier is put on the backfoot. It takes little to no time for the Hellknights and Devils to be cut to tatters and Cassiobier survives only by Velkara chugging health potions and using healing potions. Soon the Hellknights take him and retreat and upon arrival it is seen that his sword has been destroyed to the hilt which is fused to his metal gauntlet. The party of them is healed up by Velkara using greater restoration and Cassiobier immediately orders 7 of the surviving Hellknights to put down the 8th who he calls traitor; the order is carried out without question. News of the second assault soon starts to roll in telling of quite high losses. The party immediately changes the plan.
The party immediately rolls out new orders. The 6th Assault is to begin immediately on Castle Rohrback then 10 minutes later the attack on Fortress Falquemont then 15 minutes after that the ones on Fort Boulay and Castle Colmar. Vinyard is called to join with the main assault with all haste. The party proper then move in. They plan to super heat the gate then has Vinchenso release the Behemoth Hippopotamus to run through it while archers rain retribution down on the fort. Aisu flies over the army as everyone charges. Aisu is immediately targeted by trickstar and is attempted to be relocated to a place that gives the feeling of being safe. She is brought to a time dilatated room where a tall almost elf looking individual sits, on the table before him is a time diamond. He identifies himself as the vampire Vledavost. Aisu immediately realizes that he is not however undead, and he has a heartbeat. Aisu and Vledavost discuss all sorts of things and make several key determinations. One major find is that Vledavost has been asleep since before the gods battled the elementals for rulership. Vledavost also discusses that the vampire race begun as clans decending from the primordial beings. Aisu then asks why he is working for Sederae and he explains that it is due to a deal made with her. He was offered a time diamond, a wife of proper station, and 3 villages to rule. He tells Aisu that he will be forced to kill the party unless a better offer is presented. Aisu swaps to the primordial language and offers him Lordship of the Beach of Golden Emergence presiding over a council of the party, Help finding a wife of proper station, and The True Fang of Asmodai. He accepts the deal and warns to call off the attack to the east as his cousin Valcannon is there and that army would all die. Vledavost returns Aisu then sits back to wait to help with the final push while his castle is taken and purged of the Loyalists to Sederae.
The hippo breaks the door down with little difficulty and the armies begin to clash. The party leave the commanders under them to orchestrate the army under them as they sneak around to infiltrate the castle Sederae above. Cassiobier and the remaining 7 Hellknights follow behind as the party members Velkara, Aisu, Shadgrat, Acharn, Vinchenso, and Bernile are led by Vledavost. The health potions are then given to Cassobier and the gate to the Castle Sederae is broken. They begin to fight through the bottom level making it to the yard of the island in front of the castle gate proper. Many defenders are fought in the bottom level before reaching that point most notably two chiss war golems the inert golem is placed in the bag of holding of Shadgrat.
The losses are then soon tallied up. The attack on Fortress Faulqumont had 11% fatalities. The canceled attack on Castle Colmar resulted in 5% losses as they were chased by a monster by reports. The assault on Castle Rohrback had 24% fatalities. The attack on Fort Boulay had 64% fatalities. The assault on Fort Marville had 96% fatalities. The assault on Fort Thionville had 80% fatalities. With all said and done much of the army is crippled but with great planning, reinforcements, and healing lots are able to recover. A definite swing of influence is seen however with most of the deaths being from the most zealous of the army.
The party kicks off the final of the days assaults by crossing from the top floor of the entry tower to the second floor of Sederae Castle. On the second floors terrace the party clash with the elite of Sederaes house and that of Vichi and soon find out the latter are known as the High Riders of Vichi. Opening what turns out to be a quite entertaining battle Velkara animates two of the balatas used by the defenders as well as a barrel, one of the Ballestas is even able to skewer and launch a knight from the castle entirely. They continue to do battle with the dozens of Elites and slowly force onto the terrace and across it. During the fight Vledavost makes several of the forces for Vichi disappear after grabbing them by the neck. After the fight he ask the party to delay for a literal minute and resurrects several of those men of Vichi then makes them disappear in a similar fashion. They advance inside the castle but upon a comment of none being worthy Vledavost torches the first room in blue flame killing everyone in an instant. The party continue further in with Acharn sealing the way behind them with an immovable rod. Vledavost and Bernile split from the others and the party splits up clearing the floor with Cassobier and his Hellknights clearing the first floor. Soon the majority of the party run into the throne room proper where it seems a response force was being mustered. The party then tear into the forces with high tear magics and large damage area abilities and make quite short work of the conglomerated force. The party comes back together and pauses for another minute for Vledavost to arise more of the fallen. This time Velkara aids him in doing so. As Cassiobier and his group clear the first group they detain several of the forces from Vichi. The party then go up to the main floor and engage the final of Sederaes knights, a select group of four who are absolutely no match. Lastly, they heal up and take some potions of long rest before going up for the final confrontation.
As the party get to the top of the stairs, they immediately recognize the voice of the King Francis Jovial Kiv Allobaster, "Kill them or die here". Velkara is able to register Allobaster as a celestial and recognize that he has his divine weapon as well as another fully trapped and useable domain. Velkara then prays for divine intervention to Bahamut and it is successful. Allobaster turns to the party and makes the claim that he will soon ascend then he departs. Sederae suggests the party take things seriously from the start and goes right into her infernal form. Bernile reacts fastest and activates all his ice gear, angel wings, and halo. She attempts to immediately wish Vledavost away but the resulting chain of counterspells ends in the party's favor. Vinchenso calls out for all possible aid and with a blessing from Velkara, a potion of the blade from Acharn, and buffs from Vledavost via his ring infusing power into the weapon, Vinchenso lands an extremely powerful shot. In addition, his crossbow is permanently given a burnt lighting pattern of dark red. She attempts another extremely high tier spell but is shut down again. She then swings out with both weapons devastating both Bernile and Vledavost. The combat continues with Vledavost landing an exterminate ray and Velkara being hit by the Eye of Tallomhet. Sederae attempts to stop time to use a long rest potion but is stopped when Velkara smashes it surprising her. Sederae is able to recover some health however and then she strikes Velkara with the Fang. Vledavost is struck and forced into another larger form that is clearly much more powerful. He is then struck with the fang again. Vledavost then comments to do as much damage as they can so that he can make sure she stays dead. Everyone does as much as possible with a golden dragon-bold even showing up and using a scroll to weaken her before finally Vledavost uses Absolute Murder on her.
She is finally defeated. Shadgrat then immediately grabs the fang and hands it to Vledavost. Bernile then gets some form of premonition and claims her tongue as his personal prize. Shadgrat claims the castle renaming it Cluckingham Palace. Vledavost informs the party that he collected 17 knights and 46 of the soldiers of the high riders. He then uses another item to bring 155 of the fallen with him to be brought back later with the blessing of the raven queen. He then tells the party to make sure his own castle is not raided, and Kir is stopped just in time. Kir agrees to halt his raid but makes Velkara agree to help him raid Castle Colmar instead. Velkara then informs Neven of their victory. The party then delves into the dispersion of the loot from the various engagements.
Velkara continues her conversation with Neven learning what she can about other ongoing issues. Krong has yet to take the city and it is not quite confirmed as to why. Vampires have managed to land on the coast just south of the mountains. More and more gods are advocating for violence as an answer. He also asks for the party to attempt to take care of the other local castles. Velkara then attempts to speak with and placate Bernile some but is unsuccessful. She appologises more and Bernile does agree to help with Castle Colmar. Finally the party group back up to go upstairs to see the true haul of Castle Sederae. Awaiting them at the top of the stairs is the King Francis Jovial Kiv Allobaster.
"Well well, what a nostalgically familiar sight. A party of so called hero's bound together by common cause against the odds of individual loyalty.
I suppose you find yourselves the righteous few to slay the evil king. The slayers of the great and Evil Sederae. HA! Careful of your actions for those who fight monsters are bound to be just so.
You act as champions of the realm many offering Gloria in Excelsis but I question...why challenge me? What slight have I shown you? I am no less fair and just than your King Neven who carries a demon sword. You know not who you fight for or against in truth. You know not even your own path.
Your path...you think yourselves Heros! The Inferno Squad! Already you embrace the nature of your future. It's all for the greater good until you look away from the fire of your "justice" to view the ashes of your own consequence. Lives extinguished so that the people that do survive your "rescue" can pin metals to your armor slicked with the blood of countless sons and fathers! You'll realize then that once you taste the salt from the tears of regret that the water of life will never again taste sweet.
You all think yourselves different and individual, but you are the same as all the others that come before. It is all an endless cycle of violence and loss I will break. You all follow walked steps on a paved road. Enough! This isn't about you! This is my story! I am owed this! I am the last hero! If you intend to fight so desperately for this endless cycle, then I am ready to make you a footnote to my glory! Draw your blades Inferno Squad my quill is ready! Die before the necessity of reality forces you to become the thing you swore to destroy! This is...my final mercy. You will serve to be the example that all others will soon learn from.
My ritual...is already completed.
Oderint dum meduant. Flectere si nequeo Deus. Ergo mea carpe Deus. Tempus edax rerum actum est. AVE! Verbum Die! Mea Verbum! .....Aeternum Vale!"
Allobaster then attempts to slay the party by a few methods the most powerful of which appears as a white phantom claw that splits into 13 sections each seeking out a member of the Inferno Squad. The spell is named packs end but is stopped and the Allobaster is confronted by the God Zaratros. He claims dominion over the situation as a party of Heros under the strength of rightness is threatened by an external divine force. Allobaster leaves near immediately unwilling to engage in conflict with the stronger God. Zaratros then explains to the party that his ultimate power is derived from the legends of hero's past, present, and future and that it is his duty to oversee and protect such individuals. He tells the party that he has a plan for them to go and do battle with the Evil King Allobaster who is currently in an in between state of mortality and divinity. Once the party is near bringing low the new god Zaratros theorizes that Zornskern will intervene and try to strike out at the party. Once outside his divine realm the plan is for Zaratros to kill Zornskern and claim his domain, the divine domain of victory. Taking the domain back to his divine fortress Zaratros plans to save his wife, insure the birth of his children, and usher forth a new age of Gods and Mortals.
This public proclamation of his plans right before the party and anyone else who happens to be listening grants him both the attention and the ire of the God of Time, Pelor, and the Goddess of Death, The Raven Queen. It also inspires the newest party member Acharn to swear a pact of loyalty to Zaratros. Zaratros tells him that his actions and deeds of the past might be forgotten to mortal memory, but they remain known to himself. At the behest of the god, he also forswears the ancient animosity towards the dwarven race. He further offers the information that his former god, the one most pivotal to his past, Quinzstar was slain by the party, and that the last vestiges of his power remain with his truest slayer, Velkara. At this revelation the Reaper Chicken bawks in shock immediately relaying the information to its true master. At the telling of this information the Fae that lives part time in the hood of Acharn comes out warning that time and death approach, with master and the storm standing ready to intercept before leaving the vicinity. A circle of death envelopes the castle the party is gathered inside killing all that it touches from men to animals, down to the very grass of the ground. Time within the circle is then stopped. The Reaper Chicken remains unaffected and soon takes the form of an actual reaper and offers a deal for the Raven Queens neutrality. Zaratros can give up his children, the hammer of Velkara, and Velkara herself and the neutrality will be continued. Otherwise Pelor will battle with Kord and Gabriel while the Raven Queen comes to kill Zaratros. Gloating the Reaper then comments that no ally in heaven or the neutral planes know of what is going on, so no help is coming. Velkara then takes advantage of her time work around and makes a divine intervention to call upon aid from Asmodeus. He chooses the most unlikely way of intervention and just uses that as an anchor to come himself. Immediately upon his arrival he spots the fang and takes it back, absorbing it and becoming noticeably more powerful. He gives Velkara a warning to pass to Stienn that he must be careful using the Lance of Khun as it is far more than just a normal imitation. Given the appearance of the King of Hell blowing things beyond intended proportions the gods then all end up dispersing. Where Asmodeus stood is now the weapon Silverfang. The handle of it is now red with the blessing of the King of Hell adding a fraction of his fang's acid venom to the weapon, its durability was also increased by molting in the forges of hell.
Before departing Zaratros offers to Acharn two options:
He can have immediate power or a quest with the potential for a far greater reward.
Choosing to take the quest Acharn is given the reward of immediate power and the quest itself. The quest to slay the champion of Victory, Fabious. Zaratros himself then departs.
In the background Shadgratt is transported to Gabriel. He is gifted an emerald statue near to his own likeness as an apology for the pranks of the past. He explains that he messed with Shaddgrat because the gods all watch the party, and he was the most funny and unaligned member that could be fucked with. He then claims for the conflicts to come he is in need of a greedy bastard to be his new champion of gold or ambition. Shadgrat chooses gold and is informed that his eyes and coat will both discolor slowly over time to reflect his new championship. He is then sent back to the party his eyes already turning golden.
The party then make quick work dividing up all the loot available with some noticeable directions being Bernile getting the Levistine Tongue, Vinchenso getting the Aetherline, A chest of Ashen Armor being set aside for Agustus to form a secondary 50 strong grat company, Kir forgoes anything wanting to instead get more from the raid on Castle Colmar. Vledavost is immensely displeased by the turn of events. Velkara promises to make him a weapon on part with the true fang once materials can be procured. Calling her bluff Vledavost asks if she is so overconfident that she thinks she could mold the bones of an original being. He then calls the fae out to bind a deal between them, a contract of souls is then signed. Velkara is taken to the door of his vault and is made to wait outside before he comes out producing a small quantity of very powerful items: A section of the hide of Dagon, a horn of Malcanthet, five claws of the demon prince the queen of chaos, and the claw of the Demon King Zhard. The Claw is stored within a perfect cube that is the key to a pocket dimension that will require her to enter with total mental security and warriors of ability to obtain.
A war council is then gathered from the remaining forces. Fastvir, Rhampart, Cipher, Haakon, Vledavost, Thrax, and members of the party come together to make the plans for what is to come next. It is learned that there are 6 instant fortresses' being used among the 13 border castles that could all be reclaimed. An agreement is made with the Axe of Gore that for 300,000 gold and the 6 forts they will move to the beach and attempt to grow to the size of 4,000 men that will defend the beach and contract to the party at a discount, as well as holding the forts on the border for the foreseeable future. The gold is quickly paid and castles promised, plans are immediately drawn up to take the remaining forts.
The war council makes plans for the assaults on the 10 remaining castles. With Aisu and Shadgrat rooting the newly renamed Cluckingham Palace in place and restablishing the connecting walls and teleportation system it takes the most minimal effort for the most part. Velkara spends most of this time recovering herself and the wounded across the allied forces. Acharn sets up a feast for the most injured two dozen men between the armies healing them all instantly. The party comes back together however to face the fortress that is the greatest remaining threat, Castle Colmar. Castle Colmar is found to be empty all except for its newly awakened lord the vampire Valcannon. He is soon found out to be neutral and is only seeking to protect his own castle. Kir admits he already knew all this. The fae in Acharn's hood when asked further identifies Valcannon as neutral. Aisu questions Kir if killing Valcannon is completely necessary...and also if it's possible. Kir drops a glamor that only Aisu can see past showing that he has at least 3 rings on each finger. He comments that he is only so intent on this because he knows Valcannon has one of the remaining two platinum risk axes. Cutting past the chatter Valcannon confirms that he has only been awake for three days and after a short conversation a contract is made between him and the party. Some goods detailed in the contract swap hands and he agrees to wait in his castle until some knights and priests also detailed in the contract arrive. The party then use all available forces to go castle to castle overwhelming any remaining defenders.
The permanent castles are all but destroyed by Aisu when peace talks are denied leaving only Castle Ardennes which is garrisoned by a group of humans from Vichi lead by Knight Commander Garro. Aisu then goes to the castle to talk things out. Aisu goes to that keep to speak with the Captain Garro. He requests to formally surrender to Bernile personally but does tentitavly do so to Aisu. He has with him a force of 3 captains, 17 knights, and 970 soldiers. Once the castle is somewhat awkwardly sceded to Aisu, Bernile is contacted. Bernile handles the rest while Aisu agrees to help with any issues. They agree to defect from the Vampire aligned army of Allobaster and to join with the army and church monistary of Bernile to repent for their past oversights.
Lady Belva Verdge- High lady of Montpellier and of the Red Dragon Lineage
Their Grace Valentine Everbright-
Lord Malachi Florent- Lesser Lord of Montpellier and of the Green Dragon Lineage
High Shadow of the Shadowtomb- Lesser Lord of Montpellier and of the clan Shadowtomb
Sir Constantine Dayne- Lesser Lord of Montpellier and a hero from the great river.
Zephrine Verdge- Captain of the Dragons Guard and of the Red Dragon Lineage
Sasha Brax- Wife to lord Florent and soon to take over the position of power to balance issues between chromatic and metalic dragons.
Nicholas Stone- Guild Master of the crafting association in the city of Montpellier
The Canary- High Priestess of the church of Bahamut
Zine Florent- High Priest of the Church of Maloghurst
Diatoss EvenkHell- High Priest of the Church of Pelor
Vaash Assassinorum- Well connect gopher that runs his family's assets in the city.
Tarrik Torgaddon has a bloodstone dagger made by Kir.
The leader of the Axe of Gore, Thrax, has 48 sons.
Kir has several dozen siblings and living family in the hundreds.
King Neven has no Bounty on his head.
King Allobaster has no gold Bounty.
Bernile has no Bounty posted.
Kir has a new 4,500,000 bounty posted (3/29/2025)
Zir has a 1,250,000 Bounty posted
Word has spread of the True Rat Kings Awakening
Vampires have returned to the continent (several cities to the south and west have gone dark)