Good combat, I will try to take what I learned moving forward and apply it to further combats to continue improving
The party witnessed the ritual to fix humans, Elyxtraza would drain them of their vitality, making them weak husks, then use a ritual dagger to cut out a tiny golden thread that was their spark, she'd place the spark in a cup and then feed it to a big chained up barbarian looking man she has and refuses to elaborate on. She fixed all of their humans this way
The party then joined Evander and E as they hunted down the shard, finding it on the banks of a river attempting to use some human cultists to flee, the leader of these cultists, Gustavo Gaviera, was having none of it and denounced her as a outsider, stating that Martius fought against their kind and he will continue that legacy. This is odd as it seems that other leaders of the cult such as Amina Toberesu are actually working with the outsiders, and of course there is a great deal of connection and overlap between the outsider Zhaulash and Martius and the cultists as well.
The party interrupted this fight, Gustavo slew the bad shard of Tsara'Noga while the good shard, now named Abby, consumed the remains. The party then knocked out Gustavo and handed him over to E who promised to interrogate him and relay any information she uncovered back to them. Evander then departed, stating that it was a pleasure to hunt the fey and shadowfell's great enemy alongside them like this, he will relay their valor and victory to the princes, he thinks the party and the fey should be and are friends now.
The party then left back to Ecumenopolis, finding Red and his mechadrones leading a desperate last ditch defense of the engine core, they battled their way through a hallway of rage zombies and inserted the engine core and computer control chip just as Zhaulash and Tsara'Noga burrowed into the engine core. Then the Lord of Lightning arrived. Zyraxus defeated the outsiders and brought Ecumenopolis fully back online, this awakening of the mightiest demigod summoned representatives of the first born races to deal with him as follows:
Eve of the angels tried to explain how the compact was used to avoid war between the first born in the absence of most of their demigods and all of the gods, but Ecu wasnt having any of it. He sees the compact as being unjustly forced upon his children in the absence of their father and since he didnt sign it, he is free to oppose it which he does. He states he is taking command of the forces of light, that the war against the outsiders is not over yet, and he will lead them to victory. He tasks the angels with doubling their patrols between the planets and stars, apparently there are a great many minor outsiders gathering and plotting there while most of the major shards of the outsiders were just barely defeated and the actual outsiders themselves still remain in their prisons.
Elyxtraza used her control over Ecu, which the party secretly revealed to Ecu, Zyraxus, and McGucket, to have him task the devils with assembling their legions for inspection. As he now leads the forces of light, she used this as a pretense for a light sentence, something that weakens the angels and strengthens the devils.
Cadrith, an adult silver dragon who was present at the chateau meeting between Saxony and Rommaco and spoke with Kaden, said that her people were suffering as the cult has mislead and used Garruk, leader of Angrose, tricking him into leading an army of warriors and giants up to their gathering place. Apparently the dragons have found a large shard of Niogdrassil and are using it to try and collect their people and thoughts, hoping to save themselves from the curse of Vonaya that removes their intelligence and in doing so, bring them back into the fight for the light. Ecu said he would not be willing to help her as that would involve fighting second born, something he is loathe to do, he hopes she is able to find a peaceful solution to this issue that doesnt result in servants of the light, however misguided, dying.
McGucket revealed he was the one who created the cardinals, who planned this whole thing in order to resserect Ecumenopolis, hes quite proud of it but Ecu is disgusted at the methods used to bring him back to life. The Sultana reveals the war that Natinal is expoliting to accomplish this task and Ecu admonishes McGucket for not leading his nation properly. He tasks McGucket with ending the oppression of their colonial states, of drawing in all the power and resources of Natinal to prepare for the real war to come, McGucket accepts.
To the Sultana he asks what she is up to as apparently she is one of the most knowledgable second born about the matters going on outside of Tetra. She explains she is investigating the prisons of the gods, searching for weakness they could exploit and strengths she could use them for to serve the light. Ecu warns her not to get wrapped up in her work to the expense of her nation, like McGucket did. She seemed reluctant to accept but agreed and will now attempt to resolve the war waging on her borders first, only Polania and an expeditionary force of Saxons remain now that Natinal has pulled out
The party asked Ecu to blow up the dread harbor, planning to use the battle to sneak inside the cultist stronghold and rescue Kaden
