Session 42: Into the Vault

General Summary

Return to Velthurak

The group reconvened in Velthurak, the city still simmering with restless energy in the wake of the Crucible purifications. Supplies were gathered, last-minute trades brokered, and lingering tensions eased before we turned our gaze south—toward the storm. The Cindershroud loomed like a bruise on the horizon, swirling with ash, flame, and omen. We entered, slowed by the choking air and blinded by the whorling grit, but not deterred.

The Vault Unsealed

After hours of trudging through blackened dunes and murmuring shadow, the storm’s weight seemed to lift all at once. In its center stood a monolith wrapped in unnatural calm, and nestled into the eye of the ashen storm, the Gate to the Vault of Broken Chains—alive with ancient flame. With the reassembled key presented, the fire unraveled, revealing the dark below.

Fiends at the Threshold

The Vault did not welcome us gently. Shadows skittered along the walls, and then came the chitin—Ximtals flanking an Astradaemon, all bearing the taint of distant planes. The battle was fierce but decisive. The Ximtals fell swiftly to blade and fang, and the Astradaemon, denied its feast of souls, dissolved with a shriek that echoed into the stonework.

The Gold and the Lie

The next chamber glimmered with promise: piles of gold spilling across the floor. Dulb’s eyes lit up like a child’s, but as he moved to scoop treasure into his bag, something lashed out—not physically, but mentally. Waves of psychic agony crashed through us, each stronger than the last, though Dulb seemed curiously untouched. The deception was clear. Of all the glittering hoard, only ten coins were real. Still, he pocketed them—grimacing at the cost exacted on the rest of us.

Flamebound Door and the Fallen Champion

We found a door warded in pure flame. Without the tools to pass through it, we moved on, heading south to a chamber of butchered sacrifice. Beyond it, a testing room. Goq—brave, stubborn Goq—stepped into the center and declared himself without hesitation. He fell dead instantly.
I did not scream. I remember that much.
Yet the party responded with alarming nonchalance, treating his sudden death as a puzzle to be worked rather than a tragedy to be mourned. The rest of us explored the side chambers while his body cooled.

Shadows of the Past

To the side we found a well of red paranoia and a tomb containing the mummified remains of Noxtavien, one of the Vault’s ancient caretakers. We disturbed him—accidentally, I think—but his raving proved invaluable. He warned of Melkorion, of fiendish lieutenants, and of a prayer that could unravel the arcane seal protecting the Soulforge.
Then, without drama or flourish, Goq sat up again. No breath, no heartbeat—just motion. Apparently, the test’s purpose had been corrupted by Melkorion, but the sacrifice was never meant to be permanent. His resurrection felt like a quiet miracle.

Spirits and Secrets

We uncovered Noxtavien’s journal next, offering clarity and sorrow. The Vault had once been a sanctum, a divine archive of purpose and memory. Now it teetered on desecration. Elsewhere, we found a chamber full of listless spirits—fragments of beings who had failed their purpose and lingered behind. Dulb, ever the eccentric, gave them new purpose: as part of his "ghost crew." I’m unsure whether to be horrified or impressed… or both.

Shields and Strikes

Our progress halted at a heavy door behind which the sound of sparring echoed. Two Cinder Knights trained and spoke of Melkorion’s nearing triumph. We hoped to listen; they heard us first. The doors burst open. Dulb, as ever, rushed in—only to be met by hammering blows that felled him in seconds. Goq and Warby countered, striking back with enough force to shatter shields. The battle had begun again.

Campaign

The New Dawnbreakers

Protagonists

Sunny Grannach

Brazen White Bulb Conquering Red Blossom

Dulb the Deckhand

Dulb's sheet

Level 13 Swashbuckler.

Health

/

Goq-Ixai

Report Date

14 Jun 2025