SoS: Ultimatum

General Summary

When we last left our heroes, they had just dispatched a detachment of siege weapons in the ruins of Low End. The Shields were joined by Jezebel who journeyed back into Shiftgate to witness the strange devilish garrison. Jez apologized for being late and that she needed time to prepare the overwhelming force of cambions and bone devils. The Shields witnessed the remainder of the Jade Dragonate battalion being bound and escorted to Shift Field where they were lined. The Shields were led inside the Guild Hall now guarded by tiefling. Inside, the envoys from Gyre and House Dusk were held seated in the audience while the politics of the Lower Wylds were to be decided.
Jez requested the elemental gem of fire and used it commune with her patron, Zariel. Zariel polymorphed Jez’s body into her own and spoke to the Conclave directly. A brief back-and-forth of disbelief befell Hope and her family’s patron. It was then that Zariel began her ultimatums with each party. The Shields were offered help in stopping the invasion of Otway at the price that they would accept whomever Zariel placed there. Zariel also offered to make them immune to the corruption of the Scorch and would bolster Sentynel if they agreed to seal the Scorch away and to ‘kill all the demons in the desert becoming wardens of the Scorch’. This deal, written on infernal skin, was written in the blood of its signers. Through this strong blood pact, each of the affect Shields officially became tieflings. By the end of the interaction, Jez returned to normal and lamented that they were all just ‘instruments of fate’.
Outside, Hope found Sharna brutalized, strapped to a scaffolded pillory. Hope drew a knife in rage and screamed at Sharna to beg for her life. Sharna’s oath to country prevented her from defecting. It was only the steely words of Aesyn, asking her to extend her oath to defeating these fiends encroaching from all sides (and thanks to a natural 20.) Sharna slumped her head and accepted. Aesyn demanded that any others who care to fight against the north to stand. Sharna interceded with a dragonborn adage “Every dragon is born platinum” alluding to the purity of hearts. Only two others joined the Shields. The rest were brutalized and killed on Shift Field. They retreated to the Lady’s Glove and rested for the night. In the morning, they joined House Dusk in their caravan back to Otway. Phara appeared affected by her deal with red tipped plumage as did Danja. Phara admitted that she was offered rule as Primarch of Otway only if she obeyed Zariel’s commands. Hope held the weeping aarakocra as they rode east toward her city…

Report Date

17 Jun 2020

Primary Location

Shiftgate