Session 86: The Crew Escapes

General Summary

Misc. Updates

• Lingering injuries: instead of receiving a critical hit you can instead take a lingering injury instead. I think it worked out with Maleakos pretty well. I also reserve the right to inflict them in critical moments
• Flanking is active
• Cube update — there were two objects from the CAG Initiation arc:
  • There was an artifact in the Cogs that Shiksu recovered, but you stole — taking it to CAG, where in their research center it was revealed to be a banner of the fallen Dhakaani empire
  • There is a cube you recovered from Shiksu’s mansion that was not brought to CAG. It remains in your possession and it has yet to be opened. The only lead you have is that it vibrates ever so slightly around dead bodies
• Dreamer’s Fancy dream: Inspired approached you and said “Tell…your kalashtar…the Dreaming Dark is becoming enslaved…our power…harnessed…will tear Khorvaire asunder…"

Time in the White Room

• N'nchyk's journal was returned to him. Pinned to the cover was a note - "Recompense — for your incineration of our common enemy."
• Philip created a new piece of origami for each member of the Crew.
  • Bagan: A uniquely dwarven forgehammer, a reminder of his home in the Mror Holds and the ingenuity that its resident dwarves stand for
  • Viribus: An ornate Dragon’s head — one of the symbols of the Dragon’s Elite, the organization Viribus established in Sharn. It is a memento of Viribus’ legacy beyond the many foes that have been slaughtered by his sword
  • Dooturr: An unmistakable four-legged friend. Though the origami paper is sharp and angular, there is no mistaking the fluffy tail, perked ears, and wide eyes of Dooturr’s beloved Njord.
  • Ashpin: The arrow of the Silver Flame, remembering their shared faith and their trips to the Silver Flame chapels in Sharn. One side is the traditional symbol unchanged, but the other side is made of a different, darker, rougher kind of origami paper — representative of the two separated yet united aspects of Ashpin
  • Frisian and N’nchyk: to each, a claviodica, a replica of the one-of-a-kind instrument whose strings only Maleakos could bring to life. As it was made from memory it contained its imperfections, and yet just by looking at it, N’nchyk and Frisian could almost still hear Maleakos’ dulcet voice
  • Each gift is accompanied by a sad, yet hopeful smile from Philip. Even in this dire time — especially in this dire time — the old man still keeps each of you in his thoughts.
• The Crew felt their magic return, and subsequently battled four barlguras. However, it turned out to be a group hallucination, and each member of the Crew suffered a form of madness. N'nchyk and Bagan developed OCD. Dooturr suffered an extreme form of amnesia. Philip went blind. Viribus suffered extreme paranoia. Ashpin became confused.
• Throughout the period of capture, Frisian slowly felt himself grow distanced from the Devourer. Prayers went unanswered and the storm that once raged within began to flicker into darkness. Consulting with Philip lent the warmth of the Silver Flame to him. Frisian, Philip, and Ashpin all prayed together, in which a silver spark passed from Philip to Frisian.
• That night, Tira Miron - the Voice of the Flame - appeared to Frisian in a dream. He was knelt in an empty field. Tira Miron said that Frisian stood at threshold - kept between what he was, and what he must become. She told him of a former Silver Flame cleric, Sir Dain Thrashbury, that was bound by the Tempest's storm. In freeing him, Frisian could also free himself of the shackles of the storm, and become something new.

The Rescue

• A party of allies, led by Sir Theobald Evans, appeared to the Crew: Aegothiaryss of the Wandering Tale, Massimo, mob boss of the Skeleton Crime Syndicate and friend of Dooturr, Linette Nitysu, horizon walker paladin of the Dusk Watchers and friend of Ashpin, Gatekeeper Kyro, firemaster Gatekeeper of the Stead Pyre Circle and friend of N’nchyk and the Crew, Duncan Anvilbender, dwarven warrior of the Mror Holds and brother of Bagan, and Nicholas Blunt, field mechanic and war artificer of the Karrnathi army, and friend of Viribus.
• Theobald recounted his journey and how it led to the Crew:
  • As they know, he was studying the Draconic Prophecy in Zyddrydem . He noticed in his studies the recurrence of the number 6, and the Crew themselves kept surfacing. He discussed this with the dragons, who too began to investigate — very rarely, if ever, did specific mortals arise in the prophecy. But the dragons confirmed Theobald’s findings. Now, the Crew was known throughout Zyddrydem as well.
  • He then heard about the Crew’s capture by Droaam. This greatly worried Theobald — not only because of the peril the Crew was in, but because it didn’t make sense. The Daughters of Sora Kell also abided by the Prophecy, and were unlikely to misinterpret it. He thought it much more likely for the hags to ally with the Crew than to capture them.
  • Theobald managed to convince his dragon colleagues to help plan to rescue the Crew. He could not yet call these dragons friends — in the span of a dragon lifetime, he had just met them extremely recently — but they recognized the importance of the Crew. 
  • Through a long, arduous, and extremely complicated process, they managed to divine the location of the Crew, and Theobald was granted a dragonfang gate — a one-time use item that would allow him to summon a portal into the Crew’s place of capture.
  • However, the magic of the Crew’s binding required that the dragonfang be used from within the Demon Wastes. So, Theobald needed a way to get in, and a group to help traverse the dangerous landscape.
  • One of the dragons of Zyddrydem spoke to Theobald in private and told him about Aegothiaryss and his traveling tavern. He requested that Theobald did not mention this to the other dragons.
  • Aegoth was very willing to help — he had met the Crew and greatly enjoyed their company. His tavern could be used to enter the Demon Wastes, but would not be able to get out, due to the ancient magic protecting the land.
  • And so, Theobald started to assemble a team — a team of those the Crew would trust, and therefore he could trust. He apologized that it took so long, but there was a lot to track down off of little information.
  • Theobald doubted that the Crew would have appeared in the Prophecy had it not been for the Crew’s exploits throughout Khorvaire — it was their heroism that allowed him to find them.
• The reuniting was emotional for all involved. The Crew had not known if they were getting out alive, if at all. Not only were they escaping, but it was by the hands of some of their greatest allies they had created and nurtured while they had become great heroes - perhaps an oversight on the part of Brucos.
• Massimo shared the following updates:
  • The creation of the skeleton nation has been proceeding rather smoothly, out of the reaches of the chaos of Breland.
  • The Dagger River port constructed by Dooturr has been funding a large portion of the project.
  • The Sixth Platoon has been helping with the physical labor involved in the creation of the skeleton nation. When the Platoon first fled to Sharn, the SCS graciously sheltered them, recognizing their distinct yet simultaneously shared nature.
  • The very beginnings of a small town have been constructed — consists of no more than housing, a tavern, and secure underground storage for contraband.
  • Massimo has been trying to establish rapport with necromancers to create skeleton drones to serve as bulk bonepower, but has remained unsuccessful. He requested the aid of the Crew to locate such a group of people.
• Kyro shared the following updates:
  • There have been a worrying rise of N’nchyk-like corrupted hosts with varying degrees of success — Terran d’Vadalis was one of the most successful
  • There is a general sense of discomfort among the circles. They have remained successful in keeping the daelkyr themselves at bay, but the rise of their influence is concerning. If the daelkyr are trapped, where is their presence coming from?
• Linette shared the following updates:
  • Thrane has seen an increase in aberrant activity, beyond what is typical. She knows nothing about the daelkyr, but it could be related.
  • From Thrane's point of view, Breland's downfall has been horrifying. It’s like the country has slowly torn itself apart since the War ended. King Boranel used to be respected, even honored. And now everything just seems to have crumbled from within. She asks what the Crew plans to do about the current state of Breland.
  • Compared to Breland, Thrane itself has been thriving. However, there is a sense of unease — even dread — within the scholars and priests of the Silver Flame. Between the Sovereign Host pope’s meddling, the rumors of Breland hiding something about the Flame, and the general chaos of Breland, there is great reason for unrest, and there is no telling what a weakened Silver Flame could do.
  • She is greatly surprised - and perhaps even jealous - of Frisian's recent encounter with Tira Miron. But, with the current trends of the world, the sight of another on the path of the Flame is certainly welcome.
• Duncan shared the following updates:
  • He brought some gifts from his home in the Mror Holds - an anvil that shrinks to the size of an earring, and Bagan's own copy of his blacksmithing handbook.
  • Additionally, he details some strange reports given by some of the deep cave explorers of the Mror Holds. The reports say they’ve been going deeper under the mountains, but lots of the men have been going insane. They say they have dreams so bad, they refuse to sleep — so bad, some of them prefer to stay awake to death.
• Nicholas shared the following updates:
  • He has built his suit of armor to withstand the magic contained within the Mournland. He is convinced there is something incredulous about the warforged colossi, and he wishes to fulfill the duty he previously abandoned.
• Theobald shared the following updates:
  • A formal revolution has formed under Maximus Marius. There have already been attacks against government offices and officials of the already confused and discombobulated Brelish government. The revolution is not yet powerful enough to topple it, but its strength is rapidly increasing.
  • Breland has launched an offensive against Droaam, and have now have boots on the ground and airships inbound. Droaam never claimed responsibility for any of the attacks that were attributed to them — not in the first session, not the big one at the gates of Sharn, nor the one in the Brelish capital Wroat. Droaam has declared they will defend their territory, and no further. They have no quarrel with Breland.
  • Regarding Breland’s responsibility of the Mourning, there is a nationwide hunt for King Boranel. Other nations have understandably reacted poorly — King Boranel was seen as a bastion of peace in initiating the Treaty of Thronehold, and  now his legacy has been tarnished beyond repair. Some are still holding out hope that it was all an elaborate lie, but it is a hope spoken by a small voice that has steadily grown quieter.
  • The disbanding of the Dragonmarked Houses has, predictably, been a disaster. It exposed the sheer amount of corruption that has built up over the Last War and its aftermath, as criminal organizations and unscrupulous politicians have seized the largest portions of the important markets, leading to price gouging and rampant inflation.
  • After spending a brief amount of time in Sharn to gather information about the Crew, Theobald was pleased to learn they themselves had managed to fill portions of the vacuum, what with the SCS, Anvilbenders, and Dragon's Elite. Viribus’ Dragons Elite in particular has seen rapid growth, so much so that it has outgrown a mere bodyguarding business and has started to become full-fledged private security.
• On the group's journey, Nicholas and Massimo became good friends, as they had a shared interest in the Mournland. Nicholas was fascinated to speak with one of the Mourning skeletons. Kyro and Linette became good friends, united in their defense of this plane from all aberrant threats. Theobald and Aegoth became good friends, both being worldly gentlemen and eager to share stories. Duncan became everyone’s friend, as he’s an Anvilbender.

Return of Zorvoth

• After a couple days of travel, the Crew found themselves in what seemed to be an abandoned settlement in the Demon Wastes. However, upon entering, a loud alarm sounded, followed by the familiar roar of Zorvoth, the Sire of Decay, accompanied by a black dragon. The Crew and their many allies prepared for battle.
• Tiger-like humanoids emerged from the settlement to join the fight, one of which opened a portal using runestones, summoning a demon directly below an enraged Bagan.
• Dooturr used his long-ranged skills to man Preryvatel, holding Zorvoth in place for the moment.
• Below, I have copied and pasted the transformation of Aegoth, because it took a while to write and I thought it was cool.

A low rumble shakes the ruins, rolling through the shattered remains of the unholy settlement like distant thunder. The air grows thick, charged with an unnatural energy that prickles against the skin. Sparks begin to dance along the broken stones and lightning flickers in the darkening sky. A massive shadow splits the clouds, blotting out the faint outline of the sun. An Ancient Blue Dragon descends, its midnight-blue scales glistening with streaks of violent lightning. Each beat of its colossal wings sends shockwaves through the air, kicking up spirals of dust and debris. Its piercing cobalt eyes, icy with calculated fury, fix upon the battlefield below.
Aegothiaryss lowers his gaze at the approaching dragon. His eyes do not betray an ounce of fear, but instead radiate a firm requital. “We meet again, Zerathuun. The conclusion of our animosity is long overdue.” Aegoth’s cloak flares outwards, but instead of fabric, large, brass wings spread into the wind.
A wave of golden heat pulses outward, warping the air, sending sand and dust spiraling in all directions. Aegoth’s form elongates, broadens, expands—muscles stretching, bones reshaping, skin hardening into polished brass plates. His wings unfurl, catching the hazy sunlight like the mirage of a desert sun, and the once-humanoid silhouette vanishes within an inferno.
From the heart of the flames, an Ancient Brass Dragon emerges with a titanic roar, his massive form radiating waves of desert heat that banish the lightning-filled storm clouds. His golden-bronze scales gleam like sunlit dunes, and his eyes burn with fierce determination. As he rises into the air, the fire around him twists into a cyclone, the wind howling at the top of its lungs.
The fiery sandstorm called Aegoth rushes into the sky, clashing mightily with the storm of the blue dragon. Claws scrape against armored scales, and tremendous roars shake the very ground as Aegoth begins to battle the Ancient Blue Dragon.

Report Date

06 Apr 2025

Primary Location

Demon Wastes