Session 6: The Death of a Star report

General Summary

Last we left off; the group had found themselves waiting in the halls of Filal Nalore where Swordbearer Annghorhast had stepped away towards the back of the temple into a cemetery. Boots aka Ghost was hailed towards the direction of one of the chambers of the temple by a hooded figure with tusks who provided her with a task of her own for their mutual benefactor The Hat. She was gifted a piece of paper to keep in communication with the hat and was also told that sources have indicated that their group caused a little bit of a stir in Nadena and if they had plans to return back to it there was a book there that the Hat desperately wanted. After source discourse and around the same time, Aeren Grimvein entered the cemetery where he found the blade cleaning off a particular tombstone and the surrounding area. After some conversation and a swift punch from blade to seer (gotta teach them young'ns respect), the group eventually banded back together where they made their way south towards the city of Llanfyll.

On the outskirts of the city, the came across a quaint cottage that was familiar to both blade and seer, a small field next to it with now crumbling training dummies, two young elven children scampering in the field playing with a cat in a vest, Sangton on the porch in a rocking chair, and Verrona Melandor standing along the fence line watching the children play. As the group approached, Sangton attempted to get up, but they got to him just as he had fully stood up. A wonderful reunion occurred. Ray was shown the back shed where he could work on his projects, Ghost ended up doing her own thing, the blade and his former songbird reconnected and explained her situation to him, and as the day wound down a bug bear with a mysterious talking hand and another moon elf stepped into the house. They all sat down for dinner, catching up, introducing themselves, and engaging in idle banter...as an oversized and somewhat unorthodox family. That night, Aeren found himself with a dagger to his throat by his jealous brother Dothronk Dayar who blamed him for keeping his father from him. After some words were said between the two, everyone enjoyed a long rest to begin next day of the courts.

The blade and the seer entered the courts as first Lucid Killgore stood before them, The Blade Fenntor explaining her findings, and an arch fey cat and talking hand making small waves of chaos in the courts. Although the courts were lively, Cressane in particular had quite a few things to say regarding this beast. It was determined by the courts that the 5 inhabitants of the star smith tether would be put to a test and that they would light the celestial forge once again and see what they can do. The next to appear in the courts was Dothronk, who was both blade and seer and chosen by the goddess. Again, Cressane and the others had things to say regarding him, determining that the weapon itself was not a blade so there were no atrocities that had been done. It was a powerful weapon indeed and the boy needed some better guidance from a strong, sensible, pure moon-elf, but it was no blade. It was during this last break of the courts that Aeren Grimvein was pulled aside and Sangton stepped in to ensure that whatever happened to Verrona would be fair and that he could be there for the blade. Verrona stepped forward and explained her story, the courts went back and forth, swaying between tradition and possible expansion until in a tense moment the blade Katya stepped up and requested audience in closed court with the moon keeper to discuss a vision that she had seen. It was agreed and the two stepped into the back chamber together. Katya explained all that she had saw and the two went back and forth; however, it was then that she saw the corruption and fear of the moon keeper, unable to accept a sharing of power and then became silent, agreeing with the moon keeper of the threat. The two stepped out and almost immediately a verdict was cast that Verrona was UNFORGIVEN and the sentence must be carried out immediately. A message was sent to Dothronk to get the children away. Annghorhast approached and prepared to strike her down, swinging towards the back of her neck.

...while at that same time a seer of Fenntor had approached Aeren at Sangton's house, explaining that the blade will need to remain here, but there was need for a new blade to travel with their group. The seer knelt down, exposing the hilt and handle of a wrapped blade in her hands, waiting for the seer to take hold of his destiny...and he did. As Aeren pulled the blade he found himself face-to-face with an elven version of himself who told him that it was time for him to rest and him take control and a chain began to slowly lower down. Try as he may, Aeren found himself almost weakened in this environment, unable to combat against his brother and he resisted as much as possible, but the binding attuned to his brother and the blade Arun was awakened. Snapping back to reality the runes on the blade began to glow red and a pulse of energy erupted from around him, unsealing something that had been dormant for thousands of years. The pure Aeren grasped his cheek and sliced into his own skin, pulling out the abomination Aeren out and discarded him to the ground. Dot fired a shot at Aeren while Ray who summoned Noose and Rheese began moving towards the sound of the commotion. Back in the courts, an arcane lock broke on the blade Annghorhast, causing him to miss his swing against Verrona and all at once, that same arcane sigil popped across the courts as an energy exploded throughout, shattering windows and causing turmoil and chaos. Uluwehi was pleased. Fenntor stepped towards the old man and Sangton, summoning a teleportation circle telling him that there was no time and they must deal with this unleashed evil and bamfed themselves to the field. Fenntor placed her hand on Annghorhast's shoulder and whispered to him, "Just watch, something amazing is about to happen." The pure elf holding the blade and now the sheath disappeared into the very shadows themselves and erupted from the shadow that Dot casted and shattered the bow. Ray saw the hope leave dots eyes as he looked to him and then to the children and the moon elf fell and then unleashed a wave of energy at Noose, shattering its body and crumpling the repairs and advancements that Ray had been working on in one fell swoop. Ray ran, grabbing the children and began heading across the backside of the house. It was then that Fenntor released Annghorhast's shoulder, stepped back and as the old man turned around, she extended her right hand towards him, exclaiming, "You have served well, but a relic such as you have no place in the new order. There will be a new moon keeper, handed down by the goddess as a gift of divinity (as she places her left hand on her stomach) By the power granted from my father, the moon-lich fenntor, I give you this final command...DIE!" and began to cast power word kill.

Just then out of the woods, Verrona burst out, covered in blood, dirt, and sweat, nearly breathless from the amount of movement and magic she had to expend to get here and in a last-ditch effort spoke, "I call upon the true name Rum..."...and time seemed to stop. The vested cat stood before her, his hair standing on end, his tail puffy, and his eyes narrowed, exclaiming that should she finish that word he would make her a stain upon the earth. Surveying the area, he requested what she wanted for having summoned him forth like that. Looking towards Dot's lifeless body and not seeing her children she begged for the cat to spare their lives to which his reply was, "The children are a given and he would not see anyone suffer as his own warden of the fey had. The purity and innocence of them would continue living." It was then she begged for the life of her lover, Annghorhast, offering her own in return and the knowledge of the true name of the meowgician to die with her. He accepted this, counter spelling, shattering, and reflecting the spell. While most of it hit her, some of it reflected back against Fenntor's face, and a small fraction repelled into the blade's heart. Seeing his miscalculation, the cat performed one final act as Verrona's lifeless body fell to the ground to ensure that the deal would stand. The "friends" that this old elf had come up in the beginning with would be in his charge, ensuring that the wish and deal of the life given would continue living. Two feminine hands seemingly out of nowhere grasped the children from noose and pulled them into a swirling tear of reality, while the group's own body began to shimmer and crack before pulling them forcefully into a portal. As all line of sight's converged the cat looked back with a sneer, "Ensure that old man survives, I trust you won't make a liar out of me." and he turned back towards the fray before the portal closed.

The group was expelled out in front of the grand hospital in Trealing, bits and pieces of Noose scattered across the road and sidewalk, a cup of ale, and the rest of the group. They rushed the old man into the hospital, calling for doctor Thalvek Draewyn to take him away. Ray began explaining to Ghost what had happened while the rest of the group slowly tried to come to terms with what had happened as Aeren was forcibly prevented from going back to deliver the blade into the back where his blade was. Surgery though was a success and as the blade sat on the line of life and death, Verrona came to him one last time, telling him that she will be waiting for him. Now, before we continue on, we need to rewind the clock back a few hours, so the rest of the group can collect themselves and discuss what happened and future plans in these moments of uncertainty.