Episodes 29 and 30 - the rise and fall of yibyiru
Moxt, Klork and Davwyn return from their adventures at the library to the The Roopty Scoop to find Aaron Frost and his associates Bethoron "Rack" and Häedrick "Stack" waiting upstairs. Wanting to learn more about the private conversations of their employer, Davwyn casts invisibility on himself and sneaks onto the second floor. Meanwhile, Moxt and Klork heavily embibe at the bar, learning from the goblin barkeeper that the Council of Seven has a limited amount of time to rename Trade City or lose their automony, submitting to the Hamman Royal Family once more. Furthermore, the pair learns that the council is gridlocked in a 4/3 split on the name with a required 5/2 vote to make a decision. Bellowvale, Ospreys o' Brine, and The Legion favor the name Pharlaghns Gate while The Conglomerate, Verdant Grove Consortium, Trail Of The Pious, and Revenant Saints favoring Mycorjet. Davwyn overhears Mr. Frost talking about the business dealings and political influences of an individual named "Michael Malvadore" who he seems particularly concerned about. Davwyn sneaks a shrinking potion into Haedricks drink after the viking makes doubtful remarks against Arnon's Bane.
The party regroups in their rooms but later returning to Mr. Frost to update him that the Saernclaws forceable took the article on Mycorjet and that the name is the name of Arnon's "Paradise" in the Abyss and describes her intentions of infected the known world. Frost is extremely worried that council members are actively voting for a name representing their destruction but without evidence he is unable to act on the information. The group advises they will return for further work after dealing with a debt they owe.
The three adventurers head to "Heroe's Rest" outside the church of Pelor and end up breaking into the Crypt of Dereks where they encounter undead. Returning to the Roopty Scoop to recooperate, Mr Frost commissions the team to determine the goings on at the grave, correlating with Roderic Virethorn request to determine cultist activity. Moxt and Davwyn return to the catacombs, defeat the weakened undead, navigate through a house of horrors and emerge through the floor of the temple of Pelor to face Arch Bishop Lennings who transforms into the terrible The Demon Yibyiru. Davwyn and Moxt attempt to battle the demon with their full sized companion Haedrick, hoping for reinforcements.
Meanwhile, Vaceren is sent by Mr. Frost to reach out to The Viscount for an invitation to his anual ball. After waiting a day and a half for an audience, Vaceren returns to the Roopty Scoop where he utilizes his ability to scry to find his new companions. In his dream state the elf sees Davwyn and Moxt suffering mortal wounds from a fire wielding Balor in a beautiful marble white temple. Knowing that his companions would most likely return to the crypts to finish their work, Klork returns to the crypt of Derek to find it empty of enemies. He breaks down the bricked in walls of the horror house and fights through the tortous pain inflicted by Yibyiru's traps.
Eventually both Vaceren and Klork find their companions in the temple of Pelor just as Davwyn is being impaled on the symbol of Pelor hanging on the wall. Haedrick lies nearby, screaming in a fit of terror on the floor. Thinking quickly, Vaceren casts polymorph on the demoness, forcing her into the shape of goat. They quickly retrieve their friends, heal them, and plan to return to the library in the hopes that their portable hole still contains the Vashta Narada. Without hesitation Moxt opens a portal through a tree outside the temple, leading directly into the heart of The Watchers Arcadia. Beat, broken, and bleeding, the adventurers limp through the portal hoping to trap and kill the demon for good. Moxt pulls the hole from the ceiling and the tride and true chicken leg test proves the hungry shadows remain trapped inside. Vaceren and Davwyn prepare to trap the demon, aware of her ability to teleport. Vaceren weaves a complicated blanket of spells over the hole, creating an impenatrable trap of death. Haedrick throws the transformed Yibyiru into the portable hole and the party watches as she is nearly consumed by the hungry shadows. Knowing they have to finish the deed, Vaceren release the hold of his spells and the party takes their final strikes at the demon. Nearly killing Moxt with her lightening sword, Yibyiru looks over at Vaceren who obviously thwarted her final attack and reaches out, grabbing his arm. She whispers in his ear that she will return to this plane to torture he and his heirs for eternity. Vaceren experiences a vision of Yibyiru's final death as her heart is ripped out and shredded by a red headed witch.
The party leaves the library to find that the temple of Pelor is on fire. As a team they decide to help extinguish the fires. Moxt transforms Davwyn into a giant eagle and they fly ove the temple carrying barrels of water. Vaceren makes a heart wrenching monologue to the people of Trade City to rise up, specifically calling on the Osprey's to help extinguish the fires. Davwyn also makes a speech and moxt molds earth under him to raise him on a diases. Klork returns the ashes of the temple of Pelor from Raiford's Keep which have a kinetic effect, causing a small rock to roll up onto another block, slowly rebuilding itself. Exhausted, the party returns to the Roopty Scoop. Mr. Frost rewards the party with the offer of 5,000 GP and a key to a location titled "Wits End." He commissions the party to hunt for actionable intelligence against the Viscount in exchange for 10,000 GP and a legendary rune and to similarly locate actionable intel against Dr. William Birkin for 5,000 GP and a rare rune.
Now that Arnon's main lieutenant has been dealth with, how will her plans to control trade city change? Who will the party decide to investigate first? and what the heck happened to Fadkat?!
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