Session 26 Recap: "Marked for Death"
General Summary
An eventful day in Crimsonwich leads to an equally eventful evening for Fortune's Favored as they try to find some kind of respite under the roof of Lady Kaal. However, with two of the group, namely Yvonne and Xerren, split off to pursue their own interests within the city, the opportunity for unwanted visitors in the night manifested and Verna found herself at the center of none other than Elissabet Atraphor's obsession.
Facinated by her resiliance at resisting the bite given to her within the halls of the Time-Lost Library, she mused and fawned over Verna like a cat toying with its next meal, equal parts threatening and promising death to her and her companions with every other word. Throughout the course of the conversation, Elissibet revealed to Verna that she was not simply a follower of the Forbidden One Azariel, but claimed the title of the "Mouth of Azariel".
In the midst of such a charged conversation, a new figure stepped into the room, having been listening from outside the door. The rogue Galadonel Whisperglade swiftly broke the hushed silence of the conversation, rousing the rest of Fortunes's Favored, bringing them all to gather in Verna's room where Elissabet held her hostage with fangs bared at the monk's throat as she looked for an exit to make her escape. The stalemate only broke when Tamarae delivered the Orb of Solariel to Yvonne, just returning back from her own nocturnal trip and hovering just outside the window. Elissabet, screeching in agony from the exposure to the artifact, hurriedly made her escape via a Planar Shift spell, likely back to the Shadowfell to recover and bide time until her next attack.
With the immediate threat over, the group was left demanding answers and found themselves led before Lady Kaal where neither she, nor their new tagalong Galonodel, seemed surprised by their unscheduled visitor. It didn't take much prodding for the truth to come to light that Verna had been bait intended to draw Elissabet out and that this had all been planned well in advance. Though that revelation was hardly the last of the evening. Much to Verna's shock, it was soon after revealed that Lady Kaal was not simply well connected throughout the city, but her knowledge of the Obscurate's plight came about because she was at it's head, which had been part of the reason for Elissabet's targeted campaign against their ranks.
This knowledge was not the last of the bizzare revelations of the evening, however, as Lady Kaal exposed her own great secret. Disguised as a member of regular high society, when the woman was truly a Lightless, one of the 725 damned souls that had followed Caliope Rosetta Reikfell into the Underdark to escape Azariel only to fall prey to the machinations of the man called Amon. She went on to explain how she herself had once been at Azariel's side, which had allowed her to steal and escape with the Black Codex that acts as one of the keys to Azariel's prison, but that should the city survive the comming conflict with the Silent Dark, her death would be all but assured by Amon's son, Ashur when he came to claim the Codex once again. And Fortune's Favored would have to allow it to happen or be obliterated in the face of his overwhelming power, and instead seek out different means of aquiring greater strength to be able to properly face the threat he represents. One location suggested was the Twilight Spire that would offer the party the chance to become strong enough to face Azariel's chosen.
Reeling from the new information, Fortune's Favored was not quite done with the surprises yet. Lady Kaal insisted that the mysterious Galonodel accompany them on their journey onward, but quickly discovered the tale of his arrival to Crimsonwich had a hauntingly similar cadence. It didn't take long to realize the rogue had been pulled from one of Shalinthal's "failed" timelines and found himself in theirs. Without the luxury of denying help in whatever form it came in, the group accepted the rogue into the group and headed out from the city in pursuit of the beseiged Knights of Mithredel at Ravenglade Keep.
They made it to the edge of the Aluenara Forest several days later when they ran into the first signs of trouble as they reached the ruins of a village being swallowed by the forest. A group of hobgoblins and an ogre were spotted tormenting what appeared to be two tied up prisoners, only for the group to discover the captives were dead and only bait to draw them in closer for a surprise attack. Lilith Starshroud herself made an unwelcome reappearance as the tense situation devolved into combat, and brought with her the hulking behir the party had encountered at the Ghost Lord's Lair. Unfortunately for Lilith, the behir met a similar fate this time as well, and despite her attempts at creating a different outcome, the only success she had was hastening her own demise as she fell under the weight of Verna's blows, while the rest of the hobgoblins were taken down one at a time.
The ruins once again quiet as the grave, the group began to explore the area a bit, with Galonodel spying the basement that seemed to lead down further into the earth and inscribed with iconography of none other than that of Othiniel. Curiosities peaked, but caution high, the group began their descent to see what secrets lay slumbering below the surface...
Rewards Granted
Coiling Grasp Tattoo
Missions/Quests Completed
Defeated Lilith Starshroud and the Silent Dark hit squad
Report Date
12 Apr 2024
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