After facing the belly of the Platinum Sanctuary, the group managed to defeat a number of mimics and fungi before puzzling out the trap that prevented people from stopping the magic siphon. It appeared the towering pyre of blue magical flame was powered by a Luxon Beacon, but it truth it was from Raelle, the wife of Ambassador Lanna Krynn. After eeking out a promise to tell her wife that Raelle would find her again in their next life, Raelle gave Tāmari the Luxon. The incident left Tāmari appearing older and somewhat different.
What does that mean? The group has yet to determine.
Recap
Upon existing the Platinum Sanctuary, the group was escorted by a tribe of speaking moose, who were attempting to cast the Transport Via Plants spell to send them back to New Vasselheim. Alas, while the pyre was dying down, and magic was starting to work better, it didn’t always, and the moose druid accidentally turned himself into a rabbit for a minute.
Since there was a limit to spells, everyone decided to sleep for the night before heading back to town. The moose only had limited information, including that something was attacking from the sea. Come morning, a polite fox cooked them breakfast before the moose announced the spell was working. The group ran through the most wobbly and insecure looking version of that spell, and arrived in the Green, at the foot of the Younger Birthheart.
New Vasselheim was in a bloody revolution. A giant sea monster battled the navy, while the obelisk in the Square of the Fallen blasted out a strange beam to attack it. But that beam also was turned towards the city itself. The group immediately heard the Town Cryer:
Hear ye, hear ye! The Empress’ forces have been repelled to the castle itself. All evacuees from Embassy Row can seek refuge at the Green or with the Platinum Dragon. The Cobalt Soul has taken possession of the magic school, the Slayer’s Take has control of the armed forces. All people true to the citizens, report to your assigned stations. Injured can be brought to the Rat Dock side of the Green. Don’t mind the bears.
The Cryer, spotting them, asked if they were the adventurers who went to OV, and told them to meet the Take, over by the castle-side of the Green. There, Otel was so shocked to find them alive he hugged Rinn. According to him, the day before a giant sea creature had attacked. The revolutionaries, led by the Vonns, took advantage of the distraction to attack the Empress. It seemed to be going well. The Green itself was protected by a number of wizards and sorcerers using a spell taught to them by the inhabitants of Whitestone.
The group took the sewers to get to the castle, meeting up with a section of the guards. Rinn told them the truth: the Empress knew about the destruction of Old Vasselheim down to the minute and just let everyone die. This turned the guards against her, giving them the passcode for the day and a clear path to the castle.
At the castle, the battle raged on led by the Vonns. Atop the castle walls stood Victor himself, waving the red and black flag of the revolution, crying out “Learn from my mistakes!” This rallying cry was repeated back “Learn from our mistakes!” Protecting Victor was a relatively new person, a horsey faced woman with faded brown hair, casting spells: Vanya von Vasselheim, the Volstrucker.
She informed the group that the Empress found her out, and was in the process of converting the castle to a reproduction of what they found under the Platinum Sanctuary. This was powering the obelisk, which was being used by the Empress to kill those who stood against her. Vanya told them she could hold off the guards, but they needed to go and destroy the sources of power inside the castle to break the obelisk’s power, and then defeat Lydia Briarwood.
The group accepted this task and went inside, finding that Lydia had set up a four point magical circle, powering a gem, decided to follow the let lines and break the sources. The first source they found had transformed the room into a verdant garden. After breaking the gem, which was easy enough, they were attacked by an assassin vine. The next room was filled with ice. They tried to get around it by breaking the gem and blocking the door, but a warg attacked anyway. The third room was filled with fire and a nightmare attacked them. The fourth room was engulfed in darkness which, once dispelled and the gem broken, did … nothing.
But as they returned to the main entrance, all four gems were dim and standing there was Lydia Briarwood, some guards, and a displacer beast.
“Hello, auntie,” she said to Stubby.
Loot Acquired
- N/A
Players
- Rinn Shrike – Half-elf Sorcerer/Rogue (Storm Sorcery)
- Stubby – Half-elf Artificer/Artillerist
- Tāmarai Shikomi – Gnome Bard (College of Lore)
- Fisch – Bear Fighter (regular NPC)