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Message: <blockquote data-quote="LordVyreth" data-source="post: 1810338" data-attributes="member: 9626">The Final Months of PeaceSorry for the delay.  ENWorld's extended absence could us all by surprise, I'm sure.  Anyway, this plot will use a lot of references to old adventures, so if anyone's confused about an old plot point, let me know, and I'll spare you from going through the entire archive.Six months passed, and just like the year between the party’s liberation of the dwarf village and the death of Shekuldellstra, they were relatively peaceful.  The party spent most of their time training the forces of Methosilang for the upcoming battle with Bas, and while they got into occasional skirmishes, they never fought anything as dangerous as they normally see, or even as bad as the forces that they fought the last time when they took a year off from standard adventuring.  There were a few noteworthy exceptions, however.  The first was when Err, who the party effectively “adopted” into the party, was given some of the treasure from the Nightmare Prince’s manor, including some found in his special armory.  The Ring of Protection that he was given should have been helpful, but when Err woke up a few days later to find he had been turned into a turtle, the usefulness of the ring was reconsidered.  And since Err’s intelligence was barely equivalent to a turtle’s in the first place, it took a long time for Err’s friends to figure out what happened.  Eventually, though, the mystery was solved, and Err was restored to his normal form.    A more serious issue came from Tal’s plans.  He realized that by confiding in Lancaster about Dragovigis and the eggs, he has endangered both, and broken a vow to a god while doing so.  He knew that if he told Facetous about what happened, the god might very well kill him, but he also knew that he owed it to them to warn that they might be attacked and soon.  Anxiously, he went to visit the dragon god, and told him the truth.    Facetous, needless to say, was not pleased.  With one fluid motion, he snatched Tal up in one claw.  The divine creature was so angry he could barely speak, and all that came out was the slightest whisper.  Even so, Tal could hear every word the god said.  “I trusted you to leave, even though it was law that all who found this place could never leave.  And you threw away that trust as if it was nothing!  I should kill you right now and crush your soul into dust!”    Just then, Facetous was interrupted by a familiar ruby half-dragon.  “Grandfather,” he began.  “I understand your anger.  But remember, if you didn’t let him leave, I would have never known of my heritage, and you would have never learned that your son’s legacy wasn’t lost.  Show him your mercy, and he and his companions may yet redeem themselves.”    For a long time, Facetous said and did nothing, as he pondered his next choice.  Finally, he said, “Very well.  Your life will be spared, but you owe your life to my kin here.  However, I will ensure that you won’t do any more damage to our city.”  With that, he raised one claw, and drew across Tal’s chest, ruining his armor in the process.  Facetous continued, “This claw is infused with my divine might.  With it, that scratch would have killed you if it was my desire.  I let you live, but the power of that scratch will remain with you.  Leave this city immediately, and if you ever return or speak of it again, the claw will finish the job, killing you instantly.”    Tal, too afraid to speak further, agreed and left to gather his companions.  Surprisingly, he found them at the same tavern that Dane and some of his other companions drank themselves into comas the last time they were here.  Even more surprisingly, not only was Err downing a tankard of the dragon liquor, he didn’t look at all uncomfortable about it.  In fact, he looked more intelligent than normal.  “Ah, Tal, so you came back to us alive, then?  Good show, how did you get the old man to grant your salvation?”  Err said, using more syllables than the party has seen him use so far combined.    Too confused to respond, Err continued.  “Ah, you are confused about my mastery of vocabulary, correct?  Yes, it was quite the surprise when I arrived as well.  It turns out that I am indeed a native of this land myself, and left shortly before your first arrival.  Lamentably, it was the environment here that allowed my dragon heritage to balance out my ogre blood, granting me my normal intelligence.  When I left, my intellect abandoned me, until I had completely reverted to my natural state.”    Tal seemed sad by this.  “Does this mean that you will be remaining here, to avoid losing your intelligence again?”    Err, or whatever his real name was, shook his head.  “While that would be preferable, I can’t simply abandon your cause now that I can say I truly comprehend it.  I will make the sacrifice of my greater intellect as long as it takes to earn peace for my brethren here and on your continent.”    His mind made up, Err rejoined his companions, and the group left before Facetous could grow even more impatient.      The rest of the six months passed uneventfully, though the party’s power grew substantially as they trained the army of Methosilang and fought some of its enemies.  Finally, their period of rest came to an end when they one of Methosilang’s scouts discovered a strange announcement among the items earned in an orc raid.  It read:It’s the challenge to end all challenges!!!!!!The fight to end all fights!!!!!!!If you miss it, what will you tell your grandchildren when they ask what it was like!?!!?!?!In the emperor’s own arena, a clash of the titans!!!!!In one corner, the most successful gladiator in recent history, a woman who defied all who stood in her way, Elayna!  At her side is the man you love to hate, the wizard that defines all that’s wrong with the lesser races, the betrayer, Tsine!!!!And their enemy, the very man Tsine murdered, the resurrected hero of vengeance, leading the best and bravest gladiators who volunteered to stand at his side, Khat’Shir’Mol!!!!In one week, two teams will enter, but only one will leave!!!!  Will the heroic warriors get their vengeance, or will the methosilang cowards sneak their way out again!!!  Be there and find out!  You’ll pay for the whole seat, but you’ll only need the edge!!!!!    Finally, the party had an answer to what happened to Tsine!  The orcs had him, and unless they could get to him soon, he would be butchered in the gladiator pits of their capital city!  But Galeron seemed to be angrier about this than the rest of them.  “What’s wrong,” a concerned Tal asked.    Between gritted teeth, Galeron replied, “Elayna is my mother!”    That more than decided it.  The group took only a day to prepare, and then began to the journey to Fierypyre, the capital of the orc empire.  Admittedly, they didn’t have any idea what they’ll do when the finally get there, but it was a long journey, and they were sure they’d think of something before they got there.  However, before they could arrive, they would have an encounter with another old friend of theirs.      The encounter occurred in Dreggit’s Hollow, a fairly nondescript town near the edge of Methosilang’s western arm of control that is populated primarily by gnomes and only uses the lenses to provide the city with one hour of sunlight a day.  The party planned on staying a night here, and then moving on.  However, when they reached the inn, they found a familiar man waiting for them.  This man had dark hair with yellow spots, and was known to the party as Phellis Mune.    The party prepared to fight him, but Galeron stopped them.  He cast a spell of true seeing as soon as he saw Phellis, and learned that they were surrounded.  Dozens of diabolical foes were all around them, hiding invisibly or disguised as normal humanoids.  Phellis realized that they knew of his advantage, and smiled broadly.  “I’m so glad your friend Galeron is as wise as they say,” he began.  “Now, I’m not saying with perfect knowledge that if a fight broke out here, my forces would be the victors.  However, such fights tend to be very destructive, and I’m certain that in such a battle, most if now all of this poor little town and its innocent people would be killed.  And that would be such a shame, don’t you agree?  Now sit and share a meal with me.  We have much to discuss.”    Reluctantly, the party agreed, but it was obvious none of them trusted Phellis.  “What do you want?” Galeron quickly said, eager to get this business behind them.    “I was merely wondering why we should be enemies.  I think that an alliance between Bas and the Sisters would be advantageous for both of us.  When it’s all said and done, all that Bas truly wants is to rejoin her sisters.  Combined, Bas and Methosilang will easily wipe the orc and undead hordes off of the earth.  Bas may be the ruler, but she treats her loyal servants with respect.  Khaspar and Kulstra never truly were loyal to her, and when they planned to betray her, they were justly killed, but it was Bas that let me keep my humanity despite my animalistic…nature, I suppose you could call it.  I have nothing but obedience in my heart for her.  When Bas rules, and have no doubt that she will rule, I will be regarded as her most loyal advisor, and will be allowed to handle most of the day-to-day work of her empire.  We all admire order, do we not?  Why not join with Bas’ order, and save the city?”    Sensing some of their hesitation, Phellis became irritated and continued, “Oh, come now.  I know well how little you owe the Sisters.  Bas told me of the heritage of the Lady of Memory that most of you share.  You never truly belong to the Sisters, and by now, you are also aware that the Sisters are not the true creators of Methosilang anyway.  They’re creations of necessity, not your true mothers.  If you will follow artificial gods, as we all must now if we wish to combat the god of death, then Bas is no less real than your gods.”    However, Galeron had heard enough.  “I won’t listen to another minute of this!  I may no longer know exactly what makes us my goddess, but I know that her beliefs and nature are nothing like the evil being you worship!  You goddess demands sacrifice and misery, while mine works towards healing and life.  I will never ally myself with the likes of you.”  Slowly, the rest of the party nodded their heads in agreement.    Phellis looked insulted by this, and sniffed as he stood up.  “Very well.  I am a man of honor, and will leave you in peace for now.  However, you’re just dooming your land to chaos and destruction if you continue this way.”  He turned to walk away, but as he did so, one of his traveling pouches caught on a loose nail, seemingly by accident.  It tore open, and Phellis didn’t seem to notice as he left.  As he left, a small piece of paper fell out.  Once Phellis left, the party carefully approached the paper and picked it up.  Written on it was a strange poem of some kind.  It read:When they who once knew death again return…..……never-sleeping eye finally closes……….finds that which it never did when open, destroys what it always sought to destroy in life…….………the chance to change destiny………………….history to be re-written…..</blockquote>

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