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Message: <blockquote data-quote="firehorse" data-source="post: 3755229" data-attributes="member: 10399">((Rather than rehash what has occured since the last post, I'll mainly go over recent events))After escaping the clutches of the Vizier and his minions, the not-so-destroyed Tatiana being one of them, Fleck shadow walks for nearly a week before making it back to Solinburg and the party.  Unfortunately, now both Cooper and the Betrayer's Blade are in the hands of the Vizier.  For what purpose, nothing is known.  All that is known is that the Giants were a diversion for a larger plan.The party spend some time trying to scry the Vizier's stronghold and otherwise find some information on how they can find their way to attempt to take back the Blade and finish the job Naeron placed them on.  Nothing was found in Solinburg other than word that the gnome bard they had met weeks earlier had won a competition and was now the head minstrel for the Kaiser.  Fleck then led the party to the capital, some hints and innuendos pointing that direction.Once at the capital, Drack found out, while 'information gathering' at the local brothels and seedy establishments, that a new guild had been muscling in on and overtaking much of the established illegal activities.  Also, little could be done about the rising crime rate since most of the regular soldiers were still in Thoradur pushing the Giants back.No sooner had Drack returned to relay the news that a loud commotion was heard outside.  Drack was just going to investigate when a shredded shell of what had once been a City Guard came flying through the door.  The party rushed outside to find the horned devil, Carver, that had tormented Valdorane all those years strolling through the streets, casually heading towards the Kaiser's Castle and gleefully ripping apart anyone or anything within reach.  Drack charged out to meet him only to have his battle cry turn to one of fear as he succumed to the devil's aura of fear.  Fortunately, Zerash was close enough to quickly dispel it before Drack went off screaming into the sunset.After a few failed attempts to stop or turn the creature's attention to the party, Fleck finally harmed it with a Disintegrate Spell enough to make it turn and blast the party with a Fireball.  Fleck was mostly shielded from the blast by a Wall of Force he had erected.  Valdir was able to drive one arrow deep into the beast and Fleck penetrated its magical protections with yet another Disintegrate.  Just as Drack and Zerash had finished buffing themselves up for a serious fight with the devil, Fleck penetrated yet again, this time turning the flesh and bone devil into a stone statue.  The victory was short-lived, however as the statue was teleported out of harm's way before the party could bust it into little pieces.At this point, the alarm trumpets from the Kaiser's Castle sounded.  A guard, now not cowering in fear from the devil's aura, begged the party to come help.  Once at the castle, Valdir found tracks of yet another devil, this time a bearded one, again leaving an easily-followed trail of destruction deep into the castle and leading to the throne room.  Following this trail, the party was soon brought up short by a Wall of Force barring the door into the throneroom.The scene on the other side of the Wall of Force was just coming to a close.  The Kaiser was standing next to his throne and a single robed figure stood next to him.  Just before the bearded devil charged, the robed figure handed the Kaiser a sword.  The Kaiser plunged the sword into the devil as it advanced and, to the amazement of all including the devil, slew the devil instantly.  The devil fell to the floor and disappeared in a similar manner as Carver had.The invisible wall faded and the party ensured the Kaiser was okay.  The robed figure had left by this time and when asked, the Kaiser stated it was his nephew and that he had changed quite a bit since he had been a youth.  Fleck was at once suspicious of the coincidental nature of the Betrayer's Blade being taken from them and this stranger handing the Kaiser a blade that instantly slew a devil.  This was compounded when Fleck asked to examine the blade and was refused, the ire in the Kaiser rising with each successive request.  Fleck and the Kaiser's Grand Wizard promptly let the matter drop for the moment.The party was invited to stay in the Castle until the regular military returned in a few days.  They accepted and are now guests of the Kaiser.</blockquote>

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