WotBS Lylandra's War of the Burning Sky continued

[Lylandra]

The journey to Phorros Irrendra

Note: Some of you might have noticed that I didn't give the party the info on where to find Rhuarc or the drow via Fayne. After reading about Rhuarc, his sort-of ambivalent connection to his mother's people in the past and the fact that Phorros is completely forsaken, I decided that 1) The Taranesti abandoned their capital and didn't return as they saw it as a place of tragedy after the Syllith's sacrifice and 2) They didn't really have contact or much information about Rhuarc, his companions or the torch. This is why I let the Knightsbane stumble across Liat (to show that he's not hostile towards his kin) and leave her as soon as he saw who she was.

During this night, Cuin dreams a very strange dream. He's visiting Lady Timor in her tower and she confesses that she's pregnant. Cuin seems a bit shocked at this revelation, but matters become more bizarre when she says that the child will have strong roots and spread the seed of life, just like its father.

He awakes very much confused the next morning and decides to discuss this “vision” with Tinuviel who got all snuggled up with Torrent. Tinuviel seems shocked as well when he hears of Cuin's tale, especially as he knows that their dreams do come true far too often. Cuin insists that he made sure to not father any children, as he's neither a young boy nor an idiot, but he doesn't know whether the first tree's magic or his connection to the Seela might have circumvented seaquenian alchemy.

Before he can worry too much, Cuin receives a letter in the form of a paper butterfly. He's surpriesd to see that it is written by Lady Timor who thanks him for his previous invitation to Innotendar and explains that she's more than eager to initiate negotiations with the elves of the Fire Forest. She also plans a student exchange between her mages and those who study in Lyceum. And then she mentions a sapling of the First Tree that she planted in her garden which she is really looking forward to showing Cuin (and which she's totally using as an excuse to invite him to her tower in Glaskeel)

As Cuin is pretty interested in this new development, he asks his friends to take a few hours off as he wishes to visit his lady and take a look at “their child”. So he teleports to Glaskeel and is welcomed by the Lady of the land.

“So you got my letter? I hope you excuse me for using a stray hair of yours for the spell. I couldn't find you via divination and so I used this old magic Simeonne taught me years ago.”

Cuin replies that he really doesn't mind as long as she doesn't do anything that could put her or them in danger. She then embraces him and kisses him softly, before telling him the good news in person: The flower of the First Tree, which Myriam Timor kept in a vase on her private desk sprouted roots after a couple of days and so she decided to pot the tiny plant. She then brought it to her gardener who placed it in his greenhouse.

Cuin is eager to see the sapling and he's more than happy when he not only sees that the plant is doing well, but also feels a mutual connection through his Blade. When Timor explains that she visits the plant regularly, he muses that maybe their relationship could be the catalyst for this sudden growth and so he asks her to take good care of it. After all, this is the first offspring of the First Tree he knows of.

For his current mission, he cannot really talk about details, but he promises Lady Timor to stay safe and survive. Then he returns to the waterfall near the Taranesti hideout.

Note: I really wanted to throw Cuin this bone after he surprised me with the First Tree's blossom. At this point I thought it could be a symbol of a growing love between Taranesti and human, but it would turn out to be of much greater impact.

Meanwhile, Torrent takes Tinuviel aside and tells him that she knows of his sorrows. She says that she understands his fear of losing her while he's still a young man and that she thought about possible solutions for this problem. She then realized that all that's standing in their way is her being a human which is why she'd be trying to become an elf. If Tinuviel's being serious about their future, that is.

This revelation seems to be disturbing for Tinu at first. He visibly freezes up and then is close to crying.
“You're right, I am afraid of losing you. But... I don't want to pressure you into giving up what you are. Who you are. I didn't mean to hurt you and I don't want you to make this sacrifice for me.”

Torrent then embraces Tinuviel with her strong arms and tries to comfort him. She explains that she often hated being a human and that, being a priestess of an elven goddess, she's always tried to be more like her deity. Also, she's fed up with having to prove her worth to every stupid Shahalesti who's looking down on her just because she doesn't have pointy ears.

Tinuviel chuckles a bit and says that he's okay with it as long as she's sure that she will be happy. He also asks her to please not use biomancy to become an elf as Dogwood's and Pilus' methods are quite creepy. He also suggests that maybe Yara will grant her a miracle if she sees the right reason in Torrent's request. Then his mood lightens up and he muses that maybe Shalosha will need advisers should she someday become queen of Shahalesti and that they'd be a perfect fit for that role.

Note: Seems like he finally chose Torrent after all. I thought the miracle-approach was a damn fine idea, even if she was dead serious with the biomancy.

When Cuin returns to the hideout, he hears the familiar sound of clashing weapons and decides to take a look at its source. He's a bit surprised to see Reynos and Elerian who struggle to hold their ground against an almost yawning Fayne in melee combat. The Taranesti leader is pretty tough on the two youngsters who seem to have no talent for swordplay at all. Once training is over, Cuin asks Fayne whether forcing them to fight is actually helpful and Fayne replies that they will be thankful for her instructions should they eventually run into their first Shahalesti patrol.

He then turns to the twins who both complain about their straining combat lessons and would prefer to study magic. Cuin promises them to get them some guidebooks on magic should he come to Phorros as he plans to pay the library a visit. Needless to say that the two are really grateful to hear that.

After that, Cuin, Torrent and Tinuviel meet up and say goodbye to Fayne and the rest as they'll try to reach the hidden city of Phorros Irrendra now. So they head to the river Nallanthes to find the black sandbank and head for the cave entrance. They kind of don't get the “let the shadows be your guide” during their first try though and so they return to where they started after a few minutes of wandering through the hollow. Then they discuss that their shadows should always be in front of them during their journey, put out a rope and a magical lantern and tie the two together.

As soon as they enter the cave this way, they suddenly find faintly glowing carvings on the wall and follow them patiently. They come across a few intersections and find that they can simply follow the markings whenever they need to decide on a new direction. Once they reach the third of those intersections, they are suddenly approached by two female elves with dark skin who look like the striking images of Rhuarc's companions who they saw in the shadows of the Dark Pyre.

The two women introduce themselves as Yvonnel and Qillathe and explain that Rhuarc abandoned them in Phorros after he decided to give the Shahalesti the Torch after all. They didn't know the way back and so they got stuck in these labyrinth of caves. Cuin is a bit confused by their story as he knows that Rhuarc isn't exactly what you'd call a friend or ally of the Shahalesti. Also, he knows that the Droalesti were involved in the creation of Phorros and so they'd know quite a bit about its magic and the underground caves.

While Cuin tries to wrap his head around the tales of the drow, Tinuviel, who's standing at a distance to the rest of them (he loves “slowly circling around possible opponents while Cuin is doing his talky-talk”), realizes that someone or something is trying to influence his mind and asking him to join her so he might experience the greatest of pleasures. As he didn't see anyone trying to cast a spell, he realizes that there could be another person. He then manifests a mind link power of his own and tells Cuin and Torrent that someone just tried to charm him. Also, he sees strong magical auras on the two ladies, so it could be that they are actually only disguised as drow.

Note: I'd have loved to get Tinu under the succubus' charm so that his “standard approach” would return back at him at least once. Solely for educational reasons, as sometimes Cuin has to summarize whole conversations as Tinu's player doesn't always pay attention to what's being said. It's not like he isn't an active (role)player or doesn't have good ideas. But he could be more attentive when it comes to Cuin's diplomatic actions.

As soon as they explain that they'll not fall for their sweet lies, the two drow reveal their true natures as succubi. They try to convince the trio to stay nonetheless and offer them relief from their exhausting journey. Needless to say that the trio doesn't even think of stopping here and so they draw their weapons in return. The succubi soon realize that their opponents are pretty dangerous, so they turn ethereal and try to flee. Tinu manifests a plane shift on them though and gets them to the ethereal plane as well and the encounter ends quite lethally for the demonesses.

They continue their journey through the caverns and find another demon at an intersection after a few miles of travel. This time the demon doesn't even care to use a disguise and he proudly introduces himself as Daukran the Glabrezu who that “idiot Rhuarc” tried to make a watchdog. He says he hopes that they won't disappoint him like Rhuarc did and that they will turn out to be brave enough to wield the power of the Burning Sky. Cuin sees this as an opportunity to get to know more about the assassin and so he asks Daukran what he's willing to share about Rhuarc. Daukran replies that he'll tell them all he knows as soon as they show him their true power and defeat him in direct combat.

“These demons... all they ever want is to fight and to feast on souls” says Tinuviel while drawing his weapon. The fight against the Glabrezu ends rather quickly, even if he manages to wound Tinuviel and Torrent in the process. He licks his wounds and is quite satisfied with the challenging fight and then goes on to discuss Rhuarc.

Daukran explains that he had high hopes that the boy of Stacia would turn out to be quite a powerful scourge on their enemies, but he ultimately failed in the end and even refused to use the power of the Torch for his (or their) own gain. Instead, Rhuarc ordered him via magic to stand guard and let none pass. For his whereabouts, the Glabrezu says that the boy hides in the grove of fallen hollows and Cuin recognizes this to be the name for one of Phorros' graveyards. When he's asked about Stacia, Daukran explains that it was her who summoned him out of the Abyss and bound him in this mortal realm. He always felt something familiar growing inside her, but she grew tired of him one day and imprisoned him in her home. That is where Rhuarc found him when he returned.

Cuin kind of thanks him for this info and then asks Torrent to send the demon back to where he was summoned from. The demon kind of thaks him in return and then finally says that he's looking forward to seeing Rhuarc again soon as he's quite sure that the stupid boy will end up dead in the Abyss anyway. Torrent just shrug and banishes the Glabrezu to his home plane.

Note: I thought that Daukran would have preferred to be banished instead of killed. Besides being less painful, it is kind of less humiliating as well.

The three continue their journey through the caves unhindered and discuss on what to do with Rhuarc once they finally find him. Cuin asks Tinu and Torrent to not draw their weapons to hastily as he'll try to convince the half-Taranesti that they could be all on the same side. The two agree and then suddenly a small dot of light appears in the distance. Cuin takes lead as he's eager to return to his lost home when the light turns dark again and they start to hear the wails and screams of the dead spirits who seem enraged by the presence of the living.

Cuin desperately tries to soothe the dead Taranesti, but it seems as if they are envious and enraged over the fact that he's still living while they are dead. They try to flee forward, but cannot see anything. So they draw their leashed lantern close and stare into the eyes of a demonic basilisk. Fortunately, they resist the gaze of the pitch black monster and kill it without too much hassle. Meanwhile, Torrent tries to keep the spirits away with her holy energy channel. After the beast's defeat, the enraged spirits flee and the caverns grow silent again. The faint light returns and they finally reach the forsaken city of Phorros Irrendra.

 

[Lylandra]

Rhuarc Knightsbane, kingslayer

The group finds themselves in what appears to be a long-stretched grotto, marked with ancient Taranesti and Droalesti carvings. Cuin'halar takes a few moments to examine the symbols and then explains that these are old signs of Demetria and the other elven gods, welcoming visitors and reminding them of the old union between the two elven people and their pursuit of balance. They were also used for meditation purposes and religious ceremonies, he says. Cuin and Torrent then both take some time to meditate, as the carvings also include ancient symbols of Yara,

After that, they decide to get to a point of high elevation to gain a good overview over the city. They spot a tall, green hill which Cuin remembers to be called the Emeraldgreen Peak and travel there. From here, they can see all of the clearings and high buildings of the city, including the Library of Living Stone, the Syllith's Sanctum, the waterfall, the Grove of Fallen Hallows and the High House. Cuin knows that they are in search of Rhuarc, but he also feels drawn towards the Sanctum. He hopes that the ancient magic there might help protect his dragon egg as he doesn't wish to risk it in a possible battle with the assassin.

So they travel to a grand tree house located on a majestic and wide platform. As they approach, they feel as if the magic around them thickens and then finally blocks their way. They see an iridescent glow surrounding the Sanctum and Cuin can only guess that this is what his mother gave her life for. He takes one, hard step forward and calls out to whoever might hear him, be it a guardian or a spirit as he, son of Eshânii seeks the wisdom of the Syllith.

It takes a few moment and a translucent elf forms in front of them.

“We are the guardians of the Sanctum, the guardians of Syana's legacy. No enemy of our people shall ever receive the knowledge we protect. But we know you, Cuin'halar Shelenbîl, You are the child of one of us.”

Then the rather nondescript elf transforms into the spirit of a regal woman dressed in the garments of an archmage. Cuin recognizes his mother's spirit and he's heavily moved by the sudden reunion. He says that all these years he missed her so much and though he understood what she and the other Syllith had to do when he grew older, he still couldn't stop thinking and dreaming of her. The spirit returns that she's very proud to see her son as a grown man as she only remembers him as a little boy. She then asks of her dear Tharaleth and is relieved that he's fine.

Cuin then asks to show the Syllith one important secret and hopes that she/they can help him in that regard. He reveals the golden dragon egg and the spirit of Eshânii gasps at the sight. He explains how he got it in the first place and also that he can feel something... alive growing inside.

“I believe that this is because of my selfish decision.” she says. “When we made our final sacrifice, we returned our draconic essence, our shared soul to Trilla. We knew that Syana would have wanted it that way. But I just couldn't stop thinking of you, my son. And so I... sent my soul fragment to you.”

She then goes on and says that maybe her act wasn't so bad at all as with Trilla's absence, what might remain of her people is lacking a guardian. So this egg might just be their best hope for the future. Cuin agrees and asks the guardian spirits to keep it safe as he has other business to do in Phorros. He also introduces them to Tinuviel and Torrent and the spirits attune them to their Mythal, thus opening a passage into the main sanctum.

There, the trio finds the ancient academy of the Syllith, including a library full of soul and dragon magic tomes and the still magnificent hallowed ritual grounds. There's also a perfect circle of crystallized statues, each one once a living Syllith mage. The statues seem to hum in harmony and it feels as if they are the ones who are powering the Mythal. The guardian asks Cuin to place the egg in the center of the circle and she promises to keep it safe and infuse it with their magic.

Note: This was the one thing Cuin's player asked me to implement in my campaign world. So I invented the Syllith as Syana's chosen disciples and let them learn soul and dragon magic from the old wyrm. As they knew that the creation of the Torch was somehow related to Trilla being created by soul magic, the Syllith realized that they couldn't let their knowledge fall into the hands of Shaaladel when he started his genocidal search for the dragon 40 years ago lest they'd give him the means to create a second Torch via other methods in time. They also used their magical energy to protect and shield Phorros even further.

The trio thank the Syllith for their hospitality and then go on to continue their search for Rhuarc. They decide to start their search in Rhuarc's old home as the High House, too, is a place of high elevation and perfectly suited for someone who knows he's being pursued. Also, Cuin muses, maybe he's not the only Taranesti in Phorros who'd like to be close to the remnants of his family.

They reach the High House after a relatively short travel and once they are about to cross the bridge to Rhuarc's home, Tinuviel spots a shadowy creature stalking towards them and who runs towards the house the moment it is being noticed. They approach further and are greeted by an arrow aimed at the front of their feet. Then they hear a growling voice coming from above:

“You are no lackeys of Shaaladel and I'd loathe having to kill one of my kin. So I'll give you this chance to live. Leave. Now.”

Note: I played with the thought of immediately shooting at Torrent as Rhuarc would try to kill anyone looking like a knight. But then I realized that she was wearing emblems of Yara, a goddess revered by the Taranesti. So I kind of beat me with my own lore.

Cuin takes one step forward, after he realizes that there might be many traps placed around this building (Tinu spotted the log traps and warned him) and declares that he doesn't want to fight Rhuarc either. Still, he's afraid that his actions, especially bringing the Torch to Ycengled, will lead their enemies here, thus endangering what's left of the Taranesti. He reminds Rhuarc of Liat who had been captured and could have spilled more information on them if not for Fayne's and their intervention.

Rhuarc's voice turns from menacing to rather disinterested as he explains that what is left of the Taranesti is hardly “a people”, only a handful of survivors who live like savages. All that's left for him is his revenge on Shaaladel who doomed them all with his greed for glory. And he'd not let anyone take this chance away from him. In fact, he's doing them all a favor by trying to eradicate this vermin from the face of the earth.

“So that's all? Kill Shaaladel or die trying? Eradicating any chance for the Taranesti to survive for what you call 'revenge'?”

Before Rhuarc can explore further why his kin is doomed anyway, Cuin says that he's wrong and he can prove it. First, there are children of the Taranesti who want to return to the old ways of balancing nature and magic and faith, who are eager to return to Phorros someday. And second, he has just placed his most valuable sign for hope somewhere safe. And he'd gladly show it to Rhuarc should he agree to give up on his plan. But he needs to ask him one question first: Why did he, a mercenary of Coaltongue, return to save Trilla when he heard that she'd been captured?

“Because I know what a mother would do for her child. I had to kill my own mother because of that, you know?”

Cuin thanks Rhuarc for his honesty and then adds that this is what he thought as well. And then reveals that maybe Trilla isn't the only child of Syana. Also, they want to find and save Trilla as they know that she might be in danger and chained up somewhere in the deep. Regarding Shaaladel, they are totally on board with trying to kill the Shining Lord of Shahalesti, as they'd try to replace him with his daughter Shalosha who's a sensitive, reasonable and empathetic leader.

“And she wishes to chop off her daddy's head, too?” Rhuarc asks with a mix of dry humor and continued disinterest.

“Not yet. But maybe we'll get there in time. We hope she'll at least understand that her father needs to step down” Tinuviel explains as he got the sensation that the old half-Taranesti directed some rather murderous intents at 'the Princess' when Cuin mentioned Shalosha for the first time. He then quickly adds that while he's from a Shahalesti noble family himself, he'd rather make sure to end the reign of Shaaladel and if this means stabbing his uncle in the back himself, then so be it.

Rhuarc seems to warm up to their cause a bit and he asks the trio why they thought he'd be here after they most certainly received “other directions” from Daukran. Cuin answers that he thought he'd rather come home than hanging out in a graveyard. At least that's what he had done. He then goes on to talk about his own mother who, like Rhuarc's sacrificed herself for her child. Then he talks about the Torch and all the mayhem that was caused by Coaltongue's death, including the Burning Sky. He says that they'll wish to make things right, fix the rift and then destroy the Torch once and for all.

Rhuarc explains that, regarding the last part, he kind of succeeded as he found a method to make the Torch inert. He drew out the soul shard of Trilla that empowered the artifact in the first place and brought it to a place where no one would dare to go in days like these: The forsaken Temple of Echoed souls. The three then explain that they'll most likely have to revert the process as the Burning Sky might consume everything in time. Then they'll need to stop Leska (and Shaaladel!) from conquering the world and maybe find a way to forge a lasting peace.

After a while, it seems as if Rhuarc might just find an uneasy peace with the group and they promise him that they won't take the Torch away from him. They'll just need to use it from time to time. Cuin intends to keep his promise to Rhuarc and show him the last hope of the Taranesti and so he visits the Sanctum once again, retrieves the egg and presents it to the old man. A tiny gasp emerges from Rhuarc's throat at the sight.

They then discuss Coaltongue. Rhuarc grins grimly as he explains what happened to the old emperor: When they realized that his body wouldn't stop healing even after missing a soul, they decapitated him and crafted a divider so his head wouldn't re-attatch itself. He then left the corpse in the care of Qillathe and Yvonnel and threw the soul gem away. The trio is rather surprised to hear that the drow ladies are real and not mere guises of the succubi they fought earlier and Rhuarc laughs at the thought that the three played their roles so perfectly.

Note: I did expect that they'd try to talk to Rhuarc. What I didn't know was whether they'd fight him before or not, so I built him as a gestalt Ranger/Shadowdancer + Stalker who specialized in fighting elves, orcs and humans. Regarding the diplomacy, they, again, pulled all registers and I decided that mother-child relationships would be one of his weak spots as he did love his mother and hated that he had to kill her after she got possessed by the devil. Also, he did try to save Trilla despite his weird turning against friend and enemy alike phase and “died” at the hands (or feet) of Coaltongue, so he would have a place in his cold heart for a young dragon. And as they all want to kill Shaaladel in one way or another, I guessed they might just get along. So yep, Rhuarc lives. And Cuin does his best to keep him from throwing his life away.

Rhuarc then jumps from the balcony of his home and lands before them with unearthly agility. He leads them to the Grand Manor where the Droalesti took one of the forsaken homes as their own. Cuin'halar is glad to hear that as his family's home was placed in the Manor tree as well and he planned to pay it a visit anyway.

Once they reach the Manor, Rhuarc introduces them to Qillathe and Yvonnel who are curious for the reasons why their partner might want to leave the city after they thought he'd made his final stand here. They all explain what happened and the two seem to be almost relieved that this story is over. They say that they originally wanted to make a statement and out of the old allegiances between their people. They can say that the Droalesti survive in the underground after they flew from the “bright sun” and that they still harbor a sense of friendship for the Taranesti. Unfortunately, neither of the two knows more about Trilla or her whereabouts. So they say farewell to Rhuarc and the three and decide to finally go home.

Note: I didn't see any reason to make the drow or Droalesti evil in this campaign as Lolth isn't canon. They lived in Phorros, although it wasn't clear whether they'd live with the Taranesti or whether they left before the Taranesti settled there, and I thought it would be a bit of a change to let them and the Taranesti be allies. So yeah, I changed the alignments of both drow to CN. And this also wasn't the last time we saw these two.

 

[Lylandra]

Alas, poor Coaltongue

Once Qillathe and Yvonnel leave the trio and Rhuarc, Tinuviel asks to see Coaltongue's body. Rhuarc fetches it from the house where the two Droalesti had been hiding and shows their grim work with a sense of hesitant pride. With Rhuarc's permission, the three take some time to give the weirdly bleeding and somehow alive-but-dead at first examination.

“It is as if the blood is trying to heal the body even after decapitation. Not even trolls are capable of such regenerative feats.” Torrent says and cuts a small, instantly regenerating wound in Coaltongue's arm to confirm her theory.

Tinuviel then asks Rhuarc whether he can show him the place where he threw the soul gem containing the soul of the emperor away, When Rhuarcs demands to know why he'd need the location, Tinuviel explains that he'd sleep much easier if he knew that the warlord was destroyed once and for all with no chance of revival.

“But isn't rotting in a forsaken demiplane filled with haunts a fitting fate for that cursed man?” Rhuarc asks which causes Cuin to ponder a while about his words.

“Maybe. But maybe there is a better way of making him pay. Torrent, could you try to find the source of Coaltongue's regeneration? I guess it is the same source that causes his immortality.”

Torrent nods and agrees to take a bit more time to get more information about Coaltongue. Meanwhile, Cuin'halar finally returns to the home he left forty years ago. He fetches some old trinkets and heirlooms, including a necklace of his late mother. He also searches for his old textbooks on learning magic and then heads to the library of living stone to get more tomes, as he had promised to the twins, Elerian and Reynos.

When he returns, they discuss their further plans. The elves tell Rhuarc about Seaquen and their alliance against Leska, the woman who wants to become the next emperor of Ragesia and who wishes to eventually conquer the world. Regarding Leska, the half-Taranesti explains that he found it kind of odd that he and the drow got actually paid by a ragesian Inquisitor to assassinate Coaltongue. And while they thought that this could have been a rival's plan to usurp the throne, he'd rather have thought about a rogue general. But having Leska behind all these machinations makes kind of sense to him now. Not that he put much thought into the backgrounds of the people that enabled him to kill off his first target.

They also ask Rhuarc to present the malfunctioning torch to the council so that the Shahalesti will get the memo that the torch is neither able to teleport anyone nor hidden in Ycengled. They explain that they do want to protect the Taranesti with all means and drawing the Shahalesti away from their home is kind of pivotal to their survival. Cuin mentions that he's also working on a plan to thwart all further plans of the Shahalesti to conquer Ycengled, but for this he'd need more info from Torrent.

After a while, the cleric returns with more detailed results of her tests. She says that the source of the emperor's immortality is indeed his altered blood and she guesses that exsanguinating him would stop the regeneration effects.

Note: I considered it to be reasonable that Torrent, a high-class healer, would be able to understand the Blessing of the Aquiline Heart power. I also decided that Leska and Etifini would have stronger ties to the Heart and would therefore be harder to kill that those who only had “second-hand experiences” like Coaltongue, Aurana or Karedan.

“Oh, but this is wonderful news, Torrent” Cuin'halar exclaims with a broad grin. “I told you of a more 'fitting fate' for the emperor, so... what if we just decided to revive him? After we drained all the magical blood from his body, of course. Coaltonge is old, you know? He'd be frail and succumb to old age in a matter of months. What a marvelous end for a mighty warlord, don't you agree?”

Rhuarc is torn between healthy skepticism and the really appealing idea of seeing the old half-orc actually rot slowly before his own eyes, unable to lift even a butter knife in the end, at Cuin's revelation. Cuin adds that he'd need approval of all of them for this revival as Coaltongue was and still is a symbol for the old ways of Ragesia. However, his plan goes even further. He says that he'd talk to Coaltongue first and ask him about his thoughts before continuing. Should the old man still pose a threat to their endeavors or harbor plans to retake his throne and continue his conquests, then they'd kill him with Rhuarc's soul-stealing sword and just smash his soul. Or let it rot in a latrine or so.

Should he return as an old and reasonable man instead, he could officially make Magdus or Danava his successor and order them to stop all hostilities with their neighboring countries after Leska's defeat. In return for this favor, the new emperor could agree to declare Ycengled as Taranesti territory, therefore protecting their forest from future Shalahesti claims. Not that anyone would actually want to invade a haunted forest, he adds.

Now this is a plan they can agree to, even if this means that the torch needs to be brought to the outside world again.

“We'll teleport directly to Seaquen. They have a mechanism that redirects everyone trying to get there via teleportation to the Lyceum's dungeons. I promise you that the torch will be safe there and that we'll keep your arrival a secret, Rhuarc. All you need to do is... not give up on this world just yet.”

Rhuarc grumbles for a while, not really sure on which path to choose. He finally agrees though and decides to give this young man's plan a try, if just for the opportunity to see a different end and maybe even kill Lord Shaaladel along the way.

Together, they pull all the blood from Coaltongue's body and store it safely inside the Syllith sanctum. Then they follow Rhuarc to the place where he threw the emperor's soul stone away. It takes them some time, but they eventually find the missing diamond. Then they protect them all against divination magic, leave Phorros and teleport the dead body, the gem, Rhuarc and themselves to Seaquen.

Needless to say that headmastress Simeonne is more than surprised to see them return with so much baggage. They explain everything that happened in Ycengeld and Phorros and say that keeping Rhuarc's presence a secret is of utmost importance lest they wish to risk a direct intervention from Shahalesti again. They also tell her that they did find the torch (it it still in Rhuarc's possession though) and it needs to be repaired to function normally. The only problem is that they'd need to go to a place that was even feared by a gold dragon: the Temple of Echoed Souls.

They then realize that Rhuarc had been there at least once and ask him about the temple and its “Ancient Evil”. Rhuarc shrugs and casually mentions that there is an entity that claims the temple as his own. It seemed quite malevolent, but was more interested in Trilla's soul shard than in him. He also heard that the temple was originally meant to help the monks living there understand their souls and that there should be a means to see each other's souls. Or so.

“Sounds like this is the place where we have to go after we convinced the world that the torch doesn't work. Alrighty then, let's get this party started.” Tinuviel says.

Cuin then raises his hand and says that there is one more thing: They wish to revive Coaltongue. After Simeonne's initial shock, the elf then lays out his plan and she reluctantly agrees to have him resurrected in one of the warded dungeons. But she insists that they'll finish the Old Dragon off should they suspect anything fishy.

So they ask Rhuarc to stay in the shadows (he does this quite literally all the time) while they prepare the ritual for Coaltongue. Rhuarc watches them closely as Torrent uses her clerical wonder to re-attatch the emperor's head and bring him back to life. Drakus Coaltongue opens his eyes with a gasp, as unknown elven eyes stare back at him.

“So this is the afterlife? Would have expected more feasting and less elves. Did they put me in Shaaladel's version of hell?” the old half-orc snorts.

The two elves then calmly explain that while he has been dead indeed, he is quite alive right now, even if he lost his immortality in the process after having lost his soul. Then they carefully tell him all about what happened in Ragesia and the world after he had been attacked in Korstull half a year ago.

“So long story short: Your torch is inert, Leska has declared herself empress and tries to conquer all of the remaining free lands while imprisoning all magic-users she can find for whatever evil plan she harbors, General Magdus is in open rebellion and Seaquen has become the last safehaven for all who oppose Ragesia. Oh and there's also evidence pointing to Leska or her inquisitors being behind your assassination. I guess this isn't the kind of legacy you wanted to leave behind.” Cuin'halar concludes his exposition.

Coaltongue takes quite a while to digest all these news. He then says that this Leska has always been a clever and resourceful one. The best counselor one could wish for when it came to strategies or dirty tactics. He guesses that betrayal would certainly be among her chosen weapons, even if he'd never thought her to be a megalomaniac.

“She was quite the desperate woman when I gave her the choice to grant me immortality or die at the spot for treason. But when she returned to me with the gift I longed for, I knew that she was special. Even if I don't know whether it was the best choice I made... becoming immortal, I mean. In the end no victory could satisfy me anymore. There were no challenges. Even the tastiest food turned to ash after all these years...” he sighs before explaining that he probably won't return to the throne of Ragesia as he's had enough of this now. Instead, he'd love to live the nomadic life of his father's people one more time before old age finally claims him.

The elves agree that this would sound like a fitting plan, even if they'd ask him to play his part one last time. They explain that right now, Danava is bound to serve the rightful ruler of Ragesia while Magdus is officially branded traitor for staying loyal to his emperor and as long as Leska rules in Ragos uncontested there won't be any peace or future for Ragesia.

Cuin adds that Magdus and his army had been defiantly waiting in Korstull in front of a raging firestorm in hope to find at least their emperor's corpse which says quite something about the character of a man. And that he wishes to become Ragesia's next emperor because he believes that this is what his emperor would have wanted.

“This damned, loyal, too-clever-for-his-own-good dog. I knew the kid had the guts to become something marvelous in time. He's right, you know. I wanted to make him my successor, even if this was originally meant as a joke I made after too much wine.”

Torrent grins and adds that she knows exactly what he means. Cuin hooks in again and says he's sure the alliance will accept a new emperor as long as this means no further expansion politics from Ragesia. He says that he couldn't think of a better advisor to a new emperor than Coaltongue should he stay true to his words.

Note: I must admit that I loved this plan as it managed to put Coaltongue to a good use without risking to spoil all the fun by having one powerful, immortal warrior on the battlefield. Killing Coaltongue by exsanguination and bringing him back via resurrection sounded quite viable to me, especially as the magical blood is some sort of artifact that cannot be simply recreated by simple magic. However, they managed to use Coaltongue far too well which lead to some drastic changes in adventure 9 as you'll see.

They then offer Coaltongue a room in the Lyceum and ask him to keep his identity a secret for now. Cuin then discusses his plan with Tinuviel: He does want to make sure that all allied nations do accept Ycengled as a sovereign Taranesti territory and also as fellow allied nation in the upcoming war. After all, it was a Taranesti who claimed the torch and who will lend it to the others and also, the small nation sends one of their best warriors, Cuin'halar Shelenbîl, who already helped to thwart the ragesian conspiracy in Dassen.

Tinuviel is instantly on board and so they travel to Sindaire, Ostalin and Dassen and tell them that Ycengled would agree to contribute to the war effort under the sole condition that the forest is seen as its own nation. Now no one of the ambassadors or nobles actually believes that someone would have any interest in the forsaken forest. But none of them can make concrete promises unless they'd speak with their respective sovereigns about the matter. They do get rather positive signals from Dassen and Sindaire though as the group has helped the two nations in the past.

“This leaves only Ragesia, or, more specifically, General Magdus.” Cuin says after their finished talks with a sense of accomplishment while heading towards Coaltongue's intermediate residence.

Note: Cuin's player started this personal agenda after he saw the Taranesti survivors and the devastation of his homeland. Now he's still quite a hopeful elf and he's trying to convince Rhuarc and Fayne that their people have a future in Ycengled, so I just let him pursuit this secondary goal along the line. As you'll see in the following entries, he took this issue rather serious and used every little piece I gave them for his plan.

 

[RangerWickett]

Good for these guys. I believe my playtest party just intended to build a deathtrap dungeon to trap Coaltongue (and any other immortals) in, so that some future adventurers could deal with them.

 

[Lylandra]

Good for these guys. I believe my playtest party just intended to build a deathtrap dungeon to trap Coaltongue (and any other immortals) in, so that some future adventurers could deal with them.

Ha, so that's where Kiernan's comment in adventure 12 comes from.

 

[Lylandra]

The issue of succession and the second War Council

The group takes Coaltongue, and travels to Magdus' encampment near Korstull via teleport. They introduce themselves as agents of both Seaquen and the Taranesti and, after stating their names, are welcomed by second general Octavia. As they asked the late Emperor to keep the disguise of an old orc until they finally arrive in Magdus' tent, no one actually recognizes Coaltongue. They ask him then to stay outside as they'd love to give the “new emperor” a pleasant surprise.

Magdus is both wary and interested when he sees the trio and asks them for their reason to return to his site. Tinuviel and Cuin first thank the general for his hospitality as they both know they didn't part on too good terms after that Shalosha incident. Then they hand him the official invitation to the very first war council in Seaquen. They explain that he's free to bring his army along, as long as he agrees to keep the peace in the territory of Seaquen.

Cuin then goes on to tell Magdus about Simeonne's and Xavious' plan to maybe form an alliance against Leska as they are pretty sure that no one will win against this Surpreme Inquisitor all on his or her own. They're pretty sure that Ostalin, Sindaire and Dassen will send their emissaries, so the talks will be both international and serious. In addition, the reclusive Taranesti also agreed to send one of their best warriors, namely Cuin'halar, who also has a very special gift for the future emperor of Ragesia. He then asks Torrent to bring in the mysterious stranger.

Then Coaltongue enters the command tent and removes his hood, showing an almost mischievous smile.

“May I introduce you to our guest of honor: Drakus Coaltongue”

Magdus' face turns pale in surprise, then he falls down on one knee to honor his superior.

“My liege... you're alive. How's that even...After hearing the tale of your assassination, after seeing the vision of the Dark Pyre with my own eyes, I had lost all hope of ever seeing you again. Please accept-”

Coaltongue looks at his general in a mix of bemusement and feigned annoyance, before he interrupts him gruffly.

“Stand up, you loyal fool! And don't you dare to burden me with the weight of ruling Ragesia again. I haven't returned to reclaim my empire. I have returned to officially name you my successor. I've heard that you waited patiently in front of Korstull, searching for ways to brace a raging firestorm for months. So I believe my judgment was right after all: No one's as loyal to me and to Ragesia as you are. So I believe you'll make a fine ruler, Magdus. Now, on your feet. An emperor doesn't kneel!”

Magdus is still speechless for a moment, then stands up slowly while realizing what just happened. He first thanks Coaltongue for placing his trust in him and then thanks the trio for returning his emp- no, old friend to him. Coaltongue on the other hand promises to act as adviser for Magdus as long as he needs his advice.

When he's sure that he isn't ruining anyone's moment there, Cuin says he hopes that the effort of the Taranesti is to emperor Magdus' liking. He then quickly adds that while he's sure that an educated man like Emperor Magdus is aware of the fate of the Taranesti at the hands of Lord Shaaladel, their tale is far from over. They, his people, are trying to survive in the haunted forest they call their ancient home. And despite all tragedy, they are still willing to contribute to the war effort against Leska. But he, being the representative of his people, needs to make sure that they will be left alone and may keep their sovereign territory this time. Meaning that he asks Magdus to officially recognize Ycengeld Phuurst as land of the Taranesti.

Magdus sees this as the clever political maneuver that it is, but he cannot find any reason why anyone would wish to lay claim on the haunted forest and Cuin'halar has proven to be a trustworthy negotiator who helped to return his late emperor. So he agrees to support the Taranesti sovereignty on the basis that the Taranesti support his claim on the throne of Ragesia.

Note: So yeah, Magdus knows that “the Taranesti” are little more than Cuin and his family or so. But he does know about the deeds of the Seaquenian trio and also knows that having them on his side might be vital to get more supporters (international ones as well as the refugees from Ragesia) for his claim on the throne.

They then take some time to explain why and how they think Coaltongue might have been assassinated. They also have good reason to believe that Leska is behind this all. And speaking of Leska, there is another poor soul who's forced to fight a war he doesn't believe in because he's bound by a geas to “the rightful ruler of Ragesia”. So maybe it would be a good idea to pay dear General Danava a visit and release him of his bounds.

Magdus and Coaltongue both agree that stopping the war in Gate Pass as quickly as possible might be a good idea as that would allow the Second Army to join the First should the Alliance be forged in the near future. Also, this would give the poor people of Gate Pass some rest and bring relief to the besieged Resistance.

As there is no one vetoing this plan, Cuin and Tinuviel use their teleportation spells to bring Magdus, Coaltongue and some guards to a place near Danava's encampment. Magdus' presence alone is reason enough to be granted free passage through the camp towards the command tent of the General. This time, Magdus does most of the talk, even if the elves first claim to have finally found a way to prevent the two Danavas from waging war against each other.

Magdus greets his old colleague with a warm dignity before he explains that he's glad to relieve Danava of Leska's orders as she's no longer the rightful ruler of Ragesia. He then shocks Danava with the revelaion of Drakus Coaltongue in the same way he had been shocked by the trio before.

“By his right as Emperor, Drakus Coaltongue has named me his successor to the throne of Ragesia. Leska has no claim on it. Which means you're free to make peace with Gate Pass as I don't support this needless war. Do you swear to serve me loyally as General of my second army? Do you swear to uphold the vow you gave to Emperor Coaltongue and stay by my side in life and death, Ashok Danava?”

This time it is General Danava who kneels in reverence before his new Emperor, presenting him his sword in a ceremonial gesture.

“Always, my Emperor. I shall serve you in life and death. I shall be your loyal sword until the very end.”

Magdus then signals Danava to rise again and embraces him in a brotherly way. He then informs his general about the upcoming War council and his plan to join an alliance against Leska the usurper should the conditions be acceptable for Ragesia. He also orders Danava to stop all hostilities with Gate Pass at once and stay in his camp until further notice. He explains that the city might need the additional defense should Leska realize what happened and order Revulus to withdraw from Dassen and attack Gate Pass. Also, explaining the new rulership to the representatives of Gate Pass might be a good idea. Tinuviel and Cuin'halar agree and add that their father, Tharaleth Shelenbîl will be glad to start negotiations soon.

Note: And that's how they forced me to change a good portion of adventure 9 I didn't see any reason why their plan wouldn't work and I like to reward clever players. Even if that means a good amount of extra work for me. Well, at least Magdus' order kept Danava's army around Gate Pass so I wouldn't have to improvise too much. Also, I'm a fan of both Danavas and Magdus, so giving me the opportunity to portray their interaction was a reward in itself.

They then return Emperor Magdus and Coaltongue to the ragesian camp in Sindaire and return back to Seaquen to report to Simeonne. They are all pretty sure that all invited parties will send their respective representatives, leaving open only the matter of the Shahalesti. Tinuviel is pretty keen on getting Shalosha to the negotiation table as he know she'd be the most reasonable and diplomatic of them all. So he and Cuin propose a little trick to Simeonne: She should invite both Shaaladel and Shalosha personally to the war council conference. They are both pretty sure that Shaaladel won't come in person, but he's both too vain and too courteous to ignore a personal invitation, so he might just send Shalosha who's already well-known in Seaquen.

The headmastress doesn't see any flaw in this plan and she's already seen Shalosha showing good intentions despite different orders from her father, so she'd be glad to see her join the war council. So they all proceed to send the invitation to both Lord and princess.

A few days later, Tinuviel uses a sending power to speak to his cousin about the war council and he asks her whether she'd be among the representatives of Seaquen. Shalosha replies that she's already heard about the council, but she probably won't be able to come and she doesn't know who'd be sent either. She can only guess that this is because her father wasn't so happy to hear about her “engagement plan” to Magdus from Rihalles or whoever told him without being consulted first, so he keeps her out of international affairs for now.

Note: I needed a reason why Shalosha would be a surprise guest in the Temple after I had decided to make them all attend the War Council before going back to Ycengled. They'd have asked her to come along otherwise which meant that I'd needed to add more people to the ranks of their “opposing team” as well. So knowing that Shaaladel wouldn't be too happy about his daughter trying to marry someone without his approval (Magdus, even if this was clearly exaggerated by Tinuviel), he'd try to keep her out of negotiations with the ragesian rebels for a while.

Both elves are a bit disappointed that their plan didn't work at all. As the emissaries of Sindaire, Ostalin (including two Monks) and Dassen (they are positively surprised to see Lady Timor and Lord Gallo as representatives of Dassen's magical and military “departments”), as well as Magdus and Octavia appear one by one, they slowly start wondering whether Shahalesti will be sending anyone at all. They are a bit relieved, but also annoyed, to see their old acquaintance Admiral Telshanth arrive with a small fleet last minute. He is accompanied by Tinuviel's aunt, Mariel Shalandil, who's glad to see her nephew again after all these months of war.

The council starts as planned with Simeonne greeting and introducing everyone (including guildmistress Sheena Larkis of the Wayfarers and Xavious Foebane, leader of the refugee army) and getting them all on equal terms regarding the newest events and information:

First, the advances of the Ragesians have been halted at almost every front except in Shahalesti, which are good news. However, there might be trouble ahead as it appears as if Leska has been developing a secret superweapon called “The Scourge” in a far off fortress in northern Ragesia. Looking at Telshanth, she instantly adds that the help of the Shahalesti, most importantly of Magister Clathan and his subordinates, has been key to receiving that information, so thanks for that. From what they know, this is also the place where all the captured mages might have been brought to and there are hints that their magic is used to fuel a device called “Koren Obelisk” which might be able to project and amplify any spell that's being cast through it. So they'd need to get rid of this superweapon before they an even start thinking about bringing the war to Leska herself lest they'd risk their capitals being bombarded with deadly spells.

Magdus raises his voice to give some insight into that matter. First, he thanks Simeonne and Seaquen that he and his “true Ragesians” have been invited to the council as they, too, wish to liberate their home from Leska's oppression. He also knows a bit about the northern region of Ragesia and the old military fortresses that were built by Coaltongue. Plus, he knows the name “Koren” too well, as this woman is nothing short of Inquisitor Kreven's wife. Oh and as far as he knows, she's a Wayfarer, so she maybe knows quite a deal about teleportation and the Burning Sky effect (He earns deadly side-eyes from Sheena when he speaks that name).

One of the monks then stands up as there's someone who could add to this information. He brings forth a mask which turns into an image of Pilus' face. Pilus explains that he spied upon this fortress from above and can provide more detailed information about its really strong defenses.

Simeonne thanks Magdus and Pilus for this insight and then concludes that they are all in imminent danger, which is why she proposes to form an Alliance of the Free People as they share a common goal in defeating Leska and bringing peace to the continent. She then points to Cuin, Tinu and Torrent and explains that these heroes and saviors of Seaquen have been a great help in gathering the necessary information and also helped to uncover an intrigue that threatened to destroy Dassen from the inside.

Seeing this as a sign that it is his turn to speak, Cuin'halar stands up to express his support for forming an alliance against Leska. He adds that he's not only a citizen of Gate Pass (which wasn't able to send representatives on their own as they are still busy making peace negotiations with General Danava), but also ambassador for the Taranesti of Ycengled. He says that his people, despite being peaceful, small numbered and not directly involved so far, would help to bring peace to the world and send their greatest warrior (himself) to aid the Alliance. However, to be able to do so, he'd need to be sure that every member of the Alliance agrees to honor their autonomy and let them live in peace in their home forest of Ycengeld Phuurst.

As a sign of his people's goodwill, he managed to uncover the lost Torch of the Burning Sky of emperor Coaltongue. He then brings forth the artifact and adds that this will hopefully end the futile search of the Shahalesti in Ycengled. Also, the Torch is pretty much nonfunctional as it is now, as the dragon soul shard that fueled it has been removed, and every party is free to examine the artifact with their magical scholars. He also has proof that it was almost certainly Leska or one of her highest Inquisitors who was behind the assassination of Coaltongue, so the Shahalesti are the wrong ones to blame.

He then asks the members of the council whether they'd support the Taranesti autonomy and every party except Shahalesti agrees one by one. Mariel shares a few whispers with Telshanth and then says that she doesn't believe that Lord Shaaladel will object as soon as the Alliance liberates the lands of Shahalesti. But to this point, she cannot make any promises without her Lord's approval. Telshanth then raises his voice himself and adds that he wants to make it clear that, should Shahalesti lend their valuable troops, his King would expect nothing less than being the supreme commander of their unified army. Also, Shaaladel sees himself as the natural successor to the late Emperor Coaltongue, so he'd expect to be ruler of Ragesia after the war.

Needless to say that this proposal faces a heavy objection from Magdus who says he knows at least a dozen people who'd had been named his successor by Coaltongue before he'd even think about calling for Shaaladel. Besides that fact, there is no doubt that Coaltongue saw him as the one true successor to the throne. To stress this out, he and the team give the Lyceans the sign to ask for their “special guest” who, to everyone's surprise, turns out to be no one else but said Drakus Coaltongue.

Coaltongue confirms Magdus' claim, saying that he personally made him emperor and adding that he doesn't wish to return to rule Ragesia. However, if they accept Magdus and Ragesia as part of their alliance, he'd offer to act as military adviser and commanding officer on the battlefield. This causes Telshanth (but less so Mariel) to be infuriated that he wasn't informed about Coaltongue being alive earlier. Sheena takes this as an opportunity to throw in that she didn't know about Koren being with Leska's Rags as well and she demands her to be arrested and given to the Wayfarers for proper punishment.

Just when tensions are about to get really high, the windows of the council hall shatter at once and an icy blast fills the whole room. Before anyone can fully grasp what just happened, two huge ice elementals appear out of nowhere , threatening to put a quick and premature end to the Alliance.

 

[Lylandra]

We finished!

Just going to leave this here to whom it may concern:

We just finished our War of the Burning Sky campaign yesterday!

Overall, we spend the last 2 1/2 years with Cuin'halar, Tinuviel, Torrent & co. and I can say that this is/was easily the best published high fantasy campaign I've ever played.

I'm also very proud of my players who created really memorable and unique characters and upped the ante on what it means to play both immersive and personal.

That being said, WotBS was my first level 1-21 DMing experience as I've only DMed episodes of our Planescape Campaign (fortunately, this included some true epic level play, so I didn't get overwhelmed by the massive obligatory power creep) and some smaller camapigns that didn't last so long before.

So, what's next?

First, I'll continue my recaps as I do wish to tell the tale of my party all the way to the end (I promised this to Cuin's player who's still lurking on these forums and who loves reading my WotBS posts and who's still envious of my focus on the Zeitgeist posts)

Second, I'm fiddling with the thought of crafting an "WotBS - The after Years" campaign, but I need to get the right ideas so I won't ruin the perfect ending that was adventure 12.

 

[RangerWickett]

Oh! Congratulations!

It's weird to say, since I wrote the campaign, but please no spoilers of upcoming posts.

I'm honored to have helped make something that led to you all having a memorable campaign.

 

[Lylandra]

Into the Temple of Echoed Souls

Thanks! It has been a blast.

And, haha, no, I won't spoil the upcoming events. but I can promise that there will be some surprises.

---

As he fears for Mariel's life, Tinuviel throws himself in front of his aunt before a second spell hits the council hall and leaves everyone stunned in place. The blizzard elementals use this opportunity to begin mauling some members of the delegation, including Tinuviel and Simeonne. Fortunately, the stun effect on Cuin, Tinu, Torrent, Telshanth and Magdus dissipates quickly and our team does its best to defend their helpless friends. Torrent heals up everyone who got injured while the two elves draw the elementals' attention and fight them until they eventually shatter.

Note: Magdus did his best to destroy the icy bonds of the elementals while Telshanth... well, he did protect Mariel but he then took cover and, being unarmed, decided to see whether these “heroes” were really up to their task.

After they defeated the elementals, the trio makes haste towards the grand window which now lies shattered in pieces as they hear screams coming from the outside. And what they see there really breaks their hearts as a massive, city-wide ice storm seems to have hit Seaquen. Dead and injured people are on the streets everywhere and screams fill the air. To their shock, they can also see devils roaming the streets, butchering civilians. So they use their fly spells and throw themselves at the devils, trying to prevent any more casualties.

Thanks to their quick reaction, they can round up and kill the devils quite efficiently before they try to help those who were struck by this ice storm. What shocks them as well is a note carved into a human bone they find with one of the ice devils. It reads “Hand the Torch to Ragesia or many more will die”

When they return to the council, the ambassadors are all on their feet again and Kiernan has already sealed off the window with a wall of stone.

Xavious Foebane is furious because of the attack and tries to rally everyone present to form an alliance against Leska right here, right now, as this vicious attack proves that no one can be safe from the Scourge. Most of the others agree, but they all understand that they probably won't get to the Scourge's location in time without a functioning Torch of the Burning Sky.

Cuin and Tinu agree on this assessment and they add that there might be a way to get this artifact to work, but this needs some time and might be dangerous. Still they're convinced that they will get them a method of teleporting an army to northern Ragesia, so they ask the ambassadors to get their respective armies ready as quickly as possible.

It seems as if everyone agrees to this plan. Well, everyone, except the Shahalesti who note that they'll have to inform their Lord Shaaladel about the recent development, even if they are quite positive that the Shining Lord will agree to send his army as soon as he hears about the Scourge's magical capabilities.

The council dissolves then and Mariel tells the Seaqueninans in private that she's sorry she couldn't be of more help. She's very glad that her dear Tinuviel tried to defend her with his life though and she says she'll never forget what he did today. Also, she'll do her very best to get Shaaladel on board. Regarding Shalosha, she doesn't really know about her invitation, but she does know that Shaaladel was quite upset about her unilateral wedding plans.

After Mariel leaves the scene, the trio discuss their plans to restore the Torch with Simeonne, Xavious and Kiernan. They explain that they might be able to repair the artifact by getting its “soul” back in the Temple of Echoed Souls, even if the leader of the Echoed Soul monks warned them that unspeakable evil lurks inside their old home.

They then go outside on the streets of Seaquen again to comfort those who got struck by the ice storm. After hours of work, Kiernan seems depressed and he shakes his head at the destruction of his city.

“So much death and despair... how can we possibly hope to win against an enemy who can easily eradicate a whole city with a single spell?”

Note: I wanted to foreshadow his rather unorthodox decision later on. Seeing the destruction of large parts of Seaquen with his own eyes, Kiernan is about to lose confidence in the Alliance's ability to protect their civilians.

Before they teleport back to Ycengled one day later, Tinuviel places a mind shielding spell on Rhuarc and Cuin'halar as these two are most likely the ones who'll use the Torch in the temple. He then tries to talk mentally to Shalosha one last time and ask her why she didn't make it to the war council. Shalosha explains that, embarrassing as that may sound, she's been grounded by her dad for trying to make political negotiations behind his back. And yes, he wasn't happy that these “negotiations” meant marrying a ragesian general. Tinuviel replies that he's sorry to hear that, but he does encourage her to make her own decisions regardless of Shaaladel's opinion.

When Shalosha tells him that things are not that easy in Calanis and she doesn't want to destroy her future in Shahalesti, Tinuviel asks her whether she'd side with them or whether she'll be Shaaladel's puppet for the next few decades. After all, the Alliance is trying its best to defeat Leska and Shalosha does have many supporters in Shahalesti, especially those who live in the borderlands. Also, he promises that he'd always be by her side, guarding her back and making sure that no one can betray her. Shalosha thanks Tinu for his support, but she cannot leave Calanis right now. Still she does have a backup plan, one that she cannot reveal right now as she doesn't know whether it will work or not.

Tinu then informs Cuin and Torrent about his talk with Shalosha and he seems a bit upset that he couldn't convince his cousin to join them right now. Cuin pokes Tinu in the ribs as maybe “Shalosha” is still quite the sensitive topic for Torrent, but Tinu seems a bit oblivious. They then get Rhuarc and Three Weeping Ravens and teleport to the edge of Ycengled. From there, they walk the riverbank of the Sharn river all the way towards the Temple of Echoed Souls.

After they enter the Temple, Three Weeping Ravens explains the basics of the trial ceremony and they all ascend the stairs together. When they reach the mirror in the front Hall, they see the reflection of master Haathon who warns them that “41” has taken control of the temple. He asks them to leave immediately if they value their souls, but Cuin'halar presents the Torch and explains that he has to fix this artifact and he guesses that the missing part of it might have been lost inside the temple.

When Haathon sees Rhuarc, he nods knowingly and seems disappointed that someone would throw a soul away like that. He agrees to let them enter the temple and then explains the trials to the whole group. He also explains the method of soul tapping, even if he says that he can teach them only the very basic techniques as true mastery will need years of practice.

Then his image flickers and vanishes, revealing a shadowy figure that looks – to everyone's surprise – very much like a brawler. He claims that they may enter, but he's also pretty sure that they will lose their souls to him in the process.

They let 41 be for the moment and enter the chambers before facing the trial of the bell. Thanks to Tinuviel, they manage to spot the trap and disable the pressure plate that would have otherwise triggered the bell in the echo chamber. They also find the secret door with the inscription “Speak your name and be divided to paths sinister and righteous. A sacrifice of blood is the key to your salvation”. So each of them whispers their name and enter the mirror portals that open in front of them.

Three Weeping Ravens and Tinuviel, who took the paths of space and death find themselves on the “righteous path” and have to move through a flaming ground as soon as they enter. They do see the “silver key” in form of a blade inside a floating sphere, so Tinuviel levitates towards the sphere and find himself unable to breach it. So he and Three Weeping Ravens guess that they have to make the “sacrifice of blood” by defeating the hideously malformed chorus. Which is exactly what they do without too much hassle.

Cuin'halar, Rhuarc and Torrent, who took the paths of life, time and water, enter the “sinister path” and suddenly feel water entering their shoes as they stand in a stormy space with one floating willow tree encased in an orb. Cuin and Torrent are surprised to see that the Ghale they encountered in the Shrine of Anyariel is also in this room. She seems a bit confused about the fact that they meet again in such a strange place, but here they are. Rhuarc mumbles something about a “sacrifice of blood” and Cuin gets that this Ghaele cannot be truly the same celestial they've met before. Still he cannot possibly sacrifice the Ghaele for such selfish reasons. Rhuarc scolds him for such noble hesitance as they have one mission and doing what needs to be done sometimes requires dire methods.

Cuin stands up to his beliefs and says that he didn't choose the path of life without reason. He asks Rhuarc to put aside his weapon and believe in him and then uses the Living Blade to cut his veins and bleed out. The moment Cuin's body dies, Torrent and Rhuarc can reach the amber key and leave the room where Cuin suddenly reappears, brought back by the temple's magic.

“See? I told you to have faith in me and here I am.”

Note: Cuin sees the “path of life” as his personal motivation, so choosing “life” was a natural one for him. I was also quite sure that he'd not kill the Ghaele, so I planned to let Rhuarc do it for him should he turn out to be too hesitant. But he was quite quick to sacrifice himself.

The two groups reunite in the grand trial chamber and see their surroundings shift. They see a short vision of their group as they flee from Korstull on the Sky Palanquin and prepare to fight the resurrected Syana. Shalosha joins them as does Rihalles and they all feel a sudden rush of communion as they witness their memory of the past.
The vision then flickers and they see a (from their own perspective) very strange second vision: They are suddenly in front of the temple and see a strange gathering of people: First there's Kiernan Stekart and Katrina. Then there are Shalosha and her bodyguard Rihalles, as well as admiral Telshanth and Nahrem, the “Scourge of Ycengled”. And last but not least, they are accompanied by two inquisitors, one bear and a ragesian knight clad in crimson.

The female inquisitor calls upon the rest's loyalty as she claims that at least the Ragesians are not known for quick betrayals, even if there have been precedents. She hints at Katrina and then looks at Shalosha, who says that she wishes to get this work done quickly. And while she isn't proud at what she's about to do, she still knows that this union between Shahalesti and Ragesia might be the best chance for their two nations to make peace. The red knight grunts, having no nerve for diplomacy and then opens the door of the temple.

Cuin is seemingly confused at what he just saw and calls the vision horribly absurd. Tinuviel isn't so sure about the absurdity as he does recall his talk with Shalosha, even if he, too, hopes that this isn't real. He asks Rhuarc to stay in the shadows and watch out for any sign of other, real, presences in this hall.

Note: Yep, I added Kiernan and Telshanth to the equation because I knew that both Shalosha and Katrina would end up siding with the party. But more about them later.

The vision flickers again, before confronting some of them with a vision of the past: First they witness their interrogation of Lee Sidoneth, mere moments before his disintegration. They then see Torrent and the terror on her face when she sees her old mentor turn to dust. And then they hear an amused voice coming from everywhere at once:

“How... interesting. He made his choice, even if it turned out to be quite... fatal”

The vision flickers again and they stand inside Vuhl's hut the moment when Tinuviel confronts the Seela. He calls him the dark abyss and realizes that this person cannot possibly be a seela, but has to be something more and much darker.

“Ah, now this soul I'd love to touch.”

The vision flickers again and this time, Cuin feels a strong resonance coming from his backpack.

They are suddenly back inside the temple and see an elegant female elf, crowned with a golden tiara and wearing flowing, golden robes entering the main hall. There she meets a shadowy man who's surrounded by a menacing aura. The man musters her feet to tiara and then raises his voice in disbelief:

“Of all the creatures who might enter my temple, it is you who gives me the honor? In this fragile guise? Don't you fear for your soul?”

The elf seems to glow as she seems to be so much more than a simple woman.

“I don't fear you, creature of darkness. You have no power over me.”

“So you seek to confront me? Your kind is truly the epitome of arrogance.”

The elf grins maliciously and hisses.

“The same could be said about you, humans”

With these words, she turns into a gigantic golden dragon and stares down upon the seemingly small shadowy figure.

“Believe me, dragon, I've got enough experience fighting your kind.” the man says in an amused voice before changing his shape to reveal the silhouette of a – smaller and still shadowy – green dragon. Both dragons stare at each other for a moment before circling each other.

“I didn't come here to fight you, spirit. I wish to understand your magic. Soul magic.”

Now this turns the shadow quite interested and he ceases his displayed aggressive stance.

“Is that so? How... unexpected. But you do know that this knowledge comes at a price?”

“So name your price!” the golden dragon growls, also less aggressive, but more demanding.

“Your soul. All these tiny dark spots, your wrath, your fury, your hidden hatred. All of that shall be mine.”

The dragon laughs for a mere moment before looking intensely at the smaller one.

“You truly believe to find darkness in my soul? So be it! But don't you dare to double-cross me.”

“Oh my. I have no reason for doing that, dear Syana.”

With these words, the dark dragon dissolves into black tentacles that embrace the golden wyrm. Syana roars in pain and the vision fades.

Note: And this is how Syana learned her soul magic. The very same magic she taught the Syllith and the same magic she used to give birth to Trilla. When I first read about Trilla, her psionic powers and the monks of the Echoed Soul, I always wondered whether there was a connection between the dragon child and the temple.

So I decided that this is where it all began. After she conducted many quasi-successful experiments on creating life, she turned to the next step and failed because she couldn't “make” a soul on her own. She then learned about the forsaken temple and the ancient evil and, being a proud gold dragon, chose to ignore the warnings. In the end she got what she wanted in exchange for the dark parts of her soul, making her the most benevolent being on the continent but also starting the process that led to her soul's fragmentation which induced her weakened state when she fought Coaltongue.

And of course, this empowered 41 with the pride, fury and anger of the mightiest dragon of her time.

 

[Tormyr]

You finished!?!?! Yay !!!

Wait, we're only in adventure 7 right now?!?!? But I want to know how it ends!!! *Head explodes*

Well, I get to look forward to reading lots more of the elves' adventures, and I can't wait to see what surprises are still in store.