The Age of Worms/ The Demonscar Legacy pt. 1 / Bora the 1st, 3593 CE / 12-17-23

Not By Choice has just been transported through a painted portal of Cauldron in the gallery of the Archmage Manzorian. They arrive fearing the worst, as the painting depicted the city engulfed in flames. Upon their arrival however, they find no immediate danger, only the hustle and bustle of the city rabble, who seem to be moving hurriedly in the direction of city hall. The chatter among the crowd speaks of complaints regarding the raising taxes and the introduction of burly new half orc mercenaries into the city's guard. Lulu is handed a flyer encouraging protestors to amass at City Hall. Nari, still concerned with preventing the blaze depicted in Manzorian's painting. deploys her flying wagon, and the party ascends over the city to the cheers of onlookers celebrating the return of Cauldron's famed heroes. Heading towards city hall, the party sees that the protest is already in progress, with a crowd gathered around a raised platform where a handsome older merchant is giving a speech espousing the hardships of rising taxes, failing businesses, menacing half-orcs, and citizens who have left in droves. The testimony begins to work the crowd into a frenzy as the half orc guards around the town hall began taking up defensive positions. Meanwhile a human sergeant begins approaching the podium with several half-orcs in tow with the obvious intention of stopping the speaker. Suddenly out from the crowed dashes a youth armed with a knife, attacking one of the half-orcs. This act of aggression is the match which ignites crowd's fury, as they break into full rioting. Our heroes wishing to avoid further bloodshed swoop into action, with Nari entangling a large swath of the area in magical vines to slow the progression of violence. The sergeant evades the vines by scaling the raised platform, fighting off the grasping hands of the mob even as one of his soldiers falls under their blows. As archers take up positions in the town hall's second story windows in order to fire at the rabble. Lulu tries to kill the fervor of violence by shouting tidings of doom. Suddenly a deadly elemental creature known as a breath-drinker materializes next to the rabble rouser and tries siphoning the air from his lungs. Fortunately, the man proves to be an adept magic-user in his own right and is able to fend off the attack, while simultaneously managing to flirt with Idra, who has come to his aid. With the additional magical firepower of Nari, the murderous elemental is dispatched. Not by Choice is able to get the rest of the crowd to disperse and the rabble-rouser asks the party to meet him in the nearby town of Irongorge before making his exit with a gaseous form spell. The Sergeant, named Merritt, is grateful to see the riot ended and promises to secure Not By Choice a meeting with Guard Captain Skellerang before waving the heroes away, to which the party wearily obliges, finally seeing an opportunity to rest and recover from their last adventure. Upon arrival at the Butter Bath however they find the door chained and a notice declaring the establishment closed for unpaid back taxes. With a knock spell from Nari, the locks clatter to the ground and the party returns once more to their home base in Cauldron.