SoS: Requiescat

Returning to their pledged town, it remained dusty and dry but slightly more populated. The fort atop Sentynel's hill now mostly refurbished and awaiting garrison. Most prominent are the colors: Green and Gold which flew from the parapets of the keep. A small but apparent hand of Playnesmen stood guard outside the fortified structure. The Shields approached and were greeted by Captain Daedal, overseer of Sentynel's restoration. Daedal conversed coolly to the Shields, to Hope in particular, and brushed them off for his own business. Reunions were quick with Aesyn, whose time has been spent researching and tracking the Scorch as well as coaching Callay. With pleasentries shared, they met with Wayt to discuss their unicorn dilemma. Armed with Chenval's alicorn, our heroes prepared themselves for their only shot at reviving Sentynel's guardian. Descending into the cellar of the keep, rancid air and decay stung their noises. Genuflecting on the ground and nearing full decomposition, Chenval remained motionless socketed eyes and tanned, ruined skin. With Aesyn's help, Chenval's spirit remained keeping him from chaotic undeath. Roland provided a healing touch to ease some of Chenval's suffering. With chances of success low, the Shields tied their best.   Chanting a funerary rite for Chenval and pleading to his god Silvanus, Aesyn started the ordeal. Matine, with a shaky practice swing, dislodged Chenval's faux alicorn from his skull. The unicorn sank in relieving death upon removal of the horn. Roland, finding inspiration through struggle, plunged the true alicorn where the ersatz horn once stood. With the gentle repose of Aesyn's rite and the consumption of a singular diamond rewarded by Denetor, Six Tails cast revivify on the zebrine corpse. Once the diamond disappeared, our heroes that gave their time and energy retrieving the unicorn's horn now emptied all of their life and mana into Chenval. The healing magic from the horn, the healing words of Roland, the Life Transference and thaulmaturgy from Six Tails, the lesser restoration and healing light from Hope and Callay, and the laying of hands from Aesyn. (The ultimate DC was 14 after factoring all the help from their ceremony resulting in a combined averaged roll of 14.6. Pure Luck. Nothing more.)   A pregnant pause of dejection gave way when the lights snuffed in the room. Desperate, Hope cast light on Chenval. Glowing faintly like a medieval night light, dark patches of putrefaction slowly receded revealing zebra stripes of Sentynel's Guardian. Their endeavors in Otway and the Lower Wylds paid off; the unicorn lay comatose but alive. Retiring to the newly opened Friar's Friend at Cliffside bar, the party finally loosen their ties and relaxed. Hope left to speak to the Captain after a brief reunion with Cary, Marley, and Lowe.   He sat reclining inside his quarters and by the end of her inspirational speech, they were hers again.   A small council was called by the Captain. In the wake of the Bastille's destruction, a rebellion of torced slaves sieged the city claiming the market district. Without the financial support of free labor, the death knell of Otway's houses rang loudly. The Shields decided Sentynel should be a free city and could co-op the 'Torc Rebellion' to stop their common foes. Larger problems faced them though: no source of food/water, no troops, no allies. Sentynel would need to survive municipal quandries before they could ever hope to face the Scorch. Daedal shared other developments with the town, namely Jodan the Houndmaster's disappearance and the escape of Playnes slaves who'd renovated the fort. Assessing their options, the Shields planned their next moves...