Chapter 8: Flames, Fractures & Farewells

Return to Veloria

• The party teleports back to the streets of Veloria.
  
  
• The city feels darker, colder.
  
  
• Halo's death still weighs heavily on everyone.
  
  
• Gnifty swears revenge.
  
  
• They return to the bank room with hogtied cultists.
  
  

Inferno Loses Control

• Inferno approaches the door again, conflicted.
  
  
• A cultist insults him, blaming him for Halo’s death.
  
  
• Inferno snaps, his skin bubbling, heat radiating.
  
  
• He grabs the cultist and erupts in flame, killing him.
  
  
• Party takes minor damage from the explosion.
  
  
• Whiskers offers him a cold drink.
  
  
• They flee the burning bank—onlookers watch suspiciously.
  
  

Cover Story & Tavern Time

• Whiskers drags the cultist’s body outside as if saving him.
  
  
• Grabby claps, selling the illusion they’re heroes.
  
  
• They arrive at the Shattered Shield Tavern.
  
  
• People are confused by the burned body.
  
  
• They bluff successfully.

Tavern Scenes

• Whiskers & Grabby take the crispy cultist to the healer (Grace).
  
  
• Grabby confesses: he helped destroy the Shadow Syndicate.
  
  
• Shrubbery orders the whole menu and eats savagely.
  
  
• Gnarly broods with an Elvish Pale Ale (racist for no Gnomish one).
  
  
• Grizzly drinks and gambles with miners—asks about barbarian gangs.
  
  
• Inferno reflects on his Pyro Gene test as a child… wonders if it was wrong.
  
  

Cultist’s End & Nightfall

• Burned cultist is healing suspiciously well—possibly drugged.
  
  
• Whiskers stabs him in the healer's room. He dies.
  
  
• Party rests in the park:
  
  
• Shrubbery, Grizzly, Bug sleep in a tree.
  
  
• Whiskers plays her guitar, enters a trance.
• Hears a voice reminding her of a childhood pact for justice.
• Sings a song of regret and renewed purpose.

Grizzly’s Vision

• Grizzly finds a mirror shard in her pocket.
  
  
• Sees a memory of her sister Willow—happy, then afraid, then dead.
  
  
• Final vision: Willow alive with red-eyed cultists. Is she corrupted or trapped?
  
  
• Whiskers finds Grizzly shaking, comforts her.
  
  
• They agree to keep the vision secret.

Morning Chaos & Departure

• Whiskers wakes everyone up with “Master of Puppets” on ukulele.
  
  
• Shrubbery throws a branch, caught mid-song.
  
  
• Group heads to the Veloria docks—smells of salt, coast guard vibes.

Dockside Dunking

• Gnifty, hungover after 18 drinks, is gross.
  
  
• Shrubbery shoves him into the water to clean him off.
  
  
• Grabby strips to undies, dives in, struggles to swim.
  
  
• Gnifty uses Magic Missile underwater for propulsion.
  
  
• Shrubbery pulls them out with her quarterstaff.

Boarding the Crimson Leviathan

• They spot the ship: The Crimson Leviathan, glowing ominously.
  
  
• Grabby sees the Shadow Syndicate symbol—teaches the others the sign.
  
  
• A line forms of refugees and shady characters.
  
  
• Whiskers intimidates some thieves who get them a “friends and family” deal.
  
  
• The group is let onto the ship.