Shadows in the Harbor Session 48

The dust of battle still clinging to its gear, the party decided its next course of action was clear: to seek out Baba Yaga. Following the faint, almost imperceptible shifts in the magical weave, the party trekked south, away from the grim shadows of the recent conflict. As it crested a barren rise, the familiar landscape gave way to an impossible sight. There, just south of the forbidding crags of the Windless Cliffs, Baba Yaga's house stood. Not nestled in a forest this time, but incongruously plunked down in a vast, open field, its colossal, bird-like legs rooted in the earth as if it had simply stepped there moments before and was now patiently waiting.
  The air around the hut was unnaturally still, the usual sounds of the wild muted, replaced only by the groaning timber of the structure as it subtly shifted its immense weight. The sight of it, stark against the wide sky, was a chilling testament to the witch's immense power.
  With Aurelia's severed head offered as grim proof of its completed task, the party was permitted entry. Inside, the familiar chaos of ancient curiosities, strange bubbling cauldrons, and the scent of unknown magic filled the air. Baba Yaga, her eyes like ancient embers, regarded the party with an unsettling intensity.
  A lengthy discussion ensued, a tense back-and-forth where the party's hard-won knowledge met her timeless wisdom. The party recounted its encounters with the Warforged, their unsettling nature, and their association with the Society of the Silk Rose. It shared the name of Krev'nas, the architect of Slate's corruption, a name whispered to it by Oakhart.
  Baba Yaga listened, her expression growing increasingly grim. She confirmed the party's suspicions about the Warforged, revealing that these were not the crude automatons of the past. Instead, she described them as abominations, infused with shadowy essence from the Plane of Ash, a corruption she hadn't seen in centuries. She spoke of a hidden forge deep within the Nightwood Fissure, fueled by stolen magical energy siphoned from ley lines.
  When the name Krev'nas was uttered, a profound fear briefly flickered in her ancient eyes. She recognized the name, a relic from a forgotten age, but revealed that he now goes by a different, far more dreaded moniker: Vecna.
  With the pieces falling into place, Baba Yaga, now speaking with a chilling urgency, laid bare the terrifying truth:
  Vecna is the "Black King," the true power behind the new Warforged and the ultimate puppet master of the Society of the Silk Rose.
  The Silk Rose is not just an organization seeking influence; they are being used by Vecna to achieve absolute societal subjugation, turning a vibrant world into one of silent, unquestioning obedience.
  Vecna's current work with the Warforged is not just about conquest. It's a twisted form of revenge against Bael, the Arch-Devil who destroyed the Phasnosh Empire after Vecna (then Krev'nas) accidentally opened a rift to Bael's realm in his original pursuit of power. By siphoning magic and creating these corrupted constructs, Vecna is subtly weakening Bael's influence, aiming to settle an ancient score and reclaim his lost glory.
  Detecting these new, flesh-cloaked Warforged requires more than sight. While flesh-sculpting enchantments cloak them, they possess an unnaturally muted life force, a coldness that can be sensed by those with keen perception (Wisdom (Insight) DC 17), and their "ichor" is a dark, metallic fluid, not blood.
  The chilling reality of Vecna's long game settled heavily in the air, a truth far grander and more terrifying than the party had initially imagined. The path forward remains uncertain, but the party now possesses vital knowledge of the insidious enemy it faces.