Summary
CW: Genocide, Mass Death, Mentions of Child Harm/Death, Kidnapping, Undead, Murder, Revenge, Scrying/Spying, Torture, Illness
In the final session of the campaign, the party returns to Obsidian Palace to rescue Biem from his captors and avenge Cassia's death.
Synopsis
Mourning the loss of Cassia and the other denizens of the Ratway, the party sets about locating and rescuing Biem from Knight-Captain Brandash Alkite. Discovering the pair have gone to the palace where Biem has been shackled by Brandy at the command of a mystery woman, the party makes their way through the solemn streets of
Acropolis. Jox leads the party into the palace through a secret entrance he discovered years ago. The party prepares for light resistance, but if they time everything correctly, they should be able to sneak through the palace unseen.
This turns out to be immediately untrue. As they exit the tunnel and step into what they expect to be an empty room, they find dozens - maybe hundreds - of palace guards spread out in front of and alongside them. However, they stand at attention in some kind of formation and seem to not even acknowledge the trespassing party. The party even takes a moment to investigate them, thinking they might be statues. Even this prolonged lingering and physical interaction with the guards provokes no action from them, so the party tentatively continues through the palace.
Eventually, it’s clear that the palace guards are forming the walls of some sort of path meant for the party to follow until they arrive at a large set of ornate double doors near the top of the royal residency. Jox turns back to Vincent and tells him that no matter what happens in the next room, they have to get Biem and run. With that, the guards open the doors.
The party enters to find two palace guards, two undead mages, three members of
The Order of the Ruby Rose, including Knight-Captain Brandash Alkite, and Biem shackled to the ground behind Countess Olympia Mallinger, who commands a pile of bones scattered across the room to form into a skeletal swarm.
The party, accustomed to unanswered questions and treacherous villains, wastes no time before launching into action. A grudge match ensues between Alkite and
Grace Strongbones while Vincent works to free Biem from the shackles despite significant effort against him by the royal necromancer. Jox attempts to confront the countess but is incapacitated, while Otto provides air support and Tasha unleashes her grief in a furious battle against Brandy and Olympia’s henchmen.
Through swift teamwork between Otto and Vincent, the party is able to free Biem from his restraints and send him flying across the room to hide behind a pillar near the door. Grace, despite dealing heavy damage to her old friend, gives up her vendetta against Brandy in favor of protecting Tasha who’s taken heavy damage. Otto doesn’t give the backstabbing paladin room for reprieve as he launches three beams of eldritch energy at Brandy, darkening the holy warrior’s radiant aura as he dies on the floor of the countess’ chamber. Now, the party is together, near full strength, the battle is in their favor and they are ready to face the countess. It’s then that she and her undead mages dimension door across the room and surround Biem.
The party rushes to Biem’s aid, barely separating him from his murderous mother in time - all except
Tasha Koroleva. From across the room, where she stands bloody and tired over the defeated knight of
Sune, she looks across to see her friends’ desperate situation: surrounded by foes, near death and yet still taking friendly fire for a better chance at rescuing Biem who is hopelessly cornered. Tasha releases her anger long enough to reach back out to the light of
Lathander and summons a celestial spirit. Through this beacon of light and wrath, Tasha ends the countess’ life.
Their commanders defeated, the remaining foes disperse. The party gathers themselves and rushes to escape, going to the only place left in the city they can call safe - Cassia’s apartment.
In the quiet and stillness of the apartment, the party sits and waits. Tasha and Otto go back to Cassia’s room and Tasha begins going through the papers Cassia hurriedly stuffed in the desk during her last visit. The papers range from old letters between the cleric and the wizard to disorganized journal entries detailing Cassia’s discoveries and evidence regarding the countess’ dark dealings. Tasha sends a tearful sending to Graybone, who purposefully does not respond. Meanwhile, out in the main room, Vincent proposes to Jox who says yes to the great joy of Biem and the other party members.
In a final scene, the group journeys west to rest under the care of Aletheia and the citizens of
Little City. Meanwhile, back in Acropolis, people gather outside the palace to hear the words of King Amias Lavandin during a memorial service for Countess Olympia and the other victims of the riot at the ball. The king never arrives and has a steward address the crowd on his behalf. The gray sky rains down on the broken people outside the still-battered gates of the royal palace as they disperse and leave the streets empty once again.
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