The first day of Horisal had finally arrived and along with it, Zadash’s New Dawn festival. Eager and slightly anxious, FCG set out into the busy streets to enact their long pondered plan. Whilst wading through the hordes of merry people engaging in the many events of the festival, Triple J and Conan stopped off for a quick bit of alcohol. Triple J caught sight of the famous halfling musician, Ben Berleben, walking and plucking his lute through the streets, followed by a group of adoring fans. Interested in many of the fine ladies among the crowd of fans, Triple J shot his shot, pulled out a lute of his own and waded into the crowd. Triple J played a tune of his own, drawing the adoration of many of the fans along with the halfling’s ire. Ben Berleben challenged Triple J to a lute off, staking his honor on the competition. Rising to the occasion, Triple J got the crowd involved, clapping along to his playing, and out dueled the country halfling. Pleased with himself and his newfound fans, Triple J sought out his companions once more, who were standing cross-armed, waiting impatiently for the bard to conclude his shenaniganry.
Not bothering to partake in any further festival revelry, FCG beelined for the Victory Pit. Disguised as Starosta Wyatt Fedar himself, Endrin walked right up to the gates of the massive arena and demanded entrance for he and his “bodyguards”. Convinced by the gnome’s demanding tone, the guards yielded, allowing FCG inside. Conan, recalling his prior scouting mission, lead the group straight to the beast pen beneath.
The party instantly spotted Beast Master Draxel barking out orders to his team of beast handlers, who were busy either whipping or feeding the various monstrosities. Draxel was taken aback by the sudden appearance of Starosta Endrin, and floundered and obliged when the gnome asked to see the chimera. Endrin took a moment for himself to admire the arcane augmentations forced upon the beast before commenting on the haggard, tired appearance of Draxel and his men, suggesting that they get some sleep. Triple J picked up on the hint and cast a sleep spell, blowing sand in the Beast Master’s face. The spell had no effect. The clever bard quickly maneuvered around the situation, following up with a successful cast of the suggestion spell on Draxel, sending him off to go find someone to clean up the sand now scattered about.
Soren and Triple J seized the opportunity in the Beast Master’s absence, lit their sticks of dynamite, and tossed them toward the cage doors currently barring the chimera and hill giant. The resulting blast caused great commotion, but was not enough to destroy the cage doors. As he was fleeing the pen, Endrin, still disguised as Wyatt, channeled the forces of dunamancy to rip off the already battered cage doors. At this moment Draxel was just returning with a pair of attendants, wielding brooms, and caught sight of the gnome freeing the beasts. “Get the Starosta! he yelled, and the chaotic chase ensued.
The chimera crept out from it’s pen, the jagged crystals embedded in its shoulders crackling with wild magical energy. The hill giant ripped off a bar from the cage door and began pummeling the pursuing beast handlers. Draxel loosed many arrows into the giant as FCG made a hopeful break down an unexplored hallway in search of an exit. The chimera unleashed a nasty acid breath on its former tormentors before taking flight in the massive pen and soaring above the party. Before Endrin could round the next corner down the hall, he caught sight of the Beast Master’s pet bear, Sasha, tearing into the giant as Draxel delivered a fatal blow. Worried the party would be pursued next, Endrin sprinted forward and unleashed magical missiles at the damaged door still holding the bulette in check. With a clang the door burst open, and the bulette was loose. The enormous land shark tore through many of the beast handlers before burrowing through the floor.
Meanwhile, further down the hallway, Triple J and Conan witnessed the chimera’s wild magic take effect once more as the chimera teleported just beyond the large gate at the end. Finally free from its holdings, the chimera took flight into the open sky above the arena and was lost from sight. Frantically, Triple J pulled the nearby lever, opening the gate and allowing FCG to exit into the sandy battle arena at the center of the Victory Pit. Endrin and Soren ran through and just as Conan was about to, the warrior caught sight of Sasha barreling down the hall after them. Preparing for the worst, the Conan screamed to his companions, “Find the Chimera!” and turned to face the bear. With relative ease, Conan decapitated the creature. Draxel let out a cry at his beloved companion’s death and engaged the fighter with as much rage as he could muster. He was not alone however, and the remaining beast handlers surrounded Conan as well. All of them, Draxel included, proceeded to whip Conan like he was one of the very beasts under their charge.
As he was sprinting across the sandy arena, Triple J noticed his friend’s absence and alerted both Soren and Endrin. Already halfway across, Endrin was reluctant to return for the fighter, concluding that Conan had dug his own grave. Triple J and Soren would have none of it however, and turned tail to go save their friend. Before they could take their first strides, the ground trembled beneath them, and the bulette burst forth from the ground, knocking both Endring and Triple J prone. Soren engaged the bulette, allowing his downed companions a chance to escape the monstrosity’s maw. The quarrel between Conan and the beast tamers spilled into the arena, and Triple J and Endrin rushed to aid the now heavily injured fighter, leaving Soren to tango with the bulette alone. Triple J incapacitated many of the beast handlers with a mesmerizing blast of colors while Endrin crushed them into the sand, freeing up Conan to deliver the final blow to Draxel. The fighter plunged his greatsword up through Draxel’s chest. Cursing the Conan with his final breath, the teary eyed Beast Master slunk, lifeless, to the ground.
On the other side of the pit, Soren traded blows with the bulette. The bulette sank its gargantuan jaws into the holy warrior, and time and time again Soren countered with her gleaming sword, aided by Bahamut’s blessing. Now that Conan was safe, Triple J turned to aid Soren. The bard sent the creature fleeing back into the ground with a series of dissonant whispers, allowing Soren to carve into the bulette’s back as it fled. The bulette did not return to the arena, Soren noting that it seemed to be burrowing northward. Taking advantage of the momentary reprieve from combat, FCG broke into a sprint once more, heading for the gate on the other side of the arena. Utilizing mage hand, Triple J pulled the lever on the other side, and the party scampered into the adjacent chamber.
FCG now found themselves in the combatant waiting area. Thankfully, Triple J took a moment to investigate the room and uncovered a bundle of healing potions meant to help Victory Pit combatants recover in between rounds. Unwilling to waste any more time, Endrin hurried the group along back up into the Victory Pit’s entrance halls. Unhindered by the now absent guards, FCG made their way to the same gate that they had entered through earlier. They emerged into the streets of the Pentamarket. Cries could be heard and plumes of smoke could be seen in the distance, the chimera’s handiwork undoubtedly. Hordes of panicked festival goers were now scrambling through the streets before them in search of safety.
FCG steeled themselves to pursue the rampaging chimera. However before they set off, a terrible wailing cry pierced the winter air around them, stopping the party in their tracks. A large jagged black tear ripped through the grey sky above the Zauberspire, out from which stepped a grim skeletal figure clad in tattered robes. It let forth another menacing wail, seemingly rallying its underlings to action. At this moment hooded figures, the Remnants, sprang forth from the nearby alleyways and began chanting around the bonfires, initially meant to keep festival patrons warm. Within moments, the fires turned an all too familiar shade of menacing violet. The Starosta’s stage outside the Victory Pit went up in violet flame as well, now surrounded by an arcane barrier. The party’s hearts sank as the gravity of a looming threat, long left unchecked, took hold.
