The chill air grew far colder as the penta-armed ghoulish monstrosity stepped forth from its shadowy portal. Its haunted, dead, eyes fixated on Conan as the injured warrior loosed an arrow into the creature. Before Conan could even turn to flee, the monstrosity was upon him, wrapping it’s spiked arms around the warrior, wracking him with pain both physical and mental. Unable to endure, Conan fell limp in the creature’s arms. Endrin charred the creature with arcane fire, but only hastened Conan’s demise as the monstrosity clenched and dug it’s spines deeper. Triple J proceeded to incapacitate the monster, momentarily, while Soren sprinted to Conan’s aid. However, their labors proved fruitless as the creature, still embracing Conan, drained what little life remained from the fallen warrior, killing him outright.
Rage took them all. With the strength of a thousand bards, Triple J ripped his friend’s corpse from the dazed creature’s grip. Following up, Soren channeled the might of her platinum patron, smiting the creature, rending limb from torso with icy fury. Finally, it was Endrin who delivered the avenging blow, thoroughly incinerating the monstrosity. As the creature turned to foul ash, a series of violet flashes illuminated the nearby skies beyond the Pentamarket, followed by the haunting cries of many anguished souls affected by the occurrence. Immediately thereafter, a loud blast gripped the party’s attention, directing it to the Zauberspire. The skeletal villain above tore open the sky anew and began to retreat, it’s work seemingly finished. Before it could pass beyond the vale however, an arcane missile fired from one of the combative mages, struck the creature’s arm, sending it’s black blade spiraling to the ground below. With a sharp clang, the blade pierced the earth not but mere feet from FCG’s location. With that, the city grew silent, deathly silent.
Shock set in. FCG scrambled to gather Conan’s remains along with the blackened blade and sprinted off towards the Platinum House, hoping, praying they might find someone to save their fallen ally. Taking note of the hundreds corpses, either withered or charred, lining the now dormant streets, FCG arrived at Bahamut’s temple to a crowd of panicked civilians seeking similar aid for their own beloved. The crowd parted at Soren’s proclamation of heroism, and FCG was shown to the head cleric. Agreeing to help, the priest took Conan’s body and laid it on the ground before them. Over the course of the next hour, the cleric poured necrotic energy into the fighter’s fallen frame, while the rest of the party kept a tense vigil, Soren offering minor relief to many of the other afflicted among the crowd. Conan gasped, his eyes shooting up open, as his life was restored to him.
Relieved at their friend’s revival, FCG helped Conan, still sick to his soul from the lingering necrotic energy, to his feet and sought refuge at the Gentleman’s hideout. As they traversed toward the Evening Nip, FCG learned of the curfew now blanketing all of Zadash, effective immediately, from one of the numerous squadrons of Righteous Brand now flooding the streets. They arrived to thunderous applause and raucous merriment beneath the Evening Nip, for the Gentleman was greatly pleased with the events that had transpired above. Though not required, the Gentleman rewarded the group handsomely for their efforts in ruining the Festival, and Wyatt’s name along with it, and bade them celebrate, for the time of the crime lord’s reign was upon them. Still sullen from their brush with death, the party respectfully declined, retiring to their stable hideout in the Outersteads.
Triple J helped Conan to a seat, while the ever eager Soren and ever curious Endrin began pouring over the obsidian blade, recovered earlier. Soren mused at the weapon discovering undead and fiendish presences within, while Endrin began probing the blade with arcane precision. To the party’s overwhelming dismay, Endrin’s delving awoke an evil entity guarding the blade’s secrets. A black spectral figure spewed forth from within and assailed the party. The shade’s horrific babbling rendered Conan unconscious once more and briefly stunned the others. Fed up with the day’s events, Soren renewed her divine might, sundering the ghastly entity before bringing Conan back from the brink yet again.
Unanimously, FCG decided enough was enough. They left the sword dormant on the table and turned to their cups and even narcotics in some cases. Conan drank, Soren slept, and Endrin and Triple J each decided that now was the opportune moment to partake in some suspicious mushrooms acquired from one of Zadash’s less than reputable alleyways. The two tripped balls for a few hours, seemingly experiencing the ethereal, time lapsed, past of the stables they currently inhabited. The two both retched and the experience’s conclusion before all retired below. Most slept like the dead, while Endrin’s addled mind was drawn once more back to a time and place just as familiar as foreign. The next morning, FCG began their arcane prying anew into the obsidian blade, only to be repelled once more by the fiendish entity still lingering within.
Over the course of the next week, the Righteous Brand’s presence grew within Zadash, and rumors of Prime Arbiter Sydnock Truscan’s impending arrival began to circulate. FCG tended to some shopping needs, including but not limited to the procurement of past work orders from the Invulnerable Vagrant. By week’s end, Wyatt Fedar was relieved of his position as Starosta of Zadash, and Lydia Truscan was instated in his place. The next day, the party was summoned to the King’s Hall to meet with Lady Truscan. She expressed her gratitude for FCG’s efforts in aiding the downtrodden of the city along with kickstarting her campaign for Starosta, blissfully unaware that the party had anything to do with the Victory Pit disaster. The new Starosta had one more request of the party, should they still be interested in aiding the people of the Empire, and asked that they head to the Marrow Keep to meet with the Watch and War Masters of the city. FCG obliged.
Warmaster Zedious Elric and Watchmaster Elaine Durant had been impressed by reports of FCG’s heroism and offered them auxiliary work as official affiliates of the Righteous Brand. After a night of deliberation, FCG accepted the Warmaster’s offer signing an official contract of employment. The party was fitted with any and all equipment they could require for their mission and was dispatched to the city of Bladegarden to receive briefing on the Righteous Brand’s mission to retake the Ashguard Garrison from the clutches of the Kryn Dynasty. As FCG prepared to depart, they made their rounds, bidding farewell to their new friends and contacts with Zadash.
Outside the Valley Archive of the Cobalt Soul, Triple J was approached by his mysterious mentor, Shakaste. Shakaste was amused and intrigued by his protégé’s exploits and thought it time to expand the Golden Grin into Wildemount in full, requesting that Triple J aid in recruitment during his travels. The bard smiled, inspired at the prospect, before Shakaste disappeared as quickly as he had arrived. FCG also visited The Gentleman one final time. The Gentleman proposed another business venture to the Menagerie Coast and then onward to Blightshore, should the party be interested. Due to the increasing severity of Soren’s affliction, however, FCG chose to stick with their original course of action, heading to Bladegarden and then hopefully further north to Eiselcross. The group gathered their pups, their cart and horse, and set off the next morning, northward into the Dwendalian Empire.
In the back of the cart, Conan dozed off, and nightmare took him…
