With a wave of their hand, the central drow dispelled FCG’s arcane encampment. Soren quickly roused her companions and tense treaty ensued. The most prominent drow introduced themselves as Lens Captain Lendis Daev’yana, and quickly turned their attention to Endrin. Informed of Endrins powers, Lendis once again labeled the gnome as a Dunamancer and pressed Endrin as to the source of his strange magic. Lendis claimed that the ability to wield the forces of gravity and time was not a common trait, especially for those outside of the Dynasty. When the party began their own line of questioning, Lendis cited their silence as a matter of trust, claiming that the party must prove themselves enemies of the Empire if communication was to continue. Through a quick onceover of the rest of the group, Lendis learned of Soren’s intent to end the war between Dynasty and Empire, and of Triple J’s desire to learn more about the other half of his heritage. The former soldier, Conan, remained silent, brooding. Satisfied, Lendis proposed a mission, one that would gain some amount of their trust upon completion.
One of Lendis’ agents, Danbol Zex, had been captured a tenday prior and imprisoned in Bladegarden. The Kryn captain ordered FCG to free Zex and rendezvous here in the forest in two days time, or forfeit the chance to work with and learn from the Dynasty. To ensure that the truth of FCG’s intentions remained in the forefront, Lendis assigned one of her accompanying agents, Brett Miller, to join FCG for this mission and report back on their efforts. All Kryn agents, save for Brett, vanished from sight.
Slightly uneasy about their new companion, an awkward silence gripped FCG as they set up camp for the remainder of the night. Each member took turns keeping watch, accompanied by Brett, who seemingly had no need for rest. During the final watch, Endrin broke the silence, inquiring about Brett’s homeland, and a strange concoction the drow had been consuming all night. Brett offered some of the foul smelling mixture, a beverage known as Red Bull, to Endrin. After a moment of hesitation, the gnome shrugged and took a hefty swig. The chunky, sticky, spicy, sludge immediately invigorated Endrin, filling him with energy, and it wasn’t until the party was about to depart that the gnome felt the unfortunate side effects of the mixture burning through his digestive track. Soren eased Endrin’s ailment with a quick pat on the shoulder before succumbing to her own disease yet again.
With less than two days to spare, FCG made great haste, east, across the Marrow Valley. As they rounded the foothills west of Bladegarden, disaster in the form of giant boulders fell upon the group. FCG’s cart was toppled and destroyed as a group of hill giants descend on the party. Brett was pummeled within an inch of his life, but was saved by the healing words of Triple J. Endrin rained destruction on the giants from above while Conan and Soren carved a bloody swath through their remains. Battered and bruised, FCG defeated the giants, but were forced to endure the remainder of their journey on foot.
A few hours after sunset, Bladegarden was finally in sight. Aware of Soren’s potential moral dilemma in working with the Kryn, Endrin exchanged hushed words with the heiress, offering what comfort and assurance he could. Despite being stopped outside the city’s massive sandstone walls, a quick flash of their Righteous Brand contract gained FCG access to the Empire’s military capitol. Sensing the tension of a city braced for war, Triple J bowed a subtle tune to lighten the mood. Conan, uneasy upon his return to Bladegarden, tried to silence the bard, not wanting to draw the attention of the legion of soldiers stationed within the city’s walls. Hearing the tune, a fellow bard, Sal, beckoned Triple J come chat with him in an alley for a moment. Sal confirmed the tense atmosphere was the result of the recent Kryn assault of the Ashguard Garrison. Sal warned Triple J to keep his business in Bladegarden brief and to head out before the real fighting started.
Conan led the group to one of the few civilian lodgings within the city, The Strong Sisters’ Bunkhouse. Once inside the dusty hostel, Triple J goaded Conan and one of the orcish Strong sisters into an arm wrestling match, the party ate what passed for food, consumed some ale to lighten their spirits, and discussed the dilemma before them. Seemingly at a crossroads between aiding the Kryn Dynasty or the Dwendalian Empire in the war, the party debated with great fervor as they assessed their options. Agreeing to at least fulfill the initial part of their Righteous Brand contract as part of a recon effort to locate the Lens operative, Zex, the weary group made their way to the large shared bunkroom for a night of rest.
