FCG awoke, well rested, after their first night of bed rest after nearly a tenday on the frigid Wildemount roads. They roused to the pungent smell emanating from the Strong Sister’s Bunkhouse kitchen. Endrin scarfed down as much of Ulgna’s cooking as he could before the party dragged him out into the freezing, bright, Horisal morning. Conan informed the party that the Crimson Keep was their destination for both of their missions, the rescue of Lens Agent Danbol Zex and their contract with the Righteous Brand. The party proceeded to the keep with haste, Conan sparing but a glance at a newly erected spiraling tower, unfamiliar to the Righteous Brand veteran.
The party took a moment to scout out the seemingly impregnable hillside citadel before heading inside for a meeting with their contract contact, Commander Morrow. Soren was especially on edge as the party entered the keep, terrified that her true identity might be discovered. Commander Morrow, pleased with FCG’s credentials and timely arrival, introduced the party to Stealth Captain Barrigan Lightfoot. Commander Morrow took his leave, and Captain Lighfoot briefed FCG on their first mission for the Righteous Brand, to infiltrate the recently lost Ashguard Garrison and acquire intel on the Kryn war effort. Seemingly in unison, all four party members hatched a plan to complete both of their present tasks. They suggested to the captain, that the easiest way to gain access to the Ashguard Garrison would be under the guise of Kryn sympathizers that recently assisted in the liberation of one of the Kryn’s own. Enamored with Triple J’s charm, Captain Lightfoot agreed to aid the party in staging a prison break for one of the Kryn captives being held in the keep’s dungeon. Lightfoot requested half a day to make arrangements and dismissed FCG for the time being.
FCG took the time allotted to partake in a little shopping. With merchant inventory being a little sparse in Bladegarden, the party took a detour to the spiraling tower Conan had noticed earlier. They discovered that the tower was a recent construction of the Cerberus Assembly, whose occupation of Bladegarden had recently increased following the sacking of the Ashguard Garrison.
With not much else to do in the heart of the Righteous Brand, FCG headed back to the Strong Sisters’ and took to their cups. Triple J lead the group in a brief séance with his skull, Gromb, while Conan proceeded to get completely trashed. After a few ales, Endrin pulled their Kryn companion, Brett Miller, aside to help sate the gnome’s curiosities. Their conversation took a serious tone when the topics of Dunamancy and Endrin’s, seemingly related, memories were brought up. Brett concluded that Endrin must have been consecuted in a past life, and that Endrin needed to return to the Kryn capital of Rosohna urgently to reconcile his past. Endrin’s eyes grew wide, the gnome’s mind brimming with questions, when Conan burst through the door, raucously thrusting a drink into Endrin’s hand, and bringing the private conversation to an abrupt end. Soren braved some of Brett’s red bull concoction, Triple J gave Gromb a new paint job, and the rest of the group got right drunk before they all headed back out to the Crimson Keep a few hours later.
Traveling straight to Commander Morrow’s office, FCG was greeted by and empty chamber with a lone note sitting atop the desk. Carefully, they opened the letter and learned that the prison break operation was on. The party took a brief glance around before following Conan to the Crimson Keep’s dungeon.
