Shadowdancer Xavier Emberstone briefed FCG on the details of their mission to escort the Luxon Beacon to Asarius, informing them that they would traverse the Brokenveil Marsh via Horizonback Tortoise before covering the final leg across the Bloodwalk on Moorbounder back. With the plan agreed upon, Xavier introduced FCG to his troop, figures of note icluding the mage Vaxxium Olios, and twin echo knights Hallion and Cylan Hythenos. Cylan acknowledged FCG with a faint smile and a nod, recalling their previous encounter beneath Zadash. Xavier concluded the pleasantries by formally welcoming Princess Eris Dwendal to Xhorhas, revealing that he was well aware of Eris’ true identity. Xavier then turned abruptly, and with a flourish of his black cloak, began descending down toward the marsh, his platoon of nearly a dozen Kryn soldiers following closely behind. Cylan and Hallion lifted a large crate in tandem and followed as well. Brett Miller, or Brenethal Milanta as he had been called, caught up with FCG just before they left, bidding them farewell and good fortune.
Though it should be well past sunrise, thought Endrin, the sky above remained dark and full of stars as the party traversed the narrow mountain pass leading east from the Garrison. It wasn’t until FCG caught sight of a small village atop a marshy hill at the pass’ base, did the night sky suddenly yield to the dawn. The hilltop village began to rise from the muck, revealing the gargantuan tortoise that comprised its foundation, the tortoise’s shell nearly 50ft in diameter. Ten or so goblinoids and gnolls led by a grizzled orc, climbed down from the tortoise and assisted the Kryn unit aboard along with FCG. Xavier showed the party to their quarters, a small but serviceable tent and left them to get settled. With the blare of a horn, the tortoise began it’s journey through the marsh, the village atop swaying with each step.
As Malcolm was the only one who’d ever encountered one of these reptilian marvels, FCG set off to sate their curiosity. While exploring the village, they came across a large bonfire at the center. On the other side of the fire, Xavier exchanged words with the orc captain Burzgha while the rest of the Kryn soldiers continued to settle into their temporary lodgings. Malcolm did his best to hide his face as he realized he had seen the orc before. Malcolm recognized Burzgha as the brother of Edi, Conan’s deceased wife, and wanted to avoid having to disclose any unpleasant news. Triple J was filled with angst as well, not knowing how to approach his father. Nervously, he sat by the fire and plucked a subtle tune on his fiddle, one his mother had taught him long ago. Xavier pretended not to notice.
Cylan emerged from a tent adjacent to the fire and came and sat by the party. Endrin, Triple J, and Malcolm gawked collectively for a moment at the dark elf’s elegant beauty, undiminished by her chitinous leather armor. Nyx rolled her eyes as Cylan giggled, clearly used to the attention. Cylan caught up briefly with FCG before leading them to the breakfast tent where they were “treated” to a bowl of swamp gruel. Somehow Cylan’s gruel mustache, acquired from consuming the pungent substance straight from the bowl, only added to her charm. Triple J offered her his gruel and attempted conversation, attempting to learn more about his father. Meanwhile Nyx stepped outside for a breath of fresh swamp air. A murder of crows circled high above through the canopy. After a moment, a stark white crow broke off from the rest and descended, landing on Nyx’s shoulder. Cocking it’s head, the crow looked at her intently. Unnerved by her avian admirer, Nyx attempted to shoo the creature, to no avail. As the thought of blasting the crow with eldritch energy crossed her mind, the bird departed back up into the twisting canopy.
FCG spent the rest of the day exploring the small camp and enjoying their first real day of rest since departing Zadash. As dusk claimed the sky once more, the tortoise’s gait slowed as the beast came to halt, withdrawing into its shell for the night. FCG joined the majority the goblin-kin and drow soldiers around the fire and settled in for a night of tenuous merriment and conversation. Malcolm took to the swamp juice while the others made their way around the fire to where Xavier was sitting. Endrin inquired further into the nature of his memories and Dunamantic abilities and was directed to Vaxxium for a private conversation. Triple J was left alone for a moment with Xavier. Attempting to quell the awkwardness, Xavier requested another of Triple J’s songs to help liven up the mood. Triple J went all out to impress his father, convincing the goblin-kin around the fire to join in on the performance. Fiddle, the beat of hand against wood and shell, and subtle goblin harmonizing culminated in a rousing rendition of We Didn’t Start the Fire.
Malcom excused himself for a moment in order to relieve himself off the side of the gargantuan tortoise, knocking another item off his bucket list. He returned to the fire and found a seat next to Nyx, who was sitting alone in silent contemplation. The two continued to build upon the relationship they forged whilst tied up in the mud and chatted into the early hours of the morning. Across the fire, Endrin was engaged in a compelling conversation of his own with Chronurgist Vaxxium of Den Olios. The older drow reiterated the importance of Endrin undergoing a process referred to as Anamnesis in Rosohna in order to regain his full memory and Dunamantic prowess. As the discussion continued, Endrin brought up the name Aelrie and asked if Vaxxium was familiar with it. After a moment of thought, Vaxxium’s brow furrowed and denied any recognition of the name. Unconvinced, Endrin thanked Vaxxium for his time and rejoined his companions in their tent as they readied for bed.
The party’s tent was rank with the stench of urine and body odor. The source was quickly identified as Malcolm who had been held captive for nearly a week at the hands of the Kryn. Trying his best not to upset his newfound companions, Malcolm left to go bathe and wash his clothes in the dark swamp. Endrin accompanied him a few yards away from the tortoise, providing arcane light. Malcolm stripped naked and began cleansing himself in the sulfuric bog water while Endrin kept watch. The gnome’s keen eyes caught sight of another figure, standing motionless in the dark, just at the end of his vision. Skeptical, Endrin cast fly on both he and his nude companion, anticipating the potential need for a hasty retreat. However, Endrin was not as quiet as he would have liked to be when muttering the arcane words for the spell. The figure’s head snapped toward the gnome, and the sound of dozens of muddy footfalls filled the morass around them as a multitude of withered, animated, corpses came swarming out from the surrounding shadows.
Endrin immediately took to the skies above, preparing himself for the impending conflict, while Malcolm scrambled to grab his clothes, depositing them back up on the tortoise’s shell before returning to the fray with nothing save for a sword and shield. Conan’s bare body was the first to taste the cursed creatures’ wrath as the nearest ran up to him and burst, covering him in poisonous body fluid. A horn blared from atop the tortoise shell as a Kryn sentry sounded the alarm rousing the rest of the platoon. Xavier emerged from his tent with haste and ordered his men to defend the tortoise’s western flank while FCG was tasked with the defense of the east. Nyx, Triple J, and Eris scrambled to their feet and joined the battle just as some of the unnaturally fast zombies scurried up over the lip of the shell. A few nearby goblinoids on the eastern side of the shell manned a mounted ballista and aided FCG in combat.
Endrin rained fire from above while Conan attempted to hold the line down at the shell’s base. Nyx unleashed chaotic magic, and Triple J repelled as many monstrosities as he could with dissonant whispers. Ever weary, Eris joined the fray in time to smite the undead with Bahamut’s might. Much to the paladin’s dismay, the smote creatures burst in her proximity nonetheless, poisoning the princess with their foul ichor. Malcolm suffered similarly down below and flew up to dispatch the zombies with Eris in tandem. FCG’s melee warriors sustained quite a bit of damage from the first wave of zombies. As the last creature was slain, a second wave came sprinting through the swamp. The party braced for another assault when from behind, a group of shadowy warriors darted past them. The shadowy warriors engaged the next wave of zombies, Xavier seemingly apparating in their place before dispatching the creature before him and teleporting to the next. A single shadowy echo came and stood with FCG as they watched the impressive display unfold. As the last zombie fell, suddenly the echo beside the party was replaced with Xavier.
Eris fainted and was quickly caught by Xavier’s lean, yet powerful, arms. The Shadowdancer whisked her away for immediate medical attention. Adrenaline still running high, FCG returned to the bonfire to decompress before going back to bed. Still without a pair of clean pants, Malcolm zipped around the camp looking for trousers. Save for a lone gnoll who offered his own, the fighter’s search was fruitless. Eventually Malcolm resigned himself to washing his pants in the gnoll’s drinking water before taking a seat by the fire, still butt naked. With the help of Triple J’s invisibility spell, Endrin did a few more scouting laps around the tortoise, discovering many more dormant zombies awaiting stimulus.
Meanwhile, Eris was taken to Xavier’s tent. Vaxxium briefly tended to her before Xavier arrived and took over. Xavier took note of Eris’ icy blue veins and chilling ailment. As Xavier cared for her injuries, the two conversed. Xavier informed the princess that one of her party had revealed her identity and that Dusklord Noravak wanted to keep Eris captive, as a bargaining chip to be used in the war with the Empire. Xavier told Eris that he argued against the Dusklord, convinced that allying themselves with the heir to the Dwendalian throne could go a long way in promoting lasting peace following the war’s conclusion. Eris shared in Xavier’s notion of peace and took slight comfort in the shared notion. After Eris’ wellbeing was ensured, Xavier departed, leaving the princess to rest in his quarters.
Triple J intercepted Xavier as the Shadowdancer exited the tent. Staring at his own feet, the bard pulled out a carefully folded letter from his belongings. Before he could unfold it, Xavier placed a hand over Triple J’s. Triple J looked up in surprise and was met with the shadowy visage of one of Xavier’s echoes. The echo beckoned Triple J toward the front of the shell, just above where the tortoise’s head would be. Sitting there, staring off into the black morass, was Xavier. Triple J sat beside him. “How is your mother?” Xavier asked, thus beginning a long awkward conversation between father and son. Xavier lamented the fact that he did not realize Heidi was with child when the two lovers parted ways, and though he had not known of his son until this morning, Xavier confessed that their lineage was undeniable. He told Triple J a bit of his story since he and Heidi met in Asarius, and then the two sat in awkward silence for a while. Beginning to understand the implications of Kryn culture and Dunamis, Triple J confronted Xavier with the vision he had received while in contact with Endrin’s Beacon, the vision of he, his father, and his mother all together again. Xavier dismissed the notion of star-crossed lovers bound by fate as the naïve fantasy of a young boy. Xavier stated his allegiance to the Dynasty first and foremost and offered Triple J a place within Kryn society should he ever desire it. With that, Xavier bid Triple J good night and vanished. Dejected, Triple J retired. The remaining members of FCG followed shortly thereafter, clean pants and all.
