Hardcore Heroes: Episode 38

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== Synopsis ==
In the passage, Kain and Van, hindered by Malakai’s insistence on urgent departure, test a new magical battle axe but find it lacking. They travel to Newfort, preparing for potential conflict with the Count, who is displeased with their previous actions. After defending their decisions, they receive an ominous welcome: a sign advertising a cook-off festival. They secure lodging and prepare spells for an escape if needed. During their visit to the Count’s court, they present their case, avoiding a dire confrontation. They then appraise historical crowns and plan to visit Queen Nixiem or trade them elsewhere. Back in Shirebrook, Malakai discovers the town eerily empty and the Baron has vanished, leaving Malakai with newfound responsibilities. He encounters a dragon-related crisis and organizes efforts to address it, while Van and Kain face mysterious fog creatures and eerie phenomena, intensifying their quest for answers.
==Recap==
=== Tuesday, 1509-11-29 ===
In the morning Kain finds Van to try out his new magical battle axe while being harried by Malakai that they should probably get going soon. The sparring doesn't go well for Kain with him completely missing most his attacks nor even getting a single proper hit on Van, but they do agree it's likely a +1 weapon. They do some quick house keeping such as changing coin denominations and then leave, Jeeves staying behind with his retirement drug money. 
With a non-Jeeves carriage they make their way to Newfort, while inside, wisely, they begin getting their story straight, how they chased after Tyrus to Rockwave then lost him somewhere along the way as being the reason they took so long. They also agree to a worst-case scenario, how due to the fact that Count might have implemented new countermeasures after Tyrus/Stirge escape they might need to fight their way out, not just escape. Kain grows visibly uncomfortable with this idea and continues arguing they ought to simply run not actually attempt to fight and possibly kill the Count. They debate and come to agreement they should not aim to kill the count with Malakai and Kain glaring at each other due to some harsher words. 
Party arrives in Newfort without issues, on the gates there seems to be a new sign being painted- “It’s happening in Newfort”, an attempt at attracting visitors for a cook off festival, hopefully without swans this time. 
They get themselves some inn rooms to sleep and prepare spells for a hasty escape via invisibility, air, jumping, strength enchantment and crowd control.
=== Wednesday, 1509-11-30* ===
Party makes their way to the Counts court where there already is a long line of petitioners waiting. During their hour long wait time they check out number of guards, number of nobles who might be actual fighters, the mechanics of the courtroom doors, length of escape route until finally it's time for Van to make his stand. 
The Count declares that the issue he takes with the party is their neglect of duty towards their previous orders, not properly sealing the keep and then leaving on the same day as Tyrus. Van explains that they had convinced Tyrus to leave Shirebrook and escape to Rockwave where they followed him on foot, expecting the Counts men to arrive only a couple days later while they're off chasing the ex-sheriff. When asked about why they chased Tyrus by foot while he went by sea Van explains that he expected to make up in speed by magic, but due to attack by the leucrottas they couldn't make it in time to Rockwave and lost his tracks, he also adds that by getting him out of Shirebrook they prevented a possible bloodbath so it's still a win. 
Eventually the Count, displeased as he is with the party, waves them off and so the 3 of them simply walk out of the tense situation. The immediate danger over they decide to head back home, Jeeves retirement being the next mission on their mind likely because Malakai never informed the rest of them of his Geas night raid on Baron Twintower. 
=== Thursday, 1509-12-01 ===
Before party leaves they go to a local jeweler to appraise the matched crowns they found a while back. The man seems rather impressed by the crowns, carefully measuring and weighting them until lastly he declares these might be important historical items and that a historian friend of his might be able to identify them. They have some crumpets and tea until the historian arrives who immediately identifies the crowns from one of his books. They date back to year 270 when they were made for the king and queen in Highcastle from where they were sent to Stromheim where along the way they had disappeared, the heist being called the greatest heist in history since along them came a whole entourage of other valuable items gathered from all over the world. 
Satisfied the party leaves, pondering whether to go to the Queen to offer the crows to her or not, problem being she might either declare that it belongs to the crown therefor they need to give them to her or only pay half or less of the approximately 10000 gold they're worth. They come up with a plan of pretending that they came upon information of the crowns location then see how the Queen reacts to that. They also ponder the idea of attempting to sell or trade the items to Nixiem. They crystallize their plan to take Jeeves to Tassel and then visit Nixiem.
=== Friday, 1509-12-02 ===
Late in the day party arrives in Shirebrook. Party splits and Malakai goes to spy on the Baron in form of a ceiling spider, but he cannot seem to be able to find him anywhere. 
=== Saturday, 1509-12-03 ===
Quickly party finds Jeeves and get ready to leave, but not before Malakai finds out that apparently few days ago Baron Twintower up and left the town declaring Malakai as his successor. The peasant who tells him this information tries to make a joke out of his, but quickly Malakai makes sure it feels like the poor man has an axe hanging above his head. 
Party eventually is informed of this and with only a little bit of reaction they decide to see what the Chancellor thinks of this turn of events. At the gates to the keep Malakai intimidates the very confused and awkward guards then meets the captain who declares that Malakai is not the acting Baron since the previous Baron does not have the power to elect a new one, only the Queen or the Count do. They are however let in to meet Landslide who eagerly hears Malakais explanation that the previous Baron likely abdicated his position out of fear of having to deal with the Shadow Mountains threat. 
Of course Malakai insults Landslide of being below the pay grade required to deal with this sort of threat, but even though the dwarf visibly grows angry he denies the party stay in the keep in a stone cold manner while telling Malakai to know his place. He also refuses to see the investigation into Shadow mountains through Vans spells. 
Thinking that they ought to leave Malakai in town for his eventual appointment by the Queen the party decides that they'll split with Kain/Van escorting Jeeves and Malakai staying, only to come by next morning to say goodbye to Jeeves. 
=== Sunday, 1509-12-04 ===
The next morning, a foggy one, Malakai heads to Halfpint to say his farewells to party, but as he enters the center of the town he notices something off, with a thick mist rolling through the main center of town it quickly becomes apparent its unnaturally quiet here, he walks into Halfpint only to find it completely empty as well. Hastily he Polymorphs into a bird to look at Shirebrook from above, but besides the eerie lack of people in center nothing seems unnatural about it. 
Heading to the main temple Malakai begins finding confused people just looking around. At the temple Frederick tells him that Van already left which makes Malakai even more frantic as he begins asking people if they've seen anything, but finding no one who can give him any relevant information he darts off to the keep. There he finds Landslide, the gate guard and 6 guardsmen in a shouting match. 
They have a quick standoff, the Chancellor making sure Malakai knows he thinks Malakai is a conniving weasel out for his own glory who doesn't give two shits about anyone else, but he admits that Malakai was right in the end about all the warnings of a beast in Shadow mountains. Turns out Rohana is also already in the meeting as well. Further on the Chancellor announces he will be deferring to him for further decisions what to do in the matters related to this event, they quickly go over the facts such as Malakai believing it to be a dragon based on the fact it has a giant hoard, and that the dragon likely eats the people who it has taken. They begin making a plan of action such as getting a headcount of missing people and interviewing any who might have seen something approach the town as well as possibly seeking Nixiem's assistance besides recruiting more adventurers willing to take on a shadow dragon. Unfortunately some of the strongest fighters the Count had went missing on the first ship.
At the Storybrook inn Malakai uses gem of true seeing, but finds nothing of note. He compares the situation with the villages, notes that it likely happened as he was leaving his house, also realizes that Jeeves is probably gone too. 
Hours later Malakai hears out eyewitnesses, a beggar telling how at the time of disappearance the mist begun thickening in the town square and the people therein just slowly faded into it. Number of people missing seems to  run into the hundreds so Malakai declares they could take the wealthiest refugees and offer them the now empty houses for small sums such as 20gold, since they will need it. He also tells Chancellor that he needs to find Stirge. Later he finds Stirges house, but it seems empty so he grabs a guard and sends him on a private incognito mission to find Tyrus in Redport and get him to come back to town. Malakai also visits the dungeons to check up on the Malkis cleric who just hisses at him, he then orders a couple guards to clean him up and put him in a proper room. Lastly he slides a note under Stirges door urging the ranger to find him in Aldricks tower. 
=== Otherside ===
Van-healsing and Kain are just hanging out in the tavern when suddenly mist begins seeping into the building and lights begin dimming out, unnaturally so. Both of them call Jeeves to stay close and exit the building where they see people gathering, afraid to exit the square for there is no one outside of it. As Van tries to head out people grab him telling him to be careful, but the party marches on-wards to Malakais house anyway, the house turns out to be empty so they decide to go to Rohanas next. On their way there they find themselves running into a pair of glowing white eyes that seem to come out of nowhere in middle of the road. As they ready themselves and challenge the foe the creature begins crawling towards them, apparently made out of fog and intent on fighting. Thinking better of it Van and Kain take Chester the chest and retreat back to the square instead. They find 2 towns guards who are doing their best to keep some semblance of order as well as Mother Ellyse, but just as they're trying to coordinate more of the crawling fog creatures begin appearing on the edges of the refuge. Kain takes his bow and draws an arrow aiming at one of them. 
== Experience and changes. ==
Hardcore heroes will now be split into 2 separate shows, Hardcore Heroes: Arcadia with Malakai and Hardcore Heroes: Otherside with Kain and Van-healsing. It is recommended you watch both in tandem with each other aka HH:A EP1 then HH:O EP1 then HH:A EP2 then HH:O EP2 and so forth.
* 500XP for everyone
* Denotes dates that are extrapolated from a previous mention of an exact date.
Category:Hardcore Heroes Episodes