Root of all Troubles

and

Justin as the DM

"**Root of all Troubles**" is the twenty-ninth episode of Rise of the Arcane, the third season of Tales From Del'nasra

Engaging in combat with whom they believed to be Duskreaper Aelinor, instead turned out to be possessed ally, Kena Peshan. They now lie dead, and the party has been whisked away to Auntie Gothel’s abode by massive roots as the sky of the world has broken out into a vibrancy of colors and the leylines fully wrap around the moon.

## Episode Synopsis

#### **Previously on Tales from Del'nasra**

*"With the morning came the smell of a warm breakfast for each of you and notes written by Falkus suggesting you leave the tavern as quickly as possible as people loyal to the Marquis were snooping around. Hopper snuck out a window and into some alleyways where they caused a violent riot by raining gold coins down from the rooftops while the others exited via the front door, interrupting a conversation between Falkus and Kastagar on their way out.*

*Following the commotion of the riots, the party eventually reunited with Hopper and the group discussed how to fill their final day before the masquerade, eventually deciding on surveying the Marquis property and walking about the grounds. Lionel suggested they could run in and attack the place, since they wouldn’t be expecting them to do so a day early and after no resistance Lionel ran off towards the manor and began causing quite the disturbance, alerting and drawing both the Umbral Knights and city guard to the manor as well as Duskreaper Aelinor astride the jabberwock a few moments later.*

*As the party watched the chaos unfold they could see the familiar sights of Dax and Druck racing for the manor as well, and after communicating with them via magic, learned they were headed to the manor as they had seen Kena Peshan enter the grounds as the chaos began to unfold. The party reached out to Falkus and mentioned things may have been bumped up, and he agreed to meet you there as quick as he could.*

*You all entered the property, met up with Dax and Druck and snuck into the manor through the second floor balcony to see absolute carnage. The bodies of city guards, servant staff and the remains of umbral knights were scattered about the place, all seemingly killed by Kena Peshan as mentioned by Druck and Dax. Eventually, a guard was encountered who said they were all in the ballroom and demanded that the Marquis be killed before perishing from their wounds.Drawn to the ballroom you could hear classical style music playing and through the doors could see a handsome, tall pale elf dancing about a variety of people frozen in agonizing poses and wearing illusory masquerade outfits. The Marquis was also standing on the nearby stage where Kena Peshan was bound in ropes.Druck was told to aim for the Marquis and upon nearly killing him in one shot with his lightning crossbow, the fight began with everyone on the opposite side surprised aside from this pale elf, determined to be Aelinor.The combat was large, with numerous combatants. Druck and Dax focused on Umbral Knights after the former brought the Marquis down with another bolt, while Hopper raced towards his unconscious form to retrieve the sword. Aelinor advanced on Hopper to stop them, but was stunned and effectively removed as a threat by a combination of Torger’s stunning strikes and Vonkar’s massive, grappling form. Kena eventually broke free from their restraints, banishing one of the Umbral Knights to ensure Hopper retrieved the weapon.Retrieving the weapon, Hopper raced for the restrained Aelinor and plunged the sword deep into their chest and after a moment of celebration the illusions surrounding Aelinor faded revealing the now deceased figure to be none other than Kena Peshan. With their death, the illusory Kena Peshan transformed into Aelinor, congratulating the party for helping him acquire his birthright and mentioned he would bring everyone home.*

*With both of the luminspires in his possession, he caused a potent arcane surge that sundered the manor and Port Creach, as the roots of the world, the leylines shielded the party from the explosion and transported them into a strange, otherworldly but seemingly familiar garden.*

*As they got used to their sudden shift in environment they could see the sky was weaving and flaring with numerous colours, like splotches of paint dotting the sky. In addition, colossal roots (now known to be the leylines) were rising up all over Del’nasra and wrapping around the moon as Auntie Gothel approached, looking down at you all, mentioning that it looks like you’ve gotten into some trouble."*

#### The Episode

The Fonkey Casuals had been safely brought to Auntie Gothel's via these massive tree roots to avoid the destruction of Port Creach caused by Duskreaper Aelinor and the two luminspires in his possession. As they got their bearings they could see the armless, but alive and unconscious body of the Marquis lying nearby. The party woke him up to question him about Duskreaper Aelinor's plans but he remained silent, refusing to answer the party's questioning which resulted in Hopper plunging the new sword into his chest and killing the Marquis.

Auntie Gothel then caused the roots to drag his body away and suggested they all come inside to rest and partake in some refreshments. As the party entered her home they saw a much older and taller Leek sat the table, seemingly resurrected and eating a bowl of leeches. He seemed quite pleased at seeing the party, hugging each of them.

While sitting down and partaking in her tuber tea, Auntie Gothel explained to the party the nature of the leylines and that they are indeed the roots of a great tree called an eildear and stem from Del'nasra's tree in the Drakeward Desert. The tree of this world is called the Everlasting Arbor. By the end of tea-time the party discovered that Aelinor is the son of The Weaver and that he seeks to use Arcane's Bane and consume the raging, flaring magic of the Grand Restoration to ensure he is the only being in existence with access to the weave, citing it as his birthright. To aid them in their coming travels she gave the party her own bag of holding in the form of a sentient, severed boar's head called Hildesvini.

After learning what they could about the events unfolding and that they were currently living in a divergent reality and the Grand Restoration would set them back into the right reality, Antyr made a bargain to free Baba Yaga from her luminspire at the cost of sacrificing the luminaera to unite the Seelie and Unseelie Courts against the Umbral Court. Grin asked if Auntie Gothel could manipulate the "threads of fate" to aid the party in finding their way successfully to the home of the Seelie Court where the group decided they'd go in the morning. She manipulated said threads by moving some of the roots about on her ceiling citing that she just avoided the future where "the blue ones dies".

Upon freeing Baba Yaga she departed the abode and flew off in her mortar and pestle to begin her plans, while the party retired for the evening in their own separate rooms. The rooms were horrific and seemed to be made from the parts of various people merged with the wood and roots of the home which was explained to be the people that didn't uphold their end of the bargains made with Auntie Gothel.

The party all laid down for the night and come morning their rooms were back to normal bare rooms and the moon appeared closer to Del'nasra the following day.

## Featured Characters

### Player Characters

* Antyr Xiloscient
* Grin
* Hopper Thimblefoot
* Leek
* Torger Otrson
* Vonkar Eldsaga

### Returning

* Auntie Gothel
* Sir Arthur Wordweave
* Baba Yaga
* Glebosus
* Grundle
* Marquis Torgol Marrshade
* Rattle
* Terry

### Mentioned

* Arcane's Bane
* The Archmaw
* Doe
* Duskreaper Aelinor
* Falkus Brinestone
* Iggwilv
* Kena Peshan
* Lionel
* Oberon
* Titania
* Valestria
* The Weaver