Conquest of Talos

Conquest of Talos is the first campaign ever started, though it is not the first chronologically. It by far has had the most sessions, characters, and story.

The main premise of Conquest of Talos is that a group of characters all end up forming an adventuring group known as Redemption Folly, eventually coming into conflict with a secretive, dangerous cult they refer to as "Talos". Other events transpire, but their main goal is to take down the cult.

## Non-player Characters

Due to the large amount of NPCs, this category has a few subsections.

### Allies

Bodak

Eva

Izen

Kijoi

Lillie

Quincy

Reyes

Xeno

Talos Members
 Violentium

## Plot

Yes I actually wrote a bunch of the plot down. Much of this is edited from my extensive notes and will probably get improved as time goes on. Also for the first sections some parts were slightly adapted to other characters because there was originally another player who quit early on. If you don't want to read it here's a TLDR for all I've written so far.

Group meets each other in Orilon and fights a robot. They head off on more adventures together and have to deal with gullible statues, and the beginning of the annoyance that is Grant and Gront. Then they have to save a town from some mysterious group (Talos) so they fight more robots (Talos Units), Grant and Gront again, Sanguis, and Jiva, then have to free Coin Rattle because the Panderian Secret Guild are too trigger happy. On their way to the Panderian capital Crux decides they need to fight in a gladiator ring, and gets away on a shadow dragon when we defeat everything he throws at us. Also Simis is now in the party. Make it to Panderia, Onyx becomes a champion in training, and there's a new type of Talos unit now. They take a day or two of break with some intermitten maybe important stuff like the Talos units they brought back going missing. Eventually get told Crux is back and that they need to scout out then attack. Coin Rattle dips from the group after relucctantly helping in the scouting phase. They fight undead and a dragon to get to Crux. He gets killed and Eleftheria is sus.

Meet Ardyn in the hospital and eventually Eleftheria wakes up and exposition happens. Ardyn fights with Onyx, exposits the next day and everyone learns about Stes but the amulet explodes. Simis steals a weapon and Onyx is a lightweight.

### Chapter 1: Beginning

Within a marketplace near the town of Orilon, an elf named Clementine Dietrich finds a place to keep her cart and horse before going to buy some provisions. She passes by a human named Onyx Osmund, who is keeping a lookout for any suspicious activity, and also goes by a tree where a kenku named Coin Rattle is hidden, looking for anyone who might have shiny stuff to take. He gets distracted by a crow nearby and they have a cawing match. Each of these three individuals eventually end up going to the tavern.

An individual named Eleftheria was also nearby around this time, gathering supplies for herself and the church she works at, when goblins come into the marketplace and start attacking and stealing from stalls. She begins to fight, and while others flee, the three from early instead come to help as well. They manage to minimize the damage, but the goblins get away with plenty of stolen items. After the fight, Clementine recognizes that Coin Rattle has a necklace that got stolen from her recently, and manages to take it back. The three start heading back to town since all other people had left, but Eleftheria notices signs that a kid might've gotten kidnapped as well in the chaos. She suggests to go looking for them, but the others wish to go back to town and see what will be happening. One of them also questions why Eleftheria is wearing the mask.

Back at town, many are angry, and the mayor talks about how the marketplace keeps getting raided, and asks if anyone is willing to volunteer, as well as lists the reward for doing it. During this, a figure dressed in black is nearby him. The four are the only ones willing, though Clementine and Onyx say they aren't in it for the pay. Eleftheria and Coin Rattle say they'll take their share then. The mayor also sets up sleeping arrangements for the ones who aren't from Orilon. Before they go to bed Eleftheria asks Coin Rattle for a feather of his, which he gives.

The next day, they all officially introduce themselves to each other while riding in the cart to the camp, which is in an abandoned manor. On the way, they run into a few of the goblins running away from the manor. With their guards now up, they make it into the manor, finding the corpse of a goblin. Eleftheria examines it and relays that it seemed to be slashed by large claws. They make there way further in, and come to a room with more corpses and in the center a large robotic creature that turns and attacks, starting another fight.

Clementine and Onyx attack closer towards it, while Eleftheria and Coin Rattle attack from afar. It injures them, but the group manage to defeat it. However, its chest explodes and covers Onyx, who was right next to it at the time, in a blood-like substance that hardens into crystal, trapping him in place. They others manage to break it away from him, and go up the stairs in the room, finding the missing items and the kid. Coin Rattle also takes the head of the robot back with him. They bring it all back safely, and help the kid find his parents. They celebrate with townsfolk, and Coin Rattle gets blackout drunk. While he was incapacitated, the figure in black from before approaches the group and asks if he can take the head inspect it for some time. Eleftheria says its Coin Rattles now so he should wait and ask him, but Clementine instead just gives it to him so long as he returns it soon. Eleftheria doesn't trust him so follows him and sees him undo a disguise once out of eyeshot, then zoom off on a cart. She informs the others. They all can't do much about it at the moment so they just continue on until its time to sleep again.

Late in the night, Eleftheria makes her way back to the manor alone, and sees another figure in black gathering up pieces of the robot, seemingly talking to someone through a rock, then teleporting away. She sneaks in and looks for any pieces that may have been missed, and finds a piece of the crystal glinting in a corner. She takes it and it makes her glow red. She leaves with it.

### Chapter 2: The Dragon of Old Blood

The group all wake up and meet in the tavern part of the inn, Coin Rattle seeing an unmanned piano and plays a tune pretty well. Afterwards, they all think it might be nice to go adventuring together, and set off on Clementine's cart. They all are chatting with one another, but Eleftheria falls asleep partway through. Once they get to a nearby town, they first head to the marketplace, where Clementine obtains some magic oils and Onyx gets a shield. They also check out the library, and Clementine finds a book about a some local twin monuments, each with statues of two groups based after a clan of people who split in twain. While leaving the library, Eleftheria says some phrases for Coin Rattle so he has more options to say. They also happen to get roped into the plight of a farmer, who says moving statues have been attacking each other in the fields and its ruining the crops, so they want the group to help them figure it out. They start by examining the fields for clues, and Coin Rattle finds what looks like half of an amulet.

After that, they think checking out the monument that has statues would be a good idea. They get to it, but can't tell get the statues to awaken. They spend quite some time trying to, including putting the amulet on the statue where it looks like half is missing, but they instead just awaken once the sun goes down. They surround the group (excluding Coin Rattle, who was hiding in a tree) and threaten to punish them. They try to explain what's going on and that they don't need to fight the other group, but do not get listened to. The statues say they will forgive them if they capture some of the White Mountain Horde (the second group). The group agrees to that, seeing as the alternative is death, and are given a 3 day time limit.

They head back to town to get some rest before they trek to the other memorial. Coin Rattle decides to sleep in the trees instead of a room, and "terrorizes" Onyx, even getting into his room. Onyx kicks Coin Rattle out of his room, so Coin Rattle decides to interact with someone else. This is where he gets into Eleftheria's room and manages to take her mask off, but I won't go into details because I guess I'm still keeping this secret?

The next morning Clementine went to everyone's rooms and gave them breakfast, and happens to see Eleftheria getting hugged by Coin Rattle. After that, they all hang out at the bar downstairs, talking to the barkeep to see if they can get anymore info. They then set off to the other memorial to get an idea of how it is before having to meet the awakened statues. It looks similar to the first monument, and not much can happen before sundown, so they head back and Clementine goes to the library, borrowing the book they read about the statues, and they make it back right in time for the statues to awaken. This time they stay far enough away so they aren't trespassing, and only come in after being given permission. They manage to convince these ones that the fighting is unnecessary, and also get indications that someone reawakened both sides and purposefully pitted them against each other.

In the midst of night, they bring the White Mountain Horde to the first memorial in order to reunite the two, and they manage to. They go off to find the people that caused all this havoc, using the directions given to them by the statues. They go through the woods and find a cave, with two individuals hanging out, laughing about how they screwed with the statues. These two are Grant and Gront. They notice the group and try to fight them, but Coin Rattle manages to one-shot both of them. As they collapse, they turn to dust, and the party makes it back to inform the statues as the dawn rises. They all take the day to just either relax and/or sleep.

The next day Clementine gets everyone up to have breakfast before they go. Eleftheria leaves to eat on her own like usual, but Coin Rattle expresses confusion about it, to which Clementine explains that Eleftheria seems to value her privacy and doesn't like it when people see her without her mask. This makes him realize what he had done previously was wrong to do, and spends most of the ride writing and rewriting an apology. When they take a break for the night, they all ask more about each other as they often do (I just glossed over other times this happened), and Eleftheria gets frustrated about the others asking about her past, so storms off. Coin Rattle takes the opportunity to apologize to her privately, and they make up.

Once they get to town the next morning, it seems unnervingly barren. They make their way to a tavern that seems to be open, and see there really only seems to be two customers and the bartender there. They ask where everyone is and the bartender explains that some group kidnapped most of the town and is forcing them to work in the town's mines. They weren't captured because they had been out of town, and once they found out they knew they couldn't do anything on their own. They ask if the group could help free everyone and find out information about the group, so they might be able to keep them from pulling stuff like this again, and the group agrees.

They head to the mines and see robots that look similar to the one they fought in Orilon guarding the entrance. They defeat them and try to examine the cores they seem to have, but it disintegrates in their hands once removed from the body. They just decide to bury one of them and check it out more carefully later. They make their way in and find many of the locals mining and being ordered around by... Grant and Gront? They manage to get a good hit off on Eleftheria but yet again Coin Rattle one-shots both of them, and yet again they turn into dust. They free the people in that section of the mine and continue on, fighting more of those robots and freeing more people.

They eventually make it to an area guarded by a really big, flying robot. They fight, the robot using magic and some spells that seem rather unique. They nearly have it killed, but it uses a strong attack and knocks out Clementine, while teleporting away in the chaos. They get Clementine back awake, free the people, then take a short rest before entering the next room. Also the robot talked unlike any of the others so far so maybe it wasn't just a robot.

The next room has no miners, and seems to be a dead end with a pit in the back, but it does have a dragonborn. He respects that they managed to get past Sanguis, which turns out to be the name of the robot they just fought. He addresses himself as Jiva Dragoon, and the group questions about who the group is and why they are doing this. He says they are followers of Talos, and they needed materials from this mine for future projects or something. He also points out Onyx specifically, asking him what his motivation is. Oh also Onyx gets giddy when he can stab things, forgot about that. Anyway, they fight Jiva, and eventually he is about to knock Onyx unconscious, but hears something from the pit. He calls him lucky because the "doctor" just found what they were looking for. He then teleports away, and inspection shows whoever the "doctor" guy was probably teleported away as well.

They get back and celebrate freeing the town, and give the bartender the information they gathered. While they do that, Coin Rattle notices the customers from earlier immediately get up and leave, losing disguises in the process. He freaks out and chases them, with the others confused but following. The people they are following seem to panic and try to stop the group, but it doesn't work so they capture Coin Rattle and get on a cart, zooming off. The others realize they won't catch up like this, so they go back to get the cart, hoping they can free him.

The group follows the trail they left, and finds a hideout. They get in and end up alerting some people who seemed to be playing cards, all wearing outfits similar to the guy who took the head. A rather pathetic fight occurs. During all that, Coin Rattle was getting interrogated, asking what he knew about Talos, and eventually the people realize that he isn't with Talos, the group was fighting them. They make it up to where everyone was fighting and explain that there was a misunderstanding. These people in black outfits are the Panderian Secret Guild, a policing force of the kingdom that has been trying to stop this Talos group, and they thought the party was a part of them. The people they were fighting just now were trainees. They are impressed with the group's ability to take down this Talos operation and ask them to help the guild. The group agrees, and plan to head out the next morning.

### Chapter 3: The False Shaman of the Mountain

After sorting things out with the Panderian Secret Guild, the group is getting ready to head off once again. During this, Onyx takes Clementine to the side so he can talk to her privately. Once they come back Coin Rattle gets too climby with him and Onyx isn't in the mood so he throws him off. They both get told off by Eleftheria and Clementine. They are on the road for a while (during which Clementine starts teaching the others how to ride a horse) and eventually set up camp when night starts to fall. They take some things out of the carts and find that one of the trainees, a girl named Eva, had hidden herself in the cart to stay with them. Izen (the guy that took the head and explained everything with Coin Rattle) is quite annoyed, but thinks they are too far now to bring her back. They all have some campfire time together before heading to bed (Eleftheria asked if Coin Rattle could make sure no one tries taking her mask while she's asleep and he adorably puffs up his feathers to look intimidating. A more important fact was Onyx had left his family ring and a scarf he cared about out in the open).

When they all wake up, they realize they seem to be in a jail cell. The group collectively panics, checking to see if any of their stuff was stolen, and it seems the only thing anyone lost was Onyx's ring and scarf. They also notice a half-orc and a warforged in the cell with them. The half-orc, who introduces himself as Lock, tells them that they are in the goblin (originally was said to be a kingdom but more accurately is an embassy or enclave) and that the current leader likes to capture people who get to close to the borders and force them to fight in gladiator matches. Also he took control from the original leader. The warforged also "boots" up and introduces himself as Simis. Soon a goblin comes in and turns out to be the leader of the area, Crux. He explains that the group will be all fighting today in teams of two against some of his own best fighters and if they win they can leave. He also makes a remark about Eva being a rare find, and walks off. Before they leave to fight, they ask Izen what that was about and he explains that Eva is an aasimar, a very rare species.

The group gets splits into three sections of the arena: Eleftheria and Coin Rattle battling a goblin with a gem in their socket, Onyx and Simis against a frenzied bugbear, and Clementine and Lock against some figure obscured by all the armor they're wearing. Eleftheria and Coin Rattle diplomacy their way out of having to full out kill their opponent, Onyx and Simis realize that the bugbear was just really distressed because he was muzzled, so he calmed down once that was off, and Clementine and Lock noticed a necklace with a purple gem on in that seemed magical, so they broke it. Apparently it was mind control magic and the person takes off the helmet, ending up being a hobgoblin named Eldrich who was the original leader before Crux, and also Lock's dad. Crux ends up being a sore loser and has a giant skeleton attack the group, which they defeat, and Clementine is getting annoyed so she lightning bolts him when he tries to flee, but his "corpse" gets picked up by a shadow dragon and flown away.

Eldrich takes back control of the area and the group is back on their journey to ~~the west~~ Panderia's capital, now with Simis Sepii as a party member. The journey is not much longer before they get to the city, being brought all the way to the queen herself. They finally get an official name, Redemption Folly. Once they get the whole working with the guild thing sorted, she asks them all to follow her. They go through way too many hallways until she has them at a portal, and they enter along with her to find themselves in the Feywild. She explains that the Feywild has been weak for a while, it's only main connection to the material plane being the Great Tree in the capital. They need a new champion to protect it, and she wants to see if the tree will accept any of the party. Simis tries using a few members as a battering ram to get through. It does not work. The only person the tree allows in is Onyx.

He makes his way through and meets a lady named Titania who explains he'll need to fight the old champion and win and then he'll be considered the champion-in-training so to speak. It's a tough battle but he wins and is given the Blade of the Summer Court (iirc). The others were initially just waiting for him, doing stuff listening to Clementine nerd out about the Feywild, but a messenger comes and says a large Talos unit is attacking at the city wall, and the group gets into action. They make their way and battle it the best they can. Onyx also manages to catch up near the end and deal the finishing blow.

After that, they end up looking to see what some of the shops and places in the capital are. They have at least one church area, an armory, a gun shop, inns/taverns, clothing shops, library, etc. The group happens to go into a magic item shop and meet the owner, a goblin named Bodak. Some of the others are considering getting some items such as flying boots for Coin Rattle, night vision goggles for Onyx, and Clementine considers a bag of holding. Eleftheria notices an amulet on one shelf and goes to look at it, to which Bodak explains he found it in an area that seemed to no longer exist, and that he can't figure out what it does. She picks it up and hears a person, and it glows, and Bodak is so interested in it actually doing something for once that he lets her keep it for free, just wanting to know what it does. (I think Eleftheria also got elven chain during this?) They make their purchases and leave.

Since they are working for the Panderian Secret Guild (I'm just going to shorten that to PSG), the guild covers their rooms at an inn. Clementine tries to talk to Onyx about something but he zones out, also Eleftheria borrows Clementine's necklace to try working on Coin Rattle's kleptomania (oh yeah he has kleptomania). Oh also sometime this day Eleftheria summoned a raven familiar named Skia. When evening rolls around everyone goes to bed and nothing bad could happen right guys?

Clementine wakes up hearing something from Onyx's room. She comes in to see him very badly bleeding, and tries to find out what happened, but he can't speak properly. At some point she gets some blood on herself. She goes to get Eleftheria to heal him, and the other two also hear the commotion and watch from the doorway. When Onyx is healed, he explains that his parents kinda screwed him up so if he doesn't fight enough he still feels like he needs to attack something, and that often ends up being himself. The others think they can try helping him figure out better ways to handle it, and I think someone stays the night in Onyx's room to make sure he doesn't do that again.

The next morning they all hang out together, and Simis like has a reboot or something and it makes him act wonky. Also we ask Onyx to consider giving his weapons to someone else in the group or at least not go anywhere alone. Either this day or the previous day Onyx goes on a trip with Eva where they sneak into the royal garden and see Vinera (the queen) meeting up with someone from the guild named Xeno to kiss or something. Coin Rattle wants to go to the armory and check it out and the shopkeeper is a tabaxi named Knife Through the Liver. No one ends up buying anything but Eleftheria asks Clementine about what species KTtL was. We also check out the library per Clementine's request, and Coin Rattle gets two magic books. One shows you happy memories and the other shows you the person you most love I believe.

After we do that Izen informs us that the Talos units seem to have been stolen from where they were keeping them, and takes us to the spot so we can help find leads. The evidence seems to indicate Veronica, one of the two that kidnapped Coin Rattle that one time, but nothing is too conclusive. Also I think there was something about Eva being with her so she couldn't have just gotten away with the units without Eva noticing and vice versa.

Anyway in the evening we go to watch a theater play (based on The Lusty Argonian Maid but instead called the Lusty Lizardfolk Maid or something). Onyx has a bisexual awakening during this, and I think Eleftheria just is confused and falls asleep. Don't remember about the others. Once we finish watching it at like 4AM we all have a sleepover in Onyx's room, starting the trend of us all just sharing a room to save money.

The next day the group is informed by I think Xeno that Crux apparently has come back from the dead and is raising an army of fellow undead to potentially wage war. He asks the group to consider helping and if they do to join the meeting happening later today. Once he leaves they all discuss and Coin Rattle thinks this is a way out of what they signed up for. The group agrees they'll go to the war meeting thing at least to be more informed but some are still on the fence.

They get there and are told the plan for now is to send someone as a scout out there before doing any major attacks. Coin Rattle argues with Xeno and Eldrich (yeah Eldrich is there) over the whole thing, and Onyx repeatedly tries to volunteer for the scouting, but keeps on getting shot down. Coin Rattle eventually reluctantly agrees to help (because they kept suggesting he be the scout) and Skia comes along with him. They scout out, taking pictures and even a selfie. Coin Rattle spots a figure and follows them, finding out they are another Kenku. He gets to talk with them and they give him two necklaces before he heads back to the others.

With that done the group splits into two groups, Onyx and Clementine go to Bodak's and help them out there, and Coin Rattle and Eleftheria head back to the inn because they had something they wanted to discuss with one another (I don't remember what Simis was doing, if anything). Onyx and Clementine are helping them with finishing making a big ship-like thing, and Xeno calls Bodak dad on accident (adoptive father). Since they helped them out with it Bodak gives them a magic tent that's bigger on the inside and can change form to match the user's most safe place they can imagine.

They come back to the inn and show Eleftheria the tent, but she seems dejected. They ask if anything happened and she dully explains that Coin Rattle has decided to leave Redemption Folly. They are shocked but kind of have to try and get some sleep before the battle tomorrow, so Clementine uses the tent in a room. For her, the design seems to be like that of a library or study.

The day of the battle, they take the now operating spell kite (flying magic ship) to where Coin Rattle had scouted out. Onyx kinda freaks out either due to motion sickness or a fear of heights, but manages. They fall off, feather fall keeping them safe. They fight their way through skeletons until they make it to where Crux is. When the group enters they see the dragon from before in our path, Crux at the back of the area. They begin fighting the dragon, and eventually Onyx is downed. Eleftheria goes over to heal him, but the dragon decides to attack her while she does so and now she's the unconscious one. Onyx attempts to get the healing potions to help her, but notices something red glowing. She seemingly wakes up, while glowing, and uses a red crystal to summon a giant spike (looking like the same spell Sanguis used before teleporting away) to impale the dragon. *Somehow* that causes one of her sleeves to burn and mask to crack off, and then she collapses again. Clementine had been busy trying to just kill Crux, then they realize Eleftheria isn't waking up and say they need to get to a hospital to see if anyone else can help her.

### Chapter 4: Maroon Streets, Scarlet Valkyries, and Crimson Wings

The group manage to bring Eleftheria back to the hospital, and she's brought to a room where the doctor seems to be clad in heavy armor, who addresses himself as Ardyn. He does a lookover and asks for what happened, and is confused when they mention that she got hit by dragon's breath because the only burned part seems to be the sleeve of her arm (the one that was holding the crystal). He also notices the amulet she's wearing is pulsing but physically can't remove it to look at it. Since she is still alive and stable, just unconscious, he says they should just wait until she wakes up. Ardyn makes a remark that he didn't know the group was okay with having a child soldier (calling Onyx a child) before leaving to assist other patients.

(There is stuff that happened with Eleftheria during this period but I don't know if I'm allowed to mention it so this is the best you get).

Eventually she wakes up and the others rush over to make sure she's fine. Ardyn also had come into the room soon before she woke up. They also ask how in the world she did what she did. She's reluctant to say it in front of Ardyn, but he mentions that he works for the Guild and they're assigning him to "babysit" Redemption Folly so it might be best for him to know. She relents and tells the group that she does indeed have amnesia, but as this has gone on she thinks more and more that before that she worked with Talos. She also explains to them that she got that crystal when she went back to the first Talos unit on her own. At some point Ardyn says he "doesn't see a lot of her kind", referring to his assumption that she's an aasimar (I know this was nearly immediately debunked but I don't care it was interesting dialogue).

Onyx and Clementine go off to buy new clothes for Eleftheria, and meet Izen on the way out. He gives them pay and mentions he wants to speak with Eleftheria. Back in the room, Ardyn and Eleftheria chat about religion (they are both religious) and Ardyn goes to find a plague doctor mask for temporary use. Eleftheria thanks him. When Izen comes in he talks privately with Eleftheria, having Ardyn and Simis wait outside. Once he's done Ardyn asks him about when he's getting his pay and he kinda just leaves, noncommittally saying he'll pay him soon.

Clementine and Onyx are apparently very bad with directions so it takes a while to find a store but they manage. Clementine and Onyx end up picking out a similar style to Eleftheria's original, just with a different color scheme. I believe Onyx also ends up buying himself his new scarf during this (a replacement of sorts for the one he lost). Eleftheria and Ardyn also find out they're in agreement that Ardyn being forced to work with Redemption Folly without his or their approval is not very nice. Ardyn also makes some remarks about Onyx being childish right at the time that Clementine and Onyx walk back in.

Ardyn is on break or something so he comes back with the group to the inn. Onyx was really rubbed the wrong way from Ardyn's remarks earlier (and possibly feeling bad about his inability to navigate?) so he gets onto the roof to brood. The others are concerned so they want to climb up, but Ardyn says he'll handle it. Simis has a weird existential crisis while that happens. Once they sort it out they try to watch what's going on above them through a window.

On the roof, Onyx gets more irritated that Ardyn is with him. He starts arguing with him and Ardyn decides they should just fight it out. Onyx agrees and Ardyn specifies they will just use fists so they don't hurt each other too much, so no magic or weapons. Onyx tries repeatedly to get a hit off, but the armor just blocks it all while Ardyn makes a few clean hits at Onyx. Onyx gets so fed up that he tries using hunter's mark, which Ardyn points out. He eventually just kind of stops and they both sit down at the edge of the roof and Ardyn takes his helmet off, showing there seems to be no person inside. Ardyn tells him that he's too reckless, that he tries to fight but hardly ever thinks about what he's doing or how to go about it. Basically everyone seems confused with the helmet thing but Onyx acknowledges what Ardyn was saying. They both decide to head back down because it starts to rain.

Everyone wants an explanation on what's going on with Ardyn and he says that he has night shift to head out to, but that he can explain what they want to know tomorrow. He heads off and the others head to the tent to sleep. I believe this is when Onyx first opens it, so it shows a field behind a house, and he gets emotional. It's his family's house, and the field is where he would go to and hang out with his childhood friend, basically a temporary escape from what his parents would make him do.

The next day the group gathers at a table to wait for Ardyn and eat. Onyx apologizes to the group for how he's been acting the whole adventure, and promises he'll be trying to improve himself. Ardyn makes it in soon after, and starts to explain his predicament. He was a regular human, but the previous government was given him to use as an experiment, and he was killed and his soul turned into a gem. He was connected to the armor he now controls, but was deemed a failure in some regard so he was locked in a closet for decades. He was finally freed when the rebellion stormed the castle and he was given a job in the PSG (but he says he feels they do it more just to keep an eye on him). The group is like "wow, yikes".

Once they're all done Clementine wants to go to the library so everyone except Eleftheria and Ardyn go with her. Ardyn has some job he has to make it to, and Eleftheria still needs to eat (This is probably when Onyx gets the gardening book, though its possible he gets it later on, I don't remember). They do whatever they were doing there and when they come back Clementine goes to check up on Eleftheria and can hear her talking to someone. When she opens the door she asks if it was Skia. Eleftheria explains that there is a spirit in the amulet and insists that she isn't crazy, and Clementine believes her.

They end up going to Bodak's so Eleftheria can tell him what she found out. He wants to scan it with a magic machine he has, and asks someone to grab something from the top shelf (Bodak is shorter than all of us). Onyx does it but nearly falls so the spirit manages to help aid him and Onyx actually can see him and freaks out and falls anyway. Spirit's name is Stes. Eleftheria is like "see? You can see him, so I'm not crazy" and Clementine mentions that they believed her from the start. So they set the machine up and Eleftheria is right next to it trying to make sure Stes is okay, when it explodes and throws her across the room and suddenly everything goes dark, even to Clementine who has dark vision.

(something extra happened here and is mentioned near the beginning of chapter 5 but I'm not going to say it here lol)

The group makes sure everyone is fine and tries to figure out why it's dark even for the people with darkvision. Bodak surmises it must be magical darkness. A new voice calls out, asking if everyone's alright. The person is Kijoi, and she is one of the owners of a nearby shop. She figured another of Bodak's experiments went wrong when she heard the explosion and came over. She ushers the others to her shop since they can't currently see.

It's the gun shop. Eventually Simis steals a weapon from it, jumps through a window, and runs off, with guards soon making chase. The others try to help fix the window before going to find him. This takes them across the city, eventually finding him and deciding to quickly get some food from an inn. They meet the barkeeper, Quincy, and due to shenanigans they get the implication that Eleftheria either can handle absurd amounts of alcohol or can't get drunk. Onyx, however, is a lightweight. He and Simis get metaphorically dragged back and they all go to bed.

In the morning Clementine wakes up the hungover Onyx by putting an ice cube in his ear. Eleftheria thinks that was mean, Onyx just asks her to not do that again. Hey remember how those Talos units got stolen? Yeah, Izen says they have a person but they somehow don't know who they are, just where they're staying, even though it is indeed a PSG member. Clementine and Eleftheria act like cleaning service and go into the person's room and find a dress they know Eva wore. Oh boy Eva walks into her room and sees them. Eleftheria smooth talks them out of any suspicion and relays the info to Izen, who doesn't think it could've been Eva.

Izen talks to Eleftheria privately and apologizes for some of the stuff he said when she was in the hospital and offers the crystal back to her, but she still doubts that it's stable so he plans to have Bodak take a look at it. Plus, she still doesn't know how it works and would want a safe place to pracrtice using it so no one gets hurt. Izen mentions he knows someone who could help with that so he takes the group to a well and they get put into The Crescent Corner. Ardyn decides he wants to explore on his own and walks off, and the rest of the group meets the owner, Moon. They are a bit weirded out by him, Onyx especially so. Get a plan for Moon to help them create a little pocket place temporarily where they can test it out risk free.

Ardyn sees a dispute occuring between two patrons and helps sort it out. One of the partons was none other than Coin Rattle, and Ardyn decides to get a drink with him. They hang out for a bit before Coin Rattle heads off on his own, then Ardyn meets back up with the others, briefly mentioning that he just saw a former member of their group.

Next day Clementine, Izen, and Bodak all fix up the crystal, and while she's there Bodak asks if the group would be interested in running a job for him, as he needs a specially made gear for the spellkite to work. She says she'll mention it to the others and they'll decide together. They head back to the casino with the crystal and all fight against illusory versions of the people they fought in the gladiator ring. For winning the battle, they are given a purple looking diamond, which Eleftheria quickly nabs. Ardyn had lifted up his hammer and joked his plan was to split it between everyone in the group. Clementine also told the others about the job and they agree to take it. There's also the "date" that Clementine and Eleftheria have in the evening.

In the morning they all are getting ready to go and yet again Eva tried to stow away in a cart, but gets caught by Izen and forced to stay, even though Redemption Folly is fine with her tagging along. They depart and pass the time playing "I spy" before it gets interupted by someone riding their horse towards the cart. Turns out it is a dead PSG member (one of the two that kidnapped Coin Rattle), and they were killed gruesomely. They group makes a grave, reminds themselves to tell the guild once they return, and take the horse since it's now without an owner. Campfire event.

Another day of pure travel and not much happened.

Get to the capital and it looks demolished. Get info and sounds like Talos might be involved. The throneroom scene and later fight, the people get away as usual. Group make it back to where the survivors are and Clementine is taken to the infirmary or whatever. Once she's awake brings people to a house or something and SUS THINGS HAPPEN.

Eleftheria and Onyx go on the hunting trip where they get attacked by ice wolves and a big ice wolf. Saved by the big dragon Eleftheria killed that one time. The dragon wants to die for realsies now. Oh no. Dragon is dead and turns out was a girl and had egg. We're parents now.

Everyone groups up and looks for Clementine. She's dead. oh no. Sike sunlight makes her not dead I guess. Okay time to relax for one day before off to Magrum

Make it to Magrum and there's some drunk man named Violo in the tavern. I'm sure he's not important or anything. We do a drinking contest and tie. We get rooms in the inn connected to the tavern and slumber.

Next day go to the forge and the guys like "there's funky ice and it's because of Winterclaw he hates unnatural things" so guess we're planning to kill a demigod. Also Violo is with us and stole a chicken from the guy. Butter is the chicken's name. Also the forge is like deep in the mountains and we ate dinosaur meat I think. Ardyn decides to stay at the winery with Amber and Violo.

This part of my notes are close to nonexistent but I think the next day we explore the cave area WInterclaw resides at, get pieces of metal that we keep playing hot potato with because we were joking that they were cursed, unfreeze Sun Zhao and fight a t-rex, then make it to Winterclaw (who Sun is angry with so fights with us). We fight, and fight. And fight. And eventually he dies and we get the last metal piece which Ardyn puts together and it gives him gauntlets. Rest before we start heading back. Also Violo wants to come with us.

Day we leave Ardyn says he got like a message somehow from a Talos person and urges us to hurriedly leave and has a convoluted plan so they can't get whatever they're after that we have and for some reason we just go along with this. There's the days of travel back and once we're back we do outfit swaps (VIOLO IN A DRESS) and all go different places. Ardyn talks with definitely-not-a-Talos-member.

Ardyn starts a rebellion, Violo gets serious, I think this is around the time Clementine does a side job with Bodak and Eleftheria gets the favor that she later says she needs to repay, eventually PSG notices something weird going on. We try to get info on what it is, Ardyn is "skeptical" through it all, everyone heads to an outpost, even Ardyn somehow and BIG ENEMY SHIP IN SKY.

SCARLET VALKYRIE STUFF. Ardyn splits from us, tank fight, Violentium fight, Ardyn betrayal, Clementine control, Geno, eventually the ship goes down and we escape.

### Chapter 5: The Guilt Filled Children

The spellkite is flying the group back to Panderia, and most of the group goes below deck to either sleep or have time to process all that happened. Eleftheria stays with Xeno and Izen to begrudgingly answer questions, also mentioning that their security might be compromised now because she learned Talos was spying on them through the gem she got, that they brought into PSG facilities when she was unconscious.

Lupin

freeing Eva and Izen is no longer fully armed.

Tower, witches, Garou

Getting the spellkite back

the egg hatches at some point. I need to double check when that happened.

Garou and Eleftheria have a rEALLY COOL FIGHT YOU GUYS

Eleftheria and Eva go off to the Feywild, then Clementine got all worried so the group went to find them and ended up at the circus instead. Get info from a psychic there and meet up with the two, shooing away some fey. Violo gets clues on who killed his parents. They rush back when Clementine realizes they left Klein unnaccounted for and find a dude named Lusk helping take care of her. Lusk is sus

The timeline here seems weird but at some point Eleftheria and Eva had a conversation and I just wanted to bring it up because Eleftheria accidentally makes a pun AGAIN but character growth because she realizes herself that it was a pun (through Eva's awkward laughter and half-explanation but still).

Violo interrogates a man and they decide to fight to the death in an abandoned warehouse. The rest of the group just... goes to the battle royale and lets him go do that.

The battle royale and Violo's fight. Then hand go kaboom and suspicious masked man shows up. The others start thinking Violo lost when he gets carried in by suspicious mask man and Garou tries to kill said guy the moment he lets Violo down.

So uh, Garou thought the ego was dead. He wasn't. Solilo thinks he looks like Geno, ooo spoooooky.

### Chapter 6: Aria of the Azure

I think we did some stuff in between Ego turning out to exist and later stuff. I'll add it if I get proof of existence.

One of the things was Ego confiding in Eleftheria and Clementine that he knows Garou or Pontiff could become like super gods if they reabsorb each other's souls and/or his own soul so he asks for them to let him die if ever on death's door. They are slightly skeptical but do agree.

Anyway Ego eventually drops lore that where he woke up at was some weird cave near Orilon and we all decide to go there. It takes like a week and during it there's a scene where their camping and Eleftheria and Onyx went hunting, but Violo got freaked out when watching her skin an animal and Onyx has to calm him down when he storms off. Garou was aggressively staring at the meat. He wants to CONSUME.

At some point Onyx mentions wanting to go back to his old home while they're all there and try to meet up with Marigold again

When they make it in they get rooms at an inn and Onyx brings Violo and Eleftheria with him to the house. They both came because they are suspicious of Marigold and worry he would get hurt. On the way Violo smells something weird burning and the others believe him but think it could just be explained by the forge they walked by. Meetup with Marigold and they make their way into his old home, where he finds secret papers. His parents' "names" were just code names, and they never gave him his own. The name "Onyx" was just his code name. He is very reasonably distraught by this.

Evil hug

Evil fire

Garou almost dies

Ego is like "okay guys, hear me out: kill him"

Ooops we let everyone else know and now we're running away

Things fall apart and Garou is getting yelled at while others are fighting exploding dogs in the woods

You just KILLED her /ref

"Ego" comes in and then toodaloos out of the party

Y'all, I know we just comitted murder, but it is time for me to confess my love and tell you all my new name. Some time after the confession, but before they go to sleep, Eleftheria asks if Violo would want her to take the blame if he forgets what happens, but he tells her no.

When they wake up, Violo does not remember what happened and needs to get filled in, but brings up having an eyeball in his pocket that Lusk tries to insist is theirs. The rest of the group more or less figures out where the eyeball came from. They head downstairs to travel to the area Ego mentioned, but spot an odd Talos Unit watching them and chase after it, being brought to a tavern.

While Violo distracts patrons with a song, they find the Talos Unit, which is sending a message from The Doctor, and a man named Damien notices them and listens in. He tells them this town will be destroyed soon and they only have a few hours to try and stop him. Clementine starts trying to set up a scrying spell on him while Lusk unintentionally and Eleftheria intentionally stall. As his message finishes, they get it up and see him somewhere with his own dismembered arm telling Pontiff the plan, then sets off. They decide the best course of action is for part of the group to go to where Ego mentioned, as it might be where Pontiff and The Doctor just were, while the rest alert local authorities and keep a lookout in the town.