Broken Bonds: Episode 09

October 1, 2020 (Arcadum's YouTube)

### Reddit Thread

***Broken Bonds* Episode 9** was streamed on Arcadum's Twitch channel on September 27, 2020. The group has broken their bonds, and explore the paths that are available to them. A kid to return, an old god to accidentally encounter, and a trip to the land of shadows.

## Summary

Remag, now imbued with the Violet Eye, takes a second look at the statue of the Seven. The statues begin to shift and morph into a shadow of the seven. It puts a reaffirming arm on Remag's shoulder and smiles as a necklace with the symbol of the Seven appears in Remag’s hands. In a snap the shadow disappears, but the symbol remains. Remag puts it on and can sense it’s protection.

The party stops at the worshipper camp near the statue and they decide to summon Tomen. They ask Tomen what to do now and he tells them that the path forward is to go to the Shadowfell so that they can gain the support of the Empress . Tomen also lays out another path to them: they can go to Solem and meet up with another party that also has a violet eye but risk the chance for the enemy to strike.

After a deliberative period about what to do with Valor, the group decides to meet up with Gallant at the inn and hand off the child to her there. Once the party heads there, once they’re there, out comes a sickly man, stumbling out of the entrance. Ea’r and Bryan are able to determine that the man is poisoned, and almost immediately the scrolled up face in P’mis’ pouch starts shifting. He asks P'mis to go somewhere private before telling him what he needs to know.

He tells P’mis that Olokenhai has taken new servants that seek to unveil in preparation for darkness to move against the enemy. He wants P’mis to remain wary for the call to action from Olokenhai. P’mis asks about the man that came out stumbling out and Tysk informs him that he’s been imprinted on by Olokenhai and that he’ll soon give birth to a sickness. P'mis comes back to the party and tells them that the man will be fine.

Given the conflicting stories regarding the ailing man, Remag decides to give the man a look with his Violet eye. Remag sees great tentacles squirming from the man and something like rays of sunset. He also hears a voice saying *“Soon little child, you will be birthed anew”*. An eye emitting from the man shifts and looks at Remag noticing him. Remag inquires about what it is going on with the man. The eye shifts the truth from the question and states that as Remag and his party have their tasks, so does it, but lets them know that basically his task is making vessels of Olokenhai. They pull out the face and once enough time is allotted, the face starts shaking.

The ailed man falls over in pain, coughing out blood and, within the eye of Remag, he can see that a great entity exits the man. It turns and shifts toward the party. The entity asks if there is any deed that Olokenhai can do for them. He acknowledges the questions in all of their heads and wants to assure them that in this moment against the Enemy, they are on the same side. He advises against doing anything against the enemy in their state so he would want to grant them power, but to be imbued with the power without proving their strength could lead them to turn their brains into mushes of madness. To prove themselves, they need to delay a man called Azolon and free a servant of Olokenhai that has been sealed away in the Shadowfell. The party agrees to help him out.

Gallant arrives and is reunited with her brother but after the party not being able to keep their stories straight, she becomes suspicious. Eventually tensions rise and Gallant commands them to step outside. They oblige and Gallant begins to draw her sword. The party tries to reason with her but she doesn't want to hear any more lies from this group. Once push comes to shove, P’mis grabs Valor from inside the inn and threatens Gallant with Valor’s life. Gallant doesn’t give and demands P’mis to let her brother go but instead, P’mis begins to flap his wings and fly farther away with the threat of dropping him. Gallant continues to not budge and combat begins. Bryan begins to try to reason with her by reinforcing her that if she continues, her brother is going to die. Gallant seems to be dead set on punishing this party. After a strike from Bryan, P’mis tries to really reinforce this idea of her brother being dropped to death. Gallant grimaces and calls for the guards. Li’lu tosses the sigil she picked up in Valloween’s cave and Gallant recognizes it. Suddenly Gallant loses her will to fight and she calls out for her brother, so P’mis delivers Valor to her. Li’lu throws her axe on the floor and pleads with her. Guards round the corner and Gallant calls them off. She lets them go, turning a blind eye for now and to not let her see them again or else.

P’mis, in his frustration of losing the one thing that made him feel powerful, splits off from the group. He decides to feed his dagger and murders another homeless man.

The Party meets back up in front of Valloween’s cave. They find Hugger crying in front of the cave saying that Valloween has left into the Shadowfell. They get into where they fought Valloween, and jump into the well that leads to that dark place.

Once in there, Ea’r can recognize that they aren’t supposed to be in this realm and relays that. While they are in the Shadowfell, they are getting drained of their life force. While on their way to find the Empress, the party comes across glowing stones that emit an inviting feeling and a sense of security. The party enters into the sanctuary and recognizes that all their gear and weapons are on portraits next to cots. Remag observes the centerpiece in the middle of the camp and finds some black ichorous ooze in the grated sphere in the middle of the pyramid. Remag can tell that it's alive somehow. He also notices candles in the back of the camp and Remag lights it. Once lit, the sphere in the center starts floating and the party has thoughts of sleeping in the cots surrounding the pyramid.

The party rests while Bryan stands guard and suddenly shadows envelope everyone but Bryan. A creature yells out to Bryan in Necro catching her attention and starts to approach her. It tells her that this campsite is its hunting grounds but it backs down acknowledging that the party are hers to consume for herself. The creature just asks for one live being to eat, but Bryan does not feel like giving up one of her party members. It then declares that she’s gonna have to fight it if she wants to remain so greedy. Bryan not backing down pulls out the scythe, and immediately it backs down and apologizes. They get the monster to lead them to the Empress.

## Featured Characters

### Main Characters

* Bryan
* E'ar
* Hashbrown
* Li'lu
* P'mis
* Remag

### New

* Oloken'hai
* Corhl

### Returning

* Valor Venicci
* Tomen
* Callun the Traveler
* Gallant
* Hugger