"Valac"

**"Valac"** is the 46th session of the first WGA campaign. After investigating rumors of smuggling and finding a solid lead to Sahiri Ralieu, The Red Thread make their way to a location in Western Asarius. They come across a crude wooden shack, unassuming on the outside, and promptly all enter without much flair.

### Sahiri's leads

They find a person laid down on a table, wounded and bleeding, with Sahiri in the room. Kalypso quickly heals the unknown person to establish trust, and the party explains that they're just looking for information. She's thanked, and the now conscious person quickly shares that they're a smuggler. Upon hearing this, Valac seems particularly interested in their name, and simply smiles, content when he gets an answer - Gregory. With bigger things to worry for, the party ushers Sahiri into a private room to seek answers. There, everyone introduces themselves, and Kismet offers the fake alias he's using in the Dynasty. Valac follows up with his real name instead, which immediately arises suspicion in Kismet, but he chalks it up to distress, choosing to trust Valac's judgement.

Sahiri willing to help, explaining that he's not quite involved with the whole residuum business - that is something that Den Darlight deals with. Valac doesn't react. Kalypso asks Sahiri if she can point them in a direction, to which Valac quickly intercepts - he knows exactly where to lead them, because this is his family's business.

### To Asarius Quarry

The party hurries out, wondering if they should head back to the tavern or straight to the location of residuum trade. Valac explains that he's leading them to Asarius Quarry, a mine that his family has been operating for years. This is where the residuum trade must be happening, and it's in the same direction as the tavern, just a little outside town. On the way there, Finch casts *Gift of Alacrity* on Kismet, and he also casts *Death Ward* on himself.

The quarry seems empty when they reach it, carts of unrefined residuum simply sitting around. Everyone is suspicious, believing this to be a trap - regardless, Valac picks up some raw residuum and convinces them to follow inside. He recalls a mining incident that happened years ago, collapsing part of the mine. Everyone has been avoiding that area since - if there's smuggling happening it must be there. With that, the Red Thread head inside, sneaking on the way in.

### Fighting "Valac"

Valac leads the way in with Florian and Blitz, the rest of the party following close behind, and Kismet invisible. He continues picking up small pieces of residuum until they're at a location that seems abandoned. Leading everyone's attention to the ceiling where parts of it have collapsed, he uses the momentary distraction to chuck all the residuum he's holding in the air, exploding it with a *Firebolt* right in Kismet's direction. The blast hits, dealing heavy damage, and heavy smoke from the explosion leaves everyone disorientated.

Before the dust even settles, Kismet lashes out with a *Hold Person* on Valac, but he's disappeared. He follows it up with a *Sending* to Valac, asking if this figure was him. The Sending connects, but not to the figure, and a very weak Valac responds - *"It's not me!".* When the dust settles, Valac stands away from the group, sword in one hand and flame in the other, a black crown dripping red ichor on his head. And we roll initiative.

Shades from the mine creep on everyone. Unsure of what's happening, The Red Thread attack. Throughout the battle, it gradually becomes clear that this isn't Valac at all, and instead someone posing as him. Even knowing this, Florian refuses and is unable to attack. Most of Finch's magic fails, and the one successful spell that she casts catches Blitz and Beckett Phobos in friendly fire - Beckett immediately lashes out to her. Kismet releases all his anger at having been manipulated so expertly. He casts his Spiritual Weapon, no longer in the form of The Starlight Weaver but of a void-like scythe. Yet no matter how hard he tries, he can't land a single hit on the false Valac.

Meanwhile, "Valac" deals devastating damage to the party, throwing a *Fireball* that catches Kismet, Florian, Kalypso and Beckett in a huge explosion of fire and residuum. Florian is knocked unconscious, Kalypso is heavily wounded, and Kismet's *Death Ward* kick in, keeping him alive. Kalypso's attempt to *Dominate Person* on "Valac" fails. Angered beyond belief, Blitz manages to shove "Valac" within range of unrefined residuum, then detonates it with their *Breath weapon*, finally wounding him enough to show. The fake Valac cries out in fury - "*You dare hurt dragon blood?*"

With Blitz continuing to deal massive damage to "Valac", Kismet healing everyone with a powerful *Mass Cure Wounds*, and a clutch *Counterspell* by Finch, the stranger posing as The Red Thread's friend finally starts to retreat. Footsteps and heavy armor can be heard approaching - Aurora Watch closing in on them. The disguise is dropped, and the changeling who had attempted to assassinate Kismet finally reveals herself - Rilvra Mirimm. She extends everyone a sly invitation to Xuton's place if they want to find the real Valac before escaping.

### Imprisonment & Bail

As Aurora Watch close in, Kismet picks up a necklace dropped by Rilvra - it's Valac's spellcasting focus. Keldrym finds the black crown that Rilvra wore. Kalypso tries to negotiate their safety, but the Aurora Watch are adamant - they are to be escorted and face trial on the charges of destruction of property, attempted murder, illegal smuggling, and trespassing on private property. It's clear that Rilvra has incriminated them, and they are to be thrown into the Hold. This immediately switches Kismet into survival mode, and he begs a soldier to find Valac by description alone, leaving his ring of disguise with the guard.

Thrown into a holding cell, Kismet is violently returned to his past, and resists arrest as much as he could. Panicked and driven wild with fear, Blitz tries to calm him, but he just begs for Valac, putting his spellcasting focus on. Kalypso asks to contact someone, saying that she works under Essek Thelyss- this finally seems to work, and before long a guard returns with a sending stone. As she contacts the Shadowhand, he recognizes the severity of the situation and tells Kalypso that he'll need a couple of hours, but he'll figure something out.

Some time passes, and before they're even sent to trial the Aurora Watch return and unlock their cells. Someone has paid out their hefty bail of 10 000 GP. A short half-elven woman gingerly steps to the side, revealing herself. She's wearing bright Cobalt Soul blue attire, and awkwardly greets and introduces herself - it's Isdalen Sage, Finch's friend that has been trying to reunite with her for days. She briefly explains that she was contacted by an associate of Verin Thelyss and used Cobalt Soul money to bail them out, that she was technically not supposed to use for this. Angered at her pristine robes and cheery manner and worry for Finch, Kismet suddenly realizes that sometimes that's all it takes - someone to care enough, and someone with the right connections, and all his terror and madness could have been avoided. He grabs Isa, telling her that Finch saved everyone's lives, and to take better care of her, his anger having nowhere else to go, then shoves her away, walking out of the Hold.

Free to cast spells again, Kismet can finally send another message to Valac. He reassures him that they are coming to rescue him, and that they would be resting first. Distressed, he repeats, "I knew something was wrong." In his reply, Valac sends, "I figured you'd get it, Nightingale."

With that, the Red Thread returns to the tavern, choosing to rest for the night before finding their way to Xuton's residence - Keldrym know where it is, and Florian sends a message to Elias, asking him to stake out the place and keep an eye out.