23/11/2021 - Council-room Cyric Slaying and Crown Capturing

## Internal monologues…

Belgaer has an internal chat with her patron – asks him to bear with her!

Elyan wishes he had more spell slots and is reminiscing about previous conversations.

Lysandre is wondering what awaits us in these rooms, which he has seen before in his various visions.

Ves is taking things one step at a time.

Narko is glad the stairs are mostly done, and is feeling unusually calm before the inevitable show down.

Bayul is feeling slightly exasperated that he wasn’t more useful in getting the group up, but has learnt more about being part of a team. Like, Narko has the calm before the storm sense like Narko.

Galdor feels high. He is hyped. His weird babies are raring to go.

## Onwards and upwards

Ves knows via locate object that the crown is two floors above us.

We debate whether to rest or push on. Consensus seems to be to push on…

To push on we need to pass the people just outside Christo’s office. We decide that Elyan should disguise himself as Christo and blag us through by saying we had a meeting with the Lord President. Ves finds a wardrobe with some spare ministerial robes.

We leave the room, “Christo” leading the way, with the rest of us following in a guard formation. The civil servants outside question us, but Elyan easily deceptions our way through. Elyan then sasses them and tells them to stop gossiping and do more work.

We go up two more floors. Come to an ornate door with the crest of Echs on it. Ves can tell that it is slightly above us, but this is the only door so we take it.

Elyan touches the door handle, and feels himself get pulled in. We all follow and find ourselves in the council room. We hear a voice say “senator” – two very well armoured guards are in the room. The floor is crystal, the walls have tapestries of the island crest. There is a long table with chairs and a high chair.

The guards ask why is here as there is no meeting scheduled. Elyan says they have urgent news to give to the Lord President concerning the forces in the mountains. They seem to buy this, but asks why he has such a large group. Elyan says we are special forces, sent to help him. Gives us all sick titles and expertise! We all basically give “tactical advantages”.

The guards seem to buy this, and says Elyan can go into see the Lord President. The rest of us have to wait in here with them. He tries to blag Ves in. But the guards are like nah no chance. Only senators can go through. Elyan goes up and whispers a suggestion in his ear to let us all go in.

The guard is unaffected. But seems to let Christo off the hook for trying to use a spell on him. Elyan is nervous about going in alone. He turns to the others, says we need to go through the door, then casts vicious mockery at the nearest guard!

## Council room combat

We quickly kill the two guards. Ves summons two dire wolves to guard the way into the council room.

We continue on to the Lord Presidents room. Elyan and Ves lose their active magics, sad times. In the room are vials of now inactive blood. Very ornate, very fancy windows and other shenanigans.

The Lord President is standing at the end of the room, not looking at us, staring out of the window. Lysandre has seen this guy before, but now he is wearing the headpiece!

He says he heard us say there was trouble. Elyan says we are the trouble. They have some debate about tyranny.

He says we’ll have to take the crown of his dead body. Narko casts levitate on his crown, it pulls up but causes bits of blood to start beading down his head. It is sewed into his skin!

He chats more about Cyric and how benevolent he is. We accuse him of tyranny, he says we have benefited from Cyric too. We say Cyric just wants chaos and death, but he is like nah. The conversation is going no where fast.

Suddenly some more dudes burst in from behind, prompting another combat to begin!

## Cyric slaying

We seem to kill the Lord President in two kills… but as he dies, he says he “gives his body”. And as he crumbles, his muscles begin to pulse and ripple, as his body darkens, turns purple, dissipates, and he stands back up. His eyes glowing. Cyric’s voice now emanates from the Lord Presidents corpse. He thanks us for clearing a path back to the world for him. He offers Lysandre greatness, and Belgear a hand at her side. Asks if they will fight with him or against? He throws Narko some shade but he just gives him the finger.

Lysandre and Belgaer take worryingly long to decide…

Belgear flies up but doesn’t attack Cyric.

Lysandre twin casts haste on Bayul and Narko.

Narko slashes into Cyric many times. Then backs off. Cyric immediately teleports into Narko’s space. Does many damages to Narko.

Other general fighty shenanigans happen. Chaos all round. Belgaer joins the light side.

Many spells and counterspells.

Much slashing and melee fighting between Cyric, Bayul and Narko.

Cyric tries to teleport away, but is dual counterpselled by Lysandre and Elyan.

Cyric looks baaad. He tries to turn invisible, but again gets counterspelled.

Galdor attacks and with two arrows to the eyeballs, and Cyric is defeated!!

The body of the Lord Protector explodes into a thousand shards. The crown falls to the floor.

Ves (carefully) picks it up and Belgear casts detect magic. The crown is veery bright with magic. So bright it actually hurts Belgears eyes. It’s an unknown magic school type.

Belgaer asks to keep the crown. The rest of the group are not keen on this. We might need it to fix the island first.

## The aftermath

We discuss what to do next…. Think that the best thing might be to speak to Christo. Probably best not to immediately tell everyone we just killed their Lord President.

Elyan disperses the dusty left over of the Lord Protectors body.

We try to get into the Lord Protectors office, but its magically sealed and we can’t get in. We head down to Christo’s office to wait for him.

Elyan debates casting sending to Christo.

But before he does, a few members of the group forget almost everything that happened pre-crossing the mountains since arriving on the island.

This leads to some confused conversation. Lysandre thinks he has a solution, but one that needs to wait.

As we discuss. We hear a mechanical whirl. And Christo’s coocoo clock starts chiming for midday.

As this happens, the handle door moves and Christo appears back in his office, sweating, looking quite unnerved, and very surprised to see us in his office!

## Christo’s returns

Elyan explains what’s gone on to Christo. This takes a while as he doesn’t know who Cyric is, or at least why it’s relevant.

Elyan tries to lie about us killing the Lord President, but the rest of us think its better to be fully truthful.

We explain about the crown, and that we don’t know how to use it. Also that some of the group have lost their memories. Ask if he can help in any way.

We give the crown to Cyric. We take a short rest while he identify's it.