The Portal

The Portal was the 49th session of the Daevenfell campaign, and the tenth and final session of Apotheosis, before the finale which we're pretending was a movie.

## Summary

At the height of his power, Ycaron wants to make an impression on his people, and orders Murmillo to bring the arriving Drow up to his throne room, asking to be addressed as Emperor. Outside, Quintillion and Yorick decide upon an approach to telling Ycaron that Yllaria is dead, as Murmillo arrives. Quintillion orders Murmillo to take only him and Yorick up first. Ycaron yells at Murmillo to bring them all as they arrive, leaving the three alone, with the Baron lurking somewhere in the shadows.

Confronting the gleeful king (emperor?), Quintillion explains he has some bad news, trying to ease him into it. Yorick, a stranger to human emotion, immediately exlaims that she is dead and now a zombie.

Ycaron is stunned, angry, and orders both into a Zone of Truth to be interrogated. Quintillion claims he only wanted Yorick to "take care of" Yllaria, as her orders could put the Drow in danger. Yorick says Ycaron put Quintillion in charge, which left him no choice but to follow his orders. Ycaron orders the Baron to toss them both in a cell, but Quintillion refuses to give up his arcane focus. To test the skeleton's loyalty, Ycaron orders him to execute Quintillion instead.

A brief battle follows, only for Quintillion to surrender before Yoricks skeleton army annihilates him. He is led to a tiny storeroom at the bottom of the tower, and the Baron breaks the key. Murmillo meets her father on the way, asking him not to do anything stupid, and is yelled at in return.

Ycaron orders Yorick and his skeletons to leave the city, to guard the perimeter, only to ask Murmillo to shut the gates behind him. Murmillo will ask around and find out how many of the Drow knew about the betrayal (they all did). Yorick, having proven his strength, is easily able to shut down Murmillo's authority, and stays inside the city walls.

Meanwhile Ycaron gives his zombified queen a kiss, then stabs her with Satia, and burns her corpse. By the time only ashes are left of the pyre, Ycaron tells the Baron he has changed his mind, and orders his royal assassin to assassinate Yorick.

Fast as lightning, a shadow appears behind Yorick – the Baron fires his stolen moonlight weapon, blowing the skeleton to bits before Murmillo's shocked eyes. Flying with his bat cape to the top of the tower with his bounty, Yorick's final failsafe kicks into motion. One by one, his skeletons explode, taking with them half of the Drow's entire population, torn to shreds by splintered bone.

Foiled even in victory, Ycaron smashes Yorick's grinning skull to dust, and tells the Baron he is done with playing nice. If he needs to be a tyrant, so be it.

Meanwhile, Wolfram and Narrow are in high spirits after defeating Gyevroo, The Resistance closing in on The Domed City. Junior lands on Wolfram's shoulder, and Edith reveals she is back alive – and she has found the portal. Cheers abound. Hope is real once again. Now, only the Drow remain between them and escape.

At the top of his lonely tower, Ycaron is informed of their approach. And for once, he gives the Baron the order he has longed to hear since his appointment as royal assassin: Kill them all. Despite Junior appearing, Edith trying to reason with the king, he refuses to rescind his order.

The Drow are still licking their wounds after Yorick's trick, but they don't have time to prepare. The Baron appears from above like an omen of death, raining arrows on what remains of The Resistance, The March, Heather and New Dasos. Treon falls, so does Unnlain. And rushing ahead to the frontlines, feeling truly brave for perhaps the first time in his life – so does Narrow. Wolfram goes into a rage and smashes Drow skulls left and right. Murmillo scorches The Resistance with fireballs. And finally, Allarielle, leader of the New Dasos elves, flies into the air and enters into a truly heroic anime battle for the ages with The Baron, as thunder crashes around them.

Meanwhile, viewing the horror through the eyes of Junior, Edith Ra pleads with the Morass survivors to assist the struggling Resistance. Finally agreeing to take a stand for survivors other than themselves, Teft and Lhoris agree, and the Morass group flies out, transformed into clouds by Omako.

Sensing he is about to lose, the Baron pours the contents of the fog chalice upon friends and foes alike, and bolts. The soldiers run away, except for two – Murmillo lies unconscious on the ground, having just been stabilized by a wounded Rakh Larsahn... as fog covers all, annihilating them both. A final blind firebolt hits the baron, allowing archers from the now legendary Bow Group to pick him off, and he crashes to the ground – dead, if not for his final action – tearing open Ridqeck's old bag of holding, exploding the contents, including Water of Life all over him. He is immediately surrounded by the spears of his enemies, and captured. No more Drow remain on the battlefield.

Edith Ra and the Morass arrive only in time to witness the aftermath of the battle.

At the top of the tower, Quintillion has teleported from his cell – still able to cast some magic without his orb (which Ycaron tosses off the side of the tower). He tries to reason with King Ycaron, underlining that he always had his best interests at heart. Seeing his army reduced to nothing below the tower, and perhaps somehow Murmillo's final wish for their reconcilliation reaching him, Ycaron collapses to his knees, defeated. He allows Quintillion to lead him downstairs, to sneak away before the cavalry reaches them – apart from the Baron, they are the only two Drow left in Daevenfell.

And somewhere, far off - Gyevroo returns, wounded more in pride than in body from his earlier defeat. He orders his Coterie to stop wasting time, and tears a hole in the fabric of reality. They have been led far astray by Oleg's little distraction, and there are still survivors who know his true identity. No matter. This portal will take them directly to The Domed City. The order is clear: Leave no survivors.