Session49

**Setting: Northern Brightforge**

Lorali leaves with Xaraiya and Gentle Claw back to Hendolin Stronghold. Meanwhile, Lo'Kag leads Altuna, the Entity, and the team to the Goliath Graveyard. Altuna mentions to Durzo that they're nearby the Underdark tunnels where she brought up the reinforcements, and offers to lead him back to Eryndlyn through them to help his mother.

Lo’Kag leads them to the base of the mountains. They walk through deserted villages with huts that have been mostly destroyed. Many skeletons litter the ground. Most are small for a Goliath. Half mile past the villages, he leads them to flat, rocky terrain. Overgrown memorials and small statues depicting mighty Goliaths have been defiled. Lo’Kag walks through it all until he gets to the end. He pauses at a particularly ornate carving on a stone. “Rest well, father.” Next to it is another carved stone with many animals etched in. He kneels down in defeat. “You wanted me to be the next Shaman after you. I failed you while you lived. Perhaps I can do better now …”

His voice gets cut off as a bony hand pushes through the dirt and grabs his throat. Another bursts through and stabs him in the chest with a nasty looking dagger over and over again. Shocked, lifeless eyes stare down at the hands of his dead mentor before Lo’Kag Grimaxe joins him in death.

The ground shakes and collapses, revealing the catacombs below. The Shaman has the talisman around its neck while it and the rest of the skeletons begin attacking. The voice of Matron Donrae is heard through the tunnel archway leading into the Underdark. "At long last, the final end of House Statera."

The Order battle skeletons, the Matron, a Drow Priestess and 2 Driders, but eventually Durzo is able to get the talisman around the neck of the entity. With a smile, he fades body and soul into the Beastland Planes forever. With magic starting to come back, the tides of the battle shift into the Order's favor. With a final attack on the Matron, she is defeated.

**Aftermath**

**Brightforge**

The King makes preparations to receive the Order of Valor. Daghrim lets loose a mighty strike of lightning on the shore in gratitude to his Storm Lord. Salty gives a half-hearted grimace and twirls a couple of daggers. Lizzy and Pyre laugh, and both look north where they expect their friends and family currently are. They share a glance, reminding each other that not every detail of their Feywild mission needs to be reported when the time comes.

**High Seas**

Seeing the bolt of lightning, newly promoted Admiral Keddes orders the cannons of his fleet to sound off in salute. His mirth isn’t shared by the grieving Princess who will retreat back to the ocean floor.

**Kraet**

The spell of the Xardith, the Lord of Ice, and Koyassa Oran is over. The Frost Giants and other beings begin roaming the continent, and the wildlife is back in full force. Outside a small cave on the eastern edge, a family of polar bears peak in. Figuring no one has lived it in for quite some time, they move right in.

**Feywild**

Esmeralda flies through the vibrant rainbows littering the sky of her grove where her family has lived for generations. The Fairy cries tears of joy for the success of her friends, and wishes them all well.

**Errista**

In the Church of Lathander, The High Priestess Sarah writes Mykiela’s name in the Book of the Fallen. She should be celebrating with what remains of her clergy, but there’s still so much to do before Falador. She grabs one of the many volumes of journals from High Priestesses of the past, and goes back to her bookmark. She continues reading the secret knowledge on the demon, Alguruth.

Lorali looks on the horizon as the sun is setting. It’s such a more striking view without the Tower Eternal blocking it. She turns back in time to see Willyam throwing his mask into a small camp fire and smiling for the first time in months. He will never again feel the need to hide who he is to the world. Belnan and the rest of the Kald people join with the Aasimars in applauding. They favor bandaged limbs and other wounds suffered in the Underdark. An older Human female emerges from the shadows dressed in a cloak adorned with black feathers. She stoically looks into the fire as she comforts the emaciated Drow male next to her, also dressed in the garb of the White Ravens. Elene and Mathias plan to meet up with a certain band of heroes in Falador soon.

**Underdark - Eryndlyn**

The immense compound of House Donrae lies in ruin. With their Matron’s defeat after overreaching past what Lloth the Spider Queen granted her, the Goddess decided it was time for their fall. It was timed perfectly with the attack from the city of Tethymir, specifically House Sondarr and all of its Illithid allies. They made sure to free everyone from the dungeons before they tore the place down.

As a new batch of chaos reigns through a brand new war of houses, Lloth looks on in satisfaction. She should grant a favor to the girl who set everything in motion without even knowing it. Plus, now the Raven Queen owes her a boon.

**Gale**

A cool night breeze blows over the balcony of the Empress’ palace. The nights have been much cooler since the loss of Mordeus. She thinks back on how horrible she was in her greed, and how much better she plans to be to her people. As she ponders preparations for her voyage to Falador, a male server presents a glass of wine to her. She takes it and thanks him. He bows deep, and hides his smirk. Gene Parmesan truly is a master of disguise. Behind him, the Empress chokes on the poison before falling over the balcony and to her death.

In the desert, outside the Serenity Sanctum monastery, Gentle Claw bows deep to its new master, Swaying Breeze. He turns and heads back towards the docks. Confident the monastery will be in good hands and available to all who seek it, he decides to travel the world to help those who don’t have the means to go to Gale. But first, a visit to Falador.

**The Forsaken Expanse**

With the backing of all countries, the island cluster has renamed itself the country of Wildfront. With an elected ruling council, its people work hard to reap their crops and ship the harvest out to the places that need it more than they do. They remain humble, and decide not to grow any further than they already have. Agatha and Soren head the outreach network to the other countries, and Corlin Spindlewick decides to franchise his shop. Elanys takes over the post that Commander Warren held. She runs her fingertips along the carvings in the archway that started this whole ordeal. With a deep sigh, she nods to her soldiers that guard the gate to the Vault of Oblivion. As she walks away and contemplates her relatively quick ride to power, she figures she really should thank the gnome for acquiring that cursed axe for her.

Inside the Chapel of Ravens, Xaraiya emerges from the pool. They turn to face the visage of the Raven Queen. “Is there no other way?” They catch themselves off guard by the lack of trailing voices, and they … she … fully understands the answer to her own question. “As always, my soul is yours to command.” She kneels on the cold cobblestone until the image of the Raven Queen vanishes.

**Falador**

The people mourn for their fallen Queen. Syleese Goldenwood III will be greatly missed. But they also prepare to receive many guests. The coronation of Rhaine Goldenwood will take place in a month’s time, and there’s much to do beforehand.