Session0055

Episode 0055 - It's-a Tragic
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**Setting:**

Daimao's Castle - June 10th, 211 AW
**Synopsis:**

* Within Daimao's Castle, the party battles The Architect within his refinery and workshop, eventually defeating him and convincing him to surrender.
* The party learns the true identity of The Architect - a kobold artificer named Kajido aspiring to revolutionize the world's industry with his discoveries working with Material Chaos.
* After some discussion, Kajido agrees to abandon Daimao's cause and continue his work at the College of Mimrinoth.
* With Kajido's help, the party continues to explore Daimao's Castle, investigating the office and personal chambers of Kamm, and eventually making their way to the dungeon where Prince Marcello and Senators Lucio and Cremini are being held prisoner.
* With some assistance from a long-lost gnome war hero held prisoner in the dungeon, the party battles and defeats The Phantom King, and rescues Marcello, Lucio, and Cremini, sending all of them, along with Kajido, back to Mycorrhiza via a *teleportation circle*.

## June 10th

Within Daimao's Castle, the party battles The Architect and his construct protectors within his refinery and workshop. During the battle, the party discerns that The Architect - seemingly a huge humanoid-shaped mechanical construct - is actually inhabited and piloted by a kobold within. The party manages to dismantle the construct and convince the kobold within to surrender.

After surrendering, the kobold identifies himself as Kajido. When questioned, he reveals that he is not loyal to Daimao's cause; on the contrary, he expresses some resentment and discontentment toward his station, referring to Daimao and his loyalists in unfavorable terms, and begrudging the fact that he has to serve Daimao in order to maintain his way of life. He explains that Daimao's Underdark mining operation yields him a tremendous amount of Material Chaos, which Kajido refines, using a highly technically advanced process of his own creation, into a much more stable and usable form that he has dubbed salt. He describes salt as an efficient and stable magical energy source, and insists that it will change the world and usher in a revolution in technology and industry. Nonetheless, however, he bemoans that he must serve as Daimao's artificer creating war machines for his armies, and expresses his frustration with the looming war with the Empire, and its effect on his mining operation and manufacturing output.

The party asks about what kinds of machines Kajido has made for Daimao, and among his other inventions, Kajido tells them about the "BFL 4000," a tremendously powerful arcanomechanical weapon that he created for the war. When asked, he says he does not know the specific whereabouts of the weapon.

XVIII asks Kajido where Domino is. Kajido reveals that Domino has been promoted, and is the new Kamm now. Kajido is not completely certain of Kamm's location, but speculates that they are likely with Daimao. The party asks about the whereabouts of the other Kameshiman generals - The Phantom King and Benny Barracuda. Kajido says that the generals are each delegated responsibility over their own segments of Daimao's domain, and that they don't tend to interfere in each other's dealings. He does explain, however, that The Phantom King resides in the Castle's dungeon, in charge of watching over the prisoners, and that Benny Barracuda spends most of his time in the Underdark.

The party asks about the whereabouts of the magic painting that connects to the Underdark, and Kajido says that it is kept in the throne room with Daimao.

After some telepathic conversation about how to proceed, the party offers to get Kajido out of Kameshima and take him to the College of Mimrinoth where he can continue his work, to which Kajido readily, if skeptically, agrees. Kajido agrees to help the party explore the remainder of Daimao's Castle and rescue Prince Marcello and Senators Lucio and Cremini, who he explains are being kept in the castle's dungeon under the watch of The Phantom King. Afterwards, the party plans to send the rescued prisoners, along with Kajido, back to Mycorrhiza via a *teleportation circle*, while they attempt to retrieve the painting from Daimao.

With Kajido as their guide, the party continues exploring the castle. Along the way, they show Kajido Syntithenai, and ask him if he knows anything about it or its creator, Folenor Joris. Kajido recognizes the sword and Joris, but acts somewhat dismissive about both. Notably, while examining the sword, the party takes note that Gragnok's symbol on the blade has begun to fade and disappear.

Following Kajido's lead, the party finds Kamm's personal chambers and office. Within, they discover a scrying orb, a magic divination mirror, and a collection of books, notes, and other writings. Of note amongst the writings, the party finds books regarding arcana and the Abyss, notes explaining the process used by Daimao to create new iterations of Kamm repeatedly, and notes regarding the Kameshiman plot to utilize the planar magic of the Earthstar combined with the abyssal tuning fork to open a gateway to the Abyss that would circumvent the Divine Gate. There is also a map of the Underdark detailing the location of the Earthstar, and depicting the many passageways that have been collapsed, thus sealing the Earthstar away from being accessed physically. The party quickly gathers the writings and magic items, but doesn't take the time to thoroughly read through them yet.

Next, Kajido shows the party to his own chambers, where he gathers a few belongings to take with him to the Empire, including a large collection of schematics and writings on arcanotech and artifice, particular regarding the process of refining Material Chaos into salt. Despite some protests from Kajido, Odell keeps these writings on his person for the time being. When asked by Odell, Kajido confirms that it was he who created Kameshima's airship.

Meanwhile, XVIII uses Kamm's magic mirror to contact XV. The mirror shows that XVIII's family is safely en route to Mimrinoth, and that everyone is largely in good spirits despite the circumstances. XV explains that a knight of the Raven Queen came and threatened violence toward the family, but Valomir Quinn was able to successfully glamour the knight, and learned that he was sent by Gragnok. Valomir, XV reveals, had been considering taking the family to Karaad to seek respite with Lane Coronato, before XVIII contacted them and suggested they go to Mimrinoth.

Next, Kajido leads the party to the castle's dungeon in search of Prince Marcello, and Senators Lucio and Cremini. In the dungeon, Malkoth lights his *etherean torch* to keep watch for ghosts or other entities on the ethereal plane.

In cells within the dungeon, the party finds Senator Cremini, along with two other prisoners - a kobold named K.T. Cooper who was imprisoned for attempting to defect to the Empire, and a long-lost Sibillini war hero named Buster the 7th. Cremini explains that Marcello and Lucio were taken into a segment of the dungeon called the "Pit" a number of weeks ago, and Buster warns that no one who goes to the pit ever returns. The party frees all three prisoners from their cells.

K.T. Cooper, after introducing himself, explains his situation and asks the party to help him escape to Konoko Village in the Empire. After some conversation, the party agrees. Malkoth gives Cooper a bit of money, and uses a *teleportation sigl* to send him to Paxeter - the closest available teleportation circle to Konoko Village.

After being freed, Buster the 7th - who seems extremely mentally unstable - rushes toward the Pit, insistent that he wants to fight ghosts. Senator Cremini, Kajido, and Buttonsworth wait behind, as the the rest of the party heads to the Pit in search of Marcello and Lucio.

Within the large chamber known as the Pit, the party finds two magical paintings that depict Marcello and Lucio. The two appear to be magically trapped within the paintings, but are conscious and aware of their surroundings, as Marcello urges them to run away. Before they can respond, Malkoth's *etherean torch* reveals the presence of several ghostly beings within the chamber, including The Phantom King.

The party battles The Phantom King and his undead minions. During the battle, after the Phantom King magically begins to psychically damage Marcello and Lucio within the paintings, the party manages to break the paintings, thereby freeing Marcello and Lucio. Afterwards, the party successfully defeats the Phantom King, and Jack takes his crown - the only thing that remains of him physically.

After the fight, Marcello and Frog briefly talk, and Frog explains the situation. Marcello asks about Porcini, and Frog assures him that she's alright. Louche also returns Marcello's severed hand - preserved within a jar - in the hopes that it might be able to be magically regenerated.

Afterwards, Malkoth creates a *teleportation circle* and sends Marcello, Lucio, Buttonsworth, Kajido, Cremini, and Buster the 7th to Mycorrhiza.