Episode 17: Champion of Sirius

Faithful to the end

This is the seventeenth episode.

## Episode summary

Little One confronts the figure Angel spotted, and is told that he was sent by Lord Azhna with a message for Lady Vasarus. Draven asks how he got there and the figure reveals that he walked across the ocean floor. This, along with the glowing red eyes, gives a pretty good indication that the figure is some flavour of undead.

A brief historical aside reveals that long ago the Dragons conquered Haroan and Novendil, fighting off Giants, Formians and various other monsters. They then performed "an immense act of magic and will" to create a new people, the Dragonborn, to act as servants. Then, about 470 years ago, the Dragonborn rose up and forced the Dragons from Novendil, slaying the great Red Dragon Lord Arkathrax and forming Freeborn, the Dragonborn nation.

However, about 50 years ago, the Blue Dragon Peregos returned to Novendil and reconquered it with an army of Dragonborn Deathknights. The survivors crossed the sea to Auras on rafts.

Back in the present day, the Deathknight demands the location of Lady Vasarus, but Little One informs him that she is dead. The Deathknight reveals that he has been waiting for her for months and upon learning that Little One is her son, informs him that the message was an invitation to meet with Lord Azhna. His instructions in the event of her non-appearance were to wait for her and guard her lair, which he interprets as involving killing The Party, then waiting in the cave forever, which he sees as preferable to his usual duties.

Angel shoots the Deathknight with her crossbow as he vanishes into a conjured cloud of fog. After hiding in the cloud for three rounds, the Deathknight emerges and blasts Draven with three scorching rays. Draven retaliates with his own crossbow, then retreats around a corner.

Black and Little One move in to engage, persuing the Deathknight into the cloud as he retreats. Inside, they discover conjured walls of bone forming a labyrinth, although despite this they soon overcome him and Black shatters his spine with his flail. As he [re-]dies, the Deathknight notices Black's pauldrons and says "it is only right that I meet justice at the hands of a champion of Bahamut", confusing the priest of Sirius and triggering a knowledge: religion check.

Meanwhile, Draven identifies the Deathknight's weapon as a +2 mithril ghost touch illuminating heavy mace that grants four temp HP to any allies within 10 feet each time it crits. It is also 30% larger than a normal mace due to the low density of mithril as compared to steel.

Black notices a stylised claw on the base of the mace's handle and, noting the similarity to the rook of Sirius, realises that the two goddesses are a single deity acting under two names. The head of the phlanged mace also resembes her symbol.

Little One gathers some moulted scales and The Party heal up. They consider resting in the cave and then returning to Bankton, but given the increased Deluvian activity in the local area, they decide instead to teleport from the cave, resolving to Send to Daggerface tomorrow to explain. Draven sets the two eldritch eyes from the Umberhulk in Hengal as a round-trip ritual, less to return to the cave than to prevent the second eye being found and misused by the Deluvians.

Draven \*ahem\* "remembers" some possible destinations, including his home, his in-laws' mansion, Castle and the Basilica of Saint Hitomi in New Vanover, the headquarters of The Hand of Sirius. He decides to go with the Basilica, and once the spell is over they stand in Vistria, ready to begin the next stage of their adventures.

In the after-credits scene, a Kua Toa foot wearing monk's wraps lands next to the ritual site in the cave and the missed monitor count increments up to 1.

## Trivia

* This episode features the first mention of Angel's crossbow of force, which is described as "brand new". She likely acquired it in Bankton.
* This episode also features the first mention of The Hand of Sirius.
* This is the last time we see Black's flail until Episode 58.