Chapter 6 - Bedeviled Bound Brazier of Endless Power

**Chapter 6** of Greetings Adventurers concludes the long running Fennekin arc. It also sees the arc of Lord Titus Harper searching for his sister Adira come to a close, and a return to a old location, Shadowspar Keep. The party finally meets Pyre in Mastwick, and Wiggins the mouse is introduced. The Chapter's predominant focus is ending the Demon Apocalypse. There is also a sub-plot about Jaela wanting a Pegasus. This is the first Chapter to take place in the Fifth Edition

Having just rescued Bucky, Ros and Daisy from the clutches of, well, Bucky, but really Fennekin and the Gnolls, Aludra Wyrmsbane, Jaela, Thom Vidalis, and Lord Titus Harper head out to find their ship, the Chum Guzzler, which they learn is at Stockley. Along the way, they see a man sitting in the middle of a road with a table made up, ready and waiting for them. They land and meet Artixus, a demon who tells them that his boss, a demon named Baron von Du, has founded a new Barony of New Stigia, and that he has kidnapped Adira Harper. He shows them her finger to prove that he has her. They fight and defeat Artixus, but he escapes for they can kill them.

Ros suggests they return to Avery T'léas a the White Dome in Fairmire, as she can teleport them to Stockley to get their ship. They go there, once again leaving Thom's sword Blood Drinker in a cage outside. Once they get inside, they change their plans and instead send for the ship to meet them in Mastwick, where they go because it is close to where they know the Army of Bahamut is (they want to use the Army to fight the demons). They ask around about the Army for a while, learning that they are camped at New Newfoundland Land nearby. They run into an old friend, Footpad Calor, who tells them that the ancient red dragon, Pyre, who runs this city, will not let them, or anyone, leave. Calor does, however, set up a meeting between Pyre and the party, so they negotiate their escape. Pyre expresses his disappointment in Calor not procuring four Slaad crystals, and kills him. The party promptly volunteers to do this for him.

They find the Slaadi nearby and make short work of them. One of them, named Slaad, turns on his people and kills some of them, joining the party as they return to Mastwick. Pyre is pleased with their work, and lets them leave. Immediately, they set out for the Barony of New Stigia, Slaad the Slaad accompanying them. They arrive to find it is actually Shadowspar Keep, overrun by devils, and led by Adira herself, who is not a captive or in danger. She is working with the devils to end the Demon Apocalypse, and cut off her own finger to lure them all here. She offers them 1,000 demonic troops to fight in the battle with Fennekin, when it becomes time for that, but only if they first take out the Army of Bahamut nearby. They are hesitant, and sleep on it.

Meanwhile, Aludra and Thom have started to feel weird. Slaad tells them that they are pregnant, and almost immediately, both of their chests explode and baby tadpoles leap out. Harper (in shock) and Jaela (ready for anything), kill the Slaadpoles, and Jaela brings Aludra to Adira, who has some devils heal her and Thom, but puts another pair of explosive devices into their heads to ensure that the party does what she wants, i.e., taking out the leader of the Army of Bahamut, Gruemar the Silver. Reluctantly, they agree, and Adira gives them 12 devils to help them.

It takes a day to get to New Newfoundland Land, during which time they make a plan to have their 12 devils attack three days later, giving them time to infiltrate their camp and take out Gruemar. This pretty much all works out. Inside the city/camp, the party runs into Ballard, who was mayor, and now is being mocked by keeping his office and position, but is really just in charge of scheduling. Soon, they find out where Gruemar's room is, and Aludra enlists the help of a small church mouse named Wiggins to run into the room and see if anyone is with him (she then adopt Wiggins and takes him with them). There isn't, and they burst in and take him out, Thom takes his head for safekeeping.

Outside, the devils have attacked and have done a pretty good job of clearing out the Army of Bahamut, but that's when Luccan shows up. He and his team take out the devils, not knowing they were working with the party. Luccan escorts them back to Shadowspar Keep, where they present the head of Gruemar the Silver. Impressed, Adira gives them the 1,000 troops, and four worms that they can stick in their ears to communicate. They also have the ability to teleport the others to the location of anyone who removes the worm. After much planning, they decide (well, not Jaela) that Aludra will be the one to swing the Hammer and sacrifice herself to end the Demon Apocalypse. In the morning, they head out toward the place Caer used to be, but first they stop by Fairmire, and find the White Dome has been destroyed, and Avery T'léas is missing.

The army gets to Fennekin's Fortress, a floating egg/portal to the Abyss sitting atop a giant crater. Thom is in charge of the siege engines that will put a hole in the side of the Fortress, and he brings them to the edge of the crater as Jaela, Aludra, and Harper lead their troops in clearing out the devils. Ros arrives, on a squad of Pegasi to help fight! Several hours into the battle, Thom accidentally or not, ties himself to one of the bolts and goes sailing into the Fortress. He removes his ear worm, and the others teleport in with him. There, they find more devils and monsters and zombies, including the reanimated corpse of one Tum "Darkblade" Thumble! They are forced to kill him once again. Afterwards, they rest for a hot second before they step in to face Fennekin once and for all.

Inside Fennekin's chambers, Harper once again seems to change sides, offering Fennekin the Hammer of Sundering, but Fennekin sees that it is fake. Harper says that it was worth a try, and the fight begins. Aludra has the opportunity to destroy The Brazier of Worlds, but she hesitates and runs back to Jaela. During the fight, Fennekin's form begins to change. He becomes demonic, with wings sprouting, and gnarled teeth. The fight continues, and his form changes a final time. He grows huge, several stories tall, taking on the appearance of Orcus himself, and he picks up the Brazier of Worlds, laughing that he is now unstoppable.

Somehow, against all odds, Thom has the Hammer. He throws it to Aludra, but it kind of slips and swings and hits Fennekin's foot. Maybe by accident, maybe not. All we know is that a crack begins to form on Fennekin, and it runs up his leg, toward the Brazier, shattering both. In a flash of light, Fennekin is destroyed, the Brazier of Worlds is broken apart, the portal to the Abyss is closed, and the Demon Apocalypse is ended! And Thom the Dragonborn slowly begins to disappear...

As he says his tearful goodbyes to the others, Ros lands with Bucky and a Pegasus named Princess Ivy Bluemoon. Thom tells Jaela that she has a choice. If she wants to keep Blood Drinker for herself, she must plunge it through the heart of the last Pegasus in this or any world, which she cannot bring herself to do. Thom admits to loving Bucky like his own son, and that Steve Meloncamp has been missing from his head for weeks. In his final moments, he sees a bright rectangle, with five nerds inside it. Also, Jaela has to cut off Thom's dick with Blood Drinker, which destroys it. The sword. Blood Drinker. *The one that isn't Thom's penis.* His tail is the only part of him that remains.

And that's what happened.

**Chapter 6**