Nemesis

Nemesis was the 25th session of the Daevenfell campaign, and the finale of Chapter 5: Heavy Lies the Crown.

## Summary

The party steps over the remains of the guards, and go deeper into the ruins. They seem to be some sort of Sanatorium, with a big fountain in the middle of the main room. The place is crawling with Drow, keeping their distance from some very reduced demons by the fountain. They kill the Drow, but Ridqeck, ever the scientist, decides to try pouring Water of Life into the fountain.

The demons go absolutely insane, crawling over eachother for a drop of the water. Meanwhile, the group find another of Prince Auburn's letters to his father, which seems to indicate this was where they sent the poor victims of some mysterious disease that turned them into demons. And the Water of Life might be the cause. Seems like the healing liquid has more sinister properties than anyone thought. The Prince speaks of his intentions to plunge the depths of Tír Annouhns, to seek the Creator himself in hope of a cure.

They reach the second floor, and finding it teeming with Drow, they lure the demons from below into battle with them, by having them chase Junior carrying the Water. The two parties wipe eachother out, and the gang enters.

Only to be met by the taunts of King Gargaroth and Balloq. One is a towering figure in spiked armor, the other a sneaky behatted charmer. The Drow who defeated Prince Ycaron and kept him imprisoned for 300 years, and the Half-Drow who stole almost every victory Ridqeck Gnomes ever achieved. Naturally, there's a battle.

But they underestimate The Resistance. Gargaroth is quickly struck down by Satia, glowing with moonlight, only surviving by redirecting the force of the blow through a life link with Balloq, which almost tears the latter asunder. Ridqeck stuffs his enemy inside his Bag of Holding – a trophy as good as anything he's ever found in forgotten ruins.

Defeated, Gargaroth begs for his life, telling Ycaron if he kills him he will never know what happened to his lost love Yllaria. Ycaron is stunned. His enemy is on his knees before him, and still somehow the king has the upper hand. Ycaron is willing to make a trade...

When an eldritch blast blows a hole right through the old king's chest. Edith doesn't trust Gargaroth, and doesn't care for the love story of the Drow she's learned to despise.

Ycaron rages at Edith, finally done feeling emasculated by this seventeen year old girl, and calls for a vote to have her deposed as leader in favor of him – the all time great war hero and strategist. He is downvoted.

Swallowing his pride, Ycaron decides to leave the party to pursue his rightful place as King of the Drow, having killed the old one.

Edith and Ridqeck look at each other. Ycaron knows a lot about The Resistance, and is known to be strongly driven by revenge. Edith nods. With Ycaron's back turned, Ridqeck fires his blunderbuss.

Ycaron falls headfirst onto the stone floor, Rakh screaming and trying to protect his master. Before Ridqeck can reload, Teft and Lhoris intervene. They've always stood in the middle of the conflict, and don't want their friend to be murdered in cold blood. A battle breaks out, and the brothers knock Edith and Ridqeck unconscious.

This is when the remaining members of the Morass clan emerge from the staircase to the top floor. Krin Mor, an ancient woman and leader of the Morass, has been watching them, and offer the brothers to go with them. Teft and Lhoris, disillusioned with The Resistance as supposed "good guys", agree. They allow Rakh to take his master to Easthold, and leave the unconscious Edith and Ridqeck to wake up later.

The Resistance is split in three... and so is the narrative.

## First appearances

* King Gargaroth
* Balloq
* Krin Mor