Broken Bonds: Episode 11

October 29, 2020 (Arcadum's YouTube)

### Reddit Thread

***Broken Bonds* Episode 11** was streamed on Arcadum's Twitch channel on October 18, 2020. The group were dropped off by the Empress at Dolten, to help one of their own to enter the Crimson Crucible. In the way, they got to a shenanigan again, finding a diamond, and also hugged a maggot. They reached the Crimson Citadel, and gives their support for the aspirant of the Night Guard, the one that enters the Crucible.

## Summary

The Empress of the Shadow Fell teleports the party to Dolton in the North Western part of the forest that surrounds the crimson citadel.

While arriving at the forest they make their way through the forest. Ea’r finds a tree with fruit being held by a branch hand. Nox determines it's fine to eat so Ea’r eats the whole thing. Ea’r steps up to a flesh tree and sees a face in the tree and notices something shine in the mouth of the face. She puts a fruit in the mouth of the face and it splits the fruit. The party looks for a rock to put in the mouth, but the mouth still shatters the rock. Ea’r wants to speak to the tree that the face is on, and the tree only communicates one word “pain”. Ea’r asks what they could possibly do to help but it only wails in agony. Ear pets the tree, and the tree moans “peace”. P’mis decides to cast mage hand to reach in and grab the shining object and retrieve a diamond.

Next to the tree there is a pile of corpses piled on top of something possibly cocoon, or an egg. The party deliberates what could possibly be under the corpses. They decide to clear the pile and they find a swollen larva. Ea’r picks up the 3ft long maggot, and it splits open. A skull comes squirming out plopping on the floor, displaying a skeletal corpse with entrails lined along it’s bones. It reaches out to Ea’r and the Mohrg recognizes the true kindness.

Once it rises, it speaks directly to Ea’r, asking who had awakened him. Ea’r admits it was her. Thinking that it’d be a butterfly or something she asks that what they are. They say that they are the tender of graves, one of two of rot and pain, but he has forgotten, and Ea’r taking the Mohrg’s visage she calls him Zorro. The Mohrg says that for releasing him such things must be recompensed. Assuring that this is something E'ar does want as a final precaution. The Mohrg places its hand on Ea’r's forehead.

Ea’r is turned into the assistant of the guardian of the prism, and takes the role of a shrine maiden. Her blue watery hair turns into black viscous ichorus goo, her eyes get the symbol of the shrine maiden around her pupil, she gets a golden sash, and a glove with a black onyx shard with the powers of undeath. Upon finishing the ritual on Ea’r, the Mohrg says he needs to find the other, and once he reconvenes with the other, the prism must be completed, the enemy must be stopped and the traitor must pay the price. Ea’r agrees to help him.

Nox suddenly remembers a question she had for the group, and asks about a two headed white snake. The group laughs about her asking and Bryan summons Tomen. Wondering about why she inquired about him she claims that she had a vision and asked for insight from him, and Tomen says that the this has come to pass because the pieces are falling into place, and that things are coming into fruition and that she needs to stay vigilant with her task of keeping the violet eyes safe, as shadows of the enemy will soon be at their footsteps.

Upon arriving at the entrance of the Crimson Citadel, two night guards question the party as to what business they have there. They tell them that Bryan is an aspirant, and so they go to check with the Night Lord. Given the okay, the guards let the party into the citadel. Once they make it inside they are greeted by Lenon Attorix. He leads the party into the inner fortress. He says that before any aspirants can be accepted they need to be inspected by the Night Lord. They stand before the Night Lord and he requests who the aspirant is. Byran presents herself. They converse about previous attempts at joining the citadel, and hopes that Bryan will have the conviction that those lacked. He gives his blessing and wishes Bryan luck.

As each of the party members gives something to Bryan to aid her in the crucible, she is filled with inspiration. Bryan resolves herself and begins the trial. At the beginning Bryan is mangled, but manages to dodge a boulder. Shocking the shadows she breaks free of the shadows but is not able to free her chest of the tendrils. They surge within her but in her naturally dead state she resists. She passes the test of body. During the test of the mind, her thoughts filled with fear, and paranoia, her mind begins to dull as fear digs deeper into her psyche. As a woman of logic she frees herself of the thoughts. Her self worth is attacked by the shadows, and her confidence is able to keep the shadows at bay, and passes the test of the mind.

Finally at the final test the very essence of the citadel isolates Bryan in the endless night. The shadows seek to severe Bryan’s soul from her body, and they achieve it. Her soul detached, the shadows drag her soul away from her body but Bryan’s soul reaches out and pulls back into herself, and Bryan steps out of the shadow as a Night Guard.

## Featured Characters

### Main Characters

* Bryan
* E'ar
* Hashbrown
* Li'lu
* D'ahc
* Remag

### New

* Zorro
* Lenon Attorix
* The Night Lord

### Returning

* Nox
* Empress Doe
* Tomen