The Wasted Wanderers

The Wasted Wanderers were an adventuring party that traveled across Gaia starting in 1000 AFA. They were composed at various times of Lord Natuc the goliath barbarian, Las'Lego (Lego) the elven wizard, Martín the aasimar paladin, N'Taba the fire genasi druid, Jonkie the human monk, Martin the aasimar paladin, Lola the fire genasi witch, Barnaby the human bard, Dr. Karate James Jefferstone the loxodon artificer, and Brooks O’Millien, the Tiefling blood hunter.

## Humble Beginnings - The Search for the Moonstone

The Wasted Wanderers were originally comprised of Natuc, a former militia man from Kell, Lego, an academy drop-out and longtime drifter, and Martín, a paladin who himself had also been in a militia. The three met in the town of Stonehaven, a mining town in northern Delmar, having been hired by a woman named Anna Reynolds to find her missing son, Arnold. Arnold had been hired by an elven woman named Illana days prior, on the pretenses of an expedition for some sort of artifact contained in the nearby village of Foxglenn. Unbeknownst to Natuc, Lego had also joined up to fulfill a contract he'd taken with a gang called the Brand, who wanted Natuc dead for breaking up their activities in Sleetwood during his time in the city militia there. However, Lego ultimately decided not to kill Natuc.

Before leaving town, the group took a brief detour into the local mines, where strange creatures had attacked some of the miners recently. After questioning an injured miner and negotiating with the mine’s foreman, they ventured into the tunnel where the reptilian creatures had been seen. They encountered lizard-like troglodytes, and after a tense battle, slayed the creatures.

Despite being more dangerous than anticipated, the foreman refused to pay more than he initially agreed to. Unhappy with their reward, Lego hurled a sack of coins at the foreman, and the group left town before the guards could arrive to punish them.

Travelling through the Forest of Draenor, the group encountered and killed a large spider that had caught an old man in its web. Though they briefly considered killing and robbing him, they ultimately let him go. Shortly afterwards, they met a monk in the woods named Jonkie, who had recently left the monastery where he’d grown up just outside the forest. Hearing of their quest to Foxglenn, he decided to join them.

### Foxglenn - Friends Fall and Rise

In Foxglenn, the group were horrified to find the city completely devoid of life except for a strange purple fungus. Black streaks of some sort of magical energy covered the streets, walls and even the people, who lay dead in the streets, shrivelled and lifeless. After confronting a group of bandits who were looting one of the nearby shops, the group eventually found that the source of the black streaks was a tomb in the city graveyard. Pushing open the coffin within, they found a stairway leading to several underground chambers.

It was here that the group found N'Taba, trapped behind a doorway marked with the symbol of Orcus, god of death. N'Taba had also been hired by Illana as part of her expedition, yet had been locked in this room when the door sealed behind her. Apparently, the divine seal on the door had protected her from whatever dark magic had destroyed the rest of Foxglenn.

Travelling on, the group encountered a group of myconids: mushroom-like creatures born from the purple fungus. Tragedy struck when Martín was killed outright by one of the creatures, struck with it’s poisonous fist. Moving on without their fallen friend (after Lego \*defiled\* the body), the group found the bodies of Illana's expedition team (including Arnold) and the pedestal that had once held whatever artifact Illana was looking for. But it was gone, and her with it.

Retreating back to the surface, the group were greeted by Martin, Marteen's brother who had been searching for him. Learning of his brother's death and the group's cause, Martin decided to join them. They fought some orcs that had found their way to what remained of Foxglenn, then returned to Stonehaven, Jonkie failing to climb a tree along the way. It would not be the last time.

### Pazaak, Prison and Percy's Pub

Having returned to Stonehaven, the group set out to buy supplies and plan their next course of action. However, upon entering the city one of the guards told them to speak to Sergeant Clarabelle, in the northern guard station, who was looking for Lego. Though Lego didn’t want to go, the rest of the group dragged him there, creating tension between the Wanderers.

Once at the station, Clarabelle informed them that the foreman Lego had "assaulted" previously was pressing charges, and offered them a deal: Using her station within the city, the sergeant had been collecting “protection” fees from lower-class citizens, using her guards as her own personal muscle. She wanted the Wanderers to extort a shop owner who owes her money in exchange for their “assault” problem going away. They declined, deciding to risk the charges making it further up the chain rather than working with her.

They soon realized they were being followed by a Tiefling woman, and after Martin confronted her, she agreed to meet them at Percy's Pub to explain what was going on. Lego branched off from the rest of the troop, eventually making his way to the Miner's Axe Tavern, where he proceeded to get wasted with a man named Marty, one of his old pals from his time at the Kurazan Academy in Raiko. He soon found himself black-out drunk.

The Tiefling woman, named Azara, revealed to the rest of the group that she was a member of the prestigious Knights of Helena, a secret group working for Delmar’s queen, there on her initiation mission. She was tracking Illana, who was well-known in Kingsforge, Delmar’s capital, for acquiring and selling powerful magical items. After hearing of Foxglenn's fate, she urged the group to find out any information they could of Illana's whereabouts, while she researched what the magical artifact could be. She told them it was likely she had a secret lair somewhere, possibly one she had teleported to, but someone in town may know where it is.

After learning that they should speak to Marty, as he was well-known around town as a solid source of information, the group found Lego being escorted by the town guard for public urination. They took him from the guards, and made their way to the Miner's Axe, knocking out the drunken Lego when they arrived. They played Marty in a game of Pazaak for information, the man himself being an avid gambler. N'Taba got the better of him, and he reluctantly told her that Rordan, the head cleric at the temple of Rakanos, had dealt with Illana in the past.

The next morning, tensions were rising between the group. A now conscious Lego threatened to Thunderwave anyone who picked him up again, making it clear he disliked being manhandled. When they set out to inform Anna Reynolds of her son’s passing, Lego slathered a health potion with poison, leaving it as a trap for his teammates. Jonkie fell for it, the poison seeping into his skin and sickening him. Satisfied with his revenge, things between Lego and the rest of the Wanderers began to smooth over.

After bluntly informing Anna of the fate of her son, and a surprisingly compassionate Lego inheriting a set of spell-storing bracers from the grateful widow, the group entered the Temple of Rakanos in the hope of finding Rordan. While their plan was a valiant one - Martin cast light on his own eyes, pretending to be a prophet of Helena and convincing several patrons that the temple was fraudulent - ultimately they couldn't find their way through the back door of the temple, and Natuc was captured by the town guard. Once more they were forced to interact with Sergeant Clarabelle, this time accepting her offer in exchange for Natuc's freedom. However, Martin refused to harm the scared shopkeeper, and in the end they paid the Sergeant the money that he owed, settling the man's debt and earning their own freedom.

They returned to the temple of Rakanos that night, this time successfully finding their way past the locked door in the back of the temple's main chamber and into the cult's chambers below. However, they were quickly spotted, and a bloody fight ensued. They fought their way to Rordan's office, eventually capturing him. However, their interrogation of him was fruitless, and when Jonkie released him from his bindings in a bid to get him to trust them more, he attacked again. They killed him this time around.

The city guard were alerted, but the group had found evidence that the temple had been funneling money from the city's lord into their own accounts. This proof of corruption was enough to see them freed. They had also found a note from Illana and a keystone that could be used to teleport to her lair.

After finding Azara, she informed them that the artifact taken by Illana was likely the Moonstone - a powerful item of necromantic energy capable of draining the life-force of nearby creatures. If left in the wrong hands, the stone could destroy entire cities. The group informed her of the keystone they had found, and Azara said she knew of a teleportation circle they could use to find her.

### Inside Illana's Lair

The next morning, the group made their way to the Library of Delphine, where they met Boromir, the head librarian. Boromir allowed them to use his teleportation circle in exchange for a favor that they would complete for him in the near future. The group agreed, and were whisked away to Illana's lair.

Inside, the group made it past various illusions and traps designed to ensnare and confuse any potential intruders. They fought a mimic, animated plants and undead skeletons, slowly delving deeper and deeper into her lair. Eventually they made their way to Illana herself, who offered them wealth and power in exchange for betraying Azara. But the group refused, and an intense fight ensued, where Illana used enchanted swords to aid her. However, she was ultimately struck down, and the Moonstone fell from her grasp.

The resulting moments were tense, as various people attempted to grab the Moonstone but ultimately fell under its influence. Natuc, Martin and N’Taba all succumbed to it’s power, before Martin eventually managed to stash it away in some cloth. The group agreed to allow Azara to return it to Kingsforge, where the Knights of Helena could watch over it. She bid them goodbye, promising them help in the capital should they ever head that way. Then the group returned to Stonehaven, to continue their journey.

## A Simple Delivery - The Road to Cliffport

### Riverbend - Feys and Fishing

After returning to Stonehaven, the group was invited into the manor of Lord Marston, who wished to speak with them. However, they were quickly escorted out after turning into a snake, pooping in a corner, and various other shenanigans. They were given a small reward, however.

After a few days of relaxing in town (and purchasing Devil's Eye mushroom spores, in the case of Natuc and Lego), the group was summoned by Boromir to complete the favor they owed him. He requested that they deliver a book to Josiah, the head cleric at the Skyward Temple in Cliffport, a seaside town in western Delmar known for its bustling trade economy. After collecting supplies, the group set out for Riverbend, a small town straddling the Ebony River.

While camping out on their way there, they were ambushed by thugs from the Brand, and discovered that the gang's leader in Cliffport was angered by Lego failing to fulfill their agreed upon contract. They also learned that the Brand was based out of Draven's Den, the famous tavern in the city's center. Both Lego and Natuc were now in their crosshairs.

Upon reaching Riverbend and speaking with a few citizens, including a man named Radolf who headed the anglers guild in town, the group learned that various people had gone missing recently. Having last been seen heading up river toward the Thorngrove - a thick forest of vines and brush - the group set out to find them.

They eventually made their way through the Thorngrove to a small clearing, following a trail of cloven footprints that they believed was related to the kidnappings. At the clearing, they were attacked by dryads, fey creatures who protect forests in the form of beautiful women. They successfully defeated the creatures (to the sadness of Martin, who had been charmed into loving one of them that he dubbed Natasha), but during the brawl an errant Firebolt spell from Lego lit several trees on fire. They watched as a large portion of the Thorngrove burned to the ground.

At the center of the clearing was a small mushroom circle, which the Wanderers learned was a portal to the Feywild, another plane of existence that mirrors the Prime Material Plane, though more magical and nature-based. When the portal opened and they passed through, they found themselves at a crossroads, with various paths leading off in different directions. They followed two of the paths - one leading them to pools of water being infested by sea hags, and another to a tavern known as the Hero's Hollow - before settling on the correct one.

Along this path, they encountered a boggle named Grimley that had taken up residence inside the captured anglers' boat. Though he was reluctant to talk with them at first - and tried to escape several times - the allure of wealth and shiny things was enough to convince Grimley to join them on their journey. Scholars still debate whether or not this was a good decision, but Natuc was very happy.

Upon reaching a large chasm at the end of the path, the group found several floating islands suspended above the large drop-off, the furthest of which held a hut aloft. They fought a group of quicklings - small, fast fey creatures that were attempting to break into the hut - and eventually found their way inside. There they met Cyrus, a satyr that had charmed the anglers as well as several other humanoids to forever listen to him play his music.

Resisting the effects of his charms, the group challenged him to a musician's duel for the lives he had captured, offering their own lives for his audience if he won. Though Martin performed admirably - equally to Cyrus, in fact - the charmed audience overwhelmingly ruled in favor of the satyr. Feigning a handshake, Martin grabbed Cyrus's pan flute, shattering the instrument and causing the audience to all attack at once. But the evil Satyr was slain, and the members of his once-charmed audience regained their senses.

The group returned to the Prime Material Plane with the missing people, finding that the fire they had started was eventually quelled (though they did find the burned body of a druid who had unfortunately perished in the fire). The citizens were returned to Riverbend, one of which was a man named David, known as the best angler in town.

At Martin's behest, the group engaged in a day-long fishing tournament, consisting of the Wasted Wanderers, David, Radolf and Old Man Waters, a tavern owner and former fisherman living in town. Though it was an incredibly close contest, Martin ultimately fell short, losing by barely an inch to Radolf, the head of the guild. Though he was granted free entrance into the guild for his valiant performance, Martin vowed to return to claim his title as the best fisherman in Baelor.

### Arriving in Cliffport and Confrontation with The Brand

Opting to travel through the Hundred Hills rather than take the safer but longer route along the main road, the Wanderers set out for Cliffport once more. The journey was tough, seeing them fight both a band of goblins and a subterranean monster known as a bulette along the way, but they pushed on. They also encountered a destroyed obelisk, which they reassembled. When Martin spoke the celestial phrase inscribed upon it, his mind was filled with visions of elemental destruction - entire cities destroyed by wind, waves, fire and tremors. A vision of the future? They resolved to find out.

Upon reaching Cliffport, the group helped a merchant named Coriander, a sentient frog who ran a magical item shop. He was being accosted by several members of the Brand, but the group intimidated them into leaving. After shopping at Coriander's for a bit, the group split: Martin, N'Taba and Jonkie headed for the Skyward Temple to complete their delivery, while Natuc and Lego headed to Draven's Den to do some drinking and gambling. Reaching the temple, Josiah greeted the three who head that way, telling them about the city and asking them to stick around for a few days, sensing he may need their aid once more.

Having found their way to Draven's Den, and forgetting that it was the headquarters of the Brand, Natuc and Lego offered some of the gang members to play them in pazaak. To their surprise, they were offered entrance into the exclusive portion of the tavern, and told that they would be with them momentarily. Though they sensed something shady was happening, they weren't completely aware of the danger they were in.

Approaching them from the bar, the Brand's head enforcer, a goliath named Fang, began to question the two adventurers. They stalled for time, but sensing that a brawl was inevitable, they eventually began to fight with the gang. While the two were vastly outnumbered, N'Taba realized that they probably shouldn't leave Lego and Natuc alone for too long, and the remaining Wanderers managed to make it to the Den in time to help with most of the fighting.

The ensuing brawl was the bloodiest the Wanderers had gotten themselves into yet, with gang member after gang member pouring out of a door in the back of the room. Fang was eventually felled, only to be replaced by the head of the gang himself, a half-orc named Scourge. When Scourge saw the tide of battle shifting against him and his gang, he retreated below the tavern, only to return with a spectator - a many-eyed monster that served as his last line of defense. Still, the Wanderers fought bravely, and ultimately overcame Scourge and his beast.

When the dust had settled, the Wanderers now found themselves in an empty tavern strewn with bodies. Luckily, the city guard had heard of the Brand and their activities, and thus knew about their criminal endeavors. With Josiah vouching for them as well, the group was allowed to leave, though they were under close watch from the city guard.

## The Elemental Titans Awaken

### Tempest - Elemental Titan of Air

Having escaped the Brand, the Wanderers regrouped by purchasing supplies, including various pets (Jonkie purchased a monkey, Monkie, and N'Taba purchased a blink dog, Blinky). That night, N'Taba, Natuc and Grimley went to an underground pseudodragon fighting ring, winning some money by placing bets and spying on some of the patrons, including an older elven man that appeared to be part of the Brand.

Early the next morning, the group was awoken by Craig, one of the clerics at the Skyward Temple. The temple was under attack, and the city guard wasn't sure what to do. The group made their way to the temple, where they found it besieged by a large being made entirely of air. The being greeted them as Tempest, a titan of the element of air, and demanded they bow to it. As anyone who knew the Wanderers would have guessed, they refused, and a fight broke out.

Grimley managed to land the final blow on the titan, and its form broke and coalesced into an orb. Those who had met with Josiah earlier recognized it as the orb that had sat atop his staff. They also recognized Josiah himself, his body limp and lifeless, apparently killed by the titan.

Soon after defeating the being, Boromir the librarian arrived via teleportation circle. He explained that Tempest was one of four elemental titans from before the gods had traveled from the plane of Celestia into this realm. When Dais arrived, he slew the four titans, using their essences to create the elements and the prime material plane, thus allowing life to flourish. He gave his four sons domain over the elements, and all that remained of the titans (four orbs) were hidden away in temples by followers of the gods.

Boromir, Josiah and several others across Baelor had been attempting to track down these orbs for some time now. They had found one - the orb of air that Tempest had emerged from. The book the Wanderers had been tasked with delivering was supposed to give them clues as to the whereabouts of the other orbs.

Boromir wasn't sure why the titans were awakening or how, but he was certain that the longer they were allowed to roam, the stronger they would grow. He tasked the Wasted Wanderers with tracking down the remaining three orbs and bringing them to him in Stonehaven for safe keeping. They agreed - for a price, of course.

While the titans of earth and fire would take some time to track down, Boromir and the others had narrowed down the location of the orb of water: An island known as Aquas off the coast of Cliffport, across the Spraying Sea. Transportation had been arranged for them aboard a ship known as the Misty Merrow, and the journey would take about a week. The group gathered their things and various pets, and departed for Aquas.

### Tsuna - Elemental Titan of Water

After being attacked by aquatic raiders known as Sahuagin, the rest of the group's journey to Aquas was relatively uneventful. Eventually they made it to the small port of Maelstrom, a pirate town filled with smugglers and rogues. It was here they hoped to learn more about where they may find information on Tsuna’s whereabouts.

Finding their way into the Bloody Cutlass, a small tavern, they saw several pirates who held a young woman in chains. Following them to a brothel, they learned the pirates were slavers, intending to sell the young woman here. They slew the pirates, and at the behest of the now freed woman, stormed the pirate’s ship, killing the crew and saving those held aboard.

Asking around the small port, the group learned that a tribe of water genasi living in the swamps that took up most of Aquas may know more about the temple they were seeking. They ventured into the swamp, pushing through quicksand and thick vegetation until they reached a small clearing. There they were attacked by a young hydra, and although it was a tough fight, the group succeeded in slaying the beast. Their efforts attracted the attention of a water genasi hunting party, and seeing N'Taba among the Wanderers, they took the group back to their village.

The Wanderers met with the village elder, Nala, who agreed to help lead them to the temple where the orb was supposedly held - a dark place, one that the tribe members were forbidden to go to. The next morning, they found they were briefly down one party member, as Jonkie had fallen ill over night. Pushing on, they were lead to the edge of a cliff overlooking a cove filled with whirlpools and jagged rocks, and using some rope and N'Taba's ability to change into a bird, managed to get everyone to the bottom safely. Upon reaching the small rocky landing at the bottom of the cliff, they met Lola, a shipwrecked fire genasi witch.

Upon entering the temple, the Wanderers made their way through the various traps and obstacles that had been laid by the temple's creators. Upon reaching the temple's central chamber, they found an awakened Tsuna, and a fierce battle followed. Tragedy struck when Grimley perished during the fray, but Natuc was finally able to land the killing blow on the titan. Her destroyed form coalesced back into the orb that had originally held her, and the Wanderers had downed two titans.

### Escape from Aquas

Leaving the temple with Grimley's lifeless body, Lola decided to stay behind and search for any other survivors of her wrecked ship, promising that she could catch up with the Wanderers if she so desired. Though they struggled for a bit to climb back up the cliff above the temple, the Wanderers eventually made their way back to the water genasi village.

Speaking with Elder Nala, they learned that the genasi could possibly perform a resurrection ritual that could bring Grimley back from the dead. Before preparing the ritual, the elder briefly spoke with N'Taba, giving her a letter from a fire genasi named Raya. Apparently, many genasi were assembling to retake the city of Emeril, once a haven for the earth genasi that had been taken over by serpentine beings known as Yuan-Ti. N'Taba's own tribe had been slaughtered and enslaved by the Yuan-Ti when she was a child.

Preparing the ritual with several of the other elder druids in the village, Elder Nala attempted to reach out to Grimley's soul and return it to a newly formed, human body. However, the ritual failed, and a confused Nala asked the Wanderers if Grimley was truly dead. Unsure of the fate of Grimley's soul, or if he even wanted to come back, the Wanderers held a small funeral for their dead boggle just outside the village.

However, that night N'Taba, Martin and Natuc all shared the same dream - they were traveling deep in the Forest of Draenor outside Stonehaven, eventually reaching an old, crumbling tower of stone. A mysterious entity from within called out to them, beckoning them to come to the temple so that they may make a deal for what it had that they wanted.

When they awoke, they found Jonkie in a trance-like state, with golden light coming from his eyes. Recognizing it as a form of "vision quest" monks can occasionally achieve, they left him in the care of the water genasi, who gave them a gate stone that Jonkie could then use to travel to them when he awoke.

Heading back toward Maelstrom (and digging up Grimley’s body, just in case), they noticed thick columns of smoke rising up past the treeline in the direction of the port. Soon after, they were attacked by a group of lizardfolk (who were decimated by a well-placed fireball from Lego), and afterwards assaulted by a wyvern. Curious as to what was going on, they made their way to the port, finding it in ruins. Buildings had been burnt and destroyed, ships lay wrecked in the harbor, and lizardfolk swarmed the area. They seemed to be lead by an older lizardfolk in elegant clothing, commanding a red, toad-like creature known as a slaad. Only three large ships remained in tact in the harbor - all made of a dark wood, and flying a purple flag emblazoned with the head of a black dragon. Two were docked in the port, while one remained sailing at the mouth of the harbor.

Unsure of what to do, the Wanderers ultimately decided to travel back to the water genasi to seek help. But on the way there, they were attacked by another group of lizardfolk. This time they took one prisoner, and began to question him. Named Artesh, the lizardfolk told them that they had been sent by Vorza, a dragon pirate who was searching for the orb on the island. Expressing a desire to leave Vorza's service - and that now was when the ships were most vulnerable - Artesh agreed to help them with a daring plan: To capture the still sailing pirate ship and escape the attack on Aquas.

Using various abilities, including Lego's ability to alter self, N'Taba's ring and amulet, and Natuc's ring of water-breathing, the group swam and flew out to the sailing ship. But upon arriving, Artesh betrayed the Wanderers, sounding the alarm and alerting all to their presence. While the ship was more heavily guarded then Artesh had initially let on, it seemed as though the Wanderers had the upper hand. Until another wyvern showed up.

Slashing through the Wanderers with its claws and deadly poison stinger, it looked as though the Wanderer's journey was coming to an end. Lego, Natuc and N'Taba lay dying on the ground, and only Martin stood face-to-face with the creature. But summoning all that remained of his divine energy, Martin managed to slay the flying menace, stabbing it through its skull. Martin was able to cure Lego as he lay on the brink of death, Natuc stabilized, and N'Taba miraculously recovered. Just like that, the Wanderers had turned the tide, and once more knocked out Artesh to capture him. They had escaped, but only barely.

### Return to Stonehaven

Having taken over the ship, the group decided to sail back to Cliffport. They discovered a passenger on the ship named Barnaby, a young bard from Kalzan who had been captured by the pirates. Hearing of their mission and deciding it could be a good way to spread the word of Marcos, his beloved deity, he decided to join them.

They interrogated Artesh, with Lego slicing off several of his fingers in a bid to get him to talk. Artesh was eager to guide the Wanderers to Vorza's hidden lair, but the Wanderers thought better of facing the black dragon. As Lego tried to sever another of Artesh's fingers, the lizardfolk wrestled the knife away from him, slitting his own throat rather than continuing to be caputured.

Once the Wanderers had reached Cliffport, their ship was quickly flagged down by two ships from Delmar's navy: They had forgotten to take down the pirate's flag. Though Barnaby did manage to cast Suggestion on one of the ship captains, the other captain confiscated their ship, and the crew were escorted to the Temple of Tydas, where they met with Boonie, one of the clerics working with Boromir. Boonie confirmed that Vorza was a powerful dragon who had plundered ships across the Spraying Sea around 20 years prior, and who had since amassed a small fleet of followers. He cautioned the group that he was a dangerous enemy.

As they left the temple, a messenger from a group known as the Syndicate, a criminal organization with ties across western Baelor, left a note for the group telling them to meet a man named Dor'El in the VIP section of Draven's Den. When they met the elf, N'Taba recognized him as the man she had spied on briefly while at the pseudodragon fighting ring. Dor'El explained that the vacancy left by the Brand had been filled by his organization, who were now running Draven's Den. As an offer of peace between their two groups - to ensure neither meddled in the other’s business going forward - he offered the Wanderers a job: Return a satchel unopened that had been lost in the sewers beneath the city, in exchange for some gold. The group accepted.

Travelling through the town's sewers, they eventually reached a junction marked with the Syndicate's symbol. They were attacked by two otyughs - hideous creatures that live in refuse and decay - that had apparently killed the original carriers of the satchel, and two syndicate members sent to find them. The creatures were slain, and the satchel was recovered, as well as a new axe for Natuc. When he attuned to it, he heard it speak inside his mind about smashing his enemies: The axe was sentient.

Though they initially decided not to open the satchel as instructed, after Lego shot a firebolt at N'Taba, she opened the package out of spite and left the rest of the group for a bit, wanting some time on her own. Inside the package was a small teleportation stone. The rest of the group returned to Draven's Den, and while Barnaby got distracted by the band and Lego got distracted by a drunk Dwarven woman, Natuc and Martin entered the Syndicate's lair beneath the tavern.

The two made their way to Dor'El's office, where the elven man inspected the satchel. Determining that it had been opened - there had been a small bit of string attached to the latch that had been broken - he accosted the two for not following their instructions, and demanded they leave without payment. Outnumbered and in unfamiliar territory, the two left, though Martin swore vengeance on the gang.

As the rest of the group headed to the Seabreaze tavern to regroup with N'Taba and settle in for the night, Martin visited Boonie and asked about the Syndicate. Boonie warned that the crime lords had a large organization that was very powerful, much more so than the Brand. Martin enquired where he could get help, and while Boonie cautioned that the Syndicate may have moles within the city guard, Martin decided the navy may be his best hope for getting help. Boonie told him Delmar's navy was based out of the seaside city of Hull Harbor, and Martin put it on his list of places to visit.

That night, Martin, Natuc and N'Taba shared another dream. The same demonic entity that had called out to them before once more beckoned for them to find it in the Forest of Draenor. This time they explicitly referenced their friend, hinting at the possibility that they had captured Grimley's soul.

In the morning, the group headed to the Skyward Temple, where they met High Cleric Andres, who had replaced the now deceased Josiah. Barnaby was taken by Andres's words on Stratos and his holy ways, and decided to convert to worshipping Stratos instead of Marcos. Andres allowed the group to use the temple's teleportation circle, and soon they were back in the Library of Delphine in Stonehaven.

Boromir greeted them upon their return, taking the water orb and paying them for their efforts. He then informed them that they had a choice: He had leads on both the fire titan, Lavar, and the earth titan, Krakkan. For Lavar, they would have to travel to the dwarven capital, Roarkstead, where the High Cleric of Mondo there, a man named Brogan, had apparently found information on the titan's whereabouts. He had recently stopped replying to Boromir's messages, however. For Krakkan, the group would have to follow in the footsteps of Bri, a human explorer who had agreed to help Boromir track down the titans. She had been heading to Emeril to look for any clues as to the titan's location, but Boromir had since lost contact with her. Deciding to head to Emeril first, Boromir began to arrange for them to teleport to Kingsforge, Delmar's capital and the closest he could get them to Emeril.

Having the day to themselves, the group headed into town. As they left the library, Natuc once more heard the many voices of the entity from his dreams calling to him within his head. The creature implored him to visit that night. The group stumbled upon Coriander's Curios, now having appeared in the town square, and upon entering were greeted by the frog himself. He thanked them for saving him a few weeks prior in Cliffport, and gave them a necklace attached to a mysterious platinum stone. Though unassuming, they didn’t realize it’s importance at the time.

After shopping, the group split up. Martin headed to the south guard station, to speak with Captain Abraham. He tried to convince the guard captain to investigate Sergeant Clarabelle, the gnome woman who had previously extorted the group for her own gain. While Norris was suspicious of Martin, and expressed his faith in Clarabelle, he reluctantly agreed to look into it.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group headed to the Miner's Axe Tavern. Upon arriving, Lego was concerned that his old pal Marty wasn't around. Talking to the barkeep, they learned that Marty had been attacked several days prior, and was being tended to at a nearby clinic. Lego rushed to his side, finding Marty battered and bruised but in good spirits, as always.

Marty informed them that he had been attacked by Sergeant Clarabelle's goons: When one of the mines in town had been abandoned (the one the group had cleared of Troglodytes previously), Sergeant Clarabelle forged the deed to it, alleging that it had been sold to her rather than abandoned. Little did she know that Marty had actually purchased the mine for cheap before the original owners left town, and his deed could prove that Sergeant Clarabelle committed fraud. After hearing about Marty's purchase, and not wanting her secret to get out, she had ordered Marty killed, though he had barely escaped with his life. If they could bring the original deed to Captain Abraham, he'd be forced to arrest Clarabelle.

The group met up with Martin, and together they rushed to Marty's home to find the deed. They found it under his toilet, but as the group went to leave, a number of armed individuals stepped out of the large building across the street, including the Sergeant herself. Though she offered the Wanderers wealth and status within the city, they declined. It was time to fight.

Aided by black bears summoned by N'Taba, the group made quick work of most of Clarabelle's lackeys, despite Natuc almost killing Barnaby when his new axe gained control of his mind. Clarabelle, flushed out of hiding behind an illusion due to Martin's ability to instill fear in his enemies, tried to escape, but a fireball from Lego and divine strikes from Martin ended her life.

Having captured her remaining thugs, the group (minus Barnaby, who soaked his wounds in a well and lost the group for a while) made their way to the guard station. Though Captain Abraham was initially shocked, throwing the group in jail, they were eventually released after confessions from the thugs and Marty's testimony. Marty and Lego shared a somewhat touching moment, and then the group was off to meet whatever entity had been haunting their dreams from the Forest of Draenor.

On their way, they discovered a small hut, and it appeared the inhabitant had been killed in some sort of an attack. On the corpse's body, they found a map apparently leading to something in the Spraying Sea. The group stashed the map for later, and continued on.

Upon reaching the dark tower in the woods, the Wanderers were attacked by a group of zombie ogres, lead by an undead creature known as a wight. Though the zombies absorbed a lot of damage, they were no match for the group, especially after N'Taba summoned eight panthers to fight with them. Entering the tower, they found themselves inside a bleak, prison-like chamber.

Speaking to them telepathically and unseen, the demonic entity that had been contacting them told the Wanderers their terms: In exchange for Grimley's soul, they wanted a soul gem that could be found deep in the Frozen Peaks. It lay in the tomb of a frost giant king, who had slain his subjects and had their souls imprisoned upon his death, so he may rule over them forever. They were given two weeks to complete this task.

### Krakkan, Elemental Titan of Earth

#### Conspiracy in Kingsforge

Making their way back to Stonehaven, the Wanderers had a decision to make: Go after Grimley's soul, or continue on their quest to defeat the titans. Resting for most of the day, they made their way to Boromir without Barnaby, who decided to play some music for the townsfolk. He was approached by a man who tried to recruit him to a band called the Jaunty Orcs, but Barnaby used Suggestion to steal a ring off him instead. He then rejoined the group.

Boromir informed them that he could help them teleport to Thronehold, the capital city of Kell and closer to the Frozen Peaks. But the longer they delayed, he warned, the stronger the titans would become. In the end, they decided to head toward Emiril, to both stop the earth titan Krakkan and help free N'Taba's people.

To do that, they would teleport to Kingsforge, the capital of Delmar and closer to the Windswept Desert where Emeril was. But there was a problem: the entire city was on lockdown due to an ongoing investigation, and the only way Boromir could get them access was to promise they'd assist. They agreed, and were off to the capital.

Upon arriving in the bustling city, they were escorted to the palace by Sergeant Amos, a rather annoyed member of the city guard. He took them to meet Fyrax, the Queen's royal advisor, who informed them of the situation: Ailwyn, a member of the Knights of Helena, had gone rogue, stealing an artifact known as the Eye of the Beholder. They were tasked with helping the investigation into his whereabouts, though Fyrax seemed less than hopeful they would succeed.

Passing through the bustling city streets, the group made their way to the city's Helena District, where the City Guard's fort resided. As they entered, they saw the Queen's prized airship sitting nearby, a marvel of navy blue and gold. Upon entering, they spoke with General Corbin, the head of Delmar's military and security within the city. He informed them that while he believed Ailwyn was still in the city, they had few leads. The only one they had, a bar Ailwyn frequented known as Patch's, had turned up nothing when Sergeant Amos's troops had searched it.

Leaving the general, they headed down into the Knights of Helena’s headquarters, where the knights had been put on house arrest. They met with their old acquaintance, Azara, and another knight, a dwarven man named Bruno. They told them about Ailwyn, and showed them the vault where the knights kept the most powerful artifacts they had recovered over the years. Azara also gave them a token and instructions for meeting with the Walkers, a guild that specialized in theft, assassination and espionage, thinking they may know something about Ailwyn. Though both Bruno and Azara thought she should accompany them, the Wanderers turned down her help, not sure of who to trust.

Making their way to Patch's, they questioned the owner of the small bar. He revealed that Ailwyn would often frequent the bar with another man named Randall, a member of the Mechropolis, or the artificer's guild. He also revealed that the guards who had come before hadn't asked many questions during their investigation, a strange fact.

When leaving, N'Taba was approached by a woman who gave her instructions for meeting in an alley behind the bar. She insisted they not be followed. When they arrived looking for answers, the woman and her crew of mercenaries ambushed them, hoping to take them out. But with the help of two brown bears courtesy of N'Taba, the assailants were defeated, and the woman questioned. Named Amanda, she told the Wanderers they had been hired by Sergeant Amos to eliminate them. She was supposed to meet him in the catacombs beneath the city when they were disposed of. She hoped they would let her go - Natuc had other plans. She died.

The group went back to Patch's, and in a flash of purple energy, Jonkie was back. He had recovered from the comatose state that he had been in, and had returned using the gate stones provided by the Aquas genasi. While in his enlightened state, he had a vision of his old master, Sensei Nu, urging him to investigate his old pupil, named Kendo. Confused, Jonkie wasn’t sure how best to proceed, but went along with the group for the time being.

As Jonkie reacclimatized to the group, they questioned Patch once more, learning that Amos had also visited the bar sometimes with Ailwyn. Other attempts at gathering information from the tavern were fruitless, so they decided to meet up with the Walkers. Entering the catacombs through a shop known as Wonderful Wears, they eventually found the entrance to a secret meeting room, where members of the shady guild were waiting.

They spoke with a man named Grand Eye Jocard, who offered them information on Ailwyn in return for payment. Not wanting to pay the high monetary price that had been set, or give up any sensitive information in a trade, the Wanderers decided to instead offer a favor for what they wanted. Jocard agreed, and Martin signed a contract completing the pact. Jocard was good on his word: He told them that Ailwyn had last been spotted visiting Randall's house in the Delphine District. They had also been joined by Sergeant Amos, who had recently been seen entering the catacombs himself. Randall on the other hand had been missing work at the Mechropolis recently, instead working on something in his home. But what, they weren't sure.

Not wanting to tip the conspirators off, they decided to forego a meeting with Amos in the catacombs and instead head to Randall's house first thing in the morning. Lego unsuccessfully tried to flirt with N'Taba (disguised as a fire genasi), Martin and Barnaby earned some cash playing music, and Jonkie and Lego bought a bottle of very strong alcohol known as Maguara. A typical night for the Wanderers.

Waking up early the next day, they made their way to Randall's home, breaking in through his wine cellar. Finding the home empty, they dodged traps and magical obstacles to reach his private workshop, where they found a few things hidden in his desk: First, a book detailing notes on a gauntlet he was designing, one that could be fitted with the Eye of the Beholder. Second, detailed schematics on the Queen's flying ship and the key that controls it. And third, a schedule for guard posts around the city, showing that in only half an hour, Sergeant Amos's troops were scheduled to be protecting the Queen's ship.

Putting all the pieces together, the Wanderers rushed through the city to stop the theft of the Queen's airship. Lego fell behind, crashing into a vendor's cart in the busy Keeli District, but Natuc scooped him up and kept running. Reaching the ship platform, they arrived to find Amos' troops preparing the ship for takeoff. A well-timed fireball from Lego threw the ship off balance, giving the Wanderers just enough time to reach it before it took off. N'Taba flew to the ship's deck with Martin in her ring, who tossed some ropes over the side for Natuc and Jonkie, while Lego used his cloak to Dimension Door himself and Barnaby over. They had made it just in time.

A fight broke out between the Wanderers and the conspirators. Amos was blown off the ship twice by magical blasts from Barnaby, the second time proving fatal. Ailwyn, wearing the gauntlet that controlled the Eye (and by extension, the ship), had his arm severed by Martin before being split in half. And Randall, pushed into roaring flames set by a Lego fireball, eventually surrendered.

Harnessing the gauntlet's power, Lego just managed to keep the ship from crashing into the ground just outside Kingsforge. Using magic to put out the fires, the ship remained relatively intact. The conspirators had been defeated, and the Wanderers had saved the day.

After General Corbin arrived on the scene, and Randall admitted to everything due to a Suggestion spell from Barnaby, the Wanderers were taken to meet with Queen Tyra and the city council. Thanking them for saving the ship and city, she rewarded each of them with gold, and promised to grant their requests if they were within her power. Natuc was knighted, becoming a Knight of Kingsforge. Martin and Jonkie both asked for improved armor (plus a new "fit" for Monkie), and Forge Mistress Nox, head of the Archforge, agreed to make it for them. Lego asked for a kiss, and while that wasn't granted, he was promised a magic item from the Arcane Prometheum, the city's wizard college. Barnaby was granted a performance at Maestro, the city's famous music hall. And N'Taba was given a promise that when the time came, Delmar would send aid to her people's fight for freedom in Emeril.

After resting in their palace suites and checking out various parts of town, the group met up at Maestro for Barnaby's performance. Playing under the stage name of Barnes and Noble, he was the final act of the evening. The group watched on from box seats, attended to by their very own butler.

As the performance began, Barnaby's style of rock n roll soon won over the crowd. Having never heard anything like it, the audience began to get rowdier as the performance went on. The group's butler was nearly killed by a flaming sphere N'Taba had set by the door, though the group quickly healed him and convinced the poor man that he had imagined it. This was *before* things got out of hand.

By his final song of the night, the crowd had been worked into a fever. Most people had left their seats, dancing and attempting to sing along with Barnaby's frantic performance on stage. They demanded an encore, and Barnaby obliged. Some of the Wanderers were quite drunk at this point, and as Barnaby began to glow with divine light from one of Martin's spells, Lego set off a fireball above the stage. Chaos ensued.

Some people started to panic. Others began partying harder, believing it all to be a part of the performance. Part of the stage curtains caught fire, and began to burn behind the 15 dancers Barnaby was using in his show. The city guard were summoned to calm things down, but only got caught up in the fray. At some point Lego got naked, and Martin summoned a magical steed to carry Barnaby as he played. The entire place was a madhouse, and through it all, Barnaby continued to shred.

By the time the guards finally got everyone out of the building, the stage was partially destroyed, and Barnaby was exhausted. The group made their way back to the palace, in various states of intoxication. One thing was certain: Kingsforge had never seen a show like it.

#### The Road to Emeril

The next day, Natuc was awoken by Fyrax, who explained all of his new responsibilities and benefits being a Knight of Kingsforge. Among them were the title of Sir, land in Kingsforge, and a young squire named Gavin. Natuc quickly went about getting Gavin acquired to the Wanderers lifestyle: Namely, getting him drunk and well equipped.

Natuc wasn’t the only one adjusting to a big change. As he had been playing the night before, Barnaby had begun getting strange thoughts and feelings, visions from another life. He realized his true name was Nathaniel, and that somehow his memory had been altered. He resolves to learn more about his past.

That morning, the group was brought to the Queen, who informed them that while she couldn't offer many troops to support whatever rebellion they had planned against the Yuan-Ti in Emeril, she could promise air support in the form of the airship they had saved. It could fly them to Cactus Point, the southernmost town in Delmar on the edge of the Windswept Desert, where it would be retrofitted for combat. There it would wait until signaled by the Wanderers.

She also told the group that, while she couldn't get them to the Frozen Peaks as they had desired, she could possibly help. Sophocles, the Archmage of the Arcane Prometheum, presented them with a small bead that would allow them to cast Wind Walk, a spell that lets its users travel great distances very quickly. He cautioned that it could only be used once, however, so it must be used wisely.

Boarding the airship, the group began to enjoy their flight, playing a card game called Dragon's Hoard with one of the ship's crewman, a man named Jacques. Their leisure time was cut short when the ship was attacked by a deranged wizard and his flock of Manticores. Though he nearly killed Gavin and several of the Wanderers, he was slain, and his manticores defeated. The rest of the trip went smoothly.

Arriving at Fort Stallworth in Cactus Point, they were met by General Atkins, who gave them several sending scrolls that could be used to contact him when the time came for battle. From there, N'Taba lead the group to a tavern known as Tumbleweed, as was instructed in the letter she received from Elder Nala. There they met Ex'Un, an earth genasi man who agreed to lead them through the desert to the genasi's gathering area.

They set out, battling their way across the harsh red rock desert. On their first day of travel, they were ambushed by purple wormlings, only to have their battle attract two hungry Red-Tailed Scorpions. In turn, this attracted a huge bulette, who nearly crushed several party members under its girth. Luckily, Barnaby was able to convince the Bulette it was wrapped in chains through magic, and the party was able to take it down.

As they rested that night, Barnaby dreamed he was in a city far away. He was playing for a crowd of people, including two that seemed familiar: One, an elegant woman in fine clothes. The other, a burly man who spoke of revolution. The dream ended right as their gathering was found by… Someone. Barnaby wasn’t sure, but knew this related to Nathaniel.

The next day, the party was assaulted by an enormous bird known as a Roc. While it tried to pick up and flee back to its roost with Natuc, Martin was able to use his various abilities to keep the bird from fleeing. Though Natuc did plummet back to earth several times - crushing Gavin underneath the second time - the Roc was eventually slain.

As the group continued on, they saw a small pool of water, with a rare Nirava tree growing next to it, the fruit of which could enervate even the most tired of warriors, according to Ex’Un. The group attempted to pick the fruit, only for a fiendish entity within the pool to begin luring them in, charming several of the warriors under its influence. However, they managed to shrug off the effects of the entity, battle its shadow-like tentacles, and retrieve all 8 fruit from the tree.

After traveling for a few more hours, the group stopped to camp at some nearby ruins in the desert. That night they were assaulted by a group of bandits lead by a scarred warrior. It was a vicious conflict, and while it at first appeared the Wanderers would win easily, Natuc’s cursed axe began attacking everyone indiscriminately, friends and foe alike. Gavin, Ex’Un and Barnaby all went down during the conflict, and several times Barnaby was nearly killed. But eventually the bandits were beaten, and Natuc was knocked unconscious by Martin, ending his rampage.

Ex’Un was furious with the group, angered that they allowed one as reckless as Natuc to travel with them. They managed to calm him down, though his trust in Natuc was broken. They all found themselves to an uneasy sleep that night.

Carrying on the next morning, the group began to approach the red rock ridge that Ex’Un informed them sat outside Emeril. As they approached through a landscape of broken rock, they came upon a group of hyena-like Gnolls that had apparently captured several fire genasi. Learning from their previous battle, they were able to easily defeat the Gnolls, and the now freed fire genasi joined up with them, having been captured while heading to Emeril themselves.

#### The Emeril Rebellion

Ascending the ridge lying just north of the city, the Wanderers finally got their first look at Emeril - a city of red and orange rock buildings, but now surrounded by walls and towers of grey-white stone. The canals that bisected the city, once flowing with emerald green water, were now brown and ruined. They watched as enslaved genasi were escorted back into the walls, forced to work in mines dug into the ridge. They had made it to Emeril.

Descending into the ridge through a secret tunnel, Ex’Un lead the group to the genasi rebellion’s secret base - a huge underground cavern lying beneath the city. Bustling with genasi of all types, young and old alike, further tunnels led outward to different portions of the city. They were lead into a side chamber that served as a basic war room, and there they met two members of the rag-tag rebel’s leadership - Virala, an air genasi that served as head scout, and Raya, who had sent out the letters recruiting other genasi to their cause.

After a short reunion between Raya and N’Taba, the Wanderers learned that the rebels were in crisis mode: Their leader, an earth genasi man named Por’Kal, had been captured by the Yuan-Ti, and was going to be sold at the slave market the next day. He had been looking for information on how to access the two stone towers that loomed over the east and west portions of the city, as the Viridium gems inside were what powered the enchantment keeping the genasi enslaved. In order to succeed, they would need the genasi in the city on their side, and their leader safe.

As they discussed their next step, a strange persona came over Barnaby. Gone was the timid bard of old, and in his place, a more intense and confident bard had taken over. This was Nathaniel, now communicating with both Barnaby and the group, inspired by talk of revolution. While Barnaby would remain in control going forward, Nathaniel would occasionally take over, or speak with Barnaby within his mind.

Hashing out several different plans, but ultimately worried what the Yuan-Ti may find out if they chose to interrogate Por’Kal, the group decided that freeing him that night from where he was being held was the best option. Joined by Virala and Raya - and down Jonkie, who had once more fallen into a meditative trance - the Wanderers stealthily made their way through one of the underground tunnels into the quiet streets of the city. Disguised as a Yuan-Ti guard - and being chased by N’Taba in the form of a giant wasp - Lego successfully led the door guards away, where the group could sneakily dispatch them. He then resurrected them, adding the first two zombies to his horde.

Entering the prison, the Wanderers fought their way through Purebloods and Malisons, eventually reaching a torture chamber where Por’Kal was being questioned. They freed him, and though some in the group wanted to leave then, they decided to brave the holding cells on the second floor, to free those held within. After killing the Warden above - even after he came back in an undead form - they freed those captive within. This included Bri, the human explorer working with Boromir, and several water genasi from Aquas, including the warrior, Hara.

By the time the Wanderers escaped the prison, they could hear other Yuan-Ti descending on their position. But N’Taba’s nature-based magic helped them escape detection, even from the flying serpents that patrolled the skies over the city. Making their way back into the underground tunnels, their mission was a success: Por’Kal had been saved.

Returning back to the rebel’s base, the Wanderers learned that Por’Kal had been successful: He’d discovered that to access the top of each tower, they would need a set of keys held by 3 of the city’s most prominent officials. Two sets were kept by Hassan and Heshna, the city’s leaders who resided within a central dome that once housed the earth genasi leaders of the city. The other set was held by the city’s high priestess, Nariti. She would be an easier target.

The party also spoke with Bri, who mentioned that she herself had been captured trying to infiltrate the city’s dome. She also spoke of a being called The Immortal, one the Yuan-Ti spoke of with hushed tones. She wasn’t sure who or what it was, however.

After resting, the Wanderers awoke the next day to troubling news from the war room: The Yuan-Ti had declared that, due to their break-in at the holding cells, several genasi would be executed that day at noon, with the promise of more to come. Though the leaders were mostly in agreement that it was a trap, a frustrated Raya left the war room in a huff.

Pushing on, Por’Kal, Virala and Ex’Un informed them that a decision had been made: The attack on Emeril would be launched the next day at sun down. While they finalized their plans for the assault, the leaders tasked the Wanderers with three missions: Dealing with a facility that seemed to be producing deadly smog, infiltrating a guarded pit to see what lay below and gathering intel from the guard’s barracks and the warden’s office within.

Choosing to take on the barracks first, Lego and Barnaby disguised themselves as Yuan-Ti guards, sneaking into the base with N’Taba transformed into a rat. Barnaby’s charm and Lego’s quick thinking saw the group make their way to the Warden’s office unscathed, and after N’Taba released a swarm of hornets into the barrack’s mess hall as a distraction, the group made it inside. There they found a powerful spell scroll, codes for guard switches, and some info on their other targets: The poisonous smog being produced was apparently a defense mechanism for the city, and the pit seemingly contained eggs of creatures called Broodguards. They teleported out using Lego’s cloak just before being found.

With this information in hand, the group waited until nightfall to strike their other targets. While most of the group made their way to the smog facility with Ex’Un, who agreed to help with this mission, Martin and Lego once more disguised themselves as guards to take on the pit. After using their found codes to relieve the guards on duty, Martin lured the now hatching Broodguards together with a large leg of meat, and Lego decimated their numbers with back to back fireballs. Satisfied that most of what was down there had been destroyed, the two teleported back to the rest of the Wanderers using their gate stones.

Reaching the smog facility - and once more relieving the guards with their stolen codes - the group found two of the city’s head arcanists inside, directing assistants in the creation of a boiling potion that was creating the deadly smog. The Wanderers decided to attack the arcanists within after Martin cleverly replaced one of their assistants (in disguise, of course). The arcanists proved to be more powerful than anticipated, paralyzing the Wanderers with magic and blasting them with fireballs. First Gavin was killed, then Ex’Un, and as the flames subsided once more only Martin stood conscious. It seemed as though the Wanderers may have truly met their end.

But using every ounce of magic, potions and tricks up their sleeves, the Wanderers clawed their way back, healing one another and desperately staving off the arcanists attempts to finish them. Summoning one final fireball, Lego incinerated the two evil enchanters in a blast of blinding light, and the Wanderers stood victorious once again.

Yet that victory came at a cost. The smoldering bodies of Ex’Un and Gavin lay lifeless on the ground, but they had been given a lifeline: The platinum stone Coriander had given them was activated, and the group realized it could be used to bring someone back from the grave. Natuc chose to save his squire, and Gavin was returned to life, though heavily scarred.

After unbalancing the roiling smog concoction, smashing the alchemist’s tools and stashing one of their gate stones inside in case they needed to come back, it was time for them to run. With Ex’Un’s body sealed in N’Taba’s ring, the Wanderers raced back to the underground tunnels. Once more aided by N’Taba’s magic, they managed to make it out of sight without being seen. Licking their wounds, they headed back to the rebel’s base to break the news.

While Por’Kal, Virala and Raya were devastated by Ex’Un’s death - Raya took it especially hard, blaming herself for not being there and lashing out at the Wanderers - they knew they had to focus: Final preparations for the battle would be made the following day. They agreed to take the night to mourn their friend, and reconvene in the morning.

Finding themselves to a well-earned rest, Natuc, N’Taba and Martin were pulled into a familiar dream. They were once more brought before the fiendish entity in the crumbling tower, who this time expressed concern that they hadn’t gone after Grimley. Reassuring the Wanderers that they could be trusted, they gave the group one extra week to complete their task. But that came with a threat: That no amount of magic or divine intervention would be able to bring Grimley back once they devoured his soul if they failed.

#### The Battle of Emeril

Waking the next day, the Wanderers we’re back to full strength: Jonkie had come to, once more having received a vision from his dead Sensei. He had seen his monastery falling to ruin, and Sensei Nu had urged him to seek the help of the masters there in finding Kendo. He resolved to head there in the near future.

The group joined the genasi leaders and other important figures in the war room. They learned the plan: As the genasi forces waited below ground at points throughout the city, the Wanderers and another team helmed by Raya and Bri would make their way to Nariti’s temple. Once they killed her and had her keys, they’d split up and head to opposite towers, each team making their way to the top and destroying the gem inside. With all of the city’s enslaved genasi freed, the rest of the forces could launch their attack.

But there was a problem: Bri had seen a third Viridium gem within the central dome, and they had confirmed that it was indeed linked to the gems controlling each enslaved genasi. That gem was inert at the moment, but could be activated as a back-up if the tower gems failed. If that happened, the battle would be all but lost. Thus the Wanderers had a second mission: Once the tower was dealt with, they would have to make their way to the central dome, fight the Yuan-Ti’s leaders, and destroy that gem before it activated. To their end, Virala and Por’Kal would be leading the bulk of the genasi’s forces to the northern and southern gates of the wall surrounding the dome, drawing the Yuan-Ti protecting it there and leaving the east and west gates exposed for the tower teams.

With their task laid out before them, and after hashing out some details of the plan, the Wanderers set about helping with the battle’s preparations. As they left the war room, Raya pulled N’Taba aside, apologizing for her outburst the night before. She spoke of living in the shadow of the Yuan-Ti, wondering what life would’ve been like if they never came. Feelings N’Taba herself knew well. Raya requested that if she died, N’Taba scatter her ashes across the desert, their shared home. But N’Taba reassured her that they were going to win, and the two set out to prepare.

Brewing potions, training soldiers, giving intel, boosting morale - the Wanderers spent the day bolstering the war effort. As the battle began to loom near, they lead chants of “For Ex’Un!” and “Ge-na-si!” throughout the rebel’s base. Por’Kal stepped forward, rallying the troops with a pre-battle speech before they all began breaking into their battalions and making final preparations. The Wanderers and Raya’s team entered the tunnels below the city. The time for battle had come.

Racing through the underground tunnels, the two teams eventually came to a point where one tunnel ran below the temple. Casting major image in the room above, Barnaby distracted the priestess and her protectors with a 20-foot tall visage of their goddess, Minerva. Bursting out from below, and catching the Yuan-Ti completely off guard, the two teams made short work of the priestess and her guards (with help from some apes courtesy of N’Taba). Grabbing the keys from her bodies, the two teams said one last goodbye before splitting up abd heading to their towers.

Upon reaching the tower, Martin managed to get one of the guards to leave, and the Wanderers quickly subdued the other. Knowing they had little time before more showed up, they raced to the top of the tower, unlocking the top section with their key. There they found the Viridium gem, and for iron cobras protecting it. After defeating the magical constructs, and signaling to Raya that it was time, Martin and Natuc smashed the gem, and for the first time in 15 years, the genasi of the city were free.

Racing back down the stairs, the Wanderers were met with several Yuan-Ti - and soon after, several recently freed genasi. The Wanderers battled their way through the city, flanked by a group of genasi fighting alongside them. They took down flying serpents, defeated a few heavily scarred but alive Broodguards, dodged volleys of arrows and blew up a group of Yuan-Ti archers. Along the way, they saw a familiar but terrifying sight: A wyvern flying over the city streets, which attempted to drop acid on them from above. The fight for the city was in full swing.

Meanwhile. they watched as from above the queen’s airship, summoned to aid them in the battle, rained fireballs from above. Most of the flying serpents defending the city attacked the ship and its crew, nullifying most of the Yuan-Ti’s advantage in the air. The ship slowly made its way inward, following instructions from the Wanderers to reach the central dome.

As the battle began to reach a fever pitch, the sounds of war defeating, the Wanderers reached a plaza where they could see tons of genasi and Yuan-Ti fighting inside. The genasi, lead by Hara and K’Dar, looked as though they would soon be overwhelmed, as malison, flying serpents and a giant constrictor snake lead the Yuan-Ti to an advantage. Though the genasi following the rushed in to the fray, the Wanderers - afraid they were running low on time and needing to conserve their resources for the final fight - chose to go around, putting the need of the many over those of the few.

Reaching the wall surrounding the central dome, the Wanderers found it relatively unguarded, as most of the guards had now been drawn to the northern and southern gates. Barnaby charmed the malison who was leading the guards posted on the gate, convincing him to begin opening the gate. Just as they started rushing under, the wyvern they’d seen early soared into the fray, and N’Taba summoned two vultures to hold it off.

As they began to breach the iron doors leading inside, the queen’s airship crested over the top of the dome. Still harried by flying serpents, their shot went just over the dome, exploding the gate the Wanderers had been passing through. Both Martin and Gavin were caught in the blast, and as it subsided, Gavin lay unconscious in the rubble.

Having been blown from atop the wall, but still alive, the malison stabbed Gavin’s unconscious form, killing the squire. The group got their revenge, with Barnaby causing his head to explode with Vicious Mockery, but Gavin was finished. With heavy hearts, and the Wyvern still being assaulted by N’Taba’s last vulture, the Wanderers rushed inside the dome.

Hit by the smell of rot and decay, they saw the spring at the heart of the city in the center of the dome’s main chamber. Blackened water flowed out into canals bisecting the room, and four crystals surrounded the spring: 3 sky blue and arcing with electrical energy, and one large Viridium gem, slowly beginning to activate.

Emerging from the shadows, the group were met by the city’s leaders, Hassan and Heshna. And bursting from the center spring, the Wanderers came face to face with the one they called The Immortal: an enormous undead abomination, snake-like in appearance, but with arms protruding from the torso. It smelled of rotting flesh, and was held together in places by black tendrils of shadowy energy.

The final fight had begun. Natuc found himself forced under his axe’s control, the weapon keying in on the black blade the Immortal was wielding. Counter spells from Lego and Ki-infused punches from Jonkie gave them an early advantage, but the Wanderers soon found themselves surrounded as giant poisonous snakes entered the fray. But bursting in through the opposite wall, Raya and Bri joined the fight, lending the Wanderers their aid.

As the fight raged on, the Wanderers found themselves taking hits on all sides. Some were incapacitated by spells, others blasted by lightning, and unable to rage, Natuc took blow after blow from The Immortal’s wicked sword. Tired from the long battle beforehand, the Wanderers began to fall, but each time they rallied, raising their fallen comrade.

The Immortal was struck down, only to rise once more in a final act of defiance. But Lego managed to put both him and Heshna to sleep, and taking this opening, Natuc - fueled by the fury of his weapon - smashed The Immortal into paste. Martin soon sent Heshna to her end, and Raya smashed the final Viridium gem. Hassan fled, but outside the Wanderers saw a welcome sight: Por’Kal’s forces had breached the wall.

Emeril was free.

#### The Titan’s Wrath

Addressing his now freed citizens, Por’Kal declared a new era for the genasi, one of unity between the different elements. He venerated the Wanderers, ensuring their heroics would be remembered in Emeril for generations to come. With that, the Wanderers had earned a rest.

Taking some time to examine the remains of the Immortal, the Wanderers found the black blade it had been wielding. Natuc’s axe called it his brother, declaring that once their final “sibling” was found, they could destroy their creator. Pledging himself to his axe, Natuc gained a bit of control over it, though their relationship remained tenuous. Meanwhile, Martin attuned to the sword, and while he found it to be powerful, it came at a cost: Any time he healed, part of the life force seemed to drain into the sword.

The night was spent partying in the streets. Barnaby played for the masses, losing himself in the music and getting a vision of his past as Nathaniel, speaking with a Sultan’s wife about treason. Lego found drugs. Natuc drank, thinking of Gavin and Grimley. A pretty typical night for the Wanderers.

Finding Bri the next morning, the group learned she had some information for them regarding Krakkan, the elemental titan of earth. Going through the genasi’s ancestral records, she’d found the location of an ancient temple to Mondo, god of earth. Much like Tsuna had been imprisoned in a temple dedicated to Tydas, perhaps Krakkan was held there.

Setting out on axe beaks - and making sure the Queen’s Airship would be waiting to take them back to Kingsforge when they returned - the crew travelled to the site of the temple: A large stone formation called Burning Rock Ridge. Entering a slot canyon into the ridge, they came across an all too familiar site: A camp of lizardfolk, led by the same older ones they had seen when escaping Aquas.

Assaulting the camp - which started with Lego fireballing the canyon, destroying their main tent with rocks - the Wanderers dispatched of the lizardfolk, their leader and the red slaad they had working for them. Searching the rubble, they came across a statue of a black dragon clutching a translucent orb, and soon a voice started emanating from it: Vorza himself. Recognizing the Wanderers, he threatened them, claiming that when all was said and done, he’d be the one wielding the four titan’s orbs. The voice fell silent, and the Wanderers pressed on.

Entering the temple after solving a riddle on the canyon wall, the group found themselves fighting waves of enemies to enter. A knock spell from Barnaby helped circumvent one wave, and the Wanderer’s skill in battle knocked out the rest. Breezing through, they found the rest of the temple a much harder challenge.

Hallways of smashing pillars and acid vapors weakened the Wanderers, who soon found themselves split between different parts of the temple. As Barnaby and Jonkie pieced together a puzzle on one side, Natuc triggered a fight on the other, and soon found himself outmatched my two giant stone statues. The Wanderers came to his aid, and eventually the statues were beaten and the puzzle solved. But the traps and battles had taken their toll on the Wanderers.

Knowing a battle with Krakkan drew near, the adventurers attempted to rest in the depths of the temple. But the tremors that shook the entire chamber mixed with the ever-present sense of danger provided a less-than-restful sleep. Still somewhat sore, but more confidant than before, the Wanderers were ready. They entered into the final chamber of the temple - a large, domed cavern topped with glittering green elysium crystals - to face the enormous titan.

Krakkan's strength and rocky form proved formidable, but the Wanderers were prepared for a fight. Twice Krakkan fell, and twice he drew rocks and crystals to his form to rejuvenate himself. But the Wanderers spells and weapons were too much - one final blow delivered via summoned skeleton (and flung by Natuc) finished the titan, and his form returned to his orb-like prison. Three titans had been felled.

### The Search for Grimley

With Krakkan's remains in tow, the group now decided to fully focus their attention on rescuing Grimley's soul. Heading back to Emeril, the group said their goodbyes and boarded the Queen's airship. After a brief stop in Cactus Point to drop off General Atkins and his soldiers, the ship coasted back to Kingsforge. Lego and Martin leapt from the ship, feather falling to safety and dazzling nearby onlookers. The rest of the group landed and disembarked like normal people.

Heading to the center of the city to try and meet with the Queen, the group were happy to find Coriander's shop amidst the hustle and bustle of the city. Stepping inside, they began purchasing and bargaining with the frog merchant, and Natuc decided to see if Coriander knew anything about his axe. Coriander's eyes widened as he saw the enchanted weapon: He told Natuc that the Berserker Axe was one of three weapons created by Novak, the first Arcanus Major of the Darman Empire on Arcos. In an attempt to extend his own life, he'd placed aspects of his own personality into three weapons, in the hope that should he expire they could guide others to revive him. But in his madness the weapons became corrupted, instead only seeking his destruction. He fled into the jungle, never to be seen again, though many believed he lived on in the form of a lich, a powerful undead spellcaster.

Coriander even gave them a hint on where to find the third weapon: Hidden under the Sunset Sea, a Marid named King Coral was said to stash numerous magical items and weapons beneath the waves in his opulent palace. One of which was supposedly Novak's final weapon. With this knowledge in hand, and his axe desperate to destroy his creator, Natuc and the group left Coriander's Curios behind, headed for the castle.

Though the Queen was busy when they arrived, the group spoke with her advisor, Fyrax. He informed Natuc that it would take about a week for them to find a suitable replacement squire. Lego, desperate to win the Queen's affection, left a poem for her with Fyrax, and a gift: Tombcrasher, the axe Natuc had found in the Foxglenn tomb. Hopeful of his chances, the Wanderers teleported out of Kingsforge to Boromir's library in Stonehaven.

Finding the hallway outside Boromir's teleportation chamber empty, the group were worried that something had happened to Boromir. A mysterious door at the end of the hall opened, and stepping inside, the group were transported underneath the library, to a secret cavern filled with gold, jewels and old artifacts. Emerging from the mounds of treasure, a glittering golden dragon revealed itself to the Wanderers: It was Boromir in his true form, that of the dragon Zavarin. He thanked the Wanderers for upholding his honor in Kingsforge, paid them for retrieving the orb, and promised them aid in retrieving Grimley's body: A teleportation key to his friend in Thronehold.

Teleporting to the capital of Kell, the group was treated to a beautiful view of the city-scape atop a large tower in the city's Verdant College. Greeted by an older wizard named Professor Avalon Pendleton, head of the School of Arcana at the college, they inquired about the fiendish entity that had apparently trapped Grimley's soul, and its connection to the Moonstone. Professor Pendleton informed them of artifacts known as Divine Relics, creations of mortals during the Celestial War and the intervening years from Abyssal and Celestial Shards. Originally used by champions of the gods, these Relics are now scattered across Gaia, granting devastating power to those who wield them.

He told them the story of an old sorcerer, a man who dreamed of creating one of these Divine Relics. After communing with Orcus, the god of death and undeath, he was tasked with combining his Abyssal Shard with a demon lord known as the Endless, a creature of unending hunger for souls. He travelled to the Abyss, and initially was able to capture the Endless - however, the ritual went south, and he soon found himself in a struggle with the demon lord. The ritual was completed, but at a cost: The sorceror had been joined with the Endless, creating an unholy abomination with the intellect of the sorcerer but the strength and soul-consuming powers of the Endless. A divine relic was created that day as well: The Moonstone, of which the Wanderers had already once witnessed its soul-harvesting abilities.

Bidding goodbye to the Professor, the Wanderers cast Wind Walk on themselves with the bead the Queen had given them. Turning into gaseous forms and able to move incredibly quickly, they set out for Sleetwood, a city at the base of the Frozen Peaks and Natuc's home. Passing over colorful pools that dotted the tundra-like landscape, they eventually reached the Colossal Timberland, and enormous forest of Titan trees that surrounded Sleetwood. Coasting over the top, they quickly reached the city, making their way to the home of Natuc's parents.

Meeting with Dantuk and Arma, Natuc's parents, as well as his Babushka, the group learned the lumber yard Dantuk worked for had been closed for several days. A beast out in the Timberland had been killing fur trappers recently, and only three days prior had attacked one of the lumber yards outside the city. The lumber yard had been closed since, putting Dantuk out of work. Natuc promised to take care of it, and as the Wanderers gathered more info from his parents and the militia outpost in town, they soon learned that a different group also had their sights set on taking down the beast: The Fantastic/Furious/Fiendish/Festive/Fantabulous/Feverish Five.

While Lego and Natuc spent the night at his parents' house, the rest of the gang headed to the Crackling Hearth, the tavern in town where the Five were staying. Outside they saw a hooded wagon emblazoned with two F's, pulled by a large cow-like creature called an auroch. Making their way inside, they met the various members of the monster slaying party: Their leader, a brash man in red and gold armor named Victor Champion; an elvish archer who spoke little common named Teo; an enormous orc with hairy arms and bear tattoos named Crusher; Vandra, a purple tiefling bard with a penchant for the fiddle; and Raven, a drow elf who wore a dark leather cape.

Drinking with the Five, who had won over most of the tavern with their partying and bravado, the Wanderers debated whether or not they should leave the monster slaying to the Five while they searched for Grimley. Victor seemed confident the creature was an ancient red dragon, and that he and his team could take it down. N'Taba was somewhat suspicious of the group, but unable to find them at fault for anything slinked off to drink alone. As the rest of the group mingled, Jonkie approached Raven in an attempt to seduce her. To everyone's surprise, she was game, and invited him up to her room.

Upon entering the darkened room, Jonkie was hit by a crossbow bolt, and soon lay on the floor, unconscious. Awaking the next day, he found all of his gold and magical items had been stolen, and his wound leaked with Hollowroot poison, a rare plant that can be used to magically put people to sleep. As the rest of the Wanderers learned of this betrayal, they found the Five were long gone, having left town earlier that morning.

Reconvening with Lego and Natuc and the lumber yard, the group checked out the site of the monster attack. They found burnt trees and broken branches, as well as law paw prings: Not what you'd expect from a dragon. Speaking with some nearby trees, N'Taba learned the Five - which they had now dubbed the Fibbing Five - had headed deeper into the Timberland. She summoned some wolves to search for them, hoping to follow the scent of the Hollowroot that had poisoned Jonkie. Though her wolves were unsuccessful in tracking the Five, one did manage to lead them to something interesting: A small camp in the woods, that had apparently been torn to pieces. They found the same large paw prints as at the lumber yard, heading deeper into the forest.

Using her ability to locate creatures, N'Taba focused on the auroch that had pulled the Five's wagon. Locating it a few miles north, the group split up: Martin, Natuc and Lego headed south following the paw prints, while N'Taba, Jonkie and Barnaby made their way back north toward the Five. The second group was the first to arrive at their quarry: They found the Five in a small glade, standing around their wagon. Barnaby snuck closer, hearing Raven reveal that she had been tracking them through the Timberland, but had returned to the group when they turned around. Enthralled by what he was hearing, Barnaby failed to notice a large branch on the ground, and with a *crack*, he was found.

The Five attacked, throwing daggers, casting spells and firing bows. Crusher's form grew and changed into that of a werebear, rushing the group with an enormous axe. N'Taba called for help, using their Sending Stones to contact the first group. Having just arrived outside a cave that seemed to be the lair of the beast they were hunting, the first group now had a decision to make: They could use their gate stones to travel to the other team, but only two of them could teleport. Choosing to leave Martin behind, since he had summoned a horse and could travel faster than them, Lego and Natuc teleported to rejoin the others. The fight was on.

It looked as though the Wanderers may be in trouble, as the Five unleashed a flurry of attacks against the heroes. But a gravity well summoned by Barnaby combined with a fireball from Lego quickly turned things in the Wanderers’ favor. Vandra was left a smoking pile of ash, and Victor soon followed as N’Taba erupted the earth beneath his feet. While Crusher and their auroch fought to the death (until N’Taba charmed the auroch to be their friend, that is), Teo and Raven ran for it.

Pursuing them as they fled, the Wanderers managed to catch up with Teo, bringing him back to the glade. But Raven was slippery, managing to escape with Jonkie’s blade. Resigning themselves to the loss, they questioned Teo about the Five’s plan: They had planned to track the Wanderers until they fought the beast harrying Sleetwood, at which point they’d ambush them and claim the kill for themselves.

As Martin finally caught up with the group, they made the grim decision to execute Teo. Leading him out into the woods from the clearing, the ranger made one last attempt to escape, but Natuc struck him down with his axe. The hit wasn’t clean though - as he bled out, Natuc finished the job.

With their brand new cart in tow, the Wanderers headed back to the cave Lego, Natuc and Martin had found previously. Stepping inside quietly, they found a dank cavern littered with the bones of animals and people. Reaching a small stream and a rock shelf, Jonkie stepped on the rib cage of some unfortunate creature, altering those inside to their presence: A 3-headed chimera at the top of the shelf, and a second coasting into the cavern behind them.

What looked like a tough fight was quickly simplified, as Lego banished one of the beasts to another plane temporarily. Able to focus on one before dealing with the other, the Wanderers dispatched the two monsters. Searching the cavern, they found a matted nest of wood and bone, and a large egg inside. Barnaby grabbed it, and quickly began keeping it warm, seeing it as an opportunity for a new ally.

Collecting several of the creatures’ heads to use as proof, the crew headed back to Sleetwood, reaching the gates just as nightfall hit. At the militia outpost, they claimed their reward for the bounties, made even better when General Gwendolyn, the head of the militia, personally thanked them by doubling the reward. Recognizing Natuc, she asked if he’d be willing to rejoin the militia: A hard no from Natuc.

The Wanderers spent the rest of their night eating a home-cooked meal with Natuc’s family and hanging out in the local tavern. They decided to give the reward for their kills to Natuc’s parents, a life-changing amount of money for the two goliaths. Many tears were shed.

Awaking the next day, the Wanderers did some shopping around town, finding some suitable clothing for the warm weather ahead. Lego flirted with a herbalist, N’Taba purchased her own herbalism kit and Barnaby got a commission for an egg-harness, leaving his baby with Natuc’s parents for the time being.

Having been tipped off by Natuc’s family, the group met Trapper Ford, and old Goliath man with intricate knowledge of the Frozen Peaks. He told them of a cave deep in the mountains, colder the frozen air around it. If there was an ancient frost giant tomb out there, he reckoned that was it.

To reach the tomb, they’d have to take Dead Man’s Pass into the mountain range, to woods known as the Frostladen Forest. From there, they’d travel northwest until they found three frozen ponds called the Glassy Pools, then head due north. Once they reached the ridge surrounding the forest, they’d have to climb up and over into the valley on the other side, following it west until they reached the icy glacier that had carved it over the millennia. Summiting the glacier, they’d be able to see Giant’s Thumb, the peak contains the tomb.

The Wanderers set out that morning, following Dead Man’s Pass into the mountains. On the way, they passed a group of trappers carrying beasts that they hoped to sell back in Thronehold. The group instead purchased all 3 of their captives: An owl bear, a white drake and a baby yeti. As the travelers moved on, N’Taba pushed the owlbear back down the slope toward them, damaging its cage and allowing it to escape. The now free owlbear ran down the trappers, their screams fading in the swirling wind.

Able to communicate with the Yeti, Barnaby named it You, promising to bring it “home” in the forest. Natuc attempted to train his new drake, which resisted at every turn. Pushing into the forest proper, the day passed as they walked between snow-covered trees. Just as the sun was setting, they reached the glassy pools, choosing to make camp there. Within one of the pools, below its frozen surface, Barnaby found a set of white dragon scale armor, which Martin managed to snag with his fishing rod.

Settling in for the night, the group was ambushed by three trolls storming their camp. The trolls proved more bumbling than threatening, though things got more exciting when a large owlbear burst on to the scene as well. Still, the Wanderers - aided by 8 boars summoned by N’Taba - overcame the creatures, eventually learning they needed fire to finish off the trolls for good. With the attack defeated, they settled back in for an uneasy sleep.

Pressing on the next day, Barnaby and Jonkie briefly broke from the rest of the group to return You to his family. Entering yeti territory, they were confronted by the hairy apes, but were quickly vindicated by You and Barnaby’s ability to speak their language. With You safely returned to his family, the two rejoined the group via gate stone.

Breaching the edge of the forest, the Wanderers slowly climbed over the mountainous ridge that marked the edge of the woods. Finding their way into the valley below (through a combo of flight, feather fall and partially-successful shield surfing), the group travelled west, heading for the glacier. But they soon found themselves running for their lives, as an avalanche tumbled down into the valley.

Racing against the massive landslide on horses summoned by N’Taba, some of the group narrowly avoided disaster. But N’Taba, Lego and Natuc were all caught up in the slide, their horses destroyed and themselves buried under rock and ice. Thankfully, their fire magic, raw strength and shapeshifting abilities allowed them to escape, and the group travelled on.

Reaching the glacier, the group summoned the icy wall to reach the frozen landscape on its surface just as the sun was setting. Picking up the next day, a furious blizzard found the Wanderers aimlessly retreating their steps, unsure how to move forward. But just as they seemed to be getting further and further lost, a small hut appeared before them, untouched by the blizzard.

Inside, they met an old woman named Ellowyn, who promised to dispel the storm in exchange for various “gifts,” such as their youth or luck. Not trusting the strange woman, Barnaby instead charmed her, convincing Elloeyn to dispel the blizzard. But as the spell faded, the now angered hag attacked, summoning mimics and animated creatures to fight beside her.

Surrounded by enemies and blasted with the hag’s ice magic, the Wanderers found themselves split between those outside and inside the hut. But it wasn’t enough to stop them, and as they stormed her abode, a moonbeam from Barnaby melted the old hag.

With the air now cleared, the Wanderers set their sights on Giant’s Thumb. Ascending the mountain, they reached a frigid cave, even colder than the outside air. The bodies of frost giants long dead were encased in the icy walls, and two double doors marked the entrance to the tomb. They had arrived.

Entering the crypt, the Wanderers fought and thought their way through the freezing tomb, dismantling or dodging traps as they went. They cleaned out a treasure room full of undead specters known as Allips, and battled young Remorhazes, insect-like creatures of ice and fire. They eventually reached the tomb’s inner sanctum, where they came face to face with their adversary: The undead frost giant King Offenvir and his undead polar bear pets.

Battling the giant, the Wanderers dodged blow after blow from his enormous battle axes. N’Taba and Lego burned him with fire, Jonkie pounded him with ki-powered fists, and Barnaby and Natuc struck him with magic and might. But it was Martin who landed the final blow: An enormous strike bathed in radiant energy, which lifted Martin into the air on his skeletal wings and split the undead king in two. As the frost giant’s form fell away, the soul gem embedded in his crown came loose. The Wanderers had their prize.

Snatching up the soul gem, they began to make the trek back to Sleetwood. Barnaby, hoping to better connect with his other half, decided to stay behind, looking forward solitude atop the mountain. Descending back into the valley, the rest of the group were ambushed by scaly basilisks, contending with their hard hides and petrifying gazes. To make things worse, a behir - an elongated creature with many legs - was attracted by the fighting.

Down a group member and caught off guard by the creatures’ strength, the Wanderers found themselves in a desperate spot. Jonkie was turned to stone by the basilisks, unable to shake off their petrifying effects. Lego - constricted by the Behir’s powerful body - constantly sat on the edge of death, nearly dying several times. Even Martin fell, the basilisks jaws piercing his normally sturdy armor. Once again, the group hung on by a thread.

But they battled back. N’Taba used Blinky to administer potions across the battlefield while summoning vultures to aid in the battle. Natuc tanked hits from the Behir, his sheer strength keeping them in the fight. Martin healed himself with divine power, hearing a voice call out to him in the fray: “I’m with you.”

Eventually the behir was slain, and soon after the basilisks followed. Miraculously, the Wanderers had come out with no casualties.

Licking their wounds, the group found themselves with a lesser crisis: While crossing the ridge back into the Frostladen Forest, Natuc’s drake, now named Barles, managed to escape, skittering down the side of the ridge. It took shield surfing from Jonkie, flight and grappling from N’Taba and Martin’s frightful presence to finally catch the creature. Natuc was grateful, and the group pressed on.

While camping at the glassy pools again, the group noticed some firelight in the distance. Investigating early the next morning, they found a lizardfolk camp, lead by a slash with grey scales. Their attempts at stealth failed, but the ensuing fight proved easier than their last: The lizardfolk were dispatched, abd the slaad felled by Jonkie. Finding a small totem of a black dragon in their belongings, the Wanderers deduced that once more Vorza’s forces had been seeking them out.

Finally arriving back at Sleetwood beaten and bruised, the Wanderers settled in for a night of drinking. But there would be little rest that evening: Arriving at his home, Natuc found his family murdered, placed in the living room with their throats slit. Written in blood above the hearth were two words: “You’re next.”

Questioning a barmaid she had paid to keep an eye out for them, N’Taba learned that Raven - the Fibbing Five’s resident rogue - had been asking around about them a few days prior. She’d learned of Natuc’s connection to the town, and his family ties. It didn’t take much to deduce what had happened.

Natuc dug his family’s graves by their home, the rest of the group helping him bury them. The burial brought up difficult memories: Martin’s mother, Jonkie’s parents, N’Taba’s tribe. Many of them had lost family in the past. Now Natuc joined that list.

The group spent a somber evening at the Crackling Hearth tavern. While Natuc and Lego drank themselves into stupors, N’Taba created posters advertising a reward for Raven being brought to them alive in Stonehaven, with Marty as their contact. Martin spent some time alone, attempting to contact whoever had reached out to him during the battle, but was unsuccessful. As the evening came to a close, it was time to head for Thronehold.

Waking the next day, Barnaby teleported back to the group during breakfast. Stop the mountain, he had received another vision of his past: This time of his first meeting with Corvo, leader of the rebellion in Kalzan. The group caught him up to speed as to what had transpired, just as N’Taba noticed a group of guards entering the tavern.

Escorted to General Gwendolyn, the militia leader questioned the Wanderers about the bounties they had posted around town. Though their attempts at deception were less than convincing, the General allowed them to leave, making it clear that posting unauthorized bounties is a serious offense. Gathering the cart that belonged to Natuc’s father and some rented horses, they left town heading south.

Entering the Colossal Timberland, the Wanderers weaved their way through enormous Titan trees. On their way, they spotted a hollowed out tree, filled with small stone markers are one large central rock. Speaking with the tree, N’Taba learned it was a grave site, though none of them could speak the language on the rocks. Martin took a rubbing of the inscription on the main boulder, and they trekked on.

Not much deeper into the Timberland, the group realized they were being followed. Calling out to their stalker, they met an injured Firbolg man named Kurt. He and his siblings had been ambushed by goblins, and his brother and sister captured. He had hoped the Wanderers might help him find them, and they obliged.

With Kurt tracking the goblins movements, the group began to head to their camp. Along the way, Kurt was able to translate the inscription Martin had kept from the gravesite: It spoke of Ankala, an ancestral leader of the Firbolgs who had been killed by forces of the Antillian Empire thousands of years ago. Natuc pretended to listen to him.

Finding the camp, the Wanderers snuck in, seemingly unnoticed. They found goblins and bugbears sitting around a campfire, eating meats and lounging. A Gravity Sinkhole from Barnaby and Fireball from Lego quickly thinned their numbers. Though their hobgoblin leaders proved tougher to handle, the Wanderers ultimately won the day.

His siblings now freed, Kurt bid the Wanderers farewell, and they went on their way. After camping near the tree line, the Wanderers left to Timberland for the tundra-like landscape north of Thronehold.

As they headed south, colorful pools of various liquids began pockmarking the ground - the Prismatic Pools. Green, orange, red, blue and purple - the Wanderers began investigating the liquids and minerals in each pool. But this land was far from safe: The Wanderers passed a horde of orcs heading west, and only narrowly escaped crustacean-like Chuul that erupted out of several pools. But eventually they left the pools behind, seeing Thronehold’s cityscape on the horizon.

Approaching the city gates, the Wanderers decided to make an entrance. They had Jonkie stand on Natuc’s shoulders, dressed in fine clothing, presenting him as the true prince of Kell. Martin and Lego heralded their approach, the latter disguised as a beautiful woman wrapped in snakes summoned by N’Taba. Barnaby played music while creating an illusory block of gold for Jonkie to hold. As they entered the city gates, the city guard looked confused by the display - though one ran off in a hurry.

Winding through Thronehold’s glittering streets of green and silver, the group began to attract the crowd. Even more people joined in as Barnaby started tossing hundreds of coins into the crowd. The group continued to herald Jonkie as the true prince of the land, the crowd swelling with each passing minute. All the while, they steadily made their way toward the Verdant College, from which they could teleport back to Thronehold.

Things were about to get complicated. As they neared the final stretch to the college, a group of about 20 guards began to approach, javelins drawn, having been alerted to the “prince” parading through the streets. The Wanderers took off, with Barnaby sending an illusion of their cart to head off the guards. Though the guards saw through it, not all of the crowd did: Half followed the illusion, slowing the guards’ approach, while half kept swarming the cart, which was beginning to pick up speed.

As other guards joined the chase, Barnaby leapt off the cart, trying to distract the guards. As several went to seize him, he gate stoned back to the group, buying them a few more seconds. Careening into the college’s courtyard with Lego dumping acid behind them, the Wanderers abandoned the cart, dashing for the college’s arcane tower where Professor Pendleton’s study was.

With the guards still hot on their tail, and his horse unable to go up stairs quick enough, Martin sent his party horse with a flagon of ale and N’Taba’s snakes in one last attempt to placate the guards. The guards weren’t buying it though, their javelin’s dispersing the steed.

Racing up the stairs, the Wanderers reached Pendleton’s study. Barnaby opened the door with knock, finding a confused Pendleton inside. As the guards pounded on the door behind them, the Wanderers dashed to the teleportation circle within, and soon found themselves safely within the confines of Stonehaven. Crisis averted.

Greeting them in his library, Boromir listened as the Wanderers told him about the Endless, and their predicament with Grimley. He cautioned them against making deals with demons, but assured them they had earned his trust. He also handed Lego a letter from the Queen, thanking him for the axe and inviting him and the Wanderers to meet her next time they’re in Kingsforge.

The Wanderers spent the evening in Stonehaven, taking a last night of calm before embarking on their long-awaited confrontation with the Endless. Several spent time in the library, reading up on various topics. Natuc and N’Taba had armor commissioned for their pets. Lego reunited with Marty, and Barnaby played for the patrons of the Miner’s Axe Tavern. While partying himself, Martin noticed a woman watching him from the corner of the tavern.

Named Stella, the woman was a member of the militia in Rockfell, who had come to find Martin and his brother. Abrasive and blunt, she explained why she had been tracking him: To deal with his father. He had been having his lackeys patrol the roads outside Rockfell for years, robbing merchants and paying him a cut. But recently he’d turned down an even darker path: Dealing with the Syndicate.

Stella believed that the Syndicate had been growing Devil’s Eye Mushrooms - which produced spores used recreationally as a drug - within the fern forest outside the city. By working with Martin’s father, they could ensure safe passage of their shipments along the roads, while everyone profited. She needed Martin’s help, agreeing to wait while the group sorted out their current affairs.

Processing this info, Martin once more found a quiet place to meditate, trying to connect with whatever had reached out to him before. This time he was successful: He had visions of his past, times when he’d drawn on divine strength and heard that same voice. The unseen entity promised that when he was ready, Martin could draw on even more of that power.

Waking up the next day, the Wanderers did some shopping, killing some time before heading out into the forest. They travelled the familiar path through the woods, one N’Taba, Martin and Natuc knew well from their dreams. Under the cover of darkness, they arrived at the broken tower. It was time.

Ascending to the top, the Wanderers finally came face-to-faces with the Endless: A writhing mass of faces, bones and stray limbs. Standing before a small altar, it presented Grimley’s soul to the group, concealed within a magical sphere. It commanded then to place Grimley’s body on the altar, and to smash the soul gem upon it. Natuc obliged, shattering the gem with his axe.

Thousands of souls spilled out of the broken crystal, filling the night air with shining beads of light. The Wanderers watched as they were all slowly siphoned into the Endless’s many mouths, save for one: Grimley’s. With the souls consumed, the Endless bid them farewell, gliding over the side of the tower and out of view.

As Grimley’s soul, now free of the sphere, began descending toward his body, shadows along the edges of the tower top began to shift and move. The the Wanderer’s surprise, they began taking the forms of those they’d slain: Illana, Artesh, Segeant Clarabelle, the Immortal and Victor Champion, all back for revenge. And to their horror, two more forms emerged: Their former friend Ex’Un, and Natuc’s fallen squire, Gavin.

The battle for Grimley’s soul was on. The Wanderers fought their old foes, one by one taking down those who had once stood in their way. Eventually only Victor stood, and N’Taba - having taken the form of a fire elemental - burned him away (again).

As Natuc caressed Grimley in his arms, still lifeless, The faint glow in his chest faded… And he began to move. Grimley was back.

Racing to the edge of the clearing, the Wanderers had a choice: Try to pursue the Endless, or move on. Figuring he was likely long gone, and happy to have saved Grimley, they turned back. Only time would tell if they made the right choice.

### The Party of A Lifetime

As the group retreated back into the forest, Jonkie informed them that he would be leaving for a while: In order to better understand the visions he’d been having - and possibly get some training for the battles to come - he would be returning to his old monastery at Darkspire, a peak just beyond the Forest of Draenor. He promised to return to the Wanderers when he felt he was ready.

Trekking back to Stonehaven, the Wanderers were met at the gates by one of the town guards. A summons had arrived for the them while they were away, beckoning them to meet with the Queen in Kingsforge. Not wanting to delay their meeting - and with Lego looking forward to a chance to impress her - they set out the next day through Boromir’s teleportation circle.

Before they left, Boromir gave them some updates on their quest. First, he had learned why he’s lost contact with High Cleric Brogan in Roarkstead. Apparently he had been charged with murdering the Dwarven queen, and was being held in a prison known as the Obsidian. How they got him out, or learn what he knew about the fire Titan, he left up to them.

Secondly, their associate Boonie seemed to be closing in on the whereabouts of the dragon, Vorza. He was sailing for what he hoped to be Vorza’s lair, and would likely know more soon. With any luck, they wouldn’t need that info, but Boromir was happy to have it regardless.

Arriving in Kingsforge, the Wanderers set about preparing Lego for his meeting with the Queen. He purchased fine clothing, got a shave, cut his hair and had his shoes shined. Looking better than ever, Lego lead the group to the Queen’s throne room.

The reception wasn’t as warm as they’d hoped. The Queen laid into the Wanderers for their stunt in Thronehold, detailing how she’d had to smooth things over with the leaders there. Taxes had to be lowered which were being used to fund the restoration of Foxglenn, the small town that the Wanderers had seen destroyed by the Moonstone. While upset, she let the Wanderers off with a warning due to the good will they’d built up over the last few months, and invited them to dinner to discuss things further.

Taking the day to themselves, the group found their way to Natuc’s home in Knight’s Row, an elite avenue of houses reserved for the Knights of Kingsforge within the city’s central Gilded Quarter. Finding his new squire Bradley there (who Natuc insisted on calling Gavin), the Wanderers cooked up a plan: Break in the new home with an epic party, raising money for Foxglenn at the same time.

The Wanderers spread out, preparing for their impromptu event. Natuc and N’Taba bought up ale from Patch’s, parading it through the streets and spreading the word about the party to the masses. Barnaby helped spread the word through local show shiners before hiring a band to play with him. Natuc alerted the neighbors (two knights named Declan and Aria), while Lego secured drugs. The guards were warned of the party, and members of the Fighter’s Guild in town were hired as security, though nothing could prepare them for what was to come.

Meeting with the Queen for dinner, the group enjoyed find food and drinks while they told her tales of their adventures. Eventually, they brought up the party. While Queen Tyra was less than thrilled about the prospects of a large party so close to the castle, she trusted the Wanderers and asked them to keep things civil.

She also had a request for them: She’d heard from Boromir that the Wanderers may be heading to Roarkstead soon, and there was something there she wanted them to find. A sword known as Stonekiller had been stolen from her family years ago, a sword said to have killed the legendary Dwarven leader, Roark Stoneshield. She’d learned that it had resurfaced in the possession of a wealthy family in the Dwarven capital, and asked the Wanderers to try to retrieve it for her. They agreed to see what they could do.

Leaving dinner, they found that guests had already started making their way to Natuc’s home. Worse still, a massive crowd had begun to form around the gates into the Gilded Quarter: Hundreds of commoners clambering to get in, having heard about the party. Despite attempts to slow the crowd with walls of wind and Martin’s frightening presence, the crowd was too large to be contained.

As the masses poured in, chaos overtook Knight’s Row. Ale was flowing, Barnaby was shredding on his lute from the roof of Natuc’s home, Grimley robbed partygoers, and people young and old danced and drank the night away. With Natuc’s home and courtyard full, guests began spilling into the street, even breaking into other knights courtyards. Natuc and the group’s hired hands did their best to keep the peace, while N’Taba summoned panthers to guard the other homes.

Hoping to warn the Queen of the chaos engulfing the Quarter, Martin rode to the castle only to find the whole place on lockdown. Meanwhile, Lego began to distribute his drugs, with his first patron violently hallucinating as a result of a bad trip. A fight broke out in the street as a result, only adding to the chaos.

With the Wanderers spread out and putting out both literal and proverbial fires, Barnaby (now being controlled by Nathaniel) leapt from the roof to join the crowd and help restore order. And just in time, too: As he landed, Natuc’s hone erupted in a fireball from the inside, collapsing in on itself. Watching his house go up in flames, Natuc heard a voice whisper in his ear: “Raven sends her regards.”

Attacked by assassins and surrounded by fleeing civilians, the Wanderers fought off the assailants. A couple of well-timed counterspells from Lego kept civilian casualties to a minimum, while the rest of the group rallied to defeat the enemies, taking one as a prisoner. With the crowds now flocking out of Knight’s Row and the guards doing their best to calm things down, the Wanderers were left to figure out what had happened.

Sifting through the rubble of the home, they found the bodies of numerous partygoers caught in the blast. Included was Bradley, clinging to life, who Barnaby saved. Barles was not as lucky, killed by the explosion. It seemed to have been detonated from the cellar, no doubt involving a fireball and the copious amounts of ale they’d bought.

Questioning their captive, they learned the assassins were members of the Shroud, and elite guild of bounty hunters. Known for taking on high profile jobs, they had been hired by Raven to track down and kill the Wanderers. At this point the guards finally caught up with them, and the group was less to throne room to meet with the Queen.

Explaining the situation, the Wanderers tried their best to smooth things over with the Queen. But a line had been crossed that night: No longer trusting the Wanderers and seeing the destruction their enemies could bring upon the city, the Queen banished them from Kingsforge until they killed or captured Raven and proved they could once more be trusted. As such, Natuc was stripped of his knighthood, and the group escorted out of the castle.

With heavy hearts and lots to think over, the Wanderers headed back to the teleportation junction. Less than a day since arriving - and one massive party later - they left for Stonehaven, unsure if they’d ever see Kingsforge again.

### Redemption in Rockfell

Now back in Stonehaven, the Wanderers set about learning what they could about the Shroud. Through chatting with Boromir and Marty, they learned the Shroud can be contacted through a special ritual involving fire, bones and gem dust, after which they contact prospective clients in their dreams. Though they briefly considered hiring one of the various drunkards at the Miner’s Axe Tavern to contact the Shroud for them, they ultimately figured it would be best for them to do the talking themselves.

After purchasing the necessary gem dust the next day, the Wanderers decided to do the ritual in Rapidrun, a small town along the Nexus River and the first stop on their journey to Rockfell and eventually Roarkstead. Teleporting there with Boromir’s help, and with Martin’s old militia contact Stella in tow, the Wanderers quickly found themselves enjoying the town’s sea food and less-than-stellar establishments.

Gravitating toward Rapidrun’s anglers guild, Martin met Rory, the head of the guild and the brother of Radolf, who had defeated Martin in their Riverbend fishing contest. Wanting to see his brother defeated, Rory made him a deal: Beat him in a fishing contest, and his special fish hook would be his. Martin gladly accepted, taking Lego along for the ride.

Sadly, fate was not on Martin’s side. Though he fished well, his biggest catch narrowly came up short of Rory’s. But it was Lego who miraculously managed to land the biggest fish, and this Rory gave him his prized fish hook. Though Martin stormed off in defeat, he later returned to the docks, where Rory took him out fishing and lectured him on humility. Though he may have lost this day, by the end Martin was a better angler than when he arrived.

Spending the night at the rundown Whitewater tavern, and enjoying a crawfish boil cooked up by Barnaby, it was time to contract the Shroud. Heading out into the fields outside the city, Lego, Natuc and Martin all conducted the ritual together, speaking the words as one: “I call upon death.”

As they slept that night, a representative of the Shroud came to Martin and Natuc as they slept (Lego, being an elf, didn’t dream). Though they refused to reverse the contract on Raven, citing their guild’s sense of honor, they would postpone the contract for 10 days, in the event Raven was no longer able to pay (due to death by Wanderers). The Wanderers would have to agree to pay the contract in full, however: 10,000 gold pieces. They agreed, accepting their reprieve.

Awaking the next morning, the Wanderers decided to use their window of freedom to deal with Martin’s father and the Syndicate in Rockfell. Heeding Stella’s advice, they would need to deal with the Syndicate first: While all of Marvin’s (Martin’s father) power lied in Rockfell, if they took him down first the Syndicate might catch wind and move their operations. To do this, they’d need to find where they’re operating within Rockfell, which would hopefully lead them to their growing facility in the Fern Forest.

As they headed out of town, the group met Frederick, a loud-mouthed halfling salesman, and Garth, his mild-mannered half-orc business partner. Having been kicked out of town for selling snake oil (though they insisted their elixirs were legitimate), they were looking for hired guards to protect them on the road. Never ones to turn down gold, the Wanderers agreed, and together their strange band hit the road.

Passing by rolling hills and sprawling fields, the Wanderers lazily made their way along the road to Rockfell. Nearing the forest, they found a group of traders whose cart had broken a wheel on the side of the road. Sensing something was off, the group posed as militia members, inspecting their goods. When that didn’t work, they changed tactics: Namedropping the Syndicate, they convinced the traders that they were all in cahoots. Only them did their true cargo get revealed: Devil’s Eye spores.

As they attempted to get some more info out of the traders, Lego accidentally blew their cover. Martin quickly knocked out one of the drug mules, and as the others fled, Lego held their cart in place using magic. Now captured, Lego water-boarded one of the members, not afraid to use dark methods to get the info he wanted. They learned that within Rockfell, the Syndicate operated out of a storefront called Careful Crafts. With nothing else to learn, Lego drowned his captive while Stella and Martin executed the others. No witnesses.

Back on the road, the Wanderers reached the Fern Forest, a dangerous woodland that surrounded Rockfell. Traveling through the night at Barnaby’s behest, their wagon was stopped by militia members under the guise of an “inspection.” Recognizing it as a shakedown, Natuc attacked their leader, and a fight ensued.

Though Lego momentarily set the forest and ferns ablaze with a fireball, N’Taba managed to quench the flames with a tidal wave of her own. The bandits were defeated, and the Wanderers had been given a taste of the very corruption they now sought to end.

Arriving at the city the next day, the Wanderers happened upon a public execution happening that day. In the shadow of the militia headquarters, Martin saw for the first time in a long time the man he’d sworn revenge on: His father, Marvin. Carrying out the execution, Marvin spoke of rooting out crime and protecting his city. Though unable to stop the preceding a without drawing attention to themselves, the Wanderers knew his reign of corruption needed to be put to rest.

As the proceedings ended, Barnaby charmed one of the city’s guards into meeting them later, hoping he could give them more info on Marvin’s dealings. With the day to spend, the Wanderers split up: Lego and N’Taba went shopping, Martin visited his mother’s resting place with Barnaby (and Lego following), and Natuc got drunk with Grimley.

When the charmed guard finally showed up that evening, a human man named Tony, he proved to be less than useful, as he wasn’t on Marvin’s payroll. He did give the Wanderers some info on the militia headquarters and Marvin’s whereabouts within, and if nothing else, he was somewhat entertaining.

Making their way to Careful Crafts, a modest furniture and wood-working store, the party scoped out the shop using spiders summoned by N’Taba. Trying to find a way in, Grimley teleported inside using his portals, only to be attacked by the furniture come to life. Rushing in, and aided by satyrs courtesy of N’Taba, the Wanderers saved Grimley, but at the cost of making plenty of noise.

Finding a secret door in the back, the Wanderers rushed inside, using the satyrs as a distraction for the guards that had been attracted by their fighting. Now beneath the shop, the party found themselves in the Syndicate’s secret base within the city. But the Syndicate’s mercenaries were ready for them, having been tipped off by an alarm on the door.

The ensuing battle was intense, as the Wanderers were swarmed by sword swinging mercenaries and magic missile-slinging sorcerers. Caught under the influence of his axe, Natuc attacked Grimley, causing him to hide in fear. The Wand of Possible Power even did something, backfiring on Lego. It took a lot of their arsenal, but eventually the Wanderers won the day - but there was still more to come.

Taking a moment to breathe and heal, Lego animated a couple of the enemy corpses, naming them Zach and Cody. Heading deeper into the lair, the party passed through the Syndicate’s store room - filled with Devil’s Eye spores - before reaching a small prison area. Fighting fire-breathing hell hounds, they rescued a mom and son named Aria and Steven, as well as a former member of the Syndicate jailed for failing to sell enough product. They left them in their cells for the time being, while they headed to deal with the leader of the base.

Stepping into an office with a ceiling lined with swaying chains, the Wanderers came face to face with Izkal, the leader of this chapter of the Syndicate. The horned devil plunged the room in magical darkness, blinding the Wanderers and complicating the battle. Wounded and down most of their spells and abilities, the Wanderers battles the fiend, with Martin eventually managing to fell the creature. With one final puff of sulfurous smoke, Izkal was defeated.

Searching the office, the Wanderers found several soul gems containing what remained of some of Izkal’s victims, plus two letters: One from Dor’El in the Draven’s Den, mentioning missing shipments and a figure known as the Don; the other, a letter directing them to Frogwater Pond in the Fern Forest, where a marker may lead them to the Syndicate’s growing facility in the forest. While searching Izkal’s desk, N’taba also found a small, cloudy orb, and upon touching it, they heard a familiar voice emanating from inside: Marvin, Martin’s father.

Impersonating Izkal, Natuc managed to convince Marvin that all was clear in the base. The militia leader called off his guards, leaving the path out safe for the Wanderers. On their way out, they freed Aria and Steven, while killing the imprisoned dealer, not wanting to have a potentially dangerous witness out on the streets.

Desperate to rest up and heal their wounds, the party found that Frederick and Garth had packed up and left while they were away, spooked by the groups antics. Needing a place to stay, the group made their way to Tammy’s, a small tavern in town. Lego instantly picked a fight with Tammy’s husband, a large Goliath man named Helgen, and called Zach and Cody in for back-up. Chaos ensued as Helgen and two Dwarven onlookers chased Lego out of the tavern, alarmed by his necromancy, but Lego managed to escape thanks to his Misty Step spell. With the city guards on high alert, he managed to get back to the group, going inside N’Taba’s ring for protection.

While the rest of the group slept, Barnaby stayed down in Tammy’s tavern, using his charm to help defuse things. He spoke with some of the locals, learning of their hardy existence in Rockfell and how they leaned on one another to survive and stay positive. While most people were outwardly very thankful for Marvin and the militia (mostly due to their efforts protecting the town from orcs and goblins), he could sense a bit of discontent with the more frequent public executions as of late. Satisfied with his intel, he retired to his room, and the Wanderers prepared for a trek into the forest.

The Wanderers left town in the morning, making their way through the primal fern forest. Stepping on mushrooms and attacked by swarming beetles, the party found the woodlands to be more inhospitable than others they’d trekked through. But eventually they reached Frogwater Pond, only to find one resident who wasn’t too fond of their intrusion: A giant, toad-like beast known as a Froghemoth. Though the creature swallowed Lego whole, he managed to escape thanks to his cloak, and the Wanderers took down the beast.

At the edge of the pond, the group found a stump that had been marked with the Syndicate’s sigil. Using it as a starting point, they spotted similar markets throughout the forest, leading them deeper into the fern-laden woods. Eventually they came to a large clearing, and could see their quarry within: The Syndicate’s growing facility.

Towering 20-foot high walls surrounded the compound, guarding fields of Devil’s Eye mushrooms. Archers walked along the walls, while other armed workers tended to the fields. They seemed to be lead by a hulking figure with blue skin and stringy, white hair. At the center of the complex, a 50-foot tall watch tower loomed over the entire area. As far as the Wanderers could tell, there was only one gate in or out.

As the Wanderers plotted their next move, Lego, who had been bickering with Stella for a while, bopped her on the nose, warning himself a punch in the back of the head. N’Taba stuck him in the ring for a few minutes to cool off, but when she released him, he ran off. Though he briefly considered leaving the group entirely, he decided to return, watching from afar while invisible.

Tired of planning, Barnaby conjured up an illusion of Izkal, walking right up to the gate. Fooling the guards, they were allowed inside, and Martin, Natuc and Stella followed him in. But as their true leader showed herself - a seemingly beautiful elven woman who stood atop the tower - she saw through the illusion. As Barnaby tried to lie his way out of things, Lego misty-stepped to the top of the wall, trying to see what was happening. The criminals were spooked, and a fight was on.

Switching to her true form, the woman revealed herself to be the devil Marizza. Taking to the air, she reigned arrows down on the Wanderers, as her hulking minions assaulted them from the ground. Lego and Barnaby went down early, the latter trapped on the tower staircase by the hulking, blue behemoth. But as things looked bleak, the Wanderers rallied, taking down the ogre-like minion and felling most of the criminals. Natuc managed to wrangle Marizza to the ground with his axe as she tried to flee, and in a puff of sulphur, he vanquished the devil.

Beaten and bruised from the conflict, Martin went atop the tower to search Marizza’s office. Sadly, the room was trapped, sending him flying off the tower in a fiery explosion. One healing spell later, Natuc took a crack at looking through things. He found a black gem, a contract signed by Marvin detailing his relationship with the Syndicate, and a mysterious soul gem. Speaking with the trapped soul inside, a human man named Gwent, they decided to deal with him later.

With the Syndicate’s Devil’s Eye operation in shambles, Lego set fire to the fields, and the complex slowly burned down overnight. After a well-earned rest, the party knew it was time to deal with Marvin. Hashing out a couple potential options, they eventually decided to split up: Martin would head to the militia headquarters with Lego, N’Taba and Stella all polymorphed into flies by pixies (summoned by their Druid), where he’d attempt to get an audience with his father to potentially get some intel or surprise attack him. Meanwhile, Natuc and Barnaby would head to the mayor’s estate, in the hope of getting past his corrupt guards and presenting the evidence they’d found incriminating Marvin.

Reaching the outskirts of town, the sky opened up, pouring rain across the weathered walls of Rockfell. One way or another, Martin knew it was time to finish this. They dropped off Blinky and Grimley at Tammy’s Lodge, to free up spaces in N’Taba’s ring and for gate stoning, and we’re ready to go.

First up was Natuc and Barnaby, who was being controlled by Nathaniel at this point. Nathaniel’s acting skills and quick wit got them access to the estate, pretending to be there to fix his toilet. Going along with the gambit, he used Suggestion to get one of the guards to bring him the mayor. But she returned with several other guards, alerted by the fact that nothing was actually wrong with the toilet (before Nathaniel got to it anyway).

Thing went downhill from there. The guards attempted to arrest them, but we’re out to sleep by two trailing pixies or compelled to flee by Nathaniel. Panicking, Nathaniel and Natuc hid in an impenetrable bubble summoned by the bard, but were soon surrounded by guards. “Negotiating” with a rather enthusiastic member of the militia, the duo had the pixies turn them into flies, allowing them to sneak away and get access to the mayor.

Turning back into themselves with the help of the mayor (who smacked them), Nathaniel slapped down Marvin’s Syndicate contract on his desk. With the guards descending on them, they used the gate stone to get back to the rest of the party. Step one hadn’t gone to plan, but it was time for part two.

Riding up to the militia headquarters, Martin showed the guards his family crest, revealing himself as Marvin’s son. One of his father’s confidants, Errol, came to greet him, shackling him in manacles and taking him up to see his father. As he entered the low-lit room, Martin faced his father for the first time since he’d fled the city.

After being told of Marteen’s death, Marvin furiously laid into Martin, accusing him of being the one who lead the attack on the Syndicate base within town. It was too much of a coincidence that he would show up now, so soon after. But Marvin had bigger plans: No longer content with his tenuous hold on the city, he was planning a coup to overthrow the mayor. And Martin would be his fall guy, taking the blame for the mayor’s death.

Martin angrily fired back that Marvin never loved his mother. To his surprise, Marvin revealed that his mother’s death was no accident: He had arranged for her to be killed. He had used his power to get rid of her, and now he was going to use it to take the city. He ordered the coup, and Martin knew it was time to act.

Summoning Natuc, the Wanderers sprang into action. N’Taba transformed into a polar bear, Natuc flew into a rage, and Martin dueled with his father sword to sword, though hampered by the manacles on his wrist. Meanwhile, Barnaby attempted to ride Martin’s horse straight into the HQ… Where he was met by dozens of armed guards. Not sure what was going on, they knocked him unconscious and began taking him prisoner.

Inside Marvin’s office, the Wanderers held the upper hand. A fireball from Lego wiped out many of the guards outside the room. Most of Marvin’s inner circle were being dispatched by N’Taba and Natuc, while Marvin wore down his father. An errant swing by Marvin shattered Martin’s shackles, and channeling his divine fury, he finally had the opportunity he’d waited so long for.

Driving his blade through his father, Martin slew his nemesis. Reaching out one last time for his son, Marvin fell limp against the sword, and his soul was absorbed into it. Marvin was slain, as well as his inner circle, but it was too late: The mayor had been killed, and the coup was in effect.

Polymorphed to look like Marvin, Martin and Stella headed downstairs to find Barnaby, while Lego and N’Taba used his cloak to get outside with Natuc in her ring. Finding Barnaby being bound in chains in the courtyard, Martin told Stella to ride off on his horse. But Stella had other plans: She outed Martin to the rest of the guards, declaring that he’d killed Marvin. She was a deserter no more.

Surrounded by guards and with the city in chaos, Martin grabbed Barnaby abd used the gate stone to get back to the rest of the group. Picking up Grimley and Blinky, they knew they needed to get out of the city. As the spell on him faded, Martin was confronted by Tony, the clueless guard they’d questioned before. Confused and not sure what was going on, he lashed out at Martin (who easily took his sword and broke it) before running off.

Summoning horses to ride on, the Wanderers took off for the city gates. Pursuing them was a familiar foe: The guard who’d been interrogating Natuc and Barnaby in the mayor’s estate. Outrunning him on their mounts, Lego conjured an earthen hand to hold open the gate, and Barnaby blasted a few guards on horseback as they ran through the fields. Breaking for the forest, the guards ended their chase, and the Wanderers had escaped. Martin had gotten his revenge, but the future of Rockfell was still uncertain.

### Lavar, Elemental Titan of Fire

#### Murder in Roarkstead

Leaving Rockfell behind, the Wanderers set out for Roarkstead, in search of the final Titan in their path, Lavar. Following the road into the Endless Peaks, the group quickly got a taste of how dangerous these mountains could be: While resting in a mountain tunnel, they were ambushed by massive, insect-like creatures known as Umberhulks. Though tired from the previous day’s events, the party overcame thd creature’s confusing gaze, slaying them and finally earning some sleep.

Before bedding down for the night, both Natuc and Martin were contacted by their enchanted weapons, with very different results. Natuc’s ace was growing tired of waiting to go after Novak, decreeing that from then on he wanted more control. Meanwhile, Soul Render seemed pleased with how many souls Martin had “fed” to it, and thus asked Martin to pledge himself to their cause of destroying their creator. He agreed, and both set their sights on the final weapon: a wand.

Traversing the mountains over the next few days, the Wanderers met a couple of… interesting characters. First came a slaver dealing in captured goblins, which he used to pull his cart. Clearly crazy, N’Taba held him in place with magic while Lego grabbed their chains, effectively freeing them. The goblins tore the strange man limb from limb before running off. Barnaby freed the rest held in cages in the back of the cart, and as thanks, they tried to steal from him. His Gravity Sinkhole ensured they would never steal from anyone again. Because he killed them.

After another run in with the still-chained goblins that night (they wanted food, and Lego provided… by magic missile-ing one of them), the next day they came across an Aaracokra bard named Leek. Apparently a hermit out here in the mountains, Barnaby challenged him to a musicians duel, loot to loot. It was an intense contest, with both bards taking to the air as they played (Barnaby assisted by Lego), but in the end, Barnaby was clearly the winner.

Defeated and very high after getting some Devil’s Eye from Lego, Leek pulled Barnaby aside to ask for some help. His real name was apparently Amadeus, and he had run into some troubles in Roarkstead: His band mates had been arrested, and he owed a man named Skorr 1,000 gold. He implored Barnaby to pay off his debts, before setting out for Thronehold himself.

Their last night on the road, the group camped with sibling farmers named Milly and Gruff. After an intense round of the dice game Pig (won by N’Taba), the group questioned the two dwarves about Roarkstead. Apparently their contact Brogan had been caught stabbing the former queen to death, and the new King Tanglebeard was set to be coronated in 3 days. To make matters worse, the climax of his coronation tournament would be Brogan’s trial by combat. The Wanderers would have to work fast to get the info they needed.

Awaking the next day, Natuc learned Grimley had lost quite a bit of gold playing dice the previous night. The little boggle tried to steal from the farmers as revenge, but after Martin made him realize that stealing’s not great, Grimley shockingly returned the gold. Whether the lesson would stick was another matter, however.

Pushing on, the party finally got a glimpse of Roarkstead: Carved from a mountain peak, the Dwarven capital was the largest city they’d visited yet. The streets were bustling with people - almost exclusively dwarves - and jam packed with stores, taverns and casinos. But they quickly found the best store of all: Coriander’s Curios, where they once more purchased and traded items with the frog merchant.

Once their shopping had been completed, they decided to head to a local watering hole to both find information and settle some debts. Arriving at the Gurgling Goblin, Natuc quickly set about facing their resident arm wrestling champ, the one-eyed goblin, Ripper. It was a tense contest, but in the end, Natuc pulled through, winning free drinks for all.

As the group celebrated, Nathaniel (who had taken control upon arriving in the city) found who he was looking for: Skorr Ironfist, a gruff dwarf of House Silver who owned the bar. He learned that his new acquaintance, Amadeus, and his band had stolen a shield dear to Skorr’s family. The rest of the band members had been arrested, and Amadeus owed Skorr 1000 gold pieces for the infraction.

Settling the debt (and purchasing some expensive ale for him), Nathaniel began acquiring information from the Dwarven brute: The coronation tournament set for 3 days time would consist of several events before the trial by combat. There were to be an opening chariot race, a test of strength (which Skorr seemed confident of winning), a test of agility, beast fights, and finally the trial by combat. As a House-less member of the clergy, Brogan would have to fight his own battle, but Brogan wasn’t quite sure if outsiders could fight in his stead.

Charming his new “friend,” Nathaniel and N’Taba got him to write them a letter granting them access to the tournament. Meanwhile, Martin and Natuc had gotten very drunk by this point. Martin stumbled out to ask for directions to Daphne’s Apothecary, their lead on Brogan, while Natuc passed out at the bar. After altering herself to look like a dwarf (a very Italian-sounding dwarf), N’Taba and Martin are their way in the general direction of their destination.

While he was passed out, a young Dwarven boy attempted to steal from Natuc. The Goliath noticed just in time, and as the boy fled, he flung Grimley at him. Grimley did what he does best: In one swift motion, he stabbed the child’s jugular, killing him instantly.

The bar fell silent, unsure of what to do. A few people ran out to get guards. Skorr stepped forward, demanding justice. When he pulled out his battle hammer, Natuc didn’t fight back: He was knocked unconscious, and placed in chains. Grimley had dipped by this point.

As guards entered the tavern to figure out what was happening, Nathaniel knew he had to act fast. He concocted a story about Grimley being a powerful wizard, and how he might have been controlling Natuc. The story was corroborated by others who had seen Grimley’s portal magic, and helped by these guards being particularly gullible. Natuc was dragged off to a holding cell, but the seeds of doubt had been planted in the guard’s heads.

As this chaos was breaking out, Martin and N’Taba were having a difficult time getting into the Mithras District. Outside of the city’s opening Silver District, the rest of the town wasn’t usually open to outsiders. N’Taba may have looked like a dwarf, but the guards were less than thrilled to let the belligerently drunken Martin in.

Claiming to be living above Daphne’s shop, one of the guards escorted N’Taba there to check this story. Upon arriving, N’Taba quickly embraced the Dwarven herbalist, whispering that she was there for Brogan. Though confused, Daphne played along, and eventually Martin was brought there as well.

Speaking with Daphne, they learned that she was questioning her brother’s innocence. While she’d heard the rumors he may have been charmed, she wasn’t sure who would do this or why. She hasn’t brought herself to go visit him in the Obsidian yet. But hearing of the importance of the Wanderers mission, she agreed to take them.

Back in his holding cell, Natuc was visited by Grimley, who had so far remained undetected. He instructed the boggle to get him a Gate Stone, as it could be his only method of escape. Grimley agreed, disappearing to go try and find the rest of the party.

With the help of a fellow musician he’s befriended at the Gurgling Goblin, Nathaniel had made his way to Daphne’s at this point. Wanting to get a bit more info, they headed to the nearby Twisted Wand to try and find help. There they found folks less than excited to talk with them. As Martin got up charged for drinks, Nathaniel spoke with a Dwarven scholar who was studying alone at a table. Mostly humoring him, she explained that there had been times when outsiders had fought for House-less dwarves in trials by combat. There was a precedent for the Wanderers, if they wanted it.

But as Nathaniel started pressuring her on the murder, specifically what it might mean for one of their own to have murdered a queen (Brogan was previously a member of House Mithral), the scholar’s attitude changed. No longer wanting to speak with the outsider, their conversation ended on a sour note. Satisfied with what they’d found, they headed back to Daphne’s.

When they got there, they were found by Lego, who had also disguised himself as a dwarf to get in. And he had Grimley in tow, who quickly tried to get a Gate Stone from them. As they were discussing their next move, they overheard a rather loud mage being lead through the streets by a couple guards. He seemed to be heading to question Natuc, and very his story.

As a last attempt to help his friend, Nathaniel cast Suggestion on the mage to convince him of Natuc’s innocence. The mage failed to shrug off the effect, and Natuc had a life line. Sending Grimley back to Natuc with a gate stone (to be used as a last resort) and a note instructing him on what was happening, the rest of the Wanderers headed for the Obsidian with Daphne.

After receiving the stone and note from Grimley, Natuc was greeted by the mage and some guards. Convinced Natuc was innocent, the mage questioned him under a zone of truth, picking his words carefully, Natuc feigned innocence. Between the stories Nathaniel had concocted, Grimley’s delivering the killing blow, the mage’s insistence on his innocence and perhaps the guard’s failing patience, Natuc was set free. Disaster has been averted, for now.

Teleporting back to the group with the Gate Stone, Daphne was mortified to hear what Natuc had done. But they managed to talk her off the ledge, using the same story of him being charmed by Grimley. As the sun began setting over Endless Peaks, the Wanderers finally approached the Obsidian.

Entering the prison, the Wanderers encountered security unlike any they’d seen before: Anti-magic fields, countless defensive runes, trained soldiers and iron golems all guarded the prison. After relinquishing their weapons - or being bound in chains, as was the case for Natuc - the Wanderers were brought to Brogan’s cell.

The old cleric was quick to appeal to the group. Pleading his innocence, he asked them to take his spot in his Trial by Combat. He would still be exiled, but he reckoned that was better than being dead. In return, he had information on Lavar. He was confidant he knew the titan’s location, but would only reveal it to the Wanderers once he was free.

Pressing him on the murder, the party got his side of events: While heading to Daphne’s, a visit he would make weekly, he felt something come over him, that compelled him to return and kill the queen. He found it odd that the guards allowed him into her room unwatched (and later he described the guards to the group), and was sure whoever charmed him must have been a powerful spell caster.

With everything in mind, the Wanderers agreed to fight for him in his trial by combat. Brogan informed the guards, and told the Wanderers to speak with Tilgar, the tournament’s master of ceremonies and the one in charge of his trial. He could tell them more about the tournament.

By the time they left the Obsidian, night had fallen on Roarkstead. After collecting Grimley and finding a room at a different tavern, the Wanderers night wasn’t done yet. They decided the local brothel might be a good place to dig up secrets, and so Martin and Barnaby (now back in control) headed to an establishment called Lucky Lenny’s.

Inside the sleazy establishment, Barnaby and Martin rented out their most expensive escort, a trifling named Sheila. Upon arriving to her room, they bribed her into giving them information on some of her more prominent clients. She revealed that recently Kroger Tanglebeard, the elder brother of the new king, had been visiting her frequently, and he was probably still in the lobby below. He had been passed up to be king in favor of his younger brother, and had been inconsolable for weeks.

As they pressed for more details, Sheila pressed them for more money. In turn, Barnaby threatened her with a knife, and then after Martin threatened her with words. Terrified, she kicked them out of her room, secretly alerting the head of the establishment of their threats.

Back in the lobby, Martin and Barnaby found Kroger wasted, deep in the cups. Questioning him, he wouldn’t reveal much about what was going on behind the scenes, only a vague hint that his father had done something. After trying to… seduce him maybe? Barnaby ran out, and Martin soon followed. But not before N’Taba joined them, gate—stoning in disguised as a beautiful Dwarven woman.

After getting the lay of the land from the creepy purveyor of Lucky Lenny’s, N’Taba pretended to be interested in Kroger to get him to talk. The drunken dwarf didn’t outright admit anything, but implied that his father gets what he wants - in this case, his son as king. That was all N’Taba needed: She was sure Tyberius was behind the murder, and no longer in need of info, convinced Kroger she would meet him at their estate with Sheila as well. She’d played the idiot for a fool, and was ready to leave.

But as she was leaving, she found Martin being arrested outside: Apparently, the threats he and Barnaby had made against Sheila had been reported. Rather than resist, he had opted to be taken in. Pretending to be his sister-in-law, N’Taba paid his fine with a little extra to the guards to let him go. With him freed, they returned to the tavern, and hearing of his impending arrest, Barnaby turned himself in and paid the fine.

Finally getting to rest, the Wanderers headed to the Arena of Ancients early the next day, guided by Daphne. As they headed through some of the Silver District’s side streets, a few figures stepped out and confronted them, headed by Skorr. Though they’d convince the guards of Natuc’s innocence, Skorr wasn’t fooled: He wanted justice, and demanded they turn Natuc over to him.

Rather than fight, the Wanderers mentioned they’d be fighting in a trial by combat, and that an honorable man would rather see them die in the trial than kill them in the streets. Skorr was happy to hear that, because he himself had been tapped to represent House Silver in the trial. Eager to meet them on the battlefield, he called off his men, promising to end them later.

Reaching the Arena in tact, the party met with Tilgar, a former champion of tournaments himself. As participants through the Trial by Combat, each Wanderer could choose a different event to participate in as well: A chariot race, a test of strength, a test of agility, or beast fights. Natuc went for the test of strength, Barnaby took up the test of agility, and Martin and N’Taba teamed up for the beast fights.

The Wanderers now stood at a crossroads: Do they continue to investigate the murder, to try and get Brogan off scot free? Or do they put all their faith in the trial by combat, the admittedly more exciting option? After deliberating, they decided the trial by combat was the way forward, and so spent the next few days preparing for the tournament (and reading, in Natuc’s case).

On the day of the tournament, the entire city was buzzing with excitement. Dwarves of all class and status flocked to the arena, wearing their various house colors. And so to did the Wanderers, with the knowledge that by day’s end, they’d either have saved Brogan or died trying.

After watching the opening chariot race (and betting on a losing side), it was time for the Test of Strength. Natuc stepped into the arena to overwhelming boos from the crowd, and saw that one of his opponents would be Skorr himself. Lifting a series of increasingly heavier stone and metal objects, Natuc slowly turned the crowd to his side, especially after Skorr went down unexpectedly early. Reaching the final lift, Natuc was presented with the Abyssal Stones, unnaturally dense rocks that had only been lifted by a few dwarves in history. Straining every muscle in his body, Natuc raised the stones, and the arena erupted in cheers. A new legend had been written.

Next up was the Test of Agility, and Barnaby stepped forward for the challenge. Climbing walls, spire jumping, swinging from ropes and leaping through flaming hoops - Barnaby raced to an early lead before falling behind, the obstacle course proving to be a real challenge. Heading into the final obstacle - two adjacent walls that he’d need to shimmy up to reach the final bell - he found himself just behind the leader. Leaping up the wall, he summoned every ounce of athleticism and acrobatics he had left… and reached the top first! Two Wanderers had earned glory in the arena, and the crowd was beginning to look more favorably on these strange outsiders.

The final event before their trial would be the beast fights, a series of duels between dwarves and beasts. First up would be Martin and N’Taba. Charging into the arena to face them was a massive saber-toothed cat, and an owl bear that looked familiar to N’Taba: It was the one she’d once released on a group of trappers, re-caught and as angry as ever. These two beasts would have proven to be a challenge for two regular fighters - but Martin and N’Taba were seasoned adventurers. They easily handled the two beasts, and once again the Wanderers had come out on top.

As the rest of the beast fights raged on, the party awaited the oncoming trial by combat. But as they rested, they were summoned by an unlikely figure: Tyberius Tanglebeard, the father of the new king. Going to his luxurious box in the arena. Tyberius made it clear he hoped the Wanderers would die in the trial (he’s been part of the group who picked their opposition). But if they were to survive, Tyberius was worried many in Roarkstead would see it as proof Brogan was actually innocent. If that were the case, rumors of foul play might continue to spread.

So he made them an offer: If they did survive, he wanted them all to use their platform to endorse the new king. They had earned themselves a lot of glory in the arena that day, and he wanted them to cash it in. In return, he’d pay them each 15,000 gold pieces.

Discussing the deal, Martin thought the whole thing was fishy. Why pay them off to do this if he was actually innocent of the Queen’s murder? But the allure of money was strong, and only made stronger when upon a return to Tyberius, Barnaby convinced him to also acquire Stonekiller for them, the famous sword Queen Tyra had asked them to retrieve. The Wanderers agreed to the deal, with a warning that if they crossed him, it would be a grave mistake.

It was time for their Trial by Combat. Stepping into the arena as a group, the Wanderers were met with a few cheers, having won over parts of the crowd. But as the champions of Roarkstead stepped out from the opposite end, they knew they’d have their hands full. Each of the houses and the clergy had sent one of their best to compete - including their rival, Skorr. There was no turning back now.

The fight was on. The Wanderers fought like a well-oiled machine, quickly gaining the upper hand. One of their competitors, a knight in plate armor, was incapacitated by a spell from Lego, while their team’s mage was frightened of Martin, only ale to run and hide. Two of their competitors - a Dwarven warrior enlarged by gauntlets and a Cleric - were banished by Lego, and it looked like the Wanderers would make quick work of their trial.

But it wasn’t so. Though vultures from N’Taba were able to eviscerate the mage, he was first able to get off a powerful fireball that sent Barnaby and Martin to the floor, and left Lego clinging to life. Skorr too was killed by the vultures (after being worn down by Natuc), but before his death, was able to break Lego’s concentration, returning the Cleric and warrior to the battlefield. It was tense, but it seemed as though the Wanderers would still close things out.

Then everything changed. Sensing she could no longer win, but wanting to hurt the Wanderers, the warrior attacked Barnaby as he was down, finishing off the bard. As he may dying, Nathaniel’s last words implored the Wanderers to fight corruption and do the right thing. Martin quickly swept in to revive their dead comrade, but with Nathaniel wishing to reunite with his fallen friends and family, it was only Barnaby who returned to life.

Twisting Nathaniel’s final words, Barnaby conjured a gravity sinkhole right in the king’s private box. The new king and his father were both pulled into the gravity well - as well as about 20 onlookers. Their bodies were crushed and broken, and chaos erupted in the arena. The Wanderers were now king slayers.

Natuc fled for the exit, taking out guards and grabbing Brogan in his holding cell. N’Taba popped Barnaby into her ring, releasing Grimley once more. She, Martin and Lego dueled with the warrior and the town guards who had come into the arena, and while they were nearly killed, they managed to take out the warrior and her back-up. All together again, N’Taba turned the party into birds, and before more guards could arrive, the Wanderers fled Roarkstead.

Reconvening on a mountain peak, Martin grabbed Barnaby, demanding he explain his actions. Barnaby had no remorse, expressing it was worth killing civilians since he got the king. N’Taba was angry he’d cost them all the gold they were promised - so Barnaby paid them all he had. He needed to take some time to figure things out, so after accepting a sending stone from Natuc, Barnaby descended the mountain, and was gone.

Down one team member, the Wanderers turned their sights toward Lavar. Brogan informed them that across a feature known as Rendar’s Ridge, there was a small glade of trees growing in the mountains. Once a volcanic area, the site had been dormant for years, but recently there had been reports of smoke rising from the glade. He’d done some research, and centuries ago there had been a settlement of Pyra worshippers there, the god of fire. Perhaps, like the other Titans, Lavar had been imprisoned in a temple there.

It was the best lead they had. Taking a night to rest and recover, Natuc and Martin found themselves sharing a dream. The Shroud was calling, and their time was up. With Raven still out there, the Shroud promised their assassins would be coming soon. Just another thing the Wanderers would need to worry about.

The next day, still sore from the Trial abd its aftermath, the Wanderers set out for Rendar’s Ridge. Coasting through the air as birds, they could eventually see a rocky ridge in the mountains, and beyond, a glade of grey, ashy trees. And ridding from within, two smoke columns signaled the volcanic activity below.

It was time to confront Lavar.

#### Lavar’s Emergence

Resting for the rest of the day, knowing they had a big fight ahead, the Wanderers took some time to recover from and reflect on their tumultuous time in Roarkstead. As they camped, they were visited by a strange figure: A loxodon researcher named Dr. Karate James Jefferstone. An artificer from a place called the College of Yore, his library had been visited by Boromir months before, and the quest for the Titans had intrigued him. He’s tracked Lavar’s whereabouts this far, and with his and the Wanderer’s goals aligned, he agreed to help them battle Lavar.

Early the next day, it was time for battle. The Wanderers crossed Rendar’s Ridge into the glade of ashy trees, which N’Taba noted to be Sootseed trees. They typically only grew in volcanic environments, even more proof that Lavar was here.

Emerging in a small clearing, the Wanderers found a stone that seemed to mark the entrance to Lavar’s prison. Black smoke billowed up from two fissures in the ground, and they could hear the rumbling of magma beneath their feet. But they weren’t alone in this clearing: Stepping out from within the trees, several lizardfolk lead by a green, toad-like salad confronted the Wanderers. Followers of Vorza, here for the final orb.

The battle was quick and bloody. Aided by his various magical creations, Dr. Karate helped buff the rest of the group and blast the slaad with beams of energy. N’Taba burned them away in her fire elemental form, Martin used the power of fear to keep the slaad and bay, and Natuc cut down foe after foe with his axe. The slaad fell, but the battle was only beginning.

The ground beneath their feet erupted, sending the Wanderers flying in an explosion of fire and force. The glade was now a roiling pool of magma, and rising from the burning rock, Lavar now emerged to face them. The final Titan had broken free of its prison.

The Wanderers leapt into action, burned but determined to finish the fight. Natuc laid into her with his axe, but with each blow, flames licked up his arms and legs, burning him in the process. Lavar set a few of them ablaze, catching them up in a swirling firestorm or landing blows with her fiery fists. Martin, though badly injured, stood tall right in the thick of things, keeping her at bay with his frightening capabilities.

But things began to look bleak. Martin went down, Natuc was worn out, and N’Taba had been blinded by Lavar’s magic. When they needed him most, Dr. Karate came through. Risking his own health, he ran in to heal Martin and Natuc, keeping them in the fight.

In the end, it was Grimley who landed the final blow on Lavar. Tearing open a portal in space, he fired a final arrow through the void, piercing through the fire titan’s form. Scattered and destroyed, what remained of the monster coalesced into a single, fiery orb.

The Wanderers had finally done it. They’d defeated the elemental titans.

### Vorza’s Ascension

Victorious at last, the Wanderers headed back to Stonehaven, using Lego’s new ability to teleport to get there. They expected a warm reception. Instead, they found a library in ruin.

The Library of Delphine had been destroyed, the stone building strewn across multiple blocks. Deep grooves of melted stone traced their way through nearby buildings and streets. Stonehaven had been attacked.

Clambering down into Boromir’s treasure chamber, they found the room barren. The orbs were gone, and across the way, lay the single, battered corpse of a golden dragon. Boromir was dead, and carved into his side were the words: “My ascension begins.”

Vorza.

As they processed what was going on, they heard voices near the top of the chamber entrance. A couple of the Queen’s guard had been watching for them, and apparently, Queen Tyra was here herself aboard her airship. As they began to head over to meet with her, the group was stopped by a Tiefling investigator named Brooks O’Millien.

Apparently he’d been following a lead that had lead him to the Wanderers. He was hoping to tag along with them, and seeing no reason not to let him, the group agreed. With a new member in tow, most headed for the airship, while Lego and Martin ran to the Miner’s Axe to look for Marty.

Arriving at the tavern, they found the Miner’s Axe completely destroyed. One of Vorza’s acid blasts had torn straight through it, collapsing the building. Sifting through the rubble, the two feared the worst had befallen Marty… Until they saw him running up the road to meet him.

Having worked late for the first time in his life, Marty had survived the attack. After a short reunion, the two rendezvoused with the rest of the group back at the airship. Climbing aboard, they were met by General Corbin, the head of Delmar’s military, and Queen Tyra, decked out in golden plate armor.

Furious with the attacks on her subjects, the Queen demanded to know everything the Wanderers knew about Vorza. They told her about the orbs, now missing, and how Boromir had sent his friend Boonie to find Vorza’s hideout. Pulling out a spell scroll for Sending, she implored one of them to use it to contact Boonie, if he was still alive.

Choosing his words carefully, Lego took the scroll and sent a message to Boonie. And he heard back - Boonie was alive, but just barely. He’d been captured by Vorza, and was being held at his lair in the Antioch Archipelago. Vorza had stolen his teleportation stone, giving him access directly to the library. He asked Lego to tell his wife he loved her, and the cleric went silent.

With a location set, the Queen laid out her plan: She wanted the Wanderers to fly with her to Hull Harbor, where Admiral Hayes was assembling a fleet. Together they’d assault Vorza’s lair, and SIR Natuc and the Wanderers would be in charge of slaying Vorza. They readily agreed.

As they prepared to depart, they learned a few familiar faces would be tagging along as well. First was Natuc’s squire, Bradley, who was less than thrilled to be assigned to him again. Next was Azara, the Knight of Helena, who was happy to see the Wanderers and fight with them once more. And last was Declan, the partying Knight of Kingsforge who was excited to get in some action.

With the crew assembled, Dr. Karate decided it was time to take his leave. He resolved to stay behind and begin the process of restoring the library and its contents. He implored the Wanderers not to die, remarking that at the moment they were only a footnote in his journals, but perhaps someday they could be a whole chapter. And he was off.

After a quick stop to pick up some enchanted items, it was time to set out. The Queen’s airship took to the sky, and the Wanderers were heading for a date with destiny.

As the ship took flight, Martin took a moment to reach out to the entity that had been contacting him. In a vision, he found himself on a misty battlefield, facing a massive man with glowing eyes. Named Xerias, he explained that he was once Helena’s greatest champion, but now spent his days touching the souls of those with potential, watching their progress. He was impressed with Martin, and wanted to see him grow into a legendary warrior. To that end, he offered Martin more of his powers - and Martin agreed. Their partnership was official.

While aboard the airship, the group briefly reunited with Jacques, the boisterous store master who had cheated them in cards before. But he was happy to see them, welcoming them to the ship and offering a game if they were interested. Over the next couple days in the air, the Wanderers began preparing for the fight ahead.

On the second night aboard the airship, Martin found a gift had been left for them in their room: A couple of fancy wine bottles from the Queen’s private stores. Instantly suspicious, their new friend Brooks took a look at the scene: He noted that the wine bottle had been previously opened, and that the hand-writing on the note they’d been left didn’t match that of the Queen’s on the letter she wrote Lego.

After alerting the Queen and testing that the wine was indeed poisoned, they had a mystery to solve. Since the wine came from the Queen’s private stores, they knew it had to be someone that had entered her chambers that day. That meant Declan, Azara, Flight Captain Oberlin, Jacques, General Corbin and Bradley were all suspects.

Bringing them in for questioning, the Wanderers began by pretending not to know the wine was poisoned, carefully watching their fellow passengers for signs of lying. After revealing the ruse, they began questioning each person as to their whereabouts and dealings that day. General Corbin seemed generally annoyed, Declan seemed generally oblivious, but most of the people they questioned had alibis.

While Martin, Natuc and Lego continued questioning the group of suspects, N’Taba and Brooks took a pass around the ship looking for stow-aways or evidence of poison. With her Druidic abilities, N’Taba was able to sense a bit of poison within their own quarters: the remains of a shattered vial. With his keen ability to pick up details, Brooks found an even bigger clue: a single blonde hair by the broken vial. That narrowed things down to Declan or Bradley.

Presenting their findings to the group, Martin cast Zone of Truth, confident that they could now get a straight answer. Everyone they asked refuted poisoning the wine… Except for Bradley. The saboteur had been revealed. He admitted to the crime, detailing how he was approached by a hooded figure in Stonehaven. They had offered to pay him 2000 gold pieces in return for poisoning the Wanderers - most likely the Shroud, who seemed to be making good on their word to come after the party.

Disgusted, Natuc asked to partake in Bradley’s execution once they landed. In need of a new squire, he had the Queen deputize Grimley. In a weird way, things had come full circle.

With no other distractions, the Wanderers finally arrived in Hull Harbor on the first day of autumn. Finding a moderate village made of discarded ship parts and driftwood, they landed at Fort Andall, the command site for Delmar’s navy. There they were greeted by Admiral Hayes, a half-elven woman who serves as leader of the naval forces. Declining rooms within the fort, they decided to spend the night drinking at a local tavern.

After a bit of shopping, the group decided to question their newest member over a round of drinks. Driven by his wife’s death, Brooks had spent the last 40 years investigating chaos, and the links between different events that seemed disparate, but perhaps weren’t. But every time he’d get close to figuring things out, he’d be confronted by a large, eldritch entity, and “reset”: Sent back home to start again. Each time details would change, like the existence of a mine or other small things, and he would have to pick up the trail once more, with things getting more and more complicated. This time he’d found the Wanderers, and was hoping they could help shed some light on things.

Retiring for the evening, the Wanderers drifted to sleep, unaware of the danger awaiting them. That night, Shroud assassins snuck into their rooms, assaulting Natuc, Martin and N’Taba as they slept. The ensuing fight was quick and bloody: Both Martin and Lego went down, Brooks sniped with his crossbow, Natuc nearly killed Grimley while controlled by his axe. But the Wanderers won out, escaping with all of their lives.

Shaken by the encounter, they decided to spend the rest of the night in the safer confines of the fort. Rising the next day sore but alive, they joined up with the rest of Delmar’s military leadership to discuss the attack on Vorza’s base. It was going to be more complicated then they’d thought.

Vorza had several things going for him. First, the island his lair was on was surrounded by rocky cliff-faces, making it possible to land ships on only one of its shores. Second, he had his own fleet of ships patrolling that coastline, and the entire island was crawling with Lizardfolk. Third, various flying creatures served Vorza, which would make landing the airship on the island difficult. And last but not least, Vorza himself was a formidable foe. If he entered the battle, things could turn south quickly.

Their plan would be 3-fold. Vorza had assembled these followers for a reason - so long as he didn’t feel too threatened, he’d most likely be inclined to let his minions do the fighting for him. That meant they’d need to engage his forces without overwhelming them. Admiral Hayes would lead a small naval fleet against Vorza’s ships, paving the way for ground troops to the land on the island. They would draw out Vorza’s minions on land, while the Queen’s airship drew out his flying followers. Once above the island, the Wanderers would drop in using Feather Fall, and find Vorza’s lair before he joined the battle. The plan revolved around them slaying him - if they failed, their chances of winning were slim.

Satisfied with this plan, the Wanderers spent the day preparing. Natuc executed Bradley, settling that loose thread before moving forward. N’Taba awakened some vines, turning them into a primordial plant creature. A typical day. The next morning, the Wanderers gathered with the rest of the fleet, and departed for the Antioch Archipelago.

Over the next few days the Wanderers prepared for battle by hyping up the troops, concocting potions and pouring over the battle plans. By their third day at sea, under an over ast sky, they were ready. And appearing over the horizon was the Antioch Archipelago.

A few spits of rocky, barren land, the archipelago was nothing special. But it's central and largest island was more than just a rocky shoreline: They could see the mist-laden swamp that encompassed most if the island's interior, and the fleet of pirate ships protecting it. It was time.

Just as rain began to fall across the deck of the airship, the naval fleet below surged forward, preparing to engage Vorza's ships. The booming of arcane cannon fire soon mingled with the sound of crashing thunder, as the two ship fleets began to duel. The battle was on.

Lifting up from the island, a first wave of pterodactyl-like creatures descended on the airship, their lizardfolk riders leaping onto the deck. The Wanderers flew into action, summoning vultures, sniping with crossbows and striking them down with axes. The Queen and Azara joined in too, as well as a number of soldiers stationed on the ship. Though the creatures tore through some of Delmar's warriors - and took out Flight Captain Oberlin, causing the Queen to have to take the helm - the Wanderers handled this first wave.

Leaving his perch in the crow's nest, Brooks took the helm from the Queen as she went to fetch their back-up pilot. But before they could catch their breath, they heard the sound of crashing water below them. Rising from the ocean was a massive elemental creature, serpentine in appearance, who tore through one of Delmar's ships with it's strength and icy breath.

Recognizing this threat to the fleet, Brooks pushed the ship right into the fray. Dueling with the creature, he maneuvered the airship expertly, avoiding most of it's icy blasts and keeping it in position for his teammates. The rest of the party assaulted the beast with ballista, their weapons and, in N'Taba's case, octopus tentacles. With one final surge, Brooks rammed the ship through the creature, and attacked from the inside, the elemental fell. With one less threat to the fleet, the airship headed toward the island once more.

With the danger cleared, the Queen returned with their back-up pilot: Jacques, the store master. Though nervous at first, a swift punch from Brooks got him in the game. But there was more trouble on the way. A flock of dragon-esque creatures had taken off from the island, headed by a familiar foe: A wyvern. But the Wanderers stood firm, and another wave fell before them.

At this point, boats had begun leaving Delmar's fleet packed with soldiers, headed ashore. And on the beach, Vorza's minions had begun to assemble, preparing for the ground assault on their island. But as the boats made their way toward land, black, shadowy tendrils began pushing up out of the sea, ensnaring the boats and drowning soldiers. Their ground assault was threatened before they even made it.

The Wanderers jumped in, commanding Jacques to guide them down. One by one they began taking out tendrils, hacking, slashing and burning their way through. By the time they took off again for the island, most of the tendrils had been decimated, and Delmar's boats were clear to land.

The airship reached the beach just as the first wave of boats did, and even from afar they could hear the angry shouts and clashing of weapons from the intense battle below. It looked like more of Vorza's minions were coming to aid the fight - his lair potentially exposed. For a brief moment, it seemed as though Vorza's minions had found an upper hand: Arcane cannons firing magic missiles began targeting the incoming boats of Delmar's second wave of soldiers. But fireballs from the Queen's Airship and Lego decimated the cannons, ending that threat.

Now flying above the swamp, the Wanderers knew it was only a matter of time before they'd need to head to the ground. But first, one last wave of fliers: Two wyverns, and a draconic fiend wielding a sabre. Though these foes seemed imposing at first, the Wanderers hacked through the wyverns one by one, while the fiend couldn't get last Martin's armor and shield. Natuc finished the job, and the airship was now flying clear over the heart of the swamp.

It was time to go. With one last goodbye to the Queen, the group leapt off the airship, plummeting to the swamp below. Lego cast Feater Fall just as another group of wyverns and fliers took off toward the ship, and the last thing they saw before plunging into the swamp was the airship attacked. But they had to focus: After all this time, they were finally going to face Vorza.

Plummeting to the surface and crashing through the canopy, the Wanderers reached the soft mud below. Sulfurous and creepy, the swamp was a foreboding place to enter, but the party were prepared. Striding between trees, N’Taba eventually found signs of something moving through the swamp, and following the tracks, they came upon the black dragon’s lair.

Mostly submerged in the swamp’s thick mud, the roof of an ancient temple stuck out of the ground in a small clearing. The remnants of a once beautiful stained glass window offered the only entrance in or out. A few lizardfolk stood guard - which were quickly dispatched by the Wanderers. All that was left was to head inside.

Dropping in, the group found a cavernous cathedral, 40 feet high from floor to ceiling. But the once impressive temple has fallen to ruin - grime and muck covered the space, chunks of stone had fallen from the wall and ceilings, and pools of filthy water filled parts of the floor. As soon as they touched down, the entire cavern began to shake, and across the way, the largest pool of water began to bubble faster and faster.

Bursting into the chamber, rising from the filthy water, was Vorza. His black scales shimmered and glistened with muck water, horns flanked his draconic snout, and two leathery wings stretched out from his shoulders. Embedded in his chest were three orbs: The remains of Tsuna, Tempest and Krakkan. His ascension had begun.

Taking to the sky, Vorza blasted the Wanderers with acid as they scrambled to fight back. Brooks fired off bolts from his crossbow, N’Taba summoned giant owls to aid them, Natuc chucked his axe at the dragon, Lego sniper with spells and Martin attempted to frighten the beast. But Vorza struck back just as ferociously, laying into them with his claws and teeth or beating them back with his powerful wings.

Attempting to blind the dragon, Brooks cast darkness around the beast, only to realize that Vorza could fight even in total darkness. Assisted with Lego’s magic, Natuc flew into the void, lashing out at Vorza. His axe blows weakened the creature, and for a moment, it seemed as though victory was within their reach.

But as Vorza’s body tired, the orbs began to glow brighter. The magical darkness burned away, revealing changes in the dragon’s form: His eyes shined with different colors, stone began replacing scales, ice encased his wings and lightning began coursing from his wounds. The power of the titans was fueling him, and now the fight had truly begun.

A blast of sand from Vorza’s new powers sent the Wanderers reeling, knocking Lego out. Shards of ice flew from his wings, tossing Natuc off his back. He lashed out with claws of electricity and gusts of powerful winds. But through it all, the Wanderers hung tough.

They healed each other. They attacked with spells, bows and axes. They refused to give in, weathering blow after blow and pushing on. And as both sides tired, the dragon and the heroes giving their all, it was N’Taba who finally landed the killing blow.

Focusing her strength into one final spell, she cast Blight on the wicked dragon, wrapping him in dark tendrils. His life force began to be sucked away, shriveling his flesh as cracking his scales. The beast fell to the floor, letting out one final roar. But he was beaten: Vorza crumpled the ground, defeated. The Wanderers had won.

Catching their breath, the group reaped the rewards of their efforts: The dragon’s hoard. They found piles of gold and platinum, interesting trinkets and powerful magical artifacts. The treasure was theirs for the taking.

While investigating, Brooks noticed a strange symbol carved into the wall: A spider web made of tentacles. For some reason, it felt familiar to him, like a long-lost memory. Could it be a clue as to what this temple did purpose was? Perhaps, but he stored this knowledge for later.

As they reveled on their riches, the Wanderers were eventually found by soldiers of Delmar. The battle had been won. Led to the beach (with Vorza’s head in tow), the group were met by the Queen, as soldiers celebrated all around them. Brought to the deck of the airship, they were presented before the crowd as the saviors of Delmar. It had been a long few months, filled with triumph and heartache, but for now, the Wasted Wanderers were heroes.

## High Seas Hijinks

With Vorza defeated, Queen Tyra thanked the Wanderers for all they had done. The orbs were given to Azara for safe keeping, ready to be held within the vault of the Knights of Helena. As when they saved her airship, the Queen offered to grant any requests the Wanderers had, so long as it was within her power.

Natuc asked to be made a lord, and his request was granted, with the details to be settled next time they were in Kingsforge. Martin asked if the Queen could look into the situation in Rockfell, and while the city fell outside Delmar’s borders, she promised to have someone check it out. A humble man, Brooks asked for nothing, happy to just help out. And Lego asked to be deeded the Miner’s Axe, so he could rebuild it with Marty.

Thinking ahead, N’Taba requested a ship: They would need to sail in order to reach Koa, where they new Raven and the Lion’s Mane were. Having just captured several of Vorza’s ships, the Queen offered them one to keep as their own. The Wanderers had a new ride.

Before joining the rest of the celebrations, Lego pulled the group aside. The last few months had been a whirlwind, and after nearly dying many times over, he needed a break. He planned to head back to Stonehaven, to oversee the rebuilding of his beloved tavern. If the group needed him, they knew where to look.

With that, the wizard was gone. The rest of the group spent the night partying away, enjoying their success. When the morning rolled around, it was time to set out on their new ship.

As none of them had much sailing experience (besides when they’d previously commandeered one of Vorza’s ships), they knew they would need some help. They had recruited Jacques to help crew their ship, and so he helped show them the ropes. First order of business: The ship needed a name. After some deliberation, they settled on the Wasted Wumpus. The sea had never seen a finer vessel.

With that settled, the party would each need to assume a role on the ship, to help coordinate things in and out of combat. Martin took up the mantle of Captain, N’Taba chose to be the Quartermaster, Brooks took the helm as Navigator, and Natuc manned the cannons as Gunner. As they sailed, Jacques set about teaching them their new roles aboard their vessel. And they would quickly be put to the test.

On their second day sailing, they were intercepted by an enemy vessel: Pirates, flying a flag emblazoned with the head of a wolf. The Wasted Wumpus flew their own flag in response: A skull stabbed on both sides with daggers, which they had found in Vorza’s hoard. The two were on a collision course: It was time for battle.

The Wanderers struggled a bit to get their sea legs: Brooks did his best to outmaneuver the enemy, trying to give their ship a tactical edge. Martin tried leading the charge, though his own lack of experience made it difficult. N’Taba did her best to make repairs, though without a crew it proved challenging. Only Natuc seemed fully in his element, blasting the pirates with their cannons.

As the battle went on, the Wanderers began to grow into their roles. Martin took command, Brooks took out the enemy’s Navigator, and Natuc took out their rudder and mast. With victory firmly in their sights, the pirates flew a white flag of surrender. As captain, Martin decided to have a chat with the sailors.

Approaching with guns still drawn, the group spoke with their enemy’s leader, an orc named Captain Greytooth. Martin had a proposal: Swear fealty to the Wumpus, sailing under them and giving them some of their plunder, and they’d let them go. With a bit of gold as an advance, and knowledge that this ragtag group had killed Vorza (as evidenced by his head), Captain Greytooth agreed. The Wanderers now had underlings.

Questioning their new ally, Captain Greytooth gave them some info on their quarry: The Lion’s Mane. It was led by a man named Captain Leonel, a privateer for Kell who delighted in plundering ships across the Spraying Sea. Known for being ruthless, Greytooth had seen Leonel at a pirate port town called Treasure Cove a few times, but not for a few months. Rumor was that Leonel was searching for something, but what he wasn’t sure.

Before bidding ado to their new officer, the Wanderers took a few of their crew mates to serve on the Wumpus. This included Martin, an apprentice navigator and strange fellow; Sean, a deckhand and lover of musical theater; and Darryl, a gunner who seemed invested in his craft. Together they formed a strange crew.

With clear skies above and calm seas below, the Wanderers continued to Koa. On the way, they made one more stop: While working above deck, N’Taba spotted a pile rocks on a nearby tiny island. Heading over to inspect it, they found the rocks marked a drop-off pint for smugglers. Syndicate smugglers.

Searching in their small holding cellar, the group found some crates of Devil’s Eye, and one store of a drug known as Brek. Incredibly addictive, Brek was highly illegal outside Kalzan, where it was cultivated. Choosing to burn their store rather than take any, Brooks left a note for the Syndicate carved into the stonework: A bit of a taint for the group’s old rivals. N’Taba also had Natuc grab one of the island’s palm trees for good measure, to use it for teleportation purposes. Nature magic is crazy.

After a beautiful meal magically provided by N’Taba, the Wanderers reached the island of Koa. Monolithic and imposing, the isle rose from the sea like a massive mound of rock and vegetation. But carved into one side, the group could see a tiered island town, built along shelves in the stone face. It was here that they hoped to find Raven, or information that could lead them to the Lion’s Mane.

While they docked the ship, they bribed the dock master who had greeted them to get some information on the Lion’s Mane. It had been in port only a few days prior, but had since left the city. But the Rum Runner’s Retreat, a local tavern, was the best place to ask around for more information.

After negotiating some upgrades for their ship, including more canons, better armor plating and a new flag with Grimley’s likeness, they headed to the watering hole, finding a lively establishment on the bow of an old ship. They were able recruit a crew by asking around and finding some folks who seemed interested in serving on the Wumpus. Hitting it off with the half-orc bartender, Durmstra, they decided to recruit him for their ship as well, adding a bar to their list of needed upgrades. While Natuc was busy showing their new worker around the Wumpus and Martin filled in for him behind the bar, N’Taba and Brooks decided to look for some info.

Using a magic mirror he’s found in Vorza’s hoard, Brooks asked for the destination of the Lion’s Mane. It showed him an isle covered in a thick jungle, with three large stones jutting out of it. Not recognizing the place, he decided to check the bar for any Thieves Cant, and found two words: Secret Cove.

Meanwhile, N’Taba worked the room, buying drinks for folks and asking questions. She learned that the city’s best navigator, a man named Dantias, had gone missing recently, and his shop was robbed. An interesting revelation, since she knew Dantias was supposedly involved with Raven and Captain Leonel. She also discovered that the Secret Cove was a small store on Koa’s second level, known for its array of strange trinkets and objects.

After a night’s rest, the group used the mirror again, this time asking it who had kidnapped Dantias. It showed them an image of a large red manor, a rose with a bee on it, and an older woman. Following the leads from their previous day’s search, the Wanderers headed for the Secret Cove, finding the store carved out of the rock itself. There they met the store’s Vedalken shopkeep, a lanky woman with blue skin and a flat nose.

Conversing in Thieves Cant, Brooks asked about any interesting happenings, and she was happy to oblige: Apparently, the Havella family, leaders of the city, had been robbed recently. She believed it had been the work of Dantias and Leonel: the Captain needed something from the navigator, and in return Dantias wanted charts and maps from the Havella family. While the Lion’s Mane had left the island, Dantias wasn’t so lucky. He had been captured by guards, and most likely taken to the Flooded Dungeon beneath the island.

After purchasing a tiny chrome fly that they could use for recon, the Wanderers decided to do a quick search of Dantias’s business. Finding it torn through by those who had kidnapped him, Brooks and N’Taba searched the place for clues. The druid uncovered a small rose pendant, which they’d spotted being worn by the town guards. Brooks found a couple old sketches Dantias had worked on of an island similar to the one they’d seen in the mirror. There was a name attached: The forgotten isle.

With this knew knowledge in hand, the group decided an investigation of the Havellas was in order. Using a small, chrome fly they’d purchased from the Secret Cove, capable of sneaking into places and allowing them to see through it, they infiltrated the Havella’s manor on Koa’s highest tier. Finding the family preparing for lunch, they managed to listen in undetected as they spoke of Dantias. He was indeed being held in the flooded dungeon, and the family was planning on how to potentially deal with the Lion’s Mane, though at the moment they were outside their grasp.

Looking over all their options, it seemed likely Dantias had helped Captain Leonel find the forgotten isle in exchange for Raven stealing charts for him. That was the likely destination of the Lion’s Mane, but how to get there was another story. While the group discussed potentially breaking Dantias out, N’Taba focused on her connection with nature, upon seeing what powers she may be able to conjure up. As she focused on the isle, she realized she could use her nature magic to map out the best course there, rendering Dantias unnecessary.

### Race to the Forgotten Isle

Having gathered everything they needed and with the Wumpus now fully upgraded, the Wanderers set sail. Passing a slaver ship along the way, and giving it a wide birth, they began to make way for the Leviathan Ocean. But on their second day of sailing, they found themselves in a pickle: A storm was approaching, and to sail around would cost them valuable time on their chase. They decided to go through, preparing their makeshift crew for the ride.

The storm battered their ship as it plunged through the surging waves, the winds nearly tearing their sails. N’Taba did her best the calm the waves, and Brooks guided the ship from the helm, but the storm was rocking the Wumpus from side to side, threatening to capsize the vessel. Framed by thunder and lightning, Martin took charge, barking orders and inspiring the crew. Natuc secured the sails, Brooks righted the ship, and the Wanderers weathered the storm, making it out the other side.

But this would be the least of their worries on the trip. On their fourth day of sailing, just as the crew were waking for their daily duties, the entire ship lurched to a halt. Unsure of what was going on, the Wanderers gathered on the deck of the Wumpus, just as a slorping, squelching sound began to ring out around the ship. Rising from the sea and clinging to their vessel, powerful tentacles began climbing up the sides of the ship. Captain Martin shouted their foe to the crew: “Kraken!”

The Wanderers leapt into action, slashing and firing arrows at the creature’s tentacles. N’Taba began heating up the Adamantine plating they’d had installed around the edge of the deck, searing the creature’s tentacles and inhibiting it’s ability to fight. But this was an ancient and powerful creature, and it began stroking back with both its tentacles and storms of lightning summoned from above.

Natuc was flung from the edge of the ship, tossed to the sea and forced to swim his way back. Brooks was snatched up by a tentacle, misty-stepping his was back to freedom. N’Taba attempted hide below deck, only for the creature to break through part of the hull to reach her. But the Wanderers we’re doing damage too, severing tentacles and causing the beast to roar and shake.

With several tentacles down, the Kraken rose from the sea, revealing it’s transformed body: Sharp teeth, wide maw, flipper-like arms and tangled barbels. They battled on, stroking at their foe as it once more dragged Brooks and N’Taba into its clutches. As Martin stepped forward to lash out at the beast, it attempted to swallow the paladin while, but he was just able to avoid the blow with his shield.

Burnt and bloody from the battle, and with both Brooks and N’Taba teetering on the edge of death in its clutches, the Kraken attempted to dive back to the depth of the ocean. But Martin wasn’t letting it escape: He leapt from the side of the ship, his sword bathed in holy light, and jammed Soul Render into the creature’s face. With that final blow, the kraken had been slain, and the Wanderers collectively caught their breath from what was one of their toughest foes yet.

After harvesting some of the kraken's parts as proof of their kill, the Wumpus sailed on. The next morning brought fog, and as it burned away, the Wanderers got their first glimpse of the Forgotten Isle. Covered in a jungle of palms and shrubs, the three stones at the island's center rose above the trees like a trident, an obvious sign that they had reached their destination. As Brooks carefully guided the ship through the reefs that surrounded the isle, N'Taba took to the air to get a better look at what they were headed towards. What she found on the other side of the island proved more pressing, however: The Lion's Mane, slowly making its way around the island.

The Wanderers decided to fight them head on, but not without a little assistance. As they prepared for battle, N'Taba summoned a water elemental to aid them, sending it through the sea to go attack the Lion's Mane. When she felt her connection to it severed moments later, she could only hope it had done some damage. And as they watched, the Lion's Mane - larger than the Wumpus, and painted grey as a storm cloud - rounded the tip of the island, heading straight for their vessel.

The sea battle had begun. The two ships exchanged blows, their foe proving to be just as armed with arcane cannons as they were. Brooks took out both the ship's navigator and their back-up for good measure, allowing him to get the Wumpus in a better position. From the deck, Martin's intimidating presence kept the crew in line, while N'Taba helped direct efforts to batten down the hatches and repair what damage was being done to their ship. Down below, Natuc was commanding his gunners, firing round after round at the Lion's Mane.

Unable to get back into a good position, the Lion's Mane was slowly overwhelmed by the Wumpus, culminating in one of their masts being destroyed by the Wumpus's fiery cannon blasts. With no other option, their enemies flew the white flag of surrender, and the Wumpus had won the day. As the battle was winding down, the Wanderers heard the sound of grinding stone echoing out across the sea. From the island, the largest and most central stone had begun to move, slowly rising into the air. Clearly something had happened - perhaps not all their foes were aboard the Lion's Mane.

As Brooks and Martin went to board the enemy ship, N'Taba and Natuc (in her ring) took off for the island to check out what was happening. Brooks and Martin quickly questioned the Mane's first mate, Jenkins Moorbrook, demanding that he sail under them or they'd sink the vessel. He reluctantly agreed - provided they took out Captain Leonel, who was on the island searching for what he called "the mantle." Ashore, N'Taba and Natuc found that when the central stone had lifted, it had revealed a staircase into the ground beneath.

Using their gate stones, Brooks and Martin teleported to their two companions, and slowly they made their way down. Though they attempted to be stealthy, they found it difficult to keep quiet along the stone staircase. Seeing light at the bottom, they sent in their new chrome fly to investigate, and as N'Taba peered through its eyes, she found a grizzly scene. The staircase emptied into a round chamber, with cubbies all along the walls holding vases, gemstone and coffins. The coffins were open and empty, and litering the floor were the bones of fallen skeletons, as well as fresher bodies of dead pirates. A few pirates remained alive in the room as well as three figures that stood out: A dwarven woman with tattoos down both arms, Captain Leonel, and Raven herself.

Unfortunately, Leonel seemed to realize that they were no longer alone. Sensing that the element of surprise was lost, Natuc rushed into the room in a rage, and the battle was on. Finally face to face, Raven slashed into Natuc with the stolen Vicious Blade, as the rest of the Wanderers rushed in to aid him. As they all began to fight, a haunting voice rang out through the chamber, insisting that none of them would get away with the mantle. Rising from the floor, the ghostly form of an old pirate captain appeared, draped in a seafoam blue and white mantle. He summoned several undead pirates to fight alongside him, adding to the fray.

Things only got more hectic from there. N'Taba transformed into a fire elemental, burning through Leonel's pirates. Martin used his magic to strike fear into both Raven and the Captain, who hid along the back wall to get away. Brooks sniped with his arrows, while the dwarven woman they'd seen began conjuring lightning and fire from her tattoos. As he took down pirate after pirate, Natuc finally closed in Raven, now face to face with the woman who'd murdered his parents.

Though she tried to fight back, her fate was sealed. Natuc's carved into her with his axe, his rage fueling every blow. She managed to stumble away... And right into the firing line of Brooks. With one final arrow, he pierced Raven's skull, ending the drow and finally ridding the Wanderers of one of their greatest enemies. With Raven down, Captain Leonel soon followed, also struck down by one of Brooks arrows. The Wanderers were winning.

But their victory wouldn't come without a bit of tension. Knocked out of her firey form, N'Taba found herself trapped between the undead pirate captain and one of his thralls. She soon fell, and was brought to the brink of death by the ghost's strikes. Martin rushed forward to save her, and with their companion saved, the group finished off the skeletal captain, leaving nothing but his skull behind. The dwarven caster soon fell as well, and the Wanderers stood alone.

But as the ghostly captain's form scattered, the chamber around them began to collapse. As Natuc and N'Taba grabbed Raven's things and ran, Brooks and Martin rushed to the back of the chamber, finding a sealed door. Using the captain's skull, they unlocked it to find a treasure trove of gold, art and other trinkets. But the chamber was getting closer and closer to complete collapse, and tired from the fight, Martin was knocked unconscious by the falling rubble. Scrambling to revive his friend, Brooks used his mage hand to grab the nearest thing he could see: A tiny fortress. Just as the entire chamber collapsed, the two used the gate stones to escape, and the Wanderers had safely made it out.

Or so they thought. As they stood in the sand just outside the staircase, the three stones that marked the center of the island began to fall. Most of them managed to get out of the way - except for Martin, who was partially crushed by the falling rock. Pulling him into her ring for safety, the rest of the Wanderers fled the scene. They had made it out alive - but only just.

### Treasure on the Waves

With Raven defeated and the mantle secured, the Wanderers headed back to the Wumpus victorious. They found the Lion’s Mane still mostly in shambles, and with Captain Leonel no longer living, Jenkins agreed to helm the ship under command of the party. The group took the rest of the day off, eating a magical meal provided by N’Taba and lounging on the sandy shores of the Forgotten Isle.

Well-rested and ready to go, the Wanderers set their sights on a treasure map they’d found weeks before in the Forest of Draenor. Unsure of what it may lead to, they could head in that direction before sailing further south to the Sunset Sea to find King Coral’s palace. A few days into the journey, Martin and Natuc were visited in their dreams by a familiar foe: An emissary of the Shroud.

Having learned of Raven’s death, the elite bounty hunting guild no longer had a monetary reason to pursue the Wanderers. That said, they still had a reputation to uphold, so they offered them a deal. For 12,000 gold, they would end their pursuit, and the Wanderers could rest easy.

At first Natuc and Martin scoffed at the deal, more willing to take their chances being attacked than pay that much money. Their tone changed when the Shroud’s emissary began to threaten Lego and Marty - isolated in Stonehaven, they’d be easy targets while the rest of the Wanderers were occupied.

Not wanting to risk the lives of their friends, Natuc and Martin agreed to the deal begrudgingly. Satisfied, the emissary agreed that the attacks would stop, provided payment was forthcoming. They agreed that when the Wanderers next made port - in the city of Darma they decided - the deal would be completed.

Though annoyed with this arrangement, the Wanderers’ were in store for a treat. A few days later, while steering the Wumpus, Brooks spotted a small boat riding the waves. There seemed to be a small structure propped up on it - one the rest of the group quickly recognized as Coriander’s Curios. Greeting the frog merchant inside, the party bought and sold various magic items and weapons, including a magical book of languages that Brooks purchased.

With their dealings done, Coriander set off, and Brooks revealed why he’d purchased the book: The time could teach one language to anyone capable of reading it… Including Blinky, who was smart enough to understand written language but not physically able to speak it. With the magic of the book, over the next few days Blinky learned Common, and now the Wanderers had a talking dog at their disposal. Whether this was a good or a bad thing is up for interpretation.

After days of sailing, the group finally arrived at the island on their treasure map. A small sandy key nestled between three smaller islands, their destination wasn’t much to look at. But as they searched the island, they found a ring of stones at its center, each with a magical tune carved into it. And at one end of the circle, a similarly-marked limestone obelisk spoke of moonlight and challenges.

Not wanting to wait around until nighttime, N’Taba used her nature magic to hit the stones with moonlight, causing their runes to glow. They found a pattern in the ancient glyphs: three of the six were matching, two others matched as well, and the one on the obelisk was unique. Touching the three matching runes as they were bathed in moonlight, three shadow demons were conjured from the sands of the island, attacking the party.

Unfortunately for the demons, sunlight was not kind to them. Caught in the light of day, the Wanderers quickly smote their adversaries. But three runes remained, and it became clear that to get the treasure, they’d have to fight more foes. Touching the next two matching runes, more demons were summoned, these in the form of massive insects with strangely human hair.

Dueling with these new threats, Natuc and N’Taba fell unconscious from the creature’s droning noises, overwhelming by the demonic sound. But the others were more than a match for the insect-like demons, and once the other two were back in the fray, these latest challengers fell as well. All that was left was the obelisk, and once activated, it summoned the most fearsome demon yet: Cloven legs, feathered wings and a boar-like head all marked the visage of the Nalfeshnee.

Taking to the skies, the demon filled the Wanderers heads with demonic laughter while blasting them from afar with beams of dark energy. When they could get up close, it’s claws and tasks proved nearly as formidable as it’s beams. The Wanderers dug in, fighting it with spells, swords and arrows. But they soon began to tire, worn down from their previous fights.

Taking massive hits from the creature, Natuc was nearly done in by the flying demon. But through sheer force of will, he was able to stay on his feet, absorbing blows that could’ve taken out one of his allies. Martin closed in with his sword, N’Taba turned into a giant octopus and Brooks sniped at it from distance. Slowly they gained ground, and eventually the creature took to the air in an attempt to escape.

But Natuc wasn’t letting it get far. Running up one of the rocks in the circle, he leapt into the creature, hacking away at it with the Berserker Axe. Slowly but surely he cleaved through the beast, and as it fell, the Wanderers were victorious. Emerging from the center of the sandy island, a chest appeared as their reward.

As soon as the chest was revealed, the entire island began to sink into the sea. It began collapsing from the inside out, and the party had to flee to their row boat. They managed to escape the sinking sand just in time, and returned to the Wumpus with their prize.

Popping open the chest as the rest of their crew looked on, the Wanderers found a treasure trove of platinum pieces. As they divvied up their loot, they discovered something else buried within the coins: A broken stone tablet. Brooks recognized the symbol on the back of it as the same one he’s seen in Vorza’s lair, and while it was only partially legible, what little he could read spoke of an unending web of lies. Food for thought for the investigator.

## Novak’s Arcane Weapons

### The Mind Master

With the treasure collected, the Wanderers set their sights on their next goal: Finding all of Novak’s arcane weapons and destroying the Lich. The gang already had the Berserker Axe and Soul Render, and from conversations with the weapons, knew they would need the third to destroy him - a wand called the Mind Master.

With their destination gleaned from Brooks’ magic mirror (which subsequently shattered), they headed out for the Sunset Sea. They knew the wand was being held in the Royal Reef Palace of King Coral, a marid who held court at the bottom of the sea. They began to devise a plan for how they’d actually get to the sea floor once they arrived.

One night along the way, Brooks had a familiar dream: He found himself in a dimly lit stone chamber, with blackened tendrils that traced all across the room. A strange clicking noise filled the air, loud and ominous. Stepping out of the shadows was a massive form, with a head covered in barbels, massive crab claws for hands and a huge torso. Though the rest of its body was obscured, Brooks recognized this hulking figure as his patron.

His patron questioned Brooks on why he was following the Wanderers, wondering if Brooks had strayed from his path of investigation. To the contrary, Brooks believed he was making more progress with the Wanderers than ever before, and had perhaps just made a breakthrough with the tablet he’s found. But his patron disagreed, deciding it was time for another reset. Brooks tried to resist, only to be overwhelmed, falling into darkness.

Back on board the Wumpus, Martin was awoken in the night by the other Martin, who had seen Brooks attempting to steal one of the ship’s lifeboats. Racing over to his friend, Martin discovered that Brooks was possessed, his eyes clouded over and doing everything he could to get off the ship. Though he nearly escaped, the ruckus woke N’Taba and Natuc, and the Goliath was able to swim down Brooks’ boat and drag the Tiefling back on deck.

Once they had him secured, Martin tapped into his paladin magic, dispelling the charm that held control over Brooks. Though he was shaken a bit at first, Brooks took this as a sign he was on the right path. If his patron wanted to reset him so badly, perhaps he was close to something important.

As they sailed for the Palace over the next few days, the Wanderers spent some time with their crew. N’Taba lead some ill-fated Kraken drills, Natuc played catch with his gunner Darryl, and Durmstra began putting the final touches as the party’s very own brand of rum: The Wanderer. On one of these quiet days of sailing, the group noticed what looked like the remnants of a ship in the distance, and among them, a sole survivor.

Pulling her aboard, the group met Marble, a halfling bosun who had been serving on the wrecked ship. Her vessel had been attacked by a pirate ship known as the Mirage, and she was the only one to survive the assault. A former vessel of Second Munari Empire’s navy, the Mirage was one of a kind, able to turn invisible to ambush unsuspecting ships. With this new knowledge, the Wanderers welcomed her into the crew, keeping an eye out for any marauding ships.

After days of sailing - and navigating with N’Taba’s nature magic - the Wumpus finally reached the Royal Reef Palace. Or at least, the patch of ocean above the palace. The Wanderers would still need a way inside. Instilling the ability to breath water in all of them, N’Taba lead the gang (plus Grimley) down below, slowly descending into the murky depths.

As they floated deeper and deeper into the sea, they began to see light piercing through the darkness. Along the sandy seafloor, a shimmering palace of coral sat within a dome of some sort, with light shining from within. Around the bubble protecting the castle, dozens of fish-like humanoids guarded the perimeter, spears in hand. While Martin and N'Taba (transformed into an octopus) decided to try and speak with these creatures, Natuc and Brooks stealthily entered the bubble, hoping to keep out of sight.

Greeted by these creatures known as Kuo-toa, Martin introduced himself and the Wanderers. After some short deliberation, he and N'Taba were invited inside the dome, where they met Gilligan, a Triton man who served as the advisor to King Coral, the marid they were after. Meanwhile, Natuc and Brooks ahd successfully snuck into the dome, hiding around the various statue-like coral and sponge formation that surrounded the massive coral palace. Unsure of what the plan was, Brooks - who had turned invisible - shouted as a distraction, causing the guards to start searching for him.

Amused but seemingly commiting to the peaceful approach, Martin diffused the situation and called for Natuc and Brooks to join them. Though surprised, Gilligan was pleased to see the whole group together, and announced that while King Coral had heard of the Wasted Wanderers and was excited to meet them, he was currently indisposed. He invited them on a tour of the castle grounds while a feast was prepared in their honor, at which King Coral would be in attendance. The Wanderers hastily agreed, enjoying the wine and snacks they were provided (after N'Taba checked them for poison, of course).

Once they had toured the castle grounds, Gilligan brought the Wanderers inside the resplendent Royal Reef Palace. The entryway was lined with gold, an entire waterfall cascading down from a second-floor landing into the space. The Wanderers were allowed access to the castle's plush guest rooms, as well a moderate bar - where Grimley proceeded to get completely wasted. After a bit of lounging, it was time to meet the king: Gilligan lead the heroes into a large banquet hall, where a table had been set up with all manner of sea food delicacies.

After situating themselves around the table, Gilligan announced the arrival of the man of the hour. Rising to take his seat on a platform that sat above the rest of the table, King Coral magnanimously greeted the party. A marid or water genie, his form was fish-like, with a wide smile and spines and fins along his head and neck. His lower body was a swirling mass of water, propelling him forward without the use of legs. Flanking either side of his platform were two water elementals adorned in plate armor, joining the ranks of Kuo-Toa guards already within the banquet hall. The king was excited to meet the Wanderers, having heard of their slaying of Vorza weeks prior. He eagerly listened in as the group told him stories of their exploits over the last few months.

Downing plate after plate of seafood, King Coral then began bragging about his own exploits: The wealth he'd accumulated (and his treasure vault, which piqued the party's interest), his relations with other marids that existed beneath the waves... And his collection of slaves. While the Wanderers sat uncomfortably, he brought in several slaves to be the mealtime entertainment. As the captured bards and dancers performed to the King's delight, the Wanderers began figuring out how to broach the subject of the Mind Master so they could get out of this palace.

After subtly bringing up Novak's arcane weapons, the mood in the room shifted. King Coral remarked that he was looking forward to having the Wanderers as part of his collection - and asked Gilligan to take them alive. His true intentions revealed, Gilligan blasted the heroes with arcane lightning. Dinner was over - it was time to fight for their freedom.

As a legion of Kuo-Toa guards rushed in, the Wanderers quickly got to work. Brooks ducked under the table while Martin leapt on top of it, challenging Gilligan directly. Natuc began cutting down the fish people one by one, and found himself under fire from one of the elemental's tridents. N'Taba attempted to summon a cloud of insects to aid them - only for it to be countered by Gilligan, who then unleashed a torrent of ice shards on most of the group. All the while King Coral watched from above, occasionally sending blasts of water towards the Wanderers.

Hurt but still fighting strong, Brooks popped up from beneath the table and took aim at Gilligan. His shots hit true, and he was able to down the powerful wizard. Though N'Taba was surrounded and getting weaker, the rest of the Wanderers were beginning to gain an upper hand over the remaining Kuo-Toa and elementals. Seeing a chance to flee, King Coral headed for the door in the back he'd entered through, trusting his guards to finish the job.

Though N'Taba did fall, the guards didn't finish her off: They were under orders to take the Wanderers alive, to become part of the King's collection. The party had other plans, finishing off the guards that were left and downing some potions to regroup. As they began to hear other guards attempting to open the banquet hall's main doors, Natuc barricaded the entrance to buy them some time. Martin examined the exit that King Coral had fled through - it was magically sealed, but he was able to dispel the magical effect and get them entry.

Racing up a flight of stairs, the Wanderers reached the palace's highest floor. At the end of a long hall, they could see a large golden door - King Coral's treasure vault, no doubt. But as they approached, they realized the vault door was protected by an anti-magic field. Wildshaping, their weapons, all of their spells - none seemed to have an effect on the locked entrance. Blinky tried to teleport in and open the door from the opposite side - and came back soaking wet, blasted by King Coral. At least they knew he was inside.

With all of their usual tricks failing, Brooks decided to try some old-fashioned lock-picking. The vault door's lock was extremely complicated, one of the most difficult locks to crack Brooks had ever come across - but he was a professional. With one final click, door began to open, and the Wanderers rushed into the most impressive treasure vault they had ever set foot in.

Shelves of trinkets, art pieces and magical baubles spread throughout the floor space of the coral cavern, while all along the walls, cubbies filled with magical items were embedded in the design of the room. Across from where they'd entered, a massive pile of gold, gems and jewels took up most of the far-side of the room, a veritable treasure trove of money. And standing before his huge mound of wealth was King Coral, rounding to face the Wanderers. As the door slowly closed behind him, he accosted them for thinking they could come into his castle and rob them - and summoned his pet to aid him. The Wanderers watched in horror as a giant, blue dragon emerged from the piles of gold - perhaps they had bitten off more than they could chew.

As the dragon took to the air, the Wanderers rushed in to deal with the marid first. Natuc downed a potion and swelled in size, slashing at the King with his now massive axe, but was met by the genie's own trident in return. N'Taba, transformed into a dire wolf, attacked with claws and teeth. Brooks shot from afar, while Martin attempted to draw the attention of the dragon away from he rest of the group. As the dragon circled the Wanderers, it unleashed a blast of lightning that rocked Martin and Natuc to their very core - things were looking bleak for the Wanderers.

But as they'd done so many times before, the Wanderers persevered. As King Coral, now badly wounded, attempted to get some distance between him and his two assailants, N'Taba knocked him out of the air with a massive hit from her claws. Now sprawled out on the ground, the King could only watch as Brooks closed the distance - and sent two arrows straight through his head. Melting into seafoam, King Coral had been dethroned,

Yet there was still a dragon to deal with. Lashing out with his claws and jaws, the dragon managed to take down Martin before rounding on the rest of the group. But the Wanderers were confident they could win, and between Brooks arrows, N'Taba's magic and Natuc's axe, they opened a gaping hole in the dragon's chest. It's heart now exposed, Martin - brought back from the brink by his allies - spring-boarded off Natuc and leapt through the dragon, piercing it's heart and exploding through it's back. With one final roar the dragon collapsed to the ground. Against all odds, the Wanderers were victorious again.

What followed was utter chaos. The Wanderers began frantically looting the room, grabbing as much gold as they could carry. Finding the Mind Master in one of the cubbies along the room's wall and ceiling, Natuc broke through the glass and presented the wand to N'Taba, before preceeding to break open as many other cubbies as he could for the items within. As they looted, the door to the vault began to open, with about eight Kuo-Toa guards on the other side. Martin was able to use fear to keep them from entering, while N'Taba created a wall of fire to block off their entrance.

Having bought a bit more time, the Wanderers continued to grab whatever they could. Grimley was brought out of the ring to snatch some gold, still in a mostly drunken state. Natuc and Brooks worked on grabbing magic items - a sword, boots, a crossbow, a shield - whatever they could find. N'Taba found some opals that seemed to react to her circlet, attaching themselves to it on their own and instilling her with the ability to wildshape into a water elemental.

As the flames began to wear off, Brooks decided to try and barricade the door more permanently. Using the instant fortess they'd found on the Forgotten Isle, he had the fortress be summoned right in front of the doorway - on the third floor of a palace made of coral. As the massive fort slammed into the ground, cracks began to form along the rooms walls and ceiling. The structural integrity of the castle was breaking.

Having snagged as much as they could carry, the Wanderers ran inside the fortress just as the treasure vault collapsed around them. As the fortress fell through the floor, it caused a chain reaction throughout the palace, and the entire structure began to fall apart. Thrown about as the once beautiful castle crumbled around them, the Wanderers managed to survive the implosion... Only for the dome around the palace to break as well, and water to flood into their fortress.

Still able to breathe under water thanks to N'Taba, the Wanderers slowly exited their fortress, surveying the rubble of the palace around them. But while the castle had collapsed, the guards that had been watching the dome were still out there, and they began rapidly swimming towards the Wanderers. N'Taba had other ideas. She cast Water Walk on all of her allies, sending them hurtling toward the surface and out of harm's way. As the broke through the ocean waves and back into the open air, the group sprinted back to the Wumpus, putting some distance between them and the palace.

The party had killed King Coral, stolen his money and detroyed his home. Truly, he had messed with the wrong group of heroes.

### Darma and Beyond

With all three of Novak's weapons now in their possession, the Wanderers could focus on the lich himself. To do so, they'd need to head for Darma, the capital of the Darman Empire and a town notorious for its slavery. It was here that they had also agreed to meet up with the Shroud once more, so a visit to the capital seemed inevitable.

With their course plotted, the gang spent a few days relaxing aboard the ship. Brooks did some reading, N'Taba began brewing up some potions, Natuc played catch down on the weapons deck. The trip seemed to be going well... Until they weren't.

The Wanderers were shaken from their malaise by the sounds of firing cannons, as powerful explosions rocked the Wumpus. Appearing from thin air was a massive warship, much larger than the Wumpus, and intricate in its design and details. The Mirage had spotted them, and the crew scrambled to get into their battle positions. The fight was on.

Trading blows with the massive ship, the Mirage slipped invisible once more, presenting a more difficult target than the Wanderers had faced previously. The Wumpus was at a disadvantage in a straight fire fight, but Brooks had other plans: He sailed straight for the Mirage, putting the ship in danger but getting within boarding range. Once they had pulled alongside, Brooks leapt atop the still invisible Mirage, and it wasn't long before Natuc and Martin joined him.

Aided by bears summoned by N'Taba, the gang cut down pirate after pirate, as the ship and crew continued to shift between visible and invisible. Martin charged downstairs to the gun deck, where he found a mage in wait with the ships cannon crew. Though she put up more resistance than the rank and file pirates, once Natuc joined him downstairs it was a slaughter. One of the pirates nearly died from fear, while the others quickly surrendered.

Back above deck, Brooks made a dash for the captain's quarters, finding a man inside in full plate armor. A former soldier turned pirate, the captain was far more formidable than the rest of his crew. Stuck in tight quarters and taking blow after blow from the captain's sword, Brooks decided it was time to retreat. But the captain wasn't going to let him get away, and Brooks was cut down just beyond the doorway.

Thankfully for the tiefling, Natuc was done cleaning things up downstairs. He managed to finish off the captain, and Brooks was brought back to consciousness. With their captain defeated, the Mirage had been taken, and the Wanderers had themselves a second ship. Renaming it the Wanderlust Wumpus, they decided that this would be their new flagship, with the Wasted Wumpus serving as their second.

Incorporating the surviving pirates into their crew, the group set about re-assigning roles. Jacques was made captain of the Wasted Wumpus, with the other Martin serving as his chief navigator. Marble was upgraded from bosun to quartermaster, while Darryl became the ship's gunner. As they began assigning new roles and positions, it became clear that they had a problem - N'Taba had been (not so) secretly telling folks that she was the real person in charge of the ship, while Martin had been using his commanding presence to run the ship as the official captain. This had lasted for weeks, but now the power struggle between Martin and N'Taba was coming to a head. Martin confronted N'Taba before the entire crew, demanding a vote be taken for who everyone wanted to be captain. But N'Taba refused, stating unequivocally that Martin was the captain, and even setting out a feast to celebrate their newfound understanding.

But secretly, they all still knew who the real captain was.

With both ships now operating at full speed, the Wanderers made the last leg of their journey to Darma. From afar, they could see the massive city taking form in the distance: The docks filled with ships baring all sorts of flags, the many buildings of hardened earth and mud, and rising above it all, an enormous pyramid of gold glittering in the daylight. They had reached their destination.

Upon arriving at port, the Wanderers were met by a dock master dressed in silver and gold flanked by plate-armor clad guards. From the get-go, it was clear the Darman Empire was not a benevolent state: They were informed that if they wished to sell or purchase any slaves they should head to the Shackled Market nearby. After leaving the ship, Brooks spotted the dockmaster whisper something to the soldiers, who then began to head deeper into the city. Curious the Wanderers trailed them for a bit, passing between winding streets and open town squares, but ultimately decided to let them go, opting to purchase upgrades for their new flag ship instead.

When they arrived back at their boats, they were informed they had a visitor. Dressed in black leather armor and a cloak that concealed most of their appearance, a representative from the Shroud was there to collect. The payment was relatively painless, with the Wanderers forking over the cash and the assassin leaving them be. Unhappy with the amount spent but satisfied that one less threat was after them, the group began plotting their next move.

Their conversation was cut short by the sound of blasting horns and marching soldiers. A procession of guards was leading a golden chariot through the streets, straight for their ship. Stepping out was an elf with flowing brown hair, immaculate gold and silver robes, and one missing eye. Introducing himself as Viceroy Charlemagne, he informed the Wanderers that the Trinity - leaders of the Darman Empire - had heard of their arrival, and wished to speak with them within the Pyramid of Azul. Wary but willing to hear them out, the game stepped into the carriage, and were whisked back into the streets of the massive city.

Along the ride to the pyramid, it became clear the Empire had been watching the Wanderers for some time. The viceroy revealed that the Trinity were aware the Wanderers had been collecting the arcane weapons, and were very interested in their services. He also informed them that they're reputation as "king killers" would have already made them persons of interest - it seemed word of Barnaby's actions in Roarkstead had spread over the past few months.

Arriving at the massive golden pyramid, the viceroy lead the Wanderers inside, finding the entire ground floor to be a small gardenscape. Filled with fountains, flowers and boutique shops, it was a far cry from the dusty streets and peasantry found outside the pyramid. Guiding them between shopping nobles and manicured trees, they were lead to lifts along the far wall, which brought them up out of the garden level and higher into the pyramid. They passed a housing level, a bureaucratic section and one that seemed to house and monastery and arcane center, but eventually the Wanderers reached the pyramid's apex.

Sitting in huge thrones before them, and surrounded by at least 20 guards, the Wanderers came face to face with the Trinity. To their left, sitting in a throne of turquoise stone, was a one-armed elven man named Axel Effreni, the city's Arcanus Major (head mage). To their right, atop a jagged throne of iron, was a woman clad in chainmail and an iron helmet: the city's Priori Maxima (head priest) named Viola Tenaris. Directly before them, on a throne of pure platinum, sat an incredibly aged human man, sporting a jagged gold crown. This was the Golden Emperor himself, Raxin Kazar.

Though initially told they must follow all of the formalities, the Emperor quickly dismissed such claims, immediately getting down to business. He requested the Wanderers present the arcane weapons to him, and once he had verified that they did indeed have them, he laid out their deal: Novak's continued existence was a blight on the Empire's reputation, an affront to their power. To destroy the lich, they would need to take out his phylactery, the vessel that contained the mage's soul. For this they would need the weapons, and it just so happened that the Trinity knew of Novak's whereabout.

Axel explained that in order to be given Novak's location - a secret temple that had once been dedicated to Gyllian, the goddess of anger and rage - they would need to agree to return Novak's personal journals to the Trinity. These journals detailed his life's work, containing valubale information on his enchanting process and the weapons he had designed. In exchange, the Wanderers would be allowed to keep the arcane weapons, and would be paid - at their request - 100,000 gold pieces. N'Taba also asked to be given a slave, which the Trinity found acceptable.

Unsure whether they truly had a choice, the Wanderers agreed, and were given the location of the secret temple. With their business done, the group were quickly escorted out of the pyramid's apex and back onto the streets of Darma, promised reentry upon the successful completion of their mission. Not eager to work with slavers, the Wanderers decided to figure out exactly what their long term plans were once Novak was dealt with. For now, they needed to focus on slaying a lich.

Before leaving the city, the Wanderers did some shopping to replenish their supplies. Hoping to find their favorite frog merchant lurking amongst Darma's shops and bazaars, N'Taba tried to find Coriander's Curios, but instead came upon a rug shop baring the same crescent moon symbol. But the shopkeep was decidedly not a frog, and though her rugs and carpets looked fancy, it seemed she was just an ordinary merchant. Settling for a banged up, dirty old rug that N'Taba hoped to prank Martin with, the group headed back to their ships to inform the crew of their leave.

After learning of N'Taba's plan to soil his captain's quarters with such an ugly rug, Martin attempted to toss the dirty thing overboard - only for it to remain suspended in mid-air, a flying carpet after all. Now much happier with their purchase, the Wanderers clambored aboard, taking flight over Darma and eventually the Coroco Jungle beyond. Soaring through the air for the rest of the day, the misty jungle below them, they eventually bedded down in a small clearing for the night.

While keeping first watch, Brooks and Martin got into a spirited discussion on the rules and regulations of a children's game, pick up sticks. While looking over Martin's shoulder, Brooks noticed a pair of yellow eyes looming at them from the brush... Only to be attacked from behind by an enormous troll! This troll was much larger than others they'd faced, sporting multiple limbs and heads to boot. Two other trolls rushed from the tree line as well, and the Wanderers found themselves in a full-fledged fight.

Brought to the edge of consciousness by the deformed troll, Brooks was able to barely escape, hiding in the bushes and sniping from there. Calling out that trolls hated fire, N'Taba used a wall of fire to burn the two regularly sized trolls, while Martin and Natuc hacked away at the with their sword and axe respectively. Soon one of the trolls had been burnt to a crisp, and with one more well-placed wall of flames, N'Taba was able to destroy the other two disgusting creatures.

The rest of their trip through and above the jungle was much less eventful, as the Wanderers slowly but surely coasted above the huge jungle below. After a few days of flight, they could finally see their destination: A river that cut through the trees of the rainforest, and a cascading waterfall where the river tumbled over the edge of a cliff. They knew that behind that waterfall lay their hidden temple... The lair of Novak.

Parting the waterfall with a fallen log courtesy of Brooks’ ring of telekinesis, the Wanderers found a tunnel into darkness behind. The path lead to a large, stone orc head, with blue and red crystals embedded in the eyes. Blasting them with ice and fire magic respectively opened a door through the statue - the temple’s entrance. But just beyond this entrance, the ceiling of the tunnel collapsed, forcing the party to dodge falling rocks. This whole place would clearly be trapped.

Inside the former temple, the Wanderers began making their way through different chambers that had been retrofitted to the lich’s liking: The entryway now contained a “statue” of Novak, guarded by spirit warriors. An old crypt was filled with reanimated corpses, some baring additional traps. A ritual room would now fill with blood upon intrusion, and elementals that formed from the thick liquid. But the Wanderers slowly made their way past the traps and barriers, eventually reaching the lair’s second floor.

Here they found a workshop split into three parts: A research chamber with the remains of former subjects, an alchemical lab complete with broken equipment, and an enchanting station with old bits of material like iron and silver. At the center was an old transmutation circle, activated by blood. It was in this workshop that the Wanderers found two of the journals they had been tasked with recovering, and after using the circle to craft several keys, the party pressed onwards.

Soon they found themselves in the lair’s inner sanctum - a massive chamber centered around a tiered altar. Rising to the top of the platform was a figure in red and gold robes, their skin greying and decayed. They had reached Novak himself. As guard of wind began picking up around the room, and magical energy sparked off the ends of the lich’s fingers, it was finally time for battle.

Novak wasted no time putting the Wanderers on their heels. He summoned the spirits of the undead to attack Natuc, and when the barbarian rushed in for revenge, he was paralyzed by the lich’s touch. Brooks attended to strike from afar with his bow, but Novak was able to deflect the blows with an arcane shield. Before N’Taba could react, Novak reached out and spoke a single word: Die. The Druid crumpled to the ground, dead. The situation already looked dire.

But the Wanderers had come too far to give up so easily. With the last ounces of his most powerful magic, Martin was able to bring N’Taba back from the grave. She in turn cast Faerie Fire on the Lich, bathing him in sparkling lights and making him easier to target. Brooks ducked between broken pillars for cover, keeping the pressure on Novak with arrows. And Natuc managed to shake free of his paralysis through force of Will, tanking powerful magic from the Lich and delivering strong blows with his axe.

The Wanderers began surrounding Novak - Natuc on one side, Martin on the other, and N’Taba closing in as a water elemental. Novak teleported away, popping up next to Brooks and attempting to paralyze him with his deadly grasp. But the Tiefling managed to get away, sniping the Lich and creating a perfect opening for his allies.

As N’Taba engulfed the Lich in her watery form, Natuc rounded one of the fallen pillars. Swinging the axe on his chain of returning - the weapon that had first set them all on this quest - he flung it at Novak, striking him through the chest. The lich’s form was destroyed, and the Wanderers had won.

As the intensity of the battle died down, the Wanderers began pouring over the chamber for any signs of Novak’s phylactery. While the other two enchanted weapons seemed keen on destroying their creator once and for all, Soul Render had other plans - his revenge now exacted, he attempted to wrestle control of Martin’s mind from him. But the paladin held out, and the sword revealed his true intentions: To lay waste to the world, destroying all in his path.

With Soul Render under control, the rest of the group managed to find a secret chamber containing a single, old chest. Inside was the last of Novak’s private journals, as well as a small glass object containing swirling souls inside - the phylactery. All together, N’Taba, Brooks and Martin attacked with their weapons as one… And the phylactery was destroyed. The voices in their heads slowly faded, and their curses had finally been broken.

Leaving the lich’s lair behind (and grabbing the rest of his books on the way out), the Wanderers now had a choice to make: Should they honor their agreement with Darma? After resting up, they took a look through the arcane journals. While a lot of it was lost on them, they did find the designs for the enchanted weapons they had been carrying, as well as a planned weapon to top the apex of the Pyramid of Azul.

Not wanting this info to fall into the hands of slavers, they decided it was time to leave Darma behind. As night fell, N’Taba was able to create a bridge between one of the jungle trees and the palm tree aboard the Wasted Wumpus, and from here they staged a daring escape. Summoning pixies to aid them, N’Taba was able to turn most of the guards watching into flies, while Brooks sniped the last. With this small window, they set sail in the hopes of reaching open water before they were discovered, and nearly made it out…

Before alarm bells began to ring along the docks. They’d been discovered. While the Wanderlust Wumpus was able to coast by u detected, kept invisible by Martin and Natuc on board, the Wasted Wumpus had no such luck. War ships patrolling the edge of the harbor began to descend on the smaller vessel, and while N’Taba’s control of the winds and Brooks skills at the helm kept them afloat, the ship was taking major damage from the enemy’s cannons.

The Wanderlust has to aid. Coming back into view, they fired on the enemy ships, drawing attention away from the Wasted and giving them a window to escape. Now coasting dude by side, the two made for the open ocean, the winds N’Taba was creating giving them an edge over Darma’s vessels. The trailing war ships let out one final volley, but they were too late: The Wanderer’s ships sailed into the night, and the city of Darma slowly faded behind them.

Thus the Wanderers closed the book on this chapter of their story, but new adventures were just on the horizon.

## Over the Next Three Months…

### Keeps and Fleets

With the titans defeated, Vorza slain, Raven dead and Novak destroyed, the Wanderers could finally relax. Sailing back to Delmar, they contemplated their next move, deciding it would be worth their time to pay Queen Tyra a visit back in Kingsforge. Arriving at the capital, the Queen was more than happy to meet with her favorite heroes.

Presenting her with the arcane journals they’d found in Novak’s study, the Wanderers were hopeful the Queen might reward them for the knowledge held within. After consulting with Archmage Sophocles, head of the mage’s guild, they were rewarded handsomely with gold for their efforts, which Sophocles assured the Queen could be very useful for future war efforts. Besides just gold, the Wanderers had a few more asks as well.

Disturbed by what she’d seen in Darma, N’Taba was leading the party in planning a full on slave revolt in the city. To aid their cause, she asked Queen Tyra if she’d be willing to send troops to aid them when the time came. Though she wasn’t keen on invading a foreign nation - especially with tensions between Delmar and Kell already high enough - Queen Tyra agreed to send troops for one battle, and on one condition: They could convince the Chainbreaker Coalition to get involved, the Darman Empire’s rival faction on Arcos. She would even invite the crown prince of the coalition to the year end banquet to be held in the Wanderer’s honor, so they could converse with him there.

The Wanderers were also keen on establishing a home base, and were eyeing Vorza’s former island in the Antioch Archipelago as a spot for their keep. Interested in using the island as an outpost for her navy and stop-over for traders heading north, the Queen agreed to fund half of the keep’s construction, provided she could also build military encampments on the island. The Wanderers agreed, and strengthened their relationship even further by agreeing to have their fleet sail under Delmar’s flag as privateers, plundering only ships from rival kingdoms.

And so the Wanderers set about designing their keep, planning out their rooms and various amenities. They met up with the various captains of their budding fleet, giving them their new directive but allowing them freedom in how they went about earning gold. Brooks also had another task for their ships at sea: To look for anything strange or out of the ordinary that could be connected to his patron, though he kept the details vague.

As days dragged into weeks, Grimley surprised Natuc by requesting he train him in how to properly use a bow. Instead it was the expert marksman Brooks who stepped up to teach the boggle how to shoot. Though their relationship was rocky at best, Brooks proved an excellent mentor, and over time Grimley began to hone his skills.

### Rockfell Revisited

As they continued to construct their keep, Martin received a visit from an old friend: Azara, the Tiefling Knight of Helena and expert in espionage. After Martin had requested the Queen get information on the state of Rockfell, his hometown in rival Kell, Azara had been sent to investigate. But the news she brought was grim.

Ever since the coup, Rockfell was being run under martial law. Anyone entering or leaving the town was carefully scrutinized, and the whole place was under a strict curfew. Having seized upon the chaos and death of the city’s leadership after the coup, Stella was now running the show, using a made-up story about secretly working with Marvin to wash over any doubts from her being declared a deserter. The way she told it, she had worked with Marvin to bring down the Syndicate’s operations in town, but the old mayor (who had been a major player in the scheme) had caught wind of this, and had Marvin killed… by the Wanderers.

And so the coup has been necessary to restore order, and for now Stella sat atop the throne. But there were still those within town who weren’t buying that story: A man named Sergeant Tullius, one of the militia’s most senior members, had quit shortly after the coup. Perhaps he knew more, but Azara wasn’t able to find him, only that he was apparently spending time on the Slide, the poorer part of town.

With this information in hand, Martin knew it was time to handle unfinished business. Rallying the rest of the party, they decided to head to Rockfell and put an end to Stella’s rule. Using N’Taba’s ability to travel through trees, they teleported outside the city before transforming into clouds to get inside.

Soaring high above the battered wall and iron-clad buildings, the Wanderers headed for the Slide: A massive rockslide on the northern end of town that gave Rockfell its name. All along the Slide were shoddy wooden buildings and scaffolding, where the poorest of the poor could shelter and trade simple goods. Disguising themselves as an old woman (N’Taba) with a flock of ravens (Natuc, Martin and Grimley) while Brooks remained himself (having joined the group after their adventures here), they went to the modest Broken Boulder tavern to search for Sergeant Tullius.

After speaking with a few locals and the bartender, they were instructed to speak with a man in the back of the room. It was someone they recognized: Tony, the young guard Barnaby had charmed and befriended on their first visit to the city. Recognizing N’Taba’s voice, Tony lead them to a secret room where various dissenters had gathered, including the missing Sergeant.

Sergeant Tullius was surprised but happy to see the Wanderers. With what he had learned about Marvin, he figured they were likely on his side. And he even recognized Natuc: The sergeant had been there when the Goliath and Barnaby broke into the mayor’s home and left Marvin’s Syndicate contract on his desk. He had been there when the Mayor died, but he had read the contract before it was hidden away. He knew Marvin was guilty, which meant Stella was lying.

Luckily for them, a Devil’s contract isn’t so easily destroyed. Unable to physically destroy it, Stella was forced to keep it on her person at all times. This was the key to outing the whole conspiracy: If they could get the contract, they’d have proof of Stella and Marvin’s wrong-doing, and perhaps Rockfell could install a just leader once more.

Martin suggested that perhaps he could be this leader - that he could be the new head of Rockfell’s militia. Sergeant Tullius questioned whether that’s something Martin actually wanted: Was he ready to fully commit to this town and his people? Martin hadn't considered this, so the Sergeant made him a promise instead: Help him oust Stella, and when Martin was ready, perhaps they could discuss him one day running things.

Before taking Stella head on - who was holed up in the mayor’s old office - Sergeant Tullius suggested they break the former mayor’s wife and child out of jail. They had been held by the militia since the coup, and even after the mayor’s supposed betrayal, they remained popular among the population. Having them backing the Wanderers once Stella was taken care of could be key to swaying public opinion on their favor.

N’Taba was on the case. Using her ability to transform into both mist and flying creatures, she was able to break into the jail and find the former mayor’s family. With her ring and transmutation abilities, she successfully snuck in and escaped with the mom and child before the guards could even fully understand what was happening. Step one complete.

Now came the hard part: Dealing with Stella. Sergeant Tullius warned the Wanderer’s that the mayor’s residence was heavily guarded, and on top of things, Stella had recently had something big brought inside, though none of his dissenters had seen exactly what. To give them the best chance of success, Sergeant Tullius and Tony would lead the dissenters on a full frontal assault against the residence, drawing out the guards and leaving the back entrance exposed. The Wanderers would have to make their way inside, take out Stella, and get the contract.

Taking to the streets, the Wanderers and the dissenters quickly and quietly headed for the mayor’s residence. After a tense goodbye, the Wanderers split off, heading toward the back and waiting… Waiting…

Until they heard a yell out front, and a clash of swords. The attack was on. Vaulting over the back wall, the Wanderers quickly took out the few guards in the back and made their way inside the building. Summoning a swarm of insects to quickly clear out the lower floor, the Wanderers sprinted upstairs, finding the mayor’s office guarded by two soldiers. One was an old acquaintance of Martin, who quickly ran for it once he saw the Wanderers. The other was an old enemy: The guard who had labeled Natuc and Barnaby terrorists the last time they’d broken into this residence.

Quickly dispatching of this annoying if not memorable rival, the Wanderers burst through the office doors, and came face to face with Stella. Standing behind the mayor’s desk across the room, flanked on all sides by other guards, Stella had another new toy at her disposal: A massive iron golem, ready to attack.

Stella accosted the Wanderers for being so brash, both surprised and happy they were choosing to engage her on her own turf. But the time for talk was over: the Wanderers charged forward, and the fight for Rockfell was on.

Surging into battle, the corrupt guards surrounded the Wanderers, slashing at them with their long swords. The tapestries on the wall began to flash, forcing the party to avert their eyes or become blinded. Lumbering forward, the iron golem released a torrent of poison gas on the group before wailing on Martin again and again with it’s giant blade. And Stella ignited her own sword - now a flaming weapon - before launching into an attack on Natuc.

The odds were against them, but the Wanderers had learned a lot of new tricks since they last saw Stella - and gained a new ally. Brooks teleported to the other end of the room, kicking over a desk for cover and taking out foes with his bow and blade. Martin struck fear into the hearts of all those around him, while N’Taba used her fire magic to set them ablaze. Free of his axe’s curse, Natuc took blow after blow, crossing weapons with Stella and keeping the pressure on.

One by one the corrupt guards began to fall, and finally it was Brooks who got revenge for his allies. Right as Stella locked eyes with Martin, ready to launch into an attack on the paladin, Brooks sent an arrow piercing through the back of her skull. For a moment she stood there, the shock still lingering on her face, before she crumpled, dead. Stella had been deposed.

The golem proved trickier, nearly taking Martin out of the fight. But together they managed to wear down the magical guardian, with Martin delivering the final, climactic blow. When the dust settled the Wanderers stood victorious, and only one of the guards remained standing - Barry, who they quickly decided to befriend.

But it was a short-lived friendship. Grabbing the magical contract from Stella’s form and bringing it out front, the party found Sergeant Tullius and Tony standing victorious. Knowing they only had a few moments before more would show up, Tullius told Martin that if he someday wished to lead, he needed to take charge now. In the meantime, Barry was tied up and tossed in with a few other prisoners they’d taken.

As reinforcements arrived, lead by another sergeant named Wilma, Martin stepped forward and presented the contract. He explained that both Stella and his father had lied to the town, and that what they had done was just. The sergeant reluctantly took the contract, and after looking it over, agreed to allow the insurgents to remain posted in the mayor’s residence (under guard) while they sorted things out.

Over the next few days, the Wanderers waited while the heads of the militia sorted through the evidence, questioned witnesses (including Barry), and formulated their next steps. Natuc carved a small boat out of a tree for Grimley, while N’Taba entertained the other dissenters with her shapeshifting abilities. Once their deliberations were complete, Sergeant Wilma and the now-freed Sergeant Tullius called the Wanderers into a meeting of the city’s brass, including Andella Brigby, the mayor’s former wife.

Sergeant Wilma explained that the Wanderers evidence had checked out, and apologized for having previously vilified them. She thanked them for saving the city from corruption - which most of the party balked at, citing revenge as their main motivation for dealing with Stella. Nevertheless, the city leaders were grateful, and shared their plan for the future: They would petition the Conclave to have Andella named as the new mayor, while a council would oversee the operations of the militia. When Martin was ready, however, the title of Militia General would be his. He’d earned it.

Satisfied with the future of his hometown, Martin and the rest of the Wanderers returned to their budding keep, one more loose end tied up on their list.

### A Knight’s Quest

With Stella dealt with and Rockfell back on the right path, the Wanderers could refocus on building their keep. One night over dinner (in their partially built dining room), Natuc announced he’d made a decision: He’d become a lord in Stonehaven, the town that had started it all for them. The group also settled on a name for their new, soon-to-be settlement - Fort Boromir, on what would from then on be known as the Isle of Dragons.

As they discussed these important decisions, they received an unexpected visit from an old friend: Coriander the frog merchant, looking as dapper as ever. The trader had heard the Wanderers were setting up a more permanent base of operations, and seeing the island’s potential as a stop-over for ships, he wanted in. He offered to build a permanent shop on the island, an offer that the Wanderers heartily accepted.

And Coriander proved to be the first of several, as other entrepreneurs began setting up shop on the island as the keep and military barracks began construction. As winter began to approach, a small package arrived for N’Taba, courtesy of Raya in Emeril. Their fire genasi ally was happy to report that she was now the leader of what they called the United Genasi Forces, while Por’Kal was heading a council of genasi to lead the town. Most of the Yuan-Ti’s old buildings had been taken down or repurposed, and Emiril’s future was looking bright. Even better, she included a small gift for N’Taba: Amber opals that when combined with her circlet allowed her to transform into an earth elemental.

With progress on the keep picking up, the Wanderers next adventure was just around the corner. One evening while hanging out on the island, Natuc got a message through the shoulder pauldron he wore as a Knight of Kingsforge. It was Queen Tyra, urging him to return to the capital at once. Through N’Taba’s nature magic the party quickly headed to Kingsforge, where they were escorted to the mage’s guild headquarters, The Arcane Prometheum (while N’Taba shopped for some magical tuning forks).

Lead through the strange, purple, conical building that appeared much more expansive on the inside, the Wanderers were brought before the Queen, decked out in battle armor; Archmage Sophocles, the head of the guild and a generally annoyed individual; and Declan, the boisterous knight they’d met a few times in the past. Beyond them a few mages seemed to be holding back a wall of water that had consumed most of the small hallway they stood in, which turned out to be why they had been summoned.

Sophocles explained that a few of the guild’s mages had been experimenting with an artifact known as the Tear of the Sea, which could open small, controlled portals into the Plane of Water. One of the four vast, elemental planes that bleed into the Prime Material, the endless ocean was littered with relics of bygone civilizations and planes walkers rife for study, which this research group had been attempting. But that afternoon, only the group’s mentor had returned - they had been attacked by some sort of squid-like creature, and her two students had fallen under its control. She had barely made it back alive, and soon after she succumbed to her wounds.

To make matters worse, moments later a rift opened into the Plane of Water, much more chaotic and dangerous than the portals they’d been using. The Prometheum began flooding with water, and if the rift couldn’t be closed, the whole city could end up flooded. This was the task laid before the group: With Declan’s help, find the missing students and whatever beast had enthralled them, recover the Tear, and close the rift. If the two students - named Marzipan and Shiogra - could be brought back alive, even better.

As a Knight of Kingsforge, it was Natuc’s sworn duty to complete quests laid out by his queen. Eager to once more prove she’d made a wise decision by knighting him, Natuc plunged into the rift, followed closely by the rest of the party and Declan. As they emerged on the other side, they found themselves in a vast ocean, stretching far up above them. A rift on the ocean floor beneath them lead even further into the depths, and the remains of old buildings and wrecked ships dotted the sea floor. They had entered the Plane of Water.

Swimming between the vast mountains of coral and swaying strands of kelp, the Wanderers began following the scraps of notes that had been left on the professor’s person, giving them a bit of a road map to where the ruins they had been studying were. But after following along the deep sea canyon for a while, something caught Brooks’ eye: An enormous sunken ship, three times as large as the Wasted Wanderlust. Deciding to check it out, the group noticed as they approached that the ship had no masts, and that two glider-like protrusions extended from each side.

Having researched all sorts of different histories and cultures, Brooks recognized this as a Githyanki astral ship, a race of green extra-planar warriors that use flying ships to raid other worlds. Swimming inside, N’Taba managed to find the ship’s helm, and the dead captain still seated upon his chair. Natuc and Declan searched the cargo hold to no avail, while Brooks managed to find a silver sword in what was once the brig, the weapon of a Githyanki knight. Satisfied with their investigation, they headed back to the trench and continued on.

But the Wanderers were far from alone in this ocean. As they traced the path of this canyon, they were startled to see a mass of rock and coral lift up from the sea floor. As it approached, it became clear this was no rock, but a massive dragon turtle hurtling straight for them. The party desperately tried to scramble down into the trench as the turtle blasted them with hot steam breath, and even from within, they still found themselves subject to the creatures hot blasts. But hidden within the canyon, the turtle eventually lost interest, unable to enter and pursue. As it swam off, the group agreed to stay closer to the trench rather than swim up and out in the open.

After a few hours of swimming, they eventually found their path forward - a tunnel bore into the side of the canyon, that would lead to the undersea ruins they were after. Casting light on Natuc’s axe, they headed into the dark tunnel, only to be ambushed by undersea raiders known as merrow. With Declan’s help they quickly dealt with the seafolk, despite the difficulty of fighting submerged. With that out of the way, they reached the end of the tunnel, which opened up into a desolate underwater city.

Made up of crumbling buildings formed from white stone, the entire town was being overtaken by sea life. Algae along the ceiling of the underwater cavern glowed pale blue, giving the city a form of natural light. Among the ruins, a few buildings caught their eye: A crumbling archway, a broken dome, and a pillar-adorned structure. They decided to first head for the dome, but something instead caught Brooks’ eye: Several slender, whitish tentacles disappearing around a corner in the direction of the pillars.

Quickly heading that way, Brooks’ keen eye could find no trace of such a creature. Arriving at the pillar building and ducking inside, they found an empty ruin covered in places with a mucus-like slime. As they entered, Brooks again caught a glimpse of the creature disappearing into a side room… but the room was empty. Searching the others, N’Taba found one was completely covered in hardened slime, and with Natuc’s help, was able to fish out something hidden within: A single egg.

With this egg in hand but confused by the creature’s disappearance, the group once more swam through the city streets, and now it was Natuc who caught a glimpse of the creature, swimming upward to get a better view, none of them could spot the entity he had seen just moments before. Hoping to lure it out, N’Taba let the egg sink below them, only to watch as a current scooped it up and swept the egg away toward the broken dome building.

Swimming after it as quick as they could, the Wanderers burst into the once-domed building, finding a large central chamber littered with debris. Within their minds a voice called out to them - they had the creatures attention. From behind two pieces of rubble, a pair of humanoids floated up to greet them: Marzipan and Shiogra, the missing students. And floating in from above, coasting over the edge of the broken dome, was a huge squid-like creature, whitish-green in color, with emerald eyes and several trailing tentacles. If they would not join it, they heard the creature speak in their minds, then they would die. And to their horror, Declan rounded to face them, eyes glowing green and bow under the control of the beast.

It was time to fight. The creature lashed out at them with it’s tentacles, attacking both their bodies and minds with each strike. The two students blasted them with magic from afar, while Declan dueled Natuc with his sword. N’Taba attempted to grapple the creature as a giant octopus, only to be knocked out of her food by its powerful attacks. Brooks fired upon it with his crossbow, hoping to negate some of the effects of underwater combat, while Martin was able to dispel the mind control on Marzipan.

Eager to confuse and terrify the Wanderers, the creature’s form suddenly shifted into three identical copies of itself. Attacking from all sides, the Wanderers could feel their heads bursting with pain after each blow. Brooks especially found himself in a tough spot, struggling to stay conscious and stuck between Declan and the creature. As Declan slashed him with his sword, Brooks fired out a hellish blast in retaliation - and the hit was just enough to knock Declan back to his senses.

From there the Wanderers turned the tide. N’Taba managed to heal up the group despite Shiogra’s attempt to dispel her magic. Martin was then able to break the wizard free of the creature’s influence with an assist from Marzipan, who countered Shiogra’s attempt to stop the paladin. Natuc and Declan hacked away at the creature, forcing it to use its magic to try and swim out of reach. But they couldn’t escape N’Taba, who summoned a school of sharks that tore into the beast.

Bloodied and shark-bitten, it was Natuc himself who landed the final blow. Slicing straight up the creature’s longest tentacle and gashing it across its form, the water filled with a cloud of green blood, and emerging from it was the victorious knight. With both students saved and the Tear recovered, the party looted the creature’s lair before heading back to the Arcane Prometheum.

Back on land, the Wanderers handed over the Tear and egg they found for study. Declan extolled Natuc’s virtues to the Queen, calling him the finest knight he’d even seen. With the Queen happy and Natuc’s worth to the realm proven once more, the Wanderers hit the town to go drinking with Declan, another quest conquered.

### Kingsforge Shenanigans

With the day saved and nursing a hangover, the Wanderers met the next day with Grand Artificer Harold, head of the Mechropolis (the artificer's guild in Kingsforge) to hear how realistic it might be for the golem they'd recovered from Rockfell to be rebuilt. Though it would be pricey, the golem could be salvaged, though it would take about a week before it was fully functional. Taking the opportunity to explore the city and do some shopping, the Wanderers bought some autumn outfits and potions for their future travels.

Hoping to get his armor looked at, Martin made a visit to the Archforge, meeting with Forge Mistress Nox, the dwarven master smith who had crafted it in the first place. While there, he was approached by a woman named Phoebe, who claimed to be Brooks' daughter. She had just moved there from Redrock, and was hoping to have dinner with her dad to catch up. After returning to the group, Brooks confirmed that he indeed had three kids, and while he wanted to meet with her, he was nervous to go alone. It had been a long time since he'd last seen Phoebe, and so the rest of the group agreed to accompany him.

But of course the Wanderers couldn't show up at her home without bringing food! So naturally they decided to go fishing in order to make sashimi, but without many natural water sources in the city, they resorted to poaching from the stocked ponds of the town's nobles. Though they were caught in the act by an older woman known as Lady Agatha - who was very interested in Natuc - they managed to convince her they were performing heroic duties for the city and made off with several of her prized goldfish for dinner.

On their way to Phoebe's, N'Taba stopped in at a menagerie, hoping to add to their list of animal companions. She made two purchases: A blood hawk that could be trained to deliver messages and catch small prey, and a tiger. Not wanting to bring a tiger with her to dinner, she instead instructed them to deliver it to the castle, where she could pick it up later.

Arriving at Phoebe's humble home, Brooks and his daughter began to catch-up while Martin and Natuc worked on dinner. They talked about Phoebe's time in Rockfell, her new apprenticeship at the Archforge, the Wanderers adventures. Phoebe caught Brooks up on his other daughter, Rina: She recently became the lord's personal financier in Stonehaven, a nice step-up for her. She hadn't seen her brother Wahnen in years, though, and the rest of the party learned that he had run away at a young age, and been missing ever since.

As dinner began, the rest of the group could see Phoebe's discomfort whenever Brooks brought up his investigation into the death of his wife. While N'Taba did her best to keep the conversation on different topics, Brooks was eager to share what he'd found with his daughter. As the meal wrapped up and the rest of the group prepared to leave, Phoebe pulled Brooks aside for a private talk. She was worried about him, and his obsession with his investigation. She had tried to talk him out of it in the past, but she ultimately wanted him to move on: He was so enamored with the idea of everything being connected, but maybe his wife's death had simply been an unfortunate accident.

Brooks looked his daughter in the eye, and told her that wasn't a reality he could accept. As he stormed out of her home, he caught one last glimpse of tears running down Phoebe's face... And then was gone. He was too committed to his investigation to turn back now.

All that was left to do was pick up a tiger. As the Wanderers entered Queen Tyra's castle, they were greeted by their least favorite royal advisor, Fyrax. As always, the older elf was unhappy to see them, especially since they'd had a tiger delivered with no warning. The massive cat had already sent two guards to the hospital that had tried to move its cage, and so they had placed it within the dungeons below the castle.

The tiger, kept within a cage within a cell, was also unhappy to see them. Though N'Taba was able to bond with the beast using magic, it was clear that this animal was feral, and that it was going to take a lot of training to calm him. While she was able to magically convince it to let them move its cage, it seemed it may be better suited to life in their keep than as any sort of travelling companion like Blinky. With tiger in tow, they headed back to Fort Boromir to rest and prepare for their next journey.

### Feys and Fishing 2: Sturgeon Edition

As temperatures dropped and fall turned to winter, the Wanderers found their little settlement at Fort Boromir growing. Not only was their keep coming along nicely, but other merchants eager to get in while the settlement was young were beginning to arrive. Negotiating a deal where tax payments could go to both them and the Queen, the Wanderers stood to profit nicely from this venture.

As they relaxed in their soon-to-be island home, Martin had been honing his fishing skills. His magical rod now covered in arcane carvings of the various fish he'd caught over the months, he finally felt he was ready: It was time to go back to Riverbend. With the rest of the party in tow, they travelled to the quiet town of Riverbend, and as they passed through the small abodes heading for the docks, they attracted quite a lot of attention, as their previous exploits saving members of the town had earned them a bit of fame here.

Arriving at the angler's guild, Martin came face to face with possibly his greatest adversary: Radolf, the dwarven man who had beaten him during their first fishing contest. Above the desk in the guild hall was the fish Radolf had caught to beat Martin last time - Riverbend's new record catch. Overjoyed to see the paladin back in town, Radolf wasted no time ribbing Martin over his loss, and declaring himself not only the best fisherman in Riverbend, but possibly all of Delmar.

Martin wasn't having it. He threw down a sack of 5000 gold pieces, challenging Radolf and anyone else in town to another contest. The buy-in would be a meager 10 gold pieces, put up against his 5000, and the winner could rightfully claim the title of best fisherman in Riverbend. Radolf was eager to take him up on this challenge, especially after noticing his brother, Rory's golden hook worn around Martin's neck. The chance to shame both Martin and his brother in one go was too much to pass up, and so over the next few days word spread through town of the upcoming contest.

Dubbed the Big Bend Fishing Extravaganza (slightly different than Martin's preferred name, to Radolf's delight), twenty anglers from around town all signed up for the contest. But Martin knew there were really only two other competitors to worry about: Radolf and David, one of the anglers the party had rescued from the Feywild and previously the town's best fisherman. Though David tried to engage Martin in a bit of playful banter, the paladin was completely focused on Radolf, giving him the cold shoulder and shattering his contest. There would be only two real competitors that day.

At high noon the contest began, and with his friends watching from on shore, Martin paddled off to chase his destiny. Reaching the spot he'd found during the last contest, he managed to pull in a massive fish, larger than Radolf's record catch from last time. But he could feel in his heart it wouldn't be enough: He needed to go bigger. Paddling further downstream, away from the rest of the competitors, he found an old sunken log that would be a great spot for fishing. For hours he waited, biding his time... Until he felt it. A massive bite that nearly pulled him out of the boat. With all of his might he managed to wrangle the fish out of the depths: A humongous sturgeon, nearly three feet in length. A champion fish.

As the sun began to set and the contest drew to a close, Martin paddled frantically to get back to the docks in time. As he approached, he could see Radolf victoriously holding a fish before the crowd: A huge bass to be sure, a would-be record breaker. But not big enough. As Martin paddled up, Radolf smugly asked to see his catch. Martin held up the first fish he'd caught, and with a big smile the dwarf began to declare himself the winner - only for Martin to cut him off, and reveal the enormous sturgeon still within his boat. Martin was the champion.

The crowd erupted into cheers as Radolf fell to his knees, defeated. Lifting his fish into the air, and casting light behind it for extra effect, Martin was swarmed by townsfolk eager to congratulate him. Moving the party to the Bait and Tackle Tavern, the celebrations continued well into the night. As the group celebrated, Martin decided it was time to bury the hatchet.

Approaching a dejected Radolf, who was being comforted by David, Martin gave him the 5000 gold he'd initially promised as prize money. He wanted them to use the money to revitalize the town and guild, to make it better than it ever was. Then he passed Radolf his brother's golden hook - to keep as a promise of a rematch. All he asked for in return was David’s old boat, as a gift for Grimley. Radolf accepted, acknowledging that perhaps it was time he made amends with Rory as well. A fitting end to their bitter rivalry.

While drinking the night away at the tavern, hearing the crowd chant Martin's name and hail them all as heroes, N'Taba couldn't help but remember the last time they were all in Riverbend - and a similar tavern where they had received a much-less warm welcome: The Hero's Hollow in the Feywild. Now that they were seasoned adventurers and had many heroic feats to their name, she wanted to go back and prove to Billius, the owner of the tavern, that they were the heroes they'd claimed to be. Bringing up the idea with the rest of the group, Martin had even been preparing for this day: He'd kept the giant axe from the Frost Giant King they slew, as an artifact that they could leave at the tavern.

Heading out the next day, the party travelled through the Throngrove, the thicket of vines and shrubs covered in thorns that sat just north of Riverbend. As they hacked their way through the dense forest, they eventually reached a point where the shrubs had been burned away, and the trees blackened - on their last visit here, Lego had set fire to part of the forest, and it hadn't yet fully recovered. Eventually they made it to a familiar clearing, with a circle of mushrooms in the center. This was a portal to the Feywild, and when night came, it filled with brilliant white light. Summoning a group of satyrs to hype them up, the party passed into the light, and came out in another world.

They were in a small glade surrounded on all sides by massive trees, larger than any they'd seen in Gaia. The trunks twisted together or bowed at odd angles, and flowers of all colors grew from the grasses at their feet. In the center of the clearing was a sign post pointing in all directions, and several dirt paths traced their way through the forest beyond. While all of this was new to Brooks, the rest of the Wanderers recognized this place from last time. What they didn't recognize were the hundreds of tiny humanoids flittering around the area, who all scattered as soon as the party arrived.

Though initially concerned, the hype satyrs told them these were just fairies - sprites and pixies - and nothing to worry about. Following the sign post, they headed for Hero's Hollow, taking a path through the massive trees. But as they walked, Brooks and N'Taba noticed they were being followed: One of the tiny pixies was fluttering behind them, keeping an eye on the group. Calling out to it, the pixie was nervous but excited to talk to them. Her people needed help: Their home had been attacked by a magic man with a horde of beasts, and she hoped the Wanderers could save them.

Though they wanted to first go to the tavern, the pixie was persistent, and if nothing else, this would give them another chance to prove they were heroes before arriving. So N'Taba sent the hype satyrs to go talk them up at the tavern while the party doubled back to the clearing. Once the pixie, named Trix, announced that the Wanderers would be helping them, the rest of the fairies swarmed the group, thanking them but also pulling at their weapons, clothes and, in Brooks' case, horns. The home of these tiny annoyances was known as Burning Tree, and seeing it marked on the sign post, the Wanderers set off to find whoever had attacked the place.

As they followed the path, the very plants around them seemed alive: Leaves moved without wind, and flowers turned as they passed, almost like they were watching. The massive trees began to dwindle in size, gradually changing from natural plants to crystalline forms. Diamonds replaced leaves, rock replaced dirt, tree trunks became quartz. The further they walked, the more they became engulfed in this strange crystal forest. As they took in their surroundings, Brooks noticed something odd among the stone and crystal: A tuft of bushy black hair. N'Taba saw another one - just as three creatures leapt out of their glittering surroundings. Covered in black hair, with goat-like legs made of stone, the creatures were coming for blood.

Attacking with ropes made from their hair, the stone men tried to wrap up the Wanderers while they chucked broken bits of crystal at them. When the Wanderers closed the distance between them, they pulled out greatclubs instead. Martin and Natuc dueled them hand-to-hand while Brooks sniped them from afar with his crossbow. Ensnared in their hair rope and pummeled with chunks of crystal, N'Taba shifted into a fire elemental, burning away the rope and scorching one of the creatures. While that one burned to death, Brooks picked off one with a well-placed bolt before rounding on the last one. Unleashing all of the built-up power in his crossbow, he annihilated the final creature, turning it to dust with a single shot.

Catching their breath before pushing on, N’Taba and Brooks noticed something ducking behind one of the crystal trees. Scrambling up the rock face to get a better look, they found a small hollow dug into the tree. Natuc jumped up to see what was inside, and came face to face with a tiny faerie dragon guarding a clutch of eggs. It breathed a cloud of purplish-pink gas on him that for a moment made him feel very high, but luckily he was able to shrug off the effect.

Conversing with the dragon in Draconic, Brooks tried to negotiate with it for one of the eggs, hoping to add to their collection of followers and animals. The dragon wanted two of their names in return - whatever that meant - and so Brooks tried just grabbing one instead. Despite a sharp bite on the nose and more of the dragon’s breath, Brooks was able to snag one, but seeing how much it upset the mother, N’Taba convinced him to give it back. Leaving the dragon in piece, the party set out on the path once more.

Slowly the character of the forest changed around them once more: The crystal trees were replaced by more normal looking ones, except their canopies bloomed with flowers that shifted between red, orange and yellow. When Natuc tried to pick one, it burst into flames - surely they were getting close to Burning Tree.

Reaching a crossroads, the group began to hear loud, obnoxious music being played in the distance. Crossing the path before them was down sort of strange parade, heralded by satyrs playing all sorts of music out of tune and dancing eladrin. All of the participants had huge smiles plastered on their faces, and the whole thing was seemingly being lead by a single satyr hoisted up on a makeshift throne.

As the music got nearer, Natuc and Brooks fell into a trance. They began smiling uncontrollably, joining the parade and dancing with the rest of them. Assuming they had fallen under some sort of magical influence, N’Taba dispelled the effect on Natuc… Only for the lead satyr to blast her with powerful magic in an attempt to punish her for ruining his fun. Now freed, Natuc wasn’t letting that slide: He pushed his way through the crowd, knocking the satyr off his throne and quickly dismantling him with his axe.

The rest of the parade soon came-to, awoken from their trance by the satyr’s death. Some thanked the Wanderers, others merely scattered back into the woods, and a few offered to buy them drinks at Hero’s Hollow later. With the strange parade now over, the Wanderers continued on, and soon reached Burning Tree.

Growing at the center of a clearing, Burning Tree was massive: About 80 to 100 feet around, with twisting branches that nearly covered the entire clearing. It’s boughs were laden with the same exploding flowers they’d spotted earlier, but what really caught the groups eye were the scenes of destruction surrounding it. The small wicker homes of faeries lay destroyed on the ground or hanging limply from branches, and deep scars marked the ground and tree trunk in places. As they got closer, they could see the bodies of dozens of pixies and sprites pinned to the tree, like a grotesque art piece. There was a small crack that lead inside the tree, and it seemed their quarry was inside.

Attempting to go in quietly, Brooks snuck up to the edge of the opening. Peering inside, he could see the trunk was mostly hollow, and various animals lay in wait inside: Tigers, bears and giant vultures. Sitting in the center on a small stump was an old man, with moss growing in his beard and a cloak of bark. As Brooks watched, the man’s head snapped up, his eyes locking on the Tiefling. They were glowing bright green, and despite Brooks stealth, he’d been spotted.

The man beckoned them inside, ensuring them that his issues with were the pixies, not them. The Wanderers cautiously entered, flanked by two dire wolves summoned by N’Taba. The man explained that his name was Archibald, and he was here because the pixies had stolen the life of his lover, Lee. A few months back, a fire had swept through their home in the Thorngrove, and Lee had died fighting the blaze. Following the trail of burned trees, he found the fire had been started just outside of the portal to the Feywild they’d crossed through, and seeing these pixies living at a place called Burning Tree, he was sure it had been them. I’m his grief he was here to seek revenge, and was planning on going to finish the job.

The Wanderers of course knew the truth: They we’re the ones who started the fire, and they had even seen the burnt body of Lee upon returning last time. Though they at first tried to convince him to abandon his quest for revenge, Martin decided they needed to come clean. He told Archibald the truth, though they hadn’t meant to kill his partner.

But the damage was done. In his rage Archibald commanded his beasts to attack, and the time for words was over. As the creatures under his control descended on all sides, the Wanderers fought back with swords and spells. Brooks attempted to snipe him with his crossbow, but Archibald was difficult to hit, almost seeming to anticipate their attacks before they came. N’Taba summoned eruptions of fire that engulfed the creatures and the old man, but in response Archibald transformed into a fire elemental, sweeping across the party and burning them with each touch.

But as a druid herself, N’Taba knew exactly how to exploit the old man’s weaknesses. She summoned a massive wave which doused his elemental form and set out the fires on her friends. With the various animals being slowly taken down, Natuc and Martin could turn their blades toward the old man instead, landing critical blows that slowly wore him down.

Summoning his own fiery eruptions, Archibald again attempted to burn the Wanderers, but the tide of battle had turned. N’Taba pinned him to the roof of the tree hollow with pillars of stone, and though he attempted one more burst of powerful magic, Martin was set to finish the job. With pity in his heart but the resolve of a hardened warrior, Martin fired an Eldritch Blast that shot straight through Archibald’s head. A clean kill.

The threat had been defeated, and the Wanderers returned to the portal to tell the pixies. They brought Archibald’s body as proof, and upon seeing it, the pixies began to dance and sing. They hung his body to the crossroads sign and plucked out his eyes, a strange and grotesque sight. Trix thanked them for what they’d done, and slowly the pixies began to return to Burning Tree. Though Martin wanted to bury Archibald’s body as a show of respect for what they’d done, N’Taba wasn’t having it, instead casting a spell on Martin that caused him harm if he tried to touch it. So instead the group headed for Hero’s Hollow to celebrate their victory.

On the way, they were stopped by tiny, demonic gnome-like creatures in red hats. The creatures demanded Grimley, having seen him leave with them months before. Apparently Grimley had stolen all of their gold - over 5000 gold pieces - and they wanted it back. The Wanderers were having none of this, of course, and very quickly dispatched the tiny creatures and sent them running for the hills.

Reaching Hero’s Hollow, Brooks got his first look at the strange tavern. Carved into a giant fallen log, the interior was warm and lit by glowing balls of light circling around the ceiling. The wooden tables seemed to grow up out of the floor itself, and along the walls were tons of weapons, armor and artifacts attributed to all sorts of groups and heroes.

Behind the bar was Billius, the jovial satyr who had all but told them they weren’t real heroes on their last journey here. But now he was overjoyed to see them: He had been telling people for months that he knew the Wanderers before they were famous. The killers of kings, slayers of Vorza, saviors of Emeril - the Wanderers had made quite a name for themselves. And now they could reap the rewards.

Given free drinks and quickly sat at the bar, Martin pulled out the massive frost giant axe they’d taken from the tomb in the Frozen Peaks. Billius was more than happy to take it off their hands, adding another relic that hung right behind his bar. Their memory forever enshrined at the Hero‘s Hollow, the Wanderers drank and told stories of their exploits, once more honored as the heroes they’d become.

After spending the night in the tavern, the Wanderers decided to explore a bit more of the Feywild. Traveling back to the signpost by the portal, they followed a new path to the Singing Pools. On their first adventure here, these pools had been haunted by sea hags, who used their magic to terrify and subdue anyone who came near. But now the found the cool pools underneath a glittering waterfall to be filled with joy, as satyrs, dryads and nymphs all partied and swam together.

Jumping in a drinking some of the plentiful wine on offer, Brooks and Martin soon found themselves very drunk - even though they hadn’t had much to drink. N’Taba and Natuc quickly noticed that the wine was provided from ever-filling bottles, and using her magic, N’Taba could tell it was poisoned in some way. Herself completely immune to toxins, N’Taba riled up the crowd by chugging several big goblets of the wine, getting the raucous partiers to start smashing bottles. But she also caught a few nymphs stashing bottles away to keep from being broken - it seemed they were behind the incredibly strong alcohol.

Sobering up the group and diving deep into the pools - with the aid of N’Taba’s water-breathing magic - the Wanderers found an underwater cavern where all of the pools connected. Littered with bones from the previous occupants, there was a strange corpse pushed up against one wall: A weird, dragon-like creature with bulbous eyes and green scales. As they watched, one of the nymphs filled an empty bottle with the creature’s blood - it’s foul essence was the wine everyone was drinking.

The party approached the watery Fey, who in turn alerted the rest of her group. To the Wanderers’ surprise, the nymphs didn’t appear to be doing things maliciously - they were genuinely interested in keeping the party above going, and thus creature’s blood was doing it better than ever. The party tried to convince them that serving blood as wind was wrong, but the nymphs were strong in their conviction. Perhaps they could be persuaded to serve something else, but for now, they were sticking to blood.

Understandably, the party didn’t want to let this continue. Using their magic, they purified the creature’s blood, causing it to lose its potency. With their source of wine rendered useless, the nymphs watched as their guests above ground quickly moved on, upset over the whole affair. The nymphs wee furious, their party ruined, and so the Wanderers tried to find them a replacement.

Going back to the Hero’s Hollow, they purchased a barrel of wine from Billius - for gold, though he had hoped for one of their hands - and charmed a nearby satyr into delivering it to the pools for them. At this point, they’d had enough of the weirdness of the Feywild, so they jumped back through the portal and headed home - with Natuc forgetting the whole adventure when they crossed back over. He preferred it that way.

### The Mad Maze

Back at Fort Boromir, the Wanderers enjoyed the cooler temperatures as the Month of Setting - the last of the year - arrived. Their keep was coming along nicely, and other businesses were springing up alongside it. Grimley was settling in well, now two boats to his name. Their fleet was beginning to pay dividends, as cuts of their plunder helped the Wanderers fund their bidding settlement.

One night, Martin had a familiar dream. He was back in a misty battlefield, standing before the enormous form of Xerias, his angelic patron. As he watched, Xerias approached from his throne, shrinking in size but still towering over Martin. He drew his sword, and spoke only one word: “Duel.”

Martin obliged, and the two clashed blades. Their powerful strikes rang across the open battlefield, and finally Martin was able to knock Xerias to one knee. The ancient warrior raised a hand, and Martin withdrew… Only for Xerias to attack while his guard was down. The lesson was clear: Never show mercy. Dominate the opposition.

Still, Xerias was pleased with Martin’s progress. He had grown stronger than any of the other soul-touched Xerias had watched, and soon, Martin would be ready. What for? He didn’t say, and Martin was left to ponder what it could mean as he awoke.

In the days that followed, the group received a letter from an old friend: Jonkie. Still training at the New Wave Monastery, their old monk pal was growing stronger by the day. While he felt he had made the right decision by returning, if the Wanderers ever needed him, Jonkie would be there.

Soon after they received a visitor to their keep, Captain Greytooth of the Dire Wolf. He had come for Brooks with something interesting: As per his vague request, they had been keeping an eye out for anything strange while sailing, and had found something weird. On a tiny isle out in the Leviathan Ocean, they had stumbled on a cavern. When they tried to enter, a deep wail emanated from within, and two of his crew fell unconscious. They quickly sailed out of there, but not before noticing the symbol carved into the entrance - a web made of tentacles.

Brooks was intrigued. Could this relate to his patron, or the partial tablet he found? There was only one way to find out, so the Wanderers gathered their things and boarded the Wanderlust Wumpus, setting out for the strange island.

Arriving on the sea shell-littered shores, the Wanderers quickly found the cavern Greytooth had mentioned. Stepping inside, they saw a staircase that plunged underground into darkness. As they took a few steps down, a deep, moaning wail drifted up from deeper in. Martin, Natuc and Grimley were all instantly knocked out by the noise, and N’Taba and Brooks had to scramble to revive them all. Taking a moment to cast spells and heal, they realized that the cavern entrance had disappeared behind them - only stayed remained. So they headed down, further and further in.

After what felt like hours, they finally reached the bottom of the stairs: It opened up into a tunnel, one that branched off in various directions. Following the path for a bit, they found more branches in the path, more twisting turns. It soon became apparent what they’d stepped into: They had entered a maze, and there was no turning back now.

With Brooks leading the way and N’Taba keeping watch, the party delved deep into the maze, doing their best to follow its twists and turns. The deeper the went, the more dangerous things became, as they contended with traps and puzzles designed to drain their energy or Jill them outright. Spike-pit hallways that flipped as you walked through, swinging axe blades lined with fire-spitting runes, gelatinous ooze consuming all in its path - the Wanderers were constantly dealing with the next hurdle.

As if that wasn’t enough, the very maze itself seemed to almost be alive. As Brooks blazed the path forward, tunnels would shift and dead-end unnaturally, like the maze was reconfiguring itself as they went. The group could hear laughter or footsteps but never see a source, and the longer they stayed, the more the feeling of being trapped set in.

One by one, they began to break from the maze’s oppressive nature. Martin was briefly struck with amnesia, unable to remember where he was or why. Natuc became deafened by his own inner monologue, while Grimley was unable to escape a constant paranoia. Blinky began trembling uncontrollably, and N’Taba had to put him in her ring when Brooks began finding the dog utterly repulsive. Brooks also suffered from nervous ticks, scratching and scratching out notes in his journal over and over again.

But despite the odds, the Wanderers were making progress. As they got deeper and deeper into the maze, they encountered a series of doors that lead to nexus chambers beyond. One was guarded by phase spiders, able to travel in and out of the Ethereal Plane. Another contained a puzzle of light and darkness, blocking the way forward. Each was dispatched by the group as they came closer and closer to the center.

Finally, the party made it: The maze opened up into a round central chamber, pitch-black on the interior. Two horn-like pillars curved up on either side, and fleshy tentacles writhed all along the ceiling. Across the way, a massive statue emerged from the wall: A huge torso, crab claw-esque arms, a tentacles face and eyes like those of spiders. Brooks recognized it immediately - his patron. As they watched, two slender but hulking creatures emerged from the ceiling, almost a mix between centipedes and humanoids. And from the eyes of the statue poured hundreds of insect larvae, which turned into an abominable mage. They’d reached the end of the maze, but they would need to fight to get out.

Natuc and Martin rushed in, attempting to cut down the mage before it could act. But they slender creatures protecting it lashed out with a flurry of their claws, nearly bringing Natuc down in the process. Meanwhile. The fleshy tentacles in the ceiling above lashed out, snaring N’Taba and holding her in place. Brooks kept to the edges of the battle, sniping at the deadly creatures from afar along with Grimley, while two dire wolves conjured by N’Taba leapt into the fray.

The mage had tricks as well. Her larva swarmed across the floor, getting under Martin’s armor and biting into him. They crawled over his eyes, blinding him as well. While they fed, she slung beams of eldritch energy across the room, blasting the Wanderers near and far.

But Brooks had come too far to be stopped now. As Martin and Natuc carved through the skittering larvae, he took aim at what looked like the largest of the maggots, and with one clean shot pierced it with his crossbow. The larvae mage collapsed, returned to nothing more than insects, and the fight had swung in the party’s favor.

Though the remaining creatures proved more than formidable, ultimately they were defeated, and the Wanderers had won the day. The door they had entered into the chamber opened, revealing a pathway back outside to the beach. The statue of Brooks’ patron also began to shift, revealing a small compartment within. Inside was the other half of the broken tablet Brooks had found months before. With it complete, he could now see it was a warning: It spoke of a creature named Morphenius, and its lair deep beneath the surface. He had a lead.

Returning to the Wanderlust, the Wanderers sailed for home - but Brooks’ discoveries weren’t yet complete. As winter wore on and the year began coming to an end - the Wanderers keep finally complete and the small town of Fort Boromir beginning to grow - the group was invited to the grand re-opening of the Miner’s Axe Tavern. Lovingly recreated by Lego and Marty, it was still the same old dive bar they remembered, now under new management.

Striking up a conversation with Marty, Brooks learned of the mine shaft he’d purchased to help fund this venture. But to Brooks’ surprise, it sounded just like the mine where his wife had died. Brooks had been back there, and had seen it disappear after his first meeting with his patron - how was that possible?

Leaving the tavern, Brooks made the short walk to the mines to see for himself. As he approached, he could hear the same intense clicking noise that was often there when he met his patron - and feel something tugging at his mind. Resisting with every fiber of his being, he was able to push through his patron’s hold - and through the illusion. He watched as the mine shaft appeared before his eyes, as though his reality had just been altered.

And that wasn’t all. His mind began to flood with lost memories - ancient ruins, deep jungles, open plains - all times in the past where he’d seen the symbol of the tentacled web. It was as though these memories had been blocked from his mind, and now they were all coming back. It was clear he was on the right path - to what, he’d need to find out.

## The Night of Passing

With winter in full swing and the year coming to a close, the Wanderer's keep was finally finished: Protected by their iron golem and pet tiger, serviced by a group of workers and surrounded by the budding town of Fort Boromir, the Wanderers could finally enjoy the fruits of their labor. To top it all off, the Night of Passing Banquet was approaching, a year's end celebration hosted by Queen Tyra each year that would be held in their honor.

Returning to Kingsforge as a light snow fell across the city, the Wanderers began to prep for the party. N'Taba and Brooks purchased fancier clothes for themselves, while Natuc accompanied them in their shopping. Martin, not one to ever change out of his armor, instead had it polished to remove some of the grime and gore from their past adventures. While stepping out of the armor trimming building, he was passed quickly in the street by a figure who whispered something in his ear: He was instructed to head to Price's Pottery in the Bread Quarter, a shopping district for the town's lower class citizens. The Walkers were looking to collect on their favor - the favor Martin had agreed to fulfil in order to get information on the conspiracy to steal the Queen's airship they'd uncovered months prior.

Heading to the pottery shop, they were lead down into the city's catacombs, a winding network beneath the capital lined with the remains of past Kingsforge residents. There they were brought before the familiar Grand Eye Jocard, one of the senior members of the Walkers within the city. The Walkers - a guild comprised of assassins, thieves and information gatherers - finally had a job that they wanted the Wanderers to take on for them, and it just so happened to coincide with the banquet taking place the next night. They wanted the Wanderers to assassinate Fyrax Eldarin, the Queen's advisor, and to ensure that a woman named Elanor Aggleton, Delmar's ambassador to Kell, was blamed for the murder.

The Wanderers generally disliked Fyrax, and the opportunity to see him finally offed was tempting. But doing so would jeopardize their good standing with the Queen, or worse, destabilize the realm in some way. It was a difficult decision, but one the Walkers were confident Martin would accept: To decline, they warned, would bring grave consequences.

Heading out of the catacombs and taking a lap around the city, the group weighed their options. They'd previously broken a contract with the Shroud, a powerful bounty hunting guild, and it had nearly cost them all their lives. What if disobeying this order brought down something similar? But they had worked hard to get back in the Queen's good graces after the last party they'd attended - and planned - went awry, and the group decided it wasn't worth risking her finding out that they murdered her most trusted attendant.

They needed to inform the Queen. The Wanderers headed to her palace, where they were greeted by none other than Fyrax himself. Talking in private, they revealed the plot to take his life, and to blame it on the ambassador. At first Fyrax wanted to keep this knowledge away from the Queen while he tried to deal with things, revealing to the group that he was not only her advisor but the kingdom's master of spies. But the Wanderers wanted to Queen to hear it directly from them, and after Brooks made it very clear that they would be seeing the Queen by putting his hands on Fyrax's throat, the advisor had no choice but to grant their request.

The Queen was at first excited to see the group, but once they revealed what they'd learned, was less than pleased. She ordered General Corbin, the leader of Delmar's military, to be brought in, and with the Wanderer's help, sent him to clear out whatever base the Walkers had beneath Price's Pottery. This wasn't the first time they'd tried dealing with the Walkers - Azara had informed them on a number of the group's movements through the city - but they hoped this might be the last. As for the party, the Queen wouldn't give the Walkers the satisfaction of cancelling, instead choosing to inform the ambassador upon her arrival of what was happening and beefing up the security to keep a close eye on things. For now, the Wanderers would have to take her word that things would be handled.

While all this was happening, N'Taba excused herself from the conversation, taking a moment to summon pixies that could become invisible. She ordered them to follow the guards that had been in the room with them as well as Fyrax, just in case any of them attempted to report back to the Walkers on what had gone down. They would meet her at the nearest tavern - which she quickly discovered was called the Emerald Lion.

Their meeting with the Queen concluded, N'Taba lead the group to the nearby tavern to wait. A much fancier establishment than their normal digs, the group decided to book one of the two Imperial Suites that the inn had to offer. They were informed that the other had already been booked - when they inquired as to who, they were quickly given an answer. Stepping through the doors of the inn were two well-dressed humans - a larger man and a beautiful woman, both in orange and black attire. They were accompanied by a swarm of attendants, as well as one familiar face: Dor'El, the Syndicate member who the group had previously dealt with in Cliffport. They were not on great terms.

Despite this, the man, who introduced himself as Don Quinn, seemed pleased to see them. He claimed to be the new proprietor of Draven's Den - the tavern that the party had "liberated" of its old owners. They too were attending the Night of Passing Banquet, and were eager to get to know the Wanderers better there. With that both troops headed off to their respective suites, though the tension in the air was still palpable.

Within their beautiful suite, N'Taba waited anxiously for her pixies to return. And soon they did, mostly recalling the boring routes of guards on duty or Fyrax's continued, angry conversation with the Queen. But one pixie in particular had seen something interesting. The guard she had followed went to the Helena District in the southern part of town, ducking into a side street near a place called Sharpened Talons. At that point he had disappeared, and the pixie had been left wondering what had happened. Before she could describe what the guard looked like, she disappeared, the spell having ended.

Deciding that the Queen should hear this new info, N'Taba sent an animal messenger to her to deliver the message, and the group prepared to sleep that evening - while keeping watch just in case the Walkers came for them. As they were all getting ready to bed down, there was a knock on their door: Azara, their friend from the Knights of Helena, had come looking for them. The Queen had gotten her message, and so Azara had spent some time narrowing down who amongst the Queen's inner circle would be most likely to be the guard in question. There were three options: A human named Donovan, a half-orc named Hanson and a half-elf named Gerrel. All three would be at the banquet the next evening, and Azara hoped the Wanderers would help her keep an eye on them - if the Walkers were going to try anything, one of them would likely be involved. The party agreed to help.

Awaking the next day without any attacks during the night, the Wanderers waited anxiously throughout the day as nightfall approached. As the sky darkened above, the group made their way to the Queen's castle for the feast - and whatever it may entail. Arriving to fanfare and people cheering their name, the group were happy to see some familiar faces attending the party as well: Natuc drank with Sir Declan while awkwardly attempting to avoid Lady Agatha (who they had stolen fish from); Admiral Hayes was in attendance, but didn't seem too happy about it; Azara patrolled the outskirts of the crowd, keeping an eye on things.

Of course, there were others in attendance that the group needed to keep an eye on. Don Quinn and his partner, Lady Orivo, arrived and instantly began rubbing elbows with the other party-going elites, as Dor'El watched on. Lady Elanor arrived looking official but accustomed to these sorts of spaces. Last but certainly not least, the arrival of Prince Corpheus Uncor of the Chainbreaker Coalition turned heads throughout the room. Queen Tyra had personally invited the Prince on behalf of the Wanderers: If they wanted to stage an uprising in Darma with the Queen's help, they would need the Coalition's support, and the prince could help them get it.

While Natuc drank as much as possible during this reception, the other Wanderers got to work. Brooks and N'Taba quickly found Donovan - the other two suspect guards were no where to be seen - and began chatting him up. Brooks snuck in some Thieves Cant to see if he picked up on anything, but Donovan appeared to be either clueless or pretending not to notice. N'Taba still placed a small stick on his armor, in case she needed to find him later.

While they worked Donovan, Martin decided to approach Lady Elanor and Don Quinn. The ambassador was happy to chat with him, describing her time in Kell and seemingly being proud of her work there. Don was likewise happy to speak with Martin, but their conversation quickly turned icy: It was clear Don knew of the Wanderer's past dealings with the Syndicate, in Cliffport, Rockfell and even on the open seas. He hoped they would talk more later, a proposition Martin was sure he would take.

As the reception began winding down, N'Taba decided to approach the prince. Outwardly easy-going, the prince was happy to chat with someone of her stature. But at the same time, he let on that he perhaps knew more about the group than they were expecting - he mentioned their visit to Darma, and hasty exit in the middle of the night. He was curious to learn more about the Wanderer's leanings, and N'Taba was more than happy to tell him if the chance arose.

As the guests finished filing into the castle, it was announced that the reception was over and the feast was set to begin. The castle’s banquet hall had been laid out with a feast fit for the occasion: Roasted meats, decadent desserts and plenty of drinks had been provided. As the Wanderers settled in, they decided to mostly group together near the Prince, so they could chat over dinner.

Dressed in beautiful golds and blues, the Queen opened the feast with a toast: She took a moment to acknowledge the darker times Delmar had suffered throughout the year, but was happy to see how they had endured. And in large part that was due to the efforts of the Wanderers, the guests of honor that evening. The whole hall toasted their name, and the feast was underway.

As they dug in, N’Taba got to work trying to convince the prince of their plan. She laid it out plainly that the Wanderers wanted to end slavery in Darma, and that with the Chainbreaker Coalition’s help, they could make that dream a reality. Prince Uncor was intrigued but wary - he wanted to know why the Wanderers had met with Darma’s leadership if they had no love for their actions. N’Taba explained the situation as best she could, ensuring the Prince that they were completely against Darma and what they stood for.

While N’Taba worked the Prince, Martin had a hunch something strange may be going on at the feast. Opening up his senses, he detected a fiendish presence within the hall, much stronger than that of the Tieflings Brooks and Azara. Moving between tables, he narrowed down the source: Don Quinn himself. Catching Azara’s eye, he hastily headed over to chat with her about what he’d uncovered.

Meanwhile N’Taba continued to plead her case to the Prince. She told him about Emeril, and how they’d successfully helped free the genasi there. And not only were the Wanderers involved, she promised, but Queen Tyra, too. The prospect of the Queen assisting with the uprising was very enticing to Corpheus, who was beginning to really consider the Wanderers’ offer. He needed some time to ponder things, but promised to meet her on the dance floor later to continue the chat.

Across the hall, Martin filled Azara in on what he’d found. While she was concerned, she was still focused on the Walkers: As far as Martin could tell, Don Quinn was most likely associated with the Syndicate, not the Walkers. While they should keep an eye on him, they needed to figure out what the assassins may be planning.

In the banquet hall, only the half-elf Gerrel was present. Using the stick N’Taba had planted on him, she pinged Donovan as somewhere on the floor above. And the half-orc Hanson was at large as well. Gathering up Brooks, the three decided to head out and find those two while Azara searched the ball room - where the night’s dance and social would take place - and Natuc kept watch over the hall.

Heading upstairs, N’Taba turned into a fly and Brooks went invisible to better sneak around. Using N’Taba’s magic, they tracked Donovan to the guest bathrooms. N’Taba snuck under the door in her tiny form… And found Donovan smoking Devil’s Eye inside. It seemed he really wasn’t a threat, but while N’Taba was watching Brooks saw Hanson, their other mark, exiting the guest wing and heading downstairs. He decided to follow.

As the two were tracking those two, Martin was having less success trying to access the Queen’s private wing. He was worried something may be going down inside, but unable to get entry, he settled for also following Hanson once he spotted the half-orc moving downstairs. Striking up a conversation, the guard seemed cordial enough, glad to chat with someone as esteemed as Martin. He took up his post in the banquet hall, at which point Azara pulled Martin back to the entrance hall with some news.

In her hand was a small, egg-like object filled with smoke. She’d found it in the ball room, though wasn’t sure as to its function. Perhaps there were more of them about? Martin took the egg and decided to search for more, using magic to try and locate one. And there was another nearby - in the banquet hall.

Getting antsy waiting for the others, Natuc joined Martin in the hall. Martin gave him the egg to hold onto, explaining that it could be dangerous and he was going to find more. So Natuc did what he does best, stepping outside and chucking the egg at the outer wall of the castle. It shattered on impact, releasing a cloud of smoke onto the air and alerting the outdoor guards. The chaos was building.

As Brooks and N’Taba - now back in her genasi form - waited with Natuc in the entrance hall, Martin learned the other egg was on Hanson’s person. They’d caught him red-handed. Not wanting to let anything on, he tricked the guard into heading outside with him, only to put his sword to Hanson’s back the moment they stepped out into the courtyard. He had Natuc collect the egg from Hanson’s pocket - which the Goliath promptly chucked over the wall just like the first.

This one shattered as well - but the effect was much more extravagant. From down the hall, smoke burst out of the ball room; it seemed this egg had triggered all of the other ones hidden within. Hanson tried to make a run for it, but Martin held him in place, firmly gripping the edge of his armor. From within the smoke cloud, two figures came bursting out dressed in black leathers - assassins from the Walkers.

Firing poisoned crossbow bolts, the attackers attempted to scramble up the stairs and out of sight. But the Wanderers were quick on the jump - Natuc charged headlong toward them, while Martin used his mere presence to frighten them and Hanson. Once Natuc had gotten close enough, N’Taba summoned a wall of thorns that surrounded the assassins and the barbarian -they were trapped in there with him.

Despite their poisoned weapons, they were no match for Natuc. He shoved one of the assailants into the thorns, skewering them before finishing them off with his axe. The other he merely knocked out, hoping to take them as prisoner. Outside the thorn dome, Martin was teaching a lesson to the terrified Hanson: Using his gauntlet-covered fists, he pounded the traitor’s face again and again, beating him into submission as other guards surrounded and chained him up. When the smoke cleared and thorns fell, the Wanderers stood victorious.

With the Walker’s plot foiled, the Queen happily sing the party’s praises once more, as the crowd cheered them on. The danger now dealt with, the celebrations could continue, and after a quick sweep for anything else nefarious the crowd moved to the ball room. The final part of the banquet would be a dance and social, and the Wanderers found themselves as the center of attention.

Providing the music was a soaring band of aaracokra musicians, headed by Amadeus, the bard the group had met along the road to Roarkstead. It seemed he’d cleaned up a bit since their last meeting, and in the months that followed had built up a new act. He was disappointed Barnaby wasn’t with the group any longer - he even played one of the songs their former bard had used to best him in their music duel - but was still happy to perform for them none-the-less.

On the dance floor, Natuc did his best to avoid Lady Agatha while N’Taba found Prince Uncor waiting. He had considered their offer, and was willing to hear them out: But it would be his father, the king who they’d really need to impress. He invited the group to return to Kor’Vesh with him the next day, where they could work with his spy master to come up with a plan for their uprising. If it impressed they king and his generals, they may just back it.

Happy to accept his offer and pleased she had been able to strike a deal, N’Taba spent the rest of the evening putting the “wasted” in “Wasted Wanderers.” Meanwhile Martin had caught the eye of Don Quinn, sitting at a table overlooking the dance floor with his partner and Dor’El. Martin was eager to chat, hoping to figure out exactly what Don Quinn was about.

Don Quinn cut straight to the chase: The Syndicate we’re out for blood. The Wanderers had cost them thousands of gold in business, and they wanted to collect. Rather than continue this feud, however, Don Quinn had a more peaceful solution in mind: They had a job for the Wanderers, one if they agreed to complete it, they could wipe their slate clean.

Martin was wary of Don, not very interested in working with the criminal syndicate that had once gripped his home town. But Don insisted they stop by their Imperial Suite with the rest of the party to chat - he was hopeful they could come to an agreement. Martin bid him farewell, giving the paladin a lot to think on.

With the festivities and winding down and folks beginning to head out, the group stopped for a quick chat with Queen Tyra. She thanked them once again for their assistance that evening, and reaffirmed her promise to them: If they could get the Chainbreaker Coalition on board, she’d send help for their uprising in Darma. Before bidding her good night, N’Taba made sure to mention she’d caught Donovan smoking on the job - the rest of the group were shocked she’d ratted him out, but the Queen was thankful to know one of her personal guards may not be up to snuff.

Leaving the castle behind and heading out into the cold night air, the Wanderers decided to take Don Quinn up on his offer, and made way for the Emerald Lion and his Imperial Suite within. Upon arriving, they were warmly greeted by Don, Lady Orivo and Dor’El, who appeared to be the only ones in the room. It was clear Don Quinn was hoping to have a serious conversation, but the Wanderers’ flippant attitudes towards him and the Syndicate began to quickly wear on him.

At Martin’s prompting, Don revealed his true form: That of a fiendish tiger, standing on two legs, with hands that had outward-facing palms. He explained that the Syndicate was originally formed by devils from the 9 Hells, a plane of existence filled with fiends and watched over by the Dark Gods. These devils had broken free of the caste system that had dominated their lives, instead seeking their own power on the mortal plane. And now that they had it, they weren’t going to let ANYONE mess with it - including the Wanderers.

Suddenly appearing around the room were spined devils, covered in scaly hides and sharp points. This was an ambush. Martin and Natuc were caught flat-footed, instantly under assault while N’Taba and Brooks scrambled to defend themselves.

With Natuc caught unawares by the attack, Don focused in on the barbarian, using magic to command him to attack his friends. Ensnared by the fiend, the Goliath launched into an attack on Martin, who was forced to defend from his own ally. As devils swarmed around them, Lady Orivo released a fireball that caught N’Taba and Martin in its blast, but seemed to have no effect on the fiends. This was a problem for N’Taba, who‘s fire magic was nullified by the devils’ natural resistance.

Hoping to free Natuc from Don’s grasp, Brooks honed in on the tiger-like fiend, firing piercing arrows at the boss. But the boss had other plans - he taunted Brooks, implying he should see the 9 Hells for himself before striking the Tiefling with a turned claw. And just like that, Brooks vanished… Only to find himself in a barren, sun-burned wasteland. Sand-blasted and desolate, the cracked earth stretched out in all directions, the horizon only broken up by a massive sandstorm crawling Brooks’ way. He’d been sent straight to Avernus, the upper layer of the 9 Hells.

With Brooks gone, the rest of the party needed to end the fight quickly, or risk being overwhelmed. Thankfully, Brooks’ arrows had weakened Don, and with his divine fury Martin was able to slay the fiend. As Don disintegrated into a puff of sulfuric smoke, Natuc regained control of his actions, quickly turning on the spined devils. N’Taba too began harnessing other aspects of her nature magic, summoning pillars to break up the battlefield and pin one devil to the ceiling.

With Don dead and the Wanderers closing in, Lady Orivo desperately tried to avoid Martin, who’d chosen her as his next target. Seeing no easy way to victory, she called Dor’El to her side, and in a flash the two disappeared. They had escaped to fight another day, but so too had the Wanderers, who mopped up the remaining devils with ease.

Meanwhile, Brooks was doing his best to cope with his situation. Sweating in the oppressive heat, he surveyed his options: A few rocks here, a river of blood there. In the distance, racing the coming storm, he could see what looked like vehicles of metal approaching, rolling over the wasteland. The air was filled with the sounds of grinding and wailing, the infernal machines getting closer and closer. Brooks desperately tried to find some cover, opting to deploy the group’s instant fortress and hide inside. All the while he was babbling to N’Taba on a sending stone, keeping the group well informed of his situation.

Using Brooks’ descriptions of the landscape, and with the knowledge of where he’d been sent, N’Taba was able to pull out one of her specialized tubing forks and teleport the rest of the party to hell. Gathering inside the instant fortress, the group watched nervously as the mechanical war machines got closer and closer… Only to veer off and instead follow the path of a river of blood. The Wanderers were safe for now, and as the sandstorm engulfed the fortress, they decided to take a much needed rest.

Sleeping through the hours of roaring winds and shearing sands, the storm finally passed, allowing the Wanderers to step outside and plan their next move. They decided against exploring hell for now, hoping to get back to Kingsforge and celebrate the New Year. Fully rested and ready to go, N’Taba sent the group back to the material plane, appearing in the center of Kingsforge’s wealthy Coin Quarter. They’d arrived just in time for the celebrations: They pkayed games, drank themselves silly and attended the queen’s New Light speech (a new year’s tradition). They were also found by Prince Uncor, who assured them that whenever they were ready, he could take them back to Kor’Vesh with him.

Spending the day and well into the night partying, the Wanderers awoke the day after slightly hungover but ready to go. Joining Prince Uncor at the city’s teleportation junction, they were whisked away to Arcos.

## The Darma Rebellion

Arriving in a beautiful palace, the Wanderers were given a sweeping view of the capital of the Chainbreaker Coalition, Kor’Vesh: A huge city sitting on the edge of the sea, the capital’s Orcish influence was immediately apparent in the designs of its buildings. Many had roofs or walls made of leather tarps, pulled tight on frames of wood or stone. Even in winter the tropical weather brought humidity, and palm trees could be seen rising between buildings. They’d have time to explore later, but for now, they needed to plan.

Prince Uncor brought the Wanderers through the opulent palace, eventually reaching a small meeting room. He introduced them to the Coalition’s spy master, a one-eyed halfling woman named Delph. She was their best informant on the Darman Empire - its military strengths, defenses, weaknesses - and would be invaluable in helping them plan. Their task was to come up with a detailed plan for their rebellion, which they could present to the king and his military advisors the following day. With any luck, the king would agree to move forward with their strategy. In the meantime, the group were given free reign of the city, and accommodations would be provided within the palace.

The group immediately set out forming a plan. It became quickly apparent that there would be a few main challenges: First, how could they get the bulk of the Coalition and Delmar troops to Darma without being noticed? A few ideas included recruiting powerful druids to help them teleport in via trees (as N’Taba likes to do), shipping in soldiers to a base camp with the invisible Wanderlust Wumpus, or creating some sort of storm or illusion to obscure a fleet. All potential options, all with unique challenges.

Second, they would need to find a way to mobilize Darma’s slaves and peasants to their cause. Delph informed them that the city’s slaves were kept in barracks sequestered into the Bloodworks, a walled off portion of the city where they mined raw materials and forged them into various goods - including weapons. It would be challenging, but if they managed to free the enslaved at the end of their work day, they could simultaneously bolster their forces and arm them with the weapons they had created. Otherwise they could go under the cover of darkness, breaking them out of the barracks where they were kept prisoner. Natuc was eager to head this portion of the battle.

The peasantry had a clearer path to involvement. Delph had previously worked with a woman named Aunt Linda, a seamstress in Darma’s poorer district. Secretly, Linda was responsible for smuggling people out of the city, and had a network of contacts throughout town. If they could reach her, she may be willing to help rally the populace.

Third was the city’s defenses. Beyond the wall, fleet and legions of soldiers stationed in Darma, Delph and her agents had uncovered whispers of two city-wide defense systems: One kept in the Flaming Fortress, Darma’s military headquarters, and one in the Iron Cloister, it’s religious center. In order to be successful, they’d have to contend with whatever these places had in store.

Wanting to get more information and begin sowing the seeds for their success, the Wanderers decided to head to Darma that night to start making progress. With Martin in the ring and Natuc holding one of the gate stones (in case of a quick exit), N’Taba brought her and Brooks to the Coroco Jungle, just on the outskirts of Darma. Using her nature magic to turn them into clouds of vapor, the two soared over the walls of the city, heading to meet with Aunt Linda.

Reaching the run-down Sodden Streets, Darma’s less fortunate sector, they quickly found Aunt Linda’s shop. Speaking to the tenants inside - and dropping a code that Delph had given them - they were taken to a secret back room, where they were given an audience with Aunt Linda herself. Though mistrustful at first - both of the Wanderers and their plans - the group managed to sway the old woman with both mentions of Delph and Delmar’s aid, as well as N’Taba’s personal history with slavery and rebellion.

Aunt Linda would be willing to reach out to her contacts and assist with what the Wanderers were planning. With enough of a lead, they could rally numbers to aid them in the coming battle. But there was one major issue: Darma didn’t allow their citizens to bare arms, and without weapons, they’d be useless in a fight against trained soldiers. If the Wanderers could bring her enough weapons, they could spread them to willing folks throughout town. That was the condition of her aid.

With that in mind, the party bid her farewell and decided to investigate another lead: The Flaming Fortress, and whatever defenses it held. To do this, they would need a disguise: Within Darma, guards were broken up into 3 ranks, designated by their style of armor. While Martin could use magic to change his appearance, Delph had revealed that an anti-magic field guarded the fortress entrance, so they would need physical disguises.

Brooks quickly took out two passing soldiers with arrows to the head, and the three dragged them into an alley. Despite one close call with some other passing soldiers - Martin was able to distract them disguised as an old beggar - Brooks and Martin donned their disguises as third rank guards while N’Taba turned into a sea gull to keep watch outside. The two headed for the fortress, a massive structure of black stone with a burning pyre flame atop its roof, and made their way inside.

Between Brooks’ snooping capabilities and Martin’s militia knowledge, the two were able to look around while keeping a low profile. Eventually they found a staircase to the second floor, where it seemed most-likely the info they were seeking was being kept. Martin changed his disguise to that off a second level guard, and the two headed further up.

On the second floor, the two quickly found a records room that may hold the secrets they needed. But unfortunately they were spotted by a first level soldier, who questioned why a third level guard had been brought upstairs. Despite Martin’s best efforts to make excuses, Brooks was told to return to the lower floor, leaving Martin on his own. After checking out a few other halls, the paladin circled back to the records room, hoping there would be something for him in there.

This time the room wasn’t empty, as an archivist named Alabastor was in there sorting through times and documents. Martin struck up a conversation with the eager but naive worker, getting on his good side and feigning interest in the military’s history. Eventually he brought up matters of city-wide defense, and Alabastor was all to pleased to share what he’d heard: Ot was rumored that in times of war, the flame atop the fortress would turn into a great beast, raining down vengeance upon their enemies from above. With that information in hand, Martin left to go find Brooks and get out of there.

Brooks had decided to stay in the mess hall, hoping to blend in and wait for Martin’s return. Unfortunately, another soldier decided to strike up a conversation, and Brooks didn’t quite have Martin’s silver tongue. He bumbled over a few details, claiming to have come out of retirement, which clearly struck this soldier as strange. Hoping to get out without arousing more suspicion, he headed back to the entryway just as Martin was returning from upstairs.

Before they could leave, Martin was confronted by the soldier Brooks had spoken with, who was troubled by their conversation. Still disguised as a higher ranking soldier, Martin promised to keep an eye on things, and began heading for the door. Unfortunately, he forgot about the anti-magic field protecting it… and his armor shifted back to normal.

The entryway guards had noticed, demanding an explanation… and the Wanderers booked it. As N’Taba watched from the air above, Martin and Brooks sprinted across the fortress courtyard, and guards pursued on foot and arrows rained down from above. The gate to the fortress was quickly lowered, and while Brooks made it out in time, Martin was still trapped within. As more arrows fired down from above, Brooks used his enhanced strength - thanks to his Belt of Frost Giant’s Strength - to lift the gate, and the two hustled to lose their marks in the city streets.

Unable to hide and with more guards joining the chase, they needed to get out of there. Brooks cast darkness to conceal them from view, and with the gate stone in hand, Martin teleported them back to Darma. As she watched her friends disappear, N’Taba found a nice perch just outside the city, where after a short rest she was able to get back to Kor’Vesh via tree.

The group had successfully infiltrated the city, and had gathered some critical information for their mission. But tempers were flaring between the Wanderers, as they each blamed the others for their less than stellar escape. Feeling tired and with plenty to think about, the group split up for a much needed night’s sleep, their meeting with the Coalition’s brass looming the next day.

Awaking with cooler heads and more resolve, the Wanderers began to plan with a vengeance. Weighing all of their options, they began to settle on a plan of attack. First, they would have both the Chainbreaker fleet and Delmar’s ships meet up at Fort Boromir, and would stage their attack by sailing around the Temperate Islands and into Darma. By avoiding the coast of Arcos, their fleet could dodge the Darman patrols sailing those waters, and hopefully not tip off the Empire to their plans too soon.

Attacking at night, the Wanderers would split into three groups: N’Taba and Martin would work with Coalition mages to form “Spell Team 6,” using their magic to attack and hinder Darma’s defending ships while the Coalition navy got to work. It would also put them in position to deal with Darma’s “flying, flaming beast” should that rumor hold true. Meanwhile, Brooks would be leading the peasants on the ground, hoping to take the Iron Clouster and whatever defenses it possessed. Natuc would head his own team of elite soldiers, covertly landing in Darma on the invisible Wasted Wanderlust and freeing the slaves held in the Bloodworks.

While Brooks rallied the peasants to head for the Pyramid, Natuc would lead the now freed slaves to the Flaming Fortress, hoping to cripple Darma’s military command. N’Taba and Martin would also converge on the Fortress, and once cleared, all forces would converge on the Pyramid. Once taken, the city would be all but theirs.

While planning, they received a visitor from the College of Yore, a nearby institution of learning in Darma. The representative was bearing a package for them from Dr. Karate James Jefferstone, their old acquaintance who had helped in the fight against the fire Titan, Lavar. Though he was out of town, he’d gotten word of their arrival, and had sent a gift: Sending Stone Earrings, capable of allowing all of them to communicate with one another seamlessly. An invaluable asset for the upcoming battle.

With their plans complete, the Wanderers were brought to Kor’Vesh’s military center, where they were introduced to King Kort Uncor, the prince’s father and head of the Chainbreaker Coalition. Though willing to hear their proposal, it was clear initially that the King and his military advisors were mostly humoring the Prince by holding this meeting. But then Martin began speaking.

Drawing on his own military history and natural charisma, Martin began laying out their plan. He spoke of the Queen’s aid, their own history of uprisings, and their unique abilities that would aid in the task. He talked about the logistics of troop transport, the peasants ready to rally, their plan to free the slaves by way of invisible ship. As he spoke, the listening military minds became more and more interested - it was clear their plan was better than most they’d heard before. And most importantly, the King was enthralled.

As Martin finished speaking, there was a long pause, as the King contemplated everything he’d heard. Finally he spoke, lamenting that for years, the Coalition had always been on the defensive. Rebuffing Darman attacks, always responding, never acting. He was tired of it, and was ready to strike a blow to the Empire that could permanently shift power on the continent.

They were in. It was time for war.

The King had one stipulation - they wouldn’t be able to directly provide the weapons Aunt Linda needed for her peasants, but so long as the Wanderers could, they would be ready. Instantly the military heads began prepping for battle, understanding the gravity of the King’s decision. As did the Prince, who thanked the Wanderers for their efforts and wished them luck in the coming battle.

While the Coalition prepared for battle, the Wanderers had their own preparations to be made. First up was a stop in Kingsforge, where they were able to sit in on a meeting of the city council. Unfortunately, that meant sitting through an hour of discussions on taxation of goods brought through The Crossing, the only bridge spanning the Nexus River and connecting Delmar to neighboring Kell.

Once the meeting was complete, the Queen was more than happy to have a chat with the Wanderers. She was less than happy to hear their first request, however: They wanted to bring her airship to the battle. While she eventually agreed, she made it incredibly clear how much she loved her flying ship, and how upset she’d be if it wasn’t returned.

Their second request wasn’t nearly as daunting. They hoped she could provide them with enough weapons to arm the city’s peasants during the conflict, and the Queen pointed them to Forge Mistress Nox, head of the Archforge and creator of Martin’s armor. While they looked into it, the Queen wished them luck in the coming battle, and would inform Admiral Hayes to take their ships to Fort Boromir as requested.

Purchasing weapons from the Archforge was simple enough - though Brooks did stay outside rather than have to chat with his daughter. As the weapons were loaded onto the Queen’s airship for transport, the group did a bit of shopping to replenish their potions and prepare for battle. Once set, they took off on the airship, sailing to Fort Boromir.

Arriving back in their budding settlement, they enjoyed a week of relaxing in the sun. They drank at the Sugarsand Cabana, Durmstra’s open air tavern by the beach, where he served their brand of rum. They spent some time in their keep, checking up on N’Taba’s tiger and their iron golem guard. Grimley was happy to show them his grease-covered room, and the small treasure trove he’d stolen from merchants stopping at the island.

They took a visit to the new Coriander’s Curios, chatting with their frog friend and making a purchase or two. While relaxing, the Wasted Wumpus arrived, and they caught up with Marble, Darryl, other Martin and the rest of the crew. They planned for the Wumpus to sail with them in battle, and Jacques would be tasked with flying the Queen’s airship, since he had some previous experience.

The soldiers began arriving soon after. First came ships from Delmar, with Admiral Hayes personally takin command for the battle. Next was the Coalition fleet, headed by King Uncor himself. Both had brought more ships than initially promised - they were a force to be reckoned with.

Setting out across the seas, the Fleet slowly made their way to Darma. Rounding the Temperate Isles and heading straight for the Empire’s capital, they could feel the tension and anticipation building with each passing day. As they drew nearer, Brooks and N’Taba moved ahead on the invisible Wasted Wanderlust, to deliver their supply of arms to Aunt Linda.

With N’Taba able to control the water around the ship to keep their movement hidden, the Wanderlust snuck past the blockade guarding Darma’s port. Able to move beneath the waves thanks to mages in Linda’s employ, they slowly but surely unloaded their weapons into the sea, where they could be taken to the rebel’s hideout. As the last of the crates was unloaded, Brooks bid farewell, joining Aunt Linda and the rest of the peasants in waiting.

Once the Wanderlust had returned to the fleet, it was time for battle. As the final night of their journey fell across the sea, the Wanderers could see the lights of Darma on the horizon, and the massive golden pyramid looming above it all. The day of rebellion had finally come.

On the Wanderlust, Natuc broke from the fleet with his elite soldiers, slipping past the blockade and heading toward the Bloodworks. In the city, Brooks lay in wait with the armed peasants Aunt Linda had recruited, and the aging rebel leader gave him a wand to signal other groups around the city when the attack began. Back with the fleet, N’Taba and Martin assembled Spell Team 6, with their volunteer mages flying atop brooms, Martin summoning a gryphon steed and N’Taba taking the group’s flying carpet.

Slowly the fleet approached Darma’s blockade. Some surged forward to meet them head on, with several enemy ships following suit. Others on both sides began taking aim, preparing for the initial assault. Though the Wanderer’s fleet had the numbers advantage, Darma’s navy was filled with seasoned, career combatants ready for battle - this was going to be a tense fight.

Taking to the air, Spell Team 6 made their approach. As they advance, both sides fired, their arcane cannon balls arcing across the sea before… Impact! With the sounds of exploding fireballs, splintering wood and screaming soldiers, the battle had begun.

Racing between ships, Spell Team 6 began to hinder Darma’s navy as best as they could. The Coalition mages blasted the ships with elemental magic, zooming back and forth on their flying brooms. Martin used his gryphon to fly from ship to ship attacking helmsmen and trying to damage their wheels, as well as using an immovable object (through his magic) to hold another at bay. N’Taba dropped balls of fire from above that she’d purchased from Coriander, and used her ability to control water the help hold and destroy ships. Even Blinky got in on the action, using a potion of fire-breathing to torch sailors and ships alike. Though the mage’s leader was killed by a well-placed ballista, Spell Team 6 was doing their part.

Meanwhile, Brooks could hear the sounds of battle in the distance. Leading his group of peasants into the streets, they began overwhelming and taking out Darman troops as they headed for the Iron Cloister. Brooks led his group with lethal efficiency, taking out guards, spotting threats and plotting a course forward. As they advanced, however, opposition began to mount as they lost the element of surprise - they needed back-up.

Brooks pointed the wand Aunt Linda had given him to the sky, and fired a red flare that burst above. Across Darma, similar flares began to flash in the skies above, as other peasant groups took to the streets to cause mayhem. As the sounds of shouts and clashing steel began to ring out, Brooks continued his advance - only to be stopped by a makeshift barricade formed by Darman soldier. They’d need to find a way past to get to the Cloister.

Natuc was encountering his own barricade, as well. As the Wasted Wanderlust landed on the shores of Darma, Natuc led his group of veteran soldiers into the streets. Taking out any resistance in their path, they quickly began to close in on the Bloodworks, where they would need to free the captured slaves to have a chance at taking the city. But upon reaching the gates, they found a well-fortified wall swarming with Darman soldiers, and led by a red-helmeted general. Natuc charged forward, knowing the only way in was to fight.

Back out in the port, Martin and N’Taba were about to face their first real challenge. Atop the Flaming Fortress, they watched as the burning fire began to grow and shift. It formed into a massive bird of flame, a phoenix born to defend the city. This was the beast they’d been warned of, and it quickly took off toward the port, heading straight for the Queen’s airship.

The phoenix burned through the airship, incinerating some of the Delmar soldiers on board and tearing into the hull. Martin and N’Taba acted quickly, flying to the airship’s aid. N’Tabs summoned a massive tidal wave that crashed into the flaming beast before shifting into a water elemental. Martin hacked away at with his sword, trying to draw its attention while burning himself in the process.

In her watery form, N’Taba could feel her hits taking a toll on the phoenix, despite beginning to evaporate herself. Focusing on his own dark essence, Martin was able to frighten the creature, giving Jacques enough of an opening to escape. As their crew mate maneuvered the airship to safety, Martin flew above the creature, diving through its fiery form and piercing it with his sword. The creature exploded in a ball of flame as Martin landed back on his gryphon, burnt but victorious. The beast had been slain.

In the streets of Darma, Brooks’ unit was making headway. Using his ring of telekineses, he was able to skewer several Darman soldiers on their own barricade, and giving an opening for the peasants to storm in. The Darman’s did their best to respond with crossbow volleys, but Brooks was the only expert marksman in that fight. Climbing to a rooftop, he sniped the soldiers with eldritch blasts and arrows of his own, and soon the peasants had broken their lines. With that obstacle beaten, they continued on to the Cloister, getting closer every minute.

At the Bloodworks, Natuc was taking the Darman General head on, bashing away with his axe. From atop the wall, Darman soldiers fired ballista bolts on the barbarian, but nothing was stopping his rage. He slaughtered the general before moving toward the gates, and with the help of his soldiers, bashed in the iron doors. The Bloodworks were open, and with their goal so close, they began to flood inside and head for the barracks where the slaves were being held.

With the phoenix beaten, Spell Team 6 regrouped on the Queen’s airship to take stock of the battle. A few of their ships had broken through the blockade and landed in Darma, delivering much-needed soldiers to the fight in the city. But it wasn’t nearly as many as they’d hoped. Despite their best efforts, Darma’s superior experience and tactics were keeping the Coalition forces at bay. If things continued this way, the battle would be over before it truly got started.

To make matters worse, N’Taba spotted a grim sight in the harbor: The Wasted Wumpus, their original ship, sinking. By this point, Martin and N’Taba were supposed to be heading to the Flaming Fortress to soften it up for Natuc’s advance. Should they stick to the plan, or try to save things here?

They decided to stay, hoping to swing things in their navy’s favor first. Needing to both save their crew and help the war effort, they split up, with N’Taba leading Spell Team 6 into battle while Martin went after their crew. With the mages by her side, N’Taba continued assaulting the enemy ships, controlling the water around them and having Blinky burn the unsuspecting sailors. The mages were rallying too, honoring their dead leader by trashing Darma ship after Darma ship.

In the waters below, Martin did his best to rescue the crew. Only Marble, Darryl and Donkey were still alive aboard the sinking ship - other Martin hadn’t made it. Diving beneath the waves, Martin found his name-sharing navigator still clutched to the wheel of the ship, dead in the water. With one of his last remaining diamonds, he brought the navigator back to life, and both Martins managed to make it back to the airship in one piece.

Within the Bloodworks, Natuc was getting to work freeing the slaves. Bursting through the door and barreling over the guards inside the barracks, he could see the slave’s grim conditions: Each sat in a tiny, three-walked cell, chained to the stone. Using brute force, he and the other soldiers began breaking them out of their chains. As they worked, Coalition soldiers were explaining the rebellion in Orcish - and the now freed slaves quickly joined in. It was going to take some time, but soon their numbers would be bolstered - and they could take the Flaming Fortress.

Moving through the streets with his peasant legion, Brooks could see the Iron Cloister approaching. As they ran, other groups of peasants began to join up - some armed with the swords they’d acquired, others having seen what was happening and rising up with whatever they had. As they pushed through, they still had to contend with Darman soldiers, and a wayward mage managed to collapse a building on part of the unit before being taken out by Brook’s bow.

Brooks was forced to make tough decisions as well. While nearing the Cloister, he passed a group of peasants overwhelmed by Darman forces. Rather than risk his own numbers and assist, he chose to press on. The mission was too important.

Arriving outside the sword-like Iron Cloister, he could see other peasant groups were already attempting to break in. But strangely, there were no guards or priests defending the tower - and he soon learned why. From the tower’s apex, the giant ball of metal that seemed to be no more than decoration plummeted down on top of the peasants, crushing them instantly. Rolling through the thoroughfare around the tower, others were squished under its huge form before it opened up, revealing itself to be a dangerous golem. This was the defense the Cloister had in store - while the Phoenix could take out opponents from the air, this golem would tear through them in the streets.

Brooks needed help, and so he called for back-up through their earrings. Astride his gryphon, Martin took off in that direction, arriving in time to aid Brooks and the peasants against the hellish construct. N’Taba instead took off for the Flaming Fortress, finding it surrounded by Darman guards and generals in command. But as she arrived, she heard a roar coming from the nearby streets: Natuc and his forces had arrived.

Bolstered by freed slaves, armed peasants and soldiers from both Delmar and the Coalition, Natuc’s forces quickly began to overtake the Darmans guarding the fortress. Across the city, Martin had a plan for dealing with the golem - using some of his most powerful magic, he banished it from the space, giving them some moments to plan before its return. He assured Brooks he could handle it, so instead the rogue blood hunter used their gate stones to teleport to the fortress, where he could aid Natuc and N’Taba.

With the forces they’d assembled, the Wanderers were going to make quick work of the Fortress. N’Taba incinerated an entire flank with a wall of fire, before suffocating others with a poison gas cloud. Natuc wrenched open the gate with his sheer strength, allowing Brooks to scale the wall and jam its winch. With the gate open, the forces of freedom started rushing in, and soon the Fortress had been overrun. Darma’s military command was broken, but there was still a tension in the air - though the tides were shifting, this thing was far from over.

At the Cloister, Martin urged the peasants to storm inside before the golem returned. As the peasants dealt with the priests inside, Martin set up his shield to pin the golem between it and the wall, turning it into an immovable object so it would hold. When his banishment spell ended and the golem popped back into place, it found itself unable to move. Martin lashed it with his sword, while peasants rained down bolts from crossbows taken from dead Darman soldiers.

But even while pinned, the golem wasn’t going down easily. From one arm it fired a capsule that burst with a thunderous explosion, scattering peasants into chunks of gore. With its other arm it formed an electrically charged mace, smashing it into Martin and shocking even more nearby peasants. But Martin held on, and eventually managed to crack the golem’s metal hide.

Jamming his sword into the gears of the golem and breaking its weapons, Martin finally downed the metal monstrosity, ending the threat to their forces. With the golem destroyed, the Fortress under their control and the Cloister flooded with allies, the Wanderers could turn their focus to their final task: Taking the Pyramid of Azul. If their forces could hold the Pyramid, they could win this battle.

Through a Sending Stone, Admiral Hayes relayed some good news, as well: Their navy was holding, and a few more ships had managed to reach the port. But the good news was short-lived, as they began to hear a buzzing, humming noise emanating out over the city. From across Darma, the Pyramid was changing: The intricate designs of war traced all along its sides were beginning to glow bright red. Soon the entire pyramid was lit up with an eerie glow… But then it sat still again.

Was it waiting for something? Or perhaps it was still charging up whatever powers it possessed? Whatever it may be, the Wanderers needed to get there, and fast.

Flying stop their carpet and on Martin’s gryphon, they could see their forces in the streets below converging on the pyramid. But Darma had saved their best for the massive structure, blocking the invaders from reaching its doors. The Wanderers quickly began to change that: They broke through Darma’s lines, taking out their back rank of priests and mages while taking out the Darman’s commander. With the rest of their forces beginning to overwhelm the Darman soldiers, Natuc managed to pry open the doors to the Pyramid… And all hell broke loose.

Waiting inside were legions of Darman soldiers, waiting to enter the fray. As they surged forward, the Pyramid began sending fireballs careening into the city, destroying buildings, ships and fighters on both sides. It seemed the Darman nobles would rather burn the city to the ground than allow it to fall into the hands of the rebels.

Acting quickly, the Wanderers knew they needed to get past these soldiers and into the pyramid proper. Martin flew overhead on his gryphon, while N’Taba blazed a path through the soldiers as a fire elemental, with Natuc following behind to clean up those who survived her flames. Brooks caught a ride on a Coalition soldier who had been transformed into a rhino by a pixie N’Taba summoned, and together the party broke past the defenders and into the Pyramid’s lush garden level.

Once past the soldiers, the Pyramid seemed deserted, as all of the nobles had taken shelter for the battle. The first time they’d entered here, the Wanderers had rode a series of lifts to the structure’s apex. But the lifts had been locked down, now blocking off the chutes upward that lead deeper into the pyramids.

Using their magic carpet and her ability to meld through stone, N’Taba was able to lower the lift just enough for Natuc to wrench it down, and the Wanderers were in their way up. Passing noble homes, bureaucratic buildings and the upper echelon’s of the city’s mage and priest classes, the Wanderers eventually reached the final lift. Once more using N’Taba and Natuc to get inside, they were finally on their way to face the Trinity.

As the lift came to rest in the Pyramid’s final chamber, the Wanderers could see Darma’s leadership was prepared for battle: The Arcanus Major and Priori Maxima were ready with staffs drawn, and a line of elite Darman soldiers stood between the sides. Sitting in his platinum throne, the aging Golden Emperor greeted the Wanderers with a deranged laugh: He assured them that even if the Trinity fell, Darma would live on. That his Empire was eternal.

It was time for the fate of the battle to be decided. The Wanderers spent no time gaining the upper hand, attacking the head priestess and laying into the Trinity’s elite guards. Brooks took aim at the Emperor, and with the old man’s final laugh still echoing around the chamber, killed him with a single stroke of his crossbow. As the Emperor died, Brooks commanded the blood leaving his body to form a noose, hanging the Emperor from the ceiling of his own throne room.

Though their leader was gone, the Darman’s were still fighting on. The Arcanus Major blasted them with bolts of necrotic energy, and from above, the glowing orb that filled the room with light fired rays of blazing magical energy. But the Priori Maxima was falling under Natuc’s axe, and another well-placed bolt from Brooks took the priestess’ life.

With his guards falling and the Priori Maxima dead, the Arcanus Major was left fending for his life. He sent a wave of necrotic energy crashing through the apex, harming the Wanderers but taking out his own soldiers in the process. With his minions gone and nobody coming to his aid, it was already over: Natuc hacked him to pieces with his axe, and just like that, the Wanderers had slain the Trinity.

Or so they thought. From above they heard a great wailing begin to fill the room, and where it hung from the ceiling, the Emperor’s form had begun to change. The crown affixed to his head started to glow, and his skin peeled away to reveal a skeletal, wraith-like form underneath. The very spirit of the Darman Empire had awoken to mount one final stand.

Forming a ball of fire and necrotic energy in his hands, the wraith summoned a magical explosion that nearly took down both Martin and Natuc. They needed to deal with this, and fast. Using his axe, Natuc hooked the creature and managed to pull it down to the ground. The Wraith lashed out in turn, and Natuc only managed to cling to consciousness through sheer force of will. He landed a major blow on the wraith in kind, but the creature still threatened to slay the entire party.

But Martin wasn’t letting that happen. Bathing his sword in holy light, he struck the creature with everything he had left, sundering its form and leaving it vulnerable. With one final thunderous blow, he plunged his blade through the wraith, destroying the creature and leaving nothing but a cold crown in its wake.

The Wanderers waited with bated breath, unsure if they’d managed to win the day. Finally, they heard Admiral Hayes’ voice come through on their Sending Stone: The rebels had taken the Pyramid, and they were now in control of the Fortress, harbor and Iron Cloister as well. Victory was theirs.

Waiting up in the apex, the Wanderers were joined by Commander Araxis and Admiral Hayes. Unfortunately, King Kort Uncor had died in the battle, but the fighting was over. Lead back down to the Pyramid’s lowest level, the Wanderers were greeted with cheers from soldiers, peasants and freed slaves alike. They had done the impossible. Darma had fallen.

Celebrations continued well into the night, with the Wanderers reveling in their victory. Over the next few days, order was once more established across the city, with the Coalition’s military taking control. Aunt Linda began leading restoration efforts across town, ensuring the wounded were cared for and the citizens tended to.

After a few days, Prince Corpheus arrived, and having helped keep the peace for a few days, Admiral Hayes and the Delmar soldiers returned to Baelor, promising to update Queen Tyra on their victory. In turn, the Prince promised that should Delmar ever call for aid, the Coalition would stand by their side. A new alliance had been forged, one tested in battle.

The Prince decided to hold a meeting between the Coalition’s military brass, Aunt Linda and the Wanderers to decide how best to move forward. It was agreed that the military would remain in control of Darma as it was transitioned into the Coalition, with Aunt Linda serving as an advisor to represent the interests of the commoners. N’Taba was wary that the citizens of Darma may end up becoming de facto slaves under the new leadership, but through chatting with some of the generals and listening in on their conversations, it became clear the military would be enjoying more power with King Kort’s strong leadership.

Sensing this as well, Martin pulled the young Prince aside to make sure he was ready for the burden now placed on his shoulders. Though saddened by his father’s death and nervous for the future, Prince Corpheus promised to do his best to lead the Coalition with grace and confidence. Martin did his best to pump up the new Prince as well, but only time would tell the sort of leader he’d become.

While staying in Darma during the battle’s aftermath, Brooks was approached by Lee, one of their crew mates on the Wanderlust. He had been helping sort through the tribes of old documents and texts the Darman’s had stockpiled in the Pyramid of Azul, and had come across one that reminded him of the cave the Wanderers had entered out in the Leviathan Ocean. Sure enough, the tome had the tentacled-web symbol on its cover that Brooks had been seeking out.

The book spoke of eldritch beings born from the deaths of some of the Dark Gods in the Celestial War. Of note to Brooks was a creature known as Morphenius, formed from the remains of Hellanus, god of imprisonment. The creature was said to live deep in the Underdark, preying on those who were suffering or lost. It could use its powers to subtly alter their reality, preying on their minds until they went insane and perished. Once captured in Morphenius’ snare, it was said there was no escape.

Having rested and recovered for about a week after the battle, the Wanderers were looking forward to taking a vacation and planning their next move. Unfortunately for them, the Queen had other plans: Early one morning, Natuc heard the Queen reaching out to him through his knight symbol. She congratulated them on their victory, but now she had a task for them to complete in Kingsforge. She urged them to hurry, as it seemed their friend Azara may be in trouble.

A little groggy but ready to begin again, N’Taba opened a portal from the jungle outside Darma into Kingsforge, and on to the next leg of the Wanderer’s adventure.

## The Rise of the Endless

### The Fall of Kingsforge

Arriving in Delmar’s capital, the Wanderers were greeted by the hustle and bustle of a city waking up. Shop keeps opened their stores, citizens hustled to work and several passersby marveled at the returning heroes. After spending a week in war-torn Darma, Kingsforge was a nice change of pace.

Heading north, the party headed to the city’s tallest building, the Tower of Aura. A spire swirled with blue and gold and topped with a glass beacon shining blue light, the Wanderers were lead up the tower to a small office space. There they met with Queen Tyra and Towerkeeper Didra, one of the city council members and head cleric of Aura, goddess of civilization.

Didra explained that some of the town’s Gravewalkers, clerics of Thanatos that were charged with entombing the dead in the catacombs below the city, had begun growing missing. When the tower had sent clerics of their own after them, they too hadn’t returned. While occasional undead creatures or unfriendly squatters weren’t uncommon in the winding tunnels, these trained clerics should’ve been able to deal with them.

That’s when Queen Tyra got involved. She had sent two of her Knights of Helena into the catacombs to investigate, including Azara. And yet they too hadn’t returned. At that point, she deemed it necessary to call in the Wanderers.

Whatever was down there was clearly strong, but the Queen was confident the party could handle it. After all, they’d slain dragons. In the meantime, she would be heading back to the castle to prepare for a council meeting that evening, and she hoped the group would join them once this was dealt with.

The Wanderers were happy to take on the task, and so they made their way to the Grave Quarter, a walled-in graveyard where the entrance to the catacombs was. After speaking with one of the Gravewalkers, they were told the original clerics had gone missing somewhere southeast of the district. The tunnels below were winding and twisting however, and they would need to keep their wits about them to make headway.

Luckily for the Wanderers, they had an expert navigator with them. Brooks lead the group through the dingy tunnels, keeping tabs on the dead-ends and switchbacks the ensure they kept heading in the right direction. The walls of the catacombs were lined with skulls and bones, the former denizens of Kingsforge laid here to rest. Some of the bones seemed to come from larger creatures, beasts of various sizes - and at one point, they passed the skeletal remains of a dragon. It seemed many secrets were contained under the city.

After traveling through the tunnels for nearly an hour, N’Taba spotted a bit of blood in a fork on their path. By touching the blood and tapping into his arcane powers, Brooks was able to get flashes of what happened here: The Gravewalkers being attacked, though by what he wasn’t sure; Azara and another knight arriving, choosing to head down the left path; the clerics of the tower choosing to go right. They decided to follow in Azara’s path, and sure enough, they noticed other clues that they were moving in the right direction - a footprint here, some blood there.

Eventually, they came upon a crack in the wall, which appeared to lead to a chamber beyond. Squeezing through, the short tunnel opened into an ancient burial chamber of some kind. While the space was mostly plain, there was a tunnel dug into the opposite wall… And bodies strewn across the floor. Some were dressed in the robes of the Gravewalkers, others like the tower keepers. Some had merely rags, while two seemed to be wearing dark leather armor - including a Tiefling with black hair. All of the corpses were dessecated and shriveled, like all of their life force had been sucked out of them.

Rushing over to the Tiefling, Natuc confirmed what they all feared: It was indeed Azara, lifeless. But worse, as Natuc checked her body for any signs of life, her corpse sprang up, along with the rest in the room. The dead had returned to life, and they quickly assaulted the Wanderers.

Though the dead were tenacious in their attacks, with the shambling bodies of the clerics seemingly able to drain the Wanderers energy, these undead abominations were no match for the party at full strength. Mopping them up with swords, arrows and spells, the last one standing was Azara. Seeing her in this state, the group agreed it was best to put her out of her misery, and so Natuc put her down with his axe. But there was hope for her yet - N’Taba had recently learned some powerful resurrection spells, and so she took Blinky out of her ring and placed Azara’s body inside with the hope of helping her once whatever had done this was dealt with.

Going for the tunnel opposite where they’d entered, Brooks noticed that walls seemed to have been chiseled, but by teeth instead of tools. Following the path, they began to see light coming from around a corner, and sure enough, the tunnel lead to another chamber. But this one was familiar to the Wanderers’, as they’d been here once months ago: The vault of the Knights of Helena. Most of the artifacts seemed to be accounted for, but the bodies of two of the Knights lay torn apart on the floor, as though something had torn through their chests.

The bite marks on the walls, the wounds on these Knights - it was all beginning to feel a bit familiar. Martin remembered the form of the Endless, the demon lord they had bargained with for Grimley’s soul. It has been covered in shadowy faces, hundreds of mouths… And it had created the Moonstone, which was coincidentally missing from its pedestal.

The Wanderers needed to move quickly. They sprinted out of the Knight’s quarters, passing more bodies along the way, and up into the military headquarters above. The place looked like it had been torn through, with discarded shield, broken swords and slain bodies littering the halls. Getting outside, they could see a small crowd had gathered outside the fortress, including a few soldiers who were desperate to know what was happening. Unfortunately, they were too late.

From across the city, the Wanderers watched in horror as the apex of the Tower of Aura shattered. Stone and glass rained down over Kingsforge, and climbing out of the top of the tower, was the Endless. Black as shadow and even larger than the last time they’d met, it looked over the city, and they began to hear its hundreds of voices speaking as one. It announced to the citizens of Kingsforge that they would soon join the collective, and to witness the power of the Moonstone.

In an instant, streaks of black lightning were pouring over the city. Emanating from the Endless’ outstretched fist, they shot over buildings, down streets, through windows and under doors. The Wanderers felt the energy surging through their bodies, threatening to wrench the very fabric of their souls from them. And as quickly as it had come, the bolts of necrotic lightning were pulled back into the Endless, and the demon lord’s form swelled to a gargantuan size.

As the laughter of the Endless rang out over the city, the Wanderers faced a nightmare unlike any they’d seen before: The death of Kingsforge. Corpses piled up in the streets - men, women and children, soldiers and citizens alike. Black scars covered the city’s buildings and streets, marks of the arcane power that had been unleashed. Beside N’Taba, Blinky’s body lay shriveled and lifeless on the ground, and the Druid fell to her knees, weeping for her lost companion.

As she placed him in her ring, and the rest of the Wanderers tried to grapple with what was happening, they heard the Endless command the dead to rise. A pulse of energy from the Moonstone washed over the city, and slowly, the dead began to move again. The thousands of bodies around them slowly got to their feet, their broken bodies awoken by the Endless. The demon lord now had an army of the undead at its command.

Wounded and terrified, the Wanderers needed to escape. Their only solace was that the palace, protected by its arcane enchantments, seemed to be unscathed. Perhaps the Queen had survived. N’Taba cast Wind Walk on all of them, allowing them to take on gaseous forms and coast through the skies. As they took off, Brooks had a sickening realization: His daughter, Phoebe was in Kingsforge. While the rest of the group headed to the castle, he soared to the Archforge, hoping against hope that his daughter was ok.

It wasn’t to be. Inside the massive forge, the black streaks continued, having made it inside the guild hall. And there among the shambling hordes was Phoebe, her body pruned and desiccated, now turned to a mindless husk. With their last, frustrating interaction echoing in his mind, and regret filling his heart, Brooks fired an arrow through his daughter’s head, quickly ending the mimicry of life that had been placed upon her.

While Brooks mourned his daughter, the rest of the party were seeing that their troubles were only increasing. Below them, the cobblestone streets began to crack and break, as skeletons started to climb or out from beneath the city. The Endless hadn’t just awoken the dead above ground, but the skeletons in the catacombs as well.

As the undead army swelled below them, the Wanderers arrived at the palace. While the structure itself had been untouched by the Moonstone, the walls and courtyard had, and a horde of undead soldiers were now trying to break in to the castle. They could see the Queen on one of the upstairs balconies, sheltering from the zombies with Fyrax, Archmage Sophocles and some of her royal guards and servants. She wouldn’t leave without them, but the Wanderers couldn’t fit everyone on their carpet. They would need the airship.

As they prepared to head for the airship, the Endless began calling out to the Wanderers, beckoning them to come to the tower. But the Wanderers were in no shape for a fight with the demon lord - and even if they were, did they even stand a chance? Instead they all converted on the airship, finding it guarded by a legion of undead soldiers and what remained of General Corbin, Darma’s military leader.

Mopping up the general and his soldiers, Brooks grabbed the airship key off the former flight captain and took to the skies, piloting the airship back to the palace. Meanwhile, Martin commanded his gryphon to fetch Azara’s body from outside the headquarters, having been left there so Blinky could go back to the ring. As the Queen and her entourage all piled onto the ship, the hordes of undead broke into the room where they had been hiding. Martin managed to hold them off just long enough for everyone to get on, before being picked up by his returning gryphon.

Just when it seemed that they were home free, the sound of bursting stone across the city caught their attention. Shooting into the sky from below were skeletal, undead dragons like the one they’d spotted on their journey through the catacombs. It seemed to be far from the only one, and while most headed for the broken tower, two went straight for the airship.

But the Wanderers hadn’t come this far just to die now. With the help of the soldiers and pixies summoned by N’Taba, they carved through the skeletal dragons, unleashing the anger and fury they were feeling on these undead beasts. With the dragons out of the way, the airship coasted over the walls of the city - and the Endless’ voices drifted out once again. It would be waiting for the Wanderers, and soon, they would join them. Everyone would.

As the airship drifted over the green fields below, Kingsforge beginning to vanish in the distance, the Wanderers were left to lick their wounds, mourn the lost, and wonder how they could ever stop the terror that now threatened everything they’d known.

### Arms and Allies

Safe but still shocked by what had happened, Queen Tyra tried her best to salvage the situation. She ordered the airship to head for Fort Boromir - it was far enough away from Kingsforge where they could be ensured safety while planning their next move. She set Fyrax and Sophocles to begin gathering their leaders, at least those who were left, for a meeting at the fort once they’d arrived. Everyone would need to pitch in to solve this.

The Queen then turned her attention ti the Wanderers. The Endless had called out to them specifically, and she wanted to know why. At first the Wanderers tried to side-step the issue, explaining what they knew and how they’d come in contact with the demon lord. But eventually, they were forced to admit that it was them who had helped the Endless gain power, by trading it hundreds of souls in exchange for Grimley’s. The Queen was left wondering if perhaps she’d put her faith in the wrong people.

As the airship slowly made its way to their island home, the Wanderers were left to cope with their losses in different ways. Natuc took to heavy drinking, hoping to numb whatever he was feeling inside. N’Taba desperately tried to bring Blinky back to life, but his soul had been captured and wasn’t returning. As her attempts grew more frantic, so did her mental state - she eventually resorted to turning soldiers aboard the ship into dogs resembling Blinky as a strange, sad coping mechanism.

Brooks and Martin both decided to turn to higher powers in their hours of need. Brooks first decided to contact his patron, who he now knew as the monstrous Morphenius. Finding himself back in a shadowy space filled with the sound of clicking, Morphenius emerged from the darkness: Just his top half, face covered in tentacles and arms like crab claws. Brooks pleaded with Morphenius to help him, willing to give up anything. At first, the creature seemed to be willing to help, for a price: Brooks wondered what he would have to sacrifice. A child? Himself?

It wasn’t until it was too late that Brooks realized Morphenius wasn’t going to be his ally. Brooks was at his lowest point, and the beast was ready to feed. Morphenius snatched Brooks’ fragile mind, and began to feast on his broken subconscious. On the airship, N’Taba and Natuc could hear banging coming from Brooks’ cabin, and arrived in time to watch his body begin contorting and limbs snapping. Just as Brooks sat on the edge of having his mind devoured, N’Taba used her magic to force Morphenius out of the tiefling’s head, saving his life.

As Brooks decided to double down on his research in light of his patron’s actions, Martin reached out to his own patron, the warrior Xerias. Xerias was happy to see Martin on the shrouded battlefield where they’d spoken before - unfortunately, not for the reasons Martin hoped. The warrior was happy with Martin’s development, stating that his new “vessel” was finally complete. And what better way to announce his new conquest than by destroying the Endless?

Xerias reached out a massive, gauntleted fist and crushed Martin. Back on deck, Brooks watched Martin’s eyes turn radiant white, and 4 sets of skeletal wings burst from his shoulder blades. Xerias was taking over, but Martin was stronger than he realized. The paladin managed to force Xerias out of his mind, taking control of his body once more. With one final yell, Xerias exclaimed that Martin couldn’t hold him off forever, but for now, Martin was still in control.

After their tumultuous flight, the Wanderers were happy to be back in their own keep once the airship landed in Fort Boromir. Brooks immediately set about pouring through his old notes for any scrap of information on the Endless, the Moonstone or how to stop them. With Martin’s help, they were able to gain a bit of insight in one of his old books: The Moonstone would need some time to recharge, meaning that at least in the short term, it wouldn’t be destroying another village. Perhaps more crucially, they found a scrap of information on a set of weapons specially-designed for killing fiends like demons: The Blood Weapons. Could these be the key to stopping the Endless?

The group also decided to visit their old friend, Coriander, in the hopes he may have something that could help in their fight. As they purchased weapons from the frog merchant, he was more than happy to agree to stay on the lookout for anything that might be of use. He also offered to take care of Blinky’s body, ensuring N’Taba’s pet stayed well-preserved while she tried to find a way to bring him back. As for the Blood Weapons, Coriander had heard of the powerful artifacts, but they would need to find an expert for more information.

As the night wore on, the Wanderers considered their options: First, it seemed Floxglenn may be a good place to visit. It was where the Moonstone had been hidden, and perhaps held more clues on it or its creator. Second, Professor Avalon Pendleton of the Verdant College in Thronehold was introduced to them as an expert on demonology - he had given them info on the Endless in the first place. He may be willing to help, despite their less-than-stellar exit out of his office last time they were in town. But first, the next morning brought the Queen’s meeting, and so the Wanderers headed to the fort.

The Queen had gathered all of her closest Allie’s and advisors for this meeting: Generals from across Delmar; Admiral Hayes; surviving members of her council; Fyrax and Sophocles; knights Aria and Declan; a Knight of Helena named Baz; and of course the Wanderers. The Queen opened the meeting by acknowledging that they would do everything in their power to take back their capital - but at the moment, they were hopelessly outnumbered. The Endless commanded an undead army larger than any in Gaia, and the demon himself seemed to wield untold power. They were going to need help.

Most of her attention and that of those at the meeting would need to go toward rallying their troops and evacuating the cities closest to Kingsforge. They needed to be prepared when the Endless decided to make their move, as their horde wouldn’t stay put forever. Baz would keep tabs on the Endless, giving them reports on its actions and whereabouts. As for their counterattack, that would be up to the Wanderers.

Despite Fyrax’s protests, Queen Tyra still trusted the party. She’d seen them slay dragons and liberate cities - if anyone had a chance of stopping the Endless, it was them. And considering their role in the demon lord’s ascension, she guessed they wanted to put things right more than anyone.

Their task was simple: Get them allies. They were given an official letter of mark with the Queen’s seal, authorizing them to make deals and treaties on behalf on Delmar. They would need as many soldiers and resources on their side as possible, and it was up to them to travel the world and convince others to join their cause. She suggested Thronehold may be a good place to start - Kell’s army was closest, and they had the most to gain from helping stop the Endkess before it targeted them. Sophocles also suggested speaking with Professor Pendleton if they headed that way, which the Wanderers had already been considering.

With their task set before them and bidding the Queen farewell (Martin left her his shield as a promise to make things right), the Wanderers set off for Thronehold with a teleportation key from Sophocles. As they arrived in the gleaming city, resplendent in colors of green and silver, the professor was less than happy to see them. Not only was he upset about how they’d hung him out to dry with the city guard, but news of the Endless had reached his ears, and he knew they had something to do with it.

The Wanderers explained the situation, which only seemed to make him more angry. The Endless was already powerful, but with each soul consumed, its strength only grew. Now that it had absorbed an entire city as large as Kingsforge, the professor speculated that the Endless was approaching the power of a god on Gaia. Frankly, he didn’t believe the Wanderers stood a chance at stopping it.

Still, the Wanderers swore they would give anything to stop it, and it wasn’t as though helping them would hurt. So Pendleton agreed to tell them what he knew, starting with an event known as the Demonic Incursion. Thousands of years ago, six demon lords had banded together to invade Gaia. Their hordes devastated Baelor, until six heroes rose to challenge them. They slew one of the lords, and by combining its heart with a Celestial Shard and Dais’ blessing, crafted six Divine Relics: The Blood Weapons. With these artifacts they destroyed the demon lords and saved Baelor, but overtime, the weapons had been lost.

Pendleton had spent a lifetime searching for the Blood Weapons, and had gathered leads on their whereabouts. And so he shared his knowledge with the Wanderers, for if they could find such weapons, they may be able to defeat the Endless. They were as follows: Darkfire, a sword believed to be lost in the Shadowfell, which the Magicarum College in Davenclave may have known more about; the bow Devil’s Tongue, held in the lair of twin beholders in the Underdark, of which the deep gnome city of Urkenstrag may have had knowledge; the Eldritch Staff, a spellcaster’s dream, which lay somewhere in the Frostland Wastes of Fjordland, of which the city of Ozark may be their best starting point; the Horde-Crusher Gauntlets, capable of crushing legions of demons, taken by a djinn to the Plane of Air, where some air genasi still lived; Demon’s Bane, a destructive warhammer, that was now to be found in Avernus, the first layer of the Nine Hells on which Kazz’Drix would be their best starting point; and the Slayer’s Helm, said to strike fear into the hearts of demons, which was being kept in the horde of an ancient red dragon somewhere in the Magma Fields on Arcos.

The Wanderers now had their quest: Gather allies, find the Blood Weapons, and put and end to the Endless. Badgering Pendleton for a bit more help even gained them a teleportation key to Davenclave, for easy access to the Magicarum. With new knowledge in tow, they entered the city and made their way to Delmar’s embassy, to meet with their old acquaintance Ambassador Aggleton.

The embassy had been thrown into chaos by the attack on Kingsforge, with everyone working double time to do whatever they could to help from afar. Speaking with the ambassador, she had managed to convince the Conclave - Kell’s council of nobles that essentially served as the kingdom’s leaders - to meet in three days time on a proposal to send military aid to Delmar. Unfortunately, she wasn’t confidant the resolution would succeed: Kell’s dislike of rival Delmar ran deep, and she believed most folks may be inclined to hunker down and protect their own borders than send soldiers to Kingsforge.

But there was still hope: If enough of the Conclave’s key members could be convinced to vote in their favor, others would follow suit. The ambassador was at her wit’s end, but the Wanderers could perhaps make up more ground on that front. They were famous heroes, who’d seen the Endless and its destruction first hand. Perhaps they’d have more luck than she.

She pointed them to a few nobles she believed could be swayed: First was Relma Dodarion, a woman who’d been sympathetic to the idea of peace in the past. Next up was Adonis Corlio - he was standing in for his older sister at the moment, and while she was vehemently anti-Delmar, his opinion was unknown. Next came Viera Modi, a member of a prominent banking family. Perhaps the promise of coin could persuade her. Last was Endo Voraxis, who would be speaking on behalf of the “no” vote during the proceedings. If they could convince him to step down, and not put his talents in speech to use against them, it would be a big win.

The Wanderers decided to find Endo first, tracking him down at the prestigious Taverbathy tavern. N’Taba suggested they merely take him out without anyone knowing - he couldn’t speak if he was dead. But the others wanted to at least try negotiation first, and so they approached Endo for a conversation,

The nobleman was all too happy to speak with the Wanderers, and all too happy to be pitted against them. He was relishing the chance to address the Conclave, and put an end to any notion of aid for Delmar. At first, the Wanderers attempted to intimidate Endo, insinuating that they could bring harm to him or his family. While they were certainly successful in making him uncomfortable, this was clearly not the first time he’d been threatened: He was quick to point out that assaulting him or his connections would only turn public opinion against them, and make their vote even harder. So instead they decided to see if he would strike a deal.

It turned out Endo did have a favor they could do for him. He often found himself involved in a secret card game between elites, taking place at a seedy bar known as Whiskers. He had recently had a run of bad luck, and owed money to two individuals: 3000 gold to a woman named Madame Bordo, and 5000 gold to a man known only as Hector. If the Wanderers settled his debts, he’d step down as speaker for the no vote.

As they spoke, Brooks secretly used his blood magic to peer into Lord Endo’s mind. He could sense deception there - not around the favor per se, but something else. Not wanting to prove deeper and risk Endo knowing he was prying, he left it there, pondering what it could mean.

As they left the bar, N’Taba gave one final threat to Endo, making sure he knew what she was capable. Martin pulled N’Taba aside, disturbed by her recent violent inclinations. He tried to make it clear that Blinky was gone, and no amount of violence would bring him back.

But N’Taba didn’t want to hear it. She made it clear that if Endo wasn’t willing to cooperate, she would break his mind with magic. Martin was left in stunned silence, worried for the darker path his friend was now turning towards.

The Wanderers hoped the other nobles would be more cooperative, so they headed to the Noble Estates in the city’s northern ward to meet with Relma Dodarion. Led inside the family’s beautiful mansion filled with fine art, the matron was happy to chat with the party. She expressed her desire to vote yes for sending support to Delmar - unfortunately, it seemed unlikely to pass as far as she could tell. To use her social capital to sway votes to what was likely a losing cause would require something in return.

A painting by her grandfather, Sailor’s Folly, was currently being displayed at a small art museum in the city called Stroke of Genius. He had gifted it to them upon his death, but now Relma wanted it back. If the Wanderers were to fetch it for her without being caught in the act, she would be very grateful.

Theft wasn’t too far out of left field for the Wanderers, so they decided to consider her offer and meet with their next noble, Lord Adonis Corlio. Finding the family home very spartan and basic in design, they were invited into Adonis’ office for a meeting. He was quick to get to the point with the group: He saw the threat the Endless posed, and if it was up to him, he and the families that looked to the Corlio’s for guidance would be voting yes. But as it were, it wouldn’t be up to him.

His sister had heard about the vote, and was in transit from nearby Ironwall. Last he’s heard, she was scheduled to make it in time for the vote, and take back her seat in the Conclave. She was assuredly voting no for aid, and would influence others to do the same.

If only something happened to her on the way to Thronehold, Adonis mused, then he would be the new family head. The Amber Plakns they were traveling through were dangerous, after all. It wasn’t uncommon for travelers to go missing. The Wanderers were picking up on his meaning, but murder in cold blood was a bit of a step up from their usual petty crimes. Still, Adonis made it clear: Deceive him, or merely delay his sister, and he would make sending aid to Delmar difficult.

Pondering both these offers and beginning to tire of dealing with nobles, the Wanderers reluctantly headed into the city’s Heart Ward to see Lady Viera Modi. Before stopping in, Brooks purchase a small device that could listen to and repeat a small amount of audio, just in case they could use it to blackmail or hold a noble accountable. Granted an audience with the Lady in her bank, Modi was rather blunt with her intentions to vote no - and to see others do the same. For her, the effort of sending troops would need to economically make sense for Kell. She wanted a deal.

The Wanderers had been given permission by the Queen to make deals and treaties, so negotiating wasn’t off the table. But it became clear that the type of deal Lady Modi wanted would be steeply in Kell’s favor. It was either going to take an exorbitant amount of money, or the cessation of taxes on goods heading from Kell to Delmar with a subsequent doubling of taxes on goods moving the opposite direction. Neither of which seemed particularly appealing to the party.

Having met with all the suggested nobles and finding their options less than satisfying, the Wanderers regrouped at the Brick and Mortar tavern. They decided to go to Lord Endo’s elite card game that evening, in the hopes of winning enough coin to pay off his debts rather than resorting to less tasteful methods. For Lady Dodarion, N’Taba decided to scout out the museum, with Martin watching in disguise.

Changing her appearance before entering, N’Taba took note of some of the museum’s security. Besides the guards posted around, she clocked a series of runes that rung the entrance to each wing. And by touching one of the paintings, she also learned each had an alarm spell triggered by anyone handling them. Getting out with the painting unseen could prove difficult.

So N’Taba tried a different tactic. She changed both her appearance and voice to match that of Lady Modi, and waltzed back in under the guise of wanting to purchase art. Talking with the museum’s curator, she agreed to purchase Sailor’s Folly outright… For a whopping 40,000 gold pieces, far more than any of the Dodarion’s offers. The curator quickly accepted, and N’Taba (as Modi) agreed to return the next day with payment.

Once back together at the tavern, the party debated whether or not N’Taba’s plan was a good one. They could always take out a loan to complete the purchase, but paying it back was another matter. And what if Lady Modi learned of her apparent purchase? The Wanderers ultimately decided it may be best just to steal the painting that evening, and use the purchase as their back up plan.

Waiting until nightfall, the Wanderers made their way down to Thronehold’s Bilge Ward, a seedier part of town where most of the poor lived and worked. Finding Whiskers, it appeared to be little more than a rundown dive bar. But upon entering and asking about the game, they were told to leave their weapons at the bar and pay a 1,000 gold deposit to enter the exclusive game. Given access to a back room, they found a dozen onlookers standing around a central table, where several players were busy engaging in an intense game of cards.

Per the rules of the game, each party could nominate one player at a time, to keep certain groups from stacking the odds in their favor. For the Wanderers, Brooks took up the task, and as he played, he quickly sussed out that Madame Bordo was among the players. Unfortunately, the party’s luck was about to run out.

Hand by hand, the Wanderers threw coins at the table, only to find themselves come up short. First it was Brooks, who attempted to use his ability to read people to get an edge in the game. But these were seasoned players, able to bluff and read others’ intentions as well. In a few hands, Brooks had lost thousands of gold pieces.

Next was Martin, whose silver tongue could prove a valuable asset in a game based on lying. But despite his persuasive nature - and the group pooling their money for a massive bet - another player managed to hold their nerve, and won with a near perfect hand. At this point, the Wanderers coffers were running dry, but they weren’t giving up.

Last was Natuc, hoping to coast through on blind luck. Putting what little they had left into the hand, they were once again outplayed, narrowly losing the hand to one of the wealthy players. By the time the Wanderers decided to cut their losses and leave, they had nearly emptied their party funds.

Crushed by the loss of coin but not willing to write the night off, the party chose to still head for the art museum. Their plan was simple: N’Taba and Brooks would sneak inside, while Natuc and Martin provided support outside. While N’Taba was able to easily sneak in as a tiny insect, Brooks needed a bit more help after turning invisible. So Grimley provided a distraction after payment from Natuc, running past the door guard and giving Brooks just enough of an opening to pick the lock and sneak through the front door.

But the door was being watched from both sides, and one of the guards was able to see it open and close. As he went to investigate, Brooks slipped by with a quick casting of Misty step, and went straight for the wing where Sailor’s Folly was kept - only to trigger the entrance runes N’Taba had seen earlier. To make matters worse, another guard was posted up in that wing of the museum, and he immediately spied Brooks entry as casting another spell had removed his invisibility.

They’d been spotted, and if word got out the Wanderers were thieves, their war vote would almost certainly fail. So the party went nuclear. Brooks quickly took out the guard who’d spotted him before wrenching their prized painting off the wall. As other guards began making their way inside the museum and toward that wing, N’Taba summoned a storm of fire that roasted them alive. With all the witnesses killed, she took the form of one of the slain guards and stepped outside to confront the last, convincing him to run off and get help.

With the operation descending into chaos, Martin summoned his gryphon steed and began flying toward the Dodarion’s estate. Using the gate stones, Brooks was able to teleport to him with the painting, and together the two stealthily absconded to Lady Relma’s home. Upon arriving, the Lady and her servants quickly squirreled the painting away, promising that it would soon be beyond the city’s borders and on its way to the family’s holdings in Shipwell. For their work, Relma promised to do her best to gain votes in their favor.

It was messy - and morally, not the Wanderers’ proudest moment - but they had secured some much-needed votes. Still, there were other nobles to deal with, and as they retired to the Brick and Mortar Tavern for the evening, the Wanderers were getting sick of the various lords and ladies looking to swindle them. So they decided to kill Lady Corlio and be done with it, then deal with Viera Modi in the morning.

Turned into wisps of cloud by N'Taba, the Wanderers zoomed out of the city and across the Amber Plains to Thronehold's south, leaving one of the gate stones behind in their room. Under the light of the moon they followed the main road that wound between tall, golden grasses, until Brooks was able to spot a camp fast approaching. Descending into the vegetation for cover, the group crept closer, finding a small caravan of covered wagons, one of which seemed to be a much fancier carriage. Half a dozen mercenaries stood watch around a campfire, their horses and beasts of burden tied down just behind the camp.

Reading the situation and figuring that Lady Corlio was most likely inside the carriage, Brooks volunteered to turn invisible and sneak in to assassinate her while she slept. With any luck, it would be quick and quiet, and they could get out of there without having the fight the whole mercenary company escorting her. Creeping through the grass and stealthily wrapping around the camp, Brooks approached the carriage. He could see light shining through the drawn curtains within, so using his ring of telekinesis he lightly brushed the curtain aside for a view of the interior.

He saw Lady Corlio sleeping inside the carriage, while a well-armored dragonborn woman kept watch by lamplight. The curtain's sudden movement startled the mercenary captain, and Brooks could hear her open the door opposite him and command a few of her fighters to search the grasses around the horses for anything suspicious. Knowing the door was open, and not willing to wait to check in with his allies, Brooks decided this was his window. He leapt out from the grasses, diving across the doorway and popping up with the slightest view of Lady Corlio through the closing door. He fired his crossbow, and releasing all of its built-up energy, splattered the former noble across the interior of her carriage.

Firing the crossbow had revealed Brooks, who now stood open in the light of the campfire. But before any of the mercenaries could get too good of a look, he pulled out a gate stone and teleported back to Thronehold, leaving the camp of mercenaries in disarray. Hearing the small explosion from Brooks bolt and the commotion, the rest of the Wanderers crept up to see a dozen more mercenaries pouring out of the wagons. They could hear the dragonborn captain shouting about a red tiefling - it was possible Brooks they could implicate Brooks if given his image.

In order to confuse them, N'Taba conjured an illusion of a tiefling - red, but quite different Brooks in looks - running from the camp into the grasses. Her trick worked, and the mercenaries were sent fleeing after the fake assassin. Satisfied that Brooks was in the clear, the rest of the group turned back into their cloudy forms, and soared back to the Brick and Mortar Tavern. While he waited for their return, Brooks was sure to head down to the bar and chat up the barkeep for a while, to establish a strong alibi in case anyone asked.

Resting for the rest of the night and awaking in the late morning, the Wanderers decided to deal first with Lady Viera Modi. They used Natuc's shoulder pauldron to contact Queen Tyra, and informed her of Modi's offered tax deal. The Queen didn't like it out of hand - and feared that after the Endless was dealt with, it would only serve to inflame tensions between the two nations even more - but if that's what it took to secure Kell's aid, she gave them her blessing. She also informed them that Baz, her last remaining Knight of Helena, had made his way back to Kingsforge to spy on the Endless, while Sophocles was working on a basic, but hopefully functional, prototype of the "death ray" weapon they'd learned about in Novak's journals. Time would tell what the Endless' next move might be, or if Novak's notes could help tip the tide in their favor.

Returning to the bank and meeting with Lady Modi, Martin tried to talk the shrewd banker down to only cutting all taxes on goods heading from Kell to Delmar, not doubling those on trade in the other direction. But Viera held firm that some tax raise was in order, and was only willing to compromise on an increase of one and half times the original amount. Sensing that she was looking more to hurt Delmar than acquire a better deal for Kell, the Wanderers reluctantly agreed, with Natuc signing the document himself. Martin was curious why Viera had such hate for Delmar, and she was more than happy to explain that she viewed Delmar's succession from the Aladar Empire a hundred years prior as having hurt both nations in the long run. It had consequences for her family as well, who hadn't done well during the transition.

Still, the deal was done, and for the Wanderers, hopefully more votes had been secured. From there the group split, with Martin heading to the Temple of Light while the rest of the crew asked around about Hector and Lady Bordo, the two owners of Endo's debts. Martin arrived at the resplendent temple, a massive dome of gleaming silver, and found the interior to be a lush garden surrounding statues of all 15 of the light gods. Among them was a statue of Dais, holding within his hands a Celestial Shard - not unlike the shards that had forged the Blood Weapons. Knowing that Xerias had been a champion of Helena, he checked out the god of strength's statue in the garden, and was met by a woman named Hari, one of the temple's lore keepers.

Asking what she knew of Xerias, Martin learned the dark truth about his patron: Xerias had been one of Helena's most fervent champions during the Celestial War, fighting by her side against the forces of the dark gods. But after the war, Xerias challenged Helena for her spot in the pantheon, only to be soundly beaten by the goddess. Helena broke his body on the mountains of Celestia, and his ruined form was cast into the Nine Hells with the dark gods and their newly spawned devils.

Of course, this was all a legend according to Hari, but Martin was now beginning to understand why Xerias had tried to possess him. He asked if - theoretically - Xerias would be able to take on a new form, to which Hari wasn't certain. But perhaps if he was able to connect with a bloodline, say by forming an assimar bound to his essence, he could take on that person's form in due time. At that point, one of two things would need to happen: Either Xerias would take over his new vessel, or his chosen would need to destroy Xerias. But this was all speculation, naturally.

By this point, Martin came clean to Hari, knowing how far-fetched it all seemed. Still, she relayed that if Xerias was truly still alive, he was most likely to be found on Avernus, the first layer of the Hells. Thanking Hari for her time, Martin left the temple with the knowledge that one way or another, Xerias was going to be dealt with. Whether on his terms or the fallen angel's remained to be seen.

Meanwhile, Brooks led the rest of the group in asking around town for their two card players. He managed to find Hector at his weapon's shop, and the half-orc was happy to meet with the ones he'd won so much coin off of the night before. The Wanderers brought up Lord Endo, who Hector was not a fan of, and mentioned that they were hoping to settle his debts. Hector laughed off their deal, stating that any deal made with Endo was one he planned to double-cross them on. It seemed the eloquent speaker was equal parts respected and loathed around Thronehold - but anyone he didn't like, he likely had dirt on. After inquiring about Madame Bordo at her luxurious estate to no avail, the Wanderers decided to abandon helping Endo, and instead face him on the floor of the Conclave.

With the nobles dealt with and the vote happening the next day, the Wanderers decided to rest up and prepare for the meeting of the Conclave. But as they awoke the day of and began their final preparations, they were found by several members of the city guard. They were taken to a military station in the Heart Ward, and introduced to a man named Garza, the King's spymaster within Kell. Garza was happy to finally meet the Wanderers - he had been in charge of investigating them after they'd paraded Jonkie around the city as the "true prince."

Unfortunately for the Wanderers, it quickly became apparent why Garza had asked to meet. He began detailing his investigation into the break-in several nights prior at the Stroke of Genius museum. Eyewitnesses had seen them entering the Dodarion household the day of, some of their prime suspects. Shape-shifting or illusion magic were definitely involved, skills he knew the Wanderers possessed from the false prince incident. The method of death for the guards inside, which involved fire and precise arrow shots, matched the Wanderers abilities. But most damning of all, the one guard they'd let live had described a "tiny purple man" streaking by just moments before the robbery... And Grimley was sitting on Natuc's shoulder.

Luckily, Garza knew that outing the Wanderers would likely destroy any good will they'd garnered, and ruin their chances of securing the Conclave's vote. He personally wanted the vote to succeed, believing that sending aid to Delmar was the best course of action. Still, he wasn't going to let this opportunity for blackmail slip by, and so Garza gave them a choice: Bug Ambassador Aggleton's office with a small scrying orb so he could spy on her activities, and he'd keep their connection to the robbery under wraps. Not wanting to risk their exposure and tired of all the shady deals and politics, the party begrudgingly accepted, slipping the orb into the Ambassador's office as they met with her before the vote.

Together with Ambassador Aggleton the Wanderers headed for High Hall, the meeting place of the Conclave. Stepping into the coliseum-like main chamber, they looked up to see rows of nobles staring down at them. These several hundred lords and ladies were about to decide if Kingsforge would get the aid they desperately needed, and chief among them was King Hemdall, leading the proceedings from his throne-like seat.

Before the vote, both sides would be allowed to argue their case, beginning with the no vote. Lord Endo Voraxis stepped up, delivering a speech that delved into Delmar's past transgressions. When Kell needed aid, he pointed out, Delmar had never helped them. To the contrary, they often antagonised the kingdom's citizens, and he made sure to note the Wanderer's false prince incident for everyone there. As far as he was concerned, Kell needed to strengthen their borders and protect what was there - no more, no less.

Endo's speech was stirring, but the Wanderers were up next. Martin stepped foward, and was clear in his message: The Endless is coming, and if you wait for it to arrive, it'll already be too late. He played into the noble's vanity, pleading not for the safety of Kell and its citizens, but their own lives. He detailed the destruction of Kingsforge, laid out the threat the Endless posed to everyone in the hall. At the end of the day, they could help Delmar, or die.

With both sides argued, it was time to vote. King Hemdall asked for all in favor to raise their their green flags in support of sending aid to Delmar... And a few people lifted theirs. But slowly, more began to join in. Adonis Corlio, his sister nowhere in sight, raised his. Viera Modi, though she hesitated, lifter hers as well. Lady Dodarion held hers high, strongly in support. After a few moments, the rows of nobles looked like a sea of green, with only a few hold-outs among them. The yes vote had carried. Delmar was getting aid, and the Wanderers had secured their first alliance.

### Secrets of Foxglenn

Despite their successful meeting with the Conclave, there was no time to rest for the Wanderers. They needed more allies, and it would take time to track down the Blood Weapons. But first, they wanted to revisit one of their oldest adventures together.

Using N’Taba’s magic, the party travelled to Foxglenn, the small farming village on the edge of the Forest of Draenor. In the dead of night, the ruined city was particularly creepy: Though it had been partially rebuilt after the destruction wrought by Illana and the Moonstone, much of the town still bared the black scars of the artifact’s magic. Whatever rebuilding attempts had been going on we’re left abandoned, and so the Wanderers made their way to the graveyard just outside town.

Entering the cemetery’s central tomb and finding their way below, the Wanderers once more passed through the darkened corridors and secret entrances of the tomb below. They passed the sealed rooms where they’d first met N’Taba, the forgotten corpses of Martín and Illana’s crew, and eventually reached the pedestal room where the Moonstone was originally hidden. The last time they were here, they hadn’t investigated the room too closely - but this time they had Brooks, who quickly surmised that the pedestal could be pushed into the ground.

It took the combined strength of both Natuc and Martin to fully depress the pedestal, but once in place a stairway opened up deeper into the tomb. The Wanderers were now in uncharted territory. Following the stairs brought them to a burial chamber, where 5 coffins had been laid yo rest. Speaking the celestial phrase scrawled atop the vessels caused their lids to open, and our rose 5 spectral warriors: A champion of Orcus, a champion of Dais, an archer, a saber-wielding warlock, and a mage.

The warriors leapt into battle, catching the Wanderers flat-footed and quickly gaining the upper hand. The champion of Orcus laid into Natuc before he could even go into his rage, the archer focused down Brooks with her fire, the warlock tried (unsuccessfully) to banish Martin, and the champion of Dais lashed at N’Taba with a radiant sword. To top it all off, the mage unleashed an explosion of electric energy that hit the Wanderers but managed to mod around her allies. Before long, Brooks was already knocked out of the fight - though curiously, his body lay stable, not dying on the ground.

The Wanderers struck back, with Natuc taking on the Orcus champion while Martin used healing magic to get Brooks back in the fray. N’Taba commanded a string of fiery bursts that engulfed their foes - but in turn, got herself labeled as a target. Leaving himself open with each reckless attack, Natuc was taking blow after blow from the follower of Orcus, and beginning to tire. Things were beginning to shift out of the Wanderers favor in this fight.

But the Wanderers still had plenty of tricks up their sleeves. N’Taba was able to keep them alive by first changing them into animal forms, then healing everyone with her nature magic. When the druid went down herself, Martin was able to pick her back up by drawing on his paladin powers. Meanwhile, Brooks used his blood magic to throw off the event archer, likely eroding Natuc alive in the process.

Slowly the Wanderers took control of the battle. First the champion of Orcus fell, then the mage and warlock. With just the archer and Dais’ champion remaining, the Wanderers slew the final foes and win the contest. It had been a grueling battle, one that tested the Wanderers’ strength and teamwork. But they’d emerged victorious.

Once defeated, the central coffin began to open once more, but this time a body rose from it: The decaying corpse of Indira, the enemy warriors’ mage. These five heroes had defeated the Endkess when it first tested its many heads on the plane, and if the Wanderers were here, that meant it had returned. Though the Endless was now more powerful than before, Indira offered advice and boons for facing it.

First was the knowledge that the Endless drew their powers from necrotic energy, and protecting against such magic would be vital to their success. For this, she offered a ring that would protect from necromancy. Second, she cautioned that fire and ice would only have a limited impact on the demon, and that poison and necromancy would be useless. Third, she revealed the demon lord could poison any foe with just their touch, leaving them blind and deaf. So for this, she gave them a potion that would render the user immune to all poison. Lastly, she warned that the Endless was powerful and intelligent - to underestimate them would be deadly.

Indira returned to her rest, and the Wanderers could now plot a strategy for facing the Endless. But they were a long way away from having the strength or numbers to face down the demon or its horde, so the Wanderers left Foxglenn and travelled to Stonehaven to plan their next move.

### Into the Underdark

Back in Stonehaven, the Wanderers found a city on the move: Even in the dead of night, citizens and soldiers were packing up their homes and businesses, evacuating the town. While Natuc and N’Taba headed to the former’s lordly estate to rest, Brooks and Martin instead walked to the rebuilt Library of Delphine to find a lead on an entrance into the Underdark, the site of one of the Blood Weapons. The library was now under care of Boromir’s former assistant, Pip, who was happy to let the Wanderers explore their times for any potential findings.

Reading into the early morning, Brooks finally came upon a promising find: In one of the many journals of an adventurer named Dorf Durkin, they learned of the lost mines of Tor’Bur deep in the Endless Peaks. Ancient Dwarven mines said to be haunted, Dorf had supposedly found and delved into the halls and shafts of the long-abandoned settlement, eventually following them down into the Underdark. There he’s visited Urkenstrag, the deep gnome city Pendleton had mentioned may be able to help them.

After helping Pip pack up a bit and learning a bit more about the Underdark’s denizens, Brooks and Martin got some much needed sleep. But their rest was interrupted by a visit from Declan, who had heard Natuc was in time and decided to stop by. Apparently Lord Marston, leader of Stonehaven, had abandoned his people as soon as word of the Endless reached them. Declan and Captain Abraham had taken charge in his stead, coordinating the relocation efforts. He asked the Wanderers to help him convince a few of the holdouts to leave - in particular, their old pal, Marty.

They found Marty at the Miner’s Axe, drinking it up with his old mining buddies. The old man was reluctant to leave - Stonehaven was his home, and he’s rather die there than abandon it. But after the Wanderers convinced him that they’d stop the Endless, and that he’d only be endangering the lives of others by staying, he agreed to clear out and tell his patrons to do the same. With that out of the way, the Wanderers chose to go to Martin’s home of Rockfell to look for leads on the haunted mines.

Arriving via tree outside the city, the Wanderers learned that Rockfell was gearing up for war. Word of the treaty between Kell and Delmar had reached their walls, and the militia was preparing to ship out. Speaking with Sergeant Tullius, he wasn’t aware of anyone in town who would know about Dwarven mines. Roarkstead seemed like a better option, but according to Tullius, they’d stopped allowing outsiders inside the city at all after the death of their king. Considering it was their ally who did the killing, the Wanderers probably wouldn’t be received well, anyway.

N’Taba decided the best course forward to find a senile old man to talk to - someone who knew the lore of the lands. The sergeant and his officers did know of one such figure: Grelland, an old drunkard who spent his days spinning yarns to anyone who’d listen on the Slide, Rockfell’s poorer district. That was good enough for the party, and after asking around they found Grelland passed out behind a pawn shop.

Grelland was more than willing to tell them his tales… For a price. After paying him a bit of gold, he began to tell them what he knew of the mines, though it quickly became clear that years of alcoholism and untreated disease had taken its toll on the poor man’s mind. Using his paladin powers, Martin was able to purge the diseases and cravings from Grelland’s body, and just like that, things started coming back to him.

He had in fact been to the mines, as part of Dorf Durkin’s expedition, no less. Though he’d stayed outside, he remembered the entrance was a small fissure where two streams joined into one. He even could recall information about other places and journeys he’d taken: Off the top of his head, he had been to the Frostland Wastes on Fjordland, the site of another of the Blood Weapons. Deciding that Grelland was too valuable of an asset to lose, the Wanderers gave him some gold and helped set him up with a place to live, hoping to draw on his vast knowledge in the future.

With a vague heading and the entrance description, the Wanderers loaded up on their magic carpet and took to the skies, heading for the Endless Peaks. While scanning the mountains for any sign of the mines, Brooks spotted a cave entrance with a strange, 3-headed skull in the entrance. Using his blood magic he saw visions of the giant-like creature swarmed by goblins - maybe best to avoid it. The Wanderers also witnessed a landslide roll over one of the mountain roads, so N’Taba turned to rock to stone to make clearing the road easier for future travelers.

After a night’s rest in the mountains, the group finally found their destination - a crevasse in the side of a mountain, where two small streams joined into one. Upon landing and entering the fissure, a message in glittering mythril lit up. Though it was in Dwarvish, Martin was able to translate it with magic: It was a warning for anyone who would enter, that they too would fall prey to the darkness of the desecrated altar. Perhaps a hint as to what was causing the mines to be cursed? Unfazed, the Wanderers entered.

The small crack opened into a massive hall, beautifully carved from the stone of the mountain. Despite some damages from time - and some that seemed more intentional - the halls were in immaculate shape. But the air inside was cold, and as they began to explore the structures’ rooms, they could feel a presence all around them - whispers from empty chambers, footsteps where nobody tread.

Upon entering a large forge, N’Taba felt something grasp at her ankle - and the rest of the party watched as a spectral dwarf took hold of their Druid, passing inside of her. Possessed, N’Taba turned on the rest of the party, who were forced to restrain her. Spotting a blackened, broken skeleton nearby, Brooks punched at it in the hopes of helping free N’Taba. And it seemed his hunch was correct, as attacking the skeleton gave N’Taba a small window to fight off the ghost that had taken over. The specter fled, and the Wanderers pushed on more cautious than before.

But unfortunately, the ghosts were only growing bolder. Stepping into a wide dining hall, the party found the chamber littered with skeletons. The doors on either side slammed shut, and from the floor, a myriad of ghostly forms began rising into the room. Before long the Wanderers were surrounded, and two of the ghosts patched onto Natuc and Brooks, possessing and turning them against their friends.

With ghosts closing in on all sides - and Grimley quickly fleeing at the sight of Natuc turning on them - it was up to N’Taba and Martin to save the day. While Martin fended off blow after blow from the raging barbarian, N’Taba conjured an enormous burst of sunlight that filled the room. It wiped away most of the ghostly horde, leaving only a few to take out. But Brooks and the remaining ghosts quickly began to overwhelm her - they needed their friends back, and fast.

Channeling his swords ability to capture souls, Martin instead tried to use it to force the spirit out of Natuc. He succeeded, and once more under his own control, Natuc made quick work of the ghosts around him. N’Taba blasted the remaining skeletons with a beam of sunlight, damaging the one connected to the ghost inside of Brooks. Taking the opportunity to fight it off, Brooks finished off the specter, and the Wanderers were able to breathe easy again.

But only for a moment, as the haunted halls continued beyond the dining chamber. The deeper in they got, the narrower and more functional the rooms and passages they walked through became. As they went, Natuc and Brooks both received horrifying visions - the barbarian of his dead mother, the Tiefling of his deceased daughter. The vision shook Brooks to his core, rapidly aging the blood hunter to the point of near death. Thankfully, Martin was able to break the curse on him before it ended his life.

A bit shaken but not stopped, the Wanderers eventually found the mines themselves. Tunnels of rock bore through ancient caverns, traced with old mine cart rails and long-plundered veins of ore. As they entered the mines proper, the ghostly visages and cold temperature began to dissipate - they’d gotten past the haunted halls. Still, they would need to find their way deeper in to the Underdark.

Twisting and turning through the dark tunnels, the group eventually reached a chasm spanned only by the old mine cart rails. They decided that Brooks would ride the rails down and see where they led, with N’Taba flying as a vulture in pursuit. Natuc would be safely placed in her ring, and Martin would be waiting with a gate stone to join them.

Brooks loaded up into the rusted mine cart and took off down the tracks. Worn and broken in places, he deftly guided it through the mines, passing over lava and by veins of gem stones. But one wrong turn sent him hurtling into a dark cavern - and he felt as the mine cart left the tracks. He was free falling through the air.

N’Taba desperately tried to catch Brooks in her talons, but the Tiefling was tumbling too quickly. In a last ditch effort he deployed the party’s instant fortress to try and break his fall, but instead the fortress plunged into water, and Brooks slammed right into one of its stone walls. His leg broken and bleeding internally, he weakly signaled to Martin to find him, and the paladin was able to teleport over and heal his ally.

But they weren’t in the clear yet. After shrinking their fortress and firing a few arrows cast in light, they were able to find the edge of the small underground lake they’d fallen into. But as they swam for the shoreline, a dark form began to pursue them. It came up to the surface, rapidly gaining on the two adventurers while attempting to take control of Martin’s mind. But he was able to repel the psychic attack, and the two just made it to the shore, the creature choosing to return to the depths rather than pursue.

Now deep within the mines, the Wanderers knew they must be getting close. And sure enough, one of the mine shafts they followed began to narrow, and narrow, until it opened up into a massive chamber miles wide. They found themselves in a jungle of fungi, with mushrooms rising up dozens of feet all around them. The ground was covered in moss, and above them, there was a rocky ceiling adorned with twinkling crystals. They had reached the Underdark.

#### The Twin Tyrants

Within this fungal jungle, they knew the deep gnome city of Urkenstrag would be their best lead on finding the bow, Devil’s Tongue. So after a quick test they set out… Only to be almost immediately attacked by a slimy, worm-like creature bursting out of the ground. The nightmarish monster lashed out with tongue-like tentacles, and even attempted to rob Brooks of his intelligence, but the Wanderers were able to fight off the beast and force it to flee. It was a violent introduction to the world beneath.

As they made their way through the fungal jungle, the Wanderers began to lose sense of time and day. Underground, with no sky above to guide them, it was hard to tell if it was day or night, or how long they’d been traveling. And it proved equally difficult to navigate the jungle, unsure of where to go or what to look for. But eventually they stumbled upon a small cave, inhabited by a duergar man - dwarves of the Underdark.

Though the duergar put on a tough front, even magically swelling in size, a punch from Natuc quickly humbled him. Able to converse with Brooks in Undercommon, he was named Bork, and had been exiled from the city of Angorgon for killing his kin. Though reluctant to give too much info, he was able to point them in the direction of Urkenstrag. He also gave them some advice: In the Underdark, don’t try to chat, just kill whoever you come across.

Leaving the strange duergar behind, the Wanderers pressed on, resting in their instant fortress as needed. Eventually they could see the walls of a village breaking up the endless forest of fungi, walls cobbled together from broken stone and bearing the scars of war. Following the walls around to a gate, they could see small, grey-skinned deep gnomes patrolling the edges of their town. This had to be Urkenstrag.

Deciding to make themselves known rather than to try and sneak in, Brooks was able to converse the guards in Undercommon. After a short discussion, the guards allowed the Wanderers to enter on the condition they met with the city’s sages. Happy to be let in, the party agreed.

Beyond the walls, Urkenstrag was a modest village with buildings carved out of mushrooms. The deep gnomes wore moss-woven clothing and carrier makeshift weapons of rock and fungi. Led through town by an armed escort, the group was brought to the village center, a round structure of interlacing fungi. The sage’s chamber.

The interior of the chamber was hazy, lit by glowing mushrooms along the walls. On the ceiling, the bodies of dead deep gnomes were slowly being decomposed by the mushrooms. And in the center of the room stood the three elderly sages, their bodies propped up by fungi that grew around and even through their bodies. Attendants to the sages offered the Wanderers small, green mushrooms to consume - and once eaten, their minds were connected to that of the sages, and each other.

In their heads, the sages told the Wanderers that they had foreseen their arrival. They believed that the Wanderers had arrived for a reason - the Wanderers could help them, and in return, the sages could help find what they sought. They explained that they had received a vision of the Wanderers from the Gumagi, a rare type of mushroom that grew in the jungle. The Gumagi’s visions guided the sages in leading their people, giving them glimpses of the future and showing them the path forward.

It was this Gumagi that the sages tasked the Wanderers with finding. If they could bring back enough for both the party and the sages, then the elders could help them receive visions that could lead them to Devil’s Tongue. The Wanderers agreed, and we’re given a few leads: The Gumagi often grew near running water and recent death.

After resting up in town, the group asked around the town guard ti try and get a better idea of where they could find the mysterious fungus. The guard captain gave them a few hints - two of their number had recently gone missing north of town, and had likely perished. Find their bodies, and there may be Gumagi there. There was also a small pond to the northeast where water dropped down from the cavern roof. Another potential source.

The party decided to pursue the missing villagers first, and after a few hours of searching, were able to pick up their trail. They finally came to a small clearing, and within it, uncovered the bodies of the lost deep gnomes. They had been impaled on two of the larger fungal stalks, seemingly by their own spears. From the dead bodies, four golden mushrooms had sprouted: The Gumagi.

As they surveyed the grizzly scene, a voice called out to them within their minds, asking why outsiders were interested in the Gumagi. Hiding nearby was a deep gnome woman, one of her eyes shining bright pink. Her name was Bunda, and after hearing of the Wanderers’ quest, she implored them to help her. She wanted to kill the sages of Urkenstrag.

At first the Wanderers were fairly mistrusting of Bunda. But she explained her reasoning: She had been an attendant to the sages, and watched how they allowed the Gumagi to guide their every move. In her opinion, their people were stagnating, no longer thinking for themselves. Instead they walked only the path laid out to them by a fungus they didn’t even fully understand.

And what if the Gumagi wasn’t as benign as they believed? What if it was slowly walking them down a path to their destruction, or some other disastrous fate? For generations they had listened to and followed the visions of the Gumagi, and to Bunda, it was time for them to take their fate into their own hands.

Of course, she didn’t expect the Wanderers to do this for free. As an attendant, she had been trained in the sage’s rituals, to one day take over. If they killed the sages and harvested their blood, she could perform one final Gumagi ritual for them, to help them find Devil’s Tongue. Anything to free her people, at least in her mind.

The Wanderers debated amongst themselves what to do. Brooks and N’Taba argued that they’d rather trust the will of the people over this one woman. And besides, the Gumagi had so far clearly helped them, so who cared if it was manipulating them? Natuc and Martin felt differently, that the people deserved their own free will. They should be able to chart their own course free of the fungi’s influence.

In the end, they decided to let Grimley decide. He thought the sages were creepy, so he liked Bunda more. With that, the Wanderers decided to help her in her cause, and return to Urkenstrag to deal with the sages.

The city guards were more than happy to let the Wanderers back into the city, thinking they’d returned with their sages’ bidding. Led back to the central fungus dome, most of the party refused to join minds with the elders. But Martin wanted to make one last attempt to bargain, so he joined minds and tried to get the sages to justify their reliance on the Gumagi.

The sages weren’t budging from their position: The Gumagi was essential to their survival, and without it, they had no future. Getting impatient and unable to understand what was being said, the rest of the Wanderers were tired of waiting. Natuc shoved a mushroom into Martin’s mouth to break his connection with the sages, and the fight was on.

Unfortunately for the Wanderers, the sages were far from helpless. Unleashing a psychic attack on the party, they hoped to stun the adventurers before the fight could even begin. Most of the group managed to shake off the mind blast, except for Natuc, who was unable to act or move.

While Natuc tried to regain control of his body, his allies got to work. N’Taba and Brooks took care of the attendants, burning them to a crisp with magic and sniping them with arrows. Martin lashed at the sages with his sword, only to find the mushrooms growing through and around them served as makeshift armor. Eventually Natuc was able to shake off the sage’s magic, and despite repeated attempts to attack his mind, began hacking away at them.

Eventually the group was able to take down one of the sages, and with two remaining, Martin decided to try bargaining again. He opened his mind back up to the old gnomes - but they wanted none of it. They sent a massive psychic jolt to his mind before assuming control of the paladin, getting him to turn on his friends. He hit Natuc with incredibly powerful smite attacks, but the barbarian’s rage carried him through.

In the end, the sages would be bested. Between Natuc, N’Taba, Brooks and Grimley, the Wanderers took down the elders and freed Martin from their grasp. Urkenstrag’s leaders were destroyed, and the city’s fate now rested in the hands of the people.

The Wanderers knew they’d have little time before others came to see what was going on. N’Taba summoned a wall of thorns to buy them some time, before reinforcing it with pillars of stone. Knowing the barricade could hold for hours, Bunda got to work preparing the ritual: Using the Gumagi, fungi from the sages’ bodies, and the elders’ blood, she created a concoction that boiled with steam. As Natuc and N’Taba kept watch, Brooks and Martin inhaled the smoke… And each received a vision.

Martin saw himself traveling through the fungal jungle, eventually reaching a massive sinkhole. He plunged into it, descending before shooting down a side tunnel. The tunnel lead to a cavernous expanse of rocky pillars and mounds, and here, he saw a giant eye that split into many. That would be where the twin beholders made their lair.

Brooks received a different vision. He was instead pulled up out of the jungle, into caves lined with glittering crystals. Eventually he reached a river that cascaded down into a waterfall. As the water tumbled down, it passed a small landing with various tunnels leading out of it. Here Brooks heard a familiar clicking, and Morphenius’ voice called out to him: It was waiting. From each tunnel a tentacle reached out and grabbed Brooks, tearing him limb from limb - before he awoke.

Though the visions had felt like mere moments, in truth Brooks and Martin had been out for hours. But N’Taba’s defenses had held, and Bunda was able to help decipher what they’d seen. It seemed they would need to travel to Gorovul, a sinkhole also called “the Great Maw,” and from within find an entrance to the Arachaea, the cavern filled with spires. But first, they’d need to get out of Urkenstrag.

Lowering the stone pillars and exiting the sage’s chambers, the Wanderers found dozens of deep gnome warriors awaiting them. But they didn’t attack - the lead guard who’s welcomed them into the city instead pleaded with them to leave peacefully, recognizing that their strength must be immense to have beaten the sages. Bunda tried to get them to see that they were now free, no longer beholden to the visions of the Gumagi. But the warriors held firm, and so Bunda and the Wanderers left without any further violence.

Though she had hoped for a better reception to the new normal, Bunda was still grateful to the Wanderers for their help. So she agreed to help lead them to Gorovul, where they would part ways. Exhausted from the battle and in need of a rest, the party decided to bed down for a rest amongst the mushrooms - only to be attacked again by the massive, worm-like creature that had welcomed them to the Underdark.

The group watched as the creature snatched up Martin in one slimy tentacle and swallowed their paladin whole. Enraged, Natuc leapt in after him, diving down the monster’s gullet and slashing at it from inside its stomach. The creature spit up both Natuc and Martin, and while N’Taba healed up their paladin the rest of the group was able to finish off the beast.

Finally able to rest and recover, the Wanderers awoke and traveled the rest of the way to Gorovul. Here Bunda left them - she would watch her people from afar, and in time, she hoped she would be welcomed back into the group. She thanked the Wanderers again for freeing them from the visions of the Gumagi. No matter what happened from here, Urkenstrag made its own choices from them on.

The party boarded their flying carpet and began the descent into the giant sinkhole. And it truly was massive - the mouth of the abyss stretched a few hundred feet across, and plants and fungi alike grew out of the rocky rim. Small streams of water cascaded down the edges of the pit, and as the light from the twinkling crystals above faded, the entire hole fell into darkness. Not wanting to be blind down there, N’Taba illuminated the bottom of the carpet with sunlight, allowing them to see as they descended into Gorovul.

With their beacon of sunlight to guide them, the Wanderers slowly made their way deeper and deeper down, spiraling down the edges of the sinkhole to keep tabs on all sides. Though it slowed them down, they were determined not to miss the tunnel Martin saw in his vision. After a ways of sinking they began to make out bright lights below them, and as they approached, a small village came into view.

The cluster of domed homes and buildings were constructed directly into the side of the sinkhole, stretching vertically instead of horizontally. Dozens of lights have the Wanderers a view of the many bridges and stone staircases that connected the structures, and the entire thing was built around a large central hub. Brooks could just make out creatures moving between the buildings - grey skin, white hair, short stature. He recognized these as Derro, some of the Underdark’s feistier residents. Knowing their penchant for taking slaves, the group decided it was best to avoid them, giving the village a wide berth as they dropped past.

But not long after, they caught a glimpse of more lights, moving up the side of the sinkhole toward the village. Derro hunters, returning to their village with a bounty of various creatures. While most seemed to be simple animals, one stood out to Brooks: A glowing, jellyfish-like creature which he knew was called a flumph. Noting its sentience and the creatures’ supposed kind nature, the Wanderers swooped in to rescue it. While a few of the Derro put up a fight, they were no match the Wanderers’ strength, with Brooks even throwing one off the side of the sinkhole wall.

As the remaining derro fled for their lives, the Wanderers freed the flumph from its bindings. Touching them with a glowing tentacle, the creature was able to telepathically communicate with the group, and introduced itself as Jorgulandafishnaborg, or Jorg for short. It had been captured while searching for food for its flumph colony, and was grateful to the Wanderers for saving its life. In return, it agreed to guide the Wanderers to the Arachaea, and share what it may known about the twin beholders' lair.

Continuing down the long sinkhole, the Wanderers eventually found the tunnel bore into the side of the rock wall. Entering in the winding passage, Jorg warned them that according to his hive (he was able to connect with them telepathically, even from afar), there was a giant spider that was known to lair within this tunnel. Sure enough, as the Wanderers made their way through the passage, a semi-translucent web sprang across the tunnel in front of them, blocking off their route. And behind them, an enormous spider sprang into existence - bright blue and white, they'd seen similar arachnids before, but never this big.

While Martin and Natuc held off the attacking spider, Brooks and N'Taba worked on cutting and burning a hole through the web that had appeared. But as they made progress, the giant spider blinked out of existence again, only to reappear on the other side of the web. N'Taba summoned a pack of blink dogs to aid them, and once again the creature blinked back to the other side of the web. Though it struck at them with its powerful legs and gnashing mandibles, Martin had a solution for its constant movement. He used his fallen form to frighten the spider, and once afraid, it was unable to move for fear of Martin. Even blinking away didn't help, as when it reappeared, the spider was still held in place.

Now unable to move and escape, the group was able to surround and finish off the giant beast. As it died, its web disappeared, and once again the path forward was clear. Before long, the Wanderers had reached the end of the tunnel, and it opened up into a giant cavern. Miles long, the cavern was a rocky expanse punctuated with spires of stone. Some formed pillars that reached floor to ceiling hundreds of feet above, and across the cavern, large blue stones that shone from within bathed the expanse in light. This, Jorg informed them, was Arachaea - and in the distance, they could see a cloud of dust being kicked up from what the flumph informed them was the spider-riding drow that scoured the cavern for victims.

From his colony, Jorg had learned that some had heard of the twin beholders the Wanderers were seeking. He advised them to look for a spire filled with many holes, as this was the entrance to their lair. With that, Jorg had fulfilled his promise, and he bid the party farewell to return to his colony.

Taking off across the spire-filled landscape on their carpet, the Wanderers decided to head for the distant dust cloud to see what was the cause. As they approached, Brooks could make out what seemed to be a group of Drow spider riders rounding up some derro. It was possible these Drow could know where the beholders were hiding, so the party swooped in to have a chat.

At first it seemed as though the drow’s leader may be willing to chat, as he asked the Wanderers to come down closer. But the moment the party landed, the Drow sent their spiders after the group. But the Wanderers had kept their guard up, and they began fighting their way through the dark elves and their pets.

Still, the Drow weren’t pushovers. Their resident mage blasted the Wanderers with arcane lightning, and the warriors fired at them with crossbows or slashed them with swords. To even the odds, N’Taba summoned a wall of fire that surrounded several warriors and their captive derro, roasting them alive. Martin used his menacing aura to strike fear in the leader and a few of the soldiers, buying them some time to gain the upper hand.

As the battle turned in their favor, the Wanderers set their sites on capturing him alive to get information out of him. But the Drow weren’t going down easily. The leader shook off his fear and nearly took Brooks down, while Natuc found himself weakening under blow after blow from the warriors and their commander. Luckily Grimley was on fire, using his bow to strike from afar.

Eventually the spiders, mage and most of the warriors lay defeated. One final Drow soldier put up a valiant fight against Martin, but in the end, N’Taba put him down with powerful magic. Feeling hurt and being targeted by the leader, Brooks instinctually fired back at him with a burst of arcane fire. Unfortunately, the blast killed him, and though they’d survived the fight, the Drow would be of no use to them.

Wounded from the day’s battles and ready to rest, the Wanderers set down their instant fortress at the base of a spire. Carved into it, they noticed the symbol of a broken bone, with words written underneath imploring them to suffer for a reward. Brooks recognized the symbol as that of Drovar, the god of pain and suffering.

They tried breaking Brook’s pinky in front of the drawing, which had no effect. Instead, Brooks tried drawing out some of his blood from his arm contraption, and touched the symbol. His hand was adhered to the wall, and the rest of the group watched as blood was siphoned out of Brooks until he passed out. When Martin got the rogue back on his feet, he had the same broken bone symbol carved into his skin. A blessing from Drovar.

After resting up in their fortress, the Wanderers were ready to press on. As they boarded their carpet, Brooks caught something out of the corner of his eye: A dragon, with pasty skin and fungal growths on its body, eyeing them from atop the spire. The Wanderers quickly sped away on their magical mount, but it was clear this place was full of threats, and their fortress was a conspicuous way to draw them out.

The Wanderers raced around Arachaea, searching for a spire that matched Jory’s description. They could see more spider riders in the distance, and nearby a massive purple work breached the surface of the rock for a moment before disappearing underground once more. But after searching for a while, they finally spotted a spire that could be the one Jorg described. Full of holes big and small, this was their best chance:

Closing in, the party split up to search the pillar of Rick for entrances: Martin and N’Taba aboard the carpet, Natuc and Brooks on foot. As they looked, both groups found glass orbs embedded in the rock, one blue and one green. Touching one, Brooks was instantly harmed by the sphere. Not wanting to touch the other, N’Taba instead shouted at it… Which attracted the attention of an even bigger purple worm. Martin and N’Taba were forced to swoop in and save their party members, but not before Brooks was nearly swallowed by the massive beast.

After a bit of experimenting, the party determined that these orbs were most likely traps meant to hide the real entrance. But following a bit more searching, they managed to find another glass orb, this one red. It was embedded in what looked like a carving of an eye, and the air around it felt warm. N’Taba sent some flames into the orb, and it seemed to absorb them without breaking. There where’re many other options, so they decided to touch the orb - and this time, they watched the wall surrounding it fall away, revealing an entrance into the spire.

Riding their magic carpet, the Wanderers descended into the rocky opening. After dropping through darkness, they emerged in a round chamber. On the floor was a symbol of an eye, with the iris split into two gems, one red and one blue. Three round tunnels exited the room, one blocked by magical darkness but the others left open.

Upon entering, the torches that lit the room began to flare up, as two voices began to accost them: one stern and demanding, declaring they needed to leave; the other silly and grating, beckoning them to come deeper in. Hurgle and Murgle, the twin beholders, were well aware of the Wanderers’ unexpected visit.

The Wanderers began to search the tunnels for any way through. They found a room filled with eyes of gemstone that, when certain ones were all cracked together, caused the blue half of the entryway eye to glow. They encountered what first seemed like a doorway, but after Natuc was nearly swallowed up by it, was really a disintegration trap. The party found a room of trophies - beast heads, stone adventurers and flayed rivals - several of which sprang to life and attacked. The gem controlling the entryway eye’s other half was held in this room as well. After some trial and error, it seemed they had finally found a way deeper in, as the entryway eye lighting up caused the darkness surrounding the third initial tunnel to dispel.

Instead, this was another trap. The tunnel lead to an anti-magic room, with a spiked ceiling that slowly descended to crush the party. Frantic, the Wanderers attempted to destroy the anti-magic rune keeping their spells at bay while Natuc lifted the stone doorway. They were just able to get out alive thanks to their barbarian’s strength, but they did lose a gargoyle that N’Taba summoned in the process.

The actual way further in was behind the now destroyed disintegration trap, and after descending further into the lair, the group came face to face with the beholders themselves… Or at least, illusions of them. Hurgle, the stern one, still wanted nothing to do with the group. But Murgle, sillier and more excitable, was hoping the Wanderers would find them. The party were undeterred if not put off a bit, and they began exploring the next level of the lair.

Here they found four tunnels, two of which seemed to lead nowhere: One dead-ended in a doorway that Brooks learned triggered a falling boulder by trying to open it with mage hand. The other went to a locked iron entrance that the Wanderers weren’t keen on opening. That left two, the first of which seemed to lead to a massive treasure hoard. But when Grimley dove in to start looting, he began to be pulled under the piles of gold, and the Wanderers had to save their slimy friend.

Looking across the hoard, they could make out a small eye symbol carved into the wall. Investigating further revealed dunes carved into it - but what activated them? Their answer was held in the final tunnel, which opened into a chamber full of scrying orbs. One of the crystal balls looked more eye-like than the others, and after N’Taba destroyed it, they found another tunnel had opened in the fake treasure room.

Boarding their carpet and gliding into the passage, the Wanderers finally arrived in the lair’s inner sanctum. A room full of gold and treasures, with pillars of rock rising out of the splendors. From two holes in the ceiling, the grotesque forms of Hurgle and Murgle floated down into the chamber - not illusions, but in the flesh. If they wanted Devil’s Tongue, they were going to have to take it.

The Wanderers quickly learned why beholders are so feared. Blasted with rays from the creatures’ various eye stalks, the party were forced to fight off paralysis, fear and sleep. Yet those were the least evil - some rays threatened to cleave the souls from their bodies, while others were capable of disintegrating flesh. To make matters worse, the beholders had another trick up their sleeves: Their massive central eyes could suppress magic, keeping N’Taba from casting spells or the Wanderers items from working.

The group became scattered. Martin and N’Taba were knocked off the rock pillars into the gold below, locked down by Hurgle’s anti-magic eye. Brooks was put to sleep by an eye beam, taking him out of the fight. Natuc was struggling to deal with the beholder’s flight, only able to throw his axe once before needing to pull it back. One beholder on its own would’ve been a challenge, but two was looking like it could be deadly.

Unfortunately for Hurgle and Murgle, the Wanderers were nothing if not hard to kill. Moving to avoid the monsters’ gaze, Martin and N’Taba were able to help their allies and strike back at the beholders. Natuc, whipped into a frenzied rage, connected with blow after blow, each time reeling back his axe with its magical chain. Brooks - finally awoken by an impatient Murgle - used his bow and blood magic to deal devastating damage. And during the heat of battle, N’Taba caught a glimpse of what they’d come for: An ivory bow traced with red lines.

The beholders were far from out of it, even if the Wanderers had the momentum. Brooks was paralyzed by one of Murgle’s eye beams, while Hurgle petrified Natuc and turned him to stone. But the Wanderers would emerge the victors: Martin destroyed Hurgle with eldritch blasts, and N’Taba blinded and disintegrated Murgle with concentrated sunlight.

The Wanderers had little time to celebrate. Once the twins had been killed, the entire chamber began to collapse. The party shoveled as much gold as they could into their packs, s arched up the bow, and took off out of there on the magic carpet. Hurt but successful, the party left the lair behind with the first of the Blood Weapons in tow. With this new weapon in hand, Brooks was finally ready to face Morphenius - and finally get some answers.

#### A Web of Lies and Lost Lives

Resting within the confines of their instant fortress, Brooks reminded the group of his vision: He’d been pulled into crystal caverns above the fungal jungle, and from there followed a winding river to where it plunged into a waterfall. The rushing water passed a small landing with four tunnels, and it was from within that Morphenius beckoned.

Sleeping off their wounds and trying to recover from the fight with Hurgle and Murgle, the constant days of darkness were beginning to wear on the group. N’Taba, feeling no closer to bringing back Blinky even after weeks of tense adventuring, cried for a bit on her own, unable to hold in the emotions. But there was work to be done, and so the group loaded up on their carpet and began retracing their steps.

Out of arachaea, through the giant spider’s tunnel, up the Great Maw - the Wanderers flew for several hours, until they once more reached the fungal jungle. Being sure to stay well clear of the growths below, and all of the unpleasant creatures within, Brooks guided them to the small fissure he’d seen in the cavern ceiling, and after squeezing through, the party emerged in a shimmering crystal-studded cavern.

Branching off in various directions, the honeycomb-like tunnels would be easy to get lost in. But N’Taba could see where small seeps and streams flowed from the cave walls, and knowing they needed to find a river, began following them in the hopes of reaching their eventual endpoint. While gliding along, the group came across a massive Viridium crystal, and knowing its value to enchanters, broke some off for safe-keeping.

Reaching the river and following it to where it cascaded into darkness, the Wanderers quickly found the landing from Brooks’ vision. When they stepped off the carpet and onto the stonework, they could feel the air get colder, and the sound of the rushing water disappear. Stepping into one of the tunnels, the group felt like they walked for a long time, and when they exited the tunnel, N’Taba in particular was exhausted. Yet they emerged back on the landing, seemingly having gone nowhere.

Using a flaming sphere to test the four tunnels, N’Taba could sense a slight resistance to her magic in all but one passage. Taking that tunnel seemed to be the key, as this time the group arrived in a chamber… With three more tunnels to choose from. Natuc was the Guinea pig this time, and as he walked through a tunnel at random, his own echoing footsteps started getting louder, and louder - until it stopped.

Natuc thought he was still in the dark tunnel, but in fact, he’d come out back in the chamber with the rest of the party, only now he was blind. Thankfully, it was nothing N’Taba’s magic couldn’t fix, and Brooks volunteered to try the next tunnel. As he walked in the darkness, he could hear Morphenius beckoning him forward, looking forward to finally meeting. And Brooks emerged in a new chamber, now with only two tunnels, and his friends soon followed along.

With only two options, N’Taba summoned a couple giant vulture and sent one down each tunnel. One returned out the tunnel it entered, while her connection to the other was severed. Confused, the group decided to trek down the tunnel the vulture had returned from… Only to hear Morphenius’ voice once again, this time declaring that they were now his. Martin, N’Taba and shockingly Grimley we’re all able to defy his influence, but Brooks, Natuc and the vulture fell under his spell.

Once they had again come out in the chamber they’d left, Brooks and Natuc turned on their allies. Thankfully, they were able to regain control after being knocked back to their senses by Martin and N’Taba, and the angry vulture was simply dispelled. With no other options, the Wanderers instead tried the other tunnel - and when they emerged, they were no longer in the stone caverns at all.

Instead the party had entered a quaint home of grey stone. They could smell freshly baked goods, and hear children laughing. Brooks instantly recognized it - his old home in Stonehaven, where he’d started a family. Coming out of the kitchen, as beautiful as the day she’d died, was his wife, Cecilia. His estranged son, Wahnen, came out to greet him as well, maybe only 6 years old despite Brooks knowing he should be much older.

Cecelia welcomed the Wanderers into their home, assuming that these were clients of his investigation service. Brooks was confused, not sure how exactly to react. The rest of the Wanderers were similarly taken aback, knowing that none of this could be real - but then, what exactly were they seeing? As Cecelia stepped away to set the table for their guests - they’d just made pies, as it were - Brooks took the time to embrace his son, trying to warn him of the struggles to come.

While Brooks was happy to have time with his family, even if they weren’t real, the rest of the party knew they needed to get him back on track. They told him that whatever this was, it had to be a trap, and they needed to get out of there. The front door was locked, so while the others tried to figure out what was happening, Brooks wanted one last moment with his wife.

He wasn’t going to get it. Stepping into the dining room, his whole family was waiting - Cecelia, Wahnen, and his daughters, Phoebe and Rina. Sensing something was wrong, Cecelia asked him if he was alright - or if he was going to kill her again. She described how he slit her throat for secrets, killed her for the powers he now wielded. Before his eyes, his family started changing, and when Martin used his magic to dispel their disguises, they were revealed for what they were: Hulking, monstrous humanoids with translucent flesh and gaping mouths.

The dream-like house had become a nightmare. The Wanderers instinctively attacked, but with each blow to these monstrous creatures, Brooks himself felt pain in his head. Brooks tried to run, grabbed at by his former children as they questioned why he’d abandoned them. He attempted to break through the window, but found it sealed shut. Following his lead, Martin dashed past the abominations and smashed the window open with his sword, and the Wanderers were all suddenly sucked out of the house and into a black void.

Tumbling in the darkness, the Wanderers fell for what felt like ages into the endless void. They could hear screams, manic laughter and the sounds of slaughter, but all distant, garbled. Eventually they realized they weren’t falling anymore, but instead lying on soft, fleshy ground. They awoke to a grey expanse covered in tentacles which stretched across the ground like netting, connecting and forming nodes in places. In the distance, they could see a massive tangle of tentacles much larger than the rest.

Looking at the nodes nearby, they could see that each were formed from tentacles of a similar color: Either orange, red, black or grey. Smashing one of the red nodes with his axe, Natuc was suddenly taken back to the home they’d just left - but this time he was looking through Brooks’ eyes, in the middle of a fight with Cecelia. He was in a memory, and could feel the sadness Brooks had felt in the moment.

Returned to his own mind and recounting what he saw, the Wanderers decided to test a few others. N’Taba touched one of the grey nodes, and saw the moment Natuc had returned home to find his parents and grandmother murdered. Brooks touched an orange node, and was transported to a scene of chaos and violence - N’Taba’s clan being enslaved by the yuan-ti, and her mother killed before her eyes. Martin was the only one to enter his own memory - his mother’s funeral - and despite the trauma, was able to shake off the bleak experience.

Brooks noted that Morphenius was a creature that fed on sadness and despair - and it seemed he was feeding on all of theirs. Their best lead on how to proceed was the giant node in the distance, so the group ventured forward, finding that this cluster was made up of all four colors of tentacles. Hiding Grimley in N’Taba’s ring, the group touched the node, and we’re all physically pulled inside.

They were transported to a ruined cityscape of crumbling buildings and broken streets. The remnants of Kingsforge. In the distance, they could see the broken Tower of Aura that the Endless had risen from, and could hear the demon’s laughter echoing across the ruins. The stench of death hung in the air, and the Wanderers could see the smoke from fires burning in the distance. To get to Morphenius, they’d have to confront their failure.

Heading north, the party could see the city wasn’t exactly as they’d left it - the Queen’s airship was crashed into a building, the palace had crumbled into rubble, and the heads of their friends and allies were mounted on iron pikes. As they approached the tower, they finally found it surrounded by a swarm of undead men, women and children. The people of Kingsforge, here to meet them.

The zombie horde parted, allowing the Wanderers passage into the tower. Inside, they could see black streaks across the tiles, and the now destroyed mark of Aura. But the Endless was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Morphenius’ voice called out that in order to save their precious city, they’d need to face those responsible for its destruction: Themselves. From the black streaks, dark versions of each Wanderer rose to meet them, ready to fight their alter egos.

Both Natuc’s quickly went for the other N’Taba, hoping to neutralize the powerful spell caster. Brooks targeted himself, flexing his new bow on the lesser version. Martin tried to call Morphenius’ bluff, not wanting to play his games anymore - but this wasn’t a trick, and the darker Martin attacked.

Not as hardy as the real version, the evil N’Taba fell to Natuc’s axe. But as she did, the real N’Taba was swallowed in shadow, disappearing from the battlefield. Yet when Brooks’ darker version was defeated, the Tiefling still remained. Together with Natuc and Martin they defeated the remaining alter egos - but as each fell, Natuc and Martin also fell into shadow. Only Brooks remained.

As he watched, the entrance to the tower turned into a black portal. Morphenius called out to him - it was time to meet. Brooks didn’t want to go without his friends, but the eldritch creature assured him his friends would be along soon. With no other options, Brooks stepped into the portal, and came out inside a chamber reminiscent of his worst nightmares.

The floor was soft and fleshy, and above, the entire ceiling was cloaked in darkness. Tentacles hung down from the shadows and laced the walls like webbing, while fleshy protrusions rose from the ground in places. Slowly, a giant form started to emerge from the murky haze above - an octopus-like head with spider eyes, crab claw arms and a massive torso. This was Morphenius, no longer in Brooks’ dreams, but now here in flesh and blood.

Morphenius congratulated Brooks on reaching the end of the thread, on finally finding him. And he thanked Brooks for bringing him the rest of the Wanderers: Each had suffered greatly in their own right, and that despair would prove delicious to feed on. But for now Brooks had his attention, and at the end of it all, this was where it had all been leading. Every clue, every adventure, every investigation - right here, to Morphenius, and death.

Morphenius pulled the rest of his body down from the ceiling - dark and spider-like - and moved in for the kill. If Brooks was going to survive, he’d have to kill the creature that had been haunting him for years - but where were his friends to help him?

While Brooks battled the beast, the rest of the Wanderers had their own problems to deal with. Each had been sent to a prison of the mind - a challenge designed specifically to torment them. Natuc was held in a chamber of stone, his only way out blocked by a massive stone slab attached to a winch across the chamber. But any attempt to raise it with the winch failed, as the slab would fall before he could get out. Trying to wedge his axe in failed as well, unable to keep the winch from turning back.

Martin was confronted by his body-snatching patron, Xerias. Each blow Martin dealt seemed to do little, yet the fallen angel couldn’t land a blow on him either. They would seemingly be locked in battle forever.

N’Taba found herself deep in a hole dug into the ground. Any time she tried to cast a spell or change her form, she would feel pain and be unable to focus. Climbing seemed futile as well, as the soft earth gave her little purchase strong enough to climb.

On his own, Brooks was quickly succumbing to Morphenius’ power. Despite the strength of his new bow, the eldritch creature was crushing Brooks in its claws, or painfully feeding on his memories. Morphenius began to toy with him, happy to finally have his most troublesome thrall in his clutches. But help was coming.

Martin was the first to figure things out. He was a paladin bent on conquest, built to never yield to his enemies. Instead of fighting, he lowered his weapon, and allowed Xerias to strike him… And Martin soon entered the creature’s sanctum. Now with another target, Martin had bought Brooks enough time to think of a plan.

Noticing that the tentacles on the wall were the same colors as those they’d seen before in the void, Brooks shot one for Natuc and one for N’Taba. Within their prisons, each received help on solving their predicament: Natuc saw there was space beneath the stone slab he’d been trying to lift, and N’Taba felt the earth beneath her feet sink a bit.

With these clues, both warriors were able to escape their confines: Natuc broke the chain holding the slab, causing it to fall through the floor and giving him freedom. N’Taba didn’t go up, but down, digging into the floor of the hole until she fell through. Once more the Wanderers were reunited, and they had a monster to slay.

But Morphenius was still more than a match for the party. From the ceilings, tentacles reached down and attempted to pull them up into the shadows. He snatched Natuc and Martin up in his claws, feeding on their memories or simply crushing them with his strength. But the Wanderers were giving it everything they had - Brooks with his bow, Natuc with his axe, Martin with his sword and N’Taba with her spells. Slowly, they began wearing down the beast.

Desperate, Morphenius flung Martin and Natuc against the walls of the cavern, unwilling to die so easily. But after all he’d been through, every thread he’d discovered, every trial he’d overcome, Brooks would be the one to deal the final blow. With his arrows he took out the monster’s legs, bringing them eye to eye. And with one final shot, he sent an arrow straight through Morphenius’ grotesque head, and the creature burst into shining light. It was finally over.

All at once, memories started coming back to Brooks. Investigations from long ago, clues to the truth, times he’d been close to uncovering Morphenius’ true identity. All taken during the resets. But no longer.

He then found himself in a singular memory, walking through a dark mine shaft with his wife. She’d found something during her shift, a weird symbol embedded in the stone wall. Brooks could see it looked like a brass web made of tentacles - and upon it, script stained with blood beckoning him to uncover its secrets.

The tiefling’s curiosity got the better of him, and with a prick of blood on his finger, he reached out and touched the symbol. Instantly the walls started cracking around them, and Brooks realized that this symbol was spread throughout the entire shaft. Just as he got one last look into the eyes of his wife, the tunnel collapsed, and Brooks felt himself pulled into darkness.

Brooks hadn’t murdered his wife, but with that one careless act, Morphenius had taken her. Decades of investigating had led to this moment. Finally, he knew the truth.

But the memories weren’t done yet. He began to be flooded with memories of his family - time spent with Cecelia and his children, long nights and better days. Happy memories, challenging ones, the mosaic of a life spent together. Morphenius had fed on Brooks’ sadness and despair - he’d taken memories that could bring him hope, comfort. But the monster was gone, and for the first time in 30 years, Brooks had his life back.

With Brooks’ mind fully restored, the Wanderers awoke in an empty cavern. Morphenius’ tricks were gone, and all that remained of the beast was a scorch mark on the stonework. Brooks told the rest of the Wanderers what he’d seen, and thanked them for the help. He wanted to make amends with his family, start things fresh. But that meant defeating the Endless, and saving the world.

To that end, it was time to get the Hells out of the Underdark. After a quick chat with the Queen, who would be sending them an update on the demon lord’s actions in Kingsforge, the Wanderers briefly considered heading to Emeril to alert their Allie’s there to the threat of the Endless. But the genasi there lived close enough to Kingsforge that they could be rallied for battle quickly - perhaps it made more sense to find potential allies further away, who would need more time to prepare.

To that end, they decided Ozark would be their next stop, a frozen fortress on the icy continent of Fjordland. As they made their way back through the crystal caverns, they received a note from the Queen - Baz’s updates from Kingsforge. While the undead horde hadn’t left town yet, the Endless was putting them to work: They were building obelisks throughout the city, and some zombies had started digging in the fields outside the capital. The Endless itself was now holed up in the royal palace - its new lair. What it’s plans were, the Queen couldn’t be sure, but it was only a matter of time before the undead began to spread.

Taking in the updates, they came across the roots of a massive, subterranean plan growing through the caverns. The plant was big enough for N’Taba to travel through, and so the Wanderers stepped through the plant and out into their garden at Fort Boromir. They were finally free of the Underdark, and ready to embark on the next leg of their quest.

### Wanderers of the Wastes and Beyond

Back in Fort Boromir, the Wanderers briefly met with the Queen, commandeering her airship for the trip north to Ozark. They met with Coriander as well, who agreed to help Sophocles with his work on Novak’s “death ray” - or at least a prototype. Loading up on the flying ship, the Wanderers set sail for colder waters, and despite it now being the start of spring, the air grew gradually colder the further north they travelled.

Soon they could see snow falling on deck, and ice bergs began showing up in the waters below. A massive, snowy landmass began to stretch out before them, and sitting along a wall-blocked harbor was the town of Ozark. Grey, blocky and well-fortified, the city felt more like a military instillation than a major city, but if the Wanderers were to find allies here, they’d need to become acquainted. They were also on the hunt for their next Blood Weapon, the Eldritch Staff: It was said to be somewhere in the vast Frostland Wastes that dominated the continent.

Speaking to the dock attendant who greeted them, they learned that if they wanted aid from Ozark, they’d need to speak with the city’s military. While they were far from experts on the city, they had learned from Grelland that part of the military here was a shifter tribe known as the Wolfguard. Making their way past whale oil lamps and stern-looking storefronts, the Wanderers came to a plaza surrounded by two larger structures: A well-guarded fort, and a smaller building rung with mammoth tusks. Speaking with the guards out front and showing them the Queen’s official papers, they were yo be granted an audience with the High Commander… But only when he was available.

Given an hour to kill - and turned away at the next door building, which they learned was the Wolfguard headquarters - they decided to get a drink and try to learn more about Ozark. Heading to the Wooly Mammoth Tavern and chatting up a drunken dock worker, they learned that in this city, the military was split between the traditional ranks and the Wolfguard. The Wolfguard acted as scouts, scoping out threats in the nearby Stark Mountains or the wastes beyond, while the military dealt with said threats and watched the city walls. Here military might ruled all - and the Wanderers were eager to prove their own strength to these potential allies.

Returning to the military’s headquarters, the Wanderers were given their meeting with High Commander Wilfurd. A blunt Goliath leader, Wilfurd had heard rumors of the attack on Kingsforge - but while it was regrettable, he was in no position to send aid. He had a laundry list of his own problems at the moment: Pirates attacking his wailing ships, frost giants on the move, and most pressing, a giant dire bear that had killed a Wolfguard scouting party.

Sensing a use for their services, the Wanderers volunteered to take care of the city’s bear problem. Wilfurd was skeptical they could handle it on their own, but seeing no downside to letting them try, he agreed to have them speak with the Wolfguard to learn more. Leaving the fort for the shifters’ more humble residence, the party was brought before Pack Leader Torbir, head of the Wolfguard.

Torbir was similarly skeptical that the Wanderers could take on the beast, but nevertheless was willing to be proven wrong. His scouts had been attacked while traveling a path through the mountains to the Wastes, and only one had survived. They had described a dire bear larger than any they’d ever seen, three or four times larger than any normal beast. Torbir would have one of his scouts, Orga, show them the way. If the Wanderers were indeed able to slay it, then the Pack Leader promised they would have earned his trust - and perhaps his help in finding the Eldritch Staff.

After briefly stocking up on some potions, The Wanderers were lead out of the city by Orga, through a secret tunnel into the mountains. Once back in the open air, the journey through the Stark Mountains proved brutal - between the biting wind, freezing snow and harsh terrain, it was a difficult trek. But they persevered through the night, and come morning, they arrived at the site of the attack.

Using their investigative skills and perceptive eyes, the party spotted a cave not far from the kill site, the entrance for which was frozen over with ice. An odd sight, it seemed this may be where the bear was hiding. Flying up to it on their carpet, Natuc smashed through the thin layer of ice, revealing the cavern behind. Inside the temperature dropped even further, and the floor was covered in slippery ice. Worse still, they weren’t alone in here: Not one, but three massive dire bears - huge in size, with bony protrusions coming out of their spines and limbs - were within the cave. One towered over the others, this being the alpha that had attacked the shifters.

The Wanderers weren’t scared. Leaping from the carpet and scattering across the cavern, they attacked the bears as only each knew how: N’Taba summoned polar bears to aid them, Brooks began walking along the walls and firing arrows, Natuc charged in with his axe, and Martin hacked and slashed with his sword. While the smaller dire bears were simple enough to deal with, the alpha proved to be more of a challenge, blasting them with icy breath and leaping across the cavern to attack with its claws.

While the beast was ferocious, the Wanderers were more than a match. While Natuc, Martin and the polar bears put down the smaller duo, N’Taba burned through the alpha’s thick coat with her magic. Softened up by their repeated blows and magic, Brooks ended the fight by channeling his bow’s destructive power into a seismic elbow into the bear’s skull. The creature crumpled beneath the crashing Tiefling, and the party were once again on top.

Having slain the beasts and placed the alpha’s body within N’Taba’s ring, the Wanderers returned to Orga to head back. The return trek was easier, having already followed the path out once, and after another cold night in the mountains the party had returned to Ozark. Upon reaching the Wolfguard’s camp, Torbir was surprised to see they had returned so quickly. But when they recounted their battle and produced the body of the dire bear in the square outside, he was left in awe of the group’s prowess.

Torbir declared that what the Wanderers had accomplished exceeded anything he’d seen from their own warriors. He thanked them for their assistance, and promised that when the time came to retake Kingsforge, they would have an ally in the Wolfguard. He also revealed why removing the bear was so important: The path out of the mountains lead to a meeting site where they would be trading good and information with some of the other free tribes that still roamed the Frostland Wastes. If anyone knew of the Eldritch Staff’s location, it would be them, and so Torbir offered for them to travel with him to meet these other shifters.

He also told the Wanderers a bit about his people’s history: The shifters were once humans, elves and other races that had travelled to Fjordland thousands of years ago. But any attempts to set up a colony were thwarted by the dire beasts - and their leader, Tuvok the Winter Wolf. To attempt to better survive in the wastes, the survivors performed a ritual that mergers their bloodlines with the dire beasts, becoming shifters. Though better able to survive the harsh wasteland, they still found themselves living in fear of Tuvok.

So they rose up. The shifters fought and slew the Winter Wolf, freeing the land of her influence. Yet the other dire beasts remained, and as years stretched to centuries, the Wastes remained as challenging as ever. Some began to believe that killing Tuvok was a mistake - instead, they should have worshipped her. They became known as the dire tribes, committed to resurrecting the wolf, while the remaining clans became the free tribes. The Wolfguard were one of these free tribes, who together with outsiders settled and founded Ozark.

The Wanderers were invited to party with the shifters that evening in honor of their victory, and while they accepted, they still had some business to attend to. Heading over to the military compound, they found High Commander Wilfurd in good spirits: He had heard news of their successful slaying. Still, he had his own problems to attend to before he could promise the party the aid they required. To that end, the Wanderers decided to deal with his giant problem. The commander explained that a party of frost giant scouts had been spotted in the mountains not far from the walls. If they had found some sort of weakness and brought it back to their leader, they could launch an attack on the city.

Following the commander’s lead, the Wanderers took to the sky using N’Taba’s wind walk spell. Unfortunately, being gas clouds wouldn’t stop them from freezing, and the trip into the towering mountains was very, very cold. But the Wanderers pushed on, and were thankfully able to spot the giants within a few hours. They’d set up camp in a small valley, giving the party the perfect stage for an ambush.

Landing and reverting back to their corporeal forms, the Wanderers devised a plan: They’d split up and attack from all sides, with N’Taba and Brooks riding polar bears the Druid summoned. Martin would fly in on his gryphon, and Natuc would run in on foot. Splitting up and preparing to fight, Natuc charged into battle, and the rest followed suit.

Though the giants were prepared to fight, it wasn’t much of a contest. Hurling stones at the approaching heroes, the giants were quickly overwhelmed once the party reached their camp. Though the emergence of a giantess shaman helped even the odds a bit, the Wanderers and their myriad abilities swiftly skew the scouts, putting an end to any threat they could pose to Ozark. Turning once more into clouds, the party zoomed back to the city just before sunset.

High Commander Wilfurd was pleased, to say the least. With his Wolfguard no longer distracted and the threat of an imminent attack gone, he was free to offer the Wanderers what came for: Allies in their fight against the Endless. Ozark would be sending aid, and it was time to celebrate.

Arriving back at the Wolfguard’s base, the Wanderers found the place ready for a feast. Shifters from across the city had gathered to party, and a banquet of mammoth meat and hardy portions had been laid out. As the proceedings began, Pack Leader Torbir welcomed the Wanderers as honorary members of their tribe, presenting them with drinking horns made from the spines of the alpha dire bear.

The Wanderers spent the rest of the evening playing dice games, eating warm food, keeping a drunken Grimley out of trouble, and even chatting up a few of the older shifters in Brooks’ case. After retiring for the evening, the Wanderers awoke the next day refreshed and ready to head back into the mountains. Throwing the goods Torbir was taking into their instant fortress, the party once more set out into the Stark Mountains, but with the pack leader as their guide, the trek was far less treacherous.

After a few days of hiking and climbing, the Wanderers finally caught their first glimpse of what may beyond the mountains. The Frostland Wastes stretched out like an icy desert across the landscape, flat and foreboding. Wind and snow whipped across the cold ground, and small boulders of grey rock jutted out in places. It was hard to imagine how anyone could survive in such an inhospitable place, but where the mountains met the expanse, they could see a small camp of leather tents had been erected. That was their destination.

Arriving at the camp, the Wanderers could see shifters from several different tribes had all gathered here for the meeting. Each bore facial tattoos representing their clan, but they all seemed to speak the same language. Torbir explained that while they had business to attend to, he would see what they knew about the staff. In the meantime, the Wanderers could make themselves at home around the camp.

While they waited, the Wanderers killed time by “fishing” for groda (insect-like creatures with rodent faces) and healing a wooly mammoth tamed by one of the tribes. Their malaise was soon broken by an ear-splitting screech that run through the air, and from the mountains, the party watched as a flock of ice-covered hawks descended on the camp. Swooping down and attacking the Wanderers, they were forced the fight back to keep the shifters safe.

Though the fight wasn’t easy - and N’Taba lit one of the tents on fire in the process - the Wanderers managed to take out the flock. Though her fire magic was destructive, N’Taba’s flames seemed extra effective in dealing with the birds. Natuc crushed any that flew too close to the ground, while Brooks was able to mop up a few with Devil’s Tongue. Though one nearly escaped, Martin chased it down on his gryphon and finished the job.

With the hawks slain the shifters could return to their meeting. After a few hours, Torbir called the Wanderers into their tent. It seemed the other tribes had some information that could be useful to them - a legend of a powerful staff found amidst the wasteland. The stories told of a dire tribe that had found a staff of unbelievable power, but greed over its abilities tore the tribe apart. The last remaining holder and their few followers fled into the Nightwatch Trench, a canyon said to be a place of madness and monsters.

The only other hint Torbir could offer was what the facial scars of the tribe - their distinguishing feature, like the free tribes’ tattoos - looked like, in the hopes the symbol may help them. With that, the Wanderers spent the night relaxing and preparing to head out across the wastes in search of the trench. The next morning, they said they goodbyes to Torbir, and took off to cross the unending desert of snow and ice.

Though travel on foot would take nearly a week, and traveling as wind would expose them to the elements, N’Taba had another plan. She used her magic to turn Martin and Brooks into dire wolves, allowing them to run across the snowy expanse much quicker while she and Natuc navigated. Though the wastes were perilous - the Wanderers nearly fell into a frozen lake within their first hour of travel - N’Taba’s sharp eyes and navigational skills kept them on track. Over the days of trekking, they harassed a massive herd of caribou, avoided a small settlement and made camp with seal-skin sleeping bags… Until Brooks made them use the instant fortress for warmth.

Finally, the party could see the Nightwatch Trench on the horizon. The canyon carved through the snowy ground, stretching dozens of feet wide. The ice around the canyon turned from blue-grey to blood red, and as they looked over the edge, the gulch disappeared for hundreds of feet below. Just the type of place you might expect to find an ancient artifact.

N’Taba turned Brooks and Martin from dire wolves into giant vultures, allowing them to slowly glide into the canyon. The further in they flew, the darker the canyon became, unnaturally shrouded in shadow. Examining the walls closely as they descended, they soon managed to find a clue: A shifter, frozen in ice, baring the same facial scars they’d been warned of. N’Taba began trying to thaw out the corpse, only to hear a scream echo through the gulch… And appearing out of the darkness were four giant, grotesque heads, held aloft by bat-like wings.

The creatures swooped in, biting at the Wanderers and screeching from their gaping mouths. Martin and Grimley were stunned by the sharp noise, and still in his vulture form, Martin began to plummet with Natuc on his back, grabbing hold of his friend and using his axe as a grappling hook, Natuc was just able to keep them from falling.

That left Brooks and N’Taba to deal with the creatures. N’Taba turned the blood hunter back into a Tiefling, and with his bow he was able to slay the horrifying creatures. Though the battle was won, the Wanderers were unsettled: N’Taba cast daylight to push back the creeping darkness, and suggested they descend to the bottom.

As they once more flew down, descending hundreds and hundreds of feet, they noticed the walls began to change. Though there was still red ice, the exposed stone showed scratch marks, carvings of ghoulish faces, and runes that looked abyssal in nature. Outside of their sphere of light, the darkness became all-encompassing, and they could hear things moving just out of sight.

Eve really they reached the bottom, where the canyon narrowed a bit. Touching the ground, N’Taba reached out and attempted to connect with the natural world, but to her senses, this place felt alien and unwelcoming. She felt the presence of fiends all around them, lurking in the darkness. And not far away, in a tunnel bore into the rock, she could sense something stronger.

Heading for the tunnel, still in the light of N’Taba’s magic, they found a cave that stretched back about sixty feet. Where it dead-ended, a symbol had been carved into the wall: The same scars they had been warned about. As they watched, the symbol would glow red, then had, the glow again, like a heartbeat. But then it started to shine brighter and brighter, until bursting out if the symbol were three wolf-like, demonic creatures with curled stingers for tails.

The fiends rushed down the tunnel to meet the Wanderers, even pushing through a wall of fire N’Taba summoned to stop them. They lashed out with their teeth and stingers, poisoning and paralyzing Brooks in the process. Thankfully the others were able to come to his aid, with Natuc in particular hacking through the demonic beasts. The Wanderers managed to slay the welcoming party, and the symbol began to once more glow and fade as it had before.

Interested in what it could mean, N’Taba touched the symbol, and was promptly pulled into the wall itself. The others quickly followed. And one by one were expelled in someplace completely new. Stretching out in every direction were hills of ash, and spot rained down like snow. The tops of broken buildings could be seen just poking out of the dunes of grey, as of an entire civilization had been buried. The sky above was roiling clouds. And when the Wanderers tried to walk, they were slowly pulled into the burning ash.

Getting atop their flying carpet to keep off of the ground, the party decided to look around for any hint of where they could be or the staff’s whereabouts. They headed for the nearest landmark that could see, a bell tower where only the top was sticking out if the ashy dunes. As they got close, they could hear some noise inside, and looking in through a broken wall saw what appeared to be a collection of odds and ends. The tower top was filled with bits of metal, pieces of rusted armor and lost knickknacks, an assortment of junk. While it appeared to be abandoned, those with sharp eyes among them could catch small movement in places - something was in here with them.

To coax them out, N’Tabs began piling things into their bag of holding. Her ploy worked, and appearing out of thin air was a tiny, horned, green creature that demanded she stop at once. Named Ivoq, it wasn’t happy to have the Wanderers poking around its stuff. But when they offered it shiny sapphires in return for information, it was willing to talk.

It seemed the Wanderers had been transported to one of the infinite layers of the Abyss, where demons ruled and chaos reigned. This demon had seen a staff that sounded impressive enough to be a Blood Weapon, but unfortunately the holder had gotten away before he could steal it. He pointed to a fortress buried in ash a ways away from the tower and the place the staff’s wielded had gone to, but behind that, he knew nothing.

Though the creature had been helpful, he was still a demon. Brooks tried to discreetly knock an arrow to take out the tiny terror, but Ivoq’s beady eyes managed to spot it. The demon turned invisible and dove into his pile of junk, so the Wanderers chose to leave him alone and instead head to the sunken fortress.

Gliding over on their carpet, the party found the fortress almost completely buried in ash. But Natuc was able to break open a hole in the roof, allowing them entrance into the dark interior. Heading down to the main foyer, they saw the room littered with the grotesque remains of demons - arms, legs and wings alike. Across the way, the same glowing red dire tribe symbol had been carved into the wall.

The moment the Wanderers started moving toward the symbol, the disembodied parts sprang to life, attempting to claw and grab at them. Natuc was grabbed before he could get across, forcing Martin to help his comrade while Brooks and N’Taba reached the symbol. Touching it, the two were once more pulled into the carving, and moments later, Natuc and Martin were able to join after hacking the Goliath free.

After a few moments of familiar weightlessness, the Wanderers found themselves transported to another layer of the Abyss. This one looked barren, filled with craters large and small. Acid rain fell from the sky, pooling in places and eroding the rocks. There were still a few large boulders embedded in the rocky expanse, but the entire space looked bleak.

The journey hadn’t been kind to the Wanderers either, and several found themselves corrupted by the evil nature of the Abyss. Brooks began viewing his friends as obstacles rather than allies, N’Taba craved bloodshed, and Grimley believed himself to be the rightful ruler of the plane. While the group began bickering amongst themselves, some of the larger boulders around them began to move - rising as elemental demons, part acid and part stone.

Surrounded by the creatures, the Wanderers quickly learned why the Abyss is feared. The demons struck them with tentacles of acid, burning their skin and getting between their plates of armor. I’m turn the party found it difficult to hit back, as the demon’s rocky bodies were resistant to magic and able to withstand weapon blows. All the while, the group’s corruption served as a hindrance, with Brooks and Grimley butting heads while N’Taba attacked with reckless abandon.

Thankfully the Wanderers, even while compromised, were veteran warriors. Natuc, fighting through brutal acid burns, managed to smash through the creature’s stones with brute force. At the edge of the battle, Brooks was able to get off lethal shots from Devil’s Tongue - when the creatures weren’t messing with his mind anyway, causing him to run in random directions or sit there slack-jawed. N’Taba turned into a giant grizzly bear, and Martin cut through them with Soul Render. Eventually the demon’s were felled, but the Wanderers were exhausted.

In his brain-addled state, Brooks was still able to notice another red glow off in the distance. Potentially a way forward, but before pushing forward, the group decided to set up their instant fortress to rest. While they slept, the group was able to kick the corruption of the Abyss that had set in. Unfortunately, their giant fortress was easy to spot in the barren landscape, and as the hours wore on it attracted dozens of the same acidic demons they’d just fought. Their pounding on the walls and doors echoed through the fortress.

Keeping watch to ensure not got in, Brooks did a bit of reading on the Abyss. Through the adventures of Dorf Durkin, he learned a bit about the plane’s dark nature: Consisting of an endless series of layers, each twisted in its own way, demons carved power for themselves through sheer strength. The strongest were the demon lords, of which the Endless was one, who could rule over multiple layers. Lesser demons would squabble for their own layers as well, with each tending to take on the traits of the demon who ruled it.

Waking up rested but now trapped within their fortress, the Wanderers decided they would need to break for the red glow Brooks had spotted. Getting aboard the carpet and bursting through the doors of the fortress, Brooks called out it’s command word to cause it to shrink, and they watched as the acid demons all along its walls plummeted to the ground. With mage hand the Tiefling scooped up their now tiny fortress, and the party rocketed over to the glowing symbol, touching it and again being pulled inside.

Once more the Wanderers travelled to a new layer of the Abyss. This time they arrived in a world covered in red crystals glowing orange from within. The gemstone twisted into all sorts of fantastic formations, but when they approached, one erupted with lava from within. In the distance, they could see the fire from multiple magma pools curling into the grey sky above.

Unfortunately as well, the Wanderers had once more been corrupted by the trip. Now both Brooks and Natuc believed themselves to be the rightful rulers of the plane, and N’Taba once again was filled with bloodlust. Itching to find the next portal - and hopefully the owner of the Eldritch Staff - the group spotted two leads from atop their carpet: A cave opening, and crystal spire within a pool of lava. They decided to go to the cave, from which a red glow was shining.

Inside, they came upon a cavern of beautiful blue crystals being mined by fiendish, rotting humanoids. Tending to the workers was a massive demon, with red skin, horns, wings and a flaming whip in hand. As they watched, several more of these hulking demons joined them, and quickly spotted the Wanderers. From his earlier research, Brooks recognized these as balor - some of the strongest demons found in the Abyss. And now four had spotted them.

Though Brooks briefly tried to negotiate with them, it was clear these creatures wanted nothing more than to capture the party. Rather than stand and fight what could have very well been a losing battle, the Wanderers took off on their carpet, the creatures in hot pursuit. Dodging flaming whips and swords of lightning, it looked like the group may have trouble avoiding capture. But thankfully N’Taba was able to reverse gravity around the demons, sending them tumbling into the sky while the group reached the symbol carved into the crystal spire. Just as the demons caught up, the Wanderers entered the portal and were whisked out of harm’s way.

Shot between layers again, Natuc and Brooks were able to overcome the Abyssal corruption setting in… But not N’Taba, who remained as rage-filled as before. The party re-emerged in a landscape far more reminiscent of the Frostland Wastes: A snowy mountain peak, caught in a frigid blizzard. Stairs wound up and down the mountain both ways, so the Wanderers started ascending on their carpet.

As they wound up the side of the mountain, they noticed a few more of those disgusting humanoid demons frozen along the path. The mountain itself seemed almost unnaturally iced over, with black obsidian rock underneath. Eventually the stairs lead to a looming citadel, with parapets and high walls covered in ice and snow. The doors began to open as soon as the Wanderers got close - they were being welcomed inside.

The interior of the citadel was almost cathedral-like, with tall windows and a high ceiling. A throne sat atop a pedestal across the room, and an abyssal rune was carved into the icy floor. At the base of the throne stood two, frog-like demons, covered in black spine. And on the throne, half-demon and half-shifter, was the wielded of the Eldritch Staff, the blood weapon clutched in one hand.

Though the master of the staff spoke, his words were a garbled mess of shifter and abyssal. But the two frog demons were able to translate, announcing him as Silra, ruler of the layer. N’Taba announced the Wanderers as well, declaring her intent to kill Silra and take his staff. In response, the demon hybrid demanded they turn over Devil’s Tongue and bow to him, as he could recognize it as a sibling to his own staff.

The Wanderers refused - they weren’t leaving without that stuff. But they were going to have to earn it. As Silra stood from his throne of ice, brandishing the staff before them, the two frog-like demons sprang forward to protect their master. The battle for the staff was on.

The Wanderers tried to spread out quickly, only for some to be caught in a gravity warp created by a rune carved into the floor. Moving around the icy ground also proved difficult, as Martin and Natuc struggled to get in range with their weapons. Though N’Taba and Brooks could attack from range, so could Silra: Summoning the power of the staff, he drained the life force from the Wanderers, knocking Grimley out and nearly taking down Brooks with one mighty spell.

Scrambling to get back in the fight, N’Taba healed up Brooks while Natuc began hacking away at one of Silra’s felon guards. All the while, the shifter-hybrid blasted them with icy shards from atop his throne. Hoping to turn the tide of battle, N’Taba transformed into a fire elemental, melting through the ice and closing in on the other demon. But Silra had more tricks up his sleeve: He cast the entire room in magical darkness, leaving the Wanderers blind to his attacks.

More icy blasts - as well as the teeth and claws of Silra’s demon guards - had begun to take their toll on the party. To make matters worse, Silra used the staff to superheat Natuc’s axe and Martin’s armor, causing both to deal with searing pain on their hands and forms. Martin was having the worse go of things, unable to move effectively over the ice or get in range of the demons.

Despite the odds being stacked against them, the Wanderers kept pushing forward. Once their sight returned, they finally felled one of the demons, allowing Natuc to get up to Silra and hack away. N’Taba, knocked out of her elemental form, attempted to destroy Silra’s mind with magic - only for the shifter to resist. Brooks fired arrows from across the way, taking cover as best he could. They began to slowly chip away at the demon shifter, causing him to teleport around the room to escape.

But the Wanderers would prevail. Though Silra cast the room in darkness once more, it wasn’t enough, and with a final fleury from his bow.l, Brooks silenced the mad mage once and for all. With its master slain, the last remaining demon fled, the the staff belonged to N’Taba. Two Blood Weapons down.

### To Hell and Back

Ready to be rid of the Abyss, the Wanderers joined hands as N’Taba teleported them back to the Material Plane. Landing on the sandy shores of Fort Boromir, the party was happy to be back under sunny skies. Unfortunately, the Queen had less happy news for them when they checked in with her: Baz had delivered another report, and the obelisks the Endless had been building in Kingsforge were complete. Each had been outfitted with one of the orbs containing the Elemental Titans, and now those orbs were powering a shield that encased the royal palace. To get to the Endless, they would need to be dealt with.

Baz had also informed them that digging outside the city continued, though it still wasn’t apparent what for. But the spy had noticed the horde beginning to assemble along the city gates: It was possible that the Endless would soon make their first move. While the Queen was grateful for the allies they’d gathered so far, she emphasized that they would still need more to go toe-to-toe with the demon lord - and that the Wanderers would also need to be as ready as possible.

To that end, it was time to choose their next course of action. The party decided Emeril was their next best bet: They could likely gain more allies by involving the genasi, and warn them about the Endless if necessary. Before heading out, they made a few quick stops at Coriander’s and their keep, before N’Taba opened up a portal through a tree and whisked them away to the Windswept Desert. Arriving outside the city, the grey walls that had surrounded Emeril on their last visit had now been replaced by walls of orange desert rock. It looked like a genasi stronghold now.

Entering the city, the Wanderers could see that much of the damage wrought by their battle with the Yuan-Ti had been repaired. The city breathed with new life - families, businesses, homes all repaired or re-inhabited. Genasi of all the elements walked through the streets, and the canals that bisected the city now flowed with turquoise, clear water. As they walked, many heads turned towards the heroes that had freed the city - it was clear they were still well-renowned in Emeril.

The party eventually reached the massive dome at the heart of the city, where they were granted an audience with the city's new council. Made up of a genasi from each of the four elements, there were plenty of new faces amongst the group, but one familiar: Por'Kal, the rebel leader turned city leader. He was excited to see the Wanderers again, and for them to see how the city had grown since their last meeting. But the Wanderers were there for business, and they explained what had happened with the Endless and how they were looking for allies.

It didn't even take any convincing: Por'Kal and the council agreed to send soldiers to their aid, in thanks for everything the Wanderers did to help free Emeril. Not to mention the queen had sent her airship to help as well, and that favor wasn't forgotten. With Emeril's soldiers acquired, the party explained their other mission: They were looking for the Blood Weapons, and according to their leads, one may be on the Plane of Air. The council was able to give them some help with this, as well, promising to provide them with a tuning fork that N'Taba could use to teleport there. They even had a lead on a city: Shantala, an air genasi legend said to be built atop floating islands in the endless sky.

Lastly, the Wanderers asked if they could provide any diamonds large enough for Martin to use in his magic. The genasi did have quite a few that they used in some of their elemental experimentation, and promised to give any extra to the group they could spare. Though their main business was concluded, the council requested N'Taba speak with them in private for a moment. Now alone amongst genasi, Por'Kal remarked that she had added quite a few gems to the circlet she wore. N'Taba was keen on completing the set with opals representing the power of air, and it just so happened that such opals were said to be mined in Shantala. Another reason to seek it out, it seemed.

But that wasn't the main reason they'd asked her to stay back. Por'Kal told her how much she meant to the people of Emeril, and how respected she was here. Of course, she had plenty of business to finish with her friends, but if she was interested, there was a spot on the Council always waiting for her. A home in Emeril. N'Taba thanked them, saying she might even take them up on the offer once the Endless had been dealt with. For now, her adventure continued.

Leaving the dome and with a few hours to kill, the party next visited Raya, the fiery genasi warrior who was now in charge of the United Genasi Forces. She was happy to see all of them, though questioned why they only visited now that they needed their help with a world-ending threat. Jokes aside, she was settling in to her role as leader of the genasi military well. But she was excited to get some use out of her axe again. Before leaving, N'Taba made a request: She wanted a flag of Blinky prepared, so it could be flown in battle against the Endless. Raya promised it would be done, and the two said goodbye with the hope of seeing each other on the battlefield soon.

While their tuning fork was forged, the Wanderers spent a few hours shopping around town and drinking with the genasi. Though they were all recognised as heroes, N'Taba especially was noticed and praised by the various citizens they spoke with. Natuc in particular tried to make sure his own heroism was recognised, but after a bit, they were approached by genasi soldiers baring goods. They gave the party the tuning fork and a diamond large enough for Martin to work with. Errands complete, the Wanderers had a choice to make: Travel to the plane of air now, or go after a different blood weapon?

The group had been itching for a return trip to the 9 Hells for a while, and knowing that the great hammer they were after would be devastating in Natuc's hands, it seemed like the next logical choice. So putting the plane of air on hold for the time being, the Wanderers joined hands and N'Taba transported them beyond the Material Plane, to the first of the 9 Hells: Avernus. Their destination was Kazz'Drix, a city open to mortals that Professor Pendleton had mentioned may be a good starting point.

As the spell ended, the Wanderers found themselves in a sand-blasted, cracked wasteland. High above them, a red sun scorched the ground itself, leaving it barren and lifeless. In the distance, they could see broken mountain ranges and raging dust storms. They'd visited Avernus once before to save Brooks after he was briefly banished here, but now they'd need to make a longer trip of it.

Nearby, rising up from the parched earth, was a massive, cylindrical rock formation. All along the side nearest them, they could see iron doorways like garages embedded in the rock. As they watched, one of those doorways opened, and an iron machine of fire, wheels and gears came screaming out into the wasteland. It seemed the city they were looking for was inside. Circling the rocky structure, they eventually found the gate inside, only to be accosted by the giant devil guarding the entry. Named Avazarr, the massive guard demanded that they pay him in soul coins, the currency of the devils. Not wanting to start a fight the moment they arrived, the party agreed to head inside and get some coins to pay the devil.

Inside the walls, the city itself was thankfully shrouded from the blistering sun above. But that didn't make it any more welcoming than the wasteland outside: Devils of all shapes and sizes walked the streets, and the buildings themselves were built to look sharp and intimidating. While a few other mortals walked the streets, the Wanderers garnered plenty of looks from devils interested in the new meat in town. While Brooks began leading the group in search of a place where they could exchange their gold for soul coins, N'Taba noticed a fellow fire genasi being led through the city in chains. Wanting to potentially free her brethren, she followed the group into a dark meeting place where devils and mortals alike chatted while striking deals and drinking goblets of blood.

Stepping into one of the chamber's private rooms, she summoned some pixies and bid them to cause panic a few minutes after she left. But on her way out, she was approached by a rather pushy rakshasa - the same tiger-like fiend that Don Quinn had revealed himself to be. The rakshasa attempted to force N'Taba to make some sort of shady deal with him, but fortunately, the druid had one of the gate stones with her, and was able to escape before things escalated further or other fiends got involved.

Following his instincts and avoiding any further confrontation, Brooks eventually led the group to a plaza where it seemed goods could be exchanged for soul coins. Gathering a few of the coins for their gold, they returned to Avazarr and paid the devil. Though they tried to get some information out of him, he was less than excited to speak with mortals: Instead he pointed them to a place called the Mortal Coil, a tavern that served mortal travellers. Finding the ale terrible, meat rotted and prices exorbitant, the party were forced to pay the devil barkeep, named Ashki, for information on the Hells. But once paid, he gave them the lay of the land.

Kazz'Drix played an important role in the Blood War - the endless battle between devils and demons. It was where infernal war machines, like the contraption they'd seen leaving the city, were built to be shipped to the front lines. There Marcos himself, god of war, waged war with the endless demon hordes that flooded in from the Abyss. But not all devils fought for Marcos. Instead, some took war machines as their own and formed gangs across Avernus's wasteland, fighting for souls, reputation and territory.

To that end, Ashki had heard of a powerful war hammer wielded by one of the gang's leaders: Turg, a pit fiend who ran a gang known as the Zyroks. They were the most powerful gang in this part of Avernus, and Turg led his cohort out of a massive war machine that functioned as a mobile base. To try and break in and take his hammer would be suicide, but the Wanderers were up for the challenge. There were two other gangs of note that Ashki mentioned: The Chak'Aír, a gang of chain devils that used to be the second most powerful, but had since been replaced by a new gang, run by a mortal who went by Kingkiller.

If they wanted to travel across the plains of Avernus and find the Zyroks, the Wanderers were going to need a war machine. To that end, Ashki told them about the Gurshas, bays along the wall of the city where devil engineers worked on their war machines. Most weren't willing to sell to mortals, but he knew of two, named Ra'Dul and Fezzik. So the party headed off to deal with the devils, stopping first at the gursha belonging to Ra'Dul.

A horrifying devil with green skin, sharp teeth and tiny wings, Ra'Dul was more than happy to sell to the party. Unfortunately, his war machines were expensive, costing hundreds of soul coins (which each cost hundreds of gold pieces). But as any good devil would, he had a deal: The Wanderers could give him a down payment, and pay the rest in souls collected. As they fought and killed others, their souls would be given to Ra'Dul, until their debt was paid... Or they died, at which point their own souls would become his. The Wanderers considered the deal, but wanted to see their other options before agreeing to a deal with the monstrous fiend. As they left the gursha, they were even given another offer: One of the workers offered them a war machine for free, so long as they met with him and heard what he had to say.

Not trusting those options, they next headed to Fezzik's gursha to see if he could offer them a better deal. Fezzik seemed less fiendish than Ra'Dul, though he still sported wings, horns and tails. But rather than offering only ways to purchase a war machine, he gave the Wanderers the chance to rent one in return for some work. And the Wanderers were never ones to turn down a good quest or two.

Fezzik needed to jobs done: First, one of his war machines had been lost in the wasteland, buried during a sandstorm. It had an experimental lightning weapon on it, and he wanted it salvaged. Second, he'd been working on some ichor, used to "super-charge" an infernal war machine, that had been stolen by Kingkiller and their gang. He wanted it back, or if it had been used, Kingkiller's head. Though he knew the experimental weapon had been lost near a blood river called the River Caryx, he had no idea where to find Kingkiller's gang. But he'd heard stories that in infernal wailing accompanied any of his attacks, so at least they'd have warning.

If the Wanderers failed to return his war machine - or one of equal value - in working order, as well as his experimental weapon and ichor, then their souls would be forfeit to Fezzik. Complete the jobs, and they'd be free to go. Trusting themselves to get it done and not wanting to own one of these infernal machines, the party agreed, and chose to take a war machine with a grabbing claw called a scavenger. As Natuc took the helm, the rest of the Wanderers settled in at their weapon stations. Fezzik opened the door to the Gursha, and the Wanderers went screaming out into the wasteland.

As their war machine carved a path through the broken earth, they watched another gursha door open behind them. Tearing out of Kazz'Drix were three more war machines, smaller and more agile than theirs. It seemed they already had company.