The Battle of the Southern Wastes

The Battle of the Southern Wastes was the 43rd session of the Daevenfell campaign, and the fourth session of Chapter 8: Apotheosis.

## Summary

Oleg, in the body of Vinroris, is sharing a bottle of wine with Prince Auburn in a lush, sunlit landscape. The Prince reveals they are inside the memories of the body's former host, and attempts to lure Oleg over to his side. Oleg refuses, and The Prince reveals his true, monstrous form, promising Oleg will watch his friends die. Oleg awakens, in the shape of a dragon, and leads the coterie in hot pursuit towards The Claws.

Meanwhile, Lhoris is getting ready for battle, along with the armored warrior who met him at the gates, Warlow Keill. The warrior warns him that he better fight for all he's worth, or his friends will suffer the consequences. Lhoris, swallowing his humanity, promises to spill blood.

The rest of the Morass clan is locked in a room together, and are provided with the materials Omako needs to bring back one of their dead. He performs the ritual, and Lilgo is reincarnated as an 18 year old albino. He is thoroughly confused. Lillebror wants to rush outside and fight the guards, but Teft tells him to relax. Instead, they will sleep the night through, then try to escape through the vents in the roof by the help of Omako's wind magic.

Aboard Kee's old ship, the crew is growing restless. Edith attempts to contact another plane for guidance, but receives massive psychic damage as a result. Murmillo hangs out underneath the ship, while the Baron gleefully waterskis behind, glugging from the eternal chalice.

Ycaron calls Edith over, and warns her to be more aware of her own limitations, and rather to trust in something greater (like La Luna). Ridqeck reveals he has kept some of the moonberries, and invites Ycaron to actually meet his "goddess". Together with Edith, they imbibe, and Moon appears once again. He tells Ycaron his heart bleeds for his most misguided son, that the Drow were never his people, but the elves, and to get out of the dying world before it's too late. Ycaron is dumbstruck, while Ridqeck watches on with glee.

Edith and Ycaron share their first actual moment of mutual understanding, left with nothing but their own wits to survive in a strange, terrifying world, with no Gods watching over them.

Then they are attacked. Mechanical spiders and elven constructs. Edith brings up a firewall, while Ridqeck brandishes his faithful thunder cannon. Ycaron, now with a death wish, slices through the rest with ease.

Then Lhoris and Warlow arrive, flying from beneath. Lhoris' eyes red with fury, his arms extended into a bundle of whips glowing the mooncharged power. He easily shrugs off their attempts to subdue him with magic, and it's only Edith's temporary banishment that allows them to at least get rid of the elf. Warlow plummets to his death, struck dead by an eldritch blast sent by Edith.

This temporary victory does not last long, however. Lhoris returns. He strikes Ridqeck down, like it was nothing. The legendary gnome explorer who's been with them since day one, is no more. Or is he?

Ycaron still has the diamond from the mines, and hands it to Eddy. Summoning the bright light of Apollo, he miraculously returns the gnome to life!

The perfect distraction for Lhoris to direct his attacks toward Edith. The young tiefling shapeshifter, leader of The Resistance, Mayor of Woodrock, second last of the Bateratu clan... is violently killed. She just barely has time to send a mental message to Harrion that he is now the last, before she unceremoniously bleeds out and is still.

Ridqeck, shocked, manages to stuff her in his bag, hoping against hope they'll be able to revive her if they don't allow her body to grow cold. Then he is struck down again. Dead. Twice.

Lhoris is covered in blood, metal armor smoking, wheezing deep from within his tiger throat, but still standing. It's all up to the Drow now. The Baron does acrobatic tricks with his levitation boots to attack from above, Ycaron brandishes his Satia, and Murmillo grabs hold of the Shallan brother's very soul, tearing it, ripping it, until he falls to his knees, unconscious and defeated.

The King stops her from delivering the killing blow. They'll want him alive. They want answers. And perhaps they may use him against the elves. They are already down two of their strongest warriors. But for both King Ycaron and Bryan Gainswood, there never was a question of turning back.

Meanwhile, back in the mountains, Harrion receives the message from Edith and is paralyzed with grief. A small council assembles, consisting of Narrow, Quintillion, Yorick, Wolfram and Harrion. They decide they have to do something. They can't hang back here and wait to die. Perhaps Yoricks skeletons could be of assistance?

Yllaria takes Quintillion aside, and shares some recent memories she has uncovered. Before she was turned, he was quite close with Gargaroth. She accuses Quintillion of picking her as the March's hostage. Quintillion, letting his mask drop a little, says he only ever made the choice that made the most sense pragmatically, and politically. Yllaria says she's excited to hear what the King will think of this. Quintillion's power may be short lived.