The Trial Comes to Close

and

Justin as the DM

"**The Trial Comes to Close**" is the fourth episode of Rise of the Arcane, the third season of Tales From Del'nasra

Upon destroying the strange machine that seemed to have anchored a piece of the Feywild in the Material Plane, the group have found themselves falling into Lake Shadowmer, eight miles away from the nearest shore.

The party reached 4th-level at the end of the session.

## Episode Synopsis

#### **Previously on Tales from Del'nasra**

*"Continuing your trek through the gloomy jungle you found yourselves subjected to strange magic and Vonkar discovered while digging a hole that this jungle was floating on top of Lake Shadowmer after it had appeared from where some of you theorized was the Feywild. You continued down the road, eventually finding Rotwallow Tower, a windowless, strange tower in the middle of a bog. Deciding to investigate the tower, you took a nearby rowboat and were carried by numerous corpses of fey-like elves in colorful armor to the muddy island where the tower resided.*
*The tower’s front door was trapped, which The Creep set off, taking the brunt of the spell that had protected it and you all made your way inside, finding that the tower seemed extradimensional and the inside was far bigger than the outside. You explored the tower discovering strange landscape portraits, taxidermy people and Antyr and Torger had a leg wrestling match, with Antyr taking another win.You all proceeded to the second floor, following the determined Hopper who was keen on finding answers on who killed King Oberon. Antyr discovered a notebook filled with sketches and notes about a machine called the “Orbis Ancora” which seems to have anchored this jungle of spores into the Material Plane from another plane of existence under the orders of someone called Duskreaper Aelinor on behalf of the Umbral Court, one of the many courts who serve the Unseelie Court.While investigating this room, Antyr opened the desk which caused an explosion destroying everything in the room but the journal that they had found. You all regrouped, and passed through a mossy archway onto a dais and appeared in a large, circular chamber where the machine in the sketches was held. Examining it for a way to shut it down, you all deduced destroying it was the only way as the guardian of the machine, Grandmother Stitch plummeted from the ceiling and attacked the party, doing her best to defend the machine.Eventually, Doe dealt the killing blow and frantic to save the machine, the massive body of this abomination collapsed onto the machine, destroying it in the process causing this jungle, and the tower to be sucked back into the plane from where they originated and causing you all to fall fifty-feet into Lake Shadowmer, eight miles from the closest shore."*

#### The Episode

The group immediately began figuring out a plan to get to shore which was eight miles away. Deciding it was the safest option, Doe used their Object Form ability and transformed into a rowboat to bring the others to shore. Everyone but Grin climbed in and instantly became adhered to Doe in their rowboat form. While they began drifting slowly towards shore there was a flashing blue light coming from the strange crystal on Antyr's person and everyone was blinded in a bright flash of light.

As they regained their vision they found themselves standing somewhere in the jungles of the Cathatuun Empire. After much deliberation and discussions, Grin flew up into the air to get a look to see where they were and discovered that they were only twenty minutes outside of the City of Embers and took cover below the canopy to avoid the hungry gaze of a harpy eagle. Grin relayed the information while invisible, revealed himself while the group made their way towards the city, discussing Torger's colour-blindness along the way with him only being able to see various shades of grey.

Eventually, they made it back into the City of Embers and met up with Sir Arthur who was busy planting some flowers around his tower. He was surprised to see the group return so quickly, especially with how far away their investigation was. Regardless, he invited them inside and the group provided him with the information they had acquired and were given a contract to mull over and sign by 8 o'clock the following morning. In addition, each member of the group was paid 1,000 gold, personalized coin purses and they were also given a strange piece of iridescent circular green metal with Sir Arthur hoping they could figure out what it was, since it wasn't made from any metal he had seen. He gave them a map of the city and told them to explore the city to their heart's content and to return by him in the morning with an answer.

Discussing where to go, the group landed on going to The Quill & Tome and then hitting up the Shadowstrike Saloon in the eastern region of the city. As they made their way, they stopped by the Crystal Palace Inn to pick up Vonkar's mule, Cornelius. After picking up Cornelius the group made their way towards their destination and stopped by inside a shop called Curios & Curiouser which was made from amethyst and designed to look like a large skull. Looking through the windows it appeared that the shop sold a variety of macabre trinkets and strange curios. They decided to step inside and take a look around, led by Grin's visible enthusiasm about the place.

The shop was dimly lit by long burning candles, and it was filled all over the place with strange macabre items, most notably a dead, taxidermy howler monkey that been cut in half with the lower half of a red snapper having been sewn to it. They were aided by the owner of the establishment, a man who had appeared out of thin air and was wearing a black frock coat, white undershirt and a strange porcelain mask set with a frowning visage and void-like eyes. He introduced himself as The Sorrow and led the group through the shop showing off a variety of these curios, with the party purchasing a bronze finger trap, a fossil of a fey creature called a Mithren and the severed hand of a priest called Barnir that had been made into a candle. After purchasing their items, another customer walked into the shop, an elf with pale skin, blue eyes and short cropped white hair. The elf was wearing the same leaf-like black armour that The Creep and Vonkar had described as what the assailants on the Whisper were wearing when it was attacked.

Interested in what this individual was here for, the group took up positions around the shop listening in on the conversation between the elf and The Sorrow. The conversation entailed that this elf was in the city looking for a crystal called a Luminspire and that it was important that he found it. The crystal that this elf had been describing was extremely similar to the one in the group's possession. The Sorrow explained that he had no knowledge of such an item, explaining that he had told the others in this elf's group that he dealt in the macabre, cursed and haunted and not in the arcane. The elf left the shop, nodded at the group and left. The Sorrow approached the group, apologized for the interruption and bought the strange specimens that Antyr had collected during their time in the jungle of spores, and quickly made a poppet doll with the specimens.

The group bid him farewell, and left the shop as Grin went invisible to trail this elf. The rest of the group followed behind at a distance, and while following this trail, Grin was led to an alleyway a few blocks away. Here the elf waved a hand and caused a helmet to appear on his head that had a hook-like protrusion on the face, and two large moose-like antlers, fully matching the description of the fey-elves who attacked The Whisper three weeks prior. This elf met up with six others elves in the same armour and began speaking in Sylvan. The conversation mentioned they didn't have a lead on the crystal's whereabouts, while another elf mentioned who had "fallen to their death on the airship" described individuals who were in the crater after the crash and had the crystal on their person and described an elderly duergar covered in metallic veins, a mule and a man covered in bandages made of skin. Realizing the elves were looking for Vonkar and The Creep, Grin fled back to the party and told them that they had to go and that those fey-elves were looking for them.

Looking for refuge, the group ran back to the Crystal Palace Inn as fast as they could.

#### After the Break

As they raced back towards the Crystal Palace Inn, the group felt a powerful psychic pulse emanate from Hopper as they neared the inn, a few of these elves in the black leaf armour approached from a nearby alleyway and stopped the group. They told the group they were looking for fugitives who had stolen something of theirs and that these people were responsible for the crash of The Whisper. One of the elves showed the group two wanted posters set with illusory images of a gnome man with a big moustache and a dragonborn. They mentioned they had not seen the people in the poster, and Hopper started a conversation with them in Sylvan, much to the surprise of the elf, who was curious that Hopper knew the Sylvan tongue.

As this discussion was reaching its end, the elves who Grin had seen talking approached from behind and asked if these people had any information on the fugitives, before these elves wished the group a good day and left. Confused on what had just occurred, especially since the elves were looking for Vonkar and The Creep, but didn't recognize them, the group stepped inside the inn.

The interior of the inn was made from a variety of colorful crystals and was filled with adventurers taking a well deserved rest after the chaos that was the scavenger hunt earlier in the day. The group approached the counter and the plasmoid barkeep, Oozaline showed surprise at the group being together, but was glad it worked out and that them looking for the child wasn't nefarious. They mentioned to Antyr that a group was looking for them, citing that a blue elf had given them drugs mentioning that these drugs would be performance enhancing for the trial, but instead caused the group to have a psychotic break with their group leader having to be committed to the city's asylum. The group paid for a private room, expressed that Oozaline didn't mention they were here and set off upstairs for their private room, meals and drinks.

As soon as they stepped foot in the room, Doe pushed one of the chairs up against the door and Leek stood by the window and stared outside and doing surveillance. Grin closed the curtains, and the group began discussing the events that had just occurred, while Antyr got to work discerning what the piece of circular metal was that they were given by Sir Arthur. Hopper mentioned that the crystal spoke to them, but more through emotions than words which caused Grin to use their Heart Sight ability on the crystal and determined that it was sentient, chaotic good and had a strong feeling of self preservation, which Grin believed to be scared.

Antyr mentioned that the light in the crystal, now known to be the luminspire matched the specks of blue light in King Oberon's eyes. Hopper produced the severed head to find that it had begun to rapidly decay, having been fresh only mere hours before. The luminspire flashed with a light and it seemed like it was attempting to restore King Oberon to life, but something was halting the process. Instead, it briefly reanimated his head and allowed him to speak for a few minutes. He immediately asked Hopper about the situation and inquiring why he couldn't move his body. Hopper explained the situation and King Oberon theorized he must've been struck down when Duskreaper Aelinor and his Umbral Knights attacked The Whisper. He mentioned he was onboard with some of his Green Guard and were escorting the luminspire to the City of Embers for safekeeping, and that during this escort mission the airship was attacked and he must've perished along with the Green Guard. He was pleased to see the luminspire not in the hands of Aelinor, but was confused how it could be in the presence of the non-fey touched members of the party, expressing an interest on how it hadn't reduced them to atoms yet.

It was revealed that the luminspire was an ancient fey weapon used during a civil war between the Seelie Courts called the "War of Eight Colours" and that this crystal was capable of restoring slain creatures to life instantaneously should they perish near the artifact and would grant those creatures boons upon their restoration. He revealed to The Creep, Grin and Vonkar through a psychic mind connection of sorts that the three of them had been vaporized in the crash, but the luminspire had restored them and that was the moment they woke up in the wreckage and were whisked away by it. He theorized that Aelinor was seeking the luminspire to bring about the prophecy of something called the Grand Restoration which would refresh the world of Del'nasra after a series of prophecized events which he began listing off, each having occurred within the last forty-two years starting with the downfall of Asmodeus and the the rebirth of every living thing across reality. He told the group that the Grand Restoration was said to be an event with wild magical surges that would renew the world and he theorized that with this chaotic magic, Aelinor would seek to bring the Feywild into the Material Plane and anchor it there.

Through this conversation the group also learned that Aelinor was working as the right-hand for the new ruler of the Unseelie Court, someone called Vel'karis Vel'tarajin and that this new ruler had once been the husband of Queen Valestria (the ruler of the Summer Court during the War of Eight Colours) and the father of the current ruler of the Seelie Court, Titania. This archfey had once been the leader of the Spring Court, but had infiltrated that position through deception and trickery under the orders of the Unseelie Court. He united their courts together by marrying Queen Valestria and eventually they had a daughter whom they named Titania. After the war ended, and having developed genuine feelings for his wife and daughter, Vel'karis revealed what he had done, and was sentenced to death. He fled back to the Unseelie Court but was banished for telling their plans to Queen Valestria and was sent to the material plane where he adopted the moniker Pipshin and became a self-titled trickster god. Then, a few years ago with the aid of some adventurers he stole Baba Yaga's (revealed to be the true name of the Queen of Air & Darkness) mortar and pestle and with these powerful artifacts deposed her and became the leader of the Unseelie Court, and because of this, Baba Yaga's adopted daughter Iggwilv and the latter's on and off-again husband and enemy, the demon prince Graz'zt had joined forces against the Unseelie Court.

After this questioning was done, King Oberon went quiet and the head rapidly decayed once more. Deciding they needed more answers, gold and supplies for what was to come half of the group decided to stay behind in the inn protecting the luminspire while the others went out into the city to grab whatever they needed.

## Featured Characters

### Player Characters

* Antyr Xiloscient
* Doe
* Hopper Thimblefoot
* Leek
* The Creep
	+ Grin
* Torger Otrson
* Vonkar Eldsaga

### Returning

* King Oberon, as a briefly reanimated head
* Sir Arthur Wordweave
* Terry

### New

* Cornelius, Vonkar's awakened mule
* The Sorrow, the shopkeeper of Curios & Curiouser
* Oozaline, the green plasmoid barkeep and proprietor of the Crystal Palace Inn

### Mentioned

* The Archmaw
* Armathnan
* The Asheart (mentioned but not named)
* Asmodeus
* Baba Yaga (The Queen of Air & Darkness)
* Barnir
* Cathossis
* Auntie Gothel
* Duskreaper Aelinor
* Graz'zt
* Iggwilv
* Kastagar, Architect of Sorrowed Gloom
* Lila Thimblefoot
* Ogden Boon (unnamed, but referenced)
* Oussa Farenta
* Sir Dymon Quickhorn
* Queen Valestria
* Titania
* Vel'karis Vel'tarajin (Pipshin)
* Vorpalon, Predator of the Seelie Court

## Trivia

* In the Forgotten Realms setting, the Queen of Air & Darkness has no set description, but in the Del'nasra setting it would seem that Baba Yaga is another name for her.