Visions of War

Marshall and Aureo are getting ready to leave after having spent some quality time with Analena, Evan, and Synestra. Synestra lets Marshall know that they're going to be moving Analena and Evan soon. She doesn't feel like they're very safe there in the moontree since the fiends attacked there. They all say their goodbyes, and Aureo and Marshall head back to Wolfecrest to meet the others.

Meanwhile, in Wolfecrest, Kesra, Leona, and Maudit discuss what to do about Roman. Ultimately, they decide there's not much they can do. Leona sends Deirdre a message to check in with her and tell her how much they all miss her.

Meanwhile, Deirdre and Sentinel come across a group of Bone Devils in the woods. The fight is going badly for them until Deirdre gets knocked unconscious. Sentinel turns white hot with rage, blasting the devils with radiant energy. They tie up an unconscious one, and begin to interrogate it.

Marshall and Aureo arrive back at the inn in Wolfecrost. Aureo quickly realizes that something has happened with Leona, and they all head upstairs to catch the two of them up. Aureo and Marshall move into protective mode, with Marshall casting Magic Circle around Leona's bed, and Aureo checking to make sure the room is secure and comforting Leona.

After 4 days interrogating the Bone Devil, Deirdre and Sentinel learn that the devil was sent there by the King of Torment, Apollyon, to kill Sentil, because he's a Keeper, and take his soul back to the 9 hells. They also learn that the devils are planning an attack on a priest of Pelor.

Leona gets a vision. She sees the town of Fieldcrest, under attack by devils. It's clear that this will happen in 5 days' time. She quickly fills in the others. Deirdre and Sentinel finish off the devil and Sentinel tells her that they need to take this to the Covenant immediately. He takes her hand and twists a ring.

They appear in a stone room on a teleportation. Sentinel guides her through a series of doors and hallways. They are met by a young woman outside a set of double doors whom Sentinel calls Sloane. He tells her to tell the council that he has urgent news, and that he has Deirdre with him. After a few moments, they are let in.

On the council, Deirdre sees a male half-orc, a female gnome, a gold dragonborn, an empty seat, a young female dwarf with bright red hair, an old elf, Zanelor Sylvarian, and a female human woman. Sentinel tells them about the attack, and the council goes around and introduces themselves. Zanelor orders that the record keeper be brought, and they introduce him as Dorn Windbearer, Deirdre's mother's brother, who took the post when she left it. With him is the Queen's cousin, Rodolpho Macierre.

They tell Deirdre that the former Aasimar council member, Andokir Skyseeker, used to be the leader of the council, until he was killed by devils. They say that they will dispatch some watchers to Fieldcrest, including Sentinel and Deirdre. They ask Deirdre if she has any questions. She asks them about Maudit's corrupted Keeper mark, and they tell her that they're not sure, but they worry that it may be able to be used to control him, and they believe he is a great threat.

Deirdre asks about why Sentinel was sent away. They tell her that his parents were killed by cultists of the Dragon Queen. She asks Zanelor vaguely about if he knows that she's travelling with his daughter, and he tells her they can discuss that in private. She also asks about the possibility of getting back in touch with them after her training and after the threat on Fieldcrest is dealt with, which Zanelor says they can also speak privately about.

Zanelor dismisses the council and meets privately with Deirdre and Sentinel. He tells her that he disguised himself many times to spend time with Kesra over the years. Deirdre tells him that her mother is now with a red dragon in a mountain in the desert. Zanelor tells her that Aasimar are being hunted everywhere, and asks her to join the Covenant to help in the fight.

He tells Deirdre that Kesra's mother, Venvyre, is the head of the Silence, and they used to be married. Now the Covenant has a tenuous relationship with the Silence. She asks what happened between him and Venvyre, and he tells her that, when their daughter Daella was very young, Venvyre tried to use her to gain power within the Silence. He tells her that Venvyre was influenced by a former lover, an archfey - Eachthighearn. Eachthighearn was cursed, and thought that their daughters were the way to get the curse lifted, because there was a prophecy that a Keeper would lead to a destruction of the curse.

Deirdre asks Zanelor about the book that she saw as a child. He tells her that it was her mother's duty to keep track of all the bloodlines. The conversation shifts to Deirdre's uncle and how his family was killed by cultists of Tiamat. They discuss Maudit's mother and Zephaliar. Deirdre agrees to join the council, on the condition that Maudit is left alone. Zanelor tells her that, as long as Maudit doesn't ally himself with the cult, they will leave him alone. He tells her that, over the past 100 years, they've had issues with moles. He tells her that the Covenant and the Silence were literally formed by sisters, daughters of Accalia, and that there are many factions within the Covenant now.

Leona sends Deirdre a message, telling her that they're going to Fieldcrest, and they agree to meet there. They all make their plans for calling all their allies to go to Fieldcrest. Leona follows Aureo to Xandren's house. Aureo asks for his help, and Xandren tries to convince Aureo to come back to him, romantically. Aureo leaves, clearly emotional, spotting Leona, and they head back to the tavern.