Torhd

Torhd Barnabas is a Reborn human currently trapped in Hell.

### Human

Criton was born a human and lived in a small town. When Criton was around 4 years old he participated in a popular play, which he enjoyed greatly. Throughout his childhood he felt incredibly lonely.
At some point in Criton's early childhood, his town was burned down in an unknown attack. He was possibly the only survivor of the incident, a small boy holding his doll, standing in the ashes of the town, and crying before being taken by a figure in black robes.

Criton was then given to Bega’an Talgrath who raised him, teaching him the ways of the Ashen and sculpting him into a serial murderer. As Criton grows older he begins to receive his own missions, such as the assassination of Premal in Neverwinter. He eventually takes on a young halfling named Reris Talfellow as second in command. Him and Reris begin to spend more time together, growing closer as the years continued. At some point in his early career, Criton discovered a book relaying information on how to resurrect a god. This book was taken from him by Ishku.

Criton eventually rose to the rank of High Revanent, receiving Godsbane and his insignia broach. He creates a fake cult in the Neverwinter area under the pseudonym The Golden Sun, who's followers were assigned to 'worship the sun'. Criton used this cult as a cover for The Ashen's true mission which was focused on bringing Bhaal back to this plan. During this time, Criton makes the aquaintence of an artificer named Archibald (Arty). Criton ends this era of his life by leading a massacre at Tymora's temple.

Criton finds Arty within the city of Silverymoon, who begins to insist that Criton is actually a good person deep down. Criton himself has begun to have second thoughts about the ressurection of Bhaal as well as beginning to grow paranoid about a betrayal. Arty dedicated his speakeasy to being followers of Criton, also known as the Criton fanclub. Soon after this, Criton fully defects from The Ashen and begins to plan against them. He also meets the Frogfolk Bibble who is also residing with Arty at the time. Bibble and Criton grow close due to Critons ability to understand the speech of many types of beings and Bibble being a pleasant natured individual.

Criton is ambushed by Reris and Ishku, the former stabbing Criton in the back. Criton's body is then tossed into a mass grave in Silverymoon.

Arty ressurects Criton, however, when Arty steps away to gather more supplies for the ressurection Criton is already gone. Criton then continues to live his life under various psydonyms such as a shiphand, a librarian named Yorn, a traveling monk, and eventually a soldier in a militia. The soldier is killed in a battle and left for dead on the field. When he awakes, he is Torhd.

### **The Campaign**

#### Oh Deer! The Adventure Begins

Torhd awoke in a field surrounded by dozens of horribly desecrated bodies with no memory of who he was or how he came to be there. After untangling himself from the corpses of his possible comrades, Torhd wandered until he found a small river to wash the carnage from his body. As he washed, he noticed his skin remained grey no matter how hard he scrubbed. Torhd instinctively realized he was a Reborn, however he was unsure how or when this initially happened to him. Desperate for answers, Torhd began to head through the clearing towards the nearest town to begin his search for his identity. During this time he purchased his horse Blossom. Together they continue through different towns until arrive upon Phandalin. Although currently Reborn and not needing rest or food, Torhd is driven by his innate human instinct for food and shelter which leads him to the Stonehill Inn. As he enters the Inn the door frame above Torhd splits mysteriously but Torhd does not notice. He meanders over to the bar and gets the attention of the innkeeper who eventually introduces himself as Liam. Torhd rents a room and purchases an ale before noticing a poker game occurring at one of the tables. Interested, he heads to the table to watch and notes that the participants are a young girl, a young boy, and a fairly older Dwarf. The young girl introduces herself as Jeis and invites Torhd to play with them. Torhd plays and loses a round and as the other two leave, the table mysteriously splits under him. Torhd doesn't notice that he is the cause of this bu this attracts the attention of Liam who storms over to confront them. Jeis blames the human and the dwarf however Liam does not seem convinced and decides to have them complete village tasks in payment.

#### **Roped Inn**

Convinced by Liam to help work off his debt, Torhd joins the small party consisting of Reytna, Banks, and Jeis. They all head to the town square to look at any villager requests and find a current request by the mayor to help relocate a woman who lives outside of town. Once they make it to the woman's house, they see a manticore guarding the woman's front door and preventing them from leaving. Torhd attempts to fight off the manticore but is unable to defeat it initially. When Jeis scales the tower, she discovers Adabra and Korgu hiding inside. She convinces them to leave down the rope and once they make it to the ground Torhd escorts them to the edge of the forest. Torhd and Banks head back to the battle and discover Jeis and Reytna are trapped in the tower and injured. Torhd distracts the manticore so Banks can get up the tower and heal Jeis and Reytna. Torhd fights off the manticore and ends up decapitating the manticore.

#### **Dead Trees and Flying Things**

After collecting their gold and returning to Liam's tavern, the party recuperates and meet a warlock named Riras Tallfellow. Torhd takes an immediate liking to Riras and feels terrible when Jeis cons him out of gold for a non-existent membership fee. Riras requests that the party investigate a tree nearby in the morning. Whilst Torhd is meditating during the night, Jeis comes to his room and asks him to come along with her to find something. Torhd follows Jeis out past a field of nightshade and to an area with a tree in the middle. Torhd finds a box hidden in the tree however due to his initial experience of waking up, he is wary of magical items and refuses to touch the box. Jeis takes the box and opens it, showing a broach inside with a symbol. Jeis puts the broach on since Torhd refuses to touch it. Torhd and Jeis return back to the Inn with Torhd a little grumpy. Once back at the Inn, Torhd is present while Liam and Banks talk. Liam begins to cry and Torhd begins to cry sympathetically. Phihana and Broselle enter the inn and explain that their party had been ambushed and two of their members kidnapped and taken towards Leilon. Banks offers the party's assistance and convinces the crew to help.

#### **Decisions and Departures**

Torhd wakes up first and goes for his daily walk. As he walks around Phandolin he notices a crow circling the Inn and stopping to knock at one of the windows every so often. He leaves the crow alone and returns to the Inn where he notices Phihana looking particularly upset. She tells the party her story of the attack with more detail than the previous night and Torhd realizes that if the bandits had wanted Rune or Finn dead, they would have done so initially. The party heads to Leilon and as Torhd enters the city, he feels a sense of familiarity although he can't tell what it is. As they approach Tymora's temple, Torhd offers up a silver piece in offering to Tymora. When Torhd enters the temple's storage room, he is immediately hit with a familiar smell.

> Torhd looks down at his hands and see a beautifully crafted longsword. The hilt is pure and sparkling like glass and the blade itself looks to be made of glass. As he holds the sword he experiences a wonderful feeling. He holds the sword out and beneath it he can see a monk in robes holding their guts in while blood pours from the wound. The monk whispers in an unknown language and a stained medallion hangs around the monk’s neck. The medallion presents a face up coin; the symbol of Tymora.
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As Torhd returns to the present he realizes that Rose is wearing the same medallion as the monk in his memory. Torhd stays back from the crowd of people and instead looks around the room. He observes halfling writing along the wall and a basket with 5 gold pieces inside. As he recovers from his memory, he listens to Phihana tell the story of Rune and why she was marked by the bandits. Rose suggests that the party stay at Crusty's tavern. Once they arrive at Crusty's they see a small group of rowdy people at a table and a man standing by the bar. Torhd approaches the man and attempts to talk to him, however the man is deaf and cannot hear Torhd. Another man approaches and introduces himself as Crusty and the other man as Porter. Crusty interprets for Porter and while Torhd is speaking with them he decides that Porter and Crusty are trustworthy and knowledgeable. Torhd notices that Porter wears Tymora's symbol on his armour. Porter goes over to the table of people and brings back a tall woman with antlers who introduces herself as Tar'an. Torhd has never seen anyone who looks like her. The party invites Tar'an and Porter to investigate the bandits outside of Leilon and they all head to the forest. They find the cabin surrounded by bandits and manage to sneak inside. Once inside they find maps and weapons however Torhd and Banks head to the bedroom. They discover the wardrobe is boobytrapped and both attempt to disarm it, but neither can get it. Phihana discovers them and easily disarms the trap, revealing a cellar with a ladder. Once in the cellar they find Rune and Azariah and set them free. The party returns to the main floor of the cabin, only to alert the bandits when they try and leave. After defeating the bandits the party returns to Crusty's. Torhd lays on one of the tables and begins to meditate.

> Torhd stands before a Heart Tree, holding his glass blade. As he stands before the tree he drives the sword into the earth in frustration.
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#### **The Hunt Begins**

Torhd wakes up first as usual and prepares to go on his daily walk. Tar'an sits at one of the tables eating breakfast and offers Torhd food but because he doesn't eat they both just sit in silence as Tar'an finishes her meal. They both go on a patrol walk together towards the docks however Torhd misinterprets it as an attempt at a date. He starts walking faster to stay ahead of Tar'an who also tries to get ahead of Torhd. This results in a mini race that ends with Torhd accidentally tripping Tar'an. He helps her up and they go to the docks. Tar'an tells Torhd that she knows he is a Reborn and Torhd explains that he does not remember any of his past but he believes he might have been a bad person. Tar'an tell Torhd that she is the daughter of Beshaba, the deity of bad luck and misfortune, and was raised as a member of the Black Fingers. Despite this, Tar'an now fights for Tymora with Porter and Crusty against Beshaba. As they return to the tavern Torhd realizes this was not a date and instead was Tar'an's way of trying to help Torhd come to terms with his past. Once back at Crusty's Reytna tells the group they should split up, with half investigating the bandits at Rassalanter and the other half heading to Phandalin to meet up with Broselle. Torhd, Jeis, Banks, Rune, and Azariah return to the Stonehill Inn to discover that Torbjorn has found his way back to Phandalin. Torbjorn seems to be fairly okay for someone returning from a traumatic experience but Torhd thinks nothing of it and returns to his room to meditate. Torhd is awoken from his meditation by a scream from the downstairs. He grabs his sword and runs down to the main area of the Inn, discovering Broselle fighting off Torbjorn. Torhd battles against Torbjorn with Jeis, Banks, Rune, and Broselle and they discover that it isn't Torbjorn and is instead a Doppleganger. After killing the Doppleganger, Broselle demands that Banks bring it back to life so that they can determine the whereabouts of the real Torbjorn. Banks does and Broselle begins to torture the Doppleganger for information. Torhd goes to stop Broselle, grabbing her arm.

> Torhd stands on a battlefield surrounded by dead bodies. As he looks around at the bodies, he notices they are all clad in robes, similar to monks or priestesses. Torhd reaches froward and pulls on someone’s shoulder to get them out of the way and in front of them a prisoner is knelt. The prisoner is in robes and has the symbol of Tymora attached to their tunic. The prisoner spits at Torhd as Torhd lifts his glass sword to execute the prisoner.
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Torhd yanks his arm back from Broselle and steps back, moving away from the group and the Doppleganger. The Doppleganger tells them where Torbjorn is before Rune kills them, Torhd removes the body and buries it in the backyard. The party heads towards the direction that the Doppleganger gave them with Torhd and Jeis leading at the front. They find they cave with Torbjorn and Banks revives him so that they can return to the Inn. The following morning, Torhd is packing his things and hears a whistling sound coming from the box with the broach. He picks the box up and the whistle stops.

#### **Birds and Pray**

Torhd takes his morning walk and returns to the Inn, waiting for the rest of the party. The party gets on the road to Neverwinter, with Azariah staying behind. During their travels Banks and Torhd hear a voice coming from the forest a ways off the path. Nobody else in the party hears the voice so Torhd and Banks push through the foliage and discover an old man fallen over in the woods. Torhd decides to help the man up and when the old man asks for money, Torhd gives him 2 gold. Banks and Torhd help the old man back to the path where he asks the rest of the party for money as well. Having forgotten that he already gave the man money, Torhd gives the old man another gold coin. The old man heads back towards Phandalin and the party continues their journey to Neverwinter. Once they make it into the city they are greeted by members of the Church of the Golden Sun. One of the members approaches Torhd and tries to interest him in the cult however Torhd believes he is being propositioned by the man. Banks tries to explain to Torhd that it is a cult but Torhd believes the members in the yellow robes are part of a brothel. The party enters the inn and meet Khlo whom they pay for rooms and food. Torhd attempts to meditate while the rest of the party eats, he tries to focus on the Box of Remembrance but has trouble concentrating. He unlocks the box and realizes that the symbol on the broach is eerily similar to the symbol for the Church of the Golden Sun.

> Torhd watches himself traversing a battlefield, cutting down people dressed in light clothing. The scene flashes and shows Torhd once again swinging his sword through the air, this time cutting down members of the Ashen militia. The images flash once more and Torhd watches himself slicing down orcs and saluting his leaders, his broach shining pinned on his chest. As Torhd slays his final enemy, he lays supine on the bloodied grass. The scene moves again, showing Torhd receiving the broach from a group of hooded figures.
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Torhd drops the broach in a panic, immediately standing up from the table and walking outside of the Inn. He stays outside until Jeis and Rune come and find him, confirming that they both saw the memories as well. As they all return inside, Banks touches the broach and the box which subjects him to the same memory cycle the rest of the group saw. Banks and Torhd sit down while Banks recovers and Rune and Jeis both leave the Inn to go across town. Torhd admits that he has no memories prior to them meeting and Banks tells Torhd they should wait to discuss the memories. Once they realize that the two girls are gone they head across town as well, finding them in Barley's Tavern. They find Rune and Jeis playing poker with the patrons of the bar, gambling and drinking. Both girls are drunk and Torhd ends up carrying them home, alternating who he carries. Torhd carries Rune up to her bedroom to tuck her in where she says she doesn't understand why he doesn't like her. He explains to Rune that he's not a particularly good person.

#### The Oni One for Me

Torhd gets up from his usual meditation around dawn, leaving the Inn to go walk around Neverwinter. He heads towards the graveyards initially walking through the main area. He notices a woman kneeling and crying at a fairly new grave. He observes from a distance, beginning to cry as well. Once the woman leaves he walks closer to the grave, noting the name to be Winross Baum-Vonnerick who had died approximately a week prior. Torhd continues his walk into the pauper's section of the grave yard, seeing a man struggling to dig a grave. He decides to offer his help to the man, quickly digging a very clean grave. The man thanks Torhd for his help and in the process tells Torhd that this is going to be his own grave. The man introduces himself as Umeric and says that he is doing this in preparation for his death so that his family won't have to worry about it once he's gone. He shows Torhd his infected leg, which would either need a master healer or an amputation, and tells Torhd that the medical care cost would be about 25 gold. Torhd gives him almost all of his money, 2 gold, in an attempt to help. Umeric tells Torhd he is a good person which Torhd vehemently denies and continues to tell Umeric about his memory loss. Umeric invites Torhd to his house to have dinner with him and his wife but Torhd refuses. Instead, Torhd walks Umeric home where he meets his wife Petra. As Torhd leaves, Umeric tells him he is welcome any time. Torhd returns to the Inn, sitting down at one of the tables. Jeis comes running down soon after, telling Torhd that Rune is dead in her bed. Torhd goes upstairs with Jeis and finds Rune unconscious in bed with a burning mark in the shape of a coin that wasn't there yesterday. Torhd is unsure of what to do so him and Jeis take Rune to a cleric's shop in the Arcanist's Quarter. They enter a shop called Clairemont's Cleric Clinic and pay the receptionist the co-payment. They sit in the waiting area for 2 hours before the cleric finally calls them back only to tell them that he cannot help them. On their way out of the clinic Jeis tries to steal the coin purse from the receptionist desk but gets caught. The cleric goes to report Jeis to the authorities but Jeis charms him before he can report her. As they stand outside they see that Banks has caught up to the, and correctly identifies the mark on Rune as the mark of an Oni. Banks realizes that they are all in danger of getting marked since they all encountered the individual who he believes is the Oni. They return to the Inn and Torhd catches Jeis trying to go upstairs alone. He tells her that she has one minute before he's going to come and get her. Just as he is about to go upstairs to find Jeis, she hops back down with her arms full of snacks. They all set up guard in the Inn and chase any remaining patrons out with Torhd chasing out multiple individuals who attempted to enter the Inn. An old man enters the Inn and Torhd immediately believes that this individual is the Oni. Despite the rest of the team telling him not to, Torhd draws his sword and almost cuts him down in the middle of the Inn. Before he can kill the old man, a young man steps down from the stairway and reveals himself as the Oni. The party fights the Oni, with Banks calling upon his deity for protection. After defeating the Oni they are banned from the Inn and so they all head to Tymora's temple to sleep for the night.

#### 3 and 1/2 Dads

Torhd waits until everyone is awake before requesting that they visit Umeric so that Banks can heal him

#### Crossroads of the Fallen

As the group goes to leave Tymora's temple, they enter the sanctuary to find The Wolf (Lex) as well as a multitude of backup soldiers. The group immediately flees the temple, and after a quick battle, escape the city on horseback. The group rides as quickly as possible to avoid being caught by Wolf as she begins to track them no matter which path they ride. Wolf pursues the group for a week, chasing them throughout the Sword Cost and attacking them wherever they stop. As they are hunted, Torhd begins to get headaches during which he struggles to orient himself as past memories overlap with current ones. While he does not have time to do his normal meditation, he comes to the realization that he was betrayed by Ishku when he was Criton, in order for Ishku to take over as High Revenant. Although the headaches are acompanied by memories, none of these memories include why he joined Ishku in the first place, as if this knowledge is blocked. Slowly they make their way towards the mountains and stop in a forest clearing outside the city of Triboar. Once they stop, Reytna confirms that they are not currently being hunted and will have enough time to actually rest before continuing on. Banks and Torhd both pull out their bedrolls, although Torhd offers his to Rune and Jeis since Rune is injured. Reytna makes a sleeping area from extra clothes and the group all go to sleep with the exception of Torhd. When the group wakes up Reytna, Banks, and Rune all go deeper into the woods to forage for food with Torhd and Jeis staying at the camp. Torhd continues to sit at the base of a tree and stare up at the sky until Jeis comes over. Jeis asks him how he is doing and reveals that she saw and hear everything that happened in the cult's basement. As she makes small talk with him she mentions that her 'mother' is a demon from whom she gets her Warlock powers and that her 'mother' is very interested in him. Slightly surprised at the mention of a demon mother, Torhd looks up at Jeis. Jeis pulls out a small toy figurine and asks Torhd if he knows what it is. Torhd takes the item from Jeis.

> As he touches the toy figure, he gets taken back into another memory. He stands in a ruined village, looking in on a little boy who he knows is himself. The boy is crying and holding the toy while he stands in the bloody ruins of the recently destroyed village. The boy is scooped up by a figure in black robes and the memory changes. Torhd sees himself as a young man, looking at the toy on a nightstand. He sees the figure in robes motioning him out of the room. The young Torhd picks up his sword and is lead to a sacrificial alter, where he slices his hand and lets the blood run on the alter. A voice like gravel speaks out and tells the young Torhd that he must travel to Neverwinter and kill the man Premal. As the memory changes, a young Torhd stands in his bedroom covered in blood. He holds the toy in his hands as teardrops fall onto the toy. He tosses the doll to the side.
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Torhd immediately throws the toy figure to the side as he did in his memory. He scrambles away in panic as he is unable to tell the difference between his memories and real life. Jeis helps calm him down as Torhd begins to reorient himself. Torhd goes off to process his new memory while the rest of the group eats breakfast. The group heads to Triboar and the closest Inn with each member taking a room. Torhd starts to settle in his room however Reytna comes by and knocks on his door, telling him there is a team meeting. Once he opens the door, Reytna grabs him by the arm and tows him to Jeis' room. They force him to hold onto Jeis' arm while they keep ahold of his other hand, forcing the entire group into a jumbled circle. The entire group is then transported away from the Inn and to Rexali's realm. In Rhyxali's realm, everyone is allowed to make a plate and take a seat. As Thyxali talks to other members of the group before addressing Torhd, who tells Rhyxali that he is suffering from headaches due to his memories. Rhyxali gives Torhd a drink and tells him that he won't have to worry about the memories or the headaches. Rhyxali informs the group that before being brought back to life, Torhd (Criton) started the The Golden Sun and was a devout follower of Bhaal. Criton had been stolen by a child of Bhaal to be a ruthless soldier and killer. As he worked through the ranks of the Reverent, Criton eventually acquired Godsbane and the essence of Bhaal in the form of an orb. Rhyxali explains that the Reverent and Criton were working to bring Bhaal back, which would affect all planes and all people. There are four steps to bring back Bhaal - 1. Obtain his essence 2. Pervert pure souls 3. Cut the heart out of the heart 4. Kill a god of opposition. Criton had chosen the Orkish god to kill as an act of revenge. Rhyxali explains how to combat these steps to prevent Bhaal's return and informs the group of their next steps. Before they leave, Torhd asks Rhyxali if he can stay in her plane because he is afraid of making things worse. She tells him that Criton and Torhd are separate and that she believes he can do good and make good choices. An offer is made for him to stay in her plane but she tells him that he should return to the material plane, where people love him. Once they return to the material plane, Torhd decides to rest. Rune eventually comes to talk to Torhd and tells him that he means a lot to her and thanks him for being around. Rune leaves but Torhd decides to go keep Rune company before bed. He ends up joining Banks in Rune's room and tells them both a story until they fall asleep.

#### Haffle Wouse and Find Out

Torhd and Banks sit in Haffle Wouse while Banks eats breakfast. Torhd stays at the Inn while Banks and Reytna leave for the library. Jeis joins him at the table and shows him a map, telling him that they need to leave right now. Jeis explains that she hasn't heard from Liam for a week and a half and that she is going to find him. Once Banks and Reytna return, Jeis tells the group that Liam is in the area around Sundebar and that they need to leave immediately. The group packs up their things and begin the 3 day journey to Sundebar. After arriving at a crossroads Torhd, Banks, and Reytna disguised as Rune meet Liam. Liam speaks with them until Torhd goes to put his hand on Liam, when his hand goes through the illusion and destroys it. Reiras steps out of the woods and mocks them but is soon hit with a magic missile launched by Rune hidden in the woods.

#### Those That Are Lost

A fight breaks out between the group and Reiras and his army. Torhd fights off multiple warriors before tackling Reiras to the ground. When they try to interrogate Reiras, Reiras summons a dragon to the area. Torhd threatens to kill Reiras if he does not reveal where Liam is. Reiras refuses and Torhd begins to choke Reiras before Jeis stabs Reiras in the chest. They move off of Reiras to go fight the dragon where they are joined by Liam and two other fighters. The dragon is defeated by Jeis who is then reunited with Liam. They return their focus to Reiras and Jeis holds a dagger to his throat. Reiras confirms that Ishku has taken Criton's place as high Reverent and that Criton was initially too worried about the people on the ground and avoided bringing back Bha'al. The group decides to keep Reiras alive and takes him back to camp.

#### Can Be Found

Banks and Torhd tie Reiras to a tree and start to set up a campsite. Torhd sits and listens to Liam introduce his friends before Liam and Jeis leave to perform a ritual to summon Rhyxali. Torhd talks to Shoni while waiting for everyone to return to camp. Once everyone returns to camp, the group goes to discuss what they want to do with Reiras. When they return to camp, Reiras has charmed his way out of his restraints and fled. The group searches the area for hours but do not find Reiras. They go back to the crossroads and find that one of the clerics survived and is also gone. The group decides to travel to SilveryMoon where they stay at Aryn's current home. Once they all settle in at Aryn's home, Torhd goes out back to wander in the gardens. He sits on a bench and a bird lands next to him. He tries to work through his internal conflict about Reiras being allowed to live, and tells the bird so. The bird asks him to help move its nest, but Torhd refuses because he is convinced he would just ruin it too. He discusses his distrust of demons and asks if the bird knows where Godsbane in. The bird does not know but brings Torhd a daisy which he places behind his ear. Eventually Torhd heads inside to get ready for the nighttime. As he lays in bed he gets the sensation of being watched.

#### Reborn Torhd and the 30 Dwarves

Torhd realizes he is too restless to stay in bed and so gets up in the middle of the night to take a walk. He still feels the sensation of being watched as he heads to the clocktower in town. He tries to go inside the tower but when he tries the handle, it's locked. He tries it again and this time rips the handle off the door and heads upstairs. As he explores the tower, he notices that the window has recently been opened. He turns to leave and gets surprised by a rat in the tower. The rat runs away and Torhd decides to chase the rat down to the sewer. He crouches down and listens in the sewer where he can hear two rats excitedly having a conversation. Eventually he stands up, where he bumps into someone standing behind him. This scares him and he slaps the person, who is an old gnomish man with glasses. He immediately apologies while the man laughs and introduces himself as Arty. Arty remarks that this isn't the first time Torhd has slapped the glasses off of him but Torhd says that he would remember hitting the glasses off of someone. Arty retorts that he would have remembered in his old life but not this one. He then says that he has been watching Torhd and means him no harm. Arty asks Torhd if he is going by 'Torhd' now, which Torhd tries to deny. Arty asks if Torhd remembers anything from the lab and says that Torhd has not been back to SilveryMoon since the last time he walked out of the lab. Arty calls Torhd Criton and says that they were friends and that he has inventions to show him. Torhd asks Arty if he is a wizard but Arty says he is an Artificer. Unfortunately, Torhd thinks Arty said he was an "Art Professor" and is further confused. Arty admits that Torhd hit his head while being revived. He then tells Torhd that he saw him break the table back at Liam's Inn. Torhd immediately becomes suspicious but Arty tells him that he is not part of the Reverent. Torhd is still confused and upset at being watched which makes Arty sad. Arty tells him that he can continue to keep a distance but he is happy that Torhd is back and part of the prophecy has been fulfilled. Torhd asks Arty if he knows where Godsbane is and Arty says he has an invention he has been working on with another friend named Lirzu that can locate the sword. Arty tells him they would do anything for Criton, however Torhd is confused by the prospect of science. Torhd refuses to believe science is real because he has only ever seen magic so Arry gives him a mechanical metal bird. Torhd is not convinced that is it not magic, but he loves the bird and keeps it. Arty invites Torhd and the rest of the group to visit him at his shop, but Torhd is suspicious of a trap and says he does not want his friends to meet Arty. They agree to meet the next day at dusk and Arty tries to hug Torhd, which he turns down before leaving.

Torhd joins the group for breakfast in the morning and informs them about Arty and his request to meet at dusk. Aryn confirms that 'Archibald' is a clock maker on the other side of Silvery Moon. The group leaves Aryn's and visits the market before heading to the clock shop on the other side of town. When the enter, Torhd feels comforted as a memory flashes over him.

> A decade earlier, Criton stands in the clock shop admiring on the of the clocks on the wall. Arty walks over and remarks that he's pretty proud of that one and invites Criton to dinner. Criton doesn't remark on the clock but tells Arty that he doesn't accept invitations. Arty says that they just want to wish him well.
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> In a memory about 6 months before he is killed, Criton is back in the shop looking at the same clock again. Arty approaches him and tell Criton that he misses him and says that he (Criton) has been distant. Arty asks if Criton is doing okay to which Criton responds by crying.
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Torhd returns back from his memory, crying in real time. Liam tries to help but Torhd turns him down.

A lady greets them in the clock shop, saying that Torhd looks familiar. Torhd tries to play it off and tells the woman that he's never been there before. Reytna tells the woman they need to speak to Arty. When Arty appears, Reytna says that they didn't want to wait until dusk due to Liam and Banks having a date later. Arty invites them back to his workshop and Reytna inquires why Arty wanted to meet with them. Arty tells them that he knew Torhd before he had died as the human Criton and that him and his wife had taken Criton under their wing. Arty reveals that he was the one who brought Torhd back to life because Arty and Criton's followers believed that he would change the world. Arty asks if Torhd is a leader to which Jeis laughs and says that no, Reytna is the leader.

Arty invites them down to meet the other follows and leads the group down below the clock shop into a speakeasy. When Torhd enters the room, everyone gasps and begins to whisper that Criton has returns.

> Still around 6 months before he died, Criton is at the bar being served by Arty. He tells Arty that he knows things are going to turn bad and that he's pretty sure Reiras and Ishku have a plan together, but he's not sure what to do. Arty asks if he is friends with them and Torhd says no and that he hates them both. Torhd reflects that he is the one that started this so he needs to be the one to finish it. Arty insists that Criton is doing good to which Criton bluntly replies that he has killed hundreds of people and is actively seeking the destruction of this plane. As he reflects, Criton says that he should start a different group of followers and Arty calls him family.
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Arty orders an entire round of drinks for the table while announcing to the bar that Criton has returned. When questioned about Torhd's revival, Arty explains that he found Torhd in a mass grave site, revived him, left to get more supplies, and when he returned he found Torhd had left. He informs the group that he has a crystal that allows him to watch Torhd wherever he goes and has been watching him since the beginning. Torhd continues to talk with Arty while Rune, Reytna, and Banks leave and talk with Lirzu. When Reytna gets up from talking with Lirzu, Torhd spots her and gets a familiar feeling.

#### Can't CBT Your Way Out of This One

Arty takes the crew back to his home in order to show them his laboratory. Once they arrive to Arty's home, Arty's wife confronts the group and asks if Torhd is Criton. Torhd denies being Criton and Arty's wife begins to cry while saying that Torhd looks like 'their boy'. Torhd is extremely uncomfortable but follows Arty up into his laboratory, which is a complete disorganized mess. When asking Arty how he found them Arty explains that a sorcerer friend placed a tracking spell on Torhd so that Arty could keep an eye on him. Arty tells them that the tracking orb will be ready by tomorrow and will assist them in finding the sword. Torhd asks Arty happened to himself, as he cannot remember. Arty tells him that he was the once to resurrect Torhd but was unable to locate him until he met his sorcerer friend and he cast the tracking spell on Torhd. Arty says that he was initially unsure if Torhd remembered what had happened or if Torhd was simply choosing to not return to Arty. During the time that Torhd was away he took up a wide variety of professions including a shiphand, a librarian, a monk, and then finally a militia soldier. He tells Torhd that he is unsure if the memory loss is due to the resurrection, traumatic injury, or if Torhd simply does not want to remember.

Torhd and Arty return to the speakeasy where Torhd spots the dwarf adventurer from his first night at the Stone Hill Inn. Torhd, Reytna, and Banks all sit down across from the adventurer and listen to his story. Banks and Reytna both eventually leave but Torhd decides to sit with him a little longer. Banks announces that its time for them to go home and Liam carries both Jeis and Rune back to Aryn's. Liam tucks Jeis into bed and tells her he wants to be like a real dad to her. After Liam leaves the room, Torhd confronts him about not making promises to Jeis that he cannot keep. The two begin to argue and Torhd tells Liam to get his shit together and to not leave Jeis again. Liam says that he’s sorry for hurting her or Banks or anyone else, and he says he’s acknowledging the past and trying to make up for it now. Torhd asks if he’s going to come with them to hunt down the sword and to come back to Neverwinter or if this is where they all part ways again. This is the final straw for Liam and he storms off. Liam eventually returns to apologize to Torhd, however, due to his memory Torhd does not remember their fight. Liam offers to go on walk with Torhd and they both set off on a short walk.

#### Lex Be Friends

On their walk Liam and Torhd come across a beggar whom they give money to. They both return to Aryn's where Torhd spend the remainder of the night staying up and reading. When morning comes it is raining incredibly hard, Torhd gets up and joins the rest of the crew for their ritual of tea and breakfast. The thunderstorm begins to get worse and Reytna spots a figure outside in the rain. Banks and Reytna go to investigate and discover Lex standing there and then all hell breaks loose. During the fight, Lex frees all the horses that were tied to the front post but because Blossom is very loyal, she stays.

#### O' Brother Where Art Thou

Torhd goes to bed after the long fight, nursing his slowly healing wounds. At some point in the night Rune visits his room and confesses that she also had been dead and is alive again. Torhd listens as Rune tells the story of her ex-girlfriend stabbing her to death and how she reached out to Tymora as she was dying. After that, she woke up and continued life as she is now. Torhd believes Rune's ressurection is a gift from Tymora and that Rune should ensure she is not still indebted to Tymora.

The next morning they all head to Arty's shop to pick up the orb before leaving Silverymoon. As they enter the shop Arty's wife, Grish, asks Torhd if he had ever visited the shop before this as he is very familiar. Not wanting to upset Grish further, Torhd lies and tells her that he used to be an actor.

> Torhd remembers standing on a stage as a little boy, looking out into the crowd where his parents sat watching him. The play he just performed in is very popular and he enjoyed acting a lot.
>
>

After they received the orb from Arty, he pulls Torhd aside to speak with him before they leave. Arty asks if this will be the last time they see each other and Torhd believes that it will be. Arty tells him everything he did was done out of love and that he cares about him. He says that it feels right, and that Torhd seems like he fits now. He says that he wants him to live his life the way he wants to live it. He wishes that Torhd finds his own way in life He says goodbye to his son and that he wants him to know that he loves him. Torhd is unsure how to handle the outburst of affection and leaves.

As the crew travels through the woods towards the Orc encampment, they decide to rest for the night. During the night Torhd tries to sneak the orb from Reytna's bag.

#### Ready Orc Not

They make it to the Orc encampment and set up their camp about a mile away. As Torhd meditates that night he remembers a piece of his past during his stay with Arty.

> Arty is cooking dinner over a stove while Torhd sits next to a Frogfolk. The Frogfolk's name is Bibble whose language is limited to only his name. Bibble is a big fan of flies.
>
>

In the morning, Jamril flies over to Torhd after checking in on Blossom. Torhd tells him to be careful around Blossom and not to mess with her. Jamril says that he and Blossom are good friends. After a moment, Torhd feels out of his element and advises Jamril that because Reytna has the ability to speak to animals, they can actually help unlike himself.

#### Resolved Daddy Issues

After staking out the Orc encampment Liam tells them they should wait for nightfall to attack the camp. Everyone climbs or flies up the cliffside, with Banks still at the bottom on the pegasus. When everyone else gets to the top they can see that they had been followed by Lex, Vitale, and Reris. Liam challenges his father for leadership but during the fight, Banks is attacked by Lex, Vitale, and Reris. He flies up to warn the rest of the group as Liam kills his father. They all prepare to fight Reris, Vitale, and Lex. At some point in the battle, Reris downs Liam and in turn is knocked out by Reytna. Once Reris lands on the ground, Torhd pins him down and repeatedly stabbing him. ultimately killing Reris and traumatizing Torhd.

After the war is finished, Torhd retreats to the fire for the night.

#### Orcish Delight

Torhd sits all night by the fire and is eventually joined by other blood covered Orcs. In the morning, Torhd continues to stare into the fire and has a hallucination of Reris' face that begins to mock him and he eventually stands in time to observe Reris' body melting and fizzling into a black goo substance. Torhd runs over to the puddle and stabs it with his sword, convinced that this is another trick and that Reris is not truly dead. Jeis approaches and throws flame into the puddle which causes the puddle to erupt with magic, throwing them both backwards. Reytna walks over and explains that this is a moderately common occurance when warlocks are killed. After the incident, Banks approaches Torhd and asks him if he knew Reris when Torhd was alive. Torhd confirms that he did. Banks assists Torhd into a tent and leaves him to meditate and process in peace. After Banks leaves him, Torhd comes to the realization that his friends believe he going insane. Torhd stares at the ceiling from his bed and is haunted throughout the night by Reris' glowing eyes watching him in the darkness.

The next morning Liam and the rest of the crew head to the Northern Orc camp where they meet up with Liam's brother.

#### Ice 'Em

Lon welcomes the group to the camp, however, he is suspicious of Torhd as he seems familiar and Lon suspects that they may have met in battle before. Torhd, still out of it, retorts that it isn't possible, because every Orc that he has fought is dead. This causes a small fight to break out that is eventually calmed by Liam. Torhd eventually retreats to his tent in exhaustion. Torhd, now completely succumed to the delusion that Reris is alive, is determined that he will keep his friends safe no matter the cost. He believes that they all think he is crazy but that they simply have not realized the truth about Reris yet. Torhd plans to lay low so that he can catch Reris before he attacks again.

As he lay planning, Torhd sees the hallucination of Reris running stealthily through the camp. Torhd rushes out of his tent with his sword in an effort to kill Reris. Torhd tries to tackle Reris and begins to stab him, only for Reris to dissappear again beneath his fingertips. Banks finds him behind one of the tents and confronts him about his behavior. Torhd swears to Banks that Reris is alive and is somewhere in the encampment. He convinces Banks to help him look for Reris. After giving up their search, Torhd returns to his tent to patch up his reopened wounds.

Liam visits Torhd before they leave and assures him that all Torhd has to do is give the signal and he and his Orc army will not be far behind. They both agree that Blossom is a very good horse and both come to the realization that Jamril has been spending a considerable amount of time with the horse.

The party follows the orb's path towards the High Ice, beginning a hike up a tall, snowy mountain. As they approach the High Ice, they are able to look up and see Godsbane perfectly lodged in the ice at the top with a frozen corpse trying to pull it out. At the bottom of the cliff, they are able to see a dead body.

#### Till Death Do Us Part

The group investigate the dead body at the bottom of the cliff. The man has two apparent sword wounds: one slash and one stab that had healed over. Despite the wounds, it is clear that the man died on impact after falling from the cliff. Torhd is entranced by the sword placed at the top of the cliff and remains fixated on the sword while the rest of the group investigates. Jeis uses magic to help everyone get to the top of the cliff where they discover another body frozen in place before the sword with one hand on the hilt. The group discovers the man's journal which delineates the story of the two brothers, Evir and Surin, who were previous followers of Criton. The group continues to read the journal and Banks says a small prayer. During this, Torhd begins to feel flushed and hears the voice of Mask speaking to him and trying to draw Torhd to take up the sword. Mask calls Torhd by his current name, telling him that she had always known his real name. Torhd excuses this by saying his name is written on the back of all his clothes. Torhd gives in and grabs Godsbane from the ice which quiets Mask's voice for the time being. Reytna and Banks both attempt to stop Torhd from taking the sword but are too slow. After Torhd takes Godsbane, everyone asks if he feels okay. Torhd states that he's never felt better.

From behind them, a massive remorhaz bursts from the ground, screeching at them and immediately attacking Banks. The group begins to fight it, however, Torhd is swallowed whole by the adult remorhaz. He is eventually freed by Jeis' elemental who kills the remorhaz. The group returns to Ascore and find an inn to stay at for the night. Torhd decides to go for a walk with Godsbane still in his sheath and Mask speaks to him in another attempt to sway him to her influence. He eventually returns to the inn for the night and meditates with Mask still speaking to him. In the morning, Torhd suggests that they return to Neverwinter to face Ishku and the rest of the Ashen. Banks wants to wait until they can gather more resources and support such as Liam’s Band, Phihana’s army, and even the theives’ guild. Torhd is convinced they won't need any supporting forces, as now they have Godsbane on their side. He explains that with Godsbane's power and assistance, he would be able to take on the armies within Neverwinter and face Ishku. Banks decides that they should separate Torhd and the sword, going so far as to try and enter Torhd's room to take it. Torhd blocks Banks from entering his room and attempts to explain that he worries Banks will not be able to handle Mask's influence and power but he mostly just calls Banks stupid and inexperienced. Banks asks if the rest of the group heard Mask in their dreams, to which all but Rune confirm. Banks says they should keep it in a cart or pack while they travel so no one has to directly touch it. Following this, they all agree to return to Neverwinter with one stop at Silverymoon.

#### Gotta Hand it to Ya, that was Killer

The group leaves Ascore and eventually stop to rest for the night. When Torhd regains awareness, he realizes that Godsbane is not where he left it and begins to panic. He tears the camp apart looking for the sword and eventually begins to accuse various party members of taking the sword. Torhd sees Godsbane in a tree and makes eye contact with the usual suspects, Jeis and Rune. Jeis admits that she took the sword initially but denies putting it in the tree. Banks speaks to the group about sword safety and suggests everyone be warded against the magic. Torhd resumes ownership of Godsbane. Once everyone settles down, Mask forces Torhd to take Godsbane and go for a walk, during which he is compelled to attack two travelers from behind and kill them with Godsbane, which sates Mask's bloodlust for the time being. Torhd returns to the camp and attempts to meditate and forget his actions before they pack up and head for Silverymoon.

On their way to Silverymoon, the group discovers the two travellers that Torhd murdered and had moved off the path and to the meadows. While the rest of the group continue off the path to investigate, Torhd knows what they will discover and, wracked with guilt, he stays behind on the road with Blossom and Jeis. They continue to travel and decide to rest for the night outside of the Silverymoon walls close to another town. Torhd attempts to rest while Jeis and Rune go off to the small town's bar. After everyone has returned to camp and settled down for the night, Torhd is once again compelled to sate Mask's bloodlust and so he sneaks away from the camp. He heads to the same tavern that Jeis and Rune visited and speaks with the bartender for a few minutes before killing him and his brother with Godsbane. Torhd begs to return back to the camp, however, Mask demands more blood and so Torhd is forced to continue through the town, knocking on the first door he comes to. A woman answers the door and Torhd pretends he is looking for his children. The woman lets him inside and introduces him to her husband. As she leaves to get something from the kitchen, Torhd murders her husband and waits for her to return before kill her too, to which Mask tells him it still wasn't enough. From the front room Torhd can hear a child crying upstairs and begs Mask to let him leave the house and find the last victim somewhere else. Mask allows Torhd to leave and he heads to the next house. Torhd knocks and the sheriff who lives there answers. Torhd kills the sheriff and Mask allows him to leave the town and return to camp for the night.

The group heads into Silverymoon where they are greeted with the sight of Arty's clock shop completely engulfed in flames and smoke. The fire is still large and sending up plumes of smoke and a local officiant tells the group that neither the owner nor his wife survived. The group then heads to Ayrn's ambassador home, which is currently under serious repair due to the damage caused last time. Torhd leaves his pack in his room but takes Godsbane with him as they all head to Tymorah's temple to search for Rose. They meet Rose who gives them information and instructs them to meet at the Sacred Grove at dawn. Torhd returns to Aryn's and rests while everyone gets settled. Jeis and Rune both go out to the town again and Mask compells Torhd to go for a walk while the sun sets. Torhd walks by the riverside and tries to stay in the shadows as Mask continues to whisper into his head and demand more victims. Through Mask, Torhd eventually spots a man rummaging through garbage and kills him from behind. The man shouts and the noises attract one of his friends who Torhd kills once he is near enough. Torhd attempts to cover the bodies with trash before continuing his walk. He passes a drunk couple making out in an ally way and kills them as well. As he leaves the area of town he passes a nightguard whom he cuts down before heading towards where the clock shop had been. Torhd searches the ashes of the clock shop and manages to save an old photograph of him, Arty, and Arty’s wife that he then takes that with him. With Mask's bloodlust sated for the time being, Torhd heads back to Ayrn's and tries to meditate.

#### Knock, Knock, Knockin' on Tymora's Door

After breaksfast the group goes shopping and then heads to the Sacred Grove. When they arrive they notice that the plants and trees in the grove are wilted and dying and that there is no sign of Rose. They head to Tymorah's temple which they break into and find deserted and dried blood throughout the temple. They follow the blood to a door and Torhd attempts to knock the door in, only to have Banks manage it after he failed. The group discovers that the staff of the temple, including Rose, have all been murdered and their hearts are missing. They hear noise coming from behind one of the other locked doors and Torhd breaks down the door only to discover Tymorah cowering in the corner. Upon seeing and recognizing Torhd, Tymorah charges at him with her knife. Banks steps in front of Torhd and is stabbed, causing Torhd to block Tymorah from stabbing him again and Banks using magic to hold her back. After Tymorah explains how she got there and the implications of the spell the group and Tymorah leave the temple and head back to the gardens, only to see a large group of soldiers who are encircled around Reris, reanimated as a Revenant.

#### Till Death Do Us Part (2)

The group attempts to sneak attack the soldiers, Lex, members of the Golden Sun, and Reris, with Torhd especially focused on attacking Reris and Reris focused on attacking Torhd. During the fight, several bandits make their escape from the group. Torhd (once again) cuts down Reris who dissolves into goo again. Lex attempts to escape but is chased by Torhd towards the outskirts of the Grove. Before Lex can escape Jeis casts ring of fire around Lex to prevent him from escaping which unfortunately also encircles Torhd. Torhd and Lex attempt to continue their swordfight while they start to burn from the heat and the grass beneath them catches fire. Lex stabs Torhd again and he falls unconscious onto the ground, catching aflame.

> Criton relaxes next to a campfire while basking in the warm, evening glow. Reris sits next to him, relaxing with his own pint of mead and a leg of roast. They are both content in this moment and are truly happy. Reris, a fan of good drink, had always said “Good mead is always a need.” He remembered what it was like finding camaraderie in someone else who was taken in by Shadowcloaks. They were good friends and they talk about what it may be like to get out of their lives. Reiras looks at him, smiling, and says “I hope it never changes. I hope we can always find the good. Here’s to making our way.” And they clink glass to flask, and they make merry for the night.
> Torhd assumes this is heaven.
>
>

Torhd regains consciousness as Banks revives and jumps up, slashing at Lex and ultimately stabbing her to death. Traumatized by his vision and killing Reris again, Torhd continues to stab Lex even after she is dead while Banks watches in horror. As the group recovers from the battle, Chauntea appears before them and addresses them all individually. She addresses Torhd last, telling him that he is free. With this statement, Torhd is able to drop Godsbane and is free from the compulsion. All of his previous actions rushing back to him, Torhd utters a single "fuck".

#### Smooth (Mindcontrolled) Criminal

Chauntea is still acting odd but Torhd has the feeling that she knows about the murders he committed. He asks her if she knows and she confirms that she does know. Torhd feels extremely guilty but also unsure about what to do so he begins to explain everything he did under Mask's influence. Banks asks if Torhd fought the urges to which Torhd says he did try initially but once they left the mountain they became too strong to resist. Banks sits down and Jeis asks if Torhd regrets killing the people. Torhd doesn't know how to explain the feeling of Mask's influence and refuses to look anyone in the eye but he says he regrets it now. Torhd almost looks at Rune when she begins to speak but looks away quickly as she tells him he is fucked and moves away from him. Reytna begins to discuss fighting the cult and Banks asks Torhd if they can trust him. Torhd doesn't respond and Banks says that he is not allowed to touch the sword. Torhd nods and steps away from the group, hanging back as they work with Tymorah and Chauntea. He watches Rune, Banks, and Reytna all pickup and drop the sword seemingly with ease. He steps further back and dissociates until the group decides to leave for Aryn's. Once they return to Aryn's, Torhd retreats to a private area to be alone. He later joins the group when they leave Aryn's and head to an inn with Blossom.

#### The Whole Tymussy

Torhd watches Tymorah stomp off from the group and joins Rune in chasing after her. Rune continues to be cold to Torhd as they converse with Tymorah and try to convince her to return to the group. Torhd suggests that similar to Chauntea, she must do an act of kindness. Tymorah retorts that she didn't kill Banks which was 'pretty nice'. Torhd says there’s a difference between saving someone and sparing someone to which Tymorah replies that that’s rich coming from him. This effectively silences Torhd. Rune eventually convinces Tymorah to return to the group and they continue to travel towards Phandalin.

On the second night, they see a red streak in the sky. As Torhd looks up at the sky he recalls a memory.

> He remembers standing in a library, a large, stone building that’s falling apart from age. There’s a red glow coming from outside, the lighting from a few windows peeking around the shelfs. There is a dry heat surrounding him as he pulls a book out and flips through it. He knows he’s looked at this books several times before and he finds the page on how to bring back a dead deity. Specifically, the theoretical impacts it would have on the mortal plane. The author theorizes that the world would begin having cracks through the metaphysical realm. As he’s reading, a reptilian claw pulls him back and Lirzu snatches the book out of his hand before closing it and tucking it underneath his cloak. He tells Criton he’s late for a meeting.
>
>

With this memory Torhd realizes the red lights indicates that Ishku has moved forward with the plane and that Bha'al has been brought to the mortal plane. The group travels to Bank's home where Torhd sits and rests on the grass outside of the house while Banks does his business. Tymorah sits next to him and tries to strike up a conversation about his previously lives. She asks him what sort of life Torhd would like to live once all this is over and he responds that he’s not sure, he’s never had to think about that. Every time, his life had already been decided for him and he’d never had a real choice. Tymorah tells him he’s been pretty unlucky and that he’s had enough bad luck to cover him for a couple more lifetimes. She tells him that she hopes he gets to experience a mortal life that’s not so mediocre. She says that she thinks what the party is doing is pretty admirable and that not many mortals would take up the call. Torhd admits that he only joined the group because he broke Liam's table and door. Tymorah likewise admits that it was actually Rhyxali trying to give Jeis a sign, and he wasn’t physically the one to break the table. That he was once again chosen beforehand to be the one to deliver the sign. Trying to move on from the conversation Torhd says “...I think that still means I owe Liam money.” and Tymorah gives him 2 coppers to help pay it off.

The group leaves Bank's home and heads to the Heart Tree outside of Phadalin. Torhd watches as Reytna pours the blood over the tree's roots and subsequently collapses with Banks catching them. As they all watch the poison leave Reytna's body they hear movement from beyond the tree line. Torhd moves to pick up the sword that Reytna had dropped and Banks asks him if he will be able to drop it again later. Torhd doesn't answer but tells Banks to take it by force if he can't drop it later. A shambling corpses drags itself across the forest floor and Torhd recognizes that it is once again Reris. Reris is accompanied by two Perrytons. Torhd immediately picks up Godsbane and rages forward, slashing Reris. Torhd fights with Reris eventually killing him for the third time. As Torhd calms he realizes that Reytna had died while they were fighting. Tymorah gives Rune money to buy a diamond and instructs her to ride Blossom to town. Banks insists on carrying Reytna's body back to Phandalin. Banks performs a resurrection on Reytna.

Following Reytna's revival the group relaxes at the inn and tries to recouporate. Torhd takes Rune and Jeis shopping in town for supplies and he tries to locate another diamond for Banks. All of the merchants tell Torhd that he may be able to find a diamond in Leilon. When they get back to the inn, Torhd recommends they travel to Leilon to try and find a diamond. Torhd, Banks, and Jeis begin to travel to Leilon.

#### The Shrek Episode

As the three arrive in Leilon they realize the entire town is empty and all the shops are closed. Jeis breaks into some of the shops and Torhd recieves new armor. They hear a loud crash and exit the shops, seeing a large plume of smoke and the sky turning even redder. The group follows the sound of screams and are able to smell burning bodies as they reach the center of town. They turn the corner and see a woman with child cowering from a young black dragon who has landed on a nearby roof. Torhd rushes in to try and save the woman and her child but he is hit with acid from the dragon. The civilians manage to escape and Jeis turns the dragon into a turtle and tells Torhd to stab the turtle. Torhd does, which returns the dragon back to its original form. The dragon scoops up Jeis in its talons and flies away with her. Banks and Torhd initially try to follow the dragon but realize it is heading towards the moutains so they return to tell the rest of the group.

When they get back to the inn, Torhd tries to tell the group that Jeis was taken by a dragon but they're all arguing too loudly to hear him. Banks eventually shouts it at Liam. Phihana arrives and informs them that the Sacred Heart is gathering in Neverwinter and Rune says she will go with them to warn the leaders of Neverwinter. Banks, Torhd, Reytna, Liam, and Lirzu will go to Mount Hotenow.

#### Go Tell It on the Moutain

While on their ride to Neverwinter, Jamril returns and flies down to land on Blossom. He asks Torhd what happen to Jeis and Torhd explains about the dragon. Jamril takes off again towards the moutains. When the group arrives at Neverwinter they notice an increased number of guards. The guards they approach note that Rune's father had mentioned she would be returning and Torhd convinces them that they are her entourage. The group goes shopping again and Rune says her goodbyes, telling Torhd not to die again.

As the group climb through the forest and up towards Hotenow they notice the air getting hotter and the wind picking up. They reach the base of Hotenow and decide to take a rest. During their rest they receive a message from Jeis claiming that the dragon is friendly. Torhd expresses his doubt but also notes they can't say no to reinforcements. There is no longer day or night so after their rest the group continues up the moutain noting that they don't have much time. They decide to scale the moutainside and sidle across, which proves tretcherous and multiple Perrytons fly past them. At one point, a Perryton begins to cross directly in front of them so they all attempt to sprint to the other side of the cliff. Still injured, Reytna slips and falls to another level of the cliff. The rest of the group work together to pull them back up. They reach the top of the mountain and enter the abandoned village. At the top, 6 hellhounds stand guard about a mile away. Many of the buildings have been overtaken by lava, except for an old library, which has a side entrance that is accessible through lava. Banks creates a path in the lava for them to walk over. Once they reach the library they realize there are people inside the building and Lirzu says that this is the current headquarters of the Revenant. Torhd suggests a plan to sneak in but as the group look through the library windows they are noticed and a fight breaks out. During the fight, the group runs to the second floor of the library and Torhd discovers Beg'an there performing the ritual for Bha'al. Beg'an see Torhd and smiles, saying “It was good to see you one last time before you die”. Torhd charges at him and stabs him with a poisoned dagger to which Beg'an laughs and casts a spell to begin pulling the life out of Torhd. Torhd fights against the spell and tries once again to charge at Beg'an and slash at him with Godsbane, crying in anger as he tries to breech Beg'an armor. He continues to hit Beg'an, completely driven by rage, until the man falls to the ground. Before Torhd can kill Beg'an he is hit with Ishku's spell. Despite the force of the spell Torhd continues to power through and rushes Ishku, striking him down with Godsbane. Torhd returns to where Beg’an is and says “You took everything. You messed up my life, and I can’t even remember any of it. You made me into someone else and I don’t even like him. I miss just being normal. Sometimes we would camp outside away from the mission, and those were better, but you ruined everything else. And I don’t even remember it.” before killing him. Torhd goes through Beg’an’s pockets and finds a key to a chest, a wand of wonder, and a personal watch of Arty’s that is counting backwards. As he stares at the watch in confusion he has another memory.

> He remembers being back in the library, standing and holding the book again. He knows that there is only a certain amount of time to complete the ritual. The final step must be completed within an hour in order to fully bring Bha'al to the realm.
>
>

Torhd looks up and sees two red eyes in the darkness peering from the orb of Bha'al. He runs over, only to find nothing. He returns to where Ishku lay dead and searches his pockets, finding a key to Ishku’s chest, an orb of dragon kind, and a letter addressed to Criton.

Criton, If you’re reading this, it means you have won this battle. But do not fear, for as long as I have a place in any of the planes, I will make sure that you pay for what you have done. This isn’t the end. It’s only the beginning. You and your crew of do-gooders have cut off the head of a hydra. And now you’ve opened it up for more growth, for more places for us to spread. There are others out there. There are more Reverents. I will see you in hell. - Ishku

Torhd pockets the letter and continues to search around the library, finding a single black feather behind the orb of Bha'al. He attempts to address his wounds but Jeis suddenly tells everyone to grab onto her, which he does. They are all transported to Rhyxali's realm where she says that there are consequences she didn’t anticipate. An alteration, a rip. She says that there are little signs of it. She says there must be a tear. She doesn’t know the implications of this, but that they must stay aware. Rhyxali allows them to rest before teleporting them back to the library. Torhd locates Ishku and Beg'an personal chests in which he finds 75,000 gold, maps of the sword coast with Reverent hideouts, and correspondence between Beg’an’s insiders about where they can find kids to bring in and indoctrinate into the Revenant. There are a couple houses where they are kidnapping and brainwashing kids. When they return upstairs, they see an image of Bha'al turning to ooze and the orb shrinking down in size. Torhd takes the orb and Ishku's broach. They exit the building and Jeis calls the dragon, Andy, over to take them home. Andy recognizes Torhd as Criton and also recognizes that Torhd has the orb that controls him. Torhd hands the orb over.

Once the group returns to the Stonehill Inn they all celebrate their victory. Torhd expresses his uncertainty of his own future and Liam offers him a job and a room at the inn, which Torhd accepts.

#### Epilogue

Torhd goes on a walk the next morning through Phandalin and he passes a bunch of families headed toward Alderleaf Farm, where the townsfolk are having a celebration following the almost-apolcalypse. He finds a nice patch of grass outside of town and lays down to meditate for a bit. As he rests, a bluejay comes and lands on his shoulder to which Torhd offers the bird a little snack of rations. Torhd has a signature talk with the bird. He tells him how people don’t know that they were the ones who saved them, and it’s kind of sad because people died for that. He laments that its not truly over, and that he still holds a large part of the ritual; Godsbane, Bhaals essence, and the knowledge of how to create the ritual itself. He worries that Reiris is still out there too and that he cannot help his friend find peace. He acknowledges that Neverwinter’s political structure is going to go to shit but there is still work to be done to ensure the Shadowcloaks do not return. Torhd says he plans on doing the rest alone, because he doesn’t want to take away from others’ lives. The bird flies off into the forest and Torhd follows, leading him deep into the wood. It brings him to the large opening of a cave. As he walks into the cave, it gets smaller before it opens up on the other side. It opens up to a room with a ton of crystal structures that are warm to the touch. In the center, there’s a stone platform that looks to be a tomb. When he pushes the lid open, there is standing water inside. It’s a shimmering pool, and unclear how far down the pool goes.

Torhd stares at the water before making a decision and he pulls out the orb of Bha'als essence, dropping it into the crystal water. It quickly dissappears from sight although there is no noise to indicate it hitting a bottom. He unsheathes Godsbane and dips the blade fully into the water where it sparkles and rushes with bioluminescent light. He asks Mask if she felt anything from the water to which she replied she didn't but she wants more blood. She admonishes Torhd for resisting the urge and for keeping it from tasting bloodshed. Torhd, afraid, threatens that he could leave her here, and no one would ever be able to find her. She says that may be true but he will always be touched by the desire of bloodlust and that he would always know where to find her. At this, Torhd drops the sword in the water, too. The sword screams on its way down, and the lid of the tomb seals itself. As he walks away from the cave, Torhd realizes that the bluejay is gone, but he finds another midnight black feather under the tree. In the distance, he can hear the frightened squawking of a bluejay.

Torhd returns to the inn and sits with the group for breakfast, saying goodbye to Phihana and her group as they leave the inn. The group make their plans for the future and most of them bid farewell to each other.

## **Facts**

* Liam, and possibly other characters, believes Torhd is illiterate.
* Torhd is mildly suspicious of magical items.
* Torhd is allergic to berries.
* Torhd prefers scrambled eggs (although he does not need to eat).
* Torhd is suspicious of individuals in Neverwinter wearing the color yellow.
* Torhd is a sympathetic crier and cries at the sight or sound of another person crying.
* As a human child, Torhd used to be very lonely.
* Torhd has been able to stop himself from sympathetically crying once.
* Torhd can speak to animals and anthropomorphic creatures
* Torhd struggles to believe in science and believes all science is a form of magic
* Torhd has a great relationship with his horse, Blossom.
* Torhd writes his name on the tag of all his clothes.
* Torhd is ambidextrous.
* Torhd has a fear of fire