Aerois - Episode 114: Gods and Queens

Katie Morrison as Aila

 Kim Richards as Nova V'ger

Rhiannon Frost as Sentry

 Tom Hazell as Qillek Ad Khollar

**Gods and Queens** is the 114th episode of the Aerois Campaign. It was broadcast live on both the Yogscast Twitch channel and highrollersdnd Twitch channel on 6th June 2021 from 5PM to 8PM BST.

*Time for a proper reunification with Valla - and for getting to know our new allies, Maximillion Taldros and Tassadar!*

## **Summary**

### **Announcements**

* Mark welcomes everyone and introduces the players.
* The sponsor this week is D&D Beyond. The site now allows rolls to be hidden and only sent to the DM. DMs can now also do free dice rolls directly into the game log.
* Last weekend (Saturday), High Rollers did a one-shot of Biomutant that was homebrewed by Mark. People were encouraged to watch this content to support HR. Alice (a friend) did some wonderful make up for the players for the special stream that was sponsored by THQ Nordic.
* Tom announces the release (finally!) of QUILL PLUSHIE (AKA "Hug Me Quill") which will be available on the Fresh Merch site next Sunday 13th June from 4pm BST: supplies will be limited (Katie thinks it will be £25.99). Also coming to the merch store are Starbane Coffee mugs as well as limited edition Cam and Elora pins (there will be an ongoing release of other Lightfall character pins). Fun fact: the company that made the Quill Plushie sent concept drawings that had two wings - they had to be asked to remove one.

### **Recap**

> *"Last time, our heroes, the officers of the Stormchaser, had travelled into astral space and snuck aboard the flagship of the planar emperor Kalus Valkyrian in order to rescue a young girl called Valla. Valla travelled with the party and saved their life, but in doing so revealed her connection to Kalus and the star-goddess Siaska. Aboard the Tassadar, the party attempted to rescue Valla with subterfuge, but a last-minute change caused their celestial allies to back out, leaving the crew with fewer options. Splitting up, one group attempted to access the eterna at the heart of the ship in order to secure their aid, meanwhile the other group travelled ethereally and found Valla on the ship's bridge under heavy guard.*
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> *The sudden arrival of Xarkira, and the chief engineer recognising half the party, caused them to leap into action as two intense and deadly battles erupted across the Tassadar, with young Valla using her blossoming magic to reunite the parties together at the last moment. Having convinced the eterna Tassadar, and Valla's protector Maximillion to join them, the party were about to escape when Xarkira herself arrived with two simulacrums. As Lucius attempted to fend them off - his own magic shut down by the simulacrum - the real Xarkira counterspelled their escape spell... but a lucky counter-counterspell from Valla saved the day and the group returned to Aerois.*
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> *Now, all reunited, the party have a chance to learn more, and plan their next steps... "*
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### **Part 1**

*Back in Aerois with new and old friends! The Stormchasers must now listen to Valla to understand the Valkyrian threat!*

The party has used the Wayfinders Guide, H'esper's dying gift to Quill, to teleport back to their rooms in the Sky City of Horizon, bringing with them Edea/Moonstar, Rana, Valla and Maximillion Taldros (a knightly figure, 6.5 feet tall, with grey skin and flaming red hair). The party notices that Valla looks older - far from being the 14-15 year old that they first met, she now looks 16-17 or even older - it is a dramatic change, given that they last saw her only a few months ago. Nova is carrying a black crystalline staff that has blue power lines and blue gemstones running through it. Maximillion looks uncertain, and stands with his sword drawn; the staff pulls itself free of Nova's hands and hovers in the air near them. Valla immediately makes them aware that they should not say anything about where they are or anything important that they do not want Starbane to know because he has been scrying on them since he took Valla - he has been using the dagger that Lucius gave Valla and Tiangong as his foci for them. None of the party has a spell prepared that will counter scrying, but Tassadar's spectral figure emerges and advises that there are not currently any scrying orbs around. Lucius suddenly springs towards Valla, grabs her, lifts her in the air and hugs her - Valla reciprocates: Maximillion is unprepared for this and reflexively moves to step in front of Lucius with his drawn blade as if to protect Valla - he relaxes when he sees Valla embrace Lucius, but seems not to know how to react.

Valla thanks them all for coming to get her, but advises that there will be consequences and that Kalus will not let it go - it means a lot to her because they all knew that this would be the case. Lucius goes to step back, but Valla keeps a hold of his hand. Valla turns to Tassadar and asks him if he can keep an eye out for scrying - he says that he can, and that he can also protect up to four individuals using Nondetection for up to 8 hours: Tassadar thinks that due to the nature of her magic, Valla would be difficult to scry on, but that Maximillion would be a likely target. Tassadar, himself, would not be able to be scried upon, but Kalus could use a Divination spell to locate Tassadar's physical form, but he would have to be close and would not be able to see or hear anything, only to detect his whereabouts. Quill asks Tassadar to cast three Nondetection spells (on Lucius, Nova and Maximillion), which he is happy to do in exchange for some information: Nova ("the symbiote with Tiangong") agrees to these terms. Tassadar casts Nondetection on Nova and Lucius, but when he goes to cast it on Maximillion, Max backs himself into a corner of the room, arguing against having the spell in case the Emperor needs to find or return him to service - Aila tells him that if Kalus finds him, he will kill Max. Max is conflicted, saying that he will surrender to Kalus - Valla pleads with Max, who reluctantly agrees, and Tassadar casts his spell. Aila points out that this is for Valla's safety as well, which is the only reason that he has agreed to it - his only duty is to protect Valla, "the Princess". He tells them in no uncertain terms that he will not give them any information regarding the Empire of any of their military strength: Quill tells him that they will not interrogate him, and that when he needs to talk, that he should talk to Sentry, who will understand exactly what he is going through. Max thinks that the leaders of Aerois will not be like Quill, and will want to get information out of him - an enemy who holds military secrets and knows about the Empire's objectives.

Now that they are safe from the threat of scrying, the party relaxes somewhat. Quill says that while it is wonderful to have Valla back, he is shocked at her use of colourful language on the Tassadar (Aila, on the other hand, is delighted). Valla says that while it is not that long since they last saw each other, that as her powers have grown, she has aged faster, both mentally and physically - she says that she feels up to four years older than she was, so swearing is not that inappropriate for her now. Valla thinks that her connections give her powers over space and time, and that it is almost as if her body is trying to catch up as her power grows, as if it wants her to be ready to use her power. They are all overjoyed to have her back with them, and tell her that they are impressed with her skill with magical portals: Valla tries to explain how she does what she does - she says that she can bring points together rather than teleporting from place to place. Quill clarifies that it is equivalent to bending a paper plate to bring the opposite sides together then punching a hole through - Valla agrees that this is a good analogy. Aila says that Valla saved them all, but Valla says that because Starbane's forces were aware of what she could do, and because she is still learning to use her power, that she needed the Stormchasers to create the diversion that allowed them to escape - Quill reminds them that Max bought them a lot of time, and thanks him. Max despondently advises that he is only with them to look after the Princess, that under his oath as a Knight of Gideon, he must stay with her, but he admits that he is concerned by the actions of a number of officers in the Empire - he says that a number of them resent both the Princess and the Emperor. Nova tells Max that Xarkira has betrayed the Emperor, has allied with Hadar and was likely on the Tassadar to capture and take Valla: Max says that while Xarkira is cunning and devious, and that he does not trust her, she has served the Emperor for centuries, commanding his troops. The Emperor knows that she does experimentation behind his back and has her own agenda, but Max cannot believe that she would ally with an enemy that they have fought for centuries. Max asks why Xarkira would turn to Hadar now? The party reveals Quill's kidnapping and Xarkira's access to his vision of Hadar consuming the World Engine, resulting in Hadar consuming the multiverse: Max is in disbelief, suggesting that the vision may be more subjective and swayed by the Titans - that he cannot have such a power. The Stormchasers reveal that other visions have come true, indicating that the visions are more objective and accurate than Max thinks. Valla asks if the power comes from H'esper whether he can tell them if there is a chance that the visions may not be true - Quill reveals H'esper's sacrifice to her, and Valla is crestfallen that H'esper has returned to Siaska.

Tassadar also asks about the vision, given that it is the reason that he left Kalus' flagship in the first place - Tiangong had vouched for Quill. He believes that Tiangong has changed since his symbiotic joining with Nova - Tiangong is less a creature of logic, reason and science, now displaying more emotion, optimism and faith in something. Tassadar asks Nova if she is aware of Tiangong's true nature - she tells him that she knows that he is the leader of the Eterna Triumvirate, and that she found the first shard in a shuttle that had crashed near Vortinsaar - they spoke to her and she has been trying to reunite them ever since. Tiangong had abilities in leadership, science, learning and understanding, so believed that being divided into multiple parts would allow the collection and processing of more information about Aerois and the Valkyrian Empire easier. Nova has collected five shards, and the trials and tribulations that Nova and Tiangong have shared have shaped Tiangong into a different being than the one that Tassadar remembers - the Tiangong that brokered the deal between Kalus Valkyrian and the Eterna. Tassadar reveals that Kalus currently has several (seven) shards, with one piece still being on Aerois; he says that the version of Tiangong that Kalus carries has also changed - it has taken on more of Kalus' personality traits: his conviction, and his dedication to accomplishing goals at any cost. Tassadar reveals that growth is a part of all life, even magical constructs: Tassadar says that he is a being of law, logic and calculation, and he wonders whether Nova's influence over Tiangong makes him believe in Qillek's visions, being uncertain over whether the future that has been foreseen is accurate. Nova tells him that Tiangong has witnessed a number of Quill's visions coming true, and that according to Root Prime, it would take someone with a divine spark to defeat Hadar, not the World Engine. Tassadar looks to Sentry - he is familiar with the Prime Matrix, and wishes to speak to Root through the Prime Matrix to ask if what Nova says is true - Sentry allows this, Tassadar touches the Prime Matrix, and Root confirms what Nova has said.

Tassadar says that the Eterna gave their word to Valkyrian long ago - in exchange for saving their people, they would serve the Empire: Kalus has done what he promised, and Tassadar does not propose to break his word to Kalus. He believes that once the threat of Hadar is gone, Kalus would honour his promise to find the Eterna a new home, but he also says that his agreement with Kalus does not prohibit Tassadar assisting Aerois or giving them information; Tassadar even believes that it may be more important now that he convinces Kalus that his actions may have repercussions. Tassadar thinks it is unlikely that Kalus would listen to him, but says that he will not break his word; he also says that the revelation about Xarkira is terrible. Tassadar asks Sentry if he may speak to Helios, who immediately takes his leonine form and sinks directly to his knees: Tassadar orders Helios to continue to assist the Stormchasers, and tells him to ensure that any other Eterna on Aerois provide the same aid; Tiangong in his current state cannot provide adequate leadership, so Tassadar will provide their orders as a member of the Triumvirate for now - the Eterna will offer assistance to the people of Aerois, as well. Tassadar orders Helios to report - Helios tells him that the Valkyrian Empire has betrayed them, that many of their factions on Aerois have drained Eterna turning them into nightmarish creatures: Tassadar begs to differ, arguing that because the Remnant have been cut off from guidance from Kalus, they are no longer part of the Valkyrian Empire. He tells Helios that using magitek, the Eterna still in the Empire have avoided the energy draining effect and been treated well. Nova asks Tassadar if he knows what happened to the third member of the Triumvirate: Tassadar says that Alyeja is well and serving aboard a station around Gideon Prime, Alyeja Station - it acts as a medical facility, arboretum and training facility for children of the Empire. Tassadar says that he is responsible for fleet logistics and scientific endeavours, Alyeja has always been more involved in growth, protection, security and healing. Nova asks whether, if Tiangong was reformed and completed, this would change Tassadar's allegiance with Starbane - Tassadar, however, says that this would not change their agreement with Kalus, nor does he even think it possible to re-form Tiangong into the version that they were: Tassadar likens it to trying to combine twins into one body, and says it would be impossible - they are the same, but separate, and must remain so. Tassadar says that it is rare for his people to change - they are beings of magic and eternal - they do not change or adapt; Tiangong, however, has formed two different symbiotic relationships making two unique versions of themselves. Nova asks Tiangong how they feel about this revelation from Tassadar: Tiangong does not find the idea unpleasant, saying that their time with Nova has been welcome, and that it has given them something new.

Nova had planned to reunite all the pieces of Tiangong and to let them go to lead the Eterna, but she is saddened by the idea that the Eterna would still want to be in legion with Starbane. Tassadar clarifies that the Eterna serve Kalus because they reached an agreement after he saved their species - they would have been eradicated, consumed by Hadar, doomed to obliteration. Once the threat of Hadar has been overcome, the Eterna will be released to explore the universe as they once did with a new leader, whether it be Tassadar, Alyeja, a new Eterna or even the two versions of Tiangong working in harmony: Tassadar says that he cannot predict what will happen until then. Tiangong speaks to Nova: "Nova V'Ger, progress does not always follow paths we expect. Experiments do not always go as we plan. To adapt, to understand, to grow, to change - this is the path of discovery". Nova is overwhelmed, as this is not what she had planned or expected. Valla steps up and puts an arm around Nova's shoulders, consoling her, and says that there are things that she has learned about her father that they should all know and understand. Lucius suggests that they speak to Dannica, and Valla agrees - she wants to ask Dannica formally for asylum. Valla does not think that Kalus will use any destructive means in his power against Horizon, but she is sure that her presence in the city will draw his attention somehow, ground assaults or infiltrators, for example. Lucius reveals that Horizon can move - Valla thinks that this may make it harder for Kalus to locate the city. In the meantime, she wants to catch up with everyone. Quill is concerned about the idea of Max leaving their quarters, especially dressed as a soldier in the Valkyrian army: Max says that he will not remove his armour (even if Valla requests it), he will wear it proudly as he has earned it.

There is a brief discussion about whom they would trust to bring to their rooms: Dannica, Sky Prince Aridan and Arval are mentioned. Quill gets excited at the idea of an Arval-Valla reunion. Tassadar announces that he will use the next 24 hours to explore Aerois and see if he can rescue any of the lost eterna; before he goes, Tassadar tells Nova that the final shard of Tiangong that is not already incorporated is in the mountains near Goldthrone - Kalus has 7 shards, this would give Nova 6 shards. Nova tries to persuade Tassadar to get the shard for her, but he declines: saying that he will return to Horizon, he reverts to his staff form, and then teleports away. Edea and Rana are having a quiet conversation in the corner; Edea offers to fetch Dannica. Lucius introduces Edea to Valla as his sister. Rana thanks the Stormchasers, and especially Quill, for saving her life again - Quill says that he is sorry that the Wings of Ishtar did not come for her: Rana says that she understands their reasoning, but will never forgive them. Quill says that he will send them a message to tell the Wings that they were successful without their help; Rana asks Quill to tell Zellion that she is formally resigning from the Wings, and that she is now a Stormchaser. Rana then accompanies Edea to fetch Dannica. While they are waiting, the Stormchasers catch up with Valla; she knows about most of their escapades from Kalus scrying on them. Max stays quiet throughout, but he listens intently to what is being said: Quill notes that Max both admires and seems to have a longing for Valla's camaraderie with the party, and he gets the sense that Max is both amazed and saddened by it, perhaps because he has never had a group of companions like this.

Dannica comes to their apartment: she wants Max arrested and wants information from him. Quill, Lucius and Aila will not hear of it - Max has proven himself as Valla's protector, and is one of the Stormchasers now. Lucius promises to share any information that they find out with Dannica - she is concerned at the political ramifications of letting one of Starbane's personal knights roam free around the city and what it will do to their alliances. Lucius tries to persuade Dannica to let Max stay with them, but fails. Dannica turns to Sentry who also stands by Max; this convinces Dannica somewhat - she effectively puts Max under house arrest - he is confined to the Citadel of Rebirth under the care of the Stormchasers. Quill refers to Max as a man who has betrayed his emperor, but Max says that he will go where Valla goes and protect her, but he will not attack Valkyrian bases or soldiers without cause. Dannica welcomes Valla to stay, but asks her to remain in the citadel (unless she travels with the Stormchasers) so that she can be protected - Dannica realises that Valla's presence in Horizon makes the city a target, especially for ground assaults and assassins. Aila asks if there is a method to work against Kalus' scrying - Dannica will organise to have their rooms protected, and scrolls of non-detection, runes or amulets may be available for purchase in the city. Dannica says that it is difficult to scry within the citadel, however. She says that if someone can see invisibility, they would be able to see the scrying sensor and know when they were being observed.

Dannica confirms that the party still wishes to head to Giselle first, but encourages them to think about their next steps, too. She says that even though it is only a few days since Kalus' proclamation, Valkyrian troops are already moving into towns and cities to sure up their position. Dannica says that she will soon need to dispatch them to sort out various issues.

### **Part 2**

*The team travel with Valla to the Halls of Infinite Resplendence to meet her mother, Siaska. Also, Sentry receives a message about some travelling Guardians!*

Valla tells the party that she needs to tell them about her father, even though she knows that it will be difficult for them, especially Sentry. She wants them to know that she is not brainwashed or anything like that, but that there is more to Kalus that what they were taught on Aerois, he is not just a tyrant. When he has to be the Emperor, he is honourable but rules with an iron fist, but when he was just with Valla, teaching her about her powers or telling her stories of the world before Hadar, she saw a different man: she saw a man who was tired and haunted by things that he had done. He often looked pained and anguished, and Valla's research (including talking to people, including Eladrin, who had served him for millennia) unearthed many legends about him that have been idealised, but are based on some truth. Kalus is mortal, but was just a normal soldier once, from a world called Gideon. Valla says that he was not that different to any of the Stormchasers - he was a mercenary of sorts, and would travel around before Hadar was a presence. Then, Gideon was a world like Aerois and had enemies: the orcs of Archon, the Eladrin of the fey wild, the demons of the various demonic, fiendish worlds that existed - they would all attack and invade Gideon from time-to-time, and Gideon would fight back. Kalus was one of the soldiers or mercenaries who fought for Gideon. Over time, he found relics, spells and places of ancient power that made him stronger - over time legends began to accumulate around him and he began to fight with companions.

There was an orc, a warrior poet, an exiled son of one of the great clans; an Eladrin spy, a woman who was an assassin; and a Duregar smith who forged his armour. Together they travelled, solved problems and fought enemies, and he met Siaska, disguised and trying to find out more about the mortal world. Valla does not know the stories about Siaska and Kalus - he would never talk about it, but others did. She heard that they were two people who belonged together: they laughed, joked, fought and protected people - it all started to change when Hadar attacked Gideon, which was one of the first places that Hadar attacked. Kalus and Siaska had discovered that Hadar was able to escape the Far Realm and influence the world, so Hadar targeted Gideon specifically. Kalus, along with Takrok, Kelissa, and Veyna had forged alliances across different worlds, forged peace treaties and convinced others to join forces with Gideon, but it was more of a federation of worlds. When Hadar attacked Gideon, Kalus and Siaska asked for help, but they withheld it, wanting help with their own enemies, supplies, and magitek in exchange. They held off for so long that Gideon was destroyed by Hadar - Kalus, his companions and Siaska saved as many people as they could, but it wasn't enough. It was after this that things started to change.

Valla read about Alfheim: she thinks that Kalus believes that if one world has paid the price, so can another - Kalus saved all the people, giving them new places to live, relocating them, but whatever happened between Kalus and Siaska was the final straw, and it changed him. Since then, he has spiralled, and believes that he must stop Hadar, no matter the cost. Valla believes there is more to the story that Kalus killed Siaska - the way that he looks when she asks him about it has convinced Valla that something else happened that he won't talk about. Valla thinks that Siaska is the solution - if they want to stop Kalus without a war, Siaska is the only one he will listen to. Even though he has done terrible things, and is a tyrant, Valla can't help but feel sorry for him and wants to help him. Lucius consoles Valla, telling her that they understand and feel the same way, that they are just like Kalus, but trying to save their world from him. Valla says that she wanted to come back to Aerois because Kalus thinks that Aerois is the only chance to destroy Hadar, and they know through Quill that it won't work; Valla thinks that Siaska knows of another way - if she can come back, she may be able to convince Kalus that he is wrong. She came back to ask H'esper if he knew of a way to bring Siaska back. Quill says that he did, explaining how the titans must sacrifice themselves to become one with Siaska so that she may come back. Valla now knows that the titans are fragments of Siaska, so "killing" the titans just sends them back to Siaska.

Sentry is disconcerted, but would rather stop Kalus without bloodshed. Valla does not think that Kalus wants to attack planets and be a tyrant, but that he thinks that this is the only way to stop the greater threat of Hadar - she believes that he can be convinced to do the right thing. Nova asks if there is any chance that Kalus has been corrupted by Hadar. Valla says that there is a lot of talk about that, especially from Xarkira's people who insinuate that he is, however, she does not believe that Kalus is Hadar-touched: his intentions are good, and he has sacrificed too much. Hadar seems to prey on and corrupt those who intentionally consume and want power for their own benefit. Kalus has never wanted power for himself, he has just wanted to protect, but it has been twisted by what he has had to sacrifice. Lucius believes that Valla may be more pivotal than she thinks; Valla thinks he may be right, that it has allowed for the possibility of Kalus coming around, but Kalus will not take the first step - even telling him that Xarkira is going to betray him, or that using the World Engine will not stop Hadar will not convince him to change, not without Siaska. Valla thinks that if they all stand together with Siaska and tell him, that he might listen, especially if Xarkira betrays him, because that will hurt him (even though he does not fully trust her), and he may choose to take another path. Valla says that Kalus was kind and patient, and may no longer be capable of love, or even remembering what love is, and that when he looked at her, he seemed pained.

Quill wonders how they will change Kalus back into the man he used to be. Valla suggests showing him a path to victory without sacrifice. War, she says, is just endless sacrifices - sacrifices to protect what you want, your people, your home: someone always has to pay the price. She says if they can find a way that no one has to pay a price, they may be able to convince him to change. Nova asks Valla if she would like to see Siaska: Valla is perplexed, thinking Siaska is the Cradle, but Quill tells her about the sarcophagus in the Halls of Infinite Resplendence. Valla wants to go, and Max insists on going with her. Quill uses the Wayfinders Guide to plane shift to the Halls. When they arrive at the Halls, Sayanna is there strumming a lyre beside the sarcophagus, and there is a light, pleasant breeze blowing constantly. Sayanna is dressed this time like a travelling minstrel, with big bouncy blonde curls: she looks up and smiles at them.

Sayanna stands and grasps Valla's hands, not knowing whether to call her sister or cousin - Valla is looking around in awe. There are tears in Max's eyes as he stands and takes the Halls in. Sayanna takes Valla over to the sarcophagus, saying to her that although Siaska is asleep, that she will be very excited that Valla is visiting. Valla hesitates, but Lucius moves up and supports her. As she gets close to the sarcophagus, Valla's dark hair begins to glow and turn into a nebula of colour once again, and a similar nebulous glow seems to emanate from inside the sarcophagus. Valla seems to age a year or two almost before their eyes, her hair grows a little longer, it flares out and she begins to glow with a purple energy like she did previously. As she looks in, they all hear in their heads, "Thank you for letting me see her". Valla's hair eventually settles and drifts back into place, but where it used to be pure black like Kalus', now in certain light, they can see little stars and shimmering all over her hair.

Valla says that she's here, that she can feel Siaska. She also says that there is something wrong with the rest of the titans. Sayanna has looked into it - there is something wrong with Atelicus, Zephyr and Kellara, they have all become twisted. They have all secured themselves in their own demiplanes, hiding themselves away and preparing. Kellara is convinced that there is no hope left for Aerois, she thinks that the best thing for her to do is to take everyone into the afterlife. Atelicus thinks that only the strong on Aerois should survive - he has gathered the beastfolk to him, and wants to attack people to cull out the weak. Zephyr has become wild and tempestuous, and cannot be controlled - she is attacking anything that comes by, wanting to have one last hurrah before it all ends. Velena has hidden away in her forges and is building something. Valla thinks that she can locate them, but it will take her some time: the titans have used their divine energy to secure themselves in their demiplanes - it can stop people from accessing them, no one can plane shift or teleport in. Valla's magic is different from theirs, however, and she thinks that she can use her father's magic to punch a hole in their demiplanes. Sayanna will give up her power when required, but until then, she is keeping the Halls functional. Valla thinks that they will probably have to fight Atelicus and Zephyr, but they may be able to convince Kellara and Velena to return to Siaska. The party asks Valla to focus on finding Atelicus first, who will likely be more of a physical than a magical challenge. Valla thinks that if all of the titans are returned to Siaska, the Cradle may collapse, but she may re-form sooner than expected, and it may allow them to turn Kalus to their side. Valla says that she thinks there are things about her that Siaska did not tell Kalus: she thinks that Siaska told Kalus a way to create her, but did not give him all the details, and that he probably does not realise how connected Valla and Siaska are.

Quill notices that the gems on the Wayfinders Guide all light up again, including the gem for Horizon. (The party also regains their spell slots from this visit).

Lucius asks if Valla can help Maximillion to see sense, and give him some guidance - she says that he will always see her as Kalus' daughter, as the Princess, and that he will always do what he is asked. He is a knight, and his honour and his oath mean everything - he needs someone who understands these things to talk to him. Max is now staring at the floor, having not moved. Sayanna says that she will wait until all of the titans have joined with Siaska before she does, too. She can still hear prayers, and share her magic with her priests - she thinks that Quill may be the last priest of H'esper whose spells work undiminished.

Nova asks for a private audience with Sayanna. Sayanna agrees, and is grinning at Nova as she blushes bright purple and mumbles something unintelligible. Sayanna is delighted, "Oh bless you! I am called the Songheart for a reason, emotion, love tend to be pretty big domains of mine. You care a lot about her, don't you? You want to help her." Nova agrees, "She's great, she's everything I'm not and I want to be." Sayanna knows a little bit about the situation, and says that she may not be able to break the curse, but would need to see Thalia in the Halls. She says that sometimes a curse cannot be broken and it must be lived with, and people just need to love them for who they are. Nova says that Thalia is perfect the way she is, but that if it's what she wants, Nova is fine with that. Sayanna is pleased.

The party returns to Horizon. Nova gets Quill to send a message to Thalia ("something along the lines of our pet names for each other, and I have found someone who can possibly break the curse, I need to take you somewhere. Will be in touch soon. Kiss kiss kiss" the reply is something like "Pet names? Interesting. You can take me any place ;) jk jk unless... Sounds good. Will miss the kids (referring to the snakes) Can't take the Twinstar. Stormchaser will fly to Horizon, can travel with them.")

The party tells Dannica what has happened. She still plans to take them to Giselle, but tells them that they are the only ones who can stop the titans, and she cannot leave Horizon to help. She is happy to negotiate with Kalus, saying that they cannot afford a war, and would lose a war of attrition. She also says that she will be flying Horizon for a few hours a day and would appreciate it if she was not disturbed.

The beastfolk, through Sanna and Nanna Greytail, tell the party about Atelicus. Many of the beast tribes have vanished from Aerois: they have come under his control and become wild, aggressive, and much more bestial, but Nanna Greytail does not know where they are being hidden; the exception are the wolves - they are stubborn and would not bow to his desires, so he has abandoned them. The elk and rabbit folk were abandoned as weak - they no longer have any connection with Atelicus. Nanna has had dreams showing that Atelicus has become violent and wishes to attack what he perceives as weakness in order to leave Aerois strong to fend off the invaders. He believes that this is the only way to ensure Aerois' survival.

Reyn Talevir finds them and tells them that most of the guardians that were in Horizon left a few days before the summit and headed to the City of Glass after speaking with Herald. He advises that there were three or four guardians who arrived while they were away on their mission, and have been trying to find Sentry, but were strange, wearing long cloaks, travelled at night and tried to stay hidden, Reyn is not even aware of how they got into Horizon. They have avoided confrontations with guards, and only been seen by the citizenry. They have been seen in the mid tier of the city at night. Reyn is alarmed at how they managed to bypass Horizon's security. The party is reminded of Breeze and Tracker from Kalie's Restand suspects that it may be them. The party decides to go and see if they can find the guardians that night, and Valla decides to stay with Max, working on finding Atelicus. The party has a short rest.

As they wander around the mid tier of the city (with Nova, Lucius and Aila being made invisible by Nova), Quill notices that they are being surreptitiously followed: he messages Sentry to advise her. They lead their pursuers down an empty street, Sentry turns and addresses their pursuers asking them to make themselves known. Three cloaked guardians emerge from the shadows, allowing their cloaks to fall away from them: all of the usual wood, leaves and vines are gone from these guardians, they are skeletal metal and stone, missing all of the usual organs, and only connected with pulsing, red muscular fibres. Their eyes are all glowing red. They tell Sentry that she is carrying something of great value to Overlord Voracitor: they enquire as to whom this is, it is Breeze, re-named by their new master, Hadar. They say they are no longer guardians, and their purpose is no longer to protect the weak, organic world, they are now the Dominators.

## **YouTube Timestamps**

0:03 - Episode Start
1:16 - Announcements
10:57 - DUN DUNs
11:56 - Recap starts
13:34 - Part 1
1:26:55 - Break time/Donations
1:36:14 - Part 2
2:49:42 - Outro/Donations

## **Featured Characters**

#### **The Stormchasers (Player Characters)**

* Aila
* Nova V'ger
* Lucius Virion-Elluin Elenasto
* Qillek Ad Khollar
* Sentry

#### **Returning NPCs**

* Tassadar
* Valla
* Maximillion
* Rana
* Edea
* Dannica
* Reyn

#### **Mentioned NPCs**

* Arval
* Overlord Voracitor (AKA Breeze)

## **Trivia**

* Mark advises that Tassadar is as powerful as an arch-fey or a Titan.
* Lucius tries to persuade Dannica to let Max stay with them (with help from Quill). Trott rolls... two 1s. So much fail. High rollers indeed...
* From mid-stream donos: in-person sessions are not coming back any time soon. The quality isn't as good as they would like otherwise, and a lot of precautions were taken to get them all in the studio. It's too hard to do in-person sessions for now.
* The team had a lot of fun with Nova's messages to and from Thalia.
* All three of the Dominators have different builds: one has 4 arms, another is lithe, the last is very chunky.
* CptnClusterDuck (39SaltyCookies on the High Rollers Discord) posted the stats and analysis for this chapter on Reddit.