Shadowstrike Showdown

and

Justin as the DM

"**Shadowstrike Showdown**" is the fifth episode of Rise of the Arcane, the third season of Tales From Del'nasra

Learning that the crystal in their possession is an ancient fey artifact called a luminspire that is being actively sought after by the Unseelie Court, half of the group stay behind at the inn to keep an eye on the crystal, while the others run errands and look for more information around the city.

## Episode Synopsis

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

*"While stuck in the heart of Lake Shadowmer and treading water, Doe transformed into a boat and everyone but Grin latched on and were carried a few hundred yards before a flash of blue erupted from Antyr and when the light subsided you were all standing in the middle of the dense jungles of the Cathatuun Empire. After flying up to get a vantage point, Grin discovered you were just outside of the city and were a short walk away.*
*Arriving in the city, you met with Sir Arthur Wordweave and handed in the evidence from your investigation, paying you each 1000 gold pieces as well as gifting you a strange circular piece of iridescent green metal, mentioning he got it from the auction house but didn’t know what it was, saying he was unfamiliar with the metal.He handed you a contract to look over and if you were interested in continued employment, would need to be signed and brought to him by 8 am the following morning with a group name. With a map of the city in hand you decided to explore and head towards a shop called The Quill & Tome and the Shadowstrike Saloon for drinks. On your way, you picked up Vonkar’s awakened mule Cornelius and decided to stop in at a strange shop called Curios & Curiouser where you purchased a bronze finger trap, a fossil of a fey creature called a mithren and a candle made from the severed hand of a dwarf priest from Anundiel.While shopping, another customer entered, a fey-like elf adorned in black leaf armour, matching the description of the armor worn by those who attacked the Whisper. There was a private conversation between this elf and the owner of the shop where they discussed a crystal called a Luminspire, which matched the description of the crystal in your possession. Displeased with the answers, this elf left and The Sorrow, the owner of the shop apologized for the intrusion and purchased the specimens Antyr gathered from the chunk of Funglade you were all investigating.You left the shop, with Grin trailing this elf while invisible and after about twenty minutes was lead to an alleyway where this elf was discussing with others adorned in the same armor. They mentioned they had a lead and were to look for two individuals, one matching Vonkar’s appearance and the other matching The Creep’s. Grin flew back to the group, and you all ran off toward the Crystal Palace Inn.After an hour of running you all felt a psychic pulse, and as you did a group of these elves came out of an alleyway in front of you, and asked if you knew the fugitives you were looking for, a gnome and a dragonborn. The elves should have recognized The Creep and Vonkar based on the descriptions they were told, but didn’t. You retired inside the inn, learning that people were looking for Antyr for something drug related, and went to a private room to discuss the next steps and events of the day, culminating in learning that this crystal was sentient, and restored Vonkar, Grin and The Creep in the Whisper’s crash-site after they were killed and had granted them boons. You learned that this crystal, the luminspire was an ancient fey weapon used during a civil war among the Seelie Court and that Duskreaper Aelinor was working for the new lord of the Unseelie Court, Vel’karis Vel’tarijin and was intent on using a prophesied event called the Grand Restoration to bring the Feywild into the Material Plane and anchor it there.Deciding to stay behind, Vonkar Leek are staying in the inn to keep a watch over the crystal while the others head out into the city for supplies and whatever you seek."*

#### The Episode

Vonkar and Leek have chosen to stay behind at the room the group rented at the Crystal Palace Inn to keep a watch on the luminspire to avoid parading it around the city. The other members of the group decide to head out into the city and run some errands and begin making their way towards the Quill & Tome in the eastern region of the city.

On the way, a rainstorm occurs which cools down the rather warm summer heat and to combat the heat and to relax after a long day, the group purchased a variety of meat, vegetable and fruit skewers from a food stand, as well as some nice coconut drinks. After getting drinks and food they made their way towards their destination, stopping off at a potion shop in town called Peshan's Potions and met with the proprietor Beiro, purchasing a handful of healing potions as well as some members of the group tried their luck by buying unmarked, unlabelled random potions and a few very good potions were acquired. Excited at their rare potions, Antyr traded Torger his Potion of Hill Giant Strength for Torger's Potion of Longevity and immediately drank it and de-aged 11 years. They were also told about something that grows and is native to the jungles of this region called "elder moss" and is a prime ingredient for making healing potions on this continent.

After buying their potions, they made their way next door to the Quill & Tome and met with the odoben (bipedal humanoid walrus) named Sten Harlow who operates the shop. Here, Antyr purchased a plethora of parchments and supplies to transcribe spells including an enduring spellbook while Torger bought a set of ink bottles to match the colour of the rainbow, presumably to aid him in learning his colours and for his tattooing kit. The group walked away with their new supplies and decided to settle down at the Shadowstrike Saloon for drinks and so Torger could earn some gold in the illegal fights that are held at the saloon.

Arriving at the saloon, the group entered the undertavern and met with the operator of the fighting pits, a tabaxi named Rook. As the group were discussing among themselves, a burly, muscular halfling approached Antyr and began threatening him. Torger got in the halfling's face, and this halfling paid to fight Torger and then leapt into the pit, with Torger following him. Gold was collected from the various patrons to watch the fight and the bell rang three times to signify the fight was to begin.

#### After the Break

The bell rang three times and Torger immediately rushed the halfling who was introduced as Brace by Rook. Both of Torger's initial attacks missed, and caused Brace to go into a frenzied rage and unleash some attacks on Torger, both of his also missing. The pair of them exchanged blows for a few moments, with some solid hits with Torger breaking Brace's nose, and then Torger getting a hard, brutal kick into his genitals. More blows were exchanged and at this point, the other members of the group began slightly interfering in the fight.

Hopper ran around the exterior of the arena in the audience area and was magically tinkering the walls of the arena with phrases to encourage Torger. Antyr, used their Subtle Spell and cast *Motes of Eclipse* from the crowd and significantly injured Brace, causing the crowd, Rook and Brace's party members to immediately begin looking around the tavern for would be cheaters. Doe continued to shout down words of encouragement to Torger (bardic inspiration) and the fight soon turned into a poor show for the audience who began throwing trash into the arena because Torger used his Winged Boots to hover in the air after Brace sunk his hand axe into Brace's collar bone, taking the handaxe with him. Brace then threw a dagger at Torger which missed and embedded itself into a wooden beam in the tavern.

Brace threw his water-skin up at Torger, who caught it and splashed the contents all over himself and drank two healing potions while Brace tried to lasso him with a bit of rope to pull him down. Torger dive bombed from the air, but his sword strike was blocked, but he then got Brace into a grapple and Torger delivered two headbutts to him, continuing to shatter the bones that surround the sinus cavity. While the fight was going on, Antyr was attempting to remove the dagger that Brace threw that stuck into the support beam, but failed to do so, even with the red dragonborn in Brace's party attempting to do the same.

During this, The Creep began speaking into Brace's head and telling him that his master would claim his soul and it would please him, and then cast Charm Person on Brace, causing Brace to call out for the remainder of the fight, seeking the comforting voice that was speaking in his mind. Gaining the upper hand and continuing to fracture Brace's skull with more headbutts, Torger flipped him and with finesse, snapped his neck which was audibly heard throughout the tavern.

As Brace died, the whole tavern grew cold and dark, and Torger witnessed what appeared to be a dark figure with obsidian skin, horns and green eyes crouch over the body of Brace, pull his soul out, lock eyes with Torger and vanish. During this, time seemed to come to a standstill for everyone but The Creep and the figure that appeared in the pit and claimed Brace's soul approached and began speaking, and was revealed to be Creep's master, Graz'zt, the demonic prince of pleasure. He mentioned that the people The Creep found himself with didn't care for him and took pleasure in his torment, but revealed that the more they torment The Creep, the more powerful he'll become. He tasked The Creep that when the time was right he'd become a being of considerable power, showing him images of a colossal titan of elemental earth and would need to steal the luminspire and bring it to him. He placed a hand on The Creep's face who felt a surge of power.

As this figure vanished, the tavern returned to normal. Brace's body was retrieved and returned to his party member who immediately left the tavern, while Torger was paid his winnings. Grin flew over and pulled the dagger out of the wall and the group returned to the Crystal Palace Inn to regroup with the members they left behind and settle in to sleep.

As their sleep came to an end, and dawn began to break, The Creep approached the trancing Antyr and spoke in his mind. "I'm Alabaster Cromwell, it would seem we got off on the wrong foot." Frightened, Antyr snapped out of the trance and shouted for Grin.

## Featured Characters

### Player Characters

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

### Returning

* Beiro Peshan, half-elf proprietor of Peshan's Potions (Cathatuuin branch)

### New

* Brace, halfling who fought Torger in the Shadowstrike Saloon fighting pit
* Graz'zt
* Kevin, the owner of Kevin's Kebabs
* Rook, tabaxi who operates the underbar and fighting pit at the Shadowstrike Saloon
* Sten Harlow, odoben who operates the Quill and Tome
* Unnamed ghoul (encountered at the Shadowstrike Saloon)
* Unnamed human woman (encountered at the Shadowstrike Saloon)
* Unnamed red dragonborn (encountered at the Shadowstrike Saloon)
* Unnamed tiefling woman proprietor of the Shadowstrike Saloon

### Mentioned

* The Archmaw
* Kena Peshan (unnamed)
* King Oberon
* Oussa Farenta
* Sir Arthur Wordweave