((Anders, Carina, Erik, Lars, Molle))
(Started with character building and updating.)
Over the next year the group had settled into trading between their home isles and Kintargo, mostly spending their off time in Kintargo.
Towards aututmn they began having nightmares that Kulupi had gotten away, snuck onto a ship and had also headed for foreign shores. The dreams grew more detailed and intense as time went on, with Kulupi taunting them and daring them to try to stop him.
“You thought me gone, but I yet live! I await your visit to the Scorpion Coast. Now... come to me! The Choke shall be your grave!”
With some research they figured out that the Scorpion Coast referred to a part of Osirion's coast, and the Choke to where a river once came out of the mountains near there. They also learnt that the Choke has been claimed by a group of desert giant bandits who overwhelmed and subjugated the kholos who dwelt in the territory before them.
They headed there, anchoring their ship in Sothis before heading up the River Sphinx to approximately the midpoint between the cursed town of Djefet and the city of An. There, on the east bank, a seemingly unremarkable dry riverbed winds further east into the mountains.
Traveling slowly and carefully so as to avoid heat exhaustion they reached the rugged cliffsides of the Shining Mountains after two days, heading towards a thin gorge that cuts into the cliffside.
Before reaching it, they encountered several giants leading several Kholo prisoners. A quick but brutal fight soon killed one of the giants and made the two others flee. After patching up the injured Kholos the group spoke to them, learning a bit about them, but realizing that there was more to learn. I.e.:
Influence 2 The kholos reveal that they’d been hoping to trick the desert giants and volunteered to be captured, all to be brought into the giants’ lair in the Choke so the Cactus Eaters could then escape and seek their missing kin; even though the kholos understand they’ll be outclassed by the giants, they hope that the daring nature of the plan and the giants’ arrogance would even the odds.
((Anders, Carina, Erik, Lars, Molle))
After talking further with the Kholos they learned that someone called the Slumbering King - an outsider and not a giant - now led the Desert Giants and had changed them from relatively peaceful to very aggressive raiders and bandits. Seeing how powerful the group was the Kholos handed out the reward for saving their kin to the group in advance, figuring that they couldn't lose.
The group then headed for the canyon. At it's end they found a trap, what seemed like four old friends were tied to stakes in front of the entrance, but they didn't fall for it, instead destroying it from afar. Trap disposed of they flew up the elevator shaft, deciding to not trust the instructions to 'call out and we will haul you up!'. Probably a wise decision as they noticed a big rockfall set up with a guard that failed to notice them in time to use it, but did manage to warn the other giants.
A hard fight is currently going on, and the group has only moments to save Bob before he succumbs to his wounds among the giants.
((Anders, Carina, Lars, Molle))
After a long and hard fight the last giants were finally brought down as the elevator they tried to flee in crashed to the ground where they were soon put to the torch.
We ended here.
((Anders, Carina, Erik, Lars, Molle))
After looting and resting up a bit the group flew up the elevator but were ambushed by a pair of Girtablilu hiding behind illusory walls on the way up. After a tough and confusing fight the ambushers were killed mere seconds before some of the flight magic was due to end, so they rushed up to the next level.
There they found another three Girtablilu and a strange long-snouted flying creature waiting, ready to attack them. After a long fight - with some commentary from their Nemesis, obviously enjoying watching the fight their opponents were put down.
Deciding to check out the rest of the level before heading up they found another batch of Girtablilu towards the rear. A brief exchange of spells led to a tenuous ceasefire. The group backed off, intending to return later to get the captives.
On heading up they found four copies of the Real Kulupi awaiting them, led by the their Nemesis, looking like Kulupi in his demon form. A long and hard fight followed, ending with most of the group dead, Fuega captured, and only Kostia and Shrieky making it out of The Choke alive. (They did figure out that there was something off with Kulupi, he didn't appear quite real, did only mental damage, and was vulnerable to mental damage. Most peculiar.)
On the way out they told the waiting Kholo about what had happened. The Kholo were sad that the captives were not freed, but at least all the giants were dead.
Kostia and Shrieky then headed for the Isles, intending to return with Tjippel and several new friends to get revenge. (I.e. ignore what I said about going straight to Kintargo.)
((Anders, Carina, Erik, Lars, Molle))
On the way to get their revenge, on a dark and foggy night, as the group stood on the poop deck while the rest of the crew rested below, a quintet of foes appeared out of the fog, landing on the main deck.
King Kulupi, his four lieutenants and his 'loyal servant' Fuega. Kulupi told the group to 'Surrender or DIE!'. The group declined, so Kulupi ordered his loyal servant to blast them all. Apparently Fuega misunderstood, as he instead targeted Kulupi and his liutenants.
After an intense fight that somehow didn't sink the ship they defeated first Kulupi and then his lieutenants. After the fight the bodies winked out of existence once no attention was paid to them.
As the bodies disappeared, a wave of raw occult power swept over them, bolstering them with supernatural energies that enhance their personal perceptions of self-worth, assurance, and destiny to become legendary. The legacy of their legendary deeds and worldly fame imparts new power to them. (See below)
No longer needing to head to Kulupi's lair, they turned around and headed for Kintargo where they intend to meed with the one that sent them the letter. On they way they took the opportunity to go shopping.
TODO: RK for Kulupi and the lieutenants.
TODO: Each of you got an
Netherwalk Incense, which you haven't needed to use, so drag one to your inventory if you haven't already done so.
TODO Each PC gains a bonus general feat, chosen from the following options: Armor Proficiency, Diehard, Fleet, Incredible Initiative, Shield Block, Toughness, or Weapon Proficiency. Pick one that matches your deeds.
((Anders, Carina, Erik, Lars, Molle))
Once in Kintargo the group, after a bit of r&r, went to meet with 'Auntie Hemlock' at The Tarry Imp. As expected, 'Auntie Hemlock' was in fact
who invited them to dine with her while they got to know each other. The party thoroughly impressed her, by the end of the first serving she was already convinced they were the real deal. After the meal was over and she had handed them a 'consulting fee' she apologized for her last request before signing them on, a short and entirely safe audition of sorts at a nearby theater she had recently purchased, the Swan's Shadow Theater.
The following day they met there, where she explained a bit about the illusionary scenes she had set up inside and they went in. They breezed through the Burning Ship, the Guardian Crows and the Fairy Battlefield. The last scene however, was clearly something else. Soon after they entered a theater where an illusory crowd waited for the show to start a
burst out of a hole in the floor of the stage and attacked them. After it was defeated they contacted Fallenta who asked them to please find the actors she had hired to portray enemies in the stage fight.
Under the stage they found a partially collapsed basement, leading on to the former workshop now filled with dolls animated by a haunt supported by several
After defeating them they followed the trail of the apparently wounded and fleeing actors to the den of
and several
The Final Herald, formerly a cultist of
Asmodeus, now a follower of the Ashen Man, she offered them a chance to leave so that they could be alive to see the end that the Ashen Man would soon bring to the world, but they declined, instead opting to kill her and save the prisoners.
That accomplished they looted everything and headed for the surface where Fallenta praised and rewarded them, offering them the position of coproducers, with a share in the profits.
TODO Roll recall knowledge for the Ashen Man (
DC 32 Occultism or
DC 32 Religion)
((Anders, Carina, Erik, Lars, Molle))
They again met with Fallenta the following day who, after asking them to retell their adventures with an eye to how to write the story of the opera, told them that she had a few tasks she needed help with while she wrote it.
The first was to book the venue, the Kintargo Opera House. It's currently owned by the church of Shelyn, with it's high priest Zachrin Vhast in charge of renting it out. As he is a very busy man, almost impossible to get an appointment with, but, she suggests a way for them to meet and impress him enough to agree to an audience. He is hosting a party to celebrate new and upcoming artists at the opera, which she has gotten you invitations for. Once there, mingle, impressing the other guests and Zachrin as best you can, angling for a private meeting towards the end of the night.
Dub Omb and Mr Stein made art to display at the party, the former a masterwork and the latter an incomplete piece.
At the party they were each separately approached and interviewed by the Smynnes, a pair of formidable art critics. They impressed the pair, but made comments that started off bickering between the pair, simmering constantly and occasionally flaring up.
They also examined some of the art, learning that the painting by Almidia Decarruf was worth 1500 gp, possibly making it worth buying at the auction.
The first half hour has passed.
((Anders, Carina, Erik, Lars, Molle))
Just as the first hour had passed there was a small commotion at the door when a disheveled beggar tried to enter the party. While Dub stepped into say that the 'beggar' was in fact the missing artist, Fuega noticed that one of the waiters seemed way too interested. Feeling paranoid, he used his True Sight to see that it was a shapeshifted creature of some type. Yelling out in warning led to a wild and destructive fight that raged throughout the first floor and basement of the opera. Two guests lost their life from the creature's attacks and several walls were wrecked before it was put down. Despite it all the priest agreed to see them the following day. They had after all clearly been trying to stop the monster. Though he did question the wisdom of firing off Lightning Bolts inside… The fete however, was clearly a disaster, for which they - unfairly or not - caught most of the blame.
The following day they met with him and - by mentioning that they worked for Fallenta - convinced him to give them the use of the opera.
Fallenta, while overjoyed to hear this, also had more problems for them. In the past she - like many others - had used a smuggling organization - the Dragonfly Society - to get herself out of Cheliax. There had been a dispute about whether she had paid enough, and now the organization had demanded control of her new opera as final payment. She had managed to convince them to instead let the group help them with a difficult problem.
The group agreed and took sail to Vyre - the city the group is headquartered in (aka the City of Masks, a hive of scum and villainy if there ever was one. A self-governing free port that promised privacy to those who could pay. A city of drugs, blood sports, gambling, and other hedonistic pleasures, Vyre serves as a place where the mighty can go to unwind, away from the intrigues and pressures of politics. Things have largely remained unchanged in Vyre since Ravounel’s secession.)
There they were - as arranged - met by Gideon Shanklett at The Seven Apples inn (an inn catering mostly to adventurers and similar ne'er-do-wells.) During the discussion they found that the society was a minor organization among many criminal organizations more or less running Vyre and that it - or perhaps more specifically Gideon - had lost an important cargo to a former society member who - as Gideon had taken her place - considered herself his nemesis.
He told them that he had tracked her down to a certain warehouse, but as it was in a part of Vyre his organization was not permitted to enter he needed outsiders to do the job for him.
Once there they scouted around for a bit before approaching it from the river side - by flying to the loading dock - where they entered the warehouse floor. It turned out to be guarded by a foul creature knows as a Furnerico which they eventually managed to kill. After checking out the place a bit they took the elevator down to the basement where they saw a symbol painted on the northern door meant to represent a skull wearing a bandanna over its lower face; its presence indicates that what lies beyond is the territory of a gang of thieves who call themselves the Graverobbers. They recalled rumors that this gang venerates Norgorber in his aspect as the Gray Master and had long been searching for a way to become more directly affiliated with the city’s Collectors of the Abattoir (whom many suspect aren’t servants of the psychopomp ushers but actually cultists of Norgorber).
Once they entered they were approached by some strange fungal creatures that proceeded to try to eat their magic while trying to rip them to bits.
We are currently in round 5 of that fight.
((Anders, Carina, Erik, Lars, Molle))
After the strange fungal creatures were downed the group proceeded towards a door in the back of the storehouse beyond which was an entrance to the sewers. They made their way across a rickety plank bridge to another door beyond which was a temple-like room, apparently a blasphemous Norgorber-inspired parody of a Shelyn temple. A number of undead Graverobbers lurked there, intent on ambushing the group. A fight broke out and the graverobbers were soon dispatched.
Alas, once the group defeated the wights, the peril in the room wasn’t over. Soon, the sound of someone screaming in anguish across a vast distance quickly evolves into a shrill howl of pain as it fills the room. A moment later, an unsettlingly familiar shape manifests, floating 5 feet above the pool. What seemed almost like Kululu's head, floating in the air, with some strange bony tendrils hanging below it said "I have found you! I am Pain. I am Torment. I am the Fulcrum of Blissful Suffering. I am also your legacy—born from the anguish caused by your conflict with your great enemy. I felt you as you struck down my shadow in that dusty old cavern, but now I stand before you in the tormented flesh, and now you will taste the fruits of that torment!” as it attacked.
It is just about to act.
((Anders, Carina, Erik, Lars, Molle))
After a fair amount of anguished screaming the last remnants of their Nemesis - an Anguish Siktempora - was cut down. It's death lifted a weight from their shoulders, giving them fresh energy.
The next room was a records room where four Graverobbers were digging through Lady Wormwood's papers. After a brief scuffle - leaving one Graverobber very thoroughly dead - the rest surrendered, telling the group a few things about what lay ahead before scurrying off, promising to leave town.
Beyond that lay a museum over Lady Wormwood's victims, 'guarded' by four more Graverobbers, who eagerly agreed to leave quietly when threatened. After they slunk out by the sewer entrance the group prepared itself for taking on Lady Wormwood.
They burst through the door to her room, surprising her and grabbing the initiative quickly enough that she barely had a chance to act before realizing that the fight was a lost cause and Translocating away to another hideout.
Finally they found her scrying room, guarded by several Shining Children that they soon put out.
After looting the place thoroughly they headed to Seven Apples to meet up with Gideon. While at first happy to hear that they had mostly succeeded, he soon grew distressed when he realized that not only was Lady Wormwood still alive, the original owners of the treasure (well, original thieves of it anyway) was the church of Norgorber. He foised off all the loot on them after advising them to leave it all at he docks with a note attached asking for forgiveness.
They didn't take his advice, instead heading back to Kintargo to split up the loot and confer with Fallenta, who was happy to finally be free of her old life. With that, she was ready to move on with the opera. After asking them a few more questions about their adventures, she asked them to help arrange a festival during which the coming opera would be announced. They helped out with various tasks and entertainments during the festival, which was a great success.
Fallenta told them that she had the perfect performer in mind for their Nemesis. The legendary singer Oriole. If the group could find the retired performer and convince her to join, that is.
After plenty of research the group figured out that Oriole was somewhere in the Shackles. As they have access to teleportation they headed for Port Peril where their continued research finally bore fruit, revealing that she had purchased the island Petrel's Perch where she had constructed a mansion.
They teleported to the island, finding that the doors and windows of the mansion are protected by a magical barrier of some sort, and that there was a wounded dinosaur lurking in the garden. They befriended the dinosaur by healing it, after which it ran off to devour the ones that had presumably brought it here to assault the mansion. A fight with the group plus the dinosaur against a flock of Shanty Chanters is currently raging.
((Anders, Carina, Erik, Lars, Molle))
After a lot of effort - and their new dinosaur friend dying a couple of times - they finally dispatched all the Shanty Chanters. With those out of the way their attention was drawn to the Gazebo, where they found a key.
This key turned out to make it possible to get into the mansion without being blown to bits by the harmonic barrier surrounding every entrance.
Dashing through the foyer - guarded by several statues - brought them to the Music Room where a seeming guest of Oriole and his trained birds tried to trick them into helping him get to the upper floor before his true nature as an evil fey was revealed and a fight started. When it was clear he was going to lose he surrendered, telling them of the siege on the mansion. He also told them about his boss Izhkarial, a powerful Brine Dragon who wanted to collect Oriole, and had sent various minions to accomplish that. Preferably before Izhkarial got tired of waiting and decided to intervene personally to speed things up.
After looting and resting up a bit the group opened the door to a corridor.
We ended here.
((Anders, Carina, Erik, Lars, Molle))
The first door they opened in the corridor turned out to contain a bathing old lady Imentesh (a type of Protean) named Grandmama who after the initial shock of someone bursting in while she was enjoying a bit of music while taking a luxuriously long bath, was mollified by the extplanation that the mansion was being attacked. With some reluctance she stayed behind instead of teleporting home, gifting a couple of useful items to the group to help them get rid of the invaders, including a clockwork spy with several recordings of Orioe's arias.
After leaving Grandmama they looked through the Dining Room and Parlor before trying to break down the barricaded door to the kitchen. On their failure to do so one of the shanty chanters inside released a lightning bolt through the door, and the fight was on. After a long chaotic fight the fey invaders were put down.
The last remaining room was guarded by four stone bulwarks, which the group commanded to accompany them using a control rod they had found in the parlor.
After that they used the clockwork spy to sing the force barrier open and proceeded to the upper floor.
Not long after they had entered the solarium on the upper floor the dragon Izhkarial made her dramatic entrance through the skylight above, demanding that they head back downstairs while Izhkarial took her new pet Oriole with her.
The group managed to convince her that Oriole was best left free to star in the new Opera - they offered the dragon a box seat if it were to come to the premiere, and Kostia (who had greatly impressed her) offered to come stay with Izhkarial in a decade or so. Izhkarial agreed, leaving behind a little something to help them with their work.
Once the dragon had left - bringing the few surviving fey with her - the group cleaned up the solarium as best they could before knocking on the door to what turned out to be Oriole's bedroom. Finally, Oriole called out, “Grandmama, are you fighting with the birds again? I told you, you can’t win against seagulls—” before they suddenly stop, taking stock of the scene. They size up the PCs, then says, “You know, darlings, I don’t think I invited any of you. Wherever you all came from, I suggest you go back there. Shoo.”
They explained to her what had been going on in her mansion and she agreed to listen to them. She explained that she had no intention of leaving her mansion, but agreed that if they could impress her with their theatrical abilities she would give it another go.
She instructed them to set up an improvised play about an extended family bickering over an inheritance. It turned out to be a spectacular success - despite a few notable mishaps - ending in one family member revealing it's true nature as a dragon, threatening to eat the rest of them - who were all by now all poisoned by another family member. The play impressed her enough that she told them to quit the adventuring business and instead concentrate on the stage where they would doubtless have a great career.
The following day, after rewarding them with several gifts from her collection of theatrical trophies, she used interplanar teleport through Elysium to bring them all to Kintargo.
There they all met up with Fallenta who took care of Oriole, setting her up with suitable quarters.
After the group had rested, retrained and shopped to their content they met with Fallenta again. It was decided that the opera would be a Spectacular named "Jewel of the Indigo Isles: The Opera".
With that out of the way Fallenta told them that it was time to get hold of some sponsors - both the make sure they had the budget they needed, and so the sponsors could begin spreading the word about the upcoming spectacular.
We ended here.
((Anders, Carina, Erik, Lars, Molle))
In a blitz of social activity they sweetened up and secured Aphigenia's "pet" Princess Sweetie; agreed to Davlu's demand to tone down the 'party up/party down' jokes; saved Eldonna's daughter Cadenza from a miserable opera career; eventually successfully dueled Ivran's Butler; agreed to insert a few choice code phrases from Milari into the script; convinced Ricovial to "give Oriole a chance at a comeback, so she can become a worthy adversary again"; refused Tevandi's various salmon-themed advertisment schemes; and finally agreed to Vaizeth's request to insert a helpful Zon-Kuthon priest into the 'defend the city' scene.
After a long and grueling series of interviews it was decided to cast Auselia, Ormund, Persechore, Vaum and Yerrix.
With the sponsors and cast sorted it was time to find a composer. As they had decided on an Opera Histria the choice to contact the famous Kazhiyya Teram was easy, as was using magic to get to Jalmeray. Convincing them was harder, but a great success, as they decided to also bring along their favourite musicians.
When they returned to Kintargo Fallenta gave them another list of tasks, starting with:
Obtain Skymetal Pigments: Sets are mostly handled (she insists that no illusion magic be used, practical effects only!) but the matte painters require some rare skymetal-infused pigments. These are most easily found in Riddleport, Varisia.
Replica Props: Not wanting the group to give up their distinctive gear to use as props, realistic copies must be procured. She recommends the skilled black market forger known as the Blade Witch, sometimes reachable through Kintargo's Newt Market, who, if found and persuaded, can doubtlessly create realistic props.
Also, Ivran Xerysis offered to teach them the normally Silver Ravens-exclusive ritual
Song of Silver (can only be taught by active Silver Ravens members.)
((Anders, Carina, Erik, Lars, Molle))
As the Blade Witch was local they decided to find her first. Once contacted she proved receptive to the idea of producing *legal* forgeries for them (though she still wished to remain uncredited, at least until she knew if this 'working within the law' thing was actually viable.)
With props handled they set out to acquire skymetal pigments. After a shadowy trip to Riddleport they thoroughly impressed their contact in the Gas Forges, Tromard, getting only the very best metals. He even threw in the leftover scraps of various metals instead of resmelting them.
Once back in Kintargo thei production's seamster and costumer, Fenton Vilorgo, contacted them with ideas for costumes. After some back and forth he settled on final designs, with the costume for the actor portraying Kostia looking especially glorious.
After that it was again time for travel, though not as far this time. Oriole asked for a twilight oriole pet. A particular kind of bird that she had always kept as a pet during performances. Her last oriole had passed away shortly before her retirement, and it felt too strange to be working on a performance without her lucky pet. After setting out to Ravounel Forest they realized that while it may not be far from Kintargo, the trackles forest took a long time to search through before finally finding and convincing an oriole to come with them. Once brought back to Oriole she was very pleased, and now the pair of orioles - bird and human - can often be heard singing to each other.
When they returned the found the opera house far more lively than before as rehearsals had started, actors, crew and musicians of all kinds are all over the place, doing various tasks. Of course, some of those tasks require assistance from adventurous sorts.
One such task was Fenton's desire to get Sarkorian lilies to use in the dye for Oriole's primary costume. Sarkorian lilies are a rare alchemical ingredient long thought extinct, but now that the Worldwound has closed they have begun appearing again. So, he asked the group to travel to distant Sarkoris - specifically the Bridespool Fen area - and bring some back. Even using their customary shadow roads travel to Sarkoris took about three days as it's well over a thousand miles away from Kintargo as the bird flies. Once there they spent some time traipsing through the sodden disease-ridden muck of the fen until one of them spotted a glistening armor on a corpse in the middle of a copse of dead trees. When they approached to investigate it the trees attacked, supported by several spellcasting ooze-like creatures and a tough fight ensued. We ended in the middle of the fight.
((Anders, Carina, Erik, Lars, Molle))
After a long and hard fight the group finally eradicated all the undead trees and ooze monsters so that they could acquire not only the Sarkorian lilies they had come to the fens for, but also the gear of what was most likely a paladin who had died fighting demons from the Worldwound.
Once back in Kintargo Fenton thanked them effusively, eyes shining as he imagined the glorious dress he would be able to make for Oriole.
While they spent some time resting and improving their gear Oriole had apparently prepared a present for them, handing over what is obviously a gift-wrapped staff with a smile, accompanied by her pet oriole. "It took me a while to acquire this little reward for you bringing my dear songbird to me, so, from both of us, hopefully this can be of use to you."
((Anders, Carina, Erik, Lars, Molle))
Not long after they returned the gang began investigating the haunting of the opera house. There had always been rumors it had been haunted, but over the last few days one stage hand had seen the ghostly figure of Barzillai Thrune on the stage, and something had been rearranging things in Oriole's room.
While looking into it they found a drawing of a dissected Oriole discarded in her room, and later that night while staking out the stage to catch the ghostly figure Fuega saw that it was just an illusion controlled by Fenton!
The next day they had a chat with Fenton that soon turned into an all out fight once he realized they had figured him out. Just as he was slain, time stopped. With the exception of an eerie creaking sound, as one of the non-creature mannequins steps down from its stand. As it does so, it becomes swathed in striped garments, garish robes, and an unsettling mask, clearly Norgorber himself, manifesting as Father Skinsaw, in their presence.
Father Skinsaw surveys the room, giving the PCs a cursory glance before he focuses on Fenton. Shadows wreath him like a cloak, and the empty mouth of his mask curves up into a smile as he takes a bow before he addresses Fenton in a deep, mellifluous voice.
“Well, this is a disappointment. You were so delightfully inventive, Fenton. A visionary, gone before his time—but no sense crying over spilled entrails, as they say. I’ll just be taking my due...”
He steps over to Fenton, reaches through his mask, and pulls out Fenton’s soul—a screaming, frightened, ghostly spirit. Fenton’s soul writhes for a few seconds, then is sucked into the soulfeeding mask his body wears. As Fenton’s body crumples to the floor, Father Skinsaw’s fingers close around the mask, which now glows softly and issues faint cries of torment in Fenton’s voice. Mask in hand, Father Skinsaw turns to regard the PCs at last and speaks to them.
“I’ll be taking this. I trust you won’t object; it was dedicated to me, after all. I’d stay and chat, but I have much to attend to. What’s that phrase you theater types are fond of? Oh yes—the show must go on.”
Father Skinsaw bows once more, and just before one might expect him to straighten back up, the mannequin simply collapses, lifeless and inert. Norgorber and the soulfeeding mask are gone, and the PCs can once again move. If any masque mannequins or Facade are still active, they crumple to the ground, inert and defeated as well.
A timeless instant later time stops again and Father Skinsaw reappears, "A shame. He had such a nice plan. Shame to see it go to waste. I guess I'll take over for a bit. See you later…" with that he disappears again and time restarts.
After healing they headed up, only to find that the reason their calls hadn't been answered is that the house is in an uproar. Someone has kidnapped Oriole!
Checking her room gives no real clues but Fenton's lodgings have the markings of a recently used teleportation circle. After using Sending to get a brief reply from Oriole that she was brought to Vyre by a masked creature of some kind and is currently in a basement filled with ritual paraphernalia, but has no further details to give.
The group teleports to Vyre, renting a room in the same inn as last time. There they research Fenton's origin, finding out that he used to have an opera diva girlfriend (Naillana Spirisio) when he worked at the Nightcrown Playhouse but neither have been seen for years. They also find he studied sculpting with a man named Therandis Mondiva who owns a wax museum in the Sanctuary neighborhood.
Them visiting Monniva Waxcraft to ask about Fenton triggers a chase as Therandis immediately flees when he realizes they're here about Fenton. After a long chase they catch the man and find out he's worried that Fenton's misdeeds will spill over on him. He always thought Fenton was creepy, but grew truly uncomfortable when he discovered horrific anatomical drawings concealed in Fenton’s workbench. When confronted, Fenton claimed they were simply for reference, but something about his manner alarmed Therandis, and he dismissed Fenton from his tutelage and has since worried that he had harbored a serial killer.
He directs them towards the Final Throw, a casino where he knew Fenton owed a lot of money when he left Vyre. While frantically packing up for leaving Vyre he tries to buy their silence with a few items.
Once at the casino it turns out that getting an audience with it's owner Mera Bantikere isn't easy. Eventually they are roped into acting as entertainers as she always personally pays entertainers.
The entertainment proceeds in three rounds.
The first round they are contestants in a game of Three-Devil Draw with the blatantly cheating Silverhand Salvo. They neatly beat him, until he reveals an implausibly large score at the end of the game. Their protests are ignored, but the crowd loves the drama.
The second round is to be a display of their skills at animal wrangling rather than card wrangling as one of them is to lead the cranky deinonychus through an obstacle course.
We ended here (the group has 3 Entertainment Points).
Session 17, 2025-02-25
((Anders, Erik, Lars, Molle))
Fuega expertly wrangled Coral through the agility course, ending with an impressive dismount.
After a reset of the ring into an arena it was time for the final challenge, a fight against Steampuff the Clockwork Dragon, which was soon smashed into it's component gears after an array of impressive actions by the group to the cheering of the audience.
After bowing and scooping up the massive jackpot they had won they were ushered into a meeting with Mera.
We ended here (with the assumption that shopping will be available before they move on, orders were laid for major purchases that will arrive in a few days.)
((Anders, Erik, Lars, Molle)
During the meeting with Mera they learned that Fenton had left the (worthless) deed to a decrepit and hauntd old textile factory as surety for his debts. On realizing that he was not about to return from his wonderful new job with money in hand Mera had researched him a bit further, realizing that he was a Father Skinsaw cultist. She happily gave them the address to the factory, suggesting that they could take whatever they found there. If she ever tried to make some gains from the deed, demolishing the building would probably be the first step anyway.
With that - and the realization that they had probably just spoken to one of the Masks of Vyre - they headed for Graymire Textiles. On approaching it they were attacked by several Spiders of Leng variants who they soon dispatched. Going through a hole in the roof into the spider's lair they were hit by a trap on checking the door to the outside before finding what appeared to be a pair of human spider victims wrapped in spider silk cocoons. Alas, they turned out to be Jorogumo DIsciples. After a hard fight they too were put down.
The next room was a showroom where - perhaps not unexpectedly - several mannikins turned out to be Masque Mannequin constructs intent on turning the party into more masque mannikins. With some difficulty they party managed to smash them to bits.
Finally the group entered the factory floor, only for all the machinery to whir to life, trying to snag and crush whoever was closest. Luckily they had the keys from Fenton, so they simply turned off the machines using the control panel before anyone was killed.
We ended here.
((Anders, Carina, Erik, Lars, Molle))
The room beyond the factory turned out to be a theater with a stage on which a waxen effigy of stood, howling. While fighting it they realized that it was an effigy of Niallana. Having some of her posessions they figured out they could distract her with them, making it fairly easy to destroy.
After heading up the stairs they found themselve in what was probably once the mending room, but was now a dissection room of sorts. Several Jorogumo were in the process of making a haunt from a dissected half-elf. The spectral opera haunt and the Jorogumo tried but failed to exterminate the group.
Beyond that was the design room, where several Tormented were holding a strange creature in a dress captive in a cell. After a fight the group took down the Tormented and reunited the creature - which turned out to be the last remnants of Niallana with the things they had picked up earlier as well as the mask from the effigy, causing her soul to be freed from her undead body, which fell to the floor as her soul headed for the afterlife.
We ended here.
((Anders, Carina, Erik, Lars, Molle))
The storage room turned out to - beyond various rotted bits of cloth - have a malfunctioning teleportation circle that summoned several demons while a tongue-toothed creature beyond an interdimensional rift also attacked the group while trying to teleport them through it. After a long and difficult fight they managed to kill the demons, which disabled the rift, revealing a malfunctioning teleportation circle. When they examined it they realized that it was a failed attempt to build a permanent teleportation circle, that had a chance of warping whatever was sent through it. Just then, the teleporter got hold of Mr Stein and sent him through. The rest of the group swiftly followed, figuring it was better for everyone to be wherever he was sent.
Wherever turned out to be the basement of the house, in a room where several of Fenton's Faithful proceeded to try to warp them, but were soon dispatched.
We ended here.
((Anders, Carina, Erik, Lars, Molle))
Fenton's Faithful proved to not be much of a problem, though resources were certainly beginning to run low for the group.
The Spinning room with three Karumzek Priests proved more troublesome, but the group was strong enough that one of the group fled past the boiler in the next room, presumably to warn the inhabitants of the last room. This brought the Animated Boiler in the engine room into play, turning it into a very difficult fight.
In the last room something that pretended to be Fenton awaited them along with another batch of Masque Mannequins. After another tough fight they put them all down, freed Oriole and looted the place.
On the way out they talked to Mera, telling her most of what had happened (and later sent her an invitation to the Opera.)
Back in Kintargo they had a bit of free time before Hell Month started which they spent resting and shopping.
They met Duvall Wolfsgeheul, a friend of Zachrin Vhast who had been quite helpful to the opera while they had been gone, stepping to help out wherever he could. He is a traveling Shelynite and opera aficionado nephilim in his thirties, born in Nidal and raised by Shelynite fugitives. He left his birthplace young to travel the world, during which he developed an appreciation for art and performances of many different regions and cultures. About 10 years ago, he traveled to Nirvana and took up residence there to study divine magic and rituals under various azatas before homesickness brought him back to Golarion. He and Zachrin Vhast quickly found kinship in one another due to their shared experience in Nidal, and through that relationship, he met Fallenta.
Fallenta told them that she had more or less turned over the day to day organizing of things to Duvall while she handled negotiations with external contacts before rushing off to yet another meeting. While showing them all that had been done Duvall told them that there still remained plenty of things to do. Fallenta had mentioned the invitation list for the premiere must be finalized soon so they can be delivered on time. The stage crew needs help getting sets and rigging in place for technical rehearsals. The costume makers could also use some extra hands for needlework. Also, High priest Vhast will provide a blessing for the production. Final rehearsals start on Toilday three weeks hence. The fourth and last week before the premiere are for dress rehearsals and promotions. There’s also a private dinner party with the sponsors the evening before the premiere. As producers, Fallenta suggests at least one of you should attend. It would be best if all of you did.
When Hell Month started they were indeed roped into helping out with the invitation, morales support, helping the tailors and acting as stage technicians, which the group fell to with gusto, completing everything perfectly well ahead of time.
We ended here.
((Anders, Carina, Erik, Lars, Molle))
During the second week the ritual was successfully completed, along with getting Shensen to became a sponsor, the magical effects were set up, and the cult's plan to poison the cast and crew was completely foiled.
The third week was mostly spent on rooting out all traces of the Norgorber cult in Kintargo, with balancing the budget and helping Oriole regain her confidence rounding out the week.
The fourth week started with the realization that the climactic fight during the third act felt flat, the scene just didn't work. The decision was made to have the group do a stage fight to show the performers how a fight should be done. Duvall brought in some friends he had made in Nirvana to play their opponents. They turned out to be several opera-crazy super-fan Tabellia angels who performed their roles as "evil devils" with gusto, and were soon defeated by the group to the cheers of the cast and crew watching the performance.
Enthused by seeing the fight, Oriole suggested they all get matching tattoos, saying that she knew *just* the right tattooist to have them done. A quick pair of interplanar teleports (via the First World) brought them to Absalom where at the end of a night of carousing Arhan Benimaya gave them all tattoos of a devil with angel's wings.
In the morning when they woke up back in Kintargo they realized that the tattoos had somehow become variant True Faith Tattoos.
We ended here.
((Anders, Carina, Erik, Lars, Molle))
After a well-deserved period of rest and recuperation (and shopping) they realized that someone was scrying on them. After several blocks communication was established with Delaraius Solzakarr (King of Keys, Warden of Dunrock and, most importantly, high priest of Norgorber). After some back and forth the group headed to Vyre where they met with Delaraius in the abandoned factory. (But not before finding out that Mera Mantikere had gone to ground and was nowhere to be found.)
There he told them that we now live in strange times. A god has died, and another, my own Norgorber, capitalizes upon this death in ways unpredicted and unknowable to we who worship. Manifestations of his aspects have surreptitiously infiltrated my city and work in secret on a task I fear might bode ill for Vyre, if not all of Ravounel and beyond. And so you see, I am a man torn between loyalty to my faith and loyalty to my home. My suspicion is that, somehow, the four manifestations plot against my god, somehow set free on their own accord by the devastation wreaked upon reality by Gorum’s death. While the manifestations appear to be working for themselves and not Norgorber, I cannot be sure. It is not my place to directly question the will of my god. You are not so hampered, though, are you? And your goals in Kintargo aren’t so different from mine here in Vyre, yes? Safety and security for our homes? We both want these manifestations to leave us alone. The god of war is dead, and all who worship should be wary. These are strange times, and strange times call for strange allies. I believe my god broke the war shard into four fragments and delivered one each to the manifestations here in Vyre, but what came of those fragments I can’t say—this is yet another secret kept from me. I suggest you start with the manifestation of Blackfingers, for the location of his lair is the only one I have suspicions of. The others dwell in lairs unknown to me.
To aid them he lent them a wand of Massacre 'A favorite item of mine, I have often found it useful. Do bring it back though. It has sentimental value.' as well as a folder with several dozen hand-written and unbound pages titled A History of Secrets, with the admonition 'My god is the god of secrets, and will not sit idly by if his own secrets are spread far and wide. I suspect that as long as you keep what you discover to yourselves and, I suppose, to powerful agents of my faith, you’ll be fine, but the more you spread around and make public what you discover, the more likely it is that Norgorber will become angry and be forced to act.'
Having the location of Blackfinger's lab they decided to head there immediately, leaving further research for later.
After descending through a hidden trapdoor in an abandoned building about a hundred feet down they found themselves in a brick-lined corridor leading to a room guarded by several spider-like creatures that immediately attacked.
Beyond that the doors led to a room with a long table filled with various alchemical equipment which turned out to be a puzzle to open the magical barrier to the east. While Dub was handling that the others looked around to the north, opening and searching through several prison cells.
Once the barrier fell they proceeded, finding themselves in an operation theater where Blackfingers was apparently lecturing to a crowd. Blackfingers invited them to join him in the operating theatre, asking them to help him taste test several flasks in return for some information. Dub aced this easily, but yet, eventually Blackfingers put away it's notes and said "Very well—it’s time to examine your entrails, my friends, to see firsthand how my concoctions have damaged you from the inside out." before attacking along with some audience members (the rest remain insubstantial, booing whenever Blackfingers is hit, or cheering when he hits someone).
We ended in the middle of the fight, right after Kostia cast Moment of Renewal, refreshing and healing the entire group, to the clear - and loud - displeasure of the audience.
(Anders, Carina, Erik, Lars, Molle))
Unfortunately for Blackfingers Fuega had prepared several Quandaries, so they mopped the floor with the remaining Blackfinger's Mask, buffed themselves and then waited impatiently for the avatar to finally find it's way back. Once back the avatar was solidly trounced in record time.
Before leaving they made sure to thoroughly research the Archive, learning several useful things, including the location of The Gray Master's Gauntlet (they had previously found the location of Father Skinsaw's Dungeon. (See the map of Vyre.)
After returning to the surface they went shopping, intending to do more research later.
((Anders, Carina, Erik, Lars, Molle))
The next day they headed for the Gray Master's Gauntlet, where they bypassed the trap-filled labyrinth with little trouble, swiftly wiped out the Masks of the Gray Master in the Meeting Suite (and plundering the notes and papers for future research). On discovering the Bone Pit and it's inhabitants they somehow refrained from wiping out the undeads resting there, instead talking to them and helping them put the restless spirits preventing them from resting at ease by entertaining them, learning some useful information along the way.
After that it was on to the the master's den where he had prepared a nasty ambush, that was unfortunately - for him - mostly nullified by the group *also* having mass teleportation abilities, so he had to resort to just plain fighting them.
We ended in the middle of the fight.
((Anders, Carina, Erik, Lars, Molle))
After taking out the Gray Master they cleared the traps and looted Graymist and the rest of his treasure.
After a few days of research they found an invitation to visit with the Reaper of Reputations had impossibly been inserted between some pages they had just read. As the Reaper said that they should come to him with as much knowledge as possible, they decided to go there last, instead going to Father Skinsaw's Dungeon.
Not long after entering the prison they found the Skinsaw Masks and soon wiped them out. They had only barely done that when Simandu ambushed them. When it was clear that it was outclassed by them it surrendered, revealing many secrets to them in return for being spared. (They teleported it to the swamp they had visited earlier.)
We ended here.
((Anders, Carina, Erik, Lars))
After a brief pause they continued to search the prison, deciding to ignore the strange skinclock they found on one cell wall in favor of clearing the floor first.
Probably a wise decision given that the Razorbones they found in an old interrogation room was hard enough to kill when it wasn't attacking them from behind during another fight…
Once it was finally put to rest Dub quickly figured out the first skin clock, but the second one proved far harder - and deadlier. After a lot of goblin blood was spilled they finally managed to open the door, beyond which they saw:
Implements of torture—iron maidens, stretching racks, chains, racks of weapons, and horrific tools—have been pushed aside to the walls to make room at the center for a horrific-looking display of body parts mounted on a twisted frame of wood and metal that almost looks like an orrery made of gore and pain. The body parts drip with fresh blood while others reek of long days spent in decay.
Father Skinsaw turns away from his device to regard them. He appears the same as he did in the previous adventure when Norgorber intervened to claim Fenton’s mask, and that mask still hangs from a hook on his belt like a trophy. Father Skinsaw spreads his arms wide in welcome and greets the PCs warmly, asking if they like his collection as he indicates the body parts mounted on his device. He takes time to explain what he admires about each piece on his wall, then laments that they pale in comparison to the works he used to produce.
“You have been in contact with my brothers and my father. It pains me that they think of me as a butcher when, truly, I am an artist. They think what I enjoy is the cutting and sawing. No, no, that is not what I enjoy. The part that fulfills is the texture of the materials in my hands as I work. Warm until cold, yielding softly to the edge, with life frozen in its final moment, forever preserved. I doubt you could conceive of a greater fate, your own lives immortalized by my hand.”
We ended here.
((Anders, Carina, Erik, Lars, Molle))
(First session using foundry v13)
After a long discussion on the merits and practices of various forms of interrogation and vivisection Father Skinsaw giggled in excitement and attacked along with several of his 'artworks'. A tough fight followed, resulting in Father Skinsaw melting into a pool of blood, leaving his cape behind and his artworks dismantled.
This done the group returned to Vyre to rest up and prepare via shopping and more research for entering the Reaper's Library.
There they soon found the people mentioned in the letter. The first dealt with the 'guest' who not long after they declined to share a meal with him soon turned out to be a Rakshasa, who was soon put down.
That done they headed for the listless scribes to brighten their day, with great success, prompting the scribes to assist them in researching the Memory Troves.
With that accomplished the forcewall at the end of the room dropped and they got to meet the Reaper of Reputation.
He told them “I hope my brothers haven’t or won’t cause you much distress. We manifestations are duplications of those that made the mortal that became Norgorber. In shaping us from his memories of them, we take up their faces, demeanors, and motivations. Not all of us are equally pleased with this situation, as you may have noticed, but personally, I enjoy this moment of autonomy. Unlike my brothers, I do not wish to impose my desires on Father. I love him as he is, and I cannot condone that he might seek to destroy himself. Therefore I... sit opposed from him. That is all the strength I have at the time, and I hope by trading in secrets you might be able to help.”
After a fair deal of back and forth they had thoroughly impressed him with their research, making him reward them with White Cleome's Eye.
Just after that he looked up and told them, "It seems you have been noticed. Good luck." With that the ambient light in the area suddenly reddened and dimmed as if the sun were setting. Sounds muffled before going silent as darkness engulfed them, and then in that darkness, everyone suddenly feels an intense feeling of vertigo combined with the conviction that someone or something very powerful is watching them. The light and sound returned within moments, revealing that they’re somewhere else entirely. Despite feeling as if no time at all has passed they felt as refreshed as if they had slept a full night.
They seemed to be in a dungeon - Dunrock Prison specifically - witnessing what turned out to be the goddess
Sivanah marrying Jax and Cleome, with Thamir acting as witness. Norgorber stepped out of the shadows behind them and told them “I was not here to witness what The Seventh Veil did for the bride and groom, this favor of allowing them to be wed not long before the groom’s death. She has seen fit to share this memory with me, and I come here often to watch, and I like to think it is accurate. Contracts made in secret, be they marriages or something else, are my favorites. But you are no strangers to secrets. Tell me, do you know the names of the groom, the bride, and the witness?”
After they responded correctly Norgorber replied “Secrets are only such if someone remains to keep them in mind; thank you for carrying their secret in your hearts.” He then vanished and the memory faded, transporting the PCs to their next destination along with the now awakened White Cleome's Eye.
Their next destination was an arena seemingly serving as a court this day. The goodess
Gyronna serving as judge and they were apparently to serve as juries during the trial of Delaraius Solzakarr. While Norgorber quietly watched from the back, Gyronna told them “This man’s ancestors brought misery to Vyre, to an extent that has rarely been matched. Since those ancestors faced no trial or punishment, this man, the last of his line, must answer. What say you, my jurors? Should this man be slain, or shall we forgive him?” They voted to kill him, and were ordered to execute him, but, as they entered the arena they noticed the strings connecting him to his ancestors and they began destroying the strings. When this started several watching Zimizeks activated, trying to stop the group while Gyronna shrieks in frustration. “Wrong! He is to be executed, and you at his side for betraying your roles!”
It was not long until they had destroyed all four strings, awakening Retribution, freeing Delariaus from his ties to his ancestors and sending him back to Vyre. As he faded away Norgorber acted for the first time in the encounter by standing, giving the PCs a long cold stare from his empty hood, and then vanishing, leaving behind a complicated sensation of gratitude and anger as the world again faded.
When the world returned they were sitting in an operating theater, watching a young Norgorber attempting alchemy watched over by the halfling god
Thamir Gixx. Appearing near them Norgorber said “I remember this lesson with a mix of fondness and frustration. He tried so hard to get me to master this toxin, but I never did manage it. My error seems so obvious to me today, but I wonder... can you catch my mistake?”
Their assistance made it possible for young Norgorber to complete the concoction (by whispering an important lie to it), impressing Norgorber greatly, as well as Thamir who notices them for the first time, nodding with approval as Red Hand's Satchel awakens while the world fades.
This time they are on the deck of a ship flying merchant flags, with each of them in the role of one of the crew. It turns out to be a ship heading to where Vyre would one day be founded. A rogue wave threatens to destroy the ship but the manage to save the ship.
Soon they find themselves on the shore, enjoying the calm after storm, one of them wearing the now awakened Graymist, seated with some others on large lengths of driftwood on a beach at sunset. Seated with them was the same young boy with an eye patch whom they saw in the previous vision, clapping in delight, telling them they did well in recounting the old heroic story of House Gorb’s first arrival on Vyre Island.
Young Norgorber then fades into shadows, and a moment later, he’s replaced by the intimidating cloaked figure he’s known as today, looming high over the seated PCs. The waves of the ocean grow violent once again, and Norgorber speaks once more.
“You know much about me, mortals. Too much. I think it’s time for you to learn the rewards of all those who pry too deeply into knowledge that doesn’t concern them. But since you seem so interested in my past, let us see how you fare against those who brought my family to Vyre’s shores so long ago... and the one who I keep to this day as one of my favored pets!”
As he finishes speaking, a new wave surges in, and a moment later, the PCs are adrift at sea with no land in sight. Norgorber looms impossibly large on the horizon. The ocean they find themselves in is miles deep, and the waves are rough. Worse, they aren’t alone in this ocean. Bearing down on them are ships flying the spider flag of House Gorb, carried forward on an immense surge of water. As combat begins, these ships resolve into the form of a pair of bone ships moving toward the PCs at either side of the wave, which rises up into a humanoid shape—Norgorber’s legendary ally, Venomfist.
We ended here.
((Anders, Carina, Erik, Lars, Molle))
After a long and stormy night^H^H^H^H^Hfight the flying ships were downed and sunk and Venomfist was thoroughly blown to bits.
As the corpses started to sink, the world changed yet again, dissolving into nothing, with only a brick archway partially filled with cobwebs in front of you, through which you can see an alleyway in a city on a foggy night. You feel you are somewhere deep below the surface, not in another dream world, but, also, not on Golarion.
((Anders, Carina, Erik, Lars, Molle))
The portal soon pulled them through to a dark and shadowy near-copy of Vyre in Norgorber's own plane,Duskfathom. There they were met by Norgorber who said that normally he would have had them slain, but in this new era in which a god of war is dead, he instead had brought them there to try to understand them.
He switched to the form of his younger self Jaxter Gorb so as to be anonyomus asked them to accompany him on a stroll through the city - with several stops at interesting places - while they talked. During the walk they thoroughly impressed him by how they handled the small challenges he set them and seemed to enjoy the conversation. After the final stop at an opera house that was performing a less successful variant of their opera he brought them to the Lighthouse of Eternal Evening and asked them to go take care of his own creation - The Prince of Propaganda - as he had come to wonder if creating it was not a good idea, and had decided to test it by allowing them to stop the new god if they could. (While ostensibly neutral he clearly hoped they would succeed in doing so, giving them many hints on what they would encounter.)
Stepping onto the light beam from the lighthouse transported them to the Gorb manor as it was back in the past. After some exploration they found the various memories of Jaxter Gorb and interacted successfully with them, eventually stepping out into the garden to call for The Prince of Propanda. When he appeared they managed to talk the irate god down from causing unneccessary wars and instead be subsumed back into the original Norgorber.
With the Prince of Propaganda defeated, either through words or force, House Gorb burns to ashes all around them. A moment later, they once again stand in Norgorber’s presence at the top of the Lighthouse of Eternal Evening. With the Prince’s defeat, those memories and divine essences return to the source, allowing Norgorber to realize that his old memories as Jaxter were able to manipulate him subconsciously to not only avoid destroying the meddling mortals, but to coax them on the path they took. The god is confused and at odds as to what this means, and it will take him many years to sort out his internal conflicts. For now, he regards them silently for a moment, then bows his head as a soft lullaby issues from the depths of his hood, a requiem both for Jaxter and for the Prince of Propaganda.
“Oh Little Spider all alone
Behold how far you’ve strayed from home
The River’s flow and silver song
Recall you to familiar shores
Name effaced
Memories fade
Back to the cradle you were born.”
A sense of melancholy washes over them, soon replaced by fear as Norgorber rises to his full height. A moment later, he produces the warshard of Gorum he stole, four small divots missing from its face where he gave fragments to his manifestations. Norgorber closes his fist around the warshard, and it crumbles away into a dozen doses of ashes of the war god that he simply flings into the air to scatter across Duskfathom.
He then turns to face them. By helping to defeat the notion of becoming a pantheon, they have enhanced Norgorber’s acceptance of himself, and whether they intended it or not, this outcome makes Norgorber more powerful than before. No longer are his aspects clashing. Now, the god is once more of a single mind. He speaks again, this time to them.
“The time has come for you to leave Duskfathom and never return. You have shown me the error of my ways, and in doing so, prevented a spread of lies and propaganda that would have torn your world apart.
“But war is still coming to your world. Gorum’s death will spread like an infection through all of your lives. I will no longer seek to profit from what is coming, nor do I desire to manipulate conflict where none yet exist. Yet do not assume you have won peace for your world today.
“In all that I have learned about you and in all you have learned about me, to have it end in ashes would forever erase the story you have written tonight. Go, before it is too late. Run. Hide. Live while you can. You have my secrets. What you do with them is for you to decide, but know I am always watching.”
With that, they return in the blink of an eye to their home, appearing on the stage of the Kintargo Opera House. In the time they’ve been gone, their crew has worked to clean and repair the place—the holes punched in the roof and stage from Gorum’s warshard are patched, yet there will always be a strange divot in the underworld’s floor below.
When they arrive, they aren’t quite alone. One figure waits for them in the front row—a familiar face. Duvall. As they arrive, he rises and gives them a standing ovation, then floats into the air to land lightly on the stage at their side—transforming as he does into a vision of beauty. Once again they face a god onstage, but this time, it’s Shelyn, goddess of art.
Shelyn thanks them not only for the amazing show they put on, but for what they’ve done to turn Norgorber from his destructive path. The divine—even those born into it—are susceptible to change, a sentiment slowly being acknowledged after Godsrain. Some live. Some die. Some make mistakes. And some even manage to learn from those mistakes. After taking a moment to reflect in silence, Shelyn cheerfully asks if the heroes have any plans for a sequel to their opera?
As the curtains close and the credits begin to roll we see the future of the group and some of the people they met.
The opera and it's crew goes on to amazing success, forming a new school of opera.
Delaraius remains the high priest of Norgorber, though the mercy shown him seems to get him to try to turn his god's worship in a new direction.
Dub Omb turns to perfecting the craft of theatrical special explosive effects, eventually creating the Goblin Light & Explosions corporation that assists many a bomb-filled (multi) stage success.
Tjippel takes up the leadership of the Silver Ravens, helping spread freedom (to PAAARTY!) across the continent along with her loyal assistant Fuega (who is totally not a thug, torturer and secret Norgorber fancier). Shrieky occasionally drops by when his further undead-hunting hijinx allow.
Kostia sets up the greatest secret library known to man. Not that a lot of people know about it. Secret you know. And trapped. Oh so very much trapped. Ingenious deadly mechanical contraptions, all bearing the mark of Mr Stein's Trap Emporium.
At last, just before the end, a fat lady starts to sing. (For, as we all know, it's not over until the fat lady sings.)
So, let us finish with this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeUmlFtLoBI