Session 18 Report

General Summary

Malkuth has appeared in front of the party, delighted by how much fun he's been having watching them. For killing Nilanir at his command, Malkuth takes the dark orb they'd found in the Pit and offers it to Cecilia, although its noticeably different, pulsing with a dark energy. He promises it will grant her incredible power, if she has the strength of will to control it. Sunny protests, insisting they can't trust Malkuth and Mona warns her to be careful, but Cecilia brushes them aside and accepts the orb. It's absorbed into her body as if it were never there. Sunny is pissed.   As thanks for entertaining him and for getting rid of Nilanir, Malkuth allows each member of the fight to ask him one question. Colter goes first, having immediately recognized Malkuth's voice from his nightmares, as the dark presence that had followed him around since his time with the Peacekeepers. He wants to know why Malkuth had chosen him, why he had ruined his life. And his answer is unsatisfying and cruel - for nothing more the fun. Colter had been volitile, a perfect way to slip under the skin of those trying to quell chaos. There was potential for him to be quite the powerful toy for Malkuth and so he'd given him just a shard of his power. However, he offers to take it away, if Colter won't follow that path. He begs him to do it and the voices are taken from his head, as well as whatever power he'd been granted from Malkuth.   The rest of the party present their burning questions one by one, after a moment of hesitation: What is the Absence? Who is the cult they've been chasing? What does the Assembly have anything to do with all of this? And, true to his word, Malkuth answers - The Absence is an ancient force of magic, or rather, anti-magic. It's name is what it is - it is the absence of magic and seeks to consume all the Realms one by one. While in the past it was a significant threat to the Guardians, Malkuth no longer sees it as a problem. The Cultists are like flies with just shards and remnants of the Absence's power. The Assembly, meanwhile, knows about the cult and is allowing them to do what they will. They are after some kind of power that Malkuth cannot share - he would find himself in trouble with some higher power if he did.   When Grek asks, he asks about a friend named Eqho and Malkuth laughs at him, saying that the whole ordeal was related to the Absence and it had been rather funny to watch. This upsets the goblin and he rages, wanting to attack Malkuth, but Cecilia instead steps forward to speak again. She wants to strike up another deal with Malkuth - his help in recovering Akira for whatever he wants. Malkuth agrees, although warns her that he himself cannot bring him back, as death is not his domain, but he can give them assistance in fighting through the swamp, if, in return, she will come back here when she is done. She agrees and he gives her a trinket of bones and amethyst.   Malkuth leaves in laughter and purple flame when Silas asks him where the bathroom is. Sunny is pissed at Cecilia and confronts her about her choices, to accept the orb and strike up yet another deal with Malkuth. Brian, meanwhile, searches Nilanir's body and finds a strange crystal that Nilanir had used to read minds. Mona, relieved that everyone is okay, leads them outside.   She parts ways with them outside the town, promising that she'll be watching over them. With Grek and the goose in tow, they return to the Kobold camp, as Mona had promised them they'd be welcomed. They are, indeed, the Kobold overjoyed at their return, celebrations immediately kicking up. Imagine rushes up to Sunny, who is holding the goose, and thanks them for bringing back their Queen. The goose, who is in fact the Kobold Queen, is set down and reunited with her people.   A proper feast and party is quickly put together and they celebrate into the night, the Queen returned to her wild regalia, and the strong spirits served to whoever wishes to partake. Both Grek and Brian drink more then a little too much and Brian finds the goblin sitting away from the festivities. In a drunken rage, he tells Brian about his own past and sadness. He'd had a friend, Eqho, and they'd come from the mountains together with their friends, but Equo changed and tragedy struck. Most of them, including Grek, had been killed, but then he'd woken up, with only Eqho remaining. Seeing how different he'd become, Grek believed it to be Malkuth's work and began trying to unravel his work by attacking cultists. He needs to find Eqho now, and help him, but he can't return to Aviron, where they lived, or he'll be killed again. He then passes out on Brian's shoulder.   Meanwhile, Sunny talks to Imagine and some other Kobolds about how he'd once been in a circus. He shows off his contorsionism and Imagine is delighted, as they have Kobolds with unique talents like that. He wonders what if would be like, to have a Kobold circus, and Sunny offers to help them out, stick around for a while and teach them everything he knows. He breaks this news to the party in the morning, that he'll be staying with the Kobolds for now, and wishes them luck. Brian gives him his spoons and they exchange a soft, bittersweet farewell.   The party, with Colter once again a part of it, with Grek following, returns to the Reach. Grek parts ways with them as well, thanking them for freeing him. Brian slips away for a bit before returning, and the party leaves Nebula to return to the Wasteland.

Rewards Granted

Cecilia - Malkuth's Powers Brian - Crystal of Sightshare Warding Talisman