Session 184: Boons & Breathers

"Don't look a gift moose in the mouth"

General Summary

The party found themselves in a clearing in the woods of the Feywild.  They were unsure where they were, precisely, but could not afford to be picky.  Emlyn's brush with death had the group ill-at-ease, given how much was at stake in the battle ahead.  The group set up a watch and tried to get some rest.
During her shift, Chari spotted one of the ancient denizens of the Feywild.  The creature took the form of a deer, but of nearly twice the size.  Its antlers were adorned with candles that never seemed to flicker or fade.   Chari spotted it warily regarding the intruders, though it did not approach the campsite.  In that moment, as the two quietly locked eyes, the young monk made a decision.  She offered herself to the Hart of the Forest in exchange for whatever aid the fey creature could provide.  After a moment, the Hart vanished back into the woods, leaving Chari unsure if her plea had been answered.
All doubts were cast aside when a pair of wings emerged from the monk's back.  Bart, Jinn, and the rest of the party immediately knew that a deal of some sort had been struck, but now was not the time for admonitions.  They would take any help they could get.
Emlyn brought them back to Caelvoran and the group forged their way back towards the manor courtyard.  Outside, the crunch of stone and crack of splintering wood rang out as something heavy impacted outside the manor. The stench of rot was overwhelming. Among the shattered cobblestones stood an enormous mockery of life. Bone and flesh knit together, eyes milky white, wings tattered. The skeletal remains of once-familiar dragons, Velia and Irador, now horrifyingly constructed from pieces scavenged and left behind. Standing regally atop this abomination was a figure in a dark, velvet cloak and white porcelain mask. It was a silhouette the Dragon Punchers recognize from portraiture in Corveth  and the Raingardens of southern Khard. It was there that the final Usher of Seudihr, Death, the Gentle One, head of the Council of Voices, Messeneth Gelteneon, finally met them on the battlefield.
As they engaged their enemy, the slow horror of realization dawned on the Dragon Punchers. Both creatures had already taken damage prior to the group's arrival. Fearing their friends and loved ones may have taken foolhardy actions on their behalf, the party fought with greater determination. Velirador was felled once and for all. Then, with a flash of energy and a horrible, shuddering jolt, Messeneth enacted one final trick up her sleeve in an act of desperation.

Messeneth's Greeting
to the Dragon Punchers

"Look at you. You've all come so far since we first met back in Jarrow. How you've grown. Both in power and, I can only presume, as people. I'm proud of you. I really am. I underestimated you and you proved me wrong. You fought hard to be here. I know you're tired and angry and afraid. And that's alright. You've every right to be. But it's time to stop playing games, my darlings. This isn't about you, or your world. It's nothing personal. I'm not here to save you from yourselves or anything like that. Nothing so foolish. The end of all things, children, comes whether you will it or no. You can fight it, as you have been, or you can accept what little time you have left and savor those last precious moments you hold so dear. The choice is yours. I shan't think less of you for either.

Campaign

99 Problems

Protagonists

So'asna "Jinn" Mara'hid

Level 17 Elf Chaotic Neutral Rogue Assassin
(Runaway Prince)

109 / 109 HP

Chari Eleanor Cross

Sir Bartleby of Calicia

Micah of Nid

Report Date

05 Jun 2021