The session began with a cutscene from the past.
Lasdolon and
Nolveniss had a conversation in a library. Nolveniss was studying advanced transmutation magic. He claimed it was for the army Lasdolon was putting together, but there were elements he was hoping to use for himself.
Back in the current timeline, the Guardians of Golarion faced off against Nolveniss. The wizard had used his transmutation to change into a large, monstrous winged form. As mighty as Nolveniss thought he was, only through the grace of his mirror image was he able to survive as long as he did.
Kuuro eliminated many of those images,
Reh once again landed her Blindness spell, and
Godric was finally able to bury his blade in the wizard’s forehead, avenging
Shen in the process.
The creature's eyes rolled back in death. That didn't last long, when the eyes of the creature suddenly turned black, as did the gem in its forehead. It rose up, now possessed by the spirit of
Zalatas. The Celestial Dragon thanked them for providing a vessel for it and healed the group. It then gave them a choice - worship him or die. Those loyal to him would receive power and knowledge that only a true celestial could bestow. They simply had to spread the word of Zalatas, build a temple, and find the soul stones needed to free Zalatas once and for all.
- Godric and Telith opposed.
- Rooker took a pass on the offer but “all good mon.”
Zalatas told his “children” to kill the non-believers so they could leave. Kuuro told Zalatas the Guardians would be facing people who possessed soul stones and would stand a better chance of retrieving them with the party intact. Having said the right things, and being very diplomatic in the process, Zalatas seemed convinced. He warned his children not to betray him, transported them back to the material plane, and flew off into the night after giving Kuuro the shadow key.
The Guardians returned to Crying Leaf.
Eviana was elated at the news that Nolveniss was dead and the Guardians had the shadow key. Any drow still in the forest could not use the
Zirnakaynin gate to get home and were essentially trapped. Eviana told the Guardians they would be rewarded for their efforts and sacrifices. They cleaned up and rested in their lodge for the night.
The next day, Reh tracked down Fjord picking vegetables in the community garden. He was nervous because of the power unleashed that he was not in control of. He was afraid that it could happen again, and if it happened around his mother or children in the village, he couldn’t live with himself. Fjord said he had hoped they would have recovered Nolveniss’ spellbook since it contained the ritual that created the monster and probably had clues as to how he could be rid of it. Fjord suggested that maybe he could use the shadow key to go back to the Armageddon Echo and study in the library to find the information. Or use the key to open the Echo, step inside, toss the key back out, and let himself be unmade when the Echo collapsed during Earthfall. Reh tried to assure him that he would be safe for the time being and sang to him to calm him down.
That evening, the Guardians prepared for their victory banquet.
Kaerishiel came to visit them. He could not enter their dwelling and remained outside while he apologized. The drow twisted his pain and anger, manipulating him into doing what he did. He hated them for doing that and hating himself for killing his own men and attacking the Guardians. Rooker explained his own decision in not aiding Kaerisheil when he was being taken into the Echo. Kaerishiel acknowledged that he would have done the same thing. The greater good was why they did what they did.
Kaerishiel, now a vampire (and still detected as evil), said he would curb his hunger by hunting the drow that remained in the forest. Crying Leaf would be safe, but the people must never know he still existed in his current state. Rooker and Kaerishiel shook hands and the vampire disappeared into the night.
During the dinner, three royal soldiers from Kyonin’s capital Iadara arrived to present the Guardians with tokens of appreciation from
Queen Telandia Edasseril, leader of the elves of Kyonin. Once the items were presented,
Lantern Bearers entered and said that a drow was outside with a message for the Guardians, and only the Guardians.
The party went outside to meet with the messenger. The drow woman was face down in the dirt, with Lantern Bearers standing over her. She had a command word to deactivate the trap on the box containing the message, but would only do it for the Guardians. The box was from Lasdolon. The message within was for the Guardians. All guards, as well as Eviana, went back inside and left the drow woman named Kisari with the Guardians.
Inside the box was a small disc. When the disc was removed from the box an illusion sprang to life. Lasdolon sat on a stone throne. He stared at a metal-clad book in his hand that party recognized as the spellbook of Nolveniss. “We may not have shared a blood bond, but Nolveniss was my brother. And you killed him,” he said. “I plan on returning the favor. And not even death can save you from me.”
A drow woman walked into view cradling a large child wrapped in a blanket. She handed it to Lasdolon, who cradled the bundle and rocked it a few times. He kissed its forehead, then grabbed it by the throat and lifted it into the air. The blanket fell away, revealing not a baby but a dead halfling. Judging by its coloring, the body should have been more decayed than it was. Godric and Reh recognized it as Sakali’s body. The body starts to twitch and spasm involuntarily, but Lasdolon stared ahead with open hatred.
Suddenly the small head snapped back and a white light shone from the eyes, then the mouth. The drow woman took a step back and her hand moved to her sword. A black ring filled with stars appeared on the ground before the throne, and
Algolon the eidolon stepped out. Algolon looked at Lasdolon. The human tossed Sakali’s body at him, and a green beam of light ripped from Lasdolon’s right eye, striking the eidolon.
Algolon made no sound but seemed to be trying to escape the force of the beam that continued to burn into it. The jade light grew bright, and Algolon disappears in a flash. Lasdolon stared at the Guardians again, his right eye now a glowing green orb. He pulled off the robe and his illusion faded. No longer was he a human with peacock-patterned hair. He appeared as a bald drow with a glowing gem for an eye, filling the socket that Valarius had shot the eye out of. On his legs, he wore armor that bore a striking resemblance to the armor worn by the senior officer from the Kyonin military inside the building behind them. “The soul of a celestial guardian.” Lasdolon licked his fingers. “Tastes like strawberries,” he said. “You are not brave. You have merely forgotten the fear of death. I will reacquaint you.”
With that, the illusion faded.
