Aftermath and Absolution

Written by Chrundle_the_Great

General Summary

After recovering from their near-death escape from Redgaard, four men escort the weakened knight Euclid back to the Candle Colony's stronghold, Camp Dawn. Secrets are laid bare, accusations are levelled, and strange powers are invoked.

Session Notes

• The group rests in Emberwood Village, but Euclid's condition is worsening
1. Eyes opaque, teeth bloodstained, he cannot eat or drink
2. Despite his pain, he suffers the contamination in silence
• When asked, he urges the group to return him to the Silver Order
1. Also, he agrees to speak with the Hooded Lanterns on neutral ground after receiving the Beacon's miraculous healing
• The group travels around the city and the Haze towards the knights' base
• They share the following information about the Candle Colony:
1. The Divine Matriarch, head of the Sacred Flame, appointed the Beacon to found a new nation in Westemär and to spread the Elyrian faith
2. Flamekeepers and Candlekeepers are priests, predominantly women
3. Moths are secular settlers, mostly merchants and fortune-seekers
4. The Silver Order are knights seeking to eradicate darkness
• The group finds Camp Dawn, a mobile stronghold near the Drann River, surrounded by palisades and patrolled by many knights and squires
• Flamekeeper Drahg, excitable priest who stutters through his sermons
1. He leads the group to the Silver Order encampment
• The group waits for permission to enter the heavily-guarded gates
• Sirs Francisco and Yusuf, Silver Order knights and Sacred Flame paladins
1. They take Euclid away to be debriefed and healed
2. "The Knight-Captain doesn't trade lives. No price is too high."
3. They theorize that the Queen's Men would have ransomed Euclid
• Upon hearing that the hoppers still live, the knights immediately mobilize
• They speak with some Flamekeepers, who ask Euclid about his mission
• The group reconnects with Bogdan and Mildred of the Pins & Clubs
1. "I feel hazy. Like myself again. Maybe stronger in some ways."
2. Mildred was cured of her contamination and skin-rot
• Flamekeeper Ibai Garcia, fervent priest, also known as the Accuser
1. "You will stand trial for abandoning a regiment and for making deals with delerium-beasts."
2. After questioning Euclid, he calls for an inquisition against the group
• Euclid is guilt-ridden and frustrated by the Flamekeeper's public accusation
• Kragan confronts the knight, but Euclid's brothers-in-arms intervene
• Mikel, owner of the town's best delicatessen, offers perspective for the trial
1. "Even corpses contain some of the fire. In their eyes, abandoning them is as good as daming their souls."
2. Few knights have died, and knight-mutts are exceedingly dangerous
3. Finally, the inquisition justifies retrieving Euclid's regiment
• The group goes to the Lighthouse, the audience hall for their trial
• The Flamekeepers and Silver Order are all grateful for Euclid's return
• However, the Accuser shows the group's "lack of honor" with his questions
1. He argues the group were incapable of fulfilling obligations to the Queen's Men, the Hooded Lanterns, and the hoppers
2. He proposes sewing their mouths shut until they provide several years of service to the Sacred Flame
• Knight-Captain Theodore Marshall, battle-scarred leader of the Silver Order
1. "Ibai, waste your fervor on these theatrics after we save my brothers."
2. He returns the group's weapons and takes them outside
3. After marking the hoppers' location, he and his knights ride for the city
• Before leaving, he mentions a quest to repair relations with the Queen's Men
1. The Queen's Men seek a shipment from a ghost galleon on the river
2. He suggests tackling the mission before he exterminates the hoppers
• The Beacon, unassuming elven priestess and leader of the Candle Colony
1. She blesses the group's weapons without ever revealing her identity
• The group leaves to gather supplies and pursue the Knight-Captain's quest

Cutscene Notes

Note: What follows is a pretty unsettling cutscene. Listen to this song to capture some of the magic of the live performance. Cheers!

• Eldemir and Sarlen gather supplies and scout outside Emberwood Village
• Suddenly, Eldemir collapses as a mysterious voice speaks in his mind
1. "My servant, someone took something from me. Bring it back."
2. As his scars rewrite themselves, he convulses and receives a vision
• Evelyn, aasimar star-druid walks through the port city of Drann
• A black cat brushes past her, and she follows as it seems to lead her
• The cat's eyes turn inky-black, and it begins to vomit blood
1. "Learn some new tricks, old man."
2. The cat speaks with a hateful voice, staring wide-eyed at Evelyn
• As she stumbles back, the cat dies, and an old woman approaches her, speaking with the same pained voice
• Evelyn flees as the "voice" appears over and over, leaving corpses in its wake
• She slips into a small church, where every head snaps towards her, their eyes pitch-black, the chilling voice still speaking to her
1. "Here's an untruth. The truth is the biggest lie of them all."
2. All around Evelyn, one by one, the churchgoers instantly fall dead
• Eldemir awakes and sees an exhausted Evelyn sprint from the nearby woods
1. "I must know what she knows. Protect her, my servant."
2. Listening to the voice, Eldemir rushes to Evelyn's aid
• She pleads for help, saying Vikari (Sarlen's nemesis) is hunting her down because of the unexplained deaths that occurred around her in Drann

Character(s) interacted with

Sir Euclid
Flamekeeper Drahg
Sir Francisco
Sir Yusuf
Bogdan
Mildred
Flamekeeper Ibai Garcia
Mikel
Knight-Captain Theodore Marshall
The Beacon

Report Date

13 Apr 2024

Primary Location

Camp Dawn

Related Characters

• Eldemir Barling
• Kragan Blacktusk
• Peter von Drakken
• Sarlen Broadwing