Sanguine Sunrise #25: Where Beasts go to Die

General Summary

The party join with Coren to follow Arborea deeper into the woods or wherever it is she seeks to go. As they head off, Arborea seems to disappear into the fog, but they continue moving to look for her. Then, they are attacked.
A bugbear riding upon a warg commands wolves to attack the group while he throws hunting bolas that wrap up Luthrin and Coren. He rides in and badly injures Luthrin, but he counters by banishing the bugbear to a different plane, and the others kill the wolves, inciting the warg to flee. When the bugbear returns, everyone is ready to slay it.
After this occurrence, Arborea returns and spouts her rhetoric about making choices to kill or to control oneself. Coren attempts to undermine her zealotic code under his breath, but with her keen hearing, she retorts and he does not respond.
Soon, the group find themselves resting and Arborea speaks to Azada about her life. Azada exchanges her lack of respect for her family's misdeeds but leaves it at that. Luthrin sidles closer to Coren in a vague attempt at flirtation, but nothing more comes of it.
Then, the Taming begins. Arborea wielding two clay jars in one hand brings Azada to kneel beneath the light of the full moon. She speaks of Azada's family, Azada's friends, and Azada herself. When asking what these things stand for Azada responds in what Arborea takes to be good attributes. Then, she says that Azada's name is her own, and the acts of her forefathers are washed away as instinct guides, not tradition. Then, she says that Azada's friends stand with her, as she needs them to control herself, she is necessary to help temper their own beasts. Then, Arborea finally claims that as Azada is her own guide, she also represents the order of the Lycan. Thus, Arborea transformed into a large weretiger and inflicted the curse upon the would-be princess.
The two of them wrestle as Azada is overtaken by the beast within, but eventually, she manages to regain control of herself. Then, the sounds of footsteps approach them. It would seem that a group of the Crimson Jewels have come upon them. Arborea rushes off to protect the dwarves at the mine, but rather than chase after her, the leader claims that "The First Archon can take care of her." Then the malicious figure walks forward and taunts the group. This in turn, elicits a fight.
The leader, a practitioner in arcane-based blood magic herself, manages to paralyze Luthrin after being badly hurt and lays into Azada. Two crimson priests join in dealing blows while young cultists are thrown into the fight as fodder. Eventually, the group manages to kill the Crimson Hunter, but this seems to empower the priests a bit more as they puppet the Hunter's body of pulp to strike at the unmoving Luthrin as they continue to deliver blows with their floating weapons of jade and ruby. Coren manages to knock one out while the rest of the group kills the other priests and the cultists.
After this, Coren questions what an Archon is, and no one seems quite sure of what that answer is, so the group rush back to the mines. There they see a bronze half-dragon standing over Arborea. He calls out and speaks to the group for a bit, but Arborea turns to tell them to run. He retorts by stepping on her throat and telling her to be quiet. Azada, pained at seeing her new mentor being in such a painful position begins to enter a combat with the First Archon and his entourage.
The combat does not go long as the First Archon conjures a devastating spell that hurts the entire group and kills Pep. Azada then becomes crazed as she loses the ability to control herself, and she strikes Luthrin, knocking her unconscious due to his magical protections. Ramori escapes while Luthrin commands his undead thrall to get Azada out of the combat. Then, one of the members of the First Archon's gang causes Luthrin, Gratorr, and Coren to fall asleep, while Ramori hides above the forest and Azada's body, leaving a trail of unstaunched blood, is carried to parts unknown.

Character(s) interacted with

Arborea, the Felled Feline
Coren, the Arcanist of Divinity
The First Archon

Report Date

22 Dec 2020

Primary Location

Secomber