When all the threads tie together

Sarenith 28, 4712

Returning from their latest trip to the Emerald Spire, the Coopers arrive in Fort Inevitable to find the town in uproar. The entire Hellknight guard has been deployed at the gates and on the walls as if an assault was expected. People entering the town as well as people leaving are being thoroughly searched, and traffic is backed up on both sides of the gates. Noticing this, and realizing that there is now a dwarf and a gnome among their party, the Coopers decide to avoid the questions and fees their appearance would receive at the gates and instead enter through the sewer tunnels. Instead of following her siblings, Daryle heads back into the woods. She will hunt for a few hours, then return through the Juliver Gate and see what information she can obtain from the guards.

The gnome Olifrit is the first one to enter the town, followed by the rest of the party through the sewers. They head directly to the secret door that leads into Dr. Mordel's basement. A few creatures are laying in clean beds, while in the corner the silver demon paces his cage relentlessly. They come up the stairs and meet Erynna, who greets them warmly. When questioned by Darelle as to what is happening, she informs them that two nights ago, Duke Mosley returned in a covered wagon. Deathly ill, he has taken residence on the top floor of the Citadel in Roscoe's old quarters. The few that have seen him report that he is bleeding heavily from a large gash on his shoulders. Magical healing has been unable to staunch the flow, and remove curses have all been ineffective. He is ghastly pale and shivers uncontrollably. Even though it is the height of summer, fires burn in all fireplaces of the Citadel. She further tells the Coopers that though Dr. Mordel's healing and alchemy skills are well known, his services have not been called for.

They then join Dr. Mordel himself in his small laboratory on the second floor. He also greets them warmly, and tells them that he suspects Duke Mosley is both dying and highly infectious, if the rumors and gossip reported by his network of informants are to be believed. Most people who can flee the town have already done so, but the Hellknights are ensuring that valuables are left behind. Hence the heavier security details at the gates. Darelle asks him what Mosley might be suffering from. Dr. Mordel replies that to the best of his knowledge the Duke was stabbed by a demon during a campaign in the World Wound, and Mosley has never recovered. He's not sure what it could be, but with magical healing not working, it has to be some seriously powerful demonic magic. Dr. Mordel might be able to analyze the sickness and prepare an antidote, but he would have to get a sample first. Concerned about herself, Olifrit interrupts the discussion and asks Dr. Mordel to restore her hands and her left foot to their proper nature. She confesses that she used to be Gerald. Dr. Mordel agrees to do so but it will require some time, extensive and very painful testing, and most of Dr. Mordel's patience, but it should be possible to at least address some of the issues currently plaguing Olifrit.

Pulling Darelle aside, Dr. Mordel also tells Darelle that her that Fort Inevitable's enemies are marshaling their forces against the town. Events are coming to a head and the fate of the town's citizens hang in the balance, he warns her. Armed with this newfound knowledge, Darelle and the remaining members of the party, minus Olifrit, head back out of town to avoid the contagion.

Thorne enters the town a little later through the same sewers wearing a disguise. He returns to his old shop, and finds it shuttered by Roscoe's orders, but it has not yet been repurposed. The rogue gathers gear, and he bids farewell to his place of commerce. He heads to Dr. Mordel's house, but Erynna turns him away and does not let him in the house. Dejected and sad that no one recognizes his role as a hero and savior of the town, he enters the sewers and heads out. Thorne manages to avoid two Hellknight patrols, but he runs into his siblings right outside Dr. Mordel's basement. As they leave, Darelle fills him on what has happened in town, but tells him flat out that she does not trust him. They emerge from the sewer outside the walls, but unfortunately Thorne is noticed by two guards and the alarm is raised. Thorne runs away, pursued by a Hellknight patrol but eventually manages to lose them.

Daryle comes in a little later with the produce of a hunt through the Juliver Gate. She encounters Bolgur, the Hellknight half-orc who leads the guard detachment. He seems very unhappy to see him, but he's generally unhappy so she's not too worried. She tells him she's been gone for four days, and she inquires as to what is happening in town. Bolgur reports that the Duke has returned with a small escort of four guards, and is now living atop the Citadel. He's real sick, and it is said he's taking it out on the staff. Bolgur then tells Daryle that Maralictor Wirt has left her a letter. He retrieves it and hands it to her. Daryle reads Wirt's message, which tells her not to enter the town but to send word she's back with a place to meet. Daryle tells Bolgur she forgot something at the farm she must get. Could he send Wirt a message? The half-orc replies that he can, but it will cost her. Daryle agrees to leave him the result of her hunt.

Half an hour later, Wirt meets Daryle outside in the shade of a grove by Mother Holworth's farm. The Hellknight reports on the event of the last three days. On top of the information already gathered by the other Coopers, Daryle learns that the Hellknight contingent that transits through Fort Inevitable every three months has disappeared. More than 600 troops have simply vanished. On top of everything else, quarterly taxes are due in three days, the merchants are stuck in Daggermark awaiting their Hellknight troops as escort, and the population is restless and panicky due to persistent rumors of infection. Wirt advises Daryle to avoid entering the town right now due to the possibility of contagion. She also tells the ranger that the Seven Foxes have all left the town. Daryle requests that a meeting be set up at the Hunters' Lodge with everyone to discuss the current situation. Wirt replies that she should be able to get them there in time for supper.

The necromancer Rowen, who has finally recovered from the betrayal of his cult, has spent the greater part of the last months rebuilding his evil forces. Having returned to Fort Inevitable, he decides to investigate Duke Mosley's claims to see if there's any way Mosley might be entreated to join him in his last days. Rowen contacts a highly placed servant in the Citadel, and that servant describes that the mental status of the Duke has deteriorated and he's been abusing his staff. The servant also reports that Duke Mosley is compiling a list of individuals he plans on executing before his death to settle old grudges. No one seems to know who's on the list, but speculations are rife among the Hellknights. Rowen wonders how he can capitalize on this situation. He decides to spread rumors through town and wipe up the hysteria that surrounds the fears of an epidemic. Throughout the day, more and more people gather to listen to speakers at the fountain boasting of the benefits of joining the Death Cult. Rowen rubs his hands in glee.

Daryle and Darelle connect at the Hunters' Lodge. There they are met by Shim Longbranch, who is very much out of breath. He has run all the way from Dimsdale to report that an army of emerald automatons has laid siege to the village. They are left by four different Geralds. Shim reports he barely managed to escape the siege. Gerald has threatened to burn the village down to the ground if a powerful object is not turned over to him before nightfall. Shim tells the Coopers that the inhabitants have fled across the bridge into the forest, but all fighters have remained behind to resist the invasion. The Dimsdalers have some experience with a siege, having suffered one only a few months back. The sisters agree to help Shim. Darelle summons her jar of cloud and they fly south, reaching Dimsdale a half hour later. Shim also mentions that his patrols have discovered that the giants have finally arrived and that they have setup a camp at the base of the Emerald Spire and could attack at any moment.

They spot from the sky four distinct forces arrayed against the village, all led by a different Gerald. They all appear to be collaborating together. Darelle and Daryle land beyond the village, connect with the refugees, and then enter the village. They meet Dunleaf Appletop, Dimsdale's mayor, who informs them of Gerald's demands. He doesn't know what Gerald wants, but he'll fight to protect his village. Daryle heads out and, under a flag of truce, meets with Gerald. He reveals that he has had a vision that the Hellknights have hidden a powerful weapon in Dimsdale. In his vision he has seen Duke Mosley use the weapon to destroy Fort Inevitable, and he wants to prevent that from happening. He's not sure what he is searching for, but he is convinced it is here in the village. If it is not turned over by nightfall, he will order an assault and burn everything to the ground. During this conversation, Gerald is joined by the other Geralds, who all agree that this is the proper course of action. All of them have had similar visions, and they all sincerely believe that they are saving the town from certain doom. Daryle informs the Geralds of the events that have transpired in Fort Inevitable over the last few days. Gerald is encouraged that his vision is coming true, and he threatens his sister with bodily harm if she remains in the village.

Daryle returns to the village and reports what she has discovered from Gerald. Darelle, meanwhile, searches the former Hellknight barrack and discovers a secret space behind a wall. In this small space she finds a lead chest. Even without any particular ability regarding the detection of evil, Darelle feels a faint trace of it emanating from the chest. The sisters remove the chest from Dimsdale and depart on their cloud. The Geralds sense that the object has been removed. One Gerald returns to Fort Inevitable to retrieve his wife and mother and save them from the destruction that's about to take place. One Gerald takes control of some automatons and heads back to the Emerald Spire. Another Gerald decides to search for the missing Hellknights, while the last Gerald launches an assault on Dimsdale with greatly diminished forces and is quickly wiped out. Darelle and Daryle head back to the Hunters' Lodge.

There they meet six members of the Seven Foxes. Dunleaf remained in Dimsdale. The Foxes advise they have about 80 fighters ready to seize key infrastructure areas of Fort Inevitable if an attack by giants and Greenhide leads the Hellknights to attempt a sortie. They are concerned, however, about the remaining civilian population still in the Fort. Darelle and Daryle agree that in case of an assault on the town, the Foxes' forces will need to remain hidden until needed to either turn the tide of battle or to remove weakened Hellknight forces. Abernard Royst identifies the object the Coopers retrieved from Dimsdale as the Octillio Crystal Sphere, a deadly weapon that could destroy a large section of the town.


In the late afternoon, feeling that the Death Cult has been sufficiently frenzied, Rowen leads a group of about 100 individuals out of Fort Inevitable. The Hellknights do not oppose this departure, correctly assuming that these discontented folks were better off beyond the wall, and possibly dead, in their quest to get rid of the powers that dwell in the Emerald Spire. Having taken refuge in a barn, Thorne spots the procession and follows it. The crowd walks down the road and passes in front of the Hunters' Lodge. Rowen senses the evil of the object newly acquired by the Cooper sisters, and he attempts to break into the Lodge. His attempts are repulsed none too gently by Daryle, and Rowen accepts for the time being to move his group away from the Lodge, bidding his time.

Omok, who also joined the Coopers at the Lodge, feels the pull of the object as well. Rowen attempts to convince Omok to join him and take the object by force, but reason prevails and Omok chooses not to align himself with Rowen at this time. Thorne, who has observed this whole exchange, also attempts to enter the Hunters' Lodge, but is turned away by Daryle. She vociferates a series of threats and advises him that he needs to step up. To prove his loyalty to the family, he must organize an evacuation of Fort Inevitable. If an assault does come, he must get as many inhabitants out as possible.

Thorne returns to town and, working with his remaining contacts, creates a plan that will safely see most of the remaining residents depart Fort Inevitable in the first minutes of the conflict. Darelle contacts Zoarth and delivers a message telling him about the alliance between hill and cloud giants and Greenhide, and request any possible assistance the cloud giant could provide. Worried about their new object, the sisters decide to hide it in the dimensional gate below the Hunters' Lodge. It's possible, but improbable, that a creature from that level of the Abyss would stumble upon it, and it would also remove its influence from the Material Plane. The sisters thus take into the basement, through the mine tunnels, and into the Abyss, before using the hand of banishment to block access again from the Abyss.

As night falls, the Coopers feel as ready as they ever will for what is surely to come on the following day.