It's been a long week, so these notes are gonna be ~brisk~
Anyway!
The Ashen Company have just finished changing their loadouts following Ezra's warning about crafted enchantments being imminently destroyed. Like clockwork, an incorporeal Azher appears before them to gloat about said enchantments being imminently destroyed. He's barely started his little villain monologue before he notices the unfazed stares of the Ashen Company. Crestfallen, he zips away to plot more evil stuff and work on better bullying material. Flynn probably insults him on his way out.
Suddenly, a pillar of fire descends from above. The Ashen Company look on, shocked Pikachu-style, at the column of flame blocking their path. Some long moments pass. The party is on the verge of brainstorming their way around the obstacle when they see a familiar figure walk out of the fire. Silas is alive (still? again?), and wreathed in radiant flame. This is a trip!
You see, in the past few weeks the Ashen Company has experienced several iterations of Silas and Niko's fate. Most of them mourned the deaths after the Palirano Ploy, while another had to hide that the boys were alive and in hiding. Then we all found them captured and unresponsive (but alive) in the streets of Myridia, sharing a heart meant for one. And finally, maybe an hour ago, we found our friend Silas alive (ish) in the thrall of Azher. He fought us against his will, and Flynn had to strike the killing blow. An hour ago Silas died in front of us, ripping open an all-too-familiar wound for Flynn, Berrik and Lotty. An hour ago Null watched her friend die for the first time, after weeks of keeping the secret of his fake demise. What the hell is going on? The emotional whiplash stuns us all for a moment.
We're all understandably a little sus of this development, but it only take a few words from Silas to quell our worries. This is our friend and he's back! A nagging feeling lingers though - Is this for good? Are we going to have to lose him again when all this is over? Silas can't really put their minds at ease on that front.
Silas knows he has something important to do. He beckons Flynn over and gently places a warm palm on the goblin's forehead. Flynn is overcome as he sees a vision of how Silas came to rejoin them. In the jar, his patron Mordecai is smaller than he's ever seen him. The genie is trapped in the damaged urn and getting weaker by the moment in the oppressive atmosphere of their surroundings. Sitting next to Silas's lifeless body, the genie laments not being able to keep Flynn safe and resolves to do something drastic. The last thing Flynn sees is his beloved patron, his friend, lay an elemental hand on Silas and suddenly self-immolate. With this final act, Mordecai uses every ounce of power and life he has left to resurrect Silas and send him to Flynn. To keep Flynn safe.
Silas lets his hand fall to his side. Flynn lets his mask slip long enough to show his shock and sorrow. Never one to show vulnerability, the warlock gently touches the urn and steels his gaze. His friend is back and his friend is gone and there is no justice in an exchange like this. The party moves on, up the stairs and into the next chamber.
We enter a long room bathed in green light, a pathway framed in ornate black and gold arches. An enormous spherical device, much larger than the one they encountered in Ezra's tower, can be seen at the far end of the chamber. Two arcane barriers shimmer around it. This is what they're here for: the Soul Turbine. Berrik's hand twitches towards the bomb. They know the other teams still need to bring down the shields. Lucky for us, a whole bunch of death knights appear and seem willing to occupy our time. We roll initiative.
Flynn gets all the aggro and barely manages to remain in the realm of the living. Null fails to grab soul trinkets like 4 times before she successfully beats the pull of the turbine. Lotty and Berrik eventually turn the tide enough that outcomes are looking better for Flynn's immediate survival. I'm like 95% sure we're still in combat with a couple of death knights though?
(Welcome back, Nacho! 😊)