Act IV, Chapter 37: "15 Minutes & 25 Words or Less" (2025/05/24)

The Ashen Company continue their debrief with Latharial, peppering her with questions while we pick at the muddy stew in front of us.

We learn that Remmi didn't make it - after a year under the Sequester spell, he saw no hope for recovery. Taking his fate into his own hands, he walked into Ezra's Sphere of Annihilation. Lotty asks about Layla, his paramour, and learns that she has been out of communication for some time.

Null asks about Zanidonia. Latharial says that she left Zubbe in charge years ago when things popped off. To her knowledge this is still the case, as he sends updates from time to time. The wyrms have left the region wholly untouched. The lady takes out a map and lays it across the table to illustrate the state of the continent.

Blue is the territory of Calitrax. Red is Kovish. Green is Erithax. Unclaimed areas like the big of chunk of Crimson Fields is where all three go hunting for slaves - not a peaceful place. Zanidonia is chill. Lands of Desolation are too desolate for everyone. The Southern seas have frozen over, killing most marine life.

Latharial asks the Ashen Company to make a list of potential allies they could call upon for a final assault on Calitrax. She confirms that Zubbe and Rhone would be available, but they will need more help in order to have any chance at success, We start brainstorming and writing down options, while Berrik, Flynn and Lotty pull several Sending scrolls out of their pockets. As the Ashen Company get to work, Latharial takes her leave. She has things to do and will be back later.  Null is anxious to clear the air with the Lady, but isn't sure whether L wants to be followed right now. She's a busy lady running a rebellion! Lotty and the gang give the changeling a withering look, while Null insists Latharial is impossibly inscrutable. After a couple of minutes they convince the rogue to go after her.

Null finds Latharial going between rooms in a busy corridor. She asks if they could talk, later is fine too if she's busy. L stops and brusquely gestures Null into a nearby storage closet - She has 15 minutes before her next meeting. Null wasn't expecting these constraints, but beggars can't be choosers if this is a chance at winning her girl back. The rogue begins a contrite and somewhat rambling explanation of what happened from her perspective. She apologizes for not being there, knowing the past 7 years have been painful. She wishes she could take on what L went through. Null understands that what happened may mean irreparable damage to their relationship, and if that's what the situation is she will accept it. But would she let Null hold her again, if only for a few seconds?

Latharial takes it in for a moment, before she starts to take off pieces of her armour. She emphatically tells Null that she has 15 minutes to make up for 7 years. In any other context  Null may have tried to ask why L continuously chooses to swerve emotional dialogue in favour of, uh, physical communication methods. But today is not that day! Understanding the assignment, Null quickly slides off her own armour as a courtesy  then rushes up to the Lady, kissing her everywhere. Null puts everything she has into those 15 minutes, hoping to make up for lost time. and remind L of what they had before the wyrms arrived.

The assignment.

Meanwhile, back in the tavern area, the rest of the Ashen Company gets to work contacting the entities on the list. Knowing his two former wards are traveling together, Silas contacts Lily first to ask for their help in the coming assault (he doesn't want to agitate Niko, preferring to wait until they can speak face-to-face). His instincts are rewarded as Lily commits the two to the cause, but adds that Niko is not doing okay. 

Silas is troubled as he thinks of who to contact next. He decides to send a message to Luthor Strand, Commander of the Wardens of Balance and the one who administered his paladin oath all that time ago in Alya. This is the type of man he aspired to be, once - A sharp military intellect, a fierce protector, and a warrior who made the world a better place for those he cared about. Luthor Strand is a little surprised to hear from Silas after all this time, but altogether agrees to join the fight. 

A little tired, Silas takes a break from making calls and heads to the bar. Speaking to Luthor triggered a hidden trove of military knowledge in him, a half-forgotten gift from the Eye. His now keen mind swimming with tactical wisdom of battles long past, perhaps he is closer than he thought to emulating that type of man. He thinks that's pretty cool and pulls out his flute to entertain everyone with FFX's Hymn of the Fayth. Mordecai summons a small choir to accompany him. A disheveled Null sheepishly returns, followed by Latharial a few minutes later. L brings the gang a few more Sending scrolls.

Okay, new format! Here is a list of the rest of the people we contacted:

NOT AVAILABLE

Ancient One: No reply from the timeless protector beneath Sierrona. Maybe Sally got to it.

Ashen Rider: No reply from our frenemy revenant. Likely died when Azher died?

Human Flynn: Scrying revealed that  Human Flynn is currently living in a rural cabin with a painted green halfling that wears large fake pointy ears. He calls this halfling "Junior". Has he finally gone off the deep end or this halfling manipulating Flynn's erstwhile daddy?

AVAILABLE

Ezra: The troubled wizard is begrudgingly on board, but who knows what state he's in.

Kel'zad: Kel is happy to help, albeit nervous-sounding.

Fallah: The broker of secrets is looking for work and awaits more details.

Craz and Booty Taker Crew: Lotty contacts her situationship Carr, who confirms that they're happy to help but that they will need a new ship.

Grug: After checking that Null is okay with pulling away her mother's protector, Lotty calls Grug to ask him to join the fight. Grug is in, and proudly notes that Evelyn has been training as a shieldmaiden over the past few years.

The Kraken: Berrik risks it all to try to get their last earthly enemy (and Cade's killer) onside. He cites the barren seas and their common enemy. He feels good about the interaction but has no way to confirm the Kraken's support. (OOC he met the DC of 30, but the Kraken has no way to reply).

Plus the Kraken, but we don't know that.

Okay now our characters have all moved to the bar, but we as players are asked to sort our available allies according to their strongest stats. These allies will be asked to roll checks with these stats throughout the coming battle. The rules and stuff are in the Conclave chat.

Kraken is good at everything, but Dex IIRC

Okay bye!

Act IV, Chapter Thirty Six "You guys are in to some kinky shit" (17-05-2025)

After interrogating the cultist, the Ashen Company decide he is of no threat and that his intentions of fleeing and not reporting back to Calitrax are true so, after taking his robes (and giving him some travellers clothes), set him free.

Berrick sends a message to Nico for Silas to check in on him but gets a disturbing reply of "oh no, not the voices again - leave me alone!" Berrick lets Silas know Nico is alive but doesn't say much more for now.

Needing to get to Latharial as soon as possible Berrick attempts to teleport the group - instead our heroes hear "so, you have returned and wandered in to my domain. See if you can survive this" before a storm of ice and necromancy hits in to them.

No need to have worried about what the cultist may or may not have done Calitrax knows the Ashen Company is back. They all hot-foot it from the immediate area, it's about 8 hours on foot to Beinya so at the half way mark they rest, cast some non-detection spells/potions/infusions and continue on to the farm.

The Ashen Company follow Latherial's orders, they put all their belongings in to a secret chest and give it to Reno for safe keeping. They dress in burlap sacks that have been laid out for them and head in to the stables, each stable has been fitted to be a cell and the Ashen company are each bound, gagged and blindfolded. Null refuses to part with Latharial's Grace, not wanting to risk any harm coming to the weapon but also determined to return the family heirloom to it's rightful owner if their relationship isn't going to survive this. 

As the Ashen Company are lead down some stairs the sword is removed from Null (with threats to take good care of it) as the heroes are led to a throne room. Seated is a battered, weary, scarred and slightly older Latharial. Null explains the crazy tale (tl:dr version) of where they have been to Lady L who in turn asks them to prove they are who they say they are.

Lotty reasons that she needs to show the same faith in them like they did in her when they relinquished their defences and submitted to restraint; regardless of how much she may not like them right now they are allies.

Cade suggests using magic to verify their identify and reminds Latherial of times shared in the past, she doesn't trust magic any more but the memories ring true.

Flynn summons Oryn and says that Lady L can trust the bear's judgement even if she can't trust her own.

Silas sympathises with Latharial and tells her that she would have made Hector proud, he's sorry she's had to go it alone but we're back now and ready to be her right hand again.

Null stands and asks Latharial why she kept the sending stone all this time if she truly thought they were never coming back and and didn't have any faith they would be reunited. Null laments that she could remind her lover of the night she confessed she was a changeling, or the moment she trust Lady L with her vulnerabilities and showed her the tattoo. Null could tell Latharial about each and every constellation she has drawn in the freckles on her back or why she really hates chair but beyond all that Latharial needs to trust what is in her heart.

Latharial knows this to be the real Ashen Company and orders their release. As tension settles they sit down to a meal, re-gather their items and swap stories of what has happened.

The information gained from the cultist regarding the of the separation of lands is confirmed. Updates on friends and family tell that the McFini's are safe but not in the same location; Ezra is alive but not in a good place physically or mentally - he took the aftermath very personally. Nicolai is an angry teen leading a group of other young folk on reckless side-quests.

Gleaning and divine magic doesn't work any more, neither does a lot of demi-plan style stuff, attempts to teleport also draw Calitrax's attention. There is some protection from the wyrm-trio in the resistance hide-outs but everyone is plagued by nightmares when they rest.

The Ashen Company confirm they've had contact with the other conclave groups and know they're alive (Flynn gives Latharial one of the conclave communication devices, the ones on Ios all ran out of juice a while ago) and will no doubt be taking care of the other two wyrms.

Lady Latharial has an outline of a plan, a small resistance hides underground in small cells but they need to cut the head off the snake and take the fight to Calitrax. They haven't got enough heavy hitters, maybe with the return of the Ashen Company they can start to turn the tide.

Act IV, Chapter Thirty Five "a bit of a mind flip" (10/05/2025)

 The Ashen Company make their final preparations to meet Erathax. Buffs are cast, summons are summoned and potions are drunk before Berrick casts the all important wish on behalf of the conclave to divert everyone out of the way of Erathax's breath.

The One Who Watches takes their wardens and sets off to lure the wraithado in the direction of the sleeping horde.

Returning to Ios and time, the breath dissipates and the population is saved for the moment, before the Ashen Company and the conclave can continue the fight our heroes find themselves on an icy coastline, not a dragon in sight.

Flynn does some recon and flies up to get a better view of the cliffs behind them and sees some humanoid figures behind them, they seem to be wearing blue cloaks with Calitrax's name on them - kinda obvious but at least we know they're the bad guys. 

Prepared to fight a dragon the Ashen Company waste no time in laying in to these cultists, Flynn keeps a couple caged for later and even with a ghostly addition to the fight Calitrax's cultists don't last long. 

Flynn gives the two force cages prisoners an ultimatum - one of them gets to live if they answer our questions. As the first speaks up to pledge their alliance to Calitrax a sword appears through their neck as the other makes the wiser choice for a chance of survival.

As Cade slowly builds a block of ice around the force cage the interrogation reveals that they are currently two miles west of Sierrona and seven years in to the future.

It turns out the magic the protects the wyrms messed with the wish spell (a bit like we saw a previous cycle try to wish them out of existence). The breath was diverted but the greatest threats to the wyrms - the conclave - were shunted out of time. It seems Eyeball was more successful and managed to wipe out the hibernating wyrms eternal leaving just Erathax as the sole remaining wym. This caused the dragon to switch up tactics and they seperated their essence in to three. Using a fucked up version of what they would normally due during hibernation Erathax infused Calitrax and someone called Covish in to dragons and the three of them have split up their territory. Queen Calitrax has taken up residence in Sierrona ruling the Ulvari coast. The cultist and his dead friends were patrolling the area in case of any 'stragglers' the resistance, apparently there aren't many powerful people left these days.

Well, that's a lot to take on board and as the realisation sets in the Ashen Company reach out to their loved ones.

Flynn grabs Null and sends a message to Latharial from his book. Lady L replies with an upsetting "after all this time you should've stayed dead" Flynn explains "we never died, got taken away, we moved everyone out of the way of the breath attack and showed up seven years in the future" Not softening Latharial replies "good for you, I've got shit to do". Null tries directly with the sending stones "I don't know what happened, I don't know how to fix this. If you never speak to me again I'm happy to know you're alive." but gets no response.

Lotty checks in with Grug, he and Null's mum, Evelyn, are ok - safe in Ezra's tower. Berrick gives Lotty a sending scroll and she is relieved to hear Aunt Ella is safe with Latharial.

Flynn and Null manage to convince Latharial to meet and she says they are in Benya leave our weapons in the house and come to the barn.

Act IV, Chapter Thirty Four "Meet the eyeball" (19-04-2025)

The Ashen Company steel themselves to meet The One Who Watches and step through in to it's sanctum, the planet sized eyeball welcomes and congratulates the group on having been interesting to watch. They are unmade and remade once more (level 23).

The Watcher explained their long term goal is to spot the cycles. The wyrms started few in number moving throughout the glixey devouring planets. The wyrms feed on the exaltium core that all planets have. In Eyeballs original life they took a stand to defend the last planet in our glixey - Ios. Eyeball fought it out against ten wyrms but unable to finish the fight settled in to an agreement of sustainable farming - Eyeball gave the dragons a way of hibernating for 10,000 years at a time in shell of purple exaltium, at the end of that cycle they would harvest the souls of the population rather than the core of the planet. 

Ever since then the Watcher has been trying to find a way to stop the cycles, the closest anyone can come was known as the 'defiant cycle' where the population managed to kill three of the wyrms. The Eyeballs seems all out of ideas at this point trying to fall back on the repetition of elevating the strongest adventurers to god status leading to a 100% failure rate so far.

As the discussions, planning and questions get underway we learn that the wyrms grow in number by processing conquered people in to new wyrms and that Ios only has resurrection magic due to Eyeball's 
power.

The Ashen Company rejoin the rest of the conclave to continue planning and gather a rough plan:

Before leaving the End of All Things Astrea, Berrick, Lotty & Atheya learn the knowledge of resurrection so the Watcher and their Wardens (presumably something one of the other groups has learnt about) deliver the Wraithnado (a bomb of souls one of the other groups has learnt about)

Return to Ios and assess the situation and end the Wyrm threat on Ios

Ensure the Watcher's part of the mission was successful, rest, recover and rebuild (or repopulate in Berrick's case) the world.