Session 8, Arc II

Destruction

Played 12 July 2025 Watch the session (spoiler-free)

The party awakened scattered across the devastated Marbled Basin after a catastrophic terrorist attack that had torn through Easthills. Bones found himself against a tree on the eastern side, his head pounding as he surveyed the hellscape of flames and bodies that had replaced the once-peaceful governmental district. The attack had been so powerful that a line of destruction bisected the entire city, transforming the carefully cultivated nighttime atmosphere into a scene of unimaginable carnage. Meanwhile, Crezzida, Nillituh, and Kailyn woke up on the northern side, battered and disoriented, with Fe trapped unconscious under the rubble of the collapsed Faolain mansion.

The party worked desperately to rescue Fe from the debris, with Kailyn and Nillituh struggling against the massive weight of the collapsed building. When their strength proved insufficient, Nillituh used thaumaturgy to create tremors that helped shake loose the rubble, allowing them to pull Fe free, though she remained unconscious from her injuries. As they gathered themselves, the full scope of the devastation became clear - bodies torn apart, people screaming in agony, and the mansion completely bisected by whatever force had struck the city. The peaceful basin had become a vision of hell, with fires spreading and survivors crawling among the dead.

Bones discovered the magic carpet lying in a feeble position with a trail of blood leading from it toward the exit, while the mysterious Orb was nowhere to be found. Taking to the air on the damaged but functional carpet, he surveyed the destruction from above and was horrified to see fires breaking out across the entire city, with people fleeing toward the gates in panic. He attempted to help survivors trapped in the Faolain rubble but quickly realized the task was beyond what one person could accomplish. The scale of the disaster was unlike anything any of them had ever witnessed.

Among the casualties, the party discovered Caleb's lifeless body with a piece of wood driven through his heart and burns covering his face. Kailyn's attempt to heal him with magic failed completely, as there was no soul left to anchor the spell to, and they found an incomplete letter in his pocket that simply read "Dear Caleb" before cutting off. The emotional weight of losing someone close hit the party hard, particularly Kailyn, as they were forced to leave his body among the other victims. Crezzida broke down completely, embracing Fe's unconscious form and sobbing apologies for their earlier argument, declaring her love as the magnitude of what they had survived became clear.

The party eventually reunited at the secret underground inn, where Night had been waiting, initially unaware of the attack until he saw the destruction for himself. Through a talking stone, they had managed to coordinate their escape from the chaos, though Yomidrogo remained missing and unaccounted for. When Night demanded the papers they had retrieved from their mission, tensions exploded as Crezzida became furious at his focus on the "bigger picture" while people lay dead in the streets. The argument culminated in Night offering only 1000 gold for the entire party's near-death experience, which Crezzida found insulting compared to previous payments, leading her to storm out in anger before the papers were eventually handed over.

With Yomidrogo still missing and the city in chaos, the party attempted to return to the Marbled Basin to search for their friend, but found the area cordoned off by guards who refused entry to the restricted zone. They provided a description of the missing half-elf to the guards and were told they would be contacted if he was found. It was then that Darion, an elven guide, approached them with urgent warnings that they needed to leave the area immediately, offering to help them escape through secret forest routes away from the main gates.

Darion led them through hidden paths in the forested areas surrounding Easthills, navigating steep hills down to a lake where they could rest safely away from the chaos. During their rest, Nillituh and Fe began experiencing disturbing nightmares of fires turning from red to green to black, waking with points of exhaustion that left them weakened and showing early symptoms of illness. Meanwhile, Bones had his own supernatural encounter in his dreams, where a ghostly skeletal entity questioned his loyalty and warned him to find the missing Orb and Yomidrogo for his own safety, promising they would meet again soon.

The next morning revealed the true extent of the party's problems as Nillituh's condition worsened dramatically with facial tremors, sweating, and fever-like symptoms. Fe's situation was equally concerning, as necrotic black damage had begun spreading up her leg from an unknown source, causing pain while simultaneously numbing the affected area. Kailyn's medical knowledge helped her recognize Nillituh's symptoms as the gnawing plague, a mythical disease they had heard whispered about in taverns, while Fe's condition remained a mystery.

Following cart tracks and blood trails they discovered along their route, the party pursued clues that might lead to Yomidrogo's whereabouts. They found a piece of black fabric with red and blue patterns in a river that matched the craftsmanship of the magic carpet, though it wasn't torn from the carpet itself. The blood trail and cart tracks suggested someone had been taken or transported through the area, possibly their missing friend. Their investigation was complicated by losing the trail multiple times and having to navigate around other travelers on the busy Bronze Track.

During their journey, they encountered various challenges including aggressive vulture-like birds that attacked their camp at dawn, attempting to steal shiny objects before being driven off by Crezzida's fiery intimidation. The party's condition continued to deteriorate, with Nillituh gaining additional levels of exhaustion that left them barely functional, while Fe's necrotic damage spread to cover her entire leg. They created makeshift masks from Crezzida's modified ball gown to prevent the spread of the contagious plague.

Reaching Lyikdia, they found the town under increased security with the festival being dismantled, returning it to a normal farming community. The party set up a quarantine in an abandoned house while conducting research at the local library, where Kailyn discovered comprehensive information about the gnawing plague. The research revealed that the disease could be transmitted through zombie rats, wererats, or contact with infected individuals, and that potential treatments included anti-venom from zombie creatures or exotic plants from southern regions, though no known remedies existed within their current territory.

Seeking more powerful help, the party waited until nighttime to access the mysterious astral tower that only appeared when the red dwarf star was visible in the sky. After failed attempts at communication, Bones successfully opened the astral door using his bone staff, which channeled his magical energy in an altered and more powerful way. Inside, they met with the sorcerer, whose demeanor darkened significantly when necrotic damage was mentioned, suggesting the severity of Fe's condition.

The sorcerer provided them with a special potion in a latched beaker to slow Fe's necrotic damage, though the treatment was painful and caused infected flesh to fall away. She recommended seeking help in the Destitute Lands from someone more skilled in dealing with such conditions, mentioning ominously that "the Eagles have returned faster than expected" before departing urgently through the window. The party applied the treatment to Fe, which visibly slowed the spread of the necrotic damage through her bloodstream, though it remained a temporary solution.

As they prepared to leave Easthills for the Destitute Lands, the party witnessed a massive military force of 100-200 people marching west toward the border in organized formation. The diverse group of armed individuals was identified as a "military operation" by one soldier who broke rank to warn them to stay back, suggesting that the recent attack had triggered larger political and military responses. Darion expressed serious concern about the implications of this military movement for future peace in the region, as the party set out on their journey to find more powerful healing for their afflicted companions, knowing that time was running out for both Nillituh and Fe.