- The party started with a discussion with the Crimson Cloaks.
- There was a lot of banter about the demons blocking the Portal, and the Crimson Cloaks refused to partner with the party.
- There was a discussion with Yelm (see the post entitled How NOT to Win Friends and Influence Others) about the need to release Esmeralda, and that failure to do so would likely doom all of the dragons and could potentially lead to the destruction of Vala.
- Since no agreement could be reached, the Crimson Cloaks returned to the surface and the party proceeded the Portal. The Portal was heavily guarded by almost 20 demons and the Bone King.
- The demons did not attack. The Bone King stated that he wanted to die, and if the party would return his soul so that he could do so, he would stop guarding (or blocking, as the party claimed) access to the Portal to the Grey Citadel.
- He explained that as a young ruler sent by Nero to protect the Grey Citadel, he had fallen madly in love with Stella, whom he called his “Daffodil”. She became quite ill and he made an ill-fated deal with a demon after clerics, witches, priests, etc., could not heal her.
- The demon healed Stella, but in return, Jaego Heim promised him his soul upon his death.
- Unfortunately, Stella died giving birth to their son, who also died. Jaego was heartbroken that his deal with the demon did not result in her living.
- Eventually he went mad and died and was buried here at the Grey Citadel. Since his soul and spirit were separated, he could not pass to the afterlife to be with Stella.
- He begged the party to retrieve his soul so that he could finally die.
- When questioned about the demons, he said that he was awoken from his sleep 45 days ago and continued his guard of the Portal. He told them that the demons arrived at the same time – and while they assist him, he doesn’t command them.
- He told them again to meet him in his crypt, which could be accessed either through the main crypt in the keep or through the sewers.
- The party reasoned that going up on the street would likely lead to an encounter with the Dharan guards, so they proceeded deeper into the sewers to find the crypt.
- They came to a long tunnel of stone coffins with a water basin and a suit of armor guarding the passage. The suit of armor had a magic mouth that stated, “follow the ritual to gain entrance.”
- Jon Marston remembered the ritual was a cleansing of the face and hands and proceeded to wash accordingly.
- This allowed access, and the Party passed half a dozen coffins before arriving at a raised pedestal with a fire brazier on top. Monarch skeletons rose from the coffins and demanded a sacrifice.
- The Party took turns burning their hands in the fire, and Kriick actually jumped into the fire.
- Keirvasan turned undead and sent some of the skeletons fleeing, but the others attacked.
- Avari and Feng retreated up a rope trick, and Jon Marston killed skeleton and nearly killed another before he is struck down and fell into the fire, satisfying the skeletons who stopped fighting.
- The party collected itself and proceeded away from the skeletons, and found the smokey entrance to the main crypt.
- After encountering a rock trap and another set of six braziers, they took turns throwing themselves on the fires, putting them out. Eventually, all six are extinguished, and the Bone King’s voice was heard: “The pain you felt from those fires is but a minuscule measurement of the pain I endure every second forever. You may enter.”
- The party found the Bone King’s Crypt, and the Bone King’ spirit rose from it.
- Kiervasan questioned what right the Bone King had to demand sacrifices, and told him that his “pain” was his own fault for making the deal with the demon.
- Keirvasan also told the Bone King that he had failed in his task and disappointed Nero. Jaego didn’t deny it and repeated that he just wanted to die.
- There is more dialogue, and they learn that Keledeck took the Silver Conch to the Necropolis of Ankev, which is where the Bone King’s soul was taken.
- The Bone King said that he would open a gate to the underworld, and the party could proceed down the 576 stairs to the Necropolis.
- The Bone King confirmed that he was guarding a Box of Orden. Avari asked that, if they returned his soul to him, he would continue to guard the Portal until the party could retrieve the Box of Orden.
- The party decided to return the teen’s heart to the market shop, get a long rest, and return to the crypt.
- The Bone King explained that they could exit behind him up to the public mausoleum or go back through the sewers.
- They decided to go up through the mausoleum and found themselves inside the main keep of the Grey Citadel, now filled with Dharan guards.
- Avari and Feng used a spell to escape the keep. Kiervasan turned himself and Jon Marsten invisible, and Kriick hid.
- As Marston and Keirvasan discussed how to get over the wall, a Dharan patrol, bringing a prisoner’s wagon, headed towards the gate. The three party members hear that there was going to be a hanging.
- Following as the patrol goes through the gate, the Party found themselves in the town square, where a gallows was set up and a large crowd had gathered.
- As the prisoners were unloaded from the wagon, Ambassador Torey addressed the crowd. “You should all be very grateful to the Dharan Empire. We have discovered a rebellion happening right in this very city, led by your mayor Angus, who was leading it while sitting in the lap of luxury. We also caught two of their leaders, Jim Fox and Kate Turner. Today they will hang, and it will be a lesson to all in this town—the Dharan Empire does not tolerate rebellion.”
- Kamvase rushed up to Avari and Feng (who was in cat form) and asked what could be done!
- The session ended, and the party leveled to 10.