The Fall of the Guard
The Veiled Vanguard encounters a corrupted entity offering a boon in exchange for freedom. While Diablo and Valerie are willing to release it, Craum and Emelyne oppose. Valerie casts a spell to break a pillar, freeing the creature, Dul'Kenthagon, who grants her a mysterious boon. The group receives cryptic tarot readings and travels to Alyrmin, where they complete a task and are rewarded with magical glasses. However, on their journey, they are ambushed by a lightning serpent, and the ensuing battle proves to be too much for the Vanguard. Could this be their final battle?
A review of recent events by CraumGaCu
As we move through this mine I can feel the tension in the air, some of the group is wanting to push on but I'm not sure the dangers involved make whatever secrets we find worth it, never the less we push on only a few of us actually able to see what is going on.
Peering from round the corner a red aura emanates, reminiscent of the corrupted dwarfs we thought in the city above. We ready ourselves for battle, as a creatures come out to attack, I summon flames to my hand and look up to aim and catch it's gaze. I feel my focus start to drop and my head spin but a foot to the face from Diablo snaps me out of it, it seems it has the power to alter our perception of the world when looking into its eyes. Knowing this we avert our gaze and fight half blinded against 2 of these things.
We overcome this challenge after a tough battle and press on through the mines hoping to find whatever is causing this corruption. Further in the mine we find the veins of red leading into crystals not sure what this means we elect to not touch them, coming out on the other side the mist is much worst now, limiting our vision to only a few feet, not sure if we should continue on or turn back we begin to discuss only to be cut of from screams further in. Hoping to save these people or help whoever might be down here we begin to move on.
I begin to see visons of this city falling apart the death the destruction. I hear a voice "save them full fill your purpose" and I feel like everything comes clear yes of course I was meant to be a saviour, I beg for it to tell me how, I would of given anything. My friends snap me back to reality telling me it was lie and a trick and that feeling of darkness overcomes me again as I begin to fear I may never know who I truly was. It was all a lie a ruse to me use me. Anger fills me but I try to bottle it as move on but I've already decided whoever is doing this should be stopped.
We come to a castle that seems to have survived all the destruction curious me move closer to see what lies within and we find the course of this corruption it seems to be some kind of image of despair being summoned here by all these lives being lost. 1 million maggots begin to writhe toghtere to form its body and it speaks to us from this form. It wishes to be set free but I'm certain this is should not happen. How could we release somthing that spreads so much death and despair. My friends seem to not agree they want to hear it out and let it free hoping it will rid this place of the corruption but I think we should make the seals stronger.
Addressing the party, the entity revealed its full form—a colossal, writhing mass of black-and-red corruption—promising a boon if they broke a pillar to release it. Craum and Emelyne firmly opposed its release, with Emelyne proposing to reinforce the hasty, weakened pillars so they could safely study the creature. After strengthening the barrier, Emelyne attempted to step back, forcing her to rip out a whispering, worm-like tendril attempting to burrow into her neck. Enraged, the entity swore to remember their faces when it eventually escaped.
In a sudden move, Valerie cast Shatter on a pillar, causing it to crumble despite Craum’s desperate attempt to stop her. The entity vanished back into its portal, bestowing an unknown boon on Valerie while revealing its name as Dul'Kenthagon. Defending her rash action, Valerie argued that saving the entity was better than creating an enemy, before helping Emelyne inspect her neck wound. Where the worm had struck, a shifting, tattoo-like mark formed in an unrecognizable language—a fragment of chaos visible only to Valerie when she later transformed her cloak into a reflective surface.
Exiting the ruins as the red corruption dissipated, the Vanguard encountered a tarot fortune teller on the surface. Emelyne drew cards foretelling destruction, including one that mysteriously burned upon her touch. Diablo drew the Prisoner, Priest, and Statue, indicating deep devotion to his craft, hidden insecurities, and an impending choice requiring unyielding strength. Thalia drew the Pit, Ooze, and Fae, warning against peering too far into the future and navigating treacherous paths. Craum pulled the Plant card, reflecting versatility, strength, and the dual nature of growth as both poison and medicine. Naoki drew the Lance, Expert, and Dragon, confirming his destiny to gather wisdom across the world to protect his homeland. Valerie requested a private reading and pulled five cards—the Staff, Ring, Giant, Mind, and Shield—as brief visions of her mother flickered in place of the dwarven seer while the cards spoke of her wealthy background, her choice to protect others, and her search for power to overcome massive obstacles.
Reuniting with Professor Leorcin at Belgrod’s Bulging Barrel, the party rested, enjoyed tea, and purchased one pound of gold and one hundred pounds of silver ore to resell in Alyrmin. Visiting Captain Emersee to report their success, they chose the Eyes of Charming over a 100-gold reward before departing on a four-day journey to Alyrmin, with Valerie sending a letter prior to leaving. During the trek, Emelyne conducted physical exams and drew portraits of each member to investigate their mysterious resurrection.
On the third day of travel, chaos erupted as a massive lightning serpent ambushed the party, hurling a dwarven traveler through the air. The beast unleashed a devastating lightning breath that obliterated their cart, killed their horses, and instantly incinerated Valerie, Thalia, and Naoki. As Diablo and Renatus engaged the monster, Craum inspected Valerie's corpse; with her dying breath, her body cracked and transformed into a tall, thin, pallid-grey form with stark white hair—visualizing her mother in Craum's place as she lamented whether she had done enough to stop hurting people. Thalia begged for salvation before perishing, while Craum looted Valerie and Leorcin's remains and Emelyne hid behind Naoki's body.
The battle turned catastrophic as the serpent swallowed Diablo, corroding him with stomach acid before regurgitating him onto the field. Craum absorbed a lightning blast using damage resistance but fell unconscious, and the creature bit down heavily on Renatus. With the rest of the Vanguard dead or downed, Emelyne remained as the last conscious member standing against the beast.