Shadows, Secrets, and Unlikely Alliances
The Veiled Vanguard, after striking a deal, is brought back to life, with only Diablo remaining dead. Valerie, Thalia, and Naoki revive, and the group sets out towards Lammuld Woods. They find a city rebuilt after the Tears of Toumas, where they encounter a strange purveyor of exotic animals and visit a temple hoping to revive Diablo. However, they leave his body to be shipped to the Sanguisian Empire, honoring his last wishes. At a local tavern, they relax with unique magical drinks before retiring for the night. Craum is kidnapped by a shadowed figure, leading to a tense chase and interrogation. The figure, Ro'Zaad, reveals he was hired by someone tied to the Xoraxan Empire and agrees to guide the party to the ruins they were already headed towards. The party rests for the night, with Renatus standing guard. Meanwhile, Naoki hears strange voices calling him back to the grove.
Revived through an unknown pact alongside all her fallen companions except Diablo, Valerie awoke in her natural Changeling state before frantically shifting through a tall Tiefling form with Diablo's coloration and a muscular Orcish form. With Professor Leorcin missing, Emelyne wrapped Diablo’s body to transport on her horse while she and Valerie searched the deceased dwarves, claiming three emeralds, two shortswords for Thalia, 67 gold pieces, and 81 pounds of silver.
Journeying for days to Lammuld Wood, a naturally grown woodland city repaired with dwarven architecture after the Tears of Toumas, the party encountered guards in gold-embossed green glass scale armor. While exploring, they met an exotic animal vendor; after Valerie expressed interest in Hellhounds, he burned a business card into her memory detailing a secret location before losing interest when Naoki admitted they lacked funds for a Faerie Dragon. Seeking a temple to resurrect Diablo, they found a hard-of-hearing priest of the death goddesses who agreed to prepare the body for burial. Respecting Diablo's final wishes to remain un-autopsied—though Emelyne extracted a blood sample—they arranged to eventually ship his remains in a wooden box to the Sanguisian Empire, leaving his mask untouched. Afterwards, the party sold their silver for 50 gold pieces, using a charm spell from Naoki's magical glasses to smooth over local interactions before heading to a tavern.
At the Shadowed Grove, a pink-skinned Tiefling named Lunestra served them specialized potion-infused cocktails paid for by Craum. Each drink granted a unique boon: Craum gained a temporary sorcery point, Naoki gained advantage on his next save, Thalia earned a single cast of Dragon's Breath, Emelyne empowered her next summoned undead with double HP, Renatus buffed his echo's attacks with extra damage, and Valerie upgraded her five inspiration dice to 1d12.
Retiring to individual rooms, Valerie visited Emelyne to mourn Diablo, revealing her true name as Null and demonstrating her shapeshifting ability. Admitting her struggle with identity and showcasing a Tiefling form modeled after Diablo, Null agreed to assist Emelyne with her spellbook research until she fell asleep at the desk. During the long rest, a shadowed figure kidnapped Craum, binding him and fleeing on a mount called a Schnoggle. The party gave chase through the streets, flinging spells and casting Heat Metal on the mount until Naoki used Misty Step onto the creature and drove it into a wall.
Interrogating the hobgoblin rogue, who identified himself as Ro'Zaad, Valerie partially shifted into a wolfish form and threatened him with a fan-blade. Ro'Zaad confessed he was hired by a middleman connected to the Xoraxan Empire to capture Craum, eventually agreeing to act as their guide to the southern ruins. Returning to the inn with Renatus keeping watch over their captive, Naoki was suddenly called toward the grove by a cluster of speaking mushrooms.