Bound by Stone and Fate
Deep within a crystalline cavern, the party battles raging earth elementals, barely surviving the onslaught. Emerging victorious, they descend into a city carved from the skull of an ancient primordial, only to be declared criminals by its ruler, Garud jabarni al zaheer, Lord of the faceted city and son of Guylon. Bound by enchanted collars, they must choose—serve for a century or embark on a perilous task that could claim their lives. With no easy way out, the party faces their fate in a city where stone watches, and secrets run deep.
Four crystal-formed earth elementals burst from the cavern walls, initiating a brutal combat. Valerie cast Mirror Image and inspired Emelyne, but a flung boulder knocked both of them down, stripping Valerie’s illusory copies. The elementals swarmed Naoki before Craum managed to blind one of the beasts. Rising, Emelyne hurled a Fireball, but the elemental assault proved relentless; rock strikes repeatedly dropped party members, knocking Emelyne unconscious with a blow to the chest until Valerie revived her. Ro’Zaad landed two critical hits with his psychic blades, Renatus and Thalia dealt heavy damage, and Valerie unleashed a highly effective Shatter before both she and Emelyne were knocked down once again.
Offering his hand to Valerie, Ro’Zaad granted them both eight temporary hit points through his fey gifts. Emelyne heroically rallied at one hit point, and Naoki healed her further using nature magic. Passing Emelyne a healing potion with a quick kiss on the cheek, Valerie cast another Shatter that pulverized one elemental. Though Naoki fell to a series of heavy slam attacks, Craum destroyed the second elemental, and Valerie brought Naoki back to his feet. Ro’Zaad sliced down the third creature with a flurry of psychic blades, and Emelyne finished the final elemental by shattering its head with Mind Sliver.
After Naoki cast Aura of Life to restore the party, they took a short rest while Valerie and Emelyne explored the room, discovering ten pounds of metallic ore, three glass shards, a calcium-rich pool where Emelyne briefly saw her reflection wink at her, and a illuminated 500-foot pitfall. Casting Feather Fall, the group descended into the abyss—Naoki wildshaping into a spider on Emelyne’s hat—and discovered a subterranean city built within a gigantic crystalline skull. Upon landing, four armored figures speaking Terran emerged from the earth. Unmasking to reveal gem-inlaid stone braids, their leader accused the party of trespassing in the domain of Garud Jabarni Al Zaheer, Lord of the Faceted City and Son of Guylawn. Surrendering several weapons and Pearls of Power as tribute while keeping Valerie's umbrella and Naoki's fan, the party was escorted into the ornate, gem-embroidered metropolis.
Inside the throne room, they met Garud, an eight-foot-tall Dao with onyx skin, glowing white eyes, and a vast collection of jeweled necklaces. Aware of their presence, Garud accused them of murdering his citizens and harvesting their remains. As Valerie attempted to negotiate by revealing their two-month lifespan, Amoral Tamlish entered to plead for their release, claiming the Vanguard were his property. Unmoved, Garud manifested squeezing metal collars around the party's necks—which resized to fit even when Valerie tried shifting her form—and presented two choices they had to accept as a group: serve as his cupbearers for one hundred years, or undertake a lethal quest for him.
Providing them with a screaming-faced stone to contact Lord Menorialis, Tamlish used a Prime Material focus stone to Plane Shift away, leaving the party to process their options. Visiting a local tavern that operated on a barter system, Emelyne offered books while Valerie secured three rooms by trading her trashy romance novel. Ordering fried mealworms and drinks with Emelyne, Valerie teased a squeamish Naoki with vivid details about insects in raspberries and figs. Learning that the Faceted City served as a major interplanar trade hub, the group integrated Bitty, navigated several personal conversations, and eventually gathered back in the throne room to deliver their unanimous decision to the Dao Lord.