A mysterious force gripped the party and transported them to a cold chamber. No entrance nor exit was apparent. The main feature was an unusual grid of orbs.
Around the room were four balls of energy that could seemingly be dragged by hand. Addie and Calarel had an idea. Maybe the positions marked on the clue they had found matched to orb positions?
Egos tested their theory. Tentatively, he reached out to touch one of the glowing lights. Nothing bad seemed to happen, so he advanced from one corner to the next, pulling each beam by hand, connecting it to the orbs indicated by the rest of the party.
Once all the beams were in place, everything went grey. Still there was no way to leave the room. Then Garrius noticed, carved in the dust on a pillar nearby, an arrow pointing north. He followed.
Another arrow led him west, to a set of footprints and a strange carving of someone kneeling in prayer. Then Garrius began to talk to… himself? Addie approached. She saw an illusion of the Sultan speaking to Garrius. It said:
“My greatness is unmatched! Kneel before me and beg for mercy!”
Scowling, Addie knelt before the Sultan’s image, but also raised her middle finger in defiance. Then the puzzle was solved… and the party was transported to safety.
The party emerged into a city in chaos. While they were trapped in the Sultan’s mansion, panic had erupted outside. The horizon was filled with an intense glow as fire began to spread through Northfrost. Howls pierced the air.
The party moved into a nearby street. Suddenly, there was a howl and the patter of paws on cobblestones. A servant from a nearby manor dashed from the shadows and flung himself at Garrius, trying to bite him. A quick punch laid out the beast. Its jaws fell open to reveal wicked fangs.
Above the city, thousands of leathery wings flapped, blocking out the moonlight. The skies were full of giant vampiric bats. Citizens were running about in terror.
As smoke rose above the city, the party moved forward. Someone nearby cried for help. It seemed two bandits were taking advantage of the anarchy to loot a merchant’s shop. Garrius chased one of them down whilst Egos and Sylas tackled the other. Garrius delivered a warning to the bandit quivering before him, but Sylas meted out keener punishment. He used his carved wooden staff to bash the bandit over and over, until he was nothing but a pulped, twitching mess. The merchant gratefully clung onto Egos, giving him an excessively long hug…
“They’ve taken my baby!”, sobbed a young woman. “Help me!” Addie turned to see a distraught girl and her mother. They explained some kind of giant bat had flown through their open window and snatched the baby away. Addie vowed to do what she could to return the child. But just then, a flaming, runaway merchant’s wagon came from a nearby alley and knocked Addie over. It was madness. Addie cast her Constellation spell to Heal herself. One of the bolts streaked into the heavens and the remains of a giant vampiric bat crashed to earth.
The party continued through the streets. They came across stables engulfed in flame. One of the stablehands needed help. Everyone tried to calm the horses while Garrius used his strength to free one of them that was trapped in the flames. As the party moved on, they came across more people streaming towards the city centre. They also encountered some militiamen forming an impromptu defence unit. They had armed themselves with pitchforks and spears and even kitchen implements. The party convinced them to return to their homes and stay indoors.
It soon became clear where all the townsfolk were heading. Someone had convened a meeting in King’s Square. Five hundred citizens waited to hear someone speak. Then the Sultan emerged. He gave a different name to the assembled crowds and made them a solemn promise:
“Vote for me as Mayor! I am the only one that can save the city from these threats!”
The plan became clear: the Sultan and his vampiric friends were conspiring together. Their goal was to scare the entire city then present the Sultan as their savior. “Not if I’ve got anything to do with it”, muttered Sylas. “I’m sick of this piece of shit”. He summoned Tenser’s Floating Disc and advanced over the crowd’s heads. At the same time, Garrius started to shoulder his way through the crowd.
The city guards became aware of the party’s approach and sought to defend the Sultan, who just seemed to be a genuine candidate for Mayor to them. Sylas had had enough. He unleashed an Arcane Bolt at the Sultan – but it passed through him harmlessly. An illusion!
The citizens erupted into panic and fled from the square. Meanwhile, the Sultan’s illusion cowered behind a guard. Garrius yelled, “Look! Grab that man and you’ll see he’s fake!” Unfortunately, the guards were much keener on arresting the would-be “assassins”.
As Sylas flew out of range and Garrius waited for the guards to approach, a golden light approached from one street. Dawn? Not yet. A tall, broad-shouldered man in full gold plate rode into the square, bestride an armored warhorse. His sword, similarly gold, was drawn. A while cloak was clasped at his shoulders. Dozens of white-armored men and women accompanied him on horseback. “Seize everyone!”, he commanded.
Then he raised his visor. “Caladan Brood is the name”. He smiled. “And this city is now under martial law”.