The next morning, the undead are conspiciously absent from the streets. 🧌Gronk wakes up to the most beautiful orc woman - who introduces herself as Sybil (Gronk casts Friendship on her as he shakes her hand_). Fluttering her eyes, she asks for a favour - the best bottle of wine in the building - Gronk hands her a potion of healing instead.
Sleeping outside the church, 🐰Faefina is woken by the haughtiest orc woman she's ever seen walking past her.
😎Bori wakes up and heads to breakfast, with his ass hanging out in respect of Mei. One of the priests corrects him. Trying to figure out his life, Bori pitches in to help, joining efforts to assist people who have had their city so dramatically changed over the past month.
Valthor, Gronk, and Bori are approached by the high priestess, who reminds them to head to the church of Efu.
At Faefina's insistence, the party stops by the church of Ila on the way. Some refugees are also here, as well as some druids in quiet discussion. One person in particular catches her eye - a man in a hood. As she watches him, she spots behind him a man who radiates warmth and friendliness. For a second, the call is irresistible. The man seems generically handsome and calm.
Approaching him, she asks if she knows him - he smiles beatifically, and says that in a way everyone knows him. He tells her he is not praying to anyone, but has precious cargo to be seen to. He tells her they'll meet again. Turning around, Faefina realises the hooded man has disappeared.
She leaves behind on the altar as an offering the pearl necklace linked to Gronk.
Gronk tries the church wine, in case it is better as Sybil had said.
Approaching the towering church of Efu, they see paladins guarding the entrance. Many people are complaining about Guliere, asking about the queen, and more. Valthor, continuing his quest, locates a priest called Arthur, and asks about further leads or irregul;arities. Arthur says the king is barely seen in public, and the queen has taken the children to Albany. The palace is closed to the people and the king intends to fully pursue conquest in the New World. Even the priests of Efu, who would normally be welcome in the palace, are excluded - that privilege is now held by the priests of Mu-Wren.
Speaking to the party, Valthor says that the king seems to be being held against his will.
Investigating later, he manages to make contact with a rogue thief in a dark corner of a dingy bar. On inspection he seems to be a member of the royal guard, off duty. Approaching them, Vlthor says he's heard that he's unhappy about the current work situation. The man offers an option for access at the kitchen.
While preparing for that night, the party hears word that the 🎖Genial General has returned, weeks earlier than expected. Faefina excitedly hops into the encampment to greet him. She hears him muttering about Lady Hillaria's plan on entrance. He greets her warmly as soon as he spots her, while guards hurriedly clear maps off the table. She catches a glimpse of the maps, showing the interior of the castle and it's living areas.
She greets him and asks if he has any more carrots. Putting him on her lap, he asks about her doings - and wants to keep her close. Faefina tells him that Gronk plans to rescue the king, and that she thinks the plan will fail.
The general asks if she knows about him meeting the king, and the general says he'll handle Gronk, and encourages her to stay behind to enjoy carrots while he does so. She asks him to send Gronk a note to let them know she's staying behind.
Gronk, Bori, and Valthor wait for Faefina to return from the general's encampment to know avail. Deciding that something must have befallen her, they decide to go rescue her first.
Walking into the camp, they are greeted without surprise by the soldiers, and are allowed access to the main tent. Walking in, they find Faefina in a bathrobe, freshly bathed and being handfed by servants. Gronk asks what she's been doing, and she says that she's been enjoying life.
Gronk asks about rescuing the king, and one of the commanders asks about him Lady Hillaria - he recognises Gronk, and knows he killed her. He asks if Gronk would like to be under arrest, and Gronk declines.
Valthor and Faefina slowly realise that this is not a hospitality situation. The commander suggests that they stay or suffer the consequences, and Gronk casts Suggestion to let them go so they can rescue the king. The commander's pupils contract, and he assents, putting up his hand to let them go.
Valthor follows the party out, questioning his life choices. Faefina, making use of the Word of Recall spell she'd prepared at the church of Ila, teleports the party back there.
Once again, she sees the hooded figure she'd seen earlier, hands in front of them and with palms together. She goes to greet him, and says he looks familiar. He removes the cloak to reveal himself as the Descradedill'diuot, the purple robed man. Faefina calls for Bori, who hogties him.
Faefina casts Inflict Wounds, seeing his veins becoming necrotic as she does. He reminds her that she does not remember the situation clearly, and that she has been lying to herself. Lifting a finger to burn the rope, the party springs into battle.
Faefina casts Toll of the Dead, hitting him for 26dmg.
Bori takes a speed potion, and attacks three times using Flurry of Blows, hitting three times and dealing 77dmg.
Bori follows up with Stunning Strike, stunning him.
Valthor jumps to the closest stairs and cover, and fires off a shot at the stunned figure, hitting him twice for 16dmg.
Gronk casts Polymorph on the figure, transforming him into a bunny.
As if he'd always been there, the friendly man Faefina spoke to earlier taps her on the shoulder, and tells her she has a choice. To let him live a life as a bunny, or -
Mid sentence, Bori picks up the rabbit, and snaps it's neck.
The man says that a choice has already been made, and walks off - with a spiritual figure of a rabbit following him. The corpse, transformed back to the body of the purple robed man, yields 39Gp, a regular dagger, and the purple robe, which on closer inspection turns out to be a Robe of the Archmagi.
After a few celebratory drinks, Faefina joins the party in rescuing the king. Hiccuping slightly in her full plate armour, Faefina sees the guard waiting by the door. He tells the party to keep the hare quiet, and gives directions to the king's quarters. Faefina is confident she remembers the layout from seeing the map earlier.
Valthor, in the interest of the mission, hustles the party inside and towards the stairs.
Climbing the stairs, the party finds the place quieter than expected, though there are more and more Mu-Wren priests, apparently functioning as guards. In the distance, the party can hear chanting in Celestial. Faefina recognises the words, 'Come on servants from on high, do our master's bidding.' Faefina believes it to be bad because it's not ☯Ila, but then the party sees a radiant light shining out from under the door.
Bori kicks the door in to find out. They see 5 priests in the room, with two freshly summoned angels. Valthor realises that these are three Deva's the lowest celestial being, as well as a Planetar. Bori drops to his knees in honour of these beings. One of the priests turns and looks at them, and says: 'It's not the entire party, but since you're here...'
Faefina swings at one of the Deva's with her morningstar, and misses. She casts Spiritual Weapon, which swings and hits the Deva, dealing 16dmg.
Bori, rolling forward and enlarging himself, attacking the same Deva and hitting twice, dealing 20dmg and stunning it.
Valthor hides around the door, and fires off two arrows, hittng once for 9dmg.
Gronk casts Chain Lightning on the four angels, dealing 53dmg each.
One Deva attacks Bori, missing twice.
The second Deva heals the one that was stunned.
The Planetar swings at Bori twice, dealing 14sla+9rad dmg. Bori uses his Endurance to diminish the damage.
The Planetar uses it's bonus action, and goes invisible.
Faefina uses Divine Intervention to cast Light on the angels, dealing 28dmg on them. The Planetar saves for 14dmg.
Her spiritual weapon swings and misses.
Bori, distracted by the ethics of the trolley problem, swings five times at the Planetar, hitting three times and dealing 28dmg and disengaging backwards.
Valthor fires and misses, twice.
Gronk casts Synaptic Static on the angels, dealing 36dmg and stunning one of the Devas.
One Deva attacks Faefina, dealing 16Dmg.
The second attacks Gronk, dealing 16dmg.
The Planetar attacks Bori, hitting once and dealing 23dmg. Bori deflects some of the damage, redirecting 9 slashing damage back at the Planetar, to no avail.
Faefina casts Harm on the Planetar, dealing 47dmg.
Her Spiritual Weapon misses.
Bori swings at the Planetar five times, hitting twice and dealing 27dmg.
Valthor fires twice at the Planetar, missing both times.
Gronk casts Synaptic Static on the angels, hitting two of them fully. He deals 26dmg, killing one of the Devas.
The one Deva attacks Faefina and misses.
The Planetar attacks Bori, and misses twice.
The second Deva attacks Valthor, missing twice.
Faefina, feeling the hangover kicking in, casts Ray of Sickness on the Planetar, dealing 7dmg but not being poisoned.
Her Spiritual Weapon hits the Planetar, dealing 7dmg.
Bori punches the Deva in the face six times, hitting 5 times and dealing 56dmg and killing it.
Valthor fires twice and hits the Planetar twice, dealing 19dmg.
Gronk hurls a fireball at the angles, killing the Deva. and dealing 31dmg to the Planetar.
The Planetar hits at Bori, missing twice.
Faefina fires her crossbow at the Planetar, using a seeking bolt and dealing 9dmg.
Her spiritual weapon swings and misses.
Bori punches and hits 4 times, dealing 47dmg and punching it into next week.
The one priest shouts out that Ms Rand will not be happy. The other adds that Mr Galt will also be displeased.
Party gets 20 000 xp each.