It’s been an interesting month. I’ve had three adventures running at the same time, so this recap may be a little disjointed. But two of them contained one of the best plot twists since the Ancient Tsethem’s reveal.

Alien Investigation

Following:

<< Elion, Special agent and combat artificer extraordinaire.

Melody, Tsethem of ice and latent psion from the infinite city. >>

Crunch

Turning Point

Plotline: Learn who the froglike aliens are

Plot points (characters invokes):

1. Help is offered, for a price (Turf)

2. Framed (Whisperer in the darkness, Ike)

3. Travel setting

4. At your mercy (Ike)

5. Character steps down (shadow creatures)



On their flight back to Rahm Oru, Mel is contacted by a Dwarven mage: Turf wishes to meet them at the earthen PIP. A quick word to their pilot diverts the airship to Sovu Vapohu, where they head to the permanent interplanar portal. The villagers have already returned after retreating during the Nightfall war, and are now busy repairing the damage done.

The portal has also been reactivated. Turf is waiting for them on the island side, although they don’t recognise her at first: She’s wearing a long hooded cloak to mask her appearance.

Without a word she takes them to a tavern carved from the cave walls, and starts with thanking them for their part in defending Tirkosu during Nightfall. Then she shocks them with the news of her abdication, and of Ikeer’s demotion.

Turf: This is unprecedented behaviour from both our courts, especially in light of our victory over the shadow. I suspect a master manipulator is toying with them, considering they leave no magical trace. They’re using leverage, and if not: Psionics.

Elion: *raises eyebrows* Ohh..

Turf: And potent psionics. Now: who would wield enough power to bend the minds of even the wind dukes?

Mel: The Zailan elders?

Turf: *points at Mel in concurrence* Or, a creature powerful enough to break through a planar barrier created by the Colossi themselves.

Mel: The whisperer from the shadow plane..

Elion: Forget the barrier, they destroyed an insanely high tower crawling with shadow creatures. They gotta be packing some serious weight.

Turf asks them to investigate on her behalf, with the promise of heavy compensation when (if) she’s reinstated. Elion’s reluctant to go on crazy adventures while Mel’s expecting, but ultimately agrees if it’s only sleuthing. Mel pipes up that she felt a strange connection when she heard the Whisperer’s voice, so they can use that as an excuse to investigate. Reaching the Zailan homeworld will require a custom portal – they seek the help of Vanella, currently liberating Tapuk.

* * *

They meet V’nell piling shadow creature corpses in the crisp mountain air outside Tapuk. She asks if they’re here to help, which Elion declines – Can’t be getting into combat in Mel’s state.

One space-bending spell later sees them stepping onto the Zailan homeworld, currently floating in the blue intermediary plane between water and stars. Hilariously enough, they appear to have entered the artificial city’s sewers. They swiftly exit and find their way to the grand high cleric’s quarters, where they’re granted access provided they leave their weapons behind (Melody refuses to have her thoughts read to check for bad intent).

The grand high cleric skirts around the issue using pleasantries for a bit, but ultimately refuses to tell them the location of the void realm enclave. Frustrated, the pair are forced to search for a different method of travelling to this mysterious destination.

Elion and Mel spend a few hours faffing about a communications room, trying to get info on the enclave’s whereabouts through there. It’s ultimately fruitless, and they only succeed in raising the suspicions of the mediums at work there.

Instead they head to the docks and pal up with a pilot who somewhat shares Elion’s dry humour. She invites them to hang out with her “pod” (fellow pilots in the squadron). Apparently the Zailan idea of hanging out is meditating together. They witness the induction of a newbie pilot into the pod, and the creation of one of the tadpole-shaped battleskiffs – The aliens literally bring crystalline matter out of nothingness, their combined mental focus shaping the vehicle before the amazed offworlders’ eyes.

Once the ritual has ended, the pod luminary claps his hands for attention and addresses Elion. The alien recalls fighting beside him in the sacking of the infinite city, and expresses his gratitude to the elf. Elion jokes that payment is expected, while trying to give Mel some of the limelight too – but the Zailan take him seriously, and are willing to use their shaping powers to create a suit to his specifications.

Torn between having a custom crystalline suit and their mission, Elion finally asks if instead they can be taken to the void enclave: the luminary agrees, on condition that the offworlder’s intentions are judged suitable – and by that they mean sifting through his mind. It’s not a particularly pleasant experience, but they seem satisfied with what they see.

* * *

They travel to the voidrealm – A transitory plane between shadow and time, the Zailan explain. The sky swirls like liquid ink in all direction, pitch black yet visible, nothing and yet something.

Crunch

Intervention: Wild Negative

Portent: Likelier Affiliating

Turning Point

Plotline: Investigate the Whisperer

Plot points (characters invokes):

1. Protector (Melody)

2. Public Location

3. Beat you to it (Whisperer)

4. None

5. Defend or not defend (Turf, Dukes of the air, Mel)



The enclave is being attacked by single-eyed undead spirits as they enter the realm. A Human male wearing a combination of robes and Zailan armour battles them off with a white staff, standing atop a giant multifaceted structure made of dark crystal: the void realm enclave. Elion and his pilot eagerly fly to the warrior’s aid – Mel has a little trouble convincing hers to follow.

Fun fact! Those undead are actually not native to the void realm (nothing is, in fact). They’re most likely a product of the Elder Eye, an ancient being out of time that became part of the plane’s essence several years back.

The Human doesn’t seem pleased at the new arrivals. He telepathically shouts at Elion to stay back, and catches him in a gravity well when the warning is ignored. Elion’s new armour unfolds around him from a pocket dimension: The Inquisitor suit. It’s a lightweight exo-skeleton designed more for infiltration than combat, but it’ll have to do.

He realises Mel is charging into battle, and yells for her to fall back. She ignores him, instead focusing her newly found telekinesis to wield a myriad of edged weapons against the undead. But the Ice Tsethem’s power is still young, and she finds herself mobbed. It takes the Human warrior cracking his crystalline staff in two to finally destroy the disturbing creatures, the resulting magical explosion nearly killing Elion outright.

His first thought is for their kid, however.

Elion: What in the hells were you thinking?? We agreed you should stay out of fights, not run headfirst into them!

Mel: I’m sorry! I’m sorry, I just… *takes the Human’s offered hand* I didn’t think they’d be that strong.

The Human speaks, and at a normal volume Mel immediately recognises his voice: The Whisperer.

Whisperer: Stay close, or your lives are forfeit.

He marches to the four corners of the pyramid-like protrusion they’re currently standing on, checking each side.

Whisperer: *turns to Elion* You are an elf.

Elion: *tilts head to emphasise his ears* What gave it away?

Whisperer: *smiles* Humorous. I welcome that. My name is Daevid Tarn. What brings you to my realm?

Elion: The Zailan skiff. Seriously though, I think we’re here for you.

Mel: You’re the one. That took down the Mirling tower.

Daevid: *recognition dawning on his face* The shadow travellers! I should have expected a visit from yourselves. Not even the planar barrier could hold you back!

Elion: Yeah, about that-

He’s cut off by the arrival of three similarly clad figures – A young, impish elf man and two Elkore; one female and haughty, the other male and solemn. Daevid introduces them as Tealo, Rosin, and Dylan respectively. Together, the four of them destroyed the breakout tower. They call themselves the mind knights.

Daevid invites them inside the enclave. The interior is not unlike that of the Zailan homeworld, domed corridors and nebulous layout, but with a dark crystal instead of white. Tealo tells them it was created to recover those lost in the planar collapse of 31 AFO. Among those unfortunate were the mind knights – and Melody’s first love, who perished helping her escape the infinite city. She doesn’t bring him up, however. No sanity in reopening old wounds.

All the psions but Daevid split off to report to the elders. He instead takes the visitors to a recovery room to heal up, and exchange answers.

Daevid: I have been curious for some while as to how you reached the plane of shadow. Enlighten me.

Mel: We didn’t intend to go there. There was a Mirling ritual-

Elion: A necromancer. It pulled us with it, somehow.

Mel: We speculated that it’s easier to return to their plane than to leave it. That’s how we were able to escape – we didn’t belong there.

Daevid: *nods, looking somewhat pleased* Interesting.

They’ve been settling themselves into cot-like sick beds, which a Zailan attendant now activates. A cool darkness washes over them briefly, leaving behind a sense of mildly aching tiredness.

Elion: ..Think I prefer the clerical way.

Mel: It feels like waking.

Zailan: It is indeed. You have slept for many hours.

Mel: That… felt like seconds.

Elion: *shakes his head to clear it* What were we talking about?

Daevid: Our trips to the shadow realm. You wished to know how I bypassed the planar lock. *shrugs* It’s quite simple: I went around it.

Laughing at their blank stares, he casually projects a mental illusion into the room to illustrate. The barrier hasn’t closed off the realm since the dawn of time: there was once an age where one could travel to the shadow plane and back as easy as any other element. Daevid “simply” opened a portal there before the lockdown.

Elion: I… *frowns in befuddlement* don’t get it. The lock was created years ago. Like, centuries. How old are you?

Daevid: *laughs merrily, patting the elf’s arm* I’m no undying, as of yet. No, the secret lies within the very plane upon which we reside. The power to travel across time.

There’s a stunned silence.

Elion: Wooooahohoho. You gotta be playing with us, right?

He isn’t. Beckoning them to follow, he leads them out and further into the enclave, passing white-robed Zailan who bow in reverence. They pass through a hexagonal archway into what appears to be a summoning room. A raised dais rimmed with glowing sigils rises to greet Daevid as he approaches.

Daevid: Silence, please. *raises his arms*

There’s a pause.

Daevid: I ordered silence.

Elion: Dude.. *glances at Mel* We didn’t speak.

Daevid: You are thinking too loud.

Magical energy crackles throughout the room, making the crystal lights flicker. A portal begins to take shape in the dais’ epicentre. All that can be seen through it is a small patch of obsidian terrain, lit by the the dim red from within the portal.

Daevid: The plane of shadow, roughly one century from your time.

The offworlders say nothing. Melody because she’s too stunned by the ramifications this implies. Elion because he’s close enough to the dais’ runes to read them.

He’s seen a lot of malevolent arcane markings in his life. The rift on the fey isle; the cagehead Mirling mages; the necromancer’s planefall ritual. He knows dangerous runes when he sees them.

And these runes are evil. Extremely evil.

In Pursuit of Winter

Following:

<< Daneal, spiffy toff studying arcane mechanics at the BAT.

Naomi, mental shaper from the infinite city, who’s fallen in with some dodgy shard gangs. >>

Daneal is currently being kidnapped by a Piranai. They think he’s an accomplice to Naomi, a steamborn refugee from the infinite city who just broke into the BAT tower. She’s stolen a mysterious package that everyone seems to be after.

* * *

The Elf and his Kenku Piranai catch up to the Aasimar carrying Dan, and have a squabble over the latter kidnapping the wrong person. Instead of dumping Dan, they continue carrying him

Naomi pulls off some Aladdin-level stunts and trickery to force the retreating Piranai down a deserted side alley. Her ambush doesn’t go off great. She downs the Aasimar, but the Kenku climbs up beside her and begins sparring.

Kenku: Time for a rematch, yes?

Next round she cuts down both him and the Elf. Two attacks, two hits, two unconscious Piranai.

Well; Three, including the Aasimar.

The druids don’t have any healing potions on them – Naomi has no way to wake Dan.



Intervention: Entity negative (Naomi)

Portent: Relocated Supper



A magical Sending interrupts her cursing – Her benefactor has relocated the drop location. Too much heat, he says. More importantly, he’s changed the time to evening. No rush.

She has an idea where to lay low: the catacombs. A quick trip through the town’s sewers brings her safely to them, if not cleanly. Lucky she knows a spot where the tunnels overlap with a boiler system, allowing her a warm shower while waiting for Daneal to come to.



Intervention: Wild Negative

Portent: Muffled Evade



Damn it, this place was supposed to be safe. The piranai must have every member working towards finding them. It’s only one guy that stumbles onto them though – A brightly coloured Aarakocra wearing a bandolier full of poison vials. Naomi hides, but doesn’t have time to hide Dan. Still, she thinks she can take the intruder.

She can’t. She gets a few good hits in (and a nicely placed crit), but the bastard’s toxic elixirs take her down.



Does he stabilise her? (Unlikely)

Oracle: No, but

Does Dan wake up while she’s rolling death saves? (Unlikely)

Oracle: No, and





Death saves: 12, 18, 4, 8

M’actually having a heart attack.

Final death save: 19



Dan comes to and puts together most of what happened while he was out. Not knowing the correct way out of the catacombs, he waits for Naomi to regain consciousness an hour later.

Dan: I have to say, this is a rather unpleasant way to start the week.

Naomi: *ignores him and checks to see if the package has been taken – it has. She vents with a frustrated noise and glares at Dan* You owe me a spit-tonne of meals, tinkerer.

Dan: What..?

Naomi: Food. You cost me a year’s worth. That package was my pass to the upper, and now it’s gone. Dust.

Dan: *places indignant hands on his hips* Excuse me? What did I do?

Naomi: Should never have saved your sweating skin.

This bickering continues for some while.

Naomi: Whatever. With some brawler’s luck the piranai won’t have gotten far. *limps off down a tunnel*

Dan: It’s actually been some time. A half-hour, I’d wager. *frowns* I say, I don’t suppose you’d care to tell me what all this fuss is about? Why does everyone seem interested in pilfering the storage all of a sudden?

Lots of lore theorising

Now this is an interesting question. Here’s what we know about the package:



– It’s small enough, roughly a foot.

– It’s not necessarily magical: the BAT towers were “repurposed” last month as headquarters for the allied defenders of Tirkosu. A bunch of random people have been coming and going from the tower.

– Both Naomi’s benefactor and the piranai want it. Nai doesn’t know the identity of her contractor, but we can infer from the druids’ involvement that it’s something to do with nature of fey.

– Recent events are a bit factor in new magic items turning up. We’ve got the Nightfall war (shadow magic?), the disintegration of the dragonlands (still need to get Toskan to check up on them – could be an ancient draconic artefact?), or even so far back as when Rahm Oru was pulled into the nine hells (diabolic scripts?).

– Other background events that may be tied to this artefact are The Reckoning (a timeline reset planned by the chronomentals) and any plans the Valkeesh Overseer might be putting into action.



This package might just well set the theme for the entire adventure.



Portent: Chilly Spatter

Something ice related… For some reason the Ring of Winter springs to mind. Anything to do with that?

Oracle: Yes, and

Oh shoot. It’s the Ring of Winter.



Or, the Mask of Winter, because this is Empai Tirkosu. Masks rule, O.K.?



Wow, reading up on the lore of this thing, it’s kinda perfect. “Winter” in Empai Tirkosu isn’t a season, it’s an emotional concept: bitter, cold, malicious, etc. They Fey Winter Court is antithetical to the Summer Court – and inherently evil, just like the Ring. I mean Mask.



So why would a powerful Fey artefact end up hidden in the BATs storage? Maybe it was brought there for safekeeping by Marcas Torrem, the current Tsethem of life and an ex-piranai. Seems unlikely though. Ooh, maybe it was worn by one of the Golath troops sent by Ceulinox during the Nightfall war! Maybe the wearer copped it, and a less-than-scrupulous soldier smuggled it back into Rahm Oru. That would make sense.



Regardless: on with the tale.



Naomi: *shakes her head* Just, some mindless mask. A relic of ice, or whatever. Doesn’t matter now.

Dan’s mind sifts through several year’s worth of lectures about magical artefacts. Three come to mind – each of them ridiculously powerful in its own right. An excited gleam appears in his eyes.

Dan: Do you mean the Tsethem mask, the Fey mask, or the one used by that ogre with the silly name?

Nai: Fey were mentioned, I think. *shrugs, and turns away*

Dan: Hey hey, hold on! Let’s not be so hasty. You want the mask, right? Or rather, you want a payoff? Gold?

Nai: Pearls.

Dan: How much were you going to get for that thing?

Nai: Fifty.

Dan: *internally winces. That’s a significant amount* Ahh, right. Tell you what: You work for me, now. I can pay you double your current asking – AND likely get you a free pass at the BAT tower, if we spin the story the right way. What say you?

Nai: *looks him up and down* You’ve lost it. You’re a student, there’s no way you’re hoarding that kinda bite.

Dan: Uh-! Hello? *puffs out his chest with indignation* I’ll have you know that my family owns an exceedingly prolific artisan’s guild right here in this town!

While technically true, he’s not on fabulous terms with his folks. Naomi seems hesitant.

Dan: ..A prolific family who may ALSO count you as clan if you help one of their own out.

Naomi: *finally nods* Okay. Consider it done.

Dan: Excellent! *claps his hands together, ready to set off on adventure* Now let’s… Have a little nap.

* * *

They’re both going to need a good kip in order to heal up, so they part ways after agreeing to reconvene outside BAT tower next day.



TWENE: Invective Accrued



Dan gets chastised for missing that morning’s lecture, in spite of his insistence that it wasn’t his fault. Skipping lunch to head down to the great library, he scour the tomes for any relevant details on the mask of winter. He learns of its power to freeze entire lands, and of its dark origin at the hands of the Baba Yaga.



Turning Point

Plotline: New

Plot points (characters invokes):

1. None

2. Run away (Naomi’s benefactor)

3. Mass Battle

4. Character is attacked to abduct (Naomi)

5. Character steps down (Professor Fog)





Where’s the dropoff point?

Portent: Okay Congregated.



Memorial square’s bustling market has quietened by sundown, deep gold light bouncing off the towers and shops to illuminate what few stalls remain open. Naomi pretends to admire some intricately woven Elkore carpets before spying the hooded figure who’d contracted her over by the statue of the Warforged Tsethem, Flamer. She steels herself for an unpleasant interaction.



Intervention: Entity Negative (Piranai)



But she notices something off. Eight town guards, poorly disguised. She hangs back – they approach the hooded man, who casts invisibility and vanishes. The guards spread out to search, but Naomi manages to leg it without being seen.

That was way too close. And worse, her benefactor probably thinks she tipped off the chains! She can’t go back to the shard gang now, way too risky. Thank the stars that crazy mechanic decided to hire her like that..



Some behind the scenes stuff – the guards knew where the dropoff was going down because they’ve apparently been monitoring Sending spells and other telepathy around town. Not entirely sure how they’re doing that. Maybe psitech from the refugees? Maybe some new arcane device? Who knows. Point is, they were able to trace the BAT tower raiders, and are probably investigating the piranai too.





Intervention: New Plot





Turning Point

Plotline: New

Plot points (characters invokes):

1. Prized possession (Naomi)

2. Hidden agenda (Poisoner piranai)

3. A character is diminished (Piranai)

4. None

5. None



* * *

The brightly coloured Aarakocra delivers the package to an unseen being outside the town’s walls, nervously keeping watch for Mirlings. He complains that the piranai will take a lot of heat now, both from the town guards and BAT. The being doesn’t appear to care.



Why are the piranai answering to this being?

Portent: Tinnier Slaved





Wow, slavery – or, being forced to obey. So there must be a pact of some sort, maybe just for the specific chaps who intercepted us at the tower. Maybe a Fey pact. But “Tinnier” makes me think more of Warforged. Maybe more than one Feralforged survived the…





Holy shad. It’s Archive.



The being uncloaks itself to reveal an eight foot golem with blazing red eyes. Hellfire pours off its shoulders in billows, altogether making for a rather frightening spectacle. It speaks in a rumbling crackle:

Archive: You bore me, druid. Run along.

* * *

Many years ago, the Prince of the River was trapped inside a book. Some say it was a prank by one of the other Fey lords, and they’re most likely right. The book bounced back and forth across the planes, eventually ending up in the great library of Rahm Oru – where the River Prince was accidentally released by a worker golem. The Prince, wishing to thank the mindless hunk of metal, imbued it with a soul. And so was born Archive.

Each exploit that followed his creation deserves a tale of their own to do them justice. Suffice to say that at the age of sixteen, Archive joined Princess Della in thwarting the machinations of the devil Solvannoth. But the hells took a toll on the golem’s mind, and once they had fled Solvannoth’s lair to the plane of time, he lashed out – forcing his teammates to abandon him.

And there he has stayed, for how long only the Supreme One knows. Rescue attempts have been in vain, as shortly after Della’s departure the library of time was planelocked by the Chronomentals. It was unknown if Archive ever managed to shake his corruption (or that of his good friend Madragus, who was similarly affected).

I suppose we now have the answer to that question.

The fate of the Dragonlands

Following:

<< Toskan Valdaar, perhaps one of the few dragonborn to survive the Nightfall war.

Novessa Lokou, holy warrior from Appinamopu Tharth. >>

Turf pays the high cleric Perla a visit in Appinamopu Tharth. Now denied access to her own seers and prophets, the earthen princess turns to her fellow Tsethem to seek council.

Unfortunately Perla doesn’t have access to the spell, but she can reach someone who can within a few days. Turf decides to hang around Appinamopu Tharth with her husband while they wait. He feels rather vulnerable in their current state, forced to hide in taverns and inns – but while Turf’s title may have been stripped, her bond with earth means she never truly feels homeless.

She receives a Sending from Elion, telling her they sort-of succeeded in their mission: there’s definitely something fishy going on with the Mind Knights. As her situation makes her unable to compensate them in full, she rewards them in the meanwhile by saying they’re welcome to stay with her daughter Lacey on the plane of smoke.

* * *

Toskan meets up with Suvys, and tries to get to the dragonlands via Old Sonorae’s teleportation circle. It fails – Sonorae’s cave must have crumbled.

He goes to the BAT tower and asks for a teleportation. They don’t sell them, and are somewhat preoccupied with an incident involving the Piranai.

The two Dragonborn join Novessa and Vanella at sundown as they liberate the final village, Gokapu.



Intervention: New Entity

Portent: Galling Cloven



A party of Satyrs are joining the fight. A good friend of theirs was visiting the dust village when it was overrun by shadows.

The attack begins. Vanella has a fair bit of trouble with an ancient shadow dragon. Novessa eventually joins her to take it down, V’nell trapping it in a sphere of light through which Nov soars to slit its throat.

The Mirlings retreat and, surprisingly, call for a parley. Their leader approaches.



Anything about this leader different from what I expect?

Oracle: Yes

TWENE: Intrepid Flake



The leader is a renegade elite. He wishes to retreat with the roughly 300 remaining Mirlings to the dark mirror.

Vanella: Wassup with y’all mirlings turnin’ smart all of a sudden?

The elite just shrugs.

Toskan is opposed to the idea of letting so many shadow creatures go free, but Vanella and Novessa convince him to give them a shot.

The attacking leaders agree to let the Mirlings flee into the grasslands, and Gokapu is free once more.

* * *

But the shadow creatures have left their mark – specifically the dragons. Each village that fell before them bears the mark of corruption, the sun barely shining through a permanent darkness that has settled on them.

This isn’t new to Tirkosu. Orthraze fell to a similar fate, and Tiamat’s brief but terrible reign obliterated Cosapai. Each time, the Tsethem used their masks to “reboot” the elements, at the temple of the Colossi. It’s time to call the protectors together once again to perform this task.

Vanella asks if Novessa still has the mask of smoke, and is surprised to hear she gave it back to Turf. She understands when Nov reminds her of the light show she just witnessed. You can’t deny the call of your element.

Resetting the elements will have to wait, as Toskan is impatient to get Suvys home and check on the dragonlands.

Vanella bounces them through a few planes before reaching the dragonlands. They land in the light segment, where to Toskan’s relief the pillars are still standing. They try and teleport directly to Sonorae’s lair, which doesn’t work- most likely due to its damaged state. They instead wind up closer to the centre of the dragonlands.

Here the damage is visible: the pillars are slowly disintegrating.

V’nell plane shifts them forth and back to the dragonlands’ central island. The entire place is corrupted by shadow.

V’nell tries to divine where the corruption is coming from, but-



Intervention: New Plot





Turning Point

Plotline: New

Plot points (characters invokes):

1. None

2. Dealing with a calamity (Mel)

3. Taking chances (Elder Eye)

4. The secret to the power

5. Into the unknown (Vanella)





Hooooooly no way. Wow. This is just, insane.





The breakout tower doesn’t exist, not in the way I thought it did. Here, lemme let Vanella explain:



They approach the very centre of the dragonlands, where the Worldforge once stood. Decades ago, while Tiamat wrecked terror down on Tirkosu, prince Lundal forged the mighty Tsethem masks here. That great primordial anvil has long since been destroyed – but a chill now settles upon Vanella as she sees what has taken its place:

A dark portal into pitch blackness.

Vanella: Huh. Tha’s.. *double checks her gauntlet’s readout* That goes right to the plane o’ shadow.

Toskan: But.. That’s impossible!

Vanella: Yeup. Should be. *paces around the thing at a cautious distance* Keep an eye onna skies, will ya?

Vanella tries to figure out how the portal was opened, incidentally discovering its branch of magic in the process: It’s Temporal in nature.

Her mind races. Why would the Chronomentals be opening portals to the shadow plane? How would they even have the power to bypass the planar barrier? Why was she getting a feeling like she was missing something, like there was a tiny little fact she’d missed?

And then it hits her – the void realm. the Elder Eye. She’d heard straight from the elemental princes’ mouths how the plane had effected its prisoner – He had learned how to open portals to the past. And now there was a group of elite psions living on an enclave within that realm – they too must have absorbed that power.

But the Elder Eye’s essence still lingered in the very fabric of the void realm: so what else might these psions have absorbed?

And that nice couple had gone there to investigate for Turf…

Vanella: Holy shad. We gotta go.

Ignoring her companion’s anxious questions, she fumbles with her gauntlet and shuts down the portal after a couple of failed attempts – it’s exceedingly powerful magic. Then she plane shifts them to the Elder Eye’s tomb, a giant tiered pyramid floating in the void realm. Nearly everything is just as she left it, all those years ago – the only difference being the absence of the Valkeesh battleship that must have drifted off.

Barely satisfied, she shifts Novessa and Toskan back to Rahm Oru.

Vanella: Go get a sendin’ spell, tell ya refugee friend an’ her elf buddy they gotta get da heq outta there, real quick-like!

Toskan: But why, I ask? Are ye going to leave us in the dark?

Novessa: Trust the protector, Toskan *nods to vanella* Do what you must, and we’ll do our part. But after this, I need to know what’s going on, yes?

Vanella shifts away, laving two very confused and troubled warriors.

* * *



The mind knights were behind the Nightfall war.





Ever since the enclave’s reveal, I suspected that the Elder Eye may be influencing them. I mean, he’s literally part of the plane’s essence. But I never thought they were anything more than potential pawns – until Vanella and co discovered that portal.





Only the mind knights could have created that portal. A portal that bypasses the planar barrier. Daevid managed to outwit the Colossi themselves – but not because he wanted to destroy the breakout tower. He instead wanted to lead the Mirlings out, under the orders of the Elder Eye.





Maybe Gok’toth’okth’rith wasn’t some super-smart Archomental after all. Maybe it was the Mirling name given to Daevid.





We never actually saw the breakout tower. We only had rumours and second hand accounts that it reached the stars. My bet is that is was just a normal tower, atop which the mind knights opened their portal.





So when Melody, Elion, and Novessa wound up on the plane of shadow, heading to the tower to destroy it… The mind knights had to intervene. I always thought there was something fishy about their sudden involvement. Turns out they were solving a problem they’d created themselves.



Plot twist of the century, I’m still reeling. Until next time, folks!