V.

The scribe would like to note that the following section is the account of the Elf, Vadania, as told to the Half-Orc Imp who, in their adolescent proclivities, was late to rise on this morning.

Shadow, Shawn, Vadania, and Drakon awoke the following morning to an eerily quiet and empty barracks. Keldor, Toorgin, and Cleira had yet to return to their bunks from the previous day’s adventure. 

In an attempt to find out what was happening within the guild, they opened the door to be greeted by two guards instructing the party to stay in their barracks. 

Livia appeared not long after, bringing with her breakfast and word that the Five Heads of the Adventurer’s Guild were coming together to meet later that morning. They were informed that when necessary, they would be summoned so it was pertinent that for the time being they all stay put. 

Unable to sit by and twiddle their thumbs, the party agreed to send someone out to do some reconnaissance. Vedania skillfully dropped Shawn, the smallest of the group, out the window and down into the soft landing of some bushes. 

Meanwhile,  Toorgin and Keldor were led back to the room by guards and caught the rest of the party up on their mission from the previous day. They had been instructed to utilize their specific skills to scout out the warehouses belonging to one, Vizen Dewdrinker. There they discovered paperwork and evidence that he had been actively resisting the will of the White Boars who had been terrorizing and shaking down the local Merchants– apparently at the behest of Manisha Graves.

Whilst hidden within the bush outside, Shawn spied Galathor talking to some well-dressed people. He appeared to be both nervous and agitated but Shawn was too far away to make out exactly what was said in the exchange. Before he was able to creep any closer, Livia appeared with two guards, plucked him from his hiding place, and escorted him back inside. 

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Seeing this, Toorgin jumped from the window as soon as the coast appeared clear, however, was quickly spotted and ordered inside by four guards. 

It was then that Cleira stumbled through the door, obviously still within the throws of his drinking and other excitements from his drunken exploits. He was happy to announce that Visen Dewdrinker had invited him to be an Artist in Residence at one of his bars in Honiesale. Immediately(23) he invited Shawn to be his roadie. The offer was then also extended to Vadania after much pathetic whimpering.

At this point, likely roused by the ruckus and smell of breakfast, Imp emerged from his sleeping chambers and rejoined the party. The following is of his direct account of events. 

The stomping of familiar footsteps approached the barracks, the door opened to reveal Galathor. It was a strange sight, to see the man without his gleaming armor, dressed in plain clothes. Happy to see that all members of the party are gathered, he asks to be updated on the other party members’ adventures from the previous day(24), and once more explains that the Five Heads(25) of the Adventurer’s Guild will be meeting there today– the Party would be summoned at the appropriate time to act as witnesses to the corruption within the city. And then he leaves, replaced by Livia shortly after. She explains that she will return in thirty minutes to summon the party to the meeting. 

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As one could expect, the party immediately jumped into action now that they had a time frame to work within. Cleira cast invisibility on Vadania who creeps through the nearly empty courtyard, before sneaking into the Great Hall. 

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In what was explained multiple times to be less than thirty minutes, two familiar guards– Darlac and Mattais knock on the door to escort the party to the meeting. They ensure that the party is ready and comment that a meeting such as this one makes them incredibly nervous. “It’s always us who suffer when the nobles get up to things. Someone’s always trying to get something from someone”

Any and every attempt to stall and wait for Vadania to return was futile as “Vadania is with us wherever they are”. The party was led through the training grounds strangely full of all types of carts and wagons from those visiting from far-off places for the council, before being ushered into the Great Hall. 

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Much like the first time they all came together, the Hall was full of nobles and dignitaries from throughout the land. At a great table at its center sat the heads of the Guild. Those unfamiliar to the party were the pair of tieflings who were recognized to be the Winterborns and a human man who had to be Bronzebottom. Behind Galathor, ever the watchdog(26), stood Fargrim. 

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Herolds announced the start of the council, prompting the beginning of the meeting. Vadania, still hidden within the invisibility spell, rejoins the party as the ceremony proceeds. Introduced as “The Just” Galathor states that he will not stand on ceremony as the balance has been thrown off. In a perfect scenario, a scribe would be sat across from one who understood how imperative in these moments to remember exactly what was said in moments such as these but alas, it appears that when Imp is thrown into social situations such as this his ears turn off. What he was able to recall circled maintaining justice and the fact that it is important to hold to the ideal that what works for one isn’t what works for all– which elicited anxious murmurs from those gathered within the Great Hall. 

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Manisha rose to her feet with a cold glare directed to Galathor questioning what gave him the right to speak in such ways when violent crime is down and the merchant houses prosper within Amn. Toorgin and Keldor were then called forward to present their evidence from the previous day which appeared to link Manisha to the movement of the White Boars. 

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As tensions rose Shadow took his chance to slip away from the group, to find cover along the outer edge of the hall. 

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The other human of the Council, Bronzebottom,  stands to face Galathor claiming that he is overstepping the position of his seat and must have solid evidence before making accusations in a setting such as this. To which Galathor claims that he is obviously on Manisha’s payroll(27). 

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It is then that Greyblade, head of his merchant house, storms into the hall to also claim that Galathor is overstepping his reach with the Adventurer’s Guild. In response, Galathor showed a glimpse of his awesome power, eyes glowing gold as a powerful aura surrounded him. Behind Greyblade, his personal guards begin to glow and begun growing horns taking on demonic forms. As Galathor outstretches a hand towards Greyblade, the half-giant floats through the air towards the paladin as he speaks on how Greyblade uses his privilege to enrich himself to the detriment of the city, but no longer. 

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Before the council, and all those gathered within, Galathor takes his mighty warhammer and brings it down on Greyblade’s head– killing him.
 

Like any noble and just leader, standing before the corpse of a man he just murdered, Galathor states that he is dissolving the Council of Five and that he alone will remain in control of the guild.

Bronzebottom immediately relinquished his seat in deference to Galathor. The teifling siblings, however, moved to stand against him making the claim that he is hypocritical in his own actions, seizing power for his own sake. They make the claim that he will be brought to justice. To this, Galathor asks how long they have been on Greyblade’s dime.

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As Galathor turned the wall of the Great Hall exploded and a retinue of goblins charged in bringing with them a sea of chaos and confusion. In response, Manisha called for the White Boars to ensemble, and those hidden within the crowd made themselves known to the call that they would no longer be intimidated. 

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All around the party bloody chaos ensued as Goblins and Demons went after everyone in site, nobles and White Boars alike. It was a mass of fighting and death as those not trained to handle situations such as these were easily felled.

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After growing two feet and gaining Stoneskin due to a surge of wild magic Shawn attempted to appeal to Manisha, who brushed the party off as “Pawns of Galathor” and ordered her militia to turn their attention to the party and to Galathor. 

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A beacon of hope in the middle of this all was the appearance of Damien, back from his captive hold, as he burst into the battle swinging about his longsword viciously. 

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As Manisha charged forward to attack Galathor herself. He evaded her movements, reaching out instead to catch her by her throat and slamming her body into the stone floor rendering her unconscious. As Galathor stands, solemn, above the bloody battlefield with the leader of the White Boars unconscious in his grasp and the leader of the Crimson Sashes dead at his feet the opposing forces made their quick retreat leaving behind a scene of destruction and death. 

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Galathor appeared to be both winded and visibly wounded as he called out for Fargrim, who emerged from a backroom carrying the brutally disembodied heads of the two Teiflings whose only proven crime was speaking out against Galathor. 

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Manisha is healed by a visibly distraught Galathor, though remains unconscious as Shawn spoke out amongst the grim and heavy silence and confusion. 

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Galathor states that he had no idea that it was as bad as it was, but that it clearly had to happen. He also confirms that he is allowing Manisha to live because she was an old friend, and that she would face public trial–something that he denied the Tieflings that Fargrim stated he had been ordered to take care of. 

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"I never thought I’d see so much fine silk soaked in blood."

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It raised the question of what would happen to the city and its economy now that most of the nobles who led the merchant houses were now dead. 

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Damien looked off, distant and dazed. Similar to how Galathor always states that though they may not always see eye to eye, Damien is one of the good ones. Damien states that while Galathor is a lot of things but he’s on the straight and narrow. 

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Fearing that Dewdrinker may also have found himself decapitated if left behind, Imp stabilized him and slung the body over his shoulders to bring with them back to the barracks. 

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As the party treks back through the carnage and disaster they open up some of the carts to find evidence of goblin runes and explosive residue that suggests that this had been a long, well-established plan by both sides of the power struggle. Cleira also manages to wrangle up a very fine vintage of ale that would certainly come in handy after the day’s events. 

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Back in their room with Dewdrinker deposited on the couch, the party watched as Damien became slower and slower. Fresh food and drink had been laid out for the group to replenish their strength after the bleak and harrowing battle earlier. Damien drinks more and more water, seeming unable to quench his thirst. Looking at their mentor, truly looking at him now that the chaos of battle is over Imp got a distinctly evil sense from him. As Cleira looked within his mind, the only thought gleamed was “I’m very thirsty”. 

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Damien’s form began to shift, from the figure of the man who first led them on this adventure to a monstrous form with tusks and horns. The party had no choice but to fight the demonic husk of their mentor. 

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When the demon finally went down blazing with an unnatural fire the corpse of Damien, with an arrow through his eye was revealed(28).

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23. And to the utter and crushing devastation of Vadania

24.  As recounted above

25. The Five heads of the Guild are as follows: Manisha Graves– the dwarven fighter, Malina and Malik Winterborn, and Linus Bronzebottom.
26. Though perhaps not of his own volition

27. A claim he will be seen to make against anyone who levies and argument against him.

28.The young Imp, seeming desperate for some kind of guidance or mentorship seemed even more lost as he recounted the events of this particular day to me. Devastation does not even begin to cover it.