October 19, 2024

Hook

Gilded Slumber - The Wrong Shephard, Part 4

Plot Synopsis

As the party begins their journey back to Victoria, they are suddenly ambushed as their carriage driver Schmitty is revealed to be a bandit. The party quickly dispatches the first few, but one of the remaining is revealed to be Derek Gnomepunter, a rogue Ley’Orki agent. During the fight, Naomi calls down a massive beam of green light which gives her ethereal wings, then moments later she opens a portal in space and summons a massive warship, which flies through the portal and disappears. Gnomepunter is then defeated, but the party finds all the bandits have is a single coin of copper divided into 7 pieces, as one of the bandits (who was only a bandit to get money for his daughter’s medical treatment) runs away. Bahl attempts to shoot him in the back, but is stopped by Lapis’s magical slap bracelets. Naomi gives Bahl the advice to always leave one bandit alive to tell the tale, before picking Bahl up and hurling him into the frog's mouth.
The party finally meets with Peter, informing him that Yohana is safe and the area has been cleansed of the Dreamt. Bahl tells Peter that other members of the church discovered that he killed Raymond, and blackmails Peter into agreeing to help protect him with the letter he has from Peter requesting their help saving an enemy of the church. They also inform him they have a device to detect Dreamt influence, which he asks they give to the church to help them, but the party is hesitant, citing the atrocities the church has performed. They begin arguing in earnest, but are interrupted by the arrival of Archpontiff Elymas, who wanted to speak with Peter about something. Elymas shakes everyone’s hand, and when he reaches Uriel the Dreamt device begins sounding.
After Elymas leaves, Uriel asks what Peter was to discuss with Elymas, and Peter explains that Elymas has been training him to be his successor, which Peter is hesitant about. Uriel then tells him that it seems Elymas is under the influence of the Dreamt. Peter agrees to meet the party at a bar called Zanzibar to discuss matters further, but Naomi needs a quick rundown on the whole “Sleeping Plague” and “Inquisition” thing first. Bahl is also caught stealing candles by Elymas’s personal guard, Commander Jahar.
After leaving, Uriel threatens Bahl, telling him that if he endangers the party again, she’ll kill him. The party rests through the night, then makes their way to Zanzibar, a bar with a distinctly Ley’Ork vibe, and gives the waitress a code to access a more secluded place where Peter awaits, sitting with Lazybones and The Executioner. Peter explains that The Executioner (now going by his name, Michael) has abandoned the church, though not the faith. Peter asks the party to take on a new job: To stop Elymas, and hopefully not kill him. Lazybones suggests the party do their research into the Dreamt and possible ways to defeat them. Uriel goes to a corner to cast prophesize, using Tarot cards, and receives the High Priestess card for intuition. At the same time, a church procession moves by the tavern with incense meant to ward off the Dreamt, which Yaupon feels nearly tear his connection to the Dreaming apart.

Noteworthy Postgame Events