November 22, 2025

Hook

[Dirge of the Depths] Game 9, Devon, Geleia, Jaern

Plot Synopsis

After discussing for a little while, and with an intense confrontation of trust, the party proceeds through the dungeon, seeking a way out, and their final foes. They continue through, led by the cat, which the party briefly names "captain white boy", before learning his real name, Beluga. After searching for hidden doors and destroying bedrooms, the party finally reaches a hall and a large room. They open the door after Rilo splits from the party to find his gear, and come face to face with The Knight and High Bishop Yennan Adders. The Knight crashes his weapon into the ground, creating a fissure between the party, but not before Otis fires a Momentary Stasis, which traps The High Bishop.

Osyka, Dopple, Zaphani, and Ephemera are left across bridges and streams glowing faintly blue. The High Bishop is frozen, but the threats are still present, as abysslings climb their way out of the waters. Otis creates a duplicate of himself, lending the party aid and blinking between battles. The party fights the abysslings, with both Dopple and Zaphani being grappled and dragged into the streams, where they feel death approach quicker than normal (death threshold increase). Through some teleportation, chaos magic creating fiery chains, and another momentary stasis by Otis, the party is able to escape the abysslings and the stream just as The High Bishop breaks free from the Stasis. He begins by targeting Osyka, as she is the party healer, trapping both her and Zaphani in his magic streams, before attempting to target Otis as well, failing. The party realizes that the high bishop is healing, and Osyka steals his healing for herself, before Ephemera lands a killing blow, bringing him down in one go. They handle the remaining abysslings easily, and rush to the others to aid in their fight.

With the party split, Jessie, Vulvenaar, Feare, and a double of Otis square off against the Stalwart Knight, a member of The Knights sent to eliminate those that cause the destruction of the trade center. Battle ensues in the lava lit cavern as the party slowly chips away at the knights defenses. The Knight, bloody and wounded, in a last ditch attempt at victory, sends elemental energy through the cavern, threatening to erupt. Otis, stuck with no support and right where he shouldn't be, attempts to call upon his goddess but the prayer falls on deaf ears. With the rest of the party catching up, a prayer sent by Epharim reaches divine attention giving Otis enough time to escape death's clutches and deliver a lethal blow to the Stalwart Knight. Crumbling apart like a statute, the Stalwart Knight is defeated and the party is absolved of the crime in The Knights eyes through this trial by combat.

After defeating both opponents, the party reunites with Rilo, and the party Ascends (after looting every room for treasure), exiting the stairwell not into the cultist hideaway, but a small, rickety shack. They exit, and see people on the beach, enjoying their day. They take solace in the peace and justice restored to the city of Devon, and head off to get a drink.

(After-Credit Scene: Beluga crawling out of the ocean onto the beach, dripping wet and miserable, before padding off to Jessie Shields)

Noteworthy Postgame Events