Date & Time (ET): 2024-02-08T20:15:00.000-05:00

Summary

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Notes

• Nero calls a retreat, saying they have what they need. Runato, from their perspective, can see the dining room shimmering and fracturing. Emilia hears a rumbling and scratching at a wall behind her. Sylo sees Pierra draw on Hellebore, holding a strange crossbow with arrows like morningstars. Lei recognizes Pierra - or Altawiya - as her mask blows away.
• Lei makes a dive for Sylo's bow and fires "from the hip" to throw off Pierra's aim, taking a good chunk of her thumb and knocking the crossbow from her grip.
• Sylo pulls out a knife and drives it into Nero's stomach, taking a rapier through the arm in return.
• Runato orders Elbanna to explain who, exactly, they are and what the Unicorns are doing here. Elbanna shares, blood flowing freely from his lips, that he was once known as Sebastian Delacourt. He was a Bright Sparrow, an order of cartographers and pseudo-meteorologists that died out at least a century prior and have passed into legend.
• Emilia, prioritizing, calls out to the cats waiting in the doorway to guide them through the mirror-passage to safety.
• As Pierra retreats, Lei chases her deeper - or rather higher - into the manor.
• Sylo grabs the star fragment in Nero's head and yanks it free, inflicting terrible pain on them and yanking Sylo from his "deity's" embrace; he sees with sudden clarity that he's been deceived.
• As Sylo sits stunned and Nero writhes in pain, Rubah busts through the wall like the Kool-Aid Man and swallows Nero whole.
• Elbanna dies in Runato's arms; they lay him out on the floor and go to pick up the unconscious Xyndite and pull him to safety.
• Runato, Sylo, and (unfortunately) Rubah chase after Lei.
• Lei corners Pierra in the ruined master bedroom, trying to discern what sort of ritual she's performing here. She discerns that the ritual is drawing magic away to some other place or time. A star falls from the sky outside and engulfs the house in flames.
• The trio quartet reconvene, Lei dragging an unconscious Pierra, only to find their path blocked by a stuck Rubah. They maneuver her back out into the foyer.
• Hellebore has tried to push into the maelstrom in the dining room, and is being eroded as though facing a sandstorm. Dredge begs Lei to help them.
• Lei pulls the dead shard from Elbanna's head; it begins to crumble like talcum, but is enough a charm to protect her as she goes to pull Hellebore out of the storm. They lapse into unconsciousness.
• The group beats a hasty retreat from the manor.
• When Hellebore wakes and starts to march back toward the house, Sylo tags along briefly and pesters them about everything they know of deva, and how to rid oneself of a deva haunting. Tsuan Bi is unhappy.
• Meanwhile, Lei is keeping guard over Pierra, Runato is noting their experiences in their scrolls, and Emilia grows impatient.
• When Sylo reconvenes with the group, Lei and he interrogate Pierra. Lei threatens Pierra, but hesitates to follow through, and Pierra counters with a threat of her own: the Unicorns already know what's going to happen, and if she's not released, the Fellowship will face the consequences.
• The group resumes their march toward Kesh. Sylo notices a snake following them that no one else can see. He fires at it and misses; the snake slithers away.

The Fellowship crests a hill overlooking Kesh, and out to the distant sea. They begin their final approach...

Notable People

• Elbanna, née Sebastian Delacourt, a Human member of the Order of the Regnant Unicorn
• Pierra, née Altawiya, a Human member of the Order of the Regnant Unicorn and a former Ministra of the Collegium on Anatol
• Nero, past unknown, a Human member of the Order of the Regnant Unicorn
• Dredge, a Bombycid servant at the Triumvirate chapter house
• Hellebore the Plenilune, an Anilid mage and Arch of the chapter house
• Rubah, who is not mad, just disappointed
• Xyndite, a normal panther

Ephemera

Notes

Other