Realms S1E46 A New Dawn

With Jaren defeated, the party has precious little time to celebrate or mourn as new evil greets them in Edayk in the start of a major new arc for our heroes.

Player Characters Present
Jeidobii, Torq, Denahi, Burakubuu, Tallulah, Farlan

Synopsis
In the aftermath of the battle against Jaren that found them victorious,the party takes a moment to catch their breath before tending to the monumental task of interring the dead. Each of them in turn takes the time to retrieve and delicately remove their loved ones: Denahi's brother, Farlan's wife and child, Torq's family... as they continue, the townspeople themselves begin filling into the space, doing the same.

Jeidobii leaves to see his mother and make sure she's been freed. He discovers a grim scene; a battle had taken place here and though Doris fell, Garick held his own and the captives are mostly safe. Jeidobii has a heartfelt reunion with his mother, but soon shares with her the bad news of his sister's passing and worse, the idea that the Duke may have been replaced by a doppelganger, putting her grandchildren, his niece and nephew, in great danger.

The rest of the party has made their way to the tavern to join an exultant King Max who, it is assumed, will now assume kingship. Tallulah enters, having discovered her beloved Princess Kaeluhn is safe and alive. She continues their jubilant reunion into an introduction to her new friends. Jeidobii arrives and offers his pleasantries but it is evident that his mind is heavy. Buu, sober as ever, notices and offers to join him in pursuing more pressing matters.

Together they track down Dorius and discover he is afflicted by a dark magic. They take him to Leroy who literally slaps the possession out of him. Dorius awakens, unaware of the passage of what seems to be weeks. Jeidobii and Buu knows that they must immediately return to Edayk,and Jeidobii has an idea.

They return to the tavern and gather their friends. Jeidobii leads them out to the forest to the trunk of a great tree and, concentrating with all his might, opens the tree, making a portal directly to their home in Edayk. There they discover Rydel, frightened and harried. He tries to explain the city has been taken siege. The party sneaks off to try and observe, finding an invading force composed of rotting behemoths and werewolves, among other horrors. Leading them, a tall, gaunt man whom Buu and Jeidobii immediately recognize from the specter that Leroy removed from Dorius. He calls out to his unseen onlookers, and the party assumes he calls to them, but suddenly a group of Trevyll appear and, just as quickly, are vanquished single-handedly by the villainous lord. He introduces himself as Lord Keiran, and he seeks to bring his Queen back using Jeidobii's niece and nephew. The party hesitates on taking action and before they can do anything Lord Keiran casts his influence, forcing them to retreat from the city, save for Buu who retains control.

He follows along his friends, hoping to keep them from danger when, just as they round the corner, a mountainous ogre spots them...

"LUNCH!"