Realms S2E22 Hanging By A Thread

Beaten down, our group must rest before pressing forward, deeper into the heart of Pyriel's Castle.

Player Characters Present
Eclipse, Naphako, Keywynn, Kyrealle, Kerrick

Synopsis
We start inside the hut within Pyriels Castle, hunkering down in various stages of consciousness. Acting quickly they manage to at least keep everyone alive if not conscious.

A few potions, a couple healing spells and pretty much every remaining spell slot later and the group debates on what to do next. Glib of course wants to fight. Eclipse proposes scouting for an area to properly rest. He uses his owl to double up on efficiency. As he proceeds up to the fifth floor, he sees a storage room, constructs are there but nothing really happening as they seem devoid of life. He continues to scout up to the sixth floor. Eclipse sees 5 doors, and splits them with his owl. The owl shifts its form to a familiar white dragon born, before checking the doorknob. Eclipse is a bit taken aback, but they continue to check each until the last which has a different style door, and it appears to contain food stores. He informs the others who will start making their way in that direction.

Not before Ky sends Honkers to investigate the well again. She finds a giant pile of bodies clogging up a river. She then searches and finds gold while Keywynn gives Rolan a cold shoulder.

Once they meet up with Eclipse at their improptu home, Ky sets up alarms. They lie down, Kerrick taking first watch. After a sleepy uneventful time, Eclipse and Naphako...actual Naphako wake up for watch. They chat about Eclipses brand new near death experience and they also discuss Glib and his reckless nature. Rolan takes last watch, and then as the group awakes to find that the room has prepared a magical feast for them. Everyone seems a bit suspicious of the food, but after Elskan digs in with no consequences they tuck in and realize it’s a heroes feast.

After eating they notice that the flames of the braziers have changes from a blue to an orange. They also notice a “Hegion” Numeral, VI, above the door. This all appears magical. And then the room starts to shake before the next numeral appears, VII and ghostly figures that appear in the room. It’s good that they ate the feast, because as the banshees begin to scream, our group remains steadfast.

They then notice that they weren't all so lucky, as one banshee managed to get Rolan who simply falls limp, though Ky quickly stabilizes him with a pepper. Eclipse will go on the attack with a driveby stabbing before ducking behind the brazier. Keywynn fires a scorchin ray at the banshee before heading over to her brother.

The banshees lash out, just before Kerrick guns one down. Naphako manages to destroy the other one. And with that the room shakes again and the Hegion Numeral VIII appears above the door. Then, growing up from the ground are three strange metallic creature looking like a starfish or five petaled flower. On their arrival they release gas that paralyzes Keywynn.

Kerrick attacks with his maul. Naphako heals Keywynn. Ky holds her breath to avoid the gas and shoots on with cold damage for good measure. The creatures don’t last long as Eclipse, Keywynn and Rolan end the three creatures in succession.

They take a single deep breath and they repeat the process of rumbling up to level IX, where three iron golems show up. The gauntlet continues and the fighting never ceases. Ky cast shatter, as Eclipse attacks from behind. Keywynn cast control water, trying to put out the flames within the braziers and it works! The room goes dark…then they re-light. She can try and it may work for a second, but long term it means nothing. Kerrick almost goes down but manages to keep fighting. Ky blasts it with Shocking grasp while trying to get away.

Eclipse manages to kill one of the Golems and then taunts Kerrick, who can't really respond due to all the blood he's currently coughing up. Rolan and Keywynn both fall unconscious to the Golems’ assault. Luckily Naphako and Ky are able to finish of the last two before their friends slip beyond their reach.

They get Rolan and Keywynn back on their feet and start looking for a way out. On this no enemies appear but they instead see an hourglass counting down and hour and see the braziers from red to green. They take it as a sign to rest and the party muses on why they’re being tested in this way rather than killed. As the sand runs out, the flames go red, and they hear a voice claiming that they aren't yet worthy to meet the master, and they prepare to take up arms once again.

Three Grey Renders challenge the party. Ky tries to freeze one while Eclipse jumps on one and sees tiny renders growing out of the larger one. Ky gets knocked prone by the one she attacked, while another hits Keywynn and Rolan.

Eclipse eventually kills the one he's riding and rubbing it in Kerrick’s face. The battle continues party members rising and falling, trying to survive long enough to kill the enemies. Ky manages to finish off two. Eclipse makes a reckless attack on the last and is knocked out, before Ky finishes off the last Render instead as Eclipse barely stabilizes. The room begins to rumble again.