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The wicked glabrezu Katazuul, pierced by ballista bolts and scorched by spells, collapses as her portal sputters and closes. A moment later, a brass horn sounds a triumphant fanfare to announce that the fiend-flesh army has been routed. The march back to Absalom is a jubilant one, though rumors are running wild through the streets as to exactly who the invaders were, what they wanted, and why undead spies sprang to life shortly after beacons appeared around Skyreach. Despite rampant speculation of the Grand Lodge’s involvement in the invasion, the citizens as a whole recognize the heroism with which Pathfinder agents personally averted disaster and rode at the vanguard of the city’s victorious forces. Absalom’s primarch Lord Gyr—whom few remember seeing during the attack—remains silent on the matter, though Siege Lord Wynsal Starborn delivers a speech within the hour personally recognizing the Society’s key role in protecting the City at the Center of the World.
At the Grand Lodge, Ollysta Zadrian recounts news of the victory. “Soon after we stormed the siege castle and slew Katazuul, Absalom’s navy from Escadar arrived and sank what remained of the undead armada. Once again, Absalom has prevailed in the face of adversity!” Raising her armored fist in celebration, Zadrian shouts: “For Absalom! Absalom! Absalom!”
Master of Swords Marcos Farabellus seems only to have grown more concerned since the siege began, and he confirms what many agents had discovered earlier. “Based on many reports from Pathfinders, we have a reason to believe the attack was a concerted effort driven by several enemies of the Pathfinder Society. We now know that it was Pasha Muhlia Al-Jakri—once a respected leader of many Pathfinders—who used the Black Echelon codebook to summon the undead saboteurs. We have reason to believe Grandmaster Torch was involved, at least enough that his minions attempted to usurp Gulgamodh to turn against Absalom. Finally, we learned the demons in the siege castle were vassals of a powerful demon that’s no stranger to the Society, and it is not difficult to deduce that ex-venture-captain Thurl had a hand in creating the fiend-flesh army. Today, we emerged victorious, and I assure you that we shall ascertain these villains’ true motives and put a stop to them.”