"We need to report this to our allies. This is really bad news. What are we going to do about the rest of the town? Should we look for any prisoners and try to free them? Vault where's the vault? We haven't found that, correct?"
Wulfram replied to Eustoma, "I think maybe the vault on the Elemental Plane of Earth, perhaps inside the Onyx Citadel. We need to take the Onyx Citadel to deny the Legion the use of the Stone Road, but it sounds like we need to deal with the nodes first. At least that's my guess.
"As for the rest of the town, how about we liberate it right now!"
"Do I get to stomp around and yell again? That was fun at Longshadow." Eustoma grins, and her Veil person grins as well. "I like that plan. Let's get them all out in the open."
Rogar smirks, "Le's go with a line. Ah jus' need ta be on one end." he replies, thinking of the coming destruction.
Wulfram strode out the front door and surveyed the fort. He looked for a group of soldiers that seemed to be sloppily dressed, or exhibiting poor discipline — soldiers that needed an inspection!
Most of the patrols of soldiers moving about the fort seem to be well-disciplined, but Wulfram spots a group of about a half-dozen hobgoblins leaning against the wall of a building, talking and laughing.
Wulfram made his way to the Taproot Inn to see what has become of the place, and round up some of the local commanders.
The Taproot Inn is in much the same state as is was when you rescued Jet and fled Phaendar all those months ago. At the moment, the place seems to be largely empty. A single hobgoblin monk keeps watch over an unusual man, a vishkanya with scaly skin and a forked reptilian tongue. You recognize him as Ettoran Phark, a traveling merchant and gossip who frequently stopped at the Taproot to trade. He looks up as you enter.
"Ah! Did Scabvistin send you? Has he got some new orders for me?" Ettoran inquires.
EDIT: Ettoran throws up a smart salute. "Ah, Scabvistin! New orders for me?"
Eustoma moves into the room, and takes a place against a back wall so she can watch the room.
Wulfram told Ettoran, "I need to speak to all commanders immediately! Tell them to assemble in front of the inn."
Ettoran narrows his eyes when Wulfram speaks. The suspicious vishkanya studies you all closely, then starts back as he apparently sees through the illusion. "Ah! Trickery and treachery!" he declares. The hobgoblin with him immediately drops into a fighting stance!
Rogar shrugs, and blasts whichever of the pair doesn't fall into Karla's pit (or moves up next to the pit and blasts them, starting with Ettoran, at the bottom)
The hobgoblin falls into the pit, grunting as he hits the spikes at the bottom. Rogar blasts Ettoran with metal shards, shredding him apart. As his body hits the ground, he launches another torrent down into the pit, wounding the hobgoblin but not finishing him off.
Unskilled at climbing, the hobgoblin is unable to get out of the pit, leaving him a sitting duck. You are able to dispatch him at your leisure.
You move swiftly through the rest of the fort. Your disguises allow you to maneuver the remaining officers into compromising positions before unleashing your fury upon them, taking them out in brutal fashion. The rank and file hobgoblin soldiers quickly either fall or flee in the face of your superior might. You liberate the prisoners from their pens, nearly 100 humanoids in all, and they shower you with thanks for the rescue.
In the fort's intelligence command center, you discover most of the information once contained here was packed and moved elsewhere, but enough tidbits regarding the Ironfang's Legion's troop movements remain here to prove useful to your allies.
At long last, Phaendar is free once more!
"It's finally free. We did what we started, but we are not near finishing our task." Eustoma is ecstatic that their home is now free.
Wulfram replied to Eustoma, "Our people can come home! Karla can start teleporting a few tomorrow."
It was hard to believe that the Legion had been vanquished. He looked around the town, noting all the damage the hobgoblins had wrought. But all that could be fixed.
He considered waiting until the morning, and praying for a communication spell. But he couldn't wait to share the news; after composing his message, he took out one of his scrolls and contacted his love:
Rhyna, it's time to come home — Phaendar is free! The Hobs have made a bit of a mess I'm afraid, but we'll sort that out.
Pele danced a little jig, then asked, *Can we make a fire in the fireplace at the Taproot? It's been so long since I had a nap there.*
"Yes Pele, we can do that," Wulfram replied with a smile.
Rhyna responds to Wulfram. Praise Erastil! It's been so long since we've been home. I'm eager to repair the temple. You're amazing, Wulfram! I love you so much!
Wulfram replied to Karla, "I'm hoping that our allies' assaults on the other towers are going well. I'll contact the other commanders tomorrow morning for an update.
I think we need to study Zanathura's correspondence. The letters speak of 'geomantic nodes' (whatever those are) that they are somehow going to use to protect the Onyx Citadel. We also have to decide what to do about the tower here in Phaendar. We don't want to leave a back door into the town unguarded."
The shaman returned to the Taproot and cleaned up a bit. He also indulged Pele's desired to sleep in the fire in the common room fireplace for a while. Later he went back to the tower, not feeling comfortable about leaving it unguarded for too long. He started reading though the documents, although he had trouble following some of Zanathura's theories.
"I do think it's about time we take the fight to them and hopefully end this. We've done so well." Eustoma looks over the papers, and enjoys sitting in the Taproot once again.
Much of the correspondence from Zanathura reveals the dark naga's experiments in the occult art of geomancy—shaping natural features and architecture to create and harness artificial ley lines. Within the Onyx Vault lie several auspicious locations—nexuses tied to various other planes. Unlike normal ley lines, geomantic lines and nexuses must be carefully crafted and aligned and their location can be shifted, making them more akin to artifacts.
Zanathura has aligned three of these potent locations with the Onyx Citadel to create a powerful protective field around it and its inhabitants, making the fortress a death trap for enemies while it remains aligned with these sites of power. While most of the Legion believes these alignments were performed to enhance their power, the notes further reveal that the naga has transformed the citadel’s magical hub for the Stone Roads into an engine capable of transporting the ancient structure and the portion of the vault’s floor within 50 horizontal miles of it and dropping it on the heart of Nirmathas, thereby devastating central Avistan!
The effects can be reversed, but you will have to discover which of the nodes are aligned to the Onyx Citadel and then physically travel there to unravel the magic the naga has enacted.
"We've go some research to do here," Wulfram commented. "How will we figure out which nodes are aligned to the Onyx Citadel?
"In the meantime, we also have to look after the slaves that we freed here."
He went to make sure the liberated slaves had food and drink, and a place to sleep, before returning to the tower and turning in himself.
Eustoma sighs as the information about the Onyx Vault is shared. "I suppose that means more time underground for us. I really like sunlight, but we have to do what we must to save people."
"Speak fer yerself, Eustoma. I' jus isn' natural ta not have anything above yer head." Rogar takes in the massive amounts of information like a rock, nodding when appropriate, "Jus' let me know when i's time ta leave."
He spends his free time eradicating every trace of Ironfang insignias and the like everywhere he can find them.
"All right. I'm ready to go I guess. I'll be outside looking at the sky until it's time to leave. That is unless you need me to do something to prepare for the trip?" Eustoma looks toward the door.
News comes swiftly that your allies have achieved victory across Nirmathas. Thanks to the powerful alliance your brokered, all of the onyx towers in the country have been pacified, at least for the time being. A stalemate exists against the Ironfang Legion now, and it's up to you to push your advantage and claim victory before the enemy can unleash destruction upon you!
Once you have made your final preparations, you touch the sardonyx shard against the elaborate archway within the onyx tower in Phaendar. The stone begins to groan and grind itself into a slow spiral, and after 1 minute it opens to a red-illuminated portal--the Stone Road. You gather your courage and step into the portal.
Walking the road takes only a few minutes. As you reach the end, you find yourself emerging into a strange landscape. In the distance, a great citadel glitters like a wedge of cut glass on an island in a silvery-blue lake. A river the color of blue topaz tumbles along through winding fields and hills to meet the distant lake, bisecting a colossal valley of trees, fields, and stands of gleaming crystal. Mountains loom here and there, seeming to support a glistening ceiling far overhead, which ripples and glows like a soothing ocean of light.
There is a crumbling sound as the entrance to the Stone Road collapses behind you, leaving you without an immediate means of returning to the Material Plane.
Orisons: Detect Magic, Guidance, Light, Read Magic.
1st: Bless x2, Liberating Command, Remove Fear x2
2nd: Barkskin x2, Calm Emotions, Delay Poison, Resist Energy
3rd: Daylight, Dispel Magic, Magic Circle against Evil, Sleet Storm, open slot
4th: Blessing of Fervor, Divination, Freedom of Movement, Greater Magic Weapon, open slot
5th: Breath of Life, Overland Flight, Quickened Divine Favor, open slot
6th: Greater Dispel Magic, Mass Bear's Endurance, Mass Cure Moderate Wounds, open slot
7th: Heal, Waves of Ecstasy, open slot
8th: Stormbolts, Quickened Divine Power
9th: Winds of Vengeance
Wandering Spirit: Battle
Wandering Hexs: Battle Master (one extra AoO, weapon specialization longspear), Eyes of Battle
Wulfram replied to Karla, "I'll consult the spirits about the best course of action."
He looked around for a suitable spot where he could sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. Once he was satisfied, he sat down and started the lengthy prayer.
The previous day:
Wulfram checked his gear in preparation for the climactic journey to the Elemental Plane of Earth, to end this war once and for all. When he was satisfied that he hadn't missed anything, he contacted Rhyna via a Sending Spell.
Tomorrow we are going to the Elemental Pane of Earth. Time to end the threat of the Ironfang Legion, so we can live in peace.
After her reply, he cast the spell again, and sent one more message:
Don't forget me while I'm gone far away.
Well it won't be long 'till I'm back there in your arms again.
I love you!
Eustoma makes her preparations. She makes some purchases, and gets ready to go into the dark.
As they arrive she's surprised at how pretty the area is. "This is much nicer looking that I expected it to. Rogar have you heard of anything like this before?"
Rhyna replies to Wulfram: "May the gods watch over you, my love. I know you will succeed. Come home to me safely!"
***
The spirits reply to Wulfram's divination: "Seek ye the the denizens of Stonehome to begin your search."
As the shaman is finishing his spell, a small party of earth fey--pechs--approaches. "Not hobgoblins! Strangers, you are a welcome sight. I am Saard. Do you know of the Iron Fangs of Azaersi?"
Saard nods her head excitedly. "Yes, yes! Please, follow us back to our village. Stonehome! It is not far. Our master is very concerned about the Iron Fangs and needs assistance!"
Wulfram followed the pechs commenting, "It seems that the inhabitants of Stonehome have found us!" He gazed in wonder at the strange and beautiful sights in this unfamiliar realm.
The pechs lead you along the river for about a mile until you reach a small dock near a rocky outcropping. From there, you head into the hillside itself, emerging into a large cavern with numerous small huts. Saard leads you to the village elder, a liver-spotted old pech wit ha thick pair of glasses.
"Well, hello there, whippersnappers! The name's Squinting Sebrenar. Welcome to the vault. Lovely little spot of land carved out of the Plane of Earth for us by the Old Masters. Our family has lived here for 318 generations, and we like it fine."