Quickly, let us leave this place, Meycho says, finally stopping his magical senses, and starts looking for a way out.
The windows in the throne room are tall and narrow, but you could probably manage to squeeze through.
Peering outside, you see that there is approximately 60 ft. down to the ground level. Intimidating spikes cover the exterior walls, projecting outward with deadly intent. Climbing down along the wall could potentially be very risky.
On the grounds below, you notice shapes moving in the gloom, but they are too far away for you to properly determine what it is that is moving out there, or how many there is. You hear the occasional shout from spriggans from the darkness.
Caelin picks up the Mwangi first, and gets a bit of a scrape from the oracle's barnacles. Then he picks up Meycho and squeezes out the windows.
Aumgwe chittered at the elf's lack of airborne grace and Caelin smiled despite himself.
"Now, let's find a safe place to land. I'm sure we look ridiculous."
He tries to orient himself back towards the portal, flying as far as he can along the necessary route.
Alarien gives Taecuss an arched eyebrow as she is scooped up into his arms. "You're not getting any ideas, are you?" she asks playfully.
Alarien laughs. "Perhaps you should be."
Clinging to each other, our brave band of heroes soar out of the throne room windows, leaving the decapitated body of Rhoswen for her minions to find.
Circling back around the palace in an attempt to gain altitude and get a bearing towards the exit to Golarion, you pass by the tallest tower in the palace, directly above the throne room. The top of the tower is capped with rose-colored crystal in the form of a six-pointed fairy star.
"What in the Nine Hells is THAT?!"
"Even my own magic remains somewhat of a mystery to me. I cannot even guess how such an item as this might work."
Alarien shakes her head. "No, I doubt it. My divine favors defy my classification."
Taecuss settles into a cross-legged sitting position in the center of the crystal circle, the Crook of Cildhureen resting in his lap. Closing his eyes, he lets his mind drift, visualizing the arcane energies of the staff and the circle.
Running his slender fingers across the gnarled and twisted oak staff, he clearly feels the crook's connection to the Plane of Shadow. Extending his visualization, he can almost see the bands of shadow that tether the Fellnight realm in position in between the planes, causing it to overlap both the Shadow Plane, the First World and the Material plane.
Using the crystal circle, he subconsciously expands his senses, until he can see the entire demiplane - and beyond. He easily spots the faengard, with the runes of each wardstone glowing brightly, except for the ones the group replaced in the magic barrier.
Then, from somewhere in the back of his mind, a mental image pushes itself forward. Suddenly, it is as if he is back on the hilltop by Devarre's cabin, watching the three massive monoliths of eldritch stone, etched in ancient runes glittering with powerful magic. Realization floods his mind like a flashflood, and he sees the monoliths for what the really are - anchoring points, holding the Fellnight Realm in place.
Once he knows what to look for, he traces the bands of shadow outward, until he spots the places where the bindings have been severed by Tenzekil's unfortunate meddling. Grasping the crook firmly, he raises his arms and begins to gesture, grasping the shadows, weaving them into new bonds to replace the severed ones.
He cries out in Sylvan, repeating the binding words of the fey of the First World, the ancient invocations that turned the Fellnight Realm into an eternal prison for Rhoswen and her evil minions.
As he utters the last syllable, the mist produced by the wardstones immediately begins to swirl and withdraw, forming a gargantuan vortex that sucks all of the escaped Fellnight fey back within the confines of the faengard, screaming and cursing.
When he looks at the faengard once again, all the wardstones now glow. The seal has been restored.
Alarien watches distractedly as Taecuss begins the ritual. A wary eye on their surroundings, once the ritual is completed, she says, "I hope one of you knows the way out. I think I missed it while I was napping on the way in."
"Pretty sure. This is a strange realm, but we made our way here, we should be able to make our way back. Let us fly for as long as the magic lasts."
By the time Taecuss completes the ritual your flying spells have expired. However, you discover that part of the crystal circle is a floating disc that can be lowered into the room below. Through the transparent crystal, you can see into room, which must be the Queens private bedchamber.
Tree-sized columns support the open chamber with translucent draperies hung between them. The center of the room lies two feet below an outer walkway and contains a pile of sleeping cushions, cages filled with songbirds, several large vases of flowers, a table set with four bottles of wine, and a small jewelry box. Along the side of the walls, a stair leads down into the throne room. The bedchamber is empty.
Descending into the bedchamber on the disc, the heroes take a moment to compose themselves, then move down the stairs, back into the throne room.
The wall of ice has vanished, and a few spriggans hastily retreat as soon as they spot the grim looking group. Next to the queen's decapitated body, a pixie with ragged grey butterfly wings is kneeling, weeping openly. It recoils and regards the group with fearful eyes.
"I am Kenchlo, the queen's Majordomo. On behalf of the the survivors of the palace, I offer our unconditional surrender. Please, spare our miserable lives and leave us to mourn our fate. With the queen dead and the faengard restored, all of us are doomed to remain here forever, locked in endless strife. Factions are already beginning to form. Jaxir has fled the palace, bringing along those willing to accept his leadership. I know several of the spriggan commanders will make a grab for power, and the shadow trolls too. Civil war will rage for countless eons."
Leaving the weeping pixie behind, the group make their way out of the palace and towards the faengard, meeting no resistance along the way.
Crossing the barrier of reactivated wardstones, the group moves through woods empty of sentient creatures. All of the Fellnight fey have been drawn back within the confines of the faengard it seems.
After what seems like hours of travel, the group finally arrive at the ring of mushrooms that marks the exit into Golarion. And there, just beyond the ring, a lone pale figure is waiting.
"So. You really did it. The queen is dead and the Fellnight fey sealed away once more. All of the misfortune I caused undone. And what fate would you bestow upon me?" Tenzekil asks, getting wearily to his feet.
Alarien mutters as the group journeys back to the exit to Golarion, "I should have killed Jaxir when I had the chance. He deserved no less for his part in torturing Tessarda."
Confronted by another fey at the fey circle, she looks to the others, clearly expecting to follow the lead of someone more knowledgeable than she.
"We have spared you already, Tenzekil, and so you have nothing to fear from us. Thus you again control your own fate."
Caelin paused. "You have not asked for my advice, but I will give it. Return to Bellis with us, and put what power remains to you towards the healing of the hurts you have caused. It will be hard and lonely work, but no more than a self-imposed exile."
Tenzekil nods slowly, "Yes. I will return with you. What justice I will face on the other side pales in comparison to the desolation I would experience by remaining here. I have much to atone for, and I will do so if I can."
That settled, everyone moves into the mushroom ring, and make the transition to the other side. Here, you are met by a mixed force of forest fey, augmented by unicorns and humans from Bellis. Everyone raises a mighty cheer once they recognize you.
An armed human steps forward to greet you, and everyone (excpet Alarien) recognize your friend Elyin the ranger. Close behind comes Jervaise, who has obviously made it safely out of the Fellnight realm with his band of freed prisoners, and Palombier the unicorn.
"Dear friends! It is wonderful to see you all safe. When the Fellnight fey were drawn back, we knew you had succeeded, but we did not know if you would be able to make it out safely. Every living soul in Bellis and these surrounding woods owe you a debt of gratitude."
His mood darkens a bit when he sees Tenzekil, but after hearing about the gnome's surrender and role in defeating the queen, he relents a little.
"I see no reason to punish you further, Tenzekil, but there are those in Bellis who do not share my view in this. I think it would be best if you do not return there."
Palombier trots forward and regards the bleachling with wise eyes.
I think you are right, Elyin. And if Tenzekil is truly willing to redeem himself, I have a suggestion. As we speak, Devarre is hard at work restoring the magic spells that hide entrance to the Fellnight Realm. You are a druid of no small power, are you not? Since you know the dangers of the Fellnight Realm better than anyone, I would think it fitting that you devote the rest of your life to guarding and maintaining these wards. Do you agree?
Tenzekil nods, relief and remorse clear upon his face.
"As for you, brave heroes, the gratitude of mortals and fey are yours. If you have any reward you could desire from us, name it, and we will grant it if it is in our power."
We were kinda interrupted in the middle of a wedding feast, and I am hungry and thirsty... Meycho says with a smile.
Elyin strikes up a booming laugh at Meycho's comments.
If food and drink is all you desire, Meycho, then rest assured that the victory celebration the citizens of Bellis will host in your honor will make my wedding seem like a quiet picnic.
He then turns to Taecuss. You have been gone a little over two days. We spent most of that time engaging the invaders in scattered fighting all over the forest. No side suffered serious casualties, but it prevented them from consolidating their forces and marching on Bellis.
Once everyone are ready to move, Elyin and the company of fighters from Bellis leads the group back to town, where they are indeed celebrated as the heroes they are. Each member of the group is showered with gifts and invited to settle in the town.
The fey of the conclave also extend their gratitude, with both celebration and gifts, both in the form of more magic items and the promise of favors and aid.