Star & Scale #11

Arriving in Lantern Light, Star and Scale sought out drinks to hear more about Ezekiel's story and make plans for Hemlock Bastille

• They heard the tale of how Ezekiel once lead the town of Deor in practicing sacrifice through giving up ones time, energy, and effort for the betterment of others

  • However, the town soon tried to shortcut these sacrifices through sacrificing the possessions of others, and eventually animals, and eventually others -- and when they demanded Ezekiel's son to stop a plague that ravaged their town, he did not have the courage to say no. When that didn't work, he was already dead inside, so when they came for him, he didn't fight

• After the tale, a youth approached the group and asked for a code response to "The cloud are looking mighty heavy..."

  • When the group didn't have the response, he looked relieved, and invited them to a gathering later that night, claiming they had been told to look for their coming

When Star and Scale arrived at the location described beneath the Millworks, they were met with mutated Giant monstrosities from the Scaleback Mountains

Defeating the Giants, they learned it was a test to make sure they could carry out the task needing done

• The group who invited them there was planning on taking back their town from what they claimed was an occupation by Hemlock Bastille soldiers

• Star and Scale was meant to be the third point of a spear to draw the soldiers out of their barracks during a planned scheduling issue that would see a quarter of the soldiers on leave at Lantern Light at the same time

Star and Scale agreed, though they figured this was meant to be a distraction coordinated by Nefaria to draw forced away from the Bastille

They reported the rescue attempt by Nefaria to the Bastille through a sending stone and told them to cancel all leave for soldiers over the next few days, instead reinforcing Omnia's wing of the prison

The Bastille agreed but when May learned what the group had agreed to, she flew into a rage, claiming they just sentenced the soldiers in Lantern Light to death by denying them backup

• Additionally, while reporting the prison break, Zeb inadvertently lost May's Hemlock Bastille uniform, which was apparently very important to her

May left the group, full of the anger that so often dwelled beneath her surface

The next morning, the group decided to make ready to head to Hemlock Bastille, but as they looked for May, they found her aboard a prison transport headed north, apparently not as a guest but as a prisoner