Star & Scale #16
The Grudge
12/17/2022
With Jaxis and Valdine in tow, Star and Scale ventured deeper into Hemlock Bastille, eventually encountering a Grey Render which required the help of Jaxis to move through without being noticed
Unfortunately, during this process, Zeb fell into a chasm in the floor while scouting ahead
The group eventually discovered where Zeb fell and followed him down into the very depths of the bastille
Below, the group found an underground sea and strange platforms jutting out into the waters, upon which were two individuals, one of whom May identified as Omnia Krease, the leader of Nefaria, and the person the group had entered the prison to ensure was kept in chains. The other was a large dwarf, dirty and looking displeased and detached from the conversation he was having with Omnia
Meanwhile, Zeb had lost consciousness in his fall into the water and came to sitting on the ground in a pose Gift identified as being a form of worship used by people predating even the Constellation War, and possibly even more ancient
During his unconscousness, Zeb heard a voice whisper to him, "Negri is not ready for you yet."
The group awoke Zeb and approached Omnia, who seemed to be stalling them by engaging them in conversation. When the group attacked her, she turned to the dwarf and agreed to something, which caused the dwarf to remove the Grudge mark on Omnia's arm and teleported her away
Star and Scale soon surmised the dwarf standing before them was none other than Garn, God of Grudges, and put together that the mark that kept prisoners in Hemlock Bastille was powered by him -- a truth May was utterly unaware of.
Garn killed Jaxis as she had no vendetta to offer him, and May rushed to agree to commit herself to the vendetta against Nefaria to ensure everyone else was kept safe
Star and Scale was also teleported out of the prison and appeared in the camps outside, the Grunt powering down from its fight against the Consulate and Farrow
Valdine revealed she had been cut off from her drake and sought only revenge and the completion of her original mission all those years ago: the freeing of Hellfall. She asked where the Cavalcade Lament was currently, which happned to be the Elixir Lowlands, and left to seek Hellfall
The group re-entered the prison to find Taravyn and Ezekiel guarding the entrance to the lower levels still. Zeb returned the key and Taravyn argued with May over whether he was aware Garn was beneath the prison. Taravyn claimed none of it was true and dismissed the entire ordeal as something they should never mention again.
The group checked to make sure Cellmaster Turin had made it through and ran into May's sister, Maxine, who mentioned she was sorry the group had trouble with Garn beneath the prison and wished them all well
The group took some steeds from the stables and made their way south toward Lantern Light, intent on tracking Nefaria to whatever grudge they might have, with their first stop being Avalon, the person who put Omnia away in the first place
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