Crimson Sands of Time

You ascertains nothing about the implications of this room, but you can read the letters hanging above the creatures. The letters, each of which appear several times, are A, B, I, L, N, Y, and Z

Piccolo looks over the creatures to see if they are injured or diseased

Sam also looks at the creature 

do they class and humanoid or monsters? 

“why these creature look strange” 

They're demons. The stunted, baby-like fiends act according to their nature; one dretch frowns in irritation at everything it sees, another tries to pinch anyone who comes too close to it. Other than being immobile runts, reeking of rot and carrying a foul disposition (the latter points being normal for these demons) they seem healthy. It's possible, though, that they are under the effect of some spell that had afflicted their physiology. 

"Maybe we should have tried to free Iggwilv first instead?"

Trisk can't help but feel put off by the strange room and it's... occupants.

Piccolo shakes her head, pointing at the letters, then moving her hands back and forth to show it is a puzzle that needs to be reorganized.

<not to rush you,  but this would be anticlimactic.  It's 'Zybilna' but written several times and used in the casting of a spell. The letter tiles themselves are now just serving a mindane purpose, though in the care of these demons. But it is a hallmark indicating that the person responsible for these demons' current state is Zybilna, it would seem.>

Sam speaks “these are demons, let’s not disturb them” he then turns back “let us see if we have found the correct name for the witch queen” 

Piccolo shakes her head. Then leads the unicorn to Zyblina.

She points to the clothing with the name on it and shows it to the group.

Whe. Yoi get back to the cauldron, Strongheart, Ringlerun, Mercion and Elodon are gone. The courtiers say they keft in a hurry, mentioning they were going to deal with "League of Malevolence"

They can point the way they went, which is the same way Kelek, Zargash and the fomorian went.

<Re: the league | You told them to take a nap>

Piccolo will look at the others, and start heading the way the Yoi are pointing.

She seems irritated as her breath lets out a "huff!"  (maybe with Strongheart and group, maybe with the league, maybe even with herself).

The door opens to a narrow hallway, which turns left at its end.  O e door stands open on either side.  To the left you find a small roo. containing glass cabinets filled with a wide variety of weaponry. The weapons are so well constructed that it is difficult to tell if this display is an armory or a museum.

to the right, you find the ruins of a pair of adjoining staterooms a large creature must have stomped its way through. They contain nothing of value, but it is here the remnants of the League of Malevolence along with Dubhforgail the fomorian have chosen to rest.  As you arrive, Valor's Call surround them, debating what to do with them.  "We followed them here to put an end to theor schemes once and for all." Strongheart notes,  sword drawn. "Aye, but we arent cutthroats. They can be dealt witb justly." Mercion relates. "You've seen what the coven csn do.  If they should loose Kelek and Zargash, whatever misdeeds their hands tbe reaponsibility will be outs to bear." Strongheart replies.  Elidon notes ""Listen up, hooves and hands! These folks have been vibin’ major chaos since they landed, and it’s giving total ‘bad energy.’ But here’s the tea—justice has to be served on a platter of humanity. We’re not about being savage; we’re about turning up the kindness dial while setting solid boundaries. Let’s swoop in with firm, but fair action that says, ‘Yo, unacceptable behavior isn’t welcome in this pasture,’ but also, ‘We’ll help you find your way if you’re open to it.’ Deal?"

Ringlerun, remains silent, clearly perplexed by the unicorns vernacular, but generally agreeing with the substance of his speech. He looks as if hes about to speak when he notices you in the hall and all.eyes fall to you.

<'you' being the whole party>

Piccolo plays a quiet melody, and presents a telepathic image for all friendlies assembled going between her killing them one by one or coming up with a more humane way to deal with them, looking back and forth. Then, her decision made, the image shifts to her casting a spell and making them all go to sleep. This is clearly the peaceful pathway that she had choosen.

Strongheart scowls, "I am guided by virtue, lass. Sixteen years ago I made a vow: to destroy evil wherever it rears its ugly head." He motionns dramatically toward the dozing duo.

Ringlerun gestures subtly, hamring rhe paladin in his righteous fervor, "Zargash, Priest of Orcus," he begins, his tone grave, "unleashed his ashen revenants upon Valderis, obliterating not only its populace but its most cherished creation: The Hall of Harmonies. This extraordinary site housed enchanted instruments, magical compositions, and an unrivaled orchestra that performed melodies capable of healing wounds, calming storms, and restoring peace to the most tormented hearts. When the revenants stormed Valderis, their ash smothered every note of the Hall's magic, silencing its wonders forever."

Mercion adds, "Truth gives life to artistry and beauty, and those who embrace deceit should be censured and punished." But, she looks to Steongheart,  "No one dies on my watch," then back to the sleeping villains, the to Picollo, "—unless they stand against what I hold dear.”

Ringlerun looks at the staff whixh he leans on, scrutinizing it as he reminisces, "My staff of power dramatically enhances my magical abilities. I shudder to think how its power could be abused in the wrong hands. It was no doubt that very end which drove Kelek to this bargain with the coven who have usurped Prismeer from Zybilna.” Ringlerun looks to the bearded mage sleeping soundly in the sundered stateroom. He wears the unmistakable look of paternalistic disaproval as he recounts the tale: 

"In his youth, Kelek was a prodigious but headstrong mage, eager to prove his worth to the Arcane Order of the Sapphire Veil. His hunger for recognition led him to seek forbidden knowledge—namely, the ancient Grimoire of the Weeping Flame, rumored to hold secrets of unparalleled power. The book was locked away deep within the Obsidian Vault, an impregnable fortress of enchantments and wards.

Kelek, blinded by ambition, was approached by a shadowy figure—a trickster claiming to know how to breach the Vault's defenses. This tenebrous figure whispered promises of fame and glory, convincing Kelek that retrieving the Grimoire would cement his legacy as the greatest mage of his age. Desperate for validation, he ignored the warnings of his peers and mentors, setting out on a perilous quest.

Through cunning and magic, Kelek succeeded in breaching the Vault. He laid hands on the Grimoire and unleashed its power, only to realize the trickster was no mere mortal—it was a fractured piece of an ancient dark god, long imprisoned within the book’s pages. By opening the Grimoire, Kelek shattered the wards binding the entity, setting it free to roam the world once more.

In a horrifying twist, the unleashed dark god consumed the life force of the region’s once-thriving Heartwood Forest, reducing it to a barren wasteland. The forest had been the lifeblood of the surrounding villages, providing food, shelter, and magical essence to the people. Without it, famine and despair took root, and the people were forced to abandon their ancestral homes.

Though Kelek sought to right his wrongs, his efforts to banish the dark god failed disastrously. Each attempt only amplified its power, further cementing his legacy as the architect of the region’s ruin. Branded a traitor and reviled by those who had once admired him, Kelek fled into exile, burdened by guilt and the knowledge that redemption was beyond his grasp.

Over the decades, Kelek’s bitterness grew. Abandoned by the people he had tried to save and haunted by the whispers of the dark god, he began to embrace the shadows. He turned to necromancy and other forbidden magics, believing that if he could not win back the people’s love, he would command their fear. His name became synonymous with dread, and his path to evil was complete. When a priest in the service of that dark god approached him, the League of Malevolence was born and today could be the day that it ends."

Strongheart points to Picollo, unintimidated by her psychological threat, "I cherish peace with all of my heart, and I don't care how many men, women, and children I kill to get it," he subtly emphasizes the final category as he thrusts his finger toward the apparently young girl. 

Trisk steps between Strongheart and Piccolo.

"I would take a minute to calm myself if I were you."

Looking around at Mercion and Ringlerun, "Did we ere in our judgement of freeing those we believed would not sink to acts of evil in the name of good?"

Piccolo looks at the group, then walks about 20 feet away and sits, cross hoofed, facing away from them. These people will need to make their choices and deal with the consequences.  It is interesting to her how those who declare themselves in the name of good and holiness can abuse their power just as much as those of evil and justify their actions. 

<looking at it again, im unclear if Picollo showed Valir's Call the image if her curring all their theoats, or if they werent included in 'friendlies'. For the record, not one of them claims to be holy.  Their oaths are to ideals, not gods (Canon). >

The eyes of the assembled members of Valor's Call fall to their leader, waiting until Strongheart speaks, "The world can be spared from evil by those who have enough courage to stand against it."

<ooc: thsi is playable as a non-combat encounter. While suggestion could be used as a combat spell, i dont see it as suxh, its more of a get out of combat spell. Fine. Bust now you've got a non-conbat scenario to deal with. There are numerous options here, but this is my bid for engagement. I can just decide what happens, but then this is less a game and more a novella with plauer intrusions, at whixh point i can just eschew mechanics altogether. So, what do you want them to do?>

(Friendliest included all of valors call, anyone that has been unfrozen that the part seemed “good”)

(ooc piccolo would like to solve this without killing them, but will wait for her friends (party: and especially Trisk to decide, also I am traveling irl and may post sparsely until Monday)

VC is struggling with what to do here. Kelek and Zargash are definitely evil. They've killed thousands and they will surely kill many more if they are left to their own devices, not to mention resurrecting Orcus. That's on their resume. Still, the team sees how unseemly it is to just kill them while they sleep. What to do?.

Mercuon, in a moment of epiphany, suddenly declares, "Zybilna! Elidon, let's go, we have to free Zybilna. She can grant wishes, we just need to convince her."  Without hesitation, she rushes out of the stateroom, back toward the ballroom, with Elidon close behind. 

"Yo, Mercion, wish-granting sounds intense, but you can't just vibe-check reality without some backup. Zybilna’s archfey magic could totally flex on the hags’ henchmen, but let's not forget how risky this whole wish biz gets. Like, one wrong word, and you're out here summoning chaos instead of solving it.

If you want my help—and, like, duh, you do—I’ll see if we can steer this wish train away from disaster town. But I’m all for asking Zybilna for some ‘chill ethereal smiting’ instead. Just sayin’. Let’s finesse this plan together before we YOLO the fate of the multiverse."