Emberglow Forest — As the party took a short breather to recover from their fight with the Minotaur Skeleton and tend to Mad Matt's wounds specifically, a short woman arrived, riding a mechanical Owlbear. She introduced herself as Mabel and was quickly welcomed into the group when she revealed that she could mend metal, wood and wounds. Tiyana meanwhile tinkered with the sealing spell on the cathedral door and managed to undo it. The door forebodingly swung open, and the crew cautiously made their way inside.
The Fireball Gazette
A Demon’s Fury and the Wizard’s Downfall: The Battle at the Cathedral!
August 13, 2024
A Haunting Discovery and a Deadly Ritual
As they cautiously explored, the party found the water well at the altar, but not before Tiyana and Ace uncovered two powerful spell scrolls. Their investigation was cut short by the wizard Zefiri, who revealed his dark plan: summoning the demon Dralvos from the Infinite Layers of the Abyss using the village’s well. Despite their efforts to stop him, the ritual was completed, bringing forth the grotesque demon with a single, monstrous eye and axe-like horns.
A Fierce Battle Against Dralvos
As the battle erupted, Selah swiftly scaled the cathedral walls, finding her way onto an and angelic statue. With calculated agility, she swung from a chandelier, landing a blow on Zefiri’s head. Meanwhile, Mad Matt fell to his knees, desperately offering his loyalty to the demon Dralvos in exchange for power. The demon, unimpressed, ignored his plea. Seizing the moment, Ace darted from his cover, skillfully swiping the wizard’s magic tome from the altar. Tiyana, peeking from behind a bookshelf, unleashed a Fireball from a recently acquired scroll, sending blue flames hurtling towards both Zefiri and Dralvos. Unfortunately, Mad Matt was caught in the crossfire, engulfed in flames. As Dralvos retaliated with a vicious claw attack, Matt crumpled to the ground, unconscious. Acting quickly, Deva cast a carpet of vines over the well, preventing other possible demons from emerging and even trapping Dralvos momentarily. Mabel, not one to hesitate, catapulted a nearby book towards the ensnared demon, delivering a significant blow. Selah, now facing the demon, targeted Dralvos' single eye with her frosty Nunchaku, freezing part of his face before delivering a series of swift punches that left the demon visibly weakened.
Victory Amidst Flames
As Dralvos weakened, Zefiri released him, allowing the demon to escape, now free to roam the material plane. All the while Mad Matt was fighting for his life, so Deva and Tiyana launched a desperate rescue, pulling him to safety while Mabel’s robotic spider stitched his wounds. Finally, a well-timed illusion by Selah distracted Zefiri, giving Ace the chance to deliver a fatal blow to the wizard. With the spell broken, the well vanished from the cathedral, which was now engulfed in flames. The crew barely escaped with their lives - and a few gemstones.
A Blood-Red Return and a New Journey
Returning to the village, the adventurers were welcomed as heroes. The well had returned but remained blood-red, a sinister reminder of the battle. Tiyana reassured the villagers that it would return to normal in a few days. As promised, the crew was treated to a feast and received Florian and Maximilian as new rowing aids. Their ship, now fully repaired with a magnificent sail, cut through the currents as they sailed towards the Marid territory, ready for their next adventure.
An exclusive look at the new sail produced by the finest Emberglow Artisans
As per the crew’s request, the finest artists and seamstresses from Emberglow Village collaborated to create this pattern, consisting of a horse with flaming hair, armoured with cannons, ridden by Selah the monk through a lush, green forest.