Session 78 - Knight takes Queen

24/08/300 (evening)

The Blackstaff strides into the room and begins to question the group. Heskan dons his armour while he explains that he body of Ulliam Redhand was 'infested'. The Be Chuille Blackstaff infers that they are away of the conflict in the shadows and the state of the Regni. She also explains that this isn't the first. She works to confirm the situation with tests and assures herself that they were telling the truth. 

Elnorin checks the perimeter and discovers, through use of magic, that there is a clay ball in the corner of the house that is enchanted with faint abjuration magic. He fetches Ruric as an abjuration specialist, who confirms that it's a ward that detects fiends. It was formed by 5 pieces of clay (one for each corner of building and one in the Blackstaff's pocket to react to any detection. She explains that she isn't a talented user of sympathetic magic and it took her a few days. When asked how she had know to place it she said that the Moot had an oracle but also that once they arrived she guessed that they would be the middle of diabolic activity so she placed the detection spell earlier.

Outside Heskan kept watch and noticed Namhias wasn't feeling well. After some investigation he noted it was because Namhias' spirit was growing. Whilst not harmful immediately, he would need to get an expert to check soon as this was unknown territory. Elnorin also communed with nature and got the sense that there were between 2-4 fiendish entities nearby.

Meanwhile Braith, Ruric and Elnorin discussed about how to lure the Regni to their hall or otherwise find a way to confront them. They summarised to the Blackstaff that they were terrible at deception. She passed them a suspension of silver flakes and said that it would cause a reaction. She also noted that her apprentice, Wolfstan, was stood outside somewhere and should be brought in. Heskan called him in and the young, messy-haired human hustled in.

The discussion of various plans and using their various abilities continued for a while but, ultimately they decided that the Venicone way would be to walk into the feast and confront their belligerents. The Blackstaff said that she would prefer not to be drawn into an open conflict but would intercede if needed. Her role is one of quiet subterfuge, not breaking the traditions of the Moot openly.

The group headed back and confronted the Regni. Heskan's word swayed Amergin White-Knees to listen and the Regni were confronted. Heskan sensed that two of them were corrupted (Cloda Ironborn and one of her bodyguards). They refused to be tested by silver and said that the situation was unfair. As they turned to leave, Ruric goaded them one last time and she ordered her bodyguard quietly. The bodyguard, the other among her group who was corrupted. He spoke a word and took control of some nearby Brigantes revelers. Ruric used Soulguard which caused the two to reveal their true forms. Unlike previous demons, these two seemed more integrated to their fiendish natures (both being a form of tiefling). Cloda was a reddish-brown skinned tiefling standing nearly six and a half feet tall. She summoned a weapon to her hand and began the fight. The other shuddered into the form of a fiendish, silver dragonborn who took to the skies. Heskan compelled a duel with it while the rest fought the Banrion and her guard. After a protracted fight, and several of her guards perishing to the demands of Nessus, Ruric was laid low but dragged away by Elnorin. Bankanir briefly stood toe to toe with her until Elnorin, having healed Ruric, charged in as the terror of the fey woods, an Ysgith Boar. Shortly after, the others attacked the Banrion again and that let Elnorin gore her onto his forms giant tusks. With a violent shake, a horrible cracking noise signaled the end of Cloda's life. The corrupt dragonborn had only just been able to break free of the compelled duel and began to fly away. He announced war was coming to the Venicone and the Brigantes. Braith unleased Fail-Not that almost killed the fleeing Regni but it was Bankanir, sighting along the wound Braith had just caused, that dropped the beast from the sky. Braith turned to White-Knees and the champion of the Venicone proclaimed that "This was not clan against clan, this is the Vannin against the One Eye".