Coulerain Campaign - Session 10 Recap

It is the eleventh hour of the Clockwork War, Lilith Lumerin is advancing on Kovacs.

Jorian turns to the men behind the wall of the city and gives them a speech, calling for them to set aside their personal goals and territorial differences and to fight as Coulerainians tonight, to fight for their future.

The soldiers form a small vanguard and escort the Party across the city, many of them fall to  Lumerin's hidden drones. Linen stops at a blown up crossroads and tries to heal some people, the Party have more pressing matters though so they cannot aid him. So the new Captain of the Black Company turns to the gods... And they answer. Mavar, the Shepherd, sends his Champion, Emerro, a huge black hound whose touch heals those wounded and whose bite tears down the drones who would seek harm upon the civilians.

He is not alone, a giant serpent crawls through the city, Cuillhug, Champion of the Path of Life, carrying children away from danger and swallowing the exploding drones in its path. Then there is Lath Ropeburn, Champion of the Path of Death, who wields an executioner's rope and pulls the drones apart. Sairweg the Old Man, the King of the Path of Death, meanwhile helps the old and weakly to stand up and live another day, he will not reap them this night.

The Party come across Ari, the woman who asked for Doram and save her from a drone, pointing her to the sewers where the civilians are making a makeshift safe house.

At the gates of the keep the Party see Jotaro's sisters leading squads of men, leading civilians to safety, as well as Amariya Lorr clad in royal armor, her strength seemingly regained as she rushes out into the streets to defend her people.

Inside the keep the Party find Wella blinded by a drone and learn that Valiar, in an attempt to spare her, has sanctioned the Path of Craft. Wella searches for a weapon, she will not give in this easily and Dio offers her a dagger.

Jotaro uses his messaging crystal to contact Little Bird and as their exchange finishes the Siege Magic of Lumerin breaks it.

Wella asks Emerro at the gate of the Keep why the subpaths of Shadow have arrived to aid them. Emerro tells her it was a favor asked by a grieving father.

The Party see a row of White Knights of Light form and charge down the hill towards the armies of Lumerin, led by Dun'Istar Tella'Estel. As the battle continues they lose ground, Dun'Istar alone will not deliver them from this peril.

The Party find Little Bird who refuses to split up the Party and Valiar as the Prince of Paths must be protected and since they are unbound by Fate they must be the ones to do so. Jorian isn't happy about having to abandon the city but he is left no choice.

Wella doesn't board the ship, she tells Little Bird she'll do just fine, she was the woman who fought Ara'Dur and won back in Rels. Little Bird detaches some of her crew to surround Wella and obey her commands. They hug and say their goodbyes.

The ship flies up and over the city. The Party witness it begin to fall. Lumerin is not about to let them escape so easily however. The ship is assailed by clockwork soldiers that the Party fight back but Lumerin tears apart the mast and the ship plunges down into the streets of Kovacs. Little Bird summons her lightning to shield the Party as the ship turns to debris around them.

One the cloud of dust and splinters calms the Party find Little Bird impaled on a beam from one of the houses they tore down. She cannot be freed from it, not with the Party's knowledge and skill. Cammie heals her to ease some of the pain but it is clear that Little Bird is fighting to even stay conscious.

The Party move out into the street, at the gate they boarded up just hours ago stands the Clockwork Queen with Julius, her new servant and a wounded Dun'Istar. At her command Julius slits the throat of the Ara'Oronte and he falls, his blood spreading across the pavement and soaking Lilith's feet.

Lilith summons a wall of flame to trap the Party but Jotaro counters it. She hurls firebolts at the Party but cannot fly up into the air, out of their reach, as Dun'Istar's blood keeps her grounded.

Cammie hits Lumerin in a critical spot with a well-placed arrow. Lumerin calls forth another wall of flame, this one remains.

Kai animates two undead thralls from the fallen defenders of Kovacs and sends them towards Lumerin but she conjures a fireball to burn them. Jotaro counters it and they are able to reach her.

Morrigan tries to reach her father by showing him her scars, hoping the trauma of her past will help him break free of Lilith's control. He notices, but she is far too strong at this point. Morrigan then stands in the path of one of Lilith's firebolt, taking a hit for the team.

Jotaro's Wild Magic takes effect and summons a legendary creature, a unicorn that aids them grately in their battle.

Lilith stabs through the thralls of Kai'ral and aims her hands at Morrigan, Kai drops his spell in hopes it will slow her but she casts a lightning bolt that strikes Morrigan and the unicorn behind her nonetheless.

Dio takes cover behind a building and takes shots at Lumerin. In retaliation Lumerin lobs another fireball at Dio but hits Cammie and Satsumi instead, which knocks the Tabaxi Ranger unconscious.

The unicorn quickly brings her back into the fight with a touch of its horn.

Jorian meanwhile has used his smoke bombs strategically to climb up on a roof, out of Lilith's sight, and cross the yard to come at her from behind.

The Party fight Lumerin for what seems like eternity but she starts looking worse for wear with every passing moment. Morrigan, having morphed into a panther and scaled a nearby building, is taken down by a firebolt aided by the strenght of the Ring of Lorian. Lumerin turns her father's head towards her as she fall unconscious.

Dio finds an opening and aims at a critical point but Lumerin uses the Ring of Lorian to rewind time just enough for him to lose his aim.

Cammie lands another critical arrow, opening up Lumerin's chest. She is weak enough for Julius to grab ahold of her and shout "Now!" to the Party. The Ring of Lorain falls from her finger and the Party hear Dun'Istar's voice as he offers to take their burden. When they don the ring they are empowered by it but not wounded, as Dun'Istar takes the damage instead.

Jotaro fires off magic missiles at her while he commands the unicorn to stab at her with its horn.

Lilith meanwhile uses another firebolt to bring Morrigan to the brink of death. Cammie uses her wand of healing to cast a mass healing spell that bring Morrigan back into the fight once more.

Jotaro lands a critical shot with his arcane pistol and a firebolt. The Party continue to pummel Lumerin with the power of the ring but she still stands. She taunts the Party, giving Cammie an opening to shoot at her bronze heart.

Cammie takes the shot but in the last moment is thrown off by Satsumi. The panther turns against her faithful companion and gets ready to pounce. For the first time Cammie hears the clockwork inside her tick. Lumerin's laugh is the last thing Cammie hears as Satsumi leaps onto her and with a tear in her eye bites down on her neck, breaking it and killing Cammie instantly.

Jorian, hidden from Lilith's view and standing atop the walls of Kovacs takes a shot and takes down the Clockwork Queen. The Party then take their revenge on what is left of her body.

Jorian remembers his promise to Doram and shoots her again and again.
Dio, with tears in his eyes, calls forth to the fallen heroes and wishes they can find peace with the shot he takes at Lumerin.
Jotaro uses his shocking grasp to punch through her clockwork frame and slam her into the ground.
Kai takes out his pistol and balancing it on is forearm he says "I may have fucked up a lot but at least this time I'm going to do something right." as he fills her full of lead.
Morrigan conjures a firebolt to finish her. "You know, you may control a lot of flames, but the one that burns inside me will burn you to hell and back," she says as she melts Lumerin into the paved roads of Kovacs.

Jorian dashes towards Cammie but Morrigan is closer so she gently moves Satusmi aside. The panther lies beside her friend and sheds another tear as she presses her head to hers.

Morrigan takes the Flower of Lorian from Satsumi's ear and rubs another petal onto her lip. There are only two left now...
The Party catch their breath. The magic seeps into Cammie and she opens her eyes as the wound on her neck heals.

Down on the street the Party see the spectral form of Amarthen Lorr and in front of him a dwarven child. He petitions the Party to show mercy, Lumerin was a monster, he admits, but at heart she was a lost child. He wishes that if they are to set an example for the world it be one of mercy. They can kill her now and he would understand but he warns it might not spell her end, as she is an Ascended Pathmaker and they do not die easily.

While the Party debate, Morrigan takes her shot at the flesh of Lilith and burns her. Amarthen leaves to ascend into the new Path of Fate, saddened that the Party chose revenge instead of mercy.

Valiar falls to the ground, black scars cross his body and as he rolls up his sleeves the Party see the two new paths form on his palms. The Path of Craft opposed by the Path of Fate.

The Party wait until dawn and watch as the Bayfrontians arrive after all of the fighting has ceased. Some of Lilith's army has fled but a large portion has entered the city and petitioned Amariya to be protected as they are in truth the citizens of the peninsula that Lumerin slaughtered, trapped in these clockwork bodies.

As the sun rises the Party feel it, the cold wind blowing from without. The Stranger's warning, they feel a gate open, a gate they will never close...