Game Title: Welcome home or Megera's Lament The group arrived at Aston Manor as the airship piloted by Fizzlebang made a perfect landing into the water outside the manor. The group sees the manor is shrouded in darkness even though right outside the Manor where the ship has landed it is almost exactly noon. Talia gives a letter to Malor, the man Vhoori left on the ship to help them with learning how to work the ship, the letters contents are dear the Talia as she left the ship to assist in Aston Manor. Letter to Vhoori When I was able to unlock the Captain’s Quarters with my hand, I finally knew you were my blood. Trelic and Mirza provided me with their insight, before that moment but it wasn't until I unlocked the door for myself that I knew. I'm sure you can understand the conflict I feel. The person I have known to be my father my whole life and my true blood are not one in the same. Looking through everything in that room showed me how much you truly care and have always been looking out for me. I appreciate everything that you have done for me, and am sorry I was unable to thank you sooner. I am left with a question that I cannot seem to get out of my mind. Did Eldrin know that I was your child? I hope that soon we will be able to make up for the time we have lost. I apologize for my coldness, but I'm sure you can understand that I was just trying to protect myself. Sincerely, Talia When the party reaches the area around the manor they see that the darkness appears as a simmering curtain of darkness and when they enter through that darkness the enter an area where their very light essence gives off a glow surrounding their bodies and a bit out with light. They find out quickly that this is the only light source that works here. Adjusting to this the see light shining from within a nearby home of a villager that lives outside Aston Manor. Elly knocks on the door and it swings open and standing at the door is Mamma Lightpointe (yes you are correct I have still not given her a real first name). She embraces her son and shares with him that she was rescued by ... the door swings wider to reveal Megera sitting at the table. She offers the party welcome and they notice that she sheds no little of her own like they all do. She pours six glasses of very fine elvin wine and most of the party drinks and those that do are granted temporary boosts to their power and feel quite excellent. Trelic pulls the party sans Malaya outside to tell them how straight out evil Megera is and shares stories of how the vampire is a legend of old from a time before the gods left the world of man, that it was the general of the undead and that she must be killed. Elly voices that she is starting to get tired of the whole kill every one first attitude that certain members of the group has and the Megera is being nice to them. Megera chats with Malaya a bit seeming mostly like her old self but Malaya knows what awaits them in the manor and she can see the fear and grief in Megera. Megera shares what she can but in the end she is forced to hold back. Fizzlebang leaves the home with a lock of Megera's hair and Elly leaves with Trelic's share of the drink in a vial Megera hands to her. "Before this is over he will need it Elly" It strikes Elly that Megera was nice to her. Everyone moves towards the Manor and Malaya seems to be walking with a purpose, everyone follows. Elly finds another set of statue they feel warm and Elly just knows they hold something grand and Malaya has never seen the statues before. Malaya tells Elly later please we have to break the spell on my home. Everyone arrives at the manor's Grand Dining Hall and sees a scene frozen before them of the Berk family, two of the Wilson clan and the Viceory and his men along with a mysterious cloaked figure to the Viceroy's left side. Malaya's face freezes as the scene begins to move and the living viewing it are powerless to stop what unfolds before them. The Viceroy of Royce arrives at Aston Manor, seeking their backing in the coming vote to transfer the regency of Royce to the Viceroy and his family now that the queen is dead and the prince is assumed dead. The Berk family holds large sway with the courts and their backing could make this process smooth. The Viceroy and his close guardsmen sit down to eat dinner in the lavish dining room of Aston Manor, all manner of foods are present in the feast. ‘Lord Berk, I come to you today because your family holds sway in the high court of Abruzzo and the kingdom of Royce is in peril. Our fair queen has died and her only heir Prince Draxx has been missing for over a year and we have to assume the worst. Even now the forces of Savonia amass at our northeastern border, they have heard of our lose and I fear they plan to capitalize on it.’ The Viceroy and his close guardsmen sit down to eat dinner in the lavish dining room of Aston Manor, all manner of foods are present in the feast. ‘Lord Berk, I come to you today because your family holds sway in the high court of Abruzzo and the kingdom of Royce is in peril. Our fair queen has died and her only heir Prince Draxx has been missing for over a year and we have to assume the worst. Even now the forces of Savonia amass at our northeastern border, they have heard of our lose and I fear they plan to capitalize on it.’ The Viceroy’s speech appears prepared and practice the Rolan Berk, ‘I know why you are here Viceroy and I agree that our land needs a ruler, but I also believe our land needs a ruler who will balance us with diplomacy and grace. I do not believe you can offer either and I cannot back you and your family in seizing power from the barely cold grasp of the Boulet family.’ The Viceroy smiles and raises a glass, ‘Then let us all hope that Prince Draxx Boulet is found soon and we can save the kingdom from the Savonian invasion.’ Everyone stands and agrees with the statement of the Viceroy, afterwards the Viceroy’s guards all quietly and discreetly drink a small vial of purple liquid. -Ten minutes pass- ‘Are you sure I cannot sway you and your votes in the high court? It would save much blood as diverse families all jockey for position all the while ignoring the threat to the north.’ ‘Viceroy, I respect your concerns but my spies and contacts in Savonia tell me nothing of…’ Rolan’s vision begins to blur and his head feels heavy. ‘What have you done, in my house?’ Rolan is able to muster enough focus to send a bolt of lightning towards the Viceroy which catches him by surprise and impacts the left side of his body. The stench of burnt flesh can be sensed by all above the wondrous feast. Swords are drawn around the tables and within minutes the entire Berk family lie in pools of blood, all of them except two. Megera and her brother, Andor did not toast with the poisoned drink as Andor had spilt his and Megera only ever pretends to drink spirits. The Viceroy’s guards were now methodically going from body to body and ensuring all of the Berks and their house guard had their throats bared open by the blade. Megera and Andor were currently hiding under the table how would they be able to get out of here and the guards are coming this way. Just then Zora Berk with one hand covering her throat in order to form the word pointed her other hand towards the guardsmen no longer being able to make out anything but blurry images. The very word itself struck the Viceroy’s guard and instantly all of the life left the guard as he dropped to the ground. ‘Get her!’ the Viceroy pointed to the still potent wizard Zora. In her weakened and drugged state she still managed to kill two more guards before the others removed her head. The Viceroy picks up the head and removes the tongue with his dagger. A glass across the room crashes on the ground as Megera and Andor quickly exit the room. The scene ends and the party looks over the scene with horror and several barely hold back their meal. During the massacre Taila noticed to her surprise the cloaked man to the left of the Viceroy was her father Eldrin. The realization of the is replaced with at least a small measure of comfort when she remembers he may have raised her but at least she is not the blood of a man that could do this. Talia also finds one of the purple vials of antidote laying on the ground and pockets it. Malaya struck by what she has seen tries to find anything anyone but nothing is there to give her comfort and she knows what is coming soon and it fills her with dread. The party exits into the hall from the dining room and again the tale plays out. The Viceroy’s men give chase with the words of the Viceroy behind them, ‘Bring them to me, alive’. Meg and her brother make it to the main door of the manor house. Meg casts a spell on her brother and then upon herself and they both begin to fly. The guards exit just in time to grab Megera’s ankle and throw her to the ground. ‘Fly Andor, Fly and don’t look back find your sister!!’ The scene fades away and Elly returns to the statue, Malaya does not want to see what comes next. Trelic has sensed evil to the north and Malaya knows that is from the chapel in the manor and tries to think of another way any way to get this task done without seeing the rest. After promising Elly they will return to the statues Malaya carries on and ahead they hear cheering, men cheering as the final act of Megera's lament being to play out for them. The Viceroy was the first to have his way with Megera laughing at her as he ravaged her in the courtyard while the guards cheered. “I will have my kingdom, I will have my power and I will ravage this land as I have you’ He rose from her body and spat upon her. The Viceroy pointed to his men, ‘Have your way with her and then kill her, loot the manor and burn it to the ground!’ What happened next was a blur of the guards and the Viceroy’s faces burned in her mind, ‘I beseech you any of you, give me what I need give me the power to survive and to get my revenge, protect my sister and my brother.’ tears streamed down her face until at one moment as the sun’s glow faded in the sky the tears turned to blood and the young beaten wizard became something else. Vampires have not been seen in the world since the disappearance of the gods but now the undead’s general rose from this horror. Within 10 minutes 5 guards were tossed aside emptied completely of blood. The Viceroy and his remaining men hurried away into the last rays of the sun thus avoiding the wrath of the beast they helped create. The entire country-side boomed with the voice of Megera, ‘I will avenge my family and I will not rest until I have killed your entire line!!’ She whispers ‘What have I done? What have I become?’ ‘I must find Malaya and Andor they must be protected. And my family must be avenged.’ Malaya could not bring herself to see this horror again she walked away only having the sounds of the scene assault her and the scene fades away. The party returns to the statues to find one is now cold where it was warm and the other lies in rubble upon the ground. The professor knows with a bit of help that he believes Nagash the God of the Undead has been released. Now Malaya needs to make it to the Chapel she needs to reclaim her home and nothing will stop her as pain, regret and revenge gleam in her eyes and the Berk Blade informs her by its vibrations something new is ahead, demons. The party puts down 3 demon of shadow and watch in shock and some worry the Professor touch them and banish them. He explains this is needed and sunlight shines through into the manor for a small section of the manor is now free from the corruption. A demonic portal and a necromancy book are the next items the group deals with. The Professor and Fizzlebang are able to dispel the summoning portal and Fizzlebang takes and covers the book as Elly gets upset being treated like a child and the book is taken from her view. A group of house guard is found barricaded in the barracks and after some quick words from Malaya are dismissed from their duties. The second in command guard hands Fizzlebang a dagger as he passes. Elly sits on a bed still upset that everyone treats her like a child. Talia finds a letter from the Viceroy addressed to the captain of the Berk guard. Malaya reads the missive and finds that the former captain sold her family for around 3,000 gold. The group continues into the chapel having to unbarricade the entrance and inside the take part in an epic battle where 3 demons 2 4-armed skeletons and 6 ghouls are vanquished. Elly saves Trelic life by forcing the gift from Megera down his throat mid fight, we see bravery and recklessness from Malaya as she feeds the Berk Blade and her lust for vengeance with the blood of this evil. The professor banishes more demons as well and also joins in the melee. Elly's new blade not only stings several foes but provides a small blast of healing when it strikes. Fizzlebang's spells wound foe after foe. Taila's arrows find their mark time after time her acrobatics also keep her one step ahead of her enemies. Trelic does a matrix type maneuver jumping over to a demon hitting it with Lightpoint in dramatic fashion. In the end the party is wounded, each of their hearts have been touched in some way and sunlight shines once again on Aston Manor, they have released it from the darkness and the demons. The scene in the chapel also flashes and fades returning to it glory all of the bodies and blood around the manor has been cleaned up and all of the bodies of the Berk family are gone. As the story of Megera's Lament end in what might be her final message to her beloved sister Megera says. Thank you my sister, I had tended to our family they are all lying in the crypt I could at least do that but you and your companions have made that sleep peaceful and I thank you. Thank them all for me please and know this Malaya I love you, I do not blame you for any of this you are my sister. Our brother awaits you on the ship in the river but the next thing I must say is harder then anything I have yet endured. You can not look for me you must not find me for the Megera you knew is dying and I am afraid this is the last time you will hear from her I am losing myself in this... hell of my creation. Again I love you and I have left packages with our brother for each of you and your group as thanks for releasing me from that place, before you did what you did I was forced to relive the events every day. I leave you with one last request Kill the Viceroy, kill him for our family, kill him for me and kill him for revenge. So ends the single most dramatic scene I personally have put together in almost a decade, thank you all for enduring it times like last night really light me up. XP - 3,500 Between the kills values and the bonus growth you all got for the experience at Aston Manor. Go ahead and level as you will be getting a long rest.
