The Hunt for the Iron Elementalist

The party made their preparation to leave the city and set about securing the entry into Verden and it's capitol, Corellis, beyond. They chose to present themselves to Kithri Malrose, rebellion Leader and ambassador to The Hub as potential allies in her ongoing quest to end the war in her home. Happy to pay back the favor of saving her life, she provided them with the documentation that would be needed in order to bypass the official closure of the Gate as well as a contact within Corellis who would be able to provide them shelter and perhaps information during their stay, one Fia Thane. She promised more help as well were they able to remain in Corellis until she was able to return home in a few days.

They arrived in Corellis without incident and made their way to Fia's Inn, The Fox and Raven where they were greeted warmly by Fia who, upon learning who sent them, revealed herself to be an old friend of Kithri's and the rebellion and promised to do all she could to help them during their stay under her roof. Thus settled, they set about their investigation, searching for leads on any strange activity that might lead them to the mysterious elementalist as well as a way to comfortably travel further south. In their investigation, a few leads were discovered.

A strange battle occurred just north of the desert's border. The rumors tell of an incredible death toll on both sides of what should have been an ordinary skirmish. No one is quite sure who exactly was involved in the battle, but of those who were, none seemed to have survived.

The criminal underground of Corellis is currently in state of quiet chaos, as various petty gang leaders vie for power in an attempt to fill that vacuum left by the war that struck the land 3 years ago.

Miwa's friend and contact, Pip Bernadotte, left Corellis on an unknown job several weeks ago and no word has been heard of either him or the Wild Geese since.

In the south western mountains, strange rumors have been circling about a small mining town called Hawthorn's Ford from which travelers and traders have apparently been vanishing without a trace.

Meanwhile, Einmar set himself to the task of finding them passage south, interviewing various caravan masters before luck led him to discover a man about to be mugged in an alleyway. Einmar came to his aid and drove off the ruffians, learning that their intended victim was none other than a caravan master himself by the name of Finn Talon. Grateful for his timely arrival, Finn offered them free passage on his caravan heading south, which was set to depart the next afternoon.

Intent on taking Einmar's new friend up on his offer, the party rose the next morning only to discover that Einmar himself had been very suddenly called away by a mysterious stranger. He left behind only a brief note detailing the location of the meeting he had arranged with the caravan master and a wish the the part keep him in their thoughts as he had been called away in order to "go dragon hunting", a statement that made little sense to the group considering that dragons have long been extinct.

Meanwhile across town, Sylf Aelin had been called to a rather sudden meeting with Viridian Altmeri who had requested his help with an urgent mission. Though the group had not expressly stated as much when they met with Kithri and himself earlier, Viridian had come to suspect they their purpose in @Verden was to assassinate @Gabriel_Valnoth and he wished to ensure that someone he could trust would be along to ensure the success of their task. Sylf, eager to see justice visited upon this evil man, agreed and two two sealed their agreement with a handshake. Upon their touch however, two pair were suddenly struck with a violent pain, followed by an intense vision of a dark and misty wood, flocked with an impossible cloud of ravens, after a moment the birds vanished leaving behind a young man, alabaster skinned and raven haired. The man reached for Sylf and as if from a great distance called to him saying, "...one of us. You could be. Please we need you! Our lost children must return home." and when Sylf asked him his name all that he could say was the calls of a raven. Then, the pair awoke, shaken, but otherwise unharmed. As shocking as their shared vision was, there seemed little to be done about it in the moment and the matter of Valnoth still pressed. And so, they agreed to continue on as had been planned though not before Viridian warned Sylf to be careful should he encounter that man again, a dark shadow seemingly clouding his mind.

Soon after, Sylf arrived at the Inn and was inducted into the group after explaining his purpose there. After a brief meet and greet, they set off, eager to not miss their ride south. At the caravan yard, they met Finn Talon who informed him that he planned to make the trip all the way south to Landsfall and that they were welcome to ride along for as long as they liked. Xufyr immediately sensed something unusual in his offer, one which was suspiciously generous to be given by a man that they had just met. But still, they chose to accept his offer, albeit a bit more cautiously.

The next few days passed quietly and broadly uneventfully, as the new teammates used this opportunity to get to know one another a little better. Sylf and Miwa talked shared a bit of their pasts, while Xufyr ensured that Miwa knew exactly of their suspicions. Finn and Okhtus passed the time sharing stores of their pasts while Okhtus worked on a gift for Robin; an outfit of her very own and designed specially for her needs, which would be a gift unlike any that she had ever received. Meanwhile, after days of standoffishness and mild hostility from Robin towards Sylf which he had met with only kindness, Robin rather suddenly opened up to him one night. She shared her some of her difficulties adjusting to her sudden change in station as well as her worries that she would never feel forgiven for the things she had been forced to do, a sentiment to which Sylf expressed his sympathies and offered her words of comfort.

Soon after, Okhtus gifted Robin her new clothes, a gift for which she was incredibly grateful and simultaneously struggled to accept, and Okhtus offered her further words of kindness, promising her a future where she was not so bereft of kindness. Eager to test the efficacy of his designs however, he then requested they she try them out by challenging Slyf to an impromptu sparring match, something the she accepted with perhaps more intensity than Okhtus intended. Sylf ultimately proved the victor of their sudden duel, and all post-spar scrpes and scratches were tended to with Miwa and Xufyr's expertise.

Five days into their journey south the party was awakened from slumber during the night, finding themselves beset upon by assassins for an unknown cause. Their order were, by self proclamation, to "leave no witnesses" and though they were able to make a hardy effort towards their goal, the party was ultimately able to fend them off and capture two of their number. Upon questioning them they were unsurprisingly reluctant to talk, reveling little more than the fact that they were committed monarchists and that there was nothing they could tell them that their seemingly innocent caravan master couldn't tell them himself.

Seeing his deception was ended, Finn  reluctantly agreed with the assassin leader and stated that there was no need to attempt to pry their secrets from them, he would share his story with the group. Before they could however, the fate of their would be killers needed to be decided. Though their was discussion of  hauling them to Westray in order to turn them over to the rebellion, they ultimately left their fate up to Robin, who chose to end their lives rather than risk their return to their royalist masters; a choice which seemed to trouble her greatly even as she was eager to make it.

With that matter decided, Finn gathered the group and revealed to them the true nature of his journey south. He shared that he was no ordinary caravan master rather a smuggler with vast connections reaching as far as Terra. Though he has been in this business for years, he always refused to take jobs for the monarchists or their sympathizers. That is, until around a eight months ago when he was approached by one of their agents with an offer that he couldn't refuse. Three years ago on the night of the rebellion his little brother, Lukas, disappeared presumed dead in the explosion that destroyed the elementalist's enclave. The agent revealed to him hat his  rother was in fact alive and that if Finn wanted him to remain that way he would become their exclusive agent. Finn agreed and has remained in their service since, up until this very ride which was promised to be his last; Deliver the cargo from Terra he now carried  and he was promised that Lukas would finally be free.

This sparked some disagreement within the group as to how to proceed, with some amongst them wishing to continue south to aid Finn in his brother's rescue and others worried as to what may be happening at Hawthorn's Ford in the absence. Ultimately they agreed to split up, with Okhtus and Robin continuing south while the rest continued on their path to the Ford.

Their plans contingent on his success, Okhtus rose the next day and set hard to work in order to sabotage the device that Finn carried, hoping to be able to exchange it still for Lukas without forwarding whatever plans the monarchists may have for it. He was ultimately successful, thanks to his incredible technical skill, and the device was rendered inert. Though he was still unable to divine it's true purpose as the technology used to create it was alien to him, he did discover a makers mark impressed into its casing, granting a possible lead to follow. With the key piece in place, they committed to the group's split and parted ways at the fork in the road between Hawthorn's Ford and Landsfall. Okhtus, Robin, and Finn would continue south, while Miwa, Sylf , and Xufyr would travel weast to investigate the strange happenings there.

The journey south was largely uneventful, though it was obvious enough to Okhtus that their destination weighed heavily on the minds of his companions. Finn unsurprisingly worried over the safety of his brother and the risk of their endeavors, while Robin grew more nervous by the mile that brought her closer back to the place where she had been held prisoner so long. Regardless, they arrived in Landsfall with little trouble and chose to take lodgings at The Thorned Rose, the most expensive inn in the city, in service of Okhtus' disguise as a wealthy nobleman from off Realm, who held Robin as a "servant" as well as interest in possibly acquiring another one.

Okhtus spent his night ensuring he made quite an impression with the patrons of the Inn, though it didn't escape his notice that there was one finely dressed woman who seemed to politely make it a point to not speak with him for some reason. Robin, meanwhile, spent her evening scouting the location of the exchange, a local teahouse. It seemed that the monarchists were planning to make good on their deal in some shape or form, as she could already see the location seemingly being prepared along with a prison wagon that seemed to imply that Lukas would actually be present. Thus informed, they settled in for the night in order to prepare for the long day ahead.

Meanwhile on the road to Hawthorne's Ford, the party's travels would be fated to not go so smoothly. Midway through the day, the party came across a strange patch of landscape th appeared to have been struck by some kind of strange blight, reducing everything and anything caught within its confines to a strange colorless dust. Undaunted, they pushed forwards and discovered several strange things within. Upon closer examination, the dust proved to be not ash as they had first guessed but rather the particulates of what had once stood there somehow reduced entirely into a fine, grey powder, something which horrified Xufyr greatly. Amidst the grey, Sylf caught whiff of an unexpected perfume hanging in the air which led them to discover a trail of fresh blooming flowers trailing off into the nearby woods in a pattern the eerily resembled blood. With an unusual urgency, Miwa rushed to follow and the others followed behind. 

At the end of the trail, they discovered a clearing in which lay a black-armored corpse surrounded by a field of permafrost, and unusual grey-silver sword struck into his chest pinning him to the ground. Closer examination revealed that the figure was in fact alive and, though there was some debate about the dangers of doing so, the party decided to save him by pulling the sword from his chest. He woke immediately, his presence carrying with it an instant threat that quelled somewhat as he seemed to recognize something in Miwa. The two spoke to one another for some time in the language of Fey, a tongue unknown to either Sylf or Xufyr, an exchange which ended rather dramatically as the man abruptly sliced off one of his own fingers and offered it to Miwa. Now suddenly and dramatically transformed into an unfamiliar fox-like form, Miwa accepted the finger and consumed it, collapsing as he did so before rising a moment later to hungrily consume the flowers the grew in the glade. A few moments later, he came to his senses and exchanged a few more brief words with the stranger before opening the fairy gate nearby and allowing him passage through.

Sylf, Miwa, and Xufyr finally arrived at Hawthorn's Ford to find the town sealed off, apparently due to a sickness plaguing the town. Upon learning that much of their party were doctors however, they were let inside only to find the townsfolk ridden not with sickness but rather strange injuries like those cause by a prolonged exposure to Iron. The three spilt up in order to question the villagers, with Sylf and Xufyr attempting to help tend to the people's injuries while Miwa went to investigate the local Inn, The Davey Lamp. They had little success in questioning the townsfolk however, a paranoia and fear apparent in all whom they spoke with that sealed their lips. Regardless, it was immediately clear that everything in the town was not as it seemed.

Meanwhile at the inn, Miwa arrived with the intent to seek further information and lodging only to be met with the improbable appearance of Sarantyr, recently arrived here in the Ford by means and circumstance unknown. In a flashback, Sarantyr was once again approached by The Silver-Haired Stranger, offering her a bargain. He had somehow learned of her interest in reuniting with her former companions and offered her a means to do so as well as a gift of magical power that, according to him, would otherwise remain out of her reach, all in exchange for a relatively simple favor: the delivery of a mysterious sealed package to Sylf. After some debate, Sarantyr agreed and it was by this means that she found herself in Hawthorn's Ford a short time before the party's arrival. Upon their reunion, Miwa introduced her to the rest of the group, much to Sarantyr's dismay, and she was able to fulfill her end of the bargain and deliver the box to Sylf, where it has remained uninvestigated as there are more pressing circumstances at hand.

In Landsfall, Okhtus and Robin filled their day with shopping and frivolities in order to keep up appearances of their disguise, ever watchful of the eyes upon them as they traveled through the city.

Back at the inn, Miwa's kind words moved the innkeeper enough for her to share the story of what has happened to this town. She revealed that a few months back the townsfolk opened a new vein in the local mine only to discover a massive vein of Iron rather then the precious stones they had expected to find. They sent a messenger to inform the capitol who seemingly never arrived and shortly after their dispatch the monarchists showed up instead. The monarchist's took over the town and have been covertly occupying it since, instilling a curfew and controlling passage in and out of the town in order to preserve their secrecy while the villagers work the mines in their service. A few weeks prior to their arrival, help seemingly arrived in the form of an apparent rebellion contingent , who attempted to take back the town only to be thwarted and captured by the occupying force. Since then, the captured soldiers have been put to work in the mines as well, though no sign has been seen of their commander since his capture.

Thus informed the group turned to making a plan, deciding that they would wait until nightfall when Sylf would be able to investigate in his canine form with the hope of discovering more from the monarchists themselves. As the sun fully set, a bell announced the start of curfew and exchange of shifts at the mine. Amongst the captured soldiers escorted from the warehouse, Miwa recognized a familiar face; that of Tav, second in command of the Wild Geese, with many of his company beside him. Sylf meanwhile skulked about the town, discovering several tidbits of information as he did so.

He learned that the monarchist's commander was apparently very interested in the prospect of one amongst them being a doctor, as well as the fact that at some point prior they had lost a "shipment" of some kind that would apparently land everyone here in deep trouble were it to be discovered. He snuck closer to the warehouse itself, hearing within the unmistakable sound of someone crying out in pain. Concerned and hoping to discover more, Sylf charmed his was past the door guards long enough to get a detailed look inside, finding within not a warehouse as expected but rather a laboratory where those within seemed to be experimenting on the Iron ore being mind in order to create some strange substance. Just before he was carried out by the guard, he managed to catch a glimpse as well of and unknown figure held within one of the upper rooms seemingly being tortured for some unknown purpose as well as their captor, an unknown woman who seems to be an alchemist.

Back in Landsfall, the hour of the meeting with Lukas' captors had finally arrived. Okhtus arrived at the teahouse, "servants" in tow, finding the place empty but for the surprisingly familiar figure within, the finely dressed woman he had glimpsed at The Thorned Rose the night prior. She introduced herself as Lady Katriona Thorn and expressed her surprise, though not displeasure, at Okhtus' unexpected presence at this meeting. He explained that circumstance had brought him here after Finn's caravan was attacked by her assassins, an attack which was only survived with the timely intervention of himself and his bound Elementalist, indicating Robin. Following the ambush, he had learned the true story of Finn's trip south and, in recompense for his near death, he appropriated the cargo and mission for himself, eager to potentially "acquire" another Elementalist.

Lady Thorn accepted this story, but the direction of their negotiations changed suddenly as her attention was drawn to Robin for the first time. Somehow, she seemed to recognize Robin, and offered Okhtus an amendment to their deal: twenty thousand gold in addition if he traded Robin back into the crown's service. Katriona went on to explain that Robin had once been in close service to the King of Verden himself and the his majesty was eager to see her back in his service. Okhtus refused, claiming that is Robin was truly so valuable that her offer was simply not good enough and countered with a deal of his own: Robin in exchange for a personal meeting with the King. There was a moment of tension that could easily have turned to violence as Lady Thorn considered taking the offer or simply taking what she wanted by force, but a display of deadly force from Robin swayed her enough to turn the thought of violence from her mind. She accepted Okhtus' deal, promising to be in touch via messenger hawk soon with the details and the two returned to their original business.

Katriona was incredibly satisfied upon examining the condition of the cargo and indicated for one of her guards to go retrieve Lukas. Okhtus asked Finn to go prepare the carriage in a bid to remove him from the room before his emotions boiled over, to which he reluctantly agreed and departed with a last bitter word to the Lady. A few moments later, Lukas was brought in and, even beyond his time spent in captivity, it was immediately apparent that there was something very wrong with him. His body slowly seeped the elemental water that flows through his veins, his skin covered in thin luminescent blue veins all across his body and he looked upon the scene with unnaturally bright blue eyes which stared aimlessly, seemingly unaware of much that occurred around him. Okhtus put on a show of disappointment at the condition of his "goods" but the deal was completed regardless and Katriona and her guards departed into the night, with no knowledge that the device they now carried was useless.

Free from the necessity of disguise, Okhtus examined Lukas, determining immediately that this was no kind of sickness that he or, he suspected, any other had seen before; It seemed almost as if Lukas' elemental powers fought to overpower him completely, a force that his body struggled to contain. There was no immediate cure in sight, but luckily Robin was able to contain the energy that threated to overwhelm him at any moment, though it exhausted her greatly to do so. Afterwards, Finn shared a tearful moment of reunion with his long-lost brother, who returned to awareness just long enough to recognize him before lapsing back into a deep slumber.

Meanwhile, Okhtus reassured Robin that his words to Lady Thorn had been nothing more than a ploy: he had no intention of letting the monarchists take her ever again. A moment of fear passed over her as she sought for the truth in his words and ultimately found it, accepting his reassurances as truth. With all resolved for the moment and everyone tired from the events of the evening, the group the returned to The Thorned Rose where Okhtus planned to wait until it was safe for them to leave the city.

The next morning, Miwa, Sarantyr, and Sylf woke and set about formulating a plan to free Hawthorn's Ford from the monarchist's influence. Many courses of action were bandied about, but ultimately they settled on one of trickery. Using Miwa's knowledge of the monarchist's military structures and Sarantyr's deft penmanship, they would forge a letter from the royal high command, ordering those stationed here to take what they could and leave as their aid was desperately needed further south. The party's plan to slip out of town in order to deliver this letter was interrupted however as a pair of guards came in search of "the doctor".

They informed him that their "overseer" desperately required his services and that, though they were asking politely, this was far from a request. Some attempts to slip away were made but ultimately Miwa acquiesced, following the pair to the warehouse as Sarantyr and Sylf snuck along behind. Inside, he was taken to the commander, a strange woman resembling nothing less than a mad alchemist, who informed him that she had a patient who required his care. She showed him to a locked door within her office and directed him inside, though not before informing him that there would be dire consequences should he fail to disclose any information that might spill from his patient's lips.

The patient turned out to be none other that Pip Bernadotte, an old friend of Miwa's and leader of the Wild Geese. Though unconscious and in bad shape at first, Miwa's ministrations soon roused him and, after a brief moment of misunderstanding, he expressed his shock and delight to see Miwa here of all places. Pip was quick to return to urgent matters however, urging Miwa to forget about him and escape this town as soon as he could, sharing that the monarchist were developing some kind of weapon here and that news of it's creation reaching the rebellion was far more important than his own survival. Miwa assured him that they already knew and it was a large part of the reason that he and his allies were here now. He counseled Pip to remain patient and ready, saying that he would return soon with either news or a plan.

Satisfied with his work, the commander allowed Miwa to go, and the group was free to return to their earlier plan. They waited until nightfall, after which Miwa, in fox form so as not to be recognized, slipped out and over the wall and into the forest beyond, returning a few moments later in the guise of a messenger for the monarchy. He told the guards a tale of dire news, one which they bought eagerly, taking the letter with a promise to deliver it post-haste before sending him back on his way to continue his "vital task".

They rose the next morning only to discover that their plan had worked. The monarchists appeared to be packing up anything and everything of value, including the prisoners they had taken, intent on leaving for the south and torching anything that they were forced to leave behind. Worried for Pip and the other Geese's safety, Miwa and Sarantyr snuck inside of the warehouse in order to free him and eliminate the guards sent to fetch him, while Sylf remained keeping watch outside.

With the newly freed Pip at their side, Miwa and Sarantyr snuck back downstairs in order to spring an ambush on the unsuspecting monarchists outside. Just as the monarchist began to notice that something may be amiss, they struck, a barrage of powerful dark magic sending the waiting soldiers into chaos. Outside, a flurry of activity of ensued as the monarchists began to rally and Sylf sprang from hiding, effectively flanking them. Meanwhile, and unexpected ally appeared as Tav seized his moment to free himself and his fellow Geese by smashing open the side of the wagon in which they were held and rather dramatically barreling into the fray.

With that, the battle was well and truly on. The monarchist soldiers rallied as best they could, but ultimately proved no match for the party's devastating magic with the aid of Tav's considerable might. Their commander however proved to far more threatening, deploying a number of deadly alchemical concoctions on the party in her attempt to turn the battle in her favor. Ultimately, her efforts would prove futile but as she nearly fell to Tav and Sylf's blades with her last shred of life she employed her final trick; a strange potion which, once drunk, triggered a grotesque transformation, warping and twisting her once human body into that of a massive five-headed hydra.

The battle, thought ended for a brief moment, resumed in earnest as the creature lashed out at anyone and anything within reach of its deadly storm of jaws. Those few monarchists that remained fled save one who, at Tav's urging, mustered the courage to aid in the fight against the horrific creature his former commander had become. He would be the first to fall under the hydra's relentless assault, in a battle which would nearly take the life of almost everyone in the party. By the skin of their teeth, they managed to fell the dread beast, severing finally the last of it's heads as Sylf set the creature's body alight with alchemist fire taken from the shredded remains of the Commander's belongings. As the beast drew its last breath, the battle was finally over and with it, the town freed.

The party took a moment to catch their breath after a deadly battle before setting back to work. Miwa, returned to elven form with only hazy memories of what occurred, set himself to seeing to the injured, finding a moment to catch up with his old friend Tav as he did so. Pip, meanwhile, gathered those of his men and those able bodied amongst the townsfolk and set to ensuring that the town was truly secured and that none of the monarchists who had fled remained behind. With the town's immediate safety secured, thoughts now turned to what would become of its future.

Though the monarchist had been routed for the moment the party wisely feared that, given the sheer abundance of the iron vein that had been discovered here, it would only be a matter of time before they would return in hopes of reclaiming it. They discussed the possibility of the Wild Geese remaining long enough to defend the town until further help from the rebellion could arrive but even as capable as they were this solution would, in many ways, only push the problem further down the road for those who lived here. Even with the rebellion's forces there to protect them, the town would never truly be safe as long as the iron remained. And so, encouraged by the party, the town made the heavy hearted choice to leave their home behind, relying on Sylf's magics to flood the mines and venturing to Westray alongside the group in order to seek some new refuge. The Wild Geese would remain behind to garrison the town long enough for word to reach the rebellion and for reinforcements from the north to arrive.

Roughly three days later, the group finally reunited in the town of Westray. Okhtus and crew were the first to arrive, quickly setting to work looking for someone to help the ailing Lukas, attempting to staunch the progress of his ever-worsening and mysterious condition. He found help in the town's reportedly best doctor, one Finola Miriel, who wasted no time in getting to work after seeing the seriousness of the young man's condition. Unfortunately, skilled as Dr. Miriel may be in the medical arts, the condition plaguing Lukas proved to be beyond her capabilities to treat, though she was able to identify with some confidence what the nature of his illness might be. Through some means unknown Lukas's body was being flooded with ceaseless elemental-energy, a seemingly unstoppable force of magic that threated to completely overwhelm his physical form. Though there was little she could do to help cure this illness, she was more than willing to keep watch over him, aided by Robin, until further help could arrive in the form of the rest of Okhtus' group. The next morning, the group from Hawthorn's Ford arrived in the city. Farewells were exchanged between the townsfolk and their rescuers before they finally parted ways, and Miwa, Sylf, and Sarantyr set off for their arranged meeting place, the Gull and Lantern Inn. There, they found a message from Okhtus directing them to find him and the others at Dr. Miriel's clinic.

Reunited at last, Okhtus and Sarantyr shared a happy reunion, while Miwa and Sylf turned their expertise towards discovering something that might help Lukas. Miwa's conclusions were much the same as Dr. Miriel's, though he had a far stronger idea of the mechanisms by which this affliction was operation. Sylf was able to discover that something seemed to have been damaged within Lukas' bond with his element, and that whatever was happening to him wasn't going to kill him but rather transform him into something unknown; but that wasn't the strangest of his discoveries. There seemed to be trapped within him an unfamiliar form of magic, one which called to Sylf with a strange, possessing hunger. Out of control for a moment, he found himself reaching for it, but a moment away from taking this unknown power for himself. At the last moment however, he was able to catch himself, pulling away from Lukas before telling Miwa nearly everything that he had discovered.

As a group, they discussed what might be done. None relished the thought of leaving Lukas to whatever his fate may be, but the seriousness of their mission calling them south pressed ever on their minds. Numerous solutions were thrown about, none of them fully ideal, but all discussion came to a halt when Sarantyr suggested that she could simply turn Lukas into a Vampire. Unable to speak to Lukas directly, his brother Finn proved to be the next best solution in ultimately making the choice. Sarantyr explained what she could to him, the risks and potential benefits involved, as well as the changes that Lukas would undergo should the transformation prove successful, all of which he weighed as seriously as he was able. Ultimately, he agreed to Sarantyr's offer, though he truly could not know if his brother would approve of his choice, he would rather that Lukas be alive to hate him for it.

They returned to the Inn, where Sarantyr took Lukas to a private room, asking Sylf to join her as a helping hand should something go amiss. With everything prepared, she began the transformation, feeling for a moment that strange magic trapped within Lukas, manifesting as a near irresistible euphoria to those who imbibed it. Though there was a moment of uncertainty as Sarantyr nearly lost herself to the overwhelming magic, the turning was ultimately successful; Lukas was a Vampire now, whatever that would come to mean. As he began slowly to come to his senses, Sarantyr explained his new circumstance fully and offered him a chance for an easy death if this new life wasn't what he wanted. He refused, choosing to remain as he now was, before finally falling into a deep sleep.

In the morning, the group met to discuss their next steps, as well as catch each other up as to what had been missed while everyone was separated. After much discussion, the next logical step seemed to be returning to Landsfall on order to follow up on the meeting with Verden's King that had been promised to Okhtus by Catriona Thorne. They reaffirmed that their mission was not only to eliminate The Iron Elementalist but the King as well, with Robin expressing that she hopes he would be the last life she ever takes.

Lastly, the proverbial fox was finally out of the bag. Miwa's other half's actions had left him unable to hide his dual nature from his companions any longer and a formal "introduction" between the group and his Fox half was made. Though he made no attempts to hide his more bloodthirsty nature, he assured the group that their goals were more than aligned and that they had nothing to fear from him; An explanation happily accepted by all save Robin, who seemed more than a little suspicious of the Fox's casual bloodlust.

The morning of the escorts arrival, the party rose and set about their final preparations before enacting their plan to sneak into the palace.  Early in the morning, Sarantyr called Sylf into her room, wishing to make a last-minute effort to discover more about their shared connection and hopefully gain an edge in the battle to come. Together, they meditated on the nature of their powers and were able to make contact with the strange presence that had been haunting them both for some time now. With words shrouded in ebon feathers they told Sarantyr that their power could not reach her here, but that in this moment, hers would more than suffice. The presence pulled a piece of her magic from her, sending it into the sealed wooden box that Sylf had been carrying these past weeks which finally opened. Inside was a brilliant azure gemstone, roughly cut and unpolished that yet seemed to glow with a brilliant inner hue and which called out to Sylf with a strange power.

With some hesitation Sylf took up to stone, feeling the promise of power offered within it in an instant as well as a nagging certainty that if he accepted he would never quite be the same. Nevertheless, he chose to allow the magic contained within the stone to flow into him, flooding his body in an instant with the purest elemental energy that Sylf had ever known. The energy was all consuming, threatening to overwhelm him completely, change him into something unknown. For a brief moment, he nearly lost himself before thoughts of his family managed to pull him back from the brink and slowly he began to regain himself. When he 'awoke' he felt changed, his magic stronger, somehow more pure in its essence, and the stone had embedded itself into his skin.

Meanwhile, after a long night alone with her thoughts Robin returned to the Inn and joined Okhtus in his room, having correctly assumed that he would be the one 'responsible' for her once it was time for them to carry out their plan. Before joining the others, Okhtus tried to discuss some of the finer details of the plan with her, but the conversation quickly went south. Robin was angry about what they had asked her to do, an anger she didn't fully understand as she had agreed to it after all, and was lashing out. Okhtus empathized with her but felt lost as well, as he felt that her anger was being misplaced. He tried to assure her that the control was only to ensure that she had the best chance to carry out her goals, to protect her from being commanded by another, but she wasn't willing to hear it. Okhtus tried to walk away, Robin tried and failed to stop him, and it was in this moment of heighted emotions that Okhtus had a realization about her; Robin may have been freed when they wrested her from Valnoth's grasp but it would seem that it would take more than simply breaking her proverbial chains for her to learn how to truly live without a command guiding her. Over the past weeks he had offered her choices aplenty but when had she every truly made one that had not been guided by his own words?

After the flare of emotions, and some concerned check-ins from the rest of the group, cooler heads prevailed on both sides. Okhtus reminded her once more that, though it may be too late go go back on repairing her brand, she could still walk away if she chose too; He only hoped that whatever she chose to do, that they would remain friends throughout. She hoped that they could too and the pair shared a hug before Robin said that they likely didn't have much more time before the escort arrived, and that it would be better that the command was given before they arrived. Shortly after they had finished, there was a knock at the door as the downstairs clerk had arrive to inform 'His Lordship' that there were men downstairs asking for him.

The group took their places for the ambush and it was the work of but a few moments before they had defeated the guards, stealing their uniforms for disguises and secreting them downstairs to the waiting carriage to be dropped off at the edge of town later. One last quick stop on the way out of town to re-stock on invisibility potions later, and the party was riding off into the desert, with Finn and Lukas following a discreet distance behind in order to provide a quick get away after their work was done.

They arrived at the stronghold a few hours later, finding the place a surprisingly busy hub of activity, if more run-down than they had perhaps been expecting. They bluffed their way through the gates and managed to secure un-escorted passage into the palace proper, leaving them free to explore the place unquestioned. Inside, the place was a near maze of rooms and passageways, it's apparent history as a military stronghold having done its navigability no favors, but after some time they managed to make an unobtrusive path to the upper floors where they had been told they would find the King waiting.

Upstairs, they followed Robin's lead to cut a quick path towards the King's chambers but their path wasn't to be completely unhindered. Along the way, the crossed paths with Catriona Thorne, accompanied unexpectedly by the General Gabriel Valnoth, with whom she seemed to be having a politely worded argument. Valnoth seemed unhappy with Catriona's actions as of late, but they were forced into conversation before they could perhaps have learned more. There was a moment of tension as no one was quite sure how easily, if at all, Valnoth might recognize them but some fast talking from Okhtus and Miwa seemed to dispel any suspicions that he might have held. As Catriona began to sweep 'Lord Arelius' off to his meeting with the King, Valnoth excused himself and disappeared off into the palace.

Catriona escorted them to the Kings chambers, where they all quickly realized that something was off. The rooms were lavish to be sure, but held the air of an incredibly comfortable prison rather than private royal chambers. Lady Thorne excused herself upstairs to inform the King of their arrival, and in her absence the party quickly discussed what this this discovery may have changed. Though they all now held suspicions as to what may truly be occurring here, they held true to their plan, reaffirming that whatever happened, it would be up to Robin to decide. A moment later they heard the sound of urgent voices and Catriona returned, seemingly annoyed and informed Okhtus that the King wished to speak to him in private.

Now alone in the tower, the group climbed the stairs to the next floor, not entirely sure what would happen next. They arrived to find a young man seemingly eagerly awaiting their arrival. He rose to greet Okhtus eagerly and as he turned, the reasons for Robin's earlier hesitation couldn't be more apparent. He was the spitting image of Robin, almost uncannily so; There could be no doubt about it, Prince Nathaniel Thorne was none other than Robin's brother. His eagerness quickly turned to shock as he saw his sister and then fear as Okhtus released his command over her and Nathaniel saw the familiar ice cold stare in her eyes.