As the party stands on the small hill, overlooking Rivergrounds where they can clearly see some activity, Thistlethorn notices movement behind them. They turn around, seeing a 9-foot tall drow woman with blue eyes, completely nude, with her long silver hair covering up most of her body. Relic and Penny both recognize her by her appearance as that of Eilistraee, Lolth's daughter, the chaotic good goddess of drows.
She immediately apologizes for deceiving the party, with Kal and Thistlethorn both asking who she is. She apologizes, introducing herself, saying that she has been working against Vuthul from the shadows, and is the one who opened the portal allowing them to go home. She goes on to explain that she, not Lolth, made the Arachnostaff, telling the party that she gave it to Erevan Duskwoven to be her champion, under the guise of him being a champion of Lolth. She has also been talking privately to the few drow who have been resisting Vuthul’s mind control, offering them words of encouragement.
When Lolth eventually, inevitably, gets released from Carceri, now that the one who imprisoned her is dead, she will most definitely try to take back her people, the drow. Eilistraee apologizes for deceiving the party by promising a peace as Lolth, but she intends to keep that promise, hinting at a coming schism within the drow society, with some wanting to worship Lolth, some wanting to worship her, and a third group who don’t want to be under control of any god. No matter what happens, the drow will be too busy with the infighting to focus on the overworld. Which is why Eilistraee is now reaching out.
She asks Penny, the queen to be, if she would allow some of her followers to live in one of the abandoned cities. The other members of the party immediately voices their concerns, saying this isn’t something Penny should decide, that the drow should be integrated, not kept separate, and that this is something that will affect everyone, not just “her” people. Eilistraee waits until everyone has calmed down, agreeing that the drow should be integrated, not segregated, but there needs to be a first step so this can naturally happen over time. She suggests the abandoned city of Swellingstrum, where Glasstaff was being kept, something Penny agrees with, once she has taken her throne. She will send people to help rebuild the city as well, and in time, hopefully, the drow will be a part of society as they should be.
Eilistraee is pleased with Penny’s agreement on the drow, and then asks what she can do to aid the party before she leaves. They ask if she can help them find their friend, Arin, as they haven’t heard from her in a while, and fears something has happened to her. Eilistraee holds her hand out, opening a portal for them, and then as a parting word wishing them luck, and that they probably won’t meet again. The party steps through the portal.
When they emerge on the other side they find themselves in what appears to be Elvenbridge. In the distance they hear fighting in the streets, and there are a few bodies scattered about, both drow and others. They look around, finding no sign of Arin or Jen. Thistlethorn looks at the closest door and decides to knock on it. After a few seconds, several deadbolts are unlocked from within, and the door swings open, revealing a tired looking Jen, who stares at the party in disbelief. She quickly hurries them inside, where a tired looking Rod is sitting on a table, with a gravely wounded Arin lying on a bed in the back.
Thistlethorn runs over to examine her, as Jen explains that she hasn’t been conscious since the drows attacked the city. Arin tried to defend Jen from the attackers, and got sliced in the abdomen in response. Jen managed to drag her home, and have been feeding her broth to keep her alive, but nothing has worked. Thistlethorn sees that there is a poison spreading through her body, with dark lines emanating from the wound. She quickly uses a lesser restoration, causing the poison to retreat, while Kal, who is still hurt from the battle with Vuthul, uses a spell to heal herself, Arin, and anyone else who might need it.
Arin starts to stir, and eventually opens her eyes, surprised to see the party, wanting to know how long she has been out. Jen comes over to hold her hand, as the party relays the events of the last few days, but the most important thing is that Vuthul is dead, and the world is fighting back against the drow. Arin is happy to see the party safe, as Rod begins rubbing against the party’s feet, clearly having missed them. Since the evil is vanquished, Arin hopes to be able to return with the party back to Ravenforge. The party looks at each other, all of them realizing that their journey has come to an end, and they will most likely go their separate ways. They suggest that Arin and Jen make a new life for themselves, with both of them starting to discuss whether they are gonna have kids or not. Kal points out that they can adopt, but it’s clearly a discussion they will have to have later.
Kal suggests that someone scries on Nezznar so that they can see where he is, and maybe, hopefully, stop him once and for all. Relic uses his shard to take a look, finding Nezznar hurriedly scurrying down a hallway in the castle, dragging a bag after him. He notices someone watching him, and turns around, staring at the scrying orb, cursing whoever is on the other side, before casting a spell on himself, forcing Relic out of the vision. The party hurriedly hugs Arin and Jen, asking them to take care of Rod until Penny can take him back, and then runs out to find the nearest tree that Thistlethorn can use to teleport them to Ravenforge.
Emerging in a small park right next to Fizban’s house, they see that the city is fighting back against the drow, but several buildings are on fire or have collapsed. The party makes haste towards the castle which looks like it has been hit hard by the attacks, being allowed to pass by the city guards who have taken back control of the area. Relic immediately uses a spell to cast locate creature, but finds no sign of Nezznar, indicating that they are too late, and that he has escaped.
As their quarry has escaped, Kal decides to help the city, flying to the center of it and then uses Stormseeker to summon a rainstorm that can help extinguish the raging fire, seeing the drow forces either retreating or having been captured. Having done what she can, she returns to the rest of the party, and then enter the castle to search for survivors.
They soon find Ansgar Cain, freeing him from his bonds, as he begins to help free the other prisoners. In a lone cell they find the unconscious Bertram, who seems to have been struck by the same type of poison Arin had. Another lesser restoration and some healing later, and he opens his eyes, expressing happiness from seeing the party. They help him to his feet, telling him that they have finished their quest, with Bertram being relieved, but annoyed at being out of a job, having dedicated his whole life to stopping the Forgotten One. Kal is sure that he can find something else to do, as there will always be evil in the world. Bertram agrees, and goes to help Ansgar with the other survivors.
As the party searches the castle they find no trace of Nezznar, so he is well and truly gone. When they reach the throne room, they find the throne itself shattered, with the bisected body of Satine having been strung up between two pillars. The party gently lowers her down, asking Penny if they should try to resurrect her. Penny says that it isn’t her decision, but the party points out that if Satine is brought back, then she won’t be queen. Penny says they should still try, so they sit down to attempt the resurrection ritual. Kal casts a sending to Thervan, asking if he wants to help out, so he quickly teleports in, congratulating the party on their success, and then joins in.
The ritual is a partial success, as the party senses that Thervan’s words are hollow, indicating that he doesn’t really want Satine to return. Penny plays her favorite song, while Relic tries to use reason to persuade the queen to return to her body. As the ritual finishes, Kal looks up, seeing Mova standing there, looking down at her. Beneath Mova, Kal can see the spirit of Satine and Triston, her father, embracing, and then walking away into the light. It’s clear to Kal that Satine has no wish to return to the mortal realm, meaning the resurrection fails.
Thervan places his hand on Satine’s forehead, apologizing to her, and then tells the party that he has to find Ansgar and Bertram, but on the way out, congratulates the party once again on their success, telling them that he will make sure the castle is secure, before disappearing down a hallway. The party briefly looks around, realizing that her crown is nowhere to be found, so Nezznar probably took it with him when he departed.
The party looks at each other, wondering what to do. Penny points out that they do have some other unfinished business in the city, and then leads the way to the docks, where Raam and Неизвестно’s hideout is located. The henchmen that protects the place proves to be little more than an annoyance in their path. Those who cast down their weapons and beg for mercy are allowed to live, but Thistlethorn still feels for the loss of life the party is causing, even though she knows these people are bad people.
They eventually find a hidden entrance leading down to the lair itself. Penny uses a passwall spell to just bypass the door completely, and lets Thistlethorn go first, as they notice the place is riddled with traps. Thistlethorn helpfully points out every single one, letting the party reach the bottom without issue, and then take down the few henchmen who are in their way with little to no effort. Suddenly, a tiny kobold comes running out, jumping onto a table holding a dagger in each hand, telling the party they can go no further.
From a room beyond, Raam emerges, telling the kobold, Kevin, to stand down. Kevin reluctantly does so, walking over next to Raam, as he tries to reason with the party. He admits to them that he didn’t expect the party to actually go through with it, and tries to convince the party that they have kept their business down to a minimum, trying to convince the party to spare him. They see through his lies easily, and can smell the scent of blood and death in the air. They offer Raam a single deal to get out of this alive: Tell them Muzak’s full name, and they will merely banish him. After a little pleading, he reluctantly gives the name Muzakarathiin. Relic thanks him for the information, then banishes him back to the Nine Hells.
Kevin remains behind, looking skeptical at the party. They ask him if he wants to go with them, but he tells them that his friends are here, and they even made a bed for him, pointing at a small pile of trash with a blanket in a corner. Thistlethorn tells him that these people aren’t his friends, but they can take him somewhere with a big bed and good food. He then says, quietly, that he wants to go home to his dad, Bartholomew Hawthorne. It’s not a name any of them have heard before, but Kal decides to cast a sending to him, telling him that they have his son Kevin and want to know how they can return him. Bartholomew replies in a shocked manner, demanding to know what their sick game is, and if this is a ransom. They clarify that they rescued him from a den of slavers, and ask Bartholomew to stand in front of a large tree at noon the next day, so they can send him through.
Kevin tags along as they head to Scry Me a River to see if Lone Candle and Vontara made it, happily finding them inside going through their stock to see what survived and what didn’t. Lone Candle quickly runs over to hug the party, happy to see them again, as Vontara tells them that the drow tried to find them, but they hid in the attic, away from danger. Happy to see them alive, the party eventually leaves Ravenforge with Kevin, heading back to the grove, to meet their families again.
As they appear outside the barrier they notice that the drow have completely abandoned the place, meaning they can safely enter without worry about being attacked. As they pass through the barrier, their families and friends all run over to greet them, embracing in hugs and tackling them to the ground. They tell their tale to everyone who wants to hear, spending the rest of the day enjoying themselves, being able to properly relax for the first time in months.
Thistlethorn declares that since her journey has ended, she will change her name again, this time to Elmroot, to represent that she is where she belongs. She and the others speak to Brónach, who tells them that he will too take some time to see the world, to find what forests have changed, and which have sprung up since last time he left the forest. Kal suggests that the barrier is no longer needed, since the drow have retreated and the enemy is gone. Brónach agrees, waving a hand lazily around, causing the barrier to dissipate. During the night, Brónach quietly departs through a portal in a nearby tree, never to be seen again.
The next day at noon, Thistlethorn sends Kevin through the tree, with Kal and Relic also taking the opportunity to go, since he knows that one of the greatest shrines of Udall is located nearby. Kevin embraces his dad who picks him up, spinning around, thanking Kal and Relic for returning their child to him after his kidnapping, and then heads up to his mansion which is in the middle of being renovated.
Kal and Relic both make their way to the shrine, located on top of the largest peak in the area, but it is no issue for two people who can fly and teleport all the way there. When they reach the top, Relic places Theonius Grim’s handcaster at the altar as an offering, and is being offered a single question that Udall will answer. Relic asks how to get to the moon, and is given a vision of his destination, allowing him to try to teleport there. He turns to Kal, saying he will meet her back at the grove, then teleports away.
Kal, left behind, stares up at the shrine depicting Udall raising his hand to the skies. She pledges herself to him fully, thanking him for choosing her and making her a cleric, giving her a new chance at life. Even though her mother is Mova, she resents her for not doing the same for her. Since Udall had faith in Kal, she will return the favor, and become fully devoted to him. As a boon, Udall offers her a divine intervention, which Kal immediately uses to heal and cure everyone on Rexendell who has been hurt by the conflict with the drow, and decides to include the drow in the miracle, hoping to make it a step towards peace. She then uses her word of recall to return back to the grove.
Meanwhile, on the moon of Elysum, Relic teleports to a single monolith standing in the barren landscape. As he doesn’t need to breathe, he’s not in immediate danger, but can tell that if he stays too long it would probably be bad for him. He takes a closer look at the monolith, finding both Thervan and Delphine’s names, but on the side, partially hidden by some rubbed in moon dust, she can find the name “Malice Khalazza” scribbled into it. He shakes his head, then takes his magical quill out and scribbles in “Wands / Relic” into the monolith. As soon as he does, he notices that the monolith grows a few inches, allowing more space for more names in the future. Satisfied with having accomplished his task, he takes out a rock from the forest, focuses on it, then teleports back home.
Over the next few days, the party decides to honor their promise to Fie, and travels to Blanc Town. A beautiful city with rivers flowing through it instead of streets, with several bridges connecting the different city blocks. They find their way to a lonely tavern on the outskirts of town. Five people sit scattered around the inn, with a single innkeeper behind the desk. Penny and Thistlethorn, who both have truesight now, can tell that every one of them is a changeling.
They walk over to them, telling them that they were friends of Fie, and made a promise to them to bring back their ashes and belongings. The changeling, Hars-with-mole-under-left-eye, becomes very emotional, asking to know what happened. The party sits down around a table, as Hars brings both food and drinks, with the party retelling their story to them, reminiscing about the past. After a couple of hours, Hars thanks the party for bringing their child home, before the party leaves the tavern and Blanc Town for good.
The party decides to return to their old home, finding it burned down and destroyed. The horses are gone, roaming the countryside, free to travel on their own journeys. Kal heads to the collapsed basement, finding the keepsakes they left behind before they departed for Carceri, specifically the dolls they had made of the party in Tempervale. She hands them out to the others to keep as a memory.
Elmroot walks over to Oakenward, who was badly burned by the fire that happened, but alive. She asks if he wants to remain in the city, or come to live in the forest with her. Oakenward is tired of society, and wants to live in peace, so agrees to come along. Relic helps him relocate by teleporting him directly there. Penny has Gleamshroud bring Morgan, Trixie, Perry, Valthrae, Rod and her parents to Ravenforge, giving them rooms in the castle itself, while most of her community travels back to Emerald Earth. Beneath Ravenhill Castle, a large cave meant for a dragon is discovered during renovations, giving Gleamshroud a proper home, as he no longer has to live in hiding, having returned as the protector of the Meadowstones.
Afterwards, over the next few weeks, the party naturally drifts apart. In Ravenforge, a guard finds a package on the doorstep of the castle containing the missing crown. He delivers it to Thervan, who shows it to Penny. She sends a sending to Nezznar, asking if he returned it to her, but the message doesn't find its target. She and Kal use divination to learn that Nezznar met his demise thanks to Eilistraee shortly after he left the castle. Thervan takes the crown to reforge it into a new one.
Elmroot returns to her forest, having donated all her remaining coin to villages that need help rebuilding, wandering around with her tribe, happy to be back where she belongs. Penny gave her a few acorns to plant wherever she saw fitting, and so she does, near waterfalls and groves, bringing new life into the forest. As Elmroot wanders she is often accompanied by Wanderwood, and contemplates what has happened to the world, mourning the losses that have happened, even those of her enemies. Wanderwood tries to bring words of wisdom, but the pain is strong, but in time it will fade.
Kal takes her family with her to Ravenforge, moving into a house she pays for. Valerion decided to return to Port Emerald to his duties, but comes to visit every now and then. With Penny’s permission, she decides to use a divine intervention to make a new island in the bay of Ravenforge, in order to make a proper temple of Udall on it, something the city is sorely lacking. Over a year, she builds the temple, and in the end, a massive statue of Udall emerges from the ocean, looking over the temple, with a permanent stormcloud above it.
During the year she also helps Elmroot restore the power of the Hide of the Wild Guardian, as well as heading to Honk to finally deal with the goblins who are attacking travelers. She summons a thunderstorm over their village, demanding to meet who is in charge. Harold, the chieftain, emerges, and is quickly intimidated by Kal to give up his power and stop with the raiding, otherwise she will be forced to take harsher measures. Harold gives up his Shard of the Deceiver, which Kal gives to Thervan for safekeeping.
Relic decides to realize his desire to travel the world, and spends most of his years wandering around to new places, learning about the world and nature, but occasionally checking in on the others in the party when he has time. He travels to Elvenroth to see what happened to his simulacrum, Tome, learning that he tried to heroically defend the city when the drow attacked, but eventually met his end. The librarians of the Royal Athenaeum hand him the work Tome started on, letting him complete it, before he continues on his journey, authoring several books, some published, some not.
After a few months, Penny gets crowned as the new queen, taking the name Meadowstone to restore her family’s name. The other leaders of the regions attend, as well as her companions, Arin and Jen. As a gift, Elmroot gives Penny a trinket carved out of elm. Thervan and Penny tell her that there are talks from the others about dividing the country, and so wanted to ask Elmroot if she wants her forest to be independent. Elmroot says that she just wants to be left alone, with Penny promising to put it in the agreement.
After her coronation, Penny travels to Неизвестно, accompanied by Kal, to give back Harmony as was promised by her. Seraphina, the Summer Queen, senses that Harmony belongs as much to Penny as it did to her Lirael, allowing her to keep it, as long as it is returned to her when Penny passes on. Penny agrees to this, and happily keeps Harmony for herself, using it to entertain her citizens often, along with Morgan and Trixie.
The Empire of Moroxia is split up into The Ironwing Dominion ruled by Penny, The Verdanian Kingdom ruled by Akadio Zetterlund, the Bridgeheart Kindom ruled by Paton Dutari, the Elysian Dominion ruled by Usoa Zeri, and finally, the Hold of Khuz'Dhan, ruled by Guldar Ironbreaker, who takes back the region taken by the Akstan Kingdom east of the mountains. The kingdoms form an alliance, working together to protect each other, and open up for trade and travel, so that they won’t be conquered again. Alynna Venra has meetings with Penny and the other leaders, making a trade agreement to keep things balanced. In the end, Rexendell has peace, and things are restored to the ways things were before, bringing about the fourth age.
A few months later, as Elmroot wanders in the forest with Berry, Argus and Ira, she comes across a halfling woman who wanders around with her cat. Tamsyn and Prowler have finally found their way to the forest, and want to live with her people, having tried to integrate with society, but found it too stressful, wanting to live a quiet life. Elmroot turns them all into clouds, as they fly home to her tribe, where she introduces the newest member.