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The Ruined Tower
Click to expand previous episode recap
The party intercepted a cult supply wagon on the road to the Black Crag. After successfully subduing the guards, they turned their attention to the prisoners to uncover the secrets of the upcoming ritual.
After quickly neutralizing the remaining wagon guards, the party drags the most terrified survivor into the deep, encroaching brush. Under the shroud of the canyon, Niles initiates a tense and harrowing interrogation. With a blade pressed close and the cold promise of pain, Niles rolls an impressive 19 on his Intimidation check, shattering the zealot's resolve. The cultist spills everything: the Black Crag monoliths are currently guarded by a fearsome, shadow-touched sentry, and the high priest—a ruthless sorcerer named Malakor—intends to utilize a stolen ritual key hidden within this very wagon to tear the veil on the 30th.
Armed with this game-changing intelligence, the heroes immediately pivot to dismantle the wagon’s defenses. A thorough search reveals a hidden false floor beneath the driver's bench, where they recover the pulsing, cold-to-the-touch ritual key and a cache of ancient, vellum-bound scrolls. Thaddeus inspects the texts, his eyes widening as he realizes these are the final, missing components required to invert the portal’s alignment and stop the ritual dead in its tracks. With the key secured and the enemy’s secrets laid bare, the party wastes not another heartbeat.
Mounting their horses, they ride hard through the moonless night, putting miles of rugged terrain behind them as they race toward the Black Crag. The weight of the world sits upon their shoulders, but their path is now illuminated by destiny. They arrive at the base of the forbidden monoliths well before the cult's main force, positioning themselves to strike and finalize the confrontation that will decide the fate of the entire realm.
• Intelligence Gained: Black Crag guarded by shadow-touched sentry; High Priest Malakor leads the ritual on Sept 30th.
• Asset Recovery: Ritual Key recovered and Arcane Inversion scrolls identified (Option B).
• Mission Status: Party en route to Black Crag; timeline set for final encounter.
