Sixteenth Session

Awakening with a hangover in Wizard's Pit, the party leaves the town and begins climbing the cold mountain road back up to Traitor's Keep, a one and a half day hike. During a stop along the way, members of the party confront Alana regarding the secrets of the dark orb that could potentially end the world that she obtained from the dragon.

Alana swore an oath never to discuss the orb, but inadvertently discloses that there are *multiple* orbs out there. They aren't inherently dangerous without particular knowledge, and there is no way to track them or anyone currently searching for them as far as she knows. There is someone in her past who tried to break her out of prison before she came to the Keep, and this person is the best source for determining what to do with the orb now that she has it. Naturally, Alana only has a vague idea of her location.

Moving on and reaching the Keep, the party finds it covered in snow, a substance Fin has never encountered before. A brief snowball fight erupts courtesy of Alice before the party is brought in through the guard's entrance and into the tower. After reconnecting with Talith, Whhhh and the orgygoers are sent on their way to temporary lodgings before the party is brought before the Warden of Traitor's Keep, a very tired old elf lady with a peg leg and a big ledger.

Due to how many people were rescued from the dragon, the bounty is very hefty: 6100 GP, which breaks down to 60 platinum pieces per party member (including the three guards). The crew is granted lodgings as well as permission to interrogate the prisoner, whose survival has thankfully been concealed from Ayleen. Some members of the party (Ishaq, Alice, Celia) received mail while they were away. What's more, due to everyone's relatively good behaviour, their personal effects that were confiscated when they were captured are being returned to them.

Once everyone has settled in, it's time to interrogate Asoshen the warlock, previously defeated after setting a forest on fire in an attempt to destroy both Verdun and the party. Asoshen is generally cooperative, and discloses that Ayleen gave her a place and a purpose in the world after she was outcast for her warlock powers, and that she has no remorse for her actions, which she views as a public service. However, she has no illusions about Ayleen's character, and fully expects to be killed by her onetime employer. She also warns that the Mayor of Thracien has a wide-reaching web of contacts who can aid her.

Ayleen never explicitly commanded her to commit a crime and local judges are under her sway, which makes conventional prosecution of the Mayor challenging. Ishaq proposes taking the case to the Sky Knights, elite enforcers who answer only to the Empress. Asoshen reveals that a particular Sky Knight holds a hatred for Ayleen, and from her description the party realizes it is Sir Faran, who was previously encountered after the basilisk battle. A bargain is made: Ishaq promises to tell Ayleen that Asoshen is already dead, in return for Asoshen talking to Sir Faran about Ayleen's crimes.

With that settled, the party splits up, with Fin off to learn about making snow angels (or snow rays), Ishaq writing a letter, the others retrieving their personal effects, and Alice hanging around under a guard's supervision to talk some more to the warlock about the demon she killed. Asoshen displays signs of emotional attachment to the demon, who was her partner for a long time, and warns that he will come back to take revenge again and again unless someone strikes a new deal with him.

After some more bickering and shenanigans outside, the next step is decided upon: Asoshen will meet with Sir Faran to tell her story, and the party will journey back to Thracien to report to Ayleen on Verdun and Asoshen's 'deaths,' and probably do some shopping with their new money.