Narrative Rundown
After morning dawned on the strange, magical valley, the adventurers felt compelled to deliver the plaques they had collected to the only living mage whose color was yellow. All of them had made a pact in order to save members of the group who had passed away and, as such, they were subject to orders given by this unknown wizard. As they knew, there was no way into his floating tower until 10pm and therefore were not compelled to wait for the silvery bridge to reappear in the night.
The reavers decided to explore the surrounding forests as they had not yet visited this area of the vale and it seemed extremely quiet at first. However, as they strayed further and further from the manse at the center of the field, a deafening roar could be heard. A small clearing opened up where the curious contemporaries could grasp the full horror of their situation. In the clearing was a pond that just
ended. Not a peaceful end where the water trickles over an unknown barrier and drains away, but a screaming end where every molecule that formed what we know as water was ripped apart into a myriad of colors and sounds. An opaque wall made up of every imaginable color stood before them and it emitted the most terrifying roar. As the adventurers stood dumbfounded, a being that could only be described as a worm emerged from the barrier and snaked its way toward them, unfurling reality as it crept across the grass. A bitter duel ensued with the group coming out on top due to the great lethargy that seemed to affect the creature. It dissipated into a thousand grey strands and the party decided to leave with haste.
Deciding next to make their way around the large lake, the explorers found evidence of the kingdom that may have existed in the vale eons ago in the form of small bridges and ancient coins. Finding nothing more of note, the wanderers made their way back to the mansion to interact with the surviving Ladies in Waiting. They arrived to find a funeral pyre burning the body of the one they had watched perish just this morning. The Jester was there, grinning and smirking and singing vulgar songs. Thezum the Dwarf had enough of the disrespect and attempted to punch the diminutive man but was evaded and slapped hard in return. The group decided to leave this macabre gathering and make their way north to the tower as it was now 6pm.
Upon arriving, they found the animated skeletal soldiers standing guard and waiting for them. They stated that the group must be prepared to cross the chasm when the bridge appeared and that the soldiers were there to ensure this. Grom the Dwarf transformed himself into an eagle to scout the tower and relayed its description to the party. It was a terrible thing, wrought with screaming faces and confusing angles and it made the voyagers uneasy. They crossed the bridge when it appeared with a shimmering silver glow and felt the empty sockets of the hopeful soldiers behind them. The group consulted the Saphira the Cleric's sight seeing abilities and decided to ascend the left staircase into the throne room of the Yellow Wizard.
What greeted the group was a most confusing sight. Automata went about all the normal jobs that a normal court would go, looping around to run the same tasks a second time after a few minutes. On the throne sat an old man with a white beard who gestured to the group to approach him. The Witch King congratulated the party, who were very confused, on their successful solving of his riddle and that they would be granted a reward for having such marvelous intellect. He offered them three sand filled bottles: one black, one blue, and one yellow. The black he said would "free you from our realm," the blue would "free us, its captives," while the yellow was "a quick end for all." This concerned the group but, upon asking further questions, they noticed that he seemed to not be moving and was stuck in the same countenance as before with his arm stretched out as if offering some great prize. The wanderers decided to explore the room and discovered a secret door concealed behind a curtain which seemed to lead further into the tower.
Somehow, the view that the adventurers were greeted with was more confusing than that which was below in the throne room. An old man, stark naked, was being periodically whipped and beaten by a large bipedal pig-like creature with bristles covering its body. The remaining plaques floated in the air between them. The demon looked sidelong at the party before attempting to swing the whip again. Grom's magical sword gleamed in the brazier light and slashed the final few feet of the weapon clean off. The creature's eyes flashed as it stabbed Grom in the chest with a burning hot poker and he passed out from the pain. It then turned its attention to Thezum and beat him across the face with the remaining portion of its whip. Saphira rushed to heal the two of them. John the Archivist, despite acting as if he did not care about his dwarven friends, was driven into a rage and channeled a great barrage of magical daggers that overwhelmed the pig-beast... but unfortunately the life essence of the creature was tied to that of the small old man nearby and they both perished.
Following the death of these two individuals, the tower began to collapse and Husqvarna the Warrior thought to grab the plaques before they lost their chance forever. Rushing out of the building, Kimbra the Thief attempted to pour out the blue sand in order to save the automata inside. Unfortunately, this was a trap which choked and injured the lungs of the two healed dwarves as they ran from the room. Making it across the bridge just in time, the group turned to watch the tower collapse down into the mists below. The skeletal soldiers, freed from their binding magic, implored the explorers to sit upon the Throne of the Magi and release them all from the vale they have lived in for time immemorable. Rushing back to the mansion, the adventurers would face the final test of the Jester.
The Jester was waiting in the center of the room in front of the throne, his face awash with pure anger. As he stood, he cursed them for ruining his fun and proceeded to stab the healed Grom to death before turning and stabbing Izmin the Thief. Husqvarna did the Jester a favor and removed the top two inches of his skull with a devastating slash from his demon-possessed sword and the Jester's true form was revealed. From the empty hole of the skull emerged long, red claws which split the Jester's skin like a wet paper bag. A twelve-foot-tall hulking, cloven hooved, demon stood in his place. After a rough skirmish, the demon was killed and it spit out a large fly which was able to escape the room. The adventurers, at the urging of the inhabitants of the vale, sat upon the Throne.
Grom, recently brought back from the brink by Saphira, sat swiftly onto the Throne and was promptly cast off with a burst of magical energy. Unharmed, he suggested that the elf, John, use his magical ability to try to harness the power of the Throne along with that of the plaques. John, holding all the plaques, attempted to do so and was gripped with pure magical energy. His eyes, mouth, and nose all emitted a light blue glow and it seemed his hand rose of its own volition. His hand moving faster than the eye could follow, he traced his arm through the sky in swirling motions and a great portal opened. Through it, the vague shapes of the Church of Justicia in Eng was visible. The group, including John and the inhabitants of the vale, were able to lunge through the portal before it closed and all was quiet for a moment. A scream split the silence as all the inhabitants of the vale aged before the eyes of the adventurers turning to dust faster than any could react. The adventurers were beaten, bruised, and disheartened, but at least they were alive.
Logistical Rundown
I am absolutely crazy about this module. The amount of agency the players had was extremely refreshing and it provided a nice change of pace for them. It required quite a bit of work on my part as there was so much they could do that would just mess with the "given" order of events but I thought that was totally fine because it also gave me all the tools to do so.
In this case, I really have nothing to say other than it was a great session. Definitely pick this module up if you have the chance.
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