The Emerald Collective Podcast

The battle rages on and the party are down but not out. Tirion and Shadar provide the offensive regime to keep the Death Knight entertained while Aelfric, Mina and Daemon help with the crowd control, keeping the wraiths at bay. As the fight enters its terminal velocity, Aelfric comes up with a clever idea that he think will buy them some time... probably.

Now at the end of the catacombs, Sir Tirion and the party find themselves face-to-face with Sir Daygar the Death Knight. The imposing figure bears down upon them with relentless malice and seeks to put an end to Sir Tirion's holy conquest beneath the Temple of Torm. In the dark and dank tomb of the dead, who will emerge among the land of the living?

With the party now entering the belly of the beast, the Death Knight calls out to Sir Tirion even more intensely. Along the way to the end of the catacombs, Tirion faces more challenges of faith. The challenges laid before him comes with several choices. Is Tirion's resolve pure enough to overcome such horrendous trails and difficult choices? Stoic as ever, he believes just so.

Meanwhile, Mina, Shadar, and Daemon offer support as they progress though the dark and dusty crypt.

As the party bolster themselves before their descent into the catacombs that house a supposed Death Knight, Mina offers some inspiration and respite. Shadar uses the downtime to scry on the entity that tried to grab Aelfric back in Pethlan, only to reveal a new lead... and not a friendly one.

The morning after, Sir Tirion leads the way to the catacombs, where the sir is cold and still. An unseen voice reaches out to them, daring the groaup to venture forth - but the catacombs are teeming with eerie scenes and voices along the way. In order to find that what they seek, they will need to keep their wits about them.

The party regroups at the tavern where Old Wilf met his end, only to learn that the townsfolk reacted to his death with eerie smiles and unsettling cheer. Suspecting foul magic at work, Mina takes the stage and unleashes a countercharm that shatters the illusion, revealing a crowd silently screaming beneath forced joy.

TVM - Episode 25:

In the morning following Aelfric's shared tale of his troubled past, the group pack up camp and head North. Despite the segregated travelling arrangement, the group finally reach the town of Berinthas; a town supposedly tormented by a Death Knight. Sir Tirion and Shadar remain keen to rid the world of the undead abomination, however the people of Berintahas don't seem too troubled. 

A very warm and friendly welcome put the group at immediate unease. Undeterred, Sir Tirion, accompanied by Daemon, makes his way to the Temple of Torm to find out more about the Death Knight while Aelfric, Shadar and Mina secure their lodgings. 

There's one thought that lingers on everyone's mind though:

Whatever threat seems to be lurking around town, doesn't seem to have the locals spooked for some reason...

Shadar, disgruntled and frustrated, retires to his apartment where, in the rare instance of solitude, he decides to scry on his father - only to have a stark vision that rattles him to the core. The frustrations carry into the following morning as the party decide to head to Berinthas and bid farewell to Pethlan. On their travels, Aelfric finally tells the party of Naren; a land that they learned of back in Galfond Illemis' tower, and the nation's ties to Aelfric's past. 

With the party now back in Pethlan to deliver news of the slain dragon in the woods, Mina brings her horse, Miel, back to the stables. On her way, she reminisces about her morning; before the battle with the Madness inflicted winged beast, when she met with Lloris and the exchange they had about Ambersand Isle, their common goals, and their future plans.

Is this a flashback episode? You bet!

In the aftermath of the battle with the dragon, Aelfric narrowly escapes the clutches of an entity that emerged from the remains of the fearsome beast. But the entity did not disappear again without leaving a message. With the help of Tirion's Helm of Comprehend Languages, the party are able to translate the entity's words. The message, directed at Aelfric, is cryptic in nature, and leaves the party with even more questions.