Realm of Principality in Elysium
Heroes (lvl 3): Bastion, Thrum, Yvaine, Aibell, Percival, Emile
The heroes walk the gentle hills of Elysium, within the realm of Principality. The air is warm, the light soft, and even the wind seems to move with intention. Yet the peace is marred by purpose: a demon has come here.
They encounter two shepherds upon a green rise overlooking a quiet valley. The men are solemn, digging a grave. At their feet lies the body of Jalkim, the Cipher slain in Sigil when the spider-demon tore open a path to this plane. The shepherds speak of witnessing the fiend’s passing. They describe not only its monstrous form, but something stranger—an undercurrent of hesitation, a flicker of guilt, as though the creature recoiled from its own violence.
They explain a truth of Principality: in Elysium, the swiftness of one’s journey is measured not in distance, but in virtue. Those who perform goodly acts find the road unfolding swiftly beneath their steps. Those who do not, wander.
The heroes help lay Jalkim to rest. When a lamb slips into a rushing brook, they wade in without hesitation and pull it free. The shepherds smile, and the road ahead feels shorter already. They are directed toward the Rollicking Crescent, an inn where many travelers through Elysium gather.
At the Rollicking Crescent, tranquility has given way to ruin. Timber is splintered. Tables lie broken. The spider-demon has passed through here as well. Survivors repeat the same uncanny detail: the fiend raged, yet seemed conflicted—snarling one moment, faltering the next, as though torn between malice and remorse.
The heroes set to work, lifting beams and freeing the trapped. In the midst of this mercy, the demon returns. Cloaked in shadow and preternatural stealth, it slips among them. Before alarm can spread, it seizes Ybdiel and vanishes into darkness. Every attempt to pursue is thwarted. The fiend is gone.
In the aftermath, the heroes are approached by Lady Selene of Pax Benefice. Composed and radiant, she offers guidance rather than despair. She directs them to the Conclave Fidelis, a monastery of the Monks of Accord—healers and sages whose wisdom may reveal how to restore Ybdiel and track the demon.
At the Conclave Fidelis, they are received by Cebulon, high priest of the Power of Principality. He listens without interruption, weighing each word. When the tale is finished, he sets them upon a path not of vengeance, but of harmony.
He entrusts them with the Chalice of Peace.
To begin the healing, the chalice must be filled with the Waters of Serenity from Lake Serene. They must also claim the Gem of Harmony from the nest of a phoenix on the verge of self-immolation. When these tokens of accord are united, they must walk the Labyrinth of Accord within the Ornwood Forest. Only then, Cebulon declares, can true restoration commence.
The heroes remain at the monastery for the night.
During their rest, a stranger comes to them—soft-spoken, composed, yet unmistakably wrong. The disguise is thin to discerning eyes. A fiend stands before them.
He proposes a bargain. Deliver Ybdiel to him, and they will be rewarded beyond measure. Wealth. Power. Safety.
They refuse.
The fiend does not argue. He smiles faintly and departs, leaving behind an air thick with menace. His interest in the angel is clear, and his patience is not infinite.
The road through Elysium grows brighter ahead, yet shadows gather behind.
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