Once the equipment from the Armory of Fire was split amongst the party and Vint, the group moved back to the lab to assist Vint with the ritual. He handed his staff over to Karth and stepped inside the metal cocoon. Once inside, Karth pointed the staff to the tool at the tip of the cocoon, and a red light began to flow from the staff. The ground at their feet began to rumble. The party grew anxious at the possibility of the tower being partially destroyed. His dragon-flame stone in hand, Karth finished the spell without the destruction of the tower. The staff cracked in two; the gem held no more liquid, and the cocoon fell apart, catching flame as it did so.
Out stepped Vint, horns and boney structures flaking until they entirely fell from his body. He let out a previously unseen smile as he ran his hand over his hornless head. He picked up the gem and told the party they should be off. Karth retrieved the now-filled tool containing the mysterious blood extracted from Vint. Seeing he was unable to extract the blood into a vial, Maron offered to try. Strangely, he found himself immediately familiar with the tool and emptied the sample into the vial. Vint later explained the tool was crafted from Doom Magic.
As they descended the tower, Maron questioned Vint about his home country. Though there were many words for which Matar’s language had no equivalent, Vint explained that his country was ruled by mages. Slavery was rampant. The sun never rose. He painted quite a perilous picture. He also mysteriously explained that he wished to not be called “orc”, but “Doom Elf”. He offered very little explanation other than that his people were once elves themselves. Outside, the party found Mira and her mages already waiting.
Attempting to lie their way out of consequences, the party told Mira the cocoon was already destroyed by the time they arrived at the labs. After probing for more information, Mira learned of the lie. At this, her mages drew their weapons. Mira demanded the party explain why she should even let them leave Haven, much less have her vote. They retorted, asking her what she was researching. She answered by saying her mages were researching a way to artificially create healing Magites, without the need for master-level magic. Vint grumbled his hesitance at this, explaining to the party it would take blood sacrifice for this process, and that that is how it all started in his homeland. Mira pleaded, saying they only planned on taking volunteers, but that it does not matter at this point, regardless. With tensions calmed a bit, Karth offered the dragon ring that no longer held enchantment to appease Mira. Her eyes grew wide at this, saying it was Greth’s old councilor ring. Mira explained her people would find the donation of the ring a great deed, and said if the ring was donated to Haven, they would have her vote. Though it pained him, Karth let the ring go to secure the vote.
The party set off once again south, hiring a ship to whisk them away in the night. The party was accosted by Frost Goblins when the crew stopped at the docks near Grandos, but they were dispatched without much cost (though they were nearly as fearsome as Captain Jack had claimed). After a couple days of sailing, the party found themselves back at the southern gates of Luxen, only a very slight snow falling.
The party decided to stop at Pop’s Shop, though Maron and Ed wished to rush Vint to the castle. Unfortunately, Vint refused to be left alone with the two of them, as they previously seemed quite unsure of trying to kill him or not. Ed and Maron waited out front as the rest of the party ventured inside to chat with Pop, followed by Cavo, out in the back. There, they found the shirtless son hard at work practicing his swordplay.
While Amy, Karth, Vint, and Azalea recapped Cavo on their trip, green flashes of lightning began to spark at the top of the Luxen Observatory. The spyglass pointed straight up. After a blinding green light covered the city, an explosion rocked Luxen. Piles of white stone erupted from the point of the explosion, and a dark dome began to sprout from the spyglass. It covered a whole portion of the city, including the palace. The party, Cavo included, rushed out of the shop and ran toward the dome. People fled in terror, helped those injured, and tried to move rubble out of the street. The dome and flashes of green lightning almost blotted out the sun, giving a sense of darkness over Luxen despite it being the middle of the day. With Vint armed with a new staff and jewel from Karth, the party prepared to enter the dome, as they found it quite viscous and wavering at their touch. Before they entered, Maron told Cavo this was over his head, that he needed to stay here and protect these people. Cavo heartily disagreed and threw a punch at Maron, knocking him off his feet. He offered Maron a smile and a helping hand up.
Satisfied with their newfound allies, the group ventured into the darkness to save their capital… Haven