With the Rectifiers, the Regent, the Crownguard, and all allies that could make the harrowing journey through Saren’s forces present in Amanta, the groups began to plan their assault and retaking of Luxen. The Rectifiers were given chief decision making given that they chose to lead the vanguard. The first phase of the attack would be to feign a march out of Barba to bait the airship to leave Luxen. Greth’s Grand Agony would then bring the ship down to earth to allow the Rectifiers to board. While planning this stage, Devan and Sarin Kor offered their assistance. Sarin Kor could use some incantations of the “Flourish” with a touch of Sariel’s magic to break through the Doom-realm to help guide the Rectifiers, while Devan could use what he had learned as a Candidate to prevent the excessive flow of time while the Rectifiers neutralized the Candidate that awaited them. This feigned attack would be helmed by the Rectifiers, the Luxen Mage Order, and the Amanta Knight Order. These groups agreed to the plan despite the fact they would take heavy fire from the airship until it could be disabled. Once the airship had been dealt with, the Rectifiers chose to storm the eastern gate of Luxen with the Knight Order of Luxen and the Mage Order of Amanta at their side in the vanguard.
With their plans decided, the Rectifiers departed the new capital for Barba to resupply and regroup with the forces that were already being stationed there. Upon exiting the cavernous city, they spotted the looming storm over Luxen beyond the rolling hills, with the flying silhouette of the airship crowning the darkness.
As the team marched down the winding, mountain path, they spotted a figure through the snow in a thicket of woods just off the road. They could tell this figure wore a long coat, a strange, tall hat, and bore a cane in his hand. Having their suspicions, the Rectifiers veered off course to investigate. Once they approached the figure, some spell held back the snow and mountain winds. In front of them stood The Red Inquisitor, in his long black coat and tall black hat. His cane still held the glowing red jewel. He told them he merely desired to wish some of his most prolific patrons good luck in their wars to come. He had no other motive, no business to offer. He said he feared their time as grand heroes was nearing its end, and as such, his dealings with them would have to end as well. With his well wishes given, he disintegrated into red dust, not before saying that they would never meet again.
In Barba, the Rectifiers resupplied and equipped themselves for what they hoped would be their final confrontation with Saren. Once finished, they regrouped with Zola at the gates, finding Calathan struggling to grow accustomed to the heavier Mataran armor. Calathan also requested to be at their side to help right the wrong his people had caused. The Rectifiers agreed, but they had a harder time agreeing to the next proposal from a group of townsfolk that made their way through the ranks of knights and mages. They were poorly equipped with butcher knives and pitchforks, but they explained they were townspeople of Luxen who had lost virtually everything. They wanted to fight for a worthy cause. The Rectifiers eventually agreed to center them within the forces, far away from the vanguard, but Zola did inform the townspeople she could not allow the trained fighters to lose focus to protect them. The townspeople were not swayed by this reminder and hastened to their positions. Before they marched off to what could be their doom, Amy stopped Cavo. She offered him a special ring, almost confusing him. He asked her if she truly knew what this ring was. She assured him he did, which was met with an immediate, “Yes!”, followed by an embrace that lifted the siren off her feet. With a wedding now to look forward to, Gale sounded the horn to summon Beckett from the south and begin the march.
Once the airship could see that this appeared to be a true march, it floated away from Luxen toward the Rectifiers and their forces. Once it was within range, it began to fire its fiery cannons upon the Luxenians and Amantans. Casualties were suffered, but they were minimized with the help of the Rectifiers. Once the ship opened its bow to reveal the front cannon, Karth commanded the Grant Agony to attack. It unfolded its arms and began to glow with an otherworldly red heat. The flamed vortex below its torso grew in size until it fully launched the Agony as a sort of missile toward the ship. It collided with a fiery explosion, sending metal and wood flying in all directions. The ship careened to and fro until it finally veered downward and crashed into the grass, tearing the earth as it skidded to a halt. The bow now had a gaping wound that was clotted by a Doom-laden portal. Devan and Sarin Kor prepared their magic to assist the Rectifiers as they entered the Doom realm of this new Candidate.
Once they came to, the Rectifiers found themselves on some kind of version of the ship, though it appeared to be some parallel that was still flying. They were housed in a cell with no armor or weapons. In front of them sat a goblin guard, or at least, it used to be a goblin. Parts of its flesh had been replaced by metal and gears. One ear and hand had been fully supplanted with metal, and the group spied the metal hand had keys as fingers. One eye in its head was metallic and glowed with a red light.
The metal goblin offered vague responses to their questions, often referring to a “creator”, but never saying its name. It seemed friendly enough, but it did call forth a metal cube inside the cell which emitted flesh-burning steam when the party tried to break out of the cell. Eventually, the group was also to sneak spells through the bars to hold the goblin momentarily in place long enough for Azalea to pick the lock on the cell door, freeing them from their incarceration…