14 // The Calm Before

As the sun dips low, the Flame emerges from Salynnya Yor’s cultist hideout. Fert feels a pulse in his pack—the Sending Stone vibrates with three messages, delivered in sequence but without timestamps:

• Mayor Basil Scrambleton: Do not be distracted or lured into action by the enemy. They are baiting the resistance into the open. Stick to the plan unless told otherwise. I’ll handle the rest. And wherever you're going, don’t be late.

• Commander Bellamy Shash: We’ve confirmed several Onyx Order hideouts beneath the city. Countermeasures are underway. Requesting further direction.

• Councilmember Chester Swiftwind: The resistance is growing. New location. Meet at the base of the Concourse Center before midnight—someone will escort you to the meeting.

Shops, Streets, and Secrets

With time to regroup, the Flame heads to the Mercantile District near the gates of Fey Haven. The streets are alive with merchants prepping for tomorrow’s festivities and curious onlookers peeking at the pageantry. The energy is interrupted as Royal Guards drag a bound couple through the crowd. The Flame watches, resisting the urge to intervene.

Nearby, they find a Merry, an interplanar tinkerer known for selling rare magical goods from extradimensional packs and always carrying black umbrellas. Templeton brokers a trade, exchanging magic items for a gleaming new spear. Chappy jumps in to sell off the party’s rare jewels and negotiates double their worth. He uses the gold to equip the group with most of the Merry’s magical wares.

Smurk initially fumes at Chappy for buying out the inventory, but softens once he realizes Chappy was equipping the group. The Flame is now geared up and ready.

Before leaving, the Merry notices Smurk’s ancient tome and asks to inspect it. Though hesitant, Smurk allows it. The Merry offers to buy it—but when Smurk refuses, he offers a secret instead. Smurk accepts.

The secret? The blank pages aren’t blank. With the right method, hidden writing can be revealed.

Using his magical lens, Smurk uncovers a message from his mother. It's a note revealing she placed a piece of her soul in the book to protect him. The brand on his skin, long a mystery, was altered to shield him from Vorgash, whom she suspected of deception.

The Midnight Gathering

With a few hours left, the group splits up:

• Smurk and Fert find a quiet spot to study the grimoire.

• Chappy rests.

• Scraat scouts the Ember Prison and sees more civilians being herded in.

• Templeton returns home—and finds it ransacked. Nanabush is gone.

At the rendezvous, Templeton shares the sad news about Nanabush. Scraat informs him that recon mission indicates that he saw groups of captives taken alive into the prison grounds. He feels certain she's with them. Swiftwind then finds them.

At the Center Concourse, Swiftwind leads them down a hidden stairwell to a forgotten underground staging area where the resistance composed of mostly citizens scramble to get organized. An old train prototype sits in the middle on tracks leading to a pair of closed, heavy wooden doors. Swiftwind confirms it’s functional but ornamental at this point.

At the strategy table, resistance leaders plot defense. Commander Shash outlines plans to “smurk” (flush and ambush) the Onyx Order tunnels. Swiftwind reveals what tomorrow holds:

Assault of Fey Ember

Context - Reports have shown a massive Onyx Order army gathering outside Fey Ember. It's likely an attempt to seize control before the Outer Force returns.

Threats:

• A massive Onyx Order force comprised of Redcaps and Fomorians gathers north of Fey Ember. The attack is imminent.

• Onyx Order forces lie hidden beneath the city, poised to strike during the siege. Purple Dragon Knights have confirmed several locations near key gates.

Plan:

• The Fey Haven Festival is a diversion to move citizens behind its magically protected walls.

• The defense will allow the enemy to breach the northern gates—channeling them into chokepoints where resistance fighters can hold the line with fewer numbers.

• Chester Swiftwind will command the defense.

• Templeton will rally morale as the newly famous leader of the Flame—and son of Battalion Commander Cecil P. Hedgepaw.

• Commander Shash will lead the operation to smoke out and strike enemies emerging from underground, inspired by Smurk’s “smurking” strategy.

The Trial of Agdon Longscarf

Context - Longscarf was charged with conspiracy as a Mercantile District agent illegally trading goods with Onyx Order. Councilmember Elijah Gimble called upon the Arch Fey to oversee the case claiming the erroneous charges are an attempt to destabilize and take the Mercantile District's power.

Threat:

• Councilmember Elijah Gimble wins the case and favor of the Arch Fey, giving him uncertain authority and power to control the whole city.

Plan:

• Throw Gimble off his game. The Ember Times story will give us an edge with public opinion. Rather than the the garble-mouth Chester Swiftwind providing an argument, Chappy will prosecute the case representing the Flame. Put the bard in the spotlight.

Civilian Detainment

Context: Gimble's newly-formed military unit called Royal Guard has been causing havoc. Clues suggest they're goliaths from the Onyx Order. They have arrested roughly 1,000 civilians, many of which were protestors and/or associates of anyone resisting Gimbles rule of power. The detainees are held in the Kept, a high-security, anti-magic prison in the Mercantile District. Additionally, the nearly 70 Inner Guard members were recently publicly executed for "treason."

Threat:

• Gimble has shown a willingness to execute people for political positioning. The fear is the 1,000 hostages will be used as leverage if tides move away from Gimble.

Plan:

• During the trial, Fert, Smurk, and Scraat will join Lionel Lightfoot in rescuing detainees and escorting them to safety in Fey Haven.

Swiftwind's Victory Scenarios

• Reliable Victory - Resistance holds until the Outer Force arrives. Evil is defeated. Justice is served.

• Unreliable Victory - If the resistance crumbles before the Outer Force arrives, then the remaining resistance will hold up in Fey Haven until the Outer Force returns; however, this only works if:

  • The Arch Fey remains present to preserve the prohibition of violence, and if not then

  • the Eladrin agree to protect the walls of Fay Haven.

• Worst Case Victory - If all else fails, the survivors will be escorted to Center Concourse then evacuated to the Primal Plane via a planner train. Bellamy warns that demi-human refugees on Toril would encounter great hardships.

Fert’s Test

Later that night, Fert, feeling a spiritual disconnect, asks to go aboveground to pray to his goddess, Chauntea. In the moonlight, he hears a voice—“Test.” Then sees the silhouette of his long-dead father in the distance. He chases it, but never closes the gap.

The trance breaks. He’s surrounded by over 30 mercenaries. Daygan emerges from the circle. .

“We finally found one of the Flame,” Daygan cheers. “Glad it’s you. Been waiting to get you back for that disrespect.”

Fert just smirks.

“Thought you were gonna get me a beer.”

Then, everything goes black. A member of the Flame is taken on the eve of Day 0.