After returning to the Whisper & Oak Tavern, the party was confronted by a furious Velara Kael. She condemned their recklessness over the warehouse attack, while the group pushed back, demanding her honesty. Tensions escalated until Captain Baern Ironfist of the city watch stormed in with orders to apprehend Velara dead or alive.
Velara struck first, using a sleeping agent to incapacitate Baern. Chaos followed: guards engaged the party, and assassins ambushed Velara outside. Initially hesitant to oppose the Obsidian Army, the group turned violent once it became clear the assassins aimed to kill her. Baern ordered all of them—Velara and her “allies”—executed. The party held the line and won, with Baern knocked out again by Momeline’s magic.
Velara fled upstairs. Grudging trust formed after the fight, and with a whispered “Can I trust you?” she led them in a rooftop escape. Ferinthria narrowly avoided a fatal fall by manifesting her Aasimar wings. They moved stealthily through the city, though Lirielle was spotted by civilians while fleeing.
They reached the Thistles’ home, where Velara remained wary. Finn and Tilly vouched for the party, calming her down. Finn then shared a prophetic vision, prompting the group to investigate the restricted library.
At the Marble Academy Library, the party met Winnifred Redwyne, the cold and formal head librarian. They inquired about student disciplinary records and asked her to examine the mysterious crown. Momeline caught a flicker of recognition (or perhaps desire) in Winnifred’s eyes and chose not to hand it over. Directed toward the archives, they discovered that Bixby Wizzlethorpe had been expelled years ago for accidentally summoning a kraken into the university, causing widespread damage.
Infiltration into the restricted section was clean: Momeline slipped in; Ferinthria Everflame created a distraction; Lirielle assumed the identity of a guard. Inside, Momeline encountered Winnifred who revealed her true nature as a night hag and attacked. The party responded swiftly and killed her.
On her corpse, they found two things: A key and a book: Void Crowned, Star Bound, detailing the three relics of the First Awakened.
Lirielle recognized a matching keyhole and inserted the key, immediately vanishing. One by one, the others followed, entering the Vault of Imperative Truth, a metaphysical space that presented each with a personalized tome containing revelations about their pasts, their power, and their future choices.
There are still unanswered questions in Lusteris: Why did Winnifred keep such a guarded restricted section in the Library? How is the Obsidian Army involved? Ithilwen’s medallion still hums around Dravencoles’ neck. For now, the city waits, but not patiently.