3x22: The Skyneedle

The group departed from Salkyre, reflecting on the loss of their friend. They threw a group of Veil members off their trail, killing a displacer beast that was stalking them in the process. They met up with Red and another member of the Slayers Take, Creek who was sent by Ossysa to assist them in the defeat of the gemstone dragons. Tannin stuck into the city which appeared to be on lockdown after the fight at the Veil fortress. He made it to the Cobalt Vault where their contact there, Kusuo, told him of the Reserve's interest in removing the Veil from Exandria before the problem escalates. He also told Tannin of the other reserves they had over the three continents of Issylra, Tal'Dorei and Wildemount. The group then made it to Shorecomb where they chartered an Everline ship to the Skyneedle on the northern edge of the continent, where they knew the Kiss of the Changebringer to reside. Along the way, they were ambushed by a floating ship full of Githyanki who were looking for Braddick Shoal, tracking his hat of disguise. They were turned away by some successful diplomacy. Towards the end of the trek, Holly revealed that they had been the one committing murders in Vasselheim and Shorecomb, and Creek removed the curse that had been affecting their sense of morality from the book of vile jokes they had read. Holly took a day to reflect on their actions, and returned with a plan to someday attone for what they had done. The group then contacted Lupin, hoping to rendezvous soon, but we're told that he was waiting for them at the top of the tower.

 

After reaching the Skyneedle, Holly and Iselda snuck in invisibly and made it to the top, sending the gryphon around to bring the rest of them. They entered the roof structure where instead of a Vestige or Lupin, they came face to face with a few soldiers, wights, and the Death Knight that Iselda's vision weeks ago had told her to defeat. An intense battle ensued, bringing the cyclops stormcaller who was still alive downstairs to the top. It was quickly blinded by Iselda, and then sent a storm sphere at her, sending her unconscious out a window and down to the raging waters down below.

Holly was cut down by the Death Knight, who used a cursed crossbow to hold them in place while it's undead servants dealt killing blows. The group took out the cyclops and the soldiers, both living and dead. The Death Knight was banished for a minute, and the group got to take a moment to breathe before attempting to fight it. Red dove into the waters after Iselda, rescuing her from the frigid depths. Tannin calmed Holly's gryphon and got it to set their corpse down for Creek to revivify, bringing them back to life. They then readied themselves and once the Death Knight appeared, they hit it with everything they had. It fell, it's corpse disappearing, dropping it's weapon to the ground. Creek then informed the group that some greater undead like this can only be dealt with by forcing them to attune for their crimes in life, or by severing their connection to the weapon that houses their soul. The party rests for the night in the Skyneedle before setting off on the long trek through the mountains for Kragghammer.