The party ascended the stairs, their resolve tightening as the air grew colder. They were greeted by an unusual sight—talking, six-legged polar bears lounging in their path. Markuss, ever the silver-tongued infiltrator, attempted to sway the bears with promises of food soon to arrive. Yet the polar bears, sharper and warier than they seemed, saw through his deception. Their suspicions turned to aggression, and they roared fiercely, sending Makiri fleeing in fright. The rest of the party, undeterred, quickly sprang into action, dispatching the bears in a swift and bloody skirmish.
Continuing eastward, the group encountered a troop of Gorumite soldiers performing drills. With Markuss disguised as a Rage Rider, he attempted to coax the soldiers into continuing their exercises outside. Their pride in their station left them unconvinced, but as they moved to comply reluctantly, the party took advantage of the distraction to sneak through the room unscathed. Markuss disengaged from his act and regrouped with the party in the kitchen, now wearing the guise of a Gorumite priest.
With his priestly persona in full effect, Markuss deftly fast-talked his way past the returning leader of the troop, convincing them to provide Bjorn with a tour of the fortress. Bjorn’s reconnaissance revealed a room filled with powerful individuals fiercely arguing over territorial inheritance—a tantalizing glimpse into the political chaos boiling within Crownhold.
Markuss continued his parade of charm, breezing past encounters, even winning over a giant owl with some casual petting. The group pressed onward to the general’s room, where they worked together to dispel the consecrate spell that imbued the keep with divine protection. The sanctity of Crownhold was unraveled, leaving the fortress vulnerable.
Their next destination was the map room which Bjorn had previously visited, where tension rose to a peak. The party instigated a fierce free-for-all brawl, although they secretly fought as a team, ensuring no witnesses were left to tell the tale. United in their cunning and ruthlessness, they left behind a room littered with the fallen. At last, the group found their way into the General’s office, seizing his battle plans—a crucial step in their ongoing campaign against Ordulf Bladecaller.
With their blades sharp and their minds sharper, the assassins prepared for the final confrontation. Next time, they would lure the unkillable general into battle. The endgame loomed ahead, a clash that would decide the fate of Crownhold itself.