Session 084

Session Date: 04/12/2026

Session Begin

The Trierarch definitely wants to go and confront Arrai and Rohan does his best to stop, saying that it’s clear that he’s conflicted and he may do it anyway. She explains that this is worse and Rohan says that we might be able to talk him down - it’s clear he wants to do the right thing, but he’s going to do the wrong thing. Rohan doesn’t want to give up.

The Triarch ultimately says she regrets that we were ever let onto her ship. We convince her to give us 24 hours to deal with this our way before she kicks us off her ship in a life boat.

Dia begins to wonder how far up the chain of command that this goes, and if we can cut it off. It’s clear to the Trierarch that Dia’s never been in war. She comments that you can’t just tell someone that this is unseemly and things will change. Dia says she knows this, and the Trierarch asks if she really does, to which Dia ultimately says that she does, yes. Dia does look over the Trierarch and notices that she seems to be devoted to Bane.

Somewhere in this entire mess of a conversation Rdest…

• Considers a spell to remove body parts from someone but keep them alive. She wonders if they can feel pain?
• Wants to learn how to be shifty, which the Trierarch ultimately says that Rdest can’t learn all life skills, and she needs to determine what to learn.

We break away from the Trierarch and go to the room to discuss what options we have. They include:

• Kill Arrai
• Talk him out of it
• Leave and condemn the country to death

Rohan says we must go talk to him because he doesn’t want to actually do this, but he feels duty bound to do it. Dia agrees to talk to him, then outlines that we have some other issues in the form of Asmodeus having an eye on Rohan (though he is currently protected) and the other demons that have unfortunately come into our lives.

Rdest comments that she can’t use torture spells on sentient creatures and Dia quickly comments she shouldn’t use torture spells at all. Rdest asks what the right answer is and then starts to ask Dia about if she’s morally perfect and Dia admits that she isn’t, that she has her own struggles, and somehow Pelor gets mentioned. Rdest asks if Pelor cares because clearly He has no issue with what Dia’s father is doing.

Dia lunges forward and is caught by Arythas, and Dia says that she cannot speak on matters that she does not know. Rdest counters that Dia speaks all the time about things she doesn’t know, so we can all talk about whatever we want.

Rohan cuts in to ask how we will stop a fight if we are all fighting. Rdest brings up the demon deals thing, and Rohan says that he can shoulder all of these deals because it doesn’t matter if he lives - if he were to die, then the rest of us would continue on just fine. Misha says that he has worth and he needs to have self worth. Rdest asks if Rohan believes in a deity and comments that something is clearly looking out for him - is it a deity or Taraaq? Who knows. Misha comments that Rohan likely saved himself plenty of times and reiterates that he should believe in himself. Rdest asks if he feels so worthless, why did he begin this at all?

Rohan explains he just didn’t want to be a tool, and that’s what he would have become if he had stayed. Better to do something than become a source of evil. Dia chimes in to say that he’s important to us. Rohan takes a deep breath and asks again for someone to just go talk to Arrai (Dia agrees) and he continues to say if it doesn’t work we can fight if we need to.

Dia and Arythas

We make it to Arrai’s tent and Dia takes a deep breath to collect herself. She knocks on the beam holding the tent up and Arrai greets us, asking what we want. She asks if we can talk, and he asks about what - Dia suggests we go inside. He looks less than pleased but lets us in and we sit down to talk.

Dia explains that she recognizes things have been a little rocky and that Rohan told us everything that happened. She continues to say that what he’s doing, what they’re planning - to kill those innocents and destroy however many in the future - may be an order, but it is wrong. He’s disappointed to learn that we know this. He doesn’t think that we are disappointed - Dia asks who we would be disappointed in. He dismisses us and Dia refuses, saying we came here to talk and with the intention for him to see that this is wrong and with the intention of stopping him. She will not leave until we know that’s what he will do. He strongly recommends that we leave now. Dia refuses. He demoralizes Dia and Arythas tries to glare at him, realizing that he has a rather strong mental fortitude.

Dia refuses once again to leave at his request. Arrai asks if we think his plan is that he will go to the Nieveous Mound and destroy it to start? Dia says yes. Arrai says that Dia clearly has no clue what it is to be at war, and Dia says that he isn’t at war, not right now. Arrai says he is, but he will humor her because clearly someone hasn’t taught her: Arrai explains he isn’t going to Nieveous Mound to commit genocide as step one. It’s a promise he’s giving to her on his faith as a paladin. It’s an option he has to consider, and an order he’s been given if nothing else can be found, but it’s not something he starts with because he’s not insane. Dia yelps and flinches, then says that there’s always another way in a small voice. Arrai says that there might not be and he needs to be ready for that.

Dia asks what he’s afraid of that’s there, what is he afraid of that might get out? He replies she doesn’t have the clearance for that information. It’s his cross to bear. He asks her to leave, asks if this is fine and enough for her to quit bothering her. Dia comments that she and Arythas aren’t the only ones to know and he says that he has to deal with it, then he gets animated and asks who else knows. Dia says no, she can’t tell him. He says alright, if she doesn’t tell him… Dia asks what she thinks he is, and Dia explains that she thinks he’s a man who is used to getting what he wants and only knows how to follow orders. He dismisses her, unless she really wants him to start dealing with the problems now. He tells us not to go near him - us or the entire party. Dia says that she can’t let him kill them, and he says that he won’t start with it. She says if it’s an option then she can’t let it be. He asks who she thinks she is to give him orders, and she comments that she is a cleric of Pelor - he says a cleric of Pelor gave him the order - and she says a cleric of the Raven Queen - and he says there will be a lot of death. She says that she is someone trying to help, and he says to get out of the way, to which she says he’s the one she’s trying to help, and he says “you’re wrong”.

Arrai sits down and asks if we want to help. Arythas says if it means we can avoid using the fire, yes. He says to consider ourselves drafted. Dia asks what we are fighting and he says not to talk here, too many people will know. He says to fix the relationship between him and the Trierarch.

Arythas can tell that he and the Centurion are on the same page: the goal is to avoid using the alchemical fire, and we will help as long as it means we could get to that ends.

The Party

Rdest decides to try to come up with a way to neutralize the alchemical fire so that it’s not fire anymore. She wants it so that it will not function destructively. By the time that Dia and Arythas come back, Rdest is getting ready to head out after creating a compound to neutralize the alchemical fire. Dia rushes in and has a miniature panic attack. She asks if the ship will explode, and Dia says no, and Rdest excitedly says she has a way to neutralize the compound. She explains she needs to go down to use the compound and Arythas comments that there are likely guards posted there now.

It’s clear that Dia is shaken and Arythas explains what the conversation was and there’s more back and forth worrying about what to do. Misha eventually speaks up to say that we may need it as a backup - there might be something there that we can’t handle without the alchemical fire. Nobody likes this suggestion, but Dia and Arythas both admit that we don’t know what we will be walking into.

Arythas and Misha talk a little back and forth about this and Misha explains that there might be monsters there that we won’t be able to handle. Arythas explains that he’s concern is that if it’s not monsters, it becomes exponentially harder to stop if things go in the way of the alchemical fire being used. Arythas also admits he doesn’t want the Crimson Legion to become enemies. Even if doing this action wouldn’t make the Crimson Legion as a whole hate us, the last thing that we want is to have marks on our reputation against them.

Rohan and Misha sneak away.

Rohan

Rohan sneaks off to have an existential crisis away from the rest of us. He asks Taraaq if Arrai is good even though he’s considering using the alchemical fire. Taraaq says that good and evil is difficult while in the Abyss - as long as everyone is talking, the fire won’t be used, so there’s that. Rohan says that we’re mad at him for making a deal out of desperation but now we’re considering the alchemical fire, and he doesn’t know what is right anymore.

Taraaq says that people are complex. It’s not so straightforward. It’s good to not want to melt an iceberg country, he thinks, and admits that Rohan’s contact with demons and devils is unusual.

Rohan says it’s kinda funny trying to save Taraaq when he isn’t sure that he’s doing a good job. Taraaq gives him a ghostly hug and Rohan comments that he should get back before everyone thinks he’s up to something bad.

Everyone but Misha

Rohan gets back and Dia immediately hugs him, still weepy.

She sits down with Rohan and Arythas to speak. She doesn’t know if she trusts him, she doesn’t like him, she doesn’t know what the right move is here. He’s reasonable when he speaks and so it’s hard to tell if he is mad or if he is not.

Arythas speaks up to say that the Crimson Legion is specifically tasked with disposing of Asmodeus and his servants. It’s entirely possible that the country has been overrun with that ilk and there is no other option for the country, but it’s just as likely that someone disagrees with their position. We’re working with only partial information.

Dia agrees that this is difficult but she doesn’t like the option that they might need to use it at all. Rdest speaks up to say that sometimes things are bigger than us. She’s no archmage with abilities to change time and reality, if that’s even possible, but we need to determine what we think is right and that’s even harder.

Misha

Misha is at the Centurion’s door and knocks. Arrai asks what Misha’s big idea is, and Misha says he doesn’t have one, to which Arrai says he likes him and invites Misha in. Misha explains that the Trierarch is not happy that there are explosives on the ship without him saying anything, to which the Centurion explains that’s why he didn’t say anything to begin with. Misha thinks that there might be a chance that the alchemical fire might need to be used. Misha asks that time be given to the party to figure out what is going on on the island and time is given to use to extract what information we need from this island.

Arrai says consider it done. He says that this is not something that he wants to do - he doesn’t want to commit genocide. He explains that he is going to be posting guards at the alchemical fire and he will ultimately do what will be done. The Centurion comments that we are drafted and he expects some sort of chain of command - and since Misha is, so far, the most reasonable of the group that he’s spoken to and he hasn’t lied actively, he decides that Misha is the squad leader.

He says to talk to the Trierarch and tells Misha to tell her that he will pull some strings to get her brother out. He says she will know what that means and will be appropriately grateful and then he dismisses Misha.

The Entire Party

(Convo from everyone but Misha continued)

The question comes up to ask if we inform the Trierarch and Arythas says that it’s the right thing to do. Rdest proposes we ask for more time to build the device to put the fire out, and Arythas thinks that’s a decent idea.

Misha comes in and says we might be upset with him, but he spoke with the Centurion. He’s agreed to give us more time to investigate the goings-on on the island itself, which is good. Misha was also given a deal for the Trierarch so that he won’t be killed or thrown off the ship, so we can give that to her as well.

Rdest explains she’s making a delivery system to essentially create a fire extinguisher.

There’s a lot of smalltalk thereafter between everyone, especially about finding snacks or whatnot. Dia asks if we are going to speak to the Trierarch and there’s a split about wanting to talk. We ultimately decide to go talk to the Trierarch and we go there.

Rdest explains to her that we have a way to disable it, but we need more time so that she can fully do it. The Trierarch asks if there’s anything else, and Dia speaks up to say that the Centurion has a proposition for her. Misha speaks up to say that the Centurion said that he would pull strings to get her brother out. The Trierarch takes a step back and asks what, and Misha says that this is what he said. Dia explains that this is in exchange that she doesn’t cause a fuss — Misha speaks up to say that the assumption is she won’t kill him and let him go on carrying out his mission.

We ask how dire things must be for him to offer this, and she confirms it’s very dire. There is confirmation that he’s alive and she hasn’t seen him since the war (15 years). She thanks us for the information and for fixing this somewhat, but she wants to rest and think this over.

We leave after Rdest says her piece.