Alma (Jane)
Crinsea (Hannah)
Euwin (Paul)
Flux-Hand (Liam)
Laeknir (Mr. Rheam)
Ponty (Garrett)
His Excellency Higelak IX does not play games of subtlety. His assassins made sure that the party was in the Overlord's palace hours before their scheduled meeting time, disarmed and cast into a pit with no ready escape. His archers and several members of the Black Lotus squad of assassins circle the perimeter of the pit, discouraging any thought of resistance. The Overlord then makes an appearance, sneering into the pit and making the power relationship abundantly clear to the party. Paramswarm trails in his wake. For a wizard who faced down a dragon, he seems more than a little nervous.He then lays out the situation from his perspective: his wizards had promised him monstrous superweapons that he could use to fight the dragonlords. Instead, he wound up with a bunch of neophytes who still have not grown into their full monstrous powers. Nonetheless, he proposes a partnership: in exchange for acting as his agents against the Dragonlords and other enemies of the City-state, he will make sure that they can live in comfort within the city walls, with a generous stipend and promises of further rewards. He even offers use of what he describes as a "spacious townhouse." Given the alternatives that he does not even ttry to cloak in subtlety, the party agrees to his terms, at least for now.
After being escorted from the citadel, Paramswarm accompanies the group to the Balor's Eye. He provides some details about what is known about the dragonlords. He also adds that the soul gens are charged by life experience and energy, so the best way to hasten the transformation would be to explore, take risks, and to challenge enemies. He then delivers some bad news: the "townhouse" the Overlord spoke of is the now-deserted tower of the Wizard Llewellyn. Barred by magical wards to all save the rightful owners, he presents them with a key and warns them of Llewellyn's earlier sadistic experiments to make monstrous soldiers for the Overlord. On the bright side, Llewellyn knew far more than Paramswarm did about the Soul Crystals, and his notes may reveal some secrets as to the monstrous transformations.
The tower is built into the side of the city wall. Access is by a drawbridge and a magical portal which is operated by strongly presenting the tower key. Inside, two animated suits of armor served as sentinels. They took rather poorly to being shot by arrows.
Thanks, Ponty.
