Rejoined by their colleague Calaqueia Ravenhorn, our heroes were about to enter the maze and assault the fortress within when they saw an Eladrin armed with a flaming sword leap a prodigious distance from ship to ship even as the naval bombardment continued.
As the newcomer arrived on shore, killing members of the police action and the invaders indiscriminately, a sudden change occurred – the sun turned blue, and it seemed that the entire island was changed to a green land, with all the markers of industry disappeared.
When the world returned to normal, one of the ships outside the harbour was heavily damaged.
Making their way through the maze without disturbing the walls – even as the stranger cut his way through them with fire – they found their way to a clearing protected by a fey creature. Refusing to believe that they wished her no harm, she attacked them.
Attempting to negotiate, Walker refused to draw his weapon several times, taking a great deal of damage from her attacks. Finally he gave an ultimatum: that if he were forced to draw his pistols, there would be no mercy. The woman agreed: there would be no mercy.
Shortly after, the fey surrendered to Gladness Malach. Everyone but Walker left the clearing to travel to the tower, meaning that none of them were present when he put his pistol to her temple, and said “No Mercy.” And then fired.
The fey’s body merged with the plants and Walker moved on, catching up with Sorvad Heron, who had felt her leave the forest, and who thought that perhaps he had heard a shot come from behind him, as Walker strode past. Sorvad said nothing.
Making their way into the tower, the party listened as Duchess Ethelyn of Shale engaged in an argument with Asrabey Varal, an emissary of the Unseen Court sent to kill her. They were too late to save the Duchess, and Aubrey’s plan was to take both Sokna Rell and Lya’s cousin back to the Unseen Court for punishment.
Walker arrested Sokna and told Asrabey that she was now in his custody, and would be tried in Flint. A short debate on the law ensued, and it was established that during this period, while the island was still between countries, each inhabitant would abide by the law of their own native state, and thus Risur legitimately held primacy as they had arrested her first.
The Treaty of Axis Island was then signed by Lya, Asrabey, and Walker (acting for King Aodhan), in which it was agreed that custody of the island would return to Danor at midnight.
At this point, Kala arrested Lya’s cousin. Leaving the tower, Gladness Malach retrieved a book on astronomy and looked through the telescope within the tower: a telescope focussed upon a blue star…
Sorvad Heron found and interrogated a goblin prisoner Grahhhsacaash, who said that he had been brought here and forced to work on a giant ship fusing magic and technology – the RNS Coaltongue itself. He told Sorvad that there where another group of goblins working on a different much larger project. Sorvad took the goblin with him on the ship leading to Flint.
Just after leaving the port, Sokna, in the brig, refused to speak with anyone other than Christian, telling him why the Duchess had invaded – they Danorans had been building something on the island. The Danorans believed that, whatever it was, when it was completed it would ensure superiority over both Danor and Elfviar. Sokna feared that when the weapon was complete they would use it to destroy both nations. Constable Kala suggested that it must be some kind of doomsday weapon, to the general agreement of the party. With just two hours left before the island returned to Danoran control, everyone realised that they would have to go back to find out more about this, and report to the king…
Before the party had time to process this Sokna said fair well to Constable Christian. With this, a giant squid attacked the ship, tearing her loose and allowing to her escape with a mysterious aquatic man as a wall of water rushed towards Christian and into the ship…