The Final Voyage of the VFS Schism

Three weeks after the attack on Brennevin, the party has been briefed by Tyrese, Elven and Dominion leadership on a final mission they have been tasked with: the infiltration of Baron Rottli’s own citadel at the heart of Verminopoli in the capital of the Barony of Verma: the Woespire.

The plan presented to the party is to smuggle the last remaining gate crystal into the Woespire, at the base of which is known to be a Lightning Gate which the Baron’s forces used to invade Pallmoor Gates at the start of the recent war. There. the party is to activate the gate which, coupled with the (now intentionally) mis-aligned Aperture Device in Tyrese-controlled Pallmoor Gates, should create an energy storm which will annihilate the tower and everything nearby (at least, that is the theory based on the accidental occurrence at the Tower of Tyn Castle during the purple worm attack). Since this attack is to coincide with a conclave called by the Baron, the hope is to decapitate the Vermese leadership in one attack and end the next war before it starts- and invariably remakes the world in an evil fashion.

In order to get near the Woespire though, the party will need to avoid Vermese forces on high alert, including the Baron’s generals and flying, otherworldly creatures known only by the name given by Aron the Awesome: the Scourges, who appear to be drawn to magic users- more so one gets closer to the tower.

The proposed solution is to travel over land to Ashwind Vale, where Lady Ashwind (in secret communication with Duchess Hillibrand) has a plan to smuggle the party into the Woespire.

To that end, the Hot Garbage War Wagon is outfitted as a Vermese army inspection wagon, with Goodwin assigned to take the party behind Vermese lines accompanied by Dominion mercenaries. The party is escorted by elves to the border at the River Red where, crossing by barge, the wagon travels relatively uneventfully through Vermese territory to Ashwind Vale (aside with a quick stop at a small village where revolting peasants are assisted by Clinton in taking out a Vermese garrison).

At Ashwind Value, the party is marched into Ashwind’s Citadel in full view and chained in magical constraints, where Ashwind reveals that her intentional plan was for Rottli’s spies to report back that the party is captured by Ashwind. Meanwhile, Ashwind plans to smuggle the party to the Lake Stagnara Shipyards, where Count Umbridge’s flying ship is undergoing repair and upgrades following his attack on Brenniven.

Ashwind’s plan is to smuggle the party onto his ship, the Schism, as part of a shipment of rare alchemical supplies that Umbridge ordered delivered from his Armory, which was mostly destroyed in a “mysterious” sabotage attack. Ashwind knows that Rottli has ordered Umbridge to the Woespire both for the Conclave, and to set up an armory in the secure Woespire itself, where he can develop special weapons for the Baron’s elite guard. With the party smuggled onboard, they will be carried straight into the belly of the beast.

The complex plan is nearly derailed when, just as the barrels the stowaways are hiding in are loaded to the ship, Umbridge orders an immediate lift-off ahead of schedule.

The ship lifts off and flies towards the Woespire for several hours until a explosion of unknown cause shakes the ship and it lurches to one side. The party, inspecting their surroundings, realizes the barrels are still precariously hanging over the side of the ship, and have now alerted the baron’s clockwork automotons on the ship to their presence. A pitched battle ensues on the flying ship in the clouds with Count Umbridge’s clone-like replicants, automotons, golems, and well armed fusiliers, along with the Schisms flying lifeboats and the hag, Meg O The Bog, who is riding point for the Schism on her flying broom.

Eventually, the party is victorious, dispatching with most of the crew and constructs while knocking Umbridge unconscious and charming one of his mercenaries. (Radcliffe even manages to dispell Meg’s flying broom, sending her falling to an uncertain fate).

However, the use of powerful magic has drawn a terrifying Scourge to the damaged Schism, limping towards the Woespire. A final battle with this foul beast results in its destruction, but further use of powerful magic needed to do so seems to summon more of the creatures.

Just as it seems the party will not be able to fight off more Scourges without a cycle of magic needed that will summon even more, a large silver sheened wyrm ascends from the lower cloud layer, telepathically encouraging the party in the voice of the Dominion sorceress Lyminza. The dragon engages and distracts all of the Scourges, leaving the Schism unmolested as it continues its lurching overnight journey towards the Woespire with a well-bound and unconscious Umbridge tied to the gunwale.