Fire and Ruin

is the fourth episode of Exandria Unlimited: Calamity, the third installment of the Exandria Unlimited series of miniseries. With time running out and an ancient terror unleashed, the Ring of Brass make their last stand for Avalir, for Exandria, and for their souls as calamity draws near...

Part I
The Tree of Names bursts into flame as it is destroyed by Laerryn's Blight. Patia and Loquatius, as people touching the tree, both immediately take damage from the branches that pierced into them. Patia's right arm is also severed at the elbow as she is blown backwards by the force of the blast, and her forearm remains in the tree.

The explosion consumes many of the party's magical items, in a similar manner to the Mage's Disjunction spell. Patia's Ring of Mind Shielding explodes, damaging her more and causing her knowledge of the tree to spread across the link of Rary's Telepathic Bond. Loquatius loses all of his magical items, including his clothing, but keeps the ether that Laerryn had given him. Nydas's Bag of Holding explodes as well, as does Laerryn's Ring of Masks and Zerxus's shield. The force of the explosion kills Patia outright, and knocks out Nydas, Zerxus, and Loquatius, leaving only Laerryn conscious as she is thrown from the room. In their final moments of life and consciousness, Patia realizes her knowledge isn't important if it dies with her; Nydas feels he has failed the city; and Loquatius's face shifts to various people's: Elena Tuvaris, Cerrit Agrupnin, Laerryn, and the Raven Queen. As Laerryn grieves, she realizes someone has cast Time Stop.

Asmodeus begins to step out of the tree, and heals Zerxus for 3 HP. Zerxus upon coming to consciousness realizes that the tree had been weakened by other actions that night, including Laerryn shorting the Drashari Tithe. He sees the golden figure he'd seen in his vision at the Hall of Prophecy trying to enter the world, and helps him through, telling him not to be scared, and Asmodeus walks into Exandria. He tells Zerxus that he kept his promise not to forget him, as Xartaza enters as well. Zerxus offers to help clean up Asmodeus, and wonders what his role will be. Asmodeus heals him some more, and Zerxus gently asks him what he remembers from before the Schism. Asmodeus tells him he remembers everything. Zerxus uses Cleansing Touch and begins to cast the atonement portion of Ceremony again, but despite performing it correctly, it does not seem to work. Asmodeus tells him that it's much as how the resurrection of Evandrin failed; the spell doesn't work because he had done nothing wrong. He screams the last part at Zerxus in anger while stabbing him. Zerxus tells him that the mortals always existed in Exandria and the gods found them. Asmodeus pulls the flesh from Zerxus's skull and kills him. He resurrects him and Zerxus tries to cast Resilient Sphere but Asmodeus kills him again.

Asmodeus immediately resurrects Zerxus and furiously tells him that the problem was always mortals getting between the Prime Deities and the Betrayer Gods, and that until the creation of mortals, they had all been like siblings. In revenge, Asmodeus hopes to destroy all mortals. As he does this, Zerxus tries to contact Tempus, and also realizes the intensity of Asmodeus's hatred. He expresses pity for Asmodeus in this moment, for how much he hates everything, and how that must include himself, and Asmodeus becomes even more angry and kills Zerxus one last time, making him discorporeal, while telling him he will make a good champion. He also apologizes for having corroded the Holy Avenger Zerxus had, and in response kills Xartaza, remaking her into the Mace of the Black Crown. Asmodeus tells Zerxus that to have physical form again, he needs to pick up the mace, which will serve as a contract between the two of them. Zerxus is now in the Astral Plane, but does have his and Evandrin's namestones.

As the Time Stop ends, Laerryn uses Dimension Door to transport herself to a secret room within the Meridian Labyrinth. From there she can see a screen that is feeding what the body of Dweomer can see in the room. Laerryn casts Tongues to understand the Infernal commands Asmodeus is giving to Vespin Chloras. She learns that the deaths of Lacrytia Hollow, Micah Cormorant, and others have put something of a wrench in his plans, and that Asmodeus is gloating about the prior god of death being dethroned by a former mortal. She also learns the k'nauthi are still active, that the intentions are to leave Avalir to the hands of the primordials, and that Gruumsh is also on Exandria, and sends all this to Cerrit over the telepathic bond.

As this happens, Nydas and Loquatius make their first death save, having taken one failure each already from the damage of the explosion. Nydas succeeds but Loquatius fails. They make a second one; Loquatius dies and Nydas succeeds again.

Meanwhile, Cerrit flies home, seeing chaos, devils, and failed teleportation in the streets as he does. He arrives home to find his children, Maya and Kir, safe but worried that he's angry at them for sneaking out. Cerrit checks for threats and realizes his children don't know what's wrong yet, though Maya picks up on it. She asks him what's wrong, and he tells them everything will be okay, but his Ring of Honor glows at the lie, which Kir notices. He tells them it glows when danger is near, and gives them the Runes of Recall. He tells them that the runes will take them to their mother, that they should stay there until he arrives, and that he loves them both very much. When they do not act, he squeezes their hands around the stones, breaking the runes and sending them to safety.

After the children are gone, he looks at his ring and takes it off, and looks at his home office, and becomes furious for all the time he missed with his family while at work. He takes a candle and sets the wall of the house on fire, then goes to look at his children's rooms and sees how good Maya was at history and that Kir had a pair of secret handaxes just like him. He then goes back towards the Meridian Labyrinth as he receives the information from Laerryn, and the house burns down.

As this happens, Nydas stabilizes.

In the Astral Plane, Zerxus is reunited with Evandrin. Zerxus tells Evandrin not to touch him, but Evandrin tells him he admires the strength of Zerxus's convictions and they embrace. Evandrin tells him that he's been in this place for seven years: he volunteered to be transported by the Astral Leywright for the good of Laerryn's experiments, and it seemed successful until he tried to come back and was deemed an intruder by the Tree of Names, causing him to be pulled back into the plane. Zerxus gives him back his namestone, and tells him that Elias is alive and living in Cathmoíra. Zerxus also realizes that unlike Evandrin, he is not stuck in the plane but merely passing through to the afterlife. Evandrin cries at this, hoping to find a way to get them both back, but Zerxus tells him that the Age of Arcanum is over and that while he believes Evandrin will one day find a way to come back, he needs to do something now to save Elias, and he takes the mace. Evandrin screams as Zerxus grows horns and his armor blackens. The contract for his soul begins to write itself on the mace.

Zerxus then returns to the chamber of the Calix, which Laerryn sees. Zerxus sees Vespin, who does not treat him as a threat. Laerryn calls to him through Dweomer and demands he bring back the fallen members of the Ring of Brass. Vespin then destroys Dweomer. Zerxus uses Cleansing Touch to give Vespin a chance to be redeemed. Vespin comes back to himself and casts Time Stop. He immediately notices the mace and rewrites the contract such that Zerxus will not be given over to it until sunrise. He tells Zerxus that he knows now that he will be seen as a great villain. Zerxus begins to heal Nydas and Revivify Loquatius. Loquatius gives Zerxus the ether, which Zerxus uses to recover a spell slot and cast Revivify on Patia as well. Vespin starts to revert back to his fiend form as he tells Zerxus to go to the Hall of Prophecy and find the first oracle. His parting words are to forget his name, and to hope their names are forgotten as well.

Laerryn and Cerrit rejoin the group. Laerryn apologizes to Loquatius, and Nydas angrily smacks Zerxus for making the deal, to which Zerxus responds that he did it to save what he could. Laerryn is also angry with Zerxus, and Patia says they all played a part, although Cerrit notes that he did not make any deals. Loquatius and Laerryn urge them all to go to the Hall of Prophecy as quickly as they can.

The party heals up as they run to the Hall of Prophecy, with less than two hours left before sunrise. Patia realizes that she has some sort of power within herself from her death that she can release later, but will not survive releasing. Laerryn asks Cerrit if his children are safe, and he replies that they are. Zerxus uses his banner to alert the city and inspire the people to fight back the devils in the streets. The Ring of Brass then enters the now-unguarded Hall of Prophecy and run to Karwen, the first oracle. She tells them to break the magic circle around her bed, which Nydas does, and she heals them all for 10 HP. She then gives another prophecy: When crowned fire and a throned earth stride forth to join ancient war anew, then Mother and Father shall fall to the hands of their imprisoned kin. And all the stars will weep until the death of light for lost Exandria, whose every ashen breath will wish for death, and never knowing peace, shall stumble ever more to seek in vain the end of horror without name." They realize this means that if the sealed primordials join the Betrayer Gods, they will kill or imprison the Wildmother and Dawnfather and all life in Exandria will end. The Ring of Brass does not think they can fix the broken helm and prevent the city from landing, but Laerryn thinks she can use the Leywright to, rather than redirect a leyline, redirect the primordials, who are in many ways of the same material. Cerrit lists their options, and Loquatius tells Laerryn to get to work and that he will report the news at the Herald's Tome, and kisses her before he leaves, casting Cure Wounds as he does. Nydas tells her he will bring more constructs, and Zerxus says he will also meet them back at the Leywright soon. Patia asks Cerrit where the children are, and he responds that he doesn't know, but he believes they are safe.

The party divides to perform their last tasks before they redirect the primordials. Patia goes to the statue of Imyr Por'co; Cerrit joins Zerxus on Tempus as he is suspicious of what Zerxus may do; and Nydas summons Sha'korzhan again so that he may go to the Golden Scythe and Loquatius to the Herald's Tome, both in Excelsior Plaza.

Part II
Patia heads to the Archsept, which is protected by separate wards than the tree, and goes to her grandfather's statue. She tells him that while the Gau Drashari could have provided him with more information, she feels the Por'co legacy is one of selfishness and she hopes to break that cycle. She Levitates to the model of Avalir that Imyr holds and breaks off the library, and using Teleport sends it and her orb to Maya. Patia remembers her grandfather taking away some memory of her parents having failed, but chooses not to explore it, focusing instead on how now her knowledge is at least safely somewhere else.

Loras then comes and speaks to her. Patia tells him coldly to leave. He invokes his title as a member of the Ring of Gold. Eldamir the Wise also appears; Patia apologizes for having failed him but he asks her and Loras to tell the people of Avalir to divert all their spell energy to the city. Patia realizes that this will save Avalir and the Septarion at the cost of the population. She tells Loras he is a traitor, and he tells her he'll survive the night and she will not. They both leave the Archsept separately.

Nydas drops Loquatius off at the Herald's Tome headquarters then continues to the Golden Scythe. He tells Alessander and Badran to use the taxmen to protect the people at all costs and to begin loading civilians onto ships far from here and from Vasselheim. When he turns around, Badran stabs him and tells him that gold means more than people. Nydas turns around and tells him the only use for gold is to make life better for others, and casts Hold Person. He and Sha'korzhan attack Badran and kill him in one turn. Alessander follows Nydas's orders and sends one ship to the Sorcerer's University and the other four to the rest of the city. K'nauthi begin to attack, but the sphinx, Feromyne, roars and scatters them. Nydas thanks him. He realizes that some of the hodmedods and taxmen were tampered with and bear writing that reads "Ghor Dranas" on them, and alerts Laerryn that this may be an issue, and then leaves as the taxmen, Feromyne, and the carrowhulks fight back the fiendish onslaught.

Loquatius enters the Herald's Tome and calls around for anyone. Aria appears, confused and telling him that Bolo has been calling for him repeatedly. He asks her if she can run a broadcast, and she says she can. Loquatius directs the broadcast down towards Cathmoíra. As he is preparing, Elmenore appears, the fey having been alerted by Asmodeus to evacuate any of them on the Material Plane. Loquatius tells Elmenore that he will leave, but then casts Gift of Gab to take it back and tells her that he needs to stay and help. Elmenore accepts this sadly.

Loquatius walks past Elena's desk and remembers that firing her to cover up what happened to Evandrin was the first time he killed a story to protect someone Laerryn, and he commits to protecting Laerryn again. Loras then appears and tells Loquatius to broadcast what Eldamir had requested: all spell energy should go to the city to save it. Loquatius lies and tells him he will do that, then casts Wall of Force. Loras tries to Counterspell but Loquatius uses Silvery Barbs to make him fail. Loras shouts that Loquatius is a traitor, but Loquatius begins the broadcast, addressing Toramunda. He tells everyone that the Replenishment is canceled and the Septarion and Ring of Gold, particularly Loras, are all traitors, and that a grave danger approaches, but that they can save themselves. He then uses his changeling ability to transform into the visage of Eldamir the Wise and, as Eldamir, tells the people of Avalir and Cathmoíra to escape while telling all the administrators of the city to go down with it. Transforming back into himself, he then recognizes all of his friends in the Ring of Brass: Cerrit for his bravery; Nydas for his sense; Patia for her wisdom; Zerxus and Evandrin for their dedication; and Laerryn, for her beauty. He finishes with an advertisement for the Market of Wonders and signs off. This broadcast mobilizes the rest of the city, making more skyships available. Aria and Loquatius embrace as she tells him the truth matters. Loquatius tells Loras that he quits and moonwalks out.

Zerxus and Cerrit, on Tempus, land in Cathmoíra. Zerxus goes to Eadalus Okiro's house, checking in on Nydas as he does. Zerxus asks Eadalus if Elias is okay, and Eadalus tells him to see him himself. Elias is stunned to see Zerxus's fiendish form and apologetic that he never sent up a spell kite, but Zerxus tells him there is nothing to apologize for and that he loves him. He gives Elias his journal, and one of Tempus's feathers falls into the spell kite basket as Zerxus leaves. Eadalus and Elias go towards the skyships to escape Cathmoíra, per the broadcast. Zerxus notices the sun is about to rise, and shouts for the fiends in Cathmoíra to lay down their arms, which they do, though the ones in Avalir do not hear this. Asmodeus is annoyed by the change in the pact, but tells Zerxus he is willing to wait a little longer. The Gau Drashari begin to use Transport via Plants to escape to the other continents as Cerrit and Zerxus return to Avalir.

Laerryn can no longer contact Calum Staffwright without her Ring of Masks, so she hopes he will know to fix the broken battery as it is across the city from her. She casts Mirror Image on herself as she listens to the broadcast and, with Patia's knowledge from Legend Lore, begins to modify the Astral Leywright so that it can move Ka'Mort and Rau'shan to another plane, but realizes that even if she succeeds, it is likely to give off a devastating amount of energy. Laerryn tells Patia that, before the Leywright is activated, she should take Loquatius and run. As this happens, the city begins to land.

The rest of the Ring of Brass makes it back to the Astral Leywright. Zerxus tells Laerryn that he will cease to be himself at sunrise, but she tells him that until then, he can stay here and help. Nydas heals himself and goes up to Zerxus, but cannot meet his eyes, and asks Zerxus if he was able to see Elias. Zerxus confirms that he did, and asks Nydas to make sure he does not end up being someone he is not. Nydas tells Zerxus he will always be himself.

Loquatius gives his last bardic inspiration to Laerryn, and Cerrit uses Insightful Fighting on Zerxus as they prepare for the city to land, with Laerryn still making the final changes to the Leywright. Vespin and the taxmen then enter, and the final fight begins.

Cerrit uses Insightful Fighting again, this time on Vespin, and despite Vespin's Mirror Image, hits him, then dodges Vespin's Firebolt. Nydas warns the party about the properties of the taxmen and that everyone should use their most powerful spells, as the taxmen do more damage to people with a lot of etheric energy remaining. Nydas then casts Cone of Cold on the taxmen and Vespin, and attacks Vespin twice, removing one of the mirror images and hitting him once. Sha'korzhan is able to block more taxmen from entering the room. The taxmen try to retaliate against them both, but miss, as does Vespin's Firebolt.

Laerryn casts Otherworldly Guise on herself to give herself wings and immunity to fire damage and the poisoned condition, making Vespin's Firebolt useless, and manages to ensure that the burst of energy will be localized rather than world-ending. Patia cast Disintegrate on Vespin, who, after Silvery Barbs, must burn a legendary resistance to make his save. Zerxus grapples one of the taxmen and casts Shield of Faith on Nydas, in the guise of his old self. Loquatius then casts Psychic Lance on Vespin, who saves but takes half damage; and then uses his bonus action to propose to Laerryn again with one of the raven feathers from Purvan Suul. Vespin tries to Misty Step away and succeeds, though he needs to Counterspell Patia's Counterspell, and he also casts Firebolt, badly injuring her but not killing her.

Cerrit hits Vespin with one of his axes and Evades Vespin's retaliatory fire damage, though Tempus and Sha'korzhan both take it. Nydas realizes that the taxmen are short-range fighters and attempts to hold them more than 15 feet back from Laerryn as she works. He Shields against their attacks and bolsters his AC further with his Defender scimitar, dealing a small amount of damage to Vespin. Sha'korzhan is able to attack two taxmen and deal psychic damage with his breath weapon, but then falls to the attacks of the taxmen. More taxmen enter and begin to attack Zerxus.

Laerryn recasts Mirror Image and tells Patia to run, and continues to work on the Leywright, but has to make a choice: she can either ensure that she can move the primordials, or limit the damage. She chooses, after thinking of all the improvements she made to the Heart of Avalir and the devices within it, to ensure that the Leywright can move the primordials to another plane. Patia refuses to leave and says she will go down with Laerryn and with the ship, and casts Wall of Force around them both. She holds her action for Laerryn's signal.

Zerxus tries to run to attack Vespin, as his attacks deal fire damage and would only help the taxmen, but falls to their attacks. As he goes unconscious, he telepathically tells Tempus to get out. Zerxus hears Evandrin's voice as Tempus grabs one of the taxmen and flies out, dropping the taxmen to its death. Loquatius uses his turn to hold a Healing Word in case Laerryn needs it.

Vespin casts Power Word Kill on Laerryn. Cerrit uses Mage Slayer to attack Vespin as Patia goes to Counterspell, so Loquatius uses Silvery Barbs to give Cerrit disadvantage and therefore Patia advantage. Cerrit manages, when Vespin goes to Shield himself, to still hit him and deals enough damage to kill Vespin before he can kill Laerryn. Vespin disappears into the Nine Hells as Cerrit attacks a taxman. Nydas considers whether he should kill Zerxus, and realizes that Zerxus went down too easily to the taxmen. He attacks one of the taxmen himself and holds his final action to attack Zerxus should he himself begin to fall unconscious. He then inspires Cerrit for having killed Vespin. The taxmen then attack Nydas, and knock him unconscious, but not before he stabs Zerxus through the heart. One of the taxmen hits Cerrit, who remains standing.

The taxmen then hit Patia with a Dispelling Blast and she falls unconscious, despite Laerryn's Arcane Ward, but releases her action; the city's energy levels return to full. Laerryn takes several attacks but Loquatius's Healing Word prevents her from falling unconscious. She makes one final successful modification to the Leywright and the city docks. She realizes that while Calum died in the attacks, before he did, he connected the final battery back to the Etheric Net, and the Leywright successfully sends the primordials across the planes, preventing them from joining the Betrayer Gods and ending the world. Asmodeus screams in anger, threatening to destroy Domunas.

While the characters do not see this, they are provided with an epilogue. The sorcerous children manage to escape on the ship with Alessander, as Nydas had directed. Zerxus chooses not to die from Nydas's blows, despite being sworn to the Hells. Tempus finds Elias from the feather he had left in his basket, and reunites him with Evandrin on the Astral Plane; Zerxus hears Evandrin promise once again to bring him home if he can before he finally succumbs to his pact with Asmodeus. Eadalus sends Nydas a message, asking him if he's safe, and Nydas tells him that all will be well. As Nydas dies, he remembers himself and Eadalus as young boys, looking up at Avalir and hoping to make it there one day.

Patia remembers Imyr telling her that it is more important to save the people who built the city than the city itself; they lifted the city into the air once and could do it again. She also hears, via Cerrit's sending stone, that Maya received her orb. Cerrit answers the stone and speaks to Kir and to his wife Wrayne, who tells him she is on Gwessar. He promises to return to them, and regrets that he wasn't around enough, but Wrayne tells him not to and to just make it to them. The sending stone then stops working due to the arcane interference as the city begins to explode.

Loquatius and Laerryn know they have little time, and confess their love to each other one last time. They kiss as the Meridian Labyrinth begins to crumble. Laerryn then gives Cerrit instructions to a place where he can escape so that he can make good on his promise to his family. Cerrit investigates, and manages to find an exit as the city is destroyed. He sends a thought to Laerryn across the bond that she gave them all a chance, and that the Ring of Brass endures.

While the Calamity still happens, and 2/3rds of the world dies, many during these first moments, the actions of the Ring of Brass saved the world from complete destruction, and one day, Exandria will recover.

Cerrit eventually makes it to Gwessar and his family.

Ring of Brass

 * Cerrit Agrupnin
 * Laerryn Coramar-Seelie
 * Loquatius Seelie
 * Nydas Okiro
 * Patia Por'co
 * Zerxus Ilerez
 * Tempus

New

 * Eaedalus Okiro
 * Elias
 * Evandrin Alterra
 * Gruumsh
 * Kir
 * Maya
 * Wrayne (via sending stone)

Returning

 * Alessander Kyrus
 * Aria
 * Asmodeus
 * Badran Esparad
 * Dweomer
 * Eldamir the Wise
 * Elmenore
 * Feromyne
 * Karwen
 * Loras
 * Vespin Chloras
 * Xartaza

Mentioned

 * Bolo
 * Calum Staffwright
 * Imyr Por'co
 * The Raven Queen
 * The Raven Queen's predecessor