Chapter Eight: The Virid Coronation

The man remans transfixed by whatever it is he can see from the rooftop, and does not seem to notice that Leth is addressing him.

Doubling back and heading down a lane of silent workshops, Zangua comes to the Avenue of Commerce, and finds unmistakable evidence of Gorham's infernal procession. Market stalls have been knocked down and shattered, pools of icy water fill the depressions in the street, and a few guardsmen and civilians lay dead on the ground. Aside from a few looters furtively picking at the merchandise spilled all about, the street is strangely empty and quiet. Most of the windows in the buildings overlooking the avenue are shuttered.

To be clear, you are now on the trail of the devils' procession and should have a clear path to follow them to their destination.

All the bodies in your immediate vicinity appear to be fully deceased.

The party makes haste past the wreckage in the streets, soon reaching the long bridge that leads to the south shore of the Isle of Ilhaz. A small crowd has gathered near the gatehouse, watching. There are several guardsmen among them, but they seem to have no intention of crossing the bridge to pursue the strange invaders who have entered their city.

You can see them in the moonlight, approaching the mastaba: the five remaining ice devils, carrying a bier upon which rests a massive object with an elongated ovoid shape, reddish-black in shape and seeming to faintly glow with some malevolent inner light. Above them all, the small dark shape of Gavrel Gorham flits about in the air.

You're too far to do anything from here -- the bridge itself is at least 500 feet long.

There are others on the isle, but from here you can't tell whether they're followers, guardsmen, or just observers. For the moment, everyone seems to be keeping a fair amount of distance from the procession.

Does the party want to cross the bridge and approach Gorham et al, or will you continue observing from the other side of the river?

Zangua crosses the bridge.

A few men in finery stand with a trio of guards near the gatehouse at the far side, watching as the procession closes in on the Mastaba. Here on the isle, none have dared to impede them, the few guards and residents who saw them approach gave way fast, and those who did not flee stand a long distance away, watching the unfolding of an event beyond their comprehension.

Gently, the five devils lower the bier to the ground.

One man at the gatehouse cocks his head, and a few necks turn. Someone is approaching from the north.

Is the rest of the party following Zangua over?

The group coming over from the north bank consists of about twenty people, many of them in brown cloaks, most of them visibly armed.

Please make a Perception check.