With Rynly having won the Championship of Windhelm, the group prepares for her feast. They arrive at the Palace of the Kings just before sunset and are escorted to an empty banquet room where the celebration is to be held. There, along with Aveniir of the Greybeards, they await a short meeting with the Jarl prior to the evening. As they discuss how they are going to approach the Jarl for assistance, an unnatural darkness begins to fill the room. Four Ghasts and two Shroud Spinners enter the room as shouts and sounds of fighting come from the hallways. Rynly and Sal discover that the exit is barred shut as the Spinners being covering the windows in dark webbing, quickly throwing the room into magical darkness. The Ghasts begin attacking as Nirius focuses an Eldrich Blast one of the Spinners, attempting to stop them from thrusting them into darkness, killing one after a few attacks. Ephyra casts Thunderwave, throwing two of the Ghasts across the room. The room, now in complete magical darkness from the remaining spinner has everyone but Nirius unable to see. As RaGinn casts flame skull they hear something drop and roll across the floor as Aveniir expresses frustration and anxiety. What ever has fallen has now rolled into RaGinn's foot as he fights off the Ghasts. He reaches down and feels for whatever it was that Aveniir has dropped and feels a small glass sphere. He quickly places it into his bag of holding.
Being able to see, Nirius teleports with his Witch Blade, placing himself right between Aveniir and a Ghast. As he attacks, Nirius begins calling out the locations of the creatures to his companions, who are completely blinded by the magical darkness.
As they fight, sounds of footsteps fill the room. Nirius can see over 50 Dunmer filling the room. The Ghasts and Spinners quickly leave the room and the darkness is lifted. The room is filled and the group is surrounded by Dunmer in black armor and hoods, all with a pale white tattoo of a horned skull with a long extended tongue and all equipped with bows and arrows. From the door in which the creatures emerged, Ylora, followed by a strange casket carried by black claws enter the room. The casket, which is made of wood intricately pieced together like a puzzle, lacquered red and black, shaped in the form of a gem, sits at the entrance of the room. The group is silent as Drathis emerges from the room. He walks up to the casket, places his hand on the top, activating some type of switch. Letting out a small laugh, he turns and leaves back through the door.
The casket begins to move and shift, the wooden slats giving way and opening up like a large flower to reveal a wooden platform with female form lying in a fetal position. She being to move, as she does, the group can see a skull spiked into the platform. She stands to reveal herself, skin pulled tight over bones, graying, and she addresses the group. She tells them they have something she wants, the orb, and they are to hand it over to her lest they die.
RaGinn moves forward with Dumner bows and arrows trained on him as he moves. He shows he has sheathed his weapons and asks her why she is doing what she is doing. She grows tired of his questions and states that she follows the direction of the Lord of Dominion. She offers that they will rule this city if they pledge themselves to him and work alongside her, and offer he graciously refuses. However, seeing his chances are slim in this moment, RaGinn holds out the orb that he had picked up from the floor mere moments ago. She casts Mage Hand, grasping the orb. She returns to her casket and it is carried out on the black claws. Ylora follows as RaGinn defies her alliances. After the last of Dumner have left, the group turns their focus on the doors.
Finally guards are able to break through. The Jarl, along with guards and Vredic run into the room. He questions what happened in banquet room as Vredic heals those who were hurt in the attack. Nirius expresses his irritation at RaGinn handing over the orb so easily, to which RaGinn defends himself, saying they would have all died if he didn't. They ask for a more private location to speak to the Jarl about the situation, to which he agrees.
Once in a private meeting room with the Jarl and the rest of the Sky's Oath (minus Ylora). they learn that a few of the guards had attacked their own and allowed entry to the attackers. Shroud spinners filled the castle, blocking doors with magical webbing as Ghasts and Dunmer attacked those withing the Palace of the Kings, including the Jarl. Vredic's allegiance is questioned, to which he replies that he was the one who tipped off Penelope to his suspicions of Ylora, who then asked for a meeting with the party at the stables, a meeting they were never able to make. Vredic was alerted to Ylora after he witnessed her suspiscious behavior and conversations about "The Shroud." Both Lanister and Nirius know The Shroud to be a cult dedicated to Molag Bal. After the Jarl is filled in completely, he urges them to find the remaining two orbs, the crown and take the to The Knights of the Spire, and order in service to Jyggalagg who are in treaty with the dragons. As long as The Knights of the Spire, who are in a location known only to a few, offer safe respite to the dragons as long as they do not encroach in the populated areas of Tamriel. The Jarl tells them he will get them to the Knights once they have the remaining orbs.
Nirius and Ephyra ask the Jarl about the rings that Ylora gave them which kept them from leaving the city. Ephyra hands him the amulet they had found in Ylora's home and once he holds it, it rusts and falls apart. They feel the rings intensify with heat, then go cold. Their rings, now with affect Ylora placed on it gone, will now decrease AC by 2 if worn.
The Jarl expresses his gratitude to the group, their ability to hold their own in the room against an attack, and their willingness to face such danger. He makes them all Thanes of Windhelm and gifts them with a home in the residential area of the city.
Once they retrieve their items from the inn, they all settle into the Blood and Ice Home. As they sleep, a few of them dream.
Nirius dreams of his friend, Drathis and the murder. It repeats over and over again. Drathis looking at his friend, handing him a dagger and saying "Would you kindly remove yourself..." After repeating multiple times, Drathis locks eyes and screams.
Ephrya dreams of her schimitar tattoos. Her parents stand before her. However when she reaches for the schimitars, they do not easily unsheathe, she instead must rip her weapons through her skin, tearing her flesh. Her dreams repeat over and over until finally her parents let out a horrifying scream.
RaGinn dreams of Nocturnal standing before him. She extends out her hand, offering him the skeleton key, she drops it and if falls in a chasm between them. Over and over his dream repeats until finally Nocturnal lets out a scream.
The group is awakened before dawn to the sounds of screaming coming from the city. They rush to the windows and are greeted by the sight of fires, bodies and two dragons fighting above the city.
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