It’s only a finger…

To remove the ring’s sway from Claire, Veil cuts off her finger.  Claire screams and as the crowd begins to panic, Veil goes to the horses, teleporting from shadow to shadow. Violet telepathically lets the party know what happened since chaos has broken out. Instead of becoming angry, Claire calls the party back and thanks Veil. Hove heals Claire’s finger. Once the chaos calms, the crowd begins to think it was an amazing performance.

The townsfolk thank the party for the return of the children, though the children are nowhere to be found. Lily is keeping the children during this.
Araznad is having a conversation with a nearby raven. The raven stops talking to Araznad and lands on Raziel’s wing tip.

Zi’Stafford Estate

The party travels to Claire’s estate, which is heavily guarded for a city this small. As the party approaches the estate the raven flies away. Claire’s guards seem annoyed at the party thanks to the finger removal and Claire’s lack of anger toward the event.
The party is approached by a man that looks like the captain of the guard. He introduces himself as Captain Wells.  Captain Wells asks the party of follow him, and while walking, the party is asked several normal questions that seems odd for the circumstance, such as “How is the weather?”
The estate is separated by two walls. The outer wall contains gardens and the inner wall protects the house. The three-storied house is covered in hedgerows made of a special black granite that is native to Isild. The house’s style is overall that of Isild, with dragon and gargoyle statues decorating the structure.
Captain Wells takes the party to a set of large doors that open into a sizable room with stairs and sitting rooms on both sides. The party goes upstairs to a small sitting room that faces the front side of the house; the room is richly decorated and features dark wood paneling. Claire is sitting in a large meeting room featuring various curio cabinets and trophies, such as a claw of a demon, and the horns of Isril elk. Claire is sitting at a round table with her eldest daughter, Amber. The party sits at the table, and they are surprised to find a vasar chair and a chair that can be raised for Hove set out for them. In the middle of the table is a model of the various terrains of the city, where farmland would be is a velvet box. The box has enchantments and locks automatically. It is currently open and empty but looks as if it would hold a ring. Claire goes into the story of getting the ring and her journey.

Claire’s Journey

Claire met the Vantus at the beginning of the Darkest War. She willingly took the ring as payment for keeping the town safe. She explains to the party that the Vantus is able to see through anyone who is wearing a ring, and that he’s waiting in Dragonheart. She places the ring in the box and continues on with her story. Currently, the Vantus has more than 10 rings because he found a way to replicate them. There are 57 rings now but more are being made. The ring-bearer must be willing to put the ring on. The Vantus controls Dragonheart and most ring-bearers are there (42 to be precise). The ring muddles your thoughts and memories, but Claire is able to remember a lot. Sylar Harper who runs CORE on the lake has worn the ring the longest.

The Vantus’s main method of power is through a group named the Void, a network of small-town assassins in Dragonheart. Their leader accepted his ring early on (he was the fifth), and goes by Shepard. The Vantus’s reach does not go to Wynter or Sentinel. His parent Vandiel is Airileriet.

Claire tells the party that she is in their debt, and Captain Wells has something for the party when they depart. She also says that she’s always had an out, and that her daughter was working on freeing her from his grasp. She’s had the ring so long she mentally came to grips with it and gave up willingly, so she will not have the same issues as Arturius. Arturius was in the tower prepping creatures, breeding them in shadows; he was willingly infusing creatures with magical essence.
The party bids Claire farewell and meets Captain wells on their way out. He gives the party a small chest with 10 platinum bars in it, and the party leaves with about 50,000 gold.

Shardfalls Farewell

Upon leaving Claire’s and heading back to Lily’s, the party finds that the raven is outside. They tie up loose ends. Rowan wasn’t planning on going to Dragonheart, but he will go for Veil. He let’s the party know that Dragonheart has one land and one sea entrance. The group eats and sleeps. When Veil wakes up there is a family of ravens across the street staring into the window, 24 ravens total. Under the circumstances Veil takes this as a sign of Uryll’s favor.

To Dragonheart!

The party leaves Shardfalls and travels to Dragonheart. In the middle of the night on the second night Ana sees movement in the forest to the south. The movement spreads, as if something is blundering toward the party. Upon getting closer she sees figures who have stopped at the end of the forest. Each is about six feet tall, and their eyes are staring at the party.

Loot:

• Another evil sapphire ring
• 10k gold each