The Defenders, Vol. 2, Issue 17 - A Gentleman's Agreement

Our heroes are ushered into a vast throne room, lit on both sides of the great hall by troughs of magma, casting light on shields and banners strung high on the walls and covering almost all of the surface of both sides. Astute viewers recognize some of these as company, house, and personal heraldry of all those defeated on the field by the lord of this fortress, the man known as Uxas the Conqueror!

Seeing this historical figure in the flesh, some are perhaps surprised to find that he is literally a giant, though it makes sense, if his homeland is noted. He sits proudly on his throne, bedecked in glistening black armor of what looks like polished obsidian. He is not introduced, he needs none. He politely lets the heroes take in their surroundings for a moment before speaking.

"It is awe-inspiring, is it not? This keep was gifted to me by my brother, when it sank into the mountain and he took his leave of Xen'drik." Uxas goes on to explain that he named his keep after a nickname the younger lived races gave him. As he speaks, Jean begins to see his words played out as if projected with illusion, though no other can see this until a few minutes later, when Kitty is also struck by the images. The visions do not shake the heroes, and they get down to business as soon as possible.

In case anyone didn't know who Uxas is.

Kurt leads off with the negotiations and is asked to pose his questions before Uxas decides to answer, and if an answer is given, then a small favor must be performed for the warlord, which will lead to no harm of those it is asked of. The group are desperate for any lead, and Kurt agrees to the terms, then begins to ask about the Destiny Arms and what they represent. Uxas explains that the Destiny Arms were what humans might call a knightly order, though they numbered only 8, and they represented the literal appendages of the eight-armed titan, Gharzum Bang, who founded the order 50,000 years ago. He then goes on to explain that there are only four of their order still alive that he knows of, having lost the titan and four others over the millennia.

Uxas presses upon the group the importance of the Destiny Arms' role, to keep a certain 'status quo' (Yes, giants know Latin. They are, after all, from an ancient culture.) to prevent the world from a future that could not be contained. He goes on to use the analogy of the four remaining Arms as being the four legs of a table, and infers that they being stability to the whole of Eberron.

The group's questions answered, he then states his terms: The band of heroes gathered before him will stand aside when he makes his push on Khorvaire in a new campaign to conquer the continent. The heroes are torn when they hear these terms, but since they are in the lair of the beast, so to speak, they acquiesce. Then, to sweeten the pot on their side, the band begin to tell Uxas of the Sentinels. He agrees that they pose a severe threat to his advance into Khorvaire and agrees to get them into Sentinel Tower as a show of good faith, so that they might cut the head off of the Sentinel program.

Uxas lets them visit his quartermaster and trade or buy anything they may need that he has. He also buys the armor Irons had made for himself at an exorbitant amount, since the S-shield on it intrigues him.

Next Issue: Mecha Robo Attack!


You may have noticed there's no Cast listing for this session and the last. There won't be another until I get to Issue 20, as I hadn't made note that kind of thing, and my guessing game was proving futile. I began taking note last session (the aforementioned #20), so things will be back on track there.
Sorry for any confusion. If it helps, no cast changes really occur between now and Issue 21. Foreshadowing!


*Last minute edit before I post! That amazing Darkseid art is by Nebezial.

Edit: Count on the sessions was off.