Part 165: Chapter CLXI - Even suffering and enduring requires the perspective of relief.

Chapter CLXI - Even suffering and enduring requires the perspective of relief.

It's been awhile since we had an eventful chapter, hasn't it? Let's get to it.



We start with the Wood of the Dead.



Vennegrat is already up to no good.



We have to fight our way through the forest to get to him.



When we make it to Vennegrat and whack him for a while he runs away.



Hidden by some stones is this letter.



The guide (Which I've been religiously following for a while because I don't want to break anything) says not to enter the tomb because its filled with traps. It's completely empty of both enemies and traps, nothing to do here.



Next up is the temple of Bhaal that we visited in Siege of Dragonspear.



We know we came to the right place because there's Bhaal cultists hiding around near the entrance, this screenshot was just after they one-hit-backstabbed Liriel.



After a hard-fought battle we reach the cave.





No encounters on the way to the temple.



When we arrive we come across a really lazy prisoner.

Seriously, he can just walk out whenever he wants to.



Wise words to live by when you're playing Sandrah Saga, we're almost at the finish line.

The temple is completely free of enemies so we can explore at our leisure.



In the chapel we run into the mothers of Sarevok and Vichan, respectively. Also Melissan.



Saliera and Alianna are both pregnant, please keep this fact in mind going forward.

Anyway, they give us the letter and we leave them alone. You can probably guess what happens if you kill them.



The high priest's quarters has the jail key that we don't actually need because the door is wide open.



What a moron, let's just leave.



With the two letters in hand we can make our way back to Sune and Mystra.



They send us along to Candlekeep anyway.



The place where it all began, I wonder what's different?







Turns out the answer is 'not a whole lot'. Most of it's the same as it was when we played through Return to Faerun.



Winthrop not being here is the only thing that's changed.



Might as well head inside and get what we came here for.



Bah, what's the worst that can go wrong? Worrying about nothing...



Screw the coordinators, I bet we just have to go to the t-







Bhaal turns into the slayer and runs off.



Poor Ulraunt collapses due to the excitement.



I can see where Sandrah gets her tendencies from.



The book we needed was in a nearby bookshelf. It's obvious where we need to go next.



We leave Candlekeep, probably for the final time.



Abazigal's Lair has to be where we're supposed to go.



Sure enough a wounded dragon is lying around outside.



Nothing a little healing won't solve.



Oh, my mistake. Not just a dragon but Tiamat herself.



Tiamat leaves with not so much as a thank you, at least we know that the Dead Three are here.



Heading inside we're faced with a bunch of 'bone blades', whatever those are supposed to be.



No diving in pools today, let's just use the door.



Abazigal and his mother are casually hanging out here, you can probably guess what happens if we decide to attack them. Let's not do that.



The dead three are close-by, Bhaal and Myrkul leave while Bane has to do the dirty work.



As he's close to dying he makes Kelemvor an offer. I wisely tell him not to accept...



...But of course he decides to accept the deal anyway. Why did I expect to have any choice in the matter?







Looks like we have to go back to Blackstaff Tower.



After some much needed rest, that is.



We keep coming back to this place, don't we?





There's Erinyes waiting for us here. (Erinyeses, Erinyesii?)



Myrkul awaits us in the fortress itself.



Bane's nearby as well, Cyric and Kelemvor leave the party to chase after him.



Myrkul does a thing and everyone is taken out of commission.



Everyone besides Midnight and Haiass, that is!

I also summon a solar to help out.



The solar manages to get a vorpal hit in and Myrkul is no more.



The tablet of fate, we did it! I can't wait to tell Cyric and Kele-



Oh no, we'd better head over there!



Cyric takes charge, in more ways than one. Kelemvor seems to be beyond help.

We'd best head back to Sune and Mystra, they'll know what to do!



Liriel and Pelligram think there's something odd about all this. They're probably just being paranoid.



Looks like Mystra is trying to bypass Helm at the Celestial Stairs, we'd best head over there!



We first have to go through this area where we fight a couple of basilisks.







Before you know it we're fighting on the Celestial Stairs themselves.



A nice area, I kinda recognize it but from where...?



Adon's only there so we can watch the scene play out, we haven't reached them yet.



Oh no, we're too late!



We still have some fighting left to do before we reach Helm.



We arrive just in time to admonish Helm for his stupidity and throw him the tablet. The screen shakes and...



I wish I could say things ended here but we still have a while to go, next time we'll see just how much this timeline makes no sense whatsoever.