Seph Yroth was victorious, and irritatingly, the people he called friends, or at the very least allies in combat, were dead set on bringing down his mood. Power like he had never dreamed of surged through him. He hadn’t felt this great in…well, ever. Not even when he’d spent his days with Cloud and Tifa. He blinked back to reality, the euphoria fading as the burly Dragonborn who’d saved them, a red scaled Paladin of Bahamut who, up close, had a tinge of metallic gold to his scales, along their edges, grabbed his hand forcefully. Seph squinted as the rose gold scales caught his eye, as chromatics being part metallic wasn’t supposed to be possible, but his focus shifted as he mostly tuned out the paladin, his eyes locking on the burning symbol of his new patron.

Bane. The God of Conquest. The Black Hand.

A merciless ruler of an entire plane of the Hells, one for each of the nine Traitors. His, was Banehold, and Seph had glimpsed that depressingly gray realm the first time they’d spoken. Somehow, Asmodeus had come into the possession of his iconic gauntlet, after it was magically removed and stolen from Bane’s own seat of power. The murderous deity had not mentioned who had managed that God-tier feat of thievery, or what became of them. Asmodeus had bestowed the gauntlet upon one of his loyal servants, who was working with Tiamat, and from Starra’s corpse, without so much as an Identify spell, Seph had agreed to don the gauntlet, and for the first time in an age, bring the divine focus of a true God to the Prime Material Plane, under the control of one who now served Bane, body and soul.

The gauntlet spoke to Seph, not with Bane’s voice, but another, that seemed insane. “The new wielder…finally, at last, at last! You are strong! You will feed me…make us…powerful. Do this…serve Bane…and you shall be rewarded.”

Seph answered, within his mind. “What does Bane require of me?”

The gauntlet’s sentience cackled. “Rally his cultists, slay his enemies, Conquer the World in the name of the Black Hand, and he shall make you the immortal ruler over all of it, on this Plane. For the Gods can no longer exist here, and he needs a loyal, eager Champion. You have reclaimed his Gauntlet from the Cult of the Dragon. You, Seph Yroth, are worthy.” Power surged within Seph, as the Dragonborn asked what it had cost, and he answered honestly. Deep down, Seph knew. He would belong to Bane forever, for this. But he was okay with that, somehow, despite all he knew of the infamous deity. He was, he reasoned, a much more reasonable mass murderer than the other Champions of Bane who had manifested over the millennia, and as long as people bowed before him, there really wouldn’t be any problems. Nothing the Gauntlet couldn't solve, anyway. As he felt, and understood, his new powers, he knew he wouldn’t have much trouble.

Looking up, Seph realized his cool one liner had sent the party into a shouting match of argument. Most of them, anyway. Luffy was busy looting the area, and after some investigating, had discovered a somewhat hidden stone chest, which had been behind the now dissipated portal. Within, his eyes went wide, as he found two Astral Diamonds, worth twenty thousand gold in total. Namely, enough for his ship. There was space for a third diamond, but even with eight intelligence, he guessed it had probably been used as a component in whatever spell had ripped open a portal to Hell large enough for an adult Dragon. The pirate pocketed the diamonds without so much as a word to the other members of his group, and shut the chest. He stepped off the hidden mechanism in the stone floor that had revealed the chest, and it quietly sank back into the floor, as the party continued to argue.

For some reason, Seph had started using Stumbledore’s stash of paper to write messages to them, and each one only set off a new babble of argument. Finally, Yaang’s voice, serious for one, grabbed everyone’s attention. “Seph, you’re literally playing with fire. A fire that desires the world under its influence. If you turn into another tyrant, I’ll take you down myself…and I have a feeling I won’t be alone.” Yol, Xerex, Alan, and Luffy nodded in agreement. “Can you adventure with us, knowing that?”

Seph, in that moment, decided to project confidence, as he waved his gauntleted hand nonchalantly. “I’m telling you guys, our goals are aligned. Bane despises Tiamat as much as you do.”

Yol snarled at the beautiful but infuriating man, his tail lashing the ground. “The enemy of my enemy…is still my enemy! Take that foul relic off, and let Bahamut’s Light finally end its history of bloodshed!”

Seph scoffed. “I already told you, I can’t. It’s a God artifact, it’s on there. Permanently.” This was a lie, but Seph had no intention of taking it off. If anything, since putting it on, his intelligent mind had started forming the concepts of an idea to enhance it further. Some Banites might have called that blasphemy, but the Gauntlet itself was ecstatic, and felt Seph had the right vibe. Even if it had sensed him communicating wordlessly so the intelligence within couldn’t hear.

After that, eager to support Seph and change the subject, Strumbledore spoke, and his words made the paladin’s eyes narrow, as the wizard pointed at him. “Who even are you, anyways? What’s far more suspicious to me, is how anyone could survive being that close to Tiamat without dying.”

Yol scoffed at him, “Bahamut is always with me. Even in the depths of Avernus. My mission was to find out what the Dragon Cult was seeking in this land.” He looked at the platinum scaled Dragonborn. “It seems obvious now, to me, that they seek Yaang’s Divine Spark, to reignite their fallen Queen’s power. My mandate is clear. I shall protect the bearer of platinum scales, until his destiny is realized.”

In terms of levels of power, Yol was clearly much more experienced, and so the party accepted him, and began moving to their next destination; the pirate town of Piravia. Seph and Stumbledore shared a look as they passed where Daryl was slain, because there was nothing on the floor. Not even a blood stain. Looking around, Luffy spoke. “I thought Daryl might be up here, waiting for us.”

Stumbledore stepped in smoothly and said, “Daryl told us that he’s heading back up north, to find work on a farm, and renounce his ways. I’m sure he’ll be happy there.” Luffy nodded, accepting that explanation with blind trust. The rest of the party shared a look, but aside from a large scorch mark, there was nothing left of Daryl. Nobody cared enough to press them about him, either.

Once again, the gods of luck smiled upon the party and their road travels were uneventful. Yol continued to shoot dirty looks at both Stumbledore and Seph, which only further divided the party along the lines of good moral alignments, and those who were more gray.

As soon as they arrived in the town, which was a generous word for the place, Luffy sprinted ahead, walking up to the nearest pirate he said, “Hi there, fellow Pirate! I need a ship, for me and my crew. Do you know where I can buy one?”

As he said the word ‘buy’ the pirate’s eyebrows rose. “Ohh ya, lad. I can get ye a ship. What’re ye in tha market fer, an’ wots yer price range?”

Xerex’s eyes widened, as he correctly guessed what the pirate was going to say. “Luffy! Wai-” but it was too late.

“I want the biggest ship in the port, and I have twenty thousand gold for it! In the form of two Astral Diamonds!”

The entire party, and the pirate, just stared at him, awed by his stupidity.

“Wow he really is…quite dumb.” Alan said, quietly.

The random pirate grinned, and put an arm around Luffy, pulling him away from his band of strong looking friends. “Et jus’ so ‘appens that I ‘ave a perfect ship fer ya. An’ it costs exactly twentee thousand!”

“What a coincidence.” Came a thoroughly unamused voice from behind the pirate.

Seph had been dealing with the rather violent voice in his head for days now, but eventually, even his will was overpowered. He stared with murderous intent at the pirate, who started to sweat. “Tell ye wot lad, I can tell yer one o’ us, so oi’ll give ye a discount. Let’s call et…fifteen. A proper Pirate discount, that!”

The man glanced back at Seph, whose glowing right fist, bearing the mark of Bane, was radiating malice. Within Seph’s head the voice was incessant. “He’s disrespected you…your friend…he thinks you’re idiots…weak…take his Soul, Seph. End this trash. The world won’t miss some stinking backwater Pirate. Kill, Kill, Kill, KILL, KILL, KILL!” Seph tuned the words out, struggling to counter the Godly artifact’s power.

“Let’s…at least…see the…ship first.” He mentally snarled, and that, mercifully, but unnervingly, shut the Gauntlet of Bane up. For context, the average inn room, at a decent to upper class establishment, was fifty silver. Cheaper inns, like the Frosted Flagon, had room rates at five silver. Most people traded in silver and copper. Only those who called themselves nobility, or Elves, dealt in gold, and only highly powerful magic users could condense currency into Astral Diamonds. Aside from being quite beautiful, and expensive, they were also components for quite a lot of high level ritual spells, and therefore very sought after. It also took quite a lot of magical power to condense ten thousand gold pieces into a single object, because of how matter works, so they were exceedingly rare.

Seph quietly hoped, for this man’s sake, that the ship he had in mind was actually worth fifteen thousand gold.

It was not.

The party quietly followed the man to the farthest northern edge of Piravia’s docks, where he presented them with a ship that, while large, was absolute shit, and barely seaworthy. “Thar she is, lad. Yer ship. More’n big a’nuff fer ye and yer crew, I reckon. Feel free tae rename her.”

The party collectively stared, first at the ship, and then at Luffy. From Seph’s shoulder, the Helltouched Manticore known as Cadet, hissed at the ship with distaste. Luffy however, had tears in his eyes. “It’s…it’s beautiful! I’ll take it! Can you uhh…split an Astral Diamond?”

The pirate gave him a salty wink. “Oi’m one o’ tha few in this port that can, lad.” He produced a large sack then. “Fifteen thousan’ fer yer ship, leavin’ ye here with foive thousan’. The Doimonds, if ye please.” He held out a grimey hand, and before anyone could react, the diamonds were his, and Luffy had the sack.

At that point, Seph followed after the pirate, while the rest of the party investigated their new vessel. Yol didn’t board it, rightly gauging that his gigantic plate armored form would fall right through the mostly rotted deck. Seph’s quarry turned down an alley between a pair of ramshackle buildings, where three other pirates were sitting around on various barrels and other pieces of wood.

“Oi! Toime to skip port, lads! We’ve made a bloody fortune.” He held up the Astral Diamonds and the other sea scum looked at them with awe. Seph quietly entered the alleyway, after making sure nobody was around, or looking his way. When the greedy con artists finally turned, they found Seph, Throngler drawn, waiting for them. “Ohh shite.”

The Gauntlet of Bane was practically screaming at this point, urging him to murder and mayhem, but Seph’s greatest asset was his mind, and for the moment, it was still his. “Give back…the diamonds…and you’ll all get to…leave here alive.”

“Come on, mate.” The scammer began, “Yer friend made a fair dea-”

“My friend is an imbecile…” Seph snarled. “There’s no chance that pile of rotten wood…is worth fifteen thousand gold. Give. The diamonds. Back.” His Throngling hand was shaking by this point, and the pirates mistook that as fear and bravado.

“Yer outnumbered, mate…” The con artist said with a sleazy smile. The other pirates stood up then, backing the man up. It wouldn’t matter. They’d just made cutting them down even easier. “Take yer shaky sword an’ yer pretty face back tae yer party.”

The pretty face comment, was what did it. Seph went perfectly still, his face obscured by his silver hair, when suddenly, the Throngler lit with green flames, and from Seph’s perspective, he was back on that northern battlefield. He was intelligent enough to know he wasn’t really there, but it helped him cope with slicing relatively innocent men into chunks of bloody meat.

Once he was done, the Gauntlet drew the pirate’s souls into its grasp, and claimed them for Bane. Seph sensed his patron was pleased, but the gore only made him sick. He Prestidigitated the blood from himself and the bag holding the diamonds, as well as about a thousand more gold pieces he looted from the rather well off pirates, and then left the alley. He found Luffy and Stumbledore still by the ship, and Luffy was negotiating with about four men of the port who seemed to be skilled in carpentry, judging by their gear.

Seph tossed the diamonds back to Luffy, and said, “Luffy, that man conned you. Thankfully, he decided to give your money back. Let’s go find an actual ship. I want to get to a proper city soon.”

A smooth, charismatic baritone, almost out of place amongst salty dogs of the sea cut in then. “You’ll be wantin’ to head to Storm Wind then, friend. And if you’d like a proper ship, you’ve come to the right port.” The voice belonged to a handsome but rugged man with a decently maintained smile in a port full of people who definitely did not brush their mouth bones. He held out his left hand, and Seph hid the now seemingly sated Gauntlet as he took it and shook it.

image [https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/107dc055-197f-4c79-a8d4-bf5e3018e03b/dizz72l-18ea75a7-9651-4649-86ef-7d456259b4e8.jpg/v1/fill/w_894,h_894,q_70,strp/pirate_mayor_by_pokefan1337_dizz72l-pre.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTAyNCIsInBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzEwN2RjMDU1LTE5N2YtNGM3OS1hOGQ0LWJmNWUzMDE4ZTAzYlwvZGl6ejcybC0xOGVhNzVhNy05NjUxLTQ2NDktODZlZi03ZDQ1NjI1OWI0ZTguanBnIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTEwMjQifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.aQM1UjKmPNgaFG4PXsvBdLQPHx6tZgZNORVFJ89oJkg]

“You can get us a proper ship?” He asked, and the man nodded. The price turned out to also be twenty thousand gold, but this time the ship was freshly finished, galleon sized, and unused. This, Seph thought, was a much more reasonable offer for the price. Luffy dubbed it the Going Merry, and used his leftover five thousand gold to commission the figurehead he wanted, making him utterly broke once again, between the figurehead, and purchasing six cannons, and ammo for them.

While Luffy was busy, and the moral majority of the party was in the local tavern, which judging by the sound of things was now rocking out with a sea shanty Xerex was going rather hard on, Stumbledore approached Seph, as he spoke with the charismatic man, who was apparently the ‘mayor’ of this lawless little port.

“…and if you manage to clear the bandits and their leader out, I’ll have my parrot send your reward to your ship. I can offer five thousand gold.”

Seph nodded, in agreement. Bandit souls would hopefully keep the murderous God item living on his hand sated, until he figured out how to either remove the sentience, or replace it with something less murdery. “We can do that, Mr. Mayor, not a problem. Taking down a stronghold is going to take some firepower though. Are there any…magic shops in town?”

The mayor glanced at the wizard behind Seph, and then rubbed the back of his head. “Magic, huh? I mean…there’s the old lady, in that building with the alleyway next to it, but uhh…” He shrugged, and a strange look came over his eyes. “I’m sure she has whatever you’d need, and if you have any little ones with you, you should bring them shopping too.”

Seph squinted at the man. “We’re uhh…adventurers. We don’t have kids here. But thank you, we’ll check that out.” The mayor walked off after that, claiming to be busy, and Seph turned to Stumbledore. “That was weird, right?”

The wizard nodded. “An implanted magical suggestion, or I’ll eat my wand. About as weird as a magic shop being in a Pirate port. I wanna go there.” His eyes gleamed with avarice, but faded soon after. “Also…I uhh…I want to get in on this Bane stuff. I want stronger spells too.”

Seph grinned, and the Gauntlet woke up. “Ahh, my first convert. Alright, I’ll-” He paused, as the Gauntlet spoke. “Grab his skull! I’ll mark him with Bane’s symbol! Use my power! Dominate him!” Seph shook his head free of the words, and nodded at Stumbledore. “I’ll put in a good word for you. Let’s get the others before we go into the creepy magic shop.”

Xerex had the most well built building in the port rocking so hard, it threatened to collapse. Seph and Stumbledore arrived for the last line.

“Shipping up to Storm Wind! Woah-oh-oh!

Shipping off to find my wooden leg!”

The crowd of unwashed sea murderers cheered and clapped, though literally nobody donated as Xerex passed his tip bag around. Several of them tried stealing from it, only to find it empty. Xerex usually left his audience with a little money, but these people, he robbed blind, getting a solid five hundred gold in total. “Barkeep! Get all these generous souls a round on me!” He shouted, to cheers, and it cost him about one entire gold piece to get them all drinks.

Seph gathered the party around where Yol and Yaang were sitting and told them of the magic shop, and their next quest, to wipe out a fortress of bandits in the mountains between Piravia and Storm Wind. Unfortunately for Stumbledore, nobody wanted to go shopping after a long day of walking, so only Xerex joined them in visiting the shop.

The streets of the port town were cloaked in darkness, the dim glow of lanterns doing little to chase away the shadows. The air was thick with the scent of salt, and fish. Stumbledore led the way with purpose, his steps eager and quick as he, finally, found a magic shop on the Prime Material Plane. Xerex followed close behind, his lute slung over one shoulder, while Seph trailed slightly behind, his hand ready to reach for the Throngler as his sharp eyes scanned the alleyways.

"You’re sure this place actually exists?" Xerex muttered, glancing around nervously. The dimly lit streets had a way of playing tricks on the mind, and the distant laughter of drunken pirates didn’t help.

"Of course it exists," Stumbledore snapped, irritation creeping into his voice. "You think I’m dragging us through this cesspit for fun? The shop is supposed to be just around the next corner."

"Great," Seph said dryly. "Nothing like a late-night shopping trip in the creepiest part of a town full of Pirates. What could possibly go wrong?"

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The alley they turned into was narrower than the others, the walls of the buildings leaning inward as though conspiring to keep secrets. At the end of the alley stood the shop. A single flickering lantern hung above the old wooden door, casting long, twitching shadows across a faded sign. The image of an eye surrounded by stars had been crudely carved into the wood, the paint peeling and weathered by time, so the name was no longer readable.

The door creaked loudly as they pushed it open, and the three of them stepped inside. The air within was heavy and stale, carrying the faint scent of burnt herbs and something metallic that set Xerex’s teeth on edge. Shelves lined the walls, crowded with hand-made hats and scarves, most of them moth-eaten. Old tomes with cracked spines were stacked haphazardly in one corner, and odd trinkets dangled from the ceiling on frayed strings, swaying gently as if moved by a breeze that didn’t exist.

"This place is… charming," Xerex said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He sidestepped a table covered in what appeared to be jars of dubious yellow liquid, careful not to touch anything.

"Focus," Stumbledore said, making a beeline for the counter at the back of the shop. Seph lingered near a shelf displaying what looked like potion bottles, his sharp eyes studying each label as if trying to decipher their secrets.

Behind the counter, an old woman slowly rose to her feet. She was short and hunched, her back curving under the weight of years, but her presence filled the room in an unsettling way. Her skin was deeply lined, and her wild silver hair spilled out in every direction, adorned with beads and small bones. She wore layer upon layer of colorful, mismatched fabrics that jingled with the sound of bracelets, necklaces. Her grin revealed teeth that were black and shiny, like polished onyx, and her dark eyes glinted with a mix of amusement and something darker.

"Welcome to mi shop," She said, her voice thick with an unplaceable accent that rolled like the waves outside. "What bring ya ‘ere so late, eh? You three lookin’ for trouble, or maybe ya just be afta’ somethin’ special?"

"We’re here to shop," Stumbledore said bluntly, stepping forward without hesitation. "I was told you sell magical items. I need Spell Scrolls. Fireball, Invisibility, Flight, Shield, and some Cantrips if you’ve got them."

image [https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/107dc055-197f-4c79-a8d4-bf5e3018e03b/dizxn31-16cdf9e6-bc00-4360-b104-99adbb2c744a.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzEwN2RjMDU1LTE5N2YtNGM3OS1hOGQ0LWJmNWUzMDE4ZTAzYlwvZGl6eG4zMS0xNmNkZjllNi1iYzAwLTQzNjAtYjEwNC05OWFkYmIyYzc0NGEuanBnIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.Sk2gQp49gXiBZhHcoMbRoHLFQzYXjFRj3CsYtw0P6Qw]

The old woman let out a low, throaty laugh, the sound sending a shiver down Xerex’s spine. "Ahhh, spells ya say? Yes, yes, I got Scrolls for ya. Plenty o' spells fer a Wizahd like you. But ya know, child, ya only get two Cantrips at once. So, choose carefully, eh?"

"Mage Hand, Light, Mending," Stumbledore replied without missing a beat. "Anything practical."

The woman nodded and shuffled behind the counter, her movements slow and deliberate. Every step she took set her many pieces of jewelry jingling like a morbid wind chime. She began pulling out rolled-up pieces of parchment from various drawers and shelves, muttering to herself as she went.

Meanwhile, Xerex wandered over to a display of small red vials, his curiosity overcoming his discomfort. He picked up a handful and carried them over to the counter. "We’ll take these, too," he said, after figuring out they were healing potions.

Seph, who had been silently inspecting the shop’s wares, finally spoke up. His gaze was fixed on a ceramic jug sitting on a shelf behind the counter. "That Alchemy Jug," He said, nodding toward it. "What’s the price?"

The old woman glanced at the jug and then back at Seph, her grin widening. "Ah, ya gotta good eye, fer a young, beautiful man. Dat’s a fine piece, dat is. Seven hundred gold, no less."

"Anything else of interest?" Seph asked, his tone cautious but intrigued.

The shopkeeper’s grin turned mischievous. "Oh, plenty. Plenty. I got two special bottles, one dat never stops smokin’ and one dat never run outta breath. Endless, ya see? Two hunnid each. An' maybe… a few more surprises if ya got de coin."

Xerex exchanged a look with Seph and Stumbledore, raising an eyebrow. "Sounds like she’s got more than just surprises."

The old woman cackled, her laughter filling the shop like the sound of creaking ship timbers. "Oh, mi dear, I got all kinda tings. But only if ya brave enough to buy ‘em."

The group hesitated, the weight of the shop’s eerie atmosphere pressing down on them. Finally, Stumbledore reached for his coin pouch, his eyes locked on the pile of scrolls and the strange old woman who seemed to know far more than she let on. Seph and Xerex produced their own money, and after taking their purchases, were now almost as poor as Luffy.

“Come again!” The old woman cackled, as they left, and made their way back to the tavern. Not until they were almost at the tavern’s door did any of them speak.

“That woman…is creepy.” Xerex muttered.

“Definitely something sketchy about her.” Stumbledore agreed.

“Did anyone else notice the disturbingly large amount of missing children posters she had near the back wall?” Seph asked, and the other two just stared at him. “No? Just me? It’s weird, right?”

“No weirder than anything else in there.” Stumbledore muttered as they entered the tavern.

Things were quiet now, as the locals who kept the port running had gone back to their homes. A few passed out pirates littered the room, but in the center was the platinum armored, massive frame of Yol sitting on a shitty wooden chair that looked like it was going to break under his bulk at any moment. He was sharing a dark bottle of alcohol with Yaang and Alan, who both seemed much more affected by it than the paladin. Luffy was nowhere to be found.

Yol nodded at the trio, as they pulled up similarly shitty chairs, and explained what they’d found. By the end, Alan was grimacing, and with a knowing shudder, he said, “Sounds like…a Night Hag. We had one up north, once. It ate over twenty children. Cooked them, into various mockeries of local dishes.” He looked a bit green, but then, the cleric steeled himself. “If there’s one here, we need to kill it.”

Yol emptied the bottle, and pounded it on the table. Cracks appeared on the bottom. “Aye…definitely a Hag…good. This party could do with some proper…good deeds, after all the torture and death.” He stared directly at Seph, who started to sweat. The fucking Gauntlet, of course, chose that moment to awaken again.

“This Paladin…this slave of Bahamut’s order…he would make a Fine offering…”

Seph answered immediately, in his head. “Absolutely not. He’s Yaang’s protector, and our party’s strongest member. Even with you…I doubt I could take him. Something tells me your mind control powers won’t work on him. Better to sate his lust for Justice, and keep him on side.”

The Gauntlet sighed, but for once, saw reason. “Fine…you are correct…but some day, Seph Yroth…you will end up facing him.” The insane consciousness went quiet again then, and Seph sighed, ordering another bottle for the table, which Yol ended up paying for, and drinking most of. He was also the richest member of the party.

Finally, Stumbledore spoke, his raspy voice laden with greed. “Then tomorrow…in the light of the Sun…we go back, ask to see her…special wares…accuse her of eating children, kill her, and loot her stuff. I have a feeling she has quite a few useful items…”

Yol nodded. “At Dawn, then.” He rose, and he, Yaang, and Xerex all went to their room, as the party agreed it was better to keep their unwashed dragon musk in one place. After days on the road, it was…quite potent, and a pirate tavern wasn’t exactly equipped with baths or showers, let alone those large enough to fit a beast like Yol. At dawn, the party, sans Luffy, made their way to the Hag’s shop a few hours after the sun rose, and their hangovers lessened.

The old woman’s shop had always reeked of stale incense and the faintest tinge of rot, but there was a fresh foulness tainting the air this morning. Yol ducked through the doorway first, his massive frame almost blocking the light behind him. He crouched slightly to clear the lintel, then strode across the creaking wooden floor with all the grace of a plated juggernaut. With a glare that could strip paint from walls, he leaned against a wall in a far corner, arms crossed over his broad chest. Platinum armor gleamed even in the dim light, and his eyes swept the room, daring any danger to manifest. It was clear he was waiting, waiting for the others to need him, waiting for an excuse to act.

“Don’t break anything,” The old woman muttered from behind the counter, eyeing Yol’s bulk and nauseatingly Lawful Good demeanor with undisguised distaste. Her voice had the timbre of dried leaves scraping together.

Seph Yroth stepped forward with an air of deliberate elegance, his long coat trailing behind him, the Gauntlet of Bane glinting faintly as if pleased to be acknowledged. His voice, smooth and low, carried just enough weight to make the old woman flinch, as the party filed in behind him. “You said you had other kinds of things available for purchase. We’d like to see your real collection.”

Xerex, ever the consummate performer, took the opportunity to lean casually against the counter. “I mean, unless this is it,” He said, gesturing to the faded trinkets and cloudy glass bottles lining the shelves. His smile was genuine, but the old woman hadn’t lived this long in a port full of pirates by being an idiot. She knew danger when she saw it, and the plated paladin was the epitome of trouble, at least up here.

Yaang stood silently nearby, his platinum scales catching faint light in ways that seemed almost deliberate. He folded his hands calmly, a monk’s posture of unshakable serenity. But there was tension in his lanky frame, and undisguised hatred in his eyes. He could forgive robbing people at sea or on the road. He could forgive attacking him in the name of one's dark Hell Dragon Queen. He could even forgive people trying to make use of his natural divine gift for their own ends. But he could not abide those who went after kids, lethally, romantically, or any other way. The littles were where Yaang drew his line, and Hags were the prime example of the kind of creature he hated the most.

Stumbledore cast his gaze around the shop with deliberate slowness, his fingers twitching faintly. He murmured something in Elvish, too quiet for anyone to hear, but the crackle of latent arcane energy around him spoke volumes.

The old woman hesitated, her beady eyes narrowing as if weighing her options. Then, with a slow, deliberate sigh, she shuffled to a locked door at the far back end of the shop. Producing a ring of keys that jingled faintly, she muttered, “Come ‘dis way…I got everyting ya could evah need down heeyah.”

The basement was worse than the upstairs, in terms of stench. Stone walls damp with condensation seemed to close in around them, the flickering lanterns casting jagged shadows that danced unnaturally. Jars of pickled body parts lined shelves, their contents floating serenely in viscous liquids that glimmered faintly green. Bundles of dried herbs hung from the low ceiling, their scents clashing in a way that turned the air oppressive. At the far end of the room, a locked door stood forebodingly, as someone had gone through great effort to padlock it, and bolt it shut.

The woman made her way to yet another counter, at which point she pulled out various other items, and gestured at them for the party to peruse. All of them noticed when she slipped one of the items, what looked like something square and roughly the size of a deck of cards within a sparkling deep bluish purple pouch, up her sleeve.

Seph Yroth wasted no time. He approached the basement’s shop counter with a measured stride, gesturing at the shelves. “We’ll take another Alchemy Jug,” He said, his voice as casual as if he were ordering tea.

“Oh, and that pouch of magic beans,” Xerex added, his grin wide as he read the instructions on how to use them. “I have ideas.”

Stumbledore’s voice, dry and precise, cut through the air. “The cloak.” He didn’t need to elaborate. The old woman’s face twitched at the mention of it, but she didn’t argue. She retrieved the seemingly hidden sparkling black cloak with shaking hands, laying it on the rough wooden counter. Stumbledore cast Identify, and whistled. “This is the real deal, madame…might I ask where you acquired this?”

She glared at the wizard. “No, ya might not. De price be twentee thousan’ gold pieces. Up front. If ye be wantin’ it.”

Stumbledore flinched, as they had nowhere near that amount. “Surely we can come to some kind of agreeme-”

“Not for dis.” The woman said with finality. “Dis be too precious an item ta haggle over. De price is de price…an’ ya can’t afford it.”

With a swish of fabric, the party stared at Stumbledore, as he leveled his wand at the old woman, and tension filled the foul air. “Put. The cloak. Down.” The old woman turned to him, glaring, but did as he asked. He lowered his wand. “We are not as poor as we seem, madame. And I have long sought this Artifact…” His eyes were practically glowing with greed.

The woman grinned, her black teeth glistening in the lamplight of the rank basement. “Artifact, ya say? Den de price be thirtee thousan’, as it seems I…undacharged.”

Stumbledore glared at her. “That’s insanity! You can’t just arbitrarily add ten K to a price!”

The woman gave him an evil smirk. “Dis be my shop, Wizard. I can raise de prices as I wish, for de tings I keep here.”

“And where, exactly, do you keep the children?” Yaang finally spoke, his body still, but his eyes were already faintly glowing with a familiar platinum rage. “Y’know, before you eat them…”

The old woman froze, then smiled, a smile that was all teeth and no warmth. “Ahh, ya’ve come for da children,” She said, her voice shifting, warping, and losing the accent as it became closer to an insane grandma than a Jamaican woman. Her hunched form straightened unnaturally, and her eyes began glowing with a sickly yellow light. “You should have said so sooner, dearies...”

By the time she finished speaking, her true form had revealed itself, to no one’s surprise, as a twisted Night Hag, her blue-tinged flesh pulled taut over a skeletal frame. The air thickened with the acrid stench of sulfur as a second Night Hag materialized from the shadows, by the padlocked door, her grin even more malicious than the first, from under her hood.

“Die!” The shopkeeping Hag hissed. Her gnarled hand reached into a fold of her tattered robes and produced a card, one drawn from the Deck of Many Things. The image of a crescent moon was upon it, crossed by three shooting stars. As it began to shimmer with arcane power, she cackled, the sound grating against the stone walls. Three blindingly bright lights sank into her foul form as the card’s power was expended, and it faded into dust.

“I Wish,” She said, her voice dripping with malice, “for the most powerful assassin of the Lord of Murder to join us here! Immediately!”

Stumbledore, ever pragmatic, was already sprinting up the stairs. “Yol!” He bellowed. “Shits kicking off!”

The Dragonborn paladin didn’t need further explanation, and sprang into action. With a speed that belied his bulk, his greatsword already in hand as he descended the stairs, he sprinted into the basement, each plated step reverberating like thunder. The door slammed shut behind him, sealed by thick iron bars that slid down from the stones above it. Yol paused only for a heartbeat before unfurling his wings with a defiant roar, taking to the air in the cramped space. As he leapt into the air and spread his massive wings, striking at the Hag and burning with Bahamut’s holy light, he sent the shelves and their narsty contents falling to the floor, heedless of the mess in his haste to smite the foul child eating monstrosity.

The assassin of Bhaal arrived in the same breath, stepping from a portal of blood red flames. Just as quickly as he appeared, the pale hooded figure vanished, becoming invisible and untrackable. His twin blades, blessed by his new God were already drawn, and his eyes locked onto Seph Yroth with the unerring precision of a predator, and the purpose of one who sought vengeance.

image [https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/107dc055-197f-4c79-a8d4-bf5e3018e03b/dizzcwn-15ed3768-16d0-4510-9a25-fc511b9cae7b.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzEwN2RjMDU1LTE5N2YtNGM3OS1hOGQ0LWJmNWUzMDE4ZTAzYlwvZGl6emN3bi0xNWVkMzc2OC0xNmQwLTQ1MTAtOWEyNS1mYzUxMWI5Y2FlN2IuanBnIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.xzzjtcy4W2P6ig9_4HKzUEAXh95AjiUYJIR8L0U0zWc]

The battle erupted like a storm. Yol clashed with the first Hag, his Holy Avenger cleaving through the air with righteous fury. The second Night Hag hurled curses and fire, only for Yaang to close the distance with blinding speed, his eyes burning as bright as Yol, as he redirected the flames and pummeled her with a barrage of burning fists. Stumbledore nullified the curses and Xerex counterspelled her next attack as well, infuriating her. The wizard had, upon running from the basement, grabbed the Cloak of True Invisibility as well, and donned it as the basement became chaos. Not even the True Sight of an Ancient Dragon could see through this cloak, or follow its whereabouts, and attacks made while invisible did not break the invisibility.

Seph also focused on the first Hag, and as Yol smote her with his Holy Avenger, Seph finished her off with eight burning strikes, ending in his right hand, bearing the Gauntlet of Bane, plunging into her chest, and ripping out her foul heart. The black organ disintegrated in his palm as he absorbed her power, her knowledge, and, with a wide grin, her remaining two wishes. “A most worthy offering…” The Gauntlet proclaimed. “I can’t wait to see what you Wish for…”

Before Seph even had time to think about what he might wish for, what he even could wish for, the assassin struck. Time slowed, and Seph’s eyes widened as he recognized his killer. The entire room heard him rasp, “Daryl!?” Before things went quiet, and Seph Yroth’s head fell to the floor in a pool of white hair stained with red. Furious, Yol struck at the assassin, only for his blade to pass through the now insubstantial form of Daryl.

Daryl disappeared again, vanishing completely, as Yaang, Alan, and Xerex beat down the second Hag, countering her spells and hammering her with the elements, a holy mace with Pelor’s blessing, and words that physically injured her, as the basement was a bit cramped for Scanlan’s Hand.

Stumbledore hid from Daryl, as best he could, but the assassin had the gifts of the Lord of Murder on his side, now, and the wizard still possessed blood. A pair of daggers appeared from thin air above Stumbledore’s hiding place, the far right back corner of the room, where they screeched as if they were sliding down metal against his hastily cast Shield spell. Hearing this, Yol once more leapt towards the now visible Daryl.

As the battle continued, the sounds became dimmer, to Seph Yroth.

His entire view was clouded by a gray hellscape, and he knew exactly where he was now. Yet, the land on which he stood was strange and soft, and the mountains around him oddly straight. Then, he looked up.

The titanic form of Bane, the Master of Banehold, leered down at him, and Seph realized he was standing in the God’s palm. His eye were gaping black holes, and a mask surrounded and covered his face. His armor was impressive, and matched Seph’s gauntlet. Bane had its twin on his other hand, but Seph was standing in the right palm.

image [https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/107dc055-197f-4c79-a8d4-bf5e3018e03b/dizxjnu-e21d08a3-f43d-448e-804c-d243b1a9d037.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzEwN2RjMDU1LTE5N2YtNGM3OS1hOGQ0LWJmNWUzMDE4ZTAzYlwvZGl6eGpudS1lMjFkMDhhMy1mNDNkLTQ0OGUtODA0Yy1kMjQzYjFhOWQwMzcuanBnIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.LpBOQWD07hxX5i8N0ZYMnexnwMVOVYaNBAYX08STc68]

“You have a choice to make, Seph Yroth. You have the means to return to the Prime Material Plane as my Champion. Or…you can remain here, and return my Gauntlet to me now. I will make you a Duke of Banehold, and you shall rule a portion of this Hell for all of time.”

Seph pondered for a long moment. “Can’t…you just bring me back, like you did with Alan?”

The hand he was standing in almost closed on him, and two fiery lights appeared in the pits of his eyes, green, and burning with anger at his impudence. Yet, Bane did also admire the sheer testicular fortitude it took to try to bargain with a dark God, while one was on the edge of death, and had two wishes readily available.

“Your head was severed. This is not like my new Cleric. Now make your choice, before the offer expires…”

Grumbling inwardly, Seph looked up, at the gaping hole above Banehold that, if he knew his lore correctly, would lead to the plane of Hell above this one. Up and up the layers would go, until one could reach the portal back to the Prime Material Plane. Crossing over was not so easy though, and all but impossible for a mere soul. Mortals who yet had bodies could cross, but everything else, namely the Traitor Gods and their Devil servants, could not.

“I Wish…to return to life, in the Hag’s basement, in Piravia!” His mind raced, and then, a thought occurred. From what he intrinsically understood of the Wish spell, as a spellcaster, he had only one ‘and’ or ‘with’ that he could add to the initial wish. “With Cloud Strife alive, by my side!”

Like a reverse meteor, his soul shot out of the Hells, and though several of its denizens tried to stop him, not even Gods could interfere with a wish once it was cast. As he shot out of Avernus into the cosmic space between the Nine Hells and the Seven Heavens, another light descended towards him at the same speed, and he knew he'd managed to save both himself, and his friend. He quietly praised whatever merciful God allowed people to add that ‘and’ or ‘with’ to a wish, and the next thing he knew, he was back in the foul basement, his head once more on his neck.

Daryl had continued to dodge Yol, mostly, and was currently bound by divine platinum chains that burned even his insubstantial form. Seeing Seph’s head return to his body, his eyes burned with crimson rage. “NO!” Daryl sank into the floor then, the chains going limp, and Yol whirled, beholding Seph, and another figure by his side. He was handsome, though not quite as beautiful as Seph, with spiky blonde hair, light leather armor with a single heavy metal piece, much like Seph. The Throngler returned to his hand, and the blonde kid had a blade of his own, a massive greatsword that started humming with divine light.

In a flash, Daryl popped up by the revived pair, and Yol leapt towards him again, empowering his own blade with a Divine Smite. Radiant abilities seemed to affect Daryl the most. With the Throngler and the Gauntlet of Bane, Seph blocked Daryl’s enraged strikes, and counter slashed him hard. Cloud did the same, his radiant sword also damaging Daryl. Seeing he was outnumbered, his Hag allies were both now dead, and he was in need of healing, Daryl broke away from Seph, only to turn into the waiting, enraged face of Yol.

Platinum light burned through the basement, as Yol struck with a beautiful upwards diagonal strike that separated Daryl into two halves, and turned them to dust within the blinding light. Heavy breathing filled the room as Yol and Seph shared a nod of respect. Then, Seph dropped the Throngler, turned to Cloud, and brought him into a tight hug. He was real. He was warm. Cloud Strife was alive, again, and Seph’s world was a little brighter.

Gasping for air as he broke free of the embrace, Cloud looked around in confusion. “Seph…where…how…”

“You died…” He said, bluntly. “In Winterknell. Against the undead. You fell…as did, uh, most of our army. The officers too. I’ve become an adventurer since then…and I managed to use a Wish to bring you and I back to life. It’s a long story, actually.”

Yaang shouted from across the room, where his own stinking pile of Hag goo was. “Don’t wait for us, guys, we’ll just loot this back room while you catch up. Yol, can you do something about the door so we can get the Hell out of here?”

Yol nodded, and went to work on prying the bars off the door. Xerex swore, by the padlocks. “Fucking lockpicks…yea, I can’t unlock this.”

Yaang nodded calmly. “Go help Yol, then. Maybe a switch or something is behind the counter. Stumbledore? Any magical solutions? If there’s kids in there I don’t really want to Earthbend it down.”

The blurple starry hatted head of the Shadowfell native popped out of thin air, as he was still wearing the cloak. “Yea…let me umm…here we go. Knock!” The spell fizzled, and Stumbledore swore. “Fucking…hold on. Dispel!” The magic wards over the locks vanished. “Knock!” Several tiny blue hands knocked once on the locks, unlocking them all at once. Stumbledore closed his book of spells with an exasperated sigh, and gestured for Yaang to go first.

“Opa!” Xerex said, as he found a button, and hit it. The bars shot back up into the stonework, and Yol gave him a thumbs up, before leaving the truly foul smelling basement. Seph, Cloud, Xerex, and Alan followed him, after looting all the Hag’s items, of course. The ones that were not pickled body parts.

In the back room, the smell was the worst, and Stumbledore vomited as it wafted out. Steeling himself, and bending air around his mouth and nose, Yaang walked in, a flame in his palm, and his best attempt at a smile on his slender draconian features. “It’s alright, little ones. Your ordeal is over.” The sobs of very traumatized kiddos filled the room, and Stumbledore magically cleared a path through the sharp glass and viscera for them, all the way to the exit.

Piravia hadn’t had a large child population in the first place, but over the past few years, what few there had been had disappeared one by one, with their parents either not noticing, or not being brave enough to properly search the creepy old woman’s shop. Once they were outside, the kids sprinted away as fast as their little legs could carry them. Only one remained, a toddler, and Xerex entertained the poor baby with some music, as the rest of the party turned to face the shop.

“We looted everything of worth?” Yaang asked. The others nodded. “Alright. Then how about we burn this fucking place to the ground?” That got an enthusiastic yes.

The three Dragonborn readied their breath weapons, with Xerex using his first, as the poison was indeed combustible, and he was on baby duty. Flames came forth from Yaang and Yol’s toothy maws. Stumbledore launched a Fireball inside, all the way to the back, and down to the basement level, with his magical guidance, before it too combusted. Seph raised the Gauntlet of Bane towards it, adding his ominous green flames to the mix, which made Cloud frown, as he saw and recognized the symbol on the Gauntlet.

The rising smoke, and the screaming, crying children running about, who until that day had utterly vanished, caused the majority of Piravia’s populace to take to the streets. Thus, when the party returned, carrying the toddler with them, there were cheers and whoops, and Xerex quickly found the toddler’s mother. The baby had honed in on her almost immediately, and he subtly wiped away a single tear at the happy reunion.

What followed was a proper pirate potluck party right there in the middle of the ramshackle city. Cooked fish, boar, and of course, more shit tier ale than anyone could ever want, was brought out to celebrate the death of not one, but two Night Hags. Xerex, naturally, recounted the story, and this time his tip container actually got a few coins. With Alan mentioning his own experience with a Hag, the locals figured that this was the end of the Coven, as they tended to come in threes. The running theory was that one had been either sent north to get more children, or exiled, for some unknown slight against the Coven’s leader.

Seph was chatting with the mayor by the time night fell, and most of the citizens were in drunken comas. “You know,” The mayor said, “We had another recent, grisly murder in one of our alleyways. Three grown men, just absolutely ripped to pieces. I’d be willing to pay you all to investigate that…it doesn’t seem like a Hag’s M.O.”

Seph subtly moved the Gauntlet of Bane behind his back. “Ahhhah, well, uhh, we already have that bandit quest from you, remember? And we really need to be getting to Storm Wind.”

Thankfully, the ‘mayor’ was too drunk to notice Seph’s body language. Cloud, however, was not. “I understand. In that case, we of the humble port of Piravia wish you luck on your voyage. Be careful out there…there’s been reports of gigantic beasts in those waters, but if you stick near the mountains, you should be fine.”

With that, Seph thanked the man again, promised to be in touch about the bandits, and the party boarded the newly refurbished and outfitted Going Merry with enough supplies to get them to the city of Storm Wind. Luffy was properly salty that he’d missed the entire Hag adventure, but his excitement at finally sailing his own ship with his own crew balanced him out.

As a bloody sunrise colored the skies to the east, the large galleon headed north to yet another adventure.