As the party ascends through the tunnel to the surface, they hear a whispering voice, saying to clean them up but leave “those 4”.

They are confronted by a group of lizardlike humanoids with dense scales and white, pupil-less eyes referred to as Kay, with many green, one red, and one purple appearing here. Vibrant veins glow from beneath the scales, the colors matching the hue of the others.

The purple Kay quickly teleports away, the purple strains disappearing from the veins of the others.

Accompanying the Kay is an 8 foot tall figure in shining armor, the plates without a crack or opening. The solid, movable steel seemed more like skin then armor. The knight is later identified as Culpa.

The Kay are like a hivemind, immediately heeding Culpa's call and forming rank. What seems to be there leader is a red Kay, who seems more individualistic than the others.

Culpa instructs the red Kay to kill all but the spellcasters.

Discovering Culpa's weakness to acid, several of the spellcasters of the party begin to barrage the knight with Chromatic Orbs of the acid variety, allowing for a flying dagger to strike first blood on the knight's exposed flesh in a feat of accuracy.

Culpa is forced to slam the ground with their blade, a shockwave sending anyone nearby flying.

The red Kay throws themself in front of the knight, attempting to protect them.

The respite is brief as more chromatic orbs connect and the red Kay is knocked aside, allowing a combined assault of several melee attacks and one final expertly placed orb to finally incapacitate Culpa.

As the fight ends, a humanoid in a deep black robe strolls forward, a tail hidden underneath. They walk forward slowly, methodically past all, coming to a stop in front of Culpa. They throw back their hood to reveal the visage of a ferret, who Exi quickly identifies as Mendalaive. He entreats the party to spare the knight. The ferret asks to be allowed to help the Knight, to spare him from what would be done to him if he were to perish. He states that Culpa had misguided, false hope, and was only attacking the party to save himself.

The party not stopping him, he manipulates the weave and sinks his claws into Culpa's armor, tearing it away, the flesh tearing away with it.

Mendalaive produces a Deck of Many Things, somehow forcing one card to the front, the Jack of Clubs: Skull. The knight, tears on their face, willingly takes the card, a swirling portal of black, red, and dark purple appearing before them.

An avatar of Death appears from it, warning the onlookers to not interfere, lest their brethren hunt any who might interfere.

A single swing of their scythe severs Culpa's soul from his body, and the avatar of Death returns through the portal.

Mendalaive disappears back into the darkness.