This one-shot was played in Oct 2021. It focused on a group of Crimson soldiers during the initial conquest of the northern Etaschi Fields dealing with a malevolent god named Xoeltus as well as an evil cult trying to bring back the Mist of Madness.
The characters all gained immortality at the end of the one-shot. Zagho appeared centuries later during the events of Curse of the Blood Sea.
The characters of the Crimson Crew were:
Tristam Duskblade - M Fallen Aasimar Glory Paladin (Daibik)
Zagho - NB Nightmare Kalashtar Fathomless Warlock (Aaron)
Fred Porlock - M Simic Hybrid Human Inquisitive Rogue (Pravin)
Adriel Sungazer - M Firbolg Life Cleric (Vijay)
The Crimson Crew finishes taking control of the city of Hyrdem, when a storm led by three former Founding Knights (Pruet, Molorath, and Stillshade) engulfs the town, some soldiers taking shelter in the church. The four are transported to the Midrealm, where they find a near-braindead kraken (who Zagho pets a lot!) and lots of skeletons and transported houses. Dealing with a floating red crystal above a pool of infinite water, they manage to deal with some newly formed people and break the crystal into two pieces. Zagho tries to eat a crystal, but is burned. They get transported back to Hyrdem, and see the storm going east. Fred talks with the remaining soldiers, asking details about what occurred. Following the storm east to a small crossroads town taken over by mist. Going past chained people, they see a blue person controlling everyone, who they recognize to be the Slaver. Zagho lightning bolts the slaver when they get transported into an illusion world where they have to play chess against him with half the chess pieces on both sides. Some get transported beyond the wall as they get eliminated, but everyone manages to defeat the Slaver without completing the chess game by targeting the crystal within him and return to the real world. This crystal is split into two pieces as well, and Zagho tries to crush them, everyone taking damage and hearing a voice in their heads telling them to stop, upon which Zagho jumps on them again to more damage and voices, the voice telling them to carry the four crystals. The town is revealed to be a tribe of changelings who were under the Slaver's control and didn't even notice the storm pass through. A changeling priest tries to touch the crystals to inspect them, and is disintegrated. The changelings are ready to fight them until Tristam scares them. The party decides to leave the now-frightened changeling village (Present day Berkton) and head east, Zagho once again not sleeping overnight in the carriage- instead reading their book (and staring at the others after they slept!)
Reaching Rivermouth they find chaos in the streets, as the soldiers direct them to a lighthouse on the coast. There they find the storm coalescing into some men on the lighthouse, as well as the three founding knights. They fight the knights in a hard battle, when all the men and the three knights coalesce further into one misty entity- The Mist of Madness. As they are fighting this difficult fight, they are taken into the Midrealm by the crystals, now face to face with the god Xoeltus. Xoeltus is interested in them, and wants to be entertained. The crystals transform into crowns for the four, as well as chain-like armor. Giving them increased abilities like extra health, more AC, and healing spells doing damage, he directs them to fight each other, only leaving one alive. However, they all refuse to fight each other, and demand to fight Xoeltus after many tries of hitting him. They get into a fight with the god, which is a losing fight in which he controls them here and there. Tristam and Adriel put up a tough fight as Zagho (who has been the most rejecting and rude to Xoeltus) and Fred manage to bring life back into the kraken, causing the kraken to go and fight Xoeltus. One of the failed plane shift spells sends the four back into the material plane, where they fight the Mist of Madness to their best extent- the Mist resummoning Pruet as well. Nearing the end of their ability, Xoeltus comes back to restore their energy- Fully entertained by the fight with the kraken, who he did manage to slay. Despite refusing his help at first, they manage to whittle down the Mist as Pruet escapes via plane shift. Zagho finally takes down the Mist with a Black Emission (Lightning Bolt) spell, shattering its skull. Xoeltus comes back a final time to congratulate them, and while they do insult him more (with Zagho swearing that he'll make the Crimsons remove Xoeltus from the pantheon), he rewards them by letting them keep the crowns which they didn't want in the first place. Xoeltus leaves, but leaves a present- Pruet, who Tristam promptly kills. Tristam tries to throw his crown away into the sea, but it just comes back as a soldier informs them that all the people and buildings who disappeared into the storm have returned. They keep the crowns, which stops their aging.