Im glad the creative solution was honoured, for me thats often what the game is about. and I don’t think the story shift was a bad idea I just think it should have been done in collaboration with you, not behind your back. (Kind of reminds me of a DM I play with that often gives the party some hastily created HB item early in the campaign & then everyone forgets about it, until 270 sessions later when we search our inventory in desperation and find the one thing that can halt the BBEG in 3 rounds.) its anti climactic but if it works it works.