The slowly flapping wings on Chance’s sandals suddenly speed up until they’re nothing but blurs on the sides of his feet. The gnome rises a few inches off the floor of the belfry and he zips over to the next bell . Before putting himself through whatever this bell has to offer, he tries to slow at least a little of his bleeding.
Asmoden’s cursebound and clumsy conditions each increase to 4.
"Looks like you are falling apart over there Asmoden. If you need to rest, I'd gladly give you a final one. Although, I'm not looking too good either."
Vitalis attacks the nearby ringbearer.
◆Strike (yellow)
◆Strike (yellow)
◆Strike (yellow)
Edrakk attempts again to patch up his bleeding as he runs over to help Vitalis.
Thatch's sigils flare up again as Jisara's magic begins to knit his wounds closed, distracting "Asmoden" just as Vitalis launches a flurry of attacks. For her part, Jisara inches ever closer to the closest remaining bell.
Jisara moves and begins healing Thatch!
Edrakk patches himself and Vitalis up!
Chance flies over and patches himself up.
Vitalis unleashes his wrath upon Yellow, decimating the undead with his last swing!
Bell #3 rings!
Asmoden lifts his longsword toward Vitalis and proclaims ”Fall before a true deity!”
Success --> Critical Success
Asmoden then Strides away.
Green casts harm on himself then Strides toward Vitalis!
8 persistent spirit to Green
Round 7
==============
Asmoden <Black> {cursebound 4; clumsy 4; +30-foot status to land Speed: Round 6 of 10}
Bellringer <Green> (-132) {8 persistent spirit}
Jisara (-41) {Fast Healing 14: Round 3 of 4; invisible: Round 2 of 10; +2 status to Will vs mental}
Thatch (-41) {+2 status to Will vs mental; Fast Healing 14: Round 1 of 4}
Edrakk (-56) {+2 status to Will vs mental; concealed}
Chance (-52) {+2 status to Will vs mental; sickened 1; Death ward}
Vitalis (-89) {+2 status to Will vs mental; 4d4 persistent bleed; Fury Cocktail: Large, clumsy 1, -1 AC, -2 Reflex, “+1” melee attacks; Expand Aura: Round 6 of 10}
The Devil’s Bells
==============
Vitalis steps up to the last bellringer. "I hoped you'd just let yourself wither away (from spirit damage) but I can see that you are insistent on being tenacious. You've brought this upon yourself."
Thatch darts between the legs of the last remaining bellringer, trying to trip it up in tandem with Vitalis's powerful swings, while Jisara channels her last bit of healing magic through the cat and into Shelyn's champion. She then reaches out with an invisible hand to the bell next to her, teeth gritted in anticipation.
Jisara finds herself in her old flat, writing at her desk, Strea sitting on her tattered sofa with Thatch dozing in her lap. She barely has time to take in the scene before it is ripped away and pulled into an apparition of Thrune, but Jisara manages to keep her wits about her.
Grabbing Strea by the wrist, she leads her fellow cambion through narrow alleyways and packed warehouses, keeping one step ahead of the illusion's hungry eye, until they reach the relative safety of the Ravens' base and she returns to reality.
She blinks once to clear it from her mind, then she's back in the fight.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Edrakk looks over at the remaining opponents, getting ready to continue to attack, but realizes that there's only one bell remaining, and that he's closest.
"Oh, I-I'm gonna regret this..."
Edrakk runs over and touches the bell.
---------------------
"So... Edrakk, you said your name was?"
Edrakk nods, looking down at the table.
"Look at me when I'm speaking."
He lifts his head up, resisting the urge to break eye contact.
"You've come a long way, haven't you?"
"Y-yes, sir."
"Hmm." The officer shuffles the papers in front of him. "I'm afraid there's a mistake in your forms." He reaches into his desk and pulls out another stack, fresh from a printing press, dropping it with a thud in front of Edrakk. "You'll have to fill them out again."
"Wh-what? N-no, it should be right, I have the ac-acceptance from--"
"Doesn't matter. You filled them out wrong, you do it again."
"But--but if you know where the mistake is, I can just go back--"
"Don't talk back to me."
Edrakk looks down at the stack of papers in front of him.
"Well?"
"I... I need a pen."
The officer smiles at this. "Oh, but you have one already." He reaches over to Edrakk's neck, plucking out a feather with a sharp pain, a single drop of blood resting at its tip. "This should do nicely, shouldn't it?"
Dutifully, Edrakk takes the feather and begins to write.
The officer picks up the stack of papers and clicks his tongue. "Nope, still wrong. Again."
Edrakk fights back tears. The feathers of his neck have been all but removed, failed quills littering the desk, leaving raw skin exposed and bleeding.
"Aren't you here on some kind of scholarship? Aren't you supposed to be smart?"
His hand throbs, skin nearly worn away from brushing against the paper.
Another stack falls in front of him. "Again."
------------------------
It would be easier if Edrakk wasn't so good with numbers. If he could let the monotony of the task flow over him. If he could stop himself from marking the tenth, fiftieth, hundredth, thousandth time he had filled out the same form, over and over and over, desperately trying to find what mistake he was making.
He couldn't, though.
Finally, on his two hundred seventy-three thousand eight hundred and forty-fourth try, he realized it. The thing that was staring him in the face the whole time, that each bloody feather was mocking him with.
He was the mistake.
------------------------
Edrakk opens his eyes again. He's standing in front of the bell. His feathers are still there, his hand isn't twisted into a ball from cramps. Already, the lines of forms are beginning to slip from his mind.
But then, why are his eyes starting to water?
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Chance tries to cough out the last of his nausea and, voice ragged, picks up his inspirational tune.
The gnome takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and reaches out to touch Bell #3.
Chance opens his eyes and looks around. He finds himself in a cavernous courtroom. The walls are paneled in dark wood and with the shutters closed over the windows, the only light comes from dozens of sputtering, smoky torches in sconces along the walls, and the ceiling is so high that the dim light from the torches cannot reach it. Through the shuttered windows, he can hear the angry rumbling of a crowd outside the courthouse.
Chance realizes with a start that he is standing in the dock. There is nobody sitting at the table for the defense attorneys, but there is no one at the prosecutor's table either. The jury box across from him is empty. He reaches up to the rail surrounding the dock - are they always this high? - and prepares to vault over it when a voice booms out from the other side of the courtroom.
Chance freezes, then turns slowly to stare up at the judge who has suddenly appeared behind the bench, which is so comically tall that the gnome has to tilt back so far to see the judge that he nearly topples backwards. The Honorable Barzillai Thrune glares down at him, then slams his gavel - which looks suspiciously like a mace - onto the bench in front of him. Rather than bringing the court to order, however, the echoing crack of the gavel triggers a wave of jeers and insults from the gallery. Chance glances at the audience and is horrified to find that he is being excoriated by a crowd of his closest friends and comrades in arms. Edrakk screeches at him, sharpening his knives. Jisara gives Chance a cruel smile, then whispers something to Thatch, who hisses at him. Vitalis - Vitalis! - is red-faced with rage, his commanding voice rises over the rest of the crowd to condemn him. Shensen. Jilia. Jackdaw. Octavio. Lady Docur. Laria Longroad. All of the Silver Ravens, and everyone who has helped them along the way.
"You stand accused of associating with the traitorous and treasonous Silver Ravens, and of engaging in terrorism against the crown of Cheliax. The penalty is death. You have one chance to make your case before you are sentenced. How do you plead?" Thrune is practically shouting, the saliva flying from his mouth visible even from his great height.
What's the worst that could happen? Roll the dice. Chance takes a slow breath to calm his racing heart, and another, then he begins to speak to the gallery, ignoring Barzilai.
"Thank you, your honor, and may it please the court, I will, absolutely, enter my plea. It would be a waste of the court's time and resources, however, to enter a plea to the charges leveled against me without providing the court with the context and at least the highlights of the relevant facts supporting these accusations.
"I am Fortunato Pineapple-Umbria Phantasmagorius Ravennablitz, and those who know me call me Chance. I am a proud native of Kintargo, and my parents lived and worked and loved here long before Abrogail the First murdered her way onto the throne of Cheliax. I remember life in Kintargo before the Thrunes deigned to notice our city, let alone claimed the right to rule over us."
He looks up at Barzilai briefly, then turns back to the audience. "Claimed the right to rule over us. I don't know what's more pathetic: Barzy's claim to any authority over anything beyond the end of his nose, or his idea of what it means to rule. He calls me a terrorist, accuses me of treason, and for what? What have I done to support these so serious, capital charges?
The gnome holds up a finger. "First, I attended the protest at Aria Park, what seems like decades ago. No, that's not right. I am a SURVIVOR of the protest at Aria Park, where Barzilai Thrune, who claims the right to rule over us, unleashed his goons on the people of Kintargo for the crime of questioning his sanity-challenged proclamations! I know none of the spectators here today were present for that treasonous event, BUT I REMEMBER THE TASTE OF MINT!"
Chance holds up another finger. "Second, I joined with other survivors to free prisoners being tortured by Barzy's goons! Some of those prisoners were members of the notorious Order of the Torrent! I am certain that many of those in audience today remember the many crimes of these supposed Hellknights, who would go around looking for kidnap victims and pursuing justice, the nefarious bastards!
"Third, I and other survivors of Aria Park continued to work together to protect our fellow Kintargans from the depredations of Barzy and the rest of the Thrunes, even going so far as to take for ourselves the famous name of an earlier group of traitors, the Silver Ravens, so there could be no doubt in the minds of the citizenry about who we are!
He continues in that vein, his voice growing hoarse, counting off the achievements of the Silver Ravens. Saving most - sadly, not all - of the attendees at Barzy's masquerade ball the Lord Mayor's attempted mass sacrifice. Forcing open the Bleakbridge over the Yolubilis River. Slaying a dragon.
"I admit to all of these acts - and many more. So for my plea, I say if my actions are treason, then I AM GUILTY! And if you are not -" he points to the audience "- then I ask you, WHY NOT? WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?"
The crowd erupts into a riot and spills out of the gallery into the well of the courtroom. Chance turns to see the reaction of the "judge" and realizes that the bench and the man behind it have shrunk to gnome-like proportions. He has only a momentary glimpse of the expression of horror on Barzilai's face before the spectators swarm over the miniaturized bench and tear him to pieces.
Chance opens his eyes and is back in the belfry, the bell next to him still and silent.
Jisara successfully suppresses Bell #4 as she heals Vitalis.
Edrakk likewise moves over and touches Bell #3.
Chance retches and places a hand on Bell #2 and suppresses it!
Vitalis moves forward and slices Green in half before moving on to Asmoden!
Asmoden Steps forward and swings his longsword at Vitalis!
Asmoden’s sword then glows with unholy energy as wounds open up on Vitalis’s body!
Asmoden then Strides away with his incredible speed to stop right next to Chance!
Round 8
==============
Asmoden <Black> {cursebound 4; clumsy 4; +30-foot status to land Speed: Round 7 of 10}
Jisara (-27) {invisible: Round 3 of 10; +2 status to Will vs mental}
Thatch (-27) {+2 status to Will vs mental; Fast Healing 14: Round 2 of 4}
Edrakk (-56) {+2 status to Will vs mental; concealed}
Chance (-52) {+2 status to Will vs mental; Death ward}
Vitalis (-125) {Fast Healjng 14: Round 1 of 4; +2 status to Will vs mental; 3d8 persistent bleed; Fury Cocktail: Large, clumsy 1, -1 AC, -2 Reflex, “+1” melee attacks; Expand Aura: Round 7 of 10}
==============
Thatch creeps forward, just close enough for Jisara to channel another spell through him. She reaches a hand out toward the distant Asmoden and pulls, trying to slow the monster through sheer force of will.
Vitalis leaps (or flies) over the pit then smacks Asmoden with his weapon.
"You're the last one standing. Time to take you down a notch, piece-by-piece if I have to."
Edrakk shakes his head, dispelling the visions from the bell.
He runs towards Vitalis to patch him up and swings another dagger at Asmoden.
Jisara sends her magic through Thatch!
Edrakk moves over and patches up Vitalis as he stabs and misses with his dagger.
Chance casts courageous anthem then unleashes a Divine Retribution on Asmoden!
plus enfeebled 1 2 and weakness to holy
Vitalis charges forward and brings his halberd down on Asmoden!
Asmoden’s longsword suddenly transforms into a mace once more.
Asmoden Strides and casts harm on himself.
Round 9
==============
Asmoden <Black> (-113) {cursebound 4; clumsy 4; +30-foot status to land Speed: Round 8 of 10}
Jisara (-27) {invisible: Round 4 of 10; +2 status to Will vs mental}
Thatch (-13) {+2 status to Will vs mental; Fast Healing 14: Round 3 of 4}
Edrakk (-56) {+2 status to Will vs mental; concealed}
Chance (-52) {+2 status to Will vs mental; Death ward}
Vitalis (-75) {Fast Healing 14: Round 2 of 4; +2 status to Will vs mental; Fury Cocktail: Large, clumsy 1, -1 AC, -2 Reflex, “+1” melee attacks; Expand Aura: Round 8 of 10}
==============
"Keep at him! He's slowing with every step. I'd appreciate it if he took a few less steps though."
Vitalis chases after the enemy and strikes again.
◆Stride
◆Stride
◆Strike
Edrakk runs over and hurls a bomb at Asmoden.
Chance opens his mouth to sing, but rather than a jaunty inspirational tune, he emits a discordant wail. If there are words in his song, they are unrecognizable as any form of language, but the eerie melody gives the clear impression that the gnome is calling something.
Gale-force winds made up of howling faces swirl around the southeastern quarter of the belfry; they buffet Asmoden but Vitalis, Jisara, and Edrakk feel only the faintest of breezes.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Jisara casts sure strike from her staff then casts disintegrate at Asmoden!
Edrakk moves over and throws a bomb at Asmoden!
Chance calls forth the spirits of the departed to weaken Asmoden!
Vitalis moves forward and attacks Asmoden!
Asmoden, barely even standing anymore, raises his mace and shouts ”Fall to my divine power!”
And Asmoden then bursts outward in void energy in a 30-foot emanation!
Success --> Critical Success (Chemical Hardiness)
Failure
Success
Success --> Critical Success (Sacred Body)
Vitalis then moves to protect Jisara from Asmoden’s magic!
plus 4 persistent spirit
4 persistent spirit
*
And Vitalis swings his halberd, decapitating Asmoden and causing him to disintegrate into dust! As Asmoden’s mace falls from his hand and clatters to the ground, it reverts form, transforming back into a longsword.
And, most notably, the Devil's Bells do not ring out upon the encounter's conclusion.
"I think we did it. If I were betting, I'd say that Asmoden creature was the glue holding this temple together. It'll be a long time before the church of Asmodeous rebuilds its strength in Kintargo, for better or worse. Let's make sure nothing else is lurking in the shadows and then get out of here."
Chance recognizes that Asmoden and the bellringers were creatures known as herecites—undead blasphemies to a previous god, made to worship a new, unholy deity in their unlife. Based on their appearance, these herecites were devoted to Aroden in life, and made to instead become devoted to Asmodeus. Asmoden, though, seemed to be some kind of strange fusion of Asmodeus and Aroden.
Regardless, the herecites’ connection to the Devil’s Bells seems to fuel their unlife, meaning that it is only a matter of time before the bells rejuvenate them. The Devil’s Bells must be exorcised before then!
However, performing a consecrate will take time, and who knows what other protectors the Temple of Asmodeus has.
For now, the PCs determine it best to clear out the temple and leave the bells until afterward. And with today being the final day of The Song of Silver, they have no time to further delay. The majority of the rooms on the temple’s second floor have yet to be explored, so that is where they’ll begin.
The walls of this room have been painted with harrowing images of the damned being tormented in hell by legions of devils. A deep, strangely warm red carpet covers the floor, while a softly glowing altar to Asmodeus made of red metal sits to the north.
An elegant four-poster bed sits in the western corner of this large, carpeted chamber. The walls glow softly with dozens of pentagrams, while to the south, a caged stage-like area looks out over the room. Its iron door hangs open, and scraps of meat and bone are strewn within.
This ostentatious room could only be Barzillai’s personal chambers. A search of the room, however, reveals nothing of note, save that the room to the north is locked.
Deep red carpeting, walls that depict murals of damnation and torment in Hell, and a wealth of infernal decorations and diabolic religious trappings on several workbenches and shelves in this room leave no doubt as to the devilry to which this chamber is devoted. Several sheets of parchment bearing designs for complex mechanical devices lie on a table to the northeast, while to the northwest a second table is covered with numerous diabolic religious items. A workbench in the middle of the room supports a partially completed object that seems to be part glass display case, part clockwork torture instrument.
As the PCs look around this room, they find…surprisingly few Asmodean religious items. The bulk of the items here are primarily used in the worship of the Archdevil Mephistopheles. Likewise, the northwestern table seems to be used as an unofficial shrine—one to a combination of both Asmodeus and Mephistopheles.
Such combinational worship is…not unprecedented—Asmodeus and Mephistopheles do have some divine overlap in the realm of contracts—but it is certainly a bit abnormal. Especially for one so high in the church of Asmodeus’s hierarchy like Barzillai.
There is also a bloodstained silver raven wondrous figurine, but Jisara determines the item to have been intentionally cursed to burn anyone who uses it with hellfire. So…the PCs store that to be thrown into the Yolubilis later.
The strange device in the center of the room has some nearby notes and rudimentary schematics for the device. These notes seem to indicate that it’s some kind of display case, with the schematics showing that it’s intended to display a human heart! The clockwork mechanisms are meant to rotate the heart and massage it to give it the appearance of beating. The clockwork display case is worth 50” gp as a curiosity item.
The notes and parchments on one of the tables seem to be designs and schematics for complex torture devices and excruciation methods, proudly signed to be written by Barzillai Thrune.
Amidst these parchments, however, are a handful of notes written in Diabolic—still in Barzillai’s handwriting.
The PCs have difficulty deciphering Barzillai’s strange shorthand. Chance, however, manages to come up with a few things of note:
Barzillai speaks in several places about an immortality ritual he refers to as the heart’s harvest. He notes that, after spending time researching in the diabolical chapters of the Book of the Damned, he came upon a method by which he could commune directly with the archdevil Mephistopheles! It was from Mephistopheles himself that Barzillai learned how to perform the heart’s harvest! The notes make very minimal mention of the details of the ritual, but does mention that a key part of it is the act of Barzillai ripping his own heart out from his chest. And…it gets a bit muddled here but there’s also something about him then needing to “live out the rest of his natural lifespan” in Kintargo…for some reason…
These notes provide far more questions than answers, but the PCs nevertheless continue exploring the second floor of the temple.
A single immense brazier sits to the north of this otherwise empty hall. The brazier is nearly ten feet across and low to the ground—a short flight of three shallow steps leads up to the lip, allowing easy entrance to the brazier.
This sixty-foot-diameter circular chamber sprawls below a domed roof painted to give the illusion of falling upward into a vast pit that opens into darkness. Eight concentric rings depicting various hellscapes circle the edges of the pit, all focusing inward on what appears to be a single ominous eye staring down from the pit’s depths, forty feet above. The arcs of several curving bookshelves in the room hold hundreds, perhaps thousands, of books, scrolls, and tablets.
The PCs know that the southern doorway leads to a balcony outside. Additionally, attempting to sort through the books here is a monumental task left for another day.
This well-appointed room serves as both a lavish bedchamber and a personal shrine. A red stone altar emblazoned with pentagrams sits to the north against a wall, a brazier burning softly with smokeless red flames atop it. A canopied bed with fine silk sheets stands to the southwest, while a red-and-black, ten-foot-tall statue of a leering devil stands to the southwest.
A four-foot-wide font sits on a stand in the middle of this room, its concave surface filled with murky water that bubbles softly with a sulfurous reek. A small desk with a few papers spread across its top sits to one side of the smoking font.
The papers on the table nearby contain notes about the Silver Ravens, divined by the high priest, as this room is a scrying chamber. The notes also contain some brief, frustrated jottings—apparently Corinstian has had trouble securing additional support from Cheliax in these troubled times.
As they get to another door, they find it to be warded with magic identical to those on the front doors of the temple.
Chance undoes the hazard on the door.
This room’s walls are blank and bare save for a single ten-foot-diameter pentagram etched into the eastern wall that’s been scrubbed with red pigment to make it stand out. Three glass display cases, each containing an apparently fresh body part on a fine red silk cushion, are the room’s only furnishings.
One glass display has a lower jaw ( complete with an immaculately styled goatee) abd tongue (which is forked), and is labeled by a plaque as Voice of the Serpent.
The second cast holds a pair of what appears to be freshly-plucked eyeballs—one green and one blue. The plaque labels it as Windows to Erebus.
Tanessen, a changeling priestess of Asmodeus who crafted the temple’s Hell Engines back in 4649 AR.
The last case holds a severed left arm, upon whose finger is a gold-and-sapphire ring bearing the holy symbol of Aroden, which glows with a dim light. The plaque is labeled Hand of the Final Fool.
Jisara determines that the ring on the hand is magical but cursed—a curse that causes one’s fingers to fall off whenever the ring is used. Though, it seems the curse has…weakened? Almost as if the ring is barely able to hold on to its curse. Due to this phenomenon, she decides to take it with her (which requires breaking the glass on this grisly display case).
The other door out of this room appears to be a vault door, and is likewise warded with the magic that shoves someone to Hell!
And the door must be unlocked.
As soon as the PCs open the door, they are bombarded with a blindingly bright light!
Failure
Success
Success
Critical Success
And at the center, emitting the light, is a pure white, alien creature!
Round 1
==============
Jisara
Thatch
Alien <White>
Chance
Edrakk {Blinded: Round 0 of 10}
Vitalis
==============
Barzillai speaks in several places about an immortality ritual he refers to as the heart’s harvest. He notes that, after spending time researching in the diabolical chapters of the Book of the Damned, he came upon a method by which he could commune directly with the archdevil Mephistopheles! It was from Mephistopheles himself that Barzillai learned how to perform the heart’s harvest! The notes make very minimal mention of the details of the ritual, but does mention that a key part of it is the act of Barzillai ripping his own heart out from his chest. And…it gets a bit muddled here because no one crit succeeded but there’s also something about him then needing to “live out the rest of his natural lifespan” in Kintargo…for some reason…
Vitalis listens to Chances explanation intently. ”Well, that would explain the shrine. So, if Barzillai needed to “live out the rest of his natural lifespan”, and we unnaturally shortened that lifespan, that could explain were he went off too. Maybe Mephistopheles took him back. Serves him right. If you make a deal with a devil, you’re always going to get burned. I hope he’s have a good time in Hell.”
Vitalis shares what he knows about these cultural artifacts. Pointing to the displayed jaw, ”This is the jaw of the first high priest of Asmodeus to serve in Kintargo, the half-fiend Algier Mandraxaid.”
The pointing to the pair of eyeballs, ”These eyes belonged to Meyib Tanessen, a changeling priestess of Asmodeus who crafted the temple’s Hell Engines back in 4649 AR. My father has spoken of her proudly in the past when regaling the many achievements of the Tanessen family. I had no idea her eyes were kept on display though. How morbid.”
Lastly, pointing at the severed arm, ”This one, I know nothing about. Although that’s a holy symbol of Aroden on its finger. Come to think of it, Asmoden was missing an arm, wasn’t he? Could this be his? Too bad he’s dust. Maybe I would have given it back.”
When we open the door with the being of light, ”GAHH!”
When Vitalis draws a blank on the significane of the severed arm, Jisara turns to look down at Thatch, who returns her gaze with a slow, lazy blink. She kneels down to whisper something in his ear, and a soft energy washes over the cat.
Thatch circles around the case several times as he examines the arm, and eventually he turns back to address the party.
"This belonged to the Temple of Aroden's final high priest, Andax Tasetas, before the Asmodeans seized control of the temple for their own purposes. Beyond serving as another example of their grotesque and puerile interior design philosophy, it has no other significance."
When faced with an enemy that uses light itself as a weapon, Jisara knows just which tool to use. Both her and her familiar move in unison, reaching for the shadows hiding in the corners of the room and weaving them into a whirlwind that swarm over the creature and tear at its flesh.
"This belonged to the Temple of Aroden's final high priest, Andax Tasetas, before the Asmodeans seized control of the temple for their own purposes. Beyond serving as another example of their grotesque and puerile interior design philosophy, it has no other significance."
Jisara summons the shadows cast by the beast’s light and damages it!
The beast shirks at the strange, flittering shadows and casts a 6th-rank dispel magic!
It then fires a ray of light at Vitalis!
plus 5 weakness
Round 1 —> 2
==============
Jisara
Thatch
Alien <White> (-10)
Chance
Edrakk {Blinded: Round 1 of 10}
Vitalis (-35)
==============
"Argh! Alien, you've made a mistake. I was forged in fire!"
Vitalis steps in the room to strike at the creature. His eyes need to time adjusting to the sudden shifts of light and darkness and his aim is off.
"Don't let it escape. Whatever it is."
Jisara and Thatch assault the creature in quick succession, trying to weaken its defenses before the cat's teeth and claws swarm over it.
Edrakk, trying to shake off the spots covering most of his vision, adjusts his harness and coats a dagger with acid, throwing it at the... thing.
Chance yelps at the flash of light and the creature barely glimpsed through the glare in the next room.
“Ha! No thank you! Not going to fight you today! Go home! Shoo!”
Chance then attempts to send the thing back from whence it came!
And with a supernova of brightness, the creature vanishes.
Now that there is no longer blinding light, the PCs have a better view of this room. This room’s perimeter is ringed by a single, four-foot-high stone shelf, atop which sit several small chests, neatly ordered stacks of coins and bars of precious metal, and all matter of bejeweled or obviously magical treasures.
It is clear even from a cursory glance that this room is far emptier than it should be—it seems that the Asmodean church was burning through their monetary resources.
*
And with that, the Temple of Asmodeus has been cleared out, with one exception: the Devil’s Bells. The PCs spend the rest of today gathering resources for performing the consecrate ritual, and begin to perform it tomorrow.
*
*
*
*
As the PCs complete their ritual, the glowing runes upon the Devil’s Bells diminish, and the PCs are awash with feelings of hope and thanks—feelings originating from the trapped Arodenite souls that were bound to the Devil’s Bells. They likewise feel…a twinge of annoyance and frustration before it leaves—it seems that the exorcising of the bells has made Asmodeus truly abandon this place.
As the PCs exit the temple, they find the remainder of Barzillai’s fiercest allies have been dealt with, leaving the Thrune with zero authority here.
And now. To rebuild.
*
*
Two weeks. Two weeks of building back the city. Of burying the dead. Of general public service. The Silver Ravens have been instrumental during this time, as they have gone all-hands-on-deck in this. They’ve barely even had time to divvy up any of the treasure they nabbed from the Temple of Asmodeus.
With the absence of a lord-mayor, a snap election had to take place, where Jilia Bainilus was overwhelmingly voted back into her position as lord-mayor.
As the work began to wind down, the upper echelons of the city (nobility, leaders, etc.) made plain their desire to celebrate the Silver Ravens’ accomplishments. Bleakbridge has been renamed to the Silver Span, and artisans were commissioned to sculpt statues of the PCs to be placed on the Silver Span.
And thus we arrive here. A public festival upon the Silver Span in celebration for the Silver Ravens and the unveiling of the statues.
It seems that the whole city has arrived here, and the PCs are the center of attention. While the mood is somewhat morose—the casualties of the Kintargan Rebellion were still great—it is still an upbeat celebration of the triumph against tyranny!
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
232 pp, 5,590 gp, 12,750 sp, 31,162 cp, various art objects and items of jewelry worth a total of 5,875 gp, a scroll of 6th-rank raise dead capable of reviving a level 13 creature (worth 2,900 gp total), the details on how to perform the control weather ritual, three tapers of sanctification (Asmodeus, unholy), and a chalice of justice affixed with a greater Balisse feather.
Vitalis whistles at the chalice of justice. "Woo. That's a nice weapon. Almost makes me want to practice using a longsword. I know those filthy Asmodeans weren't using this. It was probably confiscated from when this was a church of Aroden."
They likewise feel…a twinge of annoyance and frustration before it leaves—it seems that the exorcising of the bells has made Asmodeus truly abandon this place.
"We actually did it. Against all odds, we did it. Pissing off not only the Thrune family but also the god Asmodeus himself is definitely going to come back to bite us one day. But not today. Today was a good day for Kintargo."
At the celebration, enjoys the food and drink. He seeks out some notable people to have small talk with and discuss plans for the future, including Octavio Sabinus, Jilia Bainilus, Laria Longroad, and Zachrin Vhast. He makes a concerted effort to avoid any members of the Tanessen family, especially his father, knowing that the Tanessen's fortune and reputation are likely to vastly diminish after his actions to oust Barzillai Thrune from Kintargo.
He looks up at the unveiled statues and comments to no one in particular, "A bit much. Don't you think? I hardly feel like what I've done is statue worthy."
Chance perches on the raised base for his statue nursing a mug of coffee for most of the celebration and lets people who want to talk to him find him there; he’s too tired to fight his way through the crowd of longshanks today.
“So apparently, we got the attention of the god of Hell, and Vitalis thinks he may cause us problems down the road,” he says to Laria Longroad. “But really, what’s the worst thing that could happen, just from being on an angry evil god’s bad side? Right, right, don’t answer that.”
He looks in the direction of the opera house. “I guess the Academy will reopen at some point soon, Now that I’m famous and all, do you think they’d let me back in?”
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Standing on the span of a bridge that, a year ago, she wasn't allowed to cross, Jisara smiles. Not a cruel smirk or gritted teeth, but an actual smile, a genuine expression of joy and hope. She wanders freely through the crowd, speaking with any who approach her, though she pays special attention to her fellow cambions and seems to take a particular pleasure in flaunting her infernal heritage whenever speaking with the city's aristocracy.
We did it, Jisara thinks to herself, her mind already looking to what's next. For her, for Kintargo, for the people of the Devil's Nursery.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"CORNER!!" Edrakk weaves between passersby, carrying a tray of sizzling kebabs fresh from a series of large grills lined with a variety of meats. He moves to a large display of food, all ready for festival-goers to enjoy, and grabs an empty tray, placing down the new tray of meat in its place.
He passes a pot staffed by a younger chef (though by very little) and dips a finger in, bringing it to his beak to taste it. "Needs more onions, they'll balance out the tomatoes a bit." He quickly hurries along, before shouting back, "Go ahead and add some more mint, too!"
Arriving at the statues, he nearly collapses against one of the pedestals. "I-I don't think I realized h-how exhausting having a whole kitchen would be. I-I'd guess this is usually more than you'd have to deal with, but still."
Taking a breath, he looks out over the bridge into the water.
"I--I really should write my parents. They haven't heard from me i-in ages." He stares at the water for another moment before beginning to laugh. "I don't know how I'm gonna explain h-half of this. They'd p-panic if they knew I was f-fighting in a r-revolution. Th-they only let me come here b-because I said I-I wouldn't get in t-trouble, and I've definitely f-failed at that."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
At the height of the ceremony, the PCs are each called up by Jilia Bainilus.
The statues are officially unveiled, and the bridge is officially renamed the Silver Span, ”To move past from its bleak past as Bleakbridge.”
Jilia Bainilus then turns to the PCs. ”It is with great pride and honor that I, as Kintargo’s lord-mayor, present you four these keys to the Silver City for your bravery in the fight against tyranny!”
Jilia produces four oversized keys plated in silver and presents them to each of the PCs, which is met with raucous cheers.
”You four have shown yourselves capable of great courage…” A curious murmur over the crowd disrupts Jilia’s speech. She tries to continue on unabated, but is more chillingly interrupted when a woman lets out a blood-curdling shriek!
”DRAGON!!!”
All eyes turn to the south, and sure enough a massive, blue-scaled dragon is flying toward the Silver Span at alarming speeds. And carved into the dragon’s underbelly is the inverted pentagram of Asmodeus—this is Rivozair!
”Everyone! Evacuate the bridge now!” Jilia shouts, causing the crowd to begin pushing their way off the bridge. ”Chance!” Jilia draws her sword, Reprisal, and tosses it toward him, the gnome catching it as it comes within reach.
Round 0
==============
Chance
Vitalis
Edrakk
Jisara
Thatch
==============
The PCs then watch as Rivozair comes overhead and divebombs! A second, significantly smaller figure then leaps off from being mounted upon the dragon’s back, using their own wings to soften their descent.
It is Barzillai Thrune, a pair of black angel wings protruding from his back!
Thrune and Rivozair land upon the Silver Span, and both seem to completely ignore the panicking civilians in favor of much more pertinent prizes: the PCs!
Rivozair Casts a Spell as the PCs are surrounded in a circle of 10-foot tall flaming hellfire!
Will Saves vs. frightful presence (+1 if Chance cast courageous anthem)
Failure
Success
Failure (success if courageous anthem)
Success --> Critical Success (Divine Will)
Barzillai Expands his Aura, then Strides forward. A deep rage burns across his countenance as he shouts ”I will be humiliated NO LONGER!!!”
Critical Success (regular success if courageous anthem)
Round 1
==============
Rivozair <Blue>
Barzillai Thrune <Red> {Expand Aura: Round 0 of 10}
Chance {frightened 2}
Vitalis {frightened 2}
Edrakk {frightened 2}
Jisara {frightened 1}
Thatch {frightened 2}
Event
==============
Vitalis' jaw drops as he looks up at the sky. He throws his wine glass to the ground and growls in exasperation. "You have got to be kidding me! What does it take to get rid of this guy?"
Vitalis shouts to the other Silver Ravens, "Keep the citizens safe. We'll handle the rest."
Round 0
Vitalis draws his potion of quickness and drinks it. He wipes a dribble of liquid from his lips on his sleeve and discards the vial to shatters alongside his ruined wine glass. Then he readies his weapon with a determined glare.
Round 1
"You humiliate yourself with every action you take, Barzillai! Why have you even come here? For petty revenge? What a sad man you've become. You are not wanted here. You hold no power here. Asmodeus' presence has been purged. A new mayor has been elected. You have nothing. Nothing but hate. And I will not let you use that to hurt anyone else!"
Vitalis calls to his allies, "Spread out if you can. Don't let the dragon catch us all in its breath."
First, Vitalis expands his aura. Then with no other escape, Vitalis shields his face and leaps through the wall of fire. He charges past Thrune to get within reach of the dragon. "Here I am big guy. You want a piece of me?"
Jisara's head whips around at the woman's scream, and hesitates for only a moment before making a pre-emptive counterattack. A yawning sphere of black nothingness forms in the air in front of the dragon and seem to pull in the light around it before violently detonating. Without checking to see the results of her spell, she and her familiar bolt for cover in opposite directions, not wanting to be caught in whatever hideous breath weapon Rivozair has in store for them.
Jisara's look of stunned disbelief at Barzillai's reappearance is wiped away by the inquisitor's shout of rage and indignation. Instead, she begins giggling, the laughter intensifying to an almost hysterical cackle.
"Look at him! So embarrassing, so impotent, so weak!" she shouts, pointing a mocking finger at Thrune. The sentence is punctuated by an enormous blast of lightning that rushes through him, the dragon, and the crowd of devils attacking the celebration.
For an instant, Chance freezes at the sight of the returning dragon. At Jilia's shout, he snaps to attention, drops his coffee and snatches Reprisal out of the air. He casts a spell to bolster his comrades' hearts (and his own) against the fear the dragon inspires before running across the bridge and backs up against the wall of one of the structures built along the side of the span.
"Oh, $%*&!"
A deep rage burns across his countenance as he shouts "I will be humiliated NO LONGER!!!"
Edrakk immediately scatters, moving to next to one of the buildings and drawing a potion.
Edrakk throws a bomb at Barzillai, a metal filament rattling inside, before tapping his shoes together and disappearing.
Chance gives the PCs the conviction to fight then moves.
Vitalis drinks a potion of quickness.
Edrakk moves over and drinks an elixir.
Jisara sends a burst of void energy at Rivozair (and Barzillai)!
Jisara and Thatch then run in different directions.
Rivozair Casts a Spell as the PCs are surrounded in a circle of 10-foot tall flaming hellfire!
Chance begins singing and attempts to undermine Barzillai’s confidence!
Vitalis expands his aura and charges at Rivozair!
Edrakk throws a bomb at Barzillai…
…then goes invisible!
Jisara sends a burst of lightning at Barzillai and Rivozair!
Jisara then uses a hex.
Barzillai’s devils slaughter innocent civilians as the Silver Ravens attempt to intervene!
Rivozair Seeks around her in paranoia in an attempt to find the hidden threats that are obviously there! She then unleashes a Draconic Frenzy on Vitalis!
"Look at him! So embarrassing, so impotent, so weak!" she shouts, pointing a mocking finger at Thrune.
Something in Barzillai’s mind snaps at Jisara’s words—more than a little exacerbated by Chance’s spell—and the Inquisitor turns to Jisara with sheer intent to kill, too angered to even form a coherent sentence! Barzillai Strides then becomes wreathed in flame as he does a Flaming Promenade at Jisara!
plus 2d10 persistent fire damage from the crit
He knocks Jisara into the nearby wall and screams ”WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME, YOU LITTLE *****?!?!”
And Barzillai’s own rage and paranoia cause serious mental distress!
Round 2
Casualties: 2
==============
Rivozair <Blue> (-34)
Barzillai Thrune <Red> (-99) {Expand Aura: Round 1 of 10}
Chance (+12) {+2 status to Will vs mental; frightened 1}
Vitalis (-17) {Expand Aura: Round 1 of 10; Hasted: Round 2 of 10; +2 status to Will vs mental; frightened 1}
Edrakk (+12) {+2 status to Will vs mental; concealed; invisible; frightened 1}
Jisara (-53) {2d10 persistent fire; frightened 1; +2 status to Will vs mental}
Thatch (+12) {+2 status to Will vs mental; frightened 1}
Event
==============
Vitalis attacks Rivozair multiple times then steps back to force the dragon to move if it wants to attack back.
"Was that a sore spot?" Jisara asks, her voice full of mock concern, "It's very common for men of your advanced age, you know." And then she's gone, suddenly standing at Thatch's side again, where she casts another spell and withdraws her knife from its hiding place.
Thatch just squeezes himself against the wall, trying to avoid the dragon's notice.
Chance's courageous anthem cuts off with a long, eerie wail. Even after he closes his mouth, the discordant howl echoes off the water until it sounds as though someone - or something - is responding in kind.
A cyclone created from an amalgam of screaming, vengeful spirits swirls in the center of the bridge, brutally strong gusts smashing into Rivozair and Barzillai.
Edrakk grits his beak and runs through the fire, patting himself down, before throwing a dagger at Barzillai, before ducking into one of the nearby buildings.
Round 5
Chance summons forth a tornado of spirits!
Vitalis attacks Rivozair, but only manages to hit once. And as Vitalis retreats, the dragon attacks the Hellknight!
Edrakk rushes through the fire…
Then throws a dagger at Barzillai, but misses completely.
Jisara “teleports” away and begins healing herself.
Barzillai’s devils continue to slaughter the civilians!
Rivozair inhales and unleashes her Hellfire Breath!
Failure
Critical Success
Critical Success
Failure
Chance then uses Unexpected Shift to negate some of the damage.
Rivozair then Strides forward
Barzillai’s feral anger grows as Jisara seems to disappear. He quickly scans around the battlefield and finds her. He then Strides straight at Jisara, completely ignoring Vitalis, whom he could easily flank. He then swings his mace at Jisara!
But at this point, Vitalis interjects to protect Jisara!
plus 4 persistent spirit.
Round 3
Casualties: 4
==============
Rivozair <Blue> (-87) {drained 1}
Barzillai Thrune <Red> (-99) {Expand Aura: Round 2 of 10}
Chance (-3) {+2 status to Will vs mental}
Vitalis (-94) {Expand Aura: Round 2 of 10; Hasted: Round 3 of 10; +2 status to Will vs mental}
Edrakk (-12) {+2 status to Will vs mental; concealed}
Jisara (-93) {2d10 persistent fire; Fast Healing 14: Round 1 of 4; +2 status to Will vs mental}
Thatch (+12) {+2 status to Will vs mental}
Event
==============
Vitalis curses when Rivozair reacts and bites him. "By Shelyn, I won't make that mistake again."
Then he grits his teeth through the dragon's breath. "I was forged in hellfire. You'll have to do better than that."
Vitalis lays on hands on himself then strikes at the dragon with another series of attacks. Then, although Barzillai has ignored him this time, he steps to a position to protect himself from flanking anyway.
Jisara throws a bit more healing magic Vitalis's way, then teleports down the bridge again and out of Barzillai's reach.
"Over here, you dumb bastard!" she shouts back, hoping the distance buys her enough time.
Edrakk runs out from his hiding spot to swing at Barzillai, stepping in front of Thatch.
Chance casts courageous anthem then activates Reprisal’s Sacred Glow!
The tornado of souls then unleashes a Howl of Eternity upon Barzillai, Rivozair, and the devils!
Vitalis heals himself then attacks Rivozair!
Edrakk moves over to flank Barzillai, which prompts an attack from Rivozair!
Edrakk then stabs at Barzillai!
And Barzillai whips around and gives Edrakk an angered glare that causes mental turmoil!
4 spirit damage
Jisara begins healing Vitalis, then teleports away.
Barzillai shouts at Rivozair ”Bomb them!”
Barzillai slams his hand upon Edrakk’s chest as he Casts a Spell, causing his hand to emit void energy!
Success --> Critical Success (Chemical Hardiness)
Thrune then swings his mace at the tengu!
plus 2d10 persistent fire damage and pushes Edrakk 5 feet away
”All that they will find of you are your hollow bones at the bottom of the Yolubilis!”
Vitalis then moves to protect Edrakk from Barzillai’s attack!
plus 4 persistent spirit
Barzillai then snaps his head to glare at Vitalis!
Suddenly, an iron helm identical to those worn by the Asmodean Inquisition appears upon Barzillai’s face!
Barzillai then Strides toward Jisara!
4 persistent spirit
Rivozair Casts a Spell as a burst of hellfire erupts all around her, narrowly missing Barzillai!
Failure
Failure
Success (and no persistent damage)
Success (and no persistent damage)
Rivozair then bites at Vitalis!
Round 4
Casualties: 4
==============
Barzillai Thrune <Red> (-154) {4 persistent spirit; Expand Aura: Round 3 of 10}
Rivozair <Blue> (-145) {frightened 1; drained 1}
Chance (-34) {4d6 persistent hellfire; +2 status to Will vs mental}
Vitalis (-83) {4d6 persistent mental; 4 persistent spirit; Fast Healing 14: Round 1 of 4; Expand Aura: Round 3 of 10; Hasted: Round 4 of 10; +2 status to Will vs mental}
Edrakk (-58) {frightened 1; 4d6 persistent hellfire; 2d10 persistent fire; 4 persistent spirit; 4d6 persistent mental; +2 status to Will vs mental; concealed}
Jisara (-90) {2d10 persistent fire; Fast Healing 14: Round 2 of 4; +2 status to Will vs mental}
Thatch (+1) {+2 status to Will vs mental}
Event
==============
"Think about how many more centuries you could have lived if you hadn't followed this madman. Now that's all for naught when I slay you." Vitalis taunts.
Vitalis strikes Rivosair once then despite knowing Rivozair will likely bite at him again, Vitalis follows after Barzillai and swings his halberd crackling with holy energy.
"No matter how many times I need to fight you, I will do so, if it means protecting Kintargo."
Vitalis pulls Barzillai closer and triggers the reaction from the holy property on his weapon.
Edrakk quickly whips up an anesthetic before hurling another bomb at Barzillai and patching himself up, quickly running to one of the buildings.