It started long before the Grey Knights went to face Deskari. Asmodai would return to Dresen with his companions and he would drink and celebrate their victories or drink and morn their losses. Yet as soon as he was alone, trying to retire to his bed his sword would glow.
Death from Hell it was called in the common tongue. A weapon forged by devils to fight demons then reforged again by Asmodai’s father as a weapon human men could use against those same demons. When the sword would glow Asmodai would be forced into a trance like state. He would be pulled into Hell itself and the devils would try to take back what they believed was rightfully theirs.
At first they underestimated Asmodai’s will. He destroyed them in droves. They sent their weakling minions after him, a simple human they thought. They met their demise at the end of his blade again and again.
Asmodai did not tell his friends of this. He did not want to seem weak nor burden them with his problems that he was dealing with quite fine. Yet the attacks got worse and became more frequent. Finally a devil came to him and did not attack. It simply said, “when you next struggle for your life alongside your friends we will come for you and for them. When the fight seems bleakest you will be set upon on two fronts and we will slay you all to retrieve what is ours!” Asmodai did not care to chat with devils so he attacked but the devil fled.
It was then that Asmodai knew his time with the Grey Knights was over. He would not bring his battle to them when they already struggled so hard. He fled within himself. He took to the drink and his companions just believed that was how he dealt with the sorrow, death and destruction that was being brought upon the world. It was not. Asmodai knew that if he got drunk enough he would pass out and they would come. He welcomed it! He would kill them or they would kill him but they would not put his friends in danger!
This was until one day, when the Grey Knights had been gone for some time Joran Vhane came to Asmodai. He said he had been watching him and knew that something was wrong. Over many drinks Asmodai told Joran of the sword and what was happening. Joran knew that the purity forge was Asmodai’s only hope. Eventually the devils would wear him down and he would fall. Joran took Asmodai to the forge immediately and they worked tirelessly for hours upon hours. Reforging the sword that Asmodai’s father had thought he had conqured years before. And had Asmodai’s father had the purity forge he probably would have been successful. It was here that Asmodai found his calling again. Here that he knew where he could do the most good for the crusade. He not only reforged his blade but he began working in the Purity Forge night and day and the weapons that he turned out went to the hands of countless crusaders who took to the fight and slew the evil outsiders in droves. Here Asmodai was happy. Here he could drink and forge and forget about all the darkness.
Keff Silvertongue
Just keep falling he thought. This is an endless pit. I don’t need to eat because of this ring and I can just let myself fall forever he imagined. But something, some spark in his gut would not let him quit. He felt like such a hindrance to his allies. People who had quite literally died for him and who he had died for as well. He didn’t know what he could do but he knew he would rather die again, for good, than to truly give up.
As he arrested his fall he wondered where this fire came from. Why did this fighting spirit burn within his gut when only a few short months ago he was content with looting Kenabras for his personal gain. He could only imagine that faith was the answer. Belief in something larger than himself. It wasn’t Iomedae herself though he knew she played no small role. It was the teaming masses that have faith in what she stood for. It was Lincoln and those like him who put themselves in front of the blade repeatedly for those that could not or would not do it themselves.
Finally he passed the lifeless battered and broken form of Deskari and he knew that his friends were victorious! He felt as though he had failed them again by not being there. But he had not quit on his own and the relief he felt, knowing he would not have to face that terror again was unimaginable. He felt his will begin to crack as sanity slowly left him. This was all too much to bear. When there was a common foe he could focus and ignore that itch of insanity in the back of his mind. Now it came screaming forward like a storm. How many times had he been cut down? How many times had he failed? What horror’s had he seen that should never be witnessed by mortal eyes? Too many to count.
Just then he came back into view of his exhausted yet victorious companions. They cheered as they saw he was not dead and that brought him momentarily back to sanity. He smiled as they embraced and cheered their victory! Yet inside he knew that he was broken and feared there was no repair for his troubled mind.
Back in Drezen Keff first took to the bottle. He never had to buy a drop as he was with the heroes of the crusade! He was one of them yet he did not feel like it. Each and every one of them were enjoying their victories in their own way but Keff found no solace. He played his ballads in the inns and sang the songs of the heroes that saved the world and closed the Worldwound. Crowds cheered him but he felt defeated and as though they only cheered for the others and not the lowly bard that was there as well.
Finally he found the courage, or the sanity, or both to return to the chapel and pray. This act probably saved his life for the last time. He knew that he was done with the life of an adventurer and he sold every magic item that he had earned throughout his questing with the Gray Knights. With his newfound riches he only wanted one thing. He paid a powerful wizard to create for him a necklace that would allow him dreamless sleep and calmed his mind. He did not want his memories erased because all he cared to do was spread the word of what was done in his time as a Gray Knight. The necklace kept the horror at pay and his sanity intact. He traveled far and wide telling all of Golarion the details of what had been sacrificed to save them all the horrors of the Worldwound!
Morcar Bluecinder
As the body of Deskari fell and his minions fell back Morcar stepped to the edge of the chasm he had stood his ground on to defend his friends as he had done countless times before. An almost overwhelming sense of accomplishment struck him. He had defeated demons by the hundreds but most importantly he had faced down his own demons. He had overcome his internal struggle while simultaneously overcoming those that sought to destroy all the world!
Standing there, watching the body of a defeated Demon Lord fall into eternity Morcar knew his fight was over. He felt vindicated and knew that he could return home with pride and that he had brought honor back to his family name. He threw his shield into the pit after the body of the Lord of the Locust host and turned to return to his friends and ultimately back to Drezen.
Back in Drezen Morcar took time there to heal all those he could for weeks during the clean up an endless raiding parties to rid the rest of the demons from the land. But all the while he knew ultimately his heart pulled him home.
Finally, when the perpetual trail of wounded slowed to a crawl he went to his friends. He told them together that he would never forget them and would always be there if they needed him but he had to return to where he belongs. Of course they wished him well before returning to their own numerous tasks.
Morcar left his armor to Jorah and told him to use the Purity Forge to transform it’s twisted appearance that his evil brother wore with pride into something that he could wear with honor. He sold off a few of his magic items and left a few for the remaining crusaders that might need them. He took his remaining things and his holy Warhammer and set off for his home. He traveled with caravans at times but alone the most. There were a few skirmishes that he and his sometimes traveling companions dealt with, with ease. He mostly looked inward during that time. To the tranquility he felt in his soul. He had embraced the teachings he all too recently disgraced. It had only been a matter of months since he left home but a lifetime of experience had passed during that time. As he finally came face to face with the gates of his mountain home he stopped. It was as if that first step across the threshold of this place was the hardest of all. He stood there looking on at the busy dwarven stronghold and all the places he remembered. Nothing had changed but everything was different now. Steeling himself for his next adventure he made the most profound step of his life and returned home.
Keiiek Roulade The Versifier-Speculate, Arueshalae, and Alderpash
Keiiek had ascended beyond mere mortal’s understanding of morality. When he saw Keff fall his preternatural awareness told him that he was only wounded, badly, but not dead. He was no longer tied to the bonds of mortal thought but still believed greatly in free will. His intuition told him that Keff may not even choose to return after what he had endured and that was his choice. That knowledge combined with the fact that if he left the battle at that moment it may turn the tide in Deskari’s favor, made the choice for him and he did not act to save him. When he saw long before anyone else that Keff was flying back up it only confirmed his confidence in his choice.
As Deskari fell into the abyss of his own making Keiiek did not spend much time in celebration. His mind went immediately to the next task. He would not remain in the Worldwound long after returning with his friends there. He knew that this part of his journey had ended and now a new dawn awaits. Along with Arueshalae and Alderpash, Keiiek stuck out on his walkabout that had initially brought him to where he was needed most. It was time to find his peace with Desna and perhaps convert his ever growing following into something greater.
Three of the most powerful mortals on Golarion walked a solitary and relatively peaceful path for a time. There were battles of course. Trifles really when compared to what they had been through. Many times Keiiek likened it to killing a gnat with a catapult but that did not bother him. What ever pulled at his soul was a purpose. He was so sure in his purpose in the Worldwound. Never doubting that he was in the right place at the right time doing the right things for his wyrd. Yet now, back on a simpler path he forced himself to wonder if it was enough.
Each tower of Desna brought him new joy. A sense of completion not only because it was part of his faith but it was part of what he had set out to do and he did not like to leave things unfinished. Along the way he taught of his life and what his worship offered. He did not know if he wanted to be a god but he felt that maybe some needed a god like him. As he went from tower to tower this pulled him away from his faith in Desna which stole joy from the adventure of finding each tower. With only one tower remaining to find and visit he finally decided that his true path was to pursue the state of being that was considered a god. He would embrace this and see where it took him next.
Standing in front of his teaming masses of followers, Arueshalae and Alderpash still by his side he felt himself becoming something more and he let it flow over him. A God it is then.
Aenarion Dragayn
Aen once joked with Lincoln that if they ever fought he wouldn’t even be able to hit him with an arrow because he practiced so much at missing him! In combat Aen almost always had to target his enemies around his angelic brother. This was no different. Lincoln stood, or flew rather against the mastermind behind everything they stood against. Deskari’s scythe and claws clashed against Lincoln’s shield and armor again and again! Aen knew the best way to help his brother and his friends was, as always, to fire his arrows as fast as lightning and kill their enemies!
Again and again and again, arrow after arrow Aen shot. He lost all since of pride with each successful strike. He cared not how well the shot was placed or how much it may have wounded the Lord of the Locust Hosts! All he thought was about not hitting his friend and about making every arrow hit it’s mark! He did not know if it was his arrows, Lincolns sword or Keiiek’s magic that delivered the killing blow for he did not care. Even as Lincoln finally flow there alone watching Deskari’s body fall into the abyss Aen kept firing! It was not until Keff flow back up past the falling demon lord that Aen realized he had never even noticed Keff’s fall. He realized then that they had won! He stood there, looking at his fingers that once bled from firing that many arrows that fast. He saw a slight tremble in his hand. His hands had never trembled before. Always as steady as Lincoln’s faith. Was he scared? No, there was not much that ever scared him anymore. Was he tired or wounded? No, the only thing he could think was that he was finally, after so many months, relieved. He actually took a breath. They had won!
Back in Drezen Aen’s friends took a short time to celebrate and then immediately went to work. Helping the countless incoming wounded. Striking out on missions to finish of the remaining demons in the Worldwound. Rebuilding what they could of the now liberated cities. Aen was not a builder or a healer. Aen knew where he could give the most help and he went out again and again to help raiding parties. Sometimes even alone he walked the Worldwound to slay demons and protect the crusaders! Lincoln would have never allowed him to go alone, always wanted to be there to help his brother but Aen needed the time to himself. He did not want to be away from his friends but he did not mind the silence to do his deadly work on his own terms.
Finally on one rescue mission into the heart of the Worldwound the group he had joined rescued a large group of captured and tortured crusaders. Among them was Tyriol Ara’shan, Aen’s adoptive father. Aen was overjoyed to se him, and alive no less. Yet the damage the demons had done to him was horrendous! They had taken his hands almost up to his elbow. Aen knew immediately that Tyriol had most likely taken a deadly tole on them with his bow and they had made him pay for it once captured! Aen made to move Tyriol to safety but Tyriol stopped him. “I am dying Aen and I have something I must tell you before I do. I have known for many years now where your parents are yet I feared to tell you. Once surrounded by the demons that night they were not slain. As I carried you to safety I feared that they wouldn’t but. They were taken and tortured and tainted. Eventually they joined a group called the Whispering Way and they have been leaders of that horrible cult ever since. If they are not stopped they will fulfill the cult’s evil plans to release the Whispering Tyrant!” Aen knew who this was through his religious studies. He was shocked to hear this about his parents and almost angry at Tyriol for not telling him! Yet he could not hold the anger as he held his mentor and pseudo father as he took his last breaths. He did not even have time to ask him how he knew the information he had.
Returning with all haste to Drezen there was one person Aen wanted to speak to. Lincoln would want to know of this and Aen had no doubt that Lincoln would join him in this quest. He definitely wanted his brother by his side for what was to come. He looked first in the temple and as he expected that was where he found him. Lincoln was kneeling in prayer but this was more than usual prayer. This time Lincoln was glowing. Aen felt comfort from the light coming off his friend and sat down in a pew beside him to wait. But before he could sit he spun with his blow drawn. No one else in the chapel would have seen it and Aen didn’t even actually see anything but he knew someone was there, in the rafters, in the shadows. A familiar presence filled the air and Aen knew without doubt that he knew who this was!
Ink leapt nimbly from the darkness of the rafters and landed silently on the stone floor. Moving effortlessly through the church he approached Aen who had not yet lowered his weapon. “You’ve gotten better Aen.” Ink said. “And you should be dead.” Aen responded. “You know me Aen, a simple deal with a devil and my problems were solved, he said with a slight chuckle.” “Somehow I actually believe you Ink.”
Before their conversation could go further the light from Lincoln grew brighter than their eyes could stand and then just as quickly faded. Aen lowered his bow but did not turn his back on Ink as he moved to face his kneeling friend. Lincoln’s wings now radiated heat and you could catch a glimpse of flame licking a feather here and there. He stood, seeming taller than before and with his eyes now glowing an intense white he turned to his two friends.
Lincoln Cross
Lincoln went into a trance like state after he saw Keff fall. He knew that if he went after him then he would leave his remaining friends alone against the Lord of the Locust hosts! He flashed back to when his wife to be was buried beneath the ruble of Kenabres. Clasping her hand, helpless against the weight of the tragedy that was literally befalling all of them. He held that hand until he felt the life slip away and the ruble pushed him back. Only months ago but a lifetime had passed. He felt that same helplessness here and the burden of the decision he must make. His friend who had stood by his side through countless tortures must be let go to stand his ground against the mastermind behind the greatest threat Golarion had ever known.
When the final blow was struck Lincoln saw it in the many eyed face of Deskari first. Disbelief, confusion, maybe even fear. He was dead and he knew it. There was no pause, only the change in his look and then he fell like a stone. Lincoln did not waste time watching the demon lord fall. He turned to check on his friends, like gods themselves holding that lone plateau against countless hordes that climbed the sides to destroy them. All alive, none even ready to celebrate yet, always ready for the next threat! A threat that was not to come. Lincoln thought of Keff and made to fly down to him with no hope of ever reaching him when he saw the brave man flying back up, past the falling form of the former demon lord!
Gathered in a tight circle back in Dresen after Keiiek teleported them back it started with a smile and then they realized they could cheer! The celebration was short as there was still plenty more to do but it was the first real joy any of them, safe possibly Keiiek and Arueshalae had felt in quite some time. Word spread fast and a crowd gathered! Crusaders and refugees clapped them on the back, they cheered and ale was brought out! Lincoln looked around to all the faces he had come to know over the months. Looking through the crowd Lincoln spots Irabeth and a familiar figure walking nimbly beside her. It is Anevia! Irabeth was able to finally bring her back after we found the item that was trapping her soul! He embraced them both, no story needed to know what he and his friends had given them. Lann, the mongrelman turned crusader after a visit to their city encouraged them to come out of hiding. Sosiel Vaenie and Aron Kiri shook their hands and expressed their gratitude in what the Grey Knights had done. Kamilo Dann, the paladin of Sarenrae, saved from a prison in Vilreth’s Ford was in Drezen on a mission and somberly nodded to Lincoln and the rest her thanks and what they had done for her and for the world. Arles Jhestander, a paladin that had fallen from grace, saved by shared faith, gripped Lincoln in a bear hug! “Without you I would have died her, disgraced and fallen. You are forever my brother!” Jesker Helton, priest of Erastil, saved from possession by the Grey Knights shook all their hands with a huge smile.
Lincoln’s heart dropped as he took in all the faces who had survived this horrible place but one was missing. Yaniel, he looked for her, praying she had survived the journey back to Drezen. His heart leapt when he found her embracing his father, Alarick. Their love had endured and they were reunited thanks to the Grey Knights. They looked at him with tears in their eyes and walked away. They had much to catch up on and wanted Lincoln to enjoy the celebration, however brief. As Lincoln turned around he was embraced in a strong grip, much stronger than the small female who was squeezing him. As she pulled her head back he recognized Queen Galfrey! She kissed him deeply before he could react! He thought it only a short moment of passion but the Queen held the kiss and there was passion there! When she finally pulled away their eyes locked and Lincoln knew she wished this to continue further at some point and he nodded his consent and she kissed him on the cheek before leaving.
Looking through the crowd he saw Asmodai with a huge mug in his hands there with Joran Vhane. They were both obviously drunk and very happy! Asmodai squeezed Lincoln tigher than Galfrey, his shirtless body showing off his tremendous muscle and scars! Joran shook his hands and then they were back to celebrating with mugs held high! Lincoln continued to look and saw Morcar and Keff enjoying the celebration though Morcar was avoiding the drink, Keff was drinking deeply. Keiiek and Arueshalae were nowhere to be found and Lincoln was not surprised. Then he knew where to find his brother. Aen would not stand in the middle of such a crowd and Lincoln flew up to scan around for him. There, on the walls he found him. Landing beside Aen, Lincoln did not say a word as he put his hand on his shoulder. Always tense Aen said, “I get the celebration but enough is enough, we are still surrounded by demons and someone better keep watch!” “I know no one more suited to the task and trust no one more my brother.” Lincoln replied.
Many days later, weeks possibly Lincoln found himself in prayer at the temple to Sarenrae that they had liberated. It had been restored to his full splendor! What a wonderful sight to see, especially in such a dark place. Lincoln loved that this temple stood on a hill for all to see, for all to know that Sarenrae’s light would never fade. His friends were all gone, doing their own things. Some he may never see again. Lincoln had helped heal the wounded. He had prayed with the suffering. He had taken on the most dangerous missions to continue to clear the land of the remaining demons. He had prayed little lately with all he knew had to be done but finally he had taken time for himself. He needed to commune with his gods. There, alone in the temple he cleaned his wargear. Each weapon, Radiance, Dawnflower’s Kiss, both Sun Blades, and the Mace of Smiting cleaned and oiled and sanctified. The Armor of the Pious, his most sacred of items that kept him alive almost as much as his companions, cleaned, oiled and sanctified. Stole of the Inheritor and the Chalice of Ozem properly sanctified. All of this was part of his prayer. He was devout in his faith and part of his faith was war. Each of these items were important to his purpose and path yet none so important as his faith and the purity of his soul.
Fully armed and armored Lincoln knelt before the shrine to Sarenrae and prayed.
Ragathiel bestow in me the Courage to stand against the impossible
Iomedae vest my honor to resist all forms of corruption.
Sarenrae grant me the Wisdom to pierce the veil of darkness.
In my Faith I gain the Conviction to stand each time I shall fall.
The Temperance to redeem or strike with absolution.
And the ability to see the Truth in all things.
Never shall innocent blood be shed yet the blood of the wicked shall flow like a river.
I will swell the ranks of the faithful. We will be the hammer, the word, and the will of the Three
I will destroy all that which is evil so that which is good may flourish.
With that prayer spoken Lincoln left his body. This had never happened before. He stood now in a glorious hall! No weapons or armor on him, only the robes of the faithful. He recognized this place. Iomedae’s realm. The stained glass showed the victories of great crusaders and it showed the Grey Knights striking down Deskari now! Walking forward at the end of the great chamber Lincoln saw the Three. All there gathered to greet him. He knew they had called him there. He could see the Stole of the Inheritor now firmly back on Iomedae’s shoulders. Had he fallen from grace somehow?
Even though they were in Iomedae’s realm it was Sarenrae that spoke first. “Lincoln, our champion. You have honored us as have all of your companions! We call you here now to ask of you again to do our work on the mortal plane.” Lincoln quickly knelt and said, “I am your servent, what would you have me do?” Iomedae spoke, “Even though you still travel with those that would offend even the gods you are devout and they are useful. It is time for you to leave the Worldwound in the hands of the other crusaders there and travel to where the next threat is most severe. The Whispering Tyrant and his cult are on the verge of something dire. You must stop his release and if you can not you must stop him.” Ragathiel walked forward and looked down on Lincoln. As he did Lincoln rose, he knew Ragathiel would not tolerate weakness. He looked directly into the General of Vengeance’s face. “I respect your courage and your faight Lincoln. Now go as asked and show me your wrath.” With that he touched Lincoln on the wings and fire spread through them! A gift of fire from a god who’s mother was a fire elemental. “You will answer now only to Sarenrae, Lincoln. Call on the Three no more.”
Lincoln looked to Sarenrae and Iomedae then. Sarenrae spoke, “He is right Lincoln. The need to call on the three of us has ended. I will remain your patron now, if you will have me.” Lincoln stood to attention, confirming his agreement. Iomedae walked forward then, a shield in her hand that he had not seen before. “I have taken my stole back Lincoln but for that and the quest we now set you upon I give you this.” She handed him the Shield of the Sun! “Good luck warrior.” Then Iomedae left.
When Lincoln looked back to Sarenrae they were in a different hall altogether. This looked nothing like the one before. There were people all around and feasting tables. And beautiful lights all around! There did not appear to be shadows anwhere so great was the light! Sarenrae stood beside him and said, “Go now my champion and pierce the darkness with the light of your faith. Know that you work now with my blessing. Redeem those you can and give the rest the mercy of the blade. Rid the world of the filth that is undead and let no illusion alter your path.” With that she kissed him on the head and his sight was Truer than it ever had been before!
Then he was back in the temple of Sarenrae. He stood and turned around, sure in his path! He was a little surprised to see Aen standing there but no where near as surprised as he was to see Ink standing there! He embraced his dark skinned friend with a hug and as Ink pulled away Lincoln looked to Aen with the unspoken question. “He made a deal with a devil he says” Aen replied. Ink only shrugged. Lincoln looked down on Ink with a questioning glance but let the matter end there, for now. Lincoln and Aen spoke then at the same time. “I need your help” they both said. Neither were surprised to learn that their paths were taking them to the same place. To another place of darkness. As they walked out Aen looked at Lincoln’s new shield, “Another gift?” Lincoln replied, not the only one and took to the skys, his wings ablaze with holy fire!
It is a shame I am only now getting around to posting the conclusion to this amazing game!
I loved Wrath of the Righteous and I loved Mythic rules. Yes they can be broken but the players have a responsibility to the balance of the game just like the DM does. Dont break the game and you can enjoy even the power levels found here!
A Cry in the Abyss:
Entry #53 A Cry in the Abyss
We come upon Areelu Vorlesh’s old chamber. It is obviously hers because of the notes we find. Notes that detail the torture of the other arcanist that worked with her and Wivver to open the Worldwound; Opon. She details how she enjoys his torture and ways to increase it. She has trapped his soul in a brazier and he remains there still.
Moving on we find a room with a deep crevasse and crawling up out of it is something known as the Favored of Deskari, First of it’s kind. Areelu would have it attack her enemies from time to time. Removing it from existence felt righteous.
A circular room with a cage suspended in the middle. A Lhaksharat, an Inevitable was trapped there and being tortured by the magic of the cage. Katpaskir demons flew around the room and I heard Keiiek say something about a Quasit before I was trapped in a maze spell. By the time I worked my way out of the spell the Katpaskir were all destroyed save for one that Keiiek was controlling like a marionette. Apparently the Quasit was gone and then we set to freeing the Inevitable. Keiiek removed the magic from the cage and with all my might I tore the bars free from the cage and freed him. His name was Imezlen and he came here with hopes of ending the Worldwound all on his own. He failed. Keiiek allowed him to retreat to his planar home.
Opon’s brazier discovered and he begs us to bring him with us so that he may see Areelu Vorlesh destroyed! Keff agrees to carry the brazier. The next door leads us into a room with two huge bells hanging from the ceiling and frescos of vermin eating the world! As we move into the room one of the bells rings and emerging from within the walls behind one of the frescos is the Echo of Deskari! It is a mythical beast, a Derakni Demon but far more powerful! As it’s dark magics and swarm of insects fill the room I am paralyzed and the next thing I know the Echo is dead and Keiiek has risen me from the grave. I fear that if this is only a minion of Deskari, how will we be victorious? I learned after my resurrection that it was actually Keiiek who took the head from the demon with his newly acquired vorpal blade. Lady luck does smile on him indeed!
We take a short rest and steel ourselves for what we know is coming. This is what our months together has all been for. For some of us even longer in preparation for this moment. As we travel through the final portal we fall into a room that leads out onto a broken landscape. Pieces of earth float in mid air and chasms leading into eternity spread out everywhere. Areelu Vorlash stands before us an laughs as she sees Keff carrying the brazier! Khorremzadah stands beside her but has changed drastically. He looks burned black and smoke rises from his body. His wings are gone and his hands are replaced with massive blades! He is undead! A Devastator flanks us and Vorlash uses her magic to open a portal and call upon a Hekatonkheires titan! It has fifty heads and a hundred arms!
I draw my Sunblade and said, “Khorremzadah is mine!” As I charged forward I heard Aen’s bow snapping off shots lighting fast at either the titan or the Devastator. Keiiek dropped a powerful magic spell; meteor swarm that must have had some devastating effect. Through my rage I see Aen fall and I know the fist of the devastator had to have slain him! With fury in my heart I tore into the risen Storm King. Every attack finding its mark and within moments I cut him down! The resulting explosion threw Aen’s lifeless body across the floor.
Keiiek was invisible by this time and Vorlash said, “if the coward wont face me ill kill the ones he loves! Including this traitorous b+&#~!” A tremendous spell struck Arueshalae and she cried out in pain! Keiiek replies, “I am here!” as he materializes into sight.
Just as Keiiek says that Aen climbs to his feat! It is a miracle! He must have been slain but I believe there must have been some divine intervention involved! His arrows fly faster than you can blink and the devastator is destroyed! The hundred hands of the titan crush Keff! Blow after blow striking his breaking body. The Quasit pops up behind me and attacks, his wicked daggers cutting deep but not deep enough to divert me from a course to slay the titan! As I slay the titan with Radiance, Aen’s arrows kill the Quasit and then he lends Keiiek’s magic a hand in finishing Vorlesh! Keiiek again has the magic to restore Keff to life!
Ending that ritual that would have sealed out fate we move back to the anus of this place to perform the ritual that will close the Worldwound forever! Keiiek begins the incantations that will make the ritual work. Morcar pulls the Suture out of his portal hole, Keiiek holds the chisel. As one we work together to find weaknesses or cracks in the ley lines that hold the Worldwound together. The entire room shrieks and shutters. Eventually the whole room freezes along with every insect in it. The stillness is almost as disturbing as the room itself. Keiiek then, at the perfect moment throws the Lexicon of Paradox into the portal and orange light explodes!
As our eyes clear we are no longer in that room but standing, spread out from one another on a broken world! Chasms stretch out endlessly below us. Deskari and four Balors stand poised to end us. I ready myself for what I have prepared for my whole life and then I see Keff. The furthest away from me standing helplessly at the feet of Deskari himself and one of the Balors. What that man has been through since joining us! I regret ever allowing him to come along, the horrors he has suffered too numerous to count. I see the blades rise and Deskari exclaim, “How dare you destroy everything Ive worked for!” The blades of Deskari and the Balor fall again and again into Keff’s body. He flys away as quick as he can but they give chase and I know he will not make it!
Just as I give up hope for him, again Keiiek steps in with a miracle! He teleports everyone but me onto the plateau of land I just left in an attempt to get to my friends. So now I am the spearhead charging into the horde lead by Deskari himself! I wouldn’t have it any other way. A Balor reaches me first and I cut it down without loosing sight of my true target, moving past him as his exploding body falls into the chasm below. Morcar formed a bulwark around Aen, Keff, Arueshalae and Keiiek. Aen falls back, his arrows just as deadly from any range! Keiiek moves away from the platform knowing that area effect spells would hurt them all. That leaves Morcar, Keff and Arueshalae standing on a cliff with monstrously large insects climbing the sides to attempt to devour them!
As I fly above the bottomless chasms, trading blow for blow with the demon lord that caused the death and destruction of my father’s homeland and the suffering of untold thousands I know that Iomedae guides my hand! Yet even then I can not last forever trading blows with a demi god. Finally it is Keff that is at my side. Tragically fearless Keff! He casts a spell on me that increases my speed and just as he does another Balor explodes and sends him tumbling into the darkness below! I see that he is not dead and I have faith that he will fly up after I send Deskari’s body falling down!
Morcar and Arueshalae fend off the insects along with the occasional spell from Keiiek or arrow from Aen. My blade continues to cut into Deskari and I can see that he knows he is lost but too arrogant to believe it! For every blow I strike an arrow joins by blade in his demonic flesh! For every physical wound we deliver Keiiek heals my body or burns, blisters or freezes Deskari. Finally, after what seems like hours the final blow is struck, the final fight leaves the demon lord and he lets out a whimper of a cry in desperation as his insectoid form falls, broken, into the abyss!
My group just finished Wrath of the Righteous. I absolutely loved it and loved my character and the party we had.
If I could set up this campaign any way I want it would go something like this.
The heroes of the Worldwound learn of the threat and imminent return of the Whispering Tyrant. Unfortunately Tar Baphon and his cultists know the heroes know and it plays right into their plan. Knowing the heroes are near unstoppable they draw them into a trap at Gallowspire. Hoards and hoards of undead await them. As the heroes destroy the minions of the Whispering Tyrant by the hundreds if not thousands, a ritual is underway at the sacred seal atop the spire. The destruction of the droves of undead only fuels the ritual. Just as the heroes finally make the top of the spire the ritual is completed and the seal explodes! As it does the negative energy is infused into the shards of the seal and they penetrate the heroes and undead all around, instantly weakening the heroes and stripping them of all mythic power. On the other hand the shards empower the undead and create mythic enemies.
The weakened heroes are then torn apart by the mythic undead and the campaign begins as normal, the heroes being able to return at level 1.
As they grow in power again they find ways to remove the shards and defeat the new mythic undead and begin gaining their mythic power back. Throughout the campaign they can even find parts of their lost treasures! As a side quest they could begin collecting the shards from themselves and the defeated mythic enemies and recreate the seal or even creat a weapon or item or shield (Arodens shield?) to help them defeat or trap Tar Baphon in his prison again!
Players could grow their characters exactly like they were before or even make changes to their character and tiers as they climb the levels again.
Only one critique of the battle against the Storm King here. It would have been better had we not been trapped inside the building. Making us fight him outside, in his storm would have added to how epic the fight was and made it slightly tougher, though it was still very difficult!
Final Steps:
Entry #52 Final Steps
Taking to the stairs with all haste we leave a terrified Keff behind and Arushelae stands guard over the Suture. I can only glimpse the sky past the door as Khoramzadah fills the bulk of the space with his hulking form and red demonic skin. Keiiek is the first to reach the doorway and as the Storm King’s mighty sword arcs down against him he raises a force shield which sparks with resistance as the blade strikes it again and again. Allowing my Sarkorian blood to rage within me I grow in size to match that of this hated foe. As Keiiek moves away Morcar moves up to block the attacks of the Storm King but to our dismay the whip in his other hand lashes out, grabs Morcar’s ankle and pulls him close, his blade then doing devastating work against my Dwarven friend. I call on Iomedae’s grace to guide my blade as I close with a foe I knew we would eventually have to face on this quest. My strikes are powerful but there is some form of infernal resistance and I know I am not doing what I could be. To make matters worse, every time I strike him his blade cuts out lighting fast and many of those strikes painfully get past my defenses. In the Melee I can see past our enemy to the storm raging outside. Every strike of lightning wounds one of us and many also strike Khormezadah and I can see his wounds close when they do! As bad as that may all sound it gets even worse as the cliff face that this foundry is so precariously placed on is falling away in the brutal storm. If it continues to fall away at this pace we only have moments to destroy the Storm King and free the Suture. When the physical attacks and lightining of the Storm King are not getting the job done he switches to his magic. He calls down a Fire Storm spell and I see the prone form of Morcar pull his large shield over himself just in time to take the brunt of the damage. Some of Aen’s arrows are missing because of the wind yet many are still protruding from Khoramzadah’s flesh. Aen also uses his skills to aid us in our attacks and as one of my swints hits the demon’s wrist his whip is knocked out of his hand but nearly instantly returned to him. In that moment though I seize my opportunity and strike with all my might. I see him fall yet at the same time his attack also sends me into unconsciousness. As always, Keiiek’s magic is there just in time to save us all from death and looking up I see Khoramzadah rise and say, “even in death I am still victorious!” With that he sticks his sword in the ground and explodes!! I get my shield up just in time but the fire burns everything! Keff cleared the top of the stairs, his courage restored just in time to catch the full brunt of the explosion in his face! Fortunately he had been unharmed before hand and survived the blast! Miraculously we all survived this encounter!
After the explosion, with the damage from the intense storm and the cliff falling away the building begins to crumble. Not it is a race back down stairs to recover the Suture and get it to safety before we are all trapped in this rubble. Thankfully the storm begins to subside and as we carry the Suture out the front door and take to the skys the clouds part and golden beams of light shine upon us all. Now, knowing that we must move with all haste we are forced to rest. Some of us use Keiiek’s shelter and others sit in dilapidated remains within the city keeping watch that no demons approach in the night. By the grace of the Inheritor we come through to the dawn unscathed.
8th Abadeous
In the morning Keiiek and I use the Mirror of Mental Prowess to teleport to Galfrey and be sure that we are on track to complete our quest. We have done everything asked of us so far. Next we must get to the tower of Threshold in the heart of the Worldwound. There we must complete a series of tasks with the items we have found and with all of our skills combined seal the rift. We must not fail for if we do the Lexacon of Paradox could be destroyed and with it any chance of ever sealing the Worldwound. Keiiek understood more of the details of the spellcraft behind what must be done than I but I trust that he will know exactly what to do.
A lake of worms, maggots, insects and filth surrounds the tower of Threshold. As we approach, flying high above the lake of filth two huge shapes approach us. Two black dragons with creatures riding them attak. They should have put better defenders around their tower!
At the apex of the center tower Keiiek says there is a phase door that must be opened. I look to Keff and he shrugs, having no idea what a phase door is let alone how to open one. Keiiek says that he believes Arueshalae can open it because of her demonic heritage and he is right!
The inside of the tower is literally crawling with insects. Deskari has put his personal touch on this place and the droning sound of the bugs scratches at your sanity. Cutting our way through another Balor and finding some interesting items in a large library we finaly come upon some form of abomination that pleads for death. Through a little investigation we believe he is Wivver, one of two arcanists that helped Areelu Vorlash open the Worldwound. They tried to stop her once they realized what she was about but she apparently slew the other one and turned Wivver into this! We agree as a group that euthanasia would be the proper end for him and through some prayer I set my soul at ease before we allow Keiiek to administer the mercy.
Through the next portal we fall through a cavern of pulsating walls that move as if they are alive. Massive worms reach out to drag us into the swarms of maggots that await! As we fall through the demonic anus room we enter into yet another chamber and a Devastator awaits our descent! Devastators are powered by destroying angelic choirs and use that energy to empower the demons that usually surround them! As I fly straight for the monstrous construct, mace of smiting at the ready, Aens arrows fly unerringly past and strike it again and again! The slightest tap of my mace topels our next obstacle. Aen’s arrows having done devastating work!
So, we only have 2 games left! We have been at this for three years! It has been amazing and I have loved this AP. The players and characters have been incredible! Our DM has been awesome and stuck it out even though there was plenty he did not like but he made it awesome for us nonetheless!
Reunions:
Entry #51 Reunions
Teleporting in a few hundred yards away from the Foundry it is an unassuming structure. The heat of the forge turns the air immediately around it a shimmering red. The moment I make to take a step in the direction of our next goal the ground trembles beneath my feet. Rising up from behind the Foundry, its claws digging into the stone structure and leaving cold gashes where they assist in pulling the gargantuan beast up an Undead dragon is our next obstacle! Not just a dragon, a Ravenor! It chills the air around it by its very presence. When some dragons reach the end of their nearly endless lives they forget about their hordes of gold and riches and cling to life instead. These dragons sometimes return as Ravenors.
Without pause the Grey Knights move to engage the epic foe! That is, all except Keff and Arueshalae who can not force their limbs to move. The frightful presence more than they can take! I know that they will snap out of it and I draw my Sun Blade as I take flight to smite this abomination. As I do that the Ravenor goes invisible but Morcar is quick to cast true seeing on me. The first flyby breath attack is painful. Breath that freezes the body and the spirit, draining the life from your limbs. If not for our protective magics we would already be fighting a losing battle. Aen was the closest to it and shouted that he believed it is Terendalev! The silver dragon that protected Kenabras. The silver dragon that Aen, Ink and I pretended to be as kids! The silver dragon that is the matriarch to Aen and Keff’s blood lines! As I look closer I can see that the sickly green glow around the Ravenor almost hides that the head floats just above the neck. The wound where the Storm King struck her head from her body what seems like a lifetime ago!
When I finally close with what we now know is Terendalev I plead for her to remember us though I know it is helpless. The only peace I can give her now is death. Eventually Keff and Arueshalae come to their senses and find a place to hide behind the foundry. Even then Terendalev’s head flies out impossibly far and attacks again and again! Morcar forms a bulwark around Aen so that his deadly bow can do it’s work! His arrows flying fast and true, snapping off faster than I can swing my sword! Keiiek’s magic stops time and gives us just a moment of respite to prepare to engage in close combat! Heavily wounded from Aen’s arrows I finally bring her down with many might swings from my Sun Blade; a blade built to destroy undead. I only pray she finally finds some peace.
Watching Terendalev fall again is a sorrowing sight. Many of our triumphs are worthy of our cheers yet this one pleases none of us. Yet there is no time to morne as more enemies emerge from the Foundry, obviously thinking that now is the time to attack. Salamanders which we have fought before and a fire elemental. We cut through them like wheat. Moving into the Foundry we are quick to find the Filleted man and his other henchmen. They fall before our blades as well and we quickly search for keys as we know there will be a need. There is a room of crusader heads along with some other, more demonic, trophies on the wall. Psychopomps, the guides to the Boneyard dead and in cages, obviously tortured. Eventually to a hall with more locked doors. No key to one of them so Keff tries to pick the lock. He and I along with Morcar are trapped in the hall as a trap Keff didn’t notice goes off. We are sealed behind a wall of force with blades of force that set out from either end of the hallway. It takes many swings but finally I am able to cut through the wall and we find a treasure room! There are many useful items and we take what we can for ourselves and the rest we take to give to the crusaders back at Drezen.
Finally we come to a room full of cages. As I scan around the room there do not appear to be any survivors but then we see movement from two cages. Recognition hits me like a punch in the gut as the blind man in one of the cells is my father! Alaric Cross, the man who raised me. The Sarkorian barbarian who became a paladin of Iomedae when he saw the demons of the worldwound destroying his people. The man who’s life was lengthened by his union with my mother, the Solar Yanessa of Sarenrae. I ran to him and with all my strength pried the bars open wide enough to reach in and pull him out! The moment I spoke his name he knew my voice. Through all the time and all the torture, without his eyes he still knew his son! Blessings to Keiiek as he moved forward without saying a word and cast a spell on my father that regrew his burnt out eyes and even the fingers and toes he was missing. We embraced with tears in our eyes. I had no need to ask what had happened to him as it was obvious. When Kenabras fell he was captured and had been tortured relentlessly ever sense! My Sarkorian blood boiled! I told him quickly what I could of the things that happened and Keiiek opened the portal to his extra planar realm so that we could usher my father there for safety. “You have become everything your mother and I knew you would and more son.” Those words bolstered me as few other than the words of Iomedae herself have. A final embrace and I left my father in a place where I believed he was truly safe for the first time in a long time!
Back to the Foundry and Aen and Morcar had found another torture chamber. It was not long before Keiiek and Aen also noticed a secret door in that same room. It is in that room that we find the wimpering tortured Dretch demon known as the Suture. He has been so tortured that he must walk around on his hands! Before we can even make to bind him or talk to him the entire building shakes! Dust sprinkles down on us from the ceiling and small objects fall from shelves. The multitude of torture devices clink together on the table covered in dried blood. Then in a booming voice we hear, “Come face me!” I know without doubt it is Khoramzadah, the Storm King! As I grin with determination I make to head upstairs but one look at Keff stops me. Pure horror fills his blood drained face. He trembles so much I have to grab his shoulders to steady him. “Stay here for this one my friend. You have shown amazing courage again and again. This foe is ours to face. Another reunion of our past.”
Character Update
All characters are still 18/9. We are fairly certain that Asmodai (our Fighter/Champion) will no longer be joining us.
DM:
Has done a great job throughout the campaign and really brought this to life with the story telling, challenging encounters and personally painted mini's!
An Ancient Relic Recovered:
Entry #50 An Ancient Relic Recovered
As the water of our fake selves pools on the floor I look to the balcony above and then just above that. Three cages hang from the ceiling and in each the unmistakable form of Hound Archons. They are impaled on vicious barbs that continually tear at their skin. Their whimpers tear at my heart. We try to free them and Morcar tries to heal them. The magic of the cage resists Morcar’s magic and Keff tells us the locks will be difficult to crack. It appears that any tampering could endanger these divine creatures more. I swear we will return and set out to look for the key.
A few scattered demons and even a culloxus that pleads for his life instead of his life are the only creatures that bar our path. Though an Ecorche begs parley as he stands there skinless in front of us. Ecorche are powerful undead infiltrators who wear the skin of those they have slain. He tells us that he works for a party to the south that would like to see the Worldwound fail. He asks that if we let him leave he will give us vital information that we seek. We reluctantly agree so he tells us that Animora is not here, that she stays in another realm that can be accessed from here but he does not know how. Animora’s primary servant, Sister Perversion is here however and we will have to deal with her before we can find Animora. He says that he has never had the pleasure of meeting either of these “ladies”. He is also able to tell us more of the Suture and where to find the foundry. He tells us enough details of the foundry that Keiiek believes he can teleport us there once we have slain Animora and retrieved the chisel. The Suture to our surprise is not a thing but a creature. The first demon to crawl through the wound created when the Worldwound opened! He is cursed with immortality and apparently he is essential to the Worldwounds continued existence. When we let him leave he begins pulling the skin from a slain demon and I turn away. Allowing these lesser evils to go free for the greater goal wears on my conscience.
The final room in the Yearning House was locked but Keff is able to deal with it quickly. Inside the room is filled with lavish furniture made from bone and what appears to be some sort of human flesh. The pictures on the wall are horrific but the item that pulls the eye is a huge black mirror where we can see the pool below where we fought our fake selves. Standing in the middle of the room is who we presume to be Sister Perversion. She is a Seraptis demon with four arms which are all covered in tiny mouths. She carries a scythe and before she can act to attack us or beg for her life a black smoke covers her body and the form of Nocticula appears! “Here are my heroes again! You seek that bauble but you wont find it here. It is in the mistresses realm, in the Rasping Rifts. I know how you can gere there. I know more than you might wish to know about what is on your failing horizon.”
“So you’ve come to aid us again Nocticula. I told you that I saw a glimmer of hope for your redemption!” I say.
She snickers as she replies, “Oh I don’t know about that but I would like to see Deskari defeated. When you face him simply offer me a prayer and I will come to your aid.”
Keiiek asks how we get to the Rasping Rifts and Nocticula explains that we must breathe deep of the pool in the center of the room below. So we must drown ourselves….
Ignoring her offer I ask what she knows of the Suture. She confirms what the Ecorche told us and more. The demons of the Worldwound have tried to slay the Suture and failed. They have also tried to transport him away from the Worldwound and each time his body is consumed in flames and reappears back where he started! She says that he must be brought to the portal at Threshold. She then fades away with a come-hither look and a smirk. I can see where the demon lord has tantalized many with that look. It would be easy to fall for if one did not know what perversions were in store for their mortal body and soul!
Sister Perversion never stood a chance after Nocticula left her reeling from the experience. We cut her down and then moved to save the Hound Archons. We did not find a key but knew that we may not be returning here so we had to save them before we ventured to Animora’s realm. It took some work but Morcar was able to heal them and Keff was able to pick the locks! Once that was done Keiiek explained how we could use the mirror from upstairs to travel to wherever we chose. The Hound Archon’s thanked us for saving them and agreed to travel to Drezen to aid in the crusade. While there I also acquired some holy water to use with the Chalice of Ozem.
Once I returned we gathered around the pool. Keiiek laid down in the water and took a breath then disappeared! I quickly followed behind because I did not want him to face any threats there alone. In the Rasping Rifts the walls were black stone and the only path ahead was a wall of spider webs! As the rest of The Gray Knights came into the chamber I used the potion of Dragon’s Breath that we had found earlier to breathe fire on the webs and clear our way. The next room contained three alcoves with much to study. There were many alchemy items that mean little to me though Keiiek seemed somewhat interested. I however along with Morcar was drawn to a large jar containing a brain. Next to that was a book and one entry stood out. “Recovered item that may be of interest to I. Tirabade. Bribe?” I. Tirabade must be Irabeth and could this be Anevia’s brain? We take it in hope to find out! Keiiek says that there are spells that could trap someone’s soul in their brain. This could be why Anevia could not be resurrected.
Moving on there is a chasm with howling wind blowing up and then down. It reminded us of the cavern breathing! Keiiek’s magic teleports us all across and rounding the corner we find the only enemy in the realm. Animora stood in front of us, the upper half of a beautiful Drow female and the lower half of a spider the size of an elephant! She had nothing to say she simply charged forward! Luckily I was in front and took the brunt of her attack. A massive scepter struck me and I could feel poison flow through my body! It was devastating and tore at my sanity. Everything was hazy as my senses dulled more and more. Like a circus performer throwing knives at the spinning lady, Aen’s arrows flew unerringly past me and continually struck the Priestess again and again! It was the combined efforts of Aen’s arrows, Keiiek’s magic and Morcar’s shield that won the day yet again! I would have surely fallen before this enemy had my friends not propped me up and secured a victory against another epic foe! Golden light infused us again after this battle as it has done so many other times and as we hoped the chisel is in her possession! Two birds with one stone and now we must move to the Foundry!
We must also be ever weary of the inevitable assault from the Storm King! We have surely drawn his gaze. I think back to a few months ago that feel like a lifetime. Gathering for the festival and watching my beautiful bride to be on stage. Then the horror that was the explosion of the Kite and the appearance of Khoremzadah! Then to see things go from bad to worse as he cut the heard from the city’s protector Terendelev! So much pain wrought from that one day! And watching my future slip away under a pile of earth that took so much from me! I welcome the appearance of the Storm King and I will send him back to the Abyss cut in half!
It has been so long since our last game I am going to have to reread all of my recent journals to get back up to speed! Fortunately I wrote the most recent journal shortly after our last game but am only now getting around to posting it. I believe Keiiek and Asmodai were absent from this session.
Beginning of the End:
Entry #49 Beginning of the End
Aponovicious’s body was heavy but I was able to fly it up the ramparts and unceremoniously toss it over the side for the demon horde to see! Once they saw their leader slain the fight left them, the tide turned and they quickly fled the field!
As we celebrate out triumph, the ringing of metal on metal continues from hand slapping backs instead of swords against swords our attention is draw in the direction of Iz. The sky above it appears to be aflame! The Storm King has joined the fight once again. I know that the fate of the Grey Knights leads us there.
That night, after much celebration, when I finally seek my two hours of rest I am greeted with a vision. My goddess, Iomedae appears to me in her cathedral, a look of dreed on her face shows how distraught she is. “The end of days is fast approaching. Your successes against Deskari have forced his hand and Arelu Vorlesh is set to finish the work she started over 100 years ago!”
7th Abadeous
As I finish my morning prayers a Paige finds me with a message that Queen Galfrey has arrived and has requested the Grey Knights attend the battle planning. Of course I agree and seek out my friends before heading there. As I enter I see the same grave looks on those gathered here that I saw on the Inheritor’s face in my vision. The Queen looks at me and says, I assume you have seen the vision.” It was not a question. She spends no time with niceties. We get straight down to business and she lays out her plan. The scholars have understood the Lexicon of Paradox enough to draw a conclusion about how to close the Worldwound itself before Vorlesh can rip it fully asunder.
You must assault the Tower of Threshold. A direct assault will be suicide even for the Grey Knights she says. First we must kill the Storm King, kill Deskari’s High Priest and also secure something called the Nehyndrian Chisel which Khorremzadah used to destroy the Ward stone in Kenabras. Galfrey says all of these tasks should be possible to complete in Iz, this I already suspected. Once we have secured the chisel we will use it along with a ritual from the Lexicon of Paradox to place dimensional locks at key locations around the rift. We must also figure out what the suture is. It is apparently mentioned many times in the Lexicon when speaking about closing the rift.
It is believed that the chisel is held by the High Priest as a trinket now, simply a bauble, a talisman of their success. They believe it is useless at this point. The information we have says that the cult of Deskari has many camps and one is located at a brothel in Iz called the Yearning House. This was also the last sighting of Animora, the High Priest of Deskari. If this is true then we may be able to kill two birds with one stone.
Next we must go to the Soul Foundry to learn more of the Suture. The foreman at the foundry is a half babau dwarf and he is known as the keeper of the suture. In the foundry it is believed that they mix souls with lead to make soul lead and that material is used in the construction of abyssal creatures. It is also believed that the suture was created at the same time the worldwound was opened.
Finally we must challenge and defeat Khorremzadah. We must not face him in his palace for that would be foolish. He is impossible to scry because he is protected by Deskari himself. We can be sure if we successful in our other missions we may draw him to us!
Once the plans have been made and we know full well this is the final chapter we all pray. Well, those of us who do. After that I offer the Crown of Blasting we found in the Midnight Isles as a gift to Queen Galfrey. I know it is only a trinket to her but it was symbolic to me to find that item where we did. She takes it graciously and with a grim look at one another I turn to leave.
Gathering around Keiiek he teleports us to Iz. During the height of Sarkoris Iz was something of a metropolis but scarcely a third of it remains now. It is located on the edge of the Worldwound and is now called the City of Locusts. Through Iz’s emptry streets we easily make our way to the Yearning House.
Once inside four marble like golems and four giants await us. One of them says we have been expected and they attack. The fight is a simple one and Arushelae even enthralls one of the giants. As we move deeper we come to an anitchamber with a culoxus demon that sits behind a desk with a large tomb on it. He says we must sign in and offer payment before we can enter. Of course we are having none of that and I glance through the book. Surprisingly we see that our names, all of our names are already written there in what appears to be our own hand. As the culoxus complains that we must pay Asmodai easily cuts him down. Past a lavish curtain we pass six statues that fire out fine wire that cut and entangle us as we make to pass! Morcar and Keff are caught up and bleeding badly though something about the magic of the trap makes Keff cry out in pleasure instead of pain!
After battling past the trap we enter a room of the basest debauchery. A room made to attack our senses personally as demons hold down what are obviously some form of copies of ourselves and perform profane sex acts upon them! It is hard not to retch at the sight of things unimaginable being done to the images of those I love. A Vrolikai demon sits amongst them all enjoying the spectacle. Vrolikai are mature Nebasu demons and he attempts to welcome us to the orgy! Moving forward all I can bring myself to say is “no.” Not simply no to his request but no to the entirety of the illusion I am witnessing here. I cast Order’s Wrath on the room, wounding many of the demons and I left fly Dawnflowers Kiss attacking each of the demons in the room in a flash of light! Keiiek drops an acid ball on the room as well before I charge forward with righteous might and cut the Vrolikai down before he can spit another foul utterance! Even Anevia is in the room in an illusory form and as the Vrolikai dies along with all the other damage inflicted the doppelgangers fade to snow and melt away.
Quick update before I head out the door to todays game!
From the Ashes:
Entry #48 From the Ashes
After defeating multiple Apocalypse demons we realize the rift leading into this other realm will take more power than we currently have to close. It may even be impossible. Yet we also realize we can travel through it and strike at Aponovicious herself!
Aravashniel and some of his Rift Wardens arrive before we travel through and confirm what we believed. They say they will hold this side while we attack. Immediately after stepping through two statues come to life, Iron Golems to be exact. Thankfully they must walk down a ramp quite a ways to get to us. Though, unfortunately there is a bird of immense size and even more intense heat that attacks! Something is familiar and I recognize this Phoenix as Purlesia who sacrificed herself during the first crusade to close a rift! She was a great boon to the crusade before this and even aided in the creation of the ward stones. Upon her death she resurrected as Phoenix’s do but unfortunately the Worldwound got into her and she returned to us evil! If there is hope for her redemption we must attempt it! Though, redeeming her soul may mean destroying her mortal body so that she may rise again from the ashes!
My skin burns as I close to attack Purlesia but Aen’s arrows take her down! Yet only moments later she rises and with tremendously terrible magic she slays Aen with a destruction spell! Oh the agony of seeing my friends slain again and again! I have no idea how many times we will have to slay her to save her soul and then save her! Fortunately my blade find purchase even as my skin burns and she is felled again before anymore of my friends can be slain! The Iron Golems fall only a few moments later and then Purlesia rises again! Though this time the flames of her rebirth flash a sickly purple and then glow gold for a flash! She says, “At last I am restored! I have waited a lifetime for this! I pledge my life to the crusade again! Thank you.” And with that she flies through the portal. It does my soul good to redeem another that we may have powerful allies in this eternal struggle!
Keiiek is now capable of casting True Resurrection and he brings Aen back to life. We continue our search but find no more enemies save a Culoxus demon who flees. We do find a vault with some items of use and many that we can donate to the cause. Coming back out, fearing that Aponovicious has attacked on the other side this portal we mean to hurry to aid the defenders. Yet we are greeted by her as we turn the corner to see the exit.
“At last the heroes of Drezen! I shall put your heads on pikes when I retake this fortress. Even now my forces decimate yours!” She exclaims. We know the tricks of demons and I have faith in the vigilance of the crusaders! The battle is joined and Aen is felled! I call upon all my magic and all my might yet Aponovicious still laughs with glee as I strike her again and again and she strikes my friends down even as they struggle for life! Keeping Aen out of the fight seems to be her tactic and his arrows do not add to my sword blows as they usually do! She is casting healing magic on herself restoring every wound I cause! Eventually she overcomes Keff and Morcar as well! She taunts and mocks me with each strike! My attacks are punishing her yet her magic is keeping her in the fight. Though her magic has a limit where my sword does not! Finally she falls and to my joy each of my companions is not dead but gravely wounded! There is no time to waste, we collect the tremendous spoils from Aponovicious, weapons that can aid us greatly and race back through the portal to assist in the battle!
Why would I when I like HP exactly the way they are in 3.P?
I like characters tanking swords and ballista bolts and canon balls and lava and soldiering on unimpeded if the damage isn't enough to force them out of consciousness.
So you like walking through fire. I get that.
Yet if walking through fire is so great what is the issue with catching your breath to get some of that HP back?
The beauty of HP has always* been that it isn't locked into being "meat" or to being abstract.
PCs can recover quickly, but also get beat up and, lacking magic, take a few days to recover. And the DM is free to narrate damage and recovery based on what makes sense.
If a fighter alone in the wilderness gets beat up by an ogre, but lives, then he shouldn't be back at 100% a few hours later or the next morning. You add a narrative device like healing potions or spells then cool. But it should never be mechanically impossible to put a character out of commission for some period of time.
@Ultrace. This is exactly what I am saying. HP is much more than 'I can take more sword cuts'.
This would not affect the overall system, encounter planning or difficulty of fights by much at all.
What it would do is emmerse the players more in their characters, increase the visceral feel of travel and combat, increase pacing somewhat, and allow classes with healing abilities to avoid being relegated to the role of bandaid.
It could never heal someone to full. Doesnt work in combat.
Doesnt work when battling a 'sickness'.
Doesnt work when exerting yourself.
Extreme damage, con damage still has to be healed by magic.
It takes magic to be at full health.
Thus if there is no healer the game goes on.
If the healer is spent or dead the game goes on.
If speed is a factor magic healing is still better.
If the healer wants to save the magic healing until later or even for in combat so be it!
The issue I have with this idea is that it works to supply a realistic feel for you, but has changed the entire paradigm of design for everyone. The worst part is it doesn't solve any particular problem folks have with resource management and adventure pacing.
Yes it is my idea. Yes I believe in it.
Reducing the necessity of resource management is part of the point. There is no reason that massive amounts of magical healing should be necessary after any simple battle as it so commonly is.
Mundane rest takes days to put a PC back into fighting shape. This is ridiculous.
It should not be necessary to have a priest bring one back from near death multiple times a day.
I feel like simplicity is only the goal to the extent that realism isnt trashed.
Much of the changes I see in 2.0 appear to be addressing that issue.
Ive never understood why every combat wounds a PC so grievously that magical healing is the only solution.
How were battles of history ever fought if everyone was wounded to the point that rest did almost nothing?
Needing magical healing only for wounds that damage your con (or to completely refresh someone) addresses this in an elegant, realistic and simplistic fashion.
Is it perfect? No, wraithstrike pointed out one good example. But without making the rule book 5000 pages we must seek these sort of solutions.
@wraithstrike.
What about the verisimilitude of being hit with that same fireball, 3rd plus degree burns over most if not all of your body but still finishing the fight?
By this reasoning combats should only continue if magical healing is applied. Every sword hit is a gory wound spurting blood everywhere but youre not taking bleed damage from any piercing or slashing weapon.
Where do we draw the line of simplicity and realism?
IDK, resonance seems less convoluted than this fast healing system. Unlike, resonance, there isnt much of dial on fast healing either. Meaning expected encounters per long rest are going to be increased requiring further design space in class abilities and adventure material.
To each their own thank you for adding your opinion. I still believe this solution removes much of the issues from before and could also eliminate the idea of resonance which seems contrived to do away with consumable spamming.
I fogot to add that I would also make a change to critical hits where the crit modifier is done as con damage as well as the increased damage. This would make the endless day a real threat as well.
Though it may also be necessary to add to cure spells that they restore 1 point of con damage per cure level. Example: cure light also heals 1 point of con damage, cure moderate 2 points and so on.
I think you missed the part where this healing only works when the heroes are resting. The winded hero fighting on through tremendous odds would actually be more noticeable with this rule.
One thing I have always hated is the 5 minute adventure day. A big reason this exists is linked to the way HP work and are percieved. Everyone seems to think HP damage is only represented by cuts, gashes or even broken bones.
Forgotten is the effect of being winded after a fight or bruised or sore.
My answer to this would be fast healing 1+con mod (min 1) to everyone. This fast healing would only work if the PC took only a move action or less each round (no attacks, casting or strinuous activity) and was not under the effect of any negative status effect (ie. Bleeding, diseased, poisoned.. Etc.).
So the effect is characters catching their breath or stretching out sore muscles after a battle.
Also this healing would only bring you to a set max. I would have PC's track their full potential HP and they could only be brought to full by magical healing. Healing from this form of fast healing could only bring you to a number equal to what similar to what society play caps at. Thus a D10 hit die PC could get to that full 10 through magic healing but only to 6 via fast heal.
Character Update
All characters gained level 18 and tier 9 at the end of this session.
Mythic
More of the same abilities shinning here.
At the Table:
Again, Asmodai could not attend.
DM:
My only complaint is the Baphomet fight. It felt like a fight designed to remind the characters that they are not gods. The problem I had with that was it was so one sided it makes the PC's feel like whipped children for even attempting to face off against him.
Divine Discipline:
Entry #47 Divine Discipline
Afraid that continuing to attack the Herald will destroy him and thus fail my mission in my eyes I try a new tactic. I attempt to grapple him! A tactic I am not skilled in yet this is a desperate time. With my arms wrapped around him I try to fight strength against strength to wrestle him to the ground! He only laughs at my undisciplined and feeble attempt. While he laughs he downs Morcar and Keff! This is it. We will have to face Baphomet himself after this and we can not do it while licking our wounds from this fight. I release my failed grapple and begin an all out assault again! My sword cuts deep into his desecrated body but still he laughs at me and attacks. I know the laughs are a taunt but it is working. I feel my rage grow but I am still able to stay my hand enough to turn a few off my attacks into something not so lethal! My sword combined with Aen’s arrows finally drops the Herald into unconsciousness! I quickly race forward to thrust the bleeding and atoned heart back into the gaping maw of the Herald’s chest. “Return to the grace of your true Goddess!” I say. Instantly the darkness of his body tries to consume the heart but the golden glow fights against it. We all quickly gather around and apply our divine gifts of atonement! The golden glow quickly spreads throughout his body and finally the darkness completely fades and he is restored to full health and life! As he stands he says, “You have saved me from serving evil forever. I can hear my mistress calling me yet one of you must take up the mantle of Herald! We must move, Baphomet is coming.”
With that we gather round Keiiek and he teleports us back to Alderpash’s chambers. We know we have little time to wait and we all begin to prepare as quickly as we can. As the walls shake we cast our best magics and say our greatest prayers! Baphomet rises out of the bone of the floor and bellows, “I am the lord of this realm and yet you dare defy me! You do not have your strumpet protector this time! I have slain countless heroes and now your bones will join them all!”
An instant later we are surrounded by minotaurs and three Balor’s flank Baphomet! Not fearing the minotaur I move to confront a Balor. I know all of my companions are attacking with everything they have and the minotaurs are cut down like wheat. The magic of one of the balors kills Keff with an implosion spell! Baphomet turns Alderpash into a snake as he yells something about him being a thorn in his side no more. Aen’s arrows and Asmodai’s sword are cutting a score through the minotaur! Keiiek summons up a portal to his realm, a way to retreat I assume? Morcar is with me now, his shield protecting me as always! Baphomet turns his attention on me for one brutal attack and the wound burns with infernal pain! Then his breath fills the room and another explosion goes off in the rear of the room! Now I can no longer see Keiiek, Keff, Alderpash or the Herald! Have they all been destroyed? No, Keiiek must have pulled them into his other realm. This leaves Aen, Morcar and I standing alone against Baphomet who is completely unharmed and two Balor’s. I have no fear of the Balor though they could hurt my friends. Baphomet however is too strong to handle alone and I feel as though I have been disciplined to remember I am no god. How dare I even entertain the notion that we may have had the power to even stand against him, let alone defeat him! Defeated and disheartened even though we saved the Herald I call upon the power of the Stole of the Inheritor and call us back to Iomedae’s chamber!
As I see one of the Three on her alter before me. The artifact granted to me now draped around her shoulders I scream my frustration! How can we stop Deskari if we stood not even a modicum of a chance against Baphomet? As I calm I see the Herald kneeling next to Iomedae and there are words whispered between them. Then she approaches us. All of our wounds are healed and Asmodai rises from the floor. I scan her eyes looking for the sign of shame I was sure to see. I awaited more divine discipline. Yet I saw no shame there. She was not angry with me or us. She smiled as she pulled the Stole from her shoulders. Sensing my fears she says, “It was never my intent for you to defeat Baphomet. You did exactly as I wished and exceeded my expectations in many ways. Even managing to redeem the soul of a Runelord, Sarenrae would be proud. I need a new Herald until the time my old one can retake the mantle.” She holds out the Stole to me and says, will you be my Herald? With a moment’s hesitation I say a prayer to Sarenrae and Ragathiel. I do not wish to forsake them to take up this honor. They both respond and from Sarenrae I know that she will welcome me back when the time comes. From Ragathiel I feel only understanding at what needs to be done. I nod to Iomedae and say it would be my honor. Yet before she grants me the title she says that each champion here must agree that I am worthy. As she asks each of my companions one by one of my worth I fill with pride as each and all give their blessing!
Then Iomedae says we must return to Drezen. Deskari has launched an all out assault and every crusader stronghold in the Worldwound is under attack! With that we are teleported to Drezen and immediately have to search out Irabeth to help prepare the defenses! The defenders are all rushing to get things done yet many stop to exclaim their happiness that we have returned! I can hear cheers to the Grey Knights! I am happy that just our presence can help moral. Irabeth lets us know the lay of the land and says we should expect to see the first of the attack in two days. It will take that long thanks to the Sword of Valor which is keeping them from teleporting immediately into the citadel. When we ask how everyone is doing I can see the pain in her eyes when she says she has given up hope of returning Anivia to the mortal realm.
5th Abadeous
During this time Keiiek spends time traveling to sell and buy needed items. I spend some time in prayer increasing the power of my armor and the rest of my time amongst the crusaders doing what I can to help the defenses and the moral. Hundreds more followers have flocked to my banner and they have set up the magnificent mansion I left behind for them as a base of operation. They are all happy to know that I have returned and proud that I have been honored by Iomedae herself!
6th Abadeous.
The assault begins and as we race to the walls we are told that demons are inside one of the towers. We find four demons have slain all the crusaders task with defending that tower and we cut them down with alacrity! Keff’s power has manifested and he can now turn himself into a huge silver dragon! After what he suffered in the Ivory Labyrinth I am happy he still has the mental fortitude to continue with us!
As the last demon falls Jorah Vahne approaches us with a retinue of crusaders with him. He tells us that something is happening near the purity forge. Of course we race to see what other horror awaits us. There the runes on the wall are glowing and have opened a portal! I can see a city behind the umbra of the gate and as demons spill through I think I see Aponovisciouis on the other side! The former master of Drezen was not here when we took it back. Apparently she wishes to return! Well, the Grey Knights will be here to receive her!
Mythic:
I should have mentioned before that Force of Will has been amazing. Not only mechanically but it feels incredibly epic. Probably the most epic feeling Mythic upgrade since gaining first tier. Powering through almost anything has so many thematic moments.
At the Table:
Asmodai was unable to make it.
DM:
I can tell he is sort of fed up with Mythic. I think some of this is from just pure DM exhaustion as I know this AP has probably been very nerve wracking and well, I and at least one of our other players can be the type to take a toll on a DM. Yet he is still making the sessions fun, RPing well, making combats challenging and providing some awesome painted minis for our games!!
A Fate that's Heralded:
Entry #46 A Fate that’s Heralded
Alderpash takes the time to tell us of the Runelords. I had no knowledge of them since my area of study and focus my entire life has revolved around the Worldwound and stopping the terrors there. He told us that there were seven of them and they were powerful magic users in the ancient kingdom of Thassilon. He hated one of the Runelords, Sorshen and sought power from Baphomet to aid him in destroying her. However Baphomet betrayed him and imprisoned him even after he gave Baphomet his first created Giant. The Inverted Giant we slew in the last cell.
The inner turmoil of freeing another evil to stop this one was raging inside me. I asked Alderpash what he would do with his freedom. First and foremost he wants to destroy Sorshen. Since my guess is Sorshen is evil I don’t see an issue with that. Yet Alderpash is undoubtedly evil as well and I fear his other mechinations. I ask if there is any hope for his soul and what would he be willing to change if we freed him. It was however Keiiek that thought of the idea of using a spell of atonement on him. I was very happy with this idea and instantly hoped that Alderpash would accept. He thought about it only briefly and agreed that he would honestly be willing to try anything to escape this prison. He even agreed that he would aid us in a fight against Baphomet himself should it come to that!
The atonement spell took some time to cast and Alderpash seemed bored during but that’s not a surprise. Once it was concluded he rocked back in his seat and a look of surprise, nearing on confusion spread across his face. He said that he may have to ask us for some guidance in this coming time. It was odd to see the old man so unsure of himself but as I looked I could almost see the evil fading and that confusing made complete sense. This feels like a huge victory. Even though it may not directly affect the war in the Worldwound I feel that we did a great thing here.
Alderpash was good to his word and gave us information on the location of the Herald of Iomedea. He also told us that we would need to kill off some of Baphomet’s champions before attempting to save the Herald. Plorixtago who ran the torture chamber should be dealt with and we tell him that we already have. The Drow priestess, Svendack and her shrine are next. We tell him that the priestess has been slain but we did not know of the magic of the shrine. He told us that Svendack cast a spell on the shrine every day that empowered the guardians of this prison with more power. It would be a good idea to dispel that magic first. Also, we should kill Baphomet’s hunter, Ingor-Maggor. I let him know that I took his head in one of the halls of this place. Lastly we should deal with the Warden who we have not faced yet.
Next he tell us of some of Baphomet’s powers. He can instantly summon demons and minotaurs to his side. He can never be lost in a maze or caught unawares. He is also a master of scroll magic so we should expect a very large variety of spells to be thrown at us. Alderpash doesn’t say it but I also realize we found his first weapon in the vault, the nasty unholy glaive. As powerful as that item is I assume it is likely that the one he carries now is even worse! We decide that we should rest before taking on some of these next tasks.
3rd Abadeous
We move to eliminate the shrine first. It is guarded by some Demodans that Aen’s arrows and my blade cut down quickly. It is however, as expected, Keiiek’s magic that destroys the alter! I pray it worked and weakens these enemies!
Next we teleport directly into the Warden’s chamber. However, as expected we are trapped behind some bars, unable to get to the many armed and two headed demon! She casts nasty spells at us while we struggle to circumvent the barriers! Finally Keiiek in desperation tries to teleport us closer. A tactic that has been unreliable in this place. It works and we stand at the throne of the Warden! However the image that was casting spells at us was just that and she is not there yet. A demodan confronts us but Aen puts it down quickly. The Warden enters the fray but with Morcar’s shield by my side the many blades ring harmlessly off my defenses and Morcar’s shield again and again! Two more demodan’s approach and Aen instantly destroys one with a brutal arrow through it’s eye! The other is taken down a turn later in a hail of arrows! Finally our combined assault pushes the warden back. She sneers at us with both heads and claims we will be washed away in a tide of blood as she teleports away! I can see her skin burn as she uses that magic inside my punishing anchoring aura but she is still able to escape.
Exploring her chambers we find little of use but enough information on the location of the Herald that Keiiek thinks he can attempt to teleport us there. We know from Alderpash that once we save or slay the Herald we may incur the wrath of Baphomet. We know that we may face the Horned lord immediately after this task is done, so we decide to rest once more. Our plan is to save or slay the Herald and then retreat to Alderpash’s cell where hopefully he can help us face a Demon Lord and survive!
4th Abadeous
Before we attempt to teleport to the cell of the Herald we discuss how we can save him. Each of us, save Keiiek still has one use of atonement granted to us by Iomedae. We believe only a follower of Iomedae can cast the spell on the heart so we ask Keff to do that. It feels like the corruption has been suppressed at least for now. Now, somehow we must get the heart back inside the Heralds body and cast however more atonement spells are necessary to save him!
The teleportation works and we stand on a ledge just above a lake of black tar. In the center is a floating disk surrounded by ivory pillars. One tunnel leads off in the distance yet that is of little consequence as we see the Herald rise from a kneeling position in the center of the disk. I can immediately see that there is a gaping hole in his chest and his features are twisted and corrupted. He stands and says, “My would be saviors sent by the Child Goddess! You are too late! You are to be my final ascension! I am the Herald of the Ivory Labyrinth now!” With that he stands and two glaives teleport instantly to his hands.
The escaped Warden is the next to appear from the tunnel in the rear of the room. She casts her blade barrier spell on the platform and we are all forced to move to avoid the swirling wall of death. Fortunately many of us can fly and simply step off the platform. As I race forward to confront the Herald I can see out of the corner of my eye the Warden collapse to the floor, at least a dozen arrows sticking out of vital places on her now dead body! One threat removed!
Facing the Herald on the floating disk I decide to not hold back in my initial assault. I have no idea how we are going to return the heart to the Heralds chest but I know we can not do it if he is at his full power. I take just a moment to think about the dripping golden heart in a sack attached to my belt. It must work, it has to work! My initial attacks are brutal and I feel sorrow every time Radiance crashes into the body of this once righteous warrior! As one of my attacks cut the fingers from his right hand and the glaive falls to the ground I hesitate. I must slow my fury for if I destroy him completely we will have no chance to save him! I switch tactics and attempt to strike in ways that will do less lethal damage! I know I have badly wounded him but I do not believe it is enough!
Next he flies, incredibly fast over the blade barrier spell and lands next to one of those awful statues! He is instantly healed and can attack my friends! Morcar takes the brunt of that attack and I can not even reach them yet to help! I see Keff get pulled down, screaming, into the black tar by the tar itself. I had reached up and grabbed his leg and pulled him down into the burning liquid! His screams fill my ears and I feel a brief moment of panic but he is able to fly up out of it. He is smoking but alive! To my horror the Herald, most likely targeting holy champions or specifically those that worship his former goddess he flies directly at Keff. It only takes two brutal swings of the nasty glaives to send Keff spiraling down back into the tar! I know he has been slain, it tears at my soul! Yet I have faith that we can save him with the powerful magic of my friends! It is Aen that flies down and reaches his arm into the burning pitch to pull Keff out and throw him at the feet of Morcar! Morcar’s magic of the mighty Torag saves the life of our melodic friend! Now we stand again, as one to face an enemy we don’t hate and want to save instead of destroy! What is fated for the Herald? Will he be annihilated? Or will he be redeemed to the light of the Inheritor?
Current PF favors offense so much higher than defense if using your average defensive option slows your offense no one will use it unless there are significant defensive gains.
If it takes an action to get a benefit at all that makes them almost obsolete right off the bat. Now, if there is a static bonus and also an added greater bonus for spending an action I can see it.
Now to the shield actually taking damage. Realistically I see it of course. But this will make the mend spell very valuable or characters will carry around wagon of shields. This also makes magic shields even more expensive and reduces the chance of anyone using one.
Character Update:
All characters gained level 17 early in this game.
Mythic:
No big changes.
At the Table:
Asmodai was not able to make it and Morcar had to leave after only a couple hours.
DM:
Another solid game.
Ancient Things::
Entry #45 Ancient Things
Minotaurs keep pouring out into the vault from one of the open doors but the fight quickly turns in our favor when Aen is back in the fight and manages to eliminate the golem. Keiiek quickly turns to the task of figuring out how to retrieve the ancient artifacts. There is some key that involves the use of unholy water in the basins outside each alcove.
Unsure of what to do next Keff and I turn to the final remaining unopened door. It is gold and appears not to be trapped. I takes Keff a few moments to unlock it and we are met with a glowing gold portal. Not exactly sure what to do next I step into the portal. I see myself soaring high above the entirety of the Ivory Labyrinth. Knowledge of the lay out and purpose of each part of the massive maze fills my head. I can feel myself nearly pass out from the sheer volume of information. But I manage to stay focused.
Some of the location of note are the Deep Isolation cell that contains an ancient creature that has been here for at least 10,000 years. There are four guards and what appears to be a pool of water. Unholy water perhaps? I see the private audience chamber of the Warden, but it is empty. Then a massive chamber with small chambers connected to is. This seems far more luxurious than any of the other cells and I know there is an ancient enemy of Baphomet here that has also been here for at least 10,000 years!
First we head to the Deep Isolation cell. We figure that if that is the unholy water we need the artifacts we may recover could help our quest. In the cell we face the four guards. I immediately see one of them is a Shaggy Demodan and I know it is the biggest threat. Aen’s arrows riddle it and I charge yet before I can even reach the awful thing his weapons hits me and paralyzes me! Even though I know the effect is only temporary I fear the amount of attacks I am being beaten with by all the other demodans combined! I fall unconscious from the weight of the attacks but Keiiek’s magic brings me back swiftly and Aen’s lightning fast bow had eliminated all other threats. Fortunately the water was indeed unholy water and Keiiek collects it. We debate for a short time about figuring out what monster is held by the magic circle atop a short flight of stairs that seems to be why the guards were here. I step on the first step and a multi colored ray blasts me. I resist the majority of the attack and I am able to see a gaping maw spin around in the magic circle and say a name. Alderpash! I have no knowledge of who that is but I wouldn’t be surprised if Keiiek knows. Well, we let curiosity get the best of us and we figure out that if Keiiek casts Mages Disjunction then we can release the creature. Once that is done I see one of the most twisted monstrosities I have ever seen. That is truly saying something after all I have seen. It looks twisted inside out and Aen later tells me that is exactly what it was, something called and inverted Golem. The beast charges forward and its claws dig deep through my armor. It screams Alderpash again until half a dozen of Aen’s arrows dig into it’s flesh! The might of The Three was guiding my hand as all my strikes dig deep! I cut the creatures spine and gouts of blood spray everywhere! Yet the beast does not topple and it’s attacks are still deadly! I would have died if not for Keiiek’s healing magic! One more swing of Radiance finishes the massive beast.
Returning to the vault Keiiek figures out how to gain access to each of the alcoves and the ancient artifacts within. The ball of twine has more of a symbolic meaning and there is no magic too it. The heart is the heralds yet even with my new knowledge I do not see his location. Then there is a powerful glaive and the tainted scimitar that Cessiel asked me to retrieve.
Keiiek takes the ball of twine, the unholy heart and tainted sword. The glaive is put in our bag of holding for later inspection. We immediately return to Cessiel. She only smiles with a hint of sorrow and I can tell by the relief on her face that her soul is free. As she fades away her spirit infuses the blade and it becomes a weapon of emense power and renown! It is an anciet blade of the time of Sarenrae herself! It is said that there are twelve of these weapons which were made when Sarenrae split the world to enslave Rovagug himself! Molten slag from the attack that split the world formed each blade! I am in awe of obtaining something so important to my religion!
Lastly we decide to venture to the luxurious cell, believing that we could find a potential ally. Once inside we are attacked by two dust ghouls and put them down quick. Then an incredibly old looking man walks out and chastises us for destroying his creations. He introduces himself as Alderpash, the once Runelord of Wrath! I am not completely sure of the significance of this title but I am going to find out! The man is undoubtedly evil and my senses confirm that. He begins speaking to us and proposes that he will help us with information if we help him escape. What a conflict of conscious! Do we release one evil to stop another?.... We shall see!
DM:
Excellent job! I am sure that Drow priestess fight was exhausting but he had it put together and planned out well! It really felt like a challenge and at this power level I realize how hard that is to do!
Force of Will::
Entry #44 Force of Will
The cool breeze having picked back up again leads us through numerous halls until we reach one and hear the sound of sloshing liquid with a coppery scent; blood! Morcar is the first to round the corner and a female voice, sickeningly sweet, says something about how she would like to stay but she has other responsibility; and then the fight begins!
Two Iron Golems and a Shaggy Demodan stalk towards us as a Drow woman stands on a raised platform near an alter, throwing down tremendous spells at us! The fight is hard I quickly realize that the demodan and golems are just holding us back so that the Drow can attack us with brutal spells.
Asmodai rushes forward and touches one of the golems with his rust gauntlet, a sound tactic! The “skin” of the thing begins to crumble away but its next attack takes off Asmodai’s hand! By sheer force of will he remains on his feet and only growls in anger instead of pain. One handed he grips ‘Death from Hell’ and with a mighty swing and his lifes blood leaking all over the floor from his bloody stump he topples the construct! The weapons of the golems cause bleeding that doesn’t always stop even when magically healed. Keiiek and Morcar both heal Asmodai but the stump where his hand used to be continues to sling crimson everywhere as he fights on, almost oblivious to the grievous wound!
I can see I must get to the Drow before her devastating attacks destroy us! Aen’s arrows have driven the demodan back to one of the four healing statues and it howls with glee as it is refreshed from near death. Though, to its horror Aen’s onslaught only intensifies after Keff casts haste and the demodan appears to be dead on the floor! That is until the Drow casts a spell that raises him again! I am in her face now, my attacks wounding her badly but she seems unafraid and uncaring!
Even with the spell the attacks of Aen and Asmodai put the demodan down for good! Yet there is a summoning circle on the floor and another immediately takes its place! Asmodai races to the circle as the new Demodan moves to another statue, a dozen or more arrows protruding from its wounded hide. Asmodai reverses his grip on his powerful blade and slams it into the bone floor. To my astonishment he takes his bloody stump and slams it down on the pommel of his blade thrusting it deeper into the floor and as he yells his triumpth the circle closes! I am in awe of my companion at that moment! Such bravery! Next Morcar moves to Asmodai, we can all see his wounds are slowly taking him down. Morcar grabs his bloody stump and presses his holy Warhammer to it. With a prayer to Torag the hammer glows bright and the wound is cauterized! No scream of pain from Asmodai, only another tremendous growl as he charges to meet the last remaining Iron Golem!
Emboldened by the heroics of my companions my next assault is brutal! I cut the Drows head from her shoulders! As her body falls I have no time to enjoy the small victory. The last Shaggy Demodan is standing within striking distance, saliva dripping from its sickly maw as it drains the healing energy from another statue. I turn to face this foe and it’s attacks are paralyzing! I stand there unable to move as I watch Radiance fall from my grasp!
I can see the scene unfolding before me. The blood from the room rises up in tendrils and crashes down on the Drows body. She is fully restored! By another act of will I break free of my paralasis to turn and face my two foes! As I do I see Keiiek in his ascended form has placed himself between the wounded Asmodai and Morcar. Morcar is pulling Asmodai away from the wall where the Golem’s glaive had pinned him to it. Keiiek is forcing the Golem back strength for strength! His divine heritage empowering his body to untold strength! He is not moving the construct back but neither is the golem gaining ground! Aen’s arrows fly past me, crashing into the demodan and dropping him for a final time!
The Drow priestess casts yet another deadly spell and flame shoots up all around the room burning me and my companions! When the flames die I am still on fire! I look around to see Asmodai and Morcar rolling on the ground and Keiiek standing over the remains of the Golem. The Priestess is looking on, ready to cast another spell on my distracted friends! I reach down and grab Radiance two handed, unconcerned with my shield. I stride forward, the flames still licking up my clothing and skin! I don’t care, she has to die before she can take any of my friends with her! My swing is tremendous and I cut her cleanly in half! This time the tendrils of blood rise up but they change to a gold color and infuse us all!
After we pick ourselves up and search the room there is no sign of the scimitar we were looking for. I am proud of the brave win here but disheartened we did not find the item that would save Cessily’s eternal soul.
Eventually we come to a hallway with horrifyingly magnificent tapestries of Baphomet presiding over lost souls in a maze. After an almost humorously long time figuring out what this was we find an illusory wall behind the tapestries. Stepping through we are teleported into the maze from the tapestries. Some of us get through quickly and fall into a chamber with a huge statue of Baphomet and four alcoves on the corners of the rooms. In the alcoves floats a scimitar, a glaive, a ball of twine and a bleeding heart of gold! As I stand to my feet I see Keiiek standing near a wall opposite another wall with three different color doors. Keiiek is standing in front of a golden sphere that floats about head level. He reaches out to touch it and the statue of Baphomet, predictably comes to life! It walks over and opens a door, releasing a Vilsteth Demon! A corruption demon created from demon lords themselves to manipulate people. The Vilsteth immediately looks at Aen and Aen sits on the ground leaning up against the wall. Charging forward I cut the Vilsteth down and Aen shakes his head coming out of his stupor. During that time the Baphomet statue has opened the other doors releasing an ivory minotaur and another demon! It is a fight for our lives with the relics we seek at our fingertips!
At the Table:
Keiiek could not attend this session.
DM:
Tons of RP info, made for a great game and to uncover more of the story!
Lost Love:
Entry #43 Lost Love
Securely inside Keiiek’s extra dimensional home I cast Legend Lore on the Torc which ironically gives me the power to cast the spell. I learn that it once belonged to Lady Cessily Matiel, a paladin of Sarenrae. I know this name and it takes me only a moment to connect the memory of the tortured soul we confronted on a derelict barge in the Midnight Isles. I also learn that the two, husband and wife raided the Ivory Labyrinth together some time ago but then the knowledge fades with an intense feeling of hopelessness and betrayal. I can feel the sorrow as if I had lived through it myself! A sorrow that is all to familiar when thinking of the loss of my lost love. What was only a short time ago feels like a lifetime when Kenabres was home.
Back into the labyrinth it is nothing but more cells and more Tarry Demodan guards. Their sticky bodies are a terrible annoyance! Eventually Baphomet’s hunter, Inger-Maggor attacks with a trio of minotaur companions. “And there you are slayers of the masters favored hounds! Soon the master will crack your bones and for my services he will let me drink your morrow! And then your bones will join the million others!” says Inger! Inger and I battle back and forth but eventually the might of The Three proves greater than that of Baphomet and I prevail. During that time my companions soundly decimate the other minotaur, Asmodai roaring his triumph as minotaur have become something of a favored enemy of his.
Moving on, cell by cell we finally come to one with a humanoid figure standing motionless. When I finally see the face it is smoldering and ember encrusted. I recognize it as something called an Immolation Devil. When tyrannical warlords fall they sometime because Immolation devils and generals in Hell’s armies. Quafel says it is the master and finally we put two and two together. This is Suurlahetas, the one he has been leading us too. These sort of devils are the type I was born to combat. They love to lead sorties into other planes, even holding fortresses on those planes. The Ardent Aegis was made to keep this sort of evil outside out of the material plane! Yet even with that knowledge we are forced to work with him because we need information to get through this dungeon! He agrees to give us four pieces of pertinent information in exchange for freeing him. We reluctantly agree.
True to his word Surrlahetas tells us four things about the prison.
First is the location of the prison vault which he draws a rough map too.
Second that the statues throughout the prison will heal any evil outsider that touches them.
Third, the pentragrams will transport one around the prison. Standing on one of them with at least 3 of the 5 keys of the prison will transport you to the most secret cells.
Lastly, Yeleshka, the warden and two headed maralith holds 3 of the 5 keys. We must slay her.
Some important information indeed. There is no doubt in my mind that the Heralds heart will be located in that vault. Wondering further we find the corpse of what appears to be the creature Keiiek freed from being tortured. We free an elf that has clearly lost his mind and then, to my horror we come back full circle to what appears to be the antechamber leading into the prison. The tentacles which attacked us before actually slay Morcar! I can not believe it! The stout dwarf falls at my feet and my heart sinks! I believe we finally slew the creature but far to late. Retreating to the safety of Keiiek’s home we must wait a whole day until Keiiek can prepare the spells necessary to return our friend to life!
31st Kuthona
I cast Legend Lore on the fallen Astral Deva. I learn her name was Malaika and she came in here in an unsanctioned effort to rescure the herald. She was captured, tortured and finally killed. Also, I gain the info that Uffendir, the Crag Linnorm we killed was Baphomet’s pet. That roar we heard was most likely the Horned Lord himself! I hope he felt the pain!
Past another cell I feel a cold breeze brush my face. The wind is blowing in an obvisous direction, guiding me to another cell. It appears empty but still has a wall of force guarding the entrance. There are scraps of cloth and dried blood on the floor. We decide to batter the wall of force down and as we do a gust of cold wind blasts outward. The specter of a beautiful woman wearing rags appears to us. She has what appears to be a self-inflicted wound on her neck. She says, “I am so relieved to find another follower of the Dawn Flower!” Somehow I know this is Lady Cessily Mantiel and she briefly explains that her husband betrayal lead to her capture. I am inclined to believe that it was the grief of this tragedy that lead to that wound on her neck, but I say nothing. She tells us that a Drow Priestess stole her sword. A priceless artifact called a Dawnflower’s Kiss. The weapon has been tainted and she would like us to bring it back to her so that her soul may be freed. She places the effect of Death Ward on all of us before she fades, the cool breeze ceasing.
Thank you all for the replies. I will absolutely be letting the players set the scale. What I was really looking for was help filling the scale in. Suggestions of what 1 through 10 should mean or should it be 1 to 5? Things like that.
So, next year I will be diving into DMing Mummys Mask and I want to devise a scale for how ruthless to be.
Something like
1. Candy land, all punches pulled, no fear of death.
.
.
10. Brutal assault, open dice rolls, no pulled punches, play to the enemies alignment, coup de grace always.
I need help filling out the scale and deciding how the players should choose their ruthlessness. Party average? Individually? Scale doesnt have to be 1-10.
Mythic:
Working on possible upgrades that my cohort can take with his tier 5 ability and feat to make him more survivable. Potentially something to do with his form of the dragon ability.
At the Table:
All characters present.
DM:
Another solidly executed game.
Inmates:
Entry #42 Inmates
Following the spectral hand and exploring the countless cells as we go there are all manor of inmates. This includes us now, as now that we are in we will also have to find a way to break out! We see some devils and demons and what remains of what appear to be some humanoids.
The hand leads us to a cell, a finger pointing in. Before I can even peer inside three more of the Tarry demodans attack! Their sticky skin such an annoyance! Once they are slain I can see past the shimmering barrier which operates as a cell door; a frail looking female clutching something tight to her chest. The woman claims to be a cleric of the Inheritor and shows us the item she is clutching is a holy symbol to prove it. She says she was there in Raliscrad where the Herald was taken. A terrible sight and she was captured as well. I can tell this place and what she has seen and endured has taken it’s toll on her. She offers her help if we can free her from the cell. I sense no deception in her claims though I am curious how she was able to keep her holy symbol. She only said it appeared to her after Iomedae came to her in a vision. After what we have experienced this is very believable.
After several minutes we are able to hack through the shimmering barrier and free this woman. A Halfling named Waxberry. She does describe the creature that captured the Herald was a two headed snake like woman with 12 arms. Some malformed Maralith no doubt! She says the Herald has succumbed to the torture of Baphomet himself and has fallen from Iomedae’s grace. His prison is a floating disc above a lake of tar. The horned lord pulled out the Herald’s heart and gave it to the 12 armed maralith! Waxberry believes that we must find the heart first if we are to save the Herald and his soul. The maralith is Yeleshka and she is the warden of this prison. With a mission and something of a direction we sleep for the night in Keiiek’s extra dimensional home.
Awaking refreshed when we step back into the prison an Imp calling himself Quafel appears on Asmodai’s shoulder. He claims that he swears loyalty to the Master of the Blade and points at “Death From Hell” Asmodai’s great sword. Asmodai is reluctant to accept this small creature sitting on his shoulder and repeatedly bats him away until Quafel just hovers a few feet from Asmodai’s head. Quafel says that we must find Suurlahetas because he seeks the master of the blade as well. Quafel seems fearful of this creature. He agrees to lead us to him and we figure it is some form of trap but as always, if there is a chance to slay evil, we go.
He leads us to a torture chamber where two shaggy demodans are torturing a blue skinned outsider called a Opasunda, which are also, typically evil. The demondans dispatched the Opasunda only snarls at us and pulls at its restraints. Keiiek seems to wish to free it, as is his nature and calms the creature when he says it may flee. Cutting it’s bonds the outsider runs for freedom or at least away from us and the chamber where it was tortured.
Asmodai says that his sword is pulling him in a direction down a hall. We follow him to a room with a pulsing pentagram. As the pulsing intensifies and speeds up Asmodai slams his sword into the floor and with a flash of light the pulsing stops and the room grows dim. Apparently his sword is capable of closing portals or summoning circles? Our powers grow constantly!
As we continue our search I come to a cell that contains the shredded, wing torn remains of an Astral Diva. Unable to look away we use a key Keiiek procured and enter the cell. I wrap the remains in what we can and we take them to Keiieks portable dimension. There we ask Waxberry to prepare the remains for a pyre and she agrees. Scrawled in blood on the walls of the cell are the words “Linnorm Uffrandir” and what looks to be a map.
As we exit the cell a very unusual event occurs and that is saying something when considering the place we are in. A skeleton dances, yes dances down the hall toward us and when it comes face to face with me it points a bony finger in my direction and says “I trespassed here and the servants added my bones to the millions of others… see your death before you…” Then it dances back and crumbles to the ground. Such an odd omen but we all shrug it off.
Finaly coming to a gaseous cavern we think we are in the location the bloody map lead us. Moving into the chamber a gigantic creature with the head of a dragon comes up out of the murky green water. It is what is known as a Tarn Linnorm! Using all our might we enter this fight like juggernaugts and slay the creature with a series of arrows from Aen and strikes from Radiance before it can do more than breath one useless jet of acid from it’s gaping maw. With it’s death we hear a tremendous roar from one of the other tunnels leading out of or into this place. We can not be sure from where. Pausing only a moment to concern ourselves with what might be coming we turn our attention on the mound of treasure piled on a landing near the water!
Character Update:
All characters Level 16 Tier 8 shortly after the start of this session.
Mythic:
Even with Mythic Leadership my cohort is severely out matched. Will have to come up with something to keep him engaged in this deadly game.
At the Table:
All characters present.
DM:
He gets frustrated with Mythic at times but in this session he still had half the party unconscious at one point and had to pull some punches with the prison defenses before we got inside.
Prison Break:
Entry #41 Prison Break
We finally see the prison and it is more terrifying than I ever imagined. In a place like the Abyss it is hard to find things that shock you. The scale of this prison and the shear fearsome presence of it takes a moment to absorb. Possibly the largest structure I have ever seen. Chains of titanic proportions holds a sphere covered in spikes above an endless pit to the heart of the abyss. There is one bridge that looks like a joke when taking in the scope of this place.
As we make our approach Aen is scouting ahead when two huge demons burst out of small pools just as he steps a few dozen strides across the bridge onto a landing. They attack with brutal efficiency and my friend is battered into unconsciousness. Again, the rage burns in my blood! As we race to Aen’s aid the prison itself defends itself. Brutal spikes fire from all angles at us. Morcar and I use our shields to block the onslaught but our friends are not so lucky. Keiiek looks to fair well but Asmodai is impaled multiple times! Keiiek’s healing magic keeps my friends from dying as Morcar covers Aen with his shield. Keff fairs no better and must rush to Morcar’s shield, spikes protruding from all over him! Once Asmodai, Aen and I get a chance to press the offensive against these beasts we are able to slay them.
As we finally approach the gate it looks to be made of solid blood, agonized faces twist and wail inside its surface. The spikes continue to rain down on us as Keff looks over the lock. It takes Keiiek’s magic to summon a shimmering barrier over our heads that gives Keff time to work. He confirms what Aen had already told us, that the lock does appear trapped. If I pour the blood over the lock before the trap is disabled it will go off Keff informs me. As he does his work he looks up at me and suggests that I step away. I just smile and he knows I will not leave his side. It takes him a moment and he takes a deep breath. I am not sure what he did but a wail washes over us, screaming faces letting out the emotion of their torture! Fortunately we are able to withstand the onslaught and Keff wipes sweat from his brow as he diligently goes back to work. This time he says that he thinks he has it and I say a prayer to the Three for guidance. Pouring the blood over the lock the faces shriek again and fade away. The barrier is open.
An antechamber awaits us and past that, a gigantic round room leads up into darkness and down into a pool of pale blue. A bridge leads across the pool approximately forty feet up and there is a door on the other side. There is a small landing down near the pool and hanging at approximately the same level as the bridge on the other side are two cages. Each cage contains the remains of what once was a Pit Fiend. We are definitely in the right place!
As I fly into the room my first thought is to check out the landing near the pool. I knew it was dangerous and my fears are confirmed as a tentacle of the same blue form reaches up for me. I am able to avoid it but around that time my companions are attempting to cross the bridge and the tentacles are striking out at them. Keff is struck and frozen in place, paralyzed by the touch. The far door flies open and two demon looking creatures rush out. As the battle is joined I land on the bridge and try to keep the two prison guards away from my friends. Their swords strike out blindingly quick and some are able to pierce my defenses. As my sword and wings strike back I can feel their form is sticky to the touch and know that if I am not careful my weapons will be stuck to the beasts. After one good volley from Aen and a few swings from me one of the demons retreats to a statue of a minotaur with a red gem in it’s head. He touches the statue, the gem drains of color and the guards wounds heal. This does not bode well if the prison will help heal it’s guards! Yet even with that my blades and Aen’s arrows are enough to slay them, though at the end I must force Radiane and both wings from the creatures sticky grasp! Looking back at my companions I see Asmodai slash again into the tentecles coming over the bridge and finally they shrink back into the blue depths. So now we are left with a decision of what to do next. We should search that platform I still believe and then see what other threats await us!
Just as we make to move on a ghostly hand appears in front of me and beckons. It seems to be targeting me specifically and it waits for me to move forward, deeper into the prison. Could the Herald be using some of his remaining magic to lead me to his location? Could it be a trap? Nothing is ever certain when dealing with the creatures of the Abyss!
Putting our heads together all we know of the Lightless Maze is that it is technically what would be considered the entire underground of the Ivory Labyrinth. It takes an entire day but with Aen’s lead we are able to find what appears to be an entrance into the dark bowels of this plane.
21st Kuthona
All forms of light retreat from the darkness in this place. Even the light of my divine halo is reduced here. After what appears to be the majority of a day fumbling around in the dark we come upon a cavern and our first meeting with the inhabitants of this place. Two obsidian skinned creatures pull a naked and battered female slave behind them. Later I find out from Aen that they are called Shaggy Demodans.
I race forward to heal the woman in hopes of saving her. Claws and wings clanging off my armor as I reach out to lay my hands upon her. It is for naught though as one of the creatures laughs and simply slits her throat! Anger, rage… I can not explain these emotions! My blood boils at times like these and I can feel a power in it. Half a dozen arrows blast the laughing creature to the ground and Asmodai’s great sword cleaves the other shortly after. We do what we can to give the woman last rights and have to move on.
22nd Kuthona
A whole day wondering these tunnels.
23rd Kuthona
A whole day traveling and we did come across some form of trap that wounded us all but Keiiek and Morcar quickly heal us.
24th Kuthona
Wonder…
25th Kuthona
We come across a chamber with huge stalactites and stalagmites. The dripping liquid in here burns the skin and saps the strength. Some creature with massive tentacles attacks. It pulls us close and as we stand fighting it a magical pit opens beneath out feet. I can fly so I am ok, Mocar jumps to safety but Asmodai falls over 100 feet to begin being devoured by some form of teeth! I fly down to save him and a tentacle lashes across my back, burning badly. The fight rages as I grab his hand and pull him from the jaws of the bowels of the abyss! The creature falls to the combined attacks of Aen, Morcar and Keiiek as I gain the surface again!
26th through the 28th Kuthona
Only more dark travel.
29th Kuthona
The tunnels finally open up to a huge cavern. We can not see the ceiling and the floor appears to be at least twenty feet down. With the slightest of movement from it’s breathing we see what we believe is the Father of Worms! A very small shaft of light illuminates the monster. Dead black chitinous armor covers the gargantuan worm!
As was expected as soon as the worm notices us the whole cavern goes black! Knowing Keiiek would have the best potential to salve this endless problem I scream to him to help us see! He is able to cast a spell that banishes the darkness for now! Next six shadows step out of the wall to attack! Things look bleak as Asmodai activates his winged boots he moves forward. But he does not charge, he is being cautious thought it avails him not! A tentacle of black smoke from the worm lashes out, impossibly far and wraps around him, pulling him in close! All of the creatures claws and teeth sink into my friend! There is that rage again! Then the lights go back out! Even in the dark I can hear the sounds of the battle going poorly. I lash out and slay one of the shadows after Morcar’s spell materializes them so my blade sinks deep into their bodies.
We are all wounded and even Aen’s bow sounds like he has pulled further back into the tunnel. I am about to step back to help when I hear Keiiek say, get ready! I know what this means, it means he is about to drop another spell that will only last a short time for us to attack. As soon as I see the worm I charge. I summon all my righteous might and clash into the beast! Radiance does it’s job well and black acidic blood oozes out everywhere! Yet even that is not enough! I feel the tentacle wrap around me as it did Asmodai and the worm’s mouth opens enough to easily swallow me. In the bowels of this foe I go! It’s insides are crushing but I can still manipulate Radiance to attack and cut my way out! As I burst free the form of the worm slumps to the ground! Blood spraying everywhere I quickly catch some in the Chalice of Ozem! My companions standing around me I do not see Asmodai and Keiiek says he is safe in another tunnel. We are victorious and we have the blood that is the key to our next step!
Congratulations on keeping this going for, wow, two years now.
Doug M.
Thank you! Our group is awesome. Many groups cant keep together for 2 years, let alone 10 like mine has. This is my favorite campaign ive ever played. I have to keep the journal going!
Mythic:
Mythic Leadership made Keff a viable cohort. Yet even then he is very weak to the challenges we are facing. I hope to find some upgrade equipment for him soon.
At the Table:
Aen and Asmodai could not be at this session.
DM:
Great job of supplying us with difficult fights. It felt awesome to stomp a Balor but brought us right back down to earth with the Orangofta fight! Also a good job with that fight of giving a different character a chance to be the one to "win" it.
A Fools Proposal:
Entry #39 A Fool Proposal
Walking into Blackburg or from what we can tell is Blackburg I instantly see it has very little in common with Nocticula’s capital city. There are demons and minotaur everywhere. As we begin walking the streets we are met with stares and hisses but it is a while before we are openly opposed. A maralith and two vrocks step in our path. Before I can even speak Keiiek blasts them with a ball of acid that kills both vrocks, leaves the maralith steaming and onlookers running in fear. I gave the maralith one chance to throw down her weapons and she said what all minions in this realm seem to, “your bones will join countless others!” As she charges me a heavy blow from Asmodai cuts her literally in half! It is to bad there were no more spectators to spread that part of the story.
Moving through the city further the tower seems to always remain in the center. No matter how far we walk we get no closer and its position never changes. Finally another demon has the courage to oppose us. Its hooved feet crush the ground beneath them and smoke rises up from the heat of its presence. A Balor! A creature of nightmare only spoken of in hushed tones back on Golarion. This demon has most likely slain countless crusaders and believes we are easy pray! I hear Keff say, “Oh no, please no!” I can tell his fear is incredible but he sings his tune for us none the less! Keiiek is the first to act and transform into his tremendous other form. At that the Balor simply looks at him and Keiiek yells out a scream that sends a chill through my spine. I must act and I charge forward! Radiance, guided by the Three strikes true as do my razor sharp metallic wings! Every strike lands an awful blow on the demon! It takes many hits but finally the demon falls! Yet even as the body is falling I see something happening. The body is breaking apart and explodes! Keff and Keiiek yell out in pain as the unholy fire burns their flesh! Keiiek’s magic sets them right.
Collecting ourselves there two Culoxus demons approach us. They are dressed in fine clothing and applaud our success against the Balor. “Orangofta, our master has been watching you and is impressed by your power. He has sent us to invite you to an audience.” Having no other luck here finding information we agree.
Leading us to an extravagant structure we enter to see a huge Nalfeshnee sitting on a throne of ivory with a maralith coiled around his legs. He is holding a huge golden sword and wears a golden helm that comes down over his neck. Two other demons stand opposing us on the floor. Orangofta says, “I have been watching you and I think I could use you.” We all look at each other at that, untrusting stares is all he gets in return. He continues, “You are here, in the Horned Lords realm and you are slaying his minion. Yet he sits securely in his tower, unwilling to oppose you. This is interesting. What have you done to make Baphomet fear you?” We tell him the story of what happened in Nocticula’s realm. “Ah, so it is not you he fears but Nocticula, I see. I can still use you. I can get you into the prison to free his new play thing. For that is why you are here is it not?” We ask how he would be capable of doing that. He of course says we would have to go as prisoners and leave all of our gear behind. We all laugh out loud at that. He tries one more time by saying we don’t have to leave the gear with him but to look as prisoners we would have to be treated as prisoners. That proposal is for fools to accept and we say no way. Orangofta obviously feels slighted by our response and roars in anger! “You mock me!” He stands and surrounds himself in a black fog! Black rays shoot out from the two demons on the floor, draining our energy. The culoxus start to buzz but we basically ignore them. Orangofta casts brutal spells at us as we make our way through his minion up to his throne covered in black fog that hinders our movement. Keff goes invisible in an attempt to avoid being targeted but I later learned that he was nearly slain many times! Blade barriers spring up all around us to slow our progress so more spells can weaken us before we reach the Nalfeshnee overlord! When Morcar and I finally fight our way to the Ivory throne the attacks of the maralith are little more than scratches but the chaotic touch of Orangofta’s claws causes deep wounds! Without Morcar’s shield I would have fallen! Yet even with the mighty Morcar at my side he and I cannot topple the demon! In the end Keiiek became the unlikely slayer of Orangofta! It was Keiiek’s magic that finally overcame the demon! All but spent we decide his lair would be safe as the creatures of Blackburg feared Orangofta and as they don’t yet know he is slain may not venture here.
20th Kuthona
Early on after leaving Orangoftas palace a mutated vescavor with a human like face approaches us. Its little voice says it’s master would like a word with us. Feeling a touch of Déjà vu we agree. It leads us to a sink hole in the city and buzzing out of the hole are hundreds, maybe thousands of vescavor that form the shape of a four legged creature with a huge mouth. The buzzing sound forms words we can barely comprehend. He thinks it is funny that Baphomet fears us and asks us why. Since we were truthful in the telling of the story he agrees to tell us where the Father of Worms can be found. He is in the lightless maze. We must find the maze, navigate it to the Father of worms, slay him and then navigate out of the maze. This location is also a shortcut to the Breathless mountains!
The Mythic archer feats just compound the already obvious issues with archery in this game.
At the Table:
Morcar was not able to be there.
DM:
He will be happy to get back to playing but his effort to keep the game fun and finish it for the players is appreciated.
Finding the Path:
Entry #38 Finding the Path
6th Kuthona through the 14th Kuthona
During this time some of us did some retraining. We sold gear and bought new gear. We had to travel to many locations via teleportation. In many places we traveled people had heard of us and recognized us nearly immediately. I am shocked at our renown but only hope that it helps bolster the crusade. Most importantly while in Magnimar we did a lot of study on the Ivory Labyrinth. We found out many things.
It is a maze the size of an entire world!
There are all manor of expanses.
There are two cities, Echostal and Blackburg. Blackburg being the capital.
The Labyrinth was originally designed by Asmodeus to contain Baphomet. When Baphomet escaped he took the whole labyrinth with him, including his prison in the breathless mountains.
Baphomet keeps his most valuable prisoners in his former prizon.
There is no information on the Father of Worms other than he lives in the Ivory Labyrinth
15th Kuthona
We finally return to Drezen and I make a speech to the crusaders. Standing atop the battlements of the citadel I attempt to raise their spirits.
CRUSADERS HEAR ME! If you’ve been a part of this righteous quest for long then you know me and my companions. If you have not then I am Lincoln Cross! Paladin and proud member of the Grey Knights and honored to call myself their leader.
We have just returned from striking a deep wound to the enemy in the abyss itself! With my companions by my side as one we struck down Hepzamirah, daughter of the Horned Lord, Baphomet! We returned triumphant to see the heroes arrayed here disheartened and without faith! Yes we have suffered a loss yet we are not defeated!
You should know that Iomedae herself summoned the Grey Knights to her great cathedral in Heaven! There we saw wondrous victories portrayed in the stained glass! She spoke to us and she is not pleased with our loss of faith or the capture of her herald. But she still believes in us! She granted us boons beyond the honor of standing in her glory! She calls upon us to find her herald and save him if we can. The Grey Knights have accepted this quest and we will travel to Baphomets realm next!
We need to know that you will be vigilant in your faith and duty if we are to be successful in ours! While we are away strike true and hold the line! When we return we will bring hope in the form of Iomedaes Hearld and the head of the Horned Lord!
With that, surrounded by cheering crusaders we hold out our bronze holy symbols of Iomedae and teleport to the Ivory Labyrinth! I am the first to materialize in the center of a large chamber with a bright light in the ceiling. Thousands of bones create the floor wall and ceilings! Two culoxus demons stand in the center of the room around a small pool. They great us as if this is an every day occurance. They ask why we are here and I tell them to slay their Horned Lord! As the culoxus laugh off my declaration another teleports in with a Marilith! The eyes of the marilith glash brilliant white and Keff is turned to stone!! No! Not another friend slain! I feel the rage again, building up inside me. As we charge forward Aen and Asmodai cut down culoxus demons like wheat. I put myself between Keff’s statue form and the marilith. She is a brutal foe, an antipaladin! My sword and wings can find no purchase on her! All I can do is rely on Keiiek’s healing and Aen’s arrows to beat her back while I struggle just to stay alive! Asmodai is turned to stone as well! I can feel my blood boiling as my strikes miss again and again! Finally Aen’s arrows drop the demon and Keiiek’s magic revives our friends. I know I wasn’t but I felt worthless to my companions. I could do nothing!
After hours of walking and finding the same rooms again and again we realize we are getting nowhere. We finally set up our Fairy ring retreat. While in there we discuss what to do and Aen thinks he may be able to investigate the rooms as we go and pick a more well traveled path.
16th Kuthona
After another whole day of traveling we come to a room that swirls with blackness and we are teleported to the banks of what can only be the Meandering River. It is again, time to rest.
17th Kuthona
As we step out of the magical retreat an old human man is crouched down around the circle of mushrooms. He is babbling about the perfect circle formation of the mushrooms that mark the location. He is obviously quite mad but oddly enough, does not appear to be evil. After convincing him we are no threat we find out his name is En Silote and he has been here for some time. He says he came here “yesterday” to kill someone who’s name starts with a “K”. He says he can not remember the name but he was successful in killing this person who was apparently a wizard of some sort. He agrees to ‘lead’ us to Echostal once he learns we are going there.
Strangely enough we do make it to Echostal quickly after meeting Silote. Once we get there he leaves. More of a mystery than when we first met him.
After some time roaming around Echostal rushing toward the sounds of screams where there is nothing to be found we come to the conclusion that Echostal is a ghost town. The echo of screams where it found its name. There are some albino minotaurs which we cut down with alacrity. When the last one is left standing I give him the option to throw down his weapon and flee. As he begins to reply an arrow pierces his heart then a second arrow splits that arrow punching deeper into his heart! (Heart Piercer crit card coupled with manyshot) The minotaur falls flat on his face, the breath and life stolen from his last unspoken comment. Aen doesn’t even smirk at the astounding feat of marksmanship!
For the rest of the day we walk the empty streets of Echostal hoping to find anything of use. We do not.
18th Kuthona
Finally coming to a large archway that we believe may be the way into Blackburg we are opposed by a huge female creature with one eye and one huge horn protruding from the middle of her forhead. She weilds a glaive with forceful grace and stands her ground to repell us. I charge forward, my wings flapping hard, pushing me forward with haste. I duck her the cut from her wicked attack as I close the distance. My first swing severs her spine (severed spine crit card) which drops her to her knees and my reverse stroke takes her head from her shoulders! (Decapitation crit card). As her head rolls towards my companions I flick the blood clean of Radiance before placing it back in it’s sheath. I cant help but feel a little redemption for my ineptitude against the marilith by ending that deadly encounter with two quick strikes.
Character Update:
All characters 15/7 after this session.
Mythic:
Nothing really new here.
At the Table:
Asmodai could not be there.
DM:
Some frustration at how handily we killed Hepzamirah yet that was such a swingy fight, if he had changed much it could have easily been a TPK. He did manage to kill Aen twice though!
Touched by Divinity:
Entry #37 Touched by Divinity
After a short battle with a few Minotaur we descend the shaft hoping to confront Hepzamirah. Once landing the area breaks off into many directions but hoping the information we received from a demon was true we took the passage he claimed. Of course there were nothing but a few carnivorous crystals in there. Yet before we can even engage those creatures we here the sound of picks hitting stone and minotaurs laughing. Keiiek peaks around the corner and tells us that they are collapsing the tunnel right before we hear the sounds of said collapse. As we face off against the crystals the minotaur and some Babau demons begin teleporting into the room! They surround us and focus all their might against Aen. Twice he was dropped from a blow that I know had to have slain him yet Morcar’s magic saw him stand again! Each blow against my friends boiled up a rage inside me. I even had flashes or visions of barbarians of old fighting against demons when the Worldwound was born! I had no time to ponder this as when the last of the Minotaur were slain by my sword or Aen’s arrow and the last of the Babau cut to bloody pieces by Asmodai’s sword we knew we needed to rest. We took stock of the items left by the minotaur and Keiiek teleported us to the room where we had freed the slaves. To our horror they had all been slain! Even though they were hiding in an extra dimensional space. This does not bode well for our chances at rest.
We know that there is only one place left to go and our toughest challenge awaits. We gather ourselves and approach the final door. With adamantium pick axes looted from slain minotaurs Asmodai and I batter the door down. Hepzamirah shows herself and begins casting deadly spells at Morcar. They are all targeting my friends! I lay my hands on my stalwart friend but I fear it is not enough. I charge into the room and dark magics blast me and a barrior of blades cuts me. The wounds are devastating but the magic of my armor heals me! My first attacks against Hepzamirah should have caused more harm than they did. I knew they landed with righteous might! Aen’s arrows pierce her defences as well and with the combined attacks we push her back into a fighting retreat. There are no others there to help her and we press the attack. All of us being wounded badly just for entering her sanctum, yet not badly enough! Keiiek’s spear strikes out at her, I slash her with Radiance and finally one of Aen’s arrows hit her all over. Finally, from out onslaught she stumbles back and cries out in pain. Her body begins to contort and she begins to rip in half! A huge horned demon begins stepping out of what remained of his daughter! His voice booms in our minds!
“Mortal worms! You have destroyed my daughter. But even in her failure, she proved of use to me, for while you toyed with her, I took from your mewling patron one of her own! Know, fools, that none of those you value are safe from me. Even your goddess Iomedae knows my wrath, for I have claimed her herald as my latest plaything, stolen from her as you whiled your time away in the Midnight Isles. And now, I do the same to you! When I am done with you, your bones shall join those of millions more within the walls of my Ivory Labyrinth!”
Is this where we die? Is this where a demon lord finishes our righteous quest? Just as I steel myself to the idea of fighting a demon lord the shadows darken around him and his flesh begins to burn and peel away from their touch! A familiar feminine voice speaks out.
“No, lord of slain daughters. This is my realm, and these are my guests. You are the intruder here, and your bones shall decorate my palace walls if you choose to remain!”
With that Baphomet shrieks once more and his image fades away, leaving only Nocticula standing victorious over the gore that was Hepzamirah.
“And so you have done it. I must admit, I’m a touch surprised. You have more in you than I suspected. Rest assured, mortals, that your enemies will claim no more of my realm’s blood for themselves. Yet you have made a greater enemy than the children of gods tonight, and I suspect you will be facing Baphomet again. Were that I could be there to watch. I must say, I’m not sure who would prevail in such a clash! No matter— the way to the Midnight Fane and your homes on the Material Plane lies before you. You have but to step into my shadow to be on your way home.”
At that each of us step through and I am the last to do so. As I exit I say, “There is a spark of hope for redemption in you. If you seek it you know where to find my help.” I think I saw a smirk as I was teleported back to the streets of Drezen!
The feel here in Drezen is somber. Men and women of the crusade, heroes all walk with slumped shoulders and frowns. When I find Irabeth she barely raises an eye at the sight of my return. I see no sign of Anevia so I know that is part of her broken spirit. She tells me of a great battle that was lost and how the Herald of Iomedae was taken. I fill her in on what we achieved and saw. She is happy at the news though it does nothing for her mood.
After that I find my friends and we sit down at a tavern together to collect our thoughts and plan. As we sit there the mood in the tavern is the same as everywhere else. Yet, the light of the fire and every candle begins to glow intensely. Only the Grey Knights seem to notice it. When the light is almost blinding we found ourselves teleported inside a beautiful cathedral. The victories of Iomedae portrayed in the stained glass. Even out victory over Hepzamirah can be seen there! Then a woman in glorious battle plate approaches us. She reminds me of Yaniel but I know here as one of The Three! This is Iomedae herself! I drop to a knee and when I rise she speaks to us. She tells us that she is proud of what we have accomplished yet she must be sure we are worthy. She asks three questions that we must each answer.
"You are bold to look on me, and I favor boldness. When facing demonic foes one must be bold, as I was when I faced one of my most dangerous enemies. Tell me, then, which undead lord did I slay while leading my Knights of Ozem into the Three Sorrows, and why do I think you might be worthy to carry the legacy of that knighthood into the depths of the Abyss?"
We all answer this one correctly save for Asmodai who gets a sideways glance from The Inheritor. As if she knew the name of the undead lord would not be known by the mighty fighter. The second part of the question was different for us all though. I tell her that I have lived my whole life to exemplify the virtues of Courage, Honor, and Wisdom. She seems to accept that answer as she does all of us.
"You have a hero's bravery. You have proven you can survive the horrors of the Abyss, and this marks your courageousness as surely as any feat. But also you have learned that not all those in the Abyss are your enemies. Some are creatures whose nature can be used as a tool to defeat greater evils. So tell me, when evil assumes a fair form, and when weak villains beg for their lives, are they due mercy? Or are the wages of their villainy always death?"
This question is where things changed. When Keiiek spoke Iomedae was not pleased. A choir of angels sang and it was obvious Keiiek was struck by the pain of it. The same happened to Aen. I took my time to answer, pondering the question. I said that there are of course those worthy of mercy and I have given such. There are also those who only the mercy of the blade is the answer and I have given such as well. She is happy with my answer. Keiiek spoke again to speak out against Iomedae’s actions of punishment on those who have severed her purpose. This angered her more and his mouth vanished from his face. As I know Keiiek, just taking away his ability to speak will not stop his thoughts. The angels sing again for whatever he thought was also unacceptable. Iomedae looked to me and said you choose this man to fight by your side? I answered truthfully that without Keiiek each and every one of us standing before her would have been dead many times over. He has shed blood with all of us and risked his life for ours. Our success is also his success. She seems to accept that and move on to the next question.
“Honor is my soul and my life, justice is the passion that stirs me to war, and yet the cause of the true and the righteous is beset on all sides by evil. Tell me, how does one outwit and defeat a demon lord in his own domain?"
My answer was simple. I will not attempt to outwit a demon lord in his own domain. I will fight my fight, not his. I will attack him head on and win with vigilance. At this Iomedae granted me two boons. She gave me the Chalice of Ozem, a glorious artifact that can carry any liquid, however caustic it may be and will never spell unless the owner wills it. Then she gave me the Stole of the Inheritor. A mighty artifact that will protect me and even in a desperate time whisk me and my companions to the safety of this very hall. In my mind Iomedae tells me that she will forgive the sins of Keiiek because of my words. She asks if we can be successful without him and I say I cannot say but I do know that we would have not been successful to this point if her were not with us.
With that we are teleported back to the tavern and Keiiek is returned to normal. Each of us is holding a charm in our hands that we know will teleport us to the Ivory Labyrinth once we speak the command! Keiiek is angry and comes to me alone to tell me that he will return in three days. He is going to his home. I can understand it and I tell him I am proud of him even though I may not agree with him. He stood to his principals in the face of a god. I respect him for that. Just before Keiiek leaves the first smiling face I have seen since returning to Drezen enters the tavern. It is Keff and he is carrying what appears to be all he owns! He has also sprouted beautiful silver dragon-like wings! With a glance at those he explains that he has become something of a historian and story teller. He dug into his lineage and found that he shares blood with none other than Terendelev herself! He glances at Aen when he tells us that. He has a lyre hanging from his back and looks ready to travel. He looks directly at me and asks if he may accompany us on our journey. He wants to archive our achievements. It is interesting and I will have to speak with him. Keiiek speaks up and says, where we are going you will need one of these charms and holds out his hand. To that Keff pulls out one of the exact same charms and says, “good enough?”
At the Table:
Aenarion could not attend this session.
DM:
He was still able to challenge us enough to use some resources even though most of these fights were way under CR.
Fighting Blind:
Entry #36 Fighting Blind
5th Kuthona
The Abyssal Harverster was our first target. It was quickly defeated though not slain. It was able to plane shift away before we could destroy it. That left us with only one way to go, down the enormous hole in the dragon’s lair. Not even Keiiek or Aen could see the bottom but Keiiek did say it was many hundreds of feet down at least. With Keiiek providing a fly spell for Asmodai and Morcar an air walk spell for himself, our descent began. It took many minutes to finally reach the first landing. There was a dark red glow coming from braziers set up around the area. A half dozen calavacus demons toiled around the area, mining. As battle was joined we began cutting the demons down. Even Morcar crushed the face of one of the demons with his might holy Warhammer of Torag! A Glabrezu demon and his three Succubus concubines joined the fray. Keiiek was quickly stunned and I put myself between him and the Glabrezu towering over him. Asmodai’s sword was caught up in the horns of one of the calavacus and I quickly remembered the same thing happening to me! With a roar Asmodai grew in size! Towering over the already tall demon Asmodai grasped it by one of its horns and pulled his sword free with the other! He smashed the demon’s face down on the ground and stomped on it before driving “Death From Hell” through the beast and into the earth beneath! At that one of the other calavacus ran away down a tunnel that emanated and amber glow. Facing off against the Glabrezu I could almost see it’s smug smile as it summoned up a multitude of images of itself. Instead of allowing my sight to fool me I closed my eyes and began to fight blind. Some of my strikes missed but less than would have against the images of his spell! He was quickly dispatched when Keiiek transformed into his evolved form and we took him down!
As we search the remainder of the rooms there is one with four tiefling cultists in it. I gave them a chance to surrender but they refused. They were quickly slain. In another room we came across twenty two slaves hung up in various states of torture. Three flying slaver demons came at us and were also quickly dispatched. The slaves were saved and Keiiek summoned up a fairy ring retreat for them. In the hall with the amber glow there was some form of huge lense providing the glow. The door there was locked so we decided to press forward.
Finally we came to a kitchen containing dozens of dretch demons and one calavacus demon roasting what appeared to be a corpse of a Vrock. The calavacus swore his fate and begged us to let him live so that he could retreat from this place. He offered up information as recompense for our mercy. As we stood there talking with him he slew Dretch after Dretch. He told us that Hepzahmirah could be found at the bottom of the shaft we descended. He said she would most likely be alone as she was performing some sort of ritual. There are also minotaur’s down on that level as well. Asmodai smiled as minotaurs seem to be one of his favored foes. We let the calavacus go and I told him to seek me out if he believes there is a chance for his soul to be redeemed. There is another room we have not explored on this level that he said contained a half dozen or so minotaurs. They will be our next stop and then perhaps the room with the locked door or Hepzahmirah herself. At least with this information we wont be completely fighting blind!
Character Update:
All characters gained level 14 at the end of this session.
Mythic:
Nothing new here really. Inspired spell, legendary item and mythic spells are still showing their value. Absorb blow is also still keeping Lincoln on his feet.
At the table:
Asmodai was not present for this session.
DM:
Our DM actually seemed to have a lot of fun with this session! It was the first in some time where it felt like he really got into the game. That had a lot to do with the fight against the Umbral dragon being the perfect level of difficulty!
Against the tide:
Entry #35 Against the tide
Finding a place on the river bank we move up river for hours. The first thing we come across is a barge that is stuck on a sand bar. A nearly unrecognizable, tattered banner of Iomedae can be seen. As we get a little closer we can all see that the crew are not quite right and they appear to all be wearing Iomedae heraldry as well. It only takes one close look to see the crew are all dead and have become Bodacks. There is no way we are leaving this boat and these crewmen to their fate so we attack. Out of nowhere a Glabrezu demon appears next to me. The battle rages for but a brief time, the demon using magic to create images of itself. One of the tabards of the sailors is still in good enough condition to see that they were members of one of the previous crusades but I cannot tell which one. Finally a Grave Knight approaches from the ship, casting spells at us as he draws closer.
Once the crew and their summoned demon are defeated Morcar and I make a pyre for the bodies. While we are doing that Keiiek discovers that there is an undead creature attached to a chain on the front of the boat which keeps it moving up stream. He tells us that he can get the boat moving but we may not like that he has to control undead to do it. There is much I do not like about this place. Keiiek controlling an undead fish is the least of them. In the captain’s chambers we find notes that give us some understanding of who this Grave Knight was when he lived. His name was Kesloglyr Mantiel and he was a member of the Order of the Burning Fist. He launched an attack on the Ivory Labyrinth and lost his wife there! He and his men were lost in the labyrinth but held out for months until he lead them out. They stole a barge and went through a sewer tunnel to escape. But even that was not enough and he was eventually corrupted by the Horned Lord himself! He now claims that unending life was his reward and that his crew was commissioned to aid Hepzahmirah. At one point in his journal he says that his mistress has abandoned him because her demons do the work much better than his men and boat ever could.
On the boat traveling up river for hours we come to massive cliffs connected by a massive gate. The gate is closed and a tiefling steps up on one of the stone buildings of the gates and says, “you have no right to pass here!” I of course am standing at the bow of the boat, wings spread, halo shining bright and holy symbols obvious to see. I say, “you can open the gate or die!” As I take off flying toward the man. Many other tieflings join him and also join him in death for they will not retreat. A couple escape when they see the tide of battle is not in their favor. It takes three of us working together with all our might to crank the massive gates open. But finally we are on our way again!
After a few more hours the river ends in a lagoon surrounded on three sides by mile high cliffs! Waterfalls pour out of the cliffs from hundreds of feat up. In a place on Golarion this would have been beautiful. A voice can be heard in all of our minds, “Perhaps we could be of help to each other. You can find me at the top of the widest waterfall.”
So, we fly up and into the opening that was described to us. There is a large pool surrounded by a lip of mud and sitting there on a rock in the mud is a creature that looks like a succubus covered in mud. I can see that it is an Omox Demon. She turns to us and begins telling us how the water is her mistress and the miners are tainting it. She wants our help to purify the water. I tell her that as our goals appear to align we may be of some help. She tells us that there is a demon in the mountain that has a deal with the miners. This must be Hepzahmirah I believe. An Abyssal Harvester also dwells deep within the mountain. This we have faced before, only recently at the obylisk on the beach. Next she tells us of the dragon that is away but will be back soon. I believe she wants us to ambush it and that is exactly what we do. When it flies back into its cave it is a gargantuan black dragon, but not a Black Dragon, an Umbral Dragon! It’s shadow breath drains our strength and its fangs and claws tear deep into me! The fight dragons on and Morcar is left helpless on the ground from the strength draining breath! At one point the dragon tries a tactic of summoning up some sort of magical copy of itself. The copy flies into the cave and casts spells at us. Yet he did not account for Radiance and my ability to dispel his magics! When the dragon returns we have had a quick breather to heal ourselves. I can tell it is angry as it flies back in and begins trampling poor Morcar to death! Aen is fireing arrow after arrow and my next attack spills guts and bowels all over Morcar laying there on the ground! It is not dead but it is dying! In the next few moments Aen and I bring it down under Blade and Bow! It is time to find a place to rest and fortunately the place we find is also where the dragon had hid its horde by means of an illusion. We will lick our wounds and count our treasure!
Character Update:
All characters gain tier 6 at the beginning of this session.
Mythic:
My armor is now a legendary artifact and gained the everlasting ability. I am not sure what everyone else took for their 6th tier ability. Mythic spells are proving to be very powerful.
At the table:
All players made it to this session.
DM:
Some more very well painted minis for this game! Some amount of frustration with the power levels of mythic yet the game was still a blast and all of the players say they are still having a great time!
Internal conflict:
Entry #34 Internal conflict
When the last demonic construct falls to the ground I walk over and without ceremony cut her head from her shoulders. I throw the head to Nezarius and watch as the thing laughs and teleports away. Happy to see that creature gone I notice the cavern’s walls, covered in purple crystals are beginning to pulse with purple light. As it coalesces into each of us the light turns gold and infuses us with more power.
Standing there, unsure of what our next step will be, we all hear in our minds, “You seem to be worthy of my attentions. Meet me at the Vault of Graves.” It is apparent that the death of Minagho caught her attention. As we discuss it some of us recall reading about the Vault of Graves. It is apparently a written record of all the assassinations that Nocticula has conducted.
Back in the Faire Ring Retreat we plan our next move. Keiiek asks if we should attempt to get all twenty three slaves we have freed to safety. I think this is a good idea because once we meet with Nocticula we may not be coming back. He has the power to plane shift them back to Golarion and contact Arueshalae to get them all to safety. Once that is completed it is only a short ride from the fairy man to the Vault of Graves. I am sure none of us want to see what lurks beneath those dark waves.
Many base relief carvings of different demon lords surround the walls of the first room in the structure. I am not totally sure but I believe they are some of Nocticula’s victims. Shadows with demonic forms coalesce around us and as always their touch drains the energy from our bodies. Some of them are slain quickly by blade and bow. The rest are pushed away by Keiiek’s magic. Knowing they wait for us in the next room we quickly restore ourselves and move forward. Coloxus demons wait for us in the next room and appear almost surprised. Aen badly wounds one and I move in to finish him before he can even act! The shadows that came back and the remaining demon are quickly dispatched and we restore ourselves again before moving forward.
The next room is very large and seems to be a chapel and library combined. Or perhaps not a library but more of the names of those that have fallen before Nocticula. She does appear before us out of nowhere and we all stand fascinated! She tells us that she was aware of what Hepzahmirah was doing with Minagho in her relm. She did not move against them though and I can only conclude that was because she is not sure if she can fight Baphomet and Deskari together. She even tells us that she does not desire an alliance with either of those demon lords and that is shockingly good news to hear. She asks us to remove the remainder of their minions from her realm. We all know that means going toe to toe with Baphomet’s daughter. Then she even offers to grant us small boons to aid in our efforts. I take time to ponder this and even consult my amulet of true faith and ask The Three if it is a bad idea to accept Nocticula’s boon. The responose is another surprising no. Asmodai took a gauntlet that will protect his metallic items from rust. Morcar asked for a beautiful emerald. Keiiek asked to speak privately with Nocticula for a moment. Aen accepted some bracers. Finally I asked if she could give me something to protect me from the touch of things like her shadow minions we faced. She stepped forward, her scent bittersweet to my nose. She pressed up against me and I could not force myself to move away even though every fiber of my soul urged my body to motion. She touched the keys that hang on the mithril chain my personal codex is attached to. Every key that we have collected to lead us further in our quest to find a way to close the worldwound or stop the demon invasion is attached there. She let the keys ring through her fingers making a melodic sound as they did. She stepped back and said, “there, each day ring those keys as you would a bell and you shall be protected.” I have not tested the effect yet but I pray there is no ill favor to come from it. I trust in The Three and they would not have let me chose an evil path. Finally Nocticula says she can teleport us to where the final mining operation is occurring. She warned that we do not fly to high for the area is teaming with hundreds if not thousands of Vrock’s. We all agree and we are teleported to a platform overlooking a river and a beach made of powdered bone! Burning hot water crashes down on us and we must move quickly. We can all hear Nocticula’s voice laughing in our minds. Has she betrayed us? Does she mock our plight? Is she just a trickster who enjoys this?
We all manage to fly down to the beach, I believe Keiiek’s magic made it possible for Asmodai. The only object on the beach is a carved obelisk. As we approach it tentacles come out of nowhere and begin to attack and grab us! As we fight off the tentacles in hopes the obelisk may have a clue a Flayed Planetar rages out of the vegetation behind us. It is an abomination to all I hold dear! As I charge toward it with divine fury, Aen’s arrows hit it so hard and fast the thing is literally driven back into the cliff face and foliage it came from. It only takes a few swings of Radiance for the tortured angel to be brought down. When I return to the obelisk, Asmodai is just finishing the last of the tentacles. The carvings on the stone are hard to decipher but Morcar’s new scholar’s ring allows him to read any language. Apparently the Obelisk is a remnant from the time when the abyss exploded into existence. This stone came hurling through the abyss for a millennia and when it crashed to this spot it punctured the flesh of Kolefear, a nascent demon lord. This action elevated Kolefear to full demon lord status. Yet he was still eventually slain by none other than Nocticula. The last thing I do before Keiiek sets up the fairy ring retreat is return to the fallen form of the angel and pray over it’s body. I find what I can to make a pyre and burn the body.
That night in the tent, in a rare moment of verboseness, Keiiek addresses us all. He says that he is surprised we let our greed get the best of us and took those items so quickly. He advises us all to pray less our souls be forfeit in an unspoken contract that was sealed with the acceptance of the items. Taken aback I stand up and say that is a first for you Keiiek. You never seem to be interested in who we are before now, why do you take the time now? Plus if you felt that way then why would you not say something at the time? Did you, yourself not ask a question of Nocticula? He responds by telling me that he did not ask a question only planted a seed as he saw hope of redemption for her. I find this surprising since redemption is more the realm of Sarenrae, one of The Three than that of Desna, Keiiek’s goddess. Yet I do agree with him that I saw the same and could dare to hope that it be true. I vow to show her Sarenrae’s light when we meet again. Aen and Morcar have some words for Keiiek, both disregarding his rather untimely and somewhat rude warning. Asmodai says nothing, as is to be expected. In the morning we must find a way to travel up the river. If we fly we have to stay low but we do not have a boat so that may be our only option.
Mythic:
Legendary items and mythic spells are really shining now.
At the table:
Asmodai was not able to attend this session.
DM:
Did a great job of continuing to challenge us while also letting us fill like we are "winning".
Sammale the Wanderer:
Entry #33 Sammale the Wanderer
After defeating Gelderfang the crowd is mostly silent with some booing. We collect our purse, including our slaves and return to our shelter. On our way there Keiiek is able to procure enough clothing for every freed slave so that they are not sitting around naked. After dropping off the newly freed slaves to safety and clothing the rest we decide to head to Rapture of Rupture.
On our way there a woman calls out “Angelkin!” As she approaches me from an alley she says “you cost my employer a lot of money!” And she attacks. She is a skilled combatant but whoever hired her should have sent more than one. Her brilliant energy sword falls to the ground with only a tink of the handle as it hits the cobble stone road, her head joining it shortly after. I flick the blood of the decapitation from my blade and say a silent prayer to the Three. Warriors like these would be better turned to fight for the light! Of course she has many magic items on her, none more potent than that powerful sword. We leave her body there in the street, bereft of it’s head and magic items, left with only a dozen or more arrows sticking out of it thanks to Aen before I took her head.
Once we get to the Rapture of Rupture there are lines of people everywhere waiting for their chance to attempt to impress the mistress of Ruptures, Vellexia. Her four succubus companions lazily sit in their cussioned tent and advise us that we must impress them if we wish an audience with the mistress. Keiiek says he will tell a story and I say I have valuable information for Vellexia, as a noble of the city. Aen and Morcar make no claims at this time. Somehow our efforts are enough and we are granted audience. Vellexia sits on a floating throne of ivory and obsidian. There are cages on either side of her room that contain Lilians. The cages are covered in gore and it is obvious that Vellexia has been making them fight between times that she has made them play music for her. There wings have been broken and I feel their pain at that horrible injury. I approach one of them ignoring Vellexia and say “I will save you if I can, I am sorry for the pain you have endured.” Vellexia laughs at me and says that they are her property and I should leave them alone. I clench my fist at that but I know we are in the lions den here. We have a mission and this fight may put that in jeopardy.
Keiiek starts off by telling a very interesting story. I quickly realize that the story of his Sammale the Wanderer is about Keiiek himself. Apparently at one time he was a messenger for Desna herself. I make a note to speak to him of this further. It is ironic, that in this of all places is where I would learn the origin of my most eclectic friend. I tell Vellexia of what Minagho and Baphomet’s daughter, Hepzamerah have been up to! I tell her that I am sure she desires more esteem in this city she calls home and this information may give her some stature with Nocticula. She seems pleased by this but pretends it is trivial. Aen is able to woo her with a display of archery skill and I am even impressed at how far my brother’s skill has risen! Morcar decides to stay quiet for the entire exchange. She says we have pleased her and that she will send word to us soon.
2nd Kuthona
With no other leads to follow we decide it may be a good idea to kill an important demon. The first one that comes to mind is Galvash. It also makes sense that the assassin was sent by him since he probably lost money on the Gelderfang fight. When we arrive at Battlebliss we are set upon by some sort of Fey creature cloaked in shadow! It summons up four duplicates of itself that are as deadly as it is. Aen goes down in the first wave of attacks and even standing next to the stalwart Morcar I eventually fall to the attacks! The next thing I know Keiiek has pulled us back from the fight but not that far. We know we only have moments to prepare before they attack us again. Keiiek hits them with a prismatic spray and one of them is turned to stone. As the minions drop one by one we eventually hear in our minds, “stay your hand, I have a proposition.” It is obviously the creature and the other minions disappear. Wounded badly we do stay our hands for now. The voice is distinctly female and the creature’s name is Nazerius. She says that she can help us kill Minagho and even show us where she is. She says that we must only allow her to keep Minagho’s head. We agree to meet her at a tavern that she named on the next sunset.
Once we return to our shelter and everyone else is sleeping I approach Keiiek. I ask him of his story and what it was like to stand next to a god. In his story he gave up his divinity to a group of five from their fate. That group is obviously us and it was a selfless sacrifice for him to make. I also ask him what else he saw. His response is cryptic as always. He says that being in the presence of a deity is one of awe but he grew used to it and also that, basically, ignorance is bliss. I am not sure what else to say to the man as he goes back to his perpetual study.
3rd Kuthona
Obviously realizing that she could make more money from this endeavor Nazerius tells us that we must also pay her for her services in helping us kill Minagho. I tell her no, that was not the deal. We barter and eventually agree to give Nazerius some old suits of magic armor we have not been able to sell. I don’t like this but killing Minagho is high on my list. Nazerius teleports us all to the mouth of a cave and says that this is the lair of Minagho. We eventually come to a chamber guarded by two demonic looking constructs. They are very powerful and as we enter the frey Minagho attacks from the darkness. She is a brutal foe but with Aen’s arrows and my blade she is quickly dispatched. Obviously the disfavor of her god had something to do with her weakness as well!
Mythic:
Still the some of the most powerful things we have been using are the abilities that grant extra actions, like the extra standard and finding ways to heal ourselves with that.
At the table:
Aen and Morcar were unable to make it to this session.
DM:
Brought a mini that he painted to represent Gelderfang. It was kick ass and really added to the scene in my opinion. Our DM is becoming a pretty skilled painter and everytime he brings a new mini it looks better than the last.
Gladiators::
Entry #32 Gladiators
Before finding an inn on the 29th Keiiek decides to disguise himself as a Tiefling to barter with some of the merchants for the equipment we are hauling around. It is difficult to decide if we should sell weapons and armor to the likes of these people. Well, difficult for me at least. I do not wish to put a weapon in the hand of an enemy of the crusade that may take the life of a crusader. Yet we can use the funds we gain to further our mission. Ultimately we decide to sell what we can and I am even able to acquire a ring of inner fortitude. When we finally find an Inn it is more of the same. Evil acts that because of the importance of our mission we cannot address. We are even offered sex slaves but of course refuse. Keiiek summons up the extra dimensional space in our room and we rest in there for safety and to get away from the sounds of the place we are in.
30th Neth
On our way to the fighting pits Gibrileth demons herding slaves notice us and believe us easy marks. They exclaim that they will add us to their stock! Though Asmodai’s throat was slit by a wipe we are able to dispatch the demons and save eleven slaves! We take them all back to the dimensional space that Keiiek summoned in the Inn and promise to get them to safety when we can!
When we arrive at Battle Bliss the area of the fighting pits it is a madhouse. There are numerous smaller arenas and then the large one. There are signs up for all sorts of fighters, and of course the champion, Gelderfang. We quickly learn that he got his name by biting the manhood off his victims! We learn that you must speak to Galvash to enter the fights and we also hear that they don’t have an opponent for the main event in one of the smaller arenas. Once Asmodai has had enough bickering with the puny demon that admits people to see Galvash he turns to the biggest fighter in the room who was also carrying a greatsword and picks a fight. Asmodai tells him to get out of his way and the huge red skinned warrior obviously refuses. Before his opponent can even raise his sword Asmodai cut him from shoulder to crotch! The room is silent and the puny demon finally grants us an audience with Galvash.
In Galvash’s chambers there are numerous sex slaves committing all forms of sexual acts. Galvash himself is an enormously fat Cambian demons. He plucks at a bowl full of eyeballs with his dagger length claws as we speak to him. The juices run down his fat chin as he pops them in his mouth. He laughs at us and I grip the hilt of Radiance, an act of sheer will to keep it in the scabbard and not kill this vile glutenous sack here and now! Through some debate we are slotted to take up the fight in the arena that night against one of their other groups.
The battle in the fighting pit is pitched in their favor, three of us against eight of them. But the odds are far from even. Immediately Keiiek shrinks one of the demons down to minuscule proportions and power, effectively killing him with that baleful spell. The leader of this group who’s name was not important enough for me to remember was a Maralith; I took her head and Asmodai threw it into the crowd. I believe Asmodai enjoys this form of battle. Blade against blade, to the death is his style. As the rest of the demons close in around us and Keiiek says one of his many poems that ends with something in the lines of “now my true form.” He transforms into a huge fierce looking bird or warebird, I am not sure. His whole body alight with the night sky just like his familiar. He is a much more powerful foe, using his spear to deadly effect. The three of us finally dispatch the remainder of the demons with a host of boo’s from the crowd and a few cheers when Asmodai threw the severed head into the crowd. When we returned to Galvash for our reward I drew my sword, unable to tolerate his evil any longer. I said this time it is your champions head or yours! He laughed in his belief that he is safe behind his demonic gifts, as all demons do. Yet I know there was a twitch of fear in him as he granted our request to fight Gelderfang the next day!
1st Kuthona
The first thing we do is return to Battlebliss. We are eager to get this fight over with and get on with our quest. As promised we are ushered to the largest of the arenas and as the gates open there is a huge platform and at the top Gelderfang awaits! I immediately fly up to his level and Asmodai charges forward, unable to fly. There is a quicksand trap right in his path yet I know Keiiek can retrieve him from that. The first thing Gelderfang does is throw a net around me. I don’t know why my blade or razor sharp wings did not cut straight through it as it appeared to be only rope, yet until Keiiek can use his magics of teleportation on me, I am stuck, my attacks and movement hindered. I am however to block the majority of Gelderfang’s attacks of which there are many since he has four arms! He is a towering blue skinned Incubus with wings. Sparks fly as his blades ring harmlessly off my shield and armor. Yet when I can finally return the assault my attacks are met with the same defense, I can find no purchase to wound him. As the battle rages and Keiiek has freed Asmodai and now me we surround him yet we are all having a hard time hitting him. A few of our attacks sneak through his defenses to draw some blood and the crowd cheers as the same is happening to us. Asmodai is even wounded into unconsciousness. Keiiek is finally able to dispel some of Gelderfang’s magics and that makes him easier to hit. Keiiek also is able to make him shrink down to our size, to the boo’s of the crowd. It is shortly after that my sword finally strikes a blow that lays Gelderfang dead at my feet.
Mythic:
We are starting to really see the separation in power levels here. It takes one hell of a powerful enemy to challenge us and then the fight lasts for 3 hours of table time and we really struggle to even hit it. It does not take away fun from the game but it is a huge difference.
At the table:
Asmodai was not present.
DM:
Still some frustration at my nearly 50 AC and how we tore the maralith a new a+%%~&@. He said he is still having fun, there will just be frustrating things. I can understand, I respond the same way.
Notorious LGP:
Entry #31 Notorious LGP
This area of the Midnight Isles can only be described as resembling a jungle, but that is where the similarities stop. Everything has a purple hue to it. The sky is full of red and purple clouds with intermittent purple lightning. Even the trees and plants seem to shift and pulsate.
With no idea which direction to travel we begin looking around. The cave we came out of is at the bottom of a high tipped spire of a mountain. It stretches up above the canopy of the trees. While I am contemplating flying up to explore that Aen says that he found a faint track. As we follow it we put our heads together. Keiiek can apparently communicate with Arushalea and she is telling him that we are probably hundreds of miles away from the capital city. She also tells him there are most likely shrines where we may be able to teleport there. I flew up above the trees just enough to get an idea where we were. Hundreds of islands pockmarked the purple and black sea and those numbers are dwarfed by the number of creatures flying around the skies.
After following the tracks for what appears to be many miles we come across an Orc. He wears a kilt and caries a flaming axe. He says, “How fortuitous, more souls for the mistress.” I of course give him a chance to surrender and he of course laughs at me. I don’t know who his mistress was, but he will never see her in this life again.
A partially collapsed temple is the next unnatural structure we come across. Statues of Nocticula run all along the walls and in most she is in a different pose. Keiiek begins reading the engravings under each statue and believes he has figured out how to make the portal work. Weakened from our time in the Midnight Fane we must rest before we step into a city of demons! Keiiek summons up some sort of extra dimensional shelter that appears to be a tranquil grove of some kind. It is a pleasant rest as my mind tumbles through the challenges we are about to face. Not only the challenge of crusader vs. demon but the challenge of good and evil, of right and wrong. I must hold true to my faith as I step where I am sure few devout paladins have tread. We must make a name for ourselves as we have done back on Golarion. Yet this is different, here we will be notorious. A notorious lawful good paladin of the Three in the Abyss. I never imagined so few months ago that I would have traveled so far.
29th Neth
Keiiek is able to complete the ritual by casting spells instead of the other unsavory alternatives. As the last spell is cast the area is shrouded in darkness yet the light of my halo keeps the light level at just dimly lit enough for me to see. Demons come out of the shadows, invisible as their skin mixes with the darkness. They are everywhere and their miniscule scratches begin to add up on my friends. As the battle continues to go poorly a portal finally appears and Keiiek says that is the way out. I tell everyone else to go first and Morcar moves to just next to the portal without going in. Keiiek and Aen fly threw and as I do I grab Morcar and drag him with me! Luckily, the shadow demons do not follow.
In the Capital city of the Midnight Isles we get many strange looks and there are far more than demons here. Tieflings and humans and all manner of races of Golarion fill the streets. Yes there are demons too, in far greater number than any other creatures but that does not lessen my surprise. I am constantly on guard, my skin crawling, my eyes darting every direction for the inevitable attack. Keiiek however begins speaking with some of the shop keeps and actually agrees to buy a knife as a gift for the Queen. We gain some knowledge through this. The only real law is not to damage property. Anything else is pretty much fair game. I like that, as I know my only hope of becoming infamous in this place is to kill scores of demons! That leads me to the next place I want to go, the fighting pits. Apparently gladiatorial arenas where one can become “famous”.
As we are talking to a Tiefling that crossed our path while going about his business a Maralith demon attacks out of the crowd! She says, “My mistress said you would come here and she was right!” She could only be talking about one being, the Emerald Mistress! A connection that is easy to draw as I notice the emeralds that mark the pommels of each of here deadly looking blades. I don’t waste a moment and I charge to the attack. Before I can gain my footing she flys past me to attack my friends. As she does I lash out with my Holy Avenger and rake her eyes! I can tell she is blinded and then in a hail of arrows and holy light as Radiance strikes her she is brought down. As she is being torn apart by Aen and I, Keiiek shouts to the crowd of onlookers telling them to watch as one of their powerful demons is cut down like wheat! As her minion is slain the Emerald Mistress steps out of the crowd. She is incredibly hard to hit and we try to dispel her magics! She moves so fast, shifting back and forth between here true form of a Glabrezu and a small human female. Each time an attack falls short! She can not stand against our onslaught though and is forced to flee! Word of this may travel.
Character Update:
All characters become 13/5 at the end of this session.
Mythic:
Legendary item, specifically the Rejuvenation ability really kicked ass this session as well.
Keiiek and Morcar's new mythic spells were a great help and will probably continue to be a huge factor.
At the table:
All characters present.
DM:
A little frustration at my armor class (50 against demons) but as always well prepared and made the game fun. I was stoked at finally gaining a holy avenger!
Blessings::
Entry #30 Blessings
Every key that we have collected since starting our powerful group whom I call the Grey Knights jingled on my chain as I stepped into the Abyss. I had only a moment to reflect on the blessings I had just received before I left the Mortal plane behind.
Facing off against what appeared to be Yaniel was a test of my mettle yet the deceit was quickly revealed for what it was. Just another ploy by the demons to attack the mind. Keiiek’s first blast of frost had incased all of the Incubus in a thin sheet of ice and they were no longer a threat. Aen’s arrows eliminated the flying demon and the other enemy began throwing bombs at us. The image of Yaniel said “The Yaniel you know is dead and the Yaniel before you knows the truth.” I know this was a lie and my attack was true as it swung clean through the illusion. However the Illusion had magic and was able to control Asmodai’s mind for just a moment and force him to swing at Keiiek! The attack did not appear to harm our fragile friend to much though and then Asmodai was free. It was a good thing too as the fight raged on with me attempting to catch the alchemist as he flew through the choking cloud of chemicals in the room an Ash giant attacked from the rear, smashing through the frozen bodies of the Incubus. Asmodai, in a rage charged towards the giant and began smashing the bodies from the other side! A contest of strength before Asmodai’s brutal blade could clash with the huge pick the giant carried. I did not witness the killing blow but it must have been mighty as the huge pick was cut cleanly in half and the attack cut deep into the giant and the armor he wore!
We began to move with haste as the alchemist disappeared and we could not relocate him. Before he left though he did part of our work for us but it nearly cost us Morcar’s life! He threw a bomb at the mechanism in the center of the room and it exploded! The radius of the blast wounded Morcar gravely but he was able to heal himself. The next room appeared to be a luxurious bed room but the armoire was in some form of ill repair. I did not pay much attention to it at that time.
We came next to a room that appeared to conceal the portal as one of it’s walls. In the center of the room was a huge machine with grinding gears. Two more of the Ash giant’s blocked our path and moved back half way behind the machine as we entered. I advised caution because of their tactics yet Asmodai still charged in. Their attacks battered him into the machine and it began to pull him into it, grinding away at all it touched. Through sheer strength Asmodai pulled himself free and away from the contraption before it ground him into pulp. The giants were easily dispatched but the fight wasn’t over! A Nafelsheen demon stepped through the portal and began attacking! Its attack battered me into the machine this time but the gears could not make purchase on my armor. A few strikes from my blade and Aen’s arrows and the beast was slain!
Another room has a different device in it that Keiiek figures out is for making floating discs to carry the nehyndrian crystals. We destroy that along with the machine in the previous room. There was a magic ring powering the device that makes the discs and we retrieved that before smashing the device.
A room with a cage and a dais contains a woman that steps down from the dais and says “if you are here my boss is dead.” She only laughed when I asked who here boss was. As she moved forward her true form was revealed as a half snake woman and she carried a scythe! Aen said she was something called a Lamia Matriarch. She has another Ash giant companion with her and casts some terrible magic against us but she is eventually defeated as well. At this point I hope to find Yaniel in the cage as I was suspecting she may be here from the clues we have found. Finding nothing I am getting a bit frustrated. The hope of finding a light in this darkness and a success after repeated failures to save people truly weighing on me.
Searching through the whole of the Midnight Fane we find one more giant to slay and eventually come to the bedroom with the damaged armoire again. In the armoire there is the nearly mummified looking corpse of a woman. It is hard to tell but she does appear to be Yaniel! I drop to my knees and pray to the Three, specifically Iomedae and I am granted some knowledge. It appears that Yaniel’s body has been cursed and I plead with my companions to save her. Their magics all but spent we must draw on our mythic power to recuperate. Morcar’s magic is sufficient in removing the curse and Yaniel begins to stir! She is badly wounded so Morcar uses more magic and I lay my hands upon her calling on my healing magic. I had placed her on the bed in that room and covered her with the blanked to conceal her nakedness. She was very disoriented at first and did not even recognize me. Yet after only a few minutes of conversation her memory returned and she was the Yaniel I remember! She does remember being killed in the Worldwound and has no idea of how she got here. I tell her about how we found a report that she had been taken to Minago but she is distracted at that moment looking down toward the sword hanging in the beautiful scabbard on my waste. For the briefest of moments there is a tinge of regret as I realize this is her sword and not mine. But I push those feelings away quickly as she asks to see Radiance again. I hand her the scabbard and all and tell her that this is rightfully her blade. As she takes it she pulls the sword from the scabbard a few inches and the blade glows as brightly as I have ever seen! She smiles and sheathes the weapon again. She looks directly at me and says, no, my time has passed. Radiance tells me that it belongs to you now! Then she hands it back to me. I am in shock and I can feel that the blade has become a full fledged Holy Avenger! A truly powerful weapon in the hands of a Paladin! A second blessing in one day! I cannot help but smile!
Finally we outfit Yaniel with some of the equipment we had recovered and Keiiek offers to summon her a mount to ride back to Drezen. We informed her of all we have done and what we intend to do! She offers to be the one to stay behind and help us complete the ritual that will seal this portal! I feared that the alchemist would return just as we closed the rift but with the sound of a thousand people screaming the rift was gone and my step mother along with it. I truly hope to see her again someday back in Drezen or Kenabres and in happier times!
Only a few obstacles impeded our short trek out of the cave and into the “light” of the Midnight Isles!
