After an amazingly quick execution of Zaur Sza (the Rakshasa) and his fire giant companion (Motruk), the group cautiously continues up the tube like tunnel.
The Tubes upward spiral ends in a round chamber with a doorway in the opposite end leading to a spiral staircase. Furniture in this room is limited to a massive iron throne festooned with spikes. Most of the back of the throne is missing, although the framework of the back remains. Before the throne lies a pile of wood - furniture debris from the looks of it. There are ceramic shards on the floor; it looks as if some smashed dozens of clay pots here. The whole room is littered with the tiny shards, but there is a concentration to one side of the throne with an ever decreasing density radiating from the mound.
Wondering about the contents of the room doesn't last long when stepping from behind the throne is a seven foot human shaped mass. Grey in color and lacking any distinguishing marks or detail. It shambles towards the group flaying its huge wet meaty fists in front of it.
Deftly tumbling around the behemoth Donner kicks it in the back. His foot hits the creature and it seems to do nothing for kicking it is like kicking a thousand pounds of wet clay. Barrett’s chain whips over the heads of Connel and Churchkey. The chain seems to leave a permanent mark on the clay flesh, but shallow and nearly insignificant. Connel's massive swing with his sword does a bit more than Connel and Churchkey's artifact also has little impact on the massive structure. At this one of the creatures meaty fists slams into Churchkey. His helmet actually spins a couple of degrees and sends ringing in his ears. Amazingly, Churchkey is able duck another swing.
The spells begin to fly. Some land harmlessly upon the super absorbent flesh of wet clay, while others seem to knock away at the animated life force of this creature. Bolgrim steps into place readying heals.
Donner moves into the, I'm just gong to be a super annoying gnat to this thing in hopes of helping the others hit this thing, mode. Again, weapons lash nicking and scratching. Churchkey looks up seeing the fists of this creature having joined into a massive club come rocketing strait down upon his shoulders. Churchkey is knocked to one knee and dizzy stands to take on this unnatural foe. Bolgrim dodges in behind Churchkey imbuing him with the healing energy of Pelor. Kaurophon resorts back to his default magic missiles and Pepper goes back to some decent easy to cast spells actually causing some damage to the now identified golem.
About 10 seconds later, the knicks and scratches have done its work. The magic animating this horror is released and it is if the golem has walked into a giant kiln. It shakes and its flesh begins to discolor and crack. It begins flaking away and deep fishers become prevalent when moments later it shatters into thousands of piece of dried clay scattering across the floor.
After a bit of recovery the party walks to the spiral staircase. Listening carefully, they hear nothing and so climb the stairwell. Then enter a room that for lack of a better description is like a natural cavern.. if it didn't look like it was made of living flesh. Stretched out before the party is a rough 30 foot wide by 70 foot long corridor with a little over half a dozen rough hewn corridors breaking off in either direction.
Dominating the center of the room is a 15 foot diameter bonfire of utter blackness. It crackles as if it were normal flame, but its a slick, glossy black rather than orange-red of a fire. There seems to be a dozen or so scraps of paper around the outside of the flame littering the floor. Surrounding the black flames is a pale yellow corona that casts light about the room. Just as you are taking this in and begin to explore the room, there is a command "attack".
Charging from the darkness of the different tunnels are these massive, emaciated looking wolves.. cats... not sure. But they have a bristling main of menacing quills.
Trying to pinpoint the command and to get behind these creatures Donner charges one, flips over one, lands in a perfect running roll and ends up on the far side of the bonfire. Pepper dimension doors beside Donner. The rest of the group is besieged by these creatures that don't prove too difficult. However.. backing up these gaunt things are a group of huge wolves, black saliva dripping from their snarling fangs.
A few of the wolves trap Pepper and Donner on the back side of the bonfire. Kaurophon turns Barrett invisible turning Barrett into an impressive killing machine, Bolgrim puts a mass blessing upon the group while Churchkey and Connel do what they do best... they thump heads.
The combat doesn't prove to be too difficult, but spells are flying from some spell caster that are strong and deadly. Churchkey resists two spells but can tell the power of what he is resisting is devastating.
Then, Donner yells out that the spells are coming from something in the black bonfire. Because Donner is Demonscarred he jumps into the flame to see what resides inside. The flame is fueled by the energy of pure evil. It burns like a real fire causing Donner to yell as the flames lick and sting his body. But then Donner yells at the top of his lungs, "Lich!". At that Donner stumbles out of the fire. He looks weak, clumsy and pale. He is a shadow of his former skills and abilities. Drained and near death Donner repeats over and over, "Lich, lich... lich" while pointing toward the fire.
The rest of the group finishes off the creatures and surrounds the fire. Bolgrim tries to turn but to no avail. Barrett, invisible, moves to the edge of the bonfire and lashes out with his magical spiked chain. Churchkey also moves to the edge of the bonfire. A beam of dark energy emerges from the fire and Barrett shudders and feels his muscles atrophy. Another round of spells launch into the darkness. Again Bolgrim attempts to turn, but the Lich scoffs and rebuffs Bolgrim's attempt. Working in Unison with Alakast, Churchkey swings and a resounding thunk is heard.
Emerging from the fire, a tortured skeletal hand reaches out and ever so shortly grabs a hold of Churchkeys arm. Churchkeys eyes turn wild and he begins to pull back with every increasing panic. Eventually the hand releases, but Churchkey is a shadow of his former self... his life force has nearly completely been sucked away.
Bolgrim musters up one more attempt and on this attempt a raw and uncontrolled holy power of the sun itself shoots from the holy symbol in Bolgrims hands. The lich writhes and screams a silent scream.. its skeletal jaw mechanical pumping up and down and then with the sound of thousands of nuts cracking the lich collapses to the ground in 500 pieces, bones shattered and splintered.
Beat-up and low on spells Bolgrim points out that the lantern of guidance is very bright and a solid beam of light is pointing towards another spiral staircase at the far end of the room. Staggering to their feet the group decides that they must rest. Bolgrim is to memorize restoration spells and the group tenuously enters one of the side tunnels. Here they gladly shut their eyes, licking their wounds and thanking their gods that they still live.
The next morning Bolgrim and Pepper heal and restore what they can. Donner is feeling 100%, Churchkey is also feeling much better and even Barrett is nearly back to his muscular self. They eat a quick meal and then make their way to the staircase where the lantern is still spotlighting the spiral staircase.
The staircase winds around and around going up several hundred feet. Eventually the spiral staircase emerges into what can only be the eye socket of the skull itself. The stairway ends in a shallow depression, with curving walls that eventually become the ceiling some sixty feet up. From the center of the eye socket - in midair- a gusher of blinding red light rushes outward and upward, eventually spreading to fill the sky with firey clouds above. The origin of the gusher isn't visible - it's as if the plasma is being vented from a rip in the fabric of the plane itself. At the opening of the eye socket float a multitude of fiery clouds. The clouds don't drift into the eye socket due some magic force field.
Another great mummy waits here; the mummy is dressed in golden armor and remains silent for a few moments.
Adimarchus, Most Potent Ruler of Occipitus, bids you welcome to the Final Test of the Smoking Eye. A worthy successor to the throne of Adimarchus must complete only one more task. To rule Occipitus- to grasp its power and use it for good or ill - means to sacrifice everything you hold dear. The final test is this: Sacrifice an ally to the plasma, and Occipitus is yours!
The mummy is then silent and seems to laps back into the more natural state of death.
Looking at one another, everyone is silent. Kaurophon seems to be in deep thought and contemplation, when Churchkey begins to undo his armor. "There is no way we are going to sacrifice a friend, I shall sacrifice myself for the good of all". Bolgrim, about to undo his own armor agrees to Churchkeys request and starts helping him out of the layers of metal surrounding his body.
Kaurophon looks on in awe, shock and total interest.
The rest of the Vanguard is solemn. Connel retreats into his own thoughts; Pepper says a prayer to WeeJas the lady of death herself. Donner says his goodbyes to Churchkey and Barrett seems withdrawn, brow furrowed in thought. A few minutes later Barrett's head snaps up, and with clarity of voice and determination announces, "That the one who wields Alakast should be the last to sacrifice himself". Barrett continues, "The rest of the party would die without the abilities of Bolgrim, the rest of you are too important", and with that Barrett leaps into the pillar of raw energy.
Everyone is stunned. The smell of burning flesh assaults the nostrils as Barrett twists in the gout of plasma energy. Moments later Barrett is unceremoniously pushed from the gusher... Barrett has not a scratch on him, he is reborn, healthy and strong but with his left eye missing and small wisps of smoke emanate from the empty socket.
Kaurophon is the first to break the silence, "NO, NO, NO!" he screams. "You have robbed me! You are not worthy; this was my destiny, my chance!" Spittle is flying as fast as his accusations. "You would have been lost without me, you are nothing! A group of pawns in a game bigger than any of you! You don't deserve this, you are meant to fight in the field not sit on a throne! This is mine! Do you hear me?! MINE!" And Kaurophon falls to the ground.
Donner is standing over him, stunning fist at the ready. Churchkey orders him tied up. Kaurophon quickly becomes un-stunned but by that time, the whole group has weapons and spells raised. Rope is being gathered from backpacks.
From here a Kangaroo court is held. It is quickly held and expedited equally as fast. Within 10 minutes the trial is held, Kaurophon is accused of being guilty of treason, wanting to expand the denizens of evil, putting the party in jeopardy. For these crimes Kaurophon is to be put to death. 10 seconds later, Kaurophon is dead.
Once the body is disposed of the incident is not spoken of again. No one says as such, but it is agreed upon in that unspoken way that says this event is for us to know about and no one else. The pact is strong after a year of adventuring and no one questions it.
...
Meanwhile political and social intrigue abound:
Pepper: Pepper sends a message to Embril asking her about the group of Wee Jas people hanging out on Occipitus. Embril responds that she knows nothing of these people. She is still busy and won't be able to return to Cauldron for about another 3 months. Talk to Ike Iverson... He is in charge of "the followers of the Lady".
Taking her advice Pepper fires off another spell to Ike respectfully asking the same question. Ike says that if the Vanguard is on Occipitus and have completed the tasks on that plain then he will remove the group on the plain and thanks Pepper. He really wants to see Pepper for a one-on-one discussion as soon as he gets back to Cauldron.
Barrett: Barrett is going through a terbulent time. He has just become the ruler of the 507th layer of the Abyss. It is a heavily wounded pain of existance. In 100 or so years with a constant ruler putting a lot of energy into the healing of the plain, it will look a lot better. The plain of cysts will be nearly gone, ulcers will begin to disapear and perhaps, in another 100 or so, the actual diameter of the plain will begin to slowly expand. Barrett is getting used to just balancing all of the sensory imput of running the plain... well that and figuring out how to best use his new powers and the plain for growth in power and money.
Churchkey: Churchkey has been having a series of short "message" conversations with his love Anna Taskerhill since shortly before arriving on Occipitus. Most of the conversations are innitiated by Anna due to her Bardic ability to cast the spell.
Over the last 2 months Churchkey has found out the following:
- Severen Navalant (the lord Mayor of Cauldron) has disapeared. At this time he is only 14 so the regent Vhalantru is now the defacto leader of Cauldron.
- There has been a very detailed and swift assassination attempt on Anna, Zachary and Cora when they were in some tunnels below Cauldron.
- Churchkey has asked Anna to research the Cagewrights. At first she has come upon virtually nothing, but with time to research she is slowly putting together clues. Her use of Legend Lore and access to the Library's both in Cauldron and out are aiding her research.
- Perhaps prematurly but on track, Anna and Churchkey are to be wed, binding two factions of noble families together. The hope is to try to create as many links among the noble families so as to generate a faction strong enough to offset the rapid collaps of their beloved city.
- Finds out Jennya has had a few death threats and one assassination attempt. Jennya is hiding out with Shensen near the shores of Crater Lake.
- A new tax has been levied on Cauldron... Magic items comming into the city have a 20% tax on their value.
The group has a long, long discussion about what to do:
- They need to train, Cauldron? Sassaureen?
- They need to get to Cauldron but obviously the tax will kill them.
- The Vanguard needs to stay on the plain of Occipitus for at least three weeks for Barrett to become more attuned with the plain so he can start manipulating some defensive measures (like resetting/changing the test) and learn to control some of his new found powers.
- Need to sell items.
- While waiting those three weeks they deside to do the following:
- Go to the plain of cysts and harvest all of the magic items they can find. They want to do this mainly for the money to do the ceremonies for Alakast.
- This action however will tip the balance of the plain a little more to the evil side so they somehow need to remove some the demons from the plain to help create some balance.
- It takes about a week to ride to the plain, a week of work and a week back. Perfect.
The party notes that they are being followed, perhaps a mile away, by a group of Babau. They are followed for a day or so when appearing around them like a blink of the eye are a dozen Babau. They are obviously well trained and working in a group.
A solo Babau is not a tough foe for the Vanguard, but a group of twelve is frightening, for when they swarm, their sneak attack damage is devistating. Quickly, Connel finds this out as he is quickly swarmed. Slashes and blood gush from various wounds covering his body. Pepper unleashes a fireball engulphing a large group. They seem damaged but unphazed by the gout of flame.
The others band together to form a tight line trying to keep the Babau from surrounding them. Churchkey can feel Alakast almost laughing with glee with each deadly hit of his sentient weapon. Donner and Connel are desperatly trying to curb the left flank from curling around the rest of the party... especially trying to keep pepper from the action. This is turning Connel into a punching bag and Bolgrim into a healing machine.
It is becoming quite obvious that this combat is completely and totally deadly. They are shoring up the ranks and yelling out short commands and making sure where healing potions are located. With this Bolgrim takes a chance and calling upon the forces of the heaven he yells "RUN!" For a brief second, everyone looks at Bolgrim in confusion and then they see four of the remaining Babau sprinting at top speed away from the group in various directions.
Suddenly the odds have changed, the remaining Babau redouble their efforts but now the party is working in full coordination. Donner is flipping behind enemies giving his fellow Vanguard members the ability to land more powerful blows. Alakast is cutting throw the demonic resistances and now Bolgrim is able to move from defense to offense. It takes about 30 seconds of combat but when they look up the four Babau that ran are not returning. They are watching again from afar. Following the group.
The party desperately needs to rest after that combat so Barrett watches over them from his throne room while the party beds down for the evening. Eventually, the Babau go their own way, leaving the Vanguard to a eventless couple of days journey to the Plain of Cysts. The whole time they are traveling Churchkey can feel the pull of Alakast. Kill, kill, kill all the demons on this plain.
The party arrives at the plain of cysts and begin "harvesting" all the magic they can. It takes a good one to two hours of hard labor to puncture a cyst and dig out the items contain within. They start by having Bolgrim and Pepper casting detect magic. From here they mark 6 or so cysts. Return to the first and then begin digging.
It is late in the afternoon of the first day when Barrett gives the group a heads up. Flying low from the south are a group of 6 Vrock. They are wondering about the deal you made with them more than three weeks ago. Three weeks is enough time and they are angry. Barrett joins the conversations telephatically and with that they Vrock summon their leader to do their bartering.
Moments later Vectara, a huge Vrock of previously unprecidented size appears. After a long and terribly uncomforatable session of negotiations an agreement is made:
- The Vrock and the Vanguard will meet in two weeks time Near the celestial rubble North, North-East of the skull.
- As a combined group they will kill all of the rival Babau and their leader a deadly Balor.
- In so doing the Vrock are the offical "police force" of Occipitus for a 10 year trial period.
- They are given specific instructions about rules to enforce on the plain (there are not many), to encourage people to settle on the plain etc. etc.
Pepper identifies a series of items and then as a group they travel to the base of the hills. Barrett meets them and the Vrock teleport in shortly after. As a group of 15 vrock, Vectora and the Vanguard the remaining 24 Babau don't stand a chance. Theristar the Balor prooves to be a deadly fight but is eventually successful.
With that the party makes their leave and planeshifts, hoping to land near Cauldron. They land in the mountains to the north. After a few hours they get their berrings and recognize that they are about a days travel from Crazy Jared's.
Three days later the party finds themselves in the town of Kingfisher Hollow. Here they feel better, they are surrounded by very familiar surroundings, familiar customs and food. However, Kingfisher Hollow has grown a three hundered person refugee camp on the outskirts. After talking with the residents of Kingfisher Hollow:
- They talk about the thousand or so 1/2 orc mercenary guards patroling the streets.
- The Magic tax doesn't really impact anyone except for people like the party.
- The redshields are stuck in the city due to the tax, but they are seen by the citizens as their protectors.
- the Ecnomic system is duely stressed. There is a lot of anamonsity between WeeJas and St. Cuthburt.
- No one knows where Jennya is.
- He delivers a note from Churchkey to Anna and to his parents.
- He contacts Skie Alderstun. They have a good hour plus conversation. the long and the short of the conversation is that there is no way with the current climate that Skie can sell a bundle of magic items but gives a number of contacts in other large cities that she uses. Saying that if they use her contacts, she would like a cut of the business. She also shows Barrett a very well secured secret vault... sort of like a panic room. It is where her most valuable magic items are stored and if neccessary could hid 1 or 2 people temporarily. It is secure from teleporting, scrying etc.
- Goes to his bar to chat with his co-owner.
- Makes contact with Shensen
- Barrett takes care of some other business that we can not discuss here... unless Barrett would like to divulge his other dealings in the city.
Barrett returns and after a long discussion of events the group decides to teleport to Sassaureen, sell items, buy about 50,000 worth of articles needed for ceremonies for Alakast. A wedding ring and most importantly, training for the whole of the Vanguard.
With this the group makes their way back to Caulderon with 5 days left before the wedding.
Stay tuned for one last post!
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