Session 7-11-09

Maia 21, 23CR, Evening -- Azzagrat, Outskirts of the City of Zelatar, Fogtown, the 45th Layer of the Abyss:

With the terrible charnel hound defeated and brave Rockbounder back on his feet, the six companions now stand between the banks of the River Styx and an onrushing, murderous mob of demons loyal to the Dark Prince Graz'zt.  Two abyssal giants, servants of Arbrozzar, now stand in their path to safety.  Bellowing his combat challenge, Rockbounder leaps into the fray against the larger and more feral of the two giant brothers, Jangill.  The golaith teams up with Acacia, who ghost steps invisibly and fires salvos of arrows from Thaas into the giant's flesh.  "Your days of freedom are over, and you will pay for destroying our hound," sneers Jangill, hefting his keen greatsword and cutting deeply into Rockbounder's hide.  "We shall return you to Master Arbrozzar at last, slaves."

Jack and Kaelin focus their attention on the other abyssal giant, a grim bearded fellow called Issafer.  He speaks in low, grating tones of certainty.  "Fools one and all, you are, for now you face a true fate-weaver.  Issafer wields the power of prophecy and foresight, and this day will see your death and not his own."  Despite his penchant for speaking in the 3rd person about himself, Issafer is a skilled and deadly combatant.  Scythe and sword clash as the melee begins, while Altaer tosses chaotic fiery magic all around the battlefield.  Ayotunde is quickly overwhelmed by her allies' need for healing, and can do little besides pray repeatedly for area-effect cures.  The battle seems briefly to be under the heroes' control, but then a sulfurous stink and a disorienting flash of green energy signals the arrival of several new combatants.

Appearing near the banks of the Styx is a darkly beautiful female with shining blue-black skin and demonic features.  She wears dress leathers in a purple and black diamond pattern and wields two wickedly keen daggers.  Her face bears a resemblance to Athux, but even moreso to his dark father, Graz'zt himself.  The lady-demon's eyes flash with an indigo light as she surveys the battle before her.  "Mortal interlopers!  Hear the words of Princess Rhyxali, true sister of Graz'zt, who now addresses you.  Your passage here has been noted by agents of the realm of Azzagrat.  Cease your fighting and surrender at once.  Many of you bear the mark of celestial powers, which in my brother's realm is punishable by slow death.  However, if you are wise you may avoid the worst of the questioning before the end."  The dark princess smiles slyly, showing her sharklike, sharpened teeth and hinting at the tortures to come.  She gestures once, and a cleanup crew of six gory carnevus demons appears nearby, preparing to attack.

With the arrival of Rhyxali, head of Graz'zt secret police and a true power in Azzagrat, the odds now firmly stacked against them, the six heroes fight on with the ferocity of seasoned abyssal raiders.  Jack calls forth a fey-touched elasmosaurus from the realms of nature, and the huge reptile immediately draws the attention of the carnevus squad.  Rockbounder sweeps his blade down and upwards, cutting a huge gash in the torso of Jangill, but the giant's fortitude is strong and he stands bloodied but unbeaten.  Jangill returns the golaith's blows, bloodying him in turn.  Issafer, despite his bold proclamations, fares less well against Jack and Kaelin, outright missing with many of his attacks.  The two feytouched Gaians take up flanking positions around Issafer, continuing the battle.  Most of the party is now bloodied and beaten from the giants' and demons' assault, and Ayotunde is hard pressed to keep them on their feet.  All the while, the crush of demons chasing the party out of Zelatar moves closer... hundreds or thousands of demons scale the walls and take to the skies, eager to taste mortal flesh and blood.  Within a minute or less, the wave will break over the companions and seal their doom.

Just as the prospects for victory seem to wither and fall away, the gloomy skies of Fogtown open up with a flash of bright golden light.  A huge gold dragon appears in the sky, swooping down and unleashing a massive wave of fire from its belly.  The dragon gleams like a celestial noonday sun, despite the foggy surroundings.  An angry draconic voice cries out, echoing across the battlefield.  "Flee, hordes of the Abyss, for you now face Beshavathaur, scion of the Thulkaar and defender of Gaia!  Run while you can, villains!  You will never claim the mother of my children, nor the hope of the future!"  Hope seems rekindled with the appearance of the great dragon Besha, who has also now revealed his true identity.  Rhyxali orders several vrocks to engage the dragon in the skies, and the vulture-demons caw and gibber as they take wing.  Not long afterward, a true terror of the Abyss is called forth to deal with Besha's appearance: a Balor. Ignoring the six mortal heroes entirely, the balor teleports into the twisting aerial melee, engaging directly with Besha and wielding its flaming whip and lightning-sword.

Altaer summons forth a storm of fire and ice, obscuring part of the battlefield with a huge cloud of burning steam.  Rhyxali covers herself in a cloud of deeper darkness, content for the moment to watch the carnage unfold.  Jack sends an eldritch spear hurtling in Rhyxali's direction, catching her cleanly on the cheek and marring her good looks.  Graz'zt's sister's face twists in rage.  "Very well, if you shall not accept my merciful offer, I will send you to the carnevus' abbatoirs!  Kill them all and we will re-assemble them in the flesh forges for questioning later!" Rhyxali inhales deeply and speaks a word of utter black malice at Jack, seeking to end his life with the entropic Dark Speech.  Yet Jack's will is strong, and he resists the worst effects of the attack.  Rhyxali sneers with contempt and orders more carnevus soldiers into battle.

Just as the carnevus demons turn all their magic on Jack's elasmosaurus and blast it out of existence, Rockbounder drops Jangill to his knees with another flurry of blows from Quell.  He then begins a great grappling contest with the giant, pinning his limbs down and denying him movement.  Acacia, still hidden by her ghost step, sees her opportunity and finishes off the abyssal giant with a trifecta of arrows: one in each eye and one blooming in the forehead.  With a great crash, Jangill falls dead.  The melee in the sky between Beshavathaur and a host of flying demons continues, with the dragon killing several vrocks only to be badly bloodied by the true threat to his life, the balor.  Fortunately for Besha, he performs a timely wingover maneuver and finds himself within the radius of Ayo's healing prayers, allowing him to fight on.

Jack and Kaelin remain engaged with Issafer, but another salvo of three arrow from Acacia strike the unexpecting giant in his vitals, and the ninja claims a second giant kill for the day.  Issafer scarcely acknowledges his own death, falling silently in a heap as the last of Acacia's arrows sticks in his back and severs his spinal column.  "You will face punishment!  I will not allow you to escape," cries the dark demoness Rhyxali, angrily casting a chain dimensional anchor on the companions, hoping to keep them from reaching the far banks of the Styx and plane shifting away.  Fortunately, both Ayo and Altaer are prepared to dispel its effects, but can they do so before the wave of angry demons from the city breaks over them?  The night hag on the banks, nearly forgotten in the wild battle, calls out. "For one of those fine damned souls, I'll summon you a barge all right!"  She plucks out a wriggling larva from the dead skull of Jangill, and begins summoning a yugoloth barge-keeper, keeping one eye on the incoming hordes.

Ayotunde reaches into her pouch, drawing forth the green gem given her by the Earth Aspect of Jenoic's wild hunt.  She recalls the words of the huge elemental being that was summoned forth on Beltaine: ""You may call me with this gem in a time of great need..." (see Threefold Sundering Session 1-17-09).  Casting the gem on the ground before her, she calls out to Jenoic.  "Walker, aid us now!"  With that gesture, the ground below the gem cracks and the Earthen Wild Hunt is summoned to battle, appearing as a hugely muscled elemental with an impressive rack of stag's antlers atop its rocky head.  With a casual sweep of its arm, the Earth Huntsman obliterates the remaining carnevus demons, crushing bone and flesh alike.  It leaps forward, landing with a mighty thunderous slam atop another mob of demons, and turns to face Rhyxali herself.  Strangely, the demon princess seems rather nonplussed by the Huntsman's appearance. She grins, jumps up and almost climbs the huntsman's arm, grabbing it in an exotic finger-lock and sending it hurtling across the battlefield almost effortlessly.  Rhyxali seems to hold some unnatural mastery over Jenoic's aspect, as this one gesture by her is enough to cause it to crumble and discorporate on the damp ground of Fogtown's outskirts.  Nonetheless, the timely summoning of the Huntsman has provided Ayo and Altaer enough time to dispel the lingering effects of Rhyxali's dimensional anchor.

"Besha, get away while you can!" cries Ayo to her dragon lover, as he swoops low to avoid a deadly strike by the balor.  Rockbounder gathers the others in his arms and leaps clear across the River Styx, landing safely on the other side.  Jack and Kaelin join him a moment later, and Ayo readies her plane shift spell, doing her best to avoid looking at the incredible nightmare crush of demons descending on the party's position.  Besha fights free of the balor at last, sending it tumbling to the ground but far from defeated, and plane shifts away himself in another burst of golden light.  At last, Ayotunde sees that all her fellows have joined hands, and she quickly attunes her fork to Sigil and casts her own plane shift spell.  The companions' last vision of Azzagrat is that of Princess Rhyxali silently, balefully staring at their escape from certain doom, promising with a dark look that they will be forever marked as enemies of her brother, the Dark Prince Graz'zt.

Maia 22, 23 CR -- Sigil, City of Doors:

After their harrowing escape from Zelatar, the party returns quickly to the Sylvan Glades Inn for a long rest.  They sell some of their acquired treasures with Sigil's merchants and pay customary visits to the temples of their gods (including the Arena of Kord for Rockbounder, a temple of Jenoic, and the shrie of a strange good of freedom called "Tritherion."  Kaelin also communes with Gwardo and is suitably enlightened by her experience.

An afternoon meeting at the Styx Oarsman with Rule-of-Three goes smoothly.  In the privacy of the back rooms (#3, as always), the githzerai shows his pleasure at the heroes' success thus far.  "Fine work, well done, and excelsior, good folk.  Now you have acquired all that is necessary to crash the party, spoil Lolth's plans, and save your worlds from absorbtion by her Demonweb.  And I understand you have also learned the date of the shindig, the gala, and the gathering?  So, my work here is finished.  I hope you learn much from the wisdom in the Book of Flesh and Mirrors, and that your future journeys will be as successful as those you have undertaken at my request.  You have many options, choices and paths now, and I feel you are well on your way.  Incidentally, I shall be taking a vacation, a sojourn, and a sabbatical to parts far from here.  I may be inaccessible in the immediate future."  The meeting concludes amicably, and the heroes depart Rule-of-Three's company. 

After walking the length of Sigil from the Lower Ward to the Lady's Ward, the companions pay a brief visit to their contact Goldfeather at the Library of the Lady.  Once brought up to date on their recent excursions, he offers the following advice.  "Well friends, I understand you are still seeking the lost Watery Huntsman of Jenoic, one of his Wild Hunt aspects.  One place you might consider looking is the dead world known as the Spiral Desert.  It was once home to a great underground sea, and though the aboveground lands are barren wastes, the sea may yet survive.  The Spiral Desert was among the worlds absorbed by Lolth into her Demonweb and sucked dry over the millenia.  Travel there cautiously."

At last, Rockbounder and Acacia pay a personal visit to Icestone Hall, home-away-from-home for the infamous frost giant wizard Arbrozzar.  Rockbounder boldly approaches the massive greystone double doors and bangs on them loudly until a somewhat puzzled and cranky frost giant porter answers the racket.  With Acacia glowering angrily on his shoulder, her eyes boring dark dagger-holes into the giant, Rockbounder proclaims his intentions:  "Servant of Arbrozzar, take these words to your master.  Demonsworn wretch that you are, Arbrozzar, know that we are free beings, and we tire of being harried by your lessers.  Send no more of your minions against us, unless you wish their quick deaths at our hand.  Know that we hunt you, and that we will not stop until your own head is swept off your shoulders.  We will bring you down and break you with all our strength, in the name of freedom for all those you have enslaved.  Tremble until we come for you, coward.  For we are not afraid of your power, and it will soon be broken forever!"  The astonished porter stumbles backward, scrambling away to deliver the message.  Rockbounder turns on his heel and stomps away, his footsteps shaking the halls of the rimeclad giant fortress.

That evening, the six friends are finally prepared to return to Gaia after their planar journeys.  The multiverse seems larger and more accessible to them now, since they have explored realms as vast and variable as the Abyss, the Beastlands, and the World Ash, Yggdrassil.  Yet Gaia beckons them home, each for his or her own reasons.  As Rule-of-Three said, many potential paths now lie before the heroes as they return to there, to a place has been both recently transformed and also besieged from the outside.  Some of the potential objectives the party may choose to pursue include:

• Learning more about Lolth's Abyssal Pact and traveling to the Demonweb to stop it, preventing countless material worlds from being sucked dry by the Spider Queen's hunger.
• Answering the summons from Huntress Sordemors on Gaia, in the southern city of Valhgate, to learn more of the Threefold Sundering and decipher the strange verses of Caer Sidi.
• Plan and excute an assault on Avernus, the first layer of the Nine Hells, to reclaim the lost half of Altaer's soul from Tiamat, the Chromatic Dragon.
• Further investigate the tragic fate of the fey children of Androlynne, the abyssal layer ruled by Pale Night, Mother of Demons.  Kaelin's family, the D'Astrikos House of Stars, seems to have a direct connection to these events.
• Infiltrate Icestone Hall to take the head of Arbrozzar, demon-sworn wizard of Kostchtchie, and liberate his other slaves.
• Raid the Demonweb and discover the location of Eclavdra's Fane, where the platinum teleportation key resides.  This key provides practically limitless access to the tunnels of the Demonweb.
• Learn more about the Gaian gnomes' upcoming prank against the aberrant undead god Kyuss, the Worm-that-Walks, Lord of Chaal'Nathra, Overmind of the Writhing Sorrow.
• Solve the mystery of the fey demigod known as the Exile, uncovering his true origin and motivation for causing the Convergence between material Gaia and its fey realm, the Dreamlands.
• Unbind and reunite the remaining aspects of the Wild Hunt of Jenoic: the Watery Huntsman (whereabouts unknown, Spiral Desert suspected) and the Fiery Huntsman (last known position: the Thornwaste, Kingdom of Oberwald, Gaia).

Maia 23, 23CR -- The Valley of Obelisks, Kingdom of Oberwald, Gaia:

After a final night's sleep at the Sylvan Glades, returning to Shandae's Furrow in the Valley of Obelisks on Gaia is a simple matter of Ayotunde attuning the correct fork and casting plane shift, followed by the casting of teleport from a scroll.  As the city of Sigil slips away and the six companions return to Gaia, a sense of sharp clarity and magical wholeness returns to their minds, bodies and spirits, like something that one does not know is even lost until it is regained.  The land whispers quiet platitudes and fills their hearts with hope, but each hero knows the peace will not hold unless they can collectively unravel the many threads of the Threefold Sundering.

The adventurers each go their separate ways for the day, quickly returning by owlback to their respective estates. Acacia is quite taken by the tamed giant owls, and privately names Altaer's owl "Barney."  Kaelin's intelligence network at the Hexahedron quickly hones in on the whereabouts of Akala Fishstringer and the other goliaths of Mavortung, loyal to the Exile and now searching the Gaian continent of Talirae for their lost master.  Ayotunde's new allies at the Furrow agree with Kaelin's agents, and confirm that the goliath tribe passed through the Furrow only four days ago, heading south through the Elsir Vale towards the Thornwaste.  What the future now holds will depend upon the choices made in the coming days: how will these six friends, brave raiders of the Abyss and survivors of the Demonweb, spend the time that has been given to them?

The Threefold Sundering