Session 21

Quelling Tensions

The Fated Eight and Varg’s Valiants managed to quell the tensions between Aurevald and Ulbrig before assessing their situation. Varg’s Valiants explained what they had tried and managed to gleam - two large stone doors blocked their exit from this chamber. Some had tried to open them but to no success - and it appeared one of the doors was seized. One of the party recalled hearing a faint clicking noise below them whenever the flowing stream of water slowed down.

Finding A Way Out

A group from both parties attempted to block the stream of water; first by freezing it with ice magic and then by using a sword, but it was Aurevald who chiselled a piece of stone with Jin’s help that managed to block the flow of water long enough to allow the mechanism to trigger - opening one of the stone doors that blocked their path forwards - and the door that they had entered through.

The twelve adventurers headed further into the cave system to deal with Caesar Plight and hopefully rescue Carmen Flint.

The Platform

The winding tunnels carried on for a time before opening into an expansive cavern with odd stones; which seemed to react to light and Arcane Magic, as well as stalactites and stalagmites above and below them. The only path forwards was stone pathway that extended over the large pit in the centre of the chamber - before meeting with a platform that rested solely on the tip of a central stalagmite.

Kezark Returns

The adventurers heard the echoes of metal clicking as they approached the platform - the sound seemed to come from a singular figure standing on the opposite edge. Varg’s Valiants were shocked to see the almost familiar appearance of Kezark; with bright purple lights replacing his normally yellow eyes.

“Howdy y’all… Long time no see. My employer sends his regards…”
- Kezark’s warning

Kezark taunted the adventurers before launching an assault against them - whilst he was flanked by five ghouls that mimicked his appearance - and caused harm to anyone nearby them. The ghouls also protected Kezark from serious harm - at the cost of their own existence.

“You seem to be important to those around you. By my word - I will liberate you from this curse…”
-Aurevald’s vow to Kezark…

Aurevald; morally and personally opposed to possession and the submission of free will, invoked the Mote Of Correction he received from the fight against Alexander Tryst - to land a heavy hit against Kezark.

Following Aurevald’s assault - it was clear to all that the Orcish Gunslinger; even enhanced by his possessor’s powers, was no match for the combined might of the 12 adventurers. As Kezark steeled himself for Lady’s oncoming assault - the others watched as a shadowy figure fell towards the platform. At the same time; shadowy protrusions began to form around the outside edge of the platform.

Caesar Plight Appears!

Lady noticed the shadowy figure behind her, and at the edge of her vision recognized the form of the man who had killed her earlier in the month - Caesar Plight had entered the fray. The Human Monk focused her resolve on the target at hand - and continued the attack against Kezark. As she concluded her assault - she turned back once more to see the visage of Caesar vanish - as five shadowy tendrils erupted around the platform.

Kezark tried to escape the assault whilst the others were distracted by Caesar’s arrival - but was unable to as Jin cut off his escape. The Human fighter managed to land a near-lethal blow on the Orcish Gunslinger - watching as Kezark collapsed to the ground from mental & physical exhaustion. Shortly, following this Ulbrig slew the remainder of the ghouls that had appeared with Kezark.

With Kezark unconscious & no more ghouls to command; Caesar blitzed the platform at eye-watering speed. He made successful strikes against each of the adventurers with both his ornate dagger; the same weapon he’d used to kill Lady, and a longsword with an above average reach for melee weapon. The fight continued and Caesar turned the tides in his favour after each of Varg’s Valiants were grabbed by the shadowy tendrils. With a quick flare of his right eye and a click of his fingers, each of them vanished - flung into a pocket dimension of Caesar’s control. It looked like The Fated Eight would have to hold their own going forwards in this fight.

Before Caesar could capitalize on the opportunity however, Lady stopped in his tracks and forced the assassin to lose concentration over the pocket dimension. The fight raged on as the twelve adventurers began to push Caesar onto his back foot.

Aurevald warned Caesar of the dangers of hubris - but Caesar ignored the Goliath’s words and retorted by reminding him of his deepest fears and failures.

“I didn’t kill Lady… You did. You tried to save her and instead you killed her… You can’t save anybody…”
- Caesar’s attempt to psych out Aurevald…

Caesar proved difficult to lock down as a duplicate of himself appeared on the battlefield - before revealing he could; at a moments notice, switch places with the duplicate to avoid severe attacks.

What’s That Down Below?

Throughout the encounter - the adventurers gathered that the tentacles seemed connected to something deep below the platform - and the chamber rumbled numerous times as the entity seemingly drew closer and closer to the platform around them. They each wondered what it could be before the battle reclaimed their focus.

”Here… Bring Him Back.”

As the fight dragged on, Caesar turned his attention to Graxious who had been wounded earlier in the battle. Caesar swung both of his blades and murdered the Leonin Paladin in full view of The Fated Eight.

Before anyone could react - he turned to Morgyn and threw a large diamond at his feet before commanding the novice Cleric to revive Graxious.

“You’re a Cleric, aren’t you? Go on then, bring him back!”
- Caesar Plight’s taunting command to Morgyn…

Morgyn - not yet capable of Revival Magic under normal circumstances - was shocked to notice the special string left to her by Somnus begin to glow. In a miracle aided by The Fate-Cloaked Maiden herself - Somnus’ will for The Fated Eight to persevere & their faith in Morgyn to protect The Fated Eight going forward blessed the string with Magical properties. The Loose String Of Fate allowed Morgyn to cast Revivify using Somnus’ innate understanding - as Graxious was recalled to the land of the living. Graxious’ return did seem to cause the strange stones in the wall to emit orbs of light - that seemed to grow in presence and quantity as the battle continued.

The twelve adventurers kept up the pressure against Caesar, pushing him to make more and more desperate manoeuvres.

The Body Is Already Dead…

The battle reached what felt like it’s climax as the body of Caesar Plight went limp and lifeless. Before the adventurers could celebrate - it became clear that the physical body and the entity controlling it were separate. They could harm the body - but it seemed to have minimal-to-no affect on the underlying entity in control.

After a bit of trial and error, one of the Adventurers realized that the entity controlling the body was susceptible to fire - providing a sliver of hope for the combatants as they refocused their efforts on dealing damage with fire or supporting those who could. After a few strong hits - one of the tendrils lunged into and through the chest of the body that was Caesar Plight.

The True Form

A giant pillar of a shadow erupted from where Caesar Plight’s stood - rapidly forming into a truly huge serpentine creature. Shadowy arms extruded from it’s sides as the entity that had been in control of both Kezark and Caesar Plight had been forced to reveal it’s true, Abyssal form.

Doubt set in across the battlefield as a both The Fated Eight & Varg’s Valiants were running low on resources and Magical abilities. It seemed improbable; if not impossible, for them to topple a foe of this scale - until a Dwarvish voice spoke up from behind them.

The Cavalry Arrives!

The twelve adventurers turned and noticed the floating orbs of light begin to amass around a single, spectral Dwarf wielding a hammer and a shield. He let out a mighty battle cry that echoed through the chamber and steeled the combined adventuring parties.

“brothers… sisters… gather round these brave heroes. worthier souls have not walked through our resting place since The Plight took corporeal form… It is time we pledged our lives - ‘nae our afterlives - to ridding this world of The Plight Of Graff Críoch once and for all!”
- The Spectral Dwarf’s Battlecry

The Fated Eight & Varg’s Valiants watched as the orbs of light began to shift into more spectral Dwarves as the numbers grew from the 100s to the 1000s rapidly. At the command of The Spectral Dwarf’s hammer - a torrent of Dwarvish souls rushed at the Abyssal creature; blinding & restraining it for a short while.

The twelve adventurers capitalized on the moment as each leapt into action against the paralysed Demon - culminating with Lady landing the finishing blow; but not before getting the final say over the entity that had caused so much pain for her & the rest of The Fated Eight. The Demon referred to as The Plight Of Graff Críoch melted away and faded into the darkness beneath the platform - retuning to the Abyssal Plane as all Demon’s do when they are killed in another plane.

“From the very first moment we met up until now - you have only ever looked at me and the ones that I care about as weak, and pathetic, and unworthy. I am sorry to say that I don’t have anything else to say to you - because in fact I pity you, and I pity your entire existence.

There is nothing I can do to embarrass you more than your entire existence does already. Do you have anything; one final pathetic plea, before I put you in your rightful place…”
- Lady’s taunting remark before slaying The Demon…

As The Dust Settles

As The Fated Eight & Varg’s Valiants caught their breath - two figures; a man & a woman, apparated on opposite sides of the platform. The woman was clearly Carmen Flint - leader of The Homestead - whilst the man looked like Caesar Plight, but with different colourings. As soon as she had processed where she now was, Carmen let out a shrill cry before rushing towards the man.

“KEITH!!!!”
- Carmen’s cry

Keith Sail

Kyle Korver - nearby the unconscious man’s body - recalled the days of his youth around Forest’s Edge. He remembered that Carmen’s father had taken in young man; a bastard from The Paridisian Coast a few years older than Carmen at the time, as his adoptive son. He also recalled that the boy mysteriously disappeared after an argument around exploration of a Dwarvish burial ground. Shortly thereafter, Carmen’s father was killed by a skilled assassin.

The Human Gunslinger was puzzled to see that Carmen was now well into her forties but the man was still in his twenties. He kept this revelation to himself for the time being as others around them helped the man regain consciousness.

Eytri Forgefist

Jin requested a conversation with the spectral Dwarf who had aided them earlier to inquire about the sword he had forged a few days prior. The Dwarf introduced himself as Eytri and acknowledged the heroes who had aided him and his fallen brethren, before admitting he had little knowledge of this weapon - but respected the fine craftsmanship of the blade.

In Need Of Fresh Air

Varg’s Valiants, alongside Carmen and Keith, exhausted and having been kept down here for multiple days - were in relatively urgent need of fresh air and sunlight. Eytri banged his hammer against his shield once as the twelve adventurers watched as a stone staircase formed out of the surrounding stone and rubble - seamlessly joining the platform to the Western wall of the chamber. The two parties agreed to regroup on the surface whilst The Fated Eight gathered their things and explored what was left of the Hollow Crypt.

”Are heroes of today so noble as to leave without a reward?”

A few moments later, Eytri Forgefist thanked The Fated Eight for their noble deed - purging the Hollow Crypt of a long-standing Demonic presence - before bashing his hammer on his shield three times.

On the Northern wall of the chamber, large chunks of stone fell away to reveal humungous stone doors with a bridge connecting the platform to them. Inside the chamber was a large sack of coins, as well as another sack of assorted gemstones, and a rusted but ornate Battleaxe.

Eytri was astounded to see the axe and let out a burst of excitement.

“My lad! You’ve found Fimbul - The Edge Of Winter! I thought my brother - the bloody coward - had stolen it from me when he fled during the collapse.

Not even millennia could change the fact that it is a mighty fine piece of craftsmanship, if I do say so myself. Watch this!”

Eytri eagerly throws the Axe with one hand - as it unimpressively falls to the ground with a clank

“Ok WELL it would work if I had Giant blood running through my veins. That was one of my brother’s grand ideas it was - the stupid idiot he is.”

The session closed with Aurevald receiving Fimbul - The Edge Of Winter due to his innate Giant blood & his heroic deeds in freeing Hollow Crypt from Cae’Saren, The Plight Of Graff Críoch.