Session 23: Further Derailment

General Summary

After the whole party had realised that Kazagal had returned with his new draconic Steel Defender they gathered around the Goliath to hear what he had found out. He told them about how he had been lead to a giant temple in the dwarven district of Undertown. There he had met with a dwarven priest who was an expert on matters of the lower planes of existence. Despite the fact there he cemented the fact that Goricks contract was binding beyond the powers of the gods, he also told Kazagal about some legend that might help him. He told him about the mythical soulstones that grow on the bottom of the River Styx, which flows through the afterlife. These could either be obtained occupied in the phylactery of a lich or on the bottom of Styx itself.    Upon being questioned on how to reach the river without dying, the answers weren't so clear. One way was to find a magician powerful enough to open a gateway there, which could become quite expensive. There was also an unverified myth that the bottomless pit around the Starstone Cathedral lead directly to Abaddon. But this was merely hearsay. After discussing their options and apparently dismissing obtaining a soulstone from a phylactery and clearing it, they decided to try the pit around Starstone Cathedral, which was a three-day journey away.    The party prepared the crew for their absence and headed off the next day. In order to not head into the depths completely blind, the party chose to visit the library along the way. Thus they walked up into hightown and found the giant building that was the Nova Aeran Astralus Library. Inside they walked up to the desk of the blue-haired gnome Krinkle Dink. With his help and expertise, they found a large tome on the lower planes that Kazagal could borrow, which he did under a fake name. Jeanne took the opportunity to buy a book on the ancient art of medicinal practice. Dormaruk also got some information about the Darkring temple and the activities of the aboleth that dwells there.     Once all their affairs had been dealt with, they headed out of Nova Aera and into the jungles to the west. After traveling for two days straight, and finding the corpse of a man who was searching for the temple to take on the test of the Starstone and burying it, they reached the pit surrounding the cathedral. There they saw a crowd cheering on a man who seemed to have shot a rope across the pit with a cannon and was now climbing to the other side. Sadly the rope didn't manage to support his weight and after a while, it loosened and he fell into the pit.    When the crowd dispersed, Nakor and Kazagal prepared to be lowered into the pit with a long rope, grab a soulstone, and then get dragged back up by Dormaruk. They also prepared contingencies if they would have to jump a bit. When they had been lowered down to the ropes full length and realised that they couldn't see anything, the two looked at each other, and then took a leap of faith into the unknown. Dormaruk and Jeanne watched the two fall until they could no longer be seen. Shocked and worried they stayed in the area for an additional two days, before they made their way back to Nova Aera and the crew. 10 days would they wait before leaving for Ponvarus to fulfill the contract with the devil.    After jumping of the rope, Kazagal, his draconic creation, and Nakor fell for over an hour before they could fell how the air around was speeding up, almost as if it was falling with them. After spending another half hour in complete suspended nothingness they both blacked out. When Kazagal woke up in an apocalyptic hellscape, he could see a blue shape on top of a skeletal tower, with dark figures closing in.