One Shot: Blood and Fire Report
General Summary
Introduction
It is 300 YK, almost a year ago today a terrible eruption in the Tamor Hills caused the partial release of the overlord Bel Shalor, the Shadow of the Flame. It's influence immediately spread, covering an area roughly the size of ancient Thrane (which would've included much of modern Aundair and Karrnath). You've all spent the last year traveling across Eberron to gather allies and powerful magic items to make it possible to face this threat. Tira Miron first heard the call of the couatl, Mazatl, who put her on this path, and over time the rest of you joined her. You've been to wondrous places in such a short amount of time. You battled fiends in the Labyrinth alongside the Ghaash'kala, where Tira received Kloinjer. You traveled to the Immeasurable Market in Syrania, where Cassia bargained with a fiend and gained her sacred bell. Turanank battled wits with a sphinx to win a branch from the oldest tree in an Irian manifest zone, from which he crafted his legendary bow. You've parlayed with dragons, won over the elder wyverns of the Tamor Hills, dealt with the exhausting beaurocracy of Daanvi and fought on the endless battlegrounds of Shavarath. All of this has prepared you for this. Your forces camp just outside the influence of Bel Shalor, preparing to strike at the archfiend in the morning. Tira has taken each of you aside and discussed her visions for the future, of an institution that will safeguard the world against something like this from ever happening again. You all had your own ideas to contribute, to make the Mironite Church the best it could be. You aren't privy to what was said to the others, but there will be plenty of time to hash everything out once the immediate threat is contained. You know that Bel Shalor is weaker than it could be, it was only partially released a year ago and hasn't had time to achieve full release. Bel Shalor is a tricky one, however, and has numerous schemes in play at any given time. The couatl Mazatl, who set you on this course, granted Tira a vision giving insight into one of these schemes. As you approach, the demon has dispatched its own minions to strike at Tira and Maliah's families, to emotionally cripple them before the confrontation. Though it pained him to abandon you all, Samyr Kes has gone to intercept the minions of Bel Shalor and allow the rest of you to face the overlord unburdened by concern for the wellbeing of your families and loved ones. As morning comes, you begin your assault on Bel Shalor. The four of you mount the elder wyvern Ashtarax, who flies you over the clashing armies and drops you at the foot of the hill leading up to the pillar of fire that marks the point of Bel Shalor's release, before flying off to join the chaos all around you. Ahead of you, barring your path, are four Rakshasa in heavy armour.Session
1st Sypheros, 300 YK- The party approach the site of Bel Shalor's release. Cassia Canatar Clebdecher uses the Sacred Bell of Saint Cassia to ward the party against possession and charm. Tira Miron casts Shield of Faith on herself.
- Samyr Kes had left the party to face a threat to their families, as much as it pained him to leave them.
- Their way is barred by 4 Zakya Rakshasa, who don't last very long against the party.
- Whilst the party are annihilating the Zakya, they get attacked by 2 Naztharune Rakshasa, who were invisible.
- After the Rakshasa are dealt with, Maliah Sharavaci heals Cassia before they proceed to the overlord.
- They approach the pillar of black flame, and Tira inspires the others. Then the flames roar and the shadows coalesce into a vaguely humanoid shape with wings and glowing silver eyes and teeth.
- Bel Shalor, the Shadow of the Flame has an aura of darkness that does something, but the party don't know what yet.
- Turanank Noldrun takes some shots at Bel Shalor with the Song of Siberys, but they don't seem to be effective. It looks like Bel Shalor is immune to radiant damage, which is a problem.
- Thankfully, Tira is wielding Kloinjer, which removes a creatures immunity or resistance to radiant damage for an hour. She needs to hit the overlord first.
- Bel Shalor turns the party against each other, compelling Turanank to shoot at Tira.
- Tira summons a couatl to help them, which is wielding a mace for some reason.
- By way of apology, Turanank casts Mass Cure Wounds and deals damage to everyone except himself.
- That's what the aura does. Yikes.
- Cassia zips around and punches Bel Shalor an awful lot. Like, a lot of times, if Bel Shalor wasn't incorporeal it'd be really sore. It seems that Bel Shalor is immune to being knocked prone though, which is a bit of a bummer for an Open Hand Monk.
- Bel Shalor hurts a lot, but seems to make them attack each other more than it attacks them itself.
- When it does attack, it hurts a lot though.
- Tira critical hits twice, dealing a quite frankly ridiculous amount of damage. 168 damage in one hit!
- Bel Shalor compels the party to turn on each other again with only Tira succeeding on the save, resulting in Maliah hitting Turanank with a Flame Strike and Turanank casting Mass Cure Wounds again.
- It looks bleak, with Tira on the brink of death, but she fights on and continues to strike the Overlord with Kloinjer, resulting in it teleporting back into the pillar of flame.
- The couatl that gave Tira her vision arrived, constricting Bel Shalor within it's coils and biting down into the demon's neck. Tira charged in without hesitation and plunged Kloinjer through the couatl and overlord both.
- A explosion of radiant energy erupted from the conflict, and the pillar of black fire had been replaced with a silver one. Bel Shalor, the couatl, and Tira Miron were nowhere to be seen.
- Maliah felt herself fill with radiant energy, and heard Tira's voice in her head, assuring her that everything would be okay and this was supposed to happen. She had become the first Keeper of the Flame.
- Maliah would later discover that whilst Samyr had successfully protected her family, he didn't survive his wounds. It's been a pretty awful day for Maliah, all things considered.
- The party would go on to found the Church of the Silver Flame, with Turanank keeping the official records. He helpfully omitted all the instances of Bel Shalor making him attack the rest of the party.
