Session 16: The Grave of Ethosa Report

The party rested for that night, preparing themselves for what would come next. Dawn arose and the camp was taken down, items stored, and weapons prepared for the final encounter. Arelastod was to lead the way, guided by the passing whispers of Kastayos- westward, over a narrow rivulet between two larger lakes, then west against through some swamps thickening into sprawling forest. Now Kastayos bid they travel further northwestward, leaving the soupy marshlands behind them. No foot-trails winnowed between the trees here, so many secondary supplies were dumped aside by grumbling warriors. Yet on they went, Arelastod taking the lead, until in some patch of trees he stepped upon some loose ground and plunged about two feet down, out of sight. Thelastor and others rushed to go investigate, and were themselves tumbled into or stymied by this ground.

They found the whole immediate region of their entering to be of similar, strange character. The dirt was loose and dusty, and set within it were innumerable fragments of bone and rusted, ruined iron. Thelastor ran his hands through it, taking up certain fragments and inspecting them closely. They appeared to be remnants of some battle, but these remains were exceedingly old, such that the iron nearly cracked to rusty dust in his hands. Meanwhile, Getas pressed forward and found a section near the surface that did not collapse downward. He ordered his warriors to spread through this area and those with spears to impale the ground to measure relative depths. The outcome was utterly erratic, with lower depths and near surface level areas. Yet, Getas noticed how the tip of one warrior’s spear bore some faint golden flame upon it when withdrawn- he inspected it more closely and noted this to be some Eshanic flame. It gave off no heat, indicative of that power. He then withdrew a dagger of his own and plunged it down, finding the ground to be of a leathery, fleshy substance, and difficult to cut through… and when withdrawn it too possessed that light. Interesting…

In this hesitant moment of exploration, a terrible tremor began to shake the earth below, starting at distance but growing ever closer. The party staggered back in fear, preparing weapons for whatever beast might appear. It burst from the loose ground, showering bone fragments and iron over the gathering and its appearance was miserable. The creature was long, nearly serpentine in nature, with a face near unto the olundi, with long, multi-jointed legs bursting five on each side from the body. Its movements were irregular, not slithering about like a serpant, but using its legs to move freely in all directions, ahead, back, or to the sides. It danced through the trees, up and down the trunks, weaving closer to the party, but halted a short distance away. The party was consumed with a silent shock. Finally, the beast gave a terrible grin and exclaimed, “Welcome! You have made it safe. I am glad. Kastayos is glad.”

Baffled by this creatures grasp of language and equally curious of the area, the party asked the thing a number of questions, such as the nature of this place and why Kastayos was here. The beast explained in brief that this was a battlefield, ancient, back to the Feud, and that Kastayos perceived this place to be the perfect hideaway and lesson. For those who come about it served to show what Acolitus and his allies were capable of doing. Yet, they were not here to speak forever, but to fight. This was the purpose advertised and that was what would happen. This beast, who introduced itself as Kasun, or child of Kastayos, was only intended to bring them to the place. The part reluctantly agreed to this, for there was no other choice to them besides turning back.

The Kasun turned about and bid they follow, prodding the patches of ground before it to see which was most broken. Once a patch was found the beast plunged its foremost arms into the ground and heaved the dirt behind it, burrowing down. The party was advised to remain close in its wake or be lost forever. In fear and fascination they followed, with strongest at fore, warriors at center, and least prepared at rear. The tunnel burrowed down and down, then further along, into areas unseen for millennia. Bones fragments and skeletal remains flashed for mere moments around them- iron remnants tumbled through the clods. When the burrow was deep enough the passage to the surface began to collapse under its own weight. The hindmost legs of the beast blocked the rear of the tunnel from collapsing, and thus arched over the group as an awning. Along the way numerous Eyti beasts, themselves a burrowing race, peered their excited faces into the gloom, wide eyes, waiting for any mistake. They appeared above, beside, and below, brushing at the party’s feet. In this terror two warriors fell too far behind, brushing against the falling rear of the tunnel, and were taken by the Eyti and lost into the dirt forever.

In time they arrived in Kastayos’ chamber. It was a nightmare scape, carved into the bowels of the earth by the constant patrol of four other Kasun beasts in constant motion, using deft leg movement to prop up the chamber. Their noise was nearly deafening. No natural light could reach this place, but husks of Eshanic flesh along the walls bleeding light without heat offered some illumination. Eager Eyti beasts, having followed the procession and its tasteful flesh, appeared now around all parts of the chamber- staring inward with glee. Kastayos, great and with four legs, was seat upon a miserable throne of mouldering Eshanic flesh. He looked to the party while the Kasun joined its fellows in keeping up the chamber. He bid them welcome and kudos for having reached this far. They spoke back and forth, the party and he, speaking about what would happen next. Kastayos explained that he would destroy the Judge and buy the continent some time before the horrible Second Feud came, though the Eshan felt it coming. Indeed, this ground was the end of the First Feud in Othos, and so this battle here would bless the new grounds of the Second Feud. This was a historic moment for them all.

Getas asked if Kastayos was to fight them himself. Kastayos responded by holding out his arm, from which Eshanic light from the surrounding corpses swirled to him. He aimed it toward Getas, unleashing it with great force and crashing into that captain, hurling him back against the dirt walls. This was the formal beginning of battle, though many in the party were frozen in place of how to proceed. Thelastor and Rhomod then rushed against Kastayos, but a number of Eyti rose and dropped from the chamber to block them, and thus they were locked into a mortal struggle. Thelastor wielded the Noyedzar to great effect, cracking the hard outer flesh of the beasts. Getas and his warriors held position for the moment. Yaza closed in closer to Orellos. Oradyol prepared to strike the Eyti. A great and miserable clamor erupted as the bloodshed began.

Amidst this, Xeyesh reached his arm into the Eshanic light, feeling that bright energy pulse through his chest and heart begin to beat faster. His wounds were healed, and his mind cleared. He pointed his other arm toward Kastayos and unleashed fearsome waves of Eshanic power bolstered by Mesian. The power crashed into Kastayos with great force while the 10 Vojunic creatures set forth to attack the Nith’eshan. Again and again he pummeled Kastayos with these projectiles while Kastayos focused upon Thelastor and Rhomod who were drawing close with their weapons.

At this critical moment, Getas and his warriors finally acted. He asked Kastayos what he would reward his allies, and Kastayos responded that, “I can make you the great hero of your people, the Syrgus your kind dreams to become but might never be!” Getas noded, and he commanded them against all expectation to attack the Judge! Confused but bound to obey they closed upon Orellos with spears forward, while about nine of them were commanded by Getas himself to ring around Kastayos in defense. This was the terrible turn. Fear swept through the party as the once balanced odds were now wholly against them. Oradyol begged for power from Kovul and set to swinging wildly among the warriors and Eyti alike, Yaza stood aside the Judge with her blade, while Orellos burnt those warriors closest with Eshanic flames. Xeyesh turned his Eshanic power toward Getas and struck him hard upon the side, but the traitor managed to duck beneath a swing from Thelastor and rush toward his warriors. In passing, Getas yelled at Thelastor, “I must get closer!” but the meaning was uncertain! Thelastor was too consumed with a warrior’s rage to consider it deeply and he crushed those enemies closest. Kasun beasts now took the opportunity to take rushing passes over the ground, tossing warriors about and sowing death. Eyti already began to devour the corpses meant before the blood fully oozed from their bodies.

With the Eurobasar warriors in position with Getas, the battle appeared settled. The other members of the party fought against staggering odds, cutting and blasting away everything around them. Xeyesh was such that his heart was nearly bursting from his body, arm and body beginning to burn with the light without heat. Yet, as Getas stood aside Kastayos, he called to his warriors and commanded, “Slaughter both Deity and Judge!” and struck Kastayos hard with his steel blade, cleaving into Eshanic flesh and unleashing light. The who chamber was once against stunned, but now given new hope. The warriors fell upon Kastayos with a great shout. Thelastor broke through to attack Kastayos while Rhomod and Oradyol finished off these Eyti. Yaza continued to fight against the warriors attacking the Judges while Xeyesh was hurling Eshanic power with near indiscriminate fury.