The Age of Worms / Hall of Harsh Reflections pt. 11 /Eire the 4th through the 6th, 3592 CE / 9-1-19

General Summary

Loscivia Cantri is searching the waters of a subterranean pool for her lost companion, Lulu Victry. She has enveloped herself in a magical deep darkness to hide her presence. As she surfaces on the other side of a wall, she knows that she is close, dropping the darkness to reveal Lulu in the grasp of the snake monster that abducted her. Lulu is appeasing the creature with a story, but in her cursed madness, all Los can understand is the abominable language called Aklo. Seeing only the threat to her companion, Los strikes for the glory of her adopted goddess, Vespera. The thrust is true, driving deep through the snake monster, but simultaneously, it grasps Los in her fangs, delivering a crushing, mortal wound. With her last ounce of strength, Los disembowels the creature, killing it. As both opponents fall, Los is able to deliver a final message to Lulu: "I saved you." Rikit Bhang has hurried through the sewers underneath Kedesh, knowing he needs to re-equip and reinforce before once again assaulting Corvina Deshokar and her fellow drow thralls, especially seeing as how Rikit desperately desires no harm come to the object of his obsession. Reaching the surface and once more sneaking past the proprietor of the Cold Forge, Rikit goes on a buying spree at the Smokeless Whisper tea and alchemy shop. Meanwhile, Lucifer Oda, the half-orc samurai, has just arrived in Kedesh, here to return the body of his friend Bradish, a cleric of Cabrael. After Bradish has received last rites at a temple of Ishtalar, Lucifer finds room and board for he and his mount. That evening he hears tales of the Champion's Games at the Free City Arena, and decides matching his strength and skill against other worthy opponents is what lies in his future. The next day, Lucifer heads to the arena, but as he approaches, he sees a strange looking gnome arguing with the guards. Rikit had hoped to sneak onto the grounds in order to locate Lulu's friend Auric and petition him to aid in her rescue, but he is dismayed to discover the number of guards on the compound doubled in anticipation of the upcoming Champion's Games. Any hope of even getting a message to Auric, let alone gaining the fighter's assistance, seems beyond Rikit's grasp. As Lucifer is similarly rebuked by the guards, he strikes up a conversation with the deep gnome and learns that Rikit is seeking aid on a perilous mission. Lucifer enthusiastically agrees to second him on his mission, and together, they make plans to return to the caves below Kedesh's sewers in order to save Lulu, Los, and, hopefully, Corvina. The next day they set out. As they reach the antechamber of the drow caves, Rikit secures the mushrooms that will allow them pass unharmed through the patches of yellow mold. Rikit, once again invisible, does reconnaissance, passing drow guards, and noting that there is no sign of either Lulu or the snake monster that stole her away. When he reaches the drow enclave, he looks for the first time inside their chattel pen, seeing four corpses, three of whom he recognizes as Ilya Starmane, the unconscious man from the Sodden Hold's cells, and the merchant who framed them for Tarquin Shortstone's murder. The fourth corpse he does not recognize, but he does note that all four bodies appear to have a hole in the middle of their skulls. Moving past the drow enclave into unknown territory, Rikit notes the passage is descending, as he passes a glowing symbol on the floor, the same burned onto the forehead of the doppelganger leader, Telakin, before stopping before massive double doors carved from white marble with the same veins of glowing purple. Stone shaping a hole through the door, Rikit finds himself in a domed chamber at the center of which rests a large stone sculpture of a brain, made from the same strangely veined marble. Except the pulsing of the glowing purple veins almost gives the impression that this might be a living organism. Suspecting perhaps that destroying this grotesque magical device may free his beloved Corvina, Rikit summons the power to stone shape once again, drilling a hole in the brain. He is instantly assaulted by the brain's power to dominate others, barely resisting the urge to give up all free will and swear allegiance to Zyrxog. Fleeing the room, Rikit decides the best course of action is to bring Lucifer into play. Returning to the pair of drow guards near the cave's entrance, Rikit slashes one across the eyes before bringing her down with a second, deadly stroke. Hearing Rikit's cry to battle, Lucifer charges in, and the two of them quickly decimate the remaining drow thralls. Lulu also hears the sounds of battle, and emerges from the hidden watery cavern just long enough to be confronted by Corvina herself. Though Corvina slashes at Lulu viciously with her rapier, Lulu is able to infect the drow with a debilitating pox, leaving Corvina open to further assault from Lucifer and Rikit. Summoning all his strength, Rikit strikes Corvina on the head, rendering her unconscious. After sharing the news of Los's fate, the reassembled heroes tie up Corvina and place her in the holding cell with the four corpses before preparing to deal with the bizarre stone brain which may be the source of her domination.

Character(s) interacted with

Lulu Victry, Rikit Bhang, Loscivia Cantri, Lucifer Oda, Graft, Farrassh, Corvina Deshokar, Crusty Patten, shopkeeper, drow thralls, arena guards,

Report Date

02 Sep 2019

Secondary Location

Kedesh