Session 75-6: Trial of Strength
General Summary
Standing in the room with a pile of dust, a towel and a statue, Peni panics... then Rel says to just stop and think, which is enough to stop Peni panicking from the shock alone.
Robyn and Liv hurry to the lower floors to check the contraption in the library. It doesn't look too different than when we left it. Robyn touches it with her sword and it causes necrotic damage, seizing her joints and slowing her down.
Liv uses detect magic; the contraption shield is still shining, and there's a cluster of other magical items in the room, but nothing else exceptional. When we go back to the Sentry's room and the scimitars are put back, Liv also notices the scimitars are exceptionally shiny with strong magic.
In the Sentry's room, Dhaer sends a message to House Palen explaining what has happened. Palen has said to simply too what we can, and will send an envoy if we need one should the city react badly. He said it seemed encouraging, despite the severity of what had happened.
Robyn retrieved a fancy bowl from the kitchen, complete with scimitars on the lid, and they carefully collect the Sentry's remains into the bowl.
We head back to the library, and Liv speaks with the spirit of the mage. They recount that a strange creature appeared in purple plate. They have never seen a device like this and would not know what to do with it. The creature that brought it had a large weapon, empty eyes, and teleported in when that should not have been possible; magic wards should have prevented it.
Peni recalls that Purgatory discussed using magical wards; very advanced magic. Often a statue or stone is imbued. They're not impervious and can generally be dispelled; any magic generally can be dispelled with the right application magic at it. The wards would have been placed in a pattern to create a warded area.
We ask if any resources around that can dispel magic; the mage says themselves and Aranea. There's no one in Daegoth who can resurrect the dead; that's holy magic with House Karlaith but they're not friendly currently.
Once we can get past the shield, we should be able to smash the contraption, but it means trying dispel magic - and we don't know what side effects smashing the contraption will have. Rel wants to try the one here as its closest; Robyn is less sure and wants to try the one in town. As horrible as it is, hurting more of the ruling council is not what Daegoth needs right now.
Rel is worried of how people will react if we're caught in the town. Dhaer takes of his mask and says that he will be able to try and calm it down. He's a handsome elf with purple-grey skin, piercing yellow eyes, and a vicious scar from the right side of his face right to under his jaw. He has crow's feet; showing he's got some years under his belt for an elf.
We head to the contraption in town and, after a few attempts, manage to dispel the shield and break the contraption. It causes a wave that damages us but the petrification is broken in this part of the city.
Dhaer explains the situation to guards that come up to us. The rest of us are aliens in this city. We're taking the 3 hours up the hill (longer due to being marched along statues still all the way up. The guard says the Sentry will judge us but when he comes out of the palace, he looks scared.
Dhaer explains in undercommon, and is then taken against the wall; the rest of us protest this, saying that he's not solely responsible. Robyn tells them of the second contraption; guard tells her to show him. The guard touches it and gets damaged, despite Robyn saying to not touch it.
We convince them to let us try the second contraption and that we need Dhaer for it. We suceed, but the necrotic wave takes out most of the guards. The mage is revived, with pale skin like Rel's, and red eyes. A surviving guard corroborates our stories, and Dhaer is led away. The rest of us ask to be taken with him; it was a group decision, so a group trial.
We're taken into a dungeon and kept in solitary cells. Rel tries talking to whoever will listen until her grate is shut. The cells are very plain, and only a dim glow can be seen from the torches outside.
In the morning, we're interrogated individually by the Sentry's husband, Commander Gea'har. First Dhaer, then Rel, Peni, Liv, Robyn. The interrogation room is around ten minutes down the hall. The Commander is tall and muscular, and in the dim light he looks upset, like he has been crying most of the day.
When Robyn has her turn, she offers her hands to be manacled but they're not taken - instead she's guided down the hall into the dark interrogation room. She doesn't complain about the darkness or lack of light and sits where she is told to. When questioned, she reports start to finish. At the end, he says he understands what we have done for the city, but need to understand that a trial is required. We effectively admitted it, and that information will have gone out of control in the city.
After the interrogations, we're taken through the city which is eeriely quiet and completely empty. We get taken closer and closer to the arena, and hear the same six words being chanted over and over again in Undercomon. Dhaer translates: Prove your worth, prove your strength.
We're pushed violently into the arena, a huge cavern, a slight curved triangle, with crystals lining the ceiling to give a light. The floor is covered in sand, and we're surrounded by banks upon banks of clamouring people.
Opposite the entrance higher in the stands there's less people, Gea'har is there, along with the albino mage and a reptile-like person sitting in robes similar to the mage. When Gea'har stands, silence descends across the arena, and he addresses everyone in Undercommon. He says something that is met with boos, and he raises his voice firmer to stop them.
"You stand trial for the death of The Sentry.
Prove your worth, prove your strength.
Live and you may go free."
He looks to the door and shouts something in Undercommon; something about The Chained One.
A giant emerges from the open doors, with a flail about the size of Gea'har. It has bulging yellow eyes, and chains wrapped around it like armour. Penitence summons avatars of despair to help fight it; Rel gets hurt badly with the flail attacks, Liv BAMF's with wings and lightning, Dhaer does some tricksy cleric stuff and Robyn stays out of the way and shoots from a lo-o-o-ong way away.
At the end, the audience are chanting "judgement". Gea'har comes into the arena, holding the scimitars of The Sentry. As Dhaer translates his words, he nods to Dhaer to thank him for the translation.
We have proven our strength and worth against a mighty opponent. In accordance with the laws of this kingdom, we are judged and found worth. No member of this land shall harm us. He also thanks us for aiding the city. He stabs the swords into the ground in front of Dhaer. "Tonight you shall sleep in comfier accomodation."
The guards usher us out into a city that is much noisier than before as its citizens leave the arena. Dhaer says there are worse things that we could have faced. We ask what comes next; Dhaer says Gea'har will become The Sentry in a few days, a process involving rituals, incantations and protions. The Sentry has been around since time began and there is a reason for that; they are not the same person but a symbol for the city.
We're taken to a house that is twice the size of the one we had hidden in. The smell of rot is far less here. Inside, Gea'har is waiting. He says he understands we're heading to House Palen, and that the envoy from there arrived in the morning and explained their plight. The trial was lighter than what the populace would have wished. He knows our intention was to bring the leader back to make decisions for his people, and that was reflected in the sentence.
Robyn says that we're not sure what side Ry'thera is on; his own or alongside Karlaith, but that he and the Night Mother, to our knowledge, are seeking the same tablet and are involved with some entity known as Zua'garr. Gae'har says that it is an ancient entity, specialising in plague and disease and rebirth, older than these caverns, and the Ilithid worship him. The Ilithid have been more powerful recently than most generations.
He hands Dhaer a letter for the Warden; a statement of his trust in us that will stand highly with her.
Robyn and Peni talk a bit about how magic is freaking weird. Robyn writes a report for Gea'har of what they know of Karlaith, Greshalthar's brother and Ry'thera. Liv (with Rel's modelling help) paints a picture of The Sentry from memory.
When sleeping, Peni dreams of his shadowspawn in the arena. Each holding a piece of the sceptre, emanating a drive to find it. They merge and combine, and then rush at him. He wakes up with his arm burning, the word "find" burned into his arm.
Previous: Session 73-4: The Towel Is Not The Problem
Next: Session 77: To Palen
9th-10th Proviso
Key Notes:
- We gather The Sentry's remains into fancy tupperware
- We dispel and destroy the contraptions petrifying House Daegoth
- The guards take us into custody
- We're individuallly interrogated by Commander Gea'har, The Sentry's husband
- As Dhaer had admitted being involved to the guards, and the information had gotten out to the population, judgement was required
- We were taken to a huge arena to face judgement in a Trial of Strength
- Due to our honesty and good intentions, the sentence was commuted from the Worst Option
- We fought a huge Fomorian called The Chained One
- Liv was a BAMF with wings and lightning
- Gea'har said we were judged and found worthy
- He provided a sealed letter for The Warden of House Palen stating that we had his trust
- He said that it was best we leave in the morning, though if we were to return, we would not face hostility
- He thanked us for what we had done for the city and appreciated our efforts
- Resting in the house safely with a guard at the door
- (Peni only) Peni had dreams of the sceptre and shadowspawn
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