Chapter 12 - The Final Stretch
General Summary
Part 1: Escape from the Underdark
The adventurers escaped over the bridge, with Dark Elves giving chase, including a house captain. The elves used poison and faerie fire to try and slow the party, but in puffs of darkness and cloud, the elves were defeated and they collected a sword shard. The party managed to keep back from the Dark Elves, deciding to disguise as some of them to bypass some of the Drow defenses. They snuck past a crossing and used the disguises to get through a drow bridge through clever convincing. As they came toward a fortress, however, Creethns ruined the disguise (that he created) by talking common while disguised as an dark elf. The Dark Elves gave chase, but the party ran valiantly, escaping toward the Forge of the Celestial. In the forge, they meet Flibberoth, the god of tools. He welcomed the party to his forge, telling them he knew of Asthenios' evil, and that the only way to defeat him was through the sword Fatebender.Jethro: Yes, the legend of Fatebender! When Vanu-Am fought off Loxelel, her sword shattered in the final blow, it's pieces being scattered into the new earth formed as Loxelel was imprisoned under the island of Demetria.
He asked the party to collect the broken shards of Fatebender off some Dark Elf masters. They had one from earlier, from killing the house captain. Thus they negotiated from the Drow High Priestess to give them the other shard, in exchange for the Voided One tablet, to which she accepted. Meanwhile, while nobody was looking, Creetens stole a dark elf artifact. The players returned with the shards, and Flibberoth re-forged the sword, giving it to Rashida to keep safe. He then created a portal for them to return to Egona.
The party entered Egona, but would be intercepted by a traitorous innkeeper Lucius who reported their location. Thus the party was forced to escape the city. They were nearly intercepted by Madecian hoplites, but a clever fireball from Creetens killed the enemy horses, and the party escaped by a wagon.
Part 2: The Fate of King Asthenios
The young King Asthenios, after the death of his father, came to the oracle of Tamay for relief. The clerics of Vanu-Am brought him no comfort, killing some of them. The young king wanted hope for his future. Indeed, the Vanu-Am Oracle presented him this fate:
"You will find years of great conquest, like your father, in the future. But know this, Asthenios: you will be plagued by leprosy, and you will die at the hands of four heroes, Rashida, Creethens, Theden, and Ascus, who will stop you before you can dethrone the gods as you desire. There is no bending your fate in this."
Angered, the young king ordered the oracle executed, and watched his advisor, Rashida, very closely. After his conquest of Tamay, he ordered the death of Rashida, orchestrating thieves to kill her in an "accident" in the desert. But this failed. He then tried to capture the party in Oenens, get them enslaved. They foiled him there. The cultists of Loxelel and the trial were next, but once again they were saved. King Asthenios time and time again was punished for his hubris, as he cursed the names of the gods. Even with Malumferak, the party would foil him...
The Champions fled toward the small town of Mosius, where they disguised as merchants to stay away from detection. They were met by Arokas, now as a general for the legion, who thanked the party for their unknowingly fake medicine. The party stayed the night there, and then in the next morning headed toward the Nuven Bridge. There, they scouted out for a possible ambush, and indeed, Theden detected three woman with hair like snakes plotting under the bridge. He told Rashida, and so she manipulated the water as a cleric, causing a flood in the river and washing away the maddened Gorgons. Thus, the party crossed, and so was allowed Arokas' legion.
The party then hurried into the city of Lontitano, bypassing some hoplite guards in a fight and rushing toward the Emperor. Rashida detected Malumferak, and foresaw that Asthenios was already about to kill the emperor. The party took thirty minutes at the tip of their toes to get to the Emperor's palace. They snuck into a window near a thistle bush, and ambushed one of the servants to find an alternate route toward the throne room. Unfortunately, the servant was a traitor, and Ascus tortured him to reveal the location. So, leaving the servant tied up, the party were led to a back servants quarters where they came toward Asthenios. Asthenios being, strangely, guarded by Cambions, half-devils, and standing over the dead body of The Emperor.
Creetens turned Theden invisible, who barred the doors with a longsword he stole. Creethens then tried to secretly blast a fireball, but the Cambions countered the spells. King Asthenios was alerted to the party's presence. As the Cambions rushed toward the party, Asthenios removed his mask, showing his leprous yet strangely radiant face. Two spectral wings sprung from him. He was an aasimar!
In the midst of the battle, Asthenios tried to murder Theden, but the rogue fled, while Ascus jumped in to save the day. The paladin Ascus locked swords with Asthenios, but his and Rashida's attacks of radiant and necrotic magic did not phase the angelic king. Ascus was then stabbed three times by King Asthenios and then the king laid a hard heavy blow toward the brave paladin. To the horror of the party, the sword Malumferak absorbed Ascus' soul, leaving Ascus' body to be reduced to dust. Asthenios absorbed the health, and laughed to himself. "Perhaps the prophecy will be broken!" he proclaimed.
Yet a vengence grew in the party's hearts, seeing their long friend Ascus, the brave warrior, now turned into ash. Even the selfish Creetens grew angry. Once, Creetens wished to use Ascus as merely a human shield, but he grew fond of the paladin to becoming a true friend. King Asthenios took that away. Just as he would take away the power of the gods. All Asthenios would bring is death. The party had to stop him. Thus, Rashida channeled the power of her goddess, Vanu-Am, and cursed Asthenios in one moment.
The King, at first, thought nothing of the curse, but the Champions of Vanu-Am began to lay their blows, and they laid hard. Asthenios' power with Malumferak stood no chance toward the Oathbow of Theeden, the Zodiac powers of Creetens, and the sword Fatebender with Rashida. The angelic King blocked many of their blows, but it would be, in the end, a poisoned arrow by Theden that wounded the king. The poison entered his body, weakening him further. Then, out of fiery vengeance for the death of his friend, Theden unleashed a final sneak attack, the arrow sticking right into the forehead of Asthenios, instantly killing the king. The Cambions escaped back into the demonic planes, and the party proved victorious... Somewhat.
As the party looked over their dead friend, the spirit of Vanu-Am appeared before them. She lamented the loss of Ascus. "He died with honor and bravery for his goddess. Worry not. Perhaps you have lost him in this life, but even now, his soul wanders the graceful fields of valor. He is in a better place. If one victory was won here, it was changing a nobody like this man Ascus into a great hero." Then, Vanu-Am turned toward Rashida. "As for Loxelel, we have repelled him with the death of Asthenios. The celestials shall remain safe, but Loxelel also free. I shall ask for my sword, Fatebender to be returned. One day, it shall service other great heroes, such as Beorhtric, Lanceler, and the mighty Riley Woodhame." With the sword returned to Vanu-Am, the goddess left the party with praise.
Arokas and his men charged into the palace, finding Creetens, Rashida, and Theden with the dead body of Asthenios and the Emperor. The soldiers found the emperor's son also killed. With a crisis on their hands, Arokas noted that a new emperor had to be crowned. Theden and Rashida did not desire such a responsibility, but Creetens? He signed right up.
Aftermath
A week later, after much convincing toward the senate (and Creetens using his ability of rhetoric), Creetens was decided to become the next emperor of Tallia. In honor of his dead friend, Creetens declared his house name as Emperor to be of House Ascus. The old Emperor and his sons were buried to rest, and the ashes of Ascus were placed for Creetens to keep. But what became of the heroes afterwards? Well, much happened in their life as the nation of Tallia moved on from this terrible crisis.- Emperor Creetens, in favor of Rashida, declared that the worship of Vanu-Am was legal within the empire of Tallia, prosecuting any further persecutors. He executed the traitorous innkeeper Lucius. Afterward, Creetens placed up a memorial for his friend Ascus, for his honor and bravery. Creetens would marry a triton noble named Katrinas, and they had many children. His dynasty would last another fifty years after his death, but eventually the days of House Ascus grew tiresome, and a new emperor was chosen by the people of Tallia.
- Theden ended up becoming the spy master of Creetens, rooting out further traitors within the empire and protecting the borders of the land. He reorganized Madeci back into a democracy for their leaders, deposing of the dynasty of Asthenios, and restoring the autonomy of Tamay against Madeci. He lived a long life as an elf, but unfortunately saw the growing corruption in the Tallian Empire as he grew older, and knew one day the empire would fall. He would be correct.
- Rashida, meanwhile, also married and had many children to restore her family line. With funding from Creetens, she began to rebuild a temple of Vanu-Am within Tamay, and slowly re-established Vanu-Am's worship within the empire. However, it would take generations for such influence to reach Eiren, and despite Rashida's efforts, the church hardly grew past the lands of Faraway. Save for Lysandus, where the legend of Fatebender would continue for generations.
Theodora: And that is the story, my brother, of the Champions of Vanu-Am with their Odyssey in Dragoncrest.
Jethro: Ascus... That was not fair. It was not right...
Theodora: He grew upon you?
Jethro: Yes. Initially I hated his role in playing him within this tragedy, but... He grew on me. I regret his demise.
Theodora: As do I, brother. Well, perhaps you have learned what history truly is in this day. Have I inspired you?
Jethro: Most undoubtedly! I shall return to Lysandus. I feel more stories are in order to be told there.
Theodora: Indeed. I believe there are more to be said in this land as well. The people of Pung need more songs. Farewell, Jethro. I shall see you in fair time again.
King Asthenios, the Persecutor, was finally faced by the party in their battle to stop his war upon the gods of Talamh.
In World Date
September 12th-15th, 2003
Characters in this adventure:
- Rashida is a loyal human disciple of Vanu-Am, the hidden goddess of fate, who has saved her from death. Rashida devoted her life to hermitage, walking around the coast of Dragoncrest to secretly assist the misfortunate. She hails from Tamay.
- Theden is an elven acrobat and storyteller, hailing from Potea. He has a strong ethical code, looking out for the little guy and does the right thing more often than not.
- Creetens is a triton bard, one who prefers to enchant his problems away. He is a charlatan and a thief, but as well as a proper performer and musician. He was exiled away from the triton kingdom for his ravaging behavior.
Allies of the Party:
- Ascus the Brave. Once a drunkard, Ascus turned aside that life and found purpose as a hero. He swore his life to Morganine and fights for her honor and glory.
Report Date
21 Dec 2020
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