Episode Forty-two - The Wrath of Agrik
General Summary
In the dead of night, on the 3rd of Alturiak in the Year of the Ageless One, 1479 DR ; a weak and weary group of heroes struggled their way into a vineyard north of Waterdeep with undead on their heels. As the Champions of Destiny's hearts eased they did so for only a moment. Upon their ears, their drums reverberated with the warning of undeath and suspected safety indoors. The wind, like an ice pick, sheered across their noses and sent a haunting chill down their spines. Having defeated a long lingering foe the Champions struggled to safety knowing they had delivered themselves once more to the doorstep of time safely away from their declared enemies; though they'd find only enemies abound. In the land of Faerûn, who's soil reeks of forgotten wars, there awaits only death in the shadows and in the shadows beneath the veil of life, a hunger unquenched stretched its desperate claws forward unto the material plane.
An unbearable winter chill forced the weight of their packs against them as an angry blizzard retorted to the missed passage of cold winter. The warm week now only a curse the Champions were forced to watch as their vision faded to near winter blindness. As the clock struck midnight upon the porch, even the horses joined them, as they found a mild reprieve from an ever growing gale. Only frigid death awaited them outside as the cold crept deep into their bodies. Arion took the horses around back and the heroes settled into the home. Inside Arion and Kelaryn took a moment to talk to Feil and Elénaril. After a kind meal they laid down to rest as they all found little comfort in the Elven home. The candlelight faded leaving only a slightly dying fire to light the room. As the shadows covered their bodies a vision of an ever growing cloud of darkness crept into each of their minds. The shadow hungered, its starved for something and it was coming for each of them. The Champions ran from it but it closed upon them. The Champions scratched and clawed their way forward but eventually it was upon them. They turned for the hopeless fight but they were engulfed. In the darkness they saw nothing for what felt like an eternity but then, the only hope in the darkness existed just beyond. Individually they pace forward cautiously and saw an image, in the image they saw what they knew to be a memory.
An image flickered of a young boy given to a cult, seduced by power and dark religion. The image presented the boyish Duryo with a very unique gift, as he toiled he sought hidden texts but longed for his family with the turn of every page. The image then changed to a young girl set upon by nasty beasts. As she feared for her life and mind, knights flooded in all around her and fought to their very deaths. In another moment, the image presented the helping hand of a Laranian knight, Declaen as he lifted Marlyn from the ground. With a flash, the cloud's picture changed to the visage of Arvan Wainwright across a road at some distance. Sitting by a tree in front of her home, Kelaryn gazed over the fields toward the road through her hometown. The sun was all but gone when her eyes caught the gaze of the wainwright at the fence of the South Commons. As their lock broke, both Kelaryn and Arvan longed for one another. The image then shifted, changing to that of two hills dotted with flags. The dirt bore men surrounded by orcs and death, the gore of the battle gave sight to men that knew death was upon them and among them stood Arion. (early in fight she calls for siem tranformsgrumwish into a portal)
They each awoken, weary from an obvious lack of sleep. At first all they felt was a deep sense of despair in their hearts, the dread and sorrow was exhausting. As the stench of death filled the room their eyes darted to the closest window as a shadow passed it by. Beyond, the sky was corpse gray and the breeze blowed cold but humid, bringing a sweat with chill to the skin. As the walls creaked, the floorboards moaned, and the world began to shake. The house jolted and they saw, standing at the torn away door, a large hellish creature. Now truly awake, they gather their senses and the first to come was a sense of self. They knew deep within that they couldn't have slept for more then an hour and that they were, for a fact, no longer in Faerûn as they were brought to the height of their awareness. Fully aware, they focused in on the creature and saw a symbol clasped around its waist that matched the one Duryo had worn since they met him. Behind them just then, Grumwish appeared in a flash of light sent as a vessel by his god.
The creature stepped forward into the home as massive hell hounds flooded in around him pushing up against his legs protectively. He angled his bloody spear forward and at the ready before pointing to Duryo and then to the floor before him. Duryo claimed knowledge of the beast and admitted it to be a creature of legend. The mutated devil was like the stories told, crafted from the blood of Agrik by Ilvir. He informed the Champions of Destiny that the devil was in fact a V’hir, a direct servant of Agrik in his great fortress of Balgashang.
It then spoke. "Become powerful you have, betrayal in you I sense."
"Your turn to the false idol he saw, felt your betrayal he did. To deliver you his power upon Faerûn, tirelessly he had work. To cast us aside, power in your strength of will you cannot find. Bred with power I was. Born of the darkness I was, only succumbed to it you have." He threatened as the dogs gnarled and bark.
Prompted by Arion Duryo attempted to stall and the devil spoke, "a hunger in you he once saw. Fan not that hunger could he in the faith of Azeryan. Wasted your potential was, only lies of comfort the faith gave. Fostered great evil you could have. Become more powerful you could have, the dark side in you I still sense but betrayed his ally Neveh have you. For that from his power banished are you."
Fed up as Arion and Kelaryn strapped on their last pieces of armor, Duryo got the beast to admit, "delivered me to this plane of shadows he did, in this place strong is its connection to Faerûn. Hungers the Raven Queen does, builds the connection she does."
"At his command I am here," he stated at his final straw as he twisted his spear around and pointed an orb on it filled with fire at Duryo. "Take your blessings I must."
Fire raged out from the orb and engulfed Duryo and it pulled an even hotter flame from within him toward the orb.
"Fully the power I cannot take, infused in you it is. Severed the cords of growth I have. Meager vestitudes of the divine you still keep. For this, kill you I must." Looking around to the rest of the party he demanded, "Stand aside you must or kill you I will."
As Arion stepped forward it admitted, "Arion the great I shall not fight."
Leaving the home it called upon Agrik, after an exchange regarding the surrender of Duryo, the Champions of Destiny watched as Duryo demanded Agrik surrender.
The hell hounds surged forward and one tore into Duryo's neck as he stood pridefully along side his compatriots. Already wounded and weak, the life force drained from Duryo's body. As Arion batted the dog off with his sword another swept in and killed the already crippled Marlyn. As Grumwish stumbled back into the shadowy home, Arion and Kelaryn sent two of the dogs back to hell before a compromise was made. Siem then sacrificed her chosen Khuzdûl champion so that Arion and Kelaryn could escape.
Arion carried the body of Marlyn though the portal with no hope of recovering the others but Siem would later manage to recover all three of them and deliver them to the vineyard in Waterdeep. Taking what they might need for later missions during the day of the forth, the two remaining Champions on Faerûn slept for the majority of the day and then buried Duryo, Marlyn, and Grumwish on the fifth. Over their graves Kelaryn spoke a few words. Over Grumwish's grave she said, "he was good and brave. He always did what he thought was best. I know you are with Siem." For Marlyn she said, "she has always been a kind person. I considered her a friend and I am sad to see her go." For Duryo she said, "I think Duryo meant well, perhaps he was mislead by thoughts of great powers and magic I couldn't understand. Though tempted by the dark side I hope he finds peace."
She continued, "I hope they all find peace in the afterlife," before she played a soft song on the flute.
After another night with Feil, the Champions of Destiny packed their bags for a journey on the 6th.
Rewards Granted
600xp
Missions/Quests Completed
Quest of Fate Continued, Encounter The Wrath of Agrik completed.
Character(s) interacted with
Created Content
V’hir, Agrik and Pameshlu the Insatiable [Roll20]
Notes
Notable Party Damage: (New Noted Section)
- Arion's shield, at the left most edge, is sheered off. In the defense of Iron Maiden, the portion of shield was cleved through by Than, the Last Titan of Urgrund. Arion has a missing link of chainmail on his right shoulder from the demon attack at the Fated Crossing. His helmet has a mildly noticeable patched portion where a crack once existed from the mind flayer attack. Under his helmet he has a small scar on the left side of the top of his head where the same mind flayer sucked out his brain.
Noted Effects: Minor Scar (Head). The scar doesn't have any adverse effect. Magical healing of 6th level or higher, such as heal and regenerate, removes the scar. - Kelaryn has two mostly faded hand-print shaped bruises on her left arm. She has a Festering Wound from the stab of a spear that she received valiantly fighting an ice devil.
Noted Effects: Festering Wound. Your hit point maximum is reduced by 1 every 24 hours the wound persists. If your hit point maximum drops to 0, you die. The wound heals if you receive magical healing. Alternatively, someone can tend to the wound and make a DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check once every 24 hours. After ten successes, the wound heals. (One check has been completed.)
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