Session Report 102

General Summary

The Muskrats had found themselves in an unfamiliar location. Surrounded by various clocks, the Muskrats watched the passage of time on various planes and that time passed at different rates on the various planes. Telzir the Timekeeper introduced himself to the Muskrats. Covered in small pocketwatches and eyeing one in his hand, the devil informed the Muskrats that he was in charge of monitoring time for devlish contracts with a time sensitive component. He made numerous time puns that the Muskrats brushed off. He then made an offer to the Muskrats. Within the Chamber of Time, Telzir could increase the passage of time relative to other planes. In exchange he wanted one of the souls of the Muskrats in return. Much debate ensued over why Counter Saval should sacrifice himself so the Muskrats could take a quick nap. Counter Saval agreed to offer himself up to save Cambio since Cambio had saved his life twice. Counter Saval explained that there are worse fates than being a timekeeper for eternity. With the contract forged, Telzir increased the passage of time in the Chamber of Time and the Muskreats bedded down to prepare for their showdown with Anathema and the remaining Commandments. 
Telzir teleported the Muskrats from the Chamber of Time and they appeared in a ruined hall. There they saw Master Statera (formerly Zonraven), Master Tarkaavaisuus, Master Vergebung, and finally Anathema. Anathema stood at the end of the crumbling hall with a set of scales held out in front of her. Necrotic and radiant energy swirled around her simultaneously. Anathema focused the energy into a beam and fired it into the portal leading to the Oubliette. The Muskrats discovered that the portal they had been scrambling to find was a massive floating eye, suspended over magical darkness. Cambio and Master Statera engaged in a battle of words. Ideals, the truth, and the past were all challenged. Master Statera summarized the positions of those present best, "We all believe in our ideals with incredible zeal. Let our battle decide which is right." The Muskrats did not need to be told twice that it was time to fight. 
Immediately, the Muskrats charged in led by Dami. The poor barbarian was struck by a powerful magical compulsion to forgive Anathema. Dami could not resist the irrestible urges of the magic and could not bring herself to even consider harming Anathema. She was forced to focus her attacks on Master Statera. The former paladin held an extreme hatred of tieflings and relished the opportunity to slay another. He demonstrated the height of his powers when he struck the ground and unleashed a blast of disjunctive energy that threatened to render everyone within range to become extremely susceptible to harm. Unfortunately for the Commandments, only Master Tarkaavaisuus succumbed to the power and was immediately beaten to death for his failure. Anathema twisted her head to face backwards and shouted at his killer, Cambio, that he would pay for what he had done. Master Statera was not finished. He unfurled the full power that Anathema had given him. A dark, sinister aura extended from his body and sapped the strength of those around him, greatly weakening their defenses. All the Muskrats barring Dami retreated from the dark power. Her and Master Statera were locked in a deadly battle. With strike she landed, Master Statera responded by sapping her life force and replenishing himself with it. Dami continually grappled him but he would respond by teleporting. A game of tag ensued but the relentless onslaught by Dami could not be stopped and with a final strike she felled the former Muskrat. 
Meanwhile, a terrible fate befell Master Vergebung. Tazmeth having guzzled a potion of speed and with an oil of sharpness dripping from his blade, charged the sneaky, sneaky Commandment in the back. Tazmeth formed a swirling orb of water and struck Master Vergebung with it. THe orb suddenly expanded and swallowed the Commandment with no hopes of escape. With a rapid second strike, Tazmeth infused his blade with ki and sent a blast of stunning ki reverberating through Master Vergebung. Stunned and drowning, the Commandment could not comprehend the ferocious beating he received. The large orb of water became dyed with blood and with a satisfying pop a massive splatter of blood painted the battlefield. Only Anathema remained. 
Anathema flew rapidly towards Cambio, the sound of her chains clinking off her armor. She swung her large falchion, Purity's fall, and delivered two crushing blows against Cambio. Then in rapid succession she struck with her chains. The chains wrapped around Cambio and dug into his flesh. Anathema rapidly ascended into the air with Cambio in tow. Once in the sky she began to beat the poor warlock as she flew higher into the sky. The Muskrats could only watch helplessly as Cambio rose higher and higher out of their reach. Strike after strike drove Cambio closer to death. Once the pair were nearly three-hundred feet above the battlefield Anathema showcased the horrors of her chains. Suddenly Cambio was swung straight down towards the ground. He struck the ground with such force that a crater formed. The moment he came to a rest, Anathema jerked him straight back up into the sky. A spray of blood fell from the sky. Anathema turned and flung Cambio into the abyss beneath the magical, floating eye. The other Muskrats could hardly believe the ease with which Anathema killed Cambio. 
As Cambio fell he sensed the familiar presence of Malar. Unlike their many interactions before that were often filled with hostility, this visit was filled with sadness. Malar simply offered Cambio an opportunity to return to life, but with a significant cost: the loss of his pact and contact with Malar forever. He would lose one of the three major father figures in life and someone who had been with him for nearly his whole life. Cambio initially declined his offer, choosing instead to pass into the afterlife. Malar did not relent and pushed Cambio to accept. He told him that he still had unfinished business and that his comrades needed him to defeat Anathema. Cambio reluctantly accepted but he was unsure of what help he could be without his pact powers. Cambio felt the warm and gentle pressure of a large cat's paw on his chest. For the first time in their relationship, Cambio recognized Malar as his father and Malar recognized Cambio as his son. A tender moment quickly ended by Cambio's jarring return to the battlefield. The moment he reappeared, an astral projection of Tritemeus appeared. Tritemeus senses the breaking of the pact and sent an astral projection, despite the immense stress he was under to form a temporary pact with Cambio to get him through the fight against Anathema. With new found power, Cambio and the Muskrats were ready to finish their battle against Anathema.

Report Date

27 Oct 2023