Campaign Summary: Underworld II

Pyramus lead them through the darkened streets, eventually coming to the warehouse district where they entered a secret basement room beneath a warehouse. Pyramus vouched for them with the guard (as prospective new recruits) and they went into a stone-flagged room with a pool in the center. The pool shimmered with magical light, and it was clear this was the portal to the underworld. They applied the salve (under the guise of ablutions before prayer).
Then, the torches were extinguished and a ritual chanting began, which the brothers joined in as well as they could. Then, by the smell, a bull was led into the pitch black room. Suddenly, the bull bellowed in pain and they were splashed with blood - the bull's throat had been cut! Where the blood hit the water, it burst into flames lighting the room and revealing the trashing animal.
Thinking quickly, the brothers leaped into the flames and fell and fell and fell . . . eventually landing in a bleak, rocky landscape with stormy skies overhead. They were in the Red Hell of the Underworld, and could see far away people being tormented and tortured. There seemed to be a path to follow, and so they walked on it but did not seem to be getting anywhere useful. They decided to step off the path and see where that might lead them - the moment they did, however, they found themselves far from the path and confronted with a hideous sight.
A depression in the rock was made up to look like a throne room - partially so, like a theater set. Seated on the throne was Circe, the former witch-queen of Sarissa, held in place by beautiful nude figures, male and female, who were lasciviously kissing and caressing each other above her. In front of her, more figures writhed in a lewd orgy, tormenting her with being forced to watch but not participate - punishment for her sins of lust.
Meade struck the figures with the hammer of the god of the Forge and they shattered, releasing Circe - who threw herself at Meade and tried to rape him. He easily caught her and held her fast and the brothers tried to talk some sense into her, asking for her assistance in finding the Bull of Heaven. She was wild and deranged, crawling on all fours like a beast, and she scrambled away, saying that one of the Huntsman's hounds would be able to lead them. The brothers followed her across the blasted landscape, worried and watching for the appearance of threats.
Circe did not seem to have a clear idea of where she was going but the brothers followed her nevertheless. As they travelled through the Red Hell, they began to hear howls - the hounds of the Huntsman were after them! They caught up with Circe and the brothers when they were in a depression in the landscape, with the hounds and Huntsman appearing on the edge of it.
Gin pleaded with the Huntsman to grant them a hound to find the Bull of Heaven so he could be freed, and the Huntsman was persuaded, having one of his hounds sniff the blood on their clothes to scent the Bull out. The hound took off the with Circe and the brothers running after it, as they heard the Huntsman start to count down; "One hundred, ninety nine, . . ."
The hound led them to the Bull of Heaven - a gigantic bull with black skin sparkling with the light of stars like the night sky. It was chained in a pool of blood and could not escape. Meade smashed its chains with the hammer, just as Circe threw herself at it and begged it to "take me!"
At that instant, the Huntsman appeared and threw his spear through her back as he said "...two, one". She pitched forward into the blood as the Bull leapt away, the brothers jumping onto its back. Behind them, Circe howled in despair as the blood congealed around her, forming itself into the same throne and lascivious figures as before.
The brothers clung to the Bull's back as it raced out of the Red Hell, breaking through into Gaia through the pool in the basement warehouse. There was noise and consternation, and the Bull smashed through the building, breaking barrels and drenching them with win. Gin managed to catch some wine in his helmet and drank as the Bull raced through the streets, smashing things aside as it went. As the sun rose, the Bull turned from night-black to day-blue, with the morning sun shining in its pelt.
It ran to the Temple of Love, where the people angry with the restoration of authentic Love were attacking. The Bull gored and trampled them, killing many. Gin fell off the Bull, but managed to preserve the wine in his helmet and drank some more as the Bull ran off towards the temple of the Harvest with Meade on its back.
At the Temple of Love, Pyramus and Thisbee met with great joy as the people saw what had happened to those opposed to authentic Love, and made a decision to not oppose it. Gin jumped on the back of Magmar and flew after the Bull of Heaven, meeting it and his brother just as they arrived at the temple of the Harvest.
There, Core harnessed the Bull and - with Gin - ploughed the fields, driving the salt from the fields. The manure of the Bull was tilled into the soil of the orchards, and the temple was restored. Gin and Core withdrew to her chambers to celebrate as the Bull departed.
Meade returned to the temple of the goddess of Love where he spoke with Hannibal - many people had come to realize the truth of the authentic worship of the goddess of Love after seeing the Bull of Heaven destroy her enemies. Meade, having been awake for along time and having spent the night before in hell, went to bed.
The next morning, the brothers met up at the temple of Love. Gin was concerned that Pyramus and Thisbee were taking things too fast ... but when they met with them and were very excited about their wedding that afternoon it seemed there was little to be done. Gin asked what had happened the captain of the guard - Pyramus did not know.
The brothers went back to the temple of the Bull of Heaven and saw the warehouse had collapsed, with people looting wine from smashed casks while workers loaded the ones that remained into carts, while a couple of guards looked on. Gin flew down to speak to them, asking what had happened - the guards gave a somewhat disbelieving report about a giant bull which had destroyed the warehouse and killed many of the people who were going to attack the temple of Love. They recognized Gin as one of the brothers who had restored the temple of Love and asked him what had happened; he said the Bull of Heaven had been released.
The guards then had a rather worried conversation with each other, saying that the captain of the guard had been found in the ruins of the warehouse and so must have been killed by the Bull. He had been a follower of the Bull, but had frequented the temple of Love when it was a brothel . . . with the Bull freed, it seemed it would not spare even its followers if they went against Love. "What should we . . . er, followers of the Bull of Heaven, do now that it is freed from the Underworld?" they asked Gin. Gin said such people should join with the temple of the god of the Sun as the Bull had joined with him. Gin left them pondering this, and arranged to purchase some casks of wine from the merchant who owned the warehouse - to be used for the festival that night!
Returning to the temple of the Harvest, Gin invited Core to the festivities that night - initially, she was confused thinking that he (as a follower of the goddess of Love) was marrying a follower of the god of the Sun, but it was soon explained. She agreed to come. The brothers also invited Nedjemet to come to the festival, and she agreed.
That night, there was a great procession of carts and chariots from the temple of Love with Hannibal and the Dragonriders leading, with Thisbee dressed beautifully as for a wedding, followed by the maidens of the temple and the followers. The merchant was there, distributing wine to the gathering crowd. Nedjemet and Core - dressed in her formal robes as a priestess of the goddess of the Harvest - joined the procession, too.
The procession from the temple of Love met one coming from the temple of the Sun - Pyramus was there dressed as a groom, but it was lead by the High Priest covered in golden paint and wearing a headdress like a bull. He was riding a massive bull, also gilded and decorated with much golden jewelry.
The two lovers were joined in marriage, but the priest of the god of the Sun asked that representatives of the other gods who were part of this - the goddess of the Harvest and the goddess of Wisdom - come forward and take part in the ceremony. Core stepped forward for the Harvest, and Nedjement stepped forward for Wisdom, and the two were joined.
At that moment, there was a great earthquake - a sign the god of the Seas was unhappy with what had happened (as the lover of the goddess of the Moon, he followed her whims). But this did not dampen the festivities and there was great celebration long into the night.
During the celebration, the merchant who had sold the wine approached Meade and said that he had heard a rumor the brothers were going into the Pearl Sea. Meade confirmed this and the merchant said his brother, who ran a stall selling medicinal potions, was going there and would welcome additional guards.
Gradually, the festivities broke up - Pyramus and Thisbee made ready to retire to their bed, but the priest of the Sun had one sacrifice to make. He spoke about the joining of the Sun and Love and the coming of a new era of life and vitality in the world, and an opposition to her (he he pointed at the moon, rather than name her). He then sacrificed the bull - which shocked many people - and carved out its heart and ate it raw - which shocked even more!