Session 18 - Before the Master of the Underworld

General Summary

The party, as it traveled through the mystical mirror that swirled with light, choosing the one whose riddle was answered with love, found themselves in a side chamber, with a curtain in front of it.
As they carefully check through the curtain, they saw a chamber of fire. A stone walkway cross the room in multiple directions, and other Lampads were there, wearing cloaks that obscured their faces. As they went to leave the room, Lenora, the guide to the party, followed them.
But as Candid led the party to follow, she quickly bade them hide, and not to follow her. A bit of time passed as the party once again found itself influenced by the gloom of the Underworld. Euphrosyne felt nihilism, Candid starting babbling, and Ischyrós was struck blind. So as the party went to explore the room, it was only Candid's quick actions that saved Ischyros from stepping off the metal walkway, and into lava.
Despite the heat of the room, most of the floor seemed to be made of lava. And this would certainly have caused the walkway to burn the feet of those who tread upon it, and choke the life of those who stood upon it. Yet neither happened when the party followed the walkway. Candid, leading Ischyros, walked straight towards a grand throne on the far side of the room, and fearing nothing, sat upon it.
Euphrosyne started to sing, not quite a dirge, but a somber song, one that fit the feeling of this place, and the new sense of heedlessness that had filled her mind. The rest of the party, wisely, searched the room. They found an exit off to one side, connected by the metal walkway. However, a thunder boom shook the room. Then another. Then another. And it was getting louder. Some wanted to run, some wanted to hide. But the party decided to screw their courage to the sticking place, and readied themselves for a fight.
What arrived was impossible to fight. Dread Hades himself, walking his multitiude of Hellhounds on leashes, stepped into the room.
His mere presence caused death to those around him, and even Euphrosyne stepped to make way, as did the rest of the party. Candid, and the unfortunate Ischyros who was still blind and stayed with Candid, was not so easily intimidated. He stayed in the oversized seat, that most certainly was Hades' seat, even as Hades approached.
But eventually, perhaps because Ischyros was starting to panic, or perhaps because of the aura of death, Candid told Hades he was not afraid of him, and left the seat to stand before Hades in the center of the room. It was at this time that Hades explained the situation.
The people in front of him, the party, should not be here. Not because they shouldn't be dead, but that they should have been brought to the domains of their afterlives, rather than to Hades' palace. Candid, as a hero, should have been sent to the Elysian fields. The rest should be shades in Erebos. Euphrosyne, who was immortal, but had partaken of water in the underworld, was to join the Lampads. To make matters more complicated, the god Dionysus had been killed, and so needed to be returned from Hades.
Pyro spoke up, and said he was only there to retrieve his master, Spyridon. Abraxas offered that he was here on a quest from Aphrodite to retrieve Persephone beauty box.
Hades laughed, and asked if they come as thieves or marauders. He obvioiusly could not let such an item go, out of consideration of his wife. He also couldn't let it go because it also happened to be Pandora's box, and such an item could not be set loose in the world. Out of respect for Aphrodite, he would be willing to make a trade. But Candid had to remain, and go to the Elysian fields, since such was the will of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeus. Zeus was building an army of heroes, and was not to be disobeyed in this matter.
But a deal was struck. Those in the party who could return, would return. They promised, first, to guide the shade of Dionysus (who was currently dead) out of the Underworld and back to his place of power. Second, they had to find a place on the mortal plane where Hades could keep the shades of the dead, since the underworld was getting overfull. Last, they had to pledge to retrieve the golden fleece from the ram that had saved the royal children, and bring it to Hades. Candid, a unique case, would assist Hades, and the party, complete two other objectives
Complete these three tasks, and Hades would allow the party to leave the underworld. However, two of the party must stay behind; the insane nymph Euphrosyne, and the aged elder master Spyridon - an erstwhile companion of Kadmos, and a hero in his own right. But Hades warned the party, that bringing Candid was a special case. If Candid was confronted by Zeus or one of his agents, then they would have to convince them that Candid was needed to complete these three tasks.
And with solemn fair-wells, the party returned back to the exit of Hades from the entrance they arrived, and found themselves back in the Labyrinth.

* * *

There, unbeknownst to them, Theresa abided, back near the entrance. She had survived by noshing on gourds, which her magic helped keep fresh. Using her knack for tinkering, she manufactured a set of picks, and nursed her leg back to health...

Report Date

26 Sep 2023