Episode 22 - The Death of Arnon's Bane

After defeating the aboleth and returning to the village, Moxt and crew watch the hideous fishmen crest the mountain ledge and dissolve into the seascape with their new golden gods in tow. During a quick rest in the Kuo Toa shacks, Moxt collapses into a desperate slumber. His mind drifts to the gentle woods where his family resides in Kurnst, but in his dream he watches as his friends and neighbors fall to their knees choking on a strange black poison that froths out of their mouths. Meanwhile, Davwyn dreams of repetitively falling off the mountain top from his blood hunter vision quest, failing to reach the top over and over again. Away from the fish village, Klork lays against a tree with Akorah. The turtle man dreams of a dark skull calling his name, as he stares deep into its empty eye sockets. Booty, exhausted from her fight with the aboleth, remains unconscious.
Klork throws Akorah over his shoulders and scales the nearby mountainside to rejoin his friends in the fish village. Klork heals Davwyn's aboleth curse and the party begins to head to the nearby shoreline of Gruton's giant shell. The party follows Klork to the beach where they discover a species of crayfish creatures collecting magical items for their now deceased master, the aboleth. A quick battle ensues and the party narrowly eeks out a victory. Moxt discovers a passable vessel marooned on the beach while Klork insults the mighty Gruton, causing the great sea beast to rapidly descend into the depths of the ocean.
Davwyn and Klork begin swimming while Moxt hops aboard the baren dingy, beckoning his friends to join him. The party spends the next few days enduring hot days and random tempests until they are visited by a strange older man who identifies himself as Armentarius DeNocte. He explains to the party that he is Booty's patron and advises them to help in her quest. He offers the party tea made from strange white flowers called the Queen of the Night which Moxt, and Klork hesitantly accept, Davwyn on the other hand eagerly takes two separate drams. The party endures a short hallucinatory bout and notes they are unable to lie as if under the effects of the Zone of truth spell. The man asks each creature an individual question. To Moxt he asks about his greatest regret, to which Moxt advises he regrets failing Darla, causing her death. To Klork the man asks what his greatest fear is, to which Klork admits "death." To Davwyn the man asks what his greatest lie is, to which Davwyn bluntly states "joy." The party finishes their tea in silence as the storm rages around them. After completing the tea ceremony the man bows his head to them and reminds them that it is in their best interest to help booty in her quest. He then silently disappears as the party turns to look at the storm raging behind them.
The party continues to sail for several more arid days, causing them to drain their supplies. As terrible as the days are, the adventurers note the nights at sea surprisingly calm and tranquil. As they listlessly float over the glasslike ocean surface, the sea bed lights up with bioluminescent coral. Davwyn manipulates a small portion of water and carves out some glowing coral, holding the orb above the boat's deck. As he manipulates the glowing shards, they ebb and flow into natural shapes, subconsciously forming them into the familiar figure of Darla. He quickly disperses the figure back into the ocean and buries his thoughts into his glass cleaver at his side. Contemplating Davwyn's response to his former companion in the coral formations, Klork uses his ancient knowledge of death magic to conjure Darla's form from beyond the grave. Darla's risen soul confronts Davwyn about his feelings, trying to convince him that she died on his behalf. Davwyn turns his back on his former love and bluntly responds, "no, you just died." Vulnerable, Davwyn faces the front of the ship and burries his feelings into his weapon. Darla's spirit returns to the afterlife shortly thereafter, feeling defeated and alone.
The next night the party succumbs to an alien presence, pushing the party into a dream state. The heroes find themselves walking along the ocean floor three abreast, approaching an underwater cliff edge. An unknown male figure stand before them, staring into the chasm as his wild white hair sways in the ocean current. As they approach the ledge, a large school of fish blow past the ledge towards the surface causing a torrent of bubbles to shade their view of a massive dark figure beyond them. As the curtain of bubbles parts, the beheamoth approaches them, dragging itself closer with its tentacles. Placing a massive tentacle on either side of the group, the creature lifts itself to eye level with the party and psychically calls to them "I am the great one, the father of the ocean. I am Krillon." The monster's mere presence leaves the party speechless and lost for words. Seeing them frozen in awe, the giant kraken raised his tentacle and slammed it down over the heads of the gawking adventurers.
The party wakes up on the boat, coughing up sea water, surrounded by shards of sea weed and various small underwater creatures. After gathering their composure the party continues to try to sail westward towards the mainland. Another hot day passes into night when the party is visited by an aquatic genie, hovering over the water. The creature slunk aboard the humble craft and attempted to strike a bargain, but instead of taking advantage of a potential deal, Klork decided to try and secretly drink the genies water "legs" while simultaneously insulting the creatures heritage. Feeling personally slighted, the water genie retreated back into the sea and released an onslaught of attacks with the aid of a water elemental. Overturning the heroes' boat and nearly banishing Akorah, the genie knocks two adventurers unconscious. Gaining his composure, Moxt transforms into an octopus and returns fire. Though surrounded by endless ocean, the monster quickly realizes his demise is eminent and takes a different approach, cortorting a posture of twisted prayer. Surprised by the change of tactic, the party begins to waylay the djinn, unleashing vicious assaults, one after another. As the end of the battle nears, the creature raises its eyes and whispered ... "I wish." Focusing on the dying genie's words, Klork's keen ears discern its final words as, "for the death of Arnon's Bane."
After waiting a few moments for their impending doom, the party strikes down the genie and continue to float listlessly on the endless ocean. The next morning each member of the party suffers a level of exhaustion which cannot be healed by magic or by sleep. This pattern of exhaustion continues as the party tries to battle the elements, desperately trying to keep the boat from falling apart. Klork desperately calls out to Pelor for assistance but his god only sends him a single golden butterfly that lands on the railing of the boat. Finally, both Davwyn and Klork fall the floor, dead from exhaustion. Moxt, able to survive one more excruciating day, spends his final moments weaving the boat in a cocoon of flowers, vines, roots, and forms a small tree growing out of the deck of the ship. With his final breath Moxt calls out loud, "I'm sorry I failed you...again." As he falls dying to the ground, the same black ichor from his nightmare pours out of his mouth, suffocating him, slowly drowning him from the inside. Each of his bones individually break, snapping in half. His last moments are unbearable torture as he is simultaneously ripped apart and drowned. In his final moment on the mortal plane, Moxt looks up to see a giant bear standing over him. Moxt looks up at the beast and chokes out the word, "Balador." The beast opens its maw, and picks up Moxt in its mouth.
Wish come true. The last of Arnon's Bane falls dead as their ship finally runs aground on a rocky shore line.
Davwyn opens his eyes and finds himself sitting on a familiar hillside outside Bucklewell. The winds caress the blades of grass, making them sway and dance. Davwyn walks down the hillside into the empty village and finds himself outisde the all too familiar Picky Cricket Tavern, placing his hands on the etched wooden doorways once again. As he opens the door to the tavern, he is met with the joyous voices of fallen friends and enemies, recounting their misadventures from life. Both friend and foe laughing together over large mugs of ale brings a small sense of comfort to the halfling's heart. Davwyn pulls up to a chair at the bar and finds himself face to face with Darla once again. She smiles and offers him the drink of his choosing. Davwyn asks for his sword but Darla advises that weapons are no longer necessary now that he is in the afterlife. Conflicted, Davwyn turns around to gauge his surroundings once again. This time, Davwyn faces complete and endless darkness. Turning back to Darla, Davwyn finds himself in the presence of a glowing figure set upon a golden throne. The celestial figure calls out to Davwyn, offering him a second chance at life if he so desires. Unwilling to serve any master but also unwilling to let his story end unfinished, Davwyn struggles to answer. Eventually, the little halfling lifts his head and decides to continue his story on the mortal realm, and enevitably complete it on his own terms.
Moxt shoots up from his nightmare and catches his breath. He takes a moment to gain his composure and realizes he is no longer covered in hair as he turns over his normal, calloused hands. Off in the distance Moxt sees handsome man laying against a large tree with a mead horn in his hands. The stranger calls out to the halfling, beckoning Moxt to join him. Moxt walks over to the smiling man who extends the mead horn. Accepting the offer, Moxt feels the honeyed liquor warm his chest as it glides down his throat, rejuvenating his spirit. The content halfling looks out at the ranger and inquires, "Balador?" Excitedly, the man responds promptly, "Yes! I have been impressed with your dedication to protecting nature. Therefore, I have decided to bestow a blessing on you, if you chose to accept it. You may either remain here with me in paradise, or you may return to the land of the living and continue fighting the evil forces there." Moxt takes a few moments to ponder his options and responds, "I will return to care for my friends, and continue the fight against Arnon!" Balador warns Moxt, "You will be given my blessing then, but it will come with a price. You will not look the same, ever again. You will be feared, while others may try to extort your power. You must learn to control this gift, or it will destroy you and everyone you love." Standing resolute, Moxt nods his head in agreement, still willing to accept the consequences. Pleased with his selection, Balador pours the halfling another horn of mead. The two friends lay their backs against a large oak tree, sharing the sweet drink and even sweeter company. With a full belly and a content heart, Moxt drifts into a gentle nap, awaiting the call of a new day.
Familiar coos echo in the air as warm waves of brackish water wash over Klork's face. The heavy tortle lifts himself out of the shallows, wiping away lengths of algae that cling to his shell. Walking through the swampy landscape provides the priest with time to contemplate his life. Trudging towards his inevitable destination, Klork worries what memories are waiting for him at his childhood home. He approaches the familiar frame of the twisted tree roots holding up a broken sycamore. The roof of the hovel formed by the massive tree stump while the frame of the house is woven from the knotted root system. He pushes open the door and walks in. The familiar smell of mother's cooking brings back thoughts of warm soup on rainy days. He turns to see his mother and father sitting at the dinner table, looking up at him, wondering what took him so long. Klork wanders around the rest of the home and eventually returns to the kitchen, but his parents are no longer there. He turns around to find his father standing directly behind him, his gaze locked onto Klork's. Suddenly, his father's skin begins to slugh off the bone, dripping onto the floor. Klork turns away from the nightmarish sight to find himself standing on a stone floor in a giant catacomb. Turning around again, Klork looks upon a giant throne made of broken tomb stones. Before him, a gaunt figure seated on the decrepit throne. Holding a scythe in his boney hand, the figure pierces through Klork's soul with its sunken eye sockets. "Empty, wasn't it?" rasped the hooded figure. "Expecting so much more from your death, and yet...it was so unfulfilling. What did you feel as your life slipped away?" Defeated, Klork answered, "Nothing. Absolutely nothing." The hooded figure stated, "I can offer you so much more. I can give you what you desire, but it will cost you...." Curious, Klork answered, "What? What do you want from me?" The unliving creature leaned forward, curling his boney fingers around the arms of the throne and whispered, "give up your service to that pompice god of light and serve me." Feeling powerless, Klork lowered his head and whispered, "yes master."
Throwing himself forward off the bed, Klork gasped for breath after waking up from his strange nightmare. Gaining his bearings from his harrowing dream, Klork looks around and realizes he is lying in a hospital ward with his party members lying silently next to him. The linen curtains blow in the breeze escaping from an open window. He continues to try to make sense of the chaos that has happened over the last few moments as he hears a voice behind him. Looking over, Klork sees an older version of Aaron Frost. The stranger laughingly states, "It's been a long time since I have seen Arnon's Bane. A lot has happened in the last ten years. But I don't remember meeting you the last time. Who are you?" Klork reaches out his hand to greet the man but realizes his right claw is only exposed bone. Aghast that his arm has been completely rent of flesh, Klork pats himself down, inspecting himself for wounds. He notes that his right arm from his shoulder to his fingertips are solely comprised of bone, held together by sinew. His light green shell and skin tone are now a sickly gray with a spattering of black. Realizing that the tortle was confused and overcome, Aaron reaches out and shakes Klork's hand. Aaron simply states, "Obviously, we have much to talk about. Welcome to the Trade City."