Session 48

General Summary

27th and 28th of Wealsun, year 595 - Level 16 > 17 (low summer -- week of Richfest, the midsummer festival, begins following day)  
The party struggles to figure out what they're missing, and Wally says he thinks the acorn itself is the key somehow, and goes to experiment with touching the acorn to the great tree. But this suggestion prompts Malex to consider showing the acorn to Githzerai woman who welcomed them. This does the trick as she replies, “Ah, welcome, guests of the Hobil. You have faced the initial challenge to arrive here. You must face another challenge to meet Anarch Oorlid. Are you all of one purpose and one quest?”
Malex begins to answer when Hazzaaka steps them aside and suggests they approach as "two quests, in case one does not succeed in this 'challenge,' the other may still." The party agrees, and Hazzaaka volunteers to go first. A cloud of fog moves in and separates the two halve of the party, but they can still hear Hazzaaka battling something for nearly 15 minutes. Finally the fog clears to reveal the dragonborn paladin lying on her back, dazed, cleric Daar helping her up. "There was nothing I could do. I've never faced a foe like that, so capable of countering every move I made."
It is Malex's turn to represent the other half of the group, and they watch as a tall, imposing Githzerai warrior monk steps forward and takes a ready pose (similar to the temple's statue). Malex speaks, making a case for not battling at all, and instead choosing peace and accord. The champion seems unimpressed, and decides to select his own opponent from the group, focusing on Irina. "You have the look of a worthy opponent. I choose to face you," and again strikes a ready pose. Irina contemplates this, and steps forward, striking the same pose. The minutes pass and Irina maintains her meditative focus, her gaze never wavering, her muscles never twitching, her will strong. Eventually, the champion nods, stands, and says, "You are indeed worthy. I honor you, the victor," and bows low to Irina before putting his robe back on and receding. Irina bows her respect, and the woman who welcomed them steps forward, saying they are all being welcomed to the monastery.
And as she says that, what Irina had sensed materializes behind the great tree. A massive complex of floating stone islands with serene and simple but beautiful buildings, gardens of both plant and rocks, paths, is revealed. She leads them along the paths to a pool of crystal clear and still water where an elderly Githzerai man sits cross-legged above its center, eyes closed in meditation. She brings them to the edge of the pool, begs the party to relax, "Master Oorlid will join you at sunrise," and departs. They look around and talk quietly, noticing the day is about late twilight. But after some time, they realize the quality of light in the sky has not changed in all the time they have been waiting. They eventually decide it might be another test, and it is up to them to make the sun rise. As a group, they focus their minds and force of will to make sunrise a reality, and just barely, succeed, forcing the sun (which in Limbo is an illusion or a construct as it is) to rise. Oorlid then opens his eyes, seems to come out of a fugue, and slowly levitates across the water to descend onto the grass before them, welcoming the group, asking what brings them.
The party tells him of their quest for the egg, or the Draconis Ovum as Oorlid calls it. And he assures them yes, he can send them to it. But the conversation turns toward their intent for it, about gods, and primarily, about balance. He is a warrior and student of balance, and is concerned whether their intent will maintain, establish, or threaten cosmic balance, and then judges each in turn regarding their own balance-related conflicts:

Malex, you have taken up the mantle of warrior for what you think is balance among your own people, but are you sure that is what you are doing and will not in fact eliminate a cosmic balance that has existed since the beginning of time?
Tobias, you are questing to develop the other side of yourself. Be sure to seek your future without ignoring your past.
Walrick, something from YOUR past hangs onto you. You in fact need to lose a part of your past, without losing yourself.
Irena, intriguing indeed, you straddle multiple worlds. You are FROM the past, and your future is darkness to me. You are a child of elemental evil, but you fight to bring evil to justice. I fear only in the past will you be able to find your truth and your balance.
Hazzaaka, you too are a warrior for justice and righteousness, protector of what is important to you, your found family, as well as your people. You recognize what balance means, but you are afraid of how it brings change. Your fight is not just to protect, but to protect the way things have always been.
Qyxpahrgh Daar, your clan was purged by those your family once trusted, which turned you to service of the one who brings vengeance. There is honor in righteous vengeance, but don’t let it become all you are. Remember also your oath of service to others that brought you to the cloth.
Ssavaran, balance is in your heart, but not as a goal, rather because of lack of conviction. There is no shame in this. A blunt cudgel with no sides can be just as deadly as a two-edged sword. But remember, every weapon, cudgel or sword, is useless without a wielder. You must find one that speaks to that voice in your heart.
Mystaan Nalreeth, of all here, you perhaps have walked the path of balance the least. And it is no wonder, as your past has forced you onto a path of extremes. Balance is of no use to you as you seek to watch those who took everything from you burn from the heart out. Your rage and your fear give you purpose and from that you will do great things. But it is leaving no room in your heart for all the things that could have replaced what was taken.

But finally, Oorlid informs them that he is willing to send them on to the Egg, although retrieving it will not be easy. It draws to it many creatures of Chaos, itself being a powerful artifact:

It was created from celestial matter many, many years ago, incubating in a pocket of pure chaos, protected (from a certain point of view) by a foul creature. It has only of late finished its preparation and waits to become.

He tells the group that if they return with the Egg, he can then transport them wherever they like, to any of the planes, including Avernus or Mount Celestia.
An argument among themselves breaks out, once again, regarding what to ultimately do with the Egg, but Oorlid interrupts the heated discussion to ask about the fell ithilid (and enemy of all Gith peoples), N’gahloddt, who is at the center of the Vortex that now threatens the multiplanes. The party explains that N’gahloddt only needs Vita’nanis, the personal blade of Glasya, Princess of the Nine Hells and Asmodeus' first daughter, to fulfill his plans. This prompts a disparaging comment from Irina, expressing the desire to seek repayment on her sister for her role in what happened to her -- which gets the attention of the party of Tiamat followers. After clarifying Irina's family heritage, a very shocked and somewhat newly impressed Nalreeth states that this must be even more of that "providence" Hazzaaka had been saying was what brought them together. Surely, since Avernus is BOTH the location of Tiamat's Temple AND the only way in which anyone seeking to reach Glasya's home, they were clearly meant to take the Egg to Avernus to rebirth the Dark Mistress before the others continue on their quest to find Glasya and/or her blade.
This does not seem to convince the party any more to go that route, and then Oorlid tells them of a third choice they could make: Leave the Draconis Ovum here, in the monastery. As a powerful nexus and foci of balance and chaos controlled, the Egg would complete its becoming there, and become something that is neither Tiamat nor Bahamut, but something that would be an avatar of balance.
While this offer certainly piqued the party's suspicions, they quickly determine that Oorlid is sincere and does not intend anything malicious or deceptive by the suggestion. They decide they would need to think on this, and Master Oorlid welcomes them to enjoy the monastery for a long rest as they think, plan, and prepare.
[[ the party levels to 17 ]]
Once they have rested and prepared, they inform Oorlid they are ready to go, and the powerful Githzerai monk warps Chaos to send them to the location of the Egg. They find themselves in a strange and twisted place of dark monoliths and fathomless coils of unknown material running through the air to a central location where all things appear to move toward a break in the oppressive clouds, where the only light shines from. Between the party and this light, are many figures, corpses (presumably) of countless creatures (humans and demi-humans, but also slaad and other monstrous creatures), that float lifeless and strangely ragdoll around the monoliths. Many drift up toward the light-filled break in the clouds, but then seem to bounce off an unseen barrier to drift another direction.
Also, Malex and Toby both feel a draw, a pull toward the light-filled break, something speaking to them, their very heart, in wordless appeals to be . . . retrieved? Malex looks over at the followers of Tiamat and notices expressions that likely mirror his own on Nalreeth and Daar. They too are being spoken to by what feels like the Egg (or whatever power embodies the Egg) that gave him the vision. They quickly begin moving that way, and Hazzaaka herself takes a moment to remind them all that they must work together to retrieve the Egg, whatever comes after. For they are all the children of Dragon. Malex takes a moment to speak with Toby and reminds him that Hazzaaka might, might, be trustworthy, and possibly Ssavaran, but do not trust Daar and especially Nalreeth.
They quickly fly through the "sky" of Limbo when they notice as they approach the central monoliths, that something is dripping, oozing, and separating from the structures, forming a creature of gargantuan size. Stunned as they watch it reveal itself, an impossible, formless creature surely 300 cubic feet large if not larger, formed of rapidly expanding and retracting tentacles filled with teeth and eyes, drifts toward them, utterly blocking their path to the break in the clouds. A creature of Chaos, this is not just a "Chaos Beast" of which they had been warned, but a Chaos Dreadnought!
Having no choice, the entire group struggles to battle the creature, being certain to maintain their distance as instructed. The couple of instances in which members of the party are hit by the fowl and sanity-threatening creature, something . . . something utterly terrible and horrific nearly happens to each victim except that they were just barely able through sheer force of controlled personal identity, to resist whatever the effect would be. Even so, Irina is the first of the party to lose consciousness from battle damage, before Malex was able to heal her. Toby's friend Quilliet, the faerie dragon, creates a large dragon illusion that successfully fools the creature, causing it to direct some of its attacks into the rouse. Wally becomes invisible and supports the group, then attempts to convince Hazzaaka to help him flee to go directly to the Egg and grab it. The paladin, however, has already witnessed two of her companions drop in battle, and fortunately recovered -- but she has no intention of "abandoning" them. Instead, Toby sends Quilliet, speedier and also invisible, on their own to the probably location of the Egg. . . .

Report Date

09 Jun 2021