Session 54
General Summary
3rd of Richfest, year 595 - Level 19
(week of Richfest, the midsummer festival)
The party begins moving through the grotto, a remnant of the time in which Avernus was a literal garden of temptations before it was scoured edge to edge by the Blood Wars. They spread out to look for discreet samples of fruit and cuttings for the archsorcerer Mordankeinan, marveling at the beauty of the flora, lost in this forsaken crevasse of hell. But as they walk through, it quickly becomes apparent that something is amiss. Their sense of direction goes askew, unseen voices can be heard, disorientation sets in along with the feeling of bucolic solace they had not felt since entering the Nine Hells. But their companion, Molomol, senses the wrongness and the presence of something else as he stays back at the edge of the grotto. Each adventurer encounters strong temptations to sample the fruits they pick, temptation that is surely imposed upon them and thus would lead to a variety of ills, but only Toby ends up succumbing to the desire to eat the fruit and suffer it effects. And for him, that manifests in an obsession with Malex that pushes all other thoughts and desires away. Wally, listening to the cautions of the little devil, keeps a wary eye out, and so is the first to realize their disorientation can quickly become a serious problem for them. He locates Molomol back where they came in and modified a spell of entangling plants to create a path of grasping and writhing vines and grasses back to Molomol they can follow out. And just in time as the party is shortly beset by monstrous bone devils the likes of which would create nightmares for the bravest person. Toby, quickly determining he alone cannot kill the creature that threatens the object of his obsession, does everything he can to get between it and Malex, while Malex does what he can with spiritual weapons and radiant blasts to destroy the creatures, and Irina holds her own. Wally, reaching deep into the newly uncovered dark performative powers, casts a Psychic Scream at one of the devils, creating a silent concussive wave from a magically distended face that explodes half the creatures giant skull. Malex follows up with the spiritual Claw of Asgorath that destroys the devil. But the success is short lived as a new presence comes among them, a creature that only Wally catches sight of and is instantly compelled to flee in terror! This Nightmare, fear incarnate, shifts the landscape into a nightmarescape and becomes visible to all. Toby uses his protective power as a paladin of Asgorath to cast silvery wings of protection to shield Malex; unfortunately, this is not enough and realizing their danger and still under the glamour of the temptuous fruit, Toby uses his Scepter of Asgorath to command Malex to "Run!", choosing to stay and fight to save him. Irina has transformed again into the body of a gold dragon to fight, but it is not enough.... It soon dawns on the party that this battle will likely grind them down, and it is a fight that may not be necessary if they have collected what they already need. So Irina collects her companions and flies their escape from the grotto, limping, in a manner of speaking, back to Mordankeinan's tower. They enter his balcony bedraggled, bloodied, worn physically and mentally in every way. And hand over the 6 samples they collected as a group. With that, and their fascinating tale and information they give the sorcerer, Mordankeinan is sincerely shocked and appreciative of their success, and offers several boons for their service. First, he divines the provenance of Thessalia's amulet:
(week of Richfest, the midsummer festival)
The party begins moving through the grotto, a remnant of the time in which Avernus was a literal garden of temptations before it was scoured edge to edge by the Blood Wars. They spread out to look for discreet samples of fruit and cuttings for the archsorcerer Mordankeinan, marveling at the beauty of the flora, lost in this forsaken crevasse of hell. But as they walk through, it quickly becomes apparent that something is amiss. Their sense of direction goes askew, unseen voices can be heard, disorientation sets in along with the feeling of bucolic solace they had not felt since entering the Nine Hells. But their companion, Molomol, senses the wrongness and the presence of something else as he stays back at the edge of the grotto. Each adventurer encounters strong temptations to sample the fruits they pick, temptation that is surely imposed upon them and thus would lead to a variety of ills, but only Toby ends up succumbing to the desire to eat the fruit and suffer it effects. And for him, that manifests in an obsession with Malex that pushes all other thoughts and desires away. Wally, listening to the cautions of the little devil, keeps a wary eye out, and so is the first to realize their disorientation can quickly become a serious problem for them. He locates Molomol back where they came in and modified a spell of entangling plants to create a path of grasping and writhing vines and grasses back to Molomol they can follow out. And just in time as the party is shortly beset by monstrous bone devils the likes of which would create nightmares for the bravest person. Toby, quickly determining he alone cannot kill the creature that threatens the object of his obsession, does everything he can to get between it and Malex, while Malex does what he can with spiritual weapons and radiant blasts to destroy the creatures, and Irina holds her own. Wally, reaching deep into the newly uncovered dark performative powers, casts a Psychic Scream at one of the devils, creating a silent concussive wave from a magically distended face that explodes half the creatures giant skull. Malex follows up with the spiritual Claw of Asgorath that destroys the devil. But the success is short lived as a new presence comes among them, a creature that only Wally catches sight of and is instantly compelled to flee in terror! This Nightmare, fear incarnate, shifts the landscape into a nightmarescape and becomes visible to all. Toby uses his protective power as a paladin of Asgorath to cast silvery wings of protection to shield Malex; unfortunately, this is not enough and realizing their danger and still under the glamour of the temptuous fruit, Toby uses his Scepter of Asgorath to command Malex to "Run!", choosing to stay and fight to save him. Irina has transformed again into the body of a gold dragon to fight, but it is not enough.... It soon dawns on the party that this battle will likely grind them down, and it is a fight that may not be necessary if they have collected what they already need. So Irina collects her companions and flies their escape from the grotto, limping, in a manner of speaking, back to Mordankeinan's tower. They enter his balcony bedraggled, bloodied, worn physically and mentally in every way. And hand over the 6 samples they collected as a group. With that, and their fascinating tale and information they give the sorcerer, Mordankeinan is sincerely shocked and appreciative of their success, and offers several boons for their service. First, he divines the provenance of Thessalia's amulet:
“Yes, pain... pain of loss, pain of guilt, pain of injury... there is much pain behind this pendant. It belonged to a Thessalia, a priestess of Mer'odon... no, not originally. She was a priestess of Yondalla the Protector and Provider... but she was eroded away, she was splintered and worn by a dark spirit... a dark hag, wearing down her soul, making her ripe to turn, to sell her soul and service and became a servant of Mer'odon. And the pendant passed to him when he took possession of her body and soul. Until, only recently. He lost it as he lost her... It was then stolen from him only days ago and made its way... up, to Avernus, to... Bazruldruuhd.”He checks his compiled notes on his studies of Baatezu, the Nine Hells, and comes upon all he knows about the name Mer'odon: A devil of not insignificant note, an underlord of Dispater himself. Resident in the city of Dis, he loves to ruin the spirit of good people, using evil minion like nightmare hags, before he makes his deals with them. Additionally, he offers to give the party a set of three single-use teleportation stones of his creation, from these four destinations:
- the main gate of the City Dis (2nd level)
- Archduke Belial’s courtyard on Phlegethos (4th level)
- Moloch’s (formerly Asmodeus’) Library (9th level)
- the Arcanists Guild tower in Settleton
Character(s) interacted with
Modankeinan
Report Date
06 Apr 2022
Comments