Session 09
General Summary
Franz Bugman began setting the final batch of explosives. Elemental bats swooped in to attack
and fierce enemies emerged from out of the portal. Desperate battle was joined. Through the
shimmering portal, the figure of Lareth could be glimpsed. He was staring intently through,
watching the ebb and flow of combat. He periodically glanced over his shoulder and seemed to be
bellowing for reinforcements. Behind him in the shadows was the shape of a large, skeletal
dragon...
A cambion charged in, hewing all near him with a fiery greatsword. In return, Argus charged a
barlgura demon and smashed it backwards so far it went back through the portal! Fiery bats
swooped in and out, setting the gladiators alight. Such pesky nuisances were ignored and everyone
focussed on the cambion, annihilating it after Valun weakened it with a curse in the name of
Asmodeus. Still ignoring the bats, everyone rushed to aid Argus and their combined might soon
saw the barlgura dead.
It was time for a bold stratagem and Nex Pervenio dived right through the portal and into the
Abyss, hoping to strike at Lareth before his reinforcements could arrive. A happy side effect was
that the bats seemed disinclined to follow, though it meant they all flocked around Franz instead,
still doing his best to set his high explosives - not easy with fiery elementals buzzing around!
There had been some debate as to what the dracolich might be or do. That debate was ended as it
swooped majestically over to the portal and unleashed a mighty blast of bone shards, inflicting
horrific bleeding wounds to all in its path. Lareth meanwhile wielded his morningstar to great
effect, aswell as unleashing hypnotic magic which dazed his hapless foes - it affected Shinobi so
strongly he dropped unconscious. Lareth was hurting, as Nex Pervenio had concentrated all their
attacks on him. But he now stooped down and siphoned some of the life force from Shinobi's inert
body. The dracolich rended anyone near with its monstrous claws before unleashing another blast
of bones. Poor Shinobi took this at full force and died a painful death. Argus suffered marginally
better and dropped unconscious, giving Lareth the opportunity to siphon yet more life energy and
finish him off. Once again the dracolich blasted bone shards, this time claiming Valun as a victim.
Yet somehow all was not lost - Mika and Dash were both still up and fighting. Or fleeing in
Mika's case as he saw the way the fight was going. He sped back through the portal and headed for
the exit. As he went, he saw Franz Bugman lay dead and the fiery bats had moved on. Lareth took
off in hot pursuit but the druid was just able to outpace him. Frustrated, Lareth returned through
the portal. In the meantime, Dash had got away from the dracolich and ducked down a side
passage. He found one of Shinobi's smoke bombs in his pocket and used it to hide with good
effect, the dracolich failing to spot him quivering in a corner.
When Lareth came back through the portal he summoned the dracolich to him and the pair headed
out down another side tunnel, Lareth still bellowing for reinforcements. Dash peered around the
corner. The way back to the portal seemed clear, but for how long? He sprinted over, then showed
the presence of mind to collect magic items from his three fallen comrades, along with the grisly
task of severing fingers for use in resurrection rituals. He stepped through the portal but still his
work was not done. Franz Bugman likewise had a finger removed. Dash checked the last batch of
explosives and all seemed to be in order. So he fled out at top speed, pausing only when he
reached the detonator controls.
Shortly there was a truly massive explosion which shook the ground as far away as Hommlet. A
great cloud of dust rose in the air. When it settled, the ground had subsided in spectacular fashion.
The chamber which contained the Abyssal Gate was irrevocably collapsed full of tons and tons of
rock. The Gate itself, which must have taken Lareth many months or even years of work to carve
its arcane sigils, to craft its delicate filigree, to forge its gossamer struts, was undoubtably
shattered beyond repair.
A great deed had been done, the Empire of Rodinia was free of the menace that an active gate to
the Abyss threatened.
Dash returned to the field camp where he found Mika and Sister Columba. Together the gladiators
pieced together the staggering events which had just transpired. They also received news that the
legionnaires had been very successful in ridding the rest of the temple tunnel complex of lesser
cultists. Sister Columba then began an important sequence of rituals, that would restore life to
those who had fallen in this vital endeavour.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the Abyss, Lareth fumed and plotted his revenge...
Report Date
10 Apr 2024
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