Previously: Chapter 84: Collision Part I
Rebirth
Berry faces down the dragonborn fighter Ildrex brought with him, jumps up, and tears away part of his throat, killing him. He then runs towards Xara, seeing that she is beginning to show a few wounds, to finish her off as well. Ildrex on the other hand has his focus set on Thistlethorn who is carrying his beloved sword Blackrazor, and is trying to get away from him. She decides to heal Kal a bit, which Xara tries to counterspell, but Penny counterspells her in return, allowing the healing to go through.
Relic focues on Xara, casting enervation on her in order to heal himself a bit, while Berry begins clawing at her. This does not help soothe Ildrex’ rage, who continues to strike at whoever is around him. Penny has turned Thistlethorn invisible, and created an illusion of Thistlethorn standing in a different place in order to distract him. Ildrex falls for it, but after making an attack realizes that it is not the real Thistlethorn. Not seeing where she is, he focuses his attack on Kal once more.
Relic and Berry manage to take down Xara. The sight of seeing his wife bleed out is too much, so Ildrex casts a spell on Penny, trying to dominate her to kill the owlbear, but she manages to resist, thanks to Udall’s blessing. Kal tries to push him further away, attacking him with her spear, which causes her more pain. Ildrex then uses his cold breath on Relic, who doesn’t manage to dodge it, but it is not enough to take down the warforged. He takes out his side-knife, and begins to strike at Kal, hoping to win the duel fast. Berry tries to run to her aid, but he is not fast enough, with Ildrex managing to bring her down. The rest of the party watches as she falls to the ground, the rings of the true companions being unable to save her.
Kal lies on the snow covered ground. The blood is pouring out of her, and she is about to lose consciousness. The snowflakes suddenly stop moving, with Ildrex looking down at her triumphantly. This is it. But suddenly, a figure comes wandering out of the storm, towards her. Mysterious Figure, the same one they have seen several times before. It stops next to Kal, leans down, pulls back its hood, revealing a pale woman with a crown and veil beneath it. She speaks in a soft, motherly voice to Kal.
“My child, you are at the crossroads again. Will you continue on the path that was forced upon you by others, or will you choose a better one for yourself? There is no shame in falling—only in refusing to rise.”
Kal, having a hard time breathing, tries to get up, but cannot. She looks up at the figure, then at Ildrex. The figure asks if Kal would like some help.
“I’m not too proud to refuse help, as long as that bastard goes down.”
The figure reaches out a pale hand, touches Kal’s cheek, and Kal can feel a warmth, not a pleasant warmth, but like a shiver, mixed with cold run through her, but at the same time she feels a motherly love. Kal sees her wounds close up, and senses a connection to the woman who is helping her. Time starts moving again, and to everyone’s surprise, Kal gets to her feet The party sees mold coalescing at her feet, running up her legs and to her arms, as Kal is channeling the powers of Mova, directing it directly at Ildrex, cursing him with mortality. She then uses her enchanted armor to shift time, giving her more time, summoning another lightning storm above, striking Ildrex with a bolt that massively wounds him, blasting parts of his armor away while charring his right eye.
Ildrex tries to take out Kal, but with all focus now directed at him as his wife and companion is dead, he is soon overrun. A final lightning strike from Kal causes him to fall backwards, his armor shattered and spread around. He lies on the ground, helpless, with Yana’s symbol hanging around his neck. He looks up at Kal, who prepares her spear to make the final blow.
Time stops yet again. The woman steps up from behind Kal, asking her if this is vengeance or justice that drives her. Kal says that this is to stop him from hurting anyone else ever again. It is for all the lives he has taken, and all the lives he will take if nobody stops him. The woman looks pleased, giving Kal an approving nod. Kal runs her spear through Ildrex’ heart as time returns. The rest of the party sees the woman standing next to her, but doesn’t say anything. Ildrex speaks his dying words.
“The cycle continues with you.”
Kal feels a warmth run through her, like she is feeling it for the first time in many months. Her hair becomes a little less pale, and her skin becomes more flushed with color. No longer fallen, she loos up at her mother. She says that she never abandoned her, but Kal was taken. She speaks to all her children, but when they fall, she loses that connection. Mova has been trying to regain that connection since she fell, asking Udall to lead her on a better path.
She offers Kal a choice, to join her and become a cleric in her service, but if she wishes to stay with Udall she understands. Kal says she will have to think on it, and looks down at Stormseeker, now fully exalted. With a gust of wind, the woman disappears, and Kal stands over the corpse of the man who destroyed her, victorious.
Karga
The party looks through the belongings of the fallen, as Argus and Ira both flies down congratulating Berry on his amazing talent at fighting. He looks overjoyed, but asks if everyone they will meet is that hard to kill. Relic says that yes, their toughest fights are ahead of them, but the party is sure that they will endure together.
The party recovers Ildrex’ armor, finding it to be a powerful +3 plate, along with his +3 dagger, and an amulet of the devout, with Yana’s symbol. They already have Blackrazor and his other greatsword, but little else is carried by him, seemingly because he didn’t expect not to return. Xara carries some coin and her spellbook, which Relic takes in order to study. The soldier that came with them carries little of note, some basic armor and some spears.
Kal does not want to give them a burial, suggesting they burn them. Penny uses her creation magic to make a large bonfire, both to burn the corpses and to signal to Karga where they are. She also sends a sending to her, describing a nearby mountain, and that they have set a fire. Relic is skeptical that Xara’s corpse will burn well, but they try nonetheless. Afterwards, they retire to the mansion while they wait.
Inside, Thistlethorn takes out Blackrazor from the bag of holding, and it immediately begins speaking to her, saying that they can do great things together. She puts in on the table, asking what they should do with it, deciding in the end that destroying it might be difficult, so Thervan should take it because he probably knows what to do. Thistlethorn is paranoid about curses, and so asks Penny to check if the sword has done anything to her. Penny takes out her wand, finding a sliver of a connection between Thistlethorn and Blackrazor, but Kal quickly fixes that with a Greater Restoration.
Wanting some air, Kal steps out of the mansion, and sees a figure standing by the fire, accompanied by a dire wolf. Karga has arrived, commenting that she must have missed all the fun, pointing at the corpses. Thistlethorn and Penny both come out to greet Karga, with her embracing Penny in a hug. They invite her into the mansion to talk about what they need her help with, with Karga complimenting that the aesthetics feels very homely. Kal stays outside.
Looking at the fire burning, she comments that she hopes that she never gets to see Yana again. Yana steps up from behind Kal, commenting that she will honor the result of the duel, but laments that she could have give Kal great power if she had just joined her. Kal replies that she should have kept a better watch on her champion, and that they could have used his help in the coming fight, but Yana could not control Ildrex. She does however have someone else in mind. Kal looks at her, worried, but Yana waves her hand, telling Kal not to worry, she doesn’t know her champion to be. As a parting word, Yana wishes Kal and her friends luck in the coming difficulties, and hopes that she makes Vuthul pay for Roshan, before disappearing. Kal steps back inside the mansion.
They tell Karga where they want to go, the valley where one waterfall never freezes. She tells them she knows this place, and will take them as soon as they are able, preferably at first light. Preparing to step outside to set up her tent, the party begs her to stay in the mansion, at least for the night, as Relic had already prepared a room for her. After some convincing, considering the dangers those allied to the party might face, she accepts, setting up her sleeping area. The rest of the day and evening are spent preparing for the coming journey. Karga’s wolf, Frostbite, is very happy to get cuddles from both Penny and Thistlethorn.
To the Valley
Karga is up before anyone else wakes up, and even Penny manages to get up in a reasonable time. They prepare breakfast, but Karga says they have no time to waste, and can eat while walking. They explain to her that they were hoping to wind-walk to the valley, which Karga finds intriguing, and agrees, allowing them to eat, but she still seems eager to leave.
Penny steps outside to ask Thervan to come pick up Blackrazor, as they fear what it might do to them. He arrives shortly after with a teleport, stepping inside the mansion, greeting the party. He looks at Karga, saying “greetings, native!” and bows. The party tells him he’s being rude, saying she has a name. He apologizes, but doesn’t seem to mean it. His focus is on the black sword sitting on the table.
The party begs him to be careful, so he takes out a handkerchief, picking up the sword with it. It becomes apparent that it is not enough, as the sword begins speaking to him.
“No, I do not wish to destroy something, thank you very much.”
He tells the party that he knows what to do with this, saying that he should be fine, and then tells the sword that he has several questions for it. He bids the party adieu, as he exits the mansion, and teleports away.
Outside, Relic casts a telepathic bond so they can communicate with each other, while Thistlethorn puts Berry in the Pocket Ball. She then begins casting the spell, gathering people around while explaining to Karga how it works, and suddenly they become whisps of clouds. Karga sends to them telepathically to follow her, and takes off, staying close to the ground.
The journey takes a couple of hours, and on the way they see several tribes of giants, and various monstrous wildlife, but thanks to Karga’s experience in the area, they find the valley with no issue. A single waterfall sticks out with flowing water, as opposed to the others around which are frozen. The water freezes as it hits the ground below, shattering and dumping into the river. An unusual sight indeed.
Not wanting to waste much time, they begin investigating while still in cloud form. It seems to be a solid wall behind it, but Relic finds a single small slit which opens into a cave beyond. He sees immediately that they are at the right place, as a large door is within bearing the Forgotten One’s mark. He gestures in cloud form to follow, as the telepathic bond has expired, and leads them inside. The ice wall between them and the waterfall makes the sunlight shine a dancing blue light on the walls, as they revert from cloud form.
Karga says that she has never seen anything like it, and it looks ancient. She wishes not to venture inside, fearing for her wolf, but the party says that she has already done more than enough. Thistlethorn wants to pay Karga back, offering to awaken Frostbite as she has done with Berry, Argus and Ira, as it will allow her to communicate with her. She thinks on it, asking if Thistlethorn can speak with her. When she confirms, Karga asks if Frostbite is happy. Thistlethorn asks the wolf, who replies that she loves her master, but is unsure about what she means when she asks if she wants to awaken her. Karga is happy to hear that her wolf loves her, saying that it is enough, and that the party has already done more than enough by returning her brother to her. Thistlethorn tells her to at least think about it, which Karga agrees to.
Wondering how long this will take, Karga says she will wait three days before moving on, but hopes the party can let her know if they will not return this way or if they are hindered somehow. They agree, and so Karga and Frostbite departs, returning to cloud form, exiting through the small slit.
Relic investigates the ancient door, seeing an inscription on the circle of the symbol. He does a quick ritual to comprehend languages, while Thistlethorn does a commune with nature. She finds there is a slight influence from the Underdark, while the mountain holds many riches in the forms of gemstones embedded in the stone. Relic, reading the text on the circle, finds it to be a poem warning that only the true followers of the Forgotten One should enter this place. There doesn’t appear to be any traps or magic on the door, but it seems to have been opened not too long ago. They decide to open it.
The Pyramid
Within they find a small staircase leading down, with relief artworks on the wall depicting the drow and their society, with one of them ascending, supposedly Vuthul. The bottom of the staircase opens up to a large chamber, where the floor is scattered with the remains of orc warriors, many who have met the end of a sharp blade, and others with scorch marks on their skin. In the middle of them lies a large automaton, with its chest burst open. Seems this is where Grommok acquired the Shard of the Warrior.
The party does a quick search of the bodies, finding some coins, but little else of value, before moving to the other side of the chamber. Another door with Vuthul’s symbol on it, this time with an inscription.
“Who is the one who will free us all?”
Relic examines the door, finding it to be magical, but with no obvious trap, and it doesn’t appear to be locked. They decide to play it safe, each saying “Vuthul” before opening it. Nothing happens, so apparently they got the correct phrase. They leave the corpses of the orcs, venturing into the darkness.
Beyond the door, through a short hallway, they find a massive staircase going deep into the mountain. Penny takes out a ballbearing, dropping it to ascertain the depth, but after several minutes she hears no sound. Kal uses the light cantrip on another ballbearing, dropping it too. The light eventually disappears, as it is too far away. So the staircase goes deep. With the influence, they can assume that it leads directly into the Underdark.
The party decides to turn themselves into whisps of clouds, seeing how far they get, and then descend. Ten minutes pass. Then twenty. Thirty. Eventually they reach the bottom. Some quick maths from Relic tell them that they are at least 11 miles below the surface. Two ball bearings, one glowing, lies at the bottom. The party reverts to their normal shapes, and begins to explore the chamber.
A massive chamber, with several statues clearly depicting the Forgotten One, surround a single altar in the middle. The room is extremely clean, with a collapsed hallway to their left, and an opening in the opposite wall leading to a natural looking cave beyond. In a corner, next to a statue they see the remnants of a camp, with a collapsed tent. A quick investigation reveals it is at least 500 years old. Among the tattered clothing and bags lies a journal. Relic opens it up, finding it to be written in dwarvish. It appears to be a log of a group of adventurers trying to find this place, with the final entry saying that they are “trying for the pyramid the next morning, hoping to get past the guardian”. As Relic reads this, Thistlethorn hears heavy footfalls permeating from the chamber beyond.
Relic recasts the mental communication, as Penny decides to sneak up to take a closer look at what they’re facing. Thistlethorn casts another commune with nature, finding no influence from other planes, and no people or creatures of interest, but notices a large colony of bioluminescent fungus and growths in the room beyond.
Penny sneaks up, relaying what she sees through the telepathic bond. The end of the tunnel opens up to a massive chamber, lit up by several glowing and pulsating gemstones and fungi. On the opposing wall, she sees the corner of a massive underground pyramid, flanked by more statues of the forgotten one. A small statue seems to be holding something next to the door leading into the pyramid. She sees no guardian at first, but suddenly, a thirty foot humanoid construct comes wandering from around a corner, patrolling the area. Penny hides, and it seems that the guardian has not noticed her.
The rest of the party approach quietly to get a better view. As they get to the edge they see the pyramid with their own eyes, but they cannot tell if the statue by the door is a petrified person, another construct or just a statue. The party considers moving up towards it, with Penny casting invisibility on herself, but just as they are about to move closer, a giant spider comes out from an opening on one of the walls, and begins walking around. The guardian immediately notices it, and blasts it with an energy beam from its head, disintegrating it. The party realizes that it would be quite dangerous and painful if they are spotted.
Next: Chapter 86: The Pyramid