Saturday, June 15, 2019

Session 11 Sarenth 21-29

The mission began with Nyanta receiving a sending from Wimbert Greenleaf. He indicated that a small village in Nurelia called Cherboujee was attacked by Red Blade Roberts- he was driven off, but they fear he will return.

As they prepared to go, Lady Belmont ran into Dibbler, who indicated that they are being hunted by assassins called the Triplets. For a price, he would feed them fake information, which Lady Belmont paid.

They teleported to a village of the deformed and crippled. Wimbert explained that they are like Nyanta- all poisoned by radiation and their bodies ravaged. The leader of the city, Lady Vanessa, helped his father develop the cure for radiation sickness that transforms them into mutants and saves their lives. He fears Roberts is after that to empower his armies.

He states that Vanessa projects an aura of peace the turned away the army, except for Robert's sister (and undead) who pulled him away. He fears they'll come back, and asks Nyanta to acts as bait- to lure Cecelia Roberts to a hallowed church and defeat her there so she cannot be remade into an undead.

They met Lady Vanessa, who was sure that the danger was over, but thanked the part for coming anyway.  She had a feast with them while they discussed potential battle plans. Wimbert was sure Roberts would find other creatures immune to the calming aura, and would come attack.

At lunch they met Alex Darkheart, an antipaladin who once ravaged the lands of Numeria. He came to this village to conquer it some time ago, and was defeated by Lady Vanessa, who never attacked him and waited for him to wear himself out in the radioactive wastes.

She saved him, citing that to send him to the afterlife would be too terrible a fate and she couldn't bear herself to do it. He later came back with some Devils to attack, but had no more rage in his heart, and ended up cleaving his own fiendish companion to save the lady. He told her is soul was damaged beyond repair, and she gestured to the mutants and said "They once though that about their bodies". He still carries his unholy sword, brimming with dark energy, as a reminder and penance for his deeds.

The next day they broke into three groups. Alice Gryphbane was brought along and she went to the outskirts with Wimbert as a first line of defense in case Vanessa's calming aura failed. Alex Darkheart went to the sanctum where the cure is kept to defend Vanessa, and the Guildhall Heroes went to the church to lure away Cecelia Roberts.

Ceclia came in with a priest and some murderbots to try to destroy Nyanta. It was a bloody ordeal. They ended up defeating her, but Lady Belmont was almost killed, her arm lopped off by a murderbot during the battle. They then went to the sanctum to defend Vanessa, where they saw Alex facing off against Wrath. His unholy sword would be of no use against Wrath, only serving to make him stronger, but he still lept in the way of Wrath when he swung for Vanessa. Wrath broke Alex's shield and cut his arm off, but his sacrifice freed his heart, and his unholy sword exploded with holy energy, and he sundered Wrath's weapon. The resulting explosion knocked everyone back paralyzed with holy power except for Wrath, Lady Bemont, and Vanessa.

Vanessa warned Lady Belmont that wrath is more powerful with each attack, and Lady Belmont had previously studied and written a treatise on Wrath and Forgiveness, and so she stood back, healing herself as wrath wore himself out attacking her. Eventually Wrath collapsed, fatigued, and Lady Belmont forgave him for killing her mentor, and they showed him the power of forgiveness. He was redeemed, and he decided to go on a quest of forgiveness, seeking to right all the wrongs he had committed, turning his flame white. Vanessa thanked each PC, and they went back to Deepreach.

Saturday, June 8, 2019

Session 10: Sarenath 7-21

Nyanta was approached by Rikkon. Rikkon had learned the location of the Crystal Caves, a cave where a powerful scrying crystal existed that could bypass blocks on divinations. He wanted to use it to find the fabled cookbook of the Gormand, the fabled Balagog- best cook to ever exist. The cookbook contained the recipe for the Confection Infiniuum, the most delicious dessert ever created, combining alchemical and magical ingredients.

They went through the crystal caves, which were specially designed to reduce noise, as special crystals grew here that vibrated with sound, and with large sound, would explode. They were beset by shadows, then harpies, and finally a crystal golem, before they were able to activate the crystal and ask it two questions. The first was for the location of the cook book, the second was for the location of Olba Nightsoil, the mysterious goblin from Ivan's past. When asked about Olba, it showed an image of the petrified Janka Worldgazer instead.

They teleported to the location of the cook book, which was a long forgotten kitchen, where they were beset by endless ghasts, until they escaped back home. The read the journal/cookbook, where they learned the truth of the Confection.

The Confection Infiniuum was indeed the most delicious dessert to ever exist, those who ate it were stunned with the flavor and taste of it. From then on, they craved the dessert, going to any lengths to have more, selling everything they owned for more. They began to shun other foods, and the dessert was revealed to have been cursed- it was so good, that it spoiled other foods for its eaters forever.

Balagog, trying to invent a cure, created the Confection Infernium, a similar treat with a horrid taste, designed to sour its user from the taste of the Infiniuum. It partially worked, however the people ended up spurning ALL food, and the kingdom starved to death, rising up as ghasts afterwards. Rikkon and Nyanta created one of each dessert, not to feed to people, but to prove their worth as master cooks.

Meanwhile, the adventuring party that Lady Belmont sent to find the Cult of Zura responded that they have found the location, but saw many captives being brought inside, and decided to attack to try to free the captives. They sent word that they were captured, and the Guildhall Heroes decided to go save them.

The Cult's tower was demolished by a huge earthquake spell, and under a heavy storm they battled the remaining cultists, who were using the adventurers as shields with rings of friend shielding. The earth rumbled during the battle, and finally the gargantuan form of Gluttony burst out from the ruins, intent on devouring everyone there. Nyanta fed him the Confection Infiniuum, stunning him, then confusing him as he realized that all other tastes had soured.

Shortly afterwards, she fed him the Confection Infernium, which caused him to turn against food forever. They teleported away to safety. Eventually Gluttony, partially starved, found them, and Lady Belmont and Charity were able to help convert him from Gluttony to Asceticism. His black flamed turned white, and Zura lost another champion.