Session 33: Barely Besting the Boss
Catchup time for Alexei!The noble cleric triumphantly led the prisoners out to the sewer exit, guiding them into the waiting arms of the city guard. Captain Astrafel, with his majestic magenta mohawk sticking straight through his centurion helmet, strides up to Alexei and grasps him by the shoulders.
"Where are they, boy?!" he asks, shaking Alexei for answers.
"Well, they, uh, they're um, uh. Back the way we came. I can take you to them, but I'm very bad with verbal instructions, but I marked the way with chalk."
As Alexei looks back he sees a figure in the entrance. A man in a dark cloak. He slides his boot across the ground, scuffing the chalk.
"Um."
The cloaked man waves.
"Excuse me, that's um, that was important. Are you, well..."
The cloaked man looks up. What can be seen of his face is red, and he has a short beard.
"My sincerest apologies, friend. Let me help. After all, your dear comrades are..." He laughs, the sound echoing strangely. "They're deep in it."
"Of that much I am certain. Apology accepted."
(Is Alexei familiar with this at all?)
(Give me a knowledge roll.)
(27.)
Alexei has never met him, and is certain he should count his lucky stars for that. This man pours off enough demonic energy to curdle milk. He is hard to look at directly, and when he smiles, his mouth is full of black, serrated teeth.
("Hm. I am sure Alexei can feel his milk curdle.")
Alexei also notices that there is not much motion around him for a rescue operation.
The man holds his hand out to Alexei. "I'll take you to them. I swear."
15 on Perception check.
"Thank you. I need no aid. I would like these innocent people taken to safety. If there is nowhere else to take them, my monastery can care for them."
"Ahh, yes, but. I'm not here for them, am I? I'm here for you."
The cloaked man grips a barrel of stagnant water and pushes it over. As he steps closer to Alexei, every ripple left in his wake shows glimpses of the battle raging deep within the sewer.
"You are very lucky, actually. I don't offer help to just anyone. But you have something I want."
"I do not own as much as you may think I do."
"Well. You are Alexei First, lastborn of a minor lord, that is true. What's more, you pay worship to such a pretty fleeting god."
"I would call my goddess anything but fleeting."
"Of course you would." (Oh bless your heart-coded.)
He pulls his hood down to reveal horns, a well-trimmed goatee, a slight mustache, and thick, black hair.
"But, I know better." He reaches out his hand. "I ask for nothing but for you to take my hand this one time, and you will be allowed to save them."
"I do not trust anyone who does not put trust in my goddess. I have no need for you or your bargains. Now please go. The price you do not speak is too much for any soul, and I will not pay it."
"Five out of six isn't bad." He reaches for Alexei, and as his hand draws near, the skin and flesh flakes away till naught but a skeletal limb is left.
Alexei raises his symbol of Spiritual Light. All the world drops away, Alexei plunged into a sea of swirling darkness, with only the halo of light gleaming from his icon visible.
The darkness coalesces into an ashen throne, sat upon by Asmodeus himself.
"Simple boy. You have no idea what you're playing at, and I would like to see you play for much longer. Do you have any idea how much of an honor that is? But fine. I'll send you back to your friends the fun way."
Asmodeus snaps his fingers, the bones splintering and falling away as he does so, and everything goes back.
Alexei sees his friends fighting for their lives. Watches a woman bearing the robes of Abadar morph into a demon, raise twisted monstrosities to attack them, fire and stone flying around the room.
Combat resumes!
Two Herexen attack Linden. One hits, dealing 9 damage. Almost max!
Sibyl casts Lava Leap to jump into the midst of the party.
Linden and Clarence pass their Reflex saving throw, taking 7 damage. Alexei, Timber, and the Herexen take 14.
One Herexen survives with 1 health, one Herexen pops. 3 damage each to Clarence, Linden, Alexei, and Timber.
Sibyl looks up at Alexei. "Hello, pet, who are you?"
Alexei's shining symbol coalesces into a Spiritual Armament. "I shall not cower before true evil!"
His glowing armament flanks Sibyl across from Linden, swings at the demoness, and misses.
Alexei closes out his turn by casting Shield.
He notices now that the Herexen are priests who had been tortured to death, to the point of renouncing their faith. Alexei sad.
Rutana emerges from her corner and stabs one of the Herexen, dealing 1 damage.
Clarence claws at Sibyll, claws bouncing off the hardened stone upon her flesh.
He raises his shield and ends turn.
Sartorii shoots a Hero Point at Sibyl, missing with all three arrows.
The Sprite flings a three-action Horizon Thunder Sphere straight into Sibyl's eyes, dealing 8 damage and leaving her Dazzled for a round.
Originally rolled a 2, spent Hero Point to roll a 20.
Linden and Timber back away from the group, to get out of range of the Herexen.
Linen rolls a 21 on prompted Perception. He notices that the rib-like altar behind him is hollow and reeks of decay. A seam runs up it, bulging out slightly. It seems to be made out of some sort of sheet metal.
He ignores the smelly thing and casts Acid Splash at Sibyl. He misses with a 20.
The Dazzled Herexen slides past Sibyl and attacks Clarence. Misses twice.
Dazzled condition ends.
Top of the round, cool lighting comes back!
A Herexen attacks Rutana, rolling a crit and dealing 16 damage.
Second attack misses. Third deals another 7 damage. Rutana is not doing well, coughing up blood.
Sibyl renews her Kinetic Aura and starts swinging at Alexei.
10 damage on the first attack. Rolls a crit for the second attack, 28 damage.
Alexei is unconscious, on the brink of death, with Dying 1.
Alexei passes his first recovery check, and is no longer dying. He gaines Wounded 1, and removes unconscious.
Rutana chugs a healing potion, heals 10! She's no longer coughing up blood, but there's plenty of other blood escaping elsewhere.
Clarence claws at Sibyl, missing twice. He uses a Hero Point to reroll the first, deals 5 damage.
"Ah! You scratched me."
Third scratch misses.
Good news, Sibyl doesn't want Alexei or Clarence dead. The rest of them sure, but these two? She has plans.
Sartorii moves closer to Sibyl and starts stabbing with her rapier, dealing a total of 10 damage over two attacks.
The Sprite drains his bonded item to cast Magic Missile, launching three missiles at Sibyl. Two impact her stone-clad form, and the third pierces through her shoulder.
Aware he has little chance of actually harming Sibyl, Linden casts Vitality Lash at one of the Herexen, dealing 10 damage.
He then moves next to Alexei and starts fiddling with soil.
"Your life for Asomodeus!" Sibyl shouts. The Hexeren attacks himself...and misses.
Its second attack hits, and the Herexen pops.
Alexei resumes Dying.
Rutana takes no damage. Sartorii and Linden take 2, Clarence takes 4. The remaining Hexeren heals 2.
Top of the round.
The last Hexeren steps up and swings at Clarence, dealing 7 damage and missing once.
Sibyl smirks and casts Burning Jet, launching herself back to the middle of the room, coming to rest upon a platform 15 feet above the floor.
"You hurt me? You little peons actually hurt me!"
She attacks the remaining Herexen, popping it.
Rutana and Sartorii take 3 damage, Clarence and Linden take 7. Alexei is on Dying 1, Wounded 1.
Rutana whips out the Wand of Healing and casts a burst, everyone nearby healing by 11.
Hackles raised and hissing angrily, Clarence draws his heavy crossbow and fires a couple bolts at Sibyl. First misses, second hits. 2 damage.
Sartorii draws her bow, and rolls a 1. She gets Sickened 3—the DM drops it down to 2, because 3 is just silly.
The Sprite casts Electric Arc, but Sibyl rolls a 20 on her save. No damage.
He ends his turn by casting Shield.
Linden moves closer to the center of the room and casts Acid Splash. Actually hits! 4 damage.
Sibyl looks down her nose at the party.
"Oh just you wait. Once I'm done mopping you up, I'll wait until Kelso comes home, and then I can torture the faith out of those pretty little priests of yours. I can't think of a more romantic evening!"
Sibyl claps her hands together and thrusts them out. Shards of earth shoot from the ground, hurtling toward Sartorii and Linden.
Linden takes 18, Sartorii takes at 9.
The stone shatters on the ground, leaving behind difficult terrain.
Sibyl hops back down from her platform with a cocky smile on her face, and ends turn.
Alexei uses one action to crawl up behind Sartorii and casts a two-action Inner Radiance Torrent at Sibyl.
Sibyl fails her saving throw and takes 20 damage. Her left wing and arm both evaporate beneath the gleaming rainbow.
Rutana draws an elixir of life from the bag of holding and flings it at Sartorii, healing her for 6 damage.
Clarence drops his crossbow, runs up to Sibyl, and claws at her. Rolls a 2.
Sartorii succeeds in retching to reduce her Sickened value to 1, but cannot clear it completely.
She then shoots an arrow through the membrane of Sibyl's wing, dealing 2 damage.
The Sprite casts Electric Arc; Sibyl succeeds, but not a crit, so it at least does damage this time.
The Sprite rolls max damage, dealing 6.
Linden casts Acid Splash, misses, then moves over to the Sprite's corner of the room.
The Sprite waves at Linden. Hi!
Linden waves back. Hello!
Sibyl smiles and casts Scorching Column at Linden and the Sprite.
Both fail their reflex save and take 10 damage.
Alexei stands and casts Purifying Icicle at Sibyl.
(DM: "God I really hope this misses, I'm sick of her.")
Misses.
Hero Point.
Hit!
Alexei conjures a holy lance of ice and fires it at Sibyl as he chants, "In the name of the beautiful goddess, cease your anger! Find redemption in your demise!"
Sibyl starts to run toward Alexei. The icicle slams directly into her chest. Her body flies back and she's pinned to the ground. She chokes as blood runs down her face, then falls limp.
Clarence immediately sets to slicing every artery he can, making sure the job's done. "Bast is best!" he growls before ripping her throat out.
The pillar of flame consuming Linden and the Sprite gutters and goes out. Alexei rushes over to make sure Linden's okay.
"I've never condemned anyone before..."
"You didn't, you saved a bunch of people."
As Linden says that, Sibyl sputters and reaches for Clarence. Clarence bats her hand away.
Alexei wonders if he can do anything more to help the Herexen. With a 14 religion check, he knows when their undead bodies are destroyed, their souls are freed.
The hooded man poofs into existence in the middle of the room.
This fraction of Asmodeus looks at Alexei. "Oh little cleric, don't fear! You all lived up to your bargain better than I could have hoped. Just look at my little girl!"
Sibyl still sputters. It seems she cannot die, no matter how much she might want to.
Asmodeus snaps his fingers. Chains descend from the platform and wrap around Sibyl. She screams as the chains draw her into the center platform, which opens and snaps shut behind her. Her screams are cut off by the sound of burning.
"It seems I have another beautiful demon to train. And you, it seems your beautiful Brevoy is safe for another day! Every single one of you save for one has felt my touch. Every one of you is destined for such great things! Terrible things, but great."
He snaps his fingers.
The party poofs out of the room and finds themselves standing in some nondescript sewer tunnel. A lantern sits in the middle of the party. The center of it, where a flame would burn, looks much like the room they just did battle in.
Alexei and Clarence put their heads together and surmise this is a vessel for something, but that something is gone.
Alexei casts Detect Magic. Whatever magic lingers is just residual.
Clarence suggests wrapping it up and dumping it in the bag of holding.
The party hurries out from the sewer. They emerge to see Astrafel and a bunch of guards waiting for them.
Clarence launches into the procedural rundown of facts, making sure to tell Astrafel about the lantern that needs to be investigated.
Midway through his explanation, Astrafel grabs him by the shoulders. "Was he there?"
"No. I would have led with that."
Astrafel releases him, and cannot side how much his hands are shaking.
Meanwhile, Linden walks up behind Clarence. He puts his hand on Clarence's shoulder as a show of support.
Clarence taps Linden's hand as thanks, but goes back to trying to get stuff done and keeping Astrafel distracted from mourning.
Astrafel directs his guards to lock the sewer exits down. "So, did you lot pick up some strays?" He gestures at Alexei and Linden.
While all this is going on, Sartorii dips out. A fitting move for a rogue, but not something Sartorii typically does in social situations.
Clarence shares what the party heard from Sibyl, guessing Kelso would come back.
Astrafel is sure Kelso wouldn't.
Linden takes this moment to introduce himself and Alexei to Astrafel, stating they represent Lord First and were tasked with assisting this group.
He states the cultists were dispatched, but one got away and is running around up here.
"Look, I'm going to do one more sweep of this city. Do any of you need my help for anything? And where's Sartorii?"
"She left."
Clarence asks if he needs someone to go with him.
"You may find it difficult to follow me, I apologize." Astrafel grows his wings out.
(The Sprite also flaps up next to Astrafel to flaunt his wings too.)
"If it's not too presumptive," Linden requests, "Some healing potions and a staff of healing so I can help my husband keep this group up would help. I do not think we will rest until this is handled."
"I'll see what I can do. Is there room for these two in Woodwatch Tower, or should I send it to Segrid First's villa?"
"Please send anything to the apothecary's guild," Alexei cuts in.
"Ah, so are you a willow, ginseng?"
Linden's a consultant with no rank, Alexei's willow.
Linden makes sure everyone exchanges details, so they know where everyone lives. Alexei and Linden leave to head home.
Clarence heads to the tower to clean the blood from his fur and take care of the furs.
Sartorii found a bush to retch in to remove her Sickened status, then made her way to Black Dragon's Rest to drink herself under the table.
Rutana plans to find Naialah to get healed, then purchase cheese and go home to stress cook.
The Sprite plans to look for Sartorii.
In the Black Dragon's Rest, a six-foot tall man covered in a burka-esque shawl stands behind the counter. He has two little hands with well-manicured nails peeking out from the low-hanging sleeves, the only part of him visible beside from his beady eyes.
"And what will you have today, my avian—oh you look like shit, are you okay?"
"I may have been put through a literal hell more than I would like."
"So the good stuff. The good stuff?" He pulls down an intricate bottle and sets it aside. Grinds a sugar cube in the bottom of a glass, squirts in some bitters, slides the glass to the side, magics up a perfectly-clear ice cube and drops it into the glass, then pours the liquor over the cube. "Tell me all about it! What happened? I'm curious! I can't help myself!"
There aren't many others in the bar. Those who occupy it are giving them a wide berth,
"What don't you already know?"
"Well I'm quite insulted that I didn't know a cult was down there!"
"You didn't know?"
"I think some other broker was helping them. I don't help Asmodeans, Sartorii. I have standards!"
The sound of puking echoes from outside the bar.
He thinks there's someone else trafficking the cultists into the city.
Sartorii asks him to let her know if there's another broker in town.
He's not willing to snitch, that would reflect poorly on her business. But, he can give her a list! A list that can be used to find new work, of course.
He pulls a flask from under the bar, tips in some of that good whiskey, then corks it up and passes it to Sartorii.
"You've got nowhere to go but up, right. You literally snuck out of hell!"
"Not really snuck, more like unceremoniously dropped after I quote unquote learned my lesson."
"It sounds like this person was incredibly powerful. What matters is you're still alive. You've got a pulse, you've still got a chance."
"It's not that, more the feeling it left."
"Well the whiskey's not gonna help settle your stomach one bit."
The Sprite searches about for Sartorii, but doesn't turn anything up. He heads back to the tower.
Linden and Alexei come home to a wreath and banner reading "Congratulations, heroes!" from Segrid First.
Clarence makes it home without trouble or fanfare. He gets to stress cleaning and taking care of all the animals.
It's pretty late in the day, so Rutana shows up when Naialah is starting to close up.
Rutana walks in covered in blood and with a thousand-yard stare. "Hey."
"Tangled web, what happened to you?!"
"Did you hear there was a cult in the sewer?"
"Yeah I heard something about that."
"Yeah not anymore."
Naialah finishes closing up and guides Rutana inside. She shifts into her spider form and goes about tending to Rutana.
Bruised throughout the entire left side, organ damage, three broken ribs, and looking a little bit singed.
Two gold for a full patch-up.
When Rutana goes home, she drops a bunch of cheese on the counter, walks right past Clarence cuddling all the animals, and stomps right down to her basement to look for the couple of religious items in her family's stuff.
Clarence asks if she wants to be left alone, or...
Yeah she wants to be left alone now, she'll make sandwiches later.
On Sartorii's list, the names are in alphabetical order.
Right at the top of the list is the name Besh.
Sartorii gets home completely drunk. She stumbles into her room and falls asleep.
The Sprite writes a little letter home to his family, describing all the events they'd encountered up to this point.