13th-20th of Abadius: Sprint to Avalon
Information Given
With haste the group, along with their diminutive enemy, Cygar and The Violet Minstrel journey north along the Wayside Pass.
As they ride out, William says, "We have associates that have been monitoring The Organization as you made your way to the desert to retrieve the crystal. We found it odd that they began pursuit of you, but as you were leaving the mountains of Reynes they stopped tracking you."
Myne says, "Yes, we thought it was odd as well, we were expecting an ambush."
William nods and says, "Yes, Bethara expected the same when she made for the crystal in the north with no opposition. It seems that there has been a shift of interest, and what was once thought to be of utmost importance is no longer of interest at all. Our contact Felstadt made a joint effort to find out what happened, and they managed to track down an Organization member and made him squeal. They said that they no longer needed such insignificant items, and simply said that after their next mission, their work would be complete. We had to wonder, what would they be going after now? They must be going big, and we had to wonder what they found. We heard word that Isidorian troops were marching north past Ani, and we knew they were going for Avalon."
Alex asks, "What begat the king and queen of Ani?"
William says, "They are currently safe in Ano Liosia. We sent word to Avalon to ready...we're not sure if their magical force could make an impact on their forces."
They journey through the mountain road north, and they fill in Poppet and Mastodon as best they can on what their adventures have encompassed since their tiny 'coming of age' ceremony in Kassen two and a half months ago.
Information Taken
For three days the weather is favorable as they pass through the village of Mendiak and fork right onto the Rainbow Pass. At the pass, they decide to rest the horses and interrogate their rose-masked prisoner. Lo and Mastodon volunteer to do the interrogation, and before they approach her they discuss their tactic for breaking her while those interested in watching get a good seat: Alex and Tarian stand with their arms folded, and Poppet seats herself cross-legged, clearly full of anticipation. Myne meanwhile walks away, not sure if her stomach can take what Lo and Mastodon might be planning, and Roth follows her. Despite their past hostility, Lo and Mastodon seem eager to put their heads together for the interrogation, and decide on a bruiser-good-guy approach, with Mastodon doing the threatening and knuckle cracking while Lo tries to use diplomacy to 'help her avoid injury.' They wake up the rose-masked figure, whom they had been keeping under a Sleep spell to avoid dealing with her until they were ready.
Mastodon picks her up like a child and seats her on a tree stump, and staring her down says, "Tell us what we need to know."
Lo chimes in as he gestures towards Mastodon, "Cooperating is your best option, just giving you a heads-up on that one."
She grins and says, "You will get nothing from me!" and spits at Lo's face.
Poppet quietly casts Misfortune on the small figure as Mastodon bears down on her, picks her up and slams her body onto the forest floor. It knocks the wind out of her, and she gasps for air.
Lo stands over the top of her recalling the devastation they left behind and says with emotion, "Why did you have to destroy Cresta?"
She gives a couple weak breaths, seeming to give in to Mastodon's crushing blow, and says, "The Pathfinders were impeding our mission."
Mastodon quickly cuts in with, "What mission?"
She says, "Master Kyus, his mission is to find crystals for the cause."
Mastodon pushes her into the dirt further and says, "What cause?"
She gives a dreamy smile and says, "The resurrection of the God of Our World, Abaddon."
Poppet, no longer able to contain her anticipation and desire for the knowledge says, "Where are the armies heading?"
In response, the halfling says with some triumph, "Master Kyus will get what he wants and there is nothing you can do to stop us!"
Lo steps in and says, "What is your intention concerning Abaddon and the crystals?"
She says, "It is what we need for the resurrection."
Lo follows with, "Where is Master Kyus?"
The halfling says, "He will be leading the army himself. Kyus would not lie to us, he would save us. He saved me from a cold empty hilltop. He is a true savior banished long ago."
Lo says, "Are your five comrades in the army?"
The halfling gives Lo a penetrating look when she says, "You have already taken one, but they may be there."
Tarian speaks up and says, "Do the black crystals play a role?"
She looks confused by the question and says, "That is not part of my mission, I don't know."
Holding up the translated text, Tarian asks, "Who is Milon Yestare?"
She says, "The one who wrote the original scripts, translated by our Master."
Lo says, "Why should we keep you alive?"
She holds herself as proudly as she can as she says, "I am one of the few that are not living a lie."
Lo looks at her with some scrutiny and says, "Who are you?"
"Armorette Aquarius."
Tarian goes back to the transcript and says, "I'm not sure how plunging the world into darkness is a good thing."
Armorette excitedly says, "Can't you see?!"
Mastodon cuts in with, "I don't see how burning a village to the ground is saving us."
Armorette hesitates and says, "Blood must be spilt..."
Tarian asks, "What will Abaddon do?"
Armorette says, "He shall bring magic back, the gods will come back. All that has been corrupted and destroyed will be rebuilt under Abaddon. It is Eden that has destroyed all!"
Alex crosses his arms, spits at the ground in her direction and says, "Nice… but the gods aren't real."
Armorette in turn sits in a pouty silence at his insolence.
To bring her out of it, Tarian says, "Who are the other masked members? We know of Tyrion, Zod, Namia, and now you. Who else remains?"
She leans back proudly and names off her comrades, "Asmodius Zod, our black spellcaster, Namia Ellariel the witch, Braum of the Greystone Sentry carries two axes, Tyrion Broodfinder the bowman, Athuzbar uses his fists, and Laralas is heavily-armored."
They feel that there is nothing more to get out of her after this exhaustive interrogation, and decide it best to keep moving on, putting a Sleep spell back on Armorette so she does not cause any trouble.
The Road Well Traveled
On the third day they gallop across the Rainbow Bridge that passes over the river; the grand waterfall here causes colors to arch through the air and over the bridge, giving the bridge its name. In the two days that follow, clouds move in and snow begins to fall. The road becomes a trail of white dust, and the group's formation parts the newly fallen powder. They keep their hoods tied tight, and squint in the cold air as they rush along the path. They turn onto the Trail of the Magi, and notice that the snow upon the road is packed down, as if hundreds recently marched through, and not only footprints by humanoids, but horses, and carts, all leading toward the city of Avalon.
For two days they follow the path taken by hundreds, and know that they must be coming close to the city after a hard ride. Several miles out, they ride up a hilltop coming out of the forest, and look down into the valley that Avalon resides within. They see what they expect but dread to see: smoke, the distant clanging of weapons clashing against each other, and the flags of armies waving in the air. Furthest to the north wave the flags of Isidore, the kingdom in the far-east that still holds control over many eastern territories since the last war. From the south and the west wave the flags of Solaris and of Reynes, the Sun and the Rose fighting side by side against a common foe. From their vantage point it does not seem like Avalon has been taken yet, though several buildings in the city burn; the forces of Isidore have brought siege weapons and trebuchets that hurl projectiles across the lake and into the city of mages. Isidore's forces seem to be much greater than the city of Avalon could ever have been ready to face.
20th of Abadius: The Battle For Avalon
Tactics & Assault
The group looks on with their mouths open for a bit, and then they are brought back to reality by Cygar and William, "They must not take Avalon; we cannot let the forces enter the city. Luckily for Avalon they are in the middle of a lake, their walls are high, and there is only one entrance to the city, and that is across a bridge spanning a lake. Our best move at this point is to remove access to the city by somehow taking out the bridge or blocking it."
Myne raises a tentative hand and says, "I-I think I can take out the bridge by eroding the shoreline, and I can get there quickly if I fly."
The group look at one another and approve the plan.
Cygar says, "With the bridge taken care of, our next objective is to aid the allies, and take down their leaders. More than likely they will be in the thick of it, but they are our highest priority: wade in and take them out. The Isidorian forces may not continue fighting without a leader, or at least it will lower their morale. After that, if we can minimize the damage to the city by taking out the siege weapons, we should try to make our way to those next."
The group hands off a sleeping Amorette to Cygar and William, knowing that the two Pathfinders would ensure her captivity and hand-off to Solarian authorities when they could manage it.
They ride out as fast as they can, and reach the back of the battle relatively quickly. They look out at ground level to a mass of bodies and weapons in a tangled mess. Here and there, trebuchets and catapults are given a wider berth, and through the mass near the bridge Tarian, Myne, and Roth spot a figure cutting down forces of the allies. He is a hulk of a man wielding a sword and shield, cutting men down as they approach him: Lord Blackheart. Tarian points him out, and Alex draws his sword and wades into the battle in rage. Alex's charge signals their action, and Myne turns into an eagle and flies off towards the bridge. Rauros and Mastodon both follow Myne's trail to aid her. Tarian takes an indirect approach and begins to slip through the masses. Poppet giggles and turns into an Advanced Giant Scorpion, and Roth and Lo follow behind, pushing through the crowd.
A rain of arrows comes down on them, and Tarian and Alex get hit with them as they push forward. Around them men fall as they swing their swords. Lo is distracted by one man in front of him, and does not see another coming up from behind, ready to strike him down. As he begins to bring his sword down on Lo, a large, strange-looking cat creature with multiple legs leaps on him, driving him to the ground. Nearby, the familiar face of Bethara is seen cheering triumphantly at Brahm's attack. A flaming sphere comes down on Mastodon, Alex, Rauros, and Lo, hitting them hard. A nearby allied cleric prays to their god and restores health for Mastodon.
Unaware of what her friends are facing, Myne lands silently on the bank of the lake near the bridge's support structures at the end furthest from the city. She stays in eagle form to be able to escape quickly, but immediately casts Obscuring Fog to hide herself. She then casts Soften Earth on the shoreline, and watches as the hard ground turns to soft mud. She flies out from underneath the bridge, and watches as the guard tower begins to sink into the mud. The shifting of the stones causes the whole bridge to destabilize and collapse, and she watches as enemy forces that were on the bridge are tossed off in the collapse.
Darkness, Light, and Redemption
With a lot of fighting, pushing, and pain, the group make their way to the front of the battle, close to the city's bridge gates. They shout with excitement when they see the gate tower and bridge collapse, knowing that somewhere ahead in the magical fog is Myne, her mission complete. In the foreground looms a formidable sight: Lord Blackheart in thorny black plate armor and a cloak of wolf fur, wielding a battle-axe and shield. Flanking him are two figures in black cloaks and masks: one with horns and one in the likeness of a fox; Zod and Namia. All three figures are blocking the path to the bridge, a mass of allied forces lay dead around them, and it seems that no soldiers are willing to engage them in combat any longer. Before Mastodon can continue running towards Myne's fog, Tarian quickly warns Mastodon about Zod's sword as they slowly approach the trio, and as if on cue Zod takes off his mask, revealing the face and horns of a tiefling, and replaces it with a horned helm.
Lord Blackheart laughs as he sees their familiar faces and says, "Well, you're a long way from Kassen. This is the end of your little adventure through the woods."
Namia leans over and whispers something in his ear which Tarian eyes widen as he manages to catch her say, "Remember, Master wishes the rogue-ish elf to remain alive."
When she leans, Poppet notices that there is a small fox curled up around her neck, well-hidden under her cloak and mask. She gasps as she realizes Namia is a witch, and tells Widget to keep his distance, knowing that if her familiar dies, she loses her power. He scampers to stand behind Alex. Once he is safer, Poppet tries an aimed shot at Namia's fox with her stinger, but an allied soldier runs in front of her and she hits him instead.
Alex, his anger welling up inside him says, "You will come to an end. You have disgraced your kingdom and your name!"
He then drinks a Potion of Bull Strength to prepare him for the coming fight. Lord Blackheart sizes up his son, and leaps forward and strikes Alex hard with his battle axe. Roth's hatred and fear of Namia makes his choice of target easy; he lines up a sleep arrow that misses, his second releases a deafening crack that does not deafen her, and a third shot hits as well. Hearing the sound of Roth's bow, and finding Myne safe in the fog flying towards him, Mastodon makes his way back to the fight by following the sonic boom. Namia launches herself into the air, just out of the way of a claw grab from Poppet. Zod comes forward to engage Poppet and they watch as his sword catches on fire and he casts Scorching Ray on her.
Alex shouts at his father again, "You're a disgrace!" and brings down his sword on his father, but it glances off Blackheart's shield, and his second swing misses completely.
Lo tries to cast Slow on Lord Blackheart but misses, and moves into a better position for his next spell. Tarian sneaks up on Zod and tries to take a precise shot at his head, but the crossbow bolt deflects off his helmet. Myne and Rauros sprint in the direction of Roth's bow to try to be free of the fog and join the fight.
Poppet changes out of her scorpion form, shouts to the group that Zod is a magus and Namia is a witch, and to try not to kill her or her familiar. Widget hops on her shoulders and she takes off into the air after Namia.
Lord Blackheart shouts at his son, "You're weak, just like your mother!" and swings his battle-axe hard at his shoulder and then kicks Alex in the groin, making him lose his breath and feel nauseated from the low blow.
Roth fires another sleep arrow at Namia, and the arrow hits but she does not fall asleep. His third shot hits and knocks her mask off, revealing elven features with dark skin and white hair- a drow. It then dawns on him that because of her race, she is immune to the effects of sleep. Mastodon runs out of the fog, sees the group engaged with Zod and Lord Blackheart, and charges Zod with his great sword. Namia sees Poppet follow her into the sky, and tries to cast Deep Slumber on her, but it fails. Zod engages his new target by swinging his sword, and then with his other hand touches Mastodon and casts Life Force Drain. Alex, still woozy from the kick takes a step back holding his crotch and trying to catch his breath. Lo sings a Song of His People, Inspiring Confidence in his allies. Tarian sneaks and fires another bolt at Zod and then drinks an Invisibility Potion. Myne and Rauros emerge from the fog, with Myne still in eagle form. She flies over the top of Zod and Blackheart and casts Flame Strike, with Zod dodging part of the damage and Lord Blackheart taking the full effect of the burning damage. Rauros charges and attacks Zod but misses.
Poppet casts Lip Stitch on Namia, but it doesn't work.
Lord Blackheart shouts, "Prepare yourself!"
Alex shouts back provokingly, "Come on then!"
His battle-axe misses, but Lord Blackheart manages to trip Alex, making him fall backwards onto the ground with a thud. With Namia being a much more difficult target air bound, Roth focuses his attention on Lord Blackheart. He fires one sleep arrow that Blackheart blocks with his shield, but his second shot with another sleep arrow hits, and Lord Blackheart's eyes flutter closed as he hits the dirt. Mastodon's first swing hits Zod hard while his second misses, and Namia's attack on Poppet misses. Zod hits Mastodon with his sword, and with his other hand casts Dark Bolt at Mastodon, hitting him with Gloom Blind Bolts that luckily do not blind Mastodon.
From the ground, Alex sees his father fall, and pulls himself up. He stands over his father, and raises his sword above his head to stab Lord Blackheart in the chest. As he begins to bring his sword down, Alex sees a flash of pure white light and silence envelops him. As the light fades, he finds himself in a temple made of stone with tall glass windows that fills the space with light. A red carpet runs down an aisle lined on either side with pews. At the front of this space is an altar, illuminated by a great circular glass window; the beam of radiance from it shines upon a lone figure facing away from him and kneeling at an altar. The figure stands, and turns around to face Alex. Alex squints in the bright light to look at the figure clad in brilliant armor with a white cloak draped over the shoulders, and a sword with a hilt and handle of polished gold at their side. The figure begins to walk towards Alex, their face unrecognizable in the bright light.
They are tall, and long in their years, and then a voice that he knows so well greets him, "Hello, Alexander," and the figure standing before Alex forms into his grandfather.
"It is good to see you Alex, you have grown strong in such a short amount of time. Though I feel something troubles you, and that you have lost your way."
Alex stares dumbfounded at the presence of his grandfather, knowing too well that he fell in the battle at Elysia.
His grandfather fills the silence with, "Come Alex, walk with me out in the gardens."
He leads Alex out through a pair of doors in the back of the temple, and outside is a beautiful garden full of the fresh aromas of flowers.
He turns to his grandson with a worried expression and says, "What is it that troubles you?"
Still in shock, he manages to swallow hard and say, "Grandfather, how do you stand here? You fell defending the Capital!"
His grandfather looks grim and says, "It was an honorable fight to the end."
Alex shakes his head and says, "How is this possible? Iomedae has left me; I have been abandoned. Why do you stand before me?"
His grandfather nods and says, "Call it a gift from the goddess….and there is some confusion within you: she has not abandoned you, you have turned your back on her. Iomedae may be a goddess, but even she has her limits. It was not she who took these things from you, however if you ask of her the strength to recover that which you have lost, she will answer."
Alex begins to well up with tears at the thought of what he had lost and what he had done to his faith and says, "I-I don't deserve her attention."
His grandfather sees the pain in his voice, and says, "Perhaps you should speak with her on that matter yourself."
They had wandered into a more open area of the garden where tall green hedges create a circular space, and in the center are four pillars. Between them Alex sees a woman clad in silvery plate mail with brown hair that is cut short, and as she looks directly at Alex, he shifts uncomfortably because her gaze is the strongest he had ever witnessed. Alex's grandfather extends his arm, and directs him closer to her. Alex breathes deep, taking shuddering gulps of air as he realizes he is standing before the goddess Iomedae. He gets as close to her as he dares before he becomes overwhelmed by her power; he averts his eyes and drops to his knees.
From above, he hears her speak, "You have forgotten my voice, but I have not forgotten you, Alexander Shieldheart. You were a young man of honor and valor, you fought for those who could not protect themselves...but you let the darkness grab hold of you, and its grip remains firm. The world is in need of you and your comrades, there is evil spreading across Nordost. Become my voice, become my sword, become my shield, and become my servant once again. Through you my power will flow. Do you accept this responsibility?"
Alex cries in earnest, humbled by his goddess's mercy and overwhelming presence and says, "I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I would be your servant if you will have me."
She stands over him, and says, "Then rise Alexander, Sacred Servant of Iomedae. In my name, bring justice to those who would corrupt the world."
Alex stands, breathing deeply at his new found hope and responsibility, and sees his grandfather smiling at him and giving him the salute of Ani. He keeps his eyes on his grandfather as white light overtakes him again. When the light recedes, the sounds and sights of the battlefield rush back at Alex. He feels invigorated and flooded with energy. His father lays unmoving on the ground before him, covered in blood and dirt. Alex stays his still-raised sword, and turns to face Zod, ready to take down the masked enemy.
Beside him, Lo casts Grease on Zod's sword, but he manages to hold onto it. Tarian sneaks behind Zod, and aims a crossbow bolt at his casting arm that hits while Myne and Rauros's strikes both miss. Poppet casts Evil Eye on Namia while Roth fires two arrows at Zod. Mastodon takes a vicious swing at Zod that knocks him unconscious.
When he falls to the ground, Poppet hears Namia scream out, "No! Zod!" and then watches her drop from the sky to land on top of him, covering his body with her own.
She sheds tears and cries out, "You will not hurt him anymore!"
Red Wings and Ruby Robes
As if on cue a huge disruption is felt behind them. They turn to see the entire battlefield engulfed in flame, and they sense a massive evil presence coming down from the sky. Scores of allies and Isidorians are taken by the fire as they see a looming shadow, and in front of them a huge red dragon lands with an earth-shattering crash. All but Myne, Lo, and Poppet are panicked at its presence; dropping their weapons in fear, but even the three are still shaking at the sight. They see movement on the battlefield and when they look closer they see a figure walking through the blaze, wearing robes of ruby with hair that flickers like flames: Saraneth.
She looks at the group with a wicked smile and says, "Hello darlings, I am glad you were able to make it to this party. I see you have already met my lovely new pet Sultadiedarvurtearas. I like to just call him Vurtearas for short. He has been so kind as to help us with our little quest."
The group look up past Saraneth and the flame, and standing up on the dragon's back is a man wearing a hooded robe of pure white with long, golden-blonde hair, penetrating deep blue eyes, and a strong and chiseled face. He looks down at the group with a look of disdain, and then looks at the central tower of Avalon. As if the glance were a command, the dragon lifts its mighty wings; the powerful flapping of its wings causes a torrent of air that feeds the flames more as it lifts itself off the ground.
Sara watches the dragon take off, and then turns back to the group saying, "I wish we could stay longer lovelies, but I am afraid Mr. Malethdar is all business. But before I do go, you have something that belongs to me."
She starts walking towards Tarian with malice in her eyes and says, "I saw you snatch it up, little thief, now… where is it?!"
Tarian attempts a lie and says, "I buried it at the castle-"
"I am not speaking to you!"
She reaches out towards his corrupted arm, and with a flick of her finger, it turns black again, and Tarian feels like he no longer has control over his arm. He tries to fight it as his arm reaches into his Bag of Holding, and he tries a swap by putting his good arm in and pulling out a bottle of black ichor while his corrupted arm grabs hold of the black crystal.
She eyes the bottle of black ichor that he holds out and says, 'Nah uh uh, no funny business. Hand it over."
His corrupted arm pulls out the black crystal, and he watches as the corruption spreads up his arm and begins to flood across his chest, and despite all efforts to hold back, he sets the black crystal down in the palm of her outstretched hand.
She gives him an ingratiating smile and says, "Thank you, you've been a good lad."
Movement from the ground draws their eyes, and they see Lord Blackheart waking up from the effects of the sleep arrow. His face is bleeding, and he looks up at Sara, and back at the group.
He seems to know his fate if he is left behind, and grabs her robe saying, "You have to take me with you!"
Sara looks at him with mock pity and says, "Oh, look at you."
Her mouth spreads into a huge smile as she casts Hellfire Ray on him, surrounding his body with evil fire. He falls back to the ground dead, but the group know that it is an evil spell that is not finished after killing a person. After that, the person's soul is sent to hell. Sara's smile vanishes after Blackheart falls to the ground, and she casually turns and walks away from the group. Myne tries to shout out to her cousin, screaming her name, but the figure continues to walk. After a few yards, she launches into the air, flying off to join the dragon.
Up above the city the dragon flies, heading directly towards the main tower at the center of the city. Flying to the very top it digs its hind leg claws into the side of the tower, its tail slamming into it like a mighty whip. With its forearms it grasps the crystal at the top, and with a *swoosh* of its mighty wings it ascends into the sky, pulling the crystal off the tower. It turns its head back on the tower for one last time, and unleashes a torrent a blazing fire. Like the infernos of hell it engulfs the tower, and the stone cracks under the heat, turning it brittle. As the dragon pushes off into the sky, the top of the tower collapses in on itself, sending an avalanche of stone and dust crashing onto the streets of Avalon. On the battlefield, the Isidorian leaders signal their victory and order their troops to retreat. The group watch in desperate horror as the figures of Sara and the dragon, with the hooded white figure mounted astride it, fly off without a backwards glance.
