Campaign3/session-5
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Session 5: A View to a Kill
37 Orran 810
With the last of the Demarian clerics taken care of, an eerie silence falls over the party. Outside, Malena has ceased to struggle against Cathon, and the party converges to decide what to do next. Everyone is keenly aware of the noise of the battle, and the screams for help from one of the clerics before he was cut down in the street.
Surely guards will be on the way.
As the groups stands in the area where the clerics were trying to raise their fallen warkaster (Nai Ethryn), the robes of the clerics begin to wriggle. Suddenly, hundreds of black eels emerge from the robes and quickly slither away through cracks in the floor.
"What the hell was THAT?!?" Aethra blurts. One of the group pulls off the robes of a fallen cleric, to reveal ten holes along the abdomen, presumably where the eels emerged from the bodies. Aethra covers her mouth, suppressing a gag reflex. "Perhaps it was better I didn't know..."
The group acts fast to secure the robes they came for, then emerges into the back garden. Shouting from down the street can be heard drawing close. Rahaza has a wild look in her eyes as she crosses to Cathon. "Can she move on her own, or does she need to be sedated..."
Malena's sobs subside. "I can walk --"
"Good, lets move!" Rahaza rushes toward the back of the garden, where Feiruhn is waiting.
The party makes it's way back to the wall where they crossed into the protected enclave, and slip back into the commoners portion of Sunai. Aethra sends Feiruhn with a message to the other members of her phyle: "You really need to go on vacation. Now." The message is plain to the rest of the party...
A few moments pass as they linger in the dark, and they have a chance to plan what to do next. At first, the discussion is about how to infiltrate Rannoch temple to kill the Seizorann, but Malena quickly interrupts, "We should forget about the temple. I overheard them talking. They know what you're up to. We should steal the airship instead and flee the city." Malena's eyes look to Cathon with borderline desperation. Her months as a slave have clearly worn on her.
"What airship," Mundori asks, "what are you talking about?"
"While I was their prisoner, " Malena looks at her feet, "they forced me to help them steal an enchanted Eloshai ship that sails in the air rather than by sea. I know where it is! We can steal it back! The elves will pay handsomely for it's return... far better than the dwarves are paying you for this, I'm sure."
Angnar grunts. "We're being paid to do a job. A lot of dwarves are relying on us to do our part. I say we do it, and then grab the ship after we've taken care of the Seizorann."
The party generally agrees with Angnar, and leaves Cathon, Malena and Aethra behind to sort out what to do with Cathon's love. Malena tries once more to convince Cathon to abandon the cause, but he reasons with her, and in the end it is decided that Aethra will take Malena back to Merrick's while Cathon goes to help the others.
At the edge of the plaza surrounding Rannoch temple, Cathon rejoins the others and fills them in on where Aethra and Malena have gone. Gorin scouts out the entrance to the temple and finds it open and unguarded.
Carefully, the group infiltrates the temple, and converges on the central ceremonial area, the home of the Seizorann. Beh is spared the horrors found within, as his blindness from the previous fight has not worn off, but the others bear witness to the mass of tentacles spawned from two central pillars, one hanging from the ceiling above the others. The tentacles fan out and converge on several goldspun robed clerics situated around the room, disappearing beneath the robes. A collective shudder runs through the group as they recall the physiology of the clerics they just stole the robes from.
Along the walls of the chamber, the tentacles work their way into large leathery sacks. Mundori and Angnar secure a goldspun robe over the 'head' of the Seizorann, a large maw at the pinnacle of the bottom mass of tendril. A deafening screech fills the room, seemingly emanating from everywhere. The sound is painful and a few of the group are nearly stunned by the effect. Cathon counters the sound with a bardsong, which allows the party to continue to communicate, and makes the Seizorann's screeching bearable.
Angnar and Beh hack away at the base of the head while Mundori breaks open one of the sacks. Within, something humanoid stirs, but Mundori quickly kills it, suppressing his own revulsion of what he has seen. He quickly moves to the next sack, spreading oil as he goes. Rahaza obliges with fire, and the burning pods fill the room with acrid smoke.
In the corridors, Gorin and Cathon hound a Demarian acolyte as he tries to escape to raise the alarm. He is swift, but not swift enough, and Gorin cuts him down just short of the North entrance to the temple.
Finally, the Seizorann's head is cut free from the network of tentacles and the screeching stops. For a moment, the only thing the party can hear is ringing in their ears. Then they feel the first tremor beneath their feet.
"Get OUT!" Mundori yells as he heads for the door. The party emerges into the street, and the scene is one of total chaos. Structures which for so long were deformed by the Seizorann's muckling grasp suddenly lack the support to remain standing, and all around buildings are collapsing. The streets are choked with dust, and the wails of the wounded and terrified.
Weaving through the tangled streets, partly carried by the throng, the group makes it's way toward the wall. A short distance to their left, an entire block drops from view, forming an ever-expanding sinkhole, and the percussive sounds of explosions can be heard clearly over the thunder. The dwarves have been busy.
Cathon realizes that his true love is somewhere amongst the rubble, and rushes off to find Malena. The rest of the group makes no effort to stop him, but simply continues toward the wall. As they reach the ruins of the fortifications, the group looks back over Sunai to witness the destruction that their hands have wrought. The towering spire of Rannoch temple cants slightly to one side and disappears from view as it falls into the mine below.
Meanwhile, Cathon finds Malena dragging Aethra toward the wall. Aethra is unconscious with a nasty gash on her forehead. Together, they reach the wall and manage to cross just fifty yards from the rest of the party.
With difficulty, Rahaza, Mundori, Gorin, Angnar and Beh climb over the remains of the wall and emerge on the other side. A confused crowd mills around roughly 30 yards from the collapsed fortifications, and spots the party, which is no longer disguised as Dargai.
"They did this! Get them!" One of the Demarians blurts and draws his sword.
Cathon and Malena, with Aethra in tow, join the party in facing off against the angry mob. Several guards have stepped forward to lead the mob, slowly advancing toward the party.
"We have destroyed your city!" Angnar bellows, "Stand aside, or feel our WRATH!"
Following Angnar's cue, Mundori and Rahaza whip up a pyrotechnic display that sends the crowd scurrying for cover. The party strides through the cowering crowd, and into the desert unmolested.
Previously: Thunderball
Continued in: Epilogue
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