Unruly Sonne

Summary

Scribe Notes

Adventure: Unruly Sonne
GM: William
Session: Autumn 815wk
Night: Monday
Location Chez Ellis
Level: High
Party:

1. Bishop Velcanthus - a human Wiccan/Rune priest of Chantris - Jim Arona - the Scribe
2. Sabrina - a Valkyrior Namer/Warrior & Chooser of the Slain - Dean - the Military Scientist
3. Viola - an Illusionist pacted to Loki, reformed so they say - Bridget
4. Eric - a dwarf Namer/Warrior & unreformed - Mike Haycock - the Party Leader
5. Grendel - a human Sorceror of the Mind/Water Mage/Warrior pacted to Itimanuka - Simon White
6. Kern - an elf Earth Mage/Warrior pacted to Gupti - Chris

Employer: Kali the Nameless and may Chantris keep us safe, Corel the Idiot

Briefing

Yea, and it came to pass that we didst rise yesterday morn to find no sun upon the horizon. And, though we consulted with the omens, portents, oracles, pythonesses and sybils, yet did we find no other answer but that "the Darkness is coming", which, given that the sun hadn't made an appearance, hadst none of the odour of mystic foreseeing that astudying of the skysigns would be expected. Cometh thou to the Guild, saith they, see great wonders, saith they, learn new and powerful things that will bring the light of Chantris even to the ignorant savage, saith they...

Scribe Notes

Session 1

1st Fruit

9:00 am

So, the following day, if it be called that without a sun to mark the borders of the night, attended we the Guild Meeting that we might speak the one with the other, and from this speaking, hopeth we that understanding wouldst come forth. But, so sooner than we hadst sat but that Kali the Nameless and Corel the Idiot appeareth before us, acrying that we must all make our way unto three great portals, there to be whisked into hideous danger that we might bring light and hope to prevail against everlasting darkness.
So, didst we rise and take ourselves into them, not without grave reservation given that such instruction cometh forth from Corel, and he hath raised bumbling, yea, unto the level of a Professional Skill. And didst we wonder if this were but some ruse to gain a Master Rank. But, we didst hide our concerns and with a willing mien.
Forasmuch as the Air Flying spell was working, we didst not instantly plummet to our death, from our position on high, we didst see a floating, glowing green ziggurat about 60 feet wide at the base and about 150 feet high, drifting several hundred feet off the ground. It was surrounded by 7 orbiting obsidian spikes, and this was upon our right. Before us and facing away, we didst see a party of artillerists working upon a trebuchet, arming it with barrels of deepest necromantic green. And, finally, to our left didst we see a three-headed dragon the colour of evil which we identified as Bune, the Dragon Duke. We calculated the dragon as the most serious threat, and, it being a tenth of a mile away, advanced upon it at flank speed.
After we had covered three hundred feet, two of the dragon's heads cast, and a pair of undead dragon minions countermoved toward us, so that before we had covered 100 feet, they were upon us. The other head breathed a cloud of evil blackness which assailed the spirit and driveth out hope, but we shook off the despair. Sabrina eschewed the minions as mere distractions and advanced upon Bune, while Kern and Eric engaged one each. Viola, mounted on her bird, closed from the rear so that she might cast Banishment and send it back to whence it came, while Grendel and I rained fire upon them.
And it transpired, much to our sorrow, that these diabolical creatures were native unto the Plane of Alusia so that they couldst not be banished, and there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth, but we resolveth to slay them all and then wail and gnash afterwards.
Chantris was with me, for while Eric didst prevent the minion from threatening me, particularly holy bolts of Hellfire fell from mine eyes and sought it out. So intense were the flames that the rancid flesh and rotting blood of the beast sublimated into a searing ball of superheated offal, and Eric and I were thrown about the sky. Well, I was thrown about the sky, Eric just rose a little higher.
In the meantime, Kern, Viola and Grendel had assailed the other minion, but its armour was steely. It seemed that Grendel's Hellfire might have done the most damage, but it was definitely not being Banished. Kern had bravely clambered onto the beast's back, and was slashing at it's back and neck, looking for a weak point.
In the mean time, Sabrina had confronted Bune, and grown to be a seven hex creature, and she didst belabour it with much pain and suffering. Indeed, they exchanged titanic blows and Barretskyne rang with the grim sound of their battle. The jaws of one of Bune's heads became unhinged, and it threw this gaping maw over Sabrina so that she was trapped somewhat inside it. Fearlessly, Sabrina used a Warrior's stratagem, drove some sharp pointy weapon like thing into the demon's palate, and slid free as it shook its head to dislodge this needle-like splinter. Dragon and Chooser of the Slain exchanged blow after mighty blow until the ground itself trembled.
In the sky, the rest of us concentrated upon the last minion, but one of Bune's heads uttered a Word of Power which tore at our living flesh, threatening to slay us like unto the Whirlwind Vortex spell, but our resolve held and none of us succumbed. Again, we worked upon the minion even as Bune didst strive against Sabrina and Prepare yet another Word. But, on this occasion, Sabrina didst, within an Emerald amulet, trap the Word delivering us from its working. Soon, the minion fell to our assault, whereupon we moved straightway to the demon in support of Sabrina, who barely needed it, really. Eric didst command that we should spread wide, that we might limit the effectiveness of magic that targeteth a volume or many folk, and this proved strikingly wise in the moments to come. Grendel eschewed mighty blows, and instead drew forth an estoc of sinister aspect. For, though it didst but middling harm, yet it assaileth the inner strength of of our foe, thus to weaken it against magic.
Eric and Sabrina delivered stone-shattering blows against the demon, whose reserves seemed endless. Kern looked for places where its armour seemed weakest, while Viola kept watch. After a particularly powerful pair of blows from Eric, yet another head, one that we had but little to do with, cast an Necrosis enhanced to Ranks in excess of 40 upon me, Eric and Grendel. And, but for the way that Eric and Sabrina were keeping the beast focused upon them on the ground, it would have moved to engage me, intuiting a degree of antipathy in me. And, I didst say in the quite places of my thoughts, "Bugger".
Even as we assailed it, the ground beneath the demon's feet didst take on an unwholesome glow the colour of murder, as if it had cast the Smoking Magma spell beneath it. The Necrosis Casting head swiveled over to the other side of the field of battle, and whereupon the flesh of Viola, Kern and Sabrina erupted into wounds, or it wouldst have, but that they shook it off.
Again, Chantris was with me, and she didst lend unto me a great torrent of fire which fell upon the Necrosis Casting head, which hung senseless from its neck. Whereupon, Bune fled the battle, slipping into the molten rock he had been creating. I didst try to summon him back as an Enchanted Creature, seeing that he was now a native creature of Alusia, but either it worketh not or Bune resisted.
Eric didst commnd of us to loot but we couldst find little so we didst gather ourselves up and hied us to the trebuchet, where we found that the artillerists had fled the scene. We rose upon the wind and investigated the floating, glowing green ziggurat, and upon investigating further, discovered that the floating obsidian spikes didst serve in some wise to give to support to the creature within. And, when we didst check the aura of the spikes to discover the name of the creature within, we found it to be "Ick", that vile singular entity that createth super-doppelgangers to infiltrate the elves of Elfheim, and worked such mischief within the Ministry of War (Legion's End).
Sabrina didst from her pack take out specially enhanced invested Web spells, and by entangling the orbiting spikes, didst force them to fall onto the ziggurat to shatter. So, didst we enter of this structure, and we didst speak with the vile Ick, and it seemeth that it didst but wait to discover the outcome of Nightfall, whereupon it would scavenge a new universe to take over from the remains. And Sabrina fell upon the vile thing, uttering the Word of Power that teareth flesh from flesh, bone from bone, sinew from sinew and nerve from nerve. Yea, and though it didst bring about the destruction of the Ick flesh, so also did it destroy the floating, glowing green ziggurat that would have been a proud monument to the glory of Chantris, and there was a moment of wailing at the wholly unecessary loss of loot. For two hours.

Elevenses

And as we didst speak with each other over whose fault it was that had brought such destruction about to a perfectly fine floating, glowing green ziggurat, a Chooser of the Slain appeared unto us, saying that Asgard had need of us, and to follow her on high.
And we didst discover when we were in that place, that Loki had thrown a party where he had passed around such sweetmeats as would pique the palate and expand the mind and that one should but nibble of it slowly otherwise the top of thy head might turn orange and explode into green and purple plumes of smoke and sparkles. And, it seemeth that all of those who had attended the party had turned into animals. Given the nature of the Norse gods and goddesses, and given the nature of any comestible at a party given by Loki, a veil of decency is drawn.
It seems that Sól, the Norse goddess of the sun, didst more than but nibble. It seemeth that she didst take of an unseemly large amount of Loki's cate, turning into a cat of 20 feet, tail to nose, and didst get chased up Yggdrasil by Fenrir. So, didst we agree that we would rescue the treed cat.
First, didst Kern speak unto Fenrir and he didst promise to bring Sól down from the tree so that he wouldst let us pass. Then didst we climb unassaulted. Soon, we found the giant cat, and we didst speak with her whereupon she didst agree to return with us. So, Viola didst Cast her special version of the Mirror Image spell, while Eric returned her to her True Form. She appeared unto us as a beautiful blonde woman, but she had a wound caused by a long, slender blade, like unto the weapon of an assassin. I investigated the wound and found that it was poisoned with a bane to prevent healing. I tried to cure the poison, but it was beyond my Skill. Eric, however, dressed the wound with a special potion, the which cleansed it, whereupon the goddess regenerated. Sól told us that Garn, a frost giant she had been "spending time" with at Loki's party, must have been the one to wound and poison her.
The poison was a kind of blade venom which they that know such things recognise as the work of the Calimari. In any case, Viola directed several of the Mirror Image cats down the tree to distract Fenrir, and after he had chased them away, we descended.

Session 2

And we spake among ourselves, the one with the other, and we opined that we shouldst journey unto a ship near the sun that Sól knew of, and that we might get to this ship by means of the Elven Ways. And Sól spake unto us, saying that she hadst been told that she shouldst not venture unto the Elven Ways, but when we asked of us wherefore not, she couldst not answer because she hadst never gone there, having abided by the counsel. So, we didst decide that we wouldst bear Sól with us and protect her e'en in the darkness below.
And, we didst speak unto Lord Odin and tell him of our plan, and he saith unto us "It be a very bold plan". It seemeth that that the Norse word for our common term "bold" is passing like another Norse word which meaneth "arse-stupid". But, we didst not know this at the time.
Quickly determining that any entry into the Elven Ways were surpassingly dangerous, we didst fly unto Alfheim, there to take entrance at the portal under Eidolon.
So, we didst travel into the Elven Ways, and they were as dark as they always were, but there didst seem to be a black vein of living stone in the paving, for it responded to Empathy.
And, as we made our way to the Inn of the Elven Ways, a darksome creature taller than 3 strong men, with tentacles where a mans arms might be, and a maw that openeth wide enough to swallow a draft horse gaped from its head to the middle of its belly.
Sabrina immediately moved to engage it, growing as she did, but it breathed out a cloud of imps which assaileth the rest of us. Kern interposed himself between the imps and Sól, while the rest of us prepared spells.
Thanks be to Chantris, but the imps caused but little harm, Viola's Mirror Images absorbing substantial amounts of damage, and we didst assail them with Hellfire, Flashes of Light, Telekinetic Rage and mighty blows, so that soon the imps fell away, were crushed or destroyed. And, indeed, Grendel's Telekinetic Rage was funneled into a cone shaped projection, and while Sabrina didst not succumb to it, the large creature, a manifestation of purest terror fell into the darkness of the Ways and we saw it no more.

Luncheon

So, didst we make our way to the Inn of the Ways, and it was an empty place, with none else but us there. And, we spake unto the innkeeper and described unto him the fell beast Grendel had forced into the spaces between realms, and we saith unto him that it was a soulless thing, and he saith unto us, "Well, then, you shouldst drink of this that you not to succumb", yea and I took him at his word and quaffed of the black potion, only to find that it seeketh to eat of my soul, the better to make me immune to the touch of mortal terror. And, all within me didst recoil and I didst vomit it up and go white about the lips.
And, it became clear that the drink, even though my soul be specially protected, yet was it reduced by 1 in 50, but Eric remarked that he hadst a remedy for ills of this nature.
And, it turneth out that this drink is the favourite of Drow. But, it seemeth that the inn no longer enjoyed the custom of travelers, and we opined that this might be because many of them drank of the black potion. And, the innkeeper didst speak of something very old that others had mentioned liveth now in the ways. While we didst bicker among ourselves, Grendel didst speak with the innkeeper who revealed that he didst know the place where the ship we sought didst lie, and she didst share his vision of it.
So, didst we travel into the ways, all of us concentrating on the innkeeper's image of the ship, until we came unto a blank wall of night. And, it seemeth that the Mother of Night didst lie across our path, abarring our way out. And her fell voice could be heard upon the darkness, saying "Hast though brought the offering?"
And, we checked of our pockets and findeth that not one of us hadst brought of an offering, and we were about to ask of the darkness what didst she mean by "offering" when it came to us that she didst mean Sól. So, didst we attempt to flee, bending our wills to hie us to Eidolon. But the Mother of Night's will was too great, and we found the way bending us back to everlasting night. At this point Sabrina didst pass her crystal that had previously captured a charge of sunlight unto Sol to release. And lo, did the brightness of the sun abound causing great heart amongst the party, and great pain, anguish and wailing upon Nyx. And for a time that was but short, and yet long enough, did the presence of the Mother of Night diminish so that we could break our way clear
So didst we return to Eidolon where we didst speak with a bumptious elf, whose face I have memorised and placed into a crystal, that I might recollect him from time to time, for he saith unto Kern that a mortal woman sought counsel with us. And Kern didst ask how this mortal woman be yclept, and the bumptious elf didst retort "Thou shouldst not name the mortals, for then thou dost have to look after them", which be a conversation that I will not soon forget.
But, didst he take us with poor grace unto a sister of Dissonance, who said that she spake unto us with the voice of one that some of us knew but who is now great beyond our wise. And, we didst nod wisely, for she didst strike a dissonant interval upon a xylophone and say "Lo" for no obvious reason. And the speaker for the Defiler didst ask of us a boon that we bring down the President and Lord of Seekers. But, we didst demur, for Eric once had dealings with the wight, and had parted from him on good terms. But, more tellingly, the Fates had, in a previous adventure, mentioned that he and four other lords of evil must be survive to Nightfall. And, we didst not wish to draw the ire of these great ladies, for they have long memories and vindictive imaginations. Yea, and we spake with the sister and told her of our plan to take Sól with us to find the ship of the sun, there to set it back alight.
And, she didst fall about laughing. Really, in a most unseemly way.

Afternoon Tea

So, we didst fall to counsel again and came to the conclusion that we needs must find a ship that saileth upon the night that we might make our way unto the sun. Grendel and I railed strongly that we should fall upon the Calamari and commandeer their vessel from their rotting, light bestrewn corpses. But Sabrina didst worry that they might offend against her make up and demurred. So didst Eric, for beneath his doughty exterior, his heart be that of a mouse. As for Kern and Viola, I think that they had lost track of the plan or possibly fallen asleep. In any case, it seems that the elves have ships of their own which ply the seas between the signs of the sky, but that we wouldst have to give it back unto the elven navy. So, it was with a heavy heart that Grendel and I abandoned our plan and Kern didst speak with those elves known unto him who could arrange such things.
Then did we rise into the sky in a ship of crystal and saileth sunwards. It was a quiet trip which would take but a little time.

2nd Fruit

Indeed, four and twenty hours passed in travel when we were surprised by a great beak which smashed through the ship and seized Sól, bearing her up and away through the shattered hull. Even though we didst try to follow after, we couldst not gain upon a bird-shaped darkness we surmised to be the Dark Phoenix, raised by the Immortal Marquis with the assistance of the Valiant Marquis. And by the arts of those that couldst see into other realms, we realised that we couldst never catch up by means of covering mere distance, Sól having been borne to another realm.
Lo, but Grendel didst spy a great portal, and by mystic glances, we didst determine that it passed into Hell, so we didst follow in the hopes of finding Sól.

Dinner (missed)

And we didst fall into a dire realm, that of the Immortal Marquis. And it was a realm of souls bound by chains against a precipitous cliff, their flesh being torn and devoured by diabolical buzzards and vultures. Below us, we didst see an incandescence, whereas above us we didst see a fortress. Upon the chance that the incandescence was the trapped Sól, we didst fall to them, where we didst see a forlorn hope of fire elementals who brought fiery devastation to Phenex' garrison. And, we didst take counsel with the biggest fire elemental who was not at the front of the attack and we didst ask of him what brought his unit to this place.
And, he saith unto us that they didst but charge unto the evil of diablery and lay waste unto them and that they hadst been occupied in this "plan" for as much as a season. Or more, for it quickly became obvious that, though mighty in combat, the fire elementals couldst only count upon their fingers, and they have but three on each hand. And, it seemed that they had no more "plan" than to keep charging in this direction until their flames guttered.
So, didst we ask them to charge back the way that they hadst previously charged, that they might bear such intelligences of their travels to the elemental lords at the gates of Hell. And, they didst agree to this action, for, to their eyes, this seemeth a most cunning strategy. And we didst sigh. So, while the elementals didst make their way back the way they hadst come, we raised our gaze to the fortress above us, and we didst espy such devils that flew and served as warning for it.
Yea, and we rose on high, but flyest we down crannies and narrow ways in the mountainside under Kern's advice, that we might fall upon Phenex' sentry devils from a great height and unawares. And, so it came to pass that we didst visit destruction upon them so fast that we were inside the fortress before the entrails of the first devil didst hit the ground. Where, inside a hall, we found a grotesque avalanche of pallid, dimpled flesh. And, he saith unto us "You have come too late, we have extinguished the sun, and now we have one of its gods. Your worlds will die in darkness and despair!" And we didst quail as convincingly as we knew how and we didst beg of it to spare us the knowledge of our oncoming doom. And, he didst laugh and say "Even as I speak, the goddess Sól lies at my master's mercy". Yea, and we didst cry out, agnashing of our teeth and awailing "No, it cannot be, Sól canst not have fallen to such fell and hopeless jeopardy. By our hope of redemption, spare us the knowledge of her place of entrapment" and it didst take us to a place outside the hall wherein it suppurated like a leprous open wound, apointing to a gate in the sky, saying "She lies beyond that gate, mortal scum". And we didst gnash of our teeth and wail yet more. And, it occurred to me that it was just as well we hadst engaged in so much practice earlier.
Yea, and we said unto his obesity "What more evil can you have done to us, bringer of despair? You have crushed our spirits and assailed our hearts!" and he called out "Know ye that Raging Inferno be held in the darkest pit of Naberius' dungeon, there to wallow in helpless defeat?", and we said back to it "No, but why shouldst we care if an elemental lord be held in durance vile?" And his immenseness said unto us "Know ye not that only Raging Inferno mayest light again the sun?" And we didst make reply unto it, saying "We knew it not, O great wrinkling paleness. Which pit of Naberius wouldst he be in?" Yea, and it told unto us the place where he be prisoned.
So didst we thank him for his assistance and gird of our loins.

Session 3

Yea, and Kern didst engage with the lardsome foe, whose name beëst ??? and smote him mightily, but he called upon an ally, opening a portal upon Grendel. But, Grendel was too quick, and stood askance of the forming gate, but an unclean insect-like thing, with chitin the colour of spilt blood crawled forth. And, Sabrina descended upon it that she might, by the strength of her arm, dash it apart. But, 'though it was hard-pressed, still did it strike back.
And, I didst cast Hellfire, smiting the nearest spawn of Hell, Eric cast a Mind Special counterspell upon Viola, whilst Grendel did Prepare Telekinetic Rage. Then did Eric turn against the fat demon.
In the mean time, Kern had received a dreadful blow from the fat one, but stood he his ground. But, the beast's fist and outer flesh were covered in an adhesive slime, from which he couldst not withdraw.
Kern, although held, did not have his movement constrained, and he delivered two might blows against the devil of flab, but it drove it not away, indeed, it didst settle around him, pressing upon him in such wise as seemed unseemly and didst give him motive to clench of his nether regions as blunt, slippery tendrils didst aggressively slither under his armour and over his body. Then didst Eric fall upon the beast of flab, and rend its belly so wide, ropes of its entrails didst fall out and flail upon the ground surrounding him.
Then, didst Grendel cast Telekinetic Rage, which scattered the smaller devils, destroying many although it didst but little harm to the horrors that sorely afflicted us. And, it was at that time the blood-coloured insect didst call upon its ally Quillian, opening another portal upon Grendel. But, he was too quick and couldst sense the gate appearing, stepping quickly out of its path. Yeah, and a plume of mist the colour of corruption didst pour out of the gate, didst look upon me, and cry out "No, the Chosen of Chantris!", and, in the quiet places of my thoughts, I said again, "Bugger!", for it appeareth that every devil and his minion doth know of me.
And, the poison of the creature, Quillian didst assail us, at the same time that the fat creature didst deliver the fist part of the curse of the Captivity, and it withereth of our right arm. By the will of Chantris, those that were resistant to poison were not resistant to the curse, those that were resistant to the curse were not resistant to the poison. Although none of us escaped unharmed, none of us didst succumb entire.
So, whilst Kern fought valiantly inside the diabolic grasp of the fat demon, the tendrils of the creatures entrails didst force their way into his eyes, blinding him. At the same time was Eric assailed, the entrails rising up his stubby dwarven thighs in an unnatural and worm-like fashion, the whilst he calleh out "That is not dead which can eternal lie". And, he lifted up his sword, drawing from it a fell power. Yea, and the fat one was cleaved in twain.
And it seemeth that Quillian didst fear for his soul, for he didst call out for his ally, ???, a most well-formed man, great in beauty, except for his eyes which flasheth in the colours of lust. And, so didst Viola make her way unto him, but she didst girlishly flounced of her skirt and played the coquette to him.
And, I hadst drawn forth mine own ally, Paracelsus, armèd with a trident, that we might lay down fire and lightning upon our foes, but that, of course, Eric, cursèd be his ability, didst suck up the lightning damage protecting his half of the devil. Nevertheless, didst we manage to afflict most of the other diabolicals, and in this while, didst Grendel draw mana for his Transmutation spell.
Blind but unbowed, Kern didst lay about himself with fury, wading through the unwholesome flesh of the cloven fat devil, yea, and so great was his arm that he didst make his way clear, filthy fluids and offal dripping from him. Yet, through clearing vision, he espied the form of the beautiful demon, and so taken was he by its grace that he didst approach of it from the rear, the while that Viola distracted it with womanly fripperies.
And, there was much surmising in the party on the predilections of elves.
But, didst Kern say unto us, while he stalked the pretty man-like devil, that we shouldst fall upon the ally most recently called upon, thus to stop the daisy chain effect. But we ignored of him because, well, it's Kern. And, we didst not want to pay too much attention as he closed upon the pretty demon for it seemeth he be so distracted by its comeliness, that he found it hard to deliver a killing blow. And it came to me that with as many eyes as I have, one can see things but that there be no wise to unsee them. So didst we leave Kern to his own interests while the rest of us didst belabour our enemies.
Yea, and though swamped, Eric also cut his way clear, similarly draped in unclean diabolic gore, then didst Sabrina, by cunning co-ordination with him and Grendel blow upon her horn to weaken the resolve of her foes, Eric didst utter a Word of Power that weakened its magical resilience the while that Grendel cast Transmutation, turning Quillian, the corrupt wind, into Chanel No. 5.
Yea, and didst Sabrina draw forth her bow, and a runed arrow from her pack, which she fired into the corpulent, shuddering flesh of the fat devil, who shrugged off the wound. And, did Sabrina quail against this threat, awailing and agnashing of her teeth somewhat.
So the while that the obese demon didst sneer at Eric and Sabrina didst Kern "fall upon" the pretty demon from the rear and attracting of his attentions, who turned away from Viola. Then didst something pass from Viola to the demon and he fell to the ground.
And, there was some movement in the party gently away from the fat devil, with Kern looking up from his engagement, asaying "What, what?", whereupon we didst but whistle non-chalantly as the fat devil ranted on.
So did Mjòllnir fall upon the place of the runed arrow, shattering the flesh above it and the stone beneath it. And we were all covered with jellied devil flesh and Chanel No. 5. So didst we turn out attention upon the fat one's allies, but they had largely become demoralised, attempting to flee but falling before our might.
So didst we gather up ourselves, and repair of our injuries. Eric and Kern had withered right arms, which I repaired, but they didst also serve as the hosts for larval devils which had been driven into their bodies in unclean ways. So didst I seek them out with empathy within their bodies and shine the light of Chantris therein. And Eric saith at this time that he hadst recanted of his pact with a devil, in case we hadst forgot.

Supper

So didst we look around the place amidst the ichor and gore of the fallen diablery, and we spied a distant diabolic buzzard too slow or too unwise to leave, who had stayed to feast upon livers. And Eric didst command of it to serve us, yea, and it did. For it seemeth that Eric has power over birds. Well, he swore it was birds, anyway. So,didst he command of it that it bring unto us such treasure that it couldst find.
And, the bird brought to us the relic of a saint, his thigh bone in a sling, and a crown of tin, and he didst show us the place where he didst find the thigh bone, but he wouldst not touch it, for it was a holy thing. Yea, and we didst find the relict of a priest of Raphaël and his staff. And we did gather them up. The crown, by Mimir's eye, we discovered, be some means by which the wearer couldst command demons, the staff in some wise, holy also.
So, commanded we the buzzard devil to show us the way to the place where the Valiant Marquis' held Raging Inferno. And, he didst take us by strange and twisting byways to that place, which be called the Castle of Circles. So, didst we enter by the entrance of servants as creatures likely to visit Hell that they might offer their services for coin.
And, the buzzard guide didst show us the way into the dungeon of Naberius. And we found that crossing from the dungeon corridor into the cell changeth that law of the universe that relates the circumference of a circle with its diameter, known by this glyph: π so that it be 4. And, it seemeth that, being creatures of mana, devils could adjust to the new reality, whereas we couldst not tell if such a crossing might bring unto us irremedial harm. And, the while we mused on this, the buzzard didst enter cells from time to time to feast upon livers.
And it came to pass that we didst find the cell which holdeth Raging Inferno, and he beëst bound limb, waist and head by silver hands that drained of his strength, while an unholy throne of whirling metallic discs and human eyes didst float around the room. And, we surmised, this fallen angel be Raging Inferno's tormentor. But, we didst retire down the corridor a way that we might practice a form of entry in a safe place.
Yea, and the buzzard didst point out a cell that contained priest, and I didst attempt to visit within the cell without passing through the door. Yea, and the spell went awry, and the visitation didst disappear entire, we knoweth not whither. So didst I cast of the spell again, yea, and this time the visitation didst enter the cell, and when I didst look upon the priest, I saw that it was me. But, Chantris was with me, and I didst not succumb to shock. Yea, didst I convince myself to surrender to a spell, whereupon I changed me into a frog, which fell from the shackles. Yea, and I took me out of the cell back to the party. And there was much suspicion about me, which didst not seem unreasonable given the circumstances. So didst I bring me forth and counterspell myself that I became once more a man, and I didst strengthen my form against the privations visited upo me. Then did I heal the wound in my side where my liver had been part eaten by devils, and I fell into a deep slumber that I might not suffer the pain of my attentions.
Then did we divine both of my forms to assuage our worries while Kern didst raise a wall of stone to give us a place of concealment in this evil place. But by our workings, it seemeth that it was, indeed, me, and that some part of me hadst been abducted during the fight. Afterwards, I wrapped me in a mouse skin and put me in my pocket.

Bed time

Then, were we assaulted by holy water, which hurteth us not, and we called out "Friends", for there didst we find a doughty bunch of mortals who hadst made their way into this dread territory to gather intelligence for the elemental army outside of Hell. And, we didst counsel with them, sharing of our news.
So, contriving to use a planetary spirit that we might recalculate the ratio of a circumference to a diameter and apply it to the world by means of Sabrina's ritual, we didst return to the cell that held Raging Inferno. Yea, and Kern wouldst use a once per day item that bringeth forth a bubble of force that be big enough to enshroud the fallen throne at the same time that Grendel wouldst threw inside two red iron grenadoes, the while I wouldst cast Hellfire upon the bonds of the elemental.
And we didst ask that the infiltration party return to the besieging elemental army, there to apprise them of our work.
So didst we enter the cell, and the plan worked perfectly with regard to the fallen throne, who troubled us not. The bonds, however, did not succumb to Hellfire, although it did reinvigorate the elemental. Then, did Sabrina offer to pay the silver hands with soul coins, and they didst open of their hands to grasp at them, releasing him.

Well past bed time

So didst we take counsel with the elemental lord, and it seemeth that we should banish him back to his plane, whilst we should return to ours that we and the others of our Guild should gather together and combine into a great force to free Sòl.

Session 4

And, thus didst we arrive somewhere in Carzala on Alusia, where we didst see stars fall to the ground like spears of light. We purposed to discover the import of these fallen stars and fell upon two that we saw upon the ground beneath. And we found them to be Reaper Angels, that gathereth the souls of those they slay to the arsenal of Heaven. For, it seemeth that the great Archangels, believing the advantage is theirs, had held in reserve for many, many millenia, legions upon legions of these angels, that they may buttress their strength against the forces of Hell.
Yea, and it seemeth that, arrayed against the forces of Heaven, a lone Calamar voidship didst fly on high, deploying anti-angel batteries. So didst Michael come to the aid of his angels, and we spake unto him. And, he saith unto us that he would bear his forces to another realm that they might return at another place and harvest more souls for the greater glory of Heaven, but that he could not, for that he was locked unto this dimension by the works of the Calamari.
Yea, and he didst rise on all of his great wings and took the battle to them, with us following behind and to the left, since we hadst already seen them hurl incandescent columns of light toward us and we didst not wish to appear too rugged and tanned.
As we ascended, the Calamar spake unto our minds, asking that we fall upon Michael to defend them. And we countered that this end would be met if they didst but unlock this plane so Michael couldst seek counsel with his brothers. But, they didst not respond, and then Michael didst strike the strength out of them, yea, and he didst hew their craft as if he didst but shuck the shell of an oyster.
And, as the Calamari fell, Eric and Viola didst board the craft, aseeking of treasure and hidden things, which they didst find. But, they averred, they hadst but little time to salvage it before the falling craft shouldst strike the ground, so they didst observe the best places and thence didst they exfiltrate, and we all didst regroup back at the place where Michael had launched his strike from.
And, whilst we did await his return, I didst remonstrate with these angels, reasoning that their path led to the way of error. But, the angel hardened against the word of Chantris and it would not turn away from sin. Yet did the other hear the word and didst open its heart to her. Yea, and it rose, healed in Her light and sworn thereunto.
And, the angel whose heart was as stone didst turn to perform an act of obeisance to Michael, who landed at that time, and saith unto him "I am weakened by wounds, Lord, but still am I thine to command". And, Michael saith unto him "Yea, though thou art slight, yet may you serve", and he drove his flaming blade into its breast. As the flames consumed him, so didst Michael's hurts heal. And we didst think in the quiet places of our Mindspeech, "Bugger me".
And, we spake amongst ourselves, the one with the other, and we didst purpose to travel to Gabriel, for it seems that Nightfall is called by the blowing of the Last Trump, Gabriel's horn. And, we didst convince Michael that if we did but travel unto Gabriel, then we couldst do no harm to his plan, for so great was his certainty that although the horn would be blown in the future aways, yet would it be blown and always will have been blown. So, didst he take us up to Heaven, and to that part of his realm that bordered Gabriel's.

3rd Fruit

And, we found ourselves surrounded by choirs of angels, asinging of glory, and one didst bear us unto the presence of the great archangel, who heard us. So, saith Eric unto him that he and his brothers didst commit their forces into a great battle against the Death of Stars, thinking that the forces of Heaven didst strike before Hell and her allies were unprepared. "Yet", saith Eric, "It's a trap! For this Death of Stars, 'though it seemeth incomplete and unready is, in reality, fully operational!".
And Gabriel saith unto us "I must needs confer with my brothers", and we took this as a win.
So, upon our own counsel, we planned to uncover the Necromancer that another party of adventurers had discovered something of, for their notes saith that he didst lie underground, having worked in some wise upon the Dark Phoenix. So, didst Eric bear us away unto Alusia, in the vicinity of Barretskyne, where we thought he might be.

Approaching the Hour of the Wolf

We didst realise by this time that we hadst not rested much, so didst we seek to find a place we couldst secure. So didst we find an abandoned tower, alone and unsupported, a place that seemeth not worthy of protecting in this wise. But, it seemed a place with fortified walls and we didst not see any undead creature. Nor any living, either. The place seemed caught in the hiatus between two great dramas.
So did we rest for the space of eight hours or thereabouts, but less refreshed than we were wont for we didst miss the tides of the day, and night was unrelieved.

Late breakfast

Sabrina didst call the Ravens of Odin, Huginn and Munin, to attend her, and they didst come. And, they knew of the necromantic wight, that he be hight "Tobias" and where he stayed. When we arrived, we found the opening revealed unto us by the Great Birds, and we went down a worked corridor that led into underground darkness.
On the way, Eric and Viola discovered a pendulum trap, with an envenomed crescent blade, which they didst disarm and collect. And, we looked through the open doorway to find a robed man sitting hunched over a raked desk, working the while on mathematica and geometry.
Thinking that he might have had a hand in the diabolical prisons of Naberius, I didst look into proximate planes around us, and I didst see that we didst stand outside the maw of a great serpent, while Tobias didst lie inside of it, and that to bring our will to bear upon him we must needs enter the maw. And, this serpent was a great minion of Phenex, but it was quiescent. To our gaze, we couldst see that a great tome was beside Tobias on his desk and several gems lay similarly nearby. There were many writing implements, an enormous black feather and much to write upon.
So, Sabrina, taking out a weapon specially padded to inflict less damage than usual, didst approach this Tobias in stealthy wise, attempt to strike his uncovered head and drive him into the arms of sleep. Yea, and it was unwilled but not unforeseen that she didst break the man's neck and slay him outright. Yet, by some dark and unwholesome sorcery, he died not, 'though he was rendered deeply unconscious. So didst Sabrina bear him out to us, where, by the working my Empathy, I could tell that the channels of his will be severed in his spine. Viola tied him down with ropes, while Grendel Bound his Will. I I examined him for he was covered in unspeakable marks which writhed and twisted beneath his skin. Indeed, one of them made a run for it, and attempted to escape the confines of his flesh, but I didst manage to trap it on a parchment which we didst fold into the shape of a crane.
Yea, and when he came to, he didst writhe and twist in a way that men do not when their neck has been broken, and although he was alive, there was no wise in which his body could support it. But, didst we have the evidence before us. Yea, and we didst divine of his equipment and the man himself.
We didst find that Tobias was a practitioner of the College of Necromantic Conjurations who was pacted to the Immortal Marquis. When he was Bound, he didst reveal unto us that he hadst found a phoenix unobserved by the angels of the Church, and therefore corruptible. So, by dreadful conjurings and unclean arts of the blackest kind, he had visited wickedness upon this Great Beast until it succumbed to evil. He, his master and his master's allies had perverted this once-noble creature so that it grew strong in darkness and corruption, and set it to devour the sun and those forces connected to it.
Among its special abilities was to provide a feather for a follower that, should they die, then would they rise on the instant otherwise untouched by it. However, once protected in this way, the phoenix couldst send damage that it chooseth not to withstand to any who hath accepted the boon.
And, Tobias didst tell us that this phoenix hadst been great enough that it couldst devour of the sun and divine beings, which we had plenty of evidence in support of, and didst not doubt.
I didst ask of him if the phoenix couldst cross planes at whim, and if it could strike into one plane from another but didst not hear an answer if he even gave one. But, in any case, we didst have substantial evidence in support of the claim, anway.
The tome that sat beside him was, or so Divination didst reveal, a Diabolical Plan. Reading it explained the plan the forces of Hell had resolved upon, but also likely made the reader a willing part of it.
So, didst we ask Tobias of the main points of the Plan, and those being in the shape of bullets for, inasmuch as the sun had still not risen, we didst not have all day. And, he saith unto us that the Plan be so internecine and cunning that a record such as the tome was required.

• The forces of Hell knew of the vast reserves of Reaper Angels
• They hadst placed seeds of corruption in the mortal population that once harvested, will spread a leprosy on the souls collected by Heaven that will convert them unto Hell
• The deatheaters serve as a place for the Dark Phoenix to deflect any harm it should suffer.
• The Dark Phoenix is covered in deatheaters and there are quite a few languishing around on Alusia, as well
• They conspired with the Calamari to use their plane-bending magic on behalf of the devils.
• The plan involves taking over the demesnes of the Demonic Kings, Tobias, himself, expressing an interest in the properties of the King of Dominations.
  

And, it was upon this occasion that Kern opined that we shouldst call upon Michael and give him the Plan that he couldst read of it and have proof of the ruse. But we told him nay.
Upon divination of the black feather, we discovered that the reason why Tobias hadst not died despite all evidence to the contrary was that he had borne it, the feather protecting against death in some unclean way. Not only this but it made So didst Sabrina give voice to a plan where we shouldst take it to the head of the Sweetwater, and there raise a new phoenix, untrammeled by the evil magic that its twin had suffered.

Elevenses - ish

So didst we hie us unto that place, and spake we unto the naga, and she unto us. And we explained that we didst much desire to bathe the dark feather in the waters she guarded, and she said unto us "Yea". So didst we it.
And a clean-burning phoenix arose, and we explaineth unto it that what had befallen its original self and it saith unto us "Irreconcilable!". Which is an unusual word to hear from a bird, especially in such a definite tone. But, it didst pass unto us bright feathers which preserveth against death and dark suasion. And we didst ask of it to accompany us, and it agreed.
And, it was upon this occasion that Kern opined that we shouldst give the Plan to the naga that she shouldst read of it. But we told him nay.
At this time, I pass out to each adventurer in the party:

A potion that will restore the imbiber's reason if they succeed in a roll of 4 x MA. The potion weighs ½ lb and is considered Rank 20, with an MA of 30. The imbiber will glow brightly while their reason is restored.

If the contents are poured into a grenado, it may be thrown at a hex, where it will burst shedding Rank 20 light in an area 25 ft across. Any creature that is considered an Aberration (e.g. Calamari) may be burnt, forced out of the current mundane plane, or slain. An entity who is insane but not an Aberration will be rendered catatonic.

Notes for the Times

What's Hot & What's Not
Hot	Not
Emerald Amulets	Words of Power
Jasper Amulets	Draining
Chanel No.5	Poison Gas
Mjöllnir-summoning rune arrows	The Jerusalem curse

Jammiest Bastard

Sabrina - Catching Bune's flesh eating Power Word in an Emerald Amulet and then using it on the flesh monster, Ick

Stupidest Adventurer

Kern - Having determined that the Tome of the Diabolical Plan seduced anyone who read it into becoming a part of the diabolical plan, said we should give the book to Michael as evidence that he was being manipulated

Smartest Adventurer

Eric - Spreading out before engaging Bune, which meant he could only cast Necrosis on half the party at a time

Sabrina - Passing a small amount of captured sunlight to Sol hoping she could release it with enhanced vigor to push back Nyx for long enough for the party to escape.

Kern - Suggesting we fly nap of Hell through the approaches to Phenex staging fortress so that we might surprise the sentries

Eric - Changing the order of Sabrina's Horn and Shatterwill to maximise the amount of Magic Resistance reduction during a vital casting of Transmutation

Kern - Saying, several times, we should focus on the latest arrival of the summoning daisy chain

Sabrina - Firing the Mjöllnir-summoning rune arrow

Everyone except Kern - Not explaining to Kern why they were moving away from the site of the Mjöllnir-summoning rune arrow

Bravest Adventurer

Viola - Advancing into melee range to Banish undead demonic dragons and Bune

Kern - Attracting the attention of the pretty man devil in the hopes that Viola would do something dreadful to its rear before it did something unforgettable to his

Sabrina - Advancing into the open maw of an enormous, extra-dimensional serpent, whose mouth was the size of a large room, to knock a necromancer unconscious.

Best Death

Intelligence

Entities Encountered

• Bune - The Dragon Duke, a practitioner of Necromantic Conjurations and utterer of Words of Power, he is a three-headed dragon the colour of evil. His breath is despair and darkness.
• Sól - The Norse goddess of the sun, who is very blonde.
• Fenrir - A Great Beast, who represents the calamity of winter and hungers for the sun. A dire wolf of enormous size, who is not at all blonde, really.
• Nyx - the Mother of Night, the personification of the first darkness and the last, all of the other nights but pale imitations
• Phenex - The Immortal Marquis, a Sorceror of the Mind, his voice is high and piping like a child's and his song is diabolically hypnotic. He may devour. He desires the flesh of mortals. Not an Astrologer
• Naberius - The Valiant Marquis, a Sorceror of the Mind , he may manipulate events to restore lost dignities. He appears as a black crane. The sin that caused his fall is that he would not surrender his loyalty to the Morningstar once he had fallen. Not an Astrologer
• Unnamed - the innkeeper of the Inn of the Ways
• Unnamed - an elf messenger who may experience a career change to torch
• Unnamed - a sister of Dissonance with a xylophone and a laugh, both grating
• The False Measure Miller - an enormously fat devil, the commander of Phenex' staging fortress
• Arkonides - a giant sized insect devil the colour of blood
• Quillian - a wind of corruption, now a perfumed breeze
• Indomite the ur-Incubus - a beautiful man-shaped devil with lovely skin, flame-coloured eyes, blond wavy hair and a dainty little beard on the point of his chin.
• Unnamed - a suspiciously helpful devil buzzard
• Unnamed - fallen throne, a sphere made of spinning, buzzing disc-shaped blades and human eyes on metal stalks, a minion high in Murmur's hierarchy, we believe
• Raging Inferno - The Fire elemental lord whose destiny it is to relight the fires of the sun
• Calamari voidship complement - the craft rent asunder by Michael the Archangel, mostly believed to be dead
• Michael - an angelic psychopath, bearing Ira, unburdened of any capacity at self-examination
• Gabriel - an angelic psychopath with a good singing voice, but so far up itself that it's head comes out of its own arse
• Tobias the Necromancer - a mortal pacted to Phenex, dark in magic, red in tooth and nail, an arithmetician and geometer. He is the one who found and at least one of those who created the Dark Phoenix. Would like to ascend to the position of a Demonic King, in particular Palmon.
• Nagina - a naga who is the guardian of the head of the Sweetwater.

Treasure

• Holy Staff
• Saint's Relics - the bones of a divine of Raphael
• Tin Crown - controls devils, apparently
• The Tome of the Diabolical Plan - a record of a diabolically complicated and shifting plan, the reading of which makes you a part of it.
• Gems of Insight - prophetic tools, allowing the practice of foreseeing beyond "the Darkness is Coming".
• Bright Phoenix Feather - If the bearer of the feather dies, they are instantaneously resurrected
• Handful of Sun x 6 (from the ground that we stood on when we were there)
• Scythes of the Reaper Angels
• Strange metal
• Essential Water
• Branch of Yggdrasil
• Mortal Dread - an Elven shortsword which ignores bonuses to Defence and Protection
• Jade scales of Bune (cleansed of evil)
• Summoner's (and acolyte's) gear
• Splintery Shafts of Impalement which had been used on acolytes
• Imp of the Apple

Buffs & Mil Sci

Long Term (assumed always on)

Magic (caster)	Rk	Effects	Dur	FR	Er	Gr	Ke	Sa	Vi
Rune Shield (FR)	12	+17 Def, +3 Prot, avoid a SG	13 hrs
Cat's Eyes (FR)	6	Night Vision 110 ft	7 hrs
Armour of Earth (Ke)	20	+42 Def, absorb 1 DP/Strike	10.5 hrs
Heart Rune (FR)	8	Cures 7 EN when EN taken	9 days
Willow Healing (FR)	12	Cures 3 EN / Pulse for 14 Pulses	24 hrs
Mind Cloak (FR)	10	Conceals thoughts & pact, + 30 vs compel, charm etc	21 hrs
Mind Shield (Gr)	13	Conceals thoughts, + 36 vs Mental Attack	30 hrs
Waterproofing (Gr)	7	All people and items (that are needed to be) waterproofed	21 hours / 40 days (items)
Waterbreathing(Gr)	13	Breath water / see through magical fog	14 hrs
Strength of Stone (Ke)	20	+20 PS or EN	21 hrs	EN	EN	EN	EN	EN	EN
Disguise (Vi)
Rune Weapon(FR)	10	+(D-5) + 4 burning damage	15 minutes
Magic (caster)	Rk	Effects	Dur

Short Term

Magic (caster)	Rk	Effects	Dur	FR	Er	Gr	Ke	Sa	Vi
Blessing (FR)	10	+10 SC, +10 vs Fear	110 mins
Invisibility (Vi)
Magic (caster)

Sabrina Mil Sci

Ring of Command (while worn) - +11 SC, Defense and Melee IV

Martial Hymn (while singing) - +40 SC, Powers of Light gain +2 Damage, 1/pulse regeneration

Horn of Battle (when sounded once in battle) - +10 WP for allies, OR, -10 WP for enemies

Military info for the Bishop

Watch Order

Senses:

• Bishop Velcanthus - Rk 20 Witchsight, Cat's Eyes 110' Rg (Because the vision is monochromatic it does not enable Detect Aura, needs some light), can see into proximate planes/dimensions, Spirit Vision 150 ft, see living and undead things through mists/rain/dust clouds/etc but not Rk 20 Darkness, can see in Rk 20 Light.
  

Calendar

Autumn 815wk: Fruit (4)
	Moonday		Duesday		W'ansday		Th'rsday		Frysday		Reapsday		Sunday
	Lugnasad		1	Guild Meeting We are hurled into Barretskyne, then Asgard and then the Elven Ways	2	We are hurled into space, then Phenex' realm in Hell, then Naberius' realm in Hell, then Carzala, then Heaven: Michael's realm, Heaven Gabriel's realm	3	back to Barretskyne, then the head of the Sweetwater	4		5		6
	7		8		9		10		11		12		13
	14		15		16		17		18		19		20
	21		22		23		24		25		26		27
	28		29		30		1		2		3		4
Autumn 815wk: Harvest (5)
	5		6		7		8		9		10		11
	12		13		14		15	Equinox	16		17		18
	19	Harvest Moon	20		21		22		23		24		25
	26		27		28		29		30		1		2
Autumn 815wk: Vintage (6)
	3		4		5		6		7		8		9
	10		11		12		13		14		15		16
	17	Blood Moon	18		19		20		21		22		23
	24		25		26		27		28		29		30	Beerfest