Light of Illumis: Episode 05

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== Synopsis ==
The Party sets sail from Mil Faldur and make for Heatstroke. The Party argue over whether to use the Stone in a practice ritual, but ultimately decide not to. The Party makes landfall at Heatstroke a couple days before the Summer Solstice, and as the Party investigates the town, an undead horde lying in wait ambushes the Party.
After fighting off the first wave of undead in the immediate area, the Party realizes there is no escape and the time for ritual is upon them. Hellen, Bertholdt, Kerberos, and Cornelius quickly prepare the ritual and join hands. As Hellen casts Sunscorch, Kerberos's will falters, causing the sun's rays to burn away their flesh and obliterate them. However, against all odds, the ritual succeeds. At the moment of the ritual, and all time thereafter, the light of Illumis burns away the undead. Minnie is badly burned, but survives, though she is unable to locate the Stone.
Heatstroke is purged of the undead and demonic infestation, and is eventually reclaimed as a holy site. As time goes on, tales of the Clerics' sacrifice is told by the dwarf king and Minnie, and people come to know the tale of the Clerics who gave everything and succeeded in ridding the world of the undead.
==Recap==
===Clerics of Great Conviction===
The party and their minions get onto a boat in the Undead Infested Mil Faldur and set sail towards Heatstroke. They plan sail into the Strait of Amon, keeping close to the mainland coast. Their objective is the same as always, to get to Heatstroke to perform the ceremony that will make Illumis destroy the Undead with rays of sunlight.
Bertholdt asks Minnie what it was like to wield the Philosophers' Stone. She conveys it granted her a near omniscience, where she could pinpoint every undead around them, and wielding its power felt like it revitalized her entire being. The Party discusses the merits of practicing with using the Stone before the ritual. Bertholdt casts on Hellen, and Kerberos heals the Party's wounds. The Party rests. The next morning, Kerberos pulls Hellen aside, discussing whether to unilaterally overrule the others' desires to test the Stone. Hellen admits her naivety has been exposed throughout the journey. 
The Party continues sailing through the Strait of Amon. The Party observes a number of shipwrecks through the formerly bustling shipping lane, and sees no other vessel or person the entire time. Bertholdt and Cornelius cast on themselves. Each night, Hellen casts to make sure she still has the Stone. Kerberos asks Minnie about what she would do with the Stone, and whether she would try to seize the Stone after witnessing its power. Minnie responds that while she could kill the rest of the Party in their sleep, she would think it unwise to kill four clerics on a holy quest, with such a powerful cleric of Vengeance so close by in Drekis. 
It takes the Party six days to reach Weatherlight. Berthold proposes casting to ask Tempos whether casting with the Stone is a good idea or not. The Clerics continue to engage in a philosophical debate over whether to practice with the Stone. Hellen and Kerberos relent, and allow Bertholdt to test the Stone. Bertholdt attempts his test and drops his holy symbol before he can complete casting , as if his hand were burned, having apparently been told by Tempos that such an idea would have a catastrophically bad outcome. Bertholdt is shaken, left muttering that the entire ritual is doomed to failure. Bertholdt says the entire mission needs to be re-examined, but the Party dismisses his concern, believing the ritual will work out.
===June 27th 1515 - Heatstroke===
The Party eventually arrives at Heatstroke, two days before the Summer Solstice. The Party takes time to investigate the strange, fleshy substance covering the ground. Kerberos slices the flesh, but it oozes a yellow, pus-like substance rather than bleeding like Kerberos was expecting, suggesting the flesh may be dead. Bertholdt's Blessed Watchfulness triggers, seeing a figure move near the top of the pyramid, but it moves out of line of sight before he is able to fully observe the figure. Hellen casts Detect Spirits, but finds nothing. As the Party moves towards the Pyramid, the Party observes what appears to be undead demons stirring, which turn to attack the Party.
===Combat Start: The Party vs. The Undead Demons of Heatstroke ===
Round 1
* A skeletal thung bites for 1 damage.
* Bertholdt casts Turn Undead, turning two skeletal things. 
* A skeletal thung attempts to bite at Cornelius but fails. 
* Suddenly, a pack of previously unseen thungs emerge and bite at Bertholdt and Cornelius, dealing damage, and interrupting Cornelius's spell.
* Undead demon hulks move down from the Pyramid.
* Bertholdt casts Bless on the Party.
* Minnie yells out she will be casting Flaming Sphere.
Round 2
* The thungs bite at Berholdt, dealing 5.
* Bertholdt disengages from being surrounded.
* A turned thung attempts to run from Cornelius, which he hits for 4 damage, killing it.
* Minnie casts Flaming Sphere, placing it over the thungs, dealing 1 damage and killing 3 thungs.
* Thungs attempt to bite at Minnie and Hellen, but fail to bite at either
* Bertholdt smashes a thung, killing it.
* Hellen casts Produce Flame but misses her first attack, hitting a thung and Cornelius for 5 damage.
* Cornelius shatters another thung.
* Kerberos casts Summon Ghost Wolf, which rips apart a thung.
* A demon zombie hulk moves through the Flaming Sphere, suffering 3 damage and missing its attack.
Round 3
* Minnie shouts out, “Good luck, Cornelius! Fireball!”
* Bertholdt disengages and guards Minnie.
* Minnie casts Fireball, dealing 15 damage, killing the Ghost Wolf and full damage to Cornelius, but killing all but one of the thungs and harming the demon zombies.
* Keberos deals 8 damage to a demon zombie hulk.
* Hellen lobs another ball of flame, dealing 5 to a hulk.
* Cornelius disengages.
* The surviving thung bites at Bertholdt, missing.
* The hulks attempt to drag Kerberos to the ground. Kerberos deals 3 a hulk, and 6 damage to the other two as they dive for him. The hulks grab a hold of Kerberos and manage to drag him down to the ground.
Round 4
* Helen bashes a hulk with her staff, killing it.
* Kerberos pulls a dagger and critically strikes a hulk, dealing 5.
* Cornelius casts Turn Undead, hitting every remaining undead.
* Bertholdt misses his attack.
* Minnie pulls her Flaming Sphere onto the hulks, dealing 4 damage; Kerberos avoids the damage.
* The hulks flee. Kerberos stabs a hulk for 4 damage.
Combat End.
=== Let the Sunshine In ===
As the Party dispatches the undead, they notice movement from the town, revealing hundreds upon hundreds of undead stirring, cutting off the Party from escape. The Party realizes the time for the ritual is upon them, despite not being the premeditated time. Hellen addresses the Party, thanking them all for joining her in her quest. Minnie casts and retreats. Bertholdt gains a premonition, filling him with a bittersweet feeling.
:Dear Illumis, I am thankful. I am thankful because today marks the final step of a sacred mission to save the world from the unholy undead. From the day your Light first shone upon me in the Longborn Kingdom, home of the legendary warrior Vincent Longborn, I knew I was meant to be your vessel to accomplish a divine intervention. O' Great Observer Illumis, let me introduce you to the most faithful Clerics. Cerberus - a cleric of Felumbra of course, the Moon, the keeper of the sky while you rest. A trusted partner. Berthold - a cleric of Tempos, setting the pace to which we live, from dusk until dawn, ensuring our fates occur as per the will of the Gods. Unshakable. And finally Cornelius - a cleric of Malkis, god of Chaos - Because we all knew this quest was an impossible task - and for it to become possible, we needed chaos to be on our side. Luck. We offer you today Illumis the miracle that is the Philosophers' Stone and the most powerful ritual we could foster from the sacred Pyramid of Heatstroke. O' Mighty Illumis. All of my life I've basked in your Light and today I offer it all back to you. Please accept my sacrifice, take my light, your light and save them all. Grand Illumis, shine your pure holy energy upon the lands, deliver us from the undead.
:Let the sun shine
:Let The sunshine in
:The sun shine in
As the undead horde begin swarming the pyramid, the Clerics quickly prepare the ritual materials and join hands. The light of Illumis shines down on the ritual circle, burning away the flesh contaminating the ritual site. As Hellen channels , Kerberos's will falters for just a moment, which causes a misfire, and the Clerics are obliterated as their flesh is burned away by the flames. As the sunlight burns away the Clerics, each feels a peace within themselves. The undead crawling towards the pyramid are also destroyed as the ritual succeeds, as the sunlight burns away the undead both in the instant moment and for the all time thereafter. Minnie is badly sunburnt by the ritual, but survives. She takes time to find the Philosophers' Stone, but is unable to locate it.
The undead that happened to be indoors or in dark places linger, but no undead ever walks out in sunlight again without being burned away and destroyed by the light of Illumis. People all around Arcadia observe the bright ray of sunshine that envelops Heatstroke. As time goes on, Minnie and the dwarf king tell the story of the Clerics who sacrificed themselves to destroy the undead. Heatstroke is purged of the remaining undead and demonic infestation, and Heatstroke is eventually reclaimed as the holiest of sites in Arcadia.
Category:Light of Illumis Episodes
Category:Light of Illumis