Tombs of Scoria: Episode 78

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==Synopsis==
The Brothers, having inhaled the vapors within Atropos's cave, awaken to find themselves in the Demon Homeplane. They are met by their guide, an imp acting as Imrik's new familiar. Imrik finds that he has gained greater intelligence innately, and has the infravision, regeneration capabilities, and magic resistance of his imp, as well as greater spellcasting ability. The imp tells the Brothers they need to gain knowledge of the structure of the planes from a Firewyrm by consuming it. The Brothers fight their way through demons and cross a lake of lava, at the center of which is the island fortress of the Firewyrm. The Brothers fight their way into the inner chamber of the fortress, and prepare to confront the Firewyrm.
==Recap==
===The Demon Homeplane===
After inhaling the vapors within Atropos's lair, located in the White Butte Mesa in Bravo, Imrik and Tyrael fell asleep. The Brothers are awoken from their slumber by an Imp, that tells them they have arrived upon the Demon Homeplane, the Second Material Plane. The Imp claims to be their guide.
The Imp explains they are here to gather knowledge before traveling onward to the plane where Anton can be found. The Imp's former master, a Fire Wyrm, has the knowledge of the planes they need. The Imp claims the Firewyrm had betrayed it in the past, and the imp now seeks vengeance on its former master.
Imrik realizes he has Infravision, and the Imp says that because they are now Imrik's Familiar, Imrik has gained the Imp's abilities. Imrik finds as long as the Imp is within 1 mile of him, he has 60' Infravision, 25% magic resistance, regenerates 1 HP per round, and that he is considered 1 level higher for spellcasting. When the Imp is farther than 1 mile away, Imrik loses the bonus level and then casts at 1 level lower than normal. Imrik also has a telepathic link with the Imp that is 1 mile in range. (Monstrous Manuel Entry for Imp). The Imp has 10 HP (2d8+2), and may also have an additional Hit Point per spellcasting level of Imrik if it is subject to the Find Familiar spell. Imrik also finds that he has +1 Intelligence innately.
The Imp explains it is from a different plane than the Demon Homeworld. The Imp informs the party that as creatures from a different plane, no flight is possible, natural or magical. In the Imp's home plane natural flight is possible, but not magical flight. The Imp notes that Levitate is possible in the Demon Homeworld.
The Imp claims the Firewyrm is "40 HP of time" away. Tyreal uses the Moonblade to create some light. The party sets out towards the Firewyrm.
After some time travel the party hear some Shriekers
===Fight at the Bridge===
A couple of hours later Imrik sees a stone-arch bridge across a chasm being guarded by many 4 Toadie Demons. The Imp explains that the demons gain their powers from eating others, and will want to eat the Brothers if they try to cross the bridge. The Imp suggests if there are Toadies nearby, there are also Warrior Demons and Thungs as well.
:Combat: Party vs Demons at Bridge
 Imrik casts at the 4 toadies. (2 at 1, 3 others get 1 each). The Toadies are stronger here than back at Heatstroke and they aren't slain in 1 hit. 12 Toadies charge towards the party.
 Imrik kills two Toadie with his arrow shots. The demons dissipate into motes after death, and don't leave corpses behind.
 The 10 Toadies try to leap onto Tyrael, but he kills 7 as they leap, and the other 3 miss. The brothers easily kill the remaining Toadies.
 A pack of 8 Thungs charges at the party, but fail to bite through their armor. Tyrael slays 3 of them. The Thungs also dissipate after death. Tyreal kills another Thung and Imrik another Thung to death.
 From the far side of the bridge, a Task Master Demon orders a group of Hydra Demon to fire their stringers. The stringers all miss.
 Tyreal finishes off a Thung, and Imrik kills 2 Thungs with his arrow shot. Tyreal is hit by a Hydra's stringer and is poisoned.
 Imrik casts on the bridge using his Staff, illuminating the Hydra Demons, as well as a Task Master Demon, some Warrior Demons and a Lensman Demon.
 Tyreal takes cover as Imrik casts a at the Demons. The Warrior Demons charge across the bridge and fight with Tyreal. The Warrior Demons armor is very thick and hard to penetrate. Imrik casts , creating 8 illusions.
 Imrik casts Bigby's , pushing a Warrior Demon into the chasm. Tyreal fends off attacks from the 2 warriors attacking him.
 The Task Master Demon crosses the bridge and uses its roar attack on Imrik, destroying all the mirror images. The casts at Imrik, but Imrik resists.
 Warrior Demons pursue Imrik. Tyrael drinks a potion of speed, then charges at the Task Master. The Task Master casts Gaia Spear around itself and Tyreal. Tyreal returns blows upon the Demon.
 Imrik uses Bigby's Forceful Hand against the Warrior Demons. Tyrael finishes off the Task Master
 The Demons retreat, with the Task Master defeated. Tyreal attacks one of the retreating Warrior Demons in the back. 2 Hydra Demons stop retreating and throw stringers at Tyreal. Tyreal kills the Warrior Demon then goes after the nearby Hydra Demon, which retreats from Tyreal.
:Combat: Ends
The Imp calls these demons "creatures of extreme volatile will, willing to give anything to their cause, but easily startled and scared off again". Imrik goes to drink a healing potion, but stops when the Imp reminds Imrik of his regeneration. Imrik looks to wounds on his arms and sees them slowly closing on their own.
===Resting===
The party move 5 minutes away to rest. The party find they have no need to eat nor drink. Imrik sits and memorizes spells. He finds out that he can learn spells every 24 hrs, like normal, but he requires no sleep to do so.
Tyreal talks with the Imp as Imrik relearns spells. The Imp says they are the first humans it has ever seen outside of The Pit. The Imp explains to Tyreal about the cycle of souls in the Second Material Plane. The "killed" demons break apart into small soul fragments. Demons eat one another, getting bigger, until they form a larger and larger creature. The Firewyrm is one such demon, and is the master of many lesser demons. The Imp says the Firewyrm will not negotiate with the party, and to gain its knowledge, the Brothers will have to slay it and eat it.
The party sets back out and the Imp warns Tyreal of a great lake of lava coming up, at the center of which is the Firewyrm's fortress.
===The Lava Lake===
The party reach the edge of the Lava Lake. The Firewyrm's fortress sits in the middle of the lake, roughly a quarter mile away from the shore. Imrik attempts to use his to traverse the lava, but the spurts of fire coming out of the Lava are too inconsistent to be of use. Tyrael tries to solidify the lava using water from a Decanter of Endless Water, but the process is too slow. They float the idea of using Imrik as a kite with , but decide against it, as Imrik would just be pulled into the lava. 
After deliberating, the Party concocts their plan: Imrik and the Imp go into the bag of holding; Tyreal runs across the lava, invisible, using his Ring of Water Walking, Ring of Fire-Resistance, Ring of Free-Action, wielding Frostbrand; sprinting with the speed from the Cloak of Cheetah. Against all odds, the plan works, and Tyrael is able to sprint a cross the lava to the fortress. 
===Fight at the Fortress===
It takes 2 minutes for Tyreal to run across the Lava Lake towards the fortress. However a Commander Demon is on the ground-level walkway at the edge of the fortress and is able to see through Tyrael's invisibility.
Tyrael activates Ioun Stone #7 to absorbs spells as he continues his run to the island. The Commander throws a Fireball at Tyrael, but the Ioun Stone absorbs it. Tyrael leaps up to the Commander using his Boots of Springing and Striding. He lets Imrik and the Imp out of the bag and combat begins.
:Combat: Party vs Demons at Lava Island Fort
The caster Demon Warrior casts a spell, it gets absorbed by Tyrael's Ioun stone. Another caster fires of a , it also gets absorbed.. 
Demon uses on Imrik, interrupting his spell. Tyrael attacks the demon which uses , Tyrael runs after it with an attack for 20 damage. The Warrior misses Tyrael. He tries to shove the demon off the ledge, fails 
Warrior misses again. The caster does a over Tyrael, he dodges. Another caster does the same to Imrik. Tyrael misses and hits a warrior once, then runs away from the Wall. Imrik shoots the bow, hitting the demon on the other side of the wall 3 times for 23 damage. Tyrael kills the demon he was fighting, then climbs up t the second floor of the fortress. 
Demon Warrior misses Imrik, the caster does a spell, Imrik resists it. Tyrael jumps off of a bridge onto the caster and hits him once more for 30 damage. Warrior misses, Tyrael hits it. Imrik hits the warrior with one more arrow. 
imrik casts , interrupting the caster in the tower, and does 20 damage to the other caster. Two demons jump onto the first floor. The caster demon behind Tyrael grabs him and drop both of them into the lava, then blinks back. Tyrael lands on his feet, and jumps back out, killing the caster, and almost killing 1 demon warrior. He's hit once for 5 damage. Tyrael finishes of the wounded Warrior Demon.
Imrik interrupts and almost kills the caster with . Warriors miss all, Tyrael hits 1 twice.
Imrik with another and Tyrael down the last of the demons, Tyrael is hit once.
:Combat: Ends
After the fight, Tyrael dispels the Wall with Frostbrand and drinks some potions of healing. The party starts making plans about how to confront the Firewyrm, which sits within the inner chamber.
Category:Tombs of Scoria Episodes