Session 83

* Tower of the Unchained
* The Temple of Nordros
* Goldie's Family Home

**Previously...**

## And Now...

### So Much For That...

The team is well and truly on the back-foot after what they've learned recently, but they've managed to cobble together something resembling a plan from the ruins, and they arrive at the Tower of the Unchained, hoping they can begin to put that plan into action.

At the tower, we are met by a new face, a female vampire who denies us entry. Gar briefly scraps with her, but she's largely able to rebuff him. Leshrac enhances his voice by eldritch means and bellows out a terrible and portentious warning. Still, the door will not budge. She informs us that the promises made to us only hours earlier are null and void.

Well... it was a nice plan while it lasted. We give up on the tower as a lost cause and return to Goldie's Family Home to collect Thanden and prepare to leave Strangehaven.

### Messenger of Death

Back at Goldie's home, another message from Nyarduke has arrived and tells us that someone is asking after us. Returning to the Inn, we hand over very many bottles, jars, barrels and other containers full of Goldie's Anti-Plague concoction. Hopefully, this will allow Nyarduke to continue to offer shelter to the city's afflicted.

At this point, we meet the stranger who's been asking after us; a foreigner named Nidjia. Despite no apparent signs, most of us get a strange feeling from her. Gar's sensation is the oddest, where the eerie sensation is mixed with a kind of vague, familial bond. Nidjia explains that she's been sent to escort us to the local Temple of Nordros, where we will meet the Madhi, the highest-ranking official in Nordros' Church. Leshrac is already aware of his name - Durithil Oloric - and apparently, Azrah's inhabiting spirit has had deals with him before, though neither have met him directly.

### At Death's Door

Nidjia leads the group to an undertaker's establishment. Passing through the front rooms, we are guided to an underground crypt complex. After being led through something of a catacomb, we approach the gateway to the Inner Sanctum. In order to pass beyond, we are instructed to stare into the eyes of a skeletal guardian and recall a time when we caused an unconsecrated death. After performing the ritual in turn, each member of the group passes into the Inner Sanctum, a large, domed ritual chamber, except for Azrah. Azrah's 'passenger' has been detected and the Madhi will not allow him access. A deal is struck, and Azrah is permitted entry.

The Madhi explains that he will, if we will allow, cast a spell on us which will allow us to temporarily commune with Nordros. After agreeing, we go through a number of preparatory rituals, which will permit us to be transported to the realm of the dead and return.

### The Realm of the Dead

The next thing we know, our spirits are plunged into ice-cold water. Crawling out, we find ourselves in a snow-covered landscape. Ahead of us, we can see a mountain range, so we begin to head towards it. As we get closer, we see a long, winding queue of people making their way to a narrow gateway, which appears to be barred. A guiding spirit resembling an arctic fox approaches and guides us past the queue towards a particular peak atop which stands an ice-encrusted castle overlooking the whole scene.

From atop the peak, we can see beyond the gateway lies an elaborate labyrinth. At the far end, we can see six possible points of exit. The whole process appears to have broken down, however, and nobody seems able to pass through the gateway leading into the maze. The line of people waiting stretches way, way back, and, as we draw closer, we can see that the castle is in the early stages of disrepair.

We enter the castle and our guide gives a short bow before vanishing. A moment later, we can hear the sound of a small bell ringing somewhere down a dim, gloomy corridor. With no other option, we set off in the direction of the bell, passing a number of side corridors as we do. Down one, we see a vast gallery hung with tapestries. Each one features a life-size depiction of a person - many, but not all, of which appear to be vampires. We can sense that this is a 'Most Wanted' gallery of sorts, featuring people who, by one means or another, have been able to cheat death. Our cursory glance would seem to indicate that this particular gallery is only of humans, and only those from within the realm of Terrinoth.

We later pass a second, smaller and much emptier gallery dedicated to the Elven people of Terrinoth. Its walls featuring only three tapestries. The first bears a demonic-looking aspect, all wings, horns and scales. The second, by contrast, seems a normal enough looking elf whom none of us recognize. The third is, of course, Alanthea, whom we have been calling 'The Crone'.

### Into the Presence of Death

We finally enter a large, vaulted hall where an elderly man awaits us. He looks surprisingly tired and frail. Atop his brow, he wears a simple crown consisting of a circlet and three spikes. The larger, central spike appears to be missing. Upon welcoming us, he asks us if we will help him recover his scythe. and we explain what we know (or at least suspect) of Waiqir's plan. As far as we are aware, Waiqir's goal is to unite Terrinoth's vampires under his rule. This will grand him access to certain powerful runes. He will then use this runes to kill Nordros, depose him and become the new God of the Dead.

Nordros offers to assist us in preventing Waiqir's plot in exchange for recovering his scythe. One term that he is inflexible on is that, once the scythe is recovered, that it is returned to him immediately. He explains that we will be tempted to make use of the scythe ourselves, but that that temptation must be resisted and the scythe returned to him. Though as an aside, he does mention that we may gain a second opportunity when the scythe briefly crosses our path again at some point in the future.

In addition, he would like the return of the missing spike from his crown. It is currently in Archaut (possibly with the Dreamers?). Nordros offers us a chance to obtain it, explaining that it offers protection against undeath and necromancy. He does state that it must be returned to him, but not with the same urgency as the scythe. He offers all of us the benefits of The Mark of Nordros, which will grant us various gifts associated with his realm. Goldie, Leshrac and Azrah accept, but Gar does not wish to break his pact with Belaross and Dandy is still uncertain of her status when it comes to Kellos. At this point, the audience comes to a close and the spirit fox returns to guide us back from whence we came.

### Back to the Land of the Living

Arriving back at the Ritual Chamber, we find the place in disarray, with Azrah's body missing. The high priest has been slaughtered and many people are injured, while considerable damage has been done to the chamber itself. Leshrac deduces that the Lich will have taken the opportunity when everyone was weakest from performing the ritual, to assume control of Azrah's body, attacked the temple and escaped.

While Gar and Dandy offer what help they can to the surviving temple members, Leshrac asks of Goldie will use their powers of Foretelling to help find Azrah's body. He also offers the use of his eye, which is a match for Azrah's own gemstone. Combining their powers, the two make contact and, with Azrah's spirit in tow, attempt to teleport to the location of Azrah's body. They arrive, surprising the lich, and Leshrac is able to dispel it, restoring Azrah to her rightful place by the medium of a swift punch to the face.

Forced to flee by the power of Nodros' mark, the spirit departs. It briefly appears as a large, hideously swollen head with sharp teeth connected to a tiny, withered and shrivelled body. It recoils immediately, a look of shock and disgust across its grotesque features and attempts to flee. As it does so, Leshrac informs it that, should they see it again, he shall stop at nothing to destroy it utterly.

### It's Later Than You Think...

Meeting up at the entrance to the temple, we are surprised to discover a small squad of mercenaries guarding the Undertaker's. All are dressed in slate-grey metallic armour with an array of similarly coloured and heavily stylized weapons. The leader's armour is shaped and decorated to make him look like an iron bear. They have been employed by the remaining temple members to guard them. We warn him of the incoming threat to himself and his men, but he insists that a contract is a contract, and stands firm.

In the distance, in the clouds directly over the Unchained Tower, we see a blood-red glow. The end has come a lot sooner than we expected it. There is no more time for plans. We have to leave now.