Ep. 23 The Journey Back Chapter 2

## Listen

Ep. 23 The Journey Back Chapter 2

—David Mitchell, *Cloud Atlas*

The group is brought before the tribunal of angels, and enter a fight for their freedom from Syrania. The fight goes *slightly* in their favor.

## Synopsis

### The darkness in Beric

The party stands before the council of angels in Syrania, the eldest of the three having just told Beric that he thought he'd never see another one of his kind again.

Beric starts softly by saying it's not an attempt to deflect, but actual ignorance when he asks: what is his kind? The angel doesn't have a name for them because they don't belong here. When "agents of his ilk" come to Syrania, they fight them. They exist on multiple planes, and they serve a greater darkness; *the* darkness which would extinguish all of them. Gabriel might have acted rashly, but there are some who wield the power unwittingly. They perform actions for the greater good and do more harm than they intend to. Based off the aura Beric projects in this plane, he's a threat to everyone there.

Beric admits he doesn't know where his power comes from. He discovered these powers not long ago and more recently was able to summon Curse-Bringer. He can't summon the sword here but he can cast spells. The angel says it's possible that the sword exists on another plane and that's why it can't be summoned. He informs them the tribunal will confer and determine their fate, as an agent of the darkness and his accomplices.

Dex argues on Beric's behalf, saying he's been nothing but a catalyst of good against the darkness and they need him to continue. They didn't try to go there, they just ended up there, and they need to get back to continue their fight.

Beric wonders if his power *is* evil. Curse-Bringer is constantly trying to get him to do things that he has problems with in the name of some greater good.

*"What if this power inside me* is *evil? I'm not saying* I'm *evil, but what if this power inside me is?"
—Beric*
He continues by saying his group has nothing to do with his powers; they're trying to save Eberron, and if he needs to stay in order for them to be allowed to leave, that's fine. He'll willingly give up his power if it's evil; he was raised in the light of the Silver Flame, and the greatest danger is teaches is doing evil in the name of good.

Before any of that though, he wants to know about the last person they saw like him; he has reason to believe it was his father. The angel tells him of a drow who carried the same darkness Beric does, who spoke of a sword that abandoned him and said he was traveling through the planes to somewhere else, to save the world. He spoke of seeking the greatest light that there was that shined brighter than any light in Syrania. Here the angel looks to Jacob and says it's the same light that he carries with him. However, the angels denied the drow passage and returned him to the portal he came through.

### Trial by combat

The angel starts giving their verdict, but before they can finished Farlan demands trial by combat. Dex and Beric start objecting, but Farlan is sure the angel was about to command that either they stay there or die. He turns to the angel for confirmation and the angel tells them to prepare themselves for combat. Typically it's one-on-one, but since there are more people on the defending side if one of them yields, all of them do. If they lose they will be found guilty, and the penalty is to remain there for the rest of their time.

Angels have gathered to witness what they see as the final nail in the coffin for creatures who have invaded their plane, and from the crowd steps a figure wearing armor around his neck and shoulders with golden wings jutting out from the armor, but no wings on his back. He has pale purple skin and pupilless eyes and brandishes a greatsword before assuming a fighting stance.

Dex, being pissed at the world, gets out his ribbonweave. He's in hybrid form but concealing it with his changeling abilities. The older angel in the tribunal pulls out a large, golden staff and slams it on the ground as the hall falls silent. He declares that the outcome of the battle will determine who is innocent and who is guilty.

In front of this huge crowd, Dex drops the facade and his hybrid form is revealed. He gets leaner, more muscular, grows some hair and claws come out from between his knuckles. *Snkt!*

To start things off, Dex rushes the angel, slashing up and over with his right claw down from the angels collarbone, and then gives another swipe with his left. He can see there was damage dealt, but not the full effect.

*"Yeah, call me Bearverine."
—Dex*
The angel recoils and grits his teeth as Dex, questioning why he would protect an agent that will destroy him. Dex says he can't step aside and the angels hits him with his sword, brilliant light erupting. Beric, silver-tipped spear in hand, pivots around Dex and slashes the blade across the angel's back. Farlan glances and Dex and he grows into a grizzly bear, saying he doesn't like half measures. He swipes both claws at the angel, one of them ripping through the skin of the creature's chest.

The ribbonweave slashes the skin of the angel. The light flashes and the angel grabs his eyes, letting out a pained scream. Blinded, he spins in a circle, trying to hit anything he can, and manages to do some damage to Farlan.

Beric starts feeling a pain at the base of his skull and feels something trying to enter his mind. He hears almost static, but makes out some words. *"I'm…trying…can't reach…you…"* Beric, annoyed as usual as Curse-Bringer, ignores him and focuses on the angel. He reaches out and makes a fist and a silver bonfire flares up beneath the angel's feet.

Therudak makes an attack with his greatsword that starts this angel out on a bad path: he becomes incapacitated.

Dex uses the ribbonweave, going for his achilles. (It happened to Jeff in real life and it sucked.) The angel, no longer blinded and his blood trickling out of his mouth, slaps a hand to his chest. Radiant energy flows into his wounds and they close up, reinvigorating him. Seeing him crouched over healing himself, Beric pivots around and swings with his spear, smacking the angel on the back of the head. The party continues whaling on him, Dex with his claws and ribbonweave, Therudak with his greatsword. A fight has never gone like this for the angel before, so he stubbornly grits his teeth and continues. It comes back around to Beric and he tells the creature they would accept his yield, but the angel rudely refuses.

*"We would happily accept your yield at this point."
"I will never yield to a creature as dark as you."
—Beric and the angel*
Therudak tries getting him to yield, and then Dex. Beric stops using the point of his spear, intending to subdue him with the haft. For a moment the spear slips out of sight and he swears he sees Curse-Bringer flash into existence and then leave again, unnerving him a bit. Dex stands over the angel, demanding he yield one last time.

*"So, angel who's name I did not catch. Do you yield?"
—Dex*
The angels says nothing, eyes cast to the ground. Dex goes for his ankle, intending to take his foot off. Blood gushes out of the angels femoral artery and they hear a boom as the head of the tribunal slams his staff on the ground and declares the fight over. Therudak hands the angel a healing potion, and the angel gets to his feet and jerks away from Dak, walking into the crowd. Beric dismisses the bonfire.

*"I just wanna make sure that it's clear to you that your god favored Beric today."
—Dex*
### Returning home

The head of the tribunal tells Gabriel to gather his men and take them wherever they want to go. Beric takes a moment to see if he can summon the sword, but no luck. A presence is in his hand like Curse-Bringer is trying to reach out, but nothing happens.

Dex looks to the head angel and points out that their god favored Beric today. The angel claims it's not that you win the fight, but *how*, and they've shown everything they need to in regards to what type of people they are, and asks that they leave his home. Dex shrugs and tells Gabriel to let him hop up on his back, and Gabriel looks miffed and says he'll be carrying him. He grabs Dex by the back of the neck and takes off, other angels following with everyone else(though holding them normally, unlike Gabriel).

Gabriel throws Dex onto the ground, everyone else is set down normally. Farlan does the spell to open a portal, and the last thing that's seem exiting is Dex's proud middle finger.

In a second, Dex finds himself back on the other side of the portal, Gab about four inches from his face and red with anger. *"If I ever find you again on this plane or any other plane, I will **kill** you for the way you've fought my brethren today."* He throws him back through the portal and it closes.

End of episode.

## Crit Table

Every crit that the gang struck on the angel warrior, courtesy of the wonderful crit table.

* **13.** **Wide Open.** The target counts as incapacitated for one round. No 1's or 2's on damage dice.
* **16. Guarded Strike.** +2 AC for a round. No 1's or 2's on damage.
* **20. Savage Chop.** Ignore damage resistance. No 1's or 2's on damage dice.
* **28. Retaliation.** As an immediate action, attack the same opponent. No 1's or 2's on damage.
* **34. Ruthless Assault.** One extra damage die.
* **65.** Attacker has melee advantage and target has disadvantage for one round. Roll one extra damage dice on the damage.
* **74. Inspirational Display.** All allies receive advantage on their next roll. Double damage. Double damage.
* **83. Perplexed Reaction.** Target is incapacitated for one round and provokes opportunity attacks from all eligible enemies.
* **86. And Stay Down.** Target is prone and stunned for one round. DC 15 Con save or his speed is halved until he takes a rest. Double damage.
* **91. Impale.** 9 bleed damage per round. Stunned for one round, triple damage.

## Spells

* **Beric**
	+ Create Bonfire

## Quotes

"What if they're right?"
"Well that's not helpful."
"Curse-Bringer has constantly been trying to get me to do things that I find problematic in the name of some greater good. What if this power inside me *is* evil? I'm not saying *I'm* evil, but what if this power inside me is?"
"Well, uh…"
"It's creepy as hell!"
"Well now that is certainly true."
"It's been extremely useful, but I know it's creepy."
"Beric, you raise some good points, that we can probably discuss on another day. Beric, do you think that raising these points right now is going to help them cure you, or cure *the problem,* which is you?"
"I don't know. I don't know!"
*—Beric and Dex*

"Alright so anyway, the three brothers, they see a genie, and he's gonna give each of them three wishes."
*—Jeff*