Adventure 62

**Real World Date: 7/12/2020**

**In Game Dates: February 16th, 5002 M.E. - February 16th, 5002 M.E.**

**XP: N/A**

## Monologue

They say that only certain people can be heroes. But that’s not necessarily true. A hero is someone who stands up. They may not have a particular set of skills. They may not be destined for greatness. But when it counts. When the stakes are high. When everyone else is prepared to run. A hero stands. They may not win. They may not survive. Heroes have heroic deaths all the time. But sometimes, winning isn’t the point. It’s the standing up that’s heroic.

We zoom across the world of Arcaterra. We see the port city of Talal. A family is walking together along the docks. A mother and father with two little boys. As they walk, shouts and panic suddenly arise from the port. The family looks around as hundreds of creatures rise from the waters are begin to attack the port.

They are Chuul. Large crustacean-like aberrations with tentacles writhing on their faces and pincers almost two feet long, they swarm the docks, attacking sailors and workers alike. They swarm up into the city and the family sees this and flees.

Out in the water, hundreds of large aquatic beings break the surface of the water, calmly watching the attack unfold. They are Aboleths. They once ruled this world. Before the gods came. And Aboleths have a shared memory. A shared history. They all remember when this was their world. And they want it back. They have been biding their time. They somehow made Tolujar disappear. They gathered forces. And now they see their opportunity. While the world is distracted. They….unleash hell.

The family flees down the road only to be cut off by several Chuul. They flee down an alley only to realize that they ran down a dead end. They turn around to see a Chuul lunge towards them. The parents stand in front of the children as they scream in horror….

We move down south to the city of Sanye. The city is on high alert. Forces from Kombray have been steadily marching this way. Within the city walls, the forces of many neighboring nations gather, including some of the forces of Almonte, ready to prevent these forces from going any further. They are making a stand. A thick mist covers the area. From the south, something approaches. A dozen. A hundred. Thousands of demonic beings begin to charge towards the city of Sanye. Flying creatures join them. The entire population of Kombray seems to be charging towards them as they literally…..unleash hell.

We move west to Fort Ostoril. Kyldrik is on the docks when he hears a commotion. Aboleths forces are attacking here, too. Dock workers turn and flee. Kyldrik stands resolute as the Chuul overwhelm the defenses of the docks. Kyldrik pulls out his stone axe, seemingly alone in his willingness to fight. He watches the ocean outside….unleashes hell.

We move south to a port town on Kananga along the Valu River. The Red Brook Mercenary company, a formerly powerful mercenary group, now disgraced by scandals of corruption, is the only defense available when the city is suddenly attacked by creatures. Admiral Kaias Lorbelle, leader of the Red Brooks, leads a charge towards the docks to defend the city from the Aboleths forces emerging from the water. What he doesn’t count on is a simultaneous attack from the Gnoll forces from Xaris. Admiral Lorbelle Is knocked down by a sudden attack from a feral Gnoll warrior. He looks over towards the docks to see the Aboleths’ forces swarm. He looks over to the east to see the Gnoll forces of Xaris burn the city. The Gnoll raises his sword and swings it down…

We move to just outside the Daeryn Forest. A large army has gathered along the border of the forest. The are all mounted on strange, mechanical animals. They are constructs, but they behave like animals. Some are as large as dire animals, some even larger. A Human Druid woman, Galvonna Blueshield, leads them. With an evil smile, she raises her hand as her forces shoot flaming arrows into the Daeryn forest. The edges of the Daeryn forest begin to burn. Inside the forest, the forces of Daeryn stand several hundred feet within the forest line, waiting. They know their advantage is not out in the open where their enemy is, but in the forest, among the trees. But as they wait, they watch the edge of the forest begin to burn…..

In the Fractured Isles, surrounded by ocean, in the city of New Tu’narath, the Aboleths forces surround the island. The ships are covered in Chuul as the docks are quickly overwhelmed. Leaders of the pirates gather on the hill looking to the new Marquis, a Githyanki of no import. Former lieutenants of the Pirate King, captains loyal to the Commodore, they all scream at him for guidance and direction. The new Marquis just looks out at the death and destruction, frozen from fear, and does nothing…

In the city of Almonte, Pavel Netheridge and the rest of the Mystic Directorate teleport into the city. They look around at the chaos as people run and scream. Battle sounds can be heard all around. Pavel looks up into the sky above Almonte and sees a tear in the sky. The very fabric of this plane seems to be tearing apart, almost screaming in pain. As the tear keeps growing, devils begin to fly out of it and attack the city. Pavel looks up in horror at the site. His compatriots scream his name but he doesn’t listen. He only drops to his knees and tears began to stream down his face. The event they have spent centuries trying to prevent is happening. He has failed. The world as he knows it, is about to end…

Across the city, a door swings open and General Maxor Cornelius sees his generals before him. They merely point to the tear in the sky. He only takes a moment before he turns and barks.

“Lock the city down.”

“That tear is inside the barrier, General.”

“Exactly. Nothing that comes through that portal is leaving this city, you understand? Nothing!”

His generals head off to follow his commands as Cornelius looks up at the tear as it…unleashes hell.

They say that only certain people can be heroes. But that’s not necessarily true. When the stakes are high. When everyone else is prepared to run. A hero stands. They may not win. They may not survive. But sometimes, winning isn’t the point. It’s the standing up that’s heroic.

In the city of Talal, the family braces for death in a dead end alley way. But they look up as several bolts pierce the Chuuls tough hide and the Chuul dies. They see people standing with crossbows, waving them over. They run to them, inside a building, follow them down a set of stairs into what seems to be some abandoned tunnel. The wife gasps as she suddenly realizes the men that just saved them. The men that currently surround them. They all have similar cloaks with a identical pin on them.

“Crows…” she hisses.

Their leader stops, turns to them. He shakes his head.

“We were crows. Not anymore.” He signals for them to follow. “Come. We will take you to safety.”

The forces along the walls of the city of Sanye stand resolute, but their faces betray their thoughts. Despite the presence of some of the forces of Almonte, fear and doubt suddenly overwhelm them. The massive amount of demonic creatures charging at them are too much. The city of Sanye is about to fall.

It’s then that the mist fades. It’s not naturally occurring. It was summoned. And as it’s dismissed two large forces are revealed to be on either side of the city. Sir Fenthril Sunmoore, right hand man to the Duchess of the Verydian Forest, stands resolute with what might be…..the last Verydian Elves alive in this world. They have heard the call of their allies in Sanye. They have heard, possibly, their last call to war. Sir Fenthril raises his sword, looks to the either side, then orders the Verydian Elves to charge…

On the docks at Fort Ostoril, Kyldrik raises his one arm in what is obviously a signal. Suddenly crates on the docks bust apart to reveal they weren’t crate at all, but clever disguises for the recently installed mounted ballistas. Tarps are pulled to reveal weapons and armor supplies. The walls themselves on the docks begin to spin, revealing hidden compartments filled with more ballistas. The dock workers, to a man, all charge back onto the docks, armed now with swords, bows, arrows, and shields.

Rhogan charges onto the docks with reinforcements as Kyldrik goes into a frenzied rage. Side by side, Rhogan and Kyldrik charge forward to defend the docks….

In the city of Kananga, Admiral Lorbelle watches as the Gnoll sword stops mid swing, falls backwards and its body raises up into the air. A large Olminarian man raises the Gnoll over his head, then drops the Gnoll onto his knee, breaking the spine of the Gnoll and killing him. Tariq Akhallah stands over the Admiral, numerous monks from the monastery joining him as they fight off the invaders.

Camilla, Tariq’s lieutenant, comes up to Tariq, pats him on the shoulder, and points in the sky. Floating above the monks from the Monastery of Light and the Red Brook Mercenaries alike, is Master Kor, in his true form as a celestial Ki-Rin.

“Come! We can hold them at the docks!”

Master Kor leads the charge and all follow him. Tariq lowers his hand to help Admiral Lorbelle up.

“Perhaps we can fight together again?”

Admiral Lorbelle smiles.

“Aye. I’d like that.”

They charge towards the docks to join their men.

Elgoth Stormshadow of the Azure Conclave stands with several Generals as they strategize the defense of the Daeryn Forest. Elgoth looks up in astonishment as Lyripel Hardfrost, Paladin of Aubade, walks past them.

“Hold on! What are you doing here! Last I checked I banished you from this land!”

“Yeah, but I don’t think you can be picky right now about who is willing to help defend this land. Besides, I don’t care.”

“Are….are those blades you’re carrying…how many?”

“Moon Blades? Yes. I have four. I am going use them to unlock a weapon that can help turn the tide of this battle. I need to visit the Great Oak.”

“Where is your travel companion? Has she ignored her banishment as well? Aren’t you always protecting her?”

“Aurelia? No, she doesn’t need protection anymore.”

Lyripel points towards the south where the battle lines are drawn, then runs off.

At the battle lines on the southern edge of the Daeryn Forest, Aurelia Gemblossom, the tiny Moon Elf Druid, walks up the edge of the line of soldiers. She gets strange looks, especially from the General at the head of the line.

“Miss, if you’re not armed and armored, you shouldn’t be here.”

“I don’t need armor. And I am always armed.”

With a smirk, Aurelia walks passed them. She walks fast, then jogs, then sprints, and as she breaks into a full out run towards the fires burning at the edge of the forest, she begins to run on all fours. Her size and shape morph to reveal a massive, fifteen foot long Polar Bear. In this form, Aurelia charges alone towards the enemy forces.

Several soldiers look towards the general, who sighs and nods.

Outside the forest, Galvonna Blueshield, mounted atop a mechanical Lion the size of a house, watches the fire burning the edge of the forest. Suddenly a Polar Bear leaps through the flames, alone. Galvonna instantly knows it is Aurelia and signals for her archers to nock their bows. Before she can give the order to fire, the armies of Daeryn Forest charge through the fires right behind Aurelia.

Traveling with them is a warrior encased in glowing holy armor, glowing like the moon. Lyripel wields a massive Moon Blade, charged with energy from Ancillia herself.

With Lyripel and Aurelia at the front, the Daeryn forces charge forward…

In New Tu’narath, the Marquis is pushed. The lieutenants and the captains are knocked aside as a group of men with crimson cloaks step forward. Denton Versailles steps forward.

“Laws of this island is no killing. You’ve all been deputized.”

He pulls his sword from his sheath, and all of them, to the man, pulls their swords in response. The leader of the Crimson Mariners points his sword towards the docks.

“Let’s kill them all!”

In Talal, in Sanye, in Ostoril, in Kananga, in the Daeryn Forest, just as in New Tu’narath, and around the world of Arcaterra, as if in unison, the world fight backs. The world….stands up!

In Almonte, a large devilish being charges up to Pavel Netheridge. Pavel barely notices as the creature charges forward. It is stopped by not one, not two, not five, not twenty, but sixty magic missiles. And two lightning bolts. The creature is knocked back and flown into the side of the building, collapsing to the ground, dead.

Several students from the Pentad School of Wizardry charge by, ignoring Pavel. Several teachers direct them as they move towards the portal to defend the city. One figure remains, helping Pavel up to his feet. Pavel turns to see a middle aged woman with white eyes, almost glowing with a smile.

Aratha Stormbrand hands Pavel a wicker basket.

“Mr. Netheridge, I think you’re going to need this.”

Pavel looks down to see a wicker basket filled with at least two dozen Pieces of Ovmar. Aratha nods towards the tear in the sky. Pavel nods back.

“Thank you, madam. I think you might be right.”

Across town another large devil lands in the city streets, roaring at the people, swinging a flaming blade and killing. People scream and run.

“Yes. Fear me.”

Alone on that street, dressed in just pants and a tunic, unarmed, General Cornelius walks calmly towards the pit fiend. The devil stares with confusion as Cornelius reaches under his shirt and breaks a glass medallion.

Cornelius stretches his arms out. Suddenly a glove flies from nowhere and wraps around his hand. Another. Then a pair of boots. Armor flies and straps onto his body. A uniform. Medals. A sword. Several wands.

Suddenly Cornelius is in his full military uniform. He unsheathes his sword. Points a wand with his other hand.

“No. Fear me.”

They say that only certain people can be heroes. But that’s not necessarily true. A hero is someone who stands up. But not standing is what most people do. So running doesn’t make you a villain. But that does mean the danger is at your back. And you never see it coming.

In the city of Almonte, in the Temple District, in the Winter’s Crest Cemetery, there is a Mausoleum for the Followers of the Sun, a small sect of the Church of Aubade. Any follower of this sect is buried there if they have no other burial arrangements. In this Mausoleum is a tomb for Jorna Aluhm, the Fallen Aasimar who once worked with Byren Koen.

As we move into the mausoleum, towards that tomb, we see Ren. He is in a great deal of pain, and the mark on his one eye has spread across his body. He finishes the spell to Speak With the Dead and the corpse of Jorna Aluhm sits up and turns to Ren.

“What is happening to me?”

“The curse placed on you by our- well, my master, Zapharel, it is in its final stages. The end is nigh.”

“Why is this happening?”

“My master must have died and triggered the final stage. You were the contingency should he die.”

“What does that mean?”

“You are going to die so he can live.”

“How do I stop it?”

“Only Zapharel can remove this curse from you, and he is dead.”

“This isn’t fair. I never asked for this.”

Silence permeates the tomb as only Ren’s whimpers of pain can be heard.

“Technically, Ren, you didn’t ask a question. But I will tell you this. I never wanted this for you. I fully intended, once we rescued my master, to have him remove this curse from you. But you turned from him. From us. But even then, if I had found Zapharel myself, I would have asked him to remove it. You were an innocent victim. And though your ability to see the future was an asset, it wasn’t worth killing you over. I am truly sorry.”

“Are you?”

“Yes, Ren. Yes, I am.”

With that, the final question is answered for Speak With the Dead and Jorna Aluhm falls back into his grave. Ren screams in pain and falls to the ground. The mark on his body splits. Bone and sinew tear and break as Ren’s body comes apart. His cries die as Ren’s body falls away to reveal….something else in it’s place.

A humanoid body crouches in the remains of Byren Koen. It stands up, covered in blood, and slowly walks out of the mausoleum.

Emerging outside the mausoleum, the being is stands at about nine and a half feet tall. It shakes itself as a burst of wind cleans its body off. A pair of massive wings are attached to its back, solid white in color with a trim of coppery gold. It bears gold armor and a massive gold empty sheath at it’s hip. Looking up into the Almonte sky at the massive portal with its radiant topaz eyes, the being sighs.

“Not a moment too soon.”

Zapharel, one of the Solar Angels, is reborn. It spread it’s wings and began to fly towards the portal, glaring at the devils in its way.

And we move to the portal, through it, and to the other side. To Hell itself….

## Final Battle

The players do final battle with **Korbeth**, Ardreth Aefaren, Koryndalia Dawnleaf, and an chained angel named **Galathiel**. They stop the portal from fully opening and allowing **Korbeth** to travel to the Prime Material Plane. They kill them all before Pavel Netheridge and General Cornelius use two **Palurin Stones** to close the portal, saving the world from destruction.

## First Council and Beyond...

There is a fancy party in full swing in Fort Ostoril.

Rhagnar Frostbreaker views a painting of the deceased Thorgrim Thunderhammer. He sadly reaches out and touches the frame, saying he is sorry quietly under his breath. He is touched on the shoulder...

*...we are at the edge of the Veryd Forest. Erevan Siannodel comes out, shirtless, from a tent and observes the remainders of the Verydian Elves building a village on the coast. Aluvera Jemblossom comes out and wraps her arms around Erevan. She has a speech to give and should get dressed. She doesn't want to. He convinces her she does. She says she will put on a fancy hat...*

...Rhagnar turns around to Erevan Siannodel and Aluvera Jemblossom are here. Aluvera is visibly pregnant. Rhagnar realizes that this is Erevan's doing. He congratulates them both.

Across the party, Zuke has just defeated yet another person at arm wrestling. He flexes and begs for another challenger...

*...Zuke and Erevan are standing on the docks next to the slain corpse of the Kraken. Zuke notices that Erevan is wearing a bigger hat and he requests a bigger one. Once he finds it, they both pose for a painting besides the Kraken...*

...at the party, Dhamon is talking with Aurelia Gemfrost and Lyripel Hardfrost and they are discussing their animosity towards Elgoth Stormshadow. Dhamon tells a joke and they all laugh...

*...Dhamon is leading a team of wizards as they complete a spell. The Lost Star Tower is raised from the ground and is slowly moved in direction of his pointing...*

...Aust walks up to Aratha Stormbrand, who says its time they shake hands. They do and Aust sees a vision. He is disturbed by it...

*...Aust is overseeing the construction of a temple to Tolujar in Leshon. Several Dwarf kids come over and ask if Tolujar is evil. He says, like storms themselves, he is not evil or good, he just is. One kid remains and asks if you get cool powers for serving Tolujar. With sparks in his eyes, Aust says "Powers you wouldn't believe!"...*

...Wrax comes over to Aust, telling him to meet in a side chambers. He asks what Aust just saw. Aratha says he saw her death. She tells him not to worry about it right now. He should just go to his meeting and she will enjoy the revelries.

Wrax waves certain people over to the chambers. Dhamon, Aurelia, Lyripel, Rhagnar, Erevan, Aluvera, and Zuke. Zuke makes sure he can bring his drink, and when Wrax nods, he follows everyone else in...

*...Wrax is meeting Arkais at the top of Fort Ostoril for some tea and a game of chess. Wrax is very old. He asks if these games they have been playing, is it all in his head, or is it real. Arkais says it's definitely in his head, but that doesn't mean it isn't real...*

...all the heroes gather in the chambers, posing in the room. Suddenly it's not real life, but a painting. It's hanging up in te halls of Fort Ostoril. The caption reads: "First Council of Ostoril".