Episode 41

The session starts on the island around 3-4:00 in the afternoon, surrounded by palms and a dark pebble beach that stretches 400 feet up to the treeline. While the party gets adjusted to their new surroundings, Ingred points out a monster in the water behind them. A giant octopus/squid creature slams against the beach, its 15-foot long tentacles reaching out towards them. Luckily the group had shifted out of the reach of the creature beforehand. It slips back under the water, with its singular eye glaring at everyone.

To get a better idea of the dangers around this island, Mixy decides to speak to the trees. She relays to the group that the island has various giant, deadly creatures. She leads the party forward into the jungle, occasionally disappearing in the foliage but easily re-found by the colorful butterfly in her hair. The further they walk the thicker the canopy becomes, eventually blocking the party’s sight of the tower in the distance. Eventually they find a good spot to rest for the night, the bubble set in an open area with some fallen trees. Mixy hands everyone some goodberries, Seipora and Lily write in their journals, and K leaves the bubble with Ingred for a short period of time. Eventually everyone settles down for the night. They are pulled from their sleep when a boulder crashes into the bubble. The giant creature that threw it shrugs off after a while. The rest of the night goes by smoothly.

Mixy wanders off in the morning, returning to tell the group that the giants don’t approach the temple. And that giant spiders are in the distance. Mixy takes the lead once more, but lets Ingred take over after a while. Along the trail they hear cannon fire in the distance to the northwest. They decide to continue at a stealthy pace. More wildlife is seen as they journey deeper into the island, including lots of finicky pygmy deer and a bobcat. Echoing through the forest are more strange, unknown sounds, similar to the cannons but sharper. The party pushes forward.

Deeper in Ingred points out the giant spiders that Mixy had warned them about earlier. Bones rest under the trees, the spider holds her webbing out like a net prepared for prey to approach from below. The party navigates around 15 giant spiders and detours westward. More of the sharp sounds are heard in the distance, and another boulder sails by the group from the left. Mixy decides to take a look, and conveys that there are four gentlemen with odd weapons fighting three giants. The party decides to book it away from the scene.

They eventually find a safe area for the bubble tucked into the trees and bushes and rest for the night. Ingred and K leave for some time and return with some hunted pygmy deer, some of which are turned into jerky by Mixy. Ingred leaves with Anthos before nightfall. They come back after a few minutes. Mixy, Lily, Seipora, and Anthos take night shifts. Mixy lets the party know that she sees giants leaning on trees in the distance. She gives everyone goodberries wrapped in jerky in the morning. An odd meal.

They depart once again. Around noon the palms suddenly end, the surrounding trees becoming coniferous. In the distance the party sees mountains, snowy topped and supporting an incredibly giant temple with the golden eye resting above the archway. As they approach the air around them gets colder, and a worn cobblestone road appears underneath their feet. The party stops at the entrance to take in their surroundings. K eagerly charges into the temple.

He makes it into the temple before getting backhanded roughly by a large, blonde angel. He steps forward to make introductions to the party. He seems to be wary of K. A meadow is seen in the courtyard. Light filters through the roof, shining among a wide variety of plants and flowers never seen before. The party is acknowledged and allowed entry to visit the prophet. The sound of clicking heels and a staff is heard further down the hall. A procession of 8 hooded angels surround a tall, beautiful brunette woman. Her hair is decorated with golden spiral accessories, she is adorned in gold and carries an 8-foot tall shepherd's staff with a golden eye inside the crook. Her left eye is green, the right golden and engraved, similar to the eye in front of the temple. She asks what they desire.

Lily shoves K forward. He gives an awkward introduction but tries his best to be polite. The prophet introduces herself as Nikinen. As she gets acquainted with the party her angels leave, returning with food, tables, and seats. They offer a drink to each party member. Some indulge, some decline. K talks to Nikinen about the knowledge of Abaddon.

Nikinen gives everyone the opportunity to ask her a question, which she will answer to the best of her abilities.

* Ingred asks if she knows a woman by the name of Rosa Tarlie. She says yes, and that the woman is alive.

* Mixy is looking for a home tree to provide her family with a new home, and asks if she will find one. The prophet says yes, she will.

* Seipora asks if her brother is redeemable/saveable. She says yes, anyone can be with the right amount of effort.

Nikinen mentions that Anthos has been in the hall before, around 600 years ago, looking more elven. She reveals that he has something called the “chains of creation” on him. He seems shocked to hear it. According to her, his soul is forcibly trapped on the material plane to hop from body to body, cursed to never have an afterlife. Anthos mentions “the fall” and what preceded it, apparently angry about the event. He was doing what was right and just, but was punished for it.

Nikinen reveals that Abbadon was the one that cursed Anthos. She tells a long story:

In the beginning the gods were given life by the creator god, also known as the Benefactor or Father. His icon is the Eye. The angels were separated into Knights of Heaven (a group that was created first by the gods) and the Glory of Heaven or the Celestial Host. The Knights of Heaven grew into the stronger group. Zariel, the first archangel, was created by several gods and given eight wings. She was the strongest of the knights and was known to be the eldest sister. There were 27 angels in the group, each commanding a legion of their own. Ten became the strongest. Their names are unknown aside from the fallen six, cursed to live a life without rest:

* Zariel the Archangel of War
* Anthozrael the Seraph of Fire
* Abbadon the Devourer of Grace
* Taharial the Seraph of Light
* Brarro the Seraph of Speed
* Miraelil the Seraph of Swords

Abbadon had fallen into hell, eventually escaping into the material plane as a *Knight of Hell*.

Anthos was the fifth legion commander.

Nikinen shoots a beam out at K from her staff, hitting him square in the chest and knocking Abbadon out of him. His physical form is red-headed, a tall angel with 6 black wings and chained into the back of K. Abbadon looks wary in this temple. Nikinen speaks of how anger led to his downfall. He lost 4 wings, and was put under the command of Asthozrael. He gained the knowledge of the other angels, ambushing and absorbing the grace of Anthozrael and four others to regain his wings. Zariel wanted to end the war between angels and demons, but the methods to do so were against heaven’s direct orders. To avoid being caught, she used Abbadon as a puppet in case things went south so it would not lead back to herself.

He spouts off about the annoyance of his plans being ended. Ingred and Seipora make fun of Abbadon. He doesn't like it much.

Nikinen talks to Anthos some more about the times he had visited, and asks what it is he desires. He says he wants peace. She reveals that, to be fixed, Anthos must go to hell and defeat a lord there or have the sphinx assist him. Anthos wanders off emotionally and drinks with the other angels. She goes on to talk about the chain of creation, how the devils and demons were able to forge it before being condemned from the material plane. Its magic consumed the lives and souls of those who made it, breaking the Sword Saint Or’yen Bluepetal in the process. It drove him to become a mad and sadistic tyrant, and he would later become known as Orion, the Immortal Blood King, the first elven king of Gristol.

Seipora sings of Orion the Blood King. According to Nikinen, Seipora has one of the eyes of the unseen.

The ebony wings want to remove K’s soul so Abbadon could inhabit the body.

Nikinen gives K the option to fight Abbadon to gain control again. He may fight alone or with his party members.