Session 16 - Finding Beorhisto

At Cliffside, the party defiled and destroyed the shrine to the demon Pazuzu. After searching the area they decided to perform the ritual required to locate Beorhisto. With Bunglepurse guiding them, they braided the three strands of hair from the coven of witches into one strand, and braided that onto the tail of a rabbit they had captured. The rabbit transformed into a grotesque creature the size of a fox. It glared evilly at them and then dashed off into the woods. The party followed the rabbit until it ran into a large clearing with deep grass. When it reached the clearing, it turned and attacked the party. It had the ability to multiply itself and the party was hard pressed to kill it and its clones, but finally succeeded. After resting from the battle, they found that there was a faint distortion in the air in the center of the clearing. Upon walking through it, they saw a forlorn tower which had been previously hidden from view. They entered the tower and were immediately caught in an elaborate trap in which they were forced to flee a flow of lava through a short maze. After defeating the trap, they party climbed the tower and found Beorhisto himself seated in his throne room. He believed that the witches had sent the party to kill him, but after they convinced him otherwise, he provided them with plentiful information about their quest to discover the nature of the Adaranth. He told them the following things:

* The Adaranth is unquestionably from the plane known as Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus.
* The Adaranth has some connection to the ancient race known as the Zenythri.
* There is a book which contains substantial information about the Adaranth called The Crowning Elucidation. It is written in the indecipherable Zenythri language.
* The book is located in the Athenæum of Ir'mee al-Ma, the library of a mysterious collector. Beorhisto said he did not know the location of the library, but said he had a bizarre map rumored to lead to it, which he gave to the party.
* No one can read Zenythri. It is possible to decode the meanings of words, but the language seems to be highly metaphorical or symbolic. It might require a change in thought patterns to be able to understand it.
* There are 5 stones, which used together, might impart the understanding required to read Zenythri.
* There is a passage from the Velvet Tome of Hospanykka which Beorhisto believes provides some guidance to the stones. The passage is as follows:

> There came to me at around this time a modron, perhaps a decaton, who had come to disagree with the philosophies of his people and wished to live his own life. As this is strictly forbidden in modron society, he was being hunted. He agreed to translate this mysterious Zenythri passage for me in exchange for my aid in helping him escape, which I gladly provided. His precise and exact translation is as follows:
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> For the seeker after truth, the words and phrases of the first tongue are inevitable. As a cog rolls unavoidably in precision with its neighbors, so too will understanding roll into the mind of the seeker as each of the Stones they find.
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> And the seeker shall know the path.
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> Upon the second  layer of the Beastlands lies Brux and the Library of All Knowledge,
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> and on the third day after each new moon in Arborea, the Seelie Court arrives in the realm of Nephthys and they lay garlands at her altar.
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> In Ysgard run the four deepest roots of Yggdrasil
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> and in the Monastery of the Five Disciples of Pahazep in Limbo is truth maintained.
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> Beware the six lords of chaos who inhabit the city of Ro'ashishu in the House of All Demons
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> and despair in awe at the High Temple of Lord Sess'Innek in the Phantom Plane, seventh in the infinity of the Abyss.
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> Once there were eight dragons who vied for the swamps of Cathrys,
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> but when the nine Lords fought for the Gray Wastes
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> the Yugoloths were cast into Gehanna and formed ten districts in the city of Shamon-Nessakhn.
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> It is said that in Baator once were eleven hells. But the Elder Gods were hungry
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> and their ravenous horrors were unleashed in troops of twelve upon the eternal battlefields of Acheron.
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> And thus were the thirteen Cogs of Izushin constructed in Mechanus to bar the way.
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> So it is that Mount Clangeddin in the Peaceable Kingdoms, fully the height of fourteen yishoria trees, is protected
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> and also Mount Celestia and her fifteen Hollyphant Queens.
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> And peace be upon the realm of Sixteen Rivers in the House of the Triad
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> and upon Prince Talisid in his Elysian city, seventeen leagues from the borders of Lord Rhanok
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After imparting this information, Beorhisto drifted into a trance and the party left his tower.

The Dogs of War were concerned that after the battle at Cliffside, Mama Buacha and one of her warlocks had escaped. Fearing that the Children of Gloom would seek revenge on themselves or on the city, they did some research into the organization. After speaking with several residents, they found that the Children of Gloom had come to power not long after Wulfa, one of the councilors of the Pentacle had arrived in the city. There were other clues pointing to Wulfa, including incriminating evidence in his house, so the party decided to confront him. They waited at a meeting of the Pentacle and had the guards lock the room. They cast a Zone of Truth and interrogated Wulfa in it. He admitted to being a part of the Pazuzu cult in Duskbridge. He was a close ally of Mama Buacha and helped her as much as he could. He told them that she had died in the attack on Cliffside and agreed to take them to her body. Upon arriving, the party found her laying dead on the bluff above her hideout. Apparently she had attempted to escape into the ethereal plane, but when Kuber had dispelled her spell, she was crushed and ejected on top of the bluff. The party was also surprised to find that she was, in fact a succubus. Wulfa disclosed that the warlock who had escaped was named Nelaser. He said she was a self-centered coward and was unlikely to seek retribution. As a reward for the service the Dogs of War had done for the city, the remaining members of the Pentacle agreed to raise a militia from Duskbridge and other nearby communities and to help liberate Sigil when the time was right. They also gave Nedra the deed to the land, and she had grand visions of beginning a druidic circle there after the war.