The Path to Kaddath

"The Path to Kaddath" is episode 74 of SuperQuest Saga. The party emerges onto the rendezvous point only to be immediately swept into a chaotic battle-scape of horrors.

## Synopsis

### Introduction

* William Stark shall be your egressing dungeon master of this evening.
* Josh Freeland is playing Sebastian Crenshaw, half-orc paladin.
* Your Special Guest Jake is playing Persephone Goldpetal the firbolg druid.
* Brian is a space wizard/rogue. He’s gonna fuck something up today.

### Recap

Last time a lot of shit happened. They started off by jumping straight into a warzone where they were immediately attacked by illithids, who they promptly kicked the shit out of. They received a message from Lightsong just as she and Brightwind were attacked, and *Victory’s Ascent* swooped in to fight off the illithid dreadnought. They learned the Emperor had already entered into the monolithic eldritch abomination called the Corpse Star. Before they could decide what to do about it, a different eldritch abomination emerged from the Corpse Star and proceeded to eat a bunch of ships and a void dragon. It began to chase *Victory’s Ascent* but they did some sick evasive maneuvers and the Nova Kings told them to push forward as they stepped in with their dope plasma breath. Inside the Corpse Star they navigated a labyrinth, murdered two elves, and found their way to the petrified heart of the Corpse Star. As they got closer to the heart, the fluid in Primina’s isolation chamber began pulsing until it reached a point where it was flickering very violently.

### Operation Egress

“This is it. I can feel it. This is where the original world, The Prime, used to exist. Here we can open the gate.” Primina stated. Watt and Prim look at each other and share a knowing nod. Watt speaks. “As you all know, Prim and I have been running tests with *Victory’s Ascent’s* systems and we came across this start-up program.” On the monitor he pulls up a black screen with the words “Initiate Egress Operation.” They have not initiated the command for obvious reasons, but he believes this is now the time and place. Persephone asks what the program means; Watt could not tell the details of what it entails, but it is the program installed on the ship to use with Prim to open the portal. Percy asks if it’s safe and Watt shares that they don’t know for sure. They’ve come this far and this is the only way they know that might open the gate.

Percy looks to Echo to see if he’s ready to punch it and he’s good to go. Watt checks to see if Prim is ready and begins the countdown. He presses the button and the monitor makes an error noise with the message: “All articles not accounted for. Cannot proceed.” Sebastian doesn’t understand what they’re missing. Watt says he should have thought about this as a possibility. “Sebastian, I think you have to get in the tank. Well think about it, the ship is going to be the thing running the program and without all Nine Bloodlines, I don’t think it can.” Percy thinks that sounds like a good idea.

Seb strips down to his cam-fiber bodysuit as the tank is prepared. After about ten minutes, both he and Prim are in the isolation tank together and the blue liquid begins to fill the tank. “It’s a little uncomfortable at first, but you don’t need to breathe while you’re in here. You’ll get used to it.” Sebastian panics a little, but after a moment he realizes he does not need to breathe. Watt asks if they should attempt it again. Sebastian nods and tries to speak but cannot because of the liquid; he is able to talk telepathically with everyone though. Watt presses the button and a message on the screen appears: “Egress Operation initiated.”

The engines of *Victory’s Ascent* begin to whirr very loudly. The fluid in the tank holding both Prim and Sebastian begins to shine a solid and brilliant blue light. Tiny white shining particles of light begin to appear all around the two of them, like thousands of stars; slowly at first and then faster, and faster the light particles merge into the bodies of Primina and Sebastian. Watt reports the A-Reactor is going into overdrive. More and more light particles appear and merge with the two, countless of them. Sebastian and Primina feel an energy welling up inside of them and both begin to glow brightly. Beams of energy burst forth from both *Victory’s Ascent’s* pulsar guns; together they begin to move and carve a sigil in the open space between the ship and the heart of the Corpse Star.

The glyph they form is circular in shape, over 200-ft wide divided into nine curved sections surrounding another central circle. Each section has a different ancient rune glowing in the center; the same nine symbols found on the sacrificial pedestals deep below the Ziggurat on Namulith. The central circle is filled with runes in a constant state of shifting and movement. The pulsar guns stop shining light, but the glyph remains. Immediately, Seb and Prim begin to shine even brighter. The energy inside of them is burning and it is painful, though at the same time they are overcome with an exalting and sweet feeling that threatens to overwhelm their senses. Echo, Persephone, and Watt get a sense of this feeling through their psionic bond.

The tank begins to rise up inside the pillar into the ceiling of the flight deck. Atop the head of the dragonforged ship, a hatch opens and the tank rises up into it. From here, Sebastian and Primina can see the glyph glowing brightly in front of them with the heart looming behind it. Brightwind, Lighstong, and Lieutenant Vermilion are looking on in amazement from above and behind *Victory’s Ascent*.

### My Dude is God?

Suddenly, without warning, the tank opens from above and the entire apparatus retracts; leaving both Prim and Seb floating in open space, glowing with Aether light and surrounded by a million scattering droplets of blue water. Echo checks with Watt to make sure they’re still okay. Watt doesn’t know and cannot stop the process now. For a moment Sebastian and Prim feel the panic of suffocation before realizing they’re okay. They don’t seem to need to breathe, and the cold of space is being held off by the Aether light glowing inside of them. Echo, Persephone, and Watt feel that they are okay over their psionic bond.

Primina turns towards Sebastian. “I think I know what we must do.” She closes her eyes and transforms into her dragon form; blue scales, white angel feathers, blue flames at the end of her tail, golden eyes, and shining black horns. She lowers herself and shoulders Sebastian between her neck and her wings like the ancient dragonriders of old. Primina speaks to Sebastian. “Remember your Oaths, Sebastian.”

Sebastian says his Oaths. “Protection: I will see that no harm comes to you, this family, or to the people, places, and things that I value. Loyalty: My family and friends, those I have close bonds with, and those that make me strong, I will not let my belief in them falter. Courage: When there is doubt, I must be an anchor for the courage and will of those around me.” There is a burst of light as the Aether energy inside him is released; and yet again he transforms and is adorned in his silver-blue armor with the black horns on the helm. Echo looks to the spot where Sebastian left his armor before entering the tank and it is gone.

Together, Primina and Sebastian cut an incredibly striking figure. In this moment, the Shining Guardian and the Dragon of the Celestial Flame together are the closest thing this galaxy has witnessed in the last 70,000 years, since the God Emperor of Arvandor himself, to a deity. Maybe even since the time of The Prime. Watt explains that the Aether-core has pumped an immense amount of Aether energy into them. That, paired with their Nine Bloodlines and the celestial blood of Primina has turned them into the simulacrum of a deity.

Together, Prim and Seb feel a pull on themselves towards the gate. Sebastian inexplicably knows what he must do: he must unlock the gate. He aims his sword at the glyph and it begins to glow brightly. Emanating off the sword like a celestial laser, a radiant beam is emitted directly into the glyphs. He feels his hands trembling with the power coming from the sword and he moves forward, piercing the glyph. The trembling grows more and more violent, it becomes difficult to maintain his grip. Right before he thinks he’s about to drop his sword, another wave of energy washes through the blade and the beam widens in a vertical slit, splitting the glyph in two. The light from his sword dissipates. Primina moves up to the two halves of the glyph and plunges her claws into the rift; with a mighty roar she begins to tear open the gate, her rippling draconic muscles bulging from the strain. The light resists at first, then, suddenly the portal bursts open.

Light pours into the heart of Corpse Star as a portal a thousand feet across is unsealed. Beyond is a silver-white vortex, twisting and swirling, a passageway to another realm. There is a moment of silent awe, which is immediately broken by rapid laser fire raining down from behind the party.

### He’s A Hero

*Victory’s Ascen*t, Primina, Lightsong, and Brightwind take damage from the firing lasers. The party looks behind them to see above them is a towering cathedral, more an opulent palace than a ship. Groves of Seldarine trees form towers bridged by walls of white marble and blue-green glass. The twisting white root system makes up the base of the colossal ship and supports a twisting spire that rises above the walls of the palace-like center. This is the Emperor’s personal ship, the many splendored palace, *The Larethian Grove*.

Chaos ensues as swarms of elven fires descend around the Emperor’s ship and straight for the party. Echo turns the ship around and finds there is no resistance, it seems to be operating as though Prim is still inside. Watt opens the hatch and Primina swoops over to drop Sebastian inside. The stellar dragons and Lieutenant Vermilion hold off the approaching elven fighters. Echo reaches out to their allies to let them know the plan is for all of them to get into the hole.

Vermilion responds. “That’s going to be a negative, Echo. We have been given a job to do and that is to cover you guys. We’re going to buy you as much time as we can.” Echo is upset. Persephone tells Vermillion not to be a hero and he tells her, “I am a hero.” Lightsong agrees with Vermilion. “He’s correct. We have to buy you as much time as we can. We’re not going to be able to hold the Emperor, but maybe we can take out as many fighters as we can and buy you guys time. Go!”

Sadly, and with a little reluctance to see their friends sacrifice themselves, the party heads into the wormhole.

### Gotta Go in the Hole Part II

The inside of the wormhole is 3000-ft across. Immediately upon entering, they find themselves propelled forward with a force more than the ship’s engines, as if they’re on a cosmic conveyor belt. The walls seem to be made of a silver-white plasma, and up ahead they can see the walls become more unstable as bursts of plasma erupt in pillars randomly. Before long, the opening behind them disappears as the wormhole seems to bend and twist in many different directions.

*Victory’s Ascent* moves forward until they reach the first storm of wormholes. In an attempt to dodge one pillar, they maneuver into another and damage the right wing. Primina manages to avoid any damage. Shortly after this, they see something very large coming up very rapidly behind them on their sensors. Echo turns to look and sees *The Larethian Grove* bearing down on their asses.

### Could You Maybe Not Do That?

Persephone tells Echo to do a cool space donut to turn *Victory’s Ascent* around and says “Sorry trees!” as she fires a pulsar blast at *The Larethian Grove*. The elven ship manages to avoid the worst of the damage. *The Larethian Grove* continues to move forward and launches two enormous harpoons made of light, one at *Victory’s Ascent* and one at Primina. Both harpoons hit their marks, dealing piercing and radiant damage before disappearing. Echo moves directly towards the bridge of *The Larethian Grove* and attacks with the ship’s claws. He tries to stab through the glass with his first hit, and though he deals damage it does not break, so he slashes with his second hit. Primina uses her fire breath attack but *The Larethian Grove* avoids the worst of the damage. *The Larethian Grove* then uses a micro-jump to teleport 1000-ft backwards to put some distance between them. Sebastian fires off the pulsar blast, but again the massive ship avoids the worst of the damage. The Emperor orders to fire at will and *The Larethian Grove* lets off its Searing Burst ability; fire and radiant damage rain down on *Victory’s Ascent* and Primina.

Persephone moves *Victory’s Ascent* back into the face of *The Larethian Grove* and does the same maneuver as Echo, trying to break the glass. Her attacks land but the glass remains intact. *The Larethian Grove* micro-jumps away 1,200-ft and fires two more Holy Harpoons at *Victory’s Ascent* and Primina. The harpoons strike the ship but miss Primina. Echo moves closer and fires the ship’s lasers at the same spot they’ve been targeting the glass; the lasers hit and *The Larethian Grove* is bloodied. Primina recharges her fire breath and uses it to attack the elven ship. *The Larethian Grove* does another Searing Burst; Primina is hit directly but *Victory’s Ascent* avoids some of the damage. Sebastian closes the distance between the two vessels and makes two claw attacks in the same spot on the glass, but both attacks miss. *The Larethian Grove* micro-jumps away again.

Persephone moves 1000-ft forward and fires the lasers, but the blast misses. She reaches out to Primina to check on her status and Primina sounds strained but wants to go another round. *The Larethian Grove* lets off another Searing Burst and hits both *Victory’s Ascent* and Primina with more fire and radiant damage. The Emperor initiates a sequence that causes all his Seldarine trees to emit iridescent lines of light that seem to be shining down on the palace itself, healing some damage it has taken. Echo moves their ship closer to the plasma walls in the hopes that some of the plasma pillars might hit *The Larethian Grove* if it pursues, and fires the pulsar blast, dealing full damage to the elven ship. Primina gets hit with another Searing Burst, leaving her heavily damaged. Primina disengages and dashes to *Victory’s Ascent*, landing on top of the ship. The Aether energy seeps out of her as she transforms back into her humanoid form, and the party opens the hatch for her. *Victory’s Ascent* is immobile until they can get her isolation tank filled again. Sebastian asks Primina if she needs healing. She tells him that they need to get the ship back online and he starts that process. The pulsar blast is recharged and Sebastian fires it on *The Larethian Grove* again, but it avoids some of the damage. The elven ship micro-jumps closer to *Victory’s Ascent*.

Persephone recharges the pulsar blast and fires one more time; it again avoids some of the damage. *The Larethian Grove* lets off another Searing Burst and *Victory’s Ascent* manages to avoid the worst of the damage. The Emperor initiates the healing sequence again and *The Larethian Grove* regains some health. The plasma pillars pop off and damage both vessels, though *Victory’s Ascent* avoids some of the splash. Echo fires the lasers, but the attack misses. Primina looks to the party for advice and at Echo’s suggestion she also fires the lasers; her attack hits. *The Larethian Grove* uses Searing Burst again, and *Victory’s Ascent* is directly hit. Primina’s tank is set to go and the ship is back online. The pulsar blast is recharged and Sebastian fires it off, dealing full damage to the elven ship. It is severely damaged but not yet downed.

Persephone moves Victory’s Ascent 1,000-ft closer to *The Larethian Grove* and away from the plasma pillars. She’s mad about the Gardeners, she’s mad about Prim, she’s mad about being transported into the future and having to deal with all the garbage, and she fires one last pulsar blast on the elven ship.

### Are We Dead?

The cannon hits the Seldarine grove in the heart of the palace, cracking the wall and causing one of the trees to fall over with its roots on fire. The hulking, colossal vessel slowly sinks into the plasma wall, causing massive ripples in the plasma. *The Larethian Grove* breaks in two pieces; half sinks down and the other half tumbles on the surface.

Massive plasma pillars rocket out of the wall and *Victory’s Ascent* is blasted from one side of the wormhole straight into the opposite plasma wall. The ship begins tumbling and shaking. Sebastian puts his hands on the ship and says “I’m gonna heal you!! Please be okay!” The ship is completely unresponsive; Primina is unconscious. Persephone screams “We’re all gonna die!”

Suddenly, amongst this tumultuous shaking of the ship, it all stops and everything goes silent. There is no noise, just the soft whistle of wind outside the window. The ship continues to tumble and outside is a whirl of silver and white and shapes. Then *Victory’s Ascent* crashes down hard against an unknown surface. Echo and Sebastian are the only ones who do not fall unconscious; Persephone is hit in the head by a tube tv that was not strapped down.

*Victory’s Ascent* slides over what feels like violent terrain; the sound of snapping, crashing, crunching, and grinding is deafening. Finally, it comes to a stop. Sebastian asks Echo if that was his bones cracking or something outside. Echo asks who else is up and Sebastian checks on the others, starting with Prim. Her isolation tank is cracked and fluid is leaking everywhere as she lies inside unconscious. The ship has no power. Echo checks on Persephone and stabilizes her, she’s pretty banged up but will not die, then does the same for Watt.

Sebastian asks Echo if there’s a manual override to drain the tank so they can get Primina out. Echo tells him about the emergency lever, and confides that he sometimes drinks some of the fluid from the spigot in secret. Sebastian uses Lay on Hands to get Prim up, and she asks if they’re alive. Echo stabs Percy and Watt with the healing cartridges and they both wake up. Echo reports that the ship seems to be in the worst condition out of everyone here. Sebastian points out the damage done to the tv that hit Percy in the head; this is why she hates technology.

The group decides that Percy and Prim will stay in the ship with Watt to rest up and heal while Echo and Sebastian scout outside. Echo and Sebastian head out the escape hatch; outside they see that they are surrounded on all sides by glowing white crystal trees, taller than any trees they have seen, even Seldarine trees. The white crystal forest is eerily quiet, there is no indication of a direction to go.

## Characters

### The Party

* Sebastian Crenshaw: a half-orc paladin. He's like a god now.
* Persephone Goldpetal: an albino firbolg druid. Technology is her nemesis.
* Codename: Echo: an elf wizard/rogue. Secretly drinking aether goop.

### NPCs

* Primina: a genetically engineered young woman. The MacGuffin. The key to Operation Egress.
* Watt Wainwright: an elderly gnome and engineer. Fills in pieces that the party misses.
* Brightwind and Lightsong: a sibling pair of stellar dragons. Good friends to the party. Pour one out for the homies.
* Lieutenant Vermillion: a dragonborn pilot and ally of the party. He is a hero.
* The God Emperor Solastaren: the immortal leader of the elves. We don't technically see him but he's there.

## Trivia

### Dice Breakdown

#### Nat 20's (3 total)

* Special Guest Jake (Initiative)
* Brian (Dexterity Save)
* William (Constitution Save)

#### Nat 1's (2 total)

* William (Dexterity Save)
* Brian (Dexterity Save)