Adventure 60

**Real World Date: 5/30/2020**

**In Game Dates: January 5th, 5002 M.E. - February 16th, 5002 M.E.**

**XP: 22,400 (Total: 308,518)**

## Summary

### Visions of Battle

The final battle with Talis Hightower begins. Various horrors and fiends join the battle, their bites and tentacles inflicting venom that reproduces the effects of the **Sacred Elixir**. As they fight Talis the party is all hit at least once and they all have visions of various points in their life.

Aust sees himself as a child, learning patience and how all power comes with a cost from his mother. He sees himself as a teenager approaching the **Hornwood Farm** and Gorstag Hornwood taking him in without question after looking into his eyes. He also sees the future, at a social gathering at Fort Ostoril, where he shakes hands with Aratha Stormbrand and sees a vision he does not like.

Wrax sees himself at the funeral of his mother. He also sees himself a little older, running with some young Dragonborn kids as someone yells, "Stop! Thief!" behind them. He then sees those Dragonborn kids all grown up in obnoxious dress, attending his wedding. He then sees a much older version of himself sitting at the **Red Dragon Inn**, talking to Alathar, who warns him that he might have to fight a war on a front he didn't anticipate.

Dhamon sees his Gaeleath Darkstar make a deal with an unnamed **Annis Hag**. She gives the Eldarin baby to Gaeleath, promising that Dhamon will grow up ad bring honor and fame to the Darkstar name. In return, Gaeleath will owe her a favor at a later date. He also sees a vision of him as a child, with Gaeleath being harsh on him, while Nushala Darkstar defends him, but Gaeleath mumbles that Dhamon better bring the family honor or else. He then sees a future vision of himself in conversation with his father, who says, "Your duty is not to Ostoril. It is to the Darkstar name. You must return home now."

### An End to This Nonsense

The party manage to kill, destroy, or disintegrate all the creatures helping Talis Hightower, then they finally defeated him. They make sure he is dead. Before anyone comes to view what happened, they tie a red scarf around the neck of his corpse so everyone in plain sight can see it, thus sealing their deal with the Dark Exchange.

They then take the corpse to the massive temple to Khanos and under the supervision of the clerics there, they remove curses on the five artifacts, then surgically remove them from the body of Talis as they seemed to be fused on him. They separate the artifacts and take them and the body back to Fort Ostoril.

### Gathering Items For a Ritual

Upon returning, Wrax receives words that Ardreth Aefaren was directly or indirectly working for **Korbeth/The First**. He and his lackies were gathering items for a massive ritual. He has then disappeared to **Baator** of the **Nine Hells** with said ingredients to help cast a ritual there. This ritual will allow **Korbeth/The First** to step into this world. It will take a total of six weeks to build and cast. This only gives the party so long to gather items for their own ritual to go to **Baator** and stop **Korbeth/The First**.

Dhamon is able to gather the **Tentacles of a Mind Flayer** and **Ectoplasm of a Ghost**. Wrax is able to gather the **Heart of a Red Dragon** from the corpse they left behind in Almonte. Aust was able to gather the **Teeth of the Kraken** just in time to complete the ritual. Since Rabbit agreed to accompany the party on their final stretch into hell itself, they also acquire a **Cloak of Protection** and **Mace of Disruption** for him to better arm him. Aust also is finally able to find a **Robe of the Archmagi** in Almonte.

They are ready to go to hell, and just in case, they also send word to Zuke in case he might be down for a massive big battle...