Episode 42

Those who drank the alcohol (and mixy/seipora thanks to Lily’s tongue) can understand and speak Celestial temporarily. A mournful Anthos can be seen trying to get drunk off champagne in the background.

K asks Nikinen the prophet how the ebony wings were founded, and how the successor of Abbadon is determined? She informs the party that Abbadon goes through many vessels, leaving to find new ones after the old hosts become old and weak. He is transplanted at random into a nearby infant or young child, who shall grow up normally and tap into Abbadon’s power once they are older. The cult searches for the new vessel and will watch them from afar. Elves are preferred hosts since they have such a long lifespan.

Nikinen asks K to step forward. She takes her staff and puts the eye into his forehead. She reveals that K was normal before this. He was only chosen because he was nearby. He is an aasimar, but not by blood. In fact, the only true aasimar in the party is Lily.

Lily asks if her brother Bilak is in danger and if he will ever forgive her. Unfortunately Nikinen cannot answer this, since the boy has no connection to the angels.

Nikinen offers them rooms for the night before excusing herself from the meadows. The guardian Remiel (the guy that backhanded K) stays to watch over the party as they traverse the meadows. The party splits up; Kova, Ingred, Mixy, and Seipora leave to collect seeds and look at the various foliage. Lily wanders off alone, leaving K and Anthos with Remiel.

Later in the day the party is taken down the hall, after poking fun at Ingred for eating a poisonous plant.

Bricks melt away from the wall and reform as doors into various rooms. Each room can fit two people in them, and everyone pairs up for the night. They wake from a phenomenal night’s rest. Nikinen approaches K in the morning for his decision. Everyone gathers, and K announces that he will fight among his companions. Ingred hands him a vial of Celestial Bane, the poison brewed from her earlier bad-choice-snack.

The party follows Remiel and Nikinen down the hall to a dead end. Remiel presses his hand into the bricks, which spiral open to reveal two wooden doors with golden sigils on them. Inside the large room are 9 pillars topped with cushions, the center one risen above the others. Nikinen states that K shall enter and kneel in the center, and those who wish to aid him shall sit on top of the pillars. She says that this will be a quick battle.

Among the walls and ceiling here rests a massive mural. Heavens are painted in the dome of the ceiling, separated from the lower sections by the divine gate. It depicts the falling of six angels. Below the gate churns a raging war between angels, devils and demons, the largest part of the mural. There are many sickening creatures displayed, one made of bone with stingers, another is eel-like and bony with serrated hooked arms and spiny teeth.

Below the war the mural is split into four panels, showing Abbadon’s descent into madness. The Angel of Fire lands upon the earth, his body burning away and soul chained to the plane. It is a massacre, many others fall in a similar manner.

The bottom of the mural reveals the sealing of Abbadon. He is seen crawling amongst the earth, causing chaos and screaming to the sky to get the attention of someone. This attracts the attention of Or’yen. He and the Bluepetal clan (the symbol of which matching Hathi’s) attacks Abbadon until the cult flees. There are many attacks dealt between the two men until the day a trap is set. A wounded Abbadon is trapped in black chains that drag him into the body of an elf. Or’yen’s magic backlashes and makes him go mad. The elven man goes into hiding. Or’yen is then displayed with a black crown on a throne, searching for Abbadon’s vessel.

Before stepping into the room K reassures Kova, saying “see you on the other side”.

Five pillars lower to the floor for the party to approach. As K sits in the center of the room the sigils on the floor glow blue. He is sealed in place by Nikinen and promptly passes out.

The Prophet uses her staff to send the party into K’s mind. Everyone gets yeeted into the sandy void. Abbadon’s capsule can be seen chained up in the distance, which shatters and sends large chunks of metal flying. He emerges from a cloud of red sand, spear in hand and six black wings spread at the ready. Off the bat Seipora is hit hard, and the gravity of this situation becomes more clear. A tough battle is given between Iridescent Soulfire and Abbadon, one party member after another falling to his blood-hungry hand. The party does well to wear him out before Anthos finally is forced out of K alongside the others. He prepares to deal a finishing blow to the form of K, and the party waits with a heavy heart of what’s to come. K, alone in his final moments, successfully beats Abbadon. He shares the experience with the group, how a golden hawk blocked K from Abbadon’s attack. Anubus’s eye helped reseal Vegzet.

Nikinen and the angels appear to be very happy, and after a well deserved healing for K, Lily pours everyone a glass of a strangely blue, icy brew. A toast is given: “to K, to friendship, and to trust!”. The drink is surprisingly strong and very frosty.

Ingred finally eats one of Mixy’s goodberries.

The session ends with a feast in the meadows to celebrate the victory.