A Night at the Empyrean

**"A Night at the Empyrean"** is an interquel episode of *Mountain of Mystery*, airing on Friday, June 9, 2023.

The session was DMed by TanisJr93 and hosted on his channel on Twitch.

## Summary

*...continued from session fourteen*
After spending the afternoon with Siobhan, Bells, and Thava, Kahlan, Trouble, Prints, Cash, and Lazarus return with Sado and his mother to the Empyrean Arena to participate in an open fight night. Kahlan initially tries to challenge Sado to a fight, but finds the Goliath occupied in conversation with his mother, and instead challenges Lazarus to a rematch; the Rogue accepts, shedding his leather armor and his shirt as he enters the ring, and Kahlan leaves her chain mail and her shield with Prints. Trouble bets ten gold on Kahlan before the fight begins, at which point Lazarus activates his Radiant Soul to create a massive pair of spectral owl wings as he casts *Hex* on Kahlan.

He flies toward her, hearing in his mind as she thinks: "Do it. Hurt me." She strikes him with two punches, and he retaliates with an uppercut that disorients her so badly that both of her next two attacks miss; the two trade strikes until one of the two water pools in the arena erupts in a surge that drags Kahlan in. Lazarus hovers over the water to pull the Fighter out of the pool before disengaging from her and moving away; she gives chase, after which the Aasimar connects with another uppercut that knocks the Tiefling unconscious. As the arena healers move in to carry Kahlan back to the sidelines, Lazarus brushes her forehead and cheek, bringing her back to consciousness with his Healing Hands.

Trouble then challenges Cash to a fight and they enter the arena, where the Druid immediately summons her Spirit Totem of the Bear before wildshaping into a Black Bear herself. The Cleric plants his warhammer in the dirt and waits, at which point Trouble strikes him with a claw attack and the two trade blows until the pylons in the arena erupt with electrical energy, returning Trouble to her Halfling form, at which point she casts *Heat Metal* on Cash's armor. He retaliates by invoking the *Wrath of the Storm* and casting *Inflict Wounds* on the Druid, after which the arena trembles with a localized earthquake; Trouble then casts *Thunderwave* against the Genasi, who retaliates with the *Wrath of the Storm* again before casting *Call Lightning* to render the Druid unconscious. Before the arena healers can approach, Cash casts *Cure Wounds* on Trouble, who instinctively punches him upon waking, nearly knocking him unconscious in return.

Having been fully healed by the arena clerics, Kahlan ignores Lazarus's advice and once again challenges Sado to a fight. The Monk reluctantly accepts, and the Fighter dons her chain mail again as Prints and Lazarus notice Thava paying closer attention. Trouble wagers twenty gold on Sado; the two trade a vicious succession of punches, with Kahlan using her Protective Field and Sado using his Stone's Endurance to deflect some of the damage, until the Goliath delivers a devastating Flurry of Blows that knock the Tiefling unconscious once more. Sado catches Kahlan as she crumples and carries her back to the sideline as Trouble collects fourteen additional gold as her winnings, and the three victors are offered the chance to challenge the champion of the Empyrean Arena for the title.

Cash and Lazarus agree that Sado should take the opportunity to demonstrate his abilities for his mother, and Trouble bets thirty gold on the Goliath as he enters the arena once more. The champion is then revealed to be the Gnomish War Domain Cleric Pike Trickfoot, who encourages Sado not to hold back, and the fight commences as the Monk strikes the Gnome with a rapid successive of four punches; she retaliates with a pair of attacks with her Mace of Disruption, and the Monk deflects some of the damage with his Stone's Endurance before connecting with three more punches before the Cleric manages to block his last attack with the Shield of Sarenrae, injuring his hand. She delivers another blow with her Mace amplified by her *Divine Smite* and then heals herself before Sado delivers four more devastating punches; battered, she casts *Flame Strike* to summon a forty-foot column of divine fire that consumes the Goliath and knocks him unconscious.

After catching her breath, Pike casts *Cure Wounds* to bring Sado back to consciousness as the crowd cheers them both; she thanks him for "one of the best fights [she's] had in years" and tells him that he reminds her of a buddy of hers before watching him return to Thava, who gives him a rare congratulatory pat on the arm. Following the fights, the party returns to the inn.

## Notes

* The events of the session occurred on the evening of 25 Cuersaar 839 PD, prior to the final events of "Through Times Like This."
* Alternate titles for the episode include, but are not limited to:
	+ "The Monk and the Monstah"

## Quotes

* "Punch him in the face again! I liked that!" – Trouble
* "I think I like this one." – Thava
* "Mister Cash: if you would be amendable, I think I would very much like to try this." – Trouble
* "I guess I lost." – Sado Thuliaga
* "I can't wait to tell my buddy about you. You remind me a lot of him." – Pike Trickfoot

## Episode

* Twitch
* YouTube