Session 71: Only Shooting Stars

## Key Plot Developments

Chaos and devastation abound in Menzoberranzan. Scores of demons - barlguras, dretches, shadow demons, chasmes, vrocks, hezrous, glabrezus, nalfenshees - all of them lay waste to the city. The goblins hear the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, for vengeance, for desolation. The goblins look up and see shrieking drow warriors stabbed with chasme proboscises, the chasmes pounded into paste by warring barlgura, leaving the stingers still in the drow’s body, and then glabrezu tearing through barlgura, sending the ragdoll body spiraling down and slamming into a building - and then a goristro, carrying dretches on its massive shoulders, tramples the husk that remains.

War is hell. And hell has come.

The goblins, blessed by the gods, are able to see beyond the chaos. They see beyond the explosions and chaos and notice a powerful, cosmic aura - the same as the hexagon that blessed them - illuminating a path for hundreds if not thousands of chained, emaciated drow, surface dwarves, goblins, kuo-toans - every race. They follow the path, unencumbered by the demons, veiled from their sight by the gods, to a safe place - an underground exit by the remains of House Do’Urden. They are shepherded by an excellent leader…Scout-Commander-fFiend. And they’re further assisted by Jimin Rocktooth. JImjar has outfitted his replacement limbs with the magic items of Bregan D’aerthe. He dashes around, encouraging the weak to continue towards safety. The goblins notice chunks of debris fly towards the group - JImjar grabs a shield, takes a running jump into a misty step, appears close to the debris, and blocks most chunks. One gets by. Jimjar says a command word and his limb becomes a modified whip, granting him extra range. He blocks it from 20 feet away.

The goblins realize the poor and downtrodden of Menzoberranzan are granted a second chance—to leave this area, or to claim it once the drow have lost control.

But there’s no time to celebrate. An earthquake caused by the demon fighting erupts, threatening to plunge the marginalized of Menzoberranzan into the abyss below. The cracks start in the south and quickly head in their  direction.

Pyrite enchants Tremble with a haste spell; he uses the speed to fire magical arrows like beacons to herd the refugee cross. Bogtooth destroys falling rocks with eldritch blasts like shooting stars.

Some drow stop to listen and begin following the arrows--but they don't have protection of the gods, so they’re eviscerated by overflow damage from demons. Bogtooth gives Trix his part of Graz’zt’s horn. The group split up--Bogtooth, Tremble, and Pix go to the center of the city to stop the Demogorgon, while Glyn, Pyrite, and Trix try to end the threat of Nicholas Ice Cream in the north. On their way, they’re greeted with the brutality of an overflow of demon lords.

The monstrous millipede attacks, using his numerous natural armaments and telekinetic powers to destroy his enemies, charge them off cliffs, and ram them into solid objects. He uses his stingers to target multiple fleeing drow, pump them full of vermin, and throw them at his corpulent, blue skinned rival - but the Queen of Chaos is assisted by the wolf-spider, who flies through the air in a tempest of fur and fury, eviscerating each of the drow-bombs before they can reach her. They overwhelm the aberrant vermin with her trident and his fury, tearing him apart. When they have a moment to continue inflicting terror on the other demons, the lady in white appears and taps them on their shoulders. They turn to acknowledge her, but they’ve been fused together. When they pull apart, the explosion of demonic sludge drenches the city.

Gravity reverses. Doorways, suspended in mid-air, open and close. Yeenoghu rains blows from his hideous flail down on his bull-headed rival. Iron spikes burst from the ground. Baphomet fights with heartcleaver, his oversized weapon. Yeenoghu is overwhelmed as he flies upward, as the heartcleaver slashes away his fur and armor. He tears his own skin off, emerging like a butterfly from a gore-covered cocoon - but Bapohmet has the advantage. He delivers the final blow. Yeenoghu, rather than let Baphomet end him, bites his own heart out. Tremble fires three shots at baphomet to weaken him--and then, the minotaur is immediately crushed by the falling form of the 40-foot Dagon.

Dagon melts into abyssal sludge. The frost giant and lizard lord slash at each other with so much speed and ferocity that a riding lizard running around the city with the bottom half of its previous owner is diced by the wind pressure. They rush at each other at full force. There’s an impossibly fast exchange of blows. Then, the giant falls. As the tyrant king brandishes his six swords - minus one arm, he fails to notice a small fleck of goo on his neck. Juiblex sneaks into his ear cavity. He roars as his head expands weirdly and explodes.

Small bodies of water turn acidic. Plant life mutates with parasitic fungi as it is overwhelmed. Juiblex and Zuggtmoy, more a tsunami of slime and fungus, battle with each other, each trying to find their rival’s core. Juiblex calls all parts of himself together until he’s more a writhing mass of hundreds of tentacles and bombards Zuggtmoy, disintegrating her faster than she can come back together.

The Mother of Demons, Pale Night, stands above the ruins, constrained in the hexagon. She writhes, impossible geometries forming, as her shawl billows from invisible wind. The mother of demons writhes, attempting to escape from the trap imposed by the gods. But six strands - spider-webs, fishy tentacles, scaled ropes, powerful sunlight, earthen power, and emerald  beams - hold her tight in an extradimensional glass elevator. Pix looks at her for a moment--and in that moment, her existence erases some of Pix’s memories. Eldeth, the person who helped her become a bard, is gone from her mind--irrevocably. They continue towards the Demogorgon, who’s currently battling against Orcus.

Trix, Pyrite, and Glyn make their way to the north, where Nick’s demonic influence is warping Menzoberranzan, showing them visions of lost loved ones and illusions. Crystals explode around the area. Y teleports in to help them, but is enchanted by an illusion of Misu. Pyrite refuses to give in to her guilt about her lost clan members and kills them with cantrips and free Y.

Glyn summons Long-Ears to protect him--now, a unicorn named Long Horn. The party finds Nick in a crystalline cavern, where he battles with Graz’zt’s fragment.

Graz’zt and Nick both ask Glyn for assistance. When Graz’zt lets his guard down, Nick overwhelms him. Glyn tries to jump in, but Nick uses illusion magic to make it seem like Glyn’s glaive attack was the final blow on Graz’zt. This fragment of the lord of excess melts back to the Abyss.

Nick immediately turns the tables on the goblins, fighting with mirror images, illusions, and psychological attacks. He drives a wedge between Glyn and Trix using Drigglezub’s death--and using his detect-thoughts ability to reveal the truly abhorrent things Glyn did in the Abyss. Pyrite, full of rage, uses her highest-level magic to end Nick--but he employs a dastardly illusion to switch himself with Trix, forcing her to kill him instead.

Glyn revives Trix from the dead. With all three goblins refusing to back down, Nicholas Ice Cream takes on his mythic form. Trix sends a sending to Lady Zariel of hell, indicating he can help them capture the lord of lies. Then, Nick slams his brutish fist through Y, instantly killing him.

Meanwhile, Bogtooth inspires Tremble and Pix with his final speech. They approach Demogorgon and Orcus, two of the last remaining demon lords in a slaughtered city. As they approach, Demogorgon slays Orcus (who drops his dreaded artifacts)--and turns his attention to the goblins. Reflexively, his left head attempts to select someone “special” to commemorate the death of their other loved ones--but his attempts to dominate Bogtooth, who is immune to being charmed, fail. At last, the Bogteam is ready to take on the prince of demons.

## Memorable Quotes

* **Pelor:** It is your steadfast conviction for helping the weak that makes you the leader, Bogtooth!
* **Segojan:** The city shall be broken but we shall mend it. You are Tremble the Rebuilder.
* **Garl: I** heard you talking about a new afterlife of goblins, Pyrite. It’s high time you got a seat.
* **Kurtulmak:** You know, I’ve liked you since you did us right back at fire fest, Glyn.
* **Sea Mother:** BlULULULULULUUL!
* **Lolth:** …
* **Pix:** Hehehehe. Ilvara would have fucking hated this!

**Bogtooth**: if we die, we’ll be the brightest stars in the sky.

* **Glyn:** I’m here with the gobs to beat the shit out of Nicholas Ice Cream.
* **Graz’zt:** Good boy, Glyn. Do you have the horn? I need the horn!

**The gods:** Beware her. She is beyond any of us. She’s the mother of demon lords. She has been impregnated by the abyss itself. She is empowered by the presence of her offspring.

**Pyrite**: Glyn, when this is over, you owe me a hook horror.

**Yeenohu:** Yeenoghu! Yeenoghu! Yeenoghu! Yeenoghu! Yeenoghu!

* **Glyn:** Y…
* **Y:** Oh! GLYN YOU’RE HERE! MISU NEEDS MY HELP!
* **Trix:** Misu’s dead.
* **Y:** NO, SHE’S RIGHT THERE!
* **Trix:** I think it’s an illusion.
* **Y:** I’M A WIZARD, YOU THINK I DON’T KNOW ILLUSIONS?

* **Y:** CHARLATAN! FRAUD! WHO ARE WE KILLING?
* **Trix:** Demon lords.
* **Y:** HELL YEAH!
* **Everyone:** ….
* **Y:** ALRIGHT! LET’S BE QUIET!

* **Trix:** We're gonna focus on Nicholas Ice Cream.
* **Y:** That’s a stupid name…. HE’LL DIE FOR THAT!

* **Longhorn:** Lord Glyn! I stand here to fight be your side! I am Longhorn! My ears are so short. Is this what it’s like, Lord Glyn? I kid! I’ve learned humor!
* **Glyn:** I’m glad, Long…horn….
* **Longhorn:** Let’s do it! YAAAAAAAA!

**Nick:** I brought your friends back to you, I liberated your city! The only sin I’ve committed is getting too into character. Little too much like him.

* **Nick:** Glyn, I think that your anger is misdirected here. Let take out the trash and we’ll sit down and have a nice chat.
* **Glyn:** I’m gonna fucking kill you!
* **Nick: T**hat’s a shame. You know what I think, Graz’zt? I think you’re being a bad influence.

**Nick:** Glyn, we’re gonna do this again and you can calm down. Trix, it’s funny. I got this little talent. When y’all think hard enough I can hear you. Now that you know that maybe you’ll try to think a little quieter. Tell me, what do you think of Glyn?

* **Nick:** Pyrite! Right?
* **Pyrite:** No you’re wrong.
* **Nick:** You don’t wanna fight me, Pyrite. You’re gonna end up killing Glyn and Trix. But I guess that’s kinda par for the course.
* **Pyrite:** Uh huh!
* **Nick:** I like you! We’ll get along once they’re dead.

* **Graz’zt:** You idiot ic cretin! You hide behind other’s faces because you can’t stand the sight of yourself!
* **Nick:** All you can do is charm people who want nothing to do with you. Your whole court hates you. You’re broken….see?

* **Glyn:** FUCK! You piece of shit! You killed all of my friends!
* **Nick**: I have not killed a single one of your friends, Glyn. Can we talk?

* **Nick:** Trix, I’m trying to talk to Glyn right now.
* **Trix: F**UCK YOU.
* **Nick:** Are you talking to me or to Glyn? You still think it's him? He’s a changed man, Trix. Why can’t you see that? When you look at Glyn, what do you see? Something frightening?
* **Trix:** FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU NICHOLAS ICE CREAM, SPECIFICALLY!

* **Nick:** Graz’zt made you into a monster. It's not your fault, Glyn.
* **Glyn:** So what? I'm a monster who’s gonna kill you.
* **Nick:** You’re not a monster, Glyn. You’re my darling boy. Let me show you….

* **Nick:** Glyn, it’ll be just like old times. Come on now, gimme your hand…
* **Glyn: I**’ll use my hands to choke the life out of you. And then I’m gonna send you to fucking hell.

* **Pyrite:** I don’t care about Drigglezub. Who’s Drigglezub??
* **Nick:** ….I like you SO much.

* **Nick:** Glyn, that really hurts!
* **Glyn:** Yeah it hurts when people cut off your hands doesn’t it?
* **Nick:** Yes! I don't know why Graz’zt would do it to so many people.

**Nick:** Trix, I’ve always seen you as a worthy opponent. Got a riddle for you. The more you leave behind, the more you take. What are you?

**Segojan:** Tremble, it is time. Take the shot.

* **Bogtooth:** Is it just me or does anyone else want a glass of dirt right now?
* **Tremble:** Not exactly the right time for that Bogtooth.
* **Bogtooth:** Course it’s the right time! I love glasses of dirt! They’re like my fave thing about the Underdark! There’s a lot of things I love about the Underdark. I love Blingdenstone. I love the weird mushrooms. I love not getting burnt by the sun. And I like spending time with you guys.
* **Pix:** We could spend more time here after this is all done. They like us in Blingdenstone.
* **Bogtooth**: Yeah! Or anywhere we want! There’s not gonna be any demons around. I know we don’t wanna waste any time. I guess I just….I have something to say I guess. It’s really ironic that I always got something to say when I usually don’t know what the hell I’m saying. I just open my mouth and stuff comes out. I think this time maybe is the right thing. I wanna say thanks, Tremble. Thanks, Pix. thanks to everyone else who can’t hear any of this. Thanks for everything. Did I ever tell you guys the story of when I met Dulcinea? I know it’s probably the worst time for it...

* **Bogtooth:** You guys know I wasn’t really happy living around goblins. Until I got down here. There was a night I stormed out and I was angry and I looked up to the stars and I thought they’re really pretty huh? And that’s when I heard a pretty voice. And she said maybe one day I can be pretty like the stars.
* **Pix:** You are.
* **Bogtooth:** Heh thanks. And that’s what we're gonna do. We’re all gonna be the biggest brightest stars there are. Cause you’re Pix the creator and Tremble the rebuilder. And I’m Bogtooth, and I couldn’t be more proud to be your friend.

* **Demogorgon:** Hey gang, how’s it going?
* **Bogtooth:** What’s it to ya Demogorgon?
* **Demogorgon:** Do I know you?
* **Bogtooth:** Doesn’t really matter at this point
* **Demogorgon:** Kid! You look pretty special. How bout this? You get to live and he doesn’t.
* **Tremble:** That’s stupid!
* **Pix:** We’re all living!
* **Tremble:** Sis! What’s that thing that bro says? Fuck you!
* **Demogorgon:** You all got me at a bad time. My steady just got slimed. How about you ankle biters just hop in my mouth?

* **Bogtooth:** Oh yeah--you wanted to know who we are right?
* **Demogorgon:** Not in particular.
* **Bogtooth**: I’m gonna tell you anyway! That’s Tremble the rebuilder. That there is Pix the creator. We’re kinda the coolest cats around! And me? I’m Bogtooth!

**Bogtooth:** I mean they probably tell you ya probably shouldn’t be talking during this but, fuck it, I wanna be loud! Go big or go home!

* **Demogorgon:** Maybe you really are special?
* **Bogtooth:** I wouldn’t really say that. I’m about a dime a dozen!

* **Demogorgon:** LOOK at them! What is going ON today?
* **Bogtooth:** You’re just having a rough day, bud!

**Longhorn:** Lord Glyn! I’m okay! Can you hear my voice? I have fallen many times, but I’ve decided that pain is not what I want! Nor should you my lord!!

* **Pyrite:** Hey asshole. Nick. You wanna be my friend. You like me?
* **Nick**: I do.
* **Pyrite:** Come over here and we’ll have a little play date with my familiar, Snik-Snik.
* **Nick:** [Kills the snake.] Alright, I came over.

* **Nick:** Oh good! Pyrite didn’t kill you yet, Trix! Do you have the answer to my riddle?
* **Trix:** The answer's fuck you!
* **Nick:** Oh!
* **Trix**: It’s always fuck you!

* **Y:** YOU GET AWAY FROM THAT SNAKE!
* **Pyrite:** Yeah! Even my snake is better than you.