Adventure Notes – The Adventurers 09 & 10

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Arriving from their latest adventure for Spire’s Edge, defeating the Hag from the Jade Forest; the party finds the majority of the town empty. Examining the town, they find everyone on the Western side of the town, gathering at the cemetery, as the party has arrived just in time for the burial of the guards who perished in the mines.

As the party examines the funeral procession, dark clouds gather on the horizon; and after a few short moments, begin to block out the sun entirely. Rumbling thunder follows, and then the rain. But it’s not normal rain. Red in color, it seems to resemble blood. Red flashes of lightning strike in the distance, and the people of the village now begin to panic. Suddenly the visage of Orcus appears across the dark red clouds and booms, “Bring me their souls!”

Lightning strikes the ground, around the cemetery, and demons appear from the bolts of lightning. Demons known as Nupperibo appear and begin siphoning the souls of the fallen guards and miners. The party leaps into action, but finds the demons resistant to their attacks. By the time they beat the demons, several of them have taken on severe wounds. During the fight, Adrian, Morsus and Apostrophe all find that the connection to their gods; and thus their magic, seems severely hampered. This makes it difficult for the wounds they receive to be healed. But there’s little time to think about it before more lightning strikes come and a new branch of demons appear called The Wretched. Rather than go for the bodies in the ground, the Wretched begin going after anyone; wounded, alive or dead. Adrian climbs on top of one of the wooden bleachers and jumps from the top, landing on one of the demons and punching it to death. When the Wretched are defeated, there is a pause; so Morsus, suspecting the rain is causing the break in their connection to the gods, runs back into town and finds a tanner that he quickly haggles with to cover himself from the rain after washing off at the inn; but finds the connection is still weakened. Apostrophe purchases a number of healing potions; and helps fortify the edge of the town, since the storm has not broken.

Sure enough, another lightning strike brings forth three new demons called Bulezau. Dick Poop vanishes in the town, dragging Rex James with him, who is still suffering from the crushing blow he was dealt by the hag. The others quickly find, that engaging in close combat with the Bulezau is an ill fated idea, as they emit necrotic damage around them in a range. With the bleachers pulled down and ignited, the demons are forced into a small choke point and down Adrian, who is then saved by Apostrophe who runs to his side to heal him, but is taken down next. The weapon smith arrives to assist, and the battle is finally won – but at a cost. Apostrophe perishes.

However, his journey does not end there. He suddenly finds himself in Aftgrand – The High Plane. This is the Plane, from which most of the good aligned gods dwell, along with hundreds of Immortals. Aftgrand is said to be a Plane, whose beauty, mortal words could never describe. But what he sees is not beautiful. The entire landscape is red, covered in bodies and blood. He sees two beautiful glowing women next to him, whom stand 30′ tall and he knows he is in the presence of Florasena is the Mother of all the Gods and Tarvara, Goddess of Thunder.

They speak in gibberish, but somehow he still understands them; Tavara seems happy that he is there; but Florasena explains that he donated to her Church in a time of need, and gave his life for the Paladin. He has shown great potential, and that he now bares witness to the enemy before them – Orcus has waged war in the Heavens and found a way to breach the heavens. The demon lord of the undead is gathering souls to strengthen his assault. And it becomes clear; those who are holy and just and fall before the demon lord, are then immediately raised as broken souls to serve him.

Florasena touches Apostophre’s forehead and sends his soul back to the mortal realm, where he suddenly awakes with a gasp. Though it had felt like weeks, witnessing the war in heaven, it’d only been mere moments since his actual demise…