Episode 37 - Gateway to Armageddon

General Summary

The Guardians of Golarion prepared themselves to enter the room containing the portal to the Armageddon Echo, their friend Fjord, and something that sounded like it was not planning to let the Guardians claim either.   What waited for them was a huge Fulad-Zereh demon. An enormous horned demon with a hide the color of burnt blood, a fulad-zereh’s body is encased in red armor that has blackened through the ages. They are abyssal officers, often lieutenants of demon armies, who tower over their allies and enemies alike. Fulad-zereh are violent and bloodthirsty demons, often marked for service as mercenaries should they falter in battle. These rogue demons forge their own terrifying, nightmarish armor and sell their services to those willing to pay in souls.   During this battle, the fulad-zereh demon received its share of souls - it first petrified Jobu, then Reh, and finally struck down Buck by repeatedly pulling him close with his infernal whip and cutting him down with his battle axe. It was joined by two creatures sent to assist it - one, a soul-fed golem created by the now empowered Nolveniss, forged from the flesh of an ashblood orc. The other was a half-orc wearing two magical gauntlets that bore a striking resemblance to the one Hugo wore. This half-orc was familiar to Reh, Godric, and Hugo - Arcaan, brother to Thexan and friend of Winifred.   With Arcaan's assistance, the soul-fed golem fell. The fulad-zereh was killed. The fallen were mourned.   The portal to the Armageddon Echo was quickly starting to close. Rooker managed to catch a glimpse through the portal. He saw buildings that looked like those in Celwynvian, only pristine rather than aged. He also saw what he thought was Kareshiel being led away in chains. The decision had to be made - go through the portal, or wait. The group chose to wait, and the portal closed.   Fjord's leg had been fused with the stone wall, thanks to Nolveniss. To free him, his leg had to be cut off.   Before they left the Academy of Arts, the body of the demon was dragged before the portal. Hugo trapped the creature using Buck's gunpowder. The Guardians gathered up the bodies of the injured and fallen, with the hope that the damage could be repaired at the camp. Perhaps some powerful casters could return and destroy the portals, or at least keep it defended.

Rewards Granted

XP
45 059 + 2 133 = 47 192 XP!

Character(s) interacted with

Fjord - He had been captured during the supply ambush and was immediately separated from Kareshiel and the rest of the group. He was brought to the Academy of Arts where Nolveniss personally began Fjord's deconstruction. Nolveniss wanted to create the perfect ashblood orc and believed Fjord was the key to that since his father was an ashblood orc. He performed the ritual, but it suffered a catastrophic failure. Fjord was then strapped down to a table in the lab and tortured for a while until Nolveniss could repeat the ritual. During that time, a masked man with a gun appeared and presented the Helm of Suffering to Nolveniss. The two of them left Fjord strapped to the table for a week. He would receive occasional water when someone passed by, but little else. When Nolveniss returned, his eyes glowed with purple energy and he claimed to have ascended thanks to his brother Lasdolon. There had been a dragon shard within the Helm, which was removed and used to empower Nolveniss. The remains of the helm had been turned into a spiked collar which was placed around Fjord's neck. The elves began their assault on the academy, so Nolveniss and his troops retreated into the Armageddon Echo to "ride it out." Fjord tried to flee before he could be forced through the portal. Nolveniss cast a spell on him that teleported him into the wall where he was found. He had almost managed to escape but his left leg was caught and immediately fused with the stone. Removing the leg was the only way to free him.

Arcaan - After visiting the grave of their friend Winifred, Arcaan and Thexan set up camp outside of Magepoint . That night, they were ambushed by ashblood orcs and drow. Thexan and Arcaan were separated. Arcaan had the spellhammer gauntlets on, but only the command word from his brother could remove them. They were prototypes and Thexan didn't want them falling into the wrong hands. The orcs overwhelmed Arcaan, and when he woke he was manacled and being dragged with a sack over his head. A drow woman named Mistress Serdrissa Nolarethi said that he was hers now and if he did as he was told she would reunite him with his brother. She assured him that Thexan was safe, and would remain so as long as Arcaan obeyed her. She inquired about the gauntlets, but the questions were more to see how much Arcaan knew about them rather than to get actual information about them. He lost his spellbook, but Mistress Nolarethi gave him a new one. It had fewer spells, but some that Arcaan had never seen before. She was a member of the Twilight Empire but did not seem happy with things that were going on. She was assigned to aid Nolveniss with his research and brought Arcaan with her. She left for Riddleport to purchase something, and when she returned the Twilight Council was angry with her. She was forbidden from making the purchase and all of her finances and property were confiscated, including Arcaan. Mistress Nolarethi came to him a week ago to say she was going back to Riddleport to attempt to purchase the item from a magic shop there. She wasn't sure if she would be back but warned Arcaan that the Council had been turned, and all were loyal to Lasdolon now. After she left, Arcaan was viewed as an expendable asset. When the elves attacked the Academy, Arcaan was sent out to aid the demon and the soul-fed ghoul in hopes that if the elves did not kill him, one of the other two would.