Session 13: A Good Day to Die Report

General Summary

...Upon arriving at the Grand Cemetary, our heroes waded through fields of dug up graves and consecrated mausoleums. Although there were many undead of all sorts roaming around the grounds, none attacked on sight. That is until they reached the cemetery chapel. After some scouting, the group fought through a defensive patrol of skeletal Minotaurs and spectral forces who emerged from pillars at the door of the chapel. Feeling more drained after the fight than usual, they snuck into the chapel to come face to face with a strangely dressed man and two insectoid guards with pitch forks. Just before any conflict could occur, A giant scorpion and a group of dretches rushed up from a spiral staircase that led to the basement. The man and his guards turned their attention completely to the demonic intruders, attempting to hold them back. After the fight was concluded the man explained that his name was Gideon, and he was here holding back waves of demonic invasion. When pressed about a man who may have come to the cemetery looking for something he said that Ravengard had indeed come to the chapel. He was not a demon so he allowed him to pass but ever since the demon problem has been intensifying. He thus blamed Ravengard and said if they find him he must die.   Pressing further into the basement of the chapel, the party discovered an ossuary complex which held the bodies of Elturgardians who had passed. Eventually at the end of the level, they found Ravengard in a room with a shallow meditation pool that swirled with blackish energy. Ravengard wore on his head a golden helm. And no matter what the group tried he remained incapacitated; writhing and moaning strange mutterings in both celestial and abyssal, the helm firmly attached to his head. Just then a group of Barlgura emerged from the water with some dretches in tow, forcing the party to fight them off before attempting an escape. Curiously during which fight they did not attack Ravengard. While licking their wounds, Stocke reminded the group that Pherria Jynks --the priest at High Hall-- mentioned she was an expert in exorcism and possession; if anyone could help Ravengard, it might be her. Now severely weakened, the group could not risk fighting Gideon so Reya suggested the shackle him and say he was their prisoner.   Upon returning to the ground level of the chapel they were met face to face with Gideon who demanded he be put to death. The group attempted to reason with him but Aelar got a little bit to snarky, for the last time. Feeling offended, Gideon shifted his gaze to Aelar and with a single look killed him. Frozen in shock the group knew if they attempted to fight him in their current state they would definitely die, and so Johan again pleaded with him to let them pass. A request he strangely accepted.   Upon returning to High Hall, our heroes brought Ravengard to Pherria who said she knew a ritual that could potentially return Ravengard to his senses. After purifying the desecrated altar on the cathedral level and performing a rigorous ritual, Ravengard was seperated from the helm. Now conscious he explained what had happened to him, saying when he placed the helmet on his head his mind was filled both with visions of sunny fields and angelic beings and at the same time demonic abominations tearing mortals to pieces on blasted landscapes. It seemed the divine connection to Torm the helm possessed had been interrupted by a more demonic presence. Amongst his hazy visions, Ravengard noted a few things with extreme clarity. He claimed he saw a beautiful angelic soldier, terribly wounded, wielding a gleaming sword fit only for a celestial. Next to her was a flying golden elephant like creature who he confirmed was Lulu. They were fighting an immense horned demon when the angel buried her sword in the ground and an alabaster palace rose around it in defense. He then recalled that Lulu fled the scene, watching as the gleaming palace was covered over by a bloody scab. He went on to explain that Lulu wandered the wasteland for many days bt he recalls specifically seeing her at one point wandering into a strange fortress with heaps of scrap metal. Finding herself in the company of two bird people with strange tools and patchwork armor. Lulu confirmed his story suddenly regaining a portion of her memory, saying that she recalls Zariel and another Hellrider whose name she does not remember helping them hide her sword. Both Lulu and Ravengard seemed very conviced that Zariels sword might be the key to freeing Elturel from Avernus. Logically in their minds the next step was to try and find these bird people Lulu had met to try and find out more about what happened to Lulu, and perhaps unlock more of her memories. Thankfully Lulu recalled that these two bird people were named Chukka and Clonk. Kenku who worked at a place called Fort Knucklebone. Lulu flew to the top of High Hall and back to say that she could see the fort from there no more than ten miles in the distance on the surface of Avernus.   Their bodies exhausted and spirits even worse, the group turned their attention back to Aelar who had been killed. Unfortunately no one in the Cathedral seemed powerful enough to return him from the dead, and so Ravengard and Pherria told the group to get their rest while they prepared a funeral for their departed friend. Unfortunately with no time to mourn, all that was allowed was a long rest period and a short ceremony and burial to honor their friend. After which they would have to set out immediately to Fort Knucklebone. However no one had yet considered, how they were going to descend to the surface of Avernus, especially with a great battle happening just underneath, along the river styx...

Rewards Granted

Created Content

• Giant Scorpion
• Dretch
• Specter
• Shadow
• Barlgura
• Will o' Wisp