Hunting the Arch Magus pt. 14 Report

General Summary

The Scions killed Theodosius.  With his dying breath, he insisted that everything he did was to free Nikea from Krom and the Laconins.  Before he dies, there's an audible click and a timing device falls from his hand, with the numbers steadily moving backwards.  Wanda grabs the signet ring from Theodosius's finger and slams it to the ground, creating a portal back to the Agora.   The party heads to the Acropolis to find Dralin and Chandrilla arguing with each other.  Dralin is dead set on destroying the Arch Magus, and seems completely unconcerned about the bombs underneath Krom's temple.  The party agrees to go disarm the bombs, worried that a large explosion will kill a bunch of innocent civilians.  Dralin thanks them, and tells the party that they have surprised him by doing the right thing at every turn.  Chandrilla and Dralin head to Iowen's temple to stop the Arch Magus.   The party gets to Krom's temple and quickly finds the explosives.  While Anton attempts to disarm the bombs, Bonesaw appears and stops the timer, telling the Scions he's doing them a kindness for ridding the docks of Orren Wren.  Bonesaw seems dead set on blowing up the temple, to send a message to both Krom and the rich people in the city about what happens when they shit on the poor.  Bonesaw also mentioned Theodosius paid him a giant pile of gold, and Anton quickly tells Bonesaw he'll give him 10,000gp if Bonesaw stops the detonation.   Bonesaw agrees, hands a device to Anton, and disappears.  Anton carefully attempts to remove the battery from the device, and when he does, Bonesaw reappears and laughs at the party.  He had already disarmed the bomb, but wanted to mess with them one last time.  With that, the Scions head to Iowen's temple to face the Arch Magus.   Inside the temple the party finds the door to the vault is open.  Inside they find holiday decorations, stacked boxes of gilded saints' bones, and a recipe for Mana-Cola.  They also find another black cat who looks just like Salem - he asks the party how they know Salem, and why they let him out.  He also tells the party that Chandrilla and someone matching Dralin's description passed into the real vault, which is actually its own pocket dimension.  He gives the party the key and tells them to hurry, he fears the worst for Chandrilla.   The party enters the door, and the pocket dimension looks very similar the ancient library underneath the Arcanium.  After sneaking up to the front of the library, the party encounters a group of skeletons and the Arch Magus locked in battle with Dralin, who appears to be protecting Chandrilla.  Dralin looks bloody but determined, and tells Chandrilla to hurry up with the phylactery.   Dralin makes a desperate lunge at the Arch Magus, but is skewered by a tentacle that appears from the Arch Magus's chest.  He collapses to the floor and says "it wasn't supposed to end like this."  Chandrilla calls out to him, but it is too late.   Rayuuv hears a voice in his head, it is the Arch Magus tempting him one last time.  Rayuuv refuses, so the Arch Magus attempts to control Wanda.  She yells "get out of my head!", resisting whatever spell or suggestion the Arch Magus is attempting.   Chandrilla is cornered, holding the phylactery.  The Scions now prepare for the toughest fight of their lives, and look to put an end to the Arch Magus once and for all.