Session XXXIV: Godwin, Adversary of All Oppression

Just like the last time the party spoke the correct phrase within earshot of the statuette, they immediately found themselves in some other place, at some other point in time. This time they were transported to a derelict coastal village dominated by the sight of a tribal chief's hillside hall. It was a bright, sunlit day yet no sun could be seen in the sky. No distinct banners or other devices of identification could be seen in the village. Tropam recalled the unsettling atmosphere of the hotel, but Del'Gado reassured him that this was different; after all, the other members of the party had done this once before, and they had gotten out just fine. Walking towards the chief's hall, Del'Gado began shouting in order to locate the mirage's inhabitant (with the logical reasoning that this statuette would follow a similar set of rules as that of Lucia's). As the party crept closer to the hall, they soon heard distant footsteps, followed by the heavy-set doors flinging open.   A massive man, easily twice the height of a human, emerged. Well-built and with white, braided hair, he inquired in an archaic dialect of Common whether the party was real. After they confirmed that they were, he asked how the war was going. Upon being asked which war, he clarified that he meant the only war that mattered, the one against the invading demons. The party explained that Vyriavaxus had been banished to the Abyss over three hundred years ago. Some additional contextualising dialogue followed, and eventually the large man introduced himself. He was Godwin of Clan Rannvi, a Helvatian warchief of legend who had left his home to fight against the demons in the early stages of the invasion, before the fall of Hyx. He and his picked warriors were offered shelter by a talented mage (whose name Godwin had forgotten, but he recognised the name Hazredus) and it was there he met his fate. The party undertook some investigation and Jacqualine even managed to partially break the dream-like dimension with the spell from the Amulet of Crowns. But the dream persisted. However, Godwin saw one option: glorious combat. The mirage itself seemed to be an expression of his subconscious and imposed several conditions upon him, notably that he could not harm himself. Combat with other real beings would bypass this, and would provide the centenarian warrior with the final battle he had been longing for. Godwin warned the party that he would not hold back: either he would die in his prime or they in theirs. The battle started after both sides had prepared.   The adventuring party summoned allies to aid them: Caerlin conjured two beholderkin and Jacqualine called upon an azata. In the first stages of the battle Baldur and Caerlin inflicted considerable damage on the warrior. However, it was the conjured azata that brought Godwin to heel and caused him to enter a battle trance, during which he threw away his axe and cast off his armour. He then grabbed the azata in a vice grip and broke its back against his knee, destroying it instantly. Godwin's shockwaves and mobility resulted in both Tropam and Caerlin to nearly die: Tropam polymorphed into a stone golem to avoid damage, whilst the latter was struck down (but brought up by Jacqualine). The warrior threw away Baldur (he frequently caused people to fly away with his stomps, but he actually grabbed and threw Baldur) which the dwarf interpreted as a typical case of tossing. Indeed, as Caerlin was about to deliver the final blow with a spell, Baldur actually reached out and healed Godwin with his oathgranted powers, preventing him from falling. This bought Godwin time to lock Del'Gado in a steel grip and likewise break his back, before he faced Baldur for the final strike. As the dwarven noble lodged an axe in his chest, Godwin, once hailed as the Adversary of all Oppression and Liberator of Helvatia, congratulated his opponent and recognised him as a true warrior. The dimension fell apart immediately afterwards, and the party found themselves back in the estate.   Likely the result of Jacqualine's tampering, the body of Godwin remained relatively intact. The party, possessing a few scrolls of resurrection looted from the dragon's lair, discussed if they should bring him back. Baldur remarked that he would be extremely useful as an ally. And so Jacqualine cast the spell, and the warrior was brought back to the Material Plane. He again offered his thanks to the party for freeing him from his prison, and offered them his axe and set of armour. As for himself, he would return to his home and see if a warrior of his prowess was needed there. But first, he would enjoy a long night of sleep, something he had been unable to do in the dream-prison. The party also took a long rest, but left before the warrior had woken up. Del'Gado left him a note to remember the party by.   Leaving the estate, a standard detachment of ten soldiers greeted the party. The squad leader seemed slightly confused, as they had been inside for nearly three weeks with no observable signs of their presence. Del'Gado told them that some places are larger on the inside. Before letting them on their way, the officer told the party that all travel (including most military) south of the Threshold Line had been prohibited due to an unexplained occurrence in Gol Thurum. The Threshold Line was located around the southern boundary of the Mandate, and so the party's point of reference was the village of Tarentan.