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Argyle's End

by Steel Claw

As we planned our next move, Izol sent Nonne ahead to scout; we found a central area to the cistern with several exits, only some of which were blocked by Argyle's cursed walls of light. Upon investigating, Steel could find nothing to his knowledge about the wall of light. He and the rest of the group stepped back as Murg pressed forward. Using the dagger, he tried to cut the wall, but the magic seemed phobic of the wall, which merely parted at its presence -- but once stepping through, the wall repairs itself.

We safely entered the central room. According to Theo, the dais in the middle semed to have a large metal construction -- probably something that filtered the water or helped the aquifer, but has been since removed. With the help of some rope, Steel figured out the water in the area (which is embalming fluid) is about 20 feet deep.

As he moved counterclockwise throughout the room, Murg missed a step and fell into one of the small tributaries. Though the water wasn't caustic, thank the gods, something slipped past him within the depths. Our auditor crawled to dry ground as the mawed jaws of a strange eel creature lunged at him. Something singed in the air -- electricity. The fight was not a comfortable one, with Lord Gladwell and Theo both falling in the water at different moments. But we survived, and continued on to the northwest.

Nervewracking

Unbeknownst to the party (until he was knee-deep), Izol had seen a room available to him to the west and stepped in to investigate. He found a chest on the center of another dais, and narrowly disarmed the trap before revealing the contents (he took the chest, gem inside, and the poison trap mechanism too).

Phase Five

The next room contained webbing and spiders -- phase spiders. We engaged, and killed two of the three before the last spider phased out of the material plane. Izol brought up the fact that both it and Argyle have shown the ability to phase into and away from the ethereal plane, and as we worried that it was contacting Argyle wherever he may be, we heard another high-pitched screech coming from the room's south.

The remaining phase spider was able to part the wall of light with its mandibles. Interesting. With it was a gigantic blue creature wading through the water-embalming-fluid mix. With a loud roar, the ethereal froglike creature. It managed to come at us -- Izol and I, with Lord Gladwell on it's flank -- and with the help of a blindness from Abadar and Murg, the group took out the strange creature and watch it sink back into the embalming fluid.

Once we regrouped, Izol investigated a desk (previously spotted in the room) that contained an iron box as well as alchemist's tools. "Theo, we could take that back with us and --", just as Theo found what he was looking for with the tools. The set and white vials of liquid must be a kind of concoction used to access the ethereal plane. Probably what Argyle was using to access the ethereal plane himself.

Izol fumbled with the iron box; the large padlock outside was a false door of sorts, inside of which was a ghostly white lock that appeared very similarly to the light wall magic of Argyle. Auditor Murg provided the magic dagger we'd been using, and used it to open the lock (to everyone's surprise). Inside a black leaf-bound journal with roughly two dozen pages; it contained instructions on how to assemble the ingredients for bombs of sending as well as construction. Later pages explained the white liquid (phase spider extract similar to ethereal oil). Notably, the phase spiders need to be docile and even domesticated to extract their essence.

The last few pages were details about the prisoners Argyle kept (seeming from Argyle's perspective). His final note on the last page was somewhat sobering, Argyle discussing atonement for what he's done and those he's lost from the Crossed Hammers. "None with the eyes to see can be allowed in the central cistern, lest all be lost."

We continued south, and in what must've been the slaadi's home (full of bones and mostly-eaten bodies) Izol grabbed a magic pendant from the embalming-fluid-filled pool (using magic). As they did, Steel asked Master Theo what the ethereal plane actually is. According to his studies, there are two levels of the ethereal plane: the first, that borders the material plane and is traversible, and the deeper level of the plane where the unreligious souls of the dead reside with the gods Eros and Stygia.

To Glimpse Infinity

We reconvened at the edges of the center cistern. Steel mused about the phase spider essence, and without thinking Master Theo pulled out the white vial to apply it to himself. Steel objected, trying to force the vial from his wizard, but to no avail.

Told from Theo's perspective
In a snap Master Theo phased into the ethereal plane. Sitting on the central platform was the most horrible thing: the hive mind center hung above the central platform, hanging off of red fleshy sinew. As soon as he laid eyes on the sight, hundreds of screams and wails seemed to lash out at Theo threatening to drive him insane. And standing atop the hive-mind is, of course, Argyle.

Thinking quickly, as Argyle opened his mouth the brilliant and fucking stupid wizard called up the incantation to cast banishment on the mass of flesh and consciousness. In the blink of an instant, the hive mind disappeared out of the ethereal plane to emerge onto the material plane. Master Theo appeared moments later.

The Guardians of Bezia

We all took aim and attacked the hive-mind as one. Steel with a Sharpshot in the Dark, Murg and Theo with tolls of the dead. Izol wound up with a one-two punch, the first decimating the upper half of the hive-mind and the second reducing the rest of the flesh to smithereens. Flesh, blood, and gore splattered across the room, and we all felt the leaving of a pervading feeling, as if the greater amalgam consciousness was no more.

Argyle, full of hate, phased back onto the material plane seething. He wasted no time, first noting Izol carrying the magic dagger connected to his walls of light and second unleashing a finger of death. Master Theo held up the rod of absorption to nullify the spell. Cursing, Argyle returned to the ethereal plane, reappearing only with his next spell readied.

Izol: "This is for what you did to Hannibal, and Andre, and Alistair."

Steel took aim, and once Lord Gladwell had pinned the man with a charm irresistable dance, fired off a full magazine of bolts - four sharpshots that each struck a vital organ. "Textbook," he commented, thinking of Theo. In fear, Argyle fled to the ethereal plane.

Pursued by Master Theobold Hornraven.

With a wave of a wand our wizard cast magic missile. The first dart was for Hannibal, right in the chest. The second was for Andre, destroying Argyle's left shoulder. The third, Alistair's, crushed Argyle's windpipe and part of his spine. The final three darts destroyed the man's head, the body crumpling uselessly to the ground. Master Theo took the body with him back to the material plane.

Aftermath

With Argyle's death, his conjured walls of light dissipated. Somewhere, the magic creating embalming fluid fizzled out as well.

There was argument about Argyle's body, but Izol simply shoved it into his bag of holding as Lord Gladwell left the cistern in disgust. Our warlock also rifled through his pockets, as Steel consoled the now-silent Theo. "You need to breathe, Master Theo."

The party returned to their horses. Eliana stuck to her word; nothing happened to Dawn or the other horses. She spoke about how far from Bezia she would flee, and before leaving Murg invited her to the Grand Caravan Company. She declined, but said to stay in touch -- Auditor Murg directed her towards Francis in Ibrithil.

That night, as we camped halfway to Bezia, Theo spoke about how angry he was. He chased Argyle because he thought the warlock would flee.

The Return. Our return was quiet, which was good in a sense -- nothing worse had happened. When we reached the castle, Admin Connor greeted us before taking the entire group to the warroom.

Connor, somewhat displeased, ordered Murg to pull Argyle back to this plane with speak with dead. From the conversation, Argyle told us that we must bait out his benefactor, with something like "the truth of his identity". Thankfully, he did reveal that there is no one to replace him.

Connor did recognize the amulet Izol found in the cistern, as one that had been taken from the Bezia royal vaults.

The Vaults

In a strange twist of fate, Connor brought the group below the castle to the (aforementioned) royals vaults. Though there were many, many rooms, he directed us towards a small sideroom: five thousand gold for the party, as well as compensation for returning the amulet (100 platinum and a stone of good luck).

The Temple

Having finished with Admin Connor, we turned next to Abadar. Specifically, Murg's temple had promised to bring back for us Andre, Hannibal, and Alistair. As discussed, the price of three copper pieces was enough to bring our boys back. There was much crying, from everyone, but Hannibal and Andre brought up their decision -- at first they wanted to seek different employment. Auditor Murg agreed to discuss.

For the future: Master Theo wants two sets of tools: an alchemist's set and tinker's tools.