Pahhu: Shifting Sands of Time 4: Time Will Tell

The once clear fountains of Charva’s sanctuary lay still and muddled, some even cloudy and red, stained with blood from prisoners and wardens alike. Marinette, Theodore, Crixus, Zairissia, Moyra and Quinton teleported into the altar room of Labelas arriving to utter darkness. A few light spells later the room was illuminated, the room filled with debris and littered with corpses and now dry bloodstains. Marinette lead the group through the narrow hallways to the sanctuary’s main hall, the mid-day sun pouring in through the open roof and illuminating the carnage. The number of bodies was surprisingly fewer than before, it seems someone or something was collecting the kobold bodies. The massive brass dragon corpse thankfully seemed mostly undisturbed.
 
A quick check of the area revealed it to be clear, and taking advantage of any surprise they might have Quinton began to knit the dragon’s physical vessel, his magic weaving the flesh with strands of red vital energy as it began to weave the wounds close. The ritual of Resurrection was lengthy, and would take an hour to complete during which it would be critical that Quinton was protected. The sanctuary was a large place, with many halls and doors entering into it and Charva’s prison was known to hold dangerous and powerful demons as well as those powerful and ambitious enough to challenge time itself. The party understood the goal and spread out defensively, taking up positions.
 
The first incursion was more of a mutual discovery than an attack as a party of Drow mages accompanied by Driders encountered Marinette in a hallway as they both patrolled. A skirmish broke out around a door in a battle to hold it shut and prevent the Drow from breaching. Theodore, Zairissia and Moyra reinforced Marinette and the fight exploded into a spellcasting match while the front lines of both sides were paralyzed and contained by the casters of the other. Crixus remained behind, protecting the vulnerable Quinton and keeping his eyes and ears open for new threats.
 
Theodore surrounded a Drider in an orb of pure water, crushing the breath from his foe as the water pressure overwhelmed the Drider’s strength. Marinette’s axe severed limbs and she shook off multiple paralytic magics, but eventually she was gripped, only to be freed by Moyra’s efforts. Zairissia held up the rear, offering fire support while also maintaining proximity to the ritual in case of any danger revealing itself in the sanctuary.
 
Dull thuds rang out as the sound of heavy blows reverberated in the north of the sanctuary, far from the ongoing battle. Crixus approached and drew his greatsword, assuming a defensive stance to engage the oncoming enemy. He called out a warning towards the battle and dug in for whatever assault may come. Zairissia quickly came to his aid, but the other battle raged on. A great four armed fiend burst through the wall, pincers snapping as it eyed Crixus. It unleashed a howling battlecry and charged the half-orc champion. From the breach behind the Glabrezu the sound of pounding hooves warned of more coming danger, as soon would emerge a pair of Armanites. The party, well and truly separated began to fight on two fronts.
 
The battle with the Drow broke first, as Theodore enchanted a Drider’s metal armor with intense heat and broiled it while running towards the other battle, while Marinette chased down the casting drow and carved them to bits. Moyra grabbed Marinette and opened a Dimension Door to the other battlefield, rapidly reinforcing the position as the Armanites charged in. Crixus called all of his strength forward and dealt crushing blows to the Glabrezu while Zairissia’s intertwined phoenix and fiendish fire overwhelmed the heritage of the Glabrezu and burned it in a way that no fire had ever done before. The demons fought hard, but were unable to overcome the combined force of the party and the Armanites fell soon after.
 
The group caught their breath. The ritual had only just started; if the foes kept coming at this pace they’d be overwhelmed. They began new patrols, but found nothing for nearly ten minutes until at last a single survivor was found, a small brass kobold child hiding under debris in a corner. She warned of wandering demons, a bug eyed monster, another covered in spikes, and yet another with a mean beard. The group fed the child and tried to understand what had happened, but little was uncovered before a trio of demons fitting the description approached. A battle broke out with an Ice Devil, Bearded Devil and Bone Devil.
 
The ensuing battle was swift, and merciless but the Ice Devil did unleash a massive icy spell on Quinton. The assault failed to break his concentration, and after that successful defense the ritual would soon complete. The great dragon stirred and looked around in disbelief, there were many questions on both sides, but this place was far too dangerous. Charva reverted to his human form with some exertion, and the group quickly evacuated using teleportation magic. They regrouped at Hyssop Home where the kobold child and Charva in his priest form were welcomed to a guest room to rest.
 
With Charva and Pahhu recovering from their brushes with death the questions would need to wait at least a day, and any course of action would need half a week. What would they learn from Charva? And what would they do next? The party considered the many things before them.
 
Pahhu’s parents departed to the cold icy north seeking the lost temple of Amaunator, was her magic a result of her bloodline and would they know how to combat the rift incursions?
 
Charva’s sanctuary lay in ruins, but it could be restored. All of the escaped prisoners and criminals were powerful and dangerous. Could they be recaptured? Could things be set right? And what would Charva say of the situation?
 
The foul Zhentarim had declared war on the Bedine tribes, the party, and the Hawthorne guild by proxy. They seemed bent on capturing Pahhu to force her to accomplish their goals around the rifts.
 
The Gith of the astral plane with their amazing airships capable of appearing in the sky almost anywhere were hunting the party, supposedly seeking those responsible for damaging the boundaries of the planes. Though their actions had just freed powerful time manipulators. What were their motivations?
 
What of the Netherese in the prison? The one they had encountered spoke of the Netherese Restoration. Could there be a manipulator of time so powerful as to undo the fall of the Netherese empire and restore the powerful empire of mages to world prominence once more?
 
The Red Wizards of Thay had also extended an invitation to cooperate. Imprisoned by Charva and freed in the break caused by the Gith they seemed convinced that it was actually the party that had freed them. They could be powerful allies, but their goals were unclear.
 
What of Birgallaz and other powerful demons which may have been imprisoned by Charva? Would having made such an enemy come to haunt them?
 
The Yuan-Ti of SSeth had demanded the party answer for the loss of their holy anathema, which had attacked them in the desert previously having prophesized Pahhu’s rise as the ‘Time Ripper’ a force which could unravel the timestream itself. They demanded the party show up in the Sanguine Hinterlands within 30 days after which time they would seek vengeance. Precious time was lost to bedrest after the recent wounds.
 
Charva had also warned of the risk of Pahhu possibly destabilizing time. Some groups seemed bent on controlling or killing the sorceress, others seemed intent on acquiring and empowering her to reach their own goals. With no complete understanding of the source or cost of her magic the party would have hard decisions ahead of them. Their enemies were powerful and numerous, and their allies few. With so many forces moving in conflicting directions who would they ally themselves with, and who would they be forced to fight? Only Time Will Tell.