183: Azure Flames
General Summary
Overview
This report outlines the key events in the Abyss questline, focusing on Kenrith's resolve to break free from his father's tyranny and the manipulation by Demon Lords Bescones, Adhzur, and Shiruku.Questline Events
Kenrith's Resolve
Kenrith, the 13th clone in a line of progeny from Demon Lord Bescones, had experienced many kindnesses on the material plane. He had been taught many lessons, and in his heart, he knew that the cycle perpetuated by his father was one of torture and death. This understanding drove Kenrith to wish to break free from the cycle and end it. He set his goal on destroying the batteries in which his brothers were kept and attempting to free himself from the tyranny of his father's rule. Determined, he headed back to his origin, aiming to slay his father.Merisa's Kidnapping
In the early stages of this questline, Merisa, an adventurer, was kidnapped by Kuro in a Library located in Arcadis. Knocked unconscious, she was taken to the Abyss, where Bescones cloned her to use as bait to manipulate Kenrith and his companions.Manipulation and Bait
Bescones was not easy prey. Having earlier kidnapped Merisa, he now used her as bait to trap Kenrith into performing tasks for him. Kenrith, seeking to save Merisa, reentered the marketplace of his father. Bescones used Veska, the 16th clone, to trick and bait Kenrith and his companions into attacking his rival, Demon Lord Adhzur. Veska, with her childlike demeanor, distracted Kenrith and highlighted Merisa's location, drawing him to Adhzur's domain.Approaching Adhzur's Fortress
The party approached Adhzur's great fortress, prided for his mastery of war and fortified with many soldiers. Sneakery was required to get inside. Once inside, they discovered a secret entrance directly in the front, leading them to the doorway that served as the entrance to Adhzur's realm of power. Adhzur, also a craftsman, had created the door to serve as his mouth, fiercely berating the adventurers. Solaria's transformation abilities turned the door from a guardian into a harmless object, severing its connection to Adhzur and allowing the party to hurry inside and confront the Demon Lord.Battle with Adhzur
Gleam’s contributions in this battle came from the ceaseless joy of her song, and the continued support of her summoned creatures. Whilst they would serve primarily as a distraction, their deaths would redirect otherwise incredibly powerful attacks away from her allies.Yukika, a mage of Arcani would use her skills and her connection with the sun itself to embody a solar might. Radiating fiery energies and creating powerful and deadly explosions that would crack and shatter the armor and chitin of Adhzur.
Solaria, blessed with the magic of the feywilds and containing great and powerful magics within her body would transform and manipulate the energies of life and form. Preventing the demon lord from healing whilst also reducing his effectiveness within the combat.
Lynette would fill the defenses for the party, using her shield to block and redirect attacks, opening holes in Adhzur’s offence by forcing him to overextend in his strikes and opening gaps to allow her allies to strike deep wounds into the demon lord.
A gap which allowed Kenrith to strike with his three blades; each blade, a dangerous weapon and courageous tool, weakened Adhzur, reducing his health and armor, making him vulnerable to the magics of his peers. Solaria ultimately turned the weakened Adhzur into a pair of cupcakes, one consumed by Kenrith and the other by herself, converting the abyssal energy within them.
Invasion by Bescones
While the battle with Adhzur was ongoing, Bescones' agents surreptitiously weakened and harmed Adhzur, nullifying his defenses and allowing the adventurers to strike more effectively. They also sacked the place of valuables, adding to Bescones' power and wealth, while hiding the tracks of their actions.Merisa's Fate
Bescones, having earlier tricked Shiruku into taking Merisa for herself, orchestrated Merisa's kidnapping moments before the adventurers' arrival. Due to the strange path taken by the adventurers, they missed the signs linking this kidnapping back to Bescones. This left them uncertain of Merisa's fate for a while longer, with only the vague, piercing uncertainty left behind as a gap for Bescones to continue exploiting them.Conclusion
Kenrith and his companions faced numerous trials and manipulations in their quest to rescue Merisa and defeat Bescones. The questline highlights the complex interplay between the Demon Lords and the adventurers' resilience in the face of deception and danger.
Report Date
04 Aug 2024
Related Plots
