Session 18 - The Worldwound

General Summary

As Eliza stands before the group, Ghostclaw, Fenrir, Arimanthos, and Wilvert can almost remember her. Small bits of memories of their past lives flash before their eyes.
Eliza addresses the group and hands Fenrir a letter.
"Time is short. I will answer your questions once the more pressing matters are taken care of. Demons have been infiltrating the city for the last month and have slowly, methodically picked apart my information network, and more importantly, my wards. In six hours, at exactly midnight, I believe one of the demon generals will attempt to rip a portal in between this plane and the demonic one."
She explains that like the Magus Magnificat, Gemspire sits on a place in the world called a worldwound, where travelling between plains is easier. In order for one of the Demon Generals to open the portal, they will need three things: blood of the innocent, a being of power, and a Ghostblossom flower. In addition, they will need to be in full sight of the moon.
6 o'clock hour
Wilvert and Ghostclaw visit an alchemist's shop. Inside, they find an ancient man sleeping behind a dusty tome. After waking him up, they learn that he is but the shop apprentice, and that his master went out to his secret grove to find a Ghostblossom flower. According to the ledger, the man who ordered it didn't leave a name, but he wore red robes. Ghostclaw takes a robe that belongs to the master alchemist, and has Malifax track his scent.
7 o'clock hour
Arimanthos heads to the castle to try and get a audience with King Harrison. He finds the king in full battle regalia, worried that the nobles are attempting to make a move against him. Arimanthos attempts to give the military leader a warning, but is mostly blown off.
8 o'clock hour
Amon checks a general store, and realizes that the city gardens would be the most likely place to find flowers.
9 o'clock hour
Fenrir and Arimanthos head to an orphanage, fearing that a child might be sacrificed for the ritual. Arimanthos is horrified to find that the orphans are abused and one is offered to him for sale as a squire. The two find that a noble in red robes adopted a child earlier that day. After threatening the woman in charge, Arimanthos gives the woman 1,500 gold to take better care of the children, and takes a boy Fenrir has taken a shine to, Horseshoe.
10 o'clock hour
Wilvert, Ghostclaw, and Malifax meet Amon and Skara at the city gardens. The wolf leads the group to a secluded spot where they see the master alchemist stabbed to death by a group of Demon Cultists. One of the villains opens a portal, and they file through one by one taking a Ghostblossom flower with them. Ghostclaw bides his time, and just as the portal begins to close, he lassos the last cultist and pulls him back. Upon interrogation, they learn that the cult leader had them gather in a old, closed temple in the city.
11 o'clock hour
The moon hangs low in the sky as the group arrives at the temple. As the midnight hour approaches, they are horrified to find that the high walls of Gemspire block the moonlight. Desperate, Wilvert checks the time by looking at the tall clock tower across the city, bathed in moonlight. It hits him, the clock tower is one of the few places taller than the city walls.
Midnight
The clock begins to toll midnight as the group silently climbs the stairs. At the top, they see the group of Demon Cultists and the The Demon Noble, from house Castillo. The lifeless body of a child lies in a magic circle, and the cultists seem to be preparing a man in city watch armor for human sacrifice. Six smaller circles surround the unholy ritual, and seem to be drawing magical power.
Amon quietly moves towards the evil group, and disrupts one of the six circles. Instantly, the Demon Cultists realize something has gone wrong. A hole rips a few feet above the ground, and begins to grow and shrink uncontrollably. The The Demon Noble reveals his true form as Skara incinerates two Demon Cultists.
Imps begin to spill out of the fluctuating portal, ready to serve the master that freed them. Fenrir quickly cuts one in half, disrupting a second circle in the process. Skara calls upon elemental powers to temporarily become stone and smash two imps.
Ghostclaw disrupts a third part of the circle, as Devils crawl through the growing tear. Wilvert drinks a potion and breathes fire, dropping two of them. One arrow from Ghostclaw causes the The Demon Noble to beg for mercy. He is a schemer, not a fighter. When he sees that there will be no mercy, he drinks a strange liquid and transforms once again. Even with a boost of strength, he proves no match for Arimanthos, who kills him as Fenrir disrupts a fourth circle.
The tear in the sky begins to close as the group unties the city watch leader, Ward. At the last second, a Behemoth pulls himself out of the demon plane. Ghostclaw is able to kill it by sinking an ax deep into the giants' skull and leading it off the edge of the clock tower. Exhausted from the nights adventures, Eliza steps out of the shadows.

Report Date

17 Aug 2019

Primary Location

Gemspire