Episode Sixty-nine - Kraken Unleashed
General Summary
After dinner on the 30th of Kythorn, Baern stayed back to talk about the machine in the barn. It was decided that guards should be left outside but ultimately that the machine should be left in place. Then Baern asked Arion why he never talks about his home. Though he brought the grim tale of duty to the topic, Aldrich offered better but Sol tore it down again. He then asked of their families and saw little hope in their stories. Arion then told the table that he could trace his lineage back thousands of years and most of the men were soldiers. Baern then asked about Farnsworth's past and he told them of Cybertron and The Great War, as well as the Autobots and the Decepticons. The five of them then discussed their situation in general before parting ways.
As Arion checked on the estate and Sol copied over the spell they bought, into his new Arcane Grimoire. In the mean time, Aldrich took the time to do some research in the library and learned quite a bit. He learned general information about the Silver Marches, the Barrier Mountains, the Nether Barrier Peaks, Anauroch, and Olostin's Hold. After that, he and the rest of the gentlemen retired to bed.
In their sleep they heard a switch, like a thrown lever and awoke to see nothing but blackness. The heroes all heard, in the darkness, a voice like the words of a god but wild and filled with suppressed rage.
"Well, well, well. It seems my minion is finally ready to try his trick but he needs his master's help. Ha! Alas, its hard to find good help but I'm getting ahead of myself, allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Yzarack Hacrrid, the Clown Prince as they called me. A long time ago, what feels like a trip through time, you saved my life."
Mockingly he continued, "But why? Why would I betray you now?"
Then harshly he went on, "Can't you see it you fools? You're not the only ones playing this game. Others played it before you, some at the same time, and even more likely will after. You've played it before too. Two among you are just the reborn spirits of earlier players, who found themselves fading in the future before they found themselves in the past as new characters."
"It didn't start with you, it started with those intrepid mercenaries, the Burnside Fools! But it continues with you and yes, of course, Entropy came along and gave me power again but that was so you'll never match my capabilities. See, you think you know the game but you don't. You or someone like you will likely take Entropy in the next little Grand Campaign you go on, right after of course, the titan falls. But me? I'll still be around, I'll still be standing. Try as you must with your final alliance of good, try as you will but the last alliance do-gooders will be defeated. You can try and take my whole Black Tragedy if you like, but you'll never muster the power to defeat me and likely, you'll not even beat my minion's minion."
"So have at it and have fun of course, for what is this mockery of a life but one big game at an unorthodox table?"
With that, the dim light of a cave revealed rock walls and damp surroundings. The Champions of Destiny found themselves all dressed, armed, and standing as they heard the lapping of water upon a shore. All around them mushrooms were casting light and just across a small body of water and cast in a light seemingly from nowhere, they saw a woman chained to a rock. She was clearly human and looked very angry as she resisted her chains. Arion questioned the situation and then the group began to try and solve the problem using Annabelle's natural abilities and Sol's magic. In the end it was decided that they would send Arion on rafts of ice to the rock.
Arion made out well and kept the chains from disturbing the water but when the giant of a man dropped down onto the ice raft again, after having saved the young woman's life, the water quaked. The surface of the underground lake then rolled and the cave began to rumble. Emerging then from the depths was a gargantuan creature, with mouths in mouths, razor lined with sharp teeth and beset with two-fingered tentacles. The water around it began to bubble and warm as acid dripped from its mouth and rolled down its thick, gooey flesh. It struck a fair resemblance to the creature of legend but was ever so slightly changed, it bore likely the name, kraken.
Sol's magic as heArionAnnabelleKelaryntentacleAnnabelleAldrichAnnabelleArionAnnabelleSolArionbouncedAldrichKelarynAnnabelle,AnnabelleKelarynAldrichtentacleSolAnnabelleSolArionArionAldrichopportunityAldrichtentacle
As the creature dropped on the beach and peace was restored to the cavern, Aldrich, Kelaryn, and Sol then questioned the woman as Annabelle and Arion swam the depths collection gems for the future war.
Zôrzimril first asked if the heroes were okay before saying, "thank you for saving me. I had it all well at hand and then very quickly didn't. It turns out the Temple of Moloch is a dangerous place."
After a few questions on time and location she offered, "I was captured by Thessalar who happened to enter the temple after me."
She then stated that she overheard him saying, to an old man, "dammit Ard-Sagart, so help me if I have to use this final body to slaughter those interlopers myself, then I will but the Thessalkraken will handle it and your temple remade will bare no harm from my actions. I act not only in vengeance but out of necessity just as the Clown Prince Yzarack wills it."
She then told them that she heard him say one other thing. She told them that he mock, "now stay right there, I must go kill the wizard Tormaq and ruin their next plan, just in case."
With the information they needed, gathered, they she offered them her teleportation stone and used it up to get the heroes back to their home.
She and Arion then talked, as the others ate breakfast in the kitchen and Sol regained his familiar. Whilst learning and speaking together, the pair came to a consensus on whom she was and what had happened to her home. Together they learned that Zôrzimril, the fire-jewel and last daughter born in Rómenna, is a Númenórean of Arda. She was born in the Second Age, 3209 SA, and made fast friends with a young boy, born of the same year as she, named Isildur. Her parents were friends of the house of Elendil and were among the first of the Faithful, they were among the first to speak out against the rebels who were intent on forsaking the Valar. Her parents were first among the Elendili, the Elf-friends. They fought hard against the notions of sailing westward and instead sought a means by which the Dúnedain could expand their empire without forsaking their promise. With whispers from the Elves, Zôrzimril said goodbye to her childhood friend and sailed out with her parents looking for a Keléstial gateway to satiate her people.
In what would have been the 3,218th year of the Second Age, and after a month of sailing, her parents past through a portal to Toril. They found themselves in the Sea of Swords north of Gundarlun and bound southeast toward Neverwinter. Several hundred miles onward, Zôrzimril and her family found land in the form of the docks of Neverwinter having traveled, as Zôrzimril would learn later, not only though space but time as well. The year there was marked 1451 Dale Reckoning and as her family docked, Zôrzimril's life would be forever altered.
The eruption of Mount Hotenow laid waste to the city and destroyed her parents' ship, ruining any chance the family had of returning to Rómenna or even Arda, again. With no ship, the family fled the city with the other refugees and made their way south toward the city of Waterdeep. Beset by wild and strange monsters, the family would be captured and used in a cult sacrifice that saw them thrown into a portal to the Cosmic Outlands. There, in the Kingdom of Fraellan, the family would fight and then forge a new home.
As Zôrzimril came into adulthood, she knew she must set out to find her loving parents a way home and thus she sought to learn the secrets and magics of the worlds. Learning the magics of song, Zôrzimril ventured far and wide. Eventually, at the age of thirty-seven, her travels brought her to the Temple of Moloch where she was captured by Thessalar and chained to a rock as a trap and a sacrifice involving a Thessalkraken and the Champions of Destiny.
Rewards Granted
2300xp
Missions/Quests Completed
Quest of Fate Continued, Subquest Forging Fate Continued
Notes
Notable Party Damage:
- Aldrich has a horrible burn scar on the left side of his neck in front of the ear from an azure fire elemental summoned by Seldra Tylmarande. His armor and shield are extremely claw marked from many Lizardfolk. His shield has a large fist shaped dent in it and the knees of his pants were torn out by his bones when he was crushed by a Sacred Statue.
Noted Effects: Horrible Scar (Neck). You are disfigured to the extent that the wound can't be easily concealed. You have disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks and advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks. Magical healing of 6th level or higher, such as heal and regenerate, removes the scar. - Annabelle has a noticeable bend in her scale armor about the stomach where she was crushed by a Sacred Statue.
Noted Effects: None - Arion came from Arda with a scar that won't seem to heal.
Noted Effects: Minor Scar (Head). The scar doesn't have any adverse effect. Magical healing of 6th level or higher, such as heal and regenerate, removes the scar. - Kelaryn has two faint hand-print shaped scars on her left arm. She has a scar from the stab of a spear that she received valiantly fighting an ice devil on her stomach. She has a scar that emanates infernal essences from a horned devil's tail above her right breast. Kelaryn has a large scar that runs down over her left breast, across the center of her chest, and then down to her right abdomen where the large axe of a minotaur split her open. She has two large gore hole scars from a minotaur on the left side of her stomach. Her back is also tweaked from the hard battering she took from the minotaur. The scales of her Khuzdûl armor are dented above the left breast from a hit she took from a lizardfolk. Her left pant leg is torn above the ankle after having it bit open by a lizardfolk.
Noted Effects: Minor Scars (Left Arm, Right Breast, Torso, and Stomach). The scar doesn't have any adverse effect. Magical healing of 6th level or higher, such as heal and regenerate, removes the scar. Mild Limp. Your speed on foot is reduced by 5 feet. You must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw after using the Dash action. If you fail the save, you fall prone. Magical healing removes the limp. - Sol has tear marks across the back and chest of his shirt, as well as down the sleeve, from the claws of lizardfolk. He has a small tear in the knee of his trouser where once his bone tore though them after he was crushed.
Noted Effects: None
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