Session 22: Bane and the howling Minotaur

Thestia, 23rd of Anagrypnion

General Summary

As Gaius left the Winter Sanctum, the group slowly felt time return to normal and they heard ruble falling from the entrance. At the same time the woman Gaius rose was still flowing at the centre of the sanctum. The council decided to engage the undead woman but quickly realized Lyra and Xandra weren't able to see the woman. Nir asked Lyra to check on the entrance while they took care of the woman. Nir started strong with a ball of shredding blades made of water while Kadmos and Krinos charged forward. Fennan took position as far as he could and started firing lighting from his gauntlet while wearing his Infiltrator Armour. Fyx, who was already close by, began attacking the woman's mind causing brain damage. Meanwhile, Kaliaros analyzed the creature's weaknesses and Fyx cursed the woman with Bane, causing her a weakness that would aid the group greatly. While Lyra was checking on the entrance, Xandra charged forward, even if she couldn't see the target, she would try to distract whatever it was.
Once the woman took action, she immediately summoned two skeletons to aid her. She then moved forward to get a bit closer. This gave the group the opportunity to try to take her down. However, as everyone approached, they noticed that simply the woman's presence was causing them to want to run away. Some managed to resist the fear but others weren't as willful. Still, Kadmos as he charged, holding something within his pocket started to howl. This caused a sense of feral instinct to wash over everyone making everyone treat the woman as if she was prey and group a pack of wolves. Krino's positioning and the feral instinct helped give Xandra a rough idea of where the target was. She then charged and using her chakram, which was now glowing, she created a whirlwind that took out some of the skeletons.
After some time passed, the woman turned to mist and rushed forward. She then let out a wail that causes ice to begin to form around everyone's legs. Those with strong constitutions were able to resist the cold but unfortunately Kaliaros and Fennan didn't manage and became restrained by the forming ice. At the same time Lyra returned from the entrance informing everyone that the entrance was blocked in by rockfall. Nir, seeing that the battle might not go their way, made her way to the entrance trying to find a way out.
Kadmos and Krinos continue to attack the woman and bring down more skeletons that explode into shrapnel of ice. Fyx continued to target the woman's mind, focusing al his magical abilities on destroying her mind. Kaliaros, although frozen in place, uses flames to highlight the shape of the floating woman, making her easier to target for all as Fennan continues to blast the woman with his lighting. As Kaliaros and Fennan focus on brining down the woman, the ice continues to spread and eventually encases them turning them into icy statues.
Lyra charges at Kaliaros and bring his statue back to safety. Xandra falls unconscious causing Kadmos and Krinos to retreat bringing Xandra with them. Meanwhile, Nir, thanks to no small amount of luck, manages to find a tiny weakness in the rubble which she tries to exploit with her telekinetic powers. Meanwhile, the woman continues to strike at anyone near her with her icicle strikes.
Things aren't looking good and Nir desperately continues to strike the wall of rubles with his mind. With a well-placed strike, she manages to bring the entire wall down. She quickly returns to the group and notices that there's a small army of Setessa guards on the other side of the wall. As Nir returns to the group, she begins bombarding the woman with her magical water blades. However, there's some kind of surge of power within Nir that has unknown effects. Everyone continues to do their best to stay alive and bring down the woman. Kadmos brings Xandra back with a potion and they stand their group to protect Fyx and Fennan's statue.
Nir tries to cast one of her dark blasts but notices that she can no longer speak the incantation. Furthermore, she can't speak at all. Everyone is exhausted and Fyx, who is too tired to continue using his magic, charges forward disregarding his own safety, draws his rapier that glows with the light of the moon, and with a well-placed blow, the woman begins to melt away into nothingness. Everyone just stares for a second still surprised that they made it. Kadmos notices a shining blade where the woman once floated, he quickly picks up what seems to be an icy sickle.
The guards Nir had seen charge into the chamber. The captain quickly analyses the situation: the missing princess, everyone in the sanctum lying dead in the center, and a group of people covered in blood with their weapons drawn. She quickly announces that everyone is under arrest, they're to drop their weapons at once and be taken to Setessa for judgment. Nir begins to scream into the captain's mind but gets no reaction, everyone else just looks around to see what everyone else is doing. Lyra signals to everyone to comply, with this everyone drops their weapons and are placed in shackles.

Report Date

08 Jul 2022

Reputation with the gods

• Kadmos: 14 (+1)
• Nir: 15 (+1)
• Fennan: 14 (+1)
• Fyx: 13 (+1)
• Kaliaros: 13 (+1)

Quests

Odyssey Quests:

• The Corruption
• A Mysterious Stranger
• The Shortstride

Optional Adventures:

• The Fate of Kyrian
• A Strange Statue
• A Request From Setessa
• In Defense of Oreskos Savannah
• Justice in the Dunes
• The mysterious claw gauntlet

Side Tasks:

• A Master Instrument
• Horns of Silence v2
• Andrios: The port town?
• Transmutation?
• The Missing Traders
• A Summons From Gaur
• Nyxsteel?