Episode 20
General Summary
The Unlikely Association take their places as Haley makes her way up the stairs... the young woman appears surprised to see the group in her home and quickly realises what they have been up to. Her voice changes as her body begins to transform into that of a purple-skinned fiend; a Night Hag.
A battle ensues, and with the night hag largely outnumbered, she quickly goes down - not before giving a dire message of the town being doomed unless the party dare to venture to Hades.
The party then decide their next course of action. Believing that there are souls still trapped in Hades, and that their task isn't completed until they retrieve them, they discuss what they should do. Leah isn't too happy about going to the lower planes, and questions why they should risk their lives. This prompts a discussion between the group about what their motives and goals may be, perhaps bringing them closer in the process.
During the discussion, the Book of the Occult is further investigated, as Eva spots a familiar symbol in the tome. Veda translates the text under the symbol which reads "The world snake hungers. Its time is soon." In an effort to gain the group's trust, Eva reveals that she has this same symbol marked on her tongue.
With the group chat concluded, the party decide to leave Nyx on guard before going to town to update Jeanie, and hopefully get something that Abraham's soul can cling to. Jeanie is relieved to hear that the hag has been destroyed and is very grateful for the party's help. She provides the group with her wedding ring and a Gatehouse family heirloom - a Dragonslayer Longsword. She had planned to give the group the weapon as thanks for saving the town, but figured it may help them out in Hades.
The party head back to the The Horn & Sprite for a round of drinks, paid for by Tokira, before heading to sleep. The night is uneventful, and with everyone fully rested, the group head back to Haley's cabin and the underground portal.
In Hades, the group find themselves in a landscape of grey, surrounded by denizens of the lower planes and... market stalls. Night Hags are mostly running the stalls, selling strange worm-like creatures with humanoid faces. As a human-sized insect creature begins to sniff around the party, a bipedal jackal wearing fancy clothes and spectacles intervenes. The jackal introduces himself as Lepto, and offers to help the group if they exchange information with him.
Lepto it seems is an information broker of sorts, who is very interested to learn that the group are apparently from a "new sphere" in the multiverse. Not entirely sure what he is talking about, the group agree to tell the strange creature about the Dawn of Creation in Kureta, in exchange, Leptop agrees to help find Abraham's soul and get the party home.
The information provided is all recorded on a scroll, which Lepto proceeds to roll up and place on a shelf which he titles 'Ekina'. Next to this shelf are many others, each titled with apparent other "worlds" and planes of existence.
Before they leave Lepto's shop, Veda makes her own deal with the creature. In exchange for a scroll which references Nephilim, Veda tells Lepto about magic in Kureta. He seems particularly interested in the fact that many people can cast a cantrip without any arcane knowledge, and Leah's witchcraft.
With their dealings concluded, Lepto takes the group back to Haley's stall, but Abraham's soul larvae is missing. Using the Dragonslayer Longsword, Lepto is able to divine the location of the larvae, which the party find in what seems to be Haley's home in Hades.
Before heading back to Nistaun, Atlas and Marty manage to sneak back to the marketplace and grab all the other remaining souls on Haley's shop. Attuning a fork to the heroes plane, Leptop planeshifts the group home.
In Nistaun once more, the group collect Jeanie from her home and allow her the honour of releasing her husband's tormented soul. In a tearful and joyous moment, many souls throughout the graveyard are seen lifting up and escaping their state of limbo - free to pass on to their afterlife. As a moment of sombre silence washes over them all, a voice interrupts "got my boots yet?"
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