2024-08-08 Varanis Takes a Stand or Unsuccessfully Coping With the Dire Consequences of Mistaken Identity
1492 DR 27 Uktar (The Rotting)
General Summary
“Here are the mortals,” the imp reported. “The garrison at the Noctilith Gate was destroyed, so it took longer.”
“Name yourselves,” demanded the ice devil.
“Xim, warlord and despot of the Scorched Plains. Hail Zariel!”
“Hasgrad, devoted warlock of the Crimson Cult. Hail Zariel!”
“Eldra, martial adept of the Order of Infernal Steel. Hail Zariel!”
The ice devil loomed large over the cultists. “The catacombs below are protected by an elf priest. His magic has destroyed every devil we’ve sent. A team of your fellow cultists successfully entered the catacombs but hasn’t been heard from since. Your orders are to determine whether they failed or are traitors.”
“How will we know them, mighty one?” asked Hasgrad.
“They were led by a human warrior in a green cloak. There was an armored dwarf with a greatsword, a winged, blue tiefling, and two others. Casters by the look of them,” replied the ice devil. “In any case, the battle with the demons below calls to us. Once you return, we will abandon this position and I will report the state of the surviving mortals to my commander.”
The cultists descended the stairs into the catacombs. Xim ordered Eldra to scout ahead. The adept scowled but slinked ahead into the shadows. At last, she thought, succeed here and the abbot cannot deny me the secrets of ki.
Reaching the main crypt, Eldra peeked around the corner. She immediately spotted a cloaked figure with an elven look carrying a staff. He has a commanding bearing, she observed. Build looks like some human blood in him, though. She saw no sign of the cloaked warrior, dwarf, or tiefling. Swiftly, she turned away and rejoined the other two.
“Speak,” Xim commanded.
“No sign of the cultists the ice devil described,” Eldra replied, holding back a sharp retort at the warlord’s presumption of authority. “I saw the elf priest. He’s wearing grey and purple and carrying a staff. I think the others must have been killed. We should report back.”
Hasgrad started to reply, but was interrupted by the warlord. “I will see this priest for myself.”
Muscle-brained oaf, thought Hasgrad. “May I propose we approach peacefully at first?” the warlock suggested. Xim glared at him with disdain. “We can offer them a last chance to surrender and offer their souls, or else face the destruction of their minds and bodies when the Styx transforms them into shapeless lemures.”
Xim considered the idea. “It will give you time to size up your foe and determine the next move,” Hasgrad finished. Xim nodded.
Excellent, thought the warlock. If I can convince a few to sell their souls, the glory will be mine. He knew little about divine magic, but considered that the priest’s magic must be formidable, based on the ice devil’s description. If Xim wants to test his strength, let him. I can mop up and take that glory too.
Approaching the crypt, Hasgrad called out, “We are three mortal servants of Zariel. We come in peace to parley.” They entered the crypt.
The ragged survivors huddled at the back of the crypt, the elf priest apart and in front of them. “I will hear you out,” the elf calmly answered. He was tall, fit, and somewhat imposing in his confidence.
I don’t see a holy symbol, Hasgrad observed, but at least he’s willing to listen. He started his sales pitch. He was only a few words in when some unseen power struck him senseless.
Xim and Eldra turned to the suddenly silent warlock. Seeing Hasgrad’s shocked and confused expression, they turned back to the elf in time to see him hurl lightning into the warlock. They tried to dodge as it arced from him to each of them but were not fast enough. A second, smaller bolt slammed into the warlock and blew him in half in an explosion of charred viscera.
Eldra raced forward to knock down the priest. He dodged her first blow, but her second connected. As she touched his flesh, a stroke of lightning exploded through her, killing the adept instantly and hurling her body back through the air.
Storm priest, then, concluded the warlord. Xim grimly advanced and swung his sword towards the priest. The elf was tougher than he looked, parrying the blows but clearly affected by their power. With a word and a gesture, the elf vanished in a clap of thunder that rocked the warlord. Reappearing where Xim had been earlier, the elf launched a smaller lightning bolt that burned the warrior.
Xim let out a war cry that shook the priest’s resolve, then closed and landed another blow with his sword. Again, the elf barely turned it aside, though weakened by the effort. A blast of lightning travelled back through Xim's sword and would have knocked him backward had his strength not held. It was enough to throw off his aim, and he missed the second swing.
A tendril of lightning tensed Xim’s muscles enough that he could not avoid a mighty bolt of lightning the elf unleashed at point blank range. This time, Xim felt molten steel burning into his side as the torrent of energy rent his armor and destroyed his flesh. His swift riposte caught the elf off guard, but still his enemy twisted away and suffered only a minor cut.
Xim martialed his strength against the pain and savagely swung his greatsword. The priest blocked it with his staff, though the elf’s cry of pain showed it clearly cost him. Again, a blast of lightning travelled back through his sword, but this time the warlord could not hold and was knocked back 20 feet, barely keeping his footing. He quickly closed for a second swing but the shock and pain afflicting his every muscle rendered it a weak lunge that the elf easily avoided.
Again, a minor stroke of lightning preceded a much greater blast from the elf. The bolt ripped through Xim’s torso, vaporizing his heart and lungs.
The smoldering remains of the armored human collapsed in front of Varanis. The tortured muscles in his arms screamed in protest at every move. Holding back the warrior’s assault strained every inch of his arms, back, and shoulders. The cut on his left arm was minor, barely bleeding.
The survivors thanked the sorcerer for his protection, though a few were clearly intimidated by the power he’d unleashed. The still air in the crypt was heavy with the scent of ozone. Varanis stirred the air, creating a cooling breeze, and let out a heavy sigh.
“Something tells me this was just the start,” Varanis muttered, but he was wrong. Outside the crypt, the ground briefly shook with the fury of the combat below, then went silent. The devils waited for some sign of their agents, then silently withdrew.
Pre-combat
Ice devil makes an Int check to see how well it remembered the party. Despite a +4 to the roll, only scored an 8, so Varanis and Leo fell into the "all mortals look alike" category and it completely forgot Enkidu. Being a devil less involved with acquiring mortal souls, doesn't know the difference between half and full elves, and it didn't think to describe Paelias.
Adept rolls 19 on Dex (Stealth), hiding from Varanis and refugees. Varanis rolls a 22 on Cha (Deception), making the cultists believe he's legitimately listening and not covertly casting power word, stun.
Initiative Order
Varanis > Eldra > Hasgrad > Xim
Round 1 - Surprise
Varanis: Using subtle spell metamagic, Varanis casts power word, stun on the warlock. Rule that this completely hidden spell grants Varanis surprise.
The cultists get no action this round. Hasgrad fails his Con save to end the Stunned condition.
Round 2
Varanis: Quickened and empowered chain lightning (7th level) at Hasgrad, chained to the other two. All enemies fail their saves, and Xim spends 1 of his 3 uses of Indomitable in the attempt. Both adept and warlock are seriously wounded. Follows up with his arc lightning cantrip aimed at the warlock. The damage is high enough not to need empower metamagic, and kills Hasgrad.
Eldra: Closes to attempt a knockdown attack and set up the warlord. Missed first attack but succeeds on the second. Varanis' Storm's Fury reaction dumps 16 lightning damage into the adept and kills her. Varanis makes the Dex save to avoid being knocked prone.
Xim: Closes with Varanis and gets two hits with his greatsword.
Round 3
Varanis: Quickened and empowered thunderstep (6th level) teleports him away from Xim. The warlord takes 8 points from Varanis' Heart of the Storm, then succeeds on the Con save for half damage from the spell but has to burn a second use of Indomitable to do so. Varanis follows up with an empowered arc lightning cantrip. At the end of Varanis' turn, Xim uses his Frighten Foe legendary action on Varanis. Varanis fails the Wis save and is frightened until the end of Xim's next turn.
Xim: Closes with Varanis and scores a hit. Storm's Fury delivers 16 points back to Xim, and the warlord spends his last Indomitable use to prevent being pushed back. His second attack misses. Frighten Foe ends.
Round 4
Varanis: Empowered lightning bolt (5th level). Heart of the Storm deals 8 points first. Warlord fails Dex save and takes full damage, dropping well below half hit points. Xim uses legendary action for a single weapon hit. Varanis holds off on reaction.
Xim: Regenerates 10 hit points using his Survivor ability, then scores a greatsword hit. Takes 16 points from Storm's Fury and fails his Str save to avoid being pushed. It's only 20 feet and he hasn't moved yet, so he closes for his second shot and misses.
Round 5
Varanis: Heart of the Storm leads into another empowered lightning bolt (5th level). Xim is killed. Varanis still 10 hit points above half.
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