Session 16 - The Ebon Aspect

General Summary

In the depths of the Reaper of Reputation cult's stronghold, nestled within the intricate network of chambers dedicated to their dark endeavors, lay the Inner Sanctum. The chamber reeked of metallic stenches and freshly killed Acolytes. Adorned with unsettling green rock, the Sanctum was a testament to Norgorber's faith and whoever had come before him. Here, trapped souls within tar-like pillars awaited the unwary, ready to ensnare those who ventured too close with their desperate grasp. Who they were and why they were trapped would be a mystery. Perhaps that was for the best. The Laboratory of The Faceless One, cluttered with alchemical concoctions and necromantic tomes, held many revelations. The corpse of the Duregar Chieftain stood off to the side, flesh stripped away along with most of the internal organs. The few that remained were encased in a thick transparent gel. Several books dedicated to necromancy and divine resurrection and far older than Norgorber held long-forbidden knowledge. The documents also revealed the cult's grand ambition: to awaken the Overgod's aspect through forbidden magic. Using a ritual involving magic items from the three churches associated with the Ebon Triad - Dahak, Asmodeus, and Norgorber - they would empower a herald, the Ebon Aspect, which would become the vessel for the Overgod. The ritual involves empowering one of the Triad's devoted members. Albert Rothport, a young nobleman, had hoped to buy his way into godlike power. Whether he had been successful was unclear. Another discovery gave the heroes a moral victory. In a jar overlooking the laboratory lay the dismembered head of Germaine Halbert, brother of mine boss Boniface Halbert. The Ebon Triad and mine boss, Ragnolin Dourstone, had been using the head as leverage to get supplies from Boniface. The heroes could now take that power from Dourstone. One of the ancient books possessing forbidden knowledge burst into flames as Cal read it. However, Cal had been able to decipher the coded language within, which also acted as a cipher to translate the coded message they had found in Theldrick's personal items. The message read:

The Age of Worms The secrets of this page are most holy. Know ye heretics who invade them that the eyes of the Reaper of Reputation are upon you. If you read this, Theldrick, you have either slain me and doomed our cause, or the time is nigh for our final victory. At last, the riddle of this place is solved. In ages past, a great being known as Desimos rose above the petty warlords who fought and struggled for material gain. Mighty Desimos is the herald of the Overgod. Soon, he will sound the clarion call to the faithful. The three sundered gifts of faith shall be made whole, and the ritual discovered here will ensure their ascension. The undead our agents spotted must be located and captured. If they bear the worms of Desimos, they perhaps hold the final answer to our research. The Ebon Aspect stirs within the pool but is still not ready to emerge. Perhaps a traumatic event – an invasion by heretics, a great battle fought within these halls – could awaken it. But even then, it will attain only a minor form. The Way of the Ebon Triad speaks of the danger of awakening the aspect too soon. Our work will be for naught. We must find the worms and the undead hosts that carry them. If they are not here, we must send agents to the Rift. If Desimos or his agents cannot shepherd in the Age of Worms, then we shall do it ourselves so that the Overgod may live. Our course is clear, my dear Theldrick. Halbert is no longer useful to us and must die. Kill him, then send agents to the Mistmarsh across the western hills. We will find what we are looking for there, among the lizardfolk. Summon more of your warriors. If the calculations and portents are correct, the time for covert action ends. As the Age of Worms begins, we must strike hard and fast to prepare for the coming of the Overgod. Of course, dear Theldrick, if you were so rash as to slay my followers and I, you soon shall join me in the afterlife. Doubtless, your treachery has already stirred the Overgod. Our mission has failed, and you will die at his hands.

Adjacent, the Acolytes’ Chamber offered a stark contrast with its cramped quarters, where the Reaper's acolytes sought rest between their macabre duties. Hidden beneath a mattress, a book titled "Veils of Eternal Silence: Mysteries of Norgorber" masqueraded as a sensational expose on the dark deity's followers, penned by the dubious "High Priestess Sylira Venomblade." In a storage chamber, the heroes discovered evidence linking the supplies to Boniface Halbert, betrayed by the rampant rooster insignia marking the crates. Yet, as they left the Reaper’s wing of the Dark Cathedral, the heroes were confronted by the hellish Ebon Aspect of the Overgod. The weakened yet formidable monstrosity, shedding its flesh that had once been Albert Rothport for a body of blackened muscle and draconic features, represented the cult's final gambit. When the heroes discovered it, it had just finished destroying the elevator and flexed its new wings. They were spent. Exhausted, both physically and magically. But they could not allow the abomination to escape. So once more, the heroes engaged. Once more, they came out victorious. Once more, they returned to Asmodeus to rest and recover before plotting their next move.

Rewards Granted

In the Labyrinth:

500 gp in coins
A pair of eyes of the eagle
A small lockbox that holds two small diamonds worth 100 gp each

In the Acolytes’ Chamber:

A trash novella titled "Veils of Eternal Silence: Mysteries of Norgorber" by "High Priestess Sylira Venomblade"

In the Inner Sanctum:

Two golden goblets, each valued at 100 gp
A bronze sacrificial dagger adorned with blood-red rubies worth 400 gp

In the Laboratory of the Faceless One:

Vial of acid (2)
Vial of alchemist’s fire (3)
Potion of cure light wounds (2)
Potion of cure serious wounds (1)
Potion of delay disease (1)
Potion of cure moderate wounds (2)
Potion of lesser restoration (1)
200 gp in coins
Six garnets, each worth 50 gp
Headband of Aerial Agility (+2 Int, Acrobatics)
+1 buckler of blinding

Books of Note:

"The Lost Artifacts of Divinity: Relics and Their Powers," worth 250 gp to a collector
"Alignments Beyond the Stars," worth 300 gp to a collector

Missions/Quests Completed

Recovered the head of Germaine Halbert.
Discovered the fate of Albert Rothport.
The truth of the Ebon Triad: They don't want to combine three gods into one Overgod. They want to combine three powerful magical artifacts from the churches of Asmodeus, Dahak, and Norgorber to create a vessel for an Overgod.

Campaign

Age of Worms

Protagonists