Pieces of Eight, Session 19: Frozen Cure

General Summary

Klearic, Jimmy, and Vencyne find themselves in a time-loop with three Intrepid Adventurers and a younger version of the Gravebound.

Introductions

Following the events of Frozen Sick Part 2, the Intrepid Adventurers stood in front of the large frozen entrance into Salsvault, an ancient labratory rumored to old the cure to the Frigid Woe, the disease ravaging their Barbarian Charlene. Their Ranger Kiruk had been claimed by the journey, and all of them would die soon if they didn't get the door open very soon. They were not sure how long they'd stood at the door to Salsvault. It could of been hours or eons, and nothing they had tried to open the door had worked yet. A bright white light reflectedoff the snow behind them. They turned to face it.
Three humanoids - Jimmy Tarkelby, Klearic Faymal, and Vencyne Amakiir - stood across from them on the snow. After a brief conversation, the two groups introduced themselves. When Klearic introduced himself to the Intrepid Adventurers, they recall an ancient wizard with the same name who died thousands of years ago. This other Klearic Faymal was almost a hero. Apparently he became a crazy hermit after all of his friends and party died and he dedicated his life to magic.
The brothers - Bhaciar & Raicahb - are sure they must also be dead. They are talking to an ancient wizard who is using an ancient dialect of common. But before the Half-Orcs could finish theorizing Klearic Faymal opened the door, having realized it was this reality's version of Gandalf's College of Wizardry and Potions.

Attempt One

The six adventurers entered Salsvault together. Together the Half-Orc twins rampage their way through many monsters. Vencyne recieves an ominous warning about "The Alchemist" from the ghosts of some ancient wizards when the party takes out some zombies. They continue despite the warning and quickly locate the cure for the Frigid Woe. However, upon further investigation Klearic determines that the cure is an illusion. The Alchemist then speaks to them.

"Did you really think it would be so easy to steal from my private labratory, Klearic Faymal?" - The Alchemist

Klearic pursued answers from The Alchemist. They discussed Klearic and how he died thousands of years ago. They discussed the Frigid Woe and how it was antiquated now that he had made the Rotspores. The Alchemist offered them the cure, if they would leave him to finish but Bhaciar rushed the door.
Vencyne looked on in horror. The chamber Bhaciar had entered was full of Rotspores. Bhaciar ignored this, chugging a fire-breath potion and burning all of the spores. The warmed up spores filled the breathable air. Bhaciar choked to death first, with everyone else dying shortly after unable to escape the lab.

Attempt Two

Bhaciar and Raicahb were suddently standing outside of the vault with Charlene. Vencyne, Klearic, and Jimmy were behind them again. The six adventurers were trapped in a time loop.
Klearic knocked on the door and demanded to talk to The Alchemist. The Alchemist was slightly annoyed but perplexed by the presence of Klearic Faymal. The group demanded the cure for Charlene. The Alchemist refused. The group entered the lab. The Alchemist was angry, he had told them to leave and they wouldn't, so now they would meet those who had tried to raid his labratory before.
The lights went out and two Boneclaws, horrifying undead monsters, nearly ripped through the two groups. In the end, they demolished their bodies and Klearic demanded to know The Alchemist's true name.

Attempt Three

The six adventurers were outside the vault again. They hadn't gotten an answer but an angry red storm sat behind them in the sky. They were face to face with the Gravebound. Tendrils emerged from the storm. The Gravebound demanded to know how and why the party was messing around in his past.
They gave him no answer but challenged him instead. The storm struck everyone with a bolt of dark red lightning. One of the tenctacles also struck Bhaciar and did something unexplainable to his mind briefly. Then they ran inside to demand the antidote from The Alchemist again.
The Alchemist and Klearic had an extended chat as the others searched around. The Alchemist didn't understand why Klearic, of all people, would be against his mission. The Alchemist was Klearic - this universe's Klearic - his whole party had died, his whole family died, his brother died. He became powerful enough to resurrect them but then he realized something. Someone was always suffering like he had. The Gods had made people for their own worship. Nobody ever chose to suffer this way. So The Alchemist had decided that however long it took he would kill the gods and revert all realities back to their original state. Then he would finally die when everyone else got the death that was owed to them.
Klearic Faymal, the Alchemist, had been studying the Frigid Woe inside of the college for thousands of years to perfect a new, unstoppable, disease. Today was the day he would finish the Rotplauge. The Frigid Woe was no longer necessary. He gave them the antidotes, because it was too late for it to matter. Vencyne screamed "Fuck you," and tired to leave but the doors locked around her. She was all alone with The Alchemist. He laughed. The Alchemist threatened Vencyne and toyed with her before disabling her.

"That's it. Someone must be looking out for you. If three of you come from other realities then I must be such a threat that you're having to team up just for a chance to stop me. I wonder if my Rotplauge destroyed your world. I bet your family suffered." - The Alchemist to Vencyne Amakiir

She was on the ground. The Gravebound loomed outside. His younger incarnation crafted the perfect posion inside. The party was doomed. There was no hope. Charlene killed herself.

Less notable failed attempts

The two joined parties appeared outside again. Charlene explained that she had a vision that Vencyne, Klearic, and Jimmy would save them from dying in the snow. She thought that their arrival would be the end of the time-loop but the constant failures and deaths was making her question if the other party could actually stop the destuction of the multiverse.

• One attempt resulted in the entire group being invited inside, they became test subjects for the Rotplauge
• In another Bhaciar went in alone. Then everyone was reset.

The Final Attempt

After being reset another time, Vencyne Amakiir approached the vault door and called The Alchemist by his true name. He didn't know her but again recognized Klearic. Vencyne convinced him that the other Klearic somehow had contracted the disease and asked to be let inside so Klearic could be cured in time to see the destuction The Alchemist had arranged. He opened the door willingly, with Kleric narrowly squeezing inside.

"Klearic Faymal, we need a cure for the Frigid Woe, because one of us is dying and we want to survive long enough to see your plan of multiversal destruction completed." - Vencyne Amakiir

Inside, Vencyne and Klearic convinved The Alchemist to give them 5 vials of Frigid Woe antidote and he did. Klearic satisfied, and not wanting to die again left the vault.
Vencyne stayed behind to have tea with The Alchemist. She flirted and convinced him that she wanted to she his vision completed. He explained that it could take a very long time to see every reality destroyed, and that she would not survive forever. To get around the limitations of her mortality, the Lich Alchemist made Vencyne a disturbing offer:

"When I complete the spores, you could join me and become my cataclysmic concubine. I could make you like me and we could stand side-by-side, arm-in-arm, and watch all of reality be returned to its original state. The beauty and the majesty that we would witness together - it will be glorious." - The Alchemist, Klearic Faymal One

Vencyne agreed, but asked for more time, saying that she would stay in contact. He agreed to wait, since he is undying, and produced an amulet that he placed around Vencyne's neck. The Amulet of Greatest Speaking, allows Vencyne to communicate with the The Alchemist across all of reality.

Epilouge

Vencyne rejoined the others outside where they discussed how to leave. Charlene said they must have a way back since they were from the vision. The Pieces of Eight did not. Klearic didn't have the book from the other version of the school, and he didn't have the time to study the spell either.
Bhaciar and Raicahb mentioned returning to Palebank. Charlene explained that Palebank was gone. The Frigid Woe didn't take it out, but the Rotplauge would soon. They could attempt to travel back but eventually time would reset and they would be back at Salsvault before they could ever reach Palebank.
They were stranded with no way back.

Rewards Granted

• Vial of Frigid Woe Cure x5
• Amulet of Greatest Speaking

Missions/Quests Completed

• Find the Frigid Woe Antidote
• Cure Charlene

Character(s) interacted with

• Charlene
• Jimmy Tarkelby
• Ancient Wizard's Ghost
• The Alchemist
• The Gravebound

Report Date

03 Jun 2022