Session 19: The Exit
General Summary
The AI comes to make an announcement, and explains how area 3 works. It is a series of rooms, all labelled by different letters.
F = Fight, each fight is tailored to each party, there will be multiple M = Miscellaneous rooms, random threat C = Challenge, fights on steroids and you'll get boons/healing, plus some features. R = A room for rest, sometimes labelled with an S for Safe.
One can only spend 5 minutes within a single room, and it is possible to run into others attempting the challenges, whether they be friend or foe.
The group enters their first room, and see a human male, just... Relaxing. He seems to carry a large duffel bag, along with an oversized longsword, sheathed. Around his neck is something resembling a pyramid with three eyes. He is drinking a hot liquid from a steel mug. Baffled by this man seemingly single-handily making it through area 1 and 2, the group asks where his party members are. The man, named Yash'ailaran (Yash for short), explains he thought it would've been a quick and easy thing, but highly underestimated these trials.
Seraphina then hears the sheathed sword talking to her, asking her to draw it. Hushing it, Yash warns her and the rest never to touch Leecher, and to get used to its constant asking. He then invites the others to join him into drinking his tea. Usze is reluctant but Raine persists he drinks too. After babbling a little, the group proceeds to their very first room, marked with an F. Within the room are a handful of black robots, resembling the bartender in structure, however these are obviously for combat.
After a small battle, the group stands victorious. The next room they enter is a safe room, and in there they meet the Green Eye and Akhenaten. They seem to have passed through area 2 as well, and have just finished a Challenge room, being rewarded with a potion of fire breath. Noticing the missing person, the eye is informed of Ruuch's death. Their meeting is short, and the group quickly moves to a Challenge room themselves.
After a tough fight against eight robots utilising shields, the group stands victorious once again. As a reward they get to take a rest in the room, giving them back some of their used up powers. In addition, Yash gets a special temporary item. While resting, three familiar faces enter the room. The floating brain, the crooked man and the inspector. The brain introduces the inspector as its boss. Raine asks her goddess Eldath if she knows who the inspector is. She is aware, but has only heard scary stories of him.
After the brain has shaken both Lysander's and Yash's hands, they continue on leaving our heroes alone in the room, and the group talks a bit more. It seems Yash knows of the inspector, and isn't even from the planet Ekellos, which is the planet where the rest is from. Thanks to Leecher, his sword, Yash has been able to live for far longer than is expected. He was in servitude to "The Guardian", which is a long story in and of itself.
The group goes on towards another safe room. Entering, they find a pit fiend along with a few other allies to it. Not wanting to start anything, the group acts friendly towards them. The pit fiend laughs and remarks; "Ruuch sends his regards...". Behind the assembly of monsters is a door to a room marked with an E. After the fiend and its allies have moved on towards another fight room, the group discuss, concluding that the E must stand for exit. Lysander asks the AI about it, and although it can't say much, it does mention certain conditions must be met before they can enter the E room.
The group decided to follow the pit fiend's group and enter the fight room. Within, they not only find the fiend and its allies, but also another group of travellers consisting of a warforged, a knight, a masked katana wielder and a paladin. Our heroes join in on the fray against the overwhelming robots, and despite a few casualties, manage to make it through in one piece. The pit fiend takes a liking to Seraphina, even suggesting they kill all the rest and take the shard for themselves. Seraphina disagrees however, claiming the others to be "useful and friends". The masked man recognises Leecher, and in addition Yash.
"I though all Ethurstians were dead."
"So did I."
"I'm sure you remember Telarus?"
Their conversation goes on and they learn the masked man was an old "colleague" of Yash, Morra'Callovin and is now the god of death to those from the heroes' realm. Yash also has a deep hatred for Telarus. He explains he himself and the masked man are Ethrestians, and that on the day they die they could make an attempt to keep their "essence" living. The flesh rots, but the soul survives. Not all are successful however, and on failure one would roam the realms forever.
The masked man and his crew move on, and Lysander and Usze ask Yash a bit more. Usze asks if Telarus has anything to do with The Qulvo. Not completely aware of what the sludge is, using its official name of Qulvo along with a veil of the stuff Raine carries with her, unlocks a memory of him hearing it long ago in a meeting, seeing the Guardian flinch upon hearing the word.
Usze asks Yash about the strange anomaly he saw long ago when he first left Presco for real (see notes for campaign nr. 5). Yash says he hasn't a clue to what it was, but does explain something about his own deity, Atrox, signalling to the they eyed pyramid around his neck. He is seemingly no longer with them however. Rain heals Lysander somewhat, and the group sees their next room is one marked with an M. Lysander then concludes the conditions needed for the E room, are to have gone through every type of room at least once. With that, one by one, the group enters the M room.
Raine enters her father's ship, and there are her dad along with Ruuch, having a nice chat. She herself has reverted to a child, and her dad comes over to pick her up. He then signals her to go eat lunch in the cabin signed with a C. She obeys and starts walking towards it.
Yash is face to face with Atrox, who lowers a hand to him. Yash notices he merely has two eyes instead of three, and does not return the gesture, sensing something amiss. Atrox looks disappointed. Yash looks over and sees a room noted with an F, along with one with a C, to which Atrox gestures. Yash is able to snap out.
Usze sees Lydia Rhapsody, Adalai and Tempest'Lucia, beckoning him to join them. Lucia takes his hand and they are headed towards Heston, however despite his euphoria he sees the sign of the town reading Ceston instead. This snaps him back to reality, and sees Adalai and Lucia dead before him, and Lydia missing. Usze is able to snap out.
Lysander enters and sees his father, asking for a hug. Lysander accepts, but is very quickly pulled out of the illusion by his real father and the AI. The dad mentions he expected better of him, showing his disappointment in his son. Lysander crumbles to the floor, and rocks back and forth in distress.
After helping Raine back to her senses, Yash and her go over to Lysander to comfort him, telling him he does not need to devote his entire life simply on impressing his father. With a few sweet words, they are able to get Lysander back on his feet.
Entering the next room they once again see the Green Eye and Akhenaten. They tell them about the Exit room and how in order to unlock it, they need to have been through every type of room once. The duo mention they have already done so, and are planning to do one more challenge room for another boon before they go on. With that they part ways again and our heroes move towards the exit room.
The doors open for them, and they enter. Inside they see what seemed to be Zelthin disappearing right away into a very bright portal door. The AI tells them they are ready to face the final battle of the area. The group enters, but as they do, Lysander feels something strange...
A glitch...?
Report Date
08 Jan 2022
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