Session 6: Tu'narath

The Summary:

The party left Tempestora, learning more about the city, and its elders, and even acquiring gifts from each of the elders including a cannon from the Elder Lovrik for helping them to restore their portal gates and protect Tempestora. After receiving a dream or vision from a mysterious figure, the party decides to seek out the warden, Vorkaath the Arbiter, who they know is the home of the Githyanki City of Tu'nurath. The party remembers from their earliest traveling days that the best way to get into the city without being suspected is through the dark market at the bottom of Tu'narath where many travelers venture to sell their goods. Before getting to Tu'narath the party has a run-in with a large ship that holds a prominent general and many other Giffs holding large weapons shouting out "You have entered the territory of the Giff Confederation, State or purpose or prepare for boarding..."

The Session:

The Giff Confederation- The Giff Confederation is a mighty alliance of anthropomorphic hippopotamus-like creatures known as Giffs. With their imposing size, muscular build, and unique blend of technological expertise and martial prowess, the Giffs are a force to be reckoned with. The Giff Confederation stands as a testament to their unity, strength, and commitment to preserving their way of life.
Ignatius the Commander- Egnatius is a towering and formidable Giff, known throughout the Giff Confederation as a seasoned warrior and a capable leader. Standing at an impressive height of eight feet, his muscular physique is a testament to his years of combat experience and disciplined training. He carries himself with an air of authority, exuding confidence and command.
Dressed in a tailored military uniform adorned with gleaming medals and insignias, Ignatius cuts an imposing figure. His dark skin is covered in faint scars, telling the tales of countless battles fought and won. His face bears a stern expression, framed by a neatly trimmed beard and a shaved head. Piercing blue eyes, sharp and observant, seem to miss no detail.
Possible Combat-  If the ships were to engage in combat then the Giff would not stop until they either took over the other ship or were taken over by the party on their ship. At the end of combat if the party were to get away they would eventually see wanted posters for themselves hung up in place around the Confederation territory. 

Getting to Tu'narath:

The capital city is violent and dangerous, and it often does not welcome guests so the party would have to try and find a way to sneak in to the city to try and speak with the god. Obviously, the best place to connect with the god if there is no temple is through the mind or the heart so they would have to make their way to either place. The party could enter through on of the legs and encounter the Shadow Market: In the heart of Tu'narath, the party stumbles upon a hidden underground market, shrouded in darkness and secrecy. The market is filled with dangerous individuals, smugglers, and dark entities. They must navigate through a maze of dimly lit alleyways, encountering shady figures and avoiding deadly traps, all while trying to accomplish their objective without drawing too much attention.
This is where the party would meet different faces of Githyanki, shifter merchants, auotgnomes, warforges, and Thri-kreen pirates. If they were to try and ask around to get information they would find more information about the Cursed Catacombs that lay underneath the city that haven't been touched in ages. The catacombs become overfilled and Vlaakith saw no use in keeping more bodies than needed. If they were to travel through the Catacombs then they could search for either a temple or a passageway into the mind of the god. Many people here believe the god to be dead entirely because of Vlaakith taking power from it.

The Cursed Catacombs

: In the outskirts of Tu'narath lies a network of ancient catacombs filled with restless undead. As the party explores the dark tunnels, they must face off against hordes of skeletal warriors, spectral guardians, and necromantic traps. The catacombs are maze-like and haunted, with shifting corridors and illusions that challenge their senses and wits.
In order to get into the catacombs the door is sealed by a riddle written in primordial that must be answered:  In shadows I dwell, silent and deep, I come to all, my presence they keep. Life's constant companion, forever unspoken, Embraced by some, feared and often awoken.
Though feared and misunderstood, I have my place, A natural part of the mortal embrace. So tell me, my friend, what am I, in truth? A riddle of existence, the inevitable truth.
Answer: Death
What they can find in the catacombs: The players could find some healing potions in one of the open chests, about 20 gp depending on what rooms they go into, and some of the minor stuff like a map of the city and of the dead god's body.
after fighting the deathlock the players would find in the room that she was in, there seemed to be a tunnel that we were guarding, at the top of the tunnel they would find inscribed into it Through the head of the divine, a passage untread, The threshold awaits, where the living meets the dead. this is where they would be able to slick through and find their way to the head of the god.

The Mind of the Warden: 

After going through the passageway the players would find themselves in the caves of Tu'narath where it seems to be old channels to get through the catacombs that have been abandoned for a very long time. In some areas the caves would kind of split apart but eventually come back together until they reach a large expansive opening where they would see:
As you step into the head of the dying god, a profound emptiness surrounds you. The once intricate and pulsating interior is now a vast, hollow void, devoid of any flesh or organ. The walls stretch endlessly in all directions, their surfaces smooth and featureless, seemingly made of obsidian-like darkness. Within the heart of this desolate expanse, suspended in the air, hovers a small, dimly glowing orb. Its eerie light casts faint shadows, dancing across the emptiness, lending an unsettling atmosphere to the space. The orb emits a pale, spectral glow, reminiscent of moonlight filtered through thick fog.

The orb pulses with a subdued energy, drawing your gaze towards its enigmatic presence. Within its ethereal radiance, you catch fleeting glimpses of a figure—shadowy and indistinct, yet commanding a sense of power and ancient wisdom. It is the Warden, the guardian of secrets, draped in tattered robes that billow with ethereal winds.

The Warden's visage is obscured, a haze of darkness and flickering light, making it difficult to discern any distinct features. Yet, an aura of mystery and foreboding surrounds this spectral entity. The depths of its eyes hold ancient knowledge and a solemn determination, seemingly peering into the very essence of your being.

As you approach the orb, the air grows colder, and a chill runs down your spine. Whispers of forgotten tales echo through the void, carried on ethereal winds. It is as if the Warden's presence invites you to embrace the unknown, to delve deeper into the mysteries that lie within the dying god's consciousness.

With each step closer to the orb, a sense of trepidation mixes with a growing curiosity. You can't help but feel the weight of the Warden's gaze upon you, a silent beckoning to seek answers, to unravel the enigmatic threads of existence itself.

In the vast emptiness of the god's head, the small, dimly glowing orb holds the key to understanding and confronting the profound and unsettling truths that await. It is a focal point of mystery and intrigue, a nexus where mortal curiosity intersects with the shadowy realm of the Warden God.

Vorthak the Arbiter- 

Vorthak the Arbiter stands as a towering figure, his imposing presence radiating an aura of authority and unwavering determination. Clad in resplendent armor crafted from obsidian-black metal adorned with intricate golden engravings, he cuts an imposing figure against the backdrop of his domain. His eyes, piercing and sharp, possess an uncanny intensity that seems to penetrate the very souls of those who meet his gaze. The deep, resonant voice that rumbles from his lips carries a commanding timbre, as if every word uttered holds the weight of judgement and consequence. Vorthak's features are chiseled and stern, his expression perpetually marked by an air of solemnity. Strands of silvery-white hair cascade down to his broad shoulders, hinting at the wisdom and experience amassed over countless ages. He is sickly.
"Welcome, seekers of truth and seekers of answers. You have journeyed far, guided by the whispers of fate, to stand before the Arbiter. Know that in this realm, justice prevails, and all actions are weighed upon the scales of righteousness. In the presence of the Warden, you shall be tested, not only in deeds but also in the strength of your convictions. Speak your purpose, and let your words bear the weight of honesty, for falsehoods have no place in this realm of judgement."
Vorthaks Test of Judgement- Vorthak asks each player to step up to the scales and he asks them "Speak your purpose, and let your words bear the weight of honesty, for falsehoods have no place in this realm of judgment.
What do you seek to protect? - Dirt
What do you seek to gain? - Valleena
What do you seek to overcome? - Nahia
After they are deemed worthy he will tell the story of the devourer and the great battle: 
Long ago, when the planes were still young and malleable, there existed two titans of immense power. The Voidfather, the embodiment of darkness and emptiness, and the Devourer, the embodiment of chaos and hunger. They were brothers, born from the primordial energies of creation itself. The Devourer, driven by an insatiable appetite, sought to consume all that existed, to devour everything into eternal oblivion. The Voidfather, on the other hand, understood the delicate balance of creation and sought to maintain order and harmony.

Their conflict erupted in a cataclysmic battle that spanned across the cosmos. Worlds trembled, celestial bodies shattered, and dimensions collapsed under the sheer might of their clash. The Devourer's hunger was boundless, and the Voidfather's power was unwavering.

Yet, even in the face of such overwhelming power, the Voidfather, with the aid of celestial allies, managed to imprison the Devourer within a plane of eternal darkness and silence. A prison crafted from the remnants of shattered realities, a realm known as the Abyssal Cage.

As the third warden of this prison, my duty is to ensure the Devourer remains confined, for should he ever break free, the very fabric of existence would unravel. I am but a vessel of divine power, bestowed with the mantle of the Arbiter, sworn to protect the multiverse from the Devourer's insidious hunger.

Before me, there were two wardens who stood as the guardians of this prison. The first, Selene a celestial being of radiant light, who sacrificed themselves to seal the prison's boundaries. The second, Varenthiel a formidable elemental entity, who wielded the forces of nature to maintain the seals and prevent any escape. Now, as the Arbiter, it falls upon me to maintain the delicate balance between light and darkness, chaos and order. I stand as a beacon of justice, ever vigilant against the encroaching shadows. My duty is to ensure that the Devourer remains imprisoned and that the forces of chaos are held at bay. But I grow weak and have yet to find a worthy warden to take my place. 
The prison grows weaker as I grow weaker allowing for the Devourer to corrupt more and more, but he will never be able to truly escape without the key. The Nexus Key is what holds the gates closed, but the key could never be destroyed, so the first warden Selene hid the key within the astral plane as a child and she created a Guardian to watch over her. They have stayed hidden for a millennium now, but I fear she has been found. 
The Nexus Key-  the key has been hidden as a small child who never ages and is perfectly hidden among those now in the astral plane on the now planet of Mechanoth where The Guardian  can protect over here. The party will be given a small magical arrow that will point in the direction of the key. They would then have to travel to the metal planet in search of the key and its guardian before the cultists find it. 
The Gates are hidden Within the Silver Expanse and On the dawning of each new year, as the celestial spheres realign and the charting stars reset their positions, a phenomenon known as the "Stellar Convergence" occurs. During this cosmic event, the boundaries between the material plane and the Abyssal Cage momentarily weaken, allowing the faint glimmer of the gates to become more visible to mortal eyes.
As the charting stars align in a specific pattern, their radiant energies resonate with the ancient enchantments that bind the Abyssal Cage. This resonance creates a temporary rift in the fabric of reality, casting a surreal glow upon the gates and making them discernible to those with a keen eye. The ethereal illumination dances across the gates, revealing intricate sigils and ominous symbols that pulsate with raw abyssal power.