After a brief stand-off with the man (hero/quasi-deity, actually) known as Murlynd, calmer heads prevailed and the sword was returned to its case. But it wasn't until Sarril's familiar, Krek, showed up that Murlynd trusted the party enough to put away his guns.
Krek is an Orrek, which is a special supernatural familiar from the Plane of Concordant Opposition (Dragon Magazine #86) and one of the purposes of such a familiar to guide the soul of its master to the afterlife. The party had learned earlier that the outer planes were cut-off from the prime material plane, except through the use of powerful portals, like the black bubble Lolth had created over Istivin, or the one in her temple that brought the party to the Abyss. This meant that while Sarril was dead, his soul was stuck in the ethereal plane, unable to get home. Krek understood that the mirror in Murlynd's living room was one of Boccob's Mirrors (a Mirror of Mental Prowess), which happened to have once belonged to Zagyg (once a Magic User and Priest of Boccob). Krek intended to use the mirror to get Sarril's soul to Boccob's Great Library, but it looks like today was not the day for that.
Varys, still with True Seeing enabled, could see the invisible Krek leading the ethereal soul of Sarril toward the mirror. Murlynd, just by his nature as quasi-deity, was able to see the invisible Krek, and instantly seemed to recognize him. "Hello Krek, what are you doing here?" he asked.
Krek turned visible for all to see - a 3 ft. tall humanoid covered in green fur. "Hello Murlynd, it has been a long time. I am going to use this mirror to take my master's soul home."
"Who is your master?" Murlynd asked.
Krek pointed to Sarril's dead body, which was currently being carried by Pontus. This seemed to turn Murlynd immediately friendly toward the party. Whatever his past relationship with Krek, it was clear that a friend of Krek's is a friend of Murlynd's. With everyone calm and the sword returned, Murlynd invited the party to sit and meet in his parlor and discuss what was going on.
Murlynd was an excellent host and provided the party with food and beverage while they talked. Many questions were asked and answered on both sides. Some of the key information the party learned from Murlynd was:
- This demi-plane was created by Zagyg and, as he descended into madness, this plane reflected that. Hence visitors to this place will also slowly succumb to madness. Many of the residents were once servants and guards of Zagyg, while others were adventurers who stumbled upon the place.
- Murlynd's house offered protection from the madness, and the loss of Wisdom points would be restored over time once outside of the influence of maddening effects.
- Due to being cut-off from the outer planes, those who die here have their souls trapped. Sarril could use Boccob's mirror to join the afterlife, or attempt to have his soul placed back in his body through a Raise Dead spell, but if did neither of those things, he would risk becoming like the Witch-Ghost the party encountered in the attic. That being was once a servant of Murlynd's who ventured outside too often and then took her own life after succumbing to the madness.
- He explained that the sword the party was trying to take is called Gorgorin the Shatterer, and once belonged the death knight known as Saint Kargoth the Betrayer. Saint Kargoth has agents (mysterious members of an organization called the Sunsebb Sodality) scouring the planes in search of this sword and wants nothing more than to have it returned to him. The Company of the Seven (as Murlynd's adventuring party was once called) went on a quest to retrieve the sword after the Temple of St. Cuthbert in which it had been held fell to ruin. Murlynd's companion, Heward, constructed the grandfather clock with permanent non-detection magic to shield sword from scrying and other detections. Zagyg constructed this demi-plane to hold the clock, and Murlynd was assigned to be its protector.
- He also explained that one hour in the Abyss translates to one day on the Prime Material plane, and since the party had spent more than four days in the Abyss already, almost a year had passed on Oerth. It was now the 25th Day of Readying, CY 581.
That last bit of shocking news prompted the party to ask about current events on Oerth. Murlynd described a pretty bad scene, including:
- About the 8th Day of Ready'reat, CY 580, disaster struck in Chendl. Out of the depths of the city, an ancient and powerful evil was awakened. An entity now believed to be Ferrante, the first Paladin of Heironeous, who was struck down by the god himself after he became corrupted. Though Saint Kargoth is the first known death knight, he was built in the image of Ferrante, who was a proto-death knight of sorts.
- Ferrante's reign of destruction was swift and devastating. The Knights of the Hart fought back against Ferrante's forces of undead and eventually gained the upper hand, however, King Belvor himself, having just lost his son and feeling he had nothing left to lose, led the final charge. Ferrante was destroyed, but King Belvor was slain in the process.
- Furyondy is now in turmoil. The next in line for succession is Duke Tynneman, who is currently ruling as regent and struggling to keep a fractured Furyondy whole.
- The Red Death continues to spread, with the only apparent cure being offered by a Cult of Pholtus, which has grown quite large in the wake of all of the destruction.
- But most concerning is that after Castle Hart was virtually abandoned to fight Ferrante, and the forces of the Horned Society were weakened from massive counter-attacks from the Shield Lands, Iuz found an opportunity to grow his influence. His forces, virtually unchecked, invaded Molag and took over overnight. Within a few days, Iuz grew his small kingdom into an Empire. All of the remaining scattered forces of evil in the region came flocking to his banner. Without Furyondy to keep him in check, he spread his forces south beyond Whystil Lake and west into the Vesve Forest. Thanks only to a mysterious wizard named Philidor, he has been kept in check in the Vesve Forest.
- As for down south, Lolth's bubble expanded to cover all of Sterich, and her demonic forces have been breaking through the bubble with regularity. Without divine magic, the demons are nearly impossible to stop. King Scotti of Keoland is throwing all of his forces at trying to contain the threat, but it is a losing battle
- Murlynd stated he and others, like members of the Circle of Eight, were currently focused on the trying to stop the mists that were cutting off the outer planes, and not able to do as much to help with the bubble. Even more importantly, King Scotti, as with most of the rulers of Keoland, have had strict laws regulating magic use outside of the royal court and the mysterious organization known as the Silent Ones, so helping directly is difficult.
The party explained about how they made a deal with a quasit to exchange the sword for passage into Lolth's ship. The only other way into the ship would require fighting their way through demon hordes - an impossible task for anyone. Murlynd gave this much consideration, then told the party they may rest overnight and he will return tomorrow.
And so they rested. The next morning, Varys took the opportunity to pray for a Raise Dead spell, which she successfully used on Sarril. When Murlynd returned, he informed the party that, after consulting with his peers, they have concluded that destroying Lolth is the more important than protecting the sword at this time, and stated he is willing to let them have it in order to fulfill their quest. He also confirmed that the holy avenger sword carried by Sir Fenius would be the key to destroying Lolth, though he warned that the sword may be destroyed in the process. He also told them that because they are cut off from the outer planes, the Mirror of Boccob would be the only way back to the Abyss, and gave Sarril the command phrase before leaving again.
Sarril placed the entire grandfather clock in the portable hole, but the party decided to stay one more day to fully heal and rest up. During this time, Varys communed with Kord and received more valuable information about their quest. Feeling fully ready to face what was coming, the party stepped through the mirror and back to the cliff where they had left the quasit.
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Sarril pulled out the sword to show the quasit that they had it. There was some, not unexpected, back and forth between the party and the quasit about who could trust who, but that was cut short as the powerful aura of the sword attracted the attention of several demons, who began heading toward the parties location. Sarril handed over the sword, which the quasit made disappear quickly, before teleporting the party to a platform just outside the front doors of the ship. True to his word, the quasit handed over the keycard, then disappeared.
And so they rested. The next morning, Varys took the opportunity to pray for a Raise Dead spell, which she successfully used on Sarril. When Murlynd returned, he informed the party that, after consulting with his peers, they have concluded that destroying Lolth is the more important than protecting the sword at this time, and stated he is willing to let them have it in order to fulfill their quest. He also confirmed that the holy avenger sword carried by Sir Fenius would be the key to destroying Lolth, though he warned that the sword may be destroyed in the process. He also told them that because they are cut off from the outer planes, the Mirror of Boccob would be the only way back to the Abyss, and gave Sarril the command phrase before leaving again.
Sarril placed the entire grandfather clock in the portable hole, but the party decided to stay one more day to fully heal and rest up. During this time, Varys communed with Kord and received more valuable information about their quest. Feeling fully ready to face what was coming, the party stepped through the mirror and back to the cliff where they had left the quasit.
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Sarril pulled out the sword to show the quasit that they had it. There was some, not unexpected, back and forth between the party and the quasit about who could trust who, but that was cut short as the powerful aura of the sword attracted the attention of several demons, who began heading toward the parties location. Sarril handed over the sword, which the quasit made disappear quickly, before teleporting the party to a platform just outside the front doors of the ship. True to his word, the quasit handed over the keycard, then disappeared.
The doors were not like anything the party had seen before. Made of some strange metal, smooth, with no discernable handles or hinges. There was a slot next the door where Sarril was instructed to insert the card he was given. He did so, and this triggered the door to slide open rapidly, revealing a staircase leading up to a waiting room with a desk.
The party discussed this strange development, trying to decide if the demon was sounding an alarm, or truly going to let them in if they wait. Ava was convinced she would be back soon with backup, and used her Ring of Invisibility and Inaudibility to hide. The rest of the party decided to wait and see what happens.
The Matron soon returned with the ledger and placed on the desk, just as Ava succeeded with a backstab against it. Ava did quite a bit of damage - more than 50% of the demon's hit points were removed in just one attack, which was quite impressive. The Matron, in response, activated an innate See Invisibility ability, spun around, drew her six scimitars and eviscerated Ava with much prejudice. While not completely dead, Ava was now below zero hit points and bleeding out on the floor. It was now the turn of the rest of the party, who all spoke up at once "She's not with us!" (well, okay, not the paladin, who really, really, really wanted to kill this demon, but managed to hold it together knowing that he needed to save his strength for the real fight that was coming). They all signed the ledger.
The Matron, seeing no more threats in the room, and seeing that the party was signing the ledger, managed to calm herself down. In the meantime, Pontus checked on Ava's wrecked body and began applying first aid to stop the bleeding. Varys put a minor healing spell to top it off. Not enough to make Ava fully functional again, but enough to ensure she stays breathing. Pontus then picked up Ava and the Matron led everyone through the spider ship on their way to see Lolth.
They passed through several rooms containing hill giants and frost giants, who left them alone while they were escorted by the Matron. They came through a set of doors and into a massive room that looked like it took up the bulk of the abdomen of the spider ship. Within this chamber there was an approximately 150 x150 foot opening, several stories deep. On the other side of this chasm stood Lolth, in her hybrid spider form. Around her were some grizzly sights, including that of a naked drow female, tied to the wall, as sword spiders cut and completely peeled her skin from her body as she screamed in pain. But once flayed, her skin magically healed and reformed, and the spiders started again. This was a preview of the type of eternal torture the party would likely endure at Lolth's hands if they should fail.
"Welcome to our home, little ones," Lolth spoke to them. "You have done very well, so far - but only against our puny minions. Nevertheless, you force us to dispose of you personally."
It is now the 25th Day of Readying, CY 581 in game. In real-life, we will conduct this battle on Sunday, August 29th.
They passed through several rooms containing hill giants and frost giants, who left them alone while they were escorted by the Matron. They came through a set of doors and into a massive room that looked like it took up the bulk of the abdomen of the spider ship. Within this chamber there was an approximately 150 x150 foot opening, several stories deep. On the other side of this chasm stood Lolth, in her hybrid spider form. Around her were some grizzly sights, including that of a naked drow female, tied to the wall, as sword spiders cut and completely peeled her skin from her body as she screamed in pain. But once flayed, her skin magically healed and reformed, and the spiders started again. This was a preview of the type of eternal torture the party would likely endure at Lolth's hands if they should fail.
"Welcome to our home, little ones," Lolth spoke to them. "You have done very well, so far - but only against our puny minions. Nevertheless, you force us to dispose of you personally."
It is now the 25th Day of Readying, CY 581 in game. In real-life, we will conduct this battle on Sunday, August 29th.
