Characters are now 8th level, 2nd mythic tier.
The next morning, the Knights met to divide up the treasures they had found in the chimera's den. Asami was given the magical blank spellbook that could hold a thousand spells, as well as the quiver which she could use to store wands, rods, and staves. She also asked if her friends would let her take the gems, as her training allowed her to use gems in place of other materials when casting spells. Her unusual training seemed to be causing Eldrazi some confusion, which was the only satisfaction she could find as she continued to seek a way to be rid of him.
The other Knights all approached Quartermaster Gwerm to see if any new useful items had been found. They also gave some of the books from the magic bag to Aravashnial to be copied in an effort to restore some of the materials that had been destroyed in the damage to the Riftwarden library in Kenabres. Runa acquired a healing wand, and Shim found a an elven curved blade made of cold iron.
The scouts reported that there was no sign of sentries on the towers of the Citadel, and they had seen no indication that anything had come from the summoning circle above the chimera's lair. Before the Knights set off for the Citadel again, Runa performed a memorial service for those who had fallen in battle, which lifted the hearts of all those who heard her prayers.
Aegon and Darra went to interrogate some prisoners rather than join the rest of the group in entering the Citadel. Jiro suggested that perhaps the party should prepare mantlets to protect them when they approached the main gate, in case there were any archers hiding up above. Shim agreed with this idea, and the two of them found carts that could be armored with planks of wood to give the assault party cover from overhead attacks. When the mantlets were ready, the party split into two groups and pushed them up to the gates. Shim then cautiously stepped out from behind the cover of the mantlet to examine the gates. He found that they were jammed shut. Closer examination of the area revealed that all of the tracks in front of the gates showed no sign of actually have emerged through those gates. It appeared that some creature had created a portal to bring the defenders out into the courtyard rather than the defense force having walked through the gates.
Fortunately the party had thought to bring battering rams. With Shim's surprising strength behind one ram, one side of the gate burst open. Beyond the open gate they saw an antechamber perhaps twenty feet wide and thirty feet long, divided by an iron portcullis that had been locked in place about five feet above the ground. The portcullis couldn't be moved from the side the Knights stood on. But there were several heavy doors leading out of the antechamber. Shim opened one of these, and the group was immediately met by blasts of fire from two brimorak demons, one on the side where Shim had opened the door, and the other appearing through one of the other doorways on he opposite side of the chamber.
Zosta immediately pounded one of the brimoraks with her fists, while Runa moved to attack the second goat-like demon. Asami blasted a demon with a ball of snow and ice. Jiro dropped the battering ram he had been holding and extended his aura of purity to block the brimoraks' breath. As he did so, he realized that there was an unusual sensation about the area the Knights stood in. It reminded him of the oppressive feeling in the desecrated chapel, and he warned his companions to be wary of it.
The brimorak that Zosta had attacked teleported away. The second brimorak spat burning blood at Runa, Jiro, and Zosta. Shim fired his crossbow at it. Zosta jumped over Runa's back to knock the brimorak down and stomp on it, and Runa ran it through with her sword.
Shim gave the portcullis a brief try, and then the group turned back to the doorway to their left. They found a set of steps ascending to a platform holding an intact ballista that showed no sign of having recently been tended. Another side room contained a second ballista but no defenders or other equipment.
Shim and Jiro worked together to unlock a set of double doors and force them open. These doors led into a long hallway dotted by piles of rubble and lined by six crouching statues of horned demons standing on low plinths. The statues were clearly not original to the dwarven-built Citadel, so the Knights decided to topple them after Jiro confirmed that he didn't detect anything magical in the hall, though he did feel that it had the same aura of desecration as the antechamber. Runa took out a length of rope to use to pull down the statues, while Zosta prepared to leap onto the head of one and smash it with her fists.
Stone shattered as the six figures transformed into six gargoyles that turned on the Crusader Knights. Asami reacted first, hurling her wooden spear at the gargoyle threatening Jiro. One gargoyle clawed and snapped at Zosta but its teeth and claws failed to connect with her flesh. Jiro took a step back and called on an ancestor spirit to come to his aid, summoning a young woman bearing a tetsubo. At the same time he handed his morningstar to Shim. Zosta sheathed her fists in acid as she punched her opponent. Asami called for a small elemental of air to appear and attack the gargoyles, which were all hovering on their bat-like wings. A nine-ring broadsword of force appeared in Jiro's hand. Zosta's first opponent was smashed to rubble and she charged across to drop Runa's foe. A third gargoyle fell to her onslaught. Asami struck another with her spear while the air elemental slammed into it. Only one gargoyle now remained. The entire party attacked it as one and it joined the others in becoming a heap of stony rubble on the floor.
Runa had taken some hurt from the gargoyles and Jiro attended to her wounds for a moment before the group moved on. There were two more demon statues at the far end of the hall, and these they shattered. The next set of double doors were locked but Shim opened them after verifying that they were not trapped. Beyond them stood another portcullis, this one fully closed. A section of wall had been turned to rubble. Zosta immediately clambered over this to see what lay beyond it, and suddenly vanished from sight with a cry of alarm.
Jiro called out in the Tian tongue, and was suddenly cloaked in a shining golden robe. At the same time he rose off the ground in flight. He flew over the rubble, perceiving that it was actually illusory. Zosta had fallen into a pit and been wounded by a spike set into its floor. Just as he realized this, arrows began to rain down from arrow slits above their heads. Runa threw a rope down into the pit to help Zosta climb out. Four arrows struck Asami. Shim swallowed a potion that allowed him to climb on the wall and scrambled over the illusory rubble. Runa made her way across it more cautiously. Zosta climbed out of the pit then jumped across to the other side, away from the arrow slits. Asami granted herself the ability to fly and flew over the pit, as did Jiro. The wall partially blocked the archers from continuing to fire on the party, but Jiro improved their cover by conjuring up a mist to block them from view.
The area beyond the disguised pit held a ledge, which everyone moved up onto to get to another set of doors. Jiro healed their arrow wounds while Shim picked the lock. As they passed through, Jiro reminded everyone that Aron's map showed the hidden storeroom where the Sword of Valor had once been kept in a shrine very near to where they now stood. He wanted to investigate that area next.
As Zosta stepped through the doorway into another hall, she spied four half-orc mercenaries with bows and a large creature that resembled a bipedal vulture, which she recognized as a vrock demon. The half-orcs fired and the vrock surged toward her. Hovering on the other side of the doorway, Asami saw the vrock and recalled as many details as she could about such creatures, calling out to her friends everything she could remember. Then she summoned a lantern archon from Elysium to come to their aid. As Asami called for the archon, Runa cast a spell that would imbue all of their weapons with the power of good.
Jiro remembered that vrocks could emit poisonous spores and filled the area with his purifying aura. The vrock's spores shot out and then fell harmlessly to the floor. Zosta's fists flew at the demon. Shim crushed the elemental gem they had found and commanded the earth elemental to rush the half-orcs. Under Eldrazi's influence, Asami sent a globule of acid to blast the mercenaries, while Runa called on Iomedae's divine light to dazzle them. Jiro, who had been absorbing harm from his companions since they entered the Citadel, suddenly collapsed at the vrock's feet. Shim grabbed him and pulled him away. Bohgong used a wand to heal some of his wounds and then backed away from the demon. Zosta leaped high into the air, kicking the vrock in the head and knocking it off its feet. The earth elemental knocked down all but one of the half-orcs. Asami then sent another ball of fire enhanced with divine power into the end of the hallway, consuming all of the half-orcs and the vrock in its flames. When the flames dissipated there were only smoldering corpses lying there.
Next: part 36, In the Name of Iomedae
Monday, June 25, 2018
[Pathfinder] Wrath of the Righteous, part 34: Demons on the Roof
With the brimoraks gone, the Knights in the chimera's former lair were able to take time to examine the beast's horde of treasure. The chimera had amassed a considerable wealth of coins, gems, precious silverware, jewelry, and several enchanted items that excited the members of the group. These items included a magical bag that could hold far more than its exterior dimensions indicated, which contained a library of useful books about the other planes.There was also a blank spellbook that could allow a mage to scribe spells in it without having to expend the usual cost of special inks and other materials, a quiver that like the bag could hold much more than it appeared capable of containing, a suit of armor that would permit the wearer to harm insubstantial creatures, a crossbow that imbued any bolt fired from it with flames, and two javelins that would cause lightning damage when they struck a target. There were also several spell scrolls and potions, and a number of arrows enchanted to harm magical beasts. One of the gems proved to be a special one that could be crushed to summon a large elemental of earth for a short period of time.
As Asami and Jiro were engaged in determining the properties of these things, an arrow suddenly flew through the opening in the wall. It landed harmlessly on the floor. There was a strip of paper wrapped around the shaft, which bore the message, "An old friend has arrived." The handwriting was Anevia's. The Knights immediately realized that this probably meant Aegon had reached the camp.
Pleased and heartened by the news, the Knights waited while Runa changed into the armor they had found, stowing her own armor in the magic bag. Zosta then took charge of the bag for the time being. While this had been going on Bohgong had been crouching in the opening, watching what lay outside the tower. The monkey barely managed to avoid an oncoming ball of fire sent by another brimorak. Zosta and Jiro noted that the other brimoraks were on the top of the wall, across the rooftop of the Citadel from the chimera's tower. On observing this, the group decided together that their first priority was to eliminate the rest of the brimoraks. When they had made up their minds and everyone was ready, they set off across the roof toward the wall where the brimoraks awaited them.
As Shim and Jiro descended onto the rooftop, they saw five shapes climbing down from another tower. These were five brimorak demons. Jiro suggested that the party members spread out to make it more difficult for the demons to catch them with a ball of fire. The brimoraks began to walk on air and ascend. Runa suddenly felt her new armor getting unusually hot. She summoned divine water and doused herself in an effort to cool herself. Jiro realized that the effect was a magical ability inherent to the brimoraks. Then the demons tried to dispel some of the magical effects protecting the Crusader Knights, and Asami felt her protection from fire dissipate.
On the previous night when Asami had retreated to her tent to examine the spellbooks Horgus Gwerm had given her, her attention had been drawn first to a partly burnt book that was locked. When she began trying to unfasten the arcane lock that protected it, a strange entity had invaded her mind and she had yet to find a way to expel it. This entity identified itself as Eldrazi Portheim, the former owner of the spellbook. Now, as Asami looked at the brimorak demons, Eldrazi robbed her of her will to cast a spell of his own. A ball of acid hurtled toward three of the brimoraks.
Just as Asami surprised her comrades with this spell they hadn't seen her cast before, three more figures appeared in the air overhead. But these weren't demons. One of the the three was Aravashnial, and when the Knights looked closely they realized that the other two people were Aegon and Darra, her severed leg still replaced by a new limb of glowing golden energy. The three new arrivals began to drop toward the rooftop, then slowed as Aravashnial used a spell to let them drift down like feathers. Darra dropped abruptly as one of the brimoraks dispelled Aravashnial's magic, but she landed in a roll that left her unharmed.
Zosta sprinted across the roof toward the demons. Runa paused and cast a spell on herself to protect herself from fire, which had the effect of stopping the heating she had been experiencing. Zosta reached the wall and vaulted up to attack a demon with her bladed gauntlets. Asami, released from Eldrazi's control for the moment, tried casting a spell of her own and hurled a ball of flame at the brimoraks, forgetting that such creatures couldn't be harmed by fire.
Three of the brimoraks retaliated by lobbing handfuls of flames at the Knights. Runa broke into a run. Jiro summoned an ancestral spirit to attack one of the floating brimoraks menacing Zosta. Other brimoraks drew their swords and turned them on Aegon and Shim. Asami decided that running across the roof was too slow and took flight, swooping up toward the walkway atop the wall. Jiro began to climb toward Shim's location.
As Asami flew above, Eldrazi took advantage of her again to hurl a globe of ice and snow at the demon facing Shim. Shim used his blade to cleave a second brimorak in half. Aegon followed by slaying another demon with his axe forged of cold iron. There were only two brimoraks remaining. One of them kicked Shim with its fiery hooves and slashed him with its sword badly enough that Shim was barely able to keep his feet. Zosta slew the second demon she had been battling. Then Runa climbed up the wall and slashed another demon with her sword. Asami took out her wand and sent missiles at one of the demons near Shim. In short order all five of the brimoraks had been slain.
One of the demons that had been walking on air wore a pouch, unlike its fellows. Asami pushed the floating corpse over to the walkway and emptied the pouch, finding gold coins, a ring, a wand, and a scroll. The wand held a curative spell so she handed it to Jiro. The scroll she kept for herself. After she revealed that the ring was meant to help the wearer be a more agile climber, Runa swapped a similar but lesser ring for that one. At Zosta's urging, Asami claimed the ring Runa had previously worn.
By this time Jiro had little healing magic left. The Knights decided to return to camp and recuperate overnight before making another assault on Citadel Drezen. Aegon then revealed that Cennami had sent a parcel with him, which contained seven adamantine cloak clasps formed in the insignia of Zosta's clan. Asami realized these clasps were magical and would help to protect the wearers from harm, but only so long as they were worn with the cloaks that Rhino had sent with Shim.
Zosta was happily reunited with Darra, and Darra shared with her the news that Zosta's adopted demon brother Rhino had now manifested wings! There was also news that Cennami's tribe might be planning to move on to the Worldwound, that the demons were starting to realize the Wardstones were no longer functioning; and that Aegon and Darra's former friend Abel, who had accompanied them to Kenabres, had apparently joined the demons' followers, much to Aegon's anger.
The Knights rested, and prepared to assault the Citadel again the next day. Their attempt to circumvent the front entrance had been less than successful, and they decided that tomorrow they would go in through the main gate, which appeared to have been barricaded. Reports told them that little sign of defenders had been seen other than a few brimoraks patrolling the battlements. Scouts like Anevia and Aron had been busy keeping those sentries distracted. They also heard news that the ruined chapel they had cleared and re-consecrated was now seeing use by Crusaders, and the valley occupied by the vescavors was now almost entirely clear of the abyssal insects.
Most of the group went to their beds feeling heartened by recent events, but when Asami returned to her tent she could only fret over how to free herself of the malign influence of Eldrazi. The entity had threatened her life if either she or Kirara tried to report its presence to anyone else. She could only hope a plan would come to her, or that her unusual behavior would attract the attention of her friends.
Next: part 35, Through the Gates of Drezen
As Asami and Jiro were engaged in determining the properties of these things, an arrow suddenly flew through the opening in the wall. It landed harmlessly on the floor. There was a strip of paper wrapped around the shaft, which bore the message, "An old friend has arrived." The handwriting was Anevia's. The Knights immediately realized that this probably meant Aegon had reached the camp.
Pleased and heartened by the news, the Knights waited while Runa changed into the armor they had found, stowing her own armor in the magic bag. Zosta then took charge of the bag for the time being. While this had been going on Bohgong had been crouching in the opening, watching what lay outside the tower. The monkey barely managed to avoid an oncoming ball of fire sent by another brimorak. Zosta and Jiro noted that the other brimoraks were on the top of the wall, across the rooftop of the Citadel from the chimera's tower. On observing this, the group decided together that their first priority was to eliminate the rest of the brimoraks. When they had made up their minds and everyone was ready, they set off across the roof toward the wall where the brimoraks awaited them.
As Shim and Jiro descended onto the rooftop, they saw five shapes climbing down from another tower. These were five brimorak demons. Jiro suggested that the party members spread out to make it more difficult for the demons to catch them with a ball of fire. The brimoraks began to walk on air and ascend. Runa suddenly felt her new armor getting unusually hot. She summoned divine water and doused herself in an effort to cool herself. Jiro realized that the effect was a magical ability inherent to the brimoraks. Then the demons tried to dispel some of the magical effects protecting the Crusader Knights, and Asami felt her protection from fire dissipate.
On the previous night when Asami had retreated to her tent to examine the spellbooks Horgus Gwerm had given her, her attention had been drawn first to a partly burnt book that was locked. When she began trying to unfasten the arcane lock that protected it, a strange entity had invaded her mind and she had yet to find a way to expel it. This entity identified itself as Eldrazi Portheim, the former owner of the spellbook. Now, as Asami looked at the brimorak demons, Eldrazi robbed her of her will to cast a spell of his own. A ball of acid hurtled toward three of the brimoraks.
Just as Asami surprised her comrades with this spell they hadn't seen her cast before, three more figures appeared in the air overhead. But these weren't demons. One of the the three was Aravashnial, and when the Knights looked closely they realized that the other two people were Aegon and Darra, her severed leg still replaced by a new limb of glowing golden energy. The three new arrivals began to drop toward the rooftop, then slowed as Aravashnial used a spell to let them drift down like feathers. Darra dropped abruptly as one of the brimoraks dispelled Aravashnial's magic, but she landed in a roll that left her unharmed.
Zosta sprinted across the roof toward the demons. Runa paused and cast a spell on herself to protect herself from fire, which had the effect of stopping the heating she had been experiencing. Zosta reached the wall and vaulted up to attack a demon with her bladed gauntlets. Asami, released from Eldrazi's control for the moment, tried casting a spell of her own and hurled a ball of flame at the brimoraks, forgetting that such creatures couldn't be harmed by fire.
Three of the brimoraks retaliated by lobbing handfuls of flames at the Knights. Runa broke into a run. Jiro summoned an ancestral spirit to attack one of the floating brimoraks menacing Zosta. Other brimoraks drew their swords and turned them on Aegon and Shim. Asami decided that running across the roof was too slow and took flight, swooping up toward the walkway atop the wall. Jiro began to climb toward Shim's location.
As Asami flew above, Eldrazi took advantage of her again to hurl a globe of ice and snow at the demon facing Shim. Shim used his blade to cleave a second brimorak in half. Aegon followed by slaying another demon with his axe forged of cold iron. There were only two brimoraks remaining. One of them kicked Shim with its fiery hooves and slashed him with its sword badly enough that Shim was barely able to keep his feet. Zosta slew the second demon she had been battling. Then Runa climbed up the wall and slashed another demon with her sword. Asami took out her wand and sent missiles at one of the demons near Shim. In short order all five of the brimoraks had been slain.
One of the demons that had been walking on air wore a pouch, unlike its fellows. Asami pushed the floating corpse over to the walkway and emptied the pouch, finding gold coins, a ring, a wand, and a scroll. The wand held a curative spell so she handed it to Jiro. The scroll she kept for herself. After she revealed that the ring was meant to help the wearer be a more agile climber, Runa swapped a similar but lesser ring for that one. At Zosta's urging, Asami claimed the ring Runa had previously worn.
By this time Jiro had little healing magic left. The Knights decided to return to camp and recuperate overnight before making another assault on Citadel Drezen. Aegon then revealed that Cennami had sent a parcel with him, which contained seven adamantine cloak clasps formed in the insignia of Zosta's clan. Asami realized these clasps were magical and would help to protect the wearers from harm, but only so long as they were worn with the cloaks that Rhino had sent with Shim.
Zosta was happily reunited with Darra, and Darra shared with her the news that Zosta's adopted demon brother Rhino had now manifested wings! There was also news that Cennami's tribe might be planning to move on to the Worldwound, that the demons were starting to realize the Wardstones were no longer functioning; and that Aegon and Darra's former friend Abel, who had accompanied them to Kenabres, had apparently joined the demons' followers, much to Aegon's anger.
The Knights rested, and prepared to assault the Citadel again the next day. Their attempt to circumvent the front entrance had been less than successful, and they decided that tomorrow they would go in through the main gate, which appeared to have been barricaded. Reports told them that little sign of defenders had been seen other than a few brimoraks patrolling the battlements. Scouts like Anevia and Aron had been busy keeping those sentries distracted. They also heard news that the ruined chapel they had cleared and re-consecrated was now seeing use by Crusaders, and the valley occupied by the vescavors was now almost entirely clear of the abyssal insects.
Most of the group went to their beds feeling heartened by recent events, but when Asami returned to her tent she could only fret over how to free herself of the malign influence of Eldrazi. The entity had threatened her life if either she or Kirara tried to report its presence to anyone else. She could only hope a plan would come to her, or that her unusual behavior would attract the attention of her friends.
Next: part 35, Through the Gates of Drezen
Monday, June 4, 2018
[Pathfinder] Wrath of the Righteous, part 33: Into the Citadel
Player-characters are now 7th level, 2nd mythic tier.
The Beast of Drezen. Characters shown are not the player-characters.
As the chimera breathed its last breath atop the tower, large groups of human cultists and tieflings, and a smaller group of dretches rushed into the courtyard below to defend Citadel Drezen against the Crusaders. The defenders weren't armed with bows or crossbows, which left the Crusader Knights atop the tower free to heal their wounds. Jiro and Sosiel both summoned divine energies to heal Runa, who was the most badly wounded of the group.
Once the heroes had healed themselves and made an accounting of the defending force below so they could report back to Irabeth, they descended the outside of the tower and returned to meet the rest of their army. The army had now tripled in size by the addition of the captive Crusaders the paladins had set free while the Knights were disabling the catapults and battling the chimera. Irabeth ordered a tent set up across the Ahari Bridge as a temporary command post and began to plan for the Crusader army to assault the Citadel. She sent Anevia and Aron out to keep watch on the town for any sign of reinforcements for the demons. Meanwhile she introduced the Crusader Knights to the newly freed prisoners, who had all been away from Kenabres too long to have heard of the Knights' exploits there.
Then the commanders met to discuss how they would take on the defenders and gain access to the interior of the Citadel. Irabeth told the Knights to rest while she led the bulk of the army against the demons' minions. The Crusader army's morale was high with the success against the chimera and the release of the prisoners, and Irabeth wanted the Knights to be at full strength to enter the Citadel once the enemy forces outside it were eliminated.
When the Knights left the command tent, they went to see Horgus Gwerm, who had been acting as quartermaster for the army. They intended to trade some items they had recovered in exchange for other objects, as well as to see what sort of useful gear had been founded in the armory the Crusaders had seized. Gwerm reported that there appeared to be no enemies still within the town - they had all either been slain or fled. He told the Knights that he had had learned from informants that they should expect the interior of the Citadel to differ from the details on the map Aron had provided. Gwerm had also learned that the forces within the fortress included Joran Vhane, brother of the traitor Staunton Vhane, but reportedly Joran wasn't as dedicated to the demons as his sibling. Jiro and Runa both came away from this interview suspecting that Gwerm had got his hands dirty questioning the prisoners the army had taken, and that he wasn't comfortable with what he had done.
The Knights had all asked Gwerm to check the inventory of items taken from the demons' armory and let them know if he found any objects they desired. The result of this was that they each obtained several useful things. Asami acquired a rod that would extend the duration of her spells, a pair of bulette-hide bracers that would grant her the benefit of armor, and a wand that would allow her to enhance the vitality of herself or her companions. Her friends also gained various similarly useful items. Gwerm allowed each of them to choose one item of lesser value without requiring any payment or trade, and the remaining items were sold to them at half the typical market value.
Their purchasing done, the Knights went off to rest, but not before they heard that their comrade Aegronius, who had remained in Kenabres to look after his friend Dara after she was injured, would soon be rejoining them. Runa also performed a short service for the Crusaders who would be going into battle the following day, donning a chasuble over her armor rather than changing into her priestly vestments. Afterward she joined Jiro and Zosta in practicing with Bohgong, which drew a crowed of the new members of the army who hadn't seen the monkey leading a martial practice before. Asami meanwhile was presented a book of useful spells by Aravashnial, and she took that book and two others that had been taken from the armory back to her tent to study them.
That evening as the Knights all settled down to wait until the Crusader army returned victorious, they realized that like their success in reclaiming the Gray Fortress in Kenabres, slaying the chimera had brought more divine blessings upon them. Everyone felt stronger and more capable. Asami knew that the strength of her spells would be greater and they would be more difficult to identify or dispel, and her knowledge was a bit broader. Her affinity for all things of wood or plant-based had increased as well. But she also felt a greater repugnance to touch anything made of metal. Of course she didn't notice it herself, but the next day some of her companions told her that the bark-like markings on her skin and the green tinge in her hair seemed more clearly visible/
The siege against the Citadel defenders went very well for the Crusader army. Their enemies had been dismayed by the Knights' success in disabling the catapults and slaying the chimera. As a result the Crusaders were soon mopping up the courtyard to remove the last traces of the demons and their followers, at which point some of the Knights went to lend their aid. Asami remained in her tent copying spells into her spellbook. When her friends returned, they met to determine their strategy for entering Citadel Drezen.
It was Jiro who suggested that instead of entering through the front gate they should go to one of the towers at the rear of the structure and come down from its roof. He and Shim had done a circuit of the Citadel by walking along the top of the curtain wall and had decided that might be the best entry point. After the Knights took the Ahari Bridge Asami had acquired a wand that could teleport herself and two fully-laden people at a time to a nearby destination, which they decided could be used to take Runa and Zosta to the tower first since they were the best fighters. Then she would return for Jiro and Shim. Bohgong and Kirara could make their own way up the tower since the monkey could climb and the silvanshee could fly.
The map Aron had provided showed that the hidden vault where the Sword of Valor had been stored in the past was closer to that tower, and although they didn't expect the banner to still be in the vault after so many years of occupation they wanted to check there before investigating the rest of the Citadel. Aron had also told them that the top of the tower Jiro had chosen once held a summoning circle used for summoning celestial beings to aid the Crusaders. No doubt the circle had been destroyed or corrupted by the demon invaders, but it would be good to know what state it was in. Once their plan was in place it was decided that Sosiel should remain with the rest of the army to lend them healing, and Aron would be better staying with him. Only the Knights would enter the Citadel.
That evening before settling into her meditation period Asami used her new ability to restore several charges to Jiro's wand that could summon a weapon of force energy. She had already used that ability on the previous night to recharge her own wand that fired missiles of force. The next morning when everyone was ready to begin, she used the teleportation wand to transport herself, Runa, and Zosta to the top of the tower. They found the summoning circle of inlaid gold and ivory intact, but Runa wasn't able to determine if it had been corrupted. Then Asami left and went to fetch Jiro and Shim.
An instant after Asami departed, a burst of fire blasted the top of the tower. Zosta saw it in time to drop to the ground and avoid the flames, but Runa was burned. They couldn't tell where the flame had come from. Asami, Jiro, and Shim saw the fire, but that didn't deter them from going to the tower to join their companions. As they appeared on the tower a moment later, they welcomed by a much bigger inferno. Asami was momentarily exhausted by the use of the teleportation magic and had no opportunity to protect herself from the cloud of fire that engulfed her and left her a hair's breadth from death. The wand that had brought them all to the tower burned to ash. Seeing that Asami was in dire condition and Jiro would need to work quickly to save her life, Zosta picked Jiro up and grabbed Asami by her cloak to carry both of them off the tower roof to safety. Runa ran down the stairs behind her. Shim was hit by another ball of fire before he could escape the exposed roof, but he managed to stagger down the steps to join the rest of the group.
Asami was terribly burned. Jiro and Runa both called on the greatest divine power they could muster to save her. Jiro then healed Runa, Shim, and himself, and linked his life force to Asami as well as to the others so he could continue to provide healing.
After Asami was recovered enough to get on her feet again, they looked around at the chamber they had entered. It carried a strong animal smell, and they quickly realized that this must have been the lair of the chimera they had slain. A hole had been knocked through the tower's exterior wall to allow the creature to fly in and out, but the doorway to the descending staircase had been blocked up with stone to prevent the monster from entering the Citadel. The chimera had accumulated a pile of looted treasures that were heaped on the floor near the rubble-strewn area that had once been a stairwell.
The mass of fireballs that had attacked them from above led the Knights to realize that there were probably more brimoraks in the Citadel other than the tower defenders they had eliminated. Brimoraks like many demons could also summon others of their kind from the Abyss, and these summoned demons could teleport and call flames to attack their foes just as well as those who had summoned them. Concerned that she would be injured again and drain more of the party's resources, Asami cast a spell to grant herself some protection from fire.
Before the Knights had time to look closer at the chimera's treasure, a brimorak demon suddenly appeared inside the room, teleporting in from elsewhere. The demon looked surprised, though they didn't know whether it was because they were there or because all of them appeared to be unhurt. They knew it must be sending a telepathic message to its brethren to warn them. Shim swallowed the last of a potion he had been drinking when it arrived and stepped toward it, sword drawn. Zosta rushed forward to knock the demon off its hooves and then stamped on it. Runa drew her sword and stabbed it fiercely. The brimorak breathed its last and vanished, demonstrating that it had been summoned rather than among the Citadel's regular defenders. Shim decided that getting out of the tower room was the best option to avoid being cornered by more demons and began attempting to break through the stones blocking the stairs by chopping at them with his sword.
It seemed likely that more brimoraks would be arriving soon. To prepare Asami cast a spell on herself and her comrades that would allow them to communicate with one another in whispered messages to prevent their enemies from overhearing their plans. She then went to look at the chimera's treasure to see if it held anything helpful to them. She could see at least on enchanted item in the collection of objects and coins. While she was looking, three more brimoraks appeared floating in the air beyond the gap in the outer wall. Asami failed to observe them because there was a section of broken interior wall between the spot where she stood and the gap. There was a five-foot-wide doorway through this broken interior wall, but Asami wasn't looking toward it and didn't see when Zosta and Runa both ran to defend the gap.
Zosta punched one of the demons. Runa then called on Iomedae to wound the evil creatures with her holy radiance, injuring all of them and leaving two of them blind. The third hovered there blinking its streaming eyes. Asami realized that there were enemies present and repositioned herself so she could hurl her spear through the opening in the interior wall to hit the demon who had been dazzled by Iomedae's light. The wound was minor, much of its force deflected by the brimorak's armored hide, but it began to bleed freely.
Jiro moved closer to Runa and Zosta and created a circle of protection to defend against the demons. At the same time he created a purifying effect that prevented them from causing harm with their sickening smoky breath. Two of the brimoraks spat burning blood toward the Knights, but their spit caused no harm. Asami cast a spell to create a narrow stream of strong wind blowing through the opening in the inner wall and out through the broken gap. The wind caused one of the blinded demons to be pushed away from the tower. Because the brimorak was floating on the air rather than standing on the ground, it was pushed even farther than would ordinarily have been possible. In its blinded state it was too confused to move out of the wind or return to the tower.
Jiro summoned a tetsubo of force to attack the demon nearest Zosta and drew his cold iron mace. From behind him a single bead of force shot over his shoulder to attack the same target as the tetsubo. Bohgong was part of the communication spell Asami had cast and she was amused to hear the monkey say, "Pull!" in the Tian tongue when he triggered the wand he'd pilfered from her, as if he was calling for a new target in an archery contest. He had forgotten anyone could hear him. Meanwhile, Shim realized that the stones blocking access to the stairs formed a barrier at least ten feet thick. He abandoned trying to smash through and joined the others by the gap in the outer wall.
One of the blind brimoraks created a ball of fire but centered the blast on itself. Asami was protected by the interior wall section and the rest of the Knights were relatively unscathed. Zosta grabbed the demon Asami had hit with her spear and began to struggle with it. Runa followed up with a thrust through its heart and it collapsed. Asami threw another spear at the other blind brimorak but missed her aim. Jiro transferred his tetsubo to the demon that had been blown away by the wind spell and Bohgong sent another unerring missile at it. It was still blind and unable to either escape the wind or find its way back to the tower. The wind continued to blow it further away. Its comrade who was also blind retreated, walking on air to escape.
A moment later both demons recovered their sight, and the one that had been caught in the wind was able to escape the wind and follow its fellow's example by retreating. Before it could get much farther from the tower, Jiro's floating tetsubo took it's life. Only the first brimorak that had begun to flee was actually able to escape.
Next: part 34, Demons on the Roof
The Beast of Drezen. Characters shown are not the player-characters.
As the chimera breathed its last breath atop the tower, large groups of human cultists and tieflings, and a smaller group of dretches rushed into the courtyard below to defend Citadel Drezen against the Crusaders. The defenders weren't armed with bows or crossbows, which left the Crusader Knights atop the tower free to heal their wounds. Jiro and Sosiel both summoned divine energies to heal Runa, who was the most badly wounded of the group.
Once the heroes had healed themselves and made an accounting of the defending force below so they could report back to Irabeth, they descended the outside of the tower and returned to meet the rest of their army. The army had now tripled in size by the addition of the captive Crusaders the paladins had set free while the Knights were disabling the catapults and battling the chimera. Irabeth ordered a tent set up across the Ahari Bridge as a temporary command post and began to plan for the Crusader army to assault the Citadel. She sent Anevia and Aron out to keep watch on the town for any sign of reinforcements for the demons. Meanwhile she introduced the Crusader Knights to the newly freed prisoners, who had all been away from Kenabres too long to have heard of the Knights' exploits there.
Then the commanders met to discuss how they would take on the defenders and gain access to the interior of the Citadel. Irabeth told the Knights to rest while she led the bulk of the army against the demons' minions. The Crusader army's morale was high with the success against the chimera and the release of the prisoners, and Irabeth wanted the Knights to be at full strength to enter the Citadel once the enemy forces outside it were eliminated.
When the Knights left the command tent, they went to see Horgus Gwerm, who had been acting as quartermaster for the army. They intended to trade some items they had recovered in exchange for other objects, as well as to see what sort of useful gear had been founded in the armory the Crusaders had seized. Gwerm reported that there appeared to be no enemies still within the town - they had all either been slain or fled. He told the Knights that he had had learned from informants that they should expect the interior of the Citadel to differ from the details on the map Aron had provided. Gwerm had also learned that the forces within the fortress included Joran Vhane, brother of the traitor Staunton Vhane, but reportedly Joran wasn't as dedicated to the demons as his sibling. Jiro and Runa both came away from this interview suspecting that Gwerm had got his hands dirty questioning the prisoners the army had taken, and that he wasn't comfortable with what he had done.
The Knights had all asked Gwerm to check the inventory of items taken from the demons' armory and let them know if he found any objects they desired. The result of this was that they each obtained several useful things. Asami acquired a rod that would extend the duration of her spells, a pair of bulette-hide bracers that would grant her the benefit of armor, and a wand that would allow her to enhance the vitality of herself or her companions. Her friends also gained various similarly useful items. Gwerm allowed each of them to choose one item of lesser value without requiring any payment or trade, and the remaining items were sold to them at half the typical market value.
Their purchasing done, the Knights went off to rest, but not before they heard that their comrade Aegronius, who had remained in Kenabres to look after his friend Dara after she was injured, would soon be rejoining them. Runa also performed a short service for the Crusaders who would be going into battle the following day, donning a chasuble over her armor rather than changing into her priestly vestments. Afterward she joined Jiro and Zosta in practicing with Bohgong, which drew a crowed of the new members of the army who hadn't seen the monkey leading a martial practice before. Asami meanwhile was presented a book of useful spells by Aravashnial, and she took that book and two others that had been taken from the armory back to her tent to study them.
That evening as the Knights all settled down to wait until the Crusader army returned victorious, they realized that like their success in reclaiming the Gray Fortress in Kenabres, slaying the chimera had brought more divine blessings upon them. Everyone felt stronger and more capable. Asami knew that the strength of her spells would be greater and they would be more difficult to identify or dispel, and her knowledge was a bit broader. Her affinity for all things of wood or plant-based had increased as well. But she also felt a greater repugnance to touch anything made of metal. Of course she didn't notice it herself, but the next day some of her companions told her that the bark-like markings on her skin and the green tinge in her hair seemed more clearly visible/
The siege against the Citadel defenders went very well for the Crusader army. Their enemies had been dismayed by the Knights' success in disabling the catapults and slaying the chimera. As a result the Crusaders were soon mopping up the courtyard to remove the last traces of the demons and their followers, at which point some of the Knights went to lend their aid. Asami remained in her tent copying spells into her spellbook. When her friends returned, they met to determine their strategy for entering Citadel Drezen.
It was Jiro who suggested that instead of entering through the front gate they should go to one of the towers at the rear of the structure and come down from its roof. He and Shim had done a circuit of the Citadel by walking along the top of the curtain wall and had decided that might be the best entry point. After the Knights took the Ahari Bridge Asami had acquired a wand that could teleport herself and two fully-laden people at a time to a nearby destination, which they decided could be used to take Runa and Zosta to the tower first since they were the best fighters. Then she would return for Jiro and Shim. Bohgong and Kirara could make their own way up the tower since the monkey could climb and the silvanshee could fly.
The map Aron had provided showed that the hidden vault where the Sword of Valor had been stored in the past was closer to that tower, and although they didn't expect the banner to still be in the vault after so many years of occupation they wanted to check there before investigating the rest of the Citadel. Aron had also told them that the top of the tower Jiro had chosen once held a summoning circle used for summoning celestial beings to aid the Crusaders. No doubt the circle had been destroyed or corrupted by the demon invaders, but it would be good to know what state it was in. Once their plan was in place it was decided that Sosiel should remain with the rest of the army to lend them healing, and Aron would be better staying with him. Only the Knights would enter the Citadel.
That evening before settling into her meditation period Asami used her new ability to restore several charges to Jiro's wand that could summon a weapon of force energy. She had already used that ability on the previous night to recharge her own wand that fired missiles of force. The next morning when everyone was ready to begin, she used the teleportation wand to transport herself, Runa, and Zosta to the top of the tower. They found the summoning circle of inlaid gold and ivory intact, but Runa wasn't able to determine if it had been corrupted. Then Asami left and went to fetch Jiro and Shim.
An instant after Asami departed, a burst of fire blasted the top of the tower. Zosta saw it in time to drop to the ground and avoid the flames, but Runa was burned. They couldn't tell where the flame had come from. Asami, Jiro, and Shim saw the fire, but that didn't deter them from going to the tower to join their companions. As they appeared on the tower a moment later, they welcomed by a much bigger inferno. Asami was momentarily exhausted by the use of the teleportation magic and had no opportunity to protect herself from the cloud of fire that engulfed her and left her a hair's breadth from death. The wand that had brought them all to the tower burned to ash. Seeing that Asami was in dire condition and Jiro would need to work quickly to save her life, Zosta picked Jiro up and grabbed Asami by her cloak to carry both of them off the tower roof to safety. Runa ran down the stairs behind her. Shim was hit by another ball of fire before he could escape the exposed roof, but he managed to stagger down the steps to join the rest of the group.
Asami was terribly burned. Jiro and Runa both called on the greatest divine power they could muster to save her. Jiro then healed Runa, Shim, and himself, and linked his life force to Asami as well as to the others so he could continue to provide healing.
After Asami was recovered enough to get on her feet again, they looked around at the chamber they had entered. It carried a strong animal smell, and they quickly realized that this must have been the lair of the chimera they had slain. A hole had been knocked through the tower's exterior wall to allow the creature to fly in and out, but the doorway to the descending staircase had been blocked up with stone to prevent the monster from entering the Citadel. The chimera had accumulated a pile of looted treasures that were heaped on the floor near the rubble-strewn area that had once been a stairwell.
The mass of fireballs that had attacked them from above led the Knights to realize that there were probably more brimoraks in the Citadel other than the tower defenders they had eliminated. Brimoraks like many demons could also summon others of their kind from the Abyss, and these summoned demons could teleport and call flames to attack their foes just as well as those who had summoned them. Concerned that she would be injured again and drain more of the party's resources, Asami cast a spell to grant herself some protection from fire.
Before the Knights had time to look closer at the chimera's treasure, a brimorak demon suddenly appeared inside the room, teleporting in from elsewhere. The demon looked surprised, though they didn't know whether it was because they were there or because all of them appeared to be unhurt. They knew it must be sending a telepathic message to its brethren to warn them. Shim swallowed the last of a potion he had been drinking when it arrived and stepped toward it, sword drawn. Zosta rushed forward to knock the demon off its hooves and then stamped on it. Runa drew her sword and stabbed it fiercely. The brimorak breathed its last and vanished, demonstrating that it had been summoned rather than among the Citadel's regular defenders. Shim decided that getting out of the tower room was the best option to avoid being cornered by more demons and began attempting to break through the stones blocking the stairs by chopping at them with his sword.
It seemed likely that more brimoraks would be arriving soon. To prepare Asami cast a spell on herself and her comrades that would allow them to communicate with one another in whispered messages to prevent their enemies from overhearing their plans. She then went to look at the chimera's treasure to see if it held anything helpful to them. She could see at least on enchanted item in the collection of objects and coins. While she was looking, three more brimoraks appeared floating in the air beyond the gap in the outer wall. Asami failed to observe them because there was a section of broken interior wall between the spot where she stood and the gap. There was a five-foot-wide doorway through this broken interior wall, but Asami wasn't looking toward it and didn't see when Zosta and Runa both ran to defend the gap.
Zosta punched one of the demons. Runa then called on Iomedae to wound the evil creatures with her holy radiance, injuring all of them and leaving two of them blind. The third hovered there blinking its streaming eyes. Asami realized that there were enemies present and repositioned herself so she could hurl her spear through the opening in the interior wall to hit the demon who had been dazzled by Iomedae's light. The wound was minor, much of its force deflected by the brimorak's armored hide, but it began to bleed freely.
Jiro moved closer to Runa and Zosta and created a circle of protection to defend against the demons. At the same time he created a purifying effect that prevented them from causing harm with their sickening smoky breath. Two of the brimoraks spat burning blood toward the Knights, but their spit caused no harm. Asami cast a spell to create a narrow stream of strong wind blowing through the opening in the inner wall and out through the broken gap. The wind caused one of the blinded demons to be pushed away from the tower. Because the brimorak was floating on the air rather than standing on the ground, it was pushed even farther than would ordinarily have been possible. In its blinded state it was too confused to move out of the wind or return to the tower.
Jiro summoned a tetsubo of force to attack the demon nearest Zosta and drew his cold iron mace. From behind him a single bead of force shot over his shoulder to attack the same target as the tetsubo. Bohgong was part of the communication spell Asami had cast and she was amused to hear the monkey say, "Pull!" in the Tian tongue when he triggered the wand he'd pilfered from her, as if he was calling for a new target in an archery contest. He had forgotten anyone could hear him. Meanwhile, Shim realized that the stones blocking access to the stairs formed a barrier at least ten feet thick. He abandoned trying to smash through and joined the others by the gap in the outer wall.
One of the blind brimoraks created a ball of fire but centered the blast on itself. Asami was protected by the interior wall section and the rest of the Knights were relatively unscathed. Zosta grabbed the demon Asami had hit with her spear and began to struggle with it. Runa followed up with a thrust through its heart and it collapsed. Asami threw another spear at the other blind brimorak but missed her aim. Jiro transferred his tetsubo to the demon that had been blown away by the wind spell and Bohgong sent another unerring missile at it. It was still blind and unable to either escape the wind or find its way back to the tower. The wind continued to blow it further away. Its comrade who was also blind retreated, walking on air to escape.
A moment later both demons recovered their sight, and the one that had been caught in the wind was able to escape the wind and follow its fellow's example by retreating. Before it could get much farther from the tower, Jiro's floating tetsubo took it's life. Only the first brimorak that had begun to flee was actually able to escape.
Next: part 34, Demons on the Roof
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