Session 71

Heroes: Meghera, Serghor, Xeridan, Trull

The Heros run to assist the Lady of Pain, but it's too late. When they touch her body, she dissolves in a flash of divine power, leaving behind the Key of Infinite Doors, a powerful artifact capable of opening portals to any location in the Multiverse.

While the gigantic form of Orcus destroys Sigil, the Heroes make their way across the onslaught, seeking the help of other gods. From the dying manifestations of Thor and Mystra they retrieve the Hammer of Thunderbolts and the Staff of the Magi. They trust that with these godly weapons they'll be able to face the horror of Orcus.

But reality shifts again, and they find themselves back in the present, on Orcus' corpse-island, facing Quah-namog and his undead minions. The Heroes keep fighting, but the battle it's taking its toll. In an act of selfless sacrifice, Meghera uses the magical circlet she found in Tcian Sumere to touch the emerald skull of the Wand of Orcus. In an explosion of tremendous energies, Quah-namog and Meghera are completely obliterated, while the others are severely wounded.

Then they're back into the future.

Sigil is still under attack, but Orcus is now Tenebrous, a sickly shadow of his former self. Every time he uses the Last Word to kill an attacking god, his form is wracked with pain. The Heroes prepare for the final assault. 

They summon the Punisher of the Gods, Zakonik the Crimson Bull of Vengeance. The minotaur throws himself into the sky and attacks Tenebrous with the Hammer of Athun. With each hit, Tenebrous form loses big chunks of necrotic matter, visibly hurt by the assault.

The Heroes destroy the Gem of Seeing and the Sword of Orcus that they retrieved in Tcian Sumere, weakening the god even more. Then they take to the sky with the help of a fly spell, and unleash their power on Tenebrous.

The Hammer of Thunderbolts cracks with divine power, but the undead god is still too strong. Then Xeridan flies to the head of Tenebrous, and breaks the Staff of the Magi in two. The explosion is devastating, obliterating Xeridan, but also inflicting the fatal hit on Tenebrous.

As a shower of silver magical flames fall on Sigil, the form of Tenebrous dissipates.

As the future becomes the present once again, Trull and Serghor find themselves back on the corpse-island, but there's no trace of Xeridan or Meghera. Together with the Bull of Vengeance, they mourn the loss of their companions, who heroically sacrificed themselves to save the Multiverse.

Session 70

Heroes: Meghera, Serghor, Xeridan, Trull

The Heroes seek to find Quah-nomag and the Wand of Orcus, before the dark priest succeeds in bringing the Lord of Undeath back from oblivion. Their search brings them to the Astral Plane, where they meet a manifestation of the god Anubis, Keeper of the Dead, that points them in the right direction.

They travel through the Astral Plane, eventually reaching the island-corpse of Orcus. No matter how they try to approach the floating island, they find themselves appearing near the "feet" of the island. A 4-miles journey to reach the "head" of the stony corpse is ahead of them.

As they travel across the dark rocks, they're stopped by the lich Aldarion and his undead minions. The fight against the lich drains much of their resources, but eventually they manage to defeat the undead mage.

When they reach the "head" of Orcus, they find Quah-namog reciting a dark ritual of resurrection, surrounded by more undead creatures. The Heroes charge ahead, but before they can reach the dark priest, reality changes around them.

They find themselves in Sigil, but the city is under attack. Somehow they realize they've been sent to the future, or at least one of the possible ones. Buildings are on fire, citizens are running for their lives. On the streets of the Cage, the dead bodies of several gods lie in pools of radiant blood. Up above, the colossal form of Orcus can be seen, miles tall, ravaging the city with his huge claws. As the Heroes bear witness, a silver and amber form gets thrown at their feet, broken and lifeless. They look at the torn body, and immediately recognize it.

The Lady of Pain is dead.

Session 69

Heroes: Meghera, Xeridan, Trull

Xeridan is restless. He has been painting for several days as if possessed, and his paintings show alien landscapes filled with ziggurats and bleeding moons. He feels a pull to visit once again the Forgotten Temple in Sigil.

The Heroes sneak inside the Temple, but something has changed. When Xeridan utters a prayer to the forgotten goddess Xeridani, the power of five monoliths inside the church awakens. As the Heroes approach the monolith, they're whisked away and enter a foreign dreamscape, the memories past, present, and future of the goddess.

They witness her youth, the eternal fight against her father, the sun god Necalli, and then her love for her most trusted priest... Aonar! The same Aonar that murdered her on the steps of her own temple, to steal her power. Having protected and helped the goddess through each dreamscape, they awaken a hidden power in the Temple. A hidden monolith rises from the ground, and with it comes the draconic form of Aonar, bent on destroying the Heroes. 

When they defeat Aonar's terrifying figment, they finally lay the goddess to rest. Or have they really brought her back? As she walks into the blinding light of a portal in the Astral Plane, she blesses the Heroes with Truesight. A power that will come in handy when they face Orcus' visages again.

Session 68

Heroes: Meghera, Serghor, Trull

The Heroes perform in the Cynosure to earn the respect of the travelling madhouse, and come into contact with Antha, a bariaur healer. Antha asks the Heroes to bring her to the gate-town of Fortitude, and in exchange she will tell them how to reach Agathion.

One plane shift spell later, and the Heroes are sipping honeyed ales in Fortitude, while Antha tells them of the Ingress, a mythical race of creatures capable of transporting them anywhere they want among the enclosed "bubbles" of Agathion. To find the Ingress, they must first travel to Caderis, a ruined fortress on Phlegeton, the third layer of Pandemonium.

The day after the Heroes plane shift to Caderis, which has become a waymeet for travellers in Pandemonium. After a quarrel with some fellow planeswalkers, the Heroes obtain directions to the Ingress cave. The Ingress is in fact a fleshy, gargantuan creature incapable of communicating. the Heroes simply need to think about their destination, and then walk into the folds of flesh of the creature (!).

They're trasported to Agathion, in the cave that contains the famed Wand of Orcus. When they're about to take possession of the Wand, reality changes around them: the visages have arrived! But they're not alone; together with them is the half-ogre Quah-namog, last priest of Orcus. Quah-namog and the visages, empowered by their rising god, defeat the Heroes and plane shift away with the Wand.

The Heroes return to Glorium to lick their wounds after this defeat, and to plan their next move in order to find the Wand again. While they're resting, they're approached by the Prophet, the minotaur sage that has crossed their path before. He tells them to take a boat, and go out at sea, and jump into the waters; there, the Bull of Vengeance will make himself known.

They do just that, but when they jump into the water they find themselves at the bottom of an unknown abyss, with a titanic creature ready to devour them... a kraken! The Heroes battle the creature and defeat it. Thunder rumbles, and the voice of the Bull can be heard.

Law and Chaos... Good and Evil... Right and Wrong... only one thing matters...

When they answer "Victory", the Bull fo Vengeance, Herald of Athun God of Victory, and Punisher of the Gods appears to them, as a crimson minotaur clad in golden greaves and a golden hammer, the mythical Hammer of Athun. The exalted warrior praises the Heroes for their prowess, and pledges to come to their aid once when they will call for him.

Session 67

Heroes: Meghera, Xeridan, Trull

 

The Heroes defeat the nobles of House Kilsek and deliver the Vault of the Drow to the Tormtor clan. Matron Verdaeth keeps her word and tells the Heroes what she knows about the entity haunting them.

 

The dead god that is trying to come back is none other than Orcus, Prince of Undeath. Upon his death at the hands of Kiaransalee, the goddess tasked Erehe and Kestod to hide the infamous Wand of Orcus where it could not be found. The two devoted drow hid the wand in Agathion, the fourth layer of Pandemonium.

 

The Heroes leave the Vault and begin researching a way into Agathion. They come to the conclusion that their best shot is to travel to Pandesmos, the first layer of Pandemonium, and from there join the Cynosure, a travelling town/circus/madhouse said to have travelled through all of Pandemonium.

Session 66

Heroes: Meghera, Serghor, Xeridan, Trull

The Heroes follow the lead they uncovered in Tcian Sumere and travel to the prime material plane of Oerth. From there they scry on Erehe and the Vault of the Drow, and spy on the dark elf discussing political matters with a priestess in a finely appointed room. Without losing any time, the Heroes teleport into the room and rapidly knock Erehe out. Before they can kill him, the priestess convinces them to parley.

She introduces herself as Verdaeth, matriarch of house Tormtor and high-priestess of Kiaransalee. When she learns the reasons of the Heroes' arrival, she tells of her connection with Erehe, and proposes a deal. Erehe was Verdaeth's lover, before he performed a task for the goddess Kiaransalee, for which he was rewarderd with drowning in the River Styx. Verdaeth prayed to her goddess for the return of Erehe, and her wish was granted. Yet, his memory was still gone.

Thanks to the psychic powers of her githyanki allies, part of Erehe's past experiences was uncovered. Verdaeth knows what Erehe did for Kiaransalee, she knows the name of the god she killed, and knows where to find the lost power of this entity. She will reveal all this information to the Heroes in exchange of Erehe's safety, and if they will help her win the civil war currently ongoing in the Vault. The Heroes readily accept.

The day after, the Tormtor army assaults the Great Gate, where the Heroes defeat the general and the archmages of the Kilsek family. They then rush to the Kilsek palace, and enter the inner sanctum of the matron mother. In the temple of Lolth they're faced with yochlol demons, and a matron blessed by Lolth herself with a monstrous spidery form.

Session 65

Heroes: Meghera, Serghor, Xeridan

A band of unknown adventurers faces the Last Spire, among the white ruins of an ancient civilization whose existence has been forgotten even by Pelion's gods. The fearless explorers find the secret portal leading inside the Spire, where they must face the many traps left by the powers that created the Spire to guard the most valuable of treasures. 

The survivors reach the Chamber of Secrets, where they're met by two guardians. Their appearance is human, but the wisdom of ages can be seen in their eyes. They guard Words of Power, ancient knowledge meant only for godly eyes. When the boldest among them try to learn the Words, the very power of creation consumes them from within.

Meghera awakes and relates her vision to the others. Somehow she knows she can find her way to the Last Spire. The Heroes travel there, but they find nothing left, not even the ruins. But the portal to enter the spire is still floating a 100 feet in the white sky of Pelion.

When the Heroes arrive in the Chamber of Secrets, they only find one guardian left, and all the Words of Power have been destroyed. The guardian tells them of the visit of a dark entity, a creature so powerful he mastered the Last Word, the word that can kill a god! Having taken what he wanted, the entity destroyed the Chamber, and left.

The Heroes understand that the dark power haunting them has the ability to kill gods with a single word. Yet, according to the guardian, its power is fading, for he has lost an "item" of great importance to its very essence. Until it is whole again, each use of the Last Word will bring it nearer to annihilation.

With nothing left for them in Pelion, the Heroes return to Sigil. It is clear to them that the only chance they have agaisnt this returning dark god is to make sure he does not regain its full powers.

Session 64

Heroes: Meghera, Xeridan, Trull, Serghor

 

Among the treasures found in Tcian Sumere, Meghera discovers a map of Pelion, the third layer of Arborea. On the map a few landmarks are clearly indicated, among them the Realm of Amun-thys, home of the power Nephythys. Following previous hints, the Heroes believe Pelion is where they can find the source of the great power that has caused the death of so many gods during the last few months.

 

The Heroes travel to Pelion by way of the sea-realm of Ossa. When they arrive in the vast desert realm, they have to travel several days before reaching Bal-tiref, the mausoleum city of Nephythys' embalmers. From the local petitioners they learn of mysterious legends regarding the Last Spire, a place of great power linked to ancient, now forgotten gods.

 

Their investigation lead them to a tomb-robber, whose latest theft was the Orb of Kadu-Ra, one of the last relics associated with the forgotten gods. The Heroes track down and capture the thief, and retrieve the Orb. But when Meghera touches the golden sphere, her mind is sent back in time, to witness the expedition of another party of planeswalkers, who dared face the dangers of the Last Spire.

Session 63

Heroes: Meghera, Serghor, Xeridan, Trull

The Heroes want nothing to do with a fallen Balor, and leave the pitiful creature behind, to further investigate the dreadful fortress.

 

In a laboratory of sorts they meet an undead creature of great power, and they're surprised to realize that the robed figure is their old companion Aldarion. When they understand that no redeption is possible, they attack the undead monstrosity and destroy it.

 

Further exploration of Tcian Sumere leads the Heroes to a lavishly decorated throne room. A pool of murky water is located at the throne's feet; inside the dark liquid, the Heroes see the image of a chained dark elf, guarded at all times by a visage.

 

With the help of the scrying pool, the Heroes use a teleport spell to arrive inside the dungeons, and rapidly dispatch the visage.

 

The prisoner is Kestod, a vampire servant of the drow goddess of undeath and vengeance, Kiaransalee. He performed a great service for his goddess, related to the demise of another god of evil. He was then drowned inside the waters of the Styx to never share his secret. At a later stage, he was returned to "existence" as a vampire, and eventually found by the visages. The visages seek to restore Kestod's memories, to bring forth the return of their own dark god.

 

When the Heroes free him, all Kestod wants is to be destroyed, to make sure no other influence will pry his secret from his lost memories. Kestod also has valuable informations for the Heroes: on the prime world of Oerth, in Vault of the Drow, a dark elf named Erehe still thrives. He was Kestod's companion, and he also knows about their secret mission. Kestod asks the Heroes to find Erehe, and kill him too.

 

Having learned what they can from him, the Heroes destroy Kestod, and plane shift back to Sigil.

Session 62

Heroes: Meghera, Xeridan, Trull, So'Kehur

So'Kehur finds himself in Ranais, but he soon decides to return to Sigil and gather the rest of the party before risking to attract the attention of the Funereal World's inhabitants. When the Heroes return to Ranais, they go back to the evil temple that claimed Aldarion's life. This time they only find ruins, and they can enter the temple safely. Inside they discover a portal; magical probing reveals that the portal will bring them to the Negative Energy Plane, more precisely to a place called Tcian Sumere.

The Heroes enter the portal, and find themselves in a spherical room devoid of gravity. Air is scarce, and moving around requires a lot of effort. Through magical shadow-tunnels, they explore the compound of connected chambers, some similar to the initial room, others more similar to dungeon chambers.

Eventually they arrive in a cylindrical room where six visages are enthralled by a shaft of blue light. The Heroes assault the fiendish undead and defeat them after a hard battle. When they investigate the shaft of light, they find an emaciated figure floating in it. The creature is Glyphimor, once a powerful balor serving the obscure power claiming this fortress. He recounts that he was stripped of his might from the power Kiaransalee (a drow deity of undeath), and he awaits his master's will to return him to his former self. In the meanwhile, he's not against making a deal with the Heroes if they have magic powerful enough to give him back is demonic powers.

Session 61

Heroes: Meghera, Serghor, Xeridan, Trull, So'Kehur

The Heroes plan their next expedition to the world of Tyrrah, and using powerful magic they manage to reach the city of Hammerborg, the capital of the Empire of Aduria. There they learn more about the Bull of Vengeance, and his legend as a Hero of Tyrrah. While they're not sure why the Bull has chosen them to plague their dreams, it seems that whatever evil the Heroes of Tyrrah have defeated in the past is trying to come back and spread its malignant influence on the rest of the Multiverse.

When the Heroes return to Sigil, they are contacted by Veridis Mov, begging them to return to Crux; it seems that the visages have returned, and the Heroes are the best equipped to handle the situation. The Heroes travel to Crux, and while they're in Veridis Mov's house they're assaulted by a pair of visages. They defeat the creatures, and Veridis Mov shares with them important information.

Through his "contacts" he has come to know of a place called "the Salience" where the Visages are gathering to receive orders from their mysterious master. He asks the Heroes to travel to the Salience (a holy site dedicated to the giant eagles), and spy on the visages to learn more about their quest.

The Heroes reach the Salience, and with the help of local ratatosks they manage to pass unnoticed. At the meeting place, they spy the visages receiving a message from a dust mephit:

"I bring news from Thanatos. 

You master commands you to remain near the tree-city. Very shortly, he shall remove the insect that thwarted your previous efforts and shall recover the bloom himself. For at long last, one of the perpetrators has been located and is now securely held within Tcian Sumere, at the Bottom of the Multiverse. 

Your master has also bid me to add: 'None shall rest until my vengeance is complete. All who stand in my way shall face the wrath of that which was wrought in the ancient halls of the realm now known only for dust.' "

After hearing the message, the visages proceed to rips the mephit apart, and then they leave the Salience. Thanks to his ranger skills, So'Kehur manages to follow the fiends without being noticed, until the last of them returns to Crux, and enters the portal to Ranais, the Funereal World. Unwilling to miss this chance to learn more, So'Kehur follows the fiend into the portal.

Session 60

Heroes: Meghera, Serghor, Xeridan, Trull, So'Kehur

Serghor reports the events of the previous days to Factol Terrance of the Athar. The Factol would rather not start a full-scale war againts the Signers, and charges Serghor and So'Kehur to parley with Factol Darius of the Signers for an amicable solution.

When they succeed in meeting Lady Darius, the factol explains to them that the attack on the temple was the responsibility of a splinter group of Signers calling themselves the Way of the One. The factol also assures the Athar that she's doing all she can to find and apprehend the culprits, and she has no intention to start a war with the Athar.

With this issue apparently solved, the Heroes investigate the abandoned temple further, and reach out for the owner of the plot of land on which the temple is built. After a short bargining session, Xeridan and Meghera buy the property for a discounted price. Even though the temple is still off-limits, the two sneak inside to have a look, but find nothing of interest.

The Heroes turn their attention to the communal dream they had the previous weeks, and contact the minotaur prophet that seems to be the source of their dream-like fights. As usual, the minotaur's words are obscure and ridden with metaphors, but when the Heroes ask to know more about the Bull of Vengenace, the prophet gives then a tuning fork, the material component of the plane shift spell.

When the Heroes use the plane shift spell together with the tuning fork, they find themselves in a barren world, covered in dark clouds that obscure the sun, and dominated by dark elves matriarchs. During their stay, they free a slave girl from a marauding orc tribe, and learn a bit more about the world they ended up in. The Heroes decide to return to the Outlands, and plan their next expedition to this mysterious new world more carefully.

Session 59

Heroes: Meghera, Serghor, Xeridan, Trull

The Heroes leave Ranais with great speed, and get back to Sigil, where they spend the next month reconnecting with their daily lives. 

Meghera comes to terms with her undead nature, and makes sure to inform her factol of everything that happened since she left for Crux. Though factol Ambar is sympathetic, he makes clear to the tiefling that she will have to find a way back to her path to immortality by herself before she's welcome again among the Godsmen.

Serghor is put in charge of the defenses of the abandoned temple that caused so much strife between the Athar and the Signers (see session 51). While overseeing the site, he meets Xeridan, a half-elf Guvner with an academic interest in the ruined temple. The two form an alliance of sorts, and Xeridan is introduced to the rest of the party.

Hanging around the ruined temple, the Heroes meet an elderly minotaur traveller, seemingly knowing a great lot he won't reveal, yet generous with his obscure prophecies about a Power trying to "return" and a Bull of Vengeance ready to punish said Power. The Heroes do not give the horned sage much thought, but that same night they all experience a common dream, where they must face each other in mortal battle. Meghera is the last one standing, and while her companions awake one by one, she's still stuck in the dreamscape, where a thunderous voice addresses her:

Law and Chaos, Good and Evil, Right and Wrong. But what really matters...

When Meghera answers "...what really matters is Power!" a colossal hammer falls on her, and she awakes from her dreamlike state, clearly sensing her answer was not the expected one.

The Heroes' attention is soon attracted by an explosion at the ruined temple, where the Signers are attacking the Athar defenders to enter the temple. The Heroes hurry to the scene, and quickly dispatch the Signers, who retreat inside a nearby tavern. The Heroes parley with the entrenched Signers, and convince them to leave without further bloodshed.

Session 58

Heroes: Meghera, Serghor, Aldarion, Trull

The Heroes are in High Point, hoping to get some help from the constable. Their hopes are soon crushed, when the constable reveals himself to be one of the visages, and ambushes the Heroes with the assistance of one more of the demonic undead. The Heroes fight the many illusions created by the monsters, and manage to destroy both of them. When So'Kehur uses his primal awareness to detect the presence of more demons, he's happy to report that the town of Crux is free of the visages' evil presence.

The townsfolk of Crux rejoice in the news, and honour the Heroes with a feast and a magical gift: a Belt of Cloud Giant Strength! During the festivities, the Heroes have the opportunity to learn more about Crux's past. Legend goes that the founders of Crux were hailing from a prime world called Ranais. The people of Ranais were forced to leave their home when, due to the influence of dark gods, the whole plane was turned into a mausoleum of undeath. Those that did not bend the knee to the dark gods escaped through a portal, and next to that portal they built the first houses of Crux.

Believing some answers can be found in Ranais, the Heroes decide to enter the funereal world. When they arrive, they find a vast ruined city bathed in the dim light of a weak sun, freezing the city in eternal twilight. The city is lifeless, but several undead shadows follow the Heroes around, eventually becoming aggressive. The Heroes find refuge in a empty courtyard, where a triad of wraiths, calling themselves the Lovelost, tells them of how they rejoiced when their god died, and how they now suffer, for he has returned.

Suspicious of the Lovelost's words, the Heroes wander further into the city, eventually reaching a grand cathedral dedicated to the powers of evil and undeath. A long line of acolytes make their way to the great doors of the temple, disappearing beyond in a cold void of darkness.

The place hums with the power of evil gods, but Aldarion and Meghera are set on entering the temple. A few moments after they cross the doors, the illusion disguising the temple dissipates, revealing a ruined building. Aldarion is nowhere to be seen, consumed by the dark energies within. Meghera lies unconscious on the cobblestones in front of the doors, her now useless, skeletal wings moving feebly, her skin deadly white and stretched across her cheekbones. When Serghor approaches her to lend aid, it is clear to him that the worst has happened: Meghera has become an undead.

Session 57

Heroes: Meghera, Serghor, Aldarion, Trull, So'Kehur

The Heroes defeat the minions of Set, and attract the attention of a larger band of the same creatures. They're escorted to Necrotepsis Skorpio, proxy of Set and guardian of the black sands of Ankhwughat. He's camped with his evil legions near to the portal to Crux, also hunting the same creature the Heroes are after. 

From him the Heroes learn that the creature, which he calls a "visage", has been searching for the "desert night" a rare flower growing only in Ankhwugat. The flower has the power to bring back the memories of those that lost them due to the cursed waters of the Styx. Necrotepsis is not looking for allies, and he makes clear to the Heroes that they're not welcome in this realm. Unwilling to anger the proxy of a god, and having lost any sign of the visage, the Heroes return to Crux.

They've only made a few steps into town, when a house falls on them with no warning sign nor tremors. As the Heroes fight to get out of the debris, some of them notice a few incongruences in the event. When they focus their mind, they realise they're victim of a powerful illusion. 

Afraid of being targeted by more illusions, Serghor uses a truesight spell on himself to search the town. When the Heroes visit a local tavern Serghor spots one of the visages in disguise. He attacks the creatures, but his companions easily fall prey to the fiend's illusory powers. The visage pits Hero against Hero, but suffers enough damage to be forced to escape.

The Heroes once again loose track of the fiend, and decide to visit the local constable. When they enter the fortress of High Point, the guards look suspicious. The great doors of the citadel close behind them, barring the way back to the streets of Crux.

Session 56

Heroes: Meghera, Serghor, Aldarion, Trull, So'Kehur

The Heroes return to Crux, where they find that the Woodworkers' Guildhouse is on fire! They hurry to save any survivors, and they find Marlus Van, the guildmistress, has been possessed by a malevolent spirit, and has set fire to her own home. The Heroes knock Marlus out, battle the fire spirit borne of the flame, and quench the inferno.

Thanks to the Heroes' magic, Marlus is free of the evil nfluence, but it's clear that all those that commune with Yggdrasil are affected by whatever dark presence is tainting the World Ash.

The Heroes decide to remain in Crux to investigate the matter further. Magical and mundane research reveal that several undead fiends are hiding in town, probably under the guise of innocent townsfolk. When more subtle method to uncover their identity fail, Serghor uses his newly found powers to cast a forbiddance spell in the center of town. As his radiant power spreads, a scream of pain raises from the gathered crowds... the fiend has been found!

The demon flees, and the Heroes chase him to a dark alley in the quarter of High Point. There, the shadowy demon disappears into a open portal. On the other side of the portal, the Heroes find themselves in the desert hell of Ankhwugat, realm of the evil god Set. As they get their bearings, a dozen Minions of Set, in the shape of humanoid scorpions, arise from the sands.

Session 55

Heroes: Meghera, Serghor, Aldarion, Trull, So'Kehur

The Heroes are in Crux, a quite town built on one of the gigantic branches of Yggdrasil. The place seems to be at peace, but the townsfolk speak of something "dark" just waiting to happen. The ratatosk, squirrel-folk native of the Great Tree, have been restless of late, and are acting strangely.

The Heroes meet with Veridis Mov, a well-respected citizen of Crux. The man does not seem to have any actual occupation, apart from collecting "gifts" from the townsfolk, thankful for the many times he has helped them. It was Veridis that convinced the yuan-ti bandits to leave Crux alone, and it was him that made peace with the ratatosk in the past. When the Heroes ask about the recent troubles, he directs them to the Woodworkers' Guild, whose leader is a devout adept of the World Ash, and a good friend of the ratatosk.

The Woodworkers confirm that the ratatosk have been acting up recently, going so far as to stroll into town to utter prophecies of doom. To make matters worse, a few days back a dead ratatosk was found in town, ripped apart by some sort of beast. The Heroes ask the Guild's leader, Marlus, to arrange for a meeting with the ratatosk. 

The day after, they leave Crux to meet with the squirrel-folk. The creatures are natural pranksters, but their plays have something sinister to them. The Heroes meet with Glittereye, the ratatosk shaman, who brings them to the Warpwood, a section of Yggdrasil tainted by a dark presence. As the Heroes lay eyes on a dark blot of necrotic power desecrating the branches of the World Ash, Glittereye transforms into a gigantic creature of rotten branches and shadows.

The Heroes fight and defeat the evil presence, and free Glittereye from his wooden prison. As the shadows dissolve, a demonic presence of great power takes shape, then disappears. 

Session 54

Heroes: Meghera, Aldarion, Trull

Still following the yuan-ti's tracks, the Heroes cross the realm of the Norns, and reach a portal to Yggdrasil. They travel on the colossal branches of the World Ash for a few hours, eventually reaching a crater-like knot in the wood. In the distance, they spot a town. So'Kehur and Serghor decide to check out the town, while the others investigate the knot.

At the bottom of the crater, they find a portal that brings them to Naphraks, a demiplane where the yaun-ti have their base of operations. When they try to free a group of humanoids imprisoned in the slave pens they attract the attention of the snake-men garrison. The Heroes kill many yuan-ti, but when they realise that they're overmatched, Trull and Aldarion dimension door away and retreat in a magnificent mansion created by the elf, while Meghera summons her Nic'Epona friend. Intrigued by the magical horse, the yuan-ti shoot her down before she can make his escape and take hold of her. Then they also capture Meghera.

The tiefling manages to talk her way out of beheading, and makes a deal with the yuan-ti bandit king, promising him she will use her Nic'Epona to steal beauty from a titan! While she's kept in a room in the tower of the bandit king, Aldarion and Trull plan her rescue. After a short rest, they exit the mansion, and dimension door straight to the bandit king room. They kill the yuan-ti leader, taking from his the Thief of Charms, the magical artifact capable of storing stolen beauty. They recover a couple of bottles of "beauty", and meet with Meghera. As the yuan-ti gather to assault them again, the Heroes retire once again into their mansion.

 

From the safety of their extra-dimensional home, they parley with the surviving yuan-ti leaders. Eventually an agreement is reached, where the yuan-ti will return the Nic'Epona, and allow the Heroes to keep the Thief of Charms, but the Heroes promise to never use the artifact to "compete" with them in the "bottled beauty" trade, and to not seek further revenge on the yuan-ti. The deal is sealed with a ritual on the altar of Merrshaulk, and with an all-night party in the mansion, where the Heroes invite the leaders with their entourage.

 

The day after, the yuan-ti show to the Heroes the portal that will bring them back to the crater-like knot on Yggdrasil. The Heroes point their gaze at the town of Crux, where Serghor and So'Kehur are waiting for them.

Session 53

Heroes: Meghera, Serghor, Aldarion, Trull, So'Kehur

Meghera uses her contacts to obtain a silver dove-hawk feather, and the Heroes cross over to the Outlands. They find themselves in the mines of Chariamur, a forsaken swamp of metallic grease in between the realms of the illithid and beholder powers. 

They spot a building slowly sinking into the muck, and investigate. An illithid comes screaming out of the building, and a few moments later his brain implodes, and the creature dies. Inside the compound, the Heroes find one more illithid; this one has the chance to utter a few words before dying: "the god Maanzecorian is dead!" Then a wave of tremendous psychic power washes over the Heroes, as millions of dark secrets once known by the illithid god are released from a nearby portal.

The Heroes leave the swamp, and travel north to Ironridge, a human settlement at the edge of the mountains. It is clear that the yuan-ti have passed by, as the town is in an uproar. The evil creatures have traded some of their "bottled beauty" to a brewer and his wife, and now half of the townsfolk is fighting among each other to "own" them. When a Trull and So'Kehur also fall victim to the enchantment, Serghor dispels the malicious magic.

Following information gathered in Ironridge, the Heroes travel to the Realm of the Norns. On their way, they meet Tiac Rami No, an eccentric wizard travelling in his gigantic walking tower. The wizard invites the Heroes to travel with him, as he's also looking for the yuan-ti to obtain the "bottled beauty". The Heroes travel with the wizard for a couple of days, but when Meghera lays her eyes on the enchanted gems of Tiac's treasury, she falls under their spell, and tries to steal them. When the wizard notices, he subdues the tiefling with his powerful magic. The others intervene, but soon realise that something is amiss. Brick by brick, the tower is "disappearing", leaving them to fall from great heights. 

With flying magic and wings, the Heroes avoid the fall, and when the tower is gone completely (together with Tiac Rami No) they see the forest realm of the Norns just below their feet. Looks like the goddesses of Fate would not allow the walking tower monstrosity to spoil their forest, and simply made it disappear.

With awe and great respect for the nature surrounding them, the Heroes enter the forest. Not long after, they encounter a lonely child playing barefooted among the trees. Her eyes betray great wisdom and power. She tells the Heroes they may ask her one question about the Past. When they ask about the true reasons behind the modron march, the child fills their minds with a surprising vision.

The One and the Prime rules supreme over Mechanus, when a shadow surrounds him and engulfs him. Then a Word of Power is uttered, and Primus SHATTERS. The shadows takes the dead god's place, and changes into a shape resembling Primus. As the modron bow to their god, shining Primus orders them to march.

Session 52

Heroes: Meghera, Serghor, Aldarion, Trull, So'kehur

So'Kehur returns to Sigil, after a solitary mission on Mechanus to gather information about the conclusion of the Modron March. On his way to contact his adventuring companions, he's approached by a distressed young half-elf. The boy claims he's been robbed, but when the ranger asks for details all the boy can say is that he lost his "beauty". Not long after, a woman approaches, confirming to have been victim of the same thieves. Still confused, So'Kehur does notice that both individuals register as quite unattractive to him, though he can't quite place what it is about them that makes them so.

When he's hired by the woman to retrieve her beauty, So'Kehur enlists the help of the other Heroes, and together they start to search the Lower Ward for clues. Their investigations point to a group of snake-like creatures attacking attractive bashers during the night. The Heroes plan to ambush the creatures by having one of them look handsome with the help of illusion magic. 

Their planning pays off, and they find themselves facing off against a dozen yuan-ti, cruel snake-like slavers from the Outlands. The Heroes kill several yuan-ti and capture one, but the leaders of the group escape through a portal. From the captured yuan-ti, the Heroes learn that the serpent-folk possess an item capable of stealing the "beauty" from a victim, and store in into a magical bottle for further use. The portal they used opens up near the mines of Chariamur in the Outlands, a few days march fro the yuan-ti forest home. By analyzing the portal with magic, the Heroes learn that in order to activate the portal they will need a silver Arcadian dove-hawk feather.

It is a quite rare item, but the Heroes have powerful magic that can transport them to Chariamur without much effort. As they ponder on what to do next, they retire for the night.