Session 37: Changing of the Guard Report
General Summary
Lucius' Celebration of Avatar Ascension
The Pit Patrol gathers at the behest of Carl Malmström, Patriarch of the Sun to celebrate the Ascension of Avatar Lucius. He has been told that a "Celebration of Avatar Ascension" is customary for a new avatar. There have been no avatars of the sun since the War Against the Far Realm 150 years before so he was unaware of the process.
The Patriarch has gathered together people important to Lucius in his mortal life. The ceremony is held in the smallest chapel of the immense Church of the Sun in Aurumopolis. The Patriarch makes the excuse that this is because the ceremony has to take place at the last minute. The Patrol doesn't really believe it, but they make no fuss about it.
The Attendees
When they enter the Chapel of the Sun they see that the Patriarch has been joined by Tito Apolaki, the Warlock of Rampol, who actually runs the ceremony.
Besides the Pit Patrollers, in attendance are: Lolo Mumu & Lola Mimi, Sly Spencer, Profit Holden, Lady Seraphena Syren, Lola Carly, and Noctus Lunara, a priest and time wizard who is Lucius' replacement in the Patrol from the Tower of Bluxton where Lucius was raised.
Celebration of a Sun Boi
As the ceremony begins everyone eulogizes Lucius. Even though he isn't dead, he has still moved on from mortal life as an avatar of Rampol, god of the sun.
Tito Apolaki reveals a surprise guest, Lucius' mother Maricelia Guimatao. She has been transformed back into a half-elf from her monstrous half-spider drider form. The first thing her son did was appear to her and give her back her mortal form. She remembers her sweet boy and says that when he was born she knew he was special. She spirited him away from the Wardens of Tambanakua and gave him to passing wizards who raised him into the hero he became.
Once Lucius restored his mother's mortal form, he dove into the Volcano of the Tambanakua to confront the lava spider head on. There were earthquakes and rumbling, but the new avatar has not been seen since.
D'Wat says that he and Lucius didn't always see eye to eye. He wanted it to be the owlbear. He enjoyed the last few meals. Thirteen thought that Lucius brought balance to the team. As someone who wears black all the time, they needed someone who wears white. He contributed to the team in a good way.
Oyx says that Lucius was his best friend and they had good times together late at night. They would just practice ninjutsu and stuff. Fez is upset that Lucius is gone and not going to fight the Tambanakua.
T-R01D is glad(?) that Lucius ascended. He says that Lucius didn't really affect him. He says that Lucius abandoned them.
Noctus Lunara said that Lucius gained immense power. "He did a thing."
The last two to appear are the spirits of Brandeis and Avalon. Two heroes who once bore Midnight's Bane, the radiant bastard sword that Lucius bears as an avatar. These ghosts come with a warning that the avatar has come to his power too soon. He may not be able to control himself and a second sun might form in the sky that could evaporate the seas and burn the world to a cinder. They caution that while Lucius is a good man, his friends must help to keep him in check.
After the Ceremony
The party is loath to accept Noctus into the Patrol. They begrudgingly allow him to join them in the casino.
Afterwards they talk to the other guests at the Ceremony. Thirteen asks Lolo Mumu about the scythe she took from the death giant Fatzo. He says that it has the soul of the slain giant in it. He says that Fatzo attuned to it by fasting and exhausting herself. He suspects that Thirteen must do the same to control her own death giant form.
The Lady Seraphina Syren greets Noctus in the name of the Blood Moon Covenant and the Shattered Moon Coalition. She seeks his help in locating Valentine King of Vampires. Thirteen joins this conversation as she is also interested in Valentine.
Demon, Soul Thief, Vertical Mouth Full of Fangs
On the next Shatter an abyssal plane appears in the Pit as the Manifest. The Patrol enters and encounters Hara' antar the Soulthief, a powerful demon who feeds on mortal souls that are near her. She is in a forest of leafless trees full of acidic pits.
The Patrol meets her in combat and discovers that she is accompanied by hordes of minor pitling demons, two beastly ruinant demons, a chimerical demon, and a demon archer.
D'Wat finds that unfortunately the demons can smell his soul when he gets too close and can see him even if he hides. He is riddled with demonic arrows, but manages to escape. He summons a troop of minotaur warriors with his horn.
Meanwhile, T-R01d unsurprisingly dives right into combat. The combat goes back and forth. T-R01d attempts to grapple Hara'antar and the soulthief first drains all the mortal souls around her, including the summoned minotaurs. She then rends T-R01d with a soul powered bite that almost kills him.
In a panic, the Patrollers finally manage to defeat the demons and return to the Pit Wall Safely.
