Session 08: Arimaongo, Aswang, & Limbo Liches
General Summary
As the day began the Heavenly plane known as the Beastlands opened up. Garrison City filled with excited pilgrims, weaving their way through crowded markets. They traveled in and out of the Happy Hunting Grounds.The Silversong Moon hung high in the sky.
Cat Eclipse and Aswang Ambush
With a tremendous roar, a huge feline shape as large as a mountain, the Arimaonga, leaped from the Pit. The playful kaiju spirit cat blacked out the sun as it hunted the moon. All ident-a-hedrons flared to life with the common message “MOON EATER IDENTIFIED - ALL PERSONS INITIATE MOON EATER PROTOCOL”. The population burst into action; with spell users casting their loudest spells, and the rest clanking swords, shields, or any metal utensils they had.
The party was gathered in a courtyard when the huge beast made its way into the sky blocking the afternoon sun. As shadows rose in its wake the familiar clanging of metal and boisterous spell casting fell away as Aswang appeared at the periphery of the courtyard.
D’Wat was able to rattle off one soul dagger at a cannibalistic balbal aswang . The two balbal engaged Zernon and T-R01D ripping at them with fierce talons and sharp tongues.
A mangkukulam stepped into the courtyard from the edge of shadows and cast Harm on Lucius, but the spell was adeptly countered by Thirteen . Lucius atop a flying carpet took to the sky setting up a triple shot with his ring of the sun. Waves of sunlight flowed from his ring with fierce focus obliterating one of the two boroka aswang.
Thirteen followed up with a devastating guiding bolt obliterating the hag from where she stood, leaving only a wisp of paper. The sounds of the city washed over the courtyard and the remaining beasts vanished with the shadows. Thirteen wearily cast mage hand to inspect the paper which read:
Blot out the newborn sun before it can burn us all.
A Day in the Beastlands
As the giant lion retreated back to its celestial plane the group headed towards the Fortress of Kirinal's Gate as the crowds around them murmured about the last moon eater spotting more than 50 years ago, and speculative inquiries, wondering if a giant crab or eagle may try to take a moon next. The group entered heaven, pulling D’Wat reluctantly along. T-R01D questioned some passers by about the Lichwars and was given information about a Lady Amara, the Eagle of Braza. Thirteen sought closeness with her deity Molak and was met with kind words and hope that all souls take the natural path from life to infinite death, she also learned that those undead do not follow the path of Molak and work to undo her ways.
Zernon was approached by archons, other humanoid beasts. They led him to an armourer who may have some better fitting armor for his body type. With a little negotiating Zernon picked out some new armor and D’Wat negotiated a trade made up of found items and stolen magical leather armor.
On their way back to the Garrison the party was stopped by two imposing figures in white and gold armor. They introduced themselves as members of the Church of Sun & Moon. Deacon Gustav provided an embellished letter of invitiation to Lucius. They hoped to persuade him to come reside in the Bulwark of Light under the auspices of the Carl Malmström, Patriarch of the Sun. After delivering his speech and letter the deacon walked off self satisfied. His companion a tiefling, Harmony Tun-Razak, Legionmaster of the Order of Light, the daughter of the Grandmaster the Order of Light, offered her own thoughts to Lucius, noting that maybe the Order could be healed from the inside.
Maze of the Limbo Lich
The party awoke the next day to Shatter, and the Pit manifested the swirling plane of Limbo. From their perch on the wall the party saw a blighted zen garden with a large circular hedge maze. Midnight's Bane vibrated on Lucius’ belt trying to fling itself into the garden. As the group entered Zernon held out his medal of the maze, which melded with his paladin powers and showed the quickest path to the center of the maze.
As the group discussed their next move D’Wat began to hear oddly phrased psionic whispers coming from the maze. The whispers cautioned D’Wat of a powerful threat in the center of the maze and begged for freedom. With the guidance of Zernon and the obscure voice D’Wat navigated the maze stealthily, advancing to the being seeking aid. As he made his way deeper into the maze D’Wat was hit with waves of exhaustion finally finding a door guarded by a still wight. The party cautiously advanced into the maze following D’Wat’s fart trail.
Seeing no way of opening a guarded door D’Wat attempted to throw sound down the corridor to lure away the undead creature. Instead it awoke and looked back toward the D’Wat’s position and the front of the maze. The undead throughout the maze began to chitter and made their way toward the advancing party.
Zernon engaged the first undead that rushed from its slumber nearly smiting it. Lucius and T-R01D also advanced on the incoming undead. With the wights preoccupied D’Wat shrunk down as small as he could, opened the door and entered the prison cell. In the cell resided a brain in a clear container which D’Wat recognized as the source of the psionic whispers. Nabbing the brain and calling back through to the mind of his compatriots D’Wat requested a path for egress.
Ready to evacuate the tiny fairy and his new companion Thirteen hurled a flaming bolt through the maze walls, straight into the cell. She then used mage hand to pull the tiny D’Wat and cargo into the embrace of the party. Seeing this as a sign to leave the lumbering feline Zernon made his way from the maze. The party was still being pursued by multiple undead and even their Cleric’s ability to turn undead was proving useless. The brain sparked to life and cast out a psionic wave to aid the company and all were able to disengage from combat and flee the maze and Limbo plane. The brain recognizing its safety thanked D’Wat. "This One" explained that a Lich meditated in the center of the maze and even blessed D’Wat with health and stamina.
Deciding to Live in the Light
Upon their return from the Kirinal pit the party discussed their prospects for the future. They could change their commission and work in a number locales in the Zone. With a number of choices in mind the group felt that the Bulwark of Light may be the best place for them. Lucius was excited to help the Order of Light and Zernon was happy to follow. T-R01D and D’Wat were caught up in dreams of riches in Aurumopolis. The tiny voice of Prisoner 13 wormed its way into Thirteen's mind, making her aware that many contacts await her in the Bulwark. The party collected their things as Oyx returned from his artificer convention and Fez arrived back from his visit home to The Tortoise. The champions made their way to the Bulwark and set the stage for their new adventure making their home in one the new casino, Bayani Sun.
