Dates: 1492 - 1ST DAY OF FROSTMOOT - MOONDAY
Mission: Return to the Tomb of Moving Stones
Campaign: Elemental Cult Campaign
Location(s): Red Larch, Blackstaff Tower
Present: Aerie, Anor, Aramil, Bandur, Fabien, Fenn, Garet, Grog, Karion, Zindra
Leaving Field: None
1492, 1st Day of Frostmoot, Moonday: Continued
The group advanced. Zindra to the left side of the 'temple' to cover the left side of the chamber with her bow. Fabien moved to the other side of the obelisk ready to play her magical, bardic, melodies.
Grog and Aerie concentrated as again wailing undead appeared from the sarcophagus' around the walls. A ghost appeared next to Aramil, a Carin Wraith charged Zindra, two more ghosts moved down the side of the chamber towards Anor and Zindra.
Grog prayed and the wraith disintegrated into nothing. Aramil and Bandur dispatched the ghost attacking Aramil, Aerie turned the ghost on the right side as Anor and Garet moved in to finish it off. Zindra's deadly fir arrows dispatched the last ghost.
Moving towards the temple, Grog and Aerie cast dispel magic on the altar, Grog moving into the actual temple itself. The group moved closer to the temple on two sides. Garet shadow stepped behind the altar and completed 2 mighty kicks that hit something that he couldn't see. The necromancer made a wild swing but missed as Garet's final attacks killed the elusive enemy.
Before they could gather themselves the ground trembled, more undead? No two gargantuan purple worms broke surface and attacked the members of the group at the front of the temple. Aramil, Bandur where hit hard. Fenn the dog managed to evade the attack but Zindra took a mighty blow and the worm nearly swallowed her whole.
The group moved in to attack and mighty blows were landed but the gargantuan worms would take some killing. Aramil was hit, Bandur again, Grog rushed forward and was bitten badly, he crumpled to the floor. Anor ran through the temple and poured a healing potion down Grogs throat taking no heed of the danger he was in. Aerie took to the air over the temple. Zindra manged to fire a number of arrows into a worm as Aerie cast a healing prayer. Again and again the group slashed, hacked and bludgeoned the two worms. Again and again the worms shrugged off the damage.
Aerie resorted to swoop attacks, resuming her position above the temple each time. Aramil cast magic fire bolts and missiles, Bandur and Anor were swinging their battle axe and sword respectively with devastating precision. Grog, back on his feet joined in the attacks. Fabien struck with her rapier time and again, Zindra fired more fire arrows. Garet shadow stepped behind a worm and was striking away with sword, dagger, fist and foot.
Eventually the group wore the worms down and both collapsed dead to the floor of the chamber. Grog turned round towards the temple and pointed at Aerie and cried out in terror. Aerie turned. Behind her, flying right behind her was the Demon Lord of her nightmares. Before the demon could react Grog cast a banish prayer, luck was with him that day for the Demon froze in space and time then disappeared.
Aramil was just about to take some healing when he suddenly found himself, not in the chamber but laying on a bed in a familiar room. As he sat up he could see the others of the group doing the same. Aerie was last to rise.
Standing to one side where Elminster and The Blackstaff herself.
Elminster: "Welcome back to the land of the living, so to speak. Don't speak listen. When Garet activated the pendent it brought you all here, with the help of The Blackstaff we were able to do this. Aerie needed more healing, for deep in the back of her mind was something that had to be brought out. I am sure she will tell you, when she is ready. As for Red Larch.....I am sure you will want to get there as soon as possible, friends to meet etc, etc. Now be assured nothing bad has happened to you other than a dream, a nightmare if you wish. You are not injured, you have not wasted your precious potions or anything like that. But I will say we did not create those 'things' you met in that dream, they were all of your making. I would dare say that some things were not as powerful as you may have imagined, in real life they would be more so. The reason......you have no knowledge of these creatures other than your own worst nightmares. One final thing......Aramil, I hear you've found out about your father?"
Aramil: "Yes, from a book, the Dwarven historical tome we returned".
Elminster: "Then you know the truth of it and no longer need to seek me out. That said I will grant you one question, think well what it is. Come and find me in the room next door when you're ready. You others, you have nothing to fear except fear itself."
Elminster and The Blackstaff leave the room.
Aerie gave a nervous cough.......
Aerie: "When I was struck with the scythe, the phantom scythe weapon of the wraith and was as close to death as I ever want to be I had a dream vision, a real nightmare vision. I could see myself on a sacrificial altar.
(Aerie paused awhile, going into a trance like look and recounted)
You are prone on what feels like cold stone. Looking up You see a horned beast.
You try to move but unseen restraints bind your hands and feet. It raises its arm and slams a bejewelled curved dagger blade deep into your chest. A moment later the creature plunges its free hand into your chest and rips out your heart. Arise my child. Somehow free if your bonds You are able to stand. The creature beckons you over to a black mirror. As you approach the mirror shimmers and you see....
'You are no longer that bitches thrall. You are hear to do my bidding as those who have passed before you. Your kind provide the greatest of my children not all demons have the gift of flight. You will lead under me, for We are Legion and our time shall come'.
(Aerie screams inwardly in her trance)
"LIKE HELL I AM! ONLY SERVE AND WILL ONLY EVER SERVE THE GREAT AND HOLY WINGED MOTHER, AERDRIE FAENYA! TIME TO DIE YOU EVIL SACK OF SHIT!"
You bow your head and say yes my Father. I now only follow you like my brothers and sisters who came before me, for We are Legion.
The creature beckons you over to the edge he stands on. "Feast your eyes for We are Legion".
Below you is a vast multitude of all kinds of fell creatures. Many hooved and horned, in the likeness of the creature now towering above you. Above the multitude are vast numbers of Winged creatures like yourself."
Aerie slumps forward, this recounting of the nightmare has taken much out of her. But she sits back up and continues:
Aerie: "As a cleric of the Avariel I know about the primordial wars when the demons first roamed the land before being banished. Countless Avariel fell in these wars. It is not written but it is thought that fallen/captured Avariel were or became winged demons.
Aramil leaves the room and visits Elminster next door, he knows what he will ask him.
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