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Message: <blockquote data-quote="shilsen" data-source="post: 2821157" data-attributes="member: 198">Session 16 - Kneel Before Zokar!The Angels check the bodies and find that Kielsten, the younger dwarf (whom the crying woman identifies as her son Daerk), one of the mephits, and one swordsman, are still alive. Gareth suggests they use no magic, in case they activate the tattoos, and they bandage their wounds to prevent them dying. The woman seems confused about their intentions, even though Gareth tries to explain to her that her husband and son were "worshipping a dark, evil god", since she keeps crying and asking them not to kill them and to take whatever they want. In exasperation, Nameless casts a sleep spell upon her.After tying and gagging everyone, the Angels begin to search the building. Besides the large storeroom-cum-antechamber from which the cultists emerged, the bottom level of the house contains a master bedroom, a smaller single bedroom, a kitchen-cum-dining room, a small living room, a workroom-cum-office, and a privy. The stairs lead up to a large attic, partly used for storage. The woman's appearance from there is explained by the rocking chair, with a dropped pair of knitting needles and a half-completed woolen cap next to it. There is one more room at the back, with the door left ajar. Within is a meeting room with a dozen chairs and two tables. The room smells vaguely of smoke. A young man lies unconscious on the floor here, with bruises on his face, his clothes identifying him as the one who was carried in a few moments ago. The walls have curtains covering them, one of which has been moved away to reveal a door about 3 ft high, set two feet up the wall. Investigation reveals a small chamber that smells of smoke and fire, with four shallow pits in the bottom, each containing smoldering coal. Corven opines that this is where the mephits stayed. Checking behind the other curtains reveals the same stylized flame symbol on the walls, and also a shaft that leads down 20 ft to what seems to be a horizontal tunnel.Corven suggests they check the shaft, and Luna casts a spell allowing Six to spider climb along the walls. He checks and finds that the shaft rises fifty feet above the doorway and ends, with no apparent exits. Descending to the bottom, he enters the tunnel and finds that it resembles those in the Cogs. As he is looking around, a mephit sticks its head around a corner some distance away and shoots a scorching ray at him (which misses). Six rushes towards it, followed by Luna, who simply jumps down the shaft after him, and then Corven, who goes down the rope. The mephit flies quickly down the tunnel and disappears, and some investigation reveals a number of splits in the tunnels ahead. Rather than risking getting lost on a wild mephit chase, the three return.Cala joins the group at this point, telling them that she has taken care of the people outside and is having her friend Toras search the other rooms. Corven revives the unconscious man with some magical healing. While originally quite startled and scared, he recovers a little, though he is not much reassured by Gareth's and Corven's explanation to him that he had been kidnapped by a group of cultists, probably to be sacrificed by burning. He is Ohtar, an apprentice locksmith, who knows Maenoth and Levan (apparently the two swordsmen). He was invited to Maenoth's house and attacked by the two, which is the last thing he remembers. He has absolutely no idea about the cult's existence, and Cala theorizes that he was just an easy target (especially since he lives alone and has no family in Sharn). The group sends Ohtar to wait in the main room with the others.They then move on to reviving and questioning the mephit. After some momentary confusion and a few words in a language that they do not understand but Nameless identifies as Ignan, the creature switches to poor Common and is quite talkative, if a little dim. It says that it was brought here by Zokar and was sent with the others to Kielsten, the head of the cult, as messengers and guards. It identifies Zokar as an angel, causing Nameless to say that fits what he had learned of radiant idols. It describes him as a large humanoid, twice as tall as Gareth, with red skin. It also mentions that Zokar is incapable of flight and nothing can fly near him. When asked what Zokar wants, it mimics him, putting on a presumably forbidding expression, and saying, "Me Zokar yah yah god of fire yah yah worship me yah yah fear me yah yah", sending some of the Angels into splits. It says that he has nine guards, or more precisely, "Many many one." When asked if it is willing to lead them to Zokar, it quickly agrees, as long as the group promises to let it go afterwards. Gareth demurs, but Corven promises to do so, and it immediately agrees. Checking to see if it is evil, Gareth finds that it isn't, and asks its name. The answer run on for a few seconds, causing Gareth to pick the first syllable and call it "Zeke". Toras interrupts at this point to say that he has found a safe in the office. After opening it with a key found on Kielsten, the group finds that it contains a ledger and other business papers. While removing these, they find a secret compartment, which contains a small sack of gold pieces and four documents. One is a list of people, with the title Radiant Fire above, with a little over thirty names. A couple of them have lines drawn through them, including the two above Kielsten's (which is third). It does have the names of Maenoth and Levan on it, as well as that of Neb (with a line through his). Cala identifies some of the names with lines as those of missing people, including a couple that went missing months ago and were only retroactively considered as possibly linked to the later ones. Another document has six names, three of which are Drass, Vendig and Hestia. The third is a short list of days (including the two which were on the papers found at Hestia's and Drass' homes), with the last one being the 10th, two days later. The fourth is a map, showing the route from an entrance into Blackbones to a location marked with the stylized flame. The group spends a little time discussing these and then moves on with the interrogations. At this point they check the unconscious people for magical equipment. They find a few things, including a potion that Gareth wants to take. This draws a dirty look from Cala, followed by a "What do you think you're doing?" When Gareth begins to explain that he's just taking something he could use, Cala explains that they aren't here looking for loot. These items may quite easily belong to dead Cyrans and are all going to the embassy so that they can try to work out whom they belonged to. She collects the various items and puts them in a sack that she gives Toras.After that, the Angels move on to Maenoth. When revived, he seems quite fatalistic about having been captured, and apparently honestly admits to being a member of the cult for over a month. He says that Zokar promised to give Cyre back to his followers and destroy their enemies when he has enough worshippers, but Maenoth has his suspicions about both. Still, being a member made him some money, so he went along with it. He too asks for clemency for helping with information, but Gareth is less willing in this case, pointing out that he has been a murderer and helped others to be so. Still, the Angels suggest that they might be able to save him from execution. He also shares some information about Zokar, describing him as Zeke did, but adding that Zokar has stumps on his shoulders, which the Angels assume are the remains of his wings. When Gareth, trying to ascertain what kind of angel he might be, asks if Zokar is handsome, Maenoth dryly says, "Zokar really isn't my type, but yes, you could say he's handsome." Maenoth also touches on the issue of the tattoo, which is apparently created during a ritual with Zokar and allows him to watch, hurt and kill his followers at a distance.Luna suggest that they might be able to cut off the tattoo, which horrifies Maenoth until Gareth points out that the other option is to burst into flame and die at some point. With Maenoth's reluctant agreement, Corven knocks him out and Gareth slices off the tattoo (his is on the shoulder) with the skin around it, Luna healing Maenoth as he does so to prevent death. Gareth presents the skin to Nameless, saying, "You'll probably enjoy it." Seconds after they remove it, however, the tattoo fades off the removed skin and reappears on Maenoth in the original position. Nameless theorizes that it may be like a dragonmark in being a manifestation of some internal quality, so that it will simply reappear if removed. He tries to dispel it and fails. When Corven tries and succeeds, the red lines that make it up turn dull black, but they return to the original color in twenty seconds.With this not having worked, the group moves on to Kielsten. The dwarf proves much more obdurate than the others, refusing to say anything about Zokar other than that he will save Kielsten even if he dies. While the others are threatening him, Nameless notices a scrying sensor pop into existence near Kielsten. He quickly points it out to the others, causing Luna to suggest blocking its view with a blanket. As they are about to try this, Kielsten bursts into flame just as Neb had done. The flames, however, seem weaker and though he screams and goes limp, the flames quickly die away to leave him burned but alive. They hasten to heal him and prevent death, and then Gareth suggests that they take him to the Archierophant and ask for her help. Cala says, "Are you sure? No offense, but the Silver Flame has shown little interest in the plight of Cyrans in Sharn." Gareth angrily points out that he is helping, and Cala explains that she means the existing Silver Flame hierarchy in Sharn. While they are discussing this, the group hear more screams from outside and discover that Maenoth has combusted too. He, however, is dead. And seconds later, screams ring out from the street too.Rushing out, they see someone aflame on the ground across the street, with two people trying to beat out the flames. By the time they reach him he is dead. Cala recognizes him as one of the people on the longer list, and the group realizes that Zokar is probably eliminating the cultists, since they are a lead to him. After a quick check of the list, Cala, Toras and Leton run off to try and save people if possible, and the group grab the unconscious Kielsten and hurry off towards the Cathedral. Zeke, with Gareth's manacles used as a collar and chain, is in tow. As they go, they hear more screams and commotion from various points of High Walls.As they make their way up to Middle Tavick's to catch a skycoach, two members of the Watch stop the motley group. Gareth attempts to persuade them that Kielsten, carried between two of them, is drunk, but a suspicious guard checks. One look at the burned and unconscious dwarf later, the guards are pointing crossbows at the group and asking for an explanation. Corven gives them an honest account, and a combination of some diplomacy and the fact that they're getting close to a lunch break has the guards agree to put them on a skycoach and send them off.Along the way, Gareth chats with the mephit, who now seems quite friendly (except for his unfortunate tendency to enjoy frightening people they encounter by yelling "BURN!" and cackling). He offers to let Zeke accompany them, which the mephit agrees to as long as they will let him leave if he wants and give him things to burn. Perhaps it has nothing to do with this discussion, but the skycoach driver gets them to the Sovereign Towers district as soon as possible. A few minutes later, the group gets to meet the Archierophant Ythana Morr. After a quick explanation of what they have experienced and seen, she explains that she cannot really help much with information regarding Zokar, since that is not one of her areas of expertise. She does, however, say that their cause seems worthy and she is always happy to help "a paladin" (Gareth) and any other "true worshipper" (Corven) of the Flame. When Gareth asks about buying scrolls or potions that help resist fire, she says she will provide them the next morning gratis. Ythana also says that she will keep Kielsten in custody and study whether they can prevent any further control of him by Zokar.She also asks about Gareth's sword and is pleased to hear that he has recovered it. Gareth asks if she can explain some of the strange things that have happened regarding it and its powers. One example manifests immediately, since he actually feels the sword 're-develop' the powers it already had. Ythana is intrigued and suggests that she might be able to find out more if he leaves it with her. Gareth diplomatically suggests that he wishes to study it himself for now, causing her to smile and say that she understands that he doesn't want to let it out of his grasp right now. After thanking her, the Angels depart. Corven heads to the Esoteric Order to work on his wand, which he finally finishes. Nameless heads to the Guild, where he finishes scribing the fly spell. Luna and Six do some shopping for equipment, while Gareth stops by the Deneith enclave to meet Lalia. Meeting back at the inn (where Gareth has to do some significant persuasion before Palk lets Zeke in too), the Angels are met in the evening by Cala, who says that everyone on that list was affected by the flames. Four survived the initial effect, of who two died of their injuries later. The two survivors are at the embassy under watch. She thanks the group for their help, especially since two of them are not Cyran and this doesn't involve their countrymen. Gareth says that the Silver Flame serves the cause of goodness and does not discriminate among those who need its aid, whatever their country. Luna looks like she might say something about the lycanthropic purge but doesn’t, and though Cala looks a little skeptical, she simply says that it good to know. Cala says that Toras and she would like to accompany the Angels in their trip into Blackbones to destroy Zokar, and they agree to meet at the inn the next morning.Bodo also returns late in the evening. He seems quite happy with being at school and tells Gareth that he has made a lot of friends there. Bodo seems quite fascinated with Zeke, who seems to reciprocate, and when the Angels wrap up for the night, the mephit is curled up next to Bodo's bed.***Next morning, Six meets the group with another set of newspapers. This time it's the Korranberg Chronicle, Flim apparently having had a copy dropped off for each of them. They contain the article he promised:Guardian Angels Destroy Daask Drug DenBy Flim Turen    A group of foreign adventurers are trying to make a dent in the criminal activities of the Sharn underworld. During the afternoon of Mol 2nd of Nymm, the self-styled Guardian Angels raided a drug den in the Middle Dura district of Tumbledown, apparently run by the Daask gang. During the raid, the Guardian Angels slew a number of gnoll guards and an ogre. When on the verge of victory, the adventurers were engaged by a squad of human soldiers led by two halflings, who claimed to be Boromar gang-members. They held the wounded Angels at crossbow-point and took all the drugs (apparently dreamlily) at the location. Despite this setback, the Guardian Angels remain confident in their mission to "clean up Sharn," as the shifter druid Luna, their spokesperson and the only Brelander, told the KC. In an exclusive interview, Luna denied that the Angels were working for any patron and said, "Our only aim was to do the right thing and keep drugs off the street." In view of the loss of the drugs to the Boromars, one may consider the sentiments somewhat naive, but the KC applauds this group's commitment and wishes them the best of luck. Other members of the Angels are Gareth Byron Deneith (a Karrnathi paladin of the Silver Flame) and three Cyrans - Corven ir'Lanya Deneith (an artificer affiliated with the embassy in Sharn), a mage known as Nameless, and the warforged warrior Six. The Angels were accompanied in their raid by Deemin and Finch, members of the Clifftop Adventurers Guild (as are the Angels), who preferred to not speak to the KC.    Our correspondent spoke to various individuals regarding their responses to this incident. "I appreciate the sentiment behind the Angels' actions," said Commander Lian Halamar of the Dura branch of the Watch, "But I would prefer if such well-meaning individuals tried to work through official channels. Vigilante actions can backfire, and when they do, it is the Watch that has to clean up the mess." Captain Toras Cant of the Royal Guard angrily denied that any of his men were involved in this operation (a witness claimed that some of the men accompanying the halfling duo were members of the Royal Guard out of uniform) and threatened to lock up our correspondent if he persisted in such claims. Ilyra Boromar, city councilor from Lower Dura and daughter of Saidan Boromar, said, "Claims that the Boromars were involved in this raid, or have a hand in crime in Sharn, are totally unfounded. My father is simply a successful businessman, and it is unfortunate that envious people accuse him of criminal acts."    The KC will follow and report on any future developments in this matter, and hopefully, on the further deeds of Sharn's new Guardian Angels.Cala and Toras arrive while the Angels are wrapping up breakfast, and the expanded group heads to the Cathedral. Ythana meets them with the news that Kielsten is alive and currently sleeping, and she provides a set of scrolls for them. After thanking her, the group heads to Lower Tavick's Landing and down into Blackbones.  This area of the Cogs is much like Ashblack, except that it seems to have a larger warforged population, in fact the largest that the group has seen anywhere in Sharn. They quickly head along the route laid out by the map and after about twenty minutes, find themselves entering an emptier area of Blackbones. After a few minutes, they find themselves in a deserted set of tunnels, and Zeke soon says that they are very near Zokar's lair, which is only a minute or two ahead. The adventurers quickly cast the resist energy spells from the Archierophant's scrolls and other protective ones, before continuing on. Less than a minute later, the tunnel they are in curves around a corner and emerges into a large cavern. A large stone door stands on the far side of the cavern and it is dotted with large and small pools of water, all of them bubbling as if they were boiling. Steam hangs in the air and the cavern is significantly warmer than the surrounding area.As the adventurers look into the cavern, multiple enemies engage them. Four mephits resembling Zeke (who is hanging back behind the group) swoop down from the ceiling, hurling scorching rays at Luna and Gareth, who are in the lead. Four more creatures (which some of the adventurers recognize as thoqqua), which look like huge segmented earthworms, except that they glow with heat, leap forward from their position besides the closest pools, hurling themselves at Luna and Gareth. Behind them, a creature resembling a human above the waist, except for the glowing spines on its back, and a snake below the waist, emerges from one of the pools waving a spear. While the heat-based attacks of the creatures have little or no effect, the rock-hard bodies of the thoqquas do hurt. While Corven infuses his new wand with some infusions to make it hurl freezing rays, Cala and Toras shoot over their companions, wounding a mephit. Six slashes a thoqqua almost in half and Nameless completes the job with a volley of magic missiles, while Luna and Gareth dispatch another. As Gareth and Six advance into the room, however, the salamander slithers forward, smashing the paladin painfully across the chest with its tail. Even as the salamander bellows a challenge (again sadly not understood by the group), Corven triggers his wand. Two rays of ice* streak into its chest, wounding it badly, especially in view of its fiery nature. The creature roars in pain and presses the attack with the aid of the remaining two thoqqua (the mephits are totally ineffectual against the group's protections against fire), striking both Six and Gareth with a combination of spear blows and tail-swipes. A protective infusion from Corven has rendered Six's metallic exterior as strong as stone, however, and he shrugs off the blows. Gareth, however, is severely wounded and takes the chance to retreat and heal himself as Luna joins the fight.The salamander, of course, does not have the option, and the combination of another icy blast from Corven and an acid arrow from Nameless sends it down. The thoqqua are quickly dispatched, and the mephits, unable to flee past the large group, dive down into the steaming pools and huddle at the bottom.    Sure that they don't have time to waste, Six runs to the doors and calls the others to join him. After taking a few seconds for healing and increased protection, they do so. Finding himself left in the rear again, Nameless says, "Hell, no - not again!", casts his fly spell and takes to the air. Corven quickly says, "You know that won't work around Zokar, right?", to which he replies, "Don't worry. I'm not getting anywhere close to Zokar."Six shoves the doors open to reveal a large hall within. Three large pillars on each side hold up a ceiling twenty feet above. A stylized drawing of the so-called Radiant Fire is on each side-wall and one on the far wall. Beneath the last stands a crude altar, about chest-high on a tall man. Behind it and extending out on each side is another pool of boiling water. Standing beside the altar is a ten foot tall humanoid with red skin and hair, holding a large flail in its hands. Zokar's features are chiseled with inhuman perfection, as is his body, which is only concealed by a red loincloth. His entire form glows dimly, as if there were banked fires beneath his skin. The only thing that spoils the perfect beauty of the creature are the stumps covered in dried blood that jut awkwardly above his shoulder-blades. Zokar's expression is an expectant one and he smiles with anticipation as the doors enter. "Fools!" he roars loudly, "Now you will fall before Zokar!" As the adventurers begin to enter, he moves forward smoothly towards the middle of the chamber, hefting the flail in his hands. As he moves forward, he furrows his brow in momentary concentration, and each of the adventurers feels one of the protections on him fade away. Nameless, floating ten feet above the others, is most immediately affected, his fly spell disappearing and sending him dropping to a painful landing. After an "Ow!", the alienist says, "Let's see how you like this," and promptly summons a pseudonatural bison behind Zokar. The fallen angel spins around with a startled expression, only for the bison to butt him right in his chest - with no apparent effect*. Zokar laughs and turns around, just in time to take an arrow from Cala right in the neck, which bounces off. "See?" he shouts in triumph, "I am beyond your power.""We'll see," mutters Corven, who has moved behind a pillar, as he triggers his wand. Two streaks of cold leap out. One is absorbed by Zokar's resistance to magic, but the other strikes right in the middle of his chest* and bites deep, burying shards of ice in his chest. Zokar screams in pain and shock, recovering to glare at Corven, who says to himself, "Oh yeah - I'm dead!"Luckily for Corven, his allies take a hand. Emboldened by the artificer's success, Gareth charges forward. A blow from the flail bruises his entire side, but he reaches Zokar's side and swings. The paladin calls on the Silver Flame for aid and swings with all his might, putting all the magic and physical force that he can*** into the blow. The sword strikes exactly where Corven's magic did, its flametouched nature overriding the radiant idol's resistance. The blow literally splits Zokar's chest open**** like a blow from a pick against stone, cracks appearing all his torso from which fiery light leaks forth.Zokar's scream this time is even louder, as his knees buckle beneath the blow. And it's not as if the not-as-fallen Angels are done. Luna moves in behind Gareth, calling forth lightning to smite Zokar. But even before she can complete the spell, Six tumbles past her, spiked chain lashing out and hitting with perfect precision right on the wound Gareth left. This one is evidently the last straw, since Zokar staggers back another foot and then falls to his knees. The cracks run all over his body now, splitting wider and wider. He cries out, "No, this can..." and then literally falls apart, his body (strangely, complete with loincloth and flail) collapsing into a rain of little flames that hit the ground and stay there, burning on the bare stone. From behind the Angels, Cala says a heartfelt, "Damn! You guys ARE good!"*****Even as she speaks, they feel a rumble in the ground around them. A second later, ten feet behind the piles of flames that was Zokar, the air itself splits to reveal a five foot high oval window. It looks out onto a cloudless expanse of clear blue sky, in the center of which floats a city full of crystalline towers. Tiny winged shapes move around it, too far away to identify. As the window opens, a light wind springs up, ruffling the adventurers' hair. The flames on the ground, however, are affected differently. At incredible speed, each is swept up and through the window. As it passes through, it puffs out. And as the last one goes through, the window disappears. The entire process takes perhaps five seconds.The only thing that remains in the chamber are the adventurers. That is, until the thin cracks appear at the point where the 'mirror' had been, radiating out at extreme speed around the room and up the pillars and walls.* 1 pt of damage after DR** Natural 20 and confirmed, which went through SR 25 (with an action pt), for 42 pts of damage*** Also known as a Smite with Divine Might and full Power Attack, using a sword with Bane (evil outsiders) on it.**** An attack roll of 19, confirmed with a natural 20, for 60+ pts of damage.***** And the DM's lousy. We were in a hurry and I forgot to check all Zokar's immunities. He has total cold immunity. And a couple of other effects I forgot. Ah well, for the purposes of this story, he turns into a creature with the fire subtype, fire immunity and cold vulnerability.</blockquote>

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