Session 10: Beginning of the End Part 2

Scene 4: the Ambush

Taking this as their cue the group springs its trap striking at the Grub who seems stunned by the backlash. The violence is swift and deadly but he recovers quickly. As the Ritual progressed he has slowly taken on his true form, a mass of blubbery flesh and tentacles. As he wades into the fight he reaches out with the last remaining power of the ritual and awakens a leviathan, a child of Mael sleeping at the bottom of an ocean trench. “Finally I will have my revenge on the Lokarnos for the wrongs done to my father.”

Seeing the risk Assamber urges an all out assault against him. Things are never so easy. The Grub conjures the icy chill of the lightless depths of the ocean around him and his flesh golems wreak a bloody path. Assamber drops an Ice Storm but it hampers his allies as much as his enemies although it does imprison some of them in Azhanti’s blade barrier. Morn sunders the golden chain imprisoning Kyia who promptly begins blasting away at the Grub for the indignities he has heaped on her.

For a time things look bad. Cassius draws blood with every blow of his spear and seems able to reach anywhere on the battlefield until Assamber freezes him in place. The Grub freezes those around him and tries to seize control of the bodies of enemies rupturing their organs and blood vessels. Morn, mostly immobilised for the fight, absorbs blow after blow from the Golems but finally manages to wreck one before going down himself. A few desperate prayers later he is back on his feet and swinging but so is the Golem, reanimated by the Grub.

Things are beginning to look desperate. Most of the groups healing is gone and the Grub shows little sign of stopping. The guards are down but the Golems seem hard to stop. Cassius is pressing Azhanti who seems close to dropping. Lightning crashes around the room and powerful winds swirl from the storm outside. Another huge wave crashes against the Temple but this time it brings with it something other than driftwood and sea spray. Akaran Trak’Ar has arrived to take vengeance on his old nemesis, dressed as a Warlock Priest of Mael he unleashes a barrage of sorcery against him.

Things get more confusing. Artemis takes his chance to rid himself of his hated enemy and tries to drives Trak’Ar off the balcony on to the rocks below. He fails and then redoubles his efforts against the Grub. Azhanti manages to bribe Cassius into switching sides and he charges the great blubbery mass. Finally unable to bear the weight of attacks against him Artemis plants an arrow in his great central eye and with a sigh the Child of Mael collapses into a disgusting mass of stinking fetid flesh. With the Grub dead the Leviathan slowly sinks back into its oceanic trench.

Scene 5: The Betrayal

Kyia throws herself into the arms of her father, overjoyed that he would risk himself to rescue her. Here at last is vindication that she is not just some playing piece to move on a political map. He does love her. Morn can see the love and happiness shining in her eyes and he sees it turn to grief and hate as Artemis plants an arrow in his back. She turns to Morn, furious, “Kill him” she snarls into his mind as around his wrists and throat Blood Tattoos burst to life chaining his mind to her will. “Kill him!”

Morn surges towards Artemis and smashes into him mace first. He pursues him time and again seeking to bring him down. A small voice in the back of his mind calls on the Unfettered God to preserve him. His God, who promises his worshippers freedom from all such bonds in exchange for their oaths does not answer. That voice sounds very small and very alone, like a child calling out in a vast empty cavern.

Acting quickly Azhanti moves to put a stop to things. The flat of his axe crashes into the side of Kyia’s head and she collapses unconscious to the ground as her father dies. Shaking himself from the fugue Morn looks around in confusion. His God has abandoned him, everything he once believed is a lie and the woman he might once have loved has betrayed him. He walks over to her unconscious form and gently picks her up. Stepping on to the balcony he casts her down onto the jagged rocks below.

Scene 6: The Meeting

It is several hours later and the Temple is still. Acolytes are busy scrubbing up the Grub from the floor of the main Temple while their Priest and his friends meet with the leaders of the Rebellion in the chambers below.

Antonius and Marat Kesh are both there. An olive branch is offered and accepted. Old wounds are healed and a place on the rebellion High Command is offered to Artemis. He accepts it and takes the position of General. Together they begin to plan their final attack against the Cabal. They know they don’t have much time, they must secure the Spire by noon tomorrow or the Dragon Riders will decimate the City.

As they discuss the disposition of Kireshi Witches and Stone Dwarves Catalia, mother of Artemis and senior priestess of the Cult of the Eternal collapses screaming in pain. “The Spire, oh by all the Gods, what is he doing.” In the distance the Spire can be seen lit up like a candle, cloaked in putrid purple flames. “Darius seeks to open a gate to the Abyss, he would conjure a demon lord to fight the Emperor, you must stop him”

*cut scene*

The Iron Lord Walks

In the great market of the City of Kings stands a massive stone building. It is called the Armoury and it is home to Belmondo the Artificer, a leader of the Cabal. Inside he works day and night on the creation of newer and more horrifying machines of war. On top of the building stands an enormous metal statue, covered in a cloak of iron. It is twice the size of any other Golem possessed by the Cabal. Rumour has it that the creature beneath the iron cloak is alive and that it watches over the City but few believe that, until tonight.

With a crash the iron curtain falls and the monstrous Iron Lord walks. A mass of metal, claws and scything mandibles it carves a bloody path through the City to squat in the doorway of the Spire to protect its master and allow him to complete his terrible ritual.