Session 11: Death is only the Beginning, Part 1

We played the final session at the Heroic Tier tonight and I have to say it was awesome. We budgeted for a double session length to make sure we finished and still just managed to finish everything on time.

Tonight marked the final confrontation between the Cabal and the Rebellion/Players, a fight they have been building towards for the entire game. Who rules in the City of Kings will be decided today. Before that one or two final loose ends need to be tied up.

Act 1: Old Friends and Troubled Times

Morn makes a trip to the Temple of the Unfettered God and the Priestess M’Kemba. He wants answers, his God has broken their bargain and he wants to know why. He starts off all coy but M’Kemba seems to be on to him. She can sense his doubts. He calls in a favour he was promised for allying with the Cult of the Eternal, he asks M’Kemba to commune with his God to find out why he was abandoned. She agrees, reluctantly and begins her ritual dance. As it reaches feverpitch the spirit of the God infuses his priestess. Morn confronts him, the Spirit rebukes him. Morn rejected him, not the other way around. He spurned his power for the false power of Maran Gor and rejected the protection of his God due to his lust for Kyia.

There is a tussle, M’Kemba is thrown down, with a cry she draws a rune etched blade from the Altar, “If he had rejected you would he have had me create this!” Runes for freedom are etched on the blade and its power is apparent. Struggling with indecision Morn makes up his mind. He strikes at the Altar with the Hammer of Maran Gor. M’Kemba tries to intervene and the blade is shattered, the Priestess stunned on the ground. Morn, with his normal implacability, executes her for her false promises.

Night cloaks the Tower of Mael, Temple of the Sea God. Artemis is sleeping soundly when he is roughly awoken. Kallista, his half sister, stands over him. “I have come to tell you I am leaving, I owe you that much but no more. I have joined the Order, we should not meet again.” As she leaves she turns, “There is one thing you should now. I know where the Heart of Ashura is. Althea took me to the House of Blood, the home of the Hu’Maa the Vampire Lord. He has it. I would have told you but I didn’t want you to do something stupid and get yourself killed. Now it would be better if you did. If we cross paths again I will kill you.”

The next morning the Sun fails to rise. Darkness flows from the Spire which is cloaked in purple flames. The City falls to panic and chaos. People try to flee but a sandstorm blows from the desert to the south and the Harbour is choked with boats. The Temple of Mael is in uproar as rebellion warriors gather and receive their orders. In the false murk of night they steal through the City to their appointed positions. When the sandstorm hits the City then the attack will begin.

As they turn to leave our heroes are greeted by a visitor. The doors of the Temple creak open and a monster stands there. Eight feet tall, gangly green skin with protruding ivory tusks and dressed for winter the creature introduces itself as Vintu. The name is known to Assamber as one of the first children of Mael, possibly the last of his race. To Azhanti his name is a nightmare to scare children. He destroyed the first Dragonborn Empire and send the Dragon Gods to sleep with a magical Ice Age. He has an offer, he will aid them in the fight against the Cabal in exchange for the Key of Time. He explains that he cannot enter the Spire, it is the entrance to the Labyrinth and it is hungry for more immortal prisoners. Much hurried discussion ensues but ultimately they agree.

He withdraws and they head out to the Armoury and the Blood Market in which it is located. As they approach the Market Assamber notices two tall pale figures lurking in the doorway of a brothel. They are children of Hu’Maa, the Vampire Lord and they beckon them across. In a fit of possibly unwise trustworthiness they head in to the building. The ancient withered Tiefling Vampire sits on luxurious cushions surrounded by the bodies of staff and visitors to the brothel, their neck wounds very obvious. He has an offer for them, something which will be common to this day. He will aid them in their battle against the Cabal if they agree not to interfere with his operations in the City. More hurried discussion ensues and finally they say yes. He also advises them that Darius has unearthed a splinter of the Membin Stone, the Spike of Law which holds the Universe together and he is using it to fuel his ritual. He advises destroying it.Finally the group reach the edge of Blood Market and prepare themselves for their assault.

*cut scene*

In the skies above the City Pashtun witches ride flying carpets. Around them dance howling Djinn and terrible Efreeti. They have raised the powers of the desert to wipe the corruption of the City from the face of the earth. The Storm hits the City, gale force winds send blasting sand whipping through the streets and all is confusion and chaos. At the Blood Market a building falls into the earth opening a gaping hole and a phalanx of Stone Dwarves emerge to clash with the Golems. Hard faced killers slip through tormented alien woods and in the distance three winged figures grow ever closer.