Though the campaign was fun, and I felt like it was gaining momentum as we delved deeper, the call made sense, and opened up a slot for the next game in our rotation (we're usually two or three games out in planning, though we drop random stuff in time to time), meaning that Sam would be picking up her Wrath of the Righteous adventure path for Pathfinder!
We last played this campaign in July of last year, and had attained 13th level and 5th Mythic Rank. Going back through my archives, I was surprised to see I never posted about this campaign, but the past couple of years have not given me many opportunities to do so, and the sessions are so rich with content that I don't feel I would do them justice. Here's my attempt to pick it up, at any rate, and we begin in the Midnight Isles, realm of the Demon Lord Nocticula...
After a reunion between Triel and Iridai, upon invitation we made our way to the Vault of Graves for an audience with Nocticula. However, befitting her fiendish nature, the demon queen set the shades of her lessers on us in the antechamber, stalling our advance just a short time before we were able to vanquish three and Triel took control of the fourth.
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| The Demon Queen, Resplendent |
As we entered the main area, we saw shelves rising 50 feet or so, filled to the brim with scrolls and tomes. This scriptorium was guarded by two fly-headed demons, who we vanquished and then made our way past to Nocticula's chambers, where we were greeted by the sight of her reclining on a bench. I must admit, I have never looked upon the visage of one who rules what is basically a divine realm with my own eyes. Though I, myself, and Triel are both of divine providence, I must admit to being stunned and speechless when my eyes fell upon this dread queen. I noticed some of my companions were similarly dumbfounded, which makes me wonder if it was a spell of some sort or perhaps the fact that we met in her domain which added to the effect. We may never know unless we meet her again.
The conversation with Nocticula was tense. I remained silent, mostly due to my hatred for her kind, but also because she offered us what we wanted directly, and I felt no need to interject. She also granted us a "boon" in the form of a warrior that Iridai seemingly knew, but we turned down her other gifts, knowing that they would be tainted somehow by her demonic influence.
Despite the dangerous prospect of trusting someone of her persuasion, Nocticula agreed to withdrawing from a business operation with the demon lords Deskari and Baphomet, and also told us of a mining operation that the two were allowed to run on one of her islands, which we whisked away magically to when our audience was finished. Triel and myself teleporting there, with Druss leading the other two through a portal the fiend had offered to facilitate our travel. Though I could find no deception in her eyes or voice about this portal, I couldn't bring myself to jump at the gifts of one from the Abyss.
Arriving at the Isle under circling flocks of vrocks was unnerving, but we all converged in time to see a shape rushing at us from the sky, a celestial body defiled with beheading, with its skin flensed from its body. This Heavenly corpse rushed at us, but Triel's magic seized control of it and forced it under her will. I secretly wished for her to have blasted it to ash to rid reality of this atrocity, but it is small relief to know that under this control, at least this holy being's body will die in just cause and in battle against those who would commit this type of atrocity.
Our ventures took us further upstream, where we encountered more undead abominations. These, the wailing spirits of the cursed fallen, led by a powerful knight of the grave. Though they proved slightly troublesome, we eventually won out and claimed the barge they had been guarding.
I shall return with words on this soon...
Cast of Characters
Hal' bin (Human Cleric 8 of Iomedae/Exalted 5|Mythic Heirophant 6) - Me
Triel (Drow Wizard 13|Mythic Archmage 6) - Taylor
Druss (Dwarf Barbarian 13|Mythic Guardian 6) - David
Iridai (Nagaji Sorcerer 9/Dragon Disciple 4|Mythic Archmage 6) - Jon
Tusk (Half-Orc Barbarian 13|Mythic Champion 6) - G2
Edit: I had typoed "orcs" in the first paragraph to "orcas". Funny, that.
