Session0023

April 27th
Outside the doors of the Luxturrim Obelisk, the party battles against the Morningstar, Avourel Orion, and their Inquisitor followers. As the fight begins, the Morningstar remains near the statue of Alusfaen Orion which contains Orion's Key, and beckons Avourel to join her, seemingly preparing to take the key and depart. The party manages to grapple Avourel and retrieve Orion's Key before anyone else can get to it, and Malkoth takes it into a pocket dimension created by a rope trick spell. Despite the Inquisitors' best attempts, they are unable to get Orion's Key back before the battle begins to turn against their favor. The Morningstar urges Avourel and the Inquisitors that they should depart, saying that the Key is not worth their lives, and that destiny may have a role for the party to play. At her insistence, Avourel and the surviving High Inquisitor gather near her, and the three of them disappear in a flash of light, seemingly without performing any spellcasting. Malkoth, with his expertise in conjuration magic, deduces that the Morningstar used a word of recall spell, using some form of sorcerous magic to negate the usual components.

Regrouping after the fight, the party recovers a trace of the Morningstar's blood, preserving it in a vial for potential later use. The party discusses the nature of the Morningstar's magic, and speculates as to what type of creature she truly is, if not a mortal.

Meanwhile, Gragnok attunes to Orion's Key, and discerns that it has magic properties that are only usable by a descendant of Alusfaen Orion.

After recovering from the fight, the party reopens the door of the Luxturrim Obelisk and heads inside. They quickly discover that the obelisk is warded with several forms of abjuration magic, including a forbiddance spell. As a result of the spell, Malkoth, Rye, and XVIII all have trouble entering, due to their infernal and undead natures. But they are ultimately able to overcome this resistance and enter the Obelisk with the rest of the party.

At the top of the Obelisk, the party finds a vault, with nine pedestals holding various items, each with a placard inscription describing the item. Each of the pedestals seems to be warded by a field of abjuration magic, but the party finds that they're able to reach through this field and take the items, seemingly without any ill effect.

One pedestal contains a small, magical pearl, which the placard identifies as a Nightfall Pearl. Its inscription reads:

"This artifact, known as a Nightfall Pearl, can be used to plunge a region into the darkness of night, through which no daylight can pierce. The pearl was a gift to Elakian the Shadowhand, granted to him by the Spider Queen herself as a gift in exchange for his centuries of faithful service in her name. The Shadowhand bequeathed the pearl to the High Council of Ayn Sitael for safekeeping shortly before his death. It is sealed within this vault to prevent it falling into the hands of those who would abuse its power to nefarious ends."

The party takes this item and gives it the Jack for safekeeping in his bag of holding.

The next pedestal contains a stack of papers, which the placard identifies as the Wasanthi Treatise. Its inscription reads:

"These documents were submitted to the High Council of Ayn Sitael by Councillor Avara Wasanthi, in the year 760. They describe her attempts to develop a new form of magic, which she christened “rune magic.” The methodology and philosophy of rune magic were deemed heretical by the Council, and she was subsequently ordered to discontinue her work. She rejected the decision of the High Council, and was subsequently executed under holy law."

"After her execution, all of Wasanthi’s existing writings were collected and destroyed. This treatise is the only remaining record of her work. It is sealed within this vault to prevent the proliferation of impure magic."

Odell collects these papers and begins reading them and copying them down. He finds that they contain information about the foundational principles of Rune Magic, as well as a rune for Corellon, a rune formerly unknown by the College.

The next pedestal contains a tuning fork engraved with abyssal glyphs, which the placard identifies as an abyssal tuning fork. Its inscription reads:

"In its most powerful iterations, arcane magic allows its users to access unnatural abilities, never intended for mortalkind. One of these abilities, possessed by some of the world’s most infamous arcanists, is the ability to travel across the planes of existence themselves. Such magic requires a rare component: a tuning fork attuned to a specific plane of existence, which allows an arcanist to travel to that plane."

"The artifact kept here is one such tuning fork, attuned to the Infinite Abyss - the plane of demons, a place of unbridled chaos and destruction. It was recovered during a battle that took place between the righteous forces of Ayn Sitael, led by Commander Alusfaen Orion, against the demonic hordes of the kingdom of Kameshima. The tuning fork was seized from the Kameshiman General Kamm, right hand of Demon King Daimao, and presented as a token of victory to the High Council of Ayn Sitael. It is sealed within this vault to protect the world from the forces of chaos and destruction that reside in the Abyss."

The party debates whether or not to take this item. They broadly agree that it is a very dangerous item and shouldn't be used, but they debate whether it is safer to bring it with them for safekeeping, or leave it in the vault. Though the tuning fork itself is nonmagical and only a spell component, Malkoth, with his expertise in conjuration magic, recognizes that it could potentially be used for other conjuration-related purposes, such as the opening of a portal. Odell suggests that the tuning fork could be a major catalyst to the College of Mimrinoth's study of conjuration magic. Ultimately, they leave the decision up to Frog, due to the item's association with Kameshima. He chooses to bring the item with them, believing it will be more secure in their possession than in the vault, and gives it to Jack to keep in the bag of holding.

The next pedestal is empty, with the item stored here seemingly having been removed. Its placard is labelled "The Raven Queen's Rites of Ascension," and the inscription reads:

"At the height of the Holy Crusade, a heretical sorceress, the self-proclaimed “Raven Queen,” led an army of her cultist followers into battle against Nerull, the god of death. Aided by the Arbiter’s influence, she slew Nerull, binding his very essence to his corporeal avatar and slaughtering him in the field of battle. Subsequently, she and her followers utilized profane and gruesome magical rites to rise to ascend to godhood, taking Nerull’s place as the god of death."

"After the Raven Queen’s ascension, the magical rites that she used to slay Nerull and ascend to godhood were recovered from the site of the battle by forces from Ayn Sitael. The rites are sealed within this vault to prevent the travesty of a mortal ascension from ever occurring again."

The party speculates that the rites of ascension must have been the item taken by the Morningstar and the Inquisitors, in order to facilitate her ascension to godhood.

The next pedestal is also empty. Its placard is labelled "Divine Titanheart," and its inscription reads:

"The armies of the arcane have spent decades developing machines of war and terror, known as the titans. These terrifying constructs are fueled by the magic of Chaos, and wreak unmatched destruction against our people. Far to the south, the armies of Hell have developed a similar colossus, powered not by Chaos, but by the divine power of the Lord of the Nine himself. At the heart of the Hells’ war machine is a divine titanheart, a device that harnesses divine magic to fuel the colossus."

"After many years of painstaking study and prayer, the sages of Ayn Sitael have replicated the divine titanheart. Once we have constructed a colossus of our own, we will use the titanheart to fuel it with holy power, and with it, lay waste to the armies of the arcane. The titanheart is sealed within this vault for safekeeping, until a compatible colossus can be constructed."

The next pedestal contains a magic sword, which its placard identifies as Angel's Bane. Its inscription reads:

"This blade was forged by a powerful and villainous follower of the Lord of the Nine Hells, who wielded it in battle against the forces of holy Pelor on the battlefront in Chwaka. Within the blade dwells the spirit of a wicked pit fiend, which grants the sword unholy power - tremendously effective against the gods’ angelic servants. The fiend whispers its grotesque wishes into the mind of the weapon’s wielder, influencing them to exercise its bidding. The sword, and the devil which dwells within it, are sealed within this vault to prevent it falling into the hands of the impure."

The party debates whether to bring this item with them or leave it in the vault. Odell assures them, based on his knowledge of sentient items, that the sword will not be able to influence them unless someone attunes to it. As such, they decide to bring it with them, placing it in the bag of holding for safekeeping.

The next pedestal contains an ornate wooden chest, and its placard is labelled "Elemental Devastation Orb." Its inscription reads:

"Within this protective chest is a weapon of mass destruction called an elemental devastation orb. It was created by the nefarious arcanist Basel Anselmo, who used profane conjuration magic to harness tremendous amounts of Chaos, capable of laying waste to entire settlements. It is sealed within this vault to prevent it from being used to bring ruin to the people of Ayn Sitael."

With an identify spell, the party discerns that the orb has not been activated yet, and is safe to transport until activated. Malkoth takes a special interest in the item, and keeps it with him.

The next pedestal contains a spell scroll, which its placard identifies as a scroll of wish. Its inscription reads:

"Inscribed upon this scroll are the incantations and arcane glyphs of the most powerful and heretical magic that arcanists have ever produced: the wish spell. With this spell, a powerful arcanist can bend reality itself, harnessing Chaos to the maximum extent of its potential, achieving power never intended for mortalkind. The scroll is sealed within this vault to prevent it from falling into impure hands."

Malkoth takes this scroll as well, in hopes of eventually using it to learn the spell himself.

The final pedestal, positioned at the center of the vault, contains an ornate candelabra with nine candles, which its placard identifies as the Phaelux Beacon. Its inscription reads:

"In the great city of Volus, which soars among the clouds over Ayn Sitael, there exists a prison known as The Purgatory. The Purgatory is the resting place of the world’s most heinous arcane terrorists, heretics, and war criminals. Though their crimes warrant execution under holy law, profane magics allow for powerful arcanists to ward themselves against death itself. As such, the prisoners in the Purgatory are sentenced to permanent imprisonment by the High Council of Ayn Sitael, kept alive in an infinite stasis rather than being executed."

"This light, dubbed the Phaelux Beacon, allows access to The Purgatory, and its flames ward against the prison’s magical protections. It is sealed within this vault so that the heretics imprisoned within The Purgatory remain there for all of time."

Patches takes the Phaelux Beacon - the item he was instructed to retrieve from the Obelisk by his patron. Upon grabbing it, he falls unconscious. While unconscious, he has a vision where is in the candlelit tower of his patron once again. His patron thanks him for retrieving the Beacon, but insists that he still needs to use the beacon to save Tamrius Grimm from the Purgatory. He insinuates that somehow a paradoxical causality loop has been created, and that Tamrius will eventually be his father, but needs to be taken to a different world to meet his mother and conceive him. He rewards Patches with a set of magical dice in exchange for retrieving the beacon, and also gives him a box of magical matches as incentive to rescue Tamrius.

When Patches awakens, he finds that his shield is now inlaid with the magical dice he was given in the dream, and he finds the box of magical matches in his bag.

Meanwhile, as the party is discussing their findings in the obelisk, there is a flash of light, and Israphel appears. The party - especially Rye - recognizes that he looks different than at their last meeting - he has cut his hair, his wings have turned a greyish-black, his eyes no longer glow, and all symbology of Pelor has been removed from him.

After a brief greeting, Rye tells Israphel that the Morningstar has taken the Raven Queen's rites of ascension and the divine titanheart. Israphel corrects him, explaining that it was he who took the titanheart. He explains that, inspired by Louche's transition to mortality to escape the Hells, he has left the service of Pelor, and plans to tether his own soul to the divine titanheart and use it to power the Titan of Sapphrius Bay, in order to bypass the Divine Gate and permanently relocate to the Material Plane. Once he has accomplished this, he says that he will first establish his dominance over the Material Plane by destroying any who would stand against him and ensuring that he is the most powerful being on the Material. With this accomplished, he plans to find a way to restore Louche to his immortal form, so that the two of them can rule the Material Plane together, free from the influence of the gods.

When the party - including Louche - presses Israphel about his exact intentions regarding becoming the most powerful being on the Material, he insinuates that he must preemptively destroy anyone that would threaten his power, such as the Empire, the Weavers Conclave, the College of Mimrinoth, the Morningstar, and Kameshimans. The party by and large supports Israphel's desire to become free from the gods' influence, but they deny that it's justified for him to preemptively strike down those who he believes would oppose him. Israphel largely disregards these concerns, justifying his desire for power based on his centuries of being subjugated to the gods' will, and accusing the party of hypocrisy when they insinuate that they are fine with Israphel attacking some other powerful entities, but not all.

Louche expresses his concern that Israphel is becoming a fallen angel by leaving the service of Pelor, and is becoming evil. Israphel denies these concerns, saying that he is still the same person he ever was, and that all he wants is to pursue his own freedom. He insists that he must be the most powerful being within the Divine Gate in order to be truly free, and that he is willing to quell any challenges to that power in order to accomplish it. Louche further expresses his worry that Israphel is going to become a devil, but Israphel dismisses these worries, saying that an angel doesn't automatically become a devil by virtue of leaving the service of their patron deity.

Louche and Israphel go on to discuss their own relationship, with Louche asking him why he lied to him for so many years, and didn't reveal the truth of their mortal lives together if he knew. Israphel says that he only intended to protect Louche from having to live with the pain of remembering their mortal relationship but being forbidden from being together. Louche asks Israphel if he know what happened to his lost memories, or who erased them, but Israphel claims not to know.

Louche asks Israphel what, if anything, he knows about the prophecy of the Trumpeter of the Apocalypse. Israphel claims to only know what Louche has told him, and nothing more. Similarly, when Louche asks what Israphel knows about Mahadi, he claims to only know what Louche has told him. The two discuss the prophecy, and the possible uses of the Psalm of Assimilation, including possibly using it to somehow circumvent or destroy the Divine Gate. As powerful as Passeri's psalms were, they both express doubt that they could accomplish such a tremendous feat.

Louche asks Israphel about how he knows Natalie Shaw, how he came to learn about Lane Coronato, and what his arrangement with Lane had been. Israphel explains that he met Natalie in Sigil about 10 years ago, when she died and came to Sigil as a lost soul. In Israphel's attempts to sway Natalie into coming to Elysium in the afterlife, he learned that Natalie was awaiting the arrival of her son, Lane, in Sigil, and refused to leave. In their talks, Israphel learned the truth of Natalie's relationship with Louche. Later, when Israphel needed access to the Imlaq Colossus in order to retrieve the Psalm of Awakening, he made a deal with Lane: in exchange for Lane's assistance entering the colossus, he would help Lane get to Sigil, where Lane hoped to ultimately find his way to the Hells. However, after their arrangement was complete, when Israphel returned to Karaad to meet with Lane and fulfill his end of the bargain, Lane was not there, apparently having left town a few days after the party last saw him.

While discussing Natalie and Lane, Louche also introduces Malkoth, explaining that he is Lane's son, and his grandson by extension. He also privately expresses some concern to Israphel that Malkoth might be somehow involved in the prophecy, due to his infernal powers.

Louche asks Israphel how Natalie Shaw reached Sigil in her mortal life, presuming that she used a portal. Israphel says that, according to Natalie, she and her adventuring party actually came to Sigil on the River Styx, by way of the Shadowfell. Israphel further explains that Natalie, as a mortal, came to Sigil in search of an artifact called a conjuration anchor - a device that could be used to harness a tremendous amount of Primordial Chaos and use it for large-scale applications, such as the powering of a colossus. He says that this notion was part of his inspiration for his plan with the divine titanheart and the Titan of Sapphrius Bay.

Louche and Israphel discuss the possibility that they are valkyries, with Louche mentioning the pair of valkyrie ghosts that they encountered in Aerzen. Israphel seems skeptical that they are valkyries, but says that even if they are, that is only one more reason for them to pursue their own freedom and escape the gods' influence.

Louche asks Israphel what he knows about the Morningstar. Israphel says that she is a potential concern, both for the gods in the Outer Planes, and for his own plans to become the most powerful being on the Material. He explains that she is one of several beings on the Material Plane attempting to ascend to godhood, and mentions Daimao as another such entity. He further explains that while the Divine Gate prevents the gods from interfering on the Material Plane, it is unknown what would happen to a god born within the Gate.

Louche tells Israphel that Passeri is still alive, and that Asmodeus wants him to find Passeri and the Psalm of Assimilation. Israphel insists that Louche should not visit Passeri, but Louche says that he wants to meet with him to try to learn more about his lost history and anything Passeri might know about the prophecy.

Louche and Israphel continue speaking for a while longer, using telepathy to have a private conversation regarding their relationship and Israphel's plan. Louche says that he wants to be with Israphel, but not to rule the world together, and wants them to just run away together. Israphel says that this would never work, as they will never be free until they are outside of the gods' reach.

Meanwhile, XVIII asks Odell for a paper bird, saying that they need to send a letter to Lane Coronato. Malkoth asks why XVIII wants to speak with his father, and XVIII says that they are in need of Lane's services, though they remain vague as to what exactly that means. XVIII takes the paper bird and writes a note to Lane, but when he releases it, it turns to ash, insinuating that Lane is either dead, or on a different plane of existence.

After finishing his conversation with Louche, Israphel departs, wishing the party well and assuring them that he means them no harm as long as they don't attempt to stop his plan. When he disappears, Israphel leaves the party with a wave of restorative magic, providing them healing and regeneration.

Afterwards, with their business in the Obelisk complete, the party packs up the items from the vault, and begins making their way back out of Osh Thilivern. As they are heading out, they discuss Israphel's plan, and what to do about it. Rye says that he was blindsided by the plan and no expecting it, and is unsure what to do about it. XVIII suggests that Louche could already be fulfilling the prophecy simply by being present on the Material Plane, and that it is actually Israphel, not Louche, that is meant to bring about the apocalypse. Odell insists that they must not allow Israphel to gain access to the Titan of Sapphrius Bay, and even suggests destroying it. He explains that the process of making the titan compatible with a divine titanheart will take Israphel some time - at least several weeks - but he would need to speak with someone at the College with more expertise to get a better idea of how long it will take. Rye says that he hopes to learn more from Passeri, and possible even develop a new psalm to help counter Israphel's corruption.

Eventually, the party reaches the bridge that they crossed on the way in to the Luxturrim Obelisk, wherein they snuck past a skittering horror. They decide to try to rush across the bridge and out of Osh Thilivern before the skittering horror can catch them. However, as they begin their sprint across the bridge, a field of protective magic seals them in the chamber, and celestial defenses appear, seemingly activated by their accessing of the Luxturrim Obelisk. They battle and defeat the celestial wards.

After the party defeats the celestial protections, they see the skittering horror emerging from hiding, and they continue running to escape Osh Thilivern. The skittering horror pursues them, but they are able to successfully evade it, and escape Osh Thilivern.

As the party steps out of Osh Thilivern, they discover that their mounts have been slaughtered and their supplies burned. They find a large troop of Kameshiman soldiers posted all around, and the Kameshiman airship, with Kamm at the helm, floats above. Aboard the airship, they see the prisoners being held at knife-point, including Prince Marcello, Princess Porcini, and the Senators Lucio and Cremini.

Kamm, using thaumaturgy, instructs the party to come no closer or the prisoners will be killed. They offer Frog an exchange: if the party hands over the abyssal tuning fork that they recovered from the Obelisk, they will give them Princess Porcini, alive and unharmed. If they refuse, Kamm warns, they will instead kill all of the prisoners. Kamm begins counting, warning that when they reach 10, the first prisoner will be executed, limiting the party's time to discuss how to proceed.

Without time to deliberate, Frog reluctantly agrees to give Kamm the tuning fork. The party produces the fork, and a kobold flies down to retrieve it from them. After Kamm has the fork, the same kobold brings Princess Porcini to the party as promised. During the exchange, XVIII recognizes the kobold as Domino - the shybold that was involved in the crash of the Tide King on Ymana.

Once Princess Porcini has been returned to the party, Kamm and the Kameshimans depart.