Session 75 - Fate's Cruel Path

23/08/300

The party are attacked by a Frost Salamander Alpha which poured the very depths of winter over them and created a thick sheet of ice over the floor. Two of the Drow perished in the blast and the party joined the fray. Bankanir fired deadly arrows whilst the others surrounded it. Lloth used some of her power to heal the group and the fight proper was joined. Braith was tripped by the lashing tail and then slashed out, disabling the appendage and the beast became enraged. Elnorin used fire and Heskan attacked as swiftly as he could. Eventually Braith saw an opportunity to attack the neck and, running up the creatures back, flipped off of the back and slashed into it's throat. The Salamander was slain.

The party regrouped and Lloth said a prayer for her fallen allies. Wounded as they were, Lloth suggested she go ahead alone to speak with her people. The group agreed that, although they were injured, that it would be best to go as a group. Elnorin melted the thick ice and the group transported to far beneath the tower.

They arrived in a large cave with an archway in the middle. Two threads of orium connected the top of the gate to a pyramidal piece of orium ore. A tone of C# rang out from a steel/copper tuning fork mounted on top of the pyramid. Scath stood examining the construction whilst a male drow (Korax) and a female drider (Arachne) stood nearby with their forces. As they arrived a drow passed through the portal. Lloth attempted to appeal to them but Korax chided her for her allegiance to the settlement whilst Arachne raved quietly about Mother Darkness' abandonment of her children. She mused that Lloth could show her commitment to helping the Lost by walking through the portal with them. Ruric noted that the portal was unstable and the archway as an earlier prototype of the ones they had previously seen. Lloth, who would do anything to attempt to reunite her people, handed her crown to Pylia before walking slowly towards the portal. As she entered the party heard her scream....

Scath decided that it was time for them to leave and handed Korax an amulet before he passed through the portal. Arachne followed, exchanging words with Ruric as she went. Scath mocked the party and Ruric used a card from the deck of illusion to summon the image of a huge, ash-skinned giant wearing dark, metal armour. It roared and the fight began. Bankanir loosed two arrows with unnatural precision. The first struck the tuning fork and sent it ringing through the air. Scath, lightning fast, began to move towards the exit but the second arrow took him in the collar and pinned him to the wall. Spiders, Drow and driders charged and the fight was joined. Ruric caused a grievous blow to a drow, forcing submission. Elnorin held back and comforted Pylia silently. Scath used Folded Shadow to transport out of his predicament but lost a magical periapt that remained hung over the arrow. As the portal flicked out, the fey left. The fight continued on and, eventually, the last drider was slain. 

In the aftermath Bankanir claimed the coat and amulet left by Scath before helping the others. The tuning fork was claimed and the group began resting. Ruric used the time to examine the archway and the floating pyramid. He began using the components (and the immense amount of power in the rock) to empower the hammer. He used the orium to create runes on the hammer and began to invest a spell within the item. Using his knowledge he created the appropriate spells as Soulguard was created. Braith, with help from Bankanir, worked with similar principles to create some fire stones.

Following rest and discussion on whether the archway and the pyramid should be destroyed, the group sealed the far end of the underground corridor into the chamber. Pylia said she would escort the remaining drow from the Lost back alone and wished the party luck. Ruric commanded the image of the fire giant to remain and guard the portal chamber. The party then walked towards the Cosmolabe chamber before heading towards the Moot.