Orphans & Organizations: session 19

The Trollskull Travelers

Ahead of the final round, Vivi and Zephyr scouted out the other teams while Azthoran tried to find out which beasts were going to be in the final rounds. The attendant Azthoran talked to couldn't (or wouldn't) tell me anything about what we would face.

Our opponant slithered out of its gate: a giant, two-headed skeletal serpent! It spoke directly into our minds - which was my trick - and asked if we wanted to play first or get directly to the killing. Vivi and Zephyr were entranced by its presence but Azthoran managed to resist, noticing there were two smaller entities that drifted in behind the serpent as well.

Vivi and Zephyr were unable to break free of the serpent's charm for some time and instead focused on the smaller, snail-like creatures instead. Azthoran was nearly eaten whole by the skeletal being, panicked and stepped through a cavern of reality toward the other side of the arena where the snails closed in on him. Fortunately, one of which was on the edge of a raging river through the middle of the arena. Azthoran steeled himself and, feeling a latern kindle inside him for a moment, shoved it into the waters below.

Aldwin continued holding the attention of the undead being - afflicted by magical blindness from Zephyr - while Zephyr started chopping it up. It was chasing down where it thought Vivi and Azthoran were when Zephyr lunged her rapier into its eye socket, felling it.

The snail Azthoran pushed into the water climbed its way back into the fray, where it immediately was pummelled to death by Aldwin's protective spells. When it died, however, its death wail tormented Aldwin and Zephyr - to the point of physical damage! Aldwin rushed toward the remaining snail and crushed it, which drained him, Vivi and I. Aldwin's eyes rolled back and he slumped to the ground.

I deliberated for a long moment before using magic from his Book of Shadows to stabilize the cleric and Vivi used some of the last of her magic to revive him.

Mirt invited us to view the rest of the event from the upper box, with luminaries such as Laeral Silverhand, Elminster, the Blackstaff and the like. The next team fought against a two-headed giant and was forced to yield rather than die.

The griffon cavalry escorted us, as the only victors, north toward Diamond Street (by the West Gate). Vivi saw all the griffons and, once she was helped into a saddle, confirmed that this was the best day of her life.

Riding in the parade was exhilirating for all four members of the Trollskull Travelers! The route swept around above the city and was eventually joined by colorful explosions!

After landing, the griffon riders escorted the group to a plain building, the inside of which was dark until they entered. Once it was lit, they saw a long table, behind which sat Laeral Silverhand (the Open Lord), Vajra (the Blackstaff), Elminster (legendary wizard and current Warden), Renaer Neverember and an empty chair which was claimed by Mirt.