The Party begins to climb the World's Spire. Some leave their names at the bottom of the mountain. We take the right-hand path from the House of the Zenith, and encounter the mad man Samuel, a terrible goat, and Bahamut. The Party survives.
Zelrathi squints at the setting sun and bats his eyes, and says, "I'll be fine." He walks straight into a stack of parcels being carried by a Dwarven woman. The parcels are scattered.
She apologizes profusely as Ryltar helps her pick things up. There's some broken glass in the pile; she wears a leather apron and has auburn hair in two thick braids. Ryltar casts Mending on the broken glass. Some passers-by come to help out.
One passerby approaches Jerry and slips a note into her hand before trying to slip away. Jerry grabs his elbow: a scruffy middle-aged human. She asks if he knows if Zelrathi got enough sleep. "Why would I know that?" "You work here, right?" "No." "Hum. Sorry to bother you."
Zelrathi apparently is slightly worried about the woman; he recognized her but she didn't recognize him.
The Coinflip Inn
It's lively and packed; it's the Coinflip for a reason: you have good or bad luck getting in. There are absolutely no rooms available.
So we go to the Death's Door Inn instead, which is rumored to have a murder hallway in the basement.
The Death's Door
It's not packed. We go in. THere's three groups of four people at tables, drinking the night away. It's higher-quality than the Regular Inn but the clientele are lower-class. Rooms are 5 silver per night, according to the Goliath tending bar. We get food and buy three rooms for the night. The rooms are quite good.
Bugfood goes to explore the hotel. There's a rumor that people died in the basement, and he's curious about that. He doesn't see anything magical behind the big basement door, but the people in the tavern are often carrying magical items
The note
On first inspection, it said nothing.
After some shaking, the ink rises to the surface, and it says:
Kerjes is watching, waiting
The script fades.
The next day
Jerry tells the Party about the note over breakfast.
Shopping
We go shopping, referencing Jerry's favored terrain of Mountains, and buy:
4 grappling hooks
1 climbing kit per person
2 hammers
We see that same woman that Zelrathi ran into yesterday at Glassman's Tinctures.
Salris sells his gilded skull for two climbing potions; Jerry buys one as well.
The Temple of Ioun, and Moon
We go to the Temple of Ioun; she's standing outside the temple, waiting for us. Jerry asks if we need to clear her with her parole officer or anything like that. She shakes her head: no. She's got a chain around her neck.
We give Moon a climbing pack and she sets off toward the mountain. She's not speaking which is weird, and Jerry calls it out. Ryltar believes that's because she's on a pilgrimage with someone she doesn't want to ever see again: Ryltar.
Salris goes up to her and gets chatty.
The base of the mountain
At the base of the mountain is a slightly ornate shack at the base of the mountain.
There's a Dwarf and a Human woman taking names from a line of people, which they put on boards on pegs on the wall of the shack. Name boards are 5 silver, which go on the walls of the Blessed if you make it back down the mountain, or the wall of the Lost if a month passes. Jerry and Moon put their names down.
We leave the shack and follow a path up the mountain, switchbacking for hours until we reach a flat clearing around noon. This is the true beginning of the climb, and so it is where the clerics gather.
The House of the Zenith
This oval basin is where three worshipers are praying to stone depictions of the gods:
two priestess praying at the feet of Selune
a male half-orc is leaving an antler at the feet of Kord
Two young half-elves are sweeping a ceramic mosaic that takes up the majority of the level ground here.
The ground of this bowl is a mosaic, giving a birds eye view of the Quadroads down below, the buildings are grey and each of the temples both minor and major are represented in the color that best represents the god that they worship. Off to the right of you is a elderly Halfling woman resting at a rudimentary bench overlooking the Quadroads. Each stone depiction of the gods is carved out of the very mountain. In front of each god is a small ceramic bowl containing the remnants the past offerings, incense, parchment, battle trophies and the like.
Moon writes something on a scrap of parchment and burns it in the altar of Ioun.
We are warned to set aside food for a creature which lives on the mountain.
There are two paths, to the left and right of the area. The left path is more used than the right, but both are walkable. Ryltar asks a woman who's standing idly by the altars. She says the left path is slower but safer; right is more quick but more strenuous. Jerry states that we're fine for the strenuous side, and the Party agrees.
The Right Path
The woman bows to us as we make our exit.
The right path leads to a small trail, going up three-quarters of a mile, ending in a scattering of pitons. There are old and new pitons, some with rope still attached, hammered into a sheer cliff. Directions of travel are up or down or back along the path; we can't see the top of the mountain from here.
Bugfood wildshapes into a giant owl and tries to fly to the top of the cliff. It's a sheer cliff face, and he flies up it looking for a place where the Party can rest for a bit mid-climb. Within half an hour of flying, he sees a trench where people can rest for a bit.
He also sees a mass of rags and rope, dangling on the climbing face.
Two hours into the climb, we come to the pile of rags and rope: it's a body, a shriveled corpse, attached to an old rusted piton. Bugfood casts Detect Magic on the corpse and detects magic. Jerry pokes it with her disposable longhammer: it's been dead for a long long time. The skin is dessicated and the eyes plucked out.
We hear the rope creak in the piton; Jerry bonks the piton with her wooden longhammer. The piton shifts out two inches.
Bugfood wildshapes into a giant spider and skitters over to the corpse, and finds a gold chain with a three-faceted ruby around the neck. He plucks it off just as the piton gives way and the body falls. He waves goodbye as it falls down the mountain.
Some of us take exhaustion as we finish the day's climb. We hit the ledge/trench as the sun sets.
Bugfood casts Identify on the amulet: it's a thing that will automatically stabilize someone who's downed.
The night on the mountain
Moon goes to bed, and Ryltar notices that she doesn't have her normal wand with her.
The night passes without incident, though some hear distant wingbeats.
Dawn on the mountain
We're on the western side of the mountain, in the shade.
We continue climbing up, coming to some terrain that doesn't require crazy skills to climb.
Salris is once again caught by his Climbing Kit.
We move from bouldering to another climb.
A mountain goat meeh's at Jerry from above her; she gives it a ration. It chews that, and then tackles her. She's tied into the mountain. Bugfood casts Summon Animals for eight attractive female goats; one falls off the mountain. The goat is distracted and goes off to look at them.
We continue climbing the mountain. The goat tires of the companions and returns to Bugfood for food. He offers four Goodberries; the goats go off into the distance.
Around noon, we start hearing mutterings in non-language. We come to a ledge, and Jerry sees a human leaning against the side of the mountain, beating his head against the rock.
We pay attention. We ask him if he's okay, if he has a name. He keeps saying "climb up, climb down" and repeating the name of Kord, the god of battle and strength. He's in a state of delirium and madness. "Do you require help?" He repeats, "help, help" and when we give him water and food, he passes out. We leave some rope as well. He's wearing a holy symbol of Kord.
After a minute's sleep, he wakes, less-bloodshot of the eye, and says, "I needed that. Who are you?"
We say that we're travelers, on a journey. "A journey it is." He asks how far it is down, and is encouraged by it being 1.5 days' climb down: he says he's almost at the top. He wants to return to the bottom of the mountain. "My journey was complete; I am to return triumphant." He says that's he's good to return on his own, and that his name is Samuel. "I have failed all the tests before, and none could believe that I would do it, but I have done it, and I am stronger for it."
He says that there's another rest stop above, not big enough for the whole party.
Bugfood offers him a ride down; he says that he climbed up on his own and will climb back down.
We get some water and take a short rest, and then continue the climb.
Zelrathi and Salris fall again, and take a little damage from being saved by their climbing kits.
We move into another section of bouldering terrain, a few hundred feet below the cloud level.
As we enter the clouds, Vurguron begins to hear passing whispers. Then we all do. We try to ignore them. They say the same things that Samuel was saying: "Climb up, climb down," repeating in the wind.
Spectral images come from the rock. Jerry, Salris, Moon, Salris and Zelrathi are their targets, trying to possess them. The ghosts possess Salris and Moon.
Round 1
Moon is possessed.
Ghost attacks Jerry with Withering Touch, and fails. Others move. One tries to possess Ryltar, who rejects it.
Salris, possessed, lets go of the rope, and falls 25 feet until he's arrested by the climbing rope.
Vurguron hits a ghost with his sword.
Bugfood hits a ghost with Guiding Bolt.
Jerry pops Hunter's Mark on one ghost and then does 35 damage to it with her glaive.
Zelrathi does a twinned Guiding Bolt against the two leading ghosts, which are flanking Jerry, popping them.
Ryltar shoots one ghost with Mind Spike and deals some damage to it, confusing it.
Round 2.
Moon, possessed, lets go of the rope. She falls 25 feet into Bugfood, slamming into him for 3 damage to him. He pats her on the back and says, "Moon, you're doing great."
Vurguron casts Ice Knife on some of the ghosts, splattering Ryltar with ice fragments.
Bugfood does some radiant damage on a ghost with Guiding Bolt, and then slaps Moon, screaming, "The power of Ioun compels you!" Nothing happens.
Ryltar Mind Spikes another ghost, dissipating it.
With no ghosts in range, Jerry climbs down the rock face to near Moon.
Zelrathi shoots the possessed Moon with Guiding Bolt for 7 radiant damage.
Possessed Salris removes his climbing spike from the wall.
Moon scratches at Vurguron.
Vurguron climbs down next to Jerry.
Bugfood detaches himself from the ledge and wildshapes into a Giant Owl, and then plans to grab anyone who falls off the wall.
Ryltar casts Slow on Moon and Salris, succeeding on both.
Jerry pops Ensnaring Strike and stabs Salris for 9 piercing, pinning him to the wall with a writing mass of vines. She moves down 5 feet to a point where she can grab either Moon or Salris.
Zelrathi casts Bane, failing on Moon but succeeding on Salris. He's no longer possessed.
Salris' ghost tries to attack Jerry. She tries to grapple it and fails. It attacks her for 22 necrotic, and she passes the concentration save for Ensnaring Strike to keep Salris pinned to the wall.
4.
Moon stays where she is.
Vurguron attacks the ghost that left Salris, and blows it away into the winds.
Ryltar Ray of Frosts Moon for 13 cold, further reducing Moon's speed.
Jerry anchors Salris to the wall with his Climbing Kit and then drops Ensnaring Strike.
Zelrathi Eldritch Blasts Moon. She falls unconscious.
A ghost leaves Moon and tries to possess Vurguron, but it fails.
Vurguron whacks the ghost, hitting it twice for about three fifths of its health.
Giant Owl Bugfood Balm of the Summer Courts Moon for a little HP, and then stays away from the cliff face.
Ryltar Mind Spikes the ghost at level 5, for 34 damage, and Salris is no longer slowed. The ghost hears the whispers, and its mind explodes. It blows away on the wind.
Salris' slowed Eldritch Blast goes off, passing through the empty air where the ghost was.
We do some healing. Bugfood flies off to find a place to sleep.
Bugfood finds the ledge that Samuel had mentioned, and two hours later, we reach it, just beneath the cloud layer.
The ledge is 3 feet wide and 15 feet long. Big enough for us to sit, but not deep enough to really lie down on. The rock face is probably natural, but it's not weathered by time. It was placed by a supernatural force, rather than a natural mountain.
Bugfood takes the shape of a giant spider and lays down some webbing, to help keep us in place.
The night passes without incident.
We eat breakfast and continue climbing.
There's one particular ledge which everyone needs to climb up and out of, where Salris and Zelrathi take several attempts to get over, taking some bludgeoning damage. Beyond that ledge, we enter the pea soup fog of the cloud deck.
Anytime there's some separation between people, there's a significant drop in sound. And trying to catch up to people, it takes more time and distance to catch up than expected.
Jerry calls the group to stay together, to join up and tie themselves together.
There's a clicking sound which comes from different directions, and then all at once in one direction.
Bugfood takes the shape of a Giant Owl for the next eight hours, circling around the Party. He finds the scattered party and guides them back together. We tie ourselves together with a short rope.
We continue climbing, finding another ledge, a shallow slope. The cliff is no longer so steep that we're in fear of falling.
We come to the top of a split rock formation, where the rock has come to a crack. Past it, Jerry sees a massive figure, of horns drawn back past platinum scales, a gargantuan platinum dragon. Vurguron sees, for the first time ever, the projection of Bahamut himself, held back between two stones. The Party gathers on Vugruron as he collapses to his knees before the piercing floodlight eyes of Bahamut. There's one missing scale among the missing scales of his coat: Vurguron realizes that it's the missing platinum scale from his family. Bahamut's voice booms forth: "HAVE YOU ABANDONED YOUR DUTY? HAVE YOU ABANDONED YOUR PEOPLE?" With every question, the tiny black hole of the missing scale grows, and grows, from a meter scale to ten to fifteen. "HAVE YOU ABANDONED THEM?"
"Master, we have lost it, but we have been searching—"
"LOST ARE YOU." The blackness is inescapable, and on a constitution save, those who pass take 8 cold damage and 16 for those who fail. "STRAYED FROM YOUR PATH. OR HAVE YOU A NEW MASTER?" The whiteness of Bahamut's eyes are all-encomapssing.
"I have not."
The form shifts; the bright light from the eyes turns dull and green, becoming Kerjes. We make a Dex save, as everything is pulled and drawn towards him. Those who fail lose an item from their person. "AND WHAT MASTER DO YOU SERVE?" asks Bahamut in the form of Kerjes. "YOU DO MY WORK NOW." Bahamut's image is replaced with Kerjes entirely.
"YOU SOUGHT A SCALE, NOW YOU SEEK A SWORD. TO RAISE AND STRIKE. WHAT SAY YOU?" He had indeed switched from seeking his family's missing scale, to searching for the story behind the sword hilt.
"Where should we look for the blade?"
"YOU GAVE IT. TIME TO GIVE IT BACK. BUT IF I DO, YOU WILL NOT GIVE IT BACK," says the apparition, and Vurguron feels his sword wriggle in its sheath as it is pulled by the void. It jumps free, flying away, lost. "YOU SERVE ME NOW. BAHAMUT IS BEHIND YOU; YOU SERVE HIM NO LONGER."
Kerjes fades, the black hole grows bigger and larger. Vurguron makes a save against fear and fails, becoming frightened by the black hole.
The rest of the Party makes a strength save, as their items and they themselves are drawn towards the hole. Vurguron and Ryltar slide towards the hold, feeling the cold envelop them. Everyone takes 14 points of cold from the draining emptiness. Ryltar and Jerry drive spikes from their climbing kits; Vurguron drives his crowbar into the ground. He steadies himself against the coming void and change of master with the power of his own personality. The void begins to pull upwards.
The voice of Bahamut returns: "YOU HAVE FAILED US. THE HOLE YOU HAVE LEFT GROWS STEADILY. YOUR PEOPLE ARE WEAKENED. GATHER YOUR PEOPLE. RETURN!"
Vurguron rolls a 12 on the Wisdom save. Faced with Bahamut himself, he yells, "My people need me!" and tightens his grip on his crowbar.
The group takes another 8 cold damage.
Salris Misty Steps to a point where there's a rock between him and the black hole.
Jerry moves to Moon and dumps a potion of healing in her mouth for 5. Bugfood casts Balm of the Summer Court on Moon, and tries to climb his anchor-rope to get to the ground to Shape Stone but fail. He Blesses the whole Party (save Salris, who has his own protection from a rock) to gain +1d4 from saves and attacks.
Vurguron is among the midst of this tumult. He yells, "I will not submit!" and uses his Breath Weapon, intimidating the void: the breath weapon grows larger and larger, keeping the void at bay.
The Party takes 8 cold damage. Zelrathi heals himself and Ryltar some. Salris is chilling behind his rock. He can look from behind the rock to see everyone flailing in the wind.
Ryltar tries to climb towards Moon. Moon sees him climbing towards her and climbs towards him in turn. They meet, and Ryltar Dimension Doors himself and Moon over to Salris.
Bugfood manages to climb his rope to the ground, and uses Stone Shape to make handholds for himself. He Balm of the Summer Courts himself.
Jerry works her way across the ground, driving pitons, making it halfway to Salris.
The draw of the void is not so much physical for Vurguron as it is a compulsion. He draws another crowbar and tries to crawl away, and as he crawls away, the call of the void abates. He, Jerry, Bugfood, and Zelrathi (who are all within range of the void) all take 2 points of cold damage.
Jerry crawls back down her pitons and grabs Vurguron, and helps him to climb away from the black hole.
He moves his hand from the crowbar closest to the Black Hole to Jerry, and that crowbar flies into the void. He tries to stand, and stands defiant against the swollen Black Hole.
The Black Hole vanishes; our items fall to the ground.
Vurguron picks up his sword: it glows vibrantly with white energy. Until the DM says so, it deals an extra d4 of radiant damage.Jenn reminds us that the next star is white.
Salris screams: "The next star is white! It can't be a coincidence!"
The sky right now is clouds.
Next session
Was that really Bahamut? Vurguron thinks that the scale was exactly where legend says his family's scale was.