======== Relooting the hidden chamber ========
Eddie explains that the group is kinda busy and should focus on getting Ras-Nsi so they can retrieve the puzzle cube. Ishmakhal suggests they check Ras-Nsi's private vault behind the secret door where he keeps all the "good stuff".
Things are looted but in the chaos of the ending of previous session the group missed noting the hilt of a blade on the wall. A hilt just like that on Dragonbait's shoulder. Eddie and Lindal recognize it as they saw it when Ras-Nsi's used the sword to slay his god. It may have been a holy avenger sword. But this one appears to be missing its blade. Probably destroyed in the process of assassinating a god.
The sound of the great gong toils again resonating through the fane. You hear voices carries here to Ras-Nsi's chamber by some trick of engineering. It sounds like quite a gathering somewhere nearby. You hear Ras-Nsi and a familiar male voice assuring Ras-Nsi that Acererak has his back.
Miles Breakbone: "While I will help hunt down these particular intruders if you are unable to keep your part of the pact maybe we should find another Yuan Ti to lead the Fane. There are so many who want it, just look at them all looking at your weakness and assessing how spent you look. Quite a nest of snakes you find yourself in Ras-Nsi. The sisters and I have no need for weak leaders and you reek of foul magic. Heck, I would kill you myself but why bother when it looks like you are dying anyhow. My look at that wound on your chest. I mean will that ever heal? How is the search for a cure? The master hasn't heard of a way to cure you yet but we will keep our eyes open. Just keep the riff-raff out of the Tomb of the ten gods and we will do the rest."
Kylorin goes to investigate the hilt of the sword that was mounted on the wall of Ras-Nsi's treasure chamber. It looks broken as if the blade broke off sharply. When you touch the hilt you feel a jerking jarring sensation and are pulled into darkness leaving a cloud of dust in your wake. While Kylorin vanishes along with her light and companion Seraph which was on her shoulder. The rest of the group is left in the dark. It was hard to see given the light disappeared but the cloud of dust was very clear and everyone has heard what a cloud of dust means. Disintegration. The party spends a while sweeping up the dust and trying to figure out how to recover Kylorin but the movement of Ras-Nsi's forces to reclaim the Fane mean the group need to move now. They try the teleportation charm and first find themselves in the pleasure palace. Celadon looks around wistfully but the group play teleportation roulette and get moderately lucky, A room with a clear view of the front door of the complex but there is a portcullis that the group needs to raise first. Freya can lift it 6 inches but the others can't hold in in place long enough for her to move her hands and even Lindal can not squeeze under. Her and Kylorin worked to do this type of maneuver so many times but the others just lack the hand strength or the muscle to get it done.
======== Kylorin's Warren for a rest ========
Kylorin found himself in a maze of uniform passages winding in almost every direction. These are old mazes and the walls are cracked and broken the floor covers with dust inches deep except in the spot which you currently stand. There is faint directionless light and you realize you are not alone when the form on your shoulder chirps *odd* *dizzying* *direction-less* *defender* and poses on your shoulder ready to defend you from threats real or imagined.
Waiting a moment to see if her friends would come he sets out staying to the left wall and wanders for what feels like ages but trudging through the dust eventually brings him back to where he started. Taking some breaths he decides to pray for guidance even as Seraph sets off to scout as much as she can near by taking care not to lose sight. After a while of praying Kylorin feels something faintly and follows the sense through the maze.
Walking almost without pattern as the feeling guides him the feeling increases slowly. Seraph keeps trying to fly ahead but eventually wings back dejectedly and simply states *confusing* *broken* Walking forward Kylorin see what was scaring Seraph. It is the edge of a great chasm that just cuts through the maze. Seraph can fly ahead but Kylorin's passage and many others like it are cut off but and he has the feeling more than anything else that the destination is on other side but there is no way across. The chasm looks bottomless.
Seraph sets off across the chasm looking back occasionally as to mark your place by the light that shows Kylorin in the otherwise endless gloom. Kylorin feels the rightness of this course of action. As Seraph flies further and further towards the other side you soon lose sight of her but she can see your illumination so Kylorin again kneels and prays. Some time later it feels you see Seraph flying back. Except it isn't her. She gets larger and larger in some way bigger than you can imagine but at the same time still small enough to land upon your shoulder. A touch of gentle bemusement and pride touches Kylorin's mind like a parent proud of what their child has accomplished. Just as easily as you hold seraph you feel yourself scooped up in a single claw as she lifts you and proceeds to fly over the great nothing with no bottom and no end. You fly but feel happy humming melodies and the sensation of feeling loved but realize that the love is not your own and then the love grows even stronger as your love for the great dragon is magnified by its love for you. Soon you start to see something on the other side - in the faint light the maze appears infinite but with a single opening on this side of the chasm. The dragon makes its way there and carefully sets Kylorin down before instructing him to be patient. There is time. Be sure of yourself. And more than anything else celebrate what you are and who you are because you are special to the great dragon as is your little friend who should be joining you shortly. The great dragon then flies off leaving you again alone you notice now that you are rested and healed as if you had a long rest.
After a while you start to feel *sad* *lonely* *cold* *exhausted* a glimmer of a little form in the distance grows closer and you see a rime of frost on seraph's wings as she flies towards you. You then feel *puzzlement* *lost* *turned-around* *gratitude and relief* Seraph lands on your shoulder but is heavier than before. She has grown. Not so much bigger as much more present. She is now clearly too much for you to carry and she seems to sense this and pads along at your side more like a dog or guardian as you stride off into the maze again - a bit more confident now she is always by your side sometimes helping you forward and other times she just watches your back or encourages you on. But now it is a bit more camaraderie - it is like she has grown in some important way while you were apart. you feel you understand her better and she understands you. You are a team now in a way you were not before. More equal. She has a new confidence that suits her. (Kylorin and her now Share blindsight 10' when within 10' of each other also seraph is now better able to coordinate attacks she often can use her action to give you advantage on an attack).
Following your heart you slowly drift through the maze. The maze has a center and you are drawing closer to it. Suddenly you see a great god that is both Human and Tabaxi. Dinosaur and chwinga. It is dim, faded but you feel bemusement. Are you lost little one? I do not believe you belong here. What brings you to my maze? Normally I offer a boon to those who solve my maze but the living are not supposed to be here so you must have had help. What brings you and your fierce protector to this forgotten realm?
I recognize that sword in your hand. I remember when I first made it. It is a shame what happened to it. It was used to cut my maze off from the real world. Horrible act that was also rather illuminating.
Ubtau's eyes look filled with tears and you sense sadness and regret. I have a favor to ask little one. One of my children whom I am afraid is lost and can not find their way to my maze anymore. Would you go find my Ni-Ni and tell him it is time to come home. His Tau-ti is waiting for him. He will need to start at the outermost edge of the maze and the maze is infinite but I have hope that in time he can again find his way back to me. Can you do this for me my brave little dragons? If so come over here and stick the hilt of the blade between my shoulders as if you were striking me. I want to share a secret. I hid the blade inside me so it could be carried back and perform this one last act. Will you take this sword from my chest where it has lain some hundred years and use it to guide my wayward son home?
Doing so the sword blade reattaches to the hilt and it is whole once more. Ubtau warns Sadly this blade is not meant for the real world any longer so it will not last long. But I am sure there is a way to restore it if you but find a way. Look for the Way and redeem the blade. Would you do that favor for me? I have little enough to offer you but I think I can give you one or two spells. *casts something followed by something that takes a few minutes* Ubtau grows faint and says "you must go back, my maze can not hold your life any longer".
With that the maze swirls and for a moment you see the whole maze and realize it forms a pattern infinite in complexity but for a moment to Kylorin it looks like a dragon in flight. You then feel a swirling nauseating sensation as you are plunged back into the real world. You are still in Ras-Nsi's treasure chamber. He is looking through the wreckage of his apartment that your friends left behind. His back it to you. What do you do?
Kylorin uses the Holy Avenger sword to smite Ras-Nsi and the spells Ubtau bestowed (Find the Path and Freedom of Motion) neutralize a number of the spells that he has left and with Seraph helping Kylorin kicks his scaly butt telling him, "It is time you go back to your Tau-ti. He is still waiting for you on the other side. You are not worthy of him but it i not my choice to make". And then strikes Ras-Nsi down turning him to dust. The sword turns back into dust which flows into the shape of Ubtau and nods its thanks before gathering up the Spirit of Ras-Nsi before it could be sucked away by the soul-monger and carries it off to it penance.
She then turns and the find the path spell tells her that if she wishes to find her friends she only needs to walk into the arcane portal thinking of a chained hydra to reach them in the prison. There is a moment where the party question her on how to prove it is her but she manages to do it without much problem. The group then takes advantage of her ability to use the portals to go back and collect all the sweet loot they can from Ras-Nsi's chamber. They also find there is another hidden escape in Omu itself and use that to get a nights rest.
========= Scouting the Black Obelisk =========
Shelter for night in Eddie's sanctum. Get message from Valindra Shadowmantle when she can not scry party. In the sending they learn the following.
• Zagmira is also hiding in a extra-dimensional space
• Danger in the black obelisk in front of tomb
• While Acererak is away. His chamberlain Withers is running the tomb with the help of the sewn sisters
The next day rested the group is able to make its way across the city to the tomb without much difficulty. That is where we will pick up.
Inspiration
All from level
Experience (challenge based) 2000 Individual => 45531 cumulative (Early LEVEL 9)
Defeating Ras-Nsi - 2000
Allies
Seraph - now larger and paler and a bit more connected with Kylorin
Treasure
Abilities with Kylorin/Seraph
Better communication
Shared blindsight while in 10 feet
Seraph able to aid Kylorin
Ras-Nsi loot
Bracers of Defense
Flame tongue long sword
Looting Ras-Nsi's Vault part 2
lots of jewels
Silk bean bag chairs (25 gp each)
150 platinum
Potion of Invulnerability
Potion of Fire giant strength (25 str!)