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The Myste-Hass Calender

18/01/2024

The battered adventurers stand upon a jutting outcrop of the tower, looking over the Northern Pass. They can see the Pyramid, the Tower of Dariss and they know the Temple of Resurrection is not far.

Paladins are moving around below.

Reinholt identifies the half orb - The Soul Crux - is used as a ritual device in death rituals to ensure a soul moves on to Garr, but it can also be used to hold those souls. The souls then grant great power to whoever controls it.

Reinholt can still feel the reminents of tens of thousands of souls that once occupied this. Reinholt feels that if Ravaran wants it, it should be held in a place of Dariss. It must be protected.

Maolmhuire detects magic on the statues, the throne, the two peaks on the floor, the archway and Ankhelos's spoils.

Maolmhuire takes the sack with the orb in it.

Corym retrieves the magical armour and bone staff on the death knight.

Rasvyn drops a note off the tower to tell the paladins to wait, then investigates the throne as well. There is still a symbol of an eye in the Garr markings on the throne.

Rasvyn has Ankhelos's scepter.

Ankhelos's body gets thrown into the pit. Gartok takes his head. Reinholt takes a finger. Dramos takes a tooth.

The party exits through the portal, appearing in the room on the lower floor.

The staff used by the death knight is a Staff of Bones, it requires attunement by a spellcaster who knows at least one necromancy spell. It summons two skeletons which can be commanded. They can resurrect other skeletons or humanoids. It's an item that recharges.

Rasvyn checks Ankhelos's Staff. It is the most potent magical item he has ever identified. Rasvyn feels the presence of Ankhelos. It summons undead creatures from anywhere. It is a spell casting focus that comes charged with spells - animate dead, blight, speak with death, circle of death, finger of death, power word kill - and can cast necrotic bolts. It must be wielded by a huge creature. This is a spine of another creature, potentially a demon.

Reinholt identifies the armour, which is made of over-layed plates much like a carapaces. It improves the wearers combat readiness. It's flexible. It gives a +5 bonus to initiative, does not impose disadvantage on stealth, dexterity and heat. It provides a +2 on armour class. It has scorpion-like patterns on it, with inscriptions in infernal on the surface.

The group determine that the amulet which the feline-creature, Varuun, wanted was not on Ankhelos. The amulet supposedly locks Ankhelos to this plain. It had a paw print on it.

In the shrine, there is a low level mist and quiet. Garr's voice is heard. Moalmhuire walks in and dissapears. The others follow, finding themselves into a circular chamber with columns. There are empty alcoves in the distant on all sides.

A tall figure stands before us. He is tall, thin and shadowed.

"You have done much, ahve you not? You have betrayed me on many occasions. And, you have done such great service that I am forced to forgive past transgressions on souls you have denied me, on the souls you have given me. You have reset the order. Now my seat is empty again, so i sit. You have faced Ankhelos, and released those he harboured - soon to be reclaimed - as is the natural order."

"You have done well. And, I am always watching," is heard from Dariss.

"We break the rules for you. We are talking as none have done before."

The adventurers have passed beyond the divine gate. Garr offers a gift.

Garr says, "What would you have Maolmhuire now that my desire to punish you is gone.

Corym asks for wisdom and health. Reinholt asks for the means to defeat Fate. Maolmhuire asks for unending loyalty to his god.

Some will know you as god killers. You may even threaten us. He will have made you this, guided you this way. He has edged you twoards this destiny. Why does Fate make us this powerful and assume we will not kill him. He has taken avatars and claimed them. The gods do not know how he does these things or return beyond the Divine Gate.

Fate is not a true god, he is made.

"Ravaran is a leach, sucking at the power of others - taking divine magic for his own. Now he has all six, the power to hold. He is harvesting the power of souls. He fears you. He is responsible for the change in magic.

"Ravaran only needs the crux. If he returns to the original Genai Stone. It is on this land's mass, far to the north in the mountains. Teleporting there would be dangerous, but the stones that protected are now drained. This is now a mortal affair.

"Fate's agenda is different. He enjoys this chaos. He talks of destiny, but he sows discord on purpose and lies. He tells you one thing to do another."

Dariss says that Fate interfered, because of his harsnessing of their own children. He wears with the mask of Revios. He looks with the eyes of Silma.

Garr says that this conversation is a gift. Arndath will be taken so far into the afterlife, he will never see a reaper again. The Silent Stalkers are roaming as well. They must be returned. If we see one, they must die.

Harbinger asks for Altibo to be returned to her. Alaie gives her a disk marked with a sheaf of wheat which can be placed on Altibo and then Dariss will return him to Harbinger. Dariss says he will fight her, and if he fails, then his soul will be lost forever.

Garr asks for Sartine. She returns to him, but not by choice. The power drains from the skull.

Maolmhuire offers the soul from the shield. Garr informs the group that Silvis, an acolyte of Bin, is notorious for trapping souls inside items.

Ankhelos's kin are not as powerful, but still roaming.

Rasvyn returns the sceptre to the gods. They take it and destroy it. It had the essence of Ankhelos all over it.

Dariss tries to argue, but Garr tells them all to rest and receive the gift from the god.

Goshir is sent as a guardian of Garr's temple. He is tall with feline features, a lions mane of golden colour and robes of black.

The Tower of Garr, along with the Tower of Dariss, has been restored. White and black marbled staircase are throughout. The objects are here, but not the bodies.

The primary entrance area, is an open room with huge black columns. There is an elaborate symbol of Garr on the floor with a shimmering hole with a pit that drops as far as you can see.

Opening the door, there are paladins on the bridge. Many are dead. Ardanath is looking off into the distance. He feels he was lied too. His memories were hidden from here. He asks about his wife and son, then talks of Sussnos.

The adventurers convince the paladins to come into the tower, and rest in the inner sanctum. They slump to the ground in here, alongside the adventurers. They speak of how they fought against a huge black demon.

Corym talks long and hard about an artefact he had been trying to find. It was on an island, at the site of an old religious site. It was a cube with the ability to travel across the planes, but the Fatist's were after it.

An hour into the rest, darkness creeps slowly into the room. One by one, the spirits of the knights are pulled from their bodies. A large black hand, made entirely of mist. Ardanath Cross bursts to his feet, swinging his sword ineffectually towards the hand.

"You have had more chances than anyone. I am a good person. I have championed more than anyone."

"You have had more chances than anyone. You have failed on every attempt. I do not care for your mortal concerns. You are an abomination."

Garr reaches for Ardanath Cross, and takes him.

Reinholt sends a message - "Are you still in the tower, we are trying to organise to resolve your deal? Please meet us on the fourth level."

The voice that returns - "Reinhold, you did as instructed, for which I thank you. There is no further action required on your part. I would have you finish your affairs."

The group head out of the tower, leaving Goshir to look after the tower. His needs are all met by his faith in Garr and his master. Over the bridge, the camp and the cradle remains. A pathway ahead leads into the valley and onto Myloch's Way.

Dramos then casts teleport, arriving in the gateway of the Southern Docks. The people move away alarmed, and then no one else seems to know who the group are - they just seem vexed that adventurers are getting in the way.

The group heads to a bath house near the Arena. They wash and get new base clothes. They have a meal at a street vendor. Everything is quite busy in town.

Quite prominently in front of the Halls there's a large gallows.

There are advertisements for Arena fights. There is a children's hour in the mornings. There are adverts for Angels of Death.

Corym adorns the carapace originally worn by the Death Knight. Dozens of pinpricks hit his body as a surge of something flows into his system.

The group head to the Halls. It is busy. Dramos goes over to one of the desks and requests an audience with the council. Glelin directs us to Clarissa, who supposedly can help. She's been staring into the distance. She's been working there for three weeks and hasn't had a promotion. She doesn't even know who Sten is. She knocks on Andro's door.

Andro pokes his head out, then closes the door. He rearranges his clothing then emerges. Fifteen minutes later, Andro informs us that he has sent a message out to the council to convene in two hours.

Rasvyn and Moalmhuire return home to find it as they left it, if a little dusty.

Moalmhuire's jar has only got liquid in it.

Moalmhuire says he is moving out to the Tower of Garr. Rasvyn offers to buy him out.

The other adventurers go to The Hung Goat. The bar lady is a larger, chatty lady, who talks to the older gentlemen.

Dramos pays for a round for everyone and offers a tip. Then, he enhances the abilities of a bard who performs a moving song about those who have fought the dragon, wyverns, demons, sea monsters and adventurers. His knowledge of locations, and descriptions of Bruidor are perhaps a little too accurate.

The bard, Kennis Quierstock, happily joins the group and takes wine. He seems surprised that it was the adventurer song that made the money, and not the Hey Na-Na-Na Ba-Na-Na-Na-Na Song he sang.

He says there is a painting of Wyvern Slayer in an establishment in the docks. He describes Lorey as the invincible, the slayer of gods. He claims Lorey has a silver tongue. He talks of the demon attacks and the wizard who killed a lot of the militita.

Kennis goes to the militia barracks and entertains the night watch and the Helvettians in the north, discovering stories about whats happening currently.

The Helvettians have a lot of money. But, he can't get into the actual fort.

Dramos introduces himself, then the man clocks on to who the rest of the group. We give him a few titbits.

We head to the council. Rasvyn casts see invisibility, seeing an orb. He dispels Ravaran's orb.

An audience with the Council of Myste-Hass is held. They note the loss of magic and the draining of Genai Stones.

Doraz wants us to settle in. Rasvyn uses detect thoughts to determine he feels threatened. Goraz is worried about Sten and what he might say. Boro is relieved that the party is back, but worried about something happening out of town. Sten extrudes frustration and a lack of patience.

Sten tells the group that the Fatists have set up a temple where the Adventurer's Guild.

Everyone was in favour of the Fate temple.

Sten informs the group that Geoffrey was found in the Temple of Fate.

Maolmhuire talks about the tower, and offering free funerary rights to anyone who is laid to rest at the Tower of Garr.