Players (Characters)
Scott (Rain; Grokk)
Catherine (Amber)
Tony (Roland)
Rachel (Horkina)
DM: Tom (Garlen)
In the morning, the group feasted like heroes, courtesy of Ehlonna and her servant Amber. The group discussed the possible meanings of the "Test of Sacrifice", and whispered their suspicions about Kaurophon while he was distracted. After breaking through the rocky dome and riding for several hours following the lantern beam to the west, the group encountered a Hezrou wielding a large mallet. Garlen and Horkina were barely able to handle the smell, with the others remaining at range and sending in arrows and spells. After a quick battle, the Hezrou fell, and Horkina collected the Maul of the Titans.
Continuing toward the skull, the party entered a field of strange acid pools Kaurophon called "ulcers". Amber, mounted upon Redtail, spotted a black dragon headed inbound. Roland provided everyone with protection from acid, Amber surrounded the dragon with magical blades, and the rest of the group spread out. Rain, Grokk, and Horkina fired arrows at the dragon, hitting occasionally, while Garlen missed it badly with his spear. It flew toward Amber and Redtail, breathing acid that had no effect, and found itself in the middle of an icy cone courtesy of Kaurophon. After being slowed by Roland's magic, the dragon wisely retreated.
The lantern led the group to a small pool of acid, beside which lay a raven-winged angel pinned to the ground by several iron spears. Kaurophon recognized the creature Saureya, who had previously given him information about the Test of the Smoking Eye. Amber channeled some positive energy into the fallen deva, who awoke and asked for the spears to be removed from his wings and body. When asked about the Test of the Smoking Eye, he told the group he had designed it, including a flaw that allowed it to be completed by finishing only the third part. He also mentioned that Kaurophon could not enter the first part of the test because he was born on a lower plane, and Adimarchus had desired Occipitus to be ruled by another fallen angel. Kaurophon grew more nervous as the conversation continued, and was relieved when Saureya suggested the group should hurry to catch the Rakshasa and Fire Giant who were already inside.
Being already protected from acid, the group dove in to the pool and swam into the tunnel below, reaching the air-filled interior tunnel in just a few moments. The wide tunnel spiraled high into the mountain. After a few minutes, everyone heard the fire giant's heavy breathing around the corner. Amber aligned the group's weapons, and Rain and Garlen slipped around the corner, killing the Rakshasa with a single blow. Before the giant could react, Kaurophon hit it with a cone of cold, catching Rain in the blast as well. Garlen and Rain stabbed the giant in the back while Grokk and Horkina charged it with their axes. It died before even moving. The strange, fleshy tunnel began to convulse at the point where it had been hit with frost, and the party was pushed upward to a throne room. Horkina did her best to stand close to Kaurophon, suspecting he would double-cross the group at any moment.
The floor of the throne room was covered with broken pottery shards, and a berserk clay golem stood at the far side. Grokk and Horkina again demonstrated their mastery of axes by destroying it as it flailed wildly in response. A spiral staircase led the group into a room with a strange black fire in the middle. Three large fiendish scorpions appeared, but were quickly dispatched. An unholy blight hit most of the party from an unknown source. Amber cast a mass cure spell, and a cry of pain came from inside the fire, suggesting an undead creature was within. Rain fired some arrows through the fire and Roland maximized the power of a sound lance that struck whatever was inside. Grokk and Horkina moved to the sides of the fire, wanting to know what was inside but not wanting to risk taking damage. Kaurophon used a spell of telekenesis to push the creature out of the fire, and Amber and Roland recognized it as a human lich. Garlen, Grokk, and Horkina attacked it, and it responded by casting a spell that left Grokk barely standing. Amber's spells failed to connect and the lich withstood several strikes from Horkina, responding with a cast of Slay Living. Horkina shrugged it off and smacked the lich with the Maul of the Titans she'd picked up earlier, and Roland's magic missile finally dropped it.
Horkina again stood next to Kaurophon, ready to grab him the moment she sensed treachery. The group healed up and then continued up the next staircase. The next room was one of the eye sockets of the skull mountain, with a gusher of bright red plasma rushing outward and upward from the center of the room. Another mummy announced "Adimarchus, Most Potent Ruler of Occipitus, bids you welcome to the final Test of the Smoking Eye. A worthy successor to the throne of Adimarchus must complete only one more task. To rule Occipitus -- to grasp its power and use it for good or ill -- means to sacrifice everything you hold dear. The final test is this: sacrifice an ally to the plasma, and Occipitus is yours!" With that, Kaurophon attempted to cast a spell, but found himself pinned by Horkina and Grokk. Roland put Kaurophon to sleep with a powerful spell, and the party made sure the traitor was securely tied up before discussing options.
Could Kaurophon be sacrificed as an ally? Perhaps so, but wouldn't that be evil? Horkina wanted to know how that would be different in result from just killing him, and Amber argued that evil is about intent as much as action -- killing to stop an evil creature from endangering others is far different from killing the same creature to gain power. "Being good is not merely about smiting evil, but about being different from it." What about turning back and leaving Occipitus to whatever may happen to it? That was an option, but it's certainly better to leave the plane in the hands of good than to leave it in the hands of evil, and it was possible Kaurophon would return with a weaker "ally" to sacrifice now that he knew how to complete the test. Would a familiar or a mount be an adequate sacrifice? Would they be willing to be sacrificed, or would compelling them be evil? Amber stated that, with the founding of the temple, she'd accomplished her life goal and would be willing to be sacrificed, except that she wasn't sure she could trust anyone else to rule the plane with as fierce a devotion to goodness as her. Horkina suspected that, perhaps, she could sacrifice herself and somehow survive. As the discussion continued, Roland decided it was time to act, so he turned and jumped into the geyser.
Roland was momentarily transported to meet with many gods and angels, who saw his self-sacrifice as both technically meeting the test's requirements and as a sign of his worthiness to rule a former part of celestia, should he choose it. When he did, he reappeared with a bright flash, floating gently to the floor. His left eye burned as a candle flame, and the mummy greeted him as "Roland, Most Potent Ruler of Occipitus".
Because it was unclear if others could also pass this test, and no legal authority could be trusted to keep Kaurophon from trying again, it was decided that the only safe response was to kill him. Amber also sealed off the entry tunnel with a thick wall of stone before the party planeshifted home.
The party reached level 12. Roland used the experience to remove the smoking eye level adjustment.
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