A few days after the encounter with Treerazer, the heroes are summoned by Dierna Hilerchaun to Bladechapel Manor's sanctuary for an awards ceremony. For their work in closing the Worldwound rift, all four heroes are awarded the righteous medal of spirit , a powerful totem against charm and compulsion effects. Next, Malak and Elaryan are signaled out for their brave defeat of Treerazer, and both are awarded the righteous medal of valor . Towards the end of the ceremony, something strange happens. The first indication that something unusual is about to happen is the sudden increase of ambient light. This brightening is visible only to the heroes, and increases swiftly to the intensity of the noonday sun, and then beyond. Yet this brightness does not cause pain or discomfort. Instead, it fills each adventurer with a feeling of pride and hope. Just as the light grows to what would normally be blinding level, the heroes suddenly find themselves in what appears to be a vast cathedral. The ceiling rises out of sight above, and the walls bear stained-glass windows that move and change to depict the famed acts of Iomedae. Soft light fills the vast space, and choirs of angels and archons sing from unseen reaches of the cathedral. Standing before the four brave souls is Iomedae herself. The goddess takes on a somewhat humble form, standing no taller than she did in her mortal life, yet none who look upon her can mistake her for anything other than a goddess. Her cloak is blood red, indicating her mind is on the battles to come, but her sword is sheathed and her shield is lowered. She nods once, then speaks: Welcome heroes. I am Iomedae. You are those who have proven most worthy to strike back against the Abyss’s latest injustice: the kidnapping of my own herald. Answer my questions truthfully and be found worthy of the great task I would set before you. Remain silent, and be known as cowards in the face of evil. The goddess proceeds to ask a series of questions, allowing the heroes to answer each in turn. After a strong start (in which Arthas shows off his knowledge of the Battle of Three Sorrows) the heroes fare poorly. Most of Iomedae's questions seem to have no clear answer, dealing with philosophical conundrums like the balance between justice and mercy. The adventurers try to answer truthfully, but they don't seem to have the answers the goddess is looking for. After each incorrect answer, the chorus of angels raises their voices to a deafening blast, forcing the heroes to their knees in awe. Eventually, Iomedae tires of testing the companions. Shaking her head in disappointment, she syas that the answers were nonetheless good enough for the heroes to serve in this desperate time: You are worthy to champion me against Baphomet, for mandate prohibits the interaction of the divine in even such matters as personal as the loss of a herald. I charge you as worthy souls to go into the darkness of the Abyss, into the Ivory Labyrinth of my enemy, and seek out my herald. If he be dead or worse, I trust you shall finish things as befits those of your boldness. Heed the advice I have given you. Go forth on a road of honor, swiftly and with great justice, to defeat Baphomet and return or avenge my herald. In so doing may you find the strength to face the true peril that lies ahead. Deskari always watches, and the time shall soon come when the Worldwound must be closed forever lest it consume your world. The goddess gives each hero a token: a bronze holy symbol that will allow them to planeshift to the Ivory Labyrinth. The cathedral flashes white once again, and an instant later the PCs have returned to Bladechapel manor. The adventures waste no time. After spending a single day resting and researching Baphomet's realm, they use their new tokens to planeshift to the Abyss. Unfortunately, they find that the tokens have two drawbacks. First, they are a one-time item, disappearing after use. Second, they bring only the mythic hero to whom they were given. Hubris, Xhotl, Flumph, and Lor are all left back at home. The large chamber in which they appear measures about fifty feet across, and has a vaulted ceiling that rises to a similar height. A sphere of bright light shines above, almost like a miniature sun, casting brilliant illumination down into the room below. Patches of thick green ivy cling to the walls, while a pool of water flanked by two curving ivory benches sits in the center of the room. Numerous archways and doors in the walls provide access to tunnels and chambers beyond. But it is the walls, floor, and ceiling that demand the most attention, for all of these are formed by thousands of bones-- skulls, femurs, ribs, and more-- harvested from all manner of humanoids and beasts, packed together in a dense osseous patchwork. The plaza also contains a welcome party: a marilith demon named Odeenka and her four coloxus servants. Odeenka gives the party one chance to swear fealty to Baphomet. When the heroes refuse, she attacks! Odeenka is a fierce warrior, and her servants aid her with spells of confusion and slow. Still, the part are victorious, killing the marilith and causing the coloxuses to flee. Odeenka's last words are, "May your bones join those of a million others". The party has no time to celebrate, however, for Elaryan has also been slain in the battle. Nor attempts to use his fungal pod to reincarnate the sorcerer, but it has no effect. Finally, Arthas manages to summon a trumpet archon from the planes of Ragathion. As a special boon from Ragathiel, the archon returns Elaryan to life. Then it vanishes. The heroes begin exploring the endless maze that makes up the Ivory Labyrinth. Malak leads, while Arthas (having summoned Hubris to him) marches in the rear. The Labyrinth is filled with false passages, secret doors, and traps. After exploring in this way for several hours, the party stumbles across a minotaur patrol. These minotaurs, direct servants of Baphomet, are mighty warriors endowed with mythic power. This hulking beasts wear heavy bronze masks that cover most of their face, and they wield massive great axes. They begin the fight with an intimidating display of prowess that causes Malak to cower in the corner. Without the draconic fighter (and without Xhotl or Lor), the battle goes poorly for the heroes. Hubris, Arthas, and Elaryan are all slain. Nor uses remove fear to restore Malak-- who assumes the form of a large black dragon-- but soon Malak is severely wounded as well. Nor grabs both Elaryan and Malak, and planeshfts away. Arthas and Hubris are left on the Abyss, surrounded by Baphomet's minions! Everyone who played gains 20,000 XP. Meeting Iomedae counts as a mythic trial.
