Session 133: Bert's Boots (face-to-face) [face-to-face sessions are not included in the tier assistant so as not to confuse players it doesn't apply to. The face-to-face sessions count as sessions attended for everyone attending them, but not as sessions missed for the people who did not attend.] Played on the Eleventh of January in the year 2018 Present: Archer; Half-Elf Ranger/Rogue, lvl 4 (Daniel) Desna; Elf Druid, lvl 4 (Pippa) Boris; Half-Orc Barbarian/Monk, lvl 4 (Seraphina) Trarbon; Dwarf Cleric, lvl 4 (Glen) (Spoken (yelled) aloud as he cannot write) ...Well, there was this one time where I was in Seahold - you heard o' Seahold, Yeah?! - Anyway, I was trying to get some kip in the guest area, when I was suddenly woken by a strange feeling I had on my chest! I look down, what do I see?! Not only a fucking glowing mark thingy! I was right fucked off I can tell you! Not only because of this glowing mark thingy, but I get real grouchy when woken before I've had my sleep! Whoever did this was in for a right bollocking! In my anger though, I fell down the stairs! Hahahaha! Right tit! Ah well, I never cared for impressin'! I smacked into the door, making my entrance! I demanded to know what had happened to me! They said something about how this group of Sithi had marked us, because a gate of some kind had been opened in Haven. Not fully understanding the situation, and still being very, VERY angry, as soon as they told me the direction these Sithi went, I immediately marched in their direction towards a glowing wisp of light moving south of Seahold! They yelled to stop me, telling me to at least put some clothes on! I didn't stop, nor care! I marched toward the light, with the others tailing behind me! Once arriving at the light, and found it standing among five pillars of stone, one in the center of four others! They each some kind of old language written on 'em! I can't read anyway! But I can tell the difference between old squiggles, and new squiggles! I had never noticed these pillars in this glade before, and I'd definitely been here before! This cloaked fucker was standing next to the light! I approached him! He turned towards me, his eyes disturbing me, the white of his eyes appearing to be storms! I yelled, "Are you the one who did this?!" Pointing to the mark on my chest. He said that the one who done this had been long dead for thousands of years! I didn't buy it at first, my anger getting the best of me! He then talked of us 'being chosen, him also!' He then revealed the same mark on his chest! He spoke of not wanting to undertake this mission, but that he had no choice! He asked me what I was, noting my kind did not come here 'last time'! I asked him how to remove the mark on my chest! He said I had to complete a task not yet known to him, though he reckoned it had something to do with a doorway that had been opened underneath the castle in Haven! He asked where my companions where, prompting them to walk in! Archer, Desna and Trarbon had kindly brought my gear for me! I - for the sake of my companions eyes - put my clothes on! With Archer, Desna and Trarbon with us, we moved onward while the Sithi spoke of how our histories were a lie! That the Sithi were not the ones who struck the first blow in the war! He spoke of a wizard that sought a power the Sithi kept safe! He didn't speak of what this power specifically was, but he said this portal leading to this power must be closed! He told us we must move swiftly as the city of Haven was burning! Which took us all aback! He also mentioned his scouts had seen a fleet with red banners and red sails! He was talking of the Red Emperor! Those bastards had invaded! The Sithi led us onward toward the sea! As we got closer to the coast, we could see Haven burning in the distance! As my companions and I looked at the harrowing scene, the Sithi took out a curved dagger, made out of some kind of resin, cut his palm, and let his blood flow into the soil! A pillar of dark material rose up out of the blood marked ground! Ancient magic! It looked like it was made of solid shadow! He asked us all to grab hold of his cloak! We did! He then mumbled some words, and we suddenly found ourselves in a small cave right by the sea! We later determined we were underneath Haven! The Sithi looked drained, falling to his knees! I tried helping him up, but he wouldn't have it! He yelled out to Isildra that the compact was done, that he must seal the gate, and that we were to go forth! Then before we could stop him, he slit his own throat, and dropped dead! As we looked around trying to figure out where we were, the Sithi's blood began to spread towards one of the cave walls! As it did, a small gap of light began to come through the wall! The gap in the wall continued to widen as the blood spread! Once the gap was wide enough, we looked through, seeing a narrow corridor lit by torches! Archer looked over the dead Sithi's body! Finding an invisible necklace and key attached to it! Some of the Sithi's blood had revealed it, and Archer took the necklace off and pocketed it! In the corridor, we heard two men talking! One of them clearly a hostage! The other wanted to know the location of something, but we couldn't figure out what! We then heard two imperial guards pushing what the party noted was a man named Colodus! The guards mentioned something about a torture room! They led Colodus off to a room to our right! Two other guards then came barging down the stairs, carrying two backpacks full of loot! They then went off into a room towards our left! None of the guards appeared to notice any gap in the room! We decided to get moving, and not leave Colodus to his torture any longer than needed! We moved forward into the corridor, we looked to our left to make sure nothing would come up from behind! We heard the two looting guards fighting over their stuff, before seeing one of them with a dagger in his chest fall out of the room they were in! "I'm sorry Bert, but you have lovely boots!" said the killer guard! Looking to our right we could see an armoured door! We quietly approached the door! Right as I got to the armoured door, a guard I had not seen, sat in an outcove right outside the armoured door, came into view! Just before he looked up to see me, I smashed him in the face, knocking him out! Archer said he heard a chink noise, and that it may be a key! I found a bunch of keys on the knocked-out guard! I found the key for the armoured door and opened it! Inside the room, which was clearly a torture room; Colodus had been chained to a wall. Two imperial soldiers were interrogating him! One wearing this purple cloak, meaning he was a praetorian guard! Making it a treasonous act to attack them! At this point, we didn't care, and ran in and attacked! Behind us, the killer guard popped his head out! He saw we were attacking the praetorian guard! He yelled out how Seth was coming to the rescue, and that we'd killed his friend Bert! Oh, and yes, he was wearing Bert's boots! The two guards in the torture room were tough, but we managed to cut, fire and cast our way through 'em! I believe Seth's last words were "Bury me in these boots!" We aided Colodus, removing his chains and shut the door behind us! Archer discovered the Sithi's necklace key could lock the door permanently, which was nice! Colodus noted the key, saying we could 'follow him,' before passing out! Not long after we locked the door, Desna heard a commotion outside! More imperial guards had arrived looking over the scene! They blamed looters! They noted Bert's boots had been stolen! Soon finding Seth's body with Bert's boots! The guards started fighting over all the loot, including, of course, Bert's boots! In the torture room, was a spiral staircase, with a weird, old archway surrounded by runes! As the others were looking over the door, I began to meditate to try and regain some of my spent energy, as I wouldn't be much use if I hadn't! As Archer approached the archway, the runes on it appeared to turn into animals, and released smoke into the room, causing me to cough! Hoping the guards hadn't heard, Archer looked over the stairs and archway, checking for traps, finding none! The archway however, had opened! Suddenly, we heard a thumping sound! Something heavy had just hit the door! The guards were trying to ram the door down! They must have heard me cough! Desna overheard the guards saying how there might be loot in the room! I grabbed Colodus and we all ran down the stairs through the archway! Archer sealing it behind us! Just as he sealed it, the imperial guards smashed into the room! We found ourselves in a dark corridor approaching a big chamber! In the center of the chamber was a kind of thin force field barrier! Hanging in the center, a man, slightly lighting the chamber! Before we moved forward, Colodus awoke, and warned us of what was beyond the barrier! A being - cursed by Skarn - was sealed within the chamber! The Sithi were to keep this being - as well as many other beings in Maladon - in its tomb! Colodus revealed the only way to defeat the creature! One of the sword of the avowed; Jaderel: the Spellbreaker! This sword lied behind the barrier! He also warned that if we should suffer a wound from this creature, we would not be able to pass the barrier! We would be tainted by dark fire, and would turn into one of the creatures, and be trapped forever! He also insisted that the sword, should it slay the creature, must not return past the barrier either! Colodus spoke of some 'Fane of Arsha,' and that his goal there was to find this place, so he may guard it! Colodus said that only a single strike from Jaderel would be needed to quell the creature! Given that, I decided only one of us had to go beyond the barrier and risked being tainted by Dark fire! Being stubborn and all that, I decided that was going to be me! The plan was for me to open the barrier with the necklace key, and throw it back so the creature couldn't nab it! I'd then find the sword, and strike the creature! Colodus mentioned the others could still attack from the other side of the barrier, so they all got into position! Colodus also said he'd try and heal any attack made on me! If healed quickly enough, it may prevent the dark fire from taking root! I asked the party, if I should fall, to tell my husband and daughter at Ashvale Farm that I had died, but not tell them what I'd become! Make up a far grander story for them to remember me by! I opened the barrier, and walked through! I threw the key back! I moved toward the end of the chamber to find a sarcophagus made of stone with an image of a warrior on it, with a sword and shield on it! The sword looked far more real than the rest of the warrior! It was then I noticed inside the casket, there seemed to be a flame! As soon as I saw it, it began to flow out of the casket! I immediately ran to the sword, and prized it out of the stone warrior! Colodus shouted out "You must strike at its heart!" A shadowy man-like creature of great might came out! The creature tried to will my newly acquired sword out of my hands! I was able to resist, and noticed that while holding Jaderel, I could now see the creature's heart! I struck at it, but the creature was well good at avoiding my weapon! The creature struck me! I looked at the wound, thinking that was it! That the taint'd take me! Then Colodus managed to heal me before the taint spread! It'd been nice to know he could do that beforehand! Still, thank you Colodus! The creature shot fire at the barrier towards my allies! Luckily the barrier stopped the curse, turning its attack into a mere firebolt. Still painful, but not quite as deadly! Finally, I was able to strike true at the monsters heart! The sword flung out of my hand, swirling around the room still lodged in the creature, until finally falling to the ground, stabbing the stone floor! The creature had been slain! After getting my breath back, I tried to move the sword back to the sarcophagus out of respect! However the sword wouldn't move! It had found its new resting place! My allies used the key to let me back through! Just as we were about to leave, I turned back to salute the sword for a job well done! At that moment, I heard a voice say, "You will always be a part of me!" I don't know if it was the sword, or something else! Just before we all turned to leave, the four pillars in the room revealed glowing writing! This writing looked exactly like the old squiggles from the forest when I first met the Sithi! Archer reckoned these might be a gateway back there, and used the key to go through it, then the bugger disappeared along with the writing on the pillar, leaving the key behind! There being five of us including Colodus and only four pillars; Colodus proclaimed he'd have to find his own way back! Trarbon, Disna and I used the key on a pillar each! We found ourselves back in the forest! Finding a Sithi lord waiting for us! He said his nephew had played his part and asked for his dagger, which Archer gave to him! The Sithi then fired an arrow, seemingly at Archer, but instead, hit a tree behind him! If this was anything like the Ashanni, this meant we'd just gained favour with these guys! "The debt is paid!" He bowed, and silently left, disapearing into the forest! Well... job's still a goodun!