Session 39

The Knot headed back through the empty halls of the first floor residency to search the secret door in the King's personal bed chamber.

Past trap and look they found a massive stone room below.  It was outside the protective forbiddance magic of the rest of the keep.  And a large ornate door leading deeper into the underground bunker.  The way to the teleportation sanctum of the king was near at hand.

Quell checks the door and finds a trap he deftly disables and notes the door is warm to the touch.  Some of the Knot stays up above, looking down the trap door as Quell opens the door with Yvainne supporting him.

Beyond is another stone room, but part of it's corner has been melted down to bedrock by a pool of lava.  Standing out of it is an Azata, an outsider of fire & earth.  Quell remembered the request of the contract devil Dessiter.  "Within the Adarium lies a foe you must kill, an Azata named Bridgett..."

The Knot hesitated but the Azata waisted no time.

As the Knot creeped forward, many having to drop down the trap door first, they were greeted by summoned lava elementals.  Irfan the assassin still with them, but reluctant to charge ahead against creatures he couldn't sneak attack.

Arcs of magic clash above the heads of combatants as the Knot finally rallied & surged forward into the room.

The lady of lava ducked down into her pool to heal her wounds as her minions were blasted away.

The Knot realized the issue of her unfettered access to a lava pool.

As the elemental lady resurfaced she was struck by a roaring wave of hellfire from Wasyli. Drawing on his infernal pact of hell, he stripped her immunity to fire, forcing her out of her lava protection.  There, flying above her pool, she was savaged by the Ninth Knot of Hell.  They showed her the full fiery fury of hell.  Her form finally fell back into the lava pool, burning into ash.

The Knot pushed forward, Quell once again deftly disabling the next trapped door to enter into the next room.  And there they found the inner sanctum of the King of Talengarde.

After a brief discussion the Knot opted to stay put and not explore the rest of the Adarium.  They were here for one mission and one mission only.  Kill the King.  They stationed Brother Summit near the trap door exit as the rest of the Knot readied themselves.

After a while they know that Charmaggon had arrived when the whole foundation of the keep shook and dust filtered down onto them.  They readied themselves for the coming battle and they were not disappointed.  In a few minutes, the room pulsed with some unknown magic before the King & his allies teleport in.

The King's eyes steel as he sees his disgraced former body guard before him.  "Emmerick" he hissed as the Knot launched their surprise attack.

The King's inquisitor fell before he could even lay a blow.  And many knights staggered under a reign of magic and steel as well.

By the time the King's company could put up a proper defense they were only a fraction of their original number.  The King still showed good form, he managed to block a ray of dimensional anchor with his shield & he relentlessly dogged Yvainne, trying to disrupt her spellcasting.  Irfan the assassin readied to strike, only to be blinded by the holy word of the King's priest before the priest was hacked down.

But still, his allies staggered and fell one by one until only the King was standing, shrugging off blows as he tried to wear down the Knot.

But eventually, a well placed blast of destruction from Mardus transformed the Monarch of Talegarde into ash.

And the Ninth Knot of Thorns finished what would likely be their last mission for their master.

With the building still shacking from above, a brief argument ensued.  As Mardus stripped corpses of the dead & dragging their bodies into the room of lava to be "disposed of" Quell & Brother Summit argued.

Brother Summit urged action.  "Why have any doubt, let us act now!  Aid the black dragon, bring low Talengarde.  Destroy the Princess and vanquish the Sons of Balentyne."

Quell argued caution.  "Our mission was to kill the King.  We have done it.  The dragon might not look on us with joy.  Why get in the way of his feasting.  Besides some of us have already died on fools errands."

After finishing their discussion, all while the building shook, the Knot decided to say put over Brother Summit's objections.  Though, using divine magic, Mardus did look on the fighting going above by using his fire oracle powers to view out from the flames of torches mounted on nearby guard tower torches.

It was there that they saw Charmaggon charge at the Princess only to be stopped by a lone Paladin.  Sir Richard.

And from far below they witnessed the near death of their arch-rival.  Until the princess rushed forward to his aid.  And she brought down mighty arcane magic, harnessing her mother's draconic power, and savaging the mighty Charmaggon.

They witnessed the destruction of the great worm black dragon by a girl.  A girl.

They then saw the rest of the Sons rush in, grab Sir Richard & the Princess before using arcane magic and fleeing.

As the magical sensor fades, Brother Summit turns & glares at the rest of the Knot.

The awkward silence was broken by an unexpected suggestion.  "We should grab a scale & resurrect him..."

The rest of the Knot turns in surprise, even Brother Summit's glare disappears as he considers it.