A Wash of Anger

Gamemaster: Kerov

Relevant Characters

Will Baseton
Rai'm Tymisonn
Ara du Mythril
Hakaril Silvar
Jak Snide

NPCs

Barak
Malachias
Alexstrasa
Kerov Altec

Logs

Page one.
Page two.
Page three.
Page four.
Page five.
Page six.
Page seven.
Page eight.
Page nine.
Page ten.
Page eleven.
Page twelve.

Summary

After an unsettling span of quiet from the demon Malachias, Barak found some information suggesting that Malachias might be regrouping in the Barren Desert, in a fortress called the Angel's Arm. Top priority was reclaiming the Staff of Unrelenting Anger from the pit lord.

During their first night on the road, something flew over their heads at great speed, giving off a bright glow and unidentifiable astral signature. They encountered another source of magical energy the next day, later identified as an archangel named Kerov with a talking sword named Goel. His purpose there was to prevent the party from confronting Malachias, claiming that even their combined strength would be insufficient against the pit lord. Kerov did not fight them himself, but he left in his wake an avalanche intended to prevent the party's passage through the Shuman Mountains.

The party tunneled past the barrier, and made their way to the desert. Barak and Jak led the way to an oasis that had been cloaked with illusion magic. At the oasis the party was accosted by a group of armed, grey-skinned beings who said little beyond addressing Ara as "Lady Whore." Rather displeased with their manners, Ara incinerated one of them. Apparently they had mistaken Ara for Alexstrasa, who had taken Ara's form and had been kidnapping local people. This area was Tzelara, the city of the Tzel'toah. The group decided to stay in Tzelara in the hopes of catching Alexstrasa on her next visit.

The plan was to pose as Tzel'toah and allow themselves to be taken, finding their way back to Malachias and Alexstrasa's base of operations. Ara, Rai'm, and Hakaril would go with Alexstrasa, while the others would stay behind in the village to prevent Malachias and Alexstrasa from paying too much attention to their own collection of Tzel'toah.

Each disguised party member was assigned a magical element, which was to be the only school of magic available in their temporary forms.

Jak did some research into Malachias' history, and learned of the pit lord's origins and potential desire to surpass the dark lord of the last hell. That's no good. Fortunately, included with the book was an amulet holding the powers of lawful magic, created by Celestials with the sole purpose of defeating demons, namely Malachias himself. The amulet bestowed upon Jak the ability to use lawful magic.

The party convened once again, and Jak shared his information. Those who would be disguising themselves did so, and it wasn't until very shortly afterward the party noticed something was wrong. Hakaril's transformation was incomplete. He still bore the mark of Nikumu, the divine brand being too strong for any mortal magic to disguise. Ara du Mythril and Hakaril had both been touched by the god of hate, and rage was certainly no stranger to Jak Snide. After a short explanation, it was decided that the mark changed nothing in this case. The plan would continue, even with the added risk of Hakaril's compromised disguise.

Rai'm left to rest before the mission, and in her sleep she was contacted by Katar, a comrade of hers whose body had been stolen by Malachias. Katar's essence was still trapped within the pit lord, and Katar offered to meddle with the mind now at his disposal. He would do this to provide an opening for Rai'm and the others. After her contact from Katar, Rai'm was awakened with the announcement of Alexstrasa's evening visit.

Alexstrasa appeared in all her barely-clad glory, taunting the party by flinging off what passed as her top before transforming into her drow form. After a short combat in which Jak Snide enthusiastically tore into Alexstrasa, she took those party members who had volunteered to go with her.

When they arrived at the Angel's Arm, Malachias informed them that he needed their help. They were all going to die, but a nice perk was a position in the pit lord's army. Once again, simply not a good prospect. Promising them death at an unspecified later time, Malachias sent them off with Alexstrasa and they were placed in a cell. At Malachias' convenience they were brought from their cell to be killed, with the caveat that they could fight back if they wished.

The others left behind set out later that night, making their own way to the Angel's Arm. Once again, they were blocked by the ever-meddlesome Kerov. Startled by the fact that the party had split up, Kerov nonetheless barred their way. He ordered them to stay while he rescued their allies. Goel attempted to keep the peace between the two groups, but Jak Snide asked the obvious question. "Any reason why you've got the same name as Malachias' brother? Or should I call him Karov?"

Kerov was not pleased. Angry at the apparent public nature of this information, he grabbed his chatty sword and apparently abandoned his plan to protect these poor mortals. Ready to allow them to pass, he decided to test their mettle.

Back at the Angel's Arm, the party dropped their disguises and threw everything they had into fighting Malachias. Attack after attack was either turned aside or, what was almost more worrying, tore into the pit lord without slowing him down.

The rest of the party defeated Kerov, wrenching from the angel his surrender and vote of confidence. He healed the party and offered to show them a better way in, one other than the front door.

Katar made his move from within Malachias' mind, hopefully giving his allies a better chance. It was not Malachias himself, but Alexstrasa who seemed to feel the effects of Katar's attack. Malachias, distracted by the danger his ally seemed to be in, and until Alexstrasa recovered was momentarily open to attack.

Malachias and Alexstrasa briefly attempted to barter their way out of combat by offering the Staff of Unrelenting Anger, but unwilling to accept the certainty of Malachias continued threat, the party threw one last assault at the pit lord, killing him.

Well. Killing what should have been him. Alexstrasa changed her form, becoming her pit lord master and revealing that the two had switched forms before combat had even begun. Malachias expressed sorrow over the loss of his ally and with a vow to avenge her, combat began again.

Malachias teleported away before Rai'm and Hakaril could kill him. Navigating their way out, they took Ara's body with them.

Malachias had teleported Ara away and replaced her with a double before killing her. She had agreed to lend Malachias the use of her body and associated Ryuuzoku magic on a temporary basis. In this capacity she would assist in his plan to overthrow his current superior. When this was done, he agreed to return her body and the staff with a promise that her friends were not to be harmed. The body given for her temporary use was, unfortunately, a replica of herself as a Drow.

Barak, Will, and Jak made their way through a nest of riddles and tricks to find themselves teleported to Ara's location. Jak managed to restrain himself from killing her when she proved her identity with a deluge of personal facts about her two friends. While in doubt about her new status as Malachias' general, the four decided to use it to command Malachias' subordinates to escort them to the pit lord himself. Ara wanted her staff back.

Rai'm and Hakaril were likewise teleported to Malachias' location, and the party was reunited.

Malachias offered them the staff if they could get it away from an experimental creature he'd engineered for its use. After the battle, they found that Malachias had altered his contract with Ara, stealing her body for himself, presumably permanently. Ara, in a brilliant strategic move, claimed the staff for herself. Despite the recovery of her body, the staff was having an effect on her. Her friends managed to convince her to relinquish it, averting a potential intraparty battle.

Malachias himself retreated to the Last Hell, a place to which Barak and Kerov could not follow. Just before the final hugely epic battle, Alexstrasa reappeared and declared herself to be an agent of The One. He had been betrayed. The One captured Malachias himself, and decided to pester the mortals in his realm. There was no obvious way out of the Last Hell. The amulet asked Jak's permission to "defeat" The One. Jak told it to go ahead, and the amulet attached itself to The One, leaving him reduced to mortal stature.

The battle raged, and each side laid into the other. When it seemed as though the party would be defeated by the demon lord, Malachias struck the last blow, killing The One. As an alleged show of gratitude for assisting his ascension to the rank of The One, Malachias promised never to harm Gaera. "Ever." As further tokens of goodwill, he offered "rewards" to the party. Treasure for Ara to replace her hoard, an increase to Rai'm's magical abilities, a sentient sword for Will, improved shadow magic for Hakaril's incubus form, and for Jak, Malachias gave up the Angel's Arm, his castle. Satisfied with the outcome of his plan, Malachias even let Ara take a free swing at him with her sword.

Malachias sent his short-term allies back to their own plane where they were met by their angelic allies. Kerov spoke to Ara alone. With an apology for his actions, Kerov revealed himself to be Squintz Altec, a close ally that Ara had thought long-dead. "I am sorry for making you worry as you did. Nobody should feel responsible for another's death," he told her.

As for Katar, he was still inside Malachias' mind. Unwilling to deal with a squatter in his mind for all eternity, Malachias expelled Katar out into the mortal world. The party returned to Tzelara, having eliminated the current threat and regained a couple of friends whom they had all but written off as lost. A victory when all is totalled up, but one can only hope that Malachias' unspoken addendum "as long as you live," to his vow of noninterference with Gaera was not going to be a problem later on. After a suitable period of torment, even Alexstrasa was allowed some measure of peace in the --devoted, if she's wise-- service of Malachias.

Next task on the list? Destroying those artifacts.