Session #13: The Cult of Nobody

Mimic Familiar

Reacting quickly to the mimic familiar’s attack In the SANCTUARY OF EVERLY, Thril Wolfsbane the Ghost Elf Fighter, Weddumlir Aleshield the Dwarf Fighter, Meldor Ironforge the Dwarf Wizard and Davroar Hollysword the Elf Cleric of Moriarty rallied around Acindor the Human Fighter.

Acindor was immediately forced to talk Wedd out of his initial plan to attack the familiar with his axe, reminding his dwarves friend that his hand was likely to be damaged in the attempt. Instead, Wedd began readying his rope into a lasso in the hopes wrangling the mimic familiar. Startled by the sudden attack, Meldor found himself unable to muster the concentration for a spell. Davroar attempted to cast command on the mimic familiar to put it to sleep, but it was able to resist its effects. Thril attempted to use his withering touch but likewise lost control of himself for a moment, becoming incorporeal so that his attack passed through the creature harmlessly. In desperation, Acindor shoved his hand and the mimic familiar into a brazier. Both he and the monster suffered burns, but it refused to let go.

Nobody, the raven-headed owner of the mimic familiar, became enraged at his pet’s mistreatment. Fortunately, Acindor was able to dodge his hastily swung sword. The mimic familiar bit down on Acindor’s hand. He passed out from the pain.

Wedd tossed his lasso at the mimic, but his toss misses. Meldor cast Scorching Ray, hit the mimic familiar thrice. Davroar hastily produced a healing potion and poured the precious liquid down Acindor’s throat, reviving him. Thril was unable to regain his corporeality in order to assist them. Acindor attempted to pull the hat-shaped mimic familiar off his hand, but only managed to move the sticky monster to the other hand.

Concerned for his pet’s help, Nobody shouted, “Stop! Wait! Fluffy, release!” Immediately, the mimic returned to the raven head of its master. Addressing the adventurers, Nobody raised his hands and said, “Hold on. We don’t need to fight. I don’t wanna see you guys die. If you stop right now, I’ll give you the chance to walk away.”

The party seriously considered his offer, but Davroar ventured, “We will stand down, but will you stand aside so we can continue our quest?”

“No,” Nobody said. “Leave. And live.”

“Fine, you won’t stand aside. Will you tell us what’s beyond this wall?”

“Rock.”

Is it a portal?” Acindor asked.

“No.”

“My magic tells me the husks are beyond this wall,” Davroar said. “Will you help us?”

“No. I am helping you. You leave. You live,” Nobody said.

“Then you leave us no choice,” Davroar said, exchanging a glance with Wedd, who was itching for the fight to continue.

Chamber of Corruption

Wedd immediately heaved his axe at Nobody’s head, knocking him out cold. Even before its master fell to the floor, the mimic familiar sprang into action to save him. Transforming into its disturbingly amorphous natural state, the mimic dragged Nobody toward the conspicuous corner that they’d first discovered the raven-headed person in. Spreading itself out on the wall, it formed itself into a brane, an organic portal. Nobody’s body was thrust through the brane.

Thril Wolfsbane ventured through the portal as the party’s designated guinea pig.

The chamber beyond was vast. The brane portal emptied out onto a landing at the top of a flight of stairs. The stairwell wound along the walls of the circular chamber like wings, eventually reaching the floor twenty feet below. Another twin set of stairs wound up the other half of the room, ending at another platform. This one featured a stone portal and a catwalk leading back to the center of the room. At the center of the room was a huge vat with pipes leading out from the top to coffin shaped containers that rested around the perimeter of the vat. This was the SOUL SIEVE of the Corrupters. They could see creatures floating inside the coffins, including the bodies of Thril Wolfsbane and Zayn Carthin the Elf Arbiter of Hero. On an altar directly below Thril’s observation point was a chained basilisk with a dagger in its back. The room was filled with more ravenfolk in plague doctor masks.

Nobody was lying on the edge of the platform, bleeding out. The anxious mimic familiar screamed for aid from the other ravenfolk, which also alerted them to the intruders’ presence.

Wedd quickly surmised that this was one of the places where B.O.B. took the husks of the souls he siphoned from Oxenbane’s grasp. Meldor identified the ravenfolk as Cuervos and noted that they were not from the Water World of Caeruleum.

A Cuervan cleric stepped into view, his eyes narrowing as he considered Thril. The cleric began shouting excitedly in Cuervan. The other Cuervos in the chamber immediately began advancing on the ghost.

Thril used withering touch on the first Cuervos to reach him, killing it instantly.

The Cuervos gave pause and looked to the cleric for reassurance. The cleric began chanting in Cuervan and pointing at the ghost, who suddenly felt the pull of gravity and felt himself becoming more solid.

The adventurers rushed into the CHAMBER OF CORRUPTION to aid their ghostly comrade. Meldor and Acindor joined Thril on the stairs leading down to the left, while Davroar and Wedd positioned themselves to the right at the top of the stairs.

Meldor hastily noted that his detect magic spell was calling out the vat in the middle of the room, the dagger in the back of the chained basilisk and the portal at the other side of the room as magical in nature. The dwarf wizard quickly cast flame blade, igniting a scimitar of fire in his right hand. Chanting “Hail, Moriarty!”, Davroar cast spiritual weapon, evoking a mystical hammer in honor of Moriarty’s Chaoshammer and sending it attack the two Cuervos at the foot of the right hand stairwell. Now fully corporeal, Thril stood by his comrades as they moved down to the mid-stair landing.

In response to their advance, the Cuervos spread their wings and launched skyward to meet the adventurers at their respective heights. The cleric walked the length of the catwalk until he stood atop the vat.

Davroar attacked the two Cuervos he’d previously hit with his spiritual weapon, killing one instantly, while the others held their positions.

The Cuervos attacked as one with short swords, scoring hits on Meldor, Thril, Wedd and Davroar. The cleric is so busy fist pumping their successful assault that he was unable to concentrate on his intended spell.

Wedd Flexed his muscles and repaid the Cuervos that hit him with his axe. Meldor likewise brought his flame blade down on his Cuaervan attacker, roasting it to death. Davroar followed up Wedd’s attack with his spiritual weapon, killing two more Cuervos. Thril’s withering touch weakened another Cuervos. Acindor called upon the favor of Hero and did it further harm, but their foe survived so that only it and the cleric remained to face them.

The Cuervan cleric pointed at the adventurers, drew a threatening finger across his throat and then pointed at the prone basilisk on the altar below them, reviving it and releasing it from its chains.

The last remaining Cuervos glanced at the cleric. At the latter’ a nod, he drew a horn from his cloak and sounded a shrill note. At the Cuervos’ horn blast ravenfolk reinforcements rushed to his aid from a room behind the vat on the ground level. A dozen Cuervos filled the skies and immediately trained their sights on the intruders. Five of the Cuervos were wearing hats that looked very much like Nobody’s mimic familiar.

Almost forgotten in the conflict, Nobody drew his last breath.

Next: Session #14 – The Chamber of Corruption