Session #28 - I Love It When A Plan Comes Together

Kent held out the change purse in front of him, closed his eyes, and squeezed.  An anguished but distant-sounding scream came from it.

 

“I’ll release your soul if you tell me why you were here.  What did you want with Madhi?” the dwarf asked no one in particular.

 

“I accept your terms,” replied the voice.  “We serve Rut, and Rut serves Zariel.  Every day Madhi is required to report his whereabouts to Rut.  It has been two days since our master last heard from him, so Rut sent us to find the cur.”

 

“What will happen when you fail to return?”

 

The voice laughed in a low growl.  “Others will come looking.  And Rut has no shortage of servants.”

 

“Well, hopefully they’re more talented than you sorry lot,” Kent replied, crushing the purse in his hand.  It crumbled as if it were nothing more than a sugar cube, the dust-like pieces sliding through the dwarf’s stubby fingers.  The sound of laughter receded into the distance.  Kent looked back to his friends.  “Seems like it’s time to get this plan in motion.”

 

They walked to the salamanders’ tent.  Kent and Almont smiled as the creatures handed over their newly enhanced armor. 

 

“Rash, it is almost time to depart.  Are you and your brothers ready?” Katla asked in infernal.

 

The salamander nodded.  “My brothers are loading up our vehicle as we speak.  Do we head to Elturel now?”

 

“No,” Donyxn replied, not taking his eyes off of Kent and Almont as they strapped on their armor.  “We have to make another stop first.”

 

 

“You’re going to Fort Knucklebones first?” Burney asked, her arms crossed in front of her chest and one eyebrow cocked.

 

Donyxn nodded.  “Mad Maggie may be able to offer us a way to destroy the final chain.”

 

Burney considered this and shrugged.  “I’ll ride with you, of course.  Just know that in the evening I will need to leave this plane to report back to my god, and won’t return until morning.  Given the length of the journey to Maggie’s, you’ll likely need to remain there overnight.”  While night didn’t actually exist in Avernus, they understood Burney’s meaning – she’d be leaving them for eight hours or so, eight hours during which they’d have to hunker down.  “Z’neth was here looking for you,” she continued.  “He seems to think you might want to take over ownership of the emporium.  Using him as muscle, of course.”

 

Kent was primping his beard in a mirror.  “If I see that hobgoblin again, he dies.”  It wasn’t a threat so much as a statement of fact.

 

Almont and Katla looked at one another.  Donyxn simply shrugged.  “It’s decided then,” the tiefling said.  “Grab your things.  We leave now.”

 

 

They exited Burney’s tent and headed for the Demon Grinder.  The emporium looked even more ragged than it had immediately following Madhi’s departure.  It was if it aged by years every hour of his absence.  Footprints led away in all directions, most of Madhi’s former slaves deciding to take their chances on the plains of Avernus.  Undoubtedly most of them would be dead before the day was out.  

 

The ride to Fort Knucklebones was surprisingly uneventful.  Katla conjured another portal to allow them to cross the Styx, and while the salamanders were leery, the piloted their vehicle through and continued to follow the party.  The plain was surprisingly devoid of activity, but as they got closer to Elturel it became clear why.  

 

The battle around the city had grown exponentially.  Demons and devils cut each other down by the hundreds, streams of ichor flowing out from under the growing piles of dead and dying.  No quarter was asked, and none was give.  Both sides not only relished the carnage, they wallowed in it.  The Sytx seemed to boil in the areas of the fiercest fight as fresh souls left the dead and went back to the source.  

 

Elturel was closer to the surface now.  It wouldn’t be long.  Demons tried to climb the chains and enter the city, only to be cut down by flying spined devils or simply slipping and falling to the ground where they were eviscerated by glaives and claws and teeth.

 

“It’s close now,” Almont muttered, his eyes glued to the scene.  “Too close.”

 

“No,” said Donyxn from behind him.  “We have enough time.  But just.”

 

 

The Demon Grinder rumbled to the gates of Fort Knucklebones and sat there idling like an attack dog waiting for the command to strike.  

 

Four red caps poked their heads above the wall.  “What’s the password?”

 

“Not this crap again,” Kent muttered.

 

“We don’t have time for this,” shouted Almont above the din of the engine as it slowly consumed the soul trapped in the coin that powered it.  “We’re here to see Maggie!  Open the gates!”

 

“That’s not the password!” came the reply.

 

“I’ll take care of this,”  Donyxn said, spreading his wings outward and reaching for the sword.  It was still hard to think of it as being his sword given its provenance and the fact that the former owner, who may very well want it back, could probably kill them all without too much effort.

 

But before Donyxn could take flight they saw the red caps commiserating, one of them pointing his finger emphatically at Almont.  The leader slapped the pointer upside the head and then turned back to the party.  “Do you have any more of that elvish wine?”

 

 

The Demon Grinder rolled into the main courtyard as four red caps scurried away.  The largest held a bottle of wine.  When one of his companions reached for it, he skewered it with his sickle, then hacked the body to pieces.  Red caps were not known for their subtlety.

 

The Grinder and the salamaders’ vehicle parked next to each other a few dozen yards fro the main building and everyone dismounted.  The kenkus Cucka and Kronk shuffled out of the building and headed straight for the vehicles, poking and prodding and engaging the salamanders in some kind of technical conversation.  

 

“I’ll stay here with them and make sure nothing untoward happens,” Burney said.  “You go deal with Maggie.  Just remember, I’ll be leaving Avernus shortly and won’t return for another eight or nine hours.”

 

Donyxn nodded and the four adventurers walked to the building.  Maggie met them just inside, the massive Mickey trailing on a leash.  Mickey looked excited when he saw them and waved at Almont.

 

“Seems someone has a new friend,” Katla said slyly, never taking her eyes off of Maggie.

 

“Taking a sliver of demon bone out of a festering foot wound has that effect on creatures,” Almont said firmly, either missing the jibe or trying to ignore it.

 

“Or maybe it was your gentle touch,” Kent whispered with a grin, before turning his attention back to their host.  “Maggie, my dear, how wonderful to see you again!”

 

Maggie smiled, her mouth a patchwork of missing and rotting teeth.  “I see you’re still alive.  I’ve been following your exploits.  The path of destruction you’ve been carving across Avernus has been quite the topic of conversation.”  She turned to Donyxn.  “And you.  Just look at you.”  The witch had a gleam in her eye that was, quite frankly, disturbing as she looked the transformed tiefling up and down.

 

“We need your help, Maggie.  Our time on Avernus is coming to an end and we have one last task to fulfill,” said Donyxn.

 

“Pity.  Though I must admit, you’ve been bad for business, killing all those warlords and destroying their vehicles.  There’s much less work now for Cucka and Kronk.”

 

“Be that as it may, we’re going to cut the chains securing Elturel to Avernus.  We have plans in place to sever three of them, but we need to break a forth to set the city free.  Can you help us?”

 

Maggie began to laugh, a mere chuckle at first but one that grew in intensity until she was almost doubled over.  “Oh, I haven’t laughed that hard in ages,” she said, catching her breath.  “No, I can’t work against the will of Zariel.  I’d be destroyed immediately and unpleasantly.”

 

“Perhaps you could return to the material plane with Elturel,” Katla added helpfully.

 

Maggie turned to the sorceress.  “And why would I want to do that, dear?  This is my home, and it suits me quite fine.  No, I cannot help you.  But you may stay here and rest as my guests before you put your plan in motion.”

 

Donyxn, Almont, and Katla all looked a bit disappointed, though hardly surprised.  Kent, however, was stroking his beard.  “Hey Maggie, have you seen the crokek’toeck?”

 

Maggie’s face lit up.  “Oh yes, yes!  It’s wonderful, isn’t it?”

 

The others turned back to the witch, suddenly very interested in what was transpiring.

 

“Oh, yeah, quite, quite um… handsome,”  Kent smiled.  “Where did you see it?”

 

“I caught sight of it a few times as it surfaced in the Styx.”

 

“Must have been quite a sight, I’m sure!  Where was it in relation to Elturel?”

 

Maggie thought for a moment.  “North, it was always north of the city, but not far from it.  I’m sure it can smell the blood of the good and righteous within Avernus.”

 

“What do you mean by that, Maggie?” Katla asked probingly.

 

“The crokek’toeck is drawn to the scent of the blood of the good.  The more righteous the creature, the more it will attract it, like a moth to flame.”  They all looked at one another.  “Like this one, for instance,” Maggie said, pointing at Lola and licking her lips.  “Lola’s blood would be irresistible to the crokek’toeck.  I suspect its handlers wouldn’t even be able to control it if it got so much as a whiff.”

 

“How sensitive is its sense of smell?”

 

“Oh, it wouldn’t take much of Lola’s sweet blood.  It could pick up that smell for miles.”

 

Lola wagged her tail and fluttered her wings.

 

 

Burney was gone when they went back outside.  Cucka and Kronk showed them where they could park the vehicles inside and rest.  Each warrior prepared for the upcoming battle in their own way.  Almont reached out to Kiri-Jolith one last time to see if he could glean any last insights as to the challenge that lay before them.  As usual, the god’s reply wasn’t entirely clear, but it did offer up one piece of information about the timing of events.

 

“The Solar Insidiator cannot do its part until the chains are severed.”

 

Almont shared this revelation with the others, and it was in some ways good news.  Instead of having to worry about dealing with four chains and the Insidiator at the same time, they could now focus on the chains first. 

 

Their plan was loose out of necessity.  This was hell, after all, and given the increasing intensity of the battle raging around the city they would most certainly be forced to react and improvise as they went.  

 

Burney returned as promised, and as soon as she did the two vehicles headed out.  Maggie waved to them from atop the wall where she stood with Mickey and a handful of red caps.  “I hope it hurts,” she shouted.

 

 

Everyone was quiet as the Demon Grinder hurtled toward the northernmost chain on the east side of the Styx.  Kent’s jaw was firmly set as he grimly powered the vehicle forward, his foot a bit heavier on the accelerator than necessary which made for a bumpy ride.  But they all knew what awaited them and were anxious to get on with it.

 

The Grinder skidded to a halt next to the post anchoring the northern chain, the smaller salamander vehicle pulling alongside.  They hopped off and walked to the chain together.  It was massive, each link as wide as a man is tall, and it groaned with the strain of pulling the city downward.

 

“This is where I will take my leave of you,” Burney said.  “I will head to the southernmost chain as we discussed, and await your signal before I melt it.”

 

“You’re going there on foot?” Kent asked incredulously.  They all assumed that they would drive Burney to her destination.

 

“Don’t worry about me, Kent Karrus.”  Burney smiled.  “I have ways of traveling unseen.  And even if someone should perceive me, I can take care of myself.”  She winked and then looked at the rest of the group.  “I wish you well, and I hope to see you again someday.”  With that Burney turned and walked south, her shape disappearing in the lightly swirling dust.  

 

“If only she wasn’t a dragon,” Kent muttered, shaking his head.  He turned back to his friends who were all looking at him with different degrees of bemusement.  “What?” he asked, knowing full well what they were all thinking.

 

“Enough,” said Almont.  “It’s time.”

 

Everyone nodded and the mood quickly became serious.  Katla turned to Lola.  “Are you sure you’re OK doing this?”

 

Lola nodded.  “Yes, if Donyxn will make the cut with Zariel’s sword.”

 

Donyxn and Lola went to the chain and the tiefling unsheathed the sword.  The hollyphant held out one of her legs and Donyxn made the cut.  It was important that they got enough blood onto the chain to attract the crokek’toeck, and with Lola’s fur soaking up some of it they had to squeeze her leg.  She winced in pain, but took it stoically.  

 

As the hollyphant’s blood touched the chain it sizzled and bubbled, not burning off but more beading up and bubbling.  The smell was overpowering, the kind of heady sickly sweetness some flowers possess that is both intoxicating and nauseating in equal parts.  They made sure to put some of it on the chain at different heights before the pair returned to ground level. 

 

Kent pulled his goggles back up over his eyes and headed for the Demon Grinder, turning to the salamanders as he did so.  “You’re up next.”

 

 

 

The dust was getting thicker now, the battling hordes of demons and devils kicking it up as they reveled in the slaughter.  They piloted the vehicles between some smaller outlying skirmishes, none of the combatants paying them even remotest bit of attention.  The sounds of their engines drowned out all but the loudest death wails.

 

They reached the second anchor point.  The salamanders grabbed the gear they planned on taking with them and joined the group by the chain.  

 

“Ready?” Katla asked.  The three brothers nodded, and the sorceress used one of her staffs to cast a spider climb spell upon each of them.  “The effect will last one hour, though by the looks of things I don’t think it’ll take more than a minute or two.”

 

Looking up the rocky foundation of Elturel blocked out half the sky.  Loose rocks fell from it, contributing to the growing dust storm.  It was close now.

 

Seconds after the salamanders began walking up the chain their plan hit its first snag as five bulezau demons trotted out of the dust storm.  The salamanders screeched and hesitated, unsure if they were better off on the ground or on the chain.

 

“Climb!” Katla shouted.  Shaken out of their stupor the trio began to rapidly move up the chain.

 

Donyxn flew forward, striking one of the beasts with the sword.  Almont followed by calling forth a wave of necrotic energy, the tolling of distant church bells piercing the cacophony of wind and battles as the creature shriveled and collapsed to the ground, dead.

 

Its companions paid it no mind as they raced forward, though one split off from the group to engage three bearded devils that materialized out of another part of the storm.  Of the three that reached the party, one smacked Donyxn with its tail while the other two attacked Almont, but with no success as the cleric parried their blows.

 

Katla held out her hands, her fingers spread, and three bolts of Eldritch energy flashed out, striking the demons fighting with Donyxn and Almont.  Lola also joined the fray, flying to Almont and kicking one of the unsuspecting bulezau in the head.  

 

That distraction was all Kent needed, his magic boots propelling him forward at breakneck speed.  As the demon turned to try to swipe at Lola he brought his scimitar across its back as he passed, severing its spine.  It fell to the ground as the wails of the dead followed in Kent’s wake and finished it off with necrotizing magic. 

 

Donyxn and Almont continued to trade blows with their adversaries.  This has to end now, Katla thought.  We can’t let ourselves stay in one place.  With that in mind she threw two balls of thunderous energy, each of which found their mark and blasted the two bulezaus into pieces in clouds of black ichor.  The remaining bulezau was being worn down by the three bearded devils.

 

“Get on the Grinder!  Let’s go!” shouted Kent.  Almont joined him as the pair headed to the vehicle, Katla and Donyxn approaching it from their left.  

 

One of the bearded devils broke off from the fight with the bulezau and charged at Almont.  Kent disappeared into ghost form mid-stride, his spectral form flying at the devil and materializing just as he passed, his scimitar re-emerging into the real and cutting deep into its torso.  As it staggered Almont once again called forth those sonorous bells, a wave of necrotizing energy washing over the devil and sucking the life force from it.  

 

Everyone made it back to the vehicle and Kent floored it.  Directly in front of them the other two bearded devils were finishing off the last bulezau, their glaives stabbing its prone form again and again.  They couldn’t hear the vehicle over the din of the wind and the battle and Kent rolled over one with the man-sized wheels, the Grinder earning its name as it turned the devil into a stain on Avernus’ sand.  The last devil staggered back and threw its glaive like a spear at the vehicle, missing it badly.

 

“That’s three chains accounted for,” Kent shouted.  “One more to go.”

 

 

They made it to the next chain after another 15 minutes of driving, the Grinder claiming a few more victims as Kent steered them straight through some small skirmishes. 

 

The dwarf pulled them right up to the post anchoring the chain.  It was the last of the four they needed to account for.  That was assuming that Burney and the salamanders did their parts and Lola’s blood attracted the crokek’toeck.  There were a lot of moving parts, but that couldn’t be helped.  If they tried to tackle the chains one at a time it would draw way to much attention.  Their only chance was a somewhat simultaneous strike.

 

As soon as they hopped off the Grinder a half dozen spined devils dove out of the dust-filled sky.  The battle itself was brief – they had fought these devils many times before and knew their tendencies, and they weren’t the hardiest of infernal foes.  The whole thing was over in less than twenty seconds, though all of them had to pull some spines from their bodies and armor.

 

The four of them stood together around the last chain, a determined looking Lola hovering behind Donyxn.  

 

It was time.