After Mammon emerged form the ground he summponed some devils, and they were stupidly fast... they had a strange poison on their spears and various people got stabbbed with the spear. Namely, me and Arwel. It was goop on the spear... it lept off the spear and coated my bodyd... I felt unable to move and lost consciousness. It worked on me... Later I wake up and I find myself in a place that feels very serene. I wake up on Wrin... we were both coated. I'm clearly not in the ordering anymore. Still latched onto wring... he's regaining consicousness as well. Bucks a little... I see we're in the temple of sigil, but its not the way I rememebr it... it has a balanced aura, similar to oraculum. Off to mty left is Arwel, still uncosncious, but not coated int he goop. I can tell that whoever they're talking to has an extreme aura of divine energy. There's clearly a god, but I don't recognize her. Also Mammon is there, but he doesn't look devilish anymore... instead his quality kinda matches this place (but he does have some devilish specks). They seem to be in conversation with Melora (The person I don't recognize.) and Mammon.
We hear them speaking quietly... Melora says its time to set things sright. And they look to be making their way downstairs towards the glyph in the basement. They notice I've awakened.
Will geomancy work on prime? Melora says that that art is after her time, but from what she knows it will prpobably be quite difficult. My understanding is it draws on nexuses and the flow... comes form tharis dune and as such it seems the gods would not allow such magic to funciton on their territory.
I ask what's Prime.
I get debriefed. Mammon offers his regrets for what he did... Zahar and the others won the fight with him and hte guild.
Kith explains that when Mammon fell, there was an outpouring of powerful geomantic energy that cleansed him, and through various contact with the sword that Kith bore and hte axe that similarly made... enough power was brought together to restore His lady, Melora.
I ask about the other ordered cities. Mammon says the other places are expanding. Mammon says it is a process that was begun by Asmodeus. He learned a way to harness the ordering, similar to how Calenon had done, but with his geomantic talent was wider... so was able to tie the hells to the ordered areas.
Zahar asks if there was an Asmodeus before Kiransely, melora says she doesn't know. (Melora said that Tharis dune, when he was finally captured and trapped, he chose to give deific power to someone, and he chose an eidolon of Kiransely. Melora said Asmodeus and Demogorgon were all versions of her that didn't recieve that power. Mammon says that Asmodeus' past is unkown... most know nothing of his/her true nature... )
I ask how mammon became nondevilish... Mammon says he awoke to the grig standing next to him... Mammon is happy to be in control again (He calls it refreshing.)
Zahar welcomes me to celestia.
I ask how we got here. Melora looks at her mural (Which is just a green landscape.) greenery and lush verdant foliage springs up everywhere... the place kinda rumbles... The stone ground begins to crack and grumble as the stone wears away.
Prime is the realm of the gods... the original world, from which all others were formed... this temple was built to protect it from the flow.
Zahar says that Tharis Dune made this place to try and stabilize himself, hopefully. Melora says she can try to aid us but that's about it. Says the gods must be convinced/confronted... however we choose to deal witht he situation. Nothing will change unless we seek the gods in their own realm. They are more powerful in the flow than in their own realm.
I ask how there were eidolons of Kiransely before Tharis was bound... It was after he was bound he infused her... they captured her after her divinity had been granted, and they chained her to the temple. Melora says that she believes that the lady of pain had control of her faculties when she gave Kith the sword.
To Prime!
We arrive: we can see an older woman, at least middle aged, maybe older (aka quite withered.) The raven queen is casting an unusually thick and depthless shadpow, and Moradin.
(Melora is of exceptional beuaty and clearly fey origin.)
The withered woman looks at us new arrivals, nods to the fey woman and says welcome back. She looks to us and says welcome to Prime. She says perhaps I presume but what are you doing here.
Zahar says "I would expect you to know, Kiransely."..
Admatha introduces Wee Jas, mother of the gods. moradin ranges back a little bit and watches.
Kith says its out hope that a wrong may be righted. I add that we wish to do so in a way that would be satisfactory for all.
Kith says the wrong that caused others to turn upon his lady (Melora).
Simoen says that we've only heard limited sides to the story.
Raven queen has a look of passion in her eyes, a little unstable as Wee jas talks about this, but mostly jhust determined. Raven queen says you all know as well as I he must be released. We agree, but say that he must be healed first... Raven queen agrees.
Kith says he doesn't know Moradin... who introduces himself as such. Kith asks Moradin why the imprisonment. Moradin said that things would get out of control and out of hand. We ask who convinced moradin... apparently it was a lot of discussion... unclear who really started it.
We ask moradin's view of the situation now. Moradin says "Being imprisoned wasn't the kind of light punishment I was expecting." The other moradin betrayed him (Levistus.) Kith asks Moradin's opinion of what to do with Tharis dune now. Moradin says it wouldn't be terrible to let him go free, if it didn't destroy the world... The raven queen quirks an eyebrow.
Zahar says that Moradin was betrayed and imprisoned much like Tharis Dune.
Zahar says all that's really important. Melora asks Moradin if he's seen Celestia. he's like no... jsut got free. She says that his essence in that place is changed... she can feel his thoughts more clearly threre... in htat place our father is sane. Moradin is like 'so it could be done...?' Melora says there's reason for hope.
Kith thanks Wee Jas for the warning.
Kith asks Wee Jas what she's thinking... says she thinks its the responsibility of humankind to make their choices...
Kith asks her council. On how to go about freeing tharis dune without destroying all that is.
Wee Jas says there are many impediments standing between TDs madness and our goal. Some of the nexuses have been damaged so badly she's not even sure it's possible. but if most of the nexuses will be brought into balance, that will help him... if the temple were treated in kind, the prison would no longer hold him and he would be sane.
Wee Jas says... as for the first, it is possible, though obviously no one knows because they haven't been attempting to try... its possible that creating a balanced nexus on the site of an odering could change things. Balanced nexus seems ot be able to recover many ailments... brings up another difficulty... namely, how to balance a nexus on the site of an ordering... they are both inverted and not... so you couldn't just combine them with another nexus.
Simone asks if you could filter one out into two.
Wee jas says that although the ordering is many things at once... It's simultaneous: It wants to be repaired collapsed and empowered. well, if we could just filter things out and cure it.
Its brought up that maybe the Celestia plane could be linked to the ordering or something.
Wee Jas says that such power could be channeled any place other than the temple.
Zahar explains that Mammon is now a guardian of Celestia.
Dariel understands the properties of the ordered nexus to an extent. Also, a nexus must be inverted in at least one reality. Dariel mentions this. Then it needs to be repaired, collapsed, and empower, at the same time.
Zahar asks Sahret (dubain): The understanding of how celestia was created... Was it only created because we were at the temple.
Sahret mentiosn the 'baby collider'. "Pretend you have two of Haruhn... invert one and slam it into the other... except they're babies."
Wrin's staring at moradin with his light blinking orange in kind of like a low growl.
Kith asks who would be opposed to the binding. He asks if Boccob's treachery is likely to threaten us again. Melora explains what happened... And the party mentions now Boccob is on ice.
Kith asks Raven queen what releasing tharis dune ...
Sahret says "Baby collider: Wee Jas Approves."
Raven queen says Pelor would sooner die than release Tharis dune. Pelor has been the staunchest advocate of the continued imprisonments. Raven queen says he doesn't believe he was wrong... not ever. he argued that there was no other way.... *raven queen keeps cutting herself off, she's so angry.*
melora says that Corellon cared more of elegance than ethics... she wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't side with him.
Wee Jas says that she was not the first one approached about imprisoning Tharis dune.
Originally, back before time and pain corrupted the guild, they were what remained of Melora.
Melora Looks at Wee Jas curiously... "Excuse me mother, but I sense a part of myself... do you... " Wee Jas just smiles and raises an eyebrow. Melora "I feel incomplete." Wee Jas nods and channels divine energy back into Melora... melora gets teary and says thank you, mother.
Kith thanks Wee Jas for holding onto a portion of Melora.
Zahar asks if Wee Jas is the mother of Tharis dune as well... she says no.... he's her father. Wee Jas says she doesn't often take followers... Zahar says that he should devote to her some as well... She says humanity came more and more Tharis Dune's 'thing'.
We ask what others... She says Two stood aside... (Melora and Llolth.) Wee Jas says she did not stand aside. She says the other gods approached her, told her of their intent, and she gave her cooperation because it was nearly unanimous. Lolth doesn't count in the unanimous call, becaus eshe dissented during the war. Llolth stood against her own people in correlon's eyes so he cast her aside. He raised her sister in her place, to divinity.. (Sehanine).
If they would listen to anyone, it would be Kith and Ehlonna, their daughter... They're Oberon and Titania, so of course they'd listen to one of their own (Kith.)
Kith says he did not know that Oberon and titania were Corellon and Sehanine.
Wee Jas Corrects Kith when he asks if the Halfling god would help... it's a she... Says Yondalla supported the idea, but perhaps.
moradin has a comment about Yondalla and the halflings... he kinda chuckles and says "Her people were being brutalized worse than anyone elses byt he humans... halflings were easy pickings."
Simone asks if it was to go on indefinately. Wee Jas nods... and says it has gone on for the better part of 10 millenia without the true cataclysm everyone has feared.
The raven queen says one thing is certain... the world is slowly devolviong into less than it was... edging ever closer to the disaster of which you speak... all because of his imprisonment...
Kith says that where we made out lives wasn't intended to be the place to thrive... wasn't it to be here?
Wee Jas says he asks a difficult question. This world is the one that you came from... each of the worlds is a copy of the rest... each with variation and changes... but each the same world.
Kith asks if Tharis dune's madness... the ordering... will it ever touch this place? Wee Jas: "ever? Who can say... there are difficulties with the prison... if he were released... yes, there would be ramifications here, but otherwise, changes tot he nexi do not effect this world in the slightest."
Zahar: "Without intervention, he'll tear the bindgins of his prison until it collapses around him."
Raven queen: "On the contrary... his struggles bind him further, tangle him more... his struggles and madness entrench him here."
Zahar says the gods seem as though they're in little danger here, so they should'nt oppose out plans...
Raven queen says that the chains themselves are corroding: the balanced nexus... the ordering... they will oppose us...
Kith asks why everyone lives over there and not here. Wee Jas says that its tough to express the level of concern the people expressed when the gods were copied...
kith clarifies: Why are mortals not here?
Wee Jas says they were sent into the flow so that the gods could be in a [place in peace... She says it takes a god's will to keep mortals alive here (becaus eno nexuses here.)
Wee Jas says mortals were given most of the worlds and the flow where they could survive.
The prison was built the way it was so that the other gods wouldn't need to keep others alive.
Kith apologizes for the inconvenience... but is bad with sarcasm...
Wee Jas says the Gods wished to have a place of their own... where we would not be touched by the flow, so the war of the gods would not recur...
Kith says well, yeah... but you left that to us to experience... Wee jas says it's not what anyone expected.
Simone says the areas with the flow were better suited to us... but anyway, who can we expect to aid us in curing Tharis dune, and who will oppose us... and how can we repair an ordered nexus.
Simone says "We will need allies at any rate..."
The room becomes shadowy... the raven queen's shadow kinda comes cloaked out... an otherworldly voice neither male nor female says "Best not to forget the allies you already have." Admatha expalisn that this was Nerull, after it sinks back down.
The Raven queen looks perturbed... adn Wee Jas has a hint of a smile oon her face. Admatha explains that the raven queen was Nerull and the lady of pain.
I ask Wee Jas who Kas is. She says We should ask her (Kas).
Kith asks about St Cuthbert of her. Wee Jas says says that she might support us. The young gods may aid them...
We Talk to Wee Jas. As far as the support of the gods goes, everyone is afraid of the ordering and no one likes it. Hextor is the primary adversary of Asmoedus... Hextor has tried to seize claim over the hells.
One group should discuss the baby collider with Garl and Vecna, while the other seeks uides.
Zahar asks moradin: "You're called the soulforger... could you make something that could hold a nexus." He says yes. but it wouldn't solve the ethical problems
Vance walks in. Vance says we're questioning whether sacrificing kids is the way to do it. Vance says that if the babies exist for no other purpose... then killing them isn't really that bad.
melora says "You're seriously suggesting to right this wrong with another wrong."
Moradin says that there's one kind of receptical that could hold a nexus energy. Moradin.
We are warming to the idea of the baby collider.
I use my phylactery of faithfulness to see what Farl thinks kinda.
Garl Manifests in front of us. He looks around at all of us and blinks a few times... "What a strange situation we've gotten into..."
We mention we're discussion sacrificing people... Everything conmes down to choidce of confidence... opportunity cost. It's a horrible thing...
Vecna says there's been no research on injecting a nexus post birth.
As for the ritual witht he rakshasa/deva.... vecna says we'd run out of them far before we were done with nexuses... there aren't enough rakshasa and deva in the world...
Vecna says 2 lives per nexus wowudl save a lot... melora says that she perosnally must oppose this plan.
Ed is like hells yeah... beat up the lords of hell. Then the ordering stops spreading.
Wee Jas: says the souls of the dead are taken in by the souls of the gods and they're taken in where they need to be. some are reborn, others are not. Sahret asks what decides what god gets to decide... She says ultimately its her decision. She has ofte given preference to those gods for whome the soul is a champion... some go on to serve their masters in the afterlife.
To ease our minds about the babies dying... Wee Jas says all fear death, so its reasonable that some would stop. Wee Jas says that death is an inevitability. It could be to some benefit that some of these children would die to serve a greater cause.
Zahar is pacing and muttering... then suddenly he bamfs somewhere else and is rubbing his head. Zahar asks what conclusions we have.
vance says that the orderings wont' stop growing... becaus its not known how they started... its possible that Asmodeus has simply started a spell... Garl is pacing... he says that its probably safeer to just screw with the nexuses some more... if we fix the nexuses, it doesn't matter how many devils are there.
Melora turns to Moradin. responds to Ktihs question for a weapon and Melora says she would consider it a personaly favbor if he crafts a thing. moradin forms a short sword... melora says she still has the enchantments of the weapon... the blade changes in her touch.,.. its the Verdant blade. he got an artifactish thing.
Admatha asks if the souls of the bnabies will provide the baby collider. Wee Jas says that the she will ensure the souls will be reborn. She says she will attempt it, but she can't promise anything since she can't be sure. Wee Jas says she doesn't design the lives of those created.
basically, take some kids with nexuses in them to cure the ordering. that's option A. Option B is defeat the lords of hell and stop the growth process.
Sahret says we should have some backups.
We ask if the gods present would be willing to help us here...
Dariekl asks if anyoine would be against him contacting Calenon... to get his idea if we should go to his place and test it right now. dariel scries Calenon successfully. In a round. Uses message so they can talk. Dariel says we have a plan... can we go there and find out.
Dariel says if we cure the nexuses, the impurities will go away.
Calenon says he wants aplace free from the flow and he'll help in the research.
Kith suggests that perhaps we allow the babies used for sacrifice to be left here... Wee jas says she doesn't normally accept servants, but she says that this idea has maerit... she'll take them in if it is possible... The raven queen says it de[pends how they are judged... but nods as well.... says it might be possible.
Calenon says he finds it distasteful... but says it might be. He asks if we have a place for him to go to leave the flow. Dariel mentions prime... Calenon agrees that Bahamut can house him for a time, he supposes.
Simone asks garl that he added a crankthat made a nexus... Garl makes a confession... Moradin scowls.
Garl: I was kinda unsure about the whole impriusonm,ent thing form the beginning, but I didn't know if we were going to change our minds later, so i left a way win... like a trap door or a keyhole... so all I did is I hooked up Biger to that... it's like poking a hole in a plastic bag. He says it's bad for the integrity of the flow... and we might not be
Simone asksa bout myu other crank.
Vance says we do know what will happen if we do fail.
Vance says weeks or days before the ordering reaches population.
Zahar says that if we assault the devil lords and fail that's a problem.
Kith says we have Mammon... perhaps we could talk about
Vance says its unlikely the bordering would affect him. Garl says its a good idea of them to not go.
Kith asks what the gods can do to help us...
Ed asks for a tuneup... and moradin says Ed's busy. Mordain's like don't you backtalk me. Garl could defeat the luck problem.
The raven queen says she wants ot be clear: She wants us all to succeed, but she cannot act to assist uis... but she is still bound in some ways to this place, but with the mother, they wiull do what they can for the children once they are dead.
Zahar asks if Raven queen remembers who he was. He says he doesn't envy her... and she says he has been true to himself... they wish eachother luck.
Zahar walks over to the glyph. Zahar also says that if we do this, the ordered areas should be assaulted at the same time. Pelor said this.
We go to True celestia. Excepot admatha and Sahret. They're doing something else.
Zahar opens the portal to get us there. We find ourself in the celestia temple. Mammon is there, so is Shale. Kith asks Mammon about what the plans were when he took over tatenda. mammon says he was going to merge that place within the thrid realm. As long as Asmodeus lives and exercises that authority, the hells will keep merging. Its posible over Asmodeus' power over the ordered nexuses. Mammon tells us that if we were to kill the devil lords... to stop it: make asmodeus stop. Or make the nexuses not ordered anymore. He says that if the nexuses are unordered, the hells would be disjoined of the merger. Note, True celestia is not outside the flow. it feels like oraculum, but more... It feels stable here... not the capricious flow of the deep wilds.
Dariel Scries to Calenon, describes what celestia feels like. and adds that he doesn't know what'll happen to the flow if it becomes more stable... he's like well, no one does. Calenon is intrigued by the balance... but he yearns to return to a time before the nexuses, the way he remembers it.
We return to Prime. dariel tries to scry asmodeus from here. He fails. Specifically, can't scry her because she's in an ordered area... and it might not even work then. The hells feel the same, though.
Sahret got his thing done... makes something that looks like an ice devil.
Zahar is given a black crystal and axe as well as his personal sword... The raven queen take sthe axe, picks up an amulet she's wearing it, touches the axe... it absorbs it... and then touches it tot he sword and now its the same style of weapon. She says do not disappoint me.... And zahar says I will kill you as many times as I must.
During the hour of scrying. Garl walks over to vecna. Garl has been scribbling on a pad... hands it to Vance and says will it work? It's based on what will happen at oraculum. Vance makes a few minor adjustments. garl's like Oh, right... thank you. Garl acknowledges Vances wisdom. Garl does talk to him as Boccob, who he seems to think about it. Garl hands Simone a tiny glowing ball to act as a buffer. Garl takes it back when we mention it needs to be done simultaneously. he eventually hands simone another as well that looks not quite the same... He now has two... Vance sighs but nods
Garl's like: What, you would use a gem or something like that, wouldn't you? Boring, that. Kith and Simone are the two geomancers.
Zahar thinks that Asmodeus is perhaps more liekly inn Dispater's place because it's safer.
Kith: Admatha, Ed, biger, Zahar To Impetmpestivous. the others to Trymsarren.
Garl says Asmodeus is in Impemtestivous, maybe... the coin landed on its edge and eventually fell that way. Garl's like... no guarentees, though... luck is fickle.
Garl tells me now we're equally culpable and will do penance together.
We get the babies and are sent near the ordering. We're able to get Paimon's assistance (Vance's wife.)
We get Ironwood stuff. We buff up tio the teeth by the gods and such and us. We get in wearing hte ironwood... we go through for a while. I D-Door the group. It takes us a total of 10 minutes to get from sigil from where we have been buffed to fairly close to the tower of Dis.
There are a pair of pit finds standing outside the gate.
Ed checks his mpa of the nexuses. there is one nexus on his map well, plus the two babies... it must be within the tower. It's down. 15-20 feet down from where we are... maybe 100 feet across.
kith takes out his sword. Note, we ARE singular here.
Time to storm the fort. The party sneaks up...
They proceed to completely annihilate the two pit fiends with a single strike. The door is still closed. Grig gets through tries to find a lever or latch or something... doesn't really find one. We use the portable hole Plus guy who can squeeze through to get in. there is no mechanism... Dispater controls the door dirtectly.
Find the path leads ot the iron golem. There's a door behind it. It looks like a statue. We try to squeeze around it. We succeed. We hear a voice and it says "I am curious to know what outsiders are doing in my tower... some of whom again.
I say we're here to keep working on that thing he sent us to do...
We ask if Asmodeus is here. Dispater says that a chat will not be possible with her... she's not in a shape to recieve visitors. She came here to seek protection while she recovers.
He says that Asmodeus will be protected until she recovers... in a manner of speaking that's the deal he's made. The voice seems to be coming form a series of indentations from withing hte walls that have some sort of device inside.
We ask if Dis would like to come and chat with us. Ed says that we would just like to refresh with the nexus. a 76 got the sense motive... on Dispater.... who just really doesn't care if we want to refresh at the nexus.
Dariel sends to me: "Bel is leaving and going to the abyss to bring his hordes to bear against them since Asmodeus cannot stay his hand anymore."
I reply: "Dispater is caring for asmodeus, who is recovering, Dispater's not hostile, keep us informed... plan on an hour form now for the ritual."
Dispater says "Talos, stand aside..." And it moves.
I ask how much They think Bel has as a chance agaiunst the abyss. Dispater lauhjs.
If I'm contacted again, Pass Bel of my blessings.
Two of the demon lords have fallen... they were killed in such a way they could not reform. (Demogorgon and Grazzt.) Dispater: Please understand that my standing does not disrespect simple courtesu.
The wall swings open. There's a set of stairs.
dispater is very amused by bel going to attack... Dispater doesn't really care what Bel is up to. We descend a ways. We get down there... pass several doors that had the research. We continue on, go down some more stairs. Find the path leads us on pretty directly. The servents don't do anything. We get to the bottom and there's another iron door. It unlocks as we approach.
We open the door... and see a nexus...
It looks faded... like...
It's like there's way more energy there than we can see. Geomantically it seems to have both light and dark nexus energy simultaneously. This is an otherwise empty room. There's some technomagical ritual.
Dispater won't even a little reconsider letting us meet with Asmodeus.
And Kith won't perform the ritual until we deal with Asmodeus.
Dispater says "It is clear to me that your own alliance is fractured.
Dispater says it is not within his power to leave, since he didn't cause the hell to integrate. Kith says if she is destroyed the problem is solved. Dispater will not stand aside... He ackowledges that she has overextended herself and so perhaps wasted hundred of years of planning...
Dispater chooses not to take the alternative... Dispater knows but doesn't care that Bel and Bel's hell are weakening themselves.
Ed asks if the hell is here or not. he says he will hold his territory wherever it may be put.
There are matters of decorum that must be held.
Kith offers his debt, but Dispater turns it down... Because Asmodeus is gonna owe him SOooooo big.
dispater says he watched the ppit fight and the results were quite unexpected.
Kith studies the ordered thing. Imagine we have a phonebook... each page is a reality... stick a baloon between pages. blow it up. Its only theory if even the creaton of a balanced nexus could work.
Kith puts forward the idea to, with two people, one at each nexus... maybe cancel eachothers...
Admatha's like... commune with nerull.
I can scry Ed when we're both in an ordered area.
Admatha casts a sending. "We could very much use your expertise on a world shattering matter if you would be willing to come back to the castle. " She gets a response: 'Ok. if you think it's safe, I will come back.'
Admatha sense a sending to Simone. Tells her to allow herself to be scried... her deciet is calling deaths.
Admatha sent her a message. Might scry. I try, and she fails. I say she tries to resist.
dispater: "Perhaps it is none of my concern, given the lack of coordination... but what DID you intend to do here?"
We say we're here to send his place back home, and he doesn't care, so....
Kith can maybe do the ritual and when the part comes where he needs a balanced nexus that maybe he can fill that role.
Must invert a baby before the ritual. Kith thinks it might be possible to it with one baby instead of two.
We make a lot of fire... And Kith gets the idea to change, by pure brute force.... he balances one of the baby nexuses... puts over 10 times the amount of essence he could have drawn. Kith Does the ritual.
I thank Kith for doing what was needed. He says he did an abomination... Kith has no essence left.
After Mammon emerged form the ground he summponed some devils, and they were stupidly fast... they had a strange poison on their spears and various people got stabbbed with the spear. Namely, me and Arwel. It was goop on the spear... it lept off the spear and coated my bodyd... I felt unable to move and lost consciousness. It worked on me... Later I wake up and I find myself in a place that feels very serene. I wake up on Wrin... we were both coated. I'm clearly not in the ordering anymore. Still latched onto wring... he's regaining consicousness as well. Bucks a little... I see we're in the temple of sigil, but its not the way I rememebr it... it has a balanced aura, similar to oraculum. Off to mty left is Arwel, still uncosncious, but not coated int he goop. I can tell that whoever they're talking to has an extreme aura of divine energy. There's clearly a god, but I don't recognize her. Also Mammon is there, but he doesn't look devilish anymore... instead his quality kinda matches this place (but he does have some devilish specks). They seem to be in conversation with Melora (The person I don't recognize.) and Mammon.
We hear them speaking quietly... Melora says its time to set things sright. And they look to be making their way downstairs towards the glyph in the basement. They notice I've awakened.
Will geomancy work on prime? Melora says that that art is after her time, but from what she knows it will prpobably be quite difficult. My understanding is it draws on nexuses and the flow... comes form tharis dune and as such it seems the gods would not allow such magic to funciton on their territory.
I ask what's Prime.
I get debriefed. Mammon offers his regrets for what he did... Zahar and the others won the fight with him and hte guild.
Kith explains that when Mammon fell, there was an outpouring of powerful geomantic energy that cleansed him, and through various contact with the sword that Kith bore and hte axe that similarly made... enough power was brought together to restore His lady, Melora.
I ask about the other ordered cities. Mammon says the other places are expanding. Mammon says it is a process that was begun by Asmodeus. He learned a way to harness the ordering, similar to how Calenon had done, but with his geomantic talent was wider... so was able to tie the hells to the ordered areas.
Zahar asks if there was an Asmodeus before Kiransely, melora says she doesn't know. (Melora said that Tharis dune, when he was finally captured and trapped, he chose to give deific power to someone, and he chose an eidolon of Kiransely. Melora said Asmodeus and Demogorgon were all versions of her that didn't recieve that power. Mammon says that Asmodeus' past is unkown... most know nothing of his/her true nature... )
I ask how mammon became nondevilish... Mammon says he awoke to the grig standing next to him... Mammon is happy to be in control again (He calls it refreshing.)
Zahar welcomes me to celestia.
I ask how we got here. Melora looks at her mural (Which is just a green landscape.) greenery and lush verdant foliage springs up everywhere... the place kinda rumbles... The stone ground begins to crack and grumble as the stone wears away.
Prime is the realm of the gods... the original world, from which all others were formed... this temple was built to protect it from the flow.
Zahar says that Tharis Dune made this place to try and stabilize himself, hopefully. Melora says she can try to aid us but that's about it. Says the gods must be convinced/confronted... however we choose to deal witht he situation. Nothing will change unless we seek the gods in their own realm. They are more powerful in the flow than in their own realm.
I ask how there were eidolons of Kiransely before Tharis was bound... It was after he was bound he infused her... they captured her after her divinity had been granted, and they chained her to the temple. Melora says that she believes that the lady of pain had control of her faculties when she gave Kith the sword.
To Prime!
We arrive: we can see an older woman, at least middle aged, maybe older (aka quite withered.) The raven queen is casting an unusually thick and depthless shadpow, and Moradin.
(Melora is of exceptional beuaty and clearly fey origin.)
The withered woman looks at us new arrivals, nods to the fey woman and says welcome back. She looks to us and says welcome to Prime. She says perhaps I presume but what are you doing here.
Zahar says "I would expect you to know, Kiransely."..
Admatha introduces Wee Jas, mother of the gods. moradin ranges back a little bit and watches.
Kith says its out hope that a wrong may be righted. I add that we wish to do so in a way that would be satisfactory for all.
Kith says the wrong that caused others to turn upon his lady (Melora).
Simoen says that we've only heard limited sides to the story.
Raven queen has a look of passion in her eyes, a little unstable as Wee jas talks about this, but mostly jhust determined. Raven queen says you all know as well as I he must be released. We agree, but say that he must be healed first... Raven queen agrees.
Kith says he doesn't know Moradin... who introduces himself as such. Kith asks Moradin why the imprisonment. Moradin said that things would get out of control and out of hand. We ask who convinced moradin... apparently it was a lot of discussion... unclear who really started it.
We ask moradin's view of the situation now. Moradin says "Being imprisoned wasn't the kind of light punishment I was expecting." The other moradin betrayed him (Levistus.) Kith asks Moradin's opinion of what to do with Tharis dune now. Moradin says it wouldn't be terrible to let him go free, if it didn't destroy the world... The raven queen quirks an eyebrow.
Zahar says that Moradin was betrayed and imprisoned much like Tharis Dune.
Zahar says all that's really important. Melora asks Moradin if he's seen Celestia. he's like no... jsut got free. She says that his essence in that place is changed... she can feel his thoughts more clearly threre... in htat place our father is sane. Moradin is like 'so it could be done...?' Melora says there's reason for hope.
Kith thanks Wee Jas for the warning.
Kith asks Wee Jas what she's thinking... says she thinks its the responsibility of humankind to make their choices...
Kith asks her council. On how to go about freeing tharis dune without destroying all that is.
Wee Jas says there are many impediments standing between TDs madness and our goal. Some of the nexuses have been damaged so badly she's not even sure it's possible. but if most of the nexuses will be brought into balance, that will help him... if the temple were treated in kind, the prison would no longer hold him and he would be sane.
Wee Jas says... as for the first, it is possible, though obviously no one knows because they haven't been attempting to try... its possible that creating a balanced nexus on the site of an odering could change things. Balanced nexus seems ot be able to recover many ailments... brings up another difficulty... namely, how to balance a nexus on the site of an ordering... they are both inverted and not... so you couldn't just combine them with another nexus.
Simone asks if you could filter one out into two.
Wee jas says that although the ordering is many things at once... It's simultaneous: It wants to be repaired collapsed and empowered. well, if we could just filter things out and cure it.
Its brought up that maybe the Celestia plane could be linked to the ordering or something.
Wee Jas says that such power could be channeled any place other than the temple.
Zahar explains that Mammon is now a guardian of Celestia.
Dariel understands the properties of the ordered nexus to an extent. Also, a nexus must be inverted in at least one reality. Dariel mentions this. Then it needs to be repaired, collapsed, and empower, at the same time.
Zahar asks Sahret (dubain): The understanding of how celestia was created... Was it only created because we were at the temple.
Sahret mentiosn the 'baby collider'. "Pretend you have two of Haruhn... invert one and slam it into the other... except they're babies."
Wrin's staring at moradin with his light blinking orange in kind of like a low growl.
Kith asks who would be opposed to the binding. He asks if Boccob's treachery is likely to threaten us again. Melora explains what happened... And the party mentions now Boccob is on ice.
Kith asks Raven queen what releasing tharis dune ...
Sahret says "Baby collider: Wee Jas Approves."
Raven queen says Pelor would sooner die than release Tharis dune. Pelor has been the staunchest advocate of the continued imprisonments. Raven queen says he doesn't believe he was wrong... not ever. he argued that there was no other way.... *raven queen keeps cutting herself off, she's so angry.*
melora says that Corellon cared more of elegance than ethics... she wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't side with him.
Wee Jas says that she was not the first one approached about imprisoning Tharis dune.
Originally, back before time and pain corrupted the guild, they were what remained of Melora.
Melora Looks at Wee Jas curiously... "Excuse me mother, but I sense a part of myself... do you... " Wee Jas just smiles and raises an eyebrow. Melora "I feel incomplete." Wee Jas nods and channels divine energy back into Melora... melora gets teary and says thank you, mother.
Kith thanks Wee Jas for holding onto a portion of Melora.
Zahar asks if Wee Jas is the mother of Tharis dune as well... she says no.... he's her father. Wee Jas says she doesn't often take followers... Zahar says that he should devote to her some as well... She says humanity came more and more Tharis Dune's 'thing'.
We ask what others... She says Two stood aside... (Melora and Llolth.) Wee Jas says she did not stand aside. She says the other gods approached her, told her of their intent, and she gave her cooperation because it was nearly unanimous. Lolth doesn't count in the unanimous call, becaus eshe dissented during the war. Llolth stood against her own people in correlon's eyes so he cast her aside. He raised her sister in her place, to divinity.. (Sehanine).
If they would listen to anyone, it would be Kith and Ehlonna, their daughter... They're Oberon and Titania, so of course they'd listen to one of their own (Kith.)
Kith says he did not know that Oberon and titania were Corellon and Sehanine.
Wee Jas Corrects Kith when he asks if the Halfling god would help... it's a she... Says Yondalla supported the idea, but perhaps.
moradin has a comment about Yondalla and the halflings... he kinda chuckles and says "Her people were being brutalized worse than anyone elses byt he humans... halflings were easy pickings."
Simone asks if it was to go on indefinately. Wee Jas nods... and says it has gone on for the better part of 10 millenia without the true cataclysm everyone has feared.
The raven queen says one thing is certain... the world is slowly devolviong into less than it was... edging ever closer to the disaster of which you speak... all because of his imprisonment...
Kith says that where we made out lives wasn't intended to be the place to thrive... wasn't it to be here?
Wee Jas says he asks a difficult question. This world is the one that you came from... each of the worlds is a copy of the rest... each with variation and changes... but each the same world.
Kith asks if Tharis dune's madness... the ordering... will it ever touch this place? Wee Jas: "ever? Who can say... there are difficulties with the prison... if he were released... yes, there would be ramifications here, but otherwise, changes tot he nexi do not effect this world in the slightest."
Zahar: "Without intervention, he'll tear the bindgins of his prison until it collapses around him."
Raven queen: "On the contrary... his struggles bind him further, tangle him more... his struggles and madness entrench him here."
Zahar says the gods seem as though they're in little danger here, so they should'nt oppose out plans...
Raven queen says that the chains themselves are corroding: the balanced nexus... the ordering... they will oppose us...
Kith asks why everyone lives over there and not here. Wee Jas says that its tough to express the level of concern the people expressed when the gods were copied...
kith clarifies: Why are mortals not here?
Wee Jas says they were sent into the flow so that the gods could be in a [place in peace... She says it takes a god's will to keep mortals alive here (becaus eno nexuses here.)
Wee Jas says mortals were given most of the worlds and the flow where they could survive.
The prison was built the way it was so that the other gods wouldn't need to keep others alive.
Kith apologizes for the inconvenience... but is bad with sarcasm...
Wee Jas says the Gods wished to have a place of their own... where we would not be touched by the flow, so the war of the gods would not recur...
Kith says well, yeah... but you left that to us to experience... Wee jas says it's not what anyone expected.
Simone says the areas with the flow were better suited to us... but anyway, who can we expect to aid us in curing Tharis dune, and who will oppose us... and how can we repair an ordered nexus.
Simone says "We will need allies at any rate..."
The room becomes shadowy... the raven queen's shadow kinda comes cloaked out... an otherworldly voice neither male nor female says "Best not to forget the allies you already have." Admatha expalisn that this was Nerull, after it sinks back down.
The Raven queen looks perturbed... adn Wee Jas has a hint of a smile oon her face. Admatha explains that the raven queen was Nerull and the lady of pain.
I ask Wee Jas who Kas is. She says We should ask her (Kas).
Kith asks about St Cuthbert of her. Wee Jas says says that she might support us. The young gods may aid them...
We Talk to Wee Jas. As far as the support of the gods goes, everyone is afraid of the ordering and no one likes it. Hextor is the primary adversary of Asmoedus... Hextor has tried to seize claim over the hells.
One group should discuss the baby collider with Garl and Vecna, while the other seeks uides.
Zahar asks moradin: "You're called the soulforger... could you make something that could hold a nexus." He says yes. but it wouldn't solve the ethical problems
Vance walks in. Vance says we're questioning whether sacrificing kids is the way to do it. Vance says that if the babies exist for no other purpose... then killing them isn't really that bad.
melora says "You're seriously suggesting to right this wrong with another wrong."
Moradin says that there's one kind of receptical that could hold a nexus energy. Moradin.
We are warming to the idea of the baby collider.
I use my phylactery of faithfulness to see what Farl thinks kinda.
Garl Manifests in front of us. He looks around at all of us and blinks a few times... "What a strange situation we've gotten into..."
We mention we're discussion sacrificing people... Everything conmes down to choidce of confidence... opportunity cost. It's a horrible thing...
Vecna says there's been no research on injecting a nexus post birth.
As for the ritual witht he rakshasa/deva.... vecna says we'd run out of them far before we were done with nexuses... there aren't enough rakshasa and deva in the world...
Vecna says 2 lives per nexus wowudl save a lot... melora says that she perosnally must oppose this plan.
Ed is like hells yeah... beat up the lords of hell. Then the ordering stops spreading.
Wee Jas: says the souls of the dead are taken in by the souls of the gods and they're taken in where they need to be. some are reborn, others are not. Sahret asks what decides what god gets to decide... She says ultimately its her decision. She has ofte given preference to those gods for whome the soul is a champion... some go on to serve their masters in the afterlife.
To ease our minds about the babies dying... Wee Jas says all fear death, so its reasonable that some would stop. Wee Jas says that death is an inevitability. It could be to some benefit that some of these children would die to serve a greater cause.
Zahar is pacing and muttering... then suddenly he bamfs somewhere else and is rubbing his head. Zahar asks what conclusions we have.
vance says that the orderings wont' stop growing... becaus its not known how they started... its possible that Asmodeus has simply started a spell... Garl is pacing... he says that its probably safeer to just screw with the nexuses some more... if we fix the nexuses, it doesn't matter how many devils are there.
Melora turns to Moradin. responds to Ktihs question for a weapon and Melora says she would consider it a personaly favbor if he crafts a thing. moradin forms a short sword... melora says she still has the enchantments of the weapon... the blade changes in her touch.,.. its the Verdant blade. he got an artifactish thing.
Admatha asks if the souls of the bnabies will provide the baby collider. Wee Jas says that the she will ensure the souls will be reborn. She says she will attempt it, but she can't promise anything since she can't be sure. Wee Jas says she doesn't design the lives of those created.
basically, take some kids with nexuses in them to cure the ordering. that's option A. Option B is defeat the lords of hell and stop the growth process.
Sahret says we should have some backups.
We ask if the gods present would be willing to help us here...
Dariekl asks if anyoine would be against him contacting Calenon... to get his idea if we should go to his place and test it right now. dariel scries Calenon successfully. In a round. Uses message so they can talk. Dariel says we have a plan... can we go there and find out.
Dariel says if we cure the nexuses, the impurities will go away.
Calenon says he wants aplace free from the flow and he'll help in the research.
Kith suggests that perhaps we allow the babies used for sacrifice to be left here... Wee jas says she doesn't normally accept servants, but she says that this idea has maerit... she'll take them in if it is possible... The raven queen says it de[pends how they are judged... but nods as well.... says it might be possible.
Calenon says he finds it distasteful... but says it might be. He asks if we have a place for him to go to leave the flow. Dariel mentions prime... Calenon agrees that Bahamut can house him for a time, he supposes.
Simone asks garl that he added a crankthat made a nexus... Garl makes a confession... Moradin scowls.
Garl: I was kinda unsure about the whole impriusonm,ent thing form the beginning, but I didn't know if we were going to change our minds later, so i left a way win... like a trap door or a keyhole... so all I did is I hooked up Biger to that... it's like poking a hole in a plastic bag. He says it's bad for the integrity of the flow... and we might not be
Simone asksa bout myu other crank.
Vance says we do know what will happen if we do fail.
Vance says weeks or days before the ordering reaches population.
Zahar says that if we assault the devil lords and fail that's a problem.
Kith says we have Mammon... perhaps we could talk about
Vance says its unlikely the bordering would affect him. Garl says its a good idea of them to not go.
Kith asks what the gods can do to help us...
Ed asks for a tuneup... and moradin says Ed's busy. Mordain's like don't you backtalk me. Garl could defeat the luck problem.
The raven queen says she wants ot be clear: She wants us all to succeed, but she cannot act to assist uis... but she is still bound in some ways to this place, but with the mother, they wiull do what they can for the children once they are dead.
Zahar asks if Raven queen remembers who he was. He says he doesn't envy her... and she says he has been true to himself... they wish eachother luck.
Zahar walks over to the glyph. Zahar also says that if we do this, the ordered areas should be assaulted at the same time. Pelor said this.
We go to True celestia. Excepot admatha and Sahret. They're doing something else.
Zahar opens the portal to get us there. We find ourself in the celestia temple. Mammon is there, so is Shale. Kith asks Mammon about what the plans were when he took over tatenda. mammon says he was going to merge that place within the thrid realm. As long as Asmodeus lives and exercises that authority, the hells will keep merging. Its posible over Asmodeus' power over the ordered nexuses. Mammon tells us that if we were to kill the devil lords... to stop it: make asmodeus stop. Or make the nexuses not ordered anymore. He says that if the nexuses are unordered, the hells would be disjoined of the merger. Note, True celestia is not outside the flow. it feels like oraculum, but more... It feels stable here... not the capricious flow of the deep wilds.
Dariel Scries to Calenon, describes what celestia feels like. and adds that he doesn't know what'll happen to the flow if it becomes more stable... he's like well, no one does. Calenon is intrigued by the balance... but he yearns to return to a time before the nexuses, the way he remembers it.
We return to Prime. dariel tries to scry asmodeus from here. He fails. Specifically, can't scry her because she's in an ordered area... and it might not even work then. The hells feel the same, though.
Sahret got his thing done... makes something that looks like an ice devil.
Zahar is given a black crystal and axe as well as his personal sword... The raven queen take sthe axe, picks up an amulet she's wearing it, touches the axe... it absorbs it... and then touches it tot he sword and now its the same style of weapon. She says do not disappoint me.... And zahar says I will kill you as many times as I must.
During the hour of scrying. Garl walks over to vecna. Garl has been scribbling on a pad... hands it to Vance and says will it work? It's based on what will happen at oraculum. Vance makes a few minor adjustments. garl's like Oh, right... thank you. Garl acknowledges Vances wisdom. Garl does talk to him as Boccob, who he seems to think about it. Garl hands Simone a tiny glowing ball to act as a buffer. Garl takes it back when we mention it needs to be done simultaneously. he eventually hands simone another as well that looks not quite the same... He now has two... Vance sighs but nods
Garl's like: What, you would use a gem or something like that, wouldn't you? Boring, that. Kith and Simone are the two geomancers.
Zahar thinks that Asmodeus is perhaps more liekly inn Dispater's place because it's safer.
Kith: Admatha, Ed, biger, Zahar To Impetmpestivous. the others to Trymsarren.
Garl says Asmodeus is in Impemtestivous, maybe... the coin landed on its edge and eventually fell that way. Garl's like... no guarentees, though... luck is fickle.
Garl tells me now we're equally culpable and will do penance together.
We get the babies and are sent near the ordering. We're able to get Paimon's assistance (Vance's wife.)
We get Ironwood stuff. We buff up tio the teeth by the gods and such and us. We get in wearing hte ironwood... we go through for a while. I D-Door the group. It takes us a total of 10 minutes to get from sigil from where we have been buffed to fairly close to the tower of Dis.
There are a pair of pit finds standing outside the gate.
Ed checks his mpa of the nexuses. there is one nexus on his map well, plus the two babies... it must be within the tower. It's down. 15-20 feet down from where we are... maybe 100 feet across.
kith takes out his sword. Note, we ARE singular here.
Time to storm the fort. The party sneaks up...
They proceed to completely annihilate the two pit fiends with a single strike. The door is still closed. Grig gets through tries to find a lever or latch or something... doesn't really find one. We use the portable hole Plus guy who can squeeze through to get in. there is no mechanism... Dispater controls the door dirtectly.
Find the path leads ot the iron golem. There's a door behind it. It looks like a statue. We try to squeeze around it. We succeed. We hear a voice and it says "I am curious to know what outsiders are doing in my tower... some of whom again.
I say we're here to keep working on that thing he sent us to do...
We ask if Asmodeus is here. Dispater says that a chat will not be possible with her... she's not in a shape to recieve visitors. She came here to seek protection while she recovers.
He says that Asmodeus will be protected until she recovers... in a manner of speaking that's the deal he's made. The voice seems to be coming form a series of indentations from withing hte walls that have some sort of device inside.
We ask if Dis would like to come and chat with us. Ed says that we would just like to refresh with the nexus. a 76 got the sense motive... on Dispater.... who just really doesn't care if we want to refresh at the nexus.
Dariel sends to me: "Bel is leaving and going to the abyss to bring his hordes to bear against them since Asmodeus cannot stay his hand anymore."
I reply: "Dispater is caring for asmodeus, who is recovering, Dispater's not hostile, keep us informed... plan on an hour form now for the ritual."
Dispater says "Talos, stand aside..." And it moves.
I ask how much They think Bel has as a chance agaiunst the abyss. Dispater lauhjs.
If I'm contacted again, Pass Bel of my blessings.
Two of the demon lords have fallen... they were killed in such a way they could not reform. (Demogorgon and Grazzt.) Dispater: Please understand that my standing does not disrespect simple courtesu.
The wall swings open. There's a set of stairs.
dispater is very amused by bel going to attack... Dispater doesn't really care what Bel is up to. We descend a ways. We get down there... pass several doors that had the research. We continue on, go down some more stairs. Find the path leads us on pretty directly. The servents don't do anything. We get to the bottom and there's another iron door. It unlocks as we approach.
We open the door... and see a nexus...
It looks faded... like...
It's like there's way more energy there than we can see. Geomantically it seems to have both light and dark nexus energy simultaneously. This is an otherwise empty room. There's some technomagical ritual.
Dispater won't even a little reconsider letting us meet with Asmodeus.
And Kith won't perform the ritual until we deal with Asmodeus.
Dispater says "It is clear to me that your own alliance is fractured.
Dispater says it is not within his power to leave, since he didn't cause the hell to integrate. Kith says if she is destroyed the problem is solved. Dispater will not stand aside... He ackowledges that she has overextended herself and so perhaps wasted hundred of years of planning...
Dispater chooses not to take the alternative... Dispater knows but doesn't care that Bel and Bel's hell are weakening themselves.
Ed asks if the hell is here or not. he says he will hold his territory wherever it may be put.
There are matters of decorum that must be held.
Kith offers his debt, but Dispater turns it down... Because Asmodeus is gonna owe him SOooooo big.
dispater says he watched the ppit fight and the results were quite unexpected.
Kith studies the ordered thing. Imagine we have a phonebook... each page is a reality... stick a baloon between pages. blow it up. Its only theory if even the creaton of a balanced nexus could work.
Kith puts forward the idea to, with two people, one at each nexus... maybe cancel eachothers...
Admatha's like... commune with nerull.
I can scry Ed when we're both in an ordered area.
Admatha casts a sending. "We could very much use your expertise on a world shattering matter if you would be willing to come back to the castle. " She gets a response: 'Ok. if you think it's safe, I will come back.'
Admatha sense a sending to Simone. Tells her to allow herself to be scried... her deciet is calling deaths.
Admatha sent her a message. Might scry. I try, and she fails. I say she tries to resist.
dispater: "Perhaps it is none of my concern, given the lack of coordination... but what DID you intend to do here?"
We say we're here to send his place back home, and he doesn't care, so....
Kith can maybe do the ritual and when the part comes where he needs a balanced nexus that maybe he can fill that role.
Must invert a baby before the ritual. Kith thinks it might be possible to it with one baby instead of two.
We make a lot of fire... And Kith gets the idea to change, by pure brute force.... he balances one of the baby nexuses... puts over 10 times the amount of essence he could have drawn. Kith Does the ritual.
I thank Kith for doing what was needed. He says he did an abomination... Kith has no essence left.
The baby collider discussion
7/30/2010
After Mammon emerged form the ground he summponed some devils, and they were stupidly fast... they had a strange poison on their spears and various people got stabbbed with the spear. Namely, me and Arwel. It was goop on the spear... it lept off the spear and coated my bodyd... I felt unable to move and lost consciousness. It worked on me... Later I wake up and I find myself in a place that feels very serene. I wake up on Wrin... we were both coated. I'm clearly not in the ordering anymore. Still latched onto wring... he's regaining consicousness as well. Bucks a little... I see we're in the temple of sigil, but its not the way I rememebr it... it has a balanced aura, similar to oraculum. Off to mty left is Arwel, still uncosncious, but not coated int he goop. I can tell that whoever they're talking to has an extreme aura of divine energy. There's clearly a god, but I don't recognize her. Also Mammon is there, but he doesn't look devilish anymore... instead his quality kinda matches this place (but he does have some devilish specks). They seem to be in conversation with Melora (The person I don't recognize.) and Mammon.
We hear them speaking quietly... Melora says its time to set things sright. And they look to be making their way downstairs towards the glyph in the basement. They notice I've awakened.
Will geomancy work on prime? Melora says that that art is after her time, but from what she knows it will prpobably be quite difficult. My understanding is it draws on nexuses and the flow... comes form tharis dune and as such it seems the gods would not allow such magic to funciton on their territory.
I ask what's Prime.
I get debriefed. Mammon offers his regrets for what he did... Zahar and the others won the fight with him and hte guild.
Kith explains that when Mammon fell, there was an outpouring of powerful geomantic energy that cleansed him, and through various contact with the sword that Kith bore and hte axe that similarly made... enough power was brought together to restore His lady, Melora.
I ask about the other ordered cities. Mammon says the other places are expanding. Mammon says it is a process that was begun by Asmodeus. He learned a way to harness the ordering, similar to how Calenon had done, but with his geomantic talent was wider... so was able to tie the hells to the ordered areas.
Zahar asks if there was an Asmodeus before Kiransely, melora says she doesn't know. (Melora said that Tharis dune, when he was finally captured and trapped, he chose to give deific power to someone, and he chose an eidolon of Kiransely. Melora said Asmodeus and Demogorgon were all versions of her that didn't recieve that power. Mammon says that Asmodeus' past is unkown... most know nothing of his/her true nature... )
I ask how mammon became nondevilish... Mammon says he awoke to the grig standing next to him... Mammon is happy to be in control again (He calls it refreshing.)
Zahar welcomes me to celestia.
I ask how we got here. Melora looks at her mural (Which is just a green landscape.) greenery and lush verdant foliage springs up everywhere... the place kinda rumbles... The stone ground begins to crack and grumble as the stone wears away.
Prime is the realm of the gods... the original world, from which all others were formed... this temple was built to protect it from the flow.
Zahar says that Tharis Dune made this place to try and stabilize himself, hopefully. Melora says she can try to aid us but that's about it. Says the gods must be convinced/confronted... however we choose to deal witht he situation. Nothing will change unless we seek the gods in their own realm. They are more powerful in the flow than in their own realm.
I ask how there were eidolons of Kiransely before Tharis was bound... It was after he was bound he infused her... they captured her after her divinity had been granted, and they chained her to the temple. Melora says that she believes that the lady of pain had control of her faculties when she gave Kith the sword.
To Prime!
We arrive: we can see an older woman, at least middle aged, maybe older (aka quite withered.) The raven queen is casting an unusually thick and depthless shadpow, and Moradin.
(Melora is of exceptional beuaty and clearly fey origin.)
The withered woman looks at us new arrivals, nods to the fey woman and says welcome back. She looks to us and says welcome to Prime. She says perhaps I presume but what are you doing here.
Zahar says "I would expect you to know, Kiransely."..
Admatha introduces Wee Jas, mother of the gods. moradin ranges back a little bit and watches.
Kith says its out hope that a wrong may be righted. I add that we wish to do so in a way that would be satisfactory for all.
Kith says the wrong that caused others to turn upon his lady (Melora).
Simoen says that we've only heard limited sides to the story.
Raven queen has a look of passion in her eyes, a little unstable as Wee jas talks about this, but mostly jhust determined. Raven queen says you all know as well as I he must be released. We agree, but say that he must be healed first... Raven queen agrees.
Kith says he doesn't know Moradin... who introduces himself as such. Kith asks Moradin why the imprisonment. Moradin said that things would get out of control and out of hand. We ask who convinced moradin... apparently it was a lot of discussion... unclear who really started it.
We ask moradin's view of the situation now. Moradin says "Being imprisoned wasn't the kind of light punishment I was expecting." The other moradin betrayed him (Levistus.) Kith asks Moradin's opinion of what to do with Tharis dune now. Moradin says it wouldn't be terrible to let him go free, if it didn't destroy the world... The raven queen quirks an eyebrow.
Zahar says that Moradin was betrayed and imprisoned much like Tharis Dune.
Zahar says all that's really important. Melora asks Moradin if he's seen Celestia. he's like no... jsut got free. She says that his essence in that place is changed... she can feel his thoughts more clearly threre... in htat place our father is sane. Moradin is like 'so it could be done...?' Melora says there's reason for hope.
Kith thanks Wee Jas for the warning.
Kith asks Wee Jas what she's thinking... says she thinks its the responsibility of humankind to make their choices...
Kith asks her council. On how to go about freeing tharis dune without destroying all that is.
Wee Jas says there are many impediments standing between TDs madness and our goal. Some of the nexuses have been damaged so badly she's not even sure it's possible. but if most of the nexuses will be brought into balance, that will help him... if the temple were treated in kind, the prison would no longer hold him and he would be sane.
Wee Jas says... as for the first, it is possible, though obviously no one knows because they haven't been attempting to try... its possible that creating a balanced nexus on the site of an odering could change things. Balanced nexus seems ot be able to recover many ailments... brings up another difficulty... namely, how to balance a nexus on the site of an ordering... they are both inverted and not... so you couldn't just combine them with another nexus.
Simone asks if you could filter one out into two.
Wee jas says that although the ordering is many things at once... It's simultaneous: It wants to be repaired collapsed and empowered. well, if we could just filter things out and cure it.
Its brought up that maybe the Celestia plane could be linked to the ordering or something.
Wee Jas says that such power could be channeled any place other than the temple.
Zahar explains that Mammon is now a guardian of Celestia.
Dariel understands the properties of the ordered nexus to an extent. Also, a nexus must be inverted in at least one reality. Dariel mentions this. Then it needs to be repaired, collapsed, and empower, at the same time.
Zahar asks Sahret (dubain): The understanding of how celestia was created... Was it only created because we were at the temple.
Sahret mentiosn the 'baby collider'. "Pretend you have two of Haruhn... invert one and slam it into the other... except they're babies."
Wrin's staring at moradin with his light blinking orange in kind of like a low growl.
Kith asks who would be opposed to the binding. He asks if Boccob's treachery is likely to threaten us again. Melora explains what happened... And the party mentions now Boccob is on ice.
Kith asks Raven queen what releasing tharis dune ...
Sahret says "Baby collider: Wee Jas Approves."
Raven queen says Pelor would sooner die than release Tharis dune. Pelor has been the staunchest advocate of the continued imprisonments. Raven queen says he doesn't believe he was wrong... not ever. he argued that there was no other way.... *raven queen keeps cutting herself off, she's so angry.*
melora says that Corellon cared more of elegance than ethics... she wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't side with him.
Wee Jas says that she was not the first one approached about imprisoning Tharis dune.
Originally, back before time and pain corrupted the guild, they were what remained of Melora.
Melora Looks at Wee Jas curiously... "Excuse me mother, but I sense a part of myself... do you... " Wee Jas just smiles and raises an eyebrow. Melora "I feel incomplete." Wee Jas nods and channels divine energy back into Melora... melora gets teary and says thank you, mother.
Kith thanks Wee Jas for holding onto a portion of Melora.
Zahar asks if Wee Jas is the mother of Tharis dune as well... she says no.... he's her father. Wee Jas says she doesn't often take followers... Zahar says that he should devote to her some as well... She says humanity came more and more Tharis Dune's 'thing'.
We ask what others... She says Two stood aside... (Melora and Llolth.) Wee Jas says she did not stand aside. She says the other gods approached her, told her of their intent, and she gave her cooperation because it was nearly unanimous. Lolth doesn't count in the unanimous call, becaus eshe dissented during the war. Llolth stood against her own people in correlon's eyes so he cast her aside. He raised her sister in her place, to divinity.. (Sehanine).
If they would listen to anyone, it would be Kith and Ehlonna, their daughter... They're Oberon and Titania, so of course they'd listen to one of their own (Kith.)
Kith says he did not know that Oberon and titania were Corellon and Sehanine.
Wee Jas Corrects Kith when he asks if the Halfling god would help... it's a she... Says Yondalla supported the idea, but perhaps.
moradin has a comment about Yondalla and the halflings... he kinda chuckles and says "Her people were being brutalized worse than anyone elses byt he humans... halflings were easy pickings."
Simone asks if it was to go on indefinately. Wee Jas nods... and says it has gone on for the better part of 10 millenia without the true cataclysm everyone has feared.
The raven queen says one thing is certain... the world is slowly devolviong into less than it was... edging ever closer to the disaster of which you speak... all because of his imprisonment...
Kith says that where we made out lives wasn't intended to be the place to thrive... wasn't it to be here?
Wee Jas says he asks a difficult question. This world is the one that you came from... each of the worlds is a copy of the rest... each with variation and changes... but each the same world.
Kith asks if Tharis dune's madness... the ordering... will it ever touch this place? Wee Jas: "ever? Who can say... there are difficulties with the prison... if he were released... yes, there would be ramifications here, but otherwise, changes tot he nexi do not effect this world in the slightest."
Zahar: "Without intervention, he'll tear the bindgins of his prison until it collapses around him."
Raven queen: "On the contrary... his struggles bind him further, tangle him more... his struggles and madness entrench him here."
Zahar says the gods seem as though they're in little danger here, so they should'nt oppose out plans...
Raven queen says that the chains themselves are corroding: the balanced nexus... the ordering... they will oppose us...
Kith asks why everyone lives over there and not here. Wee Jas says that its tough to express the level of concern the people expressed when the gods were copied...
kith clarifies: Why are mortals not here?
Wee Jas says they were sent into the flow so that the gods could be in a [place in peace... She says it takes a god's will to keep mortals alive here (becaus eno nexuses here.)
Wee Jas says mortals were given most of the worlds and the flow where they could survive.
The prison was built the way it was so that the other gods wouldn't need to keep others alive.
Kith apologizes for the inconvenience... but is bad with sarcasm...
Wee Jas says the Gods wished to have a place of their own... where we would not be touched by the flow, so the war of the gods would not recur...
Kith says well, yeah... but you left that to us to experience... Wee jas says it's not what anyone expected.
Simone says the areas with the flow were better suited to us... but anyway, who can we expect to aid us in curing Tharis dune, and who will oppose us... and how can we repair an ordered nexus.
Simone says "We will need allies at any rate..."
The room becomes shadowy... the raven queen's shadow kinda comes cloaked out... an otherworldly voice neither male nor female says "Best not to forget the allies you already have." Admatha expalisn that this was Nerull, after it sinks back down.
The Raven queen looks perturbed... adn Wee Jas has a hint of a smile oon her face. Admatha explains that the raven queen was Nerull and the lady of pain.
I ask Wee Jas who Kas is. She says We should ask her (Kas).
Kith asks about St Cuthbert of her. Wee Jas says says that she might support us. The young gods may aid them...
We Talk to Wee Jas. As far as the support of the gods goes, everyone is afraid of the ordering and no one likes it. Hextor is the primary adversary of Asmoedus... Hextor has tried to seize claim over the hells.
One group should discuss the baby collider with Garl and Vecna, while the other seeks uides.
Zahar asks moradin: "You're called the soulforger... could you make something that could hold a nexus." He says yes. but it wouldn't solve the ethical problems
Vance walks in. Vance says we're questioning whether sacrificing kids is the way to do it. Vance says that if the babies exist for no other purpose... then killing them isn't really that bad.
melora says "You're seriously suggesting to right this wrong with another wrong."
Moradin says that there's one kind of receptical that could hold a nexus energy. Moradin.
We are warming to the idea of the baby collider.
I use my phylactery of faithfulness to see what Farl thinks kinda.
Garl Manifests in front of us. He looks around at all of us and blinks a few times... "What a strange situation we've gotten into..."
We mention we're discussion sacrificing people... Everything conmes down to choidce of confidence... opportunity cost. It's a horrible thing...
Vecna says there's been no research on injecting a nexus post birth.
As for the ritual witht he rakshasa/deva.... vecna says we'd run out of them far before we were done with nexuses... there aren't enough rakshasa and deva in the world...
Vecna says 2 lives per nexus wowudl save a lot... melora says that she perosnally must oppose this plan.
Ed is like hells yeah... beat up the lords of hell. Then the ordering stops spreading.
Wee Jas: says the souls of the dead are taken in by the souls of the gods and they're taken in where they need to be. some are reborn, others are not. Sahret asks what decides what god gets to decide... She says ultimately its her decision. She has ofte given preference to those gods for whome the soul is a champion... some go on to serve their masters in the afterlife.
To ease our minds about the babies dying... Wee Jas says all fear death, so its reasonable that some would stop. Wee Jas says that death is an inevitability. It could be to some benefit that some of these children would die to serve a greater cause.
Zahar is pacing and muttering... then suddenly he bamfs somewhere else and is rubbing his head. Zahar asks what conclusions we have.
vance says that the orderings wont' stop growing... becaus its not known how they started... its possible that Asmodeus has simply started a spell... Garl is pacing... he says that its probably safeer to just screw with the nexuses some more... if we fix the nexuses, it doesn't matter how many devils are there.
Melora turns to Moradin. responds to Ktihs question for a weapon and Melora says she would consider it a personaly favbor if he crafts a thing. moradin forms a short sword... melora says she still has the enchantments of the weapon... the blade changes in her touch.,.. its the Verdant blade. he got an artifactish thing.
Admatha asks if the souls of the bnabies will provide the baby collider. Wee Jas says that the she will ensure the souls will be reborn. She says she will attempt it, but she can't promise anything since she can't be sure. Wee Jas says she doesn't design the lives of those created.
basically, take some kids with nexuses in them to cure the ordering. that's option A. Option B is defeat the lords of hell and stop the growth process.
Sahret says we should have some backups.
We ask if the gods present would be willing to help us here...
Dariekl asks if anyoine would be against him contacting Calenon... to get his idea if we should go to his place and test it right now. dariel scries Calenon successfully. In a round. Uses message so they can talk. Dariel says we have a plan... can we go there and find out.
Dariel says if we cure the nexuses, the impurities will go away.
Calenon says he wants aplace free from the flow and he'll help in the research.
Kith suggests that perhaps we allow the babies used for sacrifice to be left here... Wee jas says she doesn't normally accept servants, but she says that this idea has maerit... she'll take them in if it is possible... The raven queen says it de[pends how they are judged... but nods as well.... says it might be possible.
Calenon says he finds it distasteful... but says it might be. He asks if we have a place for him to go to leave the flow. Dariel mentions prime... Calenon agrees that Bahamut can house him for a time, he supposes.
Simone asks garl that he added a crankthat made a nexus... Garl makes a confession... Moradin scowls.
Garl: I was kinda unsure about the whole impriusonm,ent thing form the beginning, but I didn't know if we were going to change our minds later, so i left a way win... like a trap door or a keyhole... so all I did is I hooked up Biger to that... it's like poking a hole in a plastic bag. He says it's bad for the integrity of the flow... and we might not be
Simone asksa bout myu other crank.
Vance says we do know what will happen if we do fail.
Vance says weeks or days before the ordering reaches population.
Zahar says that if we assault the devil lords and fail that's a problem.
Kith says we have Mammon... perhaps we could talk about
Vance says its unlikely the bordering would affect him. Garl says its a good idea of them to not go.
Kith asks what the gods can do to help us...
Ed asks for a tuneup... and moradin says Ed's busy. Mordain's like don't you backtalk me. Garl could defeat the luck problem.
The raven queen says she wants ot be clear: She wants us all to succeed, but she cannot act to assist uis... but she is still bound in some ways to this place, but with the mother, they wiull do what they can for the children once they are dead.
Zahar asks if Raven queen remembers who he was. He says he doesn't envy her... and she says he has been true to himself... they wish eachother luck.
Zahar walks over to the glyph. Zahar also says that if we do this, the ordered areas should be assaulted at the same time. Pelor said this.
We go to True celestia. Excepot admatha and Sahret. They're doing something else.
Zahar opens the portal to get us there. We find ourself in the celestia temple. Mammon is there, so is Shale. Kith asks Mammon about what the plans were when he took over tatenda. mammon says he was going to merge that place within the thrid realm. As long as Asmodeus lives and exercises that authority, the hells will keep merging. Its posible over Asmodeus' power over the ordered nexuses. Mammon tells us that if we were to kill the devil lords... to stop it: make asmodeus stop. Or make the nexuses not ordered anymore. He says that if the nexuses are unordered, the hells would be disjoined of the merger. Note, True celestia is not outside the flow. it feels like oraculum, but more... It feels stable here... not the capricious flow of the deep wilds.
Dariel Scries to Calenon, describes what celestia feels like. and adds that he doesn't know what'll happen to the flow if it becomes more stable... he's like well, no one does. Calenon is intrigued by the balance... but he yearns to return to a time before the nexuses, the way he remembers it.
We return to Prime. dariel tries to scry asmodeus from here. He fails. Specifically, can't scry her because she's in an ordered area... and it might not even work then. The hells feel the same, though.
Sahret got his thing done... makes something that looks like an ice devil.
Zahar is given a black crystal and axe as well as his personal sword... The raven queen take sthe axe, picks up an amulet she's wearing it, touches the axe... it absorbs it... and then touches it tot he sword and now its the same style of weapon. She says do not disappoint me.... And zahar says I will kill you as many times as I must.
During the hour of scrying. Garl walks over to vecna. Garl has been scribbling on a pad... hands it to Vance and says will it work? It's based on what will happen at oraculum. Vance makes a few minor adjustments. garl's like Oh, right... thank you. Garl acknowledges Vances wisdom. Garl does talk to him as Boccob, who he seems to think about it.
Garl hands Simone a tiny glowing ball to act as a buffer. Garl takes it back when we mention it needs to be done simultaneously. he eventually hands simone another as well that looks not quite the same... He now has two... Vance sighs but nods
Garl's like: What, you would use a gem or something like that, wouldn't you? Boring, that. Kith and Simone are the two geomancers.
Zahar thinks that Asmodeus is perhaps more liekly inn Dispater's place because it's safer.
Kith: Admatha, Ed, biger, Zahar To Impetmpestivous. the others to Trymsarren.
Garl says Asmodeus is in Impemtestivous, maybe... the coin landed on its edge and eventually fell that way. Garl's like... no guarentees, though... luck is fickle.
Garl tells me now we're equally culpable and will do penance together.
We get the babies and are sent near the ordering. We're able to get Paimon's assistance (Vance's wife.)
We get Ironwood stuff. We buff up tio the teeth by the gods and such and us. We get in wearing hte ironwood... we go through for a while. I D-Door the group. It takes us a total of 10 minutes to get from sigil from where we have been buffed to fairly close to the tower of Dis.
There are a pair of pit finds standing outside the gate.
Ed checks his mpa of the nexuses. there is one nexus on his map well, plus the two babies... it must be within the tower. It's down. 15-20 feet down from where we are... maybe 100 feet across.
kith takes out his sword. Note, we ARE singular here.
Time to storm the fort. The party sneaks up...
They proceed to completely annihilate the two pit fiends with a single strike. The door is still closed. Grig gets through tries to find a lever or latch or something... doesn't really find one. We use the portable hole Plus guy who can squeeze through to get in. there is no mechanism... Dispater controls the door dirtectly.
Find the path leads ot the iron golem. There's a door behind it. It looks like a statue. We try to squeeze around it. We succeed. We hear a voice and it says "I am curious to know what outsiders are doing in my tower... some of whom again.
I say we're here to keep working on that thing he sent us to do...
We ask if Asmodeus is here. Dispater says that a chat will not be possible with her... she's not in a shape to recieve visitors. She came here to seek protection while she recovers.
He says that Asmodeus will be protected until she recovers... in a manner of speaking that's the deal he's made. The voice seems to be coming form a series of indentations from withing hte walls that have some sort of device inside.
We ask if Dis would like to come and chat with us. Ed says that we would just like to refresh with the nexus. a 76 got the sense motive... on Dispater.... who just really doesn't care if we want to refresh at the nexus.
Dariel sends to me: "Bel is leaving and going to the abyss to bring his hordes to bear against them since Asmodeus cannot stay his hand anymore."
I reply: "Dispater is caring for asmodeus, who is recovering, Dispater's not hostile, keep us informed... plan on an hour form now for the ritual."
Dispater says "Talos, stand aside..." And it moves.
I ask how much They think Bel has as a chance agaiunst the abyss. Dispater lauhjs.
If I'm contacted again, Pass Bel of my blessings.
Two of the demon lords have fallen... they were killed in such a way they could not reform. (Demogorgon and Grazzt.) Dispater: Please understand that my standing does not disrespect simple courtesu.
The wall swings open. There's a set of stairs.
dispater is very amused by bel going to attack... Dispater doesn't really care what Bel is up to. We descend a ways. We get down there... pass several doors that had the research. We continue on, go down some more stairs. Find the path leads us on pretty directly. The servents don't do anything. We get to the bottom and there's another iron door. It unlocks as we approach.
We open the door... and see a nexus...
It looks faded... like...
It's like there's way more energy there than we can see. Geomantically it seems to have both light and dark nexus energy simultaneously. This is an otherwise empty room. There's some technomagical ritual.
Dispater won't even a little reconsider letting us meet with Asmodeus.
And Kith won't perform the ritual until we deal with Asmodeus.
Dispater says "It is clear to me that your own alliance is fractured.
Dispater says it is not within his power to leave, since he didn't cause the hell to integrate. Kith says if she is destroyed the problem is solved. Dispater will not stand aside... He ackowledges that she has overextended herself and so perhaps wasted hundred of years of planning...
Dispater chooses not to take the alternative... Dispater knows but doesn't care that Bel and Bel's hell are weakening themselves.
Ed asks if the hell is here or not. he says he will hold his territory wherever it may be put.
There are matters of decorum that must be held.
Kith offers his debt, but Dispater turns it down... Because Asmodeus is gonna owe him SOooooo big.
dispater says he watched the ppit fight and the results were quite unexpected.
Kith studies the ordered thing. Imagine we have a phonebook... each page is a reality... stick a baloon between pages. blow it up. Its only theory if even the creaton of a balanced nexus could work.
Kith puts forward the idea to, with two people, one at each nexus... maybe cancel eachothers...
Admatha's like... commune with nerull.
I can scry Ed when we're both in an ordered area.
Admatha casts a sending. "We could very much use your expertise on a world shattering matter if you would be willing to come back to the castle. " She gets a response: 'Ok. if you think it's safe, I will come back.'
Admatha sense a sending to Simone. Tells her to allow herself to be scried... her deciet is calling deaths.
Admatha sent her a message. Might scry. I try, and she fails. I say she tries to resist.
dispater: "Perhaps it is none of my concern, given the lack of coordination... but what DID you intend to do here?"
We say we're here to send his place back home, and he doesn't care, so....
Kith can maybe do the ritual and when the part comes where he needs a balanced nexus that maybe he can fill that role.
Must invert a baby before the ritual. Kith thinks it might be possible to it with one baby instead of two.
We make a lot of fire... And Kith gets the idea to change, by pure brute force.... he balances one of the baby nexuses... puts over 10 times the amount of essence he could have drawn. Kith Does the ritual.
I thank Kith for doing what was needed. He says he did an abomination... Kith has no essence left.
7/30/2010After Mammon emerged
7/30/2010
After Mammon emerged form the ground he summponed some devils, and they were stupidly fast... they had a strange poison on their spears and various people got stabbbed with the spear. Namely, me and Arwel. It was goop on the spear... it lept off the spear and coated my bodyd... I felt unable to move and lost consciousness. It worked on me... Later I wake up and I find myself in a place that feels very serene. I wake up on Wrin... we were both coated. I'm clearly not in the ordering anymore. Still latched onto wring... he's regaining consicousness as well. Bucks a little... I see we're in the temple of sigil, but its not the way I rememebr it... it has a balanced aura, similar to oraculum. Off to mty left is Arwel, still uncosncious, but not coated int he goop. I can tell that whoever they're talking to has an extreme aura of divine energy. There's clearly a god, but I don't recognize her. Also Mammon is there, but he doesn't look devilish anymore... instead his quality kinda matches this place (but he does have some devilish specks). They seem to be in conversation with Melora (The person I don't recognize.) and Mammon.
We hear them speaking quietly... Melora says its time to set things sright. And they look to be making their way downstairs towards the glyph in the basement. They notice I've awakened.
Will geomancy work on prime? Melora says that that art is after her time, but from what she knows it will prpobably be quite difficult. My understanding is it draws on nexuses and the flow... comes form tharis dune and as such it seems the gods would not allow such magic to funciton on their territory.
I ask what's Prime.
I get debriefed. Mammon offers his regrets for what he did... Zahar and the others won the fight with him and hte guild.
Kith explains that when Mammon fell, there was an outpouring of powerful geomantic energy that cleansed him, and through various contact with the sword that Kith bore and hte axe that similarly made... enough power was brought together to restore His lady, Melora.
I ask about the other ordered cities. Mammon says the other places are expanding. Mammon says it is a process that was begun by Asmodeus. He learned a way to harness the ordering, similar to how Calenon had done, but with his geomantic talent was wider... so was able to tie the hells to the ordered areas.
Zahar asks if there was an Asmodeus before Kiransely, melora says she doesn't know. (Melora said that Tharis dune, when he was finally captured and trapped, he chose to give deific power to someone, and he chose an eidolon of Kiransely. Melora said Asmodeus and Demogorgon were all versions of her that didn't recieve that power. Mammon says that Asmodeus' past is unkown... most know nothing of his/her true nature... )
I ask how mammon became nondevilish... Mammon says he awoke to the grig standing next to him... Mammon is happy to be in control again (He calls it refreshing.)
Zahar welcomes me to celestia.
I ask how we got here. Melora looks at her mural (Which is just a green landscape.) greenery and lush verdant foliage springs up everywhere... the place kinda rumbles... The stone ground begins to crack and grumble as the stone wears away.
Prime is the realm of the gods... the original world, from which all others were formed... this temple was built to protect it from the flow.
Zahar says that Tharis Dune made this place to try and stabilize himself, hopefully. Melora says she can try to aid us but that's about it. Says the gods must be convinced/confronted... however we choose to deal witht he situation. Nothing will change unless we seek the gods in their own realm. They are more powerful in the flow than in their own realm.
I ask how there were eidolons of Kiransely before Tharis was bound... It was after he was bound he infused her... they captured her after her divinity had been granted, and they chained her to the temple. Melora says that she believes that the lady of pain had control of her faculties when she gave Kith the sword.
To Prime!
We arrive: we can see an older woman, at least middle aged, maybe older (aka quite withered.) The raven queen is casting an unusually thick and depthless shadpow, and Moradin.
(Melora is of exceptional beuaty and clearly fey origin.)
The withered woman looks at us new arrivals, nods to the fey woman and says welcome back. She looks to us and says welcome to Prime. She says perhaps I presume but what are you doing here.
Zahar says "I would expect you to know, Kiransely."..
Admatha introduces Wee Jas, mother of the gods. moradin ranges back a little bit and watches.
Kith says its out hope that a wrong may be righted. I add that we wish to do so in a way that would be satisfactory for all.
Kith says the wrong that caused others to turn upon his lady (Melora).
Simoen says that we've only heard limited sides to the story.
Raven queen has a look of passion in her eyes, a little unstable as Wee jas talks about this, but mostly jhust determined. Raven queen says you all know as well as I he must be released. We agree, but say that he must be healed first... Raven queen agrees.
Kith says he doesn't know Moradin... who introduces himself as such. Kith asks Moradin why the imprisonment. Moradin said that things would get out of control and out of hand. We ask who convinced moradin... apparently it was a lot of discussion... unclear who really started it.
We ask moradin's view of the situation now. Moradin says "Being imprisoned wasn't the kind of light punishment I was expecting." The other moradin betrayed him (Levistus.) Kith asks Moradin's opinion of what to do with Tharis dune now. Moradin says it wouldn't be terrible to let him go free, if it didn't destroy the world... The raven queen quirks an eyebrow.
Zahar says that Moradin was betrayed and imprisoned much like Tharis Dune.
Zahar says all that's really important. Melora asks Moradin if he's seen Celestia. he's like no... jsut got free. She says that his essence in that place is changed... she can feel his thoughts more clearly threre... in htat place our father is sane. Moradin is like 'so it could be done...?' Melora says there's reason for hope.
Kith thanks Wee Jas for the warning.
Kith asks Wee Jas what she's thinking... says she thinks its the responsibility of humankind to make their choices...
Kith asks her council. On how to go about freeing tharis dune without destroying all that is.
Wee Jas says there are many impediments standing between TDs madness and our goal. Some of the nexuses have been damaged so badly she's not even sure it's possible. but if most of the nexuses will be brought into balance, that will help him... if the temple were treated in kind, the prison would no longer hold him and he would be sane.
Wee Jas says... as for the first, it is possible, though obviously no one knows because they haven't been attempting to try... its possible that creating a balanced nexus on the site of an odering could change things. Balanced nexus seems ot be able to recover many ailments... brings up another difficulty... namely, how to balance a nexus on the site of an ordering... they are both inverted and not... so you couldn't just combine them with another nexus.
Simone asks if you could filter one out into two.
Wee jas says that although the ordering is many things at once... It's simultaneous: It wants to be repaired collapsed and empowered. well, if we could just filter things out and cure it.
Its brought up that maybe the Celestia plane could be linked to the ordering or something.
Wee Jas says that such power could be channeled any place other than the temple.
Zahar explains that Mammon is now a guardian of Celestia.
Dariel understands the properties of the ordered nexus to an extent. Also, a nexus must be inverted in at least one reality. Dariel mentions this. Then it needs to be repaired, collapsed, and empower, at the same time.
Zahar asks Sahret (dubain): The understanding of how celestia was created... Was it only created because we were at the temple.
Sahret mentiosn the 'baby collider'. "Pretend you have two of Haruhn... invert one and slam it into the other... except they're babies."
Wrin's staring at moradin with his light blinking orange in kind of like a low growl.
Kith asks who would be opposed to the binding. He asks if Boccob's treachery is likely to threaten us again. Melora explains what happened... And the party mentions now Boccob is on ice.
Kith asks Raven queen what releasing tharis dune ...
Sahret says "Baby collider: Wee Jas Approves."
Raven queen says Pelor would sooner die than release Tharis dune. Pelor has been the staunchest advocate of the continued imprisonments. Raven queen says he doesn't believe he was wrong... not ever. he argued that there was no other way.... *raven queen keeps cutting herself off, she's so angry.*
melora says that Corellon cared more of elegance than ethics... she wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't side with him.
Wee Jas says that she was not the first one approached about imprisoning Tharis dune.
Originally, back before time and pain corrupted the guild, they were what remained of Melora.
Melora Looks at Wee Jas curiously... "Excuse me mother, but I sense a part of myself... do you... " Wee Jas just smiles and raises an eyebrow. Melora "I feel incomplete." Wee Jas nods and channels divine energy back into Melora... melora gets teary and says thank you, mother.
Kith thanks Wee Jas for holding onto a portion of Melora.
Zahar asks if Wee Jas is the mother of Tharis dune as well... she says no.... he's her father. Wee Jas says she doesn't often take followers... Zahar says that he should devote to her some as well... She says humanity came more and more Tharis Dune's 'thing'.
We ask what others... She says Two stood aside... (Melora and Llolth.) Wee Jas says she did not stand aside. She says the other gods approached her, told her of their intent, and she gave her cooperation because it was nearly unanimous. Lolth doesn't count in the unanimous call, becaus eshe dissented during the war. Llolth stood against her own people in correlon's eyes so he cast her aside. He raised her sister in her place, to divinity.. (Sehanine).
If they would listen to anyone, it would be Kith and Ehlonna, their daughter... They're Oberon and Titania, so of course they'd listen to one of their own (Kith.)
Kith says he did not know that Oberon and titania were Corellon and Sehanine.
Wee Jas Corrects Kith when he asks if the Halfling god would help... it's a she... Says Yondalla supported the idea, but perhaps.
moradin has a comment about Yondalla and the halflings... he kinda chuckles and says "Her people were being brutalized worse than anyone elses byt he humans... halflings were easy pickings."
Simone asks if it was to go on indefinately. Wee Jas nods... and says it has gone on for the better part of 10 millenia without the true cataclysm everyone has feared.
The raven queen says one thing is certain... the world is slowly devolviong into less than it was... edging ever closer to the disaster of which you speak... all because of his imprisonment...
Kith says that where we made out lives wasn't intended to be the place to thrive... wasn't it to be here?
Wee Jas says he asks a difficult question. This world is the one that you came from... each of the worlds is a copy of the rest... each with variation and changes... but each the same world.
Kith asks if Tharis dune's madness... the ordering... will it ever touch this place? Wee Jas: "ever? Who can say... there are difficulties with the prison... if he were released... yes, there would be ramifications here, but otherwise, changes tot he nexi do not effect this world in the slightest."
Zahar: "Without intervention, he'll tear the bindgins of his prison until it collapses around him."
Raven queen: "On the contrary... his struggles bind him further, tangle him more... his struggles and madness entrench him here."
Zahar says the gods seem as though they're in little danger here, so they should'nt oppose out plans...
Raven queen says that the chains themselves are corroding: the balanced nexus... the ordering... they will oppose us...
Kith asks why everyone lives over there and not here. Wee Jas says that its tough to express the level of concern the people expressed when the gods were copied...
kith clarifies: Why are mortals not here?
Wee Jas says they were sent into the flow so that the gods could be in a [place in peace... She says it takes a god's will to keep mortals alive here (becaus eno nexuses here.)
Wee Jas says mortals were given most of the worlds and the flow where they could survive.
The prison was built the way it was so that the other gods wouldn't need to keep others alive.
Kith apologizes for the inconvenience... but is bad with sarcasm...
Wee Jas says the Gods wished to have a place of their own... where we would not be touched by the flow, so the war of the gods would not recur...
Kith says well, yeah... but you left that to us to experience... Wee jas says it's not what anyone expected.
Simone says the areas with the flow were better suited to us... but anyway, who can we expect to aid us in curing Tharis dune, and who will oppose us... and how can we repair an ordered nexus.
Simone says "We will need allies at any rate..."
The room becomes shadowy... the raven queen's shadow kinda comes cloaked out... an otherworldly voice neither male nor female says "Best not to forget the allies you already have." Admatha expalisn that this was Nerull, after it sinks back down.
The Raven queen looks perturbed... adn Wee Jas has a hint of a smile oon her face. Admatha explains that the raven queen was Nerull and the lady of pain.
I ask Wee Jas who Kas is. She says We should ask her (Kas).
Kith asks about St Cuthbert of her. Wee Jas says says that she might support us. The young gods may aid them...
We Talk to Wee Jas. As far as the support of the gods goes, everyone is afraid of the ordering and no one likes it. Hextor is the primary adversary of Asmoedus... Hextor has tried to seize claim over the hells.
One group should discuss the baby collider with Garl and Vecna, while the other seeks uides.
Zahar asks moradin: "You're called the soulforger... could you make something that could hold a nexus." He says yes. but it wouldn't solve the ethical problems
Vance walks in. Vance says we're questioning whether sacrificing kids is the way to do it. Vance says that if the babies exist for no other purpose... then killing them isn't really that bad.
melora says "You're seriously suggesting to right this wrong with another wrong."
Moradin says that there's one kind of receptical that could hold a nexus energy. Moradin.
We are warming to the idea of the baby collider.
I use my phylactery of faithfulness to see what Farl thinks kinda.
Garl Manifests in front of us. He looks around at all of us and blinks a few times... "What a strange situation we've gotten into..."
We mention we're discussion sacrificing people... Everything conmes down to choidce of confidence... opportunity cost. It's a horrible thing...
Vecna says there's been no research on injecting a nexus post birth.
As for the ritual witht he rakshasa/deva.... vecna says we'd run out of them far before we were done with nexuses... there aren't enough rakshasa and deva in the world...
Vecna says 2 lives per nexus wowudl save a lot... melora says that she perosnally must oppose this plan.
Ed is like hells yeah... beat up the lords of hell. Then the ordering stops spreading.
Wee Jas: says the souls of the dead are taken in by the souls of the gods and they're taken in where they need to be. some are reborn, others are not. Sahret asks what decides what god gets to decide... She says ultimately its her decision. She has ofte given preference to those gods for whome the soul is a champion... some go on to serve their masters in the afterlife.
To ease our minds about the babies dying... Wee Jas says all fear death, so its reasonable that some would stop. Wee Jas says that death is an inevitability. It could be to some benefit that some of these children would die to serve a greater cause.
Zahar is pacing and muttering... then suddenly he bamfs somewhere else and is rubbing his head. Zahar asks what conclusions we have.
vance says that the orderings wont' stop growing... becaus its not known how they started... its possible that Asmodeus has simply started a spell... Garl is pacing... he says that its probably safeer to just screw with the nexuses some more... if we fix the nexuses, it doesn't matter how many devils are there.
Melora turns to Moradin. responds to Ktihs question for a weapon and Melora says she would consider it a personaly favbor if he crafts a thing. moradin forms a short sword... melora says she still has the enchantments of the weapon... the blade changes in her touch.,.. its the Verdant blade. he got an artifactish thing.
Admatha asks if the souls of the bnabies will provide the baby collider. Wee Jas says that the she will ensure the souls will be reborn. She says she will attempt it, but she can't promise anything since she can't be sure. Wee Jas says she doesn't design the lives of those created.
basically, take some kids with nexuses in them to cure the ordering. that's option A. Option B is defeat the lords of hell and stop the growth process.
Sahret says we should have some backups.
We ask if the gods present would be willing to help us here...
Dariekl asks if anyoine would be against him contacting Calenon... to get his idea if we should go to his place and test it right now. dariel scries Calenon successfully. In a round. Uses message so they can talk. Dariel says we have a plan... can we go there and find out.
Dariel says if we cure the nexuses, the impurities will go away.
Calenon says he wants aplace free from the flow and he'll help in the research.
Kith suggests that perhaps we allow the babies used for sacrifice to be left here... Wee jas says she doesn't normally accept servants, but she says that this idea has maerit... she'll take them in if it is possible... The raven queen says it de[pends how they are judged... but nods as well.... says it might be possible.
Calenon says he finds it distasteful... but says it might be. He asks if we have a place for him to go to leave the flow. Dariel mentions prime... Calenon agrees that Bahamut can house him for a time, he supposes.
Simone asks garl that he added a crankthat made a nexus... Garl makes a confession... Moradin scowls.
Garl: I was kinda unsure about the whole impriusonm,ent thing form the beginning, but I didn't know if we were going to change our minds later, so i left a way win... like a trap door or a keyhole... so all I did is I hooked up Biger to that... it's like poking a hole in a plastic bag. He says it's bad for the integrity of the flow... and we might not be
Simone asksa bout myu other crank.
Vance says we do know what will happen if we do fail.
Vance says weeks or days before the ordering reaches population.
Zahar says that if we assault the devil lords and fail that's a problem.
Kith says we have Mammon... perhaps we could talk about
Vance says its unlikely the bordering would affect him. Garl says its a good idea of them to not go.
Kith asks what the gods can do to help us...
Ed asks for a tuneup... and moradin says Ed's busy. Mordain's like don't you backtalk me. Garl could defeat the luck problem.
The raven queen says she wants ot be clear: She wants us all to succeed, but she cannot act to assist uis... but she is still bound in some ways to this place, but with the mother, they wiull do what they can for the children once they are dead.
Zahar asks if Raven queen remembers who he was. He says he doesn't envy her... and she says he has been true to himself... they wish eachother luck.
Zahar walks over to the glyph. Zahar also says that if we do this, the ordered areas should be assaulted at the same time. Pelor said this.
We go to True celestia. Excepot admatha and Sahret. They're doing something else.
Zahar opens the portal to get us there. We find ourself in the celestia temple. Mammon is there, so is Shale. Kith asks Mammon about what the plans were when he took over tatenda. mammon says he was going to merge that place within the thrid realm. As long as Asmodeus lives and exercises that authority, the hells will keep merging. Its posible over Asmodeus' power over the ordered nexuses. Mammon tells us that if we were to kill the devil lords... to stop it: make asmodeus stop. Or make the nexuses not ordered anymore. He says that if the nexuses are unordered, the hells would be disjoined of the merger. Note, True celestia is not outside the flow. it feels like oraculum, but more... It feels stable here... not the capricious flow of the deep wilds.
Dariel Scries to Calenon, describes what celestia feels like. and adds that he doesn't know what'll happen to the flow if it becomes more stable... he's like well, no one does. Calenon is intrigued by the balance... but he yearns to return to a time before the nexuses, the way he remembers it.
We return to Prime. dariel tries to scry asmodeus from here. He fails. Specifically, can't scry her because she's in an ordered area... and it might not even work then. The hells feel the same, though.
Sahret got his thing done... makes something that looks like an ice devil.
Zahar is given a black crystal and axe as well as his personal sword... The raven queen take sthe axe, picks up an amulet she's wearing it, touches the axe... it absorbs it... and then touches it tot he sword and now its the same style of weapon. She says do not disappoint me.... And zahar says I will kill you as many times as I must.
During the hour of scrying. Garl walks over to vecna. Garl has been scribbling on a pad... hands it to Vance and says will it work? It's based on what will happen at oraculum. Vance makes a few minor adjustments. garl's like Oh, right... thank you. Garl acknowledges Vances wisdom. Garl does talk to him as Boccob, who he seems to think about it.
Garl hands Simone a tiny glowing ball to act as a buffer. Garl takes it back when we mention it needs to be done simultaneously. he eventually hands simone another as well that looks not quite the same... He now has two... Vance sighs but nods
Garl's like: What, you would use a gem or something like that, wouldn't you? Boring, that. Kith and Simone are the two geomancers.
Zahar thinks that Asmodeus is perhaps more liekly inn Dispater's place because it's safer.
Kith: Admatha, Ed, biger, Zahar To Impetmpestivous. the others to Trymsarren.
Garl says Asmodeus is in Impemtestivous, maybe... the coin landed on its edge and eventually fell that way. Garl's like... no guarentees, though... luck is fickle.
Garl tells me now we're equally culpable and will do penance together.
We get the babies and are sent near the ordering. We're able to get Paimon's assistance (Vance's wife.)
We get Ironwood stuff. We buff up tio the teeth by the gods and such and us. We get in wearing hte ironwood... we go through for a while. I D-Door the group. It takes us a total of 10 minutes to get from sigil from where we have been buffed to fairly close to the tower of Dis.
There are a pair of pit finds standing outside the gate.
Ed checks his mpa of the nexuses. there is one nexus on his map well, plus the two babies... it must be within the tower. It's down. 15-20 feet down from where we are... maybe 100 feet across.
kith takes out his sword. Note, we ARE singular here.
Time to storm the fort. The party sneaks up...
They proceed to completely annihilate the two pit fiends with a single strike. The door is still closed. Grig gets through tries to find a lever or latch or something... doesn't really find one. We use the portable hole Plus guy who can squeeze through to get in. there is no mechanism... Dispater controls the door dirtectly.
Find the path leads ot the iron golem. There's a door behind it. It looks like a statue. We try to squeeze around it. We succeed. We hear a voice and it says "I am curious to know what outsiders are doing in my tower... some of whom again.
I say we're here to keep working on that thing he sent us to do...
We ask if Asmodeus is here. Dispater says that a chat will not be possible with her... she's not in a shape to recieve visitors. She came here to seek protection while she recovers.
He says that Asmodeus will be protected until she recovers... in a manner of speaking that's the deal he's made. The voice seems to be coming form a series of indentations from withing hte walls that have some sort of device inside.
We ask if Dis would like to come and chat with us. Ed says that we would just like to refresh with the nexus. a 76 got the sense motive... on Dispater.... who just really doesn't care if we want to refresh at the nexus.
Dariel sends to me: "Bel is leaving and going to the abyss to bring his hordes to bear against them since Asmodeus cannot stay his hand anymore."
I reply: "Dispater is caring for asmodeus, who is recovering, Dispater's not hostile, keep us informed... plan on an hour form now for the ritual."
Dispater says "Talos, stand aside..." And it moves.
I ask how much They think Bel has as a chance agaiunst the abyss. Dispater lauhjs.
If I'm contacted again, Pass Bel of my blessings.
Two of the demon lords have fallen... they were killed in such a way they could not reform. (Demogorgon and Grazzt.) Dispater: Please understand that my standing does not disrespect simple courtesu.
The wall swings open. There's a set of stairs.
dispater is very amused by bel going to attack... Dispater doesn't really care what Bel is up to. We descend a ways. We get down there... pass several doors that had the research. We continue on, go down some more stairs. Find the path leads us on pretty directly. The servents don't do anything. We get to the bottom and there's another iron door. It unlocks as we approach.
We open the door... and see a nexus...
It looks faded... like...
It's like there's way more energy there than we can see. Geomantically it seems to have both light and dark nexus energy simultaneously. This is an otherwise empty room. There's some technomagical ritual.
Dispater won't even a little reconsider letting us meet with Asmodeus.
And Kith won't perform the ritual until we deal with Asmodeus.
Dispater says "It is clear to me that your own alliance is fractured.
Dispater says it is not within his power to leave, since he didn't cause the hell to integrate. Kith says if she is destroyed the problem is solved. Dispater will not stand aside... He ackowledges that she has overextended herself and so perhaps wasted hundred of years of planning...
Dispater chooses not to take the alternative... Dispater knows but doesn't care that Bel and Bel's hell are weakening themselves.
Ed asks if the hell is here or not. he says he will hold his territory wherever it may be put.
There are matters of decorum that must be held.
Kith offers his debt, but Dispater turns it down... Because Asmodeus is gonna owe him SOooooo big.
dispater says he watched the ppit fight and the results were quite unexpected.
Kith studies the ordered thing. Imagine we have a phonebook... each page is a reality... stick a baloon between pages. blow it up. Its only theory if even the creaton of a balanced nexus could work.
Kith puts forward the idea to, with two people, one at each nexus... maybe cancel eachothers...
Admatha's like... commune with nerull.
I can scry Ed when we're both in an ordered area.
Admatha casts a sending. "We could very much use your expertise on a world shattering matter if you would be willing to come back to the castle. " She gets a response: 'Ok. if you think it's safe, I will come back.'
Admatha sense a sending to Simone. Tells her to allow herself to be scried... her deciet is calling deaths.
Admatha sent her a message. Might scry. I try, and she fails. I say she tries to resist.
dispater: "Perhaps it is none of my concern, given the lack of coordination... but what DID you intend to do here?"
We say we're here to send his place back home, and he doesn't care, so....
Kith can maybe do the ritual and when the part comes where he needs a balanced nexus that maybe he can fill that role.
Must invert a baby before the ritual. Kith thinks it might be possible to it with one baby instead of two.
We make a lot of fire... And Kith gets the idea to change, by pure brute force.... he balances one of the baby nexuses... puts over 10 times the amount of essence he could have drawn. Kith Does the ritual.
I thank Kith for doing what was needed. He says he did an abomination... Kith has no essence left.