The Battle for the Lost Isles

Dec 25th – 28th, cy 4850

The robed figure shadowing the party as they take refuge in the Circle of the Planes can only be Lord Dread, king of the Dalt’Enn. Morikand moves towards him with Vetrick by his side. Graz Tak flanks both men his longbow poised and ready for action.

One hundred yards away from the Dalt’Enn sorcerer and Morikand can sense demons. They stop and talk to the dark elf. Lord Dread wants peace but on his terms. Morikand and Vetrick do not trust him and the conversation is dominated by Lord Dread’s need to get Morikand off the Lost Isles and the secret he hid from Malakar all these years. "There are two distinct Paths," he tells them, "two possible eventualities that Amarel has seen. In one you sail away from these islands and leave us to our own fate. But there is a second Path where you – the Death Dealer – step onto Acrimea and we face obliteration and death."

Mangas casts a wall of ice around himself inside the Circle of the Planes whilst Blant Farrand and Hokaru join Morikand and discuss their next move. When Lord Dread informs them that he has their ship – the Eagle – and will not release it until they are three days away from the Lost Isles Morikand realises there is only one course of action. He advances the Dalt’Enn.

Graz Tak launches an arrow, which disappears instantly as it gets within ten feet of Lord Dread. Blant summons a troglodyte and sends it against their enemy and Hokaru sends two ghouls against him as well. Behind these creatures the party advance on Lord Dread. As Hokaru gets close he realises that Lord Dread has made no footprints in the snow; the sorcerers suspect a projected image.

At this moment Lord Dread hurls a devastating lightning bolt at the attackers that catches Hokaru in the face. Not even Archibald’s Shirt can protect him as powerful energy consumes his flesh. Even Devil’s Bane, Illeum’s powerful katana, is fried by Lord Dread’s magic.

The party recoil in horror. Blant and Morikand cast invisibility as the summoned troglodyte is torn to pieces by an unseen demon protecting the projected image. Blant summons another creature (a lizard man) to recover Hokaru’s corpse and he immediately starts to take items from it, most notably the Necras Ring which he puts on.

As soon as Morikand and Blant get close the projected image disappears.

They return to the Circle of the Planes where Morikand creates the largest pentacle he has ever attempted. It fills the diameter of the entire circle (one hundred and twenty foot diameter) and he prepares to cast. Mangas sends Higord, his familiar, out before Morikand summons a demon from the Plane of Storms. He is disappointed by the result so he banishes it immediately.

Suddenly a demon appears from nowhere. A huge lion with dangerous claws and a slavering mouth it leaps at the nearest soul. Graz Tak is equal to it. He strikes it once with the Blade of Pain; demon meets demon as Graz’s awesome attack cuts a gaping hole from the lion’s shoulder to its hip. A fountain of blood erupts into the air but the demon is dust before it hits the ground.

Blant calls for rest to recover his – and the other sorcerers – strength. After an uneventful night they head for the second stone circle depicted on their map.

On the way they are joined by Orbelain, an eldrow warrior, and before long they come upon the huge skeleton of a dragon half buried in the volcanic ash. Mangas, the Muhaki scholar, informs them that the skeleton was once a Storm Dragon – a species that supposedly died out three thousand years earlier. Blant and Morikand discuss the possible implications of this hypothesising that the Lost Isles are somehow suspended in time.

The second circle is slightly smaller and the stones are rougher and appear older than those of the Circle of the Planes. Again Mangas casts identify – the Temporal Wheel. He informs them that they are standing at the very spot where Promethius – the Creator of the Universe – created Time itself.

Morikand creates a pentacle inside the Temporal Wheel. A pentacle of travel. His idea is to travel to the Abyss and from there he will attempt to travel in similar fashion to the pentacle he has on his ship, the Eagle. Although there is scepticism the rest of the party do not have a better plan so they agree to face the perils of the Abyss.

The ritual by Morikand creates a pair of double doors that he opens to swirling black mists. "The Plane of Fortresses," the demonologist informs them. He leaps inside and the party follow quickly before the huge doors close behind them.

A dark, damp prison cell greets them. Blant illuminates the room with his lantern and the realisation that there is no magic here hits them hard. The doors are impenetrable and only a small grate separates them from the remainder of the prison; through it they see endless corridors and a myriad of demonic creatures keeping guard.

Before the panic sets in Morikand calmly starts to draw a pentacle of travel. Even with no contact with the Layers of Magic Morikand Bitchpiss – the Death Dealer – knows how to manipulate the Abyss. Once created he warns the party that when – if – they manage to travel back to their ship the Dalt’Enn will wait in ambush. He opens another portal, this time there is a wreathe of fire around the threshold but Morikand does not hesitate. The party draw weapons and rush through.

The pentacle at the bottom of the ship is well known to them all. As their impossible journey reaches the Eagle the party find themselves surrounded by enemies and are forced to react quickly. Three Dalt’Enn sorcerers sit at the edge of the pentacle, a dark watch accompanied by three demons they have summoned. Kramnas is a squat humanoid with a deadly three-headed axe, Ulaya is a veiled woman with a katana and Spike is a powerful orc with a demonic spear.

The first Dalt’Enn sorcerer casts death spell on Graz Tak. The thief buckles under the awful damage but stays on his feet despite the terrible pain. Kramnas swings the dreadful axe at Mangas and shatters the sorcerer’s skull into several gore-soaked pieces. Spike thrusts the spear into the midriff of Orbelain and the eldrow howls in agony as the demonic orc feeds on his soul. Orbelain staggers back weakened by the awful wound.

Morikand tries to banish Ulaya but fails and decides to unstopper the vial that will release Vohaas, the deadly demon of combat. The party recover quickly and press their attack. Orbelain, despite the close quarter combat, lets fly a short bow arrow that fells one of the Dalt’Enn and spoils his next spell. Graz Tak, full of rage, drives the Blade of Pain deep into the guts of one of the sorcerers and destroys his soul. Vetrick trades blows with the deadly Ulaya and, incredibly, manages to ram his magical blade into the side of her head and destroy her.

Blant Farrand has seen enough. He polymorphs into and sparrow and tries to find an escape route. The only one he can see is above him, an opening that takes him into their sleeping quarters…he cannot fail to hear the voices of other Dalt’Enn above.

Orbelain draws sword and shield, much better suited for close quarter combat. The arrival of Vohaas and his deadly swordmanship alters the focus of the battle. Kramnas turns to face the new enemy and backs off when he realises what – and whom – he faces. Vohaas’s katana weaves a mesmerising pattern in front of Kramnas and the demon does not even see the blade that ends his life. Vohaas turns to Morikand, his sharp eyes know what to expect, the demonologist re-stoppers the vial and the demon of combat vanishes.

Vetrik and Morikand engage the orc. Their unarmed tactics of catching the sword arm of their opponent frustrates and hinders the demon that struggles to overcome their tactics. Graz Tak finishes off the last sorcerer and he and Orbelain turn their attention to the commotion above.

Blant flies up to the rafters of the sleeping quarters and, unseen, returns to human form. Four Dalt’Enn sorcerers prepare to launch spells into the fight below but Blant is quickest. He casts web and firmly entangles three of the Dalt’Enn; without their arms they cannot cast and they panic but the more they struggle the more they become entangled. One of them is only partially entangled and is able to cast a spell. Before he can launch it Orbelain hits him in the thigh and opens a massive gash…the sorcerer gives up the notion of casting and concentrates on stopping the torrent of blood.

Vetrick manages to slay Spike and after Morikand hits the bleeding sorcerer with a ray of enfeeblement Graz Tak decapitates the man.

After Blant ties up the three Dalt’Enn sorcerers silence returns to the Eagle once more. It is soon evident that they are alone. It is also evident that the ship is moored next to the impressive marble walls of Dalt’Ara – the great ruined citadel of their enemies.

Blant Farrand restores stoneskin to the entire party whilst Morikand goes about the business of restoring the demonic influence to the ship. He summons and subsequently binds a demon from the Plane of Tides to his ship. Then he turns his attention to Orbelain, the problem of his damaged soul is one Morikand thinks he can solve. He creates a pentacle of summoning and places Orbelain’s greataxe into it.

From the Plane of Blades he brings forth a demon. "You will aid the wielder!" Morikand says sternly, "and it drawing from an enemy’s soul you will grant that healing to the wielder." With those words Morikand forces the demon into the greataxe.

He then leads Orbelain to one of the three Dalt’Enn prisoners. The eldrow strikes the prisoner once and slays him, as he leaves the blade inside the corpse Orbelain feels himself recover, his soul fortified by the bound demon.

Morikand stands on deck to survey the citadel. Five hundred feet above him he sees the robed figure of Amarel the Mystic…