Day 18.1: Vengeance will be ours

As the party investigates the new area. A new gate is seen with a small fragment of a raven-haired girl trapped in a gateway holding it open and allowing things through.

Is this the second gate? Is part of Bessenne trapped in the gate entrance?

How can we rescue her? Can we rescue her?

Mutu moves forward and, once again. Disappears into the sands. (sigh) This time we hold Charles back and send in Him who finds a very puzzled Mutu back at the entrance where we first entered this hellscape. Okay then, off we all go back to the beginning.

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The party decides to explore the side, left channel, just to make sure nothing can come up on us. Chaotic sounds stream from around the corner, a cacophony of warped music(?) 3 creatures appear, figures wrapping in gossamer-like ribbons of “fabric”. Fragmented memories of Gregor. Charles did NOT start to glow, so whatever these things are, they aren’t undead or trapped spirits. [MEMORY FRAGMENTS]

Him moved to flank the faraway creature #3, Creature #2 attempts to attack Charles, but Mutu was having none of it for his fellow Sarenrae, stopping the creature with a massive hit. If it had a head, I’d say it was ringing. Creature #2 tried to retaliate against Mutu. He obviously was seeing multiples of our metal maniac and missed. Creature #3 decided to uneven the odds and although received a hit from Him, moved to engulf Charles and start to suffocate him. Creature #1 tried the same thing with Kiren, who deftly sidestepped, but not without taking a bite out of her step. The party focuses on creature #2, while Him keeps #3 busy. #2 tried to move and engulf Mutu, but Him critically denies the attack. Gossamer-like fragments burst forth from the attack and go after Mutu without much effect. Charles is still engulfed and attempts to fry the creature (and his buddies) with some serious BBQ breath of fire, damaging them all and putting a burning chunk of Sarenrae love on #2. Creature #3 tried to avenge his buddies – failing miserably and taking another smack from Mutu in the process. Creature #1 biting retorts fall short, allowing Mutu to smite creature #2 Dead. The party focuses on creature #3 to release Charles and through hits, an electric arc, and an amazing demolishing strike by Mutu, destroy creature #3, freeing Charles. Creature #1 bite turns out to be mostly all hot air (much like Gregor) and Mutu finishes the creature off with a might strike, clearing the room of the memory fragments.

Gregor’s whiney ass voice starts to scold us, except suddenly, he “forgot” what we did as the fragments dissolve into nothingness, the chaotic music fading with the final death.

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Moving into the room we find 4 twisted statues showing the milestones of how Gregory viewed Lena – a decent into the madness of his mind. A creature appeared – a twisted, horrific projection of how Gregor thought of Lena. The locket burned against my skin. Charles began to glow. He had never reacted to the locket before, but the spirit of vengeance had never been so pissed before either. It wanted revenge and I planned to give it to her.

Using the power of the locket, I struck the creature with death gaze – as thought the spirit of vengeance itself glaring at the distorted image, damaging it. Diana pulled on some lost knowledge and concluded the creature wasn’t a trapped soul or spirit, it was a memory of Lena, twisted into its current form by Gregor’s sick mind. She also deduced it would be weak to holy.

The party attacks, of one mind with the locket to be rid of this foul memory. The creature takes a obsessive focus on Mutu, attacking over and over again, while the party focuses all our attack on the creature. So close to death, I use everything I have to destroy the creature once and for all – succeeding in striking the killing blow. 

“Vengeance is yours” I tell the spirit within the locket and it quiets – for now. 

Only after Gregor is dead will vengeance be complete. A vow I intend to fulfill.