The Age of Worms/ The Spire of Long Shadows pt. 10 / Bora the 1st, 3593 CE / 10-30-23

Not By Choice has just finished a night in the library of Kuluth-Mar. They have traveled to the ruined city in search of clues to the help them avert the prophecies of the impending apocalypse known as the Age of Worms. As Lulu was delves through the library's tomes, Nari prays to the local spirits and finds no goodness dwells within these cursed halls. She shares with party the vision that came to her in her dreams, of Caius receiving a gift of the first of his unholy worms from a strange alien being with six arms. As the new day dawns, Nari and Rados both procure a selection of the library's books for later study. With books gathered and the rest of the gear packed the party ventures out into the main hall of the ziggurat of Kuluth-Mar once more. Nothing appears to have changed since the previous day. There is no sign of the undead eviscerator beetles which defended the outer walls of the ziggurat, and writhing green tendrils of sickening vapor continue to rise from the exploded pit at the center of the room. Deciding that the door to east leads to the outside, mirroring the door to the west, the party decides to investigate the door to the north, loathe to leave a potential threat behind before they delve deeper. After some debate over how to engage with any other servants of Caius they may encounter. with Lulu advocating for a diplomatic approach while Rados touts the superiority of Niopusian aggression, the party opens the door to reveal the torture chamber Nari had seen in her vision, though the implements are now rusted and pitted by untold years. In addition, the chamber is attended by an eldarim, a high elf of the Hedge. Lulu and Taavi enter the chamber to see 2 winged archons suspended on meathooks and walls comprised of paneled glass tanks holding back a veritable sea of vile Caius worms. True to her word, Lulu takes full advantage of the chance to parley with the strange eladrim, who introduces himself as Kelvos Wormtouched. Through his mad ramblings the party gathers that Kelvos came to Kuluth-Mar at one time to destroy Caius, but he is now fanatically loyal to the dark demigod. He claims his goal now is to convert others, and that Caius is a benevolent god who will bring an end to all the world's pointless war and suffering,. As Lulu mentions the visions the party has been receiving since entering Kuluth-Mar, Kelvos fumes, distraught at obvious outsiders receiving gifts from his god! Kelvos raises the glowing green talisman that he uses to control his former allies, the two sword archons, and sends them into battle against the party! Nari channels some of her heroic will into a potent spell of dispel magic that breaks the talisman's hold on the archons. As the archons stand down, Rados charges Kelvos and, imbuing Mironus with vorpal power, decapitates the eladrim with a single grim blow. The archons, eager to be out of the torture room, drift into the main chamber. They speak in the musical tones of the celestial language, telling of their mission to stop Caius thousands of years ago before being captured. As one archon departs to report back to Elysium, the other agrees to continue accompanying the party in an effort to fulfill their goal of stopping Caius's machinations. At this point the only way forward is down. To that end, Nari summons her enchanted wagon, and everyone piles in, beginning a controlled descent downward into foul smelling shaft at the center of the ziggurat. The walls of the chasm are covered with foreboding worm holes of immense size. As the dark descent continues, a rumbling can be heard, and then suddenly with a jarring thud, a large, green, thrashing worm lands in the wagon!