The Keys of Telku / Heathen pt. 9 / Eire the 4th, 3592 CE / 8-25-19

The party is engaged in a pitched battle with Hand of Naraash cultists in the innner sanctum of their evil temple, known locally as the Pillars of Midnight. One by one the cultists fall, the brutal ogre captain Boris slain by Adrienne as he resists the effects of Nari's hideous laughter spell, the other ogre, Dirk, succumbing to the ravenous onslaught of the swarm of vampire bats summoned by Moss, and Larzakh, the hobgoblin militia leader, finally succumbing to his brutal wounds, though not before laying Nari low with a vicious strike from his magical bastard sword. As the Adventurers continue to slog it out with his followers, Adrienne decides to take the fight directly to Naraash, charging the throne and engaging in single combat. Naraash seems to welcome the opportunity to prove his superiority, espousing the cult's beliefs in "might makes right." As Nari is magically rescued from near death, she attempts to use her magic to perceive if Naraash, who she believes to be the lost paladin, Jaryn, is under some magical enchantment, but can find none. Meanwhile, Henry has joined Adrienne in assaulting the cult leader, though he receives a vicious wound from Naraash's magically enhanced falchion and is forced to retreat, and Moss uses another summoned bat to echo-locate the invisible tiefling, D'jani, allowing Roisyll and the raptor Jozu to pinpoint his location and take the assassin down. Nari, desperate to find a solution to the question of Jaryn's corruption, calls on an inner well of strength to attempt a spell to dispel the curse that has overtaken him. Channeling from the mysterious well of her magics creates an unexpected result, as the corpse of the cleric Sara suddenly rises from the ground, overcome with some sort of divine power. It warns the party that no mortal should strike the killing blow to the cult leader, or risk their own mortal soul, even going so far as to shove Henry aside as she enters the fray with Sara's scimitar, now glowing with divine magic. Despite the bestial rage that Adrienne has entered, the possessed cleric is able to strike the killing blow, even as Naraash reveals that beneath his monstrous mask, it was in fact Jaryn. The possessing spirit reveals its identity, Tarmul the Father of Fathers, part of Ahsaratt's holy trinity and the god to whom Sara Djemel had devoted her life. The deity explains that the curse of Naraash has now passed into Sara's lifeless body and been dispelled. Before he leaves his servant to her final rest, the deity turns on Henry, demanding that he no longer call on the name of his "daughter," who in the Ahsaratt pantheon is Ishtalar the Avenger. Even as the party recovers from this startling revelation, they quickly search for the Key, as well as recovering loot useful to their cause. Nari has barred the door to Naraash's sanctum, allowing them time to investigate, and Roisyll discovers a staircase hidden at the bottom of what appeared to be merely a decorative pool. Moss in turn finds the switch the drains the water from the pool, and the party descends deeper into the depths of the temple. At the bottom of the stairs, they find a room dedicated to images of demons battling (and defeating) a holy host of angels, while a strange altar at the far end bears the relief of a monstrous open maw. As the party searches the room for clues, still seeking the Key of Telku, they are astonished to hear the sound of their companion, Ramha Greensleaves, coming down the stairs behind them. When Ramha inquires after the Key, they are in-turn astonished to see Archie, their trusty dog, transform into a hound archon. He warns them to stay away from Greensleaves, even as he pulls a fragment of the legendary Rod of Law from his belt and uses it to create an impenetrable barrier. When Greensleaves attempts to magically bypass the force field and fails, he drops all pretense, his features changing to reveal those of the ghoul sorcerer Arham, who has been tracking the Adventurer's movements ever since their first adventure together in the dead city of Tecumeth. Archie uses secret arcane knowledge to activate the portal disguised as Anubhak's altar, and assures them that passing through it will lead to the Key. As the party passes through the portal to the fading sound of Arham's impotent rage, they find themselves on a wide, dusty plain, the Barren Lands. Archie tells them the location of the Key is a ten minute walk to the East, but recommends the party spend a night to recover now that they are safely away from Arham. The party agrees and settles in for a rest, unsure of what dangers still await them.