Session 34 – The "Un-Kebab" Teagan Maneuver

Tievel stalks towards the altar, attempting to bind Teagan with Chains of Vengeance, but Teagan is able to shake that feeling off. Aiaoue charges forward and casts a spell that she will keep for 9 rounds... and then she goes bird. Teagan takes a look at the book and realizes it is communicating a series of steps to fix the altar. Relaying what he saw, Teagan then gets big mad. Yenush takes a quick look through the molds scattered about the table, but doesn't find any that resemble a jackal skull. Milo manages to get a spell off before he his grabbed by a broken corpse of the Obsidian Company. Cadence immediately pivots her mindset to healing and Arkyn begins a game of tag with the broken corpse just trying to give him a very sharp hug.

Now in range, Tievel lands several attacks to Aiaoue who... feels that obsidian wound pulse and pierce with necrotic energy. She seems to be taking more damage. Despite the damage dealt, her Woodland Beings continue to flit around her, undeterred. As Tievel's armor fractures, Teagan discovers that the obisidian armor is sharp as he pivots to attack Tievel. Cadence works to keep Milo awake and conscious while Yenush decides he's got to start shooting things. Arkyn teleports to the top of the Obsidian Forge, though his little companion seems determined to follow him.

Aiaoue learns that Tievel is not happy when his friends are killed as he knocked her out of bird form... but those Woodland Beings are still here! As Teagan and Aiaoue front line, Yenush turns his focus to Tievel and, after a Sacred Flam from Cadence, the battered form of Tievel falls. Meanwhile, Arkyn manages to light the Obsidian Forge before he Vortex Warps his half-dead pursuer into the obsidian pit. There is a series of cracking noises followed by the unsettling crunch of bones and obsidian pours into the forge. Aiaoue looks down at Tievels body... and decides he should go in the compactor too. That does seem to keep Tievel down a little bit longer.

Yenush, with no more targets to really shoot, manages to find the necessary mold. Milo discovers that he has a RAPIER and has had the rapier this whole time. Unfortunately, the Obsidian Remnants don't seem to be affected by it. Aiaoue moves over to help Cadence (who is doing her darndest to keep everyone up) and Milo... as Tievel hauls himself out of the compactor, standing between the group and the forge they need. But that's not an issue, Arkyn sends Tievel into time out in the corner on the far side of the room. As Arkyn and Yenush begin to work on crafting the needed piece for the altar, Teagan moves to intercept Tievel. Once the item is completed, Aiaoue is able to grab it and shove it in the altar. Teagan moves to the Book of the Dead... and summons Tamasvi.

A round passes where the group heals and prepares for what awaits. The battered form of Tievel freezes and then disintegrates as the obsidian walls also disintegrates. A wave of malice surges through the cracked wall accompanied by blackened fog. Death is present in the chamber... and it isn't happy. Upon a cliff are a massive set of gold and copper gates. Oozing over a bench is a gargantuan, grotesque pile of flesh, expanding with every heavy inhale and shrinking with a mighty exhale. Obsidian plating covers a portion of the gargantuan mass.

Rest, my dearest Malachor.

Obsidian covered limbs extend from the mass of flesh as a massive form of obsidian rises. Corpses, torsos, limbs, and bones rise with it, pierced by massive spikes along a hunche dback. With every ovement, the obsidian plating seems to shatter and reform, spraying bits of darkened blood onto the floor. With one hand, it forces the still squirming body on its back further down the spike. Bones crunch, blood flies, the body stills.

The seed of wicked ambition grows in each of you. The desire for power and control... a persistent, vexing weed.   It will cover the graves of your betters. It will consume the corpses you forgot. Unless you are sealed in obsidian first.   Come, meet your end.

At the Book of the Dead, Teagan orders Tamasvi to Stand Down. The goddess, while not completely controlled, seems unable to fully attack... though she still does hurl a body at Milo in the far corner of the room for some reason. Arkyn lets loose a Psychic Lance, though Tamasvi forces herself to resist the worst of that spell. Aiaoue turns to the pile of flesh... it is a pile of flesh. She accidentally does damage to it with the woodland beings (that are still helping out) and that seems to immediately get Tamasvi's attention. The goddess turns around and immediately knocks Aiaoue unconscious, grabs her, and then hurls a body at Teagan, Arkyn, and Cadence. With Aiaoue's unconscious body in her sharpened, clawed hand, the corrupted goddess advances on the rest of the group. Ordered to Release Them, Tamasvi drops Aiaoue.

But as she thinks of Alcide, Aiaoue rises on her turn... determined to get back to the pile of flesh. Yenush tries to get Tamasvi's attention, but she seems focused elsewhere. Arkyn gets Teagan right up on the pile of flesh which immediately gets Tamasvi's attention. She comes barreling over to attack and grab Teagan, swinging him around like nothing. Aiaoue makes her way back to the pile of flesh and scurries around within it (and she does have full cover). She can't quite find anything of note within the mass of flesh, but it radiates a twisted divine aura. Milo gets over his fear by gaslighting himself with darkness - moving forward to be within healing and bardic inspiration range. Cadence continues to keep people up and kicking, now even more difficult as almost everyone but Yenush has taken damage.

So Yenush decides its time for him to tank (Teagan's voice from the last fight echoes in his mind: "WhY aReN't YoU tAnKiNg ThEn?!?!"). Yenush finds himself paralyzed as Tamasvi advances on him, critically striking him. Teagan, still held in Tamasvi's grasp tries to reach out to Tamasvi. I met your son. He's hurt thinking that you don't recognize him anymore. Is there anything of you left in there? The hulking mass of obsidian doesn't respond, but Liam does. You're going to have to break her down to break through. Teagan feels as if - by his will or by the will of another - he's not fighting alone... as a lingering spirit lends aid.

Tamasvi's focus darts around the room, striking at Cadence until she is knocked unconscious, though she's brough back up by her ring. Tamasvi strikes out at Milo and Arkyn, leveing Power Word Vengeance on many of them. Cadence goes invisible to gain the benefits she needs to keep herself up as the rest of the party attempts to commandeer Tamasvi's attention. Milo would REALLY like someone to get Tamasvi to GO ANYWHERE ELSE BUT RIGHT NEXT TO THE BOOK. Teagan remains swinging around in Tamasvi's grasp... until she decides to impale Teagan upon one of the spikes on her back. Teagan is able to fight off being immediately reduced to 0 HP. Aiaoue, flying forth from beneath the mass of flesh, whips out her trusty cooking tools and un-kebabs Teagan... just barely.

As the broken form of Tamasvi continues to land heavy hits, Yenush has decided he's willing to invite a trace of the Gambler's god into play to prevent himself from getting hit. His shadow stretches into the form of Faust as Tamasvi's brutal strikes somehow land next to Yenush. His arm will remember that. Still, it keeps Yenush up by diverting 3 of Tamasvi's strikes. A wave of lethargy than washes over the chamber. Arkyn invites Exhuastion to remain conscious while Teagan allows the obsidian to take greater hold. With his weapon arm now sheathed in obsidian, Teagan winds up... and levels the final blow, shattering Tamasvi's helm and sending the massive obsidian beast to the ground.

Fractured remnants of obsidian plating shatter to the broken stone floor. Blackened blood drips from the moasaic of cuts and wounds running along the contorted body within. The Void Shard immediately appears in front of Teagan, a tendril drifting to Tamasvi and another towards Teagan. Aiaoue offers Omen's guidance, Arkyn and Yenush use the tried and true Silvery Barb method, and Cadence offers insight from when she stole Eresh's essence. Teagan lays his forehead against the controted face plate of Tamasvi. I know what this guilt feels like. I wish I could have known you before this. Perhaps we can both find a way out of this. With an extra push from the Mark of Mal Mavkazan... the Void Shard shatters and bends, containing the screams of those who were never avenged.

As the chamber begins to shake, Aiaoue takes another look at the flesh (it is unchanged and unbothered), Teagan grabs the Book of the Dead, and multiple people scoop up some obsidian on the way out. The chamber is flooded with darkness and then an ominous red glow as the group flees upward through the Temple of Malachor. At the top, Vendetta, Quill, and Jin seem to be straining to keep the obsidian door from reforming and trapping the group.

Sitting with the Void Shard, Teagan connects with Tamasvi:

Pride, relief, and joy flood your soul. You feel his small weight in your arms; smile as his small hands reach for you. His skin is gray, like yours, though it will be some years before his stone patterning manifests. Before your eyes, he grows. Too fast. Until he is on the cusp of being a man.   You are deemed too important to send out; your skills too valuable to risk losing. You note their nervous glances first, how they swallow and wring their hands. Dread sinks heavy in your gut. They need not say anything for you to know. He went. Now all you can do is wait.   The wave of agony nearly blinds you. A thousand daggers pierce your being. Your heart ruptures and bleeds. The dirt from your labor pours down your face along with a torrent of tears. He is gone. And your heart with him.   With your hands, you sculpt two graves. In one, your husband is laid to rest. In the other, a small collection of trinkets – memories of a life ripped away too soon. The grief rests heavy on your shoulders. The guilt occupies the space where your heart once beat.   Time does not heal your wound. A shadow. An otherworldly presence. A hand extended in offering. No, it was never an offering. It was a command. You swallow; something cuts within you – unwinds and weaves your being anew.   You step into the light of the surface. The weight of obsidian upon your form is feather-light compared to the pain, and agony, and guilt you carry. You will slay every last one of them.