Terosh’s End

The water closed over our heads as we pedaled the Guppy out into the ocean for the first time. Actually, this wasn’t the first time members of CrIsis had embarked in a previous incarnation of the Guppy, but the current group was different, and the Guppy itself was different.

Ahead of us lay an ocean journey that would lead us to Terosh and his armies. Behind us lay friends and allies, the Joruth only the most recent group to join that number. We had spent the night in their company along with you, as of course you remember, and Tyrone.

But now, the lights of dawns past, blue skies, rainy weather and everything else related to the world we had known slipped ever further behind us as the waves buried us in the depths of the ocean’s embrace.

The groaning of the wood supports and the ever present clatter of the gears connected to the pedals were the only sounds we could hear. Out breathing became labored as we continued to push ourselves through the darkness. The occasional calls of No Name from the back kept us centered. “Slow Ahead,” he would call just before the ship made a sweeping turn to the left and down. “Full ahead,” he would call and suddenly we would be rising. The directions were of you, of course, by way of Dirk and interpreted by No Name.

It was labor of the likes that none of us had ever before truly experienced. The sweat dripped from our bodies and the interior of the Guppy began to resemble a sauna as the day wore on. I would like to point out here, that there is a severe need for two things in the next improvements of the guppy: First, we need some way to dry out the air, pulling the excess moisture out as we continue to work. Eight hours is a long time to be stuck under the water without relief from the life sucking heat that the interior became. The second is that there needs to be a secondary source of air. I’m wondering if a ‘Breathe without Air’ spell could be adapted by an enchanter to generate a continuous supply of breathable air into the Guppy in the future.

I loved the addition of the bottom hatch, by the way…but more on that in the events I have to relay.

Just as we were approaching the extent of what we could endure, sounds of clanging assaulted us from every direction. Jidian was the first to react. He opened the bottom hatch and leapt through into the icy waters. The heat leached from the air as the humidity increased. It was barely a moment before pieces of the, apparently, undead Kappa began to float past the bottom hatch. I wondered, for the moment, at the fact that here we were, surrounded by water, and yet none of it would flow in through the bottom hatch.

Jidian swam in through the lower hatch, a gleam in his eye and a smile splitting his face. It took him a bare moment to pick the few pieces of undead Kappa that clung to him and he resumed his seat in the vessel. We decided to finish for the day, and went to the short to spend our daylight hours, as we chose to move at night, resting and recuperating for the coming exertions of the night ahead.

We moved the ship back into the ocean, resumed our seats, and began again to move through the water toward Terosh. The second night passes uneventfully, as we only encounter a school of fish, which, due to No Names excellent piloting skills, we scoop up a good portion for our meals. We rest again through the day, knowing that this is our last time to relax before we head into the Temple of Terosh, there to face our Doom.

The glowing marble of the sphere of Terosh sat in a bowl shape that was seemingly scooped out of the water. Only the top third of the sphere was visible above the water. A long bridge stretched from the shore to the sphere, guarded by four elementals, two of water and two of earth. Terosh was two elementals short of a full house. All we needed to know, however, was that the information we’d been given was correct. The bridge was unassailable.

For the third time since we began this sub-marine trip we slipped under the water. Some strange undersea creatures, beings I never saw before they were gone, but I am told they were the same as the creatures that we became upon reading the scrolls, attacked us as we approached the backside of the sphere. Dream informed us that we needed to try to negotiate.

I’m wondering when he was switched. I know the god’s wouldn’t have sent us one of them intentionally, but all of his attempts to ameliorate our relations with our enemies…

Xerx’ses went into the water after converting himself into one of those creatures. The problem was, that in leaving the ship, he reduced the power to the ship and the Guppy began to tip over.

Ok, Malkin. Here I have to really gripe with you about the one true failure in design of the Guppy. Any ship that requires that it me moving to remain stable is a failed design. The Guppy is too tall. If it were designed to be wider than it was tall, or had some sort of outriggers, or fins, or something like that, or a combination of the two, the ship would have been a lot more useful. Don’t get me wrong. The ship is useful, but…well, it is a prototype.

So, I spent the entire battle keeping the Guppy afloat as more and more of our members slipped out through the hole in the bottom. The ship became ever more unstable, and it was all I could do to simply keep it moving. Xerx’ses finished the enemy off with a chain lightning spell. It is a failure as a member of CrIsis not to fight when we it is asked of you. I would question the decisions of the gods if I didn’t know that Dream needs to be replaced. From now on, he is no longer Silent Dream to me. He is Screaming Nightmare.

We left behind the Guppy in the water and made our way into the Blue Sphere of Death. The BSOD had an opening under the water that we entered. Inside there was an entire ecosystem. Trees and cities and so forth. We merged with traffic as it moved across a land bridge over a sea of Lava. I wanted to just swim the moat, but I was over-ruled by the rest of my group. As soon as we crossed the bridge, we found ourselves in a rain-forest. The water hung in the air, misting between the trees. It felt almost like breathing water did, only this time without a Breathe without Air spell. Ghosting in and out between the trees were members of the monster races. I didn’t specifically see another Troll, but with the multitude of monster races I felt it best if I resumed my natural form. We made our way through the forest, working our way to the center. Standing in front of a dead tree with a darkened interior was an Iceborn. Nightmare would have prevented our action, but we were in the home of our enemy. We killed the Iceborn who stood there without allowing anyone to make any sort of an overture of peace. He reverted back into the form of a goblin when he died.

We went again to the center of the new forest that we fell into and found there a temple. These followers of truth were not the Followers of Terosh that we thought them to be. They offered us guidance that we should head to the center until we reached the center and then from the center we would head to Terosh.

We made our way into the center of the temple, and shortly found ourselves at the center of the BSOD. Once there, the Seeker kneeled down and began a ritual that would lead us to Terosh. It lead us directly by the safest route only to fail as soon as we reached the penultimate level of the maze.

Now it was to our knowledge and logic to lead us through. With deathrunes exploding, and skeletons attacking we made our way ever deeper into the labyrinth. We had been told that Terosh would have his soul hidden in one or more Phylacteries. So, when we got a magic glow from a tomb we, of course, went and opened it. Another deathrune exploded on us and revealed a corpse with golden bracers. We destroyed the bracers and a vision of the world as it is washed over me.

I could see beings from outside our world, creatures able to burrow under the skill of both reality and individuals are invading the world. It scares me that we have never heard of these creatures before. They able to assume our identities, and they are seeking to undermine our society. I know that Nightmare has fallen to these beings. He is infiltrating CrIsis and trying to destroy us from within. He is trying to weaken us in front of our enemies. He is trying to sabotage us every time that battle is engaged.

We slipped further into the twisting passageways all alike. Soon we found the final room of the final area. Battle was joined. Terosh was fought. Nightmare whipped him around with his telekinesis, preventing us from damaging Terosh and saving his life from us. It would seem these Skinjobs are in league with Utu. That means that Nightmare is in league with Utu.

No Name then proved what it truly means to be a member of CrIsis. He started the spate of Self Sacrifice that would continue through the end of the BSOD. He attacked Terosh all out, no protection. Terosh couldn’t actually defend against his attack and No Name slashed upwards through Terosh’s groin. His soul was reaped for Khonsu.

No Name was strongly struck by Terosh himself, but he survived. Ursus also survived by the skin of his teeth.

After Terosh fell, struck dead by No Name I intoned a prayer to the gods…all of them.

Ra, God of light, head of the pantheon
Osiris, Lawkeeper
Isis, Adventurer
Thoth, Wise one
Horus, Justice incarnate
Bes, the purified
Bennu, the Reborn
Bast, Goddess of Sighs
Apis, of all Kindess
Khonsu, Night Traveller
Xerx’ses, Oathkeeper
Indaris, Seeker
Jidian, Warden
Hear me, the Free Agent of Bast. Hear me, gods of light, and destroy all the works of this being of darkness, freeing Osiris’ Eye from his corruption.

The Eye came out in my hands as we began running to find the Phylactery. We quickly arrived in a room with a picture of Utu on the floor and a small sealed pot. Indaris crushed it, and then all hell broke loose. The walls and floor began to shake for a moment, and then Xerx’ses began to glow. He handed something to Nightmare that looked vaguely like the Finger of Osiris.

Nightmare teleported us out of the BSOD as Xerx’ses flew apart in a flash of light. We appeared inside the Guppy, Xerx’ses in absence and the shockwave of the explosion shaking us where we stood.

We will know more in a few moments. Stay tuned, Malkin

Grignak.