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Session Thirteen

Descending Earth 26-27, 768

After spending some time equipping in the marketplace and armory, Grace shares some information about the Labyrinth gained from her mentor with the rest of the group. Just after nightfall, they sacrifice a horse to Wotis to attract his favor, and ask him to come with them on the journey into the cave. Wotis tells them that the Labyrinth can be used to travel anywhere in Creation, sometimes as fast as a day; realizing this means the Mask may already be wherever he plans to arrive, the Circle departs immediately for the shadowland. Wotis mentions that the shadowland is temporary, and has already begun to close; the group confirms this when they arrive and find the edge several hundred yards furher on from where it stood that morning.

Without delay the group - the Circle, Wotis on his ghost-horse Calypso, Karal Polla, Karal Callix, Lumo's unit and 8 additional Lookshy cataphractoi - climb down into the sinkhole and enter the cave. All too quickly it becomes quite dim, and torches and lamps are brought out to provide light. The cave continues on at a steady downward slant, straight as an arrow, so large that the ceiling and walls are lost in the dark. The Circle moves to follow the right wall, so as to be sure to keep one landmark in sight.

After some time traveling, the cave wall abruptly gives way to a classic marble hall, fine polished stone floor and friezes carved in a continual line along the wall. Looking at the friezes is physically painful; most turn away, but Lapis stares, trying to understand them. Instead, some piece of the madness, some tiny sliver of the corruption that permeates the Labyrinth, pierced into his soul, scarring him forever and beginning a long, slow descent into madness that can never be cured. Shivering, he was lead away by the rest of the group, Wotis warning that the Labyrinth is not merely a place, it is the very nightmares of beings neither living nor fully dead, beings "that hate Creation with every fiber of what was once their being." Aware now of the danger, the group moves on. They must climb over the massive wreckages of marble columns hundreds of yards high - evidence of Juggernaut's passage, they all agree.

The passage conitnues on, but the wall they follow soon turns to a wooden palisade, and music drifts from somewhere ahead, a discordant jangle of country dancing tunes. Snuffing the lights and guided only by Wotis' and Lumo's eyes, the group moves ahead. Wotis whispers in a dire tone that only nephwracks, ghosts that worship Oblivion, hold ceremonies of any kind in the Labyrinth. Determined to pass unnoticed, the group splits into smaller units to try to move as quietly as possible. Four groups escape detection, but the fifth is seen. Suddenly, spectres swarm after them, and the group begins to run. All are spotted, and three of the lookshy soldiers die before anything can be done. Determined to protect who she can, Anaba turns back; Lumo, likewise, will not leave men to die. Sanura pauses as well, and Wotis and the Karal twins turn to stand when Anaba does. Lapis and Grace would have run on, but realize that they cannot find their way throgh alone, and will not leave their Circle.

Instead, Lapis lights his Caste Mark, shouting that he has a right to negotiate recognized by all gods, living and dead. A frustrated hiss is heard from the crowding spectres, numbering several hundred, but a massive ghost, three-armed and with a scaled batwing over one shoulder, standing head and chest above the next tallest ghost in the crowd, comes forward to parley. Lapis, guided to the "proper" manners by his Essence, begins to cut into the flesh of his own cheek as he tells the nephwrack that they have had three tasty, tender lives already, which ought to earn them the right to pass and follow the Mask of Winters. The nephwrack claims Oblivion demands one more life, though it might well be the existence of the nephwrack itself. Anaba correctly determines it to be suggesting a duel, and accepts. Lapis seals the agreement - win or lose, they can leave, but Oblivion will have its soul.

The battle is brief and vicious. The nephwrack, huge and powerful, can not match the power of the Chosen of the Dawn, even weakened as she is by the need to conserve her Essence. Part of her prowess, however, comes from without, as Callix - appearing to merely pat her on the shoulder in benediction - uses a Charm before the battle begins to increase Anaba's skill with her spear for the duration of the fight. With brutal strikes at the nephwrack's shoulder, hoping to prevent him from using his massive soulsteel axe, Anaba drives the monstrous ghost to his knees, try though he might to prevent her. In seconds the massive body has fallen to the ground, and Anaba is wrenching her spear from its chest, her flesh touched with no more than a light brush of exertion. Lapis reminds the spectres of the oath sworn, and the group is allowed to leave. Even as they do, the ghosts rush forward as one, ripping and tearing at the corpus of their giant leader.

The passage changes form again several times - now it is a long, shallow staircase, now a rough road lined by farmer's hedges - but no more events of interest occur until, passing through a corridor like the inside of a castle, they suddenly hear water. Shortly, they find themselves at a wide, slow-moving body of water, which flows into a grate at the bottom of the wall next to them. They can see no other side. Anaba wades in some distance to determine depth - it begins shallow, but deepens slowly, and it is very cold. Swimming is an option, but some see it as dangerous. Before any decision is reached, however, the group hears a gong over the water, and then shortly, another. A pole boat comes into view, piloted a tall figured swathed in black robes from head to foot. Only its hands are visible, but they are skeletal. It puts in on the beach, and Lapis approaches to ask passage. The ferryman says it serves to protect "the precepts" and make sure that what should not pass does not. It seems concerned with a breakdown of order, especially at the hands of the party. At last it appears satisfied that they may pass, for whatever reason, and allows them to board. It oles them across the river (?) and says nothing until they reach the far bank, when it says that their quarry lies about three hours ahead. It then poles back out into the river, poling right through the wall and disappearing.

The group moves on. The passage becomes a long hall with steel walls broken up by glass doors, covered by steel cages. Broken chairs, tables, benches and planters are everywhere. Soon, though, they discover that there is an armed force in the passage before them, and claimb up to an overhanging balcony to investigate. Nearly a thousand men in Thorns uniforms are asleep around campfires below them. Using the balcony, they creep past. The balcony becomes tree branches, and below are more signs of Juggernaut's path in the form of gigantic broken trees. The group stays in the tree branches, and it becomes another balcony, this one over an area lie a ballroom, with wall mirrors framed with ornate soulsteel scrollwork and accompained by tall gilt candlesticks and lampstands. Again there are soldiers below: more this time, and with two warstriders and two flying artifacts like soulsteel raitons the size of draft horses. Some three thousand men, all in Thorns uniforms. The balcony provides safe avoidance once again, and they press on.

At last, the cave is a cave again, and begins to lighten ahead. Lights are doused. Shortly, the cave mouth appears and two sentries are visible silhoutted against it. Lapis sneaks past them with a Charm, and Lumo and his lieutenant Tza shoot them together to allow the rest to pass. Before them spreads the Mask's mighty army, as they stand at the mouth of the cave where they had fought the Abyssals and seen the shadowlands created weeks ago, obviously for this very purpose. There are many more First Age artifacts and weapons visible, and necromantic siege weapons too. The Pyre of Ages' soldiers can also be seen. The group scales the hill, settling in to wait for dawn. Perhaps half an hour before dawn the 3,000 men with the wartsriders and soulsteel flying craft appear, joiing the rest of the massive army. It seems larger than it was before the Battle of Celeren, let alone after, and Callix and Polla are sure to mention the fact when they contact Shizaru and Linwei, just after dawn. As the army below begins to move out, so does the group. Grace flies ahead with her Stormwind Rider, carrying the surviving cataphractoi, to give as much detail to Linwei as possible, while Lumo's men begin to perform recon on the Thorns army and the rest of the group - lacking Wotis now that they are out of the Underworld - make the best time they can toward Lookshy and an uncertain future.

(10 xp)

/FallingShadowsSessionFourteen