Episode Three
Episode 3: Love's arrow.
Their narrow escape from the menace of Thorlin'ok having succeeded the Hero's return Rangor to his tribe and return to their flight. As they fly by the reminants of Dolesmor they see 3 robed figures burning a pyre atop the necropolis hilltop to the south of town. The flames shift slightly purple when they gaze down upon them. However no terrors from the hole where the temple stood emerge and the hero's fly away, unsure of what the reprocussions of that venture will have. Pele talks to Stratvm about using the energies of nature versus the energy within him and he resolves to try not to use his powers inappropriately as he did back in Dolesmor. They continue traveling west and cross over the mountain range that separates the south from their destination.
While passing over the Banyan jungle Black Dawn notices a single arrow fly up and arch back down. She tries to say something but no one sees what she's talking about. She witnesses a small volley of arrows, all of which miss, and just as everyone turns back to see what she's saying a single silver arrow peirces through the center of the magic carpet, and it begins to "deflate" while making odd semi-bad carborator noises into the jungle below.
There the characters meet a strange Wyldling named Love. Love greets them by saying that he lost an arrow and knows not where. The abyssals, most particularly Atropos, want to eat him however their decision about murdering Love right there is quickly put down by a sudden attack from a swarm of Air Leviathons. Love leads them to a small cave and there tells them that he is on a noble and valorous quest. He is going to Torasil-Xanis, The accursed pleasure dome, to kill a Yozi called Stalfyorian. Pele argues that all of the pleasure domes in the world are destroyed and that all of the Yozi. He questions the characters and gets them to say where they come from, the first thing from Pele's mouth is that Stratvm is a Prince of the Earth and that she is his body guard. Atropos doesn't answer the questions, and shortly afterward the Air Leviathons seem to disappear.
Love grabs the carpet and runs south. He's a quick little shit and no one can catch him until its too late. The come to a vast clearing with a gigantic stone structure which holds a 20 yard high enterance. Love is standing before the structure with the carpet held against his body staring in awe. The Heros come to thrash him and take the carpet back when a ghost appears before all of them and pleas to Love to help. His name is Pelidis and his love Shinatta is inside of the Pleasure dome. Love turns toward the heroes and heroines behind him and asks if they are courageous, and valorous enough to take on such a worthy quest. Reluctantly Stratvm says yes and everyone seems to follow suit. The ghost points the characters in the direction of an artifact that may help. They go and touch it and all are overcome with a feeling of warmth (and a perminent point of compassion).
Valiently they stride into the Titanic pleasuredome and face the great hall of Stalfyorian. Stalfyorian thanks the Prince of the Earth, Stratvm for bringing her new toys. Pele is captured quickly and the exit to the Pleasure dome is sealed by a wall of solid night. The halls, chambers, and dome begin to fill with reminants of ghosts lost to their passions ages ago. As the night wans on the ghosts solidify and the Heros are faced with the challenge to find Shinatta, while constantly having the other members of their group (Atropos, and Black Dawn) kidnapped by Stalfyorian for her twisted adult delights. They enter a chamber near the caved in section of the dome where they discover a Hearthstone guarded by powerful animated creatures.
They fight against strange and curious monsters; Shadow Tigers, Muccous Bugs, and A Siren who's upper body is half male and who's lower body is the head of a crocodile. They must enter the opium den of the corrupt Princes of the Earth to gain admittance to the elite section and face off against hallucenogenic Air Leviathons and Nymphs Blood plants which have over grown the room. After some embarrasing situations, the worst being between Pele and Love (and involving Nymphs Blood), they manage to find themselves face to face with the headmistress Medea. After he is compelled by her beauty to order an enterage of whores, Stratvm is snaped out of his funk by Pele and they return to their search for the lost wife of Pelidis.
They recover her and as they do so they find that Stalfyorian has returned Black Dawn complete with a similar strange black tattoo that Pele, and Atropos have now. She becons Stratvm to lend her his hand, and writes a single symble on the back of it in her own blood- A symbol of binding. She vanishes, and the characters return outside with Shinatta in tow. She and Pelidis kiss and she possesses Love's body before leaving forever, while in it she binds the hole in the carpet with a single gold stitch, and the characters fly away at a crawl from the Pleasure dome.
Who were the robed figures burning a pyre at the ruins of Dolesmore? What has Stalfyorian done to the groups members? Who is the mysterious and foolhearty "Love"? How far will they get traveling above the Banyan Jungles with the Swarms of Air Leviathons lurking below them?
Most comedic moment(s)- Pele fails her Valor check upon seeing the corrupt pleasure dome and Peledis tells the party the whereabouts of the ancient artifact which will help them in their search (and which permenantly increases compassion). Atropos declares that he is staying with Love and Peledis "because I don't want to leave the moron twins alone." Pele fearfully responds "Can I stay too! I wanna be a moron triplet!!"
Stratvm to Pele (after her encounter with Stalfyorian) "I have to admit you tried... my trusty... lesbo-bodyguard."
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