Re: Incarnation

Racknar and the party were at the guildhall looking at quests. They needed coins badly after spending it all on high level magic items. As they looked at the quest board a group of highly armored individuals walked in. They had white armor with gold filigree that was decorated with a red cross on the chest. All but one of them was wearing a blue cape with one being in a red cape.

The one with the red cape shouted into the crowd. “We are looking for the so-called Black Knight of Riverside, Racknar Aradae.” One of the people behind the counter pointed at the people “Hey, you know the rules. The church has no power here. The guild is fully independent of the church and the Empire. If you have business, you have to do the paperwork first.” The person with the red cape put their hands up. “We are not here to enforce anything, we are here to issue a special request. We are unarmed.”

The guildhall person crosses their arms. “You and I both know that a Paladin doesn't exactly need a weapon to be deadly. Just state your request from the door or take it outside.” Racknar perks up “I'm Racknar, and we can take the conversation outside easily.” He gestures to the party to follow him outside. Outside the building it's five paladins and five party members. However the paladins are clearly better equipped and have likely been at this longer.

Racknar put out his hand to the red caped paladin. “Okay, out with it. What's the request?” The paladin did a light bow “We resonantly received word that you and your party bested a young swamp dragon despite your lower ranking in the guild. This is apparently on top of two other impressive feats that you alone accomplished. Archbishop Frederick has received word of your feats and determined that you are uniquely skilled and knowledgeable as an individual and as a group to handle a delicate situation.” He hands Racknar a letter in an envelope.

Racknar opens it and reads it. “A warlock’s tower? Look, I don't give a damn about your one true God crap. I'm not going after someone simply because you branded them a heretic and disapprove of their life choices. So what if this guy draws magic as part of a deal with an otherworldly entity, it's what one does with their power that makes a mage.” The paladin sighed. “Well this Warlock summoned a tower straight from the city of Dis, demons from The Nine Hells started entering our world from it. So far nothing too high level. Limboian shades mostly.”

Racknar tilted his head “Limbo isn't part of the city of Dis. A fiendish tower could still be a problem though. I'll…” Racknar sighed “We'll look into it. However, I will not be a tool for your agenda. I won't kill the Warlock unless necessary and will likely turn them over to the guild to be dealt with by them. The tower and Warlock will be dealt with, but we're doing things our way.”

The paladin bows “All we want is an end to the demonic incursion that has befallen the land. Payment will be issued once the tower is gone.” Racknar crossed his arms “One question though. You lot are much better equipped than us, so why not handle it yourselves?” The paladin grumbled “I said the same thing, but the Archbishop insisted it had to be you for some reason. He even offered to pay your party five platinum coins to do it.”

Racknar stuttered “P-platinum?!” he cleared his throat “Like I said, we'll do things our own way. Just give us directions and we'll be in our way.” The paladin hands Racknar a marked map. “We will be camped out a bit away from the tower waiting to make payment. I'm not sure why that was the orders we have been given, but I'll follow the orders I've been given.” Racknar did a bow. “I'll see you outside the tower.”

The party packed their things, Racknar even bought a healthy number of healing potions and antidotes and they loaded their spider drawn carriage. “Alright Achilles” he pats the massive ox sized spider “Looks like we have a big job.” They then headed to a Yggdrasil gate to fast travel to the closest available gate to the tower before heading to where the camp would be set up and waiting for the paladins to set up camp before heading to the tower.

It was a tall black octagonal thing with jagged spikes at the corners. The thing was as tall as most towers on castles going several hundred feet in the air. It had five floors, each likely having several rooms to clear out. Racknar sighed. “The Warlock is going to be on the top floor. We are going to have to fight our way up through many demons without rest before we fight them. Charity, don't waste anything higher than a cantrip until we run out of healing potions. I grabbed six for each of us. I doubt the hallways are big enough to accommodate a large creature so we can't bring the spiders with us.”

Ariagoria did a nod with her hand on her chin “I don't think they'd be much help against most demons anyway.” Racknar makes a click sound “Yeah, maybe one-on-one with a lower rank demon, but an adult black iron spider is about the same challenge rank as a manticore. Limboian shades are challenge rank two, comparable to a fire wolf in difficulty. Probably less difficult considering the demon doesn't get pack tactics. But numbers are the problem here. There are likely dozens of them and only seven spiders. Also it would be difficult to feed a spider a health potion.”

Ariagoria nodded “Meaning I'd just be wasting my healing resources on something that would have trouble moving through the building anyway. If it were an open area we could make better use of the spiders. They'll have to wait for us outside.” With that taken care of the group walked to the large double doors of the intimidating tower. Racknar reached out and touched the door but hesitated to open them. “Charity, I want you to confirm something for me. Put your hand on the door.”

Ariagoria walked to the door and put her hand on it. “The metal’s…. Cold.” Mari put her hand and gestured to the door. “It's metal, metal naturally feels cold.” Davy then pointed out “Well yeah, but this is metal from The Nine Hells, so it should be warm to the touch with the heat of its source realm. So it being cold, does that mean it's not from The Nine Hells?” Racknar shook his head. “No, it's definitely tied to The Nine Hells. It's tied to the circle of Dis. Not sure why it's summoning shades from Limbo though. Unless….”

Ariagoria finished the thought “We are dealing with multiple Warlocks. It makes sense. It would take some high level magic to summon a tower like this. Archmagus level stuff. It's more likely we are dealing with a team of lower level warlocks. One per floor maybe?” Racknar nodded “Each one drawing from a different circle of Inferno. We only know two of the five. Although fiendish warlocks usually have the same range of abilities, there may be some interesting differences to fit with the theme of the circle they draw from. Flavor and feats can make two characters of the same subclass distinct from one another.”

Racknar breathed in, taking in the air deeply, then he opened the door. The group walked in to see what looked kinda like the lobby of an inn with no people inside. The room was poorly lit by oil lanterns that seemed to be perpetually nearly empty. Dim and flickering. Above the counter was what looked like a white flag. Racknar walked in a bit but stopped to look at a metal plaque in the floor of the lobby that sat in the hallway. Davy looked at it “There's an inscription, but it seems to be in Italian. Can anyone read Italian?” Everyone shook their heads.

Racknar then stated “I don't need to know the language to know what this says. This place was decorated to invoke the circle of Limbo as much as possible.” He gestures to the flag “and I saw a group of people chasing after a man carrying white symboless flag devoid of meaning.” A symbolic image of those that chased for meaningless things. This plaque is likely a recreation of the one on the gates of hell. “Through me to the city of woe, through me to the land of everlasting pain. Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” Or at least that's the gist of what it says. It's been a while since I read The Divine Comedy.”

Ariagoria nodded “I did notice a lot of the Nine Hells reflected that work, at least geography wise. The biomes of the circles almost directly parallel the book. So where do we go from here? This room is empty and I don't see any stairs.” Racknar looked around. “I see… four doors. One at the side of the counter on the far wall, and one on each side wall. We should start at the far left.” Mari mots out a hand “okay, but why?” Racknar looked at her and flatly replied “Because that's how you read a book. There is a spot right behind the counter where an employee entrance should be. Right under that flag. We likely have to clear the other four rooms to access it.”

Ariagoria hums “I guess that makes sense. Whoever set this up likely did so to make sure anyone trying to take the tower down has to fight their way through every room and encounter possible in order to weaken them as much as possible.” Racknar nodded “It's definitely how I'd run a dungeon like this. In fact if I were to run a five floor tower using the Nine Hells, the next floor should be Gluttony. One, three, five, seven, nine. The odd numbers.”

Ariagoria looked to Racknar “That means the third floor is anger, my dad's circle. Then if we went by the book it would be Violence then Treachery. Only I remember my dad saying the seventh circle was ruled by Belphegor of Languor. The Lord of Sloth.” Racky nodded “Because unlike Dante's Hell, this one isn't made to punish mortals. So violence and heresy are replaced by pride and sloth. Anger and violence basically being rolled into one thing.”

As the group moved to the leftmost door, Davy had to ask “So if this floor is intended to involve Limbo, why does it look like the lobby of a hotel?” Racknar reached for the nob. “Limbo in the book was a strange in-between. A place for those that sinned too much for redemption but not enough for deeper hell. Many confuse Limbo and Purgatory when they are different things. I think the reason this place looks like a hotel is because of different interpretations that came after Dante's book. The song “Hotel California” describes something that could be seen as a type of Limbo or Purgatory for example.”

Davy perks up. “Oh! I get it. You can check in anytime you like, but you may never leave. Maybe this person is a Reborn or was influenced by one then.” Racknar nodded as he turned the knob. Suddenly the room shifted and the group found themselves in what looked like a hotel bedroom, except everything was ten times bigger than it should have been except them and the demonic creatures in the room being relatively normal sized making the people and demons look like toys compared to the room.

There were six large pitch black-skinned hairless dog looking creatures, somewhat skinny for their size being comparable to a small horse. There were also three gangly looking skinny pitch black-skinned humanoids with clawed hands, no eyes or noticeable nose, and a split open mouth with a jaw that's able to open much wider than a human's ever could. The strange humanoids have short stubby, and barely noticeable horns on their otherwise smooth heads.

Racknar pulled out all four of his swords and went right for one of the hellhounds and kills it with two strikes then killed a second with two more. Mari shadow-ports behind a third hellhound and slashes into it twice, killing it. Davy fired a purple ball of lightning at a fourth hellhound, Krys then fires three arrows into it killing it. Ariagoria walked up to one of the hellhounds and drops her glowing white mace onto its head, crushing its head with devine energy. Only one hellhound and three shades remain.

The hellhound tried clawing and biting Racknar, but even when it hits him it doesn't seem to do any damage. Two of the shades charge Racknar and claw into him doing dome damage. The final shade wiffs two attacks made at Ariagoria. Racknar then slaughters the hellhound with two attacks before doing the same to one of the shades. Davy fired on the last shade with a purple ball of lightning, that shade is then turned into a pincushion by Krys. With all the demons dead, the group finds themselves transported back to the lobby. The door they used now a wall.

Racknar brushes himself off. “That wasn't too bad, unfortunately we've got four more doors. If we can clear them out with the same ease I may need to pop a health potion. Not sure why most of them come after me.” Ariagoria responded “They likely reacted to the demonic energy we both hold. Since we have ties to the fifth circle. Demons are territorial.”

Racknar grunted. “That's not a bad thing, if I can draw all them to me then this'll be easy.” Mari then bluntly states “And you'll be the only one needing healing. Next door.” The party then walked to the next door. When Racknar goes to open it, they are once again transported to another room. This one looking like the inside of a hospital. Specifically the nursery. With cribs forming isles like a grocery store.

Racknar curses under his breath, followed by “Nopenopenopenopenope. Hells no.” Krys responding with a sarcastic “well this isn't creepy at all.” the group start to hear what sounds like crying in the distance. Demonic creatures that look like infants crawl out of the cribs, pale gray with sickiles for hands. Racknar addresses the group “Despite the looks, these aren't babies. It's a form of psychological warfare. Don't hesitate. There may be a lot of them but they are weak.”

Mari cuts into one, killing it in a single blow, followed by two more quick attacks at two different demonic babies to kill them as well. Krys fires three arrows at three different targets, killing them. Davy fires a bolt of energy that turns a demonic baby into paste. Ariagoria fired three bolts, killing three targets herself. Racknar then cuts down four of them himself as well. Thirteen demon babies killed before the horde could even attack.

Racknar finds himself swarmed by the demonic false infants, but they can't seem to actually damage him. Some of the mass of demons go after Ariagoria but she was a bit too far away for the somewhat slow creatures to reach with any quickness. Racknar grabbed one of the demonic creatures swarming him in each hand and tossed them at another. Slamming the heads of the creatures together and killing two of them each time, killing eight of them for a total of twenty one.

Krys and Ariagoria each kill three with Davy killing one. Twenty eight of the creatures were killed. There were more than twenty eight cribs and Racknar still had some monsters on him, but the group one again found themselves in the lobby after a flash of light with no enemies in the room. Now only two doors remained. Ariagoria seemed confused. “What happened? We didn't kill them all.” Racknar scratched his head “Maybe we didn't have to? Unblessed are by far the weakest kind of demon, weaker than even imps. Maybe the room recognized that “

Racknar went to the next door and moved to open it. This time the group was transported to the inside of what looked like a greenhouse with a garden inside. Davy looked around. “Okay… I don't see any demons so what are we supposed to do?” Racknar started looking at the different plants. “Although it's not a thing in the Nine Hells, in Dante's book there's a part in Limbo with a garden. A place for noble sinners who for some reason can't go to heaven. Poets, philosophers, Julius Cesar for some reason.”

Mari also looked at some of the various flowers and plants. “That didn't answer the question. How do we move on?” Racknar shrugged “I think we are supposed to find a specific plant, or maybe there is a wooden throne somewhere in this room. Maybe we have to each say a poem. I'm not sure.” Ariagoria started looking around as well “I think I know what we are looking for. Most of these are plants you can find outside. Aloe, spider plants, various mundane flowers.”

After a pause Ariagoria continued. “What we are looking for is a flower from hell. Literally. So I guess look for something that looks out of place or exotic.” Racknar perks up “Oh, I know what we're after then.” He then starts sprinting up and down the aisles of the greenhouse. Eventually he plucks a flower out from inside another plant and holds it up. “Helbloom!” He declared proudly. The group once again in the lobby.

Racknar stood there with the flower in hand, only it had become a key with the design of the flower. Now only one door remained but it was the one under the white flag. “Guess it's straight to the floor boss then. Works for me.” Racknar then walked to the door and used the key to open it, leading the party inside.

The room was set up like an office, with a desk opposite to the door. Only the room was much larger than a normal office and was mostly empty with no furniture or decorations besides the single desk. Behind it sat a female human in black robes with the hood down. The roves had dark green scale patterns in wavy lines like snakes on the side. She jolted out of her chair in surprise, knocking it over. “Well that was fast. Did you get lucky and pick the garden door right away or something?”

Racknar let out an exasperated sigh upon learning the doors had predetermined encounters and they could have gotten here faster and without injuries if they knew. “No, we went left to right like a book. The battles weren't hard.” The female warlock grumbled before waving her hand and making the two items of furniture vanish and pulling out two daggers. One of them had a sort of mist coming off them. “Looks like I've got to pull my weight then.”

Mari tried to shadowstep behind the mage and cut her, but she turned to mist and reformed at a distance before blasting Mari in the back with a black ball of magic. Davy tries to hit her with a ball of purple lighting but again she turns to most and retaliates. Krys fires three arrows that get dodged, and Ariagoria fires tow bolts from her crossbow only for the mage to dodge one and turn to mist to avoid the other, once again responding by hitting her attacker with a shadow ball.

Because Ariagoria was hit with an attack, this allows her to cast hellish retribution on the mage causing them to burst into flames. This opens them up to an attack from Racknar who charges in with a loud roar. However he doesn't draw his weapon and instead goes for a grapple. Gripping the mage with all four arms he began squeezing her in a potentially fatal bear hug causing her to drop her daggers to the ground with a clatter.

Racknar then growled at her “The whisper blade, a legendary artifact that allows its user to cast misty step in response to an attack as a reaction. You should only be able to do this once every six seconds or so and there's a limited number of times per day you can use it. Since you ignored one limitation there's a chance you found a way around the other as well. However, a grapple doesn't count as an attack. How unfortunate you are no longer holding it and can't use its ability to avoid the next attack.”

The woman began to plead for her life. “Please, don't kill me. I didn't want to hurt anyone but the others forced me. Told me they would kill me if I didn't help.” Racknar’s grip didn't lessen “I have a hard time believing that.” They continue to beg. “I Swear I didn't know they were going to send shades out to hurt civilians.” Racknar replied coldly “I didn't mention anything about injured civilians.” Her eyes widen, then Racknar snaps her neck.

Mari shouted “What the hell Racknar?! She surrendered, she was done.” Racknar looked at Mari “She was full of shit, waiting for me to let my guard down to attack me and run. The paladins camping outside have been dealing with any shades that get out. Her heart stayed at a steady and calm pace until I caught her in a lie. My illusion dropped when I grabbed her and she wasn't scared at all until I called her out.”

Ariagoria nodded “Considering her patron was likely Leviathas, that checks out. That snake is one of the most underhanded demon lords there is. Leviathas the Wanting, Lord of Envy. Likes to act weak and pathetic to get people to drop their guard then takes advantage of it. That tactic is their exact M.O.” A door appears behind where the desk was. Racknar starts walking to the door. “Come on, we've got four more floors to clear.” Mari grabbed the whisper blade before following.