(Feb. 19, 2006) Chronicler: Isaku
Month 10, Day 20, Year 1563 -
Abu cast the Find the Path spell on T'ilk in order to find Cathezar's (snake lady) basement hideout in Drakara City. Nurn (the death slaad) accompanied us as we followed T'ilk into an abandoned warehouse. Each door was trapped with Dispel Magic and Cold spells, but we survived the traps and eventually defeated two malfefhnees and Cathezar herself. We saw no sign of the balor mentioned by the Sleeper. Perhaps Cathezar's master will send the balor along later?
After the battle, we freed two prisoners who apparently were also descendants of Dydd (and therefore relatives of Isaku), but were not powerful enough to defeat Ashardalon.
We then collected the loot in Cathezar's lair, and found her diary. It confirmed that Ammuel (her master) is one head of the two-headed demon called Demogorgon, and that Hethradia (Nurn's master) is the other head. Nurn did not deny the information in the diary, and pointed out that he had been very careful not to lie about his master while offering as little information as possible.
The diary also confirmed what we had learned about Ammuel, Ashardalon and the Bastion of Unborn Souls. Ammuel wants to take Ashardalon's heart in order to be able to kill Hethradia and become more powerful.
Isaku questioned Nurn about his intentions, now that Cathezar has been defeated. Nurn claimed that Hethradia only wants to stop Ammuel and does not know of any plans for Hethradia to claim Ashardalon's heart for himself.
We left Nurn at the warehouse while we used the Cubic Gate to travel to the Iron Fortress to talk in private. We agreed that we must deal with Ashardalon in order to restore the Celestial Order. We decided to go to the guards of the Celestial prison, to see if we could speak with Desayeus or find a piece of his totem that allows entrance to the Bastion of Unborn Souls. The guard had no information of any totem, and politely denied our request to speak with Desayeus, suggesting that we get a pass from the Celestial Court.
Hatori sought advice from the spirit of his uncle, who suggested that we go to the Ministry of Justice. Hatori met with the minister, and got the required passes to see Desayeus, take possession of his totem (if he has still has it), and get out again. Abu requested and received a javelin of lightning from the minister. (Ask and ye shall receive, I guess.)
We went back to the prison, and presented the pass to the guard. She seemed a little uncomfortable, but she opened up a hole in herself and allowed us through. We were surprised to find several Lillends engaged in various artistic activities (music, finger painting, sculpture). They were even more surprised to see us enter the prison.
Hatori soon found Desayeus (using True Sight), and performed the tea ceremony with him. Hatori then offered Desayeus a chance to correct his past mistake by giving us the remaining fragment of the Soul Totem, allowing us to defeat others who have used the other fragments to threaten the unborn souls.
Desayeus would not willingly give up the Soul Totem, his last link to his former divinity. Instead, he challenged us to an unarmed brawl, all of us against him alone. If he knocked us all out, we would leave without the totem. If we knocked him out, we would take his totem, and in return we would seek to free his "faithful", the Lillends. He knew the Celestial Court would never allow him to leave, but did not wish the Lillends to continue to suffer for his past actions.
He did not offer much resistance, and we easily knocked him out and took the totem.