Kay’s Journal, 11/26
We are back at the venue for the speech, as it’s about to start. CornCob is at the back of the gazebo. I’m on top of the building across the street. Pujol is with CornCob. Gooseneck is by the front of the gazebo. Fathom and Abran are on the bridge.
Timothy begins by thanking everyone for their patience at the venue change and mentions that there’s a meet and greet planned for after the speech. The he introduces the speaker – Darius Greenridge.
The speech begins with Darius mentioning that there was a break-in at his home, but everything is OK. His personal belongings were rifled through, but that was it.
I see that the speaker has a book on his belt and is carrying a couple of satchels. The cover of the book has a symbol on it – a series of concentric diamonds. It looks familiar, but I can’t place it.
The younger of the monks we met on the road is approaching the stage. He’s not looking at the speaker so much as the book. Gooseneck approaches him and mentions how intriguing the book is. The monk looks startled, but says it’s not an Aparan text. Gooseneck asks what it is. The monk says it could be an arcane symbol – maybe a name, maybe part of a language. The monk looks nervous, like he’s expecting trouble. Gooseneck puts his arm around him and guides him over to Timothy. Gooseneck tells Timothy about the book and the monk being nervous.
Fathom notices that the young monk did something odd, a weird movement of his hand. She messages Gooseneck about it.
The older monk is engrossed in the speech, but CornCob sees him glance at the young monk and Gooseneck. It doesn’t hold his interest for long, though, and he turns his attention back to Darius. CornCob moves a little forward on the stage even so.
Most of us notice the old man lean forward, reach out with his hand, maybe say a few words…like he’s possibly casting a spell.
CornCob sees a tiny rift in the air in the gazebo. It might be the beginning of some kind of summoning spell. He runs up to Darius and tells him he needs to follow. Darius checks with Laerdethian, who nods and follows them.
Pujol moves to the front of the gazebo and starts playing his harp to distract the crowd. He tries to charm both the monks. The growing rift behind him gives him a feeling of dread, but he keeps playing.
CornCob leads Darius over to Patrick, tells him something bad is being summoned to the gazebo and it might have something to do with Darius’s book.
Gooseneck charges at the old monk and attacks him. I try to shoot the old monk, but miss. Abran shoots at him and hits.
The portal opens. The gazebo explodes as a gate opens to a realm of chaos – the same plane the Mushroom Queen sent us to. The old man relaxes when the portal opens.
Pujol tells the young monk to run and casts Protection from Evil on Gooseneck. Fathom casts Darkness in front of the portal, hoping it will blind and disorient whatever is coming through.
Following Pujol’s suggestion, the young monk runs from the gate. The old monk tells Gooseneck ‘It’s too late.’ He reaches out to touch Gooseneck, but misses.
CornCon casts a bolt at the young monk and hits him. He sends his Spiritual Weapon over to the old monk and hits him. Gooseneck rages and swings at the old monk.
I fiddle with my new goggles to see if they have a lens that will let me see into Fathom’s Darkness. They do! There’s a big demon in there! I shout down to the others about what I saw, but it’s too far and they can’t hear me.
Abran shoots at the old monk again, and that finishes him off.
Pujol casts a Wall of Thorns around the darkness. He tells Timothy and Darius that the target of all this is the book.
Fathom goes over to Abran, asks if he’d like her to cast Fly on him.
The young monk, still trying to flee, hops over the wall and gets him by the alarm spell there. He falls down on the outside of the wall, unconscious.
The demon shoots a tiny explosive ball of fire in Gooseneck’s direction. He tries to get out of the way, fails. CornCob does what he can to dampen the fire damage, and it helps, but a number of the audience members are hurt, KO’d, or killed by the fire.
The demon walks through Pujo’s wall of thorns, which does hurt him. Darius’s bodyguard takes a swing at the demon as she goes by. She puts herself between Darius and the demon.
CornCob summons the water elemental, then hits the young monk. The elemental attacks the demon. Gooseneck moves inside the water elemental to protect himself from the fire will attacking the demon. He can breathe underwater, so why not?
Abran accepts Fathom’s Fly spell, and shoots at the demon from the air. Pujol and Abran have both grown fungus armor again (ew). The demon casts a spell to paralyze Abran, and he falls to the ground.
Pujol casts Invisibility on Darius and tells him not to let the demon get the book. Fathom casts a wind spell at the demon. Darius’s bodyguard continues attacking the demon.
One of the clerics in the audience heals Gooseneck. CornCob casts a bolt at the demon, has the spectral weapon attack it, and also has the water elemental attack it. Gooseneck also attacks it. Abran tries to recover from the paralysis spell.
The demon bites Gooseneck – it does some damage, and also poisons him, but he shakes off the poison. She also claws at him, but the water elemental provides some protection.
Pujol polymorphs Timothy into a giant ape.
Everyone, including the giant ape, attacks the demon. It takes a few more rounds of attacks, but before long the demon falls, turning to ash.
In the aftermath, we search the bodies of the monks. We find spell components, travel backpacks, and a bag of holding. CornCob heals a number of the survivors. Fathom recognizes the symbol on the book – it is the Book of Names. Darius says it describes encounters with various demons and is useful for summoning them, as it lists their names.
