GoCorral

Dwarves and Orcs

The party met in the capital of Aractrash to talk in safety. They had a choice.
1. They could attack and capture Amalius, the man who was once their friend, but now planned to betray them. Once captured he could be forced with mind control magic to go through with the Druid’s Prophecy without altering it.
2. Attack Amalgami the Betrayer, one of the most powerful and evil people in Cimmeria. If they destroyed Amalgami’s phylactery, Amalius had agreed he would work with the party. But could Amalius be trusted even then?
3. Wait three months for Gorwinua to compose a song that would rival those of Orpheus. In this way the party could perform the Druid’s Prophecy without Amalius. But three months of composing means three more months of war.

None of the choices were great. But it was complicated further by whether the problem was just the dragovinians or the aggressive expansion of the Xorian Empire into Eastern Cimmeria. While the dragovinians and the hegemony of Xoria were linked, they were not one and the same. Gorwinua argued that the dragovinians were the real problem, not the war. She didn’t particularly care about the outcome of the war. The orkish people were not involved, so neither was she. Three months of war did not concern her.

This position angered Torin. The dwarven people had been devastated by the war. Tens of thousands slain and turned into wights in the Western Underdark. He had been down there, forced to kill his brethren again after the dragovinians did it once. The war was inevitable linked to defeating the dragovinians. The two could not be separated in his mind. Like in most passionate arguments, neither Gorwinua or Torin budged. It seemed that their fight would go on in circles forever when the discussion was interrupted by the arrival of a delivery boy. Korm had arrived!

Talking Daggers

Tagenadi took the lead box that contained the weapon and tipped the delivery boy before sending him off. Tagenadi removed Korm from the box and held onto him. As an undead creature, Tagenadi could not be controlled by the powerful intelligent weapon. There was no risk of him going wild.

Korm seemed to yawn and then said, “What’s up? Been a while. I see you traded the angel for an orc. Good. I like orcs better.”
Hektor attempted to take control of the conversation, “Korm, we need you to tell us where Amalgami is. It’s vital to ending the war.”
“Oh yeah? What’s in it for me? I like wars. More chances to cut off heads. And don’t even think of threatening me. I know what you think of me. You destroy me and you get nothing!”
“Well what would it take for you to trust us?”
“Let me control one of you. Then I can look into your brains and figure out if you’re going to let me go after I tell you where Amalgami is or not.”
The party talked it over and determined that there was no chance in hell of that happening.
Hektor told Korm, “We’re not letting you into any of our minds. Is there some sort of exchange we could offer you?”
“Hmmm… Well… I like cutting off heads. Could I get some of that?”
“I’m not really comfortable with that for Aractrash. Anybody else?”
There was a round of negative responses from the party, then Gorwinua spoke up, “What if I took you to the Orc Lands? I gather that since my death the orc tribes are always quarreling and fighting each other. I could take you there and maybe you’d get to cut off some heads.”
“Really? How can I trust you?”
Gorwinua recited a short poem describing the unending rage and honor of the orc warriors of Cimmeria. Courage, fortitude, and desire for blood. The poem convinced Korm that Gorwinua would take him to the Orc Lands and let him be used by the people there to cut off heads as he wished. Gorwinua planned to take Korm to the Orc Lands, but she had no intention of giving him to another orc. She would bury him there in a metal box deep beneath the earth.
“Alright,” Korm said, “I’ll tell you where Amalgami is. His stronghold is in Hyperborea.”
“Hyperborea?” said Hektor. “The northern land you can’t reach by land, sky, or sea? What good is that? There’s no way to get there! Even with teleportation.”
“Amalgami found a way. There’s a portal in the Xorian capital, Nox.”
An evil laugh filled the air, “But there’s no need to come to my stronghold. I’ll come to you.”

Amalgami’s Plan

Amalgami stepped through the open doorway. The lich wore expensive robes and had disguised his face with a thin glamer so that he appeared both living and skeletal at the same time depending on the angle one looked from. Looking carefully the Exiles noticed a thin silvery cord extending from Amalgami’s back. Such cords were indicators of an astral projection. Amalgami was not truly here.
Everyone put their hands on their weapons. Amalgami put his hands out, “Please don’t. I’m only here to talk and perhaps make a deal.”
Hektor frowned and said, “What do you want?”
“The same thing as you, for my grandson to cooperate. I have a plan that will capture him for you. Quite easily in fact.”
“We’re listening,” said Danar.
“Let me explain. Amalius made a deal with Hades to return so many of your precious soldiers to life. He wished for specific people to be brought back as well. Several key Alliance members and his father. Hades neglected to tell him that the soul of Amalganus, my son, never entered the Underworld.”
“You have Amalganus’s soul? And King Ballard’s!?” Hektor shouted.
“Yes. You think I would let something so valuable out of my grasp? I have the soul of my son among my possessions.”
“But we’ve met Amalganus since the Amalius resurrected everyone. He’s alive,” said Tagenadi.
“Is he?” said Amalgami. “Or did I create a simulacrum copy and return him at the same time as the other souls?”
“No…” whispered Hektor.
“Yes! And Amalius never looked too closely at this copy. He feared the illusion of his father’s return might break. He was soooo happy. Why ruin the reunification of the family he had fought to find for so long? So he never noticed my duplicity or that the false body of Amalganus contains a trap. When I say the command phrase, an antimagic field will activate around Amalganus preventing all but the most powerful magicks from functioning.”
“Well what good does that do us?” said Hektor.
“What good indeed…” Amalgami gave a pointed look towards Korm. The Exiles were well aware that as an artifact Korm still functioned in antimagic fields. The dagger could be used to dominate Amalius when all of his usual protections were suppressed within the antimagic field.
“That could work,” said Torin.

The group asked Amalgami for some privacy to discuss their options. He left the room while they talked.
1. The group could attack Amalius, dominate him with Korm, and then control his actions afterwards. It had a high chance of success and it could be done quickly. It was also a betrayal of one of their oldest allies for something he had agreed to do for a price the group had been willing to pay.
2. They could attack Amalgami. He wasn’t truly present where they were now, so they would have to go to his secret base in Hyperborea, make their way through whatever protections he had put in place, kill him, and destroy his phylactery. While they believed in their abilities, that course of action was certainly longer and more perilous.

There was some disagreement, but the group ultimately decided to side with Amalgami over Amalius. Amalgami’s plan had a better chance of ensuring Amalius’s cooperation and swiftly resurrecting Zeus. They informed Amalgami.

“Excellent! We will carry out the plan tomorrow. I will take Korm and give him to Amalganus. He will meet with Amalius. I will say the necessary phrase and activate the hidden antimagic field. You all will be waiting to attack as soon as the phrase as said. If Amalius’s will proves too strong for Korm then you will have to knock him unconscious.”

Further details of the plan were discussed. Amalgami said his farewells and returned to the astral plane with Korm in hand.

Korm in the Back

The next day the party met at a prearranged location in Jipangu a few blocks away from the Halkias Estate. Tagenadi refused to participate, feeling that attacking their friend was morally repugnant, especially as an alternative to killing one of the most reviled liches in Cimmeria.

Amalgami contacted them telepathically, “Are you prepared?”
The party responded in the affirmative.

They turned themselves invisible and flew over the study of Amalius’s house. The Amalganus simulacrum called Amalius to speak with him in the study. Amalius entered. Amalgami remotely activated the antimagic field. Amalius’s protections fell and Amalganus slipped Korm out and pressed it against Amalius’s skin.

Amalius felt the stab of Korm’s intrusion in his mind once again. He had fought this attack off before. He could do it again! He struggled and slapped his father’s hand away. Amalganus grabbed Amalius’s wrist and placed Korm in Amalius’s hand. The psion’s fingers closed around the hilt as Korm stabbed at his mind. Amalius resisted the invasion with practiced effort. He released his forced grip and Korm clattered to the floor. The dagger had failed.

Fortunately the group had a backup plan. Hektor disintegrated the roof. Eathirilu and Danar flew in and swiftly knocked Amalius unconscious. They stuffed him in their portable hole, retrieved Korm, and fled the scene as quick as they’d arrived. Amalgami telepathed his thanks for the party playing their part. Satisfied, the party left to begin preparations for reviving Zeus.

Over the next few weeks Hektor kept Amalius magically dominated. Amalius had heard the song of Orpheus while in the Underworld, the same type of song that was required in the ritual to revive Zeus. Gorwinua was the only singer now living with the talent to sing the song. Hektor used his dominate to order Amalius to dominate Gorwinua in turn. Through this mental connection Amalius conveyed his exact knowledge of Orpheus’s song to Gorwinua. Hektor, Amalius, and Gorwinua worked together to compose a new song that took parts of the Orpheus original and combined them with elements of Gorwinua’s style. Soon, the song was ready. Torin contacted Athena and relayed the information. They were ready to perform the ritual of the Druid’s Prophecy.

The Druid’s Prophecy

Athena brought the appointed people up to Mount Olympus on December 1st. Eathirilu, Alkmene, Torin, Tagenadi, Hektor, Amalius, Danar, and Gorwinua were brought to the Heavenly seat of power in the Cosmos. Atop the mountain was a resplendent bed where a wane Zeus slept. Hera sat at the head of the bead, cradling her husband’s bearded face. Their family gathered around them. Rhea, Demeter, and Hestia at Hera’s side. Kratos, Bia, and Nike standing guard. Athena, Hermes, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, and Hercules a few steps below the Mountain’s peak. The Muses and Ganymede watching expectantly. Beside the party were Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Cupid, and Psyche. Dionysus, Pan, Hecate, and Leto stood away from the rest. Many other lesser gods and angels were assembled to watch the return of Zeus. Hades and Poseidon were notably absent.

After staring in awe and making the appropriate supplicant gestures the mortals set to the work that only they could do. Alkmene had volunteered to perform the ritual. It was believed that the performer would be killed in the process. She placed a golden cauldron of water on a golden tripod over a fire. Danar held the Pitchfork of Ruin and stood beside Alkmene, ready to offer it to her at the right time. The cauldron fire heated to boiling and Alkmene began the chant,
“Go to where the Best Smith fell
To where in his fiery forge he dwells
Pick up the pieces of a broken god
Stir them in first with a golden rod”
She added one of the Bricks of Hephaestus that the party had acquired on Lemnos and dropped it into the pot. The red brick broke into pieces of white bone and Alkmene stirred them into the solution with a golden rod. The cauldron began to foam.
“Go to where the Creator of Men hung
To where the eagle to its dinner would come
Take a piece of blood-red stone
And add it to the cauldron when it begins to foam”
Alkmene took a bag from her robes. The Rock of Prometheus had been disintegrated by Amalius. All that remained was powder, but the powder still held strength. Alkmene upturned the bag of dust over the cauldron. The stone particulates disintegrated into the soup and the foam of the cauldron turned blue.
“Find a voice both strong and pure
Better than the gods to be sure
Sing the song both well and true
When the potion’s foam turns blue.”
Gorwinua, still linked to Amalius, sang her song. The Hymn of Resurrection was pure and resonant. It connected all present in a single experience of love and longing. The Muses wept first and then all others followed. The notes calmed the frothing potion. The foam disappeared and the top of the boiling potion was still.

When Gorwinua was finished, Alkmene wiped the tears from her eyes and continued.
“Go west to the river of the world,
To where the Black Kelp Plant is unfurled
Take a clipping of this seaweed
For it is the penultimate ingredient you need”
Alkmene tossed the large clipping of the Black Kelp into the potion. The Black Kelp sank beneath the blue surface and the potion turned gold.
Danar offered the Pitchfork of ruin to Alkmene as she began the final stanza,
“Should one of the gods forever close his eyes
Find the weapon that caused him to die
Add it last with great caution
Then pour the mix on the great god’s coffin.”
Alkmene did not reach for the Pitchfork of Ruin. Her hand went into her robes once again and she withdrew the Lots. The same pair of dice that had split the world in three parts for the Olympians. The same pair of dice that had damned Hades to rule over the Underworld. The same “weapon” that had “caused him to die.”

Altering the Recipe

Alkmene’s hand stretched over the cauldron and time seemed to slow down. Danar’s eyes widened in surprise. One of the attendant angels shouted, “SHE HAS THE LOTS!”
Another angel shouted, “STOP HER!”
The first angel dove and knocked the Lots out of Alkmene’s hand. The Lots spun through the air too quickly to follow. Torin picked out their location first. “There! By Tagenadi’s left boot!” The Lots had almost fallen off the heights of Mount Olympus.
“NYOOOOOO!!!!!” Alkmene screamed. She whirled around to face the Exiles who now stood between her and the Lots. She transformed into a gigantic armored bear and rushed toward the Lots. Eathirilu changed into a tyrannosaurus and barred her way. Torin scooped the Lots up. He felt Athena’s energy flowing in him stronger than ever. He stretched out a finger and blasted Alkmene with holy fire. The first angel that had knocked the Lots out of Alkmene’s hand was caught in the flames as well. The angel’s skin bubbled while Alkmene’s fur singed.

Tagenadi moved to intercept the Alkmene if she escape Eathirilu’s grip. Hektor ensured that Amalius was under his complete control and not influencing Alkmene’s actions in anyway.

Danar tossed the Pitchfork of Ruin into the cauldron. Maybe it would kill him but Zeus’s life was more important than his. He held his breath for a second. He was not dead. Had they been misled? Who had originally told them the ritual would kill the performer Eathirilu had said so after a conversation with…Alkmene… A lie!
Danar turned to Gorwinua and insisted, “We must get the cauldron to Zeus and pour it on him!”
“Right!” exclaimed Gorwinua. She grabbed the boiling cauldron and teleported to the foot of Zeus’s bed. She moved to pour out the cauldron and was stopped. Vines burst out of the ground and coiled around the bed, pulling Zeus away from her.
Demeter shouted, “YOU WILL NOT BRING HIM BACK! THE WORLD IS BETTER WITHOUT THIS RAPING LOUT!” She contorted her hands into claws. The vines grew tighter around Zeus and lashed towards Gorwinua.
Kratos stepped in the path of the vines and cut at them with his swords. The vines did not reach Gorwinua. Hera punched Demeter in the gut and screamed, “That’s my husband! He may be a raping lout but HE IS MINE TO DEAL WITH AS I CHOOSE!” The two sisters began to flay and squabble with each other at the head of Zeus’s bed.

Danar teleported in to assist with the cauldron. He and Gorwinua each grasped one of the handles on the side of the cauldron and prepared to dump it on Zeus when thunder boomed in the sky. Clouds rose in waves over Mount Olympus as Poseidon arrived on the scene.

The sea god was garbed in golden armor that left his chest and face bare. He wore a golden coral crown. At his side was his son, Triton wearing a silver uniform that matched Poseidon’s in all but color. In Poseidon’s right hand was his trident. In his left were the thunderbolts of Zeus. He loosed a thunderbolt at Danar and Gorwinua. Danar blocked the divine assault with a reactive ward he had placed on himself.

“Quick!” Gorwinua shouted. The pair hefted the cauldron once more. The other gods flew into the sky to challenge Poseidon. Danar and Gorwinua dumped the potion upon Zeus and it began its work. Zeus shone with light. The golden liquid creeped up his toes, feet, and legs until it covered his whole body. Poseidon flung thunderbolts left and right at his nephews and nieces, but there were too many. Apollo, Artemis, Athena, Hephaestus, Ares, Aphordite, Hecate. All were now united against the usurper. Zeus was returning.

The Big Boy is Back

Zeus took a deep breath of life and rose up with a start. A bright light blasted out from a halo around his head. A vision so bright that it seemed to fill one’s ears as well as one’s eyes. Zeus was back! Alkmene slumped down, knowing she was defeated. Demeter shrieked as Hera took hold of her hair from behind. She had lost. Poseidon fought on. There would be no mercy in surrender. His only hope was victory, but that hope was dwindling.

Zeus stepped out of his bed and began to grow. Already twenty feet tall he grew larger and larger. His children became like mice to him. Poseidon, a mere rat. Poseidon threw thunderbolts at his brother, but they fizzled upon contact. They would not harm their true master, the God of the Sky. Zeus reached out a massive hand and gripped Poseidon by the waist.

“USURPER! YOU DARE TO DISRUPT THE ORDER OF THINGS WHILE I SLUMBERED?!? YOU WILL PAY DEARLY FOR YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS!”

Zeus flung Poseidon down upon the mountain, like a child spiking a ball into the dirt. Mount Olympus cracked where the Sea God impacted the rock. Zeus grabbed Triton and repeated the motion.

“Such betrayal I have never seen! Your punishment will be even more severe than that we enacted upon our father. Where he was whipped, you will be flayed! Where he was cut into a thousand pieces, you will be cut into ten thousand! The elder rules the younger brother! THAT IS THE WAY OF THINGS! AND I AM THE ELDER!”

Poseidon covered his face in shame.

“And you, Demeter! You think there will be no punishment for you as a woman? Think again! You will not escape your just rewards. I will deal with you after our brother and his worthless son.
“But we also have mortals present.” Zeus turned to face the assembled heroes. “You have done well in following the ancient prophecy of the druids to revive me. Let it never be said that I am without gratitude. In recognition of your actions I will grant each of you eternal life when you die. You will live upon Olympus as one of the few blessed mortals. Living as immortals with all the pleasures and accolades you deserve. I swear this upon the River Styx.
“I know that you have resurrected me to defeat the dragon, Blendegad, that now menaces Cimmeria. Sadly I can aid but little in this endeavor. Vanquishing my brother has drained some of my strength and I must jealously guard what remains.” Zeus gave a pointed look at Ares, who had ruled as an unofficial and incompetent regent during Zeus’s slumber. Zeus continued, “Additionally, I feel that some of my divine power has leaked away. Not all of my essence has returned to me. Some…entity has stolen a portion of my life force from me during the ritual. I have not recovered fully and I fear I may never will. I have the strength to weaken Blendegad, but not defeat him. You and your companions will have to do the rest until the thief is found.”

The party all turned their heads to look at Amalius. A smug grin passed across his face for an instant and then it was gone.

We ended the session there!

After the session there was an out of character discussion about why Zeus could not aid the party in a more concrete way. Why couldn’t Zeus just defeat Blendegad and be done with it?
For one, that would create a rather unsatisfying end to the campaign. A god comes along and solves all your problems for you! The only satisfying resolution to the campaign is if the PCs defeat Blendegad themselves. Thus I have to come up with an in-universe explanation as to why Zeus would not just defeat Blendegad the same way he defeated Poseidon.
Thus, the plethora of reasons Zeus could not use his power to defeat Blendegad on his own.
1. Zeus had already used a portion of his power to defeat Poseidon. Recovery would take some time.
2. While still strong, Zeus had to reserve his strength in case his children saw his weakness as a chance to revolt.
3. Someone (cough, Amalius, cough) had stolen a portion Zeus’s power so he was weaker than he would be normally.
4. Zeus had enough power to weaken Blendegad to the point of making the dragon a mortal. Unfortunately once Blendegad was mortal, Zeus could no longer continue his assault due to the conventions that prevented gods from directly attacking mortals.
So what to do? Weaken Blendegad and then let the puny mortals deal with it!
And that’s where we are.