Session 35 Recap

• Norman then steered the boat away from the dock, but Jon Marston was having none of that and ran and jumped onto the boat as it was pulling away.
• Norman tried to blow him off with a hurricane gust of wind.
• Jon Marston was able to stay on the boat and tied himself to the mast while the zombies in the water pressed in against the boat.
• Norman turned into a giant vulture and flew away, and the boat started to sink.
• Kiervasan cast a Reposition spell and Jon was able to “teleport” back safely to the dock. When Kiervasan cast the spell, the wild magic of the Underworld twisted the spell and Kiervasan started to glow yellow. For next 10 days he has disadvantage on all stealth/hide rolls.
• Zordan cast a spell on 65 zombies that were flopping in the water and commanded them to form a “body boat”, and the party started off down the River Styx.
• After a few hours, most effects of the wild magic wore off and the party arrived at another encounter.

• Loo, the blue dragon that Feng rode in the Dragon Challenge, also appeared in ethereal form.
• He urged Feng to get a pass, saying, “Feng, get the pass, it is what you should do.”
• Zordan cast another “command” spell which affected more zombies in the river and a few of the flame skulls.
• Using magic attacks, the party drove off the demon that wanted to sell them passes, and also a flame skull.
• Loo approached the body boat and barked, “Where is he?” He then sent a lighting bolt that hit Kriick, Levethix and Jon Marston, but intentionally missed Feng.
• Feng noticed that Loo had a “eye” gem around his neck that was blinking.
• Feng and Loo had a short exchange, and once Loo realized that Avari was not here, he teleported away.
• The party finished off the remaining monsters and continued down the river, soon arriving at a shore where they could disembark.

• Proceeding up the shore with 85 zombies carrying Zordan and Jon Marston, they came to a gate guarded by a devil scribe named Zillow and her body-guards. 
• After much banter and haggling, the party learned the Zillow was the soon-to-be-2^nd for the Collector, who was not a devil but ran the Necropolis.
• She explained that there was no safe way to do a long-rest in the Underworld except to stay at the Inn of the Dead.
• Zillow explained that the “Lord of the First” had taken to trying to sell passes that were basically worthless inside the Necropolis. 
• She also explained that the “Lord of the Second” had taken to trying to sell passes along the river that were totally useless and would not get you through the gate at the Necropolis.
• Zillow also explained the Collector had a special, “1-year of life for 1 week and free passage inside the Necropolis.”
• She offered a special, “The Collector’s special is 2-weeks for 2-years of life and free lodging at the Inn of the Dead inside the Necropolis.”
• She also explained that life could be used for purchasing or trading for things.
• She also explained that life could be traded in increments of one minute.
• The party reluctantly agreed to buy the “Collector’s Special” passes and paid with either years from their lives or with vials of life they’d found after defeating the devils on the dock where they had descended. Zordon exchanged the zombies and flaming skulls under his control for a pass.
• The party received marks on their hands as proof that they had bought the passes and continued through the gate.
• Zillow also informed the party that the only way to leave the Underworld is through the Shadow Gate, which is located in the Necropolis. She explained that the Shadow Gate is a “crossing” that allows travel between the planes, including the Material Plane. This is why the Necropolis exists — to protect and control the Shadow Gate.
• Continuing down the path from the gate, they encountered two more fiends who tried to shake the party down for more life in order to allow them past.
• Session ends.

Session 35 “Take-aways”

• The Underworld sucks— it is hopeless and a perpetual grinding down of your will and your life.
• Devils and demons are nasty—habitual schemers and always trying to trick “visitors” into horribly-one-sided deals.
• Life is “gold” in the Underwold and if a dead soul/zombie doesn’t have access to life, they have almost no chance of progressing through the “true cycle” which would include (i) an afterlife with their deity, (ii) afterlife with demon/devil (if a deal was made in life), or (iii) a trip down the 6 “rivers” of the Underworld with a chance at reincarnation.
• The devils/demons have flooded the Necropolis with hints of a “deal” with the leader of the Necropolis (who is called “The Collector”).
• Kiervasan knows that the demons/devils have inserted themselves into the true cycle beyond what he would expect as “normal” and basically only “life-rich souls” are able to have any hope.
• The constant shake-downs including the “life bandits” right outside the Necropolis city itself are all designed to show that things are freaking awful in the Underworld.
• Finally, you learned that the only way to get out of the Underworld is through the Shadow Gate, which is a “crossing” portal that allows travel between the planes, including the Material Plane.