The session started with the party recovering in a small alley in Per-Bastet. There was no sign of Nora or Thevas.
Voran more properly introduced himself and explained about the dragons and the Boxes of Orden.
Voran said he was from Magaambombya University, as his mother was doing research in disguise.
Voran said he didn’t know how to save the dragons that were pulled into the void contained in the box or whether they were lost forever.
Meanwhile, Aswan and Zephry climb out of the Black River north of the palace.
As they were drying off, the party saw a huge, jubilant crowd headed toward the palace. The crowd was happy and cheering, and it was very easy to see that they were celebrating the return of Hakoot.
Aswan and Zephry do not follow the crowd but instead head to the Bast temple.
The rest of the party has the same encounter with the crowd, but they also choose to head to the Bast temple, particularly since a number of the party members are hurt.
Twenty minutes the party reunited at the Bast temple. Priestesses Bathael and Claire were not there, but acolytes familiar with the party treated and recognized them. The party learned that Bathael and Claire were at the palace as Hakoot. The acolytes told them that the Queen Reborn had fled the temple when Hakoot was restored. Once the rest of the acolytes recognized the party, they bowed in thanks and awe and treated the party like heroes.
After much debate and Voran reporting that he had a prophetic vision about a reward, Zephry, Bob the Blind, and Zithgar decide to head to the palace. The others followed behind in disguises, although Belladonna still had Nix on a rope. Once outside the temple, the crowd immediately recognized Zephry (with Nix on a rope), Bob the Blind, and Zithgar. There was cheering and swooning for the heroes. At one point in the procession, a citizen seemed to recognize Karwl, but Karwl drunkenly told him that she was not one of the heroes. The citizen backed away.
At the palace, the heroes were escorted in. Aswan turned invisible and entered. Belladonna, who had been recognized along the route, was also let in. Voran and Karwl snuck off from the main entrance and scaled a wall.
Once the party was in the throne room, the party saw Hakoot on the throne. He stands to greet them and says, “Greetings, heroes of Per-Bastet. I welcome you, and all of Per-Bastet, welcomes you. Having kept your word to me, you shall be rewarded for helping me return to my throne. The Queen Reborn has fled the palace to the Great Pyramid near the River of Sand, where the undead rest. It is where she conducts her blood ceremony. She has lost much power since your friend Nix sent the undead to rest. Her power is slipping, and in a desperate action to keep power, she is trying to invoke another blood ceremony with a very powerful sacrifice. It is my opinion that she believes that making such a blood offering will fill her with her full power again, and she will return to the throne room to depose me. I am still too weak to face her head-on at this time. Will you be my champions and drive her from Per-Bastet forever?”
He continues, “For the sacrifice and service you have already given, I hereby award all of you the title of “Baron” or Baronesses” of Per-Bastet. You are now nobles of Per-Bastet. Additionally, I made other promises to each of you. Belladonna, I promised to provide you with the information I have on crossings. He hands her a leather map case, “This is a map to a known crossing deep in the jungles to the south.” He also gives Belladonna a war caster ring.
He approaches Zephyr and says, “For your service, I bestow upon you the Royal Per-Bastet Bard Silver Clasp. This will mark you as a royal bard of Per-Bastet and will also give you +2 on performance and persuasion checks. Additionally, each bardic inspiration you bestow will add +1 to the roll.”
He calls Bob the Blind forward, “As a holy warrior, it is only proper for me to give you a reward fitting of your holy assignment. Per-Bastet presents you with a +2 Holy Avenger Longsword.”
“Zithgar, please step forward,” Hakoot says. Zithgar approaches. Hakoot says, “I of your claim to the throne of the minotaur kingdom that was destroyed. I have observed your passion and valor in times of peril and your efforts to lead your party in restoring me. For all these things, I name you “Duke of Per-Bastet and all of the accompanying rights and responsibilities. You make select an estate in Per-Bastet, and we would be honored to have you use Per-Bastet as your home while you rebuild the Minotaur kingdom. I also bestow you with a +2 Warhammer.” [DM Note: Duke is one step below the King himself and 4 steps higher than Baron] Bathael stepped forward and slid a royal over his shoulders, and placed a royal signet ring on his fingers. She smiled deeply at him.
“Voran, nothing I can give you would do justice to who you are, but I will give you what I can. While I am on the throne, Per-Bastet offers you a new truce, and we offer full protection for you and your kind here. I will also give you a ring of evasion to help protect you when you are not here,” said Hakoot.
Looking a Nix, Hakoot says, “Your friend’s sacrifice is why I am sitting here today. I will have High Priestess Nafrini do what she can to remove the mast and tend to him.”
Looking around the room, Hakoot says, “What of your other party members, your fire cleric and the monk? Did they not make it out?”
The party made certain excuses for Karwl and Aswan to materialize in the courtroom. Looking at Aswan, Hakoot said, “Bring me the Rod of Hakoot.” Batheal removed the rod from Nix’s and took it up to Hakoot. Hakoot cupped the gem, which once held his soul, and closed his eyes. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and magic flowed into the staff. “There,” he said, handing the rod to Aswan, “I have added more healing power to my rod. You may cast healing at 2d10 + wisdom modifier three times a day. The rod will also do one mass cure wound or one fireball per long rest. Use my power to heal and protect.”
Not seeing Karwl, Hakoot said, “Please give this to the monk,” and he handed over a +2 quarterstaff and a map case. He says, “The map is the location of the Blackbull’s fortress. This is likely where the items were stolen from the tomb she was protecting and those responsible for the theft.”
Finally, Hakoot hands out a healing potion and a greater healing potion to each party member and says, “Duke of Per-Bastet, I request that you lead your party to rid Per-Bastet of the Queen Reborn forever. Nix has rested the undead, so you should have no resistance or issue getting to the blood ceremony chamber at the top of the Great Pyramid.”
There is more pomp and circumstances, and Zithgar as Batheal to show him to his estate. “Yes, m’lord,” she says.
The party headed to the Great Pyarimid to encounter the Queen Reborn.
As they made their way through a passage near the top, they encountered 6 empty wooden coffins with falcon droppings on the ground. Voran burned the coffins.
Suddenly, there were screams of terror that sounded familiar!
The voice was none other than The Most Imperial Grand Priestess of the Celestial Descendant Court, Lady Farsight, FirstBlood, Falcontstrike, of the 713th Spawning of Rathess (aka Lady Farsight), the high priestess of Yderisuis (snake god- who was beheaded by Azlanti warrior named Savith).
The party rushed towards the cries and entered a huge blood ceremony chamber. At the sound end of the chamber was Lady Farsight in manacles above a trove that would drain her blood into various blood pools in the chamber, each with a royal goat standing in the blood.
On either side of Lady Farsight were two vampire spawns, who were trying to slit her throat. At the far end of the chamber was a familiar sight; The Queen Reborn.
However, the Queen Reborn was not in normal appearance, but was revealed for the horror she is; the Mother of Vampires!
She screamed, “You will all DIE for what you have done to me!”
Combat started, and Voran, Belladonna (who polymorphed into a Great Silver Back Gorilla), Bob the Blind, and Aswan worked together to kill the two vampire spawn, but not before they killed Lady Farsight.
Karwl rushed to get goats out of the blood, driving one out with her staff. Zephry spoke with animals and commanded many of them to get out of the blood.
Aswan tried to stop Lady Farsight’s blood from draining into the blood pools below by using his cloak to plug the trough. Bob the Blind laid hands on the dying Lady Farsight to stabilize her.
Zithgar charged at the Queen Reborn, who flew to meet him, even stopping time around him for one round. Ondooie Jakkals swarmed Zithgar, biting and snarling.
Zithgar killed two of the jakkals and wounded the Queen Reborn, but she bit him a couple of times, healing herself and draining his maximum hit points.
The session ended mid-combat.
DM NOTE:
Dear Kobold Press, the Ondooie Jakkals make excellent minions for vampires. They are also great for random encounters around graveyards and haunted forests. You may want to add them to Tome of Beasts IV when that comes up for production. You may contact me at Not-Bitter@rejection.com if you are interested.
Sincerely, Teak D’haran