27th Olarune, 1000 YK
- Dax' Athla gets out her silver flame everbright lantern, angling it down to avoid making too much of a beacon in the darkness of Fallen.
- Warden casts Path without Trace.
- Dax wonders what can be done to counter the hopelessness. Lozaal begins singing Dhakaani marching songs (in the mind link, stealthy!)
- They come across a large section of the fallen tower blocking their path. Dax climbs up on her own, to get a better view of the surrounding area.
- Dax has a bit of a rocky climb, but makes it to the top. From there, she can see all around. It's still dark, but she can see what seems to be campfires and another source of light that's a bit more sporadic. She tries to look around a bit closer but doesn't want to give herself away with the lantern.
- Lozaal scouts around a bit to see if there is any immediate danger, other than the campfires. He can find somewhat easier paths through the rubble, but no way to avoid it completely. That's gonna be a problem for those without darkvision (everyone else) because they'll need the light, and they won't be able to use it without giving themselves away.
- Lozaal wonders about clearing a path, quietly, to stop the others from tripping. He reckons it'll take just over an hour, which is too long. They'll lose Pass without Trace.
- Dax turns off her lantern.
- They just go, but tread carefully. Lozaal guides them via the mind link to try and reduce risk of falling.
- They get a look at some of the people around the campfires, a gruesome picture of desperation. They're malnourished and ragged, and many of them are wearing blindfolds?
- They contionue on, avoiding the campfires and heading towards the weird light source.
- They arrive at what seems to be a ruined temple to the Sovereign Host. There are two campfires on either side of the entrance, and barricades have been set up. There are people around both fires, and all of them are wearing blindfolds.
- Lozaal scouts around a little bit and gets a look into the temple. He sees an 11-ft tall woman, with golden skin and red hair, and a halo of flaming swords hovering behind her. Leonus works out that this matches a depiction of Dol Arrah, and the octogram within the temple is also in Dol Arrah's colours.
- The gods don't manifest, so Lozaal and Dax are sus. Also, why is "Honour in War" down in a ruin?
- Dax remembers that she was told by ??? that the entity could be a Radiant Idol. They often form cults when they fall. It could be impersonating Dol Arrah, but Dax thinks it's also possible the angel is confused and genuinely believes it. If the desperate people of Fallen treat it like a god, why wouldn't it believe it?
- They discuss what to do. Lozaal wouldn't mind going in and trying to talk to her. Dax doesn't want to kill the ravers if possible, but there are so many of them.
- They aren't sure how to deal with the Idol. If they banish it, it'll just fall again. If they kill it, there's a chance it will fall again. They could bind it, but they only have one khyber shard suitable and they need it for Sulzrirtas, the Frigid Flame.
- Sulzrirtas, for what it's worth, thinks they should bind the idol.
- They also need to keep the cultists off of them. Warden suggests using his Wall of Stone to block off the approach.
- Lozaal thinks that the people in the temple are acceptable losses to deal with the idol, but Dax disagrees. She'd like to save them if possible.
- Lozaal convinces Dax that they'll need to put the ravers in the church down, he doesn't see a way to avoid it. They come up with a plan, they'll try to quietly take out the ravers outside (at least the ones on the left side), and then Dax will drop a Sickening Radiance inside the church. They then keep everyone in until it's clear, and Warden seals off the approach with Wall of Stone.
- They begin to execute the plan, Lozaal and Leonus rush forward and immediately take out the two ravers on the right. Warden and Kalshana open fire with guiding bolt, but one of them survives. Dax, seeing herself in these people, doesn't want to kill them, so she nonlethally finishes the last one off.
- Now revealed, ravers run to intercept the marauding hobgoblin. Two of them shoot radiant fire from their eyes at Lozaal, blinding themselves, and he puts one of them out of their misery.
- Dol Arrah? yells at Lozaal to stop, and celestial chains try to restrain him. He combat rolls out of the way.
- Leonus runs up and attempts to take out another Raver. Leonus uses the Ring of Jumping, so he can Jump.
- Dol Arrah? yells again at them to stop, and then teleports directly in front of Lozaal and Leonus, almost blinding them with her radiance.
- One of Dol Arrah's paladins run forward and call sickening radiant fire down on Lozaal and Leonus, and shrivels up in the process.
- We have to stop there, it's Warden's turn at the start of next session.