8 Alturiak Disappearing Demons

Quilro: I have a black and white understanding of demons. They should be sent back to hell.
Klavikus: Quilro, look into my eyes. Where are all the babies?

Kailute: Not a single one. You do the math. I've never seen an orc or human baby in my life.
Quilro: They're gone. Now what?

Klavikus: If there's something I desire in exchange for my removal from this situation, it's Zenghyi's weakness. Give us the secret weakness, and we'll make sure you never hear the name Zenghyi again. You can walk through that portal with your books.

Quilro: So, the tower itself is the phylactery?

Klavikus: You're already among the phylactery itself and know Zenghyi's central weakness.
With that, Klavikus vanished, leaving behind the other demons and rakshasa. Draxos sensed a shift in the air and felt that the magical aura in the area had changed.

Kailute, DonBrapp, and Quilro fought valiantly against the demon Klavikus, their blades and spells clashing with the demonic forces. The battle raged on as they struggled to bring down the powerful demon and rescue Draxos from his clutches.

"DonBrapp, can demons choose to return to the abyss voluntarily?" Kailute asked amidst the chaos.

DonBrapp replied, "No, unless they die in combat without the use of a ritual or specific magical weapon, or unless someone knows their true name, their death sends them back to a lower order of demon. They have to fight their way back up the plane."

As the fight ensued, DonBrapp's unique ability to recognize demons' true names came into play. He controlled the demonic armies under Klavikus, infuriating them and disrupting their plans. However, the other three heroes faced their own challenges, fighting off demonic and abyssal beings.

"The rakshasa disappeared through a dimensional rift. It's just us now," Quilro observed.
Kailute chimed in, "Alright, we need to focus on defeating Klavikus. Strike at his weak points and seize the advantage."

With determination, Kailute lunged forward, his blade aiming for the barbazu demon. Despite his best efforts, his attack missed.

Quilro, wielding the moonblade, joined the fray with a thrusting lunge, connecting with one of the marilith demons. The remaining demons, frenzied and enraged, launched a vicious assault on the heroes.

DonBrapp invoked his favor from Vergadain, commanding one of the marilith demonesses to turn against the other demons. The battle raged on, with blades, claws, tails, and magic clashing in a chaotic symphony.

DonBrapp, ever vigilant, conducted healing to ensure his allies remained in the fight. The half-orc barbarian, Draxos, was restored to consciousness, ready to join the battle once more.

As the clash continued, the heroes focused their attacks on the demons, gradually wearing them down. Kailute's blade cut down one of the mariliths, while Quilro rent another in half with the moonblade.

DonBrapp maintained mental control over one of the mariliths, using it to attack the remaining demons. Together, the heroes fought relentlessly, their determination unwavering.
Draxos, with his bow in hand, sent a flurry of arrows toward the remaining demons, disintegrating them with precise shots. With their foes defeated, a momentary calm settled over the battlefield.

"We did it," Kailute exclaimed, relief evident in his voice. "Klavikus has been defeated."
"I would have six hit points left, so I'll do some healing here," DonBrapp said, preparing to cast healing spells.

"Six points aren't much, DonBrapp. We know how you roll on heals," Kailute remarked skeptically.

"Don't worry, I'll manage," DonBrapp replied confidently.

Kailute teased, "You're not going to end up like that man you mentioned who bounced his head off my knuckles, are you?"

Quilro chimed in, "Some of us have less faith in Vergadain than others."

DonBrapp snorted, calling Quilro a "coward" for his lack of trust in their god.

As they inspected the room, they realized that both Kailute and DonBrapp had gained demoness Mariliths as enthralled allies. Zenkar was loyal to Kailute, while Xurrtg served DonBrapp.

Amidst their discoveries, DonBrapp found a Bone White Trident infused with divine enchantments. They discussed its powerful abilities, including the power to charm sea creatures, summon a salt storm, and control a water elemental once a week.

After some banter and joking around, they began searching the room for secret compartments and hidden treasures. Quilro focused on a smooth wall along the northern side, which appeared to have seams. DonBrapp tried using knock magic to reveal any secrets but failed.
"It seems only those with a touch of evil can see through this," Quilro mused, pointing out the Abyssal magic obscuring the hidden chamber.

DonBrapp pushed on the wall with his hammer, causing it to move and reveal a hidden passageway. They entered the secret chamber, where DonBrapp found tones detailing the cosmology of the planes, while most of Klavikus' literature was about agricultural developments in the eastern realms.

"Should we explore this other room?" Kailute asked, eyeing the door curiously.
Quilro took the lead, cautiously checking for traps before proceeding. The room they entered was filled with Zenghyi's cherished mementos from his past life as a mage. As they pushed through the door, a large block moved, releasing a cloud of dust. The area appeared dimly lit, revealing an alcove along the northern wall. A plank bench sat against the far eastern wall, holding a keg filled with some liquid. In the southern corner, a table displayed various pieces of dusty adventuring equipment. The center of the room held a round table with backpacks, side pouches, and a lantern.

The room spanned about 70 feet in width at its widest point. Aside from the described items, there didn't seem to be anything else present.

Quilro clarified, pointing to the table with the liquid, "This is the one with the liquid in the keg, right?"

DonBrapp jokingly mentioned the use of a bedpan, suggesting it as a more hygienic alternative to defecating outside the tent.

Kailute responded, "So you think we should shit in the tent and then walk outside to throw it away? That's an interesting idea."

Kailute interrupted, realizing the futility of the discussion, "Let's focus on the task at hand. I'll check the table and the keg for traps."

Quilro objected, "Now you're just being cruel, wanting to drop the table."

The dwarf decided to examine the documents without touching them, looking for any traps. Quilro found no apparent traps on the table. He noticed faint, spidery humanoid writing on the table, which seemed to be Zenghyi's personal writings and instructions to his minions. However, Quilro couldn't determine more without closer inspection.

Draxos suggested, "I'd like Quilro to check the table first before we proceed."

Quilro responded, "I'm a little busy with the liquid right now, but I'll get to it in a second."

The elf confirmed that the table was not trapped and appeared to be long empty.
Kailute examined the liquid on the table and discovered it to be a Symbian pale ale. It was empty and plugged, covered in about a centimeter of dust.

DonBrapp asked, "Does it have a pull tap or a screw tap?"

Kailute responded, "No, it has a bump in the bottom. It's empty and plugged."
DonBrapp expressed disappointment, "It's probably not a keg that refills itself."

Quilro mentioned the presence of magical items emanating a Dwemer aura on both the middle table and the items scattered on the table against the wall.

The dwarf noted, "Seems like there are some magical items here. Worth investigating."

DonBrapp decided to examine the table, avoiding direct contact with the documentsto avoid the electrical charge present. He noticed the writing utensils were protected by magic.

Quilro commented, "Looks like Zenghyi has some magical protection on his writing materials."

Kailute, intrigued by the room being a possible phylactery, started tapping his sword against the wall. The blade emitted a bright golden light of positive energy, indicating.

Quilro and Draxos, still cautious, confirm that the table and the documents are not trapped, and the ale keg is empty. The group discusses whether the entire structure may be a phylactery, given Klavikus' explanation of the mythal's purpose. Kailute decides to test his sword's reaction to the metal, resulting in a burst of positive energy that indicates its attunement to the positive material plane.

They begin to contemplate how they might retune the mythal or use DonBrapp's attenuation in conjunction with powerful objects like the rod of resurrection.

Quilro suggested, "Let's search Zenghyi's desk. There must be something valuable hidden here. I'll use my sword to smash it apart."

As they rummaged through the desk, Quilro discovered a significant amount of magical vellum, enough for inscribing spells and creating magical calligraphies.

"The books are useless. I've never encountered anything so dull," Quilro remarked.

DonBrapp chimed in, "Well, if there are any mundane items or low-powered magical artifacts that can be useful for our journey, let's take them. Everyone can have something that suits their needs."

"I could use some new cold-weather clothes," Kailute added. "Maybe something more fashionable than what I currently have."

Draxos responded, "The clothes here are from the northern Moon Sea region, about 50 years ago. They might not be the latest fashion, but they are durable and suitable for outdoor activities. It seems Zenghyi used this room as a planning area for his lieutenants long ago."

Quilro spoke up, "And what would be the most comfortable thing to wear underneath my coat? Something warm and cozy, perhaps?"

The soul of Brenkan Oarfell chuckled and replied, "Normally, I'd suggest a negligee for someone like you, but a linen and canvas combination would be more appropriate for outerwear."

Kailute interjected, "We have a task at hand. DonBrapp, can you use the attenuarium to locate the entrance to the planes?"

DonBrapp closed his eyes and concentrated, hoping to feel a pull in a certain direction, like a magnetic compass. He hoped it would guide them to the heart of Zenghyi's phylactery or something similar.

As DonBrapp and the attenuarium moved closer together, the party noticed a floating blue sphere nearby. They exchanged glances, realizing it might be best to leave it untouched for now.

DonBrapp approached the dwarf holding the attenuarium and extended his gloved hand. They began walking together, the sword and the ball. The dwarf seemed to have something important to convey.

Feeling exhausted from their recent battles, the group decided to rest and recover before proceeding further. They planned to use the "find the path" spell after a good night's sleep.

In the meantime, they examined the items in the treasure room, hoping to find potions, scrolls, or anything that could aid them in their upcoming challenges. However, most of the loot turned out to be gaudy and fake, meant to deceive rather than provide real magical benefits.

Draxos commented, "It's just a bunch of bling, demon bling. Not much of value here."
As the group prepared to rest, Kailute took the ioun of Regeneration and DonBrapp cast a spell to create food and water for everyone. Quilro, intrigued by the keg that had a peculiar smell of beer, poured DonBrapp's magical water into it, only to find it filled with old, soupy hops and grime. The room seemed oddly arranged, with an empty space between two tables, catching the attention of the perceptive Draxos.

Curious about the empty space, Draxos and Quilro investigated further. Quilro tapped on the wall and listened closely, while Draxos made a wisdom check to sense any magical presence. Draxos noticed a faint magical indentation on the wall, indicating that the area might be protected by an ancient elven warning spell.

Upon closer inspection, Quilro deciphered the warning, revealing that it was likely placed to protect a valuable item or area. With their curiosity piqued, the group decided to investigate the area more thoroughly after their rest.

With the night passing without incident, they woke up fresh and ready for their next move. After breakfast, DonBrapp cast "Find the Path" to locate the way to the tower's basement where the gate was hidden. The spell led them to a secret door behind the empty space on the wall. Quilro, eager to lead the way, carefully opened the door.