The End of Days, Chapter Two: No Rest for the Warrior

[Disciple of Sakura]

At the mention of the Far Realm, Delan crooks an eyebrow. "Are we thinking Tharizdun, or something else of similar danger? Or, perhaps, something more akin to Nyarlathotep, Azathoth, or Yog-Sothoth?"  

[Slave Xaccheus]

"Cthulhu, actually." Tiamat says, matter-of-factly with an underlying "oh, great" tone of voice.

"The thing you encountered was part of the Ten Knights of Cthulhu, a radical band of crusaders devoted to said deity's will." Pelor states bluntly, "We thought," Pelor glances at the good deities, "that we had wiped these cultists off the face of the multiverse. We were wrong."  

[Jacior]

Matthias ran his fingers through his hair. "So, what we're possibly dealing with is the one of the last remaining cultists of one of The Great Old Ones? That is fantastic." He sighs and drops his hand.

"How, if I may ask, in the NINE HELL'S are we supposed to beat that?" He shouted, at no god in particular. "I assume that there is a way. You say you thought you had gotten rid of them. If this is the last one, then you must have done something right."  

[Slave Xaccheus]

"Well, one of the ten." Pelor says, "If the most powerful is still around, chances are the other weaker ones are alive as well. If the one you faced wanted to, he'd be able to bring down cthulhu single-handedly. But, it would take a very skilled diplomat to make him do so. What we need to find out is what or who motivates him to remain loyal to the great old one."  

[Disciple of Sakura]

"Perhaps it's simply out of convenience. Nevertheless, I'd say that we might be a little out classed here. Cthulu isn't as threatening as Nyarlathotep, but he's still beyond the scope of our abilities. Unless we had a very nice yacht..."  

[Slave Xaccheus]

"We can arrange that, most assuredly." Garl Glittergold pops in, "What really needs to happen is the kobold must be dealt with. Cthulhu will be an easy target for our combined total powers after that."  

[jennibert]

"A yacht?" says Halen, looking really confused. "Why--" He breaks off as Misery gives him a quelling look.

"Do you have a suggestion on what could be done to stop the kobold? Or even just a place to start looking for it?" she asks.  

[Anatarei Crimsonthrone]

"You're welcome to try dealing with that kobold. Considering you were all quaking in your boots a moment ago about him, I'm not sure why you suddenly seem to think something can be done. I'm still not sure what we can do for you - we're dead. While I appreciate that I have, as of yet, not wasted away in Dolurrh, I'm still not convinced that this isn't just a waystation.

"And, even if we were to be restored to life, we still couldn't even scratch that beast. Honestly. If gods made manifest couldn't handle him, I fail to see how we could."  

[Jacior]

"Well, who says we have to go after the kobold directly? All power has a source. My power comes naturally, a cleric's power comes from hi god, a warrior's power comes from his strength and training. Where does his power come from?" Matthias said staring pointedly at Oulviina.  

[Slave Xaccheus]

"His ability comes from a creature in another cosmology." Vecna pipes in, again matter-of-factly, "It began when this kobold served his holy master, an ancient, desert god of chaos. Then it progressed when the kobold took the shape of this otherworldly creature, gaining the power it had. The third component came from it's lizard familiar, which actually allows the kobold to gain power. While killing the lizard may not strip the kobold of his powers, it will most assuredly stop him from becoming any more powerful, at least temporarily."

Hextor looks over at Vecna, with an "Are you serious?" look upon his visage, "There's a flaw in your plan, Vecna. If this lizard gives the kobold his powers, then wouldn't the vice versa also be true?"

Vecna appears downcast.

Pelor interjects again, "This does not solve our problems. We'll need outside help with this one. An oracle would be most beneficial, since one of those could assist us in finding something that could be more powerful. Vecna, can you use your portfolio sense to determine if any oracles arrived in the Oerth cosmology recently?"

Vecna pauses, and closes his eyes.

"Extraplanar static's preventing me from getting an exact location, but I just picked one up in Nessus. She's been pursued into the Serpent's Coil by an entire brigade."

Every deity looks at Asmodeus, who seems struck dumb by this news.

"I can't do anything! Standing orders came from the other eight. They were told to send all outsiders back into the void. Every devil and petitioner in that entire area will be after that girl. It'll take another army just to provide a distraction to get her out of there to a safe point."  

[Disciple of Sakura]

"Nessus? Fascinating. I've yet to visit that particular layer."  

[Slave Xaccheus]

"Well, you can save the sightseeing for later. If you manage to get to the oracle, by the time you escape from the Serpent's Coil, every devil, petitioner, and whatever other infernal beast in existence is going to have a loaded crossbow pointed at you." Hextor says, "This literally is a suicide mission. But, right now, you're less important than that oracle."

Pelor is downcast at this, but allows Hextor to continue speaking.

"There is an opening about 2 miles away from where you'll be dropped off. You're about 800 feet away in a general radius of the oracle, who is already on the run inside the Coil." Vecna begins.

"She managed to elude the devils on her way in, but they plan to simply let her rot in the coil. Every conceivable opening in or out of that area is going to be under guard from an entire army. They also know about the opening you're heading out of." Asmodeus continues.

"They don't know that you're going to be dropped off inside, so at least you have that going for you." Hextor resumes, "As for letting them know that you're from this cosmology, Tiamat is going to lend you five of her scales. For the love of all that is holy and unholy, make sure they see those things, or you're going to get horribly, HORRIBLY killed a thousand times over."  

[Jacior]

"So we're going to Hell? And here I thought we'd end up in our respective 'holy places'. Eh, I guess this is more entertaining than staying here much longer." Matthias said rolling his shoulder and cracking his neck and fingers. "I was about to start testing if and how my magic worked here."

"I do have one question though." He says, longsword springing into existence in his hand and brandishing it, pointing towards Hextor. "How can it be a suicide mission if we're all dead? Can we die, again?"  

[Slave Xaccheus]

"Essentially, we're resurrecting you, and *hoping* that you make it back in one piece so we don't have to do it again." Pelor says exasperatedly, "Now, if we're all ready to depart..."

You all see a flash of light, see yourselves floating in the ocean of the material plane, and then see another flash of light. You are now standing in a stony tunnel, lit only to the point of shadowy illumination. The sharp, pungent smell of demonic blood fills your nostrils.

Welcome to hell, ladies and gentlemen.

Matthias, in your hand you hold five scales, each scale the shade of a chromatic dragon.  

[jennibert]

"Okay," says Misery, surveying the dismal landscape. "This is not at all what I was expecting when I earned my tuition to the Brande, but at least it's important. So, are we going to come up with a plan this time, or we just all going to run off in random directions again? Because I'm thinking that the latter is a great way to get us all slaughtered and right back to listening to a bunch of deities argue amongst themselves--except this time they'll be extra irritated with us."

Beside her, Halen draws his enormous sword and looks about warily.