The Lords of Dust and Ash

Sister Mara, Serai, Shurrin, Aliya, and their new ally Zophas found themselves in a strange place -- transported via the Signet of Shallamoth Kindred to a strange chamber called the Tourbillion. With them were the mercenaries hired by the Iron Mage to protect the signet: a pair of githyanki, a swordsman named Vlad, and a bard named Urieth, as well as six Ptolus guardsmen and a city official also caught within the magical effect.

Taking charge, the group used some spells and deduction to determine that the Tourbillion was a magical transport nexus, activated by two magical lamps casting shadows upon a pattern on the floor. So Mara, Serai, Shurrin, Aliya, Zophas, Vlad, and Urieth set off out of the chamber to find the lamps. The strange structure they were in was obviously very old -- some sort of ancient citadel, whose inhabitants seemed long gone. In their exploration, they found a magical door and room able to be seen only in the reflection of a mirror. They also discovered that Aliya had a special talent for using the mirror to do so. There were more strange mirror-related magical effects, but Aliya's newfound natural talent helped them navigate far enough to find someone trapped here earlier -- the archeologist who discovered the Signet in the first place. He explained that it belonged to one of the greatest of the evil Galchutt -- Shallamoth Kindred -- and that it was a transporter to that entity's palace. He also warned that there were demons about.

And there were. A few harrowing battles later, the group discovered the place was still inhabited by an entity called Thoggidrum; it had been split into four separate beings, all of whom hated the rest. Thoggidrum was a "Vested" of the Galchutt -- one of their most powerful servants -- and one devoted to destruction and decay. Each of its separated aspects took on an even more specific devotion: dust, ash, slime, and rot. The characters used one of the four aspects to betray the others to learn the location of the lamps they needed to activate the Tourbillion. In doing so they faced harrowing battles with belkers, bodaks, rasts, and slimy demons that possessed powerful chaositech (apparently, Thoggidrum had some dealings with a demon of technology called Baalhazor).

Finally, with both lamps in hand, the group returned to the Tourbillion. On their way there, they found the archeologist they had rescued -- except that he claimed to have never seen them before. Back at the Tourbillion, they found another version of the same person -- the one that they had rescued. During that confusing encounter, they discovered that a plasm had replaced the archeologist and that doppelgangers had killed and replaced the two githyanki who had wandered off.

Once everyone's identity was sorted out and the shapechangers were defeated, they prepared their escape. Activating the magical transporter, the group returned to Ptolus. They learned that, after the Signet had sent them away, the Iron Mage had shown up on the docks to take it away.

Nevertheless, they earned their money for finding out what was in the box.

Next Time: We'll return to the city and check in on the Company of the Black Lantern.

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