Session+105

 **8/5/2017** **The Haunted Keep of Mirrors and Posy Becomes Mythic on the Plane of War**

The companions had arrived on a misty plane filled with jagged rock. The smell of blood, rust, and iron hung heavy in the air. There was a cacophony of battle sounds all around them... as figures fought in the distance. Winged angels, demons, humans, dwarves, elves... warriors of the past of all different races... they were fighting off horrific tentacled creatures.

Exhausted and nearly drained of magic, they were rescued by a mercenary company called the Sons of the Tower who had cleared them a pathway through the battle to a massive fortress. They were ushered through the massive gate where high black iron walls ran for hundreds of feet in either direction. The walls had rusted from multiple splashes of blood.

The sound of battle was muffled inside, giving them relief and the ability to hear. The inner courtyard was filled with several medical tents and staging areas for the wounded. They collapsed in one of the quiet tents where they could finally rest. Recent bloodstains in the dirt told them that the tent had just recently been cleared out. A variety of races were wandering through the courtyard wearing healer robes. Five or six guys were dragging a massive demon, who had clearly been fighting on their side, to one of the staging areas. Bits of souls were leaking from the gaping rents in the demon's body.

The leader of the Sons of the Tower was about 7' tall with long white hair. He was demon blooded with wolf-like eyes and tapered fingers with sharp clawed nails. A large mace hung at his waist. "Are any of you injured? Should I fetch one of the medics?" he asked, looking over the companions. "I think we are well thanks to Posy and Shri," Wren answered, nodding. The little gnome had saved her life, healing her fully with a blessing granted to her by the water goddess, and Shri had healed the others upon arrival. "Very good, you can rest here while I bring word to Lord Tempus that you have arrived," the demon-blood nodded, "He has been expecting you, Miss Posy." "Might we have the pleasure of your name?" the elven witch asked. He nodded, "My name is Onimaru." "Exquisite," she replied, nodding, "Thank you for your escort." He nodded and transformed into a red ball of mist before floating off toward the fortress.

The group napped over nearly 8 hours, catching their breath, and renewing their spells as screams came from the tents around them and the sounds of battle were ever present. It was difficult to tell the time of day as the sky didn't seem to change from overcast flickering red lightning. There was no sun or moon.

Strange figure shapes wandered through the courtyard... 3-dimensional shapes with little arms called Modrons, beings of ultimate law, from Mechanus. The more complex their shape was, the more powerful they were.

There were also 9' tall webbed handed frog beings resembling frog demons. Their different colored skin seemed to designate their ranks.

Onimaru returned, introducing two of his companions. He gestured to a living suit of armor from a race called the warforged, "This is The Tin Can and this is Jacob." He gestured to a were-rat looking man from a race called the skaven. He continued on, "Tempus requests your presence now, Posy. Are you ready?" "Yes," the little gnome stood up with her companions following her lead.

Together they walked to the imposing obsidian fortress.  The grand hall had ceilings 100' high. The windows were made of red stained glass, so what light filtered in came down in misty red shafts. All along the hall were statues between pillars. All of them seemed to be warriors of many different races. Elves, humans, dwarves... armored modrons... and even a drow. A round stone table was in the grand center of the room where maps of land masses shaped like 3-dimensional cubes were whirling about with each other. There were various flags on the mapped out cubes. Looming over the table was Tempus... a massive 15' tall armored figure who radiated oppressive divinity. A red light spilled out from his visored helm and an enormous axe was on his back. Tendrils of red mist flowed in the doors and into the God of War. There were others with him around the table... multi-winged angels, a balor, a pit fiend, a spherical 20-sided modron and a few elves and dwarves who were heavily armored. Posy went down to one knee out of respect for her god, and her companions did the same behind her.

"Welcome, Littlest Bear Posy," Tempus turned to the little gnome, "Rise, Maiden of War, and her companions." The others watched for Posy's lead and stood up with her. "You have done well in coming here," he nodded to her, "The war that you made upon the drow was quite impressive." "Thank you," both Posy and Erevin nodded. "Although putting them all to the sword was an unfortunate decision. If you kill all of your enemies then there aren't any left to come back and make war with you again," Tempus explained. "Some got away through a gate," Azarius replied, "The children." "Yes, I'm sure that you will see them again and war will come... as it should be," the divine warrior nodded, "But you have your own war, Littlest Bear. You fight the foe that we all fight... who dares to intrude upon our sphere. Even now we all make war upon him." There were murmurs and consenting nods from the others around the table. Tempus continued, "And you seek some of my divine might." "To defeat them, yes," Posy nodded. "Very well," he nodded to her, "You have been a loyal and faithful follower bringing war with you wherever you go. I have one more task for you."

Azarius was mumbling to himself, "Killing the drow wasn't enough? Do you know how much of a pain in the ass that was?! What a dick..." Tempus looked distracted for a brief second as he glanced toward the mage before continuing on to Posy, "An opportunity has come for you to aid in our struggle. One that requires you and your... companions. Recently on one of the other cubes," he gestured to one of the cube shaped land masses, "Something fell out of the sky and impacted into the cube. My scouts report that it was a structure that looked like a small keep." "Well that's not something you see fall out of a sky every day... a small keep," Azarius raised an eyebrow. "Yes, with the barriers between the worlds being weakened... strange things like this have been happening more frequently," Tempus nodded, "This keep is of interest to us as it seems to radiate a magic field that keeps away all extraplanar beings. If this is an item within the keep, and we can figure out how it works... an impassable shield would aid in our battle. It is a strange thing to exist here on another plane where it effectively keeps out our native creatures here as well... but we have found through experimentation that mortals from the prime material plane... which is why we need you." Wren was staring at the multiple 3-dimensional cubes floating over the table where tiny figures seemed to be fighting on all sides, fascinated by the planes design.

"There are obstacles, of course," Tempus went on to explain, "Ghandahaur's forces are thick on that cube. However, if you can get within the field, his forces wont be able to follow. There must be something dangerous within the keep itself as well... the previous mortals we sent in never made it back." Wren laid a hand on Posy's shoulder, "We got your back." Azarius tilted his head at the imposing God of War, "What sort of mythic rewards await us for successfully completing this mission?" "I like the way you think," Thorn nodded his agreement. Wren blinked in surprise and nodded to her gnome companion, "I'm here in full support. You were there for me when we rescued my goddess on the Plane of Water. I'm fully here for you." Tempus seemed to be mulling it over, finally nodding, "Agreed, it is not fair that only the littlest bear among you should be rewarded in aiding against the struggle of the many tentacled one who will devour your universe." The elven witch physically shuddered at the thought. "Not on my watch," Erevin replied. "All that is in my demise is war... I will empower a weapon of your choice," the God offered. "But I don't use a weapon," Azarius started to complain. "That's not my problem, mage," Tempus turned to him with a more threatening tone. Quieted, the charismatic sorcerer fidgeted with his wand of empowerment, "I got this rod that maybe you could do something with." "I can work with that," Tempus nodded. "You are most generous and gracious," Wren curtsied.

"What about the spoils of war?" Thorn asked as Azarius quickly agreed. "Wren," Posy turned to her witch friend, "Cast that spell." The elven woman nodded, weaving a quieting spell around the two as they continued their vibrant discussion of treasure that suddenly no one else could hear, "Pay no attention to them. We apologize." Seemingly satisfied, Tempus nodded, "And of course any treasure you may find in the keep are yours." Erevin listened contently, the pounding drums of war still humming in the back of his head. "You agree to this then?" Tempus asked the barbarian woman directly. Posy nodded, "We will do our best." He gestured, calling Onimaru closer, as he continued to speak with Posy, "I will see to your transport to this cube. I assume that you will have no problem returning. You have several capable spell casters with you." He glanced at Wren, paying no mind to the sorcerer still chatting with the rogue in the bubble. "It shouldn't be a problem," Posy nodded.

Onimaru escorted them past suits of armor of all different sizes as they worked their way through the back of the castle. "Is there a designated safe spot to teleport to?" Azarius asked. The demon blooded nodded, "The tent that you rested in will be fine. We'll keep it clear for you." Behind the castle, there was a semicircular platform near the edge of the cube they were on... the rest of space seeming to be a red mist. With a cry from above, four enormous dragons swooped down to land on the platform with saddles on their backs... a red, gold, bronze, and blue. "I dub thee, Spoil of War," Thorn looked up at the gold dragon gleefully, "You're coming with me." "Are you going to keep me fed?" the dragon raised an eyebrow at the little halfling. "Um... Yes! Many drow," Thorn nodded, glancing back to Erevin, "Right?" The elven ranger nodded in agreement, climbing onto the saddle of the red dragon as Azarius climbed on behind him. Mali climbed onto the gold with Thorn. Posy quickly climbed onto the blue. Wren and Kale boarded the bronze,

They observed the cubes curiously as battles seemed to be waging on all sides, gravity working to keep each edge of the cube a grounding point. The red lightning always seem to flash in the distance, never getting any closer. The four dragons banked down to blow their breath over tentacled creatures on the cube with the keep. The mages and Erevin fired ranged arrows and spells to help, but it was mostly the dragons that destroyed the Ghandahaurian beings as they cleared a path to a crater where a bluish glow extended outward. A small keep was in the crater, tilted askew. The dragons were simply flying over the cube without landing, so it was up to the companions to land. Mali shapeshifted to and air elemental to fly herself and Thorn down. Azarius wove flight over himself and Erevin. Wren thanked her bronze dragon in draconic, stroking his magnificent neck. "You are welcome, little white," he nodded to her, "You have a familiar scent." With a smile, she took flight, taking Kale with her, and grabbing Posy on the way.

Smaller pocket craters around the Keep were filled with water, and the Keep itself was wet and had a heavy scent of brine. The architecture seemed slightly elven though different than any they knew. It seemed made to be on the surface with designs for rain and whatnot... but it was obvious that this castle had spent significant time underwater.

The Keep was relatively undamaged for its trip. The walls hummed with magic that had obviously protected it in some way. There was a patio in front of the door. Giant demonic feet stuck out past it, showing how the Keep had landed on it, crushing it on impact!

Posy pointed to the front, "Let's just take the front door... Thorn, get to work." The Keep was water stained, but the wood was still in good condition, silver filigree etchings depicted foreign elven gods. The young halfling rogue moved up cautiously, not finding any traps or locks. The door pushed open fairly easily with a creek. Inside there was a grand hallway with rubble on the ground, the others filtered in slowly behind them. Mali and Melleron brought up the back, and as the red-haired druidess glanced up at the ceiling, she noticed a ghostly elven woman observing them with curiousity... the ghost quickly vanished through the ceiling smiling malevolently. "Did you see that? ...You guys?" Mali looked around to see that all of her companions were looking elsewhere, "You guys! Pay attention! There was a ghostly woman back here!" Erevin raised a skeptical eyebrow, seeing nothing. Wren looked to Posy who usually was the one to see ghosts... but no one seemed to see anything more than a drippy ceiling. The hallway continued straight, and had branches to the left and right. There didn't seem to be any traps as Posy directed them forward. Utilizing the gap under the doorway, Thorn rolled his seeing eye marble into the room, observing from it's paired mate. Inside was a massive room with pillars holding two pulsating orbs, emitting the same color as the shield that seemed to be protecting this place from any extraplanar creatures. A long wall of mirrors reflected the room, making it appear larger. Several shards of mirrored glass were on the floor along the wall. In one of the mirrors that was in better shape, he could see elven figures dancing... though no one was dancing in the room. After a quick discussion, Posy was the first to enter. A ghostly woman met her in the room, speaking with a beautiful unearthly voice, "Welcome to Neverhome, little gnome. Have you come to dance?" "I'm not real good at dancing," Posy frowned, "but I can try!" "I am known as Amaloca Galmont, I am the mistress of this manor," the ghost introduced herself and beautiful ball room music started to play. Posy began to dance with the ghostly woman, seeing elven noblemen and noblewomen dance around them. Beautiful tapestries hung on the walls with sunlight beaming through the windows. The watery mildew room had transformed to elegance and beauty. The others watched Posy disappear and the room remained in it's rundown watery shape... Lady Galmont gestured to the doorway, "Wont you join your companion?" Thorn glanced to the mirrors where he saw Posy dancing very well among the other figures, "Um guys... we have a problem... Posy is in the mirror and dancing great! Something is really wrong!" Wren frowned, "I think we're going to have to break the mirror to get her out." Azarius agreed, eyeing the room through the marble, "That's probably what happened to the other group, judging by the broken mirror fragments on the floor." In the ball room waltz, Posy noticed another adventuring looking halfling who didn't seem to belong there. Thorn stepped aside as Erevin was the next to step through. "Such a handsome elven prince, a special guest... Would you give me the pleasure of this dance?" she offered her hand. "Alas I can not," the elven woodsman shook his head. Amaloca straightened up, looking offended, "You're refusing me?" "I am betrothed. I can not," he shook his head again. "It is just a simple dance," the ghostly woman countered, extending her hand once again. "My fiance is a very jealous woman," Erevin explained. Lady Galmont huffed, "Don't you know who I am? I am the duchess." "My mistake, I did not know," Erevin nodded. She offered her hand one more time, waiting... Wren and Kale slipped in with Azarius as the charismatic sorcerer bowed his introduction, "My lady... Might I have the pleasure of this dance?" "Oh!" she blinked in surprise, turning to Azarius, "You are even more handsome than this one." Thorn and Mali slipped into the room behind the others. She glided across the room to the sorcerer who met her with a quick barrage of magic missiles. "Traitorous human! You will pay!" Lady Galmont shrieked, wailing with an ear-splitting banshee scream! Everyone became sickened, feeling nauseous from the overwhelming pain in their head. A pair of creepy ghostly figures wielding marionette strings arrived into the room. Amaloca glided straight through Wren, still shrieking... chilling the witch to the bone! Terror rose up within her, but Wren managed to willfully shove it away. The ghostly woman continued on to swiftly leave the room and swept through the hall, taking the right branch. Thorn, Mali, and Melleron all tried to swipe at her as she moved swiftly, but missed. Ethereal marionette strings wafted over Azarius, but he pulled away with a great test of will. The second dybuk swept it's strings over Kale, and the elven warrior unsheathed his magic sword, his eyes no longer his own. "Kale! Stop! It's me!" Wren tried to shake the warrior, screaming out his name as she wove holy fire over the creepy ghost figure holding him. The dybuk shrieked in agony from the holy magic.

Erevin pulled his bow up and shot 5 arrows into the mirrors on the wall. Inside the ballroom floor, Posy noticed several of the dancers disappearing and the music seemed to glitch for a moment before restarting. Azarius used his time stop to swiftly cast haste on his companions, mage armor on himself, and protection from evil on himself, Erevin, Wren, and Kale. Mali wove cat's grace over all of her companions, and sent Melleron to guard her witch friend and attack the string pulling dybuk that was controlling Kale. His claws swiped through the ethereal form. Thorn dashed over to slash his daggers into the back of one of the marionetting phantoms, splashing ectoplasm onto the wood floor! The young halfling druidess aided Kale with luck to help him break the control of the marionette strings! The dybuk was furious and threw his strings over Melleron, taking control of the huge lion! Wren reached out and struck the creepy phantom with a mythic blast of holy magic! Posy reappeared into the room with two more of the evil demons wielding marionette strings. Azarius wove a protection of evil over Thorn, using one of his long tentacles to reach him. Mali sent her staff to grow into a tree ent companion as Melleron turned around and raked his claws into a barely recovered Kale, ripping him open with a double strike of four deep gashes! Thorn continued to stab and slash into the dybuk as two other demon ghosts drug their strings over Azarius and Wren... but protected from the charismatic sorcerer's magic, they were unharmed. A third phantom tried to control Posy, but the young gnome managed to maintain her will. A great storm of bolts flowed through the room from Wren, passing through all of the marionette demon ghosts, but some of the magic seemed lost through their ethereal forms. Kale took a defensive stance against Melleron, holding the lion back from Wren. Azarius wove another time stop, casting protection from evil over Posy, Mali, and Melleron. Melleron clawed and tore into Kale again with his massive fangs! Mali wove out a mass holy strike of healing, finally downing the phantom to release her lion companion! Posy using the ghost touch magic from her nose-ring, pounded her hearth hammer into one of the phantoms, giving Thorn the opportunity to slash his daggers into it's back! The two of them worked expertly as a team, taking it down! Lightning shot swiftly from Wren through 2 of the dybuks before she wove a heroic invocation over her and her friends. With Melleron recovering back to normal, Kale slashed his blade through the incorporeal phantom. Erevin targeting both remaining phantoms, dividing his holy arrows between them. Azarius sent magic missiles riddling through one of the phantoms, but some of them passed through its ethereal form. Melleron and the tree ent converged on the other dybuk, struggling with the incorporeal being. Thorn and Posy teamed up on another creepy string-wielding phantom, taking it down, allowing the others to finish off the last of the dybuks. The room was finally quiet with only broken mirror fragments on the floor. Wren healed herself and Kale as Posy and the others retrieved the orbs that exuded the shield. It seemed there should be some sort of wand to control them likely on the banshee woman. The door to the room closed seemingly by itself, and Thorn looked it over to find it locked. He easily unlocked it, opening it cautiously to see the same hallway sitting quiet. The group moved on, taking the door to the right that Mali had seen the banshee woman fleeing toward. Thorn unlocked the door to reveal a dining hall. Blue witch fire came from a brazier. A long table and chairs sat empty. The group slowly filtered into the room.

The ent was too large to pass through the doorway, so it shrank back into Mali's staff as she and Melleron took their position in the corner of the next room. Thorn began looking over a second doorway as the others looked over the room. The lock clicked as Thorn unlocked it and the banshee woman stepped near to where a draw-stringed curtain slid open to reveal a full wall of mirrors! Mirrored versions of each member of the group stepped out of the mirror!

Erevin turned to Wren, "Find the magic shortcut to this," and then turned to direct Thorn who was in the shadows next to him, "Whatever you have to do... You kill that other Mali quickly! We don't need a fucking horde of flying orcas or something to deal with." He turned to name the duplicate of Azarius to his bow, but the bow was confused... this strange mirror image did not seem to have a name. In reaction Erevin's duplicate named the real Azarius. Erevin let the arrows fly, piercing into the other Azarius with skill and precision to take the mirrored sorcerer down. The duplicate Erevin sent five of his own arrows into the real Azarius, dropping him unconscious!

Seeing what transpired, Posy opted to get her duplicate to stand down by pointing at her and starting to dance. The mirror image Posy charged the real Erevin and thumped him heavily with her hammer!

Thorn frowned, seeing that the images made their own choices. He opted to engage his ring of invisibility in hope that the mirror would no longer be able to copy him... but the mirror image Thorn dashed across the room to pull his own image from his magic dagger to barely slash into the real invisible Thorn... apparently having his same dirty brain hat to continue to see him.

Melleron and his mirror image charged each other in a chaotic ball of teeth and claws! Mali frowned, uncertain as to whether a summoned creature would be automatically generated from the mirror. She opted to go defensively, creating a shield of water around herself. The mirror image Mali began to summon...

Wren's eyes were scanning the room, identifying the magic item on the wall as the Mirror of Opposition, "If the mirror is destroyed... the images should go away." She released a swift cast of lightning, following it up with a bolt of cold to shatter the mirror! Going at the same time, her mirror image managed to get off a Wail of the Banshee, splitting the ears of the group and leaving Wren and Thorn barely breathing! Wren dropped to her knees weaving a hex heal over Azarius to bring him to conscious as Mali healed the witch. "We need Shri," Wren turned to Erevin as she wove a healing hex over Thorn.

Erevin pulled his moonblade, coalescing the drow priestess into the room. Shri looked around, "Thank goodness I wasn't duplicated." She touched Thorn and Erevin, healing them fully as she turned to Wren, "You can save your little hexes." The witch glowered, "Gee...Thanks..." The priestess then healed both Azarius and Wren up to full.

The group moved on to cross the hall into the third room where there was a kitchen. Thorn carefully stepped in, still invisible, checking for traps. Several dim images of ghostly kitchen servants walked around the room with knives, cutting vegetables and prepping ethereal images of food. He whispered back to his companions what he saw. Erevin turned to Shri, "Do you think you can bless all of that? Turn undead or something?" The drow woman shook her head, "They don't seem to be real ghosts... it looks more like a haunt. Something terrible happened in that room and those things are haunting the room. Usually there is some method to remove the haunt, but they can not be turned."

Wren wove a protective warding hex over Thorn who pushed Posy in front of him to enter the room. The ghosts immediately turned toward them, attacking them with their knives! The others could only see slashes appear on their companions from the doorway. Thorn quickly backed out of the room back into the hall, but Posy stood her ground. The little gnome watched the walls of the room crash in on her, crushing the servants! The others watched wide-eyed from the door as Posy was slammed to the ground by nothing. She barely got back to her feet just before water rushed in around her! Her body swept through the room, buffeted by the swirling waters, unable to breathe and starting to drown! Wren dashed into the room, swimming through the phantasmal water to reach her barbarian friend, handing her a water-breathing potion.

Checking out the kitchen after the event, they found a pair of magical serving trays. Command words were etched on the bottom of each. Once per day, each platter creates whatever food is asked for. If used together, once per day they create a Heroes' Feast !

Checking the door in the room, Thorn easily unlocked it, leading them into a parlor. A brazier of blue fire lit the room. Tables with plush chairs were set around the room with small mirrors on the tables. Couches were in the corner set up for chatting. Posy and Thorn entered with Wren and Kale following them in. Curtains lined a wall of the room where Posy assumed there would be mirrors. The young gnome leapt up on the couches to slam her hammer into the curtains to shatter the mirrors on the wall beneath! Nabasu demons faded into the room surrounding the banshee elven woman. Avoiding the mirror challenge, the companions were able to fight off the demons and banshee in a minorly difficult battle. The orb activation wand fell to the ground when the banshee finally fell to the ground. Looking over the fragments of the magic mirror, they found that had Posy not broken it when she did... it would have likely life trapped several of them, leaving the others to fend off the demons on their own.

The Keep had once been magically out on a lake. Something happened to break the magic that collapsed it and sent it reeling into the murky depths of the lake. Some time later, it fell through a rift to end up in the Plane of War. Once the banshee was defeated, the other ghosts were released.

Azarius ported the group back to Tempus's palace. The god of war was grateful to accept the magical orbs that would aid in the battle against Ghandahaur. Mything power flooded Posy as he gently touched her. "Now as I promised... present your weapons of choice," he nodded.

Posy handed him her dwarven Hearth Hammer. Tempus granted them a +5 bonus with a thundering quality. Thorn handed him Rose with her paired dagger. Tempus made them +5 Keen. Azarius handed him his lesser metamagic wand of empowerment and the god of war changed it to a greater wand of empower. Mali stepped up and gestured at Melleron, "This is my weapon." "He is a good kitty," Tempus looked him over, nodding. He bestowed magic into his collar of shrinking, allowing it to act as an amulet of mighty fists +5. Erevin presented the god of war with his +1 dragonbane longsword. Tempus nodded approvingly, empowering it with +5 and keen.

Kale shook his head, turning to Wren, "Did he really have to empower that one?" Wren agreed, "It's far too late to turn him I'm afraid." Tempus's eyes fell to the witch who removed and offered her ring of protection, "Can you help me survive this war?" He frowned, "War isn't about surviving... it is about killing your enemies." "I have to get to Ghandahaur to kill him," she replied. "She does die a LOT," Posy agreed. "I'm not asking to live forever..." Wren nodded to him, "but I do want to defeat Ghandahaur... and I have to survive long enough to get there... and I'm looking to win." He caught her thoughts of a growing generation within her to protect and carry on future wars and he looked her over curiously. She smiled, "If you can't work with the ring, I do have other choices..." she bowed and gestured at the elven warrior beside her, "I do have Kale." "Your lover will get his own weapon," Tempus replied and accepted the tiny ring from her hand. "Should you wish to forgo it's protection, you can use it as a weapon," he bestowed the ring to have a +5 protection bonus and enhanced it to activate upon a command word to uncoil and expand into a shimmering blade of force +5 able to attack a target 80 feet away with an attack bonus of Wren's level + Int Bonus +5. Dmg 4d6 + 5 of force dmg able to effect incorporeal creatures. crit 19/20 x2. Standard action to uncoil the ring and strike the first target, losing the defense of the ring. Will strike once per round. Standard action to change target. She bowed, accepting the ring back from him, "Thank you. You are truly generous." He nodded to her, accepting Kale's magical blade to enhance it as well.