Abomination Vaults Session 13

19 Pharast 4721: The Library

• The party discovers a hidden cache of potions, carefully wrapped in wax paper. They put them into their backpacks and head through the Northern door. In a short hallway, they discover a set of stairs leading up to the Apprentice’s Island. Further North, behind a wooden door, a large Barbazu devil by the name of Kortak confronts them. Bound to guard duty, the devil wants to imprison them bu Corbin makes a tantalizing counter-proposal: they will catch other prisoners for him. The devil agrees. He also asks them to find his contract. Hundreds of years ago, he and others like him, including the powerful devil Urevian, were bound by Belcorra to train her army. Kortak has not been released from his service and he has been standing guard for a long time. He hopes to discover a loop hole in his contract.

The groups moves Eastward towards the library. They enter the large space and are immediately confronted by a group of ghouls that identify themselves as members of the Cult of the Canker. Wearing tattered blue robes and flesh necklaces they hungrily stare at the heroes. Again, Corbin comes up with a quick lie and lures the ghouls towards the devil. Between the Fiend and the coordinated strikes of the party, the four ghouls are felled quickly and the devil claims his prize.

The heroes decide to lure the remaining ghouls from the library to the devil’s prison, but they refuse to fall for their tricks. A long and challenging battle ensues. The heroes and ghouls try to lure each other into advantageous terrain and a stand-off ensues. Zazgaz decides it is time to charge the library. As the heroes breach the shelved hall of books, they are quickly swarmed by a group of ghouls. They real threat though are two monstrous cult members in the back: a lead cultist of the Canker and a ghoul named Aller Rosk. The tall Aller seems to have a penchant for tattoos and he menacingly announced he will skin the party to enact his art.

The battle wages for a long time. The groups survives through bold action, fortune smiling in them at a critical time, and their companion Augreal landing several attacks, turning the tide. Bloodied, battered, and exhausted, the group sits down to tend to their wounds. Their gaping wounds, festering with a ghoul fever infection…