Distracted

April 8, 2008

The bard finally returns.  He was out scouting the enemy.  The group had been told about three areas where the Sarrukh could be gathering.  Reece went to the Serpent Hills to check them out.  While there, he found there was some activity with lizard men and other lizard type creatures.  After being there for over a month, he did see that the area was being prepared for a ritual.  And the ritual needed the heads of dragons as a component!  Worried, Reece goes back to the rest of the group to tell them what he saw. 

Reece and the rest of the group compare notes.  When Reece describes what he saw, Jaden says he recognizes this as part of a ceremony to summon a tarrasque!  Not wanting to have to deal with it, they decide they have to stop the enemy.  Reece decides to scry on the bad guys and find out more information before they attack.  If nothing else, they decide they can ruin the components to the ritual, forcing the Sarrukh to have to start over and delay it. 

The scry does not go well.  The sarrukh notices and is able to twist the magic around to find out who they are and where they are.  He then sends some minions to attack the group.  It was a tough fight but the group prevails.  That's when they notice the entity that has shown up and is watching.  It speaks in Infernal, the language of demons, and Deuce understands it!  He even replies back.  The entity then grabs Deuce and starts to take him.  Notch manages to grab on and go with. 

Notch and Deuce find themselves somewhere in the Abyss.  The entity says he will take them to their new master.  Deuce says no and uses his new staff to transport himself and Notch back to the Realms.  Unfortunately, he is not able to control where they arrive.  And when they arrive, it causes quite a commotion.  They arrive in a market place and scare the crap out of everyone around.  They are trying to figure out where in the Realms they are when a rather comely woman approaches them and says they must be the ones her master invited.  She offers to take them to the Hosttower herself. 

That's when Deuce realizes they are in Luskan.  The Hosttower is an evil group of mages and not someone Deuce wants to mess with.  They try and make excuses but the woman insists she must go with them, or her master will be most displeased with her.  Deuce gets the three of them into a secluded area, apologizes to the woman and then teleports back to Arabel.  The woman follows!  Deuce couldn't be more surprised!  She said she is sorry but now that she knows they are the guests, she has to stay with them.  Deuce finally breaks down and explains that it was a mistake and they aren't the ones her master was expecting. 

Instead of leaving, the woman introduces herself, laughs at her foolishness and offers to buy them all drinks.  Deuce and Notch agree and they get Finn, Jaden and Reece, who also agree.  So, they go out for a night on the town.  At one point, Notch and the woman go off by themselves.  In the middle of their enjoyment, she reveals herself as the succubus she is and disappears, leaving Notch a bit . . . frustrated.  And shocked. 

It is still early so they ready themselves for the fight ahead, Notch feeling chagrinned at what happened. 

Notes

• The player with the bard was gone so most of the explanation was something I made up to explain why the bard hadn't been around for a while. 
• Deuce's player was hoping that since they did the ritual to turn him into a full sorcerer at the temple, that any demonic influence on it would be gone.  Not so much.
• I am actually being generous in the story, in that, the players completely forgot that they were going to stop the ritual to summon the Tarrasque!  I asked them several times, as they were out carousing, if they did anything else.  They said no.  I then said, "Okay, the ritual succeeds and the tarrasque is summoned."  *silence*  They were dumbstruck because they completely forgot what they were supposed to be doing!  Apparently the succubus, which was a tanget, distracted them quite well.  (I did say she looked like Scarlett Johannson, so maybe that was part of it.)  It was so funny!