Heart of Fire

9th Day of Goodmonth, CY 592

We returned from our long stay in Chendl with a clear sense of purpose and renewed vigor. It was now time to start down that final leg of our quest that has taken up much of the last year. All but two of the Doomdreamers mentioned in Susain’s journal have been killed. We took out the new Third and the very old Second. Still before us are the former High Priestess of Fire, Tessimon, the Champion Lareth, the Doomdreamer Maliskra and the Prince of Fire, Imix.

Tessimon already fell to us once. She was thought to be a possible champion until she failed the test given by Hedrack and Varachan. Lareth has proved himself a formidable challenge, when he nearly killed our group in Nulb. All of us, especially Victor, are looking forward to setting that score right. Maliskra had been selected out of all the Doomdreamers to enter the Fire Node, though at this point we do not know why. Imix is the ancient Elemental Warmaster, who fought in the wars that preceded mankind. We also learned that he has a dedicated cult on the Elemental Plane of Fire, and they are opposed by the Efreet Lords of the City of Brass. Fistan Nolro provided some measure of help in his studies of the Fire Prince. We have passed all the obstacles leading up to this point, and now we will find out if the cult’s destructive goals can finally be stopped.

At the Gate
We teleported back into the greater temple room, and we began making preparations for taking on the guardians of the Fire Node’s gate. We expected Tessimon to employ her skills with fire, so we used several energy wards. Vannay used his clairvoyance wand to scout out their positions, and he summoned an earth elemental to fight alongside us. We found out later that the succubus, who watched us enter the recovered temple, was watching us prepare and let Tessimon and her salamander guards know what we were up to.

We used dimension door to get right in the middle of the enemy, but they had readied actions in preparation. Tessimon let loose a powerful fire storm laced with necromantic energies, and the salamanders targeted Creden and Uthgar with dispelling magic. It was a powerful first assault, but we responded in kind. Uthgar split the head of the nearest salamander wide open. Delvanos riddled Tessimon with five quick arrows, and Victor followed up the volley by snapping her neck. Her lifeless body fell to the floor. Vannay and Safadin used cold magic to severely damage the salamanders. The succubus stepped onto the large red diamond dominating the chamber and plane shifted into the Fire Node.

Once Tessimon dropped, Vannay could see the conjuration aura on the fire diamond losing its power. We finished off the salamanders and their summoned fire elementals in the next two rounds, and then we were faced with a decision. The gate to the Fire Node was clearly about to close. We did not know if we would be able to reopen it once that happened. At the same time, we had taken some damage in the attack, and a few of us were without fire protection. We decided that the risk of what lay beyond was worth taking. We stepped on to the fire diamond.

The process of plane shifting took a bit longer than expected. We could see a large chamber blinking into existence on the other side, and a huge red dragon was making a sweeping turn around the room. The furnace-like heat from the other side would quickly drain our strength if we did not have protection. When we finally arrived in the Fire Node, the dragon did not seem overtly hostile.

And then a voice like living flame spoke.

Imix Speaks
“You have entered my realm unbidden. But it is pleasing to me that you wish to give battle. Nothing you do can stop what is coming, but that does not mean you should not learn of true power before The Unmaking. The swath of destruction you have made has earned you entrance into my home. Now I will find out if you are worthy of entering into my presence.

If you wish to have an audience with me, you will have to prove your mettle and mind. As you can see the powerful wyrm, Ixenkurik, is your first challenge. He has somewhat of a grudge against you, since you slew his daughter Chymon. The remaining three challenges are behind the doors in front of you. Take them in any order you wish for I am not particular.

Once you have proved yourselves able, step in the circle and come to me. The devout followers of the Dark Lord, Lareth and Maliskra, have pressed me to complete the ritual. They believe that it is a mistake to wait for you to come. But are they of the royal bloodline? Are they of the Hidden King? Were they there at the beginning, when we smote the world in its infancy? The new order will be born in the destruction of the old. And He will know that it is I who freed him. I was called. I answered. I alone will sunder the walls of his prison.

You have two days until the world ends.”

Vannay’s Timely Refuge
The voice had barely finished speaking, when the dragon, Ixenkurik, swooped down upon us. He let loose with a cone of fire that did not quickly abate. The battle looked too dangerous in our current state, so Vannay conjured a magnificent mansion to shelter us. We spent the next ten hours resting and making preparations for the dangerous trials ahead.