The Hidden Temple looked just as the party had left it, so having entered through the southwestern arch they moved toward the northeastern arch, the only one left that they had not gone through. Lythandar again activated the teleportation and Mara and Pretis led the way through.
Pretis attempted to move back through the arch but it seemed disabled on the end she was at. The heroes found themselves in a seeming ten foot wide hallway, which turned south at the west end into a 15 foot passage. Here on the west wall was another white glimmering arch. The inner wall appeared to have solid walls interspersed with some kind of solid fabrics openings, which were immovable. Melisana and Gofin moved to the east and found a similar hallway going south with a white glimmering arch on the east wall.
Lythandar and Demin moved to the southwest and found and opening into an inner chamber. Bright tapestries on the walls of the inner chamber glowed with magic light. Delicately woven scenes showed knights on horseback fighting dragons and other fell beasts, their banners displaying twin orbs of gold and white. Along the north wall of the chamber, the tapestries showed a godlike figure with silver armor and a sheathed sword. In his outstretched hands, a golden orb shed warm sunlight and a white orb shone silver like a full moon. In the middle of the floor of the chamber stood a great pile of icebound bone shards with a fist sized white gem floating in midair above it.
Judging by the raiment and the orbs held that the silver figure was Amoth -- a god of justice and mercy who was slain millennia ago by the combined might of Orcus and Demogorgon. The bone shards, though long drained of any power, were the last physical remains of the god. Demin was loathe to get anywhere near the orb. Mara had moved to the east with Melisana as Alhellara stayed near the entry arch. Lythandar finished moving to the south, finding an east west hallway with another white glimmering arch.
The party suggested that Lythandar prepare to open an arch, while Melisana flew into the room. As she entered the color of the tapestries shimmered and flowed like water. In a heartbeat, their idyllic display was gone, replaced by scenes of carnage. The knights from the earlier view now lay dead and dismembered across bloody battlefields, their corpses ravaged by a triumphant demonic horde. The silver figure stood atop the corpse of a great black skinned demon. His sword hacked a baboon headed fiend almost in two -- even as a corpulent, ram headed beast prepared to strike the silver figure from behind.
Melisana's recollection was that after slaying the demon lord Rimmon, Amoth attacked Demogorgon, nearly splitting him in two. Despite his strength, Amoth was defeated by Orcus. Melisana then flew toward the gem grabbing it, and taking cold damage, on her pass by. Her plan was to fly toward the west arch where Lythandar waited to activate the teleportation. Unfortunately, Melisana found herself slowed and forced to land on the bone shard pile, where she took even more cold damage.
The images on the tapestries rippled once more. Now the leering face of Orcus turned to scan the chamber as Demogorgon writhed and re-formed -- the demon;s shattered skull and severed torso shaped into separated heads. With the sound of rending flesh, both demon lords clawed their was into the chamber. The tapestries collapsed to dust, darkness flaring as the shrieking fiends attacked.
Demin and Lythandar recovered from being dominated and successfully used ranged attacks. Gofin was running back toward the supposed exit gate but she took time to noose Demogorgon. Mara again pulled the demons toward her and created an area of difficult terrain. The Demons were alternately causing ongoing damage along with weakening party members. Orcus tail caught Pretis and Mara again and everyone was suffering the effects of Orcus Aura of necrotic damage. The chamber kept getting colder and Pretis and Alhellara found themselves having to apply healing affects to various party members. About the time Demogorgon fell, the Aura of Orcus doubled in damage as he was bloodied. Mara found herself on the bone pile taking more cold damage and Pretis charged up the pile, fell prone and also felt very cold.
Meanwhile Pretis had used his glove to pick up a bone and using it pushed the gem into his bag of holding. He then took damage for a couple of rounds before deciding to drop the bag. A couple of wicked attacks on Orcus left him very damaged and he was finished off ending the battle. After a short rest a discussion ensued about who should attempt to attune themselves to this gem. Finally Alhellara attempted to attune herself and was successful, in the process losing a healing surge. The party now had 4 gems, Lythandar carrying two, and Melisana and Alhellara one each.
Gathering their wits the party looked around the chamber for any magical items but they found nothing magical. Demin did secure a gem studded crystal holy symbol of Amoth, worth 110,000 GP. Alhellara decided to wear it for bling. Demin also cut off one of Orcus' horns. Now the group turned their attention to the archways. The decision fell upon the archway leading west. Lythandar again attempted to activate the teleportation and was successful, again Pretis and Mara led the way through.
The group experienced the now familiar jolting sensation of being pulled elsewhere. They still stood within a stone walled chamber, the aroma of growing things and shoots of green protruding through the cracked mortar suggested that they were in the Feywild again. The chamber around them was divided into upper and lower sections by a set of stairs in the center of the north wall. A single table occupied the lower section. A pair of benches were set into the floor of the northern loft. One of the strange glowing gems floated above the left hand bench. Beneath that bench were several broken humanoid skeletons. There was unidentifiable shattered armor around them, and at least one of the skeletons was wearing a mask of the green demonic face that is the symbol of Acererak.
As the party took in the scene, a peculiar figure sprang up from behind the table. He was clad in what would have appeared to be royal finery if it weren't a riot of bright and clashing colors. In a sing-song voice he addressed the group. "O, most wonderful! New challengers!" He waved his hand and a game board appeared on the table before him. "Of course, I'll allow you all to cooperate against me, else if wouldn't be a challenge at all, would it?"
Scorecard: The group earned 5143 XP for the battle against the Aspects of Orcus and Demogorgon and now have 188362 XP. They need 21638 additional XP to reach 22nd level.
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