Session: LXIII: Highway to Hell or The End of Arvin's Avengers

A note from the Warlock
Continuing playing catch-up on our session recaps.  Many more to go.

Current Player Characters:

Gnarly Blunderbrush (Druid)

Edan (Atlantean)

Maximus (Magic-user)

Su (Cleric)

Thenus (Ranger)

Tibag (Ranger)

The party once again descended beneath the ruined abbey of the Cader'ian, and ancient sect of Druids who also studied arcane magic.  They retraced their steps to each of the chambers of the hound statues. One by one the Headless Hounds are summoned and defeated but now appearing in the final chamber, atop the Iron Throne, was Xuthal the Demon Prince surrounded by his Mephit minions, behind him an open portal to some nameless hell!

Xuthal asked only for the Earth Stone which held the imprisoned souls of his enemies the Cader'ian.  There was much  debate within the party about trusting a demon (who would, really?) with Su leaning on the side of trusting the dark prince.  

Distrusting the demon, the party foolishly attacked (seriously, the demon was on the up and up)!

Xuthal reacted mercilessly!  He cast a  fear spell on half the part including Maximius and Wolf who bolted out of the chamber and down the hallway.  While the remaining party members battled the fire-breathing Mephits, Xuthal pursued Maximus, who was in possession of the Earth Stone, down the corridor and defeated the famed giant slaying wizard.  While Maximus' body was being dragged back to Xuthal's chamber, Su healed the wizard just enough for him to awaken and shatter the Earth Stone destroying the souls of the Cader'ian and sending Xuthal back through the portal. However, the vortex caused by the closing portal sucked Gnarly, Tibag and Maximus into that nameless hell as well.  

Thus fell the last surviving members who were once part of Arvin's Avengers!

The survivors, Edan, Thenus and Su headed out of the Abbey where they found that the little girl Jute had reappeared - a sign that the proper time-line had been restored.

They all left the Abbey and were making their way back to Fishersville when they were waylaid by Gnolls and captured!

Sketch of the Demon Prince Xuthal