Session 29

Date: 22 October 2020

Prev: Session 28

Next: Session 30

The fight with the marilith continues as Corrin directs his small animal army of Ro and two spider kings to attack both her and her herzou minions. Things aren't going well for Raen and Mino, but Quill's next shocking grasp improves morale as the shock causes the marilith to slow slightly and affords them a bit of respite from her constant attacks. Nergil remains engaged with one of the herzous, using both hellish rebuke and poison spray, with Dreli's dubious assistance, as her earthbind spell is unsuccessful. Astrid arrives at this point, literally flying in, and casting slow on the marilith and the nearest herzou. Despite this, the knights (who have listened to Corrin and turned their attention solely to the demons) are unable to hit her as she teleports away behind a building. At this point, the whole party can see that the marilith had come out of a portal, and that a black smoke-like substance was pouring out of the portal and forming into a vaguely canid shape with long jaws.

Mino is able to catch up with the marilith thanks to Quill's haste, grapples her, and leverages his weight to throw her backwards. Corrin directs his animal companions to engage with various enemies, but is distracted when he hears a voice from the bow he had dropped, calling, "Tallis! Wield me! The enemy is near!". He retrieves the bow and makes to attack the shadow-smoke canine form. While the herzou is distracted by a spider, Raen seizes the opportunity to eliminate it. Quill drops haste and casts telekinesis, mentally restraining the marilith and moving her into the path of the canid figure. Astrid then deploys her gravity spell, levelling a house and compressing space around both the shadow-smoke canid and the marilith. At the same time, Dreli casts barkskin on Nergil, who is able to survive a strong hit from the second herzou before eldritch blasting it in the face. His excitement is shortlived as the marilith teleports in his direction and out of Quill's telekinetic grasp, and the canid kills the two spiders.

Corrin's attention is now fully on the monster. He runs through his list of languages asking the bow for more information, although it doesn't respond. He instead casts hunter's mark and begins firing at the canid, which strikes out at Ro sends him flying, and leaving him grievously injured. The rest of the party refocuses on the marilith, moving across the square to back up Nergil and Dreli (who is still generally unsuccessful with her spells, this time erupting earth). Quill manages to catch her with telekinesis again as Astrid draws a card and bestows Mino with the power of the Arrow. The marilith attempts to teleport again but is stopped, although she manages to twist in midair and avoid a number of the party's attacks.

Corrin, furious, takes careful aim and hears the lion's roar he heard during the contest with Ashe - his arrows become streaks of light that pierce the dark smoke of the canid's body. The thing's form begins to melt and dissipate, leaving the open portal now clear. On the other side of the square, Mino comes barreling around a planter, although his aim is slightly off and he misses goring the marilith with his horns. Quill maintains his telekinetic hold on her as Dreli casts magic stone and throws it unimpressively, although Raen's thrown hell dagger is much more effective. Astrid heals Ro, who Corrin promptly mounts and races over.

Mino stabs down with a javelin and uses his horns to blind her other eye (the eye remains on his horn), rendering her unable to teleport. Dreli uses enhance ability to improve Quill's concentration. At this point, the marilith is unable to escape. Mino recruits the two knights to help physically move her over to the portal and Quill holds her there, above it. Nergil realizes that killing her on this plane would just send her back, it wouldn't kill her outright, so the party quickly discusses what to do. They settle on moving her into the portal and eliminating her there. Surprisingly, Quill volunteers, arguing that he is in fairly good shape and his magic could end the fight quickly. Mino ties a rope around Quill and himself and tosses the marilith's eye to Nergil in preparation for closing the portal.

When Quill enters, he realizes he's in Pandemonium. He launches a barrage of magic missile, but takes a flurry of attacks in return (though he manages to shield most of them). A second magic missile spell finishes her off, and he retrieves one of her swords to use to close the portal. As he does so, the mad winds of Pandemonium make it difficult for him to move, and he begins to tire. Mino, feeling the rope go slack, rages and pulls Quill out. Nergil tosses the marilith's eye through as Quill reaches out a weak hand and casts mending, bringing order to the chaos of Pandemonium... and successfully closing the portal.

In the silence that follows, Corrin hears the voice from his bow: "The enemy has retreated yet again, Tallis." He replies that his grandfather has died, and asks if the bow will work with him? The bow simply says, "Son of Tallis, I am tired. Let me rest, and we will talk."