Cycle of Millennia 2021 Session 23: Orabaras’ Punishment
Here is week 23 of my 2021 Dungeons and Dragons Campaign Cycle of Millennia. Lets go over session 23: Orabaras’ Punishment.
Don’t forget that this campaign has been ongoing for over three years. There is a lot of story to cover and I’m writing a book series to document it all. I am adapting this adventure into a book series. The first three are on Amazon.
!!!Trigger Warnings Abound!!!
This campaign takes place in an incredibly unpleasant setting. The party has dealt with Human Traffickers, Sex Slavery, Child Sacrifice, The Apocalypse, Genocide, Wicked Cults, and other related topics.
There is a God of Madness that is fond of causing auditory and visual hallucinations, makes use of psychic gaslighting, commands the literal legions of hell, and all around causes untold suffering in the setting.
Essentially, nothing is off the table in this campaign. If the above ideas are not ones you want to think about, I do not think this blog series is for you. That is not a problem and does not indicate any failings on your part. I am a storyteller that does not shy away from the darkest topics. It would be horrible for me to not warn my audiences of this in advance.
!!!Final Trigger Warning. Past this point there be dark topics!!!
Grez gained a transformation that he had never seen before. Whether brought on due to circumstances, or maybe the location, he looked a bit different. Notably, his monkey tail changed to a wolf tail.
The split Party defeated the final waves of Devils. Even with the penalty gas and Velkora being in a weakened state, none of the watching Cultists opted to jump in and try to claim a reward. It was clear to all onlookers the difference in strength between the party and Orabaras’ minions.
Velkora and Rose were transported to a separate place. Their role in the fighting was at an end. However, they also knew what was about to happen. And both started planning for how they would deal with it.
Punishment:
Meanwhile the party fought Orabaras’ enforcer: Mirr. This creature served one specific purpose for the Goddess of Depravity and Domination: Punishment. In this realm she was unstoppable. Her attacks pierced armor and magical protection. Her powers warped reality and fate so that they could not miss.
The party was powerless against her. Representing the knowledge aspect of Orabaras, Mirr was able to copy any attack sent her way and replicate perfectly. Caic was on the receiving end of his own flurry of attacks. Grez was struck by lighting, an element he normally could ignore.
Hadron transformed into a massive Dragon. This was his go to trump card when the party faced serious danger. But even that wasn’t enough to stop this enemy. She even replicated his shapeshifting powers. With one clawed arm she crushed his windpipe and smashed into the ground.
Rose surrendered her soul to Orabaras freeing the party. She couldn’t bare to watch these people die. Or worse. Not to mention her buried feelings for Grez. Even if he would never reciprocate them. Perhaps it was those feelings that made her give up her own freedom to serve that Goddess once more.
The Verdict:
After waking up back in the cave, Velkora screamed in fury since Rose had acted before she could do the same. This only made her more furious when the Goddess that had caused all this reached out to her. Was it to gloat, or for other reasons? It didn’t matter because the former cultist had another card to play.
Velkora made a deal with Orabaras. Or rather gave the Goddess an offer she couldn’t refuse. She demanded to the Goddess of control that she relinquish control of Mongress and never attack it again. The Goddess laughed at her vain attempt to make demands. That was until Velkora drew a knife and put it to her neck. Knowing that her former matron wanted to claim her soul one day, she threatened to commit suicide. If she died, Nihilinn would forever claim her.
Knowing that she meant every word, even the Goddess of Depravity relented and agreed to that deal. Hopefully her word will hold true. She was more likely to honor and oath than Kranaak at least.
Next Steps:
Velkora thought about their lot in life. She had been kidnapped as a child, sold into sex slavery, and brainwashed profoundly. Then she had continued that cycle by kidnapping children and selling them into sex slavery in turn. All with the hopes of getting to the leadership levels of the Orabaras faithful.
She had succeeded, and yet now she had left that life. Velkora had to live with the horrible sins she had visited upon other for the rest of her life.
Wondering what to do next, she revived Caic. He was still unconscious from their battle in Orabaras’ realm. Perhaps she should try atoning by first helping those who opposed her former Goddess most strongly. Her Paladin companion had showed far more kindness than she deserved. Perhaps she needed to stop being hostile towards him.
Hadron and Grez ended up in Scholars way confused. Grez for the second time could not get back into new transformation. He needed that to stop.
Once Velkora and Caic rejoined them the four confirmed that the events that had just transpired were real. Not knowing what to do next, the group returned to Lord Death.
Continuing the Hunt:
The party deliberated what to do next. After discussing things with the Rogue Angel, they debated between defending Mongress or hunting down the other Nihilinn Cultists. Now that Orabaras was potentially their enemy, they needed to work even faster than before.
Their best lead was Moshe, who worked against his own allies for an unknown reason. So the party traveled to Innovia City.
Velkora and Grez reported to Moshe. They lied about Vampires of course. What would the alternative have been. It seemed that Nihilinn had killed them itself. But the Cultist didn’t need to know that detail.
Unfortunately, Caic was rude at his first meeting with the man. He didn’t know what had happened in the past and went to threats immediately after sensing Nihilinn’s scent on the man. It took both Velkora and Grez to calm him down enough for them to get new information.
After some deliberation, he told party that they needed to find blind seer. She was a teacher that worked in Scholar’s way. Apparently it wouldn’t be too difficult to find her. Assuming they could enter the Universities at all. Now that Rose was gone, Velkora was the only one to likely be let into those buildings.
Issues of Trust:
With this information, the party Returned to Lord Death once more. They finally got a report from him and a few extra hints about this blind seer.
Before they could make their next move, Velkora revealed all the schemes that were in play. She crushed the item that Grez had been waiting a long time for. Before he could fight her over destruction of his perceived property, she told him that it was designed to curse him the moment he had tried using it.
Grez and Hadron got pissed. That was understandable. But Velkora reminded them that Orabaras no longer held sway over her. That was why she was coming clean and telling them the truth. She needed them to trust her. More than ever since all over aspects of her life including most of her powers were gone.
Back to Mongress:
The party returned to Mongress. They needed to be sure that Kranaak wasn’t attacking their remaining friends. Luckily, the city seemed at peace. Though Velkora warned the others that the people who originally lived her might never return. She had handed them over to her former matron after all.
Velkora saw Denessa as she entered the inn. Quickly seeing a betrayal, she threatened to stab her. The Orabaras Cultist quickly pointed out that she had been ordered to leave already by the Goddess but had elected to remain simply because she liked her job. Not trusting this at all, but persuaded by the Orc Bartender who ran the tavern, Velkora elected to watch her carefully.
Grez made a business deal with Tine for full moon item. He wanted to replace the one that Velkora would no longer be making for him. The shopkeeper and independent witch claimed it was possible, but it would take her time to figure out how. Grez was losing his patience, but the Monk desperately wanted this item and would do whatever it took to get it.
Hadron took a moment to try and figure out if it was safer from the orphans to remain with Lord Death or return here. Since Rose could still enter that Necropolis, there was a chance that she would kidnap them. But if they came here, Kranaak or Nihilin’s cultists might harm them in even worse ways.
Wrap Up:
With that out of the way, the group headed back to Scholars Way. There are many unknowns still. But the faster they deal with the fallen Death Knights, the sooner they can defeat Kranaak’s troops and whatever schemes Orabaras is planning.