Cycle of Millennia 2022-23 Session 71: The Final Battle Part 2
Here is week 71 of my 2022-23 Dungeons and Dragons Campaign Cycle of Millennia. The Final Battle is upon them. The fate of the world is at stake.
Don’t forget that this campaign has been ongoing for over four 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!!!
Caic and his group finished off the monsters in their pocket dimension. Even with an electric current running through their bodies, and dangerous adversaries all around, The Demon possessing Luna underestimated the tenacity of Dwarves. And she had succeeded in creating a miracle.
For untold centuries Dark Elves and Dwarves had been enemies with not a single attempt to mend fences. Yet here in this battle for the entire world, these two races fought together against a common enemy. Notably one that the Dark Elves had served for most of their existence of legends were to be believed.
Elite Combatants:
Meanwhile, Velkoara fought with several of her enemies and a few allies against the Demoness. This was a powerful group in itself. Several among them were former and current enemies who had banded together because the Demon possessing Luna was just that dangerous.
Sneak Peak had been the closest thing to an initial adversary when this adventure had started. Yet here he was fighting for Charice, and himself. Thia had a complex relationship with Velkoara being a mother figure and all. But they had recently clashed over ideals. Mirr was also present and the legends of the most dangerous Devil in existence didn’t even begin to describe her true power. Moshe was of course still an enemy. and Denessa had gone through her own crisis of faith. But she seemed to have emerged on the other side as a better person.
The Demoness summoned Demons, Devils, Cultists, and Undead to try and stop this elite team. For all the good it might do. After all, two of the combatants were the prime servants of the two other evil Gods. Another was the prime servant of the God who’s realm was just outside this pocket dimension. And yet another was the executioner of the Goddess of control and had never known defeat.
Dangers:
And then there was Sneak Peak. He didn’t really fit in with the rest. And as usual he caused chaos in his own way. This time by putting himself foolishly in harms way. Not a good thing when they were fighting a Demon that at her base form was still a Succubus.
While Velkoara kept the Giant alive, the rest of the supernaturally empowered crew focused their energies on crushing all he monsters as fast as possible. Between meteor storms, explosions, decay waves, and other unbelievable feats of magic that only a group such
Denessa demonstrated that she was no minor mage in her own right. Long ago, she and Velkoara were near the same rank within the Cult of Orabaras. She had been prepping a powerful spell of her own this entire time, waiting for the right moment to use it. And so Thia had simulacrum cast on her adding a second archmage with mastery over most magic to this battle.
Bone Chilling Cold:
But the Demoness had some tricks of her own. This pocket dimension was extremely cold. An everyone save Moshe who was a Lich and immune to its effects slowed down as their muscles contracted and their bones started to freeze under extremely low temperatures.
These conditions caused Velkora to brush death for a moment. And even though Wylf’s power protected her in this place, that moment where she had fallen in defeat was just enough time for the Demon possessing Luna to absorb a little of Entropy’s power. And this had a horrific domino effect. Though she had been weakened earlier due to the soul fragmenting attack, this extra energy renewed the Demon who once more was able to call upon Kranaak’s fickle blessing.
And like Orabaras and Nihilinn, the God of Madness changed the battle in an instant just by his power being present. The whole party had dealt with this unique power when they had fought Fodrin, and now the Demoness used it to weaken the entire group and make them more vulnerable to her spells, and the monster souls she had summoned.
So even though this group defeated the fragments the Demon had pulled to destroy and absorb their essences, she left them with one final parting gift. A mass of banshees each with their death wail greeted them as she faded away. Velkoara and Sneak Peak were brought once more to the brink of death at the moment of victory.
Extreme Heat:
One pocket dimension remained filled with souls absorbed by the Demon possessing Luna. And within it, Grez fought with Lone, Jay, Artin, Vorgak, Rangar, Vorgak, Luciano, and the remaining Death Knights. In contrast to the prior pocket dimension, this space had extremely high temperatures. Such that threatened to melt the flesh and bones of all the combatants.
Wylf refused to back down though. Nor did his allies. Even if they had to fight against former friends Naked Monk and Velros. Orcs warriors had also been claimed the the Demoness in one of her soul feedings as had some of Wylf’s own soldiers. But the the real menaces in this battle were Bolzurtz or at least the shell that hadn’t been absorbed by Eleth and Wylf’s Were Ape form which he had lost in his last encounter with the Demoness.
Wrap Up:
This Final Battle seems to be progressing in the party’s favor, but one very important enemy has yet to appear. And can the group overcome Fodrin again when he does make his appearance?