This is the final chapter of my ongoing solo game of D&D. Do you need to go through all the previous entries to enjoy this? Probably. It is the finale, after all. You can check them out over here >>>

Spoilers for Descent Into Avernus are hidden and marked: no need to worry if you’re currently playing through it.

The party:

<< Elion, a SEIA agent and arcane mechanic with a major survivor’s complex.

Melody, the newly named Tsethem of ice and a refugee from the infinite city. >>

<< Larissa Lightstep, a melancholic heiress and fiend slayer extraordinaire.

Jevak, a Mirling bringing word of a coming invasion. >>

Darkness smothers any perception of his surroundings. Jevak isn’t used to being blind like this, and he doesn’t like it. It’s not as uncomfortable as the pain light brings to his eyes, but if anything this sets him on edge all the more.

Fire flickers in front of him – then erupts into a diabolic image of the Amber Rider’s twisted head! Jev yelps and scrambles back, but the face seems to keep the same distance no matter how desperately he tries to retreat. Then the image speaks.

Amber Rider: Your soul shines bright, Mirling – brighter than most Aasimar. I would have it.

Jevak: *staggers back, trying to make sense of his situation* You fffailed! We sssevered chainsss!

Amber Rider: And the people will suffer for your interference. Either way, they are doomed. Why not buy them a little more time?

The memories start to return, like a dream faintly remembered. The team had been scurrying back to the safety of Zania Tharth when a hoard of devils had interrupted them in the temple. Jev bought the others a chance to mow down the mooks by circumventing the main force – and coming face to face with the leader. The scuffle was over quickly. He was left to bleed out next to the alter while the fiend pressed its advantage.

Amber Rider: Do you heed my words, Mirling? This deal shall be mutually beneficial.

Jevak: *tilts his head suspiciously* Whattt deal?

Amber Rider: Give me your soul, and I shall grant you a second chance. You will live once more, to protect those weaker than you.

Jevak: Jevak not trussst devil! Quiet hhhuman say never to!

Amber RIder: *eyes blaze as his fiery halo flares up* The quiet human will die if you do nothing to protect her! All shall die!

Jevak: *pauses, breathing heavily until he calms down* …What is giving sssoul? Like prisonerrr?

Amber Rider: Like the prisoner. Upon your death, you will become as I am.

A moment’s quiet as Jev’s mind races. He’s dead – but apparently the popular belief among Mirlings is wrong. Souls exist! His one is trapped – but he might find a way to escape. Then what? Where to go? A crippling fear of the unknown grips his heart, amplified by the surrounding darkness.

He lifts his eyes to the spectral devil head, and nods.

Jevak: Othersss weak. Hurttt. Ressst them, and Jevak agree.

Amber Rider: It is so.

The image disappears in a sputter of flame, leaving nothing but blackness.

* * *

Jev can hear muffled babbling, and feels stone beneath him: All around him, in fact. He panics, thrashing against his container until his claws knock open a hatch above him. Light spills in from the mausoleum, revealing the shocked faces of the crowd gathered there. He clambers out of the niche and drops to the ground, as Elion pushes through the civilians.

Elion: Whiskers, man. I am so sorry, I.. We all, really thought you were dead. It, there was, you had no sign of life. Like what even. Is that a Mirling thing?

Jev: *makes a hollow chuckle-like sound* Elf nottt wrong..

Elion: What in the…

Poking out of Jevak’s head are two long horns. Elion just stands and stares, until Larissa enters the wide berth the survivors are giving Jev. She taps Elion’s shoulder.

Larissa: Do you feel it? We are renewed.

Elion: *nods* Healed, I know. It’s shad-face. He made a deal.

Larissa: *stares at Jev with very faint reproach* Oh..

Crunch

The Adventure Crafter Turning Point

Plotline: get Rahm Oru back to Tirkosu (development)

Plot points (characters invokes):

1. Token response (Hywotli)

2. Cescendo

3. Conclusion

4. Useful information from a known source (Hywotli)

5. A character is attacked in a non-lethal way (Jevak)



Melody slowly pulls herself back into consciousness, pleasantly surprised to find her aches and burns have been lifted. A vaguely familiar figure crouches next to her in the sea of people – Hywotli, the Elkore noble she’d met while performing in town.

They share a surprisingly not-awkward greeting, considering the sudden ending to their last meet. He overheard something that might be of use to the Tsethem: He was with the survivors rescued by Jaysen and his wife, and a remark she made stuck with him.

Hywotli: She had seen the chains, but said they were not infernal: they were temporal. I don’t know what that could mean, but it might be of use?

Mel doesn’t know either, but she promises to ask around. Hywotli turns to leave, seemingly in a hurry, but Mel catches his arm.

Mel: Wait! *gulps* When all this is over… IF it’s all over, do you wanna… maybe, meet somewhere?

Hywotli: *huffs a laugh* If you get us out of here, protector, I will know how to find you. You shall be paraded through the streets in glory. We all are counting on you.

He pulls away, leaving her to mull over the meaning of being a Tsethem.

* * *

Elion and Larissa are still bickering with Jevak as she excuses herself through the crowd, having to poke Elion with her axe to get his attention.

Mel: Guys, this is serious.

Elion: Oh, no shad? You’re damn right it’s serious, he’s gone and traded his fezzing soul!

Larissa: Such selfishness. Did you think nothing of the afterlife?

Jevak: Did thinkkk! Ssscared!

Mel: Do any of you know what temporal means?

Elion: Wha..?

Mel relays what Hywotli said. Elion knows that temporal means time-based, but that’s about it.

Larissa: Curious.. That may explain the town’s sluggish descent, and why severing the chains did nothing to help: we are in a time field. The chains were pulling us through it, but with nothing to pull us out we shall remain here forever.

Elion: Or until we get smooshed by devils.

Larissa: Or, yes. Smooshed.

Jev: *grumbles* Ssshould have asked for town to go backkk, too..

Mel: *nods excitedly* But wait! Listen; there’s nothing powerful enough to push us back, right? Or is there…? *nods upwards*

Elion: Wha.. *comprehension lights up his eye, and he grins* Ohhhh. Oh hells no. That’s a terrible idea, and I love it.

Mel: We still got that twin, right?

* * *

Back through the catacombs they march, plans made and resolve firm. Several devils fall afoul of them, most likely advance scouts sent by the Archdevil; but they’re no match for these heroes, forged in the fires of hell itself.

Cue the slo-mo hero walk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dfuxi61L27w

Crunch

MUNE Intervention: Entity Positive (Jaysen)



Larissa’s mind is interrupted before they can reach the temple entrance: Jay is back at Rahm Oru! The invigoration due to Jevak’s deal seems to have extended to him, allowing him to access one of the few teleportation circles still undamaged within the town. They agree to meet at the temple.

…Which is currently being overrun by fiends. The devils and demons have taken their fight away from the flying fortress, now clashing in the ruined streets of Rahm Oru. And standing a few feet from the alter is the Amber Rider himself.

The team primes to attack, but the massive devil shows no intent to harm them. He instead holds up a clawed fist, half turning to his troops.

Amber Rider: (infernal) Do not harm the Mirling, or his companions! *points to the flying fortress up above* Go. Do what you will.

Without checking a gift twin’s engine (as the Tirkosu saying goes), the team hurriedly fill Jay in on their theory. He confirms what Hywotli said: Anika definitely thought the chains weren’t devil-made. He thinks they might be onto something.

The skies are free of fiends, allowing them fly to the top of the fortress without being challenged. Elion managed to finalise a thruster system out of some spare EPE parts while in the catacombs: Now he soars up beside the others on the power of his suit alone. The roof hatch is free of bone devils this time, letting them to head directly to the bridge.

They knock down the door, obliterating the armoured devil at the helm: which is no more than a small stone platform without any physical controls. Glowing runes on the walls cast an orange glow throughout the room. The Lady of Scars is nowhere to be seen.

Elion: Seriously? Devils never invented steering wheels?

Larissa: These runes.. I’ve seen them before.

Mel: They’re not infernal. The Valkeesh used them to enhance their psionics. *rubs the back of her neck* We all used them..

Larissa: Then perhaps it shall respond to me.

She steps onto the command platform and turns her considerably powerful mind towards wresting control of the ship. A minute passes, then two. The others begin to throw anxious glances towards the open door.

Larissa: It is done! I can see. The fortress obeys my commands.

Jay: Now comes the tricky part..

Rumbling as it moves, the massive craft twists down beneath Rahm Oru. The lowest decks are flooded with lava as they dip beneath the surface, but thankfully whatever’s allowing it to fly remains undamaged. Larissa slowly puts pressure on the rocky underside above them, metal groaning as it buckles beneath the weight.

A crackling burst of flames issues from the hallway behind them, followed by another with extra roar. The blood-soaked Archdevil stands a few feet in front of a colossal demon with a head like a wolf skull. The two are duking it out with tremendous ferocity, weapons ringing off the metal walls. The team stand in awe of the clashing titans for a brief moment, then rush to attack from behind.

The first few seconds are just the group unleashing everything they have on the Lady of Scars, with her focus being solely on destroying the demon. Melody is the most brutal, hacking away with her psionic battleaxe for more damage than even the Balor. Jay gets in a few whirlwind attacks while Elion blasts lightning, leaving Jev to dance in and out of the red-tinged shadows.

Larissa stays in the bridge. She can feel the earth mote straining above the fortress, rocks crumbling off the underside and hammering on the roof. But it’s moving. They just need to hold out…

And then the Balor takes a hammer to the face, caving in its skull. It explodes in a sudden inferno, thankfully out of range of the team. The Archdevil turns her crazed eyes on them and starts picking them off, one by one.

Crunch – and the first actual spoiler for Descent Into Avernus

Oh my gosh. They can’t win. There’s no way they can actually win this.

She has a regeneration trait, where she will only die if damaged by radiance. None of them have a way to deal that type.



This isn’t a battle, it’s a drawn out execution.

Jevak is downed first, then Jay. Mel takes a fireball to the face and lives thanks to Elion draining his suit to keep her alive – but he’s hammered against the wall next. It’s just the lone Tsethem of ice versus an unkillable opponent.

A thunderous screech of twisting metal resounds through the entire ship. Larissa gasps as her control is severed, staggering for a moment before rushing to join the fray. She lashes out with her mind, pinning the devil and allowing Mel to land a good few hits – but her energy is already drained from piloting the ship, and their foe breaks free. Down goes Melody. Down goes Larissa.

* * *

The last to fall is the first to wake. Larissa slowly pulls herself into a sitting position. The crimson lights in the bridge have dimmed almost entirely – but the glistening skin on the Archdevil is still visible, sitting on the command platform.

Lady of Scars: Kill me.

There’s a pause, as Larissa’s mind flashes back to their first meeting with the Prisoner.

Larissa: Why?

Lady of Scars: We are no longer in the nine hells. You succeeded: We are buried beneath the town. Kill me, and let me return.

Larissa: *slowly shakes her head* I do not think I am able..

Silence. Then the fiend rises to her full height, and storms off the bridge. Several minutes after she disappears into the darkness, an explosive boom echoes through the tunnels.

* * *

Larissa doesn’t know how long she waited with her unconscious friends, not knowing if they would ever wake. She tries to reach out to the ship, but the runes have expired. She checks the access hatch: Solid rock.

She sits down beside Jaysen and lays a hand on his head. Nothing to do but wait. And if they never wake? No one would find her down here, buried hundreds of feet below the surface. Maybe the planefall would carry her somewhere above ground. Would the town’s planestable effect extend to envelope the ship? If so, her only choice would be a slow death by starvation.

Larissa: At least… I shall see father again.

Big tears well up in her eyes at the thought. Her mother abandoned her emotionally, her father abandoned her for death. But Jay was here, at the end..

If only she’d been there for him.

Sparks crackle off the wall as a curtain of lightning materialises in front of her, forking in the middle to form a portal. A dreadlocked elf in a regal cloak reaches a hand through. Larissa recognises him as Inalak Onakea, the prince of elemental water.

Inalak: Welcome home, brave souls. Y’ave made it through.

The portal open on the grassy plains outside Rahm Oru, lit bright green by the mid morning sun. Larissa stares in wonder: the town is undamaged, as it was before its descent!

A sapphire-skinned earthborn rests a hand on her shoulder.

Turf: The place is intact. Time distortion?

Larissa: *nods* It would seem so. How did you find us?

Turf: *gestures to Anika Longstrider’s glowing form crouching beside Jay* We knew who to look for. We would have arrived sooner, but you brought a large number of fiends with you. *grips her shoulder tightly* Lighstep, I have to know; will this happen again?

Larissa doesn’t think so: She explains the time-based nature of the chains. The princess doesn’t seem pleased by the answer, however.

Turf: This is troubling. If the librarians are making deals with devils, but refusing access to even myself… *sighs, rubbing the bridge of her nose* I’ve got the fallout from the planar conflict, the refugee situation, a possible shadow invasion, the council breathing down my back.. And now this. *manages a chuckle* And they wonder why I don’t have time to slay minor dragons terrorising villages. *pats Larissa’s shoulder* That’s why we rely on folk like you. You’re the people’s heroes: the true Tsethem.

Larissa: *smiles, watching the clerics revive her fallen allies* Thank you, princess.

* * *

Jevak couldn’t be resuscitated. His soul is lost to the hells, claimed by the Amber Rider. They hold a burial for him a short way from Rahm Oru – a small gathering, but a lot more than he would have gotten back on his home plane.

Many tears flow from the people that day, as the losses were many. But they could have been much, much worse – and there is plenty of rejoicing and praising the heroes, both fallen and otherwise. Jay throws a magical banquet, which he presides over with Anika and a rare, genuinely happy Larissa.

Elion and Mel steer clear of the festivities, instead heading outside the gate. They both feel like they need some quiet – and the starry fields are happy to provide.

Elion: That was your first time getting resurrected, right?

Mel: Yeah.. Wait, is it a common thing here? People just, up and down?

Elion: Nah, it’s rare. It was my first time too. Jaysen said it was his sixth, or something ridiculous.

Mel: And you believed him?

Elion: No.. Okay, yeah. But like, after these last coupla days, what wouldn’t you believe?

Silence for a bit. The multicoloured stars twinkle at them.

Mel: *looks up at him teary-eyed* The other side.. It was beautiful.

Elion: Yeah. *nods, getting a little throat-lumpy* Yeah, it really was.

She rests her head against him, and they embrace. Far off in the distance, the volcano rumbles merrily, almost as though in approval. All is peaceful on the island of Tirkosu once more.

Concluding thoughts

– Impossible to win battles, twisted and murky history, interplanar plots, and a bunch of misfits saving the day. This is so totally Tirkosu I can’t even.

– “A character is attacked in a non-lethal way (Jevak)” Haha, whoops. Yeah that didn’t pan out.

– Elion’s probably gonna attempt to rescue Jev’s soul at one point, because of course he is. After a break, that is.

– A pretty long break, because holy Tiamat’s whiskers, this year in Empai Tirkosu has been crammed. I’m gonna do a 6 month timeskip so things can settle down a bit.

– To everyone who stuck with: Thanks for reading! This has been quite the experiment, and I really enjoy it. I’m looking forward to exploring some more atypical Tirkosu adventures in the coming months. I’ve had quite enough of the nine hells.

