The Last Ride of the Zen JihadPostcards From the Abyss
Lord Aster
The activites of the Zen Jihad on Pazunia, first level of the Abyss.
Day 1 - Eleint 4, 1337 (Cormyr Reckoning):
[I divide this journal into days, although this plane does not appear to
have normal days. I have instead estimated the passage of time by counting
my heartbeats.]
We travel to Pazunia though a gate in the caverns below the former castle
of Zhengyi. El-Borbah looks on. I think he would go to the Abyss with us if
he could.
I nod to Baron Snake before entering the silver pool. He is a solid leader
and a man it was an honor to serve with. At the Tower I was told he had
once killed a god. I have never heard him mention it.
At the last moment, Richard of Fusler staggered in and tossed himself into
the silver pool with us. It did not appear that he was in control of his own
limbs. I will watch him. The man is a coward, a braggart, and a deserter.
I would have him flogged.
It will be interesting to see how the jihad deal with him. I do not think
they will have him flogged. They have no discipline, no organization, no
hierarchy, no leader. They vote on actions, and then look to Doomsday to
see if he objects. How do they win battles?
Baron Snake laughed when I asked him this. The second time I had heard
him laugh in the year I knew him.
Baron Snake said Doomsday is the key to the jihad. I have not seen him
fight, but by all accounts he is a powerful and dangerous weapon. I would
like to meet the man who pointed him at Zhengyi.
The rest of the party:
Gilana. Failed Paladin of Tyr and Torm. Enough said.
Melkor. Mage. Seems fairly solid for a mage.
Verkrul. Mad dwarf reincarnated as a demon. Watch this one.
Owen. Monk. Studied with Berk. Solid.
Vlad. Priest of Myrkul. He looks at me as if he is sad I am alive. Watch.
Voodelmar. Whines like a kobold, but a fearless killing machine in battle.
Torindal. Spider. Mage.
Caleph. Mage, used to serve a lich. Known coward. Watch him.
Perhaps one I can trust. Two I don't have to watch my back around. A
start.
Onto the Abyss. We show up in an empty street surrounded by ruined
buildings and covered with orange dust. Seconds later, a Molydeus appears
and invites us to join the Blood War. I accept the challenge and charge. He
kills me. No dishonor, dying fighting demons on the Abyss, but . . .
Eleint 5, 1337 (Cormyr Reckoning):
[Note: may want to reconsider using heartbeats as a timekeeping method.]
I awake. Vlad looms over me, shaking his head and making one of those
speeches I am already learning I should not listen to. We are apparently in
a different ruined city some miles from where we entered the plane.
Melkar briefs me on the situation: the party killed the Molydeus, left the
city to avoid a horde of manes, travelled through a razorvine jungle, and
set up camp here.
And a demon joined the party.
A Cambion. One of Yeenoghu's spawn. Its name is Yeenthra.
It is standing watch now. I motion Owen closer and ask him why it is still
alive. "Prophecy," answers Owen. He does not waste words.
Caleph, who must have been eavesdropping, elaborated: "You see, this guy
Thing, a drunk who used to be in the jihad, said 'trust the first gnoll,' and
Yeenthra kind of looks like a gnoll, so we trust him. A bit. And, in case
you're interested, Thing also said 'Scar's Bane' and 'if the party fights
Demogorgon, all 100,000 demons attack' and 'City of the Liches' and 'scales
on the ceiling' and 'giant shoes.' Doomsday has decided we should go look
for 'Scar's Bane' or for Demogorgon. Personally, I think we might as well
go looking for giant shoes." He cackles, his laughter turning into a hacking
cough.
Some of the mages are nervous because their spells do not always work
correctly here. Caleph does not seem bothered. I am told he spent thirty
years as the servant of a mad lich in Thay. He has experienced hardship.
He is a survivor.
During the night, Rutterkin attack. They die and we don't. We simply
outclass them. If the jihad ever got organized, they would stand a chance
against anyone. Or anything.
I would like to see Orcus bleed.
It is hard to sleep, as two party members chase each other around with the
Rutterkin tong-weapons. If they were my troops I would quiet them by
ordering them to start digging a pair of graves. That might improve their
behavior. If not, well, the graves are there for a reason.
Eventually I sleep.
We awake and head out onto the plane. I talk with the Cambion, seeking to
gain knowledge about the area. It has no maps and appears to have no
sense of direction. It laughed when I began mapping. Perhaps it would
reveal more information under torture. I may carefully raise this idea
with the party. Its knowledge of the Abyss could be critical to our
mission.
Looking back at the ruins, we can make out a humanoid figure on a rooftop
apparently watching us. We turn around, but a horde of small demons
comes between us and the ruins, and when the dust clears, the figure is
gone. The jihad decides to go on.
We march towards a bright wide white light on the horizon. In the distance
to our left we see dust clouds apparently raised by small hordes of minor
demons marching across the plane. In the distance, a flying ship appears
to be traveling towards what appears to be some kind of city. The red sun
turns our armor into ovens. (Although the warriors grumble, none takes off their
armor. They are not complete fools.)
As we get closer to the white light, the heat intensifies. It appears that
the light comes from a white-hot lake of some molten material, perhaps
iron. Demons appear to be working, or more likely playing or fighting
each other, at the edge of the lake.
Three Chasme fly overhead. We ready our weapons and try not to attract
their attention. Then Doomsday stands up in the saddle, waves his arms,
and calls to them. They swing around and dive at us, emitting a loud drone.
Suddenly, half the party falls to the ground, and most of the rest flee.
Not a promising start.
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