Session 23, VP1

The attacking shades split, aiming to flank our heroes. Standing back-to-back, the trainers managed to fend off the attackers, before freeing them from Gudbrund’s gems. While a few of the group did their best to move the unconscious townsfolk somewhere secluded to avoid re-possession, Gunnar pulled Lauren & Sylvie aside for a private conversation.

Once everyone was finished, the group began to debate the best way to move forward. Ideas were hotly debated in hushed voices. Meanwhile, Bronze crept closer to the hole that would lead them closer to the underground chasm. Her enhanced vision could make out three shades, and the remaining spirit.

The spirit was carrying an odd, hexagonal slab of obsidian, and had its head cocked to the side as if it were listening to something. Bronze quickly alerted the rest of the group, and they jumped down into the hole, landing in a cramped, organic tunnel. Aegson did not join them, instead waiting in the memoriam hall.

The shades behaved oddly, bracing themselves against the wall, as the spirit began to trek further towards the chasm. Sylvie linked her mind with Gunnar’s, & scanned what the spirit was listening to. Gunnar was able to translate the Elder Vanic, revealing that Gudbrund was ordering the spirit to bring him “the door” it was carrying.

One of the trainers had their Pokemon launch an attack, but the reason the shades were acting odd was quickly revealed: one of them appeared to become stretched, as the living shadow covering the townsfolk absorbed a hit aimed at the spirit. The shade that had blocked fell unconscious, but two more remained.

While her friends continued their barrage, Sylvie, acting on a newfound instinct, blinked from existence in a pink flash. Astonishingly, she reappeared further down the tunnel, & was able to take the spirit by surprise. Thistle caused its grasp on the door to falter, by which time the rest of the group was closing in.

Ven successfully set several status conditions on the spirit, while the rest of the team began to assault it. Despite being under fire, the spirit made no attempts to retaliate, instead focusing on trying to retrieve the door & make for the chasm. As the heroes had seen before, while the spirits themselves could phase through objects, physical objects weren’t able to be brought along: the spirit was trying to re-enter the chasm, where it could then fly up & out of the cave system with the door.

The group’s combined forces made quick work of the spirit. As it lay against the wall, fading away, the trainers asked it for information. With a fading laugh, the spirit merely told them that Gudbrund could still escape, even without the help of the door.

Our heroes examined the door, & were able to identify it as part of Gudbrund’s tomb. Bergie, Gunnar, & Naivara recalled how the front panel of the tomb had become living shadow, allowing them to pass through. Gudbrund must have wanted it to use for the same reason on the barrier keeping him in Drillsberg.

Suddenly, the sound of many armored footsteps could be heard rapidly approaching the hole leading up from the tunnel. Looking up, Bronze, Lauren, Reinhold, & Sylvie recognized a small squad of the Blademill soldiers they had met the day before. Confusingly, the soldiers expressed relief that the group was okay, and that they were “right where Donner said they could be found”.

The squad lowered some ropes to help the group climb back up, while Gunnar oversaw bringing the door with them. As the soldiers escorted the group out of Frigga’s Temple, Aegson was nowhere to be seen. The bright, early morning sunlight nearly blinded our heroes, so long they had been underground.

The soldiers began to lead the party towards the Colosseum. On the walk, our heroes took a look at the damage the town had suffered overnight; the Pokemon Center had been reduced to a charred heap of rubble, & several dead bodies lay around it.

Though the sight was distressing, there was no time to honor the dead at the moment. In short order, the group arrived at the Colosseum. All of the large cauldrons were aflame, and several more soldiers could be seen standing guard. They nodded & stepped aside to allow our heroes entry.

The Colosseum grounds were overflowing with people; all of the injured from the Pokemon Center, & those caring for them, had been successfully evacuated here safely, as some townsfolk fought Gudbrund to buy time. Chief of which had been Donner. Sylvie & Lauren had shared a vision through his eyes, as he stood alone against the eldritch warrior.

The news they had heard from Saffa had let them know that she saw Donner stabbed through the throat as she was being evacuated. Yet, Lauren had called Donner, & spoken with him, after Gudbrund had left. As the weary & soot-streaked soldier raised his head to smile at his friends, he spoke to them using his telepathy to explain what had happened during the night.

Angered at his forces being repelled the night prior, Gudbrund decided to attack the town himself. When he came at the Pokemon Center, Donner rallied a group of the more able-bodied citizens, hoping to stall Gudbrund as long as possible.

All they could do was fall as wheat before his sword, each drop of blood one more footstep their injured friends & family could get closer to safety. In the end, Donner’s allies were slain, & Duna had been knocked unconscious. Knowing that he stood no chance against the being before him, Donner continued to fight, until…… Gudbrund grew tired of the annoyance, & skewered Donner through the throat with his cursed blade.

With no one else left alive at the Pokemon Center, Gudbrund left to cause damage elsewhere, leaving Donner to fade away outside the burning building. Perhaps catalyzed by the dire situation, Donner could feel something rising in his chest.

Darkness began to flood his vision as he placed his hands upon his neck, drenching them in blood. There was a soft yellow glow, & a surge of warmth as power radiated from a space within. Light came back to the world. Air gulped down his burning throat once more. And Donner’s lethal wound had been healed.

Weakened, but alive, Donner could do little but drag himself & Duna away from the building, lest is collapse on them. Luckily, Drillsberg was not without other defenders in the party’s absence.

Drawn as moths to the flame scorching the night sky, unexpected aid arrived from two directions: from the mines, Erling & a few of his men, & from the South…Blademill soldiers. The soldiers began checking the bodies for signs of life, as Donner lie still, waiting. A cough was heard from inside the Pokemon Center as it crackled with fire.

Immediately, Erling shouldered his way into the building. Donner weakly tried to speak, but his throat was far too damaged. As a soldier walked nearby, he used what force he had left to grab at their greaves with blood-slicked fingers. The soldiers got Donner & Duna safely onto a stretcher, their faces ashen at the realization that no one else had survived.

The last thing Donner saw as he was carted towards the Colosseum was the figure of a man burst from the Pokemon Center, wreathed in flames. The man fell, carrying something wrapped heavily in blankets in his arms. When Donner came to, he found himself lying on a blanket, surrounded by the mournful faces of his saviors.

At the sight of him pushing himself upright, old training kicked in, & the soldiers stood at attention. Using his telepathy, Donner “spoke” with the men: it seemed that a small number of Eira’s forces had not taken well her orders to leave the people of Drillsberg to their fate.

Inspired by the argument overheard at their camp the day before, & reminiscing on their time spent under Donner’s command, these men stole into town when night fell. They wanted nothing more than to save lives, & looked to Donner to lead them in this hellish world of myth & magic.

With this explained, Donner reached out with glowing hands, & did his best to heal our heroes. The effort clearly drained his already low reserves, but it was his belief that only the party had the strength to end the nightmare. Finally, a moment to breathe amongst the mad rush.

Gunnar did not desire rest, & instead sought out Saffa. He found her surrounded by several nurses, trying to hold her down as she flailed wildly. She kept repeating a phrase, over & over, but did not seem aware of her surroundings. Pulsing beneath her wound, a tendril of shadow could be seen working its way slowly towards her wrist. Gunnar quickly pulled out his Gible Dagger, & the nurses threw themselves between him and their patient.

Sensing the panic, Lauren joined Gunnar, & did their best to calm the nurses. With Saffa being held, Gunnar brought the Dagger close to her skin; as he had suspected, the shadow recoiled from the aura of the blade. There was no time for words. Lauren & Gunnar locked eyes for but a second, & Lauren pulled forth their Gible Dagger as well. Working in concert, the two held their breath as they sliced through Saffa’s skin towards the shadow.

Evoking the Gible who fangs they wielded, the blades locked together on the ghastly parasite. A quick pull backwards, & the tendril was ripped loose, where it began dissolving into the air. Saffa quieted as soon as she had been cleansed, & once more slipped into unconsciousness. The nurses quickly moved to treat her new wound.

As one, our heroes could feel a psychic ripple creep over the area. The noonday Sun blazed high overhead. A fresh breeze blew from across the desert. While Gudbrund hung suspended in the air before the Colosseum, waiting. The party made their way towards where he floated at the entrance.

Once they had gathered, Gudbrund spoke in a voice made of a thousand whispers, worming through the minds of all present. Mercy, Gudbrund offered, if the door was given to him. The surviving people would be spared, & remain untouched as Gudbrund spread his grasp across the rest of the land.

Our heroes wasted no time in rebuffing the monster’s appeal. With a shrug, he began walking away in the air, claiming that this would merely slow his inevitable escape. It was then that Naivara had Luz fire a gem at Gudbrund’s back, calling the warlord out. His form descended to the ground as he turned back to face them. If they sought their death early, he would not deny them their choice.

With a sickening hiss, Gudbrund drew his blade from inside his chest of living shadow. The sunlight from above refracted endlessly in the Sableye gems, & Gudbrund lifted the sword level at the approaching trainers. A heated battle commenced as Gudbrund dueled the collected forces arrayed against him.

Each blow against him seemed barely to leave an impact, while his own brought several of the trainers to the ground. Still, they refused to back down. Despite the danger, they pushed on, hammer blow after hammer blow.

When a resounding crack echoed out from Gudbrund’s blade, it was hard to tell which side was more surprised at the noise. A surge of denial & panic radiated off of the warlord. He had thought this new Vanachrom weakened, with no one left to stand against his magics. The incredible resistance on display drove him to frenzy.

Gudbrund roared, as waves of shadow coursed off of him, & over the party. Like rain in reverse, drops of shadow streamed skywards. One after another, they stuck in place, revealing the shape of an invisible, domed barrier. The sun was still shining, but no longer on Drillsberg. His army of shades burst from the ground, as Gudbrund fled from the party towards the entrance to Frigga’s Womb.

The forces barreled to that one spot, in a mad attempt to brute force through the mystical barrier. Sensing, or perhaps, not sensing something, Sylvie broadcast a telepathic message to Aegson, letting him know where Gudbrund was now. Yet, as is often the case, Gudbrund had planted the seeds of his own downfall.

Our heroes had been beaten & battered for nearly a week, it was true. But what does the forge’s hammer do, if not reveal the true strength of the metal it works? Like an arrow launched from a bow, the group pulled into a tight formation. Though hundreds of bodies stood between them & their target, they continued to fly true. Shade after shade pushed back on them, only to find itself sent back to the dirt.

Oddly, it was noticeable that this could not be nearly all of Gudbrund's near-600 possessed shades. After minutes that felt like hours, the dirge was finally nearing its end. Gudbrund stood, smiting the barrier with repeated strikes of his sword, as his shades lashed out bodily.

The party stood in a crescent against him, his back to the bars of his cell. As Gudbrund swept his sword in an arc towards Sylvie, Aegson appeared, as if by magic, to block the blow. The fight was renewed, as Gudbrund’s form slowly began to lose focus and unspool.

Still, even a cornered Ursaring can be lethal; and for Lauren, it nearly was. Determined to oust those wielding the Daggers able to damage his sword, Gudbrund stabbed Lauren clean through their shoulder. The trainer looked down at the crystalline blade still sticking out of their chest, more in surprise than pain.

Their eyes rolled back, as both Lauren & the Dagger fell to the ground. Sylvie & Bergie ran to Lauren’s side in an attempt to save their friend’s life, as Reinhold took up the Dagger. Thistle stood protectively atop Lauren’s chest, as the healers worked to stymie the blood flow.

Unwilling to let Lauren’s efforts to be in vain, those still able continued to rail against Gudbrund. It was small, but with every blow, they could see cracks spreading throughout his sword. Finally, crashing together like a pair of mighty jaws, Reinhold & Gunnar drove the Gible Daggers home, pinning Gudbrund’s Sableye blade between.

With an explosion of pressure, the gem blade shattered. Chips & flakes in red & blue fell to the ground, becoming nothing more than dust. Gudbrund’s gems fell from the heads of the townsfolk he had possessed, and his body began to lose definition. In a last desperate grab, he clawed at the barrier himself, steam rising from where his claws met the wall.

Our heroes landed attacks on him as one, retribution for all the pain he had wrought. Seeing the end coming, Gudbrund did something strange: he stood still, eyes closed, as if his focus were elsewhere. Thistle’s Razor Leaves stabbed Gudbrund through his own shoulders, pinning him in place to the mystic wall.

Being in contact with the barrier accelerated his decomposition. Gudbrund sunk to his knees in defeat, shaking his head. Lauren, roused by their friends, shakily got to their feet. “Then I suppose Drillsberg is yours; what will be left of it,” he whispered, disintegrating into nothing more than memory.

Distantly, three echoing booms rang out from the South. It became readily apparent where the remainder of Gudbrund's forces had been during his last assault. Aside from the slow, steady rising pitch of whistling overhead, Drillsberg was blanketed in silence. Three bombs, each aimed at one of the remaining population centers. A parting gift from a man unaccustomed to defeat, about to hail down on the innocent & sinful alike.

With only seconds to act, our heroes pooled their thoughts & resources. Sylvie called Donner, appraising him of the situation: if their efforts to halt the bomb aimed at the Colosseum were to fail, Donner would be all that stood between the survivors & annihilation. Naivara released her Phospharrow, Flamon, linking their minds together. Bergie & Lauren released Perrypus & Imber. Bronze & Reinhold released their Rix & Awano simultaneously.

Flamon sped to the West, aiming for the bomb targeting the mines. When Naivara could tell he was within range of the missile, she had Flamon use Whirlwind. With an astoundingly powerful blast of wind, Flamon managed to add lift to the bomb's flight. It arced high, sailing on into the desert.

Imber stood on Perrypus' shoulders. The pair used Perrypus' psychic senses to sync themselves on the bomb hurtling towards the town center. As Lauren & Bergie cheered them on, the two Pokemon sent up an incredibly powerful Fountain of water into the bomb's path. Though not as effective as Flamon's attack, their combined power managed to shunt the bomb far enough forwards to send it also into the sandy waste.

Awano & Rix flapped their downy wings as hard as they were able in the direction of the Colosseum. The third & final bomb continued to descend through the air, faster than the duo could match. When they were finally in range, the Adaptstrix' loosed twin Gust attacks. The attacks made contact, and shifted the bomb......but not enough.

Mute horror yawned wide as our heroes realized the bomb was still going to land partially on target. There was nothing left they could do, no time left to act. And so, ablaze with lightning, Duna flew up from the Colosseum floor. Her voice cried out in defiance as she rose to meet the incoming bomb. She clapped her wings together, sending forth a storm of wind & thunder, which slammed into the bomb.

But.

The bomb was already too close to the ground. Its fuselage had begun to split, the detonation inescapable. Duna's assault pushed the bomb further East, but as it detonated, she disappeared in the explosion. The deafening aftershock could be felt even where our heroes stood, & the East side of the Colosseum collapsed inwards.

Before the ringing had left their ears, the party was running, apprehension breathing down their necks. By the time they burst onto the Colosseum floor, rescue efforts were already underway. Soldiers & civilians both, digging into the wreckage & ruin for survivors. The bomb had still let loose its alchemical death, but on a scale much smaller than it might have.

Sylvie & Lauren immediately looked for Donner. He sat on his knees in the dust, his back to them. Fearing the worst, they rushed to his side. Duna's form was splayed out on the ground before him, as tears ran down his face.

The Elecstrix was charred, bloody, & smoking. Her left wing had been shorn off at the shoulder; a cauterized stump was all that remained. As the psychics broke their spell of shock, & reached for Donner's shoulder, they saw it: weakly...Duna's chest rose & fell.

She had returned from her final flight, alive. Donner smiled through his tears, and swept his friends into a hug. Across the Colosseum, our heroes saw everyone pitching in. Even right after the noose had been slipped, no time was wasted. Drillsberg had been ravaged by a monster out of history, but it still stood. The time to rebuild was now, but in time, in moments of peace, there would be celebration in the arid canyon once more.