Through The Vortex

The group has returned to the elemental chaos ship, the Shevaithan. They have fought and killed the last of the githyanki crew, including its captain and obtained from within his chest, the key to the ship. An arcane orb which looks like a smaller version of the anarch spheres which seem to be the power source of the ship, which float tethered around the ship within a nest of massive ropes.

The adventurers decide they need to travel into the abyss, which they learned from their captured githyanki, was the destination of the ship and its precious cargo. They were to deliver a shard of a primordial from which someone was going to forge a weapon capable of killing a god. They had uncovered a plan to kill the Raven Queen, to dispose the god of death and allow Vecna to bypass death and create an army of undead to help him rule over all.

They need to take the shard to its intended destination in order to thwart these plans.

Taking Control Of The Ship
7,500 XP

Both Rook and Smallfang try to figure out the controls to the ship. They watch as arcane symbols flash and fly across the control console of the ship. The same symbols scroll and rotate around each of the massive anarch spheres, which are tethered in massive ropes at the sides and rear of the ship.
Frustrated in their lack of ability to control the ship, Smallfang yells insults at the ship as he kicks it. Suddenly the ships controls flash brightly and the arcane symbols, previously scrolling past so fast as to be unreadable, now lock in place and the symbols scrolling around the anarch spheres synchronize themselves to mirror the console.

Smallfang crosses his arms and gives the others a sly and prideful small.

Smallfang commands the ship to retract the chains anchoring them. The ship shudders and begins to descend towards the fortress below, to which the ship is still anchored. They panic and Smallfang orders the ship to stop. Investigating below decks near the bow of the ship where the chains enter the ship they find a room containing a massive spindle which holds the huge chain. It is wrapped in such a way that they cannot release the chain from the ships end. They must release it from within the fortress below.

The fortress, which sits upon an immense floating mote of rock within the elemental chaos, is where Smallfang had encountered a balor. No doubt the balor and whatever else was there is intended to guard the ship from theft. The ship, built to traverse the elemental chaos and able to enter the vortex descending into the abyss, is extremely rare. Many would desire it as creatures from within the abyss are unable to escape its confines without such a vessel.

They decide not to challenge the balor below.

Release The Anchor

Rook casts an illusion upon one of the mammoth chain links making it disappear. He then wills the illusion to become reality. No longer tethered on that side of the ship, the ship lurches horribly as many of the group are tossed and tumble across the deck. Barb and Lirath barely escape tumbling overboard into the elemental chaos which would soon rip them apart. Katya simply digs in her claws and stands, arms crossed and amused at the inability of some to keep their footing.

Rook then moves to the other side of the ship and releases the ship from that chain using the same process. Again, the ships new crew struggle to keep aboard the lurching ship. But now they are free of their moorings. Smallfang commands the ship to fly and fly fast.

Unfortunately, Smallfang doesn't have the best sense of direction as Rook taps him on the shoulder and gestures for Smallfang to look behind them. Behind the ship retreating into the distance is the vortex leading to the abyss.

They turn around.

A Balor Shall Not Be Passed

As the ship turns around, all on board feel the ship lean to one side accompanied by a loud crash upon the deck of the ship. As they rush towards the commotion they see the balor. Smallfang recognizes it as the one guarding the ship back at the fortress. As the balor folds its wings behind him he admonishes them for being so foolish as to try and steal the ship under his watch. He will watch them suffer. He pulls out a sword which comes to life with flames as well as a whip which crackles with a similar fire.

But the balor is vastly outpowered. Soon enough the balor realizes this too. Bleeding profusely, especially from the groin as the dwarf, Barb, has gotten underneath the balor and has been hacking away from just below the creatures loins, Barb all the while withstanding the scorching heat coming off the balor. The balor turns his sword around and places the hilt upon the deck, blade facing upwards. He snarls at the group and thrusts his body upon the sword dying. As death comes to the balor, some powerful energy held within the creatures begins to escape the confines of his body. Fire and arcane power burst of the balor's body creating an explosion which shatters the balor's weapons and body and injuring many of the group.

But at least the balor is taken care of.

Lirath Is Not Himself

Lirath runs to the side of Katya who has fallen. Katya is covered in blood and Lirath has an odd urge which he pushes down and helps revive Katya instead. When everyone has recovered and dusted themselves off, Barb covered in balor sludge perhaps not quite so dusted off, they gather around and notice that Lirath does not look good. Gaunt and pale looking, the elf does not look healthy. After some discussion and Smallfang using his paladin ability to cure disease, with no effect, it is decided that Lirath is suffering from the resurrection he has recently undergone to return to them.

They travel faster now towards the vortex leading down into the abyss. Each of them retiring to a portion of the ship to rest. Smallfang, now getting the hang of berating and abusing the ship into following his orders makes it so they will be able to have a good long rest before they reach the vortex. Smallfang takes time to cast find steed to call his trusty griffon. The magic goes awry, from the chaotic forces of the plane and the griffon appears twice as large as before. Smallfang, pleased, lies down nestled beside his enormous companion.

After resting they assemble back on deck to find the vortex now takes up half of the sky in front of the ship. They are going to descend into the abyss.

Into The Vortex and Stowaways
23,600 XP

Commanding the ship forward they lurch at full speed down into the spiraling vortex. Elemental powers swirl and coalesce creating a powerful sense of confusion and nausea in everyone. One by one they recover their senses. All except Lirath and Katya who after vomiting go below decks to convalesce. Barb lays down among a bed of old sail canvas to drink.

Rook and Smallfang, standing up at the console see a blur of yellow movement towards the ship and then a few heavy shudders through the ship. They begin to look around.

Barb notices Lirath beginning to hack away at the ropes holding one of the anarch spheres. The elemental powered spheres which power the ship.

Below decks Katya hears the sound of small footsteps running and childless laughter.

Smallfang rushes down into the hold and casts detect evil and the small childlike creatures glow evil and fiendishly. He charges at them trying to frighten them into going above deck. It works and one of the "children" run up to the deck only to find itself trapped in a cage created by Rook.

After killing or trapping each of the creatures, they question it with force. Lirath uses his ability to penetrate the mind of the creature. He sees the creature, along with many many of its confederates, assembled in front of the head priestess of Vecan, Osternath. She was the one they thought they had vanquished back within the maze of portals. She was banished to the Astral Plane but clearly she has survived. She confers with an old withered man in robes. Vecna!

The demons are tasked with looking for the group. They are given descriptions of each of the adventurers and told to kill them for the insult upon Osternath and by extension, Vecna himself. They must not be allowed to interfere with Vecna's plans. The demons are dismissed and scattered across the plane. Some, like this creature, are allowed to board the Shevaithan to scour outside the abyss for the infidels.

Lirath approaches the creature trapped within the cage and grabs it. The creature, a child with terror in its eyes, cries out as Lirath bites down upon its neck and begins to drink. The creature drops the pretense of being a small human child and reverts to its natural form. A yellow oozing creatures. A yochol. The creature now dead Lirath wipes his face and looks surprised as his actions.

Welcome To The Abyss

There is no time to question this as they are approaching the end of the vortex. Below them a grey and inhospitable expansive land grows closer by the second. They are heading down straight towards the ground. Smallfang does his best to right the ship and they just miss crashing into the ground. Hovering mere feet above the ground the group sees demons one by one come out of hiding to be amazed at the ship which has traversed the vortex.

Soon there is amassing a hoard of demons intently looking at the ship.

The group decides to leave the immediate vicinity as quickly as they can. At full speed they travel across the pit filled and craggy landscape leaving the hoard behind them giving chase. They travel for a while at great speed until they feel they can safely stop and assess their situation.

They are lost.

The Eye Of Falazure AND The Hand Of Vecna

Rook argues that with the artifacts of Vecna perhaps they would know what to do. They need the powers that the artifacts bestow. After some debate the group agrees.

Rook once again pulls out his own eye. This time stowing it away in a bag of holding for safe keeping. He places the Eye Of Falazure within his empty eye socket. As soon as that is done he amputates his own left hand and places the desiccated and leathery hand of Vecna against his bleeding stump and the hand bonds with his own arm. Almost immediately he is able to flex and move the hand as if it were his own.

Smallfang's enormous griffon growls and snarls from its perch above the group on the tower in the middle of the ship. It swoops down to land in front of Rook. It screeches menacingly at Rook and is about to strike. Rook reaches out his new left hand and simply touches the griffon.

The griffon shudders and a light flashes from with the creature. It's skeleton within visible as a flash of light for a brief second which then melts within. The griffon collapses to the deck in a loose puddle of flesh and feathers.

Rook smiles and thinks he might like this power.