Session 11: Rotten Hearts
Session 11: Rotten Hearts
Tags: #session
In short: Ouraeus's betrayal, Tzentak's rotten heart, a charmed Rik — and the desert replaced by frozen tundra.
Summary
The session began in the "Hallway of the Keeper," where Blackjack acrobatically sprinted through traps screaming "Jack-Attack!" while Icarus crawled undignifiedly to safety. The party barely survived a crushing boulder trap by deploying the Immovable Rod at the last second. Deeper inside, they trapped the hostile genie Kaza-Rul in an obsidian jar and recovered a Mysterious Book.
The true nightmare began when Rik, exploring a hidden cavern alone, found Tzentak's beating rotten heart and was instantly charmed, flooded with visions of Tzentak's origins and his deal with The Dark Six. Ouraeus, with a snake-charmer's tune, revealed himself as the true Medji-Tzentak — confessing he had slaughtered his own village as repentance and meant to revive the Pharaoh — and led the charmed Rik away.
In the final battle, Rik turned his blade on the party to protect the heart. Wild Fury fought through his panic to take a final, divine stand. Icarus, recovering from a Wild Magic surge that turned him into a potted plant, polymorphed Wild Fury into a Giant Ape. Desperate for firepower, the party released Kaza-Rul to turn the tide. The Giant Ape pummeled Tzentak; Gearsley gunned down the Naga (Ouraeus); Rik dove to shield the heart, but Icarus's Hold Person froze him, giving Gearsley the opening to shoot the heart and end Tzentak for good.
The victory triggered a dread-filled Wild Magic surge: an explosion of visions of a city consumed by darkness and evil. The party awoke to find the desert gone, replaced by frozen tundra. Hell hath frozen over.
Key Developments
- Ouraeus revealed as a betrayer — a naga seeking to revive Tzentak — and was gunned down by Gearsley.
- Tzentak destroyed when his heart was shot.
- Kaza-Rul captured, then released in bargain; the Mysterious Book recovered.
- Wild Magic vision: a city consumed by darkness.
- The party mysteriously transported from Anauroch to a frozen tundra.
