A Light in the Void - 01/08/2024 - Mendal Recounts

“Your turn next time Archie.”

“What do you mean?” The elderly human wizard asked inquisitively to his dwarven friend.

“I did the last Archwyrm vs Incarnate Primordial, world-ending quest. So, if any of those Heralds knock on our door, it’s your turn.”

“... that’s not really how that works, Mendal,” Archie said reproachfully.

“Yeah it is. I’ve decided so.” Mendal said, convinced that this was indeed how that worked.

“You realise your recent display of immense divine power will make you far more sought after than I, a mere wizard?”

Mendal did not immediately respond. He was both proud of his desirability, but also a little annoyed. It might not leave him time for working on improving his magical craftsmanship. Mendal had much time for praise directed his way, but it had to be on his schedule! “Ahhhh balls!” Was all he could muster.

“So Moradin, an actual god will just come whenever you need him? Said Mendal’s goliath friend, Kavel, truly impressed. “Comrade, that’s very strong.”

“... it doesn’t work like that, Kavel.” Mendal said to his tall friend, and also reflected, “why doesn’t he know how it works? The big fool’s seen the goddess Selune more than once, but still only on very rare occasions, when the situation was bloody dire?!”

Mendal was expecting that his channelling of immense divine energy through the divine intervention of his god, Moradin, would put him on easy-street around the Dwarven Quarter, and in the adventuring community, too. However, now he was wondering if it would be a little troublesome for him?





Recruiting the Party

The adventure started with Mendal going to Orianna’s house, to see Elarris, her fellow herald and lodger. Mendal wanted to check up on the recently acquired suit of mithril plate they found. Mendal had, with the skills of craftsmanship he acquired as a Vultan Clan Crafter, and the divine magic he had been blessed with by the god Moradin, reshaped Elarris’s mithril plate armour to something better suiting Elarris’ preferences. Chief amongst the adaptations was the dragon tribute to the archwyrm Eroshira on Elarris’s chest plate. After all, the herald to the Archwyrm of Radiant Light, should proudfully pay tribute to his lady. Especially, as Mendal thought, to an Archwyrm of exceptional, radiant beauty as Eroshira herself. In addition, Mendal always enjoyed helping himself to the baked goods that were made available to him when he came to visit Elarris - not from Elarris himself, but from Orianna. Or maybe it was her father or dad that made the baked treats? Mendal didn’t know, he just consumed what was offered graciously by his host like the parasite to hospitality that he is.

At Orianna’s house, Elarris wanted Mendal’s help in a matter concerning the Archwyrms and Incarnate Primordial war. The last of the nine Archwyrm’s keys that sealed the Primordial’s away needed to be found, and this key was Eroshira’s. The adventure would require journeying to the Plane of Vacuum.

The human knight and the dwarven cleric remembered their recent journey under the sea, where they found the mithril armour. The armour they found was one of the most memorable moments of that adventure. One of the other most memorable moments of that adventure was how their party consisted of only Mendal, Elarris and one other. The adventuring party was very small that time, and furthermore it was not particularly varied when it came to skills. All members favoured strength and armour. Elarris and Mendal both agreed that this time, they could really do with more members in the party, and more of a variety in skill and talent!

The pair of knights went back to Mendal’s home to see if Mendal’s friend, Archie, an elderly human wizard would join them, or atleast recommend another wizard. When they got back to Mendal’s residence, Archie was on his way out to Daring Academy for some business. This was unfortunate. However, to their good fortune Archie’s viol instructor, a noble half-elf bard, and new adventurer called Zasper, had just finished teaching. The party had acquired a bard.

The quest was set for the day after. Elarris and Mendal made sure to pin the address to Orianna’s house (the rendez-vous point) to Zasper’s clothing (the piece of parchment contained both the address and security key to enter Orianna’s home without being assaulted by the magical security trees outside. Additionally, Zasper confessed to, let's say, needing the piece of parchment stuck to himself for him not to lose it… this did make Elarris and Mendal worry a little about their choice of bard adventurer).

Mendal suggested he and Elarris go off to the Three Headed Dragon to find more adventurers for their party, and also to have a drink to celebrate their party achievement so far.

At the Dragon, Mendal saw a familiar aarakocra drowning his sorrows. This was the rogue-like, junior investigator, Pyrin Branch. Pyrin looked like he had been roughed up, and stunk profusely of booze and sorrow.

Mendal and Pyrin had recently discovered that they were having their expenses in taverns paid for by a, shall we say, ‘worryingly criminal and demonic group’, The Hekrati. The pair of adventurers had unintentionally provided a service for The Hekrati, and they were most pleased by this.

Mendal, remembering his drinks were free, got a round in for himself, Elarris and Pyrin. Pyrin’s paid expenses, however, had seized early, as he had; followed the bill payer, was spotted, and then got beaten up by Hekrati people. This story was not ideal to hear about the ‘rogue’ one was recruiting into the party, but so be it. Pyrin joined the party, and Mendal gave him some divine healing before they parted ways, and suggested Pyrin freshen up the next day.


The Party Assembled

The next day, at Orianna’s place, the team of adventurers gathered, and whilst Orianna was not able to join the party during the mission, she was present as Elarris explained the history of the archwyrms and primordial incarnates to the adventurers new to the story, Zasper and Pyrin. Too polite to interrupt Elarris’s many inaccuracies, Orianna felt relieved at Eroshira’s arrival, in her humanoid form. The Shining Light was able to answer questions from the newcomers, as well as admire Elarris’s new suit of mithril plate, which had a tribute to her on the chest plate. Mendal drew Eroshira’s attention to all the details of the plate that he had added with his craftsmanship and magic, and basked in the beautiful archwyrm’s praise.

Not unexpectedly, Mendal wasn’t the only person struck by Eroshira’s radiant beauty and presence. Compliments flowed from Zasper to Eroshira culminating in a compliment Zasper felt was the highest compliment he could offer; a marriage proposal. Eroshira gently brought up the immense age difference between the two, and related reasons for why the match would not be suitable for either party. Zasper perceived these problems as hardly troubling, and that he was happy to give Eroshira more time to decide. Zasper had also earned Mendal’s contempt.

Eroshira explained that her key was located on The Plane of Vacuum, which borders the Plane of Air - not a problem for any flyers in the group (only Pyrin) and the Negative Plane - hostile to all forms of life, and energy too. The mission? Find the key and bring it back. If the primordial Malignus ‘The First Void’ who had possession of Eroshira’s key, appeared, then Eroshira would engage him, while the party found the key and brought it back to her. Key in hand, Eroshira would return the party back home.


The Plane of Vacuum and the Clockwork Structure

In the empty and dark environment of the Vacuum Plane, Eroshira and her Herald’s adventuring party were guided to their intended location by the distant flicker of radiant light that could be seen in the far distance, which could only belong to Eroshira’s key.

The adventurers and ancient archwyrm came upon an immense clockwork structure made of brass. At the top of the structure, the guiding light shone. Inside the clockwork tower, mechanisms in the walls and in the ceilings appeared to serve a purpose, but the purpose was unknown to the newcomers at that time.

As the searching group entered the building they could see a stairway to the top of the building before them. But, before they could reach the stairs, Malignus, in his large humanoid and void form attacked.

Eroshira leapt to the party’s defence, locking up with the evil primal incarnate. Void-like spear versus radiant spear.

“Go!” Eroshira commanded. The party obeyed. They ran for the stairs and climbed to the top floor with the thundering echo of ancient beings fighting below them, shaking the structure of the mechanical building around them.

The adventurers ascended to a large room, at the centre on a plinth lay Eroshira’s key. Fearing a trap, Mendal summoned the mighty celestial warrior of Moradin, Prince Bri’an of the Blessed Vulcanites. Bri’an, mighty as ever, wished to do battle with Malignus. Bri’an felt put out to be summoned not for battle, but to fetch an object. Zasper had words for Bri’an about the role of a servant. As none but Bri’an and Zasper could understand celestial speech, Zasper’s disapproval of Bri’an’s slow obedience to Mendal’s command went unnoticed - save for the way Bri’an looked both angrily and baffled at Zasper as he brought the key to Mendal.

Before the Prince of the Vulcanites could reach Mendal, two powerful beings smashed through the wall and into the Prince, knocking him over, throwing the key out of his hands. Prince Bri’an crashed to the floor, and vanished.

Malignus and Eroshira, both injured and prone from their landing, stood up and locked together again in battle. But Malignus gained the upper hand when Eroshira took stock of the situation, saw the adventurers and paused to worry. Malignus struck Eroshia in the jaw with a bludgeoning weapon made of his void body. With a newly formed spear, the evil primordial pierced the archwyrm’s shoulder, and brought her to the ground, pinning her. Malignus then turned to the adventurers and casted a powerful banishing spell.

One by one, the adventurers were banished from the clocktower, and the Plane of Vacuum. Pyrin vanished, then Zasper. So too the Herald Elarris disappeared. But Mendal alone resisted the force of the banishment magic and remained in the clocktower, the only adventurer left as Malignus, an immensely powerful being overpowered Eroshira. What was a lone dwarven cleric to do?


The Key and the Divine Call

So small and insignificant to Malignus did the dwarf appear to him, that Malignus gave Mendal no mind, busying himself instead with lifting Eroshira’s beaten body off the ground, and summoning the ceiling of the clockwork tower to bring restraints down to hold Eroshira by each limb.

Mendal, scared to attack Malignus, and aware all too well of his powerlessness compared to the ancient primordial, instead focused on what he could - get the key. Mendal concluded that if he could get the key, maybe Eroshira had enough power to planshift him and her to safety, and in time retrieve the others wherever they were?

Mendal watched, as restraints began to grasp Eroshira. He was afraid to move. But he had a plan. Mendal opened his tool pouches, masonry and smithing; and casted the Animate Objects spell using the divine magic the god Moradin had blessed him with, and sent ten floating tools out to find and retrieve the key wherever it had been scattered.

The animated tools searched near where Prince Bri’an vanished, and found the key! Several tools combined, to carry the key to Mendal, who reached out for the key as it was brought to him. Mendal clutched the key tight to his chest. This was when Malignus paid notice to the dwarf, and Mendal could feel the disturbing attention he was under before even looking up at Malignus.

Grasping the key tight to chest and yet frozen stiff, Mendal wanted to shout to Eroshira to planeshift them both away to safety. But Eroshira was fully restrained now, magical brass manacles held her wrists and ankles down on a vertical slab of brass.

Nothing Mendal could do physically or with his divine magic could fight Malignus or break Eroshira’s restraints. Mendal, reluctant to do it, realised he had one thing he could try. Very unlikely to succeed as it was, he could try it. As a cleric, and not just anyone, he could pray to his god for a miracle.

When other clerics called to their gods for direct aid, Mendal found this pitiful. “Do these other gods not bless these pitiful clerics with enough divine magic?” Mendal would often ask rhetorically, seeing it as pathetic, and uninventive of other clerics when they prayed for a divine intervention from their gods. But what choice did Mendal have here, he reluctantly acknowledged.

And so, with frustration and desperation driving him, Mendal closed his eyes tight. He prayed and apologised to Moradin, as he touched the holy symbol of Moradin on his shield; the anvil, hammer and flame. Mendal beseeched Moradin to bring forth the might of his godly power to this cursed Plane, heal Eroshira back to fighting form, free her from her restraints, and forgive his chosen one for having not the strength to do so himself.

Mendal opened his eyes and nothing happened.

Malignus reached an arm down towards Mendal to retrieve the key.

The monstrous, void-like arm came close to touching the dwarf. But then Mendal’s hand that was still touching the holy symbol of his shield grew hot as if the naked flames of a fire had touched it, and the symbol of Moradin shone with intense radiant light and vibrated with great force.

Mendal braced the shield with the hand he removed from the shield’s face. From the shield came the sound of a forge lighting up like the sound of a thousand bonfires taking light, and the vibrations sounded like a thousand hammers pounding steel held by tongs against an anvil. From the holy symbol of Mendal’s shield burst forth a gigantic, unending wave of radiant light, as Moradin’s godly power projected out of Menda’s shield forcing away Malignus’s outstretched arm, causing the primordial to scream in pain. The same beam of immense divine radiance then struck Eroshira’s chest and poured into her divine healing, at the same time heating up her restraints.

Mendal’s feet slipped across the floor with the godly power emitting from his shield. But an invisible, mighty, godly hand held him in place, as Moradin himself directed his cleric to stand firm and continue being a vessel from which his divine healing and aid could project.

Malignus was indignant and beside himself! And at that moment, Eroshira’s most intimate ally, Adai brought forth Pyrin, Zasper and Elarris from the Planes they had been banished to, thanks to the divine cross-planar messaging, and immense risk-taking of Calla Prim, fellow Herald of Elarris, coming to his aid.

Eroshira broke free of her restraints, as more healing energy poured into her from Mendal’s shield. Malignus formed spears in both of his hands, ready to throw one at the source of interfering godly healing and one at the archwyrm he had formerly restrained.

Pyrin took to the air with his wings, darting in front of Mendal, distracting Malignus’s line of sight, while Zasper took up his lute and with magical enhancement played the most cursed distracting tune, horrifyingly out of key. Malignus’s spear intended for Mendal missed.

Before Malignus could throw the other spear, beams of radiant light from Adai drove him back, and at the same time Eroshira poured some of her renewed energy into her Herald, the knight Elarris.

Elarris’s sword glowed with new power, himself in his new mithril plate shining too. And, as commanded by the archwyrm to which he is herald, he showed Malignus what a Herald can do. Elarris struke the primal incarnate with tremendous radiant slashing light, cutting the incarnate’s chest and spear arm, forcing the void-spear to disappear and the entity to scream in pain.

Wounded, and now outnumbered by the power of two ancient beings; Eroshira and Adai, Malignus dissolved his form into the ground, and vanished.


Destruction of the Clocktower

Eroshira would not leave until the clocktower had been melted into slag. The archwyrm revealed that the clocktower was a mechanism designed to imprison her and fuel a weapon. As Adai took the adventurers outside, Eroshira transformed into her gigantic ancient radiant dragon form, burst through the ceiling and rained down radiant dragon fire from the top of the brass tower until it had melted into the ground.

Weapon destroyed, goodbyes were said to Adai, and Eroshira returned with the adventurers back to Daring Heights, with her key successfully obtained.





“So, Eroshira told me that she knew Moradin and he actually taught her smithing,” Mendal told his friends Kavel and Archie fondly. “I was pleased to see that Moradin favoured Eroshira! I told her so.”

“Like cleric like god then,” Archie said jokingly.

“We both see clearly!”

Kavel pointed to the bag of topaz and yellow diamonds that Mendal brought back on the kitchen table. “Eroshira rewarded you?”

“Oh yes!” Mendal replied, “isn’t she wonderful? She’s not as cheap as the other archwyrms.” Turning to Archie, Mendal added, “you went and helped that bartender Henri with Throdraxx and what you got was six years added to your age. What a bastard! And I don’t recall you coming back with a bag of sapphires from Stellarum, when you helped Orianna get her staff!”

Archie raised both eyebrows and tilted his head a little sideways when he voiced his agreement, “indeed.”

“Anyway. Drinks and a meal is on me tonight lads! Haha!” Mendal announced jovially. “You know, I always knew I was Moradin’s favourite amongst all the clerics and worshippers of his I’ve ever encountered. I mean, I’m very clearly the best craftsman - Moradin loves that. And I just get on with it, you know? Instead of jabbering on all the time about forgiveness and whatever else all the other clerics vomit up incessantly. And then there’s the fact that Moradin’s Sacred Hammer came to me! I’ve said it before boys, and I’ll say it again - other clerics just aren’t doing it right.”

“Well, seems to me that other clerics will be keen to learn from,” Archie couldn’t complete that sentence before Mendal cut him off.

“Oh balls! Bloody fiery balls!”

“The Dawnland’s most divinely blessed cleric is going to be very busy. Too busy to craft all that mithril he obtained last week, perhaps?” Archie suggested wryly.

Mendal slumped down on a chair and fidgeted with some of the yellow diamonds on the kitchen table. “Bollocks!”