Session 21

Heroes: Alandrovic, Aelarion, Colman, Hesna, Rahel, Sengar.

The Heroes inform their manager about their foray into the catacombs, and Ekaym quickly hires three adventurers to fill in the ranks. They decide to go wait with investigating the underground rooms further, and to focus on winning the Games.

The day after in the Arena, they face and defeat two fearsome dwarves with flaming swords, and then are selected to face the beast "Madtooth the Hungry" on the following day. The beast is a froghemoth, a frenzied monster out for blood. The Heroes survive also this challenge, and get ready to face Auric's Warband in the final battle.

But the Age of Worms has not forgotten the Heroes. As they defeat their last opponent and bathe in the accolades of the roaring crowds, the Arena floor explodes in an eruption of green worms, and the Apostle of Kyuss emerges! Loris Raknian maniacal laugh announces the final step of a dreadful ritual that will sacrifice all those present in the Arena.

The Heroes quickly get their bearings, and after a deadly battle defeat the Apostle, interrupting the ritual. Unfortunately, Loris escapes during the ensuing chaos. Having received the Champion's Belt and several prizes, the Heroes return to Eligos' home, only to find the wizard has been assassinated. Searching his study, they find hidden notes adressed to Allustan back in Diamond Lake, detailing his findings about the Age of Worms.

It seems it is time to go back where it all started.

Session 20

Heroes: Sengar, Aelarion, Walaver, Icarium.

The Heroes face more undead, until they find the room where the Apostolic Scrolls are kept, guarded by Bozal Zahol, a tiefling priest of dark forces. After killing the cleric, the Heroes try to take the scrolls, but they are protected by an impenetrable barrier of force.

Not far from the scrolls, in a huge domed chamber, a disgusting, gargantuan worm lies dormant, also protected by a field of force.

Unable to interrupt the flow of dark magic, the Heroes continue their exploration, and enter the living quarters of Bozal. There a zombified female corpse, still dressed in finery, silently awaits. The Heroes recognize her as Lahaka, Ekaym's lost sister, and decide to free her from undeath with their blades.

Proceeding further, they enter a room guarded by an alkilith demon. The terrible creature almost slaughters the whole party, until Icarium, calling upon the divine power of murder and vengeance, strikes the demon down. Unfotunately, Icarium and Walaver do not survive this ordeal.

With heavy hearts, Sengar and Aelarion carry the corpses of their friends back to the Coenoby.

Session 19

Heroes: Sengar, Walaver, Aelarion, Icarium.

The Heroes have some time to rest in the Coenoby, where they receive a visit from their manager, Ekaym. He congratulates them for their victory, but also reveals that he had a more personal reason for financing their participation to the Games.

His sister, Lahaka, had an affair with Loris Raknian during the previous Games, and it is now several months that he has no news of her. He hopes the Heroes can explore the Arena Understructure, and maybe even Loris's palace, to find some clues of her fate.

During the night, the Heroes sneak out of the Coenoby, first into the Titan's House, a huge cavern filled with abandoned catacombs, and then into passages infested by ghouls, until they reach an underground stream connecting with the sewer system.

When they spot a way to climb outside of the filthy water, they find themselves in the refuse pit of some sort of temple. In the very first room they enter, they are assaulted by several Spawn of Kyuss! Certainly, the dark taint of the Age of Worms is spreading beneath the arena...

Session 18

Heroes: Sengar, Rahel, Walaver, Icarium.

The Heroes decide to inflitrate the Free City Arena as gladiators. Luckily for them, one of Eligos' associates, a mysterious woman called Celeste, pays them a visit and introduces them to Ekaym Smallcask, who owns a manager licence necessary to participate in the games.

As the games begin, the Heroes have a chance to meet the Arena Director, Loris Raknian, and his retinue, among them the silent Okoral, in charge of the security detail.

After a sumptous celebration, all the gladiator teams are excorted to the Coenoby, an underground compound below the Arena where they will spend the next 5 days.

During the first day of battles, the Heroes must face three other teams: the elven archers of the Arcane Auriga, the savages of the Badlands Revenge, and the exotic desert dwellers of the Sapphire Squad.

The Heroes, under the name of Brotherhood of the Badger & Co. (...) ally with Arcane Auriga against of the other two teams, and then face off against the elven archers. They emerge victorious, and bask in the accolades of the crowd.