Episode 15 - Journey Through The Astral Sea

Nymm 18-19

The siege has disbanded over the last two days, and we are able to enter the fortress and find Obanar. Echo has arrived in Argent and agreed to serve as a champion until the trouble subsides, and provides intelligence to Obanar about goings-on in Eberron. Obanar tells us that the giant incursion is not limited to Argent, which is not supposed to be possible. The army has largely returned to the mountains and back into the depths of Khyber. Frost giant raiding parties have been capturing villages in the northern part of Khorvaire. Zargosz is going to go back to the Eldeen Reaches and seek help for the demon in his head.

We spend a day memorizing rituals, building alchemical and magical items, and then head out to the Astral Sea to find the Astral Giants and the Temple of Inchoate Mysteries for information about the Auctorica Draconis. The pirates of Black Harbor will know where everything is in the Astral Sea. Obanar transports us to the Black Harbor, and we are in an unremarkable and dirty alleyway. Xiu determines that where there is noise, there are merchants, and goes to overhear conversations of crew near the Gossamer Ghost, a ship that looks promising.

We find the Captain, Akrathreal, drunk in a bar called the Drowned Rat, complaining about the quality of the drink. Xiu presents the grumpy captain with her bottle of wine. Echo gets an offer of two astral diamonds for passage. Magnus intimidates the captain, letting him know that he can provide muscle. Alain shows off a deep enough knowledge of the Astral Sea to get the captain to take us more seriously. Xiu believes that the captain is nervous about something, not us. Xiu pieces together that the mayor, also the captain of another ship, is not in port, and that Akratheal is eager to pick up his cargo and get out before the mayor returns. Echo convinces the captain that going out of his way might convince the mayor that he wasn't involved in whatever cargo he was supposed to be avoiding. He agrees to take us on for 5000 gold as long as we help load the ship, stay out of the way of the crew and avoid the cargo hold on pain of death.

The journey takes about 10 hours, after Magnus uses his Enhance Vessel ritual on the Gossamer Ghost. There is a golden staircase floating in midair, made up of giant-sized steps. There are four silvery giants on the stairs above us.

Xiu leaps into the air, comes down in front of an astral giant and swings at him with clever strike. Astral giant warpswords move in and swing swords at Xiu, one hits and one misses. Echo charges one of the warpswords with a blade of light, but the radiant damage does not seem to damage the giant much, and he seems surprised to see that. Astral Giants hit Xiu and crit Echo. Magnus moves up and uses come and get it on the giants. Alain moves up, fires a repulsion strike at one of the Astral Giant warpswords, gives Xiu a dancing shield and gives resistive formula to Xiu and Magnus.

Xiu attacks the Astral Giant with clever strike. Warpsword attack Echo and Magnus, hiting them and teleporting them into the astral sea and dazing them, although Magnus uses an item to resist. Echo fires off sign of vulnerability at an Astral Giant, making him vulnerable to radiant damage. Astral Giant attacks Xiu, the other one flies out to attack Magnus. Magnus draws an attack from the Astral Giant, charging back at one of the Warpswords and misses. Alain swings at the warpsword and misses.

Xiu tries and fails her changeling trick, uses accurate strike on the astral giant and bloodies him, causing the golden cords connecting him to the others to fade. Warpsword attacks Echo and causes ongoing radiant damage, the other warpsword attacks Magnus and misses. Echo swims forward and attacks with fervent strike and misses, but uses elven accuracy. Astral Giant misses Magnus, the other one attacks Xiu and misses. Magnus hits warpsword with appalling crunch, and he teleports away. Alain uses static shock for a critical on that warpsword.

Xiu charges with wild tumble cut at that warpsword and misses. Warpsword misses Echo and shifts back toward the stairs, and the other, bloodied one misses Magnus. Echo swims back onto the stairs and attacks the warpsword, but misses. Astral Giant attacks Xiu, another attacks Magnus and then floats back up the stairs. Magnus misses the warpsword. Alain uses resistive formula on Magnus and Xiu again, moves to the other warpsword and hits him with Greater Magic Weapon, which affects Echo's weapon.

Xiu hits the bloodied warpsword and he disintegrates into astral energy. The other warpsword hits Echo for a lot of damage. Echo lays hands on himself, hits the astral giant. Astral Giant attacks Xiu, the other one moves in and misses Magnus. Magnus misses the astral giant. Alain uses magic weapon on warpsword, steps back, calls the dancing shield, then uses his action point to fire static shock at the warpsword.

Xiu moves in on the bloodied astral giant and crits him, and he disperses into astral energy. The warpsword swings at Echo and misses. Echo uses lay on hands to heal himself, is no longer bloodied, uses bolstering attack on the warpsword. Astral Giant misses Xiu. Magnus moves up and crits the Astral Giant. Alain fires aggravating force at the warpsword, bloodying him. After a little more combat, we defeat them.

We climb the stairs, Alain notes that there are 86 of them. There is a grand landing and a massive set of double doors. There are statues of chimeraes, and a word is carved in Supernal above the doors. There are four more Astral Giants standing in front of the doors.

Alain tells them we come in peace, as he and Magnus put their weapons away. Echo steps up to tell them we were sent by Argent to seek the Auctorica Draconis. Magnus mentions Piranoth, the threat that is facing the multiverse. The giants step back away from the doors, and one of them pulls it open.

A massive dome full of stars makes up the roof, and the stars race by. Shrines occupy niches along the walls, each full of candles. Astral giants stand guard, while a third giant wearing a holy symbol stands beneath the dome, and there are four elven foulspawn in the room as well, led by a half-elf woman with tentacles. The astral giant rumbles "It seems you were correct, agents of Argent have come to steal the secrets. Guards, destroy them!"

Echo recognizes the holy symbol as a corrupted version of Boldrei's symbol.