25: The Weeping Colossus

 

Map of The Weeping Colossus

The dust from the collapsing tunnels still clinging to their clothes, the group, now with Rhundorth in tow, returned to the solemn Dwarven Tomb. To their relief, Joe was already there, a faint smile playing on his lips as he saw their new companion. After brief introductions and a hearty round of back-pats for their success in collapsing the Earth and Water Nodes, Joe wasted no time in sharing his findings. 

While they were battling the forces of Earth and Water, Joe had taken the initiative to scout the Temple of Eternal Flame. He revealed that the Fire cult's primary force was led by Vanifer, a powerful Tiefling wizard. Vanifer was a brutal taskmaster, driving her cultists relentlessly in their quest to expand their fiery domain. Joe had also pinpointed the probable location of the Fire Node itself, describing it as a cavern of magma deep underground.

With the Fire Cult's leader, Vanifer, and the Fire Node now firmly in their sights, Bessok teleported their new friend Rhundorth to Waterdeep, ensuring the rescued delegation member's safe return, and seized the opportunity to acquire a few much-needed supplies for himself in the bustling city. He swiftly returned to the Dwarven Tomb, and the group settled in for a night of rest.

The following morning, a hearty meal fortified them for the trials ahead. The weight of Joe's revelations pressed on their minds: the ritual to summon Imix, the Prince of Elemental Fire, had already begun. There was no time to lose; the Fire Node was their immediate and most critical target.

A Fire Cultist
Razerblast

Joe, utilizing his mastery of disguise, transformed into a convincing cultist. With a flash of arcane energy, he then placed both Bessok and Morthwyl safely within a shimmering bead of force, trapping the pair inside. Not to be outdone, Vinthanamel shimmered and vanished from sight, becoming entirely invisible. Joe, playing his role perfectly, pretended to be escorting the "captured" dwarves to the cult's prison. This ruse worked flawlessly. They slipped past the initial guards at the entrance to the cavern (W1) with ease, and even a colossal fire giant paid them no mind. A helpful (or perhaps unwitting) cultist known as a Razorblast even pointed them towards a secret entrance, leading them deeper into the fiery complex, closer to their ultimate goal (W2).

The deception continued to hold. Joe, still in his cultist guise, with Bessok and Morthwyl safely contained within the bead of force, and Vinthamel remaining invisible, navigated the treacherous depths of the complex known as The Weeping Colossus. They arrived at a convex-shaped room (W5), the air growing thick with heat and the acrid scent of sulphur, many niches in the walls holding human skulls that glowed with eery lights in various colours. Looking down a deep shaft, they could see flames flickering far below, casting an ominous glow upwards (W6). Undeterred, they opted to cross a nearby bridge spanning the fiery abyss (W7). Below them, salamanders writhed and swam in the molten rock, but Joe's convincing disguise kept them from reacting aggressively.

As they pressed further across the bridge, a truly formidable sight came into view: to the north a massive dragon lay upon a large rock (W11), its scales shimmering in the ambient heat. The presence of such a creature indicated they were drawing very close to the heart of the Fire Cult's power.

An Efreeti

Pushing further into the complex, Joe's disguise finally faltered, or perhaps they simply ventured into a highly secure area. Three fire cultists worshipped in front of an altar, while an Efreeti rested in a lavishly decorated bedroom area. The battle was swift and decisive; the seasoned adventurers quickly dispatched their fiery foes, though the Efreeti, fearing his demise, opened a planar portal and escaped before death could take it.

Undeterred, they pressed on, the air growing thick with heat and the ominous hum of powerful magic. They descended into the very heart of the Fire Node, a colossal cavern where Vanifer, the powerful Tiefling wizard, was completing her dark ritual. This was the location that gave the complex its name, The Weeping Colossus. 

The Weeping Colossus

A titanic cavern filled with a lake of gently undulating magma. A rough, uneven causeway of natural rock lead to where the ritual was taking place, out into the middle, to a point where two crooked pillars of glassy black rock jut up on either side of a great altar of the same stone. Just beyond the altar, a gargantuan stone colossus rose from the lava to its waist, its head thrown back as if in agony. Tears of lava streamed down its face, and lava wells from its gaping mouth. Above the colossus’s head, a great orb of fire and light — a miniature sun with motes of fire swirling around it. 

As the ritual completed, beside Vanifer a fire elemental swelled in size, its form expanding grotesquely as Imix, the Prince of Elemental Fire, began to pour his essence from the great orb directly into it. The air crackled with raw elemental power as Vinthanamel bravely attempted to banish Imix outright. The spell, however, failed to take hold of the Elemental Prince. The cavern erupted into chaos.

Vanifer
Prophet of Fire

From its perch, the dragon let out a furious roar and swooped down, breathing a torrent of fire upon the group. Simultaneously, Imix, now fully manifesting, split into multiple parts, and three more fire elementals burst forth from his fiery form, swelling in size. Morthwyl wasted no time, launching her hammer repeatedly at the airborne dragon, striking true despite the beast's intimidating presence. Bessok, meanwhile, downed a potion of haste and charged forward to engage one of the newly formed smaller elementals.

In a brilliant display of magic, Vinthanamel managed to cast a spell that caused both the massive fire elemental and the dragon to fall over, seemingly overcome with uncontrollable laughter. Taking advantage of the distraction, Joe unleashed a double volley of arrows, raining down deadly precision on everything near Imix.

The smaller elementals surged forward to disrupt Joe's distant attacks and Vinthanamel's spellcasting, setting Bessok ablaze as they passed him. Imix himself joined the assault, focusing a massive burst of fire directly on Bessok, who was already feeling the immense heat of the environment. The very lava in the cavern began to rise, flooding over the walkway and scorching both Morthwyl and Vinthanamel.

Imix
Prince of Elemental Fire

Undaunted, Morthwyl engaged with Imix directly, her hands burning as she struck the colossal elemental with furious blows. Vinthanamel, recovering swiftly, retaliated by sending a potent lightning bolt arcing into Imix and two of the surrounding elementals. As Vanifer attempted to dominate one of the group, Vinthanamel swiftly countered her spell, protecting his allies. In a brutal act of revenge, Imix unleashed another huge burst of fire upon Vinthanamel, dropping the wizard to the ground. Bessok rushed to heal him, but Vanifer, with a malicious grin, countered Bessok's healing spell. Thinking fast, Bessok used a smaller spell to get Vinthanamel back on his feet, albeit still wounded.

A Young Red Dragon

The dragon, also having recovered from Vinthanamel's spell, flew back into the fray, breathing fire down on Bessok and Morthwyl. The battle reached its climax as Joe, with incredible precision, fired a set of arrows that traced a line directly through Imix's glowing eyes. The arrows seemed to drag the very essence of the Elemental Prince into a quickly fading fire, dispersing the gigantic elemental. With Imix's demise, his three smaller fire elemental manifestations also vanished while Vanifer screamed in pure frustration.

Turning her attention to the remaining threats, Morthwyl delivered a devastating blow that smashed the dragon's skull. Then, with swift, decisive strikes, she landed several finishing blows on Vanifer, who collapsed into a smoky humanoid form before her ethereal wisps drifted away into the vast cavern, leaving nothing but a lingering scent of sulphur and defeat.

With the cult's leader and the elemental lord vanquished, Joe approached the fallen Tinderstrike dagger. He picked it up and, with a final act of closure, hurled it into the swirling orb of fire that hovered above the weeping colossus. The fiery sphere tightened into a minuscule dot before exploding outwards, sending shimmering embers drifting downwards across the cavern, signifying the final closure of the Fire Node.

With the Fire Node closed and Vanifer defeated, the group began their arduous journey back to the entrance of the complex. As they passed through the convex cavern, a voice from below interrupted their progress. Lowering a chain ladder, they discovered Teresiel, another missing member of the Delegation, who was surprisingly alive amidst the volcanic heat.

A Lava Roper

Escorting Teresiel, and ever vigilant for overlooked treasures, they ventured onto a nearby walkway. Their exploration was abruptly halted when a roper erupted from the lava below, its tendrils snaring members of the group and dragging them into the molten rock. Vinthanamel reacted swiftly, banishing the creature before it could inflict serious harm. Its tendrils, banished with it, allowed the adventurers to scramble free and fly back to the walkway, then make a hasty retreat from the roper's impending return.

Returning to the main entrance, they found the area strangely deserted. The fire giant and guards were gone, and the large disc that brought them down here had now moved up to the Temple. Using their flight, they moved up to the Temple and found that it too was empty, the distant sounds of retreating boots echoing off the cavern walls. 

Map of the Temple of Eternal Flame

Finding a few more treasures left behind by the fleeing cultists, they finally made their way back to the relative safety of the Dwarven Tomb. Here, they could relax, discuss their next move, and, crucially, arrange for Teresiel's safe return to Waterdeep.