Rakshasas? Disguising themselves? No way

The heroes begin clashing with the rakshasas outside, over the protests of the two miners. Even as the rakshasas try to escape, likely to call for reinforcements, the heroes go into hot pursuit, with Livius sending an arcing lightning bolt through a pair of them and Sora, KB, and Hobbes giving chase. Cas, Abe, and Nahk fight the stragglers.

One of the miners though gives Cas a wink and a sudden shock wave of necrotic energy knocks everyone down but Nahk, who still takes damage anyway. Only KB is left unaffected, having been slightly too far away. Sora and Hobbes dust themselves off and continue chasing after the fleeing rakshasas, while the other miner decides to take on Nahk. Whoops it’s a rakshasa too.

The destructive wave miner turns out to be the Bakasura (which was why Hobbes’s trick didn’t work: they were all reading his thoughts). Abraham realizes that real magic was the axe he had in his hand all along and successfully brutalizes the Bakasura while taking some hits along the way. The Bakasura, military commander that he is, orders his rakshasas to strike at the heroes. Nahk fights valiantly against his foe while Sora and Hobbes are able to hunt down and eliminate the rakshasas seeking help.

Rakshasas? Limited magical immunity? No way

But the plan begins unraveling as the Bakasura starts making some sense. He tells them that they should all just stow away their weapons and walk away so that they can discuss it later. Everyone but Hobbes and Sora hear this suggestion. Sora dashes in and throws a hypnotic pattern over the Bakasura, who looks up at the pattern and merely says, “Pretty colors.”

On his way to exit, stage left, Nahk picks up one of the rakshasas like a rag doll and then proceeds to beat him to death. As the Bakasura takes to the skies, Sora and Hobbes gives chase. Sora gives Hobbes a pat on the back and the power to fly after him.

Kill them all and let God Sora them out

Hobbes and the Bakasura clash in the sky, but Hobbes is unable to break the rakshasa’s concentration. The Bakasura soon cuts Hobbes down with his great sword and Hobbes plummets to the ground, leaving a Hobbes-sized crater. The Bakasura begins to flee over the entrance of the mine and is gone from view.

The minions subdued, the others refocus their attention on tending to the wounded. Except Sora who is pissed and, shortly followed by KB and Nahk, chases after the Bakasura. But the Bakasura suggests to Sora that she’d rather go and find a seashell on the seashore.

KB and Nahk have one last chance to stop the monster before he escapes. Livius remembers that he can cast fly though and sends Abe out to attack. KB is able to mitigate some damage off of Abe to make sure he doesn’t die, but doesn’t quite get him there. Luckily Nahk is able to knock knock knock on the Bakasura’s skull with his 15 foot reach and take him out. “I’ll be back, assholes!” the Bakasura cries out as he dissolves into ash.

Ha! Ponytail!

The heroes reconvene, a few death saves and medicine checks later. They get Krump and his warband of bugbears to challenge the remaining rakshasas on the island to dance-off. The rakshasas lose (their lives).

The human villagers try to adjust to life no longer under the rakshasas. Bulotros decides to help everyone through it and he is acclaimed the village leader. He soothes them by telling them, “Youse shall be rewarded! We shall once more see the lands our forebearers seen. Fuhgedaboudit!”

What’s this about a hell dimension and a deal with a demon?

The heroes receive the constellation charm from the kodama, even though they try to take it back when they realize that the Bakasura has his own private hell to regenerate from. The kodama warn the heroes that the rakshasas will be back in seven days and that they should make sure to clear the rest of the evil forces on the islands before returning the demiplane to the material realm. But the heroes aren’t too fussed since they are really confident that their deal with Kaldred will work out. But they hide the deal with the demon part from the Kodama. But like, they definitely know.

I forgot to mention this, but the Bakasura’s navy is now yours, consisting of 3 longships, 1 decommissioned galley, and 1 decommissioned warship (not enough rakshasa crew to man either of the last two). Krump and his bugbears don’t know how to sail, but they are willing to learn. You are free to rechristen (whoever that is) these ships.

My alchemical necromance

The heroes find a polearm weapon named the Binder of Death, a powerful anti-necromantic weapon previously wielded by the Bakasura before he created his greatsword (which disappeared when he died). The weapon was specifically crafted to vanquish Aramestes, his generals (Temarian Yoldo and Sull), and his minions, and now it is in Nahk’s hands. Nahk decides to hand over his longsword (which was originally found by Sora on the corpse of a paladin under Aurochs Island slightly over a month ago) to Livius (so he can complete his whole Gandalf look, whoever that is), and they name it Goremand, in honor of Nahk’s love of food, gore, and puns.

The heroes regroup the next day in Charatos harbor with the PS Admirable Effort, Krump and his warband, and the new fleet. They wonder how Rho and Paloma are doing with their mission as they cast their eyes to the sky. In the corner of their eyes, they sometimes see shapes in the sky. Could be the skyswimmer, could be the Duchess Serena’s dirigibles. But usually turns out to be birds.

The heroes set their sights on Dorost.

Also just a logistics note, you all are now running very low on food. You all must forage right away.

It is morning on day 35 since the Battle of Aurochs Island, the first engagement in the Argoti-Mineosi War.

The heroes are in Charatos harbor, having vanquished the rakshasas, cleansed the water supply, and captured a small fleet of ships.

Two islands left: Nistora and Dorost.

All three keys have been retrieved.

The dogs are on the flagship. There are five new ships added to your fleet.

Malory is on the material plane with Hespero

Rho is with Paloma and the Skyswimmer.

You have four solid cubes with keyholes and a ring of seven keys:

• KB has one of the pine wood cubes
• Livius has the cube made of bone found in Iskos Valley Village’s elders’ hut
• The Alchemist has one of the pine wood cubes, the obsidian cube found at Natalya’s tomb, and the ring of seven keys

You are on a demiplane, and Zulon has been on the material plane for four full days.

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