Eve of Ahtos

Participants

• Tingle
• David the Gnome
• Kaladan of Norixius
• Arden Rook

Recap

David awoke with a start, his unfamiliar surroundings coming slowly into focus as the ringing in his ears and the pounding in his head gradually faded. He was in one of many "crash spots" he'd identified in section 6 thus far. Small, out of the way nooks where a mischievous gnome could lay low for a while, undetected.

The question in this case, was why? He couldn't recall. This wasn't something he did under any normal circumstances, so the lack of context was worrisome.

Yet, before any real panic took hold, David saw the edge of the brightly lit sign for Escher's "Pit" the casino/club/gladiatorial arena where JKS had already ventured, seeking to make their mark. It was at this revelation that his circumstances all came back to him. It was a job, his job, one he had thought about relentlessly ever since it first occurred to him.

Thinking back, the gnome dusted himself off, and leapt down off the cold electric platform he had slept on, perched in a dead-end alley not far from the busy streets below. Avoiding what could only have been a splattered pool of his own vomit, David worked the kinks out of his protesting lower-back muscles as he mentally retraced his steps.

He recalled splitting off from his group of JKS enforcers to pursue his obsession with this idea.

Like an itch he couldn't scratch, David needed some way to satisfy his craving to pull this off, and when JKS was set on investigating a fairly simple matter of a missing guild member, he had quietly slipped away to pursue his own interests.

Now that he had done his recon, David determined his job was feasible, and that fact simply delighted him. This would be a boon for all of JKS, and he celebrated this with drinking. Lots of drinking.

Maybe less drinking next time, he thought to himself, wincing at his headaches' reminder it was not finished with him just yet.

Finally, his early morning jaunt led him back home to Squadquarters. Letting himself in, he gave a quick nod to the door sentry, and paused by a sleeping Lief, the young tiefling sporting the lightning badge of a JKS enforcer.

He set off to find Becky, obviously having missed out on some developments. The headquarters were quiet, more so than usual, and the odd guild-brother or sister he passed only gave minimal hellos or acknowledgement. Finally reaching his guild leader's quarters, a pit had begun to settle in his stomach.

By the time David learned of Nox's fate, the Rave was only just waking up. As the stunned gnome came to grips with what happened, the guild around him was trying to feel normal again. Not all of JKS dealt with mourning the same, and Arden was among the few to cordon themselves off from the world, shutting everyone, and everything out.

Perhaps it was that extra time in solitude wherein Arden found the words to remember his friend and comrade. Emerging from his quarters later that morning the bard gathered his guild-mates in the main hall, took a breath, and delivered a moving tribute to Nox. His thoughtful words were just what was needed, and JKS felt like they could begin to move on.

It was around this time that the activities outside became too obvious to ignore. As the reinvigorated enforcers took to the streets, called to the rhythm of the deep drumming, emanating down the street, a profound curiosity took hold. A large crowd had gathered, watching some kind of procession approaching, and JKS found themselves fascinated with the spectacle.

The Eve of Ahtos, a lecherous old gnome in the crowd explained to them watching the first of the voluptuous dancers streak by, was a day of celebration for the large demon-worshiping guild. They celebrated the day the Archdemon of Vices, whom they considered their creator, came into being.

The tiny man licked his lips, and pointed out the varied masks they wore, representing their personal vision of their guilds namesake.

Almost never breaking his stare towards the ladies of Ahtos, the gnome remained highly educational, nodding his head to the beat as he spoke. All in all, it seemed the purpose of the day was about giving in to indulgence. The celebration was primarily for Ahtos members in early years, but it has since become a Rave-wide phenomenon, with the Cult seeing others participating as a first step in becoming a follower, and the uninitiated got to truly let loose. It was a win-win, and wildly popular. The Autorus despised it, but largely looked the other way.

The "real" party, they were told, was within "the darkening" a magical blackness only a natural flame would pierce, shrouding of all Ahtos territory. Patrons would then celebrate in their own way, out of the public eye, with many acts and displays being otherwise illegal. A casual celebrant could become a bit overwhelmed within the darkening, with patrons taking their "worship" to the extreme. Many Ravers who were not part of Ahtos did not participate in this part of the day.

JKS, however, were sold. There was need for a distraction, and even if this wasn't something to fully immerse themselves in, it still sounded like an interesting experience. With nothing else pressing for the moment, the group eventually drifted north, towards the Ahtos club 'The Embrace', where festivities would come to a culmination.

Arriving at the Ahtos club the group noted a substantial crowd had gathered, the many celebrants buzzing with anticipation. Among them was Normaad, the owner and proprietor of the Embrace, a "beautiful" wight, who drifted between groups of guilds greeting and charming the guests. The undead host seemed to be in multiple places at once, adding a personal touch to the experiences of anyone he could, simultaneously.

The darkening had been cast, and all of Ahtos territory fell out of sight from the Rave. The Embrace itself was twinkling with torches and open cauldrons of flame, keeping the main entrance and cathedral-like rooftops well in view. It was here that Normaad appeared, magically projecting his calming voice as he announced the opening of his club for the evening's special celebrations. He welcomed one and all to celebrate with his guild, and invited the large crowd to experience "the dread room" inside the Embrace as tonight's special event for those not feint of heart.

The crowd soaked it all in with excitement, and after a few more passing minutes, either slowly began to filter into their corners of the magical darkness, or decided that was enough for the day, and headed home. Since things were just getting interesting for JKS, they decided to wander into the darkening for a bit before getting a firsthand look at the famous Ahtos club.

It was like entering another world in the dark. Even sound seemed to carry differently, everything had a slight echo to it, and many unidentified noises carried across the void of black much farther than normal. From any corner of the dark, laughter, shrieking, or the telltale sounds of copulation could be heard if one paid attention. The vast amount of people originally in the area had also scattered quickly, giving the space an eerily empty feeling from just moments ago.

While walking through an open square, the enforcers were approached by a small group of men, one obviously influenced by some kind of powerful recreational substance, as his friends hung back a bit, gesturing and laughing as the lead man, shirtless and bit roughed up, approached them and started antagonizing the group. The man got in the faces of JKS, aggressively demanding the execute him. When the enforcers decided not to comply, the man became irate and started to push at Arden Tingle around.

By the time the man was laid out by JKS, unconscious on the street, but unharmed, his embarrassed companions had already wandered off. With nothing else left to be done the group moved on.

It wasn't long before they discovered another oddity, following a floating stream of blood that snaked between large Ahtos banners in the courtyard in front of the Embrace. With a cautious curiosity, they advanced, following the flow to see where it led. To their surprise, the stream ended in the mouth of an old, emaciated man lying on the ground, his silent eyes shifting to watch the newcomers as his gullet worked to swallow all of the viscous liquid flowing inside.

Since JKS had no specific plans to celebrate in some private way, the decision was made to enter the club and check out the special event. So far, things had been more bizarre than strictly entertaining. The day had certainly played the part of a distraction, so that was still a plus.

Once admitted inside the Embrace, JKS decided to immediately find the entrance to the dread space and see what that was about. They could always enjoy the regular club activities later, but didn't want to miss out on an annual event. The guards at the door told them that this was a custom experience, which will play on their innermost fears and personal trauma.

Undeterred, the group collected themselves and entered. With the large creaking doors thudding closed behind them, JKS was enveloped in an impenetrable darkness, and all the group could hear was the rapid beating of their own hearts before their worst fears were realized…

...To be continued in Session 6: Under Into Darkness...

Loot