Game Night Feb 11th – Devil Games in the basement

After defusing the wizard-locked door to the basement, the heroes wisely decided to call it a day. They retreated back upstairs to the bedroom of the ghostess in pink. Moving a large dresser in front of the door, they made themselves as comfortable as possible and rested through the night. At about midnight, they heard soft footsteps outside the door, coming nearer. Thokk began dragging the dresser away to open the door as Hex woke the others. Just then a soft knocking on the door and Hex opened it to reveal the old white bearded man who introduced himself as Obitello the enchanter. He held a hand written note in a shaking hand. The rays of moonlight fall across his silvery hair and white robes from the windows in the hall as he read aloud what he was planning on slipping under their door.

“I only have a moment of clarity before the darkness descends over my mind. I do not know who you are, or why you are here, but you are in danger. The magic on this island is strong, and tainted by chaos of the elemental abyss which bubbles up from below. Unless the devils who have invaded this house are destroyed, all who enter are doomed to be enslaved by them, slowly turning into devils yourself. My three apprentices, who are also my children, have succumbed to the darkness. You will be next, already it may be too late. Leave now and save yourselves, or descend into the dungeon below and eradicate the evil that is older than this house. The hearts of my children bind the demons to this land. Take them away and the demons can be destroyed.”

They had the chance to question him and learn a few things. His daughters are named Ismelda and Isolde, and his son is is Xvart. The invisible creatures on the island he calls “his children” but not his actual children, are a primitive race of halflings. They are invisible because he got angry at them one day for t complaining about how ugly they were without fur coats and that they hated all their clothes. Only by regaining his lost spellbook could they be made visible once again. The spellbook is in the hands of a man named Shalazar Shackleton, explorer and adventurer who also might be an old flame of Obitellos eldest daughter. The only escape from the privvy is out the door or down the chute for all he knows.

The old wizard suddenly had a blank looked and asked for his crown. He was returning to his confused state but before he was too far gone, they learned his assistant and favorite native, nicknamed Friday took the crown, also known as the Philosophers Crown, back to his people, who dwelt over the mountains eastward to the steaming jungle. Obitello said that rather than helping them, it would bring them to ruin. The crown was magical and gave the gift of knowledge to its wearer, and it also protected against the madness of his island. As they walked him back into his room, he looked towards an empty corner and asked what happened to his spellbook. Obitello then fell into a deep sleep, and the rest of the night passed without incident.

Games within Games

Next morning they set out. poppy looked longingly out into the front hedge maze as they passed the entry chamber, searching for a unicorn-horned bunny. Down through the doors they passed – literally – after Poppy was unable to pick the lock, Thokk burst the doors asunder. They entered a clean well-lit dungeon, made up of stone blocks, the chamber was lit by two softly glowing orbs floating near the ceiling. In the southern end of the room gurgled a fountain, and near it stood a stand with three ever-burning torches. The party it was determined had plenty of light sources, from a magical miners cap, to a flaming sword, spells, rituals, you name it, the party could super-nova and turn into a small suns worth of light at a moments notice.

The door to the north was odd-shaped, being perfectly round. it looked older of construction than the rest of the dungeon. (This is the part I forgot to tell them:) Written in chalk across the door are the words “Frog God” and a chain once crossed from handle through the hinges, locking the door closed, but they now hang broken and limp.

There were two small doors to the northeast showing colored flashing light from beneath, and the faint sound of bells. Poppy ccould hear the quiet murmur of conversation and the clink of glasses. poppy went through one door while Hex entered through the other. The room had three game tables set up. Cards, a spinning wheel, dice, and other strange gambling games were flashing and ringing, while overseeing it all on a wide bench in the corner was a smiling devil reclining on a cushioned bench. In one hand he spun a beating heart encased in crystal like a basketball on his fingertip. In the other, he swung a silver chain with tiny razorblades on the links. The chain wrapped around his arm, his waist, and even around a leg. He greeted them heartily and invited them to stay.

Poppy and Hex rightfully hesitated, but their eyes were attracted to the flair and pomp of the magnificent games. A bunny race made up of crystal figurines sent through a maze of wooden walls while the table spun attracted the elfs attention, and she was compelled to play. Hex noticed a game that started with a domino set. When certain patterns were made, it led to the roll of dice that determined which deck of cards to draw from. If the pattern on the card matched, try to catch the fish! The space monkey sat down to play, he had an angle.

From the outer chamber, the rest of the party heard the excitement and rushed to join just as the devil bellowed forth. “Welcome to my gambling emporium! Sit down, enjoy the games. Stay awhile, ha ha ha… But shut those doors!” Ria sat at Hexes table, Felipe joins Poppy, and Thokk and Sharia sit down to a game of bash the spinning halfling heads. At each table was a sad spirit of a mortal person silently playing the game. The recognized the young man in purple pants from the dinner party. A dealer was at aevery table, a dark shade, just a tracery of man-like dark shadow.

The game tables were continuously charming the anyone on the game floor, and dominating those whose will the tables overcame – compelling them to play or stand idle. That was ot all, the devil watched for cheating, and when he deemed a move was heating, he struck out with his silve3r lash. Each participant could call upon all their skills to influence the rounds of the games they played. Each hero chose their best skills to use, and many hands were won. They knew through intuition, that they needed 5 successes to win each game. They also knew that if they won, the devil would accuse them of cheating and attack – the only way to win was to defeat him. But first they had to play the game because every one of them was dominated on he first round,though Poppy was first to break free. Once free of the domimation, she bolstered her will with a potion of wisdom, and remained free of the domination for the rest of the battle.

Hex was able to break free, but after each round of the game, it drew him back in. Ria was lost, compelled to play the game till the bitter end. By the third round, she was beginning to fade away. Felipe won her and Poppys table, and the two of them were invited to play at the devils private table. Thokk and Sharia were struggling, with only 2 out of four rounds of halfling head bopper won. Thokk began fading away, like the poor spirits in the seats next to him. Poppy kicked the table over and attacked.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it

Even as Poppy attacked, Gorechain the bemused devil retaliated with the swing of his chain, and Hex, free of his game table after a hard fought victory, teleported the devil across the room. But the devil had an aura of slashing chains damaging anyone near him. Ria, free at last and returning to full solidity, dropped a divine circle of healing which mostly negated the slashing aura of the chains, healing the wounds as they were dealt. Blood flew, the chain swung and the battle was faqst and furious. Sharia took her immovable rod and placed it to clear an area of aura, into which Felipe stepped and pounced. Around the room they fought, slashing chains almost knocked Hex out, but instead they wrapped around his limbs, forcing him, but He once again shook off the chains – this time physical – of domination. Another pounce of Felipe tore through the devils chest and ripped his black heart right out of his chest.

As the devil gasped out his last curse, the crystal shattered around the heart of Obitellos son Xvart, and poppy caught it in her hands and transferred it into a cloth bag, wondering what to do with a still beating heart.

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