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Sisyphean Attempts at Self-Improvement #1097373 added September 14, 2025 at 4:04pm
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All Roads Lead to Abyss
After evading the demons’ ambush in Gallegos, you freed Dallon’s niece Delilah, and the others in Gallegos from being trapped in suspended animation. You met Ikaron the legendary demon hunter, who turned out to be an elderly female halfling. You rest up at the Last Call Tavern & Inn, where Delilah retires for the night and you enjoy a very decent multi-course meal courtesy of Fari the young dwarven proprietor, even if all the many courses and all the drinks offered on the menu ended up being the same stew and ale, regardless of what you actually ordered.
Ikaron fills in a lot of blanks in your understanding of demon lore, including that you have to kill greater demons in The Abyss; if they’re killed anywhere else, they’ll just respawn there. She also gives you a quick overview of the supposedly infinite layers of The Abyss, including the first layer known as the Plain of Yawning Pits, which contains a barren wasteland of scorching winds under a relentless red sun, which is also filled with dark pits that lead to the deeper layers. While she doesn’t know of Ar’unath specifically, if he’s the demon lord of Layer 19 and he has you in his sights, he’s probably not going to stop until he achieves his objectives. You learned some of the mythology of the Blood War between the demons and the devils, as well as the fact that both fiends like to corrupt souls to either conscript them into service, or benefit from the unique magic items and resources of the Material Plane. If you do wish to travel to the 19th layer of The Abyss, you’ll likely first want to have a more specific idea of where you want to go, which is information you’ll likely only be able to get from denizens of that layer of The Abyss.
After earning her trust, Ikaron provides you with a map and a riddle to what she believes may be a cache of powerful magic artifacts that could help you in your journey to destroy Ar’unath. As best as you can tell, it points in the direction of Risaan, the former Alerian capital city long since left in ruins by generations of battle over its control. It’s now a popular spot for explorers to seek their fortunes. Is this a genuine clue to something that could help? Or are you just another bunch of hopeful adventurers?
While she’s likely not going to be very helpful in combat these days, Ikaron agrees to accompany you on your journey to Risaan to see what you can discover. On the way, you make a pit stop back in Kyriel, where you check in on your bastion, introduce Whispersail to Azura, and plan your journey.
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460 words
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