Rip and Tear
With the terms of the battle negotiated, the devil holds his weapon out, preparing for the battle to begin. He smirks, confident in his ability to squash these mortals. But before he can react, Noid and Dust simultaneously cast two spells, with bloodied ropes and twinkling lights restraining his limbs in place, preventing the devil from moving an inch. He gasps in shock and horror, as the party’s frontliners take their time crossing the room dowsing their weapons in holy water. Once reaching the devil, Dick and Cyrus swing at him with all they have, Dick’s fists attempting to find purchase in the devil’s thick natural armor and Cyrus’s shield knocking him off balance. While freed of the bloodied rope like tendrils of Dusts magic after taking damage, Noid steps in and fuses the creature’s feet to the ground. Permanently. At least, until someone amputates his legs. The abject horror of being trapped sends him into a confusion, giving Dick and Cyrus another opening to attack.
Dick throws a well placed uppercut into the devil’s stomach, causing him to double over in pain, as Cyrus in a large overhead arc cleaves the devil’s head in two. The body disintegrates into blood and ash, reforming at the other side of the room into the fuzzy silhouette of the devil. He holds his head in his hands and groans loudly. He swears and grants the party their wishes while shooing them off.
The Quest to Get Rich Quick
The party feels confident in their abilities to take down Enox. After all, they killed a devil in less than 30 seconds. How bad could the old magical bag of bones be? After getting teleported to the desert, they begin their prep to deal with him. Cyrus digs a large hole far from civilization for them to trap Enox in. While he does this, Dust is working on duplicating the incantation given to them by the devil. Unfortunately, replication of the incantation calls for some very expensive and specialized equipment that will cost over 250gc per copy. While the incantation will definitely bring Enox to the group, it may fail. The Calling spell is extremely high level, far above Dust and Noid’s abilities. Dick and Noid decide the best way to get this much cash quickly is to fly across the ocean and assassinate General Boril and steal all his money. Did you forget who Boril is? I almost did. Carver is very annoyed we didn’t forget about him considering the plot has very quickly moved away from him. Anyway, Dick and Noid return with the money and Dust prepares two copies of the incantation and attempt to summon Enox which… fails. Not wanting to gamble on the last copy of this spell, Dick and Noid come up with another scheme.
They fly off to Monta while invisible. Dust cast a spell on Dick so that he would still be undetectable even by magical means, lest he gets spotted by the vultures. They beeline for the city’s bank vault and are able to waltz right on past any guards, employees, or regular townspeople. Until they reach their first hurdle: the goods are kept behind an iron gate. So, Noid looks through the wall (as you do), summons a portal on the inside of the vault and outside. They fly in, min-ify five chests filled to the brim with gold coins, and fly out with Dick. Once they return, Dust and Cyrus are hanging out in the hole together bonding. Dust tells Cyrus about how they died and how their family abandoned them because they came back “wrong”. Cyrus tells them about how his daughter is starting school soon.
After big-ifying the chests, the party realize they now have 25,000 gold which is… absurd. A mansion costs 100gc. They take exactly 504 gold for more incantations and potions and Dust and Noid fly back to the city to put back the excess gold. But not before Noid swims in the coins like Scrooge McDuck. The bank employees are very confused when the chests of gold suddenly reappear after they get the attention of town guards.
The Final Boss
After preparing the final resources they need, the party are finally ready to summon Enox. Noid and Dust put their magical minds together and are able to summon Enox in the large hole dug for him. Cyrus and Dick are awaiting him at the bottom, but didn’t realize just how large Enox would be outside of the tower. He’s a 12 foot tall behemoth of a man, looking up over the walls of the pit. His eyes burn in his skull as he is stunned by the sheer bright light of the sun after decades in the black room he calls home. The party attempt to use the element of surprise they have to deal as much damage as they can, but Cyrus and Dick have trouble finding purchase as its impossible to tell where Enox’s clothing ends and body begins. Dust attempts casting hold on him, hoping to bind him down with the same bloody ropes that worked on the devil, but Enox is able to shake them off without incident.
After gaining his bearings, Enox bursts into a giant ball of fire, engulfing Dick and Cyrus in a devastating and uncontrollable inferno. Dick is able to sneak out of the pit without Enox noticing, but Cyrus is trapped and forced to bear the brunt of the attack. He’s able to swiftly drink a leftover fire resistance potion, which saves him from the worst of the flames. However, Enox begins climbing out of the hole, preparing to make a direct attack on the spellcasters of the party. Noid teleports Cyrus and Dust just out of the reach of the white hot tendrils, where they have but a moment to find their bearings and prepare defenses for Enox’s next onslaught of firey fury. Dust’s wrappings have been burned off, the entire party able to see their face for the first time - but there isn’t enough time to dwell on it as the encroaching sun draws closer. Dust attempts to cast hold on Enox one last time before they’ll inevitably be roasted alive. Cyrus steps in front, holding his shield blocking the brunt of the fire, looking to protect Dust and Noid, but before he realizes it, Dust is racing past him into the inferno. They just need to… get a bit…. closer….. fire laps their skin, threatening to take it to sustain its blaze, the tears from their eyes evaporating before it has a moment to stop the spread of the inferno. But this doesn’t matter. Dust raises their hand toward the black mass at the center of the small sun and successfully holds Enox in place. The fires surrounding him dim as he loses his ability to control them. Dick sprints from his hiding place, where Enox had all but forgotten him. He flaps his wings, once, twice, three times, lifting him above the skeletal giant. In on swift, fluid motion, Dick allows gravity to take control as he plummets towards the human personification of shadow itself with one fist extended in pure hatred. His knuckles make contact with Enox’s vertebrae, breaking his spine and killing him instantly.
The party doesn’t even have a chance to rejoice before they see the black obelisk fall onto Monta, destroying it.
A Price to Pay
Cyrus takes off in a dead sprint to the city with only the lives of his family in his mind. He imagines with existential horror the images of small bodies trapped beneath rubble. Dick screams, the fate of his family and little ferrets hanging in uncertainty. Before either are able to make it far, Dust knocks some sense into them. They can’t do anything. But they have the key to Hell, and Dust’s corruption infested soul would serve as a bargaining chip that no devil lord could pass up. The group put up some resistance, but Dust assures them. They’ve died before. They’re not afraid of dying again.
They make a deal with a devil noble that they would allow the party to go back in time and evacuate the city in exchange for Dust’s life. The party are able to successfully lead the town away from the tower, a mixture of Cyrus’s status as a guard and the appearance of a mysterious second sun in the desert are enough to convince them to leave. Once the group has assured that everyone is safe, they share tearful goodbyes with Dust while under the supervision of two large Barguests. The group split a bottle of wine together. Dust gives Cyrus their rope grimoire - in case any of his children show interest in magic. Cyrus agrees, with the caveat that Dust removes the forbidden spells and traditions from the grimoire which Dust is happy to comply with. Noid doesn’t leave Dust’s side and promises to find them in Hell. Dick doesn’t have much to say, this was always just a job to him. But he wouldn’t want to risk his life with anyone else and promises to bury their body in the desert to nourish the wildlife. Cyrus makes the joke that the group has the key to Hell and can visit whenever they want! Dust laughs grimly as they approach the Barguests. Ready to accept their fate.
Epilogue
The city is safe. The world is saved. Monta would never be the same again, however, New Monta wasn’t a bad replacement.
The crumbling of the tower opens a power vacuum, causing an ensuing power struggle among the Zauberin. Far away from the expansive, warm sands the party calls home.
Dick lives a lowkey life as a decently successful assassin. Mostly retired, he handles small scale petty squabbles. Content to never see the limelight again - it’s bad for business as an assassin. He spends his life moving from place to place, avoiding bastard sons and bastard daughters wherever he goes. Until losing his life in a bar fight gone wrong.
Noid kept good to their word and descended to Hell with Dust’s soul. It committed itself to torturing lemure and consuming the corruption to keep the cycle of rebirth and death in order. Rising in the ranks, but never losing its morality. Until it is able to track down Dust’s soul once again. They are a lemure, the only thing they can remember after the hundreds of years since their death is.. Noid. They even seem excited when Noid brings out its recorder. After all these years, they are finally reuniting. But, there isn’t much left to Dust anymore. Noid is able to harvest their memories of it and bottle them in a crystal ball. Noid is able to let them go, releasing their soul back into the pool of new people to experience the world with fresh eyes. Dust’s perspective of Noid, from their own eyes, keeps it honest and it never loses sight of their morals and beliefs.
After establishing New Monta, Cyrus finds himself restless. He creates a memorial to Dusts, obfuscating some of the truths of the event, but doesn’t allow a soul to forget their sacrifice. He, after his children are grown and the grimoire is passed, sets out into the desert to finally find his lost brother and bring him home.
Surviving the destruction of the tower, Umira is filled with grief and hatred for the loss of her master. And so far from home on top of it all. She gathers her resources and dedicates herself to finding the individuals responsible for this. Luckily, she has some leads.
A fruitless decade passes. For the both of them. Until, in the vast expanse, they find each other. Both of them nearly unrecognizable to the other, except for the distinct glint of loss and sadness in their eyes.
“I was wondering when you’d find me.” Cyrus unsheathes the very sword he held against her master.
“Would’ve helped if you didn’t run like a coward.” Umira summons the same fire that scars Cyrus’s skin to this day.
They engage in a fight, unseen, and unknown to the world. A duel without witnesses and winners. Cyrus plunges his sword through Umira’s heart and succumbs to the fresh wounds she burned into his face and chest. The last thing he sees is a group of nomads in their chitinous armor and beetle constructs. A nomad, who looks extremely familiar, examines his wounds. Then slits his throat, quickly, silently, mercifully. Bringing him home.
