Contract With A Devil

Stuck in the bathroom with the party still swinging outside, the party went over their options and found none. They were trapped in the bathroom. Aleera looked around for a moment before a sly smile came over her face. She asked the others to step away from the center of the room and when they were clear she changed, using her necklace, into a robe with multicolored patches on it. With a swift move, she removed one of the patches and dropped in the center of the bathroom. 

For a moment there was nothing but then the patch melted itself into the floor and in its place was a full length door. Aleera pulled the handle and opened the door to reveal the floor below. One by one they lowered themselves down to the quieter floor and explored. They were in a corridor with different branches leading off into more corridors. They explored the empty halls and came across a room shielded by Prismatic Shield. Kariss tried to penetrate the barriers and, after a significant amount of damage, she got in. Only to find that it was an empty room. There were a few amenities and a small amount of food but no one was inside. 

They had found a sort of panic room for the residents of the home. It was not in use yet so the inhabitants had to be elsewhere in the house. Kariss risked even more of her life force to get back out of the room and joined the rest of the party. After searching and not finding anything the group decided to head back upstairs. The party was still going strong and, though many had left earlier with promises of free booze at the bar, there were still many who had not heard and were still dining on the offered food and drinking the potent alcohol. Aleera went around announcing the free alcohol waiting at the Spectre’s Respite and quickly emptied the home. 

Their actions did not go unnoticed and several Masked Lords appeared. They were being blocked from exiting the home while Aleera could feel the energy of the rogues she was hunting moving away from them, towards the tavern. Not seeing any other option for a quick escape she cast Chain Lightning and charred the blocking Masked Lords to ash. Flashing her Grey Hand badge she dispersed the gathering guards of the house and the party set off towards the tavern. There was still the chance that the ritual could be carried out at the bar. They had to stop the powers that were headed there. 

They arrived at the bar but could not find a trace of the Cassalanters. Aleera could feel the powers right where they stood but could not see them. Then she realized that they must be in the tunnels underneath the bar. She ran behind the bar and used the cellar door to go down and in the cellar located their secret exit beneath the tavern. She had installed it during the renovations using discreet contractors. They always had a way out. She was about to go through when Milo stopped her. He insisted on going with her to end this. Since two powers had teamed up she needed another person to watch her back. Aleera agreed but asked that Milo refrain from killing blows and interfering too much. This was her bounty to recover. He agreed and they went into the shadows of the sewers together.

Along the way they saw various spell forms drawn on the slimy walls of the sewers. They were magical while intact but Aleera used the sludge of the sewers to smudge the lines and contaminate the spell, rendering it useless. Now that the people reveling upstairs were safe they were free to move on and find their quarry. The continued following the power signature of the rogues down the winding tunnels and twisting turns. They were following their prey for about an hour before anything changed. 

Aleera followed the feel of the powers and found herself face to face with Ammalia Cassalanter. She had assumed that the two rogue powers had gone into Vittoro and Ammalia but it seemed they had both merged with the matriarch’s body and soul. A violent battle ensued leaving Aleera and Ammalia bloodied and gasping for breath. Milo stayed in the shadows fretting over the battle he couldn’t interfere too much in. It seemed like there would be no end to the fighting when Ammalia managed to land a Hold Person on Aleera and went to land a killing blow. Milo finally interfered, throwing his dagger into Ammalia’s ankle. This gave Aleera enough time to shake free of the spell. 

Once free she cast a spell of her own, ensnaring Ammalia in her Witch Bolt. Using the connection, she burned Ammalia with the power she channeled through the brand that appeared on her flesh until the body was merely a husk. Once dead, Aleera carved the Traveler’s symbol into Ammalia and the body gave up the rogue powers that were hiding within. They went into Aleera’s body. She was the temporary vessel and prison for these powers. Now there was only one left to go. One more and her part of the deal would be completed. She would be granted a single gift for her trouble, but a gift from a deity could be precious and priceless. 

With the threat ended for now and the people safe from harm, the party could rest. Milo helped Aleera climb out of the sewers and they collapsed in the cellar, catching their breath. The rest of the party met them on the second story once they had recovered enough to go up. They settled in for the night after healing the worst wounds. Aleera filled them in on what had happened and the party went to bed to the sounds of drunken carousing below.