The Trials of Asmodeus, Part the Second

Catacombs Beneath Thorn Manor: Past the room with the fake sapphire jewel the party followed a winding passage way to the next chamber. Wary of the warnings from the tortured squire they backtracked until they found another secret door parallel to the suspected chamber of the shriekers. This second room held four barnacle encrusted driftwood coffins. Both the Woodstick and Brand slipped through the room like shadows before the midday sun. When Ilmaticron the Dickish and the walking cacophony Grumblejack attempted to slip through, they woke the slumbering undead who began to break free of their seaweed bedecked resting places. The party rapidly left the room and attempted to seal the door behind them. Ahead lay a locked banded door with the key awaiting on a hook, preparing for battle the party opened the door to find a perturbed knight of Alerion wearing the sapphire symbol of Mitra!

As they heard the door at the far end of the hall splinter, they attempted to recruit the knight to save his own skin. The fool preferred to be slaughtered so the grim four went about their dark business with Grumblejack dealing and receiving many wounds. With the help of Brand, Ilmaticron, and the Woodstick, they finally smote the knights head from his pretentious shoulders.

Their victory was short lived, they were trapped and without healing when the four brine soaked undead fell upon them. It was only the vicious bladework of Ilmaticron, Grumblejack, and the Woodstick that saved the day. Brand spent much of his time missing and receiving grievous wounds before losing consciousness.

The bloodied four return to Adrastus with their prize and he began their training in earnest, granting them new traits in their fight to liberate Talingarde from Mitra’s thrall. After the training was complete, Adrastus pronounced them ready and held a great banquet in honor of the new Nessian Knot in an infernal ritual involving blood and fire.  During the ritual, Adrastus summoned forth a barbed devil and offered it one of the slaves.  The devil gleefully ripped the screaming man apart and feasted on his still beating heart.  Adrastus then drew forth some of the devil's blood with a silver athame and traced the unholy symbol of Asmodeus on each of the party's foreheads.  Behold he proclaimed, "The Nessian Knot is forged."