Starday, 26th of Neth, 4722 AR
Belcorra had the New Roseguard on the ropes. She smiled gleefully.
Jorne floated invisibly through the air. Normally, this would put him in an excellent position to rain terror upon his enemies. He was trapped. Thinking he would be safe from the power of the seven rivulets of vile liquid flowing to the center of the room, he had flown across the altar in the middle. He was assaulted as if he had crossed all seven streams at once. He resisted their effect, but his Fortitude was weakened. If he crossed a stream again, he feared he would Doom himself. He felt trapped. He felt like their task was now an impossible one.
Konnor Klapton also flew on the winds (although not invisibly). He had witnessed Jorne’s plight and had worked his way around the room limiting his exposure to the streams and using his bardic magic to teleport when he could. He brandished Axcalibur as he danced through the air with Belcorra. He was alone against her for now. He hoped his allies could free themselves to use the lens to draw Nhimbaloth’s attention to Belcorra. If not, they would fail.
RaspuXen Mourningwood was weakened. Belcorra’s foul magicks had ripped through his mind, he’d suffered the terrifying attacks of a dread wisp and was brought low by the pummeling attacks of an ally confused by Belcorra’s magic. Although he was clad in the divine armor of Pharasma, transformed into a bastion of righteous might, he was not sure he would live long enough to see Belcorra defeated.
ShaiLu wanted to help Trulk. She wanted to help Rasp. She wanted to help Jorne and Konnor. Belcorra used the stone menhir circle in the middle of the room as protection. Despite bringing some surprises to the fight, the party’s normal tactics had been disrupted. She wanted to help, but she feared the power of the rivulets and did not know what to do.
Trulk was confused. Belcorra knew the group’s strengths and weaknesses. Rasp and ShaiLu were fonts of healing magic (and could be aided by Konnor in that regard), but Trulk was the great defender of the New Roseguard. None could physically hit as hard as he could, and none could absorb as much damage as he could. Belcorra had turned one of their greatest strengths against them. The barbarian had already caused grievous harm to Rasp. No one knew who he would attack next.
ShaiLu launched Hound at the dread wisp. Her faithful companion ripped into the monster and knocked it to the ground. This freed Rasp to retreat. The gnome feared Trulk would strike him as he ran (a common tactic for the barbarian), but he forgot the orc could not stop him from running in his confused state. Rasp worked his way around the room. As the bearer of one of the lenses, he needed to reach Belcorra.
Jorne eyed the ebon lens sitting on the altar in the middle of the room. He thought he might be able to squeeze between the rivulets enough to reach it. He strained as he reached out across the pool and pulled the lens to himself. He immediately tried to attune it and discovered he could not. The lens was already attuned to Belcorra. He yelled to his allies about his discovery. They only needed to afflict her with the abilities of the three lenses in their possession to draw Nhimbaloth’s gaze.
Belcorra defeated Konnor’s defenses and enfeebled his mind. She then summoned a phantasmal killer to attack Rasp with a quickened casting. The gnome was assaulted by visions of the most horrific creature he had ever seen but his will was strong. He banished the visions and continued moving forward.
Konnor could not focus enough to launch a proper magical offense so he smashed Belcorra across the face with Axcalibur. In a moment of inspiration, he decided to try to dispel the magic of the enfeeblement spell. It was not easy to focus enough to cast a spell, but he managed it. Critical success on the counteract check! His mind was clear and he was ready to attack!
The dread wisp abandoned the pursuit of Rasp and went after ShaiLu. The healers were being targeted. Fortunately, the wisp was blasted again and went down. ShaiLu then did the unthinkable. She ordered Hound to attack Trulk! The wolfhound bit the barbarian and Trulk was shaken out of his confusion. She then cast a flight spell upon him so he could deliver the affliction of the two lenses he possessed to the witch.
Belcorra was in trouble.
Rasp completed his journey around the room and used the power of his righteous might to climb the menhir closest to Belcorra. Konnor felt the effects of his bardsong fade so he renewed it before bashing and slashing at Belcorra. Trulk flew across the room and attacked while Jorne produced balls of flame and threw them. ShaiLu tried to find a way to block the power of the rivulets, but she learned she could not. These were not a hazard to be overcome. They were a hazard to be endured.
In desperation, Belcorra focused all of her sorcerous might into a single attack. She uttered phrases in an unknown tongue and attacked the minds of everyone surrounded her. Oddly enough, Trulk resisted the effects of the spell, but both Konnor and Rasp found themselves stupefied by the aberrant whispers. The gnome dismissed his divine armor when he realized he could not use the power of the lens while it was summoned. He unleashed a melee spell attack with the lens and transferred the power of the ochre lens to her. This made her more powerful but also took the party one step closer to their goal. Trulk pummeled Belcorra with Konnor’s help and Jorne crossed the closest rivulet to aid them as well. The bard deafened her with his magic. Trulk tried to hit Belcorra with one of the two lenses he had, but she was too quick for him.
Konnor crit the witch and cracked her across the head with Axcalibur. Between them all, they drained her of the dark unlife that fueled her existence. She reached zero hit points and… nothing happened. Her connection to the ebony lens kept her “alive.” Rasp tried to leap from the menhir onto Belcorra’s back, but he forgot she was incorporeal and fell right through her. ShaiLu quickly got close enough to heal him. The gnome was still hurt by Trulk’s attacks and he couldn’t take much more harm before he went down.
Belcorra skillfully maneuvered away from the group and drifted to be above one of the four pools of foul liquid. Energy flowed up from the pool and healed her. She was going to try a new tactic. Move about the room. Force the members of the New Roseguard to cross the rivulets. Force them to doom themselves! The group followed, they had no choice. The flyers surrounded her again above the pool. Jorne and Konnor continued to attack her while Trulk tried to land an attack with the lenses. Success! He passed the power of the emerald lens into her. Once again she grew more powerful.
A visage of Nhimbaloth appeared in the middle of the room. The star-eyed dark goddess gazed upon the group but took the greatest interest in the witch. The party’s plan was working! Belcorra sensed the danger and tried to move away from her attackers again. Trulk was having none of that. He struck her as she tried to float away, critically hit her, and rooted her in her spot. His allies created an opening and the barbarian struck one last time with the crimson lens, the last one. Its power passed into Belcorra and finally, Nhimbaloth’s attention was fully focused.
A hole opened in reality. Nhimbaloth emerged. Belcorra screamed in protest. She insisted she was worthy of Nhimbaloth’s power, not her attention! The dark goddess reached out, grabbed the witch with her massive seven-fingered hand, and dragged her into oblivion.
Belcorra was defeated!
The party was not allowed to celebrate. Immediately, they heard a crashing noise above them, a deep grinding sound as the Gauntlight and the dungeon levels directly above them began to crumble downwards into the Abomination Vault. The group rushed to the exit and threw themselves out of Nhimbaloth’s temple just as everything from the levels above them crashed down around them. Lady’s Whisper was surprised to see them and Angrael cheered enthusiastically.
The final clash against Belcorra Haruvex had been nothing short of epic. Deep within the ancient and twisted depths of the Abomination Vaults, the heroes had confronted the ancient sorceress and her myriad horrors. After a fierce and grueling battle, the heroes emerged victorious, the malevolent specter of Belcorra finally laid to rest.
The aftermath of this hard-won victory echoed across the land. As the heroes ascended from the depths of the Vaults, the town of Otari basked in the glow of a new dawn. The threat that had loomed so large over this quaint coastal town was finally vanquished. News of the heroes’ triumph spread like wildfire, and the people of Otari poured into the streets to celebrate their saviors. The townsfolk, who had once lived in fear of the ancient menace beneath their feet, now looked to the future with renewed hope and vigor.
Among the heroes, there was a sense of both accomplishment and solemnity. They had faced the darkest depths of the Vaults and come out the other side, forever changed by their journey. Their names would be sung in ballads and recounted in tales for generations to come. Each of them bore the marks of their trials, yet they stood stronger for it.
Back in Otari, the heroes were honored with a grand feast. The mayor, Oseph Menhemes, gave a stirring speech, thanking them for their bravery and sacrifice. Gifts and honors were bestowed upon them, and the townspeople lined up to express their personal gratitude. As the festivities continued, the bonds forged in battle grew even stronger.
Yet, the ripples of their deeds extended far beyond the borders of Otari. In the grand city of Absalom, the seat of power on the Isle of Kortos, the news of Belcorra’s defeat was met with relief and celebration. Absalom, always a city teeming with life and intrigue, paused to acknowledge the heroes who had prevented a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions. The Starstone Cathedral rang its bells in their honor, and even the Grand Council took note of their bravery. Konnor’s songs were sung in every tavern and the bards weaved tales of the exploits of Jorne, Konnor Klapton, RaspuXen Mourningwood, ShaiLu, and Trulk.
For the heroes, life slowly began to return to a semblance of normalcy. Some chose to remain in Otari, finding peace in the community they had saved. Others ventured back to Absalom or beyond, their paths forever altered by the trials they had faced. The bonds they had forged with each other remained unbreakable, and they knew that, should darkness ever threaten the land again, they would rise to meet it together.
The Abomination Vaults, now silent and devoid of the evil that had once thrived within, stood as a testament to their courage. It was decided that the entrance to the Vaults would be sealed, a protective ward placed upon it to ensure that no one would ever awaken the horrors that once lurked below.
Years later, children would play near the edge of the Whispering Woods, where legends of the brave heroes who had saved Otari and Absalom would be told. The town of Otari flourished, its people living in peace and prosperity, always mindful of the sacrifices made to secure their future.
And so, the tale of the Abomination Vaults came to a close. The heroes who had faced its terrors and emerged victorious passed into legend, their names etched into history, forever remembered as the saviors of Otari and Absalom. In the hearts of the people, the light of their bravery would never fade, a beacon of hope for generations to come.
One year later…
Trulk walked along a beach of the Inner Sea in the land of Taldor. He had left Wren behind but he had taken his faith with him. And he had gained much more. A pair of cute, green children ran up to him and he gathered them into his arms. As the sun went down and the stars began to shine, he pointed out the constellations to them, especially those in the Cosmic Caravan.
Jorne was gone. Invoking a ceremony to wipe his mind clean, he was now known as Varden, and Varden the Druid knew nothing of the struggles in the Abomination Vaults. He walked quietly through the forests of Golarion, content to explore and work on his shapeshifting skills. Once again, he tried to transform into a scorpion. Something inside him cringed and he returned to his bear form. He tried a crab form and failed again. This troubled him. He could transform into any animal he imagined, but none with claws. Why no claws?
ShaiLu returned to Tian Xia and rejoined her people. She had learned much on her journey and on the way home, she codified her experiences. Her return was celebrated and in time she began to teach her style of martial art. It was called “The Way of the Angry Ears” and involved fighting side by side with a skilled animal companion, usually a faithful wolfhound.
Rasp stayed on in Otari for a while. He founded a temple. Well, not a temple but a place of learning. In addition to all the skills one needs to survive in life, he also taught the beauty of death and the inevitable end that meets us all. Most of all, he taught others to face death with bravery and peace.
Otari was Konnor’s home from the beginning. He traveled a bit, mostly to perform his hits, but he always returned to Otari before too much time passed. When the entrance to the Abomination Vaults was sealed, he insisted he help with the process. He secretly added a special rune to the seal. As the years went by when the world was quiet and no one was looking, he would return to the seal. He would invoke the power of the hidden rune and open a door just big enough for him to pass through in secret. He’d wander the halls of the empty vault until he found Angrael and the two of them would go down to the Strange Brew tavern to share a drink and tell stories of the old days. Then he’d tune Axcalibur and take the stage once again. The crowd loved his songs about the fall of the witch Belcorra.
END OF CAMPAIGN
We ended the session with an AMA. I opened the book and answered any questions my players had. Had they missed anything? How much had I customized the campaign for them? What were our favorite parts? We mused until the end of the evening about our favorite parts of the campaign and playing Pathfinder 2E. This campaign will not be forgotten any time soon.
Thank you for joining me on this journey, friends!
END OF SESSION
The Zen Game Master 
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