Session 95
The Apostate of Unmasking towered above them, veiled in shifting illusion and raw power. Every strike the heroes landed seemed to ripple across it like water, distorting but never stopping it. But they pressed on. Aydriann moved through the chaos with practiced grace, spinning a dagger in his fingers. He saw the opening…..one heartbeat, no more…..and let it fly. The blade buried itself between the creature’s eyes with a crack of force, and the Apostate crumpled, its form unraveling mid-collapse.
No time to breathe. No time to speak. The next threat came faster than thought.
A sickening thud shook the deck as something vast landed on the ship.
Thren’Vaal.
A serpentine monstrosity, plated in glistening chitin. Its limbs skittered across the planks like blades on glass. Too many eyes blinked in asynchronous rhythm, and its mouth…impossibly wide, layered in concentric rings of jagged teeth…opened with a sound that defied logic.
Xalphor was the first to meet it, flying to meet the creature and protect his companions. He didn’t hesitate. He never did.
But Thren’Vaal was faster. Stronger. The blow came sudden and brutal. Xalphor fell.
Mack and Peach, catching his final words. “You’re still awesome, Mack,” he whispered in their minds, a lopsided cat grin tugging at his bloodied face, “even without the treats. And… Peach. You are special. Never forget.”
Then he stilled.
Orianna didn’t scream. She moved.
Steel met scale as she surged forward, blades flashing, fury in every motion. The others rallied behind her, their attacks chipping away at the monstrosity’s form. Momentum shifted. For a moment, it felt possible.
But Thren’Vaal, wounded and enraged, lashed out one last time.
Orianna was struck. Her body hit the deck hard.
She didn’t rise.
The creature loomed above her, eyes gleaming.
And then it drew back, readying its next strike.