The Ritual of Ascension
Otto, Tama, and Rosemary all gather in the 7 Divine's Square on the last day of Growfest. The city is bustling with celebration as the Ritual of Ascension is finally here. The Champions consisting of Sir Coleman, Veneta Wildheart, Sister Makena and Thaddeus all move through the adoring crowd and move to the steps of the Bastion. The champions begin to meet the new initiates of the 7th Seal, but when Sir Coleman's paladin eyes fall on Otto his hand instictively move to the hilt of his sword, claiming Otto "stinks of blasphemy". Jowan, seeing this exchange comes to Otto's aid and reassures that the Bastion is confident of the new Initiates. This soothes Coleman's suspicions.Brenth
As the champions move to the archway, the party sees Brenth Arcturus and Seraphina Stormrider arguing. Brenth wishes to speak with Jowan about the growing numbers of creatures slipping through the barrier. He and his elite guard known as the Wolven Vanguard are doing everything they can to press the creatures back and he's losing men faster than he can replenish them. It's also meaning he can't deal with other matters that the Arcturus Guard normally would. Seraphina says she will bring the matter up to Jowan, but he is not to be disturbed during the Ascension. Otto offers to bring it up to Jowan for Brenth, and Seraphina becomes irritated. She tell Otto that the matter will be brought up to Jowan and she will be the one to do so.
The Ritual commences as the ranking members of the 7th seal take their place around the Archway of Ascension. Their seals bringing the runes to life and creating a portal to Celestia where the Champions walk through, greeted by the goodly gods of the Bastion. They glow with divine light and the portal closes. Glowing golden dust falls from the sky, and the Champions forms are seen in the night sky. The festival commences.
Joff
A commoner named Joff comes to Otto, overhearing his conversation with Brenth. Joff states that he and his wife have come to Epoch from a small hamlet called Harlowbrooke near Arcurlois, and they are looking for help with his missing sister Adonia. They have been seeing signs of the demonic around their small farm home and Adonia, a normally godly woman devout to Pelor, has been maddened and seems like a different person within the last few weeks. A local cleric did confirm that there was a chaotic and evil presence around the home but it was beyond his capabilities to deal with, so he told Joff and his wife Tamia to come to Epoch for help.
The party agrees to help and heads to a small cabin that they have leased during the festival. Otto asks for details and Joff tells him that their father died when he was only a small child and Adonia was a new born. Times were tough and Adonia's twin sister actually got sick and died. Joff had to be the man of the house at an early age and raised Adonia. His mother wasn't the same after their father died. He said that adonia was a pretty girl with raven black hair and one green eye and one blue eye.
Getting to the cabin all the lights were out. Tama turning into an eagle flew up to the window and saw a grisly sight. Tamia was prostrated upside down on a makeshift rack in the shape of a Y and was split down the middle from groin to sternum. Figures moved around in the darkness. Rosemary kicked open the door and Otto cast a spell of Protection on Joff. The demons surrounded the party but were no match against the parties might.
Otto spotted bare female footprints in the soft dirt around the house and Rosemary and Tama were able to follow them into the forest. Tama shifting into wolf form to track. They noticed the footprints stopped and the canopy above had broken twigs as if something floated up. Otto spread magical wings from his vest and took to the sky. He saw a young woman with raven hair, her arm outstretch and crackling fell energy in her palm. He tried to cast hold person on her only for her to resist. A sickening eldritch blast crashed into Otto tearing at his body and threatening to incapacitate him with sickness. Otto retaliated with a dismissal, but the woman was too strong and unleashed another blast threatening to take Otto out of the fight. But, he dispelled the magic keeping her aloft, and she came crashing down to the brush where Rosemary waited and leapt towards her putting her on her heels. But, another bolt of sickening energy crashed into Otto and he began to vomit, unable to do more than move. Joff, who had followed the party muttered the words "Adonia". The woman gave the party the chance to retreat, seeing that the battle could go in any direction. The party, realizing they were one energy blast away from failure retreated.