Now that Karzoug is within melee range, and with only a solitary ally remaining, the party knows they need to press the advantage. Karzoug’s back is against the ice wall, and he shows Fobias every failure from his life. This weakens Fobias considerably, at least until Trace can cure him of his ailments. The paladin also targets Karzoug with his Smite Evil, but Karzoug welcomes the challenge with Open Arms.
The trumpet archon heals El-Hadeen, who can finally breathe after taking several big hits. She flies back above the flaming wall of her sirocco, and attempts to disintegrate the remaining giant. Fyn commands the bone devils to surround the giant, cutting off Karzoug completely. He is very much alone.
In a defiant act of will and guts, Fyn slows down time to issue a warning to Karzoug. There is nothing the rising Runelord can do to stop it; the party will not allow him to return to power. On behalf of the entire world of Golarion, they will not fail. With a pair of protective spells over Fobias and Trace, the battle seems all but won.
Karzoug, however, isn’t done just yet. He begins to pull all of the moisture from the party’s bodies as their skin undergoes a Horrid Wilting effect. It’s a substantial amount of damage, an amount that would kill a normal passerby ten times over. If there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that this party is nothing less than extraordinary. Despite Richard’s magical proclivity, the spell is too much, and the wolf tumbles to the ground, dead.
Trace and Fobias close in on Karzoug. A combination of Smite Evil and a flaming ranseur bring the Runelord to his knees before Krask unleashes a devastating pair of arrows directly into Karzoug’s chest.
“This is not what is supposed to happen! This world was mine! Ripe for the taking! So many souls, wasted…”
Karzoug looks down at his body. “But it appears my transformation is already complete. Once again, the maggots are good for nothing but consuming their own rotting flesh!”
He turns on Krask as emerald bubbles begin to boil in the runewell. “Fools! It’s time to end your futile attempt to usurp my rightful throne! Death is coming for you!” Thick tendrils of multi-colored light begin swirling around his head. Karzoug laughs manically. Suddenly, he steps back, holding his hand to his chest. Mouth opens up with a bright burst of green light. Fobias tries to shield his eyes but becomes blinded by the light’s intensity.
A gust of wind accompanies the hollow stream of thousands of skull-like, ghostly orbs that erupt from his mouth, pouring up and out into the room. As the last soul emerges, there is a second burst of light and Karzoug falls to the ground. The dense, smoky walls of the Eye of Avarice recede and everyone except Fobias watches as the body of Karzoug tumbles to the ground. The runewell, previously on the small upper platform, has vanished. The remaining giant drops his weapon in awe, dropping to his knees after seeing the lifeless body of Karzoug.
And Richard opens his eyes, standing back up on all fours, alive. Trace cures Fobias’ blindness, and what a welcome sight for him to see his wolf companion alive and well.
Slowly, the air begins to cool and grow thin, as the environmental protections afforded this place seem to have been dispersed. A shimmering, mirror-like surface appears between the western pillars as a faint rumble echoes through the demiplane. Below, the lava is becoming active, swirling and bubbling, slowly rising.
Unfinished Business
Without second thought, the party takes Karzoug’s body and heads back through the portal to the Pinnacle of Avarice. Fyn can sense that his is able to teleport once again, much to the party’s surprise and delight.
Before they go, El-Hadeen makes it known that she won’t be accompanying them further. She upheld her end of the bargain, and now beseeches Fyn to uphold his. Will Fyn help her get to Leng to allow her to fulfill her Calling? This would have been nice to consider before deciding to destroy the Leng Device, don’t you think?
The party quickly heads back to the Leng Device, searching through the broken parts for anything that might be useful. Fobias uses Mending to repair smaller portions of the device as well. Finally, they uncover a tuning fork attuned to Leng, a key piece to the Device’s puzzle. With this, Fyn will be able to take El-Hadeen to Leng.
They decide to head to Sandpoint, but agree on making a slight detour first. They teleport to the top of a building in Xin-Shalast, holding the body of Karzoug aloft. The giants, lamia, and former allies to Karzoug listen as Fyn warns them that their leader is dead. His magically-amplified voice booms across the city, causing mayhem and chaos to breakout. Some of Karzoug’s allies flee, while others begin fighting amongst themselves without the fear of a Runelord’s fury holding them back.
Pleased, the party teleports back to Sandpoint. They approach Sandpoint’s well-known mirror, and the guards on the wall recognize Krask, Richard, and Fobias. They excitedly ring the bell, causing half the town to venture out into the square to see what the commotion is about. And who better to greet them than Sheriff Belor Hemlock?
Hemlock refrains from fanfare and leads the party to Mayor Deverin’s office in the Garrison. They interrupt a meeting between her and Cyrdak, but the Mayor is excited to see them. She asks for an update, and the party begins to tell the tale of how they defeated a Runelord.