Full Circle

Baru was ready, "Let's find Yagno now and kill him!" 
Arvien was less sure, "Can we use the Talisman against him?  Or will it work on the demon?  Madar was convinced that it had no power."
Seglun was already headed toward the stairs up to the next level.

Up the party went to the fourth floor.  As they passed the temple where they had recovered the Talisman they noticed a body kneeling at the far end under the statue of Zhakata.  His head bent in thought.
Baru and Seglun started to sneak into the chamber but as they approached the midpoint, the priest noticed them, arose and turned to face the group.
"I have heard much about you," Yagno said, his voice cultured and refined, with only a trace of an unfamiliar accent.  "You have brought misery to my land.  Did you honestly believe you could help anything by freeing a creature you could not control?"
Ralom started "We didn't know...."
Yagno held up a hand, gesturing silence just as Ralom started to speak.  "Do not bother to answer.  Just consider what I say.  Zhakata has brought you here for his purposes.  I merely seek to do his will."  He turned to look out through a window.
"The city is about to be invaded.  Malistroi has gathered quite an army around himself.  Even at their greatest strength, I do not believe the Swords of Zhakata could withstand the monsters -- and the Swords are far from strong now, scattered between Dervich and Zhukar or fled into the Outlands.
"I am at a loss.  It would be one thing if I had the fiend's talisman, for then I could destroy it and him with it, but his foul army would still be plaguing my land and my people.  If only there was a way to undo what has been done.  If only the High Altar ..."
Yagno's eyes became distant.  "Yes, it just might be.  I must call upon the faith of the people.  Their belief will defend G'Henna against this horror.  The strength of their trust in Zhakata will save this land.  Yes!  It can be done!  But how to gather the worshipers?"
Seglun was ready to help but Varrid shushed her quickly.  Arvien was wary, "If we helped what could we receive in return?" she asked.
Baru asked about the creature, where he came from, and Drovic was interested in the history of G'Henna.
Yagno shared his history, he was born in Barovia and after being locked out of the house by his brothers one night, he fled to a cave.  In the morning he found a message from Zhakata scrawled on the walls of the cave.  From that point on he was Zhakata's servant, even leaving Barovia to try and find his new path.  He prayed and pleaded with Zhakata, but was never spoken to directly.  Finding an ancient necromancer to help him.  Malistroi was summoned over thirty years ago, when Yagno was new to G'Henna.  He hoped to get closer to his god, but was tricked by the necromancer.  He imprisoned the monster in the House of Bones.  Now G'Henna is in peril, as the real Zhakata seems to be turning away from the land.  Yagno believes that the domain's isolation for its previous neighbors is the result of a crisis of faith in his people.  They have no worshiped well enough, and Zhakata is punishing them.
Throughout the conversation, Yagno seems certainly at odds with his reputation.  He is quite reasonable, even likeable, and surely not the monster legend portrays.  "The new moon is considered a very powerful help to his plans.  There is a new moon tonight and he needs a crowd of worshipers." He pleads with the heroes to help rounding up the worshipers left in Zhukar,  "Bring them to the temple grounds.  Together we will repel the enemy!"
The heroes agreed and set out into the city bringing the remaining flock to the temple with a promise of food and blessing from Yagno.  They succeeded beyond their wildest dreams, even though the temperature was cold and dropping by the hour.  The ground grew stonier and more barren.
Wicked teeth of freezing wind tore through their clothing as the heroes ascended the steps toward the High Altar.  Yagno and a group of lesser priests were chanting, swinging smoking censors as they walked around the altar's edges.
Close up the High Altar was a block of dark gray stone shot thorough with black veins, sharp-etched runes cut into its sides even as blood gutters were carved into its top.  Worn leather straps were located at the four corners, fastened to iron stakes driven into the stone.
As more people arrived, filling the plaza before the temple, the altar began to glimmer, as though some kind of luminescence were building somewhere inside.
There were Swords of Zhakata on the roof and they allowed to heroes to enter the main altar area.  The priests started to chant and cast prayer and bless upon the whole group.
Far below the altar, the faithful of Zhakata gathered around the temple.  Surrounding them were the remaining Swords of Zhakata, bravely facing the encroaching darkness.  As it drew nearer it was clear that he shadow was not simply the result of the new moon.  It was a seething mass of terrible shapes, wailing more horribly than the wind ever could.  In the darkness, pale fangs and talons flashed like tiny strokes of lightning as the horde closed.
In a flash a large group of Altered shapeless appeared on the rooftop.  The soldiers surged to meet the enemy along with the heroes.  The priests continued their chant and surrounded Yagno.
While the battle raged, Yagno spread his arms wide, his robe flapping in the freezing winds that scoured the temple's roof.
"Hear me, ye faithful!" he shouted, his voice carrying over the howling winds.  "This is the hour of testing!  Zhakata will judge us by how we stand against the dark.  Are we not worth?"
The crowd screamed, "We are worthy!"
"Then believe, with all your hearts!  Pour your faith into me, defender of G'Henna, the chosen champion of Zhakata.  Lend me your strength for Zhakata!"
As he continued, the High Altar began to glow more brightly, though it retained a sickly gray taint at its center.  Near-tangible beams of light streamed forth, blasting a new group of Altered from the roof like powerful streams of cold water.
Screaming in pain and frustration, the Altered plunged over the roof's edge to fall spinning toward the crowd below.
As the heroes and guards defeated the last of the Altered on the roof, Seglun suddenly felt a sharp, severe pain from her pouch.  The Talisman was radiating powerful cold.  Seglun grabbed the crystal from the pouch, its cold burning her hands, as it glowed brightly.
"In our hour of need, Zhakata has provided aid!  These outlanders have recovered the very life-essence of our enemy!  Give that Talisman into my hand, that the fiend my be expunged from our land!"
Seglun immediately moved toward Yagno, bearing the Talisman before her.  She presented it into the hand of Yagno as Baru move between Yagno and the Altar.
Even over the wind, the snap of leathery wings was heard.  A piece of the black night sky dropped to the rooftop to face Yagno, towering right over Baru -- Malistroi!
"Fool of a priest!  You remember me, I think." the fiend sneered, a terrible grin spreading across its monstrous features.
"Indeed," rasped Yagno, hoarse with preaching.  As one, the adversaries raised their arms to attack.
Meanwhile an uncountable number of Altered Bloated and Imps appeared on the rooftop, interspersed with the heroes, guards and priests.  A mighty battle loomed.  Arvien cast a web on several more Bloated that were running up the stairs.  Grunyar fired away with his bow.  Varrid moved around to flank, relatively easy given the number of enemies on the roof.  Drovic air walked and called lightning out of the dark and stormy sky.  Ralom cast Blessing of Fervor and attacked with his long spear.  Baru was trying to hack at the underside of Malistroi and found the creature hard to land a blow upon.  Seglun was amongst the Altered, battling away with her sword. 
As the battle raged, the imps exploded when dying, flinging acid around them.   The bloated caused Dexterity damage when they hit and Yagno and Malistroi were battling away.  Guards and Priests were fighting furiously, some even falling to the creatures attacks.  Arvien called forth an anklyosauer and Dire Boar to enter the battle with Alvin charging and knocking an Imp into the hungry pit she had conjured earlier.  The battle was fierce and Baru saw Malistroi grab Yango and hoist him into the air.  As the demon started to crush the High Priest, Yagno dropped the Talisman.  It landed at Ralom's feet.  Ralom bent to grab the crystal, so cold that it burned his hands.  He felt and urge to flee and carry the Talisman as far away from here as possible, but summoning his inner strength he overcame the feeling.  Racing to the Altar, he spied a spot that glowed brightly, the exact shape and size as the crystal.
Ralom placed the Talisman upon the Altar exactly on the glowing spot.  As soon as it touched the Altar the Talisman vanished and Ralom groaned.  Malistroi attempted to gut Yagno with his claw, which had no effect.  He continued slicing at Yagno who looked at the heroes, a glazed look in his eyes.  "None of this is real, is it? I've been living a fantasy ...  no a nightmare for the last 30 years.  Or has it been my whole life?  Am I even real?"
"The dream must end, " Yagno muttered, as Malistroi vanished, dissolving into mist as his roar faded away.  "For only if the dream ends can I truly discover reality.  If there is such a thing, and only in reality can I face Zhakata . . ."
The city, the sky, the temple, even Yagno himself, dissolved into mists, and soon the heroes were left with nothing but the High Altar and swirling whiteness.
When the mists clear the heroes were standing in a green open field, certainly not G'Henna any longer.  Suddenly a face appeared in the sky and they heard a voice.
"Thank you my friends, for freeing my land and my people," he said the phantom of a handsome man.  All recognized the voice as Petchko's. "I, and the others whose souls have been freed, go to a much happier place ... and so will those of you who are still living.  Know that today you have performed as saviors for generations of G'Hennans, past and present."

DM's Notes: Upon completion of the battle the heroes are now 10th level.