The Ingaran Adventures
Episode 47
“The Master of Defenses”
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Lord Issic: Half Human, Half Gold
Dragon Warrior
Lady India: A gypsy Bard/Shadow Dancer
Lord Phaidon: A Tamer of the Beasts
Cthaat: A young warrioress
Lord Alexander Maximus: The Gauntlet of Athena
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The Time: Autumn, Drauj 6, 6th year, 8th Age
The Place: Talishar – The
main occupation of Talishar's residents is fishing. There are a small handful
of hunters as well, and a few farmers have cleared land to the south for small
crops, although the forest is so thick and fertile, it is a constant struggle
to fight off the encroaching woods that seek to reclaim the cleared spaces.
The group returned the way they came and went down
the other set of stairs. The stairs went down to a cold chamber that carried
a slightly acrid odor. A thin layer of mist blanketed the floor. Eight large
ovoid objects rose out of the mist, each covered with a roughly textured black
skin.
In the northwest section of the room, an all-iron guillotine, now quite
rusted, rested menacingly in the corner. There appeared to be runes on the heavy
metal blade. A small font built into the west wall bore a grinning demonskull,
which seemed to be filling the basin with a tiny trickle of blood, not water.
In the southeast corner, stone steps descended still farther down...
Alexander walked among the ovoid objects to read the runes on the guillotine,
but he couldn't decipher it. He could not detect any magic on the guillotine.
Issic watched the ovoid objects as they floated in place. One of them rocked
a little as he gazed on them.
Alexander lit a torch and Issic asked, "Do Demons lay eggs?"
Phaidon nocked an arrow.
Alexander said, "I don't know, but birds do."
The other objects started to rock and bulge. Alexander tried to light
one on fire, but it wasn't flammable. Indeed, in the light, Alexander saw what
appeared to be a person trapped inside, struggling to get out of its cocoon.
Issic struck a cocoon with his sword, and it split open. A gray, hairless
hand ripped out, then other hands tore out of other
cocoons. Faces with expressions of mingled madness and horror, and white, empty
eyes rose out of the tears and splits, eight of them in all. "Bodaks," whispered Alexander. He knew them for what
they were. They were the undead remnants of those who had been destroyed by
the touch of absolute evil.
Alexander touched the power of Athena and commanded, "Kneel before
the holy might of Athena!" Two of them cowered away from Alexander, moving
toward the corner of the room.
Phaidon fired arrows into them, firing as fast as he could. One fell
underneath his assault.
The bodaks looked around with their death gaze,
and each could feel the coldness of their horrible stares. Issic roared, "Begone little fleas! Infest this place no longer!" He
swung the blazing green sword Abeopernicles and smashed
into one, crushing it beneath the power of his blows.
Alexander tried to turn more of them, but only the first pair continued
to cower in front of him. Phaidon unleashed more arrows as Cthaat and
Again their death gazes unnerved the living, but Cthaat and
Suddenly, Alexander felt the hand of Athena upon him, and the remaining
four bodaks were cowering before him. His allies
slaughtered the undead things quickly.
"Let us push on, for the glory of the goddess!" said Alexander.
"Can anyone read what those runes say?" asked Phaidon.
"I could figure out what they said but I don't really want to know,"
said Alexander. "It could be some kind of a trap."
Issic laughed. "They probably say that we need these things alive
to get through the next part of the temple"
Phaidon said, "Maybe it says 'chop' and it is like the circle that
said eat." Phaidon chuckled.
Issic said, "The runes in this building have been more of a map than
traps. I think you should read them."
Alexander cast another spell and read the runes. They read, "Feed
on the blood of their necks, Oh mighty lord."
Phaidon shrugged and said, "Let us proceed."
Alexander led them down the stairs. The center of the large chamber at
the foot of the stairs contained an imposing iron throne, covered with bones
and skulls lashed together with razor-wire and thorny vines. The whole thing
was stained reddish brown, as if with blood.
The floor here was black marble with white running through it. A chandelier
of bones and razor sharp blades hung from the ceiling directly above the throne.
It held a plague with etched red runes. Straight behind the throne, the south
wall sported a small font. The grinning demonskull
within it trickled blood into the basin. Two gray stone statues of robed human
men holding demonskulls occupied the room as well.
Sitting on the throne was a horrible demon!
He was a towering fifteen feet in height, and was well-muscled with four
arms, two ending in clawed hands and two in powerful pincers. It had a doglike
head with sharp fangs and penetrating violet eyes, and its skin was pitch black.
Suddenly prismatic walls rose, running north and south, covering
the exits from the room. The demon laughed. Phaidon fired arrows into it.
It roared in anger.
Issic echoed the roar and rushed the demon, his sword swinging in a wide,
deadly arc. The demon was fast, though, and grabbed up Issic, even as Issic's
sword slammed down upon it, sending up a spray of black ichor.
The demon laughed at Issic, who struggled in his grasp. The demon stepped
over to the prismatic wall and shoved Issic into it. Issic struggled, and felt
poison and electricity and other magical effects wash over him. In a heartbeat,
Issic died. The demon laughed in triumph and dropped the half-dragon's dead
carcass to the ground. Cthaat screamed in horror.
Alexander called upon Athena and a trio of celestial bison appeared in
the room and charged the demon. The demon slammed them aside.
"Thanks,
"No problem," answered
Cthaat ran over to Issic's dead body and looked up with tear-filled eyes
at Alexander. "Can you help him? Bring him back!"
Chronology of the Write Ups
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Cthaat Angartha,
the female human guard, Warrior 1/Fighter 2: CR 2; medium humanoid (5'2"); HD 1d8+2d10+12+3;
hp 32; Initiative: +4 (Improved Initiative); Spd 30 ft; AC 14 (flatfooted 14,
touch 10); Attack +5 (1d8+2 longsword or 1d10+2 halberd); AL NG; SV Fort +6,
Ref +0, Will +0; Str 15, Dex 11, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 13
Skills:
Sense Motive +2, Intimidate +5, Jump +8
Feats:
Improved Initiative, Endurance, Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Bull Strike
Equipment:
Scale mail, Halberd, Longsword