A young(er) Harrison Ford as Benzan... hmmm... Who would we cast as the other characters?
While I don't want to demystify Benzan's new weapon too much by stat-ing it yet, I can say that it has one more power that's fairly well-suited to him (and higher Wisdom and Charisma scores than its owner!). Luckily for him its Ego isn't too high, so it will probably continue to influence him in fairly subtle ways.
Whew, long post today!
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Book III, Part 21
For a moment the only reply to Benzan’s question was stunned silence, finally broken when Dana leapt up and enfolded him in a sudden embrace. The emotion she’d been holding in came out in a deluge, and she shook as tears fell down her face in a torrent. The others quickly stood as well, forming a close but confused ring around their lost friend.
Benzan smiled and started to say something, a wisecrack perhaps, but the genuine display of emotion from the young woman clearly caught him off guard. She seemed to realize what she was doing, as well, for she abruptly drew back, her face slightly red.
“We thought you were dead,” she said.
“What about Kael?” Elly’s plaintive voice broke in, as she entered the circle around the tiefling. Maric was at her shoulder, and Varrus, a little further back.
“I’m sorry,” Benzan said, and he meant it. Elly nodded, already suspecting the answer before she asked, and sagged back as if the confirmation had drained the last threads of energy from her. Maric helped her back to where they had been sitting, his own face just as grim.
The reminder of grief broke the relief of the others at seeing Benzan, but could not blunt their curiosity. “What happened? Did you use the spell of feather falling? How did you get back up here?” Cal asked in rapid succession.
“I… I discovered a new power,” Benzan told them. For a moment a look crossed his face, as if he were reluctant to explain further, but then it passed and he continued, “It’s this sword.” He patted the hilt of the magical weapon, resting easily at his hip. “It has some sort of levitation ability. I think I used most of it in the fall and coming back up the cliff, but I believe it regenerates with time.” That fact he hadn’t known until just that moment, and he wondered at both that and the way he’d reached for the hilt when he’d been falling. He realized something else as well; he hadn’t used his scimitar at all since the time he’d claimed the sword. The curved blade still hung across his back—hadn’t he put the sword there, back when he’d found it?
But his ponderings were interrupted by the continued questions of his companions. He told them of finding Horath, keeping his voice low so that it wouldn’t carry to the sailors. He explained that he’d wanted to bring the body back up the cliffs, but that the magic had not been strong enough. He didn’t mention taking Horath’s magic ring, and none of the others mentioned it.
“You’ve the Lady’s own luck,” Ruath commented, when his story was finished.
“I’m just glad to be back with all of you,” Benzan said. He glanced at Dana when he said it, but the young woman, still embarrassed, did not meet his eyes.
“Well, we still have the day,” Cal said, “and the mountain still waits. Perhaps… maybe before we begin, we can say a few words for Horath’s spirit, before we depart, as it embarks upon its own journey.”
His companions readily agreed, and so they gathered near the end of the bridge, all of them, with Elly and Maric at the forefront as they stared once again into the vast depths of the chasm.
“Let us vow to always remember the bravery of this man, the master of the Raindancer, a proud mariner and stalwart warrior. Although we who came on board the vessel as passengers did not know him especially long, it was sufficient time to recognize the strength of the heart that guided Kael Horath, offering a model of courage and self-sacrifice to those around him. Whether his adversary was a pirate crew, or a violent storm, or even the strange denizens of this new world upon whose shores we were so roughly cast, Captain Horath always was there, leading us to victory. He will be missed, and whenever we gather to toast the memories of past glories and hard-earned triumphs, a glass will always be raised to his memory.”
The gnome stepped back, and the companions stood there in silence, each reliving his or her own memories of the elf captain. Then the six adventurers moved off a short distance, to give the three that were all that remained of the Raindancer’s crew some private time alone with their own feelings.
A short time later they were on the march again. The open grassland of the plateau made for an easy hike in contrast to the mountains that they’d been slogging through, and their pace rapidly ate up the miles as the day advanced. The only features that broke up the monotony of the landscape were scattered copses of trees, the largest of which was a considerable forest off to the northwest. Their course led them almost directly north, however, straight for the black mountain that loomed increasingly large over them.
They walked on largely in silence, broken only by the noise of the omnipresent wind rustling through the long grass. The chill wind still blew from the northeast, where the storm clouds hovered yet over that part of the island, and they seemed to be walking the border between that gray world and the brilliant clear blue that formed the sky to the west.
At times as they day wore on several of the companions through they saw gray shadows in the distance, forms that blended in the long grass and faded before they could be clearly marked.
“We’re being followed,” Benzan finally said, putting voice to their suspicions.
“I know,” Cal replied. “What are they, do you think?”
“Whatever they are, they know the terrain, and how not to be seen,” the tiefling responded. “We’re not going to make the mountain by nightfall—we should probably start looking for someplace defensible to make camp.”
“Is that a hill over there?” Delem said, pointing toward the northeast, where a slight bump marked the horizon.
“Only one way to find out,” Cal replied, and they changed their course to walk in that direction.
* * * * *
By the time they had traveled far enough to clearly make out what Delem had spotted, the sun had already fallen below the line of peaks to the west. They hurried their pace toward the “hill”, which turned out to be a gnarled old tree, standing as a lonely sentinel atop a low mound of grass-covered earth that had formed around its roots. A few smaller saplings, children of the ancient tree, broke through the hard soil nearby, but none of those had managed more than twenty feet in height.
As they finally drew close they could see that massive old tree was approaching its final years. The bark was cracked and weathered, and a deep cleft was visible in one side of the trunk. The trees branches dipped low, forming a canopy over the mound, and the leaves that managed to hang on fluttered above them in the wind.
“We’ll camp here for the night,” Cal said, the only choice since the horizon around them remained unbroken save for the still-distant black mountain.
“May you give us shelter tonight, mighty old one,” Dana said, running her good hand over the rough bark of the tree.
“What of our shadows?” Maric asked, and as if in response, a doleful howl sounded over the plateau. It was answered a few moments later by another, and yet another, each coming from a different direction in the gathering night.
“Wolves?” Benzan guessed.
“Perhaps,” Cal replied. “Let’s make a fire. Whatever’s out there has seen us already, and we can use the warmth.”
There was plenty of dead wood jutting from around the cleft in the tree’s trunk, which they gathered for their fire. The thick roots that radiated outward from the tree and protruded from the uneven surface of the mound made a sort of rampart for them, which would make it difficult for adversaries to advance directly on their position, save from straight up from the bottom of the mound. They dug a shallow pit and put their fire in that line of advance, forming a nice little nook warded by the tree behind them, the root-walls to either side, and the fire ahead. They enjoyed a hot meal and talked briefly about meaningless things, letting the fire wash some of the chill from their bones, and then set triple watches and went to sleep.
The first watch went peacefully, but they had barely begun the second when Varrus let out a sudden cry of alarm that woke the others. The sleeping companions woke and quickly gathered their arms and equipment, and stared out into the night around them.
“What is it?” Cal asked, when nothing but dark silence greeted them.
“Eyes,” the Tethyrian replied. “Several sets, out in the darkness, reflecting the firelight.”
“I don’t see anything,” Delem said.
“They’re out there,” Benzan said, “and close.”
“How many—” Dana started to ask, but she was interrupted as the largest wolf any of them had ever seen stepped into the firelight directly in front of them.
The creature stood almost as tall as a man, stretching nearly eight feet long from muzzle to tail. Its eyes blazed red in the reflected light of the fire, giving it an otherworldly air that, combined with its size, gave each of the companions pause. Behind it, forming a half-circle of shadows outside of the firelight, they could sense others, waiting.
Perhaps the wolves, used to stalking prey, meant their slow approach to stir fear in their enemies, but the companions, veterans of many battles, used every second to their advantage. Cal surrounded himself, Dana, and Delem with mage armor in quick succession, while Ruath added a boost of strength to Lok through the use of her divine magic. Dana could only cast spells with great difficulty, given the damage to her hand, but she managed to add a blessing of Selûne to their defenses. All of them readied their weapons, loading their crossbows or hefting melee weapons against the seemingly inevitable attack.
But when the attack came, it didn’t come from ahead, as they expected. A shadow appeared behind them, and only Elly’s sudden warning alerted them as another huge wolf leapt up over the flanking roots and tore into them from the side. At the same instant, the others in front of them charged, their massive jaws snapping in anticipation of rending prey.
“For Horath!” Cal cried, and the battle was joined.
Benzan, Elly, and Varrus were closest to the wolf that raged at them from behind, and they turned to face the beast and protect their flank. Varrus actually managed the first attack, firing his crossbow in a desperate and reflexive shot that hit the creature in the shoulder. The wolf snarled at him, and lunged at him in a blow that knocked him roughly prone. Before the snapping teeth could lock onto him, however, Benzan and Elly rushed to his aid, the half-elven woman stabbing it lightly in the rump while Benzan slashed at its head. The magical sword bit deep, and the wolf howled, letting Varrus crawl away as it shifted its attention toward Benzan.
Four other wolves, including the massive leader, rushed up the mound directly, splitting to avoid the fire as they sought out the defenders. Delem was ready, and cast a flaming sphere that rolled down the hill into the rush. The wolves darted out of the path of the flames with agility, one leaping directly over the sphere, but a second suffered burns to its flank as it rushed past. Cal shot a color spray right through the fire into the charging wolves, catching the leader and the wolf beside it in the dazzling stream. The lead wolf rushed on, heedless of the effect, but the second wolf faltered, momentarily stunned by the spell.
And then there was no more time for spells, as the wolves tore into them.
Lok, of course, stepped forward to meet the lead wolf’s charge. His axe came down in a mighty swipe, tearing a deep gash in its shoulder. The canny old wolf, however, a veteran of many hunts, countered with a sudden bite that crushed Lok’s weapon arm in its jaws, dragging him down to the ground in a furious snarl of fur and limbs.
“Lok’s down!” Cal cried, hoping that one of his companions could reach the embattled genasi in time.
On the other side of the fire, another huge wolf tore into Maric and Dana, who held that side of their line. Dana gave way before its rush, slashing with her kama in her good hand. Protected as she was by the mage armor, as well as her natural agility, the wolf failed to get a grip on her, but in turn her blow was little more than a scratch against the massive creature. Maric steadfastly came at it from the side, thrusting his cutlass deep into its flank. The wolf howled in pain, and spun at the hapless sailor, launching its considerable bulk at the young man as his eyes widened in sudden fear.
The third attacking wolf could not get at them directly with its cohorts blocking the routes around the fire, but to their surprise it abruptly leapt directly ahead, right over the blazing flames. The fire scorched its belly as it crossed over, but then it landed right among Ruath, Delem, and Cal, who had little protection against the large combatant suddenly in their midst.
Benzan only just managed to stay on his feet as the wolf tore at him, the jaws finding purchase on his hip and clamping down through the protective rings of his mail. While the armor held, the pressure of the wolf’s jaws threatened to crush his bones, even as its weight promised to drag him down. Elly was still slashing at its rear, her blows doing little real damage but distracting it just enough for Benzan to get past its defenses. With a cry of pain and fury he raised his sword in both hands, letting his shield fall to the side. The firelight gleamed on the bronze blade for a moment, then Benzan drove the weapon down into the base of the wolf’s skull.
The creature shuddered, thrashed for an instant, and then went still. Even in death, though, its jaws remained locked, and Benzan had to almost rip the wolf’s head from his ravaged side. He could barely stand, but he knew that battle raged on just a few feet away behind him and he managed to turn, his sword stained red in his hand.
Lok was nearly being crushed under the body of the wolf, yet he fought on. With his already considerable strength bolstered by Ruath’s spell, he tore his arm free of its jaws and continued to cut at it, ripping his axe back and forth repeatedly against whatever part of its body he could reach. The wolf drew back slightly under the onslaught, just enough for Lok to regain his feet and meet its next rush. The two combatants clashed once again in mortal combat, Lok taking the snarling bite on his shield and countering with a mighty overhead chop that crushed into the wolf’s skull. Staggered, it somehow managed another weak bite that failed to connect, and then the axe came up—and descended—one last time.
Lok barely had time to take a breath before another wolf, the one that Cal’s spell had briefly stunned, bore down on him.
On the other flank, Dana and Maric were finding themselves much harder pressed. The wolf drove Maric back against a tangled wall of roots and earth, where he could not retreat any further. The sailor was already bleeding from a deep gash in his leg where the wolf had bitten him, but he’d managed to tear free before it could lock its jaws on the wounded limb. Dana was still attacking from the side, trying to divert it, but her kama was unable to penetrate its thick hide. She slashed at it again, letting out a scream of angry frustration, but its charge continued unabated. Maric met its attack bravely, stabbing it deeply with his cutlass, but the wolf crushed his body against the mound and snapped its jaws heavily on the poor sailor’s throat.
Cal, Delem, and Ruath surrounded the last wolf, unleashing the best of their magic against it. Delem launched a stream of flames point-blank into its side, drawing an angry growl out of it as it spun to face him. The motion took it out of the blast of another of Cal’s color sprays, which flared up harmlessly into the night sky. Ruath, meanwhile, completed a spell and another pair of summoned badgers appeared right behind the wolf, tearing into it with relish.
The wolf, however, ignored these attacks, focusing on Delem. Its bite caught on his cloak, dragging him down roughly as its head thrashed to and fro. The sorcerer tried to struggle free, but the wolf bore down on him, biting again and seizing Delem’s shoulder in its jaws. The sorcerer screamed, unable to cast another spell with the wolf tearing at him. Weakening, Delem, felt an icy chill creep into his body as the wolf continued its relentless attack.
Lok fought with a ferocity that bespoke his elemental nature, trading blows with his new adversary. He’d retreated until the rise of roots and earth was at his back, making it more difficult for the wolf to drag him down. The wolf did manage to bite him, its powerful jaws clamping down on the genasi’s armored shoulder, but Lok tore free and countered with another deadly swing of his axe. The wolf had already been scored by two such strikes, and as Lok slashed into it again it faltered. It tried to disengage, retreat from this implacable adversary, but Lok was always there, and when it finally spun and tried to run he finished it with another mighty swing that crushed its spine and sent it tumbling broken to the ground.
Lok looked up and saw battle still raging. The world swam in and out of focus around him, and he could feel his blood seeping from his wounds, but he hefted his axe and rushed once more to the aid of his friends.
Dana screamed as the wolf savaged poor Maric, her desperate blows unable to divert the wolf from its prey. She knew it was too late, but kept up her attacks regardless, slashing and tearing repeatedly at its muscled body. Finally, belatedly, she realized that the wolf was not moving. The haze of battle that had filled her faded to reveal the wolf lying dead, blood seeping from a stroke that had managed to pierce a major vessel. Unfortunately, she could also see Maric’s body lying under it, his throat a gory mess from the wolf’s vicious jaws.
The wolf savaging Delem finally released its grip as Benzan charged into it, plunging his sword deep into its side. The sorcerer fell back, unconscious and bleeding, but to the amazement of his friends he suddenly rose up, still covered in his own blood but with a fire burning in his eyes. Even as the wolf tried to fight off its multiple attackers, Delem let out a cry of pure rage and sent fire into the creature, burning through its thick fur into the very core of its being. The others retreated as the wolf collapsed into a pyre, and the smell of roasted flesh filled the air.
With the death of that final wolf the battle was over, but again the victors had paid a heavy cost. Maric was dead, and Lok, Delem, and Benzan were seriously injured. Dana and Cal used their wands, and Ruath and Delem their clerical powers, to treat their wounds. Cal finally tossed his device aside, its magic utterly drained, and even then some of them still were not fully restored. They still had several healing potions and scrolls, but Cal cautioned against using them.
“We’d better conserve our healing magic,” he warned. “For all we know, there are greater tests ahead.”
With that grim comment, they wearily set camp again. They moved to the far side of the tree, away from the gruesome scene of the battle, and even though they kept an alert watch throughout the remainder of the night nothing further arrived to disturb their rest.
In the morning, they set out for the black mountain.
!
