Angus shifts slightly (5 ft. adjustment) and takes two, mighty swings at the Duergar; Angus' anger is high, burning through his brain hotter than even the fireball which has just scorched him. Angus is badly injured, but the thought of his own safety is gone. There is only vengeance. Vengeance for Brutus. Vengeance for the Half-Orc that he admired in that first battle, and never got a chance to get to know during peace time. Vengeance for a reckless youth, whose bravery was a shining example to all.
Angus's first swing of his clanblade cuts a deep groove through the duergar's armor and chest. Xander stumbles and looks like he is about to fall to his knees. Black bile begins to drip from his nose and his eyes go completely black... the sockets now look hollow. As Angus brings down his second mighty blow, time seems to slow around the pillar. The blade inches along at a sluggish pace and the Harqualian centaur feels like his limbs are on fire.
The others feel it too. The villagers groan in discomfort and those not already on the ground fall to their knees and become sick to their stomachs.
Angus's blade cuts through Xander and black bile rips through the air to land at Maur's feet. It seems to bubble with acidic vapors and a powerful smell pours out of the duergar's throat.
"Impressive," Vok's disembodied voice says from all around you.
"But, I thought you would have killed him and his familiar faster. Still, it was entertaining."
"Who... is... speak... ing?" Shazakiel says slowly. The unicorn turns his head towards the sky.
"I am not speaking to you, creature," Vok replies with menace.
"Be silent. Be still."
Maur watches as the unicorn's movements seem to stop. The dwarf champion can still move, but he feels like he's under the effect of a
slow spell and his limbs feel 100 pounds heavier. He can see out of the corner of his eyes that the Soldier of Iron is completely motionless.
Angus finishes his blade strike and struggles to keep from twisting awkwardly in the air.
Xander's head droops and his knees bend but then time stops for him and he freezes in place -- half alive and half dead. A dark energy begins to seep out of him into the air.
"His was an interesting puppet, don't you think Lord Druaga?" Vok's voice hangs in the air above you all. For each of you, it sounds like the fey'ri demon lord is hovering right above.
"DO NOT FORGET YOUR PROMISE, VOK." A voice booms from somewhere distant, somewhere dark.
"THE DEAD ARE MINE."
"Yes, take them, but... Xander is mine," Vok replies to disembodied god voice.
"That was part of our bargain."
"THE TRAITOR."
"He is not dead," Vok replies.
"Let us let him suffer with the horrors he will soon face."
"I WILL AGREE, FOR NOW." The evil Sword God intones.
You watch with horror as the red mist descends to the ground and settles over the dead. The bodies are consumed in flames and their souls are pulled away from their bodies. The air seems to scream in pain and the mist begins to pull together to form a massive pillar of pulsing energy.
Aureus yells in pain as the flames of the dead burn her badly.
"NOOOO!" She cries out in anger. She throws herself over the children still alive in the wagon. Flames erupt from the top of the wagon and begin to singe Quinn's feet. Aureus begins cursing loudly in Hutaakan as she crawls out of the wagon with a small girl cradled in her arms.
The pillar of pulsing energy, the God of Vile Summoning made manifest, begins to swirl into a whirlwind that grows into a massive tornado that shifts away towards the north where it begins to pick up several of the fleeing villagers on the trail. They scream as they are torn from the ground and pulled into the tornado. Those in the copse of trees are buffeted by powerful winds.
As quickly as the evil manifestation appears, it dissipates the night grows silent.
"My lord is so dramatic," Vok laughs. You watch as a shadowy figure coalesces next to Xander. It reaches out to touch the evil spellbook floating next to the duergar. The book begins to bubble and melt into a pile of goo that burns a hole deep into the ground. Angus and Maur watch as Xander's fiendish features fade in a horrid sound of cracking bones and ripped flesh. The duergar becomes who he was before. The Shadow of Vok touches the duergar and a false life fills the dead duergar's eyes.
"You cannot swear loyalty to me in jest, little mortal. Your soul is mine," Vok's deadly visage turns its pinprick eyes towards Maur.
"No matter what this one might believe."
The shadow shifts to Aries as if it blinked. The evil manifestation seems to envelop the Soldier of Iron. The man's body seems to shudder even under the time stop effect.
"I have promised your soul to Lord Druaga, mortal. But you will live a little bit longer and your dreams will be filled with fiends and..." Vok stops suddenly and then his laughter echoes around the scrubland.
"I see your secret, Aries Zeidan! You are not just false to me! Ha! Ha! I wonder if I should tell them who you really are? No, I'll let you suffer under their judgement! It will be a fitting punishment before your death comes!" The shadow manifestation shifts to Caerth.
"Will you forgive him, I wonder?"
Vok laughs again and shifts back to Xander.
"Come, little thrall. I have great plans for your soul. You will make a interesting demon. But first..."
Maur watch as Xander's eyes turn towards him. There is recognition and fear in the duergar's eyes. "Maur? Is that you? I- I should not have run away, but I just..."
"He did not believe you would show him mercy," Vok says to Maur.
"He feared the villagers would lynch him. He made his oath to me under Eike's gaze not knowing I and Malotoch were both watching. He tried to slip away in the night. Left Eike to deal with the boy alone." Vok chuckles.
"Yes, he did not kill that young half-ogre, but he did not help him either. I will relish his guilt and twist his soul." The Shadow of Vok looms over Maur.
"You have no chance against me, even in this form. You are mortal. I am immortal."
Vok touches Xander again and every part of the duergar turns bone white.
"No! No!" Then he becomes ash in the wind. There is nothing left.
"You would kill me. I can feel your rage," Vok says to you all.
"Maybe someday you might become powerful enough to challenge me. I will look forward to that day. But it is not today, little mortals. Go, try to find Eike. You will find him a wicked place deep in the desert. He will be ready for you. Lady Malotoch has ensued that he will challenge you. If you survive, you will watch as she and I tear the Strandlands to shreds for your hubris. Perhaps the entire Thunder Lands will become a wasteland of war."
The shadow begins to dissipate and Vok's voice rises in laughter.
"Until the next time, heroes," he sneers in contempt. The shadow of the fey'ri demon lord fades away as the last of the red mist dissipates.
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OOC:
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Everyone make a Will saving throw vs. the slow effect. The DC is 23. A successful save shrugs off the effect, but your limbs still feel heavy and anyone that tries to act must make a DC 15 Concentration check. On a failed check, a character can only move at half-speed. The slow effect lasts for 2 minutes (20 rounds).
Any character that fails their save by 5 or more is also affected as if time stop was cast. There is no save vs. this secondary effect. The time stop lasts 1d4+1 rounds. Aries and all the other minor NPCs automatically fail their saves. Aureus gets a save (success), which I've posted on the OOC thread.
Aureus takes 4d10 points of fire damage (no save). Quinn gets a DC 25 Reflex save for half damage as long as he isn't time stopped. Otherwise, he takes full damage.
Druaga (god) - Flames of Death:
4D10 = [1, 7, 3, 1] = 12 (low rolls, Aureus is so lucky)
Each PC within 30 feet of the Shadow of Vok must also make a DC 26 Will Save or succumb to its Frightful Presence. (It lasts 5d6 rounds.) Those that fail their saves become shaken.
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This is the end of the combat unless you have the PCs try to attack the Shadow of Vok.
