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<blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 4689988" data-attributes="member: 1210"><p>The giant hurled its harpoon at the party. It swooped gracefully through the air straight towards Dexter. </p><p></p><p>“Dex! No!” cried Julio Titan, and hurled himself in the way. The harpoon speared him in the shoulder, sinking deep and catching him with its barbs. He screamed. </p><p></p><p>The fire giant gave a loud guffaw and shouted something gleeful-sounding in its own tongue (which nobody but the giant itself understood). </p><p></p><p>Its intent was clear, though, as it prepared to pull Julio into the bubbling pit of lava that it was wading in. The party unleashed a flurry of attacks at both the giant and the chain that the harpoon was hooked to- but neither fell. And then it yanked, hard, and Julio Titan screamed as he was pulled into the molten rock, dying in seconds. </p><p></p><p>“Oh my god,” choked Ilyara.</p><p></p><p>“Not good,” confirmed Therighast.</p><p></p><p>The giant gave out a great belly laugh as it re-coiled its chain. “It’s going to try to get us all that way!” shouted Proctor. There was a scurrying panic as the party retreated through another door. Dexter led the way, <em>sight linked</em> with Pandos so that he could see- and stumbled to a halt. </p><p></p><p>”The book,” he breathed. </p><p></p><p>Indeed- what appeared to be an ancient, brittle book so thick that it <em>had</em> to be a Galadron stood on a pedastal in the middle of the room. Without hesitation, Dexter sprang for it.</p><p></p><p>And fell right through it into a deep pit, landing at the bottom with a cry of pain.</p><p></p><p>“Hello,” a deep voice purred. Disoriented and blind, Dexter reeled as a heavy blow landed upon his shoulder. He cried out again.</p><p></p><p>To the others, it had seemed as though Dexter had sprung for the book and fallen through the floor. “It’s an illusion of some kind!” cried Criediki. </p><p></p><p>Dexter screamed again from below the “pedastal”, and Pandos the Mute leapt after him. So did Rajah. </p><p></p><p>It was a long fall- 50’ down. Rajah fell like a cat, and was barely discomfited by it. Pandos hit like a stone, but quickly <em>laid hands</em> on himself. Rajah hit the ground, rolled, and came up fighting a heavy-set figure in a purple and gold vest. He looked like a man, but he didn’t <em>smell</em> like a man. He smelled like earth and stone mixed with incesnse and spice. Like sand and loam all at once.</p><p></p><p><em>And he can turn invisible,</em> Rajah thought as the figure faded from view, only to reappear again a moment later when it struck him. Rajah lashed back at it, and Dexter unleashed <em>sunmotes</em> at the creature. </p><p></p><p>The others up above were starting to prepare a safe descent, when suddenly the room’s door opened and things got much, much worse.</p><p></p><p>Augustus, the envoy who led the Strogassian party, and his allies, entered the room. “There will be no miracle to whisk you away to Heaven this time, Dexter!” Grumpy Stiggins, the dark halfling in the evil party, taunted. </p><p></p><p>One of the new adversaries was a she-troll. Rajah was about to call for fire when she did something that caught all of the beleagured heroes off guard. </p><p></p><p>She cast a spell, and burst into flames.</p><p></p><p><em>That’s a </em>fire shield, realized Therighast. “She’s warded herself against fire!” the prophet of Galador shouted. </p><p></p><p>The villains pressed in against the heroes. One of them, a champion of Bleak, slew Proctor Mansack after a brief engagement, while Nydroth contemplated whether it might be best to simply switch sides. </p><p></p><p><em>Alas, I think not,</em> he thought. <em>If I did, my current companions would stop at nothing to destroy me. And even if I turned on them, I have no assurance that these ruthless Strogassians would accept me. No, I must remain on Dexter’s side, at least for now.</em></p><p></p><p>Jenner and Therighast started clambering down the walls of the pit. It wasn’t that hard of a climb, but it was long; it would take some time. </p><p></p><p>Time that Dexter, Pandos and Rajah were sorely lacking at the bottom of the pit. </p><p></p><p>“This is some kind of earth creature!” Rajah cried, smacking it hard with a clawed hand. It fell back a foot or two with a grunt, then smiled and waded in on Rajah, pummeling him over and over with mighty blows. </p><p></p><p><em>It’s a dao- an earth genie,</em> realized Dexter. He could hear his friends screaming in the room above, as Augustus, Sprukarth (the troll), Grumpy and their companions waded into them with mighty force.</p><p></p><p><em>It might be our only chance to get out of here.</em> Instantly, Dexter <em>contacted</em> Rajah and Pandos, then <em>mindlinked</em> with both of them. <em>Pandos, Rajah, we’ve got to take that thing alive! It might be able to get us out of here!</em></p><p></p><p>Rajah thought back, <em>I’ll do what I can.</em></p><p></p><p>Together, Rajah and Pandos pressed a furious attack. They rained blow after blow on the dao, while Dexter initiated some of his most crippling psionics.</p><p></p><p><em>Mindwipe.</em></p><p></p><p>A single, psychically-searing dose of it to the badly wounded dao is enough; it cried, “I yield! Please, do not take my life! I will grant you three wishes!”</p><p></p><p>Listening to the clash of blades, the roar of trolls, the explosive <em>whoomp</em> of <em>fireballs</em>, Dexter grabbed the cowering dao by throat. “Good,” he growled. “Here’s the first one. <em>I wish that the oldest copy of the Galadron in the Hill of Skulls would appear here, now, before me!</em>”</p><p></p><p>Nothing happened.</p><p></p><p>“Where is it?” roared Dexter.</p><p></p><p>“I have fulfilled your wish,” the dao cried. “If nothing happened, it is because your wish was not properly phrased!”</p><p></p><p><em>We’re too late,</em> Dexter thought. <em>And there is no more time to waste.</em> Aloud, he said, “<em>I wish that my soul was no longer bound to Bleak!</em>”</p><p></p><p>Nothing happened.</p><p></p><p>“Surely,” the dao replied, “you do not think that I, a mere humble genie, have the power to override a god?”</p><p></p><p>Dexter gnashed his teeth. “All right, you bastard. <em>I wish that myself and all of my companions would be teleported instantly out of the Hill of Skulls to a safe location!</em>”</p><p></p><p>***</p><p></p><p>The party vanished, and Augustus- leader of the Strogassian band of villains- yelled out in surprise. “Where did they go? We <em>had them!!</em>” </p><p></p><p>Sprukarth, the troll evoker, rumbled, “They have escaped, somehow.”</p><p></p><p>“Treacherous dao!” the envoy spat. “You will pay for allowing them to escape! The Dark Emperor forgives nothing!”</p><p></p><p>“Including you, my lord,” the dao replied with equanimity.</p><p></p><p>***</p><p></p><p>The ragged, beaten group of heroes appeared in the mountains. Several of them had been slain; Drelvin was a statue, destined to rest in the gardens of Var for nearly a century before he could be restored. </p><p></p><p>Dexter wept without tears, without eyes. He had failed in his most holy mission. Pandos, his warden, clapped him on the back and signed, <em>We must escape Strogass.</em></p><p></p><p>Dexter nodded, and the party began their long journey home. </p><p></p><p><em><strong>Next Time:</strong></em> Dexter meets with Spadron, and the hunt for Pandos the Mute’s mount begins!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="the Jester, post: 4689988, member: 1210"] The giant hurled its harpoon at the party. It swooped gracefully through the air straight towards Dexter. “Dex! No!” cried Julio Titan, and hurled himself in the way. The harpoon speared him in the shoulder, sinking deep and catching him with its barbs. He screamed. The fire giant gave a loud guffaw and shouted something gleeful-sounding in its own tongue (which nobody but the giant itself understood). Its intent was clear, though, as it prepared to pull Julio into the bubbling pit of lava that it was wading in. The party unleashed a flurry of attacks at both the giant and the chain that the harpoon was hooked to- but neither fell. And then it yanked, hard, and Julio Titan screamed as he was pulled into the molten rock, dying in seconds. “Oh my god,” choked Ilyara. “Not good,” confirmed Therighast. The giant gave out a great belly laugh as it re-coiled its chain. “It’s going to try to get us all that way!” shouted Proctor. There was a scurrying panic as the party retreated through another door. Dexter led the way, [i]sight linked[/i] with Pandos so that he could see- and stumbled to a halt. ”The book,” he breathed. Indeed- what appeared to be an ancient, brittle book so thick that it [i]had[/i] to be a Galadron stood on a pedastal in the middle of the room. Without hesitation, Dexter sprang for it. And fell right through it into a deep pit, landing at the bottom with a cry of pain. “Hello,” a deep voice purred. Disoriented and blind, Dexter reeled as a heavy blow landed upon his shoulder. He cried out again. To the others, it had seemed as though Dexter had sprung for the book and fallen through the floor. “It’s an illusion of some kind!” cried Criediki. Dexter screamed again from below the “pedastal”, and Pandos the Mute leapt after him. So did Rajah. It was a long fall- 50’ down. Rajah fell like a cat, and was barely discomfited by it. Pandos hit like a stone, but quickly [i]laid hands[/i] on himself. Rajah hit the ground, rolled, and came up fighting a heavy-set figure in a purple and gold vest. He looked like a man, but he didn’t [i]smell[/i] like a man. He smelled like earth and stone mixed with incesnse and spice. Like sand and loam all at once. [i]And he can turn invisible,[/i] Rajah thought as the figure faded from view, only to reappear again a moment later when it struck him. Rajah lashed back at it, and Dexter unleashed [i]sunmotes[/i] at the creature. The others up above were starting to prepare a safe descent, when suddenly the room’s door opened and things got much, much worse. Augustus, the envoy who led the Strogassian party, and his allies, entered the room. “There will be no miracle to whisk you away to Heaven this time, Dexter!” Grumpy Stiggins, the dark halfling in the evil party, taunted. One of the new adversaries was a she-troll. Rajah was about to call for fire when she did something that caught all of the beleagured heroes off guard. She cast a spell, and burst into flames. [i]That’s a [/i]fire shield, realized Therighast. “She’s warded herself against fire!” the prophet of Galador shouted. The villains pressed in against the heroes. One of them, a champion of Bleak, slew Proctor Mansack after a brief engagement, while Nydroth contemplated whether it might be best to simply switch sides. [i]Alas, I think not,[/i] he thought. [i]If I did, my current companions would stop at nothing to destroy me. And even if I turned on them, I have no assurance that these ruthless Strogassians would accept me. No, I must remain on Dexter’s side, at least for now.[/i] Jenner and Therighast started clambering down the walls of the pit. It wasn’t that hard of a climb, but it was long; it would take some time. Time that Dexter, Pandos and Rajah were sorely lacking at the bottom of the pit. “This is some kind of earth creature!” Rajah cried, smacking it hard with a clawed hand. It fell back a foot or two with a grunt, then smiled and waded in on Rajah, pummeling him over and over with mighty blows. [i]It’s a dao- an earth genie,[/i] realized Dexter. He could hear his friends screaming in the room above, as Augustus, Sprukarth (the troll), Grumpy and their companions waded into them with mighty force. [i]It might be our only chance to get out of here.[/i] Instantly, Dexter [i]contacted[/i] Rajah and Pandos, then [i]mindlinked[/i] with both of them. [i]Pandos, Rajah, we’ve got to take that thing alive! It might be able to get us out of here![/i] Rajah thought back, [i]I’ll do what I can.[/i] Together, Rajah and Pandos pressed a furious attack. They rained blow after blow on the dao, while Dexter initiated some of his most crippling psionics. [i]Mindwipe.[/i] A single, psychically-searing dose of it to the badly wounded dao is enough; it cried, “I yield! Please, do not take my life! I will grant you three wishes!” Listening to the clash of blades, the roar of trolls, the explosive [i]whoomp[/i] of [i]fireballs[/i], Dexter grabbed the cowering dao by throat. “Good,” he growled. “Here’s the first one. [i]I wish that the oldest copy of the Galadron in the Hill of Skulls would appear here, now, before me![/i]” Nothing happened. “Where is it?” roared Dexter. “I have fulfilled your wish,” the dao cried. “If nothing happened, it is because your wish was not properly phrased!” [i]We’re too late,[/i] Dexter thought. [i]And there is no more time to waste.[/i] Aloud, he said, “[i]I wish that my soul was no longer bound to Bleak![/i]” Nothing happened. “Surely,” the dao replied, “you do not think that I, a mere humble genie, have the power to override a god?” Dexter gnashed his teeth. “All right, you bastard. [i]I wish that myself and all of my companions would be teleported instantly out of the Hill of Skulls to a safe location![/i]” *** The party vanished, and Augustus- leader of the Strogassian band of villains- yelled out in surprise. “Where did they go? We [i]had them!![/i]” Sprukarth, the troll evoker, rumbled, “They have escaped, somehow.” “Treacherous dao!” the envoy spat. “You will pay for allowing them to escape! The Dark Emperor forgives nothing!” “Including you, my lord,” the dao replied with equanimity. *** The ragged, beaten group of heroes appeared in the mountains. Several of them had been slain; Drelvin was a statue, destined to rest in the gardens of Var for nearly a century before he could be restored. Dexter wept without tears, without eyes. He had failed in his most holy mission. Pandos, his warden, clapped him on the back and signed, [i]We must escape Strogass.[/i] Dexter nodded, and the party began their long journey home. [i][b]Next Time:[/b][/i][b][/b] Dexter meets with Spadron, and the hunt for Pandos the Mute’s mount begins! [/QUOTE]
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