Thus ends Part 1:
Iyachtu Xvim and a Lackluster Ascension
And Part 2 begins:
Intro to the Dark Tides
Ogrim visits his father frequently. The Necromancer is busy enchanting Ogrim’s Orc-Killer axe. Damaré, Trek-Donal and Senman talk to the Heroes. Grog and Jezda train. Eltharion commissions to have a breastplate made out of rare Darkwood. The world finally seemed… at peace.
But not for long. An advisor to the king of the dwarves calls a meeting with the Heroes after about two weeks. He is an almost unusually short dwarf.
“I am Stiggle. Please be seated.” The small dwarf enunciates perfectly. The Heroes and the Generals take their seats around a large stone table.
“No doubt you have heard that our continent is in bad shape.” Stiggle begins.
“Yes, we heard the king of Brunswick, Wallace, talking about some thing were all these evil races were joining together. Giants, dark elves, et cetera,” Bink states.
“That is exactly right. It has been called the ‘Dark Tides.’ All the races of evil will band together for their foul purpose of taking over. It has been recorded in many prophecies. All of them speak of it in different forms, but they all have the same conclusion: the forces of evil coming together for a dark purpose. Many reports from our outlying trade teams have confirmed this. On the small island to the east, many giant tribes have been growing in strength. They have begun construction of a huge bridge that would cross the ravine that separates them from the mainland. This could be the precursor to an attack.” Stiggle pauses. “Also, from the east, we have been getting reports of a massing of cult members, seemingly of evil purpose.”
“Xvim…” the party groans.
“Actually, I don’t believe they are related to the Xvim cult. Supposedly they are amassing at a large temple complex called ‘Tovag Baragu’ in the salt flats.” Stiggle corrects.
“Oh, I think I read about that when I was researching Xvim, trying to find their main temple. Didn’t find out much about it, though.” Bink states.
“Lastly, but most definitely not least, the dark elves are becoming aggressive. Usually, they stay away from us and we avoid them. But lately, they have been testing out defenses. More and more deep tunnels are getting attacked. More guards have been posted, but we are still lacking in a few key areas. The reason I have called you here, is to ask if you would assist in guard duty in one of the more frequently attacked areas.” Stiggle asks bluntly.
“We will do our part.” Ogrim answers for the party.
“I think we’ll sit this one out. We have things to attend to. Once the Necromancer finishes your axe, we’ll be going our own way.” Senman states, speaking for the Generals.
“Fair enough.” Ogrim answers.
“But remember, if ever there is a great task where you need our help, we’ll be there.” Trek-Donal says.
“We’ll come looking for you if that day ever arises,” Eltharion answers.
The next two days are mostly boring. Ogrim stands stalwart guard at an ordinary looking tunnel. Eltharion, Bink, Grog and Jezda goof off most of the time, not straying too far from Ogrim. After two days, The Necromancer finishes Ogrim’s axe, and the Generals bid them all farewell as they are to escorted back to the surface. Eltharion’s darkwood breastplate is likewise finished.
The next day, guard duty continues. Eltharion gets bored and begins to go scouting away from Ogrim and the others. He sneaks down a corridor. He makes turn after turn, and soon he is pretty lost. He thinks he spots some humanoid tracks, and begins to follow them. He follows them for a good 30 minutes when get sees a bunch of moving forms in a small open cavern.
Faerie Fire lights up parts of the cavern, and Eltharion sees three dark elves. One wearing shoddy tattered clothing with unkempt hair. One female with shiny plate armor and a writing snake flail. One is dressed in a cloak and looking rather mean, studying a book. There are several goblins sitting (cowering) in a corner, seemingly ready to take some orders if they are given.
Eltharion feels a sharp pain on his arm. He looks down and sees a small dart poking out. He feels drowsy, unable to stay standing. He falls over; the poison taking effect quickly.
Meanwhile, back at the guard post…
“Where is that elf? Probably getting into trouble,” Ogrim shakes his head.
“Who knows… he probably got lost,” Bink answers.
“We should find him, maybe?” Grog asks.
“He’ll find his own way back…” Ogrim grumbles, and that is that.
Eltharion opens his eyes. His arms are behind his back held in place by some manacles. His weapons still on his back. If only he could reach…
“Stand up,
elf,” the condescending tone is apparent. A female voice, deep and sultry.
Eltharion stood up, his eyes narrowed as he looked upon the drow priestess.
“Come along. You’re going to be present when your friends die. I want you to watch them screaming in pain. Then, I’m going to kill you… slowly,” she sounds serious. Her snake flail writhes in anticipation at her words.
A small force, ten or so goblins and the three dark elves walk down the tunnel. Eltharion is pushed along in their midst, in between the goblins.
Gotta warn the others, Eltharion thinks to himself. He looks around quickly. When they reach a bit of a larger tunnel, he shapeshifts into a leopard and bolts. The manacles slide off during the change, and some of the goblins try to grab him, but he’s too fast. He runs down the tunnel. Once out of range of the dark elves, he follows his own trail back to his friends.
“They’re coming!” Eltharion shifts into human form just as Jezda was about to jump on him.
“You’re not a cat, I’m confused,” Jezda starts, but nobody takes the time to explain.
“Who is coming?” Bink asks.
“Three dark elves and a bunch of goblins. Take defensive positions,” Eltharion hides behind a nearby rock. Bink magically climbs up to the ceiling. He magically
lights up a few stones and throws them randomly around the tunnel they are in. Grog, Jezda and Ogrim get ready to flank whatever comes their way.
They wait in relative silence for a while. Minutes pass. Goblins charge. Ten goblins come charging down the tunnel. Grog and Jezda meet them head on, killing a few. Ogrim likewise charges them, taking one down with his newly enchanted axe. Eltharion stays concealed, moving around the rock.
A huge wall of flames leaps up right on top of Grog, Jezda and Ogrim. Grog dives past it, drawing a few strikes from goblins. The flames only harm him slightly. Jezda and Ogrim were not so lucky. The burnt flesh and hair can be smelled and they quickly get out of the fire. Several of the goblins get burned and fall to the ground. Four reddish magic missiles fly from down the passage, out of sight. They strike Grog hard, and he feels his pulse rise. His eyes glaze over red and he charges into the darkness.
Bink crawls over the wall of flames, which doesn’t quite reach the ceiling. Eltharion sneaks down a side passage, trying to circumvent the wall. He is met by the armored dark elf priest and her three-headed snake flail. It flails at him and all three heads bite into him. He feels the burning as the poison settles in, his muscles weakening considerably. He manages a combination with his new flaming and sylvan scimitars. He connects on two hits, drawing blood from beneath her armor, and a scorching burn to her arm.
Jezda cleaves through the last of the goblins. Ogrim
protects them both from flames, and they jump through the wall, taking only minimal burns. They run the same direction Grog did. A
lightning bolt streaks from the wall and strikes both Grog and Jezda. Jezda’s armor protects him, but Grog isn’t so lucky. The burns are serious, but he hardly notices. Bink casts an area dispel, revealing the shabby-dressed dark elf clinging to the side of the wall. Near him on the ground is the black-cloaked elf. Ogrim charges, and the elf turns to run. Grog gets close and slams him in the back with his katana. Some unnatural magical force stops his blade somewhat, but he presses through and draws a wound and a scream from the elf.
Bink attempts to stall the escape by throwing up a
lightning bolt at the wizard. The spell fizzles out and doesn’t affect him. About ten writhing black tentacles spring up from the ground behind the spellcaster, covering his escape. Grog, Ogrim, and Jezda are in the area with the tentacles. Grog and Ogrim are able to get out of the way, but Jezda isn’t so lucky. Several of the tentacles grab him and hold him immobile. The two spellcasters are nowhere to be seen. They hear the clanging of metal on metal nearby the wall of flames. Grog runs back to see Eltharion taking one final snake bite to the neck and collapse. Grog’s eyes are still bloodshot and crazy, and he charges. The elf woman chuckles and fades into the nearby wall, disappearing from view. Grog collapses from exhaustion. Ogrim helps Jezda escape the tentacles. Everybody gathers around Eltharion.
“Is he… dead?” Jezda asks.
“No, just poisoned,” Ogrim states, inspecting the body. “He aint got no strength to stand. Let’s carry him back.” The Heroes take him back into the stronghold and report what happened. Guards are sent to bolster the defense while the Heroes rest.
The next morning, upon going downstairs at the inn they’re staying at, they see a terrible sight. The wall is covered with blood, spelling out a message that says:
Where is elf?
The innkeeper’s body is nearby, obviously the ink for said grisly document. Outside, although hard rock, Eltharion can get a good read on the traces left behind of whoever did this.
“Let’s follow them, now!” Eltharion looks angry, but still pretty weakened.
“First, we go to the priest and have him restore some of yer strength,” Ogrim states, and they do so. They get back to the tracks and begin to follow them down into the tunnel they were guarding. The traces twist down a passage. They follow as the tracks then turn down another. They lead into yet another tunnel, but this one has dwarven runes carved into either side of the wall.
“They read ‘Dead end’,” Ogrim states, matter-of-factly.
“Great, the tracks lead to a dead end…” Eltharion says.
“It’s a trap,” Bink states. Everyone nods in agreement.
“I don’t care. I’m not scared,” Eltharion continues down the passage. The party follows. It turns gradually to the right and widens to about 40 feet across. The ceiling grows from 30 feet to about 80, as judged by Bink’s
light rocks. The tracks end right at the end of the tunnel. Bink scatters a few
light stones. Just then, about 80 feet back, a huge wall of ice blocks out the entire passage way.
“We are efficient. We would have easily breached your tunnel, had we our normal regimen. Now, everyone is together, plus Zik’Zin, a name you will hear echoing in your tortured eternity, as your souls feed the Spider Queen in the Abyss.” The words seem to come from the stone itself. Eltharion recognizes the voice as that of the dark elf priestess who had poisoned him earlier.
A spongy looking creature with long tentacles appears in the center of the now-enclosed chamber. Grog, Jezda, and Ogrim charge. Eltharion readies his weapons and looks up, seeing a form flying down at him, fast. Bink climbs a wall nearby, staying ready.
Another form appears, that of the ratty-clothed dark elf. He launches a
lightning bolt at Jezda and Ogrim. Ogrim doesn’t dodge and takes some nasty burns. Jezda’s armor absorbs the lightning and doesn’t affect him. Jezda alters his course and charges this caster. The form above Eltharion swoops down, striking Eltharion as it lands next to him.
“I found you… elf,” the thing states.
A long cut on the arm quickly spills blood all around. The thing looks like a dark elf, but he has large bat wings and small horns protruding from his head. He is wielding a wicked longsword and a large mirrored shield. Eltharion lashes out. Four swings of his scimitars, and four expert blocks with the shield. Eltharion looks enraged.
Grog slams into the rubbery demon and draws some substance from a long katana wound. Ogrim stays back and
blesses himself. Next to him, a shape steps out of the wall. It is the dark elf priest, who lashes at Ogrim with her snake-flail. One head bites into him, and he grits his teeth, his dwarven body fending off the poisons.
Jezda reaches the spellcaster and chops down with his greatsword, but to no avail. It slams into the caster, but draws no wound. The dark elf smiles wickedly. Bink launches a
lightning bolt at the winged elf, which burns him pretty badly.
Ogrim lets out a series of axe-chops at the female and finally hits her through her tough adamantium armor. She growls in anger. Grog pounds the demon thing, which attacks him back a few times. Both trade blows, neither goes down. Eltharion tries his luck again, and after another combination of attacks, he only connects on one against the winged elf.
Suddenly, another wall appears. This one is made of iron. It separates Ogrim, Eltharion and Bink from Jezda and Grog. Ogrim steps back away from the priestess, and up to the wall. He pushes with all his might.
“Run away from the wall!” Ogrim yells, hoping Jezda and Grog can hear him. The wall teeters back… and forth… and finally… it falls. On Ogrim and the priestess. However, it doesn’t stop there. It crashes through the floor and everyone falls close to 50 feet to another passage below. The huge sheet of iron flips and flips again landing on something at the bottom of this new room, and draws an unearthly loud roar. It landed on a purplish dragon(!!!).
The Heroes land scattered around the room. Ogrim is severely injured. Grog and Jezda aren’t in good shape either. Eltharion lands next to a wand and a lot of gold, so his wounds don’t seem too bad. Bink was climbing when it collapsed, so he just
feather falled down the rest of the way. The priestess was injured, as was the spellcaster. The winged elf flew down the huge hole. The blubbery demon landed next to the dragon as well. Chaos ensued…
Will the dragon eat everybody? How much does a wall of iron weigh? Will they ever have a fair fight against these rogue drow? This and more, next time!
Worry not.
