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JollyDoc's Age of Worms (Updated 11/30, Epilogue!)
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<blockquote data-quote="gfunk" data-source="post: 2813712" data-attributes="member: 1813"><p>TRAITORS AMONG US</p><p></p><p>As the Wormcaller and trio of Swords continued to advance towards the chamber, Hawk flew up to the ceiling hole, joining Storm and Grubber. With relief, the civilar saw that the goliath seemed to be coming to his senses. At that moment, a large troll hand reached down from the shaft above.</p><p>“Grab hold,” Faust shouted. “This ship’s pulling out!” All three of them latched onto the psion, and in an instant were whisked through the Astral plane to reappear in the library a moment later.</p><p></p><p>Havok, Shay and Grim waited for Drasek to join them back in the wormhole.</p><p>“I can’t take you all,” the inquisitor said.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah,” Grim muttered. “I know the drill…dwarf in the sack again.” Still grumbling, the mineral warrior clambered into Shay’s bag of holding, and then Drasek Dimension Doored them into the library as well.</p><p></p><p>“This seems to be a recurring theme,” Faust said sarcastically as he surveyed his battered companions. “I suppose we’ll be retreating to Waterdeep again, and after a full half-hour of exploring, no less. This has to be some sort of personal record for us!”</p><p>“Zip it Faust,” Hawk snapped. “We’re in over our heads here. These glorified zombies have been shambling around these ruins for centuries. They aren’t going anywhere in the next couple of days. We’re here to get information, not killed.”</p><p>Faust shrugged, looking at the library around them. “Looks to me like we’ve already found information.”</p><p>“You’re right, and we’re going to take as many of these books with us as we can, so Shay and Storm, empty out that bag and haversack and start loading up. We’ll see what we’ve got when we get back to Waterdeep, but I’m guessing there is much more here to be found. You’ve seen the visions we’ve been witnessing.”</p><p>Blessedly, Faust held his tongue, and helped the others in gathering up some three-hundred of the books in the library, which amounted to only about a third of the tomes that were still intact. It bears mentioning that during this process, Storm died. She was leaning over to inspect a pile of grimoirs when Drasek’s Revanance spell expired and she simply collapsed. Drasek, fully expecting this, rushed quickly to her side and spoke a prayer of revivification over her. </p><p>“See,” he said as she drew breath and opened her eyes, “painless, just as I promised.”</p><p>“But still disconcerting,” she replied as he helped her to her feet.</p><p></p><p>Once the task was completed, the group gathered together again, and Havok read the scroll they had purchased, transporting them to the City of Splendors.</p><p></p><p> </p><p>“There’s got to be a better way,” Drasek said in exasperation as he and Giovanni walked towards the Thayan embassy. </p><p>“What do you mean?” the warlock asked. “We don’t have any choice but to purchase more of the Teleportation scrolls. It’s the only way we can get to and from Chult.”</p><p>“Yes, but at the prices these extortionists are charging,” the inquisitor railed, “we’re going to go broke very soon.”</p><p>“What do you propose then?” asked Giovanni.</p><p>“The problem is distance,” Drasek said, stopping in the street and turning to the warlock. “Waterdeep is just too far from Chult for me to Teleport us. We need to find some place closer, say, Calimport for instance.”</p><p>“Calimport?” the warlock looked puzzled. “Have you ever been to Calimport?”</p><p>“No,” Drasek answered.</p><p>“Then how can you Teleport us there if you’ve never seen it.”</p><p>“The Wayfarer’s Guild,” said Drasek.</p><p>Giovanni smiled as understanding dawned on him. The Wayfarer’s Guild was comprised of sorcerers and magicians who would, for a fee, Teleport travelers anywhere in the Realms. They could transport the League members to Calimport, where Drasek could memorize a point of reference, and then transport the group back and forth to Chult as needed. It was brilliant in its simplicity.</p><p></p><p>Giovanni spent much of the rest of the short stay in Waterdeep studying. The books from the library of Kuluth-Mar contained a treasure trove of information on many things, but the young warlock had something in particular on his mind. His supernatural heritage gave him a certain affinity for all things magical, including items normally only usable by arcanists or priests. Among these items were scrolls…spells written on parchment that could be cast simply by reading them. One spell, specifically, Giovanni wanted. He went to the Thayans and made his purchase…one scroll with the Shapechange dweomer. With it, he could literally transform himself into other creatures, gaining their abilities and powers. The possibilities were endless. So, he devoted his research to certain types of creatures whose form he could assume. Ultimately, he settled on three to study in depth, two angelic, and one decidedly not. Deva’s and archons were celestials, beings from the Upper planes. Kelvos had been a related creature, though corrupt, and Giovanni was intrigued by the power the eladrin had wielded. The celestials he chose could bring similar powers to bear. The third type of creature was one whose existence he had only just become aware of…the Wormcaller. Some intuition in the back of the warlock’s mind told him this knowledge might prove very useful in the days to come…</p><p></p><p>Two days later, the League traveled to Calimport via the Wayfarer’s Guild, and spent just long enough in the rogue-infested city for Drasek to familiarize himself with a safe, out-of-the-way spot to focus his return Teleport spell on. Then they made their preparations to return to Kuluth-Mar once again. </p><p></p><p>Giovanni read his new spell from the scroll, transforming himself into the winged form of an Astral Deva. Faust, relying upon his more mundane psionic talents to alter his shape, opted this time for the sturdier form of a Stone Giant. He remained deaf, thanks to Grubber’s spell, and he again vowed to keep his eyes shut, relying on his Touchsight to see for him. When all was made ready, Shay, Storm Grim, and Faust crawled into the rogue’s magical bag. Drasek, holding the bag, then Teleported himself, Grubber and Hawk directly to the chamber where Faust had seen the preserved corpses, the room positioned between where the worms swarmed, and the chamber from which the Wormcaller and Swords had emerged. Havok followed with his own Teleportation spell.</p><p></p><p>No sooner had the League members appeared in the corpse-filled chamber, than they heard movement coming from all sides…almost as if their foes were expecting them. From the western archway the Swords of Kyuss appeared, while from the east, a living river of green worms flooded, soon encompassing most of the floor upon which the party members stood. The vile vermin ripped with their razor-sharp teeth at the feet of the companions, and the sight of their writhing, bloated bodies brought gorge into the throats of the heroes. </p><p></p><p>Havok, in his angelic form, hovered above the floor with its undulating swarms. His studies and meditations had recently awakened a new aspect of his power within him, and he now summoned it to bear upon the advancing soldiers of Kyuss. At a gesture from him, a small forest of grasping tentacles erupted from the floor all about the Swords, radiating a bone-chilling cold in their wake. However, to the warlock’s dismay, the ‘tentacles’ resembled gigantic green worms rather than the black octopoid appendages he had expected. What was wrong with him? First his eldritch blasts and now this? He didn’t have time to ponder it further, for though the worm-like tentacles reached for the undead, the warriors batted them aside with relative ease, their momentum merely slowed. With the speed of though, Havok loosed an emerald spear of eldritch energy at the foremost Sword, the ray tearing through the undead’s ancient armor. </p><p></p><p>It was then that the clicking began. From the eastern archway lumbered the eviscerator beetle, all of its previous wounds erased. It scuttled quickly across the floor, straight for Hawk. The civilar raised his shield, but the undead insect lunged beneath it, tearing into his thigh with its mandibles. Hawk screamed through clenched teeth as the beetle tore a fist-sized chunk from his quadriceps. </p><p></p><p>Grubber stomped ineffectively at the worms crawling over his boots. The situation was rapidly getting out of hand. They were surrounded on all sides. The goliath grasped his holy symbol and began chanting. As he did, a corona of power coalesced around him before exploding in all directions as a Storm of Shards. The spell rippled through the chamber, spilling into the two adjacent rooms as well. The Swords rocked back on their heels and the beetle squealed in pain. Several hundred worms shriveled and died, still leaving thousands to contend with. </p><p></p><p>At that moment, beyond the waving worm-tentacles, the Wormcaller appeared. The canny priest muttered its own vile prayer to Kyuss, calling upon its dispelling magic and filling the chamber with it. Instantly, the tentacles winked out of existence. The League members felt a number of the protective spells woven by Grubber, Faust and Drasek also disappear. This was what they had feared.</p><p></p><p>Though Drasek knew the Wormcaller was their greatest threat, he also saw that the hordes of worms were distracting the others enough to give the rest of the foes an advantage. He had to get rid of them. Holding both hands out in a fan before him, he called upon Kelemvor and a spray of diamond-like projectiles spread over the floor in front of him. To his relief, an entire ten-by-ten section of the floor was immediately cleared of worms. To his utter shock, the trailing Sword, caught by the back edge of his blast, also collapsed, moldering to dust in seconds. </p><p></p><p>Faust, still clutching the Bag of Holding and standing in the rear of the party, saw that the two remaining Swords were badly injured, but they were also reaching to pluck worms from their eye-sockets. They were preparing to heal themselves. Quickly, the psion manifested a ball of pure energy…fire. It exploded around both of the undead warriors, crisping them to withered husks, and also wiping out another section of the worm carpet beneath their feet.</p><p></p><p>Havok gestured again, and a second wall of worm-tentacles sprang into existence, surrounding the Wormcaller, as well as Hawk. The warlock knew, however, that Malchor had given the civilar a ring that allowed him freedom of movement in any situation, thus making him impervious to the writhing, grasping tentacles. The Wormcaller, unfortunately, did not, and one of the green worms wrapped itself around his body, pinning his arms to his sides. </p><p></p><p>Grubber, seeing the trapped Wormcaller, began wading through the forest of worms towards it. Grumbar lent his priests the supernatural ability to move unimpeded through just such terrain, and Grubber ignored the worm-tentacles as if they’d never existed. The Wormcaller, however, saw him coming, and it did not need its hands free to bring its powers to bear. Concentrating, it focused a single dispelling field around the advancing goliath…with devastating effect. Immediately, Grubber felt spell after spell fail him, and his sudden vulnerability threatened to weaken his resolve.</p><p></p><p>Faust was becoming concerned about the occupants of the bag he held. He wasn’t quite sure how long they could hold their breath. Unceremoniously, he upended the sack, dumping the drow, the rogue and the dwarf upon the writhing floor.</p><p>“Thanks for nothing!” Grim roared, surging to his feet, and swiping green worms from his exposed skin. Storm quickly cast a Fly spell upon herself and drifted towards the ceiling. </p><p></p><p>Hawk continued to push his way through the green tentacles, closing on the Wormcaller. Without a word, he thrust his blade into the undead priest’s chest, filling the weapon with holy power as he struck. Pulling the sword free, he whirled, gaining momentum, and slashed across the vile creature’s neck, nearly decapitating it. Yet still, the abomination remained upright. Grubber could see it preparing to use its dark magic again, but this time, the priest was prepared. He spoke a word to Grumbar, summoning an eldritch hammer of Righteous Might which smashed into the Wormcaller, silencing it for good.</p><p></p><p>With the Swords and Wormcaller destroyed, Havok prepared to focus his attention upon the eviscerator beetle, but even as he turned towards it, the maddening chitter of its mandibles overwhelmed him. Nearby, Shay had also succumbed to the clicking, leaving him helpless amid the worms which swarmed over him. Faust reached down and grabbed the rogue, triggering a Dimension Door as he did so, and reappearing with his friend in the chamber beyond the eastern arch. </p><p></p><p>Focusing with all his power, Havok broke himself free of the beetle’s hypnosis, and spawned his worm-like tentacles once again, this time enveloping the beetle and Drasek. Kelemvor had also granted the inquisitor absolute Freedom of Movement, and so he was unencumbered by the clutching appendages, though their radiating cold pierced his armor as if he were naked. Ice crystals also appeared on the carapace of the beetle, though the tentacles were not strong enough to hold the insect in place. The worms at Drasek’s feet, however, shriveled and died in the wake of the icy blast. A small blessing. The eviscerator beetle feinted at the inquisitor, and then made to move out of the swaying tentacles, but Drasek was after it in a flash, smashing at its carapace with his maul. </p><p></p><p>The beetle continued moving towards the eastern exit, through which it could see Faust and the fallen form of Shay. By this time however, Grubber, Hawk and Grim had managed to maneuver around the creature, blocking its escape. Simultaneously, Storm hurled an orb of concentrated acid from her perch near the ceiling. The orb left a grape-fruit sized hole in the beetle’s shell where it ate through into the soft flesh below. The beetle lunged from one side to the other, striking first at Drasek and then at Hawk. Each time, a flanking attacker would strike. Finally, as the beast heaved itself one last time towards Drasek, Grubber brought his silver maul down upon its head, crushing it into a formless mass. </p><p></p><p>Only a few hundred of the green worms still remained, crawling around in a loose circle. Havok evoked another tentacle field, knowing the appendages themselves were too large to harm the worms, but letting the emanating cold do its work. At the same time, Faust manifested a small, controlled wall of fire straight through the mass, cooking any that escaped the warlock’s trap.</p><p></p><p>“Let’s keep moving,” Hawk said once the team had regrouped and healed their wounds. “We made relatively quick work of that lot, and no reinforcements have arrived yet. We just might have the element of surprise on our side.”</p><p></p><p>Crossing the now empty chamber into which the shaft opened, they proceeded down a corridor to the east which ended at a set of double stone doors. The portals were unlocked and Shay deemed them free of traps. Grubber, Hawk and Drasek arranged themselves before the doors, and the goliath pushed them open. The chamber beyond was lined with the trappings of religious ceremony in homage to Kyuss the Wormgod, but in place of an altar stood a beautiful, if disturbing fountain carved from black marble. Even more disturbing were the three Wormcallers standing poised about the fountain, as if they were expecting the party…</p><p></p><p>Havok immediately took evasive action, firing off an eldritch spear at the foremost Wormcaller before flying several dozen feet back the way they had come. He knew that the Wormcallers’ most potent power was their ability to dispel magic, and he had not shelled out thousands of gold pieces for his Shapechange scroll just to have it stripped away by some moldy bag of bones. </p><p></p><p>Grubber, Hawk and Drasek were not so swift in their reaction times. Each of the Wormcallers targeted one of the front rank with a dispelling field. Spell after spell collapsed. Grubber, who was literally layered in magic felt all-but naked once the assault had passed. Crying out in rage and frustration, the goliath hurled a Storm of Shards into the room, buffeting the undead priests with exalted power. </p><p></p><p>Drasek could see that the nearest Wormcaller had been badly injured by Grubber’s and Havok’s combined assaults. The inquisitor hefted his maul and charged the priest, but just as he drew close enough to strike, he was overcome with a powerful thirst. The water in the fountain looked so clear and inviting. So distracted was he, that his strike went wide. Then the room erupted in flames. Drasek was hurled forward by the force of the blast, passing through the charred remains of the Wormcaller that had stood before him just moments before. When the inferno cleared, Drasek sagged to one knee, his flesh blistered and oozing.</p><p></p><p>“Storm! What in the Abyss do you think you’re doing?” Hawk screamed. It had been the sorceress who cast the Fireball, almost incinerating Drasek in the process.</p><p>“I…I thought he was warded,” the drow stammered.</p><p>“Have you not yet learned what these creatures are capable of?” Hawk snarled. “Removing spells seems to be their specialty! When we need your help, we’ll ask for it!” The civilar turned and stormed into the room, closing with the priest standing to the left of the fountain.</p><p></p><p>Shay stepped past storm, smirking at the sorceress. “You might try a little finesse next time,” he jibed. Then, retrieving two silvered arrows from his quiver, the rogue fired two quick shots at the other remaining Wormcaller, smiling in perverse pleasure as it screamed in pain.</p><p></p><p>Simultaneously, both Wormcallers began to cast. Reflexively, those League members in the room flinched, waiting for another blast of dispelling fields. However, what came instead were two waves of negative energy, normally intended to inflict painful wounds upon their targets. All of those within the chamber were protected from such effects by various Death Wards, but the magic still had an impact. The wounds that the Wormcallers had suffered began to close.</p><p></p><p>Faust sighed, frustrated at how long this was taking. Extending one hand, he focused his mental energies and seized control of the motor functions of the Wormcaller facing Hawk, just as he had done to the one in the library above.</p><p>“Dance puppet!” the psion cackled, and at his words, the Wormcaller began shambling forward. As it moved past Hawk, the civilar slashed his blade across its back. The creature could not even cry out as the holy blade seared its rotting flesh. It continued to move towards the doors, until it exited the room, coming to a halt before Faust. </p><p>“Kneel,” Faust commanded, and the priest’s knees buckled. “Storm,” the psion called over his shoulder, “he’s all yours.” The drow moved slowly up to stand beside Faust. Though she knew how vile and evil the Kyuss-spawn was, to strike down any creature so completely defenseless felt distasteful to her. Still, she called an acid orb to her hand, and with only a slight hesitation, hurled it directly at the Wormcaller’s face. Faust allowed the smoking corpse to fall to the floor.</p><p></p><p>The remaining Wormcaller then did something odd. It stepped into the fountain, facing the still kneeling Drasek. Raising its hand, it summoned a column of green fire, which completely engulfed the inquisitor. Drasek howled in agony, the flames searing his already raw flesh. </p><p>“Bastard!” he cried, clutching his holy symbol and shouting the words to his own prayer. Another column of flames, this one pure white, erupted around the Wormcaller. The creature collapsed into ash, just as Drasek sagged to one side. Grubber caught him just before he hit the floor, the words to a Heal spell already upon his lips.</p><p></p><p>There was no way out of the room, and none of the company felt inclined to closely investigate the fountain itself, especially with the strange sensation of thirst that came upon any who strayed too close. Instead, they returned from whence they’d come, crossing the room full of the strangely well-preserved corpses, and entering a similar chamber beyond. This room, however, contained dozens of skeletons lying on the floor, neatly arranged and surrounded by halos of stonework stained with ancient decay. The bones were unquestionably dead, and the League members wasted no time in the area. One corridor lead south from the chamber, and they could see another hall branching east about half-way down. At the far end of the hallway stood another set of closed stone doors.</p><p></p><p>Cautiously, the company spread out along the hallway as they approached the doors. The branching hall turned due south after twenty or thirty feet, and they could just catch a glimpse of the lake of worms around its bend. </p><p>“I have an idea,” Faust whispered. When Hawk nodded for him to continue, he said, “I can create a construct out of Astral material. It will do my bidding without question. I can even imbue it with certain abilities, such as constant invisibility. I will have it open the doors, and if there are enemies beyond, or traps, it will serve as a buffer.” No one could see a flaw in the psion’s logic, and so he proceeded with his manifestation.</p><p></p><p>Havok and Storm were the only ones who could see the invisible construct, though in truth there was not much to see. It was large, about eight feet in height, and vaguely humanoid. Its skin was composed of some silvery material, and save for a pair of lifeless eyes, it had no other features. As it approached the doors, the company members moved into concealment. </p><p></p><p>Nests of tattered books, bits of fabric, and other refuse lay scattered about the chamber beyond, curved troughs each big enough to fit a creature the size of a small horse. There was a disconcerting symmetry to the way the nests were positioned, a marker of an alien will making itself at home amid the refuse of Kyuss’ arrogance and power. </p><p></p><p>“Who’s there?” a guttural voice called out from the chamber. Havok, who was the only one in position to see directly into the room, peered around the corner. A worm naga crouched amid the clutter, an open book on the floor before it. The creature saw the angelic warlock and its eyes narrowed. “Is any one with you?” it asked. “Can any of you perform Teleportation?”</p><p>Havok held up a hand to forestall any sudden actions by his team mates. “Who are you?” he asked. “Why do you want to know about Teleportation?”</p><p>“I’m Sruggut,” the naga replied, “and I want to leave this place.”</p><p>“You are a minion of a corrupt god,” Drasek called out suddenly. Havok sighed, placing his hand over his eyes. “You have been imprisoned here for a reason,” the inquisitor continued, “and here you shall stay, at least for what is left of your miserable life!”</p><p></p><p>At that point, Faust stepped from his hiding place and entered the room, pushing past his unseen minion. “Forgive the rash words of my companion,” the stone giant offered, having overheard both sides of the conversation via his mind-link. “He does not speak for us all. Of course we’ll take you out of here…after you’ve answered a few questions for us.” Through the mind-link the psion spoke to the others. ‘Don’t worry my friends,’ he said. ‘I’ll Dimension Door him alright…right to the top of the shaft!’</p><p>“You’re lying,” Sruggut hissed. </p><p>Faust shrugged. “Suit yourself,” he said after Havok relayed the worm naga’s words to him. Silently, he ordered his construct forward.</p><p></p><p>The astral construct began lumbering forward. Sruggut heard its approach, but could not see it. It reached for the naga, attempting to wrap its massive arms around him. In a panic, the naga wriggled free of the construct’s grasp. At that moment, a nest of Havok’s writhing worm-tentacles appeared in one corner of the chamber, Sruggut caught within their reach. As their supernatural cold caused frost to appear on the naga’s hide, one of the appendages twined around the creature, holding him firmly in place. </p><p>“Now Grubber!” Havok called.</p><p>In response, the goliath summoned a wall of blades, which began ripping into Sruggut. Shrieking in pain, the naga writhed and twisted in a frenzy, biting at the tentacles that held him, all to no avail.</p><p></p><p>‘Grubber,’ Faust spoke into the goliath’s mind, “dismiss my deafness. I need to speak with the naga directly.</p><p>Grubber snapped his fingers and the psion’s hearing instantly returned. Faust then stepped as close as he dared to the maddened naga and whispered, “Come with me if you want to live.”</p><p>Sruggut stared at the giant, unsure whether to believe him or not, but knowing full well what his fate would be if he remained where he was. Hastily, he nodded. Faust reached out for him, and then they were gone.</p><p></p><p>They were outside the Obsidian Ring. Faust, Sruggut and, unbeknownst to the naga, the psion’s astral construct. Sruggut couldn’t believe it. After centuries...millennia of imprisonment, he was free. </p><p>‘If he moves,’ Faust silently commanded his construct, ‘attack.’</p><p>Sruggut looked questioningly at the giant, and then pain overwhelmed any other concerns. The injuries he had suffered were grave, and he needed to tend to them immediately. He began casting a healing spell. Instantly, he was struck with the force of a battering ram by some unseen force. Nevertheless, he completed his spell, and all of his wounds vanished.</p><p>“Traitor!” he spat at Faust. </p><p>“My apologies,” Faust said, holding up his hands. “I misinterpreted your spell-casting for aggression. It won’t happen again. Truly, I seek a parley with you.”</p><p>Sruggut stared intently at the stone giant, intentionally suppressing the Feeblemind ability of his gaze, though from the giant’s closed eyes, it was clear he was well aware of his danger. “You have freed me,” the naga said finally. “I will hear your parley.”</p><p>“I only require answers to a few questions,” Faust said, “then you may you go your way. First, who leads the minions of Kyuss that inhabit the ziggurat?”</p><p>“No one,” Sruggut answered quickly. “We were abandoned here when our master vanished two-thousand years ago. We are like a ship without a rudder.”</p><p>“We are here in search of ancient lore pertaining to Kyuss,” Faust said. “Do you know of any such hidden repositories?”</p><p>Sruggut considered this for a moment, and then nodded. “Yes, I know of what you speak. Kyuss placed records of his greatest accomplishments and triumphs in a place where they would be secure for all eternity…beneath the Lake of Worms.”</p><p>“What about the visions we have received?” Faust asked. “Where is Kyuss now?”</p><p>“The visions are but a remnant of Kyuss’ power,” Sruggut answered. “As for our Lord…he is ascended.”</p><p>“Why did the other nagas attack us?” Faust next queried. </p><p>“They are not as…enlightened as I,” said Sruggut. “They have reverted to savagery under the duress of our long imprisonment.” </p><p>“What of the fountain the Wormcallers guarded?” Faust pressed. “What is its significance?”</p><p>“Those who drink from its waters are said to receive visions,” Sruggut smiled. “Such knowledge is to be protected.”</p><p>“One final question,” Faust said. “What is the nature of the knowledge beneath the lake?”</p><p>Sruggut smiled again. “There is a key secreted in a hidden compartment beneath the ooze at the bottom. The key is fashioned in the likeness of a golden worm. With it, those who are deemed worthy are granted great power over the spawn and minions of Lord Kyuss.”</p><p></p><p>‘Did all of you get all that?’ Faust asked his team mates after he had relayed Sruggut’s information to them.</p><p>‘Yes,’ Drasek responded first. ‘Now kill him!’</p><p>‘I gave him my word,’ Faust replied, ‘but I will bow to the will of the majority. What say you all?’</p><p>Grubber answered. ‘I have consulted with Grumbar,’ the goliath said solemnly. ‘He deems that the worm-spawn should not be suffered to live.’</p><p>‘I say let him go,’ Havok spoke. ‘What harm can he do? He has already said he can’t Teleport. He is in the middle of a jungle with civilization hundreds of miles away. Some predator will surely be the end of him before he gets very far.’</p><p>‘Follow your conscience,’ Hawk offered. ‘Do the right thing.’</p><p>‘I could care less,’ Shay added. ‘Kill him, don’t kill him, it’s all the same to me.’</p><p>‘You have given your word,’ Storm said. ‘Keep it.’ </p><p>‘Gut’im,’ Grim said simply.</p><p>‘You have in essence left this decision to me then,’ Faust replied. ‘I will set him free.’</p><p>Before anyone could respond further, Faust motioned towards the jungle, “Go. We shall trouble you no longer.” </p><p>Warily, Sruggut began slithering through the ruins, casting cautious glances back at the giant psion before he vanished from view into the undergrowth.</p><p></p><p>‘You have shown your true colors repeatedly,’ Drasek spoke to Faust through the Mind Link. ‘From this point on, expect no assistance from me.’</p><p>‘You cannot be trusted, Faust,’ Grubber said. ‘Grumbar has declared it.’</p><p>Faust sighed and took hold of the construct’s hand, preparing to return to his team. Time to face the music.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="gfunk, post: 2813712, member: 1813"] TRAITORS AMONG US As the Wormcaller and trio of Swords continued to advance towards the chamber, Hawk flew up to the ceiling hole, joining Storm and Grubber. With relief, the civilar saw that the goliath seemed to be coming to his senses. At that moment, a large troll hand reached down from the shaft above. “Grab hold,” Faust shouted. “This ship’s pulling out!” All three of them latched onto the psion, and in an instant were whisked through the Astral plane to reappear in the library a moment later. Havok, Shay and Grim waited for Drasek to join them back in the wormhole. “I can’t take you all,” the inquisitor said. “Yeah, yeah,” Grim muttered. “I know the drill…dwarf in the sack again.” Still grumbling, the mineral warrior clambered into Shay’s bag of holding, and then Drasek Dimension Doored them into the library as well. “This seems to be a recurring theme,” Faust said sarcastically as he surveyed his battered companions. “I suppose we’ll be retreating to Waterdeep again, and after a full half-hour of exploring, no less. This has to be some sort of personal record for us!” “Zip it Faust,” Hawk snapped. “We’re in over our heads here. These glorified zombies have been shambling around these ruins for centuries. They aren’t going anywhere in the next couple of days. We’re here to get information, not killed.” Faust shrugged, looking at the library around them. “Looks to me like we’ve already found information.” “You’re right, and we’re going to take as many of these books with us as we can, so Shay and Storm, empty out that bag and haversack and start loading up. We’ll see what we’ve got when we get back to Waterdeep, but I’m guessing there is much more here to be found. You’ve seen the visions we’ve been witnessing.” Blessedly, Faust held his tongue, and helped the others in gathering up some three-hundred of the books in the library, which amounted to only about a third of the tomes that were still intact. It bears mentioning that during this process, Storm died. She was leaning over to inspect a pile of grimoirs when Drasek’s Revanance spell expired and she simply collapsed. Drasek, fully expecting this, rushed quickly to her side and spoke a prayer of revivification over her. “See,” he said as she drew breath and opened her eyes, “painless, just as I promised.” “But still disconcerting,” she replied as he helped her to her feet. Once the task was completed, the group gathered together again, and Havok read the scroll they had purchased, transporting them to the City of Splendors. “There’s got to be a better way,” Drasek said in exasperation as he and Giovanni walked towards the Thayan embassy. “What do you mean?” the warlock asked. “We don’t have any choice but to purchase more of the Teleportation scrolls. It’s the only way we can get to and from Chult.” “Yes, but at the prices these extortionists are charging,” the inquisitor railed, “we’re going to go broke very soon.” “What do you propose then?” asked Giovanni. “The problem is distance,” Drasek said, stopping in the street and turning to the warlock. “Waterdeep is just too far from Chult for me to Teleport us. We need to find some place closer, say, Calimport for instance.” “Calimport?” the warlock looked puzzled. “Have you ever been to Calimport?” “No,” Drasek answered. “Then how can you Teleport us there if you’ve never seen it.” “The Wayfarer’s Guild,” said Drasek. Giovanni smiled as understanding dawned on him. The Wayfarer’s Guild was comprised of sorcerers and magicians who would, for a fee, Teleport travelers anywhere in the Realms. They could transport the League members to Calimport, where Drasek could memorize a point of reference, and then transport the group back and forth to Chult as needed. It was brilliant in its simplicity. Giovanni spent much of the rest of the short stay in Waterdeep studying. The books from the library of Kuluth-Mar contained a treasure trove of information on many things, but the young warlock had something in particular on his mind. His supernatural heritage gave him a certain affinity for all things magical, including items normally only usable by arcanists or priests. Among these items were scrolls…spells written on parchment that could be cast simply by reading them. One spell, specifically, Giovanni wanted. He went to the Thayans and made his purchase…one scroll with the Shapechange dweomer. With it, he could literally transform himself into other creatures, gaining their abilities and powers. The possibilities were endless. So, he devoted his research to certain types of creatures whose form he could assume. Ultimately, he settled on three to study in depth, two angelic, and one decidedly not. Deva’s and archons were celestials, beings from the Upper planes. Kelvos had been a related creature, though corrupt, and Giovanni was intrigued by the power the eladrin had wielded. The celestials he chose could bring similar powers to bear. The third type of creature was one whose existence he had only just become aware of…the Wormcaller. Some intuition in the back of the warlock’s mind told him this knowledge might prove very useful in the days to come… Two days later, the League traveled to Calimport via the Wayfarer’s Guild, and spent just long enough in the rogue-infested city for Drasek to familiarize himself with a safe, out-of-the-way spot to focus his return Teleport spell on. Then they made their preparations to return to Kuluth-Mar once again. Giovanni read his new spell from the scroll, transforming himself into the winged form of an Astral Deva. Faust, relying upon his more mundane psionic talents to alter his shape, opted this time for the sturdier form of a Stone Giant. He remained deaf, thanks to Grubber’s spell, and he again vowed to keep his eyes shut, relying on his Touchsight to see for him. When all was made ready, Shay, Storm Grim, and Faust crawled into the rogue’s magical bag. Drasek, holding the bag, then Teleported himself, Grubber and Hawk directly to the chamber where Faust had seen the preserved corpses, the room positioned between where the worms swarmed, and the chamber from which the Wormcaller and Swords had emerged. Havok followed with his own Teleportation spell. No sooner had the League members appeared in the corpse-filled chamber, than they heard movement coming from all sides…almost as if their foes were expecting them. From the western archway the Swords of Kyuss appeared, while from the east, a living river of green worms flooded, soon encompassing most of the floor upon which the party members stood. The vile vermin ripped with their razor-sharp teeth at the feet of the companions, and the sight of their writhing, bloated bodies brought gorge into the throats of the heroes. Havok, in his angelic form, hovered above the floor with its undulating swarms. His studies and meditations had recently awakened a new aspect of his power within him, and he now summoned it to bear upon the advancing soldiers of Kyuss. At a gesture from him, a small forest of grasping tentacles erupted from the floor all about the Swords, radiating a bone-chilling cold in their wake. However, to the warlock’s dismay, the ‘tentacles’ resembled gigantic green worms rather than the black octopoid appendages he had expected. What was wrong with him? First his eldritch blasts and now this? He didn’t have time to ponder it further, for though the worm-like tentacles reached for the undead, the warriors batted them aside with relative ease, their momentum merely slowed. With the speed of though, Havok loosed an emerald spear of eldritch energy at the foremost Sword, the ray tearing through the undead’s ancient armor. It was then that the clicking began. From the eastern archway lumbered the eviscerator beetle, all of its previous wounds erased. It scuttled quickly across the floor, straight for Hawk. The civilar raised his shield, but the undead insect lunged beneath it, tearing into his thigh with its mandibles. Hawk screamed through clenched teeth as the beetle tore a fist-sized chunk from his quadriceps. Grubber stomped ineffectively at the worms crawling over his boots. The situation was rapidly getting out of hand. They were surrounded on all sides. The goliath grasped his holy symbol and began chanting. As he did, a corona of power coalesced around him before exploding in all directions as a Storm of Shards. The spell rippled through the chamber, spilling into the two adjacent rooms as well. The Swords rocked back on their heels and the beetle squealed in pain. Several hundred worms shriveled and died, still leaving thousands to contend with. At that moment, beyond the waving worm-tentacles, the Wormcaller appeared. The canny priest muttered its own vile prayer to Kyuss, calling upon its dispelling magic and filling the chamber with it. Instantly, the tentacles winked out of existence. The League members felt a number of the protective spells woven by Grubber, Faust and Drasek also disappear. This was what they had feared. Though Drasek knew the Wormcaller was their greatest threat, he also saw that the hordes of worms were distracting the others enough to give the rest of the foes an advantage. He had to get rid of them. Holding both hands out in a fan before him, he called upon Kelemvor and a spray of diamond-like projectiles spread over the floor in front of him. To his relief, an entire ten-by-ten section of the floor was immediately cleared of worms. To his utter shock, the trailing Sword, caught by the back edge of his blast, also collapsed, moldering to dust in seconds. Faust, still clutching the Bag of Holding and standing in the rear of the party, saw that the two remaining Swords were badly injured, but they were also reaching to pluck worms from their eye-sockets. They were preparing to heal themselves. Quickly, the psion manifested a ball of pure energy…fire. It exploded around both of the undead warriors, crisping them to withered husks, and also wiping out another section of the worm carpet beneath their feet. Havok gestured again, and a second wall of worm-tentacles sprang into existence, surrounding the Wormcaller, as well as Hawk. The warlock knew, however, that Malchor had given the civilar a ring that allowed him freedom of movement in any situation, thus making him impervious to the writhing, grasping tentacles. The Wormcaller, unfortunately, did not, and one of the green worms wrapped itself around his body, pinning his arms to his sides. Grubber, seeing the trapped Wormcaller, began wading through the forest of worms towards it. Grumbar lent his priests the supernatural ability to move unimpeded through just such terrain, and Grubber ignored the worm-tentacles as if they’d never existed. The Wormcaller, however, saw him coming, and it did not need its hands free to bring its powers to bear. Concentrating, it focused a single dispelling field around the advancing goliath…with devastating effect. Immediately, Grubber felt spell after spell fail him, and his sudden vulnerability threatened to weaken his resolve. Faust was becoming concerned about the occupants of the bag he held. He wasn’t quite sure how long they could hold their breath. Unceremoniously, he upended the sack, dumping the drow, the rogue and the dwarf upon the writhing floor. “Thanks for nothing!” Grim roared, surging to his feet, and swiping green worms from his exposed skin. Storm quickly cast a Fly spell upon herself and drifted towards the ceiling. Hawk continued to push his way through the green tentacles, closing on the Wormcaller. Without a word, he thrust his blade into the undead priest’s chest, filling the weapon with holy power as he struck. Pulling the sword free, he whirled, gaining momentum, and slashed across the vile creature’s neck, nearly decapitating it. Yet still, the abomination remained upright. Grubber could see it preparing to use its dark magic again, but this time, the priest was prepared. He spoke a word to Grumbar, summoning an eldritch hammer of Righteous Might which smashed into the Wormcaller, silencing it for good. With the Swords and Wormcaller destroyed, Havok prepared to focus his attention upon the eviscerator beetle, but even as he turned towards it, the maddening chitter of its mandibles overwhelmed him. Nearby, Shay had also succumbed to the clicking, leaving him helpless amid the worms which swarmed over him. Faust reached down and grabbed the rogue, triggering a Dimension Door as he did so, and reappearing with his friend in the chamber beyond the eastern arch. Focusing with all his power, Havok broke himself free of the beetle’s hypnosis, and spawned his worm-like tentacles once again, this time enveloping the beetle and Drasek. Kelemvor had also granted the inquisitor absolute Freedom of Movement, and so he was unencumbered by the clutching appendages, though their radiating cold pierced his armor as if he were naked. Ice crystals also appeared on the carapace of the beetle, though the tentacles were not strong enough to hold the insect in place. The worms at Drasek’s feet, however, shriveled and died in the wake of the icy blast. A small blessing. The eviscerator beetle feinted at the inquisitor, and then made to move out of the swaying tentacles, but Drasek was after it in a flash, smashing at its carapace with his maul. The beetle continued moving towards the eastern exit, through which it could see Faust and the fallen form of Shay. By this time however, Grubber, Hawk and Grim had managed to maneuver around the creature, blocking its escape. Simultaneously, Storm hurled an orb of concentrated acid from her perch near the ceiling. The orb left a grape-fruit sized hole in the beetle’s shell where it ate through into the soft flesh below. The beetle lunged from one side to the other, striking first at Drasek and then at Hawk. Each time, a flanking attacker would strike. Finally, as the beast heaved itself one last time towards Drasek, Grubber brought his silver maul down upon its head, crushing it into a formless mass. Only a few hundred of the green worms still remained, crawling around in a loose circle. Havok evoked another tentacle field, knowing the appendages themselves were too large to harm the worms, but letting the emanating cold do its work. At the same time, Faust manifested a small, controlled wall of fire straight through the mass, cooking any that escaped the warlock’s trap. “Let’s keep moving,” Hawk said once the team had regrouped and healed their wounds. “We made relatively quick work of that lot, and no reinforcements have arrived yet. We just might have the element of surprise on our side.” Crossing the now empty chamber into which the shaft opened, they proceeded down a corridor to the east which ended at a set of double stone doors. The portals were unlocked and Shay deemed them free of traps. Grubber, Hawk and Drasek arranged themselves before the doors, and the goliath pushed them open. The chamber beyond was lined with the trappings of religious ceremony in homage to Kyuss the Wormgod, but in place of an altar stood a beautiful, if disturbing fountain carved from black marble. Even more disturbing were the three Wormcallers standing poised about the fountain, as if they were expecting the party… Havok immediately took evasive action, firing off an eldritch spear at the foremost Wormcaller before flying several dozen feet back the way they had come. He knew that the Wormcallers’ most potent power was their ability to dispel magic, and he had not shelled out thousands of gold pieces for his Shapechange scroll just to have it stripped away by some moldy bag of bones. Grubber, Hawk and Drasek were not so swift in their reaction times. Each of the Wormcallers targeted one of the front rank with a dispelling field. Spell after spell collapsed. Grubber, who was literally layered in magic felt all-but naked once the assault had passed. Crying out in rage and frustration, the goliath hurled a Storm of Shards into the room, buffeting the undead priests with exalted power. Drasek could see that the nearest Wormcaller had been badly injured by Grubber’s and Havok’s combined assaults. The inquisitor hefted his maul and charged the priest, but just as he drew close enough to strike, he was overcome with a powerful thirst. The water in the fountain looked so clear and inviting. So distracted was he, that his strike went wide. Then the room erupted in flames. Drasek was hurled forward by the force of the blast, passing through the charred remains of the Wormcaller that had stood before him just moments before. When the inferno cleared, Drasek sagged to one knee, his flesh blistered and oozing. “Storm! What in the Abyss do you think you’re doing?” Hawk screamed. It had been the sorceress who cast the Fireball, almost incinerating Drasek in the process. “I…I thought he was warded,” the drow stammered. “Have you not yet learned what these creatures are capable of?” Hawk snarled. “Removing spells seems to be their specialty! When we need your help, we’ll ask for it!” The civilar turned and stormed into the room, closing with the priest standing to the left of the fountain. Shay stepped past storm, smirking at the sorceress. “You might try a little finesse next time,” he jibed. Then, retrieving two silvered arrows from his quiver, the rogue fired two quick shots at the other remaining Wormcaller, smiling in perverse pleasure as it screamed in pain. Simultaneously, both Wormcallers began to cast. Reflexively, those League members in the room flinched, waiting for another blast of dispelling fields. However, what came instead were two waves of negative energy, normally intended to inflict painful wounds upon their targets. All of those within the chamber were protected from such effects by various Death Wards, but the magic still had an impact. The wounds that the Wormcallers had suffered began to close. Faust sighed, frustrated at how long this was taking. Extending one hand, he focused his mental energies and seized control of the motor functions of the Wormcaller facing Hawk, just as he had done to the one in the library above. “Dance puppet!” the psion cackled, and at his words, the Wormcaller began shambling forward. As it moved past Hawk, the civilar slashed his blade across its back. The creature could not even cry out as the holy blade seared its rotting flesh. It continued to move towards the doors, until it exited the room, coming to a halt before Faust. “Kneel,” Faust commanded, and the priest’s knees buckled. “Storm,” the psion called over his shoulder, “he’s all yours.” The drow moved slowly up to stand beside Faust. Though she knew how vile and evil the Kyuss-spawn was, to strike down any creature so completely defenseless felt distasteful to her. Still, she called an acid orb to her hand, and with only a slight hesitation, hurled it directly at the Wormcaller’s face. Faust allowed the smoking corpse to fall to the floor. The remaining Wormcaller then did something odd. It stepped into the fountain, facing the still kneeling Drasek. Raising its hand, it summoned a column of green fire, which completely engulfed the inquisitor. Drasek howled in agony, the flames searing his already raw flesh. “Bastard!” he cried, clutching his holy symbol and shouting the words to his own prayer. Another column of flames, this one pure white, erupted around the Wormcaller. The creature collapsed into ash, just as Drasek sagged to one side. Grubber caught him just before he hit the floor, the words to a Heal spell already upon his lips. There was no way out of the room, and none of the company felt inclined to closely investigate the fountain itself, especially with the strange sensation of thirst that came upon any who strayed too close. Instead, they returned from whence they’d come, crossing the room full of the strangely well-preserved corpses, and entering a similar chamber beyond. This room, however, contained dozens of skeletons lying on the floor, neatly arranged and surrounded by halos of stonework stained with ancient decay. The bones were unquestionably dead, and the League members wasted no time in the area. One corridor lead south from the chamber, and they could see another hall branching east about half-way down. At the far end of the hallway stood another set of closed stone doors. Cautiously, the company spread out along the hallway as they approached the doors. The branching hall turned due south after twenty or thirty feet, and they could just catch a glimpse of the lake of worms around its bend. “I have an idea,” Faust whispered. When Hawk nodded for him to continue, he said, “I can create a construct out of Astral material. It will do my bidding without question. I can even imbue it with certain abilities, such as constant invisibility. I will have it open the doors, and if there are enemies beyond, or traps, it will serve as a buffer.” No one could see a flaw in the psion’s logic, and so he proceeded with his manifestation. Havok and Storm were the only ones who could see the invisible construct, though in truth there was not much to see. It was large, about eight feet in height, and vaguely humanoid. Its skin was composed of some silvery material, and save for a pair of lifeless eyes, it had no other features. As it approached the doors, the company members moved into concealment. Nests of tattered books, bits of fabric, and other refuse lay scattered about the chamber beyond, curved troughs each big enough to fit a creature the size of a small horse. There was a disconcerting symmetry to the way the nests were positioned, a marker of an alien will making itself at home amid the refuse of Kyuss’ arrogance and power. “Who’s there?” a guttural voice called out from the chamber. Havok, who was the only one in position to see directly into the room, peered around the corner. A worm naga crouched amid the clutter, an open book on the floor before it. The creature saw the angelic warlock and its eyes narrowed. “Is any one with you?” it asked. “Can any of you perform Teleportation?” Havok held up a hand to forestall any sudden actions by his team mates. “Who are you?” he asked. “Why do you want to know about Teleportation?” “I’m Sruggut,” the naga replied, “and I want to leave this place.” “You are a minion of a corrupt god,” Drasek called out suddenly. Havok sighed, placing his hand over his eyes. “You have been imprisoned here for a reason,” the inquisitor continued, “and here you shall stay, at least for what is left of your miserable life!” At that point, Faust stepped from his hiding place and entered the room, pushing past his unseen minion. “Forgive the rash words of my companion,” the stone giant offered, having overheard both sides of the conversation via his mind-link. “He does not speak for us all. Of course we’ll take you out of here…after you’ve answered a few questions for us.” Through the mind-link the psion spoke to the others. ‘Don’t worry my friends,’ he said. ‘I’ll Dimension Door him alright…right to the top of the shaft!’ “You’re lying,” Sruggut hissed. Faust shrugged. “Suit yourself,” he said after Havok relayed the worm naga’s words to him. Silently, he ordered his construct forward. The astral construct began lumbering forward. Sruggut heard its approach, but could not see it. It reached for the naga, attempting to wrap its massive arms around him. In a panic, the naga wriggled free of the construct’s grasp. At that moment, a nest of Havok’s writhing worm-tentacles appeared in one corner of the chamber, Sruggut caught within their reach. As their supernatural cold caused frost to appear on the naga’s hide, one of the appendages twined around the creature, holding him firmly in place. “Now Grubber!” Havok called. In response, the goliath summoned a wall of blades, which began ripping into Sruggut. Shrieking in pain, the naga writhed and twisted in a frenzy, biting at the tentacles that held him, all to no avail. ‘Grubber,’ Faust spoke into the goliath’s mind, “dismiss my deafness. I need to speak with the naga directly. Grubber snapped his fingers and the psion’s hearing instantly returned. Faust then stepped as close as he dared to the maddened naga and whispered, “Come with me if you want to live.” Sruggut stared at the giant, unsure whether to believe him or not, but knowing full well what his fate would be if he remained where he was. Hastily, he nodded. Faust reached out for him, and then they were gone. They were outside the Obsidian Ring. Faust, Sruggut and, unbeknownst to the naga, the psion’s astral construct. Sruggut couldn’t believe it. After centuries...millennia of imprisonment, he was free. ‘If he moves,’ Faust silently commanded his construct, ‘attack.’ Sruggut looked questioningly at the giant, and then pain overwhelmed any other concerns. The injuries he had suffered were grave, and he needed to tend to them immediately. He began casting a healing spell. Instantly, he was struck with the force of a battering ram by some unseen force. Nevertheless, he completed his spell, and all of his wounds vanished. “Traitor!” he spat at Faust. “My apologies,” Faust said, holding up his hands. “I misinterpreted your spell-casting for aggression. It won’t happen again. Truly, I seek a parley with you.” Sruggut stared intently at the stone giant, intentionally suppressing the Feeblemind ability of his gaze, though from the giant’s closed eyes, it was clear he was well aware of his danger. “You have freed me,” the naga said finally. “I will hear your parley.” “I only require answers to a few questions,” Faust said, “then you may you go your way. First, who leads the minions of Kyuss that inhabit the ziggurat?” “No one,” Sruggut answered quickly. “We were abandoned here when our master vanished two-thousand years ago. We are like a ship without a rudder.” “We are here in search of ancient lore pertaining to Kyuss,” Faust said. “Do you know of any such hidden repositories?” Sruggut considered this for a moment, and then nodded. “Yes, I know of what you speak. Kyuss placed records of his greatest accomplishments and triumphs in a place where they would be secure for all eternity…beneath the Lake of Worms.” “What about the visions we have received?” Faust asked. “Where is Kyuss now?” “The visions are but a remnant of Kyuss’ power,” Sruggut answered. “As for our Lord…he is ascended.” “Why did the other nagas attack us?” Faust next queried. “They are not as…enlightened as I,” said Sruggut. “They have reverted to savagery under the duress of our long imprisonment.” “What of the fountain the Wormcallers guarded?” Faust pressed. “What is its significance?” “Those who drink from its waters are said to receive visions,” Sruggut smiled. “Such knowledge is to be protected.” “One final question,” Faust said. “What is the nature of the knowledge beneath the lake?” Sruggut smiled again. “There is a key secreted in a hidden compartment beneath the ooze at the bottom. The key is fashioned in the likeness of a golden worm. With it, those who are deemed worthy are granted great power over the spawn and minions of Lord Kyuss.” ‘Did all of you get all that?’ Faust asked his team mates after he had relayed Sruggut’s information to them. ‘Yes,’ Drasek responded first. ‘Now kill him!’ ‘I gave him my word,’ Faust replied, ‘but I will bow to the will of the majority. What say you all?’ Grubber answered. ‘I have consulted with Grumbar,’ the goliath said solemnly. ‘He deems that the worm-spawn should not be suffered to live.’ ‘I say let him go,’ Havok spoke. ‘What harm can he do? He has already said he can’t Teleport. He is in the middle of a jungle with civilization hundreds of miles away. Some predator will surely be the end of him before he gets very far.’ ‘Follow your conscience,’ Hawk offered. ‘Do the right thing.’ ‘I could care less,’ Shay added. ‘Kill him, don’t kill him, it’s all the same to me.’ ‘You have given your word,’ Storm said. ‘Keep it.’ ‘Gut’im,’ Grim said simply. ‘You have in essence left this decision to me then,’ Faust replied. ‘I will set him free.’ Before anyone could respond further, Faust motioned towards the jungle, “Go. We shall trouble you no longer.” Warily, Sruggut began slithering through the ruins, casting cautious glances back at the giant psion before he vanished from view into the undergrowth. ‘You have shown your true colors repeatedly,’ Drasek spoke to Faust through the Mind Link. ‘From this point on, expect no assistance from me.’ ‘You cannot be trusted, Faust,’ Grubber said. ‘Grumbar has declared it.’ Faust sighed and took hold of the construct’s hand, preparing to return to his team. Time to face the music. [/QUOTE]
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JollyDoc's Age of Worms (Updated 11/30, Epilogue!)
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