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JollyDoc's Age of Worms (Updated 11/30, Epilogue!)
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<blockquote data-quote="gfunk" data-source="post: 2813721" data-attributes="member: 1813"><p>THE HARBINGER</p><p></p><p>When Faust reappeared in Sruggut’s library, it was to a mix of sullen, cold stares, and uncomfortable downcast eyes. </p><p>“I’m surprised you came back,” Drasek began without preamble. “I would have thought you would have slithered away with your new friend.”</p><p>“I probably deserved that,” Faust said, nodding.</p><p>“No, you deserve far worse!” the inquisitor snapped. “Twice now, twice you have unleashed an imprisoned agent of evil into the world! And for what? Information of questionable value that we probably could have gotten anyway!”</p><p>“By what means?” Faust asked, lifting one stony eyebrow. “Torture?”</p><p>“There are other ways to get what you need from those who are uncooperative,” Drasek replied. “You should have asked us before you acted. We could have come up with an alternative. However, since you have decided to be a singular judge and jury, then you must deal with the repercussions of your actions. From now on I will do nothing to aid you, short of letting you die, and I expect nothing from you in return. In essence, stay out of my way misfit!”</p><p></p><p>Faust looked at the faces of the others. “Do the rest of you feel the same way?” he asked.</p><p>Giovanni sighed. “Faust, the only thing I ask is that you not keep us in the dark as to your tactics. The only reason the rest of us attacked in the first place was because you did. When you changed strategies and did not inform us, we were at a loss. We are supposed to be a team, but the only way we can function as one is to have trust and faith in one another.”</p><p>Faust nodded again. “Agreed,” he said. “It has never been my purpose to mislead you, despite what some of you may think. I did what I thought was best, but perhaps I acted in haste.”</p><p>“Now,” Giovanni said, “I suggest we table this discussion for a more appropriate setting. We still have a job to do.”</p><p>“You all heard what Sruggut told me,” Faust said. “I suggest we start with the fountain and see if we can discover the visions that he spoke of.”</p><p></p><p>Faust stood before the fountain, staring down into the crystal, clear water. The others were gathered in the room at a safe distance, but close enough to intercede should the need arise. As Faust had approached the fountain, he had become noticeably thirstier.</p><p>“Wait a moment,” Giovanni said from the doorway. The warlock was still in his angelic form. “Let me see if I can discern anything about the fountain’s purpose.” He began concentrating, allowing his vision to absorb the auras in the room, separating the magical from the mundane. The fountain itself radiated strong magic, though Giovanni could not determine the type. It seemed to him, however, that the general purpose behind the magic might be some sort of compulsion, or brain-washing effect.</p><p>“I’m not so sure about this Faust,” he warned the psion. “This may be a trap.”</p><p>“Then we’d best spring it,” Faust replied, dipping his hands into the water and bringing the cool liquid to his lips. It was only after he had tasted the water that he felt something…wrong. In his mouth, something wriggled and bit at his tongue. Looking into his hands, he saw that they were filled not with water, but with green worms. In fact, the entire fountain was writhing with them! He tried to spit the vile vermin out, but reflexively he swallowed. Almost immediately, he felt a horrible, burrowing sensation in his stomach, but then his surroundings wavered and faded, replaced by a bird’s-eye view of the city of Kuluth-Mar at its height. The streets were empty, as the thousands of citizens seemed to have gathered in a mass in the central plaza surrounding the Spire of Long Shadows. Suddenly, a foul energy welled from the spire at the center of the city, and swept outward, felling the living as it passed. For each creature that fell, a silent but potent sense of wrongness could be felt, as some indescribable part of the creature, perhaps its soul, was drawn back towards the Spire to be absorbed by the strange, black monolith of stone balanced at its peak. As the energy built around the peak, a shimmering image of a colossal humanoid figure, its body composed of a million writhing worms, took form around the Spire of Long Shadows, its arms raised in triumph. Yet in another moment, that triumphant pose seemed to change to one of rage and a soul-wrenching cry of fury tore from the undulant face. The image shrank, pulled into the stone monolith at the Spire’s peak, before imploding with a horrific, wet burst. In an instant, the city was quiet again, yet as the vision faded, the first signs of unlife began to spread through the thousands of dead bodies strewn around the ziggurat’s base as the corpses, now festering with green worms, rose from death.</p><p></p><p>Faust crumpled to his knees, crying out in agony and clutching his head as he felt the worm begin to burrow into is brain. Quickly, Hawk stepped to the psion’s side and gripped his skull with both hands, praying under his breath as he did so. After a moment, white light spread from the civilar’s hands and into Faust’s skull. Gradually the pain eased until it was finally gone completely. </p><p>“Thank you,” Faust said</p><p>Hawk merely nodded.</p><p>“I warned you,” Giovanni snapped. “This is what I mean about not sharing your plans.”</p><p>“I did share my plans,” Faust retorted. “I told you that I was going to drink from the fountain, no matter what, and you saw the vision, didn’t you? That backlash of energy was not just the souls of Kyuss’ followers. It was their very faith! The possibilities of what a powerful creature could do with that much devotional energy are staggering! At the very least, ascension to godhood would be possible! And yet, it seemed to me that Kyuss was not able to control his apotheosis, and became trapped within the monolith.”</p><p>“A monolith that no longer exists,” Hawk observed.</p><p>“As far as we know…” Faust answered cryptically.</p><p>_____________________________________________________________</p><p></p><p>“How do I look?” Giovanni said as his latest shape-changed form manifested.</p><p>“Like the walking dead,” Shay said dryly. </p><p>That was an apt description, as the warlock had morphed himself into a Wormcaller. The team now stood in the chamber at the bottom of the worm naga shaft. To their south lay the lake of worms, where Sruggut told them the key to Kyuss’ power could be found. Giovanni volunteered to lead the search, reasoning that the worms would not molest him if he were perceived as a Kyuss spawn. Drasek placed a Fly spell upon him, and he quaffed an Invisibility potion before stepping into the cavernous room.</p><p></p><p>The immense cavern was filled with a horrific sea of writhing green, and the nauseating susurrus of millions of slimy bodies slithering over each other. There was no floor. The hallway fell away to the undulating surface of an immense lake of green worms. The rippling surface lay about five feet down from the floor of the passageway, while the ceiling rose to a vault nearly ninety feet above. Low islands of stone protruded here and there from the wormy expanse, and additional passageways extended out of the sea and back onto solid ground in the wall opposite, and in the walls to the left and right.</p><p></p><p>The first thing Havok noticed was the two Wormcallers standing on the far shore, and they in-turn were pointing towards the passageway behind him, where Hawk stood, revealed by the glowing blue light shed by Grubber’s Luminous Armor enchantment. As quickly and quietly as he could, Havok slipped into the sea of worms. As he had hoped, the vermin ignored him, and to his surprise, they did not fill the lake. Some ten feet below the surface was water, murky but free of the vile worms. Havok swam deeper, straining to see the bottom, but then something else caught his eye…something enormous.</p><p></p><p>Hawk saw the two Wormcallers as they stepped into the gloom at the far edge of Grubber’s light. The priests were literally walking on air above the worm-lake, and in unison they thrust their hands towards him. Twin columns of green fire exploded around the civilar and the goliath, scorching them not only with heat, but also with a greasy, unholy energy. Hawk and Grubber each dove for cover, rolling into the hallways on either side of the smaller chamber. His hands spasming with pain, Grubber gripped his holy symbol, chanting. His pain eased as the healing magic washed over him, his breath slowing from the ragged gasp it had become.</p><p></p><p>The giant, green worm in front of Havok had a vicious maw ringed with row upon row of needle-like teeth. Its great bulk flattened on its underside, its color lightening and the rings of its musculature becoming tighter. It had no obvious sensory organs, yet it turned unerringly towards the warlock, and it moved with surprising speed. Havok gasped, relaying mental images of what he was seeing to his comrades before willing himself through the Astral plane, and reappearing in the chamber of preserved corpses. Shedding his undead form, the warlock instantly replaced it with that of the Deva. </p><p>‘Be wary!’ he warned his friends. ‘I’m going around to the western hall to see if I can give those Wormcallers a bit of a surprise.’</p><p></p><p>Drasek, hearing Havok’s warning, uttered a brief prayer to imbue himself once again with the aspect of the celestials, this time the burning eyes of the Firre’. Stepping into the passage connecting the smaller chamber with the cavern, he heard Faust speak into his mind. ‘Just hold them off for a moment,” the psion said. ‘If not for me, then for the others. I will get us some help.’ Drasek did not respond. He knew his duty clearly, and did not need the black-hearted psion to instruct him in tactics. The light from his own armor spilled into the cavern, lighting him like a beacon, and making him an obvious target for the undead priests.</p><p></p><p>As the light filled the chamber, Havok had a clear view of both Wormcallers. With a moment’s concentration, he willed a forest of his worm-like tentacles to sprout from the surface of the lake. Striking like snakes, the worm tentacles wrapped themselves around the priests, holding them fast.</p><p></p><p>Drasek heard heavy footsteps behind him. Turning, he saw a giant with silvery, mirror-like skin and no facial features lumbering towards him. Another of Faust’s constructs. The behemoth stepped past him, and right into the lake, sinking like a stone. </p><p></p><p>Shay remained concealed in the shadows, as he preferred. He fished a flask from one of his many belt pouches and upended it, fading from sight as he drank. Then, literally melting into a nearby patch of darkness, he stepped from another in the corridor on the far side of the lake, right behind the trapped Wormcallers. The moment he appeared, his cloak of invisibility vanished, leaving him completely exposed to the grinning priests.</p><p></p><p>Mindlessly obedient to its creator, the astral construct began striding through the ooze and sludge at the bottom of the lake, straight towards the gargantuan worm. The worm’s head snapped towards the construct, and its maw opened. In a flash, it seized the giant in its jaws. The construct struggled in vain to free itself as the worm opened its mouth even wider, dropping the colossus down its gullet.</p><p></p><p>Drasek focused on the nearer of the two Wormcallers, and twin beams of fire flashed from his glowing eyes. They struck unerringly, but seemed to have no effect at all. The priest’s robes did not so much as smolder. </p><p>“We’re going to have to take this to them up close and personal,” Hawk said, stepping up next to the inquisitor. The civilar had managed to heal his burns, and looked fit, sword in hand. “Are you with me?”</p><p>Drasek nodded as his eyes returned to their natural shade of blue, and white, feathery wings sprouted from his back.</p><p></p><p>Despite being held securely by the tentacles, Havok could still see the foremost Wormcaller’s features knot in concentration. The warlock knew that the undead priests did not need words or gestures to perform their magic, and so when the creature’s brow furrowed, Havok unleashed his eldritch power, a green spear of energy which limned the Wormcaller in an unearthly corona. As the glow from the blast faded, a second, smaller beam of green light struck from the opposite side of the room, where Faust now stood on the edge of the lake. As the beam hit, the Wormcaller began to disintegrate before Havok’s eyes, becoming nothing more than dust in the wind within seconds.</p><p></p><p>Shay quickly knocked two silver arrows and loosed them in rapid succession at the remaining Wormcaller. The creature shrieked as the metal, with was anathema to it, began to sear its rotting flesh. Suddenly, the rogue saw Hawk and Drasek soaring just over the reach of the grasping tentacles, landing in the hallway between the Wormcaller and himself, just as the priest was turning its attention towards him.</p><p></p><p>Acting on the assumption that the gargantuan worm was still roughly where he’d last seen it, Havok focused on his forest of worm-tentacles, and then willed an identical one to appear exactly thirty-feet below it, sprouting from the floor of the lake. It was his hope that the barrier would at least slow the behemoth. Unbeknownst to the warlock, the Overworm was already headed towards the surface, but just before it breached, a spasm shook it as a great gout of ichor belched from its underbelly. A ragged hole appeared as Faust’s astral construct ripped its way out of the worm’s gizzard. The wound immediately sealed itself, but the construct sank quickly towards the lake bottom, coming to rest directly in the middle of Havok’s tentacles. Instantly, four of the rubbery worms twined around the construct’s arms and legs, holding in place.</p><p></p><p>As the two paladins alighted, the Wormcaller channeled its innate magic into a huge dispelling field, catching Shay, Hawk and the tentacle swarm in its area. The powerful magic of the tentacles persisted, however, though several of Hawk’s and Shay’s defensive magics did not, including Hawk’s ability to fly.</p><p></p><p>Grubber stood next to Faust and spoke several divine words of power, causing a glowing silver maul to appear in the air next to him. At his command, the Spiritual Weapon of Grumbar soared across the cavern, flying unerringly towards the Wormcaller. The creature struggled to free itself as the weapon approached, but to no avail. Then, from behind, Hawk struck. His gleaming blade flashed like lightning, scoring blow after blow upon the priest. From prior experience, the civilar knew the creatures’ weakness to silver, and he had coated his sword with a magical silver sheen prior to leaving Calimport. Now, as the blade struck, it dealt horrible wounds to the Wormcaller, drawing cries of agony from its worm-filled mouth. </p><p></p><p>At that moment, the Overworm breached. Like some mighty green whale it reared from the lake of worms directly before Hawk and Drasek. Its cavernous maw lunged at the civilar, but Hawk crouched low behind his shield, feeling his entire arm go numb as the beasts teeth rasped against the steel. Above and behind the behemoth, Hawk saw Havok soar into the room, positioning himself well beyond the worm’s reach. A pulse of emerald light as bright as the sun burst from the warlock’s hands, ripping through the Overworm’s skin as though it were paper. A heartbeat later, a second blast struck the brute, and it flailed about blindly, seeking the source of its torment. </p><p></p><p>The Wormcaller saw that source clearly, and knew that if the angelic being was not brought down, the Overworm was doomed. Concentrating, it centered a dispelling field right on top of Havok. For a moment the warlock panicked, for if his ability to Shapechange were negated, he would drop straight into the worm lake, right next to the Overworm. Fortunately, the potent spell remained, though many others did not, including his Mindlink with his comrades. The Wormcaller prepared to try again, but just then, Grubber’s glowing maul struck, caving in the priest’s skull.</p><p></p><p>Shay had never seen a creature as large and imposing as the Overworm, not even the ulgurstasta. Fishing blindly through his quiver, he withdrew two arrows forged of adamantine, hoping the incredibly hard metal could pierce the creature’s hide. He fired once and again, both flying true, but the great worm did not seem to notice their impact… until they started melting into its unholy bulk, imbued with the holy power of the rogue’s bow.</p><p></p><p>As the Overworm lurched and writhed, Drasek reached out one gloved hand, and simply touched it. Kelemvor’s power allowed him, upon occasion, to deliver the final touch of death to those deserving…which, apparently the Overworm was not, as its vile heart continued to beat. However, as the inquisitor withdrew his hand, he saw that several green worms clung to it, gnawing at the leather of his gauntlet. In disgust, he brushed them into the lake.</p><p></p><p>Holding nothing back, Havok unleashed two more savage barrages upon the Overworm. As each one struck, green blood streamed from the beast’s mouth and many wounds. It reared one last time, preparing to slam its entire bulk down upon Hawk, Drasek and Shay, but at the last moment, a blazing missile of fire soared from the hand of Faust, drilling through the worm’s cranium. The massive behemoth convulsed once and sank back into the lake one final time.</p><p></p><p>“Why don’t you just accept it?” Drasek shouted. “The filthy, evil, hell-spawned worm lied to you! Does that surprise you?”</p><p>Faust had to admit, if only to himself, that it did. They had spent the last hour fruitlessly searching the bottom of the lake, and ultimately finding no hidden caches nor any sign of Sruggut’s promised key. Drasek was right. The naga had lied</p><p>“He told the truth about the fountain,” the psion said sullenly.</p><p>“Hah!” Drasek laughed. “He also told you the water wouldn’t harm you. He only told you about the vision so that you would eat the worms and hopefully become corrupted…well, more corrupted.”</p><p>“Faust made a mistake,” Hawk interrupted. “Who among us has not? I believe the lesson has been learned, so let’s waste no more time on it. We still have two paths before us.” He indicated the hall to the south, which ended at a pair of double doors, and the hall to the east, which ended at a single one. By random decision, the team chose south.</p><p></p><p>Drasek and Hawk threw open the doors, revealing a chamber, opulent by any standard, yet somehow alien despite its finery. Furniture placed at odd and uncomfortable angles blended with the disconcerting imagery of the carpets and tapestries that decorated the room. The imagery was sometimes understandable, depicting scenes of carnage and torture in great detail, while in other places it was simply abstract patterns drawn by an unsettled mind. A lone figure rose from a divan at the far side of the room. Both of the paladins’ mouths dropped open. They had seen this creature before. It was the spellweaver liche from the visions! Its eyes were hollow sockets containing a pinpoint of light deep within. Its flesh was rotting and festering, and the green robes it wore were old and moth-eaten. In one of its six hands it held a long, green crystal rod, and in another a cruel hooked rod.</p><p></p><p>‘I’ve been expecting you,’ a high-pitched, buzzing voice spoke into the minds of each member of the League. ‘You have taken your time about getting here, and now that you have finally arrived, I would know what exactly it is that you think you have achieved.’</p><p>It was Grubber who replied, speaking aloud. “We have come seeking knowledge to stop the so-called Age of Worms.”</p><p>‘Is the time nigh?’ the liche asked. ‘Which of the prophecies have come to pass?’</p><p>“The ruin by fire of a city built in a bowl,” Grubber began to recite, drawing withering glances from several of his team mates. “The recrudescence of the worm-eaten dead, the recovery of potent artifacts from ancient tombs, the destructive manifestation of an immense, demonic tree in a distant city across the sea, the arrival of a Fane of Scales amid a storm of wind and fire, and the awakening of an evil taint in a city once besieged by giants.” </p><p>‘Ah,’ the liche sighed, ‘then the hour is indeed at hand, and yet I sense that all of you may have a roll still to play in bringing about the true Age of Worms. Therefore, I grant you mercy and bid you take your leave of this place. Go on your way and fulfill your destiny.’</p><p>Several of the group still stood on the ledge beyond the hallway, overlooking the lake of worms. From this vantage point, they could see the eastern passage, and at that moment, the door at its far end opened. Emerging from the chamber beyond were three Knights of Kyuss.</p><p>‘My associates will see to it that you do not become lost on your way out,’ the liche said.</p><p>‘I’m sorry,’ the voice of Faust now spoke into his colleagues’ minds as well as to the liche, ‘but I’m afraid an evil such as yours cannot be suffered continued existence.’</p><p>Drasek swore silently to himself.</p><p>‘What harm can I do?’ the liche answered. ‘I have been imprisoned here for two millennia, and it is likely I will remain here until the Age of Worms has come to pass.’</p><p>It was Drasek who had the final word. “My friend speaks truth. We do not believe your lies, and there is no redemption for one such as you save through true and eternal death.”</p><p></p><p>Storm heard Drasek’s words, and her gaze shifted nervously towards the approaching Kyuss Knights. There seemed no way for them to cross the lake to where she and the others stood, but she would not put it past them to have some trick up their sleeve. It seemed open conflict was inevitable, and so it was the sorceress who struck the first blow. Speaking the words to a spell, she hurled three tendrils of scorching flames towards the first Knight, who when he lived was called Barnos Indarna. In dismay, Storm watched the flames simply evaporate as they touched the warrior’s antiquated armor.</p><p></p><p>‘Perhaps I was mistaken about your roles,’ the liche Mak’ar sighed. ‘Perhaps it is only your destiny to die at my hands.’ With that, he gestured absently at Grubber, and the goliath simply vanished. His Mindlink was instantly severed. At the same time, six identical images of the liche sprung into view around him, dancing and spinning about so that the true enemy could not be discerned. Shay quickly drew back his bow and fired a rapid volley of three arrows, each one striking an image, which promptly vanished.</p><p></p><p>Faust, still out on the ledge overlooking the lake, turned to Havok. “I can end this very quickly,” the psion said.</p><p>“How?” Havok asked, perplexed.</p><p>“Transport us next to him,” Faust replied, “and once I’m there, I can manifest a field of null-magic. No magic of any sort will function within, not even mine. I’ll be vulnerable, but so will the liche. Drasek and Hawk can carve him to ribbons.”</p><p>“Sounds risky,” the warlock said doubtfully.</p><p>“What about this whole scenario isn’t?” the psion asked.</p><p>Havok couldn’t argue the point. He reached out for Faust’s shoulder, and they disappeared.</p><p></p><p>Grubber found himself on a vast, empty plane, stretching on endlessly in every direction. All about him were softly glowing translucent walls…a vast maze. He was imprisoned, and had no idea how he might escape.</p><p></p><p>Havok and Faust appeared, not ten feet from Mak’ar, but at that moment, all of the psion’s hopes were destroyed. His eyes still closed, Faust continued to rely on his Touchsight, and with it he could see another figure standing directly between the liche and himself. It was Kelvos.</p><p>“Havok!” Faust cried out in warning.</p><p>“I see him!” the warlock shouted.</p><p>Not daring to risk making himself helpless in the face of the eladrin, the psion quickly manifested a current of fiery energy between the celestial and Mak’ar. The flames simply washed off Kelvos like water, but the liche shrieked in agony and frustration. </p><p>“Kill them!” the Harbinger roared to his minion.</p><p></p><p>With dawning horror Storm watched the Knights continue their relentless approach. They reached the edge of the passageway, and then simply stepped into the lake, disappearing beneath the writhing worms. They were coming. Quickly, the drow slipped into the hall, intent on warning the others. As she saw Faust and Havok confronting the liche, she summoned a globe of pure acid into her hand, and hurled it towards Mak’ar. To her complete shock, it smashed into some unseen barrier directly in front of her…and between her and her companions. She was alone out here…just her and the approaching Knights.</p><p></p><p>Drasek knew that something else was in the room with them, something that only Faust and Havok could see. Quickly, the inquisitor spoke a prayer, causing a field of rippling energy to emanate in all directions from him, revealing anything that might be hidden under the cloak of invisibility. When he saw Kelvos, his jaw dropped open for a second time that day.</p><p>“I don’t know how you violated the sacred Law of Death,” Drasek snarled, struggling to regain his composure, “but this time I will insure you stay dead!” He charged towards the eladrin, but Kelvos moved with the quickness and grace of an eel. Stepping deftly to one side, he lowered the blade of his greatsword, tangling it between the paladin’s feet, and sending him tumbling to the floor in a heap.</p><p>“Charming,” Kelvos smiled. “When last we met, I offered you a chance to stand by my side. You won’t get the chance to refuse a second time.” The celestial’s eyes blazed, and a word so vile left his lips that it left all of the occupants of the room, save himself and Mak’ar, stunned by its evil. At that exact moment, Storm Dimension Doored herself past the Wall of Force to stand beside Shay, realizing too late that her friends were helpless. Kelvos and Mak’ar walked past her dazed companions to stand calmly beside her and Shay. </p><p>“We’ll be with you in a moment, my dear,” Kelvos smiled, and then he spoke another vile prayer, and the wounds Faust had inflicted on Mak’ar began to mend.</p><p></p><p>Just then, the numbing shock left the limbs of the others, and relying on instincts and training, they sprang into action. Shay quickly somersaulted away from the liche and the eladrin, rolling up on one knee with an arrow already knocked. He loosed it, and smiled tightly as it thunked into Kelvos’ thigh.</p><p></p><p>Havok whirled towards his enemies, summoning up a chain of eldritch energy, which arced from his hand to Kelvos, and then towards Mak’ar…only to strike another of the illusory images.</p><p></p><p>Faust’s original energy current had been disrupted by Kelvos' blasphemous prayer, but now the psion created a new one, once more synching it between the liche and the celestial. </p><p></p><p>Drasek, still on his back, gripped his holy symbol and called upon Kelemvor. A wave of dispelling energy washed over Mak’ar, and all of the liche’s illusory images vanished. </p><p></p><p>While her adversaries were distracted, Storm shoved past them, struggling to follow Shay to safety. Kelvos was too quick however. As she passed, he thrust his sword into the ground in front of her, and the sorceress tripped over the blade, sprawling to the floor. </p><p></p><p>“Kelvos, we are trapped here!” Mak’ar snarled, slamming his fist against the invisible barrier at their back. Stepping between his master and their opponents, the eladrin dismissed the wall with a thought. Quickly, Mak’ar scuttled down the hall, and around the corner to the ledge bordering the lake. Once again, Faust’s current was snuffed out.</p><p></p><p>“Game over,” Shay whispered, as he let fly two arrows of cold iron, inimical to outsiders, from his bow. Both shafts struck Kelvos in the chest, and for a moment the eladrin could only stare at them in disbelief, before he sagged slowly to the floor.</p><p></p><p>“Come on before he gets away!” Faust shouted, running down the passage and skidding to a halt on the edge of the lake. He reached out with his Touchsight, and there, at the bottom of the lake, he sensed Mak’ar…surrounded by all three of the Knights.</p><p>“He’s right below us!” the psion cried. Drasek came to his side, and fingers spread, unleashed a Storm of holy Shards into the water. Hundreds of worms shriveled and died, and Faust could sense that Mak’ar and his minions were wounded. Then suddenly, Mak’ar vanished.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="gfunk, post: 2813721, member: 1813"] THE HARBINGER When Faust reappeared in Sruggut’s library, it was to a mix of sullen, cold stares, and uncomfortable downcast eyes. “I’m surprised you came back,” Drasek began without preamble. “I would have thought you would have slithered away with your new friend.” “I probably deserved that,” Faust said, nodding. “No, you deserve far worse!” the inquisitor snapped. “Twice now, twice you have unleashed an imprisoned agent of evil into the world! And for what? Information of questionable value that we probably could have gotten anyway!” “By what means?” Faust asked, lifting one stony eyebrow. “Torture?” “There are other ways to get what you need from those who are uncooperative,” Drasek replied. “You should have asked us before you acted. We could have come up with an alternative. However, since you have decided to be a singular judge and jury, then you must deal with the repercussions of your actions. From now on I will do nothing to aid you, short of letting you die, and I expect nothing from you in return. In essence, stay out of my way misfit!” Faust looked at the faces of the others. “Do the rest of you feel the same way?” he asked. Giovanni sighed. “Faust, the only thing I ask is that you not keep us in the dark as to your tactics. The only reason the rest of us attacked in the first place was because you did. When you changed strategies and did not inform us, we were at a loss. We are supposed to be a team, but the only way we can function as one is to have trust and faith in one another.” Faust nodded again. “Agreed,” he said. “It has never been my purpose to mislead you, despite what some of you may think. I did what I thought was best, but perhaps I acted in haste.” “Now,” Giovanni said, “I suggest we table this discussion for a more appropriate setting. We still have a job to do.” “You all heard what Sruggut told me,” Faust said. “I suggest we start with the fountain and see if we can discover the visions that he spoke of.” Faust stood before the fountain, staring down into the crystal, clear water. The others were gathered in the room at a safe distance, but close enough to intercede should the need arise. As Faust had approached the fountain, he had become noticeably thirstier. “Wait a moment,” Giovanni said from the doorway. The warlock was still in his angelic form. “Let me see if I can discern anything about the fountain’s purpose.” He began concentrating, allowing his vision to absorb the auras in the room, separating the magical from the mundane. The fountain itself radiated strong magic, though Giovanni could not determine the type. It seemed to him, however, that the general purpose behind the magic might be some sort of compulsion, or brain-washing effect. “I’m not so sure about this Faust,” he warned the psion. “This may be a trap.” “Then we’d best spring it,” Faust replied, dipping his hands into the water and bringing the cool liquid to his lips. It was only after he had tasted the water that he felt something…wrong. In his mouth, something wriggled and bit at his tongue. Looking into his hands, he saw that they were filled not with water, but with green worms. In fact, the entire fountain was writhing with them! He tried to spit the vile vermin out, but reflexively he swallowed. Almost immediately, he felt a horrible, burrowing sensation in his stomach, but then his surroundings wavered and faded, replaced by a bird’s-eye view of the city of Kuluth-Mar at its height. The streets were empty, as the thousands of citizens seemed to have gathered in a mass in the central plaza surrounding the Spire of Long Shadows. Suddenly, a foul energy welled from the spire at the center of the city, and swept outward, felling the living as it passed. For each creature that fell, a silent but potent sense of wrongness could be felt, as some indescribable part of the creature, perhaps its soul, was drawn back towards the Spire to be absorbed by the strange, black monolith of stone balanced at its peak. As the energy built around the peak, a shimmering image of a colossal humanoid figure, its body composed of a million writhing worms, took form around the Spire of Long Shadows, its arms raised in triumph. Yet in another moment, that triumphant pose seemed to change to one of rage and a soul-wrenching cry of fury tore from the undulant face. The image shrank, pulled into the stone monolith at the Spire’s peak, before imploding with a horrific, wet burst. In an instant, the city was quiet again, yet as the vision faded, the first signs of unlife began to spread through the thousands of dead bodies strewn around the ziggurat’s base as the corpses, now festering with green worms, rose from death. Faust crumpled to his knees, crying out in agony and clutching his head as he felt the worm begin to burrow into is brain. Quickly, Hawk stepped to the psion’s side and gripped his skull with both hands, praying under his breath as he did so. After a moment, white light spread from the civilar’s hands and into Faust’s skull. Gradually the pain eased until it was finally gone completely. “Thank you,” Faust said Hawk merely nodded. “I warned you,” Giovanni snapped. “This is what I mean about not sharing your plans.” “I did share my plans,” Faust retorted. “I told you that I was going to drink from the fountain, no matter what, and you saw the vision, didn’t you? That backlash of energy was not just the souls of Kyuss’ followers. It was their very faith! The possibilities of what a powerful creature could do with that much devotional energy are staggering! At the very least, ascension to godhood would be possible! And yet, it seemed to me that Kyuss was not able to control his apotheosis, and became trapped within the monolith.” “A monolith that no longer exists,” Hawk observed. “As far as we know…” Faust answered cryptically. _____________________________________________________________ “How do I look?” Giovanni said as his latest shape-changed form manifested. “Like the walking dead,” Shay said dryly. That was an apt description, as the warlock had morphed himself into a Wormcaller. The team now stood in the chamber at the bottom of the worm naga shaft. To their south lay the lake of worms, where Sruggut told them the key to Kyuss’ power could be found. Giovanni volunteered to lead the search, reasoning that the worms would not molest him if he were perceived as a Kyuss spawn. Drasek placed a Fly spell upon him, and he quaffed an Invisibility potion before stepping into the cavernous room. The immense cavern was filled with a horrific sea of writhing green, and the nauseating susurrus of millions of slimy bodies slithering over each other. There was no floor. The hallway fell away to the undulating surface of an immense lake of green worms. The rippling surface lay about five feet down from the floor of the passageway, while the ceiling rose to a vault nearly ninety feet above. Low islands of stone protruded here and there from the wormy expanse, and additional passageways extended out of the sea and back onto solid ground in the wall opposite, and in the walls to the left and right. The first thing Havok noticed was the two Wormcallers standing on the far shore, and they in-turn were pointing towards the passageway behind him, where Hawk stood, revealed by the glowing blue light shed by Grubber’s Luminous Armor enchantment. As quickly and quietly as he could, Havok slipped into the sea of worms. As he had hoped, the vermin ignored him, and to his surprise, they did not fill the lake. Some ten feet below the surface was water, murky but free of the vile worms. Havok swam deeper, straining to see the bottom, but then something else caught his eye…something enormous. Hawk saw the two Wormcallers as they stepped into the gloom at the far edge of Grubber’s light. The priests were literally walking on air above the worm-lake, and in unison they thrust their hands towards him. Twin columns of green fire exploded around the civilar and the goliath, scorching them not only with heat, but also with a greasy, unholy energy. Hawk and Grubber each dove for cover, rolling into the hallways on either side of the smaller chamber. His hands spasming with pain, Grubber gripped his holy symbol, chanting. His pain eased as the healing magic washed over him, his breath slowing from the ragged gasp it had become. The giant, green worm in front of Havok had a vicious maw ringed with row upon row of needle-like teeth. Its great bulk flattened on its underside, its color lightening and the rings of its musculature becoming tighter. It had no obvious sensory organs, yet it turned unerringly towards the warlock, and it moved with surprising speed. Havok gasped, relaying mental images of what he was seeing to his comrades before willing himself through the Astral plane, and reappearing in the chamber of preserved corpses. Shedding his undead form, the warlock instantly replaced it with that of the Deva. ‘Be wary!’ he warned his friends. ‘I’m going around to the western hall to see if I can give those Wormcallers a bit of a surprise.’ Drasek, hearing Havok’s warning, uttered a brief prayer to imbue himself once again with the aspect of the celestials, this time the burning eyes of the Firre’. Stepping into the passage connecting the smaller chamber with the cavern, he heard Faust speak into his mind. ‘Just hold them off for a moment,” the psion said. ‘If not for me, then for the others. I will get us some help.’ Drasek did not respond. He knew his duty clearly, and did not need the black-hearted psion to instruct him in tactics. The light from his own armor spilled into the cavern, lighting him like a beacon, and making him an obvious target for the undead priests. As the light filled the chamber, Havok had a clear view of both Wormcallers. With a moment’s concentration, he willed a forest of his worm-like tentacles to sprout from the surface of the lake. Striking like snakes, the worm tentacles wrapped themselves around the priests, holding them fast. Drasek heard heavy footsteps behind him. Turning, he saw a giant with silvery, mirror-like skin and no facial features lumbering towards him. Another of Faust’s constructs. The behemoth stepped past him, and right into the lake, sinking like a stone. Shay remained concealed in the shadows, as he preferred. He fished a flask from one of his many belt pouches and upended it, fading from sight as he drank. Then, literally melting into a nearby patch of darkness, he stepped from another in the corridor on the far side of the lake, right behind the trapped Wormcallers. The moment he appeared, his cloak of invisibility vanished, leaving him completely exposed to the grinning priests. Mindlessly obedient to its creator, the astral construct began striding through the ooze and sludge at the bottom of the lake, straight towards the gargantuan worm. The worm’s head snapped towards the construct, and its maw opened. In a flash, it seized the giant in its jaws. The construct struggled in vain to free itself as the worm opened its mouth even wider, dropping the colossus down its gullet. Drasek focused on the nearer of the two Wormcallers, and twin beams of fire flashed from his glowing eyes. They struck unerringly, but seemed to have no effect at all. The priest’s robes did not so much as smolder. “We’re going to have to take this to them up close and personal,” Hawk said, stepping up next to the inquisitor. The civilar had managed to heal his burns, and looked fit, sword in hand. “Are you with me?” Drasek nodded as his eyes returned to their natural shade of blue, and white, feathery wings sprouted from his back. Despite being held securely by the tentacles, Havok could still see the foremost Wormcaller’s features knot in concentration. The warlock knew that the undead priests did not need words or gestures to perform their magic, and so when the creature’s brow furrowed, Havok unleashed his eldritch power, a green spear of energy which limned the Wormcaller in an unearthly corona. As the glow from the blast faded, a second, smaller beam of green light struck from the opposite side of the room, where Faust now stood on the edge of the lake. As the beam hit, the Wormcaller began to disintegrate before Havok’s eyes, becoming nothing more than dust in the wind within seconds. Shay quickly knocked two silver arrows and loosed them in rapid succession at the remaining Wormcaller. The creature shrieked as the metal, with was anathema to it, began to sear its rotting flesh. Suddenly, the rogue saw Hawk and Drasek soaring just over the reach of the grasping tentacles, landing in the hallway between the Wormcaller and himself, just as the priest was turning its attention towards him. Acting on the assumption that the gargantuan worm was still roughly where he’d last seen it, Havok focused on his forest of worm-tentacles, and then willed an identical one to appear exactly thirty-feet below it, sprouting from the floor of the lake. It was his hope that the barrier would at least slow the behemoth. Unbeknownst to the warlock, the Overworm was already headed towards the surface, but just before it breached, a spasm shook it as a great gout of ichor belched from its underbelly. A ragged hole appeared as Faust’s astral construct ripped its way out of the worm’s gizzard. The wound immediately sealed itself, but the construct sank quickly towards the lake bottom, coming to rest directly in the middle of Havok’s tentacles. Instantly, four of the rubbery worms twined around the construct’s arms and legs, holding in place. As the two paladins alighted, the Wormcaller channeled its innate magic into a huge dispelling field, catching Shay, Hawk and the tentacle swarm in its area. The powerful magic of the tentacles persisted, however, though several of Hawk’s and Shay’s defensive magics did not, including Hawk’s ability to fly. Grubber stood next to Faust and spoke several divine words of power, causing a glowing silver maul to appear in the air next to him. At his command, the Spiritual Weapon of Grumbar soared across the cavern, flying unerringly towards the Wormcaller. The creature struggled to free itself as the weapon approached, but to no avail. Then, from behind, Hawk struck. His gleaming blade flashed like lightning, scoring blow after blow upon the priest. From prior experience, the civilar knew the creatures’ weakness to silver, and he had coated his sword with a magical silver sheen prior to leaving Calimport. Now, as the blade struck, it dealt horrible wounds to the Wormcaller, drawing cries of agony from its worm-filled mouth. At that moment, the Overworm breached. Like some mighty green whale it reared from the lake of worms directly before Hawk and Drasek. Its cavernous maw lunged at the civilar, but Hawk crouched low behind his shield, feeling his entire arm go numb as the beasts teeth rasped against the steel. Above and behind the behemoth, Hawk saw Havok soar into the room, positioning himself well beyond the worm’s reach. A pulse of emerald light as bright as the sun burst from the warlock’s hands, ripping through the Overworm’s skin as though it were paper. A heartbeat later, a second blast struck the brute, and it flailed about blindly, seeking the source of its torment. The Wormcaller saw that source clearly, and knew that if the angelic being was not brought down, the Overworm was doomed. Concentrating, it centered a dispelling field right on top of Havok. For a moment the warlock panicked, for if his ability to Shapechange were negated, he would drop straight into the worm lake, right next to the Overworm. Fortunately, the potent spell remained, though many others did not, including his Mindlink with his comrades. The Wormcaller prepared to try again, but just then, Grubber’s glowing maul struck, caving in the priest’s skull. Shay had never seen a creature as large and imposing as the Overworm, not even the ulgurstasta. Fishing blindly through his quiver, he withdrew two arrows forged of adamantine, hoping the incredibly hard metal could pierce the creature’s hide. He fired once and again, both flying true, but the great worm did not seem to notice their impact… until they started melting into its unholy bulk, imbued with the holy power of the rogue’s bow. As the Overworm lurched and writhed, Drasek reached out one gloved hand, and simply touched it. Kelemvor’s power allowed him, upon occasion, to deliver the final touch of death to those deserving…which, apparently the Overworm was not, as its vile heart continued to beat. However, as the inquisitor withdrew his hand, he saw that several green worms clung to it, gnawing at the leather of his gauntlet. In disgust, he brushed them into the lake. Holding nothing back, Havok unleashed two more savage barrages upon the Overworm. As each one struck, green blood streamed from the beast’s mouth and many wounds. It reared one last time, preparing to slam its entire bulk down upon Hawk, Drasek and Shay, but at the last moment, a blazing missile of fire soared from the hand of Faust, drilling through the worm’s cranium. The massive behemoth convulsed once and sank back into the lake one final time. “Why don’t you just accept it?” Drasek shouted. “The filthy, evil, hell-spawned worm lied to you! Does that surprise you?” Faust had to admit, if only to himself, that it did. They had spent the last hour fruitlessly searching the bottom of the lake, and ultimately finding no hidden caches nor any sign of Sruggut’s promised key. Drasek was right. The naga had lied “He told the truth about the fountain,” the psion said sullenly. “Hah!” Drasek laughed. “He also told you the water wouldn’t harm you. He only told you about the vision so that you would eat the worms and hopefully become corrupted…well, more corrupted.” “Faust made a mistake,” Hawk interrupted. “Who among us has not? I believe the lesson has been learned, so let’s waste no more time on it. We still have two paths before us.” He indicated the hall to the south, which ended at a pair of double doors, and the hall to the east, which ended at a single one. By random decision, the team chose south. Drasek and Hawk threw open the doors, revealing a chamber, opulent by any standard, yet somehow alien despite its finery. Furniture placed at odd and uncomfortable angles blended with the disconcerting imagery of the carpets and tapestries that decorated the room. The imagery was sometimes understandable, depicting scenes of carnage and torture in great detail, while in other places it was simply abstract patterns drawn by an unsettled mind. A lone figure rose from a divan at the far side of the room. Both of the paladins’ mouths dropped open. They had seen this creature before. It was the spellweaver liche from the visions! Its eyes were hollow sockets containing a pinpoint of light deep within. Its flesh was rotting and festering, and the green robes it wore were old and moth-eaten. In one of its six hands it held a long, green crystal rod, and in another a cruel hooked rod. ‘I’ve been expecting you,’ a high-pitched, buzzing voice spoke into the minds of each member of the League. ‘You have taken your time about getting here, and now that you have finally arrived, I would know what exactly it is that you think you have achieved.’ It was Grubber who replied, speaking aloud. “We have come seeking knowledge to stop the so-called Age of Worms.” ‘Is the time nigh?’ the liche asked. ‘Which of the prophecies have come to pass?’ “The ruin by fire of a city built in a bowl,” Grubber began to recite, drawing withering glances from several of his team mates. “The recrudescence of the worm-eaten dead, the recovery of potent artifacts from ancient tombs, the destructive manifestation of an immense, demonic tree in a distant city across the sea, the arrival of a Fane of Scales amid a storm of wind and fire, and the awakening of an evil taint in a city once besieged by giants.” ‘Ah,’ the liche sighed, ‘then the hour is indeed at hand, and yet I sense that all of you may have a roll still to play in bringing about the true Age of Worms. Therefore, I grant you mercy and bid you take your leave of this place. Go on your way and fulfill your destiny.’ Several of the group still stood on the ledge beyond the hallway, overlooking the lake of worms. From this vantage point, they could see the eastern passage, and at that moment, the door at its far end opened. Emerging from the chamber beyond were three Knights of Kyuss. ‘My associates will see to it that you do not become lost on your way out,’ the liche said. ‘I’m sorry,’ the voice of Faust now spoke into his colleagues’ minds as well as to the liche, ‘but I’m afraid an evil such as yours cannot be suffered continued existence.’ Drasek swore silently to himself. ‘What harm can I do?’ the liche answered. ‘I have been imprisoned here for two millennia, and it is likely I will remain here until the Age of Worms has come to pass.’ It was Drasek who had the final word. “My friend speaks truth. We do not believe your lies, and there is no redemption for one such as you save through true and eternal death.” Storm heard Drasek’s words, and her gaze shifted nervously towards the approaching Kyuss Knights. There seemed no way for them to cross the lake to where she and the others stood, but she would not put it past them to have some trick up their sleeve. It seemed open conflict was inevitable, and so it was the sorceress who struck the first blow. Speaking the words to a spell, she hurled three tendrils of scorching flames towards the first Knight, who when he lived was called Barnos Indarna. In dismay, Storm watched the flames simply evaporate as they touched the warrior’s antiquated armor. ‘Perhaps I was mistaken about your roles,’ the liche Mak’ar sighed. ‘Perhaps it is only your destiny to die at my hands.’ With that, he gestured absently at Grubber, and the goliath simply vanished. His Mindlink was instantly severed. At the same time, six identical images of the liche sprung into view around him, dancing and spinning about so that the true enemy could not be discerned. Shay quickly drew back his bow and fired a rapid volley of three arrows, each one striking an image, which promptly vanished. Faust, still out on the ledge overlooking the lake, turned to Havok. “I can end this very quickly,” the psion said. “How?” Havok asked, perplexed. “Transport us next to him,” Faust replied, “and once I’m there, I can manifest a field of null-magic. No magic of any sort will function within, not even mine. I’ll be vulnerable, but so will the liche. Drasek and Hawk can carve him to ribbons.” “Sounds risky,” the warlock said doubtfully. “What about this whole scenario isn’t?” the psion asked. Havok couldn’t argue the point. He reached out for Faust’s shoulder, and they disappeared. Grubber found himself on a vast, empty plane, stretching on endlessly in every direction. All about him were softly glowing translucent walls…a vast maze. He was imprisoned, and had no idea how he might escape. Havok and Faust appeared, not ten feet from Mak’ar, but at that moment, all of the psion’s hopes were destroyed. His eyes still closed, Faust continued to rely on his Touchsight, and with it he could see another figure standing directly between the liche and himself. It was Kelvos. “Havok!” Faust cried out in warning. “I see him!” the warlock shouted. Not daring to risk making himself helpless in the face of the eladrin, the psion quickly manifested a current of fiery energy between the celestial and Mak’ar. The flames simply washed off Kelvos like water, but the liche shrieked in agony and frustration. “Kill them!” the Harbinger roared to his minion. With dawning horror Storm watched the Knights continue their relentless approach. They reached the edge of the passageway, and then simply stepped into the lake, disappearing beneath the writhing worms. They were coming. Quickly, the drow slipped into the hall, intent on warning the others. As she saw Faust and Havok confronting the liche, she summoned a globe of pure acid into her hand, and hurled it towards Mak’ar. To her complete shock, it smashed into some unseen barrier directly in front of her…and between her and her companions. She was alone out here…just her and the approaching Knights. Drasek knew that something else was in the room with them, something that only Faust and Havok could see. Quickly, the inquisitor spoke a prayer, causing a field of rippling energy to emanate in all directions from him, revealing anything that might be hidden under the cloak of invisibility. When he saw Kelvos, his jaw dropped open for a second time that day. “I don’t know how you violated the sacred Law of Death,” Drasek snarled, struggling to regain his composure, “but this time I will insure you stay dead!” He charged towards the eladrin, but Kelvos moved with the quickness and grace of an eel. Stepping deftly to one side, he lowered the blade of his greatsword, tangling it between the paladin’s feet, and sending him tumbling to the floor in a heap. “Charming,” Kelvos smiled. “When last we met, I offered you a chance to stand by my side. You won’t get the chance to refuse a second time.” The celestial’s eyes blazed, and a word so vile left his lips that it left all of the occupants of the room, save himself and Mak’ar, stunned by its evil. At that exact moment, Storm Dimension Doored herself past the Wall of Force to stand beside Shay, realizing too late that her friends were helpless. Kelvos and Mak’ar walked past her dazed companions to stand calmly beside her and Shay. “We’ll be with you in a moment, my dear,” Kelvos smiled, and then he spoke another vile prayer, and the wounds Faust had inflicted on Mak’ar began to mend. Just then, the numbing shock left the limbs of the others, and relying on instincts and training, they sprang into action. Shay quickly somersaulted away from the liche and the eladrin, rolling up on one knee with an arrow already knocked. He loosed it, and smiled tightly as it thunked into Kelvos’ thigh. Havok whirled towards his enemies, summoning up a chain of eldritch energy, which arced from his hand to Kelvos, and then towards Mak’ar…only to strike another of the illusory images. Faust’s original energy current had been disrupted by Kelvos' blasphemous prayer, but now the psion created a new one, once more synching it between the liche and the celestial. Drasek, still on his back, gripped his holy symbol and called upon Kelemvor. A wave of dispelling energy washed over Mak’ar, and all of the liche’s illusory images vanished. While her adversaries were distracted, Storm shoved past them, struggling to follow Shay to safety. Kelvos was too quick however. As she passed, he thrust his sword into the ground in front of her, and the sorceress tripped over the blade, sprawling to the floor. “Kelvos, we are trapped here!” Mak’ar snarled, slamming his fist against the invisible barrier at their back. Stepping between his master and their opponents, the eladrin dismissed the wall with a thought. Quickly, Mak’ar scuttled down the hall, and around the corner to the ledge bordering the lake. Once again, Faust’s current was snuffed out. “Game over,” Shay whispered, as he let fly two arrows of cold iron, inimical to outsiders, from his bow. Both shafts struck Kelvos in the chest, and for a moment the eladrin could only stare at them in disbelief, before he sagged slowly to the floor. “Come on before he gets away!” Faust shouted, running down the passage and skidding to a halt on the edge of the lake. He reached out with his Touchsight, and there, at the bottom of the lake, he sensed Mak’ar…surrounded by all three of the Knights. “He’s right below us!” the psion cried. Drasek came to his side, and fingers spread, unleashed a Storm of holy Shards into the water. Hundreds of worms shriveled and died, and Faust could sense that Mak’ar and his minions were wounded. Then suddenly, Mak’ar vanished. [/QUOTE]
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JollyDoc's Age of Worms (Updated 11/30, Epilogue!)
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