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JollyDoc's Way Of The Wicked
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<blockquote data-quote="JollyDoc" data-source="post: 6918266" data-attributes="member: 9546"><p>THE LAST PRAYER - 9 Sarenith, 4717 - 14 Sarenith, 4717</p><p></p><p>Sunset, day 218 of the ritual.</p><p></p><p>"Well I'll be damned," Kelvin murmured from where he stood near the altar, peering into the Eye of Vigilance.</p><p>"Eventually," Tardaesha smiled, "as will the rest of us, I'm sure."</p><p>Kelvin ignored her.</p><p>"It seems we have a visitor down at the lower entrance," he said. "Send Oddball down to fetch him, won't you sister?"</p><p>Tardaesha looked confused and slightly annoyed, but still snapped her fingers at her minion.</p><p>"Go," she sniped. "See who's there and bring them back up here. Don't dawdle!"</p><p></p><p>Less than a minute later Oddball returned, a filthy and thoroughly disheveled individual by his side. The figure looked up, his eyes bloodshot. His hair was long and straggly, and his beard looked as if it had not been trimmed in weeks. His clothing, though perhaps once fine, now hung in ragged tatters about his thin frame.</p><p>"You!" He pointed one boney finger at Kelvin. "This is all your fault!"</p><p>Kelvin blinked, uncertainty on his face. That voice was...familiar.</p><p>"Baron?" He said. "Is that you?"</p><p>"Of course it's me!" Baron Vandermir spat. "Though I'm sure you're surprised to see me! You likely thought me dead!"</p><p>"As a matter of fact," Kelvin shrugged. "That tends to happen when one's home is demolished by a dragon."</p><p>"A dragon who's wrath you brought down upon me!" Vandermir shrieked.</p><p>"How did you come to that conclusion?" Kelvin asked cooly. </p><p>"With...this!" The Baron threw up his hands and turned about, indicating the Sanctum and the Horn itself. "All of this! I warned you, didn't I? I told you to be discreet lest you attract undue attention! But no! That is not your way, is it? Everything must be so dramatic! It was only a matter of time before the Iomedaens linked me to you!"</p><p>Lemmy pointed a finger directly into Vandermir's face.</p><p>"You got a smart mouth!" He growled. "You talk too much. Loose lips sink ships and all that. I say we just kill you now and tie up any odds and ends."</p><p>Vandermir blanched and took an involuntary step backwards. </p><p>"Now Lemmy," Dakota chided, "look at the poor man. He's desperate. The least we can do is offer him sanctuary. He might still have his uses."</p><p>"I tend to agree," Kelvin said. "But know this, Baron: your plight is of your own making. You knew full well what you were getting into. I'll hear no more of it if you plan on remaining here. The Ritual is nearly at an end. After it's conclusion we will be out of your hair and about our business."</p><p>Vandermir was silent and glowering for a moment.</p><p>"Fine," he said at length. "You have my gratitude for your...hospitality."</p><p>He bowed slightly then turned stiffly and walked away.</p><p></p><p>________________________________________________________________</p><p></p><p>Vetra-Kali was not the only being barred from entering the world. The powerful magic of the ritual could be useful to liberate any number of others banned from the light. On midnight of the 219th day of the ritual, from the corners of reality, six minions of just such a creature emerged into the Sanctum. They did not come to save Talingarde, but instead to slay anyone involved in conjuring the transdimensional rift, and then see that when the portal opened, it was not Vetra-Kali who emerged, but their own dark master, trapped in the black spaces between the stars for eons. </p><p></p><p>The creatures were gaunt, long-limbed quadrupeds with huge, soulless eyes and toothy maws, and they moved with a predatory grace as they stepped from the shadows of the corners of the Sanctum. One of them opened its jaws wide and exhaled a cloud of dense fog which enveloped the altar. Two more of them locked eyes on Hexor and Oddball, and then thin green rays lanced from them, surrounding the two daemons in an emerald shimmer. Instinctively they knew that their dimension-hopping abilities had been neutralized. </p><p></p><p>The members of the 9th Knot and their minions, though taken by surprise, did not hesitate to leap to the defense of the Sanctum. The other-dimensional hounds, however, where not so easy to engage. Seemingly at will, they would retreat into a corner of the chamber and disappear, only to reappear an instant later from another corner. Even when engaged directly, their milky-eyed gaze would literally rip the flesh from their assailants. The hounds steadily advanced towards the altar, but Kelvin managed to erect a force shield around it, wary since the avoral's assault. By a process of attrition and overwhelming numbers, however, the creatures were taken down one by one. They did not go quietly, nor without taking their own toll. As Kelvin looked about the chamber in the aftermath, he saw no less than six boggards lying dead on the floor, as well as one of Lemmy's three hellhounds. And there were still four days to go...</p><p></p><p>____________________________________________________________</p><p></p><p>The following morning the dragon attacked...</p><p></p><p>Argossarian was a young, idealistic silver dragon who had long dwelt in the north, hunting monsters and bugbears. For decades he had been a self-appointed champion of nobility and virtue. His shadow was the last thing that countless bugbears and bandits had seen. In recent times, however, had had been troubled by what he had heard from his agents in the south. The flash of green light from the long-forsaken Horn of Abaddon had been the last straw. He had immediately set out for Farholde, but when he had arrived he could never have imagined how bad things had gotten. The city was gripped by fear. Would-be heroes were dying with their throats cut. Anyone who had dared to venture to the Horn had never come back. Argossarian knew there had to be a connection in town, and for months he had secretly searched for it. He finally thought he'd found the answer in Baron Arkov Vandermir. Imagine his surprise when, while ransacking the Baron's ruined manor, he had discovered the man's journal.</p><p>"What are they doing out there?" the journal had read. "Can they really be rebuilding the Sons of the Pale Horseman? Are they really that mad?"</p><p>Argossarian was horrified.</p><p></p><p>The silver dragon was 80 years old, born in the year of the Victor's raid upon the Horn. His mother, the mighty wyrm Antharia Regina, had weaned him on tales of the Sons' wickedness and the Victor's heroics. Could it really be that some fragment of their cult had survived and was struggling to return the daemon prince Vetra-Kali Eats-The-Eyes to reality? Argossarian knew that his moment had come. He would attack the Horn of Abaddon. He did not know what he would find there, but whatever dwelt in that cursed place he would destroy. </p><p></p><p>________________________________________________________________</p><p></p><p>The exterior wall of the Sanctum exploded inward behind the force of Argossarian's tail. </p><p>"Defend the altar!" Kelvin shouted as he hurled a fireball through the hole.</p><p>The spell exploded, engulfing the mighty dragon, but as the flames dissipated, Argossarian was unscathed, his innate resistance to magic sloughing off the attack. </p><p>"Stop him!" Kelvin commanded Hexor and Vexor.</p><p>The twin daemons rushed towards the opening, closely followed by Lemmy's hounds. As they reached the hole, however, the dragon exhaled a cloying cloud of green vapor over them. It seemed to have no visible effect on the daemons, but one of the hellhounds keeled over, paralyzed. Enraged, Argossarian landed heavily on the lip of the opening, driving Hexor and Vexor back. He felt a sudden sharp stab of pain as Dakota put an arrow in his shoulder, but with a snarl he ripped the shaft out with his teeth. When he turned back towards the den of evil, he saw a single individual approaching fast. It was a dark-haired human woman sheathed in armor from head to toe. She clutched a glowing sword in one hand while the other gripped a pentacle medallion that hung from her neck. Argossarian reared up and prepared to rip her apart limb from limb, but the woman was a split-second faster. Tardaesha darted inside the dragon's reach and thrust her blade upwards with all her might, summoning the power of Asmodeus to smite her foe down. The dragon screamed in agony as black fire exploded around him. Tardaesha withdrew her blade and then slashed twice more in diagonal sweeps, opening up horrible wounds in the silver-scaled hide. Argossarian was in shock. He'd never endured such agony, and he realized with horrible certainty that he was about to die. How could this have happened? How could he have so terribly underestimated these foes? Worst of all, what would happen now that he would no longer be able to protect the world from them? These were his last thoughts as he tumbled backwards out of the hole and plummeted towards the base of the Horn.</p><p>Tardaesha turned, wiping her blade on her tabard.</p><p>"Knick-Knack," the said calmly, "be a dear and go collect that dragon's soul for me, would you?"</p><p></p><p>______________________________________________________________</p><p></p><p>Day 221 - Sunset Ritual</p><p></p><p>"Dread Masters," Zikomo's familiar refrain called out.</p><p>"This is not a good time!" Kelvin growled from where he stood before the altar watching Dorian perform the evening prayers.</p><p>"This is...important," Zikomo persisted.</p><p>Tardaesha, who'd been standing beside Kelvin, turned towards the oracle. That was when she noticed that behind Zikomo stood the entirety of the Bane-Wog tribe.</p><p>"I have learned there may be traitors among you," Zikomo said.</p><p>"What?" Tardaesha asked, perplexed. "What are you talking about? Who would betray us?"</p><p>"What do the Dread Masters plan to do with the Horn when the ritual is complete?" Zikomo asked, ignoring Tardaesha's question.</p><p>'Aesha's brow furrowed in confusion.</p><p>"What are you rambling about?" She demanded. "I don't give a rat's ass what happens to this armpit when we are done here!"</p><p>Zikomo turned to his tribesman and raised his arms over his head.</p><p>"Do you see, my children!? It is as I foretold! They care nothing for Father Dagon! They will do their heretic god's will, and then leave our home in ruins! The time has come! Our time is now! We will reclaim what is ours!"</p><p>As one, all two-dozen of the assembled boggards croaked in unison, the noise deafening in the confines of the Sanctum. So unnerving was the cacophony that many of those assembled, including Katarina, Grumblejack, Knick-Knack, Oddball, as well as Roger's tiger and Lemmy's hellhounds, were struck with terror at the sound. </p><p></p><p>"You treasonous toad!" Tardaesha shrieked.</p><p>She leaped towards Zikomo, her sword out in a flash. Before the boggard could react, the anti-paladin has slashed his throat then impaled him through the heart. He fell to the ground in a gurgling heap. Behind her, Dakota followed her twin's lead, kneeling and firing arrows into the mass of boggards at will. Dorian, still in the midst of his prayers, paused and sighed in exasperation. </p><p>"Artephius!" He commanded. "Deal with this interruption!"</p><p>"As you wish, my master," the golem bowed.</p><p>With a mechanical whine of gears, Artephius palmed a glowing orb of electricity and hurled it into the midst of the boggards. It exploded, bathing most of them in coursing current. </p><p></p><p>"Ezra?" Kelvin asked, noticing the dread wraith and his minions hovering silently at the edge of the melee. </p><p>Ezra turned towards the wizard and nodded once.</p><p>"Yes," he intoned. "You are correct. It is time. My servants and I will complete the ritual once you and yours are no more. It will be I who greets Vetra-Kali upon his return, and I who will once more serve as high priest of the Horn of Abaddon."</p><p>At a gesture from him, the lesser wraiths swarmed at the still cowering Katarina, grabbing and tearing at her with their incorporeal talons. She screamed in fear and agony, then ran shrieking from the Sanctum. </p><p>"Well this complicates things," Kelvin muttered. "Hexor, Vexor, are you still loyal?"</p><p>The daemons' eyes glowed with hatred, but with clenched jaws they both nodded.</p><p>"We are yours to command as long as you hold the amulets," Hexor said.</p><p>"Good," Kelvin nodded, "then handle those wraiths!"</p><p></p><p>Hexor opened his jaws and breathed a torrent of lightning on Ezra's minions. They scattered like leaves from the assault, while Ezra himself flew quickly towards the altar. </p><p>Kelvin saw him coming and instantaneously erected a sphere of force around the statue and the eyes. Rage blazed in Ezra's own eyes as he rounded on the wizard, but then his attention was drawn away by Tardaesha closing in from behind. He spun and thrust his hand towards the anti-paladin's chest. She pivoted just in time and it only passed through her shoulder. Still, the pain was incredible. She recoiled momentarily, but then charged in again, her blade slashing into the tattered robes of the wraith.</p><p></p><p>Lemmy was the only one holding the line against the horde of boggards. As they charged him, he manifested a ten-foot long spear of metal that impaled a half-dozen of the warriors. A moment later the entire mob was engulfed in an explosion of acid. When the spray cleared, all that was left of the Bane-Wogs were smoking and pitted bones. Lemmy looked back at Kelvin.</p><p>"I had'em!" He sneered.</p><p>"No doubt," Kelvin said, "but we'd be better served if you were dealing with the other wraiths."</p><p></p><p>Baron Vandermir watched the chaos unfolding around him from the deep shadows in a far corner of the Sanctum. Indecision tore at him as he gazed about in disbelief. Finally, he made up his mind. He dipped his hand into a pouch on his belt and scooped out a pinch of fine powder. He tossed it into the air and as it settled over him, he vanished.</p><p></p><p>Dakota drew her special arrows from her quiver, the ones she'd coated with ghost salt. As the wraiths began to swarm around Lemmy and Tardaesha, she begin letting her shafts fly. The undead screeched when the arrows pierced them as if they were flesh and blood. Then Vexor was there, breathing lightning onto the wraiths. As they fell back, Lemmy managed to impale one them with another metal spear, as well as Ezra. With a final, inhuman howl, Ezra Thrice-Damned vanished from the world forever. His remaining minions followed him shortly after on the point of Tardaesha's sword and Dakota's arrows. </p><p></p><p>Lemmy's heightened senses, acutely attuned to the ground beneath his feet, detected the slight tremor of a footstep behind him a fraction of a second too late. Vandermir reached out and touched the back of the dwarf's head, an incantation on his lips. Lemmy's thoughts grew fuzzy. He couldn't concentrate, couldn't focus. He looked around, and found it hard to remember where he was and what he was doing there. Had there been a fight? Another footstep behind him. Reacting purely on instinct, he whirled and sent a blast of rubble at nothing, but he heard a grunt of pain from nearby. A moment later he saw a large figure closing in...Gummy Bear? Was that his name? The ogre had a big sword, and he slammed it down on the empty floor behind Lemmy. Another groan of pain. Then a voice starting chanting nearby, and Lemmy turned around. He saw a man in red robes raise his hands above his head. He felt like he should know that man, but wasn't sure if he was supposed to kill him or not. The wizard finished his spell and sparkling dust filtered down all around Lemmy. It settled on someone he hadn't seen a moment earlier...a cowering, whining little whelp of a man.</p><p>"You betrayed Asmodeus!" Vandermir cried. "You never intended to serve him! You planned on returning the Pale Horseman to power all along!"</p><p>The little man then pointed a skinny finger at the other wizard and shot rays of fire at him. The other wizard...maybe he was Lemmy's friend after all...danced back, batting frantically at his flaming robes. Nearby, a mechanical construct of some sort clanked forward. It held an orb of crackling electricity in one hand, and then it threw the ball at the whiny man. When it struck him he jerked and twitched like a marionette for a moment, and then he fell to the floor and didn't move any more.</p><p>"I find your lack of faith disturbing," another robed man said. Dory? Was that his name?</p><p>Lemmy just shrugged, reached for his belt flask and then wandered off to a corner to sip his lemonade.</p><p></p><p>____________________________________________________________</p><p></p><p>Ritual Day 222...Sunrise</p><p></p><p>The Sanctum was much quieter and far less crowded without the constant croaking of the boggards. Lemmy's mind had been restored by Dorian, and all of the corpses had been tossed out of the hole in the wall left by Argossarian. Lemmy had then set about repairing the breach. It didn't seem worth it to him, seeing as all of this nonsense would be wrapped up by midnight, but it made Kelvin feel better. He had just finished placing the last stone when a flash of light drew his attention to the center of the room.</p><p>"Now what?" He grumbled.</p><p></p><p>As the light faded, four figures stood revealed. Foremost among them was a tall, broad-shouldered man clad in full plate armor and bearing a large shield emblazoned with the symbol of Iomedae. Next to him stood an older man, tonsured, and wearing a breastplate. He held a wood shield, and around his neck hung a partially burned wooden symbol of Iomedae. Behind these two was a bald, bearded individual wearing dark robes and with a hawk perched on one shoulder. Last was a wild-haired, wild-eyed bear of a man, also wearing breastplate, and gripping a viciously serrated greatsword in both hands. </p><p>"I am Sir Richard Thomasson Havelyn," the leader announced, "son of Lord Thomas Havelyn who gave his life at the battle of Balentyne. My comrades are Brother Carthus Donnagin, brother to Father Althus Donnagin, Erik "the Falconer" Varning, cousin of Captain Ryan Varning, and Meinhard Mott, brother of Captain Franz Mott."</p><p>"That's Mad Meinhard to you curs!" the big man growled.</p><p>"We are the Sons of Balentyne!" Sir Richard shouted. "It was I who exposed the assassination attempt against King Markadian, and from those would-be murderers I learned of the nefarious plot against Balentyne! Alas that I arrived too late to save my father! Still, my journey was not in vain. It was not difficult to follow your trail of murder to Farholde, and it didn't take much more effort to learn of your plan to return the daemon Vetra-Kali from exile, though I cannot guess as to why worshipers of Asmodeus would do such a thing. Furthermore, I do not care. All that is important is that we shall stop you from completing your foul ritual, and avenge or kinsmen in the process!"</p><p></p><p>No one spoke for several moments, nor was any other sound heard save for the low growling of Lemmy's hounds. Then, with deliberate slowness and intent, Dakota raised her bow and put two arrows into Erik Varning's chest. The wizard looked down for a moment in disbelief, but before he could do more than gawp at his predicament, Dorian hurled a fireball into the midst of the Sons. No sooner had it detonated than Kelvin followed it up with an explosive ball of razor-sharp ice shards, and then Lemmy's pets added their fire breath to the mix. When the smoke and mist cleared, Varning lay unconscious on the floor. A moment later Sir Richard went down beneath Artephius' bombs, and Mad Meinhardt followed when Lemmy pulverized his skull with a kinetic blast of fist-sized rocks. Only Brother Donnagin remained. He stood stupefied and reeling from his many wounds, staring about him in disbelief. He opened his mouth to speak, but that's when Scar seized him from behind by the neck. The dire tiger shook the old priest like a rag doll until he was no longer moving, then carried his meal somewhere he could enjoy it in peace. </p><p></p><p>"Poor fools," Roger said, shaking his head. "To come all this way just to die. So much for vengeance."</p><p>That was when Sir Richard's body simply vanished.</p><p></p><p>__________________________________________________________</p><p></p><p>Midnight</p><p></p><p>Sir Valin Darian's corpse still lay upon the altar where Dorian had performed the final sacrifice during the Call Across the Void at sunset. All the members of the Ninth Knot stood gathered around the silver seal, silent and expectant. Without warning, the seal abruptly shattered, spraying the companions with shards of silver that burned their skin like molten lava. In its place was a swirling gateway into eternal night. From somewhere within the portal echoed a familiar voice, as alien and malevolent as ever. </p><p>"I am," it said, and then Vetra-Kali himself emerged. </p><p></p><p>He was a black-winged nightmare, tall and gaunt, looming over the mortals before him. His legs bent backwards like those of a goat, ending in cloven hooves. Six arms sprouted from his pale torso, three of them gripping wicked daggers that dripped with corruption. His head was skull-like, topped by a singe crooked horn, and three eyeless sockets stared out at nothing. </p><p>"My eyes," the daemon cried. "Where are my eyes?"</p><p>"We have them," Tardaesha answered.</p><p>"Give them to me!" Vetra-Kali screeched.</p><p>"We shall," replied the anti-paladin, "but first you must swear not to harm any worshiper of Asmodeus present."</p><p>Vetra-Kali growled and snarled for a moment, but then nodded his head.</p><p>Tardaesha carefully placed the Eye of Vigilance in the daemon's outstretched hand. Vetra-Kali popped the gem into his mouth, and a moment later it appeared, glowing green with malevolence in the center socket. With an inhuman shriek, Vetra-Kali flew over the heads of the companions and landed like a bird of prey upon the back of Scar, the dire tiger.</p><p>"No!" Roger shouted, reaching for his blade. </p><p>It took both Dakota and Lemmy to restrain him as the daemon prince ripped out the tiger's throat and bathed himself in Scar's blood. </p><p>"You did that on purpose!" Roger snarled at Tardaesha.</p><p>She stood open-mouthed, realizing the error of her wording.</p><p>"I...I didn't," she stammered.</p><p>"I won't forget this!" Roger hissed.</p><p>"It is good," Vetra-Kali cawed in his high-pitched carrion-bird voice, "to be home!"</p><p>He turned back towards the others and stalked forward, casually reaching out to snap the necks of both of Lemmy's remaining two hellhounds as he came. It was Roger's turn to hold back the dwarf.</p><p>"For the second of your eyes," Kelvin said, holding up the Eye of Hatred, "we require the Tears of Achlys."</p><p>"My gift to the world?" Vetra-Kali cocked his head. "You wish it? Do you swear that you will see it dispersed among the mortals?"</p><p>"That is our plan," Kelvin nodded.</p><p>Vetra-Kali cackled in delight, and then opened one hand. In its palm was a crystal vial of deep ebony. Kelvin took it cautiously, reverently, while simultaneously handing over the second eye. Vetra-Kali consumed it as well, and then his right eye socket illuminated. </p><p>"For the last eye," Dorian said, displaying the Withering Eye, "we demand that you make those of us in this room immune to the Tears."</p><p>The daemon considered for a moment, and then nodded.</p><p>"Granted," he said.</p><p>Dorian gave over the eye for Vetra-Kali to consume. With all three sockets glowing, he turned to regard the silent forms of Hexor and Vexor.</p><p>"Return to me the true names of my minions," Vetra-Kali said quietly.</p><p>"No!" Dakota snapped. "They are ours to command. That wasn't part of the bargain."</p><p>"Very well," Vetra-kali smiled.</p><p>He turned to the ceustodaemons and opened his mouth. A cloud of corpse-bloated, biting back flies emerged, swarming around the pair. They screamed, flailing about as the insects burrowed into their flesh. As they struggled, Vetra-Kali rushed at them and slashed each of their throats with his knives. </p><p>"I believe our dealings have come to and end," he said to the companions.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="JollyDoc, post: 6918266, member: 9546"] THE LAST PRAYER - 9 Sarenith, 4717 - 14 Sarenith, 4717 Sunset, day 218 of the ritual. "Well I'll be damned," Kelvin murmured from where he stood near the altar, peering into the Eye of Vigilance. "Eventually," Tardaesha smiled, "as will the rest of us, I'm sure." Kelvin ignored her. "It seems we have a visitor down at the lower entrance," he said. "Send Oddball down to fetch him, won't you sister?" Tardaesha looked confused and slightly annoyed, but still snapped her fingers at her minion. "Go," she sniped. "See who's there and bring them back up here. Don't dawdle!" Less than a minute later Oddball returned, a filthy and thoroughly disheveled individual by his side. The figure looked up, his eyes bloodshot. His hair was long and straggly, and his beard looked as if it had not been trimmed in weeks. His clothing, though perhaps once fine, now hung in ragged tatters about his thin frame. "You!" He pointed one boney finger at Kelvin. "This is all your fault!" Kelvin blinked, uncertainty on his face. That voice was...familiar. "Baron?" He said. "Is that you?" "Of course it's me!" Baron Vandermir spat. "Though I'm sure you're surprised to see me! You likely thought me dead!" "As a matter of fact," Kelvin shrugged. "That tends to happen when one's home is demolished by a dragon." "A dragon who's wrath you brought down upon me!" Vandermir shrieked. "How did you come to that conclusion?" Kelvin asked cooly. "With...this!" The Baron threw up his hands and turned about, indicating the Sanctum and the Horn itself. "All of this! I warned you, didn't I? I told you to be discreet lest you attract undue attention! But no! That is not your way, is it? Everything must be so dramatic! It was only a matter of time before the Iomedaens linked me to you!" Lemmy pointed a finger directly into Vandermir's face. "You got a smart mouth!" He growled. "You talk too much. Loose lips sink ships and all that. I say we just kill you now and tie up any odds and ends." Vandermir blanched and took an involuntary step backwards. "Now Lemmy," Dakota chided, "look at the poor man. He's desperate. The least we can do is offer him sanctuary. He might still have his uses." "I tend to agree," Kelvin said. "But know this, Baron: your plight is of your own making. You knew full well what you were getting into. I'll hear no more of it if you plan on remaining here. The Ritual is nearly at an end. After it's conclusion we will be out of your hair and about our business." Vandermir was silent and glowering for a moment. "Fine," he said at length. "You have my gratitude for your...hospitality." He bowed slightly then turned stiffly and walked away. ________________________________________________________________ Vetra-Kali was not the only being barred from entering the world. The powerful magic of the ritual could be useful to liberate any number of others banned from the light. On midnight of the 219th day of the ritual, from the corners of reality, six minions of just such a creature emerged into the Sanctum. They did not come to save Talingarde, but instead to slay anyone involved in conjuring the transdimensional rift, and then see that when the portal opened, it was not Vetra-Kali who emerged, but their own dark master, trapped in the black spaces between the stars for eons. The creatures were gaunt, long-limbed quadrupeds with huge, soulless eyes and toothy maws, and they moved with a predatory grace as they stepped from the shadows of the corners of the Sanctum. One of them opened its jaws wide and exhaled a cloud of dense fog which enveloped the altar. Two more of them locked eyes on Hexor and Oddball, and then thin green rays lanced from them, surrounding the two daemons in an emerald shimmer. Instinctively they knew that their dimension-hopping abilities had been neutralized. The members of the 9th Knot and their minions, though taken by surprise, did not hesitate to leap to the defense of the Sanctum. The other-dimensional hounds, however, where not so easy to engage. Seemingly at will, they would retreat into a corner of the chamber and disappear, only to reappear an instant later from another corner. Even when engaged directly, their milky-eyed gaze would literally rip the flesh from their assailants. The hounds steadily advanced towards the altar, but Kelvin managed to erect a force shield around it, wary since the avoral's assault. By a process of attrition and overwhelming numbers, however, the creatures were taken down one by one. They did not go quietly, nor without taking their own toll. As Kelvin looked about the chamber in the aftermath, he saw no less than six boggards lying dead on the floor, as well as one of Lemmy's three hellhounds. And there were still four days to go... ____________________________________________________________ The following morning the dragon attacked... Argossarian was a young, idealistic silver dragon who had long dwelt in the north, hunting monsters and bugbears. For decades he had been a self-appointed champion of nobility and virtue. His shadow was the last thing that countless bugbears and bandits had seen. In recent times, however, had had been troubled by what he had heard from his agents in the south. The flash of green light from the long-forsaken Horn of Abaddon had been the last straw. He had immediately set out for Farholde, but when he had arrived he could never have imagined how bad things had gotten. The city was gripped by fear. Would-be heroes were dying with their throats cut. Anyone who had dared to venture to the Horn had never come back. Argossarian knew there had to be a connection in town, and for months he had secretly searched for it. He finally thought he'd found the answer in Baron Arkov Vandermir. Imagine his surprise when, while ransacking the Baron's ruined manor, he had discovered the man's journal. "What are they doing out there?" the journal had read. "Can they really be rebuilding the Sons of the Pale Horseman? Are they really that mad?" Argossarian was horrified. The silver dragon was 80 years old, born in the year of the Victor's raid upon the Horn. His mother, the mighty wyrm Antharia Regina, had weaned him on tales of the Sons' wickedness and the Victor's heroics. Could it really be that some fragment of their cult had survived and was struggling to return the daemon prince Vetra-Kali Eats-The-Eyes to reality? Argossarian knew that his moment had come. He would attack the Horn of Abaddon. He did not know what he would find there, but whatever dwelt in that cursed place he would destroy. ________________________________________________________________ The exterior wall of the Sanctum exploded inward behind the force of Argossarian's tail. "Defend the altar!" Kelvin shouted as he hurled a fireball through the hole. The spell exploded, engulfing the mighty dragon, but as the flames dissipated, Argossarian was unscathed, his innate resistance to magic sloughing off the attack. "Stop him!" Kelvin commanded Hexor and Vexor. The twin daemons rushed towards the opening, closely followed by Lemmy's hounds. As they reached the hole, however, the dragon exhaled a cloying cloud of green vapor over them. It seemed to have no visible effect on the daemons, but one of the hellhounds keeled over, paralyzed. Enraged, Argossarian landed heavily on the lip of the opening, driving Hexor and Vexor back. He felt a sudden sharp stab of pain as Dakota put an arrow in his shoulder, but with a snarl he ripped the shaft out with his teeth. When he turned back towards the den of evil, he saw a single individual approaching fast. It was a dark-haired human woman sheathed in armor from head to toe. She clutched a glowing sword in one hand while the other gripped a pentacle medallion that hung from her neck. Argossarian reared up and prepared to rip her apart limb from limb, but the woman was a split-second faster. Tardaesha darted inside the dragon's reach and thrust her blade upwards with all her might, summoning the power of Asmodeus to smite her foe down. The dragon screamed in agony as black fire exploded around him. Tardaesha withdrew her blade and then slashed twice more in diagonal sweeps, opening up horrible wounds in the silver-scaled hide. Argossarian was in shock. He'd never endured such agony, and he realized with horrible certainty that he was about to die. How could this have happened? How could he have so terribly underestimated these foes? Worst of all, what would happen now that he would no longer be able to protect the world from them? These were his last thoughts as he tumbled backwards out of the hole and plummeted towards the base of the Horn. Tardaesha turned, wiping her blade on her tabard. "Knick-Knack," the said calmly, "be a dear and go collect that dragon's soul for me, would you?" ______________________________________________________________ Day 221 - Sunset Ritual "Dread Masters," Zikomo's familiar refrain called out. "This is not a good time!" Kelvin growled from where he stood before the altar watching Dorian perform the evening prayers. "This is...important," Zikomo persisted. Tardaesha, who'd been standing beside Kelvin, turned towards the oracle. That was when she noticed that behind Zikomo stood the entirety of the Bane-Wog tribe. "I have learned there may be traitors among you," Zikomo said. "What?" Tardaesha asked, perplexed. "What are you talking about? Who would betray us?" "What do the Dread Masters plan to do with the Horn when the ritual is complete?" Zikomo asked, ignoring Tardaesha's question. 'Aesha's brow furrowed in confusion. "What are you rambling about?" She demanded. "I don't give a rat's ass what happens to this armpit when we are done here!" Zikomo turned to his tribesman and raised his arms over his head. "Do you see, my children!? It is as I foretold! They care nothing for Father Dagon! They will do their heretic god's will, and then leave our home in ruins! The time has come! Our time is now! We will reclaim what is ours!" As one, all two-dozen of the assembled boggards croaked in unison, the noise deafening in the confines of the Sanctum. So unnerving was the cacophony that many of those assembled, including Katarina, Grumblejack, Knick-Knack, Oddball, as well as Roger's tiger and Lemmy's hellhounds, were struck with terror at the sound. "You treasonous toad!" Tardaesha shrieked. She leaped towards Zikomo, her sword out in a flash. Before the boggard could react, the anti-paladin has slashed his throat then impaled him through the heart. He fell to the ground in a gurgling heap. Behind her, Dakota followed her twin's lead, kneeling and firing arrows into the mass of boggards at will. Dorian, still in the midst of his prayers, paused and sighed in exasperation. "Artephius!" He commanded. "Deal with this interruption!" "As you wish, my master," the golem bowed. With a mechanical whine of gears, Artephius palmed a glowing orb of electricity and hurled it into the midst of the boggards. It exploded, bathing most of them in coursing current. "Ezra?" Kelvin asked, noticing the dread wraith and his minions hovering silently at the edge of the melee. Ezra turned towards the wizard and nodded once. "Yes," he intoned. "You are correct. It is time. My servants and I will complete the ritual once you and yours are no more. It will be I who greets Vetra-Kali upon his return, and I who will once more serve as high priest of the Horn of Abaddon." At a gesture from him, the lesser wraiths swarmed at the still cowering Katarina, grabbing and tearing at her with their incorporeal talons. She screamed in fear and agony, then ran shrieking from the Sanctum. "Well this complicates things," Kelvin muttered. "Hexor, Vexor, are you still loyal?" The daemons' eyes glowed with hatred, but with clenched jaws they both nodded. "We are yours to command as long as you hold the amulets," Hexor said. "Good," Kelvin nodded, "then handle those wraiths!" Hexor opened his jaws and breathed a torrent of lightning on Ezra's minions. They scattered like leaves from the assault, while Ezra himself flew quickly towards the altar. Kelvin saw him coming and instantaneously erected a sphere of force around the statue and the eyes. Rage blazed in Ezra's own eyes as he rounded on the wizard, but then his attention was drawn away by Tardaesha closing in from behind. He spun and thrust his hand towards the anti-paladin's chest. She pivoted just in time and it only passed through her shoulder. Still, the pain was incredible. She recoiled momentarily, but then charged in again, her blade slashing into the tattered robes of the wraith. Lemmy was the only one holding the line against the horde of boggards. As they charged him, he manifested a ten-foot long spear of metal that impaled a half-dozen of the warriors. A moment later the entire mob was engulfed in an explosion of acid. When the spray cleared, all that was left of the Bane-Wogs were smoking and pitted bones. Lemmy looked back at Kelvin. "I had'em!" He sneered. "No doubt," Kelvin said, "but we'd be better served if you were dealing with the other wraiths." Baron Vandermir watched the chaos unfolding around him from the deep shadows in a far corner of the Sanctum. Indecision tore at him as he gazed about in disbelief. Finally, he made up his mind. He dipped his hand into a pouch on his belt and scooped out a pinch of fine powder. He tossed it into the air and as it settled over him, he vanished. Dakota drew her special arrows from her quiver, the ones she'd coated with ghost salt. As the wraiths began to swarm around Lemmy and Tardaesha, she begin letting her shafts fly. The undead screeched when the arrows pierced them as if they were flesh and blood. Then Vexor was there, breathing lightning onto the wraiths. As they fell back, Lemmy managed to impale one them with another metal spear, as well as Ezra. With a final, inhuman howl, Ezra Thrice-Damned vanished from the world forever. His remaining minions followed him shortly after on the point of Tardaesha's sword and Dakota's arrows. Lemmy's heightened senses, acutely attuned to the ground beneath his feet, detected the slight tremor of a footstep behind him a fraction of a second too late. Vandermir reached out and touched the back of the dwarf's head, an incantation on his lips. Lemmy's thoughts grew fuzzy. He couldn't concentrate, couldn't focus. He looked around, and found it hard to remember where he was and what he was doing there. Had there been a fight? Another footstep behind him. Reacting purely on instinct, he whirled and sent a blast of rubble at nothing, but he heard a grunt of pain from nearby. A moment later he saw a large figure closing in...Gummy Bear? Was that his name? The ogre had a big sword, and he slammed it down on the empty floor behind Lemmy. Another groan of pain. Then a voice starting chanting nearby, and Lemmy turned around. He saw a man in red robes raise his hands above his head. He felt like he should know that man, but wasn't sure if he was supposed to kill him or not. The wizard finished his spell and sparkling dust filtered down all around Lemmy. It settled on someone he hadn't seen a moment earlier...a cowering, whining little whelp of a man. "You betrayed Asmodeus!" Vandermir cried. "You never intended to serve him! You planned on returning the Pale Horseman to power all along!" The little man then pointed a skinny finger at the other wizard and shot rays of fire at him. The other wizard...maybe he was Lemmy's friend after all...danced back, batting frantically at his flaming robes. Nearby, a mechanical construct of some sort clanked forward. It held an orb of crackling electricity in one hand, and then it threw the ball at the whiny man. When it struck him he jerked and twitched like a marionette for a moment, and then he fell to the floor and didn't move any more. "I find your lack of faith disturbing," another robed man said. Dory? Was that his name? Lemmy just shrugged, reached for his belt flask and then wandered off to a corner to sip his lemonade. ____________________________________________________________ Ritual Day 222...Sunrise The Sanctum was much quieter and far less crowded without the constant croaking of the boggards. Lemmy's mind had been restored by Dorian, and all of the corpses had been tossed out of the hole in the wall left by Argossarian. Lemmy had then set about repairing the breach. It didn't seem worth it to him, seeing as all of this nonsense would be wrapped up by midnight, but it made Kelvin feel better. He had just finished placing the last stone when a flash of light drew his attention to the center of the room. "Now what?" He grumbled. As the light faded, four figures stood revealed. Foremost among them was a tall, broad-shouldered man clad in full plate armor and bearing a large shield emblazoned with the symbol of Iomedae. Next to him stood an older man, tonsured, and wearing a breastplate. He held a wood shield, and around his neck hung a partially burned wooden symbol of Iomedae. Behind these two was a bald, bearded individual wearing dark robes and with a hawk perched on one shoulder. Last was a wild-haired, wild-eyed bear of a man, also wearing breastplate, and gripping a viciously serrated greatsword in both hands. "I am Sir Richard Thomasson Havelyn," the leader announced, "son of Lord Thomas Havelyn who gave his life at the battle of Balentyne. My comrades are Brother Carthus Donnagin, brother to Father Althus Donnagin, Erik "the Falconer" Varning, cousin of Captain Ryan Varning, and Meinhard Mott, brother of Captain Franz Mott." "That's Mad Meinhard to you curs!" the big man growled. "We are the Sons of Balentyne!" Sir Richard shouted. "It was I who exposed the assassination attempt against King Markadian, and from those would-be murderers I learned of the nefarious plot against Balentyne! Alas that I arrived too late to save my father! Still, my journey was not in vain. It was not difficult to follow your trail of murder to Farholde, and it didn't take much more effort to learn of your plan to return the daemon Vetra-Kali from exile, though I cannot guess as to why worshipers of Asmodeus would do such a thing. Furthermore, I do not care. All that is important is that we shall stop you from completing your foul ritual, and avenge or kinsmen in the process!" No one spoke for several moments, nor was any other sound heard save for the low growling of Lemmy's hounds. Then, with deliberate slowness and intent, Dakota raised her bow and put two arrows into Erik Varning's chest. The wizard looked down for a moment in disbelief, but before he could do more than gawp at his predicament, Dorian hurled a fireball into the midst of the Sons. No sooner had it detonated than Kelvin followed it up with an explosive ball of razor-sharp ice shards, and then Lemmy's pets added their fire breath to the mix. When the smoke and mist cleared, Varning lay unconscious on the floor. A moment later Sir Richard went down beneath Artephius' bombs, and Mad Meinhardt followed when Lemmy pulverized his skull with a kinetic blast of fist-sized rocks. Only Brother Donnagin remained. He stood stupefied and reeling from his many wounds, staring about him in disbelief. He opened his mouth to speak, but that's when Scar seized him from behind by the neck. The dire tiger shook the old priest like a rag doll until he was no longer moving, then carried his meal somewhere he could enjoy it in peace. "Poor fools," Roger said, shaking his head. "To come all this way just to die. So much for vengeance." That was when Sir Richard's body simply vanished. __________________________________________________________ Midnight Sir Valin Darian's corpse still lay upon the altar where Dorian had performed the final sacrifice during the Call Across the Void at sunset. All the members of the Ninth Knot stood gathered around the silver seal, silent and expectant. Without warning, the seal abruptly shattered, spraying the companions with shards of silver that burned their skin like molten lava. In its place was a swirling gateway into eternal night. From somewhere within the portal echoed a familiar voice, as alien and malevolent as ever. "I am," it said, and then Vetra-Kali himself emerged. He was a black-winged nightmare, tall and gaunt, looming over the mortals before him. His legs bent backwards like those of a goat, ending in cloven hooves. Six arms sprouted from his pale torso, three of them gripping wicked daggers that dripped with corruption. His head was skull-like, topped by a singe crooked horn, and three eyeless sockets stared out at nothing. "My eyes," the daemon cried. "Where are my eyes?" "We have them," Tardaesha answered. "Give them to me!" Vetra-Kali screeched. "We shall," replied the anti-paladin, "but first you must swear not to harm any worshiper of Asmodeus present." Vetra-Kali growled and snarled for a moment, but then nodded his head. Tardaesha carefully placed the Eye of Vigilance in the daemon's outstretched hand. Vetra-Kali popped the gem into his mouth, and a moment later it appeared, glowing green with malevolence in the center socket. With an inhuman shriek, Vetra-Kali flew over the heads of the companions and landed like a bird of prey upon the back of Scar, the dire tiger. "No!" Roger shouted, reaching for his blade. It took both Dakota and Lemmy to restrain him as the daemon prince ripped out the tiger's throat and bathed himself in Scar's blood. "You did that on purpose!" Roger snarled at Tardaesha. She stood open-mouthed, realizing the error of her wording. "I...I didn't," she stammered. "I won't forget this!" Roger hissed. "It is good," Vetra-Kali cawed in his high-pitched carrion-bird voice, "to be home!" He turned back towards the others and stalked forward, casually reaching out to snap the necks of both of Lemmy's remaining two hellhounds as he came. It was Roger's turn to hold back the dwarf. "For the second of your eyes," Kelvin said, holding up the Eye of Hatred, "we require the Tears of Achlys." "My gift to the world?" Vetra-Kali cocked his head. "You wish it? Do you swear that you will see it dispersed among the mortals?" "That is our plan," Kelvin nodded. Vetra-Kali cackled in delight, and then opened one hand. In its palm was a crystal vial of deep ebony. Kelvin took it cautiously, reverently, while simultaneously handing over the second eye. Vetra-Kali consumed it as well, and then his right eye socket illuminated. "For the last eye," Dorian said, displaying the Withering Eye, "we demand that you make those of us in this room immune to the Tears." The daemon considered for a moment, and then nodded. "Granted," he said. Dorian gave over the eye for Vetra-Kali to consume. With all three sockets glowing, he turned to regard the silent forms of Hexor and Vexor. "Return to me the true names of my minions," Vetra-Kali said quietly. "No!" Dakota snapped. "They are ours to command. That wasn't part of the bargain." "Very well," Vetra-kali smiled. He turned to the ceustodaemons and opened his mouth. A cloud of corpse-bloated, biting back flies emerged, swarming around the pair. They screamed, flailing about as the insects burrowed into their flesh. As they struggled, Vetra-Kali rushed at them and slashed each of their throats with his knives. "I believe our dealings have come to and end," he said to the companions. [/QUOTE]
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