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Lazybones's Keep on the Shadowfell/Thunderspire Labyrinth
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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 4901331" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 76</p><p></p><p></p><p>With Vhael unable to do anything to stop him, the gnoll warlock Maldrick summoned his power and thrust his rod at the imprisoned warlord. </p><p></p><p>But before the gathered black energies could be discharged, Maldrick cried out and staggered, jerking roughly to the side. The surge of his <em>eldritch blast</em> flared out harmlessly across the room, missing Vhael by several feet. As the gnoll turned, Vhael could see the hilt of the knife jutting from his side, and then the subtle form of Beetle, springing back out of the reach of the warlock. </p><p></p><p>But the gnoll had a few surprises of his own. Twisting suddenly, he lashed out with a tail covered in spines, another gift of his demonic ancestry. The tail only just caught the halfling, but it was enough of an impact to send him tumbling back, skidding to a rough stop a few paces from the glowing rune-circle. </p><p></p><p>The <em>moon curse</em> that had held Vhael imprisoned faded, and the warlord landed heavily back upon the stone blocks at the top of the stairs. “The prisoners!” he shouted at Beetle, surging forward to attack the warlock. </p><p></p><p>Maldrick was fast, and he reacted faster than Vhael thought possible. The black mace met his sword, and deflected his stroke with a shower of blue sparks. He countered with a blow that Vhael couldn’t avoid, crushing solidly into his right shoulder with enough force to number the entire limb. The dragonborn staggered back, hurt badly. Beetle had turned toward the glowing ring where the two halflings were held prisoner, but before he could reach it the gnoll lashed out with a surge of black magic, infecting Beetle with the <em>dire radiance</em> granted by his evil patron. The halfling cried out and fell back, slapping ineffectively at the insubstantial wisps of black energy that twined around his body. </p><p></p><p>Maldrick started after him to finish the job, but Vhael forced him once more to defend himself. The two exchanged a flurry of rapid blows, again surrounded by sparks as their weapons met, and this time it was Vhael who delivered a strike, his sword coming in under the gnoll’s guard on his third attempt, crashing into his side. But Maldrick only laughed, and indeed as Vhael watched the gash he’d opened closed, the trailing blood seeping back into the wound. </p><p></p><p>“You cannot slay me,” the gnoll hissed. “The hour of my people has come. The power of the Well of Demons shall be ours, and our tribe will rule over the Labyrinth… and beyond.”</p><p></p><p>“Your tribe is sundered,” Vhael responded through clenched jaws. “We killed your minions on the way here.”</p><p></p><p>“There are always more minions to be found,” the gnoll replied with a laugh. </p><p></p><p>Once he’d survived the black stingers that the evil monster had hurled at him, Beetle found himself confounded by the puzzle of the prison holding Yarine and the other halfling inside. The green glow didn’t <em>look</em> solid, and while the shimmering flames didn’t burn him when he touched them (he tried a couple of times, just to be sure), he couldn’t get through them, even with a knife. </p><p></p><p>The problem was given urgency by the fact that Vhael seemed to be getting his ass kicked by the monster. Beetle had a few more knives to stick into the bad guy, but first he had to find a way to free the captives. Even leaving Vhael’s orders aside, Beetle had heard Yarine’s scream earlier, and knew that whatever this green glowy-thing was, it was hurting his friend, and therefore was a Bad Thing. </p><p></p><p>Looking down, he saw that the glow seemed to be coming out of the runes in the floor. Inspiration hit, and he drew out his biggest knife, along with a small climber’s hammer he’d picked up somewhere, and knelt at the edge of the circle. </p><p></p><p>Vhael was weakening. He’d just used up too much of his strength against the trials, fighting the dragon, struggling past the guardians of this room to get to this fight. Will and sheer determination had carried him this far, but as strong as they were within the muscled form of the warlord, even they were not proof against the abuse that he’d absorbed in this place. His sword felt like it weighted a hundred pounds, and his right arm felt almost entirely numb. The dozens of cuts that covered his face, arms, legs, and body all melded together into one coherent landscape of pain, and his breath rattled in his throat, each new one he drew in causing a fresh surge of agony from his cracked ribs. </p><p></p><p>The gnoll, on the other hand, seemed to be getting stronger with each passing moment. Maldrick still held the scroll bearing his ritual, and after each exchange with Vhael he continued to utter incantations, each syllable he spoke echoed with a surge in the green light coming from the rune circle. Vhael could feel the tendrils of power that flowed through this place, and although he did not understand the ultimate goal of the creature, he knew that it was inexorably connected to the fate of the captives. </p><p></p><p>So somehow, he fought on, lifting his sword and bringing it down toward the gnoll’s head. Maldrick parried and countered, and Vhael took another hit, a solid thump to the torso that he barely felt. But the gnoll was engaged, and Vhael earned another few seconds for his companions. </p><p></p><p>Maldrick was perhaps realizing the same, for he hissed and glanced aside. Vhael, now all but dead on his feet, invested everything he had left in a last attack, a simple thrust forward with his sword, as he was no longer able to even swing the heavy weapon. The point of the sword plinked into the gnoll’s gut, but it barely jolted him, perhaps drawing a drop or two of blood, if that. </p><p></p><p>“Pathetic wretch,” Maldrick said. He lifted his rod, but instead of striking with it he merely held it between them. A black flare surged, and Vhael found himself on his back, unable to do more than stare up at the visage of doom that loomed over him. “You have failed.”</p><p></p><p>But even as Vhael lay there, helpless, another surge of green energy exploded through the room. This one lasted only an instant, but when it faded, the radiance that had suffused the chamber disappeared with it. Maldrick’s expression told Vhael all he needed to know. </p><p></p><p>“Your ritual is disrupted,” Vhael managed to say, through flecks of blood that bubbled up from his throat and trickled down the corners of his jaws. “The prisoners are free, your allies are finished.” Shouts drifted up to them, but these were not cries of battle, but rather familiar voices, drawing closer. As Maldrick stared down at him, fury burning in his eyes, the dragonborn managed a weak laugh. “And you will soon join them.” </p><p></p><p>Vhael drew in a last struggling breath. “Mission… accomplished,” he whispered, as Maldrick, with a violent cry of furious rage, smashed his rod down into the dragonborn’s skull.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 4901331, member: 143"] Chapter 76 With Vhael unable to do anything to stop him, the gnoll warlock Maldrick summoned his power and thrust his rod at the imprisoned warlord. But before the gathered black energies could be discharged, Maldrick cried out and staggered, jerking roughly to the side. The surge of his [i]eldritch blast[/i] flared out harmlessly across the room, missing Vhael by several feet. As the gnoll turned, Vhael could see the hilt of the knife jutting from his side, and then the subtle form of Beetle, springing back out of the reach of the warlock. But the gnoll had a few surprises of his own. Twisting suddenly, he lashed out with a tail covered in spines, another gift of his demonic ancestry. The tail only just caught the halfling, but it was enough of an impact to send him tumbling back, skidding to a rough stop a few paces from the glowing rune-circle. The [i]moon curse[/i] that had held Vhael imprisoned faded, and the warlord landed heavily back upon the stone blocks at the top of the stairs. “The prisoners!” he shouted at Beetle, surging forward to attack the warlock. Maldrick was fast, and he reacted faster than Vhael thought possible. The black mace met his sword, and deflected his stroke with a shower of blue sparks. He countered with a blow that Vhael couldn’t avoid, crushing solidly into his right shoulder with enough force to number the entire limb. The dragonborn staggered back, hurt badly. Beetle had turned toward the glowing ring where the two halflings were held prisoner, but before he could reach it the gnoll lashed out with a surge of black magic, infecting Beetle with the [i]dire radiance[/i] granted by his evil patron. The halfling cried out and fell back, slapping ineffectively at the insubstantial wisps of black energy that twined around his body. Maldrick started after him to finish the job, but Vhael forced him once more to defend himself. The two exchanged a flurry of rapid blows, again surrounded by sparks as their weapons met, and this time it was Vhael who delivered a strike, his sword coming in under the gnoll’s guard on his third attempt, crashing into his side. But Maldrick only laughed, and indeed as Vhael watched the gash he’d opened closed, the trailing blood seeping back into the wound. “You cannot slay me,” the gnoll hissed. “The hour of my people has come. The power of the Well of Demons shall be ours, and our tribe will rule over the Labyrinth… and beyond.” “Your tribe is sundered,” Vhael responded through clenched jaws. “We killed your minions on the way here.” “There are always more minions to be found,” the gnoll replied with a laugh. Once he’d survived the black stingers that the evil monster had hurled at him, Beetle found himself confounded by the puzzle of the prison holding Yarine and the other halfling inside. The green glow didn’t [i]look[/i] solid, and while the shimmering flames didn’t burn him when he touched them (he tried a couple of times, just to be sure), he couldn’t get through them, even with a knife. The problem was given urgency by the fact that Vhael seemed to be getting his ass kicked by the monster. Beetle had a few more knives to stick into the bad guy, but first he had to find a way to free the captives. Even leaving Vhael’s orders aside, Beetle had heard Yarine’s scream earlier, and knew that whatever this green glowy-thing was, it was hurting his friend, and therefore was a Bad Thing. Looking down, he saw that the glow seemed to be coming out of the runes in the floor. Inspiration hit, and he drew out his biggest knife, along with a small climber’s hammer he’d picked up somewhere, and knelt at the edge of the circle. Vhael was weakening. He’d just used up too much of his strength against the trials, fighting the dragon, struggling past the guardians of this room to get to this fight. Will and sheer determination had carried him this far, but as strong as they were within the muscled form of the warlord, even they were not proof against the abuse that he’d absorbed in this place. His sword felt like it weighted a hundred pounds, and his right arm felt almost entirely numb. The dozens of cuts that covered his face, arms, legs, and body all melded together into one coherent landscape of pain, and his breath rattled in his throat, each new one he drew in causing a fresh surge of agony from his cracked ribs. The gnoll, on the other hand, seemed to be getting stronger with each passing moment. Maldrick still held the scroll bearing his ritual, and after each exchange with Vhael he continued to utter incantations, each syllable he spoke echoed with a surge in the green light coming from the rune circle. Vhael could feel the tendrils of power that flowed through this place, and although he did not understand the ultimate goal of the creature, he knew that it was inexorably connected to the fate of the captives. So somehow, he fought on, lifting his sword and bringing it down toward the gnoll’s head. Maldrick parried and countered, and Vhael took another hit, a solid thump to the torso that he barely felt. But the gnoll was engaged, and Vhael earned another few seconds for his companions. Maldrick was perhaps realizing the same, for he hissed and glanced aside. Vhael, now all but dead on his feet, invested everything he had left in a last attack, a simple thrust forward with his sword, as he was no longer able to even swing the heavy weapon. The point of the sword plinked into the gnoll’s gut, but it barely jolted him, perhaps drawing a drop or two of blood, if that. “Pathetic wretch,” Maldrick said. He lifted his rod, but instead of striking with it he merely held it between them. A black flare surged, and Vhael found himself on his back, unable to do more than stare up at the visage of doom that loomed over him. “You have failed.” But even as Vhael lay there, helpless, another surge of green energy exploded through the room. This one lasted only an instant, but when it faded, the radiance that had suffused the chamber disappeared with it. Maldrick’s expression told Vhael all he needed to know. “Your ritual is disrupted,” Vhael managed to say, through flecks of blood that bubbled up from his throat and trickled down the corners of his jaws. “The prisoners are free, your allies are finished.” Shouts drifted up to them, but these were not cries of battle, but rather familiar voices, drawing closer. As Maldrick stared down at him, fury burning in his eyes, the dragonborn managed a weak laugh. “And you will soon join them.” Vhael drew in a last struggling breath. “Mission… accomplished,” he whispered, as Maldrick, with a violent cry of furious rage, smashed his rod down into the dragonborn’s skull. [/QUOTE]
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