Return to the Tomb of Horrors finally gets a Story Hour!
James McMurray
First Post
9 times out of 10 they make a great team. Its that tenth one that's always a doozy...
James McMurray
First Post
That evening, William steps out of the Mansion and into the alley behind the Temple to Pelor in Greyhawk City. After the vampire incident, they were asked to be more discrete in their placements of the Mansion, so as not to alarm the populace. To his surprise, there in the alley beside him is an altar boy, wearing the garb of a Child of Glory: the Paladins in training for Heironious. He recognizes the boy from services in the Temple to Heironious in Lopolla, over 1,000 miles away.
"Sir, I was told to bring you this." The boy holds out a small iron box, wrapped with a pink bow. "The lady pointed to this spot and said you'd be here. Wow! I'd heard about the heroes who live in the sky, but I got to meet them! Wait'll the guys hear about this. Ooh! Is Kargur the Brave inside? Is it true he tore his way out of the belly of a Tendriculous with his bear hands? What's a tendriculous? Are you going to whisk me through the air back home? The lady said you would." William reaches for the box and the boy keeps gushing forth questions.
"Didn't you kill an evil dragon all by yourself? Wow! I hope I can be as brave in the service of Heironious one day. What about Galrond? Is it true that Heironious put lightning in his eyes to smite the unworthy?" The boy seems to realize he has been carrying on, and calms for a moment. "Forgive me sir, I have forgotten myself in my boyish exuberance. Master Dorth would be displeased at my lack of decorum." He bows deeply at the waist and his voice switches from that of a carefree child to a respectful noble tone, "I am Initiate Arthur, although it will only be one week before I take the Rite of Passage, and when I enter the Order I will get to choose my new name."
"Well, Arthur. It's a pleasure to meet you and to answer your questions. Yes Kargur is inside... Yes, he was swallowed whole and he was forced to rip his way out of the beast... It's a giant rock eating monster but to be honest with you I hardly remember the thing because we have fought creatures far more deadly in our travels for the Valiant."
"Maybe, if you gain my trust. I have sent nine dragons screaming to their deaths, (tapping sword on scabbard) one of them was in a mono-e-mono fight. Yes, Galrond was blessed by the Valiant and it is present in his eyes. "
"But if it's battles you want to here about, I and the others can tell you some stories. Combat with vampires while in their layer and freeing their hostages, Going to another plane to slay demons and devils, and overthrowing the evil rule of a demon possessed monarch. I guess we've killed everything evil that has walked or crawled at one time or another."
"I am very proud to meet a future champion of justice and Valor. (hand the box back to the boy). I think you have earned the right to open the box. After all, you have traveled a long way. "
"Thank you sir." The boy reverently takes the box back, the pride on his face plain to see. Moments later his face drops, as he lifts the latch and pulls on the lid. Tugging harder, he grunts under the effort of opening the small chest. Although it does not even have a latch for the lid, it does not budge. A moment later he stops and looks back at William, "I guess its stuck." He hands it to William, giving one last half-hearted tug. As William touches it, the lid flies open under the boy's hand, and the suddenness of it sends the box flying to the ground, where a small flesh-colored thing and a scrap of parchment falls out.
Looking down, William and Arthur see a human hand. Arthur seems taken back for a moment, then he mutters under his breath, "A paladin does not fear" and he somewhat calmly reaches down to pick up the hand. Just then, a gust of wind moves through the alley and sends the parchment scurrying towards the street. "Oh no! I'm sorry sir!" cries Arthur as he rockets down the alley after it. His youthful legs let him easily catch up with it, and he comes walking back, brushing dirt from the letter he holds. "Forgive me, sir. It was my clumsiness that dropped this. What does it mean?"
William looks down at the hand on the ground and his heart skips a beat. Across the back of the hand is a long, familiar scar. His brother Jacob had a scar exactly like that, gained in swordplay with William. Coming from a military family, the youths spent many of their free hours playing with wooden swords and target practicing with blunted arrows.
------------
One Summer afternoon, they snuck into the Siege residence while their father was on duty and took down the dueling daggers from their place of honor on the mantle.
Sneaking towards the back of their home, they carefully pulled the daggers from their mounting. "En guard, Lil' Willie!" cried Jacob, as he dropped back into a fencing stance. Soon the boys were dueling rapidly, neither one coming near the other, until William tripped and fell. Leaping to catch him, Jacob managed instead to catch the back of his hand on William's blade. As the crimson sprayed from his hand, William stood in shock for a moment. Not knowing what else to do, he rushed his brother to the Temple of Heironious, only a half-block away.
"Sir David, Sir David, come quick! Jacob's hurt." Sir David, the protector stepped out of the back room.
"What'r ye interruptin' me meditation fer boy?" Seeing Jacob’s hand, he moves forward. "Bah, ye'll get worsen that in yer family's line o' work. C'mere, lemme see it." Jacob moved forward, and Sir David grasped his hand as the boy gasped in pain. "Heironious, these boys seek your name Glory. Please repair the damage dealt in their youthful exuberance and haste to please you." As he finishes the prayer, Jacob's wound heals, leaving behind a long pink scar. "Well boys, looks like The Valorous left ya a keepsake. Per'aps ye'll be lookin' at it the next time ye decide ta play with yer father's blades? William me lad, ya done a good thing bringin' 'im 'ere."
As David looked down at the young lad, something in his demeanor changed. "Let me get a closer look at you lad. Yep, as I thought, you've got the mark of Heironious about you, a wonder I never noticed it before. Take this." Sir David reached into his tunic and pulled forth a small wooden holy symbol, Lightning in a Clenched Fist. "I'll have to speak with your parents about this."
-------------
Arthur runs up with the letter and holds it forth:
" Greetings bastards,
As you have probably already realized, I grow tired of our constant warring. You have constantly assaulted me in my homes, long after our association was through. You have killed my friends and allies. You have even gone so far as to kill my replacement self. This will stop.
As you can see, I have William's brother Jacob at my mercy. I also have Garth, captain of Kargur's brigade from the March, but the box could only fit one hand.
If you value the lives of kith and kin, you will meet me in Lopolla tomorrow. I will be in the Battle district, where my good friend the Sultan of Za-dran has arranged for us to meet in the Arena. Tell the gate guard your names and he will escort you to your places.
These hit and run raids you cowards constantly make have grown old. I regret the need to involve your families in this matter, but if it is the only way I can bring you to me, then so be it.
Know that if you fail to arrive tomorrow morning, both your honor and your people will be forfeit.
Nuala,
Mistress of Lorge Hall
Headmistress of the Black Academy"
"Well Arthur, this should be a good lesson for you: Never leave an enemy behind. Once you start something, finish it at all costs. William puts the hand back in the box, and says a small payer before continuing, "Arthur, my party members and I have been in a running battle with a terrible and evil foe that threatens the very existence of life, and the souls of innocent people. This evil has even put your young life in terrible danger. It must be stopped at all cost, because the longer it's around, the more people will suffer. If we let it go now, then thousands of good people will be doomed."
"I will escort you to the church. I want you to wait there while I get the others. After everyone has talked with you and asked their questions, we will take you back to your home if you wish. I know you are a brave man, but there is great danger here and the longer you are with us the more danger becomes you."
Arthur looks both proud to be called a man and angered at the hint that he is not ready for danger. "I will wait for you as you ask sir, and I will return to Lopolla with you, for I must report these things to the Masters at the Temple. However, if I may be so bold as to ask a boon of your mighty band of heroes, even though I am not deserving of it? I ask that you allow me to avenge my honor. I was swayed by the woman's beauty and failed to see the darkness in her heart. She used that in order to perpetrate a most foul deed upon you, and by doing so has tainted my own honor. I would like to stand beside you on the field of battle if I may. Although I am small of stature, my blade strikes swiftly and surely."
Before William can reply, the portal to the mansion flickers into existence again, and the remainder of the group step out, with Galrond muttering about durations soon expiring. Looking up, Galrond notices the boy and says with a smile, "Well now, who is this young lad here William?" I hope he knows that we're in the heoring business, and don't take kindly to door-to-door salesfolk?"
Arthur looks up at the group and stands in awe, silenced by the presence of all of his heroes in one place.
"Sir, I was told to bring you this." The boy holds out a small iron box, wrapped with a pink bow. "The lady pointed to this spot and said you'd be here. Wow! I'd heard about the heroes who live in the sky, but I got to meet them! Wait'll the guys hear about this. Ooh! Is Kargur the Brave inside? Is it true he tore his way out of the belly of a Tendriculous with his bear hands? What's a tendriculous? Are you going to whisk me through the air back home? The lady said you would." William reaches for the box and the boy keeps gushing forth questions.
"Didn't you kill an evil dragon all by yourself? Wow! I hope I can be as brave in the service of Heironious one day. What about Galrond? Is it true that Heironious put lightning in his eyes to smite the unworthy?" The boy seems to realize he has been carrying on, and calms for a moment. "Forgive me sir, I have forgotten myself in my boyish exuberance. Master Dorth would be displeased at my lack of decorum." He bows deeply at the waist and his voice switches from that of a carefree child to a respectful noble tone, "I am Initiate Arthur, although it will only be one week before I take the Rite of Passage, and when I enter the Order I will get to choose my new name."
"Well, Arthur. It's a pleasure to meet you and to answer your questions. Yes Kargur is inside... Yes, he was swallowed whole and he was forced to rip his way out of the beast... It's a giant rock eating monster but to be honest with you I hardly remember the thing because we have fought creatures far more deadly in our travels for the Valiant."
"Maybe, if you gain my trust. I have sent nine dragons screaming to their deaths, (tapping sword on scabbard) one of them was in a mono-e-mono fight. Yes, Galrond was blessed by the Valiant and it is present in his eyes. "
"But if it's battles you want to here about, I and the others can tell you some stories. Combat with vampires while in their layer and freeing their hostages, Going to another plane to slay demons and devils, and overthrowing the evil rule of a demon possessed monarch. I guess we've killed everything evil that has walked or crawled at one time or another."
"I am very proud to meet a future champion of justice and Valor. (hand the box back to the boy). I think you have earned the right to open the box. After all, you have traveled a long way. "
"Thank you sir." The boy reverently takes the box back, the pride on his face plain to see. Moments later his face drops, as he lifts the latch and pulls on the lid. Tugging harder, he grunts under the effort of opening the small chest. Although it does not even have a latch for the lid, it does not budge. A moment later he stops and looks back at William, "I guess its stuck." He hands it to William, giving one last half-hearted tug. As William touches it, the lid flies open under the boy's hand, and the suddenness of it sends the box flying to the ground, where a small flesh-colored thing and a scrap of parchment falls out.
Looking down, William and Arthur see a human hand. Arthur seems taken back for a moment, then he mutters under his breath, "A paladin does not fear" and he somewhat calmly reaches down to pick up the hand. Just then, a gust of wind moves through the alley and sends the parchment scurrying towards the street. "Oh no! I'm sorry sir!" cries Arthur as he rockets down the alley after it. His youthful legs let him easily catch up with it, and he comes walking back, brushing dirt from the letter he holds. "Forgive me, sir. It was my clumsiness that dropped this. What does it mean?"
William looks down at the hand on the ground and his heart skips a beat. Across the back of the hand is a long, familiar scar. His brother Jacob had a scar exactly like that, gained in swordplay with William. Coming from a military family, the youths spent many of their free hours playing with wooden swords and target practicing with blunted arrows.
------------
One Summer afternoon, they snuck into the Siege residence while their father was on duty and took down the dueling daggers from their place of honor on the mantle.
Sneaking towards the back of their home, they carefully pulled the daggers from their mounting. "En guard, Lil' Willie!" cried Jacob, as he dropped back into a fencing stance. Soon the boys were dueling rapidly, neither one coming near the other, until William tripped and fell. Leaping to catch him, Jacob managed instead to catch the back of his hand on William's blade. As the crimson sprayed from his hand, William stood in shock for a moment. Not knowing what else to do, he rushed his brother to the Temple of Heironious, only a half-block away.
"Sir David, Sir David, come quick! Jacob's hurt." Sir David, the protector stepped out of the back room.
"What'r ye interruptin' me meditation fer boy?" Seeing Jacob’s hand, he moves forward. "Bah, ye'll get worsen that in yer family's line o' work. C'mere, lemme see it." Jacob moved forward, and Sir David grasped his hand as the boy gasped in pain. "Heironious, these boys seek your name Glory. Please repair the damage dealt in their youthful exuberance and haste to please you." As he finishes the prayer, Jacob's wound heals, leaving behind a long pink scar. "Well boys, looks like The Valorous left ya a keepsake. Per'aps ye'll be lookin' at it the next time ye decide ta play with yer father's blades? William me lad, ya done a good thing bringin' 'im 'ere."
As David looked down at the young lad, something in his demeanor changed. "Let me get a closer look at you lad. Yep, as I thought, you've got the mark of Heironious about you, a wonder I never noticed it before. Take this." Sir David reached into his tunic and pulled forth a small wooden holy symbol, Lightning in a Clenched Fist. "I'll have to speak with your parents about this."
-------------
Arthur runs up with the letter and holds it forth:
" Greetings bastards,
As you have probably already realized, I grow tired of our constant warring. You have constantly assaulted me in my homes, long after our association was through. You have killed my friends and allies. You have even gone so far as to kill my replacement self. This will stop.
As you can see, I have William's brother Jacob at my mercy. I also have Garth, captain of Kargur's brigade from the March, but the box could only fit one hand.
If you value the lives of kith and kin, you will meet me in Lopolla tomorrow. I will be in the Battle district, where my good friend the Sultan of Za-dran has arranged for us to meet in the Arena. Tell the gate guard your names and he will escort you to your places.
These hit and run raids you cowards constantly make have grown old. I regret the need to involve your families in this matter, but if it is the only way I can bring you to me, then so be it.
Know that if you fail to arrive tomorrow morning, both your honor and your people will be forfeit.
Nuala,
Mistress of Lorge Hall
Headmistress of the Black Academy"
"Well Arthur, this should be a good lesson for you: Never leave an enemy behind. Once you start something, finish it at all costs. William puts the hand back in the box, and says a small payer before continuing, "Arthur, my party members and I have been in a running battle with a terrible and evil foe that threatens the very existence of life, and the souls of innocent people. This evil has even put your young life in terrible danger. It must be stopped at all cost, because the longer it's around, the more people will suffer. If we let it go now, then thousands of good people will be doomed."
"I will escort you to the church. I want you to wait there while I get the others. After everyone has talked with you and asked their questions, we will take you back to your home if you wish. I know you are a brave man, but there is great danger here and the longer you are with us the more danger becomes you."
Arthur looks both proud to be called a man and angered at the hint that he is not ready for danger. "I will wait for you as you ask sir, and I will return to Lopolla with you, for I must report these things to the Masters at the Temple. However, if I may be so bold as to ask a boon of your mighty band of heroes, even though I am not deserving of it? I ask that you allow me to avenge my honor. I was swayed by the woman's beauty and failed to see the darkness in her heart. She used that in order to perpetrate a most foul deed upon you, and by doing so has tainted my own honor. I would like to stand beside you on the field of battle if I may. Although I am small of stature, my blade strikes swiftly and surely."
Before William can reply, the portal to the mansion flickers into existence again, and the remainder of the group step out, with Galrond muttering about durations soon expiring. Looking up, Galrond notices the boy and says with a smile, "Well now, who is this young lad here William?" I hope he knows that we're in the heoring business, and don't take kindly to door-to-door salesfolk?"
Arthur looks up at the group and stands in awe, silenced by the presence of all of his heroes in one place.
James McMurray
First Post
Arthur speaks up, "If you need a guide in Lopolla, I'm your man. Although, I've never heard of a Black Academy either, I have been in the Arena district quite a bit, and can at least tell you about the battles there." It sounds odd coming from a boy who can barely be 12 years of age, but for some odd reason you believe that he really does know his way around the city.
At that moment, from outside the mansion you hear the familiar strains of "Mwarw. . . raawr. . . raaaawr." The mewling of the cat get ever more insistent as the conversation progresses.
Amastacia will try to see what she can do with that cat. She concludes that, since Arthur is one of "The Big H's" guys, she'll leave him to those like him.
Amastacia has always felt horrible for what happened to the small, red dragon (which later turned out to be Derrik), and she decides that she is going to make sure no one in this party harms the cat without DAMN good reason.
She goes outside, with a protective Gundarag hot on her heels and sits down. Crinkling some leaves on the ground to see if the cat might be interested in the noise, she waits patiently. It does not take long for the cat to come over to her and begin rubbing against her leg and purring loudly. Thinking back, she remembers that an old friend of her, a gnomish druid by the Name of Mossknickers could speak with animals. Its been at least two years since Amastacia and MossKnickers have spoken, but presumably she remains at her grove near Oakhurst. It would certainly be more than the work of an evening to contact her though.
Amastacia hears the conversation through the cracked-open door. She and Gundarag begin to talk about the situation.
"I wonder if she has managed to get another clone of herself?" Amastacia asks Gundarag. "That's creepy, if you ask me."
"Gundarag like clone of Amastacia." he says with a smile. "But only one you."
She holds his hand while she pets the cat with her other hand. "I wonder if the gods could tell us if we could even win a battle against her with her current stats and our current stats. That might be too broad a question, though." The cat’s purring picks up as Amastacia continues to talk and pet it, and it begins to bump its head against her leg and thigh, almost knocking her short sword out of its sheathe in its insistance on getting more attention.
"Gundarag no understand questions. We go fight. Ask questions later."
"Spoken like a true warrior, my dear." She continues to play with the cat. "I wonder if she is at that city under Lopolla, like it mentioned in that book. I don't know about you, dear, but I'm about ready to retire again. This is getting ridiculous! Never a moment's peace--NEVER! I might like to have a family some day, but that would never happen while I have to die and come back to life every month. And nothing good ever comes our way anymore. It's just fight, fight, fight. I can't stand it much longer." She starts to cry. "Is there any good left in the world?" She puts her head on Gundarag's shoulder and weeps.
Gundarag puts his massive arm around her and comforts her as best he can, then says, “Mean hag lady make Amastacia cry. Gundarag no like.” He grabs Amastastacia by her shoulders and squares her up so she is looking into his face. “We stop this now.” He then turns to head back into the mansion, nudging Amastacia along as well. Walking into the dining hall where the group is assembled, he draws his Bastard Sword from out of his glove and slams it down on the table. Pointing to Amastacia, he states emphatically, “Gundarag fight!” Moments later the corner of one of the books laid out on th table begins to smolder, as his the fire licking up from the blade catches it. He quickly grabs his sword up, and returns it to his glove before giving Galrond a sheepish apology for the new scorch marks in the fine table.
William says, "I agree with what you have said. On one hand we can not allow our friends to be bait for a trap like this. Once we give in to it, evil will do it again because the tactic works! However, knowing what must be done is a lot easier than doing it. I simply cannot let my brother suffer at the hands of that Hag!” He slams his hand on the table next to the scorch mark to emphasize his point. I've never left anyone behind, and I'm not about to do it now. I know why the hag sent us the hand. She wants us to see the horrible things she is doing to our family and friends in the hopes that we will make mistakes out of rage."
"When you scry on my brother I'll be next door with the priest. I don't want to see my brother suffer. Can anyone think of questions for the divination spells?"
"Well," Galrond says, I can think of a couple right off the top of my head, but we'd better hurry if we want to get answers tonight. I don't know, but something tells me we've bothered the Priest here quite a bit lately and if we have to wake him up he won't be too happy."
"One, we should probably ask if your Brother and Friend are still alive. We might also want to ask if they will be released if we meet Nuala in the Arena. Well, that's about it for me, anyone else? I'm off to start scrying for your brother, william. You can stay here though, Heironious' guest house has tons of rooms to choose from, I'll be in the east wing."
William Says, "Billy, can you teleport me to the church of Heronious in Lapola or some other major city like that. If anyone wants to go with me I can use the comfort." William grabs a quill and parchment, "let me write down some questions to ask for the Divination and Commune spells".
1). Will Nuala release our family and friends if we meet her in the arena?
2). Is our friends and family held by Nuala still alive?
3). Does Nuala have a clone of herself ready?
4). Does the Arena have any anti-teleport spell on it that would prevent us from teleporting out of it?
5). Will Nuala have any Undead allies there at the arena?
6). Will Nuala have any outer planner allies there at the arena?
7). Is Arthur trustworthy? (Sorry Arthur, just being careful).
8). On a scale from 1 -to- 10, 10 being a lich and 1 not knowing what a lich is. How close is Nuala to becoming a lich? (I know the commune spells are for yes/no questions, but I thought this was pretty specific and you may let it slide.)
9). Is the owner of the Arena, allied with Nuala or a neutral third party?
Kargur adds to the list, “Will she fight "fair", i.e. by the rules and regulations we agree upon?”
William mulls that question over for a moment and replies, “That's a good point Kurgar. Arthur, are there rules to an arena fight? What Spells are active on an arena?”
Teflon, previously silent decides it's time to do something. First he begins casting a quick spell of magic detection on both Arthur and the box, which confirms Galrond’s negative finds.
"Sure William, I can teleport ya" "as for the hag, I believe she has figured out how to deal with my antimagic shell. I knew it would just take some time, as I know how to deal with it myself." Teflon smirks. "As for fighting her in the arena, I don't like it. Every time we've fought her on her terms, she's been nearly unstopable. Not saying we can't take her, just saying it'll be hard, and we will have casualties, be abushed by other fiends, ect.."
As Billy trails off, Arthur takes the opportunity to respond to William’s question. “I’ve gone to the arena since I was a boy, everybody in Lopolla does. I’m surprised that you didn’t see it during your stays here. Anyway, its where gladiators fight, chariot races occur, and high profile duels are fought. There are games every Sunday.”
“It’s free to enter the arens and watch the games, but all of the adults who go must bet on at least one game. I guess that’s part of how they keep the place running.”
“Whenever there are fights, the crowd chooses a favorite. Of course, they choose a different favorite every minute or so, but that’s ok, its all fun. Anyway, the crowd chooses their favorite and they throw silver coins at that person. If the guy can manage to catch three silver coins, he is granted his freedom, and gets tons of glory and honor and fame. Its very rare, but you can see the statues of all who have succeeded in the Hall of Heroes. There’s only one person that I know of in the Hall that caught three and wasn’t a slave. I guess he didn’t get his freedom, since he already had it. He did get a cool statue though, it’s a little bigger than all the others.”
“The crowd also chooses a loser, and they shower him with copper coins. I’ve seen fighters get an unlucky hit in the head from one of those and drop in the middle of a battle. Or if the crowd really dislikes them, the footing gets kinda rough if they stay in one place and they can trip on the coins.” Arthur laughs, “One time, this guy was the favorite of the crowd and he messed up and caught a copper coin by mistake. When the crowd saw that they immediately switched favorites and pelted him but good. He lost that fight hard!”
“Usually the fights are team battles, but sometimes they have monsters fight too. One time they even opened up the pits below the arena floor and loosed some huge lions into the arena while two teams were fighting. That got the crowd roaring. Ooh! And one time they even flooded the entire arena floor and staged a battle on the backs of boats. And another time they had two small forts built on the ends of the arena and the two teams had to try to capture each other’s forts. Oooh! Another time they built several catwalks and bridges over a large mound of hot coals and had a team of gladiators fight big four winged bird thingies from the bridges.”
His self-conciousness gets the best of him and he continues in a more subdued tone, “Anyway, Achmed Alzar Sharet Mosafta (or soething like that) is the current Sultan of Za-dan. That’s the name of the Arena district. He makes sure that the battles are entertaining for the crowds, since he gets to keep the coins that are thrown. Unless you catch three, did I forget to mention that? You get to keep the crowd’s offerings. I guess its supposed to help ya since you don’t have a slave job anymore and haveta find some other way to eat.”
“Anyway, where was I. Oh yeah, sometimes they even have magical battles there. Those are great. The Sultan’s Magisters work together and create a huge dome over the arena floor. Somehow they make it so that things from the fight can’t go out and hurt the crowd, but coins can still come in. I’ve only seen one of those duels before, but it was awesome. One guy kept summoning creatures to attack the other guy, but that guy just kept blasting them to bits with fire and lightning. I guess the one guy ran out of friends to call, ‘cuz he got blasted in the end.”
“I don’t know what spells may be on the arena, but in the one magical duel I saw, one of the wizards did go from one end of the stadium to the other in the blink of an eye. Outside help isn’t allowed though. Its against the law to interfere with the battle except for throwing coins. One time my uncle saw a guy toss a dagger into the arena when it was supposed to be an unarmed duel. The Sultan’s crossbowmen killed the duelist when he tried to use the dagger, and then they found the guy who threw it in and he lost his hands.”
Billy and William leave for Lopolla, after agreeing to meet at the Temple to Heironious next to the Scimitars High, where the band has stayed many nights. Galrond looks around, “Well if there are no more questions perhaps we should get started? Would someone care to take that list to the Priests next door and see what they can find out? I’ll start the scrying.”
Arthur speaks up, “Can I take it sir? I’d be most happy to help you guys out.”
Just before teleporting out William says, "I was going to take the list with me, that's the whole reason for me teleporting to the church of Heronious. I didn't want to bother the Sun Priest. But if you want to come with me?"
Amastacia steps towards William. "You've been a cherished friend all these years to Gundarag and myself. Let us come with you. Thinking your brother could be tortured can make for hasty decisions. Let us come and help you." She takes his hand in both of hers and gives him a sweet smile. Gundarag puts one of his hands on William's shoulders.
William, Billy, Gundarag, Amastacia, and Arthur head off to Lopolla, while Galrond moves off to his chambers to begin the lengthy scrying rituals. During the casting, the cat busies itself with a few leaves then begins rubbing against Amastacia’s leg. A moment later Billy if finished and the cat lets out a surprised yelp as it appears with the group in Lopolla. It looks around, hisses, and then darts away, flying out the temple door and into the street beyond.
It takes the travelers about an hour to get in touch with the high priest of Heironious, during which time there is no sign of the cat. Once the priest hears of the heroes looking for him, he takes the time to meet them at the Temple.
“What can I do for you fine people? Oh, and by the way, you’ll be happy to know that the matter of Orcus stealing souls from the dead was cleared up. Apparently there was a Derro Necromancer in his service in the foothills of the Lortmils erecting a Death Gate. Well, even though you folks missed your appointment, the replacements worked out just fine.” Although his words sound annoyed, it is plain to see that he has moved on and is no longer truly upset with the group.
They show him the list and enquire about communing. He looks it over for a moment. Certainly that can be arranged. However, the rituals involved are no easy task, and we have heard about how often (and generously) you visit the Temple to Pelor (both here and in other cities). Perhaps it would behoove the group’s (and Heironious’) public image if some small portion of that largess were to fall upon your patron’s doors?”
“Now then, these two questions here,” he says, pointing to numbers eight and nine, “are not yes or no questions. I can look into them as well, but it will require two more rituals, and thus more time.”
He takes the list and moves towards the back of the church. “I’ll be back in about an hour or so. Please make yourselves comfortable.”
The group busies themselves for a bit and the Priest returns in only a half an hour. “Well, folks, it looks as if Nuala is protected from divination, as all of the questions that pertained directly to her came up blank. I did get a few answers though.”
“It seems that Nuala will indeed release your friend and brother if you meet her in the arena, and that they are still alive.”
“The arena itself does not have an anti-teleport spell on it. I hope you don’t mind though, I reworded the question to ask if it would have one during a battle, as that seems to be when you would be interested in it. If you truly did want to know if it currently has one, I will ask again tomorrow.”
“There will be more than just your group and her in the arena. It seems she will have undead backup of some sort.”
“Arthur is indeed trustworthy. Isn’t that right Arthur? Of course, I hear Master Forth has been looking for you. You may wish to let him know where you’ve been all this time.”
“The ‘owner’ of the Arena is actually the city itself. However, I took your question to mean the Sultan of Za-dan, who currently oversees the Arena. He is indeed allied with Nuala, although with only a yes or no question, it was impossible to determine the extent or nature of that alliance.”
“Finally, I regret to state that the divination involving Nuala’s apparent quest for lichdom dealt too closely with her and was therefore negated by whatever protections she may have up.”
At that moment, Galrond, Kargur, and Lanis move up from the back of the room. “We arrived a few minutes ago and did not want to interrupt. The scrying came back positive. Your brother and another man, long dark hair and a goatee, are being held captive in a stone cell. I was unable to determine where that might be, and the area was really not distinct enough to get a good teleportational bead on. If we tried to teleport to ‘a blank stone cell with two men in it’ there is no telling where we might wind up. I am certainly willing to risk it if needbe though. They appeared to be alive and well, and you brother’s arm is heavily bandaged. It did not seem gangrenous, but I’m not much of a medical man.”
“I guess we now need to decide if we will be taking her up on her ‘offer’. Its about 10 o’clock now, and I’m not sure when we’re supposed to meet. What time do the games usually begin, we should probably be there well before hat point, if we do decide to meet her on an open field of combat.”
“Eight in the morning!” cries an obviously happy Arthur, coming back from his discussions with the Temple’s Master of Diplomacy. “I told Master Dorth all about tonight and that you would still need my help. He said that if it was ok with you then I could go to the arena with you. Please sirs, let me help you. Lopolla is a huge city and a guide would be very useful to you. Plus, I know my way around the arena and can show you where to go.”
"Excuse me for a moment gentlemen and lady". William walks over to the alter and says a prayer and then puts in 2,000 gold as a donation (all that he has at the moment). Then walks back to the group.
"Galrond, is it possible that you could have seen an illusion of some kind? Or is the scry specific because of the blood tie (DNA)?"
"Normally I would say yes to the rescue mission, but this is our chance to rid the world of that bitch once and for all. By Heironious, I will gladly show her the kind of steel that I am made of".
William takes off his right glove and tosses it to Arthur. "If your going to fight with us you are going to need a strong weapon. The sword inside I have had with me at every battle and it has carried its mark home every time. Just snap your fingers to awake it from its slumber and the blade within will appear. Be careful when you draw the weapon, the magic on it is finite and isn't meant for boyish practice. (William puts hand on Arthur's shoulder) Now, prepare your house young Arthur. We may not survive tomorrow's battle".
"Once we're back in a safe place, lets talk spell load out, and battle tactics".
At that moment, from outside the mansion you hear the familiar strains of "Mwarw. . . raawr. . . raaaawr." The mewling of the cat get ever more insistent as the conversation progresses.
Amastacia will try to see what she can do with that cat. She concludes that, since Arthur is one of "The Big H's" guys, she'll leave him to those like him.
Amastacia has always felt horrible for what happened to the small, red dragon (which later turned out to be Derrik), and she decides that she is going to make sure no one in this party harms the cat without DAMN good reason.
She goes outside, with a protective Gundarag hot on her heels and sits down. Crinkling some leaves on the ground to see if the cat might be interested in the noise, she waits patiently. It does not take long for the cat to come over to her and begin rubbing against her leg and purring loudly. Thinking back, she remembers that an old friend of her, a gnomish druid by the Name of Mossknickers could speak with animals. Its been at least two years since Amastacia and MossKnickers have spoken, but presumably she remains at her grove near Oakhurst. It would certainly be more than the work of an evening to contact her though.
Amastacia hears the conversation through the cracked-open door. She and Gundarag begin to talk about the situation.
"I wonder if she has managed to get another clone of herself?" Amastacia asks Gundarag. "That's creepy, if you ask me."
"Gundarag like clone of Amastacia." he says with a smile. "But only one you."
She holds his hand while she pets the cat with her other hand. "I wonder if the gods could tell us if we could even win a battle against her with her current stats and our current stats. That might be too broad a question, though." The cat’s purring picks up as Amastacia continues to talk and pet it, and it begins to bump its head against her leg and thigh, almost knocking her short sword out of its sheathe in its insistance on getting more attention.
"Gundarag no understand questions. We go fight. Ask questions later."
"Spoken like a true warrior, my dear." She continues to play with the cat. "I wonder if she is at that city under Lopolla, like it mentioned in that book. I don't know about you, dear, but I'm about ready to retire again. This is getting ridiculous! Never a moment's peace--NEVER! I might like to have a family some day, but that would never happen while I have to die and come back to life every month. And nothing good ever comes our way anymore. It's just fight, fight, fight. I can't stand it much longer." She starts to cry. "Is there any good left in the world?" She puts her head on Gundarag's shoulder and weeps.
Gundarag puts his massive arm around her and comforts her as best he can, then says, “Mean hag lady make Amastacia cry. Gundarag no like.” He grabs Amastastacia by her shoulders and squares her up so she is looking into his face. “We stop this now.” He then turns to head back into the mansion, nudging Amastacia along as well. Walking into the dining hall where the group is assembled, he draws his Bastard Sword from out of his glove and slams it down on the table. Pointing to Amastacia, he states emphatically, “Gundarag fight!” Moments later the corner of one of the books laid out on th table begins to smolder, as his the fire licking up from the blade catches it. He quickly grabs his sword up, and returns it to his glove before giving Galrond a sheepish apology for the new scorch marks in the fine table.
William says, "I agree with what you have said. On one hand we can not allow our friends to be bait for a trap like this. Once we give in to it, evil will do it again because the tactic works! However, knowing what must be done is a lot easier than doing it. I simply cannot let my brother suffer at the hands of that Hag!” He slams his hand on the table next to the scorch mark to emphasize his point. I've never left anyone behind, and I'm not about to do it now. I know why the hag sent us the hand. She wants us to see the horrible things she is doing to our family and friends in the hopes that we will make mistakes out of rage."
"When you scry on my brother I'll be next door with the priest. I don't want to see my brother suffer. Can anyone think of questions for the divination spells?"
"Well," Galrond says, I can think of a couple right off the top of my head, but we'd better hurry if we want to get answers tonight. I don't know, but something tells me we've bothered the Priest here quite a bit lately and if we have to wake him up he won't be too happy."
"One, we should probably ask if your Brother and Friend are still alive. We might also want to ask if they will be released if we meet Nuala in the Arena. Well, that's about it for me, anyone else? I'm off to start scrying for your brother, william. You can stay here though, Heironious' guest house has tons of rooms to choose from, I'll be in the east wing."
William Says, "Billy, can you teleport me to the church of Heronious in Lapola or some other major city like that. If anyone wants to go with me I can use the comfort." William grabs a quill and parchment, "let me write down some questions to ask for the Divination and Commune spells".
1). Will Nuala release our family and friends if we meet her in the arena?
2). Is our friends and family held by Nuala still alive?
3). Does Nuala have a clone of herself ready?
4). Does the Arena have any anti-teleport spell on it that would prevent us from teleporting out of it?
5). Will Nuala have any Undead allies there at the arena?
6). Will Nuala have any outer planner allies there at the arena?
7). Is Arthur trustworthy? (Sorry Arthur, just being careful).
8). On a scale from 1 -to- 10, 10 being a lich and 1 not knowing what a lich is. How close is Nuala to becoming a lich? (I know the commune spells are for yes/no questions, but I thought this was pretty specific and you may let it slide.)
9). Is the owner of the Arena, allied with Nuala or a neutral third party?
Kargur adds to the list, “Will she fight "fair", i.e. by the rules and regulations we agree upon?”
William mulls that question over for a moment and replies, “That's a good point Kurgar. Arthur, are there rules to an arena fight? What Spells are active on an arena?”
Teflon, previously silent decides it's time to do something. First he begins casting a quick spell of magic detection on both Arthur and the box, which confirms Galrond’s negative finds.
"Sure William, I can teleport ya" "as for the hag, I believe she has figured out how to deal with my antimagic shell. I knew it would just take some time, as I know how to deal with it myself." Teflon smirks. "As for fighting her in the arena, I don't like it. Every time we've fought her on her terms, she's been nearly unstopable. Not saying we can't take her, just saying it'll be hard, and we will have casualties, be abushed by other fiends, ect.."
As Billy trails off, Arthur takes the opportunity to respond to William’s question. “I’ve gone to the arena since I was a boy, everybody in Lopolla does. I’m surprised that you didn’t see it during your stays here. Anyway, its where gladiators fight, chariot races occur, and high profile duels are fought. There are games every Sunday.”
“It’s free to enter the arens and watch the games, but all of the adults who go must bet on at least one game. I guess that’s part of how they keep the place running.”
“Whenever there are fights, the crowd chooses a favorite. Of course, they choose a different favorite every minute or so, but that’s ok, its all fun. Anyway, the crowd chooses their favorite and they throw silver coins at that person. If the guy can manage to catch three silver coins, he is granted his freedom, and gets tons of glory and honor and fame. Its very rare, but you can see the statues of all who have succeeded in the Hall of Heroes. There’s only one person that I know of in the Hall that caught three and wasn’t a slave. I guess he didn’t get his freedom, since he already had it. He did get a cool statue though, it’s a little bigger than all the others.”
“The crowd also chooses a loser, and they shower him with copper coins. I’ve seen fighters get an unlucky hit in the head from one of those and drop in the middle of a battle. Or if the crowd really dislikes them, the footing gets kinda rough if they stay in one place and they can trip on the coins.” Arthur laughs, “One time, this guy was the favorite of the crowd and he messed up and caught a copper coin by mistake. When the crowd saw that they immediately switched favorites and pelted him but good. He lost that fight hard!”
“Usually the fights are team battles, but sometimes they have monsters fight too. One time they even opened up the pits below the arena floor and loosed some huge lions into the arena while two teams were fighting. That got the crowd roaring. Ooh! And one time they even flooded the entire arena floor and staged a battle on the backs of boats. And another time they had two small forts built on the ends of the arena and the two teams had to try to capture each other’s forts. Oooh! Another time they built several catwalks and bridges over a large mound of hot coals and had a team of gladiators fight big four winged bird thingies from the bridges.”
His self-conciousness gets the best of him and he continues in a more subdued tone, “Anyway, Achmed Alzar Sharet Mosafta (or soething like that) is the current Sultan of Za-dan. That’s the name of the Arena district. He makes sure that the battles are entertaining for the crowds, since he gets to keep the coins that are thrown. Unless you catch three, did I forget to mention that? You get to keep the crowd’s offerings. I guess its supposed to help ya since you don’t have a slave job anymore and haveta find some other way to eat.”
“Anyway, where was I. Oh yeah, sometimes they even have magical battles there. Those are great. The Sultan’s Magisters work together and create a huge dome over the arena floor. Somehow they make it so that things from the fight can’t go out and hurt the crowd, but coins can still come in. I’ve only seen one of those duels before, but it was awesome. One guy kept summoning creatures to attack the other guy, but that guy just kept blasting them to bits with fire and lightning. I guess the one guy ran out of friends to call, ‘cuz he got blasted in the end.”
“I don’t know what spells may be on the arena, but in the one magical duel I saw, one of the wizards did go from one end of the stadium to the other in the blink of an eye. Outside help isn’t allowed though. Its against the law to interfere with the battle except for throwing coins. One time my uncle saw a guy toss a dagger into the arena when it was supposed to be an unarmed duel. The Sultan’s crossbowmen killed the duelist when he tried to use the dagger, and then they found the guy who threw it in and he lost his hands.”
Billy and William leave for Lopolla, after agreeing to meet at the Temple to Heironious next to the Scimitars High, where the band has stayed many nights. Galrond looks around, “Well if there are no more questions perhaps we should get started? Would someone care to take that list to the Priests next door and see what they can find out? I’ll start the scrying.”
Arthur speaks up, “Can I take it sir? I’d be most happy to help you guys out.”
Just before teleporting out William says, "I was going to take the list with me, that's the whole reason for me teleporting to the church of Heronious. I didn't want to bother the Sun Priest. But if you want to come with me?"
Amastacia steps towards William. "You've been a cherished friend all these years to Gundarag and myself. Let us come with you. Thinking your brother could be tortured can make for hasty decisions. Let us come and help you." She takes his hand in both of hers and gives him a sweet smile. Gundarag puts one of his hands on William's shoulders.
William, Billy, Gundarag, Amastacia, and Arthur head off to Lopolla, while Galrond moves off to his chambers to begin the lengthy scrying rituals. During the casting, the cat busies itself with a few leaves then begins rubbing against Amastacia’s leg. A moment later Billy if finished and the cat lets out a surprised yelp as it appears with the group in Lopolla. It looks around, hisses, and then darts away, flying out the temple door and into the street beyond.
It takes the travelers about an hour to get in touch with the high priest of Heironious, during which time there is no sign of the cat. Once the priest hears of the heroes looking for him, he takes the time to meet them at the Temple.
“What can I do for you fine people? Oh, and by the way, you’ll be happy to know that the matter of Orcus stealing souls from the dead was cleared up. Apparently there was a Derro Necromancer in his service in the foothills of the Lortmils erecting a Death Gate. Well, even though you folks missed your appointment, the replacements worked out just fine.” Although his words sound annoyed, it is plain to see that he has moved on and is no longer truly upset with the group.
They show him the list and enquire about communing. He looks it over for a moment. Certainly that can be arranged. However, the rituals involved are no easy task, and we have heard about how often (and generously) you visit the Temple to Pelor (both here and in other cities). Perhaps it would behoove the group’s (and Heironious’) public image if some small portion of that largess were to fall upon your patron’s doors?”
“Now then, these two questions here,” he says, pointing to numbers eight and nine, “are not yes or no questions. I can look into them as well, but it will require two more rituals, and thus more time.”
He takes the list and moves towards the back of the church. “I’ll be back in about an hour or so. Please make yourselves comfortable.”
The group busies themselves for a bit and the Priest returns in only a half an hour. “Well, folks, it looks as if Nuala is protected from divination, as all of the questions that pertained directly to her came up blank. I did get a few answers though.”
“It seems that Nuala will indeed release your friend and brother if you meet her in the arena, and that they are still alive.”
“The arena itself does not have an anti-teleport spell on it. I hope you don’t mind though, I reworded the question to ask if it would have one during a battle, as that seems to be when you would be interested in it. If you truly did want to know if it currently has one, I will ask again tomorrow.”
“There will be more than just your group and her in the arena. It seems she will have undead backup of some sort.”
“Arthur is indeed trustworthy. Isn’t that right Arthur? Of course, I hear Master Forth has been looking for you. You may wish to let him know where you’ve been all this time.”
“The ‘owner’ of the Arena is actually the city itself. However, I took your question to mean the Sultan of Za-dan, who currently oversees the Arena. He is indeed allied with Nuala, although with only a yes or no question, it was impossible to determine the extent or nature of that alliance.”
“Finally, I regret to state that the divination involving Nuala’s apparent quest for lichdom dealt too closely with her and was therefore negated by whatever protections she may have up.”
At that moment, Galrond, Kargur, and Lanis move up from the back of the room. “We arrived a few minutes ago and did not want to interrupt. The scrying came back positive. Your brother and another man, long dark hair and a goatee, are being held captive in a stone cell. I was unable to determine where that might be, and the area was really not distinct enough to get a good teleportational bead on. If we tried to teleport to ‘a blank stone cell with two men in it’ there is no telling where we might wind up. I am certainly willing to risk it if needbe though. They appeared to be alive and well, and you brother’s arm is heavily bandaged. It did not seem gangrenous, but I’m not much of a medical man.”
“I guess we now need to decide if we will be taking her up on her ‘offer’. Its about 10 o’clock now, and I’m not sure when we’re supposed to meet. What time do the games usually begin, we should probably be there well before hat point, if we do decide to meet her on an open field of combat.”
“Eight in the morning!” cries an obviously happy Arthur, coming back from his discussions with the Temple’s Master of Diplomacy. “I told Master Dorth all about tonight and that you would still need my help. He said that if it was ok with you then I could go to the arena with you. Please sirs, let me help you. Lopolla is a huge city and a guide would be very useful to you. Plus, I know my way around the arena and can show you where to go.”
"Excuse me for a moment gentlemen and lady". William walks over to the alter and says a prayer and then puts in 2,000 gold as a donation (all that he has at the moment). Then walks back to the group.
"Galrond, is it possible that you could have seen an illusion of some kind? Or is the scry specific because of the blood tie (DNA)?"
"Normally I would say yes to the rescue mission, but this is our chance to rid the world of that bitch once and for all. By Heironious, I will gladly show her the kind of steel that I am made of".
William takes off his right glove and tosses it to Arthur. "If your going to fight with us you are going to need a strong weapon. The sword inside I have had with me at every battle and it has carried its mark home every time. Just snap your fingers to awake it from its slumber and the blade within will appear. Be careful when you draw the weapon, the magic on it is finite and isn't meant for boyish practice. (William puts hand on Arthur's shoulder) Now, prepare your house young Arthur. We may not survive tomorrow's battle".
"Once we're back in a safe place, lets talk spell load out, and battle tactics".
James McMurray
First Post
Traci (my wife and Amastacia's player) says, and I quote, "cool, so my drama paid off." 
I'm really looking forward to this weekend. There is definitely going to be some carnage occuring on both sides. I expect the party to be able to win, but they will take heavy casualties.
P.S. Two pages, woohoo!!! I only wish I'd had the forethought to place all of the older incarnations of my stories intoo a single thread. With the search function disabled its too danged difficult to find the older ones, and most of them got lost in the shift in boards.
I'm really looking forward to this weekend. There is definitely going to be some carnage occuring on both sides. I expect the party to be able to win, but they will take heavy casualties.
P.S. Two pages, woohoo!!! I only wish I'd had the forethought to place all of the older incarnations of my stories intoo a single thread. With the search function disabled its too danged difficult to find the older ones, and most of them got lost in the shift in boards.
James McMurray
First Post
Meet with the Sultan and the battle nears
Well, this week's emails have seen quite a bit. Tomorrow the entry to the arena goes out, then Sunday is the big brawl!
---
Tactics discussed, and finalized as much as they can be before going into an unknown situation, the group settles in for the night. Although everyone tries to get as much sleep as they can, it is rough. William and Kargur worry for their friends and families, while everyone else finds themselves going over and over the next day in their minds, trying to find the one idea that will ensure victory.
Oddly enough, Gundarag manages a nearly uninterrupted night of sleep. Apparently there is truth to the old saying that ignorance is bliss. The only marring of his otherwise perfect sleep is when he mumbles, "'tacia, dun go der." His eyes crack open and meet with Amastacia's, staring into his face while she can't sleep. A happy smile creeps across his face and he dozes back off almost immediately.
The next morning, Arthur leads the weary party through crowded Lopollian streets to the Arena entrance. At about the midway point on their journey Billy, Galrond, and Amastacia all detect the telltale feeling of scrying. “She knows we are coming,” says Galrond, his voice booming out of his massive giant’s frame.
The group continues, and after an hour they enter into the arena and the Hall of Heroes. "This is where the people who caught the coins are shown." Arthur says. The large corridor is flanked with literally hundreds of alcoves, each one holding a life-sized statue of a warrior or wizard in various clothing. Amazonian goddesses stare across the hall at seemingly bookish wizards. A hundred or so feet in Arthur points to a larger statue than the rest. "There's the guy who caught them even though he wasn't a slave." he says with adulation in his voice. As the group looks up, Kargur lets out a small gasp. The 15 foot tall statue is a spitting image of his father! Up until now he never even knew that the man had traveled, much less had been a gladiator.
With very little time allotted to them, the group moves onward and the vast hallway takes them through the common area and up to a massive set of oak doors framed by two hairless eunuch guards who watch stoically as the party approaches. When the group identifies themselves, the eunuch on the left slams his massive club into the door three times in steady succession. The sound of gears grinding fills the air as the doors slowly pull open, revealing a sumptuous torch lit corridor leading off. The floor is covered in a thick red carpet, and the walls are painted with many fantastic murals, almost reminiscent of the Tomb of Acererak. The subject matter is much more mundane however, depicting hundreds of famous arena battles as opposed to the alien landscapes and inhuman figures that were drawn in the Tomb.
The group, seeing no other way to go, heads down the hallway. Every so often they pass a branching corridor or side passage, but it every case a large, well-muscled eunuch waves them silently onward. Finally, after what seems like a quarter of a mile of walking the group begins to walk past another corridor when the eunuch before it steps aside and waves them in. Up two flights of stairs and the party comes out in a large foyer, replete with crystal chandeliers, large stuffed creatures, the most mundane of which is a 20 foot tall bear, and whose only exit are two solid gold doors at the far end of the hallway.
As the adventurers watch, the two doors slide silently open. Behind them is an even more wealthily furnished room. At the far end sit what can only be Achmed Alzar Sharet Mosafta, the Sultan of Za-dran. Flanking him on either side are 3 more silent, muscled eunuchs. At his feet, and slightly to the left, sits Nuala in a large oak chair. The chair looks like it has been brought here, as it does not match the remainder of the furniture. No other seats are available anywhere in the room, and the party is forced to stand as the Sultan waves his hand, causing the massive doors behind them to swing silently shut again.
"You have been requested to appear in my arena today, is this true?" Before anyone can answer the apparently rhetorical question, the Sultan continues. "Of course it is. Now then, we are here to discuss the terms for this duel. The battle will take place in the noontime slot. Both groups will enter the arena separately. When they are done playing to the crowd the signal will be given and the Gong of Battle will be rung. At that point, a battle to the death will commence." The Sultan again waves his hands, seemingly in dismissal, and the doors behind the heroes begin to open yet again.
Kargur lowers his eyes and bows towards the Sultan in a most diplomatic way and speaks. "And the terms of the duel, your highness? It is nice to know when and where, but are there any terms as to how it shall, or perhaps more importantly," Kargur glances over at Nuala, "how it shan't, be fought?"
The Sultan looks down at Kargur and says with a sneer in his voice, "The rules will be as they always are in the arena. Outside help once the battle has commenced is punishable by death. What other conditions would you like? Should I have her tie her hands behind her back? Or perhaps you would like that for yourself? As it stands, your group will have her quite outnumbered, what other shackles would you like placed upon her."
Nuala speaks up at this point, "Great One, these people will be dead in less than five hours, perhaps it would suit your magnanimous self to hear their requests. Of course, in your great wisdom, you have already stated the situation in the most compact and descriptive of terms possible. Perhaps these lesser beings require more time before fully understanding the logic of the situation." The Sultan nods to Nuala, who continues, "So, what other terms would you like to try for? I have an excellent idea, why don't we, instead of having two groups fight this battle, make it more fair for me. I propose that your side enter the arena one at a time and face me in single combat. If the current champion from your side falls, one of you may step forward and replace them. If I fall (chuckle) then your side will be determined the victor. Is this acceptable? If not, please tell us what else you need or go prepare yourselves. The Sultanate is a busy place, and our small concerns detract from His more important affairs."
Still humbled in front of the Sultan, Kargur replies, "I most truly apologize to both the Sultan and His position. I had merely wished to verify that indeed the standard rules of the Arena would be in place, for she whom sits here is not known for always following the rules of order. That Nuala has taken it upon her self to place innocents such as Your Magnificence in a position in the middle of our, eh, feud, pains me. As does the taking of outside prisoners of our friends and family. But we wish to not trouble Sultanate any further with such minor issues as compared to the affairs of state which I know must be pressing." Again with a bow, he finishes, "By your leave."
The Sultan waves his hand again and the massive golden doors begin their slow crawl back to a closed position. He then looks Kargur squarely in the eyes. “What do you mean by these accusations? The illustrious Nuala has found herself assaulted by you and your friends in not one, but two separate homes. Do you deny that you broke into her home in Lorge Hall, and once you had been caught in the trap there, you took it upon yourselves to attempt to slay Mistress Nuala? Do you further deny that, after having failed to kill her in her home in the Ffenargh, minions were sent to drive her out of her position of power and deep into the swamps South? Finally, do you deny that you yet again assaulted her in her home in the Black Academy, where she both studied and taught? I find it amazing that you would now seek to fall upon the ‘rules of order’ when faced with a chance to end you feud with her.”
While he is speaking, Kargur takes a moment to attempt to assess the man’s moral stature, but is unable. Although the source is indiscernible, there is definitely something stopping magical abilities from being used in the area. Kargur is not surprised though, as it is quite common for aristocracy to protect their inner chambers from the magics of their rivals.
Mosafta Continues, “You apologize for having me brought into this. There is no need. It is a husband’s duty to protect his bride. As for your friends and family, Nuala has expressed her deepest regrets that she was forced to these straits, but I would ask you one final question: how many of her friends at the Black Academy did you take prisoner, as opposed to the number of her friends you slaughtered on your many raids? Hmmm?”
Teflon stands silent and attentive. His thoughts however, seethe with righteous anger. He would like nothing better then to say, "yeah, we killed the evil minions of the bitch queen there. Her attempt to take over a city and turn everyone there into undead wased up too, by HHH. In fact her evil has been crushed at every attempt we had. Second, I don't remember taking hostages and prisoners. Doesn't sound like me. The innocent are innocent, and the evil are dead or dying." But he stands there quietly letting the negotiators speak.
William bows deeply, and in a calm voice speaks in Kettish, which he learned in their previous travels to this area. "Yes, I do deny all of that. What my party did was in the name of goodness. Your wife may have left out a few details like her Vampire servants, inhuman experiments, the Devourer and being in league with the devils and demons of other realms. The destruction of two towns. But I did not come here to correct her lies. I came here to get my brother back. Once I know he is safe, I will fight at noon. I will meet her in the arena with her undead henchmen."
Kargur is taken aback at the news of the wedding and the bombast from the Sultan. Making a quick look around, he sees what appear to be similar thoughts in the eyes and posture of all of his fellow team, including Teflon Billy.
Holding his Shield tightly to his front, he responds, "I spoke of innocents, not merely friends and family. We are followers of the teaching of the Arch Paladin Himself, Heironious. As such, we fight to avenge those whose lives are destroyed in the corruption of evil. That our paths and that of that of this... woman... have crossed many times is not due to the fact that we have always purposefully sought her out to destroy who she is. It is due to the fact that where she goes, death and worse afflict many people, entire villages and towns. It is to their aid we come to assist, only to find that she is once more connected to the beginnings and continuation of much suffering over entire areas of land. It is like a plague, not that we start, but which we must follow to try to clean up so that the suffering may stop.
"It is true that there have only been people taken out of the vile academy alive, prisoners themselves each and everyone, used as food and fun for those with whom Nuala associates. Crimes beyond what any civilized state could ever abide by. I pray that today her destructive ways may be finally stopped before her influence is cast upon this Great City like a dark cloud, consuming and twisting and devouring all in its wake. I am here for that sole purpose, even more than for the release of my long time friend and protector of those I hold dear far away, Garth.
"Do we deny that we have battled Nuala and her associates? Battled even unto death? No. Will we battle today, both her and the undead abominations she will command to be beside her? Yes. And we shall dispatch her and her vile lackeys, not with a cheer of happiness for what we must do, but with a nod of sorrow for the lives that once were and are no more. Even after her death today, we shall still continue the fight of Right, going where we are called to go to assist the innocents that have been assaulted by the vile aspects of evil. And I pray, may that fight no longer have to be fought here, in this supreme city."
With but the briefest nod of respect, he concludes, "Prepare for a day of sorrow on the morrow, my Sultan. For by the setting of the sun this day, you will either have lost your bride, or if we fail and you do marry this woman, a worse fate by far, begun the journey of losing your soul. So again I most truly apologize. Not for what we have or must do, but for what Nuala has and does, and that she has attempted to include you into it."
"Pretty words dear 'Soldiers of Right', but though some of them may even be true, it is plain to see that neither side in this battle has been completely in the light. Were you such friends of life and liberty as you claim, perhaps you would have waited before slaughtering helpless students at the University of Magic. Perhaps you would not have begun this 'feud' with your breaking and entering into her dwelling in Lorge. Perhaps you would have taken prisoners as you claim you did, rather than killing all whom you came across in those halls of learning. And perhaps countless deaths would have been avoided.
"However, these points are moot. You and she will face off in the arena today, and the blood of the loser will determine who is right and who is wrong here. Indeed, were it not for the fact that she has asked that I stay my hand and let her have you, I would arrest you now for speaking in that vein towards My future bride. But as I said, these words matter not, it is actions which will prove themselves this day. The past is what was, and things occur as things occur. May they occur in the light." With that shocking last statement, reflecting Mosafta's connection to the Knights of the Middle Circle, he waves his hand again and the doors swing silently open once more. Mosafta and his eunuchs stand to leave, and it is quite plain for all to see that the meeting has been completed.
William speaks up, “What about my brother, Jacob?”
The Sultan replies as he walks out, “You have my word that they are alive. They will be released after the battle.”
Kargur nods again at the Sultan. "By the light of Heironious, my liege", then turns to lead the way out of the room, with a confidence in his stride that seems to be full of not just pride, but of an almost relaxed purpose. To those that look closely enough, a small smile seems to slip itself in under his mustache.
Teflon Billy shrugs and walks out of the room with the rest, addressing the group but in no way trying to keep his words unheard, "I wonder how close she is to becoming a Lich? Oh well, won't matter after today anyway"
Well, this week's emails have seen quite a bit. Tomorrow the entry to the arena goes out, then Sunday is the big brawl!
---
Tactics discussed, and finalized as much as they can be before going into an unknown situation, the group settles in for the night. Although everyone tries to get as much sleep as they can, it is rough. William and Kargur worry for their friends and families, while everyone else finds themselves going over and over the next day in their minds, trying to find the one idea that will ensure victory.
Oddly enough, Gundarag manages a nearly uninterrupted night of sleep. Apparently there is truth to the old saying that ignorance is bliss. The only marring of his otherwise perfect sleep is when he mumbles, "'tacia, dun go der." His eyes crack open and meet with Amastacia's, staring into his face while she can't sleep. A happy smile creeps across his face and he dozes back off almost immediately.
The next morning, Arthur leads the weary party through crowded Lopollian streets to the Arena entrance. At about the midway point on their journey Billy, Galrond, and Amastacia all detect the telltale feeling of scrying. “She knows we are coming,” says Galrond, his voice booming out of his massive giant’s frame.
The group continues, and after an hour they enter into the arena and the Hall of Heroes. "This is where the people who caught the coins are shown." Arthur says. The large corridor is flanked with literally hundreds of alcoves, each one holding a life-sized statue of a warrior or wizard in various clothing. Amazonian goddesses stare across the hall at seemingly bookish wizards. A hundred or so feet in Arthur points to a larger statue than the rest. "There's the guy who caught them even though he wasn't a slave." he says with adulation in his voice. As the group looks up, Kargur lets out a small gasp. The 15 foot tall statue is a spitting image of his father! Up until now he never even knew that the man had traveled, much less had been a gladiator.
With very little time allotted to them, the group moves onward and the vast hallway takes them through the common area and up to a massive set of oak doors framed by two hairless eunuch guards who watch stoically as the party approaches. When the group identifies themselves, the eunuch on the left slams his massive club into the door three times in steady succession. The sound of gears grinding fills the air as the doors slowly pull open, revealing a sumptuous torch lit corridor leading off. The floor is covered in a thick red carpet, and the walls are painted with many fantastic murals, almost reminiscent of the Tomb of Acererak. The subject matter is much more mundane however, depicting hundreds of famous arena battles as opposed to the alien landscapes and inhuman figures that were drawn in the Tomb.
The group, seeing no other way to go, heads down the hallway. Every so often they pass a branching corridor or side passage, but it every case a large, well-muscled eunuch waves them silently onward. Finally, after what seems like a quarter of a mile of walking the group begins to walk past another corridor when the eunuch before it steps aside and waves them in. Up two flights of stairs and the party comes out in a large foyer, replete with crystal chandeliers, large stuffed creatures, the most mundane of which is a 20 foot tall bear, and whose only exit are two solid gold doors at the far end of the hallway.
As the adventurers watch, the two doors slide silently open. Behind them is an even more wealthily furnished room. At the far end sit what can only be Achmed Alzar Sharet Mosafta, the Sultan of Za-dran. Flanking him on either side are 3 more silent, muscled eunuchs. At his feet, and slightly to the left, sits Nuala in a large oak chair. The chair looks like it has been brought here, as it does not match the remainder of the furniture. No other seats are available anywhere in the room, and the party is forced to stand as the Sultan waves his hand, causing the massive doors behind them to swing silently shut again.
"You have been requested to appear in my arena today, is this true?" Before anyone can answer the apparently rhetorical question, the Sultan continues. "Of course it is. Now then, we are here to discuss the terms for this duel. The battle will take place in the noontime slot. Both groups will enter the arena separately. When they are done playing to the crowd the signal will be given and the Gong of Battle will be rung. At that point, a battle to the death will commence." The Sultan again waves his hands, seemingly in dismissal, and the doors behind the heroes begin to open yet again.
Kargur lowers his eyes and bows towards the Sultan in a most diplomatic way and speaks. "And the terms of the duel, your highness? It is nice to know when and where, but are there any terms as to how it shall, or perhaps more importantly," Kargur glances over at Nuala, "how it shan't, be fought?"
The Sultan looks down at Kargur and says with a sneer in his voice, "The rules will be as they always are in the arena. Outside help once the battle has commenced is punishable by death. What other conditions would you like? Should I have her tie her hands behind her back? Or perhaps you would like that for yourself? As it stands, your group will have her quite outnumbered, what other shackles would you like placed upon her."
Nuala speaks up at this point, "Great One, these people will be dead in less than five hours, perhaps it would suit your magnanimous self to hear their requests. Of course, in your great wisdom, you have already stated the situation in the most compact and descriptive of terms possible. Perhaps these lesser beings require more time before fully understanding the logic of the situation." The Sultan nods to Nuala, who continues, "So, what other terms would you like to try for? I have an excellent idea, why don't we, instead of having two groups fight this battle, make it more fair for me. I propose that your side enter the arena one at a time and face me in single combat. If the current champion from your side falls, one of you may step forward and replace them. If I fall (chuckle) then your side will be determined the victor. Is this acceptable? If not, please tell us what else you need or go prepare yourselves. The Sultanate is a busy place, and our small concerns detract from His more important affairs."
Still humbled in front of the Sultan, Kargur replies, "I most truly apologize to both the Sultan and His position. I had merely wished to verify that indeed the standard rules of the Arena would be in place, for she whom sits here is not known for always following the rules of order. That Nuala has taken it upon her self to place innocents such as Your Magnificence in a position in the middle of our, eh, feud, pains me. As does the taking of outside prisoners of our friends and family. But we wish to not trouble Sultanate any further with such minor issues as compared to the affairs of state which I know must be pressing." Again with a bow, he finishes, "By your leave."
The Sultan waves his hand again and the massive golden doors begin their slow crawl back to a closed position. He then looks Kargur squarely in the eyes. “What do you mean by these accusations? The illustrious Nuala has found herself assaulted by you and your friends in not one, but two separate homes. Do you deny that you broke into her home in Lorge Hall, and once you had been caught in the trap there, you took it upon yourselves to attempt to slay Mistress Nuala? Do you further deny that, after having failed to kill her in her home in the Ffenargh, minions were sent to drive her out of her position of power and deep into the swamps South? Finally, do you deny that you yet again assaulted her in her home in the Black Academy, where she both studied and taught? I find it amazing that you would now seek to fall upon the ‘rules of order’ when faced with a chance to end you feud with her.”
While he is speaking, Kargur takes a moment to attempt to assess the man’s moral stature, but is unable. Although the source is indiscernible, there is definitely something stopping magical abilities from being used in the area. Kargur is not surprised though, as it is quite common for aristocracy to protect their inner chambers from the magics of their rivals.
Mosafta Continues, “You apologize for having me brought into this. There is no need. It is a husband’s duty to protect his bride. As for your friends and family, Nuala has expressed her deepest regrets that she was forced to these straits, but I would ask you one final question: how many of her friends at the Black Academy did you take prisoner, as opposed to the number of her friends you slaughtered on your many raids? Hmmm?”
Teflon stands silent and attentive. His thoughts however, seethe with righteous anger. He would like nothing better then to say, "yeah, we killed the evil minions of the bitch queen there. Her attempt to take over a city and turn everyone there into undead was
ed up too, by HHH. In fact her evil has been crushed at every attempt we had. Second, I don't remember taking hostages and prisoners. Doesn't sound like me. The innocent are innocent, and the evil are dead or dying." But he stands there quietly letting the negotiators speak. William bows deeply, and in a calm voice speaks in Kettish, which he learned in their previous travels to this area. "Yes, I do deny all of that. What my party did was in the name of goodness. Your wife may have left out a few details like her Vampire servants, inhuman experiments, the Devourer and being in league with the devils and demons of other realms. The destruction of two towns. But I did not come here to correct her lies. I came here to get my brother back. Once I know he is safe, I will fight at noon. I will meet her in the arena with her undead henchmen."
Kargur is taken aback at the news of the wedding and the bombast from the Sultan. Making a quick look around, he sees what appear to be similar thoughts in the eyes and posture of all of his fellow team, including Teflon Billy.
Holding his Shield tightly to his front, he responds, "I spoke of innocents, not merely friends and family. We are followers of the teaching of the Arch Paladin Himself, Heironious. As such, we fight to avenge those whose lives are destroyed in the corruption of evil. That our paths and that of that of this... woman... have crossed many times is not due to the fact that we have always purposefully sought her out to destroy who she is. It is due to the fact that where she goes, death and worse afflict many people, entire villages and towns. It is to their aid we come to assist, only to find that she is once more connected to the beginnings and continuation of much suffering over entire areas of land. It is like a plague, not that we start, but which we must follow to try to clean up so that the suffering may stop.
"It is true that there have only been people taken out of the vile academy alive, prisoners themselves each and everyone, used as food and fun for those with whom Nuala associates. Crimes beyond what any civilized state could ever abide by. I pray that today her destructive ways may be finally stopped before her influence is cast upon this Great City like a dark cloud, consuming and twisting and devouring all in its wake. I am here for that sole purpose, even more than for the release of my long time friend and protector of those I hold dear far away, Garth.
"Do we deny that we have battled Nuala and her associates? Battled even unto death? No. Will we battle today, both her and the undead abominations she will command to be beside her? Yes. And we shall dispatch her and her vile lackeys, not with a cheer of happiness for what we must do, but with a nod of sorrow for the lives that once were and are no more. Even after her death today, we shall still continue the fight of Right, going where we are called to go to assist the innocents that have been assaulted by the vile aspects of evil. And I pray, may that fight no longer have to be fought here, in this supreme city."
With but the briefest nod of respect, he concludes, "Prepare for a day of sorrow on the morrow, my Sultan. For by the setting of the sun this day, you will either have lost your bride, or if we fail and you do marry this woman, a worse fate by far, begun the journey of losing your soul. So again I most truly apologize. Not for what we have or must do, but for what Nuala has and does, and that she has attempted to include you into it."
"Pretty words dear 'Soldiers of Right', but though some of them may even be true, it is plain to see that neither side in this battle has been completely in the light. Were you such friends of life and liberty as you claim, perhaps you would have waited before slaughtering helpless students at the University of Magic. Perhaps you would not have begun this 'feud' with your breaking and entering into her dwelling in Lorge. Perhaps you would have taken prisoners as you claim you did, rather than killing all whom you came across in those halls of learning. And perhaps countless deaths would have been avoided.
"However, these points are moot. You and she will face off in the arena today, and the blood of the loser will determine who is right and who is wrong here. Indeed, were it not for the fact that she has asked that I stay my hand and let her have you, I would arrest you now for speaking in that vein towards My future bride. But as I said, these words matter not, it is actions which will prove themselves this day. The past is what was, and things occur as things occur. May they occur in the light." With that shocking last statement, reflecting Mosafta's connection to the Knights of the Middle Circle, he waves his hand again and the doors swing silently open once more. Mosafta and his eunuchs stand to leave, and it is quite plain for all to see that the meeting has been completed.
William speaks up, “What about my brother, Jacob?”
The Sultan replies as he walks out, “You have my word that they are alive. They will be released after the battle.”
Kargur nods again at the Sultan. "By the light of Heironious, my liege", then turns to lead the way out of the room, with a confidence in his stride that seems to be full of not just pride, but of an almost relaxed purpose. To those that look closely enough, a small smile seems to slip itself in under his mustache.
Teflon Billy shrugs and walks out of the room with the rest, addressing the group but in no way trying to keep his words unheard, "I wonder how close she is to becoming a Lich? Oh well, won't matter after today anyway"
James McMurray
First Post
Well, we're all set. Gundarag's player still hasn't responded with his arena entry, but it'll get added when it gets here.
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In the catacombs below the coliseum, the party prepares for what they hope will be their final battle with Nuala, Headmistress of the Black Academy, Necromancer, Youth-thief, and overall pain in the ass. Although at first a bit worried that perhaps Galrond's transformation would make him too large for the area, it is plain to see from the sheer size of the corridors that this place was designed to house all manner of beats. The darkness in the corridors below is cloying, and howls, squeals, and screams from various caged beasts somewhere further in the dark play on your nerves.
Assad Yosef, the guard and guide that brought you hear, responding to his own internal clock or some unheard signal tells the group, "Thirty Minutes. When you enter the arena, you are to turn to the Sultan and Bow, acknowledging his sovereignty here. It is then suggested that you give the crowd some form of show, albeit a brief one. About a minute after that your opponents will enter the arena, and they too will acknowledge the Sultan and give a show for the crowd. In all it should take about two minutes between entry of the arena and the Sultan's signal to begin."
"He will rise from his throne and nod to the eunuchs behind him, who will ring the gong. At that point the battle will commence. Any offensive activity performed before the signal will be deemed cheating. The other side will be declared the victor, and the cheating individuals will be forcibly removed from the arena, to be punished as the Sultan sees fit. I would suggest not angering him, as he is a very strict ruler."
At this signal, William and Kargur begin casting their first round of preparatory spells on people. When this is complete, Galrond’s giant voice booms out from his massive frame, "Oh great Heironious, grant us the pleasure of your Celestial Chorus, to rejuvenate our Hearts, Minds, and Spirits." As he completes his casting of Limited Wish, the roof of the waiting chamber seems to fade away, leaving an open sky above. Softly at first, then more rapidly, a martial tune can be heard. It builds until a crescendo of heavenly voices are gathered in musical praise of Heironious and Glory.
Minutes later the chorus begins to fade, and the sky darkens and disappears. The group is left to stand in silence, feeling greatly rejuvenated, in the dark pits of the arena. As the shock wears off, the spellcasters begin their final rounds of preparation.
With only a few short duration spells remaining to be cast, the group awaits their summons to the arena floor.
"Now, " says the guard, and he leads the group towards the massive double doors which denote the entrance to the arena. "A battle is still underway, but it should be finished shortly."
Looking through the slots in the doors, the party sees a sandy expanse. Large portions of sand are matted in blood, while other areas hold small, and sometimes large, piles of silver or copper coins, testament to the triumphs and follies of the days earlier bouts. But what truly grabs their attention is the battle being fought.
On the sands, a man clad only in a loincloth and sandals, carrying only a massive greatsword, faces off against a monstrous beast. The creature is at least 15' long, and seems to be armored over its entire body in three inch thick gray plates, almost like a giant armadillo. This thing is no herbivore though, as shown by the 3 layers of teeth within its massive maw. The beast dives for the man, who narrowly dodges and slashes out at the creature, connecting only with armor. The watching crowd roars.
Moments later the beast turns and runs to the far side of the arena, where it leaps into the air and dices headfirst into the sands, rapidly disappearing. Tufts of sand fly up in a line towards the gladiator, then disappear as the creature burrows deeper.
The gladiator meanwhile, appears nonplussed, as if he expected this to happen. He jumps up 5 feet in the air from a standing start, and as he comes back down, he rebounds off the ground to a height of at least 20 feet, where he hovers aloft, held up by the newly sprouted wings on the heels of his sandals. The crowd roars approvingly again, and several silver pieces fly towards him. Taking the opportunity to send the crowd into a frenzy by catching one, he also fails to react in time to assault the beast as it resurfaces some 20 feet away. As he catches the coin, the crowd falls silent, and nearly simultaneously the voice of at least ten men, magically amplified, ring across the stadium, "SILVER!" The crowd flies even deeper into loud cries, and the beast looks around and to see the man high above, and charges his direction.
At the last moment, the beast leaps into the air, grabbing the gladiator in its maw and dragging him to the ground to shake him like a terrier with a rat. The steady stream of silver continues, but the roar of the crowd seems to indicate that it may be directed at the beast this time.
Meanwhile, the man manages to free himself from the creature's maw, and skips aside, battered and bruised, but not dead yet. Rolling aside to pick up his sword before again taking to the air, he flies at least a hundred feet up, and takes a moment to catch his breath before hurtling down at the creature below. As he comes in, the tip of his sword slams into the beast's side and penetrates, unleashing a blast of light and sending the beast reeling! The man stabs several more times, and greenish blue blood splatters his face and arms while the crowd goes wild, hurling silver at him and copper at the beast.
Moments later, the man slams the beast a final time in the belly, and it crumples to the ground at his feet. He climbs atop it and stands triumphant as coins shower down. He manages to catch one more before leaping off and diving to the side warily. He stands looking at the creature with a puzzled expression. As the party watches on, the beast's belly begins to distend in a tiny spot. An armor plate falls aside, and a tiny chunk of dripping black and white fur claws its way out of the belly of the monster. The entire crowd falls silent, and the man steps back a few feet. Meanwhile, the chunk of fur stops and begins folding in on itself, slowly coming cleaner until the party recognizes the cat, which calmly saunters towards the doors on the far side of the arena, where it wriggles through a slot and disappears.
The crowd still stands in stunned silence, and the Sultan waves his hands to his eunuchs, who ring the gong signaling that the fight is over. The man gives one final bow to the Sultan and the people, then turns and heads towards the doors where the party awaits, looking back over his shoulder towards the doors where the cat disappeared.
The doors across from the heroes open and several men run out onto the field, one bleeding from several scratch marks. They fasten massive ropes to the felled beast and sections of the arena floor rise up, revealing covered doorways. They fasten the ropes to massive pulleys and a group of three ogres move out from the recesses of the arena floor and begin pulling the beast towards the pit, where it falls with a loud thud. The door fall shut and the sand slips back over them, making it near impossible to tell where the door was just seconds before.
As the gladiator passes the group, he gives them a nod and a smile, and walks off, tossing his two silver in the air with a thoughtful look on his face.
Trumpets blare and the voice of the Sultan can be heard booming out. "Darkon Deathspear has retained his undefeated title yet again." The crowd roars. "But still he has failed to catch the third coin. Our loves goes out to him, and our hopes for his continued success in the future." The crowd roars again, but silences almost immediately as the sultan raises his hand from the throne.
"Today we have a very special event for you. Magisters?" Chanting picks up from around the walls of the arena floor, and a pearly white dome slithers and crawls its way into existence. As it reaches into the sky, the crowd's roaring becomes almost deafening, and as the sides of the dome meet in the air almost 400 feet above the arena floor, the whiteness fades and the wall becomes clear as glass. The Sultan continues, "A magical duel to the death has been arranged. Those heroes you have heard much about these past months are here. The slayers of Argala, Dragon of the West..." The crowd divides into boos and cheers, with the cheers only partially out living the boos. "They are...
The guard speaks up, "As he call your name, please move into the arena and enter the red square." Looking out, the group sees a square of red, perhaps 20 feet on a side, drawn in the sand. It was not there moments before. Across the field a similarly sized square of blue can be seen near the other gates.
"Amastacia Starflower, Beautiful Bard and Magical Artist"
Amastacia enters the arena, singing a beautiful song. As she walks into the center of the red square, her every footstep brings life to the sand at her feet. Where her feet touch, the greenest of grass and the most vibrant of flowers burst into life, spreading out from her footsteps to a good 20 feet into the sand and blood covered arena.
Her slow walk leads her into the square, and behind her remains a lush tapestry, with a lilting brook passing through a meadow. As she enters her starting spot, the field behind her begins to fade into mist, which then coalesces into hundreds of white doves. The doves fly up, and turn again into mist before disappearing into the noon sky.
"Teflon Billy, Dwarven Wizard Extraordinaire"
Teflon Billy, looking like a young Arthur, upon entering the arena, draws an arena provided long sword and kneels in the damp sand. He says a quick prayer for Heironious to bring victory in this battle so that he may see further battles with evil. Then Billy stands, cuts his left forearm with the long sword and sheaths his sword, using his blood to make marks on his face. The crowd gives a cheer of approval.
"Galrond Glorykin, Gods-touched Sorcerer"
Galrond walks out into the field and the crowd gasps. Plainly this is the first they have seen a giant in the field. His coal black skin gleams under the noon sky, and his golden eyes flash from behind the fiery shield floating in the air before him. He turns to bow to the Sultan, then spins full circle, surveying the crowd. "Dastaraka Heironious Markatal!" He shouts, and the familiar bursts of his Golden magic missiles fly into the sky. He then draws a seemingly tiny glowing golden lightning bolt upon his forehead before bellowing at the tops of his lungs a fearsome sounding war cry towards the stands as a gigantic long sword appears in his hand. The crowd gasps, and many faces turn quizzically towards the translucent barrier between Galrond and them, as if assessing its strength. Seconds later though, he loses his self-control and starts to laugh, a booming chuckle of amusement at his display and how far it is from his true self. The gasps from the crowd at the war cry turn rapidly to amusement and cheers.
"Gundarag, Ferocious Warrior and Protector of Amastacia's Honor"
"Kargur Melasur, Strong-armed Paladin of Heironious"
Kargur strides purposefully into the arena, his sword and shield flashing in the noon-day sun. As he reaches the center of the square, he turns to wait patiently for Lanis to join him. After a moment, the crowd begins to boo, believing he has decided not to favor them with a display.
The Sultan waits a moment, and when it becomes obvious that Kargur is waiting for something, he continues, "Lanis, Master Bowman"
Lanis strides out into the arena beside Kargur, and stands. Kargur then raises his hands, holding his gleaming shield aloft so that the lightning bolt emblazoned on its front catches the light. He shouts out in Kettish, “God of Law and Good and Righteouness, grant us power through the light!”
As he does so, Lanis reaches over to touch the shield, and Kargur begins to shift and change. His hair lengthens, muscles and face grow, and moments later he is transformed fully. Lanis’s face tightens into a mask of concentration, and moments later he too undergoes the change. The crowd roars in approval at the were-lions standing before them. A few detractors cry out curses towards the “infidels” who would follow Heironious rather than Al-Akbar, but in the metropolis of Lopolla, true fanatics are few, and tehir voices are drowned rapidly out.
"Christopher Siege, Master of the Closed Eye"
Cristoph mutters under his breath, "Well, there goes that secret." He then strides onto the field in his leather pants and frilled shirt, looking at first like some foolish danady. Then, leaping high into the air and coming down into an acrobatic display of great skill, he shows the crowd that he is not the dandy he first appears. He then moves to stand in the center of the circle, looking back towards the entrance awaiting his father’s arrival. The crowd murmurs approval, but (except for a few ladies impressed by his looks) it is plain to see that they were hoping for more after the show so far.
"William Siege, Christopher’s younger father, and priest of Heironious."
At the sounds of 'younger father', the crowd quiets down and many quizzical voices can be heard.
William steps out onto the arena, in hybrid were-lion form carrying a wash basin and wearing a simple linen robe. The crowd quiets as his mane catches the wind. In a loud voice he speaks to the crowd in their native tongue with his arms held high, "Fellow seekers of light, please give a moment of your life and join me in payer." William waits a moment to allow the crowd to calm down, then lays the wash basin on the ground and kneels in front of it.
"Lord God, hear our plees so that we may be protected by your strength and valor. May your grace deliver us from the venom of the cobra, the bite of the jackle, and paint the moon red with the blood of our enemies. Then in your grace wash our bodies clean and protect us in your holy light." William then casts create water and Entropic Shield and begins to ceremoniously wash his hands with the water he created. When he is done, the majority of the crowd cheers him on, appreciative of both his words and his candor in refraining from using specifics. A few less tactful individuals shout epithets and curses, giving the idea that they don’t agree with “infidels” praying in their city. It is by far the lesser of the two responses though, and overall the crowd seems impressed by William’s piety.
The Sultan waits a moment, raising his hand to calm the crowd, "Their foe for this fateful battle is Mistress Nuala, Head of the Black Academy, Keeper of the Life Bane, and My Bride To Be."
The crowd falls silent at this stunning news, as until now the Sultan has chosen to never take a wife, even though he has had many opportunities.
A hush falls over the crowd as high above the blue square on the arena floor, a glowing fiery gateway appears. Its massive doors swing silently open, and two 15 foot tall skeletal figures step forth from within. Their eyes are empty holes filled with flames, and looking into the beast’s chests the heroes see two humanoid figures. William and Kargur recognize immediately their brother and master at arms, trapped within the beasts themselves. In turn the beasts reach their huge claws into their own chests, passing seamlessly through the ribcage. As they grab onto their captives, the trapped humans struggle and squirm, before screaming in agony. The creatures reach into their captives as well, pulling out a small amount of diaphanous material, which flows down their arm. A moment later, an exact duplicate of their clawed hand materializes in the air beside them, hovering hungrily.
The gaunt skeletal figures glare at the crowd, and one of them moves towards it, but a female voice cries out, “Hold my children, those are not for you to feast upon. There, at the end of the field, those are your new playthings.” Moments later, Nuala steps through the gate, but she does not look anything like you have ever seen before.
She is clothed only in her long jet black hair. Massive bat wings unfurl from her back and hold her aloft, easily 50 feet above the arena floor. A crown of black fire adorns her hair, and her beauty seems almost painful to behold. Draped across her shoulders and barely covering her naked form is what appears to be a cape made out of pure darkness. It twists and writhes before her like a thing alive. Her skin is an alabaster pearly white, almost reptilian looking. It gives sharp contrast to the fiery shield which dances in her left hand.
Behind her, several exact replicas step forth from the gate. Even though you have seen her use this before, and know that they are only illusory doubles, it is still impossible to discern which is the real Nuala. All of the Nualas turn towards the Sultan and give him a small bow.
She then turns to the group, and a baleful wale issues forth from the air around them, sounding like the moans and cries of multitudes of tortured souls. "Martaka Dar Shibost." she cries out, and replicas of the group appear in the air between the two squares, in the dead center of the arena. They stand fully 15' tall each (40' for the Galrond copy). From within the figures, small flames begin to lick their skin, turning it charred and blackened. As the fires grow, the bodies begin to decay rapidly, before falling to dust less than half a minute later. As the heroes' visage slowly fades, the crowd goes wild, and some even throw a few silver coins towards her, one of which she catches, much to the crowd's pleasure. As the crowd is distracted by this spectacle, Galrond takes the opportunity to cast a few more spells upon himself, including Limited Wishes for Righteous Might and an extended Divine Power.
The Sultan raises his hand again, and the crowd quickly quiets down. As he stands from his chair, Galrond mutters, "here we go," and casts Mass Haste for the party followed by a Righteous Might upon himself. The crowd gasps in unison as the 15' tall Galrond doubles in size to a towering 30 feet, simultaneously floating 5 feet up off the ground, so that his new 30,000 pound bulk does not send him crashing through the arena floor to the catacombs below. William reaches over and touches him, casting Curse of the brute as he does, and enhancing Galrond’s already astounding strength to godlike proportions (50!).
The eunuchs draw back their mallets to strike the gong, the squares in the sand fade away, and the battle commences!
---------
In the catacombs below the coliseum, the party prepares for what they hope will be their final battle with Nuala, Headmistress of the Black Academy, Necromancer, Youth-thief, and overall pain in the ass. Although at first a bit worried that perhaps Galrond's transformation would make him too large for the area, it is plain to see from the sheer size of the corridors that this place was designed to house all manner of beats. The darkness in the corridors below is cloying, and howls, squeals, and screams from various caged beasts somewhere further in the dark play on your nerves.
Assad Yosef, the guard and guide that brought you hear, responding to his own internal clock or some unheard signal tells the group, "Thirty Minutes. When you enter the arena, you are to turn to the Sultan and Bow, acknowledging his sovereignty here. It is then suggested that you give the crowd some form of show, albeit a brief one. About a minute after that your opponents will enter the arena, and they too will acknowledge the Sultan and give a show for the crowd. In all it should take about two minutes between entry of the arena and the Sultan's signal to begin."
"He will rise from his throne and nod to the eunuchs behind him, who will ring the gong. At that point the battle will commence. Any offensive activity performed before the signal will be deemed cheating. The other side will be declared the victor, and the cheating individuals will be forcibly removed from the arena, to be punished as the Sultan sees fit. I would suggest not angering him, as he is a very strict ruler."
At this signal, William and Kargur begin casting their first round of preparatory spells on people. When this is complete, Galrond’s giant voice booms out from his massive frame, "Oh great Heironious, grant us the pleasure of your Celestial Chorus, to rejuvenate our Hearts, Minds, and Spirits." As he completes his casting of Limited Wish, the roof of the waiting chamber seems to fade away, leaving an open sky above. Softly at first, then more rapidly, a martial tune can be heard. It builds until a crescendo of heavenly voices are gathered in musical praise of Heironious and Glory.
Minutes later the chorus begins to fade, and the sky darkens and disappears. The group is left to stand in silence, feeling greatly rejuvenated, in the dark pits of the arena. As the shock wears off, the spellcasters begin their final rounds of preparation.
With only a few short duration spells remaining to be cast, the group awaits their summons to the arena floor.
"Now, " says the guard, and he leads the group towards the massive double doors which denote the entrance to the arena. "A battle is still underway, but it should be finished shortly."
Looking through the slots in the doors, the party sees a sandy expanse. Large portions of sand are matted in blood, while other areas hold small, and sometimes large, piles of silver or copper coins, testament to the triumphs and follies of the days earlier bouts. But what truly grabs their attention is the battle being fought.
On the sands, a man clad only in a loincloth and sandals, carrying only a massive greatsword, faces off against a monstrous beast. The creature is at least 15' long, and seems to be armored over its entire body in three inch thick gray plates, almost like a giant armadillo. This thing is no herbivore though, as shown by the 3 layers of teeth within its massive maw. The beast dives for the man, who narrowly dodges and slashes out at the creature, connecting only with armor. The watching crowd roars.
Moments later the beast turns and runs to the far side of the arena, where it leaps into the air and dices headfirst into the sands, rapidly disappearing. Tufts of sand fly up in a line towards the gladiator, then disappear as the creature burrows deeper.
The gladiator meanwhile, appears nonplussed, as if he expected this to happen. He jumps up 5 feet in the air from a standing start, and as he comes back down, he rebounds off the ground to a height of at least 20 feet, where he hovers aloft, held up by the newly sprouted wings on the heels of his sandals. The crowd roars approvingly again, and several silver pieces fly towards him. Taking the opportunity to send the crowd into a frenzy by catching one, he also fails to react in time to assault the beast as it resurfaces some 20 feet away. As he catches the coin, the crowd falls silent, and nearly simultaneously the voice of at least ten men, magically amplified, ring across the stadium, "SILVER!" The crowd flies even deeper into loud cries, and the beast looks around and to see the man high above, and charges his direction.
At the last moment, the beast leaps into the air, grabbing the gladiator in its maw and dragging him to the ground to shake him like a terrier with a rat. The steady stream of silver continues, but the roar of the crowd seems to indicate that it may be directed at the beast this time.
Meanwhile, the man manages to free himself from the creature's maw, and skips aside, battered and bruised, but not dead yet. Rolling aside to pick up his sword before again taking to the air, he flies at least a hundred feet up, and takes a moment to catch his breath before hurtling down at the creature below. As he comes in, the tip of his sword slams into the beast's side and penetrates, unleashing a blast of light and sending the beast reeling! The man stabs several more times, and greenish blue blood splatters his face and arms while the crowd goes wild, hurling silver at him and copper at the beast.
Moments later, the man slams the beast a final time in the belly, and it crumples to the ground at his feet. He climbs atop it and stands triumphant as coins shower down. He manages to catch one more before leaping off and diving to the side warily. He stands looking at the creature with a puzzled expression. As the party watches on, the beast's belly begins to distend in a tiny spot. An armor plate falls aside, and a tiny chunk of dripping black and white fur claws its way out of the belly of the monster. The entire crowd falls silent, and the man steps back a few feet. Meanwhile, the chunk of fur stops and begins folding in on itself, slowly coming cleaner until the party recognizes the cat, which calmly saunters towards the doors on the far side of the arena, where it wriggles through a slot and disappears.
The crowd still stands in stunned silence, and the Sultan waves his hands to his eunuchs, who ring the gong signaling that the fight is over. The man gives one final bow to the Sultan and the people, then turns and heads towards the doors where the party awaits, looking back over his shoulder towards the doors where the cat disappeared.
The doors across from the heroes open and several men run out onto the field, one bleeding from several scratch marks. They fasten massive ropes to the felled beast and sections of the arena floor rise up, revealing covered doorways. They fasten the ropes to massive pulleys and a group of three ogres move out from the recesses of the arena floor and begin pulling the beast towards the pit, where it falls with a loud thud. The door fall shut and the sand slips back over them, making it near impossible to tell where the door was just seconds before.
As the gladiator passes the group, he gives them a nod and a smile, and walks off, tossing his two silver in the air with a thoughtful look on his face.
Trumpets blare and the voice of the Sultan can be heard booming out. "Darkon Deathspear has retained his undefeated title yet again." The crowd roars. "But still he has failed to catch the third coin. Our loves goes out to him, and our hopes for his continued success in the future." The crowd roars again, but silences almost immediately as the sultan raises his hand from the throne.
"Today we have a very special event for you. Magisters?" Chanting picks up from around the walls of the arena floor, and a pearly white dome slithers and crawls its way into existence. As it reaches into the sky, the crowd's roaring becomes almost deafening, and as the sides of the dome meet in the air almost 400 feet above the arena floor, the whiteness fades and the wall becomes clear as glass. The Sultan continues, "A magical duel to the death has been arranged. Those heroes you have heard much about these past months are here. The slayers of Argala, Dragon of the West..." The crowd divides into boos and cheers, with the cheers only partially out living the boos. "They are...
The guard speaks up, "As he call your name, please move into the arena and enter the red square." Looking out, the group sees a square of red, perhaps 20 feet on a side, drawn in the sand. It was not there moments before. Across the field a similarly sized square of blue can be seen near the other gates.
"Amastacia Starflower, Beautiful Bard and Magical Artist"
Amastacia enters the arena, singing a beautiful song. As she walks into the center of the red square, her every footstep brings life to the sand at her feet. Where her feet touch, the greenest of grass and the most vibrant of flowers burst into life, spreading out from her footsteps to a good 20 feet into the sand and blood covered arena.
Her slow walk leads her into the square, and behind her remains a lush tapestry, with a lilting brook passing through a meadow. As she enters her starting spot, the field behind her begins to fade into mist, which then coalesces into hundreds of white doves. The doves fly up, and turn again into mist before disappearing into the noon sky.
"Teflon Billy, Dwarven Wizard Extraordinaire"
Teflon Billy, looking like a young Arthur, upon entering the arena, draws an arena provided long sword and kneels in the damp sand. He says a quick prayer for Heironious to bring victory in this battle so that he may see further battles with evil. Then Billy stands, cuts his left forearm with the long sword and sheaths his sword, using his blood to make marks on his face. The crowd gives a cheer of approval.
"Galrond Glorykin, Gods-touched Sorcerer"
Galrond walks out into the field and the crowd gasps. Plainly this is the first they have seen a giant in the field. His coal black skin gleams under the noon sky, and his golden eyes flash from behind the fiery shield floating in the air before him. He turns to bow to the Sultan, then spins full circle, surveying the crowd. "Dastaraka Heironious Markatal!" He shouts, and the familiar bursts of his Golden magic missiles fly into the sky. He then draws a seemingly tiny glowing golden lightning bolt upon his forehead before bellowing at the tops of his lungs a fearsome sounding war cry towards the stands as a gigantic long sword appears in his hand. The crowd gasps, and many faces turn quizzically towards the translucent barrier between Galrond and them, as if assessing its strength. Seconds later though, he loses his self-control and starts to laugh, a booming chuckle of amusement at his display and how far it is from his true self. The gasps from the crowd at the war cry turn rapidly to amusement and cheers.
"Gundarag, Ferocious Warrior and Protector of Amastacia's Honor"
"Kargur Melasur, Strong-armed Paladin of Heironious"
Kargur strides purposefully into the arena, his sword and shield flashing in the noon-day sun. As he reaches the center of the square, he turns to wait patiently for Lanis to join him. After a moment, the crowd begins to boo, believing he has decided not to favor them with a display.
The Sultan waits a moment, and when it becomes obvious that Kargur is waiting for something, he continues, "Lanis, Master Bowman"
Lanis strides out into the arena beside Kargur, and stands. Kargur then raises his hands, holding his gleaming shield aloft so that the lightning bolt emblazoned on its front catches the light. He shouts out in Kettish, “God of Law and Good and Righteouness, grant us power through the light!”
As he does so, Lanis reaches over to touch the shield, and Kargur begins to shift and change. His hair lengthens, muscles and face grow, and moments later he is transformed fully. Lanis’s face tightens into a mask of concentration, and moments later he too undergoes the change. The crowd roars in approval at the were-lions standing before them. A few detractors cry out curses towards the “infidels” who would follow Heironious rather than Al-Akbar, but in the metropolis of Lopolla, true fanatics are few, and tehir voices are drowned rapidly out.
"Christopher Siege, Master of the Closed Eye"
Cristoph mutters under his breath, "Well, there goes that secret." He then strides onto the field in his leather pants and frilled shirt, looking at first like some foolish danady. Then, leaping high into the air and coming down into an acrobatic display of great skill, he shows the crowd that he is not the dandy he first appears. He then moves to stand in the center of the circle, looking back towards the entrance awaiting his father’s arrival. The crowd murmurs approval, but (except for a few ladies impressed by his looks) it is plain to see that they were hoping for more after the show so far.
"William Siege, Christopher’s younger father, and priest of Heironious."
At the sounds of 'younger father', the crowd quiets down and many quizzical voices can be heard.
William steps out onto the arena, in hybrid were-lion form carrying a wash basin and wearing a simple linen robe. The crowd quiets as his mane catches the wind. In a loud voice he speaks to the crowd in their native tongue with his arms held high, "Fellow seekers of light, please give a moment of your life and join me in payer." William waits a moment to allow the crowd to calm down, then lays the wash basin on the ground and kneels in front of it.
"Lord God, hear our plees so that we may be protected by your strength and valor. May your grace deliver us from the venom of the cobra, the bite of the jackle, and paint the moon red with the blood of our enemies. Then in your grace wash our bodies clean and protect us in your holy light." William then casts create water and Entropic Shield and begins to ceremoniously wash his hands with the water he created. When he is done, the majority of the crowd cheers him on, appreciative of both his words and his candor in refraining from using specifics. A few less tactful individuals shout epithets and curses, giving the idea that they don’t agree with “infidels” praying in their city. It is by far the lesser of the two responses though, and overall the crowd seems impressed by William’s piety.
The Sultan waits a moment, raising his hand to calm the crowd, "Their foe for this fateful battle is Mistress Nuala, Head of the Black Academy, Keeper of the Life Bane, and My Bride To Be."
The crowd falls silent at this stunning news, as until now the Sultan has chosen to never take a wife, even though he has had many opportunities.
A hush falls over the crowd as high above the blue square on the arena floor, a glowing fiery gateway appears. Its massive doors swing silently open, and two 15 foot tall skeletal figures step forth from within. Their eyes are empty holes filled with flames, and looking into the beast’s chests the heroes see two humanoid figures. William and Kargur recognize immediately their brother and master at arms, trapped within the beasts themselves. In turn the beasts reach their huge claws into their own chests, passing seamlessly through the ribcage. As they grab onto their captives, the trapped humans struggle and squirm, before screaming in agony. The creatures reach into their captives as well, pulling out a small amount of diaphanous material, which flows down their arm. A moment later, an exact duplicate of their clawed hand materializes in the air beside them, hovering hungrily.
The gaunt skeletal figures glare at the crowd, and one of them moves towards it, but a female voice cries out, “Hold my children, those are not for you to feast upon. There, at the end of the field, those are your new playthings.” Moments later, Nuala steps through the gate, but she does not look anything like you have ever seen before.
She is clothed only in her long jet black hair. Massive bat wings unfurl from her back and hold her aloft, easily 50 feet above the arena floor. A crown of black fire adorns her hair, and her beauty seems almost painful to behold. Draped across her shoulders and barely covering her naked form is what appears to be a cape made out of pure darkness. It twists and writhes before her like a thing alive. Her skin is an alabaster pearly white, almost reptilian looking. It gives sharp contrast to the fiery shield which dances in her left hand.
Behind her, several exact replicas step forth from the gate. Even though you have seen her use this before, and know that they are only illusory doubles, it is still impossible to discern which is the real Nuala. All of the Nualas turn towards the Sultan and give him a small bow.
She then turns to the group, and a baleful wale issues forth from the air around them, sounding like the moans and cries of multitudes of tortured souls. "Martaka Dar Shibost." she cries out, and replicas of the group appear in the air between the two squares, in the dead center of the arena. They stand fully 15' tall each (40' for the Galrond copy). From within the figures, small flames begin to lick their skin, turning it charred and blackened. As the fires grow, the bodies begin to decay rapidly, before falling to dust less than half a minute later. As the heroes' visage slowly fades, the crowd goes wild, and some even throw a few silver coins towards her, one of which she catches, much to the crowd's pleasure. As the crowd is distracted by this spectacle, Galrond takes the opportunity to cast a few more spells upon himself, including Limited Wishes for Righteous Might and an extended Divine Power.
The Sultan raises his hand again, and the crowd quickly quiets down. As he stands from his chair, Galrond mutters, "here we go," and casts Mass Haste for the party followed by a Righteous Might upon himself. The crowd gasps in unison as the 15' tall Galrond doubles in size to a towering 30 feet, simultaneously floating 5 feet up off the ground, so that his new 30,000 pound bulk does not send him crashing through the arena floor to the catacombs below. William reaches over and touches him, casting Curse of the brute as he does, and enhancing Galrond’s already astounding strength to godlike proportions (50!).
The eunuchs draw back their mallets to strike the gong, the squares in the sand fade away, and the battle commences!
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