Sniktch
First Post
Welby hesitated, then dove to the side as Malobar lunged forward. The halfling rolled under the swipe, drawing his own blade and slicing the elf’s calf as he passed by. The wound was bloodless and began to heal immediately, but the barbarian did not have time to think about this as one of the dark elves moved in on his flank and he was forced to parry for his life.
Lassivarius recovered from the pain and shock of the sudden attack and kicked his leg out, catching Malobar in the back of the knees and sending him sprawling. Then Raak entered the room with a bellowed challenge and hurled himself towards the second dark elf. The drow answered his challenge with a wide grin, revealing his fangs, and lunged forward. The dwarf could not match the vampire’s speed with the blade and was pierced several times before he brought his warhammer up and caught the rapier on the massive flat head. There was a ringing smack and glittering shards of steel flew through the air – Raak followed through and caught the drow in the chest, crushing ribs and sending it staggering backwards. It glared up at him, still grinning, as the bones began to knit and its ribcage began to fill out again.
Meanwhile, Welby launched a furious offensive, driving his opponent back several paces. As the dark elf recovered his footing and raised his blade, the halfling stepped back – and vanished! Puzzled, the drow looked around, and spotted Lassivarius struggling with Malobar near the entrance. A snide sneer curled his lips as he moved in on the monk’s unprotected backside and raised his blade to strike… and stopped suddenly, staring down questioningly at a length of gray steel protruding from his gut. Welby twisted his sword and jerked it free, and an unholy scream escaped the vampire’s lips as it dissipated into smoke and flowed from the room.
At the same time, Raak crushed the skull of the other dark elf and forced it to discorporate. As the pair of vampires fled for their coffins, Malobar took a step back and held up his hands, “Enough! Stop fighting!”
Lassivarius paused, panting and bleeding from many shallow cuts, and snarled, “Prepare to join your friends, vampire.”
“But I’m free – they were controlling me, I had no choice but to fight. Now they are vanquished I am in control of myself again. We must hurry and destroy them in their coffins before they regain their strength, or else I will fall under their control once more.”
*****
Lassivarius leaned back and let Malobar continue the narration:
“Of course, we reached the coffins and destroyed the pair, and I retained my free will. That was when we ran into Gnish and Bruskin, and the lunatic ghost chasing them. Raak did something to the Mask –“
“Just showed him the power of Arawn,” Raak interjected.
“Right, well – the ghost gave a mournful wail and disappeared, and I have not seen him again since. Gnish and Bruskin explained what had happened, and I went upstairs and retrieved the bodies of the fallen. The banshee, to her eternal frustration, was unable to harm me, and soon we were ready to carry the corpses out of that foul place.”
“But I was not ready to leave,” Bruskin said. “No, we had defeated Dorina T’sarran but she had escaped to her coffin, and I knew if we left then she would reform as if nothing had happened. We had to find her coffin and finish her off. A bit of exploration found it not far away…”
*****
Gnish entered the chamber first and jumped, hurling his dagger at the seated figure of Dorina T’sarran in the middle of the room. The dagger passed right through her and clattered off the wall, and she did not react. “Illusion,” sniffed the svirfneblin as he went to retrieve his weapon.
The survivors fanned out around the room and searched the walls. Welby found a cluster of holes in one section, and soon a loose brick, which caused the section to slide inward when he pressed it. Inside was a beautiful, ornate sarcophagus with the likeness of the dark elf priestess carved into its surface, and opening the sarcophagus revealed the form of Dorina T’sarran. The vampiress had yet to recover from her earlier battle and was quickly dispatched. Searching the coffin revealed a pile of coins and jewelry, as well as two rolled up documents – a map to the dark elf city of Maerimydra and a letter.
Bruskin opened the letter and read aloud:
Daughter:
Our Dark Lady favors my efforts, and my research proceeds well. Within five tendays, perhaps six, all will be ready for the Day of Great Vengeance. The Spider Queen is dead; we have already brought low the Spider-kissers and seized our rightful place in the realms of the dark. Now the Day draws near when we shall avenge ourselves on the day-blasted lands, too, and achieve the ultimate triumph denied us long ago.
While I prepare my Great Revenance, it falls to you to make ready the way. Harry the surface-dwellers, hunt them in the woods and fields, and take the measure of their strength. Do not concern yourself with putting them on their guard; our Lady desires their blood, their fear, and their dreadful anticipation of our ultimate act of revenge. With each slaying we grow in her favor and sow the seeds of our coming victory.
If they come against you in Szith Morcane in irresistible strength, slay as many as you can. Withdraw from the fight if you must, and bring Zedarr with you, but as for the rest - they are to stand and die for the glory of the White Banshee. The battle for Szith Morcane will come to nothing when our Great Revenance comes to pass. If anything, our final vengeance will be made even sweeter by each fleeting, false hope our enemies entertain before it falls upon them.
Work great slaughter for our Lady's dark glory, my daughter. Soon I will come to you from Maerimydra with such dark and terrible might that all the world will tremble before us.
Mother
Welby exchanged uneasy glances with Bruskin and Malobar. They had thought their task would be completed with the fall of Szith Morcane, but it was clear that this was only the beginning.
Next: Second meeting with the Archmage of Szith Morcane
Lassivarius recovered from the pain and shock of the sudden attack and kicked his leg out, catching Malobar in the back of the knees and sending him sprawling. Then Raak entered the room with a bellowed challenge and hurled himself towards the second dark elf. The drow answered his challenge with a wide grin, revealing his fangs, and lunged forward. The dwarf could not match the vampire’s speed with the blade and was pierced several times before he brought his warhammer up and caught the rapier on the massive flat head. There was a ringing smack and glittering shards of steel flew through the air – Raak followed through and caught the drow in the chest, crushing ribs and sending it staggering backwards. It glared up at him, still grinning, as the bones began to knit and its ribcage began to fill out again.
Meanwhile, Welby launched a furious offensive, driving his opponent back several paces. As the dark elf recovered his footing and raised his blade, the halfling stepped back – and vanished! Puzzled, the drow looked around, and spotted Lassivarius struggling with Malobar near the entrance. A snide sneer curled his lips as he moved in on the monk’s unprotected backside and raised his blade to strike… and stopped suddenly, staring down questioningly at a length of gray steel protruding from his gut. Welby twisted his sword and jerked it free, and an unholy scream escaped the vampire’s lips as it dissipated into smoke and flowed from the room.
At the same time, Raak crushed the skull of the other dark elf and forced it to discorporate. As the pair of vampires fled for their coffins, Malobar took a step back and held up his hands, “Enough! Stop fighting!”
Lassivarius paused, panting and bleeding from many shallow cuts, and snarled, “Prepare to join your friends, vampire.”
“But I’m free – they were controlling me, I had no choice but to fight. Now they are vanquished I am in control of myself again. We must hurry and destroy them in their coffins before they regain their strength, or else I will fall under their control once more.”
*****
Lassivarius leaned back and let Malobar continue the narration:
“Of course, we reached the coffins and destroyed the pair, and I retained my free will. That was when we ran into Gnish and Bruskin, and the lunatic ghost chasing them. Raak did something to the Mask –“
“Just showed him the power of Arawn,” Raak interjected.
“Right, well – the ghost gave a mournful wail and disappeared, and I have not seen him again since. Gnish and Bruskin explained what had happened, and I went upstairs and retrieved the bodies of the fallen. The banshee, to her eternal frustration, was unable to harm me, and soon we were ready to carry the corpses out of that foul place.”
“But I was not ready to leave,” Bruskin said. “No, we had defeated Dorina T’sarran but she had escaped to her coffin, and I knew if we left then she would reform as if nothing had happened. We had to find her coffin and finish her off. A bit of exploration found it not far away…”
*****
Gnish entered the chamber first and jumped, hurling his dagger at the seated figure of Dorina T’sarran in the middle of the room. The dagger passed right through her and clattered off the wall, and she did not react. “Illusion,” sniffed the svirfneblin as he went to retrieve his weapon.
The survivors fanned out around the room and searched the walls. Welby found a cluster of holes in one section, and soon a loose brick, which caused the section to slide inward when he pressed it. Inside was a beautiful, ornate sarcophagus with the likeness of the dark elf priestess carved into its surface, and opening the sarcophagus revealed the form of Dorina T’sarran. The vampiress had yet to recover from her earlier battle and was quickly dispatched. Searching the coffin revealed a pile of coins and jewelry, as well as two rolled up documents – a map to the dark elf city of Maerimydra and a letter.
Bruskin opened the letter and read aloud:
Daughter:
Our Dark Lady favors my efforts, and my research proceeds well. Within five tendays, perhaps six, all will be ready for the Day of Great Vengeance. The Spider Queen is dead; we have already brought low the Spider-kissers and seized our rightful place in the realms of the dark. Now the Day draws near when we shall avenge ourselves on the day-blasted lands, too, and achieve the ultimate triumph denied us long ago.
While I prepare my Great Revenance, it falls to you to make ready the way. Harry the surface-dwellers, hunt them in the woods and fields, and take the measure of their strength. Do not concern yourself with putting them on their guard; our Lady desires their blood, their fear, and their dreadful anticipation of our ultimate act of revenge. With each slaying we grow in her favor and sow the seeds of our coming victory.
If they come against you in Szith Morcane in irresistible strength, slay as many as you can. Withdraw from the fight if you must, and bring Zedarr with you, but as for the rest - they are to stand and die for the glory of the White Banshee. The battle for Szith Morcane will come to nothing when our Great Revenance comes to pass. If anything, our final vengeance will be made even sweeter by each fleeting, false hope our enemies entertain before it falls upon them.
Work great slaughter for our Lady's dark glory, my daughter. Soon I will come to you from Maerimydra with such dark and terrible might that all the world will tremble before us.
Mother
Welby exchanged uneasy glances with Bruskin and Malobar. They had thought their task would be completed with the fall of Szith Morcane, but it was clear that this was only the beginning.
Next: Second meeting with the Archmage of Szith Morcane
