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The Ardick Campaign - Chapter One: Repentance
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<blockquote data-quote="Angel of Adventure" data-source="post: 2335129" data-attributes="member: 19165"><p><strong>The Wilted Lands of Zacknef IV - Confrontation</strong></p><p></p><p>OK, so it took a bit longer to turn this update out, but I'm pleased with it and hopefully you will find it worth the wait. This brings about the end of our second (final???) gaming session and fufilled my need to give Mhoram, Zacknef, and Gherrick (the PCs) a fight worthy of their potent skills.</p><p></p><p>Enjoy! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite8" alt=":D" title="Big grin :D" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":D" /> </p><p></p><p>*******************************************************************</p><p></p><p>Zacknef surged forward, shaking the chamber around them with his mighty footsteps, each long stride consuming the space between himself and the Travelers. Gherrick loosened five quick shots at him, only to have the arrows burned away by Zacknef’s black, fiery aura. </p><p></p><p>Zacknef retorted by telekinetically grabbing Aegle from Gherrick’s strong grasp, tossing her at the feet of his Marilith. His left hand arm extended itself and he made a slow, crushing motion with his hand whilst looking directly at Saint Simon.</p><p></p><p>“IMMMMPLLLLLOOOOOSSSSSSSIIIIOOOON!”</p><p></p><p>The loud echo of Saint Simon’s bones crushing in on themselves pierced their ears and his form suddenly collapsed into a compact package surrounded by a rapidly growing blood pool.</p><p></p><p>“HA, HA, HA!!! THE ANGEL DIES FIRST, SURELY AN OMEN OF YOUR PAINFUL DEMISE. ADD ANOTHER SKULL TO MY THRONE! COME NOW, WHO IS NEXT TO FEEL MY POWER?!?”</p><p></p><p>“Gherrick, come to me!” cried Aegle. “Do not let Saint Simon die in vain!”</p><p></p><p>“Don’t just stand there gaping!” shot Darsint. “We don’t stand a chance without your marksmanship!” </p><p></p><p>Darsint and the seven rotating images around him charged Zacknef with sword in hand, landing a blow with swift precision. Zacknef quickly retrieved a long, sinewy barbed whip at his side. Its tail danced wickedly in the air before entangling Darsint, pulsing with a life of its own. Zacknef pulled him forward into his burning form with an abrupt snap of the whip.</p><p></p><p>Mhoram and H.A.L. acted in concert, unleashing a series of electrical and sonic invocations at the Balor. Their energies raced forward in rapid succession, creating blinding fireworks in the darkness around them. The results were unimpressive, never giving Zacknef reason to give up Darsint.</p><p></p><p>Gherrick tumbled his way toward the Marilith on Zacknef’s right, dodging its blows masterfully and avoiding its enchanting gaze. He ran and dove for Aegle who eagerly returned to his needy hands. Two shots were fired while on his back, aimed directly for her head, only to see his missiles pass through the Demon in front of him.</p><p></p><p>Gherrick’s true adversary slid out of the darkness from behind the throne. She wasted little time and followed Zacknef’s lead by ripping Aegle from Gherrick. Aegle flew forward and impacted the Skull Throne at high speed, ricocheting behind it. Her hands immediately grabbed the six blades at her side and she slithered forward, ready to slice Gherrick open.</p><p></p><p>Darsint wailed on Zacknef with his large metal fists, desperately trying to free himself from the Balor’s painful grasp. He managed to push himself away, giving the combatants space to trade sword blows. Zacknef punished him with two telling blows, forcing the lightning-shaped, adamantine weapon deep inside Darsint’s hardened body, never mistaking Darsint’s illusionary replicas for the real thing. Darsint returned with four quick slashes and grimaced when they rang off Zacknef’s flaming skin.</p><p></p><p>“STUPID, PATHETIC MORTALS!’ taunted Zacknef. “I WILL SEND YOUR WEAK SOUL TO THE ABYSS SO YOU CAN ENJOY A LEVEL OF SUFFERING THAT I COULD ONLY HOPE TO INFLICT UPON YOU!” His whip stretched out again and ensnared Darsint a second time, lifting him off his feet and into the flames.</p><p></p><p>Mhoram and H.A.L. watched helplessly as more and more of their magicks were extinguished by Zacknef’s horrible aura. Their own auras, provided by the mauled Saint Simon, did not seem to slow their boastful foe. </p><p></p><p>“H.A.L.,” cried Mhoram, “maximize all of your damaging spells upon our foe! We can only hope one of our more potent valences will get through this Demon’s defenses and do some meaningful damage!” </p><p></p><p>H.A.L. responded with a cone of scintillating rainbow beams, aimed carefully as to not catch Darsint. It was but a small annoyance to Zacknef. Mhoram breathed in and concentrated on his enemy. A small cylinder of force flew towards Zacknef and exploded through his right leg. A geyser of black flames erupted from the wound. </p><p></p><p>Zacknef turned his attention away from the entangled Darsint and gazed upon the bone-robed wizard still standing at the entrance to his lair. “YOU CANNOT HOPE TO HURT ME WITH YOUR SILLY SPELL, MAGE! LET ME FINISH WITH YOUR GOLEM AND I’LL SHOW YOU A DAMNATION THAT WILL BE YOUR ETERNITY!!!”</p><p></p><p>His voice rattled the chamber and a boulder shook free from the ceiling, dropping between Zacknef and his quarry. The rock snapped the whip from his hand and forced Darsint away from him. Darsint did not miss this opportunity, casting his own spell and then flinging his greatsword at the prone monstrosity in front of him. It slashed a deep wound across Zacknef’s shoulder, creating a large gash that breathed more fire, before returning to Darsint’s hands. </p><p></p><p>Gherrick desperately tried to distance himself from the six-bladed Marilith, whose swords repeatedly cut him. He managed to fend off enough abuse to get away and retrieve Aegle, easily spotting her shinning glow in the darkness. They turned to face their charging foe and embedded four arrows in her long tail and muscular torso. </p><p></p><p>She was now on top of him and the two then began the deadly dance of Bow against Sword. Gherrick could not recall the last time he’d practiced this routine, but it came with instinctive speed.</p><p></p><p>Gherrick dodged left, then right, before stutter-stepping to evade all but one of the Marilith’s attacks, slightly wounding his arrow arm but never slowing him. He and Aegle fired arrow after arrow from seemingly impossible positions; at times shooting blindly as they tumbled back and forth, each arrow scoring a bloody victory.</p><p></p><p>The Marilith now realized that Gherrick could not be allowed to use his weapon so freely and grappled him with her long, reptilian tail. The force of her strength bore down upon him and he felt consciousness slipping away.</p><p></p><p>“Fight, Gherrick, fight!” a desperate Aegle called out. “Do not allow yourself to leave your friends without killing this beast!”</p><p></p><p>Gherrick felt his rib cage start to crack, bringing a blood into his mouth and out onto his lips. Aegle restored some of his strength immediately, giving him a few more precious seconds of consciousness. </p><p></p><p>Zacknef never stopped the brutal offensive he’d begun against Darsint. Flecks of Greenstar metal flew in all direction each time the jagged blade hit home. H.A.L. rushed forward with greatsword drawn, hoping to intervene. He found his metal frame thrown aside by a powerful punch from the Demon that threw him up against a spiked screen that stood in front of the throne. Prying himself off, he charged back, diving out with a repairing spell charged on his hand.</p><p></p><p>H.A.L. flew past Darsint and touched his back, magically closing some of the cracks now stitched across the Greenstar Adept’s frame. H.A.L. tumbled expertly to an abrupt stop and reentered the fight.</p><p></p><p>“WHAT IS THIS?’ boomed Zacknef. “TWO METAL MEN AT ONCE? DO YOU HAVE SOULS, YOU STUPID GOLEMS? WE’LL FIND OUT ONCE I STRIP AWAY YOUR LIVES!” </p><p></p><p>“You will not take that pleasure, Demon!” exclaimed Darsint. “It will be you who looses your soul today, if there is anything still left of it!” </p><p></p><p>Sword strokes exchanged themselves amongst the three combatants, their weapons clashing in a flurry of deadly violence. The Sucubus’ head remained near the entrance, a reminder of Zacknef’s deadly prowess. His sword, bristling with evil, chaotic fire was something to be feared in its own right.</p><p></p><p>Zacknef was a consummate tactician. He moved easily from side to side, never letting his foes get behind him and while trying to use them as cover from Mhoram’s magical attacks. He ignored damage from the few valences that penetrated his innate resistance to mortal magic and further pressed his attack. Mhoram now realized, through trial and error of all too many of his spells, that electrical attacks would not harm this Balor. Likewise, Zacknef’s fiery blood burned too hot for any fire-based incantations to succeed.</p><p></p><p>H.A.L. feinted to his left, provoking an attack from Zacknef, but leaving open a small window for Darsint to strike. Darsint swung again and again, absorbing Zacknef’s black, fiery aura harmlessly by way of the wards provided to him by Mhoram, H.A.L., and the extinguished Simon. His own attack did little harm and two blows returned by Zacknef erased all of H.A.L.’s repairs.</p><p></p><p>“You will not take me, Demon whore,” gasped Gherrick, still struggling to break free of the Marilith’s squeeze. He found a dagger strapped behind his right shoulder and pressed it deep into the Demon, causing her to scream loudly. She released her grasp just enough for Gherrick to spurt free and turn his bow back upon her. He danced between her blows and kept firing, always firing no matter where she forced him. His foes now sported a dozen arrows on her foul frame.</p><p></p><p>The Marilith pressed forward, trying to yank away Aegle, before raining down six strikes too fast for Gherrick’s keen eyes. His breastplate adequately protected his vitals, but the foul energies in her strikes shocked him to the core. He fired desperately, trying to seek cover behind a spiked screen, then the throne. She pursued him mercilessly. Two more arrows found their target, one flying wide and another deflected by a sword. Each retreated to opposite sides of the Skull Throne to take count of their many wounds.</p><p></p><p>The Marilith stopped, taking a defensive posture on the opposite side of the throne and weighed her options. She was bleeding from too many wounds, and the nimble archer was too fast for this engagement to work out in her favor. Even if Zacknef did win, he would probably rape her in a fit of mad glee to celebrate his victory.</p><p></p><p>“F&(# you, Zacknef!” she spat at him. “I will not sacrifice my life for the miserable likes of you!” She vanished from view with a pop that echoed throughout the chamber.</p><p></p><p>“WHAT IS THIS?” snarled Zacknef, his face twisting in unfortunate surprise. “YOU STUPID BITCH! I WILL CHASE YOU DOWN AND RIP EVERY LAST INCH OF SKIN FROM YOUR BODY!”</p><p></p><p>H.A.L. and Darsint seized the moment to strike together, their greatswords a whirlwind of menacing steel. Only Darsint’s blows landed successfully and more fiery wounds erupted along Zacknef’s black skin. He glared at Darsint and shouted, “COME, LITTLE ONE! LET ME PUT THE SWEET WARMTH OF LIFE BEHIND YOU! I WILL SEND YOUR SOUL TO MY LAIR IN THE ABYSS AND YOU WILL FOREVER BE MY THRALL!!!”</p><p></p><p>Zacknef’s sword came around from above his head and brought the pommel down atop Darsint’s head, sending him to his knees. His eyes were forced downward so that he never saw the death blow coming. </p><p></p><p>Zacknef’s muscular arm descended as his lightning-bolt sword swept across Darsint’s torso in a blur of flaming metal, splitting him in two. His heavy body landed with successive thuds, and the Traveler’s dead face was pasted with a look of horrific confusion.</p><p></p><p>“HA, HA, HA!!!” chuckled Zacknef. “I DON’T NEED ANY HELP WITH YOU WEAKLINGS. ANOTHER OF YOU LIES DEAD AT MY FEET! WHO WANTS TO TASTE MY FINAL GIFT, AND WHO WILL NOW BEG FOR MY MERCY? YOU DO NOT STAND A CHANCE OF DEFEATING ME!”</p><p></p><p>“Darsint!!!” cried Gherrick, finally able to find his words through the rising lump in his throat. His fingers acted instinctively and Zacknef soon wore a circle of arrows upon his winged back, each one planted with precise accuracy.</p><p></p><p>“Here you die, Demon,” replied Mhoram coolly. “We will fight you to the very last; there will be no mercy for you. None shall ever feel your tyranny past this day!”</p><p></p><p>“IDIOTS! IT IS MOST CERTAINLY YOU WHO WILL NOT SEE THE NEXT DAY. I HAVE WAITED SO LONG TO DESTROY ANYONE AS BOLD AS YOU! THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO KILL YOU ALL!!!” More stones shook free of the ceiling and debris briefly cloud their sight.</p><p></p><p>Mhoram wasted no time during Zacknef’s tirade to act decisively. He concentrated all of his power into a dark cloud that puffed out around the Demon’s, sucking away any moisture residing in his fiery frame. It took hold with deadly potency and all watched Zacknef’s skin wilted before them. He cried loudly, spitting fire upon the ground at his feet and taking three thundering steps backwards. A fireball exploded upon Mhoram, but it was skillfully evaded by the Incantrix. </p><p></p><p>“FOOLS!’ proclaimed the ailing Balor, showing his first signs of weakness during their fight. “YOU WILL JOIN ME IN THE ABYSS! KILL ME! YOU DO NOT HAVE THE COURAGE! TO DO SO MEANS YOUR OWN DEATHS! DO IT, FOOLS! I DARE YOU!!!!!”</p><p></p><p>Fire spurted from Zacknef’s wounded, dried skin and he shook with an agitated energy that reminded Mhoram of a stopped-up, full beaker held up to a very hot flame. </p><p></p><p>A cone of ice issued from Mhoram’s hands, maximized with all his remaining power. It impacted Zacknef squarely in the chest. Frost overran the Demon’s torso and his form rapidly stiffened as the cold overtook him. His cruel face contorted into a crazed, evil smile, just before he exploded in a flash of searing destruction. </p><p></p><p>The explosion rolled over the room, lifting man and object off the floor. It threw them backwards against the wall and they lost sight of each other in the blinding flash of energy. A loud crack issued forth from the ceiling and rubble descended up them, threatening to celebrate their victory by burying any potential survivors alive. . .</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Angel of Adventure, post: 2335129, member: 19165"] [b]The Wilted Lands of Zacknef IV - Confrontation[/b] OK, so it took a bit longer to turn this update out, but I'm pleased with it and hopefully you will find it worth the wait. This brings about the end of our second (final???) gaming session and fufilled my need to give Mhoram, Zacknef, and Gherrick (the PCs) a fight worthy of their potent skills. Enjoy! :D ******************************************************************* Zacknef surged forward, shaking the chamber around them with his mighty footsteps, each long stride consuming the space between himself and the Travelers. Gherrick loosened five quick shots at him, only to have the arrows burned away by Zacknef’s black, fiery aura. Zacknef retorted by telekinetically grabbing Aegle from Gherrick’s strong grasp, tossing her at the feet of his Marilith. His left hand arm extended itself and he made a slow, crushing motion with his hand whilst looking directly at Saint Simon. “IMMMMPLLLLLOOOOOSSSSSSSIIIIOOOON!” The loud echo of Saint Simon’s bones crushing in on themselves pierced their ears and his form suddenly collapsed into a compact package surrounded by a rapidly growing blood pool. “HA, HA, HA!!! THE ANGEL DIES FIRST, SURELY AN OMEN OF YOUR PAINFUL DEMISE. ADD ANOTHER SKULL TO MY THRONE! COME NOW, WHO IS NEXT TO FEEL MY POWER?!?” “Gherrick, come to me!” cried Aegle. “Do not let Saint Simon die in vain!” “Don’t just stand there gaping!” shot Darsint. “We don’t stand a chance without your marksmanship!” Darsint and the seven rotating images around him charged Zacknef with sword in hand, landing a blow with swift precision. Zacknef quickly retrieved a long, sinewy barbed whip at his side. Its tail danced wickedly in the air before entangling Darsint, pulsing with a life of its own. Zacknef pulled him forward into his burning form with an abrupt snap of the whip. Mhoram and H.A.L. acted in concert, unleashing a series of electrical and sonic invocations at the Balor. Their energies raced forward in rapid succession, creating blinding fireworks in the darkness around them. The results were unimpressive, never giving Zacknef reason to give up Darsint. Gherrick tumbled his way toward the Marilith on Zacknef’s right, dodging its blows masterfully and avoiding its enchanting gaze. He ran and dove for Aegle who eagerly returned to his needy hands. Two shots were fired while on his back, aimed directly for her head, only to see his missiles pass through the Demon in front of him. Gherrick’s true adversary slid out of the darkness from behind the throne. She wasted little time and followed Zacknef’s lead by ripping Aegle from Gherrick. Aegle flew forward and impacted the Skull Throne at high speed, ricocheting behind it. Her hands immediately grabbed the six blades at her side and she slithered forward, ready to slice Gherrick open. Darsint wailed on Zacknef with his large metal fists, desperately trying to free himself from the Balor’s painful grasp. He managed to push himself away, giving the combatants space to trade sword blows. Zacknef punished him with two telling blows, forcing the lightning-shaped, adamantine weapon deep inside Darsint’s hardened body, never mistaking Darsint’s illusionary replicas for the real thing. Darsint returned with four quick slashes and grimaced when they rang off Zacknef’s flaming skin. “STUPID, PATHETIC MORTALS!’ taunted Zacknef. “I WILL SEND YOUR WEAK SOUL TO THE ABYSS SO YOU CAN ENJOY A LEVEL OF SUFFERING THAT I COULD ONLY HOPE TO INFLICT UPON YOU!” His whip stretched out again and ensnared Darsint a second time, lifting him off his feet and into the flames. Mhoram and H.A.L. watched helplessly as more and more of their magicks were extinguished by Zacknef’s horrible aura. Their own auras, provided by the mauled Saint Simon, did not seem to slow their boastful foe. “H.A.L.,” cried Mhoram, “maximize all of your damaging spells upon our foe! We can only hope one of our more potent valences will get through this Demon’s defenses and do some meaningful damage!” H.A.L. responded with a cone of scintillating rainbow beams, aimed carefully as to not catch Darsint. It was but a small annoyance to Zacknef. Mhoram breathed in and concentrated on his enemy. A small cylinder of force flew towards Zacknef and exploded through his right leg. A geyser of black flames erupted from the wound. Zacknef turned his attention away from the entangled Darsint and gazed upon the bone-robed wizard still standing at the entrance to his lair. “YOU CANNOT HOPE TO HURT ME WITH YOUR SILLY SPELL, MAGE! LET ME FINISH WITH YOUR GOLEM AND I’LL SHOW YOU A DAMNATION THAT WILL BE YOUR ETERNITY!!!” His voice rattled the chamber and a boulder shook free from the ceiling, dropping between Zacknef and his quarry. The rock snapped the whip from his hand and forced Darsint away from him. Darsint did not miss this opportunity, casting his own spell and then flinging his greatsword at the prone monstrosity in front of him. It slashed a deep wound across Zacknef’s shoulder, creating a large gash that breathed more fire, before returning to Darsint’s hands. Gherrick desperately tried to distance himself from the six-bladed Marilith, whose swords repeatedly cut him. He managed to fend off enough abuse to get away and retrieve Aegle, easily spotting her shinning glow in the darkness. They turned to face their charging foe and embedded four arrows in her long tail and muscular torso. She was now on top of him and the two then began the deadly dance of Bow against Sword. Gherrick could not recall the last time he’d practiced this routine, but it came with instinctive speed. Gherrick dodged left, then right, before stutter-stepping to evade all but one of the Marilith’s attacks, slightly wounding his arrow arm but never slowing him. He and Aegle fired arrow after arrow from seemingly impossible positions; at times shooting blindly as they tumbled back and forth, each arrow scoring a bloody victory. The Marilith now realized that Gherrick could not be allowed to use his weapon so freely and grappled him with her long, reptilian tail. The force of her strength bore down upon him and he felt consciousness slipping away. “Fight, Gherrick, fight!” a desperate Aegle called out. “Do not allow yourself to leave your friends without killing this beast!” Gherrick felt his rib cage start to crack, bringing a blood into his mouth and out onto his lips. Aegle restored some of his strength immediately, giving him a few more precious seconds of consciousness. Zacknef never stopped the brutal offensive he’d begun against Darsint. Flecks of Greenstar metal flew in all direction each time the jagged blade hit home. H.A.L. rushed forward with greatsword drawn, hoping to intervene. He found his metal frame thrown aside by a powerful punch from the Demon that threw him up against a spiked screen that stood in front of the throne. Prying himself off, he charged back, diving out with a repairing spell charged on his hand. H.A.L. flew past Darsint and touched his back, magically closing some of the cracks now stitched across the Greenstar Adept’s frame. H.A.L. tumbled expertly to an abrupt stop and reentered the fight. “WHAT IS THIS?’ boomed Zacknef. “TWO METAL MEN AT ONCE? DO YOU HAVE SOULS, YOU STUPID GOLEMS? WE’LL FIND OUT ONCE I STRIP AWAY YOUR LIVES!” “You will not take that pleasure, Demon!” exclaimed Darsint. “It will be you who looses your soul today, if there is anything still left of it!” Sword strokes exchanged themselves amongst the three combatants, their weapons clashing in a flurry of deadly violence. The Sucubus’ head remained near the entrance, a reminder of Zacknef’s deadly prowess. His sword, bristling with evil, chaotic fire was something to be feared in its own right. Zacknef was a consummate tactician. He moved easily from side to side, never letting his foes get behind him and while trying to use them as cover from Mhoram’s magical attacks. He ignored damage from the few valences that penetrated his innate resistance to mortal magic and further pressed his attack. Mhoram now realized, through trial and error of all too many of his spells, that electrical attacks would not harm this Balor. Likewise, Zacknef’s fiery blood burned too hot for any fire-based incantations to succeed. H.A.L. feinted to his left, provoking an attack from Zacknef, but leaving open a small window for Darsint to strike. Darsint swung again and again, absorbing Zacknef’s black, fiery aura harmlessly by way of the wards provided to him by Mhoram, H.A.L., and the extinguished Simon. His own attack did little harm and two blows returned by Zacknef erased all of H.A.L.’s repairs. “You will not take me, Demon whore,” gasped Gherrick, still struggling to break free of the Marilith’s squeeze. He found a dagger strapped behind his right shoulder and pressed it deep into the Demon, causing her to scream loudly. She released her grasp just enough for Gherrick to spurt free and turn his bow back upon her. He danced between her blows and kept firing, always firing no matter where she forced him. His foes now sported a dozen arrows on her foul frame. The Marilith pressed forward, trying to yank away Aegle, before raining down six strikes too fast for Gherrick’s keen eyes. His breastplate adequately protected his vitals, but the foul energies in her strikes shocked him to the core. He fired desperately, trying to seek cover behind a spiked screen, then the throne. She pursued him mercilessly. Two more arrows found their target, one flying wide and another deflected by a sword. Each retreated to opposite sides of the Skull Throne to take count of their many wounds. The Marilith stopped, taking a defensive posture on the opposite side of the throne and weighed her options. She was bleeding from too many wounds, and the nimble archer was too fast for this engagement to work out in her favor. Even if Zacknef did win, he would probably rape her in a fit of mad glee to celebrate his victory. “F&(# you, Zacknef!” she spat at him. “I will not sacrifice my life for the miserable likes of you!” She vanished from view with a pop that echoed throughout the chamber. “WHAT IS THIS?” snarled Zacknef, his face twisting in unfortunate surprise. “YOU STUPID BITCH! I WILL CHASE YOU DOWN AND RIP EVERY LAST INCH OF SKIN FROM YOUR BODY!” H.A.L. and Darsint seized the moment to strike together, their greatswords a whirlwind of menacing steel. Only Darsint’s blows landed successfully and more fiery wounds erupted along Zacknef’s black skin. He glared at Darsint and shouted, “COME, LITTLE ONE! LET ME PUT THE SWEET WARMTH OF LIFE BEHIND YOU! I WILL SEND YOUR SOUL TO MY LAIR IN THE ABYSS AND YOU WILL FOREVER BE MY THRALL!!!” Zacknef’s sword came around from above his head and brought the pommel down atop Darsint’s head, sending him to his knees. His eyes were forced downward so that he never saw the death blow coming. Zacknef’s muscular arm descended as his lightning-bolt sword swept across Darsint’s torso in a blur of flaming metal, splitting him in two. His heavy body landed with successive thuds, and the Traveler’s dead face was pasted with a look of horrific confusion. “HA, HA, HA!!!” chuckled Zacknef. “I DON’T NEED ANY HELP WITH YOU WEAKLINGS. ANOTHER OF YOU LIES DEAD AT MY FEET! WHO WANTS TO TASTE MY FINAL GIFT, AND WHO WILL NOW BEG FOR MY MERCY? YOU DO NOT STAND A CHANCE OF DEFEATING ME!” “Darsint!!!” cried Gherrick, finally able to find his words through the rising lump in his throat. His fingers acted instinctively and Zacknef soon wore a circle of arrows upon his winged back, each one planted with precise accuracy. “Here you die, Demon,” replied Mhoram coolly. “We will fight you to the very last; there will be no mercy for you. None shall ever feel your tyranny past this day!” “IDIOTS! IT IS MOST CERTAINLY YOU WHO WILL NOT SEE THE NEXT DAY. I HAVE WAITED SO LONG TO DESTROY ANYONE AS BOLD AS YOU! THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO KILL YOU ALL!!!” More stones shook free of the ceiling and debris briefly cloud their sight. Mhoram wasted no time during Zacknef’s tirade to act decisively. He concentrated all of his power into a dark cloud that puffed out around the Demon’s, sucking away any moisture residing in his fiery frame. It took hold with deadly potency and all watched Zacknef’s skin wilted before them. He cried loudly, spitting fire upon the ground at his feet and taking three thundering steps backwards. A fireball exploded upon Mhoram, but it was skillfully evaded by the Incantrix. “FOOLS!’ proclaimed the ailing Balor, showing his first signs of weakness during their fight. “YOU WILL JOIN ME IN THE ABYSS! KILL ME! YOU DO NOT HAVE THE COURAGE! TO DO SO MEANS YOUR OWN DEATHS! DO IT, FOOLS! I DARE YOU!!!!!” Fire spurted from Zacknef’s wounded, dried skin and he shook with an agitated energy that reminded Mhoram of a stopped-up, full beaker held up to a very hot flame. A cone of ice issued from Mhoram’s hands, maximized with all his remaining power. It impacted Zacknef squarely in the chest. Frost overran the Demon’s torso and his form rapidly stiffened as the cold overtook him. His cruel face contorted into a crazed, evil smile, just before he exploded in a flash of searing destruction. The explosion rolled over the room, lifting man and object off the floor. It threw them backwards against the wall and they lost sight of each other in the blinding flash of energy. A loud crack issued forth from the ceiling and rubble descended up them, threatening to celebrate their victory by burying any potential survivors alive. . . [/QUOTE]
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The Ardick Campaign - Chapter One: Repentance
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