The Lich Queen's Eye

[Warbringer]

This is a new campaign based very loosely on The Eyes of the Lich Queen, set in Eberron. We are only into our third session coming up. Hope you enjoy.

---

Act 1: Across the Thunder Sea

Eight days at sea is enough for any warrior, let alone a group of mercenaries used to dark allies and fox holes. It was little comfort that the Lyrandar sailing vassal cut a swath that was the pride of any navy, the vastness of the Thunder Sea was driving the group to distraction.

Sul'kir (NPC), the ship's captain and the group's long time employer, seemed anxious as he stared ahead. He hadn't shared with his hirelings that they where approaching the Shargon's Teeth, and though he made the appropriate negotiations, the moon Lharvion was in ascension, and worshippers of the Devourer often put their religious ceremonies ahead of business arrangements.

With sweaty palms he nervously guided the ship towards the broken rock that signaled where the path though the Teeth began.

Silently, and mostly unnoticed the sahaugin crawled up the ship's hull and slid over the rails. Only the watchfulness of the elves Katiera (Anne) and Mithros (Rob D) saved the group from complete ambush, reacting with graceful speed unleashing the fury of their scimitars and magic.

Despite being caught unawares, the group reacted quickly, their years of fighting together in the war, the need for action dispelling the lethargy of the journey.

'Sea devils,' Mithros cried out.

'They seek a sacrifice to their dark god,' his twin bladed Valenar scimitar flashing blood red in the light of setting sun.

Katiera had clearly been marked as the one that the sea devils aimed to take, and as four of the creatures descended on her, her magical bolts tore through the scaley devils.

About the ship others found themselves in battle, and while some, like Thianallis (Haden) and Sul'kir, magically transported to relative safety, Tzzt (Ben) threw himself headlong into battle, soon joined by the strange mind constructs of Markhad (Paul) and Velatash (Rob E). Their creations now in the fray, the strange Kalashtari pair likewise entered the battle, Velatash with his blade, Markhad with his mind as his manifestations tore into the unsuspecting sahuagin.

Within mere seconds several of the foul creatures had been dispatched, their black blood spilling across the soarwood deck. On the ships aft Katiera's magical webs trapped two of the sahaugin, as others grappled her and tried to drag her to the ship's edge.

Screaming, she struggled, unable to break their hold as they pulled her to the edge and prepared to leap of the vassal. The charging impact of Tzzt scattered the sea devils, breaking the neck of one and sending another hurtling back towards the rail.

The warforged turned to Kateria and smiled. 'Tzzzzzzt' he said, obviously enjoying the turmoil he was made for as he once again barreled into the melee.

The others too seemed to be enjoying the break in the monotony of the journey. Thianallis, the white haired elf who seemed eternally shrouded in his own shadow, agilely leapt from crate to crate loosing arrows with deadly accuracy. Kierrna (Randy) stood on the foredeck taking in the conflict, and identifying her attacker?s weakness she imbued her weapon with a bane to slay the creatures, moving to the ships side where the devils had ascended.

Surveying the situation around her Kateria quickly noted that the group had seized advantage and would soon press it home. Her skills not needed in protection of others she turned her gaze back to the large devil trapped in her web. Smiling, slyly, she slid her scimitar from its scabbard, and stepping forward stabbed it into the webbing.

The creature screamed a curse in its own tongue, then clearly spoke a single word in the common tongue of humans, as its webbed claw wrapped around a symbol made of small bones.

'Jump'

Kateria felt a strong will impose itself upon hers, feeling its darkness clouding her judgment, her body wanting to turn towards the deck. But it?s power was short lived and she quickly pushed aside the feeble enchantment.

'You first,' she replied, driving the scimitar in deeper, staining the hilt of the blade in the black blood that spilled out from its open guts.

Screaming in its dark tongue, the sahaugin's eyes turned blood red, rage filling its mind and body, its clawed hands now shredding the sticky bands as if they were nothing but gossamer and tumbled over ships rail.

Across the deck, the group finished of the stragglers whom had sought the honor of death.

And as fast as it had begun, it had finished. Once again the Lyrandar ship sailed alone in the vastness of the Thunder Sea, but the adventure had now begun.

 

[Warbringer]

Act II: Stormreach - A Rat in a Rat's Nest (Part I)

Stormreach crested on the horizon, her lights burning brightly in the night sky.

'I'll take is in on the high tide in the morning,' the captain announced. 'The tides can be tricky, especially with those at zenith,' pointing up at the three moons high in the sky.

Kateria turned to the ranger, a look of confusion on her face. 'The Hightide, I thought this ship was called the Dragon's Eye?'

Shaking his head, Mithros walked away from the sorceress muttering something under his breath about '...looks of a goddess, brains of a mouse'.

On the ships forecastle the warforged stood staring at the distant land. 'Tzzzt?' the warforged asked, his finger pointing.

Kierrna, perched on his shoulder, patted her confused friend gently on the head. 'Soon, Tzzt. Soon...' she whispered.

Stormreach was a city of ruins. In the distant past, Xen'drik had been a land of giants, and crumbling walls and foundations hinted at the wonders of this lost age. As the centuries past the city had been home to pirates, merchants, soldiers, and explorers, and each had built their homes amidst the shattered remnants of the past.

As the Dragon's Eye sailed into the port, the jarring change in scale made it feel like they sailed towards a child's toy. Ancient broken monuments towered above the reassembled warehouses and taverns, where the lesser races scampered like tiny manikins.

The group stared in awe as they sailed into the harbor, a land of lost giants and lost secrets.

Within the hour the party had disembarked and finally stood upon dry land for the first time in ten day.

Mithros stamped his feet on the solid ground, smiling. 'Better, much better. Now to find a guide to this so called Tharkgun Dhak.'

'You... wish...to find.. a guide.. into the ancient ... city ... ' a croaky voice asked form the shadow.

Turning as one the party turned to see a small, hunched human standing before them, his bulging eyes staring up from his almost balding head.

'I know ... many brave guides ... who know ways ... through the many ... dangers ... of the jungle.'

As the words barely escaped from his rasping throat, he rung his hands continually, pausing only to brush the few greasy stands that graced his dome from his eyes.

'Good guides ... good rates.'

Mithros eyed their mysterious host cautiously, replying carefully, his words weighted with the years of Elven wisdom. 'Sure, sounds great. After you.'

The journey across the sea had been hard on the group, the excitement of the recent battle with the Saughin still fresh on their minds, they plowed head long into the depths of Stormreach in search of a guide.

The building was clearly marked as drinking a tavern, the image of a froth filled mug adorned the sign above the entrance; no name accompanied the picture.

'This way ... I know guides within.'

Following him in, members of the group started to pay attention to their surroundings as if waking from drunken haze. Thianallis, stepped into the shadows as he entered the tavern, loosing himself in the crowd as the group entered the small drinking in. Kateria, likewise becoming increasing uncomfortable, passed her gaze around the tavern, judging those that posed a threat.

'The guides are ... yet to rise from their beds. I will ... go get them for you...' His gestures suggesting the group sit and wait for him.

Thianallis watched as the greasy little human walked up the stairs, noting the back entrance beyond the bar, slid unnoticed outside. His trained eyes scanned the streets; an alley across from him, still shadowy in the morning sun; a two storied building overlooking the inn; an alley of the main street leading to the back entrance. Good place for an ambush; he couldn?t have chosen better himself, and as a member of House Thuranni, he would know.

Back inside the inn, Kateria noticed that Thianallis was missing, and knowing the valenar's uncanny sense for sensing danger, stepped outside to look for the assassin.

Sitting at a table, Mithros began to survey the patrons, finally noticing the unwanted lingering attention of a patron. Impatiently, he stood and walked over to the curious watcher.

'You seem interested in our group'

'I'm interested in any who would follow that little snake so willingly into a bar, and to be honest, I was puzzled,' the stranger answered.

Mithros stared up the stairs, wondering were he their host had gone, then returned his attention to the still seated patron. 'Puzzled?'

'Yes, puzzled,' he retorted. 'You don't seem that easy a mark!'

Embarrassed, Mithros sat at the patron's table. 'My name is Mithros, proud son of the Valaner. I seek a guide into the jungle. As you can tell, we are strangers to your land and in dire need of a guide.'

'And I am Thalor, ranger, guide and member of Wayfinders Guild.'

Mithros smiled, 'Perhaps our luck is turning'

Outside the tavern, Kateria voiced her concerns to Thianallis. Something just didn?t seem. In fact, it seemed horribly wrong. The sound of highly strung crossbows cut the morning air, two bolts striking into the questioning elf. Another, aimed at the Thuranni house member flew through the air where only seconds before he had been standing.

Kateria stumbled back into the tavern, as Thianallis vanished into the shadows.

 

[Warbringer]

Act II: Stormreach - A Rat in a Rat's Nest (Part II)

Thianallis appeared across the street at the foot of the building opposite the tavern. Effortlessly he silently scaled the building and scurried on to the roof, peering down from his vantage into the alley below.

A dark dome signaled the use of magic, the enchanted darkness blending almost perfectly with the early mornings shadow; Almost. Sneering, the elf strung his bow, and whispering arcane syllables faded from the sight of any watching and waited.

Kateria slammed the inn door behind her, and staggering into the inn almost tumbled to her knees. Two bolts protruded form her chest where they had penetrated her armor, the black coating siganling a poison that had yet to take effect.

Rising as one the rangers Thalor and Mithros moved quickly to steady her as she stumbled.

'You're wounded,' Mithros commented almost in disbelief.

'And poisoned,' Thalor added reaching forward and pulling one of the bolts free from the sorceress.

'That hurt," she snapped. 'And who are you any way?'

'Our guide,' offered Mithros with almost childlike glee.

'Our what! You can't be serious?' she protested, pushing the pair away. 'We follow the first human we meet off the ship; he leads us to this slum of an inn; we are ambushed, and you hire the second human we meet to guide us. Are you insane!'

Spinning, she turned her wrath on Thalor.

'Who are you anyway?'

'Thalor,' he replied, waiting for her to continue.

'And what providence do you hold that makes you qualified to aid us?' she demanded.

He paused, as if carefully thinking. 'Well, I know where you are going, and,' he paused. "You do not. Besides,? he continued reaching and pulling out the second bolt, ?I?d say you need all the help you can get.?

As they Kateria berated the pair, the two Kalashtari psions had moved up behind the sorceress, as if lending support to her argument.

'I don't like him,' she said turning to meet them. 'I don't trust him. And tell me where is that other weasel of a human!'

'He haz not y'het come bak down from the upstairz,' answered Markhad, 'Perhaps he conspires. The agentz of the dreamin? dhak are everyvere.'

'Indeed,' agreed Velatash. 'We should leave now, and without him,' he added, nodding his head towards Thalor.

Sitting back down, the ranger returned to his drink, shrugging his shoulders. 'Leave, with or without me. I am your best chance to find your tharkghud dhak.'

'I believe him,' Mithros defiantely offered. 'As I believe will Sul?kir'

'Fine,' Kateria conceded. 'But we should leave now,' she added heading for the door behind the bar.

'Now!'

Thianallis noted his allies leaving the bar, but didn' take his eyes, or his aim off the magical darkness. Finally, the spell faded, unveiling a hidden door through which his assailants and slipped away. Cursing under his breath he dropped silently to the street and followed the others back to the ship.

 

[Warbringer]

Act III - It's a Jungle out there

The negotiations between Thalor and Sul'kir were swift and effortless. By the afternoon, the Dragon's Eye was undersail following the coastline and heading for the mouth of the Hydra and the Jungle beyond.

After a few days sailing the vast river that poured out of the jungle oppressive heat had become unbearable. Following the incursions of the last few days, Velatash had tried wearing his plate armor again, but the heat and humidity had left him exhausted in less than a hour. Dressed now only in his travelling garb, he considered Mithros with a combination of envy and awe, as the elven ranger stood upon the ships deck fully donned in his armor, not even sweating.

The rest of the group was scattered about the ships deck. Kateria had survived her attack, indeed the poision seemed not to have even bothered her. Kierrna and Tzzt sat on the deck's aft, the gnome continually tinkering with the warforged battlefist, and a copy of the same structure she kept in the magical pouch on her hip.

Markhad, as always was ever vigilent to signs of the Dreaming Dark. Periodically he called forth his astral constructs and set them to scouting ahead and guarding the ship, and sometimes, it seemed just for thier company.

Sul'kir and their guide Thalor spent most of their time talking, and strangely, laughing. When Velatash had wondered close enough to listen to their conversations he hear them talk mostly of details about their destination, tales Sul'kir had heard, features he believed defined it. Thalor would nod and confirm these were the ruins they were heading for. As to their tales that lead to laughter, he could not understand the humor that the humans called jokes, and so would leave them again in privacy.

Thianallis spent most of his time either perched on the fore deck staring out into the jungle, or balanced atop the ship's great mask. Either way, he kept mostly to himself, as he always had in the five years he had known the elf.

Though they were back on the water, Velatash was at ease surrounded by the great jungle. Land was close, even if it was completely alien to him. Just a few more days and he would finally be back on land.

---

For two days they had trecked through the jungle and Velatash longed for the relative comfort of the Dragon's Eye. Moving at relative speed through the river, the kalashtari had not even noticed the vast swarms of insects that now seemed sriven to drain the very last drop of blood from his sweating body. And as for the illusion of land, the group spent more time wading through swamp-marsh and river beds than they did on hard soil.

On the third morning the elevation finally started to rise, the jungle floor climbing higher, rising up the side of some mountain. By late afternoon they had reached a height of over a thousand feet, and though the floor of the jungle valley lay far below, the jungle around them remained dense.

Then without warning, the group crested the top of a ridge, and below them stretched the overgrown broken ruins of a lost giant civilization.

Thalor turned and faced the group, " I believe you've found your tharkghud dhak."

The broken city sprawled through the jungle valley before them. Great white and grey marble towers battled with the great trees for dominance of the canopy, but time and the weather had favored the living growth. That the ruins still stood at all bore testament to the craftsmanship of the giants, and their slaves that had built the ancient city.

'Well my job is done here,' Thalor said, smiling at Kateria as he walked passed the stunned elf.

'You're leaving?' she asked incredulously.

'You're here,' he replied, heading back into the jungle. 'See you back and board. Oh, and be careful, it's a jungle down there.'

Without pausing, and to avoid further harassment by the sorceress, Mithros starting down towards the valley floor, quickly followed by the kalashtari, Tzzt and the artificer. Thianallis, however move quietly away form the group finding his own path to the valley floor. Noticing the assassin moving away from the group, Kateria followed him, frustrated with Mithros.

 

[Warbringer]

Prelude - Hunting Party

Re'laak'hak snaked silently through the undergrowth, barely disturbing the ferns and giant broad leaves of the jungle floor. Nearby, almost invisible as himself, six of his hatch-brothers stalked prey with him.

The brood was hungry, with over two hundred new ravenous mouths to feed. The hatchings would grow quickly, becoming strong warriors before ten seasons of the eternal rain. Not that many of them would live anywhere near that long; it was not an uncommon practice for the lizardfolk to eat there young when food was scare. But, for now, food was readily available: puma, the birds with the colorful plumes, the small dinosaurs that followed the flowing river, even a stray dark skinned drow had fed the brood this hatching season. The shaman had indeed performed the breeding rituals well this year and The Hunger had as yet not come.

The lizardman paused, his swishing tale signaling the others to do likewise. The smells were strange, not of the jungle. Some smells reminded him of the dark skinned ones that claimed the jungle their own, other smells told of humans that came from the broken city on the edge of jungle on the edge of the river that never ends. But the strongest smell, a smell like hard wet stone after a storm overpowered them all. The smell spoke of killing and death without reason.

Re'laak'hak was almost back from his turn on the hunt. He could see the clearing just beyond the great broad leaves and the ancient ruins that housed the brood. He considered just sprinting across the clearing; he could possibly cross the open distance and warn the others, but he could not take the risk. The smell of the death must be stopped; it must not find the brood. Even ones that smelled like the drow were attempting to flank the ruins didn?t matter; only the smell of death.

With a flick of his great tail, he signaled ambush, and silently three of his brothers dropped to the jungle floor, shifting in color form muddy brown to avocado green and disappearing into the jungle floor. Beside him his hatch brothers took their positions about him, like the points of an arrow head, with Re?laak?hak in its center.

Following his lead, his other brothers took advance positions from the arrowhead and shifted in color, but before they vanished, they quickly set in place invisible trip wires at the center of the ambush.

Re'lakk'hak and his brothers reached into their quivers and pulled out two quall'th each; the quall'th were killing arrows, rather than hunting arrows, their tips covered with the poison of the spotted toadstool that the shaman harvested. The arrows were good only for killing, the venom powerful enough to fell the largest of prey, but the toxin toughened the meat and caused it taste bad. No, thought the Re'lakk'hak as he notched an arrow, the quall'th were only good for killing.

Towards them, death walked to its doom.

 

[Warbringer]

Act IV: Ambush (Part I)
Thallos and Kateria moved silently through the flora, staying within the shade of the giant size vegetation. As they moved towards the great ruin that broke the canopy of the jungle, Kateria marveled at how efficiently and silently the other elf moved, even despite the knowledge he had been trained by House Thuraani; gods she thought, this one would put a cat to shame.

Thallos gestured for her to stop moving, pointing to a clearing beyond, and the makeshift huts in the shadow of the great ruin. The huts looked like they had been built with a mixture of broken rubble and mud, and they looked like they had been made recently, certainly no longer than a year ago.

'What made those?' she asked.

'Clearly not giants,' Thallinos answered, stating the obvious.

Pushing past the smug elf, Kateria moved to the edge of the clearing for a better view, staring at the utter calm in the middle of the jungle.

Mithros also had moved away from the group, 'scouting' ahead. He couldn't understand Kateria, her moods and shortness. He truly believed that he was leading the group in their quest; he had managed to get them this far, to the heart of a foreign continent, to an ancient lost city. But, in her eyes, he seemed nothing more than a bumbling fool.

He had been gone too long from his people, but surely she of all people could understand why. And yet, with each passing moon it seemed she became less tolerant, her moods more frequent.

The screams of 'ambush' snapped Mithros out of his self reflection, turning and sprinting in the direction of the cry.

--

The ambush expertly came from two quarters, splitting the group in two; Tzzt and Kierrna to the north and Velatash and Markhad to the south.

The psions had reacted almost immediately, somehow sensing the attack before it happened. Velatash had sent the warning cry out as he skillfully parried the first arrow; his second cry was one of pain as an arrow embedded itself in his shoulder.

Markhad was less fortunate as a first, then second arrow, found there mark, embedding themselves deep in his thigh and stomach. The pain was almost unbearable, but his trained will buried the distraction as he shaped the ectoplasm. But the urgency of the situation trigged something deep inside of him and the power he usually controlled with ease threatened to burst out of him with uncontrolled rage. Struggling, he focused the surge into his manifestation calling forth a construct that normally lay beyond his current skill.

Kierrna had likewise responded swiftly to the ambush, the arrows harmlessly bouncing of her glamoured breastplate; though the gnome appeared to wear nothing but traveling clothes, her magic concealed the fact she was as well armored as the warriors. Reacting swiftly, she quickly began to place an enchantment upon her weapon that would make her enemy pay for such audacity.

Tzzt had been less fortunate. Completely surprised by the ambush, numerous arrows struck against his great chest, and while near a half dozen lay broken at his feet, three protruded from where his heart would have been.

A great rage began to fill the warforged, the battlelust filling him, clearing his mind of all and any pain. Staring into the forest, he assailants began to take shape, now seeing the outline of there living force, despite their camouflage. Screaming in inhuman anger, Tzzt dropped to all fours and charged his enemy.

Following Markhad's lead, Velatash began to call upon his own power, shaping his psyche energy into the shape of a crystalline like warrior, the angular reddish pink creature lightly glowing with its own translucence.

Markhad's manifestation had already began to take shape, the quartz like construct clearly the work of the psion?s rational and focused mind. Velastash could clearly tell this construct was built for combat, its oversized powerful forearms threatening to pummel any foe into broken pieces. Impressed, he continued to shape his own energies, mindful of his enemy notching more arrows to their bows.

When Kateria heard the cry for help she simply turned to see where it had come from and saw Thianallis already sprinting through the undergrowth drawing his bow from his back; he truly was a master of his art.

Finally reacting, she followed his path, and his actions drawing her bow to his side, and not for the first time gave thanks that he was on their side.

Tzzt slammed into the first lizardman, crushing it skull with the great iron chain he wielded, snapping its neck as he smashed into it, is momentum carrying him towards his next enemy. He napped the first trip wire that snagged his legs, but the second and third dragged him to the ground, the wires somehow entangling him.

Within seconds the lizardmen were on him, three of them slamming his body with their primitive swords, their blows striking with precise placements that on a creature with organs would lead to certain death. Still, their blows quickly battered the warforged.

Crying in grief, Kiernna uncustomary charged the closest lizardman, driving her enchanted blade into its back. The strike had little force, but the baneful magic that coursed over the weapon almost dropped the creature. Turning, the lizardman drove its own weapon into the gnome?s chest, surprised that the blade was turned aside by nothing by flimsy cloth.

As one, the kalashtari ordered their constructs against the lizardmen. Once unleashed, Markhard started another manifestation, calling him to him now small pieces of the astral that he would hurl at the warring lizards.

Velatash, prepared to charge into battle himself, his mental commands issued, but his legs refused to obey him. Suddenly dizzy, his legs feeling like lead, it took all his will just to retain consciousness. Within seconds, the dizziness passed, but his legs still felt heavy, his body weak. Cautiously, he moved into battle, weary that another bout should come upon him engaged in combat.

Mithros barreled through the undergrowth, oblivious to his surroundings, his only concern that he had left his comrades open to ambush. Guilt fueled his speed, driving him forward recklessly.

The sounds of combat had not only alerted the party?s elves to the ambush, but also the next band of lizardmen waiting to go out on their hunt. Reacting to the sounds of steel on steel, all but one of them grabbed their weapons and charged out the sentry hut. The last, a shaman, had no need of weapons.

Katiera ran through the undergrowth, and approaching its edge, prepared to run across the open clearing to where her friends battled.

'Wait,' Thianallis spoke in elfish.

Looking around she could not see the elf, until she realized that the command had come from above her, incredulously, nearly twenty feet up a tree on the jungle's edge. The unuttered word 'how' formed on her lips, she had been less than a few seconds behind him.

'More are coming from the huts. We can aid of comrades better from this vantage point,' he smiled with a smile she never wished to see again.

As the lizardfolk charged across the open plain, Thianallis took careful aim and emotionless precision placed an arrow through the eye of one lizardman, and then through the gaping jaw of another one.

Katiera unleashed arrows as well, and though expertly trained in the art of the bow, she lacked the killing grace of her kin.

Mithros crashed into the combat, quickly gauging the scene. The kalasthari had their threat under control, the strange constructs would soon destroy the lizardmen the battled; Tzzt was in serious trouble, the two warriors above the fallen warforged attacking him with impunity; Kiernna was in combat, that was not good.

'Velashtar,' he cried. 'Aid, Tzzt.'

 

[Warbringer]

Moving quickly, he threw his weight against the reptile fighting Kiernna, slamming it into the ground. Without her, Tzzt was finished no matter what the outcome of this battle. Rolling around the canopy floor, Mithros stabbed at the lizardman with short curved dagger of the Valenar make, the agile blade easier to wield that the lizardman's longsword. But the lizardman let his weapon fall to the ground and attacked the elf with his clawed hands and razor sharp teeth.

Acting surprised, Mithros opened his guard allowing the reptile a clean bite at his exposed shoulder. Thinking his opponent weakening, the lizardman sunk his teeth into Mithros, biting down on the exposed flesh, realizing too late its mistake as Mithros?s sword drove into the side of its unguarded neck.

Responding to Mithros cry for help, Velashtar began to move across the battlefield when he noticed the new threat moving across the open ground. Torn, he could not leave Markhard, and prayed to the Light that Tzzt could take the beating he was receiving.

'I can't,' he called out. 'Incoming.'

High in his tree, Thianallis once again took careful aim and unleashed yet another deadly strike.

Too easy he sneered. Thinking quickly, he realized, 'Too easy', and hurling himself from the tree and landed awkwardly stared up at as branches he had been perched in merely moments before exploded in cackling electricity.

Kateria stared at Thianallis, now merely feet from her own position.

'What are you waiting for?' he snapped. 'Shoot whoever just did that'

Out in the clearing, the shaman stood, his slowing staff still pointing in the direction of the tree in which the elf had been perched. Katiera let loose, the arrow striking the shaman deep in the shoulder.

Staring at Tzzt, his battered body starting to twitch, Kierrna leapt at another of the lizardmen, stabbed wildly with her blade. Anger and fear guided her blow, striking firmly between the creature's legs, the blade driving upwards into its bowels.

Surprised, Re'lakk'ha looked down to see the small gnome, no bigger than hatchling, staring at him with such hate. Did she not understand, he was killing death, protecting the brood. As the last of his lifeblood spilled upon the earth and he fell to the ground trapping her blade, he died recognizing the look in her eyes.

She was killing death, protecting her brood.

The final lizardmen, seeing his brother fall, leapt in rage at the defenseless gnome, his weapon dropped, wishing to rip her throat out with his own teeth, ending her life in the horror and pain. His guard down, he sailed through the air, gurgling in shock as Mithros curved dagger spiraled through the air and struck him in the throat, the blade sinking in to the hilt. By the time he hit the ground, the lizardman was already dead.

Velashtar felt his link break with his construct as it ectoplasm lost its form and faded back into dream. Markhad's continued to fight, quickly dispatching the final lizardman. Their minds linked, Velashtar quickly communicated the new threat to Markhard outside in the jungle clearing. Markhad gave the construct a final instruction, then passed out form the pain of his injuries.

As the alien construct crashed out of the jungle, the three lizardfolk that had be charging towards the fray, turned and fled from the strange sight. Following its orders, the construct pursued its prey with unnatural speed, chasing them all the way into the hut into which they fled.

'Move', Thianallis cried, grabbing his bow and rolling out into the clearing. Kateria dived to the other side as another blast of lightning ripped in to the jungle, and was quickly on her feet and running for the shaman. If they could reach him before his staff could recharge, they could easily take him down. Those wielding magic rarely had the strength to withstand a physical assault.

Well, that had been her training. But as she hurried across the clearing drawing her twin bladed scimitar, it became apparent that this wizard, stood nearly seven feet tall and seemed quite capable of handling himself in any situation.

Too late to turn back now she thought, as she charged, two arrows passing her shoulder and striking the shaman in the chest. Roaring, it charged the incoming elf, raising the staff above its head and striking down, but not before her blade sliced twice across its ribs, a dual blow that would have killed most.

The shaman didn't fall, its staff striking at the elf, exploding in an electrical burst, throwing Katiera to the ground. Painfully rolling to her side, she quickly swung the double blade in an arc that sliced across her assailant's stomach

Still standing the shaman raised its staff to once again strike Katiera with a blow that this time she could not survive. As she prepared to defend herself against the blow two arrows struck the shaman, one in the chest, one in the side of the neck. Looking up she saw both Mithros and Thianallis running across the open field, unleashing arrows.

The shaman stood, his staff above his head, unmoving. Two more arrows struck the shaman, but he was already dead.

 

[Warbringer]

Act VI: Remorse

As Markhad recovered from his wounds, the healing power of Velatash closing the tears in his flesh and healing his bruises, the bald kalashtar leapt to his feet.

'My friends,' he started to convey in startled revelation. 'We must leave this area quickly, with no further aggression towards this village. Leave the fallen lizardfolk and do not desecrate or loot them. Let us go quickly!'

Markhad moved back into the jungle, frantically signaling for the troupe to follow him.
The suddenness of his urging, and the trust of years fighting together, prompted the others to follow, at least for now.

'We have made a grave error, which I did not see in the chaos and fear of the battle. Our mission cannot afford a protracted conflict with the lizardfolk. Yes, they see that we can defeat them even when we are outnumbered and surprised, but I believe they will take steps to defeat us one at a time. Our searches will be certain to separate us at times and then we will be easy prey for a lizard hunting party. We must parley with them.

'Furthermore, I believe that to follow the course of peace with these beings is right and good. They are clearly intelligent. Perhaps they can even assist us. Finally negative actions on our part now will make the lizards even easier to subvert, should agents of the Dreaming Dark follow in our footsteps....

'I volunteer for the task of meeting with the lizardfolk. As you know, I have some diplomatic skills as well as the means,' tapping the purple tattoo on his forehead, 'of extricating myself from danger without further harm to the lizardfolk. I will make sure my efforts do not interfere with my duties on this mission, and, as I said, there may be ancillary benefits.

'If you agree with this idea, I will begin my efforts tomorrow.'

Velatash started at his kinsman with a puzzled look, his longsword dripping still with the fresh gore of battle. His heart raced wanting to press the battle now, but his mind slowly became calmed by reason the words and thoughts of his brother.

'Markhad, your words as always, are well chosen,' he offered. 'If it is the will of the others, then I too will be in agreement.' Suddenly becoming nauseated, Velatash slowly sank to the ground, the last of his strength drained from him by the dark poison that seeped through his veins.

'Markhad, perhaps you should take Tzzt with you when you parlay. I cannot offer you my usual protection,' the kalashtar smiled. 'For some reason I am slow to recover form our little fight, but I will be with you, as one.'

Markhad attectionately clasped a hand to his kinsman's shoulder, squeezing it gently, sighing. 'It is, true. Most of us have wounds of one kind or another. I managed to avoid the effects of the toxins, but I can feel much decoherence in my myelitic modes - I may have expended too much of my psionic potential too early in the day. May il-Yannah keep us from further conflict until we can cycle our brainstates.'

Trying to rise, Velatash continued. 'We should either establish a base here, after a negotiation with the Lizards or perhaps move off a ways out of there territory.' Weakness and nausea once again swept over him. 'There may be other rival lizard clans we have not met yet, my brother.'

'Most probable. But for that reason, this clan may be more willing to parley, perhaps in hopes of gaining us as allies in their minor wars.'

Mithros carefully considered the strange human, sizing his words while surveying the jungle foliage, ever alert for another surprise attack.

'I care nothing for the lives of these reptile men. You can have your talk with them, but if there actions prove them once again to be treacherous reptiles, then I will sneak into their camps under the light of the twelve moons and take their chieftain's life.'

Markhad turned and nodded at the elf. 'It may yet come to that, but it may not. We should try.'

Thallinos had stood in silence, evaluating the words of the group, as he had done countless times during the war. 'I agree with Mithros, he finally added. 'I do not believe the Lizard men will likely be reasoned with. That much is apparent in their aggressive and unprovoked attack on us as we approached.'

Closing his black cloak of shadow around his chest and shrouding his white hair in the shadows of its cowl, he continued. 'I believe that a stealth attack would be best. We elves could easily sneak into their lair under cover of night and cut off their leadership at the head. I doubt these beasts will fight on if we have removed the brains controlling them. '

Markhad persisted, as he had on many other occasions, acknowledging the shrouded elf's dark assessment. 'If that proves necessary, I will even provide what help I can on such a mission. However, to pursue assassination now, while the lizards are certainly on guard, will not only prove quite risky but will destroy any chance of gaining the alliance - or at least neutrality - of these jungle creatures. And killing their leaders might simply remove whatever checks are kept on their hostility.'

Slipping back int of the jungle, vanishing into the dank darkness, Thallinos answered. 'I will of course follow the will of the group; I truly care not. But I think it important that we be aware of the savagery behind those with whom we wish to deal and address their aggression in kind.'

Tzzt, upright once a gain flowing some quick and makeshift repairs, lumbered over the group, the dark fire burning his gleaming eyes conveying his obvious intent.

Markhad stared at the new scars on his the warforged metal frame. His un-human friend had survived blows sufficient to kill a dozen men. Waves of calm and sympathy poured from the psion, powered only by pure sympathy.

'I'm afraid my metal friend that the lizards will not respond peacefully when they see you. I cannot imagine that they are familiar with a synthetic sentient such as you.... on the other hand, if they see me with no form of bodyguard they may suspect deception....'

Tzzzt's head jerked to one side, twitching, a spark seemingly popping from the side of his head, a short circuit they had all come to know signified the damaged warforged was trying to think the situation through, or rather to process it, as Kiernna would say.

'Listen to thinky man, listen to thinky man, listen to think....'. he repeated for several long seconds, before finally settling, and staring confused at the little gnome.

'What does fixy friend think? Tzzt no like metal hurting sticks.'

Kirenna pondered, weighing her own rage, the needs of the party, and the delicate condition of Tzzt, deciding ultimately it could not hurt to bring a good show of force.

'I'm coming too. I've invested too much hard work and love to lose him.'

'Very well,' Markhad conceded. 'But, I ask only that you follow my lead and try not to interfere with the diplomatic process.'

Turning to face the Tzzt, Markhad softly touched the warforged damaged temple. 'Tzzt, please upload and evaluate request: accompany subject Markhad. Location, village. Time plus one day. Offense to negative. Defense to standby. Retreat priority. Casualties zero point zero.'

Their decision made, the group moved further back up the valley to a place where they could heal and prepare for the following day, a defensible place amongst the ruins where they could watch the valley floor for signs that the lizardfolk had their own plans.

 

[Warbringer]

Prelude: To Sleep Perchance to Dream

Kateria lay awake staring at the canopy of the jungle as se had for the last three hours, unable to bring her mind to rest and enter Kal-al, dreamwalk.

Around her the others slept while Tzzt remained awake on watch, the warforged the needing no sleep, nor food, nor even air. She watched the construct she had come to think of as a friend. His eyes darting back and forth chasing the burning trails of a flamemoth, his battered head bobbing in gentle rhythm to his quiet giggling.

It was easy to forget that Tzzt was only six years old, birthed from in a Cannith factory near the end of the war. Still, for all his size and origin, he was still a child, and still saw the world through a child's eyes, and probably always would. He never recovered from the damage when the factory collapsed, and though Kiernna swore he was as good as new, something in him remained broken and would do until Tzzt was ready for it to be fixed, she realized.

Distracted by her rambling thoughts , rest finally crept up on her, and the day faded into dream. Strange, she thought as she became her dream self, that just watching Tzzt could bring her rest.

As the jungle faded, and the dreams path came to her quickly, the pale gray roads slightly luminescent against the charcoal landscape. Drifting, she let a path reach and take her.

Familiar faces and events came to her, replaying the events of the day, allowing to her to review her actions and decisions; allowing her to learn from mistakes and to judge her choices. Many elves lived their lives by unspoken judgment of the Kal-al, with the knowledge that each night they would have to face their choices over and over again.

But the Kal-al was more than just a revision of bad choices. Often the dream paths would not only lead through the events of the day passed, but also through the memories of the days yet to come. Kateria was still a pre-pubescent girl when she experienced the first of her kal-al-ena, her visions marking her as a sorcerer, an adept of the arts who required no teaching.

Her path lead her through a world of monochrome broad leaves and ferns, the giant undergrowth of the days trek. Ahead of her, the broken ruins of the giants rose in above the shadows of the jungle, the pale stone almost indistinguishable from the gray canopy. As she walked, the path lead towards a softly glowing building that been hidden by the jungle, the brightness of the building against the shadow signaling the dream now as a memory yet to pass. A shape formed, its brightness growing intensity, growing in size, until its colossal size dwarfed Kateria.

She smiled.

The large silver face, smiled back at her with a mouth full of a predators teeth.

'Still in my future,' Kateria said.

'Apparently so,' the dragon answered.

'So when will I meet you,' she pleaded.

'You have,' he smiled.

'You know what I mean,' she sulked in jest.

The dragon turned its great head and glanced back over its shoulder, and turning, raised itself onto its back legs, flapping its great wings in challenge of some unseen enemy.

Kateria tried to help, pulling her bow from her back, but was to see the enemy. She tried to conjure a spell, but the words remained unspoken. Frustrated, she cried impotently as the silver dragon tore at the unseen foe with claw and wing.

Suddenly the dragon staggered, recoiling from a massive blow that drove it backwards, and toppling backwards, twisted as it fell towards the stunned elf.

Kateria screamed.

The left side of the dragon's face had melted, revealing white bone and teeth, beneath the remains of bubbling flesh. Its mouth opened to say something, the massive jaw dropping as the corroded muscles snapped.

The dragons face continued to liquefy, staining the glowing path black where the droplets of melted flesh pooled, until nothing remained but a bleach white skull.

'Run, Kateria' the dragon cried.

'Run if you can,' another voice seemed to cackle.

Kateria woke, still screaming.

--

Kateria woke to find Mithros kneeling beside her, he hands on her shoulders.

'You were lost in the Kal-al,' he said. 'You're safe now, the dream is gone.'

'Run, if you can' her dream whispered after her.

Sitting up, Kateria paused before speaking.

'The dragon died protecting me,' she stated, her voice breaking.' It died protecting me. Warning me.'

'How?' he asked.

'I can't remember,' she replied.

'Lady friend okay?' Tzzt asked, lumbering over to the where the elves sat.

'Yes Tzzt,' Kateria answered, then smiled up at the concerned warforged. 'Bad dream.'

'....tzzzt,' the warforged sparked, his head twitching slightly.' Tzzt not have bad breams. Tzzt not have dreams.'

Kateria, sore she heard longing in his voice, indicating a complexity she had not thought him capable of having.

'Help me up Tzzt?' she asked, offering her hand for him to take, past Mithros who still knelt by her side.

Tzzt smile broke into a beaming grin. 'Tzzt help Lady friend,' pulling her with such strength it almost lifted the elf from her feet.

'So strong Tzzt,' she smiled.

Tzzt, smiled back, his ruminations on his lack of dreams long forgotten.

The rest of the group were already awake and breaking camp, and had been for apparently some time. They've been waiting for me, Kateria realized, embarrassed, quickly packing her kit, cramming her belongings into her enchanted haversack.

 

[Warbringer]

Act VI Remorse (Part II)

Markhad approached the hut. He could not see inside, the weak morning light could not dispel the shadows inside. But Markhad could feel the presence of the lizardfolk inside, guarding the entrance down into their lair.

He reached out to them, using both word and thought.

'We have come to make amends for actions towards you, and to ask forgiveness and permission to proceed with our quest.'

No answer.

'Please, I beg audience with your chieftain,' he continued.

Though no reply came this time he could hear movement inside the hut, the gentle sound of footfalls moving away. He signaled to others that something was happening.

Behind him, Tzzt tensed. Though he had left his chain behind, he was more than able to defend the group if needed. Beside him Kierrna readied and infusion that would make the warforged very touch deadly to the lizardfolk. Velatash remained calm, his mindlink with Markhad telling him not to worry, it seemed that they would get their audience.

In the jungle, the there elves lay in hiding, their bows drawn and notched, ready to implement their attack should the parley go poorly.

Within a few moments two lizardfolk stepped from the shadowy entrance of the hut, and spears lowered, signed for the party to proceed, their wary eyes remaining fixed upon the warforged.
Markhad followed the earthen tunnel down beneath the ground, treading carefully in down the deep ascend. The damp earth quickly gave way to solid stone, clearly build by the same race of giants that had built the crumpling ruin in the jungle above.

The jungle had as equally reclaimed the subterranean passage as it had the buildings above, as great vines grew along the passage walls and tunneled into the earth beyond.
Markhad followed the unneeded gesture of the lizardfolk down the corridor, the only direction he could go, towards the faint glow of fire ahead.

The tunnel ended in a large room that must have spanned ten thousand square feet, the only other exit leading to another room from which an cacophony of clicks and guttural cries emerged.

A massive makeshift throne was built in the center of the room, upon which sat a lizardman of such proportions that it could only be the chieftain of this tribe. Clearly two heads bigger than any other lizardman he stood almost as tall as Tzzt and though not as large must have been close to three hundred pounds.

Around the throne stood a meager entourage of less than two dozen lizardfolk, and only half of those were armed.

Markhad respectfully approached the throne, moving slowly, is head bowed in supplication.
Surprisingly, the lizardfolk spoken to Markhad is broken common trade tongue.

'You kill my warriors. Why I not kill you,' the chieftain asked.

Markhad had been prepared for the obvious question. 'We reacted in defense of ourselves. We had not realized that we trespassed until it was too late. We humbly beg your forgiveness and ask what were you would set upon us.'

Though Markhad's words were hard for the chieftain to follow, be could feel the empathic wave that the psion broadcast with his speech.

As if feeling he could suddenly unburden a heavy load he had carried alone the chieftain shared his innermost fears with Markhad.

'Many warriors I have lost this twelve moon. Not many more can I lose. I have many-many hatchlings, but to little to protect. If I lose more warrior, tribe will die.'

The chieftain looked about the room, to the party members behind Markhad, then back to the psion.

'Twelve moon passed, many pink skin came to forest. Come too one like him,' he added pointing at Tzzt.' Death, we call him. He kill many. They leave and go to giant priest house on mountain. Take slaves to dig, leave me few warriors.

At priest house is other tribe of folk, enemy of my tribe. Small tribe, strange tribe. Worship old god with blood of victims. Me think tribe stop metal man and pink skins. I wrong.

My enemy come take more slaves for metal man, but these folk smell funny, smell like wet ground and bad meat. We fight, them not bleed. Loose many warriors as slaves,' the chieftain stopped talking and looked to Markhad.

'You bring back tribe, bring back others as slaves for my tribe,' he stipulated. 'You bring back, or you die.'

Markhad nodded, and turned to the party. 'We have our terms,' he said. 'I suggest we take it.'
The others agreed, it seemed they had little choice, unless they fought they're way out.

Markhad, turned back to the chieftain. 'Agreed.'

The chieftain smiled. 'Good.'

As Markhad turned to leave. Signaling the others to the do the same, when the massive lizardman spoke again.

'No, you stay. Leave when others come back.'

Velatash stepped forward to protest, but Markhad raised his right, signaling them to stop.

'Agreed,' he said, turning to the others. 'He has no reason to trust us, it is a fair condition. I will be safe until your return.'

'I'm staying also brother,' Velatash replied, his arm folded, his gesture defiant.
Markhad didn?t protest. Instead, he reached up to the warforged, laying his hand on his temple. 'This is where you are going. Lead the rest here, and keep them safe.'

Tzzt, stared at the psions, not moving until the gnome grabbed his big three fingered hand.

'Come on, Tzzt,' Kierrna said.' They'll be safe.' Kierrna had never lied to the warforged before and she didn?t like the way it made her feel.

--

Thianallis, signaled to the others that something was moving in the hut and pulled his bow string taught, as did Mithros and Kateria, though when Tzzt and the diminutive gnome appeared they relaxed. Nightshade, sensing something was not right kept his draw arm locked, ready to loose his arrow.

Tzzt and Kierrna walked over to where the elves were hidden.

Kateria was the first to speak, steeping out of the foliage 'Where are the psions? What happened?'

Kierrna answered,' they are guests of the lizardfolk until we return with our were.'

Noticing the elves confused look she continued, 'I'll explain on the way.'