Dr Midnight
Explorer
WHUH- oh...
Uh... Dr.M is happily communing with the fungus folk, right? No malice there!
-
The VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
The Unusual Heroes Reborn
- Thread starter Ziona
- Start date
WHUH- oh...
Uh... Dr.M is happily communing with the fungus folk, right? No malice there!
Ziona
First Post
Exiting the Maze
After the warrior in black armor had been defeated, the party decided to examine each painting as a group to avoid being attacked or taken by surprise. Due to a recent discovery, Belasco took the lead next to Lox to keep an eye on the halfling. He didn’t need any hindrances when they were this close to completing the maze.
The first painting they looked at was an empty canvas surrounded by an oak frame. Set before the canvas was an artist’s table with a paintbrush and a jar of multicolored paint.
“That’s peculiar,” said Nuttin.
“Indeed,” agreed Belasco. “Perhaps if we paint something on the canvas…”
Belasco reached down and took the paintbrush. Dipping it into the paint, he began painting a picture of an elf. The colors swirled magically and glimmered like gems. Once finished, the party saw that the painting was of a drow with snow white hair and green eyes.
“I thought drow were supposed to have red eyes,” said Cryenna.
“Not this one,” said Belasco.
Lox swallowed hard and stuck his hands into his pockets. Before anyone could comment further, the drow in the painting smiled and began to move! He turned and walked further into the picture, leaving deep footsteps starting at the painting’s bottom center. As they watched, they saw the drow walk up to an ivory throne encrusted with minerals and gems. The drow sat in the throne and disappeared, but his footsteps remained.
“Interesting,” said Prynne.
“Yes, but what is the point?” asked Venus.
Belasco walked in the direction of the painting and disappeared. The party watched as he reappeared in the painting and followed the footprints to the throne. He sat down and waited. A voice bellowed “I WILL ANSWER ONE QUESTION.”
“Wow…” beamed Lox, forgetting his nervousness.
“Which are the beneficial paintings left in the room?” asked Belasco.
”LOOK UPON THEM AND YOU SHALL SEE THE LIGHT.”
Belasco stood up from the ivory throne and followed his footsteps back out to the group.
“That’s great,” said Nuttin, “but I woulda asked for the way out.”
“Maybe one of the paintings is the way out,” said Prynne.
“What do you see, Belasco?” asked Venus.
Belasco looked slowly around the room. Many of the paintings seemed to radiate a dark shadow, while others seemed to glow with a pale white light.
“This way…”
One by one, the party activated the paintings with treasure or useful information. Most of them were easily activated with a simple touch or movement. One however, appeared to be somewhat of a puzzle. The rosewood frame was thick and sturdy and surrounded a painting of a silver fox, a lynx, puma, lion, panther and tiger.
Dent reached forward and touched it, but nothing seemed to happen. Each party member suggested a different tactic, but none of them worked.
“Let’s go to the next one,” said Lox growing bored.
“This is the last of them,” said Belasco.
“Are you sure it’s even glowing? Maybe it’s not beneficial, maybe it’s just not harmful,” said Prynne.
“It glows,” said Belasco. “We must find some sort of trigger to set it off.”
“It looks like the striped cat’s eye is bleeding,” said Lox.
“He’s right,” said Dent. “The tiger’s eye is oozing something.”
“Eh? Did you say Tiger’s Eye?” chimed Nuttin. “It just so happens that I found a Tiger’s Eye stone in another painting. You don’t suppose…”
“Try it,” said Venus. “It can’t hurt.”
Nuttin reached into his belt pouch and pulled forth the Tiger’s Eye stone. It glimmered prettily in the magical glow of the room.
“Oooh, can I see? Can I see?”
“Not now, Lox. Let’s have a look at that,” said Dent. He took the stone from Nuttin and reached up to the painting. He placed the stone into the spot where the tiger’s eye bled and a golden light began to emanate from the painting. The party stepped back when they saw the tiger was beginning to move.
“You’re sure this is beneficial…” said Nuttin nervously.
The tiger gracefully leapt from the picture and strode over to Dent. It sat down in front of the ranger and nudged his hand with it’s head. The party looked at Dent in amazement. Dent scratched the tiger behind the ears and patted it’s head. She made a grunting noise and rolled over onto her back as playful as a kitten.
“Wow, Dent! You’ve got a pet tiger! That’s great,” cried Lox. “I wonder if it’s a girl or a boy? I think it’s a girl…what are you going to name her? Can I help you name her, Dent?”
“Well, Lox, she is a girl,” said Dent. “But I think I know what we should call her already.”
“Really? Is it something nice? I think we should call her fluffy,” said Lox.
“We’ll call her Haley,” said Dent patting her belly.
The party was relieved that Haley wasn’t aggressive towards them, but they were also disappointed that none of the paintings seemed to lead them out of the maze. They decided that it was a good time to rest and they set up watches.
On first watch were Prynne, Hrolga, Mar, and Elmond. Those responsible on second watch were Belasco, Cryenna, Lox, and Nuttin. (Belasco made sure to keep a close eye on Lox.) Venus and Veerdra spent third watch alone together, (and no one in the group felt they should be so bold as to suggest otherwise). Finally, Dent shared fourth watch with his new companion Haley, the Spleckle, and the djinni.
The night passed uneventfully, and the next day the group began searching about the enormous room in hopes of finding a way out. Nearly half the day had passed when the party heard Lox’s voice ring out. Somehow, at that moment, the group managed not to flinch and were happy to hear the shrill sound of the halfling’s excited voice.
“I found a door! A secret, one, too! Lemme see…which pick to use on the lock…”
The party emerged behind Lox, waiting for the halfling to open the door that they still didn’t quite see.
“Ah-ha! Here we are,” he said proudly. “Stand aside please.”
Lox used his lockpicks and the door swung open silently. As the party exited the room, they felt a brief falling sensation, then appeared in a lavishly decorated room.
“Ah, I see you made it,” said Lord Korvish.
Then, as all thirteen survivors appeared in the room, Lord Korvish wrinkled his nose.
“Well, I hadn’t expected so many of you,” he said sourly.
Lord Korvish was wearing the same lavish robes and jewelry as he had when last they had seen him. His rotund assistant was by his side.
“We did it! Hooray!” cried Lox. “Can I tell you what my wish is now?”
“Patience, my halfling guest, patience,” said Lord Korvish.
“My Lord,” began the assistant. “Are you actually going to give all thirteen of them wishes?”
Korvish shot his assistant a cold glance, and the portly man shrank away without another word.
“I am Lord Korvish and I will keep my word to these worthy adventurers,” he began. “You must, however, return the Rings of Sustenance you were given at the start of the maze. After the return of the rings, you may make your wish and you will be free to leave.”
“Oh, no,” began Lox. “I threw my ring at that crazy judge in that creepy court! But I didn’t keep it, honest!”
“Not to worry,” said Lord Korvish. “I have been watching you throughout your adventure in the maze. I saw that you lost the ring early on. Lucky for you your ranger friend was willing to share his with you, or you may not have made it this far.”
“Whoopee! I still get my wish! Can I wish first, please?” begged Lox.
“If there are no objections from the others,” said Korvish.
“Let him make his damn wish first, or the rest of us will be rushed and driven mad by his impatience,” said Elmond.
No one in the group disagreed with the tiefling’s logic.
“Okay,” said Lox. “I wish that I will become part of the most famous adventuring party ever!”
Lox’s eyes twinkled with excitement as he waited for Korvish to grant his wish.
“It shall be done,” said Lord Korvish with a smile and a nod.
Lox stood for a moment in silence, then said “Funny, I don’t feel any more famous than I did.”
At this Lord Korvish laughed. “Lox Lumley, you have made a thoughtful wish, one that will require some effort to come into being.”
“But, I thought when you made a wish, POOF! It just came true,” said Lox in frustration. “What do you mean I have to make an effort? It’s a wish.”
“A wish that will most certainly come true with a little effort,” said Korvish. He smiled at the halfling and went to the next adventurer.
“And what is your wish?” asked Lord Korvish as Prynne handed him her ring.
“I wish for the blessings of Our Smiling Lady, Tymora,” she said clearly.
“Hold out your hand, Shadowdancer,” said Korvish.
As she held out her hand, Prynne saw a small silver coin attached to a silver chain appear in her palm. It was cool to the touch. The coin had the face of Tymora surrounded by shamrocks on it.
“This coin will give you the Luck of Tymora,” said Lord Korvish. “The Lady Luck shall smile upon you once per day. Use the item wisely.”
Prynne clasped the coin tightly, then put the chain around her neck, pleased with the outcome of her wish.
“What is your wish, sorcerer?” Korvish asked Nuttin.
“Well, I…I wish I could spend one last day with my wife,” Nuttin said with glossy eyes.
The room fell silent and stood motionless when they heard the halfling’s request. They all knew that Nuttin’s wife had passed away and how much he missed her, but no one expected his wish to be so heartfelt.
Lord Korvish nodded his head and leaned down to face Nuttin.
“Your wish will be granted, my friend. Tomorrow you will spend the whole day with your wife, just the way you remembered her before her passing.”
Nuttin just smiled in silence. He took out a handkerchief and blotted his eyes. Lord Korvish quickly walked away to avoid embarrassing the halfling.
“And what of you, dark elf?”
“Dark elf?” said Dent.
Lox just looked over towards Belasco nervously.
Belasco stood facing Lord Korvish while the rest of the group looked on. He reached for the black, velvety mask that hid his face and slowly pulled it away.
“That’s right,” said Belasco bitterly. “I’m a Drow.”
Lox gulped loudly, worried that Belasco might think he told Lord Korvish his secret.
“I don’t see why you felt the need to reveal my race,” Belasco went on, “but since you have, there is no point in keeping the mask on at the moment.”
“Your wish?” asked Korvish.
“I wish that every living creature you keep in the maze was set free,” Belasco said defiantly. “I have lived through the hell of slavery and commands. I do not wish it on anyone.”
“Very well,” said Lord Korvish turning red. “Your wish shall be granted.”
“But my Lord,” said his oversized assistant.
“Silence,” snapped Korvish. He looked at Belasco a moment then moved on to the next adventurer. Belasco slipped the black mask back over his ebony face and white hair.
“Hrolga, what is your wish?”
“I wish for an army to help defend my homeland from the Zhentarim army,” she said proudly.
“An army you shall have, warrior.”
“And you tiefling?”
“I wish to be a more powerful wizard,” said Elmond.
“Very well.”
“And you, Creyenna?”
“I wish to be returned to my tribe,” she said in a whisper.
“Ah, your tribe of Weretigers…yes, it shall be done.”
The group just looked around at each other, wondering what other secrets may have been hidden from them. There seemed to be so much they did not know about each other.
“Mar the Jester,” laughed Lord Korvish. “What is it you’d like to wish for?”
“I wish to be the most popular Jester in Waterdeep!” he shouted excitedly. “It’ll be just like the good old days.”
“Popular you shall be,” said Korvish.
“The Djinni? You have quite a diverse group here,” Korvish laughed. “What wish can I grant for you, Djinni?”
“I wish to be a real djinni with all powerful wishes,” he sighed.
“An all powerful djinni, complete with a new lamp,” said Lord Korvish. “Your wish shall be granted. I see we are nearly through with the wishes. What do you wish for, Dent Masterson?”
Dent’s eyes seem to darken and his expression seemed grave. It was obvious that he had thought long and hard about his wish, and here he was about to make it.
“I wish that I am able to avenge my parent’s death and reclaim the axe of my fallen mentor,” he said, nearly growling.
“A very serious wish, indeed,” said Korvish. “I can give you information to put you on the right path, ranger, but like your halfling friend, your effort is required in completing your wish.”
“So be it,” Dent hissed.
Clearing his throat, Lord Korvish looked at the Spleckle. As always, the Spleckle was meandering about, making the same odd noise. Korvish just shrugged and went on to Venus and Veerdra.
“And what is your wish to be, Vampress?”
Venus turned and looked at Veerdra. He suddenly felt nervous about being with her, as though something was very wrong. “Vampress…?” he stammered.
The group just looked on in shock, wondering what she could possibly wish for, and wondering what this could mean for Venus.
“I wish to be by my beloved’s side for all eternity,” she smiled. And when she did, her sharp white fangs glimmered in the light of the room.
Venus jumped back a step. Here he was, thinking about how he would wish for a grand and lavish keep with acres of wondrous land, not knowing what sort of creature was standing at his side. He thought about the previous night spent with Veerdra…he reached for his neck and felt two sore, puffy bumps raised from his skin.
“This can’t be…” he stammered. “What have you done? You have damned me! I am from the desert! A creature of the sun! A being who is happy within the sun’s warm rays! What have you done?”
Veerdra’s smile disappeared and she ran her tongue over her teeth.
“I have given you the gift of eternal life, foolish man,” she hissed. “You are mine now, and shall forever be with me.”
“No,” said Venus. “It cannot be…it will not be…”
Venus looked at Lord Korvish and shouted, “I wish to be able to live in the sun, in the daylight, free of this vampirism!”
It was Veerdra’s turn to look shocked. “You cannot wish for such a thing,” she moaned. “I have given you eternal life! I have made you my own! You shall not wish that away!”
Lord Korvish had retreated a few steps, then cleared his throat.
“Venus, your wish shall be granted,” he began.
Veerdra looked angrily upon Korvish.
“You shall not be consumed by your newly contracted vampirism. However, the damage has been done. I cannot reverse what the Vampress has done to you, but I have stopped it from progressing.”
“What are you saying?” cried Venus.
“You are part vampire and shall forever be part vampire,” said Korvish with a sigh. “However, you have not lost your soul to darkness…you will not perish in the rays of the sun as another vampire would. You are a hybrid, I’m afraid.”
“What in the Abyss does that mean?” shouted Venus.
“It means you have retained some of your humanity, while still being cursed partially with vampirism. I cannot say for sure what this means for you, I only know that the wish has granted you the ability to remain safe in the sun, and you will never fully transform into a vampire.”
“I’ll tear your throat out!” screeched Veerdra as she lunged at Lord Korvish.
Before her deadly bite could find purchase, however, Korvish’s portly assistant was at his Lord’s side. He grabbed a dagger from his belt and plowed it into her back. When Veerdra spun around to find her attacker, the assistant began backing away like a frightened child. This gave Venus the opportunity to lash out at the Vampress with his scimitar. In just a moment it was all over. The scimitar was like a conductor for the anger and betrayal Venus felt, and it flowed like a raging river as he cleaved into Veerdra’s neck and lobbed her head off her shoulders.
Lord Korvish had turned as white as a sheet and his assistant had fainted. The rest of the party was just beginning to react when Venus had made his killing blow. The only sound that could be heard in the room came from the Spleckle who still wandered about aimlessly spouting the same string of unintelligible words over and over and over…
Epilogue to Follow…
After the warrior in black armor had been defeated, the party decided to examine each painting as a group to avoid being attacked or taken by surprise. Due to a recent discovery, Belasco took the lead next to Lox to keep an eye on the halfling. He didn’t need any hindrances when they were this close to completing the maze.
The first painting they looked at was an empty canvas surrounded by an oak frame. Set before the canvas was an artist’s table with a paintbrush and a jar of multicolored paint.
“That’s peculiar,” said Nuttin.
“Indeed,” agreed Belasco. “Perhaps if we paint something on the canvas…”
Belasco reached down and took the paintbrush. Dipping it into the paint, he began painting a picture of an elf. The colors swirled magically and glimmered like gems. Once finished, the party saw that the painting was of a drow with snow white hair and green eyes.
“I thought drow were supposed to have red eyes,” said Cryenna.
“Not this one,” said Belasco.
Lox swallowed hard and stuck his hands into his pockets. Before anyone could comment further, the drow in the painting smiled and began to move! He turned and walked further into the picture, leaving deep footsteps starting at the painting’s bottom center. As they watched, they saw the drow walk up to an ivory throne encrusted with minerals and gems. The drow sat in the throne and disappeared, but his footsteps remained.
“Interesting,” said Prynne.
“Yes, but what is the point?” asked Venus.
Belasco walked in the direction of the painting and disappeared. The party watched as he reappeared in the painting and followed the footprints to the throne. He sat down and waited. A voice bellowed “I WILL ANSWER ONE QUESTION.”
“Wow…” beamed Lox, forgetting his nervousness.
“Which are the beneficial paintings left in the room?” asked Belasco.
”LOOK UPON THEM AND YOU SHALL SEE THE LIGHT.”
Belasco stood up from the ivory throne and followed his footsteps back out to the group.
“That’s great,” said Nuttin, “but I woulda asked for the way out.”
“Maybe one of the paintings is the way out,” said Prynne.
“What do you see, Belasco?” asked Venus.
Belasco looked slowly around the room. Many of the paintings seemed to radiate a dark shadow, while others seemed to glow with a pale white light.
“This way…”
One by one, the party activated the paintings with treasure or useful information. Most of them were easily activated with a simple touch or movement. One however, appeared to be somewhat of a puzzle. The rosewood frame was thick and sturdy and surrounded a painting of a silver fox, a lynx, puma, lion, panther and tiger.
Dent reached forward and touched it, but nothing seemed to happen. Each party member suggested a different tactic, but none of them worked.
“Let’s go to the next one,” said Lox growing bored.
“This is the last of them,” said Belasco.
“Are you sure it’s even glowing? Maybe it’s not beneficial, maybe it’s just not harmful,” said Prynne.
“It glows,” said Belasco. “We must find some sort of trigger to set it off.”
“It looks like the striped cat’s eye is bleeding,” said Lox.
“He’s right,” said Dent. “The tiger’s eye is oozing something.”
“Eh? Did you say Tiger’s Eye?” chimed Nuttin. “It just so happens that I found a Tiger’s Eye stone in another painting. You don’t suppose…”
“Try it,” said Venus. “It can’t hurt.”
Nuttin reached into his belt pouch and pulled forth the Tiger’s Eye stone. It glimmered prettily in the magical glow of the room.
“Oooh, can I see? Can I see?”
“Not now, Lox. Let’s have a look at that,” said Dent. He took the stone from Nuttin and reached up to the painting. He placed the stone into the spot where the tiger’s eye bled and a golden light began to emanate from the painting. The party stepped back when they saw the tiger was beginning to move.
“You’re sure this is beneficial…” said Nuttin nervously.
The tiger gracefully leapt from the picture and strode over to Dent. It sat down in front of the ranger and nudged his hand with it’s head. The party looked at Dent in amazement. Dent scratched the tiger behind the ears and patted it’s head. She made a grunting noise and rolled over onto her back as playful as a kitten.
“Wow, Dent! You’ve got a pet tiger! That’s great,” cried Lox. “I wonder if it’s a girl or a boy? I think it’s a girl…what are you going to name her? Can I help you name her, Dent?”
“Well, Lox, she is a girl,” said Dent. “But I think I know what we should call her already.”
“Really? Is it something nice? I think we should call her fluffy,” said Lox.
“We’ll call her Haley,” said Dent patting her belly.
The party was relieved that Haley wasn’t aggressive towards them, but they were also disappointed that none of the paintings seemed to lead them out of the maze. They decided that it was a good time to rest and they set up watches.
On first watch were Prynne, Hrolga, Mar, and Elmond. Those responsible on second watch were Belasco, Cryenna, Lox, and Nuttin. (Belasco made sure to keep a close eye on Lox.) Venus and Veerdra spent third watch alone together, (and no one in the group felt they should be so bold as to suggest otherwise). Finally, Dent shared fourth watch with his new companion Haley, the Spleckle, and the djinni.
The night passed uneventfully, and the next day the group began searching about the enormous room in hopes of finding a way out. Nearly half the day had passed when the party heard Lox’s voice ring out. Somehow, at that moment, the group managed not to flinch and were happy to hear the shrill sound of the halfling’s excited voice.
“I found a door! A secret, one, too! Lemme see…which pick to use on the lock…”
The party emerged behind Lox, waiting for the halfling to open the door that they still didn’t quite see.
“Ah-ha! Here we are,” he said proudly. “Stand aside please.”
Lox used his lockpicks and the door swung open silently. As the party exited the room, they felt a brief falling sensation, then appeared in a lavishly decorated room.
“Ah, I see you made it,” said Lord Korvish.
Then, as all thirteen survivors appeared in the room, Lord Korvish wrinkled his nose.
“Well, I hadn’t expected so many of you,” he said sourly.
Lord Korvish was wearing the same lavish robes and jewelry as he had when last they had seen him. His rotund assistant was by his side.
“We did it! Hooray!” cried Lox. “Can I tell you what my wish is now?”
“Patience, my halfling guest, patience,” said Lord Korvish.
“My Lord,” began the assistant. “Are you actually going to give all thirteen of them wishes?”
Korvish shot his assistant a cold glance, and the portly man shrank away without another word.
“I am Lord Korvish and I will keep my word to these worthy adventurers,” he began. “You must, however, return the Rings of Sustenance you were given at the start of the maze. After the return of the rings, you may make your wish and you will be free to leave.”
“Oh, no,” began Lox. “I threw my ring at that crazy judge in that creepy court! But I didn’t keep it, honest!”
“Not to worry,” said Lord Korvish. “I have been watching you throughout your adventure in the maze. I saw that you lost the ring early on. Lucky for you your ranger friend was willing to share his with you, or you may not have made it this far.”
“Whoopee! I still get my wish! Can I wish first, please?” begged Lox.
“If there are no objections from the others,” said Korvish.
“Let him make his damn wish first, or the rest of us will be rushed and driven mad by his impatience,” said Elmond.
No one in the group disagreed with the tiefling’s logic.
“Okay,” said Lox. “I wish that I will become part of the most famous adventuring party ever!”
Lox’s eyes twinkled with excitement as he waited for Korvish to grant his wish.
“It shall be done,” said Lord Korvish with a smile and a nod.
Lox stood for a moment in silence, then said “Funny, I don’t feel any more famous than I did.”
At this Lord Korvish laughed. “Lox Lumley, you have made a thoughtful wish, one that will require some effort to come into being.”
“But, I thought when you made a wish, POOF! It just came true,” said Lox in frustration. “What do you mean I have to make an effort? It’s a wish.”
“A wish that will most certainly come true with a little effort,” said Korvish. He smiled at the halfling and went to the next adventurer.
“And what is your wish?” asked Lord Korvish as Prynne handed him her ring.
“I wish for the blessings of Our Smiling Lady, Tymora,” she said clearly.
“Hold out your hand, Shadowdancer,” said Korvish.
As she held out her hand, Prynne saw a small silver coin attached to a silver chain appear in her palm. It was cool to the touch. The coin had the face of Tymora surrounded by shamrocks on it.
“This coin will give you the Luck of Tymora,” said Lord Korvish. “The Lady Luck shall smile upon you once per day. Use the item wisely.”
Prynne clasped the coin tightly, then put the chain around her neck, pleased with the outcome of her wish.
“What is your wish, sorcerer?” Korvish asked Nuttin.
“Well, I…I wish I could spend one last day with my wife,” Nuttin said with glossy eyes.
The room fell silent and stood motionless when they heard the halfling’s request. They all knew that Nuttin’s wife had passed away and how much he missed her, but no one expected his wish to be so heartfelt.
Lord Korvish nodded his head and leaned down to face Nuttin.
“Your wish will be granted, my friend. Tomorrow you will spend the whole day with your wife, just the way you remembered her before her passing.”
Nuttin just smiled in silence. He took out a handkerchief and blotted his eyes. Lord Korvish quickly walked away to avoid embarrassing the halfling.
“And what of you, dark elf?”
“Dark elf?” said Dent.
Lox just looked over towards Belasco nervously.
Belasco stood facing Lord Korvish while the rest of the group looked on. He reached for the black, velvety mask that hid his face and slowly pulled it away.
“That’s right,” said Belasco bitterly. “I’m a Drow.”
Lox gulped loudly, worried that Belasco might think he told Lord Korvish his secret.
“I don’t see why you felt the need to reveal my race,” Belasco went on, “but since you have, there is no point in keeping the mask on at the moment.”
“Your wish?” asked Korvish.
“I wish that every living creature you keep in the maze was set free,” Belasco said defiantly. “I have lived through the hell of slavery and commands. I do not wish it on anyone.”
“Very well,” said Lord Korvish turning red. “Your wish shall be granted.”
“But my Lord,” said his oversized assistant.
“Silence,” snapped Korvish. He looked at Belasco a moment then moved on to the next adventurer. Belasco slipped the black mask back over his ebony face and white hair.
“Hrolga, what is your wish?”
“I wish for an army to help defend my homeland from the Zhentarim army,” she said proudly.
“An army you shall have, warrior.”
“And you tiefling?”
“I wish to be a more powerful wizard,” said Elmond.
“Very well.”
“And you, Creyenna?”
“I wish to be returned to my tribe,” she said in a whisper.
“Ah, your tribe of Weretigers…yes, it shall be done.”
The group just looked around at each other, wondering what other secrets may have been hidden from them. There seemed to be so much they did not know about each other.
“Mar the Jester,” laughed Lord Korvish. “What is it you’d like to wish for?”
“I wish to be the most popular Jester in Waterdeep!” he shouted excitedly. “It’ll be just like the good old days.”
“Popular you shall be,” said Korvish.
“The Djinni? You have quite a diverse group here,” Korvish laughed. “What wish can I grant for you, Djinni?”
“I wish to be a real djinni with all powerful wishes,” he sighed.
“An all powerful djinni, complete with a new lamp,” said Lord Korvish. “Your wish shall be granted. I see we are nearly through with the wishes. What do you wish for, Dent Masterson?”
Dent’s eyes seem to darken and his expression seemed grave. It was obvious that he had thought long and hard about his wish, and here he was about to make it.
“I wish that I am able to avenge my parent’s death and reclaim the axe of my fallen mentor,” he said, nearly growling.
“A very serious wish, indeed,” said Korvish. “I can give you information to put you on the right path, ranger, but like your halfling friend, your effort is required in completing your wish.”
“So be it,” Dent hissed.
Clearing his throat, Lord Korvish looked at the Spleckle. As always, the Spleckle was meandering about, making the same odd noise. Korvish just shrugged and went on to Venus and Veerdra.
“And what is your wish to be, Vampress?”
Venus turned and looked at Veerdra. He suddenly felt nervous about being with her, as though something was very wrong. “Vampress…?” he stammered.
The group just looked on in shock, wondering what she could possibly wish for, and wondering what this could mean for Venus.
“I wish to be by my beloved’s side for all eternity,” she smiled. And when she did, her sharp white fangs glimmered in the light of the room.
Venus jumped back a step. Here he was, thinking about how he would wish for a grand and lavish keep with acres of wondrous land, not knowing what sort of creature was standing at his side. He thought about the previous night spent with Veerdra…he reached for his neck and felt two sore, puffy bumps raised from his skin.
“This can’t be…” he stammered. “What have you done? You have damned me! I am from the desert! A creature of the sun! A being who is happy within the sun’s warm rays! What have you done?”
Veerdra’s smile disappeared and she ran her tongue over her teeth.
“I have given you the gift of eternal life, foolish man,” she hissed. “You are mine now, and shall forever be with me.”
“No,” said Venus. “It cannot be…it will not be…”
Venus looked at Lord Korvish and shouted, “I wish to be able to live in the sun, in the daylight, free of this vampirism!”
It was Veerdra’s turn to look shocked. “You cannot wish for such a thing,” she moaned. “I have given you eternal life! I have made you my own! You shall not wish that away!”
Lord Korvish had retreated a few steps, then cleared his throat.
“Venus, your wish shall be granted,” he began.
Veerdra looked angrily upon Korvish.
“You shall not be consumed by your newly contracted vampirism. However, the damage has been done. I cannot reverse what the Vampress has done to you, but I have stopped it from progressing.”
“What are you saying?” cried Venus.
“You are part vampire and shall forever be part vampire,” said Korvish with a sigh. “However, you have not lost your soul to darkness…you will not perish in the rays of the sun as another vampire would. You are a hybrid, I’m afraid.”
“What in the Abyss does that mean?” shouted Venus.
“It means you have retained some of your humanity, while still being cursed partially with vampirism. I cannot say for sure what this means for you, I only know that the wish has granted you the ability to remain safe in the sun, and you will never fully transform into a vampire.”
“I’ll tear your throat out!” screeched Veerdra as she lunged at Lord Korvish.
Before her deadly bite could find purchase, however, Korvish’s portly assistant was at his Lord’s side. He grabbed a dagger from his belt and plowed it into her back. When Veerdra spun around to find her attacker, the assistant began backing away like a frightened child. This gave Venus the opportunity to lash out at the Vampress with his scimitar. In just a moment it was all over. The scimitar was like a conductor for the anger and betrayal Venus felt, and it flowed like a raging river as he cleaved into Veerdra’s neck and lobbed her head off her shoulders.
Lord Korvish had turned as white as a sheet and his assistant had fainted. The rest of the party was just beginning to react when Venus had made his killing blow. The only sound that could be heard in the room came from the Spleckle who still wandered about aimlessly spouting the same string of unintelligible words over and over and over…
Epilogue to Follow…
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Hammerhead
Explorer
When does Dr. Midnight enter? He rules!
Hammerhead
Explorer
And doesn't the hairy beast thing get a wish? That would be unfair...
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