So shall it be written...so shall it be done!
RETRIBUTION
“One side, runt!” Rusty elbowed past Tilly, heedless of this new threat, knowing only that they had to escape the temple before the she-devil arrived. He was thus taken completely by surprise when a pair of vice-like pincers seized him around the waist. It was only then that the dwarf gave his full attention to the kuo-toa. The creature was sheathed head to toe in gleaming armor, and the only weapon he bore was a long staff, topped by the pincers which now held Rusty. Immediately, he began dragging the priest forward into the room.
“Rusty’s in trouble!” Tilly shouted to his fellows, who had gathered behind him on the dais, thinking an escape route had been found. Tilly then took to the air, exulting in the power of magical flight that Caine had bestowed upon him. He somersaulted through the door and into the chamber beyond, hovering behind the kuo-toan priest and well above the surface of the water. Caine quickly followed him, but rather than confront the kuo-toa, the sorcerer moved across the large meditation room, peering through archways on the far side, looking for further threats. It was then that he spied another creature in the room. For all intents and purposes, it appeared to be a dwarf, but one with gray skin and hair. The dwarf glared at him cautiously, but made no threatening move. Its gaze shifted constantly between Caine and the kuo-toa, as if awaiting instructions.
Ajax witnessed Rusty’s fruitless struggles against the stronger kuo-toa. He suspected that the creature might be using magical enhancements to bolster its strength. One of the many benefits of his divine nature was that he literally radiated goodness, and when he wished it, this beneficent aura could also be protective, blocking certain magical effects from operating within its area. With this in mind, the deva landed behind Rusty, and watched with smug satisfaction when the kuo-toa’s already protruding eyes seemed to widen even further as it became aware that its defenses and augmentations were now useless. The priest instantly released Rusty from the grasp of its staff, then dodged around Tilly, coming up behind the little rogue, and out of Ajax’s sphere of influence. Immediately it began chanting in a croaking voice, and a very familiar cloud of inky blackness enveloped Tilly, Rusty and Ajax. The cloying, filthy, unholy darkness made Tilly wretch violently. Even when it had cleared, he still felt nauseatingly ill. Glancing behind him, he saw that Ajax was even worse off. The tall warrior was doubled over in convulsions, cold sweat dripping from his bald head. He began staggering towards the edge of the dais, and all but fell over the side, disappearing from sight.
Rusty was the least affected by the blight, but he still felt the worse for it. He recognized the nature of the divine magic, and knew they were up against a powerful priest. Just then, he was momentarily taken aback by the sight of a flying crocodile settling down beside him. Wathros looked up at the dwarf with a toothy grin. He opened his jaws, and spat out a small ball of flame towards the kuo-toa. Rusty shook his head. He would just never get over seeing an animal that could cast spells.
“Better make that yer last fer a bit,” he warned the druid, for he had an idea of his own. He performed a quick incantation, and then proceeded to blanket the area around the kuo-toan priest in absolute silence, thus negating its ability to cast any further damaging magic. The priest fixed him with a baleful glare, and then rushed towards the doorway where he stood. Rusty raised his shield, preparing for another attack from the pincer staff, but was surprised when instead, the kuo-toa slammed the door in his face…and then locked it from the other side. Now he and Wathros remained on the dais, while Caine and Tilly were trapped on the other side with the priest.
Tilly didn’t notice the priest’s tactic. He was focused more on the dwarf facing Caine. Tilly remembered the sorcerer’s vow of pacifism, and was convinced the gray dwarf would kill him where he stood, without Caine ever raising a hand in self-defense. Tilly gripped his swords, and zoomed across the room towards the dwarf, murder in his eyes. Suddenly, he couldn’t remember any more why he was attacking the dwarf. There was no reason for violence here. Perhaps they could just talk this situation out rationally, peacefully. His hands dropped to his side, and he floated in the air beside the gray dwarf, who looked equally calm, and non-threatening. Indeed, Caine was not as defenseless as he appeared. While it was true, he would never resort to violence, he often found there were more effective ways to put an end to conflict…such as the aura of magical calm that he constantly emanated.
“Now,” he said, turning towards the dwarf, and weaving a spell of charming, “what are you doing here, my little friend?”
“I am enslaved to Mangh Mictho,” the dwarf responded, offering a hopeful smile to Caine.
“No longer,” Caine replied benevolently, “You are free now, but your former master seems intent on preventing my friends and I from leaving and taking you with us. Perhaps you could distract him for us. That antechamber seems to contain many ancient scrolls and texts. Perhaps if you began…rearranging…some of them, it might distract him and give us an exit.”
The dwarf’s grin broadened, understanding dawning on his pale face. Hefting the axe he carried in his right hand, he stomped into the small side chamber and began hacking at the bookshelves, strewing parchment in all directions.
Once Caine’s attention was turned from him, Tilly felt the peaceful feeling leave him. Shaking his head to clear it, he glared at the sorcerer. Fat lot of help he was going to be if he kept doing that to his friends as well as his enemies. Tilly noticed that the kuo-toa’s attention was indeed focused on the destruction being carried out by his former slave, and he looked none to pleased about it. In fact, he looked down right unfriendly. Tilly took the opportunity to close in while the priest was distracted, but the kuo-toa’s reflexes were lightning fast. With a quick twist of his wrists, he brought the pincer staff up, grabbing Tilly in mid-air. The little rogue was not so easily caught, however. He twisted and contorted his narrow frame, writhing free from the pincers in a split second. At that moment, the priest began that croaking chant again, and Tilly realized that the kuo-toa had moved out of the silenced area that Rusty had created. Dreading what foul magic was being summoned this time, Tilly ducked and covered his head. No blast of energy came, however. Instead, he heard rushing water. Opening his eyes, he was horrified to see the water covering the floor of the chamber was rising, and fast. In seconds, it had risen completely to the ceiling, filling the room. Tilly managed to hold his breath at the last instant, and saw that Caine and his newfound friend had done the same, but they wouldn’t last long. If they didn’t get out of here soon, they would all drown, or more likely, the amphibious priest would kill them long before that.
Outside the room, Rusty and Wathros noticed a growing puddle of water seeping out from under the door.
“That can’t be good,” the dwarf muttered. He hefted his axe and began hammering at the door. Wathros turned his back and then smashed his powerful tail repeatedly against the portal as well.
Back inside, Tilly swam desperately for the door. Gripping the handle, he pulled with all his might, only to find it locked. He began fumbling for his lock picks, his lungs burning from the effort of holding his breath. Finally, he managed to fish out the ring of small tools, and set to the work on the lock. He felt the tumblers click into place, and reached for the handle again, only to be jerked back several feet as a crushing grip tightened around his chest. The kuo-toa had caught him once more with the pincers.
Rusty heard the click of the lock, and he grabbed the handle and pushed with all his might, but it would not budge.
“Help me!” he yelled at Wathros, and the crocodile/druid put his full weight and strength with the dwarf’s. Suddenly, the door gave way and a solid wall of water came crashing out. Rusty managed to roll to one side, avoiding the brunt of the deluge, but Wathros was washed all the way across the dais, and almost off the edge. As the flood abated, Rusty dashed into the doorway. He saw Tilly still struggling in the grasp on the kuo-toa’s staff, and he remembered the effect Ajax’s aura had on the creature. He chanted and brought into effect a spell to dispel the magical protections surrounding the evil priest. He was rewarded by the sight of the kuo-toa’s sudden look of apprehension.
“Nicely done,” a voice said from behind him. Turning, he saw Ajax standing there, fully healed of all his wounds. “Allow me,” the deva said, and with a gesture, he again cast a dispelling about Mangh Mictho. The kuo-toa looked absolutely panicked now. He began wrestling Tilly further into the chamber, away from the two spell casters. As he retreated, Rusty summoned one of his most powerful enchantments…the Holy Smite. A blast of power shook the chamber, washing all of the occupants in white light. When it cleared, his companions stood unscathed, but Mangh Mictho was barely on his feet, staggering from the blow. Ajax darted forward, bringing his sword around in a wide sweep and taking the priest’s legs out from under him. The staff dropped from his hands as he struck the water, and Tilly quickly wriggled free.
“Get up!” Ajax hissed in anger. The priest’s eyes bored into him, and he began to climb to his feet. Before he made it halfway, Ajax sliced across his chest, throwing him to the floor once more. Mangh Mictho slowly pulled himself to his hands and knees, but a kick to the ribs from Ajax sent him sprawling. The kuo-toa rolled over onto his back, holding out one hand as if in surrender, but a blast of electricity sprung forward, sparking off Ajax’ armor, but doing him no real harm. In that instant, the priest began swimming through the shallow water, trying for the far side of the room.
“I got’im!” Rusty shouted, and he hurled himself at the kuo-toa, trying to wrestle him still. Mangh Mictho was not finished yet, however. He rolled Rusty under him, beneath the water’s surface, and then wrapped one clawed hand around the dwarf’s throat. He climbed to his feet, lifting Rusty out of the water by his neck, his feet dangling above the water. The kuo-toa drew back his other hand, preparing to deliver a killing blow, when his eyes went suddenly wide. Slowly, he collapsed to the floor, Rusty slipping from his grasp. Tilly hovered silently behind him, his sword buried in the priest’s spine.
______________________________________________________
“Everyone inside!” Ajax barked to the others. He herded them all into the chamber, knowing they probably didn’t have much time until the she-devil was called. Once everyone was in, he quickly locked the door.
Caine, meanwhile, had stopped his gray dwarf friend from his destructive rearrangement of the library. “Tell me, what are you called?” he asked the dwarf.
“I am Frith, of the Deep Delver clan of duergar,” the dwarf replied.
“A pleasure to meet you,” Caine smiled. “How long have you been here, Frith?”
“Three years,” the dwarf muttered.
“A long time, to be sure,” said Caine sympathetically. “In that time, have you seen a surface dwarf here? One by the name of Splintershield?”
“Nah, I ain’t seen’im,” Frith said, spitting on the floor, “He’s to high and mighty to be bothered with slaves. He stays upstairs in his throne room. Only the master could go and see him.”
“Interesting,” Caine mused thoughtfully, but before he could give the matter much thought, he was distracted by a faint sound…the sound of a door handle rattling. Turning slowly towards the door behind him, he saw the handle moving slowly back and forth. “I believe we have company,” he whispered.
___________________________________________________
Twice in less than a week, Aushanna cursed to herself as the piercing call sounded in her head a second time. She had been busy enjoying the torture of a hapless lemure when she was interrupted this time. She would have to remember to hunt down the wretched priest that had bound her to this duty, but then she remembered that he was long dead. Pity. She would have loved to get him on her surgical table. No matter. It seemed as if she was about to have other volunteers for that honor.
She appeared in the grand temple once again, high atop the statue of the Sea Mother, prepared to unleash a rain of fire down upon the infidels, but she was momentarily surprised to see the hall empty…of anyone alive at least. Several more dead whips lay about the floor. Mangh Mictho seemed to be going thru them like cord wood lately. She didn’t see the high priest anywhere, so she assumed he was still in his chambers. She glided quietly down to the dais, and approached the doors to the meditation chamber. They were locked. Strange. Normally the priest kept them open, unless he was in danger. Not a problem. There were simple ways past locked doors.
A flash of light appeared near the door, and as it dimmed, the erinyes stood in all her terrible beauty, her bow of flames gripped tightly in her hand, a snarl of rage and hatred on her lovely face. Caine felt his heart quail under that gaze, and for the first time in a long time, he felt despair sinking over him. Glancing around at his companions, he saw the same look of fear on their faces. Even Ajax, sworn enemy of fiends, looked unsure…doubtful.
Aushanna took in the scene in an instant. Mangh Mictho lay dead in a pool of his own blood. The dwarf and the halfling, she recognized. She had saved the dwarf’s life a few days back, and turned him over to the kuo-toans for interrogation. The halfling had escaped her clutches while she had been busy with the archon. These other two she did not know, though something about the bald one seemed familiar to her. She intended to ask him about it as she flayed the flesh from his body over the course of the next ten years. But then, for no reason whatsoever, she felt her anger leave her. Her desire to kill, maim and torture these infidels was just…gone. She felt distrust, suspicion, intense dislike, but no violence.
Caine couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The fiend wasn’t attacking. She had lowered her weapons. Somehow, she was susceptible to his peaceful nature! It was a miracle! He had to act quickly, take advantage of the situation while there was still a chance.
“My lady,” he bowed politely, “Forgive our intrusion. We were merely seeking an acquaintance of ours and had a…misunderstanding…with the inhabitants of this place. If you will allow it, we shall quit this place immediately, after we claim our friend.”
Aushanna’s baleful gaze fell fully upon the sorcerer. She stepped towards him, circling slowly. “You are trespassing,” she hissed, “I am duty bound to slay you all, and yet…I do not wish it. You will leave this place…now, lest I recall my oath. You will not tarry a second longer than it takes to make it to the exit. Friend or no friend, he is lost to you. Leave…now…and never return.”
“You are most gracious,” Caine bowed again, “We can never repay your mercy…can we?” he asked, throwing a meaningful look at his companions. “Our host has asked us to leave. Be off!”
The others looked at one another in confusion, but they understood that this might be their only chance. Tilly quickly unlocked the door, and darted through in full flight. One by one, his companions followed, all taking to the air except for Rusty, who bore no such enchantment, and Frith. Caine came last, closely followed by the erinyes. When he reached the dais, he saw Rusty leap over the side, tumbling to the floor below, then jumping to his feet and disappearing into the secret passage they had found earlier. The others were nowhere in sight. Frith, following Rusty’s example, also leaped off the dais, but when Caine glanced over to see his progress, his face fell. The duergar lay very still on the floor, his neck twisted in an unnatural angle.
“Pity,” Aushanna smiled, “Now, go!” It was now or never, Caine thought. He was alone, and the minute he left the fiend’s side, she would be out from under his influence. He smiled once more at her, and then dove over side, streaking towards the tunnel.
________________________________________________________
The realization of what had happened slowly dawned on Aushanna. She had been duped! How dare they? How dare those mortal worms? She threw her head back and wailed in fury. Her cry echoed thru the halls of the shrine, chilling the blood of all who heard it.
_________________________________________________________
Tilly and Ajax were the first to reach the exit. They were in the process of untying the boat when they heard the devil’s shriek.
“Time to go,” Tilly said matter-of-factly and he leaped from the stairs, soaring out over the lake. Ajax glanced back up the stairs and saw the wolf and the crocodile/druid emerging from the shrine. Surely the others could not be far behind. He to began to fly, tailing after Tilly, certain the others would be coming soon.
Caine heard the scream, and stopped at the corner of the hallway, just beyond Garekk’s torture chamber. On the opposite side, he could just see Rusty, the dwarf huffing and puffing as he hustled along on foot. Caine felt sure the others were safely away by now, but he couldn’t leave the priest behind. Opening his cloak, he called forth his familiar. The little archon bobbed in front of him.
“Jules,” Caine said, “you must buy us time. Find the she-devil, and harry her in any way that you can, but if she should threaten you in any way, flee. Do you understand?”
The archon flickered in acknowledgement, and then zipped away.
Aushanna appeared in the entry hall, her eyes scanning in all directions, searching for her prey. She knew they couldn’t have gotten far. She was also aware of the secret tunnel that led through the dungeons. Perhaps they were still there. With a thought, she transported herself to the center of the torture chamber. At first she saw nothing, but then a telltale clink of armor down the far hall alerted her to her quarry’s presence. Smiling to herself, she prepared to give chase. Suddenly, she caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye. Whirling about, she saw a small globe of light hovering down the far hallway. Instantly, she recognized the true nature of the creature…a celestial. A minor one, to be sure, but an abomination nonetheless. Without hesitation, she hurled her unholy power at the archon, but in an eye-blink, it was gone, only to reappear a bit closer. Aushanna’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. Clever, she thought. The celestial was trying to cover the escape of its companions. Not quite clever enough, however.
Rusty had just made it to the front door when the erinyes suddenly appeared between Caine and himself.
“Fly you fool!” Caine shouted to him, retreating to a far corner of the chamber. The sorcerer then began beckoning the she-devil towards him, “I am a wielder of the sacred fire!” he shouted, “Your unholy might shall not avail you, Flame of Udun! You…shall not…pass!”
Aushanna smiled at the temerity of the little mortal, and then she engulfed him with her black magic.
Ajax was troubled. What was he doing, fleeing a battle while those he was sworn to protect remained in danger? Had he gone mad? He paused in his flight, hovering in mid-air.
“What’s wrong?” Tilly called from up ahead.
“Go on,” the deva commanded, “I’ll catch up.” He turned and began racing back towards the distant shrine, sword in hand.
Rusty had just reached the boat as Wathros nudged it out into the lake when Ajax arrowed past them. The deva came to a halt behind Aushanna as she stood over the crouching form of Caine, sword raised for the kill.
“No, Hellspawn!” Ajax cried out, “Face me! It is I that you want!” Then Ajax dropped the disguise that he wore to hide his true nature from prying eyes. Great feathery wings unfolded behind him, and his holy aura blazed forth. Aushanna turned with a hiss of rage, “So,” she spat, “Heaven continues to send fodder for my delights. I’ve already had the pleasure of crucifying one of your brethren. I think I’ll take my time with you!”
“Caine, now!” Ajax shouted. The sorcerer didn’t hesitate. He darted past the erinyes, and thru the door. He streaked over the side of the stairs and into the dark lake water, making good his escape. Aushanna howled in outrage, and once again hurled her blight, this time at Ajax. For the second time this day, Ajax felt the nauseating darkness close over him, but this time, by sheer strength of will, he fought back the worst of the pain. Now that his friends were safe, he could go. This fight would wait for another day. He hurled himself backward, flying at full speed out of the shrine and across the lake. Behind him he could hear Aushanna raging.
_______________________________________________________
The ragged, beaten group huddled together in a shallow cave on the far shore of the lake, peering nervously out into the darkness, searching for signs of pursuit. Hours passed and they gradually realized that no one was coming.
“So what now?” Tilly asked wearily, for the second time in one week.
“We go back,” Rusty growled, unknowingly parroting the exact words Wathros had uttered days before, only this time Tilly didn’t think the dwarf meant to return to Cauldron.
“Indeed,” Ajax nodded in agreement, “but the question is,how?”
Caine rose to his feet before them, a feeling of peace radiating from him. The group embraced the feeling, needing the calm in order to think clearly. “The way that I see things is that we have two options,” the sorcerer began, “first, we can find a way around the temple area. That seems to be the trigger which calls the devil. Perhaps we can bypass it entirely, maybe even tunnel our way magically through an intervening floor to the upper levels. This way would be safe, but time consuming, and we don’t know what preparations are being made even as we speak. Second, we return to the temple and face the erinyes one final time…” His voice trailed off, letting the unspoken implication hang in the air.
“For myself,” Ajax began, “I would see the fiend destroyed. But I fear our power may not be enough. She is a mighty foe.”
Caine smiled wickedly, “If we are all in agreement upon this course of action, then I may be able to provide an answer…”
____________________________________________________________
At dawn (as near as they could interpret it in the lightless Underdark) the next day, the six companions gathered once more within the Sea Mother’s temple. They guessed now that it would take approximately two minutes for Aushanna to sense the presence of intruders and investigate. During that time they prepared. Rusty, Wathros and Caine began weaving every manner of magical protection at their disposal about their comrades. Caine followed this by empowering them all once more with flight, thus evening the odds against the winged she-devil. Next, he gifted them with unnatural speed, enabling them to attack faster, with greater effectiveness. Lastly, Rusty cast one final spell upon Ajax…one which would render him impervious to a single type of magic. He chose the preferred attack of the erinyes…the Unholy Blight.
At last, all was in preparation, and not a moment too soon. In a flash of scarlet energy, Aushanna appeared atop the statue of Blibdoolpoolp. “You are bold, I’ll give you that!” she cried, gazing triumphantly down on them. “Perhaps I’ll make you all part of my personal entourage once I’ve released your souls from their mortal shells.”
“Not today, bitch!” Tilly shouted, diving down from the shadows of the ceiling directly above Aushanna’s head. He drove his short sword directly between her shoulders, but it felt as if he were attacking a stone wall. He opened only a small wound, and a trickle of black ichor dripped down her pale back. A moment later, Ajax soared from the top balcony across from the idol, landing in front of the erinyes and slashing at her midsection. The deva’s blade was possessed of his own innate goodness, and it cut deep, bringing a cry of pain from the she-devil. Aushanna answered the attack by summoning her dark magic. The black cloud enveloped the top of the idol. Tilly managed to roll to one side, coming out on the edge of the cloud, and only suffering a small dose of its ill effects. Ajax, on the other hand, was totally unfazed by the foulness. When the air cleared, he stood with his arms crossed smugly. Aushanna’s eyes widened in surprise, and for the first time, a glimmer of fear flashed across her pretty face.
“Now Wathros!” Caine shouted, and he and Rusty took to the air, flying in opposite directions to approach the back side of the idol. Simultaneously, Wathros opened a portal to the heavens briefly and summoned holy fire in a roaring column centered upon Aushanna. Though the flames themselves had no effect on the hell-spawned fiend, the purity of them burned her deeply. Ajax gave her no respite, striking her again with his blade. Aushanna knew this was going badly…not at all as she had expected. In the blink of an eye, she vanished, reappearing in the shadows of the lower balcony, unseen by her opponents. She peered out from the darkness, marking the position of the celestial. If she could defeat him, the others would fall easily. Concentrating intently upon him, she attempted to dominate his mind, subvert his will. Ajax shook his head violently as the mental attack washed over him, but then it passed, and his head cleared. “There!” he shouted, pointing below to where the erinyes was revealed once more. Before he could act, however, Aushanna followed up with another blast of darkness, catching Tilly and Rusty in the cloud. Ajax roared in defiance and dove from the seventy-foot height of the idol. He intended to impale his sword all the way through the fiend, but at the last second, she rolled to one side, narrowly missing his potentially lethal assault.
Meanwhile, Rusty and Caine centered on Aushanna’s location, and began their own magical barrage. Rusty hurled searing blasts of white-hot light at her, but her innate resistance to magic repelled that attack. Likewise, Caine’s attempt to make her sword too slippery to hold onto failed utterly. “Bah! This is getting’ us nowhere!” Rusty cried, and he rushed forward, arms outstretched, trying in desperation to bowl the fiend over and wrestle her to the ground. Aushanna’s lighting-fast reflexes made the attempt foolhardy. As Rusty came in, she stepped nimbly aside, and then slashed viciously at his back as he passed, causing him to stumble clumsily into a wall. With that, Aushanna teleported again, this time appearing just within the secret tunnel, hoping to use its confined space to her advantage.
Tilly and Ajax saw her appear immediately, and did not hesitate to pursue. “Flank!” Ajax cried, and Tilly leaped into the air, diving over the top of the fiend, but not before she opened a deep wound in his abdomen as he moved. He landed poorly, grabbing at his bleeding belly, trying to bring his blade up to ward off the blow he knew was coming. “Now you die!” Aushanna laughed evilly, raising her sword in two hands above her head.
“No…it is you.” Ajax said quietly from behind her as he grabbed her firmly by one shoulder, and then slid his sword effortlessly through her spine, to explode thru her chest on the other side.
“How…?” the fiend gasped, her eyes going dim as she slid from the deva’s blade, her final battle fought.
which is where drugs, dominate spells, and clubs to the head come in
