ENTER HOUSHANG
Surrounded by heralds depicting green rays squeezed forth from a black fist, the Pit Fiend purposefully strode down the great hall. Recognizing the devil as a powerful representative of the Black Hand, the clergy were eager to provide him with an unobstructed path to the temple’s throne room.
Although he had expected to see Entropy at a later date, Lord Amal – ruler of Zhentil Keep and High Impreceptor of Bane – did not think she would reappear so soon.
Reclining lazily on his throne with a goblet of Faerun’s finest wine swirling in a gem-encrusted goblet, he regarded her warily as his true seeing easily penetrated her disguise, “To what do I owe the honor of this visit?”
“My dear Amal, it warms my heart to see you again. I am pleased to see that you have taken your rightful place as ruler of the Zhentarim. I trust that the Scepter of Ephelomon was instrumental in your victory?”
Amal threw aside his drink with disdain. As it clattered messily to the floor, several acolytes rushed forward to clean it lest they earn their master’s ire.
“Let me make one thing clear to you sorcerer, as I did to former Impreceptor Chembryl. My ascension is a culmination of my successes on the Dreadlord’s behalf. It was inevitable – not the product of some mere bauble.”
Kill him and take the Scepter!
“Indeed. And I suppose the dozen or so Red Dragons flying around the Keep are merely for aesthetic purposes?”
“You waste my time. Tell me what you want and begone!”
The fiend held up a placating hand, “Very well, I will speak plainly. You have a reputation for knowledge of planar lore, even greater than myself. I require information regarding a particular inmate of Carceri . . .”
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“Why do you want to know anyway,” the shopkeeper eyed the stranger with suspicion.
After two attempts on the Bright Axe’s lives within the last day, Olaf the armorer felt obligated to maintain their anonymity. Though Cauldron was destroyed, the adventurers had saved countless lives not to mention their recent destruction of a rampaging Beholder who promised death and destruction to Red Gorge.
Looking around briefly to make sure no one else had entered the armory, the stranger removed his hood revealing a bald head with many intricate tattoos of arcane power.
“A damn Red Wizard . . .” he hissed as he unsheathed his sword.
The wizard was faster. After completing his spell, Olaf’s sword turned green as it simultaneously elongated and thickened. Within moments, it had changed into a giant constrictor snake which wrapped the shopkeep in a crushing vice-like grip.
Moving mere inches from his victim’s face, the wizard could feel his fear. After running so long from the minions of Druxus Rhym, he almost forgot what it felt like to exploit the little people. It felt like a breath of fresh air.
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Their final preparations complete, the Bright Axes were simply waiting for Nidrama to commence their journey to Carceri. Dalthon had already issued a sending to which she had responded affirmatively.
As many of their defensive spells had a duration of mere minutes, they held off on casting them. Unfortunately, they realized they may have made a grave error when a familiar face walked into the room.
“Houshang!! What are you doing back here!?” Tilly drew his dual short swords as the rest of the Bright Axes followed suite.
“Peace, my friends! Why the harsh reception, did I not assist you in destroying Imperagon and,” the wizard could not help but wince at the next part, “the Blade of Fiery Might?”
“And we appreciated the help but, if you’ll recall, we saved you from a long life in the Formian slave pits. I think that makes us even, so why are you back?”
Houshang scowled. As a native of Thay, he was taught from birth that magic could only wielded in the hands of highly intelligent and well-trained arcanists. Mastery of spells came through intense study and practice, not raw power. Sorcerers and bards, like Dalthon, were mistakes of the multiverse as far as he was concerned.
“Well let us say that the destruction of Cauldron had some uh . . . unintended consequences in Thay. I was to observe the Cagewrights and their artifact to see if we too could open a permanent planar gate. Unfortunately, since the Tree of Shackled Souls was destroyed, this became impossible. Since I was responsible for making said observations, Zulkir Druxus Rhym was none too pleased. Considering my failure in recovering the Blade of Fiery Might, he pronounced a death sentence.”
“Wait a second! D’ya mean we could be surrounded by damned Red Wizards any second now? They’ll be fallin’ over ‘emselves to present your hide to this Rhym!! Once they find you they’ll be teleporting in like freakin’ jackrabbits!”
“Possibly, but you need not see me only as a liability. For instance . . .”
Houshang weaved his post powerful transmutation spell around Kiko. The monk doubled in height as his muscles grew more powerful. His skin turned to pale gray and hardened drastically providing him with natural armor to augment his own magical defenses.
Trying out his new body and his new and stunning physique, Kiko found that his prowess had been enhanced manifold, “I vote to let Houshang stay,” smiled the monk as he flexed his biceps.
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Approximately half an hour later, Nidrama teleported to their location.
“Good news my friends, I have ascertained the location . . .” her words trailed off as she locked eyes with the Red Wizard.
“I did not realize that you kept company with such morally revolting creatures. What is the meaning of this?”
Not one to back down in the face of a Celestial whose alignment was diametrically opposed to his own, Houshang shot back, “And I though the mighty Bright Axes were powerful. Seeing that they have aligned themselves with a lesser Deva, I wonder if I was mistaken.”
Interposing his newfound body between the two, Kiko tried to assuage their rising anger and indignation, “Let us not get carried away my friends. Nidrama, we saved Houshang from a Formian slave pit in Acheron. Since then he has helped us in many ways and now is a fugitive from Thay. Even as we speak the Red Wizards hunt him down. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?”
“And Houshang, Nidrama has watched over our party since we first set foot in Cauldron. She has guided us with advice at first but has left the Celestial Choir in an effort to aid us directly. Surely you can see that her intentions are noble?”
Annihilate him, animate him, and then turn him on these idiots.
Nidrama took a deep breath as if to calm her emotions. All in good time, Winterwood.
“Very well Bright Axes, I shall not bring up this issue again. But you have been warned. My sources tell me that we need to go to the Bastion of Lost Hope in Carceri located in a region called Harrowfall. There we will find an individual who knows of Adimarchus’ whereabouts.”
“Then what are we waitin’ fer? Let’s spell up and head out!!”
As they stepped through Rusty’s gate one by one, Nidrama and Houshang watched the Bright Axes with predatory eyes.
![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
