the Jester
Legend
Interestingly, the most important line in the whole negotiations scene may turn out to be this:
Heheheh....
Heheheh....
Agents of Chaos (Final Update!)
- Thread starter the Jester
- Start date
Mathew_Freeman
Adventurer
I can't let him be the only one that does any praising around here...
Cool Stuff, Jester!
Cool Stuff, Jester!
the Jester
Legend
The Return of Horbin the Holy
Let's backtrack a couple of days, shall we?
Horbin the Holy felt great reservations about joining the attack on the Forinthian fleet, but he didn't think he could do much good in Pesh City at that moment either; things were too dangerous. There was just too much fighting going on, and it was really unclear to him who's side he should be on. As they headed to sea, Horbin attempted to call upon Dexter's blessings- and failed.
He stopped in mid-air (they were all under a mass flight spell), shaken. "I..." he gasped.
I've always justified the things I've done by the fact that Dexter's granted me his spells for everything I've done. Now... now he isn't granting me his blessing!
Horbin the Holy spoke a word of recall and vanishes.
Horbin’s sanctuary is in Var. He appears there profoundly shaken by his failure to call upon Galador’s blessing.
I’ve done something wrong, he thinks dreadfully. Immediately he communes to seek guidance.
What must I do to restore the blessing of Galador? You may not fight Forinthia.
Can I continue aiding the innocent without fighting Forinthian forces? Yes.
What is the power at the center of the Temple of Elemental Evil? Felenga, the Dark One.
What manner of creature is he? Horbin sees a horrible vision of an undead creature with tatters of hair and skin stretched and yellow on its skeletal frame. From its head sprout long, wicked-looking horns. Two muscular, coppery-colored tentacles sprout from his shoulders. Its eyes burn with scarlet pinpricks of light.
Is he a lich? Yes, but not just a lich.
Does that mean his soul resides in a container of sorts? Yes.
Where does he keep it? Unknown.
Does anyone besides him know where it is? No.
Is he expecting us? No.
Is he currently planning anything against Dorhaus and its people? Yes.
Is he getting help from those outside the Temple of Elemental Evil? Yes.
Who is his main contact? Most have been summoned.
Who is the highest-level citizen of Dorhaus that he deals with? Lardo Princehold.
What manner of creature is Lardo Princehold? Half-orc aristocrat.
Where is Lardo now? The town of Ludron in the Prince’s Hold.
Horbin thinks long and hard. It seems to him that the Temple is on everyone’s hit list. He thinks it’s important, and so do his questionable allies. But some of them are good people, and even the other ones might change; and they do often work for good ends... take Bile Mountain.
Plus, Horbin needs allies. He certainly can’t attack the Temple by himself. That would be suicide. And he has no idea where his other old adventuring buddies are- he hasn’t seen Krunkshank or Droidi or them for years.* So he spends a couple of days in prayer and then casts a sending to Sybele, asking if she’s ready to attack the Temple. She’s the key one, after all; as long as her daughter hasn’t been found the party’s likely tied up.
This is on New Year’s Day, and to Horbin’s great surprise and pleasure, Sybele’s response is full of joy; her daughter Jezebel has been recovered from Marius, and Sybele and the others are indeed ready.
In only an hour Orbius has retrieved the cleric, trumping back to Var and then greater teleporting back to Mabrack’s Castle with him. The party compares notes; “Where’s Lester?” Horbin asks.
“Uh, he’s on the road to the Temple of Elemental Evil right now,” Orbius answers. This is news to everyone else. “The Galadorians could only rescind the geas if he immediately goes to overthrow the Temple.”
“Good news for everyone,” Horbin remarks. “That involves someone named Felenga...”
“Oh no,” says Orbius. His face drains of color.
“Uh, who’s Felenga?” Horbin asks. “I know he’s some kind of lich- but more. What do you know about him?”
“By Dexter, haven’t you heard all these stories from Lester?” Orbius cries, and proceeds to tell them a bit about the universe they live in.
*See my old story hour for Horbin’s previous tales.
Next Time: A tale from Lester’s past!
Let's backtrack a couple of days, shall we?
Horbin the Holy felt great reservations about joining the attack on the Forinthian fleet, but he didn't think he could do much good in Pesh City at that moment either; things were too dangerous. There was just too much fighting going on, and it was really unclear to him who's side he should be on. As they headed to sea, Horbin attempted to call upon Dexter's blessings- and failed.
He stopped in mid-air (they were all under a mass flight spell), shaken. "I..." he gasped.
I've always justified the things I've done by the fact that Dexter's granted me his spells for everything I've done. Now... now he isn't granting me his blessing!
Horbin the Holy spoke a word of recall and vanishes.
Horbin’s sanctuary is in Var. He appears there profoundly shaken by his failure to call upon Galador’s blessing.
I’ve done something wrong, he thinks dreadfully. Immediately he communes to seek guidance.
What must I do to restore the blessing of Galador? You may not fight Forinthia.
Can I continue aiding the innocent without fighting Forinthian forces? Yes.
What is the power at the center of the Temple of Elemental Evil? Felenga, the Dark One.
What manner of creature is he? Horbin sees a horrible vision of an undead creature with tatters of hair and skin stretched and yellow on its skeletal frame. From its head sprout long, wicked-looking horns. Two muscular, coppery-colored tentacles sprout from his shoulders. Its eyes burn with scarlet pinpricks of light.
Is he a lich? Yes, but not just a lich.
Does that mean his soul resides in a container of sorts? Yes.
Where does he keep it? Unknown.
Does anyone besides him know where it is? No.
Is he expecting us? No.
Is he currently planning anything against Dorhaus and its people? Yes.
Is he getting help from those outside the Temple of Elemental Evil? Yes.
Who is his main contact? Most have been summoned.
Who is the highest-level citizen of Dorhaus that he deals with? Lardo Princehold.
What manner of creature is Lardo Princehold? Half-orc aristocrat.
Where is Lardo now? The town of Ludron in the Prince’s Hold.
Horbin thinks long and hard. It seems to him that the Temple is on everyone’s hit list. He thinks it’s important, and so do his questionable allies. But some of them are good people, and even the other ones might change; and they do often work for good ends... take Bile Mountain.
Plus, Horbin needs allies. He certainly can’t attack the Temple by himself. That would be suicide. And he has no idea where his other old adventuring buddies are- he hasn’t seen Krunkshank or Droidi or them for years.* So he spends a couple of days in prayer and then casts a sending to Sybele, asking if she’s ready to attack the Temple. She’s the key one, after all; as long as her daughter hasn’t been found the party’s likely tied up.
This is on New Year’s Day, and to Horbin’s great surprise and pleasure, Sybele’s response is full of joy; her daughter Jezebel has been recovered from Marius, and Sybele and the others are indeed ready.
In only an hour Orbius has retrieved the cleric, trumping back to Var and then greater teleporting back to Mabrack’s Castle with him. The party compares notes; “Where’s Lester?” Horbin asks.
“Uh, he’s on the road to the Temple of Elemental Evil right now,” Orbius answers. This is news to everyone else. “The Galadorians could only rescind the geas if he immediately goes to overthrow the Temple.”
“Good news for everyone,” Horbin remarks. “That involves someone named Felenga...”
“Oh no,” says Orbius. His face drains of color.
“Uh, who’s Felenga?” Horbin asks. “I know he’s some kind of lich- but more. What do you know about him?”
“By Dexter, haven’t you heard all these stories from Lester?” Orbius cries, and proceeds to tell them a bit about the universe they live in.
*See my old story hour for Horbin’s previous tales.
Next Time: A tale from Lester’s past!
Last edited:
the Jester
Legend
The Tale of How the Universe Came to Be
Almost twenty years ago*- well, over a hundred, but it feels like twenty due to experiences that will be explained shortly- Lester traveled with a different band of adventurers, one that included such luminaries as (now God-King) then-Baron Malford the Magnificent, Thimbleton the illusionist, (now Thane) Stone D. Mason, Rinardo the Druid, Malador the half-voadkyn (at the end, anyway), Hobbes the Tabaxi Champion, and, of course, Dexter himself, the Son of the Light. A profoundly revealing series of adventures began one day in Malford’s castle in Var with the appearance of an emerald-skinned, blue haired apparition to Thimbleton. “You’re not real, just a dream!” the green man cried, and disappeared, leaving a strange wooden staff tipped by a gem at either end. Mystified, the party investigated to no avail, and it was not for months until they discovered that the staff would balance on its centerpoint and could be spun around without falling off of even a fingertip; moreover, it would always point in one direction when it came to rest, as if it were some kind of compass.
Which it was.
Following it led them inexorably to Darkhold, where they found that it was the property of Zelman, the Emerald Mage, and that Zelman was a god; moreover, he was one of three gods who were used to power a strange simulation of a reality. It was this simulation they were from; they were not real, they were pieces in a game.
How, then, had they come to this reality? A strange question. Worse, a pertinent one, for during their stay in Darkhold Lester threw a lever that released a dark man from a cage that had held him for billions of years. And Fuligin came to Cydra- worse, to Dorhaus, the continent in which Malford’s barony, Var, lay.
The party returned to Var to confront him, but Fuligin conjured an army of demons, devils and yugoloths. Binding them to his iron will, he gave them a simple, ominous command: “I don’t care if it’s man, beast or plant; if it isn’t evil, kill it.” And the horrible slaughter started. Lester’s adventuring companions did all they could, but in the end Fuligin proved far too potent for them to deal with, and they were forced to flee for their lives. Almost, they trapped his soul- but Fuligin was as wise as he was powerful, and wary of tricks; and a marilith had been impersonating him at the start. When the real Fuligin came forth, he was unstoppable, tearing warriors limb from limb with his bare hands, slaying every opponent, even driving the terrible dragon that had long impersonated Emperor Tovan Kinslayer from the fields of Wotan. And so the adventurers who had inadvertently freed him ran for their lives with their tails between their legs.
Back to Darkhold, mysterious Darkhold, they went. They found their way back using Zelman’s staff again (still in Thimbleton’s clutches) and begged the Master of Darkhold to intercede. It was then that they learned the most horrible truth of all: their world- the simulation they were born into- was a pale copy of a multiverse that had once existed. But that multiverse had been devoured by Fuligin’s master, a dark force named Tharizdun. All the myriad stars and planets, all the planes, Nature herself had been cruelly torn asunder, and nothing survived. Nothing... save Darkhold. For Darkhold was neither of nor in Nature. Darkhold was something completely apart, completely separate. Darkhold was unto itself, and it was the only thing surviving from the old multiverse that had once boasted worlds called Oerth, Toril, Zypher and many other things. Only a very few individuals had been taken in by the Master of Darkhold; three of them were the gods that powered the new simulation- Zelman, Garnet (who, arguably, counted for three herself) and Froth. And one of them- not taken in, but captured as he tried to assault Darkhold- one of them was Fuligin.
“But if you opposed him before, if you trapped him before, surely you can do it again!” Lester implored the Master of Darkhold.
“He remains trapped,” the Master retorted. “Your world is part of Darkhold- just one piece of many. He thinks himself free, but there is nowhere outside of my realm for him to go.”
“What of the destruction he wreaks?” Hobbes, the tabaxi, cried.
“Destruction of nothing,” the Master answered. “Remember, you are not real. You feel that you are; but that is part of the simulation. You are irrelevant, as are all the things that you seek to defend. I will throw away the simulation, leaving Fuligin trapped within, and start anew.”
“There must be something we can offer you to persuade you,” Malford tried. “We have much gold, a great deal of magic-“
“All false,” the Master said. “All my creations. You can offer me nothing that I cannot create for myself. Fuligin cannot be defeated by such as you. You are the stuff of dreams; he is like the bright light of a merciless sun that shakes the dreamer awake. You will dissolve before his wrath.”
“If we were real?” Thimbleton asked, and that was the key.
It had been almost seven billion years since the Master of Darkhold had sealed his entrance against intrusion and retreated into seclusion, drawing away from the all-devouring darkness that was Tharizdun. What foe was there here, in his own domain, where no other creature held influence? What force could move such an implacable individual as the Master?
Only one, and it was Thimbleton who hit upon it.
Boredom.
“For you to become real... to have a chance against Fuligin...” The Master of Darkhold sighed. “The risks are great.” He reflected momentarily; then, “The potential exists, however.”
To defeat Fuligin, the party would likely have to arrange for the binding of his dark master, Tharizdun. Something that could only be done at the moment of birth of Nature, in the paroxysmal birth pangs of a new reality. But with the right ingredients it could be done. However, to obtain the materials necessary the heroes would have to essay time itself, traveling back to the prior multiverse’s last few embers as they were being devoured by black Tharizdun, and from those embers jump further back still. They would need to acquire many difficult prizes- including a piece of the previous Nature, to use as a seed.
“How big of a piece?” Stone D. Mason asked.
“At least two million cubic miles,” the Master of Darkhold answered with equanimity.
“There’s got to be an easier way!” Lester cried. “C’mon, guys, we can beat him!”
“Shut up, Lester,” Malford interjected. “You let him out. See it through.”
It was not easy.
With the aid of a strange, fishy-seeming individual named Tleilax, who was one of a group of powerful wizards who had traveled back in time from the previous multiverse’s apocalypse to try to prevent it, the heroes jumped back in time. They went from moment to moment, trying to interfere with history as little as possible. “Why worry about paradox now?” Thimbleton asked.
“It’s not paradox we need to avoid,” Tleilax told him. “It’s the attention of the Angels of the Apocalypse.”
From the small to the large, the group managed to gain everything they needed. But they did not avoid attention. Trying to grab a series of artifacts, most notably the Diamond Sword of Raldese, that they thought might help them battle Fuligin, they instead found themselves face to face with Felenga, the Dark One- a horrifyingly powerful agent of Tharizdun as powerful as Fuligin himself, a lich-lord who had undead pit fiends at his command. And in battle with him, they suffered terrible losses, including Cauldron, one of their companions who was not killed but instead horribly transformed. In the end they left the Diamond Sword with Felenga, who it had proved capable of damaging; but they escaped with the Obsidian Gloves, without which the sword’s wielder would slice his hands to ribbons.
It was a narrow escape, and when they returned to Darkhold, the Master of that place congratulated them on their victory, took the ingredients they’d procured, and baked them into a new Nature, binding Tharizdun in the process- “it will be a long time before he can be freed,” the Master commented- and returned them to Cydra, slightly more than one hundred and twenty years after they’d left. As they dusted themselves off on a devastated continent they discovered an eyeball-like thing that flew free from them, and within it were gods, including Coila, Boccob, Tade, Carella and several others. Several members of the party, including Hobbes and Thimbleton, almost struck the eye down; but Lester persuaded them to let the gods go. Then the heroes sought out Fuligin, driven completely mad by the loss of his dark lord, and this time found that his power was much reduced. They slew him easily; almost without opposition.
And all should have ended there.
*In the 2nd Edition Players Option days... though this particular arc of the campaign devolved the rule set as the pcs traveled further and further back in time. They had to translate their characters at various points into 1e and early 2e rule sets, which led to much confusion and odd circumstances.
Almost twenty years ago*- well, over a hundred, but it feels like twenty due to experiences that will be explained shortly- Lester traveled with a different band of adventurers, one that included such luminaries as (now God-King) then-Baron Malford the Magnificent, Thimbleton the illusionist, (now Thane) Stone D. Mason, Rinardo the Druid, Malador the half-voadkyn (at the end, anyway), Hobbes the Tabaxi Champion, and, of course, Dexter himself, the Son of the Light. A profoundly revealing series of adventures began one day in Malford’s castle in Var with the appearance of an emerald-skinned, blue haired apparition to Thimbleton. “You’re not real, just a dream!” the green man cried, and disappeared, leaving a strange wooden staff tipped by a gem at either end. Mystified, the party investigated to no avail, and it was not for months until they discovered that the staff would balance on its centerpoint and could be spun around without falling off of even a fingertip; moreover, it would always point in one direction when it came to rest, as if it were some kind of compass.
Which it was.
Following it led them inexorably to Darkhold, where they found that it was the property of Zelman, the Emerald Mage, and that Zelman was a god; moreover, he was one of three gods who were used to power a strange simulation of a reality. It was this simulation they were from; they were not real, they were pieces in a game.
How, then, had they come to this reality? A strange question. Worse, a pertinent one, for during their stay in Darkhold Lester threw a lever that released a dark man from a cage that had held him for billions of years. And Fuligin came to Cydra- worse, to Dorhaus, the continent in which Malford’s barony, Var, lay.
The party returned to Var to confront him, but Fuligin conjured an army of demons, devils and yugoloths. Binding them to his iron will, he gave them a simple, ominous command: “I don’t care if it’s man, beast or plant; if it isn’t evil, kill it.” And the horrible slaughter started. Lester’s adventuring companions did all they could, but in the end Fuligin proved far too potent for them to deal with, and they were forced to flee for their lives. Almost, they trapped his soul- but Fuligin was as wise as he was powerful, and wary of tricks; and a marilith had been impersonating him at the start. When the real Fuligin came forth, he was unstoppable, tearing warriors limb from limb with his bare hands, slaying every opponent, even driving the terrible dragon that had long impersonated Emperor Tovan Kinslayer from the fields of Wotan. And so the adventurers who had inadvertently freed him ran for their lives with their tails between their legs.
Back to Darkhold, mysterious Darkhold, they went. They found their way back using Zelman’s staff again (still in Thimbleton’s clutches) and begged the Master of Darkhold to intercede. It was then that they learned the most horrible truth of all: their world- the simulation they were born into- was a pale copy of a multiverse that had once existed. But that multiverse had been devoured by Fuligin’s master, a dark force named Tharizdun. All the myriad stars and planets, all the planes, Nature herself had been cruelly torn asunder, and nothing survived. Nothing... save Darkhold. For Darkhold was neither of nor in Nature. Darkhold was something completely apart, completely separate. Darkhold was unto itself, and it was the only thing surviving from the old multiverse that had once boasted worlds called Oerth, Toril, Zypher and many other things. Only a very few individuals had been taken in by the Master of Darkhold; three of them were the gods that powered the new simulation- Zelman, Garnet (who, arguably, counted for three herself) and Froth. And one of them- not taken in, but captured as he tried to assault Darkhold- one of them was Fuligin.
“But if you opposed him before, if you trapped him before, surely you can do it again!” Lester implored the Master of Darkhold.
“He remains trapped,” the Master retorted. “Your world is part of Darkhold- just one piece of many. He thinks himself free, but there is nowhere outside of my realm for him to go.”
“What of the destruction he wreaks?” Hobbes, the tabaxi, cried.
“Destruction of nothing,” the Master answered. “Remember, you are not real. You feel that you are; but that is part of the simulation. You are irrelevant, as are all the things that you seek to defend. I will throw away the simulation, leaving Fuligin trapped within, and start anew.”
“There must be something we can offer you to persuade you,” Malford tried. “We have much gold, a great deal of magic-“
“All false,” the Master said. “All my creations. You can offer me nothing that I cannot create for myself. Fuligin cannot be defeated by such as you. You are the stuff of dreams; he is like the bright light of a merciless sun that shakes the dreamer awake. You will dissolve before his wrath.”
“If we were real?” Thimbleton asked, and that was the key.
It had been almost seven billion years since the Master of Darkhold had sealed his entrance against intrusion and retreated into seclusion, drawing away from the all-devouring darkness that was Tharizdun. What foe was there here, in his own domain, where no other creature held influence? What force could move such an implacable individual as the Master?
Only one, and it was Thimbleton who hit upon it.
Boredom.
“For you to become real... to have a chance against Fuligin...” The Master of Darkhold sighed. “The risks are great.” He reflected momentarily; then, “The potential exists, however.”
To defeat Fuligin, the party would likely have to arrange for the binding of his dark master, Tharizdun. Something that could only be done at the moment of birth of Nature, in the paroxysmal birth pangs of a new reality. But with the right ingredients it could be done. However, to obtain the materials necessary the heroes would have to essay time itself, traveling back to the prior multiverse’s last few embers as they were being devoured by black Tharizdun, and from those embers jump further back still. They would need to acquire many difficult prizes- including a piece of the previous Nature, to use as a seed.
“How big of a piece?” Stone D. Mason asked.
“At least two million cubic miles,” the Master of Darkhold answered with equanimity.
“There’s got to be an easier way!” Lester cried. “C’mon, guys, we can beat him!”
“Shut up, Lester,” Malford interjected. “You let him out. See it through.”
It was not easy.
With the aid of a strange, fishy-seeming individual named Tleilax, who was one of a group of powerful wizards who had traveled back in time from the previous multiverse’s apocalypse to try to prevent it, the heroes jumped back in time. They went from moment to moment, trying to interfere with history as little as possible. “Why worry about paradox now?” Thimbleton asked.
“It’s not paradox we need to avoid,” Tleilax told him. “It’s the attention of the Angels of the Apocalypse.”
From the small to the large, the group managed to gain everything they needed. But they did not avoid attention. Trying to grab a series of artifacts, most notably the Diamond Sword of Raldese, that they thought might help them battle Fuligin, they instead found themselves face to face with Felenga, the Dark One- a horrifyingly powerful agent of Tharizdun as powerful as Fuligin himself, a lich-lord who had undead pit fiends at his command. And in battle with him, they suffered terrible losses, including Cauldron, one of their companions who was not killed but instead horribly transformed. In the end they left the Diamond Sword with Felenga, who it had proved capable of damaging; but they escaped with the Obsidian Gloves, without which the sword’s wielder would slice his hands to ribbons.
It was a narrow escape, and when they returned to Darkhold, the Master of that place congratulated them on their victory, took the ingredients they’d procured, and baked them into a new Nature, binding Tharizdun in the process- “it will be a long time before he can be freed,” the Master commented- and returned them to Cydra, slightly more than one hundred and twenty years after they’d left. As they dusted themselves off on a devastated continent they discovered an eyeball-like thing that flew free from them, and within it were gods, including Coila, Boccob, Tade, Carella and several others. Several members of the party, including Hobbes and Thimbleton, almost struck the eye down; but Lester persuaded them to let the gods go. Then the heroes sought out Fuligin, driven completely mad by the loss of his dark lord, and this time found that his power was much reduced. They slew him easily; almost without opposition.
And all should have ended there.
*In the 2nd Edition Players Option days... though this particular arc of the campaign devolved the rule set as the pcs traveled further and further back in time. They had to translate their characters at various points into 1e and early 2e rule sets, which led to much confusion and odd circumstances.
the Jester
Legend
Kseethee
"Those tentacles you saw from Felenga's shoulders?" Orbius continues. "Those are rust monster tentacles. Those horns sprouting from his head are deadly sharp, absorbed from perytons. And he has the central antimagic eye of a beholder in his chest."
"How did he..."
Orbius shakes his head. "As I understand it, he's the one who invented the spell Essence. It's a necromantic spell that allows him to reduce an organ to a liquid and then, by drinking it, to grow the organ himself. The catch is, you have to do it one hundred times."
"You mean he's liquified a hundred beholders?" Horbin asks in disbelief.
"Apparently so," the Eye nods. "And who knows what else."
The party falls silent for a moment.
"Well, that's no fun," Sybele comments.
"And who knows what other organs or abilities he's gained like that." Orbius sighs. "No, fighting him directly is a bad idea; from what Lester's told me, when they crossed paths before pretty much only the Diamond Sword of Raldese allowed them to harm Felenga."
"And that sword..."
"Was either destroyed by Felenga's master when he awoke, or is in Felenga's possession now. And even if he has it, we wouldn't be able to take it away from him and use it without the Obsidian Gloves of Raldese. Those, we might be able to gain from Stone; but..." The Eye sighs. "It isn't likely we'll get the Sword in any event."
Well, at least I have my daughter back, Sybele thinks thankfully.
Angelfire, unnoticed, grimaces, clutching at his stomach. He feels a sudden sharp pain that he can't explain. It subsides after a few minutes, leaving him slightly queasy. What was that? he wonders, then thinks back to the last time- not so long ago- that he touched an obelisk devoted to the Chaos-Bringer, Na'Rat. Nothing seemed to happen... could this be a long-delayed affect?
Time will tell.
Five days pass, during which Jezebel, Sybele and Thrush start to tentatively get to know one another. The half-dragon is bitter, angry and confused- "You never came for me!" she yells at Sybele at one point, but her mom tells her that she tried, that she's thought of nothing else for a long time, and explains that the time stream flowed differently where they were at. There are tears, recriminations, hugs and the start of a healing. Thrush, who seems to genuinely love Sybele, and Jezebel rather hit it off. The whole time, Sybele wonders what happened between Jezebel and Marius, but is afraid to ask. He didn't touch her; Jezebel attests to that much, but is angered when Sybele asks.
During those five days of travel, Angelfire tries to escape thinking about the occasional stomach pangs by drinking himself into near-oblivion over and over again. He drinks, then naps for an hour, then drinks some more. Fortunately, Mabrack's huge casks of ale and wine are too large for mere human-scale creatures to significantly deplete, and he likes to party just as much; the giant takes to following the crimson-skinned Coilite's example, getting roaring drunk and firing blasts of lightning into the sky with loud whoops. He also, in a more sober moment, recommends Strogass as a place to seek adventure- a huge continent to the east, overrun by creatures that worship Bleak, the antithesis of Galador, the Darkness That Opposes the Light.
And then the sky castle reaches Kseethee.
Kseethee is unlike anything else the party has ever seen. It's a large flying disc of strange metal, with an entire city built upon it. "You can find anything here," Mabrack tells them.
After a commune from Sheva's imp that helps them find a place to stay safe from scrying (called the Closed Eye), they get a series of rooms. Everything rapidly shows itself to be more expensive here than they would expect elsewhere, but hey, that's what you get. After purchasing a seller's license for 500 gp, they sell many things, including Lester's box of many holdings. Everywhere they go they see strange creatures, from weird subspecies of large-eared elves they've never seen to bat-folk, dog-folk, intelligent birds, lillends, fiends, undead on the streets, tall blue individuals ("those are ethros," Sheva points out), and more- everything imaginable and more. There's even a group of illithids in strange goggled garb strolling casually down the street.
Various items are purchased, but prices are high. Still, some spells have hard-to-find components that can, indeed, be found here; protection from spells, perfect identification, and others require large and expensive jewels. They are easily located here.
One other things of note is found by Orbius. He's been searching for months for a way to restore Lester's Chaos-removed arm without removing all the other Chaos traits he's acquired. Just about the only way he knows that will work is a wish or a miracle, and it's hard to come by one. But here, in Kseethee, he finds such a scroll and purchases it for an outrageous sum. If only I had the power to cast it myself, he thinks regretfully, I could scribe it into my book. But I can't... and so I will simply have to read it from the scroll and hope there isn't a mishap.
Reassembling at the end of the day, the group bids Mabrack farewell. "We have much to do," Orbius tells him, "and we must start by going to Dorhaus."
"That is far from here, my friends," rumbles Mabrack. "So be it! Perhaps we shall meet again some day! Good luck to you, in whatever endeavors you are about. And do not make more enemies like Marius- such foes will be the deaths of you!"
Thinking of Felenga, Sheva comments wrily, "You may be right."
They trump to Var to prepare to attack, at long last, the Temple of Elemental Evil.
Next Time: Attack on the Temple of Elemental Evil!
"Those tentacles you saw from Felenga's shoulders?" Orbius continues. "Those are rust monster tentacles. Those horns sprouting from his head are deadly sharp, absorbed from perytons. And he has the central antimagic eye of a beholder in his chest."
"How did he..."
Orbius shakes his head. "As I understand it, he's the one who invented the spell Essence. It's a necromantic spell that allows him to reduce an organ to a liquid and then, by drinking it, to grow the organ himself. The catch is, you have to do it one hundred times."
"You mean he's liquified a hundred beholders?" Horbin asks in disbelief.
"Apparently so," the Eye nods. "And who knows what else."
The party falls silent for a moment.
"Well, that's no fun," Sybele comments.
"And who knows what other organs or abilities he's gained like that." Orbius sighs. "No, fighting him directly is a bad idea; from what Lester's told me, when they crossed paths before pretty much only the Diamond Sword of Raldese allowed them to harm Felenga."
"And that sword..."
"Was either destroyed by Felenga's master when he awoke, or is in Felenga's possession now. And even if he has it, we wouldn't be able to take it away from him and use it without the Obsidian Gloves of Raldese. Those, we might be able to gain from Stone; but..." The Eye sighs. "It isn't likely we'll get the Sword in any event."
Well, at least I have my daughter back, Sybele thinks thankfully.
Angelfire, unnoticed, grimaces, clutching at his stomach. He feels a sudden sharp pain that he can't explain. It subsides after a few minutes, leaving him slightly queasy. What was that? he wonders, then thinks back to the last time- not so long ago- that he touched an obelisk devoted to the Chaos-Bringer, Na'Rat. Nothing seemed to happen... could this be a long-delayed affect?
Time will tell.
Five days pass, during which Jezebel, Sybele and Thrush start to tentatively get to know one another. The half-dragon is bitter, angry and confused- "You never came for me!" she yells at Sybele at one point, but her mom tells her that she tried, that she's thought of nothing else for a long time, and explains that the time stream flowed differently where they were at. There are tears, recriminations, hugs and the start of a healing. Thrush, who seems to genuinely love Sybele, and Jezebel rather hit it off. The whole time, Sybele wonders what happened between Jezebel and Marius, but is afraid to ask. He didn't touch her; Jezebel attests to that much, but is angered when Sybele asks.
During those five days of travel, Angelfire tries to escape thinking about the occasional stomach pangs by drinking himself into near-oblivion over and over again. He drinks, then naps for an hour, then drinks some more. Fortunately, Mabrack's huge casks of ale and wine are too large for mere human-scale creatures to significantly deplete, and he likes to party just as much; the giant takes to following the crimson-skinned Coilite's example, getting roaring drunk and firing blasts of lightning into the sky with loud whoops. He also, in a more sober moment, recommends Strogass as a place to seek adventure- a huge continent to the east, overrun by creatures that worship Bleak, the antithesis of Galador, the Darkness That Opposes the Light.
And then the sky castle reaches Kseethee.
Kseethee is unlike anything else the party has ever seen. It's a large flying disc of strange metal, with an entire city built upon it. "You can find anything here," Mabrack tells them.
After a commune from Sheva's imp that helps them find a place to stay safe from scrying (called the Closed Eye), they get a series of rooms. Everything rapidly shows itself to be more expensive here than they would expect elsewhere, but hey, that's what you get. After purchasing a seller's license for 500 gp, they sell many things, including Lester's box of many holdings. Everywhere they go they see strange creatures, from weird subspecies of large-eared elves they've never seen to bat-folk, dog-folk, intelligent birds, lillends, fiends, undead on the streets, tall blue individuals ("those are ethros," Sheva points out), and more- everything imaginable and more. There's even a group of illithids in strange goggled garb strolling casually down the street.
Various items are purchased, but prices are high. Still, some spells have hard-to-find components that can, indeed, be found here; protection from spells, perfect identification, and others require large and expensive jewels. They are easily located here.
One other things of note is found by Orbius. He's been searching for months for a way to restore Lester's Chaos-removed arm without removing all the other Chaos traits he's acquired. Just about the only way he knows that will work is a wish or a miracle, and it's hard to come by one. But here, in Kseethee, he finds such a scroll and purchases it for an outrageous sum. If only I had the power to cast it myself, he thinks regretfully, I could scribe it into my book. But I can't... and so I will simply have to read it from the scroll and hope there isn't a mishap.
Reassembling at the end of the day, the group bids Mabrack farewell. "We have much to do," Orbius tells him, "and we must start by going to Dorhaus."
"That is far from here, my friends," rumbles Mabrack. "So be it! Perhaps we shall meet again some day! Good luck to you, in whatever endeavors you are about. And do not make more enemies like Marius- such foes will be the deaths of you!"
Thinking of Felenga, Sheva comments wrily, "You may be right."
They trump to Var to prepare to attack, at long last, the Temple of Elemental Evil.
Next Time: Attack on the Temple of Elemental Evil!
the Jester
Legend
prologue to the Nigh-Epic-Level Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil!
First they scry Lardo Princehold.
"Perfect," Sheva gloats, and the Eye greater teleports the party into his office, where he's having sex with his young human secretary on his desk. He squawks, caught literally with his pants down, and she shrieks. The lovers scramble apart, papers spilling from the desk onto the floor.
"He made me!" the girl cries, her voice quaking in fear as she stares at the stern-looking people who've just appeared from nowhere.
"Get out of here, honey," says Horbin to the girl after a moment's study under detect evil. She scurries.
"Who are you people?" Lardo shouts. He's a half-orc of relative handsomeness, but sweaty and fat. He's short for a half-orc, just 5' 6" in height; his skin is a dark brownish-green.
"Shut up," Sheva says, pulling out Chronovestis. The huge blade gleams in the light of the lantern on the wall. The half-orc flinches back and shuts up.
***
A little while later, after questioning, warning and thoroughly frightening Lardo, who was nothing more than a petty princeling influenced by the chance to make money by trading with the forces of the Temple, our heroes return to Var.
"Well, I think it's time," states Horbin.
"Let us rest first, and make preparations, and plan," says Orbius. "I must make certain I have the proper spells; I've already used my greater teleport."
Rest they do, and then they discuss targets. "The Champion of Elemental Evil," suggests Sheva. "We can't take Felenga yet, but we were instructed to destroy the Champion some time ago."
"Before they assassinated me*," Orbius says ironically. "But yes, I think he's a good target. Lareth." The Eye chuckles. "Let's kill him back."
The party agrees. Then they power up, casting a horde of buffing and defensive spells. Orbius casts greater scrying and searches out Lareth; he's sitting in a throne in some sort of large evil-looking temple.
Our heroes attack.
*If you'll recall, Turfi and Lendivo, two aerial creatures sent by the Champion of Elemental Evil, assassinated Orbius a while back.
Next Time: Surprise Assault on Elemental Evil!
First they scry Lardo Princehold.
"Perfect," Sheva gloats, and the Eye greater teleports the party into his office, where he's having sex with his young human secretary on his desk. He squawks, caught literally with his pants down, and she shrieks. The lovers scramble apart, papers spilling from the desk onto the floor.
"He made me!" the girl cries, her voice quaking in fear as she stares at the stern-looking people who've just appeared from nowhere.
"Get out of here, honey," says Horbin to the girl after a moment's study under detect evil. She scurries.
"Who are you people?" Lardo shouts. He's a half-orc of relative handsomeness, but sweaty and fat. He's short for a half-orc, just 5' 6" in height; his skin is a dark brownish-green.
"Shut up," Sheva says, pulling out Chronovestis. The huge blade gleams in the light of the lantern on the wall. The half-orc flinches back and shuts up.
***
A little while later, after questioning, warning and thoroughly frightening Lardo, who was nothing more than a petty princeling influenced by the chance to make money by trading with the forces of the Temple, our heroes return to Var.
"Well, I think it's time," states Horbin.
"Let us rest first, and make preparations, and plan," says Orbius. "I must make certain I have the proper spells; I've already used my greater teleport."
Rest they do, and then they discuss targets. "The Champion of Elemental Evil," suggests Sheva. "We can't take Felenga yet, but we were instructed to destroy the Champion some time ago."
"Before they assassinated me*," Orbius says ironically. "But yes, I think he's a good target. Lareth." The Eye chuckles. "Let's kill him back."
The party agrees. Then they power up, casting a horde of buffing and defensive spells. Orbius casts greater scrying and searches out Lareth; he's sitting in a throne in some sort of large evil-looking temple.
Our heroes attack.
*If you'll recall, Turfi and Lendivo, two aerial creatures sent by the Champion of Elemental Evil, assassinated Orbius a while back.
Next Time: Surprise Assault on Elemental Evil!
the Jester
Legend
Assault on the Champion of Elemental Evil!
The party appears in a chapel devoted to ultimate evil. There's an elevated dais on which the Champion sits in his throne; a hideous altar of squirmous stone seems to writhe. What appear to be human viscera are spread upon it, perhaps for divination.
Lareth, the Champion of Elemental Evil, is muttering dark prayers under his lips. He's completely insane, beyond redemption; and he is not alone. Also in the chamber are the Prince of Elemental Fire himself, Imix, a huge roaring column of white-hot flame, and his bodyguard- Maliska, a half-fire elemental medusa.
As soon as she sees Maliska, Sheva turns to stone.
The party cries out in dismay, but before they can so much as move, the Prince of Evil Fire Elementals hurls a ball of flame at them. It explodes, searing them all with its heat. All, of course, except Angelfire, who rushes forward, his falchion singing as it slices into Imix. Thrush steps up to join him and engages Imix with deadly ability, slashing with his greatsword again and again, dealing scarlet wounds that seem to drip molten flames. Sybele fires a rapid volley of deadly arrows at Lareth, peppering him with shafts. He screams as he sees the assault come; perhaps he has foreseen it? The fourth arrow to strike him sinks deep in his face.
"I've got the medusa!" the Eye shouts, casting a maze upon her. Imix's huge greatsword whips at him as he does, missing only because Orbius had the foresight to displace himself. Maliska vanishes. The Eye fires a volley of seeker missiles at Lareth, blasting him into unconsciousness, but an instant later the medusa reappears, having dispelled the extradimensional cage.
Sheva's imp flits over to Lareth's slumped form and whips out his unicorn-horn dagger. Laughing with glee, he slits Lareth's throat. Then he squeals in pain as Imix's roars and stabs him. "Boss, I got 'im!" Habiskis yells as he tumbles and jumps back away.
An efreet appears in a burst of flame, and he summons a wall of fire directly upon Thrush, who roars in pain and steps out of the wall, suffering another blow as he moves to Imix's side and away from the wall, and Angelfire, who laughs wildly and continues his assault on the Prince of Elemental Fire. Imix emits a high-pitched scream, the blows against him beginning to tell. Thrush is laying into him again as well. Sybele fires an arrow through the wall, but it's incinerated on the way. She cries an obscenity and rushes into and through the wall, yelping as she burns.
Orbius maneuvers into position, then fires a cone of cold that passes through Maliska, Imix, and the efreet. The genie screams in agony, barely withstanding the damage; the medusa crumples to the floor. Then the Eye fires a lance of disruption at Imix, and the Elemental Fire Prince, falls! The efreet starts to reach out, but vanishes as the summoning keeping it present gives way.
"That's it!" yells Orbius. "We're out of here before they can respond!" The party gathers to him and they trump away.
Next Time: The Temple's Reply, part one!
The party appears in a chapel devoted to ultimate evil. There's an elevated dais on which the Champion sits in his throne; a hideous altar of squirmous stone seems to writhe. What appear to be human viscera are spread upon it, perhaps for divination.
Lareth, the Champion of Elemental Evil, is muttering dark prayers under his lips. He's completely insane, beyond redemption; and he is not alone. Also in the chamber are the Prince of Elemental Fire himself, Imix, a huge roaring column of white-hot flame, and his bodyguard- Maliska, a half-fire elemental medusa.
As soon as she sees Maliska, Sheva turns to stone.
The party cries out in dismay, but before they can so much as move, the Prince of Evil Fire Elementals hurls a ball of flame at them. It explodes, searing them all with its heat. All, of course, except Angelfire, who rushes forward, his falchion singing as it slices into Imix. Thrush steps up to join him and engages Imix with deadly ability, slashing with his greatsword again and again, dealing scarlet wounds that seem to drip molten flames. Sybele fires a rapid volley of deadly arrows at Lareth, peppering him with shafts. He screams as he sees the assault come; perhaps he has foreseen it? The fourth arrow to strike him sinks deep in his face.
"I've got the medusa!" the Eye shouts, casting a maze upon her. Imix's huge greatsword whips at him as he does, missing only because Orbius had the foresight to displace himself. Maliska vanishes. The Eye fires a volley of seeker missiles at Lareth, blasting him into unconsciousness, but an instant later the medusa reappears, having dispelled the extradimensional cage.
Sheva's imp flits over to Lareth's slumped form and whips out his unicorn-horn dagger. Laughing with glee, he slits Lareth's throat. Then he squeals in pain as Imix's roars and stabs him. "Boss, I got 'im!" Habiskis yells as he tumbles and jumps back away.
An efreet appears in a burst of flame, and he summons a wall of fire directly upon Thrush, who roars in pain and steps out of the wall, suffering another blow as he moves to Imix's side and away from the wall, and Angelfire, who laughs wildly and continues his assault on the Prince of Elemental Fire. Imix emits a high-pitched scream, the blows against him beginning to tell. Thrush is laying into him again as well. Sybele fires an arrow through the wall, but it's incinerated on the way. She cries an obscenity and rushes into and through the wall, yelping as she burns.
Orbius maneuvers into position, then fires a cone of cold that passes through Maliska, Imix, and the efreet. The genie screams in agony, barely withstanding the damage; the medusa crumples to the floor. Then the Eye fires a lance of disruption at Imix, and the Elemental Fire Prince, falls! The efreet starts to reach out, but vanishes as the summoning keeping it present gives way.
"That's it!" yells Orbius. "We're out of here before they can respond!" The party gathers to him and they trump away.
Next Time: The Temple's Reply, part one!
I hope the Epic levels go well for you. 
the Jester
Legend
The Temple's Reply
"Well, that wasn't so bad," Horbin remarks.
"Yeah, but- uh oh..." Orbius trails off. "We're being scried!"
"Dexter's nadlies! The last thing we want is an attack here, in Var!" Horbin exclaims.
The party acts quickly- Orbius uses Lester's trump to contact him, and the party trumps to him. He looks disheveled, not quite himself yet; he's afoot, on the road from Var to, eventually, the Temple of Elemental Evil. He's hoping to run into other adventurers- those he's had a hand in hiring to assault the temple.
"What's going on, guys?" he asks.
"Boccob's eye, whoever it is is still scrying us! Lester, run, you weren't there, take cover for now!" Orbius cries out. Confused, Lester obeys his cohort, backing away and rushing into the scree on the side of the mountain road they're on. He's still trying to figure out what's going on, and he isn't at all mentally prepared for combat. Orbius, meanwhile, quickly casts a pair of far strikes on the Sheva and Horbin's weapons.
There's a tremendous grinding, cracking sound. Something is emerging from within the mountainside- some sort of huge mud-creature, roughly spherical. It seems to have tentacles coming from it in all directions- why do they always have tentacles? Horbin thinks wildly- as it rushes towards them. The party's main fighters, Angelfire and Thrush, have already formed up to battle it, however, and their blades flash out wickedly, slicing chunks of wet mud away from it. The Eye fires a lance of disruption at it, blasting bits of wet earth from it. "It's some sort of ooze octopus!" Sheva cries as it flails at them. She strikes at it from afar, her blade dealing a wound that would drop a normal man.
Then the ooze octopus lashes out, grabbing Sybele and jerking her into the air, constricting her, burning her with acid, dealing tremendous damage. "AARGH!" she cries, trying to break free- and failing. It's too big, too strong... Then its tentacles seem to be everywhere at once, grappling Angelfire, Hrobin, Orbius, and the imp! Angelfire concentrates fiercely, dimension dooring free of its grasp, and Orbius manages to teleport free. He whips out the Airsword, hoping to use it to get a little distance. Horbin, miraculously, bursts free of the tentacle holding him.
Sheva tumbles away from it, hitting it with clerical magicks, trying to distract it. "Hey!" she shouts at it. As it quivers from her spells, Sybele slips out, trying to run away, getting slapped again- though not grappled. The monster tries again, squeezing them hard while it reaches out and grabs up Horbin and Sybele again and rakes its muddy tentacle across Thrush. He staggers, then strikes again, unleashing all the smackdown he's got, slicing and dicing, striking true again and again- until the thing finally gives everyone one last great convulsive wring and then collapses into a huge pile of mud.
Struggling free, our heroes are rather shaken. "Everyone alive?" Horbin calls, starting to heal.
Lester comes forward. "Are you all right?" he cries.
"It's probably not over yet," Orbius says grimly. "We need to get out of here, to some cover or something." He gratefully accepts Horbin's curative touch, sighing in pleasure. "Let's trump back to Var."
Even as he shuffles out the trump of Var, the next wave arrives in a flash of light. Felenga's rebuttal has truly arrived.
Next Time: Felenga's Rebuttal! More trouble every round!!
"Well, that wasn't so bad," Horbin remarks.
"Yeah, but- uh oh..." Orbius trails off. "We're being scried!"
"Dexter's nadlies! The last thing we want is an attack here, in Var!" Horbin exclaims.
The party acts quickly- Orbius uses Lester's trump to contact him, and the party trumps to him. He looks disheveled, not quite himself yet; he's afoot, on the road from Var to, eventually, the Temple of Elemental Evil. He's hoping to run into other adventurers- those he's had a hand in hiring to assault the temple.
"What's going on, guys?" he asks.
"Boccob's eye, whoever it is is still scrying us! Lester, run, you weren't there, take cover for now!" Orbius cries out. Confused, Lester obeys his cohort, backing away and rushing into the scree on the side of the mountain road they're on. He's still trying to figure out what's going on, and he isn't at all mentally prepared for combat. Orbius, meanwhile, quickly casts a pair of far strikes on the Sheva and Horbin's weapons.
There's a tremendous grinding, cracking sound. Something is emerging from within the mountainside- some sort of huge mud-creature, roughly spherical. It seems to have tentacles coming from it in all directions- why do they always have tentacles? Horbin thinks wildly- as it rushes towards them. The party's main fighters, Angelfire and Thrush, have already formed up to battle it, however, and their blades flash out wickedly, slicing chunks of wet mud away from it. The Eye fires a lance of disruption at it, blasting bits of wet earth from it. "It's some sort of ooze octopus!" Sheva cries as it flails at them. She strikes at it from afar, her blade dealing a wound that would drop a normal man.
Then the ooze octopus lashes out, grabbing Sybele and jerking her into the air, constricting her, burning her with acid, dealing tremendous damage. "AARGH!" she cries, trying to break free- and failing. It's too big, too strong... Then its tentacles seem to be everywhere at once, grappling Angelfire, Hrobin, Orbius, and the imp! Angelfire concentrates fiercely, dimension dooring free of its grasp, and Orbius manages to teleport free. He whips out the Airsword, hoping to use it to get a little distance. Horbin, miraculously, bursts free of the tentacle holding him.
Sheva tumbles away from it, hitting it with clerical magicks, trying to distract it. "Hey!" she shouts at it. As it quivers from her spells, Sybele slips out, trying to run away, getting slapped again- though not grappled. The monster tries again, squeezing them hard while it reaches out and grabs up Horbin and Sybele again and rakes its muddy tentacle across Thrush. He staggers, then strikes again, unleashing all the smackdown he's got, slicing and dicing, striking true again and again- until the thing finally gives everyone one last great convulsive wring and then collapses into a huge pile of mud.
Struggling free, our heroes are rather shaken. "Everyone alive?" Horbin calls, starting to heal.
Lester comes forward. "Are you all right?" he cries.
"It's probably not over yet," Orbius says grimly. "We need to get out of here, to some cover or something." He gratefully accepts Horbin's curative touch, sighing in pleasure. "Let's trump back to Var."
Even as he shuffles out the trump of Var, the next wave arrives in a flash of light. Felenga's rebuttal has truly arrived.
Next Time: Felenga's Rebuttal! More trouble every round!!
Mathew_Freeman
Adventurer
*does Matrix-esque "bring it on" gesture*
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