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<blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 916511" data-attributes="member: 1210">An Old PC in An Unfortunate PlaceThe ringing of the tuning fork fades into the distance as our beleagured heroes appear in the depths of the Abyss.The air is hot and smokey, stinking of brimstone and burning flesh.&nbsp; The moans of the damned rise in the distance.&nbsp; Half-melted figures, once mortals that have now been condemned for their sins, lie impales on either side of a road of cracked and charred bones.&nbsp; &quot;I don't like this place,&quot; Lester says nervously, but Habiskis smiles and takes a deep breath, happy to be home. &quot;We'll trump back to Var,&quot; Orbius reassures him, shuffling through the deck of trumps.&nbsp; Lester eyes them; the Eye smiles and says, &quot;I'll give you these back once we're home.&quot;&quot;Llllllesster....&quot; croaks a voice.&nbsp; &quot;Hhhheeeellp... mmmmeeee!&quot;In horror, the party turns to see a shambling form, one of the souls of the damned, stumbling forth, approaching them with imploring hands.&nbsp; Its molten face seems to flow between that of a fiend of the pit and a vaguely elven face.&quot;By the elements!&quot; the L cries.&nbsp; &quot;It can't be!&quot;&quot;You know... this thing?&quot; Sybele eyes the cringing petitioner askance.&quot;Hhhheeeellp mmee,&quot; the creature slurps obscenely, approaching and pawing at the elementalist.&quot;Who... who are you?&quot; Lester gasps, backing away from it, but he knows the answer.&quot;You knnnow,&quot; the creature gargles.&nbsp; &quot;Plllleeease... rrescue me!&nbsp; It's so horrrribllle heeere...&quot;&quot;Say your name!&quot; Lester cries, aghast, but he knows who it is.&nbsp; Still the creature shakes its head.&quot;Nnnnooo,&quot; it pleads.&nbsp; It seems barely sentient- but all too cognizant of its crimes, its former friend.&nbsp; Shaken, Lester asks another question, one that chills the party in its answer.&quot;Then, if you won't tell us who you are- were- then tell us this: who did you betray?&quot;The piteous creature falls to its molten knees, smoke rising as they burn on the infernal ground.&nbsp; &quot;Dexxxterrr,&quot; it groans.&quot;CYRAX!&quot; Lester groans, and remembers....Long ago, when Lester first fell in with Baron Malford and Dexter and their brave companions, they were accompanied by an axe-wielding elf of surpassing strength and puissance- but little wisdom.&nbsp; Cyrax, his name was, and he was mighty.&nbsp; His downfall came through a cloak found in the Temple of Elemental Evil- a cloak that made him into a gargoyle, at first only in body, but later in mind as well.&nbsp; But somehow he was returned to the group- some unknown agent with whom he made a dreadful bargain of which he would not speak returned his mind to him.&nbsp; It was not until the party's final, climactic battle with Dexter's archfoe, Farenth (thrice-cursed be his name), that the terms of his deal were clarified- and he turned on the party, striking Dexter down.&nbsp; Only Malford and Lester escaped the battle, the rest falling prisoner to Farenth.&nbsp; If they had not stumbled on an old friend, surely doom would have befallen them all- but, aided by Zazou the Yellow Bard, they managed to mount a rescue.In the end, Cyrax hanged for his crimes, and it was Baron Malford's hand that pulled the plank from beneath his feet, dispensing justice as was his feudal right.&nbsp; And Cyrax did not even defend his actions!&nbsp; Later still, the party journeyed with his brother- Alcar, who was afterward to become an angel... and to also demonstrate that same lack of wisdom.&nbsp; Must have run in the family.But now... a chance to redeem Cyrax...&quot;No way,&quot; says Horbin, unexpectedly.&nbsp; &quot;He betrayed Dexter?&nbsp; He's where he deserves.&quot;&quot;I don't know,&quot; Lester starts.&nbsp; &quot;Maybe-&quot;&quot;I THINK NOT!&quot; comes an evil voice.&nbsp; &quot;HE IS WHERE HE BELONGS, NOW!&nbsp; IF YOU WISH HIM... YOU MUST BATTLE ALL THE ARMIES OF THE ABYSS FOR HIM!&quot;The creature that approaches is a hideous parody of a devil, a burning, skeletal frame blackened by the very fires of perdition.&nbsp; Its fleshless wings drip sizzling blood.&quot;Well,&quot; Lester tries, &quot;perhaps we could bargain for him...&quot;&quot;CERTAINLY, O ELEMENTALIST!&nbsp; I WILL TAKE IN TRADE EITHER YOURSELF OR YOUR COHORT!&quot;&quot;No, I don't think so,&quot; Lester says, shaken.Orbius breaks off the negotiations as he gets trump contact with Var.&nbsp; &quot;Enough of this!&nbsp; This... creature... has earned his final reward, and it is not our place to interfere!&nbsp; Let us away!&quot;&quot;Nnnnnooooo, pplleeasssse,&quot; the hideous creature pleads, but the party vanishes into a rainbow as they leave the Lower Plane behind.Next Time:&nbsp; A major shake-up in the party!&nbsp; Old pcs leave, and other, older pcs join!edited to fix the backstory- the L got away too!</blockquote>

[QUOTE="the Jester, post: 916511, member: 1210"] [b]An Old PC in An Unfortunate Place[/b] The ringing of the tuning fork fades into the distance as our beleagured heroes appear in the depths of the Abyss. The air is hot and smokey, stinking of brimstone and burning flesh. The moans of the damned rise in the distance. Half-melted figures, once mortals that have now been condemned for their sins, lie impales on either side of a road of cracked and charred bones. "I don't like this place," Lester says nervously, but Habiskis smiles and takes a deep breath, happy to be home. "We'll trump back to Var," Orbius reassures him, shuffling through the deck of trumps. Lester eyes them; the Eye smiles and says, "I'll give you these back once we're home." [color=red]"Llllllesster...."[/color] croaks a voice. [color=red]"Hhhheeeellp... mmmmeeee!"[/color] In horror, the party turns to see a shambling form, one of the souls of the damned, stumbling forth, approaching them with imploring hands. Its molten face seems to flow between that of a fiend of the pit and a vaguely elven face. "By the elements!" the L cries. "It [i]can't[/i] be!" "You know... this thing?" Sybele eyes the cringing petitioner askance. [color=red]"Hhhheeeellp mmee,"[/color] the creature slurps obscenely, approaching and pawing at the elementalist. "Who... who are you?" Lester gasps, backing away from it, but he knows the answer. [color=red]"You knnnow,"[/color] the creature gargles. [color=red]"Plllleeease... rrescue me! It's so horrrribllle heeere..."[/color] "Say your name!" Lester cries, aghast, but he [i]knows[/i] who it is. Still the creature shakes its head. [color=red]"Nnnnooo,"[/color] it pleads. It seems barely sentient- but all too cognizant of its crimes, its former friend. Shaken, Lester asks another question, one that chills the party in its answer. "Then, if you won't tell us who you are- [i]were-[/i] then tell us this: [i]who did you betray?[/i]" The piteous creature falls to its molten knees, smoke rising as they burn on the infernal ground. [color=red]"Dexxxterrr,"[/color] it groans. "CYRAX!" Lester groans, and remembers.... Long ago, when Lester first fell in with Baron Malford and Dexter and their brave companions, they were accompanied by an axe-wielding elf of surpassing strength and puissance- but little wisdom. Cyrax, his name was, and he was mighty. His downfall came through a cloak found in the Temple of Elemental Evil- a cloak that made him into a gargoyle, at first only in body, but later in mind as well. But somehow he was returned to the group- some unknown agent with whom he made a dreadful bargain of which he would not speak returned his mind to him. It was not until the party's final, climactic battle with Dexter's archfoe, Farenth (thrice-cursed be his name), that the terms of his deal were clarified- and he turned on the party, striking Dexter down. Only Malford and Lester escaped the battle, the rest falling prisoner to Farenth. If they had not stumbled on an old friend, surely doom would have befallen them all- but, aided by Zazou the Yellow Bard, they managed to mount a rescue. In the end, Cyrax hanged for his crimes, and it was Baron Malford's hand that pulled the plank from beneath his feet, dispensing justice as was his feudal right. And Cyrax did not even defend his actions! Later still, the party journeyed with his brother- Alcar, who was afterward to become an angel... and to also demonstrate that same lack of wisdom. Must have run in the family. But now... a chance to redeem Cyrax... "No way," says Horbin, unexpectedly. "He betrayed Dexter? He's where he deserves." "I don't know," Lester starts. "Maybe-" [color=orange]"I THINK NOT!"[/color] comes an evil voice. [color=orange]"HE IS WHERE HE BELONGS, NOW! IF YOU WISH HIM... YOU MUST BATTLE ALL THE ARMIES OF THE ABYSS FOR HIM!"[/color] The creature that approaches is a hideous parody of a devil, a burning, skeletal frame blackened by the very fires of perdition. Its fleshless wings drip sizzling blood. "Well," Lester tries, "perhaps we could bargain for him..." [color=orange]"CERTAINLY, O ELEMENTALIST! I WILL TAKE IN TRADE EITHER YOURSELF OR YOUR COHORT!"[/color] "No, I don't think so," Lester says, shaken. Orbius breaks off the negotiations as he gets trump contact with Var. "Enough of this! This... creature... has earned his final reward, and it is not our place to interfere! Let us away!" [color=red]"Nnnnnooooo, pplleeasssse,"[/color] the hideous creature pleads, but the party vanishes into a rainbow as they leave the Lower Plane behind. [i][b]Next Time:[/b][/i][b][/b] A major shake-up in the party! Old pcs leave, and other, older pcs join! [i]edited to fix the backstory- the L got away too![/i] [/QUOTE]

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