Showdown with Seclaidra
8/6/371 O.L.G., 8:30 a.m., a field in Goldstone, Dorhaus
Emperor Prayzose of Forinthia, High Priest of the Light, cannot have his greatest desire, which almost any other man alive can. All his wants is a little time alone with his wife. But they both have many enemies, some of them the same; and even a moment without the support that the Eagles can provide them could be fatal.
So it is that the best Prayzose and the Tiger Empress Reshra can do is get a little discrete distance while they hungrily kiss and hold one another for a moment.
“Why have you come?” she asks him briskly, taking his hands. “I know how many things you have to do.”
He nods, kissing her forehead. “I want your advice on something.” He explains to her his idea. “He will come to you seeking a peaceful resolution to the situation here. He may be able to help you convince Malford to back off.”
“If you do this thing, you will provide him with tremendous influence,” she says. “He may not be entirely friendly to you- or to me. Are you prepared to remove him if necessary?”
“It is not a political position,” Prayzose insists.
Reshra laughs. “You know better than that!”
“He is still the best man for the job. He does not wish to be my enemy, and even if he did, he would still be the best man for the job.”
The Tiger Empress nods, suddenly more serious. “You have my support.”
Emperor Prayzose smiles and kisses her full upon the lips. Through the permanent telepathic link they share, he sighs his thanks.
***
The 109th layer of the Abyss
The sarcophagus remains where it was when our heroes left it. The ceaseless sound of the undead god hammering at the inside of his prison with his fists is unnerving, even though the trapped god doesn’t seem to be making any progress.
Cautiously, they take a rubbing of the time-worn symbols on the sarcophagus’ exterior. Then Horbin opens a gate to the Tarterian Depths of Carceri and the strongest of our heroes shoulder it through, being careful not to go through the gate themselves. They all breathe sighs of relief after the gate closes, sealing off the pounding sound of the undead god’s hammering fists within its eerie tomb.
The unnatural lightning flashes above again, and our heroes begin casting all their pre-battle spells. They know what comes next- the assault on Seclaidra in her Hall of Black Silk. After a few minutes of casting, manifesting and activating, our heroes clump together and superior teleport to Seclaidra.
But in the instant of transit, something goes wrong.
Lillamere groans instantly as he recognizes the strange, sickening sensation of some kind of teleporter redirect. The party appears at the end of a hallway draped with thick black curtains. A thick fog covers the ground to a height of about one foot.
Gibbering demonic sounds come from ahead. A disgusting fly-like demon starts buzzing forward to the attack. Alcar rushes forward-
Without warning, one of the curtains detaches from the ceiling and envelopes the Angel of Food. He gives out a muffled cry; it has got him good!
Meanwhile, more demons teleport in around them; apparently it suits them just find for the trap teleporter effect to send them into our heroes’ midst. Pandemonium breaks out as yet more demons come rushing through the curtained hall. Visibility is extremely limited, and the curtains muffle sound, too. Not to mention the fact that one of them is trying to smother Alcar.
Alcar can’t see and can’t breathe. He certainly can’t cast spells, but he can use his angelic abilities, healing himself of some of the damage he’s just taken. He struggles desperately- but it rapidly becomes clear that, despite his immense strength, the curtain has him pretty well trapped. Lillamere, meanwhile, has shape changed into a red dragon and breathes a gout of white-hot flames over the curtain (knowing that Alcar is protected from fire at present). Inoke, too, leaps forward and begins smashing the deadly curtains.
But more demons are rushing forward down the hall. It is clear that Seclaidra has not invited them here to chat.
The battle rages hot, and as Gerontius moves forward another of the curtains drops down, wrapping itself around him and trying to put the squeeze on him, just as the first has put the squeeze on Alcar! Speaking of which, with a final convulsive squeeze, the black curtain around the Angel of Food releases him, leaving him for dead, and envelopes Inoke.* The warmind gives a yell of surprise as the thing struggles to overcome him, but while he is huge, he is too hard to get a solid hold on.
Meanwhile, the demons are tearing into the others, who respond in kind. Chakar, Lillamere (in pit fiend form) and Horbin melee with their fiendish foes, and in moments they are overcome. A few vrock spores burrow into our heroes, and Wankerman is put momentarily to sleep by the droning wings of the fly-demons (called chasme). Lillamere shakes him awake after Chakar finishes the baron’s immediate adversary with an amazing display of martial arts.
Baron Lillamere turns to the black curtains. As Inoke hammers the first one hard, he comments, “It’s probably time to finish off that piece of crap,” he rumbles in his pit fiend voice, and he blows it to pieces with a maximized seeker missiles. Horbin steps into the center of the group to cast mass heal. The only visible foe that remains is the second curtain, which is struggling with Inoke, Gerontius (struggling with it from within) and Wankerman. With all our heroes focusing on it, it cannot last long; but it lasts far longer than most creatures, as our heroes pummel, cut and blast it to bits. The black curtains are tough. The party is too late to save Gerontius, however; the curtain has crushed the life from him completely by the time they bring it down. The party scrapes up his body as best they can, and then our heroes proceed forward, flying above the mist that cloaks the ground.
Baron Lillamere calls out ahead of the group, “Hello! We’re here to talk to your mistress, Seclaidra!”
After a beat, a response comes. “Come with no weapons out,” it demands.
Inoke shakes his head. These are demons, he sends across the telepathic bond. We can’t trust them. They might betray us at any moment. And I won’t be a party to any deal with her. He manifests schism.
Lillamere replies, We’ll work it out, don’t worry. We still might have to kill her.
Inoke frowns. If we’re going to attack, let’s do it. If we’re here to negotiate, I think I should leave.
I can make a gate to Var for you, Horbin the MFKG Holy sends. Just give us a minute to see if we can come to an agreement, or if we need to fight.
I will not be a party to any agreement, Inoke insists.
Our heroes are moving forward nonetheless. As our heroes pass the final curtain, they find the hall opens into a room crammed full of demons. Patrolling the chamber are four mariliths, twenty chasme and ten vrocks.
A nervous-looking succubus looks bravely at them. “Welcome, slayers of Asmodeus,” she says gravely. “What is it you have to say to our mistress? She is under the impression that you are not interested in compromise.”
“We’re not here to compromise,” Horbin retorts. “There are certain things she must do, or she will face destruction.”
The succubus nods. “Yet you have already parlayed with her and could not come to mutually agreeable terms.”
The negotiations resume- for clearly that is what is happening already, by virtue of the fact that the demons and our heroes are not yet doing battle with each other. Soon enough Seclaidra, convinced both that the party is sincere in their desire to avoid unnecessary bloodshed and that they are more than willing and probably able to shed her blood if they really set their minds on it, graces them with her presence directly. The terms are debated, and Inoke repeats aloud that he will make no agreement.
”Then why should I be bound by any agreement?” Seclaidra demands. “I think you come here with impure motives- you seek to make a bargain that you have no intention of keeping.”
“Not true,” Horbin responds. “We will keep it- just not Inoke.”
“That hardly counts,” she retorts dryly. “He is the one who struck down Asmodeus, you know.”
“Listen, Inoke won’t do anything rash, I don’t think- he’s not going to come hunt you down or anything.”
“But he could.”
Horbin sighs. “Yes,” he admits, “but as long as you don’t break the spirit of the agreement, we will help keep him from acting against you.”
“I don’t have any intentions against you,” Inoke says honestly, “but I won’t bargain with a demon. Besides, what’s to stop you from breaking the deal as soon as it is inconvenient for you?”
Seclaidra smiles. “You killed Asmodeus,” she breathes. “I have lived for a long time, and I have no desire to see the end of my existence come. I have no doubt that you could destroy me.” Or little doubt, she thinks to herself.
She’s afraid of us, Chakar sends over the telepathic link.
The negotiations resume again, with terms being discussed. Inoke fidgets for a few minutes, then interrupts. “Let me out of here, Horbin, please,” he requests. Horbin draws away for a moment and gates Inoke to Var.
Then the party and Seclaidra continue their discussion.
Finally, they come to an agreement: a 500-year non-aggression pact. In essence, neither will trespass close to the other for a long time. Seclaidra will not personally manifest on Cydra for 500 years; she will give up her direct political machinations on Dorhaus; and she will make no mental contact with anyone on Dorhaus for the prescribed period.
For their part, our heroes pledge not to just kill her on the spot, and to stay off her layer of the Abyss. It seems like a good idea; on the surface it appears to be a good trade for them. All they are doing is leaving her alive. Horbin feels that the terms of his quest have been satisfied.
***
8/7/371 O.L.G., the Halls of healing
“Sir, this came for you.”
The page is a young lad that Horbin doesn’t recognize. The letter is bound in ribbon and sealed with the signet of the High Priest of the Light, Prayzose. Horbin smiles at the page and sends him on his way, tapping the letter against his left hand a few times before breaking the seal and reading it.
By the time he’s halfway done he is gaping.
After he has finished, he issues a sending to Prayzose.
This is Horbin. Got your letter. Honored by your offer, but I am curious why me?
The response is swift: May I contact you telepathically?
And a few moments later, the two are talking mind-to-mind. Horbin has no idea where Prayzose is; it does not matter. The mental presence of the High Priest is reassuring, warm, strong and good-hearted. Horbin sighs that he must count this man as one of his adversaries, at least some of the time.
Good day, Horbin, Prayzose says telepathically.
Uh... hi. Horbin is at a loss for a moment. Then he blurts out, Why me?
You’re the best man for the job, Prayzose replies simply. We may not see eye to eye on all things, Horbin, but I got to know you a little at the casters’ conference. You’re a genuinely good man, with the best interests of all of Dorhaus at heart, and that’s what Dorhaus needs right now.
You are offering me a great honor, Horbin thinks to Prayzose, and I am not sure what you want in return.
I want you to do the best job you can, Horbin. I want you for the job because you are the right person for the job. I have no ulterior motive. Bear in mind, even if you accept, that only means I recommend you to the cardinals. You might have a fight ahead of you there; some of your views are none too popular.
Horbin concedes, I have always been liberal for a Dexterite. He sighs. I will think your offer over.
Think of all the good you could do. The diocesan chair has been empty for quite some time- it needs to be filled. Take some time to think it over, but I want you for the job, Horbin. I want you to be the new Bishop of West Dorhaus.
Next Time: Horbin gives his answer to Prayzose, Gerontius is true rezzed and the party begins moving towards the Bastion of Law!
*Alcar burned a Wyrd to stay alive. Think of a Wyrd as being a measure of how much fate likes you. They are hard to come by and are acquired in game. Think of them as being sort of like action points (or fate points) but requiring a lot of sacrifices to get ‘em. They also reduce the severity of crits and fumbles in my system.
