DoctorB's Legacy of Alexander Story Hour

[JoyHealinghand]

Joy's Diary - Decimus 23

In the 417th year after the triumph of Alexander, Decimus 23, 4th Knightsday
Mother told me that every event - every surprise - in life holds a lesson for us in its depths. Now I just have to figure out everything our time in the underdark has to offer. Lady knows there were enough surprises. Like 9-headed hydras, dark elves, a magma elemental as big as a small mountain, undergoblins that turn on their masters, Dwarven Defenders that die to buy us more time, obnoxious Dwarven wizards that use family heirloom to save us, giant poisonous spiders the size of a house, shy young men who turn out to be dragons, drow that escape from their masters (who are illithids) and are chaotic good, and our tower mage (Galena) who risks her own life to save ours (she was fantastic – summoning creatures and throwing fireballs!). It was a very long three days, not that we could really tell when one day ended and the other began. I just knew when I could channel the power of The Lady again.

After taking Mer (the good drow who followed us out of the underdark or “the world” as they call it) and showing him the “outside,” many of us started to train. Every time I grow in strength, I feel that it better enables me to carry out The Lady’s work, but this time seems more important. Rolf bought us the time we needed to obtain the Salutorum and Titian’s Bane with his life, and now I have the ability to repay our debt to him by bringing him back – if he wants to come back. At least, I think I have the ability. I have only heard Mother talk about performing this miracle; I have never seen it performed. Now the whole Dwarven Council will be there to watch (it only seemed right) and who knows who else. Lady, please grant me the strength to perform this miracle right! Well, I should not put this off any longer; dawn has come and I can feel The Lady’s power renewed within me. I am going to ask the other Champions to come with me. Please, Lady, let me do this right…

 

[KidCthulhu]

'Cuz if you do this wrong and he comes back as a badger or something, that's going to be really embarrassing!

 

[JoyHealinghand]

Remember, she's only 21 Hobbit years old

What?! That can happen?!! How? Surely The Lady wouldn't let that happen...

Do YOU know how to perform the raise dead miracle?

 

[DoctorB]

Escape from the Underdark

The Salutorum appears as a large golden goblet, nine inches in diameter with four gems set on the outsides amid intricate scenes of hospitals and battlefield medicine. Titansbane is more impressive. The Dwarven Greataxe seems entirely made of mithril with intricately carved scenes of dwarven victories over giants with a spike at the top of the axe blades. Onyx held the weapon through the night but after a short discussion in the morning, Karl agreed to carry it until it could be given to one with a stronger familial claim. As soon as he grasped the weapon, Karl seemed more confident, more warlike. Cobbe worried that he might stay behind to fight any giants they encountered and get Karl killed but said nothing.

With everyone healed, the Champions prepared to find the drow chamber held against them again. This time, when Liana snuck closer though, she heard something to her left in the drow quarters. It sounded like a voice talking to itself or chanting. When she returned to tell the others, they decided to take the opposite way through the chamber and avoid whoever it might be.
When they approached the chamber again, Liana saw an elven figure, going through the clothes of one of the giants killed the day before. He looked thin even for a drow elf and his clothes hung in rags around him. As soon as he looked up and saw the group of people coming towards him, he started and then seemed to concentrate a moment before vanishing into thin air. No scroll, no spellcasting, he just vanished.

Though intrigued by this strange creature, the Champions resolved to move on toward the Dwarvenrealm and safety. As they left the chamber back toward the river of lava and the “Father” Liana caught a glimpse of a figure moving along the ceiling following them.

The rogue continued to scout ahead of the others, and as soon as she heard sounds at the crossroads they had avoided on the way in, Onyx made the entire group invisible while Joy called on the Lady for silence so even Cobbe in his heavy armor could sneak past. Both Joy and Onyx held another of these powers in reserve to pass through the army of goblins and drow pressing the dwarves above.

Unfortunately, they found the intersection not just held against them but complete with a makeshift barricade and guards. Two dark elves watched over the barrier backed by one of the three-armed giants while two others in finer armor stood nearby talking. The chattering of goblins also sounded close by. Fearing they might find themselves fighting the entire drow reserve if they stood, the Champions decided on distraction. Galena moved back away a short ways and called small earth elementals to attack the barrier while the others prepared to move through as soon as an opening was created.

The dark elves must have deduced how this powerful party of adventurers snuck through them before. One of the armored figures raised her arms and called on her goddess in the strange elven-like language the drow spoke. Though nothing immediately resulted, Joy pointed out that invisibility purge would have been her first spell if she were in the evil priestess’ position. Shedding secrecy, the party decided to run the gauntlet.

Though quickly dispatched by the hulking giant and his greatclub, the elementals did their job opening a space in the barrier. While the others moved forward to run past their enemies, Galena stayed back a moment to send a fireball into the center of the foes. Several goblins burned to death and most of the dark elves were badly wounded. The priestess, fearing for her own life, retreated into one of the corridors with her guards. In the confusion, everyone managed to move past the Underdark forces to the other side of the intersection… except Galena.

 

[DoctorB]

Made visible by her spell, the wizardess found herself under attack from a frighteningly accurate archer. The drow poison soon had her almost unable to move. The giant now stood just behind the barrier. Seeing her danger, Karl shouted an ancient dwarven battle cry and attacked the beast with Titansbane. As it struck the monster, the axe began to glow gently.

Galena now realized her danger and cast expeditious retreat (Toiva’s name for the spell, “feet don’t fail me now,” seemed to her particularly appropriate) and prepared to run past the giant though she feared she might not be able to withstand a blow from the mighty club. The others shouted for her to wait a moment as Arin ran in and drew the beast’s attention, taking a vicious stroke that would surely have killed Galena. With the monster distracted, she ran past him and the wounded drow.

Karl mastered himself enough to run when the others did and the entire party found themselves chased through the long corridors to the river of lava by more goblins and dark elves. The Champions and their allies arrived at the white crystal bridge over the bubbling magma just ahead of their enemies. Running into the great chamber, they cried out for the Father. Even as their enemies entered behind them, a glowing head appeared above the surface followed by the hundred-foot tall form of the great elemental. The goblins fled from the creature and the drow held back, until they could discover the Father’s allegiance. Only the archer stood a little forward, firing at the Champions.

Karl held up the glowing Heart of the Mountain to the colossus.
“I have come to renew the contract of Regor Blackblade,” he shouted.
A great glowing hand reached down to take the red stone. It seemed a speck against the huge finger.

“As was agreed before, I will hold this chamber against all who would pass it.”

The mighty voice echoed through the chamber.

“Forty annos more will I watch, for the Heart of the Mountain. I give you my name, heir of Blackblade: Ardens Masa.”

As the words hung in the air, Cobbe imagined he saw a new volcano erupt in some part of the world.

Looking once again at the thin bridge of crystal cast over the river, Ardens Masa lifted his fist and smashed it to shards.

The drow on the other side fired their arrows, but knew they were stymied.

Soon, the Champions passed once again through the mithril door and its powerful wards. Invisible and silent, they passed like wraiths through the army still fighting fiercely with the dwarves in their lower tunnels. Fortunately, the nine-headed monster stood fighting at the other end of the huge opening where the war continued. Evil had gained no ground in their absence. Finding their way through the dwarven lines, Karl and Onyx asked after the leader of the fighting. Everyone remarked in horror at the body of noble Rolf but Joy held her tongue until she stood in the command room of the Kurnzarn, Sidroc Warweaver.

“I think I can bring him back when I have had a few days to mediate on the Lady’s power, if he wants to return.” She told him.

“I know such things were done in previous generations, but none here now possess the ability.” He replied.
Karl knelt, presenting Titansbane to the General.
“Until the Wolfcaller can wield it, I will take the Great Axe to fight our enemies,” the Kurnzarn declared.
“You have done a great service for the Dwarvenrealm, one that will live in the tales of our Skalds, but I will ask one more thing of you though you may refuse without dishonor.”
“We, ah, will be glad to help anyway we can,” Cobbe replied.
“I need you to kill the great Hydra.” Sidroc said.

 

[KidCthulhu]

Why is it they never say "I need you to pop round the shops and pick up some bread"? It's always slay this, and vanquish that and break the spine of the other.

Damanding little buggers, NPCs.

 

[DoctorB]

Nine Heads, No Waiting

Seeming to notice the raggedly dressed drow in the rear of the party for the first time, Sidroc asked, “Do you want to remove the collaborator before we go further.”

“Well,” Cobbe started. “He is not exactly a collaborator but an escaped slave from somewhere below. He claims he was a slave of Mind Flayers. We have taken him under our protection.”

The drow had named himself as Maer when the Champions caught him following them out of the Underdark. He spoke no languages in common with anyone else, but could communicate through Lux. He seemed thrilled at the thought at seeing the mythical “outside.” Since he seemed a downtrodden person, Liana had taken him on as a personal project and had slowly begun teaching the young drow to speak Khal. Maer seemed nervous around all these enemies of dark elves, but remained firm in his desire to see the surface world.

“Well then,” Sidroc continued. “About the Hydra…”
“My people cannot stand against the beast,” the Kurnzarn explained. “Whenever we gain an advantage, they send the 9-headed monster and we are forced back. If you could slay the beast, we would be able to finish off this drow army. For now, go with my orderly, Helm, and rest. Tomorrow we will attack.”

The young dwarf Sidroc introduced to them led the Champions to a makeshift mess hall for a filling dwarven meal and then to an unused barracks. There, they rested for another day to recover from the effects of poison and wounds.

The next day, Decimus 17, the Champions returned to the battlefront. The Kurnzarn met them with an elite force of dwarven warriors.

“Wherever the fighting is toughest is where they send the hydra,” he explained. “So we are going to create some tough fighting for them to draw the creature to us. The other Defenders of the Dwarvenrealm lead forces holding the dark elves at all points along the perimeter.”

Looking out over the battlefield, the Champions saw a still impressive host of undergoblins with giants scattered here and there. The drow leadership stood in the center of the cavern giving orders. This was the largest entrance to the huge chamber, the tunnel opening partially blocked by a barricade of wood and stone.

Sidroc seemed to talk to himself as he prepared his dwarves. Titansbane gleamed in his hand like an extension of himself. The soldiers finally lined up in a wedge and fiercely attacked the nearby goblins.

Cries went up from several parts of the cavern. The dwarves had coordinated their assault well. The Kurnzarn and his troop made quick progress through the outer lines of the enemy until three of the three-armed giants waded in with their clubs. Sidroc gave a war cry and attacked one of them as Titansbane began to glow.

The Champions did not participate in the attack, waiting behind the barrier for the hydra to come closer. Joy called on the Lady’s power to shield the party as Toiva began to sing a chant-like battle song.

Finally, the drow decided to commit their monster. Rumbling across the floor of the cavern, it moved at Sidroc with frightening speed. Up close, the creature’s skin was pale green and the eyes of its nine heads seemed exceptionally large, standing above the sharp teeth snapping at anything in its way. One of the goblins did not move fast enough and found itself bitten in half by the monster.

Joy called up a wind wall to shield them from the arrows of the drow still behind the lines and Galena opened the way through the goblins with a fireball. The Champions then charged by the still fighting dwarves to engage the nine-headed beast.

Liana and Arin were the first to arrive in the beast’s range and nearly died in the beast’s first series of attacks. Liana tumbled away while Arin fell back towards Joy. Cobbe and Toiva then charged in, slashing at the beast’s heads. One head collapsed under a blow while another was severed from the neck. Even as the beast continued to fight, however, the damage slowly began to heal. The Champions redoubled their attack.

Galena now called on the powers of earth and fire and several creatures sprang up around the Hydra. Snake-like, the human-sized creatures glowed like magma, especially near the front of their bodies. Used to the mage’s summoning power, the Champions hesitated only a moment as these strange beings joined the attack. Soon another group joined the first. Wherever these fire worms struck, the hydra could not heal. Even the nine-headed monster could not keep track of all its enemies at once, giving Liana opportunities to seek weaknesses in its hide. As the great beast finally fell, the Thoqquas, as Galena called them, crawled over it and prevented any further regeneration.

Having accomplished their goal, the Champions withdrew again from the battle. Galena stayed behind until she had exhausted her magic aiding the battle. Though it was obvious that the dwarves had a great deal of difficult work to do, the dark elves would see no more reinforcements. Dwarven victory was only a matter of time.

 

[JoyHealinghand]

The Prayer to Raise Rolf

(Decimus 23, 417)

Wonderous Lady, embodiment of perfect Honesty, Compassion, Loyalty and Generosity, I, your humble servant, ask that you hear my prayer and allow my body to be the instrument of your goodness.

Before you lies Rolf Wolfcaller, descendant of Regor Blackblade, who fought alongside Alexander to temporarly defeat the forces of evil. Following in his forefather's footsteps, Rolf Wolfcaller, one of the nine Dwarven Defenders, rose to aid your champions as we once again strive to protect these lands from the evil that has been reborn. Because of his loyalty to his people, his loyalty to the Mountain and his loyalty to your champions, Rolf Wolfcaller willingly paid the ultimate price to save lives.

Great Lady, in your infinite Compassion, I call upon you to channel your energies through me and into Rolf Wolfcaller, hero of all that is good and lawful. By your Grace, if The Mother and Rolf Wolfcaller are willing, cause the breath of life to fill his lungs and let the blood of his anscestors bring strength and movement to his limbs.

Dearest Lady, we raise our thoughts in most grateful thanks to you for hearing our humble supplications.

Now, Rolf Wolfcaller, if it be thy will and the will of the gods, RISE.

 

[DoctorB]

Return of the Wolfcaller

Silence filled the packed burial chamber. Only the last echoes of Joy’s words disturbed the air. Rolf Wolfcaller lay on a stone slab adorned for a funeral. Around Joy and the other Champions stood the Council of Nine, leaders of the Dwarvenrealm as well as many dwarves who claimed kinship to their fallen hero. No one moved or even breathed. The glowing diamond Joy had placed on the dead dwarf’s chest had disappeared now and everyone waited to see what would happen. Everyone knew that once priests had held enough power to sometimes bring back the dead, but no such thing had been done in hundreds of years.

A breath disturbed the air, then another. Rolf opened his eyes.

“I sat at the table of heroes,” he said in an awed voice. “Around me sat all the great dwarves from all time, but She told me I did not belong there. I had to go back.”

He looked at Joy.

“I heard you calling me.”

The tiny priestess smiled at him, and the entire hall burst into sound. Everyone cheered and crowded around their risen hero, wanting to touch him and talk to him, to welcome him back to the world.

The Champions stood aside and watched this unusual dwarven display of emotion. The stout people of the Mountain had much to cheer about. Though the dark elves had fought fiercely and to the last man at the end, the Kurnzarn and his army had finally cornered and destroyed the remnants of their army. Titansbane had distinguished itself again at the head of the army, though the general now offered the dwarven war axe to Rolf, who looked at it in wonder. His face changed as he held the handle. Titansbane had a mind of its own.

Knowing that Joy would call on the Lady to return Rolf to the living, the Council had called for a day of celebration the next day, but most dwarves did not choose to wait. Casks opened early and the beer and ale flowed freely.

The next morning, when the formal celebration began, the Drukar, Rigall Stronhome presented each of the Champions with a silver medallion engraved with the symbol of the Mountain.

“As long as you live, each of you will be welcome in the Dwarvenrealm and among dwarves of the Mountain.”

A great cheer arose for the heroes, and then they discovered that the party of the previous day had been merely a preliminary.

 

[DoctorB]

Galena

Galena had died and gone to heaven, but only for a little while. She had asked Onyx where he drew his arcane learning from, and it was a testament to their new friendship that he showed her.

Near a little-used corridor in the center of the dwarvenrealm was a chamber with a locked door. Onyx opened that door and led Galena inside. She expected shelves of books or scrolls, but the floor of the space was bare but for a few benches. Puzzled, she looked over to ask her companion what was so important here. He conjured a light and gestured.

The walls.

Intricate writing filled every side of the room in dozens of arcane languages and forms. The wizardess turned slowly to take it all in. As always with magical writing, the symbols seemed to move with a life of their own. The entire space pulsed with subtle power. Onyx smiled at her appreciation. She fumbled for her notebook.

Galena passed the next several days learning everything she could of dwarven magic. She and Onyx spent almost every waking hour there studying tiny elements of the walls’ incredible richness. She quickly found that she could understand no more than half of the writing. Many of the carved elements included unfamiliar symbols, or juxtaposed letters she knew in ways that she thought to be impossible.

Dwarves had their own interesting interpretations of magic, and combining those with her Tower training led to new insights. Galena tried to copy everything she could from the spaces on the wall where the combinations were new to her, but not impossible to understand. She would have liked to copy everything in that room, or find a way to take it all with her. She would have to settle for returning to the Dwarvenrealm again.