Droid101's Story Hour, "Of Gods and Devils" Updated 10/12!

[Droid101]

Several Years Prior...

His eyes opened. He could see. Why? Why couldn’t he just be dead? Why couldn’t this life end? Why must he exist!?

He got up. He looked around. The adventuring party he had been traveling with was dead. Each of their bodies mangled and slashed beyond recognition. He looked down at his arms and his stomach. Still ripped and torn, but slowly healing.

He hated being undead. He hated his entire existence.

“Why didn’t it kill me…?” Bloodthorne asked, but nobody was around to hear him.

His weapons and all his magic items were gone, along with the rest of the party’s items.

“Great. Now I ‘ave to get out of this damned place with nothing!” Bloodthorne exclaims.

This was the fifth try at suicide. Well, legitimate try, that is.

Of course he had tried countless times before. He tried to cut off his own head. He tried to immerse himself in holy water. He ate holy wafers for a week, only to have to cut a hole in his stomach to empty the contents.

Then he started provoking people. He’d rush at a church, hoping they would turn him or banish him. Nothing worked. He remained alive. Alive for too long. He needed to die.

So then, he started to team up with random adventurers, hoping he could convince them to go and fight the most powerful beings that they could find, in hopes that they’d have some special method to kill him.

Of course, all five of these attempts had failed. After a brutal fight with a dragon, he woke up a few minutes later to see his comrades being eaten by the huge creature. He snuck off, hoping to try again with a different group, and a different monster.

Nothing. He was invincible. Every person’s dream was his nightmare. He couldn’t taste, couldn’t feel, couldn’t exist in any society. He just wanted to die.

“I guess divine intervention is my only ‘ope,” Bloodthorne talked to himself as he skipped out of the underground passage. “Now, I just gotta find a group of adventurers stupid enough to piss off a God…”

 

[Droid101]

“What about me?” a voice from behind Bink is followed by a tug on his rainbow robes.

“Grog!” the Heroes spin around to see their companion alive and well. Except, of course, for his left hand, still replaced by the black and ancient Hand of Vecna.

“We thought you were dead!” Bink says. “What happened?”

“Well, I fell down that hole, and suddenly I was in this weird city. People were complaining about some 30 foot tall God that just walked through some buildings,” Grog starts.

“I told you I didn’t want to know,” Eltharion takes another drink.

“So I found my way here to the bar, hoping to find a way home,” Grog finishes.

“We’re not goin’ ‘ome quite yet little one,” Bloodthorne states. “We’ve got a date with a deity.”

“Well, I’m ready to pay him back for the bump on my head,” Grog chuckles. “But that sword I had is gone. Can we even kill him?”

“I don’t know, but let’s head toward all that smoke and see what’s going on,” Bink says, and they get up and head toward the smoke rising into the sky. Eltharion is helped up by Balophan and Ogrim.

The Heroes approach the smoke. A massive structure squats in the center of a wide, but nonetheless crowded, field of cobblestones. The fortresslike building stretches 600 feet long and over 400 feet wide. In the ruins of what may have been four towers are huge pillars of smoke and fire. A metallic framework rises all around the building, reaching a height of 1000 feet above the center of the fortress. Older, rusted portions of the framework have been replaced recently by some mirror-bright metal, and Vecna’s eye-in-hand symbol is prominent.

The field of cobblestones barely contains a surging and motley army. The army is composed of humans, elves, dwarves, plane-touched humanoids, creatures both divine and infernal, and stranger beasts. Obviously mighty, they still give the central structure a wide berth. Thousands of bodies lay scattered and dead within that 200 foot perimeter.

The army respects one other perimeter. A wide clearing surrounds a group of six figures, all of which are levitating a few feet above the cobblestones. Five of the figures are gaunt, robed humanoids sporting small horns. A stream of glowing glyphs hangs like haze near them. The five surround a larger figure in voluminous multicolored robes, who wears an elaborate bladed and spiked headpiece.

“Looks like we’re late…” Ogrim says as the Heroes push through the army toward the strange floating figures.

A small group tests the perimeter as the Heroes approach the floating figures. As they run toward the huge building, a floating black ball darts out of the building and connects with one of them, and they drop to the floor quite dead. The other two keep running, but are stopped by the front door, unable to budge it. The ebony ball finishes them off quickly.

“Great, how the hell do we get in there?” Eltharion asks.

The Heroes reach the floating figures. Bink kneels, and the rest of them follow suit.

“We were present when Vecna fled his plane of imprisonment and came here. We wish to help in any way we can,” Bink says.

The five figures around the lady in the center begin to wave their hands, and glowing glyphs begin to spell out words in the air.

I know the shape of things to come, yet this I did not see. Beyond even the devices of the Whispered One, salvation is offered. The Serpent’s protégé may yet be stopped and removed from this place that is profane for any God to tread.

You are the first, last, and only hope. Only you may stand against this God, you who have incorporated tangible portions of this God’s once-mortal flesh.

Vecna’s death ward around the Armory will not stop you, nor can his divine energies burn you. If the warp and weft of the cosmos you wish to preserve, make all haste; remove Vecna from this place. It may be that you will succeed.

With that, the lady in the center turns away from them and once again faces the Armory.

The Heroes look at each other reluctantly. They look at Grog and his blackened hand.

“So who wants to try the head?” Bink asks, as he opens up his sack of Vecnan relics.

“What does she mean?” Ogrim asks, still a little bewildered by the situation.

“We have all these body parts that were once part of Vecna. If you cut off your body part, and then attach his, you gain some power of some kind. Also, according to those floating guys, we should be able to get past that perimeter of death and enter the palace. As an added bonus, Vecna can’t use any divine powers against us while we have them on. So we need to each put one on if we’re going to stop Vecna.” Bink summarizes.

“I call the foot,” Bloodthorne picks up the blackened foot, cuts off his own foot without hesitation, and attaches Vecna’s. “Mm. Feel a bit faster.”

A group starts to surround the Heroes, seeing how they have Vecnan relics.

“You can get into the Armory with those! You can stop Vecna!” a cheer goes up around them.

“Yeah, uh, do you know what these do?” Bink holds out a couple of the relics.

“It’s said that that one can destroy the others, and lets you eat anything!”

“That one can make someone do whatever you want!”

“That one makes you impervious to fire!”

“That one makes you grow ten feet tall!”

“Okay… thanks…” Bink looks to the party. “I’ll take the tooth. If you can believe them, I think that I can actually eat the other ones after we’re done with this, and destroy them.”

“I’ll take the pinky. I don’t want to lose much more than that…” Eltharion says.

Balophan and Ogrim each get a different finger. After a grisly scene of self-mutilation (Bink’s dagger in his mouth probably the worst of it) the Heroes have some blackened or mummified pieces attached.

“Everybody ready?” Bink says, looking at the Armory. “Let’s do this.”

Will the Heroes get too attached to their relics? Is the Foot of Vecna less decayed than the rest of Bloothorne? What other perils lay in wait? Find out next time!

 

[Sandain]

Mmm more Vecna goodness! I am really enjoying this story hour - thankyou for updating so regularly.

 

[Droid101]

Mmm more Vecna goodness! I am really enjoying this story hour - thankyou for updating so regularly.

Glad you're enjoying yourself.

Here's a hyper extra bonus super post today:

Meanwhile…

“Do you know what I’ve gone through to get here? Do you understand the suffering I’ve been through? First, I found myself in this hell of hells, Carceri. What a terrible place.

“It sure doesn’t look like hell. Maybe like Tomaru, on a busy day. Bustling, busy; like a town. But no. Anyone could be out to get you. Any passer by could be a possible assassin. You never know who wants you dead. Or who wants you to suffer. Or who wants to tear out your still beating heart, only to turn around and sell it to some bloodthirsty demon.

“But don’t worry, I made it here. Of course I had my share of trouble. A man I came to trust betrayed me. I almost died. You see this scar? Need I say more?

“Finally, finally, I found a portal. After weeks of watching my back, of no sleep. So I come. And now, you think you can stand in my way? You think you are going to stop me from getting out of this damned hell?” Dendybar flashes his longsword and dagger.

The half-fiend lizardman couldn’t respond. Dendybar was standing on his neck.

“When I find that damned elf, Eltharion, I’m going to put him through a hell the likes of which he’ll never forget…” Dendybar stabbed down with his sword into the lizard creature’s eyes. The thing gurgled a cough, but was soon unconscious.

Dendybar stepped through the shimmering portal.

Strange architecture, statues, spires, arches and the like were everywhere.

“So this is Sigil…”

 

[Droid101]

Sorry for the lack of daily weekday updates. I feel bad.

Had a bit of writer's block for the past couple of days (plus actually having WORK to do at work).

Hopefully I'll get an update up tomorrow and Friday. Thanks for readin'!

 

[Sandain]

*waits patiently*

 

[Droid101]

Bink, Grog, Eltharion, Ogrim, Balophan and Bloodthorne head toward the Armory.

A big cheer goes up from the crowd of soldiers, mercenaries and others.

“They have Vecnan relics! They’re going to win!”

“Look at them go! How brave!”

“Three cheers for the Heroes!!”

They continue forward. Several black balls are patrolling the perimeter. Normally, when anyone came within range, they’d shoot over and burn a hole into their chest. However, since the Heroes had incorporated Vecnan relics (Eltharion, Ogrim and Balophan had fingers, Bink had a molar, Grog had the Hand and Bloodthorne a foot) the black balls paid them no heed. They reach a half crumbled and scorched marble staircase that leads up to a metal-lined circular opening. They proceed inside.

Thick steel doors bind each end of this hall, though both currendly stand open. A fine layer of ash and soot is swept into the corners of the room. Several forms lay in this mess, seemingly sleeping or dead.

At the same time, they all stand and face the Heroes with empty eyes and decaying skin.

“Name your allegiance!” one of the things asks in a croaking and dry voice.

“Uh, Vecna?” Eltharion says, holding up his blackened pinky.

With that, the forms collapse to the ground and lay motionless again.

“That was easy,” Eltharion states, chuckling.

Grand decorations and trophies of war appear burned and looted. Mannequins, racks, and glass cases are shattered and strewn upon the floor. Great hooks hang from the ceiling, though most are empty or hold only burned lumps of grease and charred wood. The layer of ash and soot reveals the destruction occurred some time ago. A small fire burns near a great iron door across from the hall the Heroes entered from. Several figures squat around the fire. They bear the holy symbol of Vecna.

“Ho there converts. I see you have you come to pledge yourself eternally to Vecna,” one of the figures says without getting up from the fire.

“That we have…” Bink says as they continue past them to the iron doors.

The next room has a scoreched path that leads directly away from the entrance toward another set of large doors. Wide open spaces to the right and left are filled with an exceptional amount of debris, shrouded in shadows. Fresh bloodstains paint the stone tile immediately in front of the door. The Heroes move immediately for the next door.

Through the next door, the Heroes see two hallways leading off in diagonally separate directions. Rubble chokes off both passages. On the opposite side of the hallway is another set of doors; these are golden bronze. The Heroes move on.

The next room stands out quite a bit. Gargantuan forges and associated equipment lies in a shattered ring around the room’s periphery. Furnaces, metal workbenches, hammers, tongs, and smaller equipment are equally bent, mangled, and melted together by some recent blast. The blast apparently originated in the circular pit at the chamber’s center. A spectral fire still continually burns there, lighting the entire chamber.

The center of the room also has a very wide spiral staircase that winds around the energy expulsion, leading underground. The Heroes make a break for it, feeling strange magical energy pulling on them from the spectral fire. They sprint down the stairs and enter a small passageway.

This passage is much different than the upper chambers. Whereas the main Armory is burned and destroyed, this lower chamber is perfect and pristine, as if it was just carved.

The long hall is immaculately clean and peaceful, though it is backlit by residual light from the Forge. Smooth marble pillars run the length of the hall, two by two. Marble relief sculptures on the walls reveal various scenes. Several living figures stand within the chamber, studying the images on the wall.

“Pilgrims! Are you ready to face Vecna’s visage and become one with him?” a tiefling male asks.

“Yes. Yes we are,” Eltharion replies.

“Good, I’m going with you, then,” the tiefling says, grabbing his sack and moving on with the party. The Heroes move on to a doorway in the chamber, and enter the next room.

Exquisite marble tiles cover the entire chamber, save for one dark alcove. Within the alcove is a silver pedestal holding a lamplike container, shining brightly.

The room seems familiar to the reliquaries where the Heroes found all their Vecnan relics. As they approach this lamp, however, it contains a golden eye.

“Oh my, here it is… if I touch this, I may become a true follower of Vecna…” the tiefling touches the golden eye before anyone can stop him.

He falls to his knees, grunting in pain, holding onto his eye. Then, he slowly stands. His left eye is gone, replaced by gold.

The Heroes look at each other.

Bloodthorne cleaves off the man’s head.

“Let’s keep on movin’, we need to be getting’ to Vecna as soon as we can…” Bloothorne says. The Heroes move on to the next doorway.

Can the Heroes stop Vecna before the end? Is Dendybar going to show up at a very inopportune moment again? Can the Heroes kill a God?? Find out more, next update!

 

[sandtiger]

Hi,

I really do appreciate your writing style.

I also thought to myself when the crowd was encouraging them to enter the Armory. "Glad its them fools and not me"

I also almost spit out my coffee when reading:

---
The Heroes look at each other.

Bloodthorne cleaves off the man’s head.
---

Quick question. Do you actually play "Bloodthorne" yourself, or does one of your players take over?

Second, why did you change your icon? I really liked the droid in the "Egyptian Pose".

Thanks for writing this, even though I found my hands shaking when I didn't see a post on Tuesday.

Sandtiger

 

[Droid101]

Hi,

I really do appreciate your writing style.

I also thought to myself when the crowd was encouraging them to enter the Armory. "Glad its them fools and not me"

I also almost spit out my coffee when reading:

---
The Heroes look at each other.

Bloodthorne cleaves off the man’s head.
---

Quick question. Do you actually play "Bloodthorne" yourself, or does one of your players take over?

Second, why did you change your icon? I really liked the droid in the "Egyptian Pose".

Thanks for writing this, even though I found my hands shaking when I didn't see a post on Tuesday.

Sandtiger

Glad you're getting some enjoyment out of this.

Bloodthorne is .... (edited because it would give away my contest! )

Why'd I change my icon? I don't know. I was thinking about going back, but I can't find that picture anymore!

 

[Droid101]

“What? ‘e might’ve alerted Vecna that we’re comin’!” Bloodthorne says in his own defense, as they move on into the next chamber.

“I didn’t say anything!” Grog exclaims. “I was gonna do the same thing!”

Lush carpet woven of selkie-fur complements beautiful scenes painted on the most delicate of pale leather tapestries. Figures carved f unicorn horns are arranged on small pedestals. The gentle trickling sound of a miniature red waterfall fills the room.

“Is that… oh no…” Bink shakes his head upon inspecting one of the paintings very closely.

“What is it?” Eltharion asks.

“The canvasses are made of human skin,” Bink replies. The Heroes move on.

The next room has green and orange pillows covering the floor. Three humanoid figures are slumbering in various places around the room. Each of them has golden left hands and golden left eyes. The ceiling is covered with a net of small glowing points, lighting the chamber very subtly. There is a glowing silver chalice on a pedestal.

Bloodthorne walks right up to it and takes a drink from it.

“Wait!” Bink says, but Bloodthorne already drank.

“I don’t feel nothing,” Bloodthorn responds, dropping the chalice on the floor, its contents spilling onto the pillows.

The Heroes enter the next room. Fragrant haze, akin to the odor of cedar, billows and blows through this chamber, swirling in artificial currents of warm air. The smoke is thick, but not thick enough to hide a central pit. The pit is five feet in diameter, and is the source of the billowing vapors. Low benches surround the central pit, upon which a few Vecnan disciples sit, swaying to some unheard tune.

“Quick, don’t inhale,” the Heroes hold their breath (except for Bloodthorne of course) and get through this room quickly.

The next room is a hallway that turns and leads to some finely carved marble doors. Wall-covering tapestries sewn from massive black scaled hides drape this odd-shaped chamber. The creature that these were sewn from must have been more than massive.

Three figures stand in front of the marble doors. One appears to be a large and burly human, wearing bulky and rusted full plate armor, complete with full helm. The other two are skeletal humanoids wearing rotting robes.

“To whom are you loyal?” a booming voice emanates from the rusted armor.

“Vecna?” Grog pipes in before Bink can.

“Proceed,” the figures move out of the way to present a path to the double doors.

The sound of voices raised in song is faintly audible as the Heroes approach the doors. They open them.

The long hall is immaculately clean, and it echoes with psalms sung by a duet of two tonally pure voices. Red light glares up through crack sin the marble tile on the floor. The walls are blank, and the ceiling appears as dark basalt. An alcove at either end of the long hall contains a carved marble figure. One looks like a humanoid with only a hand for its head; the other is a humanoid with an eye for an head. The music emanates from these carvings.

“Hey, kinda looks like that Hand guy we met back in Vecna’s tower,” Eltharion comments. The Heroes move through the room and on to the next.

The door is locked, so Bink knocks it.

This chamber is a beautifully appointed chapel. Its domed heights create a peaceful gulf of space above the empty floor, and a dark altar dominates the far side of the room. Hanging censers constantly burn in every corner, filling the chamber with a sweet, soothing odor. Several sealed scrolls lie upon the altar. Behind the alter, a 10-foot wide and 30-foot tall door stands closed. The symbol of the hand and eye is inscribed in the center of the door.

“I guess this is it…” Bink says while picking up a couple of the scroll cases and stuffing them into his bags.

“Let’s go,” Eltharion pushes open the huge doors, which slide open easily.

Tiles of pure light pave the floor and walls of this heavenly chapel. Pews of silver march toward the front of the chapel, where stands an altar of rose-hued crystal. Several figures sit in the pews, and behind the altar, a large man in robes ministers to the assembled. Two creatures stand at either end of the chamber. They are identical to the singing statues from the room before; hand and eye instead of a head.

In the pews are some tieflings, githzerai, a green slaad, and a centaur-like creature. The man preaching behind the altar is a terrible sight. He has curling horns coming out of his head, and huge bat-like wings. Like all the other people in the room, his left eye and left hand are made of pure gold. However, unlike the others, his entire right arm and right leg are also made out of pure gold. He is wearing plate armor.

“Sorry to interrupt your litt’le par’ty, but we’ve a bone to pick with your big bad true master and lord,” Bloodthorne brazenly steps forward.

“So tell us where he is and we’ll make sure you die quickly,” Bink’s eyes flash as his forceful presence takes over. His robes begin to scintillate and glow with their rainbow colors. The Heroes know not to look.

The half-demon from behind the altar pulls out a ashen looking bastard sword, and casts mirror image right away.

“Master, we have company…” the demon hisses.

The convex bulges of the wall behind the altar fades from opacity to transparency, revealing a massive cavity lined with hundres of small statuettes. Within the cavity is a titanic humanoid, limned in brilliance. Its left eye is missing from the socket, and its left hand is entirely gone as well. The 30-foot tall skeletal creature steps forward, its right eye glowing with a red and brilliant rage.

“Kill them all! Rip my holy relics from their profane bodies!” Vecna’s voice is like a thousand whispers, and it thunders about the large chapel.

Grog flashes out his brilliant Masamuné katana, and starts trembling into a rage. Eltharion’s relic Moon-scimitar and Sun-sickle are out in a flash. Bink fishes through his spell components as the colors begin to dance and move on his robes. Balophan swings his longsword and shortsword, his front hooves stomping, ready to charge. Ogrim readies his Orc-killer axe and Staff of Defense. Bloodthorne singles out the slaad, pointing at it with his two heavily enchanted longswords.

And the room erupts into action.

It’s 12 against 6; and the 12 have a God-being. Can the Heroes survive? Do you smell TPK (total player kill)? Would Bloodthorne want that? Find out the exciting conclusion, next time!