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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Endur" data-source="post: 2897611" data-attributes="member: 3346">Varachan walks into Master Hedrack's chambers and sits down in the chair facing Hedrack.  Hedrack is hard at work reading papers and writing at his desk.Hedrack's large bedchamber and office is richly appointed, but dire in its decor.  A wide bed with black linens and a black canopy over it, the ebony wood carved into hideous faces, stands near the north wall.  Two female skeletons rest upon the bed (one a blonde, the other a redhead) in poses that suggest they are bored.  Other dark wood furnishings include an ornate trunk, a nightstand with a lamp, a bookshelf, a desk, and a folding screen that cuts off the souteastern section of the room.  In the two corners farthest from the door stand a pair of gray stone statues, 6 feet tall, of creatures made of writhing snakes, tendrils, or tentacles.  Next to one is a black marble bathing rub, with a dark wooden towel rack next to it.  The walls are covered in tapestries depicting normal scenes of daily life in human situations--dinner in a castle, an auction in a village, a party and so on.  Anyone looking more closely at the tapestries finds that each of them is actually more disturbing than they appear.  In each, a shadow lurcks menacingly, a character has an out of place evil grin, or soemthing even more understated gives the tapestry a feeling of wrongness.Hedrack asks, "What is it?  I'm busy with preparations for the test.  In a few hours, the Champion will pass the final test."Varachan responds enigmatically, "You'll never believe what just happened.  I still don't believe it myself."Hedrack, annoyed, asks, "Well, out with it already, I don't have all day."Varachan continues, "Ok.  I was watching Miracla and Dirass, our supposed allies from the drow city.  They were negotiating with a human warrior at the main gate.  Appearently the human warrior served a surface wizard who had heard of Dirass and wanted to trade for one of the drow wizard's spells."Hedrack replies, "Wizards and their spellbooks.  Pah!"Varachan continues, "Just listen, it gets better.  The human warrior's name was Lord Robilar and the wizard he served was Lord Rary of the Bright Empire."Hedrack jumps up from his table and draws his rod of tentacles as if under attack, "What!?!?  Lord Robilar was here?  In Mount Stalagos?"Varachan continues, "Robilar has already left Mount Stalagos.  But let me tell you what happened.  Lord Robilar named a price for a scroll of the spell he desired.  Dirass told Robilar that the price was ten times what Robilar offered.  Robilar told him that the price was a final offer.  Dirass laughed at Robilar in that condescending way that dark elves laugh at humans.  Robilar drew his sword and cut off Dirass's head in one smooth motion, the drow's head hit the floor before he finished laughing.  Robilar appearently didn't care for being insulted.  Miracla, Dirass's wife, gave Robilar the scroll and fled.  Robilar then left Mount Stalagos."Hedrack spats out, "Good riddance.  I never wanted a wizard here anyways.  Anything we need, we can do with the powers granted by the Dark Lord.  Robilar is powerful.  Had I known that Dirass told Robilar of our location, I would have killed Dirass myself.  Robilar is a looter of dungeons and other places where wealth has accumulated.  He destroyed our operations in the Temple of Elemental Evil ten years ago."Varachan adds, "I never saw anything like it.  Dirass must have had ten or twenty defensive enchantments upon himself for the negotiation.  His own spells as well as spells cast by Miracla.  The enchantments didn't matter.  Robilar's black sword cut through all the enchantments, dispelling them, and sliced through Dirass's neck, all in one smooth motion."The door to Hedrack's office bursts open as Miracla enters, tears streaking down her face.She shouts in fury, "He must die!  We are under attack!  A human slew Dirass and stole his greatest magic!  We must send the Spider Eater Riders, Chymon the Dragon, and even the Black Prince.  They must slay the human and repay this insult!"Hedrack laughs at her.  "No.  Robilar freed the Old One from the dungeons of Castle Greyhawk, his powers and skills are beyond you or I.  If I saw Robilar coming, I would flee in the other direction, just as I did ten years ago when I ruled the Temple of Elemental Evil.  Only the Black Prince could defeat Robilar, but it is not his fight.  You will do nothing, you will forget your anger, and swallow your pride.  If I ever hear you mention Robilar again, you will find yourself on the altar, Miracla."</blockquote>

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