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[FR] Heroes of the Vilhon Reach II (updated 3/6!)
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<blockquote data-quote="Broccli_Head" data-source="post: 506107" data-attributes="member: 105"><p><strong>here comes 'sick and twisted'</strong></p><p></p><p><strong><em>The Rescue of Dorthan Lhal, part II</em></strong> </p><p></p><p><em>the day after Ellysidell fell and the same day Benito and the Heroes destroyed the Temple of Lovitar beneath Twillight Hollow</em></p><p></p><p>Manta del Ray drew first blood as his greatsword split Dorthan Lhal's (aka The Scourge) breastplate. The raging gladiator behind the mask only screamed louder and hacked into Manta three solid times. The last slice, to Manta's leg, spun the water genasi around with its shear power and he fell prone. </p><p></p><p>Valeria the Red winced for both Manta and her father, then movement caught behind her caught her attention. Turning, she saw "Jenner" rush at her. Before she could react, the doppleganger had run his shoulder into mid-section and she toppled over (amidst gasps from the nearby ladies) into the sand of the arena. </p><p></p><p>"Traitorrrr...," she cried, spitting sand out of her mouth and looking for the fleeing betrayer. </p><p></p><p>Jhovan from his position, saw the shapechanger act, but before he could follow him into the throng of people who had clustered on the rail to see the "accident", he noticed a tattooed monk of the Quivering Thumb slowly draw a wand close by. </p><p></p><p>Silently, the ex-assassain sprung and stabbed deeply into the wand-wielder, with no one else the wiser.</p><p></p><p>"Not today, Jack," he whispered into his prey's ear, clamping a hand over his victim's mouth as he eased the corpse to the ground. </p><p></p><p>The task complete, Jhovan the Grey looked up to see that Kith was getting away and Zert trapped by the curious spectators. He sighed and went to collect the half-orc, trying to keep one eye on the traitor. </p><p></p><p>In the pit, Manta had not faired well. Even after rolling away from the crazed ex-paladin, more of his blood flowed onto the sand as the Scourge had chased him down and chopped into him again. Over the noise of the crowd, he heard a song dedicated to him, and somehow rose to close with the Scourge again only to be sliced and dropped...again. </p><p></p><p>Valeria stood up and looked across the arena to the combatants. She reached between her shoulders grabbed the hilt of her hidden longsword and pulled up, tearing her expensive gown. Some "oohhs" issued from the nearby crowd and at first some ladies and young men averted their eyes, but the gasps soon turned into cheers as, red-hair flowing behind her, Valeria began sprinting across the floor of the arena in shining, full plate armor.</p><p></p><p>"Father, I'm coming!!!" she yelled. </p><p></p><p>**</p><p></p><p>Down below, Kyros and Jenner shook off the effects of the first <em>mind blast</em>, but Nosr floated in a daze. The genasi tumbled past the athachs and the guards, striking the mind flayer as he stood up. It's tentacles writhed, but what emotion this displayed Jenner could not fathom. He hoped it signified pain. </p><p></p><p>Kyros began the combat by throwing the guards into each other and the ceiling breaking skulls and necks. Then, sped up as he was, attacked the first armored, three-armed giant. Fortunately, Kyros had had the forethought to cover himself with <em>displacement</em> and the not all the initial steel-shod giant club strikes hit. When they did, however, Kyros felt bones fracture.</p><p></p><p>An athach swung at Jenner and knocked him away from his illithid master back towards the hole. The genasi grimaced, but before he could go back after the main adversary, another mind blast hit the stalwart heroes. </p><p></p><p>Kyros, trained and prepared to deal with psionic attacks chose the best mental defense and withstood the assault. Jenner fell to the ground, aware of what was going on, but stunned and unable to make his muscles obey. The psionic warrior did not flinch and threw two dead guards into the squid-head. He thought he heard a squeal and the battered and bloodied creature shimmered away. </p><p></p><p><em>Now to deal with the atchachs!</em> Kyros exclaimed to himself dodging and weaving and cutting at the tree-trunk legs of the beasts and keeping them too busy to finish Aris or Nosr. </p><p></p><p>A slavering foul-breathed mouth almost closed on his head. </p><p></p><p><em>Aaaarggh! And poison too!</em></p><p></p><p>But the voice came again, <em>You think I am foolish. I did not reveal all</em></p><p></p><p>Kyros spun to look above and behind him. Another mind flayer shifted from the shadows near the back of the room, across the pit they had dug. It <em>mind blasted</em> the lone psychic warrior.</p><p></p><p>**</p><p></p><p>In the stands, Seance observed the situation. With all the concerted movement of guards and monks in the stands, he guessed that the Quivering Thumb had been expecting them. Alberia ran across the sand towards where the Scourge was about to kill Manta. She dodged and weaved as beams of light from the stands were fired at her by various robed and tatooed monks. They were probably sorcerers also. A few times she barely avoided being held in a globe of force that would materialize at the end of a gray beam. She was also hit by some of the green beams, but kept going unaffected by whatever they did. </p><p></p><p><em>Impressive...</em> thought Seance. </p><p></p><p>He had already lost Jhovan and Zert and Kith amidst the crowd. Somewhere in front of him, the bard sang while invisible to encourage a bloody and nearly defeated Manta. </p><p></p><p><em>Just stay down, you fool!</em> thought the mage as he shook his head. </p><p></p><p>But Manta had risen again. The Scourge kicked the water genasi in the chest sending him sprawling to the ground again and stepped on his weapon to prevent Manta from picking it up. The lesser gladiator was down and dying. Then Dorthan Lhal raised his bastard sword to deal the killing blow. The crowd was going wild. </p><p></p><p>That's when Alberia crashed into the Scourge and gave him a bear hug. </p><p></p><p>"I love you, Daddy...Dad I love you dont do this. "</p><p></p><p>The crowd paused as the words echoed across the stadium. </p><p></p><p>Varen's song stopped, "I've never seen this before!" he exclaimed and shortly after Seance saw footprints appear on the sand running towards the opening to the chambers below. </p><p></p><p>Now it was <em>his</em> time. He wove a spell and in seconds he was standing inbetween the "touching" reunion between Alberia and her father and a dying Manta. </p><p></p><p>While Alberia held on, Dorthan tore at his collar until his fingers bled. Somehow, the crazy woman's words had gotten through. As Seance saw guards begin to spill into the arena, he put a his booted foot on Manta.</p><p></p><p><em>You'll owe me laterl</em> he thought. </p><p></p><p>"Okay, Red. Grab my shoulder. Where are we going again?"</p><p></p><p>Despite flowing tears Alberia realized the situation. "Temple of the Blinding Truth," she replied and put her hand on Seance's shoulder. </p><p></p><p>With a flourish Seance <em>teleported</em> the group from the Colisseum of the Quivering Thumb...</p><p></p><p>...and in an instant they were outside the temple of Tyr. </p><p></p><p>"Nooooooooooo!!!" screamed Alberia falling to her knees. </p><p></p><p>As the after-daze wore off, Seance realized what Alberia just had. The paladin clutched empty air. Somehow, Dorthan Lhal had been left behind!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Broccli_Head, post: 506107, member: 105"] [b]here comes 'sick and twisted'[/b] [b][i]The Rescue of Dorthan Lhal, part II[/i][/b] [i]the day after Ellysidell fell and the same day Benito and the Heroes destroyed the Temple of Lovitar beneath Twillight Hollow[/i] Manta del Ray drew first blood as his greatsword split Dorthan Lhal's (aka The Scourge) breastplate. The raging gladiator behind the mask only screamed louder and hacked into Manta three solid times. The last slice, to Manta's leg, spun the water genasi around with its shear power and he fell prone. Valeria the Red winced for both Manta and her father, then movement caught behind her caught her attention. Turning, she saw "Jenner" rush at her. Before she could react, the doppleganger had run his shoulder into mid-section and she toppled over (amidst gasps from the nearby ladies) into the sand of the arena. "Traitorrrr...," she cried, spitting sand out of her mouth and looking for the fleeing betrayer. Jhovan from his position, saw the shapechanger act, but before he could follow him into the throng of people who had clustered on the rail to see the "accident", he noticed a tattooed monk of the Quivering Thumb slowly draw a wand close by. Silently, the ex-assassain sprung and stabbed deeply into the wand-wielder, with no one else the wiser. "Not today, Jack," he whispered into his prey's ear, clamping a hand over his victim's mouth as he eased the corpse to the ground. The task complete, Jhovan the Grey looked up to see that Kith was getting away and Zert trapped by the curious spectators. He sighed and went to collect the half-orc, trying to keep one eye on the traitor. In the pit, Manta had not faired well. Even after rolling away from the crazed ex-paladin, more of his blood flowed onto the sand as the Scourge had chased him down and chopped into him again. Over the noise of the crowd, he heard a song dedicated to him, and somehow rose to close with the Scourge again only to be sliced and dropped...again. Valeria stood up and looked across the arena to the combatants. She reached between her shoulders grabbed the hilt of her hidden longsword and pulled up, tearing her expensive gown. Some "oohhs" issued from the nearby crowd and at first some ladies and young men averted their eyes, but the gasps soon turned into cheers as, red-hair flowing behind her, Valeria began sprinting across the floor of the arena in shining, full plate armor. "Father, I'm coming!!!" she yelled. ** Down below, Kyros and Jenner shook off the effects of the first [i]mind blast[/i], but Nosr floated in a daze. The genasi tumbled past the athachs and the guards, striking the mind flayer as he stood up. It's tentacles writhed, but what emotion this displayed Jenner could not fathom. He hoped it signified pain. Kyros began the combat by throwing the guards into each other and the ceiling breaking skulls and necks. Then, sped up as he was, attacked the first armored, three-armed giant. Fortunately, Kyros had had the forethought to cover himself with [i]displacement[/i] and the not all the initial steel-shod giant club strikes hit. When they did, however, Kyros felt bones fracture. An athach swung at Jenner and knocked him away from his illithid master back towards the hole. The genasi grimaced, but before he could go back after the main adversary, another mind blast hit the stalwart heroes. Kyros, trained and prepared to deal with psionic attacks chose the best mental defense and withstood the assault. Jenner fell to the ground, aware of what was going on, but stunned and unable to make his muscles obey. The psionic warrior did not flinch and threw two dead guards into the squid-head. He thought he heard a squeal and the battered and bloodied creature shimmered away. [i]Now to deal with the atchachs![/i] Kyros exclaimed to himself dodging and weaving and cutting at the tree-trunk legs of the beasts and keeping them too busy to finish Aris or Nosr. A slavering foul-breathed mouth almost closed on his head. [i]Aaaarggh! And poison too![/i] But the voice came again, [i]You think I am foolish. I did not reveal all[/i] Kyros spun to look above and behind him. Another mind flayer shifted from the shadows near the back of the room, across the pit they had dug. It [i]mind blasted[/i] the lone psychic warrior. ** In the stands, Seance observed the situation. With all the concerted movement of guards and monks in the stands, he guessed that the Quivering Thumb had been expecting them. Alberia ran across the sand towards where the Scourge was about to kill Manta. She dodged and weaved as beams of light from the stands were fired at her by various robed and tatooed monks. They were probably sorcerers also. A few times she barely avoided being held in a globe of force that would materialize at the end of a gray beam. She was also hit by some of the green beams, but kept going unaffected by whatever they did. [i]Impressive...[/i] thought Seance. He had already lost Jhovan and Zert and Kith amidst the crowd. Somewhere in front of him, the bard sang while invisible to encourage a bloody and nearly defeated Manta. [i]Just stay down, you fool![/i] thought the mage as he shook his head. But Manta had risen again. The Scourge kicked the water genasi in the chest sending him sprawling to the ground again and stepped on his weapon to prevent Manta from picking it up. The lesser gladiator was down and dying. Then Dorthan Lhal raised his bastard sword to deal the killing blow. The crowd was going wild. That's when Alberia crashed into the Scourge and gave him a bear hug. "I love you, Daddy...Dad I love you dont do this. " The crowd paused as the words echoed across the stadium. Varen's song stopped, "I've never seen this before!" he exclaimed and shortly after Seance saw footprints appear on the sand running towards the opening to the chambers below. Now it was [i]his[/i] time. He wove a spell and in seconds he was standing inbetween the "touching" reunion between Alberia and her father and a dying Manta. While Alberia held on, Dorthan tore at his collar until his fingers bled. Somehow, the crazy woman's words had gotten through. As Seance saw guards begin to spill into the arena, he put a his booted foot on Manta. [i]You'll owe me laterl[/i] he thought. "Okay, Red. Grab my shoulder. Where are we going again?" Despite flowing tears Alberia realized the situation. "Temple of the Blinding Truth," she replied and put her hand on Seance's shoulder. With a flourish Seance [i]teleported[/i] the group from the Colisseum of the Quivering Thumb... ...and in an instant they were outside the temple of Tyr. "Nooooooooooo!!!" screamed Alberia falling to her knees. As the after-daze wore off, Seance realized what Alberia just had. The paladin clutched empty air. Somehow, Dorthan Lhal had been left behind! [/QUOTE]
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