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Message: <blockquote data-quote="gfunk" data-source="post: 1070304" data-attributes="member: 1813">Session 49 The Final Battle [Part 2] Entropy versus Joachim With a dire sense of urgency, he ran throughout the Bastion trying in vain to ascertain a method of entry into the central node.  The party had entrusted him with Dragonhammer, an artifact forged specifically to destroy evil dragons, yet he was somehow prevented from joining the fray.  Could it be that Aamuel himself sought to keep Nurn away from Nalavara?  Or perhaps did Entropy place a Dimensional Anchor on him without his knowledge?  In either case, the slaad knew that his time was running out.In frustration, he ran again into the node – but maddeningly appeared on the other side once more.----------------------------------------------Nalavara paused to study her adversaries.  Indeed, Dydd’s descendant was as powerful as the original druid who slew her heart.  Concentrating briefly, the wyrm Hasted herself and conjured forth another spell.  As before, three meteors appeared out of thin air and slammed into the three remaining companions.  The dragon smiled in satisfaction as Dydd’s descendant and her greatsword wielding ally both buckled from the onslaught.  Yes, though they had prepared defenses against fire they were already being overwhelmed by her impressive spell repertoire.Trying to heal her wounds as quickly as possible, Entropy assumed the form of a Solar and her injuries began to close.  As before she touched the dragon and discharged an Irresistable Dance and Nalavara was duly ensorcelled.  This time, however, the Alienist made sure  that she put the meddlesome kobold in the path of her twice empowered Cone of Cold.  Though it failed to penetrate the wyrm’s considerable spell resistance, Pembroka, the kobold bard, fell.Magically hastened, Joachim conjured a Blade Barrier at the level of his foe’s head as it tore into her scales with astonishing ferocity.  Taking a cue from her compatriot, Noir discharged the empowered Blade Barrier in her ring at Nalavara’s feet.  Unfortunately, it did not have the desired effect as the whirling swords merely bounced off the dragon’s hide.Over the course of the next several seconds, all three tried in vain to kill the red dragon through sheer damage.  Aware that their foe could not dodge properly, both Joachim and Entropy continued to administer a beating via empowered Blade Barriers and Cones of Cold.  In the meantime, the blackguard had unsheathed her longsword with which she was a true master and aggravated Nalavara’s rapidly multiplying wounds.The damage was enough to slay the Cathezar three times over . . .After Nalavara stopped dancing, she realized that she could no longer treat these insects with the contempt she had laid upon her demonic adversaries.  Deftly swinging her claw in Noir’s direction, the dragon grappled the warrior with her fantastic strength.  Just as quickly, her colossal maw came snapping down on Joachim’s tiny body, lifting him high up in the air.Entropy looked on in despair, she had subjected Nalavara to the mightiest spell combinations she knew, yet it was not enough.  Though she had some spells left in reserve, the Alienist was loathe to use them lest she be unable to finish off Joachim as well.  Praying to Kiarnasalee that their foe was nearly defeated, she fired off five pinpoints of light which slammed into the dragon.“A MAGIC MISSILE!  HAVE YOU LOST ALL STOMACH FOR THIS BATTLE, DYDD’S DESCDENANT?  NO MATTER, WATCH AS YOUR FRIENDS DIE!”Surrounded by multiple Blade Barriers, the dragon smiled wickedly as she dragged her helpless victims towards one of them.  She stuck her claw holding Noir into the spinning morass of death.  The blackguard screamed in agony – there was no escape as the swords slowly sliced her to death.“Stop!!  I yield, mighty Nalavara!  Show me mercy and I will pledge my allegiance to you!”The mighty creature studied Noir’s face, contorted in pain.  She could smell her fear her . . . duplicity.  There could be no doubt that this mote of a creature was simply trying to save her own skin.“LIAR!!  YOUR ALLEIGANCE BELONGS TO ANOTHER!  DIE!”Though the Inquisitor didn’t particularly care that Noir was being shredded by his own Blade Barrier, he found that he was in an impossible situation.  His hands were absolutely pinned and the dragon’s grip was so tight that he could barely heave his chest to breathe.  Composing himself, he launched a powerful death spell at Nalavara, one that required neither somatic nor material components.  The feared Power Word Kill spell could snuff out the life force of the most powerful of opponents.It utterly failed to affect the wyrm.----------------------------------------------It was time to take a different strategy, Entropy decided.  Wishing to conserve her spells, she shapechanged into a Storm Giant and moved to pick up Noir’s greatsword which had been discarded on the ground.  Charging the dragon, Entropy hit it as hard as she could.  Though her strength was unquestionably tremendous, the damage of the blow was minimal.Just as Noir was about to expire, Nalavara dropped her body into the whirlwind of blades.  Her body parts flew around the room in a shower of gore and viscera.  Turning on the “storm giant” harassing her, Nalavara leaped high into the air and landed directly on top of it.  Moving back too late to avoid the dragon’s bulk, Entropy was smothered underneath her immensity.  Try as she might, she could not squeeze out.Joachim, with supreme force of will, tried his best to extricate himself from Nalavara’s maw but he found it was no use.  He screamed in pain as her teeth slowly ground him to death.Suddenly, Nalavara no longer felt the pressure of the giant underneath her body as a spectre floated out of the floor and to the other side of the chamber.  “COWARD!  HOW LONG CAN YOU EVADE THE INEVITABLE?  WATCH THEN, AS YOUR FRIEND DIES A SLOW, PAINFUL DEATH!”As her teeth came down on Joachim, he knew it was the end.  The pain was unbearable!  In seconds he was certain his body would be snapped in two!  In desperation, his arm flexed as he reached to his belt and removed a small replica of a tower.  Speaking the command word, the Daern's Instant Fortress expanded to its full size.In the distance, Entropy blinked in bewilderment.  All of a sudden, her “ally” came tumbling out of the wyrm’s mouth as a large stone tower filled its maw in the blink of an eye!  She hid a secret smile, indeed the priest of Tyr was a wily one.In rage and frustration, Nalavara continued to clamp down her teeth as the entire tower began to fracture and crumble to pieces.  Large pieces of masonry fell to the ground and Joachim had to move quickly to avoid being crushed to death.Sensing their last chance, both allies were quickly upon the dragon.  In contrast to their original strategy, Joachim and Entropy used brute force combined with highly magicked melee weapons.  Glad to oblige them, Nalavara responded in kind.After a few tense seconds of combat, Entropy was able to strike a telling blow in her Storm Giant form.  Hitting Nalavara’s back with her gargantuan greatsword, she actually caused to wyrm to tip forward.  There, Joachim was waiting for her with his holy longsword.  Against evil adversaries, the sword was capable of inflicting horrific damage – the Inquisitor plunged it directly into the dragon’s heart.“FOOLS!  YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE RELEASED THIS DAY!  YOU WILL . . .”Slowly, the golden sheen of Nalavara’s eyes were replaced with milky white pupils as she crumpled to the ground with a loud rumble.Finally . . .Nalavarauthatoryl the Red, destroyer of Corymr, ravager of the Dales, and scourge of Unborn Souls was destroyed.----------------------------------------------They stared at the corpse dumbfounded.  Did they dare think that they alone had accomplished what the mightiest beings in Faerun could not?However, their sense of joy was short-lived as they heard a sickening ripping sound!  A pair of clawed hands appeared where Nalavara’s heart should be as it tore open skin and flesh.Out stepped a 12-foot tall demonic winged creature with a blood red body.  It’s entire form seemed to pulse with a regular rhythm.The heart itself was alive!  It was a living demonic entity!With a whump the demon’s wings unfurled as it’s entire body exploded into flames, “Free!  Ammet returns!  My weapons of old – to me!”For a brief moment the entire room was plunged into absolute darkness.  Then the light returned and in Ammet’s clawed hands were a rune-inscribed greatsword and three-headed whip.The demon slowly turned to face his liberators.  Though Ammet could sense two creatures in the room, he could only see one.  He turned to Joachim and spoke, “You have done Ammet a great service.  But you, and you alone, know that Ammet is back.  Ammet prefers his renewal to remain a seceret.  So, your lives, and your souls, are forfeit!”As Ammet stepped forward to execute his ultimatum, he heard a voice in his head:Agents of Aamuel and Hethradiah seek your demise.  The priest before you is an unwitting pawn but the death slaad waiting for you outside is not.  Your only means of escape is to ally with me.----------------------------------------------For some strange reason, Ammet paused and began looking around.Joachim needed no further invitation to attack and the Inquistor charged forward with his holy sword.  Barely brining up his greatsword in time to block, Ammet was nonetheless slashed by the sheer downward force of the blow.Flying backwards and upwards, the demon released a Greater Dispelling covering a large area of the chamber.  He had hoped to reveal his unseen “benefactor” but had no such luck.  Entropy cursed as she returned to her normal form after her Shapechange spell was dispelled.  She was not quite ready to give up on Ammet yet and sent him another telepathic message:You have attacked me, yet my offer holds.  Ally with me and your survival is assured.  I care nothing for Demogorgon, killing Nalavara was my sole business!The Alienist heard the reply almost immediately, What of your ally?  His life is forfeit!Entropy smiled and began casting.  A giant disembodied fist appeared next to the demon as it tried to pummel him.  Though it would have normally hit unerringly, Entropy missed on purpose.  She decided to keep up temporary appearances so as to not arouse Joachim’s suspicion.  She replied, If you can’t kill him yourself then I will intervene!Joachim ran to his magic carpet, precisely on the ground where Nalavara had seized him.  Mounting it, he commanded it to move forward so that he could engage Ammet.The demonic heart was waiting for him as it unleashed the full fury of its greatsword and whip on this impudent mortal.  To Ammet’s absolute shock the priest dodged masterfully and his shield deflected what should have been a decapitating strike.  Behind him both heard Entropy casting a spell.  Shapechange!  Both opponents could hear massive footsteps as a very large form neared.Ammet heard the words he had been longing to hear, Drop all pretenses!  I will aid you.“I’m sorry Joachim but this is not business.  It’s purely personal.”With mounting dread, the Inquisitor felt his body being crushed once again in the maw of a dragon!  Entropy had changed form into Nalavara and had betrayed him!Ammett laughed at the priest's struggles.He moved in for the kill.----------------------------------------------After running through each room in the Bastion at least a half-dozen times, he finally felt a feeling of attunement.At last!  Without hesitation, the death slaad made a beeline for the central node.</blockquote>

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