Immort's Storyhour, life as an adventurer.

[Immort]

What had begun as a simple quest to track down and deliver a message to a the famous paladin Cinder, had led them here . . . Conlin whipped his bow up, drew a careful bead, and loosed a pair of arrows in quick succession at the arrow slit above them. The first glanced off the side of the slit but the second went home silencing the arrow traffic from within. To his left, Xar sent a pair of magical darts into two adjacent arrow slits silencing their occupants. Conlin dodged to his right to avoid a pair of arrows darting at him from the slits behind and saw Jaer rush the doors.

Wham! The massive barbarian thundered into the door but was unable to force it to give. As he pulled back for another go, Jordan’s lithe frame darted alongside him and together they hurtled into it. WHAM! CRACK! The bar holding the doors burst asunder and the party charged through to get out of the murderous hail of arrow fire.

“Here comes the goon squad . . .” muttered Jordan dryly, drawing his rapier.

Come they did, an odd assortment of humans, hobgoblins, ogres, zombies, a strange beast resembling a cross between an emaciated tiger and a huge porcupine, and a troglodyte who seemed to be controlling the zombies. Jaer’s massive legs propelled him forward into the center of the onrushing mass with an inarticulate cry of rage. Thick arms corded with muscle heaved the great axe “Snowstorm” deep into the midsection of his first target. Jordan, moving with the grace of a dancer, almost seemed to glide up alongside the wall to hold the left flank.

Conlin never ceased to be amazed with the way his allies seemed to meld thought and action into their fighting. For him it was more complicated, he needed time to assess the situation, take the whole picture in before he could formulate a plan of attack. It was a trait that had almost gotten him killed early in his life. In fact it was how he had met Jaer in the first place, trapped in melee combat with snarling orcs swirling around him. The frantic pace of the battle overwhelming his senses and leaving him nearly defenseless as the orcs cut him down. Only the surprise arrival of the hulking barbarian and his whirling great axe of death had saved him back those many years ago.

Now though, he had found his own way, standing back behind the towering wall of axe and muscle that was Jaer, he had time to pick his targets with care, analyze the battle and call strategy from the rear. Archery almost came without thought now, the smooth hissing sound of the arrow shaft sliding against the staff of the bow. The way his right arm was pulling back even as his left was coming up to draw a bead on the target. The brief tickle of the fletching against his cheek telling him that the time to send his missile was at hand. Then the perfect release, the motion of which automatically sent his hand backwards reaching for the next arrow to start the whole thing over. All he needed was just one second to find a target and the process took over for him. Just one second . . .

There, on the right! The line of the mob was bending in to surround Jaer. Vip, vip, vip. Three arrows, right into the chest. The human fell over, slowing for just a moment the advance of his fellows. A flicker of light above his head as four of Xar’s magic missiles darted into one of the oncoming ogres. Then Xar himself charging up on the right to hold the line off Jaer’s back.

“In the name of Al’Akbar I banish the evil within you back to whence it came! Begone foul unlife, Begone!” Abdul’s strong voice rang out with holy might.

Mini “bamfs” echoed through the wide hall as the zombies imploded into piles of dust.

Conlin shouted out, “Abdul, move to help Xar hold the right! He won’t last very long by himself!”

Then he turned his attention the the massive ogres moving up behind the first rank of defenders to flail at Jaer over their heads. Vip vip vip. “Ogre Killer” sang out its song, planting arrows into the ogre’s upper torso. Jaer over-handed a brutal swing that dropped a hobgoblin in front of him, then followed with a savage back swing that left the ogre’s entrails pouring out onto the floor. A quick glance to the left saw Jordan severely beset by the strange porcupine cat. Every time it bit him, it shook it’s head like a terrier with a rat, causing several quills to tear into the valiant young man. He looked to be in bad shape. Conlin had no choice, dropping his bow, he pulled forth his bastard sword and charged the beast trying to allow Jordan to pull back.

“Abdul, Jordan’s hurt pretty bad, see if you can help him!” Conlin could only pray his voice would carry over the din of battle to the cleric. “Foul creature! Test your dark mettle against a chosen of Mayaheine!” was his cry as he waded into the fray against the monstrosity.

The first swing was okay. He had enough time to plan it out. After that, the battle just seemed to overwhelm him. The monster ripped into him, claws, teeth, and quills seemed to be coming at him from every direction. The remaining ogre was pounding Jaer with unmatched savagery while Xar traded spells with the troglodyte. The enemy line pushed forward and was surrounding them. Jordan was somewhere behind, possibly dead. He couldn’t see Abdul or Xar anymore. Now Jaer had the last ogre down, but the streams of blood pouring from his body, merging into rivers, emptying out onto the floor into some great red sea at his feet did not bode well for his continued success in battle. Conlin lashed out desperately against the beast before him, cut, swing, chop, stab. Feeling the terrible claws rip through his leggings, the teeth fasten on his shoulder, the quills sink through his chain shirt here and there, some breaking off in his body.

Then Jordan was there again, clothing rent and bloodied in places but smooth unharmed flesh beneath. He slid forward in that all too effortless manner of his to flank the beast and slide his rapier between its protruding ribs piercing something vital and bringing it down. Conlin spun around and saw Abdul restoring the mighty barbarian and the tide of battle turning in their favor. It didn’t take long after that to bring the rest of the defenders down and take stock of the situation.

They had all made it through, Jaer the towering warrior, indomitable both in strength and spirit, with his mighty Snowstorm clutched protectively in his hands. Jordan, the amazingly talented locksmith who had somehow left his comfortable home in the city (surprisingly physical for someone whose main job was repairing and selling locks) to do battle alongside them with his incredibly keen rapier. Abdul, the noble cleric of Al’Akbar recently joined to them and already proving his worth time and again. Xar, his childhood friend whose life had brought him up first in a monk’s cloister, then alongside a woodland ranger, and finally into his true calling as a skilled sorcerer.

Finally there was Conlin. Paladin\Priest of Mayaheine. Full time archer, sometimes swordsman, and occasionally even a healer of sorts. It had all started as a simple errand to find a paladin and give him a message . . .

Might as well stick around to find out how it goes.

-Immort

 

[Immort]

This is my first shot at story hour on the boards. I'm going back quite a bit in time so I am writing this from memory. The characters were 6th or 7th level at this point in the story.

Jaer is a straight Barb, Jordan is a rogue with a couple fighter levels, Abdul is a straight cleric npc. Conlin and Xar are both my characters, Conlin with 3 levels of paladin and 4 of cleric, Xar with a level of monk, ranger, and 3 levels of sorcerer.

So, we'll just see how it plays out.

-Immort

 

[Immort]

Xar's view

The group proceeded down the corridor in their usual fashion. Jaer, leading as always, Jordan close behind, Conlin following them and Abdul behind him. Finally Xar crept along in the rear, throwing a cautious eye backwards from time to time.

[COLOR= GREEN]Worry not master, I look back[/COLOR]" Xar could sense his toad familiar, Puddleglup's, thoughts.

Why is it, he pondered, that all the corridors in dungeons are always ten feet wide? Sure, sometimes you get the great halls and the skinny little side passages that go nowhere, but usually just the ten foot wide halls. Never eight feet wide, or eleven, always ten. Must be some sort of universal law:
All corridors must be exactly ten feet wide and look as if they were drawn with a straight edge, turning only at right angles.

Xar half chuckled to himself as he turned his attention back to the situation at hand. Inattention during a dungeon crawl could easily get you killed. After the big fight at the front door there had been little solid resistance to their travel. Kick in this door, eliminate the half dozen bugbears, move on. Xar knew that meant that something big was waiting, it always worked out that way. He didn’t worry too much about it though. Planning was Conlin’s job, Xar just made it up as he went. He and Jaer were alike in that fashion. Speaking of which, he was turning a corner now. Xar immediately tensed up, ready for anything to happen.

That was the problem with being at the rear, the first blows were being struck before you even knew you were in a fight. That is of course excluding the cases when the enemy snuck up behind you quiet like, and it was you who started taking the pounding, while the heavy hitters tried to negotiate around each other to come to your rescue.

Well, no screams, roars, or metal clanging, must just be another pointless jog in the hallway. Well, whatever would come, Jaer and Jordan would be all over it before it knew what hit it anyhow. Incredibly capable individuals those two. They reacted to things with almost supernatural speed, always seeming to take the initiative in any situation. It didn’t seem too out of place for Jordan, he was built like a cat. Lean, muscular, and always reacting to everything with whip-like speed. Actually, he, Conlin, and Xar himself were all cut from the same mold. Not a one of them topping six feet in height, all of them nimble and quick, strong but definitely tending more towards agility than power.

Jordan was the perfect rogue, clad all in black leather, dark haired and dark eyed, the rapier in his hand always poised for . . . whatever. Xar and Conlin seemed almost different sides of the same coin, roughly the same build, both with eyes of the exact same shade of green. Conlin was a little taller and fair haired, and Xar just barely taller that Jordan with dark hair.

Then there was Jaer. Six feet, seven inches, three hundred twenty five pounds of blonde haired, blue eyed, hulking snow barbarian. He seemed completely out of place here, looking more as if he should be climbing a glacier, or running down a caribou out in the tundra. He seemed fearless, almost invincible. Xar knew all too well the bitter truth of that though.

Unbidden the image came into his mind of Jaer, frozen in place by hostile magic, and brutally murdered before their very eyes. They had all tried to get there but too late. They had avenged his death with swift savagery and carefully brought his corpse back to the temple where his body was repaired and his soul called back into it to rejoin their ranks, but it was an image that would haunt them all forever.

Abdul hadn’t been with them then. The dark haired,. olive skinned, foreigner had only joined with them a couple of weeks earlier though he had already proved his mettle many times. They’d met him shortly after Beorn had left their group, on their way to clean out the old Temple of Elemental Evil. He’d been trying to avenge the deaths of some of his friends at the hands of hobgoblins there, and they’d been more than happy to help him in that regard. In the end, he had proved to work so well with the group as well as having similar goals that they offered him a full time place within their ranks. He had complimented the group dynamic very well and created none of the friction they had shared with Beorn.

A sharp hiss from Jordan broke him out of his reverie.

“I hear something up ahead.” the alert rogue sent back in low tones.

Xar could hear it too now, low chanting coming from farther up ahead. Cautiously they crept forward as the hallway opened into a large room. Inside, a squat three tiered ziggurat sat in the center dominating the area. Several men in robes were chanting until one of them spotted the adventurers, and with a cry the battle had begun. One of them called something and a hideous monstrosity arose from the earth. Made of a pebbly stone like material, it had a large powerful mouth on top of its body and three clawed arms radiating outward from around its torso. Squat legs and strange eyelike appendages completed the picture. Xar recognized it immediately as a xorn, a scavenger from the elemental plane of earth.

Jaer bulled forward already being outraced by Conlin’s first volley of arrows. Jordan only a step behind, his rapier gleaming with reflected torchlight, looking very much like a needle of light about to be plunged into a heart of darkness. Xar himself entered the room, picking a likely target and lobbing magic missiles at him.

It was then that he felt it, something terribly wrong. He couldn’t place it but something in this room was making the hair on the back of his neck stand up, and his body break out into a cold sweat. Suddenly, with a cry of raw terror Jaer, who had been trading blows with the xorn, fled from the room, eyes wide with fright, hands white knuckled, clutching his axe like a talisman. Jordan wasn’t far behind, racing out with a similar look of terror.

I’m going to die.

Xar could feel it, the same terror that had sent his friends away was tearing at him from every angle.

Without Jaer and Jordan we are doomed. There is no hope. I have to get away!

Xar’s own knowledge of magic told him instantly they were under a spell, something in the room or perhaps the ziggurat itself was sending this terrible fear at them. He glanced over at his remaining friends. Abdul was white faced but holding steady, unleashing bolts from his crossbow at the robed figures. Conlin didn’t even appear to be fazed by the fear magic, and stood calmly dropping one after another of the robed priests.

Xar’s understanding and manipulation of magical energies provided him a greater level of protection against magical effects than his more physical allies. He bent his will toward that goal now, holding back the magic, knowing that he couldn’t leave his friends to their fate here. Suddenly Abdul broke and ran from the room, looking much the same as Jaer and Jordan before him.

Damn, Abdul shares the same magical defenses I do, if this was too much for him . . .

Just then, Jaer bust back into the room and fell upon the xorn as it angled for Conlin. There were only two robed figures left standing, Xar loosed another burst of magic missiles at one of them, closely followed by arrows from Conlin that toppled him. The final priest who hadn’t been having much success with his magic against Conlin waved his hands and chanted piercingly. Suddenly a huge crocodile appeared and began to trundle toward Jaer.

This proved to be too much for the mighty barbarian as the fear once again took hold and sent him screaming from the room. It was down to Conlin and Xar.

Death. Death! DEATH! We’re going to DIE! I can’t stay, I must leave. Must leave NOW!

Xar’s defenses finally crumbled and he too fled the room gibbering with insane fear. The passageway he had been so idly musing over flew by in his mad dash to safety. He couldn’t think, could barely breathe, he just had to get AWAY! He didn’t know how far or long he had run but suddenly it was like a cold bucket of water in his face. CONLIN! He was alone, fighting against all the remaining forces. He’d be killed for sure.

Breathing heavily from his run, Xar sucked down more air and pumped his legs back the way he had come. Sweat was pouring from his face, air was coming in short, tight gasps. Only his superb physical conditioning allowed him to maintain the pace. That and his fear for his closest friend’s life.

He burst back into the room summoning up his magical missiles even as he charged in. His volley of magic finally put an end to the final priest, but the xorn and croc were tearing into Conlin with bestial fury. Blood streamed down from multiple wounds on the paladin’s body and he had that look in his eye that Xar knew all too well.

Conlin was murderously efficient with the bow, a brilliant military tactician when he had time to plan and react, but he just couldn’t cope with the variables thrown at him during melee. He was a skilled and capable fighter but his mind couldn’t keep up with his body. Xar thought furiously for a moment until he came to the simplest conclusion.

“Conlin, fall back to the door, I have a plan!”

Normally, Conlin would be as willing to back away from a fight as Jaer would, which is to say not at all. In this case though, no one else was in immediate danger so nothing was triggering his “protect others at all cost” instinct. Further, he trusted Xar implicitly and would act on that alone if need be.

“Hey! Ugly! Chew on this!” Xar taunted as he unleashed a burst of magic missiles (his favorite spell if ya hadn’t guessed) into the xorn.

It lashed out at Conlin as he pulled back, and the croc lunged toward him snapping its great jaws. Xar continued to harry the xorn with missile strikes as Conlin moved to the room’s entrance. It whirled on Xar then and charged him, the crocodile in its wake. Out of the corner of his eye, Xar noticed the party gathering together again at the entrance to the room, just outside of the fear effect. Xar tossed the last of his magic missile spells at the xorn and beat feet for the door as well.

It was hot on his tail as he darted behind the comforting and protective bulk of Jaer. Needless to say, the fight was as good as over.


Stay tuned for the next exciting installment!

-Immort

 

[Gumby]

What excitement! What drama! I'll certainly be reading this thread with great anticipation for every update!

And not just because I'm the DM for this campaign!

 

[happydog]

It's a very exciting life we adventurers live, this is part of the reason I left my clan in the mountains. I praise my clan's affiliation to the dwarves with whom we are raised, it allowed me to develop the strength and speed which Xar rightly calls exceptional (though next to Jordan I appear as a lumbering Umber Hulk). Unfortunately I was not gifted with the dwarves' natural strength of will, and it has cost me dearly several times.

A natural team like ours, drawn together by the fates, should have a name, something to help the world recognize our combined abilities, and to throw terror into the hearts of our enemies...

Jaer

 

[Immort]

They headed back outside to regroup, heal their wounds, and renew their spells. Images of the battle at the earth temple played over and over in Conlin’s mind. He was torn, on one hand, he felt the power of Mayaheine deep within his heart. She had protected him through the entire battle, keeping him strong against the enchantments that had sent his companions fleeing. Protecting him from the powers the cleric saw fit to hurl against him, from the slashing claws of the xorn, and the snapping teeth of the crocodile. There was no greater sense of fulfillment he could have asked for than to be a true servant of a goddess who had proved to be so true to him.

It was his own inadequacies that plagued him. He did well enough with the bow, but when the press of melee was upon him, he was inevitably overwhelmed. If Xar hadn’t shown up when he did, Conlin would have fallen in that temple. It wasn’t that he minded dying in the defense of others, his comrades especially. Them in particular he felt deeply responsible for. They were all here in one way or another in connection with him. After saving his life those years ago, Jaer had continued to stop by and visit him building and cementing a strong friendship. Jordan too had somehow always managed to stop by and say hi despite the distance from the city that was his true environment. Xar . . . well, Xar was like his brother. From the moment they had found him, imprisoned by orcs in the abandoned dwarves mines, he and Conlin had been inseparable. They had all banded together to aid Conlin in a mission from his church to find a missing paladin from the church, selflessly agreeing to aid him in his quest. Abdul they had met later, but they never would have met him at all if not for that first mission. Now he was responsible for all of them, not only from a sense of overwhelming personal duty, but also from the teachings of Mayaheine. She taught them that the protection of others was their ultimate goal, and demonstrated her values in the protections she provided her servants, and by sending those servants out to protect others.

So no, there wasn’t a moment of the day that Conlin would hesitate to lay down his life for any of his comrades. Jaer’s death never failed to remind him of the critical importance of his mission. He had died because Conlin was unable to protect him and that failure never stopped gnawing away at him, constantly plaguing him with doubts, and secret worries that he wasn’t up to the job Mayaheine had set before him. In her infinite wisdom she had provided him with companions who, even though proclaiming to follow other gods, still practiced the tenants of Mayaheine every day of their lives.

Jordan never failed to be the first one into any unknown danger, always scouting fearlessly for traps and hidden dangers with his almost supernatural senses. Jaer, whose worth had been proven countless times before, rushing always into the heart of the battle to hold back the tide of the enemy from his allies. Abdul who would wade into the thickest melee to apply healing where it was desperately needed. And of course Xar.

They had been traveling down the road in search of their next adventure when a huge hill giant had ambushed them. He had rushed the middle of their line, hurling boulders with deadly accuracy as he came. So fast was his advance, and so unstoppable his bulk, that the was on top of Conlin before they could stop him, swing the tree he used as a club down and down again into his body. The first blow crushing his ribs, the second snapping his leg. He had ignored Jaer despite the mighty blows the great barbarian swung at him, and as Beorn (this was before Abdul had joined them) had started to advance, the giant had simply hit him with a casual back swing. The blow had been for the most part absorbed by his armour, but it had left him shaken with fright and he seemed unwilling to close into the battle again, dropping his sword in favor of his hand axe, hoping to hurl it from a distance.

The giant had raised his huge club ready to strike a blow Conlin wouldn’t be able to avoid or survive. Conlin had staggered back a few feet trying desperately to line up a shot that would end the battle when Xar darted in and interposed himself between Conlin and the giant. WHAM! WHAM! The tree trunk pounded mercilessly at Xar. His incredible speed allowed him to avoid the brunt of the blow but even the glancing blows that caught him had left him dazed and all but dead. Conlin fired shot after shot, none of the arrows hitting any place critical on the monster, none of them doing anything but angering him. Beorn feebly tossed his magical axe towards the brute but missed entirely and just stood there watching. Jaer charged in but couldn’t land a solid hit. The giant raised his mighty club and prepared to smash Xar and Conlin in one blow when Jordan dashed in and sunk his rapier deep into the giant’s thigh.

With a roar of pain the giant turned his head exposing his jugular to Conlin. VIP! VIP! Two arrows shot forth from Ogre Killer and brought the titanic beast down. No, there was no doubt what was in Xar’s character. None at all.

His musings had occupied him through the trek from the temple and they set up camp for a couple days outside. Regaining spells, healing wounds, hunting for fresh dinner rather than living off another day of hardtack. The rest did them all a world of good and they set out freshly prepared, spells increasing strength and stamina and speed passed about members of the group where they would do the most good. They felt ready for anything yet somehow were surprised when they saw the door closed and barred against them once more.

“Dammit, I thought we busted the bar on this thing last time.” grumbled Jaer.

“Looks like they got another bar.” replied Jordan.

With that, it was on. Jaer and Jordan, like matched horses, charged the door ignoring the arrows spitting forth from the arrow slits. WHAMCRACK!!!! In one smooth motion they hit the door and it gave way beneath their newly enhanced might.

“Guess they need a new bar.” grinned Jordan breathing only slightly heavier than before.

The “goon squad” assembled before them looked similar to the one before. Several men and hobgoblins and orcs arrayed before them. This time, they brought a troll. Jaer and Jordan charged the line fearlessly, this time Xar charged up alongside them. Conlin’s bow had just started to sing when he watched in amazement as a vicious burning fan of flame spurted out from his fingers engulfing half of the mob. Screams of their enemies rang out and even the troll shied away from this pyrotechnic display. It didn’t take long to break their ranks after that and soon they had a merry troll fire cooking up nicely.

What followed almost seemed standard. They wandered through the halls for hours, some already conquered, some newly reinforced and the rest was fresh territory. There were a few battles of little note though one of them with a strange cleric yielded a chest with several magic items and a note.

Oamarthis. These items will be picked up soon by representatives of the Fire Temple, in order to defend themselves against any attacks form outside or within. I fully intend that all of these items within the chest shall be retrieved by the ones I mean to have them. I trust that you will do all you can to make sure the right people take possession of them.

Jordan looked at the note for a while. Fully two thirds of the paper was blank and it seemed to bother him.
“I remember seeing some notes written with a special ink that only appears when wet. Let me see here . . .”
He fiddled with the paper for a bit and as if by magic words started to appear.

Do not destroy the symbols of the elements! While the wearers of them are evil, the lesser keys themselves are not. Combine two lesser keys of the same element together to make a greater key. While the key is unstable and will separate within minutes, while it is together, one can pass through the door it corresponds to, and then enter the outer fane, within the carter. Do not attempt to cross the bridges before this! This is very important. I will send more when I am able. I am unaware of any other watchers upon you, but that does no mean there are none.

“It seems that this is a message somehow meant for us.” Jordan said as he finished reading it.

“It seems maybe we might have help in this place somehow or another.” finished Jaer.

Shortly after they found the letter they saw a young boy dressed in blue robes sitting up on a ledge looking down at them. He made no hostile gestures but Conlin immediately called upon the powers granted by Mayaheine and through their focus was able to see the aura of great evil surrounding the boy.

“Hold boy, what business do you have here?” barked Conlin.

“Ahh Mr. Conlin. You must be Mr. Jaer, Mr. Jordan, Mr. Xar, and Mr. Abdul. “ the boy spoke nodding to each in turn. “I am Jonathan, I just wanted to meet you. Don’t worry, I have no orders to attack you now. “

“That’s good. For you.” rumbled Jaer, holding his axe menacingly.

“Who do you work for?” queried Jordan.

“That would be telling.” replied Jonathan with unfailing cheerfulness. “Anyways, I just wanted to meet you. Goodbye for now.” with a merry wave, the strange young boy darted out of sight.

“Great ill will come from that boy.” muttered Xar ominously.

Having no better options they continued on until they came to a great cavern in which was a small underground lake extending as far as their torchlight allowed them to see. A rowboat lay overturned on the nearby shore and a small island could be seen just barely out in the middle of the lake. Jordan was sure he saw something glinting on the island.

“Puddleglup says he’ll go check out the island. He says he could use a swim.” this was accompanied by the “click” of the door on Xar’s familiar carrier opening and the plucky little toad hopping out.

“Be careful Puddleglup,” Conlin warned, “make sure you stay hidden and get back here at the first sign of trouble.”

“Puddleglup is always careful.” grinned Xar, “He knows I would be lost without him to take care of me.” He couldn’t quite hide the nervousness he obviously felt about having his friend in harms way though.

Conlin moved to the edge of the lake, bow drawn, arrow knocked, scanning the water for any disturbances. Small ripples proceeded the toad for a few feet until he went under the water and disappeared from view. They waited anxiously at the water’s edge for anything to happen. Then all at once Xar yelled out:

“Puddleglup! Get back here! Hurry!”

Frantically the young sorcerer raced to the edge of the water, and hurled a magical torch into it as he waded in. The torch sank into the water about twenty-five feet ahead of Xar and Puddleglup could be seen swimming frantically in its light. Then a large dark shadow passed over the torch chasing the small toad . They all waited tensely at the edge of the water watching as Xar’s magical missiles darted under the surface at whatever was menacing the toad, even as he swam into the water to close the gap. Suddenly it burst from the water, vaguely humanoid in shape though much larger. Sickly yellow skin covered in warts and oozing sores, with long filthy hair hanging down her back like so much seaweed.

The sea hag’s horrific appearance was so revolting that it threatened to steal the strength from their limbs, but Conlin was blessed by Mayaheine’s protection and would not waiver. Vip, vip, vip. He fired at her distracting her while Xar collected his familiar. Arrows arced into the water from Jaer and Jordan as well though to little effect. Seeing Xar the hag clawed at him, staring into his eyes trying to work some deviltry. Xar tore himself away and stroked for the shore. Conlin, now with a clear shot loosed another arrow, catching her solidly in the chest. Hissing, the hag fell back into the water, twitching for a moment before going still and slowly sinking to the bottom, dead.

A quick investigation revealed Xar and Puddleglup to be okay, although he brave little toad had suffered quite a fright.

“So we gonna check out the island?”

You could always trust Jordan to keep his eyes on the prize.

“Yah but I’m thinking we use the boat.” returned Jaer.

Conlin watched Jaer, Jordan, and a still sopping Xar set off in the boat to plunder the micro island. His sharp eyes strained against the darkness looking for any dangers that might threaten his comrades. Soon enough they came back with various trinkets in hand. Xar used his magic to dry off and they decided to make camp at the shore of the lake, figuring there was only one entrance on this side of the lake to the cave they were in and anything else would have to come through the water giving them a fairly good defensive position. They set a fire, set watches, and bunked down for the night/day/whatever who knows underground.

Conlin’s dreams were uneasy filled with uncertainty and doubt. PAIN!!! Searing, burning, roasting, terrible PAIN! Conlin awoke in the middle of a massive ball of fire, his throat instantly parched, the hairs in his nose burnt away, clothes and hair on fire, grabbing for his weapons as he beat out the flames. Jordan, off in the shadows by the cavern entrance raced towards them, all caught in the fireball. Suddenly the very lake itself rose up and began pounding on Jaer. Caught completely by surprise and grossly overmatched by the water elemental they grabbed what they could and began falling back in disarray. Things seemed to be flashing in front of Conlin’s eyes at this point. First the fire, then the water. Jaer dropped to his knees and staggering weakly away from the waters edge. The wave turning on Abdul. CRASH! It fell on him striking like a ton of bricks. CRASH! Again! CRASH! Abdul lay unmoving blood forming about his crushed body.

“GET OUT!” was all Conlin could think to call. “Through the passageway NOW!”

One by one they staggered out, Jordan first, Xar quick to follow. Jaer looking at Abdul’s crushed corpse and then at Conlin standing there seemed to want to turn to the elemental again.

“Jaer you have to go, there isn’t anything more we can do here now. GO!”

The massive wave was starting to move towards them, hampered on the land somewhat but moving inexorably towards them none the less. Finally Jaer’s great shoulders slumped in defeat, massive discolorations on his body hinting at the terrible ruin brought forth from the pounding he had taken at the hands? of the water elemental. Conlin was sure there were bones broken and he knew from the agony of every breath he himself took that the fire had wreaked equally great havoc on them all.

The beaten party fell back from the cavern, Conlin healing a little here and there to make the journey easier. Tears blurred his eyes as the image of Abdul’s body being smashed by the water elemental played through over and over again. Another failure. Another of his charges dead. The path back to the outdoors passed without his notice. Jordan, the only person not hurt by the battle led the way, warily scouting for danger. As they reached the outdoors Jordan finally broke the silence.

“I think we should take these doors door all together. Save us the trouble of having the break them down every time.”

“Yeah.” Jaer’s voice rumbled out, obviously choked up but trying to hide it.

Eager for something to take his mind off the horrific events of what had just happened, Jaer’s axe thundered into the doors near the hinges. Thunk! Thunk! Over and over again until he mighty doors came crashing down. They followed this up with a nice door bonfire, and sat there for a moment watching the flames.

It played over and over in Conlin’s head, the horror he had just witnessed. Worse, they had failed to retrieve the body. Without it, they couldn’t even raise Abdul as they had done for Jaer. It was all his fault. It had been his idea to camp by the lake. He had failed to stop the water elemental. He had failed to even get the body. He had failed. He knew what he had to do.

“We have to go back. We have to retrieve the body. Abdul served alongside us faithfully and well. He must have better treatment than this. I’m going back in.” his voice was level and deadly serious. He would do this no matter what.

“Yeah.” Jaer summed it up for all of them.

They started back into the temple only to be confronted by the smiling young boy in the blue robes they had met earlier.

“Mr. Conlin. It’s good to see you again. The individual that I work for requested that I return this to you.”

He stepped aside to reveal Abdul’s corpse carefully set on the ground, fully equipped with his gear.

“I don’t understand why he wanted you to have this but, well, here you go.” Jonathan said brightly.

“I . . . thank you.” the words pained Conlin terribly to speak. To thank a creature of evil went against everything in his being. He owed this young boy a debt though, for returning Abdul’s body to them. For doing what Conlin himself had failed to do. The anguish of the loss of his friend, the inner turmoil caused by his failure churned inside of him, and now he was forced to be thankful to a creature of evil. It was almost too much for him to bear.

“Well I must be going now.” the cheerful Jonathan waved goodbye and disappeared down the hall.

“We must return to Hommlet, Canoness Y’dey may be able to help him, as she helped Jaer.” Conlin said with what determination he could muster.

With that it was settled. They set back for Hommlet.

-Immort

 

[Immort]

A natural team like ours, drawn together by the fates, should have a name, something to help the world recognize our combined abilities, and to throw terror into the hearts of our enemies...

Well, I guess so, but figgerin out a good name is hard. Don't get me wrong, I know what the obvious name is, I just want to look harder to see if there is anythin better.

-Immort

 

[happydog]

Well, spit it out so we can get on to the better ones!

Happy Dog

 

[Immort]

Why, Team Conlin! of course!

-Immort

 

[happydog]

I was so so so so so TERRIBLY afraid that's what you were going to offer up. Okay, now that that is over, let's get on with the naming!

Happy Dog