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JollyDoc's Shackled City: FINAL POST [Updated 11/2!!]
- Thread starter gfunk
- Start date
Neverwinter Knight
First Post
Gfunk, this is what we've been missing: some real Entropy goodness, ahem, I mean badness! And poor Nidrama's sacrifice was all in vain - better yet, she may face the Bright Axes as an undead adversary...
![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
More...please!!!
Lela said:
Neverwinter Knight said:Gfunk, this is what we've been missing: some real Entropy goodness, ahem, I mean badness! And poor Nidrama's sacrifice was all in vain - better yet, she may face the Bright Axes as an undead adversary...
More...please!!!
*blushes* Thanks guys, you two have always been my stand-bys during the whole SH. I'll try my best to put up another update before the weekend, when I will be leaving for sunny CA for a couple of months.
THE END OF THE CAGEWRIGHTS
“I’m terribly sorry Adimarchus, but it seems that your scheming cabal of half-wits has been annihilated on the Prime Material Plane. Better luck in DR 2375, fool!”
The taunting figure was a weird fusion of undead and demonic flesh – grasping a wickedly-sharp scythe in its bony fingers and held aloft by skeletal wings, it appeared as the Grim Reaper incarnate.
A victim of the lichfiend’s acerbic wit, Adimarchus knelt in a cage crafted of the bones of former inmates of Skullrot. In sharp contrast to what one would expect of the former ruler of Occipitus, Adimarchus was a model of celestial perfection. Boasting magnificent wings of the purest white and shining golden armor under ebony skin, he could only weep at his captor’s jeering.
Nevertheless, the Lord of Madness’ mind was truly elsewhere. Though he could not contest the veracity of the lichfiend’s claims – for the Cagewrights were indeed doomed – alternative plans were already in motion. If his minions could not manage his liberation from the Prime, then he would have to bring his would-be liberators to him.
For that event to occur, however, a most extraordinary catalyst was required . . .
-----------------------------------------
I do not know what the Egg can do or what it represents. My suggestion is that you had best leave it be Rusty.
“I canna’ say exactly what the egg is,” speculated Rusty after Jenya’s sending, “but I’m willing to bet we shouldna’ leave it just lying here.”
The other party members voiced their consent and with the aid of Grimm they managed to nudge the massive object into Rusty’s portable hole.
“What about Ike? Surely he must be in our enemy’s stronghold by now. How do we go about finding and rescuing him?”
“As we discussed Kiko, Rusty likely has the power to bring back Ike or, at the least, divine his whereabouts. Unfortunately, after our battle with that,” Dalthon jammed his thumb towards the mangled corpse of the powerful spellweaver they had slain, “it will take time to regain our magical energies and memorize the appropriate spells.”
“Hell, even I miss the Goliath,” Tilly smirked as he replaced his dual weapons in their scabbard, “he was kind of brother to me, albeit a mentally challenged one. In any case, his disappearance has at least taught us that we can’t blindly stumble around this place anymore. I suggest we search every nook and cranny of this blasted stronghold for any information and loot.”
Without waiting for approval, he trigged his ring and rendered himself invisible.
"Good idea, lead on Tilly,” agreed Grimm who, as a Planar Champion, had no problems seeing his friend.
-----------------------------------------
Several hours of trap triggering, secret door finding, and random Demodand slaying later, the party was sorting through their final treasure pile when Grimm noticed something.
“Tilly, why is that eye staring at you?”
Upon inspection, it seemed that an invisible, ghostly eyeball hovered a few feet away from the rogue.
“A scrying sensor. Perhaps Ike’s captor is trying to spy on us? Anyway, I’ll put a quick end to that,” Dalthon tossed a greater dispel magic at the thing, fully expecting it to be eliminated – he was quite certain that his spellcasting power handily exceeded those of any surviving Cagewrights.
Strangely, the dispel had no effect. A re-casting by Dalthon and one by Gunther yielded similarly ineffectual results.
“Donna’ trouble yourself laddies. There’s more ‘en one way to escape a scrying sensor. Extradimensional travel fer one.”
“You mean . . .”
“Aye laddie, let’s pick up these remaining coins and teleport the hell out of here,” the old dwarf couldn’t help but crack a smile, “I think we’ve made our point here.”
-----------------------------------------
Their return to Red Gorge was a bittersweet one. Though they had managed to eradicate the final pocket of Cagewrights and prevent a planar invasion of the Prime Material Plane, they still had lost Ike. This was, of course, not to mention the economic and social implications of thousands of Cauldronites who were now homeless refugees thanks to a certain natural disaster.
Red Gorge, once a sleepy border town adjacent to the jungles to the north, had more than doubled in size since the great Cauldron exodus. The town’s infrastructure was simply incapable of supporting such a rapidly expanding population. Garbage was strewn all about and many make-shift tents and mud huts were all that kept the elements at bay.
Even the wealthy and powerful found themselves in similar circumstances as the party realized when they entered the Tent of Tyr.
“Welcome back my friends, I was very glad to hear from Rusty that you were successful in destroying the last of the Cagewrights. All of Turmish can rest easier now that they are finished. I was very sorry to hear about Ike however – he was most valorous . . .”
“Thank you Jenya, we appreciate the accolades,” Kiko responded. After their long friendship, the Bright Axes were on a first-name basis with many of Cauldron's top citizens. “We plan on bringing him back in the morning, but in the meantime we need time to rest . . . and reflect.”
“Of course. In honor of your heorism and courage, Oliron Masht and the Chisel have provided you with a magnificent mansion. If I may escort you . . .”
-----------------------------------------
After a round of ale and a sumptuous feast, the party sat down and relaxed for the first time in as long as they could remember.
“Have you guys ever wondered what you would do . . . you know . . . when all the bad guys were dead?”
That brought a round of chuckles from the group, “Grimm, to be honest with you, I never thought I’d see the day. But I think we’ve gone as far as we can as the mission that brought us together is complete. I always thought I would wander from place to place and assist where my services are needed. I hear that the monasteries in Cormyr are in dire need of aid. What about the rest of you?”
“Well . . . assumin’ the Malachite Fortress ain’t totally buried by the volcano, I figgered the boy,” Rusty indicated Gunther, ”and me would go back and spiff up the place a bit. It’d make a great dwarven stronghold.”
“Finally settle down with Maple! I can’t believe she’s still been with me through this whole thing! A girl like that – well as we halflings say, ‘if you blow up her home and she still loves you, then she’s a keeper!’”
“I would stay around Red Gorge, of course. This has been my home for my family for many generations. She’s going to need a lot of help accommodating all of the refugees from Cauldron. Besides, somebody has to take up Spellmason’s mantle!”
“Well, I hear that the Redhead Miner’s Inn needs a bouncer. You know, now that the population has exploded there are bound to be a bunch of drunk malcontents that need dealing with.”
That comment brought another round of laughs. Using Grimm as a bouncer was like wiping out a pair of koblods with a meteor swarm.
The party continued their banter well into the night and the wee hours of the morning. Tomorrow, they would find Ike and finally reap the rewards of their hard work. There was certainly a tinge of regret as the time of the Bright Axes was drawing nigh – but the weight of their many accomplishments made that pill far easier to swallow.
-----------------------------------------
As Rusty prayed for many powerful spells that morning including the likes of true resurrection, the party decided to relax in Red Gorge and find some of their old acquaintances.
Tilly, of course, made a bee-line to the outskirts of town to spend some quality time in Maple’s tent. Grimm, Gunther, and Kiko decided to pay a visit to Oliron Masht, Maavu, and the Honest Minstrel. Dalthon, on the other hand, headed back home. During the ruckus of the exodus he was afraid to see the whole place filled with Cauldronite squatters, but was pleasantly surprised to see that it remained relatively untouched in the sea of chaos.
Uttering a quick knock, the door popped open for him as the Sorcerer headed straight for his library. Many of his most precious family heirlooms were stored here, including many works of Surabar Spellmason himself. He was so focused on cataloging his possessions that he hardly noticed a form sneaking behind him.
“Greetings Dalthon, I see that my advice has been of some use to you.”
Surprised, he spun around to see Nidrama causally leaning against the library’s doorway. Dalthon paused then re-appraised the figure, was it indeed his ancestral grandmother? She seemed changed – before she had a quiet, calm, and assured demeanor about her and bore only the essential trappings of clothing, including a simple garb and a lone longsword.
Now she appeared different, beautiful still but a beauty that had become unrefined. Also her garb was now resplendent and dazzling consisting of a crown, exotic necklace, velvet cloak, several rings and, most disturbingly, a reptilian-like glove shaped as a claw over her right forearm.
“L-l-lady Nidrama . . .is that you?”
“Indeed it is Dalthon, and I am sorry to say that I’ve come bearing bad news . . .”
-----------------------------------------
“But if Adimarchus is imprisoned and the Cagewrights are dead, then what do we have to worry about?”
“The Lord of Madness plots your destruction still. He is bound in his asylum of Skullrot on the prison plane of Carceri but his powers cannot be so contained. Through his insanity, he still maintains clarity of purpose and he will continue to raise minions against you until . . .”
Nidrama let the words hang in the air, until Grimm completed the sentence, “. . . until we slay him in combat.”
“Precisely.”
Rusty raised a suspicious eyebrow at the Movanic Deva, “You’ve changed lassie, and I don’t jes mean your fancy get-up.”
Without a doubt the celestial spoke with a charisma even greater than before, setting their fears to rest, “Indeed, Cleric of Mystra. I have absconded from the Celestial Choir and my will is now my own. I have seen the power of Adimarchus first hand and am confident that only my direct intervention can help stop it. Granted my powers are limited compared to yours, but I hope that you will find my counsel useful.”
“We are pleased to accept your help my Lady, but first we must find one of our comrades who was abducted by the lone remaining Cagewright.”
----------------------------------------
The party, with Nidrama in tow, placed a magnificent diamond – the essential component of the true resurrection spell – on the altar of Tyr. Jenya and several lesser clergy surrounded the group in anticipation of the Goliath’s return.
Earlier, Rusty had confirmed that Ike had indeed been slain and his body was on one of the Outer Planes. Figuring that the Goliath would prefer his life to his equipment, the dwarf was ready to re-create his friend’s body with Mystra’s divine power and have the soul re-enter the vessel.
As the words to the spell were complete, Ike’s naked, muscular body appeared on the altar. Moments later his chest began moving and his eyes fluttered open as the spark of life re-entered the Goliath’s massive frame.
Before celebrations could take place, however, a 8 foot tall humanoid made of ebon metal appeared in the doorway of the tent, sealing escape.
“Rustifarius Deepdelver, this soul was claimed by Velsharoon, Lord of the Dead. By taking it without permission, your life is now forfeit!”
“I’m terribly sorry Adimarchus, but it seems that your scheming cabal of half-wits has been annihilated on the Prime Material Plane. Better luck in DR 2375, fool!”
The taunting figure was a weird fusion of undead and demonic flesh – grasping a wickedly-sharp scythe in its bony fingers and held aloft by skeletal wings, it appeared as the Grim Reaper incarnate.
A victim of the lichfiend’s acerbic wit, Adimarchus knelt in a cage crafted of the bones of former inmates of Skullrot. In sharp contrast to what one would expect of the former ruler of Occipitus, Adimarchus was a model of celestial perfection. Boasting magnificent wings of the purest white and shining golden armor under ebony skin, he could only weep at his captor’s jeering.
Nevertheless, the Lord of Madness’ mind was truly elsewhere. Though he could not contest the veracity of the lichfiend’s claims – for the Cagewrights were indeed doomed – alternative plans were already in motion. If his minions could not manage his liberation from the Prime, then he would have to bring his would-be liberators to him.
For that event to occur, however, a most extraordinary catalyst was required . . .
-----------------------------------------
I do not know what the Egg can do or what it represents. My suggestion is that you had best leave it be Rusty.
“I canna’ say exactly what the egg is,” speculated Rusty after Jenya’s sending, “but I’m willing to bet we shouldna’ leave it just lying here.”
The other party members voiced their consent and with the aid of Grimm they managed to nudge the massive object into Rusty’s portable hole.
“What about Ike? Surely he must be in our enemy’s stronghold by now. How do we go about finding and rescuing him?”
“As we discussed Kiko, Rusty likely has the power to bring back Ike or, at the least, divine his whereabouts. Unfortunately, after our battle with that,” Dalthon jammed his thumb towards the mangled corpse of the powerful spellweaver they had slain, “it will take time to regain our magical energies and memorize the appropriate spells.”
“Hell, even I miss the Goliath,” Tilly smirked as he replaced his dual weapons in their scabbard, “he was kind of brother to me, albeit a mentally challenged one. In any case, his disappearance has at least taught us that we can’t blindly stumble around this place anymore. I suggest we search every nook and cranny of this blasted stronghold for any information and loot.”
Without waiting for approval, he trigged his ring and rendered himself invisible.
"Good idea, lead on Tilly,” agreed Grimm who, as a Planar Champion, had no problems seeing his friend.
-----------------------------------------
Several hours of trap triggering, secret door finding, and random Demodand slaying later, the party was sorting through their final treasure pile when Grimm noticed something.
“Tilly, why is that eye staring at you?”
Upon inspection, it seemed that an invisible, ghostly eyeball hovered a few feet away from the rogue.
“A scrying sensor. Perhaps Ike’s captor is trying to spy on us? Anyway, I’ll put a quick end to that,” Dalthon tossed a greater dispel magic at the thing, fully expecting it to be eliminated – he was quite certain that his spellcasting power handily exceeded those of any surviving Cagewrights.
Strangely, the dispel had no effect. A re-casting by Dalthon and one by Gunther yielded similarly ineffectual results.
“Donna’ trouble yourself laddies. There’s more ‘en one way to escape a scrying sensor. Extradimensional travel fer one.”
“You mean . . .”
“Aye laddie, let’s pick up these remaining coins and teleport the hell out of here,” the old dwarf couldn’t help but crack a smile, “I think we’ve made our point here.”
-----------------------------------------
Their return to Red Gorge was a bittersweet one. Though they had managed to eradicate the final pocket of Cagewrights and prevent a planar invasion of the Prime Material Plane, they still had lost Ike. This was, of course, not to mention the economic and social implications of thousands of Cauldronites who were now homeless refugees thanks to a certain natural disaster.
Red Gorge, once a sleepy border town adjacent to the jungles to the north, had more than doubled in size since the great Cauldron exodus. The town’s infrastructure was simply incapable of supporting such a rapidly expanding population. Garbage was strewn all about and many make-shift tents and mud huts were all that kept the elements at bay.
Even the wealthy and powerful found themselves in similar circumstances as the party realized when they entered the Tent of Tyr.
“Welcome back my friends, I was very glad to hear from Rusty that you were successful in destroying the last of the Cagewrights. All of Turmish can rest easier now that they are finished. I was very sorry to hear about Ike however – he was most valorous . . .”
“Thank you Jenya, we appreciate the accolades,” Kiko responded. After their long friendship, the Bright Axes were on a first-name basis with many of Cauldron's top citizens. “We plan on bringing him back in the morning, but in the meantime we need time to rest . . . and reflect.”
“Of course. In honor of your heorism and courage, Oliron Masht and the Chisel have provided you with a magnificent mansion. If I may escort you . . .”
-----------------------------------------
After a round of ale and a sumptuous feast, the party sat down and relaxed for the first time in as long as they could remember.
“Have you guys ever wondered what you would do . . . you know . . . when all the bad guys were dead?”
That brought a round of chuckles from the group, “Grimm, to be honest with you, I never thought I’d see the day. But I think we’ve gone as far as we can as the mission that brought us together is complete. I always thought I would wander from place to place and assist where my services are needed. I hear that the monasteries in Cormyr are in dire need of aid. What about the rest of you?”
“Well . . . assumin’ the Malachite Fortress ain’t totally buried by the volcano, I figgered the boy,” Rusty indicated Gunther, ”and me would go back and spiff up the place a bit. It’d make a great dwarven stronghold.”
“Finally settle down with Maple! I can’t believe she’s still been with me through this whole thing! A girl like that – well as we halflings say, ‘if you blow up her home and she still loves you, then she’s a keeper!’”
“I would stay around Red Gorge, of course. This has been my home for my family for many generations. She’s going to need a lot of help accommodating all of the refugees from Cauldron. Besides, somebody has to take up Spellmason’s mantle!”
“Well, I hear that the Redhead Miner’s Inn needs a bouncer. You know, now that the population has exploded there are bound to be a bunch of drunk malcontents that need dealing with.”
That comment brought another round of laughs. Using Grimm as a bouncer was like wiping out a pair of koblods with a meteor swarm.
The party continued their banter well into the night and the wee hours of the morning. Tomorrow, they would find Ike and finally reap the rewards of their hard work. There was certainly a tinge of regret as the time of the Bright Axes was drawing nigh – but the weight of their many accomplishments made that pill far easier to swallow.
-----------------------------------------
As Rusty prayed for many powerful spells that morning including the likes of true resurrection, the party decided to relax in Red Gorge and find some of their old acquaintances.
Tilly, of course, made a bee-line to the outskirts of town to spend some quality time in Maple’s tent. Grimm, Gunther, and Kiko decided to pay a visit to Oliron Masht, Maavu, and the Honest Minstrel. Dalthon, on the other hand, headed back home. During the ruckus of the exodus he was afraid to see the whole place filled with Cauldronite squatters, but was pleasantly surprised to see that it remained relatively untouched in the sea of chaos.
Uttering a quick knock, the door popped open for him as the Sorcerer headed straight for his library. Many of his most precious family heirlooms were stored here, including many works of Surabar Spellmason himself. He was so focused on cataloging his possessions that he hardly noticed a form sneaking behind him.
“Greetings Dalthon, I see that my advice has been of some use to you.”
Surprised, he spun around to see Nidrama causally leaning against the library’s doorway. Dalthon paused then re-appraised the figure, was it indeed his ancestral grandmother? She seemed changed – before she had a quiet, calm, and assured demeanor about her and bore only the essential trappings of clothing, including a simple garb and a lone longsword.
Now she appeared different, beautiful still but a beauty that had become unrefined. Also her garb was now resplendent and dazzling consisting of a crown, exotic necklace, velvet cloak, several rings and, most disturbingly, a reptilian-like glove shaped as a claw over her right forearm.
“L-l-lady Nidrama . . .is that you?”
“Indeed it is Dalthon, and I am sorry to say that I’ve come bearing bad news . . .”
-----------------------------------------
“But if Adimarchus is imprisoned and the Cagewrights are dead, then what do we have to worry about?”
“The Lord of Madness plots your destruction still. He is bound in his asylum of Skullrot on the prison plane of Carceri but his powers cannot be so contained. Through his insanity, he still maintains clarity of purpose and he will continue to raise minions against you until . . .”
Nidrama let the words hang in the air, until Grimm completed the sentence, “. . . until we slay him in combat.”
“Precisely.”
Rusty raised a suspicious eyebrow at the Movanic Deva, “You’ve changed lassie, and I don’t jes mean your fancy get-up.”
Without a doubt the celestial spoke with a charisma even greater than before, setting their fears to rest, “Indeed, Cleric of Mystra. I have absconded from the Celestial Choir and my will is now my own. I have seen the power of Adimarchus first hand and am confident that only my direct intervention can help stop it. Granted my powers are limited compared to yours, but I hope that you will find my counsel useful.”
“We are pleased to accept your help my Lady, but first we must find one of our comrades who was abducted by the lone remaining Cagewright.”
----------------------------------------
The party, with Nidrama in tow, placed a magnificent diamond – the essential component of the true resurrection spell – on the altar of Tyr. Jenya and several lesser clergy surrounded the group in anticipation of the Goliath’s return.
Earlier, Rusty had confirmed that Ike had indeed been slain and his body was on one of the Outer Planes. Figuring that the Goliath would prefer his life to his equipment, the dwarf was ready to re-create his friend’s body with Mystra’s divine power and have the soul re-enter the vessel.
As the words to the spell were complete, Ike’s naked, muscular body appeared on the altar. Moments later his chest began moving and his eyes fluttered open as the spark of life re-entered the Goliath’s massive frame.
Before celebrations could take place, however, a 8 foot tall humanoid made of ebon metal appeared in the doorway of the tent, sealing escape.
“Rustifarius Deepdelver, this soul was claimed by Velsharoon, Lord of the Dead. By taking it without permission, your life is now forfeit!”
Last edited:
Neverwinter Knight
First Post
This is great! First they let Entropy invite herself into the party (I doubt this an "animated" Nidrama) and then they will face off against Velsharoon's avatar...
This will be very much fun, indeed!!!
Have fun in CA, gfunk!
This will be very much fun, indeed!!!
Have fun in CA, gfunk!
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