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NOW LIVE! Into the Woods--new character species, eerie monsters, and haunting villains to populate the woodlands of your D&D games.
JollyDoc's Shackled City
- Thread starter JollyDoc
- Start date
Well, I think I know what's going on because of what someone posted on another board. But I'll keep my mouth shut to let the suspense build.
In any case, looks like the party finally has an arcane caster. Can't wait how to see someone with the Vow of Poverty, Vow of Non-violence, and Vow of Peace works out. This concept has me wanting to play one in my own TT game.
Here's to hoping it works out.
Daag
In any case, looks like the party finally has an arcane caster. Can't wait how to see someone with the Vow of Poverty, Vow of Non-violence, and Vow of Peace works out. This concept has me wanting to play one in my own TT game.
Here's to hoping it works out.
Daag
JollyDoc
Explorer
Ask and ye shall receive....
DIVIDED WE FALL
Rusty and Gardrid were certainly no strangers to the Underdark…the World Below, as it was known to surface dwellers. Each of them had made forays into that forbidding realm on more than one occasion with their clansmen. However, neither of them had ever taken a prolonged journey, and certainly none of their current companions had even set so much as one foot into such a place. The darkness was all encompassing, oppressive in its completeness. The meager light shed by Tilly’s sunrod seemed to be swallowed at its periphery by the hungry blackness. Though largely unseen, it was not a silent world. There was constant noise all about, from the steady drip of water from the stalactite-studded ceiling of the tunnel, to faint chitterings and squeaks from far away in the gloom. It was altogether unnerving. Furthermore, the company had no clue how far away Bhal-Hamatugn lay. They might spend days in the depths, or perhaps weeks.
It turned out that their destination was no more than ten miles beneath the surface, but in the trackless wastes the journey took over a day to complete. It was Pez, on scout detail as usual, who first came upon the vast, underground cavern. The passage they had been following opened out onto a high cliff. Several hundred feet below, and at least a half-mile across the cavern, a strangely glowing structure was barely visible. He could only assume it was the shrine that they sought. A narrow ledge sloped down from the cliff, hugging the side of the cave wall as it descended in a series of switchbacks. When the rest of the group joined him, they started down. It was not long before they were able to tell that the floor of the great cavern was actually a lake. Water stretched as far as they could see. “Great,” Gardrid muttered, remembering the last time they had crossed an underground lake.
Some time later, they reached the bottom of the cliff wall, and stood on the dark lakeshore. A thin mist floated a few feet over its surface. As they stared, wondering how they were going to cross, a long canoe emerged from the mist, drifting slowly toward them. Crouched in the stern was a silvery froglike creature, holding a paddle in one hand and a shortspear in the other. The canoe came to a stop some twenty feet from the water’s edge, and the creature gazed unblinkingly in their direction.
“Ah, it’s a kuo-toa,” Wathros breathed quietly. He had studied about the deep dwelling amphibians, but had never seen one face to face. “Fascinating!”
“Yeah, charmin’,” Gardrid sneered, “Hey! Frog-face! We’re lookin’ fer a dwarf name of Zenith Splintershield. You seen’im?”
“Seek ye the Eye in Darkness?” the ferryman replied in a bubbling, croaking voice, “I’ll guide you through the maw.” He then set down his spear, and beckoned them forward. The group looked at one another questioningly.
“I sense no ruse from him,” Pez said quietly, having some skill at legilimancy. “It would seem like the only option at this point.”
Gardrid, Rusty, Tilly and Onesock made their way out to the canoe, and clambered over the side, with Gardrid seating himself directly in front of the ferryman, who manned the stern. Pez opted to keep pace with the boat by air, while Wathros chose a more natural route, transforming himself into a crocodile and swimming alongside.
As the kuo-toa paddled silently out into the lake, Gardrid turned towards him, “So, have ye seen Zenith? Are ye takin’ us to him?”
“I glimpse Zenith amid the great darkness,” the creature replied cryptically, “but he glimpses things beyond the dark, where it is darker still. Darker than dark, yes. And I see dimly what Zenith sees in the dark. The cold, wet dark. It’s dark, dark where I see Zenith. Are you from the dark?”
“Um…yeah, sure, whatever,” Gardrid muttered, turning back around and deciding it was best not to engage in conversation with the insane.
The boat had reached the mid-point of the lake, and the group could now see that the structure they were approaching was shaped like a great, prehistoric, spined fish. A wide stairway led from the water into the fish’s mouth. It was at that moment that Gardrid sensed a change in the movement of the canoe. Craning his neck around, he saw that the ferryman now held the oar in only one hand. His other hand gripped the gunwale tightly. “Uh-oh,” the battlerager said, then more loudly to his companions, “Hang on! We’re goin’ fer a ride!” The kuo-toa let the oar fall into the water, then gripped both sides of the canoe and threw his weight to the left, attempting to flip the boat. The right side lifted out of the water, but at the same time, Gardrid threw himself that way, counterbalancing the craft and preventing it from going over. The dwarf then lunged at the ferryman, grappling with him and attempting to pin him down before he drowned them all. “Hold’im!” Rusty called from the bow. He gripped his holy symbol tightly and summoned a spell of restraint, attempting to immobilize the creature, but it seemed to have no effect whatsoever. The kuo-toa writhed in Gardrid’s grasp like a fish, and seemed as slippery as one.
Wathros saw the struggle in the boat and feared the inevitable…that the whole thing was going to capsize and spill his companions into the dark waters, where they might easily drown. With a thrust of his powerful tail, he positioned himself at the rear of the canoe and placed his snout upon it, attempting to push the boat towards the shrine.
Pez had other concerns. He knew that Gardrid and the others could probably handle the ferryman, but he was worried that the sounds of the struggle might alert any who might be watching from the shrine itself. Beating his wings rapidly, he closed the remaining distance to the stairs and landed. A dark, doorless archway loomed just inside the gaping maw of the structure, but he saw no movement there. Just then, a soft sound drew his attention upwards. Above the mouth, the ‘eyes’ of the fish were actually small balconies. In the gloom there, Pez spotted several shadowy figures. Before he could discern any details, a rain of small crossbow bolts hurtled towards him.
“Gotcha!” Gardrid yelled triumphantly as he finally managed to pin the creature’s arms to its side, but his elation was short-lived as the violent thrashing of he and his opponent rocked the canoe dangerously to one side, and both of them plunged overboard. In an instant the kuo-toa wriggled free and disappeared into the murky water. Gardrid gasped and spluttered, his heavy armor threatening to drag him beneath the surface. Suddenly, he felt a rough, scaly hide slide beneath him, and he was lifted from the water to find himself on the back of a very large crocodile. “Charge!” the battlerager roared to Wathros as he straddled the druid’s back and pointed towards the stairs. As Wathros began swimming towards the shrine, Onesock leaped over the side of the boat and paddled after him. Rusty reached down and grabbed Gardrid’s axe from the bottom of the boat, then using it as a makeshift oar, began rowing after them.
Pez whirled towards the hidden assassins above him, and hurled a blast of pure, holy power at them. Instantly three kuo-toans toppled from the balconies to sprawl dead on the stairs. The archon then summoned a ghostly representation of the weapon of his god Tyr. The spiritual longsword flew towards the remaining assailant above and attacked under Pez’ mental direction. The already injured creature fell quickly under the assault. Just then Pez heard a small splash behind him. He spun back around and saw the ferryman emerging from the water nearby. With blinding speed, the kuo-toa launched itself at the archon, kicking and spinning and flailing away with its bare hands. Pez was hard pressed to keep its attacks at bay.
At that moment, Gardrid and Wathros reached the stair. Gardrid leaped from the crocodile’s back, drawing Triel’s spiked chain from his pack as he came. However, he was unprepared for the raw speed of the kuo-toa ferryman. The creature leaped into the air, landing a kick squarely to the dwarf’s jaw. Gardrid’s head swam with the impact of the blow, and then he was struck again, this time by a spinning heel kick. The battlerager roared in rage, and swung his chain in a deadly arc. It snapped across the kuo-toa’s legs, but dealt only a glancing blow as the creature leaped into the air above it. Landing, it brought both hands down in sharp chops on either side of Gardrid’s neck.
Pez was preparing to move in and help his overmatched friend, when he heard quiet footsteps at the top of the stairs. Four more kuo-toans had appeared there, and leveled hand-held crossbows at the party. The bows twanged, and bolts whistled through the air, striking Wathros, where he crouched at the foot of the stairs, still in crocodile form. Tilly and Rusty were hit as well as they beached the canoe and rushed forward. Wathros quickly reverted to his elven form, his wound instantly healing. He began calling on the natural forces, and then hurled lightning towards one of the kuo-toan guards. The bolt struck the creature squarely, but merely sparked and sputtered over its slimy hide. “This isn’t good,” the druid cursed.
They were pinned down. Pez knew they couldn’t fight on two fronts for long. He called the ghostly blade back to him and then sent it against the ferryman. The weapon struck a telling blow against the creature, sinking deep into its back. As it reeled in pain, Gardrid smashed his chain across its face.
“Come on!” Tilly cried. He pulled his blades, and began rushing up the slippery stairs, closely followed by Rusty and Onesock. He wanted to move in close to the guards in order to prevent them from bringing their crossbows to bear. As they approached the kuo-toans, the creatures dropped their bows and drew slim rapiers from their belts. They then began dodging and tumbling between the three, trying to surround and flank them. Rusty caught one of them as it passed with a blow from his hammer, but the wily creature came out of a roll directly behind him and buried the point of its rapier deep in his armpit. A second guard stabbed at Onesock, but the wolf leaped on him, gnashing with his sharp fangs and bowling him over.
The ferryman was being hard pressed by the combined assault of Pez, Gardrid and the ghostly longsword. He retreated step-by-step back into the lake, until finally Gardrid could follow him no longer due to the rising depth of the water. Pez weaved a brief enchantment about himself, enabling his movements to be unhampered by the water, and then pursued the kuo-toa. The creature dove beneath the surface in a last attempt at escape, but Pez was after him in a flash. The kuo-toa circled underneath the archon, trying to seize his legs and drag him further down, but as he grabbed, Pez drove his sword straight down, into his opponent’s skull. Blood darkened the already murky water, and the ferryman sank slowly into the depths.
Crying out in pain, Rusty disengaged himself from the guard’s rapier, then turned and hammered the slimy beast about the shoulders. As the guard tried to gain some distance from the dwarf, its bulging eyes bulged even wider as Gardrid’s axe split its spine in two. Meanwhile, Onesock and his prey continued to roll about on the upper stairs. Each time the kuo-toa tried to rise, the wolf dragged him back down again. Both were bleeding freely from their wounds, but it was the wolf who finally emerged from the struggle, blood dripping from his jaws.
Tilly had managed to circle behind one of the two remaining guards as it tried to help its downed comrade. While it was momentarily distracted, the halfling rushed up behind it and drew both his blades quickly across its throat, almost severing its head in the effort. This left only one guard to fight, and his last stand didn’t last very long as Gardrid laid him out with one final blow.
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“So much fer the element of surprise,” Rusty scoffed, surveying the carnage around them.
“We never intended to enter undetected in the first place,” Pez responded, “so we have lost nothing. We would do well to continue our strike now, before they have time to fully organize their defenses. The advantage may still be ours.”
They quickly entered the archway within the fish’s maw, and found themselves in a largely empty chamber with red and green-tinted frescos covering the walls. A set of carved, stone doors stood on the opposite side, flanked on the left by a fresco of a frog-creature carrying a strange staff with two-tined forks on both ends, and on the right by a squat male humanoid in plate armor with a black sphere where his head should be. Frescos on the right and left hand walls of the chamber depicted hundreds of red, spear-wielding kuo-toans marching through Underdark caverns. Curved shards of what looked like thin, fragile porcelain covered the floor. Passageways led left and right from the chamber.
Gardrid moved close to the frescos near the stone doors. “Looks like a dwarf,” he snorted as he leaned over to examine the sphere-headed painting. “Paint looks fresher too.” Wathros kneeled down next to the shards on the floor, and picked one up gingerly. “These are eggshells,” the druid mused, “Kuo-toan, unless I miss my guess.” No one knew what to make of these findings, and in any event, there was no time to ponder them. At Pez’ direction, Tilly approached the portals, and began a thorough search of them, looking for hidden traps. Once he had declared them safe, Pez and Gardrid each grabbed a handle and pulled a door open, weapons at the ready. A deafening, concussive blast blew the two warriors away from the doors, sprawling them across the floor. Pez climbed quickly, but clumsily to his feet, but Gardrid lay very still, his eyes open, blood flowing thickly from his nostrils and ears, his breath coming in ragged gasps. “Damn!” Rusty said, rushing to his friend’s side. He quickly determined that the battlerager’s injuries were quite serious, perhaps even mortal. He called upon his strongest healing magics and began pouring them into his clansman. Shortly, Gardrid’s breathing became more even, and he was able to rise. “That was some knocker,” he coughed. “Fine scout you are,” he sneered at Tilly, who merely shrugged helplessly. Beyond the doors was a short corridor ending at yet another closed set.
This time Rusty magically examined the portals, and declared them to be free of magical traps. Once again the company gathered behind Pez and Gardrid as they threw open the doors. The chamber beyond was impressive. A seventy-foot tall statue of a lobster-headed woman dominated it. Its eyes glowed with a bright crimson that illuminated the entire room. The group found themselves on an iron-railed balcony, thirty feet above the floor of the chamber, where four kuo-toans wearing banded armor stood in knee-deep water at the base of a stairway leading up to a raised dais, which surrounded the statue at waist level. The balcony followed the walls of the chamber three-quarters of the way around. To the left and right were stairs leading down to the floor, and up to a second balcony thirty feet above, which extended only halfway along the walls. Frescos of bloody sacrifices, mostly stylized kuo-toans carrying dismembered body parts, covered the walls of the chamber. Every single kuo-toa depicted faced the lobster-headed statue.
Pez and Tilly were first into the chamber, and no sooner had they began taking in the details, when the kuo-toans below them began hurling bolts of lightning at them, seemingly conjuring them out of thin air. Tilly immediately dodged to one side, rolling and coming up into a crouch below the railing. He began crab-walking quickly towards the stairs on the right-hand side. Pez leaped into the air as the bolts struck, and sailed out over the floor, and towards the kuo-toans. Landing among them, he swept his greatsword in front of him, neatly removing the head of the nearest frogman.
With a roar of challenge, Gardrid ran from the corridor, out onto the balcony, and then over it with a single bound, but instead of plummeting to the floor, he sank gently towards it, like a feather on the breeze, thanks to a certain magic ring he had purchased before leaving town. As he landed, however, he heard the twang of bowstrings from above him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw four more kuo-toans on the upper balcony, each leveling crossbows at him. The battlerager began sprinting across the floor, and into the pool at the base of the statue. He made it to Pez’ side, and wasted no time in hewing down a second of the armored kuo-toans.
Wathros stepped out onto the balcony, and surveyed the scene unfolding. Two more of the armored frogmen remained below, and several more were above, from what he could see. Since lightning had not worked on these creatures before, he thought he would try fire this time. Upon his utterance of an arcane phrase, a column of flames erupted from the ceiling, engulfing the two on the floor. It seemed to have the desired effect, as both of them howled in pain, and now sported horrendous burns upon their slimy hides. The druid then called a smaller flame to his hand, and tossed it casually at one of the assailants above and to his left. The flame ball caught the guard squarely in the face. It shrieked, grabbing at its eyes, and inadvertently tumbled from the balcony, smashing to the floor below.
The two remaining kuo-toans on the floor joined hands. Electricity began to crackle around their grasp, and a large bolt of it arced towards Gardrid. The battlerager’s already three-foot high Mohawk seemed to sprout another foot as it stood on end. With a bitter curse, the dwarf rushed at the pair, slashing at one of them. At the same moment, Pez blasted the two frogmen with a burst of sound, killing the one Gardrid had just struck. As it fell into the pool, Gardrid turned on its last comrade, his axe whistling thru the air. However, the creature raised its shield, parrying the blow, and to Gardrid’s utter amazement, his axe stuck fast to the shield. His axe was in turn locked to his gauntlet. He couldn’t get away. At that moment, Pez moved up behind the kuo-toa, and grabbed it from behind, pinning its arms to its side. “Yeah! Hold’im!” Gardrid shouted. He then quickly unlocked his gauntlet from his trapped blade, drew out his spiked chain, and cracked it like a whip across the frogman’s neck. The creature slumped lifelessly, Pez letting it drop into the water.
Up above, both Rusty and Tilly had mounted the stairs on opposite sides of the top balcony. The four guards there had retreated to a center platform, which was joined to the balcony on either side by suspended, rope bridges. While Rusty halted at the far end of the bridge on his side, Tilly dashed out onto the one on his, not noticing that the kuo-toans had began working at the knots holding the precarious spans. In moments, they had the ropes free, and both bridges fell away. With a cry of surprise, Tilly tumbled down, landing hard on the lower balcony thirty feet below. The four guards then turned their attention to Rusty, opening fire on him with their crossbows. The priest managed to deflect most of the bolts with his shield, but a few got thru, piercing through his armor. Suddenly, a screech split the air, and a large eagle swooped down upon the kuo-toans, hurling fire from its talons. At the same time Tilly brought his own crossbow to bear, shooting up at the guards from below. The kuo-toans immediately turned their attention to the new threat from the attacking eagle/druid, but their retaliation came to late. Wathros again summoned his flame column, completely immolating two of the guards, and gravely injuring the remaining pair. Tilly picked off the hapless frogmen, bringing the fight to an end.
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Just at the height of her passion, Aushanna heard the call in her head…a call she’d almost forgotten about, and never expected to hear. With a growl of frustration and anger, she pulled away from Ertuu, her pit-fiend lover. “Where are you going,” the huge devil snarled, seizing her by the wrist. “I am called, and by one much more powerful than you, my love.” She smiled seductively. “Never fear. This won’t take long, and then I shall return to your bed and we can take up where we left off.”
__________________________________________________________
The Bright Axes gathered in the shadows beneath the large dais, standing in the stagnant water. “I don’t think they were prepared for a full assault,” Pez stated. “I can’t imagine they have ever been directly threatened here. They think themselves secure and untouchable, and therein lies their weakness. If Zenith yet lives, he must be being held nearby. Most of these pagan races tend to keep their prisoners near their places of worship. Easier to sacrifice that way.”
“Watch yer mouth!” Gardrid snarled, “If Davked Splintershield says his son’s alive, then alive he is! If I have to gut every frog boy in this place to find’im, then so be it!”
“I’m not saying to abandon hope,” Pez replied, “I’m just saying to prepare for and expect any contingency. Now, there are doors above, leading off from the dais. I suggest we begin our search there…”
His sentence was abruptly interrupted by a sudden crackle of energy coming from somewhere above them, atop the dais.
“Infidels!” a high-pitched voice shrieked, “Show yourselves! You have defiled this most Holy place, and for that you have forfeited your lives!”
Wathros, who was nearest to the edge of the dais’ overhang, edged out to peer above. What he saw shocked him speechless. A fierce and beautiful woman, with a statuesque build and flawless skin, stood atop the statue’s head. She had large, feathery wings, and red, glowing eyes. A large bow, seemingly made of fire, was gripped in her hands. Her penetrating gaze locked onto the druid, and she gestured towards him. Instantly, a dark, greasy cloud appeared next to Wathros and flowed under the dais, enveloping the druid, Onesock and Tilly. The three of them felt waves of nausea overcome them as the cloying mist seemed to seep into their skin, searing and burning wherever it touched. Pez felt his blood run cold as he recognized the nature of the magic. It was unholy, and purest evil. If it had touched him, it would have burned even deeper, feeding on his innate goodness and purity. He darted out from under the dais, and flew quickly to the top. There, he beheld the woman, and his greatest fear was confirmed. She was an erinyes. Legend had it that these denizens of the Nine Hells of Baator were once angels who fell from their lofty heights because of some temptation or misdeed. Now they were evil incarnate, and their hatred of all that was good was all encompassing. Pez knew he must strike quickly and decisively. If the fiend was not stopped immediately, she could devastate them. He hurled a sound blast at her, hoping not only to damage her, but stun her as well. To his horror, his spell accomplished neither, rather it evaporated before it even touched her.
Aushanna also recognized her opponent. “Archon!” she cried with a mixture of fury and glee. “This duty may prove entertaining after all!” She gestured again, and again her unholy blight manifested, engulfing Pez completely. He barely kept himself from screaming in agony and disgust as the putrid cloud washed over him. He dove from the dais, seeking refuge beneath it to gather his wits and organize his defenses.
Wathros had recovered from his nausea, and now stared incredulously at Pez as the archon was wracked with chills. “This can’t be good,” the druid said and Rusty nodded in agreement. “What say we teach this bitch a thing or two about magic?” the priest growled, and then the two of them stepped out into the open. Wathros called lightning, while Rusty summoned pure, holy fire. They launched their attack simultaneously, raining destruction down upon the devil, but their efforts amounted to naught. The erinyes remained unscathed, laughing at their impotence.
Tilly was starting to panic. He hadn’t even laid eyes on whatever it was out there, and still he was scared speechless. Pez had been reduced to a quivering mass, and apparently Rusty and Wathros weren’t able to harm the woman. It was the dragon all over again. They were all going to die here, he knew it. His thoughts began to race, and escape became his foremost concern. “We have to run,” he said, his eyes darting to and from among his friends, “Run!” He then turned and bolted out from under the dais, diving towards the shelter of the opposite balcony, and clambering up the stairs.
Aushanna saw the little rat trying to make his escape, and she smiled knowingly. With a thought, she transported herself across the chamber to the open doors on the far balcony. She casually pulled the doors shut, and stood before them, arms crossed, the smile never leaving her face.
Wathros tried desperately to think of something. His magic didn’t seem to be able to affect this creature, but perhaps he knew of something else that could. After all, the elemental he’d summoned to battle the dragon had at least partially succeeded. At the very least, it had provided a distraction. The same might hold true now. Concentrating, he called across the planes, trying to open a portal and bring through another elemental. After a moment, he opened his eyes, shaking his head in disbelief. The portal would not open. He could not summon any assistance.
“Bah!” Gardrid spat. He’d had enough of this. So what if all the hocus pocus wasn’t working. He never had much faith in it in the first place. All you needed was good steel and a strong arm. He’d shown the dragon that much, and he’d show this witch the same. He stomped out onto the open floor, scowling up at the erinyes, a challenge in his eye. Aushanna grinned broadly, taking note of the open invitation. Gripping her bow tightly in her left hand, she knocked an arrow to its flaming string. In rapid succession, she let fly three missiles at the surly looking dwarf. One fell short, hissing as it struck the stagnant water, but two hit home, sinking deep into the dwarf’s flesh. She was rewarded by the shocked expression on his face as the arrows continued to burn after their impact.
Tilly was trapped. The creature was blocking his only way out. His mind was almost gibbering now in panic. He had to get out of here. He had to. In desperation, he raised his crossbow, sighting on the winged woman. He pulled the trigger, and was relieved to see that his aim was true. His relief was short-lived, however, when his bolt bounced harmlessly off Aushanna’s alabaster skin.
Slowly, Pez’ sickness abated and he managed to get hold of himself. He closed his eyes, and breathed deeply, clearing his mind, becoming calm, and at peace. He knew what he must do. This was his sworn enemy, one that he was blood-bound to destroy. He couldn’t cower here in the dark while the fiend picked off his friends one by one. He was an archon, a herald of the Heavens. He would show this creature what it meant to challenge a son of Celestia. He stepped boldly into the open once more, and brought his trumpet to his lips, sounding one clear, crisp blast. The erinyes seemed momentarily taken aback, but then the fury returned to her eyes. She gestured for the archon to come forward…to bring it on. Pez spread his wings, transforming his trumpet into its sword form as he did so. He leaped upwards, arrowing straight for Aushanna. At the last second, she stepped aside, dodging his blow with apparent ease. Laughing, she spread her own wings and leaped off the balcony, but not before Pez’ brought his blade around in a wicked backslash, opening a deep gash across her shapely back. Aushanna screamed in pain, and outrage, wheeling in mid-air, and once again hurling her infernal magic at Pez. Again, the dark cloud enveloped him, and this time he did scream.
Gardrid ripped the fiery arrows from his chest and struggled to catch his breath. That hurt to be sure. The little minx packed a punch, he’d give her that, but he still had a trick or two up his own sleeve. Dropping his axe to the ground, he unslung his bow, a weapon he rarely had cause to use. Reaching into his pack, he pulled out a small flask of oil. This was no ordinary anointment. It was blessed and would imbue its blessing on any weapon it touched. The battlerager now poured it liberally on the wood and string of his bow. Drawing an arrow from his quiver, he drew back and fired. It was a glancing blow, but he was sure she felt it all the same. She gave a small yelp, and gazed balefully at him. Yep, that got her attention.
As the fiend turned her attention momentarily from him, Pez charged. Crying out Tyr’s name, he thrust his sword into her side, its pure silver sliding thru her flesh like butter. She wailed and thrashed, gnashing her teeth in fury as she struggled to get away from the painful bite of the holy blade. Pez slashed at her again as she streaked across the chamber, trying to distance herself from him. He prepared to charge after her once again, but he knew he would never make it. For the last time, the unholy cloud closed over him, and this time the blackness did not abate…
Gardrid looked on in stunned disbelief as Pez tumbled to the ground, landing face down and unmoving in the pool. Well, it wouldn’t be the first time he’d had to save the Axes single-handedly, and he was sure it wouldn’t be the last. Knocking another arrow, he fired again, this time putting one deep into her thigh. She was hurt, no doubt about it. She couldn’t stay up there forever. Chuckling to himself at the thought of the stories he’d have to tell when he saw his clan again, he reached for another arrow. Just then, two more flaming missiles struck him in the chest. He felt the air leave him in a rush. He staggered backward, just managing to keep his feet, when two more struck. This time he dropped to his knees, his bow slipping from his fingers. “Father,” he whispered as one final arrow struck him in the throat.
“No!” Rusty screamed from beneath the dais as he saw Gardrid fall. He rushed to his friend’s side, dropping to his knees beside him. Cradling the battlerager’s head, he began chanting loudly, and fumbling for his holy symbol. A silent shadow passed over him, and he looked up. For a brief moment, he thought the winged figure above him might be an angel sent from the Lady of Magic, but then the black cloud engulfed him and he knew that there would be no salvation this day.
Wathros had made his way with Onesock to the middle balcony. From this vantage he had watched the devastation unfold, powerless to stop it. To his right, he saw Tilly reach the stone doors and thrust them open, bolting through them in an instant. The druid was torn. He knew he could not help the others, but to leave them like this tore at him like a mortal wound. But sacrificing his own life in vain would not avail them either. With a sob, he turned and dashed for the doors, Onesock at his heels. They caught up with Tilly as he was pushing the ferryman’s canoe out into the lake. The trio climbed aboard and began paddling as fast as they could across the dark waters. Darkness and death lay behind them, and none of them knew what lay ahead.
DIVIDED WE FALL
Rusty and Gardrid were certainly no strangers to the Underdark…the World Below, as it was known to surface dwellers. Each of them had made forays into that forbidding realm on more than one occasion with their clansmen. However, neither of them had ever taken a prolonged journey, and certainly none of their current companions had even set so much as one foot into such a place. The darkness was all encompassing, oppressive in its completeness. The meager light shed by Tilly’s sunrod seemed to be swallowed at its periphery by the hungry blackness. Though largely unseen, it was not a silent world. There was constant noise all about, from the steady drip of water from the stalactite-studded ceiling of the tunnel, to faint chitterings and squeaks from far away in the gloom. It was altogether unnerving. Furthermore, the company had no clue how far away Bhal-Hamatugn lay. They might spend days in the depths, or perhaps weeks.
It turned out that their destination was no more than ten miles beneath the surface, but in the trackless wastes the journey took over a day to complete. It was Pez, on scout detail as usual, who first came upon the vast, underground cavern. The passage they had been following opened out onto a high cliff. Several hundred feet below, and at least a half-mile across the cavern, a strangely glowing structure was barely visible. He could only assume it was the shrine that they sought. A narrow ledge sloped down from the cliff, hugging the side of the cave wall as it descended in a series of switchbacks. When the rest of the group joined him, they started down. It was not long before they were able to tell that the floor of the great cavern was actually a lake. Water stretched as far as they could see. “Great,” Gardrid muttered, remembering the last time they had crossed an underground lake.
Some time later, they reached the bottom of the cliff wall, and stood on the dark lakeshore. A thin mist floated a few feet over its surface. As they stared, wondering how they were going to cross, a long canoe emerged from the mist, drifting slowly toward them. Crouched in the stern was a silvery froglike creature, holding a paddle in one hand and a shortspear in the other. The canoe came to a stop some twenty feet from the water’s edge, and the creature gazed unblinkingly in their direction.
“Ah, it’s a kuo-toa,” Wathros breathed quietly. He had studied about the deep dwelling amphibians, but had never seen one face to face. “Fascinating!”
“Yeah, charmin’,” Gardrid sneered, “Hey! Frog-face! We’re lookin’ fer a dwarf name of Zenith Splintershield. You seen’im?”
“Seek ye the Eye in Darkness?” the ferryman replied in a bubbling, croaking voice, “I’ll guide you through the maw.” He then set down his spear, and beckoned them forward. The group looked at one another questioningly.
“I sense no ruse from him,” Pez said quietly, having some skill at legilimancy. “It would seem like the only option at this point.”
Gardrid, Rusty, Tilly and Onesock made their way out to the canoe, and clambered over the side, with Gardrid seating himself directly in front of the ferryman, who manned the stern. Pez opted to keep pace with the boat by air, while Wathros chose a more natural route, transforming himself into a crocodile and swimming alongside.
As the kuo-toa paddled silently out into the lake, Gardrid turned towards him, “So, have ye seen Zenith? Are ye takin’ us to him?”
“I glimpse Zenith amid the great darkness,” the creature replied cryptically, “but he glimpses things beyond the dark, where it is darker still. Darker than dark, yes. And I see dimly what Zenith sees in the dark. The cold, wet dark. It’s dark, dark where I see Zenith. Are you from the dark?”
“Um…yeah, sure, whatever,” Gardrid muttered, turning back around and deciding it was best not to engage in conversation with the insane.
The boat had reached the mid-point of the lake, and the group could now see that the structure they were approaching was shaped like a great, prehistoric, spined fish. A wide stairway led from the water into the fish’s mouth. It was at that moment that Gardrid sensed a change in the movement of the canoe. Craning his neck around, he saw that the ferryman now held the oar in only one hand. His other hand gripped the gunwale tightly. “Uh-oh,” the battlerager said, then more loudly to his companions, “Hang on! We’re goin’ fer a ride!” The kuo-toa let the oar fall into the water, then gripped both sides of the canoe and threw his weight to the left, attempting to flip the boat. The right side lifted out of the water, but at the same time, Gardrid threw himself that way, counterbalancing the craft and preventing it from going over. The dwarf then lunged at the ferryman, grappling with him and attempting to pin him down before he drowned them all. “Hold’im!” Rusty called from the bow. He gripped his holy symbol tightly and summoned a spell of restraint, attempting to immobilize the creature, but it seemed to have no effect whatsoever. The kuo-toa writhed in Gardrid’s grasp like a fish, and seemed as slippery as one.
Wathros saw the struggle in the boat and feared the inevitable…that the whole thing was going to capsize and spill his companions into the dark waters, where they might easily drown. With a thrust of his powerful tail, he positioned himself at the rear of the canoe and placed his snout upon it, attempting to push the boat towards the shrine.
Pez had other concerns. He knew that Gardrid and the others could probably handle the ferryman, but he was worried that the sounds of the struggle might alert any who might be watching from the shrine itself. Beating his wings rapidly, he closed the remaining distance to the stairs and landed. A dark, doorless archway loomed just inside the gaping maw of the structure, but he saw no movement there. Just then, a soft sound drew his attention upwards. Above the mouth, the ‘eyes’ of the fish were actually small balconies. In the gloom there, Pez spotted several shadowy figures. Before he could discern any details, a rain of small crossbow bolts hurtled towards him.
“Gotcha!” Gardrid yelled triumphantly as he finally managed to pin the creature’s arms to its side, but his elation was short-lived as the violent thrashing of he and his opponent rocked the canoe dangerously to one side, and both of them plunged overboard. In an instant the kuo-toa wriggled free and disappeared into the murky water. Gardrid gasped and spluttered, his heavy armor threatening to drag him beneath the surface. Suddenly, he felt a rough, scaly hide slide beneath him, and he was lifted from the water to find himself on the back of a very large crocodile. “Charge!” the battlerager roared to Wathros as he straddled the druid’s back and pointed towards the stairs. As Wathros began swimming towards the shrine, Onesock leaped over the side of the boat and paddled after him. Rusty reached down and grabbed Gardrid’s axe from the bottom of the boat, then using it as a makeshift oar, began rowing after them.
Pez whirled towards the hidden assassins above him, and hurled a blast of pure, holy power at them. Instantly three kuo-toans toppled from the balconies to sprawl dead on the stairs. The archon then summoned a ghostly representation of the weapon of his god Tyr. The spiritual longsword flew towards the remaining assailant above and attacked under Pez’ mental direction. The already injured creature fell quickly under the assault. Just then Pez heard a small splash behind him. He spun back around and saw the ferryman emerging from the water nearby. With blinding speed, the kuo-toa launched itself at the archon, kicking and spinning and flailing away with its bare hands. Pez was hard pressed to keep its attacks at bay.
At that moment, Gardrid and Wathros reached the stair. Gardrid leaped from the crocodile’s back, drawing Triel’s spiked chain from his pack as he came. However, he was unprepared for the raw speed of the kuo-toa ferryman. The creature leaped into the air, landing a kick squarely to the dwarf’s jaw. Gardrid’s head swam with the impact of the blow, and then he was struck again, this time by a spinning heel kick. The battlerager roared in rage, and swung his chain in a deadly arc. It snapped across the kuo-toa’s legs, but dealt only a glancing blow as the creature leaped into the air above it. Landing, it brought both hands down in sharp chops on either side of Gardrid’s neck.
Pez was preparing to move in and help his overmatched friend, when he heard quiet footsteps at the top of the stairs. Four more kuo-toans had appeared there, and leveled hand-held crossbows at the party. The bows twanged, and bolts whistled through the air, striking Wathros, where he crouched at the foot of the stairs, still in crocodile form. Tilly and Rusty were hit as well as they beached the canoe and rushed forward. Wathros quickly reverted to his elven form, his wound instantly healing. He began calling on the natural forces, and then hurled lightning towards one of the kuo-toan guards. The bolt struck the creature squarely, but merely sparked and sputtered over its slimy hide. “This isn’t good,” the druid cursed.
They were pinned down. Pez knew they couldn’t fight on two fronts for long. He called the ghostly blade back to him and then sent it against the ferryman. The weapon struck a telling blow against the creature, sinking deep into its back. As it reeled in pain, Gardrid smashed his chain across its face.
“Come on!” Tilly cried. He pulled his blades, and began rushing up the slippery stairs, closely followed by Rusty and Onesock. He wanted to move in close to the guards in order to prevent them from bringing their crossbows to bear. As they approached the kuo-toans, the creatures dropped their bows and drew slim rapiers from their belts. They then began dodging and tumbling between the three, trying to surround and flank them. Rusty caught one of them as it passed with a blow from his hammer, but the wily creature came out of a roll directly behind him and buried the point of its rapier deep in his armpit. A second guard stabbed at Onesock, but the wolf leaped on him, gnashing with his sharp fangs and bowling him over.
The ferryman was being hard pressed by the combined assault of Pez, Gardrid and the ghostly longsword. He retreated step-by-step back into the lake, until finally Gardrid could follow him no longer due to the rising depth of the water. Pez weaved a brief enchantment about himself, enabling his movements to be unhampered by the water, and then pursued the kuo-toa. The creature dove beneath the surface in a last attempt at escape, but Pez was after him in a flash. The kuo-toa circled underneath the archon, trying to seize his legs and drag him further down, but as he grabbed, Pez drove his sword straight down, into his opponent’s skull. Blood darkened the already murky water, and the ferryman sank slowly into the depths.
Crying out in pain, Rusty disengaged himself from the guard’s rapier, then turned and hammered the slimy beast about the shoulders. As the guard tried to gain some distance from the dwarf, its bulging eyes bulged even wider as Gardrid’s axe split its spine in two. Meanwhile, Onesock and his prey continued to roll about on the upper stairs. Each time the kuo-toa tried to rise, the wolf dragged him back down again. Both were bleeding freely from their wounds, but it was the wolf who finally emerged from the struggle, blood dripping from his jaws.
Tilly had managed to circle behind one of the two remaining guards as it tried to help its downed comrade. While it was momentarily distracted, the halfling rushed up behind it and drew both his blades quickly across its throat, almost severing its head in the effort. This left only one guard to fight, and his last stand didn’t last very long as Gardrid laid him out with one final blow.
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“So much fer the element of surprise,” Rusty scoffed, surveying the carnage around them.
“We never intended to enter undetected in the first place,” Pez responded, “so we have lost nothing. We would do well to continue our strike now, before they have time to fully organize their defenses. The advantage may still be ours.”
They quickly entered the archway within the fish’s maw, and found themselves in a largely empty chamber with red and green-tinted frescos covering the walls. A set of carved, stone doors stood on the opposite side, flanked on the left by a fresco of a frog-creature carrying a strange staff with two-tined forks on both ends, and on the right by a squat male humanoid in plate armor with a black sphere where his head should be. Frescos on the right and left hand walls of the chamber depicted hundreds of red, spear-wielding kuo-toans marching through Underdark caverns. Curved shards of what looked like thin, fragile porcelain covered the floor. Passageways led left and right from the chamber.
Gardrid moved close to the frescos near the stone doors. “Looks like a dwarf,” he snorted as he leaned over to examine the sphere-headed painting. “Paint looks fresher too.” Wathros kneeled down next to the shards on the floor, and picked one up gingerly. “These are eggshells,” the druid mused, “Kuo-toan, unless I miss my guess.” No one knew what to make of these findings, and in any event, there was no time to ponder them. At Pez’ direction, Tilly approached the portals, and began a thorough search of them, looking for hidden traps. Once he had declared them safe, Pez and Gardrid each grabbed a handle and pulled a door open, weapons at the ready. A deafening, concussive blast blew the two warriors away from the doors, sprawling them across the floor. Pez climbed quickly, but clumsily to his feet, but Gardrid lay very still, his eyes open, blood flowing thickly from his nostrils and ears, his breath coming in ragged gasps. “Damn!” Rusty said, rushing to his friend’s side. He quickly determined that the battlerager’s injuries were quite serious, perhaps even mortal. He called upon his strongest healing magics and began pouring them into his clansman. Shortly, Gardrid’s breathing became more even, and he was able to rise. “That was some knocker,” he coughed. “Fine scout you are,” he sneered at Tilly, who merely shrugged helplessly. Beyond the doors was a short corridor ending at yet another closed set.
This time Rusty magically examined the portals, and declared them to be free of magical traps. Once again the company gathered behind Pez and Gardrid as they threw open the doors. The chamber beyond was impressive. A seventy-foot tall statue of a lobster-headed woman dominated it. Its eyes glowed with a bright crimson that illuminated the entire room. The group found themselves on an iron-railed balcony, thirty feet above the floor of the chamber, where four kuo-toans wearing banded armor stood in knee-deep water at the base of a stairway leading up to a raised dais, which surrounded the statue at waist level. The balcony followed the walls of the chamber three-quarters of the way around. To the left and right were stairs leading down to the floor, and up to a second balcony thirty feet above, which extended only halfway along the walls. Frescos of bloody sacrifices, mostly stylized kuo-toans carrying dismembered body parts, covered the walls of the chamber. Every single kuo-toa depicted faced the lobster-headed statue.
Pez and Tilly were first into the chamber, and no sooner had they began taking in the details, when the kuo-toans below them began hurling bolts of lightning at them, seemingly conjuring them out of thin air. Tilly immediately dodged to one side, rolling and coming up into a crouch below the railing. He began crab-walking quickly towards the stairs on the right-hand side. Pez leaped into the air as the bolts struck, and sailed out over the floor, and towards the kuo-toans. Landing among them, he swept his greatsword in front of him, neatly removing the head of the nearest frogman.
With a roar of challenge, Gardrid ran from the corridor, out onto the balcony, and then over it with a single bound, but instead of plummeting to the floor, he sank gently towards it, like a feather on the breeze, thanks to a certain magic ring he had purchased before leaving town. As he landed, however, he heard the twang of bowstrings from above him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw four more kuo-toans on the upper balcony, each leveling crossbows at him. The battlerager began sprinting across the floor, and into the pool at the base of the statue. He made it to Pez’ side, and wasted no time in hewing down a second of the armored kuo-toans.
Wathros stepped out onto the balcony, and surveyed the scene unfolding. Two more of the armored frogmen remained below, and several more were above, from what he could see. Since lightning had not worked on these creatures before, he thought he would try fire this time. Upon his utterance of an arcane phrase, a column of flames erupted from the ceiling, engulfing the two on the floor. It seemed to have the desired effect, as both of them howled in pain, and now sported horrendous burns upon their slimy hides. The druid then called a smaller flame to his hand, and tossed it casually at one of the assailants above and to his left. The flame ball caught the guard squarely in the face. It shrieked, grabbing at its eyes, and inadvertently tumbled from the balcony, smashing to the floor below.
The two remaining kuo-toans on the floor joined hands. Electricity began to crackle around their grasp, and a large bolt of it arced towards Gardrid. The battlerager’s already three-foot high Mohawk seemed to sprout another foot as it stood on end. With a bitter curse, the dwarf rushed at the pair, slashing at one of them. At the same moment, Pez blasted the two frogmen with a burst of sound, killing the one Gardrid had just struck. As it fell into the pool, Gardrid turned on its last comrade, his axe whistling thru the air. However, the creature raised its shield, parrying the blow, and to Gardrid’s utter amazement, his axe stuck fast to the shield. His axe was in turn locked to his gauntlet. He couldn’t get away. At that moment, Pez moved up behind the kuo-toa, and grabbed it from behind, pinning its arms to its side. “Yeah! Hold’im!” Gardrid shouted. He then quickly unlocked his gauntlet from his trapped blade, drew out his spiked chain, and cracked it like a whip across the frogman’s neck. The creature slumped lifelessly, Pez letting it drop into the water.
Up above, both Rusty and Tilly had mounted the stairs on opposite sides of the top balcony. The four guards there had retreated to a center platform, which was joined to the balcony on either side by suspended, rope bridges. While Rusty halted at the far end of the bridge on his side, Tilly dashed out onto the one on his, not noticing that the kuo-toans had began working at the knots holding the precarious spans. In moments, they had the ropes free, and both bridges fell away. With a cry of surprise, Tilly tumbled down, landing hard on the lower balcony thirty feet below. The four guards then turned their attention to Rusty, opening fire on him with their crossbows. The priest managed to deflect most of the bolts with his shield, but a few got thru, piercing through his armor. Suddenly, a screech split the air, and a large eagle swooped down upon the kuo-toans, hurling fire from its talons. At the same time Tilly brought his own crossbow to bear, shooting up at the guards from below. The kuo-toans immediately turned their attention to the new threat from the attacking eagle/druid, but their retaliation came to late. Wathros again summoned his flame column, completely immolating two of the guards, and gravely injuring the remaining pair. Tilly picked off the hapless frogmen, bringing the fight to an end.
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Just at the height of her passion, Aushanna heard the call in her head…a call she’d almost forgotten about, and never expected to hear. With a growl of frustration and anger, she pulled away from Ertuu, her pit-fiend lover. “Where are you going,” the huge devil snarled, seizing her by the wrist. “I am called, and by one much more powerful than you, my love.” She smiled seductively. “Never fear. This won’t take long, and then I shall return to your bed and we can take up where we left off.”
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The Bright Axes gathered in the shadows beneath the large dais, standing in the stagnant water. “I don’t think they were prepared for a full assault,” Pez stated. “I can’t imagine they have ever been directly threatened here. They think themselves secure and untouchable, and therein lies their weakness. If Zenith yet lives, he must be being held nearby. Most of these pagan races tend to keep their prisoners near their places of worship. Easier to sacrifice that way.”
“Watch yer mouth!” Gardrid snarled, “If Davked Splintershield says his son’s alive, then alive he is! If I have to gut every frog boy in this place to find’im, then so be it!”
“I’m not saying to abandon hope,” Pez replied, “I’m just saying to prepare for and expect any contingency. Now, there are doors above, leading off from the dais. I suggest we begin our search there…”
His sentence was abruptly interrupted by a sudden crackle of energy coming from somewhere above them, atop the dais.
“Infidels!” a high-pitched voice shrieked, “Show yourselves! You have defiled this most Holy place, and for that you have forfeited your lives!”
Wathros, who was nearest to the edge of the dais’ overhang, edged out to peer above. What he saw shocked him speechless. A fierce and beautiful woman, with a statuesque build and flawless skin, stood atop the statue’s head. She had large, feathery wings, and red, glowing eyes. A large bow, seemingly made of fire, was gripped in her hands. Her penetrating gaze locked onto the druid, and she gestured towards him. Instantly, a dark, greasy cloud appeared next to Wathros and flowed under the dais, enveloping the druid, Onesock and Tilly. The three of them felt waves of nausea overcome them as the cloying mist seemed to seep into their skin, searing and burning wherever it touched. Pez felt his blood run cold as he recognized the nature of the magic. It was unholy, and purest evil. If it had touched him, it would have burned even deeper, feeding on his innate goodness and purity. He darted out from under the dais, and flew quickly to the top. There, he beheld the woman, and his greatest fear was confirmed. She was an erinyes. Legend had it that these denizens of the Nine Hells of Baator were once angels who fell from their lofty heights because of some temptation or misdeed. Now they were evil incarnate, and their hatred of all that was good was all encompassing. Pez knew he must strike quickly and decisively. If the fiend was not stopped immediately, she could devastate them. He hurled a sound blast at her, hoping not only to damage her, but stun her as well. To his horror, his spell accomplished neither, rather it evaporated before it even touched her.
Aushanna also recognized her opponent. “Archon!” she cried with a mixture of fury and glee. “This duty may prove entertaining after all!” She gestured again, and again her unholy blight manifested, engulfing Pez completely. He barely kept himself from screaming in agony and disgust as the putrid cloud washed over him. He dove from the dais, seeking refuge beneath it to gather his wits and organize his defenses.
Wathros had recovered from his nausea, and now stared incredulously at Pez as the archon was wracked with chills. “This can’t be good,” the druid said and Rusty nodded in agreement. “What say we teach this bitch a thing or two about magic?” the priest growled, and then the two of them stepped out into the open. Wathros called lightning, while Rusty summoned pure, holy fire. They launched their attack simultaneously, raining destruction down upon the devil, but their efforts amounted to naught. The erinyes remained unscathed, laughing at their impotence.
Tilly was starting to panic. He hadn’t even laid eyes on whatever it was out there, and still he was scared speechless. Pez had been reduced to a quivering mass, and apparently Rusty and Wathros weren’t able to harm the woman. It was the dragon all over again. They were all going to die here, he knew it. His thoughts began to race, and escape became his foremost concern. “We have to run,” he said, his eyes darting to and from among his friends, “Run!” He then turned and bolted out from under the dais, diving towards the shelter of the opposite balcony, and clambering up the stairs.
Aushanna saw the little rat trying to make his escape, and she smiled knowingly. With a thought, she transported herself across the chamber to the open doors on the far balcony. She casually pulled the doors shut, and stood before them, arms crossed, the smile never leaving her face.
Wathros tried desperately to think of something. His magic didn’t seem to be able to affect this creature, but perhaps he knew of something else that could. After all, the elemental he’d summoned to battle the dragon had at least partially succeeded. At the very least, it had provided a distraction. The same might hold true now. Concentrating, he called across the planes, trying to open a portal and bring through another elemental. After a moment, he opened his eyes, shaking his head in disbelief. The portal would not open. He could not summon any assistance.
“Bah!” Gardrid spat. He’d had enough of this. So what if all the hocus pocus wasn’t working. He never had much faith in it in the first place. All you needed was good steel and a strong arm. He’d shown the dragon that much, and he’d show this witch the same. He stomped out onto the open floor, scowling up at the erinyes, a challenge in his eye. Aushanna grinned broadly, taking note of the open invitation. Gripping her bow tightly in her left hand, she knocked an arrow to its flaming string. In rapid succession, she let fly three missiles at the surly looking dwarf. One fell short, hissing as it struck the stagnant water, but two hit home, sinking deep into the dwarf’s flesh. She was rewarded by the shocked expression on his face as the arrows continued to burn after their impact.
Tilly was trapped. The creature was blocking his only way out. His mind was almost gibbering now in panic. He had to get out of here. He had to. In desperation, he raised his crossbow, sighting on the winged woman. He pulled the trigger, and was relieved to see that his aim was true. His relief was short-lived, however, when his bolt bounced harmlessly off Aushanna’s alabaster skin.
Slowly, Pez’ sickness abated and he managed to get hold of himself. He closed his eyes, and breathed deeply, clearing his mind, becoming calm, and at peace. He knew what he must do. This was his sworn enemy, one that he was blood-bound to destroy. He couldn’t cower here in the dark while the fiend picked off his friends one by one. He was an archon, a herald of the Heavens. He would show this creature what it meant to challenge a son of Celestia. He stepped boldly into the open once more, and brought his trumpet to his lips, sounding one clear, crisp blast. The erinyes seemed momentarily taken aback, but then the fury returned to her eyes. She gestured for the archon to come forward…to bring it on. Pez spread his wings, transforming his trumpet into its sword form as he did so. He leaped upwards, arrowing straight for Aushanna. At the last second, she stepped aside, dodging his blow with apparent ease. Laughing, she spread her own wings and leaped off the balcony, but not before Pez’ brought his blade around in a wicked backslash, opening a deep gash across her shapely back. Aushanna screamed in pain, and outrage, wheeling in mid-air, and once again hurling her infernal magic at Pez. Again, the dark cloud enveloped him, and this time he did scream.
Gardrid ripped the fiery arrows from his chest and struggled to catch his breath. That hurt to be sure. The little minx packed a punch, he’d give her that, but he still had a trick or two up his own sleeve. Dropping his axe to the ground, he unslung his bow, a weapon he rarely had cause to use. Reaching into his pack, he pulled out a small flask of oil. This was no ordinary anointment. It was blessed and would imbue its blessing on any weapon it touched. The battlerager now poured it liberally on the wood and string of his bow. Drawing an arrow from his quiver, he drew back and fired. It was a glancing blow, but he was sure she felt it all the same. She gave a small yelp, and gazed balefully at him. Yep, that got her attention.
As the fiend turned her attention momentarily from him, Pez charged. Crying out Tyr’s name, he thrust his sword into her side, its pure silver sliding thru her flesh like butter. She wailed and thrashed, gnashing her teeth in fury as she struggled to get away from the painful bite of the holy blade. Pez slashed at her again as she streaked across the chamber, trying to distance herself from him. He prepared to charge after her once again, but he knew he would never make it. For the last time, the unholy cloud closed over him, and this time the blackness did not abate…
Gardrid looked on in stunned disbelief as Pez tumbled to the ground, landing face down and unmoving in the pool. Well, it wouldn’t be the first time he’d had to save the Axes single-handedly, and he was sure it wouldn’t be the last. Knocking another arrow, he fired again, this time putting one deep into her thigh. She was hurt, no doubt about it. She couldn’t stay up there forever. Chuckling to himself at the thought of the stories he’d have to tell when he saw his clan again, he reached for another arrow. Just then, two more flaming missiles struck him in the chest. He felt the air leave him in a rush. He staggered backward, just managing to keep his feet, when two more struck. This time he dropped to his knees, his bow slipping from his fingers. “Father,” he whispered as one final arrow struck him in the throat.
“No!” Rusty screamed from beneath the dais as he saw Gardrid fall. He rushed to his friend’s side, dropping to his knees beside him. Cradling the battlerager’s head, he began chanting loudly, and fumbling for his holy symbol. A silent shadow passed over him, and he looked up. For a brief moment, he thought the winged figure above him might be an angel sent from the Lady of Magic, but then the black cloud engulfed him and he knew that there would be no salvation this day.
Wathros had made his way with Onesock to the middle balcony. From this vantage he had watched the devastation unfold, powerless to stop it. To his right, he saw Tilly reach the stone doors and thrust them open, bolting through them in an instant. The druid was torn. He knew he could not help the others, but to leave them like this tore at him like a mortal wound. But sacrificing his own life in vain would not avail them either. With a sob, he turned and dashed for the doors, Onesock at his heels. They caught up with Tilly as he was pushing the ferryman’s canoe out into the lake. The trio climbed aboard and began paddling as fast as they could across the dark waters. Darkness and death lay behind them, and none of them knew what lay ahead.
Nightingale 7
First Post
All I can say is...Ouch!!!Pez,Gardrid and Rusty dead at the same time?What was this Erinyes made off.A by-the-book Erinyes is only CR 9 if i recall correctly,but this one seemed supercharged!
Give us some behind-the-scenes info guys.Was there any horrendous dice rolling from the players' side?I don't remember the Erinyes spell resistance,but it can't be that high that a Call Lightning and a Flame Strike would just go poof.The spell penetration rolls must have been awful.
On the other side,I'm waiting to see Gfunk's and Joachim's new PCs.They seem to keep a pretty high standard of min/maxing,and I can't wait to see what they come up with next.
And i agree with you Daag.The name Bright Axes doesn't seem to fit any more,since the team's dwarven population has been eliminated.
Give us some behind-the-scenes info guys.Was there any horrendous dice rolling from the players' side?I don't remember the Erinyes spell resistance,but it can't be that high that a Call Lightning and a Flame Strike would just go poof.The spell penetration rolls must have been awful.
On the other side,I'm waiting to see Gfunk's and Joachim's new PCs.They seem to keep a pretty high standard of min/maxing,and I can't wait to see what they come up with next.
And i agree with you Daag.The name Bright Axes doesn't seem to fit any more,since the team's dwarven population has been eliminated.
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Thanks Daag, I appreciated the discretion.Daag said:
Yes, I am the so-called poster "Sanunu" and Caine is my new PC to replace Pez. Come on, couldn't you guys tell from my storytelling genius and min/maxing?
In case you doubt the min/max potential of Caine, his 20 level progression (which is what I posted on another thread) is Sorcerer 9/Apostle of Peace 2/Mystic Theurge 9. This will give him access to both 9th level Cleric and Sor/Wiz spells by 20th level!
Well, the erudite designers of this module decided to put an advanced Eryines to fight the PCs in this room. We discussed this after the near TPK with JollyDoc. She had 11 HD (at least), giving her three attacks/round with her flaming bow. This means, of course, that her SR was bumped up ~22 or so. Meaning that we needed to roll 14s or 15s on caster level checks to get our spells through (we didin't). On top of this, she had well over 100 hp and elemental resistances typical of devils so even if our spells go through they would not have done much damage.Nightingale 7 said:
Furthermore, the room was specifically designed in her favor. (1) The entire bottom floor of the chamber was filled with water, halving movement, (2) summoning was prevented in the entire altar area (as Wathros discovered), (3) she could fly around, easily avoiding our melee attacks (except Pez).
IMO, this puts the CR will over 11.
But, look on the bright side . . . if we HAD defeated her then we would have to face her Pit Fiend lover. And if we HAD defeated him we would have to face . . . Entropy
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Well, there's always raise dead to bring back the dwarven population 
EDIT: oohhhh, master of min/maxing comes back again! What is that apostle of peace class? Where can I get it? I also wonder how the exalted deeds thing works. Does this mean you cannot cast any spells that do damage? Do all of your damaging spells do subdual damage? Does it just give you a bonus to those spells that don't do damage? Well, with Wathros and his Flame Strike, you should be fine on crowd controling offensive magics. Also, how do you intend on getting on without magic items? Sure, with the DC 15 weapon shatter thingy you probably won't need rings of protection and what not. But what about cha boosting items? Your DCs will be significantly lower thanks to that.
EDIT: oohhhh, master of min/maxing comes back again! What is that apostle of peace class? Where can I get it? I also wonder how the exalted deeds thing works. Does this mean you cannot cast any spells that do damage? Do all of your damaging spells do subdual damage? Does it just give you a bonus to those spells that don't do damage? Well, with Wathros and his Flame Strike, you should be fine on crowd controling offensive magics. Also, how do you intend on getting on without magic items? Sure, with the DC 15 weapon shatter thingy you probably won't need rings of protection and what not. But what about cha boosting items? Your DCs will be significantly lower thanks to that.
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A possibility we definitely considered (in fact, I was loathe to give up Pez), but we all agreed that the Eryines wasn't gonna keep our bodies in pristine shape after the battle, ESPECIALLY not the Archon.Tidus4444 said:Well, there's always raise dead to bring back the dwarven population
The Apostle of Peace is from the Book of Exalted Deeds. You may want to read Caine's backstory (one page back, last post) if you have not already done so. Also, his character sheet is posted above for your perusal.
His damaging spells don't automatically deal nonlethal damage, he has to take a feat for that to happen. Personally, I think I will avoid even nonlethal damage on principle, but we will see how it turns out.
In the BoED, PCs taking the Vow of Poverty gain significant benefits. Like Exalted bonuses to AC (you'll notice I already have deflection/natural armor bonuses), ability score enhancements, and other goodies.
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Nightingale 7
First Post
Once again you amaze me Gfunk.Your new character seems to be the stuff of legends.I see that after the insane Entropy you tend more toward...angelic types of PCs if I may.Why the masquerading as another person really?When I saw that character,he really screamed "Gfunk" to me.Alas the BOED hasn't arrived in my country yet(Greece) so I have some questions.
1)How in the Nine Hells(or Heavens in Caine's case) did you accumulate 7 feats?You should have 4 by 7th level.Maybe one of the Exalted feats grants extra feats?
2)Can you tell what those Exalted spells do?(eyes of the Avoral,Yoke of Mercy)
3)Does the vow of poverty allows you to keep expensive material components,like diamond dust for Stoneskin,Identify etc,or expensive foci like the jade circlet for Shapechange?
4)How can 2 levels in a PrC give you 3rd level clerical spells?
5)Did you name the goody-two-shoes sorc after the first sinner ever on purpose?
1)How in the Nine Hells(or Heavens in Caine's case) did you accumulate 7 feats?You should have 4 by 7th level.Maybe one of the Exalted feats grants extra feats?
2)Can you tell what those Exalted spells do?(eyes of the Avoral,Yoke of Mercy)
3)Does the vow of poverty allows you to keep expensive material components,like diamond dust for Stoneskin,Identify etc,or expensive foci like the jade circlet for Shapechange?
4)How can 2 levels in a PrC give you 3rd level clerical spells?
5)Did you name the goody-two-shoes sorc after the first sinner ever on purpose?
Thanks, I actually made about a half dozen character builds until I found one that I was satisfied with. As to playing really good PCs, well I really don't know why my last two were like that. I make builds based on how interesting they are to me and if they are fun to play.Nightingale 7 said:
When you take the Vow of Poverty, you gain several powerful benefits. One of these is the acquistion of Exalted Feats like a fighter gains bonus feats. You get one bonus feat at 2nd level and a new one at every other level after that. So Caine has 4 regular feats (1 for being human, 3 for levels 1, 3, 6) and 3 exalted feats (3 for levels 2, 4, 6).
Eyes of the Avoral give the recipient a +8 racial bonus to Spot checks for 10 min/level. Yoke of Mercy forces one creature to fight in a merciful manner. They must deal nonlethal damage, cannot use spells or spell-like abilities to deal damage, and will not coup-de-grace helpless foes.
No. In this case, I can burn 1 XP for every 5 gp the component is worth. For spells like Stoneskin and Forcecage, I would have to burn the XP each time since the components are consumed in the casting. For others, like Shapechange, the XP cost is one-time since the component is a focus.
You are, I assume, talking about the requirements for Mystic Theurge. Apostle of Peace gives you a small list of divine spells. You gain 1st level spells at the 1st level of AoP and gain a new spell level roughly every level afterwards. The pre-req for Mystic Theurge is the ability to cast 2nd level divine and arcane spells.
No, actually it came up during a conversation with JollyDoc. I told him that my new PC basically "walked the earth." Jollydoc said that was what Jules in Pulp Fiction said, who was in turn quoting Caine from the 1970s series Kung Fu. So I named Caine after the title character and named my Lantern Archon companion Jules.
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