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Message: <blockquote data-quote="gfunk" data-source="post: 1368713" data-attributes="member: 1813">"To the Abyss with You All!" Caine squinted as he emerged from the ruined temple, the high noon sun blazing in the sky. Though battered, he was pleased to see his remaining companions – Tilly, Wathros, and Rusty congratulating themselves. The Druid ran up to Caine, feeling the aura of calm wash over him. “My friend, I am glad to see you alive! We thought the Demon slew you.” The Sorcerer’s head sagged with regret, “I . . . I am sorry that I could not be of more assistance to you all. The Vows I have pledged my life to cannot be violated, under any circumstances . . .” Both Rusty and Tilly approached, “Don’ be so hard on yerself, lad! Ye help in yer own way. We couldna have made it without you!” Their enthusiasm finally spent, the companions went about the grisly task of collecting their fallen comrades. While Rusty and Tilly began quaffing healing potions, Wathros returned to the Temple to recover the bodies of Ajax and Alec Terceval. ---------------------------------------------------------- He roared in anger, in pain! After centuries of agonizing waiting, Nabthatoron was once again on the verge of returning to the Infinite Layers of the Abyss. The accursed Paladin was torn to pieces and his comrades would likely die of dehydration in the vast desert. However, the Glabrezu wanted to take no risks. There was some chance, an exceedingly slim one he knew, that these mortals would somehow return to Cauldron. If they could convince the military leaders to abandon their march on Red Gorge, if they could persuade the Lord Mayor that Alec Terceval made the challenge under the mental influence of another . . .  No! Though Nabthatoron was not willing to risk his own life over such an improbable series of events, he was much more liberal with his servants. The mighty Demon closed his eyes as he forced open three portals to the Abyss. -------------------------------------------------------- Tilly could smell trouble before he saw it. The scent of decay and rot assailed his senses before he saw that Caine, Rusty and himself were surrounded by three tall, gaunt creatures. Their claws were exceptionally long and their bodies covered in dark ichor. Two of the creatures looked at other in glee as they approached Caine. Suffused with a golden aura, this one was favored by the Upper Planes and they wanted to see to it that he was snuffed out permanently. Strangely, they felt their killer instincts being dissipated in the face of this human. Shaking their heads, they quickly moved away until their urge to kill was inexplicably restored. Two rushed to engage an enlarged Rusty, while the third squared off against Tilly. From the start, it was clear that these monsters were not mindless brutes for they fought with expert precision as they worked with each other to inflict maximum damage. Hissing in pain from the cruel slashes inflicted by his demonic foes, Rusty brought his large dwarven waraxe as it neatly fell between their necks and shoulders. Unfortunately, despite the brutality of the strike (amplified even further for the dwarf still enjoyed the benefits of the Amaranth elixir) the axe all but rebounded from the creature’s skin. Tilly had greater success as he surprised the creature with a feint and raked his blade directly across its gut. Stepping back to admire his handiwork, the halfling was dismayed to see smoke coming off his long sword. The ichor on the creature’s skin was dissolving his weapon!  Hearing the commotion outside, Wathros rushed to the entrance of the temple as a stroke of lightning emerged from the sky and consumed the nearest Demon. The creature didn’t even bother to dodge as the bolt harmlessly discharged from its body. ----------------------------------------------------------  He could easily see the ultimate outcome of this battle. The Babaus were trained killers, commonly sent by Demon Princes to over-run battlefields, cleansing them of the injured and weak. These assassins never fought fairly, always using their abyssal cunning to its maximum advantage.  Drawing a wand, he strode boldy forward, hiding behind his gray cloak as he did so. It would not do to let them know the identity of their savior just yet. ---------------------------------------------------------- One of the Babaus went sprawling on the ground as Caine’s grease spell took effect. Additionally, Jules flew freely around the battlefield bringing the Demons under the influence of his aura of meance and aiding his friends as he could. His celestial resilience rendered him all but immune to the natural weapons of these creatures. Despite this, it was clear that the tide was slowly shifting in favor of the Demons, until one of them shrieked in pain as five pinpoints of light tore into its hide. From behind the corner of the temple emerged a humanoid cloaked in gray with a herald of a smoking eye. With the enormous support of their arcane ally, Rusty and Tilly were able to lay waste to the Demons with Caine and Wathros providing occasional support Just before the final Babau fell, Jules floated many feet behind the newcomer as he tried to determine his ethical disposition. The little globe of light dimmed for a moment as it registered the enormity of vileness that radiated from this creature.  -------------------------------------------------------- “Beware my friend, for this ‘ally’ is not what he appears to be!” Jules spoke to Caine through an arcane link they shared which only a scant few spells could decipher. The Sorcerer nodded as the Lantern Archon returned to his side. The nature of their collaborator was made clear once he removed his cloak for though he was handsome, he sported two horns along with glowing red eyes complete with a faint smell of brimstone. Seeing the outrage his appearance had generated, he calmly put up his hand for calm as he tucked away his wand. “Peace gentlemen, peace. I understand that my appearance and my . . . aura,” he glared at the Archon, “betrays my heritage. However, these are things which I cannot change. My name is Kaurophon, a servant of the Eversmoking Eye.” Tilly fingered his dual blades nervously, not quite yet sure if this newcomer’s intentions were benevolent, “You could have easily slain us Kaurophon, but you didn’t. Either you are one sadistic bastard or you want something from us.” The half-fiend smiled, baring sharp, yellow teeth, “Yes, you are correct. But first let me give you some background. I am a planar traveler and have been trying to pursue my goals for some time now. Unfortunately, I cannot say exactly what brought me to your aid today . . . something . . . a vision if you will . . . a premonition that I needed to help you.” “Well, that’s fer sure! Without yer help we woud’ve been demon-bait!” “Tell us more about your quest Kaurophon, our goals may be mutual,” Caine smiled at the half-fiend excited that perhaps he could bring this one to redemption. After all, how often was someone blessed enough to reason with a Demon? “My quest is simple – to restore the 507th layer of the Abyss to the Celestial Choir.” ---------------------------------------------------------- Before the time of mortals, the Lords of Good created the celestials – angels, archons, eladrins, and guardinals. Though these beings served their masters admirably and without fault they were rigid and unthinking in their orthodoxy. They worshipped the Lords of Good not because they wanted to, but simply because it was what they were created to do. Therefore, in their infinite wisdom, the Lords created mortals in the myriad forms that you see today. Giving them a terminal lifespan, the deities also gifted them with free will to choose between weal and woe therefore allowing true faith and devotion to develop. Though many of the celestials were contented to nurture and support these lesser creations, others were overcome with pride and envy. Thus began the Primogenial Rebellion when fully one-third of the Celestial Choir turned against their creators. Some of the Stewards of this uprising may be known to you: Beelzebub and Belial now rank among the most powerful Arch-devils in the Nine Hells; Iblis, the Duke of Pride commands a vast army of fiendish djinn in Avernus; Samyasa sired the Abominations Hiwa and Hiya. Among these powerful celestials stood the Solar Adimarchus. Rather than flee to the Lower Planes, this Angel instead channeled his rage into Celestia itself. Though he was powerful, he could not hope to prevail over so many of his goodly brethren. Instead, he took an entire region of Celestia with him. And there it lies still, Occipitus – the 507th layer of the Abyss. Over time, many celestials who were banished with Adimarchus, either willingly or not, became corrupted by the vileness of the plane as they eventually changed into twisted caricatures of their former, noble selves. And so it remained for centuries until Adimarchus tired of his meager holdings and sought to expand his realm into Zelatar by assaulting the Argent Palace itself. Woe to the fallen Solar, for despite his immense strength, there still remain some staples of the Abyss that will never be conquered. After Lord Adimarchus fell in combat with Graz’zt, there was a vast power vacuum in Occipitus. Many powerful fiends and abyssal organizations scrambled to assume control of the plane. Yet, they were wholly unsuccessful, for in a rare moment of prescience, Adimarchus had taken pains to place a specific test for any who would claim the mantle of the plane as his own. This is the Test of the Eversmoking Eye. ---------------------------------------------------------- The tale was long indeed as night had fallen and the frigid evening of the desert began to grip the companions. “Those who control Occipitus have the power to do what they will. I wish to pass the Test so that I may purify the plane once more.” Caine shivered with cold and also at the sudden realization of Alec Tercival’s last words, “There is naught for you left in Cauldron, heroes! To return is to enter your own graves and to bring doom upon all you love! Seek the sign of the Smoking Eye if you wish to save them all!” At the time, it had sounded like gibberish but it now was clear. Though there was much argument and speculation that night, the party knew they had little choice in the matter. They could not return to Cauldron lest they imperil their loved ones and friends.  The night passed uneventfully, interrupted only briefly by a flight of Red Dragons and Astral Skiffs high overhead under the moonlit sky. ---------------------------------------------------------- Alec Terceval and Ajax were buried side by side two miles from the ruined temple. The party took most of the useful items from the pair, pledging to use them in causes that the departed would have supported. A brief prayer by Rusty and a solemn eulogy by Caine was all that could be done now. ---------------------------------------------------------- “My amulet will take us to Occipitus, but I must have your cooperation. Each of you hold hands in a circle and I will invoke the spell.” Slowly the landscape changed. Azure blue skies turned fiery red, the lazy, rolling dunes replaced by an intimidating white mountain that looked like a giant skull, the very sand beneath their feet changed into spongy, wrinkled ground that felt more like skin than dirt. Kaurophon pointed to a point in the distance, “The first Test is in the Cathedral of Feathers. There are two doors, behind one lies a Bebilith and the other an Avoral. We must choose wisely.” ---------------------------------------------------------- The days passed uneventfully save for the occasional raid by a squad of Babaus or the sporadic fiendish Dire Lion.  Flying the lead as an eagle, Wathros spotted a large creature in the distance on the fourth day. Clearly it was attempting (rather poorly in his estimation) to hide. It looked vaguely like an ogre but, in this place, the elf suspected it probably had abyssal blood coursing through its veins. Landing, the Druid resumed his normal form and informed his companions. Eagerly, Tilly withdrew his weapons, “Time to slice and dice!” “No.” Caine shook his head, “Even though we are on a plane of evil incarnate, we must not simply slaughter everything we see for then we are no better than they. Let me attempt to parlay with it and you may back me up if things go haywire.” The halfling nodded warily, remembering when the Sorcerer had saved their bacon by negotiating a temporary peace accord with an Eryines. ---------------------------------------------------------- They had spotted him! Grimm began to twirl his adamantine spiked chain in anticipation of combat. However, as he peered over the boulder at the approaching party, he was shocked to see that one of the group – clearly a spellcaster of some sort – was well separated from the rest. This was not so surprising as the aura of holy radiance that surrounded him. The half-ogre paused but readied for battle as the human approached. Putting up his hand in a universal symbol of peace, the spellcaster began to speak in some archaic dialect of Giant that Grimm had never heard. Grimm responded in Giant, the more modern version, but was stumped once again as they failed to communicate. The human cocked his head curiously and began saying phrases in several different languages, obviously cycling through an impressive repertoire. Finally, Grimm heard one he understood. “Stop! Strange that a being of your apparent goodness would understand Abyssal. My name is Grimm Grakka, a Planar Champion from the Principality of Ulek.” Caine thought for a moment, unsure if they were still speaking the same language, “Where in Faerun is that?” Now it was Grimm’s turn to look confused, “Faerun? Never heard of it, Ulek is the Flaeness. My party traveled here with several members, including a Cleric of Kord who plane shifted us here. We have dedicated our lives to the destruction of demon-kind, but this time we could not stem the hordes on this plane,” the half-ogre’s head dipped in shame, “I could not save them. So now, I stay here alone, at the mercy of the whims of the Abyss.” After explaining their quest to Grimm, the half-ogre readily agreed to join forces.  “Allow me to introduce you to the group, this is Kaurophon our guide and an accomplished arcanist. Wathros is a Druid of the Emerald Enclave, Tilly is a . . . specialist in . . . combat and . . . infiltration. Rusty is a Cleric of Mystara, the goddess of magic.” “You do mean Boccob, right?” ---------------------------------------------------------- That night any doubts concerning Grimm’s combat prowess or loyalty were put to rest as he slaughtered a group of Babau who nearly did the party in during a nighttime ambush. His towering height coupled with his lengthy spiked chain allowed him to make mince-meat of his demonic foes. Their final days of travel were filled with violence as the party had to confront additional fiendish animals, Chaos Beasts, and even a Green Slaad. However, nothing could prepare them for what they met on that final, fateful day.</blockquote>

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