Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="JollyDoc" data-source="post: 6896092" data-attributes="member: 9546">14 Lamashan, 4716 - 15 Lamashan, 4716 - The Ghost In The Machine"Now THAT is a nice bed!" Tardaesha exclaimed."You'd know," Dakota smirked. "You've seen enough of them."'Aesha swatted her playfully and the two sisters giggled like girls. The bedchamber they stood in looked as if it had possibly belonged to a high-ranking officer. The bed itself was carved of oak and had four posts. It was a masterpiece of craftsmanship. The beddings were rotten and moldering, but those could be easily replaced."Well then I guess I won't be letting you share this one with me when I claim this room as my own," Tardaesha teased Dakota."I wouldn't want to now in any case," Dakota sniffed, "not unless Roger joined us."She smiled wickedly as the anti-paladin's face went beet-red.Their exploration of the second floor of the Horn continued apace, revealing more empty or ransacked chambers. One such room was choked with ash and rubble, as if a great blaze was once set there. Amid the debris, however, Katarina fished out three stout lengths of chain bound to iron collars to well-made locks. There was also an intact mural on one wall which made it plain that the room had once belonged to the master of beasts. The painting depicted two strange-looking creatures, which the companions immediately identified as Hexor and Vexor, being summoned from the nether planes and bound using plates of iron. Dakota peered closely at the details."These amulets look different from the ones we saw them wearing," she said. "These are whole, while the ones we saw looked broken. Unless I miss my guess, the true names of the beasts are inscribed here, though I can't make them out.""Pity," Dorian said. "If we had those, then the brutes would be at our beckon-call."In another room, they discovered a human skeleton that had been nailed to one wall by a spear with a broken haft. Written above it was the phrase, "The Master of Acolytes, stealer of children. Let all who would turn to darkness see his fate and return to the light.""What's wrong with stealin' children?" Lemmy asked. "Taste like chicken."_____________________________________________________________Beyond the antechamber where they found the remains of the Master of Acolytes lay the man's private quarters. It was ransacked like everything else on the level had been, but the damage included smashing murals that had looked to illustrate the Master doing his wicked business and going amongst the people of Talingarde to steal children to serve the "Sons." There was even a sizable hole in one wall, through which could see the outside sky. The breach had allowed the aggressive greenery of the Caer Bryr, with its vines and creepers, to intrude within.It was Katarina who first spotted them. Slithering amid the vegetation were what looked to be a pair of  sickly green masses of protoplasm that sprouted thick tangles of mossy roots and gnarled vegetation from their surfaces. "We are here to free Vetra-Kali," Kat said, advancing forward with her palms spread, mimicking the approach she'd seen Roger take with the daemons. "We mean you no harm."The oozy masses began seeping out of their verdurous cover, squelching closer to the companions. As they drew nearer, Dakota began to sway on her feet."I...," she started to say, "I don't feel so...," and then she swooned and collapsed to the floor, snoring loudly. "Get out of the way, stupid girl!" Roger snarled, shouldering Kat aside. The big half-orc raised his sword and brought it down on one of the gelatinous blobs. The blade cleaved it neatly in two...and then both halves began undulating in his direction."Hey...," Kat said, stifling a huge yawn, "that was...weird..." and then she too hit the floor, her lips mumbling nonsense from a deep sleep.Roger cursed and slashed at another one of the oozes as it came in striking distance, only to have it split again. There were now four of the creatures. Suddenly, one reared up like a snake and struck at the anti-paladin. Its sticky mass wrapped around his waist and yanked him forward. Another one reached the snoozing Katarina and wrapped its mass around hers like a blanket. She woke with a scream as some sort of acidic secretion from the horrible thing began burning her flesh. Dorian took a step towards her, but then a sudden wave of somnolence washed over him and he dropped. Roger struggled to free himself from the ooze's embrace, but only managed to get himself wrapped tighter. He could feel his skin beneath his armor begin to tingle as liquid seeped between the metal plates. "Hells with it," he growled.He focused his mind and managed to raise one hand to grip the pentagram that hung around his neck. A nimbus of black fire surged around him, washing over everything in the room. The oozes recoiled from the negative energy, but it also scorched his companions. The pain of it, however, shocked both Dorian and Dakota out of their torpor. Dorian leaped to his feet, a prayer already on his lips. Fire blossomed on the palm of his hand and he hurled it into the mass of oozes where it exploded into a vast ball of roaring flame. The creatures were completely unharmed. Dakota tried to climb to her feet, but she only made it to her knees before she wavered  and dropped heavily to the floor again. A second ooze struck and snared Roger, and then the last joined in the feast on Katarina. Roger channeled the power of Asmodeus again, and this time two of the oozes shriveled and curled to ash, including one of them holding Kat. His blast woke Dakota for the second time and she finally made it to her feet. Seeing the effect of Roger's efforts, Dorian grabbed his own unholy symbol and let its power flow through him. Another ooze turned to dust, and Kat managed to roll free from the one still holding her. Before she could get clear, however, it seized her ankle. Screaming, she tried to get her feet under her, but the creature jerked her roughly back to the floor. Her head struck the stone with a sickening crack and she went still. Roger ran towards her, trying another tactic and drawing a blunt flail from his belt, casting his sword to one side. He struck the ooze and was relieved to see it shiver in pain and draw back from him. Dakota and Dorian reached Kat at the same time. Dak layed her hands on her sister's chest and let a small amount of healing power flow into her. Kat took a deep breath and then, when Dorian applied his own healing magic, she opened her eyes wide. Gasping, she rolled to her feet, a dagger already in her hand. She saw Roger battling the last ooze and she darted in, slashing with her blade. The ooze split. Roger cursed and moved towards it with his flail, but he was a second too slow. The blob struck at him, snapping his head back. He toppled backwards and collapsed into a snoozing heap. "Wake up, lover boy!" Dakota snapped, slapping the half-orc sharply.Roger raised his eyelids heavily, then quickly shook himself fully awake as he remembered their predicament. He channeled his unholy power once more and finally, blessedly, the last of the horrors shriveled and died._____________________________________________________________So drained by the battle with the oozes were the companions of the Ninth Knot, that they were forced to retreat to the lower caves for the remainder of the day and lick their wounds. They did not feel like braving the third level of the Horn just yet. The following morning, however, they were rejuvenated and ready to complete their investigation of the fortress and, with any luck, find the Seal.No stairs rose to the grand archway that gave onto the third level, but Katarina was able to make the climb from the second level without much difficulty. She lowered a rope back down to the others and they clambered up to join her. The landing platform was baroquely adorned with every surface decorated with countless daemons tormenting and triumphing over mortals foolish enough to oppose them. Prominent among those decorations, to the left of the archway, was a bas relief of Vetra-Kali. Beyond the entranceway was a large hallway with five doors. The baroque decoration continued and everywhere were more bas relief carvings of the doings of daemons. As Katarina waited for the others to join her, she bent down to examine the floor leading out into the the entrance hall. Her sharp gaze saw the seam that was cleverly hidden among the tiling. She turned to the relief of Vetra-Kali and that's when she noticed that his three eyes were even more detailed. She reached out and touched one of them, and it depressed beneath her finger. She quickly touched the other two and heard an audible click from the floor."Leave it to me to save these ungrateful siblings of mine once again," she sighed.As the others filed into the entry hall, Dorian perused the bas reliefs. There was a great deal of Abyssal writing among them which, of course, he was fluent in. The illustrations told the tale of the ascension of the daemon prince Vetra-Kali-Eats-the-Eyes. They revealed that he was a leukodaemon who, through his savagery and remorseless cruelty, had risen through the ranks to be appointed and Archdeacon of Pestilence in service to the Pale Horseman. Dorian sighed to himself.'Perhaps one day,' he thought.Arbitrarily, the companions chose the doors on the left side of the hall to explore first. They passed through a bare antechamber and a battle-blasted room beyond that and found a cellblock that looked to still be in good condition, the locks on the six cells still intact. Past this was a gigantic empty room. The only hint of its former uses were a few defaced murals that gave glimpses of wanton excesses, the most disturbing of which indicated that all of the participants were not even human nor humanoid. Finally, they arrived in another large room with no furnishings, but the walls and floor were covered in Abyssal script. The phrase, "Receive the wisdom of Abaddon," was written prominently on one curved wall. There was a circle of such script in the center of the floor that was merely the nonsense world "nen" repeated over and over again. Curious, Dakota stepped to the center of the circle and spoke the word, "Ra." She vanished, and then reappeared seconds later."The third teleporter," she declared.______________________________________________________________The group made their way back to the entry chamber and chose the central door at the far end. As ornate and baroque as the hall behind them was, it paled before the expansive and vaulted room before them. It was adorned with a riot of lurid colors. Brilliant bas reliefs depicted daemons of every sort engaged in countless acts of wanton evil, callous destruction and inhuman savagery. Rows of pews lined both sides of the area, facing a podium where, doubtless, foul sermons of Abaddon's wisdom and bile had been delivered to those gathered. At the front of the chamber were four shrines. One was white and decorated with bas reliefs of open pits of the dead and lepers crying in anguish. The second was of red stone decorated with cruel iron weaponry and scenes of slaughter. The third was black stone adorned with images of mortals wasting away from hunger and starvation. Last was a shrine of pale green decorated with a skull with two coins over its eyes and an inscription of jagged Abyssal writing which Dorian translated to read, "Behold a pale horse. Its rider is Death and all shall follow him." In the center of the shrines was a large bas relief image of Vetra-Kali sitting cross-legged and holding a vial of some sort. Below the vial was inscribed a name, "The Tears of Achlys." Vetra-Kali also held three blades and a strange jagged key with an Abyssal inscription, "Hail Vetra-Kali." Upon all the other walls were litanies of the deeds of this monster. It was Vetra-Kali who crossed the great void and came to the prime material plan to establish the Sons of the Pale Horseman. It was he who oversaw the construction of the Horn of Abaddon, and it was because of this that the Horn superficially resembled that abomination from another world.As the members of the Ninth Knot cautiously approached the shrines, a feeling of deep dread and foreboding began to creep over them. It intensified rapidly, and suddenly Lemmy's face blanched and he turned away from the fane and ran gibbering back to the entry hall. A moment later Kelvin followed, running as fast as his robes would allow. Next went Tardaesha, then Dorian and finally, even Roger, his features a mask of terror. Only Dakota and Katarina managed to reach the front of the temple. "It's a test," Dakota said hollowly. She looked around blankly for a moment, then her eyes focused on a wall to her right. "There," she said.She walked to the wall, Kat some distance behind her. She put her hands to the wall and pushed. Nothing happened."There's a door here," she said. "But I can't find a way to open it.""There was a hidden pit in the outer hall," Kat said. "I deactivated it by pressing the eyes on the carving of Vetra-Kali."Dak's eyes brightened. "I have a thought!" she said and ran to the image of the daemon prince. "Hail Vetra-Kali!" she shouted, then rapidly press all three eyes."I don't think that's such a good idea...," Kat started to say.Before she could complete her sentence, however, an opening in the formerly blank wall  abruptly appeared.Cautiously, hesitantly, Dakota walked forward through the doorway. She found herself in a large chamber that was heaped with wealth. There were solid silver furnishings, plates, silverware, goblets, candelabra, circlets, jewelry and the like, mixed with similar items made of gold. Coins of all denominations overflowed six large chests, while a seventh contained several items that glittered with the tell-tale aura of magic. In the center of the room was a small podium that rose like a claw. Between its talons it clutched a single dark radiant emerald. Standing behind this was a cloaked and hooded figure, at least 8 feet in height. Before him stood three similarly clad individuals, though they were smaller in stature. Dakota squinted her eyes. She swore she could see through the figures to the far wall of the room. Then her mind quickly snapped back to Hexor's words. Hadn't he said something about a wraith?"Hail Vetra-Kali!" she said quickly. "We have come to the Horn to restore him to his throne!"The large individual raised his head slightly, and glowing red eyes stared balefully from the shadows of his cowl."Are you part of another Knot?" a cold voice asked."Yes," Dakota nodded enthusiastically. "The Nessian Knot. Have you heard of us?""Not you specifically," the creature intoned, "but I have met another Knot...the fourth.""Aiden Kael?" Dakota asked. "You know of his fate?""Yes," the wraith nodded, and Dakota could swear she almost detected a smile in its voice. "These are what remain of his minions," he indicated the three smaller figures. "As for Kael himself, he escaped me. He did not, however, escape the daemon brothers.""We've met them," Dakota replied flatly. "Kael was a fool, and met a fool's end. We have no quarrel with you. We are here to restore Vetra-Kali.""And how will you break the Seal?" the wraith asked.  "We have learned of a ritual," Dakota replied. "We have already found two of his three eyes. Is that the third?" She nodded towards the pedestal."It is," the wraith nodded. "If what you say is true, then your life is not forfeit and you may take it. I am called Ezra, the Thrice-Damned. I was the last high priest of the Sons of the Pale Horseman. I was slain by the accursed followers of the Light, but I was not destroyed. My hate and wrath allowed me to be reborn as you see me now. Swear to me a blood oath that you will break the Seal and free Vetra-Kali, and I will not inflict the fate of Kael's Knot upon you.""I have no problem with this agreement," Dakota said, "but would you allow me to go fetch my companions? My brother is a barrister and contracts are his specialty.""Go," Ezra said, "but return quickly. My patience grows thin."Dakota and Katarina found the others cowering in the entry hall and, with some coaxing and encouragement, brought them before Ezra. Dorian listened to the wraith's conditions and found no conflict of interest with Thorn's pact. Thus, each of the companions gave their agreement and swore it in blood."Can we count on your assistance if it is needed in breaking the Seal and restoring Vetra-Kali?" Dakota asked."I will aid in whatever capacity is available to me," the wraith said."Ummm....," Katarina bit her lip, staring at the wealth accumulated around them. "There's still the matter of the third eye and...all this...,""Take it," Ezra said. "I have no need of such earthly trappings. They were secreted here merely to keep them from the followers of the Light. Indulge in your petty delights while you still draw breath."Dakota dove into the trove greedily, her eyes round in delight at all the lovely baubles. Then her gaze fell upon something in particular. She reached down into one of the chests and drew forth a pair of iron plates, each hung from a golden chain. There was a word carved upon each of them in Abyssal: Aticus and Andian. Dakota grinned broadly. The plates were perfect matches for those worn by Hexor and Vexor.</blockquote>

Verification