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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JollyDoc" data-source="post: 6896097" data-attributes="member: 9546">1 Neth, 4716 - 14 Neth, 4716 - They Never Should Have Come HereHallack Amon was born in Farholde, and had dreamed of escaping that backwater since he  could stand. He worked for more than a decade as a soldier of the watch tower, rising to the rank of sergeant. Finally he scraped together enough coin to leave town forever and at last see the great cities of the south. Then fate intervened. Amon's father died and Hallack inherited the family debt. He could have simply fled, but he was too honorable. The entirety of his savings paid the debt, but only barely. When the Horn blew, Hallack was sitting in a local tavern contemplating what to do next. There was a war on, so he could certainly reenlist, but that would mean years more of his life gone, and who knew if he would even survive? After all, few who had faced the Fire-Axe had lived to tell the tale. From the window of the tavern he saw the great spire of light and knew almost instinctively that destiny was calling him. He gathered a small group of local heroes and immediately planned a strike on the revealed Horn of Abaddon to find the legendary lost treasure. Surely this would be a great heroic endeavor. _______________________________________________________One of the many things Hallack Amon and his associates were ignorant of was the fact that they were being watched from the moment they left Farholde. When the warning from the White Ravens came, Tardaesha sent Knick-Knack flying back to town to monitor the most direct route to the Horn. Once he'd spotted the adventurers, the little daemon floated along invisibly above them, making sure they stayed on course. When he was certain of their progress, he zipped ahead of them and returned to the Horn to inform his mistress.Tardaesha was not in favor of waiting for the do-gooders to come to them when they could easily be dealt with via ambush. Her companions agreed, but Dakota and Lemmy elected to stay behind just in case something should go wrong. Dorian did, however, bring Artephius along with him, and Roger rode mounted upon Carnitheria Rex. As the Knot moved off into the Caer Bryr, Katarina ranged out ahead, still in sight of her friends, but otherwise cleverly hidden in the foliage and undergrowth. It wasn't long until she spotted the adventurers, hacking their way through the shrubbery, oblivious to what they were walking into. Kat turned and gave a silent signal to her friends and family, then pointed. Kelvin nodded and then conjured a fireball bead. He let fly with it, estimating roughly the position that Kat had indicated. He was rewarded by the sounds of screaming coming from the direction of the explosion, and by Kat's enthusiastic thumbs-up.That was Roger's signal as well. As the fireball plumed into the air, he spurred Rex forward into a full gallop. The nightmare leapt easily over fallen logs and his flaming hooves burned away any tangling vines in his path. He charged into the clearing where the adventurers were still slapping at their smoldering clothing and quaffing healing elixirs as fast as they could open them. "That's our loot you're drinking," Roger growled. The would-be heroes looked up, startled, and saw the burly half-orc, clad head-to-toe in plate armor, astride his pitch-black steed, smoke pouring from its nostrils and fire wreathing its hooves. To his credit, Hallack Amon did not hesitate for long. He drew his sword and charged headlong towards Roger, the dwarf Yorgun on his heels, wielding a massive, two-handed hammer. As they closed in, Rex's nostrils flared, and he exhaled a cloud of yellowish-green, noxious smoke into their path. Hallack and Yorgun began coughing violently, momentarily stopped in their tracks as their eyes welled up with stinging tears. Suddenly, a flash of movement caught Roger's eye from his left. He hauled on the reins trying to warn Rex, but he was a fraction of a second too slow. James O'Toole loomed up beside the nightmare, and he cocked back one meaty fist and slugged the horse squarely in the jaw. Katarina zeroed in on the Iomedaen nun, Sister Marta, who was still trying to put her robes out. Kat darted towards her and struck her across the temple with the pommel of her dagger. She knew they had to take the nun alive. They needed her for the ritual. Marta backed away, momentarily stunned by the attack. Bianca DeVallya seized the sleeve of her habit from behind."We have to get clear!" she hissed at her companion.Marta nodded and turned to run with her friend. Kat grinned evilly and set off after them.Carnitheria Rex wheeled on James and sank his pointed teeth into the big man's shoulder. The brawler shrieked in pain and then promptly began choking as the nightmare breathed smoke directly into his face. Roger dismounted in one fluid motion, and drew his sword as he landed. As James O'Toole staggered backwards, swiping at his streaming eyes, the anti-paladin opened a large gash across his belly.  Suddenly, another shape loomed up behind James."This vessel has been commanded to murder you," Artephius whispered in a voice eerily similar to that of Halthus. The golem then slammed one fist into Jame's back, spewing a gout of greenish goo from its fist when it connected, which instantly wrapped around the brawler's arms and legs, entangling him in its mesh.On Rex's opposite flank, Hallack and Yorgun had recovered sufficiently from their coughing spells to risk moving in on the great beast. Hallack shouted, and when Rex turned towards him, the soldier slashed the nightmare across its neck, sending great geysers of black blood spraying in all directions."Hah! Ye showed him, boy!" Yorgun hooted. "Now it's my tur.....aaarrrggghh!"Hallack spun about at his friend's cry of anguish and saw the smiling face of Tardaesha standing behind the dwarf, one hand clamped on his shoulder and dark energy pulsing through his body. Bianca paused in her flight and turned back towards the battle. Her friends were not faring well. This wasn't at all how this was supposed to have gone. She quickly unslung her lute from her back and began to strum its strings, picking out a rousing tune to inspire her companions. She'd just settled into her rhythm when Katarina abruptly emerged from the shadows of a nearby tree and plunged her dagger into the bard's back. James O'Toole may have taken on all comers at the Farholde fair, but he was no fool. He knew when he was in over his head. He turned, still bleeding and coughing, and fled into the woods. Carnitheria Rex, his blood boiling from pain and rage, took off after him. The brawler had made it no further than a dozen yards, though, when Artephius hurled an orb of viscous green fluid at his back. Just before it struck, however, James spun and knocked it out of the air with one deft flick of his wrist. His triumphant smile faded a moment later as all of the muscles in his body suddenly went rigid."He's all yours," Dorian called to Rex, satisfied with the results of his prayer of holding. Rex snorted and closed rapidly to the paralyzed man. He turned his rump to James then lashed out with both rear hooves, and kicked him into a nearby tree trunk where he slumped to the ground, unconscious.Tardaesha pushed Yorgun towards Hallack, and when the soldier reached out reflexively to catch his friend, she ran at him and brought her sword down onto his shoulder where it bit deeply. He reeled backwards, releasing Yorgun, and that's when Tardaesha pulled her blade free and then rammed it through Hallack's throat. His eyes went wide in disbelief as he clutched feebly at his neck, trying to staunch the spray of blood there. His efforts didn't last long."No!!" Bianca cried out in anguish as she saw her lover fall.Instinctively, Marta moved towards Hallack, even though she knew it was far too late. As she stepped past Katarina, however, the rogue struck her a solid blow to her temple, again using the pommel of her dagger. The nun staggered, but kept her feet. She pushed at Kat, trying to escape, but the youngest Dannister could smell blood in the water at this point. She chased after the priestess, laughing and taunting her. For her part, Bianca was focused solely on Hallack's murderer. She spun the words of a spell into her song, hoping to snare Tardaesha with the same magic that had trapped James. The anti-paladin was made of sterner stuff, however, and she shook off the effects of the dweomer. Still, 'Aesha loved a challenge and was glad to see the bard had a little fight left in her. She turned away from Yorgun, still unsteady on his feet."Where ye goin', bitch?" the dwarf snarled. "Ye killed my drinking buddy! I'll gut ya from stem to...,"His rant was abruptly cut off when Roger thwacked him across the back of his head. His eyes rolled up into their sockets as he dropped like a log. Tardaesha turned her attention back to Bianca. Gripping her sword in both hands she rushed across the clearing, lips skinned back from her teeth in a battle snarl. Bianca blanched and tried to raise her lute up protectively. 'Aesha's blade smashed through it and almost through the bard's right arm. In shock, Bianca tried to stagger away but was brought up short when she backed into the iron frame of Artephius. She turned her head slowly, looking up into the one-eyed metal face with the disembodied brain floating in fluid above it. That was the last thing she ever saw before the golem crushed her spine.Sister Marta was all alone now. Despite all of her training, she was afraid. Where was Iomedae? Why hadn't her goddess warned them? Protected them? For the first time since taking her vows she felt...doubt. The evil woman still pursued her, the knives in her hands gleaming wickedly. Marta glanced a risk over her shoulder to see how far back she was, but when she turned forward again, she ran headlong into what felt like a solid wall. Shaking her head to clear it, she looked up and saw the blood-red eyes and smoking nostrils of Carnitheria Rex looming over her. The nightmare reared up on its back legs and sent one of his front hooves into her forehead. Then...darkness.____________________________________________________________"Beautiful!" Tardaesha exclaimed as she held up each of the three black diamonds to the light, watching the flames from the torches dance across their facets. "Well done, Knick-Knack! Mommy is so proud!"She caressed the toothsome little monster, who purred beneath her fingertips. After the one-sided battle with the foolish adventurers, Dorian had staunched Yorgun the dwarf's wounds, then shackled him, James O'Toole and Marta together and dragged them back to the Horn. Dakota had the boggards take them to her newly renovated "interrogation" chamber, where she went to work on the two males. James buckled quickly, but the dwarf was tougher. Still, even he couldn't hold up long under Dakota's tender mercies. She made Marta watch all of it, so that when it came her turn, the young nun was more than willing to spill any information that she had. Not that it amounted to much. It turned out that they really were just treasure-seekers, and Marta was not on any direct mission from the Abbey of St. Cynthia-Celeste. When she was finished, Dakota slit the throats of both Yorgun and James, again witnessed by Marta, and then Tardaesha let Knick-Knack devour their souls, imprisoning them in the black gems, just as he had done with the departing soul of Hallack Amon. Afterwards, Marta was escorted by the boggard guards to the holding cells on the third level of the mountain, there to await her fate. WEEK 3The news from Farholde was mostly quiet, though there was a rumor about a local prostitute that had disappeared, only to reappear the next evening, very dead and gruesomely dissected. Elise Zadaria also sent word that the Abbey of St. Cynthia-Celeste had posted a reward of 500 gold coins for any information leading to the whereabouts of one of their order who'd gone missing. A young nun by the name of Marta.WEEK 4A simple written missive from Elise arrived via courier: "New adventurers in town calling themselves Brendam's Breakers. They have been broken. No further difficulties."14 Neth, 4716 - 10 Kuthona, 4716 -Vengeance By NightWEEK 5Kelvin was sleeping where he'd set up temporary accommodations at the base of the spiral staircase that wound up to the high sanctum. His fitful slumber was interrupted by the sound of a soft 'ping' that seemed as if it came from his ears, but actually originated in his subconscious. His eyes opened instantly. One of his alarms had been triggered. "Hexor," he called out to the daemon standing guard over him, "notify your brother that we have an intruder. Have him use the Eye of Vigilance to see the second level entrance."Hexor's eyes went distant for a moment as he mentally communed with his sibling. "He sees them," the daemon said after several long seconds. "He says there are two of them. Large, white-furred hounds. He says he recognizes them: moon dogs!""What, pray tell, are moon dogs?" Kelvin asked calmly."Celestial curs!" Hexor spat. "They roam the planes hunting down our kind. The Horn must have drawn their attention.""More's the pity for them," Kelvin smiled. "Broadcast this information to everyone. Tell Vexor to keep tracking them."A moment later a mental bellow sounded to all the occupants of the Horn as Vexor called for general quarters. 'They have bypassed the warding glyph in the second level entry corridor,' he continued, narrating the movements of the interlopers. 'Hah! They seem stymied by the open pit, however.'"Good thing we never got around to repairing that," Kelvin muttered.'They are backtracking!' Vexor shouted. 'Moving down to the first level! Aha! Got those bitches! The second warding glyph was much more effective!'"Very well," Kelvin said. "Keep the updates coming. Tell the others I will join them in the lower temple. It seems that's where our guests are headed."________________________________________________________________The moon dog sisters Bethaniel and Darus Dandra were daughters of the Prince of the Moon himself. They were self-appointed vanquishers of evil who kept their own counsel and bowed to no authority on the prime material plane. The pair had long stalked the forests of the Caer Bryr, cleansing it of any corruption they found, dedicated to seeing the forest remained unsullied and pristine. When they sensed the doings at the Horn of Abaddon, the sisters knew that this was their calling. Unbeknownst to the members of the 9th Knot, they did not come alone. Calliaste Shanda was a lillend who had come to the prime material plane centuries ago on an errand for the Prince of the Moon. That mission took her deep within the Caer Bryr and there she fell in love. Her original task long since completed, Calliaste tarried in the forest, reveling in the splendor of the grand and unspoiled wilderness. For her, the woodlands had a music of their own and she was enthralled by its ever-renewing harmonies. She knew the Dandra sisters well, and when they came to her with news of the Horn's awakening, the first person she reached out to was her long-time friend, the treant, Jurak the Elder. Imagine her shock, horror, grief and rage when she discovered that her ally had been murdered. So it was that Calliaste gathered her elven consorts to her and made the journey across the Caer Bryr with the moon dogs to the source of the new evil that had bloomed in the heart of her home.____________________________________________________________'Something is coming,' Bethaniel spoke telepathically into her sister's mind. 'Something wicked.''I sense it too,' Darus replied. 'It is not alone. Be prepared.'The moon dogs sank into the deep shadows behind the enormous pillars of the lower temple and waited, cloaked in spells of invisibility. When the first enemy glided into the chamber, even their brave hearts quailed momentarily. The giant, hooded wraith was a presence of pure malevolence, and as his baleful, glowing eyes turned towards Bethaniel's hiding place, an involuntary low whine sounded from her throat.Katarina slipped quietly and unseen into the temple behind Ezra Thrice-Damned. She had been warned by Vexor that the intruders were invisible, and so she had used one of her many wands to grant herself the ability to see the unseen. She spotted the dog-creatures easily enough and began moving stealthily towards the nearest one. Just then, a loud clanging and banging from behind her announced the arrival of Dorian and his alchemical golem, Artephius. Katarina winced at the clamor, but she knew it would serve to distract the moon dogs from her approach. It would also give Dakota, who had entered behind Dorian, the time to get in position to ply her bow with greatest efficiency. All was going according to plan, right up until the moment when the moon dogs revealed themselves and conjured up ten-foot tall walls of molten lave across the center of the chamber._______________________________________________________________Lemmy awoke in a daze, his head pounding and his ears ringing. It took him several moments to remember where exactly he was. He was lying on the floor of the Death's Head Tavern, which he'd taken upon himself to begin renovating. Several empty tankards lay scattered around him, and when he sniffed at one of them, it came back to him. He'd been sampling his latest batch of Lemmy's Hard Lemonade, and he'd even invited a couple of the boggards to join him. He looked around and spied them passed out on the other side of the bar. "Progress," he grumbled, hauling himself to his feet. "Not quite there yet, though."From somewhere in the distance he thought he heard the faint sounds of shouting and...barking? Then he remembered the strange dream he'd been having just before he woke up. A demon or some such was yelling in his ear about being invaded by dogs."Damn it ta Hells," he grumbled, reaching for his boots. He pulled open the door that led out into the hallway just as Roger was emerging from a room across the corridor where he'd taken up residence. The half-orc was fully kitted out, his sword in hand."Was' happenin'?" Lemmy slurred."Intruders," Roger said. "Must have been some party you and the frog boys had last night.""Don't remember much," the dwarf muttered.Roger just smirked."Come on," he said, starting off down the hall. "Sounds like they already started without us."The two friends hurried towards the sounds of combat, but as they rounded a corner into the main hall that led to the lower temple, a strange sight met them. From an intersecting corridor emerged a half-dozen elves, three male and three female. They were dressed in soft leathers, dyed in subtle greens and browns, and they carried short bows in their hands, with short swords hanging from their hips. "Elves!" Lemmy growled, hatred burning in his eyes.Roger began moving towards them, but slowed when a seventh figure appeared behind the elves. From the waist up, she had the form of a beautiful, dark-skinned elven woman with golden, feathered wings sprouting from her back, but from the waist down her body was that of a great serpent. "Murderers!" she hissed when she spotted the two members of the Knot.______________________________________________________________Ezra glided effortlessly through one of the great pillars on that ran down the walls of temple, avoiding the lava walls entirely. When he emerged on the far side, Darus jerked in surprise. The dread wraith reached out one pale hand and wrapped it around the moon dog's throat. She yelped and shrieked, struggling to break free of the bone-chilling grip. She began to howl...an ear-splitting sound that grated the nerves of every living creature within earshot. A moment later, Bethaniel joined in. Katarina and Dorian instinctively grabbed the sides of their heads, trying to block the horrible noise. It didn't help, and the siblings' nerve broke. Both of them, panic spreading across their faces, turned and fled from the temple as fast as they could run._______________________________________________________________One of the male elves slammed backwards into the wall as Lemmy's kinetic blast broke almost every bone in his body, and he slumped limply to the floor. "Yearrrgggh!" the dwarf then howled as a pair of white-fletched arrows took him in his lower back."Yes, my loves!" Calliaste sang. "Destroy them! Death to evil!!""You and what army, sister?" Lemmy growled.He limped a step towards the lillend, his hands outstretched, and then sent a barrage of earth and stone into her face. He screamed again as the bows of the elves twanged and another volley of arrows struck home. "Little help here, boy!" he snarled at Roger. "On it!" Roger shouted. The big half-orc rushed down the hall, his sword gripped tightly in both hands. Calliaste saw him coming, but it was too late. She was too big to evade swiftly. Roger's blade began to glow with black light as he called upon the unholy power of Asmodeus to smite his foe. He cut her a vicious blow, right across where her elven torso met her serpentine one, and golden blood spewed like a fountain.______________________________________________________________Bethaniel dashed towards where the wraith still menaced her sister, and as she ran, her howl changed in timber. A dense mist sprang up around her and soon engulfed Darus and the undead horror as well.'Now, sister!' she shouted through their mental link.'Not without tagging this bastard first!' Darus snarled.Her own voice howled again, a different note as well, and white, holy energy flared around her like a nimbus. Ezra shrank back from the painful light, and Darus darted quickly away from him. She emerged triumphant on the far side of her sister's obscuring fog...and found herself face-to-face with Kelvin."Bad dog," the wizard sneered as he cast a cascade of arcane bolts in her direction.They struck her full on, and in her already weakened state, she collapsed in a heap, mid-stride. ________________________________________________________________Another of Calliaste's consorts fell before Lemmy's onslaught, and then another bow twanged, but that time it was one of the elves who cried out. As he fell, Lemmy was delighted to see Dakota standing further down the corridor. She threw him a sly wink. More bowstrings snapped behind him, and the dwarf's brief smile faltered. He now had seven arrows sprouting from various parts of his body, and he was losing blood quickly. He didn't care. He thrusts his fists forward and his blast turned the last of the male elves into a meat sack. "Fall back, my loves!" Calliaste called to her remaining two consorts.As she sang, she faded from view. __________________________________________________________________Bethaniel lifted her muzzle to the sky and howled in anguish the moment she sensed her sister's death. White fire blazed from her as well, but she knew the battle was lost. She needed to retreat and regroup with Calliaste. She darted for the door, but the wraith loomed up before her, his touch like a shard of ice to her soul. Then a ball of fire exploded around her as the accursed wizard who had slain Darus joined the fray. Her fur scorched and smoking, the moon dog didn't stop running. She fled from the temple and down the wide corridor beyond. Ahead, she spotted a burly figure in black plate armor blocking the hall, his back to her. She ducked her head low and dashed between his legs, the exit just ahead of her.'Hexor! Stop her!' Kelvin called telepathically to the ceustodaemon. Hexor heard and obeyed. In the literal blink of an eye, he vanished from the upper sanctum and reappeared at the entrance to the first level an instant later, just as Bethaniel rounded the last corner. She saw him too late, her feet sliding out from under her as she tried to stop in her tracks. Then the daemon opened his fanged maw, and a cone of raw electricity enveloped her. At least she would see her father and sister again soon.As Kelvin strode purposefully down the hallway, he saw Roger battling a pair of female elves who were blocking the hall to the level's entrance. Almost casually, he flicked a fireball in their direction, instantly incinerating the two. Roger charged down the hallway, making for the entrance, but when he got there, he found only Hexor standing over the dead moon dog."Where is she?" Roger shouted."Who?" Hexor asked. "The dog? She's right there. The dead one.""No, not her!" Roger said in exasperation. "The winged snake woman! She came this way!""Not that I saw," Hexor shrugged."Damn it to Hells!" Roger snapped. "That means she's still out there somewhere. I'm sure we haven't seen the last of her."___________________________________________________________WEEK 6"Yes, I think these will do nicely," Kelvin said, looking up at the cluster of brilliant vermillion blossoms that adorned the entrance to the maw.The delicate flowers seemed to be flourishing, despite the deepening darkness of the skies as the ritual progressed."What are they?" Dorian asked."Immature assassin vines," his brother replied with a grin. "It appears their growth rate has been greatly accelerated. Likely because of the enormous amount of raw magic pooling around the Horn. At their current rate of growth they will be fully mature within the week...and dangerous.""What don't you just burn them away?" Dorian shrugged. "Can't risk them eating our boggards.""Oh I think I can find another use for them," Kelvin said. "Especially after the latest incursion into our abode. You already sealed off the entrance to the third level with your stone shaping magic, but that still leaves the first and second level unwarded. I propose that we place these two beauties there. What a nasty little surprise for our next band of trespassers!"Dorian looked puzzled. "Aren't assassin vines mobile? What's to keep them from simply wandering off?""I'm sure Dakota has some extra chains down in her little dungeon. We can secure them to the wall or floor. They'll have to fed, of course, but I'm sure that won't be a problem."_______________________________________________________________WEEK 7A courier arrived at the beginning of the week, but it was surprisingly not with a message about another imminent attack. Instead, it was an invitation to a party. A birthday party to be specific. Baron Vandermir's 105th. All of Farholde's movers and shakers were sure to be there. "I think I'll decline," Kelvin said in a bored tone. "But I'll be sure to send a nice card.""I ain't goin' to no hoity-toity party for no damned half-breed elf!" Lemmy chimed in. "Don't worry, my friend," Roger slapped the dwarf on the back. "I'll be sure and drink enough for the both of us!""Not my idea of a party," Dakota said. "I'm sure there won't be a single whip or prod to be found in the whole place!""Ditto," Tardaesha agreed. "Don't want to risk spreading any unfortunate infections amongst Farholde's well-heeled, do we? At least not yet...,""I'll go along," Dorian offered. "I think it would be nice to be back in civilization, even for an evening. Who knows? We might pick up some interesting gossip along the way.""Have fun with that," Kat smirked. "If I'm walking all the way back to Farholde, there had better be a big pay day at the end of the journey.""Guess it's just you and me then," Roger said to Dorian. "Make sure you wear your best!"_____________________________________________The soiree turned out to be the typical see-and-be-seen affair that the rich and famous simultaneously loved and abhorred, yet all-in-all, Dorian and Roger found it quite enlightening. For instance, Dorian overheard several conversations about one of the nuns from the abbey of Saint Cynthia-Celeste having gone missing, and idle speculation as to whether that had anything to do with the strange lights and rumblings from the Horn of Abaddon. For his part, Roger was introduced via Elise Zadaria to Sir Valin Darian, the acting commander of Hamorhall in the absence of Lord Argus Welshire."Did you know that Sir Valin is a member of House Darius, and a direct descendant of the Victor himself!?" Elise gushed, clutching one of the blushing knight's arms."Really?" Roger nodded with unfeigned interest. "That is remarkable! What do you make of all these rumors about that strange mountain in the Caer-Bryr? The one your famous ancestor invaded so long ago?""I am itching to go there myself," Sir Valin grumbled, "but my current duties do not allow such an absence. Would that I had more men at my disposal.""Indeed," Roger sipped at his drink. "Talingarde could use more men like you, Commander. Men who get things done! I'll wager we wouldn't be having all of these problems.""Just so," Valin agreed. ___________________________________________________________As Roger and Dorian said their goodbyes and prepared to return to the Horn to report their findings, Elise Zadaria slipped a folded note into the half-orc's hand."Heads up," she murmured as she walked away.Roger waited until they were well on their way back to look at the missive.'To the Ninth:  A new group of adventurers are in town. They are too visible to attack directly. They assault the Horn soon, unsure of the exact time of arrival. They mentioned something about the "center eye." The third level entry? Traya DeMarco is the leader. A sorceress of some sort. Hassan J'raaq is a strange foreign barbarian with red skin, horns and a large curved sword. Tasker Twelve-Knives is a half-orc knife specialist with a weakness for pretty women, and Posca the Merchant is a dwarven cleric of Abadar. Greedy above all else---Z.'</blockquote>

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