NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="maddman75" data-source="post: 167733" data-attributes="member: 2673">Rings and WishesSorry for the long delay - every time I'd go to update, the boards would be down!  Anyway, here's the next installment.------------------------------------------------------------------------------The hobgoblin introduced himself as Rel.  According to him, the shaman of the tribe was in leauge with a demon.  It had the power to control the minds of the tribesmen and led them to assault the dwarves.  He himself was under the demon's thrall.  At the end of the battle, this power waned and he regained himself.  He saw the other tribesmen walking toward the inner keep, and decided to get out.  The shaman and the faith of Hextor - which taught that the strongest should always rule - had led his tribe to destruction.Helios took Rel into his protection for the time being.  The hobgoblin offered no resistance.  The dwarven cleric suggested that they make their way to Hook hill.  They put the Anvil on a large platform and carried it out, the relic protecting them from the psionic impulses emanating from deep within the mine.Once back in town, they consulted Curate Malken.  He spent a few days pouring over his tomes before coming up with an answer.  He believed that the source of the psionic impulses came from an illithid god-brain that had laid dormant until this mind flayer wizard had reawakened it.  He also knew of a dungeon nearby said to contain a collection of magical rings.  The former owner was a wizard who was paranoid about someone taking control of his closest advisors.  So he had several rings constructed that would protect their wearer from such effects.  The group set off to retrieve the rings.  The dungeon was only a few days march from town.About halfway there, two bears came up out of the brush at the heros.  These were no ordinary bears, but large and fierce dire bears.  The group hadn't fought any such threat before, and underestimated them badly.Helios charged in with his shield.  The bear promptly snatched him up and ripped his throat out, dropping him to the ground unceremoniously.  The rest of the group stood in shock at the easy defeat of one of their fiercest warriors.Beltar and Ameril charged in, with Rel leaping in and out of the bears' reach.  Coal and Coop leapt and tumbled about, keeping the bears confused with enemies on either side.  Jellyroll fired arrows while Rytalyn threw lightning over the groups' heads.They put the bears down and carried Helios back to town.  Curate Malken managed to call his soul back from Arcadia, but he was weakened from the experience.  The group set out again, this time more wary of the wildlife.The dungeon was simply built.  There was a group of ogres near the entrance, which the group quickly dispatched.  They were willing to give up information for their lives.  They only knew that the lower levels were hot.  One of the ogres managed to break open the lock and go down there.  He was burned, and said something about 'hot rock men' down there.  The lock seems to restore itself occasionally.Ameril broke out his picks and made short work of the lock.  They descended the stairs, finding this area made of dark red stone.  The stairway led into a large chamber with three fire pits.  A short humanoid stepped out of each one, seeminly made of lava.  They gave off an unbearable heat.After a few arrows and magic missiles, the magmin were put down.  There were two doors now, each on the far wall.  They opened the right hand door first and stepped inside.Inside this was a room, about twenty foot square.  Nothing in it at all.  Coop picked up the Gem of Seeing from his necklace and gave the room a quick glance.  The wall was illusonary, and behind it was a twelve foot tall humanoid with red skin and flaming eyes.  He had a silver scimitar at his side and an iron key around his neck.  He sighed, and dropped the illusion.The efreeti looked at them and said "You know I can't give you this key."The group looked at him menacingly.  Vartan spoke up.  "There's a set of rings in here.  We need them.  Is the key what protects them?""I cannot tell you about what the key opens."They back out of the room to discuss options.  They open the other door and find a large hydra, trapped behind a narrow bridge.  A few arrows and lightning bolts later, they are at the door.  It is sealed with powerful magics, and to none of the characters' suprise there is a large iron lock.They return to the genie and ask him about his origins.  He says that the wizard who summoned him bound him to guard the key to the inner chamber for a thousand years.  He only has a year left, so he's not about to blow it now.  He draws his sword and says "You aren't getting the key.  Either I'll kill you, or you'll leave with your lives."The rest of the group filed in behind Vartan and Helios.  The efreet started to look a little less sure.  "Look...I'm sure your mission is very important.  But I've got to finish my term!  Tell you what.  I'll grant you three wishes if you agree leave this dungeon and never return.Helios perked up.  "Did you say wishes?"</blockquote>

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