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Message: <blockquote data-quote="BLACKDIRGE" data-source="post: 563829" data-attributes="member: 1953">Ok, here is the second part of the battle in Sheveker's fortress. Sorry for the delay and the length. I will post the stats for Sheveker next. ************************************************The battle for Sheveker’s fortress: Part IINithrekel, Earth Mephit Small Outsider; Fighter 12/War Master1, AL N; CR 16; Year 43HD 3d8+13d10+48; hp 150; Init +2; Spd 30 ft, Fly 40 ft; AC 27 (+2 Dex, +1 size, +6 natural, +6 chain shirt, ring +2)BAB +16/+11/+6/+1; Atk +24/+19/+14/+9 melee or +19/+14/+9/+4 ranged;SV Fort +16, Ref +11, Will +10;Str 24, Dex 12 (14), Con 16, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 14(16th level stat bump, +1 to STR)Skills (82 points): Bluff +6 (7), Craft (weapon smith) +11 (13), Craft (armorer) +11 (13), Diplomacy +7 (9), Hide +6 (12), Knowledge (military tactics) +10 (12), Intimidate +4 (6), Listen +6 (7), Move Silently +6 (8), Spot +6 (7) Feats: Power Attack, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword), Weapon Focus (bastard sword), Cleave, Weapon Specialization (bastard sword), Flyby Attack, Improved Critical (bastard sword), Great Cleave, Power Critical, Sunder, Improved Initiative, Expertise, LeadershipLanguages: terran, common, dwarven, ignan, gnollArmor: +2 Minor Fortification Mithral Chain Shirt, +6 AC, 10 lbsWeapons: +3 Keen Screaming Bastard Sword: Atk +28/+23/+18/+13 melee, Dmg 1d10+1d6+15, crit 15-20/x2Javelin: Atk +19/+14/+9/+4 ranged, Dmg 1d6+7, crit x2, range 30ftClaws (2): Atk +24 melee, Dmg 1d3+7, crit x2Other Gear: potion of cure moderate wounds (2), 2 javelins of lightning, gloves of dexterity +2, ring of protection +2, ring of resistance +2Breath Weapon: 15 ft. cone of rock shards and pebbles, Dmg 1d8, reflex save for half DC 21Spell-like abilities: 1/hour – enlarge, 1/day – soften earth and stone, cast as 6th level sorcererFast Healing: Nithrekel heals 2 points of damage per round when underground or buried up to his waist in earth Summon Mephit: Once per day Nithrekel can summon another earth mephit with a 25% chance of success.Weary after the carnage wrought in the melee with Ubok Prog and his men, Nithrekel reluctantly turned to the task of facing Sheveker. He gathered his sixteen remaining captains and a force of twenty-five archers and prepared to make the final assault on the evil sorcerer. The iron bound double doors that led to Sheveker’s inner sanctum were immense, some ten feet high and at least double that across, in addition they were both covered in magical glyphs, no doubt trapped with all of the fiendish ingenuity the evil sorcerer could muster. Nithrekel pulled the magical pendant given to him by Hazergal from beneath his Mithral shirt and held it close, he feared he would have need of it soon. He did not want to waste it on the doors but he did not want to fail in his task so close to the end. As Nithrekel pondered what to do, his reverie was suddenly broken by the agonized screech of metal on stone, he turned to look at the source of the horrible noise to see the huge iron bound doors that had thwarted him moments ago slowly swinging open. The room beyond the massive doors was shrouded in a thick gloom that even Nithrekel’s dark vision could not penetrate. The mephit and his men stood in anxious silence, expecting anything including hell itself to come pouring through the dark aperture that gaped open before them, but there was only a deep prevailing stillness. Nithrekel drew his sword and called upon his innate magic to increase his size, so that he might hold his blade in one hand and Hazergal’s amulet in the other. Holding tight to Hazergal’s amulet Nithrekel led his men forward and into the smothering darkness, it was like walking through thick mud, the blackness clung to their bodies hungrily and all sight and sound was banished within the tarterian gloom. Nithrekel quickly found himself blind, mute and alone.  Nithrekel stumbled forward blindly, feeling out with his sword and hoping he would find a wall soon so that he might orient himself. He walked for what seemed like hours, numb and practically senseless in the gloom until he was sure that he would wander the nightmarish blackness for the rest of eternity. When he was certain that he should have, by now, encountered a wall or obstruction of some kind and having found nothing Nithrekel stopped and sat down on the hard stone floor. He stared into the darkness trying to discern something, anything that would give him a clue as to where he might be and just as he was about to give up and resign himself to a slow death of starvation he caught from the corner of his eye a faint glow, a tiny shimmering in the black like a torch viewed from a long distance on a dark winter night. Nithrekel got to his feet and slowly began to walk towards the light, and as he walked the point of light grew larger and larger until Nithrekel emerged from the darkness into a small well-lit room. The room was square, thirty by thirty feet, and was lit by a row of guttering torches that lined the south wall, there appeared to be no discernable exits other than the path of darkness Nithrekel had emerged from. Barren except for a single chair of polished bone on a raised dais, the room held but one other occupant, Nithrekel had found Sheveker at last.Sheveker sat in the bone chair, chin resting in one black taloned hand and regarded the stunned mephit coolly. He was not what Nithrekel had expected, this was not some deformed monstrosity born from the perverse union of demon and man. Sheveker was beautiful. The half-fiend appeared to be quite tall; if he were to stand Nithrekel guessed he would easily top seven feet in height. His skin where it was visible through his thick black robes was a deep red, unblemished and hairless. Sheveker’s face was noble with a wide clear brow, sharp straight nose and a strong square jaw, certainly what any human maiden might envision for her paramour. It was the eyes that gave Sheveker away; besides the two small horns that jutted from his brow only his eyes betrayed the sorcerer for what he was, lusterless and without pupils they were like windows into the abyss and the depths of evil that dwelled therein was limitless indeed.“So, Hazergal’s dog has found me at last”, said Sheveker softly, rising to his feet allowing Nithrekel to see that the half-fiend was even taller than he had imagined. “Well dog, I see that you bring powerful magic with you. Will you use it?” Sheveker said motioning to the amulet Nithrekel clutched tightly in his left hand. “ If we are to duel, so be it, but before you use that trinket Hazergal gave you, I ask that you let me speak for a few moments, and then you may throw your life away at my feet if that is your wont.”    Nithrekel stepped back warily from the sorcerer. “Why should I trust you, and not merely slay you where you stand?”    Sheveker threw his head back and let loose a short bark of laughter. “Slay me? Hah!” The fiendish sorcerer’s eyes blazed with evil mirth. “True, the amulet you carry might cause me some momentary discomfort but I assure you I will not be a defenseless babe holding my neck out for your blade.” Sheveker’s musical voice was laced with venom and sarcasm. “You bear no love for Hazergal, I know this. You are nothing more than a pawn to his will, bound to serve him until he has no more use for you. You do not think that my esteemed rival will simply let you flit back to your own plane once your planar contract has expired? No, he will either slay you or attempt to bind you to him once more.”    Nithrekel knew there was truth in Sheveker’s word but he feared to place any trust in the fiendish spellcaster. There was a trap here, Nithrekel was sure of it, but against his better judgment he allowed Sheveker to speak on.    Seeing that he had struck a chord with his audience, Sheveker smiled, showing his shark like teeth and spoke again. “I have no quarrel with you, mephit. You have fought honorably in the service of one you despise.” Sheveker’s predatory smiled broadened at the mock sympathy that laced his words. “ I merely wish for the same thing you do, to claim vengeance, vengeance against Hazergal for this petty rivalry that has consumed both he and I for the better part of a century.” Sheveker spoke his rivals name through clenched teeth as if it pained him to do so.     “I want to make you an offer”, Sheveker continued. “Let us, who are bound by the hatred of Hazergal, work together to throw down our tormentor. You stand little chance of defeating him without aid and now, thanks to your efforts, I lack the resources to defeat him myself.” Sheveker sat down again and folded his hands on his lap; his eyes blank and unreadable sought and held Nithrekel’s own. “You, must see the wisdom in this. For you there is no other way and for me it is the best opportunity to strike at Hazergal I have had in ages. So what say you mephit? Are we allies or must we waste this opportunity with more senseless violence?”    Nithrekel knew the fiendish sorcerer was no trustworthier than Hazergal, but his hatred of the mephit’s master might hold him true to this one endeavor. As fragile as it was, this was hope and it was hope that drove Nithrekel’s decision. “Very well, Sheveker. You speak truth, I hate Hazergal above all else and I have no desire to fight two archmages in this lifetime.” Nithrekel sheathed his sword and stepped defiantly closer to the sorcerer. “Tell me what you have in mind”.    Sheveker grinned, “I knew there was reason in you mephit. Here is what I propose. Return to Hazergal and tell him that when you used your amulet the disjunction set of a powerful chain reaction within my defensive spells and I was immolated in a backlash of magical energy.” Sheveker paused to make sure Nithrekel had heard him correctly. “He will believe this, as these things are entirely possible. Besides he will be so overjoyed with my demise he will not ask too many questions.” Sheveker paused, his brow wrinkling in thought. “You will need some proof however” At this Sheveker removed a golden ring from his right index finger, and flipped it to Nithrekel who caught it deftly with his right hand. “This ring bears my the mark of my patron, Grazzt. I have never removed it and Hazergal knows that it bears a special significance to me. I would not give it up idly. It should appease Hazergal if he as any doubt of the validity of your tale.”    “There is one flaw here” Nithrekel interrupted. “ I cannot work directly against Hazergal. I have tried in the past but the planar contract that binds me does not allow for any dissension. Hazergal bade me defeat you and I must obey him.”    Sheveker’s eyes blazed with sudden fury. “Am I not defeated?!” He boomed. “My army is shattered, my fortress in the hands of my enemies, what more could you take from me!” Sheveker raged. And then as suddenly as it had come the rage left Sheveker leaving only a smoldering hatred that filled the room with the shadow of its malevolence. “No, mephit. You have done your job well.” Sheveker whispered, sarcasm and hatred dripping from his tongue.    “Fine, that still leaves me to do battle against a being I cannot raise a hand against, and even if I could how would I defeat him. I have no spell craft of my own.” Nithrekel remarked hastily, attempting to pull the volatile sorcerer back to a safer subject.    Sheveker brightened a bit and pulled another ring off of his finger, he held the plain iron ring up for Nithrekel to see clearly. “This is a ring of spell deflection, coupled with the amulet you have it should give you fighting chance against Hazergal. I have battled with Hazergal before and he favors direct aggressive tactics. If you are lucky he will begin with a lightning bolt or a disintegration spell, the ring will deflect such a spell back upon him and hopefully we shall have our vengeance.” Sheveker allowed a small malicious smile to crease his lips at the thought of his rival reduced to a pile of ash or scorched by his own lightning bolt. “ Even if he survives, the shock and pain of such a spell will prevent him from spellcasting for a few seconds, which should give you ample time to bring your blade to bear.”    “Very well, give me the ring”, said Nithrekel holding his open hand out to accept the powerful magic item.    “I am no fool, Mephit”, hissed Sheveker at Nithrekel’s proffered hand. “You shall have the ring when I am gone.” With this Sheveker placed the ring on the bone chair behind him and then quickly intoned the words of an incantation. “Good luck mephit, perhaps we shall meet again under friendlier circumstances.” And then Sheveker disappeared, leaving Nithrekel alone to ponder the wisdom of his decision.Hours later Nithrekel emerged from the darkness of Sheveker’s inner sanctum to the shocked faces of his captains, who had though him surely slain by the vile sorcerer. Nithrekel proclaimed that he had found Sheveker within the darkness and after a fierce battle had struck him down.  Nithrekel’s men loosed a booming cheer for the bravery of their commander and proceeded to loot the broken keep. Nithrekel allowed his men to do as they pleased; he had gained the only treasure he desired in the depths of Sheveker’s tower. After forty-three years of misery he had found hope again at last.</blockquote>

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