Ziona
First Post
Raging Mad
“This is unbelievable,” said Dent solemnly.
“Well, we can’t carry them with us,” Gorthat sighed. “I’m sure nothing is going to happen to them here. After all, they do look like statues.”
“Statues that I’m sure the followers of Gruumsh would gladly defile if given the chance,” snapped Gideon.
“We can carry them,” interrupted Gnettles. “I can levitate them wherever we go, so that they are never left behind.”
“That’s great,” said Dent. “We need to take them back to town if we’re going to have them restored. Will your spell hold out that long?”
“Back to town?” asked Gorthat. “I thought we were going to go deeper into the dungeon to find this Doc Midnight fellow?”
“That was before Ziona and Haley became statues,” Dent huffed. “We cannot keep traveling like this…we’re losing everyone…”
“It’s okay, Dent,” said Lox comfortingly. “I’m still here.”
“Sorcerer, get your spell ready,” said Gideon. “We’re heading back to town.”
The remaining heroes made their way back to the stream and unfolded the boat. Gnettles was already levitating with the statues, which left Dent, Lox, Gideon, and Gorthat the boat. They began traveling downstream again, hoping to locate a way to get back to the surface. After a short boat ride, they came upon another beach, where a dark-haired woman was wielding a great sword against a horde of goblins. On the opposite side of the stream was another beach with gigantic doors. A bridge farther down the stream connected the two.
“We must help the lady in distress!” cried Gorthat.
The half-orc leapt from the boat and landed on the beach. Something about the way the woman moved and swung her sword seemed peculiar to the bard, but he ran in to help her regardless.
Dent and Gideon climbed off the boat, while Lox and Gnettles remained with the boat to keep it from floating down stream.
Somehow, it seemed that the woman wasn’t in need of help. As the heroes approached, the woman hacked down a goblin in a single blow, then turned and cleaved into the next two! Then the woman was actually struck by one of the wretched goblins, and the most peculiar thing began happening. The woman bellowed angrily as if possessed by an ogre! Her pupils dilated and she began to froth at the mouth in her frenzy. She chopped down goblins as if they were saplings, and then turned to see the half-orc Gorthat standing at her side.
“Nnnnnaaaaarrrrrgggggnnhhhhhhhh!!!!”
The strange woman turned and drove her great sword into Gorthat. His allies froze for a second with shock, then ran up to the woman to prevent her from dicing him up like she had her other foes.
Gorthat fell to the ground bleeding. Gnettles saw his friend in need, and having no healing gifts, decided it would be best to turn the half-orc into something less threatening to the woman. The gnome cast Polymorph Other and Gorthat became a frog!
“Wow! A frog!” cried Lox. “Can you turn me into something, Gnettles? Plllleeeeaaaase?”
The woman slowly started to calm down as she saw the human and the half-elf approaching her.
“What in the Abyss are you doing here?” shouted Dent. “Can’t you see the man was trying to aid you?”
“That abomination is not a man,” said the woman. “He is part orc…and you must be mad if you travel with such filth.”
“He is a good man, who fights against evil. You know nothing of him,” said Dent.
“I know his kind, and they are evil…every last one!”
“Who are you? What are you doing in Rappan Athuk?” asked Gideon with anger.
“I am Nola Ravenheart of the Black Raven Tribe,” she said coolly. “I have come to challenge the evils of this dungeon to prove my worth.”
“Hope they carve that on your headstone,” said Gideon. “Let’s get out of here.”
Gideon and Dent turned to leave, and Nola sheathed her sword. Meanwhile, Gnettles cast Dispel Magic, and the frog became Gorthat once again. Just as Gorthat turned to chide Nola for her actions, the giant doors on the other beach burst open. Five hulking orcs lumbered through the doors, one of them carrying a middle-aged human female.
The largest orc stepped forward and pointed at Gorthat. “Son! You can’t leave yet!”
“You see?” spat Nola. “He’s in league with the orcs!”
“Your mother for the half-drow…Lolth will reward us greatly for this, my son,” growled the massive orc.
Dent turned to face Gorthat, and the orc holding the woman throws her to the ground. The ranger realized the woman must be the half-orc’s mother by his reaction to her pain.
“Join us in defeating them, Gorthat,” hissed Dent. “Don’t do this. We can defeat them.”
“You have lost your family, ranger,” spat Gorthat. “Do not make me lose mine!”
“This is all the family I have left!” yelled Dent.
“I’ll not wait while you bargain with that creature,” warned Nola. “I am here for my own purposes, not for this.”
“Shut up, lady!” cried Lox. “Let Dent handle this.”
From within the cave behind the orcs, the party faintly heard a voice… “Roundy?”
“Roundy?” said Lox. “That’s me! I’m Roundy! Doc, where are ya?”
“Subdue him,” growled the large orc to the orcs within the cavern.
“I must deliver the half-drow to Borthog or they will kill my mother,” said Gorthat. “You cannot stop me.”
“Just delay,” said Dent. “We will defeat them, Gorthat.”
“Hmmm…Gruumsh senses the deceit in you, Son,” bellowed Borthog.
By this time, Nola had made her way to the rope bridge that connected the two beaches.
“Don’t attack them!” shouted Gorthat. “Think of my innocent mother!”
One of the orcs, who appeared to be a cleric of Gruumsh, stepped forward and began casting at the group. Gideon quickly took a potion from his pack and chugged it down. His Boots of Speed combined with the Fly potion he drank allowed him to fly over to the statues and take them a safe distance away. Rossal and Glindil, having communicated with Gideon, flew after him and stood with the statues while the psychic warrior flew back to the battle. As he arrived, he saw an orc raise his sword against Gorthat’s mother.
NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
Gorthat lunged towards the bridge that would lead him to his mother, but it was too late. The orc had lobbed the woman’s head from her shoulders, causing the battle to erupt.
Nola ran at Borthog with her great sword and viciously attacked the one-eyed orc, while Gnettles tried to cast upon the evil creature. However, the gnome’s spell seemed to have no effect on the orc.
“The cruelty of Gruumsh runs through my veins!” roared Borthog.
Before long, Dent, Lox, and Nola were attacking the orc leader from every angle. Nola and Lox had him flanked, while Dent fired arrows into him from the other side of the beach. Gideon flew above the melee and began throwing his mind blades at the orcs trying to come out through the doors.
Meanwhile, Gorthat raised his sword high into the air, and let a monstrous battle cry escape his lungs. He moved quickly towards his mother’s murderer and struck the orc cleanly in the jugular, tearing it’s head off it’s shoulders with one swift strike! He watched it’s head bounce across the floor, then turned and dipped the tip of his sword into the puddle of blood that was draining from his mother’s body.
At the same time, Borthog shouted for the doors to be sealed, then turned and spit blood and phlegm into Nola’s eyes. The barbarian woman became enraged at the pain and began to howl angrily. Dent turned and began firing his arrow at the fleeing orcs, who managed to make it into the cavern before the giant doors shut.
Gorthat strode towards his father, who was about to smash the halfling with his giant axe. But, upon seeing his son, he turned and smiled evilly.
“You know what will be worst about this, father? It won’t be that you died…it won’t be that your ‘weakling’ son delivered the final blow…it will be that, for the last second of your life, we’ll BOTH have human blood in our veins!”
Gorthat’s sword struck his father with such force that the massive orc was sent toppling backwards into a puddle of his own blood.
Without another word to the party he had traveled with, Gorthat turned and picked up the body of his mother and began walking away from them.
“Gorthat,” called Dent. “Gorthat…”
The half orc did not respond or stop. He continued to walk until he found his way out of Rappan Athuk. He knew his only reason for traveling with the Unusual Heroes was now gone.
The Adventure Continues…
“This is unbelievable,” said Dent solemnly.
“Well, we can’t carry them with us,” Gorthat sighed. “I’m sure nothing is going to happen to them here. After all, they do look like statues.”
“Statues that I’m sure the followers of Gruumsh would gladly defile if given the chance,” snapped Gideon.
“We can carry them,” interrupted Gnettles. “I can levitate them wherever we go, so that they are never left behind.”
“That’s great,” said Dent. “We need to take them back to town if we’re going to have them restored. Will your spell hold out that long?”
“Back to town?” asked Gorthat. “I thought we were going to go deeper into the dungeon to find this Doc Midnight fellow?”
“That was before Ziona and Haley became statues,” Dent huffed. “We cannot keep traveling like this…we’re losing everyone…”
“It’s okay, Dent,” said Lox comfortingly. “I’m still here.”
“Sorcerer, get your spell ready,” said Gideon. “We’re heading back to town.”
The remaining heroes made their way back to the stream and unfolded the boat. Gnettles was already levitating with the statues, which left Dent, Lox, Gideon, and Gorthat the boat. They began traveling downstream again, hoping to locate a way to get back to the surface. After a short boat ride, they came upon another beach, where a dark-haired woman was wielding a great sword against a horde of goblins. On the opposite side of the stream was another beach with gigantic doors. A bridge farther down the stream connected the two.
“We must help the lady in distress!” cried Gorthat.
The half-orc leapt from the boat and landed on the beach. Something about the way the woman moved and swung her sword seemed peculiar to the bard, but he ran in to help her regardless.
Dent and Gideon climbed off the boat, while Lox and Gnettles remained with the boat to keep it from floating down stream.
Somehow, it seemed that the woman wasn’t in need of help. As the heroes approached, the woman hacked down a goblin in a single blow, then turned and cleaved into the next two! Then the woman was actually struck by one of the wretched goblins, and the most peculiar thing began happening. The woman bellowed angrily as if possessed by an ogre! Her pupils dilated and she began to froth at the mouth in her frenzy. She chopped down goblins as if they were saplings, and then turned to see the half-orc Gorthat standing at her side.
“Nnnnnaaaaarrrrrgggggnnhhhhhhhh!!!!”
The strange woman turned and drove her great sword into Gorthat. His allies froze for a second with shock, then ran up to the woman to prevent her from dicing him up like she had her other foes.
Gorthat fell to the ground bleeding. Gnettles saw his friend in need, and having no healing gifts, decided it would be best to turn the half-orc into something less threatening to the woman. The gnome cast Polymorph Other and Gorthat became a frog!
“Wow! A frog!” cried Lox. “Can you turn me into something, Gnettles? Plllleeeeaaaase?”
The woman slowly started to calm down as she saw the human and the half-elf approaching her.
“What in the Abyss are you doing here?” shouted Dent. “Can’t you see the man was trying to aid you?”
“That abomination is not a man,” said the woman. “He is part orc…and you must be mad if you travel with such filth.”
“He is a good man, who fights against evil. You know nothing of him,” said Dent.
“I know his kind, and they are evil…every last one!”
“Who are you? What are you doing in Rappan Athuk?” asked Gideon with anger.
“I am Nola Ravenheart of the Black Raven Tribe,” she said coolly. “I have come to challenge the evils of this dungeon to prove my worth.”
“Hope they carve that on your headstone,” said Gideon. “Let’s get out of here.”
Gideon and Dent turned to leave, and Nola sheathed her sword. Meanwhile, Gnettles cast Dispel Magic, and the frog became Gorthat once again. Just as Gorthat turned to chide Nola for her actions, the giant doors on the other beach burst open. Five hulking orcs lumbered through the doors, one of them carrying a middle-aged human female.
The largest orc stepped forward and pointed at Gorthat. “Son! You can’t leave yet!”
“You see?” spat Nola. “He’s in league with the orcs!”
“Your mother for the half-drow…Lolth will reward us greatly for this, my son,” growled the massive orc.
Dent turned to face Gorthat, and the orc holding the woman throws her to the ground. The ranger realized the woman must be the half-orc’s mother by his reaction to her pain.
“Join us in defeating them, Gorthat,” hissed Dent. “Don’t do this. We can defeat them.”
“You have lost your family, ranger,” spat Gorthat. “Do not make me lose mine!”
“This is all the family I have left!” yelled Dent.
“I’ll not wait while you bargain with that creature,” warned Nola. “I am here for my own purposes, not for this.”
“Shut up, lady!” cried Lox. “Let Dent handle this.”
From within the cave behind the orcs, the party faintly heard a voice… “Roundy?”
“Roundy?” said Lox. “That’s me! I’m Roundy! Doc, where are ya?”
“Subdue him,” growled the large orc to the orcs within the cavern.
“I must deliver the half-drow to Borthog or they will kill my mother,” said Gorthat. “You cannot stop me.”
“Just delay,” said Dent. “We will defeat them, Gorthat.”
“Hmmm…Gruumsh senses the deceit in you, Son,” bellowed Borthog.
By this time, Nola had made her way to the rope bridge that connected the two beaches.
“Don’t attack them!” shouted Gorthat. “Think of my innocent mother!”
One of the orcs, who appeared to be a cleric of Gruumsh, stepped forward and began casting at the group. Gideon quickly took a potion from his pack and chugged it down. His Boots of Speed combined with the Fly potion he drank allowed him to fly over to the statues and take them a safe distance away. Rossal and Glindil, having communicated with Gideon, flew after him and stood with the statues while the psychic warrior flew back to the battle. As he arrived, he saw an orc raise his sword against Gorthat’s mother.
NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
Gorthat lunged towards the bridge that would lead him to his mother, but it was too late. The orc had lobbed the woman’s head from her shoulders, causing the battle to erupt.
Nola ran at Borthog with her great sword and viciously attacked the one-eyed orc, while Gnettles tried to cast upon the evil creature. However, the gnome’s spell seemed to have no effect on the orc.
“The cruelty of Gruumsh runs through my veins!” roared Borthog.
Before long, Dent, Lox, and Nola were attacking the orc leader from every angle. Nola and Lox had him flanked, while Dent fired arrows into him from the other side of the beach. Gideon flew above the melee and began throwing his mind blades at the orcs trying to come out through the doors.
Meanwhile, Gorthat raised his sword high into the air, and let a monstrous battle cry escape his lungs. He moved quickly towards his mother’s murderer and struck the orc cleanly in the jugular, tearing it’s head off it’s shoulders with one swift strike! He watched it’s head bounce across the floor, then turned and dipped the tip of his sword into the puddle of blood that was draining from his mother’s body.
At the same time, Borthog shouted for the doors to be sealed, then turned and spit blood and phlegm into Nola’s eyes. The barbarian woman became enraged at the pain and began to howl angrily. Dent turned and began firing his arrow at the fleeing orcs, who managed to make it into the cavern before the giant doors shut.
Gorthat strode towards his father, who was about to smash the halfling with his giant axe. But, upon seeing his son, he turned and smiled evilly.
“You know what will be worst about this, father? It won’t be that you died…it won’t be that your ‘weakling’ son delivered the final blow…it will be that, for the last second of your life, we’ll BOTH have human blood in our veins!”
Gorthat’s sword struck his father with such force that the massive orc was sent toppling backwards into a puddle of his own blood.
Without another word to the party he had traveled with, Gorthat turned and picked up the body of his mother and began walking away from them.
“Gorthat,” called Dent. “Gorthat…”
The half orc did not respond or stop. He continued to walk until he found his way out of Rappan Athuk. He knew his only reason for traveling with the Unusual Heroes was now gone.
The Adventure Continues…
