Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
Shadows of Greatness, a Forgotten Realms campaign UPDATED February 1, 2008
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="sniffles" data-source="post: 3309402" data-attributes="member: 30035"><p><strong>A Dark Night</strong></p><p></p><p>Our host had joined me to observe what occurred in the fountain room. As whistles shrilled and iron bars clashed together to alert his servants of danger, he exclaimed that he must go to see to their safety. As he began to move down the corridor toward the stairs I fell in beside him, intending to accompany him and see to his defense.</p><p></p><p>As we approached the point at which Liadan stood, she peered out through the glass onto the terrace and exclaimed that she thought she saw someone. She opened the glass door with the purpose of seeing more clearly, then flinched away from the opening as one might when another person pushes through a doorway. She looked about her with concern though nothing could be seen at that moment. </p><p></p><p>A breath later one of the flickering demons appeared beside her and attacked her, though I could not see the form of the demon's strike. Liadan groaned and staggered. I sprang forward to let the demon meet my blades and then retreated back to Madu's side.</p><p></p><p>We stood opposite the entrance to the gallery and I could see Nekaya rushing another demon within that room, while a third demon menaced Pakkin. Near me, Liadan summoned Lathander's righteous flames down upon the demon that had wounded her and it vanished from sight. Within the room I saw another demon appear at the feet of the preserved elephant that dominated the gallery space.</p><p></p><p>Across the gallery lay another door admitting onto a second corridor. In the opening a demon now appeared and began to shout in a hissing, incomprehensible tongue. In the center of the room a shape formed. It took the appearance of a huge skeletal beast on two massive hind limbs, counterbalanced by a long tail. A pair of incongruously tiny forelimbs scarcely larger than a man's arms curled next to its fleshless breastbone. Its' head was as large as a horse's body and its' massive jaws were filled with teeth like long knives. </p><p></p><p>Curiously this skeleton was covered in sooty black powder. The beast lowered its great skull and opened its jaws wide as though to roar its fury at us, but as it lacked lungs with which to produce sound all that occurred was a cloud of black powder exuded from its trembling neck bones.</p><p></p><p>Madu hurried into the gallery chamber and removed a large scimitar-like blade from a rack mounted on one wall. Concluding that perhaps our host did not need my aid, and that the demon mage who had summoned the skeletal beast was a greater threat, I darted across the gallery to meet the mage. A demon hiding behind a statue struck me a blow. The skeletal creature made a futile snap of its jaws at me as I passed. </p><p></p><p>When I approached the demon wizard it chanted strange syllables and held out one clawed appendage toward me as if to direct its spell with more force. For a heartbeat I felt my lungs filling as though I drowned, but the sensation passed. I spat out a mouthful of brackish water and let the mage feel the edges of my swords.</p><p></p><p>Behind me I heard Liadan call the light of Lathander down on the skeletal creature. It rushed her and attempted to swallow her, but without flesh its throat could not hold her captive. </p><p></p><p>My opponent shouted forcefully and a pool of some burning green liquid formed at my feet. Through an entrance at the end of the corridor, my dear friend Rock suddenly appeared and raced up to the demon, striking it a mighty blow. </p><p></p><p>I felt my self weakening under the effects of numerous wounds I had hardly noticed before. Then a sensation of warmth spread through me and I realized that the stalwart pact Liadan had blessed each of us with previously had come into play. </p><p></p><p>A ray of Lathander's light shot across the gallery and seared the flesh of the mage. He toppled to the floor. I made certain he would not rise again with a quick thrust of Brimstone's point. But at that moment a second, much larger demon rose up through the floor, vanished, then reappeared next to me. I felt my knees weaken and my muscles lock for a moment, then another wave of arcane energy filled me as my enchanted ring thrust off the effect of his spell.</p><p></p><p>Behind the large demon Rock's face darkened with fury. Knowing that my friend could hold off the creature longer than I could in my present state, I withdrew into the gallery and took up a position opposite the elephant, drawing a potion of healing from my pouch. </p><p></p><p>As I swallowed the potion, I observed that Madu had moved to a chest near where I stood and had taken a small box from within it. My attention was drawn away from him by the impressive sight of the skeletal beast exploding into a heap of bone dust when Liadan struck it again with Lathander's divine light. Then Madu activated some trigger on the box and a ray of magical energy shot out and struck a nearby demon.</p><p></p><p>Erim had entered the gallery with sword in hand, but it was magic that he employed to eliminate another demon. He then made his way across the chamber to go to Rock's aid. I heard the sound of glass shattering and hoped it did not presage any harm to my dwarven friend. Then Nekaya approached me in the brief lull in battle and prayed for Elishar to heal me.</p><p></p><p>As Elishar's light filled me, I glanced toward the second corridor and saw a dire sight: a ghostly shape surrounded by shadowy energy had begun to arise from the corpse of the demon mage. The insusbstantial form seemed to laugh as it floated upward. The black energy surrounding the ghost seemed to pull at it as though trying to draw it down toward the floor.</p><p></p><p>A baleful voice emerged from the spirit, gloating as it condemned us. Then it chanted a single strange word, "Nalfeshnee". As it repeated this word a disturbing buzzing sound filled the air. </p><p></p><p>Rock stepped into the gallery, announcing that his foe had fled. Liadan quickly extended Lathander's mercy to all of us. Erim explained that "nalfeshnee" was the name of a type of fearsome demon, far worse than the creatures we had been struggling with. I uttered a silent prayer of gratitude to Corellon Larethian for saving me and steeled myself for further battle.</p><p></p><p>The buzzing that had accompanied the ghost's pronouncement had now become a throbbing pulse. Rock identified the source as coming from the lower level of the palace. To speed our descent, Erim conjured an opening in the floor and we floated down with the aid of magic. </p><p></p><p>The throbbing sound now resembled the beat of a vast heart. It was not difficult to determine that it came from a room we had passed on our earlier tour of the palace, a room filled with crates and containers of treasures our host had recently brought from Chult. </p><p></p><p>Before entering the storeroom we paused for Liadan to extend Lathander's blessing to us, imbuing our weapons with holy energy. We could now see an evil greenish glow shining from the room. On stepping inside I observed a green crystal floating in mid-air, spinning in place. Behind me Erim chanted the familiar words of his spell of hasty movement. I drew my enchanted stone from my pouch and set it spinning about my head, then summoned Brimstone's flames with a word.</p><p></p><p>Inside the room suddenly appeared a vast bulk, its grotesque tusked head pressed against the high ceiling. The storeroom filled with a foul odor. I noted with vague curiosity that this hideous demon had incongruously small wings attached to its broad back. The demon's lips curled into a hideous semblance of a smile and it began to chuckle. </p><p></p><p><em><strong>To be continued...</strong></em></p><p>__________________________________________________________</p><p></p><p><strong><u>Quips & Quotes</u>:</strong></p><p></p><p><strong>Devo</strong>: "Want to know how much you missed the turn check by?"</p><p><strong>patv</strong>: "He'll taunt you with it later."</p><p><strong>sniffles</strong>: "He's taunting you with it now!"</p><p></p><p><strong>Jubilee</strong>: "Can we have the succubus instead?"</p><p><strong>Devo</strong>: "She charges extra."</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="sniffles, post: 3309402, member: 30035"] [b]A Dark Night[/b] Our host had joined me to observe what occurred in the fountain room. As whistles shrilled and iron bars clashed together to alert his servants of danger, he exclaimed that he must go to see to their safety. As he began to move down the corridor toward the stairs I fell in beside him, intending to accompany him and see to his defense. As we approached the point at which Liadan stood, she peered out through the glass onto the terrace and exclaimed that she thought she saw someone. She opened the glass door with the purpose of seeing more clearly, then flinched away from the opening as one might when another person pushes through a doorway. She looked about her with concern though nothing could be seen at that moment. A breath later one of the flickering demons appeared beside her and attacked her, though I could not see the form of the demon's strike. Liadan groaned and staggered. I sprang forward to let the demon meet my blades and then retreated back to Madu's side. We stood opposite the entrance to the gallery and I could see Nekaya rushing another demon within that room, while a third demon menaced Pakkin. Near me, Liadan summoned Lathander's righteous flames down upon the demon that had wounded her and it vanished from sight. Within the room I saw another demon appear at the feet of the preserved elephant that dominated the gallery space. Across the gallery lay another door admitting onto a second corridor. In the opening a demon now appeared and began to shout in a hissing, incomprehensible tongue. In the center of the room a shape formed. It took the appearance of a huge skeletal beast on two massive hind limbs, counterbalanced by a long tail. A pair of incongruously tiny forelimbs scarcely larger than a man's arms curled next to its fleshless breastbone. Its' head was as large as a horse's body and its' massive jaws were filled with teeth like long knives. Curiously this skeleton was covered in sooty black powder. The beast lowered its great skull and opened its jaws wide as though to roar its fury at us, but as it lacked lungs with which to produce sound all that occurred was a cloud of black powder exuded from its trembling neck bones. Madu hurried into the gallery chamber and removed a large scimitar-like blade from a rack mounted on one wall. Concluding that perhaps our host did not need my aid, and that the demon mage who had summoned the skeletal beast was a greater threat, I darted across the gallery to meet the mage. A demon hiding behind a statue struck me a blow. The skeletal creature made a futile snap of its jaws at me as I passed. When I approached the demon wizard it chanted strange syllables and held out one clawed appendage toward me as if to direct its spell with more force. For a heartbeat I felt my lungs filling as though I drowned, but the sensation passed. I spat out a mouthful of brackish water and let the mage feel the edges of my swords. Behind me I heard Liadan call the light of Lathander down on the skeletal creature. It rushed her and attempted to swallow her, but without flesh its throat could not hold her captive. My opponent shouted forcefully and a pool of some burning green liquid formed at my feet. Through an entrance at the end of the corridor, my dear friend Rock suddenly appeared and raced up to the demon, striking it a mighty blow. I felt my self weakening under the effects of numerous wounds I had hardly noticed before. Then a sensation of warmth spread through me and I realized that the stalwart pact Liadan had blessed each of us with previously had come into play. A ray of Lathander's light shot across the gallery and seared the flesh of the mage. He toppled to the floor. I made certain he would not rise again with a quick thrust of Brimstone's point. But at that moment a second, much larger demon rose up through the floor, vanished, then reappeared next to me. I felt my knees weaken and my muscles lock for a moment, then another wave of arcane energy filled me as my enchanted ring thrust off the effect of his spell. Behind the large demon Rock's face darkened with fury. Knowing that my friend could hold off the creature longer than I could in my present state, I withdrew into the gallery and took up a position opposite the elephant, drawing a potion of healing from my pouch. As I swallowed the potion, I observed that Madu had moved to a chest near where I stood and had taken a small box from within it. My attention was drawn away from him by the impressive sight of the skeletal beast exploding into a heap of bone dust when Liadan struck it again with Lathander's divine light. Then Madu activated some trigger on the box and a ray of magical energy shot out and struck a nearby demon. Erim had entered the gallery with sword in hand, but it was magic that he employed to eliminate another demon. He then made his way across the chamber to go to Rock's aid. I heard the sound of glass shattering and hoped it did not presage any harm to my dwarven friend. Then Nekaya approached me in the brief lull in battle and prayed for Elishar to heal me. As Elishar's light filled me, I glanced toward the second corridor and saw a dire sight: a ghostly shape surrounded by shadowy energy had begun to arise from the corpse of the demon mage. The insusbstantial form seemed to laugh as it floated upward. The black energy surrounding the ghost seemed to pull at it as though trying to draw it down toward the floor. A baleful voice emerged from the spirit, gloating as it condemned us. Then it chanted a single strange word, "Nalfeshnee". As it repeated this word a disturbing buzzing sound filled the air. Rock stepped into the gallery, announcing that his foe had fled. Liadan quickly extended Lathander's mercy to all of us. Erim explained that "nalfeshnee" was the name of a type of fearsome demon, far worse than the creatures we had been struggling with. I uttered a silent prayer of gratitude to Corellon Larethian for saving me and steeled myself for further battle. The buzzing that had accompanied the ghost's pronouncement had now become a throbbing pulse. Rock identified the source as coming from the lower level of the palace. To speed our descent, Erim conjured an opening in the floor and we floated down with the aid of magic. The throbbing sound now resembled the beat of a vast heart. It was not difficult to determine that it came from a room we had passed on our earlier tour of the palace, a room filled with crates and containers of treasures our host had recently brought from Chult. Before entering the storeroom we paused for Liadan to extend Lathander's blessing to us, imbuing our weapons with holy energy. We could now see an evil greenish glow shining from the room. On stepping inside I observed a green crystal floating in mid-air, spinning in place. Behind me Erim chanted the familiar words of his spell of hasty movement. I drew my enchanted stone from my pouch and set it spinning about my head, then summoned Brimstone's flames with a word. Inside the room suddenly appeared a vast bulk, its grotesque tusked head pressed against the high ceiling. The storeroom filled with a foul odor. I noted with vague curiosity that this hideous demon had incongruously small wings attached to its broad back. The demon's lips curled into a hideous semblance of a smile and it began to chuckle. [I][B]To be continued...[/B][/I] __________________________________________________________ [B][U]Quips & Quotes[/U]:[/B] [B]Devo[/B]: "Want to know how much you missed the turn check by?" [B]patv[/B]: "He'll taunt you with it later." [B]sniffles[/B]: "He's taunting you with it now!" [B]Jubilee[/B]: "Can we have the succubus instead?" [B]Devo[/B]: "She charges extra." [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
Shadows of Greatness, a Forgotten Realms campaign UPDATED February 1, 2008
Top