Delemental
First Post
Well, here's the link to my griping:
http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=76462
We'll see what happens now.
http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=76462
We'll see what happens now.
Six Characters in Search of a Plot [concluded 2/7/04 - character stats added 2/16/04]
- Thread starter Delemental
- Start date
Delemental
First Post
Shadows in the Mountains, Part Two
It took the party almost seven days to locate the dragon’s lair. They managed to gain entrance to the tiny crevasse through a series of tunnels formed in the glacial ice by natural hot springs. They found a wide assortment of coins, gems, and other treasures, including a khopesh sword much like the one Ehput-Ki already carried. The newly returned paladin took the blade, nodding in grim satisfaction at the feel of it in his grasp.
“It’s got a powerful enchantment,” said Niles. “Stronger than your current sword. I don’t know exactly what it does, though. I don’t have the components necessary to analyze the enchantments further.”
With the dragon’s hoard secured, the party moved back to the surface through the tunnels, emerging at a point where the mountains became rugged and steep. They headed for the pass they’d seen from the foot of the mountain, and after a few hours’ travel came upon a small trail. The trail led straight into the pass, which was a narrow canyon surrounded by rocky cliffs.
“Might as well put a sign up here; ‘Ambush This Way’,” said Alia.
“There are two trails branching off to the left and right,” said Tantu, studying the ground. “The left trail seems to have had some recent activity, but I can’t tell what it is.”
“So, it could be what we’re looking for, or it could be squirrels,” sighed Niles.
“Can’t your god tell you which way to go, Tantu?” smirked Myoo.
Tantu glared for only a moment. “I have prepared only one such spell today, which would reveal a safe path to me. But I’d have to know exactly where we were going for it to work.”
“So, then we’ll have to find out what’s up this trail,” said Myoo. “Perhaps we could send someone up ahead to scout it out. Perhaps someone who is good at remaining unseen.” He glanced in Alia’s direction. “Or someone who knows the wilderness well.” His eyes flickered over to Kiy.
Alia sighed and looked at the wild elf. “Looks like we’re volunteering.”
The rest of the party made camp a short distance off the trail while Kiy and Alia went up the left fork. As the sun was nearing the horizon, they spotted a small cave in the side of the mountain. Approaching as closely as they could, they surveyed the scene. Standing a short distance inside the cave was a single figure, a human male wearing leather armor. A horn was at his hip, and a sword rested at his side against the cave wall.
Kiy leaned in and whispered into Alia’s ear, so close she could feel his lips brush her earlobe. “What do you think?”
“I only see the one, but likely there’s more further inside the cave,” she whispered back into Kiy’s ear.
Kiy nodded. “I can’t make out any markings on him, but he carries himself as a seasoned fighter – he’ll know what he’s doing.”
“There’s a kill zone of at least fifty feet around that cave,” observed Alia. “Stands to reason he’s got a crossbow stashed in there somewhere.”
They watched for a few minutes more, then moved down the mountainside and rejoined their companions. It was dark by the time they gave their report to the others; no fire had been made, as the light would have been easily seen from the mountain.
“It seems our best option would be to incapacitate the sentry before he can raise an alarm,” said Myoo. “Our only obstacle is getting close enough to do it.”
“I can attempt to feeblemind him,” offered Niles.
“And Tyr has recently revealed to me a powerful incantation,” said Tantu, “that will stun him with only a single word.”
Alia, who had lapsed back into her strange silence as soon as the planning had begun, suddenly piped up. “No, no, no.”
Everyone looked at her, surprised at her sudden comment. “Look, the spells you guys are talking about are really potent. I’m sure they’ll work, but let’s remember that we’re up here looking for some undefined evil that has so far managed to foil all attempts by the priests and mages of Waterdeep to scry on it. Maybe we should be saving the big stuff for whatever that is? And why are we putting all our eggs in one basket? Let’s throw two or three moderately-powered things at him instead of one big spell.”
The party sat in silence as they absorbed Alia’s words. “I have a spell that would let me command him to go to sleep,” offered Tantu.
“And I can use my power to beguile him, to make him friendly toward us,” Myoo offered.
“Okay then,” said Alia, standing up as she spoke. “Here’s the plan. Tantu, you try and knock him out first. The instant you know if the spell fails, Myoo will be ready with his. And if Myoo’s powers fail, then Kiy’s ready to put an arrow in his throat. Everyone else stays out of sight and ready to get up the hill as fast as possible. Agreed?”
The plan worked well. Though Tantu’s spell failed to take hold, Myoo’s broad smile a second later told them that he’d succeeded. The sentry came walking down the mountain a moment later.
“What’s your name, friend, and what are you doing out here?” asked Myoo.
“Name’s Rhorlif,” said the sentry, “I was hired to pull guard duty out here at this cave. Good pay, too; a hundred gold every six month, paid in advance.”
“Who hired you?” asked Tantu.
Rhorlif looked over at Myoo, then back to Tantu once Myoo nodded to indicate it was okay to talk to him. “A guy named Vyech Eslev. He met me in a bar back in Waterdeep and hired me. I think he’s a priest of Tempus.”
“Tempus?” asked Tantu, “how do you know?”
“Well, I haven’t seen any holy symbols or anything, but he’s always talking about war.”
“Who else is in the cave with you?” asked Alia.
“Just me. Further back there’s a big hole that leads down into the mountain. I’ve never been down there, but that’s where Vyech and the others go.”
“Others?” inquired Myoo.
“Yeah, there’s Eystein and Hakon, I think they’re mercenaries or professional bodyguards or something.”
“Are they any good?” asked Alia.
“They could hand me my ass,” he replied. “There’s also a guy named Haroon. He’s a quiet guy, doesn’t wear any armor or carry weapons like the other two.”
“Is that all you’ve seen come through here?” asked Myoo.
“Well, every once in a while a few wagon loads of supplies come through. And about a month ago, Hakon brought in about five women – I don’t know if they were willing or not, but Hakon commented that he’d ‘bought them outright’.”
“Supplies for how many people, do you think?” Alia asked.
“Hmm, I’d say maybe ten units of a hundred. Mostly large crates, about the height of a man.”
Myoo smiled. “Well, thank you, Rhorlif. You’ve been very helpful. But we should let you get back to your duties. We’ll just head inside and leave you to it.”
“Thanks,” said Rhorlif. “Hey, we’ll have to meet up sometime.”
Myoo’s thin smile broadened. “That we will.”
The party moved inside the cave, cautious despite Rhorlif’s assertion that he was alone on the upper levels. Kiy and Ehput-Ki moved ahead of the others. Suddenly, Kiy grabbed the paladin’s shoulder.
“Don’t move,” he hissed.
Ehput-Ki looked down to see that the tip of his steel boot was against the edge of a magical symbol inscribed in the floor, glowing faintly.
“A glyph,” Kiy said softly.
Niles came up to the two figures, his smaller frame allowing him to squeeze in to examine the symbol. “It’s some sort of transport trap,” he said. “I should be able to suppress it…” he muttered a few arcane words, and the glow faded. With a sigh of relief, Ehput-Ki moved forward again. Kiy made sure to mark the glyph’s location so that it wouldn’t be missed on the trip back.
The tunnel opened into a larger room. At the back of the room a hole yawned in the rock floor, perhaps ten feet across. Three iron rings were set into the stone around the hole. As the rest of the party paused to assess the situation, Alia moved forward, searching along the walls for any hidden surprises. She stopped at a tiny crack a few feet from the hole.
“There’s some sort of button hidden in here,” she said. “It’s not connected to any sort of mechanical device. I think it’s a magical trigger of some sort.”
Myoo and Niles went over to investigate. While they worked, Tantu began uttering a long incantation near the edge of the hole. After a few moments of mystical mumbling and squinting, they looked up at the party.
“We can’t quite make out its exact function,” Niles said, “but it’s somehow linked with the Ethereal Plane, and radiates divination-style magic.”
“Well, let’s not disturb it if we’re not sure what it does,” said Ehput-Ki. “Rhorlif said that the others went down this hole. However, I can feel the taint of evil about his aura, thus I don’t know if we should trust him.”
“Perhaps I can help,” said Niles. He cast a spell, and a small cloud of eyeballs appeared around his head*. A few radiated outward into the surrounding crevices of the cave, while a handful began to travel down the hole. After several minutes, Niles blinked in surprise.
“They’re gone,” he said. “The eyes I sent down the hole – they’ve ceased to exist.”
“How?” asked Ehput-Ki.
“I’m not certain. They could have been destroyed physically, or dispelled. Or run into an anti-magic field.”
“What did they see before they disappeared?” asked Myoo.
Niles shook his head. “It doesn’t work like that. The eyes have to return to me for me to know what they’ve seen.”
Alia peered down the edge of the hole. “It wouldn’t be surprising if there was anti-magic down there. Just the thing to stop a group of flying or levitating invaders.”
As they stood there thinking about their predicament, Tantu finished his spell. A symbol much like the one on the cave floor appeared on the edge of the hole.
“A glyph of our own,” he said, “to protect us in case anything should come up. We can get past it by saying the word ‘Alorma’.”
Ehput-Ki nodded appreciatively. “Very clever.”
“So, what now?” asked Tantu.
“Now, we do it the hard way.” Alia took her pack off and pulled out a coil of rope. “How much rope have we got?”
After a quick tally gave them a little over two hundred and fifty feet, Alia began tying one end to an iron ring. “I’ll carry the rest with me as I go,” she said. If there’s someone at the bottom, no sense alerting them by having the end of a long coil of rope drop in front of them.”
“Be careful,” Tantu said, a concerned look on his face.
“Relax. I’m the best natural climber here. I’ll see how far down this thing goes.”
Myoo reached out and touched Alia on the shoulder. “I’ve used the same spider climb spell on you as in the illithid cave,” he said. “It will aid your descent, and if you do run into anti-magic, you’ll be able to tell immediately when it affects you.”
Alia began her slow climb down into the hole. After several minutes, Myoo lost contact with her through his telepathic link. About ten minutes later, Alia came up out of the hole.
“I ran out of rope, and the hole keeps going,” she said. “I’ve marked my stopping point.” She pointed at her pack. “I’ve got a few pitons in there. I’m going to try to anchor off where I ended, and keep going.” As Ehput-Ki handed her the metal pitons, she looked up at Tantu. “Tie my portion of the rope to the iron ring. It’s a magical rope that obeys my commands. When I’m ready, I’ll pull once, and you can untie the rope and drop it into the hole. I’ll be able to command it to drop slowly so I can coil the rope as it comes down. If I pull twice, it means I’m in trouble and you need to start hauling me up.”
Alia went down again as the others waited. The single tug on the rope came, and the party watched as the rope floated slowly down the hole. After nearly half an hour, the saw the end of the rope levitate up to the edge of the hole. Tantu grabbed it and tied it off, and a few minutes later Alia emerged again, her arms and legs shaking from exertion. She collapsed on the floor, supported by Tantu.
“It’s… a little over five hundred feet,” she panted. “There’d be about a thirty-foot drop. I couldn’t see much in the chamber below, but I think there’s another hole.”
“This is impossible,” said Myoo sourly. “We have only half the rope we need to make it down. And even if we had it, some of us aren’t good climbers. And it leaves us vulnerable.”
“I can’t imagine,” piped in Alia, beginning to recover from her climb a bit, “that the people living here would really go through all this to get in and out all the time. Didn’t Rhorlif say they were bringing a lot of large crates in here? Hauling that size and number of crates down that narrow hole seems ridiculous, especially if it’s just the four of them. There’s got to be another way.”
Slowly, they all turned their heads to look at the crack where the button was hidden.
“What do you think?” Ehput-Ki asked.
“Well,” said Niles, “it is linked to the Ethereal. And ethereal beings can move through solid matter.”
They regarded the button for another moment, before Alia stood up, brushing dust off her clothes. “Oh, for hells’ sake, everybody stand back.” She moved toward the button.
“I don’t like this,” said Tantu, looking intently at Alia as he moved up next to her.
“Then you should make sure you’re ready to deal with any problems,” Alia replied. The others had backed away to the far edges of the room; Tantu continued to stand next to her.
“Look,” Alia said to Tantu, in a voice low enough that the others couldn’t hear her, “you remember I told you there were things I had to sort out before you and I were intimate? This is one of those things. I told you when I first met this party that I’d work with you as long as no one interfered with me when I was doing my job. If you’re going to be like this now, what happens after we’ve actually slept together?”
Tantu looked down at her for a few moments. Then, reluctantly, he took a few steps backward.
“Be ready,” Alia said out loud, as she pressed the button.
There was a bright flash of light, and the world was suddenly filled with swirling gray mist. The party was shocked out of their sudden transition to the Ethereal Plane by two large, looming shapes in the mist that had not been there before. Alia recognized them from a picture she’d seen in a book. “Phase spiders!” she shouted. She pulled out her baton and began to move forward to the closest spider. But she paused, an odd look in her eyes, and instead stepped backward away from the beast. “Ehput-Ki!” she shouted, “take the one on the left! Myoo, get behind Ehput-Ki and me! Tantu, you take the one on the right! Kiy, help out whoever needs it! Niles, behind Kiy!”
Momentarily stunned by the unexpected barrage of orders, the party nonetheless moved into action. Kiy acted first, sending three arrows into the first spider. The steel tips sliced through the thin connection between the spider’s head and thorax, sending it to a quick death. Myoo stepped back as ordered, and unleashed a spell at the second spider. It suddenly stopped advancing, sitting quietly in the center of the room.
“No one attack!” Myoo shouted. “He’s a friend now.”
Myoo concentrated for a moment, and the spider suddenly scuttled off, moving through the cavern wall.
“What did you do?” asked Ehput-Ki.
“I told it there was food to the north, and it should go find it.”
“How long will he travel north?” asked the paladin.
Myoo smiled. “About eleven hours or so.”
Tantu looked slightly disappointed as he put his sword away unused. Then he walked over to Alia, who was experimenting with sticking her arm inside the wall.
“I’ve never heard you act like that before,” he said. “You usually just jump into battle. What’s going on?”
“I’m just doing what I should have been doing for a while now,” she said, sliding her baton into its concealed sheath at her thigh. “My job.”
* This spell was an oversight on our part. Niles is an illusionist, and his barred schools are Divination and Necromancy. We'd found the prying eyes spell earlier in a spellbook, and Niles' player copied it down and memorized it without thinking about it. It wasn't until the end of the session that we realized the mistake.
It took the party almost seven days to locate the dragon’s lair. They managed to gain entrance to the tiny crevasse through a series of tunnels formed in the glacial ice by natural hot springs. They found a wide assortment of coins, gems, and other treasures, including a khopesh sword much like the one Ehput-Ki already carried. The newly returned paladin took the blade, nodding in grim satisfaction at the feel of it in his grasp.
“It’s got a powerful enchantment,” said Niles. “Stronger than your current sword. I don’t know exactly what it does, though. I don’t have the components necessary to analyze the enchantments further.”
With the dragon’s hoard secured, the party moved back to the surface through the tunnels, emerging at a point where the mountains became rugged and steep. They headed for the pass they’d seen from the foot of the mountain, and after a few hours’ travel came upon a small trail. The trail led straight into the pass, which was a narrow canyon surrounded by rocky cliffs.
“Might as well put a sign up here; ‘Ambush This Way’,” said Alia.
“There are two trails branching off to the left and right,” said Tantu, studying the ground. “The left trail seems to have had some recent activity, but I can’t tell what it is.”
“So, it could be what we’re looking for, or it could be squirrels,” sighed Niles.
“Can’t your god tell you which way to go, Tantu?” smirked Myoo.
Tantu glared for only a moment. “I have prepared only one such spell today, which would reveal a safe path to me. But I’d have to know exactly where we were going for it to work.”
“So, then we’ll have to find out what’s up this trail,” said Myoo. “Perhaps we could send someone up ahead to scout it out. Perhaps someone who is good at remaining unseen.” He glanced in Alia’s direction. “Or someone who knows the wilderness well.” His eyes flickered over to Kiy.
Alia sighed and looked at the wild elf. “Looks like we’re volunteering.”
The rest of the party made camp a short distance off the trail while Kiy and Alia went up the left fork. As the sun was nearing the horizon, they spotted a small cave in the side of the mountain. Approaching as closely as they could, they surveyed the scene. Standing a short distance inside the cave was a single figure, a human male wearing leather armor. A horn was at his hip, and a sword rested at his side against the cave wall.
Kiy leaned in and whispered into Alia’s ear, so close she could feel his lips brush her earlobe. “What do you think?”
“I only see the one, but likely there’s more further inside the cave,” she whispered back into Kiy’s ear.
Kiy nodded. “I can’t make out any markings on him, but he carries himself as a seasoned fighter – he’ll know what he’s doing.”
“There’s a kill zone of at least fifty feet around that cave,” observed Alia. “Stands to reason he’s got a crossbow stashed in there somewhere.”
They watched for a few minutes more, then moved down the mountainside and rejoined their companions. It was dark by the time they gave their report to the others; no fire had been made, as the light would have been easily seen from the mountain.
“It seems our best option would be to incapacitate the sentry before he can raise an alarm,” said Myoo. “Our only obstacle is getting close enough to do it.”
“I can attempt to feeblemind him,” offered Niles.
“And Tyr has recently revealed to me a powerful incantation,” said Tantu, “that will stun him with only a single word.”
Alia, who had lapsed back into her strange silence as soon as the planning had begun, suddenly piped up. “No, no, no.”
Everyone looked at her, surprised at her sudden comment. “Look, the spells you guys are talking about are really potent. I’m sure they’ll work, but let’s remember that we’re up here looking for some undefined evil that has so far managed to foil all attempts by the priests and mages of Waterdeep to scry on it. Maybe we should be saving the big stuff for whatever that is? And why are we putting all our eggs in one basket? Let’s throw two or three moderately-powered things at him instead of one big spell.”
The party sat in silence as they absorbed Alia’s words. “I have a spell that would let me command him to go to sleep,” offered Tantu.
“And I can use my power to beguile him, to make him friendly toward us,” Myoo offered.
“Okay then,” said Alia, standing up as she spoke. “Here’s the plan. Tantu, you try and knock him out first. The instant you know if the spell fails, Myoo will be ready with his. And if Myoo’s powers fail, then Kiy’s ready to put an arrow in his throat. Everyone else stays out of sight and ready to get up the hill as fast as possible. Agreed?”
* * *
The plan worked well. Though Tantu’s spell failed to take hold, Myoo’s broad smile a second later told them that he’d succeeded. The sentry came walking down the mountain a moment later.
“What’s your name, friend, and what are you doing out here?” asked Myoo.
“Name’s Rhorlif,” said the sentry, “I was hired to pull guard duty out here at this cave. Good pay, too; a hundred gold every six month, paid in advance.”
“Who hired you?” asked Tantu.
Rhorlif looked over at Myoo, then back to Tantu once Myoo nodded to indicate it was okay to talk to him. “A guy named Vyech Eslev. He met me in a bar back in Waterdeep and hired me. I think he’s a priest of Tempus.”
“Tempus?” asked Tantu, “how do you know?”
“Well, I haven’t seen any holy symbols or anything, but he’s always talking about war.”
“Who else is in the cave with you?” asked Alia.
“Just me. Further back there’s a big hole that leads down into the mountain. I’ve never been down there, but that’s where Vyech and the others go.”
“Others?” inquired Myoo.
“Yeah, there’s Eystein and Hakon, I think they’re mercenaries or professional bodyguards or something.”
“Are they any good?” asked Alia.
“They could hand me my ass,” he replied. “There’s also a guy named Haroon. He’s a quiet guy, doesn’t wear any armor or carry weapons like the other two.”
“Is that all you’ve seen come through here?” asked Myoo.
“Well, every once in a while a few wagon loads of supplies come through. And about a month ago, Hakon brought in about five women – I don’t know if they were willing or not, but Hakon commented that he’d ‘bought them outright’.”
“Supplies for how many people, do you think?” Alia asked.
“Hmm, I’d say maybe ten units of a hundred. Mostly large crates, about the height of a man.”
Myoo smiled. “Well, thank you, Rhorlif. You’ve been very helpful. But we should let you get back to your duties. We’ll just head inside and leave you to it.”
“Thanks,” said Rhorlif. “Hey, we’ll have to meet up sometime.”
Myoo’s thin smile broadened. “That we will.”
The party moved inside the cave, cautious despite Rhorlif’s assertion that he was alone on the upper levels. Kiy and Ehput-Ki moved ahead of the others. Suddenly, Kiy grabbed the paladin’s shoulder.
“Don’t move,” he hissed.
Ehput-Ki looked down to see that the tip of his steel boot was against the edge of a magical symbol inscribed in the floor, glowing faintly.
“A glyph,” Kiy said softly.
Niles came up to the two figures, his smaller frame allowing him to squeeze in to examine the symbol. “It’s some sort of transport trap,” he said. “I should be able to suppress it…” he muttered a few arcane words, and the glow faded. With a sigh of relief, Ehput-Ki moved forward again. Kiy made sure to mark the glyph’s location so that it wouldn’t be missed on the trip back.
The tunnel opened into a larger room. At the back of the room a hole yawned in the rock floor, perhaps ten feet across. Three iron rings were set into the stone around the hole. As the rest of the party paused to assess the situation, Alia moved forward, searching along the walls for any hidden surprises. She stopped at a tiny crack a few feet from the hole.
“There’s some sort of button hidden in here,” she said. “It’s not connected to any sort of mechanical device. I think it’s a magical trigger of some sort.”
Myoo and Niles went over to investigate. While they worked, Tantu began uttering a long incantation near the edge of the hole. After a few moments of mystical mumbling and squinting, they looked up at the party.
“We can’t quite make out its exact function,” Niles said, “but it’s somehow linked with the Ethereal Plane, and radiates divination-style magic.”
“Well, let’s not disturb it if we’re not sure what it does,” said Ehput-Ki. “Rhorlif said that the others went down this hole. However, I can feel the taint of evil about his aura, thus I don’t know if we should trust him.”
“Perhaps I can help,” said Niles. He cast a spell, and a small cloud of eyeballs appeared around his head*. A few radiated outward into the surrounding crevices of the cave, while a handful began to travel down the hole. After several minutes, Niles blinked in surprise.
“They’re gone,” he said. “The eyes I sent down the hole – they’ve ceased to exist.”
“How?” asked Ehput-Ki.
“I’m not certain. They could have been destroyed physically, or dispelled. Or run into an anti-magic field.”
“What did they see before they disappeared?” asked Myoo.
Niles shook his head. “It doesn’t work like that. The eyes have to return to me for me to know what they’ve seen.”
Alia peered down the edge of the hole. “It wouldn’t be surprising if there was anti-magic down there. Just the thing to stop a group of flying or levitating invaders.”
As they stood there thinking about their predicament, Tantu finished his spell. A symbol much like the one on the cave floor appeared on the edge of the hole.
“A glyph of our own,” he said, “to protect us in case anything should come up. We can get past it by saying the word ‘Alorma’.”
Ehput-Ki nodded appreciatively. “Very clever.”
“So, what now?” asked Tantu.
“Now, we do it the hard way.” Alia took her pack off and pulled out a coil of rope. “How much rope have we got?”
After a quick tally gave them a little over two hundred and fifty feet, Alia began tying one end to an iron ring. “I’ll carry the rest with me as I go,” she said. If there’s someone at the bottom, no sense alerting them by having the end of a long coil of rope drop in front of them.”
“Be careful,” Tantu said, a concerned look on his face.
“Relax. I’m the best natural climber here. I’ll see how far down this thing goes.”
Myoo reached out and touched Alia on the shoulder. “I’ve used the same spider climb spell on you as in the illithid cave,” he said. “It will aid your descent, and if you do run into anti-magic, you’ll be able to tell immediately when it affects you.”
Alia began her slow climb down into the hole. After several minutes, Myoo lost contact with her through his telepathic link. About ten minutes later, Alia came up out of the hole.
“I ran out of rope, and the hole keeps going,” she said. “I’ve marked my stopping point.” She pointed at her pack. “I’ve got a few pitons in there. I’m going to try to anchor off where I ended, and keep going.” As Ehput-Ki handed her the metal pitons, she looked up at Tantu. “Tie my portion of the rope to the iron ring. It’s a magical rope that obeys my commands. When I’m ready, I’ll pull once, and you can untie the rope and drop it into the hole. I’ll be able to command it to drop slowly so I can coil the rope as it comes down. If I pull twice, it means I’m in trouble and you need to start hauling me up.”
Alia went down again as the others waited. The single tug on the rope came, and the party watched as the rope floated slowly down the hole. After nearly half an hour, the saw the end of the rope levitate up to the edge of the hole. Tantu grabbed it and tied it off, and a few minutes later Alia emerged again, her arms and legs shaking from exertion. She collapsed on the floor, supported by Tantu.
“It’s… a little over five hundred feet,” she panted. “There’d be about a thirty-foot drop. I couldn’t see much in the chamber below, but I think there’s another hole.”
“This is impossible,” said Myoo sourly. “We have only half the rope we need to make it down. And even if we had it, some of us aren’t good climbers. And it leaves us vulnerable.”
“I can’t imagine,” piped in Alia, beginning to recover from her climb a bit, “that the people living here would really go through all this to get in and out all the time. Didn’t Rhorlif say they were bringing a lot of large crates in here? Hauling that size and number of crates down that narrow hole seems ridiculous, especially if it’s just the four of them. There’s got to be another way.”
Slowly, they all turned their heads to look at the crack where the button was hidden.
“What do you think?” Ehput-Ki asked.
“Well,” said Niles, “it is linked to the Ethereal. And ethereal beings can move through solid matter.”
They regarded the button for another moment, before Alia stood up, brushing dust off her clothes. “Oh, for hells’ sake, everybody stand back.” She moved toward the button.
“I don’t like this,” said Tantu, looking intently at Alia as he moved up next to her.
“Then you should make sure you’re ready to deal with any problems,” Alia replied. The others had backed away to the far edges of the room; Tantu continued to stand next to her.
“Look,” Alia said to Tantu, in a voice low enough that the others couldn’t hear her, “you remember I told you there were things I had to sort out before you and I were intimate? This is one of those things. I told you when I first met this party that I’d work with you as long as no one interfered with me when I was doing my job. If you’re going to be like this now, what happens after we’ve actually slept together?”
Tantu looked down at her for a few moments. Then, reluctantly, he took a few steps backward.
“Be ready,” Alia said out loud, as she pressed the button.
There was a bright flash of light, and the world was suddenly filled with swirling gray mist. The party was shocked out of their sudden transition to the Ethereal Plane by two large, looming shapes in the mist that had not been there before. Alia recognized them from a picture she’d seen in a book. “Phase spiders!” she shouted. She pulled out her baton and began to move forward to the closest spider. But she paused, an odd look in her eyes, and instead stepped backward away from the beast. “Ehput-Ki!” she shouted, “take the one on the left! Myoo, get behind Ehput-Ki and me! Tantu, you take the one on the right! Kiy, help out whoever needs it! Niles, behind Kiy!”
Momentarily stunned by the unexpected barrage of orders, the party nonetheless moved into action. Kiy acted first, sending three arrows into the first spider. The steel tips sliced through the thin connection between the spider’s head and thorax, sending it to a quick death. Myoo stepped back as ordered, and unleashed a spell at the second spider. It suddenly stopped advancing, sitting quietly in the center of the room.
“No one attack!” Myoo shouted. “He’s a friend now.”
Myoo concentrated for a moment, and the spider suddenly scuttled off, moving through the cavern wall.
“What did you do?” asked Ehput-Ki.
“I told it there was food to the north, and it should go find it.”
“How long will he travel north?” asked the paladin.
Myoo smiled. “About eleven hours or so.”
Tantu looked slightly disappointed as he put his sword away unused. Then he walked over to Alia, who was experimenting with sticking her arm inside the wall.
“I’ve never heard you act like that before,” he said. “You usually just jump into battle. What’s going on?”
“I’m just doing what I should have been doing for a while now,” she said, sliding her baton into its concealed sheath at her thigh. “My job.”
* This spell was an oversight on our part. Niles is an illusionist, and his barred schools are Divination and Necromancy. We'd found the prying eyes spell earlier in a spellbook, and Niles' player copied it down and memorized it without thinking about it. It wasn't until the end of the session that we realized the mistake.
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Delemental
First Post
With the threat gone, the party descended through the stone floor of the cave, staying close to the hole. They entered the small chamber five hundred feet down, and saw the second hole exactly as Alia had described, with iron rings set in around the edge just as before. A quick search revealed no other buttons or devices, and the party felt the magic keeping them in the Ethereal was fading quickly, and so decided to risk a physical climb down the hole. Niles sent more of his magical eyes down the hole, but they vanished only a couple of minutes later, so it was guessed that the suspected anti-magic zone was somewhere below. Indeed, as Alia climbed down, she felt the magic devices that were enhancing her fade about a hundred feet down. The area of dead magic proved to be about fifty feet across, and the hole itself slightly less than two hundred and thirty feet deep. With a little effort, the party managed to descend by rope into a narrow corridor of natural stone.
Alia took point once the party was all at the bottom, keeping her eyes peeled for danger. In the gloom, however, she couldn’t see more than a few feet ahead of herself, and she didn’t dare make a light yet. She thought of the superior night-vision of her aasimar companions with some jealousy. “I’ll have to do something about that soon,” she said to herself.
But even in the darkness, Alia’s keen eyes were able to pick up the traces of a guillotine trap in the corridor, which she handily disarmed. The corridor bent around and then opened up into a large cavern. A pool of water dominated the far side of the room.
As Alia’s companions moved forward, the water began to bubble, then coalesce into a vaguely humanoid shape.
“An elemental,” said Kiy calmly, as he pulled an arrow and sent it flying into the creature.
Both Niles and Myoo sent fireballs flying at the creature, and watched as they impacted with no effect. Ehput-Ki and Tantu drew their swords, but the creature was in the center of the pool, out of easy reach.
Alia rolled and tumbled to her left, thinking. Her own hand crossbow wouldn’t effect the elemental, as it carried no enchantment, and she faced the same problem as Tantu and Ehput-Ki for melee. Glancing back, she saw her companions still clustered around the entrance to the cave. “Spread out!” she shouted at them.
Myoo was the first to react, moving off to the right. He put away his fireball wand and instead pulled out a wand of magic missiles, sending five green energy bolts into the elemental. Tantu and Ehput-Ki stepped forward and surrounded the elemental as it surged out of the pool toward Kiy, who was continuing to fire arrow after arrow into it. Alia tried a vial of alchemist’s fire, but like the fireballs seemed ineffective. Niles switched to magic missiles as well, striking the liquid monstrosity as it came closer. The elemental tried to lunge onto Kiy, but it was cut off by the two holy men, who laid it low with mighty swings. Water puddled at the feet of the party as the creature dissipated.
Seeing no other exits from the room, the party investigated the pool. Tantu walked out onto the surface with the aid of her magical ring. “I can see an opening,” he said.
Niles sent his last few eyes under the water and through the tunnel. Ten minutes later, they returned and circled around the gnome’s head.
“Darkness,” he said, slightly disappointed. “There’s no light on the other end to see anything.”
“And it took them ten minutes to get there and back,” commented Ehput-Ki. “I doubt all of us can hold our breath for five minutes, even using Alia’s waterskin trick.”
“Any magic we can use?” asked Alia.
“I know such a spell,” said Tantu, “but I didn’t prepare it today.”
“What about an elemental?” asked Myoo. “Surely the one we just dispatched was working for our adversaries, and probably ferried them through the tunnel. Couldn’t we summon one of our own?”
“Again, a spell I know but haven’t prepared,” said Tantu, “and I’m not certain I could summon one of sufficient strength.”
They stood around for a while, perplexed, when suddenly Niles slapped his forehead. “Wait a minute! When I sent the eyes into the tunnel, I told them to search ‘slowly and carefully’ for the other end. They weren’t moving anywhere near full speed!”
The eyes sped off again, splashing into the pool. They returned less than three minutes later. “I told them to move directly to the entrance and return,” Niles said. “We’ve only got a two-minute swim, tops.”
“Very well,” said Ehput-Ki, “how should we proceed?”
The party looked over at Alia, who was preparing her gear for the swim. She looked back at them, perplexed, then understanding dawned on her face.
“Sorry,” she said, “I wasn’t expecting… anyway. I say we send a scout to check out the scene. I’d go, but I’d be as blind as Niles’ floating eyeballs. We need someone who can see in compete darkness.”
Ehput-Ki nodded. “I will go.”
Alia glanced at his plate armor. “Sorry, Ehput-Ki, but you’re not exactly stealthy in that suit.”
“I can remove it,” he replied.
“And be left defenseless if you’re attacked?” sneered Myoo.
Ehput-Ki’s eyes narrowed. “Watch your tone, sorcerer.”
Myoo rolled his eyes and sighed. “I’ll scout ahead. I’m not burdened by a metal skin, and I can keep in contact through telepathy. And if there’s trouble, I can use a dimension door to come back here. However, I will admit I’m not well versed in the art of stealth.”
“Here,” Niles said, and touched Myoo as he cast a spell. Myoo’s form blurred and seemed to shift a few feet to the side. “Displacement,” Niles said. “Just in case.”
Kiy stepped forward and handed Myoo a ring. “This will aid you,” he said.
Putting the ring on, Myoo vanished from sight. “Excellent,” his voice came from nowhere. “I’ll let you know when to follow.” Ripples emanated from the edge of the pool as the invisible Myoo waded out. A minute later, they heard the mindbender’s silent call (all except Kiy, of course, who had long ago demanded that Myoo ‘stay out of his head’).
They swam a short distance before coming up on the other side, a pool much like the one they’d entered. Unlike their entrance, however, this chamber was much larger, and obviously worked by intelligent hands. Coming out of the water, Myoo’s voice in their minds directed them to a corner.
“There are two men at the far side of the room,” Myoo thought at them, with Ehput-Ki relaying the message vocally to Kiy. “They are standing near a pentagram in the far corner, which is marked with symbols of travel. I theorize that it marks the boundary of what is known as a teleportation circle. Judging from their appearance, I suspect these two are Eystein and Hakon. They have yet to detect us, but there is a distance of perhaps a hundred feet between us, more than enough for them to prepare against a frontal assault. Plans?”
“Well, might as well stick with what works,” whispered Alia, broadcasting her thoughts to Myoo at the same time. “Same plan as with Rhorlif, except that Myoo hits them with a fireball, Niles follows up with a disintegrate. Kiy, Tantu, and Ehput-Ki stand ready to act immediately after the spells go off. I’ll move a little way into the room and hide, so that I can flank them if they charge us.”
The party shifted into position and stood ready. The signal was an obvious one; a great ball of flames streaked out from one side of the room and engulfed the two men at the far end. At the same time, a green ray struck one of them, causing portions of flesh to dissolve away. But Niles’ target resisted the full effects of the spell, and calmly pulled out a bow as his companion charged in – toward a now visible Myoo.
The charging warrior slashed at Myoo with a powerful sword. Fortunately, the displacement had not ended as the invisibility failed, and most of the blows missed. One slashed across his midsection, and the sorcerer cried out in pain. Alia, who was the closest one to Myoo, moved to help, cartwheeling past the warrior to come up behind him and land a solid blow to the base of his skull.
Kiy and the archer exchanged fire across the long room. Kiy seemed to be getting the best of his foe, as arrow after arrow buried itself in the archer’s body. But then the enemy archer notched another arrow, concentrated for a moment, then fired. The arrow struck Kiy in the shoulder, apparently not a serious wound. But as Kiy pulled the arrow free, he saw that the tip coruscated with black energy. Kiy gasped, and those around him saw as his soul seemed to pull out of his body through the small puncture wound. The elf’s body dropped lifelessly to the ground.
Seeing that the archer was searching for a new target, Niles gestured with his staff, and a dome of force surrounded the archer, trapping him. But a moment later there was a spark of colored light, and the archer vanished, only to reappear in another flash at another part of the room.
“Damn,” Niles muttered.
Meanwhile, the swordsman had turned on Alia. She dodged several vicious blows, but a few got through her defenses, and the sword dug deep into her abdomen, sending gobbets of flesh flying. Alia nearly passed out from the pain and shock, and considered withdrawing. But she realized that as soon as she did, the warrior would turn on Myoo again, and probably kill him. So instead she struck back, hitting him once squarely in the elbow, then sweeping his knees in an attempt to knock him over. He managed to avoid her attack. By this time Tantu had moved beside Alia, and with a touch sent healing energy into her, healing some of her wounds. Myoo used the distraction to escape from the melee, moving over next to Niles, who had sent another fireball hurtling at the archer. Myoo’s familiar Iggy covered his master’s escape with his eye rays.
Ehput-Ki stepped into the combat with the swordsman. His khopesh was surrounded with golden energy that seemed to be coming from within the paladin himself. He slashed at the warrior, and the blade sliced effortlessly through armor and flesh, laying open his ribcage to the bone. At the same time Alia managed to hit the warrior’s knees at a weak spot, sending him tumbling to the ground. Ehput-Ki sent more of his own life-force into his blade, and waited for his foe to rise.
Tantu, seeing that the battle with the swordsman was well in hand, turned to deal with the archer. Raising his arms, he called out for Tyr’s judgment. The ceiling high above the archer seemed to open up, and a pillar of divine fire roared down, engulfing the archer. He staggers, gasps, and falls. Behind Tantu, there is a sickening crunch as Ehput-Ki’s blade comes down on the rising swordsman, nearly splitting him in two from shoulder to navel. He glares hatefully at Alia, spitting his last breath at her.
As the last echoes of the battle fade from the cavern walls, Tantu approaches Kiy’s still form.
“I guess we should figure out a campsite for the day,” said Niles. “We don’t want to go any farther without him, but who knows who or what could come through that pentagram.”
“We won’t need to wait that long,” Tantu said quietly. “I have already prepared the resurrection ritual. I felt that it might be needed.”
Crowds parted as the shining figure strode forward. It came to stand before a slender elf, standing near two of his brethrem.
“Kiy Willowroot,” said the figure, “I am Hazriel, archon in the service…”
Kiy held his hand up to silence the celestial, turning to face him. “I know who you are, and who has sent you. I accept.”
Hazriel nodded. “Then come with me.”
Alia took point once the party was all at the bottom, keeping her eyes peeled for danger. In the gloom, however, she couldn’t see more than a few feet ahead of herself, and she didn’t dare make a light yet. She thought of the superior night-vision of her aasimar companions with some jealousy. “I’ll have to do something about that soon,” she said to herself.
But even in the darkness, Alia’s keen eyes were able to pick up the traces of a guillotine trap in the corridor, which she handily disarmed. The corridor bent around and then opened up into a large cavern. A pool of water dominated the far side of the room.
As Alia’s companions moved forward, the water began to bubble, then coalesce into a vaguely humanoid shape.
“An elemental,” said Kiy calmly, as he pulled an arrow and sent it flying into the creature.
Both Niles and Myoo sent fireballs flying at the creature, and watched as they impacted with no effect. Ehput-Ki and Tantu drew their swords, but the creature was in the center of the pool, out of easy reach.
Alia rolled and tumbled to her left, thinking. Her own hand crossbow wouldn’t effect the elemental, as it carried no enchantment, and she faced the same problem as Tantu and Ehput-Ki for melee. Glancing back, she saw her companions still clustered around the entrance to the cave. “Spread out!” she shouted at them.
Myoo was the first to react, moving off to the right. He put away his fireball wand and instead pulled out a wand of magic missiles, sending five green energy bolts into the elemental. Tantu and Ehput-Ki stepped forward and surrounded the elemental as it surged out of the pool toward Kiy, who was continuing to fire arrow after arrow into it. Alia tried a vial of alchemist’s fire, but like the fireballs seemed ineffective. Niles switched to magic missiles as well, striking the liquid monstrosity as it came closer. The elemental tried to lunge onto Kiy, but it was cut off by the two holy men, who laid it low with mighty swings. Water puddled at the feet of the party as the creature dissipated.
Seeing no other exits from the room, the party investigated the pool. Tantu walked out onto the surface with the aid of her magical ring. “I can see an opening,” he said.
Niles sent his last few eyes under the water and through the tunnel. Ten minutes later, they returned and circled around the gnome’s head.
“Darkness,” he said, slightly disappointed. “There’s no light on the other end to see anything.”
“And it took them ten minutes to get there and back,” commented Ehput-Ki. “I doubt all of us can hold our breath for five minutes, even using Alia’s waterskin trick.”
“Any magic we can use?” asked Alia.
“I know such a spell,” said Tantu, “but I didn’t prepare it today.”
“What about an elemental?” asked Myoo. “Surely the one we just dispatched was working for our adversaries, and probably ferried them through the tunnel. Couldn’t we summon one of our own?”
“Again, a spell I know but haven’t prepared,” said Tantu, “and I’m not certain I could summon one of sufficient strength.”
They stood around for a while, perplexed, when suddenly Niles slapped his forehead. “Wait a minute! When I sent the eyes into the tunnel, I told them to search ‘slowly and carefully’ for the other end. They weren’t moving anywhere near full speed!”
The eyes sped off again, splashing into the pool. They returned less than three minutes later. “I told them to move directly to the entrance and return,” Niles said. “We’ve only got a two-minute swim, tops.”
“Very well,” said Ehput-Ki, “how should we proceed?”
The party looked over at Alia, who was preparing her gear for the swim. She looked back at them, perplexed, then understanding dawned on her face.
“Sorry,” she said, “I wasn’t expecting… anyway. I say we send a scout to check out the scene. I’d go, but I’d be as blind as Niles’ floating eyeballs. We need someone who can see in compete darkness.”
Ehput-Ki nodded. “I will go.”
Alia glanced at his plate armor. “Sorry, Ehput-Ki, but you’re not exactly stealthy in that suit.”
“I can remove it,” he replied.
“And be left defenseless if you’re attacked?” sneered Myoo.
Ehput-Ki’s eyes narrowed. “Watch your tone, sorcerer.”
Myoo rolled his eyes and sighed. “I’ll scout ahead. I’m not burdened by a metal skin, and I can keep in contact through telepathy. And if there’s trouble, I can use a dimension door to come back here. However, I will admit I’m not well versed in the art of stealth.”
“Here,” Niles said, and touched Myoo as he cast a spell. Myoo’s form blurred and seemed to shift a few feet to the side. “Displacement,” Niles said. “Just in case.”
Kiy stepped forward and handed Myoo a ring. “This will aid you,” he said.
Putting the ring on, Myoo vanished from sight. “Excellent,” his voice came from nowhere. “I’ll let you know when to follow.” Ripples emanated from the edge of the pool as the invisible Myoo waded out. A minute later, they heard the mindbender’s silent call (all except Kiy, of course, who had long ago demanded that Myoo ‘stay out of his head’).
They swam a short distance before coming up on the other side, a pool much like the one they’d entered. Unlike their entrance, however, this chamber was much larger, and obviously worked by intelligent hands. Coming out of the water, Myoo’s voice in their minds directed them to a corner.
“There are two men at the far side of the room,” Myoo thought at them, with Ehput-Ki relaying the message vocally to Kiy. “They are standing near a pentagram in the far corner, which is marked with symbols of travel. I theorize that it marks the boundary of what is known as a teleportation circle. Judging from their appearance, I suspect these two are Eystein and Hakon. They have yet to detect us, but there is a distance of perhaps a hundred feet between us, more than enough for them to prepare against a frontal assault. Plans?”
“Well, might as well stick with what works,” whispered Alia, broadcasting her thoughts to Myoo at the same time. “Same plan as with Rhorlif, except that Myoo hits them with a fireball, Niles follows up with a disintegrate. Kiy, Tantu, and Ehput-Ki stand ready to act immediately after the spells go off. I’ll move a little way into the room and hide, so that I can flank them if they charge us.”
The party shifted into position and stood ready. The signal was an obvious one; a great ball of flames streaked out from one side of the room and engulfed the two men at the far end. At the same time, a green ray struck one of them, causing portions of flesh to dissolve away. But Niles’ target resisted the full effects of the spell, and calmly pulled out a bow as his companion charged in – toward a now visible Myoo.
The charging warrior slashed at Myoo with a powerful sword. Fortunately, the displacement had not ended as the invisibility failed, and most of the blows missed. One slashed across his midsection, and the sorcerer cried out in pain. Alia, who was the closest one to Myoo, moved to help, cartwheeling past the warrior to come up behind him and land a solid blow to the base of his skull.
Kiy and the archer exchanged fire across the long room. Kiy seemed to be getting the best of his foe, as arrow after arrow buried itself in the archer’s body. But then the enemy archer notched another arrow, concentrated for a moment, then fired. The arrow struck Kiy in the shoulder, apparently not a serious wound. But as Kiy pulled the arrow free, he saw that the tip coruscated with black energy. Kiy gasped, and those around him saw as his soul seemed to pull out of his body through the small puncture wound. The elf’s body dropped lifelessly to the ground.
Seeing that the archer was searching for a new target, Niles gestured with his staff, and a dome of force surrounded the archer, trapping him. But a moment later there was a spark of colored light, and the archer vanished, only to reappear in another flash at another part of the room.
“Damn,” Niles muttered.
Meanwhile, the swordsman had turned on Alia. She dodged several vicious blows, but a few got through her defenses, and the sword dug deep into her abdomen, sending gobbets of flesh flying. Alia nearly passed out from the pain and shock, and considered withdrawing. But she realized that as soon as she did, the warrior would turn on Myoo again, and probably kill him. So instead she struck back, hitting him once squarely in the elbow, then sweeping his knees in an attempt to knock him over. He managed to avoid her attack. By this time Tantu had moved beside Alia, and with a touch sent healing energy into her, healing some of her wounds. Myoo used the distraction to escape from the melee, moving over next to Niles, who had sent another fireball hurtling at the archer. Myoo’s familiar Iggy covered his master’s escape with his eye rays.
Ehput-Ki stepped into the combat with the swordsman. His khopesh was surrounded with golden energy that seemed to be coming from within the paladin himself. He slashed at the warrior, and the blade sliced effortlessly through armor and flesh, laying open his ribcage to the bone. At the same time Alia managed to hit the warrior’s knees at a weak spot, sending him tumbling to the ground. Ehput-Ki sent more of his own life-force into his blade, and waited for his foe to rise.
Tantu, seeing that the battle with the swordsman was well in hand, turned to deal with the archer. Raising his arms, he called out for Tyr’s judgment. The ceiling high above the archer seemed to open up, and a pillar of divine fire roared down, engulfing the archer. He staggers, gasps, and falls. Behind Tantu, there is a sickening crunch as Ehput-Ki’s blade comes down on the rising swordsman, nearly splitting him in two from shoulder to navel. He glares hatefully at Alia, spitting his last breath at her.
As the last echoes of the battle fade from the cavern walls, Tantu approaches Kiy’s still form.
“I guess we should figure out a campsite for the day,” said Niles. “We don’t want to go any farther without him, but who knows who or what could come through that pentagram.”
“We won’t need to wait that long,” Tantu said quietly. “I have already prepared the resurrection ritual. I felt that it might be needed.”
* * *
Crowds parted as the shining figure strode forward. It came to stand before a slender elf, standing near two of his brethrem.
“Kiy Willowroot,” said the figure, “I am Hazriel, archon in the service…”
Kiy held his hand up to silence the celestial, turning to face him. “I know who you are, and who has sent you. I accept.”
Hazriel nodded. “Then come with me.”
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Delemental
First Post
Shadows in the Mountains, Part Three
The next hour in the large cavern was quiet. As Tantu knelt beside the body of Kiy, offering up prayers, Myoo and Niles studied the inscribed circle in the far corner. With nothing else to do that would be helpful at that moment, Alia and Ehput-Ki sat near the edge of the water, cleaning everyone’s weapons and sorting through the gear they had taken from their two fallen foes.
Kiy’s eyes fluttered open at last, and after he got his bearings, the party filled the elf in. Kiy listened attentively, but there was sadness behind his eyes, a sadness Ehput-Ki knew all too well. It had barely been a tenday since he had been called back from Paradise, too. Myoo and Niles also discussed their findings.
“It’s definitely a teleportation circle,” Niles said. “Looks like it’s one-way only, and it’s set to only allow two people through at a time.”
“Not very convenient for us,” remarked Alia. “Any idea where it goes?”
Myoo shook his head. “It could be anywhere on this plane, though I’d suspect the circle terminates somewhere nearby; possibly a chamber that can only be reached via the circle. Unfortunately, we may never know the answer.”
“Why is that?” asked Tantu.
“The circle requires a command word to activate,” said Niles, “one we don’t know. The best we could do is figure out it has something to do with the seasons.”
The party went to study the circle. The magical script was written in flowing letters reminiscent of Tantu’s native Alzhedo tongue, but his attempts to name the season in that language did not produce results. Several spells were cast trying to study the circle; Alia suggested using magic to speak to the dead warriors, but Tantu told her it would take a day to prepare that prayer.
As they stood around arguing, Kiy felt the slight flutter of wind on his cheek. His senses were still sensitive after being so recently revived, and at first he dismissed it. But then something in his mind clicked; the breeze had to come from somewhere. He stepped off to the side, letting the sensation on his face guide him. He came to the wall near the circle, and after a minute of searching felt a tiny gap in the stone. He followed it around with his fingertips, and then found a concealed latch.
The rest of the party turned suddenly at the sound of someone clearing their throat. They saw Kiy, standing next to the wall.
“Perhaps we should try this way first,” he said simply. He pointed to indicate the seam of the concealed doorway. Alia moved up to examine the door’s mechanism. She smirked as she worked the latch with her tools.
“A Type Nine simple spring needle,” she said. “Why even bother putting in a trap at all?” In moments she had the poisoned needle extracted, and the door swung open. “I’ll scout ahead, see if there’s more surprises like this,” she flicked the needle away as she talked.
“Hold on,” Niles came up and uttered a spell, then touched her. “There. That will allow you to see in the dark like our aas… our planetouched companions can.” Niles caught himself in time; he knew that Myoo did not like to be reminded of his celestial heritage.
Alia moved into the dark passageway, keeping in mental contact with Myoo as she moved.
Looks like the hallway’s about 60-70 feet long, and there’s an opening at the end on the left wall with some light. I’ll see what’s behind the corner and… hold on a second. Alia’s communication with Myoo fell silent, and the party waited expectantly for the sorcerer to give them news. Suddenly, Myoo blinked in surprise.
“I believe that Alia may have set off a trap, or an alarm of some sort. She doesn’t seem to be hurt from what I’m receiving.” Myoo looked up at Tantu with a half-smile. “Your girlfriend swears beautifully,” he commented, then cocked his head at a slight angle as if listening intently. “Some of these phrases even I’ve never heard before.”
“I believe the opportunity for surprise is past,” said Kiy, who shouldered his bow and moved into the hallway. The others followed behind, soon catching up to Alia, who had continued on. The hallway turned left, then opened into a large chamber lit with torches. Sitting serenely in the center of the room was a thickly muscled man wearing plain robes, his head shaved clean. His eyes opened as the party approached.
“Enter, Flame-Hair,” he said, addressing Alia. She slid into the room followed by her companions.
“Haroon, I presume?” she said to him.
Haroon nodded. “I am Haroon, of the Order of the North Star. I see that you have bested Eystein and Hakon. I offer my congratulations to you on your victory. However, I cannot permit you to proceed further.” He stood up, blocking the way to the other side of the room. He did not attack or adopt a fighting stance, but merely waited patiently.
Ehput-Ki focused on the monk for a moment, studying his aura. “He’s not evil,” he said, somewhat surprised.
“What are you doing here?” asked Alia.
“I am bound by honor to defend the life of Vyech Eslev. He once saved my life, and the debt has not been repaid. I ask you to turn back now.”
“I’m afraid we can’t,” said Tantu. “We’ve been charged to investigate and eliminate the growing evil in these mountains, and we believe Eslev is the source of that evil. Is there no way we can resolve this peacefully?”
Haroon shook his head sadly. “You wish to bring harm to Vyech Eslev, and I am honor-bound to prevent that. Only your departure will guarantee that no blood is shed.”
Kiy, however, had a different idea. She pulled a tanglefoot bag out of her pack, and hurled it at the floor near the monk, watching with satisfaction as the gluey liquid splashed at his feet. But in the blink of an eye, Haroon had leapt out of the area, landing with cat-like grace a few feet away.
“Oh boy,” muttered Alia to herself.
Things began to happen quickly. Tantu was still trying to negotiate with Haroon, offering him wine. But Niles had let loose with a barrage of magic missiles from a wand, filling the air with the smell of ozone. Kiy had brought her bow out and fired several shots; one arrow flew true and struck the monk in the leg, while another was batted aside almost carelessly.
“Please!” shouted Tantu, trying to restore calm, “stop fighting! Stop before this goes too far!”
Haroon regarded the cleric for a moment, then glanced down to the wound on his leg. “You have taken first blood,” he said. “Once the cycle has begun, it cannot be ended until it is complete.”
With that, he leapt to the attack.
Haroon first struck at Niles, landing several deadly blows on the startled gnome before the rest of the party was able to come to his aid. But initially, the only aid they were able to give was to provide multiple targets for the agile monk. Alia landed a good blow early in the fight, but then seemed incapable of connecting. Kiy fired shot after shot at close range, most of which were deflected by the monk’s iron-hard hands. Both Myoo and Niles tried spells, but their magic seemed to have as hard a time connecting to Haroon as did the weapons of their companions. They were also cursed by the fact that the fighting seemed to swarm over them constantly, and both the illusionist and the mindbender had several spells disrupted by a well-timed kick or punch. Myoo eventually resorted to threatening Haroon, promising his eventual defeat. The attempts at intimidation appeared to have at least some effect, as the monk missed a few easy blows.
Only Ehput-Ki seemed to be able to strike the monk with any consistency, and soon Haroon was concentrating on him. Tantu’s magic was quickly being spent keeping the paladin on his feet; he caught a break long enough to attempt to destroy the monk with a powerful miracle, but it failed to affect their foe, perhaps because Tyr sensed that his priest held no real malice toward the monk.
Haroon struck Ehput-Ki again with the flat of his hand. The blow was strangely jarring, and the area felt slightly numb. A few moments later, Haroon looked at Ehput-Ki intently, and suddenly the paladin felt the numbness spreading. The blow had struck a vital nerve cluster, and with horror he realized that the numb feeling was creeping toward his heart. With a mighty effort of will, Ehput-Ki fought back the effects of the monk’s deadly touch just as the edges of his vision were beginning to blacken.
Niles and Myoo switched from offense to defense, casting several displacement spells on themselves and their companions. Surveying the battle, Alia saw that it had turned into a sort of stalemate, neither side able to strike the other effectively. But Tantu was running out of healing spells, and several had been disrupted by the monk. She knew she needed to do something to change the dynamics of the fight, but what?
She saw her chance as Haroon once again struck Ehput-Ki with a reverberating blow that dented his breastplate and sent his head spinning. As the others closed to protect the paladin while he recovered, Alia stepped away and ran to the far side of the room, past where Haroon had been sitting. She easily spotted the large concealed door at the far wall. Turning around, she shouted at the top of her lungs.
“Hey, you pajama-wearing ass! I thought you were supposed to stop us from getting through this door! So much for honor, eh?” She then reached out as if to open the door.
Haroon was across the room in a second, lashing out at Alia with his foot. She staggered back from the blow, but inwardly she smiled.
Her companions did not disappoint. Several arrows and magic missiles sailed through the air, striking Haroon from behind. Then, as the monk moved to attack Alia again, he suddenly froze in place.
“He’s not going anywhere,” said Myoo mockingly.
Ehput-Ki han up with rope to secure the held Harron before the spell ended. Alia wasted no time in divesting the monk of his meager belongings; an amulet, a pair of bracers, and two rings. She saw a flicker of movement near Haroon’s head, and her hand shot out, closing around a tiny gemstone flying through the air.
A moment later, Haroon’s rigid posture relaxed. He struggled for only the briefest moment against the ropes that bound him, then looked up at Ehput-Ki.
“These bonds are unnecessary,” he said. “You have defeated me. I give you my word of honor that I will bring you no further harm.”
Ehput-Ki regarded the monk for a moment, then reached down and untied him. Myoo watched, his jaw dropping open. “You’re just going to let him loose after all that?” he asked incredulously.
“Yes,” the paladin stated firmly. “He has given his word.”
“So?”
“You have already beaten me once,” Haroon answered for Ehput-Ki, “thus, if I did intend treachery, it is likely you could defeat me again, especially now that I have been stripped of my items.”
Alia looked down at the handful of items she’d stripped off the paralyzed monk, and felt the tiniest pang of guilt. But Haroon held up a hand, sensing her discomfort.
“Keep them, Flame Hair. They are merely possessions. Perhaps I had become too dependent upon their benefits, which led to my defeat.”
As Alia put away Haroon’s things, Niles stepped up to regard the monk. “So, what can you tell us about Vyech?”
Haroon shook his head. “I have already failed in my task. I will not further compound my shame by giving you information that could be used against him. However, my part in this is at an end. I would take my leave of you now.”
Ehput-Ki gestured toward the door they had entered from, allowing Haroon to move past him and depart. Again, Myoo stammered in disbelief.
“You’re just letting him go?”
“What purpose would it serve to kill him?” asked Ehput-Ki.
“The purpose of not having an enemy at our backs!”
Ehput-Ki sighed sadly. “Haroon is not our enemy, Myoo. He has been defeated, and we spared his life. Thus he owes us a debt, much like the debt he apparently owes to this Vyech Eslev. He would not dishonor himself by betraying us.”
Grumbling, Myoo fell silent.
Meanwhile, Alia had gone to take a closer look at the concealed door she’d used to bluff Haroon. As she suspected, it was locked, and trapped. She worked the lock for a while, but yelped suddenly and jerked her hand back. Tantu came to her side immediately.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Poison needle,” Alia replied, sucking on the end of her thumb where she’d been pricked, “a better one than was on the last door.”
Panic welled up in Tantu’s chest. He didn’t have a neutralize poison ritual prepared.
Alia saw the fear in Tantu’s eyes. “Relax, it’s okay.” She plucked the needle out of the keyhole, and sniffed it. Then she ran the length of the needle across her tongue, a move that nearly caused Tantu to pass out.
She smiled. “Just what I thought; Crimson Agony.” Noting Tantu’s confused (and still panicked) look, she held up the needle. “Crimson Agony is a very common poison to use in these kind of traps, because it’s long-lasting. It’s so common, however, that most professional thieves get exposed to it all the time. I’ve been dosed with this stuff so many times I’m practically immune.”
By this time others had gathered around, drawn by the commotion. Alia looked up at them.
“I have the door open,” she said, “are we moving on?”
“I don’t know,” said Niles. “I’m almost out of spells.”
“So am I,” admitted Tantu, “and many of us still have wounds that need tending.”
“Then we should rest here,” said Alia. “No telling what we’ll face beyond this door.”
The party made camp in the center of the room, setting a watch on each door. The time passed uneventfully, except for Niles waking up in the middle of the night by a nightmare. Even this was becoming routine; Niles had a great fear of dragons since the day he’d almost been swallowed whole by a green wyrm just outside Neverwinter. The more recent attack by the white dragon at the foot of the mountains had unnerved him. The next day they prepared carefully, knowing they would face at least one powerful priest of an unknown deity.
Alia pushed open the door and moved ahead. A narrow corridor snaked into the darkness. Alia discovered a guillotine trap about halfway down the hallway, and managed to jam it in place. She rounded a corner, and came into a diamond-shaped room with small alcoves at each corner. A short hallway went off to her left, and she could hear low voices from that direction. She also spied a pressure plate on the floor near the center of the room, and a moment’s study revealed a small opening in the wall opposite her. Rather than attempt to disarm it, Alia just drew a chalk circle around the plate as the rest of the party entered the room. She pointed out the voices she had heard, and moved closer to try and make out the words. She heard one person clearly;
“No! We must attack them now, while they’re weak!”
There was a reply, but it was only a murmur.
There was a moment’s discussion about what course of action to take. They debated just rushing into the room, or perhaps luring them out.
Myoo cleared his throat to get attention. “Why don’t we see what else we can learn about who is in there before we plan.” His familiar, Iggy, came floating out of a pocket in Myoo’s robes. Ehput-Ki regarded the tiny beholder-kin with barely contained disgust. Wordlessly, Iggy floated down the hallway. A moment later, Myoo winced.
“It’s hard for him to make anything out in there, but he sees two figures. One is in the center of the room, and seems to be the one doing most of the talking. This could be Vyech Eslev. The other being in the room, unfortunately, appears to be a beholder.”
Worry crossed the faces of the entire group. Alia, who’d made a point of studying such things, related all she knew about the monsters; highly intelligent and very powerful, the beholder’s main powers were the anti-magic field emanating from its large central eye, and the various magical powers of the smaller eyestalks, ranging from magical compulsions to paralyzation to disintegration.
The group withdrew to discuss strategy. Initially a plan to lure the pair out of the room by deliberately triggering the pressure plate was worked out, but that fell aside as a more direct approach was considered; launching a fireball into the room to soften them up. It was agreed that dealing with both the beholder and the priest at the same time would be too much, so a plan was set to divide them; Tantu would be ready to raise a wall of stone in the corridor as one or the other came out, splitting the pair and buying them time to deal with one threat before facing the other. As Tantu moved into position, he motioned Myoo over to him.
“What else can Iggy tell us about the room?”
“Not much, I’m afraid.” By this time Iggy had returned to the protective folds of Myoo’s robes. “In order to keep from being seen, Iggy had to hide just outside the room. He wasn’t able to see the whole room.”
Tantu frowned. “That makes me nervous.” He paused for a moment, then called upon Tyr to grant him vision. Tantu’s closed his eyes, and the image of the small room filled his mind. After studying the room for a moment, he opened his eyes and motioned his companions over, grinning.
“Hey, you know that beholder Iggy saw? It’s stuffed.”
Several eyes blinked in disbelief. “No, really!” exclaimed the cleric. “I could see loose stuffing coming out of a seam. But the other guy, Vyech, is talking to the beholder like it’s real.”
Kiy shook his head. “The man is insane.”
“And there’s a third person in the room, bound to the wall with leather straps,” Tantu continued. “He looks like he’s been disemboweled, but he’s still alive. I think its Haroon.”
“May the desert sands blind this Vyech!” Ehput-Ki swore. “We must save him!”
“Good thing we didn’t go with the fireball plan,” whispered Niles to Myoo.
Myoo began to smile wickedly, but held it in check when he saw others were watching. “So, Tantu, what else did you see?”
“There are two pentagrams in the room, a large one in the center and a smaller one in the far corner. I couldn’t see the details on the glyphs.”
“One could be the terminus for that circle in the other chamber,” Myoo mused.
“Enough speculation,” said Ehput-Ki. “Haroon might be dying as we bandy words.”
Myoo sighed. “Look. Why don’t we sneak in invisibly, except for me. I’ll try to lure him out of the room. That way you can heal up Haroon without Vyech seeing him, and we get him away from those summoning circles.”
They agreed to the plan quickly. The party moved quietly into the room; Alia moved around behind Vyech, while Tantu and Ehput-Ki took up positions next to the barely conscious Haroon. Kiy and Niles remained near the exit as Myoo strode forward, arms open.
“Vyech, my friend!” he exclaimed. “There you are! What ever are you doing down here?”
“Who are you?” screeched the priest. He wore tattered clothes and thick hide armor. He was drawing a sharp knife along his forearm, which was criss-crossed with shallow cuts.
“Why, Vyech, I’ve come to see what you’re doing. I’d heard you were building up some sort of army. Is this your fortress?”
“Yes, yes,” nodded Vyech gleefully. “An army for the war!”
“Indeed.” Myoo nodded toward the bound Haroon. “What’s this for?”
“He once served me, but he failed me,” tittered the priest. “Now he must pay for letting intruders in.”
“Intruders? Oh, you must have punished him after I got past him. He wouldn’t budge, but I knew we had to see you.”
“We?” gasped Vyech, “who is ‘we’?”
“My familiar and I,” Myoo said, thinking quickly. “So, I see you’ve inscribed a summoning circle here. Where does it go?”
“Don’t know,” mumbled Vyech, “somewhere hot. Lots of flames. I send them supplies, they promise me an army.”
That doesn’t sound good, several of the party thought at once.
“Soon we shall strike! Here, I show you.” Vyech began muttering in a foul language.
Alia decided that the last thing she wanted was for Vyech Eslev to finish his spell. She came down with her baton between his shoulders, hoping to snap his neck. But her baton struck a metal plate hidden inside the thick hides, and bounced off without effect. Vyech uttered the last phrases of his spell, and the air inside the large summoning circle wavered and rippled as a large form appeared. The towering form looked somewhat like a huge gnoll, but its powerful arms ended in crab-like claws, while a smaller pair of human-like arms sprouted from its chest. It leered viciously at the assembled party, apparently able to see them despite their invisibility.
Niles, however, was prepared. He shouted at the demon in a forceful voice, brandishing one of the torches on the wall. The creatures threw up its arms as if to ward of the illusionist’s spell, but then faded away, sent back to its home plane.
Things began to happen quickly. Ehput-Ki sent positive energy into Haroon as Tantu pushed his entrails back into his body as best he could. The flesh knitted together, and Haroon took a deep breath, the pain lifted. Myoo tried to cast a spell on Vyech, but the priest shrugged it off. Kiy shot a few arrows at him, striking twice. Alia tried to swing again, but her target, now aware of her, easily avoided the blow. In response, he reached out a hand and slapped Alia across the face. As he struck, the image of a transparent black metal gauntlet superimposed itself over the priest’s open hand, raking through Alia and pulling away most of her life-force. Tantu rushed over to help Alia, while Ehput-Ki moved in to attack, willing his invisibility to dissipate so that he could face his foe on honorable terms. Vyech staggered from a few more shots from Kiy and spells from Myoo and Niles.
Before Tantu could reach her, Alia sprung away from the fight, somersaulting into the air and landing on top of the stuffed beholder. She drew her hand cross bow and took aim, but by that time the fight was nearly over. Powerful blows from Ehput-Ki and Tantu sent the priest to the floor.
Niles approached the corpse, reaching down and grasping a holy symbol still clutched in the mad priest’s bony fingers. “Bane,” Niles said thoughtfully.
Kiy pointed at the circles inscribed on the floor. “This would likely explain the sense of a growing evil in the mountains,” he stated.
“And Vyech’s deranged mind may have thrown off their divinations, since he likely couldn’t string two logical thoughts together,” added Myoo.
Tantu and Ehput-Ki cut down Haroon, administering additional healing. As the circulation returned to his limbs, the monk stood, and bowed.
“I thank you for saving me,” he said solemnly. “I had returned to Vyech to report my failure to him, as honor demanded. When I would not disclose to him the nature of my assailants, he became enraged and ensorcelled me.” Haroon regarded the large circle in the center of the room. “My path is clear now. In order to ease the burden on my soul for taking part in this evil, I must now take the fight to the enemy.” He turned to regard Alia. “I must beg a favor, Flame-Hair. One of the rings you took from me as a prize is a gold band inscribed with the symbol of a flame. For where I am going, this item is a necessity.”
Alia dug into a pocket and produced the ring, flipping it into the monk’s outstretched hand. Behind them, the sound of Myoo’s palm striking his forehead echoed in the small room. Nodding his head in gratitude, Haroon stepped into the large circle.
“Wait,” said Tantu, “how do we get out of here? We found a device to make us ethereal to get down, but how do we get out again?”
Haroon smiled cryptically. “Seek, and you will find.” Then he spoke another word, and vanished.
After spending half an hour destroying the pentagrams and sanctifying the room, they made their way back to the chamber at the bottom of the shaft. Sure enough, a few minutes of searching turned up a button similar to the one up above.
As they approached the entrance to the cave, the sentry, Rhorlif, challenged them.
“Stay where you are!” he shouted, the compulsion that Myoo had placed upon him long since worn away. “You’ve fooled me with your sorcery, but Vyech will deal with you now!”
“Vyech?” said Myoo casually. “Oh! You mean Vyech Eslev. The one who used to wear this.” He dangled Vyech’s holy symbol of Bane on one finger, letting Rhorlif watch it twirl in the mountain breeze.
“Vyech Eslev is in no state to ‘deal’ with anything, and neither are his lieutenants. I offer you this information freely, and will add this; you have been paid well for six months of service, but you’ll not be paid again. And there is nothing left here to protect.”
Rhorlif regarded the party for a long moment, then lowered his sword and began walking down the mountain path, away from the caves. Myoo felt the eyes of the others on him, and he turned to regard them.
“Well,” he said, “since it seems letting people go is fashionable these days…”
The next hour in the large cavern was quiet. As Tantu knelt beside the body of Kiy, offering up prayers, Myoo and Niles studied the inscribed circle in the far corner. With nothing else to do that would be helpful at that moment, Alia and Ehput-Ki sat near the edge of the water, cleaning everyone’s weapons and sorting through the gear they had taken from their two fallen foes.
Kiy’s eyes fluttered open at last, and after he got his bearings, the party filled the elf in. Kiy listened attentively, but there was sadness behind his eyes, a sadness Ehput-Ki knew all too well. It had barely been a tenday since he had been called back from Paradise, too. Myoo and Niles also discussed their findings.
“It’s definitely a teleportation circle,” Niles said. “Looks like it’s one-way only, and it’s set to only allow two people through at a time.”
“Not very convenient for us,” remarked Alia. “Any idea where it goes?”
Myoo shook his head. “It could be anywhere on this plane, though I’d suspect the circle terminates somewhere nearby; possibly a chamber that can only be reached via the circle. Unfortunately, we may never know the answer.”
“Why is that?” asked Tantu.
“The circle requires a command word to activate,” said Niles, “one we don’t know. The best we could do is figure out it has something to do with the seasons.”
The party went to study the circle. The magical script was written in flowing letters reminiscent of Tantu’s native Alzhedo tongue, but his attempts to name the season in that language did not produce results. Several spells were cast trying to study the circle; Alia suggested using magic to speak to the dead warriors, but Tantu told her it would take a day to prepare that prayer.
As they stood around arguing, Kiy felt the slight flutter of wind on his cheek. His senses were still sensitive after being so recently revived, and at first he dismissed it. But then something in his mind clicked; the breeze had to come from somewhere. He stepped off to the side, letting the sensation on his face guide him. He came to the wall near the circle, and after a minute of searching felt a tiny gap in the stone. He followed it around with his fingertips, and then found a concealed latch.
The rest of the party turned suddenly at the sound of someone clearing their throat. They saw Kiy, standing next to the wall.
“Perhaps we should try this way first,” he said simply. He pointed to indicate the seam of the concealed doorway. Alia moved up to examine the door’s mechanism. She smirked as she worked the latch with her tools.
“A Type Nine simple spring needle,” she said. “Why even bother putting in a trap at all?” In moments she had the poisoned needle extracted, and the door swung open. “I’ll scout ahead, see if there’s more surprises like this,” she flicked the needle away as she talked.
“Hold on,” Niles came up and uttered a spell, then touched her. “There. That will allow you to see in the dark like our aas… our planetouched companions can.” Niles caught himself in time; he knew that Myoo did not like to be reminded of his celestial heritage.
Alia moved into the dark passageway, keeping in mental contact with Myoo as she moved.
Looks like the hallway’s about 60-70 feet long, and there’s an opening at the end on the left wall with some light. I’ll see what’s behind the corner and… hold on a second. Alia’s communication with Myoo fell silent, and the party waited expectantly for the sorcerer to give them news. Suddenly, Myoo blinked in surprise.
“I believe that Alia may have set off a trap, or an alarm of some sort. She doesn’t seem to be hurt from what I’m receiving.” Myoo looked up at Tantu with a half-smile. “Your girlfriend swears beautifully,” he commented, then cocked his head at a slight angle as if listening intently. “Some of these phrases even I’ve never heard before.”
“I believe the opportunity for surprise is past,” said Kiy, who shouldered his bow and moved into the hallway. The others followed behind, soon catching up to Alia, who had continued on. The hallway turned left, then opened into a large chamber lit with torches. Sitting serenely in the center of the room was a thickly muscled man wearing plain robes, his head shaved clean. His eyes opened as the party approached.
“Enter, Flame-Hair,” he said, addressing Alia. She slid into the room followed by her companions.
“Haroon, I presume?” she said to him.
Haroon nodded. “I am Haroon, of the Order of the North Star. I see that you have bested Eystein and Hakon. I offer my congratulations to you on your victory. However, I cannot permit you to proceed further.” He stood up, blocking the way to the other side of the room. He did not attack or adopt a fighting stance, but merely waited patiently.
Ehput-Ki focused on the monk for a moment, studying his aura. “He’s not evil,” he said, somewhat surprised.
“What are you doing here?” asked Alia.
“I am bound by honor to defend the life of Vyech Eslev. He once saved my life, and the debt has not been repaid. I ask you to turn back now.”
“I’m afraid we can’t,” said Tantu. “We’ve been charged to investigate and eliminate the growing evil in these mountains, and we believe Eslev is the source of that evil. Is there no way we can resolve this peacefully?”
Haroon shook his head sadly. “You wish to bring harm to Vyech Eslev, and I am honor-bound to prevent that. Only your departure will guarantee that no blood is shed.”
Kiy, however, had a different idea. She pulled a tanglefoot bag out of her pack, and hurled it at the floor near the monk, watching with satisfaction as the gluey liquid splashed at his feet. But in the blink of an eye, Haroon had leapt out of the area, landing with cat-like grace a few feet away.
“Oh boy,” muttered Alia to herself.
Things began to happen quickly. Tantu was still trying to negotiate with Haroon, offering him wine. But Niles had let loose with a barrage of magic missiles from a wand, filling the air with the smell of ozone. Kiy had brought her bow out and fired several shots; one arrow flew true and struck the monk in the leg, while another was batted aside almost carelessly.
“Please!” shouted Tantu, trying to restore calm, “stop fighting! Stop before this goes too far!”
Haroon regarded the cleric for a moment, then glanced down to the wound on his leg. “You have taken first blood,” he said. “Once the cycle has begun, it cannot be ended until it is complete.”
With that, he leapt to the attack.
Haroon first struck at Niles, landing several deadly blows on the startled gnome before the rest of the party was able to come to his aid. But initially, the only aid they were able to give was to provide multiple targets for the agile monk. Alia landed a good blow early in the fight, but then seemed incapable of connecting. Kiy fired shot after shot at close range, most of which were deflected by the monk’s iron-hard hands. Both Myoo and Niles tried spells, but their magic seemed to have as hard a time connecting to Haroon as did the weapons of their companions. They were also cursed by the fact that the fighting seemed to swarm over them constantly, and both the illusionist and the mindbender had several spells disrupted by a well-timed kick or punch. Myoo eventually resorted to threatening Haroon, promising his eventual defeat. The attempts at intimidation appeared to have at least some effect, as the monk missed a few easy blows.
Only Ehput-Ki seemed to be able to strike the monk with any consistency, and soon Haroon was concentrating on him. Tantu’s magic was quickly being spent keeping the paladin on his feet; he caught a break long enough to attempt to destroy the monk with a powerful miracle, but it failed to affect their foe, perhaps because Tyr sensed that his priest held no real malice toward the monk.
Haroon struck Ehput-Ki again with the flat of his hand. The blow was strangely jarring, and the area felt slightly numb. A few moments later, Haroon looked at Ehput-Ki intently, and suddenly the paladin felt the numbness spreading. The blow had struck a vital nerve cluster, and with horror he realized that the numb feeling was creeping toward his heart. With a mighty effort of will, Ehput-Ki fought back the effects of the monk’s deadly touch just as the edges of his vision were beginning to blacken.
Niles and Myoo switched from offense to defense, casting several displacement spells on themselves and their companions. Surveying the battle, Alia saw that it had turned into a sort of stalemate, neither side able to strike the other effectively. But Tantu was running out of healing spells, and several had been disrupted by the monk. She knew she needed to do something to change the dynamics of the fight, but what?
She saw her chance as Haroon once again struck Ehput-Ki with a reverberating blow that dented his breastplate and sent his head spinning. As the others closed to protect the paladin while he recovered, Alia stepped away and ran to the far side of the room, past where Haroon had been sitting. She easily spotted the large concealed door at the far wall. Turning around, she shouted at the top of her lungs.
“Hey, you pajama-wearing ass! I thought you were supposed to stop us from getting through this door! So much for honor, eh?” She then reached out as if to open the door.
Haroon was across the room in a second, lashing out at Alia with his foot. She staggered back from the blow, but inwardly she smiled.
Her companions did not disappoint. Several arrows and magic missiles sailed through the air, striking Haroon from behind. Then, as the monk moved to attack Alia again, he suddenly froze in place.
“He’s not going anywhere,” said Myoo mockingly.
Ehput-Ki han up with rope to secure the held Harron before the spell ended. Alia wasted no time in divesting the monk of his meager belongings; an amulet, a pair of bracers, and two rings. She saw a flicker of movement near Haroon’s head, and her hand shot out, closing around a tiny gemstone flying through the air.
A moment later, Haroon’s rigid posture relaxed. He struggled for only the briefest moment against the ropes that bound him, then looked up at Ehput-Ki.
“These bonds are unnecessary,” he said. “You have defeated me. I give you my word of honor that I will bring you no further harm.”
Ehput-Ki regarded the monk for a moment, then reached down and untied him. Myoo watched, his jaw dropping open. “You’re just going to let him loose after all that?” he asked incredulously.
“Yes,” the paladin stated firmly. “He has given his word.”
“So?”
“You have already beaten me once,” Haroon answered for Ehput-Ki, “thus, if I did intend treachery, it is likely you could defeat me again, especially now that I have been stripped of my items.”
Alia looked down at the handful of items she’d stripped off the paralyzed monk, and felt the tiniest pang of guilt. But Haroon held up a hand, sensing her discomfort.
“Keep them, Flame Hair. They are merely possessions. Perhaps I had become too dependent upon their benefits, which led to my defeat.”
As Alia put away Haroon’s things, Niles stepped up to regard the monk. “So, what can you tell us about Vyech?”
Haroon shook his head. “I have already failed in my task. I will not further compound my shame by giving you information that could be used against him. However, my part in this is at an end. I would take my leave of you now.”
Ehput-Ki gestured toward the door they had entered from, allowing Haroon to move past him and depart. Again, Myoo stammered in disbelief.
“You’re just letting him go?”
“What purpose would it serve to kill him?” asked Ehput-Ki.
“The purpose of not having an enemy at our backs!”
Ehput-Ki sighed sadly. “Haroon is not our enemy, Myoo. He has been defeated, and we spared his life. Thus he owes us a debt, much like the debt he apparently owes to this Vyech Eslev. He would not dishonor himself by betraying us.”
Grumbling, Myoo fell silent.
Meanwhile, Alia had gone to take a closer look at the concealed door she’d used to bluff Haroon. As she suspected, it was locked, and trapped. She worked the lock for a while, but yelped suddenly and jerked her hand back. Tantu came to her side immediately.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Poison needle,” Alia replied, sucking on the end of her thumb where she’d been pricked, “a better one than was on the last door.”
Panic welled up in Tantu’s chest. He didn’t have a neutralize poison ritual prepared.
Alia saw the fear in Tantu’s eyes. “Relax, it’s okay.” She plucked the needle out of the keyhole, and sniffed it. Then she ran the length of the needle across her tongue, a move that nearly caused Tantu to pass out.
She smiled. “Just what I thought; Crimson Agony.” Noting Tantu’s confused (and still panicked) look, she held up the needle. “Crimson Agony is a very common poison to use in these kind of traps, because it’s long-lasting. It’s so common, however, that most professional thieves get exposed to it all the time. I’ve been dosed with this stuff so many times I’m practically immune.”
By this time others had gathered around, drawn by the commotion. Alia looked up at them.
“I have the door open,” she said, “are we moving on?”
“I don’t know,” said Niles. “I’m almost out of spells.”
“So am I,” admitted Tantu, “and many of us still have wounds that need tending.”
“Then we should rest here,” said Alia. “No telling what we’ll face beyond this door.”
* * *
The party made camp in the center of the room, setting a watch on each door. The time passed uneventfully, except for Niles waking up in the middle of the night by a nightmare. Even this was becoming routine; Niles had a great fear of dragons since the day he’d almost been swallowed whole by a green wyrm just outside Neverwinter. The more recent attack by the white dragon at the foot of the mountains had unnerved him. The next day they prepared carefully, knowing they would face at least one powerful priest of an unknown deity.
Alia pushed open the door and moved ahead. A narrow corridor snaked into the darkness. Alia discovered a guillotine trap about halfway down the hallway, and managed to jam it in place. She rounded a corner, and came into a diamond-shaped room with small alcoves at each corner. A short hallway went off to her left, and she could hear low voices from that direction. She also spied a pressure plate on the floor near the center of the room, and a moment’s study revealed a small opening in the wall opposite her. Rather than attempt to disarm it, Alia just drew a chalk circle around the plate as the rest of the party entered the room. She pointed out the voices she had heard, and moved closer to try and make out the words. She heard one person clearly;
“No! We must attack them now, while they’re weak!”
There was a reply, but it was only a murmur.
There was a moment’s discussion about what course of action to take. They debated just rushing into the room, or perhaps luring them out.
Myoo cleared his throat to get attention. “Why don’t we see what else we can learn about who is in there before we plan.” His familiar, Iggy, came floating out of a pocket in Myoo’s robes. Ehput-Ki regarded the tiny beholder-kin with barely contained disgust. Wordlessly, Iggy floated down the hallway. A moment later, Myoo winced.
“It’s hard for him to make anything out in there, but he sees two figures. One is in the center of the room, and seems to be the one doing most of the talking. This could be Vyech Eslev. The other being in the room, unfortunately, appears to be a beholder.”
Worry crossed the faces of the entire group. Alia, who’d made a point of studying such things, related all she knew about the monsters; highly intelligent and very powerful, the beholder’s main powers were the anti-magic field emanating from its large central eye, and the various magical powers of the smaller eyestalks, ranging from magical compulsions to paralyzation to disintegration.
The group withdrew to discuss strategy. Initially a plan to lure the pair out of the room by deliberately triggering the pressure plate was worked out, but that fell aside as a more direct approach was considered; launching a fireball into the room to soften them up. It was agreed that dealing with both the beholder and the priest at the same time would be too much, so a plan was set to divide them; Tantu would be ready to raise a wall of stone in the corridor as one or the other came out, splitting the pair and buying them time to deal with one threat before facing the other. As Tantu moved into position, he motioned Myoo over to him.
“What else can Iggy tell us about the room?”
“Not much, I’m afraid.” By this time Iggy had returned to the protective folds of Myoo’s robes. “In order to keep from being seen, Iggy had to hide just outside the room. He wasn’t able to see the whole room.”
Tantu frowned. “That makes me nervous.” He paused for a moment, then called upon Tyr to grant him vision. Tantu’s closed his eyes, and the image of the small room filled his mind. After studying the room for a moment, he opened his eyes and motioned his companions over, grinning.
“Hey, you know that beholder Iggy saw? It’s stuffed.”
Several eyes blinked in disbelief. “No, really!” exclaimed the cleric. “I could see loose stuffing coming out of a seam. But the other guy, Vyech, is talking to the beholder like it’s real.”
Kiy shook his head. “The man is insane.”
“And there’s a third person in the room, bound to the wall with leather straps,” Tantu continued. “He looks like he’s been disemboweled, but he’s still alive. I think its Haroon.”
“May the desert sands blind this Vyech!” Ehput-Ki swore. “We must save him!”
“Good thing we didn’t go with the fireball plan,” whispered Niles to Myoo.
Myoo began to smile wickedly, but held it in check when he saw others were watching. “So, Tantu, what else did you see?”
“There are two pentagrams in the room, a large one in the center and a smaller one in the far corner. I couldn’t see the details on the glyphs.”
“One could be the terminus for that circle in the other chamber,” Myoo mused.
“Enough speculation,” said Ehput-Ki. “Haroon might be dying as we bandy words.”
Myoo sighed. “Look. Why don’t we sneak in invisibly, except for me. I’ll try to lure him out of the room. That way you can heal up Haroon without Vyech seeing him, and we get him away from those summoning circles.”
They agreed to the plan quickly. The party moved quietly into the room; Alia moved around behind Vyech, while Tantu and Ehput-Ki took up positions next to the barely conscious Haroon. Kiy and Niles remained near the exit as Myoo strode forward, arms open.
“Vyech, my friend!” he exclaimed. “There you are! What ever are you doing down here?”
“Who are you?” screeched the priest. He wore tattered clothes and thick hide armor. He was drawing a sharp knife along his forearm, which was criss-crossed with shallow cuts.
“Why, Vyech, I’ve come to see what you’re doing. I’d heard you were building up some sort of army. Is this your fortress?”
“Yes, yes,” nodded Vyech gleefully. “An army for the war!”
“Indeed.” Myoo nodded toward the bound Haroon. “What’s this for?”
“He once served me, but he failed me,” tittered the priest. “Now he must pay for letting intruders in.”
“Intruders? Oh, you must have punished him after I got past him. He wouldn’t budge, but I knew we had to see you.”
“We?” gasped Vyech, “who is ‘we’?”
“My familiar and I,” Myoo said, thinking quickly. “So, I see you’ve inscribed a summoning circle here. Where does it go?”
“Don’t know,” mumbled Vyech, “somewhere hot. Lots of flames. I send them supplies, they promise me an army.”
That doesn’t sound good, several of the party thought at once.
“Soon we shall strike! Here, I show you.” Vyech began muttering in a foul language.
Alia decided that the last thing she wanted was for Vyech Eslev to finish his spell. She came down with her baton between his shoulders, hoping to snap his neck. But her baton struck a metal plate hidden inside the thick hides, and bounced off without effect. Vyech uttered the last phrases of his spell, and the air inside the large summoning circle wavered and rippled as a large form appeared. The towering form looked somewhat like a huge gnoll, but its powerful arms ended in crab-like claws, while a smaller pair of human-like arms sprouted from its chest. It leered viciously at the assembled party, apparently able to see them despite their invisibility.
Niles, however, was prepared. He shouted at the demon in a forceful voice, brandishing one of the torches on the wall. The creatures threw up its arms as if to ward of the illusionist’s spell, but then faded away, sent back to its home plane.
Things began to happen quickly. Ehput-Ki sent positive energy into Haroon as Tantu pushed his entrails back into his body as best he could. The flesh knitted together, and Haroon took a deep breath, the pain lifted. Myoo tried to cast a spell on Vyech, but the priest shrugged it off. Kiy shot a few arrows at him, striking twice. Alia tried to swing again, but her target, now aware of her, easily avoided the blow. In response, he reached out a hand and slapped Alia across the face. As he struck, the image of a transparent black metal gauntlet superimposed itself over the priest’s open hand, raking through Alia and pulling away most of her life-force. Tantu rushed over to help Alia, while Ehput-Ki moved in to attack, willing his invisibility to dissipate so that he could face his foe on honorable terms. Vyech staggered from a few more shots from Kiy and spells from Myoo and Niles.
Before Tantu could reach her, Alia sprung away from the fight, somersaulting into the air and landing on top of the stuffed beholder. She drew her hand cross bow and took aim, but by that time the fight was nearly over. Powerful blows from Ehput-Ki and Tantu sent the priest to the floor.
Niles approached the corpse, reaching down and grasping a holy symbol still clutched in the mad priest’s bony fingers. “Bane,” Niles said thoughtfully.
Kiy pointed at the circles inscribed on the floor. “This would likely explain the sense of a growing evil in the mountains,” he stated.
“And Vyech’s deranged mind may have thrown off their divinations, since he likely couldn’t string two logical thoughts together,” added Myoo.
Tantu and Ehput-Ki cut down Haroon, administering additional healing. As the circulation returned to his limbs, the monk stood, and bowed.
“I thank you for saving me,” he said solemnly. “I had returned to Vyech to report my failure to him, as honor demanded. When I would not disclose to him the nature of my assailants, he became enraged and ensorcelled me.” Haroon regarded the large circle in the center of the room. “My path is clear now. In order to ease the burden on my soul for taking part in this evil, I must now take the fight to the enemy.” He turned to regard Alia. “I must beg a favor, Flame-Hair. One of the rings you took from me as a prize is a gold band inscribed with the symbol of a flame. For where I am going, this item is a necessity.”
Alia dug into a pocket and produced the ring, flipping it into the monk’s outstretched hand. Behind them, the sound of Myoo’s palm striking his forehead echoed in the small room. Nodding his head in gratitude, Haroon stepped into the large circle.
“Wait,” said Tantu, “how do we get out of here? We found a device to make us ethereal to get down, but how do we get out again?”
Haroon smiled cryptically. “Seek, and you will find.” Then he spoke another word, and vanished.
After spending half an hour destroying the pentagrams and sanctifying the room, they made their way back to the chamber at the bottom of the shaft. Sure enough, a few minutes of searching turned up a button similar to the one up above.
As they approached the entrance to the cave, the sentry, Rhorlif, challenged them.
“Stay where you are!” he shouted, the compulsion that Myoo had placed upon him long since worn away. “You’ve fooled me with your sorcery, but Vyech will deal with you now!”
“Vyech?” said Myoo casually. “Oh! You mean Vyech Eslev. The one who used to wear this.” He dangled Vyech’s holy symbol of Bane on one finger, letting Rhorlif watch it twirl in the mountain breeze.
“Vyech Eslev is in no state to ‘deal’ with anything, and neither are his lieutenants. I offer you this information freely, and will add this; you have been paid well for six months of service, but you’ll not be paid again. And there is nothing left here to protect.”
Rhorlif regarded the party for a long moment, then lowered his sword and began walking down the mountain path, away from the caves. Myoo felt the eyes of the others on him, and he turned to regard them.
“Well,” he said, “since it seems letting people go is fashionable these days…”
Delemental
First Post
No Place Like Home
The party walked through the northern gates of Waterdeep, tired from their mountainous trek but relieved to be back in civilization. They took up their old rooms in the Wailing Boar, and spent the rest of the afternoon resting. That night, they gathered in Ehput-Ki’s room to divide up the spoils from their recent journey. Piles of coins, gems, and valuables rested in various parts of the room.
“Okay, then,” said Alia, as she finished making six stacks of gold coins, “there’s an equal share for each of us. Tomorrow Myoo and I will go about trying to sell these other items.” She began to push stacks of coins toward her companions, but then stopped. “Oh, almost forgot. We’re going to need to pay for these rooms for a while.” She plucked five coins off the top of each pile and dropped them in a pocket. “That should pay us up until the end of next month.”
The door to Ehput-Ki’s room suddenly burst open. The company turned in their chairs to see a very drunk man stagger into the room, a bottle of whiskey in one hand and a giggling brown-haired woman in his other arm. The impact of the door against the wall caused the piles of coins to fall, scattering across the table and floor with a cacophonous ring.
“Sorry,” the man belched, “I didn’ know this room was taken,” The man spotted the coins rolling at his feet, and his eyes bulged. “Lliira’s left teat, tha’s a lotta money,” he blurted, making some sort of attempt to bend over and pick up a handful of gold, but hampered by the fact that he was either unable or unwilling to let go of either his drink or his companion.
Without warning, Myoo’s familiar Iggy shot across the room and flew directly into the man’s face, growling horribly and making himself as terrifying as a six-inch wide beholder could be. It was apparently enough; the man screeched and backpedaled out of the room, tripping over his own feet. As Kiy stepped over and shut the door again, Iggy turned to look at Myoo expectantly.
“Well done,” the sorcerer said, and Iggy returned to his master’s side, doing a small barrel roll in midair to express his glee.
Alia looked at the coins scattered everywhere, and her forehead hit the table in frustration. “Gods, I hat staying in public buildings,” she moaned without looking up.
The others could only mutter their agreement as they began scooping up gold. A minute or so into the process, Myoo suddenly looked up at the others.
“Well, why should we?” he asked.
“Why should we what?” said Ehput-Ki quizzically.
Myoo rolled his eyes. “Are all of you deluded deity-lovers this dense?” A thin smirk crossed his face. “What am I saying? Of course you are. One would have to be a prerequisite for the other.” He ignored the hard looks of Ehput-Ki and Tantu as he continued. “Why should we continue to pay for temporary lodgings all the time? Why not purchase some property in the city? I, for one, would like a more permanent place to call home.”
The others looked at each other. “It sure would be nice not to have to carry my entire life on my back,” mused Niles.
The others were in agreement. Buying a house seemed to be a wonderful idea. Only Kiy expressed a reservation. “The only thing I would ask,” he said slowly, “is not to live in the city.”
Myoo thought for a moment. “You’re right,” he said. “Being outside the city limits would give us the opportunity to have a little more space. Besides, taxes inside the city are probably exorbitant.”
“Well then,” said Alia, “let’s change our plans for tomorrow. Myoo and I will go sell these items as planned, but meanwhile the rest of you can look into property outside the city limits. Try looking within a half-day’s ride first.”
The party split up the next day, and by that evening had learned of four estates on the outskirts of Waterdeep that were on the market. They rode out the next morning to examine the choices for themselves. They decided to first try the two estates that had been identified as having a river flowing through them, both of which lay to the north of the city. The first one they came to caused them to gasp in amazement. Lush, fertile fields surrounded a palatial villa. The outlying buildings were sturdy and well made, and the main house was resplendent with fountains and statuary. The entire villa was surrounded by a crenellated stone wall, and the woods for a hundred feet around the wall had been cleared away. It was both beautiful, and defensible.
“I don’t think we need to look any farther,” said Niles.
The party returned to Waterdeep, and made an appointment to meet with Waterdeep Financiers, the moneylenders that were overseeing the sale of the estate. Nervously they waited at the Wailing Boar until a messenger arrived to tell them they would be seen tomorrow, one hour prior to mid-day.
The party spent the morning trying to make themselves as presentable as possible. As they gathered in the Wailing Boar’s common room, they saw Kiy coming down the stairs, looking as he always had – covered from head to toe in weeks of trail dirt and grime. Niles shook his head sadly, then gestured at the wild elf. In an instant, the dirt vanished, leaving Kiy standing somewhat surprised in the center of the room. For the first time, they could see that underneath the dirt Kiy’s entire body was covered in tattoos of swirling leaves and vines, obviously meant to help him hide in the forest undergrowth, but pleasing despite their practicality.
Tantu, in particular, was impressed. “You’re a beautiful creature, Kiy,” the cleric remarked.
Kiy blushed slightly and nodded to acknowledge the compliment, but Alia’s reaction was what drew attention. “Anyway,” she said, a little too loudly, “we should be going now.”
Niles chortled slightly under his breath as they left the inn, Alia in the lead.
An hour later they were seating in a large, wood-paneled room at one end of a long table. At the other end, seeming very far away, nine people sat looking over several documents; five humans, three dwarves, and a gnome.
“So,” one of the humans said, not looking up from his papers, “you wish to purchase the Ortwin Estate.”
“Yes,” said Alia, “that is our intention…” Alia realized that they didn’t know the names of any of the financiers in the room. “… sir.”
“A fine estate, to be sure,” another one said. “One that I’m sure you and your associates would enjoy.” He cleared his throat loudly. “Now, as to you and your associates. I’m afraid we can find no record of your holdings within the city of Waterdeep, madam.”
“We are recently arrived to your city, sir, and wish to settle here on a permanent basis.”
“I see,” said a third banker. “And what are your occupations?”
“We are… we specialize in freelance work for the purpose of retrieving antiquities and objects of power, and in the location and elimination of threats to the general peace of society.”
The bankers looked impassively at Alia.
“We’re adventurers,” stated Myoo.
The bankers began looking at their papers again. The faces of the party fell a little; even though they knew they couldn’t lie about their profession, they knew that the erratic financial state and high mortality rate of adventurers wouldn’t look good to moneylenders.
Myoo leaned over and muttered to Alia, “Are you certain you don’t want me and try to… influence their decisions?”
“No, Myoo. Don’t you think they’d have precautions against that sort of thing? I’d rather not have my new permanent residence in the city be Waterdeep Prison.”
“I was wondering, madam,” another banker continued, “do you or your associates have any sort of references you can give us?”
“I’m a priest of Tyr,” Tantu offered, “and am highly placed in the church of my god. In fact, we have just completed a mission of great importance on their behalf.”
“I, too, am well-regarded by my church,” Ehput-Ki added, “and though not as prominent as the temple of Tyr, the church of Horus-Re was also involved in this recently-completed mission.”
“Ah, yes,” said one of the dwarven bankers, “the temple of Horus-Re. Are they not currently in default on their payments to the Enclave of Thay for the property on which their temple rests?”
Ehput-Ki did not offer an answer.
“Well, we also have two members of the Mages Guild of Waterdeep,” said Alia, pointing to Niles and Myoo.
“Yes, the Mages Guild. The cost for lifetime membership is still forty gold, is it not?”
Alia nodded, a twinge of disappointment crossing her face. She knew enough of business and finance to know this wasn’t going well.
Kiy, who had been sitting uncomfortably in the room, unexpectedly stood and walked over to Alia, leaning over and whispering something into her ear. She looked surprised for a moment, then turned back to the moneylenders as Kiy returned to his seat.
“I’ve been authorized to inform you that we can offer the name of the Willowroot family as a reference. This is an elven family name going back many hundreds of years.”
If the lenders of Waterdeep Financiers were impressed by this, they failed to show it.
A few minutes passed while the bankers continued to study their papers. All of the party members looked nervous, but Alia in particular seemed as though she were struggling with some internal decision. Just as she seemed about to open her mouth to speak, the gnomish banker looked up.
“I believe that Waterdeep Financiers is willing to consider your offer,” he said. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, especially Alia.
“Before we continue, please bear in mind that you do not present what we would consider an ideal portfolio,” commented one of the dwarven lenders, “and so the terms of the sale must, by necessity, be rather strict, and will leave little room for negotiation.”
Everyone nodded, and braced themselves for the news.
“The market price of the Ortwin Estate is set at three million gold,” the gnomish banker stated. “In order to finance this sale, we would require a down payment of six hundred thousand gold. A portion of this payment may be based on collateral, but must be comprised mainly of hard currency. After that, we would require monthly payments of eighty thousand gold over the next five years, due on the first day of each month. Failure to make payments would result in default on the loan and seizure of the property.”
The party sat in stunned silence for a moment. Tantu leaned over and whispered to Myoo, “How much money do we have?”
“About a hundred and eighty thousand,” replied Myoo.
“May we have some time to confer?” asked Alia.
“Of course,” said one of the moneylenders, “we can reconvene here one hour after the mid-day bell.”
When the party returned to the long table later, they noticed that only the five humans were seated at the other end.
“After conferring with my associates,” Alia began, “we have decided that the Ortwin estate is not within our means to purchase. I apologize for taking up your valuable time.”
As the party began to get up to leave, one of the bankers held up a hand. “One moment, madam,” he said. As they sat back down again, not sure what to expect, the banker pulled out a stack of papers and set them on the table. “My partners and I anticipated that the Ortwin estate might be out of your grasp. However, we would like to discuss with you the estate of one of our other clients, Lord Pembery.”
The party looked at each other. The Pembery estate was the second location they had planned to visit yesterday, the only other one with a river nearby.
“The Pembery estate is located not far from the Ortwin lands,” continued the banker, “and encompasses two hundred acres, which if fifty acres more that the Ortwin estate.” He slid a stack of documents across the table. “Here are the specifics, including maps of the estate.”
“I see,” said Alia, after perusing the papers for a moment, “but if the Ortwin estate is not within our means, I fail to see how we could consider an even larger property.”
“Well, you see, Lord Pembery has been quite anxious to sell his lands, but unfortunately has been unable to locate a buyer for several years. As such, his current asking price is what we would consider ‘extremely competitive’.”
Myoo frowned at these words. “If I may be so bold,” he said, “what exactly is wrong with it?”
One of the bankers swallowed, the first sign of emotion they’d seen. “There is nothing physically wrong with the property itself,” said one of the other financiers, “the difficulty lies in a tragic event that occurred several years ago. Lord Pembery’s family was killed on the estate, and only the young lord himself survived. With his family gone, the estate no longer holds any fondness for him, and he wishes to be rid of it – the estate has not been inhabited for nearly five years. Unfortunately, the reputation surrounding the estate is such that prospective buyers are turned away.”
“What kind of reputation?” Ehput-Ki asked.
“The murders that occurred there were carried out by a creature or creatures that are not, exactly, what you would call living beings,” said another banker.
“You mean undead,” said Alia.
“Vampires, to be precise,” said the banker who had first spoken to them. “To be honest, we were ready to write off the entire estate as a loss. However, given your stated profession as ‘locators and eliminators of threats to the general peace of society’, it has occurred to us that perhaps an arrangement could be made.”
The party looked at each other across the table before Alia answered. “What terms do you offer?”
“Down payment of one hundred twelve thousand gold, at least half in hard coin. Monthly payments of ten thousand over a period of eight years.”
“Eight thousand monthly,” countered Alia, “with the down payment entirely in currency.”
“Nine thousand.”
“Done.”
Tantu leaned over toward Alia. “Is this wise? We haven’t even seen this place.”
“I know,” she whispered back, “but we’re never going to see a bargain like this again. This estate is worth three or four times what they’re asking. I’m not letting a little superstition get in the way of a good deal.”
“Are you sure we can afford this?” asked Ehput-Ki. “Nine thousand is still a hefty sum.”
“Well,” Myoo interjected, “we could always go slay a dragon to cover it.” The sorcerer glanced over at Niles. “I understand there’s a green dragon lairing not far from this area.”
Niles yelped and dove under the table.
Contracts were brought out and signed. Both Alia and Tantu expressed some reservation about signing when it was insisted that their full names be used, but agreed to do so when they were permitted to sign in private without the others watching. After a few more legal details, the party was handed the deed to their estate along with a ring of keys. The party handed over their accumulated wealth, covering their down payment plus seven months of mortgage. With several hours remaining in the day, the party decided to ride out immediately to look at their new home.
The road to the former Berbery estate meandered through the rolling hills, crossing a small river at the corner of their property. The party noted that tufts of long grass had sprouted in the road after years of neglect, and that a few boards on the wooden bridge were rotted or splintered. They continued on, finally coming up over a hill to see the villa they had just purchased.
“I think I’d prefer the Wailing Boar,” Myoo commented after a few moments.
The villa consisted of a dozen or so small buildings surrounding the main house. Weeds and debris littered the courtyard, and many of the buildings had gaping holes in the roof. The main house had several broken windows, and large sections of the tile roof had broken off. The front doors swung lazily in the breeze, and as they watched a small animal of some kind scurried into the home. The fountain out front was cracked, and they could see the vile green muck layering the bottom of it.
Slowly, the other party members turned to look at Alia. She turned to stare back.
“What?” she said, “so it needs a little fixing up. Big deal. A little elbow grease and it’ll look fine. It’s still a bargain.” She turned and began walking down the hill toward the house.
They walked slowly into the villa, treading carefully so they wouldn’t step on any loose nails or broken ceramics. They stopped at the well and tried to use it, but found that not only was the bucket missing, but the water in the well itself was stagnant.
“There’s evil here,” Ehput-Ki said suddenly.
“No, it’s just a little mold,” replied Alia. “Once we get the well working again, it will…”
“No,” the paladin said, “I sense evil in this area. Nothing specific, just an overall sense of it.”
More wary now, they proceeded into the main house. Going inside, they were pleased to see that despite the cosmetic damage to the mansion, it was structurally sound. Moving into the kitchen, they noticed a trapdoor in the floor, padlocked shut.
“The sense of evil is stronger here,” Ehput-Ki said. Alia knelt down and opened the lock.
“Shouldn’t you have checked for a trap first?” asked Tantu.
“What, these people are going to trap their own wine cellar?” She flipped open the door and peered inside. “I don’t see anything,” she reported.
The party went down into the cellar. It was a largish space, empty except for an empty wine rack against the wall. A heavy mist hung in the air near the ceiling.
“Odd,” mused Ehput-Ki, and concentrated for a moment. Then he turned to the others. “The evil seems to be concentrated inside the mist.” He laid a hand on Tantu’s shoulder. “As a priest, your abilities to channel energy exceed mine. Could you attempt to command the evil to disperse?”
“What?” said Tantu, momentarily taken aback by the request. Then, understanding what Ehput-Ki meant, he raised his holy symbol and thrust it toward the mist. Moments later, there was a strange sucking sound in the air, and the mist vanished. Ephut-Ki reported that the evil in the room had vanished.
“Thanks,” said Tantu. “I haven’t done that in a while. Almost forgot I could do it.”
Alia smiled broadly as they ascended the ladder. “See? I told you that fixing this place up would be easy. Five minutes of work, and we’ve already taken care of the vampire infestation.”
The next two months were very busy. The party spent their days cleaning and repairing the buildings in the villa, trying to make them at least weatherproof if not fully functional. Niles and Tantu spent their days using magic to construct stone walls around the complex for defense, while Kiy began preparing a few acres for an orchard. Alia was placed in charge of buying basic furnishings and implements for the property, and made several trips into Waterdeep. Myoo managed to find and recruit a couple of families from the poorer wards of the city who were looking to make a new start, and brought them onto the estate to serve as hands and guards. Ehput-Ki took it upon himself to train the new residents in basic combat, as well as making a few suits of hide armor. Kiy provided them with simple bows for hunting game.
Though most of their efforts went into restoring the main house, there were a few side projects started. Tantu managed to convince Niles to help him build a treehouse in a large ash tree just behind the main house. The others were a bit skeptical.
“Why a treehouse?” asked Niles.
“I like treehouses,” shrugged Tantu, a few nails clenched in his teeth as he hammered in floorboards.
Myoo shook his head sadly. “I knew the gods wanted to treat us like children, but I had no idea it went this far with you priests.”
But it turned out that none of them were immune to flights of fancy. A few days later, Tantu was putting the finishing touches on his treehouse, when he saw Myoo walking up the hill toward the northern border of the property, holding something in his arms. Tantu followed the mindbender to the tallest spot on the property, where Myoo was propping up a stone the size of a small dog.
“What’s that?” Tantu asked.
“It’s my tower,” replied Myoo, not turning to look at the cleric.
“It looks like a rock to me,” observed Tantu.
Myoo sighed heavily. “Of course it’s a rock, you stupid Cali
e lapdog. This is where I intend to build my tower in the near future.”
Tantu opened his mouth to challenge Myoo’s insult, but decided it wasn’t worth the effort. He walked down the hill again as Myoo nudged the small boulder with his feet to adjust its angle.
The party walked through the northern gates of Waterdeep, tired from their mountainous trek but relieved to be back in civilization. They took up their old rooms in the Wailing Boar, and spent the rest of the afternoon resting. That night, they gathered in Ehput-Ki’s room to divide up the spoils from their recent journey. Piles of coins, gems, and valuables rested in various parts of the room.
“Okay, then,” said Alia, as she finished making six stacks of gold coins, “there’s an equal share for each of us. Tomorrow Myoo and I will go about trying to sell these other items.” She began to push stacks of coins toward her companions, but then stopped. “Oh, almost forgot. We’re going to need to pay for these rooms for a while.” She plucked five coins off the top of each pile and dropped them in a pocket. “That should pay us up until the end of next month.”
The door to Ehput-Ki’s room suddenly burst open. The company turned in their chairs to see a very drunk man stagger into the room, a bottle of whiskey in one hand and a giggling brown-haired woman in his other arm. The impact of the door against the wall caused the piles of coins to fall, scattering across the table and floor with a cacophonous ring.
“Sorry,” the man belched, “I didn’ know this room was taken,” The man spotted the coins rolling at his feet, and his eyes bulged. “Lliira’s left teat, tha’s a lotta money,” he blurted, making some sort of attempt to bend over and pick up a handful of gold, but hampered by the fact that he was either unable or unwilling to let go of either his drink or his companion.
Without warning, Myoo’s familiar Iggy shot across the room and flew directly into the man’s face, growling horribly and making himself as terrifying as a six-inch wide beholder could be. It was apparently enough; the man screeched and backpedaled out of the room, tripping over his own feet. As Kiy stepped over and shut the door again, Iggy turned to look at Myoo expectantly.
“Well done,” the sorcerer said, and Iggy returned to his master’s side, doing a small barrel roll in midair to express his glee.
Alia looked at the coins scattered everywhere, and her forehead hit the table in frustration. “Gods, I hat staying in public buildings,” she moaned without looking up.
The others could only mutter their agreement as they began scooping up gold. A minute or so into the process, Myoo suddenly looked up at the others.
“Well, why should we?” he asked.
“Why should we what?” said Ehput-Ki quizzically.
Myoo rolled his eyes. “Are all of you deluded deity-lovers this dense?” A thin smirk crossed his face. “What am I saying? Of course you are. One would have to be a prerequisite for the other.” He ignored the hard looks of Ehput-Ki and Tantu as he continued. “Why should we continue to pay for temporary lodgings all the time? Why not purchase some property in the city? I, for one, would like a more permanent place to call home.”
The others looked at each other. “It sure would be nice not to have to carry my entire life on my back,” mused Niles.
The others were in agreement. Buying a house seemed to be a wonderful idea. Only Kiy expressed a reservation. “The only thing I would ask,” he said slowly, “is not to live in the city.”
Myoo thought for a moment. “You’re right,” he said. “Being outside the city limits would give us the opportunity to have a little more space. Besides, taxes inside the city are probably exorbitant.”
“Well then,” said Alia, “let’s change our plans for tomorrow. Myoo and I will go sell these items as planned, but meanwhile the rest of you can look into property outside the city limits. Try looking within a half-day’s ride first.”
The party split up the next day, and by that evening had learned of four estates on the outskirts of Waterdeep that were on the market. They rode out the next morning to examine the choices for themselves. They decided to first try the two estates that had been identified as having a river flowing through them, both of which lay to the north of the city. The first one they came to caused them to gasp in amazement. Lush, fertile fields surrounded a palatial villa. The outlying buildings were sturdy and well made, and the main house was resplendent with fountains and statuary. The entire villa was surrounded by a crenellated stone wall, and the woods for a hundred feet around the wall had been cleared away. It was both beautiful, and defensible.
“I don’t think we need to look any farther,” said Niles.
The party returned to Waterdeep, and made an appointment to meet with Waterdeep Financiers, the moneylenders that were overseeing the sale of the estate. Nervously they waited at the Wailing Boar until a messenger arrived to tell them they would be seen tomorrow, one hour prior to mid-day.
The party spent the morning trying to make themselves as presentable as possible. As they gathered in the Wailing Boar’s common room, they saw Kiy coming down the stairs, looking as he always had – covered from head to toe in weeks of trail dirt and grime. Niles shook his head sadly, then gestured at the wild elf. In an instant, the dirt vanished, leaving Kiy standing somewhat surprised in the center of the room. For the first time, they could see that underneath the dirt Kiy’s entire body was covered in tattoos of swirling leaves and vines, obviously meant to help him hide in the forest undergrowth, but pleasing despite their practicality.
Tantu, in particular, was impressed. “You’re a beautiful creature, Kiy,” the cleric remarked.
Kiy blushed slightly and nodded to acknowledge the compliment, but Alia’s reaction was what drew attention. “Anyway,” she said, a little too loudly, “we should be going now.”
Niles chortled slightly under his breath as they left the inn, Alia in the lead.
An hour later they were seating in a large, wood-paneled room at one end of a long table. At the other end, seeming very far away, nine people sat looking over several documents; five humans, three dwarves, and a gnome.
“So,” one of the humans said, not looking up from his papers, “you wish to purchase the Ortwin Estate.”
“Yes,” said Alia, “that is our intention…” Alia realized that they didn’t know the names of any of the financiers in the room. “… sir.”
“A fine estate, to be sure,” another one said. “One that I’m sure you and your associates would enjoy.” He cleared his throat loudly. “Now, as to you and your associates. I’m afraid we can find no record of your holdings within the city of Waterdeep, madam.”
“We are recently arrived to your city, sir, and wish to settle here on a permanent basis.”
“I see,” said a third banker. “And what are your occupations?”
“We are… we specialize in freelance work for the purpose of retrieving antiquities and objects of power, and in the location and elimination of threats to the general peace of society.”
The bankers looked impassively at Alia.
“We’re adventurers,” stated Myoo.
The bankers began looking at their papers again. The faces of the party fell a little; even though they knew they couldn’t lie about their profession, they knew that the erratic financial state and high mortality rate of adventurers wouldn’t look good to moneylenders.
Myoo leaned over and muttered to Alia, “Are you certain you don’t want me and try to… influence their decisions?”
“No, Myoo. Don’t you think they’d have precautions against that sort of thing? I’d rather not have my new permanent residence in the city be Waterdeep Prison.”
“I was wondering, madam,” another banker continued, “do you or your associates have any sort of references you can give us?”
“I’m a priest of Tyr,” Tantu offered, “and am highly placed in the church of my god. In fact, we have just completed a mission of great importance on their behalf.”
“I, too, am well-regarded by my church,” Ehput-Ki added, “and though not as prominent as the temple of Tyr, the church of Horus-Re was also involved in this recently-completed mission.”
“Ah, yes,” said one of the dwarven bankers, “the temple of Horus-Re. Are they not currently in default on their payments to the Enclave of Thay for the property on which their temple rests?”
Ehput-Ki did not offer an answer.
“Well, we also have two members of the Mages Guild of Waterdeep,” said Alia, pointing to Niles and Myoo.
“Yes, the Mages Guild. The cost for lifetime membership is still forty gold, is it not?”
Alia nodded, a twinge of disappointment crossing her face. She knew enough of business and finance to know this wasn’t going well.
Kiy, who had been sitting uncomfortably in the room, unexpectedly stood and walked over to Alia, leaning over and whispering something into her ear. She looked surprised for a moment, then turned back to the moneylenders as Kiy returned to his seat.
“I’ve been authorized to inform you that we can offer the name of the Willowroot family as a reference. This is an elven family name going back many hundreds of years.”
If the lenders of Waterdeep Financiers were impressed by this, they failed to show it.
A few minutes passed while the bankers continued to study their papers. All of the party members looked nervous, but Alia in particular seemed as though she were struggling with some internal decision. Just as she seemed about to open her mouth to speak, the gnomish banker looked up.
“I believe that Waterdeep Financiers is willing to consider your offer,” he said. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, especially Alia.
“Before we continue, please bear in mind that you do not present what we would consider an ideal portfolio,” commented one of the dwarven lenders, “and so the terms of the sale must, by necessity, be rather strict, and will leave little room for negotiation.”
Everyone nodded, and braced themselves for the news.
“The market price of the Ortwin Estate is set at three million gold,” the gnomish banker stated. “In order to finance this sale, we would require a down payment of six hundred thousand gold. A portion of this payment may be based on collateral, but must be comprised mainly of hard currency. After that, we would require monthly payments of eighty thousand gold over the next five years, due on the first day of each month. Failure to make payments would result in default on the loan and seizure of the property.”
The party sat in stunned silence for a moment. Tantu leaned over and whispered to Myoo, “How much money do we have?”
“About a hundred and eighty thousand,” replied Myoo.
“May we have some time to confer?” asked Alia.
“Of course,” said one of the moneylenders, “we can reconvene here one hour after the mid-day bell.”
When the party returned to the long table later, they noticed that only the five humans were seated at the other end.
“After conferring with my associates,” Alia began, “we have decided that the Ortwin estate is not within our means to purchase. I apologize for taking up your valuable time.”
As the party began to get up to leave, one of the bankers held up a hand. “One moment, madam,” he said. As they sat back down again, not sure what to expect, the banker pulled out a stack of papers and set them on the table. “My partners and I anticipated that the Ortwin estate might be out of your grasp. However, we would like to discuss with you the estate of one of our other clients, Lord Pembery.”
The party looked at each other. The Pembery estate was the second location they had planned to visit yesterday, the only other one with a river nearby.
“The Pembery estate is located not far from the Ortwin lands,” continued the banker, “and encompasses two hundred acres, which if fifty acres more that the Ortwin estate.” He slid a stack of documents across the table. “Here are the specifics, including maps of the estate.”
“I see,” said Alia, after perusing the papers for a moment, “but if the Ortwin estate is not within our means, I fail to see how we could consider an even larger property.”
“Well, you see, Lord Pembery has been quite anxious to sell his lands, but unfortunately has been unable to locate a buyer for several years. As such, his current asking price is what we would consider ‘extremely competitive’.”
Myoo frowned at these words. “If I may be so bold,” he said, “what exactly is wrong with it?”
One of the bankers swallowed, the first sign of emotion they’d seen. “There is nothing physically wrong with the property itself,” said one of the other financiers, “the difficulty lies in a tragic event that occurred several years ago. Lord Pembery’s family was killed on the estate, and only the young lord himself survived. With his family gone, the estate no longer holds any fondness for him, and he wishes to be rid of it – the estate has not been inhabited for nearly five years. Unfortunately, the reputation surrounding the estate is such that prospective buyers are turned away.”
“What kind of reputation?” Ehput-Ki asked.
“The murders that occurred there were carried out by a creature or creatures that are not, exactly, what you would call living beings,” said another banker.
“You mean undead,” said Alia.
“Vampires, to be precise,” said the banker who had first spoken to them. “To be honest, we were ready to write off the entire estate as a loss. However, given your stated profession as ‘locators and eliminators of threats to the general peace of society’, it has occurred to us that perhaps an arrangement could be made.”
The party looked at each other across the table before Alia answered. “What terms do you offer?”
“Down payment of one hundred twelve thousand gold, at least half in hard coin. Monthly payments of ten thousand over a period of eight years.”
“Eight thousand monthly,” countered Alia, “with the down payment entirely in currency.”
“Nine thousand.”
“Done.”
Tantu leaned over toward Alia. “Is this wise? We haven’t even seen this place.”
“I know,” she whispered back, “but we’re never going to see a bargain like this again. This estate is worth three or four times what they’re asking. I’m not letting a little superstition get in the way of a good deal.”
“Are you sure we can afford this?” asked Ehput-Ki. “Nine thousand is still a hefty sum.”
“Well,” Myoo interjected, “we could always go slay a dragon to cover it.” The sorcerer glanced over at Niles. “I understand there’s a green dragon lairing not far from this area.”
Niles yelped and dove under the table.
Contracts were brought out and signed. Both Alia and Tantu expressed some reservation about signing when it was insisted that their full names be used, but agreed to do so when they were permitted to sign in private without the others watching. After a few more legal details, the party was handed the deed to their estate along with a ring of keys. The party handed over their accumulated wealth, covering their down payment plus seven months of mortgage. With several hours remaining in the day, the party decided to ride out immediately to look at their new home.
The road to the former Berbery estate meandered through the rolling hills, crossing a small river at the corner of their property. The party noted that tufts of long grass had sprouted in the road after years of neglect, and that a few boards on the wooden bridge were rotted or splintered. They continued on, finally coming up over a hill to see the villa they had just purchased.
“I think I’d prefer the Wailing Boar,” Myoo commented after a few moments.
The villa consisted of a dozen or so small buildings surrounding the main house. Weeds and debris littered the courtyard, and many of the buildings had gaping holes in the roof. The main house had several broken windows, and large sections of the tile roof had broken off. The front doors swung lazily in the breeze, and as they watched a small animal of some kind scurried into the home. The fountain out front was cracked, and they could see the vile green muck layering the bottom of it.
Slowly, the other party members turned to look at Alia. She turned to stare back.
“What?” she said, “so it needs a little fixing up. Big deal. A little elbow grease and it’ll look fine. It’s still a bargain.” She turned and began walking down the hill toward the house.
They walked slowly into the villa, treading carefully so they wouldn’t step on any loose nails or broken ceramics. They stopped at the well and tried to use it, but found that not only was the bucket missing, but the water in the well itself was stagnant.
“There’s evil here,” Ehput-Ki said suddenly.
“No, it’s just a little mold,” replied Alia. “Once we get the well working again, it will…”
“No,” the paladin said, “I sense evil in this area. Nothing specific, just an overall sense of it.”
More wary now, they proceeded into the main house. Going inside, they were pleased to see that despite the cosmetic damage to the mansion, it was structurally sound. Moving into the kitchen, they noticed a trapdoor in the floor, padlocked shut.
“The sense of evil is stronger here,” Ehput-Ki said. Alia knelt down and opened the lock.
“Shouldn’t you have checked for a trap first?” asked Tantu.
“What, these people are going to trap their own wine cellar?” She flipped open the door and peered inside. “I don’t see anything,” she reported.
The party went down into the cellar. It was a largish space, empty except for an empty wine rack against the wall. A heavy mist hung in the air near the ceiling.
“Odd,” mused Ehput-Ki, and concentrated for a moment. Then he turned to the others. “The evil seems to be concentrated inside the mist.” He laid a hand on Tantu’s shoulder. “As a priest, your abilities to channel energy exceed mine. Could you attempt to command the evil to disperse?”
“What?” said Tantu, momentarily taken aback by the request. Then, understanding what Ehput-Ki meant, he raised his holy symbol and thrust it toward the mist. Moments later, there was a strange sucking sound in the air, and the mist vanished. Ephut-Ki reported that the evil in the room had vanished.
“Thanks,” said Tantu. “I haven’t done that in a while. Almost forgot I could do it.”
Alia smiled broadly as they ascended the ladder. “See? I told you that fixing this place up would be easy. Five minutes of work, and we’ve already taken care of the vampire infestation.”
* * *
The next two months were very busy. The party spent their days cleaning and repairing the buildings in the villa, trying to make them at least weatherproof if not fully functional. Niles and Tantu spent their days using magic to construct stone walls around the complex for defense, while Kiy began preparing a few acres for an orchard. Alia was placed in charge of buying basic furnishings and implements for the property, and made several trips into Waterdeep. Myoo managed to find and recruit a couple of families from the poorer wards of the city who were looking to make a new start, and brought them onto the estate to serve as hands and guards. Ehput-Ki took it upon himself to train the new residents in basic combat, as well as making a few suits of hide armor. Kiy provided them with simple bows for hunting game.
Though most of their efforts went into restoring the main house, there were a few side projects started. Tantu managed to convince Niles to help him build a treehouse in a large ash tree just behind the main house. The others were a bit skeptical.
“Why a treehouse?” asked Niles.
“I like treehouses,” shrugged Tantu, a few nails clenched in his teeth as he hammered in floorboards.
Myoo shook his head sadly. “I knew the gods wanted to treat us like children, but I had no idea it went this far with you priests.”
But it turned out that none of them were immune to flights of fancy. A few days later, Tantu was putting the finishing touches on his treehouse, when he saw Myoo walking up the hill toward the northern border of the property, holding something in his arms. Tantu followed the mindbender to the tallest spot on the property, where Myoo was propping up a stone the size of a small dog.
“What’s that?” Tantu asked.
“It’s my tower,” replied Myoo, not turning to look at the cleric.
“It looks like a rock to me,” observed Tantu.
Myoo sighed heavily. “Of course it’s a rock, you stupid Cali
e lapdog. This is where I intend to build my tower in the near future.”Tantu opened his mouth to challenge Myoo’s insult, but decided it wasn’t worth the effort. He walked down the hill again as Myoo nudged the small boulder with his feet to adjust its angle.
Delemental
First Post
Early on in the renovations, Ehput-Ki took a trip into Waterdeep to visit the temple of Horus-Re. He found the priests packing the temples’ belongings into crates. The head priest, Akmar, approached Ehput-Ki.
“Greetings, friend,” said Ahmad.
“What is happening?” Ehput-Ki asked.
Akmar shook his head. “I’m afraid that the Thayans have decided to reclaim the property. We are still looking for a place to relocate.”
“Akmar,” Ehput-Ki said after thinking for a moment, “my companions and I have purchased an estate outside the city. I would be honored to offer it for your use, if you wish.”
“An estate? You are most fortunate, Ehput-Ki.” Akmar bent his head in thought. “I must bring this to the other priests for consideration. Tell me where your lands are, and I will send a messenger.” He smiled, and clapped the paladin on the back. “Your generosity will not go unnoticed by Horus-Re, my son.”
“I desire no reward, only to help the cause of my god,” Ehput-Ki stated.
Several days passed before Ehput-Ki heard back. The message was scrolled on simple papyrus in the Mulhorandi tongue.
We thank you for your generous offer to host the temple of Horus-Re. However, we must decline at this time. Your location outside of the city walls would make it difficult for us to spread the work of our god to the people of Waterdeep, and we would gain few converts to our faith. We have negotiated with a local merchant to house our temple good in a warehouse until a more permanent location for our new temple can be found.
May the Blessings of the Sun God Shine Upon You,
High Priest Akmar
Alia found she was having trouble sleeping. It wasn’t the newness of her surroundings; if anything, the feeling of living in a large house was a familiar state for her, even though it had been years. It was her own mind that wouldn’t let her rest, churning the same two problems over and over again. Finally, two days before Midsummer, she decided it was time to do something about both.
The next day, the party was gathered around their dining table, eating a simple meal of stew and hard bread. During a lull in the conversation, Alia cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention.
“I wanted to talk to you about our problems with combat…” she began. Her statement was met with an immediate chorus of groans.
“Not another night practice,” complained Niles. “I spent all morning finishing the south wall, and the afternoon resurfacing the roof of the smithy.”
“Think of the people in our charge,” Ehput-Ki added. “They’ve worked hard for days – the last thing they need is to act as stand-in monsters again. I don’t think a day or two to rest is unreasonable.”
“I’m not talking about another practice,” snapped Alia. “I’m talking about attitudes.” She stood up and began pacing the length of the dining hall. “We’ve made progress, I’ll give you that. But we seem stuck at a certain point. I think the problem is that we’re each set in our combat style, we’re unwilling to be flexible for the benefit of the larger group. I include myself in that criticism.”
“We’re most effective when we play to our strengths,” commented Myoo.
“Yes, I know, Myoo. I’m not saying I expect you to start wearing plate armor and swinging a greatsword. But for instance, have you ever considered that by the third or fourth time you try to take over the mind of an enemy and fail, it might be time to consider a different tactic?”
Myoo shrugged. “It’s the way I fight; I try to dominate my enemies, and failing that, I run.”
“Yes, but why limit yourself to those two options?”
Niles looked back and forth between the two of them. “Well,” he interjected, “I suppose that Myoo and I could put more effort into casting protective spells on the party. I know I’ve focused a little too much on wide-area offensive spells lately.”
“See?” Alia said, “that’s what I’m talking about. Remembering that even if you can’t harm the enemy, you can help one of us.” She grinned at Niles. “But don’t give up on those fireballs entirely.”
“Yes, just make sure we’re not in the way when you throw them,” Ehput-Ki said.
“I have a request,” said Tantu. “Sometimes I get involved in a battle, and I can’t keep track of everyone. Please, let me know if you need healing before you’re actually dead.”
“That’s a good point,” said Alia, “but on top of that, I think that we need to invest our next bit of cash in some healing potions. If we don’t have to rely exclusively on Tantu for healing, he can use his spells in other ways instead.”
“I, too, have the ability to heal wounds,” Ehput-Ki stated.
“Yes, but your talents are more limited than Tantu’s. Besides, as our front-line fighter, it may be best to save your healing powers for your own use.”
“What about you, Alia?” asked Niles. “You tend to jump into the middle of things right away. I know you’ve spoiled more than one spell for me by wading in recklessly.”
“I know,” said Alia. “I got carried away. I’m trying to hold back more, fight smarter. As part of that, I’ve recently learned how to manipulate magical items, to get them to work when they shouldn’t work for me. I’m hoping to get a hold of a few wands or scrolls to increase my combat versatility.” She turned her attention to Kiy. “Speaking of fighting smarter, Kiy, I’ve noticed that for an archer you seem to get awfully close to your opponents. I mean, you were five feet away from that white dragon we fought. Last I checked, longbows have a longer range than that.”
The wild elf looked slightly annoyed. “I do not chooseto approach my enemies, they approach me.”
Alia sighed. “Okay, so, we need to do better screening our long-range artillery – that includes Niles and Myoo as well as Kiy. Though taking a couple of steps backward wouldn’t hurt once in a while. In fact, we all need to work on movement in battle. We tend to stand in one place too much.”
“I have an issue that needs to be resolved,” Ehput-Ki said quietly.
“Good! I’m glad we’re talking about this. Go ahead.”
Ehput-Ki turned to look at Myoo. “You need to stop disparaging me and my god.”
Myoo regarded the paladin coldly. “I thought this was a discussion on combat effectiveness.”
“It is, and part of that is group cohesion and trust. I find it difficult to bring myself to offer you aid when I hear nothing but insults directed toward myself and Tantu.”
“I need no aid from a slave to a deity,” Myoo sneered.
“Noted. However, as none of us have witnessed from you any word or deed that could be seen as anything but self-serving, I would think that you would wish to apply more diplomacy in your dealings with people you claim as your companions.”
“But if we are merely means to an end for you,” interjected Tantu, “especially if its an end that most of us would disagree with, then may I suggest that some of us would be willing to buy out your share of the estate at the first opportunity.”
There was a long moment of tense silence, until Myoo finally spoke. “Very well. I will hold my comments, in the interest of unity.” He then smiled strangely.
Unknown to the others, Niles had sent Myoo a telepathic message. Just letting you know, any ‘comments’ you want to make privately to me, I won’t say a word.
There seemed to be little else to say at the moment, so Alia sat back down. “This was a good start. I think there’s still stuff to hash out, but we’ll work those out over time. Let’s retire for the evening.”
As they started to rise from their seats, Myoo motioned for attention. “Question, Alia. Who, exactly, put you in charge?” As dark looks began to float his way, he threw up his hands. “It’s not a complaint, I just wondered. After all, it was never discussed.”
“I took charge because nobody else was doing it,” Alia replied. “Whether or not I stay in charge doesn’t matter to me. Perhaps that’s one of the things that we need to hash out later.”
Myoo seemed to accept this answer, and turned to talk to Niles. Well, there’s one, thought Alia to herself. Now for number two.
“Tantu,” called out Alia, as the cleric was about to leave the room, “can I speak to you privately? Perhaps in your treehouse in an hour?”
“Sure,” beamed the cleric, watching Alia as she left the room before hurrying out himself.
Niles watched the two of them leave. “What do you think they’re up to?” he asked Myoo.
Myoo smiled his strange smile again. “I think that my opinion on that falls in the category of things I’m no longer allowed to say.”
The Midsummer dawn broke over a clear sky, and in only a few hours the day was warm and inviting. The streets of Waterdeep were especially packed, as merry-makers from all across Faerun made their way into the City of Splendors. There was a buzz of excitement in the air, above and beyond that which was normally felt dring this festival day. The reason was evident, of course; this was a Shieldmeet year, and today’s Midsummer celebrations would blend smoothly into tomorrow’s Shieldmeet events.
Alia moved slowly through the crowd, unable to keep a smile off her face. Her talk with Tantu last night had gone well, and she anticipated their rendezvous tonight would be even better. She held a bundle under one arm, a new dress she’d just purchased. It had been literally years since she’d bought clothes for herself besides her functional black bodysuit; of course, it had been years since she’d had a place to put any clothes besides her backpack. Now she was crossing town to a cosmetics shop the tailor had recommended. As she moved through the throngs of people, she spotted a familiar sign off to the right. On a whim, she turned off the main road.
She walked into the Wailing Boar, finding it packed full as she expected. Looking around, she realized that seeing the Boar through the eyes of a thirsty customer instead of a resident made the place seem much more cheerful.
She approached the bar, catching the barkeep’s attention. Immediately, a heavy-set man leaned up next to her, grinning.
“Hey beautiful,” he said, “need a date for the festival?”
Alia couldn’t help herself. “Buy me a drink, and I’ll think about it,” she said, fluttering her eyelashes and leaning in slightly. When the barkeep came by, she pointed at the large man behind her. “Thunder Peaks Stout. He’s buying.”
The barkeep came back a minute later with her ale, but paused before he turned away. “Wait a minute,” he said, “weren’t you staying here a few weeks ago?” When Alia nodded, he continued. “Thought so. Glad you stopped by; you missed your friends.”
“Friends?” asked Alia. As far as she knew, none of her companions had been in town yesterday.
“Yeah, three of ‘em. They were asking if a woman of your description had been here. I figured you knew them, because they had the same Sembian accent I remembered you having. They looked like tough devils, too, like those other folks you were hanging out with.”
For the first time that day, Alia’s smile faded. “What’d you tell them?”
He shrugged. “What I knew. You were staying here with a bunch of other fellows, but you’d left about two months ago. I didn’t know where you’d gone. Say, you want me to give them a message in case they come back?”
Alia shook her head. “No, I’m leaving town soon. Tell you what. Tell me what they looked like, and I’ll keep an eye out.”
After getting a description from the barkeep, Alia drank her entire ale in one draw, slamming the empty mug down before turning to leave.
“Wait a minute,” said the large man, reaching out to put an arm around her, “we haven’t had our date yet.”
Alia looked down at the arm encircling her, hand resting on her midriff. She reached down and grasped the middle finger on his hand, bending it back until she heard a satisfying pop.
“I said I’d think about it for a drink,” she said. “My thought was ‘no’.”
She walked out of the Wailing Boar, leaving the man whimpering as he cradled his broken finger.
Damn, she thought to herself, continuing on her way to the cosmetics shop, now much more wary of her surroundings. Not now. Of all times, not now.
Bitterness. The sunset was gorgeous, especially as it was setting behind the city from where he stood, and all he felt was bitterness. He had a place to build a new tower, and he would, but all he could wish for was to regain the home he had lost. These new acquaintances of his were bound to be useful, but he could not help but to nettle the two godspawns. How could they be so blind? He had had much the same devotion from his followers in Calimshan, but he had never made pretenses at being all-powerful or godlike. He was merely Myoo, and that sufficed.
And now he was here. Waterdeep, the largest of mankind’s cities so far as he knew, and a disgusting melting pot of followers of gods. Well, perhaps this would work out better. There certainly wasn't as much chance of the local clerics leading the downtrodden into a battle against he and his followers here. He looked at his collection of rocks that were to form the base of his tower. He was up to seven now. This time, he was not going to base himself in a farming style community. This time, it would be defensible. He would never lose his followers like that again. Ever. He should have died the first time, but for that cursed magic that dragged him into contact with Alia, Tantu, and their new found "friends". He considered carefully their roles and attitudes, as he was now tied to them. The gnome was humorous, and mostly dependable, but an obvious drug abuser. The elf was almost openly hostile, but that could be the almost palpable discomfort he had with someone who could read his mind--as if there could be something interesting in the back of his skull. It bore consideration. The paladin was fool, and a most disturbing example of the way the gods could dominate someone. He was, it was true, a fine example of humanity. He had all of the traits that made humanity worth saving--honesty, dependability, the ability to give of himself to others--such that Myoo could not help but admire him, but there was that damned dependence on the god Horus-Re to contend with. Myoo barely recognized the name of the god, but it was obvious that he was one with a good portfolio. The same could be said for Tantu as well. Sharing traits with Ehput-Ki, but also that bloody dependence on deities. They could be friends someday, but they could also be enemies. He couldn't remember--had he gone on one of his rants about the eventual destruction of the gods at his hands? Hmmph. He would have to be careful about that, especially since that "discussion" Alia had started after they purchased the land. He had obviously gotten to the godspawns, but it would not serve to have them actively trying to kill him. Ehput-Ki already had enough problems with Ignuus Fatuus, his familiar. The eyeball was too close to evil for a paladin to be comfortable with, but that was his problem, not Myoo's. And Alia...there was a conundrum. An attractive young woman, obviously tied to the cleric, but fighting it all the way, and oddly familiar. He could swear he had seen those features somewhere in his youth, but he just could not lay a finger on it. He found her refreshing in this group--the only one besides the gnome that wasn't hostile in some form or another, and an acrobat besides. Yet, she was taking on a leadership role--not something common to the roguish types--and doing a fine job of it. One of her first comments had been how they needed to take better care of the casters, and that was fine by him. Her ties to the cleric might prove a problem in time though--he would have to watch that situation carefully. But why did those two ring such a familiarity to him? He could swear sometimes that he heard his wife when the cleric laughed? Why would he tie those two together? They were similar of feature, but then most Calies were...wait, that hair! That red hair! That was not common in Calimshan. Could it be they were related?
"My lord?"
Myoo jumped and his familiar hissed at the intruder, who shrunk back from the irate eyeball.
How did he sneak up on us, Iggy?
Sorry, boss. Too busy listening to you thinking.
"What is it, my child?" Myoo spoke warmly and comfortingly to the young boy who had come upon him unawares. The young man swallowed uncomfortably.
"I was just lookin' for ye, my lord. It be the time that you says for all of us youngers to be at the hall for lessons, but you were nowhere to be found, and I got chose to find ye."
Myoo sighed. He had forgotten his own tasks in his contemplation of the sunset and his life's turns. He was on to something though...he would have to return to it later. Gods or no gods, he would not have vassals lacking an education. The uneducated were easily turned to worship of the gods, because they understood nothing of how they were unnecessary. And his education would not lead them to "faith", as the paladin's would. He did have to admit however, that the paladin was an effective teacher when it came to warfare.
" I will be right down, young one." He enchanted a stone with his aasimar abilities. "Take this, so you do not fall. The dark is almost fully upon us. Tell everyone we are starting the tables of multiplication today--everyone has done well in addition and subtraction, and it is time to move forward."
He watched the light bob and weave away, giving it time enough that it would no longer interfere with his darkvision. He may not be a cleric, but these people were his people now, and he would not fail them the way he had the others. These would not be taken away from him in the primes of their lives. "Never again," he thought. "Never again."
He began the long walk to the villa, as Iggy chased a rabbit frightened from the bushes by the young boy's running descent. His children awaited him, and they would form a core for his next step in freeing humanity from the terror that was the rule of the gods.
“Greetings, friend,” said Ahmad.
“What is happening?” Ehput-Ki asked.
Akmar shook his head. “I’m afraid that the Thayans have decided to reclaim the property. We are still looking for a place to relocate.”
“Akmar,” Ehput-Ki said after thinking for a moment, “my companions and I have purchased an estate outside the city. I would be honored to offer it for your use, if you wish.”
“An estate? You are most fortunate, Ehput-Ki.” Akmar bent his head in thought. “I must bring this to the other priests for consideration. Tell me where your lands are, and I will send a messenger.” He smiled, and clapped the paladin on the back. “Your generosity will not go unnoticed by Horus-Re, my son.”
“I desire no reward, only to help the cause of my god,” Ehput-Ki stated.
Several days passed before Ehput-Ki heard back. The message was scrolled on simple papyrus in the Mulhorandi tongue.
We thank you for your generous offer to host the temple of Horus-Re. However, we must decline at this time. Your location outside of the city walls would make it difficult for us to spread the work of our god to the people of Waterdeep, and we would gain few converts to our faith. We have negotiated with a local merchant to house our temple good in a warehouse until a more permanent location for our new temple can be found.
May the Blessings of the Sun God Shine Upon You,
High Priest Akmar
* * *
Alia found she was having trouble sleeping. It wasn’t the newness of her surroundings; if anything, the feeling of living in a large house was a familiar state for her, even though it had been years. It was her own mind that wouldn’t let her rest, churning the same two problems over and over again. Finally, two days before Midsummer, she decided it was time to do something about both.
The next day, the party was gathered around their dining table, eating a simple meal of stew and hard bread. During a lull in the conversation, Alia cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention.
“I wanted to talk to you about our problems with combat…” she began. Her statement was met with an immediate chorus of groans.
“Not another night practice,” complained Niles. “I spent all morning finishing the south wall, and the afternoon resurfacing the roof of the smithy.”
“Think of the people in our charge,” Ehput-Ki added. “They’ve worked hard for days – the last thing they need is to act as stand-in monsters again. I don’t think a day or two to rest is unreasonable.”
“I’m not talking about another practice,” snapped Alia. “I’m talking about attitudes.” She stood up and began pacing the length of the dining hall. “We’ve made progress, I’ll give you that. But we seem stuck at a certain point. I think the problem is that we’re each set in our combat style, we’re unwilling to be flexible for the benefit of the larger group. I include myself in that criticism.”
“We’re most effective when we play to our strengths,” commented Myoo.
“Yes, I know, Myoo. I’m not saying I expect you to start wearing plate armor and swinging a greatsword. But for instance, have you ever considered that by the third or fourth time you try to take over the mind of an enemy and fail, it might be time to consider a different tactic?”
Myoo shrugged. “It’s the way I fight; I try to dominate my enemies, and failing that, I run.”
“Yes, but why limit yourself to those two options?”
Niles looked back and forth between the two of them. “Well,” he interjected, “I suppose that Myoo and I could put more effort into casting protective spells on the party. I know I’ve focused a little too much on wide-area offensive spells lately.”
“See?” Alia said, “that’s what I’m talking about. Remembering that even if you can’t harm the enemy, you can help one of us.” She grinned at Niles. “But don’t give up on those fireballs entirely.”
“Yes, just make sure we’re not in the way when you throw them,” Ehput-Ki said.
“I have a request,” said Tantu. “Sometimes I get involved in a battle, and I can’t keep track of everyone. Please, let me know if you need healing before you’re actually dead.”
“That’s a good point,” said Alia, “but on top of that, I think that we need to invest our next bit of cash in some healing potions. If we don’t have to rely exclusively on Tantu for healing, he can use his spells in other ways instead.”
“I, too, have the ability to heal wounds,” Ehput-Ki stated.
“Yes, but your talents are more limited than Tantu’s. Besides, as our front-line fighter, it may be best to save your healing powers for your own use.”
“What about you, Alia?” asked Niles. “You tend to jump into the middle of things right away. I know you’ve spoiled more than one spell for me by wading in recklessly.”
“I know,” said Alia. “I got carried away. I’m trying to hold back more, fight smarter. As part of that, I’ve recently learned how to manipulate magical items, to get them to work when they shouldn’t work for me. I’m hoping to get a hold of a few wands or scrolls to increase my combat versatility.” She turned her attention to Kiy. “Speaking of fighting smarter, Kiy, I’ve noticed that for an archer you seem to get awfully close to your opponents. I mean, you were five feet away from that white dragon we fought. Last I checked, longbows have a longer range than that.”
The wild elf looked slightly annoyed. “I do not chooseto approach my enemies, they approach me.”
Alia sighed. “Okay, so, we need to do better screening our long-range artillery – that includes Niles and Myoo as well as Kiy. Though taking a couple of steps backward wouldn’t hurt once in a while. In fact, we all need to work on movement in battle. We tend to stand in one place too much.”
“I have an issue that needs to be resolved,” Ehput-Ki said quietly.
“Good! I’m glad we’re talking about this. Go ahead.”
Ehput-Ki turned to look at Myoo. “You need to stop disparaging me and my god.”
Myoo regarded the paladin coldly. “I thought this was a discussion on combat effectiveness.”
“It is, and part of that is group cohesion and trust. I find it difficult to bring myself to offer you aid when I hear nothing but insults directed toward myself and Tantu.”
“I need no aid from a slave to a deity,” Myoo sneered.
“Noted. However, as none of us have witnessed from you any word or deed that could be seen as anything but self-serving, I would think that you would wish to apply more diplomacy in your dealings with people you claim as your companions.”
“But if we are merely means to an end for you,” interjected Tantu, “especially if its an end that most of us would disagree with, then may I suggest that some of us would be willing to buy out your share of the estate at the first opportunity.”
There was a long moment of tense silence, until Myoo finally spoke. “Very well. I will hold my comments, in the interest of unity.” He then smiled strangely.
Unknown to the others, Niles had sent Myoo a telepathic message. Just letting you know, any ‘comments’ you want to make privately to me, I won’t say a word.
There seemed to be little else to say at the moment, so Alia sat back down. “This was a good start. I think there’s still stuff to hash out, but we’ll work those out over time. Let’s retire for the evening.”
As they started to rise from their seats, Myoo motioned for attention. “Question, Alia. Who, exactly, put you in charge?” As dark looks began to float his way, he threw up his hands. “It’s not a complaint, I just wondered. After all, it was never discussed.”
“I took charge because nobody else was doing it,” Alia replied. “Whether or not I stay in charge doesn’t matter to me. Perhaps that’s one of the things that we need to hash out later.”
Myoo seemed to accept this answer, and turned to talk to Niles. Well, there’s one, thought Alia to herself. Now for number two.
“Tantu,” called out Alia, as the cleric was about to leave the room, “can I speak to you privately? Perhaps in your treehouse in an hour?”
“Sure,” beamed the cleric, watching Alia as she left the room before hurrying out himself.
Niles watched the two of them leave. “What do you think they’re up to?” he asked Myoo.
Myoo smiled his strange smile again. “I think that my opinion on that falls in the category of things I’m no longer allowed to say.”
* * *
The Midsummer dawn broke over a clear sky, and in only a few hours the day was warm and inviting. The streets of Waterdeep were especially packed, as merry-makers from all across Faerun made their way into the City of Splendors. There was a buzz of excitement in the air, above and beyond that which was normally felt dring this festival day. The reason was evident, of course; this was a Shieldmeet year, and today’s Midsummer celebrations would blend smoothly into tomorrow’s Shieldmeet events.
Alia moved slowly through the crowd, unable to keep a smile off her face. Her talk with Tantu last night had gone well, and she anticipated their rendezvous tonight would be even better. She held a bundle under one arm, a new dress she’d just purchased. It had been literally years since she’d bought clothes for herself besides her functional black bodysuit; of course, it had been years since she’d had a place to put any clothes besides her backpack. Now she was crossing town to a cosmetics shop the tailor had recommended. As she moved through the throngs of people, she spotted a familiar sign off to the right. On a whim, she turned off the main road.
She walked into the Wailing Boar, finding it packed full as she expected. Looking around, she realized that seeing the Boar through the eyes of a thirsty customer instead of a resident made the place seem much more cheerful.
She approached the bar, catching the barkeep’s attention. Immediately, a heavy-set man leaned up next to her, grinning.
“Hey beautiful,” he said, “need a date for the festival?”
Alia couldn’t help herself. “Buy me a drink, and I’ll think about it,” she said, fluttering her eyelashes and leaning in slightly. When the barkeep came by, she pointed at the large man behind her. “Thunder Peaks Stout. He’s buying.”
The barkeep came back a minute later with her ale, but paused before he turned away. “Wait a minute,” he said, “weren’t you staying here a few weeks ago?” When Alia nodded, he continued. “Thought so. Glad you stopped by; you missed your friends.”
“Friends?” asked Alia. As far as she knew, none of her companions had been in town yesterday.
“Yeah, three of ‘em. They were asking if a woman of your description had been here. I figured you knew them, because they had the same Sembian accent I remembered you having. They looked like tough devils, too, like those other folks you were hanging out with.”
For the first time that day, Alia’s smile faded. “What’d you tell them?”
He shrugged. “What I knew. You were staying here with a bunch of other fellows, but you’d left about two months ago. I didn’t know where you’d gone. Say, you want me to give them a message in case they come back?”
Alia shook her head. “No, I’m leaving town soon. Tell you what. Tell me what they looked like, and I’ll keep an eye out.”
After getting a description from the barkeep, Alia drank her entire ale in one draw, slamming the empty mug down before turning to leave.
“Wait a minute,” said the large man, reaching out to put an arm around her, “we haven’t had our date yet.”
Alia looked down at the arm encircling her, hand resting on her midriff. She reached down and grasped the middle finger on his hand, bending it back until she heard a satisfying pop.
“I said I’d think about it for a drink,” she said. “My thought was ‘no’.”
She walked out of the Wailing Boar, leaving the man whimpering as he cradled his broken finger.
Damn, she thought to herself, continuing on her way to the cosmetics shop, now much more wary of her surroundings. Not now. Of all times, not now.
* * *
Bitterness. The sunset was gorgeous, especially as it was setting behind the city from where he stood, and all he felt was bitterness. He had a place to build a new tower, and he would, but all he could wish for was to regain the home he had lost. These new acquaintances of his were bound to be useful, but he could not help but to nettle the two godspawns. How could they be so blind? He had had much the same devotion from his followers in Calimshan, but he had never made pretenses at being all-powerful or godlike. He was merely Myoo, and that sufficed.
And now he was here. Waterdeep, the largest of mankind’s cities so far as he knew, and a disgusting melting pot of followers of gods. Well, perhaps this would work out better. There certainly wasn't as much chance of the local clerics leading the downtrodden into a battle against he and his followers here. He looked at his collection of rocks that were to form the base of his tower. He was up to seven now. This time, he was not going to base himself in a farming style community. This time, it would be defensible. He would never lose his followers like that again. Ever. He should have died the first time, but for that cursed magic that dragged him into contact with Alia, Tantu, and their new found "friends". He considered carefully their roles and attitudes, as he was now tied to them. The gnome was humorous, and mostly dependable, but an obvious drug abuser. The elf was almost openly hostile, but that could be the almost palpable discomfort he had with someone who could read his mind--as if there could be something interesting in the back of his skull. It bore consideration. The paladin was fool, and a most disturbing example of the way the gods could dominate someone. He was, it was true, a fine example of humanity. He had all of the traits that made humanity worth saving--honesty, dependability, the ability to give of himself to others--such that Myoo could not help but admire him, but there was that damned dependence on the god Horus-Re to contend with. Myoo barely recognized the name of the god, but it was obvious that he was one with a good portfolio. The same could be said for Tantu as well. Sharing traits with Ehput-Ki, but also that bloody dependence on deities. They could be friends someday, but they could also be enemies. He couldn't remember--had he gone on one of his rants about the eventual destruction of the gods at his hands? Hmmph. He would have to be careful about that, especially since that "discussion" Alia had started after they purchased the land. He had obviously gotten to the godspawns, but it would not serve to have them actively trying to kill him. Ehput-Ki already had enough problems with Ignuus Fatuus, his familiar. The eyeball was too close to evil for a paladin to be comfortable with, but that was his problem, not Myoo's. And Alia...there was a conundrum. An attractive young woman, obviously tied to the cleric, but fighting it all the way, and oddly familiar. He could swear he had seen those features somewhere in his youth, but he just could not lay a finger on it. He found her refreshing in this group--the only one besides the gnome that wasn't hostile in some form or another, and an acrobat besides. Yet, she was taking on a leadership role--not something common to the roguish types--and doing a fine job of it. One of her first comments had been how they needed to take better care of the casters, and that was fine by him. Her ties to the cleric might prove a problem in time though--he would have to watch that situation carefully. But why did those two ring such a familiarity to him? He could swear sometimes that he heard his wife when the cleric laughed? Why would he tie those two together? They were similar of feature, but then most Cali
es were...wait, that hair! That red hair! That was not common in Calimshan. Could it be they were related?"My lord?"
Myoo jumped and his familiar hissed at the intruder, who shrunk back from the irate eyeball.
How did he sneak up on us, Iggy?
Sorry, boss. Too busy listening to you thinking.
"What is it, my child?" Myoo spoke warmly and comfortingly to the young boy who had come upon him unawares. The young man swallowed uncomfortably.
"I was just lookin' for ye, my lord. It be the time that you says for all of us youngers to be at the hall for lessons, but you were nowhere to be found, and I got chose to find ye."
Myoo sighed. He had forgotten his own tasks in his contemplation of the sunset and his life's turns. He was on to something though...he would have to return to it later. Gods or no gods, he would not have vassals lacking an education. The uneducated were easily turned to worship of the gods, because they understood nothing of how they were unnecessary. And his education would not lead them to "faith", as the paladin's would. He did have to admit however, that the paladin was an effective teacher when it came to warfare.
" I will be right down, young one." He enchanted a stone with his aasimar abilities. "Take this, so you do not fall. The dark is almost fully upon us. Tell everyone we are starting the tables of multiplication today--everyone has done well in addition and subtraction, and it is time to move forward."
He watched the light bob and weave away, giving it time enough that it would no longer interfere with his darkvision. He may not be a cleric, but these people were his people now, and he would not fail them the way he had the others. These would not be taken away from him in the primes of their lives. "Never again," he thought. "Never again."
He began the long walk to the villa, as Iggy chased a rabbit frightened from the bushes by the young boy's running descent. His children awaited him, and they would form a core for his next step in freeing humanity from the terror that was the rule of the gods.
Delemental
First Post
Return to the Frozen Fortress
Tantu climbed up into the loft, stairs creaking beneath his feet. The small room perched above the main entrance of the manor house stood starkly empty, sunlight angling through the large picture window to highlight the many cracks and splinters in the wooden floor. Niles had assured them that it was sturdy, but since they’d had no immediate use for the room, the group had left the room untouched beyond a cursory sweeping and clearing of cobwebs.
Setting down the sack he had over his shoulder, Tantu began pulling objects out and arranging them along the floor. Soon, he had constructed a circle of candles interspersed evenly with holy symbols of Tyr. Tantu sat cross-legged in the midst of the circle, sitting on a small straw mat. He closed his eyes and began breathing deeply and steadily.
Once he had reached the proper state of mind, Tantu opened his eyes again. “Great Tyr,” he intoned reverently, “I beseech you to bestow your wisdom upon me. Guide me in this quest we are about to undertake. Show me what awaits us if we face the minions of Bane.”
For a few moments, everything was still, the only sound being a distant hammering of metal on metal. Suddenly, images deluged Tantu. The visions came so rapidly that he nearly lost his focus, but he re-centered himself and pressed on.
A vision of an Angel appeared to Tantu, wearing ornate silvery field plate and a white silk blindfold. In the angel’s left hand was a flaming longsword, and in the right dangled a golden set of scales. As Tantu watched, the angel descended toward an area of darkness, a region so black and foul it hurt to look at. A gauntlet of black steel suddenly shot out of the darkness, trying to grasp the celestial being. The angel struck back at the giant gauntlet, flying around and dodging its grasp as it rained blow after blow on the black steel.
The images faded, and for a moment all was still. Then new images began to appear; a dark forest sprung up around him. Tantu watched as a single figure came running through the woods, obviously being pursued. As the man gets closer, Tantu sees that it is an image of himself. He is pale and exhausted, his flesh cut raw from running through branches. The echoes of shouts waft through the forest; the voices of his pursuers closing in. Tantu knows that he is running for his life, and that he is all alone. Yet as this last vision fades from Tantu’s conscious mind, somehow he senses that he is being shown only one possible fate.
Blinking, Tantu snapped himself out of his trance. The candles surrounding him winked out, the ritual complete. Confused, and still a bit dazed, Tantu stood and began descending the stairs without collecting his belongings.
The party gathered just outside the main house, making last-minute adjustments to their equipment. It had been over two months since many of them had donned their armor or taken up weapons, and the feeling was both awkward and comforting. Ehput-Ki spread out the fabric of his portable hole, and Alia, Myoo, and Kiy climbed down into the extra-dimensional hole.
“Niles,” Alia said, her head sticking up from the ground, “you’re sure you can teleport these two along with you?” she nodded toward Ephut-Ki and Tantu.
“No problem. And it’s better that winding up in the middle of an unexpected mess with no backup.”
“Agreed.” Still, Alia looked troubled.
“What’s wrong?” Tantu asked.
“I can’t help feeling like I’m forgetting something,” she said.
“You’re probably just over-thinking things, Alia,” said Ehput-Ki. “But we should be getting there. I’d like to start while the sun is still early in its journey across the sky.”
Alia began to duck down into the hole, then popped back up. “You’re sure there won’t be problems, Niles?”
“Absolutely none,” Niles insisted. “Get in the hole.”
Alia ducked down again as Ehput-Ki picked up the edges of the hole, carefully folding it up and tucking it away. Then he and Tantu turned to Niles expectantly.
As Niles began to cast his spell, he felt a tingle of doubt. He hadn’t exactly been honest when he’d said there was ‘absolutely no risk’. Teleportation required a good working knowledge of the destination to be most effective, and while he remembered many details of the last time he was at the fortress, it had been several months since he’s been there.
Taking a deep breath, Niles closed his eyes, and uttered the final word of the spell.
He cracked open one eye, and saw nothing but white. Great, he thought, I’ve landed us in the middle of a glacier. Then he felt the bite of wind on his face, and opening both eyes, saw that he and his two friends stood in the midst of an icy canyon leading down into a wide, peaceful valley. The portable hole was quickly unfurled, and soon all six companions were looking down at the valley.
“I do not see a ruined castle,” said Kiy.
“Remember, Niles said that there was an illusion covering the entire valley to make it look unoccupied,” said Alia. “Try and look past what you see.”
The six of them squinted at the horizon. Niles, of course, had already penetrated the illusion, not only because he was a master of such magics, but because he’d seen it before and knew what flaws to look for. One by one, he watched the faces of his companions light up with surprise as they, too, pierced the magical veil. All faces, that is, but one.
Alia squinted, stared, blinked, and looked cross-eyed at the valley. She knew that it wasn’t real, but her mind stubbornly refused to let go of what it saw. Finally, she gave up, sighing.
“All right,” she said, “you’ll just have to lead me down there.” She reached out and grasped Tantu’s hand, and they began walking together down the narrow game trail. Myoo and Niles exchanged knowing looks.
An hour later, they came upon the castle itself, now too close for any illusion to conceal. Niles looked around at the scattered figures of warriors, flash-frozen in the midst of battle. When he had come here many months ago with another group of adventurers, they had speculated that a white dragon had descended on the armies as they fought over the castle. But it was as impossible to tell now as it was then who was attacking and who was defending, and they bore no signs of allegiance to indicate who had sent them to this hidden, gods-forsaken fortress in the midst of the Spine of the World Mountains.
Tantu, as well, felt a stirring of memory. He had been with an expedition of Tyrian priests and warriors sent to investigate visions of a festering evil in the mountains. Like Niles and his former party, they had arrived, and discovered the catacombs beneath the fortress. Like Niles and his former party, they had gone in to investigate. Unlike Niles and his former party, they did not get out again. Their force was overwhelmed by trolls and destroyed; Tantu had only survived because he was knocked unconscious in the fight and forgotten by his enemies. He’d been found a week later, by Niles and his former party.
Myoo went over and poked at the corpse of a soldier, caught in mid-swing with his axe. “I certainly hope whatever did this doesn’t return soon.”
Niles and Ehput-Ki shivered involuntarily; Niles at the thought of encountering any kind of dragon, and Ehput-Ki at the all-too-recent memory of being slain while battling a white dragon.
“Let’s move on,” Alia said. “We know what we’re looking for.”
Indeed, after entering the fortress and heading for the chapel, they found their objective; a massive iron gate at the bottom of a set of stone stairs. The symbol of Bane was displayed prominently in a metal disc welded into the gate.
“This is it,” said Niles, pointing at the gate. “We tried to get down there to see what was going on, but there were just too many trolls. They kept coming at us; we couldn’t burn them away fast enough.”
The party jumped as Alia suddenly screamed in frustration. “I knew it! I knew I forgot something!”
“What?” asked Tantu.
“We’ve been planning this for the last month,” she said, teeth gritted. “We knew exactly what we could expect, right? Trolls. And we all know that you can’t really kill trolls without fire, right? So why, in the course of the last month, did I not pack away some appropriate stuff in Ehput-Ki’s portable hole? Like a barrel of oil and a couple hundred tindertwigs?” She scowled and struck the side of her own head lightly with her heel of her hand. “Stupid, stupid, stupid.”
“Alia, relax,” Tantu said, grasping her hands and holding them in his own. “We all forgot, okay? You don’t have to be responsible for every little detail, you know.”
Alia looked up at Tantu. She didn’t say anything, but her face softened a little.
“Anyway,” said Myoo suddenly, “we’ll have little reason to bemoan forgetting to bring oil and tindertwigs if we can’t get past this gate.”
“Right,” said Niles, “let me take a crack at it.” Niles attempted to dispel the ward they knew was on the portcullis. The frown on the old gnome’s face told them that he’d been unsuccessful.
“I’ll give it a shot,” said Alia. “You said the trap emanates from the symbol, right Niles?”
“Yes, if triggered it will emit beams of multicolored light. Different things happen depending on what beam strikes you, none of them good.”
“Alia,” said Myoo quietly, “not to ruin the mood with pessimism, but I feel I should point out that so far today hasn’t exactly been your day.”
“Well then,” she said, “I suppose the rest of you ought to wait at the top of the stairs, out of range.”
The party waited nervously as Alia approached the portcullis. A few minutes of poking and prodding later, they heard the portcullis drop into the stone floor. As they descended the stairs, they saw Alia had already jumped across the pit that lay just past the portcullis, waiting.
“Looks like my day’s getting better,” she said, smiling.
One by one they crossed the portcullis and pit, and then stood, looking down a long, dark hallway, at what awaited them below. Immediately, Niles’ brow furrowed. “That isn’t right,” he said.
“What isn’t right?” asked Ehput-Ki.
“That.” The gnome pointed toward three large holes in the ceiling, halfway between the portcullis and where the hallway turned off to the left. “Those holes weren’t there last time.”
Alia cautiously approached the holes, followed by the rest of the party. She peered up into the holes that extended upward, the top of each shaft several hundred feet above them. The holes were smooth and evenly spaced across the hallway, about three feet across.
Tantu came up and tugged on her sleeve. “Feel that?” he asked. “The air down here’s very dry, and very warm. It feels like the desert winds of my home.”
Alia nodded, noting the change in the air from the freezing cold above. “Niles, do you remember this?”
Again, Niles’ forehead wrinkled. “Nope, it was cold and damp before. Something’s definitely changed.”
“Well, I suppose we should see what that is,” Alia took a few steps back from the holes in the ceiling. “I don’t see any blast marks or signs of damage on the floor underneath those holes,” she said, “but still…”
With that, she dashed forward and tucking into a forward roll as she moved underneath the holes. She came up to see that nothing had happened. She motioned the others forward, and then turned to scout ahead as her companions made their way cautiously past the holes.
The party waited at the corner as Alia moved ahead, practically invisible in the darkness. Niles had cast a darkvision spell on Tantu just after they’d entered the dungeon, so none of them had need for light to see. Myoo kept telepathic contact with Alia as she moved to the end of the hall and peered around the corner.
“She sees something,” Myoo said quietly to the others. “A group of nine creatures, some sort of guard. They are… not trolls. She describes them as lizard-like, with red scales, but walking on two legs. They bear arms and armor. She can feel heat coming down the hall. They are talking amongst themselves… they are speaking Draconic.” The corners of Myoo’s mouth twisted into a bemused grin. “I had no idea she knew Draconic. They are talking about nothing of consequence – the status of their clan compared to other clans.”
“Are they evil?” asked Kiy quietly, as he notched an arrow.
Myoo shrugged, and gestured dismissively at Ehput-Ki. The paladin ignored the slight. “I’m not close enough to read their auras.”
“They guard an area consecrated to Bane,” said Kiy. “That is the only aura I need to know about.”
“Alia says she’s going to remain in position,” said Myoo, “and says we should move up and prepare ourselves.”
The party crept up until they were within a few feet of the corner. They took up positions, and Tantu put up a wall of good across the hallway, the air in front of them shimmering for a moment. As he turned to take up position again, however, Tantu’s scabbard smacked into Ehput-Ki’s polished steel greaves.
“They heard that,” Alia said, her voice echoing out from her unseen hiding spot. “They’re coming.”
A moment later a cluster of lizard-like humanoids came around the corner. The party could feel waves of heat emanating from them, as if they possessed an inner fire. The largest one, at the head of the group, appeared to be some sort of leader, as the others looked to him as he regarded the intruders.
As the party tensed for battle, Myoo held up a hand. “Wait,” he said, “we know nothing of these creatures. Perhaps I can bring their leader under my control.” Myoo concentrated for a moment, forcing his will upon the large creature. Myoo smiled for a moment, then frowned. “My power worked, but it is not responding to my mental commands to put down his weapons. How…” Then Myoo’s eyes drifted to the shimmering edges of Tantu’s mystical wall, which blocked all forms of mind control. Myoo shot a dirty look at the cleric.
The leader pointed at the group, and said something. But the opportunity for translation never came, as it suddenly seemed as though four arrows sprouted from its chest. The beast staggered, then screeched a command to his clan even as Kiy reloaded.
The lizard-creatures pressed forward, apparently not bothered by the magical wall but held in check by the barrier of steel and faith that was Ehput-Ki and Tantu. Alia emerged from her hiding spot near the corner and moved back behind them, realizing that she would quickly be surrounded if she attacked. The party had formed an effective bottleneck, and most of the creatures were pinned behind the front line in the hallway. This proved their undoing, as with a shout of divine power Tantu summoned a storm of blades behind the lizards, which cut into their flesh deeply. Tantu couldn’t help but smile as he saw the spell that had so often been used against them now turned to their side.
Niles attempted to use his staff to let loose a cone of cold, but couldn’t move up to unleash the spell without hitting one of his companions. Having already been warned about avoiding ‘friendly fire’, Niles sighed and decided he could sit out for one battle. Myoo, as well, had little he could contribute in this environment. Most of the creatures were still behind the wall of good, and those who had pushed through it were being attacked by Ehput-Ki and Kiy, making any attempt to beguile or dominate them useless. He pointed a wand at the creatures in the back still trying to dodge the blade barrier, and a ball of fire erupted in their midst. The creatures seemed unfazed by the spell, and Niles gave the mindbender a reproachful look.
“Well, at least now the theory has been proven,” Myoo said.
Within moments there was nothing left of the opposition. Kiy and Ehput-Ki quickly felled those who hadn’t been eviscerated by the blade barrier. After taking a moment to dispel the barrier, the party poked through the bloody remains for clues or valuables, and found little of either.
“Anybody know what those things were?” Alia asked.
“I’m not certain,” said Myoo. “The only thing that springs to mind are salamanders, which are native to the Plane of Fire, but salamanders are much more formidable. I might have been able to ask them, if the elf weren’t so eager to put an arrow into everything he sees.”
Kiy looked up at Myoo, and seemed ready to retort, but Alia threw up her hands in a gesture telling everyone to stay quiet. “Not now,” she said. “We need to move on. That fight might have attracted attention.”
They moved down the hall to a large set of double doors. The door itself was very warm to the touch. Alia peered through the large keyhole, as Ehput-Ki stood behind her, concentrating.
“I sense the auras of six creatures of evil beyond this door,” he said. “Their power does not seem equal to my own.”
“Yep, I see them,” Alia said. “Six of them, just kind of standing in the middle of the room. More of the hot lizard-men. They don’t seem to be expecting us.” Alia turned to Niles. “I think we can use that staff of yours this time.” Alia glanced at the illusionist’s belt, and noticed several wands tucked in there. “Say,” she asked, “can you spare a couple of those?”
The six creatures in the chamber were taken quite by surprise when the doors burst open, and standing there were several strangers, one of the shortest ones pointing a stick at them. All six reeled as a blast of numbing cold enveloped them. As they shook the frost from their scales and took up their weapons, a stranger with no hair said a few strange words, and suddenly they were surrounded by a mass of white fibers that clung to their skin and made it hard to move. Two of the strangers wearing metal stood by the doorway, while three others – the short one, the bald one, and one with hair like fire – pointed smaller sticks at them and started shooting glowing arrows at them. A sixth one ran around behind them and began shooting them with normal arrows, though they didn’t hurt any less. Soon two of them were lying on the ground, not moving, when they heard the bald one speaking to them, telling them to surrender. Three of them dropped their swords, while the leader continued to struggle, and was rewarded with swift death. As the last three laid on the ground, wondering if they would be next, they each felt a presence slip into their mind, burning away their wills. As the sticky strands were cut away, the three creatures rose and knelt before the bald one – their new master.
The party finally had a chance to study the room. The large, rough chamber was covered in smoke and soot. In the far corner of the room, a river of lava flowed through the bedrock, sending off waves of oppressive heat. There was a small ledge on the other side of the lave river, and they could see a large hole dropping down into the ground. Opposite the river was another set of doors.
Myoo and Alia sat down to interrogate their captives, as they both spoke Draconic. “What manner of creatures are you?” Myoo asked, addressing one of the creatures.
“We are known as fire newts, Master.” It replied.
“How long have you been here?”
The fire next gave them a length of time, which Myoo translated to about three months.
“What was here before you?”
“Many green things. They burned.”
“Why are you here?”
“We were brought here by Him,” said the newt.
Alia and Myoo looked at each other hopefully. “Who is this you speak of?” she asked.
The newt looked confused. “He is… Him. The one we follow.”
“Is this one known as Bane, or does he serve Bane?”
“I do not know this ‘Bane’. He serves no one; we serve Him.”
The hope faded from their eyes. “Describe ‘Him’ to us, please,” asked Myoo.
The newt’s eyes filled with admiration. “He is all-powerful. He appears as we do, but he is larger. He is surrounded by flame. But he has no legs as we do – he has… a very large tail which he moves with.”
Myoo sighed. “That sounds more like a salamander to me.”
“What is ‘He’ doing here?” asked Alia.
“He is here.” Is all the reply they got.
“Where does ‘He’ live?”
“He is below,” the newt said, pointing toward the hole. “He guards our young, along with seventy-five of our finest warriors.”
“And why aren’t you down there with them?”
“We guard the upper passages, and watch the river so that we can raise the alarm.”
“Alarm? In case of what?”
“In case the Other comes.”
Alia didn’t even have to look at Myoo to tell his eyes were rolling. “Tell us what this ‘Other’ looks like, and why he would come,” she asked.
“The Other looks like the purest flame, but moves as you and I do. He comes to attack Him, to destroy Him, but he will fail.”
Alia pulled Myoo aside for a moment. “The way this newt talks about ‘Him’; is he…” she tapped the side of her head.
Myoo shook his head. “Not as far as I can tell. His slavish devotion is entirely of his own choosing. Kind of like it is with them,” he gestured over to indicate Ehput-Ki and Tantu.
“That’s different,” Alia said.
“Is it?” Myoo retorted.
They returned to the task at hand. “What lies beyond those doors?” Myoo asked, pointing to the doors on the far end of the room.
“That area is forbidden.”
“What’s in there?”
“There is a pool of water, with a passage underneath. We know there is a chamber beyond, but none who went there came back. Thus it is forbidden.”
“Do any of you guard the forbidden area?”
“Yes, eight of my brothers guard the forbidden area.”
Standing, Myoo and Alia went to confer with the rest of the party, informing them of what they had learned.
“Well, nothing about this place is how I remember it,” said Niles. “I’d guess these newts somehow diverted that magma flow up into these caverns, and most of it ended up sealed off.”
“What concerns me,” said Ehput-Ki, “is that we have seen no evidence of the influence of Bane in these caverns, beyond the device on that portcullis.”
“Well, there was no guarantee of that anyway,” Alia said, “we only came up here to examine the possibility. Besides, there’s this ‘forbidden area’.”
“Well, if we’re going to press on, we have two choices,” Tantu said. “Either the forbidden area, or down that hole.”
“Ehput-Ki, you told me before you sensed these creatures are evil,” Alia said. “However, I’m inclined to leave sleeping newts lie. They are lairing in a location deep in the Spine of the World Mountains, hundreds of miles from any settlement, with literally tons of ice and snow between them and anything of importance. But I don’t want to force you into an action which might cause you problems with your vows.”
Ehput-Ki pondered for a moment. “No, I believe you are correct. They have the taint of evil, but they are contained here, and their evil cannot spread. And anything we can learn about the machinations of Bane would serve this world better.”
“Very well, then,” Myoo said, as he turned to address his three minions. “We wish to enter the forbidden area,” he said to them.
“But it is… forbidden.”
“To you, but not to us.”
“The guards inside… they will not let you pass.”
Myoo smiled. “Then you’ll have to do a good job of convincing them.”
The three fire newts were ultimately successful in negotiating the party’s passage through the forbidden area. Though their leader seemed unhappy, the convincing argument seemed to rest of the assumption that the strangers would never return. Myoo had the dominated newts lead the party through the narrow, winding corridors, identifying the locations where traps had been set. Once disarmed by Alia, the party finally arrived at a large natural well set into the floor.
Myoo addressed his captives. “Wait here until we return,” he said. “Then you will escort us out of your territory.”
The party turned to regard the pool of water. “Is it just me,” Alia said to no one in particular, “or does it seem like every dungeon or cavern we end up in has one of these underwater passages?”
“I would just be glad not to be underground so often,” said Ehput-Ki. “I spend too much time away from the gaze of Horus-Re.”
Alia began pulling off her equipment. “I swear I’m going to grow gills one day. Okay, everyone, standard procedure.” She dropped into the water and disappeared. Less than a minute later her head popped up again, indicating that the passage was quite short.
Minutes later they were standing, dripping wet, at the edge of a large circular chamber. A passageway was against the far wall, but the floor of the chamber seemed non-existent, with only a strange gray mist swirling at their feet. Jutting out of the mist were pillars of stone, which formed rough stepping-stones to the far wall.
“Our path seems obvious,” remarked Kiy.
“Yeah, that’s what worries me.” Alia pulled out her magical rope and commanded it to stretch across the misty chamber, just barely reaching the other passage. She jumped up on the rope and scampered over to the other side. Meanwhile, Tantu donned a pair of magical slippers and walked along the wall, while Myoo cast a spell that gave him a similar power. Ehput-Ki, Niles, and Kiy were ferried across the room in short order, with judicious use of Tantu’s slippers and Ehput-Ki’s portable hole.
The passage narrowed and twisted back and forth. Alia, taking the lead, noted that the air was foul-smelling and humid. She came around a bend and the passage opened up into a larger, teardrop-shaped room, the last two-thirds of which was filled with water. Alia could see the corroded remnants of bones and armor jutting from the water’s surface. As she looked at the scene, she realized that the surface of the water was moving and rising.
“Uh, guys?” she thought over her mental link with Myoo. “Help?”
They moved forward just as an amorphous blob emerged from the foul water, it’s silvery-grey surface glistening. It lurched forward, spraying a caustic liquid at Ehput-Ki and Alia. The liquid began to smoke and burn their armor and skin, though Ehput-Ki’s celestial blood allowed him to repel some of the acid.
Alia pulled out her new wand, knowing her melee skills would be useless. She fired off magic missiles at the ooze, then backed away from the range of its acidic spray. Ehout-Ki did likewise, taking a moment to wipe acid off his breastplate. Tantu attempted to destroy the ooze creature utterly, but it somehow shrugged off Tyr’s divine wrath. Similarly, Niles’ attempt to disintegrate the creature was only slightly successful, burning away a small chunk. The ooze rolled toward Kiy, but the elf’s nimble reflexes let her jump out of the way of its massive pseudopod. In response he fired arrow after arrow at the blob, with all but one finding their mark. Myoo, taking Alia’s lead, blasted the ooze with missiles form his wand, even as Iggy darted in and zapped it with an eye ray.
Alia and Myoo continued to barrage the ooze with magic missiles as the party slowly backed away; Kiy did the same with his longbow. Niles failed at another attempt to disintegrate the ooze, but Tantu’s efforts paid off as a column of flame descended upon it. But his faith was rewarded with a blast of acid from the ooze. Meanwhile, Ehput-Ki began to pray, drawing upon his own life force and channeling it into his blade. Tantu took a moment to send healing energy out to all his companions, while Niles grew weary of his failed attempts to destroy the ooze and took out his staff of power. A bolt of lightning arced through the creature, causing it to quiver in a semblance of pain. Disturbingly, however, as the lightning’s blast faded, Niles noted that the aura of power around his staff had dimmed noticeably.
Alia prepared to fire another volley at the ooze, but she looked over at Ehput-Ki and noted that he was literally blazing with power. She held off as the paladin stepped forward and swung at the ooze with all his strength. There was a fiery flash, as if the sun had somehow risen within the small cavern, and as the party blinked the spots out of their eyes, they saw that the ooze had been splattered across the chamber.
Alia explored the murky water as Tantu and Ehput-Ki tended to the party’s wounds. She found a diamond-encrusted breastplate and a pair of bracers that had resisted the acid of the ooze, but unfortunately did not find any other exits or passageways. It appeared that the ooze had been the most sinister thing in the forbidden area.
“Now what?” asked Tantu.
“Well, there’s still that tower we explored last time,” said Niles. “It was some sort of ritual chamber. We’d found a couple of dead priests, and while we were in there’s we’d had some sort of vision of a black-gauntlet surrounded by green fire. That was what clued us in to the fact that Bane had returned.”
“I suppose we should take another look,” Alia sighed. “Just in case something was missed. I’d sure hate to have come all the way up here for nothing.”
“At least you didn’t have to walk,” chided the gnome.
“We should rest before we return to the territory of the fire newts,” Kiy said. “We have no idea what to expect from them when we return.”
“True,” said Myoo. “The three I control will be no problem. But the others may have gone to warn ‘Him’ of our presence.”
“Okay then, we rest here,” Alia said. “Double watches; Myoo and Tantu, Kiy and myself, Niles and Ehput-Ki. And then we see what tomorrow brings.”
Tantu climbed up into the loft, stairs creaking beneath his feet. The small room perched above the main entrance of the manor house stood starkly empty, sunlight angling through the large picture window to highlight the many cracks and splinters in the wooden floor. Niles had assured them that it was sturdy, but since they’d had no immediate use for the room, the group had left the room untouched beyond a cursory sweeping and clearing of cobwebs.
Setting down the sack he had over his shoulder, Tantu began pulling objects out and arranging them along the floor. Soon, he had constructed a circle of candles interspersed evenly with holy symbols of Tyr. Tantu sat cross-legged in the midst of the circle, sitting on a small straw mat. He closed his eyes and began breathing deeply and steadily.
Once he had reached the proper state of mind, Tantu opened his eyes again. “Great Tyr,” he intoned reverently, “I beseech you to bestow your wisdom upon me. Guide me in this quest we are about to undertake. Show me what awaits us if we face the minions of Bane.”
For a few moments, everything was still, the only sound being a distant hammering of metal on metal. Suddenly, images deluged Tantu. The visions came so rapidly that he nearly lost his focus, but he re-centered himself and pressed on.
A vision of an Angel appeared to Tantu, wearing ornate silvery field plate and a white silk blindfold. In the angel’s left hand was a flaming longsword, and in the right dangled a golden set of scales. As Tantu watched, the angel descended toward an area of darkness, a region so black and foul it hurt to look at. A gauntlet of black steel suddenly shot out of the darkness, trying to grasp the celestial being. The angel struck back at the giant gauntlet, flying around and dodging its grasp as it rained blow after blow on the black steel.
The images faded, and for a moment all was still. Then new images began to appear; a dark forest sprung up around him. Tantu watched as a single figure came running through the woods, obviously being pursued. As the man gets closer, Tantu sees that it is an image of himself. He is pale and exhausted, his flesh cut raw from running through branches. The echoes of shouts waft through the forest; the voices of his pursuers closing in. Tantu knows that he is running for his life, and that he is all alone. Yet as this last vision fades from Tantu’s conscious mind, somehow he senses that he is being shown only one possible fate.
Blinking, Tantu snapped himself out of his trance. The candles surrounding him winked out, the ritual complete. Confused, and still a bit dazed, Tantu stood and began descending the stairs without collecting his belongings.
* * *
The party gathered just outside the main house, making last-minute adjustments to their equipment. It had been over two months since many of them had donned their armor or taken up weapons, and the feeling was both awkward and comforting. Ehput-Ki spread out the fabric of his portable hole, and Alia, Myoo, and Kiy climbed down into the extra-dimensional hole.
“Niles,” Alia said, her head sticking up from the ground, “you’re sure you can teleport these two along with you?” she nodded toward Ephut-Ki and Tantu.
“No problem. And it’s better that winding up in the middle of an unexpected mess with no backup.”
“Agreed.” Still, Alia looked troubled.
“What’s wrong?” Tantu asked.
“I can’t help feeling like I’m forgetting something,” she said.
“You’re probably just over-thinking things, Alia,” said Ehput-Ki. “But we should be getting there. I’d like to start while the sun is still early in its journey across the sky.”
Alia began to duck down into the hole, then popped back up. “You’re sure there won’t be problems, Niles?”
“Absolutely none,” Niles insisted. “Get in the hole.”
Alia ducked down again as Ehput-Ki picked up the edges of the hole, carefully folding it up and tucking it away. Then he and Tantu turned to Niles expectantly.
As Niles began to cast his spell, he felt a tingle of doubt. He hadn’t exactly been honest when he’d said there was ‘absolutely no risk’. Teleportation required a good working knowledge of the destination to be most effective, and while he remembered many details of the last time he was at the fortress, it had been several months since he’s been there.
Taking a deep breath, Niles closed his eyes, and uttered the final word of the spell.
He cracked open one eye, and saw nothing but white. Great, he thought, I’ve landed us in the middle of a glacier. Then he felt the bite of wind on his face, and opening both eyes, saw that he and his two friends stood in the midst of an icy canyon leading down into a wide, peaceful valley. The portable hole was quickly unfurled, and soon all six companions were looking down at the valley.
“I do not see a ruined castle,” said Kiy.
“Remember, Niles said that there was an illusion covering the entire valley to make it look unoccupied,” said Alia. “Try and look past what you see.”
The six of them squinted at the horizon. Niles, of course, had already penetrated the illusion, not only because he was a master of such magics, but because he’d seen it before and knew what flaws to look for. One by one, he watched the faces of his companions light up with surprise as they, too, pierced the magical veil. All faces, that is, but one.
Alia squinted, stared, blinked, and looked cross-eyed at the valley. She knew that it wasn’t real, but her mind stubbornly refused to let go of what it saw. Finally, she gave up, sighing.
“All right,” she said, “you’ll just have to lead me down there.” She reached out and grasped Tantu’s hand, and they began walking together down the narrow game trail. Myoo and Niles exchanged knowing looks.
An hour later, they came upon the castle itself, now too close for any illusion to conceal. Niles looked around at the scattered figures of warriors, flash-frozen in the midst of battle. When he had come here many months ago with another group of adventurers, they had speculated that a white dragon had descended on the armies as they fought over the castle. But it was as impossible to tell now as it was then who was attacking and who was defending, and they bore no signs of allegiance to indicate who had sent them to this hidden, gods-forsaken fortress in the midst of the Spine of the World Mountains.
Tantu, as well, felt a stirring of memory. He had been with an expedition of Tyrian priests and warriors sent to investigate visions of a festering evil in the mountains. Like Niles and his former party, they had arrived, and discovered the catacombs beneath the fortress. Like Niles and his former party, they had gone in to investigate. Unlike Niles and his former party, they did not get out again. Their force was overwhelmed by trolls and destroyed; Tantu had only survived because he was knocked unconscious in the fight and forgotten by his enemies. He’d been found a week later, by Niles and his former party.
Myoo went over and poked at the corpse of a soldier, caught in mid-swing with his axe. “I certainly hope whatever did this doesn’t return soon.”
Niles and Ehput-Ki shivered involuntarily; Niles at the thought of encountering any kind of dragon, and Ehput-Ki at the all-too-recent memory of being slain while battling a white dragon.
“Let’s move on,” Alia said. “We know what we’re looking for.”
Indeed, after entering the fortress and heading for the chapel, they found their objective; a massive iron gate at the bottom of a set of stone stairs. The symbol of Bane was displayed prominently in a metal disc welded into the gate.
“This is it,” said Niles, pointing at the gate. “We tried to get down there to see what was going on, but there were just too many trolls. They kept coming at us; we couldn’t burn them away fast enough.”
The party jumped as Alia suddenly screamed in frustration. “I knew it! I knew I forgot something!”
“What?” asked Tantu.
“We’ve been planning this for the last month,” she said, teeth gritted. “We knew exactly what we could expect, right? Trolls. And we all know that you can’t really kill trolls without fire, right? So why, in the course of the last month, did I not pack away some appropriate stuff in Ehput-Ki’s portable hole? Like a barrel of oil and a couple hundred tindertwigs?” She scowled and struck the side of her own head lightly with her heel of her hand. “Stupid, stupid, stupid.”
“Alia, relax,” Tantu said, grasping her hands and holding them in his own. “We all forgot, okay? You don’t have to be responsible for every little detail, you know.”
Alia looked up at Tantu. She didn’t say anything, but her face softened a little.
“Anyway,” said Myoo suddenly, “we’ll have little reason to bemoan forgetting to bring oil and tindertwigs if we can’t get past this gate.”
“Right,” said Niles, “let me take a crack at it.” Niles attempted to dispel the ward they knew was on the portcullis. The frown on the old gnome’s face told them that he’d been unsuccessful.
“I’ll give it a shot,” said Alia. “You said the trap emanates from the symbol, right Niles?”
“Yes, if triggered it will emit beams of multicolored light. Different things happen depending on what beam strikes you, none of them good.”
“Alia,” said Myoo quietly, “not to ruin the mood with pessimism, but I feel I should point out that so far today hasn’t exactly been your day.”
“Well then,” she said, “I suppose the rest of you ought to wait at the top of the stairs, out of range.”
The party waited nervously as Alia approached the portcullis. A few minutes of poking and prodding later, they heard the portcullis drop into the stone floor. As they descended the stairs, they saw Alia had already jumped across the pit that lay just past the portcullis, waiting.
“Looks like my day’s getting better,” she said, smiling.
One by one they crossed the portcullis and pit, and then stood, looking down a long, dark hallway, at what awaited them below. Immediately, Niles’ brow furrowed. “That isn’t right,” he said.
“What isn’t right?” asked Ehput-Ki.
“That.” The gnome pointed toward three large holes in the ceiling, halfway between the portcullis and where the hallway turned off to the left. “Those holes weren’t there last time.”
Alia cautiously approached the holes, followed by the rest of the party. She peered up into the holes that extended upward, the top of each shaft several hundred feet above them. The holes were smooth and evenly spaced across the hallway, about three feet across.
Tantu came up and tugged on her sleeve. “Feel that?” he asked. “The air down here’s very dry, and very warm. It feels like the desert winds of my home.”
Alia nodded, noting the change in the air from the freezing cold above. “Niles, do you remember this?”
Again, Niles’ forehead wrinkled. “Nope, it was cold and damp before. Something’s definitely changed.”
“Well, I suppose we should see what that is,” Alia took a few steps back from the holes in the ceiling. “I don’t see any blast marks or signs of damage on the floor underneath those holes,” she said, “but still…”
With that, she dashed forward and tucking into a forward roll as she moved underneath the holes. She came up to see that nothing had happened. She motioned the others forward, and then turned to scout ahead as her companions made their way cautiously past the holes.
The party waited at the corner as Alia moved ahead, practically invisible in the darkness. Niles had cast a darkvision spell on Tantu just after they’d entered the dungeon, so none of them had need for light to see. Myoo kept telepathic contact with Alia as she moved to the end of the hall and peered around the corner.
“She sees something,” Myoo said quietly to the others. “A group of nine creatures, some sort of guard. They are… not trolls. She describes them as lizard-like, with red scales, but walking on two legs. They bear arms and armor. She can feel heat coming down the hall. They are talking amongst themselves… they are speaking Draconic.” The corners of Myoo’s mouth twisted into a bemused grin. “I had no idea she knew Draconic. They are talking about nothing of consequence – the status of their clan compared to other clans.”
“Are they evil?” asked Kiy quietly, as he notched an arrow.
Myoo shrugged, and gestured dismissively at Ehput-Ki. The paladin ignored the slight. “I’m not close enough to read their auras.”
“They guard an area consecrated to Bane,” said Kiy. “That is the only aura I need to know about.”
“Alia says she’s going to remain in position,” said Myoo, “and says we should move up and prepare ourselves.”
The party crept up until they were within a few feet of the corner. They took up positions, and Tantu put up a wall of good across the hallway, the air in front of them shimmering for a moment. As he turned to take up position again, however, Tantu’s scabbard smacked into Ehput-Ki’s polished steel greaves.
“They heard that,” Alia said, her voice echoing out from her unseen hiding spot. “They’re coming.”
A moment later a cluster of lizard-like humanoids came around the corner. The party could feel waves of heat emanating from them, as if they possessed an inner fire. The largest one, at the head of the group, appeared to be some sort of leader, as the others looked to him as he regarded the intruders.
As the party tensed for battle, Myoo held up a hand. “Wait,” he said, “we know nothing of these creatures. Perhaps I can bring their leader under my control.” Myoo concentrated for a moment, forcing his will upon the large creature. Myoo smiled for a moment, then frowned. “My power worked, but it is not responding to my mental commands to put down his weapons. How…” Then Myoo’s eyes drifted to the shimmering edges of Tantu’s mystical wall, which blocked all forms of mind control. Myoo shot a dirty look at the cleric.
The leader pointed at the group, and said something. But the opportunity for translation never came, as it suddenly seemed as though four arrows sprouted from its chest. The beast staggered, then screeched a command to his clan even as Kiy reloaded.
The lizard-creatures pressed forward, apparently not bothered by the magical wall but held in check by the barrier of steel and faith that was Ehput-Ki and Tantu. Alia emerged from her hiding spot near the corner and moved back behind them, realizing that she would quickly be surrounded if she attacked. The party had formed an effective bottleneck, and most of the creatures were pinned behind the front line in the hallway. This proved their undoing, as with a shout of divine power Tantu summoned a storm of blades behind the lizards, which cut into their flesh deeply. Tantu couldn’t help but smile as he saw the spell that had so often been used against them now turned to their side.
Niles attempted to use his staff to let loose a cone of cold, but couldn’t move up to unleash the spell without hitting one of his companions. Having already been warned about avoiding ‘friendly fire’, Niles sighed and decided he could sit out for one battle. Myoo, as well, had little he could contribute in this environment. Most of the creatures were still behind the wall of good, and those who had pushed through it were being attacked by Ehput-Ki and Kiy, making any attempt to beguile or dominate them useless. He pointed a wand at the creatures in the back still trying to dodge the blade barrier, and a ball of fire erupted in their midst. The creatures seemed unfazed by the spell, and Niles gave the mindbender a reproachful look.
“Well, at least now the theory has been proven,” Myoo said.
Within moments there was nothing left of the opposition. Kiy and Ehput-Ki quickly felled those who hadn’t been eviscerated by the blade barrier. After taking a moment to dispel the barrier, the party poked through the bloody remains for clues or valuables, and found little of either.
“Anybody know what those things were?” Alia asked.
“I’m not certain,” said Myoo. “The only thing that springs to mind are salamanders, which are native to the Plane of Fire, but salamanders are much more formidable. I might have been able to ask them, if the elf weren’t so eager to put an arrow into everything he sees.”
Kiy looked up at Myoo, and seemed ready to retort, but Alia threw up her hands in a gesture telling everyone to stay quiet. “Not now,” she said. “We need to move on. That fight might have attracted attention.”
They moved down the hall to a large set of double doors. The door itself was very warm to the touch. Alia peered through the large keyhole, as Ehput-Ki stood behind her, concentrating.
“I sense the auras of six creatures of evil beyond this door,” he said. “Their power does not seem equal to my own.”
“Yep, I see them,” Alia said. “Six of them, just kind of standing in the middle of the room. More of the hot lizard-men. They don’t seem to be expecting us.” Alia turned to Niles. “I think we can use that staff of yours this time.” Alia glanced at the illusionist’s belt, and noticed several wands tucked in there. “Say,” she asked, “can you spare a couple of those?”
The six creatures in the chamber were taken quite by surprise when the doors burst open, and standing there were several strangers, one of the shortest ones pointing a stick at them. All six reeled as a blast of numbing cold enveloped them. As they shook the frost from their scales and took up their weapons, a stranger with no hair said a few strange words, and suddenly they were surrounded by a mass of white fibers that clung to their skin and made it hard to move. Two of the strangers wearing metal stood by the doorway, while three others – the short one, the bald one, and one with hair like fire – pointed smaller sticks at them and started shooting glowing arrows at them. A sixth one ran around behind them and began shooting them with normal arrows, though they didn’t hurt any less. Soon two of them were lying on the ground, not moving, when they heard the bald one speaking to them, telling them to surrender. Three of them dropped their swords, while the leader continued to struggle, and was rewarded with swift death. As the last three laid on the ground, wondering if they would be next, they each felt a presence slip into their mind, burning away their wills. As the sticky strands were cut away, the three creatures rose and knelt before the bald one – their new master.
The party finally had a chance to study the room. The large, rough chamber was covered in smoke and soot. In the far corner of the room, a river of lava flowed through the bedrock, sending off waves of oppressive heat. There was a small ledge on the other side of the lave river, and they could see a large hole dropping down into the ground. Opposite the river was another set of doors.
Myoo and Alia sat down to interrogate their captives, as they both spoke Draconic. “What manner of creatures are you?” Myoo asked, addressing one of the creatures.
“We are known as fire newts, Master.” It replied.
“How long have you been here?”
The fire next gave them a length of time, which Myoo translated to about three months.
“What was here before you?”
“Many green things. They burned.”
“Why are you here?”
“We were brought here by Him,” said the newt.
Alia and Myoo looked at each other hopefully. “Who is this you speak of?” she asked.
The newt looked confused. “He is… Him. The one we follow.”
“Is this one known as Bane, or does he serve Bane?”
“I do not know this ‘Bane’. He serves no one; we serve Him.”
The hope faded from their eyes. “Describe ‘Him’ to us, please,” asked Myoo.
The newt’s eyes filled with admiration. “He is all-powerful. He appears as we do, but he is larger. He is surrounded by flame. But he has no legs as we do – he has… a very large tail which he moves with.”
Myoo sighed. “That sounds more like a salamander to me.”
“What is ‘He’ doing here?” asked Alia.
“He is here.” Is all the reply they got.
“Where does ‘He’ live?”
“He is below,” the newt said, pointing toward the hole. “He guards our young, along with seventy-five of our finest warriors.”
“And why aren’t you down there with them?”
“We guard the upper passages, and watch the river so that we can raise the alarm.”
“Alarm? In case of what?”
“In case the Other comes.”
Alia didn’t even have to look at Myoo to tell his eyes were rolling. “Tell us what this ‘Other’ looks like, and why he would come,” she asked.
“The Other looks like the purest flame, but moves as you and I do. He comes to attack Him, to destroy Him, but he will fail.”
Alia pulled Myoo aside for a moment. “The way this newt talks about ‘Him’; is he…” she tapped the side of her head.
Myoo shook his head. “Not as far as I can tell. His slavish devotion is entirely of his own choosing. Kind of like it is with them,” he gestured over to indicate Ehput-Ki and Tantu.
“That’s different,” Alia said.
“Is it?” Myoo retorted.
They returned to the task at hand. “What lies beyond those doors?” Myoo asked, pointing to the doors on the far end of the room.
“That area is forbidden.”
“What’s in there?”
“There is a pool of water, with a passage underneath. We know there is a chamber beyond, but none who went there came back. Thus it is forbidden.”
“Do any of you guard the forbidden area?”
“Yes, eight of my brothers guard the forbidden area.”
Standing, Myoo and Alia went to confer with the rest of the party, informing them of what they had learned.
“Well, nothing about this place is how I remember it,” said Niles. “I’d guess these newts somehow diverted that magma flow up into these caverns, and most of it ended up sealed off.”
“What concerns me,” said Ehput-Ki, “is that we have seen no evidence of the influence of Bane in these caverns, beyond the device on that portcullis.”
“Well, there was no guarantee of that anyway,” Alia said, “we only came up here to examine the possibility. Besides, there’s this ‘forbidden area’.”
“Well, if we’re going to press on, we have two choices,” Tantu said. “Either the forbidden area, or down that hole.”
“Ehput-Ki, you told me before you sensed these creatures are evil,” Alia said. “However, I’m inclined to leave sleeping newts lie. They are lairing in a location deep in the Spine of the World Mountains, hundreds of miles from any settlement, with literally tons of ice and snow between them and anything of importance. But I don’t want to force you into an action which might cause you problems with your vows.”
Ehput-Ki pondered for a moment. “No, I believe you are correct. They have the taint of evil, but they are contained here, and their evil cannot spread. And anything we can learn about the machinations of Bane would serve this world better.”
“Very well, then,” Myoo said, as he turned to address his three minions. “We wish to enter the forbidden area,” he said to them.
“But it is… forbidden.”
“To you, but not to us.”
“The guards inside… they will not let you pass.”
Myoo smiled. “Then you’ll have to do a good job of convincing them.”
* * *
The three fire newts were ultimately successful in negotiating the party’s passage through the forbidden area. Though their leader seemed unhappy, the convincing argument seemed to rest of the assumption that the strangers would never return. Myoo had the dominated newts lead the party through the narrow, winding corridors, identifying the locations where traps had been set. Once disarmed by Alia, the party finally arrived at a large natural well set into the floor.
Myoo addressed his captives. “Wait here until we return,” he said. “Then you will escort us out of your territory.”
The party turned to regard the pool of water. “Is it just me,” Alia said to no one in particular, “or does it seem like every dungeon or cavern we end up in has one of these underwater passages?”
“I would just be glad not to be underground so often,” said Ehput-Ki. “I spend too much time away from the gaze of Horus-Re.”
Alia began pulling off her equipment. “I swear I’m going to grow gills one day. Okay, everyone, standard procedure.” She dropped into the water and disappeared. Less than a minute later her head popped up again, indicating that the passage was quite short.
Minutes later they were standing, dripping wet, at the edge of a large circular chamber. A passageway was against the far wall, but the floor of the chamber seemed non-existent, with only a strange gray mist swirling at their feet. Jutting out of the mist were pillars of stone, which formed rough stepping-stones to the far wall.
“Our path seems obvious,” remarked Kiy.
“Yeah, that’s what worries me.” Alia pulled out her magical rope and commanded it to stretch across the misty chamber, just barely reaching the other passage. She jumped up on the rope and scampered over to the other side. Meanwhile, Tantu donned a pair of magical slippers and walked along the wall, while Myoo cast a spell that gave him a similar power. Ehput-Ki, Niles, and Kiy were ferried across the room in short order, with judicious use of Tantu’s slippers and Ehput-Ki’s portable hole.
The passage narrowed and twisted back and forth. Alia, taking the lead, noted that the air was foul-smelling and humid. She came around a bend and the passage opened up into a larger, teardrop-shaped room, the last two-thirds of which was filled with water. Alia could see the corroded remnants of bones and armor jutting from the water’s surface. As she looked at the scene, she realized that the surface of the water was moving and rising.
“Uh, guys?” she thought over her mental link with Myoo. “Help?”
They moved forward just as an amorphous blob emerged from the foul water, it’s silvery-grey surface glistening. It lurched forward, spraying a caustic liquid at Ehput-Ki and Alia. The liquid began to smoke and burn their armor and skin, though Ehput-Ki’s celestial blood allowed him to repel some of the acid.
Alia pulled out her new wand, knowing her melee skills would be useless. She fired off magic missiles at the ooze, then backed away from the range of its acidic spray. Ehout-Ki did likewise, taking a moment to wipe acid off his breastplate. Tantu attempted to destroy the ooze creature utterly, but it somehow shrugged off Tyr’s divine wrath. Similarly, Niles’ attempt to disintegrate the creature was only slightly successful, burning away a small chunk. The ooze rolled toward Kiy, but the elf’s nimble reflexes let her jump out of the way of its massive pseudopod. In response he fired arrow after arrow at the blob, with all but one finding their mark. Myoo, taking Alia’s lead, blasted the ooze with missiles form his wand, even as Iggy darted in and zapped it with an eye ray.
Alia and Myoo continued to barrage the ooze with magic missiles as the party slowly backed away; Kiy did the same with his longbow. Niles failed at another attempt to disintegrate the ooze, but Tantu’s efforts paid off as a column of flame descended upon it. But his faith was rewarded with a blast of acid from the ooze. Meanwhile, Ehput-Ki began to pray, drawing upon his own life force and channeling it into his blade. Tantu took a moment to send healing energy out to all his companions, while Niles grew weary of his failed attempts to destroy the ooze and took out his staff of power. A bolt of lightning arced through the creature, causing it to quiver in a semblance of pain. Disturbingly, however, as the lightning’s blast faded, Niles noted that the aura of power around his staff had dimmed noticeably.
Alia prepared to fire another volley at the ooze, but she looked over at Ehput-Ki and noted that he was literally blazing with power. She held off as the paladin stepped forward and swung at the ooze with all his strength. There was a fiery flash, as if the sun had somehow risen within the small cavern, and as the party blinked the spots out of their eyes, they saw that the ooze had been splattered across the chamber.
Alia explored the murky water as Tantu and Ehput-Ki tended to the party’s wounds. She found a diamond-encrusted breastplate and a pair of bracers that had resisted the acid of the ooze, but unfortunately did not find any other exits or passageways. It appeared that the ooze had been the most sinister thing in the forbidden area.
“Now what?” asked Tantu.
“Well, there’s still that tower we explored last time,” said Niles. “It was some sort of ritual chamber. We’d found a couple of dead priests, and while we were in there’s we’d had some sort of vision of a black-gauntlet surrounded by green fire. That was what clued us in to the fact that Bane had returned.”
“I suppose we should take another look,” Alia sighed. “Just in case something was missed. I’d sure hate to have come all the way up here for nothing.”
“At least you didn’t have to walk,” chided the gnome.
“We should rest before we return to the territory of the fire newts,” Kiy said. “We have no idea what to expect from them when we return.”
“True,” said Myoo. “The three I control will be no problem. But the others may have gone to warn ‘Him’ of our presence.”
“Okay then, we rest here,” Alia said. “Double watches; Myoo and Tantu, Kiy and myself, Niles and Ehput-Ki. And then we see what tomorrow brings.”
Delemental
First Post
And, unfortunately, tomorrow brought the end of the universe. This is the point at which our DM decided to end things, thus our tale will draw to a close.
Apologies for the extra-long posts, but I figured I might as well get the rest out in one mighty heave.
There is, however, light on the horizon. After meeting last night, our group is recruiting a new DM, and will be starting fresh with new characters in a new setting. So look for a new Story Hour in the near future. I'll throw a link up on the end of this thread.
Ah! so young, such promise.... I'm really disappointed to see this Story Hour end prematurely. I don't get the chance to read too many SH's and mostly stick to the amply vetted (Piratecat, Sepulchrave, Destan), but the Pirandello reference was too good to resist and I took a shot. Add to that a spellcaster named MU ... ahem, Myoo. And then of course the engaging writing style. Such a shame.
I'm sure you'll bring the same spark to whatever comes next. Please post a note here to let us know what that happens to be. Great effort!
I'm sure you'll bring the same spark to whatever comes next. Please post a note here to let us know what that happens to be. Great effort!
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