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<blockquote data-quote="Delemental" data-source="post: 1357579" data-attributes="member: 5203">Shadows in the Mountains, Part Three&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; The next hour in the large cavern was quiet.&nbsp; As Tantu knelt beside the body of Kiy, offering up prayers, Myoo and Niles studied the inscribed circle in the far corner.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kiy’s eyes fluttered open at last, and after he got his bearings, the party filled the elf in.&nbsp; Kiy listened attentively, but there was sadness behind his eyes, a sadness Ehput-Ki knew all too well.&nbsp; It had barely been a tenday since he had been called back from Paradise, too.&nbsp; Myoo and Niles also discussed their findings.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “It’s definitely a teleportation circle,” Niles said.&nbsp; “Looks like it’s one-way only, and it’s set to only allow two people through at a time.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Not very convenient for us,” remarked Alia.&nbsp; “Any idea where it goes?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Myoo shook his head.&nbsp; “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.&nbsp; Unfortunately, we may never know the answer.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Why is that?” asked Tantu.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “The circle requires a command word to activate,” said Niles, “one we don’t know.&nbsp; The best we could do is figure out it has something to do with the seasons.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The party went to study the circle.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; As they stood around arguing, Kiy felt the slight flutter of wind on his cheek.&nbsp; His senses were still sensitive after being so recently revived, and at first he dismissed it.&nbsp; But then something in his mind clicked; the breeze had to come from somewhere.&nbsp; He stepped off to the side, letting the sensation on his face guide him.&nbsp; He came to the wall near the circle, and after a minute of searching felt a tiny gap in the stone.&nbsp; He followed it around with his fingertips, and then found a concealed latch.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The rest of the party turned suddenly at the sound of someone clearing their throat.&nbsp; They saw Kiy, standing next to the wall.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Perhaps we should try this way first,” he said simply.&nbsp; He pointed to indicate the seam of the concealed doorway.&nbsp; Alia moved up to examine the door’s mechanism.&nbsp; She smirked as she worked the latch with her tools.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “A Type Nine simple spring needle,” she said.&nbsp; “Why even bother putting in a trap at all?” In moments she had the poisoned needle extracted, and the door swung open.&nbsp; “I’ll scout ahead, see if there’s more surprises like this,” she flicked the needle away as she talked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Hold on,” Niles came up and uttered a spell, then touched her.&nbsp; “There.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Alia moved into the dark passageway, keeping in mental contact with Myoo as she moved.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 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.&nbsp; I’ll see what’s behind the corner and… hold on a second.&nbsp; Alia’s communication with Myoo fell silent, and the party waited expectantly for the sorcerer to give them news.&nbsp; Suddenly, Myoo blinked in surprise.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I believe that Alia may have set off a trap, or an alarm of some sort.&nbsp; She doesn’t seem to be hurt from what I’m receiving.”&nbsp; Myoo looked up at Tantu with a half-smile.&nbsp; “Your girlfriend swears beautifully,” he commented, then cocked his head at a slight angle as if listening intently.&nbsp; “Some of these phrases even I’ve never heard before.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I believe the opportunity for surprise is past,” said Kiy, who shouldered his bow and moved into the hallway.&nbsp; The others followed behind, soon catching up to Alia, who had continued on.&nbsp; The hallway turned left, then opened into a large chamber lit with torches.&nbsp; Sitting serenely in the center of the room was a thickly muscled man wearing plain robes, his head shaved clean.&nbsp; His eyes opened as the party approached.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Enter, Flame-Hair,” he said, addressing Alia.&nbsp; She slid into the room followed by her companions.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Haroon, I presume?” she said to him.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Haroon nodded.&nbsp; “I am Haroon, of the Order of the North Star.&nbsp; I see that you have bested Eystein and Hakon.&nbsp; I offer my congratulations to you on your victory.&nbsp; However, I cannot permit you to proceed further.”&nbsp; He stood up, blocking the way to the other side of the room.&nbsp; He did not attack or adopt a fighting stance, but merely waited patiently.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Ehput-Ki focused on the monk for a moment, studying his aura.&nbsp; “He’s not evil,” he said, somewhat surprised.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What are you doing here?” asked Alia.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I am bound by honor to defend the life of Vyech Eslev.&nbsp; He once saved my life, and the debt has not been repaid.&nbsp; I ask you to turn back now.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I’m afraid we can’t,” said Tantu.&nbsp; “We’ve been charged to investigate and eliminate the growing evil in these mountains, and we believe Eslev is the source of that evil.&nbsp; Is there no way we can resolve this peacefully?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Haroon shook his head sadly.&nbsp; “You wish to bring harm to Vyech Eslev, and I am honor-bound to prevent that.&nbsp; Only your departure will guarantee that no blood is shed.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kiy, however, had a different idea.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; But in the blink of an eye, Haroon had leapt out of the area, landing with cat-like grace a few feet away.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Oh boy,” muttered Alia to herself.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Things began to happen quickly.&nbsp; Tantu was still trying to negotiate with Haroon, offering him wine.&nbsp; But Niles had let loose with a barrage of magic missiles from a wand, filling the air with the smell of ozone.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Please!” shouted Tantu, trying to restore calm, “stop fighting!&nbsp; Stop before this goes too far!”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Haroon regarded the cleric for a moment, then glanced down to the wound on his leg.&nbsp; “You have taken first blood,” he said.&nbsp; “Once the cycle has begun, it cannot be ended until it is complete.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; With that, he leapt to the attack.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 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.&nbsp; But initially, the only aid they were able to give was to provide multiple targets for the agile monk.&nbsp; Alia landed a good blow early in the fight, but then seemed incapable of connecting.&nbsp; Kiy fired shot after shot at close range, most of which were deflected by the monk’s iron-hard hands.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; Myoo eventually resorted to threatening Haroon, promising his eventual defeat.&nbsp; The attempts at intimidation appeared to have at least some effect, as the monk missed a few easy blows.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Only Ehput-Ki seemed to be able to strike the monk with any consistency, and soon Haroon was concentrating on him.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Haroon struck Ehput-Ki again with the flat of his hand.&nbsp; The blow was strangely jarring, and the area felt slightly numb.&nbsp; A few moments later, Haroon looked at Ehput-Ki intently, and suddenly the paladin felt the numbness spreading.&nbsp; The blow had struck a vital nerve cluster, and with horror he realized that the numb feeling was creeping toward his heart.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Niles and Myoo switched from offense to defense, casting several displacement spells on themselves and their companions.&nbsp; Surveying the battle, Alia saw that it had turned into a sort of stalemate, neither side able to strike the other effectively.&nbsp; But Tantu was running out of healing spells, and several had been disrupted by the monk.&nbsp; She knew she needed to do something to change the dynamics of the fight, but what?&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; She saw her chance as Haroon once again struck Ehput-Ki with a reverberating blow that dented his breastplate and sent his head spinning.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; She easily spotted the large concealed door at the far wall.&nbsp; Turning around, she shouted at the top of her lungs.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Hey, you pajama-wearing ass!&nbsp; I thought you were supposed to stop us from getting through this door!&nbsp; So much for honor, eh?”&nbsp; She then reached out as if to open the door.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Haroon was across the room in a second, lashing out at Alia with his foot.&nbsp; She staggered back from the blow, but inwardly she smiled.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Her companions did not disappoint.&nbsp; Several arrows and magic missiles sailed through the air, striking Haroon from behind.&nbsp; Then, as the monk moved to attack Alia again, he suddenly froze in place.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “He’s not going anywhere,” said Myoo mockingly.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Ehput-Ki han up with rope to secure the held Harron before the spell ended.&nbsp; Alia wasted no time in divesting the monk of his meager belongings; an amulet, a pair of bracers, and two rings.&nbsp; She saw a flicker of movement near Haroon’s head, and her hand shot out, closing around a tiny gemstone flying through the air.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; A moment later, Haroon’s rigid posture relaxed.&nbsp; He struggled for only the briefest moment against the ropes that bound him, then looked up at Ehput-Ki.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “These bonds are unnecessary,” he said.&nbsp; “You have defeated me.&nbsp; I give you my word of honor that I will bring you no further harm.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Ehput-Ki regarded the monk for a moment, then reached down and untied him.&nbsp; Myoo watched, his jaw dropping open.&nbsp; “You’re just going to let him loose after all that?” he asked incredulously.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Yes,” the paladin stated firmly.&nbsp; “He has given his word.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “So?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “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.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Alia looked down at the handful of items she’d stripped off the paralyzed monk, and felt the tiniest pang of guilt.&nbsp; But Haroon held up a hand, sensing her discomfort.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Keep them, Flame Hair.&nbsp; They are merely possessions.&nbsp; Perhaps I had become too dependent upon their benefits, which led to my defeat.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; As Alia put away Haroon’s things, Niles stepped up to regard the monk.&nbsp; “So, what can you tell us about Vyech?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Haroon shook his head.&nbsp; “I have already failed in my task.&nbsp; I will not further compound my shame by giving you information that could be used against him.&nbsp; However, my part in this is at an end.&nbsp; I would take my leave of you now.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Ehput-Ki gestured toward the door they had entered from, allowing Haroon to move past him and depart.&nbsp; Again, Myoo stammered in disbelief.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “You’re just letting him go?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What purpose would it serve to kill him?” asked Ehput-Ki.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “The purpose of not having an enemy at our backs!”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Ehput-Ki sighed sadly.&nbsp; “Haroon is not our enemy, Myoo.&nbsp; He has been defeated, and we spared his life.&nbsp; Thus he owes us a debt, much like the debt he apparently owes to this Vyech Eslev.&nbsp; He would not dishonor himself by betraying us.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Grumbling, Myoo fell silent.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Meanwhile, Alia had gone to take a closer look at the concealed door she’d used to bluff Haroon.&nbsp; As she suspected, it was locked, and trapped.&nbsp; She worked the lock for a while, but yelped suddenly and jerked her hand back.&nbsp; Tantu came to her side immediately.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What’s wrong?” he asked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “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.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Panic welled up in Tantu’s chest.&nbsp; He didn’t have a neutralize poison ritual prepared.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Alia saw the fear in Tantu’s eyes.&nbsp; “Relax, it’s okay.”&nbsp; She plucked the needle out of the keyhole, and sniffed it.&nbsp; Then she ran the length of the needle across her tongue, a move that nearly caused Tantu to pass out.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; She smiled.&nbsp; “Just what I thought; Crimson Agony.”&nbsp; Noting Tantu’s confused (and still panicked) look, she held up the needle.&nbsp; “Crimson Agony is a very common poison to use in these kind of traps, because it’s long-lasting.&nbsp; It’s so common, however, that most professional thieves get exposed to it all the time.&nbsp; I’ve been dosed with this stuff so many times I’m practically immune.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; By this time others had gathered around, drawn by the commotion.&nbsp; Alia looked up at them.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I have the door open,” she said, “are we moving on?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I don’t know,” said Niles.&nbsp; “I’m almost out of spells.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “So am I,” admitted Tantu, “and many of us still have wounds that need tending.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Then we should rest here,” said Alia.&nbsp; “No telling what we’ll face beyond this door.” *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The party made camp in the center of the room, setting a watch on each door.&nbsp; The time passed uneventfully, except for Niles waking up in the middle of the night by a nightmare.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; The more recent attack by the white dragon at the foot of the mountains had unnerved him.&nbsp; The next day they prepared carefully, knowing they would face at least one powerful priest of an unknown deity.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Alia pushed open the door and moved ahead.&nbsp; A narrow corridor snaked into the darkness.&nbsp; Alia discovered a guillotine trap about halfway down the hallway, and managed to jam it in place.&nbsp; She rounded a corner, and came into a diamond-shaped room with small alcoves at each corner.&nbsp; A short hallway went off to her left, and she could hear low voices from that direction.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; Rather than attempt to disarm it, Alia just drew a chalk circle around the plate as the rest of the party entered the room.&nbsp; She pointed out the voices she had heard, and moved closer to try and make out the words.&nbsp; She heard one person clearly;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “No!&nbsp; We must attack them now, while they’re weak!”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; There was a reply, but it was only a murmur.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; There was a moment’s discussion about what course of action to take.&nbsp; They debated just rushing into the room, or perhaps luring them out.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Myoo cleared his throat to get attention.&nbsp; “Why don’t we see what else we can learn about who is in there before we plan.”&nbsp; His familiar, Iggy, came floating out of a pocket in Myoo’s robes.&nbsp; Ehput-Ki regarded the tiny beholder-kin with barely contained disgust.&nbsp; Wordlessly, Iggy floated down the hallway.&nbsp; A moment later, Myoo winced.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “It’s hard for him to make anything out in there, but he sees two figures.&nbsp; One is in the center of the room, and seems to be the one doing most of the talking.&nbsp; This could be Vyech Eslev.&nbsp; The other being in the room, unfortunately, appears to be a beholder.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Worry crossed the faces of the entire group.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The group withdrew to discuss strategy.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; As Tantu moved into position, he motioned Myoo over to him.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What else can Iggy tell us about the room?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Not much, I’m afraid.”&nbsp; By this time Iggy had returned to the protective folds of Myoo’s robes.&nbsp; “In order to keep from being seen, Iggy had to hide just outside the room.&nbsp; He wasn’t able to see the whole room.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tantu frowned.&nbsp; “That makes me nervous.”&nbsp; He paused for a moment, then called upon Tyr to grant him vision.&nbsp; Tantu’s closed his eyes, and the image of the small room filled his mind.&nbsp; After studying the room for a moment, he opened his eyes and motioned his companions over, grinning.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Hey, you know that beholder Iggy saw?&nbsp; It’s stuffed.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Several eyes blinked in disbelief.&nbsp; “No, really!” exclaimed the cleric.&nbsp; “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.&nbsp; “The man is insane.”“And there’s a third person in the room, bound to the wall with leather straps,” Tantu continued.&nbsp; “He looks like he’s been disemboweled, but he’s still alive.&nbsp; I think its Haroon.”“May the desert sands blind this Vyech!” Ehput-Ki swore.&nbsp; “We must save him!”“Good thing we didn’t go with the fireball plan,” whispered Niles to Myoo.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Myoo began to smile wickedly, but held it in check when he saw others were watching.&nbsp; “So, Tantu, what else did you see?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “There are two pentagrams in the room, a large one in the center and a smaller one in the far corner.&nbsp; I couldn’t see the details on the glyphs.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “One could be the terminus for that circle in the other chamber,” Myoo mused.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Enough speculation,” said Ehput-Ki.&nbsp; “Haroon might be dying as we bandy words.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Myoo sighed.&nbsp; “Look.&nbsp; Why don’t we sneak in invisibly, except for me.&nbsp; I’ll try to lure him out of the room.&nbsp; That way you can heal up Haroon without Vyech seeing him, and we get him away from those summoning circles.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; They agreed to the plan quickly.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; Kiy and Niles remained near the exit as Myoo strode forward, arms open.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Vyech, my friend!” he exclaimed.&nbsp; “There you are!&nbsp; What ever are you doing down here?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Who are you?” screeched the priest.&nbsp; He wore tattered clothes and thick hide armor.&nbsp; He was drawing a sharp knife along his forearm, which was criss-crossed with shallow cuts.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Why, Vyech, I’ve come to see what you’re doing.&nbsp; I’d heard you were building up some sort of army.&nbsp; Is this your fortress?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Yes, yes,” nodded Vyech gleefully.&nbsp; “An army for the war!”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Indeed.”&nbsp; Myoo nodded toward the bound Haroon.&nbsp; “What’s this for?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “He once served me, but he failed me,” tittered the priest.&nbsp; “Now he must pay for letting intruders in.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Intruders?&nbsp; Oh, you must have punished him after I got past him.&nbsp; He wouldn’t budge, but I knew we had to see you.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “We?” gasped Vyech, “who is ‘we’?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “My familiar and I,” Myoo said, thinking quickly.&nbsp; “So, I see you’ve inscribed a summoning circle here.&nbsp; Where does it go?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Don’t know,” mumbled Vyech, “somewhere hot.&nbsp; Lots of flames.&nbsp; I send them supplies, they promise me an army.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; That doesn’t sound good, several of the party thought at once.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Soon we shall strike!&nbsp; Here, I show you.”&nbsp; Vyech began muttering in a foul language.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Alia decided that the last thing she wanted was for Vyech Eslev to finish his spell.&nbsp; She came down with her baton between his shoulders, hoping to snap his neck.&nbsp; But her baton struck a metal plate hidden inside the thick hides, and bounced off without effect.&nbsp; Vyech uttered the last phrases of his spell, and the air inside the large summoning circle wavered and rippled as a large form appeared.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; It leered viciously at the assembled party, apparently able to see them despite their invisibility.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Niles, however, was prepared.&nbsp; He shouted at the demon in a forceful voice, brandishing one of the torches on the wall.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Things began to happen quickly.&nbsp; Ehput-Ki sent positive energy into Haroon as Tantu pushed his entrails back into his body as best he could.&nbsp; The flesh knitted together, and Haroon took a deep breath, the pain lifted.&nbsp; Myoo tried to cast a spell on Vyech, but the priest shrugged it off.&nbsp; Kiy shot a few arrows at him, striking twice.&nbsp; Alia tried to swing again, but her target, now aware of her, easily avoided the blow.&nbsp; In response, he reached out a hand and slapped Alia across the face.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; Vyech staggered from a few more shots from Kiy and spells from Myoo and Niles.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Before Tantu could reach her, Alia sprung away from the fight, somersaulting into the air and landing on top of the stuffed beholder.&nbsp; She drew her hand cross bow and took aim, but by that time the fight was nearly over.&nbsp; Powerful blows from Ehput-Ki and Tantu sent the priest to the floor.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Niles approached the corpse, reaching down and grasping a holy symbol still clutched in the mad priest’s&nbsp; bony fingers.&nbsp; “Bane,” Niles said thoughtfully.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kiy pointed at the circles inscribed on the floor.&nbsp; “This would likely explain the sense of a growing evil in the mountains,” he stated.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “And Vyech’s deranged mind may have thrown off their divinations, since he likely couldn’t string two logical thoughts together,” added Myoo.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tantu and Ehput-Ki cut down Haroon, administering additional healing.&nbsp; As the circulation returned to his limbs, the monk stood, and bowed.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I thank you for saving me,” he said solemnly.&nbsp; “I had returned to Vyech to report my failure to him, as honor demanded.&nbsp; When I would not disclose to him the nature of my assailants, he became enraged and ensorcelled me.”&nbsp; Haroon regarded the large circle in the center of the room.&nbsp; “My path is clear now.&nbsp; In order to ease the burden on my soul for taking part in this evil, I must now take the fight to the enemy.”&nbsp; He turned to regard Alia.&nbsp; “I must beg a favor, Flame-Hair.&nbsp; One of the rings you took from me as a prize is a gold band inscribed with the symbol of a flame.&nbsp; For where I am going, this item is a necessity.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Alia dug into a pocket and produced the ring, flipping it into the monk’s outstretched hand.&nbsp; Behind them, the sound of Myoo’s palm striking his forehead echoed in the small room.&nbsp; Nodding his head in gratitude, Haroon stepped into the large circle.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Wait,” said Tantu, “how do we get out of here?&nbsp; We found a device to make us ethereal to get down, but how do we get out again?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Haroon smiled cryptically.&nbsp; “Seek, and you will find.”&nbsp; Then he spoke another word, and vanished.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 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.&nbsp; Sure enough, a few minutes of searching turned up a button similar to the one up above.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; As they approached the entrance to the cave, the sentry, Rhorlif, challenged them.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Stay where you are!” he shouted, the compulsion that Myoo had placed upon him long since worn away.&nbsp; “You’ve fooled me with your sorcery, but Vyech will deal with you now!”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Vyech?” said Myoo casually.&nbsp; “Oh!&nbsp; You mean Vyech Eslev.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Vyech Eslev is in no state to ‘deal’ with anything, and neither are his lieutenants.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; And there is nothing left here to protect.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Rhorlif regarded the party for a long moment, then lowered his sword and began walking down the mountain path, away from the caves.&nbsp; Myoo felt the eyes of the others on him, and he turned to regard them.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well,” he said, “since it seems letting people go is fashionable these days…”</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Delemental, post: 1357579, member: 5203"] [U]Shadows in the Mountains, Part Three[/U] 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. [I]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.[/I] 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.” [CENTER] * * *[/CENTER] 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.” [I]That doesn’t sound good[/I], 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…” [/QUOTE]

Verification