"It was only a chimera..."
The chamber was of blacks and muted greys. They flowed and rippled, as if they possessed a will of their own, absorbing all incident light, yet still conveying a sense of variance. If there were other colours present, then they were veiled by the pervasive gloom.
The Captain, whose name was Shupthul, stood before his King, Irknaan, and explained what had happened.
"Only a few moments ago, you say," Irknaan reclined in darkness in an unconcerned manner, not even deigning to look upon his retainer. "Have you dispatched a party?"
"Twelve, your Majesty," Shupthul said.
Despite his confidence and level voice, Irknaan perceived a measure of nervousness hidden behind the Captain’s expert façade. It made the King feel strangely comfortable – Shupthul’s apprehension was based on fear of him, rather than of any external threat. He smiled inwardly. "Which way were they headed?"
"Towards a chimera, five miles to the north. They are looking for quarry."
"And there is a demon with them? How curious. At this hour, the chimera will be Lorochtoh, of course. She is predictable in her habits. This may be amusing. How did they know where to find her, I wonder?"
"The guardsman who brought me the report indicated that it seemed a random choice – one of them sensed the beast, and they immediately took up the chase. The demon was cloaked – a kelvezu assassin, in all likelihood."
"I feel that I might observe." Irknaan clicked his fingers, and a sprite with a wicked expression hurried to fetch his scrying stone. Already, his mind raced with possibilities, although he evinced nothing to Shupthul. Who were they? How did one of them sense the beast? Was the demon an ally of the Prince, or a foe, or neither? They seemed potent. He would need to tread carefully. Irknaan wondered whether he was in disfavour, and his termination had been ordered by Graz’zt.
In any case, a confrontation with Lorochtoh would prove distracting for a few moments – others had made the mistake of underestimating her strength, and had paid dearly for it.
**
Nwm’s mind was bombarded with sensations as he switched between different aspects of their environment. The Green of Afqithan held a majesty that was warped by shadows and darkness, and possessed an alien quality that made him feel distinctly uncomfortable. As well as the chimera – the nearest of the nodes within his field of consciousness outside of the castle walls – other beasts flitted on the periphery of his thought. Manticores and griffons, displacer beasts and basilisks, a dragonne on the very edge of perception. Many of the trees possessed black and brooding sentience which filled the Druid with dread.
He turned his mind to feys, and they blazed across his inner landscape, too numerous to count, and then to outsiders, concentrated both in a knot within the fortress and also where other beasts were located. They overlapped in a confusing fashion, and Nwm noticed that the chimera – like many of the other denizens of Afqithan – was an indistinct type, and bore multiple conflicting signatures.
As did the griffons and their riders who were now following: they had taken flight from one of the castle’s tall towers. The Druid glanced over his shoulder, and saw specks in the sky to their rear. He yelled to Ortwin.
"There are twelve feys – or part-feys, at least – mounted on griffons – or part griffons – in pursuit. They are less than a mile behind."
"They can’t catch us," the Bard shouted back, the wind rushing past.
"They are closing in."
"Griffons can’t fly that fast," Ortwin objected.
"They are tenebrous," Shomei called to him. "part shadow-stuff. They slip through the gaps in space."
"The chimera is likewise a complex of different realities," Nwm yelled, "and should not be treated lightly. This could be interesting. What should we do?"
"Ignore the Loquai," declared Mostin. "It will irritate them."
"I agree," Ortwin nodded. "If they try to apprehend us, or behave aggressively, we should obliterate them with as much apparent ease as possible. We need to show both strength and disdain. Pay attention to the chimera."
"They will reach us, before we close on it," Nwm pointed out.
Iua concentrated briefly, and then yelled a warning. A powerful wind began to blow behind them, speeding them forwards. The Duelist and Eadric – both expert riders – dealt with the sudden change in pace without effort, although the Paladin found the increased smoke and fire kindled from his steed’s mane and hooves somewhat disconcerting. Likewise, Mostin and Shomei stayed in control of themselves and their mounts, albeit with more strain. Nwm clung on tightly.
Unfortunately, their leader, Ortwin, flamboyant as he seemed, was a poor rider. Iua’s warning had given him no time to prepare, and he was blown from his saddle, still clutching his bow.
Gods, how embarrassing, he thought as he tumbled towards the ground. He recovered quickly, and commanded his boots to action. As they sprouted tiny wings, the Bard did his best to make his mistake look intentional.
"It’s a good thing they can’t scry us," Mostin grumbled, as Ortwin drew level with him. "That’s precisely the kind of blunder we have to avoid, if we want to stay alive. I thought you could ride."
"I can," Ortwin lied. "I just haven’t, for a long time."
"I wish you’d take this more seriously," Eadric yelled.
"Nothing is further from my mind," the Bard grinned. "How far to the beastie, Nwm?"
"Half a mile," the Druid pointed.
"Will it sense us?"
As if in response to Ortwin’s question, the air was abruptly filled with demons.
"Somebody did," Shomei remarked drily.
**
Lorochtoh, who had lived for an untold age in the haunted woods of Afqithan, was a devious creature who had evaded or confounded the hunts that had been mounted in search of her on numerous occasions. Irknaan had long since given up on eliminating her, and had found that, left to her own devices, she posed no threat and proved an effective deterrent against the bands of sprites who occasionally vexed his patrols. The King of the Loquai had come to respect the chimera, and although it would have been within his power to remove her, the use of magic in a chase would have been a breach of the etiquette which existed between hunters and quarry – an unfulfilling exercise, against the spirit of the hunt in general. After all, if there was no risk to the participants, then the sport held little appeal and amounted to little more than execution.
Sat upon the branch of an immense banyan, immersed in shadows, Lorochtoh had gazed skywards with one of her three heads – her draconic eyes were her best – after catching the rumour of movement in her peripheral vision. A hunting party, headed towards her. The chimera wondered briefly if she was their target, and thought it best not to take any chances. She summoned five succubi.
"Go and charm those annoying Sidhe, my pretties," she instructed them. "And after they’ve chopped each other up, don’t forget to bring me any baubles that they might have."
Lorochtoh shifted, and waited to see what transpired.
**
Ortwin, who had regained the lead, but had elected not to mount his steed again, was suddenly beset by four of the demonesses, who appeared directly in front of him. Still holding his bow in his left hand, the Bard drew his scimitar, whilst gaping at their naked beauty. Iua, acting with her usual speed, urged her mount forwards and instantly slew one of them before anyone else had even fully reacted to the situation.
"Mine," a succubus said to Ortwin, beckoning.
"Mine."
"Mine."
The three demonesses were bombarding Ortwin with erotic impulses, which he found himself uncharacteristically capable of resisting – due to the mind blank, he remarked to himself, rather than any overwhelming feelings of fidelity. Githla lashed out, and the Bard – feeling somewhat regretful – rapidly dispatched a succubus and wounded another. Eadric impaled a another with his lance.
The remaining demoness – the fifth – who had appeared next to Mostin and whispered mine, was pulverized by a sonic that made Mostin’s eyes bulge. He had empowered it, but he hadn’t maximized it – nonetheless, the spell had borne the hallmarks of that metamagic.
Shomei raised an eyebrow. "That was rather an overkill."
"Did you check the magical trait of this plane?" Mostin asked.
"Ahh," Shomei nodded. "Like Faerie itself. No, I didn’t think to look."
The Alienist fired a clutch of quickened magic missiles at the last, wounded succubus. They blazed gloriously, and obliterated the demoness. "We need to seriously reconsider our options," Mostin sighed. "This puts things in a very different light." He glanced over his shoulder. The wind conjured by Iua still sped them onwards, and their pursuers were nothing but dots in the sky.
"You can ease up," Nwm called to the duelist, "or we will overshoot. The creature is close by."
Iua nodded, and the gale rapidly began to subside. But as the group began to descend, three hundred feet up, they received an unpleasant shock. Mostin knew the sensation which preceded it – he had experienced it when Feezuu had subjected him to it – but there was nothing he could do. An instant after the tickling feeling, his arms and legs twitched as the fluids were wilted from his body. Nwm, Shomei and Eadric were also struck by the necromantic assault: fortunately Ortwin and Iua were beyond the area of the spell’s effect. The pain was immense, and Mostin hysterically considered that Feezuu’s attack had been as nothing compared to this.
Infernalist, Paladin, Alienist and Druid began to drop like stones, their mounts withered to lifeless husks beneath them. Shomei wasn’t moving.
Lorochtoh broke from the treetops below. Blackness issued from her wings, and her form shivered with dismal power. Space twisted, and stretched uncomfortably around her. She was immense.
Nwm acted quickly, invoking a reverse gravity on the area around him, abruptly forcing himself, Mostin, Eadric, Shomei and the corpses of the Nightmares skywards again. Mostin cursed, uttered a quickened haste, cast a fly spell, aimed a disintegrate at the vast bulk of the chimera, and promptly missed. He swore profusely.
Ortwin sped a volley of arrows into the beast’s flank, where they quivered and caused her to screech. Iua struck Lorochtoh with a powerful blast of lightning, but still she climbed relentlessly towards them. Eadric drew Lukarn and waited, bobbing impatiently.
"Bad bad bad bad bad," Mostin grumbled. "Can you deal with Shomei, Nwm – assuming she’s still alive."
The Druid nodded, even as the chimera was closing, a foul draft blown before her by her wings. She spoke, and black fire began to kindle over Mostin, threatening to immolate him. His amulet absorbed it noiselessly.
Nwm waited, unwilling to act until he had seen Mostin’s retort.
Three colossal sonics issued from Mostin’s fingertips in rapid succession, swollen beyond all normal limits by the native magic of Afqithan. The noise was terrific as they detonated, superheating the air and causing massive ionization. As if by some trick of profound slipperiness, the chimera seemed to twist and gyre in space. She was unaffected.
Mostin gaped. Impossible, he thought.
Nwm glanced at Shomei, gauged that she would live, and struck Lorochtoh with a finger of death. Ortwin and Iua, descending on her flank, erupted into a vicious flurry of slashes and stabs.
The monster shrugged the spell effect off, effortlessly changed tack, and ploughed devastatingly into the Druid, ripping and rending him with horns, maws and claws. As her body swung around, finally within his range, Eadric hewed her with Lukarn – his blade blazed within the gloom which surrounded her. She screamed. Eadric struck again. And again. And again. Nwm blasted her with a thunderswarm, Mostin with more sonics, and both Bard and duelist continued to prosecute their attack.
Space folded. Concerned for her life, the chimera vanished into the Plane of Shadow.
Nwm, barely conscious, spoke with a mouthful of blood. "Get us out of here, Mostin."
The Alienist nodded.
Irknaan had watched the exchange with interest. From his perspective, only the steeds of those present and the chimera were apparent – some kind of ward prevented the observation of the interlopers themselves. Nonetheless, he could infer the use of powerful magic. Moments after the beast had vanished – no doubt fleeing to Shadow – the hunters’ two remaining steeds likewise disappeared.
Irknaan cogitated, wondering whether they pursued her, or had passed into another reality altogether. Whoever they were, they weren’t playing by the rules of the hunt – or his rules, at least. He shrugged. They probably wouldn’t be back. Nonetheless, he would double the patrols and call on some demonic assistance – one couldn’t be too careful.
**
They sat within a magnificent mansion hastily conjured by Mostin.
Shomei groaned. "It still hurts," she complained.
"The attack was charged with loathsome power," Nwm explained. "I need to be on hallowed ground in order to repair much of the damage done."
"We are behaving like rank amateurs," Eadric muttered. "We need to reappraise our situation. Prepare. Encase ourselves in wards and protective magics. We need back-up plans."
"Gods, Ed, we thought it was only a chimera," Ortwin sighed. "None of us could have expected it to be capable of that."
"I tried to warn you," Nwm shrugged.
"Then try harder, next time," Ortwin snapped.
"If you weren’t so concerned about creating an impression…" Nwm began in a reasonable voice.
Ortwin snorted. "That’s exactly what this is about. It is a bluff. A ruse. We are wearing a façade. We are not appearing as ourselves."
"In any case," Shomei shifted uncomfortably, and winced, "we should note that our mounts are less durable than ourselves. That was the most potent horrid wilting that I have had the misfortune to encounter."
"And I," Mostin agreed. "The beast is part fiendish and part tenebrous. We should be on our guard. Now we have only two steeds left between the six of us."
"I will conjure more," Shomei sighed.
"They need to be potent," Mostin said. "I suggest ecalypses – they will also give the impression that we have been to Shadow, where the chimera doubtless fled. It will reinforce the notion that we pursued it."
The Alienist reached into his portable hole, stroked Mogus briefly, and pulled the Looking-Glass of Urm-Nahat from within.
"What are you doing?" Nwm asked.
Mostin grinned. "I am lending credence to our ruse," he replied. "Ortwin, Eadric, Iua – if you would be so kind as to follow me?"
Eadric looked deeply suspicious.
"I will scry the beast, and we will attack and kill it. It is greatly weakened. We must strike before it can recover."
"You cannot be serious!" Nwm objected.
"It will involve only a brief sojourn in Shadow. We’ll be back before you know it."
"Very well," Eadric groaned. "We should finish what we started."
Ortwin nodded, it was a matter of pride, now. Mostin drew upon the power stored in his amulet, and empowered the Paladin and Duelist with flight before scrying Lorochtoh with the mirror.
"Don’t screw up," Iua said, and leapt through.
*
Immersed in shadowstuff, the chimera was aware of the sensor, but paid it little heed – she assumed it was Irknaan spying on her again. Suddenly, and without warning, the Auran with the rapier was attacking her ferociously, puncturing her thick hide with the slender blade. She was joined by the two Sidhe – one of whom bore the sword that had caused her so much pain. The demon appeared last of all, grinning widely.
Lorochtoh screamed in pain. Flames leapt from her dragon’s mouth as she lashed out with claws and horns in an uncoordinated fashion. But she was spent, and had nowhere left to hide. It was brief and brutal. She quickly cowered.
"Spare me," she grunted in Draconic, and repeated it from her lion’s head in guttural Sylvan.
Ortwin slashed at her with his scimitar, and the blade bit deeply into one of her shoulders. Leaning forward, and applying all of his great strength, Eadric pushed Lukarn into Lorochtoh’s sternum. The blade sank in four feet to the quillons.
The chimera twitched once, and died. Eadric sighed, and black ichor cascaded over him as he withdrew his sword. He made a brief supplication for the creature’s soul, before looking around himself.
The Plane of Shadow was cold, and drab, and featureless. All colour and life, all vitality and variety seemed to have been bled from the place.
"This is a grim Limbo," he remarked, "and I would like to leave."
Ortwin hacked at Lorochtoh’s draconic head with Githla, until it parted from the thick neck. He dragged it behind himself as he walked back through the portal, and smiled.
That wasn’t so bad, after all, he thought.
NOTE:
This post demonstrates how completely messed up conventional Challenge Ratings are. Officially, the beastie is CR14. Off the cuff, I'd pegged her at 16-17 and thought that it would be relatively easy - although not a cake-walk - for the characters.
In fact, it almost resulted in a three character fatalities. Shomei was unconscious. And Nwm and Mostin were in single-figure hp by the end of it. Do not underestimate advanced half-fiendish shadow chimerae! - especially when they face a bunch of complacent players.
They were much more careful after this...
