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The Doomed Bastards: Reckoning (story complete)
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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 4302748" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>That did occur to me, and I almost revised the story to have the lich kill the ogre mage outright. But I figured that the <em>dispel</em> that it fired off during the battle could have affected the suppressed spell, and that the lich (with Int 18, Wis 30, and +21 Spellcraft) would know whether the ogre would be able to wiggle out of its effect. I guess I wanted to keep the creepy effect of leaving the ogre alive; I should have known that at least one person would have recognized the "out". <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>* * * * * </p><p></p><p>Chapter 60</p><p></p><p>THIRD INTERVENTION</p><p></p><p></p><p>Allera’s mind swum in a haze as she staggered forward through the tunnel. The yellow beam had assaulted her mind from the first step she’d taken, and even through the protective glow of her <em>holy aura</em>, she constantly found herself hesitating, on the brink of being overwhelmed by that constant attack. The beam’s effect did not cause permanent damage, or at least she hoped that was the case, but it clouded the brain, lulling one into a torpor where the mind and body wandered off on separate tangents. She suspected that without her discipline, she would be standing yet in the entrance of the tunnel, caught in a stupor that would likely have lasted until she starved to death. </p><p></p><p>The self-analysis of her situation helped steady her thoughts, and she became dimly aware of the tunnel opening up into a larger space just ahead. Driving away everything but her goal, she reached the opening and slumped out of the beam. </p><p></p><p>For a moment she could not make sense out of what she was seeing, and then everything snapped into clarity with an abrupt jolt. Her eyes were drawn first to the golden sphere that was the source of the yellow beam, but then she saw the figure standing next to it, partially obscured by tendrils of golden fog that seeped out of cracks in the sphere. She did not have to get a clear look to recognize Zafir Navev, or rather what the warlock had become. </p><p></p><p>And then she saw the floating skull, and the darkness she sensed coming off the undead warlock felt like a tiny flicker in contrast. The demilich turned to face her, and she could feel the evil in its stare, with a deep malevolence shining in its gemstone eyes. That hatred was directed at all living things, but Allera felt it as though it was focused upon her personally, as though she was an affront to its very existence. She felt the thing’s power penetrate her, and then she was fighting for her life, trying to marshall her will to hold against the blackness that threatened to drag her soul away. She cried out as she held on, and the darkness drew back, hovering around the edges of her <em>holy aura</em>. </p><p></p><p>Then Navev hit her with an <em>eldritch blast</em>. The impact knocked her back against the adjacent wall, and for a moment stars floated in front of her vision. She could smell the stink of burned skin where the blast had scored her through the fabric of her robe. </p><p></p><p>Her own magic was largely depleted, but she was not helpless. Power surged through her, and the healing energy of a <em>mass cure light wounds</em> spell poured outward. She felt the tendrils of magic simply came apart as they touched the demilich, but the spell caused blue fire to flash from gaps in the rotten wrappings covering Navev’s frame. The mummy had already been seriously damaged, she recognized, and now wavered, weakened but not quite down. </p><p></p><p>Unfortunately, that spell had been her last <em>mass cure</em>. </p><p></p><p>The realized that the demilich was drifting slowly closer toward her, but it had shifted its attention back to Navev, almost reluctantly, it seemed. A stream of <em>magic missiles</em> erupted from its gemstone eyes, blasting black pits into the mummy’s back. Navev stumbled forward, and sank almost to one knee, off balance. </p><p></p><p>Allera was already running, her focus entirely upon the foe. Navev seemed to sense her coming, and lifted its head. She was surprised to see—regret?—something almost unreadable in the fading glow of its eyes. If lifted a hand, and the healer tensed, expecting another <em>eldritch blast</em>. </p><p></p><p>But instead of attacking her, Navev lurched toward the sphere, the mithral dagger coming up in its other hand. Allera launched herself at the mummy, even as fire exploded around her, another attack from the demilich. It had no effect upon Navev, she saw, the flames flickering against the decaying wrappings without catching. Her magic flowed through her, and she pressed her hand against the mummy’s side, unleashing a <em>cure critical wounds</em> spell in the same instant that Navev drove the tip of the mithral dagger through the golden sphere. </p><p></p><p>A sound filled her, and a bright light swallowed her senses. She was vaguely aware of falling, and then the light burned through everything, until even her consciousness was lost within it.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 4302748, member: 143"] That did occur to me, and I almost revised the story to have the lich kill the ogre mage outright. But I figured that the [i]dispel[/i] that it fired off during the battle could have affected the suppressed spell, and that the lich (with Int 18, Wis 30, and +21 Spellcraft) would know whether the ogre would be able to wiggle out of its effect. I guess I wanted to keep the creepy effect of leaving the ogre alive; I should have known that at least one person would have recognized the "out". :) * * * * * Chapter 60 THIRD INTERVENTION Allera’s mind swum in a haze as she staggered forward through the tunnel. The yellow beam had assaulted her mind from the first step she’d taken, and even through the protective glow of her [i]holy aura[/i], she constantly found herself hesitating, on the brink of being overwhelmed by that constant attack. The beam’s effect did not cause permanent damage, or at least she hoped that was the case, but it clouded the brain, lulling one into a torpor where the mind and body wandered off on separate tangents. She suspected that without her discipline, she would be standing yet in the entrance of the tunnel, caught in a stupor that would likely have lasted until she starved to death. The self-analysis of her situation helped steady her thoughts, and she became dimly aware of the tunnel opening up into a larger space just ahead. Driving away everything but her goal, she reached the opening and slumped out of the beam. For a moment she could not make sense out of what she was seeing, and then everything snapped into clarity with an abrupt jolt. Her eyes were drawn first to the golden sphere that was the source of the yellow beam, but then she saw the figure standing next to it, partially obscured by tendrils of golden fog that seeped out of cracks in the sphere. She did not have to get a clear look to recognize Zafir Navev, or rather what the warlock had become. And then she saw the floating skull, and the darkness she sensed coming off the undead warlock felt like a tiny flicker in contrast. The demilich turned to face her, and she could feel the evil in its stare, with a deep malevolence shining in its gemstone eyes. That hatred was directed at all living things, but Allera felt it as though it was focused upon her personally, as though she was an affront to its very existence. She felt the thing’s power penetrate her, and then she was fighting for her life, trying to marshall her will to hold against the blackness that threatened to drag her soul away. She cried out as she held on, and the darkness drew back, hovering around the edges of her [i]holy aura[/i]. Then Navev hit her with an [i]eldritch blast[/i]. The impact knocked her back against the adjacent wall, and for a moment stars floated in front of her vision. She could smell the stink of burned skin where the blast had scored her through the fabric of her robe. Her own magic was largely depleted, but she was not helpless. Power surged through her, and the healing energy of a [i]mass cure light wounds[/i] spell poured outward. She felt the tendrils of magic simply came apart as they touched the demilich, but the spell caused blue fire to flash from gaps in the rotten wrappings covering Navev’s frame. The mummy had already been seriously damaged, she recognized, and now wavered, weakened but not quite down. Unfortunately, that spell had been her last [i]mass cure[/i]. The realized that the demilich was drifting slowly closer toward her, but it had shifted its attention back to Navev, almost reluctantly, it seemed. A stream of [i]magic missiles[/i] erupted from its gemstone eyes, blasting black pits into the mummy’s back. Navev stumbled forward, and sank almost to one knee, off balance. Allera was already running, her focus entirely upon the foe. Navev seemed to sense her coming, and lifted its head. She was surprised to see—regret?—something almost unreadable in the fading glow of its eyes. If lifted a hand, and the healer tensed, expecting another [i]eldritch blast[/i]. But instead of attacking her, Navev lurched toward the sphere, the mithral dagger coming up in its other hand. Allera launched herself at the mummy, even as fire exploded around her, another attack from the demilich. It had no effect upon Navev, she saw, the flames flickering against the decaying wrappings without catching. Her magic flowed through her, and she pressed her hand against the mummy’s side, unleashing a [i]cure critical wounds[/i] spell in the same instant that Navev drove the tip of the mithral dagger through the golden sphere. A sound filled her, and a bright light swallowed her senses. She was vaguely aware of falling, and then the light burned through everything, until even her consciousness was lost within it. [/QUOTE]
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