The New Epic Chronicles

[James McMurray]

The large room behind the door is cone shaped and empty. At its far end on the right-hand wall is a single wooden door. Fearing a trap, the party splits up and heads towards the door. As Toshiro reaches it he grabs he handle, and a colossal creature out of nightmare appears in the center of the room. Its dark brown mottled hide is easily a foot thick, and is covered in a sickly pink carapace. Two giant horns protrude from above the giant beast’s eyes. It walks upright on its hind legs, balancing with a tail the size of a barn. Its forelegs end in claws like giant lances, and its mouth is filled with 1,000 sword-like teeth.

The party springs into action, with the reflexes of Erebus being fastest. Seemingly before the beast can move he leaps in and readies to strike with his mighty scythe. But the beast is even faster, and grabs the half-dragon up in its jaws, shaking him like a terrier with a rat.

Ru Ton Pe and Toshiro also move forward to attack, while Farlight prepares himself for the battle. He calls out to Bumtin to drain the beast, hoping to do to it what they did to the great wyrm dragon, bringing it low with negative energy. But when the gnome sorcerer sends out his maximized and empowered ray, it bounces off of the creature’s carapace and flies directly back at the surprised gnome, who feels his strength sapped by his own magics. A follow-up delayed blast fireball also fails to hurt the creature.

Meanwhile, Erebus draws his Last Resort, a short sword specifically designed to be used I a grapple, but the meager damage he deals is healed almost instantly.

The dreadful beast lays about it with its claws, nearly bringing one of the warriors down, but Farlight’s magics again save a life. Bumtin repairs his shattered life force with a minor wish, but cannot regain the lost spells hat were ripped from his mind when the black ray him.

Erebus teleports away and begins to spring attack the creature in order to void being eaten again, and this time it latches onto Ru Ton Pe, swallowing the holy monk whole. Ru Ton Pe steps away and reappears next to the priest of Corellon, while Toshiro continues to hit and be hit.

The battle rages for over a minute, and finally the party brings the huge beast down. But it appears they will not be able to keep it down, as nothing they can do stops its regeneration. Nothing that is until Farlight decides call upon Corellon himself for intervention. The God of Elves draws strength from his high priest and uses that energy to completely annihilate the body of the dreaded Tarrasque.

 

[James McMurray]

As the rock hard skin of the giant creature disintegrates, the doorway out of the room opens, revealing an incredibly long hallway. The party files in, and as the last of them step through the doorway, it disappears behind them. Up ahead in the distance, they see a shimmering light. A doorway of golden radiance appears in the hallway, and behind them the wall turns to a roiling black mass that advances towards them. With a common voice they cry out “RUN!” and hurtle full tilt down the hallway. Amazingly swift, Ru Ton Pe jumps into the lead and runs straight through the doorway, making it to the far end of the hall in just under 5 seconds. The dust his feet kick up would have made his companions sneeze had they not been too busy trying to outrun a wall of annihilation.

Erebus is next, and he veers around the doorway, making it almost to the far end of the hall. Toshiro and Bumtin follow, with Toshiro avoiding the doorway and almost immediately being ground to a halt as a Slow effect engulfs him. Bumtin sees this and dives through the doorway, but he too is slowed. Farlight also moves ahead, and he also goes through the door, only to be almost instantly slowed himself. Erebus makes a split second decision and realizes that he cannot save those left behind without getting caught himself, and he just barely manage to make it to the end of the hall, where Ru Ton Pe shoves him through the door.

Toshiro activates the cloak he took off one of the assassins, and dimension doors himself to the end of the hallway, where Ru Ton Pe pulls him through the door. Bumtin casts teleport and also appears at the end of the hallway.

With the black wall on his heels, Farlight does the only thing he can: he plane shifts away, appearing on the shores of Mount Celestia. H decides to wait a minute before returning back.

Back in the trials, the party finds themselves in a room whose only feature is a long table upon which sits a single plate of food. The well-cooked meat sends a delicious aroma wafting through the room. In the blink of an eye, there are suddenly two plates. Moments later, there are four. Erebus recalls being told that the man he learned the location of this Pool from had to eat a lot in order to reach the Pool, and he tells the group. Their combined appetites are enough to staunch the rising tide of plates into the room long before they grow out of control and drown the party in a delectable creme brulle sauce.

As the last plate is eaten, the table clears itself, and another doorway opens. Farlight appears in the hallway and runs to the end and through the door to rejoin his compatriots as they step into a room with a shimmering multicolored orb. The orb flashes a few time, and Bumtin feels a bit of pain as a small chunk of flesh on his right arm melts away, but then a door appears and the party steps through.

On the far side they see seven multicolored pools of liquid. The pools are red, green, blue, violet, indigo, yellow, green, and orange, and so of course the party immediately thinks of a rainbow. But they are unsure of what to do with that knowledge, and Ru Ton Pe offers to attempt to drink a concoction made up of the liquids mixed in proper order. Bumtin gives him an empty potion bottle and the monk mixes up a dull brown paste from the pools. He chokes it down but nothing happens.

Bumtin tries to throw a single coin into each pool in the order of the rainbow, but nothing happens. Ru Ton Pe again agrees to be a guinea pig, and bathes in the pools one by one. He comes out of the last looking like a deranged clown was caught in a crayola factory explosion, but as soon as he steps out a door appears on the far wall. Behind it is a room whose only feature is a jet black ball of nothingness sitting in the center of the room. Loud snores can be heard emanating from the orb.

Attempting to ensure that they sneak past uneventfully, Farlight begins to cast silence. Unfortunately his casting makes too much noise and the black ball awakes, hurtling itself at Toshiro and disintegrating a small chunk of flesh.

The group splits up, and everyone dives through the door at the far end of the room, which leads back into the first chamber they were in with the curtains of acid. As they go through, the people behind them see them disappear. Although they fear what is happening, they fear the Umbral Blot even more, and all decide to jump through.

On the far side they find themselves in a massive room easily 200 feet on a side. A ornately appointed hallway leads off, but even it gold-covered walls are soon ignored when the rooms only feature is seen: the jet black Pool of Vengeance, whose power strikes down those who harm the bather.

 

[James McMurray]

Erebus, having found what he came for, strides purposefully into the Pool. As its waters rise over his head, anger fills his heart, and thoughts of all who have wronged him begin to flash through his mind, until they settle upon the face of the leader of the wizard conclave that ransacked his boyhood home, killing his family and becoming the driving force behind his life as an occult slayer. As the anger mounts, the picture of the man is replaced by an older but still fully recognizable man in a summoning circle chanting in Abyssal. The waters around Erebus disappear, leaving him in the middle of the circle, his Scythe having leapt into his hands of its own accord. It is apparent from the shock on the wizard’s face and the faces of his co-summoners that he had not intended to have a righteously angry half-dragon appearing fully armed in the circle.

--

Back in the temple, the always power-hungry Bumtin Von Deren steps into the pool moments behind Erebus. The waters come over his short head even faster, and the anger rises rapidly. Few faces run through his head, and of those all are long dead, having lived before the current cycle of the gods. But then a scene unfolds. A massive tree stands beside a silent golden Pool as a perfect sun shines down. This ancient treant and his treewife have guarded the Pool of Love for centuries, and they rebuffed the lustful gnome when last he visited. As he thinks of the magical power their demands for purity and “worthiness” cost him, the words of destructive magic well up in his heart. When he finds his feet in the cool grass beside the pool, he knows what he will do.

The dryad steps out of her husband-home and speaks. “Welcome back my friend, have you looked inside and fond yourself worthy?” Bumtin’s answer is a cry of rage and a swarm of small glowing fiery beads.

--

Toshiro too chooses to step into the Pool, and immediately the voice and eyes of Tsura, his ancestor-servant leap into his mind. He has yet to overcome his anger at her refusal to bathe in the Pool of Pain and her subsequent denial of his right as her sovereign to require her to return to life and continue service to her lord. As he appears in her tiny hut, he looks out the window to see a pearly white shore lapping at the sand under a golden sky. In the center of the room is Shinechi Tsura, ancestor and underling. She kneels upon a plain gray mat and meditates.

The sound of Toshiro’s katana leaving its sheathe of its own accord and placing itself into his hands pulls her from her contemplation, and she looks up. “My lord, what brings you to my home?” she asks calmly and serenely.

--

Both Farlight and Ru Ton Pe wait outside the Pool wondering what will become of their friends. Farlight’s concern is for his own safety, and he waits to see what effects the waters have on his companions’ lives. Ru Ton Pe is more concerned with the nature of the Pool itself. Before even knowing the results of his newfound friends’ Baths the exalted emissary of the gods decides that he will not risk his immortal soul in anything so steeped in a base emotion such as vengeance.

--

Meanwhile, Erebus is making short work of his long-hated enemy. His scythe lashes out and severs the wizard’s leg muscles, and terrified frenzy fills the vile arcanist’s heart. Lashing out with a ray of negative energy, his fear makes him miss. The underlings follow suit, but only one hits, barely affecting the enraged warrior, who rapidly strikes his foe down. Seeing their master destroyed, the two sorcerers disappear into the air, and Erebus finds himself walking out of the waters. His clothes drip black water, and his aura has gained a new, darker flicker.

--

Bumtin’s time stopped assault sees him firing out 6 beads for delayed blast fireballs. They surround the massive tree, and Bumtin moves a bit away. He does not move far enough though, and the giant treeherder reaches out and grabs him. Knowing that he will not be able to escape the fiery blast that is about to come, he holds the gnome tight to his chest. His earthbride also knows they are about to die, and uses her magics to disjoin the gnome’s protections, hoping to ensure that they take him with them. The fires engulf, and three voices cry out in fiery death songs.

The Pool expels the corpse of Bumtin, dripping wet and flickering from within with a dull black Farlight walks over to examine hi, and pronounces him dead. Moments later the gnome chokes out the black water in his lungs and pulls himself to his feet.

--

Toshiro responds to Tsura’s question in his usual gruff manner. “Tsura! You have brought shame upon the family and upon yourself by refusing the orders of your lord. Why have you done this?”

Tsura’s ancient eyes focus on Toshiro’s as she replies, “I was not a servant. I was an honored ancestor. It is you who brought about your shame when you threw me into pain and death.”

Unable or unwilling to comprehend her, Toshiro continues. As he does so, he sets his katana aside and draws his wakizashi, the blade he carries so that he my strike himself down if he ever loses to his most hated enemy: dishonor. He holds out the blade for her, “This will clear the shame from between us.”

Tsura chuckles amiably. “That is truly an honorable act my lord. May I clean your blade for you?”

Enraged that she would suggest that he commit seppuku instead of her, Toshiro shouts “I will clean my blade in your blood!” as he grabs up his katana and slices her across the chest. As her body falls to the floor, he cleans off his blade and strides back out of the pool.

--

Farlight sees his friends survive the Pool, and steps in himself. Having asked about their experiences, he expects what occurs. As he steps in, the visage of the foe that took his belongings from him rises into his mind. The mate of the Great Wyrm Red lies atop a pile of treasure, and lavishes in the lap of luxury, much of which was taken from Farlight.

When he appears on the heap of coins and jewelry, Farlight glances around feverishly looking for his boots so that he can gab them and flee. He knows he cannot defeat the wyrm all alone and unprepared, especially after having used so many resources just to find the pool. He fails to find them at first, and the she-drake warns him away. When he does not immediately leave, she encases herself in an alien life shield and creates several shadow duplicates in preparation for crushing this tiny flea of an elf.

He dispels her images and again looks around the lair. His eyes light up as he sees the boots, but when he runs to grab the giant dragon snatches him up in her mouth. He frees himself from her grasp and again goes for the boots. Again she grabs him up. This continues, with him escaping, and the dragon moving slowly closer to the boots until finally she is sitting on top of them, laughing. When her defenses are dispelled again, she casts Farlight into a Maze of force and prepares for his return.

Inside the vast maze, Farlight does not even attempt to escape. He uses this opportunity to buff himself, and then creates a gate back to where he was. When he sees the dragon sitting directly in front of the gate, his heart drops, knowing he will never be able to shove her out of the way. He also spies his treasure boots sitting far from where they were, in a corner on a quickly erected stand of treasures, a shrine to the dragon’s pleasure at his pain.

Farlight lashes out with a Destruction, but it rebounds at him. Then the dragon assault begins and it is mere moments before Farlight’s friends see his body hurtled out of the Pool, completely dry. The lack of a shadowy glimmer in his aura is a telltale sign that he has failed the Pool’s test.

 

[James McMurray]

Farlight’s eyes flick open and he gasps in pain. Angered and dejected, he retires for the evening to Bumtin’s Magnificent Mansion. That night he prays for forgiveness from Corellon for putting his personal vengeance over his protectorate role in the world, and vows to clear the anger from his heart and re-enter the Pool the next day, fully focused on taking out the High Priest of Orcus. St. Solliers enters his dream and warns him that the Pool is a Force, not a Tool. It draws vengeance from the user’s heart, and does not always choose whatever target is in the forethought. Farlight nods, and still desires to take the risk, even though he knows that it could pit him against the Grandfather of Assassins, someone who is probably quite capable of capturing his soul and preventing its return.



The next morning Farlight prepares himself and steps into the Pool. But it seems there is some sort of time limit on entry, and he finds himself walking across the surface of the placid black waters. The group decides to continue onward, and head towards the glittering golden corridor to the East. Through the large double doors they find a large area with several booths in it. The booths on the right are shuttered and locked, while the booths on the left are open. Two of the ones on the left contain several large kegs and rows of mugs, and one appears to be a kitchen. In the center of he room is a stairway leading upwards, with a small red velvet rope draped across.



Erebus attempts to rip the lock off of one of the shuttered booths, and then when that fails, he asked Ru Ton Pe to smash it. Although the monk is fairly certain that their primary goal, the High Priest of Orcus, is not locked in a booth, he allows the party members to talk him into opening the booths. Inside all of them is the same general scene: 1-3 chairs, a table, a safe, and a chalkboard on the wall, with unlabelled rows and columns which only hold the legends: W, L, D, 2, 4, and 6.



The ascetic shakes his head when the group asks him to open a chest with his fists, but doesn’t feel that it is his place to put hi own morality onto the shoulders of others. He barely even “tsk”s as the gnome shovels the coins and lacquered wood chips inside into his portable hole. He does balk at opening all of the safes, and the party continues onward.



Through the room they enter a large hallway which leads to a massive pit. Looking up they see a second layer of chairs to match the bleachers on the level they are at. Looking down shows a huge unwalled pit with large doors on the far end. Deciding against investigating this direction yet, they return to the booth room and slip the velvet rope off of the staircase. At the top of the stairs is a corridor with two door on the left, a door on the right, and an opening to the left.



Toshiro steps up and opens the door on the left, and is greeted with three swords slamming into his armor. He is sent reeling back on his heels and his ears ring. Looking behind he sees 40 or more figures lined up in ranks. Each figure is shorts, stocky, and fully covered from head to toe in jet black adamantine armor. Black adamantine swords and shields are in their hands. The back three ranks instead hold bows, and they send arrows into the samurai as he cries out in warning.



Erebus, Toshiro, and Ru Ton Pe move into the room, while Bumten and Farlight buff themselves. The duergar move in tight units, and arrows and sword come crashing down. The battle rages back and forth, and then Bumten gives reality an arcane twist. The world around him stops and what once was a raging battle is now a perfectly quiet 3-d mural. He flies into the room and erects two walls of force to cordon off the archers. But before he does, he leaves them several surprises in the form of delayed blast fireballs. He casts a few more defensive spells and then time returns to normal.



Behind the walls, a few of the archers yell out a warning to avoid the beads, and the group scatters. Only one fails to get far enough from the beads, but the explosion washes over him harmlessly and Bumten realizes that they are protected from fire. The battle rages on, and several of the duergar warriors are killed as the fight spreads out into the hallway. At least one hero would also have been killed if it were not for the protective and revitalizing magics of the priest of Corellon.



Inside the cage of force, the warriors tear holes in the walls with their swords and begin to pour into a far hallway. After another Mass Heal Farlight finds himself the primary goal of every duergar defender. Each one hurtles himself carelessly past the fighters of the party in an effort to bring the priest down. Bumtin’s magic lashes out, and this time he sees his electricity also fail to harm the elite guardians of the temple’s treasury vaults.



The main bulk of the defenders again pours into the hall, and Farlight goes down. He is not killed though, but for almost half a minute Erebus and the Duergar take turns administering to him. Erebus’s ministrations come from a Ring of Healing, whereas the dark dwarves’ bedside manners are a bit more… rugged. Bumten alls of more of the warriors, and they cut their way again through the stone walls, this time pouring out into the room above the stairwell, cutting through the stairwell wall, and jumping over the stairs into the hallway. Erebus’ magics run out, and two more sword cuts combine with an arrow to kill the priest. At this point, it dawns on the party that they are about to be overwhelmed.



Looking around, they see that not even half of the warriors have been killed, and they know that without Farlight they will be unable to survive. Retreat is called, and Bumten fully walls off the area, forcing the warriors to begin assaulting the floor in an attempt to get to them. But before they can get partially through it, Erebus has grabbed up Farlight, and the group has met in the Pool room, where they teleport away to the safety of Greyhawk city.