The Unusual Heroes Enter The City of the Spider Queen!

[Ziona]

Returning

Crying.
Sadness.
Lathander’s tears form a puddle.
He’s falling…falling in battle!
The white washes from the snow white wings as they turn black…

Lathander’s tears are the color of blood.

Erik’Tarkuun Voprek awoke with his silvery hair dripping with sweat and his blue eyes wet with tears. The dream had been horrific, and he was shaking violently. The cleric of Tymora got out of bed and knelt down upon the floor, and began praying to to his Goddess.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Rossal returned to Daggerdale as quickly as his scaly pseudodragon wings would allow him. He sought out Randall Morn and explained to him what had transpired over the last few days.

“I don’t believe it,” groaned Randall. “What shall we do? We must send for someone to search for them.”

“Perhaps we can locate Drexel Doomhand and Varr Battlehammer,” suggested Rossal, who was now resting upon the cloak Randall folded in a pillow-like shape for him. “They are powerful friends who will be willing to help. They do reside in Icewind Dale, however.”

“That is a good start,” replied Randall. “I will have the wizards work on sending a message to them. In the meantime, I shall contact Arden Windsong, who I believe has been allied with your friends in the past.”

“We should contact Xyzx Keep as well,” said Rossal sadly. “Sally will want to know about Lox.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“I don’t believe it!” cried Sally.

“I know,” agreed Traps. “He left and didn’t even invite me!”

“Damn you, Lumleys!” shouted Sally shaking her fist. The distressed halfling didn’t know whether to be furious with Lox for leaving, or frightened for his safety.

“He’ll make a widow of me! A widow! He’ll leave his children fatherless,” she cried.

“It’s okay, Sally,” said Traps. “I’m sure he’ll be fine. He’s gotten out of worse situations, really. Of course, if he had just taken me with him, he probably wouldn’t have gotten himself into this situation.”

“You Lumley’s and your adventures,” she moaned. “I’ll have no more of it! When Lox gets home this time, he’ll truly have a ball and chain -- right around his ankle!!”

At the sound of their mother’s tears, Nuttin and Ziona Lumley began to cry. Sally threw her hands into the air and stormed off to care for the children.

Traps smiled at the note from Arden, which was addressed to Doc Midnight.

“Doc is awful busy,” thought Traps. “Wouldn’t want to disrupt the business of an Investigator…of course, I could always go in his place…”

Traps snapped his fingers as the idea hit him, then ran to his room to fill his pack. He would be going on an adventure after all!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Traps Lumley arrived right where the wizard said he would within Daggerdale. After asking around, he quickly figured out where Randall Morn resided. He carried the letter from Arden and met the rest of the heroes within Randall’s quarters. (There was an awkward moment when Traps explained that Doc had been called away on an urgent matter involving the City Watch, but after that, everything seemed to go smoothly).

Gathered together were Drexel, Varr, Arden, Traps, Rossal and Randall. Rossal explained, in detail, what happened to his companions and everything he could remember about Solom.

“It would seem that we may be underpowered,” said Drexel after hearing the pseudodragon’s story. “Are we confident we can best this drow Archmage?”

Arden looked at Drexel curiously.

“You think we need one more?” she asked.

Drexel looked at her with a smirk. It seemed obvious that they were lacking the Clerical backup they would require to enter the Underdark.

“You think we need one more,” Arden said with a matching smirk. “I’ll go to the Temple of Lathander and see if anyone will be willing to brave the Underdark, then.”

A short time later, Arden returned with a silver-haired Cleric of Tymora. His intense gaze fell over the rest of the heroes as he waited to be introduced.

“This is Eric’Tarkuun Voprek,” said Arden. “He was assisting Lady Dawnbreak, but will be accompanying us on our journey to rescue the ‘Unusual’ Heroes of Waterdeep. ”

“Please, call me Tark,” he said as he extended his hand to each in turn.

Drexel hid a slight smile from Tark, who he recognized as an Aasimar. “Unusual Heroes, indeed,” thought the tiefling when he thought of the nickname.

At the moment, Drexel looked nothing like the tiefling he truly was. He appeared to be an average-looking human man with windswept brown hair. He did not want to get off on the wrong foot with Tark, and decided it best not to mention his heritage just yet.

“We mustn’t waste anymore time,” communicated Rossal.

The new companions finished their briefing session and collected their things. Randall thanked them all heartily and wished them good fortune. Rossal flew into the air with the energy of a lightning bolt. It was time to return to the Underdark.

The Adventure Continues…

 

[Ziona]

It was brought to my attention that although Arden went to the Temple of Lathander, she came back with Tark, a cleric of Tymora. I have corrected the info in the story. (thanks, avangel/drexel!)

Tark had been assisting Lady Dawnbreak, which was why he was at the Temple of Lathander. But it's all set now...my apologies!

 

[Xaltar]

I love the Traps interaction!!! The Lumleys are very entertaining to read about.

Keep up the good writing Ziona!

 

[denmstrsn]

Yes, we Lumley's like to get into trouble.

 

[Ziona]

Whoa! (to quote Tsunami...)

Xaltar really had some tricks up his sleeve tonight!
More story coming right up!!!

 

[Ziona]

Solom Ned’razak

Rossal described the area and explained more about their mission as the companions traveled deep within the Underdark. His explanations were interrupted occasionally by a scuffle or melee, but it was usually brief.

When they eventually came upon the gate that lead to The Inverted Tower, Rossal reminded them of Solom’s power. The companions felt well prepared, however, especially after listening to the pseudodragon’s descriptions for several days.

Drexel stood before the gates, his heart pounding in his ears. He was reminded of the battle that he fought amongst his friends against the dreaded Grumstorg. That battle had ended well, and he hoped the outcome would be the same in the Underdark. Somehow, a shadow of doubt had crept into his mind…He took out the remaining wands in his pack and grasped them in his fist.

A quick spell from the tiefling, and the gates swung freely open. Tark followed behind Varr, and cast Daylight after noticing five drow guards milling about. The blinded drow cursed the “surface dwellers” and two of them began reciting spidery words. Before their spells could find completion, however, Arden had blanketed the two drow in Silence.

At the front of the line, Varr tromped forward with Frostbite in hand. The stumbling drow were no match for his fierce attacks. At the dwarf’s side was Traps, who was finding that his adversaries were not happy about the jabs he was delivering with his dagger.

The drow warrior that was attempting to attack Varr swung his sword in the dwarf’s direction. Instead of slicing into dwarven flesh, however, he slammed himself in the face, causing blood to gush from his nose.

“I’ll put some ice on that wound fer ya!” shouted Varr. With a swift motion, Varr cut his foe down.

Meanwhile, Tark smashed another warrior in the chest with his mace. The electrical enchantment on his weapon left the drow smoldering and in pain. Arden ran by the stumbling drow, and headed for the mages, who were still within the effects of her spell. Moments later, the drow guards were lying in lifeless heaps upon the floor, and the group looked to Rossal.

“Through those doors,” he informed them. “That was the room where it took place. Within lies sleeping quarters and barracks, as well as hidden entrances along the walls. There is no telling where Solom will be.”

“He’ll be dead!” huffed Varr, who pushed the door open hastily. The dwarf had never been known for his patience or tact.

The group followed behind him, and entered cautiously. Rossal looked about the room, his eyes darting along the corners, and then up towards the ceiling.

Tark looked up as well, then squinted when he thought he saw something.

“Take cover!” he shouted.

What the Aasimar saw was a glass statue soaring through the air, headed straight for them! The companions managed to scatter before they were struck with the statue, but they were still showered with glass particles as the victim shattered.

The only piece that remained intact was a hand, which slid across the floor and landed in front of Traps.

“Wow!” he beamed. “Whose hand do you suppose…”

Before he could finish his sentence, however, he was interrupted by the sound of chanting that carried eerily through the air. Traps quickly stuffed the glass hand in his pack and held his dagger at the ready.

Drexel, using his Winged Mask, began to fly into the windy depths of the tower. He listened carefully and heard the words floating from a door in the wall. Suddenly, he realized the spell he had just heard was what Rossal had described as Time Stop. With a few gestures and a moment of chanting, Drexel dropped a Wall of Force in the doorway. Below him, he could hear the lilting voice of Arden, and he felt imbued with courage.

As he lowered himself back down to the party, he explained what he heard.

“He was casting a powerful spell. We must be ready when he appears.”

As though he had summoned Solom, the Archmage was suddenly at his side.

“Waiting for me?” he bellowed.

Drexel, startled by the Archmage, stepped back slightly. He regained his composure and began to glow. His average-looking, human guise melted away as he channeled the energies that he had absorbed before entering the tower. Solom Ned’razak, Archmage of the Inverted Tower, didn’t even know what hit him. The skin bubbled and began to crack and peel from his body. His mouth opened in a scream of pain that never came. The gooey remains of Solom Ned’razak fell in a steaming pile on the floor of The Inverted Tower, and Drexel Doomhand teetered, and nearly fell beside it.

The Adventure Continues…

 

[Wee Jas]

Archmage of the Inverted Tower, didn’t even know what hit him

36d6 points of Spellfire.. lol. How many times does that save our butts? A high level mage won't have a contigency for unexpected death though.. right?

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

Ouch ouch ouch...

How did you manage to hold on to so many levels of spellfire for so long? What the constitution score here? That must have been agony for Drexel...

 

[drexel]

I have a 19 Con now. Since I have the Spellfire Channeler prestige class I can hold x2 my Con in Spellfire (Although I glow as light spell) and anyone touching me takes 1d6 of Spellfire discharge.

I drained a few of my wands I scored from the cult of the dragon. It took a lot of my personal magic item store but I filled up and layed a spellfire beatdown on that mage!

I wonder if he will be back

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

I was wondering...good call! Are you planning to go the whole way with Spellfire now? Or wait until you have 9th level arcane spells to go down that route...