Travels through the Wild West: Books V-VIII (Epilogue)
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Lazybones
Adventurer
RE the duergar: enlarge and invisibility (each 1/day) are a potent combo, especially when nearly all of them have fighter and/or rogue levels (Grolac's boys in particular are all fighter/rogues). IIRC they are ECL +2 in the FRCS.
We're approaching another plot climax: book 5 should be reaching its end in about two weeks. Who will die this time? Stay tuned!
* * * * *
Book V, Part 23
The dark elf took a deep breath as he exited the ceremonial chamber and stood in the empty silence of the adjacent foyer, held it for a second, and then let it out leisurely. While the building excitement of what was going on in the cavern with the massive mithral stele was impossible to deny, the last few days had been rather grueling, even to one of his stamina.
He no longer doubted that the preparations would be complete, even within the accelerated timeline set by the Avatar. He welcomed the fresh air and relative quiet for what would probably be the last time before the actual commencement of the ritual, and all of the… unpleasantness… that this would entail.
But while the momentary respite was a welcome break, the drow knew he could not tarry. He would not have been interrupted if the reason were not serious, so it was with purpose and speed that he crossed to the next chamber, a large oval-shaped hall with a buttressed ceiling that rose up to form a smooth dome up above.
As soon as he spotted Grolac, he knew that the news was bad.
“Where’s Shemma?” the dwarf said, a hint of anger in his voice.
“She cannot be interrupted at this juncture,” the drow explained. “I thought that this had been made clear.”
“Enemies have breached the Outer Ward!” the dwarf exclaimed. “Intruders are within the boundaries of the stronghold!”
“How many, and of what sort?” the drow asked, his voice a razor’s edge of calm even as his thoughts whirled down a variety of courses.
“About a half-dozen quaggoth, and several others—a dwarf fighter, two humans, and a gnome spellcaster.”
“And this small group penetrated your vaunted defenses?”
“It wasn’t my orders that shifted nearly all our forces back into the Inner Ward. These intruders are skilled, dangerous, and they wield items of power.”
The drow’s face darkened for a moment, and his eyes flashed with a thousand possibilities. For an instant his mind darted back to the comment made by the Avatar, that his arrival would not go unnoted… That thought brought with it the faintest beginning of fear, but he quashed that ruthlessly as he turned his attention back to the dwarf.
“Very well. Gather up your little band of veteran cutthroats, reinforce your position at the Inner Ward, and hold there. It is absolutely vital that nothing penetrate into the sacred caverns in the next several hours—I am holding you, Grolac, personally responsible for this. I will update Shemma on the current situation.”
The dwarf’s faced twisted into a snarl, and he opened his mouth to offer a stinging retort, but then the drow’s eyes locked onto his and the words died on his tongue. The duergar had fought many battles against the countless hostile denizens of the Underdark, and one of the things that he had learned in his long course of survival was when it was best to cut one’s losses and retreat.
So he did, turning and striding purposefully—not quite hurrying—while the drow watched his departing back.
* * * * *
Benzan, his reflexes still augmented by Cal’s cat’s grace spell, dodged back just as the heavy crossbow bolt sliced through the air where his head had been just moments before. One of the quaggoth warriors, just a few paces ahead, wasn’t so lucky, taking a solid hit to the torso that knocked even his considerable bulk backward with the force of the impact.
“Ambush!” Cal cried out in warning, but the quaggoths were already in full charge toward the side passage where a small cluster of duergar snipers were reloading their weapons. As the deep bears closed they turned and fled down the passage, although the quaggoths were closing the distance with each passing moment.
“No!” Benzan cried out, knowing that it was already too late.
As the first pair of quaggoths reached the entrance to the passage the solid-seeming stone of the floor seemed to disintegrate into a thousand fragments, revealing a shallow pit underneath. The quaggoths didn’t fall far, their heads still visible above the lip of the pit as they landed roughly in the space below.
But then the pit exploded into a wall of flames.
Both quaggoths cried out in agony as the flames consumed them. Taktak, who’d cleared the pit in a single leap as his companions fell, spun and tried to grab one of the burning creatures, but the heat of the flames drove him back.
The quaggoth leader circled around the pit and drew back with the others as the sickly stench of burning flesh filled the air around them.
“Poor bastards,” Cal said, as they pushed on into the next chamber, leaving the deadly trap and its victims behind.
“You’d think they’d learn,” Benzan said, his tone betraying more than a hint of anger. This was the third trap they’d encountered since moving into the duergar fortress, and while they’d bypassed the others without fatalities, this time the duergar had known exactly how to draw their aggressive enemies in. Dana tried to tend to the quaggoth injured by the crossbow bolt, but the creature pushed her roughly away, yanking the missile out and tossing it aside in a desultory fashion despite the obvious pain that the creature felt.
“They’re frustrated,” Lok explained. “They’re not used to this kind of a fight.”
“Well, they’ll get their chance to bash some heads, of that I have no doubt,” Benzan said. “We just have to find their hideaway, before we all get killed.”
Indeed, the duergar caverns seemed strangely deserted, with nearly empty chambers that showed frequent signs of a hasty departure. They stuck to the areas that seemed most traveled, leaving behind dark side passages with a wary stare. They passed through sleeping areas, dining halls, storerooms, and mining traces, but thus far they’d only seen the few duergar that had struck at them from ambush. Dana’s spear, still shining with the brilliant light of her magical daylight, banished the shadows from the rooms and passageways that they entered, but that didn’t ease their anxiety in the least. They were intruders here, and the aura of menace that hung over even the empty chambers seemed determined to remind them of that fact.
“I’m sure they’re planning something real special for us,” Benzan said in reply to the unasked question on all of their minds.
It was Lok who first deduced the layout of the complex, which formed a broad crescent that ran back from the main entrance at the bridge. Several of the side passages they’d bypassed ran inward toward the center of the crescent, and after a few more fruitless explorations the genasi directed them toward one of those, leading them in the direction of that central area.
The passage joined up with another, then another—apparently the side corridors they’d bypassed earlier all led to the same destination—before descending a steep set of time-smoothed steps that opened onto a large cavern beyond. Wary of another ambush, the companions pressed on into that area.
The light from Dana’s spear revealed that the place was a natural cavern, its jagged and uneven ceiling forming a rough dome perhaps fifty feet above their heads. The place was roughly rectangular in shape, with the corridor they’d just traversed entering in the middle of one of the narrower walls, perhaps thirty paces across. The cavern stretched to the edge of the light ahead of them and beyond, but directly ahead, perhaps sixty feet or so from where they stood, an irregular cleft about twenty feet across bisected the floor of the place. On the far side of the cleft a wall of mortared stone blocks formed a second barrier. The wall, which was about eight feet in height, was broken along its length by a variety of slots and embrasures that indicated its role as an active defensive strongpoint, augmented by the forest of sharp metal edges that protruded outward along its top edge. There was a closed metallic gate in the middle of the wall, although if there had been a bridge across the cleft to it, such a construct was not present now.
There was no hint of motion or sound coming from the direction of the barrier, but none of them doubted that the duergar defenses were manned and ready for them.
“Well, now what?” Benzan asked.
As if in answer to his question, several things happened in quick succession. First, a thick slab of solid stone dropped down in the corridor behind them, blocking off their exit from the chamber. This was followed an instant later by a flicker as the daylight on Dana’s spear wavered and died.
Dana barely had time to warn, “Spellcaster!” before the familiar thrum of crossbows being fired filled the cavern.
We're approaching another plot climax: book 5 should be reaching its end in about two weeks. Who will die this time? Stay tuned!
* * * * *
Book V, Part 23
The dark elf took a deep breath as he exited the ceremonial chamber and stood in the empty silence of the adjacent foyer, held it for a second, and then let it out leisurely. While the building excitement of what was going on in the cavern with the massive mithral stele was impossible to deny, the last few days had been rather grueling, even to one of his stamina.
He no longer doubted that the preparations would be complete, even within the accelerated timeline set by the Avatar. He welcomed the fresh air and relative quiet for what would probably be the last time before the actual commencement of the ritual, and all of the… unpleasantness… that this would entail.
But while the momentary respite was a welcome break, the drow knew he could not tarry. He would not have been interrupted if the reason were not serious, so it was with purpose and speed that he crossed to the next chamber, a large oval-shaped hall with a buttressed ceiling that rose up to form a smooth dome up above.
As soon as he spotted Grolac, he knew that the news was bad.
“Where’s Shemma?” the dwarf said, a hint of anger in his voice.
“She cannot be interrupted at this juncture,” the drow explained. “I thought that this had been made clear.”
“Enemies have breached the Outer Ward!” the dwarf exclaimed. “Intruders are within the boundaries of the stronghold!”
“How many, and of what sort?” the drow asked, his voice a razor’s edge of calm even as his thoughts whirled down a variety of courses.
“About a half-dozen quaggoth, and several others—a dwarf fighter, two humans, and a gnome spellcaster.”
“And this small group penetrated your vaunted defenses?”
“It wasn’t my orders that shifted nearly all our forces back into the Inner Ward. These intruders are skilled, dangerous, and they wield items of power.”
The drow’s face darkened for a moment, and his eyes flashed with a thousand possibilities. For an instant his mind darted back to the comment made by the Avatar, that his arrival would not go unnoted… That thought brought with it the faintest beginning of fear, but he quashed that ruthlessly as he turned his attention back to the dwarf.
“Very well. Gather up your little band of veteran cutthroats, reinforce your position at the Inner Ward, and hold there. It is absolutely vital that nothing penetrate into the sacred caverns in the next several hours—I am holding you, Grolac, personally responsible for this. I will update Shemma on the current situation.”
The dwarf’s faced twisted into a snarl, and he opened his mouth to offer a stinging retort, but then the drow’s eyes locked onto his and the words died on his tongue. The duergar had fought many battles against the countless hostile denizens of the Underdark, and one of the things that he had learned in his long course of survival was when it was best to cut one’s losses and retreat.
So he did, turning and striding purposefully—not quite hurrying—while the drow watched his departing back.
* * * * *
Benzan, his reflexes still augmented by Cal’s cat’s grace spell, dodged back just as the heavy crossbow bolt sliced through the air where his head had been just moments before. One of the quaggoth warriors, just a few paces ahead, wasn’t so lucky, taking a solid hit to the torso that knocked even his considerable bulk backward with the force of the impact.
“Ambush!” Cal cried out in warning, but the quaggoths were already in full charge toward the side passage where a small cluster of duergar snipers were reloading their weapons. As the deep bears closed they turned and fled down the passage, although the quaggoths were closing the distance with each passing moment.
“No!” Benzan cried out, knowing that it was already too late.
As the first pair of quaggoths reached the entrance to the passage the solid-seeming stone of the floor seemed to disintegrate into a thousand fragments, revealing a shallow pit underneath. The quaggoths didn’t fall far, their heads still visible above the lip of the pit as they landed roughly in the space below.
But then the pit exploded into a wall of flames.
Both quaggoths cried out in agony as the flames consumed them. Taktak, who’d cleared the pit in a single leap as his companions fell, spun and tried to grab one of the burning creatures, but the heat of the flames drove him back.
The quaggoth leader circled around the pit and drew back with the others as the sickly stench of burning flesh filled the air around them.
“Poor bastards,” Cal said, as they pushed on into the next chamber, leaving the deadly trap and its victims behind.
“You’d think they’d learn,” Benzan said, his tone betraying more than a hint of anger. This was the third trap they’d encountered since moving into the duergar fortress, and while they’d bypassed the others without fatalities, this time the duergar had known exactly how to draw their aggressive enemies in. Dana tried to tend to the quaggoth injured by the crossbow bolt, but the creature pushed her roughly away, yanking the missile out and tossing it aside in a desultory fashion despite the obvious pain that the creature felt.
“They’re frustrated,” Lok explained. “They’re not used to this kind of a fight.”
“Well, they’ll get their chance to bash some heads, of that I have no doubt,” Benzan said. “We just have to find their hideaway, before we all get killed.”
Indeed, the duergar caverns seemed strangely deserted, with nearly empty chambers that showed frequent signs of a hasty departure. They stuck to the areas that seemed most traveled, leaving behind dark side passages with a wary stare. They passed through sleeping areas, dining halls, storerooms, and mining traces, but thus far they’d only seen the few duergar that had struck at them from ambush. Dana’s spear, still shining with the brilliant light of her magical daylight, banished the shadows from the rooms and passageways that they entered, but that didn’t ease their anxiety in the least. They were intruders here, and the aura of menace that hung over even the empty chambers seemed determined to remind them of that fact.
“I’m sure they’re planning something real special for us,” Benzan said in reply to the unasked question on all of their minds.
It was Lok who first deduced the layout of the complex, which formed a broad crescent that ran back from the main entrance at the bridge. Several of the side passages they’d bypassed ran inward toward the center of the crescent, and after a few more fruitless explorations the genasi directed them toward one of those, leading them in the direction of that central area.
The passage joined up with another, then another—apparently the side corridors they’d bypassed earlier all led to the same destination—before descending a steep set of time-smoothed steps that opened onto a large cavern beyond. Wary of another ambush, the companions pressed on into that area.
The light from Dana’s spear revealed that the place was a natural cavern, its jagged and uneven ceiling forming a rough dome perhaps fifty feet above their heads. The place was roughly rectangular in shape, with the corridor they’d just traversed entering in the middle of one of the narrower walls, perhaps thirty paces across. The cavern stretched to the edge of the light ahead of them and beyond, but directly ahead, perhaps sixty feet or so from where they stood, an irregular cleft about twenty feet across bisected the floor of the place. On the far side of the cleft a wall of mortared stone blocks formed a second barrier. The wall, which was about eight feet in height, was broken along its length by a variety of slots and embrasures that indicated its role as an active defensive strongpoint, augmented by the forest of sharp metal edges that protruded outward along its top edge. There was a closed metallic gate in the middle of the wall, although if there had been a bridge across the cleft to it, such a construct was not present now.
There was no hint of motion or sound coming from the direction of the barrier, but none of them doubted that the duergar defenses were manned and ready for them.
“Well, now what?” Benzan asked.
As if in answer to his question, several things happened in quick succession. First, a thick slab of solid stone dropped down in the corridor behind them, blocking off their exit from the chamber. This was followed an instant later by a flicker as the daylight on Dana’s spear wavered and died.
Dana barely had time to warn, “Spellcaster!” before the familiar thrum of crossbows being fired filled the cavern.
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Lazybones
Adventurer
Book V, Part 24
With their retreat cut off behind them, the companions found themselves the target of another well-prepared ambush as the duergar fought to defend their home from these intruders.
Poisoned crossbow bolts darted from the cracks and crevices along the length of the barrier wall, seeking vulnerabilities in the companions’ defenses. Rakkath and Taktak both took hits, although the durable quaggoths withstood the damage with grim fortitude. Several others glanced off of the armor of Benzan and Lok, while Dana slapped another out of the air a split-second before it would have sunk into her chest.
A loud snapping sound filled the cavern, its source revealed an instant later as a large object sailed out over the wall and across the chamber toward them.
“Scatter!” Benzan cried out in warning, moments before the object landed among them. It was a heavy pot or something similar, which shattered into a million pieces as it hit the ground. The contents of the pot were a thick gray liquid, which smoked and hissed as it splashed on the ground and those who had not been quick enough to get out of the way.
“Acid!” Cal cried, as he drew back, his arm smoking where the splashed acid had struck, burning away the sleeve of his coat and burning the flesh underneath.
“Aahh!” Dana cried as globs of acid struck her on the legs and started eating at her flesh. Memories of pain joined the hot agony she felt, as she momentarily drifted back to another battle, when an acid arrow from an aranea sorcerer had crippled her hand. But Dana was made out of stern stuff, and as she drew back she was already fighting through the pain, opening her mind to the siren song of Selûne’s divine touch.
The companions had already been bloodied by the first wave of duergar attacks, and caught between a solid wall and a well fortified duergar position, things looked grim.
Or for the companions, about the same as always.
“Cover the spellcasters!” Benzan cried, already moving forward and to the side to draw fire as he loaded an arrow to his bow. He had spotted several shadows moving behind the narrow slits of the wall; difficult targets but not harder than shots that he’d made in the past. He hesitated for a moment, however, and decided instead to cast a spell, one of the newer enchantments that he’d learned with Cal’s patient assistance.
“Damn!” he cursed, as he botched the mystic gestures, his armor getting in the way of the complex motions required to call upon the magic.
As if to chastise him for his failure, a heavy bolt slammed hard into his shoulder, spinning him roughly around even though the mithral links of his armor kept the tip of the missile from penetrating far into his flesh. It was enough, however, for the poison that coated the bolt head to start creeping its insidious course into his veins.
Lok, meanwhile, just stood his ground, unlimbering his bow from his bag of holding while he gave cover with his body to Cal and Dana. Another bolt glanced off of the magically enhanced steel of his armor, but his return fire, while backed by his considerable strength, could not find the narrow openings in the duergars’ defensive wall.
The quaggoths, meanwhile, behaved in a completely predictable fashion, and charged.
“You’ve got to be kidding me…” Benzan exclaimed as the first furry form shot past him. “No!” he found himself crying out, knowing the futility even as Taktak charged up to the edge of the chasm and leapt out over the empty space…
…And to the amazement of his companions, landed on the very edge of the far side, his momentum carrying him right into the sheer face of the wall. Yet somehow, instead of bouncing off and falling back into the cavern, Taktak clung to the wall, and with his heavy mace bouncing against his back scrambled up the barrier.
The second quaggoth warrior was only a few steps behind his leader, but even as he started his leap a heavy bolt caught him solidly in the chest. The impact killed his momentum, and the quaggoth only managed about half the distance of the cleft before he fell, twisting uselessly in the air before he slammed into the jagged edges of the rocks below.
Rakkath, meanwhile, despite the limp that clearly made the jump impossible for him as well, did not hesitate even as his comrade fell to his death. The quaggoth seemed almost eager to embrace his doom as he let out a final, surprising burst of speed, and with a roar leapt out over the cleft. For a moment it looked as though he might even make it, but then he started to fall…
And then, abruptly, jerked up and over the wall, landing on the battlements in between a pair of duergar snipers.
It was hard to tell which of them were more surprised, the quaggoth or the dwarves.
From the far end of the cavern, Cal released his focus on his magical ring, and started into the intricacies of a spell. He stood almost directly behind Lok, letting the armored dwarf serve as a shield while he worked his magic.
In the meantime, Dana finished her spell, a summoning to the Outer Planes that culminated in a flash of bright multicolored smoke. When the flaring cloud cleared, a majestic eagle the size of a horse stood there, its bright eyes shining with an otherworldly intelligence.
Dana didn’t hesitate, and leapt upon the creature’s back. It launched itself into the air, its powerful wings beating to carry the creature aloft even with the weight of the woman upon its back. It started toward the duergar wall, but then Dana pointed downward, and to the right, and the creature dove in that direction.
Another missile arced over the wall with a loud clatter, coming toward where now only Lok and Cal remained in defense. This time the catapult missile landed a short distance to the side, and when the container broke it released a thick cloud of noxious gray-green gas. Lok and Cal were caught by the leading edge of the cloud, and staggered back from its cloying tendrils. Lok’s incredible fortitude allowed him to resist the toxin in the mist, but Cal only managed a few paces before he crumpled, gagging as the poison wrought its work through his system. The genasi picked up the gnome and carried him out of the cloud, laying him carefully down against the back wall of the cavern a short distance away. He stood over him while he turned to fire off another arrow from his bow.
Taktak and Rakkath had each gained the top of the wall by different methods, although some twenty feet and numerous duergar warriors separated them. A pair of duergar warriors with heavy axes met Taktak as he cleared the sharp spikes atop the wall, ignoring the gashes that they tore in his furry hide. Eschewing the heavy mace slung across his back, Taktak instead relied upon his natural weapons, knocking one dwarf back with a powerful sweep of his claws. The second tore into his flank with his axe, but despite the obvious effects of the bloody gash the quaggoth managed to spin and grab the dwarf with his claws, managing the considerable weight of the dwarf with apparent ease as he hurled him bodily into the gaping emptiness of the chasm.
Also atop the wall, on the other side of the gate, Rakkath was facing similar resistance, as several defenders swarmed upon him. He managed to beat down the first dwarf, taking up the fallen duergar’s axe just in time to meet the stroke of the next in a clumsy parry. The furious melee raged on, with other deep dwarves ralling to the two points of attack while others continued their fire at the other invaders.
Benzan drew slowly closer to the cleft and the wall beyond it, standing completely in the open as he drew and fired shot after shot in rapid succession, pausing only to dodge bolts that rained down on him from the parapet of the wall. He’d taken another hit from the duergar fire, and was starting to feel dizzy from the effects of the poison flowing through his veins. He did not let up, however, and as a dwarf rose up to charge at Rakkath from behind, Benzan shot an arrow into his side that knocked the duergar off of the wall and into whatever area lay beyond.
“Benzan!” came a familiar voice from behind and above him. He only glanced back quickly, unwilling to let his guard down, but in that instant his eyes widened…
“What are you…” was all he managed, before the giant eagle’s claws caught him on the shoulders and jerked him suddenly into the air. He was barely able to keep his grip on his bow as the eagle’s powerful wings pulled it back into the air, beating with every bit of effort stored in the planar creature’s muscles.
“This isn’t a good idea!” Benzan managed to shout, as he looked down just in time to see the floor fall away into the black emptiness of the cleft below him. Then he looked up in time to see the jagged spikes of the wall coming directly toward him with dangerous speed, while the eagle struggled to gain altitude with the combined weight of him and Dana dragging it down.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, at that moment a duergar sniper rose up from his position behind the wall, his loaded crossbow pointed directly toward Benzan’s heart.
With their retreat cut off behind them, the companions found themselves the target of another well-prepared ambush as the duergar fought to defend their home from these intruders.
Poisoned crossbow bolts darted from the cracks and crevices along the length of the barrier wall, seeking vulnerabilities in the companions’ defenses. Rakkath and Taktak both took hits, although the durable quaggoths withstood the damage with grim fortitude. Several others glanced off of the armor of Benzan and Lok, while Dana slapped another out of the air a split-second before it would have sunk into her chest.
A loud snapping sound filled the cavern, its source revealed an instant later as a large object sailed out over the wall and across the chamber toward them.
“Scatter!” Benzan cried out in warning, moments before the object landed among them. It was a heavy pot or something similar, which shattered into a million pieces as it hit the ground. The contents of the pot were a thick gray liquid, which smoked and hissed as it splashed on the ground and those who had not been quick enough to get out of the way.
“Acid!” Cal cried, as he drew back, his arm smoking where the splashed acid had struck, burning away the sleeve of his coat and burning the flesh underneath.
“Aahh!” Dana cried as globs of acid struck her on the legs and started eating at her flesh. Memories of pain joined the hot agony she felt, as she momentarily drifted back to another battle, when an acid arrow from an aranea sorcerer had crippled her hand. But Dana was made out of stern stuff, and as she drew back she was already fighting through the pain, opening her mind to the siren song of Selûne’s divine touch.
The companions had already been bloodied by the first wave of duergar attacks, and caught between a solid wall and a well fortified duergar position, things looked grim.
Or for the companions, about the same as always.
“Cover the spellcasters!” Benzan cried, already moving forward and to the side to draw fire as he loaded an arrow to his bow. He had spotted several shadows moving behind the narrow slits of the wall; difficult targets but not harder than shots that he’d made in the past. He hesitated for a moment, however, and decided instead to cast a spell, one of the newer enchantments that he’d learned with Cal’s patient assistance.
“Damn!” he cursed, as he botched the mystic gestures, his armor getting in the way of the complex motions required to call upon the magic.
As if to chastise him for his failure, a heavy bolt slammed hard into his shoulder, spinning him roughly around even though the mithral links of his armor kept the tip of the missile from penetrating far into his flesh. It was enough, however, for the poison that coated the bolt head to start creeping its insidious course into his veins.
Lok, meanwhile, just stood his ground, unlimbering his bow from his bag of holding while he gave cover with his body to Cal and Dana. Another bolt glanced off of the magically enhanced steel of his armor, but his return fire, while backed by his considerable strength, could not find the narrow openings in the duergars’ defensive wall.
The quaggoths, meanwhile, behaved in a completely predictable fashion, and charged.
“You’ve got to be kidding me…” Benzan exclaimed as the first furry form shot past him. “No!” he found himself crying out, knowing the futility even as Taktak charged up to the edge of the chasm and leapt out over the empty space…
…And to the amazement of his companions, landed on the very edge of the far side, his momentum carrying him right into the sheer face of the wall. Yet somehow, instead of bouncing off and falling back into the cavern, Taktak clung to the wall, and with his heavy mace bouncing against his back scrambled up the barrier.
The second quaggoth warrior was only a few steps behind his leader, but even as he started his leap a heavy bolt caught him solidly in the chest. The impact killed his momentum, and the quaggoth only managed about half the distance of the cleft before he fell, twisting uselessly in the air before he slammed into the jagged edges of the rocks below.
Rakkath, meanwhile, despite the limp that clearly made the jump impossible for him as well, did not hesitate even as his comrade fell to his death. The quaggoth seemed almost eager to embrace his doom as he let out a final, surprising burst of speed, and with a roar leapt out over the cleft. For a moment it looked as though he might even make it, but then he started to fall…
And then, abruptly, jerked up and over the wall, landing on the battlements in between a pair of duergar snipers.
It was hard to tell which of them were more surprised, the quaggoth or the dwarves.
From the far end of the cavern, Cal released his focus on his magical ring, and started into the intricacies of a spell. He stood almost directly behind Lok, letting the armored dwarf serve as a shield while he worked his magic.
In the meantime, Dana finished her spell, a summoning to the Outer Planes that culminated in a flash of bright multicolored smoke. When the flaring cloud cleared, a majestic eagle the size of a horse stood there, its bright eyes shining with an otherworldly intelligence.
Dana didn’t hesitate, and leapt upon the creature’s back. It launched itself into the air, its powerful wings beating to carry the creature aloft even with the weight of the woman upon its back. It started toward the duergar wall, but then Dana pointed downward, and to the right, and the creature dove in that direction.
Another missile arced over the wall with a loud clatter, coming toward where now only Lok and Cal remained in defense. This time the catapult missile landed a short distance to the side, and when the container broke it released a thick cloud of noxious gray-green gas. Lok and Cal were caught by the leading edge of the cloud, and staggered back from its cloying tendrils. Lok’s incredible fortitude allowed him to resist the toxin in the mist, but Cal only managed a few paces before he crumpled, gagging as the poison wrought its work through his system. The genasi picked up the gnome and carried him out of the cloud, laying him carefully down against the back wall of the cavern a short distance away. He stood over him while he turned to fire off another arrow from his bow.
Taktak and Rakkath had each gained the top of the wall by different methods, although some twenty feet and numerous duergar warriors separated them. A pair of duergar warriors with heavy axes met Taktak as he cleared the sharp spikes atop the wall, ignoring the gashes that they tore in his furry hide. Eschewing the heavy mace slung across his back, Taktak instead relied upon his natural weapons, knocking one dwarf back with a powerful sweep of his claws. The second tore into his flank with his axe, but despite the obvious effects of the bloody gash the quaggoth managed to spin and grab the dwarf with his claws, managing the considerable weight of the dwarf with apparent ease as he hurled him bodily into the gaping emptiness of the chasm.
Also atop the wall, on the other side of the gate, Rakkath was facing similar resistance, as several defenders swarmed upon him. He managed to beat down the first dwarf, taking up the fallen duergar’s axe just in time to meet the stroke of the next in a clumsy parry. The furious melee raged on, with other deep dwarves ralling to the two points of attack while others continued their fire at the other invaders.
Benzan drew slowly closer to the cleft and the wall beyond it, standing completely in the open as he drew and fired shot after shot in rapid succession, pausing only to dodge bolts that rained down on him from the parapet of the wall. He’d taken another hit from the duergar fire, and was starting to feel dizzy from the effects of the poison flowing through his veins. He did not let up, however, and as a dwarf rose up to charge at Rakkath from behind, Benzan shot an arrow into his side that knocked the duergar off of the wall and into whatever area lay beyond.
“Benzan!” came a familiar voice from behind and above him. He only glanced back quickly, unwilling to let his guard down, but in that instant his eyes widened…
“What are you…” was all he managed, before the giant eagle’s claws caught him on the shoulders and jerked him suddenly into the air. He was barely able to keep his grip on his bow as the eagle’s powerful wings pulled it back into the air, beating with every bit of effort stored in the planar creature’s muscles.
“This isn’t a good idea!” Benzan managed to shout, as he looked down just in time to see the floor fall away into the black emptiness of the cleft below him. Then he looked up in time to see the jagged spikes of the wall coming directly toward him with dangerous speed, while the eagle struggled to gain altitude with the combined weight of him and Dana dragging it down.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, at that moment a duergar sniper rose up from his position behind the wall, his loaded crossbow pointed directly toward Benzan’s heart.
Broccli_Head
Explorer
whew!
Hey LB!
Finally got through with Book IV. Man, I missed a lot and as usual it was great reading. It seems like you got an advance copy of the Silver Marches since the story was so vividly accurate in its description of the Ice Mountains!
Now what? I guess I have 23 parts of Book V to catch up with.
Looking forward to seeing the fate of the eviscerated Delem.
Hey LB!
Finally got through with Book IV. Man, I missed a lot and as usual it was great reading. It seems like you got an advance copy of the Silver Marches since the story was so vividly accurate in its description of the Ice Mountains!
Now what? I guess I have 23 parts of Book V to catch up with.
Looking forward to seeing the fate of the eviscerated Delem.
Lazybones
Adventurer
BH: I guess I passed my Bluff check, since I don't have The Silver Marches (I do have some of the 2E FR ESDs, but I've only browsed through them). I guess I'm pretty much done for FR supplements, having bought the FRCS, the monster book, Magic of Faerun, and Lords of Darkness. They're all good books, and I don't doubt that F&P and TSM are equally good (I've glanced through them at the store), but at some point all the material that's provided starts getting in the way of the creative process rather than facilitating it.
In any case, I'm glad you are enjoying the story. Here's part 25.
* * * * *
Book V, Part 25
Dana leaned forward over the head of the eagle and fired a blazing bolt of searing light into the face of the duergar crossbowman. The dwarf screamed as the divine light of Selûne seared his flesh and destroyed his eyes, and he tumbled feebly back off of the parapet, dead even before he smacked hard into the ground behind the wall.
But Dana’s action did nothing to remove the vicious protruding spikes that still formed an implacable line atop the wall, and for all the efforts of the summoned eagle it was clear that it was not going to clear that obstacle in time.
“Let go!” Dana cried out to Benzan.
But the tiefling had already gauged the danger, and even as Dana blasted the duergar defender he reached down and grasped the hilt of his sword. Its power came readily, almost eagerly, at his touch, and he felt his body lighten as the magical levitation of the sword took effect. The eagle seemed to almost bounce up in response, and at the last second Benzan kicked his legs up and forward, barely clearing the spikes with just a few inches to spare.
Behind the wall stood a mostly open space, as most of the defenders had been emplaced on the parapet running along its summit. About fifteen paces back from the wall stood the catapult that had launched the acid and poison gas canisters at them, however, the compact device still tended by a trio of dwarves that picked up crossbows and trained them on the companions as they flew over the wall. Most of the other defenders were converging on the two quaggoths, but several paused to launch their own missiles at the new arrivals. A few bolts glanced off of Benzan’s armor, but for the moment their luck held and none penetrated.
“Down there!” Benzan cried, pointing with his bow toward the catapult crew. Dana nudged the eagle with her legs, and the majestic creature arced down in that direction, releasing Benzan as it dove down low enough for him to land running on the smooth stone floor of the cavern. Even as it released him it started to climb again, and Dana leaned forward to issue more commands as it started to turn back in the direction of the wall.
Taktak moved along the length of the wall like a methodical construct, knocking down every dwarf that dared to face him. He’d finally unslung his mace, and with mighty two-handed strokes sent the defenders flying off over the edge of the parapet to fall hard on the ground below. The quaggoth bore a grievous collection of injuries, and took more with each passing second as dwarves came at him from behind or shot crossbow bolts at him from cover. But lost in his battle-rage, Taktak shrugged off the hurts. He was a champion of his people, and his righteous anger toward their enemies was felt in the mighty force of his blows.
On the far side of the wall, Rakkath fought on with equal bravery, if not the same incredible prowess. With his borrowed axe he met attacker after attacker, although the dwarves continued to flank him and scored deep cuts as they divided his attentions.
The brave quaggoth likely would have already fallen, however, had it not been for the support of Lok. Denied his usual role as a front-line fighter by his immobility, the dwarf turned instead to his mighty longbow. While he lacked the finesse of Benzan, his shots carried the power to punch through armor plate, and while every other shot struck the wall or missed off into the darkness above and beyond, that still left plenty of arrows to stab deep into duergar warriors as they rose up from their sheltered positions to come at Rakkath atop the wall.
Benzan took the attack to the catapult crew as two of them dropped their crossbows and hefted sharp moon-bladed axes. He used his height and the superior length of his blade to his advantage, darting inside their defenses to score a minor hit on one before they could move to flank him. He drew back, letting them come after him. The third dwarf loaded his crossbow and fired at the giant eagle bearing Dana. The bolt struck it hard in the body as it flew up over lip of the wall once again, drawing a cry of pain from the injured creature.
As the eagle dipped in its flight Dana slid off its back and dropped smoothly onto the parapet atop the wall, her spear snapping to the ready. To her right the parapet ran over the gate in the wall below, and to her left several dwarves were arrayed against Rakkath. The nearest dwarf turned to her as she landed, snarling as he launched a powerful stroke at her head with his axe. Dana ducked under the blow, spinning low as she swept her spear under the dwarf’s legs. The dwarf stumbled, but kept his footing, at least until Dana’s snap kick caught him on the side of the head and knocked him over the shallow inner lip of the parapet. He landed hard on the ground below, and lay there, stunned.
The giant eagle, meanwhile, obeying Dana’s last command, dove down and spread its wings as it landed just a few feet from where Lok continued to ply his bow. Its time on this plane was drawing short, but despite the wounds it had suffered it was bound to obey the mandate given it by its summoner.
“Prithee hurry, friend dwarf, for I am bid carry thee across yonder obstacle ere I return to my home.”
Despite the battle raging around him, Lok could not help but start in surprise as the eagle addressed him, its words clearly understandable even coming from its avian beak. Lok paused only to grab Cal’s still unconscious form, and then climbed awkwardly up on the eagle’s back.
“Gods, thy art heavy!” the eagle exclaimed, launching into a running start before its powerful wings carried them all into the air.
The battle raged on, with the companions taking a deeper toll on the defenders with each passing moment. The dwarves fought back tenaciously, but there just weren’t enough of them to take the damage being wrought by these attackers.
Benzan ducked another swipe from an axe and countered with a lunge that didn’t have enough force behind it to penetrate his foe’s armor. His sword felt leaden in his hand, and he knew that the poison he’d taken into his body earlier had run its course. At least he seemed to have fought off any further effects, though.
That wasn’t to say he was out of the woods, as one of his adversaries suddenly shifted and brought his axe down on Benzan’s leg an instant before he could draw it back. His mithral armor kept his flesh intact, but he could feel the sharp stabbings of pain as the effects of the blow traveled up and down his limb.
Focus, focus, he told himself as he parried another swipe and reset his defenses. His two opponents were skilled, but not as experienced as he was by far. That was proven when he feinted an attack that brought another adjustment by the pair, only to shift into a thrust that caught the first dwarf off-guard and left an opening in his defenses. Benzan took another glancing blow to his armored torso as payback from the dwarf’s comrade, but when he recovered into his defensive stance there was another adversary bleeding out on the ground from a slashed throat.
Dana fought her way through several dwarves to Rakkath’s flank, even as the quaggoth took down another duergar with an overhead stroke of his axe. For the moment their side of the wall was clear, but before Dana could decide on the next course of action Rakkath let out a tired squeal and collapsed against the edge of the parapet. Blood from at least a half-dozen wounds matted his thick fur, and Dana realized that his life was close to oozing out along with those red flows.
Calling upon the goddess, she poured healing energy into the battered creature in an effort to forestall that loss.
On the far side of the wall, Taktak reached the end of a line of defenders and leapt down from the wall to the inner side of the fortification. A pair of dwarves that had been reloading their crossbows scattered and drew axes from their belts. One wasn’t quick enough to get out of the way and took a solid blow to the side of his head from the quaggoth’s adamantine mace, crushing his skull like an overripe melon. The other dwarf didn’t hesitate, breaking and running toward one of the several exits in the far side of the cavern. Taktak started after him but he’d barely managed three steps before another dwarf, already limping from another wound, charged at him from the side and engaged him in yet another melee.
A fast shadow swooped down out of the sky and landed awkwardly on the ground behind the wall. The eagle had barely touched down when it dissolved into immateriality, roughly depositing its two passengers upon the stone. After a quick check to verify that Cal was all right, Lok hefted his axe and looked around for an enemy.
But the battle was already winding down, with only a few injured stragglers left among the duergar defenders. A few were already escaping via the exits at the far end of the cavern, but the battered attackers did not rush immediately after them. Instead, they paused to catch their breath, heal their wounds with wand and spell and potion, and prepare for the next challenge ahead of them.
None of them marked the narrow slit in the cavern wall several feet above the top of the wall, or the eyes that watched them from behind that hidden opening. As the battle came to an end Grolac drew back from the spyhole, reflexively dropping down the oiled cover that would make even that tiny gap appear indistinguishable from the rest of the wall. His contribution to the battle had been minor, limited to the use of his wand of dispel magic to remove the bright light used by the enemy cleric. He’d been tempted to attempt a dispel against that damned summoned bird, but by then she’d been closer, and if he’d failed it was likely that the human woman would have sensed his presence.
The duergar moved without sound down the hidden staircase within the cavern wall and into a passage so confined that even he had to duck to avoid striking his head on the ceiling above.
The dwarf assassin was no coward, but he had not survived five decades of life by being incautious. He knew more than he’d told the drow about these intruders, had taken the time to hastily debrief the sentry that had been posted in the hidden watchpoint overlooking the main entrance at the stone bridge. His knowledge of magic was extensive, given the context of his upbringing, and knew what it meant when adversaries could summon creatures like that eagle, and create dimension doors to instantly transport themselves across the battlefield.
For all his selfish, vicious, evil nature, Grolac was concerned about his people. There was a contingency for such an invasion of their lair, of course—the duergar weren’t chaotic and stupid like the derro—and he knew that those dwarves left from the first few battles with the enemy would already be moving to places within their lair that no intruder would discover even if they knew of their existence. Of course, that would mean that Shemma and her drow friend would be the next target of the outsiders…
For all the seriousness of the situation, Grolac could not help but let out a quiet chuckle. Oh yes. That would be just too bad.
In any case, I'm glad you are enjoying the story. Here's part 25.
* * * * *
Book V, Part 25
Dana leaned forward over the head of the eagle and fired a blazing bolt of searing light into the face of the duergar crossbowman. The dwarf screamed as the divine light of Selûne seared his flesh and destroyed his eyes, and he tumbled feebly back off of the parapet, dead even before he smacked hard into the ground behind the wall.
But Dana’s action did nothing to remove the vicious protruding spikes that still formed an implacable line atop the wall, and for all the efforts of the summoned eagle it was clear that it was not going to clear that obstacle in time.
“Let go!” Dana cried out to Benzan.
But the tiefling had already gauged the danger, and even as Dana blasted the duergar defender he reached down and grasped the hilt of his sword. Its power came readily, almost eagerly, at his touch, and he felt his body lighten as the magical levitation of the sword took effect. The eagle seemed to almost bounce up in response, and at the last second Benzan kicked his legs up and forward, barely clearing the spikes with just a few inches to spare.
Behind the wall stood a mostly open space, as most of the defenders had been emplaced on the parapet running along its summit. About fifteen paces back from the wall stood the catapult that had launched the acid and poison gas canisters at them, however, the compact device still tended by a trio of dwarves that picked up crossbows and trained them on the companions as they flew over the wall. Most of the other defenders were converging on the two quaggoths, but several paused to launch their own missiles at the new arrivals. A few bolts glanced off of Benzan’s armor, but for the moment their luck held and none penetrated.
“Down there!” Benzan cried, pointing with his bow toward the catapult crew. Dana nudged the eagle with her legs, and the majestic creature arced down in that direction, releasing Benzan as it dove down low enough for him to land running on the smooth stone floor of the cavern. Even as it released him it started to climb again, and Dana leaned forward to issue more commands as it started to turn back in the direction of the wall.
Taktak moved along the length of the wall like a methodical construct, knocking down every dwarf that dared to face him. He’d finally unslung his mace, and with mighty two-handed strokes sent the defenders flying off over the edge of the parapet to fall hard on the ground below. The quaggoth bore a grievous collection of injuries, and took more with each passing second as dwarves came at him from behind or shot crossbow bolts at him from cover. But lost in his battle-rage, Taktak shrugged off the hurts. He was a champion of his people, and his righteous anger toward their enemies was felt in the mighty force of his blows.
On the far side of the wall, Rakkath fought on with equal bravery, if not the same incredible prowess. With his borrowed axe he met attacker after attacker, although the dwarves continued to flank him and scored deep cuts as they divided his attentions.
The brave quaggoth likely would have already fallen, however, had it not been for the support of Lok. Denied his usual role as a front-line fighter by his immobility, the dwarf turned instead to his mighty longbow. While he lacked the finesse of Benzan, his shots carried the power to punch through armor plate, and while every other shot struck the wall or missed off into the darkness above and beyond, that still left plenty of arrows to stab deep into duergar warriors as they rose up from their sheltered positions to come at Rakkath atop the wall.
Benzan took the attack to the catapult crew as two of them dropped their crossbows and hefted sharp moon-bladed axes. He used his height and the superior length of his blade to his advantage, darting inside their defenses to score a minor hit on one before they could move to flank him. He drew back, letting them come after him. The third dwarf loaded his crossbow and fired at the giant eagle bearing Dana. The bolt struck it hard in the body as it flew up over lip of the wall once again, drawing a cry of pain from the injured creature.
As the eagle dipped in its flight Dana slid off its back and dropped smoothly onto the parapet atop the wall, her spear snapping to the ready. To her right the parapet ran over the gate in the wall below, and to her left several dwarves were arrayed against Rakkath. The nearest dwarf turned to her as she landed, snarling as he launched a powerful stroke at her head with his axe. Dana ducked under the blow, spinning low as she swept her spear under the dwarf’s legs. The dwarf stumbled, but kept his footing, at least until Dana’s snap kick caught him on the side of the head and knocked him over the shallow inner lip of the parapet. He landed hard on the ground below, and lay there, stunned.
The giant eagle, meanwhile, obeying Dana’s last command, dove down and spread its wings as it landed just a few feet from where Lok continued to ply his bow. Its time on this plane was drawing short, but despite the wounds it had suffered it was bound to obey the mandate given it by its summoner.
“Prithee hurry, friend dwarf, for I am bid carry thee across yonder obstacle ere I return to my home.”
Despite the battle raging around him, Lok could not help but start in surprise as the eagle addressed him, its words clearly understandable even coming from its avian beak. Lok paused only to grab Cal’s still unconscious form, and then climbed awkwardly up on the eagle’s back.
“Gods, thy art heavy!” the eagle exclaimed, launching into a running start before its powerful wings carried them all into the air.
The battle raged on, with the companions taking a deeper toll on the defenders with each passing moment. The dwarves fought back tenaciously, but there just weren’t enough of them to take the damage being wrought by these attackers.
Benzan ducked another swipe from an axe and countered with a lunge that didn’t have enough force behind it to penetrate his foe’s armor. His sword felt leaden in his hand, and he knew that the poison he’d taken into his body earlier had run its course. At least he seemed to have fought off any further effects, though.
That wasn’t to say he was out of the woods, as one of his adversaries suddenly shifted and brought his axe down on Benzan’s leg an instant before he could draw it back. His mithral armor kept his flesh intact, but he could feel the sharp stabbings of pain as the effects of the blow traveled up and down his limb.
Focus, focus, he told himself as he parried another swipe and reset his defenses. His two opponents were skilled, but not as experienced as he was by far. That was proven when he feinted an attack that brought another adjustment by the pair, only to shift into a thrust that caught the first dwarf off-guard and left an opening in his defenses. Benzan took another glancing blow to his armored torso as payback from the dwarf’s comrade, but when he recovered into his defensive stance there was another adversary bleeding out on the ground from a slashed throat.
Dana fought her way through several dwarves to Rakkath’s flank, even as the quaggoth took down another duergar with an overhead stroke of his axe. For the moment their side of the wall was clear, but before Dana could decide on the next course of action Rakkath let out a tired squeal and collapsed against the edge of the parapet. Blood from at least a half-dozen wounds matted his thick fur, and Dana realized that his life was close to oozing out along with those red flows.
Calling upon the goddess, she poured healing energy into the battered creature in an effort to forestall that loss.
On the far side of the wall, Taktak reached the end of a line of defenders and leapt down from the wall to the inner side of the fortification. A pair of dwarves that had been reloading their crossbows scattered and drew axes from their belts. One wasn’t quick enough to get out of the way and took a solid blow to the side of his head from the quaggoth’s adamantine mace, crushing his skull like an overripe melon. The other dwarf didn’t hesitate, breaking and running toward one of the several exits in the far side of the cavern. Taktak started after him but he’d barely managed three steps before another dwarf, already limping from another wound, charged at him from the side and engaged him in yet another melee.
A fast shadow swooped down out of the sky and landed awkwardly on the ground behind the wall. The eagle had barely touched down when it dissolved into immateriality, roughly depositing its two passengers upon the stone. After a quick check to verify that Cal was all right, Lok hefted his axe and looked around for an enemy.
But the battle was already winding down, with only a few injured stragglers left among the duergar defenders. A few were already escaping via the exits at the far end of the cavern, but the battered attackers did not rush immediately after them. Instead, they paused to catch their breath, heal their wounds with wand and spell and potion, and prepare for the next challenge ahead of them.
None of them marked the narrow slit in the cavern wall several feet above the top of the wall, or the eyes that watched them from behind that hidden opening. As the battle came to an end Grolac drew back from the spyhole, reflexively dropping down the oiled cover that would make even that tiny gap appear indistinguishable from the rest of the wall. His contribution to the battle had been minor, limited to the use of his wand of dispel magic to remove the bright light used by the enemy cleric. He’d been tempted to attempt a dispel against that damned summoned bird, but by then she’d been closer, and if he’d failed it was likely that the human woman would have sensed his presence.
The duergar moved without sound down the hidden staircase within the cavern wall and into a passage so confined that even he had to duck to avoid striking his head on the ceiling above.
The dwarf assassin was no coward, but he had not survived five decades of life by being incautious. He knew more than he’d told the drow about these intruders, had taken the time to hastily debrief the sentry that had been posted in the hidden watchpoint overlooking the main entrance at the stone bridge. His knowledge of magic was extensive, given the context of his upbringing, and knew what it meant when adversaries could summon creatures like that eagle, and create dimension doors to instantly transport themselves across the battlefield.
For all his selfish, vicious, evil nature, Grolac was concerned about his people. There was a contingency for such an invasion of their lair, of course—the duergar weren’t chaotic and stupid like the derro—and he knew that those dwarves left from the first few battles with the enemy would already be moving to places within their lair that no intruder would discover even if they knew of their existence. Of course, that would mean that Shemma and her drow friend would be the next target of the outsiders…
For all the seriousness of the situation, Grolac could not help but let out a quiet chuckle. Oh yes. That would be just too bad.
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