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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Wraithdrit" data-source="post: 1411318" data-attributes="member: 10820">UnderdarkJust outside the Maerimydra Northern GateUktar 7th, 1372, ‘Mid-day’Delorian pulled the shadows of the wall out and across him and was gone. YaDichi leaned around the corner. Sure enough, just as Delorian had described, there was a large gated wall, some two hundred feet away. She could easily make out the silhouette of a pair of giants peeking around either side of the ruined gate. Large barricades had been laid in front of the openings. Fires behind the giants lit them from behind. YaDichi marveled that anyone could be so foolish as she lifted her bow up into position. In rapid succession she let fly a series of four arrows. Three found their mark, ripping straight through the left of the two giants. The giant howled and spun away, its companion, equally surprised by the unusually powerful shots pulled back as well. Above them, atop the wall, next to the ballista facing out toward the long corridor, Delorian stepped out of the shadows. Shadows followed him, cloaking him completely from sight.Around the bend he could hear Gundra, with Taran aboard, bounding down the long massive corridor toward the gate. Though neither of them said anything, Delorian could easily hear the full-plate wearing paladin clanking along in the saddle.Behind them all Varick cast a quick spell, a shimmering shield of energy rippling up and around him. Will, watching it all through an arcane eye, muttered a few arcane words. A sheer invisible wall of force appeared behind the giants, cutting off any escape.Delorian grabbed a hold of the massive drow made ballista and started turning it around, trying to get it to face toward the giants. He pivoted it as far as he could then started to move the heavy wood frame to the side, trying to turn it even further.The heroes knew that there were four giants behind the wall, Will’s arcane eye having seen the whole thing prior to their unleashing the attack.Taran and Gundra bounded closer, the massive lion leaping to one side as a boulder smashed the ground where they had been moments before. All four giants were coming out of hiding. Two kneeled by the gate doors, while two stood on massive piles of rubble behind the wall, look over the wall. One of the giants at the gate stood up, moving to grab the ballista. When he saw the angle it was at he got a bit confused and started to try and turn it back straight again. Delorian took the opportunity to let go of the ballista. Instead of hitting the giant with his fist, his hand went to his new belt, and the nunchaku stored there.The new items, three in all, had come through the bag while they were finishing the trek to the gate. A belt of strength, an enchanted nunchaku, and an amulet of protection had all arrived for him, courtesy of Lady Firehands. Will had assured him that they were heavily enchanted, and not cursed, so Delorian had put his old monk’s belt, and amulet of mighty fists in the bag. Delorian whipped the weapon out and spun it around to the side, clanging it off the giant’s head. But since Delorian was no longer holding onto the ballista, the giant, shrugging off the blow to its helmet, quickly spun the weapon, shoving Delorian easily to the side.Taran lifted his shield, his divine faith in its protective power combined with the shields enchantment, easily knocking aside another massive rock one of the giants tossed at him. Another boulder flew past him, wide to one side.YaDichi smiled as she saw the giant she had already peppered with arrows, fighting with Delorian for control of the ballista. She muttered to herself, “Like hitting the broadside of a barn.” Three more arrows ripped literally through the giant’s chest. With a huff the giant fell back from the wall, presumably dead.Will, still watching through the eye, muttered a few more words of arcane power. Behind the gate, massive black tentacles ripped out of the ground and started trying to grab at the remaining giants. Two of them shrugged it off, but one was held fast by the writhing tentacles.Delorian, giving up on moving the massive ballista, spun around and along the wall. His new nunchaku spun expertly through his hands, and around his body. He lashed out three different times at the closest giant, but between the creature’s thick hide and full plate armor, even the heavily enchanted nunchaku did not seem to have any effect.Gundra stopped at the entrance to the gate. The massive lion put one paw up on the large barricade and lashed out with his other paw. Claws pierced the giant’s armor, and it howled in pain. Taran followed up Gundra’s attack with two of his own. One, particularly cruel strike from the holy avenger dug deep into the kneeling giants chest. Blood poured freely from the near deadly wound.Varick, huffing and puffing all the way, ran toward the gate. He muttered something under his breath as he saw YaDichi nimbly bound past him. The giant that Delorian had hit unsheathed his massive greatsword and slammed it into the monk. Luckily both Taran and Delorian still had the magical enchantment Will called ‘stoneskin’ from the ambush of the patrol. The giant’s sword swing still hurt, but it did not do near the damage it would have if Delorian had not been protected. At the same time, Taran’s protections were being similarly tested. The giant he and Gundra had attacked had also pulled free his sword and smashed it into the ancient holy warrior.The last giant ripped free of the tentacles and drew his sword as well. Will finally walked around the corner and down towards the fight. As he walked he cast a simple spell, small glowing balls of energy spiraling forward to slam into the wounded giant.Delorian tried one more time to hit with his nunchaku, but still he could not get through the giant’s thick armor. The monk flipped back off the wall, backing up to try and get out of the reach of the massive sword. The giant followed him though. It leaned over the wall, and used its long reach and huge greatsword to swing out at the monk. Surprised as he was at the giants massive reach, Delorian was not able to duck the mighty swing. It cut through his stoneskin and spun him to one side. The giant pressed the attack, swinging back around. This time Delorian was ready and he easily dived over the incoming attack. The giant spun and brought the attack straight down, trying to slice the monk in half. Again Delorian was quicker. He rolled back and to the side, easily dodging the attack. Taran and Gundra pressed their attack. While Gundra was not able to find purchase for his attacks, Taran stabbed forward into the giant’s arm. The giant howled in pain and slashed up into Taran’s own arm. Gundra and Taran were unfazed by the attack though. They pressed forward even more. Gundra ripped a chunk from the giant and Taran stabbed out at him three different times. His first attack pierced the giant’s arm. The second pierced its shoulder. Finally Taran stabbed in the middle of the giant’s chest, killing it.To Taran’s horror, as the giant died the air around it seemed to shiver. The giant’s spirit seemed to take form around its body, and with a look of horror on the spirit’s face, it was drawn away into the massive cavern beyond, leaving only a small quickly fading trail of a glow. “Something is drawing in their spirits!” yelled the paladin.YaDichi stopped, dropped to one knee and quickly let loose a series of four arrows. The first two ripped through one of the remaining giants.Varick strode up, softly muttering a prayer. Divine power coursed through the cleric as he moved to prepare to engage the next available target.Both of the remaining fire giants, jumped over the wall to escape the grasp of the tentacles. Varick and Taran both took advantage of the giant’s awkward landings to hit them with their respective weapons. YaDichi continued to concentrate on the giant she had wounded. She fired four more arrows. The first one hit, then the second one hit. The third one ripped through the middle of the giant’s chest, and it shuddered, its spirit appearing around it then being ripped back into the city as the giant’s body crumbled dead to the ground. YaDichi quickly spun and put an arrow through the remaining giant.Delorian leapt forward, his nunchaku spinning. He spun one of the wooden handles into the giant’s knee, this time it connected well, and the giant howled in pain. Before it could react, Delorian was back flipping back out of range of even its long reach.Gundra and Taran both began ripping into the giant. The giant never had a chance. Varick moved up, slamming his morningstar into the giant as well. It fumbled with its sword, barely able to stand. It tried to hit Varick back, but missed over and over again.Finally, a single arrow from YaDichi flew through the giant’s chest. Again they saw the giant’s spirit shudder and get drawn from its body, sucked back into the city. This time, Will was concentrating on his arcane eye. He could see the energy now, coursing all around them. The energy seemed to draw and push the spirit back into the city, heading back towards the center of the massive cavern beyond. Will strode forward, to the edge of the rippling bubble of energy that seemed to surround the city. It undulated before him, obvious now that his arcane sight was looking for it. Even as he watched it seemed to pulse and grow several inches thicker. It almost seemed alive. Its presence seemed to have a very chilling effect on all of the heroes. Will described it to the others, then said, “I don’t like it at all.”Varick nodded, “This is the disturbance of the weave. I can feel the evil flowing from it.”Taran nodded, “As can I. It is a dark presence indeed.”YaDichi jogged up, “We need to move quickly, before reinforcements arrive.”“Agreed,” said Delorian as he joined the small huddle. They passed through the gates, and could see that the ground sloped down in front of them into a massive cavern. The cavern was filled with smoke. Instead of hanging thick in the air though, the smoke slowly twirled this way and that. For a brief moment the smoke cleared and the sight took the heroes’ breath away. Before them lay the remnants of a once beautiful drow city. Ancient well-shaped stone lay smashed in huge fields of rubble. Mushroom fields lay barren around the city, picked clean by the invaders. Large fires burned all around the city, massive campfires surrounded by humanoids and giants. Some buildings still stood, but many were nothing more than massive piles of broken stone. Long ago cast spells of fairy fire lit different piles of rubble, the enchantments holding even after the stone had fallen. On the west side of the city atop a plateau with larger more intact buildings lay a smoking crater surrounded by a large spider shaped wall. Large glowing globes hung near its entrance.On the far south side of the city ruins a huge circular coliseum stood, mostly untouched by the collapse of the city. Humanoids and giants could be seen moving in and out of the massive building.It was the sight in the center of the city that dominated the landscape though. A single massive castle, built of two massive towers stretched all the way from the floor of a plateau to the top of the massive caverns. It glowed from mystic enchantments, and was surround by a ring of fires. It was a picket line, the invasion of Maerimydra was not ended. Someone, or something still held Castle Maerimydra from the giants attacks. Will whistled softly, “That is something you don’t see every day.”“We should find some place to hole up until we decide our next actions.” Delorian shifted and looked up to the plateaus on the west side, with their semi intact buildings. He continued, “If we pull back from the gates, they will only reinforce them even more next time.”Taran patted Gundra on the head, “Time to return to your home my friend. Hide you amongst the rubble will be difficult at best.” The massive cat nodded, bumped its head into Taran and ran its huge cheek along his shoulder in a typical loving cat gesture, then vanished with a soft glow.They discussed a bit further, and moved quickly towards the more expensive looking ruins atop the western plateau. It looked to have once been a noble district. Circumventing several small bivouacs, they soon found a good set of ruins to hole up inside. Between the ambush of the patrol and the fight at the gate, they could use some time to gather their wits, rest, and memorize their spells. They had a long hard task ahead of them, and time was not going to be on their side for long.Outside the Undying TempleMaerimydraUktar 7th, 1372, ‘Mid-day’Mother stood gazing at the massive black glowing orb that hung in the middle of the twisted temple. Beside her stood one of her most trusted lieutenants, Khumarr. His demon armor gave him a fierce looking visage, and though his tone and stance was respectful of his companion, his air was one of confidence and almost amusement. A massive greatsword was strapped to his back. The High Priestess’ bodyguards stood back and to one side, behind even Khumarr.They watched the orb spin and undulate. Khumarr spoke first, “How goes the research?”His companion looked back and up at him. He was tall for a drow. “The secrets of Kiriansalee’s desires are known to be more every day. The Great Revenance is not far off.”“And what of the surface dwellers?”“They concern me, but not overly so. Last time I checked they were still wandering through the Underdark. Though they were close. I should check on them again. Lets go do that shall we?” As they strode toward the temple a shimmering spirit zipped past them, sucked up into the orb with an eerie howling scream of anguish. Khumarr grinned, “That looked like a fire giant spirit. Someone must have anger Kurgoth.”The High Priestess chuckled, “That fool will end up killing all his own troops before he ever penetrates our defenses.”Steps before they entered the temple another spirit, then another, and finally a fourth spirit all howled their way into the orb, sucked in by its dark energies. Both drow had frozen in their steps at the sight. Khumarr muttered. “Four dead fire giants. Not even Kurgoth is that stupid. One of our patrols must have stumbled on one of theirs.”“Then were are the orcs? The goblins?  The trolls? No… one of the gates must have fallen.” She moved into the temple, her pace quickening.Khumarr grinned, “The surface dwellers must not be as lost in the Underdark as you thought.” The glare she shot at him was enough to end his mirth for a while.They walked into the temple and up into the Greater Temple. A voice in both their heads spoke softly, “Mistress, Khumarr, welcome back. Everything is as you desire.”Absently the High Priestess nodded, “Good.”She motioned for one of the rotting forms to come forward. What was once a drow noble, was now nothing more than a mobile candlestick. It shambled forward and Khumarr lit the candle.The High Priestess nodded to another one of the rotting nobles and it shambled over to her altar, carrying a large bowl. A third zombie noble shambled forward holding an aspergill. She took it from him and sprinkled water into the large water filled bowl. Handing the aspergill back, she turned to a zombie that was always kneeling beside her altar. It held a massive book. She opened it to a marked page and muttered the prayer beneath her breath. The water in the bowl clouded up, then swirled about before a smoky image appeared. “They are through the North gate and headed toward the noble district.” She frowned down at the image in the bowl.“I will gather a strike team and…”“No.” She cut him off and turned toward him. “We do not need to waste our effort on them. Kurgoth’s forces still stand between us and them. Notify the defenses, but otherwise take no action. We need to concentrate on our task at hand.” She strode out of the temple, snatching something up as she went. Khumarr had to walk quickly to keep up, even with his longer legs. They stopped at one of the landings alongside the large black orb of dark power. The close proximity to the black orb was already beginning to suck their life energy from their bodies. The High Priestess called out, “Be aware, we may have visitors soon.”The voice from the Greater Temple replied, “As you command, so it will be.”“Notify Paelinn the moment they arrive. She will know what to do.”The voice replied, “As you command, so it will be.”Khumarr grimaced at the pain of standing on the landing, but held his ground as the High Priestess dropped to her knees. This time she was speaking to something other than him and the voice. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she cried out, “Kiriansalee!” Winds whipped at her white gauzy robes, easily revealing her naked form beneath. Khumarr had to steady himself to keep from being blown back by the wind. The orb pulsed faster and faster.The High Priestess continued, “Mistress of the Dead! I follow your will, working to bring the Great Revenance as you commanded! But your aid is needed!”The orb seemed to ripple with each of her words. “Help me to accomplish your goals! Give me the guidance I need to do your will!”The wind gathered even more force, the gigantic orb spun in place so fast it looked like it might fly off in any direction at any moment. “For your aid I give you another gift!” She lifted her hands to reveal a massive gem with a rune carved on either side, the halfling gem the party had found in the Mines of Tethyamar!Khumarr almost felt he could hear a growl of hunger beneath the howl of the wind. He grabbed onto the doorframe of the door leading back off the landing, keeping himself from being ripped of the landing. The kneeling priestess stood pulled back, then threw the gem into the center of the sphere.The wind died immediately, and the orb slowed its spin once again. On the edge of the city, the weave corruption bubbled, rippled and shot forward fifty feet, expanding farther from the city at a highly accelerated rate.The voice once again cut into both of their minds, “As you command, so it will be.”A ray of darkness shot forth from the orb, piercing the High Priestess in the forehead. Her body went rigid, and she shook as the ray poured energy into her form. Blood trickled from her eyes and ears. Then finally the ray was gone, and everything was as it had been. She collapsed into Khumarr’s arms, and he quickly took her off the landing. He headed toward her chambers, but she grabbed his shoulder with her metal clawed hand. “No!” she hissed, “Into the temple chamber.”“But you are weak, you need to rest.”She dug her hand into his shoulder, the metal claws easily piercing his armor. “I am not weak! The Greater Temple! Now before I slay for your insolence!”“Yes mistress.” He carried her into the Greater Temple and set her down in front of the altar. She collapsed to the floor then pulled her self up to half kneeling in front of the altar. She spun on the zombie with the book and quickly turned it to the first blank page. She turned to another zombie and flipped open a small silver box. From beside the box she pulled a quill. She stabbed it into beating heart within the box, wetting its tip with blood. Quickly she began scribbling into the book, wanting to get the knowledge she had just been imparted down before it fled her memory. Khumarr backed away slowly, then turned and strode out of the room. Behind him he could hear her laughing maniacally. He grinned and spoke aloud. “Be sure to make sure no one disturbs her.”Again the voice replied, “As you command, so it will be.” The doors to the Greater Temple slowly swung closed then latched.Khumarr nodded, “Good, I have preparations to make.”Ruins of House Tinv’laMaerimydraUktar 8th, 1372, Just after midnightDelorian was out scouting around, while the others made preparations. Will sat down beside Varick and whispered, “How long till you can pray to your goddess?”Varick looked up at the ceiling, as if he could see up to the sky beyond. “Hours still. I can’t really tell what time it is, but I know we are not near dawn yet. Mystra grants power at dawn.”Will nodded. “I have only prepped a few spells, some scrying and vision spells. I’m going to cast them and see what I can find out. Then when you are done with your preparations, and cast whatever divinations you decide on, I can better know what to prepare for the day.”“Sounds good. Let us know what you find out.” The priest turned back to the small book of prayers and meditations he was studying. As Will stood to go implement his plan he was surprised to see that many of the pages of the book Varick was flipping through actually contained arcane spells. He smirked, remembering that Varick had told him before that he could use a certain prayer to mimic arcane spells if he had a copy of the spell. That was definitely a versatile ability.An hour later they all gathered together to relate what they had learned. “I was able to scout about the higher plateaus,” started Delorian. “There are a few bivouacs up here, but near what they seem to be in the city. The destroyed temple seems devoid of any life, but I dared not go into its bounds without us prepared for a fight.”Will smiled, “Probably wise… I drove one of my arcane eyes in there. A massive black figure of darkness stepped from the shadows and paralyzed me with its mere gaze, through the eye! It wore off soon enough, but the eye was destroyed before I could learn anything more.”“Beyond the temple though, I did learn a great deal. The shattered tower, the mage school that the beholder’s former prisoner told us about is utterly destroyed. There is definite faint magic still there, though it could just be the remnants of past spells. This entire city is infused with so many old castings, at times its hard to tell what is new and what is old.“The coliseum is definitely Kurgoth’s stronghold. Several fire giants, his elephant, and the big man himself. He looks more than just fiend-blooded. I would say he is probably a half-fiend, which makes him very dangerous. He carries a flaming greatsword, and has massive bat wings. He was attended by several giants, trolls, and the like. Also there was a fairly large devil, called a Cornugon, that reported to him. Cornugon can also fly, so we need to watch out for it patrolling. He also had a swarm of imps reporting to him all the time, chances are by now he knows the gate guards were defeated, but I don’t think they know where we are yet.”The castle is under heavy siege, but shows little signs of damage. There are several ways into it. I don’t see why the giants have not sacked it. Its defenses can’t be any more stout than taking an entire drow city. There are definite enchantments on the building though, and they may be why the giants have held back. No real way to know that with what we have found out so far. That’s about all I found out.”Varick spoke next. “We got a note from the temple. They successfully cast a locate object on both Mother and the Halfling Gem. As of yesterday morning they were both within the city limits of Maerimydra, in some place called the Undying Temple.”The others all nodded and were about to discuss it when Varick held up a hand. “There is a catch though. They are both on the Ethereal Plane.”</blockquote>

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