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<blockquote data-quote="Wulf Ratbane" data-source="post: 5470" data-attributes="member: 94"><p><strong>DEEP HORIZON Part IV</strong></p><p></p><p>“What about Bala Saka?” Dorn was already doing the math on how many miraculous resurrections he’d be helping with. </p><p></p><p>Wulf just shrugged. “He’ll turn up… He can take care of himself.”</p><p></p><p>They hustled off into the darkness. There was no sign of Bala Saka or of any kind of pursuit. In due time, they returned safely to the forge. The Old Man took one look at their faces and prepared himself for the worst.</p><p></p><p>“What happened?”</p><p></p><p>“Keldas got himself disintegrated and the assmar went dancin’ with <em>La Machine</em>.”</p><p></p><p>“Well, I warned you before, I cannot raise the aasimar. It will take a <em>Wish</em> or <em>Miracle</em> to do that.”</p><p></p><p>Wulf slapped the <em>helm of teleportation</em> on his head. “I’ll take care of it.”</p><p></p><p>“How do you intend to pay for that?” said the Old Man. “I myself will require about 8,000 for Keldas’ <em>true resurrection</em>.”</p><p></p><p>“YER CHARGIN’ US?”</p><p></p><p>“Well, yes,” said the Old Man, completely nonplussed. “Take a look around you. Raw materials, holy water, vestments, shrines… these things cost money. Not to mention the dwarven smiths we’ve been recruiting. They all have to get paid.”</p><p></p><p>“Fine, fine.” Wulf stuffed the rest of the paladin’s belongings in his <em>haversack</em>. Into the large center compartment he scooped what was left of the paladin’s body. “I <em>said</em> I’ll handle it.”</p><p></p><p>Wulf teleported off to the big city. It would take a <em>wish</em> to get the aasimar back, and wishes, it seemed, were not easy to come by. He couldn’t find a wizard at all who was willing to do the deed for less than 28,000 gold pieces—and he didn’t HAVE 28,000 gold pieces. Even if they pooled all the party’s resources, they couldn’t even come close.</p><p></p><p>He started taking items out of the bag and placing them on the table. “Stop me when yer see something that catches yer eye…”</p><p></p><p>“Stop!”</p><p></p><p>“The assmar’s cloak?” Wulf held it up at arm’s length. “What’s it do?”</p><p></p><p>“It has a powerful enchantment upon it, very powerful. Looks like a <em>cloak of charisma</em>.”</p><p></p><p>“<em>Charisma?</em>” Wulf tried hard to hide his disdain. <em>What in the nine hells would anyone want a cloak of charisma for?</em> “Ohh… Aye, that’s a useful piece all right. Whatcha gimme for it?” </p><p></p><p>“I can cast the <em>Wish</em> you require.”</p><p></p><p>Wulf sniffed. “Oh, I don’t know. I mean, it’s <em>charisma</em> and all.” He turned the item around in his hands. “Powerful magic, too. Gimme the <em>Wish</em> an’ 8000 and yer got a deal.”</p><p></p><p>“Done.” The wizard absent-mindedly put eight large gems onto the table and Wulf deftly swept them into his pouch. </p><p></p><p>The wizard seemed lost in thought for a moment, but finally spoke. “Now this <em>wish</em>… I suppose you’ll be wanting me to restore your paladin friend to full health, exactly as he was before?”</p><p></p><p>“Oh, no yer don’t.” Wulf had heard a thing or two about wishes, how they could be twisted around if they were not worded to avoid any wiggle-room in their interpretation. “Don’t muck around with it. Yer gotta be <em>precise,</em> right? None o’ this ‘Exactly as he was before…’ business.”</p><p></p><p>“Of course, of course.” The wizard shooed him out. “The process will take a while, however; I’ll require seclusion for the day.”</p><p></p><p>“Aye, whatever.”</p><p></p><p>*****</p><p></p><p>Wulf returned that evening and the wizard welcomed him in, gesturing grandly towards the paladin who rested comfortably in the wizard’s lab. The paladin looked a little groggy, but otherwise he seemed perfectly healthy.</p><p></p><p>“As you requested… body and soul, reunited again. There was some… ahh, difficulty in repairing the body; fortunately I am well-versed in anatomy. I’ve never seen a more healthy human specimen.”</p><p></p><p>“Uhh…” <em>Oops.</em> Wulf moved quickly to change the subject. He threw one of the paladin’s arms over his shoulder and boosted him to his feet. “Up yer go, assmar. Let’s get yer home, right?”</p><p></p><p>“Mmm hmmm…" The paladin swooned a bit as they teleported back to the forge. "I feel funny…”</p><p></p><p>*****</p><p></p><p>“You sold my CLOAK?” The paladin was wide awake now.</p><p></p><p>“Yer have some better idea how to come up with 28,000 gold pieces?”</p><p></p><p>“Yes! Sell some of that adamantine.”</p><p></p><p>“Are yer out of yer ferkin’ <em>mind</em>?”</p><p></p><p>“Well, isn’t that just like a dwarf.”</p><p></p><p>Wulf got deadly serious for a moment. “Look, bud. Yer had it pretty good up till now, as far as <em>this</em> dwarf is concerned. Ain’t never been greedy an’ graspin’ with the gold, right? But if yer think I’m sellin’ off dwarven ore to the highest bidder, yer got another think comin’.”</p><p></p><p>“Well, fine, I’ll just buy another cloak. I’ll have to, now that I’m <em>human</em>.”</p><p></p><p>“Fine, yer do that-- next time we split up the cash. An’ if it’ll make yer feel any better, I’m still gonna call yer ‘assmar.’”</p><p></p><p>*****</p><p></p><p>Wulf dropped off the adamantine with the dwarven smiths along with a wish-list from the group. Two longswords, two shortswords, two bucklers, four daggers, 50 arrows, and a great-axe for Dorn.</p><p></p><p>Wulf went to find Dorn and found the group already assembled in Dorn’s cloister. The priest was really enjoying his new role as ‘Divine Oracle’ and had arranged several small, non-descript compartments where he could retreat to scry.</p><p></p><p>“Figured we might as well check in on Rourmed and Engram.” Viday had dropped their names early on-- two surface-worlders who had made contact with the desmodu. Dorn shared Wulf’s natural suspicion-- there was nothing that a human and an elf could be up to that was any good. At any rate, nobody wanted to head back into Chael Rendaar to face more beholders. They were hoping for a clue that might hurry things to their natural conclusion: a big pile of dead bad guys.</p><p></p><p>“Good idea. Yer got a name an’ a description, that should be enough.”</p><p></p><p>Dorn cast his <em>scrying</em> spell and attempted to center on Rourmed, to no avail. “Well, I’ll try Engram then…”</p><p></p><p>The scrying sensor appeared. Engram, the elf wizard, was bent over a book. Dorn cast a <em>detect evil</em> spell through his sensor. “Let’s see if this works…”</p><p></p><p>Dorn held the connection through the sensor and focused on Engram’s aura. “Not evil…”</p><p></p><p>“Not likely…” muttered Wulf. “What’s he readin’?”</p><p></p><p>Before Dorn could focus on the page, Engram paused, suddenly alert to the scrying. He calmly closed the book and walked to a non-descript corner of the room. Smiling, he sat down and waited patiently.</p><p></p><p>“So much for that,” said Dorn.</p><p></p><p>“Well, as long as yer spell’s workin’, check out the temple in Chael Rendaar.”</p><p></p><p>Dorn refocused his scrying. Soon he could see the inner fane of the temple. Moving the sensor around, the place seemed mostly abandoned. He spotted a couple of desmodu at guard posts.</p><p></p><p>“Find out what was in that water.”</p><p></p><p>The sensor moved under the large pool of water. Dorn could see several enormous lobster-like creatures scuttling about. “Each one of ‘em is bigger than a cart, easy.”</p><p></p><p>Wulf shrugged. “Ehh… We can handle that.”</p><p></p><p>Shorty piped up from below. “Yeah, but where you gonna get that much butter?”</p><p></p><p>Dorn watched as one of the creatures scooted over to a secluded patch on the floor where a number of coins and gems had been piled up. Carefully picking up one of the gems in its enormous pincer, the lobster-creature held the gem up to its eyestalks, seeming to admire it. “Well, whatever they are, they’re intelligent.”</p><p></p><p>“Any beholders?”</p><p></p><p>“Let me check.” Dorn moved the scrying sensor around, eventually heading up into the broken tower. The sensor winked out. “Guess that answers that question.”</p><p></p><p>“Well,” said Keldas, “I suggest we bypass Chael Rendaar and go directly to the desmodu city. Unfortunately no one here has seen the city, so the chance of a teleportation mishap is… of considerable concern.”</p><p></p><p>“Ach… An’ on top o’ that, I’m not too keen on jumpin’ in there unannounced. We’d need to take Viday, an’ he’s big enough I doubt anybody could zip out o’ here with him anyway.”</p><p></p><p>“Uhh… I have an idea.” All eyes turned to the paladin. “Well, ahh, we could put the <em>helm of teleportation</em> on Viday, cause he’s seen the city, and he could even take a couple of people with him. I think the helm will always carry the wearer, plus about 500 pounds. So we just make Viday the wearer.”</p><p></p><p>Everybody blinked and sat in stunned silence. The plan was simple, but brilliant. It was all the more amazing that the paladin had thought of it.</p><p></p><p>Wulf was the first to speak. “Well, yer know what they say: ‘Even a blind sow will pick up an acorn every now and then.’” But they wasted no time in working out the specific details from the kernel of the assmar’s epiphany.</p><p></p><p>“… teleports in with a couple of people to protect him…”</p><p>“… right to Viday’s home, so it’s inconspicuous…”</p><p>“… take Keldas and Shorty, so they can study the area for their own <em>teleportation</em>…”</p><p>“… we can pretty much come and go as we please from Viday’s private dwelling!”</p><p></p><p>Dorn spoke up. “I’ll go too. Viday plus me, Keldas, and Shorty. But first…” he pulled some runes out of his bag. “I knew today would be an oracle kind of day, and if I ain’t got much in the way of smack, at least I can see if it’s safe. An augury, and a divination: Weal or woe, if we travel now with Viday to his home?”</p><p></p><p>Dorn cast his runes… but the gods were strangely silent.</p><p></p><p>Nevertheless, they agreed to move forward, and the plan went off without a hitch. In due time, the entire group was assembled comfortably in Viday’s small home in the desmodu city. Wulf noted that the walls of Viday’s home were of a single drab color, but sculpted in pleasing curves and abrupt angles, the better to “see” and appreciate with the desmodu’s unique vision.</p><p></p><p>They began their visit by grilling Viday about the details of the city politics. The desmodu were led by an aged adept named Bandar and his assistant Mekmit. The explorers, Viday’s caste, were led by Tarket; the merchants were led by Raam; and the warriors by Torjed. The group decided it would be best to start right at the top, and Viday arranged a meeting for them with Bandar. </p><p></p><p>Bandar’s quarters were located at the top of a temple to Vesperian, the desmodu deity-- Lord of Bats. The path to the temple required the party to cross a narrow stone bridge that spanned a huge crevasse in the floor of the cave. Wulf looked at it and exchanged a nervous glance with Dorn.</p><p></p><p>“Remember,” Dorn whispered, “Viday crosses us, his three relatives back at the forge DIE. I don’t care if I did <em>raise</em> them myself.”</p><p></p><p>“Good on yer,” Wulf replied. He appreciated the priest’s dwarven pragmatism-- however heavy-handed it might be.</p><p></p><p>There was no immediate treachery afoot, however; the group soon approached Bandar’s council chamber and found him meeting with Mekmit and Rourmed. Wulf raised his fist in greeting to Bandar, then nodded to Rourmed-- more than anything to acknowledge his presence, and make it clear he wasn’t at all surprised by it. He took an immediate disliking to Mekmit-- completely unfounded, of course. Wulf simply didn’t trust anyone who played toadie to the avowed leader. <em>Them’s the ones yer gotta watch.</em></p><p></p><p>As usual, after the brief introductions, Wulf got right to the point. “We got a problem. Yer salamander buddies are causin’ earthquakes back down the line.” Wulf jerked his head back in the general direction of the forge, as if Bandar would know what he was talking about. “Whole lot o’ dwarves and a nice forge on the line up there.”</p><p></p><p>“Well, obviously we don’t mean you any harm, but the situation is rather complicated. The earthquakes are no doubt caused by the dam of lava in the salamanders’ lair; they need this lava in order to sustain the gate from their realm to ours. They could not survive here without the heat of that lava.</p><p></p><p>“There are complications for the desmodu as well. We have only just cleared the way through Chael Rendaar. Chael Rendaar is a choke-point of underdark highways. If the dam bursts and the lava flows into Chael Rendaar again, the desmodu will once again be cut off from the surface world. I am afraid that my people will not survive without outside contact. Already, in the past several hundred years, we have lost much of our arcane knowledge. We have no priests or wizards to speak of.”</p><p></p><p><em>Good to know,</em> Wulf thought. “Gimme solutions, then.”</p><p></p><p>“Well, it’s would still destroy the salamanders’ demesne, but it might be possible to dig a channel through Chael Rendaar to divert the flow of lava through the cavern-- in one side and out the other. Then, the way would not be blocked, and we desmodu could still reach the surface world.”</p><p></p><p>“Well, let’s talk about that for a second. Are yer aware that yer warrior buddies are enslavin’ yer own people? Viday here, he can tell yer all about it.”</p><p></p><p>Viday stepped forward briefly. “It’s true. The warriors are a threat to anyone who travels through Chael Rendaar or beyond. They have allied with eye tyrants in Chael Rendaar to retrieve the adamantine there.”</p><p></p><p>“Torjed has always been overly aggressive, “ Bandar admitted. “Mekmit, arrange a meeting to speak with him.”</p><p></p><p>“Right then. So gettin’ back to the earthquake problem… Seems to me that no matter how yer slice it, somebody’s gonna get buggered: my dwarves, yer desmodu, or the salamanders. All those in favor of screwin’ the salamanders?”</p><p></p><p>Wulf’s entire group raised their hands.</p><p></p><p>Though he had watched impassionately during the entire exchange, Rourmed finally spoke up. “I suggest that the salamanders are more important allies. Surely the dwarves can relocate.”</p><p></p><p>Wulf made a mental note. </p><p><em>FOLKS TO KILL:</em></p><p><strong>Rourmed</strong>.</p><p></p><p>Rourmed continued. “With our aid, you have had great success with Lord Helkitren. Surely you would not discard the good will of a noble salamander.”</p><p></p><p><em>FOLKS TO KILL:</em></p><p><strong>Rourmed.</strong></p><p><strong>Helkitren.</strong></p><p></p><p>“Yer Rourmed, aye?” Wulf looked askance at Karak, hoping for the <em>eeeevil</em> confirmation, but the paladin shook his head. “Ach… Well, just what is it yer doin’ down here, anyway?”</p><p></p><p>If Rourmed realized that he’d made it onto Wulf’s list, he seemed unconcerned. He spoke calmly, palms upward. “My comrades and I seek trade with the desmodu for the mutual benefit of all parties.”</p><p></p><p><em> We got us a fancy-schmancy diplomat here. Two can at play that game.</em></p><p></p><p>“Oh yeah?”</p><p></p><p>Rourmed nodded. </p><p></p><p>“What comrades? We heard about Engram. How many ‘comrades’ yer got down here, anyway?”</p><p></p><p>Bandar spoke up. “He travels with a half-elf and a half-orc…”</p><p></p><p>“Well, if it’s trade yer want, yer can’t do much better than us dwarves. I still say: Screw the salamanders.” Wulf was clearly losing his patience. His palms were itching for <em>his</em> kind of solution.</p><p></p><p>Bandar waved him aside. “Peace, peace. It doesn’t have to be decided today.”</p><p></p><p>Dorn whispered to Wulf. “Shorthand for ‘Sleep here tonight so we can kill ya in yer sleep.’”</p><p></p><p>Keldas nodded to Bandar. “We accept. We’ll stay tonight in your temple, and meet with you and the other desmodu leaders tomorrow.”</p><p></p><p>“Aye…” Wulf mused. “That Torjed prick is due for a stiff beatin'…”</p><p></p><p>They were led away to their chambers, and everyone’s mind was on the same thing: A clash with Rourmed was clearly imminent.</p><p></p><p>“Anytime you match adventurers against adventurers,” cautioned Dorn, “it gets ugly.”</p><p></p><p>Wulf lay back on his hands, a big grin on his face. “It also gets… <em>lucrative</em>.”</p><p></p><p>The group bedded down in a small cul-de-sac not more than thirty feet from Bandar’s own dwelling. Bandar’s cave was located above the temple, and the only access (in or out) that they were aware of was a ten-foot wide hole in the floor. Counting Bandar and Mekmit’s spaces, their own cave, and the short passage leading to the gaping hole down, the whole cave had a clover-shaped appearance.</p><p></p><p>Wulf was the only one who didn’t need his rest to recover spells, and at any rate he wasn’t about to drop his guard among the desmodu, no matter how trusting and good-natured Wulf usually considered himself. He took up a position at the mouth of their cave and did his best to blend in with the rocky wall.</p><p></p><p>His vigilance was soon rewarded. Not more than an hour after they’d bedded down, a desmodu child-- though still man-sized by Wulf’s standards, of course-- crept into the cave complex and headed for Bandar’s cave. As the child approached the curtain that Bandar had drawn across for privacy, literally within arm’s reach of Wulf, Wulf stepped out of hiding.</p><p></p><p>“What yer want?” Wulf’s hand was already on the axe at his belt.</p><p></p><p>Though he was certain the child hadn’t seen him, the ‘little’ desmodu didn’t flinch whatsoever. “I have a message for Bandar.”</p><p></p><p>“What’s the message?”</p><p></p><p>“It’s private.” The child put on a petulant look-- at least, as petulant as a 6-foot tall bat could manage.</p><p></p><p>Dorn was alert now and at Wulf’s side-- with <em>Syrius</em> already well in hand. Wulf held Dorn back and whispered quietly. “Easy now… Be just our luck the little bugger’s innocent. Can’t go ‘round slaughtering their wee ones… yet.”</p><p></p><p>Wulf stepped aside. “Deliver your message then. We’ll wait right here.”</p><p></p><p>The child entered the cave and pulled the curtain closed again behind him. Wulf and Dorn stood nearby, listening for trouble-- but there was none forthcoming.</p><p></p><p>“…meet with him tomorrow first thing to discuss Torjed and his warriors.”</p><p></p><p>Bandar answered. “Very well. Tell master Tarket I will confer with him before I approach Torjed.”</p><p></p><p>The child slipped out of the cave again and looked disapprovingly at Wulf and Dorn. “It's not polite to listen in on other people’s conversations, you know.”</p><p></p><p>“Yah… Bugger off, then.”</p><p></p><p>The child left them. Wulf once again assumed his position as guard, and Dorn returned to rest. The evening passed without a hitch.</p><p></p><p>In the morning, however, they awoke to trouble. Several desmodu greeted Bandar and Mekmit, looking askance at Wulf and his companions-- and at Viday.</p><p></p><p>“Tarket is dead,” one of the desmodu announced. “Witnesses say he was killed by… him.”</p><p></p><p>The desmodu gestured with his hook, eyeing the assassin down the length of his weapon.</p><p></p><p>Keldas looked around. “Me?”</p><p></p><p>They followed the desmodu to Tarket’s dwelling, where several more guards were watching the scene of the crime. Tarket’s body was still there; it was even mostly intact. Unfortunately they hadn’t travelled with a ranger since The Sunless Citadel (Wulf still cursed the fact that the bastard had waltzed off with first magic battle-axe the group had found). Without someone skilled in tracking, there wasn’t really any way to tell exactly how he’d died. He had some deep wounds and some toasty bits, though, plain enough.</p><p></p><p>“Well,” Wulf suggested, looking hopefully at Bandar, desperate to find a diplomatic solution out of their predicament. “We can cast <em>speak with dead</em> and ask Tarket’s soul about the killing. Would that satisfy yer?”</p><p></p><p>Before Bandar could reply, Dorn stepped forward. “Ferkit,” he scowled. “Give me time to rest and pray, and I’ll just raise him from the dead. You can ask him whatever the hell you want.” He snapped his fingers, <em>easy as pie</em>. Clearly, Dorn was enjoying his power over the afterlife. </p><p></p><p>Wulf blinked sheepishly. “Ahh… right. Or we could do that.”</p><p></p><p>“That would solve the problem,” Keldas said. “Even if Tarket can’t vindicate us personally, obviously we have nothing to gain by killing Tarket and raising him the next day.”</p><p></p><p>“Aye. No harm, no foul, I say.”</p><p></p><p>Wulf thought for a moment. “Meantime, Bandar, we’ll want to keep watch over the body. Let’s move him to the temple, right? Yer want to post a few desmodu guards as well, I reckon.” </p><p></p><p>So it was decided. The party returned to the temple quarters with Tarket’s body. Bandar, Viday, and three other desmodu went with them. Wulf directed the defenses, posting the three desmodu near the hole leading down. He put Viday around the corner in another cul-de-sac. “Keep pingin’ around, let us know if anything’s comin’.”</p><p></p><p>Karak was stationed right next to the body, along with Bandar. “Just don’t let ‘em get the body, right? Cause I reckon they'll try, their ass is on the line now.” Wulf moved up to the edge of the cul-de-sac and hid near the wall there.</p><p></p><p>While they waited, Dorn had an idea. “Well, I got a <em>scry</em> spell today. Might as well use it and see what Rourmed is up to.”</p><p></p><p>This time, the scrying sensor had no trouble locating Rourmed. Dorn spotted him just outside in the desmodu city-- though Rourmed looked like a desmodu child, and standing next to him was someone who looked like Keldas. </p><p></p><p>Viday shouted a warning. Even from around the corner, his uncanny ‘eyesight’ could see throughout the entire cave-- and even down the hole. “Someone is coming up…”</p><p></p><p>Wulf tightened his grip on <em>Taranak</em>. “IT’S ON!”</p><p></p><p>Wulf looked to Keldas to start the party off right. “How about a little <em>haste</em> and <em>improved invisibility</em> here, right?”</p><p></p><p>Keldas cast <em>mass haste</em>, but Wulf was surprised and disappointed when the elf followed up with <em>mirror image</em>. “What the hell?”</p><p></p><p>“It’s part of my new philosophy,” explained Keldas.</p><p></p><p>“What’s that? Cover yer own ass first?”</p><p></p><p>“Pretty much,” Keldas nodded, pointing to the hole in the floor. Two warriors in plate-mail came cruising up through the hole. The first, a human, sailed up to the desmodu warriors and landed the first crushing blow. </p><p></p><p>The second warrior was a black-skinned half-orc. He hovered back a few paces, threw back his shoulders and thrust his head forward, mouth open wide. Dorn spotted his scaly skin, but not in time to warn the others before a bubbling gout of acid washed over everyone.</p><p></p><p>Dorn smacked Bandar. “Next time you tell us the enemy travels with a half-orc,” he bellowed, “you might mention that the <em>other</em> half is DRAGON!” Dorn fired a <em>searing light</em> at the half-orc/half-dragon but missed, striking one of their own desmodu allies instead. “Blast!”</p><p></p><p>Wulf and Keldas shuddered at the sound of breaking glass from below the hole. They were far too familiar with that sound: the sound of a psion summoning astral constructs. At any moment they expected ghostly gorillas and elephants to come pounding into their midst. “Gonna need some <em>protection</em> here!” Wulf shouted, to no one in particular. He had his own <em>helm of protection from evil</em> so he wasn’t worried for himself.</p><p></p><p>The paladin stepped forward, cast a <em>magic circle</em> and threw a fireball from his necklace to the back of the cave, catching the two warriors and anybody else who might be standing under the hole. He flushed a couple more enemies out-- Engram floated up out of the hole and cast a <em>dispel</em> over the entire area. He was a powerful wizard, and everyone in the group felt some of their magical protections melt away. </p><p></p><p>An ice devil came bounding out of the hole, cackling as it took up a position behind the human warrior. A <em>wall of ice</em> sprang up across the mouth of the party’s cul-de-sac, cutting them off from the three desmodu warriors. </p><p></p><p>“Son of a… Ach, yer bastard!” Wulf was standing right at the edge of the wall, but he didn’t dare chop through it. For starters, he knew the accursed devil would just make another, and to make matters worse, he’d seen Rourmed arrive moments before and start casting. “Right… ready yerselves! When that wall goes down, all hell is gonna break loose!”</p><p></p><p>From somewhere behind him Wulf heard Alliane speaking. Her usual soft, subdued monotone grew louder and more confident, and soon became a bold <em>recitation</em>: “…our Lord Corellon, grant us power and protection! Lay your hands upon us in our time of need…”</p><p></p><p>Wulf raised his fist. “Up Corellon… Whatever…” He didn’t particularly want Corellon layin’ his hands anywhere near him, but he couldn’t deny that when Alliane finished her spell, he felt stronger, more agile, more confident.</p><p></p><p>Still <em>hasted</em>, Alliane readied a <em>dispel magic</em> to counter whatever came at them when the wall dropped. Though the ice wall was too thick to see through, they could see shadowy forms moving on the other side. A human psion and two large astral constructs had arrived.</p><p></p><p>While the others prepared spells, Wulf could do no more than to grip <em>Taranak</em> tightly and pray for an enemy close at hand. </p><p></p><p>Keldas <em>dispelled</em> the wall and both sides let fly with everything they had. Engram, the elf mage, started to cast an <em>acid fog</em> centered on the back half of the party’s cave, but Alliane was ready with a counterspell. Keldas acted next, casting <em>improved invisibilty</em> on Wulf, but before anyone could act, Rourmed completed his own spell, and a <em>blade barrier</em> appeared in their midst.</p><p></p><p><em>”Scatter!”</em> Dorn yelled. He lost the spell he was preparing and shoved Bandar out of the cave, spoiling the adept’s <em>lightning bolt</em> as well. The party scrambled out of their cul-de-sac and into the two adjoining caves. They were split up now, with Dorn, Alliane, Bandar, and Viday on one side, and everybody else on the other. It was no great surprise, then, when the bone devil threw up another wall of ice into the left-hand cavern, further splintering the group. Keldas and Wulf were in front of the wall, up near the action, but Shorty and Karak were trapped behind another wall.</p><p></p><p>It was obvious Shorty was getting frustrated. The little sorceror twice tried to dispel the wall of ice, but could not seem to focus his own magic enough to do the trick. Karak was indecisive, pacing back and forth behind the wall, trying to decide if it was worth using one of his powerful scrolls to dispel it, or just hacking his way through it.</p><p></p><p>The desmodu warriors weren’t faring well against Rourmed and Engram’s hired thugs. Wulf was screaming at them to finish off the bone devil, and like good soldiers they pounded away at it with all their might. Of course, they didn’t seem to notice that their weapons couldn’t hurt it. They were getting nowhere fast and things got even worse when the little half-elf showed up. Wulf watched with admiration as she tumbled through the melee and flanked the first warrior. He grimaced, knowing what was coming next; sure enough, the sneaky little chit was a rogue, and her sneak attacks dropped the desmodu like a ton of bricks. The human warrior and the half-orc-half-dragon easily finished off a second desmodu.</p><p></p><p>Dorn stood at the edge of Rourmed’s <em>blade barrier</em> and was finally ready to exact a little vengeance. He dropped <strong>two</strong> <em>flame strikes</em> into the ranks of the enemy, taking out the half-orc-half-dragon, and the psion. </p><p></p><p>Confident and invisible, Wulf waltzed through the combat and stepped up with the bone devil. “Yer want something done right, yer gotta do it yerself…” <em>Taranak</em> and his bone dagger sliced through the devil’s hide like butter. The devil screamed and backed up, summoning several lesser devils to help out. The devils couldn’t see Wulf, of course, so they surged forward and ripped the last desmodu guard to shreds.</p><p></p><p>Keldas blasted the devil with a <em>bolt of conjuring</em> and finally sent it screaming back to hell. “And for my next trick…” He gave the human an evil grin. Though he was dressed in full plate, the human warrior fought like a monk, bare-handed, and they had found him nearly impossible to hit. Fortunately Keldas had his number. “You just stand still a second so Wulf can have at you…”</p><p></p><p>The human went rigid as Keldas’ <em>hold monster</em> spell took effect, a look of surprise frozen on his face.</p><p></p><p>As much as Wulf wanted to lay into a helpless opponent, Dorn was the next to act, and he wasn’t pulling any punches. A <em>blade barrier</em> sprang up in Rourmed’s portion of the cave. Wulf knew that Dorn couldn’t see him, but he flattered himself to think that the priest was confident enough in his abilities to drop a bladestorm right on his head. True enough, both of the rogues in the area leapt and twisted to escape the whirling blades.</p><p></p><p>Wulf tumbled after the half-elven rogue, dropping his dagger and drawing a sock full of pennies. He was <em>smiling</em>. “Some days I really love this job…” Axe and sap went crashing down on the girl, and she went crashing to the floor.</p><p></p><p>Dorn’s <em>blade barrier</em> whirred away. The human ‘monk’ was held helpless at the edge of the blades, and though his expression did not change, there was no mistaking the look of abject terror that crept into his eyes. The blades slowed down somewhat as they whirled around him-- an <em>inertial barrier</em>. Wulf shrugged. <em>Right… you just get to die real slow then, yer poor bastard.</em></p><p></p><p>Rourmed and Engram were the only two enemies remaining, and they weren’t about to stand around inside the <em>blade barrier</em>. They retreated down the hole. Dorn dispelled his <em>barrier</em> and cast <em>silence</em> on Wulf. “Go get ‘em!”</p><p></p><p>Wulf didn’t hesitate, diving down the hole after them. His plan was to step up close so that the <em>silence</em> would prevent their spellcasting. He was surprised to note that became visible as he dropped through, nearly right on top of Rourmed. <em>Invisibility purge</em>, Wulf thought-- and yet, Engram was nowhere to be seen. Wulf shrugged and pulled his hand-axe to deal with Rourmed.</p><p></p><p>The evil cleric took a good look at Wulf, then backpedalled as fast as he could. Wulf took one good swipe at him with <em>Taranak</em> but Rourmed was able to escape his grasp-- and the area of <em>silence</em>. He spoke an incantation and disappeared. </p><p></p><p>The smile on Wulf’s face was gone. He hated to see the bad guys walk away from a righteous ass-kickin'.</p><p></p><p>He headed back upstairs to survey the damage, but the realization slowly dawned on him that they had, in fact, kicked some major ass. They’d only lost three desmodu—and who cared about them, after all? </p><p></p><p>Someone had finished off all the dead and dying while he was away. Wulf rolled the bodies over and looted them thoroughly-- but he didn’t feel there was much to it. </p><p></p><p>“These guys don’t have <em>jack…</em>,” Wulf complained.</p><p></p><p>“Well,” suggested Keldas, “Rourmed and Engram got away with the <em>real</em> treasure, leaving you with a psion, a monk, a thief, and a half-orc dragon-disciple of some kind. I guess they don’t need much of anything, really. Just the power of their own minds and bodies.”</p><p></p><p>Wulf rolled his eyes at the heavens. “Yer got to be ferkin’ kiddin’ me. How convenient.” He roughly flipped over the unconscious half-elf with the tip of his boot. “I hope fer yer sake, girlie, yer got something worthwhile… other than the obvious.” Of all of them, she was the only one that really came equipped with gear. </p><p></p><p>“It’s not so bad,” said Dorn, scanning the other gear for magic auras. “There’s quite a bit of weaker stuff here. Lots of potions, some weaker rings and amulets. Nice boots here on the half-orc…” His voice trailed off for a moment. “Sweet lord, look at this greatsword! That'll sell for a good chunk o' change.” </p><p></p><p>Wulf didn’t hear him. He was bending over the half-elf, rifling through her gear like a raccoon in a rubbish bin. He tossed aside her rapier and her short bow; he unbuckled her potion belt and stripped off her magic armor. He paused for a moment. </p><p></p><p>“Mmm… <em>Nice hole!</em> I’ll just snatch this little velvet treat and the rest of yer can do what yer want with everything else.”</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Wulf Ratbane, post: 5470, member: 94"] [b]DEEP HORIZON Part IV[/b] “What about Bala Saka?” Dorn was already doing the math on how many miraculous resurrections he’d be helping with. Wulf just shrugged. “He’ll turn up… He can take care of himself.” They hustled off into the darkness. There was no sign of Bala Saka or of any kind of pursuit. In due time, they returned safely to the forge. The Old Man took one look at their faces and prepared himself for the worst. “What happened?” “Keldas got himself disintegrated and the assmar went dancin’ with [I]La Machine[/I].” “Well, I warned you before, I cannot raise the aasimar. It will take a [I]Wish[/I] or [I]Miracle[/I] to do that.” Wulf slapped the [I]helm of teleportation[/I] on his head. “I’ll take care of it.” “How do you intend to pay for that?” said the Old Man. “I myself will require about 8,000 for Keldas’ [I]true resurrection[/I].” “YER CHARGIN’ US?” “Well, yes,” said the Old Man, completely nonplussed. “Take a look around you. Raw materials, holy water, vestments, shrines… these things cost money. Not to mention the dwarven smiths we’ve been recruiting. They all have to get paid.” “Fine, fine.” Wulf stuffed the rest of the paladin’s belongings in his [I]haversack[/I]. Into the large center compartment he scooped what was left of the paladin’s body. “I [I]said[/I] I’ll handle it.” Wulf teleported off to the big city. It would take a [I]wish[/I] to get the aasimar back, and wishes, it seemed, were not easy to come by. He couldn’t find a wizard at all who was willing to do the deed for less than 28,000 gold pieces—and he didn’t HAVE 28,000 gold pieces. Even if they pooled all the party’s resources, they couldn’t even come close. He started taking items out of the bag and placing them on the table. “Stop me when yer see something that catches yer eye…” “Stop!” “The assmar’s cloak?” Wulf held it up at arm’s length. “What’s it do?” “It has a powerful enchantment upon it, very powerful. Looks like a [I]cloak of charisma[/I].” “[I]Charisma?[/I]” Wulf tried hard to hide his disdain. [I]What in the nine hells would anyone want a cloak of charisma for?[/I] “Ohh… Aye, that’s a useful piece all right. Whatcha gimme for it?” “I can cast the [I]Wish[/I] you require.” Wulf sniffed. “Oh, I don’t know. I mean, it’s [i]charisma[/i] and all.” He turned the item around in his hands. “Powerful magic, too. Gimme the [I]Wish[/i] an’ 8000 and yer got a deal.” “Done.” The wizard absent-mindedly put eight large gems onto the table and Wulf deftly swept them into his pouch. The wizard seemed lost in thought for a moment, but finally spoke. “Now this [I]wish[/I]… I suppose you’ll be wanting me to restore your paladin friend to full health, exactly as he was before?” “Oh, no yer don’t.” Wulf had heard a thing or two about wishes, how they could be twisted around if they were not worded to avoid any wiggle-room in their interpretation. “Don’t muck around with it. Yer gotta be [I]precise,[/I] right? None o’ this ‘Exactly as he was before…’ business.” “Of course, of course.” The wizard shooed him out. “The process will take a while, however; I’ll require seclusion for the day.” “Aye, whatever.” ***** Wulf returned that evening and the wizard welcomed him in, gesturing grandly towards the paladin who rested comfortably in the wizard’s lab. The paladin looked a little groggy, but otherwise he seemed perfectly healthy. “As you requested… body and soul, reunited again. There was some… ahh, difficulty in repairing the body; fortunately I am well-versed in anatomy. I’ve never seen a more healthy human specimen.” “Uhh…” [I]Oops.[/I] Wulf moved quickly to change the subject. He threw one of the paladin’s arms over his shoulder and boosted him to his feet. “Up yer go, assmar. Let’s get yer home, right?” “Mmm hmmm…" The paladin swooned a bit as they teleported back to the forge. "I feel funny…” ***** “You sold my CLOAK?” The paladin was wide awake now. “Yer have some better idea how to come up with 28,000 gold pieces?” “Yes! Sell some of that adamantine.” “Are yer out of yer ferkin’ [I]mind[/I]?” “Well, isn’t that just like a dwarf.” Wulf got deadly serious for a moment. “Look, bud. Yer had it pretty good up till now, as far as [I]this[/I] dwarf is concerned. Ain’t never been greedy an’ graspin’ with the gold, right? But if yer think I’m sellin’ off dwarven ore to the highest bidder, yer got another think comin’.” “Well, fine, I’ll just buy another cloak. I’ll have to, now that I’m [I]human[/I].” “Fine, yer do that-- next time we split up the cash. An’ if it’ll make yer feel any better, I’m still gonna call yer ‘assmar.’” ***** Wulf dropped off the adamantine with the dwarven smiths along with a wish-list from the group. Two longswords, two shortswords, two bucklers, four daggers, 50 arrows, and a great-axe for Dorn. Wulf went to find Dorn and found the group already assembled in Dorn’s cloister. The priest was really enjoying his new role as ‘Divine Oracle’ and had arranged several small, non-descript compartments where he could retreat to scry. “Figured we might as well check in on Rourmed and Engram.” Viday had dropped their names early on-- two surface-worlders who had made contact with the desmodu. Dorn shared Wulf’s natural suspicion-- there was nothing that a human and an elf could be up to that was any good. At any rate, nobody wanted to head back into Chael Rendaar to face more beholders. They were hoping for a clue that might hurry things to their natural conclusion: a big pile of dead bad guys. “Good idea. Yer got a name an’ a description, that should be enough.” Dorn cast his [I]scrying[/I] spell and attempted to center on Rourmed, to no avail. “Well, I’ll try Engram then…” The scrying sensor appeared. Engram, the elf wizard, was bent over a book. Dorn cast a [I]detect evil[/I] spell through his sensor. “Let’s see if this works…” Dorn held the connection through the sensor and focused on Engram’s aura. “Not evil…” “Not likely…” muttered Wulf. “What’s he readin’?” Before Dorn could focus on the page, Engram paused, suddenly alert to the scrying. He calmly closed the book and walked to a non-descript corner of the room. Smiling, he sat down and waited patiently. “So much for that,” said Dorn. “Well, as long as yer spell’s workin’, check out the temple in Chael Rendaar.” Dorn refocused his scrying. Soon he could see the inner fane of the temple. Moving the sensor around, the place seemed mostly abandoned. He spotted a couple of desmodu at guard posts. “Find out what was in that water.” The sensor moved under the large pool of water. Dorn could see several enormous lobster-like creatures scuttling about. “Each one of ‘em is bigger than a cart, easy.” Wulf shrugged. “Ehh… We can handle that.” Shorty piped up from below. “Yeah, but where you gonna get that much butter?” Dorn watched as one of the creatures scooted over to a secluded patch on the floor where a number of coins and gems had been piled up. Carefully picking up one of the gems in its enormous pincer, the lobster-creature held the gem up to its eyestalks, seeming to admire it. “Well, whatever they are, they’re intelligent.” “Any beholders?” “Let me check.” Dorn moved the scrying sensor around, eventually heading up into the broken tower. The sensor winked out. “Guess that answers that question.” “Well,” said Keldas, “I suggest we bypass Chael Rendaar and go directly to the desmodu city. Unfortunately no one here has seen the city, so the chance of a teleportation mishap is… of considerable concern.” “Ach… An’ on top o’ that, I’m not too keen on jumpin’ in there unannounced. We’d need to take Viday, an’ he’s big enough I doubt anybody could zip out o’ here with him anyway.” “Uhh… I have an idea.” All eyes turned to the paladin. “Well, ahh, we could put the [I]helm of teleportation[/I] on Viday, cause he’s seen the city, and he could even take a couple of people with him. I think the helm will always carry the wearer, plus about 500 pounds. So we just make Viday the wearer.” Everybody blinked and sat in stunned silence. The plan was simple, but brilliant. It was all the more amazing that the paladin had thought of it. Wulf was the first to speak. “Well, yer know what they say: ‘Even a blind sow will pick up an acorn every now and then.’” But they wasted no time in working out the specific details from the kernel of the assmar’s epiphany. “… teleports in with a couple of people to protect him…” “… right to Viday’s home, so it’s inconspicuous…” “… take Keldas and Shorty, so they can study the area for their own [I]teleportation[/I]…” “… we can pretty much come and go as we please from Viday’s private dwelling!” Dorn spoke up. “I’ll go too. Viday plus me, Keldas, and Shorty. But first…” he pulled some runes out of his bag. “I knew today would be an oracle kind of day, and if I ain’t got much in the way of smack, at least I can see if it’s safe. An augury, and a divination: Weal or woe, if we travel now with Viday to his home?” Dorn cast his runes… but the gods were strangely silent. Nevertheless, they agreed to move forward, and the plan went off without a hitch. In due time, the entire group was assembled comfortably in Viday’s small home in the desmodu city. Wulf noted that the walls of Viday’s home were of a single drab color, but sculpted in pleasing curves and abrupt angles, the better to “see” and appreciate with the desmodu’s unique vision. They began their visit by grilling Viday about the details of the city politics. The desmodu were led by an aged adept named Bandar and his assistant Mekmit. The explorers, Viday’s caste, were led by Tarket; the merchants were led by Raam; and the warriors by Torjed. The group decided it would be best to start right at the top, and Viday arranged a meeting for them with Bandar. Bandar’s quarters were located at the top of a temple to Vesperian, the desmodu deity-- Lord of Bats. The path to the temple required the party to cross a narrow stone bridge that spanned a huge crevasse in the floor of the cave. Wulf looked at it and exchanged a nervous glance with Dorn. “Remember,” Dorn whispered, “Viday crosses us, his three relatives back at the forge DIE. I don’t care if I did [I]raise[/I] them myself.” “Good on yer,” Wulf replied. He appreciated the priest’s dwarven pragmatism-- however heavy-handed it might be. There was no immediate treachery afoot, however; the group soon approached Bandar’s council chamber and found him meeting with Mekmit and Rourmed. Wulf raised his fist in greeting to Bandar, then nodded to Rourmed-- more than anything to acknowledge his presence, and make it clear he wasn’t at all surprised by it. He took an immediate disliking to Mekmit-- completely unfounded, of course. Wulf simply didn’t trust anyone who played toadie to the avowed leader. [I]Them’s the ones yer gotta watch.[/I] As usual, after the brief introductions, Wulf got right to the point. “We got a problem. Yer salamander buddies are causin’ earthquakes back down the line.” Wulf jerked his head back in the general direction of the forge, as if Bandar would know what he was talking about. “Whole lot o’ dwarves and a nice forge on the line up there.” “Well, obviously we don’t mean you any harm, but the situation is rather complicated. The earthquakes are no doubt caused by the dam of lava in the salamanders’ lair; they need this lava in order to sustain the gate from their realm to ours. They could not survive here without the heat of that lava. “There are complications for the desmodu as well. We have only just cleared the way through Chael Rendaar. Chael Rendaar is a choke-point of underdark highways. If the dam bursts and the lava flows into Chael Rendaar again, the desmodu will once again be cut off from the surface world. I am afraid that my people will not survive without outside contact. Already, in the past several hundred years, we have lost much of our arcane knowledge. We have no priests or wizards to speak of.” [I]Good to know,[/I] Wulf thought. “Gimme solutions, then.” “Well, it’s would still destroy the salamanders’ demesne, but it might be possible to dig a channel through Chael Rendaar to divert the flow of lava through the cavern-- in one side and out the other. Then, the way would not be blocked, and we desmodu could still reach the surface world.” “Well, let’s talk about that for a second. Are yer aware that yer warrior buddies are enslavin’ yer own people? Viday here, he can tell yer all about it.” Viday stepped forward briefly. “It’s true. The warriors are a threat to anyone who travels through Chael Rendaar or beyond. They have allied with eye tyrants in Chael Rendaar to retrieve the adamantine there.” “Torjed has always been overly aggressive, “ Bandar admitted. “Mekmit, arrange a meeting to speak with him.” “Right then. So gettin’ back to the earthquake problem… Seems to me that no matter how yer slice it, somebody’s gonna get buggered: my dwarves, yer desmodu, or the salamanders. All those in favor of screwin’ the salamanders?” Wulf’s entire group raised their hands. Though he had watched impassionately during the entire exchange, Rourmed finally spoke up. “I suggest that the salamanders are more important allies. Surely the dwarves can relocate.” Wulf made a mental note. [I]FOLKS TO KILL:[/I] [b]Rourmed[/b]. Rourmed continued. “With our aid, you have had great success with Lord Helkitren. Surely you would not discard the good will of a noble salamander.” [I]FOLKS TO KILL:[/I] [b]Rourmed. Helkitren.[/b] “Yer Rourmed, aye?” Wulf looked askance at Karak, hoping for the [I]eeeevil[/I] confirmation, but the paladin shook his head. “Ach… Well, just what is it yer doin’ down here, anyway?” If Rourmed realized that he’d made it onto Wulf’s list, he seemed unconcerned. He spoke calmly, palms upward. “My comrades and I seek trade with the desmodu for the mutual benefit of all parties.” [I] We got us a fancy-schmancy diplomat here. Two can at play that game.[/I] “Oh yeah?” Rourmed nodded. “What comrades? We heard about Engram. How many ‘comrades’ yer got down here, anyway?” Bandar spoke up. “He travels with a half-elf and a half-orc…” “Well, if it’s trade yer want, yer can’t do much better than us dwarves. I still say: Screw the salamanders.” Wulf was clearly losing his patience. His palms were itching for [i]his[/i] kind of solution. Bandar waved him aside. “Peace, peace. It doesn’t have to be decided today.” Dorn whispered to Wulf. “Shorthand for ‘Sleep here tonight so we can kill ya in yer sleep.’” Keldas nodded to Bandar. “We accept. We’ll stay tonight in your temple, and meet with you and the other desmodu leaders tomorrow.” “Aye…” Wulf mused. “That Torjed prick is due for a stiff beatin'…” They were led away to their chambers, and everyone’s mind was on the same thing: A clash with Rourmed was clearly imminent. “Anytime you match adventurers against adventurers,” cautioned Dorn, “it gets ugly.” Wulf lay back on his hands, a big grin on his face. “It also gets… [I]lucrative[/I].” The group bedded down in a small cul-de-sac not more than thirty feet from Bandar’s own dwelling. Bandar’s cave was located above the temple, and the only access (in or out) that they were aware of was a ten-foot wide hole in the floor. Counting Bandar and Mekmit’s spaces, their own cave, and the short passage leading to the gaping hole down, the whole cave had a clover-shaped appearance. Wulf was the only one who didn’t need his rest to recover spells, and at any rate he wasn’t about to drop his guard among the desmodu, no matter how trusting and good-natured Wulf usually considered himself. He took up a position at the mouth of their cave and did his best to blend in with the rocky wall. His vigilance was soon rewarded. Not more than an hour after they’d bedded down, a desmodu child-- though still man-sized by Wulf’s standards, of course-- crept into the cave complex and headed for Bandar’s cave. As the child approached the curtain that Bandar had drawn across for privacy, literally within arm’s reach of Wulf, Wulf stepped out of hiding. “What yer want?” Wulf’s hand was already on the axe at his belt. Though he was certain the child hadn’t seen him, the ‘little’ desmodu didn’t flinch whatsoever. “I have a message for Bandar.” “What’s the message?” “It’s private.” The child put on a petulant look-- at least, as petulant as a 6-foot tall bat could manage. Dorn was alert now and at Wulf’s side-- with [I]Syrius[/I] already well in hand. Wulf held Dorn back and whispered quietly. “Easy now… Be just our luck the little bugger’s innocent. Can’t go ‘round slaughtering their wee ones… yet.” Wulf stepped aside. “Deliver your message then. We’ll wait right here.” The child entered the cave and pulled the curtain closed again behind him. Wulf and Dorn stood nearby, listening for trouble-- but there was none forthcoming. “…meet with him tomorrow first thing to discuss Torjed and his warriors.” Bandar answered. “Very well. Tell master Tarket I will confer with him before I approach Torjed.” The child slipped out of the cave again and looked disapprovingly at Wulf and Dorn. “It's not polite to listen in on other people’s conversations, you know.” “Yah… Bugger off, then.” The child left them. Wulf once again assumed his position as guard, and Dorn returned to rest. The evening passed without a hitch. In the morning, however, they awoke to trouble. Several desmodu greeted Bandar and Mekmit, looking askance at Wulf and his companions-- and at Viday. “Tarket is dead,” one of the desmodu announced. “Witnesses say he was killed by… him.” The desmodu gestured with his hook, eyeing the assassin down the length of his weapon. Keldas looked around. “Me?” They followed the desmodu to Tarket’s dwelling, where several more guards were watching the scene of the crime. Tarket’s body was still there; it was even mostly intact. Unfortunately they hadn’t travelled with a ranger since The Sunless Citadel (Wulf still cursed the fact that the bastard had waltzed off with first magic battle-axe the group had found). Without someone skilled in tracking, there wasn’t really any way to tell exactly how he’d died. He had some deep wounds and some toasty bits, though, plain enough. “Well,” Wulf suggested, looking hopefully at Bandar, desperate to find a diplomatic solution out of their predicament. “We can cast [I]speak with dead[/I] and ask Tarket’s soul about the killing. Would that satisfy yer?” Before Bandar could reply, Dorn stepped forward. “Ferkit,” he scowled. “Give me time to rest and pray, and I’ll just raise him from the dead. You can ask him whatever the hell you want.” He snapped his fingers, [i]easy as pie[/i]. Clearly, Dorn was enjoying his power over the afterlife. Wulf blinked sheepishly. “Ahh… right. Or we could do that.” “That would solve the problem,” Keldas said. “Even if Tarket can’t vindicate us personally, obviously we have nothing to gain by killing Tarket and raising him the next day.” “Aye. No harm, no foul, I say.” Wulf thought for a moment. “Meantime, Bandar, we’ll want to keep watch over the body. Let’s move him to the temple, right? Yer want to post a few desmodu guards as well, I reckon.” So it was decided. The party returned to the temple quarters with Tarket’s body. Bandar, Viday, and three other desmodu went with them. Wulf directed the defenses, posting the three desmodu near the hole leading down. He put Viday around the corner in another cul-de-sac. “Keep pingin’ around, let us know if anything’s comin’.” Karak was stationed right next to the body, along with Bandar. “Just don’t let ‘em get the body, right? Cause I reckon they'll try, their ass is on the line now.” Wulf moved up to the edge of the cul-de-sac and hid near the wall there. While they waited, Dorn had an idea. “Well, I got a [I]scry[/I] spell today. Might as well use it and see what Rourmed is up to.” This time, the scrying sensor had no trouble locating Rourmed. Dorn spotted him just outside in the desmodu city-- though Rourmed looked like a desmodu child, and standing next to him was someone who looked like Keldas. Viday shouted a warning. Even from around the corner, his uncanny ‘eyesight’ could see throughout the entire cave-- and even down the hole. “Someone is coming up…” Wulf tightened his grip on [I]Taranak[/I]. “IT’S ON!” Wulf looked to Keldas to start the party off right. “How about a little [I]haste[/I] and [I]improved invisibility[/I] here, right?” Keldas cast [I]mass haste[/I], but Wulf was surprised and disappointed when the elf followed up with [I]mirror image[/I]. “What the hell?” “It’s part of my new philosophy,” explained Keldas. “What’s that? Cover yer own ass first?” “Pretty much,” Keldas nodded, pointing to the hole in the floor. Two warriors in plate-mail came cruising up through the hole. The first, a human, sailed up to the desmodu warriors and landed the first crushing blow. The second warrior was a black-skinned half-orc. He hovered back a few paces, threw back his shoulders and thrust his head forward, mouth open wide. Dorn spotted his scaly skin, but not in time to warn the others before a bubbling gout of acid washed over everyone. Dorn smacked Bandar. “Next time you tell us the enemy travels with a half-orc,” he bellowed, “you might mention that the [I]other[/I] half is DRAGON!” Dorn fired a [I]searing light[/I] at the half-orc/half-dragon but missed, striking one of their own desmodu allies instead. “Blast!” Wulf and Keldas shuddered at the sound of breaking glass from below the hole. They were far too familiar with that sound: the sound of a psion summoning astral constructs. At any moment they expected ghostly gorillas and elephants to come pounding into their midst. “Gonna need some [I]protection[/I] here!” Wulf shouted, to no one in particular. He had his own [I]helm of protection from evil[/I] so he wasn’t worried for himself. The paladin stepped forward, cast a [I]magic circle[/I] and threw a fireball from his necklace to the back of the cave, catching the two warriors and anybody else who might be standing under the hole. He flushed a couple more enemies out-- Engram floated up out of the hole and cast a [I]dispel[/I] over the entire area. He was a powerful wizard, and everyone in the group felt some of their magical protections melt away. An ice devil came bounding out of the hole, cackling as it took up a position behind the human warrior. A [I]wall of ice[/I] sprang up across the mouth of the party’s cul-de-sac, cutting them off from the three desmodu warriors. “Son of a… Ach, yer bastard!” Wulf was standing right at the edge of the wall, but he didn’t dare chop through it. For starters, he knew the accursed devil would just make another, and to make matters worse, he’d seen Rourmed arrive moments before and start casting. “Right… ready yerselves! When that wall goes down, all hell is gonna break loose!” From somewhere behind him Wulf heard Alliane speaking. Her usual soft, subdued monotone grew louder and more confident, and soon became a bold [I]recitation[/I]: “…our Lord Corellon, grant us power and protection! Lay your hands upon us in our time of need…” Wulf raised his fist. “Up Corellon… Whatever…” He didn’t particularly want Corellon layin’ his hands anywhere near him, but he couldn’t deny that when Alliane finished her spell, he felt stronger, more agile, more confident. Still [I]hasted[/I], Alliane readied a [I]dispel magic[/I] to counter whatever came at them when the wall dropped. Though the ice wall was too thick to see through, they could see shadowy forms moving on the other side. A human psion and two large astral constructs had arrived. While the others prepared spells, Wulf could do no more than to grip [I]Taranak[/I] tightly and pray for an enemy close at hand. Keldas [I]dispelled[/I] the wall and both sides let fly with everything they had. Engram, the elf mage, started to cast an [I]acid fog[/I] centered on the back half of the party’s cave, but Alliane was ready with a counterspell. Keldas acted next, casting [I]improved invisibilty[/I] on Wulf, but before anyone could act, Rourmed completed his own spell, and a [I]blade barrier[/I] appeared in their midst. [I]”Scatter!”[/I] Dorn yelled. He lost the spell he was preparing and shoved Bandar out of the cave, spoiling the adept’s [I]lightning bolt[/I] as well. The party scrambled out of their cul-de-sac and into the two adjoining caves. They were split up now, with Dorn, Alliane, Bandar, and Viday on one side, and everybody else on the other. It was no great surprise, then, when the bone devil threw up another wall of ice into the left-hand cavern, further splintering the group. Keldas and Wulf were in front of the wall, up near the action, but Shorty and Karak were trapped behind another wall. It was obvious Shorty was getting frustrated. The little sorceror twice tried to dispel the wall of ice, but could not seem to focus his own magic enough to do the trick. Karak was indecisive, pacing back and forth behind the wall, trying to decide if it was worth using one of his powerful scrolls to dispel it, or just hacking his way through it. The desmodu warriors weren’t faring well against Rourmed and Engram’s hired thugs. Wulf was screaming at them to finish off the bone devil, and like good soldiers they pounded away at it with all their might. Of course, they didn’t seem to notice that their weapons couldn’t hurt it. They were getting nowhere fast and things got even worse when the little half-elf showed up. Wulf watched with admiration as she tumbled through the melee and flanked the first warrior. He grimaced, knowing what was coming next; sure enough, the sneaky little chit was a rogue, and her sneak attacks dropped the desmodu like a ton of bricks. The human warrior and the half-orc-half-dragon easily finished off a second desmodu. Dorn stood at the edge of Rourmed’s [I]blade barrier[/I] and was finally ready to exact a little vengeance. He dropped [b]two[/b] [I]flame strikes[/I] into the ranks of the enemy, taking out the half-orc-half-dragon, and the psion. Confident and invisible, Wulf waltzed through the combat and stepped up with the bone devil. “Yer want something done right, yer gotta do it yerself…” [I]Taranak[/I] and his bone dagger sliced through the devil’s hide like butter. The devil screamed and backed up, summoning several lesser devils to help out. The devils couldn’t see Wulf, of course, so they surged forward and ripped the last desmodu guard to shreds. Keldas blasted the devil with a [I]bolt of conjuring[/I] and finally sent it screaming back to hell. “And for my next trick…” He gave the human an evil grin. Though he was dressed in full plate, the human warrior fought like a monk, bare-handed, and they had found him nearly impossible to hit. Fortunately Keldas had his number. “You just stand still a second so Wulf can have at you…” The human went rigid as Keldas’ [I]hold monster[/I] spell took effect, a look of surprise frozen on his face. As much as Wulf wanted to lay into a helpless opponent, Dorn was the next to act, and he wasn’t pulling any punches. A [I]blade barrier[/I] sprang up in Rourmed’s portion of the cave. Wulf knew that Dorn couldn’t see him, but he flattered himself to think that the priest was confident enough in his abilities to drop a bladestorm right on his head. True enough, both of the rogues in the area leapt and twisted to escape the whirling blades. Wulf tumbled after the half-elven rogue, dropping his dagger and drawing a sock full of pennies. He was [I]smiling[/I]. “Some days I really love this job…” Axe and sap went crashing down on the girl, and she went crashing to the floor. Dorn’s [I]blade barrier[/I] whirred away. The human ‘monk’ was held helpless at the edge of the blades, and though his expression did not change, there was no mistaking the look of abject terror that crept into his eyes. The blades slowed down somewhat as they whirled around him-- an [I]inertial barrier[/I]. Wulf shrugged. [I]Right… you just get to die real slow then, yer poor bastard.[/I] Rourmed and Engram were the only two enemies remaining, and they weren’t about to stand around inside the [I]blade barrier[/I]. They retreated down the hole. Dorn dispelled his [I]barrier[/I] and cast [I]silence[/I] on Wulf. “Go get ‘em!” Wulf didn’t hesitate, diving down the hole after them. His plan was to step up close so that the [I]silence[/I] would prevent their spellcasting. He was surprised to note that became visible as he dropped through, nearly right on top of Rourmed. [I]Invisibility purge[/I], Wulf thought-- and yet, Engram was nowhere to be seen. Wulf shrugged and pulled his hand-axe to deal with Rourmed. The evil cleric took a good look at Wulf, then backpedalled as fast as he could. Wulf took one good swipe at him with [I]Taranak[/I] but Rourmed was able to escape his grasp-- and the area of [I]silence[/I]. He spoke an incantation and disappeared. The smile on Wulf’s face was gone. He hated to see the bad guys walk away from a righteous ass-kickin'. He headed back upstairs to survey the damage, but the realization slowly dawned on him that they had, in fact, kicked some major ass. They’d only lost three desmodu—and who cared about them, after all? Someone had finished off all the dead and dying while he was away. Wulf rolled the bodies over and looted them thoroughly-- but he didn’t feel there was much to it. “These guys don’t have [I]jack…[/I],” Wulf complained. “Well,” suggested Keldas, “Rourmed and Engram got away with the [I]real[/I] treasure, leaving you with a psion, a monk, a thief, and a half-orc dragon-disciple of some kind. I guess they don’t need much of anything, really. Just the power of their own minds and bodies.” Wulf rolled his eyes at the heavens. “Yer got to be ferkin’ kiddin’ me. How convenient.” He roughly flipped over the unconscious half-elf with the tip of his boot. “I hope fer yer sake, girlie, yer got something worthwhile… other than the obvious.” Of all of them, she was the only one that really came equipped with gear. “It’s not so bad,” said Dorn, scanning the other gear for magic auras. “There’s quite a bit of weaker stuff here. Lots of potions, some weaker rings and amulets. Nice boots here on the half-orc…” His voice trailed off for a moment. “Sweet lord, look at this greatsword! That'll sell for a good chunk o' change.” Wulf didn’t hear him. He was bending over the half-elf, rifling through her gear like a raccoon in a rubbish bin. He tossed aside her rapier and her short bow; he unbuckled her potion belt and stripped off her magic armor. He paused for a moment. “Mmm… [I]Nice hole![/I] I’ll just snatch this little velvet treat and the rest of yer can do what yer want with everything else.” [/QUOTE]
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Wulf's Collected Story Hour -- FINAL UPDATE 12/25
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