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<blockquote data-quote="Wulf Ratbane" data-source="post: 9113" data-attributes="member: 94"><p><strong>LORD OF THE IRON FORTRESS-- Part IV</strong></p><p></p><p>While they walked towards the formian lair, Wulf chatted with the ants to get a better feel for the metallic cat situation.</p><p></p><p>“How many yer killed?”</p><p></p><p>“A handful,” came the reply, though Wulf was left wondering what exactly a handful meant to a horse-sized ant.</p><p></p><p>“How many yer ever seen in one place at one time?”</p><p></p><p>“Two.”</p><p></p><p>Wulf raised an eyebrow. “Well, that’s somethin’, then. We can take two.”</p><p></p><p>They rested briefly with the formians-- long enough to trade out Shorty (who was due for a rest, along with Loyal) and to meet up again with Dorn, newly arrived from the prime and fully updated by the Old Man.</p><p></p><p>Wulf shook his hand. He was clearly glad to see him. “What yer been up to?” </p><p></p><p>“Crafting wands… Doin’ the temple thing...”</p><p></p><p>“Hmm,” Wulf grunted. “Well, right. Let’s take care of this cat business then.”</p><p></p><p>The formians directed them to the steel cats’ lair, and before long they found it: a faint path that eventually disappeared into the earth between two steep canyon walls. It was about 80 feet from the top of the walls to the cave mouth at the bottom. </p><p></p><p>The group turned to look at Wulf, apparently under the impression that he was qualified (and expected) to do some sort of scouting. </p><p></p><p>“Get in there and do it,” Dorn said. “You can take ‘em, right?”</p><p></p><p>“Well, all right,” he started, looking at Keldas. “<em>Invisibility</em>, please.”</p><p></p><p>Wulf winked out of sight, and Dorn felt a tap on his shoulder. “<em>Silence</em>, please.”</p><p></p><p>Wulf turned and pointed to the paladin. “Gimme yer shield.”</p><p></p><p>Karak ignored him. </p><p></p><p>“Gimme the goddam shield.”</p><p></p><p>Karak continued to ignore him-- then jumped with surprise when Wulf wrenched the large Lion’s Head shield from his arm. Obviously, the invisibility and silence were working just fine. </p><p></p><p>Even so, Wulf wasn’t taking any chances. He crept into the cave, every bit as quietly and stealthily as he could manage. The tunnel ran back about sixty feet before it horse-shoed and opened into a larger cave. Wulf crouched quietly by the opening, eyeing the occupants of the lair: three regular-sized steel cats and one <em>enormous</em> friggin’ den mother. He sat and thought for a moment, remembering the way the cats had easily mauled him back in Rigus. True enough, this time <em>Taranak</em> and his trusty bone dagger were enhanced by Dorn with <em>greater magic weapon</em>, but he wasn’t confident that if he was grappled again, he could overcome even one of the cats, let alone three, before he was ripped to pieces.</p><p></p><p>Outside the cave, Keldas stood over Dorn’s shoulder. “You’re scrying him, right?”</p><p></p><p>Dorn’s scrying sensor followed Wulf closely. He had taken flight with his <em>wings of flying</em> and sailed up to the top of the cavern. He hovered over the largest of the creatures, trying to decide whether or not to pounce on it, when the largest creature suddenly lifted its smooth, steel, eyeless head and sniffed about. It could sense that something was up.</p><p></p><p>“Yes, I’m scrying him,” Dorn answered, “and getting a good chuckle out of it, too...”</p><p></p><p>One of the smaller steel cats suddenly got up and padded out of the cave. Wulf followed after it, furling his wings at the last minute to follow it into the narrow corridor. Wulf lost sight of it briefly as the creature rounded the bend. He was being careful to stay at least fifteen feet behind it, lest the radius of his <em>silence</em> spell suddenly overlap the creature and give him away.</p><p></p><p>There was little need for his precautions. As he rounded the corner, the creature sprung at him from a narrow crevice. It struck him with unerring accuracy.</p><p></p><p><em>Blindsight,</em> Wulf thought. <em>Ferkin figures.</em> He swung his axe into the hide of the creature, and it bit deep. </p><p></p><p>Wulf was expecting help at any moment from his friends outside, but it would have to wait. From the middle of nowhere a shadowy figure suddenly appeared, flanked by two dire tigers. The creature barked out an order and Wulf recognized the hobgoblin tongue. </p><p></p><p>“Attack!” He punctuated his command by firing his bow at Alliane, who hovered far above. The arrow struck her breastplate with such force that it nearly disappeared under her armor. Despite her grave wound, and eschewing her spells completely, Alliane drew her mace and charged the hobgoblin, dive-bombing him from above. She struck him a near-fatal blow and he staggered back a few steps.</p><p></p><p>The hobgoblin acted to shift the tide of battle. He drew a bead from within his vest and cast it down between his dire tiger pets. Immediately, the creatures grew to immense proportions. Wulf estimated them at twenty feet wide and sixty feet long-- or, measured in the common parlance of dwarven engineers, “Ferkin’ immense!”</p><p></p><p>The lead dire tiger now completely filled the width of the narrow valley leading to the cave, so Karak and Dorn rushed in before it could completely block it off. Dorn skidded to a halt as silence washed over him, then hopped back a couple of feet. Unfortunately, it put Karak up against his back with nowhere to run. </p><p></p><p>Dorn could see Wulf standing several feet away now, doing his best to hold back three of the steel cats. Suddenly, the enormous den mother appeared around the corner. Wulf sidestepped, putting putting the other steel cats between them, all the while hacking away with his axe for all he was worth. </p><p></p><p>“This is real bad…” he observed silently.</p><p></p><p>It was getting quickly worse. Toe-to-toe with the hobgoblin, flanked by dire tigers, and nearly dead from a single arrow shot, Alliane decided that discretion was the better part of valor. Casting defensively, she <em>plane shifted</em> back to the prime, leaving Keldas alone to face the hobgoblin and his enormous dire tigers. </p><p></p><p>Enormous <em>awakened</em> dire tigers, as it turned out. The tiger nearest the cave muttered something about “Play time!” then grabbed the paladin firmly in his mouth. An awful sense of déjà vu washed over the paladin as the tiger yanked him out of the cave mouth and lifted him straight up into Dorn’s <em>blade barrier</em>. The whirling blades sliced paladin and tiger equally but the tiger had a grin on its face that clearly indicated it was prepared to take it.</p><p></p><p>Apparently it was a day for the bad guys to ignore <em>blade barriers</em>. The huge steel predator lunged forward, ignoring the blades inside the cave, and grabbed Dorn, yanking him back into the blades as well. Using every last ounce of luck he had, Dorn somehow managed to struggle free from the predator and stagger back a few steps. He cast <em>plane shift</em> and was gone.</p><p></p><p>Wulf saw the paladin trigger his helm and <em>teleport</em> out of the tiger’s mouth. Now it was just Wulf and Keldas-- and though Keldas probably had a <em>plane shift</em> memorized as well, he was flying about two hundred feet above Wulf at the moment. </p><p></p><p>Wulf had a few choice words about this turn of events, but unfortunately the aura of silence around him prevented these newfound profanities from filtering down to posterity. One of the smaller steel predators, already weakened by Wulf’s earlier attack, retreated back into their cave to avoid the <em>blade barrier</em>, but the other two and the den mother still lurked nearby, sniffing around for him. Wulf nipped out of the cave and crouched under the blade barrier. There was only one way out: right through the twisted guts of the dire tiger. Unfortunately for the dire tiger its senses were not as developed as the steel predator, and it was unable to defend itself. Wulf whisked through it like dwarven brew through an elf-- a particularly apt metaphor as Wulf emerged through much the same orifice and with essentially the same level of discomfort to the hapless tiger.</p><p></p><p>Wulf waded through the shaggy remains and sprinted up next to the hobgoblin-- and yet, something made him pause for a moment. <em>Taranak</em> waited in his hand.</p><p></p><p>Keldas had summoned a dire bear to deal with the other dire tiger, and while the two huge beasts grappled atop the valley, the wizard flew down to help Wulf. He cast <em>haste</em> on the dwarf, then turned and belched <em>acid breath</em> onto the steel predators. One of the smaller ones collapsed in a sizzling puddle, but the den mother emerged from the cave and snarled loudly. The remaining smaller predator bounded out of the cave right behind it. </p><p></p><p>Much to their surprise, the remaining dire tiger turned from Keldas’ bear and leapt into the valley-- right onto the huge steel predator. While the two creatures struggled, each raking with their hind legs in a desperate attempt to disembowel the other, Wulf, ever the opportunist, stepped back from the hobgoblin to concentrate on the huge predator. </p><p></p><p>His instincts were vindicated once again, it seemed; he hacked mercilessly at the huge predator and grinned with satisfaction as a volley of arrows from the hobgoblin downed the smaller predator. Unfortunately, the steel predator was better armored than the tiger had been. Only a few of Wulf’s blows actually bit deep enough to hurt the thing.</p><p></p><p>The den mother finished off the dire tiger with ease, then turned and snapped at Wulf. He was caught off guard by the speed of its attack, and found himself gripped tight in its jaws. It twisted its head and held Wulf helpless in Dorn’s <em>blade barrier</em>.</p><p></p><p><em>That’s going to sting a bit,</em> Wulf thought as axe-heads whizzed and axe-handles thudded around him. <em>But not for much longer, I reckon.</em></p><p></p><p>Wulf squinted and could just barely make out a shape diving out of the grey sky. Karak flew into the <em>blade barrier</em>, grabbed at the invisible shape struggling in the predator’s mouth, and teleported the both of them to the Battlecube gate. Wulf staggered through the gate and started stumbling towards Rigus.</p><p></p><p>Perhaps he thanked the paladin for his trouble, but it was swallowed by the <em>silence</em>.</p><p></p><p>*****</p><p></p><p>They gave the steel predators-- and their hobgoblin protector, if such he was-- one day to prepare for their return. When they scried the lair for their return trip, however, they were surprised to see a human standing guard in the cats’ cavern lair-- a human in robes, wreathed in flame.</p><p></p><p>“Some kind o’ sorcerer?” suggested Wulf.</p><p></p><p>“Whatever he is, he’s about to taste boot leather,” Keldas boasted.</p><p></p><p>Wulf raised an eyebrow and looked the elven mage up and down. “Reckon yer mean to say he’s about to taste silk slipper, don’t yer?” </p><p></p><p>Dorn chuckled.</p><p></p><p>“I knew you were going to chap my ass about these <em>slippers of spider climbing</em> when I picked them up,” Keldas grumbled. “I should have known better…”</p><p></p><p>“Aye, that yer shoulda.” Wulf agreed. He rolled out the portable hole and lifted Karak’s <em>helm of teleportation</em> off his head, handing it to Dorn. “But yer can make good in a second here. Yer ready?”</p><p></p><p>Dorn nodded. “Get in the hole, paladin.” </p><p></p><p>“Why is it always me who has to go in the hole?” Karak complained.</p><p></p><p>“Cause yer over six feet tall an’ fourteen stone an’ yer wearin’ full plate. Yer weigh a ferkin’ ton, jackass.”</p><p></p><p>Dorn nodded in agreement. “I’d rather have Wulf out here with me anyway. Quit bein’ a Nervous Nancy and get in the hole.”</p><p></p><p>Alliane patiently beckoned Karak into the hole alongside her, and he grudingly hopped in once again. Keldas cast <em>mass haste</em>, and Wulf quickly rolled up the hole and tucked it into his belt. He nodded to Dorn and stepped close, with Keldas on the other side. </p><p></p><p>“Ready!”</p><p></p><p>Dorn activated the helm and they <em>teleported</em> through. Keldas acted first-- as he always seemed to do-- and cast <em>Power Word, Stun</em> on the flaming sorcerer. “Say goodnight,” he chuckled smugly.</p><p></p><p>Much to everyone’s surprise the spell had no effect. “Spell resistance!” Keldas shouted.</p><p></p><p>Dorn was unimpressed and started casting. Wulf thought he recognized a <em>flame strike</em> on the way, and while their enemies were busy with that, he stepped to one side and unrolled the hole, reaching in to boost the lady Alliane out of the extra-dimensional space. Wulf ignored the flash of flame and the back-blast of hot air, but looked up as the sound of Dorn’s swearing overpowered the roaring column of fire.</p><p></p><p>“I didn’t get him, neither…” he grumbled. The sorcerer was unscathed. But Dorn’s <em>flame strike</em> had certainly gotten the attention of the steel predators. Wulf wasn’t sure, but beneath the fresh black scorch marks he thought he saw the signs of wounds inflicted on their last encounter. </p><p></p><p><em>This might be easier than I expected,</em> he thought, just before the predators charged the group and disabused him of <em>that</em> notion. The huge predator, the one Wulf reckoned was their den mother, bore down on him like a steam drill before screeching to a halt in front of him. She almost seemed to grin as she gingerly reached down and used her teeth to pick up the <em>portable hole</em>-- with Karak still in it.</p><p></p><p>“Oh, yer sneaky bit---“ Wulf started to say, just before one of the smaller predators slammed into him. He just had time to draw his bone dagger before the thing pulled him close and started raking away at his tender bits.</p><p></p><p>Keldas stepped away from the fray and summoned a dire bear to help Wulf. The bear reared up and slammed its bulk down on the predator that was grappling with Wulf.</p><p></p><p>“Right,” Wulf grunted. “Ferkit, why doesn’t everybody just pile on…”</p><p></p><p>The sorcerer at the end of the room finally acted. Keldas recognized the incoming spell with perfect clarity-- it was a <em>feeblemind</em> aimed at Dorn!-- and reacted with blazing speed to counterspell it, but to no avail. The sorcerer’s magic was more than Keldas could overcome.</p><p></p><p>Dorn shook his head, though, and his eyes were still clear. “No problem, no problem, I’m fine…”</p><p></p><p>The sorcerer responded to this by sending a <em>lightning bolt</em> screaming down the cavern. The blast caught everyone-- especially Wulf, who was buried under a mountain of bear-flesh and steel claws and unable to dodge out of the way. <em>Right… Another two or three of those and I’m in trouble...</em></p><p></p><p>Dorn cast two <em>flame strikes</em> onto the predators, while Wulf stabbed away at his own opponent, plunging the dagger into it two or three times and trying to force his way out of its grip. It was no use. He was caught, and the predator ripped into him again with teeth and claws. </p><p></p><p>Two more lightning bolts thundered through Wulf. <em>I’m in trouble.</em></p><p></p><p>Alliane pitched in with a <em>flame strike</em> to get the den mother’s attention. It seemed to work-- the predator dropped the crumpled <em>portable hole</em> onto the ground and leaned forward to grab Dorn in her jaws. Dorn had been in this situation before and he knew he had no chance of breaking free. He activated the helm and <em>teleported</em> over to Wulf. Stretching his hand into the mass of grappling bodies, he cast <em>heal</em> on Wulf, who immediately felt like a new man. Wulf stabbed and struggled free of the press and took up a defensive stance next to Dorn. </p><p></p><p>“Thanks, mate.”</p><p></p><p>Alliane cast a <em>divine storm</em> and centered it right on the den mother. Now she <em>really</em> had its attention. The huge predator grabbed Alliane in its jaws, clearly intent on hoisting her through her own <em>divine storm</em>. Alliane lost concentration and the whirling blades winked out. </p><p></p><p>Disappointed, the huge predator bit Alliane clean in half and tossed aside her remains with a shake of its head.</p><p></p><p>One of the smaller predators leapt on Wulf again, pinning him to the ground. Thanks to Dorn, Wulf wasn’t in any great danger, and he didn’t even flinch when Keldas burped up an <em>acid breath</em> over his predator and the den mother.</p><p></p><p>Satisfied that Wulf could take care of himself, Dorn whipped out his <em>carpet of flying</em> and zipped off to the back of the cave to deal with the sorcerer-- one good whack with <em>Syrius</em> and a promise of more where that came from. The melee was a mess, good guys and bad guys mixing it up all over the cave. Wulf was actually pretty happy to be pinned under one of the smaller predators.</p><p></p><p>The den mother ordered one of its minions to attack Keldas, but its jaws closed around a <em>mirror image</em> and Keldas was unscathed. The den mother responded by roaring at Keldas, who counted himself fortunate not to be deafened by the sonic blast despite the fact that his guts felt like they’d been scrambled with an egg-beater. Keldas stepped back and fired two <em>bolts of conjuring</em> at the smaller predator, finally finishing it off.</p><p></p><p>Dorn had backed the sorcerer up with his great-axe, but he was having trouble slicing through all the magical protections. He cast a <em>dispel magic</em> onto the sorcerer with limited success-- he couldn’t tell what he’d dispelled, but apparently it was enough that the sorcerer cried out for help. The huge den mother turned and dashed to the back of the cave to deal with Dorn.</p><p></p><p>As the huge predator turned, it finally dropped the <em>portable hole</em>. Keldas reached down and unrolled the hole with one hand, while simultaneously casting a <em>greater dispelling</em> on the sorcerer. Protective spells melted away just in time for Karak to come bounding out of the hole.</p><p></p><p>“Glad yer finally decided to join the party…” Wulf muttered from beneath the snapping jaws of his predator opponent. </p><p></p><p>Karak took only the briefest of moments to size up the situation before charging the sorcerer, smiting him full force. The sorcerer was sorely wounded but scoffed arrogantly. </p><p></p><p>“Sorry to leave you,” he said. “One haste, one teleport, and we’ll meet some other time.” He stepped back from Karak and began to re-cast his <em>haste</em> spell.</p><p></p><p>“You’re not going anywhere.” Keldas whispered. There was menace in his monotone. The sorcerer’s <em>haste</em> spell fizzled as Keldas reacted to counter-spell it. There would be no <em>teleport</em> follow-up, either: Dorn stepped up and in two strokes had seperated the sorcerer into three parts.</p><p></p><p>They weren’t out of the water yet, unfortunately; there were still two predators left, including the big one. Keldas saw Wulf still struggling with his and shouted out, “Wulf, you know I can’t do this!”</p><p></p><p>“What the hell are yer talking abou—“ Wulf began, as a <em>fireball</em> exploded around his ears. If it was an illusion, it was a damn painful one, and the predator seemed to think so, too. Wulf put a boot against its chest and popped himself free of its clutches. He rolled to his feet with his weapons ready, slashed the thing four or five times, and finally dropped it in a heap on the ground.</p><p></p><p>Dorn and Karak had teamed up on the den mother, but the thing seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of energy. Ignoring Karak, it turned and clamped its huge jaws on Dorn, engulfing him from the top down and settling its razor-sharp teeth around his waist. Wulf grimaced and turned aside, leaving a single eye open to witness a repeat of what the thing had done to Alliane. </p><p></p><p>But Dorn was Haela’s special guy. At the last moment Dorn’s banded mail slipped through the predator’s jaws, which chomped down unsatisfactorily on Dorn’s shoulder. It was still a bad wound, but not nearly as bad as it should have been. </p><p></p><p>“Yer lucky bastard!” Wulf cheered.</p><p></p><p>Dorn didn’t feel so lucky at the moment. The predator didn’t miss a beat, grabbing Dorn with its claws and dragging him in where its hind legs could rake him over. Wulf charged up and slammed <em>Taranak</em> into its side. The distraction worked; Dorn managed to wriggle free, and Wulf got back-handed with another paw for his trouble. </p><p></p><p>Wulf noticed with some concern that he, Dorn, and Karak had the creature blocked in on three sides—and unfortunately, it was he who was standing between the critter and the exit. He skipped back a few steps to give the predator room to run without having to go through him first. Sure enough, the den mother took the bait and bolted for the exit. Karak and Dorn slashed at its flanks as it fled, but it kept its feet and blasted past Wulf like a bullet train. </p><p></p><p><em>Good riddance</em>, Wulf thought. </p><p></p><p>Dorn was not so easily deterred. He kicked his flying carpet into high gear and chased off after it, out of the cave, through the valley entrance, and off onto the vast iron plain of the cube, all the while calling down <em>flame strike</em> after <em>flame strike</em>. Soon enough, he’d blasted it into oblivion. He returned, satisfied at last, to the rest of the group.</p><p></p><p>Wulf was using the tip of his boot to roll Alliane’s remains unceremoniously into the <em>portable hole</em>. Noting Keldas’ scowl, Wulf crossed himself and said a quick prayer for her soul. “Benedice, benedictus… ahh… ipso facto an’ habeus corpus…”</p><p></p><p>Wulf looked up at Dorn. “Reckon yer can bring her back tomorrow?”</p><p></p><p>Dorn shrugged. “No problem.”</p><p></p><p>“No,” Keldas said. </p><p></p><p>“What yer mean, <em>No</em>?”</p><p></p><p>“Alliane did not wish to be brought back again. She has earned a rest: a graceful, innocent follower, always getting yanked into terrible danger by people she should know better than to trust.”</p><p></p><p>“But I <em>need</em> her,” Wulf said. “We all need her.”</p><p></p><p>“What’s done is done,” said Keldas.</p><p></p><p>**</p><p></p><p>They grabbed the den mother’s head on their way back to the formian lair, and as soon as they were spotted by the colony, the formians raised a mighty cheer. For some reason, Wulf was in no mood for celebration; while he sulked in the back, Keldas stepped forward to lead a delegation to the formian Queen, and to handle any negotiations. </p><p></p><p>When it was all said and done, Keldas returned to the group with a magic necklace, given as a gift from the Queen for their help against the steel predators. </p><p></p><p>“Just great,” Wulf said. “Yer lost Alliane, but, hey, at least yer got a pretty bauble for yer trouble.”</p><p></p><p>Keldas scowled, but let it go. “Well, it allows us to see through illusions; it could be very useful.”</p><p></p><p>“What would be useful is some allies against Imperagon. How’d that go?”</p><p></p><p>Keldas frowned. “The Queen will grant us safe haven here, but assures me that if we bring trouble down on them, she’ll hand us over.”</p><p></p><p>“Mighty utilitarian of her.”</p><p></p><p>“Best she can do. So what now?”</p><p></p><p>“I don’t care, ask the Oracle over there.” Wulf nodded towards Dorn. “Or is today a Templar day?”</p><p></p><p>“Tomorrow I will commune with Haela Brightaxe. She’ll see us on our way, right enough,” said Dorn. “Start thinkin’ of questions to ask. <em>Serious</em> questions, Wulf.”</p><p></p><p>The next day, as soon as Dorn was ready, Wulf guided him through the questions he wanted answered. <em>Tactical</em> questions. <em>Strategic</em> questions. <em>Serious</em> questions. Wulf had a little over half a dozen questions written down, and figured he’d fill out the rest as the answers to the previous questions inspired him.</p><p></p><p><em> What are the names of the three blue dragons who have allied with Imperagon? </em></p><p><strong> INDRAZAR, HUNDRAZI, KHALATAIC. </strong></p><p></p><p><em> Do the dragons have any allies besides Imperagon? </em></p><p><strong> IMPERAGON’S ALLIES. </strong></p><p></p><p>“Ohh, that was some friggin’ useful info,” Wulf said. “Very timely, very helpful.”</p><p></p><p>As if to annoy Wulf further, Dorn deviated from Wulf’s questions:</p><p></p><p><em>Is Haela happy with my work so far?</em></p><p><em>There was no answer, but Dorn felt a strange sensation. </em> </p><p></p><p>“Waste of a question…” Wulf said. “Yer big momma’s boy.”</p><p></p><p>“I got a warm fuzzy feelin’.” Dorn smiled.</p><p></p><p>“That so? Hell, if I’d ha’ known I could have got a mystical hummer from Haela herself, I woulda been a priest, too.” Wulf said. “Now can we get back on track?"</p><p></p><p><em> Will killing the dragons assist us against Imperagon? </em> </p><p><strong> YES</strong></p><p></p><p><em> What kind of dragon cross-breed is Imperagon? </em></p><p><strong> RED </strong></p><p></p><p><em>Is Verachus planning to double-cross us? </em></p><p><strong> NO</strong></p><p></p><p><em> Is Imperagon making preparations specifically against us? </em> </p><p><strong>YES</strong></p><p></p><p><em> Is the hobgoblin sniper a threat to us in our crusade against Imperagon? </em></p><p><strong> NO </strong></p><p></p><p><em> Is Imperagon a psionics user? </em></p><p><strong> NO</strong></p><p></p><p>Karak was waving his hand wildly in the air. “Ooh! Ooh! I have a good one! Ask her what weaknesses we can exploit!”</p><p></p><p>Wulf started at him like the idiot he was. “It doesn’t work that way. Yer have to ask questions with simple answers, and besides…”</p><p></p><p>Dorn asked the question:</p><p></p><p><em> What weaknesses does Imperagon’s fortress have that we can exploit? </em> </p><p><em> There was no answer. </em></p><p></p><p>Wulf shut his eyes and tried to control his temper. He found it easier if he just reminded himself that he was surrounded by fools. “And <em>besides</em>, I was sayin’, the gods don’t work that way. It’s never that simple. Haela <em>wants</em> us to throw our asses on the line, don’t yer get it? Yer think she’s just gonna roll Imperagon up in a neat package for us?”</p><p></p><p>“Keep the questions comin, then,” said Dorn. “If ya slow down, it’s no wonder the paladin’s gonna jump in.”</p><p></p><p><em> Are Imperagon’s blue dragon allies making preparations specifically against us? </em> </p><p><strong> YES </strong></p><p></p><p><em> If we wait for the dragons, will they come to us?</em></p><p><strong> NO </strong></p><p></p><p><em> If we attack the dragons right now, what allies can we expect them to have? </em></p><p><strong> STEEL CATS.</strong></p><p></p><p>“That’s it,” said Dorn. He was visibly drained from the communion with his goddess, but he seemed game for more-- as ever. “So?”</p><p></p><p>“Well," Wulf said, stroking his beard. "I reckon we leave now and go kick the sh-- out of some dragons.”</p><p></p><p>Wulf looked around. He didn’t see the unanimous approval he was hoping for.</p><p></p><p> “Why don’t we wait a day and take some protection spells?” said Karak.</p><p></p><p>“Another day?” Wulf said. They’d already wasted a day waiting for Dorn to switch out his spells.</p><p></p><p>“<em>Protection from elements</em> goes a long way, against dragons.” Dorn said. “I loaded up on Oracle crap today, so I don’t have as much whammy as I might like, includin’ protective stuff.”</p><p></p><p>“I’m not worried about dragon breath,” Wulf said. “ I’m too quick for ‘em. Yer got that freaky Oracle danger-sense thing goin’ on, yer never get hit neither. We know Keldas is bound to have something to protect himself, leavin’ only the assmar to worry about. If yer was <em>inclined</em> to worry about him, which of course I’m not.”</p><p></p><p>Karak scowled at Wulf.</p><p></p><p>“Ach, I just mean yer can take care of yerself, that’s all.”</p><p></p><p>Wulf noticed Keldas and Dorn staring off into space. </p><p></p><p>“You see that?” asked Keldas.</p><p></p><p>“Of course,” said Dorn. He looked back to Wulf and Karak. “Someone’s <em>scrying</em> us.” </p><p></p><p>“Aye?” Wulf said. With one hand he pulled <em>Taranak</em> off his belt, and with the other he heaved his privates. “Get an eyeful o’ this! Hope yer usin’ yer wide-angle sensor, take in the whole show.”</p><p></p><p>“Well, as long as I’m prepared for it today, I might as well scry ‘em right back,” Dorn said. He cast his own <em>scrying</em>. “Who do I look for?”</p><p></p><p>“Pick a dragon, any dragon,” Wulf said.</p><p></p><p>“Indrazar,” Dorn said, and suddenly he could see the dragon, a full-grown adult lying in a deep crevasse at the bottom of a cave. Dorn moved the sensor around, spotting Khalataic next, another adult lying on a ledge that overlooked the cavern below. Next to Khalataic was a smaller dragon, the juvenile Hundrazi. </p><p></p><p>Dorn recounted all this to his comrades. Somehow, looking at them and having it confirmed for sure, three dragons suddenly seemed like an awful lot to tackle. </p><p></p><p>“Anything else? Steel cats?” Wulf said.</p><p></p><p>Dorn moved the sensor around the whole cave. He didn’t spot any steel predators, and was ready to give up, when he suddenly started. “Hang on, what’s this?”</p><p></p><p>Nearly hidden in the crevasse behind Indrazar, he spotted something. “There’s a big glass block or somethin’ in the pit… And… Lemme look closer… Hmm.”</p><p></p><p>“What? What is it?” asked Karak. He seemed agitated.</p><p></p><p>“Hmm. There’s a nekkid human boy trapped in the glass.”</p><p></p><p>There was a moment of silence while they all tried to process this strange new information.</p><p></p><p>“Ferk’im,” Wulf said. “If they’re scryin’ us, they’re tipped off by now. Let’s wait till tomorrow, juice up.”</p><p></p><p>“I think we should go now,” Karak said. “The boy…”</p><p></p><p>“Boy’s on ice, he’ll keep.”</p><p></p><p>“Well,” Karak said. “It’s just…”</p><p></p><p>Wulf’s suspicions were suddenly flaring up, a really creepy feeling he hadn’t felt since the peck was around. He stepped closer to Karak. “Out with it!”</p><p></p><p>“A while back, I had a dream about this boy,” Karak said.</p><p></p><p>Dorn held up his hands. “Ach, man, I <em>really</em> don’t need to hear this… Not now, not never.”</p><p></p><p>“In my dream, I saw a teenage boy trapped in a block of glass, with lightning arcing all around it. I stepped closer to the boy, so close I could feel the electricity.”</p><p></p><p>Wulf and Dorn were inspecting their boots and humming to themselves. </p><p></p><p>“…and when I cast a spell at the block, I suddenly woke up.”</p><p></p><p>“Please tell me yer done,” Wulf said.</p><p></p><p>“What spell was it that you cast,” asked Keldas. Believe it or not, he seemed genuinely interested.</p><p></p><p>“I don’t know,” said Karak. “I told you, I woke up.”</p><p></p><p>“So, what, now yer sayin’ yer want to go in right now, guns blazing?”</p><p></p><p>“Yes.”</p><p></p><p>“No protections?”</p><p></p><p>“Right.”</p><p></p><p>Wulf and Dorn looked at each other, and to Keldas. Everyone seemed in agreement. Wulf rolled out the <em>portable hole</em> for Karak-- but he had to admit to himself, he was starting to get cold feet.</p><p></p><p>“All right, just so yer all realize, this is yer own decision.”</p><p></p><p>They prepared with what spells they could-- <em>Bull’s Strength</em> from the wand they’d found; <em>protection from elements</em> where it could be spared, (“We got just enough to go in with, so if it gets <em>dispelled</em>, we got problems,” warned Dorn), Keldas’ usual wizard’s tricks like <em>mage armor</em> and <em>shield</em> and <em>mirror image</em>, and finally, <em>mass haste</em> all around, just before Dorn <em>teleported</em> them all through.</p><p></p><p>***</p><p></p><p>They were spot on, and as usual, Keldas was the first to open the ceremonies. Dorn had <em>teleported</em> them onto the shelf, and Keldas took only a split second to gain his bearings before casting his first spell.</p><p></p><p>He <em>disintegrated</em> the baby dragon.</p><p></p><p>“Well, that’s certainly got their attention,” Wulf said as he unrolled the <em>portable hole</em> into the corner of the shelf.</p><p></p><p>Dorn proved that he wasn’t travelling <em>completely</em> in Oracle mode that day by casting <em>Destruction</em> on Khalataic, the adult male. Wulf had hoped to see another dragon instantly “dusted” but unfortunately, the dragon resisted; huge chunks of flesh shriveled and dropped away nevertheless, but it was clear the dragon could take plenty more.</p><p></p><p>The group was unrelenting. Despite the ominous scrying, it seemed the party had caught the dragons by surprise. While the two adults scrambled to prepare themselves with their own protective spells, Keldas cast <em>know protections</em> on Khalataic then started summoning a dire bear. They still shared shelf-space with the male and Keldas wanted a meat shield between him and the claws, teeth, wings, and tail of the big blue.</p><p></p><p>Indrazar, the female, somehow managed to find one of the steel predators. Wulf guessed that she was <em>hasted</em>, as she flew across the cavern, scooped up a cat, then flew up to deposit it on the shelf in front of them. As if on cue, the predator bounded off to their flank and roared its sonic blast across the party-- at the same time that the male sizzled them all with its lightning breath. The lightning hit Keldas’ <em>energy buffer</em> first and was harmlessly dissipated, but unfortunately it left him open to the sonic blast. Keldas grit his teeth and somehow managed to keep his concentration on his summoning.</p><p></p><p>Dorn decided to make the best of the situation while their enemies were all grouped up in front of them. Two <em>flame strikes</em> softened up the two dragons for the dire bear, which appeared in front of the male and did its best to claw at it through the dragon’s <em>shield</em>.</p><p></p><p>Keldas cast <em>slow</em>, knowing full well that if it worked, they’d pretty much have the dragons at their mercy. Unfortunately, the first spell fizzled against the dragon’s spell resistance. He tried again, and though this time the spell manifested fully, neither dragon seemed affected by it.</p><p></p><p>The dragons responded in force. Lightning crackled across the shelf, and the steel predator lent a hand with its roar as well. The party was still well protected from the lightning; that was the good news. The bad news was that the dragons finally seemed to figure it out. Even worse, Keldas was completely unprotected from the roaring of the steel predator, and if the lightning didn’t kill him, the sonics soon would. </p><p></p><p>Dorn had another two <em>flame strikes</em> for the dragons and the cat-- apparently Oracles had nothing better to pray for than dozens of <em>flame strike</em> spells-- which softened the predator up enough for Wulf and Karak to charge up together, flank it, and drop it. Wulf noticed that Karak fought with unusual vigor, even for him; he kept stealing glances down to the crevasse, and Wulf got the sense that all these enemies had faded to mere obstacles to the paladin. </p><p></p><p><em>Fighting with unusual vigor, good. Not keeping your eye on the ball, bad.</em></p><p></p><p>Now Keldas cast <em>greater dispelling</em> on the female, and to his trained eye he could almost see the spells melting away from her: <em>haste, shield, endurance, mage armor</em>. Then he did the same to the male, dropping Khalataic’s <em>haste</em> and <em>endurance</em> as well. </p><p></p><p>The female attempted to <em>haste</em> herself again, but Keldas was too quick, counterspelling it easily. The dragons took to the air and wheeled away below the level of the ledge. Dorn took advantage of the brief pause to heal Keldas with their newly crafted wand of curing. Keldas felt his sonic-blasted insides re-arrange themselves into a more life-sustaining formation. </p><p></p><p>Wulf readied his weapons for the dragons’ return, and turned to ensure that the paladin was doing the same. Much to his dismay, Wulf spotted the paladin dive-bombing straight for the young boy’s crevasse. Karak was on his own, distracted from the task at hand and separated from the group by a good hundred feet or so. </p><p></p><p>Wulf’s view of the paladin was abruptly blocked out as the dragons suddenly returned, dropping off two more steel predators onto the ledge. Khalataic followed up by casting his <em>endurance</em> spell again. </p><p></p><p>Wulf looked on in admiration as Keldas taunted the big male. Wulf couldn’t understand the Draconic but the elf’s arrogant sneer was all too familiar. “What, not strong enough to take us?”</p><p></p><p><em>That’s one elf what’s got a pair, true enough.</em></p><p></p><p>The dragons ignored Keldas, dropping down to hover in front of the ledge with just their heads above the level of the rim-- plenty of cover and perfect for breathing anytime they were ready. Dorn decided he’d back them off a bit, and cast a <em>blade barrier</em> such that it would spin parallel to the cliff wall. <em>Good thinking,</em> Wulf thought. <em>Now if we need to get over, we can just hop the blades.</em></p><p></p><p>Unfortunately, the dragons just seemed to ignore the blades. They were turning towards the paladin at last.</p><p></p><p>Karak had located the boy’s icy prison and cast <em>dispel magic</em>. The prison shimmered and disappeared, and the boy slumped to the ground.</p><p></p><p>“Karak! Stop screwin’ around with that boy and get back in the fight!”</p><p></p><p>Karak shouted back over his shoulder. “I’m trying to see if he looks okay!”</p><p></p><p>“Okay? He’s looks totally <strong>HOT!</strong> Happy? Now get yer ass back up here!”</p><p></p><p>Karak saw the female headed his way and he flew out of the crevasse to meet her before she could get close enough to threaten the boy. He ended his charge with a powerful <em>smite</em>, infusing the strike further with his own life-force by way of a <em>divine sacrifice</em>. It was a solid blow; it was obvious she felt it. Still, Wulf couldn’t hide his disgust with the paladin. </p><p></p><p><em>Never, never move to attack the dragon; the dragon just gets to hit you with everything it’s got. Let the dragon come to <strong>you</strong>.</em></p><p></p><p>Wulf didn’t stop to think know how he knew it; he just knew it, like instinct. If he’d stopped to consider it, this was probably the third or fourth dragon he’d seen in his lifetime-- three or four more than the average dwarf would ever <em>want</em> to see.</p><p></p><p>Sure enough, Indrazar beat her mighty wings and lashed out at the paladin with everything she had. Karak was very lucky: only one claw met its mark and he suffered the merest graze from her jaws.</p><p></p><p>Wulf tried his best to keep an eye on the paladin, as if he could effect the battle through telepathy or osmosis of talent, but he had his own problems. He and Dorn both were tackled by steel predators. <em>Taranak</em> and <em>Syrius</em> hewed into their enemies with every ounce of strength the two dwarves could muster. Keldas cast a <em>bolt of conjuring</em> at Dorn’s foe. Huge chunks of flesh were torn from the predator, dropping to the ground and forming themselves into a small (but angry) celestial badger. The predator collapsed from the transformation. </p><p></p><p>Keldas followed with a duplicate bolt to Wulf’s foe, but the thing didn’t drop. Wulf was desperate to break free of his combat and charge to the side of Karak-- to slap a little sense into him, of course-- but he could only watch from the ledge. Karak probably should have moved away from the dragon-- he was certainly more maneuverable-- but Wulf was amazed to see the paladin stand toe-to-toe with her. He was going all out in his attack. </p><p></p><p>Precious few of the paladin’s blows struck the dragon, and in return he was nearly ripped to pieces. She clamped her jaws down on him, shredded him with both claws, and to add insult to injury, clouted him with her tail as well. Wulf had a pretty good sense of what the paladin could take-- and that was just about it. He was lucky the female had missed with her wings and rear claws; if she’d been more cool-headed and less charged with fury, the paladin would likely be dead.</p><p></p><p><em>I can’t believe he held his ground.</em></p><p></p><p>Wulf had been struggling with the steel predator, trying to force its snapping jaws out of the way long enough to get a clear view of the paladin’s struggle, when suddenly the thing went limp against him. Dorn wrenched his great-axe from the thing’s back and touched Wulf firmly with his other hand. Wulf’s wounds-- quite serious, though he’d hardly noticed them-- closed up. Save the hang-nail he’d had since morning, he was whole again.</p><p></p><p>“There ya go. Do yer thing.” Dorn jerked a thumb towards the female.</p><p></p><p>Wulf was off like a shot. Still <em>hasted</em>, he charged in against the female on the opposite flank from Karak. <em>Praise Moradin, the assmar held his ground!</em> Wulf hefted <em>Taranak</em> in one hand, as always, but his bone dagger was still in his belt. Instead, he wielded the light mace they’d taken from the drow, and he gleefully pounded the pointed star of chaos into the dragon’s ribs. </p><p></p><p>The dragon had never felt such pain before in her life; molten fire and inky chaos seeped into every wound. She wouldn’t have long to ponder the pain, because Keldas had been waiting for a moment of weakness.</p><p></p><p>He cast <em>power word: stun</em>. There was no resisting it. Indrazar hung stunned in mid-air.</p><p></p><p>Khalataic realized what was happening to his mate, but it was too late. He made a flying run past Wulf, snapping at him with his jaws before flying off to circle back for more. </p><p></p><p>“Right, right, we can play that game…” said Wulf. “But just for that, yer whore wife is dead-- and there’s nothing yer can do about it.”</p><p></p><p>True to his word as always, Wulf laid into the helpless female in a flurry of activity, breaking nearly every bone with his mace before <em>Taranak</em> opened her up and rained her steaming guts down onto the cavern floor.</p><p></p><p>With the death of the female, Wulf thought for a moment that the party was about to have a rare, unspoiled victory. Foolish thoughts, of course.</p><p></p><p>A glowing portal opened on the north end of the battlefield and two familiar figures stepped through.</p><p></p><p>“It’s Engram and Rourmed!”</p><p></p><p>There was no mistaking their intentions; they’d come ready to bring the heat. They appeared to be <em>hasted</em>, Engram had multiple <em>mirror images</em> swirling around him, and Wulf suspected a <em>shield</em> spell as well. To top it off, Wulf had a nice, warm, paranoid feeling about the crooked staff that Engram brandished in one hand. Even so, he was far more worried about what Rourmed could do-- if only because he knew too well what Dorn could do; still, when the priest started running across the cavern away from the battle, he had to admit to himself he had no idea what Rourmed <em>would</em> do.</p><p></p><p>“Kill the priest!” Wulf shouted.</p><p></p><p>“Which one is the priest?” Dorn yelled back.</p><p></p><p>Wulf rolled his eyes and pointed. “He’s the one makin’ a beeline for the naked boy!”</p><p></p><p>Wulf would never know what the priest originally had in mind, because his shout had brought the priest up short. Rourmed stopped at the edge of the depression and turned to look up at the shelf where Karak had retreated to seek healing from Dorn. The paladin was sorely wounded from his fight with the dragon, and when Rourmed’s <em>blade barrier</em> whirled into force about four feet above the level of the shelf, Karak was sliced to ribbons. He dropped below the level of the blades.</p><p></p><p>Keldas had moved forward to deal with Engram, the wizard. He hovered in mid-air and launched a <em>bolt of conjuring</em> just in time to disrupt Engram’s spell-- some sort of summoning, though it was beyond anything they could identify. Unfortunately, Keldas was far too close, now, to the bull dragon. Khalataic turned in mid-air and blasted Keldas and Wulf with a bolt of lightning. Wulf dodged, of course, and although Keldas wasn’t particularly hurt, his protections would not last much longer. </p><p></p><p>Wulf watched as something invisible attacked Keldas, but soon enough he had problems of his own. He couldn’t <em>see</em> his attacker either, but the stench reminded him of half-orc, and the thing’s battle-cry smacked of barbarian desperation. Wulf suspected that his foe had hoped to rattle his nerves, but he was unimpressed.</p><p></p><p>“Yer’d be a lot more intimidatin’,” Wulf said, “if I could ser yer...” He hefted <em>Taranak</em> and squinted around for his opponent.</p><p></p><p>Dorn had managed to crawl beneath the <em>blade barrier</em> to Karak’s side. The paladin wasn’t quite dead yet. Dorn laid a hand on the assmar’s brow and <em>healed</em> him nearly to full strength again. When he was satisfied the paladin was going to make it, he carefully unrolled his <em>carpet of flying</em> and charged out to help Wulf with the raging half-orc.</p><p></p><p>Engram gripped his staff and pointed it at Keldas. “I’m killing you with your own staff,” he said, as fist-sized hailstones pounded down on the elf. </p><p></p><p>Keldas had had enough. “I’m leaving!” he said.</p><p></p><p>Karak had managed to recover his feet, and ignoring the <em>blade barrier</em> as best he could, he grabbed the <em>portable hole</em> and ran to Keldas’ side. Keldas grabbed him and they disappeared.</p><p></p><p>“We’re not done dancin’ yet,” Wulf said, slashing into the half-orc with a flurry of attacks. Several times, Wulf whizzed his chaos mace through empty air before striking elsewhere with <em>Taranak</em>. Not every blow struck true, of course, but Wulf took particular glee in the sickening crunch and sizzle of the ones that did. He’d figure out where his opponent was, line him up with Dorn, and then…</p><p></p><p>“Dance is over,” Dorn said. He grabbed Wulf by the back of the neck and cast <em>plane shift</em>.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Wulf Ratbane, post: 9113, member: 94"] [b]LORD OF THE IRON FORTRESS-- Part IV[/b] While they walked towards the formian lair, Wulf chatted with the ants to get a better feel for the metallic cat situation. “How many yer killed?” “A handful,” came the reply, though Wulf was left wondering what exactly a handful meant to a horse-sized ant. “How many yer ever seen in one place at one time?” “Two.” Wulf raised an eyebrow. “Well, that’s somethin’, then. We can take two.” They rested briefly with the formians-- long enough to trade out Shorty (who was due for a rest, along with Loyal) and to meet up again with Dorn, newly arrived from the prime and fully updated by the Old Man. Wulf shook his hand. He was clearly glad to see him. “What yer been up to?” “Crafting wands… Doin’ the temple thing...” “Hmm,” Wulf grunted. “Well, right. Let’s take care of this cat business then.” The formians directed them to the steel cats’ lair, and before long they found it: a faint path that eventually disappeared into the earth between two steep canyon walls. It was about 80 feet from the top of the walls to the cave mouth at the bottom. The group turned to look at Wulf, apparently under the impression that he was qualified (and expected) to do some sort of scouting. “Get in there and do it,” Dorn said. “You can take ‘em, right?” “Well, all right,” he started, looking at Keldas. “[I]Invisibility[/I], please.” Wulf winked out of sight, and Dorn felt a tap on his shoulder. “[I]Silence[/I], please.” Wulf turned and pointed to the paladin. “Gimme yer shield.” Karak ignored him. “Gimme the goddam shield.” Karak continued to ignore him-- then jumped with surprise when Wulf wrenched the large Lion’s Head shield from his arm. Obviously, the invisibility and silence were working just fine. Even so, Wulf wasn’t taking any chances. He crept into the cave, every bit as quietly and stealthily as he could manage. The tunnel ran back about sixty feet before it horse-shoed and opened into a larger cave. Wulf crouched quietly by the opening, eyeing the occupants of the lair: three regular-sized steel cats and one [I]enormous[/I] friggin’ den mother. He sat and thought for a moment, remembering the way the cats had easily mauled him back in Rigus. True enough, this time [I]Taranak[/I] and his trusty bone dagger were enhanced by Dorn with [I]greater magic weapon[/I], but he wasn’t confident that if he was grappled again, he could overcome even one of the cats, let alone three, before he was ripped to pieces. Outside the cave, Keldas stood over Dorn’s shoulder. “You’re scrying him, right?” Dorn’s scrying sensor followed Wulf closely. He had taken flight with his [I]wings of flying[/I] and sailed up to the top of the cavern. He hovered over the largest of the creatures, trying to decide whether or not to pounce on it, when the largest creature suddenly lifted its smooth, steel, eyeless head and sniffed about. It could sense that something was up. “Yes, I’m scrying him,” Dorn answered, “and getting a good chuckle out of it, too...” One of the smaller steel cats suddenly got up and padded out of the cave. Wulf followed after it, furling his wings at the last minute to follow it into the narrow corridor. Wulf lost sight of it briefly as the creature rounded the bend. He was being careful to stay at least fifteen feet behind it, lest the radius of his [I]silence[/I] spell suddenly overlap the creature and give him away. There was little need for his precautions. As he rounded the corner, the creature sprung at him from a narrow crevice. It struck him with unerring accuracy. [I]Blindsight,[/I] Wulf thought. [I]Ferkin figures.[/I] He swung his axe into the hide of the creature, and it bit deep. Wulf was expecting help at any moment from his friends outside, but it would have to wait. From the middle of nowhere a shadowy figure suddenly appeared, flanked by two dire tigers. The creature barked out an order and Wulf recognized the hobgoblin tongue. “Attack!” He punctuated his command by firing his bow at Alliane, who hovered far above. The arrow struck her breastplate with such force that it nearly disappeared under her armor. Despite her grave wound, and eschewing her spells completely, Alliane drew her mace and charged the hobgoblin, dive-bombing him from above. She struck him a near-fatal blow and he staggered back a few steps. The hobgoblin acted to shift the tide of battle. He drew a bead from within his vest and cast it down between his dire tiger pets. Immediately, the creatures grew to immense proportions. Wulf estimated them at twenty feet wide and sixty feet long-- or, measured in the common parlance of dwarven engineers, “Ferkin’ immense!” The lead dire tiger now completely filled the width of the narrow valley leading to the cave, so Karak and Dorn rushed in before it could completely block it off. Dorn skidded to a halt as silence washed over him, then hopped back a couple of feet. Unfortunately, it put Karak up against his back with nowhere to run. Dorn could see Wulf standing several feet away now, doing his best to hold back three of the steel cats. Suddenly, the enormous den mother appeared around the corner. Wulf sidestepped, putting putting the other steel cats between them, all the while hacking away with his axe for all he was worth. “This is real bad…” he observed silently. It was getting quickly worse. Toe-to-toe with the hobgoblin, flanked by dire tigers, and nearly dead from a single arrow shot, Alliane decided that discretion was the better part of valor. Casting defensively, she [I]plane shifted[/I] back to the prime, leaving Keldas alone to face the hobgoblin and his enormous dire tigers. Enormous [I]awakened[/I] dire tigers, as it turned out. The tiger nearest the cave muttered something about “Play time!” then grabbed the paladin firmly in his mouth. An awful sense of déjà vu washed over the paladin as the tiger yanked him out of the cave mouth and lifted him straight up into Dorn’s [I]blade barrier[/I]. The whirling blades sliced paladin and tiger equally but the tiger had a grin on its face that clearly indicated it was prepared to take it. Apparently it was a day for the bad guys to ignore [I]blade barriers[/I]. The huge steel predator lunged forward, ignoring the blades inside the cave, and grabbed Dorn, yanking him back into the blades as well. Using every last ounce of luck he had, Dorn somehow managed to struggle free from the predator and stagger back a few steps. He cast [I]plane shift[/I] and was gone. Wulf saw the paladin trigger his helm and [I]teleport[/I] out of the tiger’s mouth. Now it was just Wulf and Keldas-- and though Keldas probably had a [I]plane shift[/I] memorized as well, he was flying about two hundred feet above Wulf at the moment. Wulf had a few choice words about this turn of events, but unfortunately the aura of silence around him prevented these newfound profanities from filtering down to posterity. One of the smaller steel predators, already weakened by Wulf’s earlier attack, retreated back into their cave to avoid the [I]blade barrier[/I], but the other two and the den mother still lurked nearby, sniffing around for him. Wulf nipped out of the cave and crouched under the blade barrier. There was only one way out: right through the twisted guts of the dire tiger. Unfortunately for the dire tiger its senses were not as developed as the steel predator, and it was unable to defend itself. Wulf whisked through it like dwarven brew through an elf-- a particularly apt metaphor as Wulf emerged through much the same orifice and with essentially the same level of discomfort to the hapless tiger. Wulf waded through the shaggy remains and sprinted up next to the hobgoblin-- and yet, something made him pause for a moment. [I]Taranak[/I] waited in his hand. Keldas had summoned a dire bear to deal with the other dire tiger, and while the two huge beasts grappled atop the valley, the wizard flew down to help Wulf. He cast [I]haste[/I] on the dwarf, then turned and belched [I]acid breath[/I] onto the steel predators. One of the smaller ones collapsed in a sizzling puddle, but the den mother emerged from the cave and snarled loudly. The remaining smaller predator bounded out of the cave right behind it. Much to their surprise, the remaining dire tiger turned from Keldas’ bear and leapt into the valley-- right onto the huge steel predator. While the two creatures struggled, each raking with their hind legs in a desperate attempt to disembowel the other, Wulf, ever the opportunist, stepped back from the hobgoblin to concentrate on the huge predator. His instincts were vindicated once again, it seemed; he hacked mercilessly at the huge predator and grinned with satisfaction as a volley of arrows from the hobgoblin downed the smaller predator. Unfortunately, the steel predator was better armored than the tiger had been. Only a few of Wulf’s blows actually bit deep enough to hurt the thing. The den mother finished off the dire tiger with ease, then turned and snapped at Wulf. He was caught off guard by the speed of its attack, and found himself gripped tight in its jaws. It twisted its head and held Wulf helpless in Dorn’s [I]blade barrier[/I]. [I]That’s going to sting a bit,[/I] Wulf thought as axe-heads whizzed and axe-handles thudded around him. [I]But not for much longer, I reckon.[/I] Wulf squinted and could just barely make out a shape diving out of the grey sky. Karak flew into the [I]blade barrier[/I], grabbed at the invisible shape struggling in the predator’s mouth, and teleported the both of them to the Battlecube gate. Wulf staggered through the gate and started stumbling towards Rigus. Perhaps he thanked the paladin for his trouble, but it was swallowed by the [I]silence[/I]. ***** They gave the steel predators-- and their hobgoblin protector, if such he was-- one day to prepare for their return. When they scried the lair for their return trip, however, they were surprised to see a human standing guard in the cats’ cavern lair-- a human in robes, wreathed in flame. “Some kind o’ sorcerer?” suggested Wulf. “Whatever he is, he’s about to taste boot leather,” Keldas boasted. Wulf raised an eyebrow and looked the elven mage up and down. “Reckon yer mean to say he’s about to taste silk slipper, don’t yer?” Dorn chuckled. “I knew you were going to chap my ass about these [I]slippers of spider climbing[/I] when I picked them up,” Keldas grumbled. “I should have known better…” “Aye, that yer shoulda.” Wulf agreed. He rolled out the portable hole and lifted Karak’s [I]helm of teleportation[/I] off his head, handing it to Dorn. “But yer can make good in a second here. Yer ready?” Dorn nodded. “Get in the hole, paladin.” “Why is it always me who has to go in the hole?” Karak complained. “Cause yer over six feet tall an’ fourteen stone an’ yer wearin’ full plate. Yer weigh a ferkin’ ton, jackass.” Dorn nodded in agreement. “I’d rather have Wulf out here with me anyway. Quit bein’ a Nervous Nancy and get in the hole.” Alliane patiently beckoned Karak into the hole alongside her, and he grudingly hopped in once again. Keldas cast [I]mass haste[/I], and Wulf quickly rolled up the hole and tucked it into his belt. He nodded to Dorn and stepped close, with Keldas on the other side. “Ready!” Dorn activated the helm and they [I]teleported[/I] through. Keldas acted first-- as he always seemed to do-- and cast [I]Power Word, Stun[/I] on the flaming sorcerer. “Say goodnight,” he chuckled smugly. Much to everyone’s surprise the spell had no effect. “Spell resistance!” Keldas shouted. Dorn was unimpressed and started casting. Wulf thought he recognized a [I]flame strike[/I] on the way, and while their enemies were busy with that, he stepped to one side and unrolled the hole, reaching in to boost the lady Alliane out of the extra-dimensional space. Wulf ignored the flash of flame and the back-blast of hot air, but looked up as the sound of Dorn’s swearing overpowered the roaring column of fire. “I didn’t get him, neither…” he grumbled. The sorcerer was unscathed. But Dorn’s [I]flame strike[/I] had certainly gotten the attention of the steel predators. Wulf wasn’t sure, but beneath the fresh black scorch marks he thought he saw the signs of wounds inflicted on their last encounter. [I]This might be easier than I expected,[/I] he thought, just before the predators charged the group and disabused him of [I]that[/I] notion. The huge predator, the one Wulf reckoned was their den mother, bore down on him like a steam drill before screeching to a halt in front of him. She almost seemed to grin as she gingerly reached down and used her teeth to pick up the [I]portable hole[/I]-- with Karak still in it. “Oh, yer sneaky bit---“ Wulf started to say, just before one of the smaller predators slammed into him. He just had time to draw his bone dagger before the thing pulled him close and started raking away at his tender bits. Keldas stepped away from the fray and summoned a dire bear to help Wulf. The bear reared up and slammed its bulk down on the predator that was grappling with Wulf. “Right,” Wulf grunted. “Ferkit, why doesn’t everybody just pile on…” The sorcerer at the end of the room finally acted. Keldas recognized the incoming spell with perfect clarity-- it was a [I]feeblemind[/I] aimed at Dorn!-- and reacted with blazing speed to counterspell it, but to no avail. The sorcerer’s magic was more than Keldas could overcome. Dorn shook his head, though, and his eyes were still clear. “No problem, no problem, I’m fine…” The sorcerer responded to this by sending a [I]lightning bolt[/I] screaming down the cavern. The blast caught everyone-- especially Wulf, who was buried under a mountain of bear-flesh and steel claws and unable to dodge out of the way. [I]Right… Another two or three of those and I’m in trouble...[/I] Dorn cast two [I]flame strikes[/I] onto the predators, while Wulf stabbed away at his own opponent, plunging the dagger into it two or three times and trying to force his way out of its grip. It was no use. He was caught, and the predator ripped into him again with teeth and claws. Two more lightning bolts thundered through Wulf. [I]I’m in trouble.[/I] Alliane pitched in with a [I]flame strike[/I] to get the den mother’s attention. It seemed to work-- the predator dropped the crumpled [I]portable hole[/I] onto the ground and leaned forward to grab Dorn in her jaws. Dorn had been in this situation before and he knew he had no chance of breaking free. He activated the helm and [I]teleported[/I] over to Wulf. Stretching his hand into the mass of grappling bodies, he cast [I]heal[/I] on Wulf, who immediately felt like a new man. Wulf stabbed and struggled free of the press and took up a defensive stance next to Dorn. “Thanks, mate.” Alliane cast a [I]divine storm[/I] and centered it right on the den mother. Now she [I]really[/I] had its attention. The huge predator grabbed Alliane in its jaws, clearly intent on hoisting her through her own [I]divine storm[/I]. Alliane lost concentration and the whirling blades winked out. Disappointed, the huge predator bit Alliane clean in half and tossed aside her remains with a shake of its head. One of the smaller predators leapt on Wulf again, pinning him to the ground. Thanks to Dorn, Wulf wasn’t in any great danger, and he didn’t even flinch when Keldas burped up an [I]acid breath[/I] over his predator and the den mother. Satisfied that Wulf could take care of himself, Dorn whipped out his [I]carpet of flying[/I] and zipped off to the back of the cave to deal with the sorcerer-- one good whack with [I]Syrius[/I] and a promise of more where that came from. The melee was a mess, good guys and bad guys mixing it up all over the cave. Wulf was actually pretty happy to be pinned under one of the smaller predators. The den mother ordered one of its minions to attack Keldas, but its jaws closed around a [I]mirror image[/I] and Keldas was unscathed. The den mother responded by roaring at Keldas, who counted himself fortunate not to be deafened by the sonic blast despite the fact that his guts felt like they’d been scrambled with an egg-beater. Keldas stepped back and fired two [I]bolts of conjuring[/I] at the smaller predator, finally finishing it off. Dorn had backed the sorcerer up with his great-axe, but he was having trouble slicing through all the magical protections. He cast a [I]dispel magic[/I] onto the sorcerer with limited success-- he couldn’t tell what he’d dispelled, but apparently it was enough that the sorcerer cried out for help. The huge den mother turned and dashed to the back of the cave to deal with Dorn. As the huge predator turned, it finally dropped the [I]portable hole[/I]. Keldas reached down and unrolled the hole with one hand, while simultaneously casting a [I]greater dispelling[/I] on the sorcerer. Protective spells melted away just in time for Karak to come bounding out of the hole. “Glad yer finally decided to join the party…” Wulf muttered from beneath the snapping jaws of his predator opponent. Karak took only the briefest of moments to size up the situation before charging the sorcerer, smiting him full force. The sorcerer was sorely wounded but scoffed arrogantly. “Sorry to leave you,” he said. “One haste, one teleport, and we’ll meet some other time.” He stepped back from Karak and began to re-cast his [I]haste[/I] spell. “You’re not going anywhere.” Keldas whispered. There was menace in his monotone. The sorcerer’s [I]haste[/I] spell fizzled as Keldas reacted to counter-spell it. There would be no [I]teleport[/I] follow-up, either: Dorn stepped up and in two strokes had seperated the sorcerer into three parts. They weren’t out of the water yet, unfortunately; there were still two predators left, including the big one. Keldas saw Wulf still struggling with his and shouted out, “Wulf, you know I can’t do this!” “What the hell are yer talking abou—“ Wulf began, as a [I]fireball[/I] exploded around his ears. If it was an illusion, it was a damn painful one, and the predator seemed to think so, too. Wulf put a boot against its chest and popped himself free of its clutches. He rolled to his feet with his weapons ready, slashed the thing four or five times, and finally dropped it in a heap on the ground. Dorn and Karak had teamed up on the den mother, but the thing seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of energy. Ignoring Karak, it turned and clamped its huge jaws on Dorn, engulfing him from the top down and settling its razor-sharp teeth around his waist. Wulf grimaced and turned aside, leaving a single eye open to witness a repeat of what the thing had done to Alliane. But Dorn was Haela’s special guy. At the last moment Dorn’s banded mail slipped through the predator’s jaws, which chomped down unsatisfactorily on Dorn’s shoulder. It was still a bad wound, but not nearly as bad as it should have been. “Yer lucky bastard!” Wulf cheered. Dorn didn’t feel so lucky at the moment. The predator didn’t miss a beat, grabbing Dorn with its claws and dragging him in where its hind legs could rake him over. Wulf charged up and slammed [I]Taranak[/I] into its side. The distraction worked; Dorn managed to wriggle free, and Wulf got back-handed with another paw for his trouble. Wulf noticed with some concern that he, Dorn, and Karak had the creature blocked in on three sides—and unfortunately, it was he who was standing between the critter and the exit. He skipped back a few steps to give the predator room to run without having to go through him first. Sure enough, the den mother took the bait and bolted for the exit. Karak and Dorn slashed at its flanks as it fled, but it kept its feet and blasted past Wulf like a bullet train. [I]Good riddance[/I], Wulf thought. Dorn was not so easily deterred. He kicked his flying carpet into high gear and chased off after it, out of the cave, through the valley entrance, and off onto the vast iron plain of the cube, all the while calling down [I]flame strike[/I] after [I]flame strike[/I]. Soon enough, he’d blasted it into oblivion. He returned, satisfied at last, to the rest of the group. Wulf was using the tip of his boot to roll Alliane’s remains unceremoniously into the [I]portable hole[/I]. Noting Keldas’ scowl, Wulf crossed himself and said a quick prayer for her soul. “Benedice, benedictus… ahh… ipso facto an’ habeus corpus…” Wulf looked up at Dorn. “Reckon yer can bring her back tomorrow?” Dorn shrugged. “No problem.” “No,” Keldas said. “What yer mean, [I]No[/I]?” “Alliane did not wish to be brought back again. She has earned a rest: a graceful, innocent follower, always getting yanked into terrible danger by people she should know better than to trust.” “But I [I]need[/I] her,” Wulf said. “We all need her.” “What’s done is done,” said Keldas. ** They grabbed the den mother’s head on their way back to the formian lair, and as soon as they were spotted by the colony, the formians raised a mighty cheer. For some reason, Wulf was in no mood for celebration; while he sulked in the back, Keldas stepped forward to lead a delegation to the formian Queen, and to handle any negotiations. When it was all said and done, Keldas returned to the group with a magic necklace, given as a gift from the Queen for their help against the steel predators. “Just great,” Wulf said. “Yer lost Alliane, but, hey, at least yer got a pretty bauble for yer trouble.” Keldas scowled, but let it go. “Well, it allows us to see through illusions; it could be very useful.” “What would be useful is some allies against Imperagon. How’d that go?” Keldas frowned. “The Queen will grant us safe haven here, but assures me that if we bring trouble down on them, she’ll hand us over.” “Mighty utilitarian of her.” “Best she can do. So what now?” “I don’t care, ask the Oracle over there.” Wulf nodded towards Dorn. “Or is today a Templar day?” “Tomorrow I will commune with Haela Brightaxe. She’ll see us on our way, right enough,” said Dorn. “Start thinkin’ of questions to ask. [I]Serious[/I] questions, Wulf.” The next day, as soon as Dorn was ready, Wulf guided him through the questions he wanted answered. [I]Tactical[/I] questions. [I]Strategic[/I] questions. [I]Serious[/I] questions. Wulf had a little over half a dozen questions written down, and figured he’d fill out the rest as the answers to the previous questions inspired him. [i] What are the names of the three blue dragons who have allied with Imperagon? [/i] [b] INDRAZAR, HUNDRAZI, KHALATAIC. [/b] [i] Do the dragons have any allies besides Imperagon? [/i] [b] IMPERAGON’S ALLIES. [/b] “Ohh, that was some friggin’ useful info,” Wulf said. “Very timely, very helpful.” As if to annoy Wulf further, Dorn deviated from Wulf’s questions: [i]Is Haela happy with my work so far?[/i] [I]There was no answer, but Dorn felt a strange sensation. [/I] “Waste of a question…” Wulf said. “Yer big momma’s boy.” “I got a warm fuzzy feelin’.” Dorn smiled. “That so? Hell, if I’d ha’ known I could have got a mystical hummer from Haela herself, I woulda been a priest, too.” Wulf said. “Now can we get back on track?" [i] Will killing the dragons assist us against Imperagon? [/i] [b] YES[/b] [i] What kind of dragon cross-breed is Imperagon? [/I] [b] RED [/b] [i]Is Verachus planning to double-cross us? [/i] [b] NO[/b] [i] Is Imperagon making preparations specifically against us? [/i] [b]YES[/b] [i] Is the hobgoblin sniper a threat to us in our crusade against Imperagon? [/I] [b] NO [/b] [i] Is Imperagon a psionics user? [/i] [b] NO[/b] Karak was waving his hand wildly in the air. “Ooh! Ooh! I have a good one! Ask her what weaknesses we can exploit!” Wulf started at him like the idiot he was. “It doesn’t work that way. Yer have to ask questions with simple answers, and besides…” Dorn asked the question: [i] What weaknesses does Imperagon’s fortress have that we can exploit? [/i] [i] There was no answer. [/i] Wulf shut his eyes and tried to control his temper. He found it easier if he just reminded himself that he was surrounded by fools. “And [I]besides[/I], I was sayin’, the gods don’t work that way. It’s never that simple. Haela [I]wants[/I] us to throw our asses on the line, don’t yer get it? Yer think she’s just gonna roll Imperagon up in a neat package for us?” “Keep the questions comin, then,” said Dorn. “If ya slow down, it’s no wonder the paladin’s gonna jump in.” [i] Are Imperagon’s blue dragon allies making preparations specifically against us? [/i] [b] YES [/b] [i] If we wait for the dragons, will they come to us?[/i] [b] NO [/b] [i] If we attack the dragons right now, what allies can we expect them to have? [/i] [b] STEEL CATS.[/b] “That’s it,” said Dorn. He was visibly drained from the communion with his goddess, but he seemed game for more-- as ever. “So?” “Well," Wulf said, stroking his beard. "I reckon we leave now and go kick the sh-- out of some dragons.” Wulf looked around. He didn’t see the unanimous approval he was hoping for. “Why don’t we wait a day and take some protection spells?” said Karak. “Another day?” Wulf said. They’d already wasted a day waiting for Dorn to switch out his spells. “[I]Protection from elements[/I] goes a long way, against dragons.” Dorn said. “I loaded up on Oracle crap today, so I don’t have as much whammy as I might like, includin’ protective stuff.” “I’m not worried about dragon breath,” Wulf said. “ I’m too quick for ‘em. Yer got that freaky Oracle danger-sense thing goin’ on, yer never get hit neither. We know Keldas is bound to have something to protect himself, leavin’ only the assmar to worry about. If yer was [I]inclined[/I] to worry about him, which of course I’m not.” Karak scowled at Wulf. “Ach, I just mean yer can take care of yerself, that’s all.” Wulf noticed Keldas and Dorn staring off into space. “You see that?” asked Keldas. “Of course,” said Dorn. He looked back to Wulf and Karak. “Someone’s [I]scrying[/I] us.” “Aye?” Wulf said. With one hand he pulled [I]Taranak[/I] off his belt, and with the other he heaved his privates. “Get an eyeful o’ this! Hope yer usin’ yer wide-angle sensor, take in the whole show.” “Well, as long as I’m prepared for it today, I might as well scry ‘em right back,” Dorn said. He cast his own [I]scrying[/I]. “Who do I look for?” “Pick a dragon, any dragon,” Wulf said. “Indrazar,” Dorn said, and suddenly he could see the dragon, a full-grown adult lying in a deep crevasse at the bottom of a cave. Dorn moved the sensor around, spotting Khalataic next, another adult lying on a ledge that overlooked the cavern below. Next to Khalataic was a smaller dragon, the juvenile Hundrazi. Dorn recounted all this to his comrades. Somehow, looking at them and having it confirmed for sure, three dragons suddenly seemed like an awful lot to tackle. “Anything else? Steel cats?” Wulf said. Dorn moved the sensor around the whole cave. He didn’t spot any steel predators, and was ready to give up, when he suddenly started. “Hang on, what’s this?” Nearly hidden in the crevasse behind Indrazar, he spotted something. “There’s a big glass block or somethin’ in the pit… And… Lemme look closer… Hmm.” “What? What is it?” asked Karak. He seemed agitated. “Hmm. There’s a nekkid human boy trapped in the glass.” There was a moment of silence while they all tried to process this strange new information. “Ferk’im,” Wulf said. “If they’re scryin’ us, they’re tipped off by now. Let’s wait till tomorrow, juice up.” “I think we should go now,” Karak said. “The boy…” “Boy’s on ice, he’ll keep.” “Well,” Karak said. “It’s just…” Wulf’s suspicions were suddenly flaring up, a really creepy feeling he hadn’t felt since the peck was around. He stepped closer to Karak. “Out with it!” “A while back, I had a dream about this boy,” Karak said. Dorn held up his hands. “Ach, man, I [I]really[/I] don’t need to hear this… Not now, not never.” “In my dream, I saw a teenage boy trapped in a block of glass, with lightning arcing all around it. I stepped closer to the boy, so close I could feel the electricity.” Wulf and Dorn were inspecting their boots and humming to themselves. “…and when I cast a spell at the block, I suddenly woke up.” “Please tell me yer done,” Wulf said. “What spell was it that you cast,” asked Keldas. Believe it or not, he seemed genuinely interested. “I don’t know,” said Karak. “I told you, I woke up.” “So, what, now yer sayin’ yer want to go in right now, guns blazing?” “Yes.” “No protections?” “Right.” Wulf and Dorn looked at each other, and to Keldas. Everyone seemed in agreement. Wulf rolled out the [I]portable hole[/I] for Karak-- but he had to admit to himself, he was starting to get cold feet. “All right, just so yer all realize, this is yer own decision.” They prepared with what spells they could-- [I]Bull’s Strength[/I] from the wand they’d found; [I]protection from elements[/I] where it could be spared, (“We got just enough to go in with, so if it gets [I]dispelled[/I], we got problems,” warned Dorn), Keldas’ usual wizard’s tricks like [I]mage armor[/I] and [I]shield[/I] and [I]mirror image[/I], and finally, [I]mass haste[/I] all around, just before Dorn [I]teleported[/I] them all through. *** They were spot on, and as usual, Keldas was the first to open the ceremonies. Dorn had [I]teleported[/I] them onto the shelf, and Keldas took only a split second to gain his bearings before casting his first spell. He [I]disintegrated[/I] the baby dragon. “Well, that’s certainly got their attention,” Wulf said as he unrolled the [I]portable hole[/I] into the corner of the shelf. Dorn proved that he wasn’t travelling [I]completely[/I] in Oracle mode that day by casting [I]Destruction[/I] on Khalataic, the adult male. Wulf had hoped to see another dragon instantly “dusted” but unfortunately, the dragon resisted; huge chunks of flesh shriveled and dropped away nevertheless, but it was clear the dragon could take plenty more. The group was unrelenting. Despite the ominous scrying, it seemed the party had caught the dragons by surprise. While the two adults scrambled to prepare themselves with their own protective spells, Keldas cast [I]know protections[/I] on Khalataic then started summoning a dire bear. They still shared shelf-space with the male and Keldas wanted a meat shield between him and the claws, teeth, wings, and tail of the big blue. Indrazar, the female, somehow managed to find one of the steel predators. Wulf guessed that she was [I]hasted[/I], as she flew across the cavern, scooped up a cat, then flew up to deposit it on the shelf in front of them. As if on cue, the predator bounded off to their flank and roared its sonic blast across the party-- at the same time that the male sizzled them all with its lightning breath. The lightning hit Keldas’ [I]energy buffer[/I] first and was harmlessly dissipated, but unfortunately it left him open to the sonic blast. Keldas grit his teeth and somehow managed to keep his concentration on his summoning. Dorn decided to make the best of the situation while their enemies were all grouped up in front of them. Two [I]flame strikes[/I] softened up the two dragons for the dire bear, which appeared in front of the male and did its best to claw at it through the dragon’s [I]shield[/I]. Keldas cast [I]slow[/I], knowing full well that if it worked, they’d pretty much have the dragons at their mercy. Unfortunately, the first spell fizzled against the dragon’s spell resistance. He tried again, and though this time the spell manifested fully, neither dragon seemed affected by it. The dragons responded in force. Lightning crackled across the shelf, and the steel predator lent a hand with its roar as well. The party was still well protected from the lightning; that was the good news. The bad news was that the dragons finally seemed to figure it out. Even worse, Keldas was completely unprotected from the roaring of the steel predator, and if the lightning didn’t kill him, the sonics soon would. Dorn had another two [I]flame strikes[/I] for the dragons and the cat-- apparently Oracles had nothing better to pray for than dozens of [I]flame strike[/I] spells-- which softened the predator up enough for Wulf and Karak to charge up together, flank it, and drop it. Wulf noticed that Karak fought with unusual vigor, even for him; he kept stealing glances down to the crevasse, and Wulf got the sense that all these enemies had faded to mere obstacles to the paladin. [I]Fighting with unusual vigor, good. Not keeping your eye on the ball, bad.[/I] Now Keldas cast [I]greater dispelling[/I] on the female, and to his trained eye he could almost see the spells melting away from her: [I]haste, shield, endurance, mage armor[/I]. Then he did the same to the male, dropping Khalataic’s [I]haste[/I] and [I]endurance[/I] as well. The female attempted to [I]haste[/I] herself again, but Keldas was too quick, counterspelling it easily. The dragons took to the air and wheeled away below the level of the ledge. Dorn took advantage of the brief pause to heal Keldas with their newly crafted wand of curing. Keldas felt his sonic-blasted insides re-arrange themselves into a more life-sustaining formation. Wulf readied his weapons for the dragons’ return, and turned to ensure that the paladin was doing the same. Much to his dismay, Wulf spotted the paladin dive-bombing straight for the young boy’s crevasse. Karak was on his own, distracted from the task at hand and separated from the group by a good hundred feet or so. Wulf’s view of the paladin was abruptly blocked out as the dragons suddenly returned, dropping off two more steel predators onto the ledge. Khalataic followed up by casting his [I]endurance[/I] spell again. Wulf looked on in admiration as Keldas taunted the big male. Wulf couldn’t understand the Draconic but the elf’s arrogant sneer was all too familiar. “What, not strong enough to take us?” [I]That’s one elf what’s got a pair, true enough.[/I] The dragons ignored Keldas, dropping down to hover in front of the ledge with just their heads above the level of the rim-- plenty of cover and perfect for breathing anytime they were ready. Dorn decided he’d back them off a bit, and cast a [I]blade barrier[/I] such that it would spin parallel to the cliff wall. [I]Good thinking,[/I] Wulf thought. [I]Now if we need to get over, we can just hop the blades.[/I] Unfortunately, the dragons just seemed to ignore the blades. They were turning towards the paladin at last. Karak had located the boy’s icy prison and cast [I]dispel magic[/I]. The prison shimmered and disappeared, and the boy slumped to the ground. “Karak! Stop screwin’ around with that boy and get back in the fight!” Karak shouted back over his shoulder. “I’m trying to see if he looks okay!” “Okay? He’s looks totally [b]HOT![/b] Happy? Now get yer ass back up here!” Karak saw the female headed his way and he flew out of the crevasse to meet her before she could get close enough to threaten the boy. He ended his charge with a powerful [I]smite[/I], infusing the strike further with his own life-force by way of a [I]divine sacrifice[/I]. It was a solid blow; it was obvious she felt it. Still, Wulf couldn’t hide his disgust with the paladin. [I]Never, never move to attack the dragon; the dragon just gets to hit you with everything it’s got. Let the dragon come to [b]you[/b].[/I] Wulf didn’t stop to think know how he knew it; he just knew it, like instinct. If he’d stopped to consider it, this was probably the third or fourth dragon he’d seen in his lifetime-- three or four more than the average dwarf would ever [I]want[/I] to see. Sure enough, Indrazar beat her mighty wings and lashed out at the paladin with everything she had. Karak was very lucky: only one claw met its mark and he suffered the merest graze from her jaws. Wulf tried his best to keep an eye on the paladin, as if he could effect the battle through telepathy or osmosis of talent, but he had his own problems. He and Dorn both were tackled by steel predators. [I]Taranak[/I] and [I]Syrius[/I] hewed into their enemies with every ounce of strength the two dwarves could muster. Keldas cast a [I]bolt of conjuring[/I] at Dorn’s foe. Huge chunks of flesh were torn from the predator, dropping to the ground and forming themselves into a small (but angry) celestial badger. The predator collapsed from the transformation. Keldas followed with a duplicate bolt to Wulf’s foe, but the thing didn’t drop. Wulf was desperate to break free of his combat and charge to the side of Karak-- to slap a little sense into him, of course-- but he could only watch from the ledge. Karak probably should have moved away from the dragon-- he was certainly more maneuverable-- but Wulf was amazed to see the paladin stand toe-to-toe with her. He was going all out in his attack. Precious few of the paladin’s blows struck the dragon, and in return he was nearly ripped to pieces. She clamped her jaws down on him, shredded him with both claws, and to add insult to injury, clouted him with her tail as well. Wulf had a pretty good sense of what the paladin could take-- and that was just about it. He was lucky the female had missed with her wings and rear claws; if she’d been more cool-headed and less charged with fury, the paladin would likely be dead. [I]I can’t believe he held his ground.[/I] Wulf had been struggling with the steel predator, trying to force its snapping jaws out of the way long enough to get a clear view of the paladin’s struggle, when suddenly the thing went limp against him. Dorn wrenched his great-axe from the thing’s back and touched Wulf firmly with his other hand. Wulf’s wounds-- quite serious, though he’d hardly noticed them-- closed up. Save the hang-nail he’d had since morning, he was whole again. “There ya go. Do yer thing.” Dorn jerked a thumb towards the female. Wulf was off like a shot. Still [I]hasted[/I], he charged in against the female on the opposite flank from Karak. [I]Praise Moradin, the assmar held his ground![/I] Wulf hefted [I]Taranak[/I] in one hand, as always, but his bone dagger was still in his belt. Instead, he wielded the light mace they’d taken from the drow, and he gleefully pounded the pointed star of chaos into the dragon’s ribs. The dragon had never felt such pain before in her life; molten fire and inky chaos seeped into every wound. She wouldn’t have long to ponder the pain, because Keldas had been waiting for a moment of weakness. He cast [I]power word: stun[/I]. There was no resisting it. Indrazar hung stunned in mid-air. Khalataic realized what was happening to his mate, but it was too late. He made a flying run past Wulf, snapping at him with his jaws before flying off to circle back for more. “Right, right, we can play that game…” said Wulf. “But just for that, yer whore wife is dead-- and there’s nothing yer can do about it.” True to his word as always, Wulf laid into the helpless female in a flurry of activity, breaking nearly every bone with his mace before [I]Taranak[/I] opened her up and rained her steaming guts down onto the cavern floor. With the death of the female, Wulf thought for a moment that the party was about to have a rare, unspoiled victory. Foolish thoughts, of course. A glowing portal opened on the north end of the battlefield and two familiar figures stepped through. “It’s Engram and Rourmed!” There was no mistaking their intentions; they’d come ready to bring the heat. They appeared to be [I]hasted[/I], Engram had multiple [I]mirror images[/I] swirling around him, and Wulf suspected a [I]shield[/I] spell as well. To top it off, Wulf had a nice, warm, paranoid feeling about the crooked staff that Engram brandished in one hand. Even so, he was far more worried about what Rourmed could do-- if only because he knew too well what Dorn could do; still, when the priest started running across the cavern away from the battle, he had to admit to himself he had no idea what Rourmed [I]would[/I] do. “Kill the priest!” Wulf shouted. “Which one is the priest?” Dorn yelled back. Wulf rolled his eyes and pointed. “He’s the one makin’ a beeline for the naked boy!” Wulf would never know what the priest originally had in mind, because his shout had brought the priest up short. Rourmed stopped at the edge of the depression and turned to look up at the shelf where Karak had retreated to seek healing from Dorn. The paladin was sorely wounded from his fight with the dragon, and when Rourmed’s [I]blade barrier[/I] whirled into force about four feet above the level of the shelf, Karak was sliced to ribbons. He dropped below the level of the blades. Keldas had moved forward to deal with Engram, the wizard. He hovered in mid-air and launched a [I]bolt of conjuring[/I] just in time to disrupt Engram’s spell-- some sort of summoning, though it was beyond anything they could identify. Unfortunately, Keldas was far too close, now, to the bull dragon. Khalataic turned in mid-air and blasted Keldas and Wulf with a bolt of lightning. Wulf dodged, of course, and although Keldas wasn’t particularly hurt, his protections would not last much longer. Wulf watched as something invisible attacked Keldas, but soon enough he had problems of his own. He couldn’t [I]see[/I] his attacker either, but the stench reminded him of half-orc, and the thing’s battle-cry smacked of barbarian desperation. Wulf suspected that his foe had hoped to rattle his nerves, but he was unimpressed. “Yer’d be a lot more intimidatin’,” Wulf said, “if I could ser yer...” He hefted [I]Taranak[/I] and squinted around for his opponent. Dorn had managed to crawl beneath the [I]blade barrier[/I] to Karak’s side. The paladin wasn’t quite dead yet. Dorn laid a hand on the assmar’s brow and [I]healed[/I] him nearly to full strength again. When he was satisfied the paladin was going to make it, he carefully unrolled his [I]carpet of flying[/I] and charged out to help Wulf with the raging half-orc. Engram gripped his staff and pointed it at Keldas. “I’m killing you with your own staff,” he said, as fist-sized hailstones pounded down on the elf. Keldas had had enough. “I’m leaving!” he said. Karak had managed to recover his feet, and ignoring the [I]blade barrier[/I] as best he could, he grabbed the [I]portable hole[/I] and ran to Keldas’ side. Keldas grabbed him and they disappeared. “We’re not done dancin’ yet,” Wulf said, slashing into the half-orc with a flurry of attacks. Several times, Wulf whizzed his chaos mace through empty air before striking elsewhere with [I]Taranak[/I]. Not every blow struck true, of course, but Wulf took particular glee in the sickening crunch and sizzle of the ones that did. He’d figure out where his opponent was, line him up with Dorn, and then… “Dance is over,” Dorn said. He grabbed Wulf by the back of the neck and cast [I]plane shift[/I]. [/QUOTE]
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Wulf's Collected Story Hour -- FINAL UPDATE 12/25
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